#4400 Tottenham Quadrangle

Summary

Episode Summary: #4400 Tottenham Quadrangle

Release Date: February 11, 2025

Podcast Information:

• Title: TBTL: Too Beautiful To Live
• Host/Author: TBTL
• Description: TBTL is a daily show hosted by two longtime friends goofing their way through the world the best they can.
• Episode: #4400 Tottenham Quadrangle

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Introduction

In episode #4400 of TBTL: Too Beautiful To Live, hosts Luke Burbank and Andrew Walsh take listeners on a whirlwind tour of Luke's adventurous day in London. From unexpected encounters at gas stations to navigating the complexities of the London Underground, this episode is packed with humor, mishaps, and insightful observations about cultural differences.

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Unexpected Encounters and Birthday Banter

The episode kicks off with Luke sharing a quirky interaction at a local gas station (00:01). While purchasing a beer, Luke engages in a playful conversation with the cashier about his birthday, revealing a humorous disconnect about the dates.

Luke Burbank [00:01]: "I bought a beer at the gas station and the cashier goes, 'When's your birthday, honey?' And I said, 'November 13, 1991.'"

Andrew quickly chimes in, adding to the levity of the situation.

Andrew Walsh [00:40]: "Get her in here."

This exchange sets a lighthearted tone, showcasing the genuine camaraderie between the hosts.

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Luke's London Adventure

Luke gives a detailed account of his day exploring London, starting with a visit to the British Museum (03:07). He humorously describes the traditional fish and chips meal he enjoyed at a British pub and an unexpected trip to observe a case at the United Kingdom Supreme Court.

Luke Burbank [03:52]: "I went to the British Museum. Sounds expensive. I had a traditional fish and chips meal at a traditional British pub."

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Navigating the London Underground

A significant portion of the episode focuses on Luke's challenges with the London Underground. Without his phone, Luke finds himself grappling with map directions and station names, leading to amusing misunderstandings.

Luke Burbank [07:14]: "I felt like an astronaut who'd come untethered from the space station."

He recounts difficulty in reaching Tottenham Quadrangle, mispronouncing it as "Tottenham Square," and his interactions with helpful yet perplexed Underground employees.

Luke Burbank [08:19]: "I had the shape wrong. I said I was Tottenham trapezoid."

Here's where Luke humorously critiques the overemphasis on "mind the gap" announcements:

Luke Burbank [09:00]: "I don't know if the gap used to be bigger. It doesn't seem like anything that is more noticeable than the subway in New York or the metro in D.C."

Andrew adds his perspective, drawing parallels with Boston's public transportation system and reflecting on the reliance on smartphones for navigation.

Andrew Walsh [13:14]: "Can't remember the last time I've gotten on any kind of transportation... without my phone or a map."

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Lost Luggage Woes

Luke delves into the frustration of his lost luggage, detailing the convoluted process between Alaska Airlines and British Airways.

Luke Burbank [25:56]: "I have to go where the clothes are, man."

He expresses his disbelief at how modern systems can still result in such mishaps despite numerous scans and checkpoints.

Luke Burbank [27:09]: "I'm just gonna be some sort of Elian Gonzalez of underwear trapped between entities and countries and air carriers."

Andrew empathizes, sharing his own rare experiences with lost luggage and highlighting the emotional toll it can take.

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Shopping Adventures: TK Maxx and Uniqlo

Luke's shopping spree in London provides comedic relief as he explores TK Maxx (referred to as TK Max in the UK) and Uniqlo stores.

At TK Maxx, he is amused by the abundance of opened underwear boxes:

Luke Burbank [38:04]: "Almost every single box... were opened and then like closed and kind of ripped and then like the underwear shoved back in."

He contrasts this with his experience at Uniqlo, where he finds simple, no-funny-business T-shirts and essential clothing items.

Luke Burbank [42:18]: "I grabbed a box of whatever it was. Umberto Echo or something. They're still making this."

Andrew engages in a playful discussion about the name change from TJ Maxx to TK Max, explaining the need to avoid confusion with existing UK brands.

Andrew Walsh [32:07]: "The King Max. That's what it stands for."

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Visit to the United Kingdom Supreme Court

One of the standout segments is Luke's visit to the United Kingdom Supreme Court. He observes a procedural case and interacts with school children attending the session.

Luke Burbank [20:43]: "They may be as rotten as the majority on our Supreme Court."

He remarks on the traditional attire (or lack thereof) and the lack of diversity among the justices, expressing disappointment about not seeing judicial wigs.

Luke Burbank [24:32]: "Nobody was in a wig. And I was pretty bummed about that."

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Donor Acknowledgments and Personal Interactions

As the episode progresses, Luke and Andrew shift focus to thanking their supporters. They mention several donors by name, weaving personal anecdotes and humor into their gratitude.

Luke Burbank [52:55]: "Thank you from the bottom. Thank you from the arse of me that is currently swaddled in clean underwear."

Andrew adds a touching tribute to their listeners, highlighting the importance of their support, especially during challenging times.

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Conclusion

The episode concludes with playful banter about future topics, including situational awareness and British fish and chips. Luke hints at upcoming revelations, keeping listeners eagerly anticipating the next episode.

Andrew Walsh [61:34]: "There is a revelation that will shock you. So sorry if I was a little bit rude."

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Notable Quotes

• Luke Burbank [07:14]: "I felt like an astronaut who'd come untethered from the space station."
• Andrew Walsh [00:40]: "Get her in here."
• Luke Burbank [27:09]: "I'm just gonna be some sort of Elian Gonzalez of underwear trapped between entities and countries and air carriers."
• Luke Burbank [20:43]: "They may be as rotten as the majority on our Supreme Court."
• Luke Burbank [24:32]: "Nobody was in a wig. And I was pretty bummed about that."

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Key Takeaways

1. Cultural Differences: Luke's experiences highlight the amusing and sometimes frustrating differences between American and British customs, particularly in public transportation and retail environments.
2. Modern Travel Woes: Despite technological advancements, issues like lost luggage can still cause significant stress and inconvenience.
3. Humor in Adversity: Both hosts use humor to navigate and share their mishaps, making the episode both entertaining and relatable.
4. Supportive Community: The heartfelt acknowledgments to donors underscore the importance of community support in sustaining daily creative endeavors.

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Conclusion

Episode #4400 of TBTL: Too Beautiful To Live masterfully blends humor, personal anecdotes, and insightful commentary on cultural nuances. Luke's London adventures, coupled with Andrew's witty interjections, provide listeners with an engaging and enjoyable experience, all while highlighting the enduring bond between the hosts.

Transcript

[Luke Burbank]

I love a good gas station. There's a great gas station by my house. I'm in there all the time. I talk to the employees. They know me. This just happened. I was in there. I had a weird thing with the woman, the cashier. I bought a beer at the gas station and the cashier goes, when's your birthday, honey? And I said, November 13, 1991. And she goes, oh, my daughter is on the 1st, but, you know, different year. So you're telling me nothing? Is that what you're. I said three things, and two of them don't apply to your daughter, who I've never met. What do you want me to say to that?

[Andrew Walsh]

Get her in here.

[Unknown]

Dude, I got. Are you kidding me? I gotta meet this girl.

[Andrew Walsh]

November.

[Unknown]

What? That's insane.

[Luke Burbank]

Get her in here.

[Andrew Walsh]

To btm.

[Unknown]

I consider myself to be an absolutely dead center, normal, average American. And it's romantic and it's full of these sort of situations, which turns out to be. That's very interesting, very scary at times, but also a lot of romance and really well made. So I recommend good soundtrack. Good soundtrack is there, and I'm just.

[Andrew Walsh]

Guessing here some kind of medication that.

