Birds of a Feather, Vespa Together | Calm Background Listening

In Birds of a Feather, Vespa Together, Amanda and Marco settle into a gently meandering conversation sparked by recent listener messages. What begins as a playful exchange about poultry cravings and mindful eating quickly drifts into stories from a Vespa ride through the city, where they unexpectedly came across a lively dragon boat race. The episode continues to wander through thrift shopping adventures, seasonal decorations, and the small, curious details that make everyday life feel both amusing and oddly comforting.
There’s talk of a Halloween-themed casserole dish, the practical limits of decorating space (farewell, knee-high Dracula), and even a mischievous moment involving projecting Christmas images into a neighbour’s window. As always, the stories are shared with soft humour and no urgency.
This calming podcast is designed to help you fall asleep, ease anxiety, and quiet racing thoughts with a relaxing conversation that feels easy to follow — or easy to drift away from. It’s perfect for background listening at bedtime or during a middle-of-the-night wake-up. Let the gentle tangents and familiar banter guide you peacefully toward rest.

​Birds of a Feather, Vespa Together
(Original airdate: Sept 24, 2024)

Welcome to the Insomnia Project. I'm your host, Marco Timpano

Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm m conversation that's meant to help you sort of drift off and find your way to La La land, I guess some people refer to it. Thank you for joining us. I'm your host, Marco Timpano.

Amanda: I'm Amanda Barker. I need to take my earrings out.

Marco: Okay. While Amanda's taking her earrings out, we will say, thank you for listening.


Marco: I'm trying my best Amanda to record brand new holiday episodes

Last week we had my niece on the podcast, and this week we're back with Amanda, and I'm trying my best Amanda to record brand new holiday episodes. So we have a whole bunch of new holiday episodes because, you know, I've been recycling some that we've recorded in the past, but now I think it's time to update them a bit. So that'll be coming in the month of December. But just so our listeners know what

Amanda: I'm working on, what did my niece talk about?

Marco: She talked about being at camp because she was at a camp and what to bring when you go on a camp and archery and things like that.

Amanda: She was very excited about that camp. She was glowing after that camp. It's lovely when you get to be that age and immersed in something with a whole new people and a whole new experience. it's really great for kids.

Marco: Now, Amanda, two weeks prior we recorded an episode, and I've got some listener feedback on two of our episodes.

Amanda: Oh, no.

Marco: So the one that we did about watermelon picking the perfect watermelon.

Amanda: You would think we talk about this. We live together. We sometimes often work together. I only hear about this in this booth.

Marco: It's true. It's true.

Amanda: All right, watermelon, here we go.

Marco: Carrie writes to us on our social media.

Amanda: Carrie, my. Our sister in law.

Marco: No. Unless Carrie S. Is my new sister in law. I don't want to say her last name because I don't want to unless I have her permission. But Carrie writes. Hi, Marco and Amanda, Been loving your last episode. Still have to finish it, though. Once again, you never have to finish our episodes. We leave it up to you. But if you fall asleep and never get to the end, or we couldn't

Amanda: be happier, the more times you've put it on and have no idea how it ends, ends the better.

Marco: Yes, Carrie continues laughing emoji, but with a very soft exclamation mark.


You can make a lovely watermelon smoothie or slushy type drink

I wanted to chime in and give you my hack for the tons of leftover watermelon you have.

Amanda: Oh, great.

Marco: You can make a lovely watermelon smoothie or slushy type drink.

Marco: Just put loads of watermelon in a blender and it doesn't matter if it's over or under half or a whole frozen banana, of which we have a lot.

Marco: And a little bit of milk or water and blend it up.

Amanda: This is a great hack.

Marco: Of course, you could also throw in strawberries or other fruit if you have it too. It's so delicious in the summer and it quickly uses up the watermelon.

Amanda: That's a great idea. I don't know why we haven't been doing that.

Marco: I love this idea.

Amanda: I do too. And I love a watermelon shake. You know, when I was shake.

Marco: A watermelon shake.

Amanda: You know what? Because that's what they called them in Thailand. Like a watermelon smoothie. They would call it a watermelon shake.

