Summer Lovin’

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Book Lisp with Jon Ryan & Sarah Colonna Episode: Summer Lovin’ Release Date: July 6, 2026

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Overview

This lively episode of The Book Lisp finds married hosts Jon Ryan and Sarah Colonna celebrating their 10th anniversary in Cabo, introducing July's beach read — Summer Sisters by Judy Blume. They reminisce about childhood summers, family holidays, and college transitions inspired by themes from the book, offering listeners a blend of nostalgia, humor, and relatable life stories. Delightfully unscripted, the couple’s banter turns from holiday traditions to sororities, camping memories, and the magic of youthful summers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Podcast & Book Club Updates

• Podcast Format and Patreon Perks ([01:56]):

  • July's main read: Summer Sisters by Judy Blume.
  • July Patreon short story: "The Replacement" by Liv Constantine.
  • August’s book announced: Gray After Dark by Noel Eiley.
  • Patreon members get additional content and video podcasts on the 5th, 15th, and 25th of each month.
  • No book spoilers or reviews until the fourth Monday of each month.

• Sarah’s Stand-Up Dates ([03:20]):

  • Upcoming comedy dates in Vegas, Nashville, Batavia (IL), Omaha, Albany, and Columbus shared — see sarahcolonna.com for details.

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Theme: Family Holiday Traditions

Inspired by the friendship and family dynamics in Summer Sisters
([04:14] – [18:30])

• Childhood & Family Holiday Habits

  • Sarah shares fond Christmas traditions of gathering at her aunt and uncle’s house and rotating gift-giving adaptations over time.
    • "So we would open up our 'Santa presents'...and then we would go to my aunt and uncle's, my Aunt Linda and my Uncle Glenn...They have a great big living room area." ([05:04], Sarah)
  • Jon’s family held tightly to tradition, not welcoming outsiders for holidays.
    • His first Christmas away from home was as a young NFL player, spent with neighbors in Green Bay playing bridge and eating Chinese food ([07:32]).
    • Canadian Thanksgiving traditions contrasted with American customs—less significance and more casual scheduling.
      • "Thanksgiving’s not very big [in Canada]...sometimes people celebrate it on a Sunday, it doesn’t have the same effect as the four-day weekend here." ([08:03], Jon)

• Divorced Parent Holiday Logistics

  • Sarah discusses juggling holidays between her mom and dad, getting "two Christmases" as a benefit of split parenting ([10:00]).

• Adulthood Traditions & Holiday Hacks

  • Now, Jon and Sarah prefer spending Christmas and Thanksgiving on their own or with Sarah’s stepmom ([13:48]).
  • Cooking revelations: They order Thanksgiving catered from Whole Foods for low-stress celebrations.
    • "We, we order a catered meal from Whole Foods...just as good as anyone that I've ever seen that cooks all day. Just as good." ([17:29], Jon)
    • Both admit to disliking traditional yams and debate the worth of green beans in their catered meals.

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Childhood Summers & Magic of Growing Up

Evoking central motifs from Summer Sisters
([18:52] – [41:44])

• Leaving for College & Changing Friendships

  • Summer Sisters stirs up the topic of transitioning from high school to college, maintaining (or not) childhood friendships.
    • Both Jon and Sarah stayed close to home for college, as did most of their peers.
      • Jon explains the difference in pressure and prestige between American and Canadian universities ([21:13]):
        • "In Canada...all the universities are relatively even...Doesn't have the same stress as the kids have in the US."
      • Most stayed local or joined family businesses; some left for work in trades or farming ([24:41]).
    • Both recall the gradual drift from high school friends to stronger bonds with college friends.
      • "We just sort of, we didn't hang out as much anymore and then we kind of grew apart. So most of my closest friendships now...are from college rather than high school." ([20:46], Sarah)
      • Jon shares poignant memories of childhood best friends diverging at high school: "We went to each other's weddings and stuff...but overnight you go to high school and everything changes." ([22:49], Jon)

• Sororities, Fraternities, and Social Pressures

  • Discussion of Greek life expenses and the social stress, based on recent trends and reality shows ([33:17]-[35:44]).
    • "It seems like insanity to me...these kids are paying thousands of dollars for outfits...to try to impress everyone to get into these sororities." ([34:00], Jon)
    • Neither participated; Sarah as a theater major "never considered" it, feeling unstressed by its absence. Jon’s only references come from "Revenge of the Nerds" and "Old School" ([35:44], Jon & Sarah).

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Memorable Quotes & Banter

On Hosting Family:

• "She doesn't want to cook for anybody. She's over it...If you're even trying to eat, she's behind you with a vacuum making sure...Can I finish my stuffing before you vacuum over my feet, please?" ([09:00], Sarah)

On College and Parental Expectations:

• "The backup plan was nothing. ... If you weren't playing football right now, what would you be doing? I'd be trying to play football." ([27:00], Jon)

On Dreaming About Unfinished Schooling:

• "I constantly have a dream that I didn't finish, that I have more credits to get...and the teacher's like, you haven't been here enough this semester. You're gonna be one credit down." ([28:12], Sarah)

On Childhood Summers:

• "It was just like you have 65 days of complete freedom. That's what I remember as a kid. There was no bills to worry about, no job, just 65 days of freedom." ([39:51], Jon)
• "Camping with my whole family...after my grandma made fresh gravy over the campfire...you can't recreate that." ([38:12], Sarah)

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Notable Moments

• Jon’s Eye Health and Bickering ([12:10] – [15:38])
  • Jon discusses visiting a specialist for his retina. The couple engages in good-natured back-and-forth about Jon’s glasses, culminating in Sarah’s lovingly blunt assessment:
    • "You have such a handsome face. Let's not f** it up with the wrong glasses."* ([12:41], Sarah)
  • Sarah breaks the fourth wall acknowledging, "This is 10 year mark. This is what we bicker." ([15:25]).

