Game Show Episode | A Playful, Relaxing Conversation

In this episode of The Insomnia Project, hosts Marco Timpano and Amanda Barker settle in for a light, meandering conversation about one of their shared guilty pleasures: game shows. This calming podcast episode explores the nostalgia and quiet comfort of classic television, as the hosts reflect on the shows they’ve watched over the years and the small rituals that come with following them. Their relaxing conversation moves gently through memories of watching Jeopardy and The Price Is Right, sharing personal stories, favourite moments, and the curious strategies viewers sometimes use when guessing answers from the couch. The slow rhythm of the discussion makes this episode ideal for background listening while you unwind, quiet racing thoughts, or ease anxiety before bed.
Along the way, Amanda shares her evolving relationship with Jeopardy, including a small lament about the show before rediscovering her appreciation for it. Marco talks about why The Price Is Right never quite felt like his game, even though he once had his own memorable experience connected to the show. The conversation also drifts into the world of lesser-known and delightfully odd Canadian game shows, including Bumper Stumpers and Mad Dash, as well as a brief look back at Alex Trebek and one of his earlier hosting roles. As always, the tone remains gentle, conversational, and comfortably mundane—perfect for listeners hoping to relax, wind down, and perhaps even fall asleep.

​Forest Bathing
(Original airdate: May 4, 2023)

Marco: Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm conversation about something that's in ordinary. Something that's, uh, you know, gentle, shall we say? Thank you for joining us. I'm your host, Marco Timpano.

Amanda: I'm Amanda Barker. Here I Am Amanda.

Marco: How are you doing today?

Amanda: I'm okay. I, uh, I've been searching through some Facebook groups that I belong to and discovering some things.

Marco: Like what? Have you discovered anything, uh, that you can share with us today?

Amanda: I mean, I. Sure, yeah. I've discovered that I have a lot of Facebook groups that are aimed toward retirement. And I think that's weird because it's not a word that I love.

Marco: I see. I didn't realize you had a lot

Amanda: of Facebook, um, groups either until this morning. I'm not sure how it happened, algorithms being what they are. You know, I think it's because I. I'm in a phase right now where I'm listening to a lot of financial books.

Marco: I see.

Amanda: I am a Virgo. And the reason I say this is Virgos are known for their organizational methods and to be analytical. So growing up I was a creative spirit. I think I still am. And because of that I was told and was that I was disorganized.

Marco: I see.

Amanda: So I was very disorganized. Like I couldn't. I was the kid that was always staying in to clean her room. And yet it never got cleaned.

Marco: I see.

Amanda: You know, as that kid. So what's interesting for me, and I think the first time I. I'm sure it's happened prior to this, but you and I. Well, we've just had a wedding anniversary.

Marco: That's right, we have.

Amanda: Thirteen years.

Marco: Thirteen. Lace, Lace, Lace.

Amanda: Oh my gosh. I haven't given you your gift.

Marco: It's okay.

Amanda: It's been days now.

Marco: I thought you lost it somewhere in the home.

Amanda: Oh, yeah. Okay. I'll look for it this morning. See, there we go. So disorganized.

Marco: Amanda put it somewhere very special.

Amanda: No idea where that is. Our house is not that big, dear friends.

Marco: It's really not that big.

Amanda: So there's not a lot of places that it can live. Live.

Marco: I know how that can happen. I've lost, you know. Um, mhm. Gift certificates in the house where it's like someone's given us gift certificates. I'm like, oh, I'll put this away when we're going to actually use them.

Amanda: And we used a gift certificate this week that I found.

Marco: Right.

Amanda: That did. I don't know if it ever really was officially missing in this house, but it wasn't located for a few years.

Marco: Yeah, it had gone.

Amanda: It had come and gone.

Marco: It had come and gone.

Amanda: And it came back again and we used it this week.

Marco: It's amazing how that sometimes happens. And all of a sudden it's like, oh, there it is. I've been looking for that for so long.

Amanda: And we can talk about that too. We went to a spa. It, uh, was a gift certificate I received for my birthday five years ago. Maybe for a pretty well known spa. About an hour or so, hour and a half north, two hours north of the city. And uh, we had a good time.

