A Tip Top Episode About Jobs

A four-ounce canned margarita that drinks like a full-sized cocktail, a gas-pump mistake that turns into a full-body wardrobe emergency, and the kind of week where you’re sprinting from sports to rehearsals and still trying to be a functioning adult. That’s where we start, and it only gets better from there. 

We talk about the real work behind a middle school musical, from tech week logistics to the emotional side of getting kids onstage when nerves and peer cruelty show up. One moment with bubble guns in a gym becomes a surprisingly good lesson in leadership, arts education, and how to shift a room’s energy fast. Then we jump to prom culture and how it’s changed, why the pre-prom hoopla can overshadow the actual dance, and why so many kids seem completely wiped out by sleepovers now. 

From flying-car headlines to fashion nonsense, we also dig into what we’re willing to trust: autonomous air taxis from Manhattan to JFK, self-driving cars like Waymo, and the strange marketing power of Chanel’s heel-only “shoe.” It’s funny, but it’s also a look at attention, safety, and why novelty sells. 

Our main topic is jobs: first jobs, summer jobs, college jobs, and the stories you carry forever. We swap everything from babysitting as kids to courthouse filing in domestic relations, getting fired and handing over the shirt off your back and theater department gigs. We wrap with kids’ chores, side hustles, and the idea that the most meaningful work might not come with a paycheck. Subscribe, share with a friend, leave a review, and tell us: what job taught you the biggest lesson?

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Transcript

Birthday Week And Tiny Margaritas

SPEAKER_00 0:07

Hi, thanks for joining us today. It's Nora. And Nora. Here we are in the middle of a quiet week. Oh, yes. Oh, it's your birthday week. And it's musical week. It is musical week. It is your birthday week. Thank you. Thank you for this darling spread of candles and cups and napkins and most importantly. Oof. Teeny shiny cocktail, a tip top. Tip top cocktail. We did talk about these, but I'm sad because I had all of the I had all of this ordered to be delivered on time for your birthday lunch, and it did not work out that way. It's okay. You know what? A birthday podcast is just as fabulous. Right. Well you're and I have never seen something quite so darling. I don't know what a hundred milliliters is, but that's the size of this can. Oh my gosh. It's so it's probably like the size of your thumb. Like the height of height height of your thumb. It's like one third of 12 ounces. So four? It is so cute. Right? It's like a little juice box. It's like a four-ounce can a four-ounce can then? Yeah. Should we Oh, I was expecting a breast. Oh, and I don't think it's carbonated. It's probably not. So, anyways, these are the uh tip-top margaritas, and we talked about these last summer, and I was looking for them in New York. Oh my, I can smell it. Holy Moses! Holy cow! This is why they're four hours. Oh my gosh. That is it says always balanced, never too sweet, 26% alcohol. That's a lot. That's 52 proof. Oh my full disclosure, I did not have lunch. So, you know, cheers. Happy birthday. I had a bag of pretzels. Perfect. What could go wrong? Oh my gosh, it's strong. Yikes! But it's good. It's really good. It isn't sweet. No, it's not. It's very what is in this little treasure? Wow. Okay. Let's see. Salted lime with grassy tequila notes, a juicy mouthfeel. Ew, and a fresh, oh no, and a finish of fresh orange rind. Okay, so that's the classic taste, but what is actually in it? It is a word-winning. There is a QR code. Oh, there you go. I mean, it says on the front, made with tequila lime and orange liqueur. So maybe that's all it is. So that could be it. Okay. I'm on board with that. It's all natural. And it doesn't say the calories, does it? Oh here. No, that's not it. Wow. This is this is very strong. These are really strong. They're really good though. I mean, you could fit this in a small purse. Yes. How though? It's just so cute. It's so big jar of baby food. And it doesn't look like an alcoholic drink. It just looks like a it looks like play food. Like if you're when you bought your kids play food. Yes. You had like a little tech's kitchen. Yeah. And they just there's so many beverages on the table. And they, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 3:23

Well, I'm glad you like it.

SPEAKER_00 3:24

Yeah, it pairs well with 45. Sure does. I have been so spoiled rotten by everyone I know.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

Well, good. You deserve it. It's been such a nice week. I'm glad.

SPEAKER_00 3:37

And Ryan was out of town for my actual birthday. But my kids really stepped up.

SPEAKER_01 3:42

Oh.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

They were so sweet.

SPEAKER_01 3:44

Um, they they make handwritten cards. I love that. And they write and they write and they write some more. And they're always so thoughtful.

Gas Mishap And Gum Trouble

SPEAKER_00 3:52

Oh it was very sweet. And then yesterday I had a little bit of a hiccup.

SPEAKER_01 3:57

Uh-oh.

SPEAKER_00 3:58

I needed to be in Glen Allen for a soccer game at six o'clock, and I left with like zero tough timing.

SPEAKER_01 4:05

With zero seconds to spare. And so I pump was pumping gas before I jumped on the highway.

SPEAKER_00 4:11

And I pulled the nozzle out too fast. Oh no. And gas went everywhere.