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Patreon & Book Announcements: [01:56]
• Sarah’s Comedy Dates: [03:20]
• Family Holiday Traditions: [04:14] – [18:30]
• Thanksgiving & Holiday Hacks: [16:27] – [18:46]
• College Departure & Friendships: [18:52] – [27:00]
• College Regrets/Dream Anxiety: [28:12] – [30:12]
• Sororities/Fraternities Discussion: [33:17] – [36:20]
• Summers as a Kid: [38:01] – [41:44]

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Tone & Style

The hosts blend humor, warmth, and light-hearted sarcasm, reflecting both their marital chemistry and stand-up backgrounds. Even as topics veer toward nostalgia and minor family drama, the conversation remains playful and candid—true to the cozy, accessible vibe of a book club among friends.

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Takeaway

This episode serves up summery nostalgia, relatable takes on family rituals and growing pains, and a taste of the themes in Summer Sisters. Through candid stories, quick-witted banter, and clear affection, Jon and Sarah invite listeners to reminisce about the simple magic of childhood, the evolving complications of adulthood, and the traditions that shape us—setting a perfect stage for this month’s beach read.

Transcript

[A]

Hi, I'm Sarah Colonna.

[B]

And I'm John Ryan.

[A]

And you're listening to the Book List. The Book List.

[B]

The Book Lisp.

[A]

Oh, that's right. You're listening to the Book Lisp. Hello and welcome to the Book Lisp with John Ryan and Sarah Colonna. Hey, John.

[B]

Hello there.

[A]

You sound lovely. You're talking into a different microphone right now because we had a little microphone hiccup, hiccup, hiccup. But you know what? We sorted it out. Luckily we had another microphone. Microphone floating around this house. Hi, guys. It is your. It's the first Monday of July. This is very exciting for all of us. It is July 6th when this episode comes out. We hope everybody had a wonderful Fourth of July. We'll catch you up on ours when we get back on next weekend. So on the next Monday's podcast and we'll tell you talk about it a little bit. Probably on our. Our Patreon podcast too. But we're away in Cabo this week enjoying our anniversary. A solid 10 years of. Of marriaged life.

[B]

Marital bliss.

[A]

Marital bliss. It's exactly what it is. And yeah, we're having it. We're having a nice time in Cabo. We are pretty sure by the time you hear.

[B]

I'm sure we are.

[A]

I'm sure we are really good at Cabo. We are really good at Cabo. Yeah. So welcome to your first July read week while we're reading Summer Sisters by Judy Bloom. And I just started it. I'm really excited about this one. It's feels like it's going to be the perfect summer beach read. I'm probably going to finish it this week while we're in Cabo.

[B]

Oh, I'm sure.

[A]

And. Oh, yeah. And our Patreon short story is for July is the Replacement by Liv Constantine. And I Believe it's free or 99 cents on Kindle right now or on Amazon right now. They're always short. It's super fun. We love our Patreon short stories. You should definitely join just for those. And then we all those are on the 15th of every month. You always have plenty of time to read them. And we do video podcasts where we talk about them and then we also do video podcasts on the 5th and the 25th of every month. So you would have seen us yesterday on July 5th if you were on Patreon as well. I mean, who could, who could not want more Sarah and John in their life?

[B]

Everyone wants more of us in their life.

[A]

That's right. And we are reading for August. Can't believe we're already talking about August. We're reading Gray After Dark by Noel Eiley. I did announce that last week on our bonus fifth Monday of the Month podcast. If you're new here, quick rundown. You won't hear any book spoilers or anything about the review until the fourth Monday of the month. We simply pick topics that don't spoil the book for you and have conversations for the first three Mondays. And it's always super fun. Like I said. Join us on Patreon. Hey, if you're in Vegas, come see me August 3rd through 9th at Brad Garrett's Comedy club. John will be there. Which nights? John Case Book list Wednesday and Thursday. He'll be there the Wednesday and Thursday of that week. August 27th, I'll be at the City Winery in Nashville. That was just added. I will be in the the Batavia at the comedy vault. Batavia, Illinois at the comedy vault. And that's September 24th through the 26th. I just added a date in Omaha in October, a date in Albany in November, and a date in Columbus in SE in December. And they're all on my website, Sarah Colona.com and those are all one nighters. So come see me those nights. I I'm not telling you them right now because I forget, but they're on my website. They were just added like a couple days ago. So anyway, let's get into it, John. Let's do a little topic fun with Summer Sisters by Judy Bloom.

[B]

All right. There's lots of fun childhood type memory type topics that we're going to be talking about just because that's kind of how this book starts and kind of the whole premise of this whole book is two girls that become best friends as children and they carry that through their lives. So just a couple things came up in the book. Well, not more than a couple. A lot of things came up in the book that were probably be fun for us to talk about.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

First one I want to talk about is as a kid or when you were in college, did you ever go to someone else's house for the holidays or did they ever come to your house for the holidays like mainly like Christmas and Thanksgiving?

