EP # 175 Economic Challenges and Political Turmoil

Robb (: 00:01

And welcome to another show. Don't get this twisted. I am Rob along with my co-host as always, Tina. How you doing, Tina? About the same. It's been a long time since we've communicated and or put one of these things out. Sorry for everybody, but it's been hectic here. Yeah, where we live, it's been crazy and then.

Tina (: 00:08

I'm hanging in there, Rob, how you doing?

Tina (: 00:22

has been pretty crazy.

Robb (: 00:30

The country's been crazy. We have a new president. Which is, yeah. And his first week is now in the books. Let's see, when did we put one out last? January 9th. So quite a while ago. Wild, right? We've been in turmoil. You're in a house that is like the never ending story. Right?

Tina (: 00:34

Which is crazy.

Tina (: 00:53

Yeah, we're still trying to get the kitchen living room remodel done. I think we pretty much got all the fires out and all the things that were just stopping construction basically. And now we're at the point where we're getting the kitchen cabinets put in, the flooring put in, the walls are being textured.

Robb (: 01:10

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 01:21

We're doing a lot of that stuff right now. But right now it looks like there's nothing done to the house. It looks like two empty rooms. But that's because they had to go in and change the fireplace and all the cords that come out of the wall are now in the wall. So everything's gonna look way updated by the time it gets done. Yeah.

Robb (: 01:26

Yeah Yeah I know you've been going through like a bunch of bunch of stuff so It's wild so like that's if if and when this comes out and and how you sound

Tina (: 01:50

Yeah.

Robb (: 01:55

I'm sorry if she's echoing, but she's literally in a room that has nothing in it but a chair and a table. That I can see. Yeah, so.

Tina (: 02:04

that I'm literally in a room that, yeah, there's nothing. There's nothing in it but a couple of things, the tools. And I put a table in here so that I could do some crafts, because I'm trying to stay sane. Yeah, nothing else, you know?

Robb (: 02:24

You know, I know, look, I did that many, many, many, many years ago when I was married, we did a kitchen remodel. That well, actually, we did kind of what you're doing. We did a kitchen and a living room. And then we did both bathrooms and we had like smaller bathrooms in this condo, but we had a huge living room and we did like hardwood floor and we took the ceiling shit off and.

Tina (: 02:43

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 02:52

put in lights and then we did a whole kitchen with tile and cabinets and all that shit and man it is such a it's a brain fuck

Tina (: 03:02

It's a lot. It's a lot.

And the patience that you need to go through this because first of all you have people in your house all the time that you're not used to having in the house all the time. And then we have our kitchen table is now in the garage with clothes that are hanging and our recycles and it's like, it's insane in the garage, but everything fits and the guys have been really good at keeping things organized and trying between like four or five of us.

we know where all of my dad's things are and we're able to get to them. Yeah, it's been a good time.

Robb (: 03:39

Right. Yeah, it's just, it's such a, it's so hard on your mind, you know, because you're, you're so used to coming home and doing certain things and then this, and then it gets so disrupted.

Tina (: 03:52

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 04:05

I find life when you're in that sort of thing is very difficult.

Tina (: 04:11

Yeah. And I'm trying not to complain. I don't know that anybody would say that I'm doing a very good job at that. But I really am trying to keep a positive attitude and try to maneuver with all the changes and go through it. I don't know. I kind of feel like I'm failing at that. Like I'm not.

I'm not doing the best job that I could, but you know, every time you go to the trash can, the trash can's not in the place that it's been for the last 40 years, you know. We've been in this house over 40 years. Actually, it's like 47 years. So just going to the trash can or in the morning, I make my breakfast and I always go into the living room and sit with my dad and watch the news for a few minutes while I'm eating. Well, there's no couch to sit on. There's no recliner for him to sit on.

Robb (: 04:40

Right. Wow. Right.

Tina (: 05:03

Yeah, it's kind of it's kind of different but again, it's I'm not complaining the house is gonna look amazing when it's done and I'm and I'm grinning and burying it and trying to make the most of it and it's amazing because my friends who I do bitch to them about things They even said how teen you've really got a different headset this time because I notice you're really not complaining You're just saying it'll get done. You know, I'm looking forward to the outcome. It's gonna be great

Robb (: 05:22

Right. Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Tina (: 05:32

But I'm not saying that I'm tired of sitting in my room on my bed every day because there's no other room to go to. That kind of is hard because it kind of throws my back out, sitting on the bed sideways, which, yeah. And I don't watch TV, but I seem to have watched a lot of TV in the last few weeks.

Robb (: 05:52

Because there's nothing else to do. It's cold. It's cold.

Tina (: 05:52

trying to stay out of everybody's way. Yeah, yeah. I can't do my crafts because the table's got all kinds of crap on it in the in the garage and it's freezing. Oh, you should talk about the weather. The weather's been freaking obnoxious. Yeah, it's been really cold. So going out into the garage just to grab something to drink, you got to like bundle up to go in there.

Robb (: 06:14

Yeah, well, because the garage floor is concrete, I'm sure, and it's colder than a well digger's ass. Yeah, like this morning, me and my friend down the street, we go to the gym in the morning, right? And. Well, yeah.

Tina (: 06:17

It is concrete, Yeah, and it's not well insulated. I mean, there is no insulation in the garage, it's cold.

Tina (: 06:34

No, you go to the gym in the middle of the night. Yeah. Yes.

Robb (: 06:37

For most people, yes, we go while you're sleeping. So this morning, like she, I park and then she parks and I get in her car real quick and we bullshit for a few minutes beforehand. And we usually get out and wait for like the first, the last five minutes before they open up. not today. We literally, it clicked 4 a.m. and we got out of the car and ran in because it was, it was cold. there, so there's a mountain behind my house. It is,

Tina (: 06:53

Mmm.

Tina (: 07:00

It's disgustingly cold and wet.

