Corks In Cowtown

Dear Paul, I’m Sorry

Welp, Daddy Paul is upset with me and I don’t know if he’ll ever recover. The cut was deep, and now all I can do is publicly apologize. But anyways, we’re back and on our bullshit. Or maybe not. Because I cannot get it together lately. We talk Polly Pockets, and other small things to choke on. I’m Costco’s newest fan, however I’ll be avoiding banana nut bread for awhile. What does Brian McKnight have to do with this episode? Have you ever had to get naked in front of a stranger? AKA a doctor. Paul ruins my punch lines as a form of protest, and we talk first time with steroids, and Michelin star restaurants. Again, I don’t know how we got here.
 
Oh yeah, and I’m hosting a ladies brunch at Fitzgeralds on Sunday, December 10th! You gotta listen for the details obviously, but sexy Santa and his friends will be there, plus it’s the day after my birthday and I want to celebrate with the girls!

The Art of Dying

I knew I had to do something unique for this Halloween, and when I heard about Death Cafes, my interest was peaked. I don’t know if it’s just part of growing older or my life experiences, but death is something I think about often. Not in a morbid way, well, maybe to some. But why don’t we talk about it more. Is it because of the extreme emotions that come along with it? Is it because we don’t talk about it enough, it becomes uncomfortable? I sat down with Lacy from The Art of Dying Fort Worth and we dove right in. The concept of a Death Cafe is genius to me. And you can all put December 14th on the calendar if you’re interested in attending one. I really don’t want to give much away here because this was such and interesting episode that flew by. I had many questions, and still have more and am curious to hear yours as well. Lacy and her business partner Taylor will be coming back in the new year to answer more questions and really deep dive into why a death doula has become a career path for many. Or more so a calling. Death maybe an uncomfortable conversation, but if the world has told us anything in the past few years especially…it’s something we need to be thinking about.

Just Scallywaggin

I almost peed my pants recording this episode, so get ready. Monica is back and the Scallywags are in full force. Conversations with my friends rarely leave me speechless but some of the topics brought up have me in utter shock. We're gonna need all the fellas to tune into this one and give some feedback, because we have some serious concerns and questions. About...camels? Does a woman's love of spandex start at childhood? What type of chicken tender would you be? KFC bowls slap, and did ya'll ever know about Ermahgerd Girl? The left lane is for people with ticket money. And who know weird foods would make my DMs go crazy! Gabe Kapler - I'm available to be managed. Shoutout to guys who do leg day and sometimes I have dad jokes.

Best Maid Pickletini

Well - my new bestie is Elizabeth Dalton from Best Maid pickles and she can't even tell me otherwise. While she may be a Philly girl originally, she's living her BEST life as a Texan. As you'll find out in the episode it wasn't always smooth sailing in Fort Worth, but a chance encounter turned out to be quite a big DILL. Elizabeth has lived about 5 different lives and tells me about all of them! Did I create the first "Best Maid Pickletini" recipe? We'll let you know after having a few more. Since I started learning about gardening - I clearly must learn everything about farming cucumbers. And Elizabeth answers all of my questions with a SMILE. I'll be honest, I've always been a fan of Best Maid pickles, but didn't know much about them. Best Maid has an amazing origin story and Elizabeth shares all of the fun facts! Family means a lot to this company and it shows. 97 years of a pickle dynasty - THAT is a HUGE dill. (I only do pickle puns now - DILL with it) We also talk about fate and timing in life and how somethings don't work out so something better can. Not to mention, kids are brutal. And Elizabeth knows first hand from being a teacher. We run out of time on this one, but I'm gonna make her come back and tell me more juicy stories.
Here's the BEST part: The Best Maid Pickle Emporium is turning 3 and throwing a party for all you pickle pals! So now you know the place to be on October 21st starting at 11am. We drop all the DILL-tails in this episode, but don't worry I'll share them on stories as well. Most importantly, I need you to all go meet my new bestie Elizabeth there and have a cocktail with her!

Return of the Scallywags

Monica is back and we're answering questions! How serious is the term best friend? And when is child labor acceptable? My high school drill team had some creative names I share, and Monica tells a story I had no clue about. There's a lot of wheezing. For the OG listeners Miami man made a return, I might need to share that story again. We hate victim mentality, but vent sessions are a must. Are kids master manipulators? Chicken Nugget maybe the name of a child, and we must get to the bottom of it. Bet ya'll never made a boat stop in the middle of the ocean, but we did. Vacations these days include body scrubs, and Monica tries to get me to experience the ring of fire. Why do we wear heels? And did we fall down the stairs at Bar Louie or Petes Piano Bar more? If we could go back in time we decided we'd invest in ourselves more. Plus we let you know Monica's trick for us to not look so much like sisters...