Marco: So not nowhere near Thailand. When was the last time you were in Thailand that you're referencing it like something Amanda often says? You know what they call it something else in Thailand. It's like this is the first I've ever heard you say that too.

Amanda: Last time I was in Thailand, I was 23.

Marco: Okay. So, it's been a while. It's been a minute, as they say.

Amanda: I don't know. The first thing I remember there is the first day, like for lunch, I remember having a big plate of pad Thai and a watermelon shake. I don't know. That's what they called it.

Marco: And so listen, I don't have problems with shakes. I love shakes. I love watermelon. And that's it.


Sierra says not all of Canada has bagged milk

All right, so now to the controversial.

Amanda: Oh, that was not it.

Marco: No, that was not it. Now this is from Sierra. Okay. And Sierra is right. And I have to point, waggle a finger at you because you're the one who made this statement.

Amanda: Oh, no.

Marco: Who knew that our milk bag episode.

Amanda: We're back to the milk bags. I can never escape. I am saddled like a ball and chain. There are bags of milk around my theoretical, ankles and wrists.

Marco: Folks, we still have a ton of frozen bags of milk in the freezer in case we have.

Amanda: That was a haul.

Marco: So Sierra says, listening to all the bagged milk talk the last few episodes. And I thought I would jump in and say that not all of Canada has bagged milk.

Amanda: Oh, my goodness.

Marco: I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta. P.S. love Edmonton. Love Alberta. I just said this the other day. I go every time I go to Alberta. I have the best time.

Amanda: I've only been once. I've never been to Edmonton.

Marco: Actually, if you're listening and you haven't been to Alberta yet, and you.

Amanda: And you do what I did go

Marco: do what Amanda did go. In particular, if you can drive from Calgary to Banff, Lake Louise, all that business.

Amanda: It's so stunning.

Marco: I was talking about it with somebody today at works, R. Sierra.

Amanda: It really warns you how stunning it is. You think, oh, yeah, Banff. Everyone goes to Banff. Banff, Banff, Banff. Now, people who are not in Canada will be like, what are you saying?

Marco: But anyways, B, A, N, F, F, Banff.

Amanda: But I always pretend there's an M, but there isn't, I guess. Anyway, so people will say, oh, yeah, go to Banff. Go to Banff. And then you go and you drive from M. Calgary. And it's breathtaking. It's so stunning. It's the Rockies. So if you've driven along the Rockies or into the Rockies, on other Rockies, then you've had some of that experience. But I have to say, compared to other Rockies, I've been to.

Marco: Wow. Right? And I was talking to Kevin at work today, M. And he said it's like everywhere you look is a postcard. Is exactly what he said today.

Amanda: Yeah, it's true.


Back to the back to the much more important, um, Bagged Milk

Marco: But anyways, back to the.

Amanda: Back to the back to the much more important, Bagged Milk.

Marco: So, Bagged Milk of Banff. Sierra grew up in Edmonton, Alberta.

Amanda: Okay. And she says maybe she knows our friends Troy.

Marco: Oh, yes, Troy.

Amanda: Yeah.

Marco: Troy o'. Donnell.

Amanda: Are we allowed to say his name?

Marco: I didn't know I'd say. He's an actor and he's a friend, and he would do a podcast if he was here.

Amanda: He would. And he's so lovely. And we did a show with him, and he's quite involved in the Shakespeare festival there.

Marco: Yeah. And I remember I used to love,

Marco: Honestly, I had a great time performing with Troy.

Amanda: You did? You loved working with Troy.

Marco: And I used to say this. And I still say this today. You can get. You can get.

Amanda: I can't believe we're doing this.

Marco: You can get two pheasants for the price of one turkey every Thursday at Thirsty's.

Amanda: That's just a thing Marco made up for a show that we did and a long time ago.

Marco: And Troy would always. Yes, and that.

Marco: And always.

Amanda: Yeah, he would. He was lovely. That's a great price.

Marco: Even though, if you think about it, two pheasants would not be the Same value as one turkey. Even though if you could get two pheasants for the price of one turkey,

Amanda: pheasant is highly prized. I think it's a great deal.

Marco: Well, how much would a turkey cost? Not on sale?

Amanda: I don't know. I only buy them on sale.

Marco: Let's say a 10 pound turkey.