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 07:07

very very white with snow. yeah, I'll. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll send you a picture of the it's. It is like white white snow. It's very. So you gotta love how you know we are. We have technology where I can send you a picture and show you what I'm talking about. Alright.

Tina (: 07:09

no way! So it came down to your area?

Tina (: 07:22

Mm.

Tina (: 07:28

Right, you can send it while we're talking. It's funny. I'm sitting here and I put the, I could see Rob's dog right now, but I put the computer on top of a little basket thing to make it little taller. And right behind my computer, my cat's like laying there, but she's eyeballing me around the corner like, what the hell are you doing? And here your dog's in your face trying to catch you to play with them. It's funny.

Robb (: 07:30

Right? He's trying to sniff the microphone and

get me because I just got home so he's he's like you're home that's right pet me don't ignore me so but yeah so life is is very you know it's it's life I I heard a very good quote today that I just thought was very poignant with everything and it said

Tina (: 08:04

We must play. Yeah. Right?

Tina (: 08:16

chaotic.

Robb (: 08:27

There's a huge difference between life and living. I thought that was a... Yeah, very... Like, because no matter what we all live, what are we living? You know, there's... We all have a life and look, we all have lots going on and our economy's in the shitter. You know, we have a new president, but that's not, you know...

Tina (: 08:33

true.

Robb (: 08:55

an overnight thing to change things. Money's still tight. So I find it, you know, it's hard for everybody. My boy is trying to get another job, a better one. And, you know, he's wiggling his way into something like that. And then

Tina (: 08:59

Yeah, that's good. Everywhere.

Tina (: 09:09

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 09:14

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 09:23

You know, but I told him like look you have to Understand that life's changing like for both of us. I also Since the last time I don't know if it had happened or not But I've torn a bicep or at least I think I have my doctor has so I'm gonna be going to another an orthopedic surgeon to have them look at it and Maybe have a surgery. I guess we'll see what happens But I was kind of warning him about that. I look dude if you know you need to

see if you can get into this job as soon as you can because I'm gonna need help like and I told him like it's time to pay rent and be better and do things so I just think life is we all have a life but I don't think we're all living it whatever that means to you there's so many things that we are missing out on I think because we are just lifeing it right

Tina (: 10:10

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 10:21

your life.

Tina (: 10:23

Well, I noticed that people are missing out on each other because there's not the big gatherings that there used to be, I've noticed. Even in our family, everybody's like, we went to a funeral on Friday when my cousins passed away. And so I got to see a lot of the old family that I saw quite often when my grandparents were alive.

Robb (: 10:45

you

Tina (: 10:46

You know, was like, everybody's like, it's so good to see you. I'm like, yeah, but why are we doing this only when there's funerals? Like, I know everybody says that, but truly, we were not like that. We were a family where, you know, well, everybody gathered here at the house. So that's part of the reason that we don't have that. Our house isn't set up for guests, but.

Robb (: 11:03

I agree and I think it's something that's very much missed. I mean, my family is, my family's, you know, out of state.

Tina (: 11:07

It seems like since COVID, it's changed people's perception on how they need to be with family or getting together or having big groups of people. Nobody's putting the time into that anymore.

Tina (: 11:25

I miss it,

Robb (: 11:30

And you know, and I hang around my friend down the street as much as I can and thankfully she, her family is around her, her son lives there and her daughters and her grandkids. So it's kind of nice. I get to go over there every blue moon and like, you know, participate in that. And it gives me that fix of, you know, having some kind of family around. But I think all around the bend, you're very much right. It's not something that happens very often anymore. And

For a lot of reasons, you know, I think that one of them is that COVID kind of shut us in and made us anti-social. I think a lot of it also is the polarization of politics and now people who would definitely get together for family things, regardless of their belief systems, used to. And we used to like jab each other, right? Like...

Tina (: 12:12

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 12:25

People used to be able to have a different set of opinions. Now if you don't have the same exact opinion, you're kind of the outcast.

Robb (: 12:33

Yeah. And look, I mean, I could throw stones and say it's one side of that. I mean, there's an argument for I think both sides, but I think one side is generally very decisive. And like, if you voted for the orange man, I'll never be your friend again. You know, never, never.

Tina (: 12:52

Yeah, he definitely put a wedge in between people. And that was his last pregnancy. His last presidency.

Robb (: 13:01

Yeah, and look Presidency pregnancy. Yeah And this one is I think going to be even more decisive yeah, I think that look there's some crazy shit going on out there if politically I don't know if you I try not to watch the news

Tina (: 13:12

You think so?

Tina (: 13:21

I don't watch it.

Robb (: 13:23

But you know if you're if you tick tock or or Instagram there's things that will come across things like some guy in Congress is trying to let him have a third term which I think is insanely wrong. Right. Trump. They're trying to pass a bill that will give him a third term. Which I think is wrong. I'm not a fan of that.

Tina (: 13:37

Let who have a third term.

Yeah, no.

Tina (: 13:49

There's a reason that we have terms on presidencies.

Robb (: 13:52

Right and we can thank we can thank George Washington for that if if you're not a history buff But even he knew in his first presidency that you shouldn't be a king And I don't think that's Trump's doing. I don't think that truly I don't think he'll want to do a third term. This is going to The first one didn't age him. I think this one's gonna age him because he's got a lot to do I Mean I think it did

Tina (: 13:55

Braids?

Tina (: 14:16

I think the first one aged him too. He was just old and ugly when he started though.

Robb (: 14:21

Right, but I mean, but he doesn't I thought he got out of the first term and he still looked like Trump You know what? I mean like look at all the other ones Bill Clinton looks like he's aged 4,000 years Obama's like almost totally gray so much that he keeps it so short that you can't see his his hair Bush looks okay, but aged

Tina (: 14:29

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 14:49

Look, the presidency does that to you. It's just a fact. You're going through a lot of crazy things that are going on in the world. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Very true. But I definitely think that that's probably why you don't see a lot of gatherings. People are just so...

