In this episode of The Insomnia Project, a relaxing sleep podcast for insomnia, Marco and Amanda take listeners along on a gentle conversational journey through Quebec. What begins as a reflection on a recent trip slowly unfolds into a cozy travelogue through the Eastern Townships, with stories about charming hotel stays, quiet towns, and the simple pleasures of time away.
Their travels bring them to the quaint and welcoming Auberge la Chocolatière in the Eastern Townships, where the relaxed pace of the region sets the tone for the episode. The conversation wanders through the beauty of Magog and the character of the surrounding countryside before the hosts continue on to Montreal, where they experience a much more contemporary and modern hotel stay.
As always with The Insomnia Project, the conversation drifts comfortably between topics. A memory of skiing in Aspen, Colorado surfaces along the way, and Amanda takes a surprisingly satisfying moment to clean out her purse—one of those small everyday rituals that somehow becomes oddly soothing to talk about. The result is a calm, meandering episode filled with travel memories, quiet observations, and gentle storytelling designed to help you unwind, relax, and perhaps even fall asleep.
You may find yourself drifting off somewhere between discussions of hotel rooms, small-town Quebec charm, and the simple satisfaction of organizing the contents of a purse. It’s perfect bedtime listening for anyone who enjoys relaxed conversations about everyday moments and travel memories.
Sneak peek topics in this episode include the Eastern Townships, Magog, memorable hotel stays, Montreal, Quebec travel reflections, and Bishop’s University.
If you enjoy calm conversations that wander through travel memories and everyday curiosities, press play and join us for a quiet moment designed to help you relax at the end of the day.
• Visit our website: www.theinsomniaproject.com

​Trip to Quebec

(Original airdate: Nov 21, 2021)

Marco:  Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm conversation about the mundane. I'm your host, Marco Timpano and joining me is Amanda Barker.

Amanda:  I am, and we're joining you from Montreal.

Marco:  That's right. This episode's coming a little later than I expected because we've sort of been on a road trip, uh, to Quebec for work.

Amanda:  Mhm.

Marco:  And for a little bit of fun.

Amanda:  Yeah, a little bit of both. But mostly a work related trip that we made fun.

Marco:  That's true.

Amanda:  That's sort of more how I would term it.

Marco:  Yeah. We went to the eastern townships of,

Amanda:  uh, Quebec and I learned they've always been referred to as the eastern townships. And it's such a weird way to refer to anything. Not weird, but you don't hear that word a lot.

Marco:  Odd. Yeah.

Amanda:  Township, like it's just not a word you hear a lot. At least not in Canada.

Marco:  I hear it often.

Amanda:  You do?

Marco:  Tiny township. Township of this.

Amanda:  Oh, okay. Well then fair enough. But I guess I haven't.

Marco:  Sure.

Amanda:  So, um, but that's what they're always referred to. And then I saw in front French the word canton and I'm pretty sure canton, translated at least in someone's dictionary, is township. I see and that's what they're called.

Marco:  And they were really beautiful. It's the eastern side of, I don't know, it's not even really the eastern side of Quebec.

Amanda:  It is kind of. It's sort of like the south east corner of Quebec.

Marco:  Yeah.

Marco:  But when you think Quebec stretches all the way east to New Brunswick. Right. This is not anywhere near that.

Amanda:  It does. That's why I'm saying it's the southeast, because you go north to go to New Brunswick.

Marco:  I see, I see.

Amanda:  Okay. Yeah. So, um, sort of the southeast corner. Very, very close to both Vermont and New Hampshire.

Marco:  That's right.

Amanda:  And certainly geographically speaking, looks very similar to both. Having spent time in all three places now.

Marco:  Absolutely gorgeous. I can't tell you much about, you know, the history of the name of Eastern Townships, but all the towns that we drove through were just so beautiful.

Amanda:  So beautiful. Really, really beautiful. There's, let's see how many we can list.

Marco:  Magog was gorgeous.

Amanda:  Yeah. You loved saying Magog. Uh, Waterville.

Marco:  Waterville.

Amanda:  We went through Waterville. Okay.

Marco:  We were in North Hatley.

Amanda:  We were. That's where we stayed.

Marco:  And if you saw, um, any of the videos I put up on Instagram, the stories.

Amanda:  Mhm.

Marco:  I was, I was reporting from there.

Amanda:  And there's more than one. Of course, that's North Hatley, but there's also, I believe it's St. Catherine de Hatley.

Marco:  That's right.

Amanda:  Which is where our little outdoor theater was that we found that's, you know, sitting abandoned.

Marco:  Sure. Waiting. Waiting for a new season. Uh, we went to Sherbrooke.

Amanda:  Yeah, that's not really considered the eastern township.

Marco:  Oh, I guess it's not.

Amanda:  Well, if anything, it's sort of the flagship city of the Eastern Townships, I suppose. Um, it's a lovely little city. Uh, and then do you remember the name of the town that Bishops is in? Bishop's University.

Marco:  Lennoxville.

Amanda:  Yeah. Lennox.

Marco:  We were in Lennoxville.

Amanda:  Yeah. So those are a few that we saw. There are more. Obviously.

Marco:  I, um, would come back to explore more.

Amanda:  Would you?

Marco:  I would come back to explore more and go to Vermont, I think.

>> Nidhi Khanna: Oh, interesting.

Marco:  I would like to go to Vermont

Amanda:  and go down to Burlington. You're not far from Burlington there.

Marco:  I want to go to Stowe's. Vermont.

Amanda:  Where?

Marco:  Stowe's.

Amanda:  Why?

Marco:  Ski area. I don't know, it just.

Amanda:  Is that where the Von Trapps ended up? Didn't they end up in Vermont?

Marco:  They did end up in Vermont, I guess. Stowe's is a. Definitely a ski area of Vermont, but I'VE always wanted to go. I. I don't know.

Amanda:  Really? Yeah. Uh, I've never even heard of it.

Marco:  Oh, you haven't?

Amanda:  I went to a wedding in a Vermont ski area. Maybe that's where I was a kid. So I don't remember like I was in a teen.

Marco:  I just remember growing up and hearing about Stowes, Vermont Stows.

Amanda:  Vermont.

Marco:  Really? It being sort of, you know, I, I heard about it as much as I heard about skiing and Aspen.

Amanda:  Right.

Marco:  So. Yeah. So I guess because it's on this side. This side. Right. We're closer to that than we are Aspen, but.

Amanda:  Mhm.

Marco:  You know, when you think of ski places in North America, those are some of the places that come up, at least to my mind. Like I think Whistler, Aspen stoves. Um, I'm trying to think of one.

Amanda:  I grew up hearing about a place called Sugarloaf because that was in New Brunswick.

Marco:  Sugarloaf? It's in New Brunswick?

Amanda:  Yeah, it's northern New Brunswick. It's where you go to ski.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda:  Uh, and then in Massachusetts, I guess people went to New Hampshire to ski. I don't really remember.

Marco:  Sure, of course. It makes sense.

Amanda:  Right? I don't know. I'm not a skier, so.

Marco:  We don't have great, great slopes in Ontario. I mean, great enough for me.

Amanda:  We pretend we do. Um, you know what? I shouldn't say this. I'm not a skier, so maybe some skier can, can call uh, my bluff on that. But the Blue Mountain area, and we, we've talked about it a lot and, and um, we do talk about it a lot. And it's a beautiful area and what they've done with it and to. It sure is really quaint and lovely and sweet and fun, but when you've skied. But it's not, it's. It's just a hill.

Marco:  I skied in Aspen once and that's all I ever need to ski ever again.

Amanda:  I was done. You skied.

Marco:  And it will probably be the last time I ever ski. Skiing is wonderful. White powder, being warm in your ski clothes and sashaying down a hill and going up the. What do you call the thing that takes you up. The ski lift.

Amanda:  Yeah.

Marco:  Can be really beautiful and just the vistas that you see.

Amanda:  Mhm.

Marco:  Especially in Aspen. But I'm used to the hills here in Ontario.

Amanda:  Well, we're not in Ontario right now.

Marco:  No.

Amanda:  No, we're in Quebec actually.

Marco:  And I'm not used to bigger hills. And Quebec has better, better skiing than Ontario, one could argue. Um, but I'm Not a skier like you and I went to Aspen.

Amanda:  Oh. I thought the way you phrased that made it sound like, like you, like as though I'm a great skier. For the record, I've said it already, but for the record, I've never, literally never downhills, I've cross country.

Marco:  Oh, you've never downhill skiing?

Amanda:  Never once.

Marco:  Okay, then I don't suggest starting with Aspen because Aspen was intense in a way I didn't expect. Um, but I did it and I'm glad I did it right. And it was beautiful. And the downtown Aspen is beautiful as is, um, you know, most ski resort areas.

Amanda:  Mhm.

Marco:  Now realize that my aunt lives in the Alps. I have an aunt who lives in the Alps and a lot of her nephews taught skiing on the Alps. And that's about all the English they knew was how to teach ski. Ski English is what they knew.

Amanda:  Oh, wow.

Marco:  Turn your ski, go left, snow plow, things like that. Right?

Amanda:  Snowplow.

Marco:  I don't know if, I don't know if they call it snowplow, but we call it snowplow when you try to slow down by pointing your ski tips together. Did you know that?

Amanda:  No. Once again, never downhill skied.

Marco:  I would love it if you played a downhill skier.

Amanda:  Oh my God. And I had to learn.

Marco:  Or you didn't even have to learn. You just had to be a professional downhill skier.

Amanda:  I'll tell you, I always wanted to, but my, um, sister, uh, did something to her knee once, skiing. And it. Because I danced. I just was so worried about at that age, my knees and my ankles.

Marco:  Your dance career?

Amanda:  Yeah, my illustrious dance career. And then when I realized that I really wasn't gonna become a dancer, I suppose I could have started, but at that point I was in high school and everybody. If you skied, you skied and if you didn't, you didn't. I see, right. So at that point it was just you kind of had already chosen your path.

Marco:  Fair.

Amanda:  But I'd love to start.

Marco:  But we did enjoy the drive.

Amanda:  Mhm.

Marco:  Here. And the drive in, um, in the Eastern Townships, which I didn't finish speaking about.

Amanda:  We went on a ski tangent. Tangent, downhill.

Marco:  There was. There's a couple of hills here in the Eastern Townships where we were. And, and lakes and beautiful lakes.

Amanda:  Beautiful. Lac Magog.

Marco:  Lac Magog.

Amanda:  The town's named after the lake, I believe, or the area anyway.

Marco:  And it's just beautiful. Mhm. It's just, it's just like. I mean, November probably a month ago, it would have been.

Amanda:  We've Picked a. But you know what's nice? Marco. So, okay, so we haven't. The foliage is now off the trees.

Marco:  Right.

Amanda:  But it's almost like that last leaf falls and boom, they are embracing all things Christmas.

Marco:  Yes.

Amanda:  All things holiday, all things December.

Marco:  Cheer and joy.

Amanda:  Yeah. And so there's lights everywhere. Uh, and we stayed at a very quaint in. In. There's no other word for it. I mean, it was quaint and beautiful.

Marco:  And here's the thing. Our listeners like to hear about hotel stays. For some reason. I get a lot of response.

Amanda:  I do.

Marco:  I know you do.

Amanda:  I love to hear about a hotel.

Marco:  Amanda will. Sometimes I'll find her just looking at hotels, different hotels and things we like and don't like in hotels. When we're looking for a place like you'll. You'll often.

Amanda:  Yeah.

Marco:  Just be looking. If there was a hotel magazine. Let me ask you this. If there was a magazine called Hotels, I haven't even finished.

Amanda:  Yes, I would.

Marco:  That just showed different hotels all over the world and you know, the different, different features they have.

Amanda:  I would love it. But.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda:  I don't always stay in hotels.

Marco:  It's true.

Amanda:  In some countries. I don't look to hotels. I don't want to stay in a hotel.

Marco:  Okay, but when I say hotels, I mean hotels, inns. Airbnbs. I think there's an Airbnb magazine probably.

Amanda:  I mean, wouldn't it be online? I mean, I like paper. I'm, I'm, I'm a relic of the past because I enjoy opening a paper filled magazine. I don't enjoy scrolling on a tablet for it. I don't enjoy looking on my computer for it. I want to open a magazine.

Marco:  You like the tactile nature and the glossy pics?

Amanda:  Yeah, those, those glossy picks.

Marco:  Okay, back to our hotel in North Hadley.

Amanda:  Yes, please.

Marco:  So we were looking for places to stay and I think it was the name of the hotel and how quaint it looked or the inn that settled it for us.

Amanda:  And the name of it was. Do you want me to do it?

Marco:  Go ahead.

Amanda:  Auberge la chocolatiere.

Marco:  The Chocolate Auberge.

Amanda:  Well, the Chocolate Inn.

Marco:  The Chocolate Inn, yes.

Amanda:  Auberge is in. Yeah, the Chocolate Inn. Uh, and we thought, well, we have to.

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Marco:  I get to choose my rewards?

>> Nidhi Khanna: Yep.

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Marco:  so I don't know if I've ever mentioned this on, on the podcast, but I love chocolate. Chocolate, for me is my weakness. One could say. I. I will say, um. And so as soon as I saw that, I was like, how can I not stay at a chocolate inn?

Amanda:  For those of you who haven't experienced this area of Quebec, let me say this. Um, if this helps. For me, it felt like a mix of Vermont. Vermont. If Vermont and northern France had a baby, it would be this area. It is very French. It is very quaint. There are very old inns, buildings. We had our first night dinner in this stone restaurant that looked like it had been the, you know, the ale house since the 1600s for weary travelers and probably had been. I mean, a lot of these buildings are that old.

Marco:  So the nice thing about our hotel is that each room was named after a different type of chocolate.

Amanda:  And we were in the truffle room. Not just the truffle room. Oh, the Citrus Truffle room. It's a very specific type of truffle.

Marco:  That's true.

Amanda:  Now, the theming kind of ended with the name. It was not made. There's some chocolates on the pillow.

Marco:  There's some chocolates. And you could purchase chocolates in the hotel in the. In lobby.

Amanda:  Indeed. I don't want to make people hungry, though. It's true. But I will say this. It had a free breakfast, which was out of this world.

Marco:  Amanda got the same thing twice. We stayed there two days. And for breakfast you had the same thing.

Amanda:  When life presents you with the perfect ham crepe, you don't ever need to say yes to anything else.

Marco:  And, uh, we got to sit and have our breakfast by a roaring fire that the innkeeper put on. And the innkeeper was joking with the guests.

Amanda:  It was wonderful. He was like, I don't want to burn you. I have other clients I want to burn. And they were all laughing.

Marco:  Everyone was laughing.

Amanda:  It was lovely. It was such a lovely place. Lovely town. Um, I'm glad that I finally got to see this area of the world because I wanted to go to university. Where you ended up teaching.

Marco:  That's right. At Bishop's.

Amanda:  At Bishop's University. And I came very, very close to choosing that school to do my degree. I didn't go there. But I, at that time, it was one of, it was one of four that I was looking at and, uh, and then it was one of three I was looking at. And then it got bumped off the list.

Marco:  It was never on my list.

Amanda:  No, it was never.

Marco:  No, it was never on my list. But I, I got to.

Amanda:  That's a lovely.

Marco:  I'm very grateful that I got to teach, uh, a workshop there. Sorry, that's my chair. Um, and the students and the staff that I encountered were wonderful. And the only staff I encountered was Dr. Linda Moore. But she's wonderful and her, her class was exceptional.

Amanda:  And her podcast, Getting lit with Linda is an exceptional podcast into Canadian viewpoint, into Canadian literature.

Marco:  It's true.

Amanda:  She's doing great things.

Marco:  Then we drove to. From the Eastern Townships, we drove to Montreal, where we find ourselves in a more modern, funky hotel.

Amanda:  This was very deliberate. Once we found the place we wanted to stay. Auberge Le Chocolatiere. Um, we decided that we, uh, wanted something a little more Montreal. A little more. Well, there's lots of versions of Montreal close. But this is a very funky, upscale contemporary. Contemporary, yes. You know, in this room that we're sitting now, there's a. A beam made of cement, which is not my favorite.

Marco:  I'm not a cement aesthetic type person.

Amanda:  No. You don't like, you don't like a good slab of cement in your bedroom?

Marco:  I don't. It just doesn't do it for me. I could, but I can appreciate how someone likes this kind of industrial feel. Mhm. And design.

Amanda:  And it's a nice change from, you know, a quaint inn from the. Whenever that was built.

Marco:  Yeah.

Amanda:  Uh, 1800s probably or something.

Marco:  Amanda destroyed the coffee machine this morning in this hotel.

Amanda:  Yeah. I hope we don't get charged because I thought, well, as I pack and. And here's something that I love to do in hotel rooms. I love to clean out my purse.

Marco:  It's true. I don't get it. Um, but I, I always leave you be when you're cleaning your purse.

Amanda:  A, uh, hotel room. M provides. It's very loud.

Marco:  Sorry. It's my chair. I'm gonna try to sit properly.

Amanda:  I'm wearing. I'm in the same chair. Not wearing. I'm sitting in the same chair. And I notice mine doesn't make that noise.

Marco:  Well, you're more still than I am.

Amanda:  I'm noticing your hand is on the chair. Is what's making that noise, not the chair itself.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda:  Anyway, um, I thought, wouldn't it be nice while I Clean my purse, Have a nice cup of coffee.

Marco:  Can I just say, these chairs are very funky and so they're not as functional as one would want.

Amanda:  They're funk over functional.

Marco:  They're funk over funk. And we're on a. We're on a table. That's very modernist in design.

Amanda:  Yeah, it is modern. I would, Yeah, I would say maybe not even post modern, but modern.

Marco:  And if you stand up, you'll hit your head on this.

Amanda:  Low hanging, but at least it provides some light.

Marco:  True. Okay, back to your purse.

Amanda:  Yes. Back to the, uh, the importance of cleaning a purse in a hotel room. A hotel room allows you a blank slate where you can take everything out and really, truly see it for what it is and not look around your bedroom or your kitchen or whatever, wherever you would normally clean bag or purse, but actually just see it on the table or on the bed, wherever you want to do it. And it just allows you a chance to really go through all those items, go through all those receipts and group them, which is something I do especially when it's a trip where, uh, you know, it's business related.

Marco:  Sure.

Amanda:  And, uh, which so many trips we take are. But also it allows you just take everything out. The hand sanitizer, the masks, the pens, the glasses, the lip balms, uh, paper receipts, the gloves. Um, in my case, frame glasses without glass in them because I keep the frames for acting purposes. What else isn't there? Brushes. I tend. I had four different brushes I brought with me, see. But it's not. Which. But I don't realize I have all that. And I just throw, throw another one in my purse. And then I don't think I have any when there's five right in my purse. And so it allows me to go through all of those things, wipe them down, clean them out, take everything out. And then I like to shake all the sediment on the bottom either in the sink or in the bathtub or in the shower so that I can see if there's some extra little earring, dime, um, you know, grommet, grommet. Something that go. What is this? Right in a really neutral place that I don't mind messing up a little bit.

Marco:  Sure.

Amanda:  And then I, you know, I try to clean it out a little bit. I don't leave the entire. In my case, I had an entire shortbread cookie that had turned into a fine white powder at the bottom of my purse. I'm not even ashamed to say, because when we went to Paris, Ontario, there were three lovely ladies dressed up as witches. This was Now, a month ago, it was Halloween, and they handed these adorable shortbread cookies out that look like fingers.

Marco:  There were three ladies of the town, older ladies.

Amanda:  Sounds like old timey.

Marco:  Who were dressed as sex workers, which

Amanda:  they were definitely not.

Marco:  No. Well, they could have been, but they just didn't seem.

Amanda:  I would love it if they were the sex workers of the town.

Marco:  They were in their late 60s, so

Amanda:  yes, even better, they were dressed. People in their late 60s have a lot of sex.

Marco:  Yes, certainly. And there's nothing wrong with that. But that's not what this podcast is about. These ladies were walking around dressed as witches, greeting people in the town and handing cookies.

Amanda:  And the cookies were shortbread. A lot of food. In today's episode, we should put a warning, a disclaimer. Yeah. Um, they're shortbread with an almond piece that looked like a fingernail. So it looked like a big fat finger. And I thought, how tasty. But I'm not hungry right now. I'll throw it wrapped in a napkin in my purse and I'll have it on the road later. Well, I never did. Forgot about it disintegrated. And it disintegrated like it wasn't. There was no one chunk of cookie left. It was a fine white powder. If I was at the airport, I would have been pulled over for sure. So anyway, I had to get all the shoes shortbread out of my purse and, uh, and into where it sits right now on the bottom tiles of the shower. So I'll just do a little rinse of the shower and get it out. But now. But I. I made a dollar fifty. Oh, that's from all the quarters and dimes at the bottom. Use that for coffee.

Marco:  We're packing our bags, and while Amanda finishes packing, I'm going to put this episode up and then we're going to go for bagels. Montreal style bagels. Since we've talked about food, we might as well just continued and then head back home.

Amanda:  And there's a big debate in Montreal of which is the better bagel. There's two Fairmont and Saint Viator, and we think we're on the Saint Viture. Um, my friend, I do want to

Marco:  go over to that coffee shop, too and get some good coffee.

Amanda:  What coffee shop?

Marco:  Cafe Olympico.

Amanda:  Okay.

Marco:  Yeah, we'll do both.

Amanda:  All right, we'll do that.

Marco:  That's.

Amanda:  That's.

Marco:  And that's our trip. Our work trip with a little bit of pleasure in it. We saw a good friend and now we're heading back.

Amanda:  Wish us luck. We have a long seven hour drive ahead.

Marco:  No, it's only five from Montreal.

Amanda:  Oh, really?

Marco:  It was seven to Eastern, 2 to 4pm Seems doable. That's totally doable. We're gonna listen to podcasts, we'll listen to audiobooks. M, we'll listen to some Christmas and holiday tunes.

Amanda:  Yeah.

Marco:  And that'll be our trip.

Amanda:  It's like we can't came in and it was fall, we left and it was Christmas.

Marco:  There you go. Well, whatever you are doing, we hope you have a good time doing it. Tell us about your inns, hotels and places to stay. And until the next episode, you've been listening to the Insomnia Project. This episode was recorded from Montreal, Canada

Amanda:  at Hotel 01, which is a modern, funky hotel.

Marco:  I'm your host, Marco Tympano.

Amanda:  I'm Amanda Barker.

Marco:  And we hope you were able to listen and sleep.

In this episode of The Insomnia Project, a relaxing sleep podcast for insomnia, Marco and Amanda drift into a nostalgic conversation that begins in the bright lights of Las Vegas and slowly meanders through memories, television history, and small-town babysitting fame. What starts as a reflection on time spent in Las Vegas leads the hosts toward the familiar excitement of The Price is Right, and from there into the curious cultural moment known as “jumping the shark.”
As the conversation unfolds, Amanda shares stories from her younger days when she was the most sought-after babysitter in her town. Her reputation for reliability and fun made her incredibly popular with local families—until an unexpected turn led to what she jokingly refers to as her “fall from grace.” Like many Insomnia Project conversations, the story unfolds slowly and gently, offering the kind of low-stakes storytelling that invites your mind to relax and wander.
Along the way Marco and Amanda reflect on the strange and delightful ways memories connect—from game shows and television phrases to childhood jobs and the quiet rhythms of growing up. The episode settles into the familiar, cozy rhythm listeners love: calm conversation about everyday experiences that helps quiet racing thoughts and ease you toward sleep.
If you’re looking for a softly spoken conversation to help you unwind at the end of the day, press play and join us for this relaxed wander through Las Vegas memories, television trivia, and babysitting tales—perfect for bedtime listening and gentle late-night relaxation.
• Visit our website: theinsomniaproject.com






​

​Jumping the Shark & Price is Right
(Original airdate: Nov 10, 2021)
Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax, and listen as we have a calm conversation about the mundane so that you can just drift off. As we often would say, this is the only podcast we hope you never get to the end of. I'm your host, Marco Timpano. Thank you for following us on Twitter listen and sleep or on Instagram, the Insomnia Project or our website, the insomniaproject.com or wherever you listen to our podcast. Thank you so much. I've been receiving so much feedback from our listeners recently, and I really do appreciate it from everyone.


Along with me today is Amanda Barker. Welcome. Are you keeping all this in the podcast

Along with me today is Amanda Barker. Welcome.

>> Amanda Barker: I'm here and I'm. I live to serve. Marco.

>> Marco Timpano: Fantastic.

>> Amanda Barker: That sounded sarcastic and I didn't mean

>> Marco Timpano: it to just bring your microphone down a teensy bit. Do you mind?

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah. Are you keeping all this in the podcast?

>> Marco Timpano: I think I will.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay. Behind the scenes.

>> Marco Timpano: Behind the scenes.

>> Amanda Barker: Bloopers reel.

>> Marco Timpano: I should do a bloopers reel, which is often us, just laughing uncontrollable or uncontrollably.

>> Amanda Barker: It's an adverb. Yes, yes.

>> Marco Timpano: There you go. Oh, we have one listener.


Tim: Things live in your subconscious. I get, when we're in store, people always respond with Polo

Okay, so I need to start by saying one of our listeners, and I apologize because I cannot find where they reached out to us, wanted to say that you were 100% right with your explanation of Libby or the Libby app.

