Stephanie Courtney Disobeys Bridger

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Stephanie Courtney Disobeys Bridger"

I Said No Gifts! with Bridger Winegar (Exactly Right/iHeartPodcasts)
Air Date: March 12, 2026
Guest: Stephanie Courtney

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Episode Overview

This spirited and laughter-filled episode features comedian and actress Stephanie Courtney (best known as “Flo” from Progressive Insurance ads) joining host Bridger Winegar in his ongoing comic tradition: requesting guests not bring gifts and then gleefully confronting them when they inevitably do. Touching on everything from absurd inventions to music documentaries and the travails of rain-soaked L.A. driving, the conversation is playful, warm, and peppered with mutual admiration.

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Main Themes & Key Discussion Points

1. The Perils of Rainy LA Driving and Nostalgic Car Talk

(02:31–09:59)

• Both Bridger (a Utah native) and Stephanie (from suburban New York) empathize about driving in inclement weather, joking about blaming other drivers before realizing their own faults.
• They reminisce about cars they've sold, spotting their old vehicles around town, and delight in obsolete in-car tech like CD changers, tape decks, and the joys and limitations of picking the ten CDs you’ll need for a long drive.
• Notable Quote:
  • "I finally admitted to myself today that I am also as bad as everybody else in the rain." – Bridger (05:16)

2. Deep Dives into 80s/90s Music and Bands that Deserve Documentaries

(10:00–13:15)

• A warm exchange about their shared love of “The Sundays,” '90s indie bands, and the overlooked brilliance of female-fronted groups.
• Stephanie co-conspires on a theoretical docu-series with her friend Wendy McLendon-Covey about 'Missing Persons' and other lesser-profile musicians.
• Notable Quote:
  • "More bands deserve documentaries, especially if they made such a hit like the Sundays and Missing Persons, where you're like – no one sounded like you. No one." – Stephanie (12:03)

3. Piano Lessons, Childhood Music Struggles, and Parenting

(13:59–18:29)

• Stephanie shares her brief, fraught history as a child piano student and how her son is now more musically engaged.
• Both reflect on the “math brain” needed for music and the elusive chemistry between loving music and actually playing it.
• Touches on the benefits of following a child’s musical curiosity rather than forcing expertise.

4. Concerts, Claire Danes, and the Stressful Lives of TV Characters

(18:48–24:05)

• Stephanie raves about seeing David Byrne live and muses on his eternally youthful energy.
• Running joke about wanting to see Claire Danes cast in something relaxing for a change rather than perpetually stressed roles (e.g., “Homeland”).
• Notable Quote:
  • "Every time I watch a Claire Danes vehicle, I'm stressed for her. So let's give her a break. Claire, reach out." – Bridger (02:31)

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Stephanie’s Gift: The "Useless Box"

(24:11–37:10)

• Bridger theatrically laments yet another guest disobeying his “no gifts” rule, only to reveal that Stephanie’s offering is spectacularly odd: a “useless box”—a handcrafted wooden box with a switch. When flicked, a small mechanical “finger” pops out, pushes the switch back, and immediately closes itself off.
• Complete with decorative birds and beautifully textured wrapping paper, the gift inspires delight and repeated “demos” for ASMR effect.
• Discussion turns to whimsical home decor, crystals, and Stephanie’s penchant for inserting LEGO figures and moss bowls into the home for playful effect.
• Memorable Moment:
  • Bridger delights in the simple, absurd invention:
    • "I want to do this for the rest of my life. It’s so quick. It’s so quick." (32:41)

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Magic, Crystals, and the Allure of Oddities

(37:38–47:14)

• Stephanie describes her love for pretty rocks and the “harmless placebo” of buying crystals—especially from magical-feeling stores like the one adjacent to L.A.’s iconic Inn Of The Seventh Ray.
• She recalls visiting the famed Magic Castle, lauding friends who are close-up magicians and mentalists.
• Bridger wonders about the mechanics of mentalist tricks, enjoying the delight of not knowing.

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The Game: "Gift or a Curse"

(47:29–58:28)

Bridger presents Stephanie with three scenarios for rapid-fire comedic judgment:

1. Landscaper riding a lawnmower down the center of the street
   • Stephanie: Curse (“Any aberration can just throw you off when driving.”)
   • Bridger: Gift (“What a power...the king of the road!”)
2. Dessert in a jar
   • Stephanie: Gift (“If you don't finish it, you can always reseal it; you win three times.")
   • Bridger agrees.
3. Buying new laces for old shoes
   • Stephanie: Gift (“You're giving a gift to the planet!")
   • Bridger: Curse (“It just becomes an uncanny situation...my shoes look terrible but the shoelaces look new.”)

Bonus round led by producer Ellis:

• Grocery store sushi
  • Stephanie & Bridger: Curse (Cold, chalky rice; less “occasion” to it.)
  • Ellis: Gift (A quick, arguably healthier choice and an intro to sushi for many.)

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Audience Email: Should I Put A Collar on My Neighbor's Dog?

(58:36–64:01)

• Listener “Sarah” writes in about a neighbor’s frequently-escaping, collarless dog. She wants to know if buying a collar/ID herself is “deranged.”
• Both Stephanie and Bridger take an empathetic but humorous approach:
  • Encourage offering the neighbor solutions rather than complaints (fence, collar, microchip, or gently broaching the idea of rehoming).
  • Bridger, ever-irreverent: “Maybe this is a good opportunity to try confronting someone where the stakes are pretty low...just be as confrontational as possible.”
  • The conversation lands on “solutions, then threat—then dog kidnapping as the last resort,” all in good fun.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "I am as bad, if not worse, than most people on the road while driving in the rain." — Bridger (05:27)
• "Your son's a code-breaker brain. Are you good at languages? He's good at languages." — Stephanie (14:35)
• "It's a whole device, for no reason. Just to say: mind your biz." — Stephanie on the useless box (32:58)
• "Crystals: I don't know why, but they're pretty, right? I'm not gonna delve too deeply, but it can't hurt." — Stephanie (36:10)
• (On keeping whimsical objects in the house): "There’s little bits of whimsy that I try." — Stephanie (35:59)
• "It’s an oddity. A curiosity to confound and delight and annoy." — Bridger on the useless box (33:56)
• "Imagination is such a gift." — Stephanie (53:15)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Rainy-day driving/Car nostalgia – 02:31–09:59
• Music documentaries fangirl session – 10:00–13:15
• Piano lessons & parenting talk – 13:59–18:29
• Gift Reveal: Useless Box – 24:11–37:10
• Crystals & Magic – 37:38–47:14
• Gift or a Curse Game – 47:29–58:28
• Listener Advice: The Neighbor’s Dog – 58:36–64:01

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The Energy and Tone

The entire episode is conducted with a breezy, warm, and infectiously funny tone—Bridger’s deadpan humor perfectly complementing Stephanie’s playful wit. Good-natured teasing, gentle jabs at LA life, and mutual admiration give the conversation a convivial, inviting energy.

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Recurring Themes & Running Jokes

• Claire Danes deserves a vacation
• The delicate line between genuine gifts and ludicrous oddities
• The magic (and pointlessness) of objects like the useless box
• Music tastes rooted in Gen X nostalgia
• Career “firsts” and the unpredictable paths comedians take
• Juggling whimsy and practicality—in gifts, in home decor, and in life

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Final Thoughts

This episode exemplifies why I Said No Gifts! continues to charm: surprising presents (and personalities), ridiculous delights, and the peculiar pleasures of good company and bad weather. Bridger and Stephanie create a laid-back, joke-filled atmosphere where even a mechanical finger in a wooden box becomes the highlight of the day.

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For more photos of the “useless box” and other gifts, follow the show’s Instagram: @isaidnogifts

Transcript

[Stephanie Courtney]

This is exactly right.

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[Stephanie Courtney]

People who didn't do what John of

[Narrator (John of God segment)]

God wanted them to do, they usually disappeared.