SPEAKER_01 4:18

Oh no. In my hair, on my face, on my shirt, on my pants, on my boots, everything.

SPEAKER_00 4:25

So I had to quick turn around and go home because I smelled like NASCAR. And then you had to quit smoking too. Yeah, I did. Yeah, I'd put up. First, I put out my smoke. And then yeah. And then I had to jump in the shower. Oh, you showered. I had to. I smelled like I was at NASCAR. Couldn't just get like the Rio de Sol or Sol de Rio. Sol de Janeiro. Sol de Janeiro. Now it would cover up anything. It's probably just as flammable.

SPEAKER_01 4:53

True. And then I had to quick change. And I left my clothes on the floor and asked Captain Grace to throw them in the wash. And then Mike texted me while I was at the game and he said, Mom, bad news.

Musical Tech Week And Bubble Save

SPEAKER_00 5:05

The wash stops, so I checked your clothes and I Googled it and it said you should wash them in the hottest water possible. So I started it again. Yeah. And I pulled it out, and sure enough, still smells like gas. Shoo. It's another outside. Because you want to be, you don't want to put gasoline in your dryer. No, no, you don't. You don't. I don't know a lot, but I do know that. So that was kind of a blessing. No. You also said in gum yesterday? Oh, Nora. I saw ice word gum. Earlier in the day. Oh no. Yeah, so gum and gas. Gum and gas. This is 45 people. Gum and gas and tequila. There's your chapter in your autobiography. Is everything with the musical going? It is going very well. It really truly is. Because I have another job that I had started a month ago. So I think because I knew I had this job that I needed to be so organized going into this. So I really did have my ducks in a row. And then I also asked for extra help this year. Like I got somebody to help. I hired this really lovely girl who's a junior at Nazareth, who's so smart, to do microphones. So then I didn't have to worry about the good for you. So I did that, a couple other, like got a couple other things lined up. And I did a lot of things ahead of time this year. So I mean, there were still some things where I was like, oh shoot, I forgot about this. But all in all, everything came together pretty well during tech week. Like you kind of want to have one, you want to have at least one bad rehearsal. So we had a lovely bad rehearsal. Okay, when was that one though? That was Monday. Okay, good, right at the beginning. Yes, it was at the beginning. Couple hiccups with the school performance. Some kids were really nervous. You know what? It's and it's one of those things. One of my kids, one of the leads. So what we we do the pro we perform the show off campus of where our kids go to school. We perform it at the high school because the grammar school just doesn't have a good space to do a show. So in order to kind of build spirit and momentum, we do a little teaser trailer. So I write a synopsis, I break it up into parts, the kids read the parts, and then they sing some of the songs. But we just do it in the gym on the gym floor. And we've done it before. Last year we just did like concerts during lunch. There's no really great way to do it. Oh, when I went last year, I thought it was great. Okay. Oh, you went. I was there, yeah. Yeah. And one of the leads was so nervous to the point where they had to go see the nurse. And I needed to, and I my heart just broke for this child because it wasn't just like, oh, I'm nervous to perform. It's like the people in my grade have been really mean and making fun of me. And I'm worried that it's just gonna be more. And it just, I'm like, why? Why, why the hearts? Why I why do you have to make fun of kids for doing musical? It's middle school. Because they just I and I was like, honestly, I don't think they can ever imagine or fathom having the talent or courage to do that.

SPEAKER_01 8:17

That should be not the punishment, but that should be the natural consequence for those children. They should then be forced to get up on stage and get up with something in front of the whole school.

Prom Changes And Sleepover Limits

SPEAKER_00 8:32

And I was thinking because I'm like, oh, that makes me sick. You know? Yeah. And then I because I was like, oh my God, maybe we shouldn't do this anymore. And then I was like, you know what? No, they probably need to see more arts, more kids performing, more kids, and more opportunities to see stuff like this so that it's not weird because it's like, oh my gosh, we never see people singing. We don't see this side of these kids, and my heart just broke. But then I could tell, like, so we were in, I had brought bubble guns for this one song that they sing, and then I could see the kids like they're just sitting there in their eyes, like just like fear in some of their faces. And I was like, You guys, should I take the bubble guns and just like run around the gym and do like bubbles? And they were like, Yes. So I was like, Oh god, why didn't I do that? So what a way to diffuse things. So I had the bubble guns and I like ran around the whole cast and the gym like erupted. And then I was the eighth graders were come on, come on, bubbles over here. Oh so I like bubbles the whole gym and ran around the whole gym. Just on the floor. I've not exercised since January or February, maybe February. I got back and then the principal gave me the thumbs up to start, and I was like, oh boy. Did you need a water break? Then I've because you know I have to fill in every empty space, God forbid, I just take a minute. Right. And I was like, ha ha, clearly not the gym teacher, director of the musical. Can't catch my breath after my lap around the gym. That's funny. That's funny. Don't be so hard on yourself. I was like, what is wrong with me? Who minute? So I was talking, I was giving my little spiel, and I was still trying to catch my breath. And I think it won at one point I paused. I think people thought I was getting the clint. So I was like, I'm so proud of these kids. You know, like a bunch of teachers were like, oh I hope you have. Oh my god, this is the worst. I was like, you are always very well spoken at the end of the performance. Oh, yeah, yeah. You're very kind. I'm glad that's fine. Maybe you should put a tip top in your pocket. Oh, I might drink one during this show. Oh, because I always sit in the back of the theater. I stand in the back of the theater, and then I'm always like kind of doing the dances along with them because I think that that will help them. I do that when I'm bowling. Oh, yeah. I like a lean so that your ball hits the pins. 100%. Absolutely. Well, we'll see this. It was prom this weekend. I got that. How do how do you think how do I think it went? How do you think prom now differs from prom back in 98 and 99? I think there's so much hoopla around the prom that the prom plays second fiddle to everything else. But I feel like that in so many things, like Fortnightly. Fortnightly. I was gonna say you were the one who pointed that out to me. Like Fortnightly was the party. The party. Prom is the party. There's a lot of well-meaning parents, but you're like, you're kind of take stealing the thunder of the event. Yeah. So it's like memorial games, too. Oh, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:02

