Mary Lynn Rajskub Disobeys Bridger

Summary

Episode Summary: Mary Lynn Rajskub Disobeys Bridger

I Said No Gifts! A comedy interview podcast with Bridger Winegar is back with its 101st episode featuring the delightful Mary Lynn Rajskub. Hosted by Bridger Winegar under the Exactly Right Media network, this episode encapsulates the quintessential chaos and comedy that fans have come to love. Despite Bridger’s clear request for "No gifts," Mary Lynn boldly defies the rule, setting the stage for an entertaining back-and-forth that explores everything from personal anecdotes to absurd gift-unwrapping antics.

Introduction and Name Pronunciations (00:00 - 04:00)

The episode kicks off with a humorous struggle over name pronunciations. Bridger attempts to welcome Mary Lynn, only to have her correct the pronunciation of his last name, turning a simple greeting into a comedic exchange.

Bridger Weiniger: "Your last name is so interesting. It's like, I mean, if you weren't aware of how to pronounce it beforehand, it would be a nightmare to get into. But once you know it's just two syllables, it gets easier." ([03:09])

Mary Lynn Rajskub: "Winegar, Winagar." ([03:50])

This playful banter sets a lighthearted tone, highlighting the often complex nature of names and the humor that can arise from misunderstandings.

Reading Habits and Attention Spans (04:00 - 12:00)

The conversation shifts to personal reading habits, with both hosts lamenting the decline in reading comprehension and attention spans in the modern age.

Bridger Weiniger: "What I've started doing just in the last couple of months is when I'm done with the chapter, I just try as hard as possible to remember everything that happened." ([10:39])

Mary Lynn Rajskub: "I'm not a big reader. Not a big reader. I aspire to be a big reader." ([13:29])

They discuss strategies to improve retention, such as quizzing oneself after each chapter, and share frustrations over societal shifts that make sustained reading more challenging.

Mary Lynn's Arctic Adventure (13:00 - 62:00)

Mary Lynn delves into her recent experience filming a TV show titled North of North in the Canadian Arctic. She provides vivid descriptions of life in extreme cold, interactions with wildlife, and the cultural immersion involved in playing an Inuit woman striving to break out of her shell.

Mary Lynn Rajskub: "I was in Arctic Circle, which is in the Canadian Arctic... It was freezing cold all the time." ([56:04])

She recounts activities like dog sledding, detailing the exhilarating yet daunting experience of being pulled by huskies across vast, icy landscapes.

Mary Lynn Rajskub: "I had to run and catch up and jump back on the sled. It was incredible." ([58:35])

Her stories offer listeners an inside look into the challenges and beauty of Arctic life, blending humor with genuine awe.

The Great Sock Debate (62:00 - 39:00)

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to an extensive and humorous discussion about different types of socks. Bridger and Mary Lynn explore various sock styles, debating their functionality and aesthetic appeal.

Bridger Weiniger: "This is a crew sock." ([33:19])

Mary Lynn Rajskub: "It's trying to be a crew sock." ([33:20])

Their detailed analysis includes terms like "micro crew," "sweat sock," and "thigh highs," all while infusing the conversation with light-hearted jokes and playful disagreements. This segment exemplifies the podcast’s unique blend of informative content and comedy.

Gift Opening Mayhem (39:00 - 54:00)

True to the podcast’s theme, Mary Lynn arrives with an assortment of gifts, intentionally defying Bridger’s request for no presents. This segment turns into a comedic struggle to open various items, including a notoriously unopenable tape.

Mary Lynn Rajskub: "I'm a guest here. And you're right. It said no gifts and I defied it." ([28:44])

Bridger Weiniger: "This is actually a prank tape. It's a gang." ([48:44])

Their attempts to unwrap gifts are fraught with humor, as they grapple with overly complicated packaging and useless presents, showcasing the playful tension between host and guest.

Game Time: Gift or a Curse (54:00 - 90:15)

The episode transitions into an interactive game segment where Bridger introduces "Gift or a Curse," inviting Mary Lynn to evaluate whether specific scenarios constitute a beneficial gift or an unwanted curse. Listener submissions add to the fun, prompting sharp and witty responses.

Bridger Weiniger: "This is how we play Gift or a Curse. I'm going to name three things, and then you tell me if they are a gift or a curse, and why." ([76:14])

One notable interaction involves a misinterpretation of a listener's scenario about unpacking forgotten boxes, leading to a humorous clash of opinions.

Mary Lynn Rajskub: "It's done. Goodbye, curse." ([74:30])

Bridger Weiniger: "Wrong." ([74:31])

Their differing viewpoints create a dynamic and engaging game that encapsulates the essence of the podcast – blending humor, surprise, and a touch of chaos.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts (90:15 - End)

As the episode winds down, Bridger and Mary Lynn reflect on the day's antics, from difficult gift openings to intense game plays. They share final thoughts on gratitude, success, and the absurdity of unexpected publicity, solidifying their bond through shared laughter and mutual respect.

Mary Lynn Rajskub: "Wouldn't that make you feel better?" ([29:11])

Bridger Weiniger: "We need to have a nice neutral palette." ([39:05])

The episode concludes with Bridger emphasizing the ongoing theme of the podcast – navigating social norms and personal boundaries with humor and honesty.

Notable Quotes

• Bridger Weiniger (03:09): "Your last name is so interesting. It's like... if you weren't aware of how to pronounce it beforehand, it would be a nightmare to get into."

• Mary Lynn Rajskub (56:04): "It was freezing cold all the time. I arrived in March and it was 20 below."

• Bridger Weiniger (33:19): "This is a crew sock."

• Mary Lynn Rajskub (48:44): "It's a gang. Like I said, I'm done with you. This is now part of the gift."

• Bridger Weiniger (76:25): "No, it's a gift. I love when the child gets replaced."

Final Takeaways

This episode of I Said No Gifts! brilliantly showcases the comedic chemistry between Bridger Winegar and Mary Lynn Rajskub. Through a series of engaging topics—from the minutiae of sock classifications to the hilarity of unwrapping unusable gifts—the duo delivers an episode rich in humor, personal stories, and lively interactions. Mary Lynn’s willingness to defy the “No gifts” rule provides endless entertainment, reinforcing the podcast’s reputation for unexpected twists and genuine camaraderie.

Listeners are treated to a blend of heartfelt anecdotes, sharp wit, and playful conflict, making "Mary Lynn Rajskub Disobeys Bridger" a must-listen for fans of comedy interviews that don’t shy away from a bit of chaos.

Transcript

[Bridger Weiniger]

Hey there, Ryan Reynolds here. It's a new year and you know what that means.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No, not the diet resolutions.

[Bridger Weiniger]

A way for us all to try.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And do a little bit better than.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We did last year. And my resolution, unlike big wireless, is to not be a raging and raise the price of wireless on you every chance I get. Give it a [e-mail] Switch $45 upfront payment required equivalent to $15 per month. New customers on first 3 month plan only. Taxes and fees, extra speed slower above 40 GB on unlimited. See mintmobile.com for details.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I think you're on mute. Workday starting to sound the same. I think you're on mute. Find something that sounds better for your career on LinkedIn. With LinkedIn job collections you can browse curated collections by relevant industries and benefits like Flexpto or hybrid workplaces so you can find the right job for you. Get [e-mail] jobs finding where you fit. LinkedIn knows how. When I invited you here, I thought I made myself perfectly clear. When you're a guest in my home, you gotta come to me empty handed. I said no gifts. Your presence is present enough and I. I already had too much stuff, so how do you dare disobey me?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Welcome to I Said no Gifts. I'm Bridger Weiniger. What's going on? I'm. I started the day in a bad mood. I went to bed in a bad mood. I tried watching this thing called the Curious Case of Natalie Grace. Natalia Grace, I don't know which I thought was just going to be thrilling and exciting. Trashy documentary documentaries may be generous. And then it was so horribly made that I had to stop watching it. And I never learned whether or not this couple accidentally adopted an evil 30 year old. And so now I'm not even gonna look into it. I guess I just have to. Hopefully someone will just mention to me what actually happened. But it was a real piece of crap and oh, it set me off. So I hate to start the podcast in this way. And now I'm thinking about how the photo app is still horrible on the iPhone. What's happening there? They haven't changed it. It's universally hated and they're just making us stick with it. I don't try to start this with so much complaining, but Natalia or Natalie Grace set me off. I'm sorry. Let's get into the show. Maybe that will help things. I adore today's guest. It's Mary Lynn Riceguf. Mary Lynn.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, hello.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Welcome to I said no.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You said My last name correctly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Your last name is so interesting. It's like, I mean, if you weren't aware of how to pronounce it beforehand, it would be a nightmare to get into. But once you know it's just two.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Words, I kind of like that. It's like, why don't, you know, how about you look into it and then talk to me and don't talk to me until then. Don't come up to me with a reg.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. What do you guess?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'm done with that. We're done with that. Don't not try. Don't give up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Don't give up. I think I. And like, I'll be a guest on podcasts occasionally. And it's just like, certainly just look into it for 30 seconds. You'll know how to pronounce my last name. You have the Internet.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Winegar, Winagar.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow, look at that.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Well, I've heard you say that. I did a little, you know, had to spruce up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, I have people in my life who still say Winagar, Winegar. Close friends.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I got scared as it was coming out of my mouth.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It was beautiful. I mean, it's the kind of the last guess for the pronunciation of my name, which is.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh really?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, I guess Winagar makes sense, Winegar makes sense, but it has that little speed bump in the middle. Weinagar.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And wow, yours is almost harder than mine. In a way. I suddenly have compassion for what seems like a simpler name, but somehow is more complicated. There's three reasonable ways to say it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But I feel like with your name, once you've heard it, once you get it.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes, but I have seen people, a lot of hosts. I'll see them panic and I just go, just whatever comes out of your mouth, that's fine. Cause the panic's not gonna help you. We all know that. But once you panic, it goes too far. And then I appreciate those people even more. Cause they're trying, you know, how about a show with a host that doesn't think the host is important? So I love people that wanna say the name and then I go, hey, don't just.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Fine.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

But yeah, I have to give the mnemonic a rice and a cub and then it's done. But if you get locked in your brain in a certain way and you're.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Not listening, you're just imagining that word.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

In your head, those letters, which is understandable.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What do you get most often?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

A give up or adding a syllable?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh sure. Did you get telemarketers?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Like, or sometimes people Will confidently go, is that, you know, Swedish? And the J is like an I. I'm like, slow down. I don't even believe that the way that it's pronounced is correct.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like the actual origin.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I wonder what the.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I don't. You know, who knows?

