The Thought Still Counts

Summary

The Book Lisp with Jon Ryan & Sarah Colonna

Episode: The Thought Still Counts

Date: January 12, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this episode, Jon Ryan and Sarah Colonna dive into themes inspired by their current book club pick, Summer Island by Kristin Hannah. Much of the discussion centers around nostalgia, the importance and evolution of handwritten gestures like thank you cards and Christmas cards, reflections on the radio industry (especially in Seattle), and breaking down the myth that "making it" in Hollywood—or life—needs to happen before 30. The hosts bring personal anecdotes, humor, and warmth to a conversation that weaves between pop culture nostalgia, the woes and joys of Christmas take-downs, and societal pressures around age and achievement.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Post-Holiday Letdown & Domestic Updates

• Putting Away Christmas: Jon reflects on the sadness of packing up decorations, sharing his excitement over new storage solutions but also noting the emotional weight.
  • “It’s been a rough week putting away Christmas stuff. Thank God I got my new storage unit.” — Jon [00:44]
• Cat Stories: The cats miss their favorite spot under the Christmas tree, a running lighthearted motif.

2. Upcoming Gigs & Life on the Road

• Sarah shares a detailed run of her February stand-up dates and jokes about being "two ships passing in the night" with Jon as their busy schedules keep them apart.
  • “I'm on a casino tour...I can't just live in hotels. I'll lose it.” — Sarah [04:41]

3. About the Book & Seattle as Setting

• Current Read: Summer Island by Kristin Hannah (Jon’s pick); discussion about why Seattle features so prominently in books and movies.
  • “Seattle’s a very romantic city...always kind of gray and drizzly, you always feel like curling up.” — Jon [07:25]
  • Connection to authors: Kristin Hannah spent her childhood in the Pacific Northwest [08:36]
• Noticing the book’s age: Realization it’s 25 years old based on references to landlines and absence of cell phones.
  • “No spoilers, but I was like, well, there’s a lot of landlines in this book...” — Sarah [09:25]

4. The Endurance & Evolution of Local Radio

• Sarah and Jon reminisce about radio’s golden years, especially in Seattle, mentioning local figures and how the radio landscape has changed post-COVID.
  • “The radio scene is still like really big there, or maybe just because the music scene is so huge in Seattle…” — Jon [11:35]
  • Sarah shares fondness for going in for morning radio, despite the early hours.

5. The Power (and Quirkiness) of Handwritten Cards

• Inspired by the book, discussion turns to the lost art of thank you and holiday cards, including stories from their own lives.
  • “I was doing that for a while...I think I finally quit doing It. Someone was just like, just forget it. It just goes in the garbage, which I know is true, but it’s the thought.” — Sarah [16:18]
  • Notable anecdote: Seahawks GM John Schneider writing handwritten letters to all 90 players. Both Jon and Sarah agree such gestures matter.
    • “He could have had his receptionist just print something...but he handwritten for all 90 guys.” — Jon [17:07]
  • Admission to sometimes trashing cards, but valuing the intent.

Notable Quotes:

• “I wonder if greeting cards are going to go away.” — Jon [23:05]
• “People in their 20s can't even sign their own names anymore. They don't learn how to write in school...” — Jon [23:35]
• Sprawling discussion follows about the end (or not) of cursive and whether signatures will survive.

6. The Christmas Card Tradition

• Personal Traditions: The couple reminisces about years of silly Christmas cards—including favorites and missed years—and the culture around sending/receiving.
  • “We like to make a little pouty face and send a silly card out and then put a nice photo on the back.” — Sarah [20:21]
  • “The guys in the kitchen...hung up all our Christmas cards all year round.” — Jon [20:37]

7. Age, Achievement, and the Hollywood Myth

• "Make it by 30" Myth: A recurring theme from the book is the anxiety over hitting career milestones by 30.
  • “Everyone knows if you don’t make it by 30, you’re toast. And I get that mentality because I had that mentality, but it’s not true.” — Sarah [33:41]
  • Sarah shares stories from her own career, emphasizing later-in-life breakthroughs both for herself and others, like Catherine Lanasa.
  • Pop culture reference: The repeated myth from Sex and the City that you’re “more likely to be struck by lightning than married in your 30s”—Jon accidentally says "Terry" for "Carrie" Bradshaw.
    • “Very, very normal to get married in your 30s this day and age.” — Jon [35:29]

8. Pressure, Parents, and Perseverance

• The hosts talk candidly about family pressure (or, in their case, the absence of it) regarding marriage and career, appreciating the support systems that let them persist.
  • “Even when I was, I was just depressed...A few days later, I get just a card in the mail, basically saying, don’t give up, don’t come home… you’re super talented.” — Sarah [41:42]
  • “It takes 15 years to be an overnight success.” — Jon [43:31]
  • Jon reveals his mom’s naïveté about the NFL (and Sarah about acting in Hollywood), which they both now cherish as a form of unconditional support.

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Memorable & Funny Moments

• On Handwritten Notes:
  • “I know some celebrities who have an assistant sign things for them...but that’s cool.” — Sarah [17:21]
• Jon, on young people and signatures:
  • “They turn to cavemen just on the wall, John.” — Jon [25:25]
• Riffing on Greeting Cards:
  • Sarah introduces "Maxine" greeting cards for a laugh ("The only instant messaging I do is with my middle finger.”) [28:53–29:00]
• Card from Financial Advisor:
  • "Just a picture of a freaking teddy bear with a bow tie and inside it says...Ray." — Jon [27:36]
• Misnaming Carrie Bradshaw as “Terry Bradshaw,” the football player—then riffing about it [35:01–36:10]
• Jon, on being the grouchy old man:
  • "I don't mean to sound like the old guy on the stoop, drinking PBR, yelling at the neighborhood kids, but that's what I’ve become." — Jon [25:23]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Post-Christmas Blues & Cat Stories: [00:44–03:15]
• Sarah’s Stand-Up Dates & Life on the Road: [04:41–05:11]
• Seattle as a Romantic/Book Setting: [07:22–08:58]
• Radio: Then and Now: [09:57–14:22]
• Handwritten Cards/Thoughtfulness: [16:17–19:23]
• Christmas Card Traditions: [20:12–21:46]
• Cursive, Signatures & Gen Z: [23:05–26:44]
• Maxine Greeting Card Bit: [28:44–29:16]
• Myths Around "Making It" by 30 & Pop Culture: [33:41–35:29]
• Parental Pressure and Perseverance: [39:15–41:42]
• Overnight Success & Family Support: [43:15–44:34]

