OK, folks, happy Easter. It is Easter Sunday
and this is the latest installment of the Dan
Time podcast today. This is a day that I'm not
going to say I've been waiting for. We've been
waiting for the collective here and you're a
part of this. You, the listener, you're a part
of this this club, OK? Last week, if you hear
some background noise, hey, let me just cut to
the chase here. This is the very first walk and
talk episode. I'm not walking, I'm not exercising,
but my guest today is absolutely checking that
box today. This is a long time coming. I want
to thank my friend and a previous guest, Emily
Haynes -Cook, for tipping this thing over into
the win column. We're in a good place You're
in the right place, but we've gotten Somewhere
we didn't think Let me just stop here today's
guest folks my brother my younger brother Travis
McArdle It is Travis McArdle time today on the
podcast never thought I would say those words
I'm gonna do a re ramble Travis, but I've got
to just stop and say because you may be done
with your walk by the time I finished talking
here Thanks for being here, my friend, my brother,
my confidant. Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for, I
guess, penciling me in. This is, like you said,
a long time coming. I know you've asked me for
quite a while, and you are 100 % correct. It
was our old friend, Emily, but with the little,
what's the word, the thing in your ear, thing
in your brain, whatever it may be. And that's
where we are. And that was quite the intro. I've
literally been walking for three miles through
the first half of the intro. And then I actually
went grocery shopping at one point. I played
Bordel. It was a hard one today. But here we
are. Yes, here we are. And yes, I am walking.
It's the only way I can actually have them. 30
minutes or an hour. I actually penciled in seven
hours if you want to get the whole you know,
the full tight seven we can do that You're in
a similar situation with the kids at home and
when you're inside the house at the same time
that they are inside the house You can't shake
them away. You can't get them off of you. No,
there's always a request up to and including
a demand for either various resources various
nutritional products food and How is that going?
I guess you're past some of the just immediate
needs from From your oldest boys But in general,
are you you're pretty well needed? Yeah, I mean
for the most part our youngest is five but you
know Robin and I have subscribed to the mantra
of Hungry people don't say hungry for long and
if you withhold You know sandwiches and milk
and cereal they'll find a way Anyway Well, we've
we've trained them through neglect so to speak
Okay, I can't I can't endorse that but Listen
Travis, we you know Robert was the first it folks.
Let me let me jump ahead of something here. There
is no Nepotism going on with this podcast. This
is not Travis taking away somebody's at bats.
I want to be very clear that Sometimes you just
you got to give the people what they want Not
what you want in my position here You've it's
time to get give the people what they want and
what they have wanted for months now is Travis
McArdle My brother. Who are these three people
that wanted me to come on? I don't understand.
Because I'll tell you, I'll tell you, it's really
unfortunate that I had to follow your previous
guest, Dan Winkler. Is that right? Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. That was one of the best episodes you've
had. This guy was totally down to earth, played
in the big leagues, gave some really good insight
into stuff that we don't ever get to see. And
I'm not going to lie, I was a little nervous
this week saying, how am I going to follow that?
I thought, you know, it really was the most appropriate
slot for you to come in at this point and not
so much, you know, episode 9 or 16 or something.
But yeah, I think it's who else can I plug in
other than you? And look, the people the people
here, they I think there's something Travis about
somebody who is as elusive as you are, who is
kind of a tough get a lot of times. You know
a lot of times I'll call you on a Tuesday or
something and Everybody knows you know the the
message you get while the you hear the ringtone
and then the message comes through I'll call
you back and it's that that Automated response
that you know that other person just tapped That
suggested response because they're they're busy.
This is a busy guy This is a busy brother of
mine that just can't always get on the phone
Okay, yeah, I'm just a busy little brother So,
uh, we do connect we do have great conversations
and we have had for decades now, but you've got
a lot going on and To even line this up this
this took some strategy To get us on the phone
It did and and I just want to be above board
here You know shine light on this process. We've
got 30 minutes past two. I won't call it unprofessional
Some people would i'm not saying that um, I was
waiting um hiddling around the house if you will
just kind of moving things in the kitchen not
really accomplishing anything just Waiting for
the phone to ring And eventually at long last
it did here we are I don't blame you i'm just
Stating my feelings. Okay. Well listen Let's
jump ahead a little bit here. We were talking
yesterday. I had an experience that I think a
lot of people go through. If you've got kids,
you go to birthday parties. You need to show
up. And if you have children, you have to host
these parties. So we were texting about it yesterday.
I had to take the kids to a birthday party down
the street. We just would walk down there. I
don't know if anyone else, I think this goes
on more than people talk about. But do you ever
go to a birthday party and the adults who are
putting on this event? They just barely I mean
Barely acknowledge that you were there Mom or
dad, you know that you don't know each other.
I get it. We've never spoken the conversation
is not it's easy for everybody, but I Was not
greeted I had to greet Was not offered a chair.
I had to go bring a chair from my yard. I was
not offered to come inside the house What that
wasn't mandatory, but wasn't offered a beverage
I wasn't even told when we were having cake and
I was just Hanging around watching the kids with
the you know the same Fixed and sometimes genuine
grin that you might have at the playground. You're
standing around some other adults and and you're
just watching your kids, and it's nice, but have
you experienced that? And I've got another part
of that question, but - Oh, it's a two -part,
okay. I wanted to get your thoughts on just the
birthday party stuff. What if I made this the
most unlistable podcast? I'm just like, no, this
never happened. Never happened. Next question,
let's go. No, but - But being serious, yes, I
have been a part of that catastrophe. It's horrific.
You go to a party and you're not even greeted.
You're not even told thanks. You're not even
told where to put the gifts. And you're just
sitting there. You're in a bowling alley. But
you're not bowling. You're just sitting there.
It's tough. Everybody's just watching the kids.
And I love my kids. And I do like kids. But when
they're in a party, they're not that interesting.
It's hard to explain. I went to Allie's Easter
party on Thursday, and she's five, and all the
other kids are five, and all the tables are low.
You're just standing there, cowering above the
children, and nobody's talking. What are you
supposed to do with your hands? What are you
looking? Allie's just interested in her cupcakes.
But I guess back to your point, I think as the
host of the party, you should just... making
a point to just acknowledge everybody and say,
Hey, thanks for coming. How you doing? I don't
know. I think it, you know, I mean, on the, on
the total problems in the world, it's probably
not that high up, but you know, I, I realized
that a child's birthday party, if you're an adult
and you've got a five year old and you're the
type of person you don't, you know, you don't
go out much. You don't engage with people socially.
You're just not, um, And I'm fine. I am completely
fine with all walks of life all different types
of people But a birthday party is an imposition
that you you will not escape if you're a parent
So you you've got to put it on you got to come
up with a theme perhaps and Got a set of time
and a date and a place and you got to be there
But some people just that's about as far as they
take it this is not gonna be Hey, how are you
doing? What's your name? I'm Steve. Moving along.
Anyway, we got to acknowledge the University
of Alabama. Now I talk about UAB on the podcast.
That's my alma mater. I do root for the tide.
I did not go to Alabama, but I am an Alabama
fan. and admittedly have not watched much basketball
this year, but Travis got to get your thoughts
on the tide reaching the final four last night.
It is absolutely incredible. Myself and my oldest
Michael and middle son, Joe, all stayed up and
watched it. I've followed, you know, bamboo basketball.
No, I'm not. It's not like football. where football
is life. Basketball is just kind of in the periphery.
But, you know, I'll watch it as it gets to the
tournament. I'm making a point to tell Jim and
Lowell and everybody else, I'm clearly a bandwagon
fan here. I'm not living and dying with this
team. But I've seen us lose so many times in
the Sweet 16. I remember, I think it was 1990,
we lost to Loyola Miramount. It was like a layup
at the end, and it was just heartbreak. And then
we finally made it in 2004, and then we swiftly
got you know beaten in the elite eight but to
get to the final four it probably doesn't mean
as much to me as other other people that you
know absolutely follow Bama basketball from your
first tip to the last second but it's just it's
just cool to just watch something like that last
night and say I never thought in my lifetime
I'd see Bama in the final four and real quick
you mentioned a second ago you didn't go to Alabama
I didn't go to Alabama I did go to Shelton State
for Couple semesters, which is in Tuscaloosa.