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's always the same with me.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Right at the beginning of it, there was an E added. Or there someone said it was three syllables and that's how it stuck.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It probably was a Vin. Like, I'm sure whatever country it came from, the W was a V. Right.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And then maybe the middle was more smushed together.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Y guy probably originally pronounced Smith. No. I do think living with my entire mess of a name has made me very. I'm not sensitive. I'm not precious at all. Because it's been butchered my entire life. First and last name. So when people get kind of sensitive about their names, I'm just like, whatever, yeah, who cares?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Your name is very literary, isn't it?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I guess it's. I mean, it's a name you don't see very often.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Two names you don't see at all.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Although the thing with Bridger is it's just kind of the masculine version of Bridget. But people cannot conceptualize. They cannot handle Bridger for some reason, despite Bridget being like the most common. Although I don't know many Bridgets.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I don't know one. Bridget.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Bridget. I know of Bridgers.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's a great name.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It is a good name.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

There should be more Bridgers. I'm glad there's not, because there's only one you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I'm trying to think of any other Bridgers that I am aware. I mean, there are like. We're having a Bridger moment in kind of the Zeitgeist. Because there's Bridgerton.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Phoebe Bridgers.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, and there's this new show called. I can't remember the name of the show, but they're going to Fort Bridger or they're trying to. I've watched about 10 minutes of the show so far. That's a place Western? Yeah.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There's a place in Wyoming called Fort Bridger. Maybe. Maybe in Utah. I don't know. How are you?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Pretty fantastic. Pretty fantastic. I mean, I'd like to complain too, just because it's fun.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Sure.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

But if I go beyond the complaining, I realize my life is great. You know what I wanna complain about? Having a rush. I'm to the point in my life where, I mean, we all are to a certain extent, just cause of the Circumstances of the world where you're having to cut things out and conserve energy so that we don't lose our GD minds. We're having to consolidate, check in with our person so that we don't completely lose it. But I'm also of an age and a point in my life where I just. Don't rush me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You know, who's rushing you?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Just life. That's a great question. Thank you for that. We all need to know who's rushing of my world. Lit teacher showing up on the first day going, we've got a lot to get through. It's like, who's got a lot to get through? Would you stop? I don't know if we're gonna make it. You're. You're in control. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You could have stopped this from the people.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Why am I stressed before I even started, which, by the way, I might have some sort of learning disability. I could not read. I could not. Everything I read in World lit, each word seemed important to me, and I couldn't get through. While others were discussing themes and topics, I was like, what about the. I can't even come up with an example. It's such a buried memory. Thank you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you feel like you're a slow reader in general?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'm not a slow reader. I think. And I think I can pinpoint when this happened in. Maybe this is the answer to who's rushing me. I've just uncovered it. When I was in seventh grade, they had this microfiche machine to test your speed of reading. And I had just had a hair gel incident that morning where I tried to do something and it didn't work, and I had to leave the house. And I was too. I was already too damaged about it. I wasn't about to put my head under the sink, so I had to go with what happened. So I wore a hoodie. And then they made me take down the hoodie.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Reveal the crust.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I revealed the crust. They forced me to reveal the crust. And I went in the microfiche, and it was to test the speed of your reading. And they gave you the rules, which I couldn't. I can't listen, you know? But I think part of the rules were somewhere in there was, make sure you digest like they warn you against. And I just did what they told you not to do, which is, I gotta get through this really fast. And to this day, I think I love to read things. But then at the end, I'll go, what happened? And even lately, I think I need to test myself on what I've read. Otherwise, what's the point?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I would love for books to come with little quizzes or for there to be to. There probably is an app that you can, like, after every chapter, quiz yourself or whatever.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, after every chapter.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Because I. Yeah, I'll get through a thing and I'll be like, I might be able to remember a character name.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't know what they've gone through. My reading comprehension has absolutely destroyed.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And then you go and have your day. And when you come back to the book, which you think, oh, I'm gonna. And then I'm like, I don't remember what was happening.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No. What I've started doing just in the last couple of months is when I'm done with the chapter, I just try as hard as possible to remember everything that happened. I said, what. What did I just read?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'm so excited I brought this up. This is real.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think it's a real problem. I think probably because our attention spans have really been decimated, but I still want to read. But I also want to read a lot. And so that all comes together to me spending time looking at words and none of them entering my brain. And so I'm trying to get better at that. But then recently, like, at the end of the year, there were all these people on TikTok that were like, end of the year list. I read 2,400 books this year.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What are you talking about?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I know. Stop it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's just the amount of books these people are reading.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'm completely unlikable.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I have no relationships. My health is failing.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

A fucking asshole.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I feel like I'm lucky if I read two books a month, and I'm reading pretty regularly. But I'm trying to slow down, actually make it count, and actually get something out of it. Otherwise, what's the point?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I love that. Are you doing fiction or mostly fiction. Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Although nonfiction, I find more and more is easier to get through.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't know. Why. I guess because I, like, at least.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Seems like it would be harder to get through.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think I can convince myself that I'm learning, and so I'm like, oh, I can. This is helpful to me. And of course, like, the subjects I'm reading about are not useful in ordinary life at all.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

So the things you're maybe more emotionally involved in, or is that a leap that might be.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's a great question. And now I'm trying to think of the last piece of nonfiction I read, and I couldn't tell what are you reading? Fiction, Nonfiction.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

The Secret. You read the Secret? Is that your last piece of secret?

[Bridger Weiniger]

So it turns out I'm only ever reading the Secret. I'm listening to it on audiobook.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. Just trying to get it in there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm visualizing it, trying to get the life I want.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

When will I get the red bike in the window? Turns out you never really wanted the red bike. You were negating the red bike as you were saying yes to the red bike.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Are you more of a fiction or nonfiction person?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I honestly am not a big reader. Not a big reader. I aspire to be a big reader. And I have a friend, comic. Michelle Balloon.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, sure, sure.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

We became friends sort of recently, and we have a vigorous voice memo. And early in the voice memos, we decided we were gonna start reading. So that's been really fun.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And we did one whole book together so far.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What book?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I already forgot Catherine.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Katherine.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's about a girl who was in a forest, and there's sisters in the Northwest. One of them is a beauty queen, and one of them is a shamed child psychologist.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I hope I haven't read this because it'll be so mortifying that I don't remember any of these details.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

We're about to read another one of her books, and I'm not remembering this. This is my brain, and I'm not remembering the author's name right this second.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Isn't that a terrifying feeling?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It really is. I hate it so much.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I wonder if. Yeah, it feels terrible.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It feels terrible.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Catherine Katherine. I can't think of a single.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

She's a very popular, prolific, often historical.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And she doesn't go by Kathy.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No, definitely not Kathy. And it might not even be Catherine at this point. It's not in my brain today. Oh, not today. Not today. I won't have that information. Oh, I'll bring up the book, but I won't hold the information.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But I'm sure there are countless listeners right now that are all so mad at both of us for not knowing whatever book this is.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah, it was a really good book, and I really enjoyed reading it with her. And we would get to like, oh, did you start it? Or I'm this. You know, I'm three ahead of you, or I'm three chapters behind you. It was very fun. We're gonna read another one of her books. Oh, in between. This is embarrassing. I don't even know. She might be mad if I reveal that we read this. Is it Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah? Yeah. Kristin.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I was Remembering a K and an H. Yeah. That was awesome.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Magic Hour Mag. Kristin Hannah. I know you gave very little information.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Very little. I was giving plot information to almost any book.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's about a girl. Kristin Hannah. Magic Hour.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then what was the. But Annalee saved you from saying an embarrassing book you read.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It ends with us.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It ends with O, which became the movie, which became the controversy.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Somehow I had read the book, and then. I don't know why it makes me want to cry right now, because I thought I. I saw it on the shelf just this morning, and I went, ugh. Because we spent a couple months dialoguing about it after I had read it and then watched it. And then she's like, okay, I'm gonna watch it too. And we, you know. And then, of course, we get all the, like, stories about the lawsuit.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, the lawsuit.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That was in the conversation. And, yeah, it got to the point where we both were like, I don't wanna talk about this ever again. But yet we continued to talk about it for a few more conversations. So, yeah, that's not high on my reading list, but that's how we're doing it. You know, we're leading with our feelings.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's a deeply. I mean, it's extremely popular, the book.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's extremely popular.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Not that that means anything.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