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Overall Tone

Conversational, self-deprecating, affectionate, with the comedic banter characteristic of both Jon and Sarah. The episode skillfully weaves together the themes of nostalgia, shifting traditions, and the realities behind creative careers, using humor and personal storytelling to ground broader cultural observations.

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Final Notes

• Upcoming reads: February’s book: Look Closer by David Ellis; Patreon short story: The Body by Daniel Hurst.
• Get involved: Join their Patreon, Facebook group, and follow on Instagram.
• Standout signoff:
  • “Happy Monday. Or whenever you listen to this listeners, we appreciate you.” — Sarah [46:07]

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 List. Hello and welcome to the Book Lisp with John Ryan and Sarah Colonna. Hi, John.

[B]

Hey, girl.

[A]

What's up?

[B]

Oh, you know, just out here in the kitchen making podcasts.

[A]

Making podcasts. I'm in the office. Yeah. It's good to see you. I just saw you in the kitchen. Yeah. John, tell everybody how you're feeling. As you have been putting away all your Christmas stuff, I think everyone needs to know.

[B]

It's been a rough week putting away Christmas stuff. Thank God I got my new storage unit. Glenn over the storage unit hooked me up big. It's like. It's like a quarter of a garage. Has, like, a garage door on it. Oh, yeah, it's very fancy. And I got all these new Christmas bags for the trees, which has been very helpful. But it's been very sad taking all this down, and I'm almost done. You said every time you come home, there's more gone.

[A]

Yeah, every time I come home. It's kind of shocking how. How? Because it's just you put so much up, and then when it goes away. A couple days ago, he took the tree out of the living room that's right in front of a atrium that we have. And I was like, do we usually have something there? And he's like, no.

[B]

What normally goes there? Like, nothing.

[A]

And he's like. And then I said, do we need something there? And he's like, well, no, because it's an atrium. You don't block. You don't want to block it. I went, I know, but it just seems so. Seems so bare all of a sudden. And the cats are upset because they love. Cats are sad laying under those trees.

[B]

They laid under those trees like, 20 hours a day.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And you know what? Except for one incident that wasn't even that bad. It was funny. They didn't climb them at all.

[A]

No, just Ruby went up one a little bit one time, and then we said her name and she came to.

[B]

Shoot down right on the side of it. It was like Christmas vacation.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So, yeah, very, very sad time of the year for me. You know, it just. It sucks that I got to wait eight more months to put it back up, you know?

[A]

Eight. Starting early this. Starting early this year, are you.

[B]

Yeah, it takes, like, three weeks to put up, but it takes, like, three days to take down.

[A]

I know.

[B]

Down a Lot. A lot quicker than it comes up.

[A]

Okay, but let's be honest. Have you considered how long it's going to take you to take all those ornaments off the banisters on the stairs?

[B]

I already started and I did. I did about like a five foot chunk and it took me like probably 15 minutes.

[A]

Oh, really?

[B]

I bet you I can get the whole thing down in an hour and a half or two hours.

[A]

Well, Mary, you guys know Mary, a lot of you are also rumpers. And if you're not, Mary Radzinski, very funny comedian, co host of Are youe My Podcast, Another very funny podcast. If you don't listen to it, hosted by me and Mary. She suggested maybe we just leave.

[B]

Looks. It looks really good. Here's the problem is that you can't use the handrail.

[A]

Right. Which it is. Yeah.

[B]

It's no problem for you. And sometimes in the morning it gets little squeaky knees going down there. But if we have anyone over that's older, they can't use the handrail, which is a problem.

[A]

Yeah, it could be a hazard. So. Well, that was your Christmas update. And John and I had a great time in Spokane and Tacoma and New Year's Eve and early January. I know we're already a little bit deeper into January, but we just, we didn't really get to say thank you to all the listeners that came out. It was really fun to see. I know there was a lot of listeners out and we appreciate you guys coming to the shows. Come see me in February. February 6th, I'm in Jefferson, Iowa with Mary Radzinski at the Wild Rose casino and resort, February 12th through 14th at Springfield Comedy Club in Springfield, Missouri. Mary will be with me for those 2 in Chicago, February 20th at the City Winery in St. Louis. February 21st at the City Winery, Emmitsburg, Iowa. The other Wild Rose Casino and Resort, me and Mary, February 27th and then in Clinton for their Wild Rose Casino and Resort. I'm on a casino tour. February 28th, me and Mary. And then 26th through 28th in Appleton, Wisconsin. And April 10th and 11th at the Arlington Drafthouse, which I love in Virginia. And I haven't been there forever, so. And then more dates are coming, but those are them for now. Sarah, you're.

[B]

You're pretty much gone all of February. I'm gonna see you for a month. And then when you get home, I leave to go for a baseball tour. So we are not gonna see each other for a month and a half.

[A]

Two ships passing in the night. Well, I'm home. I'm coming. I come home in between all that, even though it seems crazy on some of them that I should just stay, but I gotta come home. I can't just, I can't just live in hotels. I'll, I'll lose it.

[B]

But yeah, she always says I, I'll miss my cats. Oh, oh, and I'll miss you, too. The afterthought now.