>> Amanda Barker: Remember from last week that it's an amalgamation of your. Or it uses. I don't remember what I said.

>> Marco Timpano: I don't remember. Whatever you said was right.

>> Amanda Barker: I think I said something like you get on the Libby app and it connects to your local library and. Or it uses or, resources. Many libraries in your network, in your system, or just around the world. I don't know, but it's somehow I knew it two weeks ago and don't know it now.

>> Marco Timpano: How great would it be if you said it wrong today and then that listener has to say, she was wrong this time?

>> Amanda Barker: You know, it's amazing. I don't know what we're actually meant to be talking about today, but it's amazing what lives in your subconscious. And I'm going to tell you a story that this Libby thing just reminded me of in that I don't remember the answer now, but apparently I knew it two weeks ago. So when I was 21, I had surgery and I lived in a very small town and I was in my high school years a very sought after babysitter in my town. Oh, yeah, you would book me for New Year's, you know, months in advance. and, I was one of the babysitters of the town. So anyway, I babysat this one family. Should I say their last name?

>> Marco Timpano: No, probably not.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay. Well, anyway, they were lovely and, they were like family, extended family to me and I to them, I think, I hope. And, so they had a cousin that would come over a lot. Her name was Mariah. And so she was pretty funny. And I got to know her over the years.

>> Marco Timpano: Was she a good singer?

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, I mean, the poor thing. Her whole life, right?

>> Marco Timpano: Listen, I didn't name her. I'm just asking a question.

>> Amanda Barker: Her whole life. Well, it's interesting that you say you didn't name her, because the person that did name her was her mom and her mom was a nurse. And so, I guess when I was coming to her mom, Emily was in the recovery room because she was a nurse at that hospital. And, I don't have any memory of that, but hours later she said to me, I don't know if you remember, I was in here earlier. And I said, I don't. She goes, oh, well, I just wanted to tell you that. Yes, but Mariah does love eating celery with Cheez Whiz. And I went, what? And she said, you asked me if Mariah still loved to eat celery with Cheez Whiz because it was a favorite snack of hers. Now, I had no conscious memory of Mariah eating this snack in that moment or any time since. But apparently in my subconscious state, I tapped into the memory of her daughter eating Cheez Whiz with celery. So things live in your subconscious. That cheese with celery and the Libby app, The mechanics of it.

>> Marco Timpano: Wow.

>> Amanda Barker: So there you go.

>> Marco Timpano: You know, it's funny, you say she gets that all the time. I get, when we're in a store and Amanda says my name out loud, people always respond with Polo for Marco.

>> Amanda Barker: Polo. Every time. The bigger the store, the more they respond.

>> Marco Timpano: Yes.

>> Amanda Barker: In fact, I hate yelling your name anywhere because it's just going to elicit that. Make that. Yeah.

>> Marco Timpano: And it bothers Amanda more than it bothers me now.

>> Amanda Barker: Right? Well, because you're not hearing it because I'm the one seeking you. So I'm yelling Marco throughout the store.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, I hear it all the time when people ask my name. If I go to a counter and they say your name, and I'll say Marco. And before I get to say my last name, they say Polo or this is my favorite. So my last name is Tim Pano. That's the way I say it. In Italian it's Timpano. but in English I say Tim Pano. and when people say, can I get your last name? I'll say Tim Pano. And they'll think I'm saying my first name Tim and my last name Pano.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, I've seen that happen to you in real time.

>> Marco Timpano: So now I say it whenever, someone asks me, I say last name starts with a T so that they can start putting that into the system.

>> Marco Timpano: And then I say my last name.

>> Amanda Barker: I. Not so much now, but for most of my growing up, because my last name is Barker.

>> Marco Timpano: Yes.

>> Amanda Barker: I would get. Is Bob your uncle or are you related to Bob? Bob Barker being, I guess, the most famous Barker out there. I don't get it so much anymore because he's since retired.

>> Marco Timpano: But, for our listeners who are not in North American might not get.

>> Amanda Barker: That's a very American reference.

>> Marco Timpano: He was the longtime host of a game show called the Price of Right. The Price is Right, yes. which you can find in other countries under different names. Like, I've seen it Italy, I've seen it in France. You know, I've seen it. I've seen it like Wheel of Time.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, really? Yeah, but in different. With different hosts.

>> Marco Timpano: Different host.

>> Amanda Barker: He was in, one of the Adam Sandler movies. What's the one with golf? Is that Bidley Madison?

>> Marco Timpano: Isn't that, Happy Gilmore?


What's your favorite game on the Price is Right

>> Amanda Barker: Happy Gilmore. So there's a very famous scene with Bob Barker, who was an avid golfer, and, it should be noted, animal rights enthusiast and, Adam Sandler in that movie. So, if you were like, oh, who is that? Well, that's who it is. I feel like people know him. But then again, we all think people know who we know, right?

>> Marco Timpano: Sure.

>> Amanda Barker: We all think we have the same reference level. I also get Baker a lot. A lot. You've seen that happen in real time?

>> Marco Timpano: Yes, sometimes. I'll just say all the time.

>> Amanda Barker: In fact, Baker. What?

>> Marco Timpano: I'm just kidding. shall I tell my Price is Right story?

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, sure.

>> Marco Timpano: And I'll try to know.

>> Amanda Barker: Is that what we're talking about, the Price is Right?

>> Marco Timpano: Well, I just thought it was a segue before you.

>> Amanda Barker: The soothing sounds of the Price is Right.

>> Marco Timpano: I'm gonna keep it very calm. But my favorite. What's your favorite game on the Price is Right?

>> Amanda Barker: I mean, listen, I remember the day I was home from school, or maybe it was summer, and they introduced for the very first time, Plinko. And I was so excited about Plinko. And I'm still, to this day excited about Plinko. So I know what yours is. And that's my, like, other favorite game. Was always my other favorite.

>> Marco Timpano: Don't steal.

>> Amanda Barker: My game is your favorite, but I'm gonna let you have that one. And I'm gonna go with Plinko. And my least favorite is the golf game. Oh, really?

>> Marco Timpano: Okay.

>> Amanda Barker: I hate that game.

>> Marco Timpano: All right. The, yodeler. The Alpine yodeler is my favorite.

>> Marco Timpano: It often reminds me of my grandfather who was an Alpine.

>> Amanda Barker: Did he yodel?

>> Marco Timpano: No, he didn't yodel. But he was an Alpine soldier. So. He had the Alpine hat.

>> Amanda Barker: He was an Alpine soldier?

>> Marco Timpano: Well, he was an Alpino is what they call him. But he was a soldier too, and he was in the Alpine forces back in the day.

>> Amanda Barker: Wait, what? Yeah, he was an Alpine soldier?

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah. Someone who.

>> Amanda Barker: What does that mean? He defended the Alpine?

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, the Alps, Something like that.

>> Amanda Barker: Really?

>> Marco Timpano: I'm not exactly sure. Look it up and then tell us.

>> Amanda Barker: so you're an Alpine person?

>> Marco Timpano: Well, my mother's side.

>> Amanda Barker: An Alpino.

>> Marco Timpano: Alpino.

>> Amanda Barker: I didn't even mean to make that awful joke.

>> Marco Timpano: But you did.

>> Amanda Barker: But what is it called? Actually? Alpino.

>> Marco Timpano: Alpino yeah.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah.

>> Marco Timpano: Have you never seen pictures of my grandfather with the Alpine hat on?

>> Amanda Barker: I've seen pictures of little you with an Alpine hat on. Well, sure, but I thought it was all like a, Look, we put an Alpine hat on this little baby.

>> Marco Timpano: No, that was the style. That was the style that my family, my mother's family wanted me to adopt.

>> Amanda Barker: And I love it.

>> Marco Timpano: I think I look good in an Alpine hat. I should wear it out going around town.

>> Amanda Barker: Do you identify as an Alpiner or Alpino?

>> Marco Timpano: Alpino. No, because I'm not. I'm not someone who roams the Alps or knows the Alps well.

>> Amanda Barker: What if you went to the Alps? Would you know what to do? Do you think it's in your blood?


Uh. I love the Alps. I think they look great. If one can navigate the Alps one can do anything

>> Marco Timpano: I don't know if it's in my blood. If one can navigate the Alps because they're forefathers.

>> Amanda Barker: I'm just beginning to.

>> Marco Timpano: But I do them. I think they look great. I love the Alps.


Next week will be our last episode for this season, and then in December,

>> Amanda Barker: All right, so.

>> Marco Timpano: So when. When we were in Las Vegas, I think it was Christmas time, too, wasn't it?

>> Amanda Barker: It was, yeah. We went to Christmas for Las Vegas. Las Vegas for Christmas, which I actually don't recommend.

>> Marco Timpano: I want to mention this as well. Next week will be our last episode for this season, and then in December, we're going to have an episode every day which will be the holiday episode.

>> Amanda Barker: Every day?

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah. In December? Yeah.

>> Amanda Barker: Like 31 days.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah. Plus the six days after.

>> Amanda Barker: But what about the rest of November?

>> Marco Timpano: No, we're doing this week and next week, and that ends November. No, for Wednesdays, we do it every Wednesday.

>> Amanda Barker: There's at least one more Wednesday after that, and I don't think so. There isn't.

>> Marco Timpano: No, No. I looked at.

>> Amanda Barker: Are you sure?

>> Marco Timpano: Well, you have a phone. Take a look.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay. I don't have one here while

>> Marco Timpano: I tell the story.

>> Amanda Barker: I didn't want to be distracted with my phone. I wanted to be fully engaged in this, Alpine stuff. I'm just learning.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, you're right. There's two more. There's two more episodes.

>> Amanda Barker: Calendars.

>> Marco Timpano: Okay.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah.


Amanda doesn't recommend Vegas for Christmas, but she likes Las Vegas

>> Marco Timpano: Well, we were in Las Vegas, and while Amanda doesn't recommend Vegas for Christmas, I thought it was great, and I recommend it.

>> Amanda Barker: No, you didn't.

>> Marco Timpano: I loved it.

>> Amanda Barker: No, this is lies.

>> Marco Timpano: I like Vegas.

>> Amanda Barker: Do we have Vegas listeners that you're trying to appease?

>> Marco Timpano: I'm sure we have listeners.

>> Amanda Barker: Did you actually like it?

>> Marco Timpano: I like Las Vegas. I don't necessarily like going to Las Vegas with you, because you.

>> Amanda Barker: Wow.

>> Marco Timpano: Well, no, because you always I'm not fun. You're not fun in Vegas.

>> Amanda Barker: Listen, here's my thing. Here's what you need to know about me. I don't gamble. I'm not a gambler. And, I don't really have much time for. I like the free drinks.

>> Marco Timpano: Sure.

>> Amanda Barker: A free pineapple cocktail is nice.

>> Marco Timpano: What Amanda's not telling you is she's not a gambler, but she also likes to ruin your gambling experience.

>> Amanda Barker: This is not true. And I thought we didn't talk about negative things.

>> Marco Timpano: We don't.

>> Amanda Barker: Well, you're ruining my sleep by talking about one time I told you I could feel that the table was not lucky, and you got very mad at me. Well, excuse me for being honest with my feelings. I was doing my job at that

>> Marco Timpano: table, and then I walked over like

>> Amanda Barker: William H. Macy, and I stood next to you, and it was, I just.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, we had fun in Vegas because Michelle Miracle, our dear friend, came and hung out. She drove from Los Angeles to hang out with us. And if you're going to be in

>> Amanda Barker: Las Vegas, she actually was in Vegas with us. Twice we've done two Vegases with her. Do, you not remember that?

>> Marco Timpano: I recommend, if you go to Vegas, make sure Michelle Miracle's there with you. When was the other time she was

>> Amanda Barker: in Vegas with us? Okay, so, Michelle. Okay, so we went.

>> Marco Timpano: We're never going to get to my Price is Right story.

>> Amanda Barker: I mean, we went to Vegas for Christmas, and I'm going to tell you, it was. Do you remember the year? Let's see if it did.

>> Marco Timpano: 2018.

>> Amanda Barker: You and calendars, dates. Okay, so it would have been, 2009 into 2010.

>> Marco Timpano: That long ago?

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, because we weren't married yet. And I remember it because my mom spent a good deal of Vegas trying to ask me things that I wanted for my wedding shower, which would have been the following spring. So that's how I know. Anyway, so we went to Vegas, and, yes, Michelle Miracle drove from LA and, visited us. But we also had another Vegas experience

>> Marco Timpano: with Michelle Miracle because we went to our friend's wedding.

>> Amanda Barker: Our friend got married in Vegas, and he lives in Vegas.

>> Marco Timpano: That's right.

>> Amanda Barker: And, so that's two Vegas experiences we've had with her. Which is really funny, actually, when I think about it.

>> Marco Timpano: Listen, if you can travel with Michelle Miracle, that's the person you want to travel with.

>> Amanda Barker: For starters, her name is Michelle Miracle,

>> Marco Timpano: so it doesn't get better than that.

>> Amanda Barker: Which apparently is a derivative of Merkel. Like Angela Merkel.

>> Marco Timpano: Could be her long distance Relative.

>> Amanda Barker: And if you don't know who Angela Merkel is, she hosts the Price is Right in Germany.

>> Marco Timpano: She doesn't.

>> Amanda Barker: She doesn't imagine. She'd be great.

>> Marco Timpano: She'd be unfair.

>> Amanda Barker: She'd be fair.

>> Marco Timpano: I think, the host of Price is Right or Wheel of Fortune in Germany looks like Angela Merkel, if I'm not mistaken. I'll look it up.

>> Amanda Barker: I bet they could defend the Alpines if need be.

>> Marco Timpano: If they need to. I know.

>> Amanda Barker: With your grandfather.


Your parents got you tickets to the Price is Right Vegas show

Okay, tell us your Price is Right story.

>> Marco Timpano: So when we were in Vegas with Michelle Miracle, but she hadn't arrived yet, your parents got us tickets to the Price is Right Vegas show where they basically do the Price is Right without the host you see on television, but they bring out the games and you get the opportunity to maybe go up on stage and bid on a prize.

>> Amanda Barker: It's not televised, but you get to live out your Price is Right fantasies, although in a maybe smaller, more containable way. And, that the prizes are a little bit of a lower rent situation, if you will.

>> Marco Timpano: I don't think they were lower rent. I just think it was harder to win. You didn't get to.

>> Amanda Barker: They were lower. They were lower rent.

>> Marco Timpano: And you didn't get to stay up in contestants row. If you got up there every round, they called up five new people.

>> Amanda Barker: They were not as nice as the ones on tv, I think.

>> Marco Timpano: Okay, fair enough.

>> Amanda Barker: And I'll tell you why at the end, but I'll let you tell your story.


I think we've taken a turn in this podcast and it's marital banter

>> Marco Timpano: Okay. So we're in line to get our name tag, and my wife Amanda is going a little bit crazy.

>> Amanda Barker: I like that you say my wife. I know who I am.

>> Marco Timpano: Well, I'm just. I'm just illustrating. Can I tell the story?

>> Amanda Barker: This is good.

>> Marco Timpano: There's a build up to this.

>> Amanda Barker: I think we've taken a turn in this podcast and I think it's turned into marital banter. I mean, I know it has.

>> Marco Timpano: One of our listeners says they love our banter. They're probably gonna be like, I wish I never said it. Because now they're just.

>> Amanda Barker: I feel like I'm not soothing enough.

>> Marco Timpano: This is why we have a season end. Because I need to sort of regroup and recap.

>> Amanda Barker: This is the Jump the Shark episode.

>> Marco Timpano: This is the Jump the Shark episode.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay.

>> Marco Timpano: Speaking of which, I remember that episode, but I'll get back to that.

>> Amanda Barker: Me too.


When did you jump the shark as a babysitter

I was being babysat by Faith.

>> Marco Timpano: Was she a good babysitter?

>> Amanda Barker: She was pretty good. She would eat all the ice cream, but she was pretty good.

>> Marco Timpano: When did you jump the shark as a babysitter?

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, well, it was with a family in grade 11. And I truly want me to tell you.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, I mean, don't tell it if it's gonna land you in jail or something.

>> Amanda Barker: No, no. I invited my boyfriend over.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, here we go.

>> Amanda Barker: And it was all fun and everybody knew each other. But then, I thought the kids were napping, but I was making out with him.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, my goodness.

>> Amanda Barker: See, this is why I wasn't sure. And it was a really. It's actually a very, It was a moment I'll never forget because one of the kids came down and said, hey, Amanda, I don't know if you want to come upstairs and, I don't know, babysit for a while.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, wow.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah. She's a yoga teacher in Vancouver now.

>> Marco Timpano: Have you ever told her that? Replayed that song?

>> Amanda Barker: You know, I'll tell you something. And we don't. You know. And I don't mean it in a negative way, really, but whenever someone says, like, what do you regret in life? I have very, very few regrets in life. But that is always the first thing I think of when people say, what do you regret? And I regret my actions that day. I really do. Even though I was 16 and, you know, whatever.

>> Marco Timpano: That's what happens when you're a kid. Right.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah.

>> Marco Timpano: so where was I? Now?

>> Amanda Barker: Now, just so I'm clear, I was kissing him. I wasn't like.

>> Marco Timpano: Right, okay, fair enough. Don't make me put an E rating on this show, because I haven't had to do that.


A lot of our listeners view us as their friends that they listen to

>> Amanda Barker: Okay, so, tell us about the prices. Right. So I know you want it.

>> Marco Timpano: So my wife is getting a little bit.

>> Amanda Barker: I'm the wife. You don't have to use a pronoun. I'm here.

>> Marco Timpano: Okay, well, Amanda, who's here. And also my wife was getting a little bit, I don't know, agitated over excited when they were writing out our names. And she was a little bit too much, weren't you? And so the person.

>> Amanda Barker: I don't find this soothing. Just for the record. I guess it's not intended for me.

>> Marco Timpano: No, it's not. It's also intended. Listen. A lot of our listeners view us as their friends that they listen to while they're at work.

>> Amanda Barker: And we know someone who road tripped with us.

>> Marco Timpano: Avoiding. Who road tripped with us.

>> Amanda Barker: Our dear friend who wrote so many wonderful cookbooks. She listened to this podcast all the drive out to the east coast and back. Yeah.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, my goodness.

>> Amanda Barker: It was. Actually, I wasn't. I might have Been in a few of those, but that was a while ago.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, that's so wonderful.

>> Amanda Barker: Did you not know that?

>> Marco Timpano: No, I didn't know that.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, she told us that. Oh yeah, In Waterloo.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh my goodness. Okay, so I'm gonna say this. Amanda was going. Was a bit excited and I was like trying to calm you down. And so I have a feeling they thought, oh, this is a fun group, but that lady is a bit too much. But her husband. Awesome.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, that's why I was being so excited. It's the rule of improv. You don't invite the crazy person up on stage. You invite their friend so as to create a lot of excitement in the crowd. But you don't want that person on stage. You want their friend on stage.

>> Marco Timpano: So are you saying you were doing that so I would get 100%? I don't think so.

>> Amanda Barker: A hundred percent? I was. I knew that's exactly what would happen.

>> Marco Timpano: So were they really?

>> Amanda Barker: We've never had this conversation. No, we haven't. I knew exactly that that's what would happen.

>> Marco Timpano: Or did you think they would pick you?

>> Amanda Barker: No, I didn't because I didn't think they'd pick because they don't normally. They pick the friend.

>> Marco Timpano: The friend.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay, so anyway, whatever. They didn't pick me. They picked you. You're the special one. You got to go up.

>> Marco Timpano: My name got called.

>> Amanda Barker: Let's see how that turns out for you.

>> Marco Timpano: My name got called and it was like time stood still. I could see not colors nor shapes. I didn't know what to do. I understand when you watch the show and the person gets called and they just, they're just suspended, you just can't believe it. And so somehow my body got from the seat with you and your parents to the stage.

>> Amanda Barker: See, I think we need to go back to Vegas and I will do the show and you can be the crazy one.

>> Marco Timpano: Sure, I'll be happy to do that.

>> Marco Timpano: And so they called my name. I'm down there in contestants row. I don't remember who was to the right of me. I don't remember who was to the left of me.

>> Amanda Barker: You were on the end.

>> Marco Timpano: I was on the end. So was I the last one called for that?

>> Amanda Barker: Last or first? But you were on the, I believe, the left hand side.


You overbid on a patio lamp on Price is Right

>> Marco Timpano: Okay. So they wheel out the item that I'm supposed to bid on and it's those, you know, those heat lamps that you have on restaurant patios in the cooler times, and they kind of are, you know, flames under, a kind of Looks like a hat.

>> Amanda Barker: Patio lamp.

>> Marco Timpano: Patio lamp. Yeah.

>> Amanda Barker: They're very popular now because patios have been so popular in the last two years.

>> Marco Timpano: But in 2008, they weren't as popular. They weren't as popular. So I had no idea.

>> Amanda Barker: Nor were they in 2009 when you were there.

>> Marco Timpano: Right. Okay. So I, of course, my in laws had said, we will help you. We watch it all the time. I turn to look at my family to get help, and it's as if they're trying to avoid my eye contact. They're not answering. They're looking everywhere but me. It looks like they're embarrassed, and I don't have a price. So the host is like, marco, I

>> Amanda Barker: didn't want to give you a bum steer.

>> Marco Timpano: Well, you kind of did because you left me hanging there.

>> Amanda Barker: We were figuring it out. We were discussing amongst ourselves, I think.

>> Marco Timpano: No, your parents were not even looking towards me. They were trying to avoid me. Anyways, so I was stuck.

>> Amanda Barker: How's it going to end?

>> Marco Timpano: It's going to end amazingly. So I decide to pick my favorite number. So I said $333, actually, which is

>> Amanda Barker: a really fair price for a patio heater. Like a big one.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, I thought it was.

>> Amanda Barker: It was a tall one.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, it was a tall one. It looked like it was copper in color.

>> Amanda Barker: And.

>> Marco Timpano: And I think I underbid. And I did not get pulled up. And had I got pulled up.

>> Amanda Barker: You overbid.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, What was it? How much was it?

>> Amanda Barker: This is my point. This is my point about that whole show. So you overbid, and actually, I think everyone overbid, and then they had to do it again. But that was an overbid. So what I'm saying is even the patio lantern wasn't worth $333. I think it was like 160 or something. So it's a pretty cheap patio lantern or whatever they're called. Patio heater. And the car. Am I okay to.

>> Marco Timpano: No. Because I just wanted to say this before we get to the car. I didn't win.

>> Amanda Barker: Spoiler alert. We do not have a car.

>> Marco Timpano: In 2009, I did not get called up on stage because I did not bet the right amount of money.

>> Amanda Barker: No.

>> Marco Timpano: But had I been able to go on stage, it was the yodel. The alpine yodel. Yeah.

>> Amanda Barker: Well, we'll just have to go. I mean, if there is ever a reason to go back to Vegas, it's not our dear friends that live there. It's so that you can try to get a chance to play the yodeli game.

>> Marco Timpano: I Will tell you this. I did not get to win. But the excitement of just being called and going down there and bidding was. Was enough. I had, like, for me, that was a highlight. And it. I'll never forget that experience.

>> Amanda Barker: No, it's. Well, I feel like you forgot. You have forgotten the year, how you overbid, how it ended. Do you remember how that night ended

>> Marco Timpano: in a drunken haze? No, I don't.

>> Amanda Barker: No, no, no, no. I mean the game. I mean, Price is Right. Do you remember how Price is Right

>> Marco Timpano: ended in the Las Vegas one? Yeah. Both people did not win.

>> Amanda Barker: Both people didn't win because they both overbid. And it was a trip and a car and all in. It was worth, like 16,000. It wasn't worth. So they both, bid in the 20s, which is a respectable amount for a trip in a car. And you think, well, they overestimate some of these things anyway. and it was a very, very cheap car. I don't even know if it was allowed on the road. Like, it was.

>> Marco Timpano: No, it was a brand. You would know.

>> Amanda Barker: M. Yeah.


You had to be within 5,000 for Showcase Showdown

Okay. Anyway, it was a lot of things. A lot of the big thing was people kept overbidding, and unlike on the show, or maybe they. And you had to be within. For the Showcase Showdown, you had to be within 5,000. Like, you.

>> Marco Timpano: You had to be close to the amount.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah. You couldn't. If you couldn't underbid and then be the one that won it or whatever,

>> Marco Timpano: you couldn't bid a dollar if the other person went over. You wouldn't win. You had to be. With different rules. Yeah, there was different rules.

>> Amanda Barker: Anyway, nobody won, but we won. we won the memory.


Happy Days episode called Jump the Shark. If people are wondering what that means

>> Marco Timpano: Speaking of memories, I remember being so excited to watch the Jump the Shark episode. If people are wondering what that means, there was an episode of Happy Days where the Fawns was gonna water ski

>> Amanda Barker: over a shark with a motorcycle, though, too, right?

>> Marco Timpano: No.

>> Amanda Barker: Wasn't his motorcycle part of it?

>> Marco Timpano: No.

>> Amanda Barker: I thought he was gonna motorcycle jump over the shark.

>> Marco Timpano: No.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, so it was a no.

>> Marco Timpano: I think he motorcycle jumped over something else. But this was.

>> Amanda Barker: In what world did the Fawns take up water skiing?