I lived on campus at Alabama, but I do have to
point out There's a lot of people that say we
you know Bama has sidewalk fans and you know,
if you didn't go there You can't pull for them.
But what do you tell somebody? when their earliest
memory of College football is sitting in their
dad's lap when they're eight Watching Bama play
Texas A &M. Am I not allowed to be a fan of that
team because I didn't necessarily go there So
yeah, I think it does help if you didn't go to
the school But you can say, hey, I remember the
Mike Dubose years in football. Oh, yeah. I remember
Coach Franchoni. You know, we met Franchoni.
And if you can kind of speak to some of those
drier periods or whatever you call it, the mediocre
seasons, and you've been around, you just haven't
been a Bama fan since 2008 or nine. Right. Yeah,
I think it's gonna be difficult for a lot of
fans, I guess, you know, younger fans moving
forward, because, you know, my earliest memory
is Bill Curry, 1988 -89, and then getting into
the Stallings years, and then watching us win
a national championship, and we were just, you
know, winning all the time. And then, right as
I got into my adulthood, DeBose comes on, and
then he's the coach, I guess, I think he started
ninth. 98 97 or 98 97 97 Yeah, and he had some
success. I mean he won the SEC in 99 98 2000
Okay, yeah, but but in 2000 we all I Was remembering
that the the game I didn't mean to cut you off
again But the the outback bowl and I was thinking
that was 97 but then I remembered. Oh that was
January 97 But that was Stalin's last game. Yeah,
we did, Michigan But anyways, so and then you
you know, yes and success and you're thinking
oh my gosh, this is he's gonna bring us back
the mountaintop and then we go out to Los Angeles,
California in September of 2000 number three
in the nation and I'll never forget First ride
of the game UCLA get stopped probably three and
out who knows and they put the Freddie Millings
and he returns that ball into the end zone at
the Rose Bowl There's 35 ,000 Alabama fans that
have made that track from, you know, Alabama
and parts otherwise. And I remember hugging Robert
and I literally said the word national champions.
We're going to be national champions. This is
after one, one number three in the nation. Yeah.
We ended up losing that game and then we ended
up winning three games the entire time. Uh, and
then the both fired. So, yeah, it was, you know,
it was a bad take. I'm not, I'm not going to
lie premature, but no, and then after that. You
know, we had, uh, was it Franconi right after?
Yeah. It was right after the bows. Uh, yeah,
I believe it was Franconi. He only coached a
couple seasons. He did. And, and I think that
the story is, and I'll get corrected too. Yeah.
But then he left because I think the president
at the time of the university kind of misled
him as to the sanctions that we were about to
get for the whole Albert Means saga. And I think
he saw it riding on the wall, reduced scholarships.
It was going to be very difficult to win, so
he jumped ship. And then he had the very brief
tenure of Mike Price, and he was fired after
a hilarious episode at the gentlemen's joint
over there in Pensacola Beach. In Pensacola,
yeah. And that establishment is still, it's in
operation, different ownership, different name,
but... Is it really? Yeah. Good. They still have
the, um, the, uh, all you can eat buffet on Sundays
with the deviled eggs. No, but seriously, but
seriously after that, then, you know, Shula comes
in and he, he, he tries to write the ship, so
to speak, but he was never going to be the long
-term solution. So I'll never forget. And I guess
your original question was, what was it like
to go through those lean years? I'll tell you
what it was like every game. Mississippi State,
South Carolina, whoever it was, it was, this
is the first time since 1954. This is the first
time, whatever it may be, all these records were
just falling. And then I think people stopped
rushing the field after beating us because it
just wasn't a big deal. We were just, you know,
middle of the road at that point. And I will
never forget Paul Fondom announced Rick Rodriguez
is gonna be the new coach. And I called our father
that night, it was 2007. And I said, I'm happy
we have a coach because it went on forever. And
I said, I just wish that we would have gotten
Nick Saban because his name was getting floated.
And then the very next day, the whole deal fell
apart and we had no coach for like a month. And
then Mal Moore, however he did it, and I'm sure
I know that they've written books and everything
about it, but man, whatever Mal Moore did literally
transformed the university, the city program
by getting Saban. Those were the biggest gets
of all time. It's just simply incredible. Yeah.
And he wasn't going to get back on that plane
from Miami. I believe as the story goes, he couldn't
return back to Tuscaloosa without Saban. No.
And even getting Saban, it wasn't guaranteed
that it was going to be what it was. Now I'm
going to look back on it. But just the fact that
he was able to convince Saban to leave the NFL,
you know, I mean, I think that goal has got to
be the NFL. That's the top tier, you know? Yeah.
And to convince somebody You need to leave this
and come back and come down stuff It was just
again. It's just remarkable and then you know
mountain war His legacy will live on forever
Just just wonderful. Yeah the power of persuasion
of one man I want to ask you a question here.
We talked about it a little bit but The next
generation and their ability to converse and
be persuasive Express themselves Kind of have
these long open -ended conversations. Do you
have any concern really about the current generation?
Do you think that they're gonna come out of the
shell as the old tech shell and be just fine
when they're 30 something 40 something and talk
like we have over the years and Uncle Mike and
and some of that ribbing and just just the way
that We've grown up grown up. Do you think that
that is getting lost a little bit or is it? We
should maybe pump the brakes on our worries.
Oh This is perfect. I tell you what the way I
see it this generation notes here, so I get so
irritated With every generation looking backwards
or I guess forwards at the new generation and
saying these little whippersnappers They're just
no good for nothing these long hair and they
don't have any work ethic. It's like no Every
generation complains about the newer generation.
It always happens. But I had the unique ability
in a previous job for about five years to work
with people in the generation directly below
me. You know, guys and women in their early 20s.
And you know what I've learned is, yeah, they
do things differently. It's not exactly what
you expect, but they do have good ideas and we
can listen to each other. And if they listen
to us and we listen to them, I think we can do
okay as opposed to saying You know, oh this really
changed and this is different now. Yeah, they
communicate differently because we communicate
differently You know back In our parents generation,
they didn't even you know, they they they have
a telephone but that was it Now we have text
messages You know email Instant messages you
have discord you have all these different avenues
to communicate and I think to automatically dismiss
the younger generations or think that they don't
have anything to bring is not wise. And if everybody
just comes together, we're going to be great.
Yeah, I think so. I think if one thing that is
a good practice is, you know, when you, if you
just go back to small children, if you've got
a three or four or five year old and you're at
the playground and you're constantly Diverting
them and saying no. No, don't do that. Let me
get you away from that You're not supposed to
be over there and you're just I see it sometimes
and there may be some times I need to check myself
and let the kids off the leash a little bit I
think if you go way back to or go to to the little
little kids and Realize hey, I was four years
old once I was five once and I wanted to explore
and check things out and I was also 15 once and
I was awkward and I didn't know how to talk to
everybody I hadn't I Think by 15 I was probably
at the size it that I met now Think I wore a
15 at one time and it was a maybe a size and
a half too big so I could probably wear a 14
but 13 is usually good enough but But yeah, I
think that's if we I'm a little concerned I gotta
say I mean I do see some kids that I've got and
I don't want to get on any Soapbox on this show
because this is about the current guest so I'm
gonna hold back on that but I do think that we
can To the ether why kids are ruining this country
Do it Oh, no, it's your soapbox. You don't have
to do anything. You stand on it. You don't even
have to talk two rolls so boxes Travis the we're
right on the cusp. Well, we've actually just
started a new baseball season How many games
do you get to watch? Are you watching the cubs?
pretty often or Just as you can Are you excited
about the new year? Oh, yeah, you know, I love
baseball. I love putting games on. I will say,
I dare, I could be over -under on full games.
I'll get to watch this year, especially Cubs
games, seven. Partly because MLB does a ridiculous
job of making that product available. After the
Spectrum, ESPN, whatever that was back in August
when you couldn't get ESPN on Spectrum, I switched
to YouTube TV. What I gained was ESPN. What I
lost was MLB TV. is what I like to do back in
the day. You know, at night in the spring and
summer, just put MLB TV on, they're usually just
going to game. And I just, you know, watch the
Padres against the Angels or whoever it may be.