What did I. Oh, I watched the movie and then I read the book because I was curious how it played out. They were very similar to me. I don't want to say the book is worse because I know she's. I don't want to disparage the author. I guess I already have. I appreciate anyone who can execute a book. I'm excited based on personal experience. There's just something. Ugh. Because there's gender roles and there's. We were mentioning how every time they have sex, she seems to say inside. But that's. The main character is going. It's inside of me. Inside of me. And it just plays out like a very stereotypical straight couple fantasy. And then he's a neurosurgeon, and it's just like. But to not disparage it. And I think this is part of what hooks me in and why I was interested in it is there is a really thoughtful expression of how you can be locked into someone and then how it can become physically abusive. And I think that aside from my critique of it, which is, I'm the asshole in that. I realize that. But there is that part of it where it's very thoughtful. And when you're watching It. You're going, ugh. It does bring you into that behavior that can make someone have power over someone and what our expectations are and what we're owed and why we're intertwined with somebody. And I think that's the parts that I liked about it. And then the other parts, I was, you know, kind of hate liking it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. So she. All I know. And this actually might not even be true. She works in a flower shop. Is that true?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's what you got from. And everything you've seen online. That's fair.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is my exposure to. This is reading about lawsuits and then.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

The, like wear florals at the premiere. That piece of business.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Not even that, actually. I'm just. I'm remembering the, like, standee or whatever they had at the AMC where you could get your photo taken in what seemed to be a flower shop. But then, like, I knew there was some element of physical abuse, and I was like, why are we getting a picture taken in the flower shop for this movie about domestic violence?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's a whole other layer to this mess. I mean, I was kind of talking about the work. And then you throw on this. The press angle of how they were planning on selling it, and it's very odd. Very odd.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yep.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

But so, yeah, the main character. That's her dream. And she.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, she doesn't even do that.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, there's another thing in the book. And I was like this. She hates herself and she hates her readers. There's a thing in the book where she's starting, but let's do flowers different. Instead of making them alive, let's make them dead. Oh, but she doesn't make them dead, but she makes them dead. Like, there's a display where. And she's. It's a steampunk. I can't.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I can't.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Steampunk. Gonna put.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, no rivets on the stone. They're wearing goggles.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And dip it into. Dip a white rose into black.

[Bridger Weiniger]

A dozen roses in a top hat or something. This is horrible. This is too many things going on in one book. Pick one or a couple of those.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I just. I can't go on.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Does she do entirely steampunk flowers?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I think so.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That can't be true.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I hate it so much.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How do you write a book about steampunk flowers and that's not the. The biggest problem?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I don't know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, no.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I don't know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And now this author has a lot of successful books. Right. She's kind of like the top of the heap right now.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. She's great.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Good for her.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And then also, I mean, now that I've. I really want to get off this. There's something that feels bad about it. But now that we're in here, the main character also writes to Ellen DeGeneres.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

In her journal.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, wait.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, I don't know. For some reason, this is very cathartic and cringy for me to talk about.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What? Why did she write to Ellen? This is now starting. I'm now starting to feel some sort of pity for this character, and I don't know anything about any of it.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Taking me somewhere.

[Bridger Weiniger]

She loves Ellen. She loves Ellen, but she doesn't know about Ellen.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

My ears coming off. She. The main character in the book, her father was abusive.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. And this is why it's so hard. I mean, these are real issues.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

These are real issues. And she writes about that. Well, it's just the combination of that with the steampunk and the. I guess it's just like an aesthetic taste thing. But so she tries to. You know, her escape is to write to Ellen because it was. Maybe the book is set at the beginning of Ellen Talk Show.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And at some point, the main character's like, Ellen, I fast forward through your dancing, which is pretty amazing. But what. But. So, yeah, that's her refuge is to imagine that she's sharing all of her deepest things that she's going through with.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Ellen, which is heartbreaking in a way, but then also shocking, especially considering where we stand in Ellen history currently.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. So it's a.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah, it's a piece of cultural.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Now, I want to read this.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Right? I mean, I guess I'll give you my copy. I'll discuss it with you all over again.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Does the Ellen thing play into the movie?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No. That's what I was just going to say. That part did not make it into the movie.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Does she write to a fictional talk show host or anything? Or they just don't do that at all?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No, they don't do that at all.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Interesting. I would be mad if I went to the movie and she wasn't writing to Ellen.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. And I think you know the author, Colleen Hoover. I remembered her name.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There we go.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I didn't remember Kristin Hannah, did I? I'm back. I'm back in the book mode, guys. I haven't picked up a book in a few days. She. I. Because I was. Of course, the onslaught about the lawsuits and stuff. You got to click on some of that stuff. And Colleen just stays out of it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, she doesn't want anything to do with it.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. Smart. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's probably a good idea.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And I think similarly with. You know, she made a statement of, like, that that's theirs.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. This is their problem.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Do what they want with it. And across the board with the story and the problems with it. Which is smart. She's like, yeah, I'm a badass.

[Bridger Weiniger]

She has nothing to do with that. She's onto her next book.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Somebody's writing to.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I think I'm okay now.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Kelly Clarkson.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That really took me somewhere.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow. Interesting. Yeah. This whole thing. And now I can't even remember who's involved in the lawsuit. It's what's her name and the horrible director.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

What's her name? Yeah. What's her name and what's his name? Jason Baldoni.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Baldoni.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And Blake Lively.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Blake Lively.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

How did we end up talking about this of all things? That's what happens, you know, when you're open to anything sometimes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

When anything goes.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

When anything goes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And that's kind of the rule of the. We push limits. We push it to the edge. And we remember celebrity names.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. And then we hop off the edge and bang our heads on the bottom of the pool.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is another app I wouldn't mind is having a thing that just shows you a celebrity picture and you have to remember their name. That feels like a good thing for me, for my brain. Like, just really wake up every morning and try to remember things.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That'd be a fun board game. Like that memory game you play when you're little.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh. But with only celebrities that. I guess there'd probably be some copyright issues or what have you. Maybe it could be kind of an off brand or black market.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I guess you could make that at home. Print out pictures of the books. You can make that at home.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You should make that at dinner party. Can you? And invite me over. And I won't know anyone's name. I won't know who anyone is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Actually, US magazine. Guess who. Combined forces. It's called Guess. Us and celebrities.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You did it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, my God. If they.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

We did it. I'm a part of this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We're in.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You did it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is a nice little side quest.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Nailed it. Shot. We're ready to go. Let's run with this. Annalise, get him on the horn. Copyright. Whatever.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you play connections?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

What is that?

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is the New York Times game. I played this every morning.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, no. But I know people who say, fantastic game.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This does make me feel a little better about my brain.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's not the crossword.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, this one, it's like, okay, maybe.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I don't know what this is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like, four. There are four categories, and then they're like maybe 16 words, I think. And you have to decide which words go into which category.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'm into that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's wonderful.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's less taxing than a crossword puzzle.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. It takes less time and actually, in some ways makes you feel a little bit more clever than a crossword puzzle.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

For sure. And more clever than wordle, certainly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I don't do wordle at all.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

See, we gotta slow down. Don't get like.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's Wordle to me is essentially like playing the lottery or something.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's just a lot of guessing and then not a lot of satisfaction.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right, Exactly. Congratulations. You were able to guess.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. And now I feel dirty, just like I do describing this book for multiple reasons, none having to do with the caliber of the.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I was off wordle pretty quickly. I don't know if it was because I was just frustrated, but I just felt like it was dumb. It kind of felt to me like almost like a word search.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes. It's just like, this is. I think there are people who are still into it. I spent a good deal of time. I think there was a moment where I was even telling other people, you gotta play this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It took us all by storm.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It took us by storm.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But connections, I think, is playing the long game. I think it's going to be the one that stands the test of time.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'm gonna get in there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. It's a good one. I mean, well, speaking of things that make us feel dirty and horrible, there's probably something else I should bring up. I don't know that I even want to, but, Marilyn, I was excited to have you here today.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Thank you. I'm excited to be here.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I thought we would have a good time.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Talk about whatever we wanted and move on with our days.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The podcast is called I said no gifts.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So I'll just say I was floored when you burst into the studio. You've, by your own admission, received about a thousand emails about this podcast. I'm sure one of them had the title I said.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah, but that's a title. I mean, everybody wants a gift. You're just. When you say that, you're just saying.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That you're painting me to be a very materialistic person right now.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You're telling me you don't want the gift I brought for you?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm not saying one thing or another.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Catching you in your own game.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I will not be caught. I will leave the studio before being caught.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Okay, you know what? I'm a guest here. And you're right. It said no gifts and I defied it. Okay, there, you're right. I did. I went against everything that you think you want, everything you're taking a stand for. And I'm sneaking in the back door and I'm saying, you, wouldn't you like to open a little gift? Wouldn't that make you feel better?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, maybe. Then should we open it here on the podcast?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I would love that so much. I'm gonna get the gift. Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, great.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, wait. Oh, it's right here.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I was like, where are you headed?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Go down fake stairs.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I hear you. Drive away. Just vanish.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

What's the best time of day to get a deal? All day with Jack in the box's.

[Bridger Weiniger]

All day big deal meal.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You get to choose from four entrees.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like the supreme croissant and five tasty sides, plus a drink starting at $5. So hurry in or take your time. You've got all day at Jack.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Every bite's a big deal. Um, I think I just won my taxes. Yeah, I just switched to H and.