Beavis + Butthead

It's time to introduce ya'll to one of my besties, Monica. We've known each other since nam and both have a history of wheezing when laughing so buckle up. Something we bonded over very quickly was dairy in cheese form. Which leads to the question: What type of cheese would you be? (Please DM your answers) Monica may also be married to my mortal enemy which we'll get to later. But why must husbands be so judgemental with how you get ready for the gym? Monica introduces: Salami gym prep, and I'm the first supporter. What animal you would be? Also I share how my bad decisions led us to meeting. Working together led us down a path of utter insanity and we discuss our sense of humor before the understanding of being PC. Monica is a little overly confident in her bartending skills, and we introduce theft to our resumes. Who remembers Tillmans? A PJs and pies night led to starting fires, which may be a foreshadowing to the future. Not to mention I will get everything at your garage sale sold for a bottle of Andre. Oh and if you wanna fight with pepper spray, you will end up in the hospital. And my money is on Monica!

Tequila Trio

Two of your favorite service industry bartenders made their way to Corks in Cowtown, and ya'll had a lot of questions! Honestly it's a miracle this episode didn't go off the rails because the La Pulga tequila hit hard. Kelli and Heather answer all your burning questions like where do you buy those little thong bottoms? I'll let them tell you. And what should happen to bad tippers? SHAME THEM. Just a suggestion. You may think your bartender is hot, but do you actually have a chance with them? Don't worry, the pickup lines these ladies deal with don't disappoint! There is a good chance Kelli will throw a beer in your face if necessary, and Heather wants to make sure you remember her name. We barely scratched the surface on this episode, so round 2 is already in the works. Right after my hangover goes away.  

Flowers + A lot of Tears - Part 3

It's time we open another bottle to round out this conversation about purpose and our gifts. And let me just say, the bottle does not reflect the conversation because it was awful! Henry and I continue our talk about gifts and dive into hospitality, and humbling ourselves. We share some of the things we love about each other and realize some people never experience that simple act. And why? People need grace, mercy, and kindness. Often we make excuses for others and ourselves when the answer is in front of our face. Which brings up the theory of Occums Razor for the 100th time on this podcast. Sometimes it's easier to give flowers when we may be doubting our gifts. People can be leeches when you shine. This is why it's important to know yourself, and know who you surround yourself with. Your friends and family should be the ones building you up and making you cry because they want to make sure you know you are loved, and valued. Yeah, there's A LOT of tears in this episode. But I couldn't be more thankful to have the opportunity for this conversations with some of my chosen family, thank you Henry. You are a light in this world.

What’s Your Gift? - Part 2

Last week we touched on finding purpose and the difference between being open and vulnerable. Well this week Henry and I give ya'll a lot to think about and we're definitely vulnerable after chugging this bottle of champagne. What is our purpose? Could it be something simple versus grand? We are often willing to give help, but can why aren't we open to receiving help? Bet you'd never think Henry and I would be watching football documentaries in our spare time, but we sure did and that brings us to Johnny Football. We won't ruin the documentary for you but highly suggest watching it. So many of us are given "gifts" some of these maybe physical gifts, talents, etc. But what about gifts that make us who we are? For us, we consider these spiritual gifts. However, we dive in and give you options and viewpoints on all of these gifts and how we see them in our friends even. The truth is sometimes we just need someone to point them out, and give us our flowers, and hold us accountable.

Perspective On Purpose - Part 1

My sweet friend Henry joins for a 3 part episode where we dive into purpose. Now this isn't what we may typically discuss, but like most things nowadays, TikTok brought us here. Apparently someone had the audacity to inform many of us that 36 is now middle age. Yeah, sit with that for awhile and see how it makes you feel. Henry and I have many thoughts, so much so that we made notes for once. I ask Henry some of the tough questions I've recently asked myself and I'm curious to get ya'lls response to these because they aren't easy. If you had to remove all outside influence could you answer the question of "Who are you?" Many of you will take this as a joke which I understand, but I'd encourage you to really think about it. Sometimes we need these uncomfortable conversations to gage where we are, and how far we are from where we want to be. The truth is, life is short, and that always seems to be said but not truly believed or understood. Because if it was, many of us would be living differently. I'm grateful for a friend like Henry who is not only open but vulnerable in these conversations with me. So much so, I'll just tell you, many tears were shed during the next 3 episodes. I pray everyone has someone like Henry in their life, and if you don't, I'm happy to share.