[Podcast Promo Narrator]

John of God was once Brazil's most famous spiritual healer, but in this limited series podcast we uncover the darker truth behind his global empire of faith and and fear. From Exactly Right and adonde Media, this is Two Faced John of God. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Narrator (John of God segment)]

When I invited you here, thought I made myself perfectly clear. When you're a guest home, you got to come to me empty handed. I said no. Guess your presence is presence enough. And 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. We're right into it. I'm just feeling incredible. I got here later than usual. I absolutely took the wrong freeway to get here. In my defense, it was raining. It's raining and I was worrying about Claire Danes. We need to put Claire Danes in something where she's not stressed out. I just finished the Beast Inside Me. I I want to see Claire Danes in a TV show or a movie where she goes on vacation, just goes on. Maybe even a staycation. Maybe she just wakes up later than usual, tools around the house, goes to a lunch that's nice but you know, not so expensive that it stresses her out. I don't know, goes to a boutique, doesn't just browse. Maybe she splurges on a new bracelet Or a watch or something. No, a watch is too stressful. Just a nice little gift for herself. That's it. Once where she's not trembling. And I love the trembling. I just. It's. Every time I watch a Claire Danes vehicle, I'm stressed for her. So let's give her a break. Claire, reach out. So that took me onto the 1:34 I was supposed to get on the 5. That added some time to my commute. And so that leads us to me talking to Claire Danes directly. I think that's all I've thought about this morning, to be honest. The show had a big impact on me. She went through a lot in the beast, in me. And we should talk about. I guess the other thing is the Patreon. Of course. I just need to remind you about the Patreon existing. Patreon.com isaidnogifts upon the release of this episode. I think we'll just be starting season four of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and I'll be getting into it with the gals. I am the expert on the gals. And it looks like it's going to be a very big season. Things are falling apart again for mom talk, and so we wish them all the best. Get onto Patreon. I also recap every commercial I see while watching that show. So if you're more of someone who cares about commercials, you'll also get to hear me talk about Nutrafol and all of these hair care journeys that people are going on. It's important to get over there. Oh, the rain. It's gotten me into a mood. Let's get into the podcast. I love today's guest. It's Stephanie Courtney. Stephanie, welcome to I said no gifts.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Hello. I'm thrilled to be here.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Does the rain stress you out while you're driving?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes. And then I'm always like, everyone else is the problem. And then I do something dumb and I'm like, ah, crap, it's me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think I finally admitted to myself today that I am also as bad as everybody else in the rain.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I'm always like, be very careful. And then I do the most rash, idiotic move. Or I'm just like, I'm impatient. I gotta get there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I mean, I literally took the wrong freeway. I am as bad, if not worse than most people on the road while driving in the rain. Are you from California?

[Stephanie Courtney]

No, I'm from New York. Just outside of New York. 30 minutes outside of New York City in the suburbs.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, so you grew up driving in the snow or this kind of thing and actual weather.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. But I feel I had to. I lived in New York for six years and happily didn't drive at all.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And then I was like kicking and screaming, getting used to driving again. Right in the worst cars that Craigslist or the back of the LA Weekly could cough up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I just. I don't know what inspired this, but somebody got me thinking about a car I had sold on Craigslist. When I moved, I was in New York for a little bit in 20 the mid. It doesn't matter what time period. I sold my car. My old Honda fit. And I was like, where is it now? And I looked up the VIN number and found it. It's made its way to New Jersey. Oh, they've painted it orange.

[Stephanie Courtney]

What?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I was thrilled to see it was still alive.

[Stephanie Courtney]

For a business or for fun?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't know. That's a great question. But it's in better condition than when I sold it to them.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I love it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I sold it to them with a big crack in the windshield and absolutely filthy. They've taken good care of it.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I still see my Hyundai, I think out there. Cause I was like, there's a dent by the Gas Gap. And I'm like, there's a white Hyundai with a dent by the Gas Gap. I'm like, hello old pal.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Just longing for this Hyundai. It's probably it. Who knows?

[Stephanie Courtney]

It's passed by a few. Yeah, we sold it to a friend, very good price. And then he sold it. And now I'm like, no, now it's on its own adventure.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. Its own journey.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It's gonna be a Pixar movie. It's gonna win awards.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Specifically Hyundai oriented Pixar.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Hyundai with a tape deck. Enjoy it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Does your car now have a tape deck or a CD player or anything?

[Stephanie Courtney]

No, now it's all WI fi in the cloud.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I kind of miss having at least a CD player. I feel like that could be useful at some point for me.

[Stephanie Courtney]

My sister, one of the awful cars she bought had a CD player in the back, like where you would put 10 CDs.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I forgot about these.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And it would shuffle the songs.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, the CD changer.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes. It was just like David Gray. David Gray. David Gray. Alanis Morissette. It was a lot of David Gray. I just remember, like there's a lot.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. The CD changer seemed like such a luxurious thing for a minute. But then it's like, actually that's terrible. You have to really think about what 10 CDs you're going to Put in there. I'm very fickle and picky. I want to be changing things constantly. What if you're suddenly not in the mood and the other nine CDs in there aren't what you need?

[Stephanie Courtney]

If you want it, come and get it. For crying. I'm like, I need a better song. I have to cater. I have to get my brain here.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How often were people, like, going. You'd have to go to the trunk.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then replace all of the. That actually seems like the worst possible piece of technology.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And forget about putting your suitcase back there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, of course.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Because you're going to destroy them. Whatever.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. And you don't want any liquid. I'm not going to be throwing a gallon of milk back there. Or any loose liquids. You don't want that getting destroyed.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Now, it's just, like, a very sensitive area.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. You can't, like, carry soil. There's nothing you can do with that trunk but put CDs in there. Oh, what a bizarre. I had totally forgotten about it.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Conundrum.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But what a luxury at the time it was to have 10 CDs in your trunk.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. I believe I had a tape deck with a wire. Like, I had the wire.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, of course, that went to your cd.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. Well, no, it was an adapter, but all I could do was the cassette. So I was just like, well, I'm listening to high school and early college, I guess. Just the Sundays and elements.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, the Sundays. Oh, I adore the Sundays.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Why more?

[Bridger Weiniger]

We need more the Sundays. Not enough Sundays material.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I agree. I agree. That was a perfect album. What was it? Reading?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Reading, Writing, Arithmetic or something. Arithmetic.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I think so the one with.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is that the one with the seashell on the front punch?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. And then there's one. I think there may have only been two Sunday's albums. Is that right?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes, but I never caught onto the second one. I guess the first one was just so.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The second one. Is that the second one have. That's where the story ends. Is that the first one?

[Stephanie Courtney]

I think that's the first one. Gosh, it's that little symphony.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, what a great band.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Moody Rainy Day. Well, hey.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. This is a good Sunday's day.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And a hard band to kind of replicate. So I feel like whatever influence they have, you don't notice as much in other stuff.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Right. Yeah. It was sort of its own. What would you call it?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's kind of jangly, but her voice is so ethereal and so pretty.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It could hit notes that, like, nobody can do it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Unbelievable. No, I feel like there was. Do you know the band Japanese Breakfast?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Her first. I think her first album had a little Sunday's ness to it, but, wow, what a great band. You've got good taste.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Well, thank you. I was, you know, and I listened to your Wendy McLennan Covey interview, which I loved. I love her. I love her.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, so you don't like me. You like Wendy.

[Stephanie Courtney]

No, no, no, no. I am falling in love with you, and I'm already in love with her. But we get into such deep dives on missing persons. Oh, and we actually went and saw Missing Persons.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, was it good?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Listen, the band sounds the same. The same. And she's wonderful. She's lived a life. She's lived a hard life.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What's happened? I'm not familiar.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Well, I know Wendy knows more, and I feel like I'm stealing her stories, but I think, first of all, we shook hands. Wendy and I did. We're gonna do a documentary on Dale Bozio and the fan.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Amazing.

[Stephanie Courtney]

We have to do it because her story is so interesting. I guess she moved out here originally to be a Playboy bunny. Checked out. The situation is like, no, never mind, never mind. And then joins up the. Now. I'm skipping over a lot of important details that will be in the documentary, but just. We would just sing the deep cuts to each other on set at the Goldberg. Like, oh, my God.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, so great. Before you make that documentary, just promise me that you'll first make a documentary about the Beatles. We don't have enough of those. I don't think we've covered that band enough.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Just a specific six. Just one that they. When they were on vacation. Oh, my God. I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, that's a great documentary. More bands deserve documentary, especially if they

[Stephanie Courtney]

made such a hit like the Sundays and Missing Persons, where you're like, no one sounded like you. No one.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And there are stories that we haven't heard a billion times already.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes. Women musicians, women lead singers.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm trying to think of any female fronted bands that have had great documentaries.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Not even Pat Benatar, right?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I'm like, let's see. I mean, I also have a bad memory, so this is part of the problem. But what was the last band? I don't know.