>> Marco Timpano: Well, that's why they call it Jumping the Shark. So the term if you're not aware means you've gotten to a point where the show will never be as good as it once was, and you're picking something outrageous to do, and the show will never come back to where it once was. So that term is when you jump the shark, when you've done something so outlandish or so off brand that you've deviated from what was great to the absurd or to something that is no longer as great and that's jumping the shark.

>> Amanda Barker: Like just. It's like they're grasping at straws with plots. Yeah, I don't really remember, but I do remember it was a two parter.

>> Marco Timpano: It was a two parter.

>> Amanda Barker: To be continued. And we were very worried that the faun. Something bad would happen to the fauns.

>> Marco Timpano: I do remember I loved the Fauns. And I loved Henry Winkler. And I still love Henry Winkler. Everything he does. He's great in. And I hear he's the nicest person.

>> Amanda Barker: That's what they say.

>> Marco Timpano: Listen, the Fonz, Henry Winkler. If you ever want to be on the podcast, he probably would. He probably would.

>> Amanda Barker: But how are people gonna sleep to the Fonz?

>> Marco Timpano: You can't sleep to the Fonz. You can't sleep to the Fonz.

>> Amanda Barker: This is a very North American episode. Price is. And very 1980s episode like Price is Right. Happy Days.

>> Marco Timpano: I don't think I could do any.

>> Amanda Barker: If you were born in like, I don't know, in England in the 2000s, you're like, I don't know what these old, old American Canadian people are talking about.

>> Marco Timpano: Sure, sure. Or maybe they'll go back and watch the pre. Jump the shark episodes. I don't think I could do an episode with Henry when Claire's my guest. I would be too excited.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, you're right.

>> Marco Timpano: He's so great in Barry.

>> Amanda Barker: Barry is such a great show.

>> Marco Timpano: He's so great, isn't it?


Amanda M. says she finds casinos very relaxing

Well, listen, Amanda M. What did you

>> Amanda Barker: intend to talk about today? Because I can't imagine it was your experience in Vegas.

>> Marco Timpano: No, it wasn't. But I'm going to call this episode the Jump. I hope this isn't the episode where we jump the shark.

>> Amanda Barker: I feel like we did.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, no.

>> Amanda Barker: Talking about Vegas, of all things. But you know what's funny about sleep and Vegas? I will say this. I find casinos very relaxing. And I don't know why, but I do. It might be because I started working on cruise ships when I was 22, I think. And there's something about. And I always had to walk through them for various, like from my cabin to work and so on. So the din of casinos, that just constant hum of bells and so on and machines and all of that, and the lights of it. I find them very, very soothing. Very relaxing. And I worked and lived in a casino for five weeks in New Jersey. barely left the Building, I just would go to the beach whenever I had time, in Atlantic City, New Jersey. And I found it very soothing, very relaxing. There's something almost very homey to me about a casino. I know that sounds very weird.

>> Marco Timpano: No, it doesn't at all.

>> Amanda Barker: I always felt that way.

>> Marco Timpano: There's something to be said about that. The sound of multiple things making the same sort of sound and a rhythmic feel of lights. That can certainly relax the machinery of it.

>> Amanda Barker: The people sort of zoning out, staring at the machines. I don't know all of it. I just find it very soothing. Just the calm, the din, if you will, of it. And I did in Atlantic City, too. I always just felt like this is my home. I almost felt like maybe, if you believe in past lives, that I had a past life personality that lived at a casino or worked in one. I don't know. It always felt weirdly familiar to me.

>> Marco Timpano: Sure, sure. We saw some Vegas shows, too. Those were fun.

>> Amanda Barker: We did. I liked working in a casino. I liked living and working in a casino, believe it or not. Although I don't know if I would do it forever. You and I performed in a casino in Windsor that time.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, we did? Yes, we did.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah. That was the first casino. And then I did a bunch of other things. So this is news to me that you actually like Vegas. I didn't think you liked Vegas.

>> Marco Timpano: I do like veg. Something about Vegas that appeals to me. Besides our friend, I have other friends in Vegas as well.

>> Amanda Barker: You do?

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, My old dentist. Both of them, husband and wife team, are friends of the family. I shouldn't say my dentist. My former dentist. They're close friends of my family who were also my dentists who moved to, Las Vegas.

>> Amanda Barker: We should get our dentist to do an episode of this because he can be very soothing.

>> Marco Timpano: Our dentist is awesome.

>> Amanda Barker: He's wonderful. And I actually know him because of my work in radio, believe it or not. And that's how he became my dentist. That's a story for another time.

>> Marco Timpano: It is. I think it is.


Amanda: I hope this episode did not jump the shark

I think we're at the end of our episode.

>> Amanda Barker: I can't even believe it.

>> Marco Timpano: I can't believe it either. I can't believe you thought the fawns drove a motorcycle over a shark.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, I thought it was a motorcycle on water skis. I was like, five when I watched it.

>> Marco Timpano: Fair enough. Well, listen, thank you for joining, Joining us. Thank you for staying with us. If you've stayed this far, I hope this episode did not jump the shark. But if it did, I hope you had a few chuckles along the way. And tune in next week for more Insomnia Project. Thank you for all the correspondence, the emails, the texts, the. Or not the text, but the, tweets, and all the other ways people are getting in touch with us. I will do my best to respond. And, thank you for listening. Until next time, Amanda, and I hope you listen and sleep.

In this episode of The Insomnia Project, a relaxing sleep podcast for insomnia, Marco and Amanda close out Season 5 with a calm and gently wandering conversation that drifts through technology frustrations, curious memories, and moments of gratitude. As always, the goal is simple: create a quiet space where listeners can unwind, relax, and perhaps fall asleep while following along with an unhurried discussion of everyday things.
The episode begins with Marco taking Amanda—and listeners—on a surprisingly deep dive into his recent journey with an audio interface. What might sound like a technical story quickly becomes the kind of meandering explanation that only Marco can deliver, with Amanda doing her best to stay awake in the studio as the tale unfolds.
Along the way the conversation wanders through a variety of cozy topics. Amanda recalls a memorable cabbage patch haircut, Marco can’t help but smile while describing the famous nude bike ride in Madison, Wisconsin, and the hosts take a moment to appreciate seasonal flowers blooming in November. There’s also a curious discussion about subway stops—the kind that make you wonder who exactly gets off at certain stations.
As the season wraps up, Marco also shares something he’s especially grateful for: the many messages from listeners who have found comfort in the podcast. Hearing that The Insomnia Project has helped people with insomnia, eased anxiety, or simply provided a gentle show to listen to at night has meant a great deal throughout the season.
While this episode marks the end of Season 5, the calm conversations won’t stop for long. Throughout December, The Insomnia Project will be bringing listeners a special series of daily holiday episodes, perfect for bedtime listening during the busy holiday season.
If you’re settling in for the night and looking for a softly spoken conversation to help quiet your mind, press play and join us for this relaxed season finale.
• Visit our website: www.theinsomniaproject.com

​The Interface Episode
)original airdate: Nov 24, 2021)


 Welcome to the Insomnia project. Sit back, relax and just listen and let your insomnia just drift away. And if you have anxiety, let that drift away because we're going to talk to you for about 26 minutes about something very calm and relaxing. Thank you for joining us today.


Today is the last episode of season five. That's seven years we've been on the airwaves

Today is the last episode of season five. That's seven years we've been on, the airwaves as of January.

>> Amanda Barker: I didn't know I was here for the last episode of season five.

>> Marco Timpano: You are. You're an integral part of season five.

>> Amanda Barker: I had no one to told me. I wasn't informed. I did mention by the studio.

>> Marco Timpano: I did mention it a few weeks back and you were like, no, there's more weeks in January Remember?

>> Amanda Barker: Well, I might have said there's more weeks in November.

>> Marco Timpano: November, sorry.

>> Amanda Barker: Versus January. You're ahead of yourself, Marco.

>> Marco Timpano: I am. I am. This is Amanda Barker, by the way.

>> Amanda Barker: this is Marco Timpano.

>> Marco Timpano: That's right. And, we had a lot of people are. I don't know what it is for the season five, but I'm so grateful to all the people who have messaged me and told us how much they're enjoying the podcast, people who are listening because they've been anxious as of late, Amanda. And, thank you for all those messages.

>> Amanda Barker: It's really wonderful. And it's, nice to be of service, honestly.

>> Marco Timpano: It is. And it's nice to be here with you sharing the same. The same thing where we can't sleep sometimes. And we know where you are, Amanda.


We also realized that I have not been to Milwaukee, and I thought you had

before we go any further, I want to mention that one of our dear listeners, Devin, who is a Patreon on our Patreon page, messaged me. Devin said that they had not heard of jumping the shark until days prior to our episode where Devin asked their partner what jumping the shark was. And then our episode followed.

>> Amanda Barker: Right, right.

>> Marco Timpano: And Devin continued to tell us. Devin's from Madison, Wisconsin, that there is a Bronze Fonz in Milwaukee.

>> Amanda Barker: I've been to the Bronze Fonz.

>> Marco Timpano: Do you have a photo with the Bronze Fonz?

>> Amanda Barker: I know I have a photo.

>> Marco Timpano: Can we put that up with the Bronze Fonz on our Instagram? Because that would be awesome.

>> Amanda Barker: I have to go into a hard drive, but I definitely have it. Yeah.

>> Marco Timpano: What's the Bronze Fonz like?

>> Amanda Barker: And I should mention this, it's weird because he's bronze.

>> Marco Timpano: A bronze statue of the character, the Fonz, that was played by Henry Winkler in Happy Days.

>> Amanda Barker: Right. Because it all took place in Milwaukee. Right?

>> Marco Timpano: That's right. So did Laverne Shirley.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah. It's funny because in those shows, I think of Milwaukee as a very big city, but having been to Milwaukee, I think of it more as a fun little place, but as a child, everything feels bigger, you know?

>> Marco Timpano: We also realized that I have not been to Milwaukee, and I thought you had. I thought I had, too.

>> Amanda Barker: You thought you had.

>> Marco Timpano: I thought I had.

>> Amanda Barker: I talked about it a lot because I've been there a couple times.

>> Marco Timpano: Can we go in the New Year?

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, you'd love Milwaukee.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, I want to go.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah. lots of great food there.

>> Marco Timpano: Well, not only is Milwaukee sounding tremendous, but on Devin's back Bucket list is going to Montreal.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, wow.

>> Marco Timpano: Because they really enjoyed our Montreal Episode.

>> Marco Timpano: And in Madison, Wisconsin, they have a yearly naked bicycle ride.

>> Amanda Barker: I. I'm all for it. I don't know if I'd want people filming me while I'm naked on my bike, but I'm definitely all. I think I would enjoy being naked on my bike.

>> Marco Timpano: It's a parade of nude riders.

>> Amanda Barker: Right.

>> Marco Timpano: Nicknamed Bear as you dare.

>> Marco Timpano: Riding around the city in the off. And Amanda Devin sent me a video of it and it's really.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, I didn't realize that video was from Devin.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, it's really, really funny to see.

>> Amanda Barker: We enjoyed that video immensely.

>> Marco Timpano: Thank you.

>> Amanda Barker: There's a real play and freedom in it and. And also Wisconsin's really cold a lot of the time. So the fact that people are like, you know what? We're going to celebrate the warmth when we have it, I think it's great.

>> Marco Timpano: I had some dear friends from Wisconsin and they're just the best people.

>> Amanda Barker: Really?

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah.

>> Amanda Barker: I don't know. You had friends from Wisconsin.

>> Marco Timpano: Jay was from Wisconsin.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, Jay was from Wisconsin.

>> Marco Timpano: From Tomahawk, Wisconsin. Yeah. A director of ours who came to our weddings. Really, really lovely gentleman, Jay Leggett. And I knew another person from Wisconsin who was just wonderful. That said, we are using new technology today, friends and listeners. So I had a bit of an incident where my interface, which is the electronic box that allows the XLR cable from these condenser mics to go from the XLR cable through the interface into the computer.

>> Amanda Barker: Keep talking about it and you will surely put me to sleep at least.

>> Marco Timpano: Well.

>> Amanda Barker: XLR interface CABLE INPUT output so the

>> Marco Timpano: interface, what it does is it allows the microphone, which is a better microphone than the USB microphone that we often use. When you hear the squeaky chair.

>> Marco Timpano: That's usually the USB mic and the studio mic is this XLR mic or this condenser mic that we're using. These two condenser mics that we're using. So the condenser mic goes through the XLR cable, which is far too big a cable to plug into a regular computer. The interface then allows me to modulate our microphones and the mixer and the main switch, headphones, etc. As they go into the computer through a USB follow.

>> Amanda Barker: So far, no, not at all.


My interface was not working the other day when you had. Something wasn't working

>> Marco Timpano: Okay, so my interface was not working the other day when you had.

>> Amanda Barker: What's an interface?

>> Marco Timpano: I just explained it. It's this box.

>> Amanda Barker: I was thinking about my sister and the subway schedule.

>> Marco Timpano: Okay, we'll talk about, that.

>> Amanda Barker: Honestly, that's what happened. My brain switched off. You Were talking, but I was thinking about my sister and the subway schedule.

>> Marco Timpano: We'll get to that in just a moment. So this interface, it's this box right here. Do you see it?

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah.

>> Marco Timpano: So you might remember we were going to.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh yeah, it's different.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah. We were going to record your voiceover audition that you had.

>> Amanda Barker: Yes.

>> Marco Timpano: And we went to the cupboard.

>> Amanda Barker: High stakes drama.

>> Marco Timpano: the cupboard was bare. Something wasn't working. I thought it was perhaps the electrical plug. So what I plug the electrical. What do you call it? The actual outlet? Not the outlet, but the thing that I plug in the.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, I don't ever know that we. Because you tend to call. There's about five different electronics in this house that we call chargers. It could be a charging cord, it could be a wall charger, unit thing.

>> Marco Timpano: I think it's more of a wall charger.

>> Amanda Barker: But we were like, where's the charger? It could be one of those portable chargers that I use to power up my phone on the road.

>> Marco Timpano: No, this is what you plug into.

>> Amanda Barker: That's what I call a charger.

>> Marco Timpano: It's what you plug into the electrical outlet.

>> Amanda Barker: The thingy on the wall.

>> Marco Timpano: No, not the outlet.

>> Amanda Barker: The thingy that goes into the outlet on the wall.

>> Marco Timpano: That's it. So that was a little bit frayed. You know how it has a hard plastic nub and then it goes to the cord. Sure. Where the nub meets the cord was a bit frayed. So that particular interface, which is an audient 14.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, wow.

>> Marco Timpano: It needs a power from both the computer and the outlet. And I thought it wasn't getting the power from the outlet or the juice to power the interface to allow the signal from the microphone to go into the computer.


I was having trouble connecting my microphones to an audio interface for podcasting

Thankfully, speaking of your sister, she has given me gifts certificates to the audio store that I purchased my equipment at for the pop. For podcasting.

>> Marco Timpano: Every year for Christmas she gives that to me and I use it towards the podcast. M and for the past three years I've used it to up the warranty on both the microphones we use and the interface.

>> Amanda Barker: Amazing.

>> Marco Timpano: So I brought the interface in, thinking they were just going to replace the cord that goes into the wall.

>> Marco Timpano: And when the gentleman tested it, he said to me, it's more than the cord. I think something's going on with the interface itself.

>> Amanda Barker: We Hm.

>> Marco Timpano: Need to look into it. And so the gentleman at that store is going to look into it because the warranty has been extended now. And I said to him, well, I'm a podcaster I need to podcast because we have listeners expecting this episode to air on Wednesday. And we were late last week because we were traveling, so I didn't want to do that again to our listeners. And he said, okay, well, your warranty also covers a rental, so I'll give you a new interface.

>> Marco Timpano: So he gave me this interface, which is the Audiobox USB 96. And he had asked me, do you want an audience like the one you had? Which he then said is finicky with regards to power.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay.

>> Marco Timpano: I said, I'd like to try a new one. So he's gonna give me the Scarlet, but I'm not. I have a Scarlett. I didn't. I wanted to try something new.

>> Amanda Barker: Right.

>> Marco Timpano: So he gave me the audiobox USB 96 okay to use. And I was having the most tremendous amount of trouble getting my Daw Daw or my digital audio workstation to connect with the interface. As you saw, I was, I was, I was spending a lot of time on that. Turns out it was the USB cable that was too long for this interface. This interface likes a short USB cable.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh.

>> Marco Timpano: And so the, the one they gave me was too long. The one that I had was too long. So I went into one that I had kind of in a box that I don't really use that was shorter.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay.

>> Marco Timpano: And it worked.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, wow.

>> Marco Timpano: And so if the sound sounds a bit different today, it's because I'm using a new interface. And so it may react a little bit differently, not greatly with our microphones and our voice might sound a little bit different.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay.

>> Marco Timpano: And that is the journey of my interface.

>> Amanda Barker: I don't think, I'm. All of me is in this room.

>> Marco Timpano: fair enough.


Amanda was thinking about the subway schedule that you were thinking about

So, Amanda, you were talking about the subway schedule that you were thinking about and our subway.

>> Amanda Barker: Well, our subway's expanded a lot in the last couple of years. And, you know, I used to rely on the subway a lot and not as much now. So I was just thinking of some of the new stations that have evolved and been built on the subway in the last few years. That's where my brain was.

>> Marco Timpano: Sure enough, the subway now goes to my former university, which is York University, which is very north of the city, really, if you think about it.

>> Amanda Barker: Like, do you know anybody at Besserian Subway stop?

>> Marco Timpano: No, but that one always strikes me too. That's a weird one.

>> Amanda Barker: Like, you never hear of anyone. Like it's on the map, but you never hear of anyone going, oh, I just got a condo, right at Besarian. Like, it's not a word you ever hear, but on the subway map in Toronto, for some reason, it's there. This is wildly specific for.

>> Marco Timpano: For me, Glencairn is the one, I always think, who gets off at Glen Karen?

>> Amanda Barker: Glencairn. Yeah, but then there's other subway stops in Toronto that you hear about all the time, right? Like getting off at Spadina or the Zaveria subway stop or Dufferin Station.

>> Marco Timpano: When I lived in New York, Prince, I would get off at Prince station for work.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh. When I lived in Korea, I got off at Bupyeonggu, which was next to Pegun and between Pegun and Puge. They were all P's. But actually, what's funny is they're all bees now because they went with the other Alphabet. There were sort of two versions of whatever the Anglicized Korean Alphabet was, and I knew it all as peas. like Busan. But now it's Busan, right? Anyway, I mean, it's all the same in Korean.

>> Marco Timpano: But, I'm so glad you're using P's, because.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, that's your favorite.

>> Marco Timpano: You have a tendency to pop your P's.

>> Amanda Barker: Hey, I mean, if we're going to try this new interface, let's see how it does with P's and B's. That has nothing to do with the interface, does it?

>> Marco Timpano: Well, you. You.

>> Speaker A: With almost half a million customers and over a trillion dollars of secure payments, Bill isn't new to intelligent finance. It's the proven way to simplify and maximize cash flow. Want to learn more? Visit bill.comproven for a special offer.


Amanda says she has a heavy foot because her mother told her

>> Marco Timpano: We just have a very prominent pee.

>> Amanda Barker: I don't know why my pee is so prominent.

>> Marco Timpano: I don't know. And you also have a heavy foot.

>> Amanda Barker: I do have a heavy foot.

>> Marco Timpano: The reason we know Amanda has a heavy foot.

>> Amanda Barker: Well, because my mother used to tell me I did.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, did your mother tell you?

>> Amanda Barker: Oh my God.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, growing up.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, yeah. Stomp, stomp, stomp.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh. Because I know you have a heavy foot. When you're walking above the studio, I can hear you.

>> Amanda Barker: But my friend and our friend Michelle, Miracle in la, said, you know, you're very heavy footed once to me, and I was like, oh, gosh. I guess she is very aware that I have heavy feet.

>> Marco Timpano: I think you just have a heavy foot.

>> Amanda Barker: I guess I do. I don't know. I thought maybe it was a dance thing. Like when I was a kid, I thought that's just something every mom says to every kid. But now I realize no, maybe it's specifically me. I don't have big feet.

>> Marco Timpano: No, you don't. Not at all.

>> Amanda Barker: Maybe that's why they're so heavy. Maybe I should be smaller for my feet. My feet are too small for my body.

>> Marco Timpano: Perhaps. Perhaps. When I was a child, I thought every parent, every mom cut their kids hair.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, really?

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, because my mom was a hairdresser, so she would cut my hair.

>> Amanda Barker: Right.

>> Marco Timpano: And, I just figured every mom cuts every child's hair. That's what they do.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah. No, I probably wouldn't have ended up with a pixie cut if that was the case. Or I would have only had a pixie cut if that was the case.

>> Marco Timpano: I see. I see. Did you ever cut your own hair as a child?

>> Amanda Barker: No. I tried to shave.

>> Marco Timpano: Okay.

>> Amanda Barker: once. And another time I let my sister cut my hair and that was a disaster.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, no.

>> Amanda Barker: I wanted to be a Cabbage Patch doll for Halloween.

>> Marco Timpano: Who doesn't?

>> Amanda Barker: And. And I decided this sometime early October. And so she said, okay, if you want to be a Cabbage Patch doll for Halloween, then we should probably cut your hair in ponytails so that it can look properly like a Cabbage Patch doll. And she was very convinced of it.

>> Marco Timpano: how old were you at this time?

>> Amanda Barker: We were older than you'd think.

>> Marco Timpano: Okay.

>> Amanda Barker: I want to say I was 7 or 8. So that would have put her at a solid 9 or 10, which really is, you know, that's something like a 4 year old does. We were old enough that you both

>> Marco Timpano: should have known better.

>> Amanda Barker: I guess I just always listened to whatever she said and she definitely should have known better. So she cut my hair in ponytails. And so of course it was all jagged and different lengths. And so then I had to go and get my hair properly cut. So then it became a bob.

>> Marco Timpano: I see.

>> Amanda Barker: I didn't mind the bob, but my mom didn't like it.

>> Marco Timpano: Fair enough.

>> Amanda Barker: Which is funny because she likes short hair.

>> Marco Timpano: But anyway, I want to say a special hello to all the flowers that are blooming in November, which for me, a November bloom is spectacular.

>> Amanda Barker: We have some geraniums that won't quit.

>> Marco Timpano: They're just like, it's the end of the season, I'm still gonna give you some blooms.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, they're hot pink geraniums. And I mean, it's December. Next week.

>> Marco Timpano: I know.

>> Amanda Barker: This week. Is it December this week? No, next week.

>> Marco Timpano: Next week.


As of December 1st, we're gonna have our holiday episodes

Speaking of December, So today's our last episode of season five. Thank you for being with us all this time. As of December 1st, we're gonna have our holiday episodes. And we're gonna have an episode for every day in December and a little pinch after in November too, till the 6th, which is epiphany.

>> Amanda Barker: January.

>> Marco Timpano: What did I say?

>> Amanda Barker: November.

>> Marco Timpano: Sorry.

>> Amanda Barker: And earlier when you were talking about November, you said January. I guess you get those two mixed up.

>> Marco Timpano: No, I think I'm just at the end of my day. I think it's just, it's just been a long day.

>> Marco Timpano: And so we're going to do a show for the 31 days of December. They're going to be holiday shows, so they're going to be not our regular episodes. They're going to be a little bit peppier. They're going to have a little more holiday feel to it. We'll talk more about that on the December 1 episode. But I just want to let everyone know I'm very excited about it. And Amanda, a preview for our listeners. We are going to be putting together a new podcast logo.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh.

>> Marco Timpano: So the one that you see of me and you in front of microphones with a sheep jumping over us is going to change to something else.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh my goodness.

>> Marco Timpano: So very excited.

>> Amanda Barker: Will it feature my chin as much?

>> Marco Timpano: It won't. Why? I think you look good in that picture. You're not happy with the chin?

>> Amanda Barker: No, it's just, you know, one never quite adjusts to one's profile, I think.

>> Marco Timpano: I guess profiles are a challenging thing.

>> Amanda Barker: They are, right?

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah. So we're going to have a new logo.

>> Marco Timpano: Sans either of our chins.

>> Amanda Barker: That means without.

>> Marco Timpano: That means without. And we hope you will like it. I'm really excited about it.

>> Amanda Barker: Good. That's very exciting. That's exciting news.


What does the end of November bring for you, Amanda?

>> Marco Timpano: What does the end of November bring for you, Amanda?

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, that's a really good question.

>> Marco Timpano: I'll say this. Your magazines for the end of November are pretty great. The five you got all the covers all look fantastic.

>> Amanda Barker: You're enjoying my magazines. Yeah, it's a lot of turkeys and, leaves and let's get into Christmas and let's get into the holidays. I think for me, November brings darkness. And in that darkness can be a lot of things. I think it can be a coziness.

>> Marco Timpano: Yes.

>> Amanda Barker: A want to look inward.

>> Marco Timpano: Sure.

>> Amanda Barker: A want to sleep more. I had a fabulous nap today.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, you had. It feels like when you nap, I don't. And when I nap, you don't.

>> Amanda Barker: We have an energetic thing in this house with sleep in general. we should do a whole episode on that since it is a sleep podcast.