[Bridger Weiniger]

R block in about one minute.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

All I had to do was drag and drop last year's return into H and R Block and bam. My information is automatically there so I don't have to go digging around for all my old papers to switch. Nope. Sounds like we just leveled up our tax game. Switching to H and R block is easy. Just drag and drop your last return. It's better with block. Okay, first of all, Clearlease is a notebook. I got one for each of us.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, fantastic. Oh, I'm excited to see where this.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Heads so we can write everything we thought about this podcast.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, great. A nice review. Okay, so it's in this brown paper bag. And so should I take out the notebook first? Yeah, okay.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Let's just take the notebook out. We all love a notebook.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We each have a 70 sheet matching notebooks, college ruled notebook.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, does that feel good?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Kind of a bright blue color. And now should I take this out?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, we'll pull this. Oh, I'm excited about this already. It's a pair of white socks that are I would describe as a mid calf. Is that what this is? It's not.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's the thing that's exciting. They're not short and they're not long and they're from the liquor store.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, I was going to why is the liquor should I keep going here, or should we talk about this first? Let's talk about this. It's dealer's choice.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Let's talk about it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is, I would say just upon looking at them immediately, is probably the least flattering sock you can wear.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I know what you're saying. Oh, I agree. I agree.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Because it doesn't cover. Like, maybe I should put one on right now.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That'd be great. That'd be terrific. They're almost the right length to be calvsies, right? It's the style of sock I have on right now. But, yeah, they're like no brand.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yours feels a little longer to me. I'll also say they're white socks, but also are almost gray.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's exciting. It's like a high. Does that one look dirty?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Or maybe it's the lighting. I mean, the majority of the sock is meant for the foot rather than the leg. Like that foot. Foot to leg ratio is shocking.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

The texture looks like maybe a sink scrubber.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, this is actually worse than I imagined.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I thought it was better. Your foot fits in there perfectly. Wait, why is it worse?

[Bridger Weiniger]

But where? Like, what does it say about my leg?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

The length is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What do you do leg wise with this?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

But don't gloss over the foot. You said it was so big, but now look at it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's the foot perfectly. This is a Cinderella situation.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Now, what if you just scrunch the top down and make it like a footy with bonus.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, interesting.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

A footy with an extra. Yeah, that's a terrible. It's a terrible length of sock.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'll put on my shoe, and we'll see how that looks.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

But I think maybe the scrunch down is the way to go to act like it's deliberate.

[Bridger Weiniger]

If I were in shorts, what would we think of me right now?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'm not gonna lie. That's cute. That's cute as hell.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This feels like a. If I were wearing, like, a slightly below knee skirt, which is what I'm doing right now. Right? This feels like.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Look, I'm just making you dress like me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I pull out a skirt. Next. Denim jacket.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. Yeah. I wonder what. Annalise, do we have any idea of what type of sock this is called? Crew.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Crew sock.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is a crew sock.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's my guess.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I've always assumed a crew sock was one of the ones that goes onto your cat.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No, I see what you're saying. You're completely throwing that sock under the bus, and you're doing it in a reverse way by trying to Uplift it and say, what kind of sock is this? When you know damn well it's a poorly made crew sock. Looks like a crew sock to me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's a crew sock.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You're trying to invent a different style of sock.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So what's the calf sock? What do we call that?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That is a crew sock. This is a bastardized version.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's just like a shorty, Right?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Do you agree?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I guess so. Then there's, like, the one that goes up to your knee. That's a knee sock. Okay.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, that's a sweat sock.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Sweat sock. But isn't there also such thing as a knee sock?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, a knee sock is what girls wear with their school uniforms and their Mary Janes. A sweatsock. Same length but made out of thicker material as what basketball players in the 70s wear.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. With a stripe around. That's a classic sock.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's a classic.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You kind of. That's timeless.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And there's different versions of that. They're not all. Not all sweatsocks are the same length. So maybe we just call this a sweatsock.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is a sweatshirt. It's more of a crew.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's trying to be a crew. Okay. So I actually think that what you have in your possession is called a micro crew.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Ooh, a micro crew.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Ooh, sexy.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You were right to give the dignity to the sock, because there is a sock category called a micro micro crew.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That feels new. I don't think we were calling this a micro crew in the 80s.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

She didn't want the sock to feel bad.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Anneliese is always thinking about the sock. Micro crew. Interesting. But micro crew.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Wait, so then does that mean that the crew sock is supposed to go up the cab? Do you have a picture of a crew sock over there?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I feel like this is a crew sock right here. Okay, let me put this back on. The sock I came into the studio is a gray crew. I think it might be.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'm into the crew sock. For many a year, I wore footies because that was what was available in my hastily shopping at Target. Now I go out of my way to get what the crew is I'm gonna say is the best kind of sock.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Now we're looking. Oh, we have a whole.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Wow.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We're looking at.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

There's eight or nine different.

[Bridger Weiniger]

All of the types of socks. And. Okay. Socks by hand.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

There we go.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We have the no show hidden.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'll get out of there now.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'll wear a no show hidden to the gym thing. Then the no show. And so the no show is different than the no show Hidden. Interestingly.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Which doesn't make a ton of sense.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

So no show. It's like, it doesn't really. Not show no show. Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's just a bad sock.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Which is also, I believe, an ankle sock. I think that's more of an ankle sock.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Well, look at the next one. Oh.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Then we've got the quarter, which is.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Like a little bit over the ankle, which is kind of hilarious.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. If you're feeling horrible.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Cause you're right. The second one is more of a true ankle sock.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. Then we get to our micro. Our hero, then the crew.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Our liquor store sock is the micro crew.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I actually think I'm in a boot boot sock.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Or you're in a GD boot sock. Wow. They're so subtle, the differences.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I know this feels unnecessary. Boot sock, mid calf.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And also, this is a. It's not really. I'd love to see this. But then with just all the examples in the world.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, right, right.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Like the 70s sock we're talking about.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. There are a bunch of other socks that could be on this diagram. Yes. Thigh highs.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is that a sock? That's more of a boot.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I agree with you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'd like a thigh high sock. Just a white thigh high up to the crotch.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Crotch sock all the way up to the.

[Bridger Weiniger]

To the shoulder.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

To the shoulder.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. Tell me why you brought these socks.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Well, I was going to the liquor store to get another item that's in that bag which isn't meant to be in the bag. And I saw them, and they looked cozy and nice, you know, like a nice thing to touch.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It is a nice soft. And this is a good bed sock.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You're gonna put. You're gonna wear those?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, absolutely.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

They're cozy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm always in need of new socks. We all do.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And that's a good feeling. When you go into a store that you don't expect will have anything, and then they're there and they just spoke to me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

A liquor store with socks. That's. I mean, that's incredible.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

They had underwear, too.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They have a full clothing section.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No socks and underwear.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Socks and underwear. So that's for somebody whose life is a mess.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Something's going on.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And they're. That's not you yet.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's not you. When I picked that out for you. It's a luxury sock. That's how I thought of it. I go into the liquor store and I think, I didn't expect to see this here. This Is a spoil, but, yeah, it could very well for someone who is in need. It functions in an. Oh, thank God that's here.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right? Oh, my socks.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And they were, like, five bucks, which I also thought was a great price.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Socks have gotten very expensive because that's.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Like, three pairs of socks right there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is at least three pairs, right?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And they can just immediately go into my wardrobe. I've started doing more of a neutral sock.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, this is great.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I love a neutral sock.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Sock. This is great news.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I was wearing kind of more, you know, ones with designs for a long time, and I haven't sworn them off.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But a nice gray or white sock.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

For 2025.

[Bridger Weiniger]

For 2025.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Going into the neutral sock zone.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. We need to have a nice neutral palette.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'm into it. I'm into it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Are you much of a sock person? Do you care?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I don't even want to get into it. I don't care. But I do care.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I feel like you've got style.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'd like. Thank you. I'd like to have style. I'm forever throwing things away and starting over and then not knowing and then not committing Right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

To a particular look or what have you.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

So then right now, I'm just doing the white crew sock.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think you're right on brand.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'm into it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You know, it's 2025. I've just declared. You've just declared neutral sock.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. I don't think I can commit to. I do have some striped socks and some socks with things on them, but.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Ugh, when you have that, then it has to really be part of a particular look.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You can't just throw that on with anything.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No. But, you know, I will say I tend to wear the same pair of black sweatpants every single day. A fun sock will jazz it up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's true. Take the neutral.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I would go the opposite. Instead of having a whole outfit go with it. I will have a bland outfit and.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Something to look at.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And that is also like, I've started getting my nails done.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I like that color on my.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Eyeliner on my fingers. Thank you so much. Because it also makes me seem like I'm wearing an outfit when I'm not.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It feels like a choice that you don't even have to make that choice.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It makes something fancy, like I'm dressed in shitty clothes, and then it's like, wait a minute.

[Bridger Weiniger]