But now that I don't have that, I just have to
wait for a Cubs game to be on or I have to wait
for what are the thoughts or ESPN is it, I think
it's on TBS now too. So I just get random games.
But most games I do get to see are Braves games.
And I've never been a Braves fan, but over the
years I've caught myself just kind of following
them because that's all I can get. It's kind
of like us back in the day with WGN. You know,
we were born in Chicago, but I think WGN being
available after school and catching the Cubs
games and Harry Harry, that really helped cement
that fandom. It's kind of happening to me with
the Braves right now, but I mean, I'll always
be a Cubs fan. But yes, I would watch it if I
could, but you know, MLB just does not make it
easy. I don't want to spend 300 bucks for the
season pass. Yeah, I sure miss WGN. I loved Harry
and Steve. Harry and Steve, yes. I mean really
every, I remember when Joe Carter was the color
man for a season or two. I loved when he was
on there. Bob Brinley. A lot of people didn't
like Chip Carey. I was generally okay with Chip.
Len and JD. Len Casper took me a few years. Not
that I didn't accept him, but when Harry passed
away in 98, at that time, I'm about 19 years
old. And you knew that you were listening to
an old man, even when you're like 15, 16, 17,
and that he's not going to be around forever.
But it was this weirdest thing with Harry Carey
that I just, I didn't. Harry kind of made you,
uh, Just forget about the outside world which
not not that other announcers don't but You couldn't
wait to hear what he was gonna say how he was
gonna describe something He had little jokes
that you'd never hear anymore Right, and he was
but he was from a different era like you just
can't have that type of broadcaster. I don't
think anymore I hate that because I mean all
the announcers today, I know there's several
in our text chain that like to complain about
the answers and I just don't ever hear them and
that's the thing is I can't complain because
I'm not listening to them really and I hate that
they can't you know recreate or do whatever Harry
Carrey did some of the other old timers there
was the gentleman for the Dodgers yeah it's just
like I think Harry Carrey was just uniquely him
yeah he wasn't polished he wasn't corporate he
was just it was like You know talking to a friend
or hearing a friend describe the game as opposed
to something that's safe and generic and sterile
Yeah, and if you if you look at the landscape
now anybody who is the the play -by -play man
for a major league baseball team You can't get
you simply cannot get to that position with Harry's
personality in 2024. You can't let it rip. Let
it fly You got to be pretty buttoned up to just
get to that level but not to say that there's
not some great talent out there But Harry yeah
as a kid it was just what the doctor ordered.
He was funny. He was exciting I mean the home
run calls Just the base hit calls I mean the
way that he would say base hit and I'm not even
saying it right, but it was Wow, it was like
a bolt of lightning and But anyway, I forgot
what we were talking about. Yeah, the Cubs and
WGN just coming home turning on the TV and We
grew up when the Braves you could go to TBS for
the Braves and WGN for the Cubs Travis I got
to ask your favorite cub player. I Don't want
to say of all time. But just when you think of
who's my favorite guy in the Chicago Cubs Past
or present say all time. It's okay. You can say
it All -time favorite Cub. David Bodie. What
he did in that game, it was bases loaded, Cubs
were down 3 -0 in the bottom of the ninth. 2
-2 count, pinch, hitter, and he hits a grand
slam to win it. It was called a super slam. It
was literally one of the coolest moments I've
ever seen in baseball. It is the background to
my phone, my lock screen. It has been since the
moment it happened. I had a baby girl in between.
She did not knock it out. It's still there and
it's always gonna be my back screen. It is one
of the coolest pictures I've ever seen. Just
jubilation from the crowd, from the players.
It was such an improbable moment. If you watch
sports enough, you'll see a lot of the same stuff.
But if you watch long enough, you'll see something
special. And that was something special. It was
just such an improbable. That's what makes baseball
so much fun. is every pitch matters. Every pitch
is a 50 yard field goal. Yeah. In football, you
know, you get a first down, get a catch, go out
of bounds, but baseball, every swing can, can,
you know, change the outcome of the game. It's
crazy. It's the only sport like it. David Bodie.
Yeah. August 12th, 2018. Yeah. Allie was born
in November. So she just, I mean, she would have
been a few months earlier. She would have been
a lot screen. I love her to death, but. She hasn't
hit a super slam. It is girl, but I love tremendous
it I want to watch it again. I know and I need
to send you the picture You can make that the
background of this of this podcast because it
seriously is one of the coolest sports pickers
I've ever seen him rounding her his arms outstretched.
You see I think hobby bias Others I think there's
yeah, just all the cups from that team. They're
all just at home plate just Exuberant cannot
believe that this is just happened. Just just
incredible and he's forever your hero forever
I Guess him or or Sean Dodson I don't want to
hear after that story. I don't want to hit. I
don't want to hear a Him or it is David Bodie
It was the Andre Dawson who is bad expense. I
still If I get a bat in my hands, I'm kind of
squaring up, pretending like I'm going to hit
a ball. I'm doing Andre Dolphin all day. That
was so cool. Even as like an eight -year -old,
I was like, yes, that is the batting stance.
With that left leg. Yeah. Kind of bouncing at
the shin. Yes. Mm -hmm. I didn't think we'd talk
about so much because of baseball today. This
is incredible. I love it. I love it. As we're
talking, they're in the ninth inning trying to
close out the Rangers to avoid a sweep. You know
started out over to I Don't get too concerned
with April Opening series if we got swept so
be it, but I like this Cubs team Let's just for
fun here prediction time. I like the Cubs to
claim the I'm gonna say the second wild card
this year not win the division and and not be
on the edge either I think that we're gonna You
know by mid -august end of August We're going
to hang on to that second wild card. Maybe be
in line for the first and slip a little bit,
but that's what I think. And I don't think, I
don't think we win the World Series, but I like
them reaching the playoffs, maybe advancing around.
Hey, can we talk about that though, the World
Series in 2016? Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, you're
asking me all my favorite things. Favorite sports
memory is not the 92 national championship, Alabama
over Miami. It's not. 2008 bam over texas It
is game seven of the world series in pensacola
florida. I remember feeling robin after after
we won game six In um, one of those games my
power went out. I had to listen to on the radio
like it was the Any better game? I think he did
the 17th stretch. Yeah game five But I remember
after we won game six. I told robin I said I
think I want to go down to pensacola and watch
this video and she said I don't I don't think
that's a good idea, and I'm trying to explain
to her the Cubs have not won the World Series
since. Was it 1908? 1908. Yeah, and this is 2016,
so we're talking about 108 years. I said this
is a once -in -a -lifetime opportunity, and I
think it registered with her, and she said okay.
But sitting at that bar, what was the bar in
Pensacola we went to? O 'Reilly's. O 'Reilly's,
yeah. And watching that game, the ups, the downs.
and then the inexplicable rain delay in the eighth
and ninth inning and then we went to extras and
then for us to win that I will never forget that
night that was a sports fan just absolutely incredible
and it was more for you than it was for me because
you follow the Cubs a lot closer than I do but
it was just cool to be there with you and it's
so much different than you know me sitting on
my couch and texting you go Cubs go or wow this
is incredible but just being there and seeing
it know and knowing that you know this is gonna
It was such a special memory for me. I was prepared
to watch it by myself. I didn't really have the
means at that time to get up to Chicago for it.
Well, actually, they were playing in Cleveland.
But yeah, what a night. It was something I'll
never forget. We got our pictures, you know,
a couple of those pictures will never be posted
as the night wore on, but we're both And the
cubby blue, your shirt, my shirt, and the hats.
I had my new beard. I had just grown a beard.
I didn't know I could do that. The beard was
new, yeah. The game was tied. Some people were
listening. You might remember this. We were tied
at six after nine innings. Yeah. And then about
close to a 20 -minute rain delay occurs. And
Jason Hayward's famous speech to the club. basically
saying you know we stick together we're gonna
we're gonna pull this thing out you know I want
to speak to that people were always critical
of Hayward during his time in Chicago but there's
something to be said we've had a close friend
I'm not gonna mention his name who will will
criticize players all look at this this bloated
contract for this guy that only hit 242 or something
in a clubhouse presence clubhouse leadership
I've never played at that level, but you need
somebody like that in that moment. It doesn't
matter how that player fell short offensively,
defensively during the year, but you've got them
there in game seven at the 11th hour. Right.
