
It's Week 1 of your February Book Lisp. With no spoilers until week 4, Jon and Sarah discuss topics inspired by this month's read, “Look Closer” by David Ellis. With the book set in Chicago, Jon & Sarah have a lot to say about many fun times spent in that city, and for Jon - a not so fond memory of his worst football game ever. Then, how badly can you misread a situation? What do you think you know that you don’t know, and can you admit when you’re wrong? Plus, so much more. Enjoy!
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Hi, I'm Sarah Colonna.
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And I'm John Ryan.
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And you're listening to the Book List. The Book List.
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The Book Lisp.
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Oh, that's right. You're listening to the Book Lisp. Hello and welcome to the Book Lisp with John Ryan and Sarah Colonna. Happy February, first week of February, reading Sarah's pick, psychological thriller, Look Closer by David Ellis. And boy, is it a rye ride or a wild ride.
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It really is. It's a real, it's a real turn page turner. Especially when you get by like the, the second half. Once you buy it past the second first half, you can't really put it down.
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I like. So we don't, if you're new here, we don't talk about the book and give you any spoilers until week four. But what the book is about is it starts with a, with somebody, somebody dead. And then it gets real twisty and turny and you're, there's a lot of people involved and you got to figure. And we're going to figure out what happened. So it's a, it's a lady tied up in some, some shady relationships. A guy. There's a whole bunch of characters. Not a whole bunch, actually, but I do like, it feels like there's a whole bunch. I know. Well, because each, each chapter starts with the character that they're, you know, their narrative anyway, so it's, it's really good. We will, when we do week four, for those of you that just listen and don't read along, we had a good suggestion that we've been doing, which is on week four, we'll, we'll tell you a little bit more about the book. We don't do any spoilers and stuff. We just pull some sort of topics out of the book, which is always trickier when it's one of my books because they're not, you know, light topics usually. But we, don't you worry. We figured it out and we're going to have some fun. This episode was some random discussions and things that we'll discuss that won't spoil anything in the book for you and John. We. Well, real quick, first, please join us on patreon. It's only $5 a month. We do video podcasts three times a month, including a short story, which is my, one of my favorite things that we do, these short stories. They're very quick reads. And then we do a video podcast on them on the 15th of every month on Patreon. Have really found some new authors that way, which has been Cool. And then on the 5th and 25th, we do other random video podcasts and we just have fun over there. Only $5 a month. And I am going on tour a lot in February, so I am going to plug those for you. So the February 6, you can come see me in Jefferson, Iowa, at the Wild Rose casino and resorts. February 12th through 14th, Springfield, Missouri, at Springfield Comedy Club. February 20th in Chicago at the Chicago City Winery. There's a lot of mention of Chicago in this book, so we'll talk a little bit about that. Feb. 21, St. Louis at the St. Louis City Winery. 26th and 27th in Emmitsburg and Clinton, Iowa, at the other Wild Rose Casino and Resorts. I just added Boston. March 6th and 7th, a lot of people say come to Boston. Come to the East Coast. So get your tickets to those 26th through the 28th at Skyline Comedy Club in Appleton, Wisconsin. The 10th and 11th at Arlington Drafthouse in Arlington, Virginia. Get your tickets@SarahColona.com Perfect. Thank you. I know it's a. It's a. I hope everyone doesn't blow through all of that because you might miss your city if you do. Or you just go to sarahcolona.com if you did. See where I'm performing. John, we have. So this is February. What is this? We're recording a couple days in advance. February 2nd is when you guys are going to have this episode. And we got a. We got a big weekend coming up, John.
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Big weekend. As we talked about before, we went to the NFC Championship game in Seattle, Seattle against la, and we were victorious. It was quite the game.
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It was a really fun game.
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Quite the party. Yeah, it was really fun. It's. Whenever Seattle's doing well in sports, the whole city goes crazy. It's like, it's just so fun to be there whenever, whenever that happens. Like it's happening right now. And then the Mariners, they almost made the World Series. The city was already going crazy because of that. So just, it's fun whenever you go back there right now, which is a good time.
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Yes. And then what's happening this coming weekend
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for the Super Bowl? Superfluous Super Bowl. So the Seattle Seahawks, as everyone knows that listens to this, were very have. Were always very good to me when I played for them. Right. That's why I love them so much. They're very kind to me. But even after I've now left them seven years ago, they still are very, very kind to me. Do really nice things for me. And they texted me on Saturday and they said, if we win tomorrow, we're going to send you the Super Bowl. It's like, hello.
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Wow.
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And so I just thought, I don't know, I was like, I just thought maybe they would, you know, they never cheap out on anything. But I just thought, you know, I could probably, you know, get myself there and get a hotel and they'll pay for my ticket for the game. Tapes for the game are also $5,500 each.
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Each, yeah.
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Face value. You can't get one under $8,000 right now. So anyway, they text the next day and they said, oh, you can bring Sarah too. After they won.
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I know, guys, guys. I did not think I was going to get to go and I was not going to be. I was like, I just. It's very difficult to get a ticket to the super bowl game. And even though, yes, they're playing in it, it's still, still limited because think about how many people play on the team, how many people they rate. Everyone just gets two tickets for their family. That's just playing on the, in the game. Think about 50 years of a team, of how many people have played for them. Like, I did not expect that they were going to include a guest for you. And luckily it's me because I did not expect.
