Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving?

To celebrate my 30th birthday, I bring on some of my nearest and dearest friends to talk about what it was like for them to turn 30. Things they miss/don't miss, 30+ favorite past times, and more! 

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:06

Welcome back to another episode of Making a Martine. I am your host, Caleb Figles. Today is November 16th, also known as my birthday. So when I decided that my every Tuesday Monday schedule for releasing episodes, you haven't realized Monday. But I noticed that I would be releasing one on my 30th birthday, so I wanted to do an episode around growing older. And I always thought that turning 30 was a big like meaningful thing, or that I would be one of those people who was freaking out about turning 30. But um really just the same as being 29. So I ran with that and wanted to talk to other people who were 30, 30 plus. Uh so today my guests are three of my friends from college, Joe York, Amanda Holman, and Hank Hank Soker. And for a cocktail, I had to go with a classic. Two parts chin, one part olive juice, olive garnish. So, yes, classic olive. So here we go.

SPEAKER_05 1:42

Hey!

SPEAKER_02 1:50

Uh yeah, it goes a little bit like that. Um so welcome everybody. Thanks for being on the show. Thanks for having us, man. It's good to be looking forward to this.

SPEAKER_04 1:59

Yeah, well.

SPEAKER_02 2:00

Um yeah, I'm glad we could do this. So uh to everyone who doesn't know, Hank, Joe, and man, and I all went to college together. Um mini reunion to talk about the fact that we're all 30 plus. Which is we've been in school.

SPEAKER_04 2:24

Since we've been in school, like I graduated in 2011.

SPEAKER_03 2:27

I was 2012. Yeah. I was 2014. Yeah. So it's like almost been like what a full like six ten years. Almost ten years.

SPEAKER_01 2:39

How crazy. Good for us.

SPEAKER_03 2:42

We are all I also remember when you first came to school, Caleb.

SPEAKER_04 2:51

Oh, I remember meeting you too, though.

SPEAKER_01 2:53

Well, yeah, because Caleb and I dated. We sure did date.

SPEAKER_02 2:59

And for anyone who's listening, you know that things have certainly turned changed for me.

SPEAKER_01 3:05

Um but I swear to God.

SPEAKER_02 3:08

I have been changed for good. I've been changed for the better. I just sore.

SPEAKER_01 3:12

Yeah, it's not it's not good for me. It makes me look bad, but hey, I know.

SPEAKER_02 3:17

You know, birds of a feather. Um so the reason we're all here is because this episode's gonna come out uh well tomorrow, which is my my official 30th birthday. So I'm still working twice. So I need a dick. Um and I I when I mapped everything out and I knew this was gonna happen on my birthday, I was like, well, that makes total sense. And um, when I was doing research, the reason that I wanted to kind of talk about getting older and things like that was I found a quote from Elaine Stritch. And if you don't know who she is, then that's okay. Um but the quote is I don't like to say that I'm getting old because there is a finality to that. I'm just getting older, and so are you every day. And I like that because that's really true. Because not not everyone does grow old. True. Um, but everyone grows older every single day. And I was like, what? She's a fucking genius. So um, so I kind of wanted to start today with. I mean, this is I'm having a COVID 30 birthday. Um so that's fucking cool for me. Um, but I want to talk about your 30th birthday, like the actual day. What were they like? What did you guys do? Anything to cry?

SPEAKER_04 4:30

Yeah, I want I would like uh I would like Amanda to go first because Amanda had the best 30th, in my opinion, the best 30th birthday party ever. Amanda.

SPEAKER_01 4:39

So, and I will say that I owe all of this uh as a thank you to Joe, who is also on this podcast. However, um, so when I was younger, I was like super, super, super afraid of E.T. Like the friendly extraterrestrial, you know, movie and everything. So um, so Joe decides that by the way, you were invited, Caleb. You did not RSA show up, did not even bother, regardless. Um so good for my 30th birthday, Joe decided, and his wife, Brie, so happily went along with it uh so as to join, like buy things on Etsy uh to go along with it, that they were gonna give me an E.T. themed uh birthday party.

SPEAKER_04 5:35

We had somebody dressed as E.T. and everything came down the steps.

SPEAKER_01 5:39

Uh like E.T. decorations. I was given an E.T. bow that Bree and I had matching ET bows to put in our hair.