[Stephanie Courtney]

How about this? Dion Farris. Remember Wildseed? Wildflower.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, I'm not familiar.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Holy moly. It's another perfect album. She's from another band and I'm an old lady with an adult brain. But she was like a kid in this previous band. And then this was her. I know what you're doing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh yeah, of course, of course.

[Stephanie Courtney]

That album is amazing. David Alan Grier also joins in and does like they do some skits in between that are so amazing. Anyway, just Wild Seed, Wildflower.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And there's not a documentary about this.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Nope. But that's my next one.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Put it on the.

[Stephanie Courtney]

My child's gonna have to work early cause his money scan.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You just dump all of your money into music documentaries.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I'm sorry you still love mother.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But look at all of these bands. You can learn about.

[Narrator (John of God segment)]

People who didn't do what John of

[Stephanie Courtney]

God wanted them to do.

[Narrator (John of God segment)]

They usually disappeared.

[Podcast Promo Narrator]

John of God was once Brazil's most famous spiritual healer. But in this limited space series podcast we uncover the darker truth behind his global empire of faith and fear. From exactly right and adonde Media, this is Two Faced John of God. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Are you a musician at all?

[Stephanie Courtney]

I'm a singer. I love to sing and I took piano lessons and then I quit in a snit after three years.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Three years?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah, I was bad. I was just.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Was it as a kid?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah, I was a kid. And as soon as it was like, this is. We're gonna center on chords. I'm like, no one can do this, no one can do this. And then I quit.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow. I mean, I was bad. And that didn't stop me from taking 10 years of lessons. Piano, Piano.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Are you good? Can you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, I can form chords.

[Stephanie Courtney]

But someone framed it really well. They were like, are you a code breaker? And my son loves piano and has stuck with it and he has a code breaker brain and it's like, are you good at languages? He's good at languages.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, interesting.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I kind of ain't. And so yeah, it's that kind of. I understand.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Good. There's kind of a math brain ness to it maybe. Yeah, that makes sense. Which is kind of counterintuitive because you kind of think of music as this very emotional free flowing thing.

[Stephanie Courtney]

But that's the thing. It's the both sides of the brain coming together.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. So it really requires somebody smart.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Someone like me is gonna struggle.

[Stephanie Courtney]

No.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Really have a hard time.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I'm like, other people do that for me. And I put it my CD player press shuffle.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, I think part of my problem with piano lessons was I wasn't getting to play anything that I actually wanted to play. There was nothing to aspire to. And so I'm sitting There with like my 80 year old teacher who's like making it as boring as possible. It's like if you. I feel like with a kid, you just show them something that's fun to play and then allow them to do something. I don't know.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah, yeah. You know, I think that also helped because a few years after taking his first lesson, him and his friends got a band together.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Ooh, see, here we go.

[Stephanie Courtney]

One of the dads can play every instrument. And so he pared down seven Nation army for them.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, how fun.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And they rocked out.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that's great.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And they were so great. I remember my piano teacher. One thing that drove me crazy is that she would always be cooking dinner when I came over and it smelled really good and like, you could clear. It was like a balanced meal. And I'm just like, oh, God, I want that so bad. That's pot roast.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Unprofessional of her.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Damn it. I know. I was just like, oh, I don't even get to eat that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's very Hansel and Gretel as well. Very witch with the.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes. It's like, nope, you don't get to.

[Bridger Weiniger]

My whole trick during piano lessons was I would ask for a glass of water and then take as long as possible drinking the water. So 15 minutes of my lesson would just be me, like, sipping a glass of water and then maybe being like, oh, could you show me? Because she had a garden in her backyard. Why don't you show me the garden?

[Stephanie Courtney]

They always have a garden.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They always have a garden.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. They always have interests.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah.

[Stephanie Courtney]

You bast. My son's piano teacher is amazing because she's just a character. Like, my son's a little on the shyer side.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How did you find a teacher for him?

[Stephanie Courtney]

She teaches at the school, so he already trusted her. She's fun and she's loud and just like doesn't care, you know? And so. And I don't know, I think that just she provides that kind of passion. And then he's got the math and then like, they.

[Bridger Weiniger]

All right. I'm starting to wonder how my mom found my piano teacher. She wasn't in our neighborhood or anything. She was neighborhoods away. Church maybe. It must have been somebody at church recommended or something like that. Yeah, that makes sense because otherwise she had no connection to Mrs. Ziegler.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Interesting.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What's happening. Very interesting. The other thing with my mom, like, we would kick and scream the entire way to the piano lesson. I mean, I guess God bless my mom for putting up with it, because if I was the parent in this situation. I would have just given up and said, okay, just lie around on the floor all day.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah, me too. I was waiting for it. I was just like, oh, we're at the three year mark. And then I'm like, wait, you get this. You understand this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you think he's going to have some sort of career in it?

[Stephanie Courtney]

I think here's what I want to do. And this is how they set in first grade. When he was in first grade, they were like, don't worry about your child being the best reader or the earliest reader, as long as they enjoy reading. I want him to enjoy it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And if that means playing around with friends, amen. If he still enjoys learning because it's like a challenge, that's great. But I think he's gonna. I think it'll be a tool in his tool belt, I'll say that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Ellis Nelson]

Good for him.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I think that's having. You can't have music be the number one thing at this point anyway.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah, I guess. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's a tough path to follow as far as making money.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. At 14.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Come on. The way Mom's spending on these documentaries,

[Bridger Weiniger]

he's got to get into a band that you'll make a documentary about.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, we'll finally have something to talk about, me and him.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Have you been to any other concerts recently?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Let me think. We saw David Byrne when he was at. That was amazing. Did you see him?

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, I didn't. I've never seen him live.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, my God.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Which feels like a mistake on my part.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, enjoy him the next time he comes around. He's got like. We saw him when he did Utopia, which was fantastic. And you always think like, oh, this is his crowning jewel or whatever. And now he has a whole slew of other young instrumentalists. Musicians is another. Sometimes they say, haven't heard it. Oh, I'm too old for this. And they were amazing. A whole new show, a whole new setup.

[Bridger Weiniger]

He's very good at staying with it.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, my gosh.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Everyone should look to David Byrne for his, like, if you don't want to seem like an extremely old person. Yes, because he still seems like he's in his 30s. The fountain fresh.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes. He has discovered it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And I guess part of it is riding his bike all the time. Yes.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Nope, won't do it. I won't do it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Not in la. Are you kidding me? Oh, my God, I can't imagine.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Could you imagine Claire Danes on a bike? Could that be the next show?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Don't put her on a bike.

[Stephanie Courtney]

She'd be so good.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Not in la, maybe out in the country.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Trembling lip. No, she's wonderful. She's a master at the craft.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But she's so good. But she's always stressed out.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah, that would be funny. I was thinking, like, an episode where the therap. It wasn't your fault. You're off the hook. And then that's like, halfway through, and then she's like, I'm free.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're right, I'm free. Yeah. Because the last three things I've seen her in were the Beast and Me, which she's so stressed out. Love to see that. It's really great. It's really exciting.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I love him too.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, he's fantastic. Matthew Rhys. Have you ever heard his accent?

[Stephanie Courtney]

No. It's Welsh, right?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. I need to look up an interview with him because I'm curious what he sounds like when he's not doing an American accent.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I can't imagine.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. Because he's got an excellent American accent.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Well, we've got great actors coming out of. Who is. Wait, who's the. Oh, gosh. The one who was in the Kinsey Show. That Kinsey Show.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Let me see here. Let's see. I'm willing to do some online research.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It's called that Kinsey Show.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, I'm not good enough at research.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Masters of Sex.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Masters of Sex is what it's called. And it's what's her name? And what's her name?

[Stephanie Courtney]

She's wonderful, too. And what's his name? And his name is Michael Sheen.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Michael Sheen.

[Stephanie Courtney]

He's Welsh, also from Wales as well.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wow.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I know we've got some.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You would never know.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It's a crucible of great.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Maybe the Welsh accent is not that thick and.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah, maybe it's like a neutral over there.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, more of a neutral thing. I feel like that frequently with Irish accents, sometimes you can almost mistake that for an American accent.