American Thanksgiving is coming up on Thursday

>> Marco Timpano: I want to also mention our listener Heidi, who, tweeted us at, listen and sleep. That's our Twitter handle, in case you're wondering. so Heidi mentions that. She mentions she loved hearing about the beautiful townships that we drove through on the latest episode. So the Eastern townships. And Heidi, if you get a chance, please, you and Devin take a trip. I know you don't know each other, but take a trip through Matchmaker.

>> Amanda Barker: Matchmaker.

>> Marco Timpano: No, I think they're both partnered. But still, they can still go.

>> Amanda Barker: I mean, friend, Matchmaker.

>> Marco Timpano: I don't mean romantically fair, but they can drive through Quebec. It's so, so beautiful. So beautiful.

>> Amanda Barker: Where is Heidi?

>> Marco Timpano: Heidi doesn't say where she's from. So Heidi, if you get a chance, let us know where you're from. But I want to say that she enjoyed the episode and it helped her get back to sleep when her head was stirring with her Thanksgiving menu plans. And American Thanksgiving is coming up on Thursday.

>> Amanda Barker: Right.

>> Marco Timpano: So I want to wish all our American listeners a happy Thanksgiving.

>> Amanda Barker: Would it be helpful if I went through what I did for Thanksgiving?

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, of course. I don't think we talked about it.

>> Amanda Barker: I think we did the way I organized it all.

>> Marco Timpano: But I also want to say that I'm thankful for all our listeners and our American listeners who are celebrating Thanksgiving. I am thankful to have you here listening. And thank you, Heidi, for mentioning that. I. I sort of responded by saying I'm sure her Thanksgiving menu is going to be awesome, because I know you plan yours, and she was planning hers.

>> Amanda Barker: The key is timing. The key is having a timed schedule for me this year. It was, But you asked about November, and I just want to say I think there's some real magic to be found in the darkness of November. I think there's a real. Because it can be really challenging right when you lose the light and lose the sunlight. So I just wanted to say that I'm really trying this year to just invite the warmth and coziness that more hours of darkness can bring and, the inward introspection that more hours of darkness can bring.


The loud ad in the middle of our show episodes was a challenge for some listeners

I just really wanted to say that

>> Marco Timpano: I want to thank all our listeners who have stayed with us through the loud ad in the middle of our show episodes that I know was a challenge for a lot of people.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, that was, something that you only found out about after. Right.

>> Marco Timpano: You had to troubleshoot. It's a difficult one. Now, we do have two ads that will happen at the start of our show, and one of those ads I was Told by Nima was a bit loud.

>> Marco Timpano: But I figure if they're at the top of the show, once you start hearing me speak, you're going to chill and hopefully find your way to sleep. So I'm going to leave those ads

>> Amanda Barker: because I will say so. A podcast I'm listening to right now has some ads in it and it's the same ad every time. And I actually don't mind, personally. I like hearing the ads at the same time every time in the podcast, but I am a creature of, comfort and habit.

>> Marco Timpano: Mountain goat1.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay.

>> Marco Timpano: Had tweeted us and said that they usually love our podcast, but the Jumping the Shark episode was too much banter and too many interruptions. I think we went a little bit out of our norm of being calm.

>> Amanda Barker: I understand.

>> Marco Timpano: And you even called it out in the episode.

>> Amanda Barker: I did. Right. I said I think this is too conversational.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah. So we're gonna make it a little

>> Amanda Barker: more what's good feedback.

>> Marco Timpano: Thank you. Mountain Goat 1.

>> Amanda Barker: I am thankful, for the feedback.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, I am thankful too.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah. And there's different episodes for different people too. Right. That's why people flag like some people. The interface episode. I will never make it through this episode.

>> Marco Timpano: Well, we talked about the interface early in the episode, so hopefully at this point that helped people.

>> Marco Timpano: But I'm looking forward, I'm going to just end the episode talking about interfaces if I can.


Marco Tampano wants to know what you're planning for Christmas

>> Amanda Barker: Okay, great.

>> Marco Timpano: So Chris Bond has an interface that he spent quite a bit of money on, but it has all these features on it where he can program buttons to sort of allow for certain sound effects, certain dings and chimes. And his intro music is all pre planned on the interface. And I really want to look into that particular interface because I feel like it's kind of the Rolls Royce of interfaces.

>> Marco Timpano: And if I'm going, if my audience 14 doesn't work out, I might look at getting that Rolls Royce of interfaces. But I want to ask him more about it. And that's interface talk with Marco Tampano. Let m us know if you let us know what your plans are, if you're celebrating Thanksgiving or what your plans are or what you like about the end of November. Would love to know that. Or whatever else you'd like to share with us. Of course, we're always open to that as well. I recently had all my markers and highlighters out, Amanda, because I had some work I had to do. And you know, I highlight everything.

>> Amanda Barker: You do? You're very into color Coding. And this is a house where I always can count on having a highlighter.

>> Marco Timpano: A highlighter or cue cards. I have cue cards everywhere.

>> Amanda Barker: Highlighters especially though they're, they're, they're heavily prized and in every room.

>> Marco Timpano: It's true. I don't have a good green one right now.

>> Amanda Barker: Well, I know what to get you for Christmas.

>> Marco Timpano: There you go. A green highlighter goes. Because the one I have light green

>> Amanda Barker: or a dark green?

>> Marco Timpano: Well, no, not a dark one because the one I have is too dark when I highlight. It's just this. It's like using a, green marker.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, it's like you're almost. You can't read the thing. Some of the blues can be like that too.

>> Marco Timpano: The purples I find difficult.

>> Amanda Barker: Very dark. You need a light. Highlighters need to, by definition, be light.

>> Marco Timpano: There's pastely ones in different colors. I saw. A whole pack of them. But they were $17. So I was like, I'm not getting those. But I had my eye on them. Maybe Santa will get me pastel highlighters.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, maybe.


Thank you for listening to our Sleep podcast. Please tell your friends about our podcast

>> Marco Timpano: Well, listen, thank you so much for listening and I hope you've had an, ah, enjoyable season five. Thank you for, being with us. Please tell your friends about our podcast. they might enjoy it. I know I've had some people I recently spoke with and they've said, I didn't realize you had a podcast about sleep. And so they're now listeners. So thank you for listening to all of you and I wish all of you a good night and I hope you were able to, to listen and sleep.

In this short bonus episode of The Insomnia Project, a relaxing sleep podcast for insomnia, Marco shares a quick update with listeners about some unexpectedly loud advertisements that recently appeared in a few episodes. If you noticed the volume jump or were startled while settling in for bedtime listening, this episode explains what happened behind the scenes and what the team is doing to address it.
The Insomnia Project is designed to offer calm, gently wandering conversations that help quiet your mind and ease you toward sleep, so maintaining a peaceful listening experience is incredibly important to us. Marco takes a moment to acknowledge the issue, thank listeners for their patience, and reassure everyone that steps are being taken to make sure future episodes remain the soft, relaxing experience you expect.
If you’ve been drifting off with us for a while—or you’re just discovering the show—thank you for being part of our quiet community. Your feedback helps us keep the podcast a comfortable place for bedtime listening and restful nights.
• Visit our website: theinsomniaproject.com

​Hotels & Authors_Arthurs
(Original airdate: Nov 5, 2021)

 Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm conversation about the mundane to help you, our listeners, find your way to sleep or relaxation. And I just want to say, start off. You might be wondering why this show when we just had one on Wednesday.

>> Amanda Barker: Well, I'll let you consider that. And I'm going to let you take a drink because you feel a bit mouth noisy to me.

>> Marco Timpano: Amanda brings in a, glass of water with a lot of ice, so it clanks away.

>> Amanda Barker: In my defense, this is slightly melted ice.


Marco says some ads on the podcast were too loud and disturbed listeners

>> Marco Timpano: Okay, so I just want to start the, start this episode off by saying I understand that there were some very loud ads that we had in the mid part of our episodes and at the end of our episode recently. And, thankfully our listeners reached out to me and said, the ads are too loud. They're waking us up as we're falling asleep.

>> Amanda Barker: Was that for all markets, Marco?

>> Marco Timpano: That was for the U.S. marco. So it seemed like, or at least that's what I heard. The response I heard were all from U.S. american listeners. and so if you're listening in another part of the world and you're hearing really loud ads in the middle and towards the end of the podcast, please let us know. But I've removed all those ads. I've asked the partner that we work with acast to please remove those ads because I can't determine if they're loud or not for the different markets. Amanda? I only select the type of ad that can be played.

>> Amanda Barker: Which in your defense was a sleeping ad, right? I think it was a mattress, right?

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, I think it was a mattress ad. And so I said like anything to do with sleep, you can advertise on our show, thinking that it would be calm and relaxing. And it turns out this one particular sleep ad was loud and disturbing people. So I apologize for that. They have all been pulled. You may hear some ads at the very top of the show. Of course, we're using those ads to make revenue so that we can continue to have the podcast on and, you know, just to help us with the costs that are associated with this podcast. So you will no longer hear mid roll or end roll ads unless I am reading them. I told them I'll do spons ads or host red ads because I can determine the volume of that and the pacing of that so that people who are mid sort of mid drift off won't be disturbed by them.

>> Marco Timpano: So that's. I just wanted to come out and say that to our listeners. Hopefully I haven't lost listeners who are really turned off by it. And if it disturbed your sleep, I apologize. But I have received some beautiful emails from people, Amanda, saying that they love the show and that those ads were just a bit jarring. That brought that to my attention. Now, Amanda, you are joining a gang of some sort.

>> Amanda Barker: I am joining a gang.

>> Marco Timpano: A motorcycle gang.

>> Amanda Barker: And I'm actually right now trying to figure out the etymology of the name of my new gang. I think it's a gang, right? We're allowed to say gang.

>> Marco Timpano: I don't know about that, but it's not quite a gang. I also want to mention this, Amanda, before I forget, that if you've downloaded episodes previous to today's episode, those downloaded episodes may still have the ads on them. So you might want to delete those and redownload them because now they won't feature the ad. But if you downloaded them as of yesterday, they may have still had the ads in the middle and at the end. So that's the only other sort of clarifying statement I want to make.


Amanda recently joined a Vespa riding gang on Facebook

>> Amanda Barker: Okay, so I have recently joined a gang on Facebook. and the name of this gang is the Piper Doves. Now I'm trying to. I have not partaken in any of Their activities. Any gang related activities as of yet? I feel like I'm being a bit coy with the word gang, but I think that is what it is actually called.

>> Marco Timpano: It's a group of people, right?

>> Amanda Barker: Yep. And in this case a group of, I, think females. Female identifying people, which are females. and they're called the Piper Doves. Now I'm trying to find the etymology of the name and I know I did see, the etymology of the name and now I'm just trying to.

>> Marco Timpano: I'll let you look that up as I drop my pencil here. Amanda's joined this Vespa riding gang. So it's a bunch of, women who are scooters. Oh, scooters, sorry, scooter riding women in the Toronto area. It's just in the city, right, Amanda?

>> Amanda Barker: I think so, yeah. And they ride their scooters around and they're women and that's their thing. So I thought, well, that's me and I have a scooter, so I'm gonna do that. But now I'm trying to figure out why they're called the Piper Doves. And I know, I know I've seen it, somewhere on this group, but I can't find it.

>> Marco Timpano: Well, I'll let you look for it.

>> Amanda Barker: It's something, Piper. I gotta find it.

>> Marco Timpano: Amanda's gonna look for it.


We got a lovely review for our podcast, five stars

While she's looking for it, I also wanted to mention we got a lovely review. So apart from, you know, all the feedback that I got with regards to, you know, the loud ads, I also got a lovely review and I'm really grateful for it. And it's from Jay Electra and she called and she writes favorite podcast, five stars. So already after a day of being very upset that these, these ads were waking people up, this really picked up my experience. So thank you, Jay Electra. I'll just read you the review. It says, engaging, yet relaxing, thoughtful and fun. Marco, Amanda, Nidhi and guests became my friends through the pandemic. Pause. Thank you for sharing your talent, creativity, amazing network, and many hours of companionship with the rest of with a restless world. So I just want to say this, thank you. First of all, thank you for that lovely review. Secondly, we have had so many people listen to our podcast because of the pandemic. And we never mention the pandemic because nobody needs to hear more about that.

>> Amanda Barker: Everyone's living it in their own way.

>> Marco Timpano: Right. You know, and so we try not to. We don't mention it. But, I mention it only because it was referenced in the review. But thank you. If you're just listening just to have a friendly voice talk to you about things that hopefully don't bother you. Right, Amanda? So thank you for all our new listeners who have joined in because of what's going on in the world.


Heidi Kitten: Speaking of birds, I know we mention Wingspan frequently

All right, enough of all that. Since I'm giving a little bonus episode here, we will just get into it. And now you can sort of not worry about us talking about everything that we spoke off the top of the show.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay, here we go. So somebody wrote, I found it. Not sure what a Piper dove is yet, but I'm Heidi Kitten. And so they wrote, piper is the word for scooterist. Somebody on a scooter. Oh. Is a piper a piper? Yeah. And dove is a pacifist or bird. So, it's the idea of a peaceful gang.

>> Marco Timpano: I see.

>> Amanda Barker: And that's what I have joined.

>> Marco Timpano: Wow, that's wonderful.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah.

>> Marco Timpano: Speaking of birds, I know we mention Wingspan all the time. One of our listeners said they got into Wingspan and their family loves it.

>> Marco Timpano: And that makes me so happy.

>> Amanda Barker: It makes me happy too. And, maybe we'll do a round of Wingspan tonight. Yeah.

>> Marco Timpano: Maybe we'll tape it and I'll put it on the Patreon episode. Like put it as a Patreon episode so people can watch us watch. Can we film it and put it up?

>> Amanda Barker: What do you mean? Can we?

>> Marco Timpano: Like shall we or.

>> Amanda Barker: Yes, perfect. Okay, we'll do that. Yes, we certainly can, I think.

>> Marco Timpano: All right.

>> Amanda Barker: I love Wingspan because I love that it's a 40 minute commitment that'll just rezone me, put me in a nice place, allow me to just think about birds and facts about birds and, strategies. But, you know, in a simple, soothing kind of way.


Arthur: We went to Paris, Ontario, last weekend. It's the official city of the season

>> Marco Timpano: Well, it's interesting. We seem to this season talk a lot about Paris, Ontario, and we were there last weekend.

>> Amanda Barker: It's the official city of the season.

>> Marco Timpano: I guess so. And you know, anyone listening who's from Paris? You have a beautiful. You have a beautiful city, a beautiful town, I guess you would say. I don't know if it's really qualifies to be a city with regards to population.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah. It might not be an actual city, but I have to say any place that has a river running through it is beautiful.

>> Marco Timpano: No doubt. And we got to stay at that hotel that we mentioned.

>> Amanda Barker: Have we not talked about this yet?

>> Marco Timpano: We've talked about the hotel, but we weren't able to stay there. So we actually stayed at the hotel.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, I didn't Realize we haven't unearthed this?

>> Marco Timpano: No. So we'll describe what happened when we went to this lovely hotel. So it's an old hotel from the 1800s called the M. Ambassador.

>> Amanda Barker: I'm just gonna let you try to find it in your brain. I know what it is. No, I'll tell you. It's the Arlington.

>> Marco Timpano: Arlington. The Arlington.

>> Amanda Barker: But I wanted to see how many versions of the hotel name you know.

>> Marco Timpano: Why do I want to say Ambassador?

>> Amanda Barker: I don't know.

>> Marco Timpano: Okay, well, it's the Arlington. The Arlington Hotel in downtown Paris, Ontario.

>> Amanda Barker: It is right at the. There's a light, the four corners, and a crosswalk. That is quite a, It's called the Barnes Dance Crosswalk because it can go in every direction, including diagonally.

>> Marco Timpano: I kind of love that.

>> Amanda Barker: It's called quite a, crosswalk.

>> Marco Timpano: They call it a dance. And if you haven't experienced one of these crosswalks, all the lights. So the floor lights will be red, and you can walk in every direction, including diagonal. During that particular quote, unquote.

>> Amanda Barker: Dance diagonally.

>> Marco Timpano: Diagonally, yes.

>> Amanda Barker: Make it a proper adverb.

>> Marco Timpano: We had somebody actually reach out, about the, the grammar that we were talking about.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, and correcting me.

>> Marco Timpano: No, just saying how, that. I'll look it up in a moment. They're like, you know, it's Amanda's. Right. With the grammar or something. I'll look up the exact quote. But, So you. You do that little farmer's dance, or what was it called? Barnyard dance.

>> Amanda Barker: It's someone's name. It's Barnes Dance. That's like Farmer's dance.

>> Marco Timpano: Yes.

>> Amanda Barker: You just spin your partner around the crosswalk to get to the other side.

>> Marco Timpano: How hungry would that be if you could do a square dance?

>> Amanda Barker: As you could. Again, can or may. Two different things. You can do a, square dance across the road in Paris, Ontario, if that's what your heart chooses for you. Well, anyway, you cross the crosswalk, and

>> Marco Timpano: you get to the hotel.

>> Amanda Barker: There it is. Yes.

>> Marco Timpano: And every room is themed with a particular author in mind.

>> Amanda Barker: And then they've jumped away from that theme only a few times. For filmmakers, I think. I mean, Stanley Kubrick might be an author. I don't know. Leonardo da Vinci, I suppose, made some books, so there's a few that you're like, okay, I don't know if that. But whatever. I mean, be a stickler for the authors, but most of them are authors.

>> Marco Timpano: Sure, sure. We're there with friends.

>> Amanda Barker: By the way, author is one of the words that I always have to, put through my mind because otherwise you'll say Arthur. Well, because I think I'm saying it wrong. Because of being a Bostonian. There are words that you just learn to say, I guess, wrong, quote, unquote. And Arthur always sounds like I'm saying it like it should be Arthur. Yeah, right.


Amanda wanted something that would lend itself to a Halloween experience

>> Marco Timpano: Anyway, so we're excited to see which Arthur we're going to be, whose room we're going to get. And our friends get their room first, or we go to their room first.

>> Amanda Barker: And I think we should mention that it's Halloween weekend. This was last weekend.

>> Marco Timpano: So Amanda's really hoping her author is going to have some sort of.

>> Amanda Barker: I wanted something that would lend itself to a Halloween experience. Halloween spooky weekend. So some of the options would have been the Mary Shelley room, for example.

>> Marco Timpano: She wrote Frankenstein.

>> Amanda Barker: Indeed. Or, even like the Brothers Grimm. The Brothers Grimm. Sir Arthur. There we go. Arthur. Not Arthur.

>> Marco Timpano: Not Arthur.

>> Amanda Barker: Arthur Conan Doyle. Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote Sherlock Holmes, even kind of has a bit of a suspenseful, feel. Halloween vibe. Or, Agatha Christie was another one.

>> Marco Timpano: She wrote a lot of mystery books.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah. I'm trying to think of other spooky, rooms, but anyway, there were a few.

>> Marco Timpano: Sure.

>> Amanda Barker: Ah, Stanley Kubrick would be spooky in its own right, I suppose.

>> Marco Timpano: So however, we go to our friend's room, Matt and Mel, who have been on the show, and they use their hotel key. They open it, and as we pry open the door, all excited to see their room, it reveals that the room is.

>> Amanda Barker: We see a raven and then a dark blue paint on the walls and all these etchings. And it's the Edgar Allan Poe room.

>> Marco Timpano: And we're pretty excited because, as you mentioned, it's Halloween weekend. So this is really a perfect.

>> Amanda Barker: I mean, there's a raven in it. Like a perfect, spooky, eerie, Halloween themed room.

>> Marco Timpano: On point with the weekend that we're looking to have. And so we're very excited. And there's like quotes on the wall that he's written and little black frames with little black cutouts of him.

>> Amanda Barker: And there's the telltale heart. There's a frame of the telltale heart. There's a, as I said, huge frame of the raven. so those lock and key, those types of things that will lead you to pose. Mostly poetry or short stories. So very spooky. And the thing too is Edgar Allan Poe, I believe, was a New Englander. Anything from, whether it's Sleepy Hollow, New York, which isn't technically New England, or anywhere in Massachusetts. obviously Salem, but anywhere in Massachusetts. We really love our fall. Right. So spooky Halloween into Thanksgiving, those types of Thanksgiving. So I'm hoping for, again, Mary Shelley, maybe Emily Dickinson, another New Englander who wrote some actually quite eerie and sad and lonely, but also eerie poetry. So maybe that would be a nice, spooky experience. you know, Halloween, kind of that eerie, somber kind of thing. Very excited. And so we turn the key and we are greeted with Maya Angelou.

>> Marco Timpano: That was our room. Maya Angelou. So not spooky in any way, shape or form.

>> Amanda Barker: Empowering, in fact.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah. And, it had various photos of her life framed on the walls.

>> Amanda Barker: She had quite a life. I learned a lot about her in that room.

>> Marco Timpano: It was great. And above the bed was the poem.

>> Amanda Barker: I believe it's called Still I Rise. Or maybe it's just called I Rise.

>> Marco Timpano: I think it's called Still I Rise. Or it looked like it was Still I Rise, because it was.

>> Amanda Barker: I mean, still I rise is the refrain in the poem. And it's a beautiful poem. And it was written over the bed. but also pictures of her as a singer in her youth, pictures of her political activism over the years, obviously pictures of her with Oprah, who was a big, big supporter and proponent of her work.

>> Marco Timpano: And friend.

>> Amanda Barker: And friend. Yeah. so just some really beautiful and empowering, photos, poems. and it was decorated in sort of a 1960s vibe a little bit.

>> Marco Timpano: Sure.

>> Amanda Barker: So you felt like maybe you're taking a rest from a march that day. Like it had that kind of vibe to it. Like maybe you were in Memphis or Dallas and you've now, you know, this is your little, you know, Middle America room.

>> Marco Timpano: Sure.

>> Amanda Barker: That's what it felt like. not Edgar Allan Poe, not that experience at all. So not the Halloween experience, but, you know. But an experience nonetheless.

>> Marco Timpano: Yes. Lovely.


If you have an interesting hotel, let us know. Send us a word on Instagram

And then we had the opportunity to see other rooms, because we did. We happened to run into two really

>> Amanda Barker: lovely people who were like, a very wonderful woman who was cleaning the rooms and seemed very happy to show us some rooms that we really.

>> Marco Timpano: And proud of the hotel.

>> Amanda Barker: And. And let me tell you, they were amazing.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, sure.

>> Amanda Barker: We saw some amazing rooms.

>> Marco Timpano: Which was your favorite?

>> Amanda Barker: Alice in Wonderland, actually, kind of the Lewis Carroll room kind of stood out to me. I liked the Oscar Wilde room. Seemed very interesting. how about you?

>> Marco Timpano: I really like the, Stan Lee room.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, yeah.

>> Marco Timpano: I thought that was a cool room.

>> Amanda Barker: And.

>> Marco Timpano: And the Ernest Hemingway room was my favorite.

>> Amanda Barker: Hemingway was a great room. Yeah.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, I didn't think I would like that room based on photos I saw online. And then when you see it in real life, you're like, oh, this is a really cool room.

>> Amanda Barker: I actually think the online photos didn't do them all justice.

>> Marco Timpano: I agree. Because you don't get to see the view from those rooms. And like we said, it's right on the corner of the main street. And so you have really awesome views no matter where your room is.

>> Amanda Barker: Apparently in the Edgar Allan Poe room, it had a spooky history as well. We got a little extra tour, spooky goings on that have happened in that room. So, you know, and different people have different feelings about those types of things. But I quite love. I like to dig into that in October and even November. I enjoy the spooky fall.

>> Marco Timpano: There you go. So that was our trip, our weekend.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah. And we got to see the basement, which was really. It was just a really neat hotel, which, you know, it's smart because it could just easily have been a chain hotel or even just a, kind of nice older hotel with no real character other than the fact that it was a bit older or had been there a while. So they're very, very smart to do what they did. and I know there are a few. There are a lot of hotels that do this. I know there's a big one in LA called, the Madonna Inn.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, I didn't know this.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah. And every room is themed. I heard about this. And, there's also one in Chatham, Ontario, that I don't think it's all authors, but it's, themed rooms anyway. But being somebody who loves to read and being somebody with an English degree, I have to say I love the fact that they're all authors. And then being a Virgo, the only thing that, I'm kind of stuck on is the fact that there's a few that aren't maybe technically authors, but whatever.

>> Marco Timpano: Anyway, we've been talking a lot about hotels because we talked about the cool hotel in Ottawa, the Swiss hotel we went to. If you have an interesting hotel in your. Or you've been to an interesting hotel, let us know. Send us a word on Instagram. If you have photos or on Twitter or however you want to reach us, we'll be happy to know more about cool hotels, because I would love to stay in more interesting hotels.


Sometimes the city or the place is the destination, sometimes it's not

>> Amanda Barker: Well, and also, you know, there is something to be said, and I think this is something you and I have really kind of played with and discovered in the last two years that sometimes the city or the place is the destination, and sometimes you can't go to the city or place you want to go to for various reasons. So finding a landmark or an experience like that, I mean, Paris, Ontario, truly wasn't a town that we were like, gotta go there. and the only reason we did go there was because it was called Paris. So we were being a bit cheeky, I guess, in the fact that we thought, okay, we're going to Paris for Valentine's Day, even though we had no idea what it held or what there was to do. But once we discovered that hotel in Paris, kind of by a fluke, then, then it became this whole experience. Let's all go with our friends and stay at this hotel. And truly, the big part was the reveal. What room will you get? And how will that determine your experience?