SPEAKER_04 5:46

There were pins of her and E.T.

SPEAKER_01 5:47

of me and E.T. that they uh photoshopped photoshopped, which I think it was like what was it Michael Jackson where this came from? Like it was Michael Jackson and E.T.

SPEAKER_03 5:57

It was like yeah, it was like some sort of promotional shoot, and I think it was Michael Jackson. We edited him out and put you in.

SPEAKER_01 6:03

Yeah, so pins, um, yeah, any the whole nine yards. It was supposed to be a quote unquote surprise birthday party, but I knew about it. Um and uh that was my 30th birthday party, which um I would not trade for anything in the world.

SPEAKER_03 6:20

So gentlemen, cool. Did you guys do anything special? Or was it just uh yours was along the same lines, right?

SPEAKER_04 6:28

Yeah, I mean it was. I mean, I was living with Caleb at the time. You remember? I remember my 30th birthday.

SPEAKER_05 6:35

I yeah, you planned it.

SPEAKER_04 6:37

You planned it because it was a surprise. Um, but the thing was, I didn't have anything planned. So it was just like, uh it doesn't matter, I'm 30, nothing matters, blah blah blah. We were gonna film an episode of our uh YouTube channel, uh Level Select, uh Chef 64, check it out. Um sorry, shameless plug. Uh I'll say that's slower. Uh Level Select Chef 64. Uh okay, anyway, uh we were gonna film an episode of that, and uh we came upstairs to get some stuff, and there were like 30 people in our apartment. Yeah, it was awesome though. But were we like only there for a little while and then we like Yeah, we hung out for like a half hour and then we still went to no, we went to film the episode.

SPEAKER_01 7:15

Well, that's it.

SPEAKER_03 7:16

Oh, you're right. Yeah. Although Caleb, I think you went to the casino that night.

SPEAKER_02 7:20

I think I did. Well, and I randomly had two people from Ohio that showed up. They were like, hey, we're on our way, and I'm like, Well, you're gonna be part of my roommate's 30th birthday surprise. So hope you're ready to meet some people. Um Joey, did you do anything crazy for your birthday?

SPEAKER_01 7:38

This is the most sad.

SPEAKER_03 7:39

I didn't I didn't do anything because my dad had a stroke, so although to be That's the last of my 30th birthday.

SPEAKER_01 7:47

We were supposed we were supposed to do Joe's 30th Top Golf extravaganza.

SPEAKER_04 7:55

But top golf, lower your prices.

SPEAKER_01 7:57

And and then Bree Bree and I were like, no, it's fine. We'll like totally cover the cost, and everybody can pay us back. And then we called Top Golf and we're like, we'd like to make a reservation, please. And they were like, Okay, it's gonna be$795.

SPEAKER_03 8:13

And we were like, excuse me?

SPEAKER_01 8:16

Okay, um, here's a check. And then Joe's dad had a stroke.

SPEAKER_03 8:21

Yeah, so really that happening spared us wasting close to$100,000 or$1,000 on top of it.

SPEAKER_01 8:28

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Which is sad.

SPEAKER_02 8:32

What are you gonna do with yours tomorrow? Um get my hair cut since I get like Ellen degenerate. Um that's about it. I think what I'm gonna do is uh I'm gonna find like a uh a show to watch, like something like Netflix Hulu, and just binge it in a day and order takeout and yeah, man. That's awesome. Yeah, just relax. COVID birthday.

SPEAKER_03 8:59

Enjoy it, enjoy it, you know what I mean? It only comes once. Yeah, that's right.

unknown 9:04

Same.

SPEAKER_02 9:05

Um so uh since we are well, you all are officially now oh my god, I was just talking about this with them and I already forgot. Amanda, you are 32. 32. Or no, 31.

SPEAKER_01 9:20

I'm gonna be 32, along with Joe. Joe and I are like three weeks apart.

SPEAKER_04 9:25

Okay. And Hank, you are doomed to be the old man. Yeah, I'm gonna be 33 in March.

SPEAKER_02 9:30

That was the one thing I thought about. I was like, man, we're talking about this episode about growing older and what it's like. And anyone that's over the age of 35 is gonna be like, what the fuck do they know? I don't give a shit about what they have to say. Um, but since we're all sort of over the hump, uh close enough, what is one thing that you miss about being in your 20s and one thing you don't miss? You don't have to do both, you can do one or the other, but miss or don't miss.