[Stephanie Courtney]

That's right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then sometimes you hear an Irish accent and you're like, that's another language.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. There's a show called Love Hate. I don't know if you've ever heard of it, but it's fantastic. It's about a drug gang in Ireland and one guy is from Limerick and I can't understand. And he's incredible. And you just need the subtitles. But it's like a backwards. It's like every vowel is something else.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. There are a lot of these British shows that I tried to power through without subtitles. What a mistake.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Nah, man, we're too far.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, fantastic.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It's been too much.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There will be ones where I just, like, I'll give up because I don't understand what's going on. I finally have committed to using, well, subtitles on almost everything at this point, but especially with these thick accents, because otherwise you're watching a show in a foreign language.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is that how British people feel watching

[Stephanie Courtney]

American shows whenever they do an impression of us? Not like professionally. I mean, like, when they try to echo what we sound like, it's flat

[Bridger Weiniger]

and bland and it must be easier to understand.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. Cause we're slower.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We're slower. We really, like, stretch the words out.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Maybe Southern is a different story.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I've never had an English or an Irish person ever ask me to repeat anything. You know what I mean? They get it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I assume that it's just because they don't care about what I'm saying. They just have no interest in what I have to say at all.

[Stephanie Courtney]

They're like, hey, guys, clean up your own mess before you tell me anything.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, but I've seen Claire in this. I saw her in Fleischman is in Trouble, which was great.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, that's great.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I have to see that. Also very stressed.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And then Homeland, where it was like a new age of her. Mastering this stress character who's like, just on the edge. Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And it was like, wow, full panic all the time. And you buy it. You believe it.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Cause there's a bomb about to go off.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. Which is great. But you start to worry about her mental health on or off stage.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And her drug use in that show.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that's right, the pills. She went through it.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Bottles of pills.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then she's got Mandy nearby, who's such a comforting source of. You know, I would love to have Mandy as a teammate. He said everyone's grandpa. But yeah. I think it's time for just one show or movie. Maybe it's Even just an 80 minute long movie where she has a nice time.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. Is there a novel from the late 1800s where it's like gardening? Yes. Discovering yourself through the growth of your hyacinth. Oh, we're all growing credits. Slow credits.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Just once. Even if it's a bomb, it'll just be a nice break for her.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. She'll have a wonderful time.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, speaking of things that are stressful and make my lip tremble.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, no.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Stephanie, I was looking forward to having you here on the podcast today. I thought, she'll come by, we'll have a pleasant time. Cozy time while it's raining outside. We'll move on with our days. You know, I broke my back to get here to the studio, thinking we're going to have a good time, and I sit down and you walk in. The podcast is called I said no gifts, and you're holding. First of all, it was a garbage bag, and I thought, okay, so she brought her garbage. But then I noticed through the bag, a beautifully wrapped gift.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I respect you, but I also need to live with myself. And I was raised a certain way.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And I did put it in a trash bag to take the shine off

[Bridger Weiniger]

it, to get it past the guards.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes, exactly. Your guards. They are. They hold a lot of authority here.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, they do.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I put the usual amount of effort in, nothing extra. And it might not even be for you. You know what? Now don't put me on the back list. It might not even be for you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, should we open it here on the podcast?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah, why not?

[Bridger Weiniger]

All right.

[Stephanie Courtney]

You've got time to burn.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, I put it on the floor earlier, if you wouldn't mind picking it up for me.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I don't mind that. I do mind. It's on the floor.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I will say, this is. I mean, no offense to past guests. I think this is my favorite wrapping paper that's ever been on the show. It's like a wood print.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's like a. And it feels almost like a texture of wood.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah, I'm gonna need that paperback.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. You'll get it back in good time. And then it also has a monarch butterfly and this beautiful green ribbon.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes. If you twist the top half of that butterfly and then you let it go, it'll fly away or fall dead.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wait, is that true? Wait, what do I do here?

[Stephanie Courtney]

You twist the top. You see how it's all this little rubbery part? No, I believe the top.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, like this?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes, exactly. Yes. So give that a go.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, I'm twisting. Oh, I've never seen something like this before. This is for the video viewer. Listener. If you're just listening, you are missing out on a gorgeous thing that's about to happen. Hopefully.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I'm gonna put my glasses on again

[Bridger Weiniger]

because I don't trust you want to see this thing. Am I doing it correctly?

[Stephanie Courtney]

You're doing great.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Now I let go.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yep. And then I feel you let go of the bottom part, too.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm so nervous.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I know. Oh, it died.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm gonna get this right for the listener. I'll at least give you the twisting of. Let's see if you can hear that. Okay, now I just throw it.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yep.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm so nervous.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, yeah, There you go.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Here you do it.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I think the point is you put it in a card all twisted up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, you put it in.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes. You put it in.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So it scares someone.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Exactly. And they open the card and then it's like this. Oh, Jesus. So you can use this again.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Such a startling butterfly. I'm gonna do it one more time because I know the listener loves a quiet twisting noise. Let's do as tight as possible here.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Asmr.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This could be dangerous. This could blind somebody.

[Stephanie Courtney]

No, I'm a risk taker.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Stephanie Courtney]

That was beautiful. That was the best.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I love this thing.

[Stephanie Courtney]

You know, I catered a wedding once, and they had lab grown butterflies inside envelopes, like folded paper. And they're like, just pass. Here's a basket, I'm in my tuxedo to the guests. Pass them out and tell them, be gentle, but everyone's coming at once. And they're like, thanks. And I'm like, oh, God, be gentle, be gentle. And then they were like. When they say, I do open your thing. And it was just.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Just tons of dead butterflies.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Half dead butterflies. Like, like crawling once, Like, a couple escaped, but they were like, lab grown. So they were like, I don't understand.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's hor.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I wonder if that marriage lasted.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What a terrible idea.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It was a terrible idea.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Nobody tested that before. Clearly that wasn't going to work.

[Stephanie Courtney]

No one cared. No one asked a question past the first question. Can it be done? And then, oh, there's a lab that will do it for you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Now your wedding is covered in dead bugs.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yep. Crawling, crawling. And like, the guests are like, I don't know what to do. Like, there's. Do I save it? No, we're going to receptions.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What a distraction.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It was rough and I was complicit. Like, all of us in our tuxedos were looking at each other like, I'm complicit.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is your Tyra Banks documentary. Did you watch that?

[Stephanie Courtney]

No, but I paid for it. No, I'm kidding. I haven't watched it, but I have to. Yes, There's a lot I need to watch. Gosh darn it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, well, let's open this gift here.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, I wrote something.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, it says, dearest Bridger, this is for you. Exo stiff.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Then it is for you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, fine.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I tried to pretend it's fine.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'll open it up. I'm trying to be careful with this gorgeous word wrapping.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It's done.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, it's Beautiful. I want it to not be totally shredded.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Very sweet. I had to use two sheets.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Let's see here. Oh, where did you get this wrapping paper?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Let me think. I'd like to go to, like, paper source or whatever. Then they've got them in sheets up against the wall.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That's the best wrapping paper.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It's so fun. And if you just get a bunch, then you always have something.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, getting in here.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, you might need some desert.

[Narrator (John of God segment)]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, let's see. We'll see.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I think you can rip.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Feel like you're underestimating my finger strength here.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Don't look at the box. The box isn't the.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Is not the.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. If you do that, I think. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You got it. Look at you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And then that packing tape.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, we're getting in.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Okay, we're getting.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, now we're into the tissue.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I am going to need that back. I'm just gonna keep saying that this

[Bridger Weiniger]

is a new type of wrap.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah, I see it everywhere. I think it just. It's. You got extra cushioning.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's almost like fish net or something. You could catch an animal in this.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It's a lot of fun.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. Oh, now look at this little. There's several little birds. I'm finding adorable little birds included at no extra cost. Little pink and orange and green birds. They're almost like sherbet colored. Let's see here.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Put them anywhere.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Look at these. My table is now filling with adorable small birds.

[Stephanie Courtney]

But that's not the.

[Bridger Weiniger]

God, this is so cute. Where did these come from?

[Stephanie Courtney]

I don't know. Somewhere.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Look at this.