[A]

I mean, I'll miss my cats. And John, the cats always go first. All of a sudden, well, they can't text. So I don't get to feel like I get to talk to them the way I get to talk to you. They can't text yet. I should say texting. And then our Patreon short story, which everyone is raving about. This one in the in the Book list spinners Join the Book Listeners Facebook group. Yeah, it is, it's really fun on Patreon. We do these short stories and we do them, we do a video recap of them. And I don't know, it just kind of introduced, it's introduced me to a couple authors I hadn't read before. And then we read some by our favorite authors. Anyway, this month it is the Body by Daniel Hurst, H U R S T. And then your February regular book, My pick is Look Closer by David Ellis. Very excited for that one. Right now we are reading Summer island by Kristen Hannah, John's pick. And we if you're new here, I know we have a lot of new listeners. We are not going to do any spoilers until week four. The Monday of last Monday or the fourth Monday of the month is when we talk about the book. Other than that, we just pull topics that are inspired by the book. Still won't spoil anything for you. It's like you're not even reading the book when you hear us talk about these things. So that just don't worry, we won't spoil anything. A lot of the premise of this book, though, is that a, there's a radio host, very popular radio host in Seattle. And I don't think we talked about that last time. Right. You wanted to talk about why. So okay, so a, a popular radio host in Seattle, very a big celebrity at this point. And she goes through a scandal and her estranged daughter pops up through that. And her estranged daughter is a struggling comedian living in Los Angeles. So there's a lot of topics that John and I can relate to in this. But I forgot you wanted to talk about last time. Just how so many books are based in Seattle. Right. We didn't talk about that.

[B]

No, we didn't.

[A]

But it's so like.

[B]

Seattle's a very romantic city. I don't know if it's like what makes. It's like. I don't know if it's like right on the water or if it's like. It's always kind of like gray and drizzly and it's. You always feel like, like curling up in a. Your bed or what. You know what I mean? But it's all like so many books, so many movies are based in Seattle.

[A]

Yeah, it's true. I think. I mean clearly we know that Seattle is a beautiful scenery. So movie wise. I get that a lot. Even though a lot of times they base him in Seattle and shoot them in Vancouver. But. But still very similar looks. But yeah, I don't, I mean you think about Sleepless in Seattle, there's all these big movies clearly. But yeah, books. It's interesting how many are. And I don't know if it's because it also. I don't know where Kristen Hannah's from. I haven't done that research. I don't know. I think sometimes it's from people that are. Because they've. It breeds a lot of authors. Right. A lot of people.

[B]

Right.

[A]

But almost like Alan Hildebrand always does hers in the. Where do you call it? Nantucket.

[B]

Nantucket or in the Virgin Islands.

[A]

Right. So. But that's. I'm going to say where is Kristen Hannah from? Into Google. I'm just curious. She's from. She was born in. No, but she spent most of her. Yeah, but she spent most of her childhood in the Pacific Northwest, particularly Snohomish, Washington where her parents moved when she was young and she continues to live in the Pacific Northwest.

[B]

There is a lot of like artistic people in Pacific Northwest, A lot of musicians there, a lot of writers, a lot of people. Garf Stein is from there. Remember him?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

Racing in the rain.

[A]

Oh, such a good book, guys.

[B]

Such a good book.

[A]

Such a good book.

[B]

But yeah, this book. I didn't really realize this book is like 25 years old.

[A]

Oh, is it really?

[B]

They and I like. They don't talk about cell phones. There's no talking about cell phones.

[A]

Well, it's funny that you bring that up because I did not realize it was an older book and I was, I thought no spoilers. But I was like, well, there's a lot of landlines in this book and yeah, I was going to talk. That's about. Talk about that with you in the review. And now I know why. So I won't bring that up.

[B]

But at one point she's looking at the traffic, looking at the freeway, and she's like a city population that has outgrown the infrastructure of the freeway. 10 years ago. I'm like, you should see it now. The freeway system hasn't changed much now. We're 25 years later. It's pretty rough.

[A]

Yeah, well, she's still there, so she probably knows that. Yeah. But. So, okay, so this, it's based around a woman who's very popular in the radio scene in Seattle. Very. And you mentioning that it was 25 years ago. Right. That is when huge radio DJs and. And names have come out of. Of Seattle, but also out of everywhere. I mean, every time, all this time I've been doing stand up, I've met tons of guys that have been in the game for a really long time. And then when I go there, they're just huge names in their city. And they're still there. There's still. A lot of them are still working. Forgive me for not giving names because my mind is not working. But there, There was a guy in, in Dallas. That's huge. And he used to work with Howard Stern and he was. He was amazing. He was. Or no, he had a beef with Howard Stern or something. I forgot. He told me the whole thing. Yeah, he was a really.

[B]

Someone's dog. It was about someone's daughter. Something. Yeah, I remember this beef. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. And then any. And then, I mean, there's just Bob and Tom. There's just a ton of Woody. Well, there's just a ton of people that have. Still are. Are big in their cities. It's just. It doesn't become as national quite anymore because there's just so many. Right. There's serious radio, even though there's a ton of big shows still on there now. But Seattle, I feel like, still has this big radio scene. I know that you and I have both witnessed a lot of changes in it, you more so even than I have over the past few years. And I just thought we could talk about that a little bit.

[B]

Yeah. I don't know if it's because I spend so much time in Seattle. I've spent so much time in Seattle, or if it's like a big city, but the radio scene is still like really big there, or maybe just because the music scene is so huge in Seattle, it's like the, the. The birthplace of grunge music. So it just seems so big. And they've had like some really huge, like, well known DJs in the city. I mean, Donnie Bonaduce was a DJ there for like 20 years, 15 years. So he was just a big name even before that. But you still. There's like recognizable names in the community. And I'm not sure if it's like that everywhere or just like the smaller markets. Now you go to a smaller market, there's be like one dj. It kind of does the, the, the morning show and then they, the afternoon things. It's like syndicated from Dallas or from New York, but they're kind of like the guys in town that everyone knows. And I don't know if it's like that in all the big cities anymore. Like, it probably was 25 years ago.