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Well, I did not expect. Yes, I didn't expect them to invite me. Like, I mean, I don't, I don't know how many guys they invited. 15 or 20, 25, something like that. I don't think it's a huge number. So I was very flattered. But I think it's a lot of it because I have done a lot of work with the Legends, their alumni group. I've done a lot of work with them over the last three years, which I've absolutely loved. They've sent me to Canada five times. They've sent me to Germany. Germany, they're sending you nine on a seven day Alaskan cruise. They sent us out a lot of stuff to kind of. They call it, it's work, but it's not, I mean, stuff that I love doing. So that's part of the reason why they were so kind and said that I could go. But like first class flights, was it Friday, Saturdays, three nights in the hotel, transportation to and from the game, game tickets and we get to go to the team party after. Yeah, this is like a, this is like a redo for the party. I didn't go to after we lost.
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I know. Which if you guys haven't heard that story, I know we've discussed it before, but when they lost, John has obviously won a Super bowl with the team. But when they lost to New England, which is the current rematch, not really a rematch because it's Nobody from this. Nobody. Nobody's still playing on either team from that time. But there was a Super bowl party, and of course they still have it, even though you lose, because they've already paid Snoop Dogg to be there. Right. With Snoop Dogg.
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It's what each. Each team has a whole party because, like, we. When it's a super week is like bigger than anything that I've ever seen in my life. And I've seen some pretty big shit. It's like the team had a hotel and then we have the entire hotel for the team. Like the entire hotel. You couldn't get three through the front door unless you had credentials to get into this hotel all week for eight days. And then like they said, then they have hundreds of thousands. They pay hundreds of thousand dollars for the whole. For the party after the game. And each team does it, and that party's going on whether you win or lose. Snoop Dogg goes on whether the Seahawks just lost the most heartbreaking game in the history of fricking football or not.
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And we didn't go to that party because John was like, I'm not going to a party right now. I don't think many players did. And some did whatever. If you went, of course. Some guys went, of course. And. But we were like right next to it. And John was like, I'm not in the mood. We're not going to that party. So we decided to hear it all night.
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That's the World's in Arizona. And it was weird because they had like an entire compound for us. Like, it was almost like a. Like a condo complex. I don't know what it was. It looked like it was some kind of weird timeshare.
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Yeah.
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But we were the only people on this entire. However many 25 acre complex. Families and team were all in this one thing. It was. It was very. It was.
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Your mom was over there, right? She went.
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My mom was partying with Snoop Dogg. She didn't. She didn't admit it to me until about five years later.
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But as she should have, if you're there anyway, you go, win or lose.
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We'll probably go to the party after. We have a late flight the next day. It's gonna. It's a do over for the party I didn't go to.
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Right. So we're excited. That'll be fun. And you have to tell us in. Are you in the book listeners Facebook group. If you're where you're watching from, who you're rooting for, we don't get mad at anyone who roots for their. The team that they love, because that's what we do, too. So just if you don't have a
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horse in the race or if you're on the fence, just cheer for the Seahawks for me and Sarah. Can you do that? You just do that for us, please?
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Just do it for us. So we're excited. And anyway, John, we have some. Some random topics to discuss.
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Well, yes, as we've discussed before, it's hard to get topics for your books. Do I have an announcement?
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Do you have an announcement to make for March already?
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I'm pretty pumped about this one. One Day by David Nichols.
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One Day by David Nichols. Yeah, I didn't even. He's all keeping this shit secret from me. Didn't tell me.
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And it's. It's already been made into a Netflix series and it was made into a. A movie a long time ago, but it's. It's going to be. People are going to love it.
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Oh, it's got a cool cover.
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Yep. You love a good cover, babe. Yeah, that's how you fell in love with me. Good cover.
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What does that mean? Like your face?
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Yeah, baby. Like I look good on the outside.
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Okay.
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Black and rotten on the inside.
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That's not true. Well, that's your March pick. 2009 novel by David Nichols follows the lives of Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew over two decades, revisiting them on the same day, July 15th, each year to. To chronicle their evolving friendship and romance from their universe.
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Same day, July 15th, every year for 20 years.
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Oh, okay. And it's a Netflix series. Is this what you said?
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I think it's being picked up. It was a Netflix series. 2024. It was. They made a movie out of it 15 years ago.
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Did you have you already read With Anne.
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With Anne Healthway? I haven't read it all, but I'm pretty excited for it.
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Okay. All right. Well, that is your March book and we keep a running thing on our book listeners Facebook group on the feature tab that tells you what we're reading. It'll also include the Patreon short story, which I haven't announced yet, but. Oh, by the time you guys hear this, I will have all of announced on Patreon for sure. And so there you go. Okay. What are we talking about today that we. We. It's loosely based on. Well, look closer.
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This entire book takes place in the city of Chicago.
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Right.
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Illinois. Which is a fun town sometimes.
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I mean, I love Chicago. I'm excited that I'm performing there in February. Hopefully it's weather permitting, not crazy for people to come out and see me. Hopefully. Hopefully.
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They have harsh winters there.
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They do, they do. But they also have, you know, some. Not. Some days are worse than others. Clearly.
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Where are you performing?
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At the City winery.
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Okay. You perform a number of places there. But the one place they used to perform at was called the Pheasant Run.
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Yes.
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Closed out. I think it's closed down now.
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This was like.
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I guarantee you this was.
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It was in St. Charles built.
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It was outside the city about 45 minutes. This place looks like it's probably built in the early 1980s and it was probably a real. They're trying to make like a destination place for people to come there. And it was like its own little village, but inside.
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Yeah.
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So they had bars, they had a lot of restaurants at a comedy club. They had ballrooms. They had hotels. I believe the hotel.
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It was like it was all one. I think it was all one hotel. And then all that stuff was like. Remember, there was like a little sort of New Orleans type, like, place like a. Yeah. And restaurant.