The event is memorial games, not the sleepover, not the morning breakfast. But you know what? Mike had a great time. They looked darling. I got my camera lens, it was like kind of cloudy. So my pictures aren't great, but they're pretty good. Okay. There was, he went with like a group of 40.

SPEAKER_00 12:18

Some of them had dates, some of them. That's what also I feel like is different now. Did you ever go to a dance with a group of 40 kids? No. No. Ours was like eight, maybe two. Um, but where we did our picture party, another high school was there doing a picture party too. So it was kind of fun to see. Yeah. Did you know any kids from the No, I don't know anybody who goes to York. But it was really nice. That's where my cousins went.

SPEAKER_01 12:39

Oh, they did after we sent them away on the bus. I went back to a friend's house and just had a couple drinks, and there was only like six of us. Ryan was out of town.

SPEAKER_00 12:48

Well, that's good. Oh, so I guess there was like five.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

Yeah, and it was really chill. Oh, it was so nice. So that might have been my highlight. And then they sleep over at a lake house, and then he was home by like 4 p.m. on Sunday. I just zonked.

SPEAKER_00 13:03

Yeah. My older daughter was shocked to see him because he looked so dire. Yeah. But I agree. And I think we've talked about this before. I just think kids nowadays, and to sound like a super old lady, aren't sleepover trained like we were. You brought that to my attention. Like I slept over all the time and I would suck it up the next day and muddle through. But like my kids cannot handle sleepovers.

SPEAKER_01 13:25

I was not allowed to do sleepovers because I was so poorly behaved the following day.

SPEAKER_00 13:29

And then also in high school, sometimes I lied about where I was sleeping. Oh, that had that that doesn't help. No.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

That was it for me in sleepovers. But now I can see why my mom put the kibotch on it because I get home these monsters.

SPEAKER_00 13:41

Aiden is the worst. Like the day after a sleepover. And he's there are nights now. He'd be like, Can I sleep over? I'm like, no. Number one, you have our car. Number two, you can you can't handle it. Yeah. And then my fifth grader keeps calling us at 1 a.m. to be picked up. So no more, no more sleepovers there because as late as I like to stay up, I don't like driving to people's house in my jam jams, Nora. I am eating up last night until almost 11. What was going on with you? Birthday? Oh vibes? No. Well, I was 45. Maybe now you're in your night owl. But I will tell you something. I understand.

SPEAKER_01 14:20

So we had an 8 p.m. baseball game, a 6 p.m. soccer game. Mike had a commitment, and then Catherine Grace had practice. So everything was later. And then my dad had helped out. The baseball game had gotten canceled. But by the time I got back and everybody was situated, it was late and you need some time. My junior w texted me at like 8 12 and said I'm going to bed.

SPEAKER_00 14:52

Oh because my P No a boy. Your junior. I'm thinking that's L. No. It's like he's tired. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:59

Oh baby boy. Yeah. So the house was finally situated. It was quiet. I had to do my show notes. I had a couple other things I had to do. I sat down and it was quiet and it was dark. And the difference at about nighttime, if they're not going to wake up, there's like borrowed time. In this beautiful stretch, I said Jimmy Fallon. I was like, hey man.

Air Taxi Future And Waymo Talk

SPEAKER_00 15:29

I can't wait to get back up with Jimmy Fallon when the musical's over. It's going to be great. I really look forward to it. And then I was supposed to run with your husband this morning, but the brain came. I know. I was bummed about that. Anyways, enough about us. Should we check in with our sponsor? Or no? What do you want to do? Enough about us. I was doing some reading this week, amongst other things. I'm glad one of us has been. I really have not. Well, have you seen that in New York the air taxi is up and going?

SPEAKER_01 15:58

Air taxi? So it's going from Manhattan to the airports to JFK.

SPEAKER_02 16:05

Oh.