[A]

Yeah, probably not as much like it was 25 years ago. Which is kind of sad because I love radio. I, I as. I'm one of the few comics that was sad when Covid killed us going into morning radio because so it just kind of people weren't going in, obviously, during that time, and then it just kind of never came back. And there's very few stations that still do it. But I loved it. I loved going in. Now when we talk about radio and we talk about great hosts and we're. I mean, we got. BJ and Migs were always our favorite in Seattle and now Migs isn't there. I mean, BJ's not there anymore, but Migs and Taryn are awesome. Always like now or we love, Love them. Love that station. And love Bender. Love Bender. Yeah, just. And Jody. And there's just a lot of great people there. And so I always have a blast. I call you. Last time when we were there, I asked him. We were in Seattle for a Hawks game and it was before the holidays and I knew they'd be on break when we were there later. So I asked if we could come in and promote the shows. And actually people still listen and buy tickets from listening to their shows.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And when I go to some other markets, it's the same. There's that you go, you go in and you know when someone's good, you know, when they're not. They, not. I shouldn't say good, but comfortable with comedians, guests, people that they're interviewing that they can just riff with and they don't need to feel like they have to have a bunch of prepared stuff and you can just have a conversation. And it's so fun. And it's so fun. I actually miss it. The only thing I don't miss is I usually had to go. It's six o' clock in the morning, which isn't the best, but.

[B]

But also you and I have, throughout the country, especially me for Seattle, have developed like a relationship with these people. So when you go on, it's almost just like you're talking to a friend.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, you talk about past things, like stuff that happens. You can joke to each other sometimes when you go to some of these different markets, they think it's. Well, they, it is their show, but they really want to make a point that it's their show.

[A]

Right.

[B]

They, they try to one up you. They try, they don't laugh at your jokes. They, they. Some of them are rough.

[A]

Some of them are rough. And I think. And it's not. I don't even know if it's the one upping or, or just the discomfort or just because in my mind if I'm. And everyone's different. Right. But maybe it's. Maybe they just don't like it. Maybe they go, I came here to play music. I like to do the talking in between. That's it. Maybe they don't like interviewing people. Right. Maybe that's not part of it for them. You to where to me, I would think, because they're there for several hours. Right. I would think, oh God, this is a great way to, to kill a little bit of time. Bring someone in. They're gonna. But also I, I can completely understand that not every comedian is fun on radio. I can understand that some of them are late. I know a lot of them, especially.

[B]

The perform till midnight and they gotta be in the radio place by 6am A lot of the time.

[A]

Yeah. But, yeah, that's part of the gig. And a lot of them late also are just, you know, coming in a little bit too much. Right. So I think there's a balance for, for both sides. But I do kind of miss it. And I like that this is centered around someone who I, without realizing it was supposed to be 25 years ago, just has this big impact because she gets the callers and people that call in and she gives them advice. And one thing that she does afterwards, John, is this is very early on in the book, but she talks about when people leave their information with the, you know, person screening the calls. She likes to send a nice thank you card or hands written thank you. Handwritten noun. Now that I know this is 25 years ago makes more sense. But also I think that's a nice thing.

[B]

That is a nice thing.

[A]

I was doing that for a while.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I think I finally quit doing It. I think. I think it was. I can't remember who it was. Maybe it was Sarah Tilly or somebody that was like, I don't. I don't need your thank you card. I can't remember. Somebody was. Was just like, just forget it. It just goes in the garbage, which I know is true, but it's the thought. You know what?

[B]

I think it's the thought. And I have, you know, you know Bill Belichick, the great coach?

[A]

I know who he is.

[B]

He's the master of handwritten letters. He writes everyone a handwritten letter.

[A]

Oh, really?

[B]

Well, you know who else? John Schneider, the GM of the Seattle Seahawks, gives, before we broke for summer, he. A handwritten letter to every single. All 90 players on the team got a handwritten letter.

[A]

Really?

[B]

And I still have. I still saved everyone that he gave me. So I think it does mean a lot because, I mean, he could have had his, like, receptionist just print something out and then sign the bottom of it with a stamp, but he, like, handwritten for all 90 guys. I thought that was cool.

[A]

That is cool, because I actually have seen. I know some celebrities who have an assistant sign things for them. They just get their signature down and do it. I've witnessed it, but that's cool. Oh, and didn't John Schneider send all of you, all the 50 players, a handwritten note when you guys got the 50 greatest players? Yeah, and, and, and not that. That's. You can say what you want, but it takes time. And I don't know if you guys have seen my handwriting, but I think nobody wants a handwritten note for me anymore. I. But I got one. I got a handwritten thank you from our friend Christy woods when she had a pretty serious surgery right around Thanksgiving, and she lives near us, and she couldn't leave her house, and we also.

[B]

Couldn'T leave ours because we had been.

[A]

Drinking all day and we couldn't leave ours because we've been drinking. No. And it was. She was also, like, two days post surgery. She wasn't looking for company.

[B]

But no, no, no.

[A]

We. So we ubered over a bunch of Thanksgiving food for her because I knew that she was just there and didn't. Couldn't really get around and cook and. But first I asked her if that was going to be a pain in the ass, like, to meet the Uber driver, but it wasn't. Anyway, so. And then she sent. And I forgot to tell you, by the way, because you. You were part of that. And she said thank you. And then, I mean, I guess everyone's Right. I did end up throwing it in the garbage and I forgot to show it to you. But I appreciated the note and I thought it was really nice.