Amanda: I really don't know. Okay, so also the reference you're making was from 1948.

Marco: So that's true.

Amanda: They were in a play that took place in 1948.

Marco: Not that I.

Amanda: Back then. $10. I don't know.

Marco: Okay, well, how much would two pheasants cost you back in 1948?

Amanda: I've never gone to the grocery store and ordered up some pheasants.

Marco: Can you look up the price of a Turkey in 1948 while I finish this, text?


Sierra says all of Canada has bagged milk, not her

Okay, so sorry, Sierra, we've just, we've deep dived in the middle of your Instagram message. So where was I, Amanda?

Amanda: I don't know.

Marco: So Sierra grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, and Sierra says we have jugs and cartons, not bags. Silent exclamation mark. I think it's just some of the east coast, Quebec and Ontario that do bagged milk still. I always heard growing up that Canada has bagged milk, but I never experienced it until I moved to Ontario a few years back.

Amanda: I see.

Marco: But Canada always seems to get generalized based on what Ontario does. And she has an emoji that is laughing, but tears are coming out of her eyes.

Amanda: I get it. I get it. Being from New Brunswick, it's not usually the province people think of, when they're talking about Canada.

Marco: But I will say for the longest time, Amanda called me an upper Canadian and I feel like it was a bit of a Slurpee.

Amanda: It was not a slur. It's what we called you guys. And ah, also the price of a turkey in 1940, somehow I found was between 29 and 31 cents a pound.

Marco: Okay, and how much was the price of a pheasant back then?

Amanda: Who's buying pheasant? You're not. They're not even for sale. I think you have to get them only through game hunting.

Marco: Okay.

Amanda: Have you ever bought pheasant? Like, I don't think you can buy it.

Marco: No.

Amanda: maybe not, because I have at, certain restaurants had pheasant.

Marco: Pheasant under glass was a thing.

Amanda: What?

Marco: I've never had pheasant under glass. But don't you remember watching like Bugs Bunny and they would like, say, pheasant under glass no, no. As a very high priced item.

Amanda: But I did. In my search, the first thing that comes up when I type in pheasant is pheasant versus turkey.

Marco: Okay?

Amanda: Which is, you know, the Thanksgiving movie everyone needs to see.

Marco: Okay, so tell us about that.

Amanda: Ring necked pheasants are smaller and more slender than wild turkeys. That's all that comes up.

Marco: We see wild turkeys all the time. And every time I see one, I think how much I would love to have that on my plate.

Amanda: Marco, there are people that don't eat animals and that's disturbing for them to listen to. I'm sorry. And now you've done that to them and that's really unfair. I'm not joking.

Marco: Okay, well, what do you want me to do? I'm sorry.

Amanda: I take it back, folks. If I said that all joyfully sipping my tea, which he just did, all smiles, he would roll his eyes at

Marco: me, which I do.

Amanda: He would roll his eyes, he would tisk. He would continue on and then stop it. And then yell at me and say, we can't do that. That's not fair to the people that don't.

Marco: I feel like you're doing this to shift the milk bag blame because you said that milk bags.

Amanda: I'm fine. I am fine to know. In fact, I'm happy to m. Embrace the milk of Edmonton.

Marco: And you were the one who said that all of Canada has bagged milk, not me.

Amanda: Okay, and. And, but why are you upset about it?

Marco: I'm not upset. I'm not upset.

Amanda: It's like a marital dispute.

Marco: No, but here's the thing too. We.

Amanda: We had a lovely Vespa ride. Things are not bad in this house. I don't know why. We're. We just came from the most loveliest Vespa ride.

Marco: We. We did go by. Amanda was like, I'd like to see the water.

Amanda: So I came home from work and was like, let's put on our. You know that feeling when you put on your plate clothes? That's what it felt like. I came home, I took off my work clothes and I put on my play clothes. I put on comfy jeans and a comfy sweater and comfy sneakers and said, let's go on the Vespa.

Marco: And we drove down to Lake Ontario

Amanda: because he always says, where do you want to go? And I always think I want to go near the water.

Marco: So we drove to the water. It was beautiful. We went for a walk. We saw dragon boats.

