suspense. Among wine stewards, the men who are responsible for the wine selections in the cellars of famous hotels and restaurants, the choice is C-R-E-S-T-A, V-L-A-N-C-A, Cresta Blanca, Cresta Blanca. Yes, with professional hosts who know how to please the palates of America's most discriminating guests, Cresta Blanca California wines richly bespeak gracious hospitality. So, compliment your guests by serving the best. For distinguished entertaining, poor magnificent Cresta Blanca sherry, port, muscatel, or any Cresta Blanca wine. From the finest of the vines, it's Cresta Blanca wine. Shanley's Cresta Blanca wine company, Livermore, California. And now, Shanley brings you Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrills. Suspense. Presented by Roma Wines, that's R-O-M-A. Roma Wines for your everyday enjoyment. Tonight, Roma Wines of Fresno, California bring you Mr. Walter Abel in Quiet Desperation, a suspense play produced, edited and directed for Shanley by William Spear. It was during my lunch hour one day. Funny, I can't even remember the name of the book. Anyway, the sentence was, the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. I couldn't seem to get past that sentence, quiet desperation. That was me, the author was talking about Homer Bigelow. And suddenly I thought, why should I go on like that? I was desperate, okay, but why should I be quiet? Why shouldn't I do something about it? Get myself out of the rut. All I needed was the right break. It came a lot sooner than I expected. One day, just before my vacation, I happened to overhear Mr. Pearson, he's president of the bank, talking to one of the bank's directors, Corbyn Vandegryf. Usually their conversation is about debentures or first mortgages or government issues. That stuff didn't interest me. Today, their talk was a horse of another color. It was a hot day, and the door of the boss's office was open. They didn't even know I was alive. I understand she's no great beauty, but it's just as well she doesn't attract too much attention going through customs at both ends. You mean to say, Corbyn, that the young girl is willing to take the risk of violating her country's currency controls? Evidently. Of course, she feels exactly as the father does. That they should be free over there to spend their own money wherever they choose. Old Vale would break every law they've written there, just for the satisfaction of knowing he's out with it. And Hester probably feels the same way about it. Well, then he'll get quite a kick out of slipping 20,000 pounds out of the country. Not pounds, John. But they might as well be. They're just about as negotiable as cold cash. By when that girl turns them over to me, I can walk into any deal in the city and get a full market value in 10 minutes. And I intend to do it for them. I'm in complete sympathy. No government on earth could tell me where and when and how to spend my own money. Once she gets the money, what's she going to do with it? Oh, I don't know. They don't care. My guess is that she's going to do some shrewd buying highly scarce products for shipments back abroad. It's even available to find a profitable deal. When is she arriving? Monday on Elizabeth. I've engaged a suite for the ambassador. Good. I wrote them that I'd meet her at the boat, take her to the hotel, get the negotiables and exchange them for her. That afternoon she can throw the dollars out the window for all that matters to me. I do if you'll be over. Well aren't you going to entertain her while she's here? See that she has a good time? Entertain her? I should say not. What? I don't even know the girl. Besides, I'm a little too old for that sort of thing. Come on, we'll keep it chilly in here. You know I like to buy. I wondered what Mr. Pearson would say if any of us employees at the banks were to play fast and loose with the law the way Corbyn van der Griff and that snooty dame has to veil we're doing. He wouldn't be quite so sympathetic and understanding. You can bet your bottom dollar on that. That kind of skullduggery was labeled strictly for the rich. I should have put the whole thing out of my mind but somehow I couldn't. Twenty thousand pounds, eighty thousand dollars in American money. I stood there outside Mr. Pearson's office. I was shaken up of my quiet desperation somehow. I just stood there dreaming about romance and adventure that you could buy with money. Well Homer, you're all set for your vacation? Oh yes, yes sir. Leaving Friday for good old Eel River. My 13th year there. Well I envy you son. I won't be going up until September. Then you'll be fishing up at Eel River again this summer. Oh yes, yes. I would miss it for anything. I wrote a meal and told him to expect me. We'll be here quite a party this year, five of us should know. Say, did I tell you about the trout I caught last year? Yes, the bank president and his lowly employee both went to the same place for their vacation but what a difference. When he went out fishing he had two guides per man with him, the pack and carrier, the paddle and cook, to set up camp, to do everything that needed doing. Whereas I had to do everything for myself and buy myself. Well have a good time Homer, I'll see you when you return. I'll say goodbye now. I won't be back anymore today. Goodbye sir and thanks. I had my lunch that day as I usually did in the boardroom. Jenny, Mr. Pearson's secretary, had left the door to his office open so that if the phone rang I could take the message while she was out the phone did ring and it was Corbin van de Grip. This is Homer Bigelow, Mr. van de Grip. Oh yes, Homer. Make sure to give this message to Mr. Pearson. I'm laid up here in the country with the cold. I won't be able to get to the city for that appointment on Monday. Mr. Pearson knows all about it. Ask him to meet Miss Vale at the boat farm in. She told that she's settled at the hotel. Tell him not to expect me back in the city until next Wednesday at the earliest. Yes sir. Tell him I'll take care of that financial matter for Miss Vale when I get in. I can wait until Wednesday. Yes sir. And tell him not to bother to call me. I'm going to spend this week in bed and I don't want to be disturbed. Yes sir. Thank you Homer. So Mr. van de Grip was indisposed. Too bad. Now the girl would have to be met by a substitute as a stranger. Well she didn't know either van de Grip or Pearson from a hole in the ground so what did it matter? And if it came to that why did the substitute have to be Mr. Pearson? Why couldn't it be me? For suspense Roma Wines are bringing you Walter Abel in Quiet Desperation. Roma Wines presentation tonight in Radio's Outstanding Theatre of Thrills. Suspense.  