Tina (: 14:53

It's also four years. know, it's like if you look at a person for four years, you're going to see age. It's going to happen. You know, and I always tell people that like, you don't think you age in four years, go back and look at your pictures from four years ago to now you have aged as well. Because I know people talk about that a lot, but they all age.

Robb (: 15:18

hum about like not being like I've seen people that are just like I don't won't be your friend anymore. It's like, okay, I mean Yeah, and and over a lot of things kovat was one of them I mean people were turning each other's people in and a very bizarre time in our lifetime the last you know, 10 years the last five years for sure, but

Tina (: 15:23

Mm-hmm. Well, that happened a lot.

Tina (: 15:43

Right? One of my best friends, we hardly ever have a difference of opinion. But when it comes to politics, when it comes to Trump, when it comes to COVID, we really had a difficult time because we didn't see eye to eye. And fortunately, she didn't hold it against me and I didn't hold it against her and we're still really good friends. I was like, this is somebody I never fight with. This is crazy that we're having disagreements over.

Robb (: 15:56

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 16:12

stuff, know, sides.

Robb (: 16:15

Right. I think that a lot of things change. Like my best friend who's in San Diego, I would say my

friend down the street would be my female best friend or more my best friend now just because I talk to her more but my male best friend you know who he is and I've known him since I was 13 he's a he was a conservative Republican even he turned on Trump he's like oh and you know blah blah blah and then so it was kind of funny to me and and he was like he said something to me one time and this was way back and he's like oh you know he's a

Tina (: 16:31

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 16:35

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 16:40

Yeah.

Robb (: 16:54

rape, he's a racist and this and all these crazy things. And I was like, bro, I made more money during those four years than I have in my whole life. And he was like, is money more important than you know, these things? I go, yeah, I'm sorry, but that keeps food on the table and my rent paid and you know, the economy is important. And this is why he got in for another four years because the last one, yeah, these last.

Tina (: 17:17

The economy was sliding.

Robb (: 17:21

Four years before this, we're shitty and new eggs are are, you are not in abundance and bacon is like seven or nine dollars a pound. Like we can't live like that, so. yeah, I mean, if we want to get into deep conspiracy theories or the crazy shit they put in our food.

Tina (: 17:38

and everything we eat is contaminated with something else. That's part of it too.

Robb (: 17:50

It's pretty bad stuff like borderline poisoning us So, you know life right now I think is just it's an uphill battle for a lot of us Just to pay the bills It's it's rough and I'm you know

Tina (: 17:56

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 18:19

I'm doing all right, but I'm still paycheck to paycheck. I'm just paycheck to paycheck with a little bit in the bank. You know what I mean? And I think that that's all of us right now. Even my kid who had an abundance of money because he saved up a bunch, but then he had to get like a car repair and then he had to do this and then he had to do that. And he's like, I just my savings isn't there anymore. Yeah. Welcome to adulthood. Being an adult sucks. We got scammed.

Tina (: 18:47

I've told everybody for years not to grow up, nobody freaking listens, and now everybody's on their own. Yeah.

Robb (: 18:52

yeah, it's a scam. It's a total scam. If I could go back and be, you know, get another run at childhood, would do it in a second. It was easy. The junior high and high school years, as crazy as they were, like, you know, having to know people and be popular and do this and do that, fuck the easiest years of your life.

So easy. Yeah. And everything. Yeah, it's way easier. So, you know, I mean, there's no I I don't know if there's a short term fix for this, obviously, what we're all going through. If he can fix the economy, which is going to take some

Tina (: 19:19

was easy in comparison to what we're doing now and in comparison to raising children, being married, having jobs, mortgages and all that. It's way easier back then.

Robb (: 19:46

moving around of things. You know, maybe in a year we should be in a better place, I think. I did hear something today where he, he literally, and this is no joke and you can look it up because I saw some of the footage of it, he was talking about no income tax and having everything paid with tariffs on

Tina (: 19:53

Think so?

Robb (: 20:11

things coming into the country, which I guess was done in the 1800s. There was a president who was known, he was called the Tariff King and he, there was no income tax. There was a state tax, which, okay, we're good. But there was no income tax. do you know, yes. Do you know what people will make? So much. Yeah. I think last year that I just got my W-2, I think I paid almost 10 grand in income tax.

Tina (: 20:24

Wouldn't that be nice?

Tina (: 20:29

Because seriously, they take so much freaking money from everybody.

Robb (: 20:41

So could you imagine getting, let's say, let's say it's half of that. If everyone got another $5,000 a year, what it would do to your life. So it would, yeah, for some people it would be life saving. For some people it would put you above water where you could have your fucking neck out and at least breathe in, you know, and.

Tina (: 20:52

Would it help?

Tina (: 21:04

Right?

Robb (: 21:07

Like whether you like what he says or not, you know, we had four good years of, well, three good, COVID started during that. And that kind of puts a kebab on that one. You know, I just think that whoever is the president and after him, because there's gonna be somebody else after him, obviously, has to look at us like a business. Because if...

Tina (: 21:32

I think I gotta do something.

Robb (: 21:34

Yeah, and look, don't get me wrong, there's foreign affairs and there's a lot of stuff that people have to go through and I don't want to like shit on that. you know, putting money back in Americans pockets is everything. It will all be better off, we'll all spend more money, we'll all be happy, you know, we'll live a little high on the hog, you know. And then businesses like what we do, yes, you know what I mean? Like,

Tina (: 21:57

might sustain themselves.

Robb (: 22:01

I am in the electronics business where we sell things so bad economies aren't good for us and you are in the hair business which is you know people will go to a box of dye instead of having it done for real. See that's rough. So

Tina (: 22:17

Well shit, just having fires around, I didn't have any business. Like it completely cut business to nothing. And I was going nuts because I just needed to be busy. Yeah.