Marco: We had a great time. It's one of those spas where there's like the cold plunge pool and the heated pools and different types of saunas. There's the sauna, the wet sauna that has like aromas. I think it was eucalyptus was the aroma in that particular sauna.

Amanda: Mhm.

Marco: Areas where you could lay and read or sit and read.

Amanda: That actually was my favorite part.

Marco: I think, I think so too. And it's in a forested area, so you could. What do they call it?

Amanda: Forest bathing.

Marco: Forest bathing?

Amanda: Yeah, the Japanese art of forest bathing. There's lots of signs.

Marco: I didn't know it was a Japanese art.

Amanda: Yeah.

Marco: So tell me what you know about forest bathing.

Amanda: Well, uh, I think it's called Shinrin Yoku. So Shinrin meaning forest and Yoko meaning bath. So uh, it's the idea of bathing ourselves in the forest, taking it through our senses.

Marco: I didn't know this. So you just walk around the forest and just kind of admire your surroundings. And that's.

Amanda: Well, part of the ideology around it is opening our senses. So being in the forest with your hearing, your sight, your taste, your smell, your touch, allowing yourself to open up in all of those five ways, um, is really important. Uh, and it's part of, um, it's a concept anyway, in Japanese culture. I don't want to say it's the most popular thing in Japanese culture, but it's something that people certainly have latched onto in the last 10 years as being a thing that originates within a Japanese ideology.

Marco: We have dear friends who get up early every week, if not every day, and part of their day is spent forest bathing. And uh, we did not forest bathe at the spa.

Amanda: Well, I think we did though.

Marco: We did.

Amanda: We did. We sat in. I would argue that we did. We sat in. Because part of it isn't just like taking a walk through the forest, although that can be an example. But we sat on chairs a few times and, and looked out at the forest. There was a little pond.

Marco: Oh, that's right. That's right.

Amanda: That would be considered forest bathing.

Marco: Oh, I thought, I thought you had to actually like walk in the forest to bathe in it.

Amanda: No, I Don't think so. I mean, we were in the forest

Marco: and looking at it, but we were in the spa looking at the forest. So I don't know if that's.

Amanda: Well, the sign said that that's what we were doing.

Marco: Okay, so we'll take the sign at its face value and.

Amanda: But that was my favorite part, was actually just, um. The thing about this spa that I really loved is they made us put our phones away, so it was a no technology zone. We're all in robes. I think a lot of spas are like this.

Marco: Sure.

Amanda: And so when you're sitting, you know, looking at a forest, at a pond, uh, we were looking at blue jays and orioles flying around.

Marco: That's right.

Amanda: You know, there is a real unfolding that happens, a real unwinding of your brain that happens because you are not distracting yourself with any technology or anything other than your own thoughts. It's a real meditation.

Marco: Sure. It certainly unfurls a lot of, um, things that you might be holding onto when you're submerged in water and letting the waterfall hit you in the back.

Amanda: And that's actual bathing, not forest bathing. But we were bathing in a forest, so maybe that counts.

Marco: Listen, if you can find a waterfall in a forest to hit your back, I say go make the forest your bathtub.

Amanda: Hey, what waterfalls have you been to in the world?

Marco: Niagara Falls, clearly, because it's very close.

Amanda: I was thinking of ones you can swim in and let the falls hit your back. I would not recommend doing that there.

Marco: No, no.

Amanda: Uh, they're majestic, though.

Marco: It's true.

Amanda: Everyone needs to go to Niagara Falls, Preferably. Sorry, I do have a bias. The Canadian side is more spectacular.

Marco: There you go. Write your letters to Amanda Barker, if you have.

Amanda: I've been to both. The American side is nice, too, but it's like the little cousin of the Canadian.

Marco: Right. Because ours is more of a horseshoe.

Amanda: Uh, it's majestic.

Marco: The most recent waterfalls I've been to were the waterfalls that, if anyone remembers the original series Fantasy island, at the very start of the show, a plane sort of drives or flies near a waterfall. And we were in Oahu and in Hawaii, and there were signs that said the Fantasy Island Fall. That's true.

Amanda: We were there. Yeah.

