|
In Chorreador & Fall Gardening, Amanda and Marco step away from their usual setup and settle into an unintentionally atmospheric recording space — complete with squeaky chairs and the soft hum of everyday life in the background. The ambient sounds blend gently with their voices, creating a naturally calming podcast experience that feels warm and unpolished in the best way.
The conversation begins with familiar household comforts like radiators and their steady clanks before drifting south to the traditional Costa Rican coffee maker known as the Chorreador. Marco and Amanda describe the wooden stand and cloth filter that make this brewing method so distinctive, savoring the ritual of slow coffee preparation. From there, the episode meanders into fall gardening — planting bulbs, outsmarting squirrels, and noticing the seasonal rhythms of places like Toronto and its famous black squirrels. As always, the pace is soft and unhurried. This relaxing conversation is designed to help you fall asleep, ease anxiety, or quiet racing thoughts. Let the gentle talk of coffee and cool-weather gardening wash over you as you drift toward rest.
Chorreador & Fall Gardening
(Original airdate: October 25, 2023) Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax, lean into your rattan squeaky chair as we are going to do today on today's podcast. Thank you for joining us. I'm your host, Marco Timpano, also in Amanda: a rattan squeaky chair, Amanda Barker. Marco: We are not in our studio but we wanted to, uh, ensure that we, we had a podcast episode for you today. So we are not in the most ideal recording situation, but we are certainly with our most ideal listeners. Amanda: It's morning time and some of you listen to this podcast. In fact, I know it's funny because Marco: this podcast was never designed for people to listen to when they wake up. It was designed for people to help them fall asleep. Amanda: Well, a lot of things, uh, take on a new purpose for things they were never intended to do. And, um, and we're happy about that. I mean, a lot of people like to listen to this while driving. They just want some natural, easy conversation while they drive. Marco: I don't recommend listening to this podcast Amanda: while you're driving or operating machinery. Marco: Heavy machinery. It's always heavy machinery. What heavy machinery do you operate during Amanda: the day that I can't operate? If I'm on certain medications, I guess. Marco: Car. Amanda: A car would be a big one. Marco: That forklift that I operate, you know, the backhoe. Amanda: The backhoe, yeah. Um, I'm trying to think of any Marco: actual lawnmower, I guess while you're thinking, I also. Amanda: For the wreckage. I've never been on a lawnmower. It's not a chore I enjoy. Marco: Fair, fair. We, you may hear trucks and cars going by. We're doing our best to mitigate that, but that's just the sound of where we are. Amanda: The sweet sound of a cabin in the woods, pretty much that has a Marco: lot of trucks near the road. I, uh, also had to turn off our water pump. Oh. That's why I'm like, I'm going to turn the water off. Because it makes. It makes a constant sort of noise, Amanda: tick, tick, tick, boom kind of sound. Marco: Well, I think it's more of a click, chill click. Amanda: It's actually a kind of click, tick, hiss. Marco: I think there's more of a beat to it than a click. I feel like the. The sound is a little bit more, you know, there's more length to the sound. Amanda: I think it's like a radiator where it's like, tick, tick, tick, tick, and then a like, release. Like a hissing sound. Marco: Okay, yeah, I'll buy that. I'll buy that. Amanda: Okay. Have you ever lived with a radiator that. Like one of those old timey radiators like that because they're quite loud in buildings. Marco: I lived with a radiator. It sounds like. Have you ever lived with. Amanda: Have you ever taken in a radiator as a companion? Marco: No. Uh, yes, maybe I have, but the radiator was very. Was new, so it didn't make that noise. And that would be new. York. Yeah. So. Amanda: Yeah. Um, so my residence in university that I lived, um. I had two different rooms there in first year and then a different one in second year. So especially I lived on the top floor in my third year. It was a hot little, tiny, tiny, tiny room. And those radiators, man, the clanking. Clanking. You never. That university was just the constant clanking sound of radiators and train. And a train going by twice a day. Marco: I do like the sound of trains going by. Amanda: It is a very comforting sound. Yeah. Marco: I did want to mention Amanda last week episode was only 10 minutes long and it wasn't. It wasn't meant to be a full Amanda: episode, but do we upload that as a full. As an episode episode? Marco: I did that by mistake. Amanda: Oh. I thought I was a Patreon. Marco: It was supposed to be. And it's a long story, but you and I have been recovering from a long. A longish kind of illness and we haven't been able to record as much as we'd like. So if anyone's listening right now and they have the sniffles or under the weather, we totally sympathize with you. You're not alone. Amanda: So for the last month, I have to say, and I just said it to a friend, I felt like I was living under a weighted blanket. Marco: Yeah. Amanda: So. Which is not the worst feeling, to be honest. Marco: No. Listen, if. If you enjoy weighted blankets, which I do. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: Then it's a great feeling. But you're not so, so much of a fan of weighted blankets. Amanda: I'm not. I'm. I'm a fan of the idea of weighted blankets. But then my hot feet don't like them. I have a confinement thing that I deal with. Marco: I'm a fan of the idea of apple cider. It's just the taste of it that I don't love. And, uh. And to watch your shaking of the table. Amanda: I'm sorry I was laughing. Marco: I know we're on the worst. Amanda: Funny that you like the idea of apple cider but not apple cider itself. That makes me laugh. Marco: I love anything apple. Right. I love apples. I love apple pie. I love cooking with apples. I love all that. Except apple cider, which I love, which I thought I'd love. Cider made with apples. So the alcoholic version of apple cider and candy apples. Not my favorite. Amanda: So candy apples and I don't have a good relationship for lots of reasons. Marco: Much like radiator. Is it someone else you've invited into the home that you've had? Amanda: Yes, candy apples. I Do want to love them, but my teeth are not fans. They don't get along with my teeth, so I stay away from them. But, um, apple cider I love and I used to always buy big jugs of it and I. I gotta be honest, I don't buy it anymore because I know I'm the only one drinking it. Marco: Then don't buy the big jug. Buy the smaller jug. Amanda: Yeah, I might do that. Uh, but that said, you do love an eggnog. Marco: I do love an eggnog. And we're approaching eggnog season and I'm not gonna lie, I saw eggnog ice cream in the store for an inexpensive price and so I picked it up. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: And I'm gonna have some. Not today, but I'm gonna have a little bit as a treat in the next day or two. Amanda: Soon I'm gonna go to that coffee shop chain and go get you an eggnog latte. Marco: They never make it the way I want it. Amanda: I know. The thing about that too is they used to have my all time favorite flavored latte of flavored lattes in the. In the beauty pageant. Of flavored lattes. Marco: Yeah. Amanda: M. The one I was always gunning for was the gingerbread latte. Marco: I like a gingerbread latte too, but they discontinued it. What are you gonna do? You can make your own. Amanda: I know, but I'm not gonna do that. Marco: Speaking of coffees, I don't know if I've mentioned this in the past and all our listeners who email us and write to us, please continue doing so. I don't always see them right away, but we will get to them. So Diane commented a while ago on our podcast. I think it was on the Facebook page. Page. Amanda: Okay. Marco: That she's been making cappuccinos every morning for most of their married life. We're talking, you know, upwards of 20 years. Amanda: Great. Marco: Their recent trip to Costa Rica got them reacquainted with chorrerado. Amanda: What's that? Marco: Choreo. Sorry. And I have to turn my face to look at my computer. Amanda: And so a chorero. Marco: A choreto. Amanda: Not a chorerato. Marco: No, a choreto. Know what? Amanda: A ch. Marco: It's. It's an intense chedo. Um. And there's some skill and experience required to make the chedo. Amanda: Please tell me all of this. Marco: The right grind, the right water temperature. I love it. Because now we're dealing with science and the time taken to pour it in a circular motion. Oh. So I'm going to take a look at it. And once again, we may have talked about it and if we have, while we're dipping back into it. But look at this thing you have to use, Amanda. Amanda: Oh, it's one of those science kit things. Marco: It's really cool. Amanda: And it looks like. Is that. Am I thinking right? Like I've seen some, some coffee being brewed and it looks like a beaker. Marco: Well, the chorado consists, and this is, I'm reading it from Wikipedia, of wooden stand, Amanda, which holds an, um, elongated cotton bosita. Amanda: Wow. Marco: Do you know what a bosita is? Amanda: No idea. Marco: It's a little bag shaped rather like a pocket. So picture almost like, you know, when you get tea and you put it in your own, um, tea bag. Uh, mhm. Amanda: Yeah. Marco: What would you call that? Amanda: Like the. When you. When you get. But it makes sense because I'm. Because I'm learning Italian. What's it called again? Marco: Well, this is Spanish and it's called a Bolsita. Amanda: No, I know. Bowl. Oh, with an L. I was thinking Borsa purse. Marco: Yeah. Amanda: Uh, and then sita, I figured is a dominion. Yeah. So not quite. Marco: But yeah, I hear what you're saying. So it's kind of like a little filter, um, pocket. Amanda: Yeah, like the tea filters you get from a tea shop when you put loose tea in. That's what you're trying to say. Marco: Yeah. So the mouth of the bosita is held open by a circular wire or wooden rim. So picture a plank of wood that has a hole. Cut it into it. Amanda: Huh. Marco: And then if you were to take a coat hanger and fashion it into a circle with a handle as if you were going to blow bubbles with it, but instead you put your Bolsita in it, and that would allow you to lift the bosita in and out of that wooden plank. Amanda: Uh-huh. Marco: Now, I've never made this coffee and I've never seen this, uh, device. I'm just going from what I see in the photo and what I read, Amanda. Okay, so don't. I don't want anybody who makes pulsitas to be upset, nor do I want people. Amanda: We don't want a Pulsita spleen. Marco: I certainly don't want. No one wants to both sit. No one wants to be Bolsita spleen, but that's what I'm doing right now. So the stand used to hold a coffee or coffee pot on its base is at the bottom. So you could put your little coffee mug underneath the bolsita, uh, which is being held up by this Wooden stand. Does that make sense? Amanda: Kind of. Marco: The bolsita is suspended from the top of the chorado. Uh, chorado stand m. Hanging above the container. Amanda: Wow. Marco: The chorado can be made at home simply. And as Wikipedia says cheaply. Amanda: I don't. I just. It looks like quite a contraption to have on your kitchen counter. Marco: It's actually very basic carpentry and sewing skills. Amanda: But, guys, it's sewing and carpentry for coffee. Marco: Yeah. But once you make the Bolsita out of linen and I make the. Amanda: Are you gonna make this? Marco: I mean, we have so many coffee devices in our home as we speak. Amanda: We have very little counter space, and it is very filled with. Marco: But if you want me to make a bolsita or. Amanda: I don't. I don't not want you to make a Bolsita. Marco: So the carpentry doesn't look. Doesn't look too difficult because you would just need four dowels and two pieces of wood, which you would put one piece of wood, a little small plank, a rectangular plank, or. Amanda: Can I just buy this? Probably, like, online. I type it in and I can buy it. Marco: There's another truck going by. Probably. Amanda: Amanda, is that the pulsita truck? Coming to deliver a pulsita on live podcast. Marco: The word choredo is related to the Spanish verb chore, meaning to drip or trickle. Oh, that's why, um, that's why. Amanda: What's the word in Italian for that? Do you even know? Like, I've never. Marco: Drip or trinkle. Amanda: Trickle. I've never even heard a word in Italian that would mean that Marco: I know gotcha means drip. Like a drip. Like a drop. Okay, so I'm sure it's related to that. You could look it up, perhaps. Well, Diane did mention that it takes time and patience. I do love a coffee that takes patience. Like a. Like a Turkish coffee. I don't necessarily love. This sort of coffee's got to be made fast. M. Press the button, it's in. Ready? Instantly. Amanda: Opposite of my parents. Marco: Listen, if you'd like instant coffee, more power to you. Amanda: Instant coffee. Not sprinkles in a hot water. Have you ever had that, by the way? Marco: I've had. I've used it in making milkshakes when I want coffee. Make milkshakes. Oh, you use those. Yeah. So that's when I'll use it. Not that it. Listen to me. As if I'm making a lot of coffee milkshakes. Amanda: Well, I've never seen. And you go, hey, do we have that instant coffee for that Coffee milkshake Marco: I need to have. That's not, that's not something I've done. Amanda: When have you done that? Marco: Listen, I'm sure I've done it in the past. Amanda: Sure. Marco: I would use it. Okay, so here's where I would use those instant coffee granules. If I was making hot chocolate. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: And I wanted a bit of a coffee or mocha kind of flavor to it. Put some of those sprinkles in m. Your hot chalky. Uh, in your hot. Amanda: I like a hot chalky man in the winter. There's nothing I like more than a little hot chalky in my mouth. I don't know. Marco: Sorry. No, I was shaking the table. I was like, yeah, everything we're on right now is wicker. Every move we make, it's a wicker. Amanda: It's a wicker wonderland where we are and. Marco: Wicker, of course. And it's. Amanda: And it, you know, it's a wicker world in the autumn. Marco: Um, so back to the coffee. Amanda: Back to the bosita. Uh, the construction and the sewing involved with coffee making. Marco: So the coffee cup or pot is placed beneath on the bottom stand. Also on the bottom. Amanda: That makes sense. You drip it in and you drip it in through the purse thing. Marco: Through the bolsita. Boiling water is poured on top. Amanda: Okay. Not unlike a lot of coffee situations. Marco: Sure. And the liquid seeps through making coffee, which drips into the waiting container. But unlike, um, let's say North American drip coffee. Amanda: Sure. Marco: This one here is based on its grind. So I bet it has a tighter grind, which means that the water takes longer to go through, which also means you get more of the coffee essence and you get more notes of the coffee. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: Um, and I bet it's fantastic and delicious. And I'll be honest with you, I would totally be into this thing. More so than a French press. Amanda: Right? I know you don't. You don't have a lot of love for the French press. Marco: Listen, I. I love the idea of the French press. Amanda: Oh, really? Do you? Marco: I like the way the contraption looks. It has a neat kind of look to it. I like everything but the taste of the coffee when it's made through a French press. Amanda: Fair enough. Fair enough. Marco: So don't forget to wash and dry your Bolsita after each use because you can reuse it as dry Bolsitas produce the best results. Amanda: Oh, who knew? Marco: Um, so, yeah, so that's, that's my, uh. Amanda: Speaking of coffee and variations of that, what did you have in your coffee this morning? Marco: So Like I said, we're not it. We're not at home right now. We're not in our ideal. I think we've established that recording, um, location. And Amanda made me a coffee. She woke me up, actually, very early because she had to record an audio audition for a bank of some sort of voiceover. Amanda: It's a glamorous, glamorous life that we all live here. Marco: So we had to throw a blanket over Amanda's head and have her under the blanket with the microphone, which we're not doing now because we don't have enough blankets to do that. And, um, recorded the voiceover. I edited the voiceover, and then I said, okay, let's record the podcast on squeaky chairs. And so you're like, let's do it. Amanda: The only way I could get him up was to lure him with a coffee. Marco: So she said, I have a coffee for you. And I knew something was up. And then I said, and I know we don't have milk up here. And I said, where did you get the milk? Knowing that there's an A coffee I got yesterday in the car. And I thought you took that coffee, the remainder coffee, I see, and poured it into this coffee to milk. Ify it. The milk. Ification of the coffee. Amanda: No, I did not do that. Marco: Instead, we wisely bought condensed milk and stored it in the cupboards up here. Amanda: Yeah. For that reason. In fact, I got it on sale. It was cheap, so. Marco: So we had coffee with condensed milk, which is, I believe, what a Vietnamese coffee is. Amanda: Sort of the base of Vietnamese coffee. Marco: Yeah. Amanda: Ah. And it's delicious. Marco: It's a bit sweeter. It's got a, uh. Amanda: I was a heavy pour with the condensed milk because we're only going to be here a little bit longer. Marco: So the viscosity of the coffee is a bit. Bit thicker. Amanda: Sure. Marco: It's darker and it's tasty. Amanda: Yeah, it's really tasty. Marco: So on that note, I woke up really enjoying it, and we. We did. We did that little audition, and it sent out. I wanted to mention, because we talk a lot about flowers and gardening, but we rarely, if ever have talked about fall gardening. Amanda: Uh, let's do it. Marco: And our listener and I don't have. I think it's. Dee said last week that they really enjoy when we talk about T. T, E. Sorry, not D. Yeah, okay. We're talking about coffee. Amanda: D is somebody else. Marco: Yeah. I want to shout out both T and D, who are listeners, and we Amanda: think it was T. Then I'm pretty Marco: sure it was T. Yeah. Okay, So I am taking my calla bulbs out of the ground. I have to because I think they're gonna freeze. And I, and we had such beautiful. Amanda: But how expensive were they? Marco: They're not cheap. Amanda: Every year you're a little more. And this is true for all of us, you're a little more like your mother. Marco: Well, I mean, I don't. Listen, my mother has a green thumb. Amanda: Yeah, she does. Marco: And I don't necessarily, but she does Amanda: take those calla bulbs out every year Marco: though, because we're in a zone where they would freeze in the ground. Amanda: It's called Canada. Marco: No, there's certain zones. Amanda: Oh, I see. Marco: So I think we're in zone five. But if we were in Windsor, which is much more southern, or if we Amanda: were in Victoria bc, Windsor is that much more southern. Really? Marco: Yeah, I think, I think Windsor's in four. And I think like Victoria bc. Amanda: I don't know if I buy that. Marco: You have a phone right there. Look up the zones. Amanda: Okay, so what am I looking at? Gardening zones? Marco: Yeah, gardening zones, I guess. I don't know. All right, so I'm taking my calabulps out and I've planted tulips. I planted 50, that's five, zero tulips because they made a mess of our front. And all my flowers except my peonies, um, which I, I corded, uh, off, I guess. I, I, I put those little metal wire gates in front of them so that the workers, the city workers who are working in our front didn't destroy them. But I planted 50 tulip bulbs. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: So I cannot wait till next year till those tulips come up. But I can't find crocus bulbs. And I'm a little bit upset by that because I love crocus bulbs and I had seen them in the store, but I think I'm too late for them. Amanda: Oh no. Maybe online we could get them though. Marco: There's also that large gardening center not far from here. Amanda: Oh, that's a good idea. Maybe we, we go there. Marco: They should. They're just a bit expensive. I find that gardening center. Amanda: Yeah, but it's end of season. Marco: True. Amanda: I think maybe we go there anyways. Marco: So I've planted my, I've planted my tulips. Amanda: All right. I'm looking at this map here and Marco: they've got a peachy pinkish tone to it. What's that called? You have, you have like a ring that has a, an orange pink tone to it. Amanda: I don't like an ombre, I don't know. Marco: No, it's like orange and pinky. Oh, that's me. Amanda: Orange and pink. I mean, there's no. No word for orange and pink. Marco: Okay. Amanda: Uh, you mean like a mixture of orange and pink? Yeah. No, but you're talking about tulips that are both orange and pink. Like they're orange with a pink rim or pink with an orange rim. You're not talking about something. A color that's between orange and pink? Marco: I think I'm talking about a color between orange and pink. Amanda: Well, then it would be like a salmon. Marco: Yeah. But a bright salmon. Anyways, I have salmon tulips. I'm gonna call them salmon tulips. Amanda: Tasty. Marco: That are coming up. And, um, I can't wait for those then. So we have flower pots here in front of the cottage that. The flowers this year had a decent start. Amanda: You got them in early. Marco: I got them in early. Amanda: I had nothing to do with them this year. Marco: They were having a good time. Amanda: May. There were some geraniums, right? Marco: They were. No, they weren't geraniums. I didn't buy geraniums this year. Amanda: Well, what are the. What are those? Marco: They're not geraniums. They're, um. Oh, other flowers. I can't think right now. Uh, were they geraniums? There were geraniums and other flowers. Amanda: Yeah, they were geraniums. Marco: Yeah, you're right. Amanda: They were geraniums. Marco: I like geraniums. Yeah, I know not everybody loves geraniums, but I like geraniums in pots in front of places. Amanda: Well, they get full sun, so you need a hearty flower out there because we're also not here a ton. Marco: So they had a great start. Heart of the summer. Beat them down a bit. And now it's as if there's new, different flowers in those pots because they're different colors. Amanda: It's a second bloom. The blooms look different. Marco: Different and beautiful. And not blooms on the geraniums. These are blooms on the secondary flower. Amanda: Both, though. Marco: But there's geraniums out there. I don't think so. Amanda: Yes. So the pink flowers. Marco: Yes. Amanda: Are geraniums. Marco: Okay. Amanda: And they have had a second bloom. Marco: Okay. Amanda: And they look. They're small blooms. They almost look like. Like hearty roses or, um, begonias. They almost look like begonias, but they're not. They're geraniums. Marco: And then the secondary flower, whatever those were, whatever it was, they were kind Amanda: of like a ground cover flower. Yeah. Marco: They were meant to just spill over Amanda: and fill the pot. Marco: And fill the pot, and they didn't really spill over. But now they're beautiful. Amanda: Yeah, they're living their best life. Marco: So. Amanda: So I feel bad because we're gonna take them out soon. I mean, the truth is we probably already would have, but we've had a bit of a funky fall. Marco: Yeah, we've had a funky fall. Amanda: And so we have been up and now we are up and here they are and they're. They're having a second bloom, just like us in life. And you know, Amanda, I wish everyone a second bloom. Yes, I really do. Marco: Yeah. And then I got a rose. So it's not a rose. It's um. Okay, so there is. We had a whole rose episode, remember? Amanda: Mhm. Marco: So last year, end of season, I planted a bunch of. What's that flower? Did you find out the zones were. Amanda: Yeah, I did. I didn't want to interrupt you. Marco: No, no, talk about zones because I'm going to look up this flower. Amanda: Okay. So we are Toronto, from what I can tell is in the zone five. Marco: That's what I said. Amanda: Yeah. And then I think you're right. I think down and I guess it is Windsor. And just the tip of Windsor and the southern tip of Nova Scotia. And then BC is its own thing. I mean, BC is like zone 7B 8A. But tip of Windsor is, um, I guess a 7A. Just a tiny little part of it. So you're not wrong. Marco: What about Victoria? Amanda: Um, yeah, so Victoria is an 8B, I think. Looks like it's very temperate there, so. Yeah, I didn't know. I really didn't know. But yeah, there are some growing zones, so it's good to know. I didn't know Windsor was that much more south than us. Because I think of Detroit as a pretty cold, windy city. Marco: I think Detroit, it starts to go up. It's. I think Detroit is m. The Windsor's Amanda: on the border to Detroit. Marco: Yeah, but I think Windsor. Then you start heading up because there's more Michigan that's higher. Amanda: It's true, there's. I always think of Detroit as the highest point of Michigan. And you're right, it is absolutely not so. Good point. What are you looking for? Marco: I'm looking for this, um, flower that I planted outside. It was, um. So I really dug this flowering plant that looks like a hibiscus, but the size of the. Of the bloom of the flowers, almost the size of a small plant. Amanda: I thought it was a hibiscus. Marco: It's a type of hibiscus. Amanda: Okay. Marco: It's like the rose of Sharon or the rose of. I can't Remember if it's the Rose of Sharon or the Rose of. It's got, it's got a name that uh, is a woman's name. So Rose of Esther. Rose of Sharon. Rose of something. Amanda: Okay. Marco: I was trying to look it up and of course there's a rose. Amanda: It looks like Rose of Sharon. I think you have it. Marco: But the Rose of Sharon looks, looks like a big bush and that's not what. Amanda: Yeah, but anything can look like a big bush if it grows long enough and in the right temperature. If it's in zone 8B, that's a bush. But you look at that. Marco: But that's not what it looks like. Amanda: It looks like that's the Rose of Sharon in the, in the 6B zone. Marco: Okay. Well anyways, I bought this end of season at the store we call Canadian Tire here in Canada, which sells more than tires. Amanda: We don't call it that. It's called. Called that. Marco: Right. They were getting rid of a lot of their plants that you should have planted early in the season. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: So I picked up like five of them because I want these giant blooms planted. Five? M Only one survived. M not happy about that. But the one that survived had beautiful late blooming blooms. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: They were the size of a hand, not the size of a plate. I guess it takes a couple years for them to bloom to the size of a, let's say a 10 inch plate. Amanda: Sure. Marco: I'm excited. Amanda: Sandwich plate, if you will. You want, you want a dinner plate? Marco: No, I don't necessarily need a flowering plant that's the size of a dinner plate, but a sandwich plate would be nice. Okay, I'll post a photo on our. Amanda: Uh, right now they're dessert plates. Marco: Yeah, right now they're desserts. Dessert place. Amanda: Okay. Marco: Maybe if you were going to serve an after 8 on a plate to be finished. Amanda: A dinner mint. Marco: A dinner mint plate. So I'm very happy about that. Do you have any insight into fall gardening? I love a November rose. October. November roses. They're so beautiful. Amanda: M Hm. Well that was the thing. When I first went to England for the first time, I just couldn't believe that there were roses still blooming in, in January and just December. January. I just didn't even understand that that was a possibility. Which. And then you go to England in June and you're. The temperature is actually not completely dissimilar. Like it's just. They don't have the variation of season that we have. They have seasons, but they just don't have the variation of seasons. That we have here. Marco: I don't know. Every time I go to England in the summer, it's always really hot. Amanda: Oh, really? Marco: Yeah. It never rains when I'm in England. Everyone talks. Amanda: We were chilly when we were there for that wedding in June. Marco: You were chilly. Amanda: Okay. Um, in any event, um, I don't live there, so. Fall gardening. I think the biggest thing is trying to protect bulbs when you first plant them from squirrels and birds. Squirrels in particular or any possums are now a thing for us, which we don't mind. Um, raccoons. Marco: I don't. Raccoons growing, living under our porch. Not fun. Amanda: We think it was living under a porch. There was some skunk skunkle activity happening. We're not exactly sure. Um, so I think that's the biggest thing because once bulbs have had a season, they flowered, the season has passed, and then you just wait on them for next year. Then. Then they seem to be. The skunks don't want them. They don't have interest in them. But what's hap. What's happened? Oh, that's the fridge. Marco: That's the fridge now. Yeah. Amanda: It's like, what is that? What's happened is, um, we've had to have a lot of our front little tiny patch dug up by the city. It's fine. They had to do it twice. Twice. It was a. It was a very dirty, dirt filled summer and they repaved everything in front of our house. Which means you'll know which one is our house because my initials are now in the pavement. Marco: Amanda's like, I'm gonna write my initials in the pavement. I said, do it. Thinking she would do, you know, like an inch size of writing. No, she did like five inches. You can spot it from space, what you wrote. Amanda: And what's hilarious is they, they. And this is an aside, but they put fresh cement, a fresh new cement sidewalk right in front of our house. And then I open the door to go out to work and they just look at me like, uh, there's nowhere to walk. Marco: I know. Amanda: So I had to get creative, Kind of climb the tree over through the dirt. I mean, it was crazy. Marco: In a suit, no less. Amanda: But I just. I was in a suit, but I just was like, what was. I just looked at them all and they went, uh. And I just said to them simply, what was the plan? You know, there are humans living in this house. What was the plan? And they didn't have one. Marco: Yeah. Amanda: Anyhow, um. Yeah, I have big initials outside, um, but less plants. So that first planting of those bulbs, you really got to try and protect them from squirrels. And there's lots of different intel around that. I think the best thing to do is just get them really deep because you don't want to do something that's inhumane to the squirrels. Marco: Sure, sure, sure. Or I don't want to do something I don't. For the record, I don't think skunks eat bulbs. Amanda: I think it's the squirrels. Marco: Yeah, but you had said skunk. Amanda: I just wanted wildlife. Marco: Sure. We don't have. We don't have deer, but deer often will. Amanda: Yes. Marco: Bulbs. They don't like daffodil bulbs. Amanda: They're. Well, I was told squirrels didn't like daffodil bulbs. Marco: Lies our squirrels delicacy. It's their foie gras. Amanda: I think Toronto squirrels are a different breed anyway. They're very hungry and big, but. Marco: And black. We have. Really? Amanda: Yeah. We are known for the black squirrel. Marco: I said Washington D.C. right? Amanda: Yes. Because we actually sent black Squirrels to Washington D.C. sounds like we sent them as a. As a weird joke gift, but we sent them to deal with a population of something. I can't remember. Marco: They had a, um, chestnut problem. Amanda: They had. They had a overabundance of something that only squirrels could help with. Marco: Right. Amanda: And um. And so they sent Ontario black squirrels to DC So you'll still see black squirrels in DC from time to time. Marco: They're beautiful, but man, are they. Amanda: They're big. They're not what I thought of when I thought of squirrels. I thought of something akin to a chipmunk. These are a whole different beast. Marco: Yeah. Anyways, so that's our winter gardening and Chorado episode. Amanda: I guess you could say. No. Two great bedfellows. Like a. Like a bachelor and his radiator. Marco: There you go. On today's episode. We hope you enjoyed it and we hope at this point you have fallen deep asleep. Until next time. We hope you listen and sleep.
0 Comments
In Orange County, CA with Nima Kharrazi, Marco welcomes guest Nima Kharrazi for a gently meandering tour through the sun-soaked landscapes of Orange County. Rather than a high-energy travel guide, this episode unfolds as a calm, reflective conversation about the varied terrain of Southern California — from coastal views to mountain trails and desert expanses. Nima shares what makes the region feel dynamic yet surprisingly peaceful, painting a soft picture of life in the OC.
The discussion drifts into the idea of the “SoCal Challenge,” an adventurous exploration of the area’s geography — hiking, surfing, and discovering the quieter corners of the landscape. They also touch on local culture, food, and entertainment, highlighting the relaxed charm that defines much of Southern California. The tone remains easygoing and companionable, never rushed. As always, this calming podcast is designed to help you fall asleep, ease anxiety, or quiet racing thoughts. It’s perfect for background listening at bedtime or during a middle-of-the-night wake-up — a gentle West Coast breeze carried through soft conversation.
Orange County and the SoCal Challenge
(Original airdate: Nov 30, 2023) Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm conversation about the ordinary, mundane or, um, for some people, uninteresting things. A lot of people like to use this podcast M to find their way to sleep, but a lot of our listeners have been reaching out saying that it Helps them with anxiety. So I'm so happy to hear that as well. If you have friends who are, you know, feeling a bit of stress, recommend this podcast to them and see if it helps them. I'm your host, Marco Timpano, and this podcast today, this episode, I should say, is one of the things I've been talking about for a while. That's kind of a dream that has come true. Uh, you've heard this voice before. A dear friend, Nima Kharrazi. Welcome back to the podcast. Nima Kharrazi Thank you so much, Marco. Marco: The reason I'm so excited is we're recording face to face. Nima Kharrazi Oh, yeah. Marco: In the same room. Nima Kharrazi That's right. Marco: In Los Angeles. In Santa Clarita to be exact. Because we talked about Santa Clarita on an episode prior. Nima Kharrazi That's right. Marco: But, uh, our Patreon listeners will know this because they watched a video of this happening. Uh, we had to book a last minute flight to come into Las Vegas to drive into Los Angeles because Amanda had a premiere of the movie that she's in Thanksgiving that we've mentioned on the podcast before. And it was at this beautiful theater called the Vista Theater that Quentin Tarantino now owns. And it's one of those 1920s, um, theater with just one movie screen. Nima Kharrazi Oh, yeah. Marco: And the art deco. And it was just wonderful. And it was a wonderful premiere. But we weren't certain that was going to happen because there was a strike prior that ended just in time for them to say, if you can come to la, come to the premiere. And that's what we did. And we're very grateful because we have dear friends here in la and that's Nima and Michelle. And now I'm sitting here with you, Nima. Thank you. Nima Kharrazi This is so great. I love. This is, I think, the second time that we've recorded in person. And the first time was in Utah in Salt Lake City. And so this is my home turf. And now I can't wait to reciprocate the favor and record with you in Toronto someday. Marco: Uh, anytime. You guys are welcome. We tend to show up at Nima and Miracle's door, Michelle and Miracle's door, and just knock and say, hey, we're here. And they're like, what? Or we'll send them a text. We're in Los Angeles. Can we crash at your place? Nima Kharrazi Yeah, yeah. It's awesome. Marco: You guys are always so gracious. I love it and have such a beautiful home. Nima Kharrazi Oh, thank you. You're kind. Marco: No, I'm not. I'm actually not a kind person. I'm glad to hear that. So, since I am in Los Angeles. Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Marco: And our listeners might not know this, but I'm constantly talking to Nima, um, over certain apps and whatnot, communication apps. And I'm always asking, where's this area in relation to this area in la? So I have a couple of areas of la. I don't know if you call them areas, but like zones or hamlets. Hamlets of LA that people tend to know. I'm gonna ask you, and you tell me something about that place, why you would go if there's an interesting coffee shop or something interested in these areas. And I'm just gonna randomly pick from a map. Nima Kharrazi Okay. Marco: Does that work for you? Nima Kharrazi That works. Great. Marco: Fantastic. And if there's an area that you want to talk about that I don't mention, hey, I'm cool. Just let's rap about it, I guess. Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Marco: So I'm gonna start with Beverly Hills. Nima Kharrazi Oh, yeah. So Beverly Hills. Uh, so I'm gonna start with this caveat. Marco: Yeah. Nima Kharrazi So Michelle Miracle, my wife, the lovely Michelle, as I call her, she is going to be so critical of this episode because I grew up in the South Bay and Orange County. I've only been in LA for the last maybe four years or five years. So maybe. Sorry, maybe seven years. So I haven't really gotten too much around. And when you live in O.C. orange county, you tend to not spend a lot of time up in the LA area because everything that. That you need is in Orange County. I see. So I don't have a lot of experience here except for like maybe driving to LAX or maybe going to like, one or two cities. So most of my experience here is in the last, like less than a decade. Marco: So if I'm getting this right, ah, most of your life has been LA adjacent. Nima Kharrazi Yeah, yeah. Marco: In Orange County. Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Marco: Which is a large area, huge area. And where you have all your needs. Nima Kharrazi Right. Marco: So there's only certain reasons you would come into Los Angeles property. Is that fair? Nima Kharrazi That's right. Marco: Um, so then let me peel back a second. Nima Kharrazi Okay. Marco: I. If someone's never been to Orange County. Nima Kharrazi Okay. Marco: What would be three things you would say? Here's what you need to do. Nima Kharrazi Oh, see, that's good because Orange county starts in like, Brea and La Habra and then goes all the way down to like, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. Uh, so you have so much coastal from Huntington beach to Seal beach to you have all the way down to Newport beach, which is so fancy in schmancy. Marco: And that's where the cigarettes were named after. That's not that we should, not that I promote cigarettes. But you know, I remember like on the back of my mom's magazines, there'd always be an ad for Newport Cigarettes. Nima Kharrazi Ah. Marco: And so. And there was always like, you know, stylish people in a fancy car near the beach smoking cigarettes. I don't. This podcast does not recommend smoking cigarettes. But, you know, that's my association. If I think Newport. Yeah, I think Newport cigarettes. Nima Kharrazi So, yeah. So new. So. Yeah. So Newport Beaches is really big. And then there's, uh, Balboa Pavilion. But here's what I would say that the big three places in Orange county you should go to Anaheim and not just Anaheim, because Disneyland is there. Disneyland is there. Sure. But there's just a lot of really good food and a lot of really fun places to go see in Anaheim. Uh, so that would be something great to go and visit. And there's, there's some, I mean, there's some fine dining. There's some great steakhouses out there. Morton's is out there. Houston's is out there. So that's really nice. Uh, the second thing I would say is go to Newport beach. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi And Newport beach is, is again, very fancy and schmancy. And it has like this really great, um, resort out there called Pelican Hill, which is a gorgeous resort that has this beautiful ocean view and these huge villas and casitas. And it's just amazing. The food is incredible and the people are nice. Marco: And do they smoke a lot? Nima Kharrazi They do not. It's a non smoking facility, like this podcast. And then right next to Newport beach is a little town called Laguna Beach. Marco: Oh, I've heard of Laguna Beach. Nima Kharrazi And Laguna beach has a bunch of things. It has this really fun little cutesy art area. It has a bunch of like, uh, little, um, like, uh, they have like little art studios that you can go and visit art galleries. You can go and visit little gelato places and little foodie spots, little hotels that you. The back door of the hotel goes out to the sand. Marco: Are there knickknack shops? So I don't know if you know this about me aplenty, Amanda. Anytime there's, uh, like a store that has a lot of vases or things that let's say an older British woman would love. Those are the stores I could spend hours in. And she's like, I watch you. She was like, watch you in these stores. And you're picking up candlestick holders and you're turning them over and you're looking at them, or you're picking up vases and you're feeling the weight of them when. Or salt and pepper shakers or candle snuffers or things like that. And she's like, you're in a different world. You look like a different person. You're, like, hypnotized. Uh, and so I used to buy a lot of those things, and then I end up with these things in my home, and I'm like, I don't need another candle snuffer or salt and pepper shaker. So now I'm allowed to go in and really admire. But it has to be something that's like, okay, this we can use necessity, but Amanda just lets me go in. So you're saying there's a lot of knickknack stores. Nima Kharrazi There's a lot of knickknack stores. Although I will say San Diego has some of the best little. Like, you'll go into a place, and they'll have, uh, bonsai trees, and then they'll have, like, all the little accoutrements that you need for it. Sure. And then they'll also have, like, uh, Dara Moody dolls, and they'll. And then the. The shop next door is like, um, succulents and air plants. And then the store next to that has, like. That's really neat. Marco: What's a Daramootie doll? Nima Kharrazi So this is a very interesting Japanese thing in that it's a doll that, if you. If you try to tip it over, it writes itself like a Weeble. Marco: Weeble Wobble, but they don't fall down. Nima Kharrazi M. It is exactly like a Weeble Wobble. But the Japanese tradition with this doll is because it keeps getting back up. It comes with a painted face, but only, uh, with no eyes. Okay. So the eyes are white. So what you do is you color in one eye. Color in one pupil of the eye. Then you make a wish that I want to finish this podcast by the end of the year. I want to introduce this new podcast by the beginning of next year. Marco: Sure. Nima Kharrazi And that doll sits on the wall in a spot that is constantly looking at you. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi And until you don't fulfill your wish, you can't give that doll its second eye. Marco: Okay. Okay. Nima Kharrazi But it's paper mache, or as some people say, papierre mache. Marco: I like that. Nima Kharrazi So then when it's done, you're supposed to set it on fire. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi But we just throw it away. Marco: I see. Nima Kharrazi And some people keep it. Okay. But I will. One more thing. Of course, in this town, of Santa Clarita. Marco, I didn't know that about you that you love knickknacks so much. We have an antique museum. Marco: Oh, my goodness. Nima Kharrazi It's just down the street. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi And we're doing nothing tomorrow. All right, so we're gonna go. Marco: All right, stay tuned, folks. You might hear another podcast about what, what I explore in the Knickknack Museum. I'll definitely take a little video and post it on the Patreon for them so that they can see both of us and see what happens to me. Now, you mentioned San Diego, but San Diego is not part of Orange County. It's its own. Nima Kharrazi It's its own county. Marco: Yeah. And how far from LA of a drive is San Diego? Is it two hours? Nima Kharrazi So from North OC To San Diego, it's about two hours. So from. We're pretty much, uh, North L. A. Marco: Right. Nima Kharrazi So it'd be probably three and a half hours. Marco: Yeah. Because I've driven to San Diego from L. A many years ago. I interrupted you. We were in Newport Beach. Nima Kharrazi That's right. Marco: I took you. Nima Kharrazi And then Laguna Beach. Marco: And Laguna Beach. So, so continue. Nima Kharrazi So Laguna beach not only has a lot of great little art galleries and all that stuff, but it also has these really great little kind of bay areas where you can go snorkeling or scuba diving. And it has these. Our state fish in California is the garibaldi, which is this really bright orange, big kind of heavy fish. And it's so pretty. And we have. Marco: Can you eat it? Nima Kharrazi Yeah. You can? Uh, I don't know. I think you can. I think you can. I think it's edible, but I don't think you can actually. I don't think it's legal to hunt it in California. Marco: So I can't go to a place and say, I want fish and chips, but I want the garabaldi. Nima Kharrazi I want garibaldi fish and chips. Yeah, that's not. I don't think that's not gonna work. But that. But. So Laguna has a lot of that. And they're like super hippie dippy out there. So they're constantly protesting something. And so it's great. You just see these like everybody from 20 year olds to 80 year olds just, they're just standing out there with their signs, um, and they're smoking their hand rolled cigarettes and they're just having a blast. Marco: All right, so you mentioned Laguna Beach. Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Marco: You mentioned Newport, which I think has Nima Kharrazi a beach as well. Marco: You're a kid from O.C. you know O.C. Nima Kharrazi yeah. Marco: If you were to go to a beach, where would you and your friends or family, like, we're going to the beach. We're going to this beach. Nima Kharrazi Okay. So it depends on what you want to do. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi So if you want to go and have a bonfire. Marco: Yes. Nima Kharrazi You're going to have a bonfire in Huntington Beach. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi Because there's a lot of fire pits and there's a lot of areas for you to go and do that. Marco: And Huntington beach is in O.C. or in LA. Nima Kharrazi It's in O.C. Marco: okay. Sorry. Nima Kharrazi There's not really any beaches in LA. I mean, I'll get a lot of flack for that. There's a lot of beach cities like Manhattan Beach, Venice, Manhattan Hermosa, uh, Venice, Redondo. Uh, you're gonna have Malibu. Those are. Those are all, like. Santa Monica has a beach. Those are all beach, like cities with beaches or beach cities. But I don't know if you would. I wouldn't really consider them like a beach that. A beach that you don't actually go into the water and. Doesn't really feel like a beach to me. So Laguna, you get in the water and it's wonderful because there's no waves. It's like a bay. Marco: Okay, so Laguna is where you go to swim. Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Newport, too. Newport, too, because they put breakers out so the waves don't hit Huntington. You go to surf and bonfire. Marco: And I thought Huntington beach was a fancy, expensive area. Nima Kharrazi Oh, God, no. Marco: Oh, it's not. Nima Kharrazi No, no. I mean, any beach town in Cali is going to be expensive. Okay. Uh, but no, Newport is going to be. Newport and Laguna are going to be the most expensive in Oscar. Marco: Hence the cigarettes. Fancy, right? Nima Kharrazi Right? Yeah, that's right. Okay, so all that cigarette money. Marco: So you go to, um, Huntington for bonfires. You go to Newport or Laguna for swimming. For swimming, water activities. Where do you go for the sunset? You have a special somebody. Nima Kharrazi You have to go to LA for that. Marco: Oh, really? Nima Kharrazi So that's where you go to, like, San Pedro or Palos Verdes, because it's a peninsula. Yeah. You can get more of the sunset, more of the ocean view of the sun setting. Because in Cali, the sun sets in the west, but you can almost see the sun rise off of the water in California because the peninsula is facing south. Uh, okay. Does that make sense? Marco: Yeah, it does. Nima Kharrazi So you can almost see the sun rise off of the water and see the sun set into the water, which is a very rare thing to be able to witness. Marco: I, uh, remember you telling me something where it's like, I want to spend a day where I. Can you remind me what that was? Nima Kharrazi It was the SoCal challenge. Okay, so you want to, like, tell us this. Watch the sunrise on the beach, and then go to the mountains and do a hike, and then go to the deserts and do a hike in the deserts, and then go back to that beach and watch the sunset. Marco: And this is called what? Nima Kharrazi The SoCal challenge. Marco: The SoCal Southern California challenge. Okay, so then I need to ask you this. So we're not talking about LA at all? Nima Kharrazi No, no, we're just gonna. We're just gonna. This is all just SoCal. Marco: Uh, this is where. This is SoCal. And it sounds so natural when you say it, but when it comes out of my mouth, it sounds very phony because it's not something I've been saying all my life. I. I feel like I should be saying Southern California. Nima Kharrazi You can say whatever you want. Yeah. Marco: Okay, so walk me through where you would do the SoCal challenge. If you're like, I'm gonna do the SoCal. This is where I start. This is where I go. Nima Kharrazi There is an easier way to do it. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi If you do it in San Diego, Marco: it's still SoCal, right? It's still so Cal, because it's Southern California, San Diego being one of the most southern areas. Nima Kharrazi I mean. Yeah, it's San Diego. And then you're in Mexico. Right? Marco: Uh, that's why I was in San Diego. I didn't want to say it because I was a younger man. And, you know, you can get up to a lot of no good in Tijuana, but. And we won't talk about that on Nima Kharrazi this podcast, not this episode. So if you start in San Diego in the summertime, where the sun is out, the latest. Okay, if you start in San Diego and you watch the sun rise off of that beach, say, 6am 6am and then you would drive. I would drive to Joshua Tree, which is a desert, like, two hours out. Marco: So. So at this point, we're 8. Nima Kharrazi 8am yeah. And then maybe we stopped for a Marco: coffee along the way. Nima Kharrazi Yeah, great. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi So you stop for a coffee, then you go to Joshua Tree, you walk around for a little bit. Marco: And what's neat about Joshua Tree? If I'm not mistaken, that is the Mojave Desert. Nima Kharrazi Correct? Marco: Or that's right, because only Joshua Trees. And correct me if I'm wrong, because I'm not a SoCal guy. Uh, you'll find Joshua Trees in the Mojave Desert, and you'll find Saguaro cactuses in the Sonora Desert. Nima Kharrazi That's right. Marco: Okay, thank you so much. Nima Kharrazi And Joshua trees in the. In the. In the Mojave. That the Mojave also incorporates Death Valley. Death Valley is the hottest point on Earth. Right. Not in America. Not even in North America. In the whole planet of Earth. Marco: Right. Nima Kharrazi Death Valley is aptly named. And I think the highest temperature ever recorded was 134 degrees, which, to me, I know it's. This is going to sound ridiculous. It doesn't seem like it's that hot. Marco: No, it's hot. Nima Kharrazi When I go in the sauna. The sauna is like, what, 170? Marco: Yeah, but that's like. That's controlled heat. You've got a towel, you've got water. I think it's different, but yeah, I think the. The soil or like the ground you stand on, um, makes a difference for sure. It's kind of like. It's not the heat, it's the humidity. It's not. It's not the sauna. It's the valley you're in. Nima Kharrazi Right. Marco: You're slapped on all sides. Nima Kharrazi It's also the idea that you could leave at any time versus the fact that if you were stuck in the desert at 130 degrees, you might go bananas. Marco: So, anyway, so we're admiring a couple of the gnarly Joshua trees. Nima Kharrazi That's right. You're looking at those. Marco: Maybe we're listening to U2's album, the Joshua Tree. Nima Kharrazi Joshua Tree album. Marco: That'd be great album. Nima Kharrazi Hearing some crows. Marco: I should say that I've opened the door here at Anima's house, and he's like, we might hear a train. We might hear some birds. We might hear some trafficky sounds. Nima Kharrazi We actually just missed the train. So I'm really happy about that, but. Yeah, me too. Okay. But we're going to hear some garage doors, for sure. Great. And, uh, so then we'll go to Joshua Tree. And then from Joshua Tree, I would probably go to just one of the mountains that are around there. If we wanted to get fancy, we could go to, uh, Idlewild. Marco: Oh, no. Okay. Nima Kharrazi Idlewild is this little cute mountain town. And it's like. It's like, if you've ever been to, um, Golden, Colorado, if you've been. Do you remember when we went to Salt Lake City and we went to that cute little place that was like, um, on a hill where we found that little Argentine lady that was selling stuff? Yeah. Marco: It's a famous area. And I can't think. Nima Kharrazi I can't Think of it. Either the Egyptian theaters right there. Marco: Ornament from there. Nima Kharrazi Right. Marco: Um, they do a festival there, don't they? Nima Kharrazi Sure, why not? Marco: Uh, what is it called? Park City. Nima Kharrazi Park City. Utah City. Marco: Thank you. Nima Kharrazi So. Thank God you figured that out. You already gotten so much flack from your Utah folks. I have. Marco: First of all, Utah. If I have listeners from Utah. Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Marco: I gotta say, I love your state. Nima Kharrazi I love it. Oh, um. I'm so happy you said that. I thought you were gonna go the opposite direction. Marco: Um, I put my hand to my heart and just think of it. It's so beautiful. If you haven't been to Utah and you're thinking, I should go to St. Moritz this winter, I say no. Not that I have anything against San Moritz. Go to Utah. It's special. It's spectacular. Nima Kharrazi I mean, as soon as we started talking about Utah, the sun came out from behind the clouds. It's so beautiful. Marco: I could live in Utah. Nima Kharrazi The only thing is, my wife, the lovely Michelle, is from Denver. And Denver people never stop talking about how it's mile high city. 5280 this, 5280 that. 5280ft in a mile. Okay, okay. They don't ever stop talking about it. Salt Lake City is just about a mile. Marco: Right. Nima Kharrazi It's a secret. They don't tell anybody. I got off the plane, got to slc, and I was like, what is happening? Right. They're like, oh, we're at high elevation here. Oh, nobody told me. This is a secret. But anyway, so just. Marco: I don't want to offend my Denver listeners because I love Denver, too. I. It's a beautiful city, and I want to go back because I want to go to Steamboat. Um. Steamboat, uh. Nima Kharrazi Oh, yeah. Marco: I've never been. Nima Kharrazi I haven't been either. Marco: Colleagues, I've. Mine went there, but I met them in Aspen. This sounds so, like, bougie. But it wasn't. We had to do work. And it was like. I didn't really get to see, like, it wasn't like, party. It was like, we have to work. Anyway, so back to this. Nima Kharrazi Idle wild. Marco: Idle, like idle hands and wild, like, uh, like, not tame. Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Marco: Okay. Idle wild. Nima Kharrazi So it's I, D, Y, L L and then wild. Okay, so it's idle Wild. It's this little sleepy mountain town with these cute little restaurants and these. All these little knickknack shops. Marco: How long does it take from Joshua park or the. The desert where we were to idle. Nima Kharrazi Idle wild? I would say it's probably a two hour drive. Marco: Okay, so now eight, nine. We're about 10:00pm let's say 10:30. Just because maybe. Sorry, 10:30am um, we stopped for, like, snacks at a gas station. Okay, 10:30. Nima Kharrazi So we're at 10:30 over in Idyllwild. We go, we grab like, a breakfast, and then we walk around the mountain area a little bit. Marco: What breakfast are we grabbing? Nima Kharrazi So there's avocado toast. Marco: Or is it like more of a kind of Western feel where we're having, like, beans and eggs and sausage. Nima Kharrazi Whatever you want. Because Idlewild has hipstery people that are like, I would like a grain. Marco: Ah. Nima Kharrazi Free waffle pancake hybrid. A poffle, if you will. Marco: Listen, if you haven't had a poffle, put it on your list. Or the lumberjack. Nima Kharrazi Or they have a lumberjack breakfast. Marco: Proper English breakfast. Yeah, got it. Nima Kharrazi Okay. English slash Irish breakfast. Love it. You can drown it with a pint of Guinness. Great. So we have a little breakfast, we walk around the mountain, and then we're set to come back. So we're done there by about 11:30. 12. Come back to San Diego in about two hours. Marco: I'm gonna say 12, so that we have even numbers. Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Marco: So now we're back in san Diego at 2. Nima Kharrazi Great. And then we have to find something to do in San Diego for, like, you know, a few hours. A few hours before the sun sets. Marco: Okay, so we're in San Diego. Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Marco: Where are you taking me? What are we gonna do? Because we've got some hours to kill, Marco. Okay. Nima Kharrazi Little Italy. Really? It is. You have so many different restaurants and just the history of. I mean, I know every Little Italy is about the history and the people that were there and how. But when you have, uh. I'll give you a great example. Great. That has nothing to do with San Diego. Marco: Cool. Nima Kharrazi In la, Little Armenia is now filled with Vietnamese people. Marco: And this is in Glendale, right? Nima Kharrazi No, no, no, no, it's not. So Little Armenia, uh, was a section of downtown la. Marco: Oh, downtown. Nima Kharrazi Downtown la. And what happened was all of the Armenians went and lived there for a while, and then they moved out of there and went to the Valley. So they then went to Glendale. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi And then Glendale became. Oh, well, if you're here, we're here. And then Glendale started booming. The restaurants started popping up. So then all of that happened. So all the Armenians moved out of Little Armenia. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi So Little Armenia now is basically like Little Vietnam. Marco: I see. Nima Kharrazi Okay. But when you have a Chinatown, that's been. A Chinatown from Jump Street. Marco: Sure. Nima Kharrazi That to me is more meaningful. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi So. So when you have a little Italy like you do in San Diego, that's been around since forever and it's a port city, that means that it's legit. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi Like, even a city like San Pedro, which has. It's next to La harbor, it's one of the largest ports in the world. Marco: Right. Nima Kharrazi Even San Pedro doesn't have a little Italy. Marco: Right. Nima Kharrazi It has almost like a Mediterranean kind of lot of like. Yeah. Different types of food. And it has Italian food and fair, but it has almost more British pubs than it has Italian dining spots. But when you have it like you do in San Diego, it's like the. All the lamppost. It's. It's almost like Mulberry street in the Bronx where the lampposts are painted red, white and green and. And every year they have the feast of, you know who. Marco: San Gennado. Mulberry Streets in Manhattan. Nima Kharrazi Are you sure? Marco: Yes, because, um, uh, Arthur street is in the Bronx. Nima Kharrazi Oh, okay. All right. Thank you for that. I've been. Marco: I've been missing, you know, that, um, RAO restaurant, uh, they make sauces. That's from Arthur street in the Bronx. Nima Kharrazi Oh, okay. Marco: Because I've never been. I want to go to Arthur street in the Bronx. But I knew Mulberry street because I worked in soho many years ago. Nima Kharrazi You know what confused me was I watched A Bronx Tale. Right. With Chaz Pomintary. Marco: Yeah. Nima Kharrazi Which you, you're familiar with Chaz? Marco: Yes, I. Yes, I am. Nima Kharrazi Do you know his actual name? Marco: I do. It's, um. They say it in the Cologero. Yeah. Nima Kharrazi And so it's his life story, basically. Marco: Right. Nima Kharrazi And so he hired a bunch of local people from there. And when he was being interviewed about the movie, he said, I wanted to do a story about growing up at the Bronx. Sure. In a neighborhood that's, you know, like Mulberry Street. And so then I just put those together, uh, that Mulberry Street's in the Bronx. Marco: Well, you know what we, we need to do? We need to take a trip to New York and go to Mulberry street Nima Kharrazi and Arthur street and then compare and just enjoy. Marco: Contrast and compare, as they say in University. And there's some trucks coming by. Contrasting, compare. But sorry, we've gone on off tangent here because it is now about 2:33 o'. Clock. We're in little Italy in, uh, uh, San Diego. We've had a nice little meal. Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Marco: What are we doing next? Nima Kharrazi So then there's a bunch of little knickknack shops just up and down the streets over there, and the streets get kind of blocked off. I don't know if you have this. I'm sure there is, like a main street in, like, Toronto or whatever city you live in. Marco: High street in the UK that has, Nima Kharrazi like, the major streets are blocked off and there's a bunch of shops and stores. Marco: Almost like a mall, right? Nima Kharrazi Yeah, yeah. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi Like an open air street. Marco: Mall Avenue. Nima Kharrazi Yeah, yeah, like a big avenue. And so that is in San Diego, they have that. So luckily, my cousin I son shout out to cousin I son, doctor a son took me and the lovely Michelle there, and we walked all up and down the streets and looked at all the different things, and it was so great and so much fun. And, uh, so then after the meal, we would walk up and down, probably go and have like a glass of vino or something. Marco: Love it. Nima Kharrazi Head back to the beach and watch the sunset. Marco: Okay. That's wonderful. Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Marco: And that was our day. Nima Kharrazi That was our SoCal challenge. Marco: Wonderful challenge. Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Yeah. Marco: I wanted to say the lovely Michelle is the moniker, the handle that she uses when she's on your podcast. Nima Kharrazi Or that's. Marco: That's your. Nima Kharrazi That's your thing. What do you call it? Just Miracle. >> Speaker C: I call her. Marco: It's interesting because your wife's name is Michelle Miracle. That's how I know you, because I worked with your wife many years ago. Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Marco: But she has such a beautiful and wonderful last name that we all started calling her Miracle. Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Marco: And so friends of ours that have heard us talk about Miracle, meet Michelle and think it's her first name. And they're like, what a beautiful name. Miracle. Did your parents name you that? And she's like, oh, no, that's my last name. I've known Marco for years, and he's never said your first name. Nima Kharrazi Right. So I had this issue because I worked with a girl named Michelle. And so when I was working with her, when I would talk to other co workers about my wife, I didn't want to say, oh, Michelle. And I went and saw a movie last night. What are you doing with this coworker? I thought you were married. So I would say, oh, my wife Miracle. And I would go, and all my friends call Miracle Miracle, of course. So I would say, oh, you know, Miracle. And I went and saw a movie, Miracle this, Miracle that. And finally one of my bosses said to me, do you. Do you refer to your wife as Miracle? Like, that's so cute. And I was like, oh, my God, that's disgusting. Imagine if I Was like my miracle wife. Marco: Listen, different strokes for different folks. Nima Kharrazi But I was like, no, her last name is Miracle, and we work with a Michelle, so I didn't want to confuse anyone. Marco: Fair enough. Okay, before we end this episode, I need to ask you two more things about Orange County. Nima Kharrazi Okay. Yeah. Marco: And then this episode's gonna trail off. 1. When you grew up in Orange county, no Doubt is from Orange County. Nima Kharrazi Right. Marco: And they're like, famously from. And that's the musical band no Doubt. That was, um, the lead singer is or was Gwen Stefani. Nima Kharrazi That's right. Marco: Um, and I know that their first album had her picking an orange in Orange County. Uh, did you listen to them? Was it a big thing when they became a hit when you were young. I know you were probably younger, kind of young when they became. Nima Kharrazi I kind of caught them. I. I was. I didn't know them until they were like, into their second or third album. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi Um. But yeah, they were kind of like. They were kind of a. Like a ska band that. That would tour around. The interesting thing to me, yeah, they were. They were famous, but. But like, um, the White Stripes, right, Were from. Were. Were from. Uh. Well, I guess they're. I guess they were from la. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi But. But we would see them play. Play. Yeah, For a while in, like, little dingy park bars and pubs and stuff. That was really fun. Sure. Marco: Okay. My other question to you is Orange county got its name? Because I'm sure there was a plentitude of orange orchards there. Nima Kharrazi That's right. Yeah. Marco: Uh, are there still orange orchards in Orange County? Where could one get. If I wanted to pick an orange from my. From a tree? Nima Kharrazi Yeah. Ah. Marco: Could I do it in OC and where would I do it? Nima Kharrazi I don't think you can anymore. They're groves, not gross orchards. Apples or orchards. Marco: Thank you. Nima Kharrazi But orange groves, um, that is where it got its name. I would assume there's probably still some orange groves out there. But now the orange groves are up on your way to San Luis Obispo, which is further north than, like, Santa Barbara. So you're. You're going, like, maybe four hours north from here. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi To go on the coast. So there is one day when you come here for like a week. Marco: Right. Nima Kharrazi We should take this. There's a. Called the. There's a train called the Pacific Surfliner. Right. And it takes you all the way from, um, from Orange county all the way up to San Luis Obispo. And we can do some wine tasting up there and back. And it's just a coastal Train. It is gorgeous. And you see the orange groves the other way to see them and smell them. Marco: Oh, I like this because orange blossoms are so delightful. Nima Kharrazi Amazing. Marco: So delightful. Nima Kharrazi You go to Disneyland, there's a, uh, there's a second park called California Adventure. They have a ride there at, uh, California Adventure. Marco: Is it part of Disneyland? California Adventure or is it's own park. Nima Kharrazi But they're connected. Okay. And so California Adventure has a ride called Soaring. And it used to be called Soaring Over California. It would show you all the California stuff and now it's just called Soaring over the World and it shows you all these different things. And Soaring has a part where you go over the orange or the groves. Marco: Yeah. Nima Kharrazi And it would, uh, spray the orange blossom smell. Marco: Right. Nima Kharrazi But also we have a grove in la. Marco: Oh, you do? Nima Kharrazi The grove. Marco: Oh, the grove, yes. Which is. Nima Kharrazi And which is named after the orange groves. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi Because it was all the way up. Marco: Well, there you go. Nima Kharrazi Yeah, man. Marco: Well, folks, thank you so much, Nima, for. You know, I start off saying we're going to talk about la, and we just had headed south to Orange county, the OC and you gave us great details. You were on the prices, right? I want to talk about that. For the Patreons. Nima Kharrazi Oh, yeah. Marco: Episode. If you don't mind, let's just do a mini. So for our Patreon patron, patrons on Patreon, you're going to hear a conversation about the Price is Right. For everyone else. Thank you for listening. I hope you have a lovely rest of your day, evening or afternoon. Thank you to our listeners who've recently posted some reviews, some very positive reviews, which I will post on social media very soon. Until next time, we hope you were able to listen and sleep.