[Unknown]

You maybe need a lot of and have taken none of or maybe too much of today. Laughter A sure sign of a good time. Flashes of Quincy. All right. Hello, good morning and welcome, everyone to a Tuesday edition of tbtl, the show that just might be too beautiful to live. Welcome to the Internet. My name is Luke Burbank. I am your host. I'm an activist and house party enthusiast coming to you once again from I think on the border of London's West End here in the United Kingdom. This is special. This is special. Trying to pick up through context clues what part of town I'm in. And there are some theaters. The Devil Wears Prada live is happening not too far from me, so that feels kind of West Endy, but you know me, I'm not great with geography. I do know that I'm very far away from where I typically do the show, but very excited to be here. Bringing you episode 4000 and 400 in a collector's series, Let the fun begin. I'm also very far away from a large suitcase with all of my collections clothing in it that did not make it out of Seattle, apparently when I was traveling here on Sunday. Hope you all are sitting down as you listen because turns out the process of figuring out what is going on with this luggage has not been easy. I did not let that stop me, though, from having an absolute corker of a day here in London. I went to the British Museum. Sounds expensive. I had a traditional fish and chips meal at a traditional British pub.

[Andrew Walsh]

Is it too early to get a fish sandwich?

[Unknown]

And maybe most surprisingly, I sat in on the United Kingdom Supreme Court actually hearing a case.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's literally illegal.

[Unknown]

And went to the gift shop. Yes. They have a gift shop. Yes. I bought a ball cap. Yes, I'm wearing it right now. Which puts me in the perfect frame of mind for doing this show and saying hello to the longest running cobra of the program, maybe best known for his depictions of the. Of the tall ships. As I've been out here gallivanting, he's been keeping the home fires burning, keeping the recordings going, the Internet profile of the show active, and all of that stuff.

[Andrew Walsh]

Are you sure? Okay.

[Unknown]

And we sure are grateful for it. He is Andrew Walsh, and he's joining me right now. Good morning, my friend.

[Andrew Walsh]

Good morning, Luke. I. Sorry I ruined that. Dang it. Hold on. I want to greet you. I was looking up how people in England greet each other, and I wanted to give you a proper English greeting in honor of the situation. Do you want a formal. Forget everything. So far, I haven't said hello yet. Do you want a formal or an informal greeting?

[Unknown]

Hold on, I'll set you back up.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay. Do you want informal or formal?

[Unknown]

Let's keep it informal. I think that's one of the really sort of relatable aspects of this show is how informal it is right now. Joining me is the longest running cobra of the show, maybe best known for his depictions of the tall ships. I've been out here blow hardened and globetrotting. But he has been at home, locked down to his desk, making sure that the broadcast goes out each and every day.

[Andrew Walsh]

Are you sure? Okay.

[Unknown]

He's Andrew Walsh, and he's joining me right now. Good morning, my friend.

[Andrew Walsh]

Hi, Luke.

[Unknown]

Mm. That was the informal one.

[Andrew Walsh]

Informal is high. Or hey.

[Unknown]

Oh, okay. So different over here.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, it really is.

[Unknown]

That's why I don't know how to. How to relate to any of the people I've been dealing with. Because of the cultural barrier, things like that. Things like saying hi and hey.

[Andrew Walsh]

We don't have to get into, like, recreating, you know, another scenario. But just so you know, for your notes while you're over there, a more formal greeting, which you probably want to engage with since you don't know anybody over there, is hello.

[Unknown]

They use that here as well.

[Andrew Walsh]

Hello would be more formal, and hi or hey would be informal. That's what I learned from the Internet. That's what they said on Ask Jeeves.

[Unknown]

I'm not proud of the fact today, Andrew, that I said without nearly enough hesitation or self loathing in the moment, I described something as being brilliant. The fact that they had running shorts at Unique clo. I described it to the person as brilliant, Andrew. And I didn't even like have to psych myself up for it. It just felt right.

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, there was another one that you dropped in the intro just moments ago and I already forgot it. I meant to make note of it. I was doing my Internet research on how to say hello to you. Cause I want to make sure we can still connect. Yeah, it's hello. Hello. Hello.

[Unknown]

Hi.

[Andrew Walsh]

Hello. Sorry, I just got caught. Aloha means hello and goodbye.

[Unknown]

Goodbye. Did they use aloha here?

[Andrew Walsh]

I don't know. You tell me. Go try it. I don't know. Anyway, yeah, you're changing. I mean, I just hope that. Listen, I miss the old luk. Yay. That's all I gotta say.

[Unknown]

I have to. I'll be honest with you though, it is an interesting experience being here because in some way it feels so different to me. Just because one, I've never been to the UK before and there are, you know, they drive on the other side of the road and there is some stuff that's different, but it's like the language is English. America is, although it was a long time ago, an offshoot from this place. Like, I'm going into a lot of these experiences. Like, I'm Like, I'm on Mars and I'm just at a place where, you know, they might call the elevator, the lift. It's, it's. It ain't that. Like today I was taking the tube and I was really psyching myself up for it, like, because first of all, I'm just horrible with that kind of stuff. Like, I stared at that map of the London Underground, like for way too long trying to figure out where I was. Also, my phone had died at this moment. So I definitely felt like, oh, that's not a Martian. I felt like an astronaut who'd come untethered from the space station. And so, Chaz. I know. I know where I am. We didn't really get to know him.

[Andrew Walsh]

No, we. Not enough. We wanted to.

[Unknown]

He didn't really want to connect, but. But so I was. I was staring at the. You know, and I'm very proud to say I actually figured it out. Like, I actually. I mean, with the help of the people who, you know, direct you to such things. But I was like. I walked up to these two London Underground employees and I said, I'm trying to get to Tottenham Square. And they looked at me so confused. I was in Westminster, by the way. I was a cool six blocks away from where I was going. But I just also wanted to take the Underground to experience it. And so I walked up and I said, I need to go to Tottenham Square. And the woman very nicely said, you've mucked some part of that up. And it wasn't. But it was delivered with such kindness. It was not like she wasn't negging me. She's just like, what you're saying, sir, does not make sense what you're saying.

[Andrew Walsh]

Something doesn't connect there. Did you figure out what was mucked?

[Unknown]

Yeah, it's Tottenham's circle.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay, okay. You did mock a little part of it up.

[Unknown]

I had the shape wrong. I said I was Tottenham trapezoid. And so then she said, oh, yeah, yeah, here's. And I go, I know, it's like two stops away. I didn't get into the fact that I was like, I'm making a list for my friend Andrew of things I've done today in London. Taking the Tube seemed like it should be on the list. And so she said, yeah, you take this, you go one stop up to Embankment, and then you get on the black line going north and then you'll be there. And again, my phone was dead, so I was like, well, we'll see. And I was doing this from memory. Tottenham Circle, or as I called it, Tottenham Square.

[Andrew Walsh]

Tottenham Quadrangle, my favorite. I mean, Tottenham Rhombus.

[Unknown]

So I go down and. Oh, man. Let me just tell you, Andrew, they have really, really made minding the gap a serious point of emphasis. I don't know if in the owner's committee during the off season, they decided to make. They got Gene Steretor in there. They said we need minding the gap to be an area of emphasis for the new season. I don't know what's going on. They would not shut up about it. Like, everybody knows this about taking the London Underground, that it says mind the gap. I could not believe how much it said it.

[Andrew Walsh]

How big is the gap? I'm not even joking. Is it like, significantly different than, like, light rail?

[Unknown]

Oh, it's so small. It's. I mean, it's. It's. It is not a gap you could fall into once the. I mean, I guess you could maybe trip on it. It is not like there is like a two foot gap between the Tube, the train and the. Where you're stepping off of it certainly is not anything that is more noticeable than the subway in New York or the metro in D.C. or the, you know, the trains in Chicago or whatever. It's. Maybe they don't want you to trip on it, or maybe they don't want you to fall into the maybe. Does the gap mean. The gap cannot mean the entire, like, track area. It's. I mean, literally from first of all, it's in the tile in the ground. So if you look down, you are seeing the words mind the gap. And as the train is pulling in, it's saying, mind the gap. And as the doors are opening, it's saying, mind the gap. And as you get on the train, it's saying, mind the gap. I don't know. How did millions die? Not gap minding. At some point in this country? Because it was like, we get it, England.

[Andrew Walsh]

Maybe the gap used to be bigger. I'm looking online now at, like, what is it saying? Well, I'm just sort of looking at photos of the gaps. You're right. It doesn't seem. Now it is. Well, let me say I have started a lot of sentences. I might finish some. We'll see. But he started 17 sentences. Which one will he finish? We could place bets on that.