Robb (: 22:29

Where I live, there was no fires. I mean, there was, but they were tiny and they got put out in a day or two. You're kind of in the wash of all of that horrible shit. Yeah.

Tina (: 22:33

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 22:41

I called it the Ring of Fire because there was literally fire all the way around us, but not close enough to do anything to us. But it did scare everybody. Everybody that lives on the outer parts of the city was definitely worried and being evacuated multiple times. And lot of people that I know lost their houses.

Robb (: 22:47

I know one person that I used to work with lost their house. Which is crazy because I know you know who would have ever thought that you could say that in.

Tina (: 23:06

Yeah.

Robb (: 23:16

a lifetime I know so I don't know what year that was when I was living out in Camarillo when the fire in Ventura when it was LA Ventura Santa Clarita that ring of fire it's like what five or eight years ago I know someone who lost their house in that one so I never thought I could go to somebody and go yeah I know multiple people that have lost homes and fires that's

I mean, sort of bonkers. You know, like.

Tina (: 23:52

And you know what was weird about this one was, so I do hair, so a good majority of our clientele's older, because they get their hair done once a week. And two of my clients who have lost their husbands and are living at their houses by themselves and taking care of things well, they're doing all right, were so scared. And it was so sad to see how broken they were just because of the fires and how close they got to their houses and how they were like,

this is all I have and I'm not going to have this anymore if something happens. And I tried to stay really close with both of them and calling them to make sure they didn't need to be evacuated because it would have been me to go up and grab them and bring them down because you know they're afraid of driving or they don't drive in the dark or they they were afraid because the fires being so close and and

I just felt the need to stay really close and yet I was thinking, you know, that could be me one day, you know, not being married and being on my own and having something like that happen. And I would hope that my family or whomever would check on me and whatnot, but they have family and they were still very alone and I hated seeing that. So I kind of made extra time just to check in and to calm them down because it was so scary and it was so close.

Robb (: 24:50

Hmm

Robb (: 25:13

Right. I think the more older we get. Yeah, and and like we're all.

Tina (: 25:13

It was a big ordeal.

Tina (: 25:24

scary things become.

Robb (: 25:29

independent to a degree, right? taking help is very difficult. For some people, it's an impossible task, and I'm sure she'd hate me for saying it, but my friend down the street hates it because she feels like she owes you something. And I try to talk her off the ledge every time with me because...

Tina (: 25:38

Right?

Robb (: 25:56

I'm to the point now where I don't care what she says. Like, I'm gonna help you and that's just because that's who I am. And I never want anything in return. Thankfully for me, she's a lot better now. And look, she helps me in other ways. Like, I joke with it. Like, she'll ask me over for dinner. Or last night she...

She called me and said, Hey, I made some soup. you bring over some Tupperware, you can take some home. So I ran down there and filled shit up and bought a home and that's what I had for lunch today. So, but I think relationships like you're talking like that or with her, or I have other friends. I never look at that kind of stuff as transactional. Unfortunately, a lot of people do. And I think that's where.

Tina (: 26:34

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 26:52

She's like she gets that from it feels like it's a transactional thing or someone in her past has brought it up to where like I've done this for you I've Helped her with stuff that literally I've told her don't ever bring that up to me ever again what's done is done and I don't care and I remember one time she sort of like

in passing brought it up and I was like, what are you talking about? And she's like, well, you know, I don't remember. Yeah, because I, I, because I don't care. Like once it's done, it's done and whatever it is is great. And I'm glad I can help. I, because I'm around and I'm also have a lot of time. And if I have time, I'm going to help you. It's like, if I don't have the time, I, I'm not one to go, uh, I

Tina (: 27:26

you pulled that on her.

Robb (: 27:49

will be there anyway, because if I don't, I don't. But I have a lot of time and it's great that I can help people and I feel for anyone that I can, if I can do it, I'll do it. But yeah, when you're in a situation like that where I mean, I couldn't imagine having just a few minutes or let's say even an hour, an hour to empty things in your house.

Tina (: 27:51

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 28:19

What where do you go to what's important? You know like to me furniture never important leave that shit behind There's like for me. I would grab computers because there's information that That I would need I would you know Selfishly I would probably grab my podcast stuff so I can continue to do this because After a fire if I lost something I would have to have something to keep me sane

Tina (: 28:29

Yeah.

Tina (: 28:48

Yes.

Robb (: 28:48

And then I would grab like clothes, guns, my photo stuff, and my dog, my kid. There's nothing else here that's important. know, clothes only because you have to be able to close yourself. But really, beds are replaceable. Furniture's replaceable. TVs are replaceable. You know, I wouldn't think about things like that.

Tina (: 28:57

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 29:04

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 29:12

Absolutely.

Robb (: 29:17

You know, look. Yeah. Yeah, I think yeah, some things you can't replace.

Tina (: 29:18

There's like a short list of things you should have. Your important documents, your computer, your medicine, stuff to brush your teeth and to stay clean, your clothes, pictures.

All that, all that that, yeah, all that you should just have in an area where you know it's there, you could just pick it up and roll with it. If you only got five minutes, you better know where all that shit is and have it in a location. Not everything, because you can't put everything in the same place, but I mean, you gotta know where it is so that you could grab and go.

Robb (: 29:43

That's Yeah I was I was over Helping my friend down the street with her pool filter one day and she goes. yeah, you got to see this thing and she has a bug out bag Which we should all sort of have so she takes this thing out and it's a backpack and

Jokingly like she can pick it up, but even she kind of said she goes this thing's heavy and I was like, yeah And I picked it up and I was like what the hell is in this thing? And she started unzipping all these things. It was awesome. I mean she's in the medical industry. So it had Everything you need if you got hurt like like Stitches and scissors and every band-aid size you can think of and like a med kit and all these things and then it had

She had like, she has one of those things that you can vacuum seal shit, like one of those things. She had like vacuum sealed almonds and beef jerky and like all this. And then in my head, I was like, I have a bug out bag, but not like that. And I'm like, now I'm starting to think like, OK, I'm she bought me for Christmas. She bought this little little medical kit for me, which is awesome.