SPEAKER_04 9:57

I I guess the the lack of responsibility was nice. You know, you didn't have to like worry about anything. You know, just like la la la la, let's drink heavily a party. You know, like now it's like, okay, let me set aside so I can buy some tuna and corn. And uh you know what I mean, like it's a very I don't know, it it all of my responsibilities are just less less anxiety. Yeah, yeah. Shit.

SPEAKER_03 10:27

I think I miss uh I miss like being able to like indulge my body without consequences, like with alcohol, with like uh like staying up late, you know what I mean, with you know, pulling all nighters or whatever. Like it it it got to a point. But mine came sort of early, like maybe around like 27 or 8, that like I had two beers and the next day I was paying for it, like a hangover or whatever. Or if I don't get a solid eight hours, I'm dead to the world. When but when I was in my twenties, like you know, you could go like two or three nights without sleeping and feel totally fine. Drink like three handles of tequila and be like, alright, where's your where's the next party? Right, right.

SPEAKER_02 11:10

That was exciting my my same thing. I was like, you know what? I miss being able to, you know, have five martinis. Get your bankers club vodka, get my bankers club vodka, drink the whole thing, and then wake up the next day and be like, let's go.

SPEAKER_01 11:27

Are we having brunch or what?

SPEAKER_03 11:29

Yeah, like I don't know what it is, like I don't know what age does to include like amplify hangovers, but it just sucks, man.

SPEAKER_02 11:37

I had three last week. Like I had one night where I had three. Well, it it was the night of the election. I had three, and I was smart enough to take off the first half of the day. Um, I cut it close. I was like, I don't know if I'm gonna make that. I was like, I you know, wake up and I gotta call off. You know, I love feeling like hot garbage. Um but the one thing I don't like I I I don't miss is the obligation to do those things.

SPEAKER_05 12:08

Right. That was fun.

SPEAKER_03 12:10

That's literally, yeah, that's what I was gonna say, is like I I don't miss like the uh I guess FOMO or or whatever, like the need to say yes to everything. I like love like having my evenings free, you know, just me and my wife to just do what I want, you know what I mean? And it feels good if someone's like, hey, they were going to the bar and I just feel like nah, I'm not gonna sleep.

SPEAKER_01 12:31

I don't really care. I want to sleep.

SPEAKER_02 12:33

Yeah, I was thinking of so I want to say it was two years ago. I was trying to figure out like the timeline in my head, and uh a friend of ours, of mine, sorry, not ours, I don't know if you know her or not, but it doesn't matter. Um was having her birthday at Mario's in Southside on Carson Street. And for anyone who doesn't know, Carson Street is this two-mile stretch of bars, which like during the day and and on Sunday, like it's a cool place to be. It's like it's fun, it's lighthearted. But Friday and Saturday night, it is dedicated to college students. You go and you know, if you're walking on the streets in the morning, you see people passed out on the street. And so so that was yeah, two years ago I went to her party there, and I could not have had a less fun time. I did one, I like you know, there's a thing called a shot wheel. I spun that, I took the shot, and then immediately ran to the bathroom to throw up because I was like, I can't do this anymore. Yeah, yeah, and it was I so I don't miss that. And then the nice thing is is that I think our friend groups have now all like officially surpassed that.

SPEAKER_04 13:37

So we don't have people who are still down there that are like, I'm ready to hang. And I'm like, I've been in bed for four hours.

SPEAKER_03 13:44

And it's now it's like whenever we do like an IUP bar night, like we all meet up like maybe for two hours, we have two drinks to all of us, like, well, I've got work in the morning. Yeah, I should get to bed early.

SPEAKER_05 13:54

I don't even go.

SPEAKER_01 13:57

That's true.

SPEAKER_05 13:57

That's true.

SPEAKER_01 14:00

Um, along this is like not to change the subject, but the thing that I miss about being in my 20s, and just to kind of open up another like topic of conversation is I miss being on my parents' health insurance.

SPEAKER_02 14:15

Oh shit. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:17

I miss when I used to get a medical bill and I would like call my dad and be like, yo, dad, like I went to the doctor, and they said I have a deductible and I don't know what that is, and like blah blah blah blah. So I'm gonna need you to do this. I was on my dad's health insurance until I was 26. So I didn't have to worry about anything.