[A]

Well, no. I mean, okay, so as a kid we would end up until really I met you. We would do Christmas at my mom's and my mom and mom and my stepdad's and then we would go from there in the afternoon. So we would open up our like quote unquote Santa presence and our parental presence. And by the way I got Santa presence up until I was. Well recently. Because my mom just. Even though she knew I knew that there was no Santa. Sorry. Hopefully your kids aren't listening to this. But she would. She would put, you know, Santa on there. So we would open up those. And then. And my parents would open up. Mom and Eric would open up presents from us to them. And sometimes from. To and from each other. Or they would save those. And we would go to my aunt and uncles, my Aunt Linda and my Uncle Glenn, who, you know, John. We would go to their house and do. I think we started off there was always like presents for all the cousins. And then as we got older, it was like we picked one person to buy gift. Because the family, you know, kids are. Kids are coming. We all get it got. It seems silly for everyone to be buying for everybody. So. So eventually it got to be where it was just we would do. They would. We would go over there and everybody's presents were opened up at their own homes by their immediate family. And then we would go there and we would do like a. You know, you picked a name, you drew a gift card thing, like a gift card exchange where you would do it. Or you could steal it from the other person. You know, that dirty Santa. Whatever it's called. So we definitely went to someone's house. And my family still does that usually at Glenn and Linda's. Cause they have like a great big living room area. But not. Not any friends. I didn't know if you have friends. I was talking.

[B]

Yeah, just like. Yeah, just like in this book they have. They have like some holidays together. Like, my family was so, like, rich in tradition. We always did things the same way that there was. There was no room for any outsiders at our house. Yeah, it was just us. But I remember the very first Christmas I spent away from home when I was like 24, I guess. Cause my first two years of pro football I played in Canada. That season is done by the end of October, so we didn't make the playoffs. Then the NFL, the season goes into January as far as you go in the playoffs. So you're not home at Christmas. And people used to always ask me, are you going home for Christmas? Like people from outside the. I was like, no, I'm working on Christmas. Like, NFL, we don't get days off. We are working. But that was the first time I spent Christmas away. And I remember there was an old couple that lived across the hall from me in my condo and was there. They had me over for Christmas Eve. And I Remember we played. We played bridge. They taught me how to play bridge. Oh, and we ordered Chinese food.

[A]

Like an old person thing to do.

[B]

Yeah, order Chinese food, play bridge. It was a great Christmas Eve.

[A]

That sounds fun. Yeah.

[B]

And then I just spent Christmas alone. And then Mason and his family came over that night. Mason Crosby.

[A]

Oh, that was so that was in Green Bay still.

[B]

Yeah. But it's like I was gonna talk about this too. In Canada, Thanksgiving's not very big. It falls on a Monday. It's the second Monday in October.

[A]

The Canadians, Thanksgiving. Thanks for giving.

[B]

Yeah. So there wasn't really us. Thanksgiving's so big in Canada. It's not really that big. So it wasn't a big deal. I can't remember if we had friends over for that or not because this didn't really make it. It falls on a Monday, so sometimes a lot of people celebrate it on a Sunday or whatever. So this doesn't have the same effect that the big four day weekend here has in the US So we probably had like friends over for that or went to friends or family's houses for that. But I still don't even really remember.

[A]

Yeah, we did a little bit of. We would. That's another one that was usually at Glenn and Linda's. It used to rotate who would host it. And then John's met my mom. My mom, she doesn't like to host holidays. She doesn't want people in her house.

[B]

She doesn't want to cook for anybody.

[A]

She doesn't want to cook for anybody. She's over it. So she. They ended up, I think that their Thanksgiving is always at Glenn and Linda's. They're always willing, they're always down to let everyone come over for some reason.

[B]

They're real hosters, aren't they?

[A]

Yeah, they're really good at it. When I go home for. When I'm home at any point, usually my, My uncle say, come over, I'll barbecue something. And I guess they have a big deck if it's the summer. So yeah, my mom, it used to rotate every year. And then my mom, eventually I think people were like, we don't need to go Cheryl's anymore. She's made. She's mean when we're there. No, she's not mean. She just. It's not her, it's. She doesn't. She's like, oh, there's people in my house. And then, you know, she's probably running around. If you're, if you're like even trying to eat, she's behind you with a Vacuum making sure, you know, because she's trying to clean up after you. The minute it's. The minute it's all happening, you're like, hey, can I. Can I finish my stuffing before you vacuum over my feet, please?

[B]

Where, where all the holidays because you came from a broken home. Were all the holidays. Were all the holidays with your mom or did your dad ever get you for any of the holidays?

[A]

Well, so we would do. Usually we did. I think my mom always got us Christmas Day and then we would often go to my dad's the next day. So we'd often fly on. On the 26th to my dad's. And. And that lasted for. For quite a while. And then. But Thanksgiving was kind of always. Yeah, my mom mostly won the holidays somehow. I don't know how, but.

[B]

But then, like later on in life, it was Thanksgiving was your dad's, like, total holiday. Like we went there every year that we could. I think I didn't really start going out there until 2018 because I was still playing football, but then we went out there like every year.

[A]

Yeah, it became the holiday that I spent with him when I, When I moved out here because they like to have their fun Thanksgiving. So then I started going to that and. And because I would still try to go home for Christmas before, you know, for a long time. And it didn't make sense to fly home at the Christmas and Thanksgiving. So I would fly home for, for, for Christmas and then I would spend Thanksgiving with my dad. So when you get older, you kind of like make those decisions. But it was fun when we were kids to. Because we had Christmas at Mom's and then the 26, we'd fly out, we'd have Christmas at Dad's. So we get two Christmases and then. And then, you know, you'd stay a few days. So it was like. Was best to do it that way so that he got us for a little bit longer. We'd stay through like one. Whenever school started again. Whenever that is. I don't really remember school.

[B]

Yeah, I love Christmas so much that I just. I love the entire month that like, basically from Thanksgiving to New Year's, that's like the best six weeks of the year for me. So I don't even really like to leave.

[A]

When you shine.

[B]

It's when I shine, girl. Like, we. We travel so much, but for that, like, six weeks, I like to just stay home. I know to be in la. Even though we were talking about going to Europe this year, but.