That's R-O-M-A. Roma Wines. America's largest selling wines. Mark Twain once said, everybody talks about the weather but nobody does anything about it. Well that may have been true in Mark Twain's time but today it's a different story. Today there's an easy way to beat the heat. Just half fill a glass with better tasting Roma wine such as rich Roma toque, fruity Roma Zinfandel or mellow Roma claret. Add ice, fill up with soda, sweeten to taste and garnish with fragrant mint or fruit slices. Then lean back and enjoy Roma wine and soda. America's smartest, coolest summer drink. I'm sure you'll agree that Roma wine and soda so delicious, so refreshing, so cool to come home to is the perfect warm weather thirst quencher. Perfect for summer entertaining. So inexpensive too. It's a hot idea to treat your family and friends to cold, refreshing Roma wine and soda made with better tasting Roma wines. America's favorite wines. And now Roma wines bring back to our Hollywood soundstage, Walter Abel as Homer Bigelow with Kathy Lewis as Hester Vail. In quiet desperation, a play well calculated to keep you in suspense. My days of quiet desperation were over. Anyone taking real close look at me that Friday wouldn't have been sure I had a fever. My face felt hot and every now and then I had a fit of trembling. But evening finally came. I go up down some food at the cafeteria, picked up my bags at home and went to the station. The next day I was saying hello to Emil on the platform of the Eel River station. Hello Emil, glad to see you. How is my brother Mr. Pearson? Fine, he sends his regards. How's the fishing? Oh, many things, the best ever. Many others on the river, Emil? Oh, not the one. The fish, they are hungry like anything and not they want to give them small flight to eat. Now you come, they will be all for you. That's fine. I'll get started right up. Is everything all set? Everything is ready, eh? Come. In half an hour I was at the camp on the shore of Eel River. I had lunch, changed my clothes, put my city clothes into my pack instead of into my suitcase which I was going to leave in camp and by three o'clock I was a good eight miles up Eel River. By four I had hidden my canoe and equipment in some bushes along the bank and dressed again in city clothes was walking slowly through the woods toward Loudoun's corners three miles away. It was a local stop on the railroad just below Eel River. The train south was due in at nine that night. I had plenty of time to catch it and make the transfer at Boston for the night train to New York. In the Boston station I bought a cheap suitcase and a couple of shirts and when the train dropped me at Grand Central early Sunday morning I went straight to the 49th Street Hotel which was just a couple of blocks from the Ambassador. I scrolled the name Henry Smith in the register and was shown to my room. I had a whole day and a night to wait and for once with all that time on my hands I didn't read a book. Excuse me where could I find a Miss Vail, one of the passengers. What? What name? Pesta Vail. Vail look over there by the V. She's probably there. Thank you. Miss Vail. Miss Vail. Over here. Good morning Miss Vail. I'm... You're Mr. Vandepri. That's right. So good of you to come. My father promised to meet me.  He's very well thank you. Still growling about Europe's ruin. It's been a beastly news since this waiting. Is there anything I can do to help? Thank you. That chap's finally finished mucking about with my boxes. I think I was an adventurous smuggling something priceless into your country. I have nothing to declare you know. Came with empty trunks, suspect to fill them up while I'm here. Can't buy a thing in Europe you know. Europe's a dreadful nightmare. Yes so I understand. Father worked all about it did he? Foolish of him to ride. Mail might have been opened. Oh no after all the war's over. Is it? Well shall I take you to your hotel you probably want a rest. Rest? Not at all. I'm scooting out to the shops right off.  Well they allowed me a hundred pounds. I still have most of it. That'll do for a starter. They don't they know about you know. Yes if if you'd care to turn over the contraband I could see about converting it into dollars for you. Contraband, spies and all that sort of thing. That describes it exactly it's very nice. But not now I'll dig them out of the hotel. All right. Is there anything you'd like me to do this evening or you'd like to do this evening? Well dear I don't want to impose on your time. Oh you're not imposing it's a pleasure. But I'd like to see you play. What are your bright American musicals impossible? Well I think that can be arranged.  We can have dinner and then go to the theater. That's splendid it's brightly kind of you. I haven't seen a musical myself. Well not for a long time anyway. I took her to her suite at the ambassador. Then I went back to my room to think over my plan. It was almost too simple. As soon as she turned the securities over to me I'd take them to a broker and collect. Then I'd catch the night train back to Loudon's corner then through the woods to Eagle River. By tomorrow afternoon I'd be in my canoe again as if nothing had happened. A few days after that the canoe would come drifting down the river wrong side up. And my stuff would be found floating in a quiet backwater. Under another name I'd go out west. With $80,000 I'd never have to go back to that old life of quiet desperation. No sir I was through with that forever. As for the man who posed as Corbyn Vandegrif he'd never be found. And no one would ever connect him with the Homer Bigelow who was drowned on a fishing trip in the swift waters of Eagle River 250 miles away. Good evening Miss Vale. Hello right on time. How was the shopping? Oh I say it left me quite speechless. I can't wait until I can really go on a spree. Are we ready? If you are. Quite. There now will you hold this key for me? There's simply no room in my bag for it. Sure I'll keep it in my pocket for you. Thank you. I picked a quiet little restaurant where I was sure I wouldn't meet anyone who knew me. The theater was going to be an ordeal, all those people but that couldn't be helped. I had to play my part until she handed over those securities. I couldn't afford to look too anxious about them either but I needed to worry. While we were waiting for the dessert she opened her bag and pulled out a package of about a dozen small under ropes. Different sizes and different shapes. Here you are Mr. Vandegrif. Take good care of them. Are these? They are. I put them in my inside pocket. All the way down Broadway in the taxi I felt them. The envelopes were too small it seemed to me to hold securities. Maybe if they would fold it over but even then they would have to be bulkier than they were. I had to look into those envelopes to know if the securities were really there but I had no chance and it wasn't until the taxi dropped us in front of the theater that I was able to make one. Here we are. Miss Vail I I want a few minds seeing the show alone. Oh dear. I don't know what did it to me but I suddenly got in a terrific headache. Oh that is too bad. Or it'll be all right I just thought the music and the excitement wouldn't help much. No I should think not. Suppose