She's got class. Did you see that she buys socks at liquor stores?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What color is that?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Looks like a Barbie pink? Bubblegum pink.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, it's very bubblegum. I like it. Okay. Should I get back in here?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah, let's get back in there. I'm really excited about the gifts.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I'm thrilled. A nice trail mix, a simply classic. That's.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah, I couldn't eat it anymore.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It has absolutely been open, so I can just dive in right now.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It absolutely has been open.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I love a good trail mix. Do you want some?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No. Because I've had too much over the past three, four days. And I like to think my son was gonna get in there, but he didn't. I ate all the rest of that bag myself. So it's time for you to do the rest of the work for me, please. I love Kroger brand, and it's great.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's very good.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's not too salty. It's got a good cashew almond ratio. Gonna get you. Get you an M M in there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, I. Too many raisins, of course, which is two raisins. The filler of.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Of trail mix. Of course. You gotta expect there's. They're gonna put too many. It's too easy. It's the easiest thing to throw the raisins in there. But I. I'm excited for you to eat the rest of this bag, and I'm thrilled that you tried it right away.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I had to.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The nice thing about a trail mix is it's a good way to get your raisins in.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I've always said, gotta get more raisins in. That's fiber, right?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's fiber. And by putting that little bit of salt on it, it makes them much more tolerable.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Could you imagine your parent being the one. Your parent. Moms. Only moms pack lunches. Let's be real. That puts the pack of raisins in there. Oh, I was that mom for a moment. You put raisins in, but I'm not that mom. But one day I was in the grocery store and I was like, I'm gonna be that mom. It didn't last very long, but I can remember growing up like, who's your mom?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Loser is raising you.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Why's your mom such a loser? Because it's like a healthy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's not.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No, it's not.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's just another type of candy. Except for no one likes to eat them.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah, that's what it was considered as. Like a healthy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. Of course. And then there was the Craisin phenomenon.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You still see a Craisin in a salad.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You find them in the salads. And you're kind of just chewing them up.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Don't knead it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They don't add anything.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Don't put a craisin. Don't put a. I'm gonna go back on that. I've had a kale salad with a craisin, and it helps if the lettuce is more bitter.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh. To add a little bit of sweetness or a little extra something.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I can't fully turn against fruit, but I would say I'm 90% against fruit in a salad. It's like, just make a good salad. Don't put fruit in it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Pick the right vegetables, please.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Thank you. And make a good dressing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Throw a little cheese in there. Maybe a nut.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'm not gonna do it at home ever. I always try. Yeah, I always try to make a salad, and it's. That's a bust. It's just terrible. I admire anyone who can make a true, really good salad.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's interesting because it seems like it should be easier. And then you try. And I think making a good salad requires you to be able to go all the way.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And when you're making something at home, you're not interested in going all the way. You're not buying all of the vegetables or chopping them up in the way you should.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No, not.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Then you end up kind of with, like, the baby spinach.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Thank you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You can't go slivered almonds or something.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Exactly. And then.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Boring.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Wow. I got slivered almonds.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This trail mix, to me, it always reminds me that I'm shocked. Especially now when all these companies are doing a billion different flavors all the time with their products. Why M&MS. Hasn't done a salt at M and M? Just have a bag of M&Ms. And they're coated in salt.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Because an M and M out of a trail mixing.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I mean, I like your ingenuity. I like. You seem like if you were the boss there, you'd be like, make it happen by the end of the day. And they're like, our hard shell that we've been making since 1900. You want us to just add salt to that that sticks. You want us to break the Entire recipe of MMS? Any M& M that they've invented always has the same shell. What would it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, they hose them down and then throw sal.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Wow. Holds them down and gets some salt on it by the end of the.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Day, somebody get a garden hose in the factory. That's all it would take. And, like, a bag of salt. Somebody Kind of just shakes.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'm angry at you right now. I'm not gonna lie. I got a little bit angry at you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're mad because I thought of it first. And now I'm gonna be working at Mars M&MM, or whatever it's called. M and M Mars, with a bunch.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Of melting, salty colors all over your hands stuck together. And we'll call them M and M clusters.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, so this is us working as a team.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

This is us as a team.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And now I'm bringing you on.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Maybe we'll use a raisin as part of the glue.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, interesting. Now we're going backwards.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

We're going backwards.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That is interesting. I wonder if that's ever come up with the company of trying to make a raisin M and M. Oh, that sounds terrible. An M and MM with a hidden raisin itself.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'm interested in a shape of a. What do you call that? With like, a cell with all the.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Orbits around, like a. An atom.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes. Thank you. An atom. Cause I'm also simultaneously thinking of Willy Wonka and the Chaga Factory, the original, where he's got that, like, kind of a shape. That'd be a fun for a candy to have offshoots.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. Have like a chocolate center with a little MM's stuck on the outside. I think we're onto something now and then. A pure raisin center that you never.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Want to get to the center. I wish I didn't get to that center.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's when you have to stop. Yeah, I do like a Raisinet. Do you like a Raisinette?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You can't argue with a Raisinet.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, I'll never pick a Raisinet.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Thank you. Exactly. I'm right there with you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But if I'm in a movie theater and a friend has them and they shake it into my hand, I'll eat one.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah, they're fun.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's probably the best version of a raisinn.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It is. Cover it in damn chocolate.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then you never see a raisin in a salad, although you see Craisins. So I think that that's a real clear. There's something going on.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

There's something happening with the raisin.

[Bridger Weiniger]

If someone gave me a raisin in a. Like a lettuce salad, the raisin needs.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Some antidepressants because there's something going on.

[Bridger Weiniger]

With the raisin as a mood disorder.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You know, the poor raisin, it's such a. It's not really going to change my mind.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, there's nothing they can do. There's no. It's got to be a frustrating business.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

To be in the yogurt raisin.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, terrible. Awful.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'd rather get a yogurt pretzel.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yogurt pretzel. There we go. Which is essentially now just a chocolate pretzel. Why am I not eating a chocolate pretzel? But you can convince yourself.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

What about those dark chocolate ones from Trader Joe's? Dark chocolate pretzels.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I have a bag in my cupboard right now. Ooh, those are delicious.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

So good.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't buy them very often because you can't. It's. Yeah. Irresistible thing to eat.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Irresistible.

[Bridger Weiniger]

One of the best things you can eat is a chocolate pretzel.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And it's the right. It's not too sweet. It's really a perfect snack because it's a dark chocolate. Right? Exactly.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's so nice.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's the trick. Should I get back in here? Okay. There are so many things.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I know. It's really. It started ramping up towards the end.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, fantastic.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Okay. So that's the tape that I went into the liquor store for, which they did have, but I was sitting in my car with eight minutes to get in here. Try to open the tab and good luck. Enjoy that gift because you won't be able to actually open the tape. As I wasn't to finish wrapping the gift, which I would have wrapped. Cause I love a wrapping with tape. Go ahead and try to open this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm trying to open this.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Even though there's a tab with arrows on it. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, wow. This is.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's me in my car.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is a prank tape.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's a gang. Like I said, I'm done with you. This is now part of the gift.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's literally unopenable. This is. We'll say it's a basic product. This is a basic tape.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I've never heard of it. See how I ripped the top off to try to get closer to try to get my hands in there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Looks like an animal got to this. Ripped a piece.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I have a version against packaging.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I've never seen the basic, even though.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I enjoy wrapping the basic brand.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Let's see here.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I wonder if your socks are also that brand.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's like Acme or something. Let's see here. No, this is impossible.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

See, I've given you the first thing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You have that natal thing.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Exactly how I felt.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's like cutting at your fingers while you're trying to get to it.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I would love to open this in front of you, though, just to show you up.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I know. I can feel it. I already know that's what you're doing. And then you'd go, oh, see, I got it. But really what you meant is, see, I got it and you didn't. That's what you mean.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But it's unopenable. It's a worthless choice.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Now we're back on the same team of not being able to open it and you gave it more of a chance than I did.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow. This is. I cannot imagine if you actually needed this.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The basic brand is B, A, Z.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I, C. They went out of their way to eliminate the tab, and it's. But they didn't think to actually make it a tab.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow. This is.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And I, I, I will admit they made a tab. That's not a real tab.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, this is. This thing with the arrows is meaningless. That doesn't indicate anything. I wonder if you were to dare I pull it completely open?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Well, sure. Then we're gonna.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, and then you miss the metal.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Then you miss the metal.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I wonder if you can take this on an airplane. The little edges there.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Tshape. That I carry around for good luck.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Let's. Yeah. Okay. I'm giving up. I mean, I will say I'm usually not good at opening anything, you know, like a jar.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Now I want to give it another try. There's no way. You've just given it so many tries.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And you actually have nails. You should be able to get some traction there.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I can feel the edge, but it just is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So it's barely there. It's a hint.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's barely there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Hint of an edge.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I have got eyeliner all over my fingers from crying mess. From crying about that book. Oh, God. I can see it. I can see the edge.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wouldn't that be satisfying to get that open?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah, it would. Maybe that's the purpose of this, is to just let you not be satisfied and live in that place of Zen.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And I'll say that it looks like the liquor store has put a price tag over a price tag. So I wonder if that used to be more. And they were like, no one's gonna be able to open this. Cut the price in half. Wow. It's a useless product, but almost a collector's item. Then it's something you can put on a mantle.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's right. Tape that can never open. It's a point of reflection, like a little sand. Those meditation things.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Or it's like a stress ball or something. You could have this in a meeting at a company. You could just picking at it. Trying to get it open all day. Just stressing out. So walk me through this gift buying process. You got the trail mix?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Okay. The trail mix. I almost brought in the bag of a variety of snacks that was in my car just to out myself. Cause I was like, this is great. I prefer to eat like this. It's probably. I had also from the Trader Joe's, the cheese and crackers. The mini cheese and crackers.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I've never had this.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Ooh, talk about you want to go through the box as you start eating it. You want to get through the whole box. The dried mango.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, sure, of course.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, I had a lot of Trader Joe's items. And then the pecans with the sweet and salty.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I love those.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Ooh, boy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Or the sesame cashews. Have you had those?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes. Not as often. Oh, phenomenal. I'll revisit those.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You hate them.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Thank you for reminding me. I don't. I love a cashew. And I think I'm so partial towards the pecan that I've forgotten about the cashew.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, interesting. I've gotta get my hands.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Okay, so those are my three all. And then I also had a beef jerky, which I did not.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I did notice the beef jerky in your bag.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I did not get to that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's a brand name.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

This was all my breakfast. And that. Those were all the items. Cause I could mix and match on the way here.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Interesting. You've got a little protein.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And then I said I'm to give this as a gift because I can't eat any more of that. It's. It's too big of a bag for one person.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And so to keep eating. Then you were at the. Then you went to the liquor store.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, I went to the liquor store because I thought I'd love to wrap these. And I have a few minutes. Let me see if they have tape. And they did. And here we are. This episode is brought to you by Amazon. Sometimes the most painful part of getting sick is the getting better part. Waiting on hold for an appointment, sitting in crowded waiting rooms, standing in line at the pharmacy. That's painful. Amazon One Medical and Amazon Pharmacy. Remove those painful parts of getting better with things like 247 virtual visits and prescriptions delivered to your door thanks to Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon One Medical Healthcare just got less painful. Build a routine with Olly that supports your wellness needs, like getting your daily vitamins and minerals with Ollie's Multi Gummies. Or keeping your mood upbeat with all the vitamin D and hello, Happy. Give your gut Health some support with probiotics and wake up feeling refreshed after taking Ollie sleep. Do wellness on your terms. Find Ollie at a Walmart or Target near you [e-mail]. these statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. There still is more in the back.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There's more in the back.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