SPEAKER_01 16:06

And it's like Waymo, but in the sky. Wow. So there's no pilot.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

No. No. No way. No way. No how? So have you? You're basically in a drone. Yes. Well, have you been in a Waymo before? The car with no driver? I've driven in a Tesla that was self-driving. And I did not. Okay, so in Scottsdale, the Waymo's are all over the place. And I like it. Wait, are they all over the place or are they just like they're like No? They're available. They're available. I did know what you mean. They do not go rogue. But some are calling them flying cars. No. Yes, the first ever point-to-point. Number one, how much is it? I don't know because they're just testing them. Um okay. They think that they're gonna be ready to go by 2030, which is not that far away. Air taxis. Okay. This is a mistake. How many people can fit in them? Remember what I told you before we started. Okay, sorry.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

I'm just kidding. Listeners, I did say that I have several stories and not a lot of details. It takes about seven minutes to get from the It looks like a drone.

SPEAKER_00 17:23

Yes, it does take about seven minutes to get from Manhattan to JFK, which is incredible. It's battery powered, it carries up to four passengers, and they say it costs about the same as an Uber Black. So like the high-end Uber.

SPEAKER_02 17:37

Oh no.

Chanel Half Shoes And Fashion Stunts

SPEAKER_00 17:38

They have not yet been FAA approved, though. Who is steering this thing? Someone with a joystick, or is it just It's just drone. It's just drone. Yeah. I don't know. I think it looks cool. Okay. It's about I mean, but it tough$245. You know what? In New York, this will be very popular. I would use it. I would do it. You would? Yeah. I will I I can't tell you all about it. If maybe if I had to take a Xanax, but maybe you could, you know what, maybe you could take a tip top. I'll have a tip top before I go up top. Yeah. One of those things. Uh, but then who greets you? How do you know what to do? There's no pilot or anything. You're just like, so no small talk. No small talk. I'll try it first. Okay, you can let me know how. One thing I don't think I'm gonna try though is have you seen Chanel's new shoes? No, but no. Chanel usually nails it. Oh, but take a look. We always say we're gonna post stuff and then I never do. Yeah. I'll post this one because the shoes are what? Are these the ones with heels and no soles? Yes. What? No, those aren't shoes. No, it's half a shoe. That's a half shoe full drama. That's no, that's not a shoe. That's a heel cup. That's an eye patch for your heel. That is a what do you get in? Isn't it a bone spur? Isn't that in your heel? I don't know. That is not a sandal. No, it's like a thong. It's freaking tetanus. It's a heel waiting to happen. That is not okay. That is not a shoe. No. Schnell dives feet first into a new sandal. Is this what they wore it with with this snake dress? Oh, that's toilet paper. That's an upside-down dress. I would love to go to one of these fashion shows about these like avant-garde weird things. Wouldn't that be so fun? Oh, this is pool floating. Could you imagine trying that shoe on? Like, is it one? Like you don't measure your how do you measure your heel? I mean, is it a one-size fits-all situation? I would think so. Or is it like small, medium, like like, oh, my toes are wide, but my heel is very slender. Do they measure your heel? Oh no. Oh, no, thank you. Now with that. No, what it matters, just your heel. It's just your heel. Well, this is so insane. It's like a bra for your heel. But then what about or like a bikini for your heel? What about your poor toesies? The dogs are out. The dogs are out. No, this looks dumb. It looks like you took a like one part half of your bra and tied it to your heel. Oh, Chanel. Right. You have missed the mark. Like those are so cute, like little two-toned. But people are talking. I like so much of what they do. Not that I own any of it. Although, if the point of it was to create a stir and to get attention, well played. Yes. Well played, Chanel. But if it was comfort and safety, they have missed the mark. Correct. Correct. What would you do? If I showed up, I would panic. My Chanel heels. Those are heels. I would panic and say, Were you in a fight? Did you get a tennis shot? Where is the rest of your shoe? Where is the rest? I couldn't afford it. You ever had a little heel? It's like the lay away version of shoes. I could only afford the heel. Maybe they're coming out with the toe part in the fall. Also, if I was only gonna get half a shoe, I would get the bottom half. Correct. I almost feel like I would go toes over heel.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

Oh, if I had to pick one half.

SPEAKER_00 21:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:23

Yeah.

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First Jobs And Teen Babysitting

SPEAKER_00 21:23

I was gonna pick the bottom, not the top. Like the bottom of my foot? Oh, like the sole. Yeah. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's toes. Yeah, toes in the same. I had dance shoes that are just basically the sole of your foot because that's what you need to be on when you turn. They're like the ghouls thing. It's just dumb. That's that's not okay. I agreed. All right. You know it's not dumb. Our sponsor? Never. Let's check in. Nora, have you heard about the Buick S-U-V sale? S-U-V sale? I've heard of the S U V sale. Oh no, it's S Y O U. UV because they want you in an SUV. Well, one thing I do know is Buick makes an incredible SUV. Or as you say it. S S U U V. And right now there's fantastic deals at Mike Haggerty Buick GMC. Oh, would they have an SUV though that's gonna fit my family of six? The Buick Enclave probably has just what you need, and all Buick models are 0.9% APR for 36 months, bonus cash, or a CCR component. Oh wow, what a deal! And you can build these things just how you like them. Customize your own Buick SUV at 93rd. It really is for you. It really is just for you. Head on down to 93rd and Sicero or check them out at haggertycars.com. I sure will. I'll see you later. Wow, back to the show. Our topic today is jobs. And not Steve's jobs. Not Steve Jobs. Could my Chicago accent be any thicker than what I just said? Jobs. Okay. Let's start with first jobs. I mean babysitting. I had a kitty camp. Oh, you did? Just like your kids do. Yeah. What was your camp?