you take me back to the hotel then you can go right home. But wouldn't you like to see the show by yourself? Oh. Could you know and then take a taxi back to the ambassador? Yes I suppose I could. Well I should hate to think a headache of mine spoiled your whole evening here. Take the tickets and go on in. Well thank you I will. I'm dreadfully sorry you have to miss it. Oh I'll make up for it another time Miss Vail. There are plenty of musicals you want to see. You'll be sure to take something for that headache now won't you? I will. Thanks a lot for being so considerate. Good night Miss Vail. Have a good time. Oh I'm sure too. Good night Mr. Vanderger. Back in my hotel room with shaking hands I opened the envelopes. They were nothing but letters from her friends. Sent to her from different parts of the world not a single security in any of them. Could it have been a mistake? Did she hand me the wrong package? Didn't seem possible. Maybe she suspected something was wrong and played a trick on me. I was sweating and rich from my handkerchief and that's when I felt her hotel key still in my pocket. I threw the package of letters into my suitcase and walked over to the ambassador two blocks away. Her key opened the door and I was alone in her suite. I had until at least 1132 and a half hours. I took my time about it making sure to put everything back exactly as I found it. I searched her baggage to bureau the drawers the closet every conceivable place even under the rugs and found exactly nothing. She had them on her then. I turned the light off and went into the bedroom to wait. Soon after 1130 I heard the outer door open. Terribly sorry to have caused this trouble Mr. Vanderger for suddenly taking me to headache or I'm sure he wouldn't have forgotten to return my key. Well it really doesn't matter miss. You can use this duplicate until he returns it to you. Oh it is a bother though. Oh not at all Miss Vale. Happens often. Well good night. Thank you good night. Oh dear Vanderger what are you doing here? I'm sorry to disturb you Miss Vale but I had to come back. You see you forgot to give me the securities. Securities? Yes the securities. I was to assault for you. Oh my dear but I did. Oh no there wasn't anything in the package except some letters from friends of yours. Who are you? You're not Mr. Vanderger.  You get out of here. I warn you Miss Vale I don't want to get nasty but I'm not going to leave without them. Stay away from me. The securities Miss Vale. No no no. Where are they Miss Vale? Tell me I don't want to hurt you. The more she struggled the tighter grip her throat her arms beat weakly against my side and suddenly I got so mad at her that I where are they? Where are they? Tell me where are they? My fingers tightened and strained against her soft flesh then suddenly she quit struggling and when I loosened my grip she fell down unconscious. Where was that person who's out there? I ripped it over nothing there but a powder contact and a lipstick and some change. Where could they be? She'd have to tell me I'd make her Miss Vale. Wake up Miss Vale. She didn't move and then I saw her but she wasn't breathing anymore. I'd killed her. I never meant to kill the girl. I hadn't any idea I was choking her that hard. All I wanted was to get away. I couldn't stay there with that limp body sprawled on the rug but I had to be careful. Couldn't afford to make any mistake now. I tried to remember everything I'd read and detective stories. You had to be careful about fingerprints. I ran to the bathroom, grabbed the towel and with it wiped every surface I might have touched. Then I dragged the body to the bedroom, put it on the bed.  I listened a couple of seconds at the out-of-door. Everything was quiet. I ducked out and went to the stairs. The lobby was empty. I crossed over and went on to Park Avenue. Five minutes later I was in my hotel. It was 12 30. I could still catch the one o'clock train for Boston. Fine mess I'd made. The best thing that could happen to me now, mind you, the best thing would be to get back home to the boarding house, to the bank, to that horrible, hopeless rut I tried to get away from. That was the best I had to look forward to. The worst. I didn't even have the courage to think of it. But then what could they pin on me? If anybody had anything to worry about it wasn't me. It was Mandegriffe. He had the date with her, not I. As far as anybody knew, I didn't know any such person as Hester Vale ever existed. Mandegriffe was the guy she told the desk clerk she'd given the key to. But the poor sap wouldn't even be able to prove an alibi for late last night midnight. Yes.  I could go back to my fishing and forget the whole thing. Forget it ever happened. I was safe. Huh. Fine consolation that was after all the beautiful plans I'd made. But at least I was safe. In Boston I checked the new suitcase. I could pick it up on the way home. The local dropped me at Loudon's corner. By noon I was sitting over my campfire, having a bite just like any other fellow out on a fishing trip. Ten days later on a Saturday morning I was back at Emil's camp. Ah, go ahead, Mr. Bigelow. How was fishing, huh? Fine, Emil. Fine. Oh, you get nice sunburn, huh? Last the rest of the year anyway, no? Did I really get that round? Or like very, huh? Real nice and quiet, no? I have no party fishing before August when Mr. Pearson come with four friends. Yes, I know. He told me. Ha ha. He's some fisherman, Mr. Pearson, who always try for records. But you don't care for records. That means you're Bigelow. You lead the simple, the quiet life. I, I guess I do. You enjoy it, no? Enjoy it? I try my best. You have other hobbies, maybe, huh? No. I don't have any hobbies except reading. Mr. Pearson and me, we have the same hobby. That's why we such good friends. Oh, I didn't know that. Oh, we, we, we. We're great ones for philatelie, leitembe, the stamp, you know? Someday I show you my collections. Each feel three albums, but I have no so good collection like Mr. Pearson, but then I have no so much money. Neither have I. Ha ha, you make jokes. Mr. Pearson never worthy, I know. But still, Emil can give him some stamp once in a while. I have few duplicates.  Oh, sure, I'd be glad to. Ah, yes. Now I drive you to station. Next year you come again, no? Yes, I'll come again.  