>> Marco Timpano: Sure.

>> Amanda Barker: And I kind of love the idea of going to one of those hotels with some creative friends and each of us having to write a story in the style of that author.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, cool.

>> Amanda Barker: Or a treatment for a, series in that author or whatever it is that you. Or a painting inspired by. I mean, you know, just something creative because it's such a. Each room is such an homage to each of these people and their lives. I just think, what a wonderful experience.

>> Marco Timpano: Of course. Yeah.


You love Canadian literature, but you don't read Canadian literature

you know, one of the things I love, too, is, you know, how you mentioned the authors and the theme of that and how, you know, you're a big fan of. You're a big fan of reading and books and whatnot.

>> Amanda Barker: I am.

>> Marco Timpano: Ah, you have a book club. You're in a book gang.

>> Amanda Barker: I guess you could say I'm in a book gang. Yeah. And actually, the book club was something. And I've talked about it on the show. Something that I did, did, for me, for my personal kind of development and mental health, because I felt like I had a lot of the same friends. And it's harder when you're older and I'm in my 40s, where you want to expand your circle of friends. And I just thought, what a way to do it. And through books.

>> Marco Timpano: It's so interesting because I'm working on this podcast called Getting lit with Linda

>> Amanda Barker: Which is an excellent podcast with Linda

>> Marco Timpano: Mora is the host. It's a Canadian literature podcast, and I don't read Canadian literature.

>> Amanda Barker: And I do.

>> Marco Timpano: And you do. You love Canadian literature. And actually, some of your recommendations I've mentioned are going to be, on the podcast in the future. But I digress. So Linda talks about these books on the podcast and I feel like I have a connection to these books even though I haven't read them. And so I get to experience them through her sort of conversation of how they intersect with her life. And so I've been you know, really fascinating and been looking into a bunch of books that were mentioned on the podcast. And it's interesting because I'm a producer on it and I recommended a book for her to read.

>> Marco Timpano: Hadn't read it, but I recommended she read it. She read the book and it was a book that really she had to put down sometimes because it was a very powerful book. And so it's funny how books are really connecting me through podcasting. And then today I listened to a podcast and it had a poet on it. And the poem that she reads at the end of that episode is so wonderful. The podcast is called Stories from the Land. It's an indigenous podcast and it's a series of collection of indigenous community sourced stories and told by various people. And this particular episode called Bush Love and Powwow Snags, Geraldine King reads a few of her poems and you know, the content can be not for everyone because it's strong and they have some sexual themes. But her last poem about the birth of her son was so powerful and so wonderful. And I recommend this podcast that deals with stories called Stories from the Land.

>> Amanda Barker: And I just. Because I'm a bit confused. So if any listener has similar reference points as me, isn't there also something coming out by CBC a documentary called Stories from the Land?

>> Marco Timpano: It could be, I don't know if

>> Amanda Barker: it's, if it's Linda posted about it. That's why I'm wondering.

>> Marco Timpano: No, I think that's about authors. You can take a quick look.

>> Amanda Barker: Two things.

>> Marco Timpano: So this is a podcast called Stories from the Land.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, I see. Okay.

>> Marco Timpano: And you know, as interest, you know, I just discovered it this past week and turns out I actually know someone who's involved in producing it or who started the whole podcast up called and his name is Ryan McMahon and I've known him from when I started doing Comedy in the City. And then, you know, your lives sort of intersect and then they go, they go in a different direction and then they meet up again. And so I saw him at a webinar, he was talking about his podcast and I was like, oh, I'm going to check it out. And then this powerful poem sort of really struck me. So I really enjoyed it. I really recommend it.

>> Amanda Barker: So I figured out my confusion.

>> Marco Timpano: Sure.

>> Amanda Barker: Writing the Land is different. Writing the Land is a documentary series celebrating Canadian literature to air on CBC gem. Okay, That's Righting the Land. CBC gem, by the way, for those who are not, Canadian is. I think you can get it anywhere. It's a streaming platform full of Canadian content. I believe it's free.

>> Marco Timpano: And you have a show that's on CBC gem.

>> Amanda Barker: I do have a. Hey, listen, if you're on CBC gem, and you're like, hey, I need some new shows to binge Canada makes some fun and funny stuff. Then since you led me to it, I guess I'll plug the show that I'm on, which is called Overlord and the Underwoods. So, a family show. It's very fun. And I play a quirky teacher on that one. Mrs. Pressburger is my name. I'm in the second episode. Apparently. Haven't, done a deep dive yet. But, yeah, Writing the Land anyway. And there are a lot of wonderful Indigenous authors as part of that as well, that series. but Stories from the Land is what you were talking about, which is an amazing podcast that I'm really excited to check out.


What are suburbs of Toronto if Ajax is not part of that group

>> Marco Timpano: Well, we're gonna actually end this episode now because you and I have to get to Ajax, Ontario.

>> Amanda Barker: We're gonna drive across the land to

>> Marco Timpano: Ajax, Ontario, because I have to get an MRI on my foot.

>> Amanda Barker: Well, okay, that's a lot of detail. But I thought, hey, let's make a fun afternoon out of it, and you and I will take a road trip to Ajax.

>> Marco Timpano: That's right.

>> Amanda Barker: Who doesn't want a road trip to Ajax?

>> Marco Timpano: Well, the person who's getting an MRI on his foot.

>> Amanda Barker: No, it'll be fine.

>> Marco Timpano: I'll be fine.

>> Amanda Barker: We'll have a coffee. Sure. We'll see the fall colors.

>> Marco Timpano: It's true.

>> Amanda Barker: It's not that far. We're making it like it's really far.

>> Marco Timpano: Maybe an hour and 20 minutes.

>> Amanda Barker: I mean, it'll take a while, but, it's a suburb of Toronto.

>> Marco Timpano: But it's not a suburb of Toronto.

>> Amanda Barker: It certainly is.

>> Marco Timpano: It's more of a suburb. Like, it's further than a suburb.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay, hang on. What are suburbs of Toronto if Ajax is not part of that group?

>> Marco Timpano: I don't think Ajax is a suburb. I think it's its own sort of thing.

>> Amanda Barker: It's a suburb of Toronto.

>> Marco Timpano: So what's past Scarborough?

>> Amanda Barker: Scarborough's part of Toronto, Mississippi.

>> Marco Timpano: Right. But after Scarborough, Pickering.

>> Amanda Barker: Pickering is a suburb of Toronto, but so is Ajax. Okay. Well, I don't know what your definition. If it has to. I think in your definition, if I'm understanding correctly, the suburb has to touch the city limits.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah.

>> Amanda Barker: Like, it has to border the city on one side.

>> Marco Timpano: I think so.

>> Amanda Barker: See, I don't think so. Okay, well, let's see what our Orangeville

>> Marco Timpano: you could consider as a suburb of Toronto.

>> Amanda Barker: That's very far. Remarkable. Okay, that's very far.

>> Marco Timpano: Is Oshawa a suburb of Toronto?

>> Amanda Barker: See, I would argue it is, but I would.

>> Marco Timpano: You would?

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah.

>> Marco Timpano: No, really? No. See, you and I have different ideas

>> Amanda Barker: of what the suburbs are.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah. What's a suburb of Fredericton?

>> Amanda Barker: Well, Fredericton's small, but Nashwa. Cis.

>> Marco Timpano: Okay, since you asked, I'll concede there. What's a suburb of Boston?

>> Amanda Barker: where I lived, Hanover. And that did not border Boston. That's why I think of suburbs as like, the wholesale shore would be considered suburbs of Boston.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, so then Hyannis is a suburb?

>> Amanda Barker: No, it's on the Cape. That's Cape Cod. But anything prior to that. Norwell. Do you want me to start listing them? Brockton, Pembroke.

>> Marco Timpano: We have a whole episode where.

>> Amanda Barker: Scituate, Marshfield.

>> Marco Timpano: We have a whole episode with your father where he talks about all these. All these suburbs. Okay, well, thank you for listening once again. let us know if you hear anything that is, jarring on the podcast. And if I can correct it, I will. Until then, I hope this episode brought you some peace, tranquility, and maybe some sleep.

In this episode of The Insomnia Project, a relaxing sleep podcast for insomnia, Marco and Amanda invite you to settle in for a calm conversation that drifts through coffee culture, neighbourhood wanderings, and the curious pleasure of defining everyday things. What begins with a stroll through Geary Avenue—one of the hip neighbourhood pockets near where they live—slowly unfolds into a surprisingly deep dive into the world of coffee. Marco shares the etymology of the cappuccino, which naturally leads the hosts down a conversational side street toward the cortado and other café curiosities.
Along the way, the episode becomes something of a gentle exploration of definitions—some accurate, some enthusiastic attempts—as the hosts reflect on the meanings and origins of words, drinks, and ideas. Amanda shares how she prefers to enjoy her cappuccino, the hosts ponder the New England Pour, and Marco offers his take on what exactly makes a cortado a cortado.
The conversation continues to wander through Geary Avenue’s changing landscape, including the rezoning of industrial areas and the character of neighbourhood spaces. Guest Jennifer joins the discussion to talk about her work as a Field Visual Merchandising Manager for clothing stores in Canada, offering a glimpse into the creative and practical thinking behind retail displays. She also shares a few approachable fashion tips and explains some of the things to consider when thinking about bringing Maine Coon cats into your home.
As always, the episode meanders comfortably through curious topics—from coffee terminology to neighbourhood observations and even a playful debate about Boston squid—creating the kind of relaxed, low-stakes conversation that helps quiet your mind. It’s perfect bedtime listening for anyone looking to unwind, slow their thoughts, and gently fall asleep.
Sneak peek moments in this episode include Amanda mentioning The Arbournaut by Meg Lowman, Marco tracing the origins of the cappuccino and somehow arriving at the word “cupola,” a discussion of how Amanda takes her cappuccino, the hosts exploring the New England Pour, Marco defining a cortado, a look at the character of Geary Avenue and the Boston squid debate, and Amanda reflecting on the rezoning of industrial neighbourhood spaces.
If you enjoy calm conversations about everyday curiosities—from coffee drinks to neighbourhood observations—press play and spend a quiet moment with us.
• Visit our website: theinsomniaproject.com

​Cortado & Squid
(Original airdate: November 3, 2021)

>> Marco Timpano: Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm, mundane conversation. And hopefully that will let you drift off and find your way to sleep. Or at least bring you to a state of relaxation. Or at least you know that we are here with you. I'm your host, Marco Timpano, and I'm joined by.


Amanda Barker: There were four lumberjacks at our house last week

>> Amanda Barker: Here I am again, Amanda Barker.

>> Marco Timpano: And Amanda, last week's show, we talked about maples and the Manitoba maple. And one of our listeners, reached out to me and said, oh, I really enjoyed that. Her father is an arborist. And Jess told me that she refers to him as a lumberjack.

>> Amanda Barker: Well, then, Jess, I stand corrected. I guess it was three lumberjacks that we had at our house last week.

>> Marco Timpano: There was actually four.

>> Amanda Barker: There were four.

>> Marco Timpano: There was four. Oh, yeah, there were four. There were. There were four.

>> Amanda Barker: The guy in the tree.

>> Marco Timpano: The guy in the tree.

>> Amanda Barker: The guy we first spoke to. Yes, the older dude.

>> Marco Timpano: And one other guy who.

>> Amanda Barker: And one other guy that liked espresso without milk.

>> Marco Timpano: That's right. We gave them espressos. cappuccinos, actually. Amanda, another one of our listeners. I'm just gonna be talking about listeners, it seems mentioned, that she is this arborist.

>> Amanda Barker: Part two. No, no, we're gonna do more arboring.

>> Marco Timpano: But if you are an arborist, I would love to have you on the podcast because maybe I should see if I could get Jess dad on the podcast.

>> Amanda Barker: You know what? A book has just come out that I've been trying to get, admittedly from the library called the Arbornaut, and it's about an arborist, and she does treetop trekking and very much tells, people that the best way to really foster a sense of appreciation in the environment with their children is to take them treetop trekking. I sort of caught the end of it on a program. So I've been looking for the book because it looks. Looked really interesting to me.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, wow.

>> Amanda Barker: So I share that recommendation. The Arbor. Arborknot.

>> Marco Timpano: The arborknot. Okay, well, if you've read the Arbornaut, tell us what you think of that.

>> Amanda Barker: I don't remember the author's name. maybe she's somebody you'd want to interview as well.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, well, listen. Yeah, I'll look it up in a moment.


One of our listeners said they enjoy when I talk about cappuccinos

so, Amanda, one of our listeners said they really enjoy when I talk about cappuccinos.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, okay.

>> Marco Timpano: And so, you know, some people, when I talk about food, they're like, oh, it keeps my mind wandering, or I get hungry, but I'm only going to talk about cappuccinos. Now, you may know this, and our listeners may know this, but for those who don't, cappuccino gets its name from the Italian cappuccio, which means, hood. Oh, did you not know that?

>> Amanda Barker: No.

>> Marco Timpano: So Red Riding Hood is cappucciatorosso. Red hooded one, I guess. What? Red hooded,

>> Amanda Barker: And a, cupola. Cupola is.

>> Marco Timpano: No, is not. No, but like, the capuchin monks are the hooded monks. Cupola is like the cupola.

>> Amanda Barker: The, on top of a barn or something?

>> Marco Timpano: No, it's like the rounded roof of barn.

>> Amanda Barker: There was a barn in New Brunswick that had a. We used to drive by it. My mom would always say, I love that cupola. But now I don't know how we said it. I feel like I'm saying it wrong. I know I'm saying it wrong. I think she would say cupola. I know we said it wrong. And then I remember once you didn't correct me, actually. You just said you called it something else. And then I realized that's what it was called. Cupola Coppola.

>> Marco Timpano: No, cupola is, like, around a small room.

>> Amanda Barker: How do you say it?

>> Marco Timpano: Cupola.

>> Amanda Barker: Cupola.

>> Marco Timpano: Cupola, yeah. Cupola.

>> Amanda Barker: I think she would say cupola oh,

>> Marco Timpano: well, that sounds like an Anglicized version of it. But nonetheless, cupola is like a small round dome.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah.

>> Marco Timpano: So, like, you know, when you think of the,

>> Amanda Barker: So that's what I was thinking. Hooded, round. You're doing the same thing with your fingers as you did with capuchin. For some reason, I thought maybe they were connected.

>> Marco Timpano: No, because it's peaked. It's like, peaked like a hood versus rounded like a,

>> Amanda Barker: And isn't that a type of monkey, too?

>> Marco Timpano: The capuchin monkey? Ah, yeah. Because, you know, I think if you watch Friends, Ross's monkey is a capuchin monkey. And it's because its cap, is a different color.

>> Amanda Barker: Who wrote in that he had a pet monkey in that show? Like, who thought, oh, you know what would be really funny? A monkey That.

>> Marco Timpano: I don't know.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay, that.

>> Marco Timpano: I don't know. One of the writers.

>> Amanda Barker: It was a real trope in the 80s, right?

>> Marco Timpano: Monkeys.

>> Amanda Barker: A man and his monkey.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh,

>> Amanda Barker: Like, wasn't there a TV show? Wasn't Clint Eastwood.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, yeah, there was. Well, yes.

>> Amanda Barker: Movie. It's like him and his buddy who just happens to be an orangutan.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, every which way but loose.

>> Amanda Barker: We don't see those great buddy orangutan. It's probably buddy for the best simian comedies anymore.

>> Marco Timpano: It's probably for the best.

>> Amanda Barker: He's just a man, a truck and a monkey.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, my goodness.


My stomach right now is making noise. Normally, that's verboten on air

So Amanda is actually drinking a, ah, cappuccino that I made her.

>> Amanda Barker: Does that mean I can have a sip of it?

>> Marco Timpano: You can have a sip. Everybody will hear the tingling.

>> Amanda Barker: Normally, that's verboten on air, but here I go.

>> Marco Timpano: Well, the interesting thing is, whenever Amanda brings something into the studio to drink, it's filled with ice, so it just clinkety clanks. Or if you heard that just now,

>> Amanda Barker: There's a cappuccino here. I'll do it again.

>> Marco Timpano: No, you don't have to. I think they heard it the first time.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, there it is. That's me putting the cup back into the saucer.

>> Marco Timpano: It's as if you try to make as much noise when you join the two together.

>> Amanda Barker: Listen. I make a lot of noise. My stomach right now is making noise. It's figuring itself out.

>> Marco Timpano: That's one of the funny things. When I edit our audio, I'll hear noises, growls and whatnot. And I'm like, oh, I can't take that out. It's just.

>> Amanda Barker: It's just the growling of my insides.

>> Marco Timpano: I'm getting some of the holiday episodes together, and there's one episode where it's like a lot of growling. I think whoever I was doing it with, we were eating or drinking eggnog. Yeah. So there's a lot of stomach growls and whatnot.

>> Amanda Barker: Mine is really crazy today. Sorry. There's one. Did you hear that?

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, I heard. I certainly heard it.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, that's because I'm dealing with my, I think swimmer's ear or an ear infection right now. So I'm taking some things to try and bring the swelling down.

>> Marco Timpano: Sure, sure.


How do you generally take your cappuccino

Well, usually we don't talk about ailments here on the insomnia project. Amanda, how do you generally. I just wanted to talk about cappuccino.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay.

>> Marco Timpano: How do you generally take your cappuccino?

>> Amanda Barker: What does that mean? With a smile.

>> Marco Timpano: How do you like it dressed?

>> Amanda Barker: What?

>> Marco Timpano: How do you like your cappuccino to be made? What do you like in it? Have you never heard those terms?

>> Amanda Barker: In terms of a cappuccino? How do I like it? It's not a turkey.

>> Marco Timpano: How do you take your coffee? That would be.

>> Amanda Barker: Well, coffee's different than cappuccino.

>> Marco Timpano: Well, cappuccino is a type of coffee.

>> Amanda Barker: My goodness. Let me just run you through all the versions of things I drink.

>> Marco Timpano: No, who said we were gonna do that?

>> Amanda Barker: Well, okay. Coffee is different than cappuccino. Which do you want me to answer?

>> Marco Timpano: Go, go. Tell us, tell us.

>> Amanda Barker: How do I take a cappuccino? well, I'm going through a sugar free syrup phase.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, I put sugar in that one.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay. Well, that's why it's so tasty. Maybe that's why my stomach is making all these noises. so every few months, I seem to order some sugar free syrup from, I'll just say it. From Amazon. so I have quite a collection going now of different flavors of sugar free syrup. I've noticed that if you use. You really have to use them sparingly or they can wreck a coffee.


Amanda has a heavy hand when she pours a drink

>> Marco Timpano: Something our listeners don't know is that Amanda has a heavy hand whenever she pours something into a drink. So if she ever makes you a cocktail, you will only need one for the night because it's going to be 90% hard liquor.

>> Amanda Barker: I call it a New England pour because my parents.

>> Marco Timpano: I actually called it New England pour because I saw.

>> Amanda Barker: No, I think I turned.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, did you.

>> Amanda Barker: Well, we call it a New England pour because my parents always. Well, not always, but they often, when they drink a cocktail, it's strong.

>> Marco Timpano: Well, I didn't realize that because I had only seen you pour when we have guests over a drink. And I would always be like, that's so much rum in that rum and Coke. Or that's so much vodka in that vodka and tonic. And you'd be like, what are you talking about? The proportions are wrong. And I would always watch our guests take a sip and their eyes would widen and they'd look at them.

>> Amanda Barker: I thought that was the proper expression when one takes a cocktail to have that little. Oh, my.

>> Marco Timpano: It's not. You're supposed to enjoy that.

>> Amanda Barker: I thought I was being a generous

>> Marco Timpano: host, so I just thought, okay, Amanda has a heavy pour, obviously. And then, I went to your cousin's wedding in Salem. Was it Salem?

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, it was Salem. Yeah.

>> Marco Timpano: And I saw the bartenders pour me a drink, and it was like, oh, it's ingrained in you, from, I guess, a child when you see drinks being poured. so it's clear to me that New Englanders like, we like a stiff cocktail, I think.

>> Amanda Barker: And my parents always did whenever they had a cocktail, it was like, you know, you're having the cocktail for the liquor, I think was always the idea, not for the mix. And often they'll just drink things on the rocks, too. Like, they tend to be that type of people.

>> Marco Timpano: And I always believe you drink the cocktail for the joy of the combination of the alcohol with the mix.

>> Amanda Barker: You have it much more, right? I think you have. I, mean, that's a more balanced approach to any food or drink. But I won't say that I come from a balanced people. Okay, so, you know, more is more. So I think that's really where it comes from.


Tell me about your balanced coffees and how you take them

>> Marco Timpano: Okay, so tell me about your balanced coffees then. You were going to tell me about your coffees, how you take them.

>> Amanda Barker: Okay, so a cappuccino I've been mostly doing with, sugar free syrup. But I will tell you something. I do, and I don't know what this kind of coffee is called. So we will make espresso here in this house, and we'll often make enough for both of us and maybe a little more. Anyway, there's usually some espresso, left in the espresso maker so it goes cold quickly. And so I often will take. I don't like to waste. I'm also very frugal. Maybe again, as a New Englander, we don't waste anything. So.

>> Marco Timpano: That's true. That's very true.

>> Amanda Barker: I just don't like the idea of waste. So I do take the leftover Sorry, that's my stomach. Are you getting all of these noises?

>> Marco Timpano: I don't know. I'll only know once I edit it.

>> Amanda Barker: Let's hope they're soothing for someone. I take the leftover espresso, pour it into our Nescafe, like our little, frother. That will spin, froth and heat it up. I'll pour some sugar free syrup and then a bit of milk and froth the entire thing up versus just frothing up the milk.

>> Marco Timpano: I love that you called it an Escafe because that is not what it is.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, no, I thought that's what it was called.

>> Marco Timpano: No, Nescafe is a. A brand.

>> Amanda Barker: I thought that was the brand of it. Nescafe. Isn't that what it says on it?

>> Marco Timpano: No, it's Aeroccino is what it is.

>> Amanda Barker: Where did I get Nescafe?

>> Marco Timpano: You're thinking of the, Nespresso machine. It's part of the Nespresso line of.

>> Amanda Barker: Is it, though?

>> Marco Timpano: This one that we have, it's an adjunct to that product.

>> Amanda Barker: Does it say Nescafe on it anywhere?

>> Marco Timpano: Well, Nespresso. I don't know if it's,

>> Amanda Barker: Well, whatever it is. The spinner thing.

>> Marco Timpano: Yes.

>> Amanda Barker: So I put all of them in together and, like, whip them all up ensemble.

>> Marco Timpano: Because it heats it as it froths. Yeah.

>> Amanda Barker: What would that coffee be called when you're frothing the entire thing together?

>> Marco Timpano: New England salvation. I don't know. Since you're trying to reuse it.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, I don't know. But that's what I'll do in the afternoon to use up the leftover versus separately heating up the espresso again and separately heating up the milk. I'll just kind of put it all together and have a little whatever that is. But I don't know what it is. I don't know what that's called.

>> Marco Timpano: I don't think there's a term for taking old coffee and milk salvation and throwing it into a frother and heating it and reusing it.

>> Amanda Barker: Well, maybe there is and we just aren't aware, but, there's got to be. Coffee's been done every which way.

>> Marco Timpano: I mean, I could look it up.

>> Amanda Barker: What's with cortados? Everyone seems to be drinking cortados these days. Our friends, my sister. Everyone's like, oh, get me a cortado. What's with that?

>> Marco Timpano: Well, I think people want, They want the coffee and they want a bit of milk, but they don't want the volume that is associated with a cappuccino or latte. Latte in particular. And a cortato doesn't have as much foam as a cappuccino does. So for those people who want that.

>> Amanda Barker: Is that what it is? A cappuccino with less milk?

>> Marco Timpano: A cortado is like, espresso mixed with equal amounts of, warm milk. So the warm milk reduces the acidity in the coffee. Okay, so imagine you're getting a shot, let's say an ounce of espresso. You would then be getting an ounce of milk. Whereas in a cappuccino you're getting an ounce of, coffee, you're getting an ounce, maybe an ounce and a half of milk. And you're getting froth, an equal part of froth. So if you can measure froth in an ounce, which I don't think you can, let's assume you're getting an ounce of froth. So equal portions in a latte, you're just getting an ounce of coffee, two to two and a half, maybe even three ounces of hot milk and very little foam on top. So it's for the person who wants to balance the acidity of the coffee and doesn't want the volume that is associated with both the cappuccino and the latte.


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>> Amanda Barker: Okay, interesting.

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>> Marco Timpano: it's generally a stronger. It's a stronger, shot or hit of coffee than the delicate, well balanced coffee of a cappuccino and a latte, in my opinion.

>> Amanda Barker: Cool.

>> Marco Timpano: Does that make sense?

>> Amanda Barker: It does. My brain did that thing where it turns off for a bit.

>> Marco Timpano: I could see you kind of like.

>> Amanda Barker: Can you see you kind of had

>> Marco Timpano: it glazed over like you were done with listening to what I was saying.

>> Amanda Barker: I don't mean to be that person. What do you need?

>> Marco Timpano: I just want a sip of your coffee. I've been talking about coffee for you.