In Queue to the KEW, Marco and Amanda ease into a softly spoken reflection on a recent visit to Bota Bota, the floating spa in Montreal’s Old Port. They describe the gentle rhythm of hot and cold circuits, quiet waterfront views, and the peaceful hush that settles in when phones are tucked away and voices soften. The conversation unfolds slowly, like steam rising off the water.
From spa serenity, the episode drifts into a lighthearted linguistic musing: “queue” versus “line.” Marco’s affection for British expressions meets Amanda’s practical preferences, creating an easygoing exchange about language and how words shape everyday life. Naturally, this leads to a shared appreciation for calm British television — the kind of cozy, low-stakes viewing that pairs perfectly with late-night wind-downs. As always, this calming podcast offers a relaxing conversation designed to help you fall asleep, ease anxiety, or quiet racing thoughts. It’s ideal for background listening at bedtime or during middle-of-the-night wake-ups. Let the spa stories and gentle wordplay guide you toward a peaceful rest.
Queue to the KEW
(Original airdate: Nov 8, 2023) Marco: Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm conversation that is meant, of course, to help you drift away and possibly find your way to sleep. Thank you for joining us. I'm your host, Marco Timpano. Amanda: I'm Amanda Barker. Marco: Amanda, uh, uh, we've mentioned it. I think last week this podcast is nominated for two Canadian Podcast awards that are coming up. Best Health and Fitness and best Outstanding Production. So there we go. And uh, we were just in Montreal because uh, another podcast I work on, uh, had a live, a live broadcast that was really excellent. I had a really great time in Montreal and uh, it was well received and the authors being interviewed were fantastic and it went very well. Amanda: And we got to go to Bota Bota. Marco: Yes. And I'd love to talk about that for our listeners because we have a lot of listeners who enjoy spas and things like that. So tell us about Bota Bota. Amanda: Oh, I thought you were going to um. Well, Bota Bota is a spa on a boat. Marco: Hence the name Bota B O A T A B O A T A. It's right near Old Montreal on the water. Amanda: Mhm. And you kind of nestled on the St. Lawrence River. Marco: Walk through a little path that keeps telling you to be silent. And uh, then you check, uh, in with the attendants. Amanda: Yeah, yeah. You get a towel and a robe. Very similar to other spas that we've been to. Um, but it's interesting because some of it is on the boat and then they have a little bit of land next to where the boat is docked. And you know, we say boat but it barely resembles a boat. It's definitely floating on the water. Marco: There were two old barges I think that they made into a spa. So you keep going up and up on the boat and there's different dry saunas and wet saunas. And I never do these cool pools or what are they called, you jump in them all the time. Amanda: Cold plunge. Marco: Cold plunge. Amanda: If it's wet, I'm going to get into it. If it's dry, I'm going to get into it. I want to make sure I do everything there. Marco: I fell asleep on one of the little hanging egg chairs. Amanda: Well, what they have, and this is very common with spas, is they tell you to do what they call the circuit. And so at Bota Bota, uh, they say that the circuit is a hot put pool or a hot tub experience. There are hot tubs. Um, there is also a very warm pool. Two warm pools. So you get into one of those nice and steamy and then you go for a quick cold plunge. Apparently it's very good for you. Marco: Not for me. Amanda: And then you lounge for about 15 minutes and just relax. Marco: Oh, I didn't know that you're supposed to lounge. Amanda: And then you repeat that. Yeah. So there's places to lounge. Like you said, there's so sort of swings that kind of resemble little egg crate. Well, egg crates, I don't know, but they're like little, um, oval baskets. Baskets that you can kind of swing and lay in. And, um, there's also a whole. You know, there's a room we didn't even go into that's like a nap room. Then there's another place that has music kind of going. And yeah, it's. It's a really. I mean, the thing that's really neat about it is there's so much to it and it's in a downtown setting. Because the last time you and I went to something like this was a year ago almost exactly. Marco: Right. Amanda: And it was just outside of Ottawa in a place, uh, called Chelsea, Quebec. I had been filming a Christmas movie that had wrapped. And, uh, so we went to that place which was called Nordique. Now that was almost like the amusement park of spas. Like it had everything. It was sprawling and amazing. This. So everything after that is going to feel a bit more truncated. Marco: And it was our listeners who recommended going to Norge. So they made a spa lover out of me because prior to that I had not been. Amanda: And we've been to three this year. We went to Bota. Bota. Ah. Um. And obviously, as we said a year ago, we went to Nordique. And in between that, for our anniversary, Marco: we went to Skandinav. Amanda: Skandinav Spa, which is up in Collingwood. Marco: That's right. Amanda: Look at us. How bougie. Marco: I know it feels. But what's funny is we went to Bota Bota after 5pm so we got a after hours discount. Amanda: Yeah, that's the way to do it. Marco: That is definitely the way to do it. Amanda: Also, it's really cool to be at one of those places at night because you're in the hot pool and looking up at the city and the stars. Pretty neat. Marco: It is pretty neat, I have to admit. And then, uh, you and I drove there. So we drove back home and it was a lovely drive. Amanda: I know it feels like a blur almost. Marco: Um, feels like a blur for sure. And look at me rhyming. And then, um. Yeah, we've just been. We've just been action packed since then. So we're just kind of unwinding and enjoying. Enjoying our. Amanda: Yesterday was one of those days where we had a lot of things and it all worked out, but it was a very. As it turned out, it wasn't meant to be that way. But it became a very time allotted day. I know we've all had Those. And. And, um, I always, when I have a day like that where it's pretty packed the next day, I always call it my work hangover day. Marco: Oh, of course. Amanda: Like you have a hangover from the amount of work that you did. You and I, we used to work heavily on the weekends. Marco: That's right. Amanda: If you remember, early in our relationship, sure. We did a lot of promo work, which meant we would work, you know, uh, conference centers and events, trade shows, festivals. So those tend to be on weekends. Right. So we would go and we'd be doing a promo gig for a wedding show or a baby show or whatever. Marco: A show where you could stand in a phone booth and win fake money Amanda: for a particular Canadian company, where we would go and spend the weekend sort of hyping up a store and getting people giving people dollars, sort of almost like little mini gift certificates that they can use in the store. But, um, they could be intense weekends. So then I'd always say we have the work hangover on the Monday if we weren't working. You always have to book a sort of chill day, even if it's still a work day. Just something a little bit more laid back. And also today, in, uh, the end, I didn't really cook today. I made some bread, but that was in the bread maker, so it's mean itself, really. And, ah, had a very, very simple salad for lunch. And we had, um, some soup that was in a mason jar that your mom had handed to us last night. Marco: You were recently talking to, um, someone whose father has a bread maker that when the bread maker is on and baking the bread, it'll kind of walk itself off the counter. Amanda: The machine, It's a bread maker problem. Well, while it's kneading, ours does that too to a certain degr. Walk itself off the counter. But they get pretty, um, intense because they're kneading the bread and that is a real flapping kind of motion. And so the shifting of the weight, it's almost like a mini washing machine when there's one big heavy towel in it. It's just that kind of the weight, the circular motion of the weight is affecting the machine and kind of rocking it back and forth. For sure. Marco: Yeah. And, uh, I think last week I mentioned that I got starch and I used the starch. And my shirts are very crisp, and I'm very happy about that. Amanda: That's great to hear. Marco: Nothing like putting on a crisp shirt, uh, with crisp collars. Amanda: I need to listen. Starch is great in our food, and it's great in our shirts. Marco: Without a doubt. And uh, you know, it's interesting. Prior to coming down here, it was lightning sleet outside. Amanda: Yeah. And it's happening again this year. Last year we had, uh. Thunder. Snow. Marco: Yeah, that's right. Amanda: Thundersnow. Marco: Good old thunderstorm. Amanda: And the thundersnow is back today. It's our first snow of the year, I think. Marco: Well, it's not thunder, it's lightning sleet because it's not snow. It's sleety because I went to put the garbage out. Amanda: But earlier it was like an icy snow. Marco: Right. But there's no thunder. It's all lightning. Amanda: Well, that can't be. Marco: Yeah, I didn't hear a thunderclap. Amanda: I think you can't have lightning without thunder, right? Marco: I don't know. I think you can have. Amanda: When there's lightning, there's thunder. Marco: I guess I thought, uh. Amanda: I don't think you get the lightning without thunder. Marco: I didn't hear the thunder. Amanda: You don't get the rainbows without the rain, I guess. Marco: Well, it was quite sleety outside and I had to bring out the garbage in the, uh. Amanda: That's not a word you hear a lot. Sleety. Marco: No, no. Amanda: It's not the sleety side of the street. It's true. Marco: And we talked to our, um, sister in law and nephew. Amanda: Oh yeah, we did. That was a fun. I had a quick little lunch break and you happened to be home for it. And our little baby nephew. We have three nephews and one incredible niece that. Three incredible nephews. They couldn't be more different, the three of them. I love them all so, so much. And uh, our youngest nephew and youngest Marco: of all of them, he decided to call us. Amanda: Or his mom did maybe face call us. Marco: What do you call those things? Amanda: Yeah. Marco: And we got to see him and I tried to do all my. All my uncle tricks to make. To make my nephew giggle or laugh. Amanda: He's not sure what to make of us. Marco: He's not sure. Amanda: Oh, he's cute though. And smart. Yeah. Uh, he's a real joy and brings a lot of happiness and a lot of, uh, conversational topics to this house. We talk about him all the time. Just cause he's a year and a half now and he's kind of exploding with language. So he's learning all sorts of new things. Marco: So much fun to hear the words that he's learning. I got a postcard today which is always exciting to get in the mail when you get, you know, bill or m. Just junk mail. After Junk mail. And I think there was a magazine of yours and a flyer. And then I saw a postcard. Amanda: Huh. Uh-huh. Marco: From a friend who was working in the Northwest Territory, so that was so lovely to receive. Amanda: Yeah. Marco: Um, a postcard from that far north. Amanda: Uh-huh. Marco: From a friend. And I love getting postcards. I have to say, I used to write so many. I do make a point of writing a few postcards, depending where we are. Amanda: I feel poorly because when we were in St Pierre and Magdalene, I posted after we came back, and a dear friend of mine who lives in Whitehorse. Marco: Actually, you said St. Pierre and Magdalene. St. Pierre Miquelon. Amanda: Oh, that's funny. Marco: Yeah. Amanda: I'm tired. Marco: Yeah, fair enough. Amanda: I did. Yeah. But there are Magdalene Islands, right? Marco: That's right. There are Magdalene Islands. Amanda: Where are they? Marco: Uh, you know, Ile de Madeleine is. Amanda: But that's Ile de Madeleine. But what are the Magdalene Islands? Is that the same? Marco: I don't. I don't. I can't pinpoint that. Amanda: Oh, no. So many m. Islands. There's a lot of Madagascar, Mauritius. Marco: Wow. So many. Amanda: So many. Uh, Montserrat. Now, I'm just thinking of islands that begin with island, um, countries. Um, anyway, he saw it and he said, oh, please send me a postcard from there. I don't have one from there. I guess he has a big postcard collection, which I don't think I realized because I send him a Christmas card every year. But I guess it's the postcards he's after, so I need to, um, figure that out. Do we have one? Marco: We might have one. Amanda: It won't be from there, but I feel bad because we worked really hard to get those posts. Postcards out there. Marco: We could send one from. I think I have a postcard from Jamestown, New York, if you want to send that. Amanda: I don't know if he wants that, but yeah. Marco: Um, Madeline island is an island in Lake Superior, which is part of Ashland County, Wisconsin. Is that what you're thinking? Amanda: Magdalene? Marco: No, Madeleine. Amanda: So there's Ile de Madeleine, too, which is different, but I said Magdalene, so that's what we're trying to find. I think there is Magdalene Islands, but I don't know if that's what they call Ile de Madeleine in English. Marco: Yeah. Magdalene Islands is, uh, off Fatima, Quebec, it says here, I think. Amanda: Or is that different islands? Marco: The Magdalene Islands. Ile de la Madeleine. Amanda: Okay, so there you go. Marco: It's a small archipelago. Amanda: Just because Magdalene could be in both languages and Madeleine can be both languages, so I didn't know if it translated Madeleine To Magdalene. Marco: You know, I didn't realize Madeleine is Magdalene. Amanda: I don't know that I realized that either. Marco: I prefer Madeleine. Although I did know a Magda. When I was in high school. Amanda: I. I worked with a Magda, uh, at my work. So there you go. Everyone knows a Magda. Marco: I see your Magda, and I raise you another Mag. Amanda: She was Ukrainian or Polish. I can't remember. Was your Magda a Ukrainian or both? Marco: No, she wasn't. Amanda: Well, what heritage was she? Marco: She was Italian. Amanda: Oh. Why are you looking at me like that, like as if I knew that. I didn't know. I didn't know Magda well. Marco: I had to think. Amanda: Well, her business. Marco: Oh, you. You know what? I'm sure she's doing well, whether she, you know, her business or not. I haven't. I haven't seen her in so many years. Amanda: Well, let's hope she's somehow listening, but this makes it to her. Magda, who you went to high school with. Do you remember? I won't. We won't say her last name. But do you remember her last name? Marco: Uh, I think so. Amanda: Not convincing. Marco: Listen, to be fair, Magda and I weren't. Weren't fast friends. Amanda: We weren't tight. Marco: No, we weren't tight. Um, I believe she was good in math, and I wasn't. And I'll leave it at that. Amanda: Okay. Marco: I'd never enjoyed a math class, but I did enjoy science and art classes and, you know, geography. I was good in geography. Speaking of Magdalene, Ice, our niece, was Amanda: telling me last night that she's really enjoying history and geography, but she now gets to study. Marco: Are you a fan of geography? Amanda: Yeah, but I wasn't as a kid, I don't think. But I also don't really remember taking geography. Marco: I took geography. Geography. Uh, class in university. And the thing I remember the most about that class was the teacher said, glossier for glacier. Amanda: Oh, that is weird. Marco: He was British. But he said glacier. Amanda: Okay. He was British. Marco: It took me. I, uh, don't think that's an excuse just because he was British. Amanda: That's a way to say it. Marco: Uh, glass here. Amanda: Like, do you say tinnitus or tinnitus or whatever? Marco: Well, clearly, I don't say the second one if you can't even say it. Amanda: Tinnitus is tinnitus. Tinnitus, Like Madeline is to Magdalene. Marco: Do you say aluminum or aluminium? Amanda: Aluminium. Marco: That's what you say? Amanda: No. Marco: Okay. Schedule or schedule. Amanda: Do you say coupon or coupon? Marco: Ooh. Do you say nuclear? Amanda: We're not answering these Nuclear or nuclear? Marco: Do you say library or liberry? Amanda: Do you say epitome or epitome? Marco: Oh, I don't say epitome. I never heard that before. My goodness. I will say this, though. You know, sometimes we get hired to do audiobooks, and there'll be words that we encounter that we don't necessarily know what the pronunciation is of that word, the correct pronunciation. So I go to this website called youglish, Y O, U, glish, and it will give you a bunch of pronunciations of that word in many different English pronunciations. So you can do North American. So the US or British or Australian pronunciations of those words. Amanda: Amazing. Marco: So it's proven handy because there's certain words that I encounter that I'm like, I have no idea how you pronounce that word. Huh? And you need to know how to pronounce them when you're reading a book. Speaking of books, we got the Britney Spears book that we. Amanda: Oh, yeah, we did. Marco: On audiobooks. We've been listening to that. Amanda: Uh, something happened and someone's finger slipped, I think, or something. Because we've skipped over a major part of her life and a major part of the book that has been well publicized. And at first we thought, oh, it'll come back later. Marco: But we're beyond that point. Amanda: It's not one of those memoirs where she's not following a timeline. She's following a pretty. Definitely pretty linear timeline. Marco: Do you prefer books that follow timelines, or do you like them to bounce Amanda: around when they're books written by Britney Spears? I think they can follow a nice, succinct timeline. Marco: Sure, sure. Amanda: It's not a long book either. Marco: No, we listened to it. What's funny is you were in Kew for it in the library. Amanda: Oh, my goodness. What a British thing to say. Marco: I always say Q. I was in Q fort. You were in Q Fort. How would you describe what you were? Amanda: I was on hold. I had it on hold. Marco: I guess. I guess. I think you were in Q for it. Amanda: But I've never heard you say that in Q for it. Marco: I use Q all the time. Amanda: Can you queue for some groceries? Marco: I always queue for groceries. Amanda: Super British. Marco: Well, listen, I can't help what I am. Um, Amanda: I'm more British than you are. Marco: No, by heritage. Amanda: It's all about the heritage today. Marco: Oh, my goodness. Amanda: What do you mean? Why are you upset about that? Marco: I don't think. I mean, you're here. Amanda: Oh, my goodness. Okay. Marco: Well, then I'm surprised you're not using Q. I understand. Amanda: It I don't use it. I'm also American fair. Remember we left Britain. Marco: Exactly. So you left the queue behind. You were in queue to leave. Amanda: Yeah. You don't have to queue anymore when you leave Britain. Marco: Uh, I still queue. But my point was not about your lineage to Britain. My point was that you had a. You were in a long list of queue for. Amanda: Still sounds weird for the book. You were like, yeah, there was like 2,000. It was like 2,700 people are ahead of you. You're like, oh, that'll be great. Marco: So we were like, we're not going to get this book for months and months because we prefer to use the library when we can to get both our audiobooks and our regular page books. What do you call them? Amanda: Our regular page books. Marco: It's a very British way to say it. Amanda: However, something happened with the library this week. Marco: They had a bit of a malfunction with their computer systems for a while, so we weren't even able to access books. But something happened this week, and Amanda skipped the cue to the very beginning of the line. And she has. Amanda: People couldn't get it out, I think. And then. So they just kept going up the line, and then I ended up getting it. Marco: And we were listening to it like it was going out of style and we were having a good time. Amanda: Yeah, we're not done it yet. We have two more hours left. Marco: We have two more hours. And because you skipped the cue, you only have it for seven days, correct? Amanda: Yes, that's right. So it's called the Skip the Line book. Marco: Oh, is it called Skip the Line? Amanda: Yeah, it's definitely not called the Skip the Cue book. Marco: I think it would sound better. Skip the cue, Lulu. Skip the cue. Amanda: Okay. Do you know about Kew Gardens? Marco: Yeah, we've talked about them before. Amanda: Oh, we have. Marco: Remind us. Amanda: Kew Gardens, spelled differently. K E W. Are the gardens around, I believe, Buckingham palace, one of the palaces. Marco: Sure. Amanda: I don't know which palace. I think Buckingham. Is that the big one? It's your hairstyle, Windsor. I was gone by the time the Mountbattens were in power. Um, anyway, uh, they used to be the gardens that supplied all the food for the kingdom or for the queen or something, I don't know. But there used to be this show called, um. What was it called? Kew Garden or Four Seasons of the Q lineup. Marco: Gardens. Amanda: It's spelled differently. It's K W. I don't know if it means the same thing. And I found it the most gentle, calming series. I must have watched it A million times. There's only four episodes. But it was like all the things I love about calming British tv because they would be like, uh, in the spring, asparagus, uh, and then they would show a couple ways to cook asparagus and then they would show how, you know, the Victorians cooked their asparagus. They would. And there's always something crazy. They'd be like, they thought it was a good idea to preserve it in arsenic. They didn't understand why people were getting ill or whatever. I don't know, there's always like something like that. Or like they enjoyed making a savory tart with asparagus and lard or whatever. Like there's always something crazy. You're like, what? Um. And then they'd like make that thing or whatever it was for each season. So anyway, it's very enjoyable. If anyone can. I don't know where it probably lives in the depths of an Amazon prime catalog or something. Marco: Listen, you could always look up the library has it and put yourself on a tree. Amanda: I remember the name. Four Seasons of the Kew or Dinner from the Kew or Kew Gardens. I don't know. Marco: Well, that helps our listeners find it. Amanda: Yeah, it's super helpful. Let me see if I can find it. Marco: There you go. Um, speaking of gardens, I had to put away my garden outside and I had to bring all my indoor plants back inside. And, uh, lo and behold, none of my tomatoes made tomatoes this year, which I was very disappointed in. Not one, but we had. Amanda: It's just in. Marco: Okay. Amanda: Kew Gardens A year in bloom. 