Yes, it was fine, Mr. Pearson. Good, good, good. I can't say we've had any enjoyment back here. Have you heard about Mr. Vandergrip? Mr. Vandergrip? No, sir, is there something wrong? Wrong. I'll say there is. He's been arrested for murder. He insists he's innocent, but the police have a strong case against him, very strong. Oh, it looks bad, bad indeed. I'm sorry, sir. So are we all. It means I'll have to give up my fishing trip this summer for one thing. I can't desert old Vanby at such a time. I'll have to worry Emil, and I just got a letter from him telling me he had everything arranged to him. Yes, he told me he was expecting you. Oh, well, can't be helped. Oh, say, by the way, he wrote that he sent some duplicates on to me and your care. Stamps, you know? Stamps? Oh, that's right, he did. Sorry, I forgot about them, Mr. Pearson. I must have them at home. I'll bring them in tomorrow, sir. No hurry, no hurry. I have no mind for them now, anyway. Well, back to work. Come on, back to work. That night I looked for the stamps, but I couldn't find them. How I ever managed to lose them I'll never know. Now I'd have to explain to Mr. Pearson. No, I wouldn't have to explain. I still had those letters, her letters. They were from foreign countries. I'd take the stamps from those envelopes and give them to Mr. Pearson. He'd never know the difference. I knew how fussy he could get about little things like lost stamps. Rather than get him started on a lecture, I'd gut out the package of letters, cut the stamps off, and then burn the letters and the envelopes. The next day. Yes. Here are those stamps, sir. I found them at home, all right. Oh, well, just put them on the desk, Homer. Thank you very much. Oh, don't mention it, Mr. Pearson. I was having my lunch later in the boardroom when Mr. Pearson came in. He had a stranger with him. A tall man with an angry face. Here you are, Homer. Yes, sir. I want you to meet Mr. Scott. How do you do? I don't. Those stamps you gave me, Homer, are you sure you got them from Emil? Oh, yes, sir. Just before I left, he gave them to me for you. No, Homer, no. I just called Emil. He told me he gave you some recent French issues. Those weren't the stamps you gave me. Well, Mr. Pearson, I guess you found me out. You see, I lost the stamps Emil gave me, and I didn't want to disappoint you. So I went to a stamp dealer and picked up a dozen odd stamps to replace them. I didn't think it would make much difference. Is that your story, Big Low? What do you mean? It's true. They were very rare and very valuable stamps, Homer. You must have shelled out a pretty penny for them. Oh, I don't know. Mr. Pearson feels a man in your position couldn't afford to buy stamps like those unless... Unless what? Unless you didn't buy them at all, Big Low. Unless you got them from the late Miss Hester Vale. Well, what's the matter, Homer? Is the name familiar to you? No. Why, no, sir, I... I never heard of... What makes us think so is that the stamps Miss Vale smuggled into this country were the same issues and worth exactly as much, $80,000. Hey, worth $80,000? Could it be a coincidence, Mr. Big Low? Quiet desperation. I've been catching up on my reading here in prison while waiting. I found another good quote. Happiness is the absence of pain. Suspense! Quiet desperation, starring Walter Abel and presented by Roma Wines. That's R-O-M-A, Roma Wines. Those better tasting wines selected for your pleasure from the world's greatest reserves are fine wines. More Americans enjoy Roma Wines than any other wines because Roma Wines taste better. To create this better taste, Roma begins with natural juices, gently pressed from California's choicest grapes. Then, Roma master ventiners with ancient skill and unmatched wine making resources guide these luscious grape treasures unhurriedly to taste perfection. Then, these better tasting wines are placed with mellow Roma Wines of years before and from these, the world's greatest wine reserves, Roma later selects for your pleasure. Right now, a wonderful way to discover the better taste of Roma Wines is to serve Roma wine and soda iced. For cool lip smacking refreshment, enjoy delicious Roma wine and soda made with your favorite Roma wine. That's Roma, America's largest selling wine. Walter Abel will soon be seen in the Hal Roach production, Fabulous Joe. Tonight's Suspense play was by George and Gertrude Fass. Next Thursday, same time, you will hear Donald O'Connor at Star of Suspense, produced and directed by William Spear for the Roma Wine Company of Fresno, California. In the coming weeks, Suspense will present such stars as Edmund O'Brien, John Lund, Lloyd Nolan and others. Make it a point to listen each Thursday to Suspense, radio's outstanding theater of thrill. This is CBS The Columbia Broadcasting System.


The meeting is being live streamed. Okay. We'll see. And hopefully people can ask questions because I think I. Yeah. And I put that on the announcement like hopefully this works. Oh, good. And I can record this as well. So if it doesn't work. Okay. How come your lighting is always better than mine? I have every light on right here. And hopefully people can ask questions because I think I. Yeah. And I put that on the announcement like hopefully this works. Okay. And I can record this as well. So if it doesn't work. Okay. How come your lighting is always better than mine? So like. Can we shut down and try again? Oh, it's working. Oh. I think that we are on a low. Okay. So. I'm going to record this. So. We're going to record this. So if it doesn't work. Okay. Okay. I think it's always better than mine. You don't know. So like. Can we shut down and try again? Yeah. I guess. I think because we're not saying anything else. Oh. Wow. I can fix that. Okay. Okay. So this would be funny if. So I'm going to try to manage the chat over here. Okay. I'm flossing my teeth. I don't know. I hope I don't have chicken in my teeth. Okay. Okay. Okay. Okay. Oh yeah. If I just turn the sound down here, then I don't have to hear it. Okay. Oh, people are joining. Okay. And we're live, Christy. Hey, glad I put my dinner plate down. We're live. We're live. We're live. We're live. So there is a bit of a delay from what we're saying to what is going live. So don't be frustrated if you're asking a question. It's coming. So I'm happy for you guys to ask questions. And then, you know, Oh, nice. So the guy that got our chocolate that we've got from America is on and he is just thanking us for the chocolate. So hello. It's called Kiwi backyard gardener. There we go. So I have to look over here to read the, yeah. Anyway, so you guys can figure it out. Okay. So I think everything's working. Let me check. Yeah. So they're just seeing it a little bit delayed. So that's fine. Okay. Okay. What is that? So it's fall here, y'all in the U S of a. And you know how much I love gnomes. It's my fall gnome. Okay. What are we decorating with? Nothing. First of all, it's spring here, which my body. Okay. So I have the pumpkin spice lattes in the morning. And yeah, no, I don't do any decorations. Are you kidding me? I have moved. I have sold everything and moved three times over to the other place. And I was never into that anyway. It's like minimal.  I'm not looking for more. True. True.  