The Wayback #45 | George Perez

Summary

The Wayback #45 | George Perez
The Wayback with Ryan Sickler
Release Date: November 7, 2024
Host: Ryan Sickler
Guest: George Perez
Duration: Approximately 36 minutes

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Introduction

Ryan Sickler welcomes comedian and storyteller George Perez to the episode, setting the stage for a nostalgic journey into George’s past. The conversation opens with playful banter, immediately establishing a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

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Growing Up in a Large Family

George Perez dives into his childhood, emphasizing the chaos and camaraderie of being the second youngest among 15 siblings.

• George Perez [01:44]: "I am the second youngest of 15 kids. I've always been in the way..."

Ryan highlights the logistical challenges of such a large household, pondering the difficulties of monitoring numerous children.

• Ryan Sickler [03:38]: "There was nine of us in a four bedroom."

George humorously shares anecdotes about sneaking out of a crowded household, detailing the intricate paths he had to navigate to gain some personal space.

• George Perez [06:00]: "The window that we snuck out of was the back restroom window... climb up the apricot tree, go over the back fence..."

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Neighborhood Dynamics and Friendships

The discussion shifts to George’s neighborhood, painting a vivid picture of a diverse community with various neighbors.

• George Perez [05:25]: "We had Chris Lister, the baddest white boy in our city... John Bowker, a Korean war veteran..."

He recounts the complexities of friendships across cultural lines, including his interactions with Joseph Vo, a first-generation Vietnamese neighbor.

• George Perez [05:46]: "We would be fighting in front of his house... he was like, my mom says I can't play with you."

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Childhood Games and Mischief

George reminisces about playing neighborhood games like "Ditchum," a local version of capture the flag, showcasing the competitive and inventive spirit of his youth.

• George Perez [07:26]: "Ditchum was just like, alright, there's 10 of us... the BMX Bandits..."

Ryan and George describe the adrenaline-filled moments of playing these games at night, avoiding parental detection, and the creativity involved in creating makeshift game equipment.

• George Perez [09:37]: "We were playing one night... my mom was just so pissed off, coming out with spandex on..."

The challenges of hiding during these games, coupled with humorous incidents involving George’s overzealous mother, add depth to the narrative.

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Lessons from Mischief

George shares a pivotal moment when his mischievous actions led to meaningful life lessons.

• George Perez [18:03]: "I was such a bad kid... trying to rob this chick for all her Nintendo games."

After getting caught and facing his mother's ire, George reflects on how this experience curbed his tendency to steal.

• George Perez [19:19]: "That's when the lesson of life... I never stole after that again..."

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Nintendo Nostalgia and Family Dynamics

The conversation shifts to the pivotal role of video games in George’s childhood, particularly his experiences with the Nintendo console.

• George Perez [19:28]: "Nintendo was life, bro. I still collect it."

Ryan and George delve into the competitive nature of their gaming sessions, highlighting tense yet bonding moments over games like Super Mario Brothers and Mike Tyson's Punch Out.

• Ryan Sickler [23:05]: "They were trying to hurt you verbally and just humiliate you while we're playing."

George shares humorous yet relatable stories of sibling rivalries exacerbated by competitive gaming, including memorable fights and his father’s stern yet amusing interventions.

• George Perez [26:13]: "My dad was like, I'm blind. And my dad wakes up and kicks everybody's ass."

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Early Romantic Ventures and Parental Guidance

George recounts his early attempts at romance and the comedic yet strict guidance from his father.

• George Perez [35:11]: "I had to sit... I did it... My dad slapped me."

Ryan shares a personal story mirroring George’s experiences, emphasizing the universal challenges of teenage romance and parental oversight.

• Ryan Sickler [32:11]: "I saw it change to one. I heard, dude, my dad laid on that horn like this..."

George humorously reflects on the awkwardness and lessons learned from these early romantic mishaps.

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Memorable Coaches and Sports Memories

The dialogue transitions to George’s high school sports experiences, particularly his relationship with a mentor figure, Coach Rocky Mounds.

• George Perez [29:05]: "He taught me how to play defense, man..."

George highlights the positive impact of his coach, contrasting it with the chaotic influence of his brothers and their attempts to out-coach him.

• George Perez [30:19]: "Every practice he would play Public Enemy. Welcome to the Terror Dome."

This section underscores the importance of mentorship and the lasting impressions coaches can leave on young athletes.

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Conclusion and Reflections

As the episode wraps up, George and Ryan reflect on their shared experiences growing up, emphasizing the lasting friendships and memories forged through childhood adventures and mischief.

• George Perez [35:46]: "Yeah, that's why he was proud. He's like, hey, you're not telling on him no more."

Both guests share a final round of promotions, celebrating the community they've built and the ongoing connections that sustain their friendships.

• George Perez [36:14]: "Don't forget, guys, George P. Comedy on any social media..."

Ryan concludes by thanking George and encouraging listeners to join future live shows.

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Notable Quotes

• George Perez [01:44]: "I am the second youngest of 15 kids. I've always been in the way..."

• Ryan Sickler [03:38]: "There was nine of us in a four bedroom."

• George Perez [07:26]: "Ditchum was just like, alright, there's 10 of us... the BMX Bandits..."

• George Perez [18:03]: "I was such a bad kid... trying to rob this chick for all her Nintendo games."

• Ryan Sickler [23:05]: "They were trying to hurt you verbally and just humiliate you while we're playing."

• George Perez [26:13]: "My dad was like, I'm blind. And my dad wakes up and kicks everybody's ass."

• George Perez [35:11]: "I had to sit... I did it... My dad slapped me."