Marco: We drove to see them. So those were the most recent that I've seen. But I've never had the opportunity to bathe, really, in a river with the falls hitting me.

Amanda: So there's a few. There used to be one near, um, my house in New Brunswick that we used to climb and go To. I don't remember the name of it, but it was really close. And we would go to the top and go to the. It was quite a big waterfall. Oh, wow. Beautiful. Yeah. And if we were feeling adventurous, we would jump into the water. Um, although I only think we did that once. But, uh, more famous falls. Ocho Rios in Jamaica. Very famous waterfall there. Beautiful cascading falls there. And people routinely climb up it. But you can just sort of swim at the base as well.

Marco: I always see pictures of people, like, holding hands, climbing up.

Amanda: I wouldn't recommend that. And that is what they do. Cruise ship passengers, uh, every week do that. I used to watch them every week as I was working, uh, on the ship, but. But I've climbed it in my own time. A friend of mine back in the day, Catherine, she and I just climbed the falls, took lots of pictures, had a great time.

Marco: I guess you could consider that waterfall bathing.

Amanda: Yeah, for sure.

Marco: Nature's shower.

Amanda: So you've never been to one where you. An actual waterfall where you swam at the base? We have to make that happen?

Marco: No, only in, like, you know how some pools have that as a feature, as a water feature? That's the only time I've ever really done that.

Amanda: Yeah. Yeah. We have some friends. I think that one of their pools. They have beautiful pools and beautiful homes. And, uh, I feel like they had one that had that. I think.

Marco: I think so. I can't recall. Anyways. Um. Yeah, so I haven't been to many falls. Like, I haven't been to Victoria Falls in Africa or, you know, other spectacular falls. And what's funny is there is a drive near us on the way to Hamilton, which is a city about an hour and 20 minutes away from us. There's a drive that takes you to many falls.

Amanda: Why don't we do that? We should do that maybe this weekend.

Marco: Maybe. Might be a great idea.

Amanda: Actually on Saturday, maybe.

Marco: Yeah. Ah, and then there's that butter, um, tart store that we can go to.

Amanda: I see. I see. A trip. We'll hike the falls.

Marco: Yes.

Amanda: And the butter tart will be our Canadian reward.

Marco: Yes.

Amanda: Yeah. I'm trying to think of other falls. I've been to Puerto Rico.

Marco: Okay.

Amanda: There's a nice one outside of San Juan that. That I remember going to.

Marco: What makes the falls. What makes falls impressive to you? Is it the amount of water? Is it the height? Could it be the color of the water?

Amanda: I think all of these things.

Marco: The splash quotient on the way down.

Amanda: Splash quotient?

Marco: Yeah. Like how important Is the backsplash from the falls hitting its surface, whether it be water or rock for you.

Amanda: Well, I think one of the things you have to understand about a waterfall is that it really, the time of year that you visit it is going to determine the amount of splash ratio to pool. Because generally speaking, I mean, I think there was one, a little tiny one behind my house in New Brunswick even.

Marco: How many falls were you close to in your hot.

Amanda: Remember, I was an hour from Grand Falls, which is a very big falls. That's the name of the town is

Marco: Grand Falls, New Brunswick. I've been there with you.

Amanda: Mhm. But there are many, many others in the woods. And behind our house there was a little one, like a little sort of stream, more of a stream and a pool. But if you go in May, then it's going to be quite a bit because the runoff and the snow and all of that. And then if you go at the end of the summer, some of these majestic falls can be much lower down to a trickle. So it really does depend if they're not, you know, artificially made, like with a dam, which many falls are. So it really does depend on, um, the time of year. I think, at least in this country.

Marco: That's what I was gonna, I was gonna say. Are you, are you making that assumption because we live in a country where the weather affects the rate of waterfall?

Amanda: I would say no, because I've been to falls in Bali as well, um, in Indonesia. And that falls, uh, in general, if they're coming from a freshwater source, fresh water in general, it really does depend on the time of the year because if it is the rainy season, so we have snow that melts and that creates a big fall in Canada most parts. But the rainy season anywhere is going to do much the same thing. And then of course, a drier season in the fall, generally speaking, or. Well, in Asia, the rainy season is the fall. So it does depend. But I think you have to look seasonally at how much water there is because that's going to determine it. Right.