Amanda: Yeah, yeah, like, practice dragon boat. They weren't racing. They were practicing. They were. What is that called? Practicing?

Marco: Yeah, practice. And there was the person who sits at the back who yells at the rest of the people.

Amanda: Marco said that would be his form of dragon boating. Yelling at everyone.

Marco: I would be the person who yells. And as they were yelling, I was trying to hear them yell.


Mia M: People are eating goose. Who is eating goose?

A Canada goose was squawking and he

Amanda: got mad at the goose.

Marco: I did get mad at the goose.

Amanda: Yeah, it was really funny because you. All you wanted to do was hear what she was yelling at them. And you were mad because somebody else walked by. And then he went back to listen. And then this goose starts squawking. He's like yelling at the goose because he wants to hear the dragon boat lady.

Marco: I want to know how much the price of goose was in 1940. Who is eating goose? People are eating goose.

Amanda: Well, you can't eat a Canada goose. You're not allowed to eat them. Oh, well, why are you so on to eating fowl today?

Marco: I don't know. I don't know.

Amanda: The foul, eating episode.

Marco: So, okay, so we, we did that. And then we drove to a place where you got a lovely top. And I got a scrubber for pots.

Marco: Because our scrubber. I didn't know.

Amanda: Are we allowed to say the name of the store?

Marco: I'm sure, like, they don't. They're not a sponsor, but you can say it.

Amanda: Well, I don't care. You said a place. Well, I was like, what is he talking about? And you're like. And you got a top. Like, yes, we went to a department store.

Marco: Yes, we went to Marshalls. In case people are wondering which one we went to.

Amanda: Marshalls.

Marco: is it from Boston? Marshall's.

Amanda: It's not. Not from Boston.

Marco: Okay, so that's Amanda's Boston accent. That's why I asked. And so Amanda got a beautiful little top and I got a scrubber.

Marco: For our pots. I got a pan.

Amanda: Yeah. Ah, you're excited about that pan.

Marco: And we got slippers for my niece who was on last week.

Amanda: Yes. And my niece and I went thrift shopping. That's right. And had an amazing time. And these slippers actually match a pair of pajama pants that she got that she's thrilled about. They're very cute. They have little avocados, although they're white. Pajama pants look brand new. And they had little avocados all over them. And so we just found white slippers that have avocados on them. So they're gonna Match. Very cute.

Marco: And we, we talked about this thrifting place you go to. How was Mia M As a thrifter?

Amanda: I. She took to thrifting this particular type of thrifting, like a little duck to water. I was so proud of my little gosling. She was so cute. Speaking of waterfowl, I love duck, by the way. Oh, my goodness.

Marco: I'm sorry. I do.

Amanda: What is with you today?

Marco: I guess I just got foul on the brain.

Amanda: Okay. Am I not cooking enough waterfowl for you?

Marco: I mean, I do.

Amanda: What is this conversation? What year is this conversation?

Marco: I do like duck as an animal. Like as a pretty little animal. I do, I do. I think they're beautiful animals.

Amanda: And we'll leave it there because no one needs to hear about your weird meat cravings.

Marco: No. Okay.

Amanda: Your foul cravings as you go to sleep. Like nothing good comes of that conversation.

Marco: Fair enough.

Amanda: maybe not like, maybe I wouldn't.

Marco: I've never had ptarmigan, but that's, that's.

Amanda: Goodness. Are you allowed to eat that?

Marco: I think so.

Amanda: Do you remember the story about my nephew?

Marco: Yes, I do. Our nephew.

Amanda: Yes, our nephew.


My sister in law was a vegetarian and for a while a vegan

When he was much, much younger. He's a cool teen now, but when he was much younger, he figured out where hamburger came from.

Marco: Right.

Amanda: Which if you do eat meat, you have to have those conversations with your kids, of course. And so he, And what's funny is his mom, my sister, my sister in law was a vegetarian and for a while a vegan. She'd kind of go back and forth with.

Marco: She was vegan.

Amanda: She'd kind of go back and forth. Her best friend would be vegan on Sunday or would be vegetarian on weekends and vegan the rest of the week or something. Like she'd have one day where she'd

Marco: eat cheese and maybe eggs.