I mean, at that point, you're talking about a
run and three outs. That's all you need. How
do you get it? Who's going to get it? And the
Cubs got it, and it was just remarkable. I mean,
it's akin to the Red Sox winning and was at 03.
Just these iconic franchises that have been out
in the wilderness for a century and finally find
a way to do it. And I don't know if the Cubs
will ever get back, but man, that was a special
night. That was a lot of fun. Yeah, and I gotta
say, I mean, and most Cubs fans will agree, without
the rain delay, and I think Anthony Rizzo spoke
to this as well, I you know, I was never nervous
about the game and some of that may have had
to do with with the Beer that we were drinking,
but I wasn't really nervous. I always thought
we were gonna pull it out. But I think the rain
delay We're down three games to one we get back
to game seven We did a lot of things to give
the game to Cleveland, but but we're world champions.
I've still got the hat I wear the hat from time
to time. Oh, yeah, I wore this shirt So often
it just started getting torn and tattered that
I think I've retired it. I can't even sleep in
it It's just like, you know half the pit and
that that stitching that goes down the side of
the you know from your pits your ways What a
surprise though your favorite sports memory.
Oh, yeah hands down Now if Saladin wins the national
championship for maybe that but but even so I
have to go back. I I Followed them a basketball
like I would follow Yeah, if they're in it, I'm
watching. But I'm not living and dying. I didn't
know any of these players until two weeks ago
during the SEC tournament. So I'm not going to
sit here like I'm some huge fan that's going
to be elated or devastated if we win, which I
don't think will beat UConn. But we might. But
either way, it's just nice. Well, we talked a
lot of sports here. I think a lot of my listeners
are sports fans. Some of them who are not maybe
checked out by now, I hope not. A few other questions
here How important is this to you when you go
into a store and you remember we worked at the
the drugstore big B that was acquired by CVS
I think Hold on. It was required by Revco first
Revco and then CVS Revco actually initiated a
hostile takeover. I remember this it was really
interesting You know learning enjoy store wars
of 97. Yeah classic But at that time, you know
the the store manager who was a big influence
on me as far as customer service and Just taking
pride in what you do and work ethic cabina. Yeah,
Ron cabina People of a certain age do remember
going into a store and the manager is very clearly
identified You know, the sleeves are rolled up.
There's a pencil behind the ear. There's a clipboard
in one hand and there's a warm friendly smile
ready to greet you as you approach that aisle
as he's you know taking inventory whatever he's
doing and Do you miss that Travis when you walk
into a store and you realize? Oh that there's
the guy or there's the you don't need their help
or there's the there's the woman who owns the
store and They're gonna say Can I help you find
something? and he wasn't represented anywhere
in the 90s or the 2000s or now. No, I don't and
I'll tell you why because I've been in enough
CVS's like I know where the Q -tips are. I don't
need help. I know where the deodorant is. I pretty
much know where everything is because I've been
in a CVS or one of those drugstores so I get
the sentiment to your question for the answer
and I'm just gonna be truthful. No, I don't miss
that and I don't need that. And I don't want
it Well, I think that I was looking for I'm sorry,
I was not looking for that answer I was But you
know, I have to accept it I will say down here
locally if you compare maybe Home Depot to ace
Hardware if you go into an ace at least the one
I've never been in ace in my life. What is it
like? I highly recommend it Not every ace is
the same but the one that's closest to our house
There are like at least three Employees on guard
ready. They're not gonna swarm you really but
if you go to the paint aisle you go to the plumbing
fixtures you go on any given aisle they are ready
and if they see that you're a little lost they're
gonna walk up it very neighborly and say gonna
This is incredible, would you say that ace is
the place for the friendly hardware folks? Yeah,
I like that Yeah, they walk the walk so big I
don't plug Many companies on this show, but I'm
very happy to give ace hardware a plug. I've
had a great experience I like this stuff Travis.
I like things from another era. I like music
from another era. I enjoy running into an 87
year old person and having a brief fleeting conversation
with them Let me ask you something else specific.
Yeah, let me ask you something else. Alright,
let's just say that Mmm, this is two parts. So
the first part is on a on a phone call And you've
had to call your insurance company. You've had
to call someone where you it's like a 20 -minute
conversation and they're they're set they're
working something out for you and a little bit
of side talk a little bit of laughter and Banter
and banter and connection and you're like me.
I really like this person this is fun and they're
making this a good experience and you realize
that your your issue is close to being resolved
and that call is wrapping up do you ever get
to the end of that phone call call and it it
dawns on you i'm never going to speak to this
person ever ever again i'm a little sad about
it but i've got to wait for the survey because
i agreed to do a brief survey and then I'm not
going to speak to them ever again. Does that
ever happen? Yes, it does. It happens to me all
the time and it's something I've thought about
a lot. Talked to my therapist about it a little
bit. She tells me that, um, forget about it.
There's 8 billion people in the world and you
can't get hung up on, um, the person that's helping
you cancel your spectrum. And it's something
I'm having to work through daily actually. I'm
gonna feel it. Yeah, I'm not past people on the
street and it's like I'll never see them ever
again And then Michael my 12 year old was like
daddy, you know, this is insane behavior to be
exhibiting Connecting on such a deep Yeah, it's
like you have to accept the reality of what we
live in That you cannot connect with all eight
billion people. It's just not possible and I'll
get there one day I Just I met somebody just
passed me a minute ago and before you even ask
the question. I was like, oh, I'll never see
them again They live in my neighborhood. Travis.
Yes. Are you still on your walk? I am. This call
has been going on for close to an hour, but you
were walking prior to the start of the call.
How? I'm doing five miles now. Five. If we're
doing an hour? Yeah, probably five. You want
to talk about walking? I do want to talk about
walking and you've been on some hikes and this
is something that you're a few years into, you
really enjoy not just getting the steps in. I
mean, that's important, but it's more about,
I don't want to put words in your mouth, but
just self -exploration and... What? What? Self
-exploration. I love it. Well... Alright, so
what's the question? Alright, so during the pandemic...
I got sent home. I was lucky enough to be able
to work from home. My wife Robin, she got sent
home. She could work from home as well. And she's
sort of taking our youngest Allie out in the
stroller. I'd watch them go. Every single day
they would go and they'd come back for 30, 45
minutes. And then one day, it was probably May
of 2020, I was like, I'm gonna join you because
I still get a lunch break even though I'm working
from home. And I walked with them and I was like,
so we just moved to this neighborhood and it's
very walkable. And I was like, that was actually
really cool. But it was kind of boring, you know,
and so I got some headphones And I downloaded
a podcast. It was one i've recommended to you
before I think you've listened to it, but it
was stl And i'll never forget may of 2020 every
day I would put on this podcast stl which is
still to the day the best podcast i've ever listened
and it's not like a traditional podcast, it's
more of a Auditory documentary, but either way
I recognize at that moment I can exercise because
I try to run. I got plantar fasciitis. I tried
to do the exercise bike. I got bored. I tried
to do the stair stepper, and that thing's a nightmare.
I never want to do that again. But I found what
worked for me was just getting 10 ,000 steps
a day. Sometimes you get more, but if you just
put that goal at 10 ,000 and then put the headphones
on, listen to a podcast and listen to a book
on tape, wherever it may be, it was a way I could
take a break from work. get some exercise in
and also be entertained at the same time. And,
you know, for some people, they want to do the
rower or they want to do, they want to run or
what it's like, you have to figure out what works
for you. And walking doesn't work for everybody,
but it works for me. And after about once I really
got serious about it, you know, I ended up losing
like a hilarious amount of weight. It was like
40 or 50 pounds and it was just insane. And then
I've kept it, you know, for four years now. I
just walk 10 ,000 steps a day and if I watch
what I eat, I'm good. Wow. So that's my journey.
Well, I really, I mean this sincerely. I commend
you for, for sticking to it. Um, this was not
just a fleeting exercise for you. This was something
that you're committed to. This is, you'll probably
be doing this the rest of your life. Oh yeah.