Marco: M. But M, My question was still, what impresses you or what do you value in a waterfall?

Amanda: I like swimming in a waterfall.

Marco: I see.

Amanda: Okay. I like when there's little fish in the waterfall. That's fun for me.

Marco: Um, does it matter if it's secluded or not for you? Or does that matter?

Amanda: Yeah, I think more secluded is more magical. Right, right. I do think there's something to be said about hiking a long way to find a natural phenomenon.

Marco: Sure.

Amanda: Remember when we hiked for two hours to find the green beach in Hawaii on the Big Island.

Marco: I do. And I was grateful that we took a, um, Jeep back.

Amanda: Yeah, me too. A Jeep driven by a girl who was watching Netflix on a cracked, um, iPad, and she was watching Working Moms, which is a show shot here where a lot of. We have a lot of friends in it. So we both had to laugh at that. But, um. Yeah. Yeah, I think, uh. I think having to hike to something, having no public access to something. Not to say that you should go places that are, you know, sectioned off, um, but that makes a difference. Remember Ellore Gorge? We went there last summer.

Marco: That's right. Yes.

Amanda: There's. I think there's falls there.

Marco: Uh, there was definitely moving water.

Amanda: So I imagine the gorge, I think, is like a low. That's more like an Ocho Rios kind of falls.

Marco: I see. That was the first gorge I've ever been to.

Amanda: Do we know the definition of gorge?

Marco: Gorge is. I. I think I looked it up. I feel like we actually talked about it probably on the podcast, and I looked it up.

Amanda: Yeah.

Marco: But it's kind of like a little valley or something.

Amanda: Like a. I don't know how we got on waterfalls today. I guess because we were talking about forest bathing and the waterfalls that, uh, at the spa. But, uh, yeah, I mean, we should maybe make a plan to go to some more waterfalls and make that our. A new. That's a good resolution for summer.

Marco: Yeah, we'll do that for sure. That sounds like fun. I was making plans with a friend of mine who's an architect, and I think we're gonna drive to Buffalo, New York, where there's a lot of Frank Lloyd Wright houses.

Amanda: I would love to go.

Marco: Or Franklin. Franklin Lloyd Wright, as I like to call it. And we're gonna go see some of the boys trip.

Amanda: I'm not allow.

Marco: Well, um, maybe it's okay.

Amanda: You can go without me.

Marco: We'll see. We'll see. That was a plan we were making. Um, and, uh, we'll see if it happens. But I would really like that, because I do like going to a destination with a planned purpose, so that you're like, okay, we're here this weekend to experience this. I remember one time, uh, when I was in Rome. So I was in Rome for. There was a. I want to say for work, but I can't. Anyways, I was in Rome, and I was staying with a friend. M. And I had been to Rome before, and Rome is wonderful, as you can imagine. But I didn't need to go see the sites that I had already seen, Coliseum, etc. Uh, so instead I said, oh, you know what I'm going to do? I'm going to go to as many different fountains as I can. Speaking of running water, sort of, um, the city's waterfall, if you will.

Amanda: Mhm.

Marco: Because, you know, everyone knows the Trevi Fountain. Every, a lot of people know the, the fountains in the, you know, the, the Bernini fountains in the piazzas. And I was, I, I was, I said to myself, I want to see as many as I can, the unknown fountains, uh, the ones that don't have the same sort of prestige as say, the Trevi Fountain. And so I spent my days, just my day of, uh, my few days there, just wandering around, taking photos in front of fountains that I wouldn't have ordinarily seen. And in a way I was city bathing, uh, just looking for those, looking for those, uh, monuments.