[Unknown]

Love it.

[Andrew Walsh]

DraftKings sportsbook. I'm seeing different sized gaps here, for starters. It could also be that the gap was traditionally bigger at other times. But I was going to say I do see a difference here, at least in one photo that I'm taking. And again, there are. I have no idea how many stations are in England, quite a few. But the photos that I'm seeing here, it's not like here where you could just roll a rolly bag. It's like you have to take a step up, at least in this one photo that I'm looking at on Wikipedia, it says mind the gap on the floor. Then the train is there and it looks like it's a step up to the train. So there's like a little gap there that would be trippable. Is that what you've been seeing?

[Unknown]

Well, I can only speak to the two stations I was in, which was Westminster and then Tottenham Circle, AKA Tottenham Square, AKA Tottenham Triangle. And I did not notice that to be the case. But, I mean, I'm sure there's a good reason for it in the beginning. And now again, it's like the branding for the thing, but I just wasn't expecting it to be happening so much also. And this is A huge credit to the system here. I waited. As I was going down the steps, there was a train and their doors were closing and they were leaving the station. And I was like, well, I wonder how long it'll be before the next train. 1 minute and 50 seconds. And in that time, they must have told us three times to mind the gap in the very brief moment between the one train leaving, the other train coming. That being said, had a wonderful experience. I felt very international and cosmopolitan and like a big boy, because I was not able to use my telephone for any of this. I was hoping that I had remembered the station, the underground station that I had walked past in one of my many journeys trying to get clothes this morning. But I was not gonna know until I emerged at street level. And when I came up at street level, Andrew, I knew exactly where I was and I knew exactly how to get to. I still needed to go to Uniq Glow for one more thing, and I knew where that was related to my hotel. I was very proud. As far as this microdistrict I'm in, I can get around now. And made me feel oddly less shame.

[Andrew Walsh]

Can't remember the last time I've gotten on any kind of transportation, specifically, I guess, or particularly public transportation where I haven't had a phone or a map. And it does remind me how, like, trying to think. Even in Boston, we took the train a lot. They called the T there, took the train a lot of different places. And this was before kind of like common smartphone activity, right? Like, and. Or at least for me, I think I had a flip phone maybe, at best, when I was living in that region. So, you know, we knew that the trains were less scary than buses because the places trains could go were finite. You know what I mean? Like, they're not going to skip the rail and just decide to go somewhere else, whereas you get on the wrong bus. You could, like, you know, oh, I was supposed to get on the 48A and I. Instead, I just got on the 48. And like, the next thing you know, you're like, in a completely different part of town, but you don't know that you're even heading into the wrong part of town because you're not a blue dot on a phone that you're looking down at, you know, like, right. I remember buses and stuff like that being very scary.

[Unknown]

And.

[Andrew Walsh]

And now I am a more familiar with public transportation writ large, but B, am always triple checking on my phone, like, where am I? And am I getting on the right thing? So, you know, this is going to sound, like, critical. I don't mean it that way, but I'm actually kind of surprised that your phone was dead. I don't know. That doesn't sound like something that happens to you a lot. We kind of joke around about you maybe, I don't know, breaking technology or losing a phone here or there or something, but, like, you're not somebody who seems to be, like, stumbling around life with a dead phone. At least that I can pick up on.

[Unknown]

Generally. I don't. I think a couple of things. One, there is something I think weird about. Remember I was. I might. I can't remember if I was saying this on air or off air, but, like, I was feeling very optimistic coming here with my. You know, my cell phone is now I pay the Xfinity company for this cell phone service. And initially, when I went on their website when I was back in the States, it said, oh, your phone will work in 200 countries. And I read it to be. You don't even have to do anything. Like where. When I had Verizon to turn on this daily plan, right? It's like 12 bucks a day or something. And so when I got over here and I landed and I tried to call to figure out where my baggage was or I forgot. Oh, no. I was trying to call the hotel to ask them to keep my room. I immediately got an error message. You don't have international calling. So I had to interface with someone at Xfinity and say, can you turn this on? And sure enough, it's basically exactly like what I had with Verizon, except this immediately. Like, within an hour of being in the country, they told me I'd reached some kind of data limit and they were downgrading me to, like, 2G. And so I don't know if my phone is working extra hard to try to, like, figure out where it's at. What I know is that it was fully charged when I went out and about this morning at maybe 10 in the morning or something. And then I came back to the hotel. I was making a bunch of, like. There was a whole variety of complications. I almost got kicked out of the hotel today, by the way, because of. Not.

[Andrew Walsh]

How did that not make the intro?

[Unknown]

Not kicked out of the hotel. But there was some weird thing with my reservation where basically, in using this system that we use for this kind of stuff for CBS television, it somehow some wires got crossed and they had me checking out today. And, boy, if this isn't the most British thing. Andrew, I'm sitting Here doing some work. It's like, I'm gonna say, like 12:01pm local time. And I get a call and remind you that one of my bags is still missing. It's still in the wind. The bag that has all my clothes in it. And I get a call from the front desk, very proper British accent, saying, do you need help with your bags? And I was like, wait, did you. Do they have my bag? She said, I'm sorry. And I was like, oh, you know, because they've lost my bag and they were supposed to deliver it, and I hope you guys are looking out for it. And I'm having this whole conversation with her at no point in my understanding what she's trying to say is, sir, you need to leave the room.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, do you need help with your bags? Oh, my God. Thanks for coming.

[Unknown]

We do not. We. I understand. We do not. We would never call you, Mr. Burbank, and say, hey, it's 12:01 and checkout time is 12, and what are you doing in the room still? We would just say, is there anything we can help you with?

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, my gosh, that's so passive.

[Unknown]

And I am, like, thinking we're tot. I'm like, you know, assuming that I'm locked in and good to go until Friday and that we're having this other conversation about my lost bag. And she's too proper to, again, just be direct with me. And it takes us, like. It took us, like, 10 minutes to figure out that she was trying to kick me out of the room.

[Andrew Walsh]

It was just because of some paperwork thing, essentially, something.

[Unknown]

Some snafu. And basically what I needed to do was rebook it, but I needed to re. Or add the dates, but I needed to add it through this whole CBS system because CBS gets a deal, so they get a corporate rate, which basically, if I just asked the person at the front desk, can I just stay here until Friday, it's going to cost one thing. Then I'm going to get yelled at by Larry Allardo. So I have to log in through concurrent and, like, book it myself so that I'm getting the preferred rate of cbs. So I don't get yelled at by anybody. But. So that was. Point is, there was a lot going on today. But I remember the last time I left the room, the phone was adequately charged. I think there's something. It's a combination of probably I'm roaming. Like, my phone, I think, is working extra hard to roam because literally, I walked. Well, first I went to the British Museum, and that Was really fun. Got to see some antiquities and the like. I got to take what I thought was a pretty great photo of the Buddha, making the exact expression that I do when I accidentally facetime with people or if at any point my camera phone is on unknowingly. Like, if you're feeling too good about yourself, just remember to accidentally activate your camera phone at some point and, like, look at it when you are in a totally relaxed state, like in what you think is an unobserved state, and then you look down and see your phone. That's just. It's brutal. But anyway. And in fact, you know, I was trying to upload that Fire Blue sky post from the British Museum of the Buddha of me saying, this is what happens when I FaceTime people on accident. And my phone was like, sorry, we can't do this. Like, you couldn't even upload it. That's how slow it's moving. And it was already at, like, 25% power. And here was the thing I was launching, Unbeknownst to me, on just a day of so much London sightseeing. These are the things that I saw, Andrew, already aforementioned, the British Museum. Wow. I also saw a guy who said, don't play the sound effects that loud. I saw Buckingham Palace. I saw Westminster Abbey. I went for lunch at a British pub and had fish and chips.

[Andrew Walsh]

Is that like a British spell? Is that why it sounds like that? What is this?

[Unknown]

It is.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's rough.