SPEAKER_04 14:36

That's the standard age, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:38

But what's each of 26? Obama.

SPEAKER_04 14:40

Obama changed that.

SPEAKER_01 14:42

Yeah, I didn't have to worry about any of that stuff. Um, and now it's just like, well, I feel very sick, and I think that there might be something seriously wrong with me, but I don't want to pay a$200 bill at you know, MedExpress or whatever. So I'm gonna just take some towel and all and see how it goes.

SPEAKER_03 15:00

Yeah, yeah, right at that point.

SPEAKER_04 15:03

Yeah, just don't have health insurance and don't go to the doctor.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

Yeah, well, yeah, even if you get sick, yeah, man. And that's the thing, like I I mean I have health insurance and I have like a$3,500 deductible. So it doesn't matter.

SPEAKER_05 15:15

Right. If I yeah, it's it's useless.

SPEAKER_01 15:20

Yeah, um, so that's that's one of the things that I miss what was the other question, something about what you don't miss.

SPEAKER_02 15:28

Yeah, what you don't miss. You miss being on your insurance.

SPEAKER_01 15:30

I miss my yeah, I miss being on my dad's insurance. What I think is oh Lord. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 15:43

The thing I don't miss is classes.

SPEAKER_01 15:45

Yeah. That's true.

SPEAKER_04 15:47

Especially like, no offense to our our professors at IUP because I loved my time there, it was great. But I learned more like doing theater in the professional world. Like grow you grow more as an actor than in a classroom.

SPEAKER_02 16:00

I we were also all in the theater department in college. I didn't preface that.

SPEAKER_03 16:06

There's like like almost everything you go into, like, it's I think that's one thing I learned in my 30s is you can you can prepare and prepare and prepare and get all the training and education you want, but you really don't experience or learn anything until you're actually doing it. You know what I mean? Right. Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:24

That actually segues perfectly into the next thing is like what is one thing that now that you are 30, one thing you you didn't expect of yourself once you got here.

SPEAKER_04 16:35

Uh earlier, uh when we were like looking at the email, you know, just going over what we were talking about.

SPEAKER_01 16:43

Just to preface this by Hank and I live together. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 16:46

So we were just talking earlier, just about you know, being here tonight, blah blah blah. But my answer was to be happy, which is really sad. But like, you know, your 20s are rough, man. Your 20s are full of like doubt and self-loving. And now I'm actually like in a good place, I have a good job, I've got a great girlfriend. You know, like things are going well.

SPEAKER_05 17:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:06

So it's like, oh, this is what it feels like to like, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02 17:10

It's really funny because what what I wrote down was that I have become so much more introspective on my life. Right. Yeah. The lives of like and that there is um, you know, when you I I I really don't have this sort of feeling of uh man, I really care what people think about what I do, or I really care what they do, and it's like, no, I don't have any of that anymore. And it's funny because like in in your 20s, you know, is where you really start to shape who you become, and then your 30s is the decade of your life where you are closer to the decades of what you actually are going to be. Right. Whereas like decades of your life, you don't have a fucking clue what's going on. So it's that was like my big. I was like, oh man, like I you know, you do that self scan.

SPEAKER_05 17:59

Yeah, no, absolutely.

SPEAKER_04 18:00

I've got real existential in the past like five years. Like, all I read is like existential literature, and I think about like, man, if I'm here, what's happening out there?

SPEAKER_00 18:10

You know, like all I read is existential literature as I pick up.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

I wish you guys could see the video right now. He's like pushing his glasses on in the middle.

SPEAKER_00 18:24

Yeah, you don't even need all these other people and to talk about how expansive the unit.

SPEAKER_04 18:30

I prefer Sart. I prefer Sart, not Nietzsche.

SPEAKER_01 18:33

Mine is actually like kind of sad. So if you're if you're asking me something that I was like not expecting later or however the fuck you worded it, I don't mean if I can go. Regardless, I was not expecting to gain this much weight. Like for my metasm, like I'm sorry, when I was in college, I could eat whatever the fuck I wanted and be as skinny as a rail and look good and be like, I'm fucking hot, so I don't even care. Like you cheat on me, like I'm a shit. Remember when I when when my boyfriend cheated on me, Joe, and I said, I'm a fucking catch.