Forever. Without a doubt. And I have a treadmill
at home that I use when it's dark or if it's
bad weather. How much waving do you do as a walker
to passersby? Yeah, it's a struggle. I'm not
going to lie. It's expected. It's awkward. I
wave to everybody. But I usually wear sunglasses.
I don't even look at them. I just wave and assume
they wave back. Just go through the motions.
It's part of the game, man. I'm telling you.
You can be a walker, you got to be able to walk
the life. There's, you know, because Vivian,
I take her to a, and for some folks, I apologize,
some of this may be getting a bit, a bit dry,
but this is, this is compelling. There are some
faces and some people that, that I know in this
other neighborhood where her caregiver lives.
And I see them every morning or every afternoon.
And we don't do the waving anymore because I've
been seeing them for years. Talking to you, I
just realized they don't wave because they're
seeing 30 or 40 of me, like all these different
vehicles. You can't just constantly be. If there's
like a line of three cars, I'll often wonder,
is that third car going to be like, are you just
waving at everybody? Cause like I'll like wave
and stop and wave and wave. But no, I just, it's
just exercise. It's getting outside and it really
took the pandemic for me to figure it out. I've
been trying for years. Yeah to get something
that would actually work for me and this is the
only thing that I can do consistently that I
enjoy Yeah, I get to listen to podcasts like
I listen to more podcasts than probably the normal
person but And i'm going to listen to this one
now on an infinite loop forever because it was
really talking to you myself and it's hard to
explain but I've kind of ruined podcasts for
myself now But i've never been on a podcast.
This is the first time Well you exciting And
you have international listeners? Absolutely.
Where's the farthest somebody's listened? What
country? I've got people on every continent.
I think there's not huge pockets. Even Antarctica?
I think there is one. What? No, no, not that
far, but. I mean, Australia, New Zealand, Eastern.
You've got some Australian guests, too. Yeah.
That's cool. There's people everywhere and some
folks I hear from and I'm thinking, I'm glad
this is interesting. I don't always feel like
I talk about topics that are near and dear to
everybody at every corner of the globe, but we're
doing something right. Can I tell you something
into your listeners who are going to listen to
this? And hopefully I'll be a certain number
that only I know. This is one of the few podcasts.
I'm not just saying this because you're my brother.
But I listen to a lot of podcasts, and all the
podcasts I listen to are sports, or they're,
you know, politics, but it's like famous people
that have a million followers and they're interviewing
other famous people or comedians or whatever,
or sports stars. This is the first podcast I've
ever listened to where you talk to a tax assessor
from Trusco, Alabama. And some people might scoff
at that and say that's boring, but it's like
a slice of life that nobody is reaching out to.
And then you get singer -songwriters, you get
comedians, you get friends, you get family. And
it's just like getting to, it's like an every
person's podcast where you can just learn something.
And I don't have to like a certain genre of music
that the person does, but I can at least hear
their story and hear their experience and their
struggle and what kind of goals they have. And
I just think it's fascinating. So I'm going to
go ahead. You give a lot of praise to your guests.
I'm going to go ahead and turn the praise back
on you. It's a year the best Wow, I'm I'm speechless
speechless. Aren't you? Yeah, of course you are
I really appreciate that. That is that's What
I aim to do is you know, this is a weekly podcast
every Sunday Sometimes as you folks have seen
it's the wee hours of Monday morning Depending
on my schedule schedule as we say here Really,
any man above the age of 52, if you live in Alabama,
Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, you're going
to hear Skid U. They just drop the L -E and just
hang on the U and let it ride out. I like it.
We could go on about the Southern dialect, which
is so funny. We're from Alabama, obviously born
in Chicago, but raised in Alabama. And I'm sure
I'm going to listen to this or hear parts of
it and be like, I sound so country. I don't feel
like I do, but it's infectious. Just that accent.
It is. I'm really, you know, we were born in
Chicago, but I'm glad when I was a kid, I was
like, why do we have to move from Chicago? I
mean, I could go to the Cubs games if, if that
never happened, but it's a, it's a a different
experience i'm glad that we grew up in um what's
going on now are you making a cracking the ice
oh i just got back home yeah i just got back
home i'm about to start cooking here in a minute
we're gonna have steaks uh for easter it's a
easter tradition but i'm i'm gonna keep going
i hate we got six more hours already told you
i've cleared the schedule we're taking it to
like midnight Alright, so whoever is listening
to this and you're you're on your way to See
your in -laws and it's another five hours on
the road. You are in luck. We're gonna carry
it all the way there No, I think we should just
start reading the dictionary at some point. We
got it like burn some time somehow All right.
I do have a question. This is pretty important
When you when you go through your sock drawer
and you've just got I'm having I'm having a big
problem with this right now Don't know how it
started. I don't know how we got here, but I've
got a variety of socks of dress socks for the
day and I am having an impossible time pairing
up two socks of you know the style and The ones
that I like the ones that I really like I'm just
thinking where is that other one? I've got the
first one in my hand and I can't find that other
green sock and I'm thinking well Never mind.
Let me move on and so I pick up the blue one
and I'm thinking okay Where's the other blue
one? Where is it? And I can't find it so I'm
moving on and I guess about six or seven times
and then I think what is what has happened in
my house and and I just grab something a pair
of socks that are Horrible or not horrible, but
just way down the line of what I prefer to wear
Where do they go? And is your size? You just
asked me where the socks go. Yeah. That took
20 minutes. That was the biggest setup for where
did the socks go? That's the question. All right.
I'll give you a serious answer. Big sock makes
a variety pack of six or 12 socks. Each sock
is just a little bit different, right? I'm sorry.
You're always going to lose them. You just say
like like big ag big agriculture big sock Yeah,
it's a thing big sock exists. I guarantee you
Publicly traded sorry publicly traded sock companies.
There's got to be one They do this on purpose
because they know the more variations of socks
that they make the more likely you are to lose
them so if you were to go to Costco and you know
buy up a jumbo 48 pack of all blues you're gonna
be fine Costco is gonna make a little bit of
margin but The real big sock they do make all
these different variations where like I'm in
the same boat as you I literally cannot find
a matching pair of socks to save my life now
luckily I work from home, but we do go into the
office It's every second and fourth Tuesday of
the month and so it's always you know in the
background line it's you know my my daily struggle
is what am I gonna do in two weeks when the office
is calling and I gotta be there and I've got
gotta look good blue stripe socks and the black
stripe socks, but I don't have the pair of blue
or the pair of black It's a real it's a real
thing that um that I have to deal with and it's
bad When you've got a pair that you you especially
you're especially fond of um, you know, you've
had them since all this out, right? Are you gonna
edit all this out? Because this is Okay Moving
along. Um, I feel like I had a better question
here Books that you enjoy that you've enjoyed
in the past or do you have a book that you're
reading now? I really and I want to kind of Throw
a disclaimer in here. I can't believe That I
never asked this question. I think it's what
I don't want to put people on the spot a lot
of guests I will I'll give them the alright.
Hey, we're gonna discuss favorite movies Music
podcasts and just you know think of some stuff
before we get started But I never ask about books
and I really should because I love them and What
she what she got going on now or book that you
really love? Yeah, I don't have any books like
now. I don't get a lot of time father father
three I don't get to read a lot of books. I used
to before I love to read books One of my favorite
authors He wrote Fight Club. He wrote some other
phenomenal books. Rant was one of them. Lullaby.
He's a very kind of counterculture type author
that writes just bizarre stories. If you've seen
Fight Club, that's a very strange, unique story.
But I loved his writing. I like historical books.
There's a book that our father gave me. It's
called The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.
It was the history of Nazi Germany. But it was
written about 15 years after Nazi Germany fell.
So it's from that perspective. It's not some
historian in 2024 saying this is what happened.
It's people that lived during that time. Phenomenal
book. But without being able to really read books
now with having kids, I tried to listen to books
on tape. If I had to pick my favorite author
of all time, this is not going to be somebody
that's like, you know, the most brilliant or
unique or cool or whatever, but it's Stephen
King. I mean, it seems kind of like McDonald's
of writers, but he is such a phenomenal writer.