[Unknown]

It's what? Listen, can you turn it down? This is how we do it over here, Andrew.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm trying to advocate for the listeners here. Just turn it down a tiny bit or something.

[Unknown]

It's brilliant. Andrew. This bell that I'm playing, I saw Big Ben.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, good.

[Unknown]

I saw. This was maybe my favorite part of the whole thing. I literally walked into the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom and watched them hearing a case.

[Andrew Walsh]

What is democracy like?

[Unknown]

I mean, I don't know. Let me put it this way. I don't know anything about this court and its recent history. They may be as rotten as the majority on our Supreme Court. And in fact, wasn't the most diverse group of dudes I'd ever seen, but it really pulled them right out of central, old bald British guy casting. Except one woman named Lady Rose, who was like, it looked like she was kicking it with what's her name from Downton Abbey, the Dowager Countess. Like, there was. It didn't. It did not reflect the culture that I'm seeing in London when I'm walking around. Let's Just say in those hallowed halls. I did like the fact that I'm walking over to see Big Ben and there is a Andrew a sandwich board that says United Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. And it's like basically saying, would you like to watch them do their thing? I was like, I absolutely would. It's like I go in there and I get to the first security guard and I go, am I allowed to watch the Supreme Court? And he goes, yeah, those are the people that can tell you about it. And then I go, I am. I can't overstate this. Minimally screened by security. Like, they do have a metal detector, but nobody seems all that worried. I've got like an umbrella that's like, you know, from Amazon Basics, because I am kind of a basic bee when it comes to Amazon products. But boy, that could have had something going on in it, I guess. I mean, it just seems suspicious. It's this like black barrel shaped thing. Anyway, they let me through security. I'm kind of like, do you want to like. I dinged going through security. They were like, it's fine. I go, I think it's my belt. They go, probably. And then I go upstairs and then there's just like a security guard. I look through these doors and there's the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. They're hearing a case between somebody who suffered a sort of medical event at a hospital and they're suing the hospital. And this was, it was a procedural. It had somehow gotten to the Supreme Court. But it had to do with if the appellant in this case should be receiving compensation for the period of time in which the trial has been playing out. In other words, does the meter keep running for what they are owed during the time that it's being going through the courts? Because it's years and years of working through the courts. But anyway, I'm just like, I've never obviously been to a. I don't think I've ever been to the United States Supreme Court, but I can't imagine it's this. I can't imagine it's a sandwich board. And the, the guard is like, he opens the door and he's kind of whispery. He goes. I go, is this the Supreme Court? And he goes, yes, it is. And I go, am I allowed to go in there? And he goes, yes, but make sure your cell phone's off. And I go, it's off. And he goes, do you want to double check?

[Andrew Walsh]

Nice, I like that. Can I help you with your bags?

[Unknown]

I don't think he said double check. He probably said something more. He said, hello. Hey, would you like to double check?

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, formal and informal greetings. I like that.

[Unknown]

No, but it was like, I was like, you know, that's actually. You're being really good at your job. Yeah, I mean, it is. My phone was dead at this point, so we were not in any danger of it going off. But that's a good question to ask if you're doing that job because there's probably a lot of people who go in there thinking that their phone is off and it's not. So I sat in there for probably 45 minutes an hour and watched this whole thing. It was fascinating. I did hit the gift shop on the way out. I bought some Supreme Court coasters. Bought a few of them. Santa might be giving you some United Kingdom Supreme Court coasters, Andrew. Just about. It doesn't occur to me that the.

[Andrew Walsh]

Supreme Court would have a gift shop. That's pretty cool. Now, I do have a question for you. That's going to sound silly, but I'm actually being serious. You mentioned that the people, I guess, sitting on the Supreme Court were mostly old bald men. And I was curious about that. Were they not? This is serious. They weren't wearing like the barrister wigs or whatever they're called?

[Unknown]

No, no. I was kind of hoping they were going to be.

[Andrew Walsh]

I really thought that was a thing. I'm not trying to be a dumb American here. Like, I really thought that that was a thing.

[Unknown]

I think that's the House of Lords. Really?

[Andrew Walsh]

So it's not part of the judicial system. Okay.

[Unknown]

I must just be thinking, listen, this is the only part of the British judicial system I have ever observed. But nobody was in a wig. And I was pretty bummed about that.

[Andrew Walsh]

Because you were, you were the only one in the beat of the.

[Unknown]

I was cosplaying.

[Andrew Walsh]

You're like, I just want to blend in as you walk in and you're like three, three day old black sweater that you put on in Seattle. I'm. I'm concerned about your bag situation. This really sucks. Like I will say, I haven't had my bag lost. I'm pausing here. Cause I'm trying to think if I said this exact same thing in yesterday's show. But when you were talking about your bags being lost, I was thinking about my own experiences with it. My bags have not gotten lost very much in my life. But that's also because I don't check my bags very often. My bags have been lost twice, or at least like Temporarily misplaced by the airlines. And both times were flying internationally, once in Australia with you and once in, in coming back from Croatia. But the key thing there for me is they were both on the return trip. So while it sucked, I was coming back home where I had all of my other stuff. I hate the idea of you wandering around there. This is technically, you've woken up there two mornings now. You've been there for like two and a half days or something, and you.

[Unknown]

Kind of don't have your bag. Correct. And it is allegedly, it is right now on its way from Seattle to New York. It has not even left the United States. It landed in New York like an hour ago. And then it's going to take, I guess, the same, like, Red Eye to England that I took, allegedly. So I guess by tomorrow morning it may be here just in time for me to be in Liverpool.

[Andrew Walsh]

So they gave you misinformation because I think you specifically said yesterday a couple of times that the bags were still in New York. They weren't even in New York yet.

[Unknown]

Yes, I didn't find that out until later. I was told originally that they didn't get out of New York, they didn't get out of Seattle. And this is a big part of the problem is you've got these two systems. You've got the Alaska Airlines system that tracks it, and you've got the British Airways system. And that is. So basically, at some point, it's something that Alaska Airlines can't tell me anything about because it's in the British Airways system and vice versa. So I've been trying. I was on the phone with both entities today and also calling some weird 206 number at JFK that's supposed to be just the guy that works for Alaska at JFK.

[Andrew Walsh]

A206. So that's the Seattle area code. But he's got a cell phone that he took with him out to New.

[Unknown]

York apparently, because, like. And the person at Alaska who I talked to today said, yeah, sometimes the bags will just be down there and somebody needs to tell them to go put them on British Airways. I was like, this cannot be the system. I'm call the guy in the basement at JFK on a 206 number to try to light a fire under him again. I've been in my life the beneficiary of a lot of lucky breaks and a lot of people looking out for me. And I don't have very much to complain about, but it seems like a very knowable thing. What luggage, what piece of luggage is where at any one time. Like, there just seems like there's so many scans and checkpoints. This is why a couple years ago, when all those suits of mine went missing from, like, I don't know if it was FedEx or, you know, UPS or whatever that I had, I made the mistake of having an intern from a large software concern mail them to me. Because I was thinking I was some kind of a big, big timer who has people do stuff like that for him. But I. I remain shocked at how something in this day and age could go missing. Missing something like that. Because again, it's all. Everything's getting scanned everywhere. It shows up. And then when it leaves, it just seems like, you know, these shouldn't be mysterious things, and yet they kind of are, really. What seems like it might happen is by the time it goes from New York to Heathrow, and then somebody goes and picks it up from Heathrow and then drives it out here, if I'm lucky, I'll get it Friday morning before I fly back. If I'm not lucky, I will get home and I will be waiting. I'll be trying to call the same guy in the basement of Heathrow being like, can you send that thing back, please?

[Andrew Walsh]

I hate this, and I hate the fact that I think the future is you and him living in that basement together. That's all I can picture.

[Unknown]

I got to go where the clothes are, man.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's like 30 years from now. You both have very long beards, your friends, you bicker sometimes now, but you've bonded, and this is your final resting place.