[B]

Yeah. And. And also as a side note, Uber's not a sponsor, but you can go Uber delivery, and it's very cheap. Like, they shouldn't live too far here. And I think Uber came and picked it up, drove it straight to her house. And it was like $3 or something.

[A]

I know. And then you feel bad because you're like, what are they getting out of it? But she told me she gave them $20.

[B]

I think I tipped them five bucks and she tipped them 20 bucks. So you got 25 for a five. Whatever. It was half a mile trip, but that'd be the best way to go. You pick it up. You don't have to have some asshole in the back of your car. You just have like a. Whatever. A turkey dinner.

[A]

Yeah, true. I mean, nice things.

[B]

Else lately, too. It was very reasonably priced. Okay.

[A]

Okay. And the other thing that comes up in this about cards in this book is that. Is that Ruby, our main daughter, there's a couple daughters, but Caroline is the other daughter of Nora's. She talks about how she sends a Christmas card to her sister Caroline. So Ruby sends one to Caroline every year. She's the only person she sends one to, but she sends it to her every year because she's. She's just. She knows that Caroline loves it, wants it, basically demands it, so she sends it to her. And I was thinking about how we're really good every year for how many years? We send Christmas cards every.

[B]

We're. We're good.

[A]

How many years were we good about it? Oh.

[B]

Oh. Like I would say it started back in like 2014 maybe.

[A]

And we. We talked about this before. We like to make a little pouty face and send us a silly card out and then put a nice photo on the back. We always find something that we think is hilarious. We don't care if other people think it is, but it is. Don't. You're. What about the guys in the kitchen at the.

[B]

Oh, they had. The guys in the kitchen. Had every one of our kitchen at sorry in Seattle, 12 Seahawk Way, Renton.

[A]

Washington, at the practice facility.

[B]

Fan mail at the practice facility. And they would hang up all our Christmas cards all year round. And I think by the time I left, there was like five, four or five that I went. I kept on sending. I went back like three years later, and they had like three more. Like they were all still There like, they had like seven straight years of our Christmas cards there because they loved them so much, which is very sweet of them. And we, they. Ours are always pretty good, but we have not done it two of the last three years.

[A]

I know. Well, we now. We did two years ago, but we just basically didn't send them out. And I f. There's still, in fact there was a few sitting in our drawer still that were for to hand out to people at the party because we panicked because we didn't mail them. And then what do you do? And then you handing someone a Christmas card at a party. It's like just then they're just standing there like an. With a card all night. Nobody wants to do that. So this year that we totally forgot, we just didn't do it.

[B]

Yeah, well, we like to have very. We have very good. We have to have a good opportunity. We had one year where we're in Mexico wearing sombreros, looking all sad. One year we're on a freaking fake donkey pinked as a zebra.

[A]

And like, that was my favorite.

[B]

Whatever. We had one. Our very first one was in a bunny costume at the Christmas Story House in Cleveland. That really what got it kicked off.

[A]

Do you still. Do we have those somewhere, right?

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Can you find. So we can put it on our Instagram?

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Okay. At the Book listeners and, and the Book listeners Facebook group. And then our Patreon. I'll post it there too. Patreon's $5 a month, by the way. We do the short stories and then we do a couple other video podcasts. We just have fun over there. It's just a little extra, little extra fun stuff from your, from your favorite Ryan's. So we'll post that. Yeah. But I think, I think it is, I mean, my parents. It's funny with cards because I, I always send my mom and my stepdad birthday cards and I usually cry in the aisle when I pick them out because I like them to mean something. It's always a thing. And, and my mom always is like, oh, you nailed it with that one. So it's, it's just kind of been a thing and that. And I, I think, I don't think I've, I don't think I've forgotten yet. So I'm hoping I, I, I don't, I won't forget. But I'm just, I'm just saying I feel like that's one thing. If I didn't send one year, I'd feel like a real asshole.

[B]

I wonder if greeting cards are going to go away.

[A]

Greeting cards? I don't think so. No. People. I mean, listen, I used to watch.

[B]

Every other paper product has gone away.

[A]

Right? That's true. I don't think greeting cards are going away. I. Maybe. I mean, I guess maybe eventually, by. I mean, maybe my generation and your generation, maybe that's. Maybe after us, maybe the. Maybe the people in their 20s aren't ever sending them, so eventually they'll phase out. Well, they. They.

[B]

People in their 20s can't even sign their own names anymore. They don't learn how to write in school, so they just print their name. Like, what. What's a signature anymore? They don't have a signature. They never learn how to. How to write cursive.

[A]

They don't learn how to cursive anymore?

[B]

Oh, no, not for like, 15 years. So I'm just saying, like, all these kids that came up, they don't write cursive anymore. So I'm saying, like, all these kids that grew up just, like, printing their name, like, they don't have a signature unless it's, like, made up. They don't. No, babe, they don't teach cursive anymore.

[A]

Why?

[B]

It's not needed.

[A]

But then how do you have a signature?

[B]

Are you. Are you Googling this? Exactly. That's my whole question.

[A]

Well, so how do you. So we just make up your signature legally? Draw from US schools when? 2010, shifting to focus on typing and digital skills. But it's making a significant comeback with many states.

[B]

A typewriter for fucking two months. Give it a rest. It's not coming back. It's like the Sopranos. It's over. It's. That means if you were born in 2005, you go to school in 2010, you're now 22 years old. 21 years old. You can't write?

[A]

No, they can write, but they just don't write incursive. But then what does.

[B]

I want to know what these people's signature looks like.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Nothing like 100 years from now.

[A]

How do you make a signature if you don't know cursive? Cursive is a funny word. It's a signature does not have to be incursive to be legally valid. Okay, I know, but. Oh, you know what? Did you start this Reddit thread? John, if kids aren't learning curses these days, how do they sign their names?