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It wasn't even like a normal convention center or anything because even they even had like fake roads. Like the roads had fake brick. So they tried to make it. They have like an area like that in the West Edmonton Mall. If you've ever been to Canada. West Edmonton Mall, they have this little weird area, the food court and all these restaurants. They try to make it look like you're outside on like Bourbon Avenue or whatever it's called.
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Yeah.
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And that's what this place was. It was a very strange little village. It felt like. Didn't you say it felt like the dirty dancing.
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It felt like a. Like. Yeah, no, like dirty dancing. But. But. And I'm not saying it was sad because it was. I actually loved performing there. The comedy club was a converted barn and it was a really cool spot. It was the Zany's, which they do amazing clubs if you guys have ever been to one. But it was like a sad dirty dancing resort. So when I say sad just because it was like. I don't know, there was just something weird about it. But I loved in that. That being said, I loved it and I loved going there and John loved going with me because it was just weird and fun and rip to the Pheasant running.
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I kind of wonder what happened to all those places they built in the 80s, like a huge deal in Canada was the West Edmonton Mall. It was the biggest mall in the world. Massive, massive mall. And it had like. It was the number one tourist place in Edmonton where all Canadians went to like, vacation, basically.
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Right.
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And now it's like, who goes to a mall anymore?
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Right.
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Well, and there's like a thousand.
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Minneapolis.
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Minneapolis, the Mall of America.
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It says that Pheasant Run after it closed in 2020 and then it suffered fires. I do remember hearing that. But major sections were demolished. I don't know. It had opened in 1963.
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Oh, well, I was way off.
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But yeah, well, it was a cool place. If any of you guys have ever been, you have to discuss it in the. In the book list spinners. When I post the. Either the video from this episode or the photo from this episode. But yeah, it's. That I would do. When I would do Zanies at downtown, I would do. They had you do that and then you would go. And it. I mean, you rotated them. But this was the order I always did them in. It was. I did Zanies downtown and then pheasant run in St. Charles and then I would go do the Rosemont Zanies and then go home from there. And now it's just either you do downtown in Rosemont or you just do one or the other. Anyway, it doesn't matter. But City Winery is different and I'm doing that there. And I get to do WGN in the morning, which is really cool. So, yeah, I'm excited. But yes, Chicago, we have spent a lot of time there. You were talking about how you played football there.
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Yeah, I have like the worst football stories ever there. I had. When I played on Green Bay, I had like my worst football game ever there. But it was like one of those. It was like. I forget what the temperature was. It was around zero, but with 40 mile an hour winds. So it was like minus 20 something. It was absolutely miserable. You know, on the sideline, how they have those. Those big like cannons that blow. Blow basically blow fire, that kind of heat you up. Yeah, it was so windy that those won't even work. Like, it just blowed. It blew the. The heat straight away. So you just, you froze your ass off. And I just had like the worst game. And ultimately I think that's why I basically lost my job on the Green Bay packers because of that game.
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Oh, really? What was. Why, how was it your worst game? What happened?
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I think I dropped. I had like two blocked and I dropped one. I had a touchback. It was just it was awful.
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Well, but also. And I'm not defending, it doesn't matter. Everyone has their good and bad games and you have a very, very good career to speak of. So it doesn't matter now. But also, I, I don't think anyone wants to kick, punt, throw anything in that kind of went.
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To be fair, it was completely awful. And then I played there again and I got like really badly hurt one time, got knocked out. It was just, you know, I just have terrible memories of that freaking field. I really, I can't wait. I always say here I thought we
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were gonna have a nice story of nice conversation.
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They're gonna tear it down. They're gonna tear it down. A couple years and I'm taking champagne. I'm just sitting there in a freaking lawn chair just watching them implode the thing. Just toasting it. Screw you. Bye. But we have gone. We. What the. I love you and I both love baseball.
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I know tons of stadium before you move on from the football stadium. I would like to go there. I would like to go there. But now I feel like, because you have said before, they tear it down. I know they're building a new one, so. But in a way, I kind of want to see the old Bears stadium because I've never been.
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Okay, I'd love to go with you, but we have to go in September, maybe the first two weeks in October, I think. And if they're playing the Green Bay packers, that's a bonus because that's like a fricking crazy rivalry. Like one of the oldest rivalries in sports. My buddy Eddie used to go to school. Guys, Eddie for Green Bay, went to Green Bay, went to school in Chicago. And he just, he. He sounds like a more bitter rivalry because all his friends are Bears fans. So if we go with Fast Eddie, that would be more fun.
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Okay.
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But we are huge baseball fans. And I still think the most fun place I've ever watched the game was Wrigley Field. Yeah, I mean, I love, I love the field in Seattle, but you just can't recreate the history that's in Wrigley Field. Fenway is pretty cool too, but really another level. And the second you walk out of Wrigley, there's just bars all the way around the whole stadium.
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That's what Fenway and Wrigley have in common. That I think is so cool that I wish every stadium had that experience because it just makes it more fun.
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I mean, if Arty Marango could sell that frickin team in Anaheim, maybe they kept on been trying to develop that land. He keeps on blocking it. And then he was paying off the mayor also, so I got in trouble for that now. Oh. Anyways, when we go to Anaheim games, you walk out there, you have to walk like a half a mile through the one bar they have.
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Yeah. It's when you walk up, because it had. It's like, it's. It's. It feels like you're just. Especially for those of you that live in Boston or Chicago and get that experience all the time. And then if you go to another stadium, you probably know exactly what we're talking about. It's like you just don't have that. When you get to do that, you get this feeling of the city and the people of the city. And they obviously are highlighting their specific food to that city and different things when you're walking up. And it's just fun. It just. It just. And yeah, Wrigley was. Is really cool, right?