SPEAKER_01 23:14

I think it was just called kitty camp. I did it with my friend Jane Mittenorf.

SPEAKER_00 23:18

Of course. Of course.

SPEAKER_01 23:19

Whose birthday is today?

unknown 23:20

No.

SPEAKER_00 23:20

Happy birthday to you. You're on April 30th. She's May 1st. We were born in the same hospital in rooms across the hall from each other. Did your moms know each other then? Um, I don't know if they knew each other and knew of each other. And then we grew up across the street from each other. We were baptized together. No. I know. We have a whole history. Jane Mettendorf and I. I've I would really like to meet her. Oh, she's so funny. Could I meet her? Yes. She is one of the coolest people I know. We are so different. These are my summer 2026 goals. Number one, meet Jane Mettendorf. We are like night and day. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 23:54

It's so great.

SPEAKER_00 23:55

I love that. Same. So yeah, we had a kitty camp and we'd pull kids in a wagon down to the park. I think we cost$5 for two hours. I don't know. Great. And then it was Then you were probably what, 10? Oh, that's being generous. Oh, okay. I mean, but yes, I was also a switchboard operator. I haggerty Pontiac, GMC trapping Volkswagen. Very nice. And then I moved on to, you know, just babysitting. How about you? What about in Arizona? Like, did you ever during the school year?

SPEAKER_01 24:28

You know, Nora, I wasn't the strongest student.

SPEAKER_00 24:31

Okay. And so it wasn't a good fit. I had a Tuesday night babysitting job for a family a couple houses down. But that was about it. And the parents just went out. They were like, that's our date night. Yeah, that was our date night. That's really nice. Yeah. I was just over involved in high school, so I could not have a job. Like I was on palms and did plays and did a lot of other things, and I didn't have time for a job. And I I appreciate my parents being like, you were a student first, but then I definitely worked during the summers. I babysat. I mean, I started babysitting when I was in fifth grade. But you were a good babysitter. I think I was. I mean, I haven't like, you know, done like a survey of my former I mean, I know some of my former clients, but I was in fifth grade and I used to babysit for this family, babysit for this family that had four boys.

SPEAKER_01 25:23

Isn't it funny if you look back to the 80s and 90s? Man, like babysitters were 10 years old.

SPEAKER_00 25:29

They made dinner, they cleaned up, like these four boys were second grade, first grade, kindergarten, and like eight months old. And I was 10. I knew. And I was just like, I just want to play Nintendo. And the mom, I think, just it was a different age. It was a different age. But I loved it. But then I also babysat with this family that owned a banquet hall. Oh, yes, yes, yes. And it has since burned down.

SPEAKER_01 25:56

That was our topic last week, Nora.

SPEAKER_00 26:01

But the crazy thing, so my friend, my like very best friend growing up, Erin Timmins, she and I were a week apart. So she was September 8th. She was your Jane. Yeah. She was September 8th. I was September 15th. So we had late birthdays. So everybody else, summer going into junior year, was 16 and could have a real job. But we were still 15.

SPEAKER_01 26:25

Because those were the days where you just had a late birthday. You just didn't like force them ahead of rest.

SPEAKER_00 26:31

So we just had late birthdays. We were taking drivers ed, and we got hired and were paid like under the table to set tables. Yeah, the literal tables at this pinkwood hall. And it was on some people maybe like, oh, Willowbrook Ballroom. That sounds very familiar. That's because it was on TLC for ghost stories. Because have you heard of the urban legend of Resurrection Mary? From you. Because I believe your we workplace was haunted. It was haunted. And so is that why they could only employ 15-year-olds under the table? Aaron was a little jumpy. And I'd be like, what was that? We would also steal cake. Cake.

unknown 27:14

Cake.

Divorce Court Summer Job Stories

SPEAKER_00 27:16

It would have wedding cake sliced. And we'd be like, stealing wedding cake and eating it outside. We had so much fun. But then if it was like dark in the room that we were setting the tables, we'd be like, what was that? You know, as only teenage girls could like rile each other up and like create a pain. That was a great first job. Or high school job. It was a high school? High school. Yeah. Summer going into junior year. And then on a very different note, my summer job, once I was 16 for four summers, I worked for the Circuit Cortical County. Ah, yes, you did. In domestic relations.

SPEAKER_01 27:53

You know, that's a real good fit for you, said no one ever.