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Key Takeaways

• Family Dynamics: Growing up in a large family fostered both chaos and strong sibling bonds, teaching George resilience and resourcefulness.

• Neighborhood Influence: Diverse interactions with neighbors shaped George’s social skills and understanding of different cultures.

• Childhood Mischief: Engaging in neighborhood games and minor rebellions provided valuable life lessons and lasting memories.

• Gaming and Competition: Video games were a central part of George’s childhood, fostering both camaraderie and competitive spirit among friends and siblings.

• Parental Guidance: Strict yet loving parental guidance, particularly from George’s father, played a crucial role in shaping his character and decisions.

• Mentorship in Sports: Positive mentorship from coaches like Rocky Mounds significantly impacted George’s development and appreciation for teamwork and strategy.

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Final Thoughts

In this episode of The Wayback with Ryan Sickler, George Perez offers a heartfelt and humorous glimpse into his childhood, illustrating how early experiences and relationships shape who we become. Through shared stories of family, friends, and formative adventures, both hosts and listeners are reminded of the enduring impact of our past on our present selves.

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Stay Connected:

• Ryan Sickler: RyanCickler.com | Follow on all social media platforms
• George Perez: George P. Comedy | Linktree for tours and podcasts
• Live Shows: Tickets available at ryansickler.com

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Thank you for tuning into The Wayback. Join us next week for another trip down memory lane!

Transcript

[George Perez]

Hey, baby, we gonna be here all day.

[Ryan Sickler]

We gonna be here all day, baby.

[George Perez]

I like this kind of party.

[Ryan Sickler]

Welcome back to the Way Back, everybody. I'm Ryan Sickler over here. RyanCickler.com and Ryan Sickler on all your social media and starting this episode like I start them all by saying thank you. Thank you for real. Thank you for whatever you do to support anything I do. Thank you. It's appreciated. This show is, it's, it's a newer show. It's been so much fun to, to hear these stories about the people we know and see the photos growing up. And I'm just having a great time here in the Way Back. Come see me on tour if I am in your town when you're around. Tickets are on my website for all [e-mail]. go there and get them. You'll be sure to get the right ones. All right, I'm very excited to have this guest here with me today. I'll see you later, princess. Ladies and gentlemen, George Perez. Welcome to the Way Back George Perez.

[George Perez]

What's up, my boy?

[Ryan Sickler]

Thank you for being here with me.

[George Perez]

Thank you.

[Ryan Sickler]

Before we go back down memory lane, promote whatever you'd like, please.

[George Perez]

George Perez. George P. Comedy on all social media. Guys, if you want to see my tour, go to my link tree George P. Comedy podcast, George Perez stories. And if you like rare funk music, funk freaks in the building all day.

[Ryan Sickler]

All right, so we know a lot of adult George stories. Let's talk about little, little Jorge.

[George Perez]

Jorge.

[Ryan Sickler]

How do you say it?

[George Perez]

No, like all my friends couldn't say Jorge. Jordy. Jordy.

[Ryan Sickler]

So I usually try to start. If you've ever had a seat in this seat here in the way back. Have you ever grown up, you ever sit back here?

[George Perez]

I am the second youngest of 15 kids. I'm always been in the way and I had a wet back in the way back.

[Ryan Sickler]

You might be the first.

[George Perez]

Yeah, it's taking me way back. The doctor said I need a backyard.

[Ryan Sickler]

So who had this car in your family? Who was it?

[George Perez]

My cousin had this car in the family. And like since I had five brothers, there was six of us. Like this was the car we used. Like, hey, we're gonna go on vacation. We're gonna leave dad's truck and take that car.

[Ryan Sickler]

So do you remember what kind of car it was?

[George Perez]

I. I think it was an Impala. It was, I think it was an Impala, but it was not like fixed.

[Ryan Sickler]

Up like beat up Chevy Impala.

[George Perez]

It, you know, many times that door messed up your leg?

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. Was yours a swing door?

[George Perez]

Swing door?

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[George Perez]

So, yeah, I remember it. Dude, you.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[George Perez]

Am I right or wrong? Your parents call you Hori?

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah. You got to look all the way back over there. Here it is right here. There's an open wagon door right there.

[George Perez]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

See some folded down and some swung like a wrecking ball coming in at you. Now where you say you take it on vacation? Where are you guys going on vacation? Where are you driving?

[George Perez]

For us, the vacation back there was like the beach or the park.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay, so you're going local? Yeah, local, but like, no Grand Canyon or anything like that out here. No Vegas.

[George Perez]

My dad wasn't a vacation man. He was more of like just all I do is work. And. And yeah, we're gonna go to the park, we're gonna go to the beach, or we're gonna go see another family member or we're gonna go to like a party. And like, not till we got older, we didn't. We had to go in. In the way back wagon.

[Ryan Sickler]

And you're one of how many kids again?

[George Perez]

Second to 15.

[Ryan Sickler]

I mean, that's crazy. Like, I think about this all the time. I know you probably all didn't live together just because of the amount of years, but at some point, what's the most people in the house at once would, you know what I'm saying?

[George Perez]

There was nine of us in a four bedroom.

[Ryan Sickler]

Now here's what I think about as a parent too. If I have nine kids, there's no way I'm finding that. That I'm going to know if one of them snuck out.

[George Perez]

Oh, yeah, well, there's. Yeah, there's six of us and. Yeah, yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

So six kids you could get out of there and get back in.

[George Perez]

Man, there was times I snuck out, bro, and they didn't even know I was gone.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's what I'm saying. There's so many people. And where are you going when you sneak out? All right, first of all, walk us through it. What are you sneaking out of? We. An apartment, a house, whatever. And what's your. What's your path? How do you get out? You know, you got to get by.