[B]

It's babe, this next gen. I don't mean to sound like the old guy on the stoop, drinking pbr, yelling at the neighborhood kids, but that's what I'VE become okay, so all these fucking kids, they can't even sign their name. It's like a crayon. They turn to cavemen just on the wall, John.

[A]

Well, it's not 6 7, 6 7.

[B]

They can't even control themselves and they say 67 consecutively.

[A]

You went off on 6, 7 last week.

[B]

I know. You're still annoying me.

[A]

I know. I feel like it's keeping you up at night.

[B]

That's why I haven't been sleeping. I wake up every morning, it's 4:30 and I can't go back to sleep. I'm like, we're all fucked. We're all doomed.

[A]

Well, someone on Reddit says signatures are not supposed to be cursive. They're supposed to be a personalized representation of your name that's theoretically hard to copy.

[B]

Like the artist formerly known as Prince.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

Go away.

[A]

Well, I do. I need to find out how to. I need to. I need to get to the bottom of how people.

[B]

Well, we have, we have, we have, well, 12 nieces and nephews. I don't know if Nicholas, he's a little older, he might have. We have at least 12 niece and nephews that grew up without cursive. So we can ask them.

[A]

Okay, ask, ask them to sign their name on a piece of paper and send it to us.

[B]

Don't just say, don't say the numbers between 5 and 8 though. They'll lose their mind. You'll lose them. They won't be able to talk the rest of the day. Oh boy.

[A]

Oh boy. You okay?

[B]

Yeah, I'm getting there.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Angry, angry elf.

[A]

Angry elf. And okay, I think we'll move on from cards and cursive just so John.

[B]

Oh, one more thing. We have Sarah and I have the same financial advisor. I've had mine for like, he's been with me like 20 years. He's like a big, like prairie country bumpkin. Big old. Got big Ray. He lives in Las Vegas now. He's single and he sends us a Christmas card every year. And it'll just be like, you know, the ones that he picked up in the dollar store. Just a picture of a freaking teddy bear with a bow tie on or something. And the side it says like warmest greetings, like printed. And he just writes, ray, I know that's.

[A]

Those do make me laugh because like, what, what do we need? We don't need those. Right? Like I don't need. I don't need your generic car that you picked out. That's why. So I'll pick When I pick out ones for my mom, my stepdad, like I was saying, I'll. I'll pick out very. You know, and I did for my dad. I like, I would do that to. It'll say something in there that kind of tears me up. I'm like, oh, I love my mom.

[B]

Right?

[A]

Like, yeah, this says the right thing. The generic ones just do seem like they're. They're wasting everybody's sort of time and money.

[B]

Yeah, it's funny. Every single year, open it, throw it right in the garbage.

[A]

You know what?

[B]

Not even. Not even a last name. Just Ray.

[A]

Just Ray.

[B]

Ray.

[A]

You know what my favorite ones were? Is. I'm trying to see if it's. If I can pull any of them up, but. Maxine. Oh, boy. If you want to have a good giggle, Google yourself some Maxine greeting cards. Just like a comic. Yeah, well, it was just like a. It was just a greeting card chain. I don't know. Not chain, but whatever. It was. It was a. A character on a greeting card, and she, you know, she saw.

[B]

Yeah, yeah, right here.

[A]

Yeah. This salty old Maxine. Yeah. Boy, they made me laugh. They would just have some. I used to love to get those for my friends. Go ahead.

[B]

The only instant messaging I do is with my middle finger.

[A]

Wait, that's a good one, Maxine. Oh, read me another one. Those are. That's. That's her getting crusty in the. In the digital age. Huh?

[B]

Oh, my idea of a Super bowl is a toilet that cleans itself.

[A]

Yeah, I like the other one better, Maxine. Sorry. But. Yeah, she's a grumpy lady on front of cards. And it was one of those where you would send it, right? I don't know. Was send it to your. Send them. I'd get them from my girlfriends, those birthday cards.

[B]

Because you're a fun friend.

[A]

I'm fun.

[B]

St. Hallmark.

[A]

Yeah, that's where I used to buy them. Okay, moving on. You good?

[B]

Yeah, I just. I want to find. You laugh so hard. I want to find another one makes you laugh. Oh, I know this. I can't. I can't look inside of this one, but the front says there are easier things than meeting a good man. I really want to read the inside of this one. Can you open it up for me?

[A]

Guess not. Okay, focus, John.

[B]

Nailing Jello to a tree, for instance.

[A]

Oh, Maxine. What a. What a card. Literally. Yeah, okay. All right, we're gonna move on.

[B]

What a card. Well done, babe.

[A]