Amanda: Well, I believe in city bathing. I used to believe that a relaxing vacation just wasn't possible when you're visiting a city for three days. That, that was that, you know, visiting a city for three days was the opposite of a relaxing vacation. But I've changed my mind, okay. In the last few years, I really have learned about us and about myself that going to see the sights in a city, it can be the most relaxing thing. And yes, even if you're walking and have a lot on your itinerary, depending, I think if you're open like you are with forest bathing, if all five of your senses, your touch, your smell, your taste, your hearing, your sight, if all of that is open as you stroll through a new city, new town, new location, then, uh, there's an adventure that can unfold for you if you're open to it. I really do believe that. And I think that going to a museum can be the most relaxing thing. Um, or, you know, going strolling down a busy street even, can be the most relaxing thing. And the reason I say that is because it is taking you out of what you know and it's giving your routine, everyday brain. Sure, that can be filled with tasks and errands and to do lists, and it's allowing you to park that and let it just sit. It's not going to hurt anyone where it is and allowing you to take a vacation from that and to just be open to absorbing yourself into something new, whatever is in front of you. So if it's a museum, which I love museums, um, for this exact reason, then, you know, you might go into a Picasso exhibit.

Marco: Yeah. At a gallery. Like art bathe, in a way, Art bathe.

Amanda: Like you and I when we went to the Leonard Cohen exhibit or when I went to frida Kahlo's house 10 years ago. That was a very, uh, immersive experience. It was art bathing for sure.

Marco: And you come out of that gallery, ah, or museum feeling as though you've been rejuvenated or refreshed or, uh, with a wash of serenity.

Amanda: It almost can feel like your molecular structure has been reorganized in a way that you can see things differently or maybe for the next day or two at least, experience things a little bit differently because you're seeing it through somebody else's eyes or through another culture's eyes. I think that's really important. So now, you know, when you and I planned our honeymoon, we're both travelers or we like to travel, I should say.

Marco: Sure.

Amanda: Um, you know, it was a big decision because we were. And everyone said, you just want to relax, you want to relax, you want to relax. So we eventually booked two weeks. Beautiful. Two weeks on a private island, an all inclusive place. And what I learned about myself in that trip, although I wouldn't take anything back, it was a beautiful time. But I realized that if we had gone to a country we'd never been to and driven around and had that experience, that's only exhausting if you're not into it.

Marco: Right.

Amanda: You know, it's not exhausting if it's rejuvenating, if it's what you want to experience, see, and do. Um, I mean, for me, the ultimate vacation is something where you get to do all of it. Because I love a beach too. Don't get me wrong.

Marco: It should be noted that when Amanda does vacation, she always prefers to have a bath in her hotel room.

Amanda: Always.

Marco: You are a bather.

Amanda: It's so I'm a bather bather.

Marco: You're a proper bather bather.

Amanda: I'm a forest bather, I'm a city bather, I'm an art bather, and I'm a water bather.

Marco: So if we're going to talk about. If we're going to end the podcast with you as a bather bather.

Amanda: Okay.

Marco: What do you value in a bathtub? Your ideal bathtub, Whether it be in a hotel room, in your home, in a destination, et cetera.

Amanda: All right, first things first. It's better if it's nice and clean.

Marco: Well, yes. Okay, let's assume. Let's assume they're all clean.

Amanda: Depth.

Marco: Okay.

Amanda: I like a good amount of depth. The more depth, the better. The ideal bathtub would go right up to my neck.

Marco: Okay.

Amanda: And just surround my entire. Every ounce of skin other than my mouth with water over my head, you know? Um, so depth would be a big one. Smoothness. Oh, smoothness is big. Because if you're going to be in it for a while, you know, you. Some. I've been in a lot of bathtubs, and some of the older metal ones that were built in the 60s and 70s, they can wear over time, and they're not as smooth.

Marco: Sure.

Amanda: A good porcelain usually will hold its integrity. Um, and then there's some that are more recent that are. I want to say they're plastic. I don't even know.

Marco: Yeah, there's a lot of plastic tubs anyway.

Amanda: I'll do any of them.

Marco: Like a hard plastic. Like a fiberglass.

Amanda: Exactly is what I would call it. And I don't mind a metal tub either, but, um, I've been in a wooden tub.

Marco: Oh, you have?

Amanda: In Korea, in the hotel room, there was a wooden tub. I was obsessed with it.

Marco: Okay.

Amanda: Yeah. Um, it seemed to do the trick. It was fine. Yeah.

Marco: So what about, um, places near you in the tub that you can place your. Your items that you bring in?

Amanda: I love it. If I can put my feet up.

Marco: I see.