These are not even, I think, what.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You'Re getting because of a final item here.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

This is actually. Was actual gift. It's a real gift.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is an actual thing that I actually need to explain to me.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What is this? It seems like a mustache keychain is what my initial guess would be.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Close.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What is. It's like a furry little.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

First of all, it's made out of real seal skin.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. Second of all, might want to start writing in your notebook about this. It's from Iqaluit, Nunavut, which is in the Canadian Arctic.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You take a plane to Toronto. You take another plane to Ottawa. You get on an airline called Canadian north, and you from Ottawa go another three hours. North. This is from just outside the Arctic Circle.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What? Yeah. When were you there?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I was there filming a TV show. See, this is real. Coming in, bringing the juice. Like that bitch talked about trail mix for being jerky in the car for 40 minutes. Now I'm telling you about a TV show that I'm on that we filmed.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How long were you up there for?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

For three months.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, my God.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's a show called north of north, which has started to air in Canada, and it's airing on Netflix. But it's coming out. If you go to my Instagram, you'll see I've, like, post about it and I've started to post about it. Cause it's airing in Canada, and I will be doing more. It'll be on Netflix in the spring. They haven't given us a date, but yeah, really fantastic show. I'm really proud of it. I play the white lady on the show.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Good for you.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And it's about a Inuit woman who is trying to break out of her shell. Cause she's married to the best seal hunter in the town. Everybody knows everybody, and she's trying to become more herself.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Her own thing.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right, right.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And I'm like the Karen Gatekeeper who's, you know, sort of like. You don't know. Am I a terrible person? Am I a helper? Do we need each other? Am I a gatekeeper? Am I lifting her up? Am I, you know, heartfelt but ignorant. It's a really cool part. Cause it's not a straight up bitchy Karen. It's a Karen with depth and all that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So Karen we all know and love.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Thank you. And my character is married to an Inuit man, so I've lived in their culture for, you know, over 20 years or whatever. But, yeah, it was a really cool show.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And what was it like living up there?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's wild.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Just freezing cold all the time.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's freezing cold all the time. I arrived in March and it was 20 below. And. And by the beginning of June, when I left, it was 32 degrees Fahrenheit.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, my God.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And that's warm when it's 32, 33.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And are you seeing, like, crazy wildlife? Any sort of polar bear or any situation like this?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

What they say is, you know, polar bear hasn't walked in town since 1962 or whatever. Oh, interesting. It could happen, but it's not going to.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And also the way the landscape. Landscape has sort of. Now, I can't remember if I think it's a combo of things, because as soon as you land, you see seal hunters. There's a road where we were staying and there's a series of inlets. So where we're staying is more flat. And the city was developed by the military. And I can't remember why. The polar bears were closer years ago. And now maybe just the landscape has shifted, so you have to go out a little further to do your ice fishing and your seal hunting and. Yeah, I don't. It's funny now. I don't know. Cause I've certainly met a lot of people that then go to the territories, even outside of where we were. So where we were, it was like, there's the town and then there's just a vast nothingness. Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And so a lot of people we met were like, oh, I'm from this territory. That's even further. And I kind of forgot how their frequency of. If they're seeing polar bears on the reg.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Interesting.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And I got to do a dog sled ride.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I was curious about this. How was that experience?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Incredible. Incredible.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How fast are you going when these dogs are pulling you?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's very deceiving because you're sitting there and it doesn't look like it's fast. And then they tell you, hey, hop off the back. And you try to run and it's like, oh, like it's really hard. And you feel like you're gonna fall on your face.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, my God.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Then you have to Run and catch up and jump back on the sled. Yeah. They're hauling.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And how many dogs are pulling you at once?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I think eight or so. Eight.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Eight. Interesting. Yeah. Was it frightening? Do you feel in control of the dogs? Like, I assume you were a passenger or were you the driver?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. No, no, no. You were not the driver? No, no, no.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What do they call that? The.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

The mush. Musher mushroom. Ours was led by a dad and then his daughter. I think there was one other person helping. So you arrive, you pull up, and you can see them far away. So you've parked and then you walk down, you trek down. I mean, it's all. There's no trees, so it's all ice. So you walk down a little embankment and then you get down and all the dogs, there was two teams and they're just chilling, sitting outside. They never go inside. These huskies are wild animals, but yet you are allowed to go up and touch them just like they're like dogs.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But like, like very close to their ancestors.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. And they're kind of wild, so you're like, oh, they're not scary, but they're a little bit like if you had a wild dog that was just running into you willy nilly, holding a hot dog and it was kind of stinky. You. Although it was cold, so like, kind of like a little dirty, you know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It hasn't been bathed.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Maybe they have squiggled around in some seal guts or something. Who knows? Covered in blood, who knows? No, they were clean. I don't know. I don't know why I'm going down that road. They're outdoor dogs. Yeah, they're very, very clean and well kept by their owners. And then. And that's their job. And we had the daughter taking us, so we both had sleds. I mean, it's a total tourist thing. But this is their real team of dogs that has been carried down through tradition. So they do use the dogs to go out on the land for whatever, hunting or whatever. They're run errands. Yeah. So, yeah, we're passengers. And then the daughter's in front of us and it's me and one other person. That's how big the little sled is. And then there's kind of a ledge and it's just, you know, built by a ledge on the back. You can stand. And then a person goes in front of us on a snowmobile just to, you know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Cause it's sure just to show off.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Just to show off and be in communication with the other.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Make sure. There aren't any dangers.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, no, I know what it is. Then you ride the snowmobile back, so you switch.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, interesting.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's how big our group was. So depending on your group, you couldn't have two turns. Yeah. And then you get this sled on the way back. But it's. I mean, it's an all day.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Where do you go?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Just further out into the Arctic. That's the thing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's the thing. That was so amazing because your eyes. It's such a vast nothingness that feels.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like you're in a void, I imagine.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah, a really beautiful void.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I loved it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And did you have to, like, bundle up completely?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. What are you crazy?

[Bridger Weiniger]

You weren't in a tank top.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I mean, it ended up being fine. But going into it, this was probably the most worried about bundling up. I was the whole trip. Just because it's like. Then you get out there and what if I'm a big baby and I'm like, I'm getting frostbite and you can't.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like, there's nothing you could do.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. Every other place I was, there was some type of escape. And you definitely are out in the elements. But, you know, the. I knew how to do it by that time. You have a certain amount of socks.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do they bring a picnic? What are you eating out there?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Nothing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Nothing.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You'd bring your own snacks.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Did you bring a trail mix? What did you bring?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah, I think we had a bar and a little bit of water, but that's on you. And I. Like, that's where your brain went.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Of course.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm wondering what was happening at the lunch situation. But then you come back at night.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No. Okay. I was exaggerating.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It was probably catching you in a lot of lies.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Lot of. No. One lie. I mean, I get. And I wasn't even lying all day for going straight out into the Arctic. Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It wasn't eight hours, if you were even in this place. The story is falling apart as we speak.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It may have been four hours.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Four hours.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Three or four hours.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So that's a long time to be.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It is. It is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Out in the middle of nothingness.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It really is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow. I don't know if I could do it. I don't know if I'm strong enough. I appreciate that.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Look, in that notebook, there's a ticket. This trail mix is for you out on the sled. That tape is what's going to keep you on the sled.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're going to use a weapon? Yeah, defend myself. Out.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Keychain is for the keys to your ski doo and keep you warm.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The ski do.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. You're going to get on your hog and take your ski doo out on the trail and get yourself some seal to feed the whole family. And by the way, it's instantly normal when you land. The seal hunting. Oh, it's just like if I try to tell people, but I was in such a immersed in the culture that when I came back I kind of wanted to share this profound thing. And a lot of people are just like, they're interested and then they're like, no, no.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. It's hard to get 40 seconds in.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And if you say something like seal hunting in la, if you even say.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That phrase, it's a tough thing to hear out loud.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah, you don't want to say that out loud, but when you're there, you just immediately are like, oh, this is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is part of the local culture.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Centuries. And this is how they sustain and will feed up family with every part of the seal.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's not a cruella de Vil situation. That's what you're going to start.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Exactly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But now I do own a little bit of.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You're going to. Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Seals. What is a pelt seal fur?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, and the shape of that is an ulu. And so the top, it's just the design, but the real thing is a tool that's like a knife for everything.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, you would hold like this.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. And it's a very sharp blade. And so they'll have their frozen caribou is like their sushi. So you get the carcass and you're cutting little slivers off of that and dipping it in soy sauce.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Did you eat that?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I sure did.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How was.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Was not bad. It definitely has like a bit of an aftertaste, which I could see not unlike sushi. Once you get used to the taste, you start to crave it. I did not get to that point with it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Sure, sure that it's true.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And then there was one day because we had quite a few cast and crew. Well, all the crew members, most of the crew members that are from there are from a different territory. And one of the ladies, you know, on the WhatsApp, she said, well, I have Walworths if you wanna. And I just. I was like, I can't. Whatever was going on with me that day, I was just like, I am not ready. And then I never got the chance to do that again.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. I don't entirely blame you. That's the thing. You have To, I think, prepare for mentally.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. I wasn't prepared. I should have been. Cause I had been there for a while, but.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Sure. But maybe you just weren't in the.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Mood for it that day.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Sometimes you're not in the mood for a raisin.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Mm. Mm. I'm in my room with my trail mix walrus.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow. Okay. Well, I'm thrilled to have this. I feel like I'm gonna get red paint thrown on me. PETA's coming for me.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Don't tell anybody what it is. It's our secret.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's our little secret. This will all be edited out the last half hour of the podcast.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You know, if somebody is a fan of the podcast and they want to find you and throw red paint on.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You, good for them.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. Then that's.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's somebody with a real. They've got something going on.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Passion.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, passion. Hobby. It's ultimately a hobby.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I want to believe that people that have heard about that on this podcast right now will respect.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think so. Absolutely.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And then for the ones that don't, you just lie and say, oh, it's not real sealskin. Are you crazy?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Who do you think I am?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Who are you? And who do you think I am? And how dare you? You pull one of those just right back at you. You know, I'm in a cone of my own energy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Keep that out. Yes. It's a perfect opportunity to alienate people.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