SPEAKER_00 27:58

And so my job was filing papers concerning domestic relations. So that would be dissolutions of marriage, child support, orders of protection. And I would so say one needed proof that they were divorced, they would come to me and say, I need a copy of my divorce certificate, or I would say, I'm so sorry you do not get a certificate of divorce, but I could get your dissolution of marriage and sign that for you. You would be the signer? I would sign it. I would stamp it, I would seal it, and then I would sign Aurelia Pachinski's name because I was given that, you know, as a 16-year-old in my limited two work cat, you know, work close. In your twin set. I'm saying in my twin set with a bow in your hair? Half fuck with a bow in my hair. Like, how can I help you with your divorce papers? That's what you want. A chippy 16-year-old. And then So you would not sign Nora Ryan. No, Aurelia Pachinski, which is a lot of vowels.

SPEAKER_01 28:57

Did you ever make up your own signature for her?

unknown 29:00

No.

SPEAKER_00 29:00

Well, I mean, no, I wouldn't sign, I would just sign it A-U-R-E-L-I-A. Like, I would just sign it as me. It was fine. Like I didn't have to copy her writing. But the worst is people would say, you know, I need a copy of my divorce judgment. Certainly, let me get that for you. Yes. Oh my God. Tom Camp in a couple weeks. Hey, do you have any summer great summer plans? Wait. And then I would look it up, and a lot of people thought they were divorced and they weren't. Oh. So would you be the new? Would you have to break the news? Nora. I had to say, oh, so I've been looking at your file and I see that you have filed for divorce, but unfortunately, your divorce has not been finalized. And I would turn my computer screen around and they would see that like there were pending. It would just say like file, but it never said judgment of dissolution of marriage. And I was like, this is your lawyer's name and number. You should contact them. People would be mad. They're like, I'm supposed to get remarried, or I need. And I was like, yee, have a nice day. They also were with gang members. I remember that. Yes. I had one guy, he wasn't in a gang. He was very smart. He would propose to me every day. And then another guy was in a gang. Didn't you have a gang name? He called me No No. Like the. He invited me to his birthday party, and my parents would not let me go.

SPEAKER_01 30:29

But it's nice that you have a stuff. I know. My first out-of-high school summer job kind of took a turn.

Fired From My Gym Then Campus Jobs

SPEAKER_00 30:38

Hmm. Well, the second, so the first year I worked for a company called Little Gym. Oh. And it was the of I went to Little Gym in Texas. Yeah, so I went, I was like an instructor at Little Gym where I ran, like I set up the courses and like welcomed the parents and the child, and I was a child. And then the next year when I went back, Little Gym was bought by like my I think it was called My Gym. Oh. So then I went back for a retraining at My Gym because it was in the same location, different people. And I told my gym that I wouldn't be there for a specific week because I would be back in Chicago. And then they fired me. But not only did they fire you, they gave me an envelope of cash and asked for the shirt off my back. You drove home in a sports bra. Any normal adult would say, no, this is my shirt. I, on the other hand, just stripped down, gave them my dirty shirt, and drove home in the sports bra. They took the shirt off my back. They did. Yeah. So then I went back to my cacky Pontiac GMC truck and focus on the city. Back to the switchboard.

SPEAKER_01 31:56

In college, my junior and senior year, I did have a job.

SPEAKER_00 31:59

Okay. Which I don't know how keen my parents were on that, but I was all over this like independence. Yeah. Where do you want to? So I had this pink beach cruiser that I still have.

SPEAKER_01 32:09

So I would ride it to the elementary school across from the University of Arizona, and the program was called Happy Hours. And it was an after school program. So I would work from three to six Monday through Friday.