2021. It was made. Was that it? 2021. Marco: One episode and done or one season and done. Amanda: That's it. I thought it was longer ago. Well, there's a second series of cute gardens A Year in Bloom. I need to find. Channel 5. Marco: I'm watching this arts and crafts show once again, a British show because it seems like that's all we ever watch. Amanda: Hm. Marco: Where all these artisans have to live in a, um, in a grand estate. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: And they have to arts and craft it up. Amanda: Yeah. Marco: So they get a room. Amanda: What's it called? Marco: Victorian Arts and Crafts House or something like that. Amanda: Yeah. Marco: Um. And so what happens is they get a room and four of the artists have to approach the room and design in the room and the other artists kind of help them out, but they have to use what you would have back in the day. So for example, you know, one person, Amanda: it's called the Victorian House of Arts and Crafts. Marco: Right. So they have to use Victorian methods to make their arts and crafts. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: And so, for example, they had to make, um, wallpaper and they had to print it in the old fashioned way. It was pretty incredible, Amanda. And I'm really enjoying that. But it takes me at least three episodes to watch it because I fall asleep. But, uh, it is a great show. Yeah, I know. Amanda: Yeah, absolutely. Marco: And, uh, as you can tell, we're sort of. Amanda: We're drifting off thinking about Kew Gardens. Marco: We're drifting off ourselves. So I think I'm gonna wish you all the best. Thank you all for listening to our podcast and making it one that gets recognized for awards. And I really appreciate that. If you are a voting member of the Canadian Podcast Awards, feel free to drop us a vote. And if you're not, feel free to just listen, relax, and drift off to your Kew Garden or to your spa on a boat, or to your queue. Queue. Until next time. We hope you were able to listen and sleep. oats, Decor and So Much More with Special Guest: Kelly Lawrence | Quiet Company for Restful Moments12/1/2025
In this gently meandering episode of The Insomnia Project, Marco welcomes special guest Kelly Lawrence from Norwell for a calm and companionable conversation about home, water, and the small details that make life feel warm.
They begin by exploring Kelly’s approach to home decor — from creating inviting spaces to confidently incorporating bold statement pieces like her giant wooden giraffe. The conversation drifts to wall hangings, including a whale displayed above her fireplace, and the quiet nautical charm common in many Massachusetts homes. From leather couches to the comfort of multiple fireplaces, the discussion lingers on textures, ambiance, and what makes a house feel like a haven. Naturally, the topic flows toward Kelly’s love of boating near Scituate, where river meets ocean at “the spit.” She shares the simple joy of being on the water, along with reflections on good stories, beloved dogs, and resilience in the face of adversity. As always, this calming podcast unfolds at an unhurried pace, offering relaxing conversation designed to help you fall asleep, ease anxiety, or quiet racing thoughts. Let the gentle talk of boats, decor, and cozy corners carry you peacefully toward rest.
Boats, Decor and so much more with special guest_ Kelly Lawrence
(Original airdate: Nov 30, 2023) Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm conversation that's meant to help you find your way to sleep. And if it doesn't and it just relaxes you or, uh, you just follow along, that's Perfectly fine, too. I'm, um, your host, Marco Timpano. Thank you for joining us. I have the distinct pleasure of having, for the first time on our podcast, my cousin from Massachusetts, Kelly Lawrence. Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Kelly Lawrence: Hi, Marco. Thanks for having me. Marco: We're here in your beautiful home in Norwell, Massachusetts, on beautiful, comfortable leather chairs. So you might hear the squeak leather in the background, um, as well as, uh, you know, the sounds of outside. But, uh, I'm happy to be here in Massachusetts because we often talk about Massachusetts on the podcast because your cousin Amanda, of course, grew up in this general area where we are right now. Kelly Lawrence: Yes, she sure did. Marco: And we're fortunate because we're gonna have you on our holiday episodes, which are coming up, listeners. So we're going to have new holiday episodes, and you'll hear Kelly talk about her beautiful, uh, I won't even say her home and decorations, but let's just give a preview of that, because I want to talk about your non holiday decorations and how beautiful your home is decorated. Kelly Lawrence: Thank you. Marco: In particular, with what you have on your walls. Okay, so tell me, how did you approach decorating your home? Kelly Lawrence: I think that everything that I do, I have a very eclectic style, and I think that that shows. Um, but I think the number one thing of importance to me is warmth. So I always want to relay a feeling of warmth and, you know, love. I mean, not to sound too cliche, but I want people to come here and feel comfortable being here, um, and visit and want to come back like you and Amanda. Marco: Oh, my goodness. Kelly Lawrence: Um, and so I really want to want people to feel relaxed and comfortable here. So that's the main thought process I think of when I am decorating the home. Um, I also, really, in that vein, love things that have meaning. Marco: Okay? Kelly Lawrence: So it's very rare that I will do something. And granted, I like something that looks nice. This wicker basket looks nice. These lamps look nice. But oftentimes I will choose things that have meaning to keep in my home. For example, um, well, in here, we, um, have a bar area, um, which Dave and I, we laugh about this because we saw this bar at home, uh, goods, and we said we have to have it. And we were just about to return it because we couldn't. It was much bigger than we thought, and we put it in this random place, and we thought this is the place for it. But on that bar, if you notice, there's a very tall wooden giraffe. And that giraffe is from Jamaica. My friend Lauren got married There back in March. March 1st of 2020. And um, they have a lot of wooden sculptures in Jamaica. And Dave and I saw this giraffe and we had to have it. In fact, somebody tried to purchase it off my husband at the airport and he would not, he had to hold it because it wouldn't fit in luggage. We thought the neck would break. So he carried that on the airplane and sat with that big giraffe on top of him. Marco: I love that. I love that story. What about wall hangings? Because I need to ask you about one wall hanging in particular. But first I want to get your opinion because you've got your walls so beautifully decorated. Kelly Lawrence: Mhm. Marco: In every room. Like I see that painting right behind you. Kelly Lawrence: Sure. Marco: And the colors of it, uh, like it just, it just works in that room. It just looks fantastic. But I noticed that everywhere, like you've got this. I love, um, these types of mirrors that have like a sun design. Kelly Lawrence: Yeah. So pretty. Marco: And this looks like an antique. Kelly Lawrence: Well, it's so funny because seen this mirror one other time in my life and my sister in law has this mirror and neither of us knew that we had the mirror. And I was like, wait a second, I have that mirror too. And it's the only time I've ever seen it elsewhere. Marco: It's a gorgeous mirror. Kelly Lawrence: Thank you. Marco: But how do you approach wall hangings? Kelly Lawrence: Um, I'm a big photo person. I really like to post photos. My husband will tell you I have way too many wedding photos on the walls. But it's a very happy time. Um, it involves my friends and my family, so to, you know, have those. Um, I also have pictures going up my staircase. Growing up, I never had a staircase that had wall hangings. Matter of fact, I tell my mother this all the time that she needs photos going up her staircase. And um, I always wanted that I'd see it in movies and so I did it. I have, uh, frames, uh, all different sizes, um, of pictures of me and my husband and our dog. So um, that's kind of the thought process there. And they're all different. It's us at Patriots games. It's us dressed up for New Year's Eve because we do these giant themed parties on New Year's. Marco: I love it. Kelly Lawrence: Um, and one from Halloween, one when we were in Palm Springs. So there's a lot. Marco: So lovely memories that you have. Celebrating memories too. Kelly Lawrence: Yeah, exactly. Marco: Um, you have above one of the mantles of your fireplaces a whale. Kelly Lawrence: Yes. Marco: I'm really into nautical things. Kelly Lawrence: Okay. Marco: So whales for me like really, like these are the things that really stand out for me. I wanted to be a marine biologist when I was a kid. Yeah. So I love that kind of stuff. But I noticed here in New England, whales appear in a lot of people's homes. Kelly Lawrence: Mhm. Marco: So I'm curious about the whale that you have, which I already took a picture of because I love it so much above your fireplace. Kelly Lawrence: Sure. Um, so ironically, I ordered it for this fireplace. So the fireplace that has, uh, lots of brick around it. Marco: We have three fireplaces in this home, just so you're aware, folks. Kelly Lawrence: Yes. And currently it's over the big fireplace. Um, and I really. My husband moved it there by accident. I think it was after last Christmas, and put it in the wrong spot. Um, and there used to be a ship there, but the ship had broken. Um, and so he put it there and I was like, oh, I kind of like it, um, in this fireplace. But really I just always wanted a whale. And so I purchased one, um, from a local company. I think they're based in Cohasset, Massachusetts. And, um, it's just a whale. And it has kind of like white paint, but not solid. It looks kind of rustic. And, um, it was funny. My friend Melissa came over and she saw the whale and she said, I love that whale. And so for Christmas I bought her a whale. Marco: Oh my gosh, that's amazing. That's amazing. And I noticed that, you know, there are a lot of nautical things in homes here in Massachusetts, whether they be ships, whales. You also have a wall that has like these beautiful fish kind of like. Kelly Lawrence: Oh, yes. Marco: Yeah. Love that. Kelly Lawrence: I love nautical. Marco: Why is that? Why do you think it's such a, uh, so present in so many homes here in Massachusetts? Kelly Lawrence: I think a lot of it has to do with the presence of being so close to the ocean. Right. Um, and so, you know, Norwell does not have, uh, an ocean, although we have the north river and I live very close to it. Marco: It's gorgeous, by the way. Kelly Lawrence: Yes. That's so pretty. Um, but if you ever were to go to Scituate, um, which is a beach, um, town, it's on the ocean, Marco: which was formerly a fishing town. Kelly Lawrence: It was a fishing town. Yes. Marco: It could have even been a whaling town back in the day. Kelly Lawrence: Oh, I'm sure. Marco: Okay. Kelly Lawrence: And lots of lobstering goes on there. And so, um, people in those houses tend to have a ton of nautical stuff. Like, you'll notice the door knockers. You here you might have a pineapple or a regular door knocker. And you get to situate. And they're almost all starfish. Marco: Oh, really? Okay. Or like a whale's tail. Kelly Lawrence: Yes, exactly. Marco: Or like a mermaid. Kelly Lawrence: Exactly. Marco: Okay, cool. That's awesome. Kelly Lawrence: So, um, yes, but we love nautical things and I just love the ocean. I'm a lover of all things ocean. So I just like to have a touch of the ocean in my home. Marco: I love it. Speaking of the ocean, speaking of you being a lover of the ocean, you're also captain of a boat. Kelly Lawrence: Uh, to clarify, I am not the captain. I am the rider. Marco: You are the first me. Kelly Lawrence: I'm the first me. I like that. Um, my husband is the captain. I don't really think he likes to be the captain, but he is the captain. Marco: Okay, so tell me about your boat and what you love about, uh, being on the water. And if people are looking to purchase a boat, what are some things you would recommend? Kelly Lawrence: Okay. So I have always wanted a boat and begged Dave, let's get a boat. Let's get a boat. And we kind of were looking and we test drove one boat. Was not. The engines weren't good on it. Ah, down the cape. And we just kind of fell upon this boat in the middle of the summer was, ah, it two summers ago, I believe. And um, it's just a little fishing, uh, boat. It's a proline center console. It's 24ft. Marco: Um, what makes it a fishing boat versus, um, like a, I don't know, like a tour boat or like a fun boat or like a. Kelly Lawrence: So in a, in a fishing boat. So a center console, um, the captain will drive boat from the middle. But there's a lot of area if you're fishing that you can fish off of. You can store the fish. They have fish wells on the boat. Um, and do you fish? Marco: Is that why you bought it? Kelly Lawrence: I do not. My husband does. Okay. Marco: Oh, I didn't know that. Kelly Lawrence: Yes. And I always really liked that type of boat because sometimes the other boats are. They're a little bit too much. And this was our first boat purchase. So we were like, you know, let's keep it simple. And so this is a simpler style of boat. Marco: Okay, so when purchasing a boat, what are some tips you would give our listeners? Kelly Lawrence: Well, that's a hard one because I pretty much had no idea what I was doing and, um, trusted my husband and his friend who was a former, um, boat mechanic, to, uh, engines. Boat engine mechanic. And um, so they looked at the engine and it looked good. I would say this. Everything is negotiable. Okay, so you should never just see the sticker price and say I'm paying. That I would give an offer. And that's what I did. And I said to my husband, I bet you they meet us halfway. And that's exactly what they did. Marco: Oh, fantastic. Fantastic. Yeah. Be wise because a boat is not an inexpensive purchase. Right. Because you have to maintain the boat and it's on the water and it faces a lot of challenges. Right. Kelly Lawrence: And it's expensive to maintain and you Marco: have to love being on the water. Kelly Lawrence: Yes. Marco: In order to have a boat, I would say. Kelly Lawrence: And I love being on the water. So we, we do love it. It has cost a lot of money to maintain. As a matter of fact, we're talking about maybe remoting it which is. It actually costs more than the boat costs to remoter. Marco: So just know that listeners, if you're gonna get a boat. Kelly Lawrence: Yes. Marco: You gotta love it. Kelly Lawrence: Yes. Marco: Um, let me ask you this. Where's your favorite boat route to take? Kelly Lawrence: So I really like. We put the boat in, uh, at the Scituate town ramp where we're trail. Want to get a slip? Marco: I love Scituate. Kelly Lawrence: I have to say. Marco: You took me to such a. It's so gorgeous. Kelly Lawrence: It's gorgeous. And um, we tend to go. Well my husband, he likes to go to Plymouth. He's from Plymouth. Marco: Plymouth is wild. Kelly Lawrence: So he immediately wants to go to Plymouth. And it's a nice ride down to Plymouth. You pass the cliffs in Scituate and Marco: you're like Right downtown Plymouth when you, when you are at the water. Right. Kelly Lawrence: Yes you are. And so that's very nice. I have gone down there with him a few times to do some fishing. Um, by the way, I haven't done the fishing but I've sat there and watched him and his friends fish. Marco: What do they catch? Kelly Lawrence: Oh gosh. Striper. Marco: I don't know if you know this about me. Before I wanted to be a marine biologist. When I was a really young kid, I wanted to be a fisherman. Kelly Lawrence: Really? Yeah. That's too funny. Yeah. Marco: So I need to talk to Dave about fish. I can't believe we're leaving in like you know, an hour and I've only got like 45 minutes to talk fish with. With Dave. Kelly Lawrence: So that is a subject he would love to talk about. I didn't know that. Yes. Okay. He loves, um. I think he catches some mackerel. Uh, he catches a striper. Marco: Ah. Kelly Lawrence: Um. So yeah, he really enjoys that. And then there was another fish he caught this year. He got one of them. But I Forget what it was. Marco: Okay, fair enough. Kelly Lawrence: Yeah, um, and so that's good. Um, but I really like to go. So there's this area called the Spit and it is where the ocean opens up from two rivers and, or rather two rivers open up into the ocean. And um, it's the north river, which is part of Norwell, the town I live in, I live very close to that river. And then there's the south river which comes out of Marshfield. And the two of those rivers meet and combine and then go out into the ocean. Okay. Marco: Um, so fresh water into salt water too. Kelly Lawrence: Correct. And they have a giant sandbar. And in the summertime I like to take the boat down to the sandbar called the Spit. And you can sit out there, you can grill, you can hang out with your friends. Um, and we just, we sit on the beach, but it's like a special beach, you know, there's no rocks, it's very clean. So I like to go there. M. And I like to be out on the boat and sometimes we just go for drives on the boat and I like that too. Marco: Oh, that's nice. Where's the furthest you've gone with your boat? Kelly Lawrence: Um, I think Quincy. Marco: Okay. Kelly Lawrence: Yes. And the reason that's the furthest, you would think? Well, Plymouth is probably equidistant, um, in length, but there's this area, uh, this town called Hull that kind of sticks out into the middle of the ocean. And so you have to go around Hull to get to Quincy. So it took longer than like going to Plymouth. Plymouth we can get to in a half an hour or so. But uh, going to Quincy was a lot longer. We wanted to go to Boston, but it just was already so long having to go around Hull. Marco: I see, so Boston is far from the water. Kelly Lawrence: It is, yes. Marco: Because it's only a 45 minute drive if there's no traffic. Kelly Lawrence: Right, right. Marco: But it's never a 45 minute drive. Kelly Lawrence: No. And actually I could get to Boston easily in a half an hour. It's only 23 miles. Okay. But there's always traffic. So I work downtown and a lot of times it's an hour and a half to two hours one way. So I love it. Yes. Marco: I mean, I don't love that you're in traffic. Kelly Lawrence: No, me neither. Marco: I love how close you are to Boston. Kelly Lawrence: Yeah, no, it's great. Marco: So on a Sunday, let's say. Kelly Lawrence: Mhm. Marco: You could get there relatively quick or no. Kelly Lawrence: Oh, I could get there relatively quick. Yeah. Marco: But nobody works on a Sunday so it doesn't really matter. Kelly Lawrence: No, exactly. Marco: That's why you can get there relatively