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Really too. It's like they play so many afternoon games, so people just kind of like at 4 o' clock, the games are. Everyone's kind of like pours out into the bars. It's like a real, like, community atmosphere. Have you ever sat in the rooftops across the street?
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No, but I know that you have, right?
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Yeah. So there's like. If you look at the field of Wrigley and people know this, that they're baselines all across the street and all the way down the left field and the right field line, it's all just. People have built like bleachers on top of the little condo roofs or the brownstone roofs. Then. Now, eventually it's not as. It's not as cool as it used to be because the team has bought them all now, so it's more commercialized. But Logan and I, we went. I'll tell the first half of this story after. But we went. And the first day we wanted to sit in the bleachers in the outfield. Second day we want to sit behind on plate. And the third day we want to stay in the bleachers. So by the third day, Logan was a little worn out.
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Okay, that's best friend. He goes hard in the paint, as our Mary Rudzinski would say, and. And then he suffers. He doesn't. He doesn't know how to control himself.
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One o' clock game on Sunday. He has a five o' clock flight. He's like, I'm not drinking. We paid 75 bucks for these rooftop seats. We go. And he kind of. It's kind of cool because you go into, like, the living room. Like, the house is all built up to, like, like, concessions, and, like, you can sit inside and watch the game as well.
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Okay.
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Then when you up on the roof, you can see the field over top of it. So we walk in.
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People used to live in those, right?
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I think back in the day, but now I think that the Cubs own all them now.
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Okay.
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So they kind of fix it up inside so it's almost like a bar inside the one that we were at. Anyways, so we go in, we go, we get a hot dog, and in a beer, Logan gives the lady $20. She's like, how much change do you want? He's like, how much is the beer? She's like, oh, no, it's all free. It's all included in your ticket. Let's go. Oh, fuck. Here we go again. I guess we're drinking, but. So on that trip, you used to do some charity work for John Lester, right? John Lester was a very famous pitcher for the Red Sox and for the Cubs, for Oakland for a little bit. But he's from Washington. Tacoma, Washington. His dad's a huge, huge Seahawk fan. And so you were doing, like, his charity events. So you kind of knew him.
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Really nice guy. Super nice guy.
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Really nice guy. So you kind of knew him and you reached out because I was taking Logan and his 72 year old father to Wrigley Field. His dad never been to Wrigley Field. Kind of like a bucket list item. And so you really hooked me up. And you talked to him and he's like, oh, well, we'll get you on the field for batting practice.
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Yes.
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Like, awesome. Like, we're gonna surprise his dad.
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Our friend Nick Gregorian hooked it all up.
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He sent it like an employee. But anyways, so we go to the game. His dad's just, like, chomping at the bit to go in. He can't wait to go in. We're like, oh, hold on. We just gotta wait a little bit. And his dad's like, why? Why do we gotta wait? Why do we gotta wait? Logan's like, oh, John just has to wait for his friend. So this guy comes out, he's like, hey, John. Hey, what's up? He goes, you guys ready? Sure. Just walks us straight into the front entrance, right onto the field. And Logan's dad's just like, what the fuck is happening? Right? He's an old, like, baseball guy, too, so he's just like, in his glory, sitting on the field little. Just watching batting practice. So happy Then John Lester comes out of the bullpen and comes and talks to us for a while. And then when we turn around, there's a guy from teams like, say, you guys ready to go into the clubhouse? Like, I didn't know about this. I just thought we.
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He's like.
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I'm like, yeah. So we go into the dugout, go into the clubhouse, watch, like, batting practice inside of there, and then remember Joe Madden, the coach who also coached the Angels? He comes out and talks to us. Like, he. Like, I was like, what? What's happening? This is so cool. Like, so kind to them, and I just never. Cause Logan's dad's a big farmer from Saskatchewan. And then Joe Madden, he's the nicest
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guy you'll ever meet.
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Yeah, yeah, yeah. Then Joe Madden starts asking about his farm and, like, how he used to, like, work in Medicine Hat and all this. And it was, like, a really cool experience. Not, like, obviously for Logan and I, but his dad just was not expecting any of it. He was just like. Like, bucket list beyond of anything he could have imagined for a guy who grew up playing baseball, too. So that was really cool. Chicago story.
A
Yes. And I don't even think I knew that all that was happening. I just. They just.
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He just said we were gonna get on the field for batting practice.
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Yeah. And then. Yeah. So who hooked you up, really?
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Sarah Colonna.
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But also me. Yeah.
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Nick Gregorian.
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Yes. But also me. By texting him.
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Yeah.
A
Yeah. No, it was really cool. I do. That city is. Is so fun. I. When I was Chelsea, and I. When Chelsea headlined the Chicago Theater, which is a really cool theater there, I opened for her, and she. They had her throw out a first pitch there, which was really fun. And even though Chelsea's not, like, a huge sports person, she understood how cool it was, and she threw out a pitch. And then, because I was They. I was with her and they knew I was featuring and all this stuff, they. They made us both our own jerseys with our names on them. So I do have.
B
Oh, that's cool.
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Wrigley Field jersey. This is Kelowna on the back.
B
That's cool.
A
Remember when we were there for a game? We were at Wrigley Field for a game, and we were sitting. This was. John and I were there together, and we were sitting pretty much in the front.
B
We were in the front row, down the third base side, right?
A
And a photo of it ended up somewhere. I forget where.
B
I was at the end of the row. So I was buying beers and passing them down. We were with our Friends Jeremy, Amber sold us. So I was passing away. So I have two beers in my hand and then somehow it got picked up by some outlet and then I reposted. I'm like, nothing like getting caught. No, I said, coach, I promise I don't drink in the off season. I had two beers in my hand. Then Sports Illustrated picked it up around an article. But punter John Ryan gets caught drinking in the off season. And it was in the front row at Wrigley Field.