In my life, go the opposite way and make them accept that it's.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, exactly. Kind of force them into my belief.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

System, which, by way of me having visited the Arctic, like respect.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow. Wow. Wow. Well, is there anything left we should say about this? It's so soft, isn't it? Yeah, it's unbelievably soft.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Well, there's a lot left on the table, but I feel we've said enough.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We've said enough. We should play a game, then. Okay. We're gonna play a game called Gift yout a Curse. I need a number between 1 and 10 from you to say out loud.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah, you're not gonna pull my card or anything.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This becomes Close up Magic.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Magic number five.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. I have to use that number to do some light calculating to get our game pieces. So right now you can promote, recommend, do whatever you want. I'll be right back.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Hey, everybody. My name is Mary Lynn Ricegub. I'd like to promote Kroger Trail Mix. Try it out. It's pretty cool. It's got M and M's, almonds, cashews. I think we've already covered that. Don't really need to plug that. But please, please find me on social media. If you follow me on TikTok, maybe TikTok will be saved. Think about it like that. Maybe they'll say, oh, Mary Lynn's just starting to get followers. We're gonna reverse the ruling, and we're gonna keep TikTok. We're not afraid of the Chinese. They're our friends.

[Bridger Weiniger]

TikTok, by the time this is released, I guess will be done.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah, it sure will. I know. As I was saying that, I realized, I mean, it's on. It's on like Donkey Kong in, like.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Two days from now or something. Unless some horrible person here buys it.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That very well could happen. What a world that we live in. We really don't know. Like, that could happen.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And also, I don't even understand how.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How they buy it or.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No, how. Sorry. How is this a thing with the Supreme Court? Aren't there multiple other ways that we're getting disinformation and we're getting hack from other countries?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Facebook, Instagram.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Well, that's our own. We're doing it to ourselves.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, but all these countries are also vulnerable.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

So how is it this big stand against TikTok? It's like, none of this is regulated, and we're getting by bots all the time. So how is this. It seems like this is where we lose. We're humans going, we're gonna pass a law on this. It's like, it's done.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's not gonna protect anybody.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Half of our brains are gone. Half of everything I watch is built by Russia. Half of the emotional tie I have to anything I see online. Did you see on Instagram? They're like, we're gonna start. This was a couple weeks ago, putting AI users.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, insane. And some of them are, like, immediately like racist caricatures of people for things.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That you like that'll make you feel good.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that's dark.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Don't. It's so dark.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So that's what it's gonna be.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

So unnecessary.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It simply doesn't solve any problem.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh, it sure doesn't.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There must. No one was hoping to have a computer friend. No one that's just, like, based on.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Hey, it's better for live comedy. Am I right? Come see me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Tul.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Salute.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Did you do a full hour on.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

AI Curse of Comedy somewhere else? I can't remember. I got a full roster.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, this is how we play Gift or a curse. I'm going to name three things, and then you tell Me if they are a gift or a curse, and why. And then I'll tell you if you're right or wrong. Because there are correct answers. You can lose. You can also win. You can also be in between and be kind of just feel bad for the rest of the day. So be careful.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You're urging me to make a strong choice.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Just be careful and not mess up the name. Okay. Oh, be careful. A warning. Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Does that feel pretty clear to you?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes. I mean, who? Why?

[Bridger Weiniger]

There have been a lot of red flags. Marilyn, with me. There have been a lot of red flags. We've been coming up to this game, and I thought this. She might not get us.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I feel like she couldn't get through world literature or a reading comprehension test.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We might see a full collapse.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

The author of the book she's reading right now.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I may kill her.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You better really spell out the rules.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We'll watch her die. Okay, this first one is from a listener named Emily. The suggestion is, gift her a curse. You're taking a photo of your family when a stranger offers to take the photo for you so you can be in the picture, too.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Curse.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Why?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Fuck you. Don't micromanage. Oh, you think I want to be in the picture? I'm against that. I'm against the group picture in general. Just leave me alone.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Correct. Curse. Pervert alert. What's this big say out of our family's business, you little creep.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes. I didn't go quite so far as pervert, but, yes, I'm right there with you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We don't know you. Also, you might be bad at taking pictures. And then we're stuck with your bad photo.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There's no element of this that we can trust.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They might take the phone.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Run. How fast can you run?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, exactly.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

My phone.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't want you anywhere near me or my family.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That'd be kind of cool if somebody did it and then just threw it over the bridge. Now you have a memory of your phone in the Thames. Thames.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's. I support that.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That'd be great.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I really support.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

How great would that be?

[Bridger Weiniger]

You would talk about that for the rest of your life.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And you know what? I wouldn't even press charges because it'd be too much work. I'd be like, give me your id. Let me call the police. It'd be, like, pissed. And then all your rage. Yeah. And you would come together as a family. You think a photo's gonna make you come together?

[Bridger Weiniger]

No. This is a common enemy.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Who has shocked you. Thank you and thrown away your device.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Thank you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And probably helped you.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That'd be great. More people should be throwing phones in rivers.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We need this straight into the Grand Canyon.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. Well, you got one right so far. Very good. Number two. This is from a listener named Mark. Gift or a Unpacking boxes you forgot about for a year after you moved.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Ugh. Curse.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Why throw it away?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You forgot about it. It's done. Goodbye, curse.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wrong.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No. Oh. Oh. You gonna open it and get sentimental? Oh, here's the tape I could never open. Here's the trail mix. Here's the sealskin keychain.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's a gift.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Now, these are great gifts. Let's not.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is an excellent gift.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Every gift I gave you is.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Everything you gave me is. I will be selling immediately. I'll be getting on Craigslist and listing.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You love all these things.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Ebaying these things. Half bag of trail mix.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No. I put my heart in this gift and you know it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Absolutely. And you went above and beyond. You even tried to open the tape. But the.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And if all else fails, we both have a notebook to reflect. See? Reflect together.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Remember? But you. You did lose this point. It's a gift to unpack a box you forgot about a year after that. Okay, it might. You know, suddenly your life is being shifted in all new ways. Maybe it's dragging you back into the past. What an experience. It's like opening a treasure chest.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You're coming to my side. See, you can't even say you're not getting enough. You know, that's not good. As you're saying it, you're like, go back into the past, Boo.

[Bridger Weiniger]

When has that jacket you lost and you're thinking, I look great again.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You're like, let me get her off the. You know, I did go through a box of photos.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, now you're coming to my side.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I am. I don't know if it was worth it. Maybe my child.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But yeah, maybe.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And then there was a bunch of pictures from the 90s. Super nostalgic, but also wow. But why?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Because you gotta have that on occasion. Take a little taste of nostalgia.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You need to have it on occasion. All right, I'm back on your side.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, number three.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You know, that's mostly a curse, though.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're not getting me. You will not get me. How dare you?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's a real hard line. That was unnecessary and hurtful.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, number three. This is from a listener named Rachel. Gift or a curse when a child actor is replaced in a TV show.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Damn my investment level in that is low. You know, I'm gonna go curse. I feel like I'm. I'm gonna go curse. I feel like you're gonna go the opposite way.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You just have kind of no feeling about it when you're.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

No, I'm gonna say curse. Because if they are replacing that actor, that means they effed up in the first place and that the show is already tanking and they think firing a child is going to make it better. No, sir. No. You don't do that. Or the kid has changed their look or aged out. You're done. Write the. Be a better writer. Make the child get lost and never come back. That's better. And I'm correct. And I'm correct.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wrong.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Sorry.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, it's a gift. I love when the child gets replaced. They should be replacing the child every scene like they do with dogs. I think that the child should just like. You should be so disoriented by this casting.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'm back.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They should have my next line of children out of the studio. Bring the next one in.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You're right, I'm wrong. And I'll also say that's very funny.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Mad Men, classic show. They replaced the Bobby. Don Draper's son got replaced so many times.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It was always a little something to talk about.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I didn't even remember that. That's how much. You're correct.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The original one was the best done with children.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

They all look the same. They're interchangeable.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They're all just little clones. Little annoying clones. You can throw them in there. I say replace them as often as possible. Even with camera changes. Let's say, you know, just a new child, all time gift. You got one out of three.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

What? No, I got two out of three. You're wrong about that, boss.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You got one out of three dot you can't. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You're incorrect. And you know it in your heart. Moving on. You know it in your heart.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, well, Anneliese, do you have your thing?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I do. I do.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. Anneliese is. This is. Anneliese does one round of this.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

She goes in there. I do. I like your voice.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Annaliese has a great voice. Annaliese is gonna present one that neither of us is gonna do. And we're gonna both try and then they're going to give us the correct answer. So what are we talking about here, Annaliese?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Well, earlier, Bridger, you mentioned that you were in need of a shower. So this is about when you shower. So gift or a curse? Showering at night.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'll speak to this. I think it's a gift. I think showering at night is so wonderful. It feels great after a long, disgusting day to be in the shower cleaning yourself off and then you're relaxed. It's not like the morning shower where you have to end it quickly. You can hop in there and it's more of a. Let's. We're just relaxing. We're not going back to work. We're getting into bed and keeping our sheets clean. I don't do it that often, though. Though it's more of a little treat.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Same. It's a gift. And same. I don't do it often either, but it's a gift.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I should probably do it more often.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Should we do it tonight? And then when we get in bed, write in our notebook.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that's great. But I think there are people who will only shower at night. But I have to do both. I can't start a day without showering. So then am I being wasteful? If I'm doing double showers, I've started.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

A day without showering.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Never in my life.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Are you someone who will get up and get ready no matter what. Almost always make your bed and get dressed.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. Even, like during early Covid, I was like, I would get up.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That's really smart. I aspire to be you, and I would like to invite myself back on the podcast. And at some point and when you invite me back, you say, have you started getting dressed in something other than sweatpants?