So me and Christy are going to share fun stories and talk to you guys. But in the meantime, if you want to ask us questions, we will dive into those and I will sprinkle those in as we're talking. Oh, we've got a, I love the autumn gnome. Oh, autumn gnome. Okay. I think there's a song there. I think that there, did you guys know that Christy is a singer? Car karaoke. Let's go. She's good. She actually sang in my wedding. So like, she's an actual singer. You're kind. Not a, you know, bathroom or car singer, I guess. Well, as I age, I think I'm going to change that. Yeah. We're going to change that. You're going to go on one of those shows and. You know, what's his name is going to be like, you're amazing. You're okay. But that means really amazing. What's his name? It's like critical. Oh yeah. Yeah. Simon Cowell. He's crabby. He's always crabby. He's always crabby. Exactly. Why is he so likeable though? I know. I know. There's something about that. It's because he says what we're thinking. That's what it is. I'm really unwilling to say. Directly. And really has. No. Facial. Like he's like. You're bad.  Good murderer. I have a question ma'am. What's the name of your koala? What did you name him? I didn't name your thing. I'm not a child. You don't name your cars? You don't name the thing. No, you name your cars. People don't name things when they're adults.   I just change it up. They listen anyway, it's fine. So, it's fine. So, I just got a question for you. When are you getting on the plane? Oh. You know what, I checked the flight costs in like around Christmas. What is that? Wow. 6,000 round trip. I was like, because I was going to go home for Christmas. I want to go home for Christmas. I feel like snow and cold and lights and cozy. Oh, I know it. What do you have instead, hot? It's summer? No, hot in summer. Yeah. Weird. That is so weird. 6,000, yeah, sorry, can't 6,000. Plus, we haven't figured out the medication that'll work for me. Anyway, you guys, I have a big announcement and I haven't told Kristy this yet either. I mean, not that big of a deal, but like 20,000 YouTube subscribers today. You are kidding, girl. I know, right? I was like, I saw it and I was like immediately doing like all these social posts and like, you know, just everything. And I was like, no, I got to announce it differently. I'm going to go live. And then I remembered that we were going to record today and I was like, we're going live today and letting everybody know. You know, so the way that social media has changed by having subscribers followers is less and less important, but it is good to know like your accomplishment. Like it took me two and a half years. Like things don't just have, people don't just go viral and become whatever. And what I love about it is that the 20K is an actual community. I mean, these are people I know, these are people that know me. Do you know what I mean? Like not all, but like a lot of them. And so, yeah, it's great. And then, you know, created a whole business from it, helping people move here. And it was like really helpful. So, yeah. You always have stuff going. It's like, I don't even know. And I didn't even want to be on YouTube. It was my TikTok followers begging me to get on here. And then I get on here and I couldn't believe how amazing this platform was. And I'm like, what is this place? So, yeah. And then, you know, that's the thing. It's like, you would have asked me three years ago, you're going to be a YouTuber. I would have completely laughed at you. Like no chance. I don't even watch YouTube. I don't consume it. I'm not on there. I don't video edit. Like, is that so funny? It's so crazy. Again, it shows you though what mindset will do if you just put one foot in front of the other and just little by little.  So are you. But it's like, we expect it to be microwave. Like, hey, I did this.  It's true. You know what I mean? No, it requires patience. It requires patience. It requires patience. Like I created, so here's a great example. I created this short form video course. It's free. If you guys want to let me know, I'll send you a link. And it's to help people do TikToks and Reels and YouTube shorts. And I was creating it. And at the end was like, I just want to be clear because I work with a lot of businesses and clients and they always think that it's a miracle worker. If I'm gonna post a video, miracles will happen. Do you know what I mean? And it's like, you have to post consistently. You have to do things differently. And you know, yeah, it's so funny. Like I said, consistency is the name of the game. You got to just keep keeping on. And you don't need to be crazy about it. If you don't feel like it, like I didn't feel like doing a video this week. So, you know, like you're in control.  You can do what you want. I tend to prefer the short form video, which is nice because YouTube just came out that they're gonna put AdSense on there. So that's nice. Because that's the thing, like you put all this, I put in about 27 pieces of content out a day. Like I've learned how to like scale it. I need to. It's where all my leads come from. And yeah, and it's repurposed. It's like, you take a couple of videos and you've repurposed them across all these different platforms. And that's how you like scale that. And it's, and I prefer the short form video, but nobody's paying you for any of that, you know? Like it's a lot of efforts for, do you know what I mean? But it does, you know, bring in leads or bring in deals and you wouldn't have otherwise. That's, that is awesome. We got any questions? Let's see, I'm looking. Oh yes, we got some new people on. Oh, somebody has to go back to work, fair enough. Get to work. Have fun. And yeah, so just saying hi, that sort of thing. But I just thought just to keep this rolling with interesting and, you know, content, right? Is I thought that we would talk a little bit about what happened when we were in the US together. Are we sure? Because like in the YouTube video that I created of our time together does not capture all of it. I just think there are a couple of really funny stories that I think that the audience would like. All right, go ahead and get started and I'll add. Can you add? You add anytime. Okay, so we decided. Okay, we decided, we went live with you guys and then we decided to go out dancing because we both love dancing. I mean, I've been dancer forever and we decided to go out dancing downtown Appleton, Wisconsin. So you have to understand, small town. Okay, let me compare that to somewhere here. Oh, downtown, like... Ooh, even Janita is too big. Like downtown like Martinville. Like, okay, so small town anyway. But there is a whole lot. And the ages that are downtown at that part of the night would be, you know, 19, maybe to 25, would you say? 30? That would be, yeah. And we're not that age. Yeah, maybe 30. Yeah, so go ahead, where did we stop? But the thing is, okay, so Christy hasn't gone out in a long time. So I'm like, we'll go out, we'll do some dancing. And she was like, well, let's go now. And I'm like, okay, it's nine o'clock. You don't realize that nothing's happening at nine. But she's like, nah, I'm gonna get tired. We gotta go now. So we go and of course nothing's happening. But we go into this one, we're walking down the street and the bouncer is like, come on in, free drinks for ladies. And we're like, all right. Wow. Right, like why would you go to a different one? And then they just give you, what were they giving us? Like these mini margaritas. Yeah, like mini margaritas. And you could have as many as you want. Not many people in there.  