Amanda: And sometimes if I make myself too hot, then I like to be able to swing my legs over for a little bit of relief.

Marco: Okay.

Amanda: Broiling. But I don't want to get out. Sure. I, um, do love a place where I can put some reading material. Reading in the bath or in the forest. Bath is. Is, uh, a great joy.

Marco: Sure.

Amanda: As I think we've. I'm sure I've talked about it here before.

Marco: I notice you're not mentioning claw foots or the aesthetics of the tub. It sounds like that's not as important to you.

Amanda: That's important for me as somebody who has a bathroom in their home, but. Or, uh, you know, in my home and my apartment. In years past, actually, I don't think I've ever lived anywhere without a bathtub. No. The only place that I've lived without a bathtub for any length of time anyway was, um, the cruise ship. When you and I lived on the cruise ship, there was a tiny little shower, and I would sit at the bottom of that shower and pretend it was a bathroom. I can imagine how tiny it was because it was a small room to begin with. And then the bathrooms are quite petite.

Marco: Yeah. It's one of those kind of like corrugated plastic doors that you just kind of pull and you're standing there almost like Superman in a phone booth.

Amanda: Corrugated plastic. Because it's metal. It was a metal door. It was a folding door. Yeah.

Marco: Oh, it was a folding door. Okay.

Amanda: Sorry. You make it. I'm picturing like the kind of yellowed with the crack on the top, you

Marco: know, the ones that you pull and it kind of makes a concave.

Amanda: Uh, yeah, that's what I.

Marco: That's what I thought it was some old photos, I don't remember.

Amanda: I think it was a metal door.

Marco: Okay.

Amanda: I think everything in there was metal because remember, the magnets would stick to everything.

Marco: Sure.

Amanda: But in any event, I mean, it was basically an airport bathroom with a tiny shower.

Marco: Yeah.

Amanda: Be great if they had showers on airplanes. I'm sure some do.

Marco: I think some do.

Amanda: Yeah. Not ones that I pay for. Right.

Marco: Fair enough.

Amanda: Not my $106 special.

Marco: So I could picture you in a bathtub in the middle of a forest with a waterfall behind you.

Amanda: I'm not gonna say that I wouldn't love that.

Marco: Right.

Amanda: I have bathed outside a little bit, I think. I think, um, you know, in olden days, the oldest people in the oldest person in the house would get the bath first. So they say. I don't know, I went on some tour somewhere and they said that. And that the baby would be the last one. Like it would go by age. And that's where the expression throw the baby out with the bath water.

Marco: Sure. So when you say olden days, what exactly does that mean in olden days?

Amanda: When I say olden days, I'm thinking like Little House on the Prairie. I'm thinking like 1800s.

Marco: Okay.

Amanda: You know, and they churned butter. But that's a really North American perspective on things. Eurocentric North American perspective.

Marco: So I don't know what Eurocentric. Because I'm sure in Europe when they think olden days, they probably don't think 1800s.

Amanda: That's probably more recent.

Marco: I think they think, uh, you know, this aqueduct was built in, you know, 10 BC or AD kind of thing. Exactly.

Amanda: Yeah. Their timelines are a little bit different, but, uh, that's my New England sensibility, I suppose.

Marco: Fair enough. Well, listen, listeners, thank you for joining us today on our bath episode. Bathing episode. I don't know because I think we've done episodes on baths.

Amanda: But forest bathing, forest bathing, art bathing, art bathing. I love the idea of art bathing, actually. I'm going to really embrace that even more. I've never put it in those terms, but now that you and I have coined this magical phrase. I'm going to invite more art baith. More art baths into my life.

Marco: Sure. Uh, I would invite our listeners as well. Go to your gallery or your museum and see if they have a membership. That, uh, is something you might want to join, because what we found is at our art gallery, if you join and become a member, it's actually less expensive to go more than once in a year. And you can access your art bath anytime you want.

Amanda: Well, you and I have only used it, I think, once or twice, and it expires next month, so we better.

Marco: Okay.

Amanda: Go bathe in some art.

Marco: We're gonna bathe in some art. Until next time. We hope you are able to listen. Maybe get a bath in there and sleep.