September 3, 2025 • 55 mins
We celebrate our daughter's first birthday while reflecting on a challenging yet rewarding year at Windsor Fair and the struggles that shape our entrepreneurial journey. The road isn't always smooth, but finding joy and purpose through difficulties has become our greatest strength.
• Overcoming bus mechanical failures with the help of "redneck mechanics" who found creative solutions when we needed them most
• Navigating the financial ups and downs of Windsor Fair, including weather challenges and unexpectedly strong weekend sales
• Celebrating our daughter's first birthday at the fair with our extended "fair family" who showered her with love and gifts
• Recognizing how parenthood provides perspective and motivation during business struggles
• Reflecting on the special moments, including a bald eagle sighting on our daughter's birthday – a sign from family watching over us
• Acknowledging that both business and parenting involve constant adaptation and problem-solving
• Finding purpose in creating experiences and memories rather than focusing solely on financial outcomes
• Appreciating how our daughter is developing amazing social skills from her unique upbringing
Keep following our journey as we head to Fryeburg Fair, our biggest event of the year, continuing to build our brand while raising our little girl.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Another fair in the rear view and an opportunity to
celebrate a special year withall of you.
Our biggest event approachesand our greatest accomplishment
celebrates her first year here.
Let me tell you somethingEverybody struggles.
The difference is some peoplechoose to go through it and some
(00:23):
choose to grow through it.
The choice is completely yours.
Which one you choose will havea very profound effect on the
way you live your life.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
If you find strength in the struggle, then this
podcast is for you.
Do you have a relationship thatis comfortable with
uncomfortable conversations?
Uncomfortable conversationschallenge you, humble you and
they build you.
When you sprinkle a little timeand distance on it, it all
(00:58):
makes sense.
Most disagreements, they stemfrom our own insecurities.
You are right where you need tobe.
Most disagreements, they stemfrom our own insecurities.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
You are right where you need to be.
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.
What it do, what it hot,do-do-do-do, beautiful baby, I'm
looking at you, hi, honey, youwaving.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Want to say hi.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
I have a live studio audience today Say hi, honey, Hi
, Hear that folks.
I am joined by my lovely, mybeautiful blushing bride, my
wife Miss Sally Liberty, and ourbeautiful bundle of joy.
Hello, baby Little baby Paisley, she's over there.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
She's not a baby, no more.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Oh, she full grown, man, mm-hmm, she full grown.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
One going on 15.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
You ain't kidding.
She's all bundled up over thereWell past bedtime.
Okay, we are well past bedtime,but she's hanging in there
because she knows this episodeis going to feature stories of
her, so she's going to try tokeep herself awake.
I can see it feature stories ofher, so she's gonna try to keep
(02:27):
herself awake.
I can see it fresh out of thetub with new, brand new blue
epjs and baseball on the tv.
She is loving her firstbirthday, finishing off with a
pizza party what a time cake anda cupcake.
What a time to be alive.
How do you do, good Lord,almighty?
Are we excited to be back withyou?
Oh, it is true, it is damn true.
(02:51):
Episode 269, and we are feelingoh so fine and quite a bit
tired, actually Feeling quite abit tired.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Pretty exhausted.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
You know that is what it is 269 consecutive weeks.
We couldn't let this streak bebroken, hence the reason why we
are recording a podcast at 10.30pm.
That's just kind of thecommitment we make to each and
every one of you, Am I right?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
We are finishing up, or I should say we have finished
up Windsor Fair.
Last week's episode.
I was discussing with all y'allhow weird it was that I was the
one home and you and my momwere on the road with little
Paisley.
It was a weird kind of flip ofthe script, whole type of
scenario.
I also was telling the folksthat we pulled in and discovered
(03:38):
yet more mechanical failures,which was fun in the sun.
On Sunday Noah came up and puta new brake line in and fixed a
few things.
We kind of got stonewalled on acouple of things and then,
thankfully, your dad actuallycame up.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
We found a couple of redneck mechanics.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
You got to get it when you hit a wall on things
you must tap into the redneckmechanics that you have because
they'll find a way yeah, how dowe just fix it to get home?
Yeah, that's just it how do you?
Patch it so I can make thejourney that's right home,
that's all, otherwise thecatastrophe that would be is
(04:18):
incredible.
So when I was discussing witheverybody what was going on with
the bus.
Um, the next scenario was likelike literally I recorded that
morning and then, on the way tothe fair, actually, noah met me
there and I stopped and grabbedsome parts and stuff on the way
and he put a brand new brakeline in right there at the fair,
patched up a fuel leak that wehad, did a few other things,
(04:40):
fixed the shifter linkage.
But we were having difficultiesbleeding brakes All the
bleeders were frozen.
We were having difficultiesbleeding breaks all the bleeders
were frozen.
We were having some issuesthere and we were at that point
where the decision was hey,you're probably going to have to
tow this thing home and thenoperate out of a utility trailer
.
Chris and Noah were going todonate an utility trailer to
help us out.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Until we got the quote on towing that bitch home.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Well they were saying they thought it would roughly
cost us about two grand ifsomeone was going to tow it,
chris was going to find atrailer and kind of do the best
we could to make it work and wewere going around all avenues
possible to save us money and tofigure things out, but I was
not taking the solution that thebus was not going to leave
without me behind the wheelfiguring it out.
It was going to just cause waytoo much chaos and cost us way
(05:28):
too much financially.
So we knew we know enoughredneck mechanics in the first
one.
Uh, my cousin had an idea aboutit and your dad showed up with
his idea about it.
Hi, honey, and um and your dadhad the bricks situated in like
20 minutes.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
We also, in the back of our mind, had your dad saying
don't you dare tow this thing,hell, no, like.
If we knew this would havehappened three years ago, your
dad would have been up therewith some rope, some duct tape,
some JB Weld, and we would havebeen.
She would have been goingRedneck ingenuity and got that
(06:07):
bad girl home.
Mean, she's sitting in thedooryard.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
We got her home yeah, we're here, fine, safe and uh,
you know, no issues whatsoevergetting home safe was
questionable, but we got herethe question coming home safely.
It wasn't the bus, it wasactually you and the camper that
was a thrill ride death trap.
I was watching in front of me,oh my god that camper was all
over the rodeo.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Yeah yeah, I think that's a hitch issue and I think
we'll be fine because she'sfine on the road.
Let us pray road but not theturnpike.
Good golly, I was getting.
What did you say?
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I was getting tailwinded off of a prius dude,
you were touching tailwind off aprius that was sending you all
over the place man.
Oh my God, it was terrible, I'mpretty confident, you passed
the June bug and went sideways.
I don't know I was watchingCole Trickle out there doing hot
laps.
You were all over the place.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Oh my God, my forearms still hurt, I believe
it.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
I believe it.
Folsom for the love of God.
Our dog's an idiot you have notmoved all day.
That bulldog has not moved inhours Until he hears this record
.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yes, shuffle his feet drag his toes.
Oh, my God.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
I'll tell you what?
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Get a hobby.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Never fails.
Anyway, today was an adventure,but the bus made it home safely
, you and the baby.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
but the bus made it home safely, you and the baby,
and the camper made it barelybarely.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
We made it white knuckled the whole way.
But it's crazy because the lasttime I was recording the
podcast I was talking aboutfeeling optimistic and having
this positive outlook and thenliterally like eight hours later
it was was like guess what?
Your bus isn't moving, You'regoing broke and Bob's your uncle
.
You know what I mean.
Like it was a I had an uncle,Bob.
It was a frigging tragedy.
(07:53):
You just died, you sprinkle,hey well, let's not go down that
road.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
I'm just saying.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
You sprinkle a little time and distance on it and the
picture got clearer and we wereable to be resourceful and to
figure things out.
So that was another greatobstacle that we overcame.
As far as the fair itself, wehad, I want to say one day
during the week that was kind ofa milk dud, wasn't all that
good, and then Friday it rainedlike a freaking.
(08:19):
I don't even know man.
It was a tsunami.
Did you say tsunami?
Yeah, that's what I said.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Oh jinx, good word choice.
Pinch poke.
Yell me a coke man it rainedlike crazy.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Well, there were some times during the day where
actually the nighttime wasn'thalf bad when we were open, but
it had been raining so much thatpeople were just like I'm not
leaving the house.
So we bombed on a Friday whichyou can't afford to lose a
Friday.
Also considering that Friday ayear ago is one of our best days
to lose.
That day really hurt us.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
And then Monday was kind of a flop.
What's that?
You happily could have takenone of those rain days like in
the middle of the week, whenit's like q-tip day or something
which just means senior citizenday, in case anyone we had uh,
two damn near record-settingdays back to back.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Saturday and sunday were, uh, spectacular.
We had tremendous saturdays andsundays, um, which put us right
back in line to make the fairum, not our best year, but one
of our better years.
And then Monday just went rightdown the toilet, the eau de la
toilette.
It was pretty dead on Monday.
I think people just took theholiday and packed it in and
(09:32):
didn't come out.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Surprising, because any time that we would go to
this fair, even before weattended this fair, we would go
on Monday and it was busy.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
I know, Not this year folks.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
No.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Only made a few hundred bucks on a monday, which
for holiday was pretty tough.
So all in all we've been doingthe winds of fair.
I think it's our third year Ithink it's our fourth.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
We've been in business for five years.
We only missed one.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah, I don't know, though I think we missed two
yeah I feel like we had our oldspot, then our new spot, and
then we return this year.
Maybe, With all that said, thisends up being our worst year
actually, which you know whatmakes it seem even crazier.
The first year we were there,we had a less than ideal
(10:18):
location and the fair was oneday shorter.
I just realized that the firstyear we were there there was no
Saturday, one day shorter, Ijust realized that the first
year we were there there was noSaturday.
This year, there was an extraSaturday over that year and a
better location, and we stilldidn't beat it.
Wow, Well, that's depressing.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Gosh.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
The things you wish you didn't look into.
That'll kick you in theclusters.
The honey, bunches of oats,Right honey.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
She said hi.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Hi babe, you look beautiful, dear.
Hi, you're dashing in yourbluey PJs.
Hi cutie, are you flirting withme?
I love you, babe.
Here she's batting her babyblues at me over there, binky, I
love you, get some sleep, honey.
Anyways, I'm recording a wholeconversation with the baby,
(11:07):
which is you know.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Welcome to dadhood.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
I don't know if that's what did you say?
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Hi Hi.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
More importantly than the financial results of the
fair, I would say the moreimportant thing is that the
miraculous thing is that we havemade one entire year of
parenthood in the books.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
One trip around the sun.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
I don't even believe it.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
I touched on it on last week's show as well, but
Don't give all of the spoilersaway.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
What do you mean?
I haven't listened.
Oh, I was going to the fairhello on winning wednesday I
gotcha, I gotcha so I haven'tlistened yet, so don't ruin it
okay, all right.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Well, I talked about the fact that you know the
feeling, so surprised by thefact that, like this whole year
has already, uh, come and gone.
That you know we're parentsafter a year is, uh, is
incredible.
Um, to think how quickly thishas, this has come and gone.
You know, when we were justkind of packing up at the fair,
(12:18):
I think, like at the end of thenight when we were all done, and
I parked the bus and you andthe baby were walking up and I
went over there and we were justkind of talking about, like
that's it, that's a wrap, thisone's over.