SPEAKER_03 19:20

Like that's like, yeah, I do.

SPEAKER_01 19:22

Like I and and now it's like I'm over 30, and it's like I have a cupcake and it's like I've gained five pounds, and I'm just like, well, why? Like this this is why like this is some this never happened to me in the past, but this is something that happened. Like your metabolism actually slows down when you get over 30. And uh it's not something that that I expected it's to happen.

SPEAKER_02 19:48

Yeah, it's weird because after the legal, legally, medically, uh your body starts to die at 25. And you're like, oh whatever. And then you hit 30, and you're like, oh my god, it falls apart. My hair's like I've got more hair in the sink. Uh like, you know, I wake up some days and like limp a little bit before I like get to what I brush my teeth and I barf.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

Like for real.

SPEAKER_04 20:15

For real, though. I wake up early to go to like class on Saturdays to teach, and I'll vomit usually every other morning. Just because I'm not used to being up that early, and I'm like, start, I'm balding.

SPEAKER_03 20:29

I was like, damn, what the fuck? Like, I have the receding hairline, everything. I'm using rogueine now. I never thought ever in a million years that I would be that dude using rogue gain. Just been shaving it all off, bro. That's gonna be mine. I I did not expect that I would I would like be waking up in the morning and like drinking my coffee while spreading rogueine in my scalp.

SPEAKER_01 20:52

Yeah, right. This is very true. Um I mean, I don't have that problem.

SPEAKER_02 20:58

Well, you know.

SPEAKER_04 20:59

Well, you know, I don't have that problem. Well, actually it was my 30th birthday, though, when we lived together, the next morning, March 30th. I'm like combing my long hair back, and there's like none on the right side. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 21:14

I'm like, uh, you know, that's what I was gonna say.

SPEAKER_02 21:26

Um, oh, so the next thing that I have written down is your favorite 30 plus pastime. And what I mean by that is that something, I mean, this kind of goes in with the last thing, something you don't like expect about yourself. But just in the past like two months, as my 30th approaches, my favorite thing to do. I don't think something's happening. I don't know. Um, my last podcast, I was heating chili in the microwave and just didn't think about it and was like, oh my chili's done. But uh the thing that I've liked I've got to start doing is I love watching the local news with with my dog Scooter and I have a martini and once it's done I'm like time for that and I go and that's my favorite like the 11 o'clock news and that's one of my favorite things to do. Yeah yeah it's so relaxing and it's very much like if I if I was if I like to read I'd get the paper, but I fucking don't but that's like my new favorite thing to do, and it's like how I like to cap off my my night. Um that's sort of like what I mean by favorite 30 plus pastime.

SPEAKER_03 22:37

Yeah. I think uh uh mine has to go in the same category. My wife and I um have consistently since I turned 30 like eaten dinner in front of the TV while watching uh like whatever series that we are like we'll we'll watch watch maybe two episodes and then be like, oh I think we can we can afford a a scoop of Halo Top. And it's like I remember it happened like maybe a month ago. We were watching Superstore, and this was you know the next series that we're watching. After the second episode, Bruce was like, Would you like Halo Top? I'm like, Yeah, I'll have Halo Top. So she's scooping it, and I'm sitting there looking at the TV, and I'm like, holy shit, I've become my parents. Like, you know what I mean? Like, it's like as soon as we get home, and I like I'll get home from rehearsal or something, it's she's like, Hey, what's going on? I was like, Well, it's getting to be eight soon, so we should probably start dinner because also, Joe, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 23:32

Like, do you do you want to explain what Halo Top is for people that might not know it?

SPEAKER_02 23:37

People don't know Halo Top. It's like uh it's like I don't know what it is.

SPEAKER_03 23:41

Oh, it's like it's like this ice cream, but it's like uh it's like you know when uh frozen yogurt came out and everyone was like, this is healthy ice cream? Halo top is the like 2020 version of that. Like it's even healthier, but like it we don't know if it is. It tastes really good and like the calories are low, so we shovel it in our mouths like we we the last time we'll ever be able to eat. Uh but uh yeah, it's it's like it's a very uh it's like you know, a very like like white autumn woman thing. Like, oh I want ice cream. Oh, I can cheat. I can have Halo Top. You know what I mean? We we are in love with that.