quick. Wow. All right, so we talked about your home. We talked about your, uh, boat. I'd love to know about what brings you joy, because like I said before, you're the type of person, when you're around Kelly, you just have a good time, and you don't even have to be doing anything, you know, anything in particular. But I just love hearing stories that you have to tell and stuff. And you just bring so much joy to a room. Kelly Lawrence: Um, well, I think you hit the nail on the head. I love a good story, uh, and I have a lot of good stories. Um, and at least that's what my friends tell me. Um, but I'm that person that the crazy stuff always happens to, so I tend to have good stories. Um, but I really like to be with my friends and family, but particularly my girlfriends. I really just enjoy their company and, you know, sharing stories and finding out what's going on in their lives. And so, um, you will frequently find us here, whether it's just one girlfriend or two, um, sitting in front of a fireplace, having some wine. That's probably my favorite thing to do. Um, but I also like other things. Like, I love animals. I love dogs. I love dogs. I would be that lady that had a thousand dogs. And so I like that. Um, and then things like, I was at this wedding last night, and it was really cute. Um, the bride, Allie, put this little, like, blurb together, um, of you know who. Where you were sitting to thank you. And ours started off with fashion icon and world renowned plumber, because my husband's a plumber. And I thought that was really funny, and I said, I'm a fashion icon. Thank you. Marco: And you look spectacular yesterday. Kelly Lawrence: Thank you. Marco: I feel like you can wear things that other people can't. You know how you see supermodels and sometimes you're like, oh, nobody would ever wear that. And then you see it on them and you're like, oh, it's so gorgeous. I feel like you're the type of person who can wear stuff and really make it a fashion statement where on other people would be like, you can't wear that. Kelly Lawrence: I really put a lot of thought into what I wear, and, um, I've always really liked things that are unique but not overly unique. Like, I don't want to be wearing something that looks like a trash bag. I want it to always look classy. Um, but I like bright colors, so a lot of times I'll pair them together. But It. I don't like bright colors that don't match. So everything's got to kind of coordinate good together. Um, I like sparkly things. So I have, I have the world's largest jewelry collection. Not, not real, not like super nice, but costume jewelry that you have ever seen in your life. Marco: Really? Kelly Lawrence: Yeah. I have more earrings. All my friends, they have weddings to go to. Anything. Kelly, can I borrow your earrings? Marco: Wow. Kelly Lawrence: Yes. Marco: You need to talk to your cousin because she's got the same thing. Really ask her to show you just the jewels that she's traveled with today. Like, she has her own little. Kelly Lawrence: I noticed her necklaces and I was like, wow, that's a lot of necklaces to travel with. Marco: Right. You need to see like it's a thing. And it'll always be like, which. And it always comes to me, which necklace, which necklace? And I'm like, whatever necklace you want. And then sure enough, I'm like, not that one. And she's like, I asked you. Kelly Lawrence: Right. Marco: Um, along along with being a person who brings a lot of joy into the room. Kelly Lawrence: Sure. Marco: And brings joy, you're also a very resilient person. Kelly Lawrence: Yeah. Marco: You've. You face challenges and you're resilient about it. So if we have listeners right now who might be facing challenges, what would be some of the advice or some of your go to's that might help them? Kelly Lawrence: Sure. Um, I'm a very positive person. I really hate negativity. Sure. Um, and so I always try to find the silver lining in things. I mean, I will find the most ridiculous silver lining in something. And I've had people, doctors say to me, I wish everyone was like you. That's insane that that's what. How you're thinking of it, but it's what I have to do to get me through. Right. Um, and I think that, you know, you have to remember that there's always people that are worse off than you. So even though I might be facing tough challenges, I have to remember that I'm very blessed with a wonderful husband, that I have a beautiful home, I have a wonderful career. Um, I have a great family. You know, not everybody is blessed with those things. Marco: Sure. Kelly Lawrence: And so in the grand scheme of things, I'm actually very fortunate. Um, and so I think if you maintain that thought process and stay positive about things, it's a lot easier to just go through life and feel. You have to know that everything's gonna be okay. It's a feeling. And you have to convince yourself, I'm going through this, but this Too shall pass. And I'm gonna be okay. I'm gonna make it out of this. You can't get caught up in that, you know, negative energy. Marco: Right, right. So when you steer away from that and focus on what's good and what can be good, and you have a confidence too, and you lean in joy, those three things together make you such, I think, make you such a resilient person that I look up to. So you mentioned your work. Mhm. And I just want to mention, because our listeners will be like, oh, what work do you do? Are you able to tell us a little bit of kind of what you do and. Kelly Lawrence: Sure. Um, so I can't go into really great detail about it, um, because I work in a pretty litigious field. Marco: Oh, I see. Kelly Lawrence: Okay. Ah. And I also, I have to make sure that everything is, uh, okay before I say anything. Marco: Of course. Kelly Lawrence: But I can tell you I work in finance, so that might explain why I can't say a lot. Marco: Fair enough. Fair enough. I always try to, like, when people mention something on the podcast, I try to uncover it because our listeners might be like, I wanted to know that. I wanted to know that. So thank you for sharing that. All right, well, Kelly, before we go, I just want to thank you for being such a great guest. Thank you, uh, for welcoming me into this beautiful home of yours with three fireplaces. And I should mention, it's not. My listeners will think, oh, three fireplaces. It's a humongous home. It's a beautiful home. It's a size. You're certainly not lacking in space. Uh, but it's just so fascinating. You have three beautiful fireplaces, each one very distinct. Which is your favorite? Kelly Lawrence: Um, I would say the one in the room we're sitting in right now is my favorite because it's the one we use the most. Um, and just the whole vibe of this room with the leather chairs with the studs, and I have like a, um, bear or, excuse me, a cowhide. It's fake, don't worry. Um, as my, uh, rug. Uh, and it just has this really warm, rustic feeling to it. And so I really enjoy having fires in here. Marco: And I'm not a leather, Leather couch person. I find them uncomfortable for myself. And when I sat in your leather chair and I leaned back, I don't know if it's this pillow and how soft it is, and it just like my body was like, yes, you've found the chair that you've been looking for to sit. I haven't even been on your couch. Because I feel like, oh, you'd fall asleep if I lay there. I'll be out in an instant. Kelly Lawrence: Yes. Marco: How did you select these? Because, like, it's pretty. Kelly Lawrence: So. Marco: Because you don't strike me as someone who's like, I want a leather couch. No, your other couches are very comfortable, too. Kelly Lawrence: But I would not have a leather couch except for that. It's what I know. So, growing up, my parents had this leather couch that was actually this exact same color leather. Marco: I never thought we'd talk about leather couches. I just need to say that I Kelly Lawrence: never thought we would either. And, um, so I really. It was so comfortable, and I loved it. And they gave it to me, uh, for my first apartment. And so I had it with me. I had it for many years. I mean, there were, like, holes in the thing. By the time I got older, I was in my early 20s. Marco: Duct tape the holes or something. Kelly Lawrence: Yes. I mean, but it was so comfortable. My dog used to go. He could sit like a cat at the top in front of the window, and he loved it. So I guess I kind of bought these sofas for my dog. But when we moved here, I said that living room at my apartment in Quincy had, uh, that, uh. You know, I don't know what you'd call this color. It's a brown. A saddle. A saddle tan. But it's darker. Yeah, it's like a reddish brown. And I also had walls this exact color. Marco: Oh, you did? Kelly Lawrence: I had picked it out when I was in my 20s and Quincy and painted the walls this color. And I loved the color combination. To me, it was so warm and inviting. And so when we moved into this house, I immediately said, I'm painting that the same color. Marco: Right. Kelly Lawrence: And I want to get, uh, sofas that color. And I wanted these stud things. I just think it's very stately tickering Marco: or stitching or whatever you call it. Like, it's just. It's just beautiful. Kelly Lawrence: Yeah. Marco: Round. Um. I don't know what you'd call them. Kelly Lawrence: Studs. Marco: Studs. And they feel nice on the hand. Kelly Lawrence: Yeah, they do. Marco: Like, my mom had leather couches, and I never felt comfortable in them. And this just feels so. Kelly Lawrence: Yeah, it has, like, a regalness to it. Yeah, yeah. Marco: Um, but also a very, like, warm, kind of, like, comfy. Comfiness to it. Kelly Lawrence: Sure. Yeah. Marco: So, sorry, you were saying about the tickering. Kelly Lawrence: I think it's called tickering, but, yeah, no, I just. I. That's how the other sofa was. Although it looked different than this, but it had these Studs or tickering, as you said. So I had to have. Marco: My listeners are going to say it's not called tickering. Markle, what are you saying? Because I always say things like that. But anyways. Yeah, okay, so. Kelly Lawrence: So that's how I ended up. I found these sofas. It was the first furniture purchase I made when we bought this house. And my husband really wanted two sofas. So, um, the room is kind of long. Um, and so he wanted two sofas facing each other with a coffee table and the rug in the middle. And then there' the fireplace to the right and there's a TV to the left. And, um, I said, no, that's not going to look right. That's going to look too, um, you know, copycat. It's going to look too the same. I wouldn't like that. So I insisted that we buy these two chairs. And the only way I could get away with getting the two chairs is I was told that he was always allowed to sleep on the sofa. And the deal was, you can have the sofa. I will never ask you to be on the sofa. You can have it. You can lay down, take the whole sofa. Except that if I am ever pregnant, I get the sofa during my pregnancy. So that has been the running joke about the sofa. Marco: And I think that's a fair. I think that's a fair deal. Kelly Lawrence: Yes, I thought it was. Um, and so these chairs generally I kind of put together. I put my feet up on the coffee, um, table. And then as you see that white yarn looking thing. That's a poof. That's a poof. And you can put my feet on there too, because I like to have my feet elevated. Marco: We have a poof almost exactly like that. Kelly Lawrence: Really? Marco: But rather than being cream color. Kelly Lawrence: Yeah. Marco: Ours is the color of your blue walls. Kelly Lawrence: Really? Marco: Yeah. Kelly Lawrence: Wow. Marco: It's so funny. Kelly Lawrence: Wow, that's too funny. Marco: Yeah, it's funny how. And that's your cousin, right? Kelly Lawrence: Right. Marco: How you guys have very similar, similar styles and tastes. Kelly Lawrence: Yes, I'm going to say that. And I never met her, but I think we get it from our grandmother. Marco: Okay. Kelly Lawrence: So, um, I just think that all of that trickles down style, the jewelry, all that stuff. And I don't even know if she was a jewelry person, but I wouldn't be surprised to know that she was because she was. She. Marco: She worked in a jewelry store. Kelly Lawrence: She did, yeah. Marco: Uh, she worked in a jewelry store. Kelly Lawrence: Do you know that that was my dream, to work in a jewelry store? And I work in finance. I don't Know how that happened? Or a florist shop. Marco: Oh, I could see. I could see you in either. Kelly Lawrence: I really wanted to work there, but I just, I wanted to parade around in like, diamonds all day. I mean, I guess that's ridiculous, but I really love jewelry. But it's not just the way that jewelry looks and is beautiful. I like, like gemology. I really like the study of it. Oh my goodness. Marco, you could have a whole separate podcast episode of me talking about tanzanite. Marco: And we're going to do that the next time either you're in town or I'm in town. Because I don't know if you know this about us. First of all, we're at the end of our episode, but I need to ask you two questions before we go. But, uh, we talk a lot about stones and jewelry because Amanda loves stones and jewelry. Uh, you know, I love hearing about the properties of those jewels and what they bring to you or supposedly bring to you. I know for some people that might be a little bit. Woo woo. Kelly Lawrence: Yeah. Marco: But if you don't own citrine. We had a really great experience with citrine. Kelly Lawrence: Really? That's my birthstone. Marco: Is it really? Yes, of course it is. Right? It's November. Kelly Lawrence: November, yes. Marco: So I'll tell this story quickly. I don't know if I can, but I'll tell it quickly. So we were in one of those candle shop and, um, smudge places that, where you could get little, you know, things to smudge your home or like little crystal beads or whatever. One of those kind of places. Because Amanda needed a candle. Kelly Lawrence: Mhm. Marco: And so there was these candles for sale because we were. She was living in someone's home. When she was doing a show, she was billeting in a person's home and she's like, it's a. It's got an old kind of smell to it. So I want a candle so I can just freshen up the room. So I'm like, okay, let's look for candles. And there was these candles first that were on sale, and each one had some. Some stones in them. Kelly Lawrence: Mhm. Marco: And each candle represented something different. So one had pink quartz, and that was a candle you lit for love. Uh, one had an amethyst, and it was a candle that you lift for peace. Uh, and then there was the citrine candle. Kelly Lawrence: Mhm. Marco: And that's the one you lit for money. So she's like, let's get the citrine candle. So I said, sure. And at that point, I didn't really Know what citrine was? So she was in. It was in Thunder Bay, Ontario. I flew back home, and she hadn't lit the candle yet. And when I went home, I went to the mailbox, and there were three checks that we had been waiting for. And so I called Amanda. I'm like, amanda, did you happen to light that candle? She goes, I lit it, like, 10 minutes ago. How did you know? And I'm like, we just got three checks. And she's like, oh, my goodness. Kelly Lawrence: Right? Marco: So we were like, this is great. And then the next day, I got a really big, uh, gig. And I called her up. I'm like, you won't believe this. Did you light that candle? And she's like, I just lit the candle. And I was like, I just heard from my agent. I booked this gig. So she brought the candle home. And anytime we were like, you know, we need a little bit of, you know, money in our lives, we like this candle. And it always brought us good vibes. So that was our thing with. With, um, citrine. So I always tell people when they're like, you know, I m need. I need a little dip of money in my life. I say, wear citrine or find citrine because it was really cool for us. What's your favorite stone? And it doesn't have to be a, uh, you know, a diamond or ruby. Kelly Lawrence: It's tanzanite. I love tanzanite. I actually did a report in college about Tanzania. I got an A, by the way, on it. Um, but it's something I'm very passionate about. In fact, I was on a cruise in April down, uh, in the Bahamas, and my husband and I, we came back to the room, and we were always on the go there. There was one night we came home early and put the TV on. It was the only time we put the TV on the room. And we were looking for something, and I don't know why. We must have been having a conversation. So we weren't paying attention to what was on the tv. And it was this woman trying to sell jewelry. Marco: Sure. Kelly Lawrence: And the jewel she was talking about was tanzanite. And she was showing some tanzanite. And my husband had no idea that I have this ridiculous knowledge about tanzanite. Marco: Right. Kelly Lawrence: So we're sitting there, and he says, I really like that stone. It's really pretty. You know, tanzanite. It's like a blue, purple. And, uh, he's. I really like that. And he said, well, let me tell you about it. And I started telling him, and I thought he was gonna. Thought he was gonna fall off the bed. He couldn't believe I had all this knowledge. Marco: I love it. Kelly Lawrence: And he said, I'm gonna buy you a tanzanite. He said, you just convinced me to get one. That is the most amazing story. And lo and behold, we went to the Grand Cayman the next day, and we were shopping around, and he bought me a tanzanite ring. Marco: Oh, that's such a lovely story. Yes, thank you for sharing that. Before we go, you mentioned you wanted to be a florist. This podcast is really big on flowers. What's your favorite flower? Kelly Lawrence: Oh, definitely a peony. Marco: Oh, peonies. Kelly Lawrence: I love peonies. I'll have a big, beautiful peony. I have lots of peonies in my yard. Um, every year I get a couple new ones, and none of them the same color. Well, no, that's not true. I have two yellow peony bushes. Yellow. Um, I have, ah, I had a coral one, and it died, unfortunately. And it's very hard to find the coral, so I want to have to find that. Um, I have, uh, Shirley Temple. Ah. Which is the white. I have Carl Rosenfeld, which is the dark. Dark purple. Marco: This is the name of the peonies. Kelly Lawrence: These are the name of the peonies. Um, I have all different. I have light pink, I have dark pink. I have fuchsia. Every color you can imagine. Bubblegum. Uh, pink. Um, and I just love them. Although the yellow peonies are really spectacular. Um, so they're my favorite. I also really love dahlias. Um, and I love anemones, the flower with the darker center. And I'm not keen on white flowers, although I do have a white peony bush. But I love color, so white would never be my favorite flower. And. But white anemones, and I think that's how you pronounce them. Are my favorite. Are, um, one of my favorite flowers. And what's ironic is, um, when I got married, my florist, who's a good friend of mine, Jane. Marco: Shout out to Jane. Kelly Lawrence: Shout out to Jane. She's the best florist ever. Um, and she put together. Ah, it was a long story, but I had to reschedule my wedding several times. And, uh, she said to me, okay, what do you want your bootcase to look like? And I said, jean, I don't have any energy, and she knows how specific I am about what flowers I want. And I said, I trust you. You do beautiful work. Just make it have a lot of color. And I thought after the fact, my wedding was in September, and I thought after the fact, shoot. I told her I didn't. I didn't tell her I didn't want any white flowers, uh, because I really didn't want any white flowers. And I said, well, I would have wanted white anemones, but they're out of season. We usually around here get them in, like, March or April. So I said, there's no way I'd have white enemies. And she opened the truck when she pulled into my driveway to show me what she had created for my bouquet, and lo and behold, the only white flower were white anemones. And she said it was a freak thing that at, uh, the flower, uh, wholesaling place that she goes to, they had a couple bunches of white anemones. And she said, I stopped because I know how much you love anemones, and I had to include them in your bouquet. Marco: Wow. Isn't that lovely? Kelly Lawrence: Yes. So she's great. Marco: Well, thank you for sharing that. The funny thing is, you don't know this, but. But I always say the peonies is the official flower of this podcast. Kelly Lawrence: Really? Marco: Because I love them, too. Kelly Lawrence: They're so much fun. That's why I'm on here. Marco: There you go. Well, listeners, thank you for, uh, staying with us as we tipped a little past 26 minutes today, but I think it was well worth it. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. Thank you, Kelly, for being on the show today. Kelly Lawrence: Thanks for having me. Marco: And for our listeners, I hope you were able to listen and sleep. Sam.