Amanda: I don't know about the eggs, but she's. For sure. Maybe the eggs. I don't know. Anyway, she, I remember, her, her dear friend Helen would, would, would take days off of veganism. Most, most days they would be vegan, her and her husband, I think her husband was always vegan. But then she would take the weekends just because there was a few dairy indulgences that she.

Marco: Sure.

Amanda: Anyway, so I don't. I think my sister did some version of that. But, anyway, life, continued. her partner had a lot of allergies and veganism, was not in the cards for them because of all the. Because of the allergies. Sure. she went back to eating meat and, and her son was eating meat. And so he figured out where cow. Like, you know, cows and that whole connection, important conversations. And she was like, all right, this is it. He's gon be like, I don't want to do this anymore. I'm going to go vegetarian. I think part. I don't know if she was hoping for it, but she was like, this is where. This is where we're going to go with this. And he sat and he thought about it, and he thought about it, and he said, what other animals are we allowed to eat? I would like to try turtle.

Marco: So there you go.

Amanda: And she was like, oh, okay. Yeah. not really. We're not probably going to not eat that. But anyway, he was very young. It was such a cute thing because he just sat there thinking about it. And she's like, okay, here we go. Right? I want to eat turtle.

Marco: You never know, right? My niece. All my sister ever wanted to do was put her in pink. Pink, pink, pink, pink. And my niece is like, nope, I don't like pink.

Amanda: One color she doesn't want.

Marco: She doesn't want pink.

Amanda: Nope. Not at all. but what were we saying prior to that? My niece and the thrifting. Yeah.

Marco: How was she as a thrifter? You said duck to water.

Amanda: She was having, She has, sometimes problems with dairy. And so she had an upset stomach when we went because of some milk she had. And so I was like, oh, if she's not feeling well, this is not the place for her. You know, it can get. It's not. It's never been super crowded, but it can be a little more people. And it's sort of people doing whatever. And, you know, you're leaning into these bins and sure.

Marco: With an upset tummy. You don't want to be shopping anyway

Amanda: in a new place. Sure. But she smartly wore her bathing suit now also because we were going to hit some water slides later that day.

Marco: Sure.

Amanda: And, so she had it all planned out. She would wear her little shorts and her bathing suit, and then she just started going. And I said, you have to treat it like a treasure. Huh? Hunt anything you might be interested in. You put it in your cart. And then we're going to try it all in front of the mirrors, but there's no change room, so you have to just throw it on. And she goes, great. And so she showed up in her bathing suit, and so she had no problem trying on pants and tops because, you know, she's in a bathing suit, so she didn't feel like she was exposed. She was, you know, in a very modest bathing suit. And so, but still as a 12 year old girl, you know, just throwing, taking off your shorts and throwing on a new pair of pants in front of a mirror with, you know, various people walking around her kids, she didn't care. Yeah.

Marco: Because there's no change rooms. Right.

Amanda: I was really proud of her. It was super cute. And because you just got to kind of be that person and go for it. And that kid, she found, so many amazing things. Lots of stuff from. Should I say the labels? Does it matter?


Your sister recently bought 14 tops at Marshalls for $40

Marco: They're not sponsors, but sure, you can say them.

Amanda: Yeah. from Zara. A, lot of like new stuff from Zara with tags on it.

Marco: Great.

Amanda: You know, she's turning 13, so she's starting to have an awareness of brands and labels and all of that. For better or for worse. she found seven for All Mankind jeans that fit her like a glove. So she's thrilled about those. Ah, Hollister jeans. Hollister.

Marco: Hollister is how I think you say it.

Amanda: Anyway.

Marco: That's how I say it.

Amanda: That look brand new. That also, fit her extremely well. And she was really happy. A new pair of shorts, lots of tops, these pajama bottoms. I think she got something like 14 things and then four tops for her mom. How's your sister like those tops?

Marco: I asked my sister. She said she hasn't had an opportunity to try them on yet.

Amanda: Yeah, things have been busy for her,

Marco: but she's excited because they'll, they'll be appropriate for work.