[George Perez]

Oh, wow, this is great. So it's a four bedroom house. We live on the corner, and all my friends are like three minutes walking distance, and we have a big backyard.

[Ryan Sickler]

So you had that type of neighborhood where you had a lot of kids your age?

[George Perez]

Oh, yeah. I live every. My whole block. We had a cul de sac, it was called. I lived off Poplar and We would call it the poplar block because if you. You're good at sports, you had to face us and the people on my block. So across the street we had Chris Lister, the baddest white boy in our city. And his dad's name was David Stern. He was the best baseball coach. And then next door to him we had John Bowker. He was a white man that was in a Korea war and he married a Korean woman. And then they came back and then next door we had the Rodriguez's. And then after that we had Ms. Moss with Billy and Serena. Then down the we had Joseph Vo. We went to kindergarten together, but this fool wasn't allowed to hang out with me. We went to kindergarten together.

[Ryan Sickler]

Why wouldn't he allow to hang out?

[George Perez]

Because his, his, it. It was like a first generation Vietnamese family and like we were the crazy Mexicans on the corner. Like we would be fighting in front of his house, chasing each other, doing stuff. And he was like, my mom says I can't play with you. But at school we kick it. And he would just be like, hey, these kids are picking on me. Am I cool? Then everybody be like, hey, how do.

[Ryan Sickler]

You know Joseph O?

[George Perez]

That fool's a nerd. He can't. I go, dude, he's my neighbor. But he was cool, man. He was cool. Yeah. Joseph Vo. What's up, Joseph?

[Ryan Sickler]

So when you sneak out, what's the path? You said, are you sharing a room with somebody?

[George Perez]

I have the closest room to the front.

[Ryan Sickler]

By yourself?

[George Perez]

No, me and my two brothers.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay.

[George Perez]

And one of them was younger and the other one was like, did not care about me at all. He's very into himself, doing what he wants to do. So he was more like, care what you do. However, though, the window that we snuck out of was the back restroom window. So you would have to walk through the hallway. And you gotta remember this, there's six boys in the house. So the. In the. And the washing machine was in the hallway. So you had to go through just. The hallway was just like a go. Yeah, it was like it.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[George Perez]

If John Rescue laundry mats, he would have went in there and had a fiddle.

[Ryan Sickler]

So you just step through all this.

[George Perez]

Plastic bags and football stuff and all that, and just then you get to that window. And then I had to tell my brother Ernesto, hey man, I got 50 cents right there, dog. I'm trying to go hang out with the homies. Mom said I'm grounded. He's just like, give me 50 cents. Jump through the back restroom window. Go through the back I had an apricot tree. Climb up the tree, go over the back fence, and it's right there. Dog by Mrs. Moss.

[Ryan Sickler]

What's the first time you did that? When you actually had to figure out this way? You know what I mean? What'd you go do the first time you're like, I'm sneaking out. Why?

[George Perez]

Well, we used to play this game called Ditchum, and it was, like, for cool kids.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay.

[George Perez]

And I don't know if you know what Ditchum is, but.

[Ryan Sickler]

No. How do you play Ditch? I love. I love local neighborhood games. Like, people make up in their neighborhoods that we didn't play.

[George Perez]

Oh, yeah, dude. Ditchum was just like, all right, there's 10 of us, and there's 10 of you. And we had a team of 10. We were called the BMX Bandits. We all had BMXs, and we straight BMX Bandits with shaving cream. We were like, who has spray paint? Yeah. Hey, do.

[Ryan Sickler]

No.

[George Perez]

They won't get in trouble for the shaving cream. So we put B. And my. My nickname back then was high Top because my older brother always had high tops. And I would wear them, and I'd get my ass kicked when I got.

[Ryan Sickler]

Back home because he didn't know you were taking them.

[George Perez]

Yeah, the Bosworth. Those are the Bosworth, the Avias, Remember? Remember the aviations? Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

What color would you. Blue ones.

[George Perez]

Look how much they cost right now.

[Ryan Sickler]

How much?

[George Perez]

89.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, the 830s.

[George Perez]

Dude, those look like the Jordans without the Jordan 100.

[Ryan Sickler]

They really do. All those shoes look very similar. Yep. That definitely looks like a Nike Air, for sure.

[George Perez]

So I was wearing the Avias, the Bosworth, and yo. Meet up where? Pertola. Pertola was this junior high by my house. There it is. Dog. Dog. So check it out. We meet in that parking lot.

[Ryan Sickler]

I love these moments.

[George Perez]

Next door right there, that's the other school. That's our elementary. Oh, that's all Sycamore Elementary. So you had two schools to hide in, and then it'd be teams.

[Ryan Sickler]

You're doing this on, like, a weekend when no one's there. Like, empty now, so you could hide all over.

[George Perez]

We didn't even plan like that, okay. It was just more. It was kind of like, stand by me, where I was like, what's up? You guys got hot dogs? We're going to meet up. Bring hot dog. Bring fruit, whatever. We're going to eat, and we're going to play this Ditchum game. And those weren't there, those solar panels. None of that was There. So nobody hid there. We hid. I, I. You see that tree right there behind where it says Portola Matador back over there? I was in that. To the left. Yes, I was in that. That's how I won you in that tree right there. And then my shoes match. My shoes match the, the school.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, yeah. The boss.

[George Perez]

Yeah, dog. You're a dog. So we were playing one night and it like, you could hear people. Like, it was like, they're like, yo, dog, it's 11:30, man. George, come out. We're gonna get in trouble.