Kids Chores Hustles And Nannying

SPEAKER_00 32:23

Because the early the early bird I am. Yeah. I was done with classes. I would go to lunch bunch with my friends. And then I'd go to happy hours. That's really nice. I loved that job. That's really nice. But yeah, that was I my campus job. So I had a campus job when I went to Dayton. And my first year, freshman year, some call it, you know, was my sister kind of hooked me up because I'm sorry. Like I had like more than the normal years of college. Freshman year. I worked for food service. But my sister had worked her way up in food service and she was in the office. So when she was a senior, she said, Listen, my sister's gonna be a freshman next year. I want her to take my job. The office job? The office job. So she hooked me up. So I worked in the food service office. But I then kind of got like active with the theater department. And the head of the theater department was like, Well, I'll pay you like a student job salary to do props for the theater department. That was right up your alley. Yes! I got keys to like the whole university. I had keys to the student union. I could go in and out whenever I wanted. I had access to university vehicles that I could drive to. So you could take these baddies out of Joy, right? I had my 12-passenger van that I was driving to Kroger to buy props. I could take the campus ministry, like wait, would you really take it? Yes. What would you take it? I would go to the grocery store. Well, because most of the times I needed props. But then like Al came to visit and I drove the date and then the van. Or the kid, because I didn't have a car. Not the Buick? Well, I took the campus ministry Buick. So it was great. It was fantastic. Where did you? I was like, all I really needed to go was to the grocery store. But I didn't have a car, so this was a perfect job for me. But my summer between You know what you sound like right now? Who? El Westfall. This is why I love her. Find the good, find the good. So I wanted to be at Dayton because I had studied abroad my whole second semester, junior year. I missed it, and I got a job as a stage manager of a summer theater in Ohio. It was an outdoor amphitheater, but not at Dayton. Not at Dayton. So they did two musicals and then it was a bunch of weird like musical acts. Also, it was kind of like Walmart Ravinia. Great. Okay. Painting a picture. So no disrespect for the Walmart shoppers. You know, like cute little like 20-year-old, like keen to work in theater for first real job. You have hair half up with a ribbon for shirt. Okay. Like I would just spent, you know, half a year in Europe. So I'm very worldly. And they say to me, Okay, we need you to run an errand. I love to run an errand. In the Buick? In any view. Because I just want to get out. Yes. Like I want to walk. I want to go. I want to just get off wherever everybody else is. Like, we need you to go to the to the pharmacy and get 24 condoms. What? Because they were putting in in theaters, sometimes they'll do this for the microphones. Oh, for the microphones. Oh, yes, yes. For the microphones to put them in condoms so that the moisture from like sweat and stuff protects the microphones. And they did this on purpose because they knew I was like like sweet little girl. Not used to doing this. And did you do it? Yes. But I was like, they're for a play. They're not for me. And I was so they're for my boyfriend who's in the play. And he's really hot. I was like, look at me. I don't have a boyfriend. No way, never. No. I'm a nun. I was so awkward about it. And all these years later, you are still came back and they're like, how did that go? I'm like, you did that to me on purpose. They were like, bah, yeah, we did. You know what it made you stronger? How about your own kids' jobs? Do you give your kids chores? No. No. I do, but I don't pay them. No, I don't pay them either. No, I think that's crazy. I think it is too. No, they live here. But I had friends who had chores in that paid, and I was always kind of jealous. So was I. Yeah. I was like, what the heck? In hindsight, I should have just been happy. I had an emergency credit card. I had no chores or an emergency credit card. Um, but what about like your own children? Like their jobs. Aiden has been a caddy. Yep. But he's giving it up this year.

SPEAKER_01 37:00

Oh, he is? He's retiring? Resigning? Throwing on a towel. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 37:05

He has a new job lined up. So he's kind of excited about that.

SPEAKER_01 37:08

Good for that. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 37:09

Kevin thinks he creates jobs where he's like, I'm gonna sell this.

SPEAKER_01 37:15

Oh, that's John Westphal.

SPEAKER_00 37:17

Yep. He's my he's incredibly motivated by money. He will sell anything, he will stand out front, he'll sell Pokemon cards. Oh yeah. John Westfall has more money than anyone in our house. He went to small cakes, bought candy, and resold it for more. No way. That's incredible. And then told me not only has he broken ETH, but he has made made money back.

SPEAKER_01 37:43

Ella, on the other hand, doesn't have a ton of time, but she does babysit twice. She is a babysitter. She makes a lot of yeah, she does well. And then my caddies.

SPEAKER_00 37:55

Mm-hmm. So, and he won't get, I feel like he will never give that up. He likes that job. Yeah. That's cool. So and then Catherine Gray. Oh, sorry. Oh no, then Catherine Gray says is like John. Mm-hmm. Well, she's starting to get into babysitting age. Babysitting, bracelet stands, she makes things and sells like they just sell things. She fixed my bracelet. Oh, she did, yeah. Yeah. They they're very motivated by money. Yeah. What was your first job out of college?

SPEAKER_01 38:24

Oh, it was an it was my favorite job I've ever had.

SPEAKER_00 38:27

Yeah. I right out of University of Arizona, I went back to school to get my post back in education. So during the day, I nanated from seven to three, and then from five to nine, I went to school.

SPEAKER_01 38:40

And it was my very favorite job. I nanated for a family with twins. And they were 18 months old and they were the best family. And they were so generous, and the kids were so good. And I still think like that's the best. Yeah. We would go to little gyms. Oh my God. I would take them out for lunch.

SPEAKER_00 39:01

Did you wear a shirt or just a sports bra?

SPEAKER_01 39:03

Just a sports bra.

SPEAKER_00 39:06

How about what was your first job? My first job, I was at the League of American Theaters and Producers. Oh, which has now been rebranded as the Theater League. And I only got this job because of my mom. Like I had been applying to jobs. I wanted to work in theater. I applied to a million jobs in Chicago. I applied to jobs in Boston. I applied to one job in New York. In Boston? Yeah. Oh, I had friends in Boston. I was like, I'm just casting a wide. Yeah. And so my mom, I was living at home because I had no job. And it was like end of July or early August. And she's like, oh, you know, they're doing a Broadway and Chicago concert in Grant Park. Do you want to go? And I was like, oh yeah, sure. And I looked at it. I was like, oh, League of American Theaters and Producers, Jed Bernstein, I just applied to be this guy's assistant. My mom's like, well, then we're definitely gonna go. We should find him and say hello. And I was like, oh no, that's embarrassing. Yeah. I was like, absolutely. Right? Right. So we went to this thing and he spoke. And then we went to this, it was outside, and my mom was like, Jed. No, Jed, this is Nora. And I was like, God bless her. Oh my God. I was like, hi, I just applied to be your assistant. He was like, oh, email me or whatever, blah, blah, blah. And then a week later, I had an interview, and then we flew to New York. I had an interview, and then like three weeks after that, I moved to New York. And because I moved to New York, I reconnected with Al. Like So thank you. If it was not for my mom. Thank you, Mrs. Ryan, for creating like social suicide, but also creating the most perfect story. It was crazy. I mean, it was a banana's job. The woman I worked with was delightful. Patty Casterlin loved her to pieces. Jed Bernstein was a maniac. He would go to the bathroom and smoke a pipe.

unknown 41:02

Oh god.