SPEAKER_04 24:23

I can cheat.

SPEAKER_02 24:24

I can cheat. Uh Hank or Amanda, favorite 30 plus pastime, or have we not found it yet?

SPEAKER_04 24:31

Well, I mean, we've actually been going to the gym.

SPEAKER_01 24:34

Yeah, and like not to pull that like weird non-couple but couple thing. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 24:39

Um we go to the gym a lot.

SPEAKER_01 24:42

Honestly, like I hate to be that person that's like, well, if you just start working out, you're but honestly though, but those people are so right.

SPEAKER_04 24:52

Like they are, you just feel good.

SPEAKER_01 24:57

But honestly, and and to be fair, like not to pull this like we're greater than everyone. We just started going to the gym like a couple years ago.

SPEAKER_03 25:06

Like, we're not that great, we're not that like I think it's I was gonna say, isn't that not a 30s pastime? But I guess like 31 and 32 is like still 30s, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:18

For people, I think for people who don't already haven't worked out in 10 years.

SPEAKER_01 25:23

Like, it's like a 30s pastime because you're like, well, shit, I'm getting fat, so I better go to the gym.

SPEAKER_02 25:33

Um so when when we're talking about being 30, let's fast forward to when we're just not anymore. Meaning that we were dead. Um what what's next? What comes after that? Like, I mean, this is a little bit more of a philosophical idea, but I was like, it counts. I think once you start to hit that age where you're older, you do kind of have an idea of what is after when you're dead. So, like, is it heaven or hell? Is it just fucking straight up nothing? That's it, it's over. Is it reincarnation? Thoughts on that? You pieces of shit.

SPEAKER_05 26:16

Hmm.

SPEAKER_04 26:18

I mean, I think we all we we all know what my my answer is. Nothing fucking happens when you die. Um, sorry. Uh, but yeah, that's that's what I believe in the scene. Just lights out, dude. Like the end. Yeah, good night, dude. Have a good sleep. Like you're gonna need it. Um but yeah, I would love to believe in something like reincarnation or like that's the one that I yeah, I like the idea of.

SPEAKER_02 26:44

I don't know if it's true or not. But I read something along the lines of that it's you you have reincarnation seven times, and seven's such like a fucking magic number, it comes up everywhere. Right. Depending on what you believe in, you know, Christians believe seven is like bigger than God. But um, but the idea of like you it the idea of it was that you had seven tries to essentially sorry, a bunch of dogs just walked.

SPEAKER_05 27:12

Hi, sweeter.

SPEAKER_02 27:13

Hi, um, oh, oh, yeah. Seven times. Oh, you have seven times to get it right before like if the idea of this article was that you had seven times to get it right after the seventh time you've been reincarnated. If you are a bad person, you go to hell, if you're a good person, you go to heaven. I don't believe that second part of it, but I kind of like the idea like you got you got seven lives to like do whatever the fuck you want, and then after that, I believe in like the heck that's edited lights out. You had seven seven lifetimes to do your shit.

SPEAKER_04 27:55

And some cultures with reincarnation believe that like humans are like the last chance. Like, okay, now you are the smartest, well, maybe not smartest, but you are the most evolved creature, so your last run.

SPEAKER_02 28:06

Yeah, I definitely don't believe that you've been a human the whole time. I think you have to experience something else. Work your way up. But I I liked that idea anyway.

SPEAKER_03 28:15

Am I next?

SPEAKER_05 28:17

Sure.

unknown 28:17

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 28:18

Um I'm actually like uh you know, talking about growing old. This has been like a very big thought in my life that I've yet to figure out the answer to. Um you know, because I was raised Christian. Then I then I I remember near the end of high school, I thought I was an agnostic. And uh when I got into school, uh you know, I then I slowly geared more towards atheism. Then there was a hot second where I was like, oh, perhaps Buddhism. Then I thought, like, oh no, it's more of a uh you know, just the the the story has closed and finished of it. But I will say I have no idea. I think that uh for my own personal journey in life, I um I it's something I've always like thought about and struggled with, but I don't have the answers yet. And I'll I will say uh if I could go ahead and do double duty and answer your next question, which is where do you see yourself in the next 30 years? I hope that in the next 30 years I can answer that for myself. Like like what what and try and find some sort of belief system, whether it be whether it be, you know, atheism or not or whatever, but uh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:34

That's not character. Amanda? Anything to add?