[Ryan Sickler]

So hold on real quick. Explain the rules.

[George Perez]

Oh, yeah, ditch them. So, okay, look, this is Ditchum. You got your squad, you got the 10 on 10, 10 on 10. I'm the BMX Bandits, you're the 16 year old. We got our own pad crew. You bring all your friends and like, all right, look, we're gonna hide from you, and you guys got to catch us. Everybody throws A.

[Ryan Sickler]

All 10.

[George Perez]

All 10. Everybody throws a quarter in. That's the fee to get in, all right? And the person who wins the last gets all those quarters, okay? What, three bucks?

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, that's five bucks. Five bucks.

[George Perez]

So I was like, nah, dog. Last week, last month, they beat us. So you, you, you count to like 100. And you got to say it loud. Remember, Remember the, the old big gold cups? We cut the bottom and just like, whoa, two, three and Fools are jamming, man. Fools are jamming. And I was like, all right. So I walk by the Portola locker room. I was like, you know what, dog? No one's ever gone up this tree. Climbed a little fence, went up there. Boom, it's on hour later, fools are getting and that they have to physically grab you.

[Ryan Sickler]

Okay? You gotta touch it.

[George Perez]

It can't be. I see you, right? You gotta come. So I was like, no one's gonna come up in this tree, dog. So we're there, we're playing tag.

[Ryan Sickler]

And what time of day you starting?

[George Perez]

This is eight at night.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's when you started.

[George Perez]

Yeah, because we need the darkness. Because you can hide easy in the daytime. So, yeah, man, we're up at. I'm up in this tree.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yep, Kirsten's got that tree.

[George Perez]

Good job. So I, I'm up. Oh, there's the basketball courts, dude. Oh, man, there was an earthquake right there one time. But anyways, so I'm up in this tree and it's, it's like midnight now. And like, my brothers came out there. They're like, hey, have you guys seen George? They're like, Nah, he's like, dude, dude, George needs to go home, man. Have you guys seen Jordan? My mom sent my brothers to get me, and they didn't come get me. So out of nowhere, man. My mom was a beautiful lady, but there was times she was just like, I don't care. I felt so embarrassed. She came outside, dog, with spandex on, didn't shave her legs. So pissed off, dog. So pissed off. She. She had on the first avias like, we ever got. Because, dog, she was so pissed off. And she has this, like, big butcher knife because she thinks I got kidnapped.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, no way.

[George Perez]

Yeah. And I just.

[Ryan Sickler]

She's just storming out in the neighborhood.

[George Perez]

And my mom's not, like, the kind of mom that's like, hey, guys, have you seen Georgie? She was like on the styles, George, where you at? And I'm like, dog, there's still someone else out there.

[Ryan Sickler]

There was.

[George Perez]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And how do you know that? Because you can see everything.

[George Perez]

Because we all come in. Everyone who's been caught is in the middle in the of the basketball court.

[Ryan Sickler]

And you can see them.

[George Perez]

Yes, there. So sure enough, dog, my mom starts cursing me out in Spanish. And then my mom goes home and comes back, and this is. My mom pulled some gangster. My brothers came back. She goes, hey, man, if you guys don't tell me where George is, we're gonna start knocking you fools out.

[Ryan Sickler]

Your mom?

[George Perez]

No, my mom told my brothers.

[Ryan Sickler]

So what's her order, though?

[George Perez]

Yeah, so, like, everyone's like, the fools are on my team. Like, he's up in that tree. I don't know if you know this, but I'm kind of scared of heights.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[George Perez]

Yeah. Like, I won't drive on a bridge or nothing now. So climbing up the tree was no problem. Coming down this tree was the problem.

[Ryan Sickler]

In the dark, too. Yeah, dark.

[George Perez]

Oh, and now you could hear the birds that live up there.

[Ryan Sickler]

Live up there.

[George Perez]

I was in there hiding. I was in there hiding.

[Ryan Sickler]

Like, they're back home now.

[George Perez]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

What's this doing down here?

[George Perez]

Are those the Boss Rifts? So I agree to come down now, and it takes me, like, 20 minutes to come down until my brother goes up there and pushes me, like, halfway down, bro.

[Ryan Sickler]

He did?

[George Perez]

Yeah. And that was a great game, man. It was me, Joey Cork, Nester, Stanley Raymond, John Silvis. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And I don't John Silvis, because you got. Where was he the whole time? He didn't have a mom.

[George Perez]

Like, he didn't get in trouble. He didn't get in trouble for coming home late. But like, you know. You know. You know what's cool, Ryan is like, we were all friends. This is my kindergarten class. We all went to school together till, like, our sophomore junior year.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's how we are. I still talk to so many people. We go to. We'll go to a wedding these days or something. People come over from the other side, you know, the bride side or whatever. And they're like, you guys all know each other since sixth grade. We're like, yeah. And they're like, this is amazing that there's like 15 of you that still hang. And we're like, we. You know, we can't as much anymore, obviously, but when we can, we do. Yeah.

[George Perez]

And we still. We still play poker together. Like, we still all, like. And my kids and my friend's kids went to school together. Dog. Yeah, that's me. That's me, my junior.

[Ryan Sickler]

Wait, in the bag there.

[George Perez]

That's me right there. I look older than I do. That's Pat Harris on the left of me. That's George Hernandez. And that's the other guy missing right there. That's technical foul. Ra.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's his name.

[George Perez]

Yeah, because he. When he does something, it's not a foul. It's a flagrant technical foul.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh, yeah.