>> Amanda Barker: There was some weird mime and I didn't know what that was.

>> Marco Timpano: I did the international symbol of. Hand me your coffee.

>> Amanda Barker: Give me the coffee I made for you.

>> Marco Timpano: I have to Say it's a pretty decent coffee.

>> Amanda Barker: It's a delicious coffee. The real sugar really seals, the deal.

>> Marco Timpano: It's true.

>> Amanda Barker: but what was I gonna. What were we talking about?

>> Marco Timpano: Cortados and how everyone's drinking them.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, I'll have to replay that. I missed the whole cortado thing. I don't know, you were telling me and I.

>> Marco Timpano: It's just equal parts coffee and milk. So it's a stronger, It's a stronger coffee drink is basically what I've said. Maybe you drifted off. You drifted off, like what we want our listeners to do.

>> Amanda Barker: You did well, that's what I was thinking. when people explain things to me, we should just do an episode where we explain games to people. Because I cannot stay with that conversation for three seconds. Someone's like, okay, here's how you play this game. Goodbye. My brain leaves the conversation.

>> Marco Timpano: We went to play a, board game with friends yesterday and there's always that element of when they lay out all the pieces of the game. And it's a bit overwhelming because you see so many dice, a bag to put the dice in.

>> Amanda Barker: The learning curve, what symbols mean, all

>> Marco Timpano: these little tokens with numbers on it. You're like, I'm never gonna learn this.

>> Amanda Barker: But you climb the hill and then once you climb the hill, it's fun.

>> Marco Timpano: Right?

>> Amanda Barker: But you gotta climb the hill of like, I don't know what I'm doing.

>> Marco Timpano: You also need friends who are patient and able to sort of walk you through it and not assume that you're gonna get it the first round.

>> Marco Timpano: And they just kind of like, I don't want to say hold your hand, but they guide you in a way that's really lovely. And that's what we did yesterday.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, they were lovely. It was a lovely game. It was a nice time. They have a new office space and they thought, hey, why don't we christen the new office space with some gaming we should mention.


Geary Avenue only became hip in the last five years

>> Marco Timpano: So where we live in the city, there's a street that has become a very sort of hip and cool street that is within walking distance of where we are. And it's called Geary Avenue. And the interesting thing about Geary Avenue is it only became hip in the last five years. Prior to that it was just a street that had a lot of, car repair. What would you call those? Like automotive repair shops.

>> Amanda Barker: Automotive shops. There was a, A wholesale fish place.

>> Marco Timpano: Monger. Yeah, fish store.

>> Amanda Barker: But it wasn't even a monger. It was like where businesses get their fish.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah. So if you're a restaurant and you want your.

>> Amanda Barker: I'm in the business of fish. And so that's what it was like. You know what?

>> Marco Timpano: It's a great fish shop, by the way.

>> Amanda Barker: Is it?

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, it's wonderful.

>> Amanda Barker: Why don't we go there?

>> Marco Timpano: We should.

>> Amanda Barker: I would happily buy all the. Listen, New England. A, New England poor is based in fish.

>> Marco Timpano: They get Boston squid every week freshly flown to them.

>> Amanda Barker: I don't know if I'd want to eat a squid from Boston, but.

>> Marco Timpano: Okay, well, we get a lot of fish from those waters.

>> Amanda Barker: You want.

>> Marco Timpano: It's not the Boston Squid.

>> Amanda Barker: I want my fish like I want my people from Boston hard around the edges. A lobster is great. I don't know about a squid in those waters.

>> Marco Timpano: I'm just saying it's not in Boston harbor where they fish it. They fish it in the Atlantic. Yeah, but they call it. I think the squid is actually called Boston squid.

>> Amanda Barker: Those are my waters, man.

>> Marco Timpano: Amanda will eat anything that swims in the sea.


I think this happens in a lot of cities, and it's zoning

>> Amanda Barker: Can I tell you I'm watching this. I started watching this show called Saints and Strangers yesterday, which is because I thought there must be a TV show based on the Mayflower, based on those first years of the first settlers and. And the lineage that we learned in school, or I learned in school, anyway. And there is. And it's called Saint and Strangers. But what's crazy about it, it was filmed in. Because I was like, this does not look like Cape Cod to me.

>> Marco Timpano: Okay.

>> Amanda Barker: And it was filmed in South Africa, so that's why it does not look like Cape Cod.

>> Marco Timpano: So the Boston Squid is actually the name of the squid. The Loligo gahai. Cellophopod or cellopod. Oh, wow. I can never say that name. You know, that type of fish.

>> Amanda Barker: Back to GE or are we on Boston Squids now? It's a whole episode. I wanted to just say, because this happens in a lot of cities, and I think it comes down to zoning, I think. And there's a lot of Toronto that's like this. I think New York had this a lot, too. I think most cities do where something is zoned for industrial purposes.

>> Marco Timpano: Yes.

>> Amanda Barker: So again, automotive shops, squid wholesale shop. that place did have a little bakery, but, it was mostly. Not that. It was mostly very industrial kind of feel.

>> Marco Timpano: Oh. And that bakery was for the hardcore.

>> Amanda Barker: Like, for the people that worked in the industrial shops. And then what happens?

>> Marco Timpano: Often you're not getting cortados there.

>> Amanda Barker: No, you're not. although we've had cappuccinos there and they're not bad.

>> Marco Timpano: Well, now that it's become. Geary's become fancy.

>> Amanda Barker: Well, that's just it.

>> Marco Timpano: But I digress. Sorry, you were saying?

>> Amanda Barker: No, no. I don't know why this point is so important to me, but I think what happens is, and I'm thinking the meatpacking district in New York as well, where here you have a neighborhood that's considered pretty rough around the edges for whatever reason. And then what happens is, I mean, just by necessity, we need more places to live. There are more people in the city, the populations grow, People need places to live. And because of that, you lose that industrial zoning if it's kind of considered in the downtown, or in New York's case, if it's on Manhattan, you lose that industrial zoning and you start making it more residential. And as soon as that happens, then you see the cortados come in.

>> Marco Timpano: Right. Well, what I noticed about Geary. So Geary has all those automotive shops, the Boston Squid place. And it has the train tracks right next to it. Right. So it's a rough and tumble kind of place. Not to say that the people who lived around there were rough and tumble. It's just like you said, it was industrial.

>> Amanda Barker: But rough and tumble is, ah, like a flame to the moths that are hipsters. I mean, you just flock there and to artists.

>> Marco Timpano: I think what had happened was a brewery opened up in one of the old automotive shops and then a cool restaurant slash brewery. Place to like, listen to music opened up.

>> Amanda Barker: What? Really?

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah,

>> Amanda Barker: place to listen to music.

>> Marco Timpano: Dufferin. Oh, yeah, it was like the pizzeria place.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, yeah. Right.

>> Marco Timpano: And so it became a funk place that people were all sort of going to.


Geary Avenue is still a neighborhood in transition

>> Amanda Barker: Back to your. I think we've addressed this, though, use of the word funk. You use it for a lot of different things.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah. When I want to say something's cool.

>> Amanda Barker: Funk, place.

>> Marco Timpano: I call it a funk place. Or funky. So not that they. And they probably did play funk music there too.

>> Amanda Barker: They probably did.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah. So anyways, I think those were the things that ignited the Geary Avenue place to go revolution. And then a cool little pasta shop opened up there. And there's a coffee, a real. A fancy coffee.

>> Amanda Barker: The Cortados. M. Moved in.

>> Marco Timpano: yes, the Cortados all moved in. Now it's.

>> Amanda Barker: They're a nice family.

>> Marco Timpano: And now it's a really interesting part of the city where locals go. I don't think it would be necessarily a tourist attraction.

>> Amanda Barker: No. Right. No, I don't think there's enough. And the Thing is, it's still. And the attraction of it is it is still a neighborhood in transition. There's still an automotive shop there.

>> Marco Timpano: There's three.

>> Amanda Barker: There's still wholesale Boston squid for all your Boston squid needs.

>> Marco Timpano: there's a place where.

>> Amanda Barker: But there's the best pasta. I mean, there's a place where you kind of line up and go. And there's two tables inside and you basically think you're in Rome because the pasta is so wonderful and wonderfully done.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah. They make it that morning.

>> Amanda Barker: And there's two things on offer and you get one of those too. But it's become such an Instagramable thing that people line up for literally hours.

>> Marco Timpano: Yes.

>> Amanda Barker: Which is. Wow.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah.

>> Amanda Barker: But good for them.

>> Marco Timpano: You want to go there when it rains because it keeps a lot of people away. So if you go there, the line is going to be a lot less.

>> Amanda Barker: Those hipster moths don't come out in the rain.

>> Marco Timpano: They don't like to be damp. Well, that's Geary Avenue. There was a honey, place you could get honey.

>> Amanda Barker: Oh, was there?

>> Marco Timpano: And like grow plants, indoor light.

>> Amanda Barker: There was an antiques place where I got a pair of, Ferragamo shoes. I remember. I think they were Ferragamo.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah, they were.

>> Amanda Barker: They're great. I still wear them.

>> Marco Timpano: It wasn't quite an antique shop. It was kind of a, it

>> Amanda Barker: was kind of a catch all. I mean, it was one of those places that had antiques. Cool. Like a cool mid century chair and also some dresses. It was one of those places.

>> Marco Timpano: I don't know if our listeners are going to. Especially our listeners in the UK are going to consider what was being sold there as antiques.

>> Amanda Barker: Well, but in the uk, I mean, they were selling like Chelsea Markets is kind of all that. Right. Isn't that what it's called? Chelsea Markets?

>> Marco Timpano: Oh, I'm not even at hazard to agree or disagree with that.

>> Amanda Barker: No. But there's that big market I remember going to at one point and getting like a vintage coat.

>> Marco Timpano: I would say it's funk antiques is what they were.

>> Amanda Barker: Funk antiques.

>> Marco Timpano: Yeah. It's what they were selling there.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah. Mid century pieces. Whether you wear them or sit in them or whether you just need an ashtray the way they did in the 60s.

>> Marco Timpano: Well, Amanda, if that's what you need, I hope you find it. And I hope you found what you needed from this particular episode because we've come to the end of it.


Thanks to our listeners who told us about arborist and wanting to know more about cappuccinos

Thank you to our listeners who told us about arborist and wanting to know more about cappuccinos. We kind of went down cortado Lane.

>> Amanda Barker: So I don't know if I really told you how I took my cappuccino, how I liked it dressed.

>> Marco Timpano: Well, you have a moment or two to tell us if you want to.

>> Amanda Barker: I'll take it with a smile.

>> Marco Timpano: There you go, sugar.

>> Amanda Barker: Sugar free maple syrup. We've tried cappuccinos with molasses lately.

>> Marco Timpano: I'm not in love with those ones.

>> Amanda Barker: Yeah, I didn't mind it, but there you, go.

>> Marco Timpano: Well, until next time. We hope you were able to listen. Enjoy your cortado and sleep.

In this episode of The Insomnia Project, a relaxing sleep podcast for insomnia, Marco and Amanda settle into a calm conversation that begins with a simple tree—the Norway Maple—and slowly branches out into an unexpectedly wide forest of topics. What starts as a discussion about this familiar tree leads the hosts down a quiet path through other maples, a brief detour to Manitoba, and reflections on Ottawa and the places in between. Along the way they consider the work of lumberjacks and the arborists who carefully tend to trees in city streets, offering a gentle appreciation for the often unnoticed landscapes around us.
The conversation continues to wander as Marco and Amanda reflect on favourite colours and the many shades of blue that Amanda’s mom associates with her, while Marco shares the colours and pattern of a scarf he’s currently enjoying. As always, the charm of the episode comes from the slow drift of ideas—touching on everything from the propagation cycle of the Manitoba Maple to whether Marco will remember the colours from his own wedding.
You may find yourself relaxing somewhere between tree talk, colour palettes, and a quiet linguistic detour about the word “literally.” It’s the kind of soothing, unhurried conversation designed to help you unwind, calm racing thoughts, and gently fall asleep.
Sneak peek into this episode includes wondering whether the Libby Library App is available everywhere or only in certain places, exploring the fascinating propagation cycle of the Manitoba Maple, admiring the charm of the Swiss Hotel in Ottawa, reflecting on wedding colours, discussing a thoughtful gift, and even spending a moment talking about the word “literally” itself.
If you enjoy quiet conversations that wander through curious topics and everyday observations, press play and spend a relaxing moment with us—perfect for bedtime listening or whenever you need a calm break in your day.
Host: Marco Timpano
Co-Host: Amanda Barker
Producers: Drumcast Productions
Theme Music: Royalty Free – Bass Walker, Kevin MacLeod
• Visit our website: www.theinsomniaproject.com

​The Norway Maple
(Original airdate: October 27, 2021)

Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm conversation about the mundane and hopefully that'll help you drift off and find your Way to sleep. We used to say it's the only podcast we hope you never get to the end of. Haven't said that in a while, so I'm happy to bring it back. I'm your host, Marco Timpano.

Amanda: And joining me is me, Amanda Barker. And, uh, we did have, um, we had some listeners that used to listen on road trips, which I always felt like is. It should have a warning label, like, don't operate heavy machinery while listening to this podcast.

Marco:  Indeed. Indeed. Yeah. I'm always hesitant to be, like, you know, um, too excited. But at the same time, I don't want, you know, I don't want to cause problems for people. So I leave it to their leisure of how they listen.

Amanda: Every listen. Everybody operates on a different wavelength. I used to have a yoga Nidra tape that would knock me out every time, and, uh, I lent it to a friend who lent it to a friend, and she said he would listen to it as he drove to work every day.

Marco:  Oh, wow.

Amanda: And I thought, wow. But he just is operating at a different frequency. So there you go.

Marco:  Did you ever get that tape back?

Amanda: I have it somewhere.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda: I think. Yeah, I think I made a. Or I burned a cd. Remember when that was a thing?

Marco:  I love that you had a tape.

Amanda: I called it a tape, but I think I actually burned a C. Which we don't even do that anymore. No, we don't just share files. I miss the tapes.

Marco:  You know, I listen on Spotify. A lot of people listen to this podcast on Spotify, so that's pretty awesome, too.

Amanda: I listen, listen. I live by my Spotify.

Marco:  Um, yeah, I listen to podcasts on so many different apps, Amanda. And Spotify, for me, is where I listen to my music and our playlists.

Amanda: Yeah, I sort of have a different app, uh, uh, my acast app for podcasts. And then I have Spotify for music. And of course, I have Libby for my audiobooks, which I listen to as well.

Marco:  I don't know if all our listeners know what Libby is. It is an app, um, that our library here in Toronto uses so that you can take out books, I think.

Amanda: Isn't it everywhere?

Marco:  I don't think it's everywhere, so that's why I'm defining it. No, I don't know if it's just

Amanda: Toronto, but my understanding with Libby, because there's a Toronto app called the, uh, TPL app, Toronto Public Library app, so you can do that for books. But my understanding is the Libby app is an app that you can use from anywhere that connects to your library. So it disseminates it a little bit differently. So you have the same results. Well, that was what I understood it to me.

Marco:  Okay, fair enough. So listen. Oh, that's me turning a page. Um, if you're familiar with the Libby app, let us know what you think of it. Amanda, uh, how was your pumpkin pie cookie that you just.

Amanda: Okay, so I bought cookies at a cookie place. Should I mention what they're called?

Marco:  No, don't. Don't mention the place, because they didn't. They, um. Let's not just not mention it.

Amanda: Oh, controversy.

Marco:  Well, the owner of the store was a bit rude to you once.

Amanda: I know, but their product is that. See, I didn't want to get into that.

Marco:  We won't get into that. But let's see.

Amanda: Their product is that good. That I don't care.

Marco:  They're doing just fine.

Amanda: They are doing just fine. They make doughy, delicious cookies, and if I'm near one of their locations, I pick some up. And I did today, and I've been going enough that I actually. My next half batch is free.

Marco:  Oh, that's great.

Amanda: Is it? I don't know if it is.

Marco:  I don't love these really soft cookies. I like a tougher cookie.

Amanda: Uh, we understand Italy, but from the voice of America over here, give me a chocolate chip cookie with a bit of goo. Just a bit. Just that soft, chewy chocolate chip cookie. Give it to me every day.

Marco:  I like a hard cookie that has a bit of snap to it, as

Amanda: you like to say. It's good with coffee.

Marco:  It's great with coffee.

Amanda: I don't know if we've explained that to listeners before. We have a hard cookie that you dip and moisten with coffee.

Marco:  Well, I brought that up just to say that we're in the autumn feel as we have our.

Amanda: We are. And so I bought cookies today that had pumpkin pie in the middle of them. Like, I guess really pumpkin pie puree in the middle of them. And then surrounded by a chocolate chip cookie. It was a lot.

Marco:  It was soft. Definitely.

Amanda: It was too much.

Marco:  We did have, um, something interesting happen earlier today. We had. You may have heard me talk about my Norway maple. Um, heads up, for anyone in North America, if you're going to be planting a maple tree. The Norway maple is, uh, a invasive species in North America. So I would recommend you find a different maple to plant, because we had to really chop some of our Norway maple, which I love. I love the look of it in our backyard, and I love the leaves that turn orange. But it is a very sensitive and temperamental tree. And we had to do some chopping today.

Amanda: I don't know if it being an invasive species had anything to do with us having to chop it, though.

Marco:  No. What, the lumberjacks or the arborists, I

Amanda: should say, they were for sure not lumberjacks.

Marco:  We had four.

Amanda: They were not lumberjacks. Well, what would you call urban lumberjacks? They were, like, hipster. They were arguing about who was the best snowboarder, and they all wanted coffee with honey.

Marco:  I don't see what they talked about has any inference.

Amanda: No, but a lumberjack, Okay, A lumberjack is, you know, um, a logging cabin guy from a hundred years ago that. What's your definition of a lumberjack?

Marco:  Someone who cuts trees.

Amanda: Okay, well, then that's what they were.

Marco:  They were more arborist. They were dealing with the tree. They weren't cutting it for lumber. So maybe lumberjack is.

Amanda: Picture a lumberjack as somebody with, like, woolen socks and plaid, drinking out of, like, a tin mug and opening a can of beans.

Marco:  So the only thing missing was the tin cup and the can of beans is what you're saying to complete well

Amanda: and living in a remote area. Sure. These are people. We live literally downtown in the biggest city in Canada, and we live in the middle of it.

Marco:  Yeah, but that's not to say that's where they. That's not to say that's where they were from.

Amanda: No, I'm not saying where they're from. That's not where I'm from, but fair enough. But the idea that, you know, lumberjacks who are like, you know, logging. These are people that cut branches. We have a tree in our little postage stamp back deck, the one tree we have, actually.

Marco:  But they cut everywhere. They don't just cut. They just happen to be. They happen to work in urban centers. And they were off to cut a bunch of, um, Manitoba maples. They said.

Amanda: Yeah, and apparently that Manitoba maple stay away even if you're in Manitoba.

Marco:  Apparently. Well, because that tree is designed to propagate. So as it was explained, designed by nature. By nature, of course. Thank you. It wasn't crossbred or hybrid to do this, as it was described to me by these urban arborist lumberjacks. The Manitoba maple works like this or functions like this, or grows like this. They grow really tall and they're top heavy, and they drop a lot of keys or seeds, and those seeds will grow anywhere. They said, like, if there's a crack on a sidewalk with no dirt, a Manitoba maple will grow. And the unique thing about a Manitoba maple, Amanda, is that it'll get so top heavy that the tree will collapse in the forest. And from the collapsed debris, multitudes of Manitoba maples will emerge A few things. Yes.

Amanda: First off, when I picture Manitoba, I don't picture a forest. I picture fields of grain and wheat, uh, silos and grain elevators. It's not to say Manitoba doesn't have forests. I just have never pictured Manitoba forested. For whatever that's worth for any of

Marco:  our Manitoba listeners, I think your province has both the prairies and the trees. And I'm, um, not biased like Amanda. I don't want our listeners for Manitoba to be upset with us.

Amanda: The second thing I wanted to point out is that you used a term that we only use for maple seeds, which is maple keys. And I don't know that everybody would know that because I don't think I knew that for a long time, but that the seeds are actually released with a little thing that we call a maple key. And the seed lives inside the maple key. Yeah.

Marco:  Uh, it looks like a propeller.

Amanda: It does look like a propeller. And it functions like one because it

Marco:  twirls when it comes.

Amanda: You've mentioned it before.

Marco:  I have mentioned it before, but that's

Amanda: not to say someone's listened to that particular Maple key episode.

Marco:  You're 100% right.

Amanda: I think Maple Key would be a fun name for a store or a clothing line or a restaurant.

Marco:  I kind of love the maple Key.

Amanda: Like that. Doesn't that sound nice?

Marco:  Sounds great.

Amanda: It also sounds like Queen's, uh, key. Or in Singapore, they have streets by the water that they called quays, which I think is a British thing.

Marco:  Yes.

Amanda: Written, but it looks quay. It looks like you're reading the word quay.

Marco:  Q, U, A, Y.

Amanda: And so if you're not from Toronto or you don't know that term, you would say Queen's Quay. But it's Queen's Quay. And I remember the first place I went to that had quays was like, that was Singapore. But I think Hong Kong has them, too, which, you know, checks out because it's all part of the Commonwealth. The British Commonwealth. Or it was at one point. Anyway.

Marco:  Queen's Quay here in Toronto is where you would pick up ferries on Lake Ontario.

Amanda: Yeah. So it must be like streets by the water, I think. But I don't remember ever seeing that term anywhere in the States. So just for people who don't know

Marco:  that that was Amanda kicking the table.

Amanda: I'm sorry, was that really loud?

Marco:  Yeah, uh, it bounced. I Just let our listeners know so that if they hear that sound, they know where it's coming from.

Amanda: I'm sorry.

Marco:  Oh, it's all good.

Amanda: You can rewind it and delete it.

Marco:  No, it's too much trouble to do that, really. Well, it can be because it reverberates.

Amanda: I'm really sorry that I kicked the table.

Marco:  It's not a problem. M. You can kick the table as long as I identify that you've kicked the table.

Amanda: Should I do it again?

Marco:  No, don't. Please don't. I do want to mention this, Amanda. We have a couple of people on Instagram who have reached out since last week when I mentioned the other person on Instagram who had reached out. So Alison on Instagram had said that she wants to hear about our Ottawa adventure, that we went on, um, and wants to see more photos. But we didn't take very many photos in Ottawa. Did you?

Amanda: Well, I take photos and then I don't post them, but I'll give them to you and you can post them on this account.

Marco:  So I'll post a couple of those pictures. I only took one.

Amanda: I'm very.

Marco:  Really the one of Alex Trebek at the. At the residence. That was the only one I really took.

Amanda: Okay. I'm very judicious with what I post. It's a thing. I don't know. Maybe it's a Virgo thing. I'm still finding my way friends. Uh, but I mostly just post pictures of me jumping places. So I don't post a ton. But I, uh, did post, I think, one jumping picture in Ottawa. I want to say, okay, give it

Marco:  to me and I'll put it on our thing.

Amanda: Yeah. Or just I have other ones I can send. I take a ton of photos, but I take them only for me. I don't post them usually.

Marco:  Fair enough.

Amanda: Um, that's who I am, and that's what I'm doing right now. We'll see.

Marco:  Well, Alison, in answer to your question, are Ottawa Adventure was a lot of fun.

Amanda: Oh, my gosh, it was so much fun. This is the other reason I take photos. So I can actually remember what it is that I did in Ottawa, because now I'm drawing a little bit of a blend.

Marco:  We went for a long walk and we went to the war Museum. The War museum, which was. Which was a spectacular museum. And, um, I wouldn't have gone had it not been for friends who wanted to go. And then I really actually thought the museum was. Was great.

Amanda: Well, because we went to probably the best known museum there. I believe is the Art museum. Right? The National Gallery.

Marco:  The National Gallery, yes. Yes.

Amanda: Um, so we had been there a year prior, so I'm sure there was new collections and things to see. But because we're not in Ottawa lot, we thought we wouldn't go to um, the same one again. So we went to the War Museum, which was very well done actually, I have to say.

Marco:  And we took a lovely drive to Gatineau and had brunch in Gatineau and it was fantastic.

Amanda: Yeah. So we went to. Can I say the name of the place?

Marco:  Yes. Well, what was the name of the place we were trying to go to? And it was not.

Amanda: Well, we went to a L' aux Mont Coco.

Marco:  Right.

Amanda: Ah, but the place we were trying to go to, I don't remember it had a very simple name like Henderson's or something like that. But where we ended up was Alo Mon Coco, um, which I think wins

Marco:  for names most definitely.

Amanda: Um, it is one of those, uh, Quebecois places that has about a million versions of eggs Benedict.

Marco:  When you find a breakfast restaurant that is Francophone, it's a thing of beauty because like you said, Amanda, they have so many versions of Ex Benedict, my head spins.

Amanda: So we stayed at a, um, really fun little boutique hotel. I'm just going through my photos here, called the Hotel Swiss or the Swiss Hotel. And it was so charming. Um, not accessible unfortunately. But it definitely felt European in the fact that it wasn't accessible. And what I mean by that was I don't think there was an elevator there.

Marco:  I didn't see any.