His stories are so unique and I've always liked
the horror genre, but then he also did the Green
Mile and, you know, other just drama type books.
He's just, I read an interview with him where
he said it just pours out of him. He'll just
sit down and you start typing and he doesn't
have to think about it. It's like he could be
nothing except for an author, because if he was
an accountant or if he was something else, he'd
go crazy because he just has to, you know, provide
this. And I think certain people's brains are
just wired differently where he just can create
these just absolutely amazing stories and landscapes
and characters. So, yeah, it'd be Stephen King.
His short stories are phenomenal. You know, it's
not even a long read. It could be basically a
chapter of a book, but it's still just a phenomenal
short story. He's got tons of short story books
out there that I've really enjoyed. What about
favorite movie of all time? Do you have an all
time favorite? Absolutely. And it's been my favorite
movie since I saw it. People walked out of the
movie theater when I was watching it. I went
there with our father and our brother Robert,
and I don't know if they liked it, but There
Will Be Blood with Daniel Day Lewis is by far
my favorite movie of all time. I've never seen
a story crafted that way, acted that way. The
first 15 minutes, there's no dialogue. It's just
the character Daniel playing view, you know,
in a hole in the ground trying to find oil. And
it is... They talk about character actors, but
Daniel Day Lewis... is probably my favorite actor.
He's not been in my favorite movies, but just
a guy that just completely commits and will never
be typecast as a character. Every movie he does
is just phenomenal. And even though There Will
Be Blood is probably three hours long, I've never
seen a movie before or after like that one. And
it will be my favorite movie until something
surpasses it. I've got to rewatch it now. And
I'm not recommending it to everybody. I'm not
saying that you would like it or... where everyone
should like it. It's just mine. And a lot of
people took a lot of umbrage with the fact the
name is There Will Be Blood, and it was a very
slow, plodding type movie. And there was no love
interest. But I think people did miss the point
a little bit, because it was all about a man's
pursuit of greed and money. And his love interest
was oil and money. And that was the other side.
But again, a lot of these, your favorite music,
your favorite book, this is me. and I know a
lot of people don't agree with the things that
I'm interested in, and I'm okay with that. At
the end of the day, if music or movies or books
bring somebody happiness, even if it's a Judy
Blume book, think good for them, you know? Let
people enjoy what they want them to enjoy, and
don't knock people for their opinions on what
they think's cool. You know, I might like There
Will Be Blood, and somebody might like, what
was it, Paul Blart, Mall Cop, you know, that
movie that's just silly, and that's fine. So
again, I don't... I don't like to knock people's
interest, be it pop music or sitcoms or something
like Designated Survivor. I knew that was coming.
I was setting that one up. I did finish the whole
entire series and that show was absolutely hilarious.
I've never seen one FBI agent. Go into so many
warehouses alone every time never having any
backup It was the biggest national security threat
to the entire nation one person in a warehouse
How probable would that did miss administration
and just the way that certain policies or orders
were carried out and I'll tell you it's crazy
how quickly the country forgot that the entire
Congress was killed and immediately the political
divisions crept in. It was like, Jesus, like
they literally, like one of our own, and I'm
sorry, spoiler alert, you know, it was that,
it was that businessman over there in Texas or
Tennessee, wherever it was. But yeah, they, so
I've seen the show, The West Wing, that was on
NBC, and Designated Survivor is the West Wing
on steroids, where they still, like had the issue
of the day we want to do infrastructure we want
to do this or that and then oh yeah by the way
there's a bioterrorist you know threat that's
gonna kill 50 million people every single episode
i've never seen such chaos in my entire life
it was insane like the country could not physically
get through the day if these threats were looming
at every you know step of the way it was outrageous
The most outrageous I've ever seen in my life
and I know I said that people can have their
opinions and whatever it was it was the most
absurd show I've ever committed and I watched
it just because I want I know you watched it
and I want to say that I'd watch it too, but
they know that was that was a chore To get through
that thing Well, I think I just want I stuck
through it because of Kiefer Sutherland I thought
anything he's he's gonna be a part of I'm in
President Strickland. Yeah They killed his wife
for no reason. You know that right like that
made no sense. It did it really didn't She was
a great actress. There's probably some sort of
contract negotiation, but her death made absolutely
zero sense But I know that you know your loyal
listeners aren't aren't here to hear about designate
a survivor Well, maybe they are What about and
we probably need to wrap up here but Yep, but
one and a half hours left. What would you rather...
It's one of those nights you haven't gone to
the grocery store when you should have, and you're
scrambling, you don't have much to go on, and
you need to eat something or feed somebody. You've
got two choices. So you've got a perfectly good
package of ballpark frank hot dogs. And you've
got to microwave either one of these. So a fresh
hot dog or a two -day old slice. of Little Caesars.
You know, the oven can kind of whip it into shape
a little bit, but you can't do that. You got
to use the microwave. What are you eating? The
ballpark frank. Just kind of take the knife and
cut some. You got some little slits in it so
it doesn't explode. Can I not cook the hot dogs
on the stove? Like, I have a skillet. I can just
do that, right? Or was my stove inoperable at
this point? Am I really hard up or like, ugh?
You don't have much time. You gotta be somewhere.
Gotta be somewhere. I could just not eat and
just wait or get something when I'm out, like
a honey bun. But yeah, all right, I'll play along.
I'm going hot dog all day. Little Caesar's is,
when it's hot and ready, it's fantastic. When
it's two days and not ready, it's trash. It is
the worst pizza I've ever had reheated. Even
after like an hour, it's done. You have to get
it immediately. Like seriously, when it's ready,
It's a good little slice of pizza for five bucks.
You got to get at it very quickly. Maybe even
on the way home. Yeah. Oh, man. Back in my larger
days, I'm not proud of this, but I housed an
entire Little Caesar's large pizza. I was driving
to Mississippi for a work thing. It was the Super
Bowl. It was the Saints versus the Colts. Remember
when the Saints won? Yeah. I literally ate an
entire large Little Caesars on the way to Mississippi.
Oh God. How'd you feel? It was good. Huh? Now
we'll talk about it. How'd you feel, let's just
say half an hour later? Didn't feel good at all.
I felt terrible. I felt like I just ate an entire
large Little Caesars pep. Like it was, it was
bad. This is back in the days when I was a little
bit heavier. I would say that I ate recklessly.
Anybody that can down an entire large pizza obviously
needs help. And I found out how to do it. Can
I really, real quickly just tell you a funny
anecdote about a point where I knew that I needed
to make some changes. I've told this story before.
I don't know if I've told you, but I'm probably
about I'd be 165 right now, 5 '9", so just normal,
yeah. I got up to 210. I don't have any business
being over reduced, let's just say that much,
no business. I was driving, this is back years
ago, I think we didn't have kids yet, but I was
literally driving a Burger King and had pants
on, shirt, had a belt, you know, the belt broke.
It literally was hanging on for dear life and
it broke. And most normal people are like, okay,
let's just go get a salad and call it a day.
This is life talking to you at the moment. I
didn't. I went to Burger King. I got a Whopper.
I sat there in the parking lot. I didn't even
go in because I didn't have a belt at this point.
My stomach had basically exploded it. And I ate
my Whopper. It was probably the lowest point
of my life. And then I still waited 15 years
to make any changes. And it honestly took walking
in podcasts for me to say, oh, this is how you
do it. Because everything else that I tried didn't
work. It didn't stick. Didn't you say that you
had a lot of cleaning up to do on this episode?
I'm sorry. Wasn't there a favorite kind of road
snack of yours where you would go get a pack
of these? Oh, don't do this to me. I know exactly
where you're going. Was it the the tropical fruit
skittles and a 20 ounce Coke and just? Yeah,
it was like diabetes on wheels. It was just it
was a pack of skittles and 20 ounce Coke and
you know mouthful skittles and then take a big
swig of Coke and let them all swish around. Look.
It's a lot easier when you're 22. than when you're
42. Yeah, and look, there's people that have
these habits. There's good, nice, decent people
that have, you know, a lot of little secret indulgences.
No, and again, I'm not telling these stories
to make fun of anybody. I'm making fun of myself.
But yeah, Robin's always said everybody's got
advice, whatever it may be. Somebody's got something.