A
And it was, yeah, it was funny because he was like passing him down to people that it looks like he's just like double fisting. But you know what? It was the off season, so if you were, you were.
B
I was only single fisting.
A
You were only single fisting. We love to single fist in this house, don't we, John? Sorry. He's turned me into the person that does that God awful laugh now too.
B
I remember when I was living in Green Bay because Seattle wasn't that far or I'm sorry, Chicago wasn't that far from Green Bay. It's kind of like other than Milwaukee was like kind of the next big city. And so I remember going there one time and going to like. It's kind of. There's kind of a line if you ever watch the show, Same list, Shameless, starring Sarah Colonna, if you ever seen that show. It's kind of divided. The city's a little bit divided, like in north and the south and everyone from the south comes the North, a bunch of pretty boys and everyone from the south or the north calls everyone from south like thugs or whatever. Like, you know what I mean? It's just kind of like. And it is true. It's like the south side's a little rougher and that's where the White Sox play and the North Siders cheer for the Cubs. So I remember having no clue. But I'm from Saskatchewan, I've been on the. I haven't even made the team yet. They're still in the off season, so I have no clue. Like I've lived in Regina, Winnipeg and Green Bay. So I go to Chicago.
A
I take a very balmy, balmy atmospheres.
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Yeah, I played 19 years of pro football and I never played farther than 125 miles from the American border, Canadian border. Like the whole, my whole career was on that line, both in the CFL account and the NFL. Okay, so I take a cab down to the White Sox game, which is on the south side, and I go, hey, sir, after the game, where's a Good place that I can go. Like to a bar around the stadium. He goes nowhere. Get out. He was like, you don't belong here, buddy. Get out. Like, really? He's like, no, get out. I was like, okay. The welcoming committee for the south side of Chicago.
A
Yeah, I know I've never been to a White Sox game, but, yeah, I did do 10 episodes of Shameless that takes place in Chicago, and everyone thought I got to go to Chicago to shoot, but I didn't. I shot at a rundown little restaurant in Glendale. Glendale or Los Feliz, one of those two. California. That was. They do. They did shoot a lot of stuff in Chicago, but what they would do is shoot a ton of stuff here. And then at the end, and then they would. For like a certain amount of weeks of the season, they went to Chicago and did the rest. So it was. I don't know that it was half and half. I. My experience was all here in Los Angeles, but it was super fun, I'll tell you that. Because I was a big fan of that show and so was my mom. And when I told her I was cast on Shameless, she said, are you doing anything, Shameless?
B
You're not showing your boobies, are you?
A
She did ask if I was going to take my top off, and I said, no, I'm playing a very clothed lady at a restaurant who gets to wear zero makeup. That is funny. It's funny because. Because it takes place that this. Episodes I did would take place in Chicago in the summer. And so. And we're working at this shrimp shack. So it's. They. It. It took me a minute to realize it was my very first day. And I knew that it was. It wasn't going to be like, I'm not. I'm playing a, you know, a manager of a rundown shrimp shack. Like, I'm not supposed to look glamorous. I get all that. I already knew that what I was wearing, and I knew that I would. It probably wasn't going to be glammed up. But it is funny how some shows. What were we watching the other day? We watched. I'll. I'll explain what I'm about to say now, but we were watching some show the other day, and this woman. Oh, it was that suitcase killer.
B
Oh, right.
A
Yeah. And this woman, it's like three o' clock in the morning and she couldn't sleep and she's on her computer or something, and her husband finds her downstairs and he's like, what are you doing out of bed? She's like, oh, I couldn't sleep. And she is just. It's not like that light makeup where it's okay. I can kind of tell they put a little bit makeup on her because she doesn't want to be fully nude face on camera. But it was just like, you know, extensions and fudgeing red lipstick and just everything. And I was like, full face of makeup for, you know, the lady that just got out of bed. I say all this to say in Shameless, they were very much the opposite. If you remember you watched that show, you. It was. It was very realistic. Realistically shot. I mean, everyone looked great, but they're not. They're weren't trying to make you look glamorous. And I remember the day shooting, they kind of just. I think they put a swipe of mascara on me or something, and they were like, okay. And they actually. I have very shiny skin, as you guys can see when you see the clips from this or if you watch us on Patreon. And I remember that I. I was like, oh, should I get. Should I just get a little powder before I go on set? And they were like, no, no, no. It's perfect that way. Because you, you know, it's the summer and you work behind a fryer, basically, and now you look like it. And I was like, okay, got it. Not going to look glamorous on this show. And noted and loved it.
B
Yes. I feel like most people just assume wherever a show takes place is where it's shot. I did before I met you. So even when you got that job for Shameless, I was like, oh, you got to go to Chicago. Like, no, Glendale, like, 20 minutes away. You know, there's so many shows that pretend like they're in Montana that are actually in Alberta. They use Alberta pretty much for every cold filming thing. Whenever they say it's in Seattle or Portland, it's always in Vancouver, Washington.
A
Yeah, it's just.
B
It's just funny how they always use, like, different cities.
A
Yeah.
B
People were heartbroken in Seattle when they found out the Grey's Anatomy was not shot in Seattle. It's not. Well, yeah, one. Right across from the Space Needle, there's, like, a weather station, and they use that helipad to pretend like it's the helipad for the hospital. But it's just like. I forget what radio station it is, but that's like, one. And then the outside of Gray's house is just like a shot from a home in Seattle. Other than that, it's all shot in la.