[Stephanie Courtney]

A week that I skipped therapy. I went on birds, birds and paper.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There's now there's this kind of crimped paper. And yeah, they've got a nest. I'm creating a nest on my table. Again, the listener is loving this. This is me just crafting. Taking a hard turn into me crafting. Okay, make sure I've got all the birds. Okay, now we're pulling out. Okay, now

[Stephanie Courtney]

this comes with an explanation. Are you ready?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, I absolutely. Let me describe what I'm seeing. This is a little wood box that's like kind of. What color would you say this is? Cherry. Cherry, yeah. And it has. It's like a little treasure chest with a switch on the top.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Okay. I would like for you to set it on the table nice and carefully. All right. This is called a useless box. What did you call me? I'm joking. It's called a useless box. And if you keep your fingers Away from the top, but just move the lever.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Right. So like maybe.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, I'm scared.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Hold it from the other. Hold it from the lever side.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Let's see, like here.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Exactly. And then just with your other finger, just flick the lever.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm so scared.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And so a little finger. By flicking the lever, a finger comes out and pushes it back. So it's completely useless. What?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Where did you get this thing?

[Stephanie Courtney]

My husband found it somewhere. And it is the funniest thing.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's a none of your business box.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It's Right. That's what.

[Ellis Nelson]

Right.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And it's called the useless box. And it will never let you see what's inside because it's none of your biz listener.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's almost kind of hard to describe. It's like I hold the box and it has a little. The lever is like one of those little switches that it's like a little

[Stephanie Courtney]

old timey, like the switch.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And when you push it. Let's see, you might be able to hear this. The box slightly opens and a little finger comes out and pushes your finger away. I want to do this for the

[Stephanie Courtney]

rest of my life. It's so quick. It's so quick.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's frightening.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes, it is frightening. And it's a little more delicate than you would imagine. So we're like on our third.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, do they fall apart pretty quickly?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Just, you know, treat it with.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, it's a whole. I mean, it's a device.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It's a whole device for no reason. Just to be. I don't know, just to tell you. Mind your biz.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This is a funny invention because it's the sort of thing that, like, conceptually there. No box exists like this that you would be like, oh, yeah, there's the little thing. I know. I'll push this and get what's inside. It's like. The trick is unlike anything you've experienced before.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And it's quick. It's so much faster than you would. It doesn't even give you time.

[Ellis Nelson]

No.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You kind of don't even understand what's happening while it's happening.

[Stephanie Courtney]

You're not even in on the joke. You're the joke.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But then once you're. Now I'm in a relationship.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I want to do this all the time.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I wonder how that even works. I guess it's almost in the same category as the. What is that? The perpetual motion bird thing that.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. I'm always gonna drink.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I like. I don't. I really. I guess I would classify this as a Gag.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes. A prank and a curiosity to have on your table.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's an oddity. A curiosity to confound and delight and annoy. Something you would buy out of a wagon. Something like that. Right. Or at the old general store.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Where did your husband find this?

[Stephanie Courtney]

He finds, like he's sort of in charge of sort of like the art in our home. Like, he will find really cool. I don't know, short answer. Like it just arrived and he's like, oh, this is. Oh, I know. What. Yes. We had to make a deal, and you're gonna have to make a deal with the devil to keep this. Keep doing it. Don't stop. I think what he does is he does GoFundMes, you know, where it's like, I'm an artist and blah, blah. So then a lot of things appear where he's like, I just respect this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And do you think this was a gofundme? I love the idea of this Kickstarter campaign.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Finally. Everyone's been asking for a box that won't let you open. We figured it out.

[Stephanie Courtney]

We figured it out.

[Bridger Weiniger]

If we can make it to the four million dollar goal again.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Our kid. Let's start working now.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I just love this thing. It's almost like something a grandpa would have or fun uncle. Yeah, Give that hearty har har.

[Stephanie Courtney]

But no one's farting.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And now I kind of am desperate to know what's going on inside and I'll never know.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Well, you could. I think there's a little. You see the little, like, clasps?

[Bridger Weiniger]

You can open this.

[Stephanie Courtney]

That you can open.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But again, should I ruin it for my. I don't know if I should ruin it for myself. Maybe keep it.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Have one mystery.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's its own little magician and it shouldn't give away its secrets.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So what, are there other things in your house like this?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Let me think. Think, think. No, I'm trying to think if there's anything as funny as that. But I don't think so. But I do. I'm sort of like the person that shows up with a crystal or two.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, sure, sure.

[Stephanie Courtney]

So I'll do a thing where, like we have, you know, like just a bowl of artistic moss and rocks or whatever. And then I found a little Lego Dorothy and a little Lego Toto and all, like, so there's little bits of whimsy that I try.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So do you buy crystals often?

[Stephanie Courtney]

A little bit, sometimes. I don't know why, but like, they're pretty, right?

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, I think that's enough. With crystals. And if they happen to have some sort of powers, that's it.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Where I'm not going to delve too deeply. But it can't hurt with.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. Unless it's cursed. Unless it's an evil crystal.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, I don't buy evil crystals.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, you think you don't buy them.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, no.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Depends on if you're tricked or not. It's not like which witch you buy them from.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, shoot. That's where I mess up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

This feels like something that could have some sort of evil property.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah, exactly. This is like one of those movies where it's like.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Psychological torture. No, I promise you, it's just a little finger that keeps shutting up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I love it. I just want to keep doing it.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Isn't it so sweet?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It kind of feels like. It's almost like this podcast turned into a box or something.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. Maybe that's why I made the connection. I'm like, I have the perfect thing. No, it's just I've heard other people's gifts and I'm like, oh, gosh darn it. Like that. I gotta step up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, this is absolutely top five gifts. It's such a fun. I've never heard of something like this. I've never experienced something like this.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I have a feeling that the person who makes this is gonna have a lot of business once you put that on the Instagram.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right, Right. They're going to. It'll probably ruin their life because suddenly they're gonna blow up and they're gonna be making too many of these boxes.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I just leave more destruction in my wake. Just like dead butterfly. Like, bye, bye, guys.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Not to go back to crystals, but I feel like doing it anyway.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't know that much about crystals. When you go, do you just go to a crystal shop? Do you just see them at random places?

[Stephanie Courtney]

There's a place. You know, Inn of the Seventh Ray? Do you know that restaurant? It's so pretty. It's up on the Topanga Canyon.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, yes.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It's very pretty. Yes. It's like, there's a little brook and it's outdoors and there's fairy lights and all that stuff. And then they've got this little store, and it's perfect. It's a perfect tourist trap. Because I don't normally, like, walk into a crystal store, but you're on a night out and you're feeling magical anyway.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And that's where I have the majority.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Crystals.

[Stephanie Courtney]

That's where I get them.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That feels like the best place to get them. Yeah.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes, yes. Because you do feel magical already, right?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's like, almost like a tree house or like somewhere where an elf would live or something.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It's fairy lights, man. That's all I need. That's all I want. And I'm like, I'm magical. Oh, this is talking to me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Have you eaten there? Yes, I've just been to visit.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What sort of food are they serving at the end of the 70s, right?

[Stephanie Courtney]

I think kind of Americana. And then you could get your. You get sort of anything there. But if you're vegan, you can be happy there. You know, I think the last time they've got a really nice, like, polenta.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, interesting.

[Stephanie Courtney]

But a good steak. Yeah, nice. Nice wine.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. It feels kind of Laurel Canyon, New Agey type place.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Absolutely. You're in the Topanga Canyon, you know, like, there's, you know, there's a big. There's just art everywhere. Like a pig flying on a huge spike. Oh, and you're by the arboretum, like the Wil Gear.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wait, I'm not familiar with this.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, Botanicum. Pardon me. Not the arboretum. It's the Will. Have you heard of the Will Gere Theater?

[Narrator (John of God segment)]

No.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, my God. You gotta go. Will Gere, I guess, played Grandpa on the Waltons, but he loved Shakespeare, and he and his family. We're talking now, probably his great grandchildren run it, and they do Shakespeare in an outdoor amphitheater. Oh, and it's beautiful. And you show up and you bring a picnic, and you bring whatever you want.