SPEAKER_01 29:40

I think um it's been hard for me because of I mean, for anyone that knows me, but for you three guys, you you all know me very well. Um I I mean I went to Catholic school. I was born and raised Catholic, my dad was Catholic, my mom was Catholic, my mom's mom's family was Catholic, my dad's dad's family was Catholic, my parents got divorced, my dad's wife Catholic, my dad's wife's family is Catholic. Regardless, um Catholic is being shoved down my throat constantly. Um so it's uh hard for me because I grew up thinking certain things um you know all of my life. Like it was like they they talk about the Catholic guilt and all that kind of stuff. And then um, so yeah, and I like to think that you know, I've become educated enough to where I can kind of think about those things on my own instead of being like, okay, well, what do you Joe's making faces and distracting my answer? My you know, my and and the thing is my answer is really that important. My answer is my answer is is just trying to say that I was raised a Catholic all around me, and um when I got older and got to the point to where I regardless is what my my family faith has told me that I should believe in heaven, but I am at a point in my life to where I don't know if I actually yeah, like I don't know if I believe that I'm like it you know, intelligence starts to step in and like you start to think about things and you're like, I don't like why is it that I was told as a child that I can't have pleasure sex? Like I was told that the like sex is for the purpose of procreation and that's it, and and you can't do that, and you you can't also can't eat one hour before mass or else you can't take the communion, like it just things like that. So yeah, um, so I don't I I don't want to like portray and this is my thing, like I don't want to portray the Catholic religion as like a cult or cult or anything like that. Like I I respect what my I I love that my parents have an episode on Scientology. I love that my parents have the faith that they do because I think that's great if you can find something that you believe in and that helps you through the day. It's just yeah, not for me. And I wouldn't say that I'm an atheist, no.

SPEAKER_02 32:30

Um it's it's weird because I think when you are in your 20s or going into your 20s, you do come out of high school or your family life with this sort of preconditioned idea of religion if your parents were religious. Like you come out of that, and you know, it's I've never really heard of any, I'm sure they're out there, but I've never directly heard of any stories of people who have like like rebelled when they were in high school and been like, I don't believe in that shit, blah blah blah blah blah. Right. Um, and not to say that that's wrong, I'm just saying I'm just right, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 33:04

Right, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 33:05

Um, but I you know, as you do start to grow and you start to like sort of form your own opinions, it is almost a conflicting um idea of you know, do I believe what I learned this, you know, these 20 plus years of my life? Do I, you know, and then that that is legitimately just part of growing up and you know, having these ownership.

SPEAKER_04 33:28

Kind of part of the like I'm jealous of people who have religion because it's like I don't have faith. Like it's like the old the old saying on the internet, Pixar didn't happen. Like, I need to see you if you want me to believe in you, bro. Yeah, like you're just gonna tell me you there. Uh mm-mm. No way.

unknown 33:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 33:44

You need my money too? No way. Like, sorry. You must be you must not be all that powerful.

SPEAKER_02 33:53

All right. So the last and Joe, you kind of answered this, and I I really liked that answer. Um perfect segue. Two, where do you see yourself in the next 30? Like what's what's coming up for you in your mind? Obviously, you don't have to give me an actual I said probably dead, but I was saying my my answer, my answer earlier today was you know Allegheny Cemetery?

SPEAKER_04 34:17

Probably somewhere out there.

SPEAKER_02 34:20

Uh yeah. If I'm not dead, I want to be one of those um old white-haired gay men that sits in a bar with a cigarette and says things like, oh, sweetie, but not the creepy kind. Right. Right, like charming. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 34:35

Like uh the guy from The Cool Kids. What's his name?

SPEAKER_02 34:37

Yeah, Leslie.

SPEAKER_03 34:38

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 34:39

Yeah, him and they are he might be, you know, I might be a reincarnated version of a piece of him that died a while ago. So but uh what do you guys? What do you have for me?