Thank you. We're moving on. So, one thing I want to talk about. Since there is so much about her being a struggling comedian and. Well, I'm not sure. I feel like if I get into that, it's going to take up because there's this. Yeah, let's talk about it. Yeah, well, she's talking about. So she's, she's living in la. She has a terrible window AC unit. Been there, done that, didn't love it. I get it. I get you, Ruby. And she goes into her agent's office at one point and, and she's. Her career's not going well. And he talks about how she's difficult to work with and she's a waitress. And she says, I never meant to be a waitress this long. And she says she's. She's 27, this girl. Okay. In the book. And she basically says, I'm almost done. That's it, I'm done. And then she says, everyone knows if you don't make it by 30, you're toast. And I get that mentality because I had that mentality, but it's not true. Yeah, it's not true. I was bartending up until just right after 30 and was not toast. Got the, the opportunity that led me to having a great career in my early 30s. And I mean, Chelsea, I think, started her show when she was 30. So I guess by 30 in, in that sense. But you look at. I get the mentality because it is hard because aging in, in, in this industry, no matter what. Yes, of course. And. And the, and of course it's a young person's quote unquote game in some ways, and that young hot people take over the movies and all this. But then it's certainly harder for women. Can't all pretend that's not true. But the. It's cool to see now that there are some people like this woman, Catherine Lanasa, she's on the pit, right? And she has been kicking around. She's been working for a really long time. I worked with her in 2021, 22. 2021, in Arkansas, doing a play called Designing Women, written by the actual creator of Designing Women and directed by her husband, Linda Blubberth Thomason and Harry Thomason. And it was the first time that it was ever on stage. It was of an absolute blast. But it was. She, she came in halfway through. We had Carmen Cusack, who's an incredible Broadway actress and act. And she did. She played Julia for the first half and then she had to go because she had a Broadway played that she was starting. And then Catherine Lanasa came in and Played her for the second half. And not that that wasn't an amazing job. It was. And we had an amazing cast. Elaine Hendricks was in it. Kim Matullo is in it. Carla Renata. Like, we have anime. Amy Pete, who is currently. It's a great cast. Yeah. We all working actors, all great. But I remember Lanasa was sort of not. I mean, she was killing it and she was happy to be there, but she was sort of talking about how hard it is to, you know, to feel like she's not getting TV work for anymore. And. And I just remember having some conversations with her in the dressing room about different things like that and all the people she'd worked with. And then she gets on the Pit last year and now she's won an Emmy and she's killing it. And she. And they're currently in their second season and she's like one of the breakout stars of that show, even though she's in her 50s and has been working forever. A lot of people have probably seen her, didn't know who she was, that kind of thing. But. Oh, yeah, then I remember her from this and that. But. So I just wanted to say that sometimes, some. I just want to tell Ruby in the book.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That there are exceptions, so you don't have to necessarily feel that way. Although I understand it because I felt that way many times and I'm glad I didn't give up.

[B]

Yes. Thank God. I think we hear things sometimes and we just always run with it. Well, you can't make it in Hollywood after 30. And then some people just say that. You keep on saying it and say. And say it. One time in Sex in the City, they said, Terry Bradshaw said you have a better chance being struck by lightning than getting.

[A]

Did you say. Did you say Terry Bradshaw?

[B]

Carrie Bradshaw. Sorry. Terry Bradshaw's the quarterback. Carrie Bradshaw, she said, you're more. You're more. I think you're more likely to get struck by lightning than to get married as a woman in your 30s. Absolutely. 100 the not true.

[A]

No.

[B]

But people. I've heard people repeat that to me based on that show that came out 20 years ago. I'm like, that's just not true. It's not true.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, we didn't get married until I was 40.

[B]

It's very, very normal to get married in your 30s. This day and age. Very, very normal. Maybe our parents generation growing up in smaller towns, smaller cities, it wasn't so normal. It's very, very normal.

[A]

And he also. Even our parents generation growing up in Big cities. I just think for, you know, even when, When Terry Bradshaw. No, when Carrie Bradshaw said that, it was also a little more true for the time Right. When that show was on.

[B]

I guess so.

[A]

I mean. Yeah, I mean, I think so. I mean, that's what that whole show was. Right? Was. Was sort of. I don't know. I didn't really ever watch it, to be honest.

[B]

I watched every episode.

[A]

I know you did. I know you did.

[B]

Not the new one. Not the new one, but every episode of the O.G.

[A]

Okay. And that's.

[B]

I had them on. I had them on dvd.

[A]

Oh, you did, on dvd. Do you have, like, watch Nights you have other football players over to watch Sex in the City Watch?

[B]

By myself. My little apartment in Winnipeg, 2004.

[A]

Well, yeah, I was, for some reason, never a Sex in the. The City Watcher. I just, I, I, I had a couple Cosmos. I know that they made those popular and, and they did. I remember that. And I think the episodes I've seen is basically. I've, I've. I've probably seen them all.

[B]

Probably have.

[A]

But not in order. And never really followed a storyline. Right. Like, I've seen them here and there as reruns and I've watched. It's not like I didn't watch them or. No, I know who all the flipping characters are just because it's on all the time. I know who Mr. Big is because we see him at Panzanella drinking all the time. Well, not. I shouldn't say drinking all the time. I don't know how many. I don't know what he. I just, I've seen him with a martini. That's not, doesn't mean anything. I mean, I had a martini when I saw him too, but I just mean we see him and, and our neighborhood.

[B]

If, if you go back to the first season, that show, they quit it after the first season, but they used to break the fourth wall.

[A]

Oh, really?

[B]

Yeah, all the time. And then they should turn to the camera and say, like, blah, blah, blah. They'd go back into character. They used to do it all the time in the first season. I don't think they ever did it after the first season. They cut that out.

[A]

Oh, that's kind of a weird thing to drop, isn't it?

[B]

Yeah. Yeah.

[A]

That would be like if the office all of a sudden wasn't doing that. But it must have been that it didn't work.

[B]

Unless I just stopped noticing after the first year. But I know they did it the first year. I don't think they ever did it again.

[A]

Well, you're probably going to have some sex in the city diehards that are going to tell you exactly.

[B]

Yep.

[A]

Over here, I'm sure we got a couple of viewers. Where was that coming from? Oh, from a. Yeah, from. From the stereotypes of, like, certain. Certain things have to be done by a certain age because it's. That's the same way with biologically. I understand there's some challenges that come up, and there are years that it's best for you to have children and all that. So that's a different story. But, yeah, growing up in Arkansas, I for sure was. You know what's funny, though? I was a. An oddball for not being married younger and then for continuing not to be married while I lived out here on my own. But you know what's funny about that is I never got any. I never felt any pressure or judgment or feedback from my parents about it. From none of them. No. And I got four parents. I did. Now I got three because my dad's dead. Super dead.

[B]

No, my. My parents and my family never. Never gave me, like, any house. I think. I think Mommy says one time, she goes, it might be a little bit different if I didn't have any niece or if I didn't have any grandkids. I may be able to put a little bit of pressure on you.

[A]

Right.

[B]

But she's got them coming out of her kazoo.

[A]

Right.