And if somebody's struggling with that, then
so be it. Again, this is all self -deprecating
against myself. your fault anybody else for struggling
with food or whatever it may be. This is all
just me saying, gosh, that was being silly. The
way you tell it, I mean, you can absolutely laugh
at it now. I'm sure at the time you just kind
of felt like, well, what, what can I do about
this? I mean, you probably realize I could exercise,
but I don't really want to start doing that or
what exactly. I think that's my point of everybody,
if you can find a way to exercise that works
for you, then do it. Like there's somebody out
there that they just want to do the rowing machine,
or they just want to do the boat flex, or they
want to lift weights, or they want to run a marathon,
and none of that stuff spoke to me. Walking and
listening to stuff in my ears as I'm doing it,
or watching an iPad on a treadmill, and then
also just kind of being conscious of Hey, you
had McDonald's for lunch. Let's not have a huge
dinner. And just really trying to think about
calories. It's not rocket science. It's just
find what works for you and do it. And luckily,
this has worked for me because I was, again,
for years trying to find something. And I finally
found it. And I'm grateful for it because I've
got a beautiful wife. Robin been with her 20
years. I've got three great kids and I want to
be around as long as I can for them because,
you know, you only get this one life. And I want
to see Alabama win a national championship in
basketball. That's it. But yeah, I think it's
definitely, you know, you have a wonderful life.
I do. It helps ground you and. Yeah. Well, all
right. Let's see here. Will you do the rapid
fire? Will you do the rapid fire? Let's do the
rapid fire. Let's do it. All right. You're at
line at McDonald's and no, sorry, go ahead. Okay.
I still love your question to Kevin. We were
joking about this. Have you ever been walking
up the stairs at a concourse at a basketball
game? It was the most insane question I've ever
heard. I loved it. So I want something like that.
All right. Let's see here. Okay. You go up to
the jukebox. You just, you find yourself, you
got... You know, what in the world is going on
here? I've got a free three hours. I'm at some
local watering hole that I would never be at
and they got a jukebox and well, let's go play
something here. And you walk up to it and you
realize this is not an internet jukebox. This
is a glam jukebox. So all you can choose from
is anything from rat to Cinderella to white lion,
poison. Motley crew who? And you got four plays.
What are you playing? I think the biggest thing
and I gotta wrap this up quick because I gotta
start cooking here, but alright good question
I think that glam rock I missed it a little bit
just at my age. I know you and Robert obviously
Pretty much grew up on it, but I'm gonna give
you four I'll give you four this first one's
gonna be round and round by rat Second is probably
my favorite glam song of all time. It was Wait
by White Lion. I remember y 'all taped it off
of the old I -95 radio station. Was that it?
I -95? Yep. Y 'all taped Wait. We had to put,
I think, tape over a blanket set to... I still
don't understand how that simple little hack
got us to tape stuff off the radio. Wait by White
Lion. And then it's gonna be Motley Crue. It's
gonna be... Same old situation, maybe mmm like
it and then it's going to be Gonna make you sweat
by no just joking If I gotta go poison probably
nothing but a good time, I know that's easy Maybe
love on the rocks. That was a fun song. I love
that one I just I'm just not that well versed
in I mean, I know the glam metal I've heard it
my entire life, but it was never my thing. I
grew up with Rage Against the Machine, New Metal,
and that kind of stuff, but I always did appreciate
the glam rock and all that kind of stuff. It
was a cool time of music. One final question.
There's so many we'll have to get to for another
episode, Travis, but do you ever miss the last
flip phone that you had and just the way that
it felt in the pocket, the way that it felt when
you flipped it and just The, the functions, the
functionality or are you fine? I do. I do miss
it. And I was one of the last holdouts. I'll
never forget. You got an iPhone. I lose a four
was the first iPhone that you got in the family.
Yeah. And we were at the beach. I think Robin
was pregnant with Michael and I remember taking
your phone and playing with it. And I was like,
ah, it's just not for me. And you and Jim both
had an iPhone. He probably didn't have an iPhone
at that time, but he had a smartphone. And y
'all were like, you need to get one. And I'll
never forget, and this is a tip for sales jobs
or people in sales. It's how is this gonna benefit
me? And this is not a knock on you at the time
or Jim or anybody else that had one, but everybody
was like, you gotta get a smartphone. And I'd
say, why? And people would say, oh, well, they
can do this and they can do that. They can do
whatever. But nobody ever once asked me, what
do you want a phone to do for you? And somebody
would have said, what do you want a phone to
do for you? I would have said, well, I'd like
to have GPS on it. I'd like to listen to music
on it. I'd like to do X, Y, and Z. And so I fought
it for the longest time. I didn't get my first
iPhone, I think was a six. I think the craziest
thing about smartphones and especially Apple,
it is insane how they were able to create a product
that's gonna basically rope people in for their
entire life. And I'll give you a really quick
story. Me and Michael, my oldest, 12, he was
gonna get a new phone for Christmas and we had
to go to the Spectra store. And we walked in,
he was trading in his old iPhone 8 and we had
to look at new phones and he immediately found
one it was the iPhone 14 or 15 where the newest
one is and then we had to go to the kiosk and
you know talk to the lady and get everything
set up and It always takes forever when you're
doing this stuff and I'll never forget we're
sitting there and I looked at Michael I said
Mike, you know, it's crazy. Like we did not look
at any other phone But the iPhone is the only
one we looked at and that is a company Apple
to get Somebody like, you know myself and now
First with you and then you got me and our family
and now my kids like we're not looking at Android
We're not looking at anything else and this will
be forever. I think it's absolutely incredible
You're right. You're at 100 % It doesn't even
cross your mind. I think some people make the
switch if I don't know what the percentages are
But I can't imagine doing it. No, and I think
the biggest part of it too is, you know Apple
music Think you can get after music on other
phones. I'm not sure but I don't even want to
know like I just Apple music I use it every single
day in my life. I put it on the car Every album
is immediately accessible on that Thursday night
at midnight Whenever it drops all the apps that
they have everything like it's just I and I don't
have an Apple computer and I will never have
an Apple computer I'll have a Microsoft computer
or a you know HP computer, whatever it may be,
but I will always have an Apple phone I don't
like it, but it just is what it is. Last question.
Okay. Robin's giving me this thing. Don't put
that in there. Good timing. How happy are you
or indifferent are you about one of the biggest
global cultural phenomenon, phenomenons? Taylor
Swift and her Current bow, let's just say that
they last a while. I mean it seems like there
would probably be an end date But the guy she's
with now is Travis Kelsey, how tickled are you?
How delighted are you that that a guy named Travis
is? filling that role here in 2024 maybe they
die old together, maybe this thing lasts another
eight months, but How does this make you feel?
Are you attached to it? It's a great question.
I was talking to my oldest son, Michael. This
was on Friday night. And he said, let me talk
to you about a story about a chimpanzee named
Travis. And I stopped him. And I knew exactly
what he was talking about. There was a chimpanzee
in Texas named Travis that literally ate a woman's
face, right? It was terrible. I think the woman
survived. the hater face whatever that was a
low point for travis's across the world and then
we got thrown a lifeline in 2022 when or no sorry
2023 when travis kelsey started dating the biggest
pop star in the world i said michael a rising
tide lifts all ships and travis kelsey did more
for the travis name than anybody has before And
so I'm very much in favor of Travis Kelsey and
Taylor Swift. I hope they have a long courtship
and marriage and I want to see grand babies.
We'll see it all. So I'm in favor. I want to
see grand babies. Yes. And these are grand. I
thought that was my last question. I think I
have one more. What do you think about and do
you think you and Robin will do this when you
get? later in life, what do you think of the
parents who, you know, they're joking but they're
not joking and they pressure their adult children.
When are you gonna give us some grand babies?
When are you gonna give us, not, when are you
gonna have children that now you've got to be
responsible for, but give us some little... Give
us grand babies. Yeah. I think it goes back to
our discussion on generations and I think you
gotta have some grace for the older generations
because they're, you know, getting older in years
and, you know, they raise their own kids and
I think there was a certain pull toward, you
know, you want grandchildren because it's not
only who doesn't like, you know, babies and toddlers
and, you know, kids but it's also a legacy for
them. it's that they've done everything right
in the world and they've raised good kids and
their kids have met and you know coupled up with
other people and then they have kids and then
I think uh it's probably nice to know that you
know you can you know exit stage left so to speak
you know when you're in your 80s or 90s and just
know everybody's okay yeah is that the answer
that you're looking for that's your answer that's
my answer I don't know what I'm talking about
I will say this. I will say this too. It is funny
to me that we raise our kids and we tell them
rightly, you know, make sure that you're, you
know, safe when you're in high school and college
and you don't have, you know, kids before you're
ready and you try to say, don't, don't, don't,
don't, don't. And then all of a sudden once they
get a job and get married, it's like now do,
do, do, do, do, you know? Yeah. Oh, that's a
great point. It's like a flip that gets switched
that you're just like, whoa, what happened? But
I think it's I think it's coming from a good
spot. It's like don't have kids be ready Because
as you know with three, it's the hardest thing
you'll ever do Wow, yeah, that's I really feel
like I have aged about 17 years in the past five
or six. I know there's there's times right, you
know, you look in the mirror you're brushing
your teeth and you're shaving you're doing okay,
but You feel sometimes like you're an old man
in a kind of reasonably young frame, body, but...
Yeah. No, 100%. It's the hardest thing, and it's
something that I know if you blink it's over,
but when you're in the middle of it, it's still
hard. And it's hard to just stop and say, no,
this is fine, even though, you know, one kid's
yelling at the other, somebody's crying, somebody's
sick, whatever it may be. It's really hard to
explain, and I think that any parent that's listening
could understand that... I want my children to...
I've always said this, when they grow up and
they still want to initiate contact with me,
maybe that's a phone call, but maybe for them
that'll be a text message or something, but if
they want to do that more than me having to try
to... Pester them and saying hey, when are you
coming to see me or hey, what's been going on?
I haven't taught you in a month If my children
still want to reach out to me Unprompted then
I'll feel happy and that will be and and you
know and maybe probably more importantly, I want
my children to be close with each other and Right.
That's probably what brings me the greatest joy
is when we get all them together and we take
them somewhere or they're playing and it just
reminds me of what we had with me, you and Robert
as little kids. Yeah, 100%. Absolutely. And,
you know, I think about this a lot. You know,
I'm gonna be gone at some point, Robin will be
gone, and all these kids are gonna have for each
other. You know, Michael, Joe, and Ali, they're
gonna have each other. And they'll be like, you
know, our father and our aunts and uncles and
all the cousins and at some point, you know,
we'll be in a picture commemorating, you know
Easter 100 years from now and someone will say
who was that person? Who was that person? Yeah
Well We have waited Yeah, let's see about five
months into the the Dan time podcast and we have
folks Thank you so much for for sticking it out
here. I hope this has been entertaining but Travis
McArdle my brother We've gotten the first appearance
in the books. There will have to be a second.
We'll have Robert back on here, but won't be
stacking the deck with the brothers and the family
and the friends. You're going to hear more episodes
from athletes, songwriters, and people from around
the world. But hopefully this is fun when we
do this. Wait a second. Can I ask you a question?
Yeah. Have we started? Have we already started?
Have I hit record yet? Yeah. I don't get it.
Hey, can I say though, I really do. I want to
shout out Jim Powell. He broke the glass ceiling
for all the non -Dans. He made it possible for
me to be here on Dan Time. He did it inexplicably
on episode one, which is hilarious. But I just
like that you're given the non -DANs a soapbox
to stand upon. It's important. We'll see more
of that, but you've got Steaks to Grill. Yes.
I always like to ask, is there something you
want to plug and promote? Yes. I have a podcast
that I guess would directly compete with your
podcast, but in the podcast world, I guess that's
a good thing. Senses Working Overtime with David
Cross. He's my favorite comedian of all time.
He's famous for Mr. Show with Bob and David.
He's also done movies. He was on Arrested Development.
But his podcast, Senses Working Overtime, is
my second favorite podcast after Gantime. So
yeah, that's what I want to promote. It is phenomenal.
Folks, that is it for this week. I hope you've
enjoyed the past Few episodes. Stay tuned. I've
got some great guests coming up as we tip into
April here. Couple guests that I've had in the
past that I always want to draw. I always like
to draw attention back to the songwriters, the
musicians, comedians. If you follow me on Instagram,
you'll see that I like to share Dan Altano and
what he's doing and repost, retweet, whatever
they call it. Daniel Iches. I think he's wrapped
up some Carnival Cruise dates, but he's in San
Diego. the 5th and 6th of this month. Thousand
Oaks, California. After that, Danielle Moralia
has been out playing some gigs. Next Friday,
this coming Friday, she's in Meriden, Connecticut
on the 8th in Wakefield, Massachusetts. I'm just
looking at my handwriting. And don't miss a chance
to see Danielle Moralia and the Glory Junkies
back together. Friday, June 7th, Rockport, Massachusetts.
That's... Wow, we've covered a lot here, Travis.
And one final, because, you know, we can never
wrap up these shows. It's been two hours. We've
got five more to go. Let's go. All right. Quickly
here. I want you to speak to the work from home
community, and maybe some of us who don't understand
it. We don't imagine you people to be as happy
as you are. Are you? Quite pleased with working
from home. Do you miss? Not you know, how do
you feel about it? Do I miss the water cooler
talk in the hey, how was your weekend? No, I
love it. I'm working from home I'm here when
a contractor has to be here if your kids sick
I'm here if your kids out of daycare because
it's Good Friday and they're closed. I'm here
and I can get work done. I love it so much I
think more people should be able to do it. It's
extremely efficient. When I was in the elevator
industry, I worked from home during the pandemic
and I sold more working from home than I did
when I was in the field. So I think that there's
a disconnect with companies and the amount of
resources they spent on real estate in offices.
and they feel a need to bring people into the
office, but I think you can get just as much
work done, if not more, if you're working remotely.
I mean, the technology with Zoom and other video
conferencing, Microsoft Teams, it's really hard
to explain until you do it, but we've been able
to do it. I mean, our father worked from home
in 1994, so that was 30 years ago. It's not a
new concept and I don't know why it's it's very
controversial. I don't think it has to be What
an episode what? I'm just I'm so spun around.
I don't know what we did what we accomplished
what we talked about Was it you never editing
until 2 30 this morning? You know that right?
Yeah I'm looking at this an hour 46 until I decided
to trim some things but Cut it all. Okay, everybody
Remember, bye everybody. This is Travis McCardell's
first appearance on the podcast my brother remember
to Whether it's a brother a friend Yeah, cultivate
your friendships strengthen your friendships
and have Have a laugh with somebody today have
don't try to solve the world's problems or fix
your vices today or lose the 40 pounds that you
need to lose and your belt's about to snap don't
just you know get a plan together but find a
way to just laugh with with somebody or laugh
with us here on this podcast hey i love when
you had jim off in a couple weeks ago he's like
dude just stop yeah yeah he was he was uh welcoming
off the the stage if you got a brother if you
got a mom if you got a Yeah, literally any group
of people get that home bonded get get your termite
bond renewed. Don't let that thing laugh laughs
Okay What an episode Folks have a great week
and we will see you next Sunday on the Dan time
podcast. I always forget but if you're on social
media Look up it's at Dan time pod Instagram
X Facebook and YouTube trying to get a little
better about the YouTube Some of these podcast
episodes do have a video component. Many of them
do not, but some do. And I'm actually working
on getting some more video uploaded. So stay
tuned to that. Make sure you subscribe to those
channels. Okay. Travis, have a great rest of
the evening. Thank you. I have one last question.
Yeah. Can I be your guest next time? Next week,
folks. Travis McArdle is the guest next Sunday.
Can I just be your permanent guest? We just do
this every Sunday. We have reached the end of
the Dan Time podcast and we're changing the theme
next week. So hope you've enjoyed it. Trap time.
Yeah. Trap time. That's all she wrote for this
week. All right. You guys have a great week and
we'll see you next Sunday on the Dan Time podcast.
Thank you, Travis. Bye. I'll talk to you next
Sunday.