Amanda: No, I don't think there was three flights of stairs and probably about what would you say, 30 rooms maybe. Your home holds the story of your life. Renewal by Andersen Windows are built to weather every season with you. They frame the little moments and the big ones. From first steps to graduation to new beginnings. While life keeps moving. Our windows stand strong through every chapter. Let Renewal by Andersen be part of your story. Windows Built to last. Visit renewalbyandersonhome.com to learn more.

Marco:  It is a family run hotel. I strongly recommend if you're going to Ottawa and you can do stairs, it's a great place.

Amanda: It's one of the only, um, and one of the last, like family run hotels that isn't a chain in Ottawa. I highly recommend it. They are Swiss and, and they very much lean into the Swiss theming of the hotel which made it a really fun experience for us. There's Swiss artwork. Everything is red, white and gray. Everything from the coffee maker to the robes they give you to the bathroom, to the towels, to the soap. I mean, everything.

Marco:  And I asked the owner or one of the owners, why the gray? I get the white and the red because the Swiss flag, but why the gray? And she said, well, gray is so Swiss because of the mountains and the rock. And it all made sense. I felt silly asking her, but she was.

Amanda: Albina and Alphonse were her name. The wonderful couple, uh, that run it. And it's beautiful, and it's all stone and very, um, feels like something. It just feels like you're in Europe. And, uh, sometimes we need a little bit of that on this side of the pond.

Marco:  It's charming, it's sweet, it's delightful. It's a great place to lay your head down. And it had everything so well appointed in the room, Amanda. And, uh, every attention to detail was really, really taken care of in that hotel.

Amanda: So, yeah, the Swiss hotel.

Marco:  Um, we went for tremendous meals.

Amanda: We had cocktails at a place called the Somewhere Dine Bar. We weren't very hungry because we had had the big brunch at a L' Au Mon Coco earlier that day. So we just drank our dinner that night and had a bunch of cocktails.

Marco:  We were just like, we're gonna drink all the cocktails on this menu. And we did.

Amanda: We.

Marco:  We had about half of them.

Amanda: And then we had cocktails also with friends who were at a hotel.

Marco:  Um, and, um, they're friends of the podcast, actually.

Amanda: Yeah.

Marco:  Joel and Daniela Vlascalik. Joel Cochran, I should say.

Amanda: And they had, uh, they were at a hotel that had a beautiful,

Marco:  um,

Amanda: cocktail bar that overlooked the city. So we went and met them for cocktails. A lot of cocktails in the bar.

Marco:  What was the name of that Holder? Andaz.

Amanda: Andaz. At the Byword Market.

Marco:  Ah. Uh, there you go.

Amanda: Byward Market is that wonderful market area in Ottawa where we've been a bunch of times. But it's sort of a farmer's market, but also lots of restaurants and shops, pedestrian kind of area. Every city needs to have one that's theirs.

Marco:  Alison. That was our Ottawa adventure. Thank you for, um, messaging us on Instagram. We love hearing your suggestions for shows because we often sit down and think, what are we going to talk about? Which brings me to what Lindsay had asked us to do back in October of 2020. And I don't know if we did it. Amanda.

Amanda: Oh, my gosh. Well, we have really made poor Lindsay wait a year.

Marco:  Well, the problem is I'm not so savvy when it comes to figuring out where the messages are. And thankfully, Amy, our social media manager, is on top of that.

Amanda: Um, and so Amy M. Dug this one up and said.

Marco:  Amy dug this one up. Well, actually, Lindsay just recently, uh, uh, sent us a message saying she really enjoys our show once again. And so I saw that she had sent one a year ago and asked us.

Amanda: Or Lindsay. Oh, the weight.

Marco:  Lindsay. I'm sorry, but.

Amanda: And what could it be? I have no idea what this is gonna be.

Marco:  She wants to know about colors and patterns, Specific ones that mean something to us. So is there a color or pattern? And do you remember if we did a show on color and patterns? And do you have a color and. Or a pattern that means something to you?

Amanda: I mean, I know we have talked about colors in the past in different ways, um, with various artists and so on. I guess when you hear colors, I mean, there are colors, actually, that have great meaning to me. And I often associate words with colors. Do you do that, too?

Marco:  No.

Amanda: Certain people do, and certain people don't. Like, certain words to me are red or brown. Um, I know when my mother was pregnant with me, she had a very strong feeling about a color. Okay, same, uh, with my sister. So when she was pregnant with my sister, she felt red. Red, red, red, red, and yellow. My sister loves primary colors. In fact, she's painted her kitchen red. I mean, she loves red. She always has. For me, the color for her was mint green. Like a, um. Yeah, like a sort of a mint green. Anywhere from a mint green to, like, a Tiffany blue.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda: That kind of aqua color.

Marco:  This is the color she had in mind when she was pregnant with me.

Amanda: Okay. Yeah. And she painted my nursery that aqua kind of color.

Marco:  Sorry, I thought you said red.

Amanda: That's why that was my sister. My name's Amanda, and that was my sister.

Marco:  But I swear, I thought you said red for both of you.

Amanda: No. Okay, maybe. I mean, you can listen back, but no. So, um. So aqua when I was a baby, so when I see that color still to this day, I sort of feel like, well, that's my color, you know?

Marco:  What about seafoam?

Amanda: How do you feel about seafoam again? That's like a mint green.

Marco:  So, yeah, robin's egg blue.

Amanda: That's the other end of it. That's what I'm saying. Robin's egg blue is like Tiffany blue, and sea foam is like a mint green. So it's anywhere in that spectrum of mint green to sea to robin's egg blue.

Marco:  That's awesome.

Amanda: So that color I kind of Associate with like my childhood, my mom, my beginnings in this world. It was the color of my room because it was the color of my nursery. Yeah. So but now I think different. Like we had wedding colors and I very much loved our wedding colors. Although it's funny because now when I think about them, I kind of think it feels like jarring. But not to me and not how we did them, which were. Do you remember our wedding colors?

Marco:  Of course I do. What were they, purple and green?

Amanda: Yeah, they were purple and green. I just love purple and green together. I love just how they work with each other. How about you? Are there colors that we talked about, our wedding colors?

Marco:  Well, you know, colors and patterns. So if I think right now in my life, what's something I really enjoy that has a color and a pattern?

Amanda: Mhm.

Marco:  It has to be the scarf that your mother bought me last year for Christmas. And what she did and what's interesting, Amanda, is when I first looked at it, I thought, oh, this is both a color and a pattern that I'm not into.

Amanda: Mhm.

Marco:  But of course it was a lovely gift.

Amanda: Mhm.

Marco:  Very thoughtful gift because your mother gives very thoughtful, lovely gifts early too. She's on it very early. She will send those presents.

Amanda: Literally your gift is in the mail.

Marco:  Right. And it's late and that's late for her usually.

Amanda: And your birthday's in December and it's literally on its way.

Marco:  So she got me and my brother in law a scarf with the tartan of the provinces we're in. So for me it's the tartan of Ontario. And for my brother in law, your brother Garrett, the tartan of Nova Scotia, which is blue and very rich and more my aesthetic eye or something that my eye would go to.

Amanda: Mhm.

Marco:  And the one that I have is like a, uh, dark green that's red and green.

Amanda: Right.

Marco:  And a rust color and a bit of orange or muted m gold. I'll take a picture and I'll put it on the Instagram. But it's not colors that I necessarily find attractive. And tartan isn't necessarily the pattern that speaks to me. And then I wore it with my jacket and I just loved how it looked. Mhm. And it's my favorite scarf.

Amanda: I know you wear scarf all the time.

Marco:  I just love it. I just love how it looks. I feel like it goes with everything. It's very fall. And uh, it's one of my favorite things that I've gotten in a long time. So thank you.

Amanda: You should tell my mom that.

Marco:  I should.

Amanda: I Don't think you have told her that.

Marco:  No, I haven't told her that.

Amanda: I will say, uh. Yeah, I need to just say. I feel like I've said the word literally a lot today. And I'm actually actively trying to embrace the new version of definition of literally.

Marco:  Oh, what's that?

Amanda: Well, a few years ago, people were using it a lot to mean really kind of the opposite of what it means because it's the opposite of figuratively. Right. But often you'll say, uh, you literally wear it everywhere. Well, you don't wear it everywhere. You often wear it, but you don't literally. You actually don't literally wear it everywhere.

Marco:  Oh, so I figuratively wear it everywhere.

Amanda: Yeah. But actually, a few years ago, I believe I'd have to look this up to verify they changed that because everybody was using it in the vernacular in the way that I've been using it in today's episode. So they actually went ahead and changed it, I think, in, like, Webster's Dictionary, to also mean the opposite of what it means. Isn't that interesting? So now I'm trying to just embrace it and just say literally all the time like everybody else does.

Marco:  Oh, that's interesting.

Amanda: Yeah. It's just a little thing I'm going through. But, yeah, patterns. I mean, when I hear patterns, I'm not necessarily color patterns. I'm thinking about pattern patterns. Like looking for patterns, looking for numbers.

Marco:  Oh. See? And I was thinking of, like, tartan or paisley or, like, actual patterns.

Amanda: Yeah. Which makes sense because we're talking about colors. But I always look for numbers on a clock or numbers. Uh, 11. 11. Or, like, 333, um. Or, uh, 42. The meaning of life, universe and everything, if you're a Douglas Adams fan. So those are ones that often I kind of connect with. And it almost feels to me like somebody's, like, sending me a sign saying, you're on the right path.

Marco:  Right.

Amanda: Do you feel that way?

Marco:  No, not really.

Amanda: Really?

Marco:  Not with numbers. I just know I like my number and that's it. Okay. I don't put that much. I literally don't push that much.

Amanda: You literally don't. Patterns in the universe, I guess, is more what I was thinking. Finding the patterns.

Marco:  So I was looking at maples. Just to go back to pattern. No, because I'm gonna weave in maple patterns. So I was looking at 17. I don't know, some magazine, online magazine had 17 maples to have in your home or on your property.

Amanda: Oh, okay.

Marco:  But they had the Norway maple. So I was like, I don't trust this. But then they had.

Amanda: It's like the Chilean sea bass of the tree world.

Marco:  Yeah. You should not be eating Chilean sea bass.

Amanda: But a lot of people still do.

Marco:  I know, but I. I do want. This is not about Marco telling you what to do or what not to do, but don't eat Chilean sea bass. It's being overfished. But I will say this. There's a maple called the snake bark. Maple.

Amanda: What?

Marco:  Yeah, because it has. Its bark has kind of a snake snakeskin kind of pattern to it.

Amanda: Is it like a mangly maple? Like, I feel like this would be like the. The black sheep of the maple world.

Marco:  No. Look it up on your phone while we talk.

Amanda: It's.

Marco:  It's actually really pretty. The bark is really pretty. Although the leaves I didn't find to be that pretty. And so, um, I had never heard of that tree before. And then I saw it in this magazine.

Amanda: What about a Japanese maple? Those are.

Marco:  I love them. They're beautiful. They're beautiful. They're stunning. They're elegant. If a tree can be elegant. I think all trees are elegant, really. But there's something very delicate and whimsical and light and artistic about it. And, I mean, the color of the leaves is just.

Amanda: I don't think I'm a fan of the snake bark situation.

Marco:  Why is that?

Amanda: Eh, uh, it's fine. I think we can do better.

Marco:  But it's an interesting pattern. Well, I'm not saying, uh, for a tree in our backyard. I'm just saying.

Amanda: I'm just saying in the world of maples, I think I was really. When you said snake, I was picturing, like, this sort of, like, slithering maple. It's just a tree, but the bark looks like snake ish as much as any bark does.

Marco:  No, you're looking at a wrong image. I saw an image where it looked really cool. No, you need to get a closer up image of the snake bark.

Amanda: This one? No. Oh, uh, okay. Well, I don't know. I was just a little disappointed. By what? You really trumped up that snake bark. And then I looked at it and it just kind of looked like a tree.

Marco:  No, no, I saw. It's like, really green and cool looking. I'll put a picture on Instagram.

Amanda: Types of maple.

Marco:  Well, we're getting to the last part of our episode, Amanda, so I don't know if we have that much time to walk into the types of maple.

Amanda: Oh, there's a lot of maples.

Marco:  There's a lot of maples. Lest we forget the sugar maple, one of my favorite maples, which is sort of the maple of Canada, which, when you look at our flag, that's the leaf that's on it.

Amanda: Hm. Hmm. Yeah. Syrian maple is quite beautiful.

Marco:  Oh, is it?

Amanda: Yeah, look at that with this sort of reddish. It's a Middle Eastern maple. Beautiful.

Marco:  Oh, it's gorgeous. Not what you would think of when you think of maples.

Amanda: The keys on the Syrian maple are red.

Marco:  Gorgeous.

Amanda: The leaves are green, but the keys are this gorgeous.

Marco:  The leaves look like Aspen leaves.

Amanda: Rust color. Oh, that's gorgeous. That's a beautiful tree. I'm sure. You know, we don't want it in Canada because that's what they did with the Norway maple. And look what happened.

Marco:  Exactly.

Amanda: Here we are chopping ours down.

Marco:  Well, we didn't chop it down, Amanda.

Amanda: Uh, we gave it a beautiful haircut.

Marco:  Well, uh, we gave it a little bit of. A bit, um, of an amputation, but it's healthier now.

Amanda: Uh, it got a haircut kind of like buzzed on one side and longer on the other. It's become a. It's kind of like the skater kid of the block.

Marco:  There you go. Well, uh, I guess we'll end with that. Skater kid on the block.

Amanda: Skater kid maple. We'll add, uh, that to the list.

Marco:  Oh, people would buy that.

Amanda: Skater kid maple.

Marco:  Do you remember when there was this.

Amanda: It's a maple that kind of leans

Marco:  to one side kind of little bit, you know, half cocked.

Amanda: Grows well on ramps.

Marco:  There you go. Amanda M. Thank you so much. What a. What a, uh, what an interesting dive.

Amanda: What a journey. I mean, we went to Ottawa today.

Marco:  Manitoba, Norway. We did it all.

Amanda: Syria.

Marco:  Yeah. Thank you for listening, folks and listeners. If you're still awake listening to us. Thank you. And we hope this made you feel more relaxed and we also hope that you will be able to listen and sleep.

In this gently wandering episode of The Insomnia Project, a relaxing sleep podcast designed to help quiet your mind and ease you toward sleep, Marco and Amanda begin with something that always warms the heart—listener comments. A few thoughtful messages from the audience set the tone for a cozy conversation that slowly drifts into an unexpected debate: has Marco actually been to Wisconsin? Amanda shares her affection for the state while the two reflect on places worth visiting and how travel memories sometimes blur together over time. As the conversation meanders, they explore what it really means to have an “eye for design,” how to approach hosting a relaxed gathering of friends, and the curious little thoughts that can pass through your mind in the quietest moments—like when you’re lying on a massage table. Along the way they ponder whether putting ice in milk is strange, how to make the most of an awkward nook in a room, and even unpack the meaning of ADR (automated dialogue replacement). There’s also a surprising detour into fromage sets, fossilized woolly mammoth ivory, and Marco revealing what he hopes to receive for his birthday. It’s the kind of calm, gently curious conversation that invites you to relax, unwind, and maybe even fall asleep somewhere along the way.

​Friends Gathering & Fromage Set
(Original airdate: October over 20, 2021)


Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a mundane conversation on the mundane. Is that right? I usually say a quiet, a calm conversation about the mundane.

Amanda: I don't know what you say. I'm never paying attention.

Marco:  That's good to know.

Amanda: Sorry.

Marco:  That's Amanda Barker and I'm also relaxing

Amanda: conversation about the mundane.

Marco:  You know, I usually have it in

Amanda: front of me, but mundane conversation about the relaxing.

Marco:  Maybe I have it outside. I have it right on top of our washing machine.

Amanda: There's a lot of words you could sub in there.

Marco:  There is. And of course, in this moment, I can't think of what we actually use.

Amanda: A calm conversation, I think. Calm? Yeah, about the calm.

Marco:  I know our listeners are like, I've listened to you say it a million times.

Amanda: I cannot believe you have how many episodes? 3,000?

Marco:  No, we only have over like 300, I think only. Yeah. And, um, I want to bring something to your attention. This is Amanda Barker. I'm Marco Tympano. If you didn't catch that, we've had some lovely people reach out to thank our listeners. I want to thank everyone who's been recommending it to Friends. It seems like people are doing that, and I'm getting a lot of emails. People are using it for their anxiety, too, Amanda, if you can believe it. It's so incredible. And we had a listener recently reach out on the page.

Amanda: Why wouldn't I believe that? Of course I believe it.

Marco:  Well, fair enough.

Amanda: Yeah.

Marco:  Well, I'm glad you believe it.

Amanda: Yes, I do believe it.

Marco:  One of our listeners on our Patreon page, Devin, reached out and said how much she enjoys you and I on the podcast.

Amanda: You know, it's amazing because I really come into this booth and in my brain, um, I'm talking to you, and that maybe there's one other person kind of in the booth with us, listening, just being part of our conversation, or maybe, you know, taking a nap nearby while you and I just talk. And that's how I always approach it. So I'm always a bit taken aback that there are other people in the room.

Marco:  Amanda actually said. She said, the only person I ever think that is listening is our social media manager, M. Amy, in England. So it was funny that you said that.

Amanda: I think that's kind of who I envision. I mean, you and I watch a lot. A lot of beautiful, soothing television that comes out of the uk.

Marco:  Yes.

Amanda: And so for me, I just feel like, I guess for us, this is, in a way, kind of stepping into that world where we escape to the

Marco:  country, watch paint dry on Portrait Artists of the Year.

Amanda: Relocate. And relocate, as in relocation, relocation, relocation. There's three in the title.

Marco:  Watch people repair old things on the repair shop. One of my personal favorite, watch people

Amanda: throw a slab of clay onto a kiln and compete and praise each other and perhaps even make a judge, um, move a judge to tears. Not the judge you'd think. It's true. But, uh, yeah, it's such an interesting moment. Okay. We're talking about the great pottery throw down.

Marco:  Yes.

Amanda: Is that what it's called?

Marco:  Exactly.

Amanda: Because you throw pottery onto a wheel or that type of pottery is a throne pottery, so they say. And, uh, so the judge on that, he, um, gets choked up most episodes. And the first time it happens, the first few times, there's like a silence and you don't know what's happening. And you think, okay, he's got something in his throat or is he all right? And then he's like, he can't take it. Cause it's so beautiful. It's such a gorgeous, sweet, honest moment when that happens.

Marco:  It's true, it's true. Uh, back to Devin.

Amanda: I'm sorry, The British agenda. Oh, Devin's not. See, I thought I hear Devin and I think of Devon England, because again, that's one of the places you can escape to when you're escaping to the country.

Marco:  It's true. Well, maybe M. Devon is British, but she happens to live in Wisconsin.

Amanda: Uh, there's probably a Devon Wisconsin too. I love Wisconsin because Devon is known for its dairy in England. And I bet there's like a Devon Wisconsin.

Marco:  Without a doubt. I'll look it up at some point.

Amanda: I love Wisconsin too. Wait, have you been to Wisconsin?

Marco:  I have.

Amanda: Really? Um, I don't know that. Do you? Have you. Actually, I have.

Marco:  Okay, now you're calling me out.

Amanda: No. Well, I don't know.

Marco:  No, I don't think I have.

Amanda: Because, you know, I love Milwaukee and I've been there twice.

Marco:  I think I want to go. You know what? I love shows that take place in Wisconsin. Like, um, Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley. And so I feel like I've been there. I've been to the airport in Wisconsin,

Amanda: in Milwaukee or Madison or I don't know if there is one in Madison.

Marco:  Uh, now you make me question everything that I'm thinking of.

Amanda: I only say this because the last time I was in Milwaukee, which is around this time of year, I went to the market there, which was so fun, and went to, I mean, it was in a different time, and went into, I think a beer tent. And I really enjoyed it. Had brunch, had this amazing brunch. And uh, I remember saying to you, you would really, really love Milwaukee. I think you'd really love it. And uh, I'd love to go there with you sometime. And I don't remember you, ah, saying, oh, yeah, I love Wisconsin.

Marco:  Oh, well, maybe that means I need to go to Wisconsin.

Amanda: I'm sorry, I don't mean to call you out.

Marco:  No, it's all good.

Amanda: Listen, I just have a feeling in your brain Wisconsin has sort of morphed into like Michigan.

Marco:  And no, don't get me wrong, I love Michigan. I've, uh, always loved Michigan. I love Detroit, I love that area, Ann Arbor. Some of our first listeners were from Ann Arbor.

Amanda: Mhm.

Marco:  Then I guess I need to go to Wisconsin.

Amanda: I mean, maybe you have been There.

Marco:  I know I don't think I have, but I have fallen in love with Wisconsin. One of the things Devin likes about us is that we get into these little conversations.

Amanda: Oh, okay, good. Because I always think this is not what people are tuning into to hear our marital discussion.

Marco:  She loves the bridge episode.

Amanda: I don't remember.

Marco:  It's the one we talked about. Bridges.

Amanda: No idea. It's all deleted from my brain the moment I walk out.

Marco:  I think we talked about COVID bridges in your old hometown.

Amanda: Vague memories.

Marco:  She's also looking forward to when she can host a small cocktail party with a few co workers.

Amanda: Oh, okay.

Marco:  And I usually don't mention our listeners on the podcast because if they're listening, I don't want them to, you know, get out of their relaxing mode by hearing their name. But if people are going to put it on our Instagram or Twitter, I may mention it like Kleshek. Uh, who says? I also have been listening since early this year and have also loved Amanda on the podcast.

Amanda: Thank you, Clashek.

Marco:  This is my go to podcast to fall asleep. Thanks so much for making it. So that's pretty awesome.

Amanda: Where's Clashek?

Marco:  It's not. It's. That's. That's her handle. Uh, oh, so that's why I'm just gonna call it Clash Shack. I'm sure she'll know who it is. And Katie on Keys, who you might know, I love. Katie on Keys says, that's awesome.

Amanda: I love Katie.

Marco:  Uh, Devin also says thank you for all you and Amanda do for insomniacs like me.

Amanda: Oh, how sweet.

Marco:  So thank you for listening because I'm an insomniac and I know I've kind of turned you into one.

Amanda: Amanda, we have an energetic thing in this house. Um, I don't know if we want to get into that, but I've always believed in the transfer of energy. And one thing that is very apparent in our now over a decade long marriage is we never, ever have insomnia at the same time. It's true if one has it to the point where I actually do feel a surge of energy when you fall asleep sometimes if we're trying to take a nap together. So which, yes, is something we do. We take naps together.

Marco:  Um, so thank you for listening and for those of you who do have insomnia, we are all here for you and we've been there and I want to shift the conversation. Amanda.

Amanda: Uh, I have one more. Wisconsin.

Marco:  Okay. Yeah, listen, you go. I want to go to Madison.

Amanda: What's Madison like You know, I've never been to Madison and I've heard it's amazing. I do know it's a university town and a very artsy town, but I actually want to talk about Appleton, Wisconsin, because one of my all time favorite videos that I've ever found online, and this dates back about six years now, um, was this girl from Appleton, Wisconsin who decided to rant on YouTube about the candle incident from Bath and Body Works. She wanted her pink Bellini candles. She had called so many stores, uh, and finally a store said, we do have the pink Bellinis. So she wanted to bring back her own candles in exchange for pink Bellinis. And then when she got there, they told her, we don't have the pink Bellinis.

Marco:  Oh, no.

Amanda: Um, and, um, she didn't like how that was handled, so she went to YouTube to discuss it.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda: Um, but, um, it turned into a sketch. So I think a group out of la, but I'm not sure, decided to animate the whole thing as the sketch. And so, um, they do it verbatim, almost like a drunk history thing where she's narrating and they do the voice like they do the motions.

Marco:  And because of that heroic video. You want to go to Appleton, Wisconsin? All right, hey, listen, whatever makes you happy.

Amanda: Now I'll buy some pink Bellini candles.

Marco:  So one of the things Devin says, and this I'm going to get off this, is that she sympathized with you during the, um, apostrophe episode where I talk about the pins that I put in the wall and how, um, you know, that wasn't something you were really happy about. And she talks about wood veneer paneling that you can purchase and put on your walls that are sound absorbing and they're really quite beautiful. And I think you who have an eye for design.

Amanda: I do.

Marco:  Would love, would love to see this.

Amanda: I don't know if I have an eye for design. I just have a love of design. It's more that. And I say that because one of my best friends on the planet, um, my sweet friend Wade, he, um, is and was an interior designer and he is extraordinarily talented and he has an eye for design in a real creative. And um, it's an artist's eye, there's no question about it. He was very successful, uh, interior designer here in Toronto. He lives in New Brunswick now. And um, I say that because when you're friends with somebody that has that kind of talent for interior design, then you recognize that. I would say I'm a fan.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda: I'm a fan of interior designing versus, um, you know, which some interior designers are fans. And that's how they get into it. But I say that respectfully. Um, and we have friends who were performers and then realized what they really loved was that they loved everything about it, but they were fans of performers more than they loved the performing itself. So they became, you know, various things, um, producers, agents. Um, one of our, uh, friends is a wonderful life coach where she coaches. Specifically coaches. She's more than a life coach. But anyway, she coaches actors. Right, right. Um, because she realized, actually, it's not so much that I think I'm an artist. It's more I'm a fan of the medium.

Marco:  That's the paneling. You can take a look at it.