And it's so funny because she was like I didn't know what to get you and for me I had like a boner because like that's I'm into that kind of stuff. That's survival shit that you we all need So now I'm like, okay I'm going to also get a bag kind of like she had probably I'm not sure if I want a backpack style I'm not sure yet, but I'm gonna start building like a legitimate bug out bag Something that would have my documents in it that I don't can pick up one bag that has you know

Food, ammunition, gun, know, something that I could hand to somebody else and go put this in the car, we got to go. And it has like our birth certificates and our social security cards and things that, you know, are very important long run. Because now I think, yeah, as I get older, it's going, you really have to have something that you can just pick up and bail. Because life is crazy. I mean, I'm sure

Robb (: 32:09

the people in Pacific Palisades didn't think half of their city would be decimated. Gone. Yeah, I drove past Altenina the other day. I was going to get my hair cut. look, I like I said, I'm kind of spoiled. I wasn't around fires this year. And I say that because California we burn every year. But I was driving.

Tina (: 32:17

or Altadena where nine tenths of it was.

Robb (: 32:38

to see me Valley out there and I forgot so I'm driving and all of a sudden it smelled like I was in a fire and I was like, oh yeah, I'm right next to Alta Dana or Alta Dina and it was. Pungent and it was the fires were still going so I don't know. I haven't checked right now. We had a pretty nice couple of days of storm. I don't know if it rained where you were.

Tina (: 33:04

It poured.

Robb (: 33:04

So we got so I'm assuming that probably helped these fires if not put them out significantly help the firefighters. So I heard there was the one in Castaic was. Horrible, there's like, oh yeah, like the last I saw it was like 10,000 acres were burned. Now I don't know how many I don't think a lot of houses, but. So I think in general you look at us.

Tina (: 33:21

Really?

Robb (: 33:33

You look at North Carolina with the hurricanes that decimated them. You know, we really need. We really need to get back to knowing your neighbor. And and you know, really being more community driven. I don't know how we're going to get there. But I think.

I definitely think there's something that we can do. I don't know how we're gonna get there. Like I said, I think things are just so polarized, very difficult for people to want to know their neighbors.

Tina (: 34:20

That's so true. So true. But you know, the funny thing is the fire did bring a lot of people together because people had to be evacuated, people needed help, neighbors were calling on the elderly and saying, let's go, let's get out. there are those moments of grace that you see through going through all the tragedy that the fires brought on, but it's just not enough. It's not bringing people together.

Robb (: 34:21

Yeah, it's, I and look.

Tina (: 34:46

And all these people are not going to be neighbors anymore, which is sad, you know. So the ones that did know each other, they're not going to be with their neighbors.

Robb (: 34:53

Correct. So here's a little update for you. This, since we're on here, I looked up on Cal Fire just to see where the incidents were. So Palisades is at 96 % contained. The Eaton Fire, which is Lacanada and or

Tina (: 35:08

Hmm.

Robb (: 35:11

Over there, Southadena is 99. And the Hughes Fire, which is the one in Castaic, is also 99. So the rain definitely probably helped these people. no, I got some. It wasn't... I got more constant rain. but it wasn't like... And then there was obviously... I got a lot of night rain. I don't know if you got a lot of night rain.

Tina (: 35:12

All to dinner.

Tina (: 35:24

There was so much rain. don't, you said you didn't get any. We had tons of rain. did you?

Tina (: 35:41

We did.

Robb (: 35:41

So there was a couple of nights where like I'm sitting over by the window and it was coming down pretty good. But, you know, I slept through a lot of those storms. So but it's, you know, I just think that in general, I think the rule of thumb should be. Try try. We need to try to fix our country. And I know that's like the most difficult thing we can do right now. Because we're so divided.

Tina (: 35:52

Yeah.

Robb (: 36:11

Like almost. You know. It's going to be difficult because I just think that the views on both sides and now with social media and being able to. Put your point out to the world and argue with everyone. If you want to argue, it's not hard.

Tina (: 36:11

So how do you say we do that?

Tina (: 36:36

everyone.

Robb (: 36:38

It's easy to argue with people now because you can just and and now you know, I don't know. I think we're going to see what happens over the next year. You know, a lot of. There's so much diversity between people, right? And like the DEI where all these things that were hiring people for being a certain checking a certain box is going to go away. I'm hope.

Tina (: 36:41

Everyone.

Tina (: 37:05

Yeah, how do you think that's gonna go? You think it's gonna be better or you think it's gonna get worse?

Robb (: 37:07

short term probably really worse like a really bad like really bad. But look, if if we're changing the planet based on merit, right? You should be doing that. I think if I don't want the the pilot of my airplane to be the hire, they got hired because they were a certain race.

Tina (: 37:22

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 37:37

I want the best pilot flying my airplane. Regardless of what color he is or what or she or them or whatever the fuck it is. The best should always get hired. Period. Now we can argue, you know, that's going to hurt because of schooling in certain places and, you know, that sort of thing. But I also think we need to

Tina (: 37:49

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 38:06

Fix the school system So, you know, I think we're going to be arguing until we're all blue in the face Really? I I think we should just if you don't agree You know great like I don't care. I have lots of liberal friends that I'm sure And I'm pretty vocal about what I believe in And then I'm on here so like people know

Tina (: 38:08

badly.