SPEAKER_01 34:55

I think um it's it's hard for me to answer that question because I feel like I am 31, soon to be 32 years old, and I thought that I would have seen myself married. Um I don't really know if I want kids, so I don't want to say like with kids, but some I'm I'm I'm single. I'm not even in any type of relationship. So she's single everyone. I'm single everyone. Boys, sorry, boys. Wait like until I keep going to the gym for a little bit. Uh um, no, like it it's this sense of like all of my friends are like coupled up and like getting married and and having kids and that kind of stuff. So um if you would have asked me back in college where I would have seen myself now, that's where I would have seen myself now. I've kind of like reached this point to which is very interesting because I was so like theater-centered um when I was in school, but I've like started this new job in um pharmacy, and I kind of started like at the beginning and worked my way up, and now I'm in management. So, like my thing is like right now, if you're gonna ask me where I see myself in 30 years, I would like to have bought a house. Um, whether that be with somebody else or myself, yes, I would like to have bought a house, and I would like to, you know, just continue to move up in the company uh that I am. Um dumb balls and relationships and getting married.

SPEAKER_04 36:44

Yeah, my girlfriend's pretty great everybody. I get it. You have a girlfriend and I'm single, I get it.

SPEAKER_01 36:56

He brings it up a lot.

SPEAKER_04 36:57

I do because I'm like obsessed with her, but and I'm single. My my 30 years from now, I'd honestly like unless COVID has destroyed uh theater, I just want to still be performing, you know what I mean? Like, because there's no like age restriction, because there's always like old idiots who are in the theater, like, yeah, I'll do that pun, right? So, like, even if it's just like you're gonna sit on this bench and shit your pants, I'll be like, okay, thank you. All right, and then what do you need? I've already done it in the morning.

SPEAKER_03 37:28

Um that show where he just like sits on a bench and eats an egg. Yeah. See that video of him explaining how he did it? He's like, So first I cracked the egg with my cane. Tony Award winning. May I offer you this monster condom for my magnum? Oh, I dropped my monster condom for my Magnum Dom. That's like one of my favorite Danny DeVito quotes.

SPEAKER_04 38:02

Um Danny DeVito.

SPEAKER_02 38:04

Danny fucking DeVito, bro.

SPEAKER_04 38:06

Next episode all about Danny DeVito.

SPEAKER_02 38:09

I decided the other day during work because it was I needed something else in my life to watch um uh Batman Returns, which I consider a Christmas movie. And maybe that'll be Christmas presents. It is everywhere exactly. It's everywhere, as is diehard, as is Gremlins, as is Gremlins. So everyone, calm the fuck down. What? Um, so um, well, you guys, thank you so much for talking with me about all this. I appreciate it. I love you all dearly. Any final words or thoughts from the group? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 38:48

Happy birthday, buddy. Yeah, happy birthday.

SPEAKER_02 38:51

Kayla, gifts can be mailed to our PO box. Um I almost said my address. I was like, I've said some offensive things on this. Um thank you guys so much. I appreciate it. I appreciate all of you so much.

SPEAKER_01 39:09

And this was a nice reunion. Oh, it was reunion.

SPEAKER_03 39:12

It was. It was nice seeing you guys again. You too.

SPEAKER_01 39:15

I love you all, dearly. We love you. I love you all.

SPEAKER_02 39:19

As you should. We will be right back. All right, that was Joe, Amanda, and Hank. So a huge thank you to all of them for doing this episode with me. It was awesome to have that uh little reading episode. Super gratefully doing this episode reminded me of that meeting that shows up on Facebook every now and then. It's like support was 40 with 305. Uh blah blah blah, so don't worry because half time. And I think this kind of type back into the plenal episode, but I think there is this uh once you get 30, you need to have it all figured out. Uh the family, the house, the job, and I'll be honest, I don't have that figured out, and a lot of people don't. But I think that's okay. I like where I am in life, and so you should just if if you don't, you just don't want to be because you think you're supposed to be somewhere else because of where other people know. Because that's really something that you know someone or decided to put upon you. Maybe just that you are exactly where you stuff. Uh, I'm gonna go and celebrate my day and where I am in my invite all of you to do the things, uh, but also celebrate the event. Thank you for listening. If you are a fan of making the martini, make sure to give it away in a review, share it with your friends, families, coworkers, widows, everyone. Uh, you can listen to all episodes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify Podcast, all everywhere you can get your podcast, you can listen to it. This has been Making the Martini Up Dry and straight to the point. Until next time, cheers.