Amanda: Yeah. Which is what we were thinking anyhow. And, yeah, and she spent $40. 14, things for her and another four for her mom. And it cost her a, whopping $40. So this 12 year old girl now understands like the real joy of thrifting. And you know, then you go to the mall and I know her, she's gonna say, why would I spend that when I can maybe go pick it up secondhand? So. And I said to her, the true. Yes, the savings and the frugality of it is just a wonderful joy. But also, you know, you're saving all this from a landfill.

Marco: Sure.

Amanda: You know, and it's a fun process. So there you go.

Marco: Let me ask you this. How many items did you get from that?

Amanda: I think about the same. I got to go through my stuff, but yeah, tops. I couldn't deal with the pants, so lots of tops. But that's good. There's stuff I can retire. Right. And Stuff to just throw in a bag for when we travel. Which we do. Perfect.

Marco: Yeah.

Marco: We'll talk about where we travel to in the next podcast and next.

Amanda: Next week or what? Where we did travel to.

Marco: Where we did. Where we've just. Where we just came back from.

Amanda: Okay.

Marco: And then we're heading. We're heading out again, for work. But, our travel was, was more for pleasure than work.

Marco: Recently. So there's that. And Yeah. And I realize now that we're in September, I can change the mat we have outside our house to the turkey one that we have.

Amanda: Yeah. Two turkey mats for the price of one pheasant mat.

Marco: I can also put the wreath that has an owl on it too. If we're talking about. Not, foul, but if we're talking about birds, we could have two birds for the price of one mat outside our house.

Amanda: The owl one. Is it a Halloween wreath?

Marco: No, it's more fall.

Amanda: I think it's.

Marco: I think it's fall meets Halloween. So I think it can bleed in

Amanda: because stores are very Halloween right now. It's crazy.

Marco: I don't love how stores anticipate the holidays too far in advance.

Amanda: I don't mind it.

Marco: You don't?

Amanda: No, I don't.

Marco: Okay.

Amanda: I don't know why. I just don't.

Marco: I saw, a casserole dish.

Amanda: I don't spend a ton of time in stores. We just came from one, but it's because I had a gift card. We very rarely just go into stores.

Marco: It's true, we don't really go shopping like that per se. But at Marshalls, which is not a sponsor of this podcast, but at Marshalls, I saw a.

Amanda: So we're just gonna keep naming brands that are not a sponsor of this podcast.

Marco: Yeah, exactly. And so, at Marshalls.


We don't hang on to Halloween themed decorations because we don't have space

Speaking of which, folks, thank you for, giving me the feedback with regards to the commercials that appear before our, ah, podcast. Some are loud. I'm sorry, I'm really working on that. But they help us to continue to make this podcast go. So thank you for your patience with that. But I saw casserole dish in the shape of, of a, like a scary coffin with, Malicefin. Is that how you say it? Malicent.

Amanda: Maleficent.

Marco: Maleficent. Am I saying it wrong? I.

Amanda: No, I think you said it right. I don't know.

Marco: Maleficent.

Amanda: Maleficent. Maleficent. Yeah.

Marco: Is it Ursula and, villains? Yeah, and another one. And the. And all these Disney villains on the site was really cute and Then I was like, that's a great casserole dish to have. But as we were talking about in a previous episode, we don't have the space for.

Amanda: For an Ursula casserole dish. No, we don't.

Marco: In the shape of a coffin. No.

Amanda: Oh, it was in the shape of a coffin.

Marco: It was in the shape of a coffin. Right. Casserole dish.

Amanda: And it was a casserole dish. Who wants to make.

Marco: It's a spooky casserole dish for Halloween.

Amanda: Okay, but. But is it more for dips? Like, for themed Halloween dips? Or is it like, like, I'm not gonna make a broccoli chicken casserole and a coffin

Marco: in a. In a Halloween. Halloween thing. Yeah, I know, I know. Listen, it was. That's part of the reason why I didn't show it to you because I was like, I think you're right. It's more of a dip. It's more of what you would dip into also. Yeah.

Amanda: We've talked about this many times on this podcast. We have a real. We do not hang on to, like, like, holiday, themed stuff if it takes up a lot of room or we only use it for one week a year. Obviously we do have a Christmas cupboard, but, that also has a few little Halloween things. But the Halloween stuff we had, we got rid of most of it because.