[Unknown]

It's a real Samuel Beckett play waiting to happen. But I did get to. I woke up this morning. Oh, by the way, I was talking such a big game yesterday to you, Andrew, about how, like, once we were done with the show and I had a little dinner, I was just gonna, like, hit the hay and sleep all night, and I was gonna be unaffected by jet lag. And I jinxed that because at about three in the morning, I just was, like, fully awake, which is rare for me, and starving. I'm, like, digging out leftover Lebanese food from the mini fridge in here. I'm eating, like, cucumber and yogurt and, like, falafel. Or not falafel, but what do you call the bread?

[Andrew Walsh]

Pita.

[Unknown]

Pita bread. I'm eating, like. I'm like, scooping cucumber yogurt on pita bread into my mouth at 3:30 in the morning while I'm scrolling TikTok like A totally normal middle of the night event for me. So, anyway, all that to say. I got up this morning. I actually felt a lot better. Like, I think my internal clock has kind of adjusted now. And I was very, very excited to see that there was a TJ Maxx around the corner. Although they call it here a TK Max.

[Andrew Walsh]

I was dying to find out if that was a typo or not. I thought it was not a typo, but it wasn't until I was sitting here talking with you because I was going to ask you, I was like, is there any chance that you meant T.J. but you accidentally wrote T.K. on the.

[Unknown]

No, it is T.K. max.

[Andrew Walsh]

Okay?

[Unknown]

And it is. It's. It's funny. It is very similar to a TJ Maxx, but it also is very different. One of the things that I noticed was I was looking for some underwear and every single. Almost every single box. And you know how you've been in like one of the, like a Ross or a TJ Maxx, where they've just got like. I mean, it's a perfect place to go if you just want some, like cheap men's boxer briefs or men's, you know. Yeah, boxer briefs. I guess what they're called that, you know, probably say like echo on them or like some weird, you know what I mean? They probably say like, like not. Not even like, you know, eternity or not even Calvin Klein. They're like, like, you know, Kevin Klein or something. Like, they're just. It'll be like, hey, I didn't know that Gatorade made men's underwear, but I guess they do and they sell it at this TJ Maxx. Like, maybe you don't buy your underwear from TJ Maxx, but I have many times in my life gone in those places because they're pretty cheap. So it'll be these boxes. And what I'm noting always is that none of the underwear, it's never just like a box of three rolled up black boxer briefs, which is what I would want.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's gonna be one that you want, right? That is black. But then one will be some weird pattern and another one is fish on it.

[Unknown]

Absolutely. And I mean the band Trey Anastasio. And it is not.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's a stream flattering. They have a. They have a partnership with TK Max. By the way, can I tell you a quick dazzling detail that I think I've confirmed in a couple of different places online? The reason it's. Do you. Do you have any idea why it's called TK Max and not TJ Maxx over there. Because there was our. Obviously TJ Maxx. TJ Maxx.

[Unknown]

The King Max.

[Andrew Walsh]

The King Max. That's what it stands for. Obviously. It's an American company that started on the east coast here, I think up in Massachusetts. But when they expanded over to the uk, they had to call it TK Max because there's already a place over there called TJ Hughes. And so T period, J period was already sort of taken. And so they didn't want confusion with TJ Hughes and TJ Maxx.

[Unknown]

TK Max. The. What I noticed was almost every single one of these boxes of like underwear were opened and then like closed and kind of ripped and then like the underwear shoved back in. And I was like. And the. Actually I have to give the. I have to. Everywhere that I went today, I found the staff to be incredibly helpful, I gotta say, like. And I don't. Boy, why do I have to take it to this negative place about the US What I noticed that was interesting was there were people of older generations in positions that like at TK Maxx, like there was. I mean there was a young guy was really helpful and there's also like a middle aged guy that was really helpful. And I feel like sometimes there's certain kinds of work environments where it's now mostly young people. And some of them can be great, but some of them can just be probably how I was at 20. But I kept having people who were a little more my age, if not older, who were really on their game with this stuff today, which I was kind of interested by.

[Andrew Walsh]

This might be a dangerous question because neither one of us probably know the answer. But to what do you attribute that? Do you think it's maybe because those jobs.

[Unknown]

Universal healthcare, do you think that those.

[Andrew Walsh]

Jobs are better paid? And so the retail. There's not such a gap between a good middle income job like that.

[Unknown]

I am, I am talking so, so far out of my sort of backside here. And I have done no research on this. And I'm sure our listeners in the UK would know the answer to this. And this is totally anecdotal. My guess would be bum, by the way.

[Andrew Walsh]

You could say bum or arse there. I'm trying to look up British.

[Unknown]

Yeah, yeah, I'm talking out of my arse here, Andrew. But what I would in the most positive spin on it that I could make. This is based on three interactions I had today and no research into the economics of the United Kingdom, although I did audit the Supreme Court Today, which is not nothing. My guess would be that in a society that is even a little bit more sort of. And again, I don't think that. I mean, England's like, you look who's been running it for the last few years. It's not like it's been a liberal haven per se. And London is not a cheap city to live in would be my assumption. I just somehow attribute it to a slightly less messed up system of the haves and the have nots. I don't have anything, any evidence for that. But it's like I just running into people that are doing jobs and they seem to be okay with this being their job. And they seem to be really poised and like, in positions that it seems like in the US we can't staff with people of a certain age because they've got families to take care of. So you can only either not have someone doing the job or you can have somebody who's maybe a bit younger. And who knows, maybe they're really good at the job. Maybe they're more checked out. I somehow attribute it to the fact that they do have free health care here. Again, based on no research. But the guy comes over, he's being really helpful. He's like. I'm like, do you guys. I need a box of underwear. He's like, over here. And then I'm looking, and then he goes off and does something else. He comes back over. He's like, you finding everything? And I was like, well, these boxes are, like, all opened. He opens one of the boxes in front of me to show me something.

[Andrew Walsh]

Well, that's why we have so many drunk boxes.

[Unknown]

Seriously. And I go, a lot of these boxes and, you know, it's underwear. I really. I go, are these. Have these been returned? Are these used? And he goes, no, people just open them to take a look and then they put them back in. I was like, okay, that's a difference between a TK Max and a TJ Maxx. Because I feel like in the States, for as much as, you know, there can be times where being in a Ross or a TJ Maxx or one of those kind of stores can feel a little grimy. I don't think that most of the boxes have been opened and we're just going with the honor system that people put the underwear back in and also didn't go try it on or something. Like, it was a. He was surprisingly lax about the fact that, oh, no, these have all been opened because people wanted to get their hands on the underwear. But now they don't want that underwear, so now we'll sell it to you.

[Andrew Walsh]

I feel like it's not unprecedented though, especially in stores like that. I feel like I, I can very much picture what you're talking about. But maybe it's like, maybe it was shocking because it was the majority of boxes.

[Unknown]

It was so many of them. I thought maybe the script that I wrote in my head was like, oh, maybe over here, if you return. Because I think something like underwear, my sense is if you return it to the store, like and it's out of the box or the box has been opened, my guess would be there's got to be a law against putting that back out on the floor, right? Like at that point the store is just eating the cost on these underwear you're returning. Or maybe some places are like, if you wear them, you can't return them. I guess, I guess I just, you know, I was there thinking, well, maybe they're like, maybe they don't care about that here. Maybe you can like buy a box of underwear from TK Maxx, take it home, take it for a test drive, decide you don't like it, sort of not even convincingly put it back in the box that you tore open. Like a werewolf. One of my exes said that that's how I open most things. Like a werewolf. She's not wrong. But I think it was just the fact that there, it's not frowned upon there too. I think opening those boxes is by. Is itself a transgression. Like I would never open one of those boxes, like unless I was going to buy it. Like to me it's like you can see, you can look in there and see what, you know, what the size is and you can see that it's some weird ass color with the guys from Fish on it. What do you need to open it for? Don't touch. Get your grimy hands off of my underwear.

[Andrew Walsh]

Do they have a. Need a knicker. Take a knicker system there, have a knicker, leave a knicker.

[Unknown]

He pointed me to the doubloon section. Wait, that's the money. What's the. Well, no pantaloons. I was confusing my pantaloons and my doubloons.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm looking everything up here. But knicker is a good, That's a good word too, for under.