And then this morning, likePaisley was waving goodbye to
the fairgrounds and just had methinking, like man a year ago,
(12:38):
like you just arrived.
And now here you are, you know,waving goodbye and interacting
with people.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
She said hi to almost every single person that came
on our test this week A ton ofpeople.
Yeah, If she was awake.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
She greeted almost every customer.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
She also sat on the counter and helped me cash a few
people out.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Pretty incredible.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
You want to talk to the people.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
My little baby at the age of one years old, is
already providing bettercustomer service than 98 of all
the vendors that work at thefair she watches us do it most
people walk into the tent.
Nobody says anything to them atany of those places you go to
not our booth exactly she, likeyou said, she sees us say hi to
(13:23):
everybody.
So people come in, she says hi,she waves to them, she waves
when they leave.
She interacts with all thebabies.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Oh yes.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Yeah, pretty incredible.
She has better customer serviceskills than almost every other
vendor we see at the fair.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
And they're adults, grown-ass adults, let's put that
out there.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Unbelievable grown adults yeah, I can't, uh, I
still can't believe it.
It's weird to think, like ayear ago I'm rushing out of the
fair, me and my mom steve-o'scoming to save the day to open
the tent, and me and my mom arerushing to the hospital to be
(14:05):
there in time, and just howquickly everything went down,
like when we were prepared forlike this big, long, drawn out
process, like how quicklyeverything happened.
And then, literally like thenext day, I was back at the fair
finishing out the fair, closingeverything up coming home.
I remember stopping at the gasstation and grabbing two ice
(14:27):
creams out of the cooler andcoming into the bedroom like the
hospital room at like midnight,me and Paisley were sleeping.
And then here we are a yearlater and she's with us while
we're packing up camp and we'rehanging out in the camper and
having slumber parties, and youknow, in the camper watching
(14:50):
freaking Bluey at night Likeit's crazy.
Man, life comes at you fast,things move awful quickly and
it's crazy for me to think thatyou know our season's almost
over, our biggest event isquickly approaching and our
baby's already been here for ayear.
It does not make any sense tome, man.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Mm-mm.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
No.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Sometimes I even like not.
I don't want to say that itsounds odd, but it catches me
off guard when someone sayssomething like about your
daughter.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Right.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
I'm like what like if I'm yeah at work or I'm not
like momming at the moment.
You know what I mean like, like.
If you're in the grocery storeand you don't have the baby with
you and someone's like oh,how's your daughter?
And you're like like it.
It's still so new, even thoughyou know what I mean.
We've been doing it for a wholeyear.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Like I'll tell you it's weird if you're on the road
without her, for a couple ofdays and people start asking
those questions it's just Idon't know it's uh it's crazy.
What I do want to say is howoverwhelmed we are by the love
and support that, um, that ourlittle baby already has
(16:03):
everywhere she goes that ourlittle baby already has
everywhere she goes the birthweek celebration that she has
had via the Windsor Fair andthen now being home has been
incredible.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
The people that came out of nowhere with presents and
well wishes.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Seriously.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
When they say it takes an army, they really mean
it, because our army hasliterally come out of the
woodworks to celebrate doug hadasked me to um make a bunch of
birthday shirts forfive-year-old's birthday, for
bella's fifth birthday, givingthem away as parting, like grab
(16:40):
bag gifts, you know.
Thank you gifts to think abouta little girl's birthday and one
of the key ingredients is loudproud American apparel.
Like she wanted her own specialshirt.
Everybody that went to thebirthday parents and kids all
wearing loud proud American gear.
That's pretty freaking awesome.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
That is pretty sweet.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
That's pretty damn cool.
And then some of the kidsactually came in and found me at
the fair and said thank you andI thought that was really cool.
But then, uh, doug and the famshows up with gifts for little
paisley, which didn't expect anyof that right.
No, no, absolutely not and thatwas like kind of the start of
the week of gifts, like the umjust celebration of paisley.
(17:23):
That happened.
Uh, kyle, kyle and Julia werecoming over with sweet gifts and
you know bike for her and allthis stuff.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
Matt and Sarah.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Matt and Sarah bringing over the little horse
for her.
Just people coming over allweek really bringing stuff, like
it was crazy to think hergodparents she drove again from
Syracuse to York.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
What is it?
Speaker 1 (17:46):
You're talking six hours from Syracuse, plus they
ride to Las Vegas.
They took the wrong road.
It took them a couple hours.
So you're talking about aneight-hour commitment to come
see her for an hour, to drive anhour and a half back to the
saloon, to then spend a day anddrive another six hours home.
Their commitment to see her andto bring her gifts and spend
time with her was incredible.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Oh my gosh, yeah, we are beyond blessed.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
I know I'm forgetting people and scenarios, but it
was incredible.
You had picked out this bignumber one gold balloon that she
had in her cart, her littlewagon and she was riding around.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Oh my gosh, I walked around everywhere with that
thing.
Everybody was coming over Forlike two days.
Oh man, people were coming upto her.
Yeah, she had that thing for acouple of days.
People were coming up to hersaying happy birthday.
And then a big shout-out toCarol for allowing us to borrow
some of her baby cows to take aphoto shoot.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Carol runs all the livestock over at Windsor
Fairgrounds and she's welcomedus in as family.
Her family has accepted us andembraced us and it was Carol's
idea to make sure that we hadcupcakes or cake or something,
and she wanted Paisley to takephotos with baby cows and all
(19:03):
that stuff.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
The photos have been submitted to Windsor Fair.
She's going to have themuploaded for their website and
stuff.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
You guys had a full-on one-year-old birthday
party photo shoot in the stallswith all these cows and stuff.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
She actually got to meet a cow that was only two
days old, so when we took thephotos she was enjoying that
little baby cow.
He was suckling on her fingers,but then got super rowdy.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
I was like, oh feisty , it's gonna be a good cow I
just can't help but think howfortunate, first and foremost,
how fortunate we are, but howfortunate she is.
You think about how many littlegirls first birthday would be
what hers was, and and what Ilove about her birthday is the
(19:55):
memories that were made, not thedollars that were spent yeah,
you know what I'm saying.
Like you always see familiesthat throw this big, massive get
together for a birthday and ifyou want to do that, go ahead
and do that.
I'm not downplaying somebody'splan, right, but for us we're
like financially doesn't make alot of sense for us, the
position that we're in, andshe's probably not going to
remember it, but we always wantto strive for, um, like, making
(20:18):
memories, you know experience,type, gifts and scenarios and,
uh, she had an amazingexperience for her birthday?
Speaker 3 (20:27):
Absolutely, and it was one of those things that
everybody like kept asking meyou know, like, what are you
going to do for her birthday?
We want to be a part of it andI appreciate that.
We truly do, and we're supergrateful for all the people that
came out and spent time with usat the fair.
We just didn't think that itwas, in our situation,
appropriate to throw this bigshebang for her first birthday.
(20:50):
Will I throw a big party in thenext couple, couple of years?
Yeah, yeah, sure, definitely.
Like we'll have some sort ofparty, but unfortunately, like
our schedule is so crazy aroundher birthday.
She'll always celebrate herbirthday at the fair, but then
it will be.
Her party will be after herbirthday.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
Yeah, so if she has a big party scenario, it'll be
after.
That's all said and done, butshe's forever going to have like
her birthday being at theWindsor Fair.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
With her Windsor family.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
And as she gets older and she gets to know everybody,
like I, think that they'llchange, they'll evolve.
You know what I mean?
Absolutely, because, um, it'llbe.
It'll just be a differentexperience.
But this year, um, you andjulia and the baby rode around
and gave out cupcakes toeverybody that she knows right,
yep, all of her, um fair family.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
we made sure that everybody had cupcakes and, um,
I actually got a little likecard that said my first birthday
on it and anyone who had theability to join us in our little
get together at the fair we hadthem sign it so that we can put
that in her memory box.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
I just can't really think of a better way to
celebrate, really think of abetter way to celebrate, and I
I'm so, um, just I don't knowman, I'm just mesmerized by
everything that just that justhappened and all the blessings
we have because of theexperiences that we had, and for
me, like it's another reasonwhy we continue to endure the
(22:23):
struggles of having our ownbusiness of having this brand of
ours, because if we gave up onthis brand, she wouldn't have
had the experience she just had.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Right.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
If we didn't continue to struggle and to strive to
keep this brand alive, shewouldn't know all the people
that she already knows, shewouldn't have the people skills
she already has.
We just talked about ourone-year-old little girl saying
hi to every single person thatcomes in the tent, you know, and
all the people that sheencountered over the course of
(22:57):
the week that said happybirthday.
None of those things happenwithout us keeping our brand
alive.
Her having a photo shoot withbaby cows and celebrating at the
fair, being embraced byeverybody riding around giving
out cupcakes on her birthdayLike that's what I want for her.
Those are the things that Iwant for her and those are the
things that make me keep thebrand going.
(23:19):
It continues to motivate me tosacrifice and take chances and
difficult choices because of thelifestyle it can allow, and I'm
not talking about the financiallifestyle, but the experiences
and how well-rounded her firstyear on earth has been, based
(23:51):
off of the things that we do wetalk about it all the time that
her social schedule schedule isbetter than most people in
general.
It's incredible the things thatshe's done and if, like, if I'm
on the road and she's with youand let's say like you have to
work and she's with, like Allie,she's at a zoo, she's at a pool
party, she's at the library,and then you know, like you have
(24:14):
her and you're bringing herplaces and doing all these
things.
You and my mom are at the zoowith her and you're doing all
this stuff.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Taking her to birthday parties and just
getting her to interact.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
Yeah, she's going to different parties and all these
things and already socializing.
And then, like I mean it'sincredible to think like this
little girl's been from bikersaloons to horse races, to
carnivals, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
Like it's a Fairs festivals car shows.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
I think that we are still at a really fortunate
period where it's a littleeasier to corral the little one
and manage the scenario.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
I do feel like we're on the cusp of the difficulty
level really ramping up.
Also, she has already been fromhere to New York and hit every
state in between.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Basically.
Yeah, she's covered some ground.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Let's be honest.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
I'm just thinking about how much more difficult
this is going to be.
When you start seeing at thefair, you see the kids all
running around that you can'tcontain.
We're about to be there.
If she starts walking by, let'ssay, the Freiburg Fair, do you
understand the difficulty leveland how much higher it gets
ramped up?
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Yeah, good thing we have the octagon.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Good thing, we have what.
The octagon yeah the octagonshe does have a steel cage.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Welcome to the octagon.
Yeah, we're having cage fightsfor babies, exactly.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
I keep thinking about it because we've been, we've
had conversations with, likeKate and Ryan saying like, oh
yeah, our baby was great for thefirst few years doing this and
then it just got crazy.
So we don't know what we'regoing to encounter when it comes
to that and how those thingsare going to go, and our
schedule and days are very longand demanding.
So there's going to encounterwhen it comes to that and how
those things are going to go,and our schedule and days are
very long and demanding.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
So, um, there's going to be some adjustment, like the
nice thing is, is that likewe're going to be going into
Freiburg and, yeah, she might bea little bit mobile at that
point, but we also have theentire winter off that we can
work on not being so crazy yeah,you know what I mean, like
there there'll be an adjustmentperiod and then you know we'll
(26:31):
get back on the road andthere'll be an adjustment period
.
But it's just we'll just take itone day at a time and kind of
go go from there like just likewe did the last year.