Bridal, what do they call it? What, bachelor party? Yes, in the U.S. But they call it, oh, a Hens party here. I'm sorry. And like, that Hens party, right? Somebody help her. Yeah, let me know. So anyway, so we go over there and there's a huge group of very young women and we just sat there and were like, should we tell them? Should we tell them what it's really like to get married? We'll let them just. We'll just let them enjoy it tonight. So the music starts and I don't, we don't know these songs. It's not 80s or 90s. It's like random country, random, random. Christy doesn't know the songs. Oh, I would know if it was Tootsie Roll. I would know if it was like, pump up the jam, pump it up. I forgot the words. Anyway, this happens as I get older. I know every third word to everything. And anyway, so I start dancing. I'm like, none of these people know me. I could probably be their mother anyway. So nobody's paying attention to me because I'm 45. Who's looking at the middle-aged chick? No one. So Tara and I are just doing our thing. No, no, no, no, let me step in. Christy is so excited about dancing.  It's still like, and she's just like, I'm just there. I'm like, what? So much so that this Hens party, they call it a Hens do, I guess. They are like, they're looking at her. They're looking, and they liked her and they brought her into their den of fun. I've like lost her. I don't even know where. You're like in the middle of dancing, you're in the middle of them dancing like crazy. Right, with my backpack person. I mean, if I was not screaming middle-aged mom who hasn't been out in years, I don't know what, and I had a shirt on that said, sunshine and coffee. My sons were like, you wore that out clubbing mom? I'm like, I think it's cute. I love this shirt. They're like, okay, awesome. I'm like, listen here. I was in a picture with the bridal party. They all got their picture and they wanted her in the picture and they wanted, she's part of the group now. And it was like, we were, okay, guys, you are not gonna believe this. We were the party. I don't know what's happening with these people. You could tell, they're insecure, they're nervous. We don't have any of that in your 40s. It's gone. We don't care about people. We don't care, we do not care. No, my jeans didn't fit. We don't care. We don't care, you know.  Remember, we were sweating.  I'm hot. It's time to- So we laughed, we laughed. Here's, let me just finish the story. It just gets better. So we go to a couple other clubs. Later on that night, we end up walking by this, I don't know who it was, ice cream or cookie dough. It was weird. I don't know what we were eating. We bought a whole thing and it just melted and we didn't eat it. Yes. Because she creates a ruckus, wherever she goes. So we're in this place and she, this is the other thing, because we're in small town, Wisconsin, they are, everybody knows you. So like we kept running into people that she knows, like her kid's friends. But not my kids, thank God, or I would have been- Oh man, would that have been funny, that anyway. So we get, so we're getting ice cream. And then all of a sudden, that same group of hens come up to the window like this. It was just like his huge picture window and they're banging on the window. And it was like, I don't know how many, 12 of them. It was a lot of them. They're banging on the window. And I'm like, oh my gosh, we turn around and we're like, Christie's fan club is here. And so she goes out into the street. The area goes crazy that she's out there.  Oh, I don't mind you, we're just in the middle of the floor. Oh, hard. She's videotaping everything, laughing hysterically. She's like, what is happening? I don't know, guys, no idea. I haven't been out in- I don't know what you were saying, but you were talking to him for a while. And then, then we leave that place. And then what happened was, is on the loud speaker outside was a song from the Mindies. And we went- We knew it. I don't remember the song. We started dancing like crazy. In the streets, on the sidewalk, and you know what happened? Everybody joined us. It was like Pied Piper or whatever that guy, the little- It looked like everybody joined us. Dancing in the street. Not- Yes! We were like, what just happened? We are the party.  Right. So we're walking down the street. We walked by that bar that we went in the free drinks. The bouncer comes up to us and says, can you please come back in here? Because it has been dead since you left. Yeah. Mike, drop. Exactly. I was like, there it is. We are the party. How is this possible? Our late 40s, let's go. September March. Oh yeah, sorry, 29. So yeah, so that was crazy. We had a really good night. Okay, did you send the video out about, cause I can't remember, when also as you get older, you don't feel like doing anything. You don't feel like doing. So we're at the TJ Maxx, which I frequent three times a week probably. Okay, so I know everybody in there too. And Tara has decided, the changing room is not a thing for her that night. I can't be bothered. Like, she was like, I go, what are you doing? She has like a dress on or something and she's trying to put her pants on. I wanted to put her pants on, just underneath the dress. I was laughing. I was like, what are you doing? She's like, I'm not going in the dressing room. I was like, okay, you know you're out and she's like. Nobody cared. Nobody, nothing to see here. I was dying. I was really uncomfortable and I'm like, I'm just trying them on. I can tell you can pretty much put one leg in and know if you're gonna like it, right? So like, why don't you put it up to her kneecap.  