[Bridger Weiniger]

That sounds so nice.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And it's very near into the seventh Ray, so I'm not changing topics, but it's lovely. And they have classes for kids and stuff. And they perform like, you know, A Midsummer Night's Dream, but you're in the woods and. Absolutely stunning.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that sounds really lovely.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Really nice.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Have you ever done live theater?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah, I. All right, Well, I went to. I did it all throughout, like, elementary school, up and then in college, and then I went to acting school for two years. And then I went. I was broke in New York City. And then because I was, like, catering so much to just pay the bills and stuff, I started to do standup. My friend dared me to do some standup.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Sure, sure.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And that was a game changer. Cause I'm like, oh, my God. Like, I don't have to rehearse with a bunch of people and rent a

[Bridger Weiniger]

theater in my life. I can control this.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I can control this. And at the time, it was like. And it was six minutes, and I was just. I Ran into someone last night, actually, who saw me do my first, like, act. And I had a jingle bell earring that I would ring to do the. What do you call it? Changing the topic. Basically segues. Segue bell. So I'd be like, well, that was my first joke. Ding, ding, ding. For moving. Because I was so new and I didn't know what I was doing and it was so funny to like, this was 96 or something. And so I was like, oh, my God, that's right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What a gimmick.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. But then things, well, whatever, things started moving before they stopped for a long time. But my now manager saw me and said, if you want a manager, come to la. And I'm like, oh, God, yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Don't forget the jingle bell.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Don't forget the jingle bell.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You're the jingle bell comic.

[Stephanie Courtney]

That's your talent right there. The jingle bell. Have you got the bell? Can we get a headshot of the bell? Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you still have the jingle bell?

[Stephanie Courtney]

No, I don't. Well, maybe. Maybe I saved it. I've got little boxes of like, oh, sure, this is precious to me. And I'm sure it's somewhere there. Christmas earring. So it was like a hook with a bell and a little, tiny, tiny red bell.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Someday you're going to be cleaning out a back room or a basement or something and you'll hear the jingling and I'll cry. You'll be sobbing. Yes. No one will be able to get you out of this absolute melt.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Right. It'll be like, grandma, stop crying.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Do you remember what your first play was in elementary school?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, golly, okay. Yes, I believe that that was. Okay. I was a bee, and it was like the Death of a Salesman. I was the bee. I was the bee in the motel. Don't you remember Willy Lohman? That's a prostitute. Bzz. And then I fly away. Your son's crying. It was like a celebration of spring. And I remember just being irate that I had to memorize lines. And by the way, the lines was like a strip of paper with a

[Bridger Weiniger]

little, you know, I come out, buzz, buzz, buzz.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Pollinate the flowers. Now get off. Exit stage. Right. Yeah. So that was my first theatrical role.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, that's adorable.

[Stephanie Courtney]

That's pretty cute.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's kind of like the, what music video? Blind Melon video. Picturing that. Yes. So you're like the second most famous bee.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah, well, there's two bee movies.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, right, right. But at the time, you were probably the most famous bee in Stony Point,

[Stephanie Courtney]

New York, for sure.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Of course. Nobody else had done the bee yet.

[Stephanie Courtney]

No, I had done it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It was me set the stage for other bees.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. No one gives me any credit. Thank you for this.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Of course. Of course. That's why you came here today. Look at this little scene I've set up here. The birds surrounding.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Just the birds.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Remind me what this is called. The.

[Stephanie Courtney]

The useless box.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Useless box.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. And you've got some friends. Look at that. It's very silly.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I really like that.

[Ellis Nelson]

I'm glad.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Are you into magic or any of these things? Do you like going to magic shows?

[Stephanie Courtney]

I love going to the. I know. I have a friend of mine, he was in the Groundlings for a while and he is a great magician. Oh, gosh. Of course. Now I'm. Gosh darn it. I will remember his name in a second. But he got my husband and I tickets to see. I love it. It's great.

[Bridger Weiniger]

At the Magic Castle.

[Stephanie Courtney]

At the Magic Castle. Thanks for finishing my thought. I trailed off.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What sort of magic did he do? Just stage magic.

[Stephanie Courtney]

He does kind of close up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, okay.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Okay. He's great. And then his partner, she's a mentalist. Oh, and she. That was incredible too. She would guess what people were thinking. I don't know how they do it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

How does it work?

[Stephanie Courtney]

How do either of them do?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Did you go on stage and get your thoughts?

[Stephanie Courtney]

No, I was just part of an audience. But watching her deal with the audience. And his name. Oh my God. I'm gonna have to write to you and tell you his name. Harrison Lambert.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, Harrison Lambert. A good magician name.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Right. And his partner is Krista, I believe. Anyway, Harrison Lambert, he actually did one

[Bridger Weiniger]

of the progressive commercial. Oh, no way.

[Stephanie Courtney]

He was someone who came up in a karaoke bar. But he brings a deck of cards wherever he works. And if you're in between, he'll do a card trick for you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What a nice thing to be able to do.

[Stephanie Courtney]

But he does it well so it's not like.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. You're not just being annoyed by someone's first time magic trick.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, the cards. Oh, I spilled them on the camera. No, he's a master. And you're like, wow.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And I'm so curious about this mentalist thing. I guess they're just so there's a whole field that you learn about figuring out how to guess what people are.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And leading them into telling you information that you're able to then build.

[Stephanie Courtney]

That must be it. Maybe there's physical cues. I mean, she's not telling. I'm not Asking. Cause it's like a lot of fun.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, it's fun to be mystified.

[Stephanie Courtney]

So fun.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And she might be just magic.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Maybe she's magical. Who are we?

[Bridger Weiniger]

How frustrating it would be for her to be like, no, it's not a trick. I just am able to tap into another dimension.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Will someone please believe me?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Just believe.

[Stephanie Courtney]

No, I've stood next to crystals. I'm not magic, so you can't be. Oh, my God.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I've stood next to crystals. Put that on your resume.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Special skills. I've stood next to crystals. Really? And what happened? Nothing. Nothing. I chose them for the color in the room.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, I need to get into crystals.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I don't know. They feel good in the hands. I know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I love just like rolling them around

[Stephanie Courtney]

and a geode is kind of magical.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, they're very pretty. Yeah, they kind of do nothing beyond that. But maybe there's some sort of placebo effect. I guess there may be crystal festivals people go to.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I'm going to out her. But Wendy McLennan Covey loves a crystal.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, she's a big crystal gal.

[Stephanie Courtney]

She's a crystal gal. She has a collection.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wendy, Wendy, Wendy, Wendy, Wendy.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Part two, come back. We need a part two.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Just explain yourself.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Explain your.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So she has a big collection.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I have not seen it, but I know that she loves them.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay.

[Stephanie Courtney]

But yeah, I think I'm just a sucker for like, what a pretty color. Even just looking at these little colorful colors.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, yeah. I'm bedazzled. I'm very much a child in that way.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. And I feel like we're kind of, I don't know, we're influenced by pretty things. So I don't know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, Wendy. Well, Wendy, figure that out.

[Stephanie Courtney]

You have splaining to do.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, is there anything left to say about the box?

[Stephanie Courtney]

No, man. Enjoy it. Just in.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Jesus, I love this thing.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It is very fun.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, I think we should play a game.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Okay.

[Bridger Weiniger]

We're going to play a game called Gift or a curse. But I need a number between one and 10 from you.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Seven.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay. I have to do some light calculating to get our game pieces. So right now you can recommend promote. Do whatever you want with the microphone. I'll be right back.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Okay. Oh, he just disappeared in a bridger shaped puff of smoke. I can still hear him. Hello, my name's Stephanie Courtney and I'm a Gen X Aquarius. I would love to plug a show that I do every week. I do a show Wednesdays at the Groundlings theater in Los Angeles and it's called the Crazy Uncle Joe Show. And it's me and my five friends or my five friends and I. I feel like my mom's standing right behind me correcting my English. And we do. We invite a couple of guests along and we do a long form show and it's an improv show and it's so fun and it moves quickly. It's an hour and a half, top to bottom and we hope to see you there, gorgeous.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Everybody go see Stephanie's show. That sounds like so much fun.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Just watch the crystals. They're scattered all over the audience. Just watch. Watch your eyes. Wear glasses.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Just throwing crystals at people.