Marco: We got rid of it because for

Amanda: 20 bucks at a dollar store, I can do the same thing and have as much fun outside of our house with whatever I find. And we have that one little light that has, like, dancing skeletons that we'll play.

Marco: That's right. That's right. I have to take that out so

Amanda: that I don't think it even came out last year. But that's okay. It doesn't have to come out every year.

Marco: Yeah, it's the, light that you project onto the house.

Amanda: Yeah. But it's a tiny little box. It's the size of my hand, so.

Marco: Right.

Amanda: It doesn't take a lot of room. And it has a big impact because it's a big light projector, so. Or fair sized. So that one, to me, you get a lot of bang for your buck in terms of size.

Marco: Sorry, I just hit the mic with my finger.

Amanda: Oh. but like, all the other stuff we had that was Halloween themed, it took up so much space and we didn't really use it, so off it went.

Marco: I do miss that Dracula.

Amanda: I know. It was a great Dracula.

Marco: The problem with that Dracula was he

Amanda: took, up so much room.

Marco: It Took up a lot of room and it. And it teetered. Like, it wouldn't. Yeah, it was kind of.

Amanda: It was a prop. It was a set prop. Like, it was a. It wasn't really. You know, it was handmade.

Marco: Oh, it was handmade.

Amanda: Well, it was from an event that happens every year. I think it still happens, called Screamers.

Marco: Okay.

Amanda: Yeah.

Marco: Okay.

Amanda: And, you know, it's like mazes and haunted houses and things like that. And so the company I worked for was a sponsor of it.

Marco: I see.

Amanda: And the.


We projected things into our neighbor's window while we were gone

The person who was my supervisor, the head of my department, he had a really big office and people, because he. He was the head of special events for a large pizza. All the things and events that we sponsor, they would very often, award us with plaques, you name it, gear. And so because we were sponsor of

Marco: Screamers, they awarded you.

Amanda: They. It was in his office when he left the company. He left a lot of stuff in his office. So I took that because I was like, this Dracula's cool. And I think there was a skeleton that would say, like, there was a bunch of stuff. His office was full filled with stuff. But then it's like, okay, now I'm, you know, I was in my 20s, moving houses with this, like, prop basket, prop Dracula. That's, like, fairly large. It's.

Marco: It was taller than my knee.

Amanda: Yeah.

Marco: Like, it, like, it was, like, from knee down.

Amanda: It wasn't person size, but it would go up to, like, your belly button kind of thing. Too big for a house in the city. I mean, for something that's going to spend a week outside.

Marco: Listen, if you have a home where you have the space and that's what you enjoy, by all means.

Amanda: But that's why people do those blow up things, too. They have such a big impact, but they don't. I don't think they take up a ton of room once they're collapsed. I could be wrong.

Marco: No, no. I think that's a fair, fair, fair statement.

Amanda: Like, you want stuff that have high impact. That's why the projectors are great, because they're quite small to pack, but they have a high impact versus, like, a sleigh or whatever.

Marco: I felt bad because one. One Christmas, we were blasting the. I don't know if it's snowflakes or what.

Amanda: It is sort of just a watery

Marco: snowflakey thing on our neighbor's window.

Amanda: Yeah. like someone hit it, and it was like we were projecting snowflakes right into their, like, bedroom window. For like a week we were gone. And then we came back, we're like, oh, no.

Marco: And then when I spoke to our neighbor, she was like, no, it's very relaxing. I was like, okay, sorry.

Amanda: That's the sweetest neighbor.

Marco: That is the sweetest neighbor.

Amanda: Sorry. We projected things into your window while we were gone.

Marco: While we were gone. My goodness. We've got to be better neighbors. Well, I hope you have lovely neighbors. Like, we have a lovely neighbor. and, we wish you pleasant, pleasant dreams. And I'm sorry about my foul, talk today in our Halloween talk. It certainly wasn't a relaxing episode.

Amanda: There is foul, and foul is fair.

Marco: Oh, there you go.

Amanda: Until next time, Halloween content for you. For those who know it, we'll do

Marco: some Halloween themed episodes in October if you want.

Amanda: That would be fun. I love Halloween.

Marco: Yeah, so do I. And until next time, we hope you are able to listen and sleep.