[Unknown]

Yeah, don't get him in a twist, Andrew. No, I'm trying get them twisted. And by that I mean knickers. That is a brilliant.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, brilliant. Yeah. So were you able to like successfully get like some. I'm really obsessed with this idea of just like, I just. The idea of like wandering around a foreign city just wearing just clothes that are. Again, like, I just keep on thinking about how you were saying, like, you got done doing a gig in Seattle, put on some clothes, eventually got on an airplane, and like as of yesterday, you were still wearing those clothes, even though it feels like you had crossed oceans of time. I just feel like I just am very invested in you getting like having clean underwear on. Not just clean underwear, but just like the whole thing. Like, you know, just like you take a shower, you come out and you have a bunch of clean clothes to wear. Were they able to provide, like, did you get yourself a top or a blues or anything?

[Unknown]

Oh. In Lake Saskatoon. This is the classic Burbankian move when things like this happen, which is I walk into this TK Maxx, I look around, it's like, do you know, is this the underwear that I want to share my life with for the next many years? No, but it'll do. And then I. So I grabbed a box of whatever it was. Umberto Echo or something. They're still making this. And then I. They don't have just like normal T shirts. I just wanted to get like three black T shirts because I will usually wear. I have a couple sweaters with me here. I actually had a different one in my, like my Go bag, the bag that made it here. So I have two sweater options. I thought three black T shirts that I can wear under these sweaters will be sufficient. The sweaters don't get that much wear and tear. They're worn over a T shirt, but they don't. At the TK Maxx, they don't just sell black T shirts. Everything has like Hugo Boss on it, but like it's a weird raised piece of metal or something. You know what I mean? Like, it's just like it's this. And also I'm in England, so it's probably a whole different, like people are into different branding. So it's like I'm going around this whole store just trying to find three, like T shirts that don't say some wild shit on the back of them. You know, like you don't, like, you.

[Andrew Walsh]

Don'T want to look like the guy. You don't want to look like Dan Levy from Schitt's Creek.

[Unknown]

Exactly. It's like I don't want something that appeals to a 19 year old Brit of like, what is like, you know, Rick's Bail Bonds. On the back of this, like, Hugo Boss shirt for some reason, like, because that's a couple times I had one, I was like, okay, good. This is subtle. And I'm carrying it somewhere, and I look. Well, let's check the back.

[Andrew Walsh]

Uh.

[Unknown]

Oh, no, no, no. There's way too much happening on the back. So I find some. I buy these shirts, I buy some socks, I buy the underwear. And I am leaving the TK Maxx, and I'm walking back towards my hotel, and I look over, and what is there to the left? A unique clo. Which is exactly the place I needed to go in the first place.

[Andrew Walsh]

This is a place you've heard of before, because I think I'm being taught it for the first time now.

[Unknown]

It is a chain. I think it might be originally based out of maybe Japan somewhere in Asia. And its entire vibe is very, very basic. Like, basics, essentially. So, like, they sell everything you could need, but it all looks vaguely like you're in a cult where you might be trying to ascend at some point. Like, you may. Like, they probably sell Velcro sneakers. Like, it's very, like, solid colors. Like, no patterns, no nothing that's cut too tight, per se. Everything is kind of flowy. But it was exactly what, as the drop says, exactly what America needs. Because what I really needed were just some black T shirts that didn't have any funny business on them and some boxer briefs and some other things. And that is exactly what I got from Uniq Glow. So then I brought it all back to the hotel room. I tried on the unique Glow stuff. It worked great. I then took back the TK Max stuff. This is what I'm telling you. I had a busy morning. I was wearing a path between here and the various places. And now, Andrew, ask me if something inside me didn't shift when I went in that unique cloak. I don't think I'd ever been in one before. I knew about it as a thing, but, like, I became a new person going in there. I saw the future of the kind of clothing I'm going to wear.

[Andrew Walsh]

You're going to Smurf Closet. This I can tell.

[Unknown]

And when I got out of the subway, out of the underground, today came up at Tottenham. Tottenham Dodecahedron. I walked right across that Uniqlo and I bought two pairs of pants that are my new. Two favorite pairs of pants. They're just khakis that are not quite so slim fit.

[Andrew Walsh]

Actually.

[Unknown]

Chris Hayes and I were having a conversation about this backstage at his book event that, like, and he said something very funny. He was like. He was like, we've lived through too many pants revolutions of our generation. He's like, I just can't. I can't do another one. But I don't know if it was.

[Andrew Walsh]

The Kensington because you were wearing some pretty wide bottom. I mean, not. You weren't wearing bell bottoms, but you were wearing pretty wide bottom pants.

[Unknown]

Yes. Wide legged.

[Andrew Walsh]

I'm a big fan of wide leg pants. It's like usually I'm out of touch with the modern trends, but every now and then, like, like gears and a giant clock, we just happen to mesh together for whatever my taste is. And people are always surprised when they hear that I have any opinions on fashion, but I do. Just because I don't look good doesn. I don't have opinions on what does. And so I like that. I like a nice kind of a tube pant. I'm sure it's probably by the time we're getting on this train, it's probably already on the way out. But I do like a wide legged pant.

[Unknown]

I was spending. So I was in there today. I went in this other store called Muji. Do they have a Muji in Seattle yet?

[Andrew Walsh]

You're asking the wrong guy. I don't know. I haven't heard of it.

[Unknown]

Muji is kind of similar to Uniqlo. And I do know for a fact Muji is Japanese. And it's again, the same thing. It's like Muji's a little more towards the. Like, they have like the coolest thing ever to put your toiletries in when you travel alongside a very, very unassuming kind of sweatshirt that has like nothing noticeable going on about it. Like again, everything way understated, everything very muted tones, you know. But between being on a mood business, as you said, zero funny business.

[Andrew Walsh]

I want to start a clothing store that just has a bunch of shirts that say no funny business. I think that's my idea for a store.

[Unknown]

You see a store that sells shirts like this and there's guys in there fighting over them. You're going to go in.

[Andrew Walsh]

Do those guys look like you?

[Unknown]

So I think it was also. It was just London, Andrew. It was just the fashion of London. It's a very fashionable place, as you might have heard. There just. There was something today as I was walking around in what I had, like a fool, like an absolute idiot, what I, up until nine this morning had thought were reasonably proportioned jeans. There's something about walking around in the British Museum and all these other places and seeing all these people in their 20s and 30s just stylishly dressed up in, you know, that's kind of a certain look that seems to be really happening here right now. And I was just like, looking down at my Levi's. They're not, you know, like skinny jeans, but still just was like, can I do better? And so I went. The other thing about these, and this is the scourge of, like, I guess you could say sort of fast fashion. We're not talking. I mean, these pants at Uniqlo are 20 bucks or something, which unfortunately is only sustainable through some sort of misery somewhere happening. But, like, I got these pants and I'm gonna wear them tomorrow on my shoot, and I'm gonna be a real cool guy with. Now, again, it's no Kendrick. They're not bell bottoms. And they're not even. Like, they're not. They're not super exaggerated, but they're just a little. This is what happens, is how you turn up the water on the frog. They're just a little bit. Little more room in there for me. A little more room than I would have thought was cool four years ago, that's for sure. And this is how it happens. But all that is to say, I am annoyed about the luggage situation, but I'm feeling like I'm in a good place because I have. I've got clean underwear, I've got clean T shirts, I've got a couple of new pairs of pants from Uniq Glo. And more importantly, I'm gonna have a complaint lodged with one of these airlines. They gotta pay for some of this stuff because, like, I mean, I was not gonna not wear underwear. At the very least, I gotta pay for the underwear and the T shirts. It would seem.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, it does seem. It does seem like a raw deal. I don't have more.