A
I can't It's a lot of. I mean, we know that so many things are also shot in Canada now, too, but I. Because I can't remember where that. Where Sheriff country is supposed to take place. Do you know? No, that show that. Remember I had auditioned for it, but the end. Our friend Christopher Gorham on it and our friend Marina Bin's on it.
B
Oh, Toronto.
A
But that. Yeah, but that's where it is. But is that where it's supposed to take place?
B
Well, I know.
A
I know.
B
Chris. Chris moved to Toronto.
A
Yes, he did. But I'm just saying, when the show.
B
Oh, oh, where's it supposed to take place?
A
Like, where do they. Where do people. Like, what's their name? You know what I mean? Like, I've never. I haven't watched it yet, which I should, because my friends are on it, and. And it's supposed to be great. Anyway. Okay, never mind. Just sometimes they tell you where things are supposed to take place. Sometimes they're nondescript. Right. Like Yellowstone. We know where that's supposed to take place, but doesn't. Right.
B
I don't know.
A
Oh, okay. Anyway, moving along. Sorry. Rant. Rant over and. Okay, well, no, mystery solved. Sorry.
B
I kind of. I formed some questions with the help of AI really try to work it, because I was mad at AI last week when they asked, can a woman have a career and be a good mother? Apparently, AI is stuck in 1955. But I had, like, some quick questions from here that are based. That are inspired by the book.
A
Okay, okay.
B
What's something you were very confident about and later, embarrassingly wrong? I can tell. I'll tell you what came to my mind right away. I can't really think of that many. I don't get embarrassed very often, but this is one. Do you remember when Will Smith slapped Chris Rock?
A
Right. Yes.
B
I was at Panzanella and I was watching it, so they don't have sound on it. Panzanella. And I see this, like, altercation, and Will Smith goes and, like, slaps Chris Rock. Then he wins an award. Like, three minutes later, I was like, that was awesome. That was. That was really, like, cool. And I tweeted about it, like, oh, that was so, like, what? That was so cool. I was so badass. And then I went back and watched it, like, oh, Like, I thought it was like a skit that went too far maybe.
A
Right?
B
Like a skit. And then I thought maybe, like, it went too far. But, like, they played it off really well. Like, they both, like, owned it. Then when you watch it with volume. You're like, fuck me, I misread that one. I remember backtracking on Twitter. I never, ever, ever back when I used to be on Twitter. Is anyone on Twitter anymore? Just bunch. But when I was on Twitter I look, I'm never taking down a tweet because I'm never gonna. I'm always gonna stand behind what I said. That one I took down.
A
Yeah, yeah.
B
I backtracked for about 10 minutes. I'm like, I just gotta take this down. Like people are like attacking. I'm like, you guys are all right. I can't be like, you're right, you're right. You're. When you watch that with no volume on, you're just like, wow. Not even closed captioning. I was like, oh fuck. Never watch the friggin Academy Awards at a bar.
A
Yeah. Well, I think a lot of people had thought it was as a weird sketch for us for a quick second. But especially in that situation there was somebody else was watching it and I remember thought that. I feel maybe it was Fran Joa. Somebody would saw it I think in a green room or something and thought kind of the same thing.
B
Yeah.
A
And then. Yeah. And then once you actually watch it like you said with the volume on and you're. You go, oh, this is uncomfy. So. Yeah.
B
Can you think of anything?
A
I. It's so funny. I can't. But I know there's plenty. I know there's things where I have full chest said oh no, blah blah blah, and then been just deadass wrong. And I can't think of any right now. And I want to because I don't want it to seem like I think that I know everything because I really don't. And I usually. I always admit when I'm wrong, but I can't think of anything very good right now to contribute.
B
You know what? This might be coming up later in my questions, but when I talk when in a business environment, almost any environment, but especially in a business environment. And this is a Brenny Brown thing that I read. Does anyone ever say I don't know never happens. It never happens. Where you're usually having a conversation and someone asks you about whatever and they're like, oh, I don't know. So I was in a business situation once and it was a guy asked me like a relatively. But he. This guy was like a big wig, like a billion dollar guy. He one of the guys that invented body armor the drink.
A
Yeah.
B
And he said because we had just.
A
Oh, I remember when you met him because they sent us a whole bunch of body armor.
B
Water. Yeah, I actually talked to him today, by the way. So I was talking to him and he goes, what's. And this is like literally 1/2 hour after the press conference where we just bought a team. He asked me a simple question that you'd know the answer to if you owned the team for longer than 24 hours. And I just said to him, I don't know. I'll. I'm going to look into it and I'm going to get an answer, but I don't know. And he came back to the next day and he goes, that was so refreshing because no one ever says, I don't know. He's like, I feel I can trust you more because of your honesty through that.
A
Oh, that's cool.
B
I was like, oh, that's cool. Like, I was like, I'm not scared to say.
A
I don't know.
B
Especially like when I'm relatively young person. If you're in a room with a bunch of rich white men in these stupid business fricking meetings. Yeah. There's not a lot of I don't knows going on in those freaking things.
A
Yeah, well, there is if you're with
B
me, because I guess this is, this is the next question. What's the situation where everyone is pretending they know what's going on every Sunday at every bar in North America from 1 until 10 o' clock at night? Y' all don't know about football. Y' all think you know everything. You know,
A
John's really fun to watch football with.
B
Oh, it's an absolute blast.
A
It's just. Yeah, that's a really good example, though, of some of, of the, of the answer to that question. Because people do they go, oh, you should have. Blah, blah, blah, blah.
B
Oh, you have John.