Just they don't come with rulebook, so it's just adapting and
navigating whatever task isthrown at us.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
I think that we can give ourselves some credit for
accomplishing all we'veaccomplished over the past past
year, going into things asfrightened for my life as I was
you know that we're here.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
I mean I will say, like everybody said, like before
she even arrived, like goodluck, your life's about to
change.
If we think about it like wedidn't take anything off of the
schedule, that because of her no, not really like we still went
to our events you know what Imean.
Like there wasn't anything onthe schedule that we're like we
(27:28):
really can't do, because we havea baby Like we adopted.
And yeah, we went with a littlebit extra baggage, but we still
made it happen.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
I think I took on events that I wouldn't normally
take on because of her, becauseI was like, okay, I got to push
myself and I got to push thisbrand to go to the next level,
because I want to provide forher.
So her being here motivated meto drive the 27 hours to go to
an event you know to apply forthings way out of our comfort
(28:00):
zone.
So when people say, like you'renot going to do the things you
used to do, you know what bet I?
did things that were even moreuncomfortable for me, because
she's here, you know, and nextyear is going to be no different
.
We're going to continue to takechances and we've got a lot of
moving parts in the backgroundthat people don't know about
that we're trying to figure outand work out, but there's….
(28:24):
Stay tuned, because we've gotthings that are about to make
your head spin out and work out,but there's stay tuned because
we got things that are about tomake your head spin.
There's chaos and you knowthings that we are trying to
figure out, but I think we'remore motivated to figure those
things out because she's hereyeah like I'm more motivated for
success because she's here yeah, we also want to set the ground
.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
I mean, she's only one, but we want to.
We want to set the standardhigh.
Like you can do anything youset your mind to and like, for
instance, like you used to own ashop you know what I mean and
then you started your own thing,so you bet on yourself, so,
like, that's the, that's thestandard.
Like you can do anything youwant to do and look, we're doing
(29:10):
it.
We're working multiple jobs andmaking ends meet and doing the
things, because nothing is evergiven to us, and I think that
that's going to be the standardthat we hold for her is that you
and I both were raised thatyou're going to earn.
You want 20 bucks to go to themall.
Like you're gonna earn it.
You're gonna do the things thatneed to be done around the
(29:34):
house.
You need to do your chores, youneed to muck the stalls, those
sort of things, because you needto earn your, your way of life
I'm also motivated to do thesuffering and the sacrificing
when she doesn't know it.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Like I'm motivated now to suffer and sacrifice to
get to where we need to be, whenshe doesn't have to realize
that.
So we get to the point when youknow she would be able to
understand those things.
Her lifestyle and things havechanged.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
I always want her to understand the struggle and the
sacrifices, but I don't want herto have to experience all the
pain and the things that we gothrough.
You know I don't want to putthat stress on her.
So I challenge ourselves now tocreate the life and the future
that we want for her.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
And I think that's part of the reason for the late
nights, early mornings, crazyschedules, you know like that's
all part of it.
But I want this little girl toget to a point and realize I can
have whatever I want if I'mcommitted to work for it.
Absolutely minute to work for itabsolutely I can do anything
that I want, but put my mind andmy heart to it and to realize
that you know, here's my, myparents with by the time she's,
(30:55):
she's old enough.
She could be looking at itsaying like, which one of my
family's businesses do I want totake over?
You know what I mean, right?
What do I want to for myself?
Like maybe I want to take themall over, maybe I want to take
things to a higher level, like Iwant her to grow up knowing
that all things are possible ifyou put your mind and your heart
(31:18):
and your effort into it.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
We just want to set the ground, like for her.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
You want to take over one of the businesses.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
Absolutely, sis like, get in there, let's do it and I
truly feel like in life I I'vereached a high point in life and
I took a major step back fromwhere I was.
But I took that step back tochange direction, you know, and
with the hopes of a greaterfuture.
(31:50):
And it's not all about money.
A lot of it's about time andexperiences and things you get
to do together as a family thatmoney can't buy.
You know, money certainlydoesn't buy happiness and it
doesn't buy time and there is noguarantee on me or you when it
comes to how much time we haveand all those things.
So it comes down to living lifeto the fullest and I really
(32:12):
truly feel like over the firstyear of her life, we have
certainly done that.
I really can't wait for her tosomeday be able to look back at
this and be like, wow, this wasmy life.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Like.
This is what.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
I did this was my life like this is what.
This is what I did.
You know, like it's crazy forme to think that she's only
gonna be a year and a few weeksand be like my freiburg fair.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
I've already been here you know what I mean?
Yeah, like she was there atthree weeks, she was three weeks
old working on the fair.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
She's about to do it for the second time in her life
already.
That's pretty crazy to me.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
Yeah, she was, yeah, three weeks old.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
Because it usually starts the middle of September.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Yeah, toward like the last week of September
traditionally.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
Yeah, I was like doing the math in my head.
Yeah.
Yeah, she was three weeks old,because I remember people had so
many things to say thateverybody has an opinion yeah,
like specifically, people werelike you really shouldn't have a
newborn out here and I'm likeshe's sweating.
Do you see the beads of sweaton her forehead?
Her girl's a furnace everybodyhas an opinion.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Opinions are like assholes everybody's's got one.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
And they all stink, they all stink.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
Unbelievable.
Yeah, it's crazy.
I can't believe it's been ayear.
I think about all the greatthings that have happened and I
often also think about thethings that I wish could have
happened or that she missed outon.
It's really hard for me tothink about my dad not being
(33:48):
here celebrating any of thesethings with her.
It's, it's I would I don't know, I don't even know how to say
like I have to constantly pushthose thoughts out of my head so
I don't just beat myself upwith them.
I it's hard to say, butsometimes I find myself thinking
(34:08):
about my dad and I just got topull the plug on the thought
because I don't want to get lostdown that emotional drain tube.
You know, but I thought it waskind of crazy this week that I
was at the fair on Sunday andyou and the baby on her birthday
(34:30):
were out running errands.
You went to go get a birthdayballoon and some cupcakes and
stuff and what happened to you?
Speaker 3 (34:42):
I was putting.
I got the baby out of the storeand I was going to put her in
her car seat, and as soon as Iput her in her car seat I saw up
in the sky a bird and it triedto catch my attention.
It just kept circling and Iwanted to get a better look of
it and as soon as I did, thebird turned towards me.
(35:05):
It was pretty high up.
I had seen the white head and,sure enough, there was an eagle
flying over us in Augusta at theDollar Tree.
And the funny thing is is thatwasn't at all where I was
supposed to be.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
Carol had told us that there was a dollar.
You went directions to a DollarGeneral and you went cross
country to a Dollar Tree.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
Well, I had typed in Dollar Tree, which was not very
far from the fair.
It was only 15 minutes down thestreet from the fair and the
Hannaford that I was originallytrying to go to was 15 minutes
down the street as well, so Ithought it was like right in the
general vicinity.
I didn't know what town thatHannaford was actually in that I
(35:54):
passed by to get into the fair,so my GPS had taken me to this
Dollar General, which I knewthere was a Hannaford right next
to it.
And would the GPS have nottaken me to that Dollar Tree?
I may not have ever seen theeagle and I may not have ever
seen your dad coming to sayhappy birthday.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
Yeah, it's pretty crazy to think that this bald
eagle shows up over you and thebaby while you're out birthday
shopping on her birthday.
And if people are listening forthe first time, then they won't
understand this.
So I would encourage you to goback and listen.
Uh, there's many, many episodes.
We reference the fact that, um,my father's come back to us as
(36:39):
a, as a bald eagle.
The first time, um, that we sawthis bald eagle was the day
after my father's passing, whenyou and me and my mother were
preparing to go to the funeralhome, and that's when he arrived
for the first time.
We were going to, you know,plan his services.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
He ended up circling the house, yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
So we've told this story many times for all of our
day ones, our loyal ones.
Get your ones up.
We acknowledge you foreverybody that's been listening
throughout the years.
But this is another opportunity, another instance, another
occasion where this just isn'tluck, it isn't coincidence to us
, it's fate.
And it certainly is just myfather coming back to say happy
(37:30):
birthday and you know I didn'tmiss this one.
Speaker 2 (37:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
It's crazy.
It's crazy to think Time, justtime, just man.
If you stop and think about it,it feels like just yesterday
that my dad passed, when it'salready been a couple years when
(38:11):
it's already been a coupleyears.
Thankfully we were occupiedduring one of those years
preparing for her Life iscertainly crazy, the way things
come at you and happen to youand happen for you at you and
happened to you and happened foryou, and it's a wild, wild ride
that I don't think everybodyreally slows down to realize.
(38:33):
You know, I think too manypeople go through life with one
eye open or two eyes half shut,you know what I mean.
Like people don't observe andtake in and realize.
I feel like we live in a worldthat continues to numb its
senses you know people areburied in their technology and
(38:55):
their devices.
They're looking at wormholes ofsocial media, they're numbing
their brain cells withstimulants and depressants and
antidepressants and all thesedifferent things, and people
aren't conscious to what'shappening.
And when you truly stop andbreathe and reflect on where
you've been and where you'regoing and the road you've lived
(39:16):
on and where it's taken you thislife we live, it's the craziest
thing ever.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
Yeah, it's a crazy ride, Just when you think you
have something figured out.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
Just when you think you have it mapped out, here
comes something totallydifferent.
When you're hell-bent andconvinced on a direction, you
end up in a whole differentplace.
It's hard to understand.
I often have conversations withpeople that say my life was
figured out and it wasabsolutely great.
And here I am, miles apart, awhole world apart from where I
(39:52):
once was.
It's crazy.
It's crazy the roads that wecan be taken down and it's all
in the palm of our hands.
It all comes down to ourdecision making and how we read
and react and respond to things.
But there's also so many thingsthat are completely out of our
control.
But if you spend your lifeworrying and stressing about the
(40:14):
things that are out of yourcontrol, then all you're going
to do is lose control.
I don't know why a one-yearbirthday has me reflecting on
the wildness of life, but itcertainly does.
When I just stop and thinkabout the time that's been,
since the last time I saw my dadto the 365 days that passed
(40:38):
since my little girl waswelcomed into this world, it's
crazy.
I can't imagine to think howdepressed and different I might
feel if she wasn't here and Ijust endured the past two years
that I did.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:59):
It's like you said, that distraction, you know,
finding out right after myfather's passing, finding out on
his birthday that we were aboutto be parents, then that nine
months, you know, and then nowhaving her here for the 12
months all that changed ourlives.
All of that changed ourdirections and our outlooks and
(41:21):
and how we view the world andhow we feel and process things.
And without that, without thatmajor occurrence in our life,
without this biggestaccomplishment in our life, how
would we have handled the pastyear we just went through?
Speaker 3 (41:39):
Yeah, because one nine, you found out you're going
to be a dad, and nine one shecame.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
We have gone through the past two or three years of
our life.
Our lives have been some of themost challenging times I ever
could have imagined.
I don't know if I am completelywith it.
Without her being a part of ourlife, does that make sense?
(42:06):
Yeah, I don't know if I havethe same strength and
commitments and desires if she'snot here.
I don't know.
I don't know how I respond toall these things.
I don't know.
I like to think that I come outof those situations just as
positive, but there's somethingabout trying to be optimistic
(42:29):
and build a positive life foryour daughter that makes you
brush a lot of shit off yourshoulders.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
I think it has for me anyway.
I don't know about you, but forme it has a lot to do with her
softness.
You can have the worst day, theworst shit show happen or the
worst like encounter, but thenthe moment that you like
(42:57):
interact with her, it could belike an hour later, a few hours
later or even minutes after.
Her softness and like the waythat she just like looks at
everybody and she doesn't haveany reason to judge people or
have any like Okay, I brokesomething.
My God.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
And I did not mean to interrupt that touching moment.
Speaker 3 (43:22):
Yeah, you didn't want me to say what I was going to
say.
Speaker 1 (43:25):
No, you can say it, I just didn't realize it was a
cowboy boot to the right of me,yeah it's probably broken now
yeah, probably please proceed,but with as much energy as I
don't even know what I was gonnasay anymore all right, lord, I
apologize.
I didn't intend for this tohappen.
I was, I was listening and Iwas staring at you like this,
and then I took my arm and Iplaced it right here.
Speaker 3 (43:48):
You're like a boner in a china shop.
This is why we can't have nicethings.
We have a baby.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
We have bulldogs and I have a husband.
I want to agree with everythingyou're saying.
Speaker 3 (44:01):
I don't even know what I was saying.
Speaker 2 (44:02):
I'm going to tell you what you were saying.
Speaker 1 (44:03):
I'm going to get along with it.
She hasn't been corrupted bythe world.
If you watch the news and yousee depressing stuff and you
look at that little baby girl,she has no clue what's going on
in the world.
Speaker 3 (44:17):
She doesn't care.
The world is positive.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
The world is precious .
Speaker 3 (44:21):
Everyone is a nice person.
Speaker 1 (44:26):
We've never lived in a scarier time in this world's
existence than we have right nowin my opinion.
As far as we know, maybegetting chased by dinosaurs and
stuff like that pretty scary too, I guess our lifetime, yeah,
our lifetime.
Let's go with a scary man, Idon't.
I don't know if, after the pastweek, I don't know if I'll ever
feel comfortable letting ourlittle girl go to school.
(44:48):
You know what I mean?
Yeah, like you kiss your childand drop them off to school and
then you never see them again.
You're watching these thingsunfold on the news.
You're watching Christiansbeing attacked yet again by a
wild transgender shooter.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
Whose mom works at the school.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
You're seeing all this chaos happen, people's
lives being ripped apart, andthen you look at your little
baby girl who just seeseverything with so much love and
all you want to do is protecther.
Speaker 3 (45:22):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (45:23):
But, like you said, you're having that bad day,
you're struggling with somethingand she doesn't understand it.
She doesn't have time for it.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
But she's certain to say hi and it just melts you.
She gives you a smile and awave and that 20 minutes ago
shit show that I was justdealing with doesn't even matter
, doesn't even count.
Yeah, I might have beenflustered and mad at that moment
(45:57):
, but you know, the moment thatI look at her and she just
cracks that smile and just givesyou that like what do you call
it dopamine?
Dose of dopamine?
Speaker 1 (46:06):
it's it's wild that people say like oh, your life's
gonna change, and we alwaysassume that like your habits and
the things that you do and theplaces you go.
Maybe that's gonna change, orlike you're not gonna do some of
the things you'd love to do,but that's not the case for us.
I truly feel like our liveschanged for all the right
reasons.
(46:27):
Our lives changed because wemade those choices.
I've given up on things that Ionce loved to do, because I now
have something in my life that Ijust love that much more, and
that's what changes in your life.
You find purpose in your life,you find reason in your life and
you really ultimately, justcreate a new life.
Speaker 3 (46:49):
And's in it what's that?
Speaker 1 (46:52):
and she's in it yeah and for all those reasons, we've
got the opportunity tocelebrate with each and every
one of you listening right nowepisode 269 269 consecutive
weeks of Shadows Ruggle Podcast,and this week was dedicated to
(47:14):
our beautiful baby girl turningone year old, as she's
stretching out and chilling outin her blue EPJs, throwing a
ruckus.
Speaker 3 (47:25):
She's sleeping?
Speaker 1 (47:25):
Yeah, man, she's so peaceful, she's sweeping, yeah,
man she's so peaceful coupleyears ago, I never imagined this
was my life, you know meneither pal, but I wouldn't
change it for the world nope.
Speaker 3 (47:41):
I'd happily snuggle here and record the podcast.
With this baby any day, I meanshit, what 300 and whatever.
With this baby any day, I meanshit, what 300 and whatever.
Many episodes ago, we weredoing it with a newborn in our
arms.
Speaker 1 (47:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (47:57):
We had just got home.
Speaker 1 (47:58):
We're going to have to go back and listen to some of
those you know what I mean thechaos.
Go back and listen to the think, like the struggle in our voice
when the nervousness and thosetimes that things are about to
happen.
You know, like that's one ofthe things that I I love about
the podcast and one of thereasons why we've been so
(48:21):
committed to the podcast is thelegacy, the lessons, the story.
We are recording our life'sjourney week after week,
selfishly, even if nobody everlistened to this show.
Speaker 3 (48:34):
She'll have it.
Speaker 1 (48:36):
She'll have it.
She'll have everything about us.
Speaker 3 (48:39):
And her papa.
Which Earl better get to say inMeemaw or we're in trouble?
Speaker 1 (48:45):
She better start saying Meemaw, or we're in a lot
of trouble she already sayspapa, and that's your dad.
Yeah, it's a wild world, people,but I truly want to thank each
and every one of you becausey'all have impacted us in such a
positive way.
You continue to listen, weekafter week, which continues to
(49:05):
create the platform and theopportunity for us to share our
stories and pass on our historyand create our legacy that
hopefully, someday my littlegirl is going to be able to look
back and listen to you and say,man, this is what my parents
were like, this was the fear,this was the excitement, this
was the joy, the heartache, thiswas all of it.
Speaker 3 (49:28):
I can hear all of it and I also think that it's
important for her to be able tohear our voice again.
God forbid something happens tous yeah there's an opportunity
for her to listen back and hearus, hear our interaction with
one another, about whatevertopic we're talking about, the
(49:50):
way that we talk about eachother, because I cherish a
voicemail that I have on myphone of Meme from years ago.
Speaker 1 (49:58):
I don't like thinking about those things.
I know, but I'm just sayingBecause I always feel like I'm
going to jinx myself withsomething ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (50:04):
Knock on some wood, you'll be fine.
You're superstitious ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (50:10):
Knock on some wood, you'll be fine, you're
superstitious, but, um, that'sall I ever want for her is to
have that, because there'snothing I wouldn't give to be
able to turn on my radio andlisten to my, my dad or my
grandfather share stories youknow right um my mom and my dad
telling stories 20 years ago.
What I wouldn't do to hear thatall over again and because each
and every one of these listenersthat are listening each week,
that are, you know, tuning inand continuing to be a part of
(50:34):
the show and to help it grow,they're helping to provide this
platform and this opportunitythat someday is going to be
there for her and I hope that,along the way, our story and our
journey helps inspire, you know, other young parents you know,
not that I'm young at all, butmaybe even parents in my
position that maybe I mean, it'skind of the cool thing right
(50:54):
now to be in your late thirtiesand early forties and having
kids.
I've met a lot of them.
Um, but, giving other people thecourage, maybe you're out there
thinking maybe it is too latefor me to have a kid, and you
hear us and say maybe it isn't,maybe now is the right time, and
there's all these differentthings out there that hopefully
this is positivity andencouragement for the people
(51:17):
that are listening and you hopethat this journey and these
struggles that we've subscribedto and committed to to build
this brand is someday going tobe a roadmap and a life path for
others to build their ownsuccess, because I truly do feel
that someday, some way, somehowthis is going to come true for
us, and these things are goingto happen for us and for people
(51:39):
to go back and listen to theearly days, the struggling days,
the ups and downs, turnarounds,all the signs that said stop
here, that we just ran throughall those things.
I hope they're food and justinspiration for each and every
one of you that are out therelistening that this, too, shall
pass.
Keep your foot on the gas, andall good things will come, you
(52:02):
know.
Speaker 3 (52:03):
It's true, I agree.
Speaker 1 (52:05):
Amen, hallelujah.
Where's the Tylenol?
Speaker 3 (52:08):
I don't get it.
You got a bag of it.
You need some Tylenol, old man.
Speaker 1 (52:13):
Christmas vacation.
Speaker 3 (52:15):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 1 (52:16):
It's coming.
Speaker 3 (52:17):
I know your daughter's already obsessed with
the DVD.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
Well, she's your kid.
You watch your Hallmark moviesbefore you know it.
Cinda Rilla.
Speaker 3 (52:27):
Cinda's my aunt's name, and she too is dead.
Speaker 1 (52:31):
Man, I wish you wouldn't just throw all these
dead names in my face.
You are throwing them in myface.
I'm just having a conversation.
Speaker 3 (52:40):
Well, you called me Bob and Cinda in this.
Speaker 1 (52:43):
Rella, and I wouldn't call you Bob.
I said Uncle Bob, bob's, youruncle.
Speaker 3 (52:49):
You call her Bob.
Oh my gosh, she calls me Bub.
Anyways, we are way off topic.
Speaker 1 (52:55):
at this point, there's only one thing left to
do.
Speaker 3 (52:59):
Something.
Hallelujah, give me the tie onall Until next time, thank you.
For supporting Little PaisleyReigns Paisley.
Speaker 1 (53:13):
Reign American Dream.
Speaker 3 (53:14):
American Dream Go wash, go wash, your filthy hands
, your filthy hands.
Speaker 1 (53:20):
You filthy animal.
You filthy animal Can't swearon the baby's episode.
That's it and that's all BiggieSmalls.
(53:47):
If you're a Loud, proudAmerican and you find yourself
just wanting more, find me onYouTube and Facebook at loud,
proud American Put a face page,as my mama calls it.
If you're a fan of the GrahamCracker, you want to find me on
Instagram, or all the kids bytickety-talking on the TikTok.
You can find me on both ofthose at loud, underscore, proud
(54:09):
, underscore, american.
A big old thank you to the boysfrom the Gut Truckers for the
background beats and the themesong to this year's podcast.
If you are enjoying what you'rehearing, you can track down the
(54:30):
Gut Truckers on Facebook Justsearch Gut Truckers.
Speaker 2 (54:52):
Give them motherfuckers a like too.
Speaker 1 (54:56):
I truly thank you for supporting my American dream.
Now go wash your fucking hands,you filthy savage.
Another fair in the rear view and an opportunity to
celebrate a special year withall of you.
Our biggest event approachesand our greatest accomplishment
celebrates her first year here.
Let me tell you somethingEverybody struggles.
The difference is some peoplechoose to go through it and some
(00:23):
choose to grow through it.
The choice is completely yours.
Which one you choose will havea very profound effect on the
way you live your life.
Speaker 2 (00:35):
If you find strength in the struggle, then this
podcast is for you.
Do you have a relationship thatis comfortable with
uncomfortable conversations?
Uncomfortable conversationschallenge you, humble you and
they build you.
When you sprinkle a little timeand distance on it, it all
(00:58):
makes sense.
Most disagreements, they stemfrom our own insecurities.
You are right where you need tobe.
Most disagreements, they stemfrom our own insecurities.
Speaker 1 (01:22):
You are right where you need to be.
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh.
What it do, what it hot,do-do-do-do, beautiful baby, I'm
looking at you, hi, honey, youwaving.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Want to say hi.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
I have a live studio audience today Say hi, honey, Hi
, Hear that folks.
I am joined by my lovely, mybeautiful blushing bride, my
wife Miss Sally Liberty, and ourbeautiful bundle of joy.
Hello, baby Little baby Paisley, she's over there.
Speaker 3 (01:59):
She's not a baby, no more.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Oh, she full grown, man, mm-hmm, she full grown.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
One going on 15.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
You ain't kidding.
She's all bundled up over thereWell past bedtime.
Okay, we are well past bedtime,but she's hanging in there
because she knows this episodeis going to feature stories of
her, so she's going to try tokeep herself awake.
I can see it feature stories ofher, so she's gonna try to keep
(02:27):
herself awake.
I can see it fresh out of thetub with new, brand new blue
epjs and baseball on the tv.
She is loving her firstbirthday, finishing off with a
pizza party what a time cake anda cupcake.
What a time to be alive.
How do you do, good Lord,almighty?
Are we excited to be back withyou?
Oh, it is true, it is damn true.
(02:51):
Episode 269, and we are feelingoh so fine and quite a bit
tired, actually Feeling quite abit tired.
Speaker 3 (02:59):
Pretty exhausted.
Speaker 1 (03:00):
You know that is what it is 269 consecutive weeks.
We couldn't let this streak bebroken, hence the reason why we
are recording a podcast at 10.30pm.
That's just kind of thecommitment we make to each and
every one of you, Am I right?
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (03:15):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
We are finishing up, or I should say we have finished
up Windsor Fair.
Last week's episode.
I was discussing with all y'allhow weird it was that I was the
one home and you and my momwere on the road with little
Paisley.
It was a weird kind of flip ofthe script, whole type of
scenario.
I also was telling the folksthat we pulled in and discovered
(03:38):
yet more mechanical failures,which was fun in the sun.
On Sunday Noah came up and puta new brake line in and fixed a
few things.
We kind of got stonewalled on acouple of things and then,
thankfully, your dad actuallycame up.
Speaker 3 (03:54):
We found a couple of redneck mechanics.
Speaker 1 (03:58):
You got to get it when you hit a wall on things
you must tap into the redneckmechanics that you have because
they'll find a way yeah, how dowe just fix it to get home?
Yeah, that's just it how do you?
Patch it so I can make thejourney that's right home,
that's all, otherwise thecatastrophe that would be is
(04:18):
incredible.
So when I was discussing witheverybody what was going on with
the bus.
Um, the next scenario was likelike literally I recorded that
morning and then, on the way tothe fair, actually, noah met me
there and I stopped and grabbedsome parts and stuff on the way
and he put a brand new brakeline in right there at the fair,
patched up a fuel leak that wehad, did a few other things,
(04:40):
fixed the shifter linkage.
But we were having difficultiesbleeding brakes All the
bleeders were frozen.
We were having difficultiesbleeding breaks all the bleeders
were frozen.
We were having some issuesthere and we were at that point
where the decision was hey,you're probably going to have to
tow this thing home and thenoperate out of a utility trailer
.
Chris and Noah were going todonate an utility trailer to
help us out.
Speaker 3 (05:01):
Until we got the quote on towing that bitch home.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
Well they were saying they thought it would roughly
cost us about two grand ifsomeone was going to tow it,
chris was going to find atrailer and kind of do the best
we could to make it work and wewere going around all avenues
possible to save us money and tofigure things out, but I was
not taking the solution that thebus was not going to leave
without me behind the wheelfiguring it out.
It was going to just cause waytoo much chaos and cost us way
(05:28):
too much financially.
So we knew we know enoughredneck mechanics in the first
one.
Uh, my cousin had an idea aboutit and your dad showed up with
his idea about it.
Hi, honey, and um and your dadhad the bricks situated in like
20 minutes.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
We also, in the back of our mind, had your dad saying
don't you dare tow this thing,hell, no, like.
If we knew this would havehappened three years ago, your
dad would have been up therewith some rope, some duct tape,
some JB Weld, and we would havebeen.
She would have been goingRedneck ingenuity and got that
(06:07):
bad girl home.
Mean, she's sitting in thedooryard.
Speaker 1 (06:09):
We got her home yeah, we're here, fine, safe and uh,
you know, no issues whatsoevergetting home safe was
questionable, but we got herethe question coming home safely.
It wasn't the bus, it wasactually you and the camper that
was a thrill ride death trap.
I was watching in front of me,oh my god that camper was all
over the rodeo.
Speaker 3 (06:30):
Yeah yeah, I think that's a hitch issue and I think
we'll be fine because she'sfine on the road.
Let us pray road but not theturnpike.
Good golly, I was getting.
What did you say?
Speaker 1 (06:41):
I was getting tailwinded off of a prius dude,
you were touching tailwind off aprius that was sending you all
over the place man.
Oh my God, it was terrible, I'mpretty confident, you passed
the June bug and went sideways.
I don't know I was watchingCole Trickle out there doing hot
laps.
You were all over the place.
Speaker 3 (06:57):
Oh my God, my forearms still hurt, I believe
it.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
I believe it.
Folsom for the love of God.
Our dog's an idiot you have notmoved all day.
That bulldog has not moved inhours Until he hears this record
.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
Yes, shuffle his feet drag his toes.
Oh, my God.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
I'll tell you what?
Speaker 3 (07:16):
Get a hobby.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Never fails.
Anyway, today was an adventure,but the bus made it home safely
, you and the baby.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
but the bus made it home safely, you and the baby,
and the camper made it barelybarely.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
We made it white knuckled the whole way.
But it's crazy because the lasttime I was recording the
podcast I was talking aboutfeeling optimistic and having
this positive outlook and thenliterally like eight hours later
it was was like guess what?
Your bus isn't moving, You'regoing broke and Bob's your uncle
.
You know what I mean.
Like it was a I had an uncle,Bob.
It was a frigging tragedy.
(07:53):
You just died, you sprinkle,hey well, let's not go down that
road.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
I'm just saying.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
You sprinkle a little time and distance on it and the
picture got clearer and we wereable to be resourceful and to
figure things out.
So that was another greatobstacle that we overcame.
As far as the fair itself, wehad, I want to say one day
during the week that was kind ofa milk dud, wasn't all that
good, and then Friday it rainedlike a freaking.
(08:19):
I don't even know man.
It was a tsunami.
Did you say tsunami?
Yeah, that's what I said.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Oh jinx, good word choice.
Pinch poke.
Yell me a coke man it rainedlike crazy.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
Well, there were some times during the day where
actually the nighttime wasn'thalf bad when we were open, but
it had been raining so much thatpeople were just like I'm not
leaving the house.
So we bombed on a Friday whichyou can't afford to lose a
Friday.
Also considering that Friday ayear ago is one of our best days
to lose.
That day really hurt us.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
And then Monday was kind of a flop.
What's that?
You happily could have takenone of those rain days like in
the middle of the week, whenit's like q-tip day or something
which just means senior citizenday, in case anyone we had uh,
two damn near record-settingdays back to back.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Saturday and sunday were, uh, spectacular.
We had tremendous saturdays andsundays, um, which put us right
back in line to make the fairum, not our best year, but one
of our better years.
And then Monday just went rightdown the toilet, the eau de la
toilette.
It was pretty dead on Monday.
I think people just took theholiday and packed it in and
(09:32):
didn't come out.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Surprising, because any time that we would go to
this fair, even before weattended this fair, we would go
on Monday and it was busy.
Speaker 1 (09:40):
I know, Not this year folks.
Speaker 3 (09:42):
No.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
Only made a few hundred bucks on a monday, which
for holiday was pretty tough.
So all in all we've been doingthe winds of fair.
I think it's our third year Ithink it's our fourth.
Speaker 3 (09:51):
We've been in business for five years.
We only missed one.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah, I don't know, though I think we missed two
yeah I feel like we had our oldspot, then our new spot, and
then we return this year.
Maybe, With all that said, thisends up being our worst year
actually, which you know whatmakes it seem even crazier.
The first year we were there,we had a less than ideal
(10:18):
location and the fair was oneday shorter.
I just realized that the firstyear we were there there was no
Saturday, one day shorter, Ijust realized that the first
year we were there there was noSaturday.
This year, there was an extraSaturday over that year and a
better location, and we stilldidn't beat it.
Wow, Well, that's depressing.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
Gosh.
Speaker 1 (10:37):
The things you wish you didn't look into.
That'll kick you in theclusters.
The honey, bunches of oats,Right honey.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
She said hi.
Speaker 1 (10:45):
Hi babe, you look beautiful, dear.
Hi, you're dashing in yourbluey PJs.
Hi cutie, are you flirting withme?
I love you, babe.
Here she's batting her babyblues at me over there, binky, I
love you, get some sleep, honey.
Anyways, I'm recording a wholeconversation with the baby,
(11:07):
which is you know.
Speaker 3 (11:09):
Welcome to dadhood.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
I don't know if that's what did you say?
Speaker 3 (11:12):
Hi Hi.
Speaker 1 (11:21):
More importantly than the financial results of the
fair, I would say the moreimportant thing is that the
miraculous thing is that we havemade one entire year of
parenthood in the books.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
One trip around the sun.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (11:36):
I don't even believe it.
Speaker 1 (11:38):
I touched on it on last week's show as well, but
Don't give all of the spoilersaway.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
What do you mean?
I haven't listened.
Oh, I was going to the fairhello on winning wednesday I
gotcha, I gotcha so I haven'tlistened yet, so don't ruin it
okay, all right.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Well, I talked about the fact that you know the
feeling, so surprised by thefact that, like this whole year
has already, uh, come and gone.
That you know we're parentsafter a year is, uh, is
incredible.
Um, to think how quickly thishas, this has come and gone.
You know, when we were justkind of packing up at the fair,
(12:18):
I think, like at the end of thenight when we were all done, and
I parked the bus and you andthe baby were walking up and I
went over there and we were justkind of talking about, like
that's it, that's a wrap, thisone's over.
And then this morning, likePaisley was waving goodbye to
the fairgrounds and just had methinking, like man a year ago,
(12:38):
like you just arrived.
And now here you are, you know,waving goodbye and interacting
with people.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
She said hi to almost every single person that came
on our test this week A ton ofpeople.
Yeah, If she was awake.
Speaker 1 (12:53):
She greeted almost every customer.
Speaker 3 (12:54):
She also sat on the counter and helped me cash a few
people out.
Speaker 1 (12:59):
Pretty incredible.
Speaker 3 (12:59):
You want to talk to the people.
Speaker 1 (13:01):
My little baby at the age of one years old, is
already providing bettercustomer service than 98 of all
the vendors that work at thefair she watches us do it most
people walk into the tent.
Nobody says anything to them atany of those places you go to
not our booth exactly she, likeyou said, she sees us say hi to
(13:23):
everybody.
So people come in, she says hi,she waves to them, she waves
when they leave.
She interacts with all thebabies.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Oh yes.
Speaker 1 (13:33):
Yeah, pretty incredible.
She has better customer serviceskills than almost every other
vendor we see at the fair.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
And they're adults, grown-ass adults, let's put that
out there.
Speaker 1 (13:45):
Unbelievable grown adults yeah, I can't, uh, I
still can't believe it.
It's weird to think, like ayear ago I'm rushing out of the
fair, me and my mom steve-o'scoming to save the day to open
the tent, and me and my mom arerushing to the hospital to be
(14:05):
there in time, and just howquickly everything went down,
like when we were prepared forlike this big, long, drawn out
process, like how quicklyeverything happened.
And then, literally like thenext day, I was back at the fair
finishing out the fair, closingeverything up coming home.
I remember stopping at the gasstation and grabbing two ice
(14:27):
creams out of the cooler andcoming into the bedroom like the
hospital room at like midnight,me and Paisley were sleeping.
And then here we are a yearlater and she's with us while
we're packing up camp and we'rehanging out in the camper and
having slumber parties, and youknow, in the camper watching
(14:50):
freaking Bluey at night Likeit's crazy.
Man, life comes at you fast,things move awful quickly and
it's crazy for me to think thatyou know our season's almost
over, our biggest event isquickly approaching and our
baby's already been here for ayear.
It does not make any sense tome, man.
Speaker 3 (15:10):
Mm-mm.
Speaker 1 (15:11):
No.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Sometimes I even like not.
I don't want to say that itsounds odd, but it catches me
off guard when someone sayssomething like about your
daughter.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Right.
Speaker 3 (15:23):
I'm like what like if I'm yeah at work or I'm not
like momming at the moment.
You know what I mean like, like.
If you're in the grocery storeand you don't have the baby with
you and someone's like oh,how's your daughter?
And you're like like it.
It's still so new, even thoughyou know what I mean.
We've been doing it for a wholeyear.
Speaker 1 (15:43):
Like I'll tell you it's weird if you're on the road
without her, for a couple ofdays and people start asking
those questions it's just Idon't know it's uh it's crazy.
What I do want to say is howoverwhelmed we are by the love
and support that, um, that ourlittle baby already has
(16:03):
everywhere she goes that ourlittle baby already has
everywhere she goes the birthweek celebration that she has
had via the Windsor Fair andthen now being home has been
incredible.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
The people that came out of nowhere with presents and
well wishes.
Speaker 3 (16:17):
Seriously.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
When they say it takes an army, they really mean
it, because our army hasliterally come out of the
woodworks to celebrate doug hadasked me to um make a bunch of
birthday shirts forfive-year-old's birthday, for
bella's fifth birthday, givingthem away as parting, like grab
(16:40):
bag gifts, you know.
Thank you gifts to think abouta little girl's birthday and one
of the key ingredients is loudproud American apparel.
Like she wanted her own specialshirt.
Everybody that went to thebirthday parents and kids all
wearing loud proud American gear.
That's pretty freaking awesome.
Speaker 3 (16:56):
That is pretty sweet.
Speaker 1 (16:57):
That's pretty damn cool.
And then some of the kidsactually came in and found me at
the fair and said thank you andI thought that was really cool.
But then, uh, doug and the famshows up with gifts for little
paisley, which didn't expect anyof that right.
No, no, absolutely not and thatwas like kind of the start of
the week of gifts, like the umjust celebration of paisley.
(17:23):
That happened.
Uh, kyle, kyle and Julia werecoming over with sweet gifts and
you know bike for her and allthis stuff.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
Matt and Sarah.
Speaker 1 (17:30):
Matt and Sarah bringing over the little horse
for her.
Just people coming over allweek really bringing stuff, like
it was crazy to think hergodparents she drove again from
Syracuse to York.
Speaker 3 (17:45):
What is it?
Speaker 1 (17:46):
You're talking six hours from Syracuse, plus they
ride to Las Vegas.
They took the wrong road.
It took them a couple hours.
So you're talking about aneight-hour commitment to come
see her for an hour, to drive anhour and a half back to the
saloon, to then spend a day anddrive another six hours home.
Their commitment to see her andto bring her gifts and spend
time with her was incredible.
Speaker 3 (18:09):
Oh my gosh, yeah, we are beyond blessed.
Speaker 1 (18:12):
I know I'm forgetting people and scenarios, but it
was incredible.
You had picked out this bignumber one gold balloon that she
had in her cart, her littlewagon and she was riding around.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
Oh my gosh, I walked around everywhere with that
thing.
Everybody was coming over Forlike two days.
Oh man, people were coming upto her.
Yeah, she had that thing for acouple of days.
People were coming up to hersaying happy birthday.
And then a big shout-out toCarol for allowing us to borrow
some of her baby cows to take aphoto shoot.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
Carol runs all the livestock over at Windsor
Fairgrounds and she's welcomedus in as family.
Her family has accepted us andembraced us and it was Carol's
idea to make sure that we hadcupcakes or cake or something,
and she wanted Paisley to takephotos with baby cows and all
(19:03):
that stuff.
Speaker 3 (19:04):
The photos have been submitted to Windsor Fair.
She's going to have themuploaded for their website and
stuff.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
You guys had a full-on one-year-old birthday
party photo shoot in the stallswith all these cows and stuff.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
She actually got to meet a cow that was only two
days old, so when we took thephotos she was enjoying that
little baby cow.
He was suckling on her fingers,but then got super rowdy.
Speaker 1 (19:32):
I was like, oh feisty , it's gonna be a good cow I
just can't help but think howfortunate, first and foremost,
how fortunate we are, but howfortunate she is.
You think about how many littlegirls first birthday would be
what hers was, and and what Ilove about her birthday is the
(19:55):
memories that were made, not thedollars that were spent yeah,
you know what I'm saying.
Like you always see familiesthat throw this big, massive get
together for a birthday and ifyou want to do that, go ahead
and do that.
I'm not downplaying somebody'splan, right, but for us we're
like financially doesn't make alot of sense for us, the
position that we're in, andshe's probably not going to
remember it, but we always wantto strive for, um, like, making
(20:18):
memories, you know experience,type, gifts and scenarios and,
uh, she had an amazingexperience for her birthday?
Speaker 3 (20:27):
Absolutely, and it was one of those things that
everybody like kept asking meyou know, like, what are you
going to do for her birthday?
We want to be a part of it andI appreciate that.
We truly do, and we're supergrateful for all the people that
came out and spent time with usat the fair.
We just didn't think that itwas, in our situation,
appropriate to throw this bigshebang for her first birthday.
(20:50):
Will I throw a big party in thenext couple, couple of years?
Yeah, yeah, sure, definitely.
Like we'll have some sort ofparty, but unfortunately, like
our schedule is so crazy aroundher birthday.
She'll always celebrate herbirthday at the fair, but then
it will be.
Her party will be after herbirthday.
Speaker 1 (21:09):
Yeah, so if she has a big party scenario, it'll be
after.
That's all said and done, butshe's forever going to have like
her birthday being at theWindsor Fair.
Speaker 3 (21:19):
With her Windsor family.
Speaker 1 (21:21):
And as she gets older and she gets to know everybody,
like I, think that they'llchange, they'll evolve.
You know what I mean?
Absolutely, because, um, it'llbe.
It'll just be a differentexperience.
But this year, um, you andjulia and the baby rode around
and gave out cupcakes toeverybody that she knows right,
yep, all of her, um fair family.
Speaker 3 (21:41):
we made sure that everybody had cupcakes and, um,
I actually got a little likecard that said my first birthday
on it and anyone who had theability to join us in our little
get together at the fair we hadthem sign it so that we can put
that in her memory box.
Speaker 1 (22:01):
I just can't really think of a better way to
celebrate, really think of abetter way to celebrate, and I
I'm so, um, just I don't knowman, I'm just mesmerized by
everything that just that justhappened and all the blessings
we have because of theexperiences that we had, and for
me, like it's another reasonwhy we continue to endure the
(22:23):
struggles of having our ownbusiness of having this brand of
ours, because if we gave up onthis brand, she wouldn't have
had the experience she just had.
Speaker 3 (22:35):
Right.
Speaker 1 (22:37):
If we didn't continue to struggle and to strive to
keep this brand alive, shewouldn't know all the people
that she already knows, shewouldn't have the people skills
she already has.
We just talked about ourone-year-old little girl saying
hi to every single person thatcomes in the tent, you know, and
all the people that sheencountered over the course of
(22:57):
the week that said happybirthday.
None of those things happenwithout us keeping our brand
alive.
Her having a photo shoot withbaby cows and celebrating at the
fair, being embraced byeverybody riding around giving
out cupcakes on her birthdayLike that's what I want for her.
Those are the things that Iwant for her and those are the
things that make me keep thebrand going.
(23:19):
It continues to motivate me tosacrifice and take chances and
difficult choices because of thelifestyle it can allow, and I'm
not talking about the financiallifestyle, but the experiences
and how well-rounded her firstyear on earth has been, based
(23:51):
off of the things that we do wetalk about it all the time that
her social schedule schedule isbetter than most people in
general.
It's incredible the things thatshe's done and if, like, if I'm
on the road and she's with youand let's say like you have to
work and she's with, like Allie,she's at a zoo, she's at a pool
party, she's at the library,and then you know, like you have
(24:14):
her and you're bringing herplaces and doing all these
things.
You and my mom are at the zoowith her and you're doing all
this stuff.
Speaker 3 (24:20):
Taking her to birthday parties and just
getting her to interact.
Speaker 1 (24:23):
Yeah, she's going to different parties and all these
things and already socializing.
And then, like I mean it'sincredible to think like this
little girl's been from bikersaloons to horse races, to
carnivals, you know what I mean.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
Like it's a Fairs festivals car shows.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
I think that we are still at a really fortunate
period where it's a littleeasier to corral the little one
and manage the scenario.
Speaker 3 (24:59):
I do feel like we're on the cusp of the difficulty
level really ramping up.
Also, she has already been fromhere to New York and hit every
state in between.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
Basically.
Yeah, she's covered some ground.
Speaker 3 (25:12):
Let's be honest.
Speaker 1 (25:15):
I'm just thinking about how much more difficult
this is going to be.
When you start seeing at thefair, you see the kids all
running around that you can'tcontain.
We're about to be there.
If she starts walking by, let'ssay, the Freiburg Fair, do you
understand the difficulty leveland how much higher it gets
ramped up?
Speaker 3 (25:33):
Yeah, good thing we have the octagon.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Good thing, we have what.
The octagon yeah the octagonshe does have a steel cage.
Speaker 3 (25:42):
Welcome to the octagon.
Yeah, we're having cage fightsfor babies, exactly.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
I keep thinking about it because we've been, we've
had conversations with, likeKate and Ryan saying like, oh
yeah, our baby was great for thefirst few years doing this and
then it just got crazy.
So we don't know what we'regoing to encounter when it comes
to that and how those thingsare going to go, and our
schedule and days are very longand demanding.
So there's going to encounterwhen it comes to that and how
those things are going to go,and our schedule and days are
very long and demanding.
Speaker 3 (26:09):
So, um, there's going to be some adjustment, like the
nice thing is, is that likewe're going to be going into
Freiburg and, yeah, she might bea little bit mobile at that
point, but we also have theentire winter off that we can
work on not being so crazy yeah,you know what I mean, like
there there'll be an adjustmentperiod and then you know we'll
(26:31):
get back on the road andthere'll be an adjustment period
.
But it's just we'll just take itone day at a time and kind of
go go from there like just likewe did the last year.
Just they don't come with rulebook, so it's just adapting and
navigating whatever task isthrown at us.
Speaker 1 (26:52):
I think that we can give ourselves some credit for
accomplishing all we'veaccomplished over the past past
year, going into things asfrightened for my life as I was
you know that we're here.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
I mean I will say, like everybody said, like before
she even arrived, like goodluck, your life's about to
change.
If we think about it like wedidn't take anything off of the
schedule, that because of her no, not really like we still went
to our events you know what Imean.
Like there wasn't anything onthe schedule that we're like we
(27:28):
really can't do, because we havea baby Like we adopted.
And yeah, we went with a littlebit extra baggage, but we still
made it happen.
Speaker 1 (27:39):
I think I took on events that I wouldn't normally
take on because of her, becauseI was like, okay, I got to push
myself and I got to push thisbrand to go to the next level,
because I want to provide forher.
So her being here motivated meto drive the 27 hours to go to
an event you know to apply forthings way out of our comfort
(28:00):
zone.
So when people say, like you'renot going to do the things you
used to do, you know what bet I?
did things that were even moreuncomfortable for me, because
she's here, you know, and nextyear is going to be no different
.
We're going to continue to takechances and we've got a lot of
moving parts in the backgroundthat people don't know about
that we're trying to figure outand work out, but there's….
(28:24):
Stay tuned, because we've gotthings that are about to make
your head spin out and work out,but there's stay tuned because
we got things that are about tomake your head spin.
There's chaos and you knowthings that we are trying to
figure out, but I think we'remore motivated to figure those
things out because she's hereyeah like I'm more motivated for
success because she's here yeah, we also want to set the ground
.
Speaker 3 (28:44):
I mean, she's only one, but we want to.
We want to set the standardhigh.
Like you can do anything youset your mind to and like, for
instance, like you used to own ashop you know what I mean and
then you started your own thing,so you bet on yourself, so,
like, that's the, that's thestandard.
Like you can do anything youwant to do and look, we're doing
(29:10):
it.
We're working multiple jobs andmaking ends meet and doing the
things, because nothing is evergiven to us, and I think that
that's going to be the standardthat we hold for her is that you
and I both were raised thatyou're going to earn.
You want 20 bucks to go to themall.
Like you're gonna earn it.
You're gonna do the things thatneed to be done around the
(29:34):
house.
You need to do your chores, youneed to muck the stalls, those
sort of things, because you needto earn your, your way of life
I'm also motivated to do thesuffering and the sacrificing
when she doesn't know it.
Speaker 1 (29:50):
Yeah, you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 3 (29:51):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (29:52):
Like I'm motivated now to suffer and sacrifice to
get to where we need to be, whenshe doesn't have to realize
that.
So we get to the point when youknow she would be able to
understand those things.
Her lifestyle and things havechanged.
Speaker 2 (30:11):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
I always want her to understand the struggle and the
sacrifices, but I don't want herto have to experience all the
pain and the things that we gothrough.
You know I don't want to putthat stress on her.
So I challenge ourselves now tocreate the life and the future
that we want for her.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
And I think that's part of the reason for the late
nights, early mornings, crazyschedules, you know like that's
all part of it.
But I want this little girl toget to a point and realize I can
have whatever I want if I'mcommitted to work for it.
Absolutely minute to work for itabsolutely I can do anything
that I want, but put my mind andmy heart to it and to realize
that you know, here's my, myparents with by the time she's,
(30:55):
she's old enough.
She could be looking at itsaying like, which one of my
family's businesses do I want totake over?
You know what I mean, right?
What do I want to for myself?
Like maybe I want to take themall over, maybe I want to take
things to a higher level, like Iwant her to grow up knowing
that all things are possible ifyou put your mind and your heart
(31:18):
and your effort into it.
Speaker 3 (31:21):
We just want to set the ground, like for her.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (31:27):
You want to take over one of the businesses.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
Absolutely, sis like, get in there, let's do it and I
truly feel like in life I I'vereached a high point in life and
I took a major step back fromwhere I was.
But I took that step back tochange direction, you know, and
with the hopes of a greaterfuture.
(31:50):
And it's not all about money.
A lot of it's about time andexperiences and things you get
to do together as a family thatmoney can't buy.
You know, money certainlydoesn't buy happiness and it
doesn't buy time and there is noguarantee on me or you when it
comes to how much time we haveand all those things.
So it comes down to living lifeto the fullest and I really
(32:12):
truly feel like over the firstyear of her life, we have
certainly done that.
I really can't wait for her tosomeday be able to look back at
this and be like, wow, this wasmy life.
Speaker 3 (32:25):
Like.
This is what.
Speaker 1 (32:25):
I did this was my life like this is what.
This is what I did.
You know, like it's crazy forme to think that she's only
gonna be a year and a few weeksand be like my freiburg fair.
Speaker 3 (32:39):
I've already been here you know what I mean?
Yeah, like she was there atthree weeks, she was three weeks
old working on the fair.
Speaker 1 (32:46):
She's about to do it for the second time in her life
already.
That's pretty crazy to me.
Speaker 3 (32:50):
Yeah, she was, yeah, three weeks old.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (32:55):
Because it usually starts the middle of September.
Speaker 1 (33:00):
Yeah, toward like the last week of September
traditionally.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
Yeah, I was like doing the math in my head.
Yeah.
Yeah, she was three weeks old,because I remember people had so
many things to say thateverybody has an opinion yeah,
like specifically, people werelike you really shouldn't have a
newborn out here and I'm likeshe's sweating.
Do you see the beads of sweaton her forehead?
Her girl's a furnace everybodyhas an opinion.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Opinions are like assholes everybody's's got one.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
And they all stink, they all stink.
Speaker 1 (33:27):
Unbelievable.
Yeah, it's crazy.
I can't believe it's been ayear.
I think about all the greatthings that have happened and I
often also think about thethings that I wish could have
happened or that she missed outon.
It's really hard for me tothink about my dad not being
(33:48):
here celebrating any of thesethings with her.
It's, it's I would I don't know, I don't even know how to say
like I have to constantly pushthose thoughts out of my head so
I don't just beat myself upwith them.
I it's hard to say, butsometimes I find myself thinking
(34:08):
about my dad and I just got topull the plug on the thought
because I don't want to get lostdown that emotional drain tube.
You know, but I thought it waskind of crazy this week that I
was at the fair on Sunday andyou and the baby on her birthday
(34:30):
were out running errands.
You went to go get a birthdayballoon and some cupcakes and
stuff and what happened to you?
Speaker 3 (34:42):
I was putting.
I got the baby out of the storeand I was going to put her in
her car seat, and as soon as Iput her in her car seat I saw up
in the sky a bird and it triedto catch my attention.
It just kept circling and Iwanted to get a better look of
it and as soon as I did, thebird turned towards me.
(35:05):
It was pretty high up.
I had seen the white head and,sure enough, there was an eagle
flying over us in Augusta at theDollar Tree.
And the funny thing is is thatwasn't at all where I was
supposed to be.
Speaker 1 (35:26):
Carol had told us that there was a dollar.
You went directions to a DollarGeneral and you went cross
country to a Dollar Tree.
Speaker 3 (35:32):
Well, I had typed in Dollar Tree, which was not very
far from the fair.
It was only 15 minutes down thestreet from the fair and the
Hannaford that I was originallytrying to go to was 15 minutes
down the street as well, so Ithought it was like right in the
general vicinity.
I didn't know what town thatHannaford was actually in that I
(35:54):
passed by to get into the fair,so my GPS had taken me to this
Dollar General, which I knewthere was a Hannaford right next
to it.
And would the GPS have nottaken me to that Dollar Tree?
I may not have ever seen theeagle and I may not have ever
seen your dad coming to sayhappy birthday.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
Yeah, it's pretty crazy to think that this bald
eagle shows up over you and thebaby while you're out birthday
shopping on her birthday.
And if people are listening forthe first time, then they won't
understand this.
So I would encourage you to goback and listen.
Uh, there's many, many episodes.
We reference the fact that, um,my father's come back to us as
(36:39):
a, as a bald eagle.
The first time, um, that we sawthis bald eagle was the day
after my father's passing, whenyou and me and my mother were
preparing to go to the funeralhome, and that's when he arrived
for the first time.
We were going to, you know,plan his services.
Speaker 3 (37:02):
He ended up circling the house, yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
So we've told this story many times for all of our
day ones, our loyal ones.
Get your ones up.
We acknowledge you foreverybody that's been listening
throughout the years.
But this is another opportunity, another instance, another
occasion where this just isn'tluck, it isn't coincidence to us
, it's fate.
And it certainly is just myfather coming back to say happy
(37:30):
birthday and you know I didn'tmiss this one.
Speaker 2 (37:36):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (37:40):
It's crazy.
It's crazy to think Time, justtime, just man.
If you stop and think about it,it feels like just yesterday
that my dad passed, when it'salready been a couple years when
(38:11):
it's already been a coupleyears.
Thankfully we were occupiedduring one of those years
preparing for her Life iscertainly crazy, the way things
come at you and happen to youand happen for you at you and
happened to you and happened foryou, and it's a wild, wild ride
that I don't think everybodyreally slows down to realize.
(38:33):
You know, I think too manypeople go through life with one
eye open or two eyes half shut,you know what I mean.
Like people don't observe andtake in and realize.
I feel like we live in a worldthat continues to numb its
senses you know people areburied in their technology and
(38:55):
their devices.
They're looking at wormholes ofsocial media, they're numbing
their brain cells withstimulants and depressants and
antidepressants and all thesedifferent things, and people
aren't conscious to what'shappening.
And when you truly stop andbreathe and reflect on where
you've been and where you'regoing and the road you've lived
(39:16):
on and where it's taken you thislife we live, it's the craziest
thing ever.
Speaker 3 (39:28):
Yeah, it's a crazy ride, Just when you think you
have something figured out.
Speaker 1 (39:32):
Just when you think you have it mapped out, here
comes something totallydifferent.
When you're hell-bent andconvinced on a direction, you
end up in a whole differentplace.
It's hard to understand.
I often have conversations withpeople that say my life was
figured out and it wasabsolutely great.
And here I am, miles apart, awhole world apart from where I
(39:52):
once was.
It's crazy.
It's crazy the roads that wecan be taken down and it's all
in the palm of our hands.
It all comes down to ourdecision making and how we read
and react and respond to things.
But there's also so many thingsthat are completely out of our
control.
But if you spend your lifeworrying and stressing about the
(40:14):
things that are out of yourcontrol, then all you're going
to do is lose control.
I don't know why a one-yearbirthday has me reflecting on
the wildness of life, but itcertainly does.
When I just stop and thinkabout the time that's been,
since the last time I saw my dadto the 365 days that passed
(40:38):
since my little girl waswelcomed into this world, it's
crazy.
I can't imagine to think howdepressed and different I might
feel if she wasn't here and Ijust endured the past two years
that I did.
Speaker 2 (40:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:59):
It's like you said, that distraction, you know,
finding out right after myfather's passing, finding out on
his birthday that we were aboutto be parents, then that nine
months, you know, and then nowhaving her here for the 12
months all that changed ourlives.
All of that changed ourdirections and our outlooks and
(41:21):
and how we view the world andhow we feel and process things.
And without that, without thatmajor occurrence in our life,
without this biggestaccomplishment in our life, how
would we have handled the pastyear we just went through?
Speaker 3 (41:39):
Yeah, because one nine, you found out you're going
to be a dad, and nine one shecame.
Speaker 1 (41:45):
We have gone through the past two or three years of
our life.
Our lives have been some of themost challenging times I ever
could have imagined.
I don't know if I am completelywith it.
Without her being a part of ourlife, does that make sense?
(42:06):
Yeah, I don't know if I havethe same strength and
commitments and desires if she'snot here.
I don't know.
I don't know how I respond toall these things.
I don't know.
I like to think that I come outof those situations just as
positive, but there's somethingabout trying to be optimistic
(42:29):
and build a positive life foryour daughter that makes you
brush a lot of shit off yourshoulders.
Speaker 3 (42:36):
I think it has for me anyway.
I don't know about you, but forme it has a lot to do with her
softness.
You can have the worst day, theworst shit show happen or the
worst like encounter, but thenthe moment that you like
(42:57):
interact with her, it could belike an hour later, a few hours
later or even minutes after.
Her softness and like the waythat she just like looks at
everybody and she doesn't haveany reason to judge people or
have any like Okay, I brokesomething.
My God.
Speaker 1 (43:19):
And I did not mean to interrupt that touching moment.
Speaker 3 (43:22):
Yeah, you didn't want me to say what I was going to
say.
Speaker 1 (43:25):
No, you can say it, I just didn't realize it was a
cowboy boot to the right of me,yeah it's probably broken now
yeah, probably please proceed,but with as much energy as I
don't even know what I was gonnasay anymore all right, lord, I
apologize.
I didn't intend for this tohappen.
I was, I was listening and Iwas staring at you like this,
and then I took my arm and Iplaced it right here.
Speaker 3 (43:48):
You're like a boner in a china shop.
This is why we can't have nicethings.
We have a baby.
Speaker 1 (43:53):
We have bulldogs and I have a husband.
I want to agree with everythingyou're saying.
Speaker 3 (44:01):
I don't even know what I was saying.
Speaker 2 (44:02):
I'm going to tell you what you were saying.
Speaker 1 (44:03):
I'm going to get along with it.
She hasn't been corrupted bythe world.
If you watch the news and yousee depressing stuff and you
look at that little baby girl,she has no clue what's going on
in the world.
Speaker 3 (44:17):
She doesn't care.
The world is positive.
Speaker 1 (44:19):
The world is precious .
Speaker 3 (44:21):
Everyone is a nice person.
Speaker 1 (44:26):
We've never lived in a scarier time in this world's
existence than we have right nowin my opinion.
As far as we know, maybegetting chased by dinosaurs and
stuff like that pretty scary too, I guess our lifetime, yeah,
our lifetime.
Let's go with a scary man, Idon't.
I don't know if, after the pastweek, I don't know if I'll ever
feel comfortable letting ourlittle girl go to school.
(44:48):
You know what I mean?
Yeah, like you kiss your childand drop them off to school and
then you never see them again.
You're watching these thingsunfold on the news.
You're watching Christiansbeing attacked yet again by a
wild transgender shooter.
Speaker 3 (45:07):
Whose mom works at the school.
Speaker 1 (45:09):
You're seeing all this chaos happen, people's
lives being ripped apart, andthen you look at your little
baby girl who just seeseverything with so much love and
all you want to do is protecther.
Speaker 3 (45:22):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (45:23):
But, like you said, you're having that bad day,
you're struggling with somethingand she doesn't understand it.
She doesn't have time for it.
Speaker 3 (45:33):
But she's certain to say hi and it just melts you.
She gives you a smile and awave and that 20 minutes ago
shit show that I was justdealing with doesn't even matter
, doesn't even count.
Yeah, I might have beenflustered and mad at that moment
(45:57):
, but you know, the moment thatI look at her and she just
cracks that smile and just givesyou that like what do you call
it dopamine?
Dose of dopamine?
Speaker 1 (46:06):
it's it's wild that people say like oh, your life's
gonna change, and we alwaysassume that like your habits and
the things that you do and theplaces you go.
Maybe that's gonna change, orlike you're not gonna do some of
the things you'd love to do,but that's not the case for us.
I truly feel like our liveschanged for all the right
reasons.
(46:27):
Our lives changed because wemade those choices.
I've given up on things that Ionce loved to do, because I now
have something in my life that Ijust love that much more, and
that's what changes in your life.
You find purpose in your life,you find reason in your life and
you really ultimately, justcreate a new life.
Speaker 3 (46:49):
And's in it what's that?
Speaker 1 (46:52):
and she's in it yeah and for all those reasons, we've
got the opportunity tocelebrate with each and every
one of you listening right nowepisode 269 269 consecutive
weeks of Shadows Ruggle Podcast,and this week was dedicated to
(47:14):
our beautiful baby girl turningone year old, as she's
stretching out and chilling outin her blue EPJs, throwing a
ruckus.
Speaker 3 (47:25):
She's sleeping?
Speaker 1 (47:25):
Yeah, man, she's so peaceful, she's sweeping, yeah,
man she's so peaceful coupleyears ago, I never imagined this
was my life, you know meneither pal, but I wouldn't
change it for the world nope.
Speaker 3 (47:41):
I'd happily snuggle here and record the podcast.
With this baby any day, I meanshit, what 300 and whatever.
With this baby any day, I meanshit, what 300 and whatever.
Many episodes ago, we weredoing it with a newborn in our
arms.
Speaker 1 (47:56):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (47:57):
We had just got home.
Speaker 1 (47:58):
We're going to have to go back and listen to some of
those you know what I mean thechaos.
Go back and listen to the think, like the struggle in our voice
when the nervousness and thosetimes that things are about to
happen.
You know, like that's one ofthe things that I I love about
the podcast and one of thereasons why we've been so
(48:21):
committed to the podcast is thelegacy, the lessons, the story.
We are recording our life'sjourney week after week,
selfishly, even if nobody everlistened to this show.
Speaker 3 (48:34):
She'll have it.
Speaker 1 (48:36):
She'll have it.
She'll have everything about us.
Speaker 3 (48:39):
And her papa.
Which Earl better get to say inMeemaw or we're in trouble?
Speaker 1 (48:45):
She better start saying Meemaw, or we're in a lot
of trouble she already sayspapa, and that's your dad.
Yeah, it's a wild world, people,but I truly want to thank each
and every one of you becausey'all have impacted us in such a
positive way.
You continue to listen, weekafter week, which continues to
(49:05):
create the platform and theopportunity for us to share our
stories and pass on our historyand create our legacy that
hopefully, someday my littlegirl is going to be able to look
back and listen to you and say,man, this is what my parents
were like, this was the fear,this was the excitement, this
was the joy, the heartache, thiswas all of it.
Speaker 3 (49:28):
I can hear all of it and I also think that it's
important for her to be able tohear our voice again.
God forbid something happens tous yeah there's an opportunity
for her to listen back and hearus, hear our interaction with
one another, about whatevertopic we're talking about, the
(49:50):
way that we talk about eachother, because I cherish a
voicemail that I have on myphone of Meme from years ago.
Speaker 1 (49:58):
I don't like thinking about those things.
I know, but I'm just sayingBecause I always feel like I'm
going to jinx myself withsomething ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (50:04):
Knock on some wood, you'll be fine.
You're superstitious ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (50:10):
Knock on some wood, you'll be fine, you're
superstitious, but, um, that'sall I ever want for her is to
have that, because there'snothing I wouldn't give to be
able to turn on my radio andlisten to my, my dad or my
grandfather share stories youknow right um my mom and my dad
telling stories 20 years ago.
What I wouldn't do to hear thatall over again and because each
and every one of these listenersthat are listening each week,
that are, you know, tuning inand continuing to be a part of
(50:34):
the show and to help it grow,they're helping to provide this
platform and this opportunitythat someday is going to be
there for her and I hope that,along the way, our story and our
journey helps inspire, you know, other young parents you know,
not that I'm young at all, butmaybe even parents in my
position that maybe I mean, it'skind of the cool thing right
(50:54):
now to be in your late thirtiesand early forties and having
kids.
I've met a lot of them.
Um, but, giving other people thecourage, maybe you're out there
thinking maybe it is too latefor me to have a kid, and you
hear us and say maybe it isn't,maybe now is the right time, and
there's all these differentthings out there that hopefully
this is positivity andencouragement for the people
(51:17):
that are listening and you hopethat this journey and these
struggles that we've subscribedto and committed to to build
this brand is someday going tobe a roadmap and a life path for
others to build their ownsuccess, because I truly do feel
that someday, some way, somehowthis is going to come true for
us, and these things are goingto happen for us and for people
(51:39):
to go back and listen to theearly days, the struggling days,
the ups and downs, turnarounds,all the signs that said stop
here, that we just ran throughall those things.
I hope they're food and justinspiration for each and every
one of you that are out therelistening that this, too, shall
pass.
Keep your foot on the gas, andall good things will come, you
(52:02):
know.
Speaker 3 (52:03):
It's true, I agree.
Speaker 1 (52:05):
Amen, hallelujah.
Where's the Tylenol?
Speaker 3 (52:08):
I don't get it.
You got a bag of it.
You need some Tylenol, old man.
Speaker 1 (52:13):
Christmas vacation.
Speaker 3 (52:15):
Yeah, I know.
Speaker 1 (52:16):
It's coming.
Speaker 3 (52:17):
I know your daughter's already obsessed with
the DVD.
Speaker 1 (52:20):
Well, she's your kid.
You watch your Hallmark moviesbefore you know it.
Cinda Rilla.
Speaker 3 (52:27):
Cinda's my aunt's name, and she too is dead.
Speaker 1 (52:31):
Man, I wish you wouldn't just throw all these
dead names in my face.
You are throwing them in myface.
I'm just having a conversation.
Speaker 3 (52:40):
Well, you called me Bob and Cinda in this.
Speaker 1 (52:43):
Rella, and I wouldn't call you Bob.
I said Uncle Bob, bob's, youruncle.
Speaker 3 (52:49):
You call her Bob.
Oh my gosh, she calls me Bub.
Anyways, we are way off topic.
Speaker 1 (52:55):
at this point, there's only one thing left to
do.
Speaker 3 (52:59):
Something.
Hallelujah, give me the tie onall Until next time, thank you.
For supporting Little PaisleyReigns Paisley.
Speaker 1 (53:13):
Reign American Dream.
Speaker 3 (53:14):
American Dream Go wash, go wash, your filthy hands
, your filthy hands.
Speaker 1 (53:20):
You filthy animal.
You filthy animal Can't swearon the baby's episode.
That's it and that's all BiggieSmalls.
(53:47):
If you're a Loud, proudAmerican and you find yourself
just wanting more, find me onYouTube and Facebook at loud,
proud American Put a face page,as my mama calls it.
If you're a fan of the GrahamCracker, you want to find me on
Instagram, or all the kids bytickety-talking on the TikTok.
You can find me on both ofthose at loud, underscore, proud
(54:09):
, underscore, american.
A big old thank you to the boysfrom the Gut Truckers for the
background beats and the themesong to this year's podcast.
If you are enjoying what you'rehearing, you can track down the
(54:30):
Gut Truckers on Facebook Justsearch Gut Truckers.
Speaker 2 (54:52):
Give them motherfuckers a like too.
Speaker 1 (54:56):
I truly thank you for supporting my American dream.
Now go wash your fucking hands,you filthy savage.
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