[Unknown]

There's officially a system. Well. Well, here's the thing. The person at British Airways said you can file something to cover. She said something like a reasonable amount of clothes you have to buy. And I was like, well, we all have different ideas of what's reasonable. Like, it should be a number, but. And there. There are. You know, this is. I'm already sort of. I'm like. What's the word I'm looking for? I'm like, before I've even engaged in this process with one of these airlines, I'm already kind of, like, annoyed about it. And I'm already feeling like I know how. I know exactly what's going to happen, which is Alaska Airlines is going to say somehow It's British Airways fault. And British Airways is going to say, sometimes it's Alaska Airlines fault. And I'm just going to be some sort of Elian Gonzalez of underwear trapped between entities and countries and air carriers. And then I'm never gonna get anyone to give me the $40 for the underwear and the T shirts.

[Andrew Walsh]

Is it fair to blame this on Brexit?

[Unknown]

I would say it is an element of it. And I tried to take this up with one of the barristers at the Supreme Court.

[Andrew Walsh]

How did that go?

[Unknown]

Well, can I tell you legitimately what happened was I was like, I could not believe that they let you go watch the Supreme Court. I was really excited about it. There was a piece of paper explaining what the case was. I read the piece of paper, I listened to them for like maybe 15, 20 minutes. And then I started thinking, how. When can I leave this?

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Unknown]

Because listen, I'm gonna be honest with you. It wasn't Dobbs, you know, it was. It was like a sort of a matter of like, it's a. Basically a. You know, it's tort. It's like a question of. Of how. How much compensation is somebody, you know, entitled to in a specific moment of a larger issue of this particular lawsuit where there had been an agreed upon payout, etc. It was very technical. It was not. Nobody was inheriting any of the wind in there. But I'm looking around and I'm surrounded by school kids. Although, by the way, I was literally.

[Andrew Walsh]

Going to ask that, were you, were you joining school kids there? That's what I was hoping.

[Unknown]

Yes. It was me and a bunch of high. And they're like, they're like, you know, civics teacher or something. And actually I found it to be quite charming because the kids were all like, dressed really well. Like they had, you know, suits on and they were really clear. The teacher had said, like, get dressed for this, you know, And I'm in there in like a weird jacket I bought from Quaker Marine Supply. That's just the only thing I have to wear in England right now. But so then I was like, I can't leave before these school kids leave. Like, there's no way. Because, like, I wouldn't even say I was bored. I just wanted to see other things in England at this point. Like, I had gotten. I wanted to be in the room and watch it happen. And I did for a certain amount of time. But then I was like, I had to wait for one other person to leave. You know, I couldn't be Last one in, first one out. Because then I feel like they'd know I was American right away. Even with me saying, hey and hello to everyone.

[Andrew Walsh]

That's exactly where my brain went, too. It's like, I think even if you were a local, whether this was happening over here or if you lived over there, like, there's still just sort of a social sort of contract or something that would make you feel somewhat uncomfortable getting up. But then I immediately. Right before you said, then they'll know I'm an American, I was thinking. Yeah, because you're also sort of representing a little bit. You don't want to be. I use this word too much. But you don't want to be, like, a boorish American.

[Unknown]

Right. I just don't want to be. Again, there. There were literal. I mean, you could say literal children who were having more of an attention span with it than me. That's not true. They were just waiting for their teacher to say it was. Yeah, they all.

[Andrew Walsh]

They would have all left and gone to the arcade if they could have.

[Unknown]

But I didn't want to go in, sit down, and then also leave. And that would have been like a closed loop of activity, like no one else. So then eventually the school kids got up and left, and then I left with them, which. 30 to 40 minutes.

[Andrew Walsh]

You're crouching down, trying to.

[Unknown]

I'm dwarfing on golf. Straight up. Tim Conway with my baggy pants, just, like, trying to sneak out of there.

[Andrew Walsh]

Like one of the students.

[Unknown]

Yeah. And then I hit that gift shop, baby. And it was actually pretty awesome.

[Andrew Walsh]

Do you think the us.

[Unknown]

Do you think the United States Supreme Court has a gift shop?

[Andrew Walsh]

That's you and I. We're about to ask each other the same exact question. It never even occurred to me before.

[Unknown]

Like, a ball cap. I mean, that's. Again, I bought it because they hand.

[Andrew Walsh]

Out little crosses at the U.S. supreme Court.

[Unknown]

Oh, my God. I mean, why am I. Yeah, sorry, sorry, sorry. Why am I. No, no. I'm the one asking a question, and the only real answer to it is life is hell is what I'm doing here. But I did buy a baseball cap from there, which I do think is kind of funny to wear. Like, where's that cap from the United Kingdom Supreme Court?

[Andrew Walsh]

Right. Is it sharp? What does it look like?

[Unknown]

Hold on.

[Andrew Walsh]

We don't have the cameras on today. I should tell the listeners, usually you and I can see each other while we're doing this, but because you're so far away and the Internet's a little shaky, we Have.

[Unknown]

Sorry, I was grabbing it out of the bag.

[Andrew Walsh]

No problem. I was, I was telling folks that we don't have visuals on this today.

[Unknown]

So it says the Supreme Court on it and then it's got like their logo is surprisingly like agrarian. I'm sure there's a story behind it, but it's got like a flower kind of like a. I don't even know what. It's a greenish flower with then with a green like stem and then a purple top and then another flower and then it's all surrounded by what I think of as the like omega sign. The Greek sign for omega.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, I can picture it like a horseshoe sort of.

[Unknown]

Yeah, exactly. With some little feet coming off of it. So that's kind of what it is. It seems jauntier than like a United States Supreme Court. You feel like the US Supreme Court hat would look very much like the NFL hat that Rob Lowe wears.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yes.

[Unknown]

Except it just says Supreme Court.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah. This is more. I'm looking at it online. It's more floral. It's more floral than I would have expected. For sure.

[Unknown]

Right. For like a court. I would think there'd be some scales of justice or whatever. Maybe that's just how we do it in America. But it's kind of surprisingly jaunty for what they're doing.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, it's quite nice.

[Unknown]

Thank you for being a Tam. Alright, let's thank some donors. We're getting down to the end of our daily donors. We're going to be kicking into dazzling donor territory here pretty soon. If you've got an email from us from TBTL employee numero uno John Sklarov about your dazzling donor message, if you care to. Again, no homework on this show other than telling me my pants look fly when you see me. But if you do want to send something in for your dazzling donor message as you are so richly deserving of, make sure you do that. In the meantime, we got to thank Annie Johnson who's in Seattle, Washington.

[Andrew Walsh]

Thank you, Annie. I. I was going to thank you anyway, but when Luke said we gotta thank you, I knew I had to thank you.

[Unknown]

Well, here's the thing. If not for Andy Johnson, we don't get to do this for our job. I don't have the money to get, you know, because right now I had to pay for the underwear and the T shirts. I may get reimbursed. I may be able to trick CBS into it, but in the short run, I had to go out and buy this. And I only have money because this is my job because of people like Andy Johnson, you know, not to, yeah.

[Andrew Walsh]

Bad idea on my part. But I was texting with a friend of mine today, a close friend of mine who also listens to the show. So I don't misrepresent what they do and I'm not going to attach any names to this, but they are a lawyer or they work in law and they work in a division in Ohio. But that has directly to do with like Medicare and stuff. And like they are their world is so uncertain right now because of everything that's going on in the United States with these institutions just being absolutely dismantled. And she's just like, yeah, I got doge breathing down my neck, you know, and this is just some like, this is just, you know, a friend of mine in Cleveland, Ohio, who's just, just living her life, working hard, raising a family and now suddenly like the tentacles of what's going on. It's very real and present for her. It's not just an existential crisis. It's also an existential crisis, but it's not just an existential crisis like it is for a lot of us. And so anyway, I will just say the reason I'm bringing this up now is just to say as rough as I personally have been feeling lately, and I know a lot of people have been feeling that way, I had a moment of like, my God, my friend has to go to do work today and with in this uncertain world. And I get to dial up and find out if you got your luggage in England. And so it made me very, very appreciative of people like Annie for supporting this show.

[Unknown]

Yeah, that's a really good perspective. Thanks also to Christine Mello, who's in Wylie, Texas. I don't know if we're going to get to it this week, Andrew, but there is a story out of Texas that I have way down the show sheet. I don't want to promote it and then and then not get to it as is my custom with so many things. But there is a story out of Texas that I can't quite believe it happened. It is crazy. I don't think it happened in Wiley, Texas, but I just trust that at some point we are going to tell you about this thing that happened in Texas. It's not political either.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's about the Astros.