Robb (: 38:36

But like I don't care. I'll look we can we can agree to disagree That's just the world and I think that if you're sitting in your house Upset at the world or upset at your neighbor and that's all you're worried about you are really barking up the wrong tree in life. I Could give two shits I'd rather go down pick up my girlfriend have a meal

Tina (: 38:58

And then that becomes your whole life.

Robb (: 39:04

go home and watch some entertainment on the TV and not have to worry about anything on the fucking news. All I care is our checks are getting in the bank, all the bills are getting paid, and our freedoms are not being taken away. I think that's the bigger thing. You know, I hate to be the guy that says love it or leave it because a lot of people get pissed at that. But if you don't like this country, and I mean like for real don't like it,

Tina (: 39:09

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 39:19

There you go.

Tina (: 39:29

you

Robb (: 39:34

If you don't like who's in power, that's a whole nother thing because there's plenty of years I didn't like the people who are in power. But I love the country I live in because the Constitution is a great paper and I know I love when people say it's too old, but you know that half the constitutions on this planet were all taken from that. So. We have freedom, more freedom.

Tina (: 39:40

my god, I'm waiting for somebody that I like.

Tina (: 39:46

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 39:57

Yep.

Robb (: 40:02

than most countries. Even though we don't have what we should really have, we give the government way too much control. This government, the government, yeah, well, we're pawns, we're just, you know, we're workabies. But I think you have to try to find the happy in life, whatever that is for you. And, and,

Tina (: 40:10

way too much control and way too much of our money too.

Tina (: 40:19

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 40:27

That's exactly it.

Robb (: 40:32

I'd rather not argue with people anymore. I, I'm becoming more and more of, I don't want to say a hermit, but definitely I can. My friend down the street said something that I loved just un people. It was at work one day and she goes, yeah, I think I'm to go at lunch and un people. And I was like, un people. That's the greatest statement I've ever heard. As much as I can talk to people and I.

Tina (: 40:55

You've always been kind of an unpeopler, though.

Robb (: 41:01

I can put on the mask when I have to. I would prefer to un people. Yeah, but that's when I was young. Like now, like I said, I can get in front of people and I can, you can take me anywhere and I can put a mask on and I can really kind of let it ride. But.

Tina (: 41:06

Yeah.

You impealed the shit out of me until you couldn't do it anymore. Yeah.

Tina (: 41:25

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 41:27

inside my head a lot of the time I'm like okay let's do this shit and get out of here and I was trying to tell my friend on the street one time about like doing things together because I would like to do more things with her and we were talking one day and I said look I my best show social entertainment is very small group in the backyard having a barbecue

Tina (: 41:56

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 41:56

Like no more than ten people You know Intimate more so where when you're talking with each other you're not talking over each other and most people are together and I like it really small but I Could live like that forever. I prefer that I prefer a very close friend group Very family oriented but very tight and very small I can go to Disneyland. I can have a good day at Disneyland, but

I prefer smaller groups. And I think that once we start doing that again, I think that's important. I think the backyard barbecue needs to really find its way back. Because I think that, again, when we were young, there were lots of people at a backyard barbecue that did not agree with each other politically, but no one talked about it. Because they were too busy talking about

Tina (: 42:29

I getcha.

Excuse me.

Tina (: 42:40

make a comeback.

Tina (: 42:52

Yeah, they just talked about other things.

Robb (: 42:54

Yeah, they were too busy talking about how are the kids they're playing baseball. Did you see the game? You know, how's work? The first thing out of someone's mouth was like do you believe in this? People didn't do that tight families did that when we were young You know Yeah, I remember going to barbecues with my aunts and uncles and my mom and dad and hearing that in the background

Tina (: 43:11

I come from that family.

Tina (: 43:18

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 43:22

But here's the difference. They told me to go play with my cousins. Like it wasn't... And then I would go to my cousins and we'd play, you know, if you can believe this, like on a computer that was like a green screen and or we would talk about just like what's going on in our... But I mean, even as teenagers, we would just talk about like, how's junior high? What's going on? You know, where, you know, whatever.

Tina (: 43:26

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 43:38

Or go outside and play. Throw a ball around.

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 43:48

Cause and funny thing is, is all my cousins were girls. So like I was in kind of like, I was the only boy. So it was always kind of going hang out with the cousins, but have, you know, we would talk nonsense. So I just think that, you know, the world in general, it's upside down. And I think we all know that and it's, it's going to be an interesting four years for sure.

Tina (: 43:53

Mmm.

Tina (: 44:02

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 44:19

And look, we're all going to have ups and downs and things we don't like and things we do like and whatever. To me, it's like this. If you're a conservative and you've had issues with your liberal friends over the last four years, I would tell you if you feel like you get a win, don't rub it in anyone's face. Be better than them. And that's just me because I know a lot of liberals who do.

like to put it in your mug. I just don't have time for that anymore. want to I just want to live a little simpler life with people that I enjoy time with because we're you know we've talked about this on this many times. We're running out of it and it's I'd rather spend the next 25 years of 30 years of my life

Tina (: 44:58

agreed.

Tina (: 45:02

Mm-hmm.

Robb (: 45:16

with good people doing good things and loving people that I love and

Tina (: 45:24

You know.

I think also too, it's all a mindset. there's a reason I don't watch the news and that's because it makes me bitter and anxious. So I don't watch the news. What I do is I go and I'm creative and I make things or I go and have lunch with my friends or I spend time with people that I need to spend time with because they're not going to be here forever. And I work on doing that. Like in the last few months, like my car, you know, I was rear-ended.

Robb (: 45:25

You

Tina (: 45:54

I've had several friends pass away, three clients pass away, a couple of cousins pass away. You know, the fires that killed business and then the rain and all the stuff that's been going on so people canceled and did everything. But it's like, I still find a way to do something that makes me happy. And I believe that if we let happy win,

Robb (: 45:59

you

Tina (: 46:23

you know, over all the bad stuff, it'll start to change the way things are moving in this world. And it takes all of us doing it, like finding what makes us happy, finding what brings us peace and joy. We need to be doing that more.