Amanda: Oh, it's gorgeous. Very mid century look. Because it has. And now that you show it to me, I have seen slat panel. Yeah, slat panels. Yeah, it has that, um, when you look at it, you go, oh, yeah. I have seen studios that look like that. You know, sort of, um, almost think like, um. What's her name? Taylor Swift.

Marco:  Taylor Swift.

Amanda: You know, like. Well, I don't know. But anyway, Taylor Swift. I think that's the last music documentary thing I watched was Taylor Swift.

Marco:  Look how nice it looks in the bedroom, these slats.

Amanda: But I don't know that we need it in the bedroom.

Marco:  No, but it absorbs sound, so then it allows your bedroom to be quieter.

Amanda: Dear listeners, AKA Amy, we don't need sound paneling in our bedroom because the snores are the loudest part.

Marco:  Fair enough. Fair enough.

Amanda: Actually, the Golden Girls playing in the background is the loudest part. And, uh, of course, escape to the country.

Marco:  So Devin mentioned that she can't wait to have gatherings, friend gatherings, uh, cocktail parties with her co workers, her and me both. So I want to talk about gathering of friends and throwing parties and how good you are at it. And m, we recently had a celebration with some friends and your sister, and we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving, which happens in October. And I will say this, Amanda put on quite the lovely, fantastic spread of food, of appetizers, of, um, side dishes, and you made it seem effortless.

Amanda: Thank you. I need to jump in and be a Virgo and say she and me both, not her and me both. It's gonna drive me nuts.

Marco:  Who's she and me both?

Amanda: Never mind. I just did a grammar faux pas. You didn't even notice it. That's not where your value system lies. But we've established in the APOSTROPHE episode. Um, that, of course, I don't remember, because that's how my brain works. Um, that I'm very into. Uh, well, I'm not very into grammar, but.

Marco:  You're very into grammar.

Amanda: Am I?

Marco:  Yes. You're always.

Amanda: I don't know that I'm very into it. I have an English degree. Well, I know you know things, and

Marco:  you're always like, this is how you say it. And that's how you say it.

Amanda: I blame Mr. Belmore, my grade six grammar teacher. He was my English teacher, but he really, like, leaned into the grammar big time.

Marco:  Amanda hates it when I use double negatives, and I love using double negatives.

Amanda: I don't hate it.

Marco:  Well, you don't love it.

Amanda: Well, that's a Massachusetts thing.

Marco:  But, um, the festive Apostrophe was the name of that episode.

Amanda: The festive Apostrophe. So I have a question, though, and this is a legitimate question.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda: So do you want me to talk about my spread that I did for

Marco:  Canadian Thanksgiving or just gatherings and food? I want to mention the cocktail that I made.

Amanda: Okay. Because we don't often spend a ton of time on food in this.

Marco:  No, we don't. But we can talk about.

Amanda: So that's why I'm just approaching with care. Yeah.

Marco:  Because we don't want people to feel hungry while they're listening. But I do want to mention that you organize the festivities very well.

Amanda: I will say the organization of food is actually something I've come to realize, I find quite relaxing. Oh. So, um, I was a yoga teacher in one of my many lives for a few years anyway, and I suppose I still am, although I don't teach. And, um, I spent most of my savasanas, the majority, uh, when my brain would wander, as brains do, it would generally go through the contents of my refrigerator.

Marco:  I see. Savasana, for our listeners who aren't familiar with yoga, is the pose that one makes when they're lying flat on the mat with their toes pointing up and their.

Amanda: So I was lucky enough to have a massage today, and I spent probably about 90% of the time of that massage doing that. Exactly. Going through the contents of my freezer refrigerator.

Marco:  I see.

Amanda: And I say this because it doesn't really come out of a hunger place. It comes out of an organizational place of what can go with what and what is good to make, when. And new creative ideas of ways to use frozen squash or that leftover end of cream cheese, and so on and so forth.

Marco:  Um, what makes a good gathering, how do you address when friends or co workers come over or you're going to them? What's important to you when you have a gathering of friends?

Amanda: People that will be copacetic, people that don't need a lot of babysitting or attention, that can talk amongst themselves and don't need me to be the connective tissue.

Marco:  Sure.

Amanda: We used to have a friend who, um. I mean, he's still our friend, but he was very convinced for a long time, and I think you know who I mean, he was very convinced for a long time that, um, he needed to have all of his friends all in one place at once. His friends from university, his friends from our work that we knew him from, his friends from childhood, you name it. And that was sort of his thing. And I do understand that it's true.

Marco:  He has a lot of friends that come to his. Or used to come to his festivities.

Amanda: Well, and he was the type of guy that. He's sort of the center of the party and the type of guy that everybody loves. And he is a very good friend to many people. He's a great guy. However, um, I think there is this rule that although it's great to have people that don't know each other, I think there should be sort of a max or a limit on that. And so for me, you know, I think you can have three, four people that maybe don't know each other, but once you get bigger than that, it becomes something else.

Marco:  A to do, if you will.

Amanda: Well, and then you have to be the person connecting with everyone. I mean, then it becomes a wedding, really. Um, and so for Canadian Thanksgiving, also known as Thanksgiving in Canada, um, my sister was here, so I wanted somebody that, you know. Well, it was just me, you, and my sister, so that's not much of a gathering. So I just wanted to have, um, somebody else that, um, my sister could talk to if I was in the kitchen. So I invited my good friend Lois over and her daughter as well, both

Marco:  of who have been on the podcast. And your sister and I were discussing the fact that we didn't finish our series on Nudibrin Bronx, which are sea slugs.

Amanda: Oh. And you didn't get a chance to see.

Marco:  She was very busy, but next time.

Amanda: But Lois and Briar have been on the podcast.

Marco:  Lois has been.

Amanda: Oh, I didn't even realize that.

Marco:  No, we talked about quilting.

Amanda: Oh, yeah, she's a great quilter.

Marco:  She's an amazing quilter.

Amanda: She's so resourceful. She's so great. Anyway, so, um, yeah, but the thing that I did do that I was really happy about is that I planned everything out the night before in terms of timing.

Marco:  Yes.

Amanda: So I had a schedule that started at 9:00am Pancetta mushroom tortellini. You could eat smart, still fit in your bikini. I ordered blue apron. I've been happy ever since they sent pre portioned meals. I don't make no measurements. Saute the pancetta, then I add the mushrooms. Large skillet cause you can't have too much room. Garlic pesto, tomato paste, Calabrian chili season to taste.

Marco:  Order blue Apr. To tip off this NBA season on FanDuel. You can choose your own rewards, which means you can play your game any way you want. I get to choose my rewards? Yep. Great. Now excuse me while I lock in all customers. Choose your own reward right now in the FanDuel app. 21 and present in select states. 18 in Kentucky. Opt in required rewards are non withdrawable. Restrictions apply including bonus and token expiration, leg requirement and max wager amount. See full [email protected] sportsbook gambling problem. Call 1-800-gambler

Amanda: um, and took me to 1:30pm, which was when Lois was going to arrive. And when she did arrive at 1:30, everything was done or close to done or simmering, depending on where you wanted it to be. So the turkey was ready to be taken out, but also ready to rest a bit. The potatoes were simmering, the apps were out, the salads were made, but not dressed, you know, that kind of thing. So I was able to go outside, enjoy nice, uh, charcuterie with her, um, my drink, my cocktail, your cocktail, and actually enjoy it. It was beautiful weather.

Marco:  Speaking of cocktails, I just want to mention that I made an amazing cocktail which is a festive cocktail, which has Lambrusco, which is an Italian effervescent red cool wine. In other words, you keep it in the fridge. It should be cool when you serve it with a bit of sparkling water. Prosecco cherry soda instead of sparkling, uh, water, I should say. So it was a cherry soda and maraschino cherries or, um, cocktail cherries inside. It was delicious.

Amanda: But Lambrusco doesn't really need a sparkling water because it is sparkling itself too.

Marco:  Right. But this cocktail had. And not sparkling water. It had sparkling cherry water or whatever you call it.

Amanda: Cherry soda.

Marco:  Cherry soda.

Amanda: Thank you. Which we had. We happen to have cherry soda, which we don't always have, but we had it and it was a beautiful cocktail, a beautiful day and a beautiful meal. I feel very grateful for all of it. Which is how one is meant to feel during Thanksgiving. Grateful for the harvest, grateful for family, grateful for friends, grateful, you know, to have space to go to mentally clock everything that's in my freezer and how I want to best use it. Because maybe I'm just a food nerd. Maybe that's what it is.

Marco:  Maybe.

Amanda: Well, um, happily. So I don't mind it. Like I said, I find it relaxing to kind of go through. Okay, and this is this. And I spent an inordinate amount of time debating what I want for lunch tomorrow. And it's the evening before right now.

Marco:  Right. Which runs in your family a bit.

Amanda: It does. There's something about it in my DNA. I don't know if it's some weird depression era thing that was imprinted on my ancestors or what. Um, and I don't think I'm alone. I think a lot of people are like that. Um, but, uh, yeah, I'm either gonna make a soup or salad tomorrow because you're not here anyway. Nobody needs to get into the nerdiness of what I'm gonna make.

Marco:  I set the table and I'm a good table setter. Having worked in the restaurant industry for so long, especially in some formal restaurants. I know how to set a table because I've had to do that.

Amanda: Were you made, um, to do that when you were a kid? Did your mom, like, instruct you? Because my parents were very, um, definite about how to set a table when we were kids, that we had to learn where everything went and how it, you know, which fork was which and all of that.

Marco:  It was very important for my mother that we learn how to use a fork and a knife properly at a young age. So I remember that. I remember being a kid being able to hold the cutlery.

Amanda: Mhm.

Marco:  Or the silverware, however you like to describe it.

Amanda: I say silverware, but that's an American thing. And dear sweet listeners who are not American or who are American, you can absolutely prove me wrong. But we would call plastic forks and knives silverware.

Marco:  Really?

Amanda: Yeah. No, yeah, we call everything silverware. I mean, it's a bit of a stretch to call it silverware. I guess you just say plastic fork, but we wouldn't call it cutlery. That was not a word I ever used. Uh, maybe it's a northeast thing in the States. I don't know. We never used.

Marco:  I think that's strange. I'm sorry.

Amanda: I think that's a. I mean, cutlery makes more sense, but I think it's a British word ultimately.

Marco:  Then again, I Think putting ice in your milk is a little bit strange. And that's something Amanda does. She loves to come into the podcast studio with any glass she can with so much ice in it that all it does is clink and clank. And I'm always like, that's going to be picked up on the microphone.

Amanda: Well, uh, that's a relaxing thing for your listeners to hear.

Marco:  Well, it's the truth. I will say this. I wouldn't have.

Amanda: I don't usually drink milk at night just on its own, but I just thought a frosty glass of milk sounded really great, so I did it.

Marco:  See, for me, I would never put ice in my milk.

Amanda: Aren't you better than the world?

Marco:  I'm not saying I'm better. I'm just saying that's where I draw the line. The ice line.

Amanda: The ice. Oh, so you'll have ice in other drinks, but not in milk? Yes, it is weird to have ice in milk. I'm kind of on my own with that, but I stand by my choices.

Marco:  I will say this. We would not have a podcast studio if it wasn't for your keen eye and suggestion. It's one of the things that Amanda did. Said that I will always be grateful for. When we were redoing our basement, we had this one area that was just, uh, an awkward nook. How would you describe this yarn?

Amanda: Well, I wonder what it was originally, what the intention was when this house was built.

Marco:  But I would say small cellar, I bet. Like a cold storage where you're sitting right now, because that's the only thing. But it's so small that you would only be able to put a very limited amount of stuff in here.

Amanda: Very limited. But maybe a shelf, I suppose. But yeah, probably. I mean, it's hard to imagine. That's the thing about a renovation. Once it's done, it's impossible to imagine the place or the room any other way. And see, that's what I mean about talent in design.

Marco:  Right?

Amanda: Because I do believe a talented designer, generally speaking, can look at a space and know exactly where this wall might go, where this new configuration would be. Or, let's see this over here. And we switch this around. I'm. Myself, I'm not so talented at that. I have to kind of map it out or it's more trial and error with me. I wish I was a person who could know exactly if that couch would fit or not. I'm not sure. But, um, anyway, yeah, this area was. It's cinder block. And so what we realized is it's great for quietness. Um, but it's not the bathroom that I thought it would be.

Marco:  Yeah, we were hoping to make it into a bathroom, but we couldn't because there's a cinder block wall and it's not quite big enough.

Amanda: So. What do you mean? Yeah, because I don't think we could run pipes into it.

Marco:  No, we couldn't.

Amanda: That's what it was.

Marco:  Just there was multi. There was. It was complicated cinderblock.

Amanda: You kind of stuck with it unless you really want to fight it. Which we didn't want to.

Marco:  But there was other reasons too, and I can't remember.

Amanda: Uh, I think that's what it was.

Marco:  Our friend who, uh, was an architect, explained why this wouldn't work. Anyways, it was an awkward, um, nook M. And you know, so what do you do? You make it into a bar. You make it into. And Amanda's like, we don't need a bar.

Amanda: Well, we don't need a bar.

Marco:  We don't need a. A sauna. We don't need a.

Amanda: Well, I would have liked a sauna. Imagine this was doubled as a sauna. The world's hottest studio.

Marco:  No, but what you did say was we need a studio. And I said. And you said, let's make a studio. And we did.

Amanda: I did. Because you had already started this podcast at that point.

Marco:  Right.

Amanda: And for whatever reason, we were very convinced we didn't need one. That we could take the mic and sort of do it anywhere. And I think there's a lot to be said for that. Um, at the time though, we were also kind of getting into audiobooks, um, and knowing that it couldn't be a bathroom. And at that point in our architectural plans, we had a three piece bathroom which didn't end up happening because of other, um, building issues. Cinder block issues was actually where the meter was. You couldn't have water near the meter and so on. Um, so that's fine. We have a bathroom without a shower. We didn't need it. It's fine. And this sounds like a very bougie thing to say or a problem to

Marco:  have and it's so not.

Amanda: It's so not. But anyway, but it sounds it. And I want to just acknowledge, uh, that, um, but it seemed to me that the best use of this space was actually to have a studio. Why not have that? If you actually do have this cinder block space that you can't really do anything else with and you already have an existing podcast. And, um, so we kind of, we kind of convinced ourselves that that was the Right choice. And I didn't know if it would work out, actually. But you've really tricked it out to be the studio that we had hoped and dreamed.

Marco:  Yeah, we've recorded audiobooks here. We've recorded podcasts.

Amanda: That's true.

Marco:  Um, a lot of. We've recorded ADR here.

Amanda: Yeah. For. Can I say. You can say for Star Trek.

Marco:  We've recorded ADR for Star Trek, which neither myself or Amanda have been in.

Amanda: No, that's our nephew, who was three when he shot it, and then four, because, of course, he got more than one season.

Marco:  So if you're watching Star Trek, the new Discovery.

Amanda: Discovery.

Marco:  Discovery. Sorry.

Amanda: He's in it. Yeah, he's the little guy. He's got to be the youngest thing in it.

Marco:  Uh, what's the character's name?

Amanda: Uh, Lido. Lido.

Marco:  Yeah, that's our nephew. And he had to do some ADR work. And we should say what ADR is because people are going to be sure.

Amanda: Additional. Additional. Recording.

Marco:  Digital recording.

Amanda: No, not digital. I don't know.

Marco:  Audio.

Amanda: Well, whatever it stands for, what it is, is when you shoot a film, a TV show, and every now and then, a commercial. I had to do it once for a commercial. You, um. And you can hear it. Sometimes you can start picking it out. It's things that on the day of shooting, or on the day, as they say, um, get muffled.

Marco:  So, um, automated dialogue replacement.

Amanda: There you go. So you have to match sort of how your mouth moved, or they're like, you know, you were kind of. I improvise a lot, so of course my takes are all a little bit different. And, um. And so whatever one they go with, it's like, well, it looks like you're saying something there, but you weren't m Mic'd that day, or the boom wasn't near you, or it got muffled, or sometimes there was wind.

Marco:  Sure. Um, one time you had to do ADR for another actor who said the word skittles, and the movie didn't have the rights to use that brand. And so Amanda had to fit the word fiddlesticks into an, uh, actor's mouth movement for the word skittles, which is really short. So I meant I had to say fiddlesticks really fast.

Amanda: That was actually for a movie that our friend wrote, our same friend who used to like to have parties where he wanted to invite every human he had ever met. Uh, not really, but all of his friends. And we actually had a bit of a cocktail party intervention with him and said, you know, you can invite us or you can invite them or, you know, we can mingle with them. But you don't need 10 of them and 10 of us and. Because it just turns into people in their corners, you know.

Marco:  Yeah, it was necessary, but I wanted

Amanda: to just to come back to that. Tips for a good party, a good gathering. And I think the conversation and the people is the main ingredient. Um, I also think having a few places to land versus just one table, if you can manage it.

Marco:  What do you mean by a few places to land?

Amanda: Well, a place for everyone to sit and enjoy a drink and maybe some vegetables and dip or whatever.

Marco:  A crudite accrue.

Amanda: Yeah. Or charcuterie or whatever. I don't know. All French things. Hors d'. Oeuvres. It's all French. Um, or orange plate. Okay. And. Or, you know, then, okay, let's move to the table. Or like, let's go for. You know, let's sit and enjoy a cocktail. Um, if you have access to outside space and it's that time of year, depending on where you live, great. Um, if you don't, that's fine too.

Marco:  I need a formage set. What I need, you know, I really want a set for cheese, which is a little spade. A little, uh. It looks like a shovel or a.

Amanda: Okay. I thought we had them.

Marco:  No, we don't. We had one, but it was.

Amanda: Listen, you never want anything, so let me get you the best one I can find. Because I need gift.

Marco:  But there's three things.

Amanda: It is your birthday soon.

Marco:  I want the little spade, the little one that looks like a shovel, and the little one that looks like a pick.

Amanda: I'm sure they all have real names.

Marco:  The fourmage set. I don't know.

Amanda: No, but I'm sure when you buy it, it's not. This is the little one that looks like a shovel. Like, there's gotta be like, uh, a French name. I'm gonna look it up.

Marco:  I'm sure there's a name for it, but we had a little fromage set, and the handles were made of wood. And, you know, when.

Amanda: What happened to it?

Marco:  I think someone. I'm not gonna say who. Maybe your sister put them in the dishwasher and then ruined my little formage set.

Amanda: It wasn't the best.

Marco:  Interesting. It wasn't the best. I'm not gonna blame your sister. It might not have been her.

Amanda: You're definitely blaming my sister.

Marco:  M. I'm not blaming your. Although she did try to put my good knife in the dishwasher once, but

Amanda: she didn't know she did this time?

Marco:  No, not a long time ago. I hope she's not listening because she's going to think I'm talking bad about her. Because I love my sister.

Amanda: She's not listening.

Marco:  I love my sister.

Amanda: M in law. Only Amy is listening.

Marco:  I love my sister in law and she's absolutely wonderful.

Amanda: Unless Amy's the sister I didn't know I had.

Marco:  Amy is like a sister to me. And I love making cappuccinos for your sister and sitting down and having coffees with your sister because your sister's so delightful when we just sit, sit and drink.

Amanda: Well, I have the name of the knives at the ready. Are you ready?

Marco:  I am.

Amanda: Prolonged knife.

Marco:  Which one's? What does that one look like?

Amanda: I don't know. Marco.

Marco:  Is it the triangular one?

Amanda: I'm gonna give you the names and I'll let you decide what they are because I only have the names. I don't have them.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda: I don't have arrows. So. Prolonged knife.

Marco:  Yes.

Amanda: Thin knife.

Marco:  Okay.

Amanda: Heart knife. Serving fork knife.

Marco:  Uh, that's the prolonged one.

Amanda: Yeah. Uh, chisel knife.

Marco:  The chisel knife. It looks like a chisel. That's right, yes.

Amanda: And the spreading knife.

Marco:  I don't need the spreading knife. We have that. I don't. I don't ever use a spreading knife.

Amanda: You get one when you get this six piece knife set for cheese, which is what you're getting for your birthday. I'll order it now.

Marco:  I don't want garish handles. I want it to look nice. I don't want it made of wood. That's all I'm saying.

Amanda: Oh, you don't want it made of wood?

Marco:  No, I don't want it made of wood.

Amanda: See, I love wood.

Marco:  I just don't want it made of wood.

Amanda: Why do you want to. I don't want.

Marco:  Because of the bad experience I had with my.

Amanda: So what do you want it made of? Ivory. What do you want it made of?

Marco:  No, of course I don't want ivory. My goodness, no.

Amanda: But you can get sustainably sourced ivory.

Marco:  I don't want ivory because I don't believe in using ivory.

Amanda: Can I just say. Yes, I just need to say, okay, you can get sustainably sourced ivory that is from. I actually think it's from fossils. I think it's actually from mammoths. Is that possible?

Marco:  Yes. But woolly mammoth ivory, Amanda, we've seen that, and it's like little tiny.

Amanda: How big a knife do you need?

Marco:  No, I'm saying they use the woolly mammoth tusks.

Amanda: To me it seems weird to use woolly, like an extinct animal's fossil tusks. But I do think that's what happens.

Marco:  They use it for earrings and small things because it's so expensive.

Amanda: I'm gonna get you some earrings.

Marco:  No, I don't want earrings, and I don't want fossilized mammal mammoth tusks. I just want a nice formage set. I don't want.

Amanda: I've offered you two kinds. You've negated both wood and woolly mammoth. I don't want a woolly mammoth knife set. I don't even know if there is one. I don't know what I can do for you.

Marco:  I really don't know what Devin sees in these episodes that you and I record together, because that's where we end up. Um, listen, m. Send Amanda, uh, uh, an Instagram or a tweet with what kind of fromage set she wants.

Amanda: If you send me a tweet, I will never get it because unfortunately, I am kicked off Twitter since March of 2020.

Marco:  Well, they can tweet us. Uh, listenandsleep.

Amanda: Oh, okay.

Marco:  And then I'll show it to you. And, uh, thank you for listening. Thank you for sharing this podcast with your friends. Thank you for taking this journey with us.

Amanda: Let us know what kind of knife set Marco should get for his birthday, because I need to order it soon.

Marco:  I do want to say the end of this season will happen in November, because starting December 1st, we're gonna have holiday episodes. So I'm gonna start mentioning it to our listeners now, just like the Brits do, because our holiday episodes aren't our traditional episodes, Amanda, because they get to be peppier. They kind of have a holiday feel to them, and so they're not necessarily meant for relaxing. And one time we got a review saying that our episodes were too exciting.

Amanda: I see.

Marco:  But those were our holiday episodes, and they only stay up until February 1st. Then I take them down and I re air them the following year. So as of December 1st, uh, our season will be over at the end of November, and then our holiday episodes will begin, and you'll have one for every day in December.

Amanda: Seasonal content. Gingerbread latte for your ears.

Marco:  Exactly. Mittens for your schnoz. All right, thank you for listening.

Amanda: What?

Marco:  I was trying to think of another body part.

Amanda: I just like seasonal vegetables. I like things that are seasonal. I do. I like a fruit or vegetable that's seasonal, where it's like, oh, it's this season because I'm eating this or drinking this. And although gingerbread lattes are manufactured. I still think of them as a seasonal enjoyment.

Marco:  That's fair.

Amanda: Yeah, that's fair.

Marco:  Uh, Amanda claims she doesn't like cranberries, but I bought some cranberries for our little feast.

Amanda: Where is this coming from?

Marco:  There was no segue insider tip. Well, because you were talking about seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Amanda: So here's. You want to talk about me claiming I don't like cranberries? I spent half my massage trying to figure out what to do with the leftover cranberry sauce in that fridge.

Marco:  I love cranberry sauce. I didn't realize we had.

Amanda: I'll have some for lunch tomorrow.

Marco:  Okay, I will.

Amanda: Uh, I was gonna make a dip with it. I had all these.

Marco:  A dip sounds good. What else were you gonna make with the cranberry?

Amanda: I was debating if it could make its way into a soup or smoothie.

Marco:  See, if I had. If I had my fromage set, I could have a little bit of fromage. A little bit of cranberry sauce on top of the fromage.

Amanda: What's the difference between a fromage set and a cheese set?

Marco:  Uh, the fancy way I say it.

Amanda: Fromage. I love the way you say it. So. So Anglophile. Fromage.

Marco:  How do you say it? Okay, well, we'll leave you with. Thank goodness we don't have French description.

Amanda: I know. I just offended everybody. English and French.

Marco:  I'm offended, and I'm not even French. Um, thank you for listening.

Amanda: Was this episode 90 minutes? It feels like it's gone on.

Marco:  It was 10 minutes longer than what I claim it to be.

Amanda: Well, you could have cut me off anytime. You were talking about the cheese set you're hoping your listeners will buy for you. Clear. Buy him a woolly mammoth cheese set, please and thank you.

Marco:  Please don't.

Amanda: He'll love it.

Marco:  Listeners, please do not send or buy cheese sets. Please don't. That's not what I'm saying. Thank you very much for listening. I just appreciate you listening, uh, to our podcast. So thank you very much. Until next time. That's Amanda's yawn.

Amanda: I'm sorry.

Marco:  I hope you. You are thoroughly relaxed like Amanda is, and I hope you listen and sleep.