[Unknown]

It involves animals and not just the animals who cheated to win the World Series, Andrew, but no actual animals that live in the woods and crazy story. Anyway, thanks, Christine. Appreciate you. Thanks to Carmen Marshall, who's in Edmonds, Washington, Beautiful.

[Andrew Walsh]

Edmonds, Washington. I've been getting a lot of. A lot of, like, emails from people in the Edmonds because I've been Edmonds curious for so long now. I've been getting emails of, like, recommended places to spend time in Edmonds. So I might be putting together an itinerary sometime soon.

[Unknown]

Edmonds is. I've said this every time it comes up. And you know what? I'll say it again because Dave and Aaron Goulet are also from Edmonds, Washington. We're in the Edmonds portion of the show. Edmonds is just about as idyllic a spot as could be. As can be. Is the light rail gonna run out there? Is it already running out? Kind of close to out there.

[Andrew Walsh]

Edmonds, I think. Isn't Edmonds just a little bit too far? Let's.

[Unknown]

This is where my.

[Andrew Walsh]

I think it goes. Linwood.

[Unknown]

I'm out here minding the gap in London. I don't know much about your. I don't even know what you call it over there anymore.

[Andrew Walsh]

I think it's more Linwood is what you're thinking, which is slightly more east, I think. Although, boy, me trying to talk about this stuff is really going to expose my terrible sense of direction.

[Unknown]

Well, you think that Arby's is an Edmonds, so that's all you need. That's all anyone needs to know about your capacity for this. That's all Dennis Harvey of Kirkland, Washington needs to know. Oh, remember we were talking to our friend Neil? I don't know if you were in on this conversation, but I was bragging to. Oh, you weren't. You weren't there Saturday night.

[Andrew Walsh]

Yeah, this is this weekend.

[Unknown]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Not even a. Not even a no, thank you. Just. Is it because I didn't invite you that you didn't come or say no, thank you?

[Andrew Walsh]

No, I didn't. You. I. Hold on. Actually, let's talk about this for a second because I was. I had plans on Saturday. I told you that I was hanging out with my buddy. I already had, like, plans. We're gonna go see a show, but we ended up not seeing a show. But we were hanging out.

[Unknown]

But Genevieve, no, I did not invite you because I didn't know you had plans, but I just didn't. I didn't want you to feel like. Not that you really would do this, but I guess what I assumed my friend was Andrew would much rather be doing something else than coming to this event of mine. You get plenty of me during your week, and I didn't even want you to have to go to any trouble to turn it down. So I just didn't even invite you. But it's funny because in a different universe, that's kind of insulting.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, no, no.

[Unknown]

It's like an insult from me. But I. I just was like, for.

[Andrew Walsh]

A moment, he wants to do. I thought you were really. You were just teasing there. Because at first I was totally teasing. I thought like, maybe you did because Genevieve said, oh, I gotta. Are you going to this thing tonight? And I'm like, no, no, I'm hanging out with Paulie. And then she's like, oh, you so. And I was like, I didn't get the text. And like, I wasn't insulted. I just thought because I'd mentioned on the show on Friday that I had plans on Saturday. I thought you just left me off it, but just for a moment. Now I got a little bit worried. Like, you had text messages.

[Unknown]

Oh, no, no, no. I was totally.

[Andrew Walsh]

And I totally didn't respond. Not responding would be a shitty thing if somebody invites you to somewhere.

[Unknown]

But I didn't want you to be in the position.

[Andrew Walsh]

Had to be like, I'd be honest with you.

[Unknown]

But regardless, I just, you know, I thought I was sparing you. But here's what Neil was saying, and I'm thinking of this because of Dennis Harvey and Kirkland Washington. I was bragging on how I, for the first time in my adult life, have my own Costco membership.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, you were supposed to mention. I think I saw this on a show sheet. Maybe, or maybe you mentioned this in passing.

[Unknown]

How did you know? I think I wrote it down as a subsidiary of some other topic that like. Basically what happened was, well, they opened a Costco not super far from my house. A brand new Costco, still has that new Costco smell. And I needed to get Addie this particular kind of birthday present that I had been wanting to get for her. But it was something that. No, it's a. I'll just tell you. It was a Dyson vacuum. Wait, seriously? Yeah, seriously.

[Andrew Walsh]

It's just so funny because your whole story, your whole drama about a Dyson was also connected to Costco last night. Totally.

[Unknown]

This was like a newer one than that. I'm assuming I either got a dude or maybe whatever went wrong with mine has been fixed in the iterative process. But I knew she wanted a vacuum and I figured I would get her this nice one. But you can't just buy a Dyson vacuum on the same day that you want to get it. Most of the time, if you Try to go on Target's website or any of the places. Maybe there's a Dyson store in downtown Seattle. But I wasn't able to locate anywhere that just says, we have these in stock. They were all like, we can have one tomorrow, you know, except Costco. And so I was just. So happened that there was one on my way to where I was going. I was going up to meet Addie at this place. Sound. And so swung through Costco, got a membership. And it was. I feel like a. I feel like an adult finally. It only took me living two thirds of my life to get to adult status. But Neil was saying, our friend Neil, he's got a lot of family in Mexico. And on the subject of Kirkland, they were all like, when they come visit him, they're like. They're like, I don't want to mess this up. But he was basically saying, in their minds, they just want to go to Kirkland, Washington. It's like a. It's like Mecca for them because it's on so much Costco shit. Like, they're like, can we go to Kirkland when we come visit you? He's like, yeah. Because they just see it on like, Jeeps.

[Andrew Walsh]

Not even to the Costco, but just to Kirkland itself.

[Unknown]

Oh, because they have Costco in Mexico. The vodka is Kirkland. The jeans are Kirkland. To them, Kirkland is a fantastical place. That's on all of the stuff they buy at the Costco in Mexico. Can we go hang out with Dennis Harvey in Kirkland?

[Andrew Walsh]

Can I go to the Supreme Court of Kirkland?

[Unknown]

What are the hats like?

[Andrew Walsh]

Dope Hot dog on them they say Kirkland probably.

[Unknown]

Yeah, right. And then we've got Andrew Kugelman in Seattle, Washington, rounding out the list today. Andrew, thank you so much. Thanks for supporting the program. Couldn't do this without any of you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you from the bottom. Thank you from the arse of me that is currently swaddled in clean underwear. How's that?

[Andrew Walsh]

That was awful.

[Unknown]

I think that means probably, honestly, for my emotional well being, we should wrap the show up here. Andrew.

[Andrew Walsh]

That sounds good. I'm sorry if I was a little distracted there. I don't want to spoil anything. I know everybody tunes into TBTL every day to find out who the donors of the day are going to be. But I was just looking ahead at tomorrow's donors of the day.

[Unknown]

Heavy hitters.

[Andrew Walsh]

And there is a. There's a shocking revelation that I will be sharing with you tomorrow.

[Unknown]

There's a revelation that will shock you.

[Andrew Walsh]

There is a revelation that will shock you. So sorry if I was a little bit rude.

[Unknown]

Now I am extending the show because we know this is one of the longest drops in the TBTL library.

[Andrew Walsh]

Really good. I was trying to adapt. I was trying to. They're British.

[Unknown]

It's really good. You do well over here, Andrew.

[Andrew Walsh]

Thank you. I appreciate it.

[Unknown]

Very polite. It's a very polite group of people. You would. You would like the politeness factor.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, okay. Tomorrow you can tell me about people's situational awareness, because that's one of my least favorite things about America.

[Unknown]

I want to talk about that with you. But seriously, because I was doing a lot of bobbing and weaving and also I want to talk British public fish and chips.

[Andrew Walsh]

Oh, yeah. Sounds great.

[Unknown]

Tomorrow. So, yeah, everybody, if you can join us for that. In the meantime, have a great Tuesday. Take care of yourselves, and please remember, no mountain too tall.

[Andrew Walsh]

And good luck to all.

[Unknown]

Power out.