SPEAKER_00 41:03

And like all he ate was Oh, that was him?

SPEAKER_02 41:05

Yeah. Yeah.

Dream Jobs And Favorite Work

SPEAKER_00 41:06

And he would put his like dump his pipe remnants in my garbage can and then throw his newspaper on my desk, and I would use my pen and just like put it in the garbage can. He was so gross. He had me make PowerPoints for the women he wanted to date. He was the worst. But I learned a lot. As a kid, did you have any dream jobs? I wanted to work at the grocery store. Because I loved cash registers. I loved cash registers. And I loved the bleed. I loved the gun at the library. The scanner. Yeah. I wanted a cash register so bad and I never got one. You got one. I well, yeah, you saved all my money. All I got was a cash box. Did it be? Did it at least have like the little bars that you could like flip flip? No. Oh. I put stickers on the board of them. Oh. What was your dream job? A newscaster. News anchor. And then yeah. Unfortunately, I took a class freshman year that I didn't like and I didn't have any like guidance. I'm not blaming other people. Like my parents say, it's always somebody else's fault. It's never Nora's fault. I just didn't have like the broader picture or like a counselor to be like, this is just oh 101 class. And so I pulled back.

SPEAKER_01 42:25

But I always wanted to be a mom.

SPEAKER_00 42:26

Yeah. When we would play MASH as a kid, I always put housewife. Yeah. So I feel like I found that is my favorite job too. It's a hundred percent my favorite job. Yeah. Yeah. It really makes me happy. The happiest. Yeah. And I think our kids, like, and as I read my cards for my kids, it was like, thank you. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:46

For always putting us first and for all the little things you do.

SPEAKER_00 42:51

Yeah. It's the best job ever. It really is. The pay is not great. Pay is too. The hours are long. Oh, the hours. The hours are not great. The vacation time? Ooh.

SPEAKER_02 43:06

Yeah, vacation time.

Highs Lows And Goodbye

SPEAKER_00 43:07

Also in one of my cards, it was like I can't wait till we live together in college. Because they know how much fun you were in college. Oh sweet. Gosh, we've had ourselves an episode. We have. Yeah, let's time up. My low, Nora, you know, I'm not someone who loses things. What do you think? Losing things. Thank God, as of this afternoon, I have found everything I lost, but I lost a gift card that I bought for a parent to say thank you.

SPEAKER_01 43:38

I'm hearing like amazing grace in my head everything.

SPEAKER_00 43:40

And I lost my driver's license. Oh, that's just details. But I found both of them. Do you always know where your license is? Yes, it's in my mom's. Oh, yeah. Same. The other day I was picking up tip tops from the liquor store. Did you get carded? Yes. Yeah. Cool, because it was dry. Up because I was picking up this and then a thank you gift of whiskey for someone else. And they were like, I love your friends. And I thank God I was in a minivan and I would look like I do right now. And they were like, You're clearly not 20. Like he was like, Do you have a credit card with your name on it? I'm like, I have all my credit cards. Like, I really can't imagine where my license is. It was in one of my coats. But, anyways, I was like, Oh my God, I have to pull myself together. I hate this. I don't like feeling like I'm out of control and scrambled like a gotta get it together. What about you? My low was one that I had gas sprayed all over me. And or I was the gas sprayer. And someone wasn't just like thumb on the nozzle. Like, that was a bit expensive.

SPEAKER_01 44:48

Yeah, Lander.

SPEAKER_00 44:50

Two that I sat in gum. Oh my gosh. Three that I cannot get ahead of my life right now. But my high is the handwritten cards by my kids. And all the people that went out of their way to make my birthday special. You included.

unknown 45:10

What? Me?

SPEAKER_00 45:10

Yeah. Are you kidding? Stop. So humble. I love your birthday. I love your birthday. What's your high? My high is the musical in general, but more specifically, Aiden, my oldest, has been so fantastic and helpful and wonderful. He has been really crucial to the success of the musical. And what's nice is like I appreciate him, but I can see that he feels proud of himself. But don't you love when you can recognize that they're doing something helpful and it benefits not only you but others? Yes. Yes. So it's been really nice. Okay. See, it's been a crazy, crazy week, but a good week. But a good week. Yeah. So happy birthday. And happy musical. And we'll see you next week.

SPEAKER_02 45:58

Bye. Bye.