A
He gets. We were actually. It's funny because we were talking about before the Seahawks got into the super bowl, we, when, when we always go to this friend's party and they always have a great super bowl party. And I said to John, I says to John, I says, john, if the Seahawks win and if they're in the super bowl, are we changing our rsvp? And this is when we had no idea they were going to send us.
B
Yeah.
A
And he said, yeah, I think we're going to have to change it because it's, it's very hard for him. You could, I feel like if it's two teams you don't really care about party with friends kind of people, you know, it's not, it doesn't water off
B
a duck's back, you know?
A
Yeah, but boy, when it's like, when it's the Seahawks, it's like, no, I can't watch it. I can't have, I can't listen to people telling, you know, people that I know what they should have done better.
B
Listen, I know that if you will love the NFL because everyone has their own opinion. Everyone thinks they know. And that's why it's a multi billion dollar. That's why we get to live in this house right here. Okay? That's what there's. People are so passionate about it and they think they know so much that they pump billions of dollars into it. And that's what makes the NFL as great as this, Even though it frustrates me sometimes.
A
Yes, yes, I understand. Okay. That's a good example. And I, I mean, other than, you know what I think, like on social media, people do at times feel like they know or they have, they just can't help with their power of suggestion about things. An example is. And I'm, I'm not mad at this. I, I don't want to, this isn't, I'm not angry at a person for suggesting this, but this is just an example. Right? So people just try to be helpful to trying to just. They think. But my clutch women business, clutch women.com if you're attending football and video and any kind of game, concerts and concerts and hockey. I got the bags for you. They don't have to be clear if they're the right size. Go clutch women.com can use Instaclutch. I n s T A C L U T c h for 15% off. And I, I some the other day someone was like, oh, because I have webbing straps now, which are really cool. They're very in. They're very trendy. I only know that because of my bag designer. Because I don't know anything about trends, which I free fully admit. See, I can say when I don't know something. And she told me that the. I've seen them. I mean, I know that they're, they're trendy and they're in, but she helped me create some that say clutch on them and they're really sporty and cool. And somebody wrote me and said that I was, I was kind of missing an opportunity to put team names and logos on those webbing straps. And I was like, I'm really not. Because that is. I would get the shit suit out of me if I did that. It's licensed. Yeah. Those things are licensed, so I'm not. Again, someone reaching out with a suggestion because they're thinking, hey, wouldn't this be cool if you do that? I'm not. I'm not complaining about that. I'm just saying if you. Sometimes you go, I. It's not like I didn't think of that. It's that I can't do it unless I want to lose my home for my business or really, they just put a cease and desist. Probably. But anyway, that's not a thing I can do unless I'm licensed, which is a whole different story. And. But thank you.
B
Act like they know.
A
No, I know. I think someone else was like, oh, you should put. Instead of your clutch logo, you should put the team logo on there. And I was like, yeah, again, that's. I'm not allowed to do that.
B
No, that'd be nice if you could, though. Yeah, it would be okay. Do you want a couple more?
A
Sure.
B
We got three or four more minutes.
A
Yeah, go ahead.
B
What. What skill do you fake confidence in the most? I know what mine is. Mine is like, because it's something I really like to do. I really like to do, like. Like, jobs around the house, fixing things. I like to fix things.
A
Okay.
B
And so I always act like I've def. I. Most of the time, I do know how to do it, but I think I always just say I know how to do it, and then I just look up how to do it, because it's usually not that freaking hard.
A
Right?
B
But I think sometimes I'm. I. I think I. I fake confidence in it just because I like to do it.
A
I don't think it's fake confidence, but it's that you. Yeah, it is more that you just want to do it. So if the. If we have something going on at the house and John wants to fix it, he's like, I'm gonna take care of it, and then he'll figure it out. Which is a good quality, by the way, because I would. I fake no confidence, and I would just immediately call somebody and pay them to do it when it could have just been a thing I could have tinkered with.
B
I came from a house where we never called the plumber. We never called an electrician. My dad fixed our cars. My dad mowed our lawn. My mom sold our clothes. For a while, like, we. We did everything. We never called anyone to fix anything ever. I can't remember one time when we called someone to fix something in our house in the 18 years I lived there.
A
And That's.
B
I get parts of it from that. And I know my. My dad, I think kind of like myself, is that his job was so much different than like a hands on type thing that he loved doing it.
A
Right.
B
Well.
A
And I think that it's funny because that we're talking about this because I was the opposite. Not. I mean, my stepdad always took care of stuff. I'm not saying he was very handsy and handyman and did all the things, but I just had lived away from home for so long by myself in apartments and condos, so I just always called someone to fix things and I. So I never thought about it. So when I. I'm. No, but this is like a therapy session for us right now. Let me finish. So when I say, should we just call someone? I feel like sometimes it probably slightly offends you. And it's not because I'm thinking you can't do it. It's just because I'm thinking that's what. I'm so impressed. It doesn't. Ten years we've been married. I get it. But I'm still. That's what I've. That's what I was just used to for so long, right Where I'm like, what are you talking about? You're going to fix that? We just, we call a person.
B
I know. And I think for like. Like we have our condo in Arizona and I redid the entire condo myself. Floors painting. I redid the entire condo myself. But with our new house, sometimes I'm like, I should just get someone to. I don't want to. I don't want to fuck anything up too. So I don't. I don't try to fix everything.
A
No, you don't. And then if, also if you do try and it is more complicated than you thought or just, or you know, something you're worried about not getting right, then you also have no ego and you'll just say, okay, let's get someone out here to do this. So that's good too. Because when people have overconfidence to the point where they'll just, I don't know, rip a pipe out of the ground and fuck things up way worse right Then. Then you're like, no, no. You got to admit, when you just go, okay, this is something I can't do. So I don't feel like weird plumbing.