[Stephanie Courtney]

We have to stop doing that. But we won't.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Too many people have been hospitalized. When will enough be enough for you? Okay, let's see. This is how we play Gift or a curse. I'm going to name three things. You'll tell me if they're a gift or a curse and why. Then I'll tell you if you're right or wrong. Because there are correct answers. You can walk away a big winner or a total loser. So be careful. Or something in between, which is also a total loser. These are all from our Patreon listeners today. This first one is from a listener named Anna. Gift or a curse? When a landscaper drives their lawnmower down the center of the street, that's a curse.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I feel that's a curse because we are so on autopilot when it comes to driving that any aberration can just throw you off like a lot more than what the situation calls for.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But if you're like, I didn't expect

[Stephanie Courtney]

that and then just a slight turn of the wheel, it could be a disaster. So I say it's a curse.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wrong. This is a gift. I love to see somebody driving a lawnmower down the street. I think that they. What a power that they take. Suddenly they're the king of the road. Nobody. They get to call every shot from here on out because they are on the vehicle that nobody else is on. They also have a weapon attached to their vehicle and they're having the time of their life. You know, they're proving that these machines don't just have to be on the grass.

[Stephanie Courtney]

They must. You're right. They must feel very powerful.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Imagine the. Essentially a throne.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. Slow throne with a weapon in the front.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. And it also reminds me of the David lynch movie, what was that? Where he drives a lawnmower across the United States to visit his brother.

[Stephanie Courtney]

A very long tail, a very short

[Bridger Weiniger]

tale, a very it's weirdly. It's a weird David lynch movie for how sweet it is. It is David Lynch Lawnmower, a straight story. And is that guy the dad from Anne of Green Gables?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, my God. The one that played Matthew Cuthbert on the Anne of Green Gables?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. Or am I wrong, Uncle Matthew? Let's see here. I might be wrong. No, I don't think it is that show. Who's that guy? Oh, it is. It is. It is. Yes.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, my goodness. Matthew, I told you, I'm in charge of raising the child. Keep your oar out. Oh, my God. I'm the woman I am today because of Anne of Green Gables. So am I. Oh, I loved it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I need to go back and rewatch that.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I didn't see the new version.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I didn't either. I don't need that tarnishing my memories of Anne of Green Gables.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I need Megan Follows.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. Classic series.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, my God.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I don't know that I saw all of. Because, you know, it keeps becoming Anne of. You know, eventually becomes like, Anne of Burbank or something.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Of Burbank.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The huge chunk of it I saw. Wonderful.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Amazing. You know Anna Burbank? She works in the TJ Maxx at the Empire Center. It's crazy. It went too far. It went too long.

[Bridger Weiniger]

She lives too long. She's 150 years old. She's working at teaching.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Let her die. Let her die.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, you're wrong. It's a gift. We get to imagine the grandpa or the. I guess. Wait, what are they in Anne of Green Gables? He's the adopted father.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Y.

[Bridger Weiniger]

But he's very old.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So can you be the adoptive grandfather? I think at that point you just get to skip. You should just get to say, I'm not your dad. I'm your grandpa.

[Stephanie Courtney]

He just. She would blather on, and then he'd just smile.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. And it broke your heart.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It just broke your heart.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Such a sweetie. Well, you've gotten one wrong so far. Let's see what happens next.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I'm doomed.

[Bridger Weiniger]

All right. This is from Luke Luna. Gift or a curse? Dessert in a jar.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, I find myself charmed by it. I think it's a gift. Because then you can. If you don't finish it, you can always reseal it and then use the jar. I think it's a gift. I think you win twice. Three times. Cause you eat it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Correct. That's a gift.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, my God. I'm still alive.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, I love it. I think it's nice. I think there's nothing wrong with this. It's a nice little container with a reusable thing that later can be used for dessert. Drink, jam. Capturing bugs. Probably a fifth thing.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

If you use your imagination, you can think of a. Anytime you use your imagination, you can think of a fifth thing.

[Stephanie Courtney]

So imagination is such a gift.

[Bridger Weiniger]

So I think this is very nice. And it's usually kind of a good dessert. You don't usually. You don't have the boring desserts in

[Stephanie Courtney]

a jar, you know? What is the kind of a dessert in a jar? Layer.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Layered. Layered. Yes.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Some layers.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Textures.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Ooh. Just a surprise.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. At least one of those will be whipped cream.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Probably.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And I'm in love.

[Stephanie Courtney]

No notes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. No notes at all. That's an absolute gift. I can't imagine that being a problem for anybody. And if it is, just take a look in the mirror.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Finally. This is from a listener named Joseph. Gift or a curse? When you buy a new pair of shoelaces for an old pair of shoes.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, that's. I have a lot of emotions coming up with that. I think it's a gift. I'm gonna say it's a gift because you're giving a gift to the planet. By not throwing away shoes, you're having them live longer. I think you've jazzed up your shoe. And I think once shoelaces break or fray, that's depressing. That's just depressing. You feel like. I'm not gonna say you, dear writer. I'm gonna say, I feel like I'm not operating at a high level. Like, my shoelaces frayed and dirty and gross. I think it's a gift. I'm gonna stay with it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wrong.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, I'm dead in the body.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, this is for me. This is an absolute curse. I've tried it over and over, always thinking, this is giving the shoes new life. No. It just becomes an uncanny situation where you're looking at your shoes. You're thinking, well, they still look terrible. But now the shoelaces looks new, and it's distracting. And everybody can tell I'm a fraud. It has done nothing but make the shoe look worse. At some point, you have to say, goodbye, shoes.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Okay, okay. I'll take my loss with grace.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You got one out of three.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, brother.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Pretty bad job today. Tough pill to swallow. But Ellis has their own gift or a curse. And now they're going to present us with it, and we'll both have to speak to it. Okay, Ellis, what are we talking about today?

[Ellis Nelson]

Gift or a curse? Grocery store sushi.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I Never like it. And I'm going to tell you why. I'm going to tell you why. Because it. Sushi shouldn't be refrigerated. You know what I'm saying?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Interesting.

[Stephanie Courtney]

That rice should not be cold.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And chalky, which is, you know, once, if you have like, leftover sushi and stuff, I'm just like. Like roll the insides. I just can't abide a cold, stiff, chalky rice. I can't. I can only say that. Like Harrison. Like Harrison Ford. A cold, chalky rice.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I didn't kill my wife.

[Stephanie Courtney]

The chalky rice.

[Bridger Weiniger]

The fugitive, too. It's just all about him getting bad grocery store sushi. I just. Refrigerator.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I'm a doctor.

[Bridger Weiniger]

No, I'm on the same page. I think this is a curse. I think that sushi has its place, and I think sushi should always be kind of an occasion. Even if it's like you go to a cheap, affordable sushi, it should have been just made. I don't like the idea of that gumminess that happens when rice gets cold. God knows how long it's actually been in there. I don't think it's often that cheap enough to even justify it. It's like, well, if I'm going to get sushi, I'll spend a little bit extra and just go to a restaurant where they're going to make.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I agree. I feel there has to be some measure of respect for the art of it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right?

[Stephanie Courtney]

I don't know.

[Bridger Weiniger]

There are certain things I just don't want refrigerated served in a plastic dish. There's something that I'm going to be

[Stephanie Courtney]

gagging and there's a lot of. I feel like once you get the rubber band and the plastic and the thing, the little plastic separators, you're just like. It's like having a party for yourself that no one showed up. Like, I feel there's like, there's been effort made. But why?

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's just me, right? Just pick something else in the refrigerated section. Something you can microwave.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah, I agree.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Alice.

[Ellis Nelson]

Nah, it's a gift.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.

[Ellis Nelson]

The amount of times that I've been in the store tempted to buy something quick and easy and unhealthy for me. Now, I'm not saying that grocery store sushi is good. I'm not saying it. But that's not the question. The question is, if it helps you in some way, is it a gift? Yeah, because I've, like, eaten that instead of something that's way worse for Me?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes.

[Ellis Nelson]

And it's helped me out of those situations, so. And as a child, it was my first exposure to sushi, and it was

[Bridger Weiniger]

kind of like terrible exposure.

[Ellis Nelson]

I mean, say what you want about that, but, like, I. It did help me introduce. It introduced me to a whole new world that opened up my world to better sushi.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Okay.

[Ellis Nelson]

So, you know, there you go.

[Stephanie Courtney]

When you had better sushi, did you feel like I'm eating something different? Like completely different than.

[Ellis Nelson]

Oh, yeah, but like, in a. In a good way. It was like, oh, wow, this is even better than I could have ever imagined. But I already enjoyed the taste of the grocery store sushi enough that it was like a treat. Like good sushi. Real sushi was the treat.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Well, I feel like I died and was revived and died again.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, Ellis, will you do me a favor?

[Ellis Nelson]

Maybe.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Will you just edit out everything you said?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Will you do us a kindness?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes.

[Ellis Nelson]

You'll find out.

[Stephanie Courtney]

You're fine on it.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Okay, well, we walked away losers in Ellis's sick game, but that's fine. Let's. Will you help me answer a question?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Sure.

[Bridger Weiniger]

People are writing into I saidnogiftsmail.com or sending voice notes that have to be 60 seconds or shorter. And decent audio. We all know what decent audio sounds like at this point. Let's read one today, though. Let me get into the doc here. Uh, let's see. Okay. Okay. This is dearest Bridger and esteemed guest. That's very nice. I'm desperately seeking assistance as my neighbor's dog. And let me just note here, neighbor with a U. So we don't know where this person is or if they're just trying to be fancy in the United States.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I hate her accent, I'll tell you that.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, we do not like this person's accent. I'm desperately seeking assistance as my neighbor's dog is constantly getting out and running amok in the neighborhood without a collar. Or I. Our neighbors have three kids and one dog. It's clear that they have their hands full. But their dog somehow escapes at least once a week, and they don't seem to make any attempt to stop him. I spend a lot of time at home, so I'm typically the dog's rescuer. But I have a one year old baby and a dog of my own to care for and can't constantly be on neighborhood dog watch. Just this afternoon, I lured their dog to me because he was running through our street and was approached by a car full of these sweet people who said they'd Been looking for him after seeing him running through the neighborhood. This is the fifth neighborhood with a U. Okay. Normally, I'd force myself to confront the owner and tell them to do something about the situation, but I believe they're moving out soon. And obviously I hate confrontation of any kind. My question finally. Would it be totally deranged for me to buy a collar and ID tag with the dog's name and address and affix it to him the next time he gets. Bless you for reading. Yes, bless me. That's from Sarah. Okay. Okay, Sarah. Neighborhood with a U. The dog is all over the place. It's bothering her. She's very nosy. She can't mind her own business. She's looking out and just looking for neighborhood business to get her fingers in. What is she supposed to do in this situation?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Okay. I'm very concerned for this dog. Getting hit by. It's driving me nuts. So, number one, I think that's very generous of Sarah to offer to get the ID tag and the collar. I wonder if. Cause I know if you show up to a neighbor with just a complaint and notes, that can be just fall on deaf ears.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. Just giving them a chore.

[Stephanie Courtney]

But if you give them a solution, that's a different thing. So I wonder if there's like, is there a fence opportunity? Is there a electronic fence opportunity? Is there a microchip situation? Or that sweet family full of people in the car. Can you say, are you overwhelmed with this dog? Because there might be people that want the dog.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Oh, interesting.

[Stephanie Courtney]

So I had like the three kind of solutions, but.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. It's a tricky one. I mean, something I'm seeing here is that this person hates confrontation, but these people are moving. So maybe this is a good opportunity to try confronting someone where the stakes are pretty low.

[Stephanie Courtney]

That's right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

You can be as nasty as you want. Just be as confrontational as possible, because pretty soon the slate will be wiped clean anyway. So you show up and you're just the worst to them, and it'll teach them a lesson. And you'll also get to learn something yourself, which is that you can be as confrontational as possible.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It's practical practice.

[Bridger Weiniger]

It's practice to, you know, cause a lot of confrontations.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes. And then like, bye. As the moving van pulls up.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Which you've hired to help them get out of there.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes. Yeah. All my solutions are like, spend a lot of cash on doing their job for them. Yeah, that. That is crazy making, though, because you're like, oh, once the dog's on the

[Bridger Weiniger]

street people have got to get their dogs in there. The thing is, needs help. But watch out.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I just always think like you don't get a second chance. You don't. If you get a warning, if you get a second warning and a third one, like something's wrong, you're borrowed time.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, right, Right. An off leash dog alone is too much for me. A dog running around the neighborhood. It should not be the other neighbor's problem.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Right.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I mean, maybe Sarah. Maybe Sarah takes the dog in and the dog has disappeared for a few days. So they scared the wits out.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And then they really learn the lesson.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, gosh. Also because I'm non confrontational. Except here I yelled at you a lot.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes, you did.

[Stephanie Courtney]

So sorry.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Whatever.

[Stephanie Courtney]

But I would say show up with a couple of solutions and then.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And one threat.

[Stephanie Courtney]

And one threat. Two solutions and one threat.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Right. If the first two solutions don't work, then you move to threat. If the threat doesn't work, kidnap the dog. Kidnap the dog.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Now you have another dog.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Problem solved.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Well, you have a skate artist.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yes. I think that that's a kind of a perfect solution to what is. Essentially what I'm seeing here is not a problem. And it just seems like a cry for attention from Sarah. Just wanted to be on a podcast or something.

[Stephanie Courtney]

She did a writing assignment.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah.

[Stephanie Courtney]

It has to be 500 words.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Well, I think that we've solved Sarah's situation.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yes.

[Bridger Weiniger]

And hopefully the dog is in safe hands. Away from the neighbor, away from Sarah. In a third situation where somebody that's not desperate for attention and can take care of dogs is taking care of it.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Yeah. I hope they moved somewhere where there's a fence.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. Or a big field. And they're the only house in the neighborhood. Kind of an Anne of Green Gables situation.

[Stephanie Courtney]

That sounds like heaven. I hope Matthew Cuthbert comes along.

[Bridger Weiniger]

They moved to Prince Edward Island.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, God. That's all I want.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I think that's all anyone wants.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh my God.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Imagine how the people that actually live on Prince Edward island feel. They must just be flying high all the time.

[Stephanie Courtney]

They must be so happy all the time.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah. Except for probably the nine months of winter they experience. Yeah, that's true. Whatever.

[Stephanie Courtney]

But then they have the winter bowl puff sleeves. Everyone's in puff sleeves.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Love a puff sleeves. Well, I have, I mean, I mean, just an all time best gift here. I'm gonna do this one more time.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I wanna rate. I just wanna rate. I want the gift to rate. That's all I want.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, of course. Let's see. If we can get that sound on Mike, isn't it?

[Stephanie Courtney]

Ah, that's cute. That's a little finger coming out going ding. Turning it off.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I love this thing.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Aw.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'm so glad I've had such a nice time with you.

[Stephanie Courtney]

I've had a wonderful time with you. I've been a fan, and now I got to be a guest.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I've been a fan of yours, and I'm glad that you've gotten to be a guest as well.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, my goodness.

[Bridger Weiniger]

What a. A great situation for both of us.

[Stephanie Courtney]

We both win, even though I lost. Are there other gifts?

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, these are past gifts. A small sampling. It's a growing selection.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Oh, my God.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Stephanie's just picked up a sign that says, I have no cruise control. It's like the cruises book themselves. That's from Damien Fahey.

[Stephanie Courtney]

My God.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Gorgeous piece of decor.

[Stephanie Courtney]

What a beauty.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Now you've got some good stuff.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Yeah, I've gotten some good stuff. I've gotten a of lot, lot of garbage. And those guests should be ashamed.

[Stephanie Courtney]

We'll talk off mic.

[Bridger Weiniger]

I'll email you the list.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Thank you.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Thank you for being here.

[Stephanie Courtney]

Thank you for having me.

[Bridger Weiniger]

Have a wonderful day, listener. The podcast is over and that's fine. Podcasts come to an end on occasion. This one's ending, and you have to just deal with those feelings on your own. I'm closing the door. I love you. Goodbye. I said no Gifts is an exactly right production. Our senior producer is Ellis Nelson, and our episodes are beautifully mixed by Ben Tolliday. The theme song is by miracle worker Amy Mann. And we couldn't do it without our booker, Patrick Cotner. You must follow the show on Instagram at I saidnogifts. 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?

[Narrator (John of God segment)]

When I invited you here, thought I made myself perfectly clear. When you're a guest in my home, you got to come to me empty handed. I said no guest. Your presence is present enough. And I only already had too much stuff, so how do you dare disobey me?