Exactly. Like it doesn't even need to go that far. I know, putting on all these clothes and she was dying. And the other thing you guys, because Americans are very different, everywhere we went, Christy says to them, hey, have you ever seen us on YouTube? Like you just wouldn't do that self promotion in New Zealand. And she was like, Are you serious? No, that we are on YouTube. And I was so, I think I've lived here long enough that was totally embarrassing to me now. It wouldn't have normally been. And she just kept saying it everywhere, like everybody. And I was like, okay. And it was great. Terror would freak out. And everybody is literally like, are you serious? Really? And getting their little phones out. I was like, you're welcome. I just got you 20 K. It's fine. But I was like, I'm like, what? She's bringing it up again. And then you get all the. I was, I just have to say, I was really enjoying being in a country where I've not recognized. And I'm not like all of that. I love meeting people. Do not hesitate to say something to me if you see me out in public, but like, it was nice to not for a while too. Yeah. Oh, for sure. For sure. Any good ones? What do you guys eat for dinner? This is a tortilla with cheese and chicken in it. Did you make it? Mm-hmm. I flopped it up and over and it's done now. Okay. What is Kristie coming to New Zealand? Sounds like a Kiwi night out. She might want to go back home after being here. Yeah. I know. So you have an extra room. What? I could just live with you. I could just live with you. I have extra, lots of extra rooms. Like you would literally live here. I know that would be so fun. Oh, I don't, I wouldn't get anything done. Like nothing. This happens at every job I'm at. You know what job you need to get? And I'm being serious. You know, you need to get one of those like cruise ships or a report that they hire the person to be talkative with people, to entertain them to dance on the dance floor at night to get people going. That should be your job. That's what you do, no matter what they're hiring you for. Is that a job or did you just make it up? It's a job. No, I'm not making it up. I've seen it all the time. They hire people to be the entertainment. Oh my, well, I don't know where that's been all my life. Hello. I mean, that is, you got it. What do you need now? Absolutely. I mean, I could do it. On events during the day by the pool, by the pool, doing that, like whatever. And then, yeah. And then at night, you just make sure people are having a good time. That's literally your job prescription. Yes, please. I love that. Love it. Love it. Love it. Okay. And so to continue on, on our weekends together, the next day we decided to go hiking. It was hot. It was hot. Oh my gosh. Oh, did we get a question? I saw you look weird. I just want to eat this. Okay. So Costco opened in Auckland yesterday. Apparently. How is it going? Camping out overnight to get there early for something like, it's not going to close. I mean, until it does.  I don't know. So anyway, I talked to, there's a lot of American groups that I'm in, and they weren't heavily disappointed.  This is not my judgment. But yeah, they were like showing pictures and like, it's all Kiwi stuff. And of course it's going to be like, they're not going to ship American things that take a million years to get here. You know? So there's a lot of them. So is it still all bulk? Like you still get bulk. It's just Kiwi stuff. Yeah. So it sounds like and the prices are much higher. So it's so funny because I did a, you know, when I was in the States, I walked through Costco and I did a TikTok video. And so now everybody's found that video and are commenting on it right now because they're like, oh, there are the M&Ms at the Costco here is way more expensive than the one in the US because I had happened to show that. Isn't that so funny? That's interesting. Oh yeah. So our inflation here, like our groceries have gone up crazy. Crazy. Yours are always crazy, right? Right. So I didn't think food was cheaper in the US when I was there. Oh my gosh. No. Yep. Everything is like lunch meat that used to be like, I don't know, a little over $4 and that's the expensive stuff is over seven now. It's like what? Yeah. Lunch meat. Wow. Everything. Who picks what gets inflated and what doesn't? I don't understand. That makes, I don't get it. Anyway, it's just kind of crazy, crazy. Okay. So we went hiking. So we went hiking. And now placed by you where we met. Oh yeah. Highcliff. That's right. Highcliff, yeah.  What were we doing? Like you fell off a cliff. And then she made me walk like on a balance beam up a tree and then you recorded it. She recorded it in a natural. Listen, I was trying to be an adventurer. So it made me look at least, you know, fast. Yeah. And even though it was this far off the ground, I like taped it so it looked like she was way high in the air and it was very adventurous. Yeah, you did it in fast mode. Like. Yes. But we did hike, but we did stage most of the hard things. I was like. It wasn't a hard hike. Let's just say that. Yeah. I was like, here, give me like, I'm climbing up this hill. So I climbed down like two steps of it. And I'm like, okay, no, get me this way. So it looks like I'm just hanging on. So fun. We had a blast. We had such a good time. And you know, the first day we went to Red Lobster then we went to Chucky Cheese and we, you know, you know, ran that place.  Oh, we got our cool pants. And we did a lot. Our cool pants. We ate donuts. And we went out for Mexican. We had some margaritas. We had some Starbucks. We had. We had Starbucks. Ice cream. I can't remember. We had all of it. We were so tired. We went full throttle for how many days? Cause then I went back with you. It was a couple of days. And then I went home and it was the fourth of July. And you stayed. And then after you left, it was like, I could not have been more tired. I was like, oh my gosh, this girl is energy. And like, you're tired at night.  Listen, listen. And when we left our, what was it? Like two days together, three days together straight. This is how it exited. This is so good. We turned on Tootsie Roll, our favorite song, and dance my way out the door.  They're like, okay, bye-bye. Bye-bye. Sensory overload, shut down. We're done. The good news is, is that we both have daughters about the same age and they got along real good. And. That was awesome. Oh, and then we played, what was that game that we played? Your parents were killing me. I was looking at videos of that. I mean, I should post some stuff but that is so funny. Guestures, was it guestures? Yes. And you have to, do you guys play a lot of games in New Zealand or is that not a thing? Yeah, yeah, yeah, game. You're passing this word game.  So Tara's dad, he was holding on to it and talking slow. Oh, he was so annoying. Sure, give me that cause he wasn't on my team. So I would just take it right out his hands. He would start dying laughing. And then Tara's mom has no idea that she's funny. I mean, hilarious. I'm always telling Tara, this is free content. Why do you not just have a GoPro and just let her roll? Just let it roll.  I mean, she was giving us the full like, hey, we're gonna get this word. So cute. I had a blast. My mom is always serious when I'm saying things and it's like, I just posted something today and then I just realized, oh, that's right. She's gonna take it serious. She says something about my brother and I was like, oh yeah, Mark's okay. We know who your favorite is. Oh, I saw it. I was like one brother.  Okay. And you're like, mom, I'm joking. And she's like, no, you're not is what she would say to me. I'm like, okay. I love her remember when she was gonna have to buy me coffee cause you didn't wanna spend your New Zealand money. Remember? Yes. What was that? So I forgot my wallet in the car on purpose. And so I needed some coffee. So I go, Tara, I'm gonna need some coffee.  And we laugh really hard. She knows I'm joking because like. Yeah, she's buying me coffee. Yeah, she's gonna buy it.  