When we were during COVID, we were so busy up until COVID, we didn't have time for shit. Everything shut down and we were forced to be with our family. We were forced to look at ourselves. We were forced to take care of things that we neglected. We pulled it in. Everybody's houses are looking better and the kids and stuff had their parents around more and that was good. There was a lot of divorces and stuff like that, but that's another story.

Robb (: 47:06

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 47:08

But getting back to the swing of things, we've now gotten to the point where we're so crazy busy now again that we're right back where we started. So what did we learn? We didn't learn a damn thing, you know? So we have to get back to the happy. need to get back to, you know, and I'm not very religious, but I think everybody needs to get back to prayer and finding their faith and getting hope again. Like, there's just things that when it's all shitty and it's all said and done,

that you could turn to these things and have this train of thought that keeps you sane. And I don't see a lot of people doing that. I do that. I think I'm doing it more than ever.

Robb (: 47:49

Yeah, I'll go down that road. Well, I'm probably in the last. Well, in the last nine months, I've I prayed more than I have in my whole life.

You just, I think that sometimes you have to find the things that make you happy, whatever that is. And I got sent a video today. I got sent a video today. was some guy was on Rogan's podcast and my friend down the street sent it to me. It was very another thing where the guy goes.

Tina (: 48:01

Mm-hmm.

Tina (: 48:12

You always have to do that. You cannot let the negative win.

Robb (: 48:29

The more you talk about your problems, your mind throws that in front of everything else. And you're continuously thinking of your problems, even while you're sleeping. So your brain is doing it. Your anxiety levels are going up. So the thing is, is talk about the good. Like there's going to be bad. You can't get away from it, but just don't bring it up all the time. Don't talk about it all the time. Don't. And

Tina (: 48:36

Mm.

Robb (: 48:56

And the more you talk about the good things or how you want things to change or your your body and mind will start doing that on its own. It's pretty interesting, and I think. I'm doing my best and look, I have my days just like everybody else where you just go. Fuck. Like why am I here? Why are we doing this like? Yeah, you question everything like.

Tina (: 49:22

What's the point?

Robb (: 49:25

Like, really? Like, why are we here? And then there's days where I go, wow, this is why we're here. You see your friends, you see someone you like, you talk to your family and you go, this is, this is what life's about. And it could be something as simple as a phone call to your parent because I only have, you know, one left.

It could be sitting on a couch with a friend that you like that having a drink talking about life and it could be as simple as sending memes to each other all day to give you a giggle because that's what gets you through the day. I'm gonna do my best this year and look January has been a 72 day month. It's been a rough one already.

You know, I told my friend down the street, I mean, I just can't wait until the new year. And then fucking January came and I was like, you know, this is like a trial offer. Let's get to February and see what we can do. Correct.

Tina (: 50:35

The reality of it is it's a calendar day. There's nothing that changes from one day to the next. It's all still a continuous thing. So whenever people say, I can't wait for the new year, and I'm like, so you could be screwed over again, but now you're noticing it more because this was supposed to be your year.

Robb (: 50:51

Right. And do things while you can. Whatever that is for you.

Tina (: 50:55

Again, it's find your balance. And in this world with Mother Nature, everything's about balance. So find your balance, find your happy, and then go with that. And whatever attitude you put work into is the one that you're going to manifest. So make it be a happy one.

Tina (: 51:18

Absolutely. I'm a big believer in that because I don't like to miss anything, so I'm in it.

Robb (: 51:22

Yeah. I'm my friend down the street has been bugging me. I didn't go see my mom. COVID, she couldn't breathe. There's a lot of things. And I wanted to go see my dad late last year, but something kind of came up where I couldn't. So I'm he lives in a cold state and I don't do snow. I can't drive in it. I don't, you know, like I'm a California boy.

But probably I think come May I'm gonna get on a plane and go see him just Yeah, not only that it'll be cheap cheap as shit like I already looked up a I saw a flight to where he lives round trip. It was 310 bucks Yeah

Tina (: 51:56

So book your tickets now, Rob, so that you do do that. Yes. When I go to El Paso, yeah, when I go to El Paso, as soon as they say I want you here, I'm like, well, let's figure it out. What are the dates? And I book it right then.

Tina (: 52:18

So what are you waiting for?

Robb (: 52:19

I mean, I just need to book it. I just need to make sure with them that they're going to be that they're I need to make sure they're going to be home because they leave, you they travel. But that's my thing. Yeah. And I'm to go back and and even if it's just been, you know, four or five days there just to kind of see him. So I because I. I don't want to miss out if my dad would happen to pass away, I would be very upset that I didn't go back and see him one more time.

Tina (: 52:22

Book it. Book it.

Tina (: 52:28

So call them now so that you book it for $310 you can't beat it.

Tina (: 52:40

I've always said you won't get that time back.

Robb (: 52:50

So that's on my bucket list and she keeps, you know, she's very good at reminding me of things like that. You're gonna go see your dad, right? You're gonna go see your dad, right? You're gonna go see your dad, right? Yeah, I agree. Look, we'll try to get back to some kind of subject matter on this, but you know, the world is just so upside down right now.

Tina (: 53:02

I'll help her because I think that's important for you too. Yeah.

Tina (: 53:16

This is subject matter though, this is real time what's going on.

Robb (: 53:17

Yeah, no, I know, but we're pretty good at like, you know, putting subjects together and breaking them down. But I just thought that, you know, and I'm sure that the next couple of weeks, they might be like this where we're just bullshitting about what's really going on. And look, your life is upside down. There's been reasons that, you're very good at not forgetting, Tina. And this thing with your house has put you in

Tina (: 53:24

Yeah.