B
Plumbing and electrical. If you can flood your house and burn it down, hire somebody. It's not. It's nothing an amateur needs to be messing with.
A
Yeah.
B
All right, I got One more before we go. Okay, these are not bad questions from Better than the can women, you know. Oh, the one says why, why, why don't women wear a watch? Because there's a clock on the stove. AI joke AI 1955.
A
Oh, can't wait to write my stand up from AI. This is the only thing that makes me happy about AI is that it is at least it's still so not advanced that I know it's advanced in a lot of things, but it's not advanced enough for like writing and things like this where I have to worry that any asshole can get on stage with a set written by AI because that's the kind of shit they're going to say. That's the kind of joke they're going to tell. And hopefully nobody wants to hear that joke.
B
Like, you can use it for this. We have to like, you have to like, kind of help them out. You have to like, keep on like moving it and changing it till they get to the right tone. But the one thing that's been great for me is because there's certain things that I feel like my adulthood has been stunted by playing a child's game until I was 41. There's certain things I don't understand, especially when I stepped right into the business world from football. I have no clue about taxes to a degree now where I feel embarrassed to ask. So I went to AI and I started taking pictures of my tax returns and they explained the whole thing to me, what every line meant, whether or not I was paying enough, whether I was paying too much. You know, like, they explained everything to me. And way I way better understand it now that they've walked me through everything.
A
Oh, that's good.
B
Because there's just like there was questions that I'm like, as a guy who, like we, we run tens of millions of dollars of baseball teams. We do. And when you, we do that now you've been doing it for 10 years, it's a little bit embarrassing to ask like an entry level question. And that's kind of where I was with the business taxes. Like, you know, I played football for all those years. All you do is just hand over all your forms to your accountant, they send it back to you. It's pretty straightforward for me because that's what I do. But now on the business side, there's a lot more to it.
A
A lot more.
B
And so AI has walked, walked me through that.
A
Yeah, it is good in those ways and, and I'm the same. Like there's things that I'm like, what? I just redid my. Someone just re. Redid my website. Website. My Clutch Women website. And I was just like overwhelmed on the one hour call I had with him walking me through how to use this, all this new stuff. And I was just like, I felt like a flipping idiot. I mean, I. It makes you feel so dumb, but then you just. It's through Shopify. So if any question I have AI is just like, you know how now they do the AI generated answer to everything? And it's like, click this, click this, click this, do this. And I'm like, okay.
B
And you know where it was great. The other day you asked for a very specific bottle of wine and I could not find it. So I just took a picture of the entire rack of wine, like hundreds of bottles and asked AI to find it for me. And they showed me exactly where it was. Yeah, I mean, that was my GSM that I wanted. Yes. It was like, look on the bottom right with the white. And they. And then I. They showed me right where it was
A
and it was delicious. Thanks, AI. Yes.
B
Yes. Well, I still paid for it.
A
All right, thanks, John.
B
Welcome.
A
Okay, well, that was fun and random. We love our fun random episodes. And so don't forget for March you are reading what is it again?
B
One Day by David Nichols.
A
One Day by David Nichols. I will announce the Patreon short story by the time you guys hear this. Join us there. It's only $5 a month and we have a lot of fun. Join the book listeners Facebook group to talk books, to talk about the episodes, to do whatever you want, follow at the book list on Instagram and rate, review and subscribe. That's one thing you can really do to get the word out about our podcast is do that hit the old five star thumbs up, Add a girl and add a boy to us. And thanks for listening. We will see you next week. Bye. The book list.
B
The book lisp.
A
The book list.
B
The book lisp.
A
The book lisp.
In this lively, off-the-cuff episode, comedian Sarah Colonna and former NFL punter Jon Ryan kick off February’s book club selection, the psychological thriller Look Closer by David Ellis. While strictly avoiding spoilers until their final monthly episode, Jon and Sarah focus on their impressions of the book’s mood, characters, and pacing. The pair also dive into spirited banter about Chicago (the book’s setting), hilarious career anecdotes, the NFL and Super Bowl, memorable travel stories, and field listener-influenced discussion questions inspired by their Patreon and Facebook group. The episode wraps with teases for the next book and Patreon activities, all in the hosts’ signature humorous, affectionate style.
Jon shares a story about surprising a friend’s father with field access and clubhouse tour at Wrigley Field, thanks to Sarah’s connection:
Bonus: Jon featured in Sports Illustrated for “double-fisting” beers at Wrigley — actually passing them down a row [23:44].
What were you embarrassingly wrong about?
Saying ‘I don’t know’
Faking Knowledge
Jon: Sunday football fans universally pretending to know “what really happened” on every play. [36:06]
Sarah: Discusses how well-intentioned suggestions about her “Clutch Women” bag business sometimes ignore licensing realities:
Faking Confidence in Skills
Jon fakes confidence in home repairs, mostly because he enjoys learning/fixing things:
Sarah reflects on being quick to hire help, only to appreciate Jon’s resourcefulness: “I fake no confidence!”
AI Helpfulness
The episode beautifully captures the duo’s irreverent humor, loving dynamic, and the genuine rapport they’ve built both as a couple and with their audience. While Look Closer sets the backdrop (and inspires listener conversations), the real substance comes from stories of live sports, shared history in entertainment, relatable business and adulting foibles, and playful callouts to fan participation (“Just cheer for the Seahawks for me and Sarah…” [08:52]). The show remains accessible to those not reading along, offering plenty of pop culture, sports, and life wisdom along the way.
Next up:
March’s book: One Day by David Nicholls
Patreon short story details and Facebook group ongoing discussions — join in!
Follow & Participate: