Hosts: Stefanie Navarro & Meredith Hill
Run Time: 49 Mins
Theme: 4th Of July recaps, Car Scams, Weird land Marks, CIA Projects, AITA, Book Club Review
Welcome back to This Is My Circus — where suburban parenting meets petty rage, true crime tangents, and a garden full of zucchini no one asked for. This episode is giving chaos, conspiracy, and cult classic vibes.
In this episode, we cover:
- 🍅 Tomato thieves, garden hose justice & why community pantries aren’t always wholesome
- 🚙 Oil change scams, warranty games & dealership drama — car ownership is a scam
- 🧨 Viral Fourth of July TikTok drama that turned a potluck into a public dragging
- 🌱 The great zucchini takeover (and why our gardens are better than yours)
- 🐐 Weird small-town statues, creepy Marilyn Monroe legs, and our ongoing Hendersonville confusion
🔍 True Crime + Government Files You Didn’t Ask For:
- MK Ultra’s 149 subprojects revealed — and it only gets weirder
- Project MK Often: CIA-funded black magic, psychic warfare, and voodoo priest experiments
- Final Diddy Trial Update: Found guilty on two charges, facing up to 28 years in prison
- Real-life spiritual warfare? We’re not okay.
🎙️ “Am I the A-Hole?”
A gardener hoses down trespassers stealing tomatoes from his yard after a neighbor sets up a community pantry.
Verdict: Not the A-hole. We stand with petty horticulture warfare.
📚 Book Chat: You by Charles Benoit
Told in second-person narration, this dark YA tale about teen Kyle’s downward spiral didn’t land for us. Harsh parents, bad influences, and a twist that fizzled. We wanted more redemption, less monotone.
⭐️ Rating: 3/10
💬 “Zach was a manipulative psychopath, the parents were trash, and the ending? Meh.”
📖 Next Read: Zodiac Academy: The Awakening by Caroline Peckham
Mystical mean girls, elemental magic, twin heirs, and fae drama? We’re in. This series is about to be our new obsession.
✨ JOIN THE VIP CIRCUS CREW
Get full video episodes, bonus chaos, early merch drops, and insider access to our book picks, petty rants, and behind-the-scenes sass.
🔗 LINKS & RESOURCES
- IG: @thisismycircuspodast
- Facebook: This Is My Circus Podcast
- Support: Send us garden fences, conspiracy theories, or caffeinated gifts ☕
🎧 Find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Buzzsprout, and wherever you listen to your chaos
💬 Laughing? Screaming? Yelling at TikTok strangers too? Share the pod, leave a review, and bring a friend to the circus.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to, this is my circus,the podcast where we embrace the
chaos and keep it real aboutparenting, pop culture, true
crime, and the books we can'tput down because let's be
honest, life is one big circusand we're just trying to survive
with caffeine, sarcasm, and alittle true crime obsession.
So if you love unfilteredconversation, questionable
parenting hacks, and deep divesinto the things that keep us up
(00:21):
at night, you're in the rightplace.
Buckle up, grab your popcorn,and let's get into the chaos.
I'm Stephanie.
I'm Meredith.
And welcome to This is mycircus, so I lost my beep.
Put a bleep in there.
I lost it today.
Why?
Okay, so Jackson Hill.
Had know it's okay, lemme startover.
(00:45):
Jackson had a, physical scheduletoday.
You know, they have to have'em,you have to upload'em for sports
and to all the things.
Mm-hmm.
Well, I had put it off because Ididn't realize he was past due.
'cause I didn't get an emailfrom his pediatrician.
You know, all the things, like,I depend on them to remind me
when he's due.
Mm-hmm.
I'm terrible.
I know.
(01:06):
Yeah.
Well, so I went onlineyesterday.
And scheduled an appointment forhim today with his pediatrician
and you know, they've got theCVSs or whatever, the
MinuteClinics, and I was like,you know, I don't wanna go and
wait forever, like they say, soI'm gonna schedule with this
regular doctor, same practicethat he's been seeing since he
was born.
Mm-hmm.
(01:27):
So I scheduled it online.
I checked in online.
I paid the copay online, like Idid all the things and we're set
to go.
So Jackson and I practicedtoday.
He, I told him what time to behome so we could leave or go
plenty of time.
We get there in plenty of timeand I walk in and I'm like, I've
got an appointment for JacksonHill.
And you know, they start doingthe, what was the name?
(01:47):
And I'm like, oh God, you know,then, then they're like, what's
his birthdate?
So I told them, and they'relike, And who are you seeing?
Like, you know, and you startto, you know, yeah.
At that point they were like, wecanceled your appointment and we
left you a message.
But, so apparently it wasscheduled in the wrong spot.
(02:08):
I just wanted his physical formfilled out.
Uhhuh Scott put it in just likean office visit spot.
Well, apparently needed to beput in a different kind of spot.
I don't know that.
Yeah, I don't know where youwant this.
Don't you know?
Why there's not an option forit.
So, it's like I will just gosomewhere else.
(02:28):
I was like, Jackson, go to thecar.
And I was so mad.
I was like, are you gonna refundme?
And they were like.
Yeah.
And we left you messagesyesterday and I was like, no,
you didn't.
And they were like, well, weemailed you through the portal.
I was like, no, I'm I, I checkedmy email more than I checked my
phone.
Yeah.
I mean, like my, my voicemail, Iwas like, no, there's nothing.
(02:51):
And I was like, forget it.
We'll just go somewhere else.
And you know, I was like 200degrees outside.
Yeah.
So Jackson had already marchedto the car and he's like, mama.
So I get in the car, turn it on,and we're sitting there for a
second.
He was like.
What do we wanna do?
I said, I don't know, gimme asecond.
So I start googling like, urgentcare.
'cause we have to get it done.
Yeah.
It's already, it was due likethe end of either the end of
(03:12):
this week or last.
So we gotta get it done.
And I checked all the portalsand all the stuff and I took
screenshots of it.
He was, Jackson's like, what areyou doing?
I was like, there are nomessages in here.
He is like, mama let it go.
So I called back in there and Iwas like, Hey, I'm Meredith.
Just had my kid really?
Sorry.
(03:33):
I said, but I just wanted youguys to know that we didn't
receive any messages.
I checked the portal that I haveno voicemail, so I don't know if
there's a system glitch Uhhuh,because I mean, sometimes stuff
like that happens and facilitiesdon't know until like somebody
says something.
Yeah.
So I were, I was apologizing andreally trying to be helpful and,
(03:56):
um, she was like, okay, holdplease.
And I was like, okay.
So I'm holding at the same timeI'm scheduling him an
appointment for like a walk-inurgent care.
And I was already dreading that.
Um, I.
So she comes back and she'slike, yeah, we sent you a
message through the portal.
And I was like, I'm telling you,there's no message.
There's no message in the portalI've got.
I didn't, I wanted to say, I'vegot the screenshots to prove it.
(04:18):
She said, yeah, it says youdidn't see it.
I was like, there is no messagein there.
I was like, whatever.
Just letting you know.
And I said, you know what, bythe way, and I mentioned
Jackson's doctor and I was like.
I, we've been going to her sincehe was born.
I bet if you would've asked her,she would've said, oh yeah, just
let him come in.
Did you even ask her?
And I was like, nevermind.
(04:39):
So we ended up skirt skirtingdown the road and went into this
urgent care place and, Was itthe place in York?
No.
Oh, no.
But we're a frequent flyer theretoo.
It was on the way home fromGastonia.
Okay.
So we stopped at one on the wayhome and went in and I had
checked in online and done allthe things online and they're
(05:00):
like, here, here's your, do youneed us to do your paperwork?
You know, whatever.
And I was like, sure.
They printed, gave it to me likethat.
And usually urgent cares are,you know, they're busy.
Um, and she was like.
It'll be 25, which was less thanI paid at the regular doctor.
And I was like, that's fine.
Yeah, yeah, that's fine.
And she was like, okay.
(05:20):
Sat down, filled the forms out.
Okay.
Come on back.
Like it was like, I was like,angels are singing now.
Yeah.
And Jax was like, are you betternow?
I was like, I'm getting there.
It was just the whole thing.
Right.
So while Jackson and I are onthis.
Expedition and we get everythingdone.
By the way, everything's good.
(05:41):
Brian has taken his truck to getan oil change.
Now he took it to the same placewhere he had taken it before it
was a dealership, and they triedto sell him like$200 windshield
wiper blades that you can get atadvance and put'em on yourself.
Mm-hmm.
So Brian was upset with them forthat.
(06:01):
They're like, people come inhere and depend on you to give
them a fair price and you're adealership, so you're more, you
should be more reputable.
All the things.
And Brian, did he get banned?
No.
My easy going husband who?
Most people are gonna be reallyshocked at this.
He left them a bad Googlereview.
(06:22):
What?
Right.
So he went there today becauseit's where he bought his truck.
And again, you think that you'regetting whatever.
Well, they're like, the belt isquestionable and about to break,
and Brian's like, well, don't Ihave a warranty?
It expired last week.
Are you kidding?
(06:43):
Last week it expired, and thisis the same place.
He always takes it.
So he's like, you're telling methat when I was here two or
three months ago, there wasnothing wrong with the belt when
it was under warranty, but todayyou're telling me I need a$500
repair on something that mywarranty expired days ago.
(07:03):
Yep.
So Brian took it.
He was like, forget it, I'moutta here.
Yeah.
And they were like, well, mightbreak.
He was like, I'll take mychances.
He stopped at this place wherewe had taken vehicles before for
mechanical things.
They were like, no, that's max$200.
So we've gotta figure all thelogistics to take it out.
Was it, was it like, I dunno, wegotta take it tomorrow for them
(07:24):
to work on it.
So.
I'm telling Jackson when we'reon the car on the way home, I'm
like, I cannot wait to tellDaddy our experience about this
whole doctor office thing.
So quite the day in the hillhouse.
But we're gonna make it.
So Dylan took my car to get anoil change.
Okay.
'Cause he is been taking my carback and forth to work in
Charlotte.
(07:45):
Yeah.
'cause he didn't want the truckso bad on gas.
Mm-hmm.
And he's like, are you goinganywhere today?
And I'm like, no.
Yeah.
I was like, babe, if you'regonna take my car and he's an
oil change, he'll get an oilchange before you go.
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Mom.
I had a 50% off coupon.
Perfect.
And I was like, she'd be like 50bucks.
Gave him my card.
Right.
He leaves there and he is like,mom, it was like$140.
(08:05):
And I'm like, for what?
Mm-hmm.
And he is like, well, theyshowed me your air filter and
your air filter was like black.
And I was like, okay, but howmuch was the air filter?
Because the oil change after thecoupon should be$50.
Mm-hmm.
How did we get you a, I mean,they're like 20 bucks.
Yeah.
The air filters, right?
Like if you get, and you canYouTube a video and do it
yourself.
(08:25):
Yeah.
And he's like, well, I just, um,but I appreciate him taking care
of you.
Oh, me too.
Yeah.
And I was like, okay.
Mm-hmm.
It's fine.
Whatever.
Just, he's like, I got thereceipt.
Like, I'll, that's fine.
You.
I needed to get done, whatever.
And so he got home and I waslooking at, I said, well, that's
fine Dylan.
Don't worry about it, but forfuture.
I said, they're always gonna tryto upcharge you.
Yeah.
And sell you stuff.
(08:46):
I said, and if it needs it, wecan just order it on either on
Amazon or get it at AutoZone orwhatever.
Right.
Right.
It's not hard.
I said, it's like 20 bucks.
Yeah.
I'm sorry y'all paid for it.
I'm like, it's okay.
It's fine.
It's life.
Life.
But that's in the future.
Yeah.
Don't I just tell'em to put iton the receipt of what they
recommend and we can get itdone.
Right.
Anywhere else?
So many places are two, orwebsites you can plug in.
(09:09):
I've got a 2012 or whatever.
Pop everything up.
Exactly.
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
So, Very similar situation.
Tell Brian, okay, I'll tell him.
It's not just the dealers, it'snot just him.
So we're going away this weekendfor just a few days and I'm just
so excited.
I'm so excited.
I bet.
Did you have a good fourth?
(09:29):
Yeah.
We went over to, Tammy Tyler'sMom's Tyler's house.
So we went over there and, theyhad some other family there.
I've known them.
Yeah, Dylan was in kindergarten,so Yeah.
I've known them for years andyears and so it was, it was
nice.
We low key.
Yeah.
Just, you know, hung out.
Mm-hmm.
That look cool.
They do.
Mm-hmm.
So all the kids got in and,Dylan had to work, so he didn't
get there till like 9 30, 10.
(09:51):
Yeah.
as soon as he got there, I mean,all the kids were in the pool
and Yeah.
Having a good time.
And it was like when they werelike five again.
Yeah.
Well, I wasn't feeling good on,I think I got dehydrated from
cut and SI swear, Steph, I'm,I'm gonna make it, but it's just
gonna be an effort.
So Friday was like my first dayoff in, I don't know how long.
(10:14):
Mm-hmm.
And, I just kinda laid around.
I didn't feel good.
I was just a little, like, Ikept saying, my head was like,
swimmy and Jackson was like, Idon't even know what that means,
mama.
And I was like, just don't worryabout it.
But I was feeling better by theevening and um, that there's a
neighborhood right behind us,not the one that you probably
you guys were at.
Mm-hmm.
But the other side.
(10:34):
And I was like, let's take thegolf cart, Jackson, and go just
ride around.
And'cause he didn't go anywhereeither, so we were, they had
fireworks everywhere in thatneighborhood.
Mm-hmm.
We were like heads on a swivel,watching'em all.
Even at one point, like I.
Don't, they weren't the poppers,but it was like something that
did like little sparks and stufflike spinning around, they were
(10:55):
throwing'em at us on the golfcart and Jackson was like taken
off and it was just a wholething.
It was a lot of fun though.
Uhhuh.
But it was, it was very low keyfor us too.
Yeah.
It was too flipping hot to doanything.
Mm-hmm.
It's hotter today.
Oh my gosh.
It's like 98 degrees.
It's miserable.
Yeah.
But feels like it's gonna bethat way the rest of the week
(11:15):
too.
I know.
Yeah.
Bummer.
Well, speaking of 4th of Julydrama.
Yeah.
All this drama on TikTok.
No.
Oh my gosh.
I'm on like drama talk, I guess.
But, so this is just like smalltown drama, which Yes.
So I'm gonna introduce thecharacters.
Okay.
So we have the bad guys, whichis Stasia and Jake Hicks and
(11:37):
Jake's mom, Melissa.
Okay.
And then Nicole, who was theguest.
Okay.
At this party.
Which wasn't a party, but we'llget to that.
Okay.
Okay.
So Nicole is new to this townand her son's new best friend's
Mom invites her to this 4th ofJuly party.
Okay.
It wasn't her 4th of July party,but she was a guest and, you
know, told the people, Hey, I ambringing so and so.
(12:00):
Um, it's my son's friend and hismom.
Okay.
This lady says, yeah, it's allgood.
You're invited.
This girl, Nicole, makes thisbeautiful antipasto salad and
you're like a step from hergarden.
I mean, it was just beautiful.
Okay.
Like, and I don't, I don't dolike a lot of that stuff, but it
was just so pretty.
And she's like, I spent like$40besides the stuff for my garden.
(12:24):
So, they get there, they go intothe kitchen, she puts down the
platter, and she's like talkingto whoever's in the kitchen.
Mm-hmm.
Doesn't know whose house it is.
Wasn't like, you know,introduced to anybody uhhuh.
But they're really still in thekitchen.
They haven't made it outsideyet.
Okay.
So this dude walks by like superattitude and she was like, well
that was weird.
And she just continues tochatting or whatever with
whoever she was in the kitchenwith.
(12:45):
Well, this woman comes insideand she's like, um, we don't
know who you are.
And Jake is like flipping outthat somebody in his house that
he doesn't know is in there.
It was his mom.
He went outside and like threw ahissy fit and his mom comes
inside.
Okay.
So she was like, I'm so sorry.
Yeah.
Like, I didn't know who like thehome was.
(13:05):
I like, I right.
I just, you know, I came with soand so.
Whatever.
She goes outside, introducesherself like.
Super awkward, right?
Uh, Uhhuh at this point, nowit's awkward.
And everybody that was there, Iguess all lives on this road.
It's like.
One of those roads that like,it's like all family.
Yeah.
Like compound.
(13:25):
It's in Virginia, no southernhospitality on this road.
No, no.
But they're all giving her dirtylooks as she's trying to
introduce herself and one personmade some kind of like, yeah,
welcome to the neighborhood now,you know, see you later.
What?
Just super insightful.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And so she got so embarrassed.
Upset.
Yeah.
And she got her kid and left andshe was like, no, I'm don't like
(13:47):
work.
Don't blame.
Yeah.
So she goes onto TikTok andmakes a TikTok about it.
Okay.
And she's got like a decentfollowing on TikTok, like she's
got a good following.
Okay.
And Sassy I think is trying tohave that kind of following.
Mm-hmm.
But doesn't mm-hmm.
A little bit of, but like nowshe's got nothing.
Yeah.
So she goes on there, tells astory, well then this chick
(14:09):
makes a rebuttal video thinkingthat she's like eating it,
right?
Like right.
Yeah.
No, she basically confirmedeverything that this girl Nicole
said, had already said.
But she was like, well, wedidn't know who she was and she
was in our house.
And everybody must know like,you don't want people that you
don't own in your house.
Well, then they show her house.
Right?
And I'm thinking how this girlis so presenting so bougie.
(14:31):
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
It's like you got nothing inthat house.
Just like, don't worry about.
Right.
Nobody's selling your stuff inin this, in this house.
It wasn't a mil million dollarhome.
No.
So then, this goes on, right?
She takes down her video in liketwo hours because she got.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Good.
But of course it's still outthere because everybody
stitches.
(14:51):
Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
I hadn't seen it.
Yeah.
Well then the mother-in-law getson.
Okay.
And she is like dying on thishill that they did nothing
wrong.
Getting eaten up in the common,yeah.
So it's like the entire worldagainst.
Mm-hmm.
These people, and it's like thisgirl, she's like homestead.
(15:13):
Just like super right?
Like pure, nice.
Just trying to be friendly.
Yeah.
And show up with the stuff.
Well, now these people aretrying to think like.
Law.
Like they are like, we areconnected to the sheriff and
we're connected to And they'refor what?
Exactly?
Because they made themselveslook bad.
Yeah.
Basically.
Oh my God.
(15:33):
So now there's this Canadianchick who got invested.
Mm-hmm.
And started to dig a little biton Jake.
Mm-hmm.
His wife.
Okay.
And apparently there is likesome super sketchy stuff with
Jake and children.
Oh.
So.
Back up that Jay calls Nicoleafter everything blew up and
(15:54):
they were getting all thisbacklash and was like, well, you
know, we didn't know you werecoming and we thought you were
just dropping off your child andleaving so you were okay.
Like, like that, that's, thatwhole situation's weird.
Mm, right?
Mm-hmm.
Like who just drops off theirkid not knowing, not knowing
anybody.
Well, I've had a lot of peoplethat have done that actually.
Yeah.
But like this is a whole town.
Like you don't Yeah.
(16:14):
You're brand new.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I don't think I would've, no,definitely not.
Definitely not.
That's crazy.
Right?
So then of course somebody linksit to the sheriff's page and
they'll all comments on the postare like, uh, why are people
able to use the sheriff'sdepartment as their personal
gold outs?
And they like tag this Dossieand Jake.
(16:36):
Oh my gosh.
Oh my gosh.
No.
That these crazy drama.
Yeah.
All over like.
Yeah.
Being buttheads to a new person.
Well be nice people.
I know that's not southernhospitality.
You are the south, it's, it isnot.
You mentioned gardening inthere.
I'm growing a vegetable garden.
Did I tell you?
(16:56):
Mm-hmm.
Working on my vegetable garden.
How is it going?
My zucchini is out of thisworld.
Everything else is gettingthere.
I've got so much.
Do you eat Zuc candy?
I'll have to bring you some.
I've got so much and some ofthem are cute.
Yeah.
I'm talking the as big as myarm.
Yeah.
So many, so many zucchini and Idon't know if they just produce
(17:19):
first.
Yeah.
But I've got little bittycucumbers and little bitty
peppers and mm-hmm.
And stuff.
So Definitely bringing you somezucchini.
When we first moved here, we dida, garden along our fence line.
Yeah.
And it, the first couple years,I mean, it did amazing.
Yeah.
The zucchinis were ginormous.
Yes.
Ginormous.
And we had a party that yearfor, I don't know if it was a
(17:40):
birthday or we just had like apool party or something.
Yeah.
They're like, what is in yourfertilize?
Like what's in the, in theground under there?
but, um, we, we did broccoli oneyear.
Oh yeah.
So we get, we, that didn't do sosuper great.
Mm-hmm.
And we got like a little bitmm-hmm.
But it didn't like become like,like Yeah.
Broccoli.
Yeah.
But our jalapenos, oh yeah.
Were so hot.
Really like the hottest youcould possibly ever have.
(18:04):
So I'm learning that tomatoes,I've always tried to do tomatoes
and I think they're just very.
Tough to grow.
Mm-hmm.
Because they get attacked by allthe different, the split Yes.
Of the heat.
Yeah.
Yes.
My squash and zucchini arereally good, but I've never done
like a jalapeno or anything.
I'm doing green peppers, which Ilove.
(18:24):
Me too.
Yeah.
But I, I wonder why they were sohot, the salsa garden, and so
Oh, that's a great idea.
Yeah.
So we, so that's why we had'em.
But they were the hottestpeppers ever.
I wonder what made'em so hot.
I don't know.
I mean, they were just like abasic.
Plant.
Yeah.
But, oh my gosh.
Well, I'm bringing you somezucchini.
Okay.
(18:45):
Um, that story reminded methough.
I read a thread this week onsome social, and it had me
cracking up.
It was, and you might have seenthis, it was probably on mama
drama.
What situation is embarrassingfor no reason.
Mm-hmm.
And people had on there like.
Standing in line or wearing awinter coat or, you know, these
(19:08):
things that are like passingsomebody, in a car and then
pulling up beside'em at astoplight, like just random
things.
That's embarrassing for me, likegoing to a new person's house
and knocking on their door.
That's embarrassing.
I don't know why that it'suncomfortable.
Like it's like the, the anxietyof it.
Yes.
Yeah, so I a hundred percent.
Would feel sketchy she wastrying to be a good person.
(19:29):
Mm-hmm.
By doing that, because I, I,that already makes me feel like,
do we knock which door do allthat too?
Which door do we go to?
'cause some people are like backdoor people, or front door
people.
Which one do all that kind ofstuff gives me anxiety.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
I know.
But even sometimes, people, I, Ido know if, if there's gonna be
people I don't know there.
Yeah.
I used to be social, like I'mnot social anymore.
(19:52):
Yeah.
And I just have a hard timebeing.
I don't know, like as I getolder, I just get more social
anxiety, I guess.
I do too.
And I get anxiety about newplaces.
Mm-hmm.
Especially like restaurants thatI've never been to before.
If I'm like, I don't know wherethe bathroom is, I don't know.
Do we tell them our name?
Do we see it ourselves?
All those things, do I pay here?
Do I pay at the cashier?
(20:13):
And some places we go to,sometimes you pay at the table
and sometimes you pay at thecash.
Like it is just too much for me.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm with you 100%.
'cause the older I get, the moreYes.
Anxiety I have and I, weprobably are just overthinking
things.
Mm-hmm.
I'm sure that's what it is.
Like they're not big dealthings, but in our minds we make
'em big deal things.
Yeah.
(20:34):
the little things that get meall stressed out mm-hmm.
If I don't know people that aregonna be somewhere like I'm Oh
yeah.
Like full on anxiety attackmm-hmm.
In the car.
Or if I only know.
The host.
Mm-hmm.
I'm like, well, the host isgonna be busy and if I don't
know anybody else, oh, and I'mbad at small talk.
If I don't know you, I I can do,it's so awkward, but it's so
(20:56):
stressful.
I'm so awkward.
You know what I hate, I.
And I don't, it's not that Idon't like the people, it's just
so going to Brian's workfunctions when, I know a lot of
them now, but especially when Ididn't know them and then they
start talking work, talk that Idon't know the people that
they're, talking about, aboutwho's pregnant or who's got a
(21:17):
promotion or mm-hmm.
Whatever.
It's so ex exclude, what's theword?
Like, just excluding Yeah.
To people.
And they don't do it on purpose.
Yeah.
That's just what they have incommon and what they wanna talk
about.
Mm-hmm.
And I've gotten to know some ofthe people and they're great
now, but like, when you don'tknow the people and you're just
like, eh.
I wanna be home with my PJsanyway, Uhhuh, it can ugh, so
(21:38):
uncomfortable.
Yeah, I'm so awkward.
I'm like, so socially awkwardnow I've gotten worse.
Well, dirty news, he was foundguilty only on two charges, so
that's, I cannot believe, yeah,that was some trash.
But, he could face up to 28years in jail for the charges
that he did find, get foundguilty on.
Well, is it 10 years per charge?
(22:00):
Mm-hmm.
So if they run them, is thatconcurrently?
If they do'em at the same time,they could, or they could do'em
individually or a lower, yeah.
So up to, they said up to 20years is what he could get that,
I guess it depends on how theydecide all those pieces.
So after they read the verdicts,Diddy's attorneys were trying to
get him released that day.
(22:20):
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
On bail or whatever mm-hmm.
Until sentencing.
And the judge was like, well,each side please write me a
letter.
I'll review them today and wecan.
And so he said no.
Like he uhhuh.
Yeah.
No, we're, we're good.
I feel like he gave them like,okay, everybody go home and
write an essay.
500 words.
No double spacing.
Yeah.
Wait, that's not even doneanymore.
(22:41):
Um, um, okay.
So do you have some of theexcerpts?
No, no, no, no.
But Oh, okay.
So, did, he's, lawyers arerequesting two years in jail
with time served.
Oh my gosh.
And, they're like, mm-hmm.
Uh, you're not even gettingbail, so, yeah, yeah, yeah.
But sentencing isn't gonna beuntil October 3rd now.
(23:02):
Okay.
So we haven't until October 3rdto find out.
I saw something where they werelike, you know, he's doesn't
have his passport, dah, dah,dah, duh.
And then like, he was doing allthe, the theatrics, yeah, pray,
like, pray, pray Jesus and allthis crap in the after the
sentencing.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
What a bum.
Yeah.
Can't I cannot believe that.
(23:22):
Have you ever been to he single?
Yeah, I have not.
Okay.
But I keep seeing these, likearound Charlotte.
Mm-hmm.
And North Carolina, SouthCarolina, places that people are
visiting.
Yeah.
On all the socials.
And this dude goes toHendersonville and he's like,
yo, I don't know what is up withHendersonville.
And he said, if you have everbeen here, why are there.
(23:45):
Did you see the big concretelegs Uhuh that are spread?
Mm-hmm.
It's supposed to be Marilyn andMonroe's legs, but in the center
of the legs that stick outta theground that are like spread
Uhhuh, like in her position?
Yeah.
Is like a red berry bush.
So this dude is like, this iswildly suggestive.
(24:05):
Yeah.
Yeah, they're like, 20 feettall, playing.
I'm picturing, um, patch Adams.
Did you see the movie Uhuh?
Oh.
Where they had big paper machelegs?
No, in the, YI know O-B-G-Y-Nuh, when he was trying to like,
make medicine fun and he waslike making'em walk through the
big ginormous legs, like theywere up in stirrups.
(24:28):
Do you have a picture of thelegs?
That's kind of how the patchAdams thing is.
Oh my gosh.
Why?
Why?
I thought, and there may notconcrete, like I thought you
were talking about Marilyn andher legs, like the picture of
her over the gr where her dressis blowing and she was standing
up.
No, no, no.
I didn't realize just like,like, like.
(24:49):
On the ground with your, yeah,with your knees bent and like
skin stirrups.
A gynecologist.
Yes.
That's what it looks like yeah.
It looks like you're instirrups.
Yep.
Yeah.
Reminiscing.
Yeah.
And the arch that you walkthrough to get to the center is
reminiscing.
Reminiscing what?
Right.
And then there's a littletrailer right next to it.
(25:10):
My God, that's so random.
Is that somebody's home?
Right.
So are those shoes?
Yeah, that's across the street.
I mean, I don't under, it's notlike it's the home of Marilyn
Monroe.
Yeah, no, I don't know.
And then there's a garter belton the one leg.
Uhhuh.
Yeah.
It's super weird.
So Hendersonville, I don't getit.
(25:31):
A hundred percent don't get it.
I wanna know the backstory.
So if you know, let us knowbecause, it is weird, super
weird.
Super duper weird.
Yes.
So I got stuck down the rabbithole of what?
No way.
The MK Ultra Files, what'd youfile one night?
And so there's 149 sub projectsunder the MK Ultra.
(25:52):
Really?
Yeah.
149 projects that were done.
I didn't realize there washappening.
Me either.
But the weirdest one was calledOperation Midnight Climax.
Okay.
And the CIA set up brothels inSan Francisco and New York where
workers lured men into theapartments that were rigged with
one way mirrors.
(26:12):
The men were dosed without theirknowledge of LSD and then were
observed in secret to studytheir behavior under those
circumstances and thevulnerability under the
influence, and it was all taxfunded.
Are you serious?
Yeah.
That is crazy.
Pants, right?
That is crazy.
Mind blown, Well then I keptgoing like, yeah.
(26:36):
Down this.
Yeah.
Awfulness of our government andMK Ultra's, unholy cousin,
project MK often.
Oh geez.
Which never, ever heard of it.
Uhuh this one's got witchesdemons and full on psychic
warfare, and it's not fictionand it's declassified.
(26:58):
What, so this was launched inthe late 1960s by the CIA's
Office of Research andDevelopment.
Its mission was not just drugs,which mainly was MK Ultra.
Mm-hmm.
They, they did a lot of druggingpeople without their knowledge
to see what would happen.
This was exploring thesupernatural for use and
intelligence and psychologicalwarfare.
Oh my gosh.
(27:18):
Um, real life occult consultswith, the Church of Satan, like
the head of the Church of Satan.
Mm-hmm.
Witch covens.
Oh my gosh.
All the things.
I don't want anything to do withthat.
Yeah, so they consulted withastrologers, psychics, voodoo
priests, satanist mediums andself-proclaimed witches, and
were brought into test whetherthe paranormal could be
(27:40):
weaponized their girls were.
Could they influence behaviorwith rituals, predict the future
using astrology trigger fear ormental breakdowns through occult
symbols.
Could black magic be used tomentally destabilize foreign
targets?
It's crazy how we went fromburning them at the stake.
Yeah.
(28:02):
According to some sources theyworked with, members of Anton
Levy's, church of Satan invitedvoodoo practitioners to consult
on psychological operations andconducted drug experiments while
monitoring for things likeastral projections or
possession.
What?
Yeah.
That is.
Yeah, government funded.
Government funded.
(28:23):
Yeah.
So not just like LSD, right?
Tell you what, let's round upthe biggest, baddest voodoo
priestess, astrologers.
Satanists.
Could you imagine being in thatroom?
Oh, not at all.
I don't think there's enoughholding water in this world.
There was no priests invited Ito not, oh, I would not wanna be
(28:45):
in that, involved in that.
That's one that like, I'm reallynosy.
And there's a lot of things thatI.
Want to, like, I'm justfascinated by a lot of things.
Not that I just, I mean, it blewmy mind what the government
funded part or all of it.
No.
Like, well, like that they weretrying to weaponize Yeah.
(29:06):
Like spiritual warfare.
Mm-hmm.
I shouldn't surprise me, but itdoes.
I mean, where does, where doesone go to round up these?
I I, in the sixties, I have noclue.
Are they showing up in theirCIA, like the black suits and,
excuse me, looking for, can Italk to your manager?
(29:32):
I don't know, but there's yourwow for the day, that is the
whole segment every, every week.
Well, if I wanna know that ornot.
I mean, like I said, that nosypart of me does.
Mm-hmm.
But yeah, all that kind of stuffscares me though.
Were you ready for end by theA-hole?
Sure.
Okay.
Am I the a-hole?
(29:54):
Ask the neighbor to move theirlittle farms Stand.
Because people are stealing mefrom my garden.
You'll relate to this.
I can relate to this beforeanyone says, just build a fence.
We can't afford it right now andno, no, HOA, my neighbor set up
one of those pantries, farmstands where people can take
what they grew in their gardenpantry stuff, donated stuff, et
(30:15):
cetera.
In theory, it's a great idea andespecially in a time where life
in America sucks and people arestruggling to make ends meet, my
family included.
Okay, get that.
The problem.
People started coming into myyard to pick things in my
garden.
I've put up signs saying not todo it.
I installed rabbit fence aroundthe garden.
(30:36):
I've angled a tarp, so you can'tsee what's there from the road.
People just hold their kids overthe fence to pick tomatoes or
beans or jump it.
What?
I ended up getting into anargument with a lady over it.
I yelled, Hey, stop.
Those are not for you to take.
She told her kid to move fasterand then tried to run away.
I caught up to her and askedwhat the F her problem was, and
(30:59):
she turned it into, how dare Iswear in front of her child?
Why am I so angry?
Why am I really that upset abouta couple of tomatoes?
I said, okay, time out.
Tomatoes are hard to grow.
We already covered this.
Okay.
I said, I am upset that you'restealing from me.
The next day I approached myneighbor.
I asked if I could maybe helpmove it to the other side of
(31:20):
their driveway, so it's next tothe other neighbor's house.
They don't have a garden upfront.
They said, at least not untilthe end of the season, I asked
if they could make larger signs,talk to people, just do
something.
They were like, can you reallynot afford to share?
I said, they aren't taking myzucchini.
Let's talk about the zucchini,because they're starving.
(31:43):
They're taking my tomato,tomatoes.
Tomatoes.
They're taking my tomatoesbecause they want them.
They said that I'm going to haveto learn to live with it for
now, and we can talk about asolution together that will
benefit the whole communityafter.
Mm-hmm.
I said, I do not care about asolution that benefits the whole
community.
I care about a solution thatstops people from stealing from
(32:04):
me.
So last night it happened again,man, in his fifties.
I sprayed him with the hoax.
He started yelling at me andafter a minute or so, the
neighbor came out yelling at metoo.
People have posted on theneighborhood board to be careful
if they come because I'm anA-hole.
The neighbor says I'm scaringpeople away from a community
resource.
I told him I'm going to continueuntil he does something about
(32:27):
the effing thieves who thinkthey're entitled to my garden.
I feel like I'm losing my mindhere.
Am I the a-hole for asking themto move it?
Am I the A-hole for being pissedoff that people are stealing
from me?
This is food for my family.
I don't think so.
I don't think so either.
No.
I'd be mad and Oh, I'd be littlebit, it'd be like no trespassing
(32:50):
signs.
That's what I was gonna sayeverywhere.
Like consider this your warning.
Yeah, I like the hose idea.
No.
Yeah, I would definitely do Notrespass.
I mean, he shouldn't have to doit.
The other thing should take someownership of what they created
and like, and the whole dosomething to benefit everybody.
(33:10):
Just nice in theory, but yougive a little bit and people
wanna take all, um, point incase, right.
And I mean, some of us arereally struggling to just take
care of our families.
Yeah.
Like feeding everybody.
I, I wish I could do it, butyeah.
Okay, so first off, thanks forthe responses.
I got some good ones.
I'm happy that so many of youlive in places where the cops
(33:30):
would do anything about this.
But this isn't the reality.
I'm living.
Cops here would not give a crapif I sent them a video of
someone picking from my garden.
They would laugh in my face.
Be thankful you live in a placewhere the police are useful.
Ouch.
It looks like signs are the bestoption for now.
Going to make some signsindicating heavy use of
pesticides and repeating thatthey are stealing food from the
(33:53):
mouse of hungry children.
I don't know why the signs wealready have are not enough.
Maybe more will help.
I'm sure they won't.
We'll also scour Craigslist forfree fencing or similar items.
Hopefully that pans out.
I didn't know Craigslist wasstill a thing.
I had no idea.
Um, I feel like it's all shady,dirty stuff anyway.
Me too.
Free fencing might meansomething else on Craigslist,
(34:15):
but listen, you wanna get somepetty revenge on somebody.
You can list like a free tv.
Oh yeah.
Their phone number.
Good point.
Good point.
Be some good petty revenge.
Good point.
Um, no, you're not the a-holeand, um, I love your hose idea a
hundred percent.
And I mean, I guess the signsare the, the best options It
doesn't matter.
(34:36):
In my mind.
It, I mean, it's terrible thatthey're filling the food from
mouths of hungry children.
Mm-hmm.
But that's not the point.
The point is it is not theirs totake.
Right.
Exactly.
And they just feel entitled.
Yeah.
Yeah.
To just, to just do it.
I wanna know where he is.
Yeah.
You didn't say Yeah.
I probably don't wanna know.
It probably pissed me off.
No, you're not a-hole dude.
Absolutely not.
(34:56):
All right.
Well, if you're not our bookies,it is time for y'all to leave.
I mean, you're welcome to stay,but if you don't wanna listen to
our review, peace out love.
Bye.
Learn to read.
Yep.
All right.
this week.
We an that is not how the audiobook, it was not BWA of the No,
it wasn't Bewa.
It was what you said.
So we read you by Charles BennetBenet.
(35:20):
According to how the audiobookreader pronounced it.
So we're gonna go with that.
No fancy pants here.
That's regular pants at all.
Jeans.
Yeah.
All right.
Told in rare second personvoice, you by Charles Benet is a
10 psychological gripping.
A novel that plunges you intothe unraveling life of Kyle
(35:41):
Chase.
A once promising teen, nowdrifting towards a tragic end
where every bad choice bringshim closer to the point of no
return.
I did not like how, I guess, Idon't know if it was the
audiobook reader.
Mm-hmm.
Or it was like the verbiage thatwas used.
It just, I don't know.
It, it didn't flow.
It just, it was annoying to me.
(36:01):
Mm-hmm.
Well, I didn't like this book.
I was very thankful it wasshort.
Me too.
Um, I didn't like it either.
I felt like the, I, I, I reallydo think it was a narrator, like
the Annunciation was off.
Something about it didn't jivewith me.
Mm-hmm.
And I, I just didn't like thebook.
Yeah.
I didn't like the characters.
(36:22):
Mm-hmm.
Especially didn't like the dudethat wore the suit.
Forgot his name.
Zach.
Yeah.
Did not care for him at all.
Even before.
Yeah.
The end of the book.
Mm-hmm.
How did you feel?
Well, okay, my notes.
Yeah.
Because I had feelings.
I didn't, I didn't care for thebook.
It was not my favorite at all.
Yeah.
His parents were horrible Uhhuh.
(36:43):
He had no chance at redeeminghimself through his human size.
None at all.
Zero.
They decided he was bad andmm-hmm.
Just go to the side till you canget outta the house.
Yep.
And they did not.
Give him a chance whatsoever.
Mm-hmm.
The little sister was the lightof his life.
Mm-hmm.
And when she said, I wanna belike Kyle.
Mm-hmm.
And the mom was like, no, wealready have one.
(37:04):
That's enough.
Mm-hmm.
Or something like, you know, puthim down and he overheard it.
Yeah.
That broke my heart.
Yeah.
Because I was like, oh yeah.
no wonder why he was so angry.
Right.
If you're being told all thetime how horrible you are, and
no wonder he just kind of gaveup.
Yeah.
Because when you, you start tobelieve it.
Yeah.
Zach is a pure psychopath.
A hundred percent.
(37:24):
He, I didn't see it coming atfirst.
He, I just thought he was a ard,but friends, people, just to
find out what their weaknesses.
Mm-hmm.
And then to take that weaknessand destroy them.
Mm-hmm.
That's his sole purpose, right?
He needs to be checked out.
And I wonder what he toldeverybody after.
I know like what his story was,right?
Or did he just like dip out'cause they just ended it, they
didn't say, I know.
(37:45):
It was very unsatisfying.
And so I wonder if he justdipped out and mm-hmm.
And moved onto his next big, Iwasn't there Right dude sitting
there with a pair of panties.
So some, stuff was.
Some stuff caught me.
Mm-hmm.
Like they kept referring to theinjury, and you wanna know what
that is, but it was veryanticlimactic.
(38:07):
I felt like, like I wanted morepomp and circumstance, almost
like mm-hmm.
Like, I don't know, I just, itwas almost dry.
Mm-hmm.
I wasn't getting a lot of theemotion out of it.
Mm-hmm.
I felt bad for Kyle.
Really bad for Kyle.
Me too.
Like you said, his parentsweren't fans of him and he knew
(38:27):
that he had made a lot of poorchoices starting back from when
he didn't get into the school,which was, you know, started the
downward spiral.
But like, he knew that he coulddo better than he had done.
Mm-hmm.
I hated it.
It was depressing.
But, you know, he had made acomment about, He had got sent
to the principal's office theday before.
Yeah.
So he didn't have the homeworkassignment, so he didn't get the
(38:48):
homework assignment because hewasn't in class.
Mm-hmm.
Because he got sent to theprincipal's office for being
late or something.
Mm-hmm.
And so he didn't have thehomework assignment.
The next day.
And it was just like a cycle.
A cycle.
Yep.
A hundred percent.
Wasn't able to get himself outof that cycle even if he wanted
to.
Right.
There was not a way for him to,and nobody, and that, that made
me sad too.
(39:09):
Nobody was helping him.
Mm-hmm.
Catch up.
Right.
If there had just been a teacherwho was like, you know what?
This dude just needs an extraday.
He needs some extra, he needssomething.
Yeah.
Let me do something.
Have you ever, ever read thatpoem?
I.
I didn't have a pencil orsomething like that.
And let's talk about, um,children that show up to school
that don't have a pencil becausethey were running late, their
(39:31):
mama didn't have a card, so theydidn't get breakfast.
And like, it's just this wholeseries of things and it's like,
and I got in trouble at school'cause I didn't have a pencil
kind of thing.
Yeah.
Um, just like these cycles thatare so detrimental.
Yeah.
That sometimes you just need.
One, one good thing.
Mm-hmm.
To get you out of him.
(39:51):
Yeah.
And he thought that Zach wasgonna be that one good thing he
did, being invited to theparties.
Mm-hmm.
Zach became a little bitpopular.
Mm-hmm.
And he was like, I'm in with acool kid now.
Right.
And it, it just totally was notright.
he just set out to destroypeople.
Yeah.
Which is awful, crazy weird.
Yeah.
And the fact that Kyle.
(40:12):
Was so in love with Ashley.
Mm-hmm.
See, the first chance she got,yeah.
She hopped in bed with Zach andKyle ends up dying because he's
trying to save her honor.
Mm-hmm.
Basically.
Yep.
Yep.
But just so sad.
Very sad.
Very sad.
Did you know that the author wasactually a high school teacher?
(40:32):
No.
Mm-hmm.
They probably had a lot ofinsight to the behaviors.
I wonder if they're based onreal characters.
I.
I thought that was interesting.
That is very interesting.
I did not know that.
What would you rate it?
Oh three maybe.
And the, one of the pros was itwas short.
Yeah.
I the idea of it being very.
(40:52):
Realistic as far as the hole youdig yourself in mm-hmm.
At that age and the point ofview.
Yeah.
I, I, I didn't mind that.
I mean, it was different, but Ididn't mind it, but yeah, just
the way things snowball.
Mm-hmm.
Can, you know, so I think like,depending on where you're at in
life, it would be a good, kindof learning thing.
Mm-hmm.
But not really because he nevergot himself out of it.
(41:13):
No, that's not like a turnaroundpoint.
I've always wanted to read oneof the books like this where
it's like, okay, you can choosethe path the character takes.
Mm-hmm.
So, well, if you would've doneX, Y, or Z, you can, you know,
build your own book off of it.
But yeah, no, it was, it wasdepressing to me.
Yeah.
Well.
It's over.
It's over.
And we are on z.
(41:34):
Yay.
So, Zodiac Academy by CarolinePeckham.
Benoit.
It's like what, is our nextbook, and it's the first book in
that series.
Okay.
You've been selected to attendZodiac Academy, where your star
sign defines your destiny.
If you are one of the Fayelemental magic is in your
(41:54):
blood, and apparently it's inours as twins born in the month
of Gemini, we're a rare breed.
Even in this Academy ofSupernatural, a-holes change.
Things were outlawed hundreds ofyears ago, but I guess our birth
parents didn't get the memo,which means we're totally
unprepared for the ruthlessworld of the faith, air, fire,
water, earth.
No one has ever harnessed allfour of them until we arrived,
(42:16):
and it hasn't made us anyfriends so far.
As the rarest elements everknown, were already a threat to
the four celestial hairs, thepopular, vindictive bullies who
happen to be some of the hottestguys we've ever seen.
It doesn't help that they're themost dangerous beasts in the
academy, and probably on earthtoo.
Our fates are intertwined, butthey want us gone.
They've only got until the lunareclipse to focus, to force us
(42:39):
out, and they'll stop at nothingto succeed.
We never know.
We never knew we had abirthright to live up to.
But now that we do, we intend toclaim our throne.
We can't expect any help fromthe faculty when it comes to
defending ourselves.
So if the dragon shifters wantsome target practice, the
werewolves want someone to huntand the vampires fanciest snack,
then we have to be ready.
(42:59):
But we've been looking out foreach other for a long time, and
fighting back is in our blood.
That sounds really good.
It does some mystical creatures.
Mm-hmm.
These aren't scary mysticalcreatures to me though.
No.
Like werewolves and stuff don'tbother you.
Yeah.
No.
This is like, don't bringspirits into it.
A mystical high school ofbullies.
Yeah.
Is it the awakening?
Yes.
(43:19):
And, and that, okay.
The Zodiac Academy.
Mm-hmm.
It's gonna be good.
So that is our next book.
I can't believe we're at z.
We are.
I read a couple of Tear Jerkersthis week.
Don't do it.
No.
I continued on with our, authorthat did the Un Honeymooners.
Oh yeah.
So I'm, I'm digging her books.
(43:39):
They're kind of light and easy.
Yes.
Just, yes.
Good.
Does not bring me down anyfurther.
Yeah, no, I, I read, I read oneand.
It was if I'd been with him orsomething like that, and YA
romance, whatever.
All the things ended endstragically.
(44:00):
And then there's a next book andI was like, this has got to like
come full circle and make itbetter.
Did not, have you watched the,we Are Liars yet?
Oh no.
That's on Amazon Prime.
Okay.
And it was, it's based off ofbooks and I've read the books
years ago.
Okay.
By the, the last episode youjust, it's Yeah, but it's so
good.
Yeah.
(44:20):
When we were liars Yeah.
Or we were liars.
We were liars.
We were liars.
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
I'm making a note.
Oh, and then I think I sent youanother one must have been my
sister.
It was on Netflix.
And that was also based off ofbooks.
It was what if.
Okay.
Um, so the girl is a, researchedand she found a way to cure
(44:40):
cancer.
Okay.
Or she was like figuring out howto cure cancer.
And so she gets, funding fromthis woman.
But the deal was the lady had tosleep with her husband for one
night.
Oh.
In order to get in the unravels,like this whole situation.
Yeah.
But it was really good.
Okay.
On, Netflix.
Okay.
We were liar.
And what?
Well, I'm wrapping up Gossipgirl.
I'm like season finishing,season four, so I think I'm
(45:02):
almost done.
Isn't there a lot more thanthat?
I don't know.
I was hoping I was only five.
I don't think so.
Wait, gossip.
Yeah, that's the right one.
I don't know why I keep mixingthat up with Gilmore.
Anyway.
All right, well thank y'all forlistening.
We love you guys.
Thank y'all.
Tell, tell some people pleasecome back.
Bring a friend.
Love you.
We love you.
Bye.
Bye.
Alright, that wraps up anotherepisode of, this is My Circus.
(45:24):
If you survive this episode andsomehow still like us, make sure
to subscribe, leave a review,share it with your friends, or
just send us caffeine.
And don't forget, you can joinour VIP circus crew for the full
video version of each episode.
Also exclusive bonus content,access to merch, and so much
more Until next time, keep thedrink strong.
The book's coming, and the kidsonly mildly Ferrell because this
(45:45):
is our circus and these are ourmonkeys.
Love ya.
Welcome to, this is my circus,the podcast where we embrace the
chaos and keep it real aboutparenting, pop culture, true
crime, and the books we can'tput down because let's be
honest, life is one big circusand we're just trying to survive
with caffeine, sarcasm, and alittle true crime obsession.
So if you love unfilteredconversation, questionable
parenting hacks, and deep divesinto the things that keep us up
(00:21):
at night, you're in the rightplace.
Buckle up, grab your popcorn,and let's get into the chaos.
I'm Stephanie.
I'm Meredith.
And welcome to This is mycircus, so I lost my beep.
Put a bleep in there.
I lost it today.
Why?
Okay, so Jackson Hill.
Had know it's okay, lemme startover.
(00:45):
Jackson had a, physical scheduletoday.
You know, they have to have'em,you have to upload'em for sports
and to all the things.
Mm-hmm.
Well, I had put it off because Ididn't realize he was past due.
'cause I didn't get an emailfrom his pediatrician.
You know, all the things, like,I depend on them to remind me
when he's due.
Mm-hmm.
I'm terrible.
I know.
(01:06):
Yeah.
Well, so I went onlineyesterday.
And scheduled an appointment forhim today with his pediatrician
and you know, they've got theCVSs or whatever, the
MinuteClinics, and I was like,you know, I don't wanna go and
wait forever, like they say, soI'm gonna schedule with this
regular doctor, same practicethat he's been seeing since he
was born.
Mm-hmm.
(01:27):
So I scheduled it online.
I checked in online.
I paid the copay online, like Idid all the things and we're set
to go.
So Jackson and I practicedtoday.
He, I told him what time to behome so we could leave or go
plenty of time.
We get there in plenty of timeand I walk in and I'm like, I've
got an appointment for JacksonHill.
And you know, they start doingthe, what was the name?
(01:47):
And I'm like, oh God, you know,then, then they're like, what's
his birthdate?
So I told them, and they'relike, And who are you seeing?
Like, you know, and you startto, you know, yeah.
At that point they were like, wecanceled your appointment and we
left you a message.
But, so apparently it wasscheduled in the wrong spot.
(02:08):
I just wanted his physical formfilled out.
Uhhuh Scott put it in just likean office visit spot.
Well, apparently needed to beput in a different kind of spot.
I don't know that.
Yeah, I don't know where youwant this.
Don't you know?
Why there's not an option forit.
So, it's like I will just gosomewhere else.
(02:28):
I was like, Jackson, go to thecar.
And I was so mad.
I was like, are you gonna refundme?
And they were like.
Yeah.
And we left you messagesyesterday and I was like, no,
you didn't.
And they were like, well, weemailed you through the portal.
I was like, no, I'm I, I checkedmy email more than I checked my
phone.
Yeah.
I mean, like my, my voicemail, Iwas like, no, there's nothing.
(02:51):
And I was like, forget it.
We'll just go somewhere else.
And you know, I was like 200degrees outside.
Yeah.
So Jackson had already marchedto the car and he's like, mama.
So I get in the car, turn it on,and we're sitting there for a
second.
He was like.
What do we wanna do?
I said, I don't know, gimme asecond.
So I start googling like, urgentcare.
'cause we have to get it done.
Yeah.
It's already, it was due likethe end of either the end of
(03:12):
this week or last.
So we gotta get it done.
And I checked all the portalsand all the stuff and I took
screenshots of it.
He was, Jackson's like, what areyou doing?
I was like, there are nomessages in here.
He is like, mama let it go.
So I called back in there and Iwas like, Hey, I'm Meredith.
Just had my kid really?
Sorry.
(03:33):
I said, but I just wanted youguys to know that we didn't
receive any messages.
I checked the portal that I haveno voicemail, so I don't know if
there's a system glitch Uhhuh,because I mean, sometimes stuff
like that happens and facilitiesdon't know until like somebody
says something.
Yeah.
So I were, I was apologizing andreally trying to be helpful and,
(03:56):
um, she was like, okay, holdplease.
And I was like, okay.
So I'm holding at the same timeI'm scheduling him an
appointment for like a walk-inurgent care.
And I was already dreading that.
Um, I.
So she comes back and she'slike, yeah, we sent you a
message through the portal.
And I was like, I'm telling you,there's no message.
There's no message in the portalI've got.
I didn't, I wanted to say, I'vegot the screenshots to prove it.
(04:18):
She said, yeah, it says youdidn't see it.
I was like, there is no messagein there.
I was like, whatever.
Just letting you know.
And I said, you know what, bythe way, and I mentioned
Jackson's doctor and I was like.
I, we've been going to her sincehe was born.
I bet if you would've asked her,she would've said, oh yeah, just
let him come in.
Did you even ask her?
And I was like, nevermind.
(04:39):
So we ended up skirt skirtingdown the road and went into this
urgent care place and, Was itthe place in York?
No.
Oh, no.
But we're a frequent flyer theretoo.
It was on the way home fromGastonia.
Okay.
So we stopped at one on the wayhome and went in and I had
checked in online and done allthe things online and they're
(05:00):
like, here, here's your, do youneed us to do your paperwork?
You know, whatever.
And I was like, sure.
They printed, gave it to me likethat.
And usually urgent cares are,you know, they're busy.
Um, and she was like.
It'll be 25, which was less thanI paid at the regular doctor.
And I was like, that's fine.
Yeah, yeah, that's fine.
And she was like, okay.
(05:20):
Sat down, filled the forms out.
Okay.
Come on back.
Like it was like, I was like,angels are singing now.
Yeah.
And Jax was like, are you betternow?
I was like, I'm getting there.
It was just the whole thing.
Right.
So while Jackson and I are onthis.
Expedition and we get everythingdone.
By the way, everything's good.
(05:41):
Brian has taken his truck to getan oil change.
Now he took it to the same placewhere he had taken it before it
was a dealership, and they triedto sell him like$200 windshield
wiper blades that you can get atadvance and put'em on yourself.
Mm-hmm.
So Brian was upset with them forthat.
(06:01):
They're like, people come inhere and depend on you to give
them a fair price and you're adealership, so you're more, you
should be more reputable.
All the things.
And Brian, did he get banned?
No.
My easy going husband who?
Most people are gonna be reallyshocked at this.
He left them a bad Googlereview.
(06:22):
What?
Right.
So he went there today becauseit's where he bought his truck.
And again, you think that you'regetting whatever.
Well, they're like, the belt isquestionable and about to break,
and Brian's like, well, don't Ihave a warranty?
It expired last week.
Are you kidding?
(06:43):
Last week it expired, and thisis the same place.
He always takes it.
So he's like, you're telling methat when I was here two or
three months ago, there wasnothing wrong with the belt when
it was under warranty, but todayyou're telling me I need a$500
repair on something that mywarranty expired days ago.
(07:03):
Yep.
So Brian took it.
He was like, forget it, I'moutta here.
Yeah.
And they were like, well, mightbreak.
He was like, I'll take mychances.
He stopped at this place wherewe had taken vehicles before for
mechanical things.
They were like, no, that's max$200.
So we've gotta figure all thelogistics to take it out.
Was it, was it like, I dunno, wegotta take it tomorrow for them
(07:24):
to work on it.
So.
I'm telling Jackson when we'reon the car on the way home, I'm
like, I cannot wait to tellDaddy our experience about this
whole doctor office thing.
So quite the day in the hillhouse.
But we're gonna make it.
So Dylan took my car to get anoil change.
Okay.
'Cause he is been taking my carback and forth to work in
Charlotte.
(07:45):
Yeah.
'cause he didn't want the truckso bad on gas.
Mm-hmm.
And he's like, are you goinganywhere today?
And I'm like, no.
Yeah.
I was like, babe, if you'regonna take my car and he's an
oil change, he'll get an oilchange before you go.
Mm-hmm.
Okay.
Mom.
I had a 50% off coupon.
Perfect.
And I was like, she'd be like 50bucks.
Gave him my card.
Right.
He leaves there and he is like,mom, it was like$140.
(08:05):
And I'm like, for what?
Mm-hmm.
And he is like, well, theyshowed me your air filter and
your air filter was like black.
And I was like, okay, but howmuch was the air filter?
Because the oil change after thecoupon should be$50.
Mm-hmm.
How did we get you a, I mean,they're like 20 bucks.
Yeah.
The air filters, right?
Like if you get, and you canYouTube a video and do it
yourself.
(08:25):
Yeah.
And he's like, well, I just, um,but I appreciate him taking care
of you.
Oh, me too.
Yeah.
And I was like, okay.
Mm-hmm.
It's fine.
Whatever.
Just, he's like, I got thereceipt.
Like, I'll, that's fine.
You.
I needed to get done, whatever.
And so he got home and I waslooking at, I said, well, that's
fine Dylan.
Don't worry about it, but forfuture.
I said, they're always gonna tryto upcharge you.
Yeah.
And sell you stuff.
(08:46):
I said, and if it needs it, wecan just order it on either on
Amazon or get it at AutoZone orwhatever.
Right.
Right.
It's not hard.
I said, it's like 20 bucks.
Yeah.
I'm sorry y'all paid for it.
I'm like, it's okay.
It's fine.
It's life.
Life.
But that's in the future.
Yeah.
Don't I just tell'em to put iton the receipt of what they
recommend and we can get itdone.
Right.
Anywhere else?
So many places are two, orwebsites you can plug in.
(09:09):
I've got a 2012 or whatever.
Pop everything up.
Exactly.
Yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
So, Very similar situation.
Tell Brian, okay, I'll tell him.
It's not just the dealers, it'snot just him.
So we're going away this weekendfor just a few days and I'm just
so excited.
I'm so excited.
I bet.
Did you have a good fourth?
(09:29):
Yeah.
We went over to, Tammy Tyler'sMom's Tyler's house.
So we went over there and, theyhad some other family there.
I've known them.
Yeah, Dylan was in kindergarten,so Yeah.
I've known them for years andyears and so it was, it was
nice.
We low key.
Yeah.
Just, you know, hung out.
Mm-hmm.
That look cool.
They do.
Mm-hmm.
So all the kids got in and,Dylan had to work, so he didn't
get there till like 9 30, 10.
(09:51):
Yeah.
as soon as he got there, I mean,all the kids were in the pool
and Yeah.
Having a good time.
And it was like when they werelike five again.
Yeah.
Well, I wasn't feeling good on,I think I got dehydrated from
cut and SI swear, Steph, I'm,I'm gonna make it, but it's just
gonna be an effort.
So Friday was like my first dayoff in, I don't know how long.
(10:14):
Mm-hmm.
And, I just kinda laid around.
I didn't feel good.
I was just a little, like, Ikept saying, my head was like,
swimmy and Jackson was like, Idon't even know what that means,
mama.
And I was like, just don't worryabout it.
But I was feeling better by theevening and um, that there's a
neighborhood right behind us,not the one that you probably
you guys were at.
Mm-hmm.
But the other side.
(10:34):
And I was like, let's take thegolf cart, Jackson, and go just
ride around.
And'cause he didn't go anywhereeither, so we were, they had
fireworks everywhere in thatneighborhood.
Mm-hmm.
We were like heads on a swivel,watching'em all.
Even at one point, like I.
Don't, they weren't the poppers,but it was like something that
did like little sparks and stufflike spinning around, they were
(10:55):
throwing'em at us on the golfcart and Jackson was like taken
off and it was just a wholething.
It was a lot of fun though.
Uhhuh.
But it was, it was very low keyfor us too.
Yeah.
It was too flipping hot to doanything.
Mm-hmm.
It's hotter today.
Oh my gosh.
It's like 98 degrees.
It's miserable.
Yeah.
But feels like it's gonna bethat way the rest of the week
(11:15):
too.
I know.
Yeah.
Bummer.
Well, speaking of 4th of Julydrama.
Yeah.
All this drama on TikTok.
No.
Oh my gosh.
I'm on like drama talk, I guess.
But, so this is just like smalltown drama, which Yes.
So I'm gonna introduce thecharacters.
Okay.
So we have the bad guys, whichis Stasia and Jake Hicks and
(11:37):
Jake's mom, Melissa.
Okay.
And then Nicole, who was theguest.
Okay.
At this party.
Which wasn't a party, but we'llget to that.
Okay.
Okay.
So Nicole is new to this townand her son's new best friend's
Mom invites her to this 4th ofJuly party.
Okay.
It wasn't her 4th of July party,but she was a guest and, you
know, told the people, Hey, I ambringing so and so.
(12:00):
Um, it's my son's friend and hismom.
Okay.
This lady says, yeah, it's allgood.
You're invited.
This girl, Nicole, makes thisbeautiful antipasto salad and
you're like a step from hergarden.
I mean, it was just beautiful.
Okay.
Like, and I don't, I don't dolike a lot of that stuff, but it
was just so pretty.
And she's like, I spent like$40besides the stuff for my garden.
(12:24):
So, they get there, they go intothe kitchen, she puts down the
platter, and she's like talkingto whoever's in the kitchen.
Mm-hmm.
Doesn't know whose house it is.
Wasn't like, you know,introduced to anybody uhhuh.
But they're really still in thekitchen.
They haven't made it outsideyet.
Okay.
So this dude walks by like superattitude and she was like, well
that was weird.
And she just continues tochatting or whatever with
whoever she was in the kitchenwith.
(12:45):
Well, this woman comes insideand she's like, um, we don't
know who you are.
And Jake is like flipping outthat somebody in his house that
he doesn't know is in there.
It was his mom.
He went outside and like threw ahissy fit and his mom comes
inside.
Okay.
So she was like, I'm so sorry.
Yeah.
Like, I didn't know who like thehome was.
(13:05):
I like, I right.
I just, you know, I came with soand so.
Whatever.
She goes outside, introducesherself like.
Super awkward, right?
Uh, Uhhuh at this point, nowit's awkward.
And everybody that was there, Iguess all lives on this road.
It's like.
One of those roads that like,it's like all family.
Yeah.
Like compound.
(13:25):
It's in Virginia, no southernhospitality on this road.
No, no.
But they're all giving her dirtylooks as she's trying to
introduce herself and one personmade some kind of like, yeah,
welcome to the neighborhood now,you know, see you later.
What?
Just super insightful.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And so she got so embarrassed.
Upset.
Yeah.
And she got her kid and left andshe was like, no, I'm don't like
(13:47):
work.
Don't blame.
Yeah.
So she goes onto TikTok andmakes a TikTok about it.
Okay.
And she's got like a decentfollowing on TikTok, like she's
got a good following.
Okay.
And Sassy I think is trying tohave that kind of following.
Mm-hmm.
But doesn't mm-hmm.
A little bit of, but like nowshe's got nothing.
Yeah.
So she goes on there, tells astory, well then this chick
(14:09):
makes a rebuttal video thinkingthat she's like eating it,
right?
Like right.
Yeah.
No, she basically confirmedeverything that this girl Nicole
said, had already said.
But she was like, well, wedidn't know who she was and she
was in our house.
And everybody must know like,you don't want people that you
don't own in your house.
Well, then they show her house.
Right?
And I'm thinking how this girlis so presenting so bougie.
(14:31):
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
It's like you got nothing inthat house.
Just like, don't worry about.
Right.
Nobody's selling your stuff inin this, in this house.
It wasn't a mil million dollarhome.
No.
So then, this goes on, right?
She takes down her video in liketwo hours because she got.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Good.
But of course it's still outthere because everybody
stitches.
(14:51):
Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
I hadn't seen it.
Yeah.
Well then the mother-in-law getson.
Okay.
And she is like dying on thishill that they did nothing
wrong.
Getting eaten up in the common,yeah.
So it's like the entire worldagainst.
Mm-hmm.
These people, and it's like thisgirl, she's like homestead.
(15:13):
Just like super right?
Like pure, nice.
Just trying to be friendly.
Yeah.
And show up with the stuff.
Well, now these people aretrying to think like.
Law.
Like they are like, we areconnected to the sheriff and
we're connected to And they'refor what?
Exactly?
Because they made themselveslook bad.
Yeah.
Basically.
Oh my God.
(15:33):
So now there's this Canadianchick who got invested.
Mm-hmm.
And started to dig a little biton Jake.
Mm-hmm.
His wife.
Okay.
And apparently there is likesome super sketchy stuff with
Jake and children.
Oh.
So.
Back up that Jay calls Nicoleafter everything blew up and
(15:54):
they were getting all thisbacklash and was like, well, you
know, we didn't know you werecoming and we thought you were
just dropping off your child andleaving so you were okay.
Like, like that, that's, thatwhole situation's weird.
Mm, right?
Mm-hmm.
Like who just drops off theirkid not knowing, not knowing
anybody.
Well, I've had a lot of peoplethat have done that actually.
Yeah.
But like this is a whole town.
Like you don't Yeah.
(16:14):
You're brand new.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I don't think I would've, no,definitely not.
Definitely not.
That's crazy.
Right?
So then of course somebody linksit to the sheriff's page and
they'll all comments on the postare like, uh, why are people
able to use the sheriff'sdepartment as their personal
gold outs?
And they like tag this Dossieand Jake.
(16:36):
Oh my gosh.
Oh my gosh.
No.
That these crazy drama.
Yeah.
All over like.
Yeah.
Being buttheads to a new person.
Well be nice people.
I know that's not southernhospitality.
You are the south, it's, it isnot.
You mentioned gardening inthere.
I'm growing a vegetable garden.
Did I tell you?
(16:56):
Mm-hmm.
Working on my vegetable garden.
How is it going?
My zucchini is out of thisworld.
Everything else is gettingthere.
I've got so much.
Do you eat Zuc candy?
I'll have to bring you some.
I've got so much and some ofthem are cute.
Yeah.
I'm talking the as big as myarm.
Yeah.
So many, so many zucchini and Idon't know if they just produce
(17:19):
first.
Yeah.
But I've got little bittycucumbers and little bitty
peppers and mm-hmm.
And stuff.
So Definitely bringing you somezucchini.
When we first moved here, we dida, garden along our fence line.
Yeah.
And it, the first couple years,I mean, it did amazing.
Yeah.
The zucchinis were ginormous.
Yes.
Ginormous.
And we had a party that yearfor, I don't know if it was a
(17:40):
birthday or we just had like apool party or something.
Yeah.
They're like, what is in yourfertilize?
Like what's in the, in theground under there?
but, um, we, we did broccoli oneyear.
Oh yeah.
So we get, we, that didn't do sosuper great.
Mm-hmm.
And we got like a little bitmm-hmm.
But it didn't like become like,like Yeah.
Broccoli.
Yeah.
But our jalapenos, oh yeah.
Were so hot.
Really like the hottest youcould possibly ever have.
(18:04):
So I'm learning that tomatoes,I've always tried to do tomatoes
and I think they're just very.
Tough to grow.
Mm-hmm.
Because they get attacked by allthe different, the split Yes.
Of the heat.
Yeah.
Yes.
My squash and zucchini arereally good, but I've never done
like a jalapeno or anything.
I'm doing green peppers, which Ilove.
(18:24):
Me too.
Yeah.
But I, I wonder why they were sohot, the salsa garden, and so
Oh, that's a great idea.
Yeah.
So we, so that's why we had'em.
But they were the hottestpeppers ever.
I wonder what made'em so hot.
I don't know.
I mean, they were just like abasic.
Plant.
Yeah.
But, oh my gosh.
Well, I'm bringing you somezucchini.
Okay.
(18:45):
Um, that story reminded methough.
I read a thread this week onsome social, and it had me
cracking up.
It was, and you might have seenthis, it was probably on mama
drama.
What situation is embarrassingfor no reason.
Mm-hmm.
And people had on there like.
Standing in line or wearing awinter coat or, you know, these
(19:08):
things that are like passingsomebody, in a car and then
pulling up beside'em at astoplight, like just random
things.
That's embarrassing for me, likegoing to a new person's house
and knocking on their door.
That's embarrassing.
I don't know why that it'suncomfortable.
Like it's like the, the anxietyof it.
Yes.
Yeah, so I a hundred percent.
Would feel sketchy she wastrying to be a good person.
(19:29):
Mm-hmm.
By doing that, because I, I,that already makes me feel like,
do we knock which door do allthat too?
Which door do we go to?
'cause some people are like backdoor people, or front door
people.
Which one do all that kind ofstuff gives me anxiety.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah.
I know.
But even sometimes, people, I, Ido know if, if there's gonna be
people I don't know there.
Yeah.
I used to be social, like I'mnot social anymore.
(19:52):
Yeah.
And I just have a hard timebeing.
I don't know, like as I getolder, I just get more social
anxiety, I guess.
I do too.
And I get anxiety about newplaces.
Mm-hmm.
Especially like restaurants thatI've never been to before.
If I'm like, I don't know wherethe bathroom is, I don't know.
Do we tell them our name?
Do we see it ourselves?
All those things, do I pay here?
Do I pay at the cashier?
(20:13):
And some places we go to,sometimes you pay at the table
and sometimes you pay at thecash.
Like it is just too much for me.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm with you 100%.
'cause the older I get, the moreYes.
Anxiety I have and I, weprobably are just overthinking
things.
Mm-hmm.
I'm sure that's what it is.
Like they're not big dealthings, but in our minds we make
'em big deal things.
Yeah.
(20:34):
the little things that get meall stressed out mm-hmm.
If I don't know people that aregonna be somewhere like I'm Oh
yeah.
Like full on anxiety attackmm-hmm.
In the car.
Or if I only know.
The host.
Mm-hmm.
I'm like, well, the host isgonna be busy and if I don't
know anybody else, oh, and I'mbad at small talk.
If I don't know you, I I can do,it's so awkward, but it's so
(20:56):
stressful.
I'm so awkward.
You know what I hate, I.
And I don't, it's not that Idon't like the people, it's just
so going to Brian's workfunctions when, I know a lot of
them now, but especially when Ididn't know them and then they
start talking work, talk that Idon't know the people that
they're, talking about, aboutwho's pregnant or who's got a
(21:17):
promotion or mm-hmm.
Whatever.
It's so ex exclude, what's theword?
Like, just excluding Yeah.
To people.
And they don't do it on purpose.
Yeah.
That's just what they have incommon and what they wanna talk
about.
Mm-hmm.
And I've gotten to know some ofthe people and they're great
now, but like, when you don'tknow the people and you're just
like, eh.
I wanna be home with my PJsanyway, Uhhuh, it can ugh, so
(21:38):
uncomfortable.
Yeah, I'm so awkward.
I'm like, so socially awkwardnow I've gotten worse.
Well, dirty news, he was foundguilty only on two charges, so
that's, I cannot believe, yeah,that was some trash.
But, he could face up to 28years in jail for the charges
that he did find, get foundguilty on.
Well, is it 10 years per charge?
(22:00):
Mm-hmm.
So if they run them, is thatconcurrently?
If they do'em at the same time,they could, or they could do'em
individually or a lower, yeah.
So up to, they said up to 20years is what he could get that,
I guess it depends on how theydecide all those pieces.
So after they read the verdicts,Diddy's attorneys were trying to
get him released that day.
(22:20):
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
On bail or whatever mm-hmm.
Until sentencing.
And the judge was like, well,each side please write me a
letter.
I'll review them today and wecan.
And so he said no.
Like he uhhuh.
Yeah.
No, we're, we're good.
I feel like he gave them like,okay, everybody go home and
write an essay.
500 words.
No double spacing.
Yeah.
Wait, that's not even doneanymore.
(22:41):
Um, um, okay.
So do you have some of theexcerpts?
No, no, no, no.
But Oh, okay.
So, did, he's, lawyers arerequesting two years in jail
with time served.
Oh my gosh.
And, they're like, mm-hmm.
Uh, you're not even gettingbail, so, yeah, yeah, yeah.
But sentencing isn't gonna beuntil October 3rd now.
(23:02):
Okay.
So we haven't until October 3rdto find out.
I saw something where they werelike, you know, he's doesn't
have his passport, dah, dah,dah, duh.
And then like, he was doing allthe, the theatrics, yeah, pray,
like, pray, pray Jesus and allthis crap in the after the
sentencing.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
What a bum.
Yeah.
Can't I cannot believe that.
(23:22):
Have you ever been to he single?
Yeah, I have not.
Okay.
But I keep seeing these, likearound Charlotte.
Mm-hmm.
And North Carolina, SouthCarolina, places that people are
visiting.
Yeah.
On all the socials.
And this dude goes toHendersonville and he's like,
yo, I don't know what is up withHendersonville.
And he said, if you have everbeen here, why are there.
(23:45):
Did you see the big concretelegs Uhuh that are spread?
Mm-hmm.
It's supposed to be Marilyn andMonroe's legs, but in the center
of the legs that stick outta theground that are like spread
Uhhuh, like in her position?
Yeah.
Is like a red berry bush.
So this dude is like, this iswildly suggestive.
(24:05):
Yeah.
Yeah, they're like, 20 feettall, playing.
I'm picturing, um, patch Adams.
Did you see the movie Uhuh?
Oh.
Where they had big paper machelegs?
No, in the, YI know O-B-G-Y-Nuh, when he was trying to like,
make medicine fun and he waslike making'em walk through the
big ginormous legs, like theywere up in stirrups.
(24:28):
Do you have a picture of thelegs?
That's kind of how the patchAdams thing is.
Oh my gosh.
Why?
Why?
I thought, and there may notconcrete, like I thought you
were talking about Marilyn andher legs, like the picture of
her over the gr where her dressis blowing and she was standing
up.
No, no, no.
I didn't realize just like,like, like.
(24:49):
On the ground with your, yeah,with your knees bent and like
skin stirrups.
A gynecologist.
Yes.
That's what it looks like yeah.
It looks like you're instirrups.
Yep.
Yeah.
Reminiscing.
Yeah.
And the arch that you walkthrough to get to the center is
reminiscing.
Reminiscing what?
Right.
And then there's a littletrailer right next to it.
(25:10):
My God, that's so random.
Is that somebody's home?
Right.
So are those shoes?
Yeah, that's across the street.
I mean, I don't under, it's notlike it's the home of Marilyn
Monroe.
Yeah, no, I don't know.
And then there's a garter belton the one leg.
Uhhuh.
Yeah.
It's super weird.
So Hendersonville, I don't getit.
(25:31):
A hundred percent don't get it.
I wanna know the backstory.
So if you know, let us knowbecause, it is weird, super
weird.
Super duper weird.
Yes.
So I got stuck down the rabbithole of what?
No way.
The MK Ultra Files, what'd youfile one night?
And so there's 149 sub projectsunder the MK Ultra.
(25:52):
Really?
Yeah.
149 projects that were done.
I didn't realize there washappening.
Me either.
But the weirdest one was calledOperation Midnight Climax.
Okay.
And the CIA set up brothels inSan Francisco and New York where
workers lured men into theapartments that were rigged with
one way mirrors.
(26:12):
The men were dosed without theirknowledge of LSD and then were
observed in secret to studytheir behavior under those
circumstances and thevulnerability under the
influence, and it was all taxfunded.
Are you serious?
Yeah.
That is crazy.
Pants, right?
That is crazy.
Mind blown, Well then I keptgoing like, yeah.
(26:36):
Down this.
Yeah.
Awfulness of our government andMK Ultra's, unholy cousin,
project MK often.
Oh geez.
Which never, ever heard of it.
Uhuh this one's got witchesdemons and full on psychic
warfare, and it's not fictionand it's declassified.
(26:58):
What, so this was launched inthe late 1960s by the CIA's
Office of Research andDevelopment.
Its mission was not just drugs,which mainly was MK Ultra.
Mm-hmm.
They, they did a lot of druggingpeople without their knowledge
to see what would happen.
This was exploring thesupernatural for use and
intelligence and psychologicalwarfare.
Oh my gosh.
(27:18):
Um, real life occult consultswith, the Church of Satan, like
the head of the Church of Satan.
Mm-hmm.
Witch covens.
Oh my gosh.
All the things.
I don't want anything to do withthat.
Yeah, so they consulted withastrologers, psychics, voodoo
priests, satanist mediums andself-proclaimed witches, and
were brought into test whetherthe paranormal could be
(27:40):
weaponized their girls were.
Could they influence behaviorwith rituals, predict the future
using astrology trigger fear ormental breakdowns through occult
symbols.
Could black magic be used tomentally destabilize foreign
targets?
It's crazy how we went fromburning them at the stake.
Yeah.
(28:02):
According to some sources theyworked with, members of Anton
Levy's, church of Satan invitedvoodoo practitioners to consult
on psychological operations andconducted drug experiments while
monitoring for things likeastral projections or
possession.
What?
Yeah.
That is.
Yeah, government funded.
Government funded.
(28:23):
Yeah.
So not just like LSD, right?
Tell you what, let's round upthe biggest, baddest voodoo
priestess, astrologers.
Satanists.
Could you imagine being in thatroom?
Oh, not at all.
I don't think there's enoughholding water in this world.
There was no priests invited Ito not, oh, I would not wanna be
(28:45):
in that, involved in that.
That's one that like, I'm reallynosy.
And there's a lot of things thatI.
Want to, like, I'm justfascinated by a lot of things.
Not that I just, I mean, it blewmy mind what the government
funded part or all of it.
No.
Like, well, like that they weretrying to weaponize Yeah.
(29:06):
Like spiritual warfare.
Mm-hmm.
I shouldn't surprise me, but itdoes.
I mean, where does, where doesone go to round up these?
I I, in the sixties, I have noclue.
Are they showing up in theirCIA, like the black suits and,
excuse me, looking for, can Italk to your manager?
(29:32):
I don't know, but there's yourwow for the day, that is the
whole segment every, every week.
Well, if I wanna know that ornot.
I mean, like I said, that nosypart of me does.
Mm-hmm.
But yeah, all that kind of stuffscares me though.
Were you ready for end by theA-hole?
Sure.
Okay.
Am I the a-hole?
(29:54):
Ask the neighbor to move theirlittle farms Stand.
Because people are stealing mefrom my garden.
You'll relate to this.
I can relate to this beforeanyone says, just build a fence.
We can't afford it right now andno, no, HOA, my neighbor set up
one of those pantries, farmstands where people can take
what they grew in their gardenpantry stuff, donated stuff, et
(30:15):
cetera.
In theory, it's a great idea andespecially in a time where life
in America sucks and people arestruggling to make ends meet, my
family included.
Okay, get that.
The problem.
People started coming into myyard to pick things in my
garden.
I've put up signs saying not todo it.
I installed rabbit fence aroundthe garden.
(30:36):
I've angled a tarp, so you can'tsee what's there from the road.
People just hold their kids overthe fence to pick tomatoes or
beans or jump it.
What?
I ended up getting into anargument with a lady over it.
I yelled, Hey, stop.
Those are not for you to take.
She told her kid to move fasterand then tried to run away.
I caught up to her and askedwhat the F her problem was, and
(30:59):
she turned it into, how dare Iswear in front of her child?
Why am I so angry?
Why am I really that upset abouta couple of tomatoes?
I said, okay, time out.
Tomatoes are hard to grow.
We already covered this.
Okay.
I said, I am upset that you'restealing from me.
The next day I approached myneighbor.
I asked if I could maybe helpmove it to the other side of
(31:20):
their driveway, so it's next tothe other neighbor's house.
They don't have a garden upfront.
They said, at least not untilthe end of the season, I asked
if they could make larger signs,talk to people, just do
something.
They were like, can you reallynot afford to share?
I said, they aren't taking myzucchini.
Let's talk about the zucchini,because they're starving.
(31:43):
They're taking my tomato,tomatoes.
Tomatoes.
They're taking my tomatoesbecause they want them.
They said that I'm going to haveto learn to live with it for
now, and we can talk about asolution together that will
benefit the whole communityafter.
Mm-hmm.
I said, I do not care about asolution that benefits the whole
community.
I care about a solution thatstops people from stealing from
(32:04):
me.
So last night it happened again,man, in his fifties.
I sprayed him with the hoax.
He started yelling at me andafter a minute or so, the
neighbor came out yelling at metoo.
People have posted on theneighborhood board to be careful
if they come because I'm anA-hole.
The neighbor says I'm scaringpeople away from a community
resource.
I told him I'm going to continueuntil he does something about
(32:27):
the effing thieves who thinkthey're entitled to my garden.
I feel like I'm losing my mindhere.
Am I the a-hole for asking themto move it?
Am I the A-hole for being pissedoff that people are stealing
from me?
This is food for my family.
I don't think so.
I don't think so either.
No.
I'd be mad and Oh, I'd be littlebit, it'd be like no trespassing
(32:50):
signs.
That's what I was gonna sayeverywhere.
Like consider this your warning.
Yeah, I like the hose idea.
No.
Yeah, I would definitely do Notrespass.
I mean, he shouldn't have to doit.
The other thing should take someownership of what they created
and like, and the whole dosomething to benefit everybody.
(33:10):
Just nice in theory, but yougive a little bit and people
wanna take all, um, point incase, right.
And I mean, some of us arereally struggling to just take
care of our families.
Yeah.
Like feeding everybody.
I, I wish I could do it, butyeah.
Okay, so first off, thanks forthe responses.
I got some good ones.
I'm happy that so many of youlive in places where the cops
(33:30):
would do anything about this.
But this isn't the reality.
I'm living.
Cops here would not give a crapif I sent them a video of
someone picking from my garden.
They would laugh in my face.
Be thankful you live in a placewhere the police are useful.
Ouch.
It looks like signs are the bestoption for now.
Going to make some signsindicating heavy use of
pesticides and repeating thatthey are stealing food from the
(33:53):
mouse of hungry children.
I don't know why the signs wealready have are not enough.
Maybe more will help.
I'm sure they won't.
We'll also scour Craigslist forfree fencing or similar items.
Hopefully that pans out.
I didn't know Craigslist wasstill a thing.
I had no idea.
Um, I feel like it's all shady,dirty stuff anyway.
Me too.
Free fencing might meansomething else on Craigslist,
(34:15):
but listen, you wanna get somepetty revenge on somebody.
You can list like a free tv.
Oh yeah.
Their phone number.
Good point.
Good point.
Be some good petty revenge.
Good point.
Um, no, you're not the a-holeand, um, I love your hose idea a
hundred percent.
And I mean, I guess the signsare the, the best options It
doesn't matter.
(34:36):
In my mind.
It, I mean, it's terrible thatthey're filling the food from
mouths of hungry children.
Mm-hmm.
But that's not the point.
The point is it is not theirs totake.
Right.
Exactly.
And they just feel entitled.
Yeah.
Yeah.
To just, to just do it.
I wanna know where he is.
Yeah.
You didn't say Yeah.
I probably don't wanna know.
It probably pissed me off.
No, you're not a-hole dude.
Absolutely not.
(34:56):
All right.
Well, if you're not our bookies,it is time for y'all to leave.
I mean, you're welcome to stay,but if you don't wanna listen to
our review, peace out love.
Bye.
Learn to read.
Yep.
All right.
this week.
We an that is not how the audiobook, it was not BWA of the No,
it wasn't Bewa.
It was what you said.
So we read you by Charles BennetBenet.
(35:20):
According to how the audiobookreader pronounced it.
So we're gonna go with that.
No fancy pants here.
That's regular pants at all.
Jeans.
Yeah.
All right.
Told in rare second personvoice, you by Charles Benet is a
10 psychological gripping.
A novel that plunges you intothe unraveling life of Kyle
(35:41):
Chase.
A once promising teen, nowdrifting towards a tragic end
where every bad choice bringshim closer to the point of no
return.
I did not like how, I guess, Idon't know if it was the
audiobook reader.
Mm-hmm.
Or it was like the verbiage thatwas used.
It just, I don't know.
It, it didn't flow.
It just, it was annoying to me.
(36:01):
Mm-hmm.
Well, I didn't like this book.
I was very thankful it wasshort.
Me too.
Um, I didn't like it either.
I felt like the, I, I, I reallydo think it was a narrator, like
the Annunciation was off.
Something about it didn't jivewith me.
Mm-hmm.
And I, I just didn't like thebook.
Yeah.
I didn't like the characters.
(36:22):
Mm-hmm.
Especially didn't like the dudethat wore the suit.
Forgot his name.
Zach.
Yeah.
Did not care for him at all.
Even before.
Yeah.
The end of the book.
Mm-hmm.
How did you feel?
Well, okay, my notes.
Yeah.
Because I had feelings.
I didn't, I didn't care for thebook.
It was not my favorite at all.
Yeah.
His parents were horrible Uhhuh.
(36:43):
He had no chance at redeeminghimself through his human size.
None at all.
Zero.
They decided he was bad andmm-hmm.
Just go to the side till you canget outta the house.
Yep.
And they did not.
Give him a chance whatsoever.
Mm-hmm.
The little sister was the lightof his life.
Mm-hmm.
And when she said, I wanna belike Kyle.
Mm-hmm.
And the mom was like, no, wealready have one.
(37:04):
That's enough.
Mm-hmm.
Or something like, you know, puthim down and he overheard it.
Yeah.
That broke my heart.
Yeah.
Because I was like, oh yeah.
no wonder why he was so angry.
Right.
If you're being told all thetime how horrible you are, and
no wonder he just kind of gaveup.
Yeah.
Because when you, you start tobelieve it.
Yeah.
Zach is a pure psychopath.
A hundred percent.
(37:24):
He, I didn't see it coming atfirst.
He, I just thought he was a ard,but friends, people, just to
find out what their weaknesses.
Mm-hmm.
And then to take that weaknessand destroy them.
Mm-hmm.
That's his sole purpose, right?
He needs to be checked out.
And I wonder what he toldeverybody after.
I know like what his story was,right?
Or did he just like dip out'cause they just ended it, they
didn't say, I know.
(37:45):
It was very unsatisfying.
And so I wonder if he justdipped out and mm-hmm.
And moved onto his next big, Iwasn't there Right dude sitting
there with a pair of panties.
So some, stuff was.
Some stuff caught me.
Mm-hmm.
Like they kept referring to theinjury, and you wanna know what
that is, but it was veryanticlimactic.
(38:07):
I felt like, like I wanted morepomp and circumstance, almost
like mm-hmm.
Like, I don't know, I just, itwas almost dry.
Mm-hmm.
I wasn't getting a lot of theemotion out of it.
Mm-hmm.
I felt bad for Kyle.
Really bad for Kyle.
Me too.
Like you said, his parentsweren't fans of him and he knew
(38:27):
that he had made a lot of poorchoices starting back from when
he didn't get into the school,which was, you know, started the
downward spiral.
But like, he knew that he coulddo better than he had done.
Mm-hmm.
I hated it.
It was depressing.
But, you know, he had made acomment about, He had got sent
to the principal's office theday before.
Yeah.
So he didn't have the homeworkassignment, so he didn't get the
(38:48):
homework assignment because hewasn't in class.
Mm-hmm.
Because he got sent to theprincipal's office for being
late or something.
Mm-hmm.
And so he didn't have thehomework assignment.
The next day.
And it was just like a cycle.
A cycle.
Yep.
A hundred percent.
Wasn't able to get himself outof that cycle even if he wanted
to.
Right.
There was not a way for him to,and nobody, and that, that made
me sad too.
(39:09):
Nobody was helping him.
Mm-hmm.
Catch up.
Right.
If there had just been a teacherwho was like, you know what?
This dude just needs an extraday.
He needs some extra, he needssomething.
Yeah.
Let me do something.
Have you ever, ever read thatpoem?
I.
I didn't have a pencil orsomething like that.
And let's talk about, um,children that show up to school
that don't have a pencil becausethey were running late, their
(39:31):
mama didn't have a card, so theydidn't get breakfast.
And like, it's just this wholeseries of things and it's like,
and I got in trouble at school'cause I didn't have a pencil
kind of thing.
Yeah.
Um, just like these cycles thatare so detrimental.
Yeah.
That sometimes you just need.
One, one good thing.
Mm-hmm.
To get you out of him.
(39:51):
Yeah.
And he thought that Zach wasgonna be that one good thing he
did, being invited to theparties.
Mm-hmm.
Zach became a little bitpopular.
Mm-hmm.
And he was like, I'm in with acool kid now.
Right.
And it, it just totally was notright.
he just set out to destroypeople.
Yeah.
Which is awful, crazy weird.
Yeah.
And the fact that Kyle.
(40:12):
Was so in love with Ashley.
Mm-hmm.
See, the first chance she got,yeah.
She hopped in bed with Zach andKyle ends up dying because he's
trying to save her honor.
Mm-hmm.
Basically.
Yep.
Yep.
But just so sad.
Very sad.
Very sad.
Did you know that the author wasactually a high school teacher?
(40:32):
No.
Mm-hmm.
They probably had a lot ofinsight to the behaviors.
I wonder if they're based onreal characters.
I.
I thought that was interesting.
That is very interesting.
I did not know that.
What would you rate it?
Oh three maybe.
And the, one of the pros was itwas short.
Yeah.
I the idea of it being very.
(40:52):
Realistic as far as the hole youdig yourself in mm-hmm.
At that age and the point ofview.
Yeah.
I, I, I didn't mind that.
I mean, it was different, but Ididn't mind it, but yeah, just
the way things snowball.
Mm-hmm.
Can, you know, so I think like,depending on where you're at in
life, it would be a good, kindof learning thing.
Mm-hmm.
But not really because he nevergot himself out of it.
(41:13):
No, that's not like a turnaroundpoint.
I've always wanted to read oneof the books like this where
it's like, okay, you can choosethe path the character takes.
Mm-hmm.
So, well, if you would've doneX, Y, or Z, you can, you know,
build your own book off of it.
But yeah, no, it was, it wasdepressing to me.
Yeah.
Well.
It's over.
It's over.
And we are on z.
(41:34):
Yay.
So, Zodiac Academy by CarolinePeckham.
Benoit.
It's like what, is our nextbook, and it's the first book in
that series.
Okay.
You've been selected to attendZodiac Academy, where your star
sign defines your destiny.
If you are one of the Fayelemental magic is in your
(41:54):
blood, and apparently it's inours as twins born in the month
of Gemini, we're a rare breed.
Even in this Academy ofSupernatural, a-holes change.
Things were outlawed hundreds ofyears ago, but I guess our birth
parents didn't get the memo,which means we're totally
unprepared for the ruthlessworld of the faith, air, fire,
water, earth.
No one has ever harnessed allfour of them until we arrived,
(42:16):
and it hasn't made us anyfriends so far.
As the rarest elements everknown, were already a threat to
the four celestial hairs, thepopular, vindictive bullies who
happen to be some of the hottestguys we've ever seen.
It doesn't help that they're themost dangerous beasts in the
academy, and probably on earthtoo.
Our fates are intertwined, butthey want us gone.
They've only got until the lunareclipse to focus, to force us
(42:39):
out, and they'll stop at nothingto succeed.
We never know.
We never knew we had abirthright to live up to.
But now that we do, we intend toclaim our throne.
We can't expect any help fromthe faculty when it comes to
defending ourselves.
So if the dragon shifters wantsome target practice, the
werewolves want someone to huntand the vampires fanciest snack,
then we have to be ready.
(42:59):
But we've been looking out foreach other for a long time, and
fighting back is in our blood.
That sounds really good.
It does some mystical creatures.
Mm-hmm.
These aren't scary mysticalcreatures to me though.
No.
Like werewolves and stuff don'tbother you.
Yeah.
No.
This is like, don't bringspirits into it.
A mystical high school ofbullies.
Yeah.
Is it the awakening?
Yes.
(43:19):
And, and that, okay.
The Zodiac Academy.
Mm-hmm.
It's gonna be good.
So that is our next book.
I can't believe we're at z.
We are.
I read a couple of Tear Jerkersthis week.
Don't do it.
No.
I continued on with our, authorthat did the Un Honeymooners.
Oh yeah.
So I'm, I'm digging her books.
(43:39):
They're kind of light and easy.
Yes.
Just, yes.
Good.
Does not bring me down anyfurther.
Yeah, no, I, I read, I read oneand.
It was if I'd been with him orsomething like that, and YA
romance, whatever.
All the things ended endstragically.
(44:00):
And then there's a next book andI was like, this has got to like
come full circle and make itbetter.
Did not, have you watched the,we Are Liars yet?
Oh no.
That's on Amazon Prime.
Okay.
And it was, it's based off ofbooks and I've read the books
years ago.
Okay.
By the, the last episode youjust, it's Yeah, but it's so
good.
Yeah.
(44:20):
When we were liars Yeah.
Or we were liars.
We were liars.
We were liars.
Okay.
Mm-hmm.
I'm making a note.
Oh, and then I think I sent youanother one must have been my
sister.
It was on Netflix.
And that was also based off ofbooks.
It was what if.
Okay.
Um, so the girl is a, researchedand she found a way to cure
(44:40):
cancer.
Okay.
Or she was like figuring out howto cure cancer.
And so she gets, funding fromthis woman.
But the deal was the lady had tosleep with her husband for one
night.
Oh.
In order to get in the unravels,like this whole situation.
Yeah.
But it was really good.
Okay.
On, Netflix.
Okay.
We were liar.
And what?
Well, I'm wrapping up Gossipgirl.
I'm like season finishing,season four, so I think I'm
(45:02):
almost done.
Isn't there a lot more thanthat?
I don't know.
I was hoping I was only five.
I don't think so.
Wait, gossip.
Yeah, that's the right one.
I don't know why I keep mixingthat up with Gilmore.
Anyway.
All right, well thank y'all forlistening.
We love you guys.
Thank y'all.
Tell, tell some people pleasecome back.
Bring a friend.
Love you.
We love you.
Bye.
Bye.
Alright, that wraps up anotherepisode of, this is My Circus.
(45:24):
If you survive this episode andsomehow still like us, make sure
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