[B]

In 12 of them.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

She never. She. She's always, like, supported the fact I didn't want to have kids.

[A]

Yeah. And I think my mom.

[B]

I don't.

[A]

I don't think, like, supported it or. Yeah, I think true. She has my nephew. My. My. She. She had a grandbaby, so she was kind of fine, I think. Would she have liked more? Maybe. But I never. She would joke here and there. Right. Well, he's my only grandkid. I'm gonna get, you know, like, thinking she's like. But it was never serious. I never took it seriously. I never took offense to it and never felt like she was trying to rib me or give me a hard time.

[B]

Yeah. It seems like women get a harder time for that. I don't know if she's making Give birth, but it seems like you very rarely hear, like, oh, you better get married soon, John, or blah, blah, blah. Whereas I feel like people are harder on women for that.

[A]

Yeah. Because we get the. For everything. That's why. Okay.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

A lot to carry around here. No, I. But I am lucky just thinking about that. Even though it's a kind of a random topic, but just thinking about how my parents, they didn't, I never felt like I got the, are you, when are you getting married? Why aren't you getting married? I got the very happy that I met you reaction. I don't think even when I was dating the only other person I dated for a significant amount of time, that would have seemed like maybe someone I was gonna marry in their minds, just because we were together long enough. I don't even think anyone asked me when I was marrying him. Probably because they didn't want me to. They were probably like, hopefully not. But yeah, it's interesting. I mean, I guess I'm pretty lucky because I know that some people aren't as lucky. They get a lot of pressure for that stuff. In fact, my mom, when I, I, I'm, I don't remember if I've told this story on this podcast before or not, but even if I have him to tell it again, because when she says that thing about 30, if everyone knows if you don't make it in Hollywood by 30, you're toast. I remember I was probably more like 28, but I was just depressed. I was just, I can't believe I'm still bartending. I, I, you know, what's the plan? What's my backup plan? Yes, I have a degree, but it's a Bachelor of Arts degree. What kind of job is it going to get me? Sure, I went to college, but, like, for theater. Have I made a huge mistake? All this and that. I was going through a bad period and I was talking to my mom about it, and a couple days later to bring it home to a handwritten card a few days later, probably because I had to get to LA from Arkansas, but a few days later, I get just a card in the mail, basically saying, don't give up, don't come home. Not sure if that was, not sure if that was like, no, sorry, we already turned your bedroom into, into an exercise room. But because you left so many years ago. But she, she just was like, you're super talented. You're so talented. Don't, don't give up. And I do, I do too. And I don't think a lot of, I don't know. I know that I'm lucky because I know that a lot of people would have parents that would say, yeah, what were you thinking? And not out of meanness, not out of spite, but just out of, what are you going to do? Because people have to worry about, they worry about their children no matter how Old. They are. Right. They worry about their future and are you going to live in that one bedroom apartment in Hollywood forever? At that moment, I thought I was going to, and my mom somehow knew that I wasn't. Isn't that nice?

[B]

It is great. And it's. People don't realize how nearly impossible it is to make it in the city as an actor, entertainer. It's almost impossible. And the people that do make it, they always. I always say maybe. No, someone else said this. I always say it, though, is, it takes 15 years to be an overnight success.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

The people that you think are an overnight success, they grinded it out for a fricking decade. Like, oh, yeah, you hear these stories, like on fake movies, like, someone's coming. They wander down Hollywood Boulevard with their suitcase in their hand and some agent says, hey, you ought to be a star. The next day they're in a Tom Cruise movie. It doesn't fucking happen. That's the fucking fake movies, not how it happens. You gotta grind it the fuck out.

[A]

That's what my mom told me to do. She said, I don't know why you don't just get a job at, like, Paramount and just work at the desk and then they'll like, you know, know, put you in movies.

[B]

I think your mom had a little bit of what my mom had when I was trying to make the NFL. It's a little bit naivety. Little bit naive.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know where she, like, didn't know how hard it was to make the NFL, but she's like, well, you're just going to go and make it. Like, I'm like, mom, like, I, I want. I didn't say it, but it's like no one has ever made it from where I'm from before. Like a million people in my province, no one had made it in 40 years, my hometown, no one had ever made it. And she's like, well, just. Yeah, you're just gonna go make it. And that's that.

[A]

Is it naivety or is it just fully believing in you and she knew you were going to.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. I think it was both. I think she just truly believed in me. And I think after the fact, like, years later, she's like, holy fuck, I didn't realize how hard it was. She's like, like, at the time, it was true, this belief, but after the fact, she's like, geez, I had no clue. Looking back, I was naive.

[A]

Yeah. Okay, well, we went off some. On some tangents and, well, we, we.

[B]

We got to the end.

[A]

I know that's what we do though. We get, we go off on tangents. But because I have, I want to talk about how she, she gets on this talk show and it's like she think it's, it's, you get two minutes to stand up and all this. But we'll talk about it next week. People will probably be further along in the book, but it won't be a spoiler. But we'll talk about it next week because if I start talking about it, I'll take another half hour and I know that eventually the podcast is supposed to sort of wrap up, right? So it's just something I have a lot of thoughts about and I want to hear everyone's thoughts about. So that'll be next week. This was super fun. Look Closer by David Ellis is your February pick The Body by Daniel Worst is your Patreon short story. We're currently reading Summer island by Kristen Hannah and join us on patreon. It's only $5 a month for extra content. Join us on the Book List Spinners where we keep a feature tab of everything we're reading. Join us on instagram. Go to sarahcolona.com for all my in person dates, stand up comedy dates and always send us suggestions of of things you're reading. We always love them. Right?

[B]

Yep, for sure.

[A]

Happy Monday. Or whenever you listen to this listeners, we appreciate you.

[B]

Thank you.

[A]

The Book List, the book lisp. The Book List, the book lisp. The book lisp.