[A]

Well, we were talking about going to Europe Perhaps around John's birthday so that we could hit some Christmas markets because it's his 45th birthday and my birthday

[B]

falls on Thanksgiving this year.

[A]

It does fall on Thanksgiving. I would love it. I think it would be a blast. Oh, what are. When did you get those?

[B]

Like, four, three, two years ago. You did weird on me. Yeah. I've never worn them before, but now, because it's having this weird thing with my eye right now, it helps me. My eyes don't get tired when I read if I use them.

[A]

Oh, so you need them is what you're saying?

[B]

It is, because I have a. I'm seeing a specialist because there's something wrong with my retina, but the doctor doesn't think it's a big deal, but he wants to send me the retina specialist in case. But I just put these on today. I'm like, oh, it's helping me read a little bit so it doesn't get like. I have, like, a little thing in my left eye, so it gets, like, cloudy.

[A]

Put them back on.

[B]

I still. I still have 2020 vision.

[A]

I mean, I ordered.

[B]

I ordered new ones today when I was there. They're going to be. I don't like these.

[A]

It's not that I don't like them. I don't. I think that you could do better. Is that fair?

[B]

Yeah. I don't like these. They're old. I don't like them.

[A]

Yeah, I don't. I don't. I think that they don't. They're not the right frame for your face. You have such a handsome face. Let's not it up with the wrong glasses. Okay. Okay. You're gonna get a lot of people giving you opinions about what's wrong with your eyeball. Don't worry. He went to a specialist today.

[B]

Optometrist today. And I'm going to a specialist when I get back from Mexico.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So I've been hitting the head a lot. Things don't work all that well up here. Sometimes.

[A]

Sometimes they work just fine. But you are. You say that any. Well, I'll ask you more questions about that off the podcast. That's probably a conversation we should have since. Separately, anyway. Yeah. Oh, but so. So I was going to say this when you're talking about, like, going to people's houses. So like I said, my parents now go to my aunt and uncle's. Everyone kind of does their own thing in the morning, and then they all gather at my aunt and uncles. You and I just do our own thing. Everyone, I think, knows that by now we just spend it with ourselves.

[B]

We really like doing our own thing.

[A]

We really like doing our own thing on Christmas, Thanksgiving. We loved, we loved going to my dad's. We loved it, loved it, loved it. And now we try to spend it and we spend it with my stepmom now because she' you know, still obviously we, I would, we'd spend it with her as well. So she usually she's been trying to come here. Last year she got sick. She couldn't end up coming. But anyway, I did though. You never got to do any of this because you, I don't like those glasses on you. I don't like them. I don't know, they're just. I know, I mean, but no, I know you need them. It's okay.

[B]

I,

[A]

I, I don't want to anyone's comments.

[B]

I know. I don't like this. Stop it. I don't need to hear any more comments. People writing our blog or whatever the you call it. I don't, I don't have a blog. We don't have a few months today. We don't have a vlog. What do we have?

[A]

Well, we have an Instagram and the only way they'll see them is if we use the clip of you putting on your glasses. And now we probably will.

[B]

There's like an extra set of lenses in here. Why do they do that?

[A]

I don't know. But you just found those after two years.

[B]

Babe, this is the second time I've ever put these on. The first time is when I tried them on because I, I don't need them. And now with this little like thing happening in my eye, it helps when I read and I read a lot.

[A]

Okay, so you do. And that's why we have a book club podcast.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

For real? You done messing around over there?

[B]

No, no, I'm taking the back of the little tube to come in. But I'm gonna smash them right now so my wife doesn't get turned off by my face.

[A]

It's not a turn off. I just think that you are more handsome than those glasses framing you anyway. But you put them on to put them on during this, will you? So you gotta hear us bicker. You guys, this is 10 year mark. This is what we bicker.

[B]

This is when things get bickering.

[A]

No, I was gonna say because when you were playing, you never really got, you never had like a friends giving or anything like that because you were, you guys were either playing or working on on than.

[B]

Yeah, I'm like trying to think of like before you, what I even did on Thanksgiving, like I remember, I remember one year in Green Bay, which one of my favorite Thanksgiving before I met you in Green Bay in 2007, we played against Detroit. And that game starts like 11am on Thanksgiving Day, right? We started, I think it was starts at 11, we freaking kicked their asses. Game was over like 2:15, we all like went out of there so quick. We're on the plane by 3:15 and we were all home. It's like a 20 minute flight. We're all home celebrating Thanksgiving at 4:00'. Clock. It was amazing.

[A]

Oh nice.

[B]

And also because after you played on Thursday, then you get like Friday, Saturday, Sunday off. So just like party. It was amazing.

[A]

Yeah. Oh, that's good. See, that's.

[B]

See but the other year, I don't remember.

[A]

You don't remember? I don't. We did like a couple, I did like a couple friends givings at times before. I guess I was going to my dad's or maybe one year, maybe he was out of town or something. I didn't do that many because I always went to my dad's when I could. But I. So there was one year, he must have been out of town or something. And I went to Brandon and Liz's, they did like a friends giving thing. And I just remember, you know, I was, I was in my 20s and I went out the night before and I told them I was going to make mashed potatoes. And then I was hung, I was hungover and I had to peel potatoes all morning and I was like, this is it. This sucks. No wonder my mom hates hosting people. Anyway, I mean, what's your next?

[B]

Cooking wise, we found the ultimate hack for Thanksgiving. We, we order a catered meal from Whole Foods.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Put it in the oven, it's all ready. An hour later, you get everything you need, everything you want and it's ready in an hour. Just as good as anyone that I've ever seen. That cooks all day. Just as good.

[A]

Delicious. Delicious. No, it's not homemade and we don't give a shit.