In Mitten Strings, Marco and Amanda settle into a cozy, gently meandering conversation filled with seasonal charm and everyday curiosities. They begin with pumpkin carving stories and small Halloween rituals before Amanda shares the practical magic of her Moroccan storage poof — a simple household detail that somehow becomes soothing in its ordinariness.
The conversation drifts toward the Taste Canada Awards, where they reflect on Canadian cookbooks and culinary creativity. From there, they wander into the curious evolution of nylons (or stockings), the debate over single-use items versus eco-friendly swaps, and the quiet thrill of discovering treasures on the grocery store discount rack. As always, even starching shirts becomes a calm and thoughtful topic in their hands. Nothing moves too quickly. This calming podcast is designed as relaxing background listening — perfect for when you want to fall asleep, ease anxiety, or quiet racing thoughts. Let the soft rhythm of conversation and gentle tangents keep you company, and drift off whenever you’re ready.
In The Insomnia Project – Season 8, Episode 1: A Journey to France, Marco and Amanda gently guide listeners from the East Coast of Canada to the quiet charm of St. Pierre, just off the shores of St. John's. What begins as a simple travel recap becomes a softly meandering reflection on ferry rides, electric bike adventures, seaside picnics, and scenic coastal drives. The pace is unhurried, allowing each detail — from salty air to small café discoveries — to settle comfortably.
Rather than a high-energy travelogue, this calming podcast offers a relaxing conversation designed to help you fall asleep, ease anxiety, or quiet racing thoughts. The gentle rhythm of their storytelling makes it perfect for background listening at bedtime or during middle-of-the-night wake-ups. There’s something soothing about imagining narrow streets, ocean views, and the quiet novelty of visiting a little piece of France in North America. Settle in, let the steady cadence of their voices carry you across the water, and drift peacefully toward rest.
A Journey to France
(Original airdate: Sept 20, 2023) Welcome to the Insomnia Project, season eight. This is episode, uh, one of season eight. Uh, we hope you enjoy our podcast. We want you to listen, relax, sit back and enjoy. And hopefully this podcast will help you find your way to peace, sleep, rest, or just chill. I'm your host, Marco Timpano. Amanda: I'm Amanda Barker. I can't believe it's season eight. Marco: It's actually if you think about it, Amanda, we've been doing this since January of 2015. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: So that's how many years? Amanda: I don't know. Marco: That's more than 8. Anyways, I can't think at the top of my head. Amanda: I don't do math. Oh, eight years, yeah. Marco: Is it eight? 15 to 23? Amanda: Well, eight and a half now. Marco: Eight and a half, sure. So, um, almost nine. Is it? Amanda: Yeah. January 2015 is a very specific time that I remember. So my memory is an interesting thing. I was reading, uh, something about Julia Lewis Dreyfus and how she doesn't remember things and I'm like, oh God, I think that's me. Sometimes with podcasting, I don't remember what I've said or done. Marco: Fair enough. But I do want to mention, since we're starting the season, if you haven't already given us a five star review, please do so. That certainly helps us. Don't forget to rate, review and subscribe. And if you can, please give us that five star review. Amanda: It supports us in so many ways. It takes but a minute. And, uh, it would just be a nice thing to put on your list of things to do today. So thank you. Also, um, you know, word of mouth is still the best marketing. We are wired for story, aren't we? All of us as humans. So tell your friends, let them know what resonates about this podcast. I do that with all of my favorite podcasts, um, and books, because as we know, I read. Marco: You do. You certainly do. Amanda: Uh, and I think, like I said, we're wired for stories. So if there's a story or a place that we've talked about or a thing that we've talked about on the podcast that you've connected with, or something that really soothed you, helped you to sleep, or helped you relax, let people know. Word of mouth, uh, is the best marketing and it always will be. Marco: Uh, speaking of journeys, Amanda. So we took a few weeks off, as we do at the end of each season, and we were able to sort of focus on things that we wanted to do. Amanda: We did. Marco: And we had the opportunity to go on a most wonderful trip. And I thought I'd share this with our listeners because I posted on Instagram photos of where we were, but I didn't say where we were because I wanted to wait. Amanda: Were people guessing? Marco: People were guessing. People could sort of tell that we started off in eastern Canada, the most eastern part of Canada. So I did get some people clue into certain aspects of our trip, but not all. So we had an opportunity to fly from Toronto to St. John's Newfoundland. And people recognize St. John's so I was getting a lot of, um, comments on the Instagram posts about St. John's kudos. M to you who recognized St. John's Amanda: we booked this trip, I just want to say, two days before we did it. Marco: So last week. Amanda: That's how we roll, kids. Marco: And part of the reason of the trip was Amanda just got her newest citizenship, which is Italian citizenship, because she's married to me and I'm an Italian citizen. Amanda: Last week of August, that's what happened. Marco: Yeah, so I'm a Canadian citizen. I'm an Italian citizen, thanks to my parents or my dad in particular. Amanda: And uh, now on the form I had to fill out as actors, sometimes we have to fill out these forms and it asks for your citizenship and uh, you don't have much room in the box, so. So it's us can eu because now I'm an Italian citizen. I'm so proud of it too. Marco: So based on that, I said to Amanda, let's see if we can get an inexpensive trip to Italy or Europe. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: And we couldn't. Not to mainland Europe anyways, which is not a shocker. Amanda: I mean, who has an expectation of, let's see what the cheap flight to Europe is. Marco: But sometimes two days before. Amanda: Yeah, I mean, sometimes you can strike gold with that. And if there's one thing that we love and we've always been aligned with in our relationship, it's travel, particularly cheap travel, last minute travel, extemporaneous travel for sure. Marco: So we sort of said, okay, no to mainland Europe. But then you had this brilliant idea and this is where we're going to let you know where we were. Amanda: I did. So I have noticed in the last few years, Canada, our place of residence, has, um, it was something we've never been able to experience that Europe has and certainly the United States has, which is sort of cheap flights. It's never really been a thing. But we're in a point in aviation where there are some cheaper budget sort of carriers that are offering us cheap flights to destinations we couldn't otherwise go. So I found these cheap flights to St. John's Newfoundland. And that's when I had an idea. Let's go to the islands of, uh, Marco: Saint Pierre and Miquelon. Amanda: Saint Pierre and Miquelon, which are two islands I've always wanted to go to for a very long time. They are off the southern shore of Newfoundland. And I say shore, but coast, I mean, they're Far. You have to boat to them. Marco: We ferried actually. Not that far. Amanda: Well, they're an hour and a half Marco: ferry, which isn't far. Amanda: I know, but I'm m making it sound like you could row a boat over. They're not that close. Marco: You probably could. I think it's 17 miles or 17 kilometers. Amanda: Okay. In any event, back in the 1700s when Canada was forming, um, and I shouldn't say when Canada, but what we know today as Canada was forming, obviously the indigenous culture was here for a long time. Ah. And it was a beautiful country. And um, you know, the Europeans did what they did. And so uh, the French and English particularly were battling over territories. And in that time in the 1700s, France gave over Newfoundland. And again, I don't know the actual history on this, but that became part of English territory, British territory. Consequently, Newfoundland only joined Canada proper in the 19. I think it was 1949. Yeah. So, um, relatively recently I guess for country forming that is especially around here. But um, France held onto these two small islands off the southern coast, St. Pierre and Miquelon. And you know, a lot of Canada became Canada, Quebec and Canadian territory. However, France, France itself held onto these two islands. And these are French territory from France. So when you approach these islands, you are in Europe, you are in France. They use French, uh, European outlets, uh, and voltages. Marco: Electrical outlets. Amanda: Electrical outlets, they use the Euro. Um, you definitely have to bring your passport and you are definitely entering France when you enter in, believe it or Marco: not, it is France, 45 kilometers from the coast, uh, of, of Newfoundland to France in this case. Amanda: And people had speculated to us it'll be like a French Newfoundland. And I'm here to say it's not. Marco: It was France, it's France. The moment we stepped on the ferry, which was a French ferry. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: Which I found tricky because you know, we're used to how North Americans schedule trains or ferries or planes. There's a very obvious sort of you take this train, then you connect here, you take this plane, it'll arrive at this time. It didn't quite do that when I was trying to figure it out because we wanted to go From Fortune to St Pierre to Miquelon, Fortune, Newfoundland. Amanda: That's the ferry town. Marco: Yeah. And uh, there weren't uh, fairy times that correlated or worked in that way. And it wasn't obvious of whether you could take your car on the, on the ferry schedule. You had to email them to let them know you wanted to take a car and then they would email you back. So it was a little bit not what I was used to. It was. It felt very much like when I lived in Europe. Amanda: Yeah. Marco: So the second we stepped on Amanda, uh, those electrical outlets were the European style, the 220v. On the ferry. Uh, everyone spoke French from France. France. French. Amanda: France French. Not Quebecois French, which is different. Is different. Marco: M. Equally wonderful, but different. Amanda: Just different. And, um, we felt it. And we've both spent time in France, so we had that comparable. And we both spent time in Quebec and in other French pockets in Canada, certainly. Um, so we had all of that to compare it with. And we definitely were like, no, this is France, man. Marco: From the baguettes they made. Amanda: Yeah. To the lack of ice in the Marco: drinks, to the, uh, pastries, the French patisseries that I enjoyed. Amanda: And they were great. Marco: They were fantastic. And we. So St. Pierre has about 5,000 people on it. And, um, Miquelon, which is a larger island and it's connected to, uh. Amanda: Langlade. Marco: Langlade. Amanda: It's called Miquelon. But then when you look at a map, they sort of have. The island of Miquelon is Miquelon and Langlade. Marco: So Langlade doesn't get the credit it deserves. Amanda: I know you never hear St Pierre, Miquelon and Langlade. Marco: And Langlade and St Pierre are connected by a land bridge. Amanda: Yeah. So it's one island, but sort of, um. I think we said it was like a figure eight or like. Ah. I think you compared it to glasses. Yeah. Marco: Like specks. Like John Lennon specks. Amanda: Yeah. Two sort of circular land masses with a. Marco: With a bridge. A land bridge. Amanda: A land bridge. Marco: Or a glacis bridge that I don't think was created. Amanda: I think it was always there. Marco: 500 people live on those. Those connected islands. It's very rural. Amanda: Yeah. Marco: So when we got there, we went to the tourist office, I guess you could call it. Amanda: But I want to say something before we get into the step by steps of both. And that was that entering into. Because we first entered into St. Pierre and then the next day went to Miquella. Right. But entering into that space, into that world of St. Pierre, Miquelon, was magical. I don't have another way to explain it. They are special, special places. Marco: Sure. Amanda: They're beautiful. They're tranquil. Marco: Yes. Amanda: They're remote. The people are lovely. Marco: Lovely. Amanda: A little more lovely than in France proper, but certainly in parts of rural France. Marco: Sure. Amanda: Um, I just. I. You know, everyone has different experiences of Paris. I did live in France, so I have many different sort of versions of comparing it to. And I would say it was comparable to like an island in, off the coast of northern France. Marco: Sure. Amanda: That's what it felt like. Yeah. Marco: Of course every big city, the people aren't as friendly as in rural areas. And of course Paris being one of the biggest cities in Europe, you're not going to find the, you know, care and time that people put into it. Amanda: There is a French way of doing things, a French way of thinking about things. And that is absolutely present on these islands for sure. Marco: So we hop on the ferry and head to, from St. Pierre to Miquelon the next day. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: It's once again about an hour. Felt like an hour plus ferry. Amanda: Longer than I thought it would be actually. Marco: Definitely. And we get there, we go to the tourist office and there's really not much to do in, on this island Amanda: you step off the island. In both islands you step off the island and there is a presence of a big church which is pretty typical for French ah, communities. Right. So Miquelon is much the same. You step off and there's a big church on the right side. And next to the church is um, what I would call a canteen. Um, but like a little shack, like Marco: a, like a wooden shack, a wooden food structure. So yeah, picture you, you, they did it. And by no means is it um, not look nice. It's a nice looking. Amanda: Yeah, it's lovely. Marco: Food stand. Amanda: Yeah, I know. Shack. It's not ramshackle. Marco: No, it's not ramshackle. Amanda: It's newer looking. Like it's called Adrian's. Marco: And you go there and that's where you get a coffee or you get the coffee at the tourist office. And those are the two places I found where you could get a coffee. Amanda: By the way, the shack, they all call the food truck. Go to the food truck. So you're expecting a truck, but it's not a truck. Marco: It's not truck. It's a wooden structure that has seating. Amanda: Yeah, it's a wooden structure, yeah. With sort of um, open to the elements. But then you could probably batten it down when it got colder, I think Marco: with French soft drinks and beverages and Amanda: iced teas from France. Marco: And water. Amanda: Yeah, like French iced tea, which is different. Sure it is. Yeah. Marco: So we go there because we were informed by the tourist office that if we wanted to rent a bike we should go to the food truck. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: So we go to the food truck and I'm using air quotes because like Amanda said, it wasn't a truck and we Said we'd like to rent bikes. And the gentleman says to me, Adrian says to me, do you want a, uh, traditional bike or an electric bike? And I say, let's go for the electric bike, thinking it was more like a moped. But the electric bikes they had were just bikes that would assist you with a little electrical burst, but you still had to pedal. Amanda: And that might be a Toronto thing, because I think when we say E bikes, we are often thinking of a scooter kind of apparatus, like a moped that you plug in. That's what I had. I had two of them at one point. Um, but I think I know our friends in LA when they say E bikes. They're thinking of bikes that have an electrical assist, right? So this was the ladder? Marco: No, this was the ladder. And so he's like, I'll call Morgan. He calls Morgan. Morgan shows up 10 minutes later with some bikes, pulls them out, we hop in them, and away we go. Amanda: And I have never ridden a bike on a road, so this was a bit of, um, a leap for me. When I was 10, I rode one. And when I was, um, years ago, backpacking in Australia, I attempted to, and it was not successful, so I was a little worried. But after doing a couple, because I've done scooters and mopeds now, um, maybe my sense of balance is different. So I adjusted the bike and off we went. We decided to go to the northernmost point on the island, which wasn't far. Um, and I just felt a sense of serenity. I felt like the breeze was blowing and it was just shoreline. And if you can imagine, just, um, a shoreline that's at times rugged and at times very tranquil, but just breezes, fields and shoreline and no one else. Marco: And we found a little picnic area by a small beach, and we had packed baguettes that we had got from a boulangerie in St. Pierre. In St. Pierre before we. Amanda: There wasn't much on St. Pierre, and there certainly wasn't much in Miquelon, we discovered. But I had a feeling, and knowing there wasn't even much in St. Pierre and knowing that was more the hub, I said, we found this bakery. Who knows what we'll find? Who knows what will be open? So let's pick up these sandwiches, and then we know we have lunch. Marco: So we had lunch. It was wonderful. And then we scooted around the island more and more, and, uh, we just enjoyed ourselves. We saw an old shipwreck boat that was kind of, uh, on the land with some historical markers, and, uh, then it was time to go home. We went back to St. Pierre. And when you say St. Pierre doesn't have much. It does have the. What you need. It does. That's my phone. Sorry. It does have what you need. So there are a few bakeries. We went to both of them. There are restaurants. Amanda: You know, the thing about it is the thing I found about St. Pierre and again, Miquelon, it could be more like this, but because there's just less people. But both islands have a sense of, you know, they may rely on tourism, but they're certainly not touristy islands. Marco: Sure. Amanda: I've been to a lot of islands. I love islands, by the way. They're kind of. I just have a very, very much an attraction to islands. So I've been to many. And an island that is visited by tourists even somewhat tends to have a. You know, there are gift shops, um, there are shops in general, there are restaurants. Now, it's not to say St. Pierre doesn't have this, but you kind of have to hunt and peck. You kind of have to know where you're going. You kind of have to look for them. Um, and like anywhere in rural France, um, everything shuts down for lunch. Marco: Sure. Amanda: So 12 to 1:30. Don't try to do much other than maybe going to one restaurant that does a lunch service. Um, the other one's open at night and then back at 2. Some shops only open from 2 to 6, and that's their day. So, you know, it's not necessarily on your time, it's on theirs. And it's that type of feeling. I will say both islands were incredibly quiet. And maybe that's because we live in a city, so we're not used to that level of quietness. But, you know, just walking around St. Pierre and, you know, some of the streets are cobblestone, others are, you know, roads. And certainly there's cars and they, they're driving them. Um, but even with that, it had a quietness. It was almost like, are people living in these homes? You know, everyone at dinner, um, goes inside and they're making themselves dinner. There's only four or five restaurants on the island, which, when you think about it, for an island of 6,000, is actually about right. Because you don't expect people to eat out every day or whatever. Marco: But we only saw that in the center of town. We don't know if in the, in the, like, burb areas if there were restaurants that we could encounter. Amanda: Yes, we do. Marco: There were on the map. There were more little, um, croissants. Amanda: And things, I mean, convenience store perhaps that we didn't see or. We explore that island, Marco. Uh, no. Yes, you do. We definitely explored it. Marco: Well, was there not a restaurant on the balloon near the boulangerie that we went to on the other side of the island where the, where the kids clothing store was? There must have been a restaurant there. Amanda: No, I mean, we went to it. It was the boulangerie. Marco: Okay. Amanda: My point being that, you know, French people cook, as most people do, but you know, you're walking and it has a bit of, um. Because it's European, it has that sort of, you're saying suburb. But my North American definition of suburb is a very specific look. Marco: Sure. Amanda: This isn't. I mean, there is no suburb, really. You're just talking about like up on the hill versus not up on the Marco: hill versus what I do want to say that the homes there were very reflective of coastal homes in North America, in Newfoundland, in that they were brightly colored. Amanda: Okay. Marco: And they were. They were, uh. They didn't really have a French style to them, but more of a Shaker style or. Ah. You know, coastal, um, style homes. Amanda: Yeah, I would say it was a mix. Marco: Okay. Amanda: Um, because you did have. Yeah, I hear what you're saying. But you do have that French colonial vibe. Marco: Only in the government buildings that I saw. Not in the homes though, like that one government building that we went to that had the potted plants in a wheelbarrow that looked very. Amanda: Well, they weren't, I guess what they weren't. They weren't all stone with like, you know, the stone French cottage with the light blue shutters, that kind of thing. They weren't that, uh. The French countryside. No, you're right. They were bright orange, brightly colored, lime green, wooden siding type of clapboard houses. I think that's what you're trying to say. Marco: Deep sea blue. Yes. Amanda: Clapboard houses. Yeah. Marco: And there were a surprising amount of horses on both islands. Amanda: There were, but it makes sense. I don't think it. Is it surprising? I mean, at one time that would have been your transportation. So there's probably a long lineage of raising horses. Marco: Sure, at one time. But our mode of transportation when we went to St Pierre was we rented a car off a wonderful person. If you happen to go to St. Pierre, go to Marie and Fils. Yeah, Marie and Sons. Um, they're an auto body shop or a mechanic shop. And they have a couple of cars that they'll rent. Amanda: They do. And it's that type of place. Right. Like he. He has a small Business. His name's Jerome. So the feast. Feast, meaning sons. Jerome. Jerome is amazing. Go see him. Go to St Pierre, by the way. Like, go to these islands. They are truly incredible. And those who, um, live in North America, they're actually pretty accessible right now if you want to go to Newfoundland. I mean, there are more accessible places in the world, certainly, but it was doable. Here's my point. Marco: Here's how you can get there. Just before we forget, you can fly from Montreal, From Halifax, from St. John's and from Ile de Madeleine, which is Amanda: another island I'm dying to go to. Marco: Or if you're in Paris, you can fly from there direct to St. Pierre. Amanda: Mhm. Or so there is an airport. What he's saying is there's an Airport in St. Pierre, and those are where the direct flights come from. Marco: Otherwise you have to. Or you can drive from St. John's Newfoundland. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: About three and a half hours south, right, Amanda? Amanda: Uh, yes, sort of south. Marco: Um, west, southwest to the town of Fortune. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: And you hop on a ferry from there. An hour and a half later, you're in St. Pierre. Amanda: Which is what we decided to do because Marco hadn't seen. Well, for starters, we got the cheap flights to St. John's and also Marco hadn't seen St. John's and I only had been there once, quite quickly for a wedding. So I was definitely happy to spend more time there. We do have some friends there. Marco: I love St. John's that we connected with. I enjoyed St. John's immensely. Amanda: Yeah. Why don't we talk about that? Or do you feel like we've. Marco: We have about three minutes left. Oh, I just want to. Amanda: Is that enough time to talk about Marco: St. John's well, we can give a little flavor of St. John's just to wrap up, uh, St. Pierre. It was really charming. It was very French. It was very wonderful and colorful, vibrant, calm and quiet. Amanda: There aren't many places in the world that I'm excited and happy to go back to. I would absolutely go back to St. Pierre and Miquelon. I found a magic in them I haven't felt in a while. Um, from places I've visited. They are special, they are unique. They're isolated. They are their own beautiful things. They're. They're gems. I love them. Marco: There's actually a small ghost town island that we didn't even talk about called Il o Marin, which is. Amanda: Which we didn't go to. Yeah. Marco: 10 minutes from, uh, St. Pierre. And it's a little, little island that had Fishermen up until the 60s, they moved to St. Pierre. So the homes and the church remain there. And you can go visit that island. Amanda: You sail past it and you see an island that has a church and 10 homes on it. It's quite quaint. Marco: But St. John's first of all, the food that we had in St. John's was exceptional. Amanda: Ah, fantastic. Yeah. Marco: If you go m. Might I recommend the restaurant Portage? Amanda: Mhm. Talk about it. Marco: Yeah, yeah, it was wonderful. But St. John's is very charming. I love these, uh, towns and cities by the water in Canada. Always have St. John's Halifax, St. John. Uh, these are places, coastal cities by the water that I always love. Amanda: Mhm. Yeah. Um, yeah, Portage was. I found it on the Canada's 100 Best Restaurants list that comes out every year. And it's just a little guide for people who enjoy eating in restaurants. And um, it was the only one I could find this year in, uh, Newfoundland. It's a relatively new restaurant. We found out after that one of the chefs had won MasterChef Canada TV show. But yeah, it was incredible. We also went to a place called, um, Terre. Had a nice brunch. A terre, Light filled, beautiful. Brunch was actually the hotel across the street from Portage. Marco: We had the best fish and chips I've ever had in um. Amanda: Oh yeah, by the beach in St. Philips, a little about 10 minutes out of town. We have friends that live in St. Philips. So we went down the road and on the beach had an incredible cod and chips. Like fish and chips, lightly battered, beautiful. Marco: And I really enjoyed driving around St. John's and all the roads. There was one road in that was a hilly road called, uh, Hill o Chips. Amanda: Hill o Chips. That's right downtown in St. John's for those who know it. And of course the famous George Street. And we were there on a weekend so we got to sort of walk up and down George street and just enjoy the rowdy nightlife which it's so famous for. Marco: We went to Signal Hill, which was on top of the hill, and you could see for miles and miles. It was really beautiful. We went both at night and during the day. And of course we went to Cape Spears. Amanda: Cape Spear. Marco: Cape Spear. Thank you, Cape Spear. And that's where we posted a lot of photos that are our listeners. Amanda: So it's the easternmost point, I believe, in North America and in Canada, certainly mainland. Marco: Yeah, mainland Canada is the easternmost point. And it was wonderful. And you didn't think we were going to go there. And I'd like to. And I said, I'd like to go to Cape Spear. And then once we were there, you were entranced. Amanda: And then I was like, well, we have to go to the southernmost point and the northernmost point and the westernmost point. So just another box of, you know, me and my checklists with travel. I try not to obsess about them, but it becomes a mission for me. And I just wanted to add one more thing. It's never the mission is always about the journey. It's never about the destination. And it's just one podcast at a time. It's never about the end game. Marco: There you go. So that might be our next mission. But for our mission today, thank you so much for being listeners of our podcast. Thank you for sticking. Been sticking by us for eight seasons. Eight years. Uh, we wish you nothing but the best and of course we hope that this podcast helps you listen and sleep.
In Birding Delights with Nima Kharrazi, Marco welcomes guest Nima Kharrazi, host of the My Gastric Sleeve Podcast, for a softly meandering conversation about the peaceful art of birdwatching. Rather than focusing on health topics, this episode gently turns its attention to feathers, flight, and the quiet joy of noticing what’s overhead.
Marco and Nima reflect on favourite bird encounters and the calming ritual of identifying calls with the Merlin Bird ID app. They share which species leave them in awe and how birding offers a mindful pause in busy days. The conversation drifts into stories of territorial birds — including one making headlines in Toronto for its bold dive-bombing behaviour — all handled with light humour and curiosity. There’s even a nod to their shared appreciation of the board game Wingspan. As always, this calming podcast unfolds at an unhurried pace, offering a relaxing conversation designed to help you fall asleep, ease anxiety, or quiet racing thoughts. It’s ideal for background listening at bedtime or during middle-of-the-night wake-ups — a gentle drift through treetops and quiet skies.
Birding Delights with Nima Kharrazi
( Original airdate: September 27, 2023) Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm conversation that is meant to help you drift your way to sleep. Perhaps I'm your host, Marco Tim. Thank you for joining us. And today I have the special pleasure of saying hello and welcoming our guest, Nima Karazi, back to the podcast. Welcome, Nima. Nima Kharrazi: Oh, hey, Marco. It's so nice to be here again. Marco: It's wonderful to have you. And I want to thank you, because if you can't tell, I'm a little under the weather. And so when Nima found out, he's like, I'll record with you. Amanda's working. And I was like, this is wonderful. So from Los Angeles to Toronto, we bring you today's podcast. Kind of like a bird flying from one city to the other. Nima Kharrazi: Hmm. M. Look at that. Marco: Look at that. Nima Kharrazi: Right? Marco: Uh, that brings us to our topic today, which is birds and bird watching. Nima Kharrazi: Oh, yeah. Marco: You have a fondness for that, right, Nima? Nima Kharrazi: I have always appreciated birds, and I didn't know that it was a thing that you could do as a younger person. Marco: Oh, okay. Nima Kharrazi: I thought birding and bird watching and all that was. You had to be, like, a retired person. Sure. Go on trips to Costa Rica to go find the Quetzal bird and, you know, that kind of stuff. And then when I started talking to some people about birds, someone just mentioned the, uh, Merlin bird app. And yes, yes. Sparked everything for me. And then that was just the beginning of the. The new. My new life as a birder. Marco: So, um, all right, so tell us who introduced you, and tell us about the app. Nima Kharrazi: You know, it was. I know you and I, Marco, are very, uh, people, uh, oriented, chatty, talkative, uh, very approachable. Sure. And I was just out somewhere in a park, and there was a lady holding her phone up to this bird that was chirping. And I asked her, I said, are you recording that so that you can figure it out later? And she said, no, it's this app. It's called Merlin. Now, at the time, and actually, for the first, like, six months, I thought it was named after the wizard Merlin from King Arthur, because it's spelled that way. It's spelled that way, yeah, sure. Merlin is a type of hawk, Right. There's like, a Merlin falcon or a Merlin raptor of some sort. Marco: Sure, sure. Nima Kharrazi: So she tells me about this app, and she's like, you can take a photo or you can do a sound recording. It's pretty good about figuring out, you know, which bird you're listening to, and even if there's multiple birds and you can track them and you can have a life list of birds. And I was like, that's it. And so I Just spent the rest of the day, downloaded the app and just walking around and trying to capture as many digital. Digitally capture as many birds as I could, and then it just grew from there. Marco: And then sometimes you'll send me photos of the birds that you've captured, which I always love. Nima Kharrazi: Oh, yeah. Marco: So what are some of your highlight birds that you've captured on your Merlin app? Nima Kharrazi: Oh, that's a good one. Yeah. So I. Okay. So this is a good. I have a question for you. Sure. You're into birds a little bit. Marco: I am. Nima Kharrazi: So let me ask you this. This is controversial here. Marco: No, no, sure. Nima Kharrazi: We in the birding community that digitally capture these birds, we have an understanding. I feel like, okay, if you see the bird or if you hear the bird in person, you may digitally capture said bird. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi: Yeah. Does that count if you go to a zoo and they have an exhibit of puffins. Oh. And you take a picture of a puffin or an emperor penguin or some great build stork or great build something or heron or something. Yeah. And you didn't see it in nature, but you get to see it in captivity. Marco: That's a great question. So, um, first of all, if there was a puffin exhibit and you went to it, kudos to you. I was in Newfoundland recently, where puffins, you know, roam, and we were on a ship, and I said to Amanda, as we're on this, uh, we're on this ferry going from Newfoundland to St. Pierre Miquelon. And I said to Amanda, I said, the only thing I haven't seen on this trip is a puffin. I go, how great would it be if a puffin landed? We were out on the ferry, landed on this railing, uh, that was right in front of me. And as I said this Nima. Nima Kharrazi: No way. No way. Marco: No, no. It didn't happen. I'm just gonna make sure everyone's expectations are managed here. As it happened, a wrapper for a chocolate bar that I had in my pocket had blown out of my pocket and flew up right in front, and it was white. And for a split second, for the smallest second in the world, my heart was full because I thought a puffin had landed on my command. Now, I captured the. The, um, wrapper. I put it, tucked it in my front pocket so it wouldn't fly away. But we both had a really good laugh. But all I wanted to do was see a puffin, and I didn't see them. So did you see the puffins? Nima Kharrazi: Yeah, yeah, no, I saw that. Marco: So special. I say it counts. My Friend. Because you're not gonna. You're like, I was in puffin territory, and I didn't see a puffin. So I'm. I'm have a little teensy bit of jealousy that you saw puffin and I didn't. I'm going to give you credit. I'm going to give you your puffin credits here and now. Nima Kharrazi: Yeah, I appreciate that. Marco: Is that a train? Nima Kharrazi: Oh, yeah. I'm sorry. Yeah, there's. Your hearing is exceptional. I love that I'm here, and the train is just outside my window. Uh, and you're all the way over there, and you're like, wait, I think I hear. Marco: Yeah, but that. Because that's background noise for you right now. Nima Kharrazi: Oh, yeah, that's just. Yeah, that's just every day. It's usually on every, like, half hour. 45 minutes. Marco: Earlier, when we were supposed to record. I didn't tell you this. There was steamrollers in front of my house. Steamrollers. The ones that squish. Like, uh, the coyote and the roadrunner. Nima Kharrazi: Curtis. Marco: Like, I was. What is making all this noise? I can't. I absolutely cannot record. And there's just steamrollers steaming along on the street, putting the. The gravel down or whatever. And I was like, really? Of all things steamrollers. But anyways, back to you and your Merlin app and your captured birds. Some of your highlights. Nima Kharrazi: So. Yeah, so some of my highlights, I captured. Speaking of roadrunners, I captured a roadrunner. Uh, that was really special for me because I'd never actually seen one in real life. I've only ever seen them in cartoons. Marco: Sure. Nima Kharrazi: I captured a grackle. Marco: Oh, grackles. We have. We have them here all the time. Grackles. Nima Kharrazi: They're awesome, beautiful, and I love their sound. Marco: They're like the crow's glamorous cousin. Nima Kharrazi: Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. They're like a, uh, Like a skinny, sexy Hollywood crow. Marco: Yeah. Because they've got a shimmer of, like, green blue to them. Yeah. God, they're like sparkly eyes, and they're like koi. Yeah, I love them. Nima Kharrazi: Also, I like a real simple. I'm a big raven guy. I love ravens. Like, they're so smart. They're so big. And there's this one raven, this male, by my house when I go on this walk that he does this sound that sounds like a wood block or shape hitting. Well, he has the, um, the feathers. Oh. Oh, I see. Okay. Like the mane of a. Whatever you call a feathery mane. Marco: Oh, see, I thought you only heard the sound so you aggressive. Nima Kharrazi: Yeah. Okay. He's a big guy and he just sits in top of the tree and he does that wood blocky sound. Sure. And you can see his throat vibrating when he's doing it. Marco: Wow. Nima Kharrazi: Just like I play drums. Marco: Yeah. Nima Kharrazi: And I've made that sound. And I always think, like, the amount of things it took for me to make that sound, I had to go buy a clave. I had to get the wood block to be the right wood block. I had to get the, you know, all these things to, in order, like, had to go to three different stores to make sure. And then he's just, he just does it. Marco: Right. What's, what's a clave? Nima Kharrazi: A clave is like a wooden block that you hit with another wooden block. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi: So that's, that's a, uh. Marco: So it's an instrument. Oh, it's a percussionist. Nima Kharrazi: Anything that you hit together to make a noise is percussive. So it's a percussion. Marco: I see. Nima Kharrazi: So even this is the one that messes me up is a piano has strings on the inside. Marco: Right. Nima Kharrazi: That the hammer hits the string. And because of that, it's considered a percussion because you're tapping the string with a hammer on the inside. Marco: Fascinating. Nima Kharrazi: Yeah. Marco: So here's one of my cool bird encounters. Nima Kharrazi: Oh, tell me. Marco: So, you know, Canada, um, has birds that are native to our area that often will. Will sort of shimmy down to the U.S. but, uh, you know, there's certain birds that we have that, um, you know, are often associated with our country. Like the Canada goose. That's not the bird I'm talking about. Those are the ones that we always kind of try to avoid. They're very messy birds. They poop everywhere and they. Yeah. And they, they clamor in large groups and they'll often, you know, be in front of you and you're trying to drive and you've got to wait for these geese to go. Nima Kharrazi: Etc. Etc. Marco: But another bird that is, I think, Quebec's, um, provincial bird. Amanda and I are driving home from the cottage. And as we're driving, and this is a, A winter, a crisp winter afternoon, just to set the scene. Snow on the ground. It's bitterly cold. There's a snap of, you know, frosty breath that comes out of your mouth. But we're in the car, nice and toasty warm, driving. And as we're driving down a farm field road so you can just see nature for miles and miles. On a fence post is a snowy owl. Uh, and so Amanda turns, she goes, is that A snowy. And as she's saying it, the owl flaps its wings and starts to fly parallel with the car. Nima Kharrazi: Oh, my gosh. Marco: And the bird is a gorgeous. But B, it's a large bird. Larger than I would have expected. Nima Kharrazi: Right. Marco: And so you're. I'm driving with this, like, pterodactyl sized bird next to me that's like, you know, uh, just stricken awe in me. And it's just so majestic and beautiful and like, just like, look at me. And then it was gone. And it was like. That was an incredible moment. So that I think is one of my favorite bird experiences. Nima Kharrazi: Oh, that's a really good one. Marco: Yeah. Nima Kharrazi: I've, uh. There's a movie called My Cousin Vinnie. Marco: Oh, I love it. Nima Kharrazi: With Joe Pesci and, uh, Marisa Tomei. Oh, God, Marissa Tomei won the Academy Award for that movie. Marco: Ralph Macho. Fred Gwynn, who played the Munster, the monster, was the judge. He was fantastic. Love that film. Nima Kharrazi: It's great. Good movie. Marco: Great movie. Nima Kharrazi: And, uh, when. When Vinnie goes to the cabin to go stay, there's a screech owl. Yeah. And I've never seen a screech owl before, but you hear this, like, it's. It screeches. Sure. It's so loud. And he gets so upset. He grabs his gun and goes and shoots in the middle of the night. And then the camera goes from the front door of the cabin where he just fired six rounds and goes back inside and zooms out in one shot and zooms out. The screech how is on the. The tree branch. And then just at that moment, it does one last streak. And I, I was like, I never knew you existed, but I'm in love with you. Marco