Robb (: 53:46

in a spiral and it was funny because I remember like I'd text you and you're like I totally forgot like okay next week and I'm just as guilty because now I'm just like all right whatever and and look we're we're pretty good but I know life is life is life right now yeah

Tina (: 54:01

This has been kicking my ass. It has.

But that's no excuse and I'll get it together. That's why I told you last week, said, I promise you I will be here this week and I've, made sure I stayed home all day and I had my stuff set up and I'm out in the, in the living area. Well, there's no living right now, but we're in the area that will be the kitchen living area where everybody's going to be when this is all over. So I thought I'm going to come out here because I'm tired of being in my bedroom and I wanted to sit up and there's no chairs in my

Robb (: 54:12

You

Tina (: 54:34

So this has been kind of cool. I mean, I'm sorry for the echo and I'm sorry for the missing things because that is not me to If I say I'm gonna do something I do it and and lately You're you know, I I called my friend the other day. I said I miss lunch didn't I she's like, you did I'm like That's not like me. She goes. Are you okay? Do you need anything? And I'm like, yeah, I need I need my life in order and I'm the only one that could fix that so We're getting there

Robb (: 54:45

Yeah. My friend down the street said something to me one day that kind of hit me hard. She goes,

I just want you to know Rob, I'm very tired, but I'm not sleeping. And I was like, yeah, I get that. She's very active, very like go get them, go. And she told me today, she goes, you know, Sunday, I just slept all day. She goes, she goes, I fight to get out of bed every day. Like, so I think.

Tina (: 55:29

did the same thing on Saturday.

Robb (: 55:37

It's not just her, it's a lot of people.

Tina (: 55:41

I think the best thing I started doing was taking a bunch of vitamins because I was starting to have that like, why am I thinking this way and why? But then I realized I didn't feel good. So I started taking vitamins and that has helped. And it does help my attitude. And well, you know, I'm always fighting against like, I could tell you what's really going on, but can we just have fun? Because I'd rather do that. But the vitamins are helping. And I think vitamin D we all need.

Robb (: 56:03

Right me me too it's I I I take the maximum amount you can I take 5,000 units a day

Tina (: 56:15

I was taking 10,000 a day because I was so depleted. Now I'm at like 5,000. I take 5,000 one day and then 250 the next. I'm getting there. But that, helps. Yeah.

Robb (: 56:20

Okay. I have a deficiency. I'll send you a picture. I ordered a vitamin holder off Amazon. I had one and I started adding things so it started not fitting. So all I typed in was

Tina (: 56:43

Me too.

Robb (: 56:45

Extra large vitamin holder. I didn't look at how what the dimensions were I go hey that looks like it'll at least fit a few more than and I got it and I'm not joking it's 14 inches long and it's like by like three inches wide they hold they must hold you know each side because it has like a morning and night they they probably hold on each side

Tina (: 57:01

Damn.

Robb (: 57:14

Probably 15 different vitamins on so it's like it's huge Now that I got it. It's awesome because I'm starting to add certain things newer vitamins to it. I'm gonna be probably taking like 25 vitamins a day, but I take like yeah, I take like zinc and and There's a few I take quite a few like cinnamon and a couple other things

Tina (: 57:17

you

Tina (: 57:31

I'm up to 18. Yeah.

Robb (: 57:41

But yeah, I agree with you. think that look, we, as we're getting older, we have to try to take care of ourselves. And vitamins have been helping me for sure. Like magnesium is amazing. Everyone should take magnesium. It's so good for you. And I think that, you know, like exercise is big. And I read something, we follow a doctor on Instagram, and he talks about like, before you...

take any kind of drink in the morning you should have water and salt because your body needs that and it's pretty pretty amazing so no yeah there's a certain salt mm-hmm yeah yeah yeah I just get it and I put my down the street she gave me some and I just lick my finger and stick my finger in it and put it in my mouth and let it break it down

Tina (: 58:19

water not just with any salt either they want the Celtic sea salt.

Robb (: 58:36

but yeah, so an exercise, like the best thing I've done is, go to the gym every morning. I know it's super difficult for people and it's hard. It's still hard. And we've been doing it since June, may. And it's difficult to get there at four in the morning and there's days where me and her fight it and she'll text me and like, I'm not going to make it today. And I go, okay. And then.

Tina (: 58:51

Yeah.

Robb (: 59:02

Some days I go back to sleep and some days I get my ass to the gym and still go so It's a fight and it's gonna be a fight forever, but I find I feel way better and I just find myself You know a little more active and wanting to do things I'm trying darling. There's still a few more things I want to do and and But we'll get there. It's just so everything

Tina (: 59:19

You're just finding your happy.

Robb (: 59:29

There's a slow pace for some things and a fast pace for others and you just gotta know when to hit them. Alrighty, anything for the end of this hour long episode. See, we're catching up. We're catching up. We're gonna have... Right, we're gonna do an extra 15 minutes for the next four weeks so we catch up.

Tina (: 59:35

Absolutely.

Tina (: 59:40

Right? We haven't talked in a while, so here it is.

Tina (: 59:47

You

Now just do your best to be happy and not let things get to you. I think that's just a good way to be, you know?

Robb (: 59:57

Yeah, live a good life. Don't stay away from social media as much as you can. Stay away from the news and just be good to the people around you. That's my thing. You can check us out pretty much anywhere you can hear a podcast. Share, share, share. And I know people have been when we put out an episode and we're going to get back on track. I promise. And yeah, share with all your friends. We're on social media, but like I said,

Tina (: 01:00:08

Mm-hmm, I agree.

Tina (: 01:00:20

I promise.

Robb (: 01:00:26

I think things might change now. might not get banned as much. Yeah, I've been banned a couple times for putting stuff up. But yeah, look, it's an opinion show. Don't get it twisted. Keep coming back every Wednesday. We're going to get this road going. yeah, you know, have a good night and we'll see you in a week. Bye.

Tina (: 01:00:46

See ya.