[B]

And then listen, I just want the three staples. I want my turkey, I want my stuffing or my whatever you want to call it. Do you call it stuffing or dressing?

[A]

We call it stuffing, but I think, I think it's like stuffing because he originally it was like goes into turkey. Turkey's asshole in his asshole. Yeah.

[B]

And mashed potatoes and gravy. That's all you need. I don't need your freaking yams with marshmallows on top but whoever. Anyway, let's fuck off with that. You like it?

[A]

Yams? No, I can't stand yams. But that's very controversial for me not to like yams, being from the south, because everyone likes yams in the South. But you know what else they do at Whole Foods? They always give us those green beans, and we're like, we don't want your green beans.

[B]

I think, I think one time they gave us, like, two big packages of them, too. Yeah. Garbage.

[A]

They're going to waste. I don't. And you know, what am I gonna do? Drop just, just a small thing of green beans off at the, at the homeless shelter? I mean, that's not, they're looking for more than that, so it's not even.

[B]

They make the pie and the biscuit. They make the whole thing for you. It's amazing.

[A]

Yeah, it's not even that expensive, so. Good. Okay, what's your next topic?

[B]

Well, they talk a lot in this book about how they both go off to college and end up going to different colleges. And I know that we kind of, both of us kind of stayed. Well, both of us basically stayed home for college. But do you remember, like, that going off to college or that summer before college, going off, Going off to college

[A]

10 minutes away from my mom's house.

[B]

Yeah, but do you. But I, I'll. But also, it's like, where I'm from, most people stayed at home. But I know a lot of people, like, kind of like that summer before they go off to college, everyone's kind of like, saying goodbye for the last time. Like, high school's over and you're all going to all these different colleges and probably not see each other like you did in high school. And that was kind of the summer before.

[A]

Yeah, you probably have more stories about than I do because we, I remember, I want to say some people must have gone somewhere, but I, I, I didn't really stay that in contact with people once I went to college because not many of my friends from high school ended up going to the University of Arkansas as well. A few went to different schools in Arkansas and a few went to different schools out of state, but a lot of people just didn't go. And remember, I only graduated with, like, you know, 60 people or something. So it's. So a lot of people went into something like, if just started working. Yeah, yeah. So I, I mean, you know, some obviously didn't went away, but like, my closer friends, most of them stay. A couple of them went to college. So then we would, you Know, go to. We weren't taking the same classes or in the same major, but we would either, you know, sometimes go to campus together if we had classes at time the same, same time. Remember my friend Brian Kenny, who you remember him? He used to pick me up when it was snowing. He would try to pick me up and his little like beetle or something. I was like this isn't gonna get me anywhere. And but, but most. And then my, and then my other girlfriends that like my closest girlfriends that he didn't end up going and then I ended up making friends in college and it's, and just kind of. Not that I stopped talking to them but we just sort of, we didn't hang out as much anymore and then we kind of grew apart. So most of my closest friendships now that I still talk to are from college rather than high school. But I didn't really go so I didn't really. It wasn't like big going away things of any of my closest friends that I remember at all. That's sad.

[B]

Yeah, a little bit. But I remember it was, it was similar for me. It was like cuz all the universities in Canada are relatively even. So most people just like rather stay at home, live at home, save that money rather than go across the country for school. That might not be any better, you know, I mean like it's not the whole, the whole getting to college thing. Going to college in Canada isn't like doesn't have the same stress for one. Doesn't have the same stress as the kids have in the US and doesn't have the same like I think like the tiers like if you go to Harvard, you're going to Harvard where we have schools like that in Queens and McGill. But for the most part all the schools are relatively equal across Canada. So it's not like oh God, I gotta get into the school, I gotta get into the school. It's like it makes no difference to get an education from University of Manitoba or the University of Regina. There's, there's just like there's no difference. So like leading up to it, like I talk to kids now, they're like well I can't get a lower than an A in any class after starting in 10th grade. Like what? Who the fuck cares? And Academy is like different that So I think most of my friends stayed home and then the ones that didn't kind of just got a job right away. I had one friend that went and started working in like the oil fields. Had a couple friends that went away but I don't remember. I remember being like, a bigger deal leaving elementary school because I had all these grid fence. Elementary school. We all went to different high schools. Like my two best friends, Cole and Josh, who we spent every day together from like kindergarten till 8th grade. We all three of us went to different high schools and kind of didn't stop becoming friends. We never really talked to each other that much anymore. We. I mean, we went to each other's weddings and stuff, but it was. It was like we were best friends. And like overnight you go to high school and everything changes.

[A]

Oh, yeah, Yeah. I. I mean, I guess it did change a little bit for me in that way of like a couple of. My. My best friend from high school, which, since she didn't go to the university too, and she stayed, but she stayed in town. It kind of felt. Yeah, we just kind of grew apart, I guess it was a little sad, but I mean, she would just be like, I was making friends in college. I mean, you're doing all these different things and you're. And. And then she wouldn't usually want to go with me to any of this stuff because she's like, well, know any of those people? I'm like, well, that's who I see every day, though, now, you know? So you just kind of have that, like, nothing bad happened, but you just sort of grow apart or whatever.

[B]

Yeah, it's. It's almost. I almost wish it wasn't like that in Canada. In a way. You just could. Like, all the people that I was in high school with that went to university all kind of went to the same one. And then we just kind of stayed. We stuck with that friend group. We didn't really go outside of that friend group other than like, I played on the football team, so I was friends with the guys on the football team. But you're not really forced to make new friends. Mean you just bring all your friends from high school. Does that make sense?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So in some ways I wish it wouldn't have been like that, but like I said, back home it was. Terry started working at the oil refinery. Logan started farming after one year of university. My other friends worked for the city. It was like everyone just kind of stayed there. Yeah, there's so many good opportunities where I grew up. It's not like maybe the most sexy place in the world, but there's so many good job opportunities that give you like 401ks and everything for the rest of your life. You're set even right out of high school.