[George Perez]

He's the wrong. He's. He's our. Wrong art on our test. And then the Filipino guy that looks like Edwin, like crazy right there, that's Nestor Caballo. And then that's Richard Reyes. And then the guy in the front, he was the kicker for the Dallas Cowboys.

[Ryan Sickler]

Nah.

[George Perez]

Yeah. This little dude down here, the one with his hand on his chin, that's Jerry Arguello. He was.

[Ryan Sickler]

This dude went to the Cowboys and kicked.

[George Perez]

Yeah, I think he kicked for, like, a couple teams. And so did Mike andor. We went to school together.

[Ryan Sickler]

Mike and. No, I remember him. Yeah, I remember that name for sure.

[George Perez]

Yeah. That was great, man. Did you guys play Ditchum or, like, freeze tag or, like.

[Ryan Sickler]

We did flashlight tag. We did freeze tag. We did capture the flag. You ever do that one? So we did. That was like, the most. You know, we do 5 on 5 or 10 on 10. We'd get together and play. If we didn't have enough people, we'd play baseball, but we'd play left field only. Like, right. If you hit the right field or the right side, it's automatic out. You had to pull it to left field. And, you know, I'm saying you get one out, you get two outfielders, an infielder, and a pitcher.

[George Perez]

Okay?

[Ryan Sickler]

So that would be Our four on four as the minimum.

[George Perez]

Yeah, but you had to play.

[Ryan Sickler]

You had to play left field only, and anything center field and over was an out.

[George Perez]

You didn't play over the line.

[Ryan Sickler]

Which one? I've heard of this one. What is this?

[George Perez]

Yeah, I don't remember it. Like, I wasn't good. I think it was just.

[Ryan Sickler]

I wasn't good at it.

[George Perez]

Yeah, I wasn't good at. I was good at every sport but baseball because I was like, I. Everyone used to beam me because I was like, you know, we're comedians. I've always been the bull. I wasn't a bully physically. I was a verbal bully, even on.

[Ryan Sickler]

The field and stuff.

[George Perez]

Everywhere. At church, I didn't care. What's up? How come your family keeps skipping the donation basket, dog?

[Ryan Sickler]

Tell me about sneaking into this girl in the girl's house.

[George Perez]

Well, I'm gonna. Yeah, dude. So across the street from Pertola, on the left side was El Camino Park. El Camino park was across the street from Sycamore, from Sycamore School. And the girls would play softball there from all the other schools that were around us because we had west or around us, we had Palmyra and Lamson, and they would all play there. And we finally met a girl that was, like, down enough. She's like, hey, if you guys ain't doing nothing, my dad doesn't. He's not home on the weekend. You guys can come to my house. And we were like, oh, yeah, cool. And honestly, I was such a bad kid. I was like, I'm gonna rob this chick for all her Nintendo games. I was that fool dog. I was still. Nintendo games from girls.

[Ryan Sickler]

You would.

[George Perez]

I was horrible, dude. I was horrible.

[Ryan Sickler]

Horrible. You go to their house and take. What else?

[George Perez]

I got beat in baseball cards, garbage bell kids. I got beat up once.

[Ryan Sickler]

By who?

[George Perez]

Well, they told on me, one of my friends, because he was like. We did a split, and it was like. It was the Bash Brothers. It was Mark McGuire, Jose. And I was like, I'm keeping this card. He's like, no, no. I had that card. And I had, like, a Pete Rose. Oh, gee, Charlie Hustle, baby. And so he told on me. And then her parents came to my door, and my mom slapped the in me. Your mom?

[Ryan Sickler]

I thought a brother.

[George Perez]

No, my mom in front of the lady.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[George Perez]

And she goes, here's all the stuff. And the lady's like, nah, you know what? She. She. She embarrassed me so much in front of my mom. She goes, you know what? I can tell your family's not doing nothing for this kid so he can have it. And then that's when my brothers were like, you just embarrassed mom, dog. Like. And that's when I got my ass kicked hard. But that's the lesson. I never stole after that again because I didn't realize, like, people are like, my mom was. I. I had this here with my brothers. I just wanted it personally for me, you know, it was. Yeah, man. Do the lessons of life. Oh, Mama. Thanks for slapping me.

[Ryan Sickler]

Tell me about Nintendo fights. We used to have some wicked fights, too. I mean, way, way too old to be fist fighting over Nintendo, but it would get hot in there.

[George Perez]

Well, imagine your little brother whooping your ass at Mike Tyson. So there was six of us, two controllers, right? And that was. I remember I got Nintendo in sixth grade. That was the first time I ever did good for my parents. My dad was like, you get straight A's, I'll get you Nintendo. I got straight A's. And he told me no.

[Ryan Sickler]

Whoa.

[George Perez]

And I was like, I'm gonna run away. He's like, all right. So I ran away and didn't even notice.

[Ryan Sickler]

Where'd you go?

[George Perez]

I was staying in the backyard because my. My brothers were like, yo, they're looking for you now, dude. We're gonna get a Nintendo. Don't come in.

[Ryan Sickler]

Stay out here. Stay strong. Stay strong. That's great.

[George Perez]

And then that's when my. My dad finally came out there because one of my brothers told me. He's like, hey, come on, we're gonna go. And we went. And it came with Duck Hunt.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[George Perez]

And then. Yeah, bro. Imagine that. Six boys, one tv.

[Ryan Sickler]

You gotta get up and pee or anything. They're taking your.