[Bridger Weiniger]

That'll be a life. Check in.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm gonna call you in the middle.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Of another episode or am I excommunicated? Just tell me I don't even care.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Absolutely banish.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And then I'll do that to cover up. I don't even care.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No. It's very rare that I'm in a. I mean, there are days, every once in a while I'm in a robe until 11:30. But okay.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

For the most part, saying that for.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The most part, I'm like, I feel just better and ready to go. Even despite the fact that I rarely have anything to do ever.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And what pont are you putting on? Like a jean.

[Bridger Weiniger]

A jean.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I will say on the other side of the day, though, I used to wear jeans up until I went to bed. I would wear my full day's outfit until I was done watching TV and everything. Then I would switch into pajamas. And I've only in the last couple of years, allowed myself to be like, okay, I'm not going out. It's time. Like, we're at the part of the day where I'm in the house. Put on something more comfortable, Something slightly more relaxing.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't know why I had to be ready to go until the very last minute of my day.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

That sounds healthy. You're watching TV in a pair of.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Like, dark blue jeans, in a tuxedo.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Secret lives of Mormon.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, my God. I mean, this podcast could go for another two hours if you bring up that stuff.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Don't start, don't start, don't start. I heard you talking about it, and I dipped in there, too. I started watching.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What show did you finish? No, I mean, it's not a well.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Produced show, but now I kind. I feel like I will get back in there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's coming back for another season.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I didn't get very far. But, you know, when it starts, there's that lady who. I've already forgotten all their names. The one who got pregnant by the new at the very beginning.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, right. Taylor, I think.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Taylor. Yes. We'll see about how that show goes.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

How far in did she have her baby?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I can barely remember anything. I remember they go to the roller skating center I went to in middle school. Oh, that's right. From Salt Lake. Yeah. So that was part of the problem for me while watching. I was like, none of this seems that exotic or interesting to me because I know this personality, this sort of boring person. But then I kind of got caught up in it. Yes. And we'll probably continue to watch it until it's over.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

For whatever reason. Anneliese, what's the verdict as far as gift or a curse?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Of course it's a gift.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Of course it's a gift.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And I'm just. Are we back together?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think this has really brought us all back together.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. I'm so proud of you both.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Great.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Thank you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. It's a wonder. Nobody can argue against a shower at night. And if they do, they're disgusting.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. This is the final segment of the podcast people write into. I said no giftsmail.com begging for answers. Will you help me answer a question?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. This says hello, Bridger, Anneliese and audacious guest. Okay, that's interesting.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Wow. We're not back. We were back together.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And that viewership was a real backslide.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Pushed me away.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Just listeners come between all of us.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I have to. I have to take it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Pick a team. Our bakery recently received some national recognition. Oh, okay. I know who this is. This is. Well, I will say this is actually A bakery in Maine called the Place Bakery, who has now become a listener of the podcast. And it is a very good bakery. But now let's see what happens.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I want to go there. Say no more.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Recently, I'm on a plane received some national recognition. They were in the New York Times. Congratulations. And people will not stop talking about it. Okay, now I'm starting to feel like this is. They're trying to force me into an advertisement.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Sure does feel like that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Validation for our hard work feels great, but we're a very small operation of two humans, and it's become extremely overwhelming.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Shark Tank.

[Bridger Weiniger]

National press for a tiny food business is the ultimate gift or a curse. What are some responses I can use to end the bakery talk and move on?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

What?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Some for ending the conversation entirely and some for switching subjects would be great. Yours truly, a baker having frequent panic attacks. Chelsea. Well, I don't know if talking about this is gonna help.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I know. Or brings more recognition, you know, publicity and recognition you're getting right now.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is gonna destroy the bakery.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It's got you. Product placement on every show I work on from here, every comedy set I do.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're gonna bring up the Place Bakery.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

The Place Bakery.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I, I. What do we do? I mean, my immediate what. What my brain goes to. If you want people to stop talking about your bakery is get shut down by the health department. Hey.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Oh.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Then no one's gonna be talking about your little operation. I mean, maybe for another week while they're like, yeah, places overrun by rats.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

A little too much salt. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But how else do you get people to stop talking about your bakery? Start making less good things worse. Customer service. Make the hours erratic where no one can really. They show up and it's closed, and they start being like, yeah, just show up.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Don't put your dark blue jeans on in the morning.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And if it's in the moment, someone won't stop talking about your bakery. Maybe bring up the death in the.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Family or associate that with the delicious bite they're about to eat.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Exactly. Bring in some sort of.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah, the death cake. Death muffin.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Personal tragedy that will end a conversation pretty quickly. Comment on their body. That'll get somebody to stop talking to you.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. Put the calories as they're eating it. Make sure they know how many calories are in it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I feel like Chelsea has not put in the work here to stop these conversations on her own. Rather, she turns to me.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. It's a bit of a humble brag.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh. It's an enormous. I mean, what she's done here is insidious.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They've gotten free advertising.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They've bragged. Brag, brag.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

It was called a guest. She didn't know who it was gonna be. Audacious.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. So rude. I mean, Chelsea, the way she owes us for her continued success.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

You better send some baked goods.

[Bridger Weiniger]

She'll just.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

All two of you get in that kitchen.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Full day's work.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I mean.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, it's ultimately unfair and disgusting.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Is she saying we're very happy with the way things are?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It seems like.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I mean, that would be a gift. Because you got to learn that you don't want to be bigger.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. That is a gift. Yeah. Like, we're good just in our little thing, making our beautiful pastries. This is all we'll ever need.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

If this is what success is. No, thank you. Did I have a big house one time when I made a lot of money on tv, and then that had a lady in an urn in tile and gold fixtures, and I said, ha, ha ha. And then I bought the house, and then the market crashed and I was no longer on tv. Did I learn from that that I don't need a house? But am I glad I have the experience?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Of course.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

So they got the experience of people wanting them, and then they go, let's make some croissants. I don't want. I don't want it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Who needs a 6,000 square foot house? Not me. Mine is like a weird, humble brag, but then sad. Sad, then revealing of. Oh, no. You know what? That's how I learn. By doing. Okay. Sue me. Do you think I. When I'm threatened by the fires and I have no fire insurance, do you know how I got to the place? Of, like, I guess it is all gone? By having it be gone. Yes. Now I'm not afraid of it. So I don't know how that speaks to the bakery.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, what I think is these people need to have a little more gratitude.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. Say, Emma, what are we doing here? Hire some more people.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. Turn it into a massive franchise.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Where the quality goes down. And that'll get people to stop talking. Sell it to investment bankers.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Say goodbye to the place.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Why not? Don't be afraid of success.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Don't be afraid of success.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

The biggest fear is not that we're as smooth, but is a fear that we're not. That we're bigger than our wildest. Open the steam pump flower shop and let it fly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And let it fly and the next.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Thing you know, you'll Be starring in a. You're going to be the next movie. It's about your bakery.

[Bridger Weiniger]

People will be taking a picture in an AMC with your croissants or whatever, not knowing entirely what the movie's about.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Blake Lively is going to star.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Lawsuits are flying left and right.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Things are being exposed and.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yeah. Gratitude. And it's very hard. I would think it's very hard to make a name. I know from watching Shark Tank in a food industry.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, it's very hard.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

So what's the prob?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Chelsea? Don't write back in.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Don't write back in.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We don't want to ever hear from you again. Well, I think we answered, but I.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Do want to try your stuff.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, send me.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And I'm really happy for you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Send me some nice.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

And Maine sounds lovely. And your bakery.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Gotta get to Maine.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I'd love to know what your specialty item is at the bakery that's driving summertime crazy.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, we answered the question.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

We got our books.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Gotta write in our books. I've got my socks, my Micro Cruise Micro Crew socks, my keychain, my bag of snacks, and then my unusable tape. Yes. I'm set for life.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What a gift.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I've had such a wonderful time with you.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

I've had a wonderful time with you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Thank you for being here.

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Thank you for having me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Listener. The podcast is over. I know you didn't want or expect this to happen at any point, but you have to face reality. I'm not responsible for anything in your life that's on you. Do what you need to do. I love you. Goodbye. Said no gifts is an exactly right production. Our senior producer is Annelise Nelson and our episodes are beautifully mixed by Ben Tolliday. The theme song is by Miracle worker Amy Man. And we couldn't do it without our booker, Patrick Cotner. You must follow the show on Instagram at isaidnogifts. That's where you're going to see pictures of all these wonderful gifts I'm getting. And don't you want to see the gifts?

[Mary Lynn Ricegub]

Did you hear? Thought I made myself perfectly clear. When you're a guest in my home, you gotta come to me empty handed. I said no guest. Your presence is presence enough. And I already had too much stuff. So how do you dance a subit Am.