Tom, Tara's New Zealand money isn't working for Christie. She's gonna need some money. And Tara's like, mom, what are you? No, I was kidding. And she goes, oh, so funny. It was so funny. She's so cute. I love her. Like I've been paying for things left and right and then all of a sudden, I'm like talking about it. Like the money doesn't work here. I was like, it was so funny. I was like, I'm joking. We don't have the same system here. So, so fun. Yeah, that is so true. What would you say is New Zealand sense of humor? Is it dry? Is it really like sarcastic? What would you say? Yeah, it's like, yeah, deadpan.  Like I have never, my Kiwi friends are the funniest people I've ever met. I've laughed so hard. Are you curious? Like the way that they just, their view of the world and the way that they comment on things. And it could just be the people I know because I just attract the best. What can I say? But man, I laugh so hard. So, you know, if I could send you some TV shows because it is a very unique humor.  You know how he has kind of like that really sweet voice but then he makes all these silly, funny comments like as he, kind of the humor. It's funny. There's multiple different kinds. So, okay. So somebody just said, our humor is Christie. I love you. Okay, so let me just read it. There's a bunch of comments. Christine needs Kiwi coffee. Yes, you do. Your food bill, okay. It says our food bill is $100 higher a fortnight than it was last year. So like someone had budget. See, people do that. We need to do that. I know, I need to do that. I'm real bad about that, you guys. I'm in Canada and I just paid $40 for a small bottle of soap and a small bottle. What? Stevia. That's insane. I know. Yeah, so it's expensive. So you can't have everything. Yeah, like I'm not, I'm cooking every day, you know?  Like or whatever, since season that's cheaper. You know, that's what I do. But it just, you know, it's a lot more effort and time. I don't have to do that. It's so true, I'll tell you though. Every child that moves out, cooking becomes easier because I'm like, cereal it is, I'm only feeding Sophie and I, I mean. Yeah, no, that's so true. Cause the other thing is I always had six and then once they were bigger, like, you know, like a six pack of rolls wasn't really enough.  I didn't always had to buy double, so. Right. What do you guys eat less than we do?  And I'm like, what are you talking about? Well, you're getting served large, large quantities of food.  Like you're just like, that's what you're used to and so that's what you think.  It doesn't fill you, causes cravings for more of it, whatever, you know, but all the parts that you eat, of course, but that's the generalization. But somebody just said, I'm so lucky. I'm working from home today so I can watch you guys while I work. Oh, you're so cool. That's awesome. Thanks for being here. Yay. So anyway, we don't want to keep you for too much. Is there any last couple of questions or anything you're just dying to know? So you are heading into winter. She's in the fall, so. I'm loving the fall. It's nighttime. I just had a full day of work. It was good. Okay, we eat less and we fill up more better quality ingredients, yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. You bet. Yeah, the food that, like, yeah, like that's, I really struggled with the produce in the US had no taste. I was like, what, what? Yes.  I would make my famous guac and this is not good. And I'm just like, he has no taste. I'm like, salt, salt. That's why you put so much salt on everything because it doesn't have taste. But like the avocados here are like. Really? Yeah, I'm just gonna have to cut. Maybe I can just eat my way through New Zealand. Put it over there. Wait, you kind of give her more. You just need to give her more. Something, something to sponsor you to come here. Like, hey, bye. Someone's saying thanks for the last I got to go. Good to see you. I'm glad you got to see us. Sorry, couldn't see you, but thanks for being here. Okay, they're doing FBI checks for people that want to move to New Zealand. Yeah, I have to have, I had to do FBI fingerprints and so did all of my children. To make sure you weren't a criminal? It wasn't. The thing is, is that with the New Zealand immigration, it wasn't good enough to just say that you're not a criminal or that you don't have tuberculosis. You had to prove it and signed off. Yeah. Yeah, this is why they, yeah, they call it near perfection over there, right? They've got it figured out. Yeah, they have a good process. Everybody's always freaking out on my social that like, because I just talk about how much I love it here because it's true that I'm gonna like cause all these people to come here. I'm like, you guys don't need to worry about that. Your immigration makes it very difficult to come here. So. You're right.  Oh, you guys. Today from Ozzie. Okay, enjoying your blog. Okay, cool. That's awesome. All right, what are you off to now, girl? Back to work we go. No, it's good. I've had so many projects and I'm like, I think it's done this week. I've finished my one course. I'm on to the next one. Yes, yes, yes. Getting out some great products that I think people will love. So. Yeah. Well, let me know when you're gonna roll out that stay at home mom thing where you for their. Oh yeah. Most people don't know. I have a, this is, I'm creating and it's like every time I do it, you guys. I'm like, I'm typing like this. I'm typing like this. Yes, I'm so excited. And I get like, and then I start laughing cause what I'm doing, this is what I'm doing as I have, I have like summarized. I've gone through a million different data sources. These are the 10 skills that organizations are looking to hire for in 2022. And so I'm taking each one of those skills and then I'm translating the mom skills that you develop as you raise your kids at home to what you should put on your CV for your bullet points. And yeah. Awesome. It's a free thing. It just needs to be out into the world. It's a little bit of a passion project, cause it takes a lot of time and, you know, but I just, I have so many people signed up for it. I mean, I mentioned it a couple of times and people are like, I want that. I want that. I want that. I want that. So there's definitely demand for it. Yes. So, you know, I've even had other mothers, working mothers I've had coffee with that I've met with cause they're like, I am passionate about what you said about that project. And they are great because they're, you know, I don't know everything in this brain, right? And so like listening to their perspective and how they would look at it. So I'm going to have them. So I'm finishing it up and then I'm going to have them look at it and, you know, put their two cents in it, fix it, what makes sense. And then it'll be available. That's awesome.   Don't go out on the town. I got my teenager shook now. We're good. Already tired.