[A]

But yeah, and I think it's just when you grow up in a smaller town, like, I did too. There's, you know, people have, like, family businesses that they go into or like you said, farming, or they, you know, there's something kind of built into their. Their family already that they're going to probably end up doing or, you know, some guys go into the military. I mean, not that they don't do that everywhere, but when it's a smaller town, you just know more people that do because it's. It's like I only had a small pool of people that I knew that were probably going to do that.

[B]

That's a good point, too. Like, there was people that I knew, like, since they were like. My buddy Danny Volkham Chan, his family ran the Taber yaki restaurant in town. And he knew since he was 5 years old that after high school that's what he would go right into. Like. Yeah, it's like there was never. Like, that's just a family business. Like, we. We need you to help out. He started. Been working at that restaurant since he was like, freaking in fourth grade or whatever. So he just knew, like, when he was done high school that he went. Just started working there. Or like my buddy Logan, you know, he. He runs the farm now, you know?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Assume that after high school he would kind of go. I think he went to university for one year. Just wasn't his thing. And he was. Assumed that he'd run the farm. So I think there's lots of things like that that happen in smaller communities, too.

[A]

Well, it's also. Which is great if that's what you want to do too, because it's like, I like this. This is what. And it's already built in for me. And I know I've been. I know I've. No, I've learned this trade since I was a flipping kid, you know. So in a lot of ways, it's fantastic. Obviously, if it's not what you want to do, then you just. Hopefully you don't. But, um. Yeah, I was trying to think there was something else that you said that I was about this, and it already slipped my mind. Okay.

[B]

I mean, if you're going to the family business, it's probably better if your last name's, like, Rockefeller or something. That's kind of family business I'd roll right into, you know?

[A]

Yeah. I didn't want to get into the. Into the funeral home. I didn't want to become. I didn't want to work at Morris Chapel. Not that it wasn't the family business. But my mom worked there so long, it might as well have been. But I. It. It wasn't for me. It's too. Well, it's too really. It's too sad. Kind of like someone's got to do it, though.

[B]

Thank God wasn't there wasn't our family business. But where my dad worked from the time he was 18 until he died at 54, he worked at a place called Rancherlo, which was a place that took troubled youth off the streets and out of bad situations and put them into group homes. Yeah, it was like a. Yeah. Awesome thing. And every single person in my family worked at there at one point other. Except for me. Like, my brother worked there for a long time, both my sisters worked there, and my mom was on the board of directors for a while. So I guess that was kind of the family.

[A]

The family thing you didn't want to do.

[B]

That's where that's. He's like. He's. His ass are buried on that property where that. That was. It was like his life.

[A]

Oh, I know stuff. Yeah, of course. Yeah. But you obviously, you always were going to play football.

[B]

That was plan A, B and C. Yeah. The backup plan was nothing. The backup plan, they're like. People used to ask, like, if you weren't playing football right now, what do you be doing? I'd be like, I'd be trying to play football. Like, there was no other option. It was all in on football.

[A]

Yeah. And sometimes that's the best way to do it.

[B]

Barely have half a degree because I have 63 credit hours. I need 120 to graduate.

[A]

Oh, but it worked out for you. So.

[B]

Yeah. I wonder if they're even any. Are they any good anymore? Like, my first credit was in 2000, so it's 26 years ago. Like, are those credits any good? Like. Like a computer science credit from 2000 doesn't carry a lot of weight right now.

[A]

Probably not. I mean, I'm sure there's. I mean, maybe just like a history one or something. Something that nothing would have changed from. You know, like the time that you were learning. Learning up to. But that's a good question. Why are you going to go back to school?

[B]

Absolutely. The fuck not. My dad. My dad used to say, you think like, oh, I'm gonna go back to school. Impress my dad or impress my mom's. My dad's like, you go to school to get a good job. You went to school and you got a good job accomplished.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You need a fucking certificate that hangs on Your wall. Like, you've already done it. You're done. Like, thank you, dad.

[A]

Yes. I mean, I, I've talked about this before with you, but I, I, for some reason, I, I have it all the time. I mean, now that I'm saying it, I know, I know I had at least two nights ago. I constantly have a dream that I didn't finish, that I have more credits to get to. And then I'm like running to class and then I'm not sure which class. And then I. And then the teacher's like, you haven't been here enough this semester. And you're not, you're not gonna, you now, you're gonna be one credit down. You're not gonna graduate. And it's like, it's constant. It's. I always have that dream and I'm like, what the f is this dream about? Why do I have. I mean, I know other people have it too. And it's like, I know I have my diploma. I don't know where it is. I know that I graduated. I know that I have a Bachelor of Arts. I know that I don't know why I keep having dreams that I didn't finish and then I'm a couple credits short and that I have to finish. What is that about? I

[B]

took a class and I just didn't go at all. And then it was like the day before the final and have to study for the final and write all the papers for that class. It's impossible to do. Which is pretty close to how I did a lot of college anyway.

[A]

Maybe you're just having flashbacks.

[B]

When I left high school, I didn't really understand how college worked. I went there in high school. You go there every morning from 8:30 to 3:50. And then you go football practice or basketball practice. You're there all day. So I go to my first class in college and there's 400 kids in this class. It's some kind of computer science thing. And the profit's like, you guys don't have to be here. We don't take attendance or anything. If you have a question, come. But you do most of the work on your own. I'm like, I don't have to cut. And I was only taking three classes as well. So I'm like, I have three classes. I don't have to come to one of them. This is amazing. And that started to spill over into the other classes, not really going. And then I passed one class my first semester.

[A]

Oh, yeah, that'll do it. Yeah, it's okay. You didn't need it anyway.

[B]

Didn't need it. Well, actually the only, the only class I passed was one I didn't go to was a computer science class.

[A]

It is funny though. I didn't like the thing about leaving or not though is I did. I lived at home my first semester because it was a 20 minute, you know, I said 10, whatever, probably 20 minute drive between my, my parents house and in campus. And obviously you save money that way. I had a little bit of a scholarship but nothing crazy but it was obviously much, much cheaper to go to college in the early 90s than it is now.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

And then, and then I ended up the second year is when I moved out and I. But I never lived on campus. Like I never had that experience. I never had the experience. People talk about living on campus. Like all my friends talk about, you know, they were sororities or living on campus in dorms because I don't know, I got lucky. I just always found roommates and then we would get either. We had a four bedroom house at one point and it was, you know, and my rent was 100, my portion was $150. It was like $600 for this four bedroom house with two bathrooms, all this stuff. I mean at the time it was still expensive to me because I had to make that money. And I think my parents were paying my, they're paying my car insurance as long as I was in college and as long as I was making good grades, they were, they agreed to keep paying my college insurance. So I just had to pay my rent and my car payments and you know, living things. But I think insurance was so helpful because when you're under 21 your insurance is like even higher, you know, because you don't have. Because they just don't trust you and they probably shouldn't. So. But I, but I did have the, I had very fun living out of the house experiences but not living on campus experiences.

[B]

Yeah, I don't think I didn't move out. I think I might have been stayed at home for two years. I think just because it was like that's like all my friends, that's what all my friends did. They're like, I can just live at home for free. Like we're going to school 20 minutes. That way we still hang out on the weekends. We can save a bill. I think a lot of people kind of stayed at home for the first.

[A]

Yeah, I mean if you live cl, if you are living close by and if you get along well enough with your parents, you know, if. Then it's kind of like, why not? I mean, I understand the itch to get out. I mean, I had it the second year and I thought a. I want to be able to go out and not really feel like. I mean it was like a drive in between Farmington and Fayetteville. So it like more like, more if I wanted to do like social life things, it wasn't really conducive to that. We didn't really have Ubers and stuff, ways to get around if we wanted to go to a party or anything. So it definitely, I think it's a great thing if you can stay home, clearly, if you, if it's convenient. But then you get that itch to get out and, and well, especially with

[B]

everything being so expensive now. And like most college towns, even if they're small, they're still expensive because they're just like, they know their clientele. You know, these kids have money now from their parents. They're taking out $100,000 loans to go to school.

[A]

I don't even know how anyone goes to college anymore. It's insane to me.

[B]

You brought up sororities and fraternities. A lot of people are going to school paying 50 grand a year for school books, room and board. And then they're paying like another, like I don't know how much, 10 grand, whatever, to join these fraternities and sororities. It seems like insanity to me. Like my school didn't have fraternities and sororities back when I went. I wouldn't have friggin pledged anyway because I didn't understand it. But it, it just, it blows my mind like just adding another thing. And now there's like these shows. Isn't there a show called Something Rush? And these kids are paying like thousands of dollars for outfits for their fits and, and all this to kind of try impress everyone to be, get in these sororities. It's crazy.

[A]

It's, it seems so. I just, I've never understood or know anything about the sorority fraternity of life, so. And I'm not on it by any means because I understand. Especially, especially if you. Not especially, but I would say yeah, especially if you're coming from out of town and you don't know anybody. I would say that's got to be a, A, a great way to, to feel, you know, community, to feel friends. So that. It seems like so much pressure to me. I could, it just, it was never even on my radar. It was never even my radar to think about It. I was always going to major in theater, so what was I. It just never. It was never in my radar to. To try to get in a sorority or anything or think about it. I know a lot of times it. It's a family thing, right? It comes from people like their mom or their dad went to that one, and then it becomes like a. That's why, you know, people are more familiar with it because their family was a part of it. But it just seems so stressful when you talk about, like, even one of my friends, her daughter went to the University of Arkansas, and she was. She was pledging to these different ones. And, like, I'm not even sure I'm using the right terminology, but it just seems so stressful and, like, whether or not they accept you and, like, how

[B]

she's a real popularity. It's a real popularity, right?

[A]

Oh, I think a lot of them are. Maybe there's some that aren't and. And that are, but it just seems like a lot of them are, and it just seems so stressful. But if they're. If you're sort of a shoo in because you're, you know, you're. It's in your family, it's probably less stressful, but it's probably still. Then he got that sort of Nepo thing to get to deal with from people. I don't know. It just seems so stressful and blessed. I'm sure a lot of you guys did either. Sorority, fraternities. And like I said, I think the community aspects of it is great, and you make friends for life. I just like, when I hear about it, I'm like, oh, my God, that seems so stressful. But I also don't really understand it. You know, Even still at 50 years old, I don't quite understand it.

[B]

My whole education of fraternities and sororities happened from two movies. As a kid growing up in the 80s, it was revenge of the Nerds. That's all I knew about fraternity and sororities. What happened on Revenge of the Nerds, I like it. Then when I got older, when I was actually in college, even, like, leaving college, my education came from a movie called Old School with Will Ferrell. So all my education from sororities and fraternities come from those two movies.

[A]

Yeah, I think most of mine come from, like, Lifetime movies where the sorority sister kills the other one. And that's why. I think that's why I can't wrap my brain around it. I'm like, don't you know what happens? They kill Each other. They get jealous and they murder each other.

[B]

You know what's gonna blow your mind right now? My buddy Logan went to university for one year, University of Alberta. It's a big school and he joined a fraternity there.

[A]

Logan.

[B]

Yes, he was.

[A]

This is John's best friend who's like, we've talked about him before. He's now one of my best friends too. I cannot blow your mind. The reason I can't picture him in a fraternity, I can picture him getting blackout at the parties. Yeah, okay, that I can, but I can't picture him. He's a, he's too, he's a very handsome guy, very funny, all the things, very smart. But like too like it doesn't have the self confidence I would think to be in that situation. I don't think he has it like I, I, and I'm saying it as someone who, who wouldn't have had it either. It's like I, I feel like he's a little bit self deprecating or sort of like wouldn't, he wouldn't know how to like, I don't know if it's so self confidence is the right way to say it, but it's like I don't think he would be like bro out with those guys. I just can't see him do it.

[B]

I think he thought, basically thought he was like joining a movie cast, you know, like he just thought it was gonna be like awesome like drinking buddies all the time.

[A]

I mean he may not have, he might have been not, not have been wrong. And, and I'm sure it varies like where you live, what they're like, what the politics of them all are like, and all those things too. But that does make me laugh to picture Logan in a fraternity. If you guys knew him, it would make you laugh too. Just for some reason I'm like, it doesn't seem right. Not our farmer. Not our farmer. Logan.

[B]

Farmer Logan. Okay, I have, I have a couple left here. I don't know which one to do.

[A]

Let's just do one that's a little quicker since we're close to the end.

[B]

What made summers magical as a kid that you cannot recreate in adulthood?

[A]

Two things probably camping with my family, big camping trips. They were mostly in the, in the spring and summer and like, and I guess the fall but more in the summer because know we were out of school. So camping with my whole family, like my aunt and uncle, my grandma, my grandpa, my cousins, when they were little, we would all sit around in the morning after my grandma made Fresh gravy over the campfire. I mean, I don't want to go camping now. I think everybody knows that. That knows me. But it was that kind of camping, that fun sort of nostalgic as a kid even. And as, of course, as I got older, I was like, I don't want to go camping. I was a brat. But, um, but that you can't recreate that. The, like, the good memories that I have of that. And then I would say visiting my dad as a kid, like coming out to California, trying to figure out which wife he. He was with. Maybe getting to meet a new girlfriend if he was, if he was freshly divorced. No, I, but no, coming out to visit him and going to baseball games with him because he was the sports editor at the Orange County Register and going to Angels games with him. Went to a Rams game back when they were the original version of the LA Rams and played at Anaheim. Getting to go to these like banquets with him where it was hall of Sports, hall of Fame banquets and meeting people that I was all starry eyed over even though I didn't really know who they were. But, but, and, and it's not about that. It's just about the memories of like being with my dad through all those things. Like these are big accomplishments in his life that I got to join in on because I would be here for the summer, here being California, me.

[B]

It was just like you have like 65 days of like complete freedom. That's what I remember as a kid. Like, you didn't have to. You woke up. Well, I still woke up, but you woke up when you wanted. Then we just go outside and just basically play football or play hockey or play lacrosse, like all day. And then we just woke up the next day, got do it again. Like there was like, there was no bills to worry about. There was no job, there was no nothing. You just had 65 days of freedom. And then always like it was always like usually the second week of August. That's when football would start. So you started going to football practice, which I loved. So just like that, you, you, you can't recreate just that freedom of being a kid not having like any worries. Well, I didn't have any worries. I was fortunate.

[A]

I always had worries because that's who I am. But I. But no, the freedom of the summer and like doing whatever. Yeah. Staying up late.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Arkansas is beautiful in the summer. At night.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

So that, that part of like camping and, or just being able to be out because it was a weekend and I was allowed to go out when I got a little bit older, when I was 16, whatever it was, and said I was at Amy's house. But we really, we were at a party, you know, all those things.

[B]

Yeah, that's a good point too. Like in Saskatchewan you go through a lot of shitty weather. Like sometimes seven, eight months a year, even nine months a year if it's not a good year. But then that, that like 10 weeks of summer is almost always like the best weather all year by far. So it was, that was always memorable too, I think with 350 days of perfect weather a year.

[A]

But thank God, like thank God school is out during the summer and not like during the winter. Because could you imagine growing up in Saskatchewan and then being like, oh, you guys get no December, January off. You'd be like, well we can't go anywhere, it's too cold.

[B]

Minus 20 every day.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, I mean obviously it's for obvious reasons that summer is, I guess summer break because more people can take family vacations and whatever holidays, things like that. But yeah. Oh, that was a nice nostalgic little thing that you brought up.

[B]

That's why I like this book so much because it's nice nostalgic type things of like from your childhood, from friends, from staying over at someone else's house, all stuff like that.

[A]

Yeah. Well, that's why I'm excited to read it. I, I just started it, but I'm gonna. This is, we're leaving. We're recording this on the Thursday before we leave on, on the actual 4th of July we're leaving. And that's gonna be. I'm probably gonna blow through it in a couple days down by the pool with some margaritas. Just as a summer read has. Is meant to be. And Noel Eiley Gray After Dark is your August read if you need to put yourself on the Libby list or whatever it is for that. And the replacement by Liv Constantine is your Patreon short story. Don't forget that we have a lot of fun on patreon. It's only $5 a month for a little extra video fun content and the short stories are great. And we will see you guys next week for the second week of this and we'll. We'll give you a little fill in on our what we read on vacation and whatnot when we. Yep. When we return. Bye bye. The book list.

[B]

The book lisp.

[A]

The book list.

[B]

The book lisp.

[A]

The book list.