[George Perez]

If you have a Nintendo, what are you. Now you're cool.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[George Perez]

So all my brothers had their friends over, and I every. So there's, like, 30 people in the living room, and my brothers, they're too cool. I'm there reading the manual, learning all the. Okay, okay. And I just. I used to kill people at Super Mario Brothers and Mike Tyson's Punch Out. And I remember one time my brothers brought girls there and then, like, it. You didn't play each other on Mike Tyson's Punch Out. It's who got the farthest.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[George Perez]

And I just remember being the farthest and just being punched in the face.

[Ryan Sickler]

Wait, somebody punched you in? Real, dude.

[George Perez]

My brothers were bullied, bro. I got beat.

[Ryan Sickler]

You're playing Mike Tyson's Punched Out. You got punched in the face.

[George Perez]

I remember one time, my brother was like. We were playing. Yeah. We were playing wrestling, and he was like. And I was like, I'm Hawk Hogan. And I did it, and then he punched me. I was like, dude, it's not supposed to hurt. He's like, I guess you're not Hulk Hogan, huh? I can't name him. I can name him.

[Ryan Sickler]

So let's see if we can. Let's see if we can name him. Top left. I don't know.

[George Perez]

That's Mr. Sandman.

[Ryan Sickler]

That's the Sandman. What's the guy that looks like me?

[George Perez]

That's Bald Bull.

[Ryan Sickler]

Bald Bull.

[George Perez]

Sort of papimski.

[Ryan Sickler]

Where is he?

[George Perez]

Him right there. That guy, The Russian. Soda. No, that's not him. That's not. You know what? I messed up. That's the Sandman. That's the other guy. He's the Russian.

[Ryan Sickler]

This is the flamenco guy.

[George Perez]

Yes. Hey there.

[Ryan Sickler]

King Hippo to his left. Wasn't it King Hippo?

[George Perez]

That.

[Ryan Sickler]

I don't. That's all the little guy forgot about. This is us down here.

[George Perez]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

On the left with the Russian one, that's Sunny something.

[George Perez]

And in Glass Joe. And then that's Russell Peters, that fool. Let's. Let's. Let's name all these comics. Let's name them all comics.

[Ryan Sickler]

Wait, real quick. I saw you had the names. Let's see here. Oh, okay.

[George Perez]

Glass.

[Ryan Sickler]

Glass Joe. Kaiser. Forgot about him. Piston Honda. Yeah. Don. Flamenco.

[George Perez]

King Hippo.

[Ryan Sickler]

King Hippo. Great Tigers. His name. Bald Bull. There you go. Soda Popinsky.

[George Perez]

Macho man.

[Ryan Sickler]

Macho man. And Mr. Who was the last one before? Was it Macho Man?

[George Perez]

Yeah, it was Macho Man.

[Ryan Sickler]

Is that the order?

[George Perez]

Yes.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, I remember when we finally beat that, man, we were going nuts. We were trying to take. Cuz I feel like if you beat it, you could take a picture back then or something and send it in and get swag or some like that. Maybe.

[George Perez]

I did school for like a week.

[Ryan Sickler]

A week?

[George Perez]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

Just to play Nintendo.

[George Perez]

I didn't have no time. My brothers were always playing. Yeah, I remember that. Faking. Like, my mom took me to the doctor, so. You lie. You don't have an appendix problem. Look, man, I just beat King Hippo.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, yeah, and you couldn't back then either. I don't think you could save progress. Like, you just had to go.

[George Perez]

Yeah, but you know what? Nintendo was life, bro. Like, I still collect it. Like, it was life, dude. It brought everybody together. We were kids, like. And like, dude, like they had. Remember the little black travel pack? Like, people would talk about, hey, dog, there's this other Kid that doesn't have the games you have. So we're gonna go to his house and bring your games. And we would just. It was a bonding. It was like our vinyl.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[George Perez]

Would you say that?

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, I agree. I told this. But we used to get so competitive with video games. And we would talk mad shit. Like, we would. We would try to hurt you verbally and just humiliate you while we're playing. So there's one time, like, for instance, I. I was playing mad, and we were in a tournament. I'm playing mad, and I get the kickoff and I see a seam and I bust it. Now TVs in front of me right here, right. I'm sitting here just like you were watching tv. And I see the seam and I know I got it. And I turned around. I stood up and turned around in front of him and just. I didn't even look and just ran it to the house like that. Yeah. He's like, you piece of. Stood in his face with my back to the screen because I knew once I hit the seam, it was straight. So we would get so competitive. We started making. Before they sold them in stores, we made a cardboard wrestling belt. Like a WWF back in the day. Aluminum foil. Like, we put time in it. Right. We'd all be constructing it while everybody else was playing, you know.

[George Perez]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And then whoever won, you were the champ. My buddy Chris Sheeler and his brother Corey Sheeler. Chris had the belt, and so they got to go home with the belt. And they lived together, so they decide they're gonna play one night. And we all used to love NHL hockey. The one that was the game when you them up and they. They bleed on the.

[George Perez]

Yeah, the replay.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[George Perez]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And I love the Chicago Blackhawks team. They were just studs back then. So they're playing, I guess, at their house. And Corey's younger and beats Chris. And then he. He gets the belt. And Chris ripped, rips the belt up and just starts beating the out of him. And his dad comes down the stairs and tighty whities. These are high school kids screaming. And he just rips the thing out and he walks back upstairs and throws in the closet. And that's the Nintendo at their house, bro. They always came to our house. Oh, I love your dad. Came down in his underwear. Because you two grown kids are fighting over it. He's like, yup. So then Corey come in wearing the belt over his shoulder, talking, you know, we did it like wrestling. And you could be Ric Flair when it was your Time to have the belt.

[George Perez]

You just talked to one time we were playing Nintendo. My older brother was playing, and they were playing Contra, and my brother Country. My brother unplugged my other brother's controller.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[George Perez]

And my dad was a working man, and so my brother went to the room and put Payne Gay on his finger, and he put it in my brother's eye.

[Ryan Sickler]

Oh.

[George Perez]

So now my brother is walking down the hallway, falling all over the clothes and boom, boom. Waking up. And then, like, my dad, he's like, I'm blind. And my dad wakes up and kicks everybody's ass.

[Ryan Sickler]

He just wanted some sleep, right?

[George Perez]

And it was weird, though, man. I felt bad because, like, he was still asleep in his work clothes, man. Like, he didn't even get a chance to take them off. But when you get kicked in the ass with some red wing boots, dog. Oh.

[Ryan Sickler]

We had a fight one night, man. We're probably 19 now. Say, this is the end of this. And I go work at UPS. Shout out to UPS Baltimore Hub Primary 1 Joe Avenue. And I work the graveyard shift. And so everybody's partying with my brother at our place before I leave. And I'm gonna come back at like 3 or 3 and 3:30 in the morning and pick up where they left off. And when I come back, there's only like two or three dudes left, and it's somber, you know what I mean? And I see my buddy Greg, he's got patch on his eye. Like, he's like, what happened? This was Sega Genesis. And they were playing. They were playing that NCAA basketball with the Obama. Brothers were good, and somebody beat somebody, and I don't know, but Greg took one to the high and the party had to clear out. Dude, I was like, y'all are fist fighting in here. Crazy over there.

[George Perez]

You know what's crazy? Is, like, we were like how you said when we were little, like when I was in high school, all of us were all about sports. And that El Camino park had two courts. It had the A court and the B court. From the age of 13, I played on that B court. Yeah. I'm number 21, dog. I look like Rick Fox on Fentanyl.

[Ryan Sickler]

You do, actually.

[George Perez]

Yeah. So look at. Those are still the people in the picture on the left. 34 S. Nestor Caballo, Matt Lucas, Richard Reyes, Andy Lortson, Danny Garcia, George Perez himself, Danny Hogan, Joey Coke, Joey Cork, Art Bell. Our coach was Rocky Mounds. And damn, number 22. I don't remember that guy. I think he was like an exchange student. From Russia.

[Ryan Sickler]

What? How old's his coach? He looks like he's a student.

[George Perez]

Yeah, dude, he went to school. My brothers and my brother beat him up at a party. It was crazy.

[Ryan Sickler]

Did he play you? Whatever you wanted, bro.

[George Perez]

No, I was like, we'd be up by. We'd be up by 22nd half. He'd pull me and I would just be. But then he would tell my brother, bro, no, no. I think like. Like after the fourth game, he pulled me to the side and goes, hey, man, you ain't never complained once to me. And you work your ass off. So I like you, kid, because my brothers would come to the game and try to out coach him while he'd.

[Ryan Sickler]

Try to coach out there.

[George Perez]

Yeah, yeah, like, hey, like, hey, take that shot. But he. That guy right there taught me how to play defense, man, so.

[Ryan Sickler]

All right, so hold up. How old are you here? Probably 14. Right. So how old's he looks like he might be 19 or 20.

[George Perez]

I think he's 19.

[Ryan Sickler]

Wow. So he just got out of school himself and he's back to coach the high school?

[George Perez]

Yeah, he ended up being winning CIF championship.

[Ryan Sickler]

Did he?

[George Perez]

At El Dorado High School.

[Ryan Sickler]

Good for this dude.

[George Perez]

Yeah, he ended up coaching my cousins later. He was. He. He was with it. And you know what was dope about him is that gym right there. That gym is called the Dome. It's the worst high school you can ever play with because I'm from the city of Orange. It's a. It's a vintage antique city. Like, it's where they filmed Big Mama's house and they filmed.

[Ryan Sickler]

I didn't know that far Scum's in Orange.

[George Perez]

Yeah. Well, you know that water fountain?

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah.

[George Perez]

That's Orange Circle. That's where we. Our victory circle. No, I grew up there. And so our stadium, they haven't renovated it. So when you take the ball out, out of balance is right here, Right?

[Ryan Sickler]

The people are sitting right?

[George Perez]

It's. It's small and it's loud and it's a dome. So every practice he would play Public Enemy. Welcome to the Terror Dome.

[Ryan Sickler]

Loud.

[George Perez]

He's like a big hip hop influence in me. Wow. How did you get all that?

[Ryan Sickler]

She's the best. There you are pressing me.

[George Perez]

And my little brother does. That's how my dad. Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

That'S great.

[George Perez]

And I still dress like that. That's my dad.

[Ryan Sickler]

You like the Mexican Little Rascals? Look at it.

[George Perez]

But. But look it. Look what my dad taught us how to be men. How to look at all our shoes.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, I mean, you're using an old school iron too, not some auto turn on. That's just a piece of steel that heats up. Damn, that's great. Look at the tv.

[George Perez]

Yeah, I, I still.

[Ryan Sickler]

What year you think this is?

[George Perez]

83.

[Ryan Sickler]

Your dad. I'll tell you, I'll tell you a story about my dad I was gonna share with you. It's just, it's funny and it's ridiculous. My dad was like yours. My dad was non stop working because he had to. He's a single dad, three boys, and he doesn't live close. We live, we're in Maryland. He's driving to D.C. and back every day because he works at National Airport. So he's a minimum one hour each way. There's no cell phones, you know, the whole deal, you know. So I started seeing this girl in ninth grade. I have 14 and I don't have my license yet. And her, she wants me to come over. And my dad's like, listen, straight up. I don't give a. About meeting her parents or any of that thing. You go over there, you be a gentleman, you know, straight up, represent yourself. You be polite to her parents and don't you dare get caught with doors closed. None of that shit. Don't you do it. I sorry. He's like, I'm gonna pick you up at, at 11. I'm like, can you please come at midnight? They're cool if you come at midnight. He's like, ryan, I'm gonna come at midnight, but I'm telling you, don't be late. If you're late, it's gonna be a problem. I'm like, I'm not gonna be late then. So, you know, you're over there and you're 14 years old and you're just horny as hell. And time goes like that.

[George Perez]

Oh yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And we're just, we're not, we're just kissing on the couch. We're not doing anything at this point. But her parents are asleep. And we're downstairs in the basement. Finished basement. We're watching some tv. And I'm also one eye on.

[George Perez]

Oh yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

And I'm seeing it tick 1159. I'm like, I gotta get ready. My dad's gonna be here. Like he does not around. She's like, okay. But she keeps giving me little kisses and I can't help myself. And I'm putting my shoes on. Okay.

[George Perez]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

I look over, I see the clock says 1201. And next thing, George Perez. Next, next thing, I hear sound like a tugboat. My dad's in their driveway. Now, picture this. It's a little house here, and it's one of those driveways to pull, like, right up to, you know. I mean, like, it doesn't have a carport here. It's right in front of the, like, this living room window or whatever. And we had a. A 1977 Dodge Aspen station wagon, Limited edition, bro. Wood paneling. And, you know, old school car had a horn. My dad pulls in, and I saw that clock. I saw it change to one. I heard, dude, my dad laid on that horn like this, right?

[George Perez]

Wow.

[Ryan Sickler]

Laid on this. This also. I say this all the time.

[George Perez]

This was.

[Ryan Sickler]

This is one of my cousins. We got this later. This was my.

[George Perez]

Oh.

[Ryan Sickler]

This was my cousin's wedding me down. It was my cousin's.

[George Perez]

Instead of a hand me down, a.

[Ryan Sickler]

Horn me down, this was her wedding limousine. That's what she left the church in. Right there, dude. My dad pulls up and, I mean. And he doesn't give. He knows her parents are there. Their lights are coming on. He. And he ain't stopping. Holding it, bro. Holding it. And I'm like, what's the fastest way out here? And she's like, go out the basement door. So I run out the basement. I'm sprinting up the hill to. Grass is wet. I'm slipping. He sees me. I'm like, dad. He's just like, man, her parents are at the front door looking out. He's just like. I'm like, dad, like, I swear, it had to be a solid 30 seconds. I'm like, this. I got in the car and he's just dying, laughing. He's like, got blue balls. And I was like, God damn that. What are you doing? He's like, told you. 12 o'clock. I was like, I got it. I got it, man.

[George Perez]

Oh, rip to our dads.

[Ryan Sickler]

Rip to our dads.

[George Perez]

Dude, I'll never forget when my dad picked up a girl for me. Her name was Nubia Carillo, and she lived.

[Ryan Sickler]

He went to get her to bring her to your house, and.

[George Perez]

And. And I just remember, like, he outdressed me. So, like, she was looking at him the whole time. So your dad's hot. I was like, he already has 16 kids. Let me get this one.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, right.

[George Perez]

Yeah. And it was just crazy, though, because he. He had a. He was driving that stick and just. And, like, it was weird because, like, I had to sit. I didn't want my dad. So I was sitting in the middle. He would just be, like, punching. Yeah. And I remember him Going. She's fine. Yeah. I think that's the second time I ever had sex.

[Ryan Sickler]

How were you the first time?

[George Perez]

I was scared, bro. Like, I. When I went to Sycamore, the girls would kiss me and I would tell on them.

[Ryan Sickler]

Tell on them?

[George Perez]

You were scared, bro, because all my older brothers were having sex already, and I was like, hell, no, dude. This is. Then, like, a girl kissed me and I told on her. And then my dad beat me up for telling me. Telling on girls. Kissing you? What's wrong with you? And then, like, yeah, because, like. Yeah, and then, like. Yeah, I think that's why he was proud. He's like, hey, you're not telling on him no more. Yeah, the first time, my sophomore year.

[Ryan Sickler]

Sophomore. How old? Was 15. Yeah, that's me, too.

[George Perez]

Yeah, 15. And it was weird, bro, because, like, I was gonna come with two minutes, and then I took. I. I pulled out and then I put another condom on, thinking it was, like, gonna make him. I came still, like, in 30 seconds.

[Ryan Sickler]

You thought.

[George Perez]

Yeah.

[Ryan Sickler]

You thought another one would help? Dude, thank you for doing this episode. Thank you, brother man. George, please promote whatever you'd like one more time.

[George Perez]

Don't forget, guys, George P. Comedy on any social media. George Press stories, podcast and funk freaks for music. Thank you guys. And thank you for listening to Ryan. And thank you to all the Honeydew. All you guys that keep sawed off Sundays alive. Please stay in my ds. Salt off Sundays.

[Ryan Sickler]

I forgot I said shotgun Sundays on other episodes.

[George Perez]

Sundays, bro, like, we need to make a shirt.

[Ryan Sickler]

Yeah, that's on it.

[George Perez]

On it.

[Ryan Sickler]

Thank you, brother. Thank you as always, Ryan Sickler on all your social media. Ryan sickler.com tour dates are up on my website. Come out and see me if I'm in your town when you're around. Tickets are@ryan sickler.com. thank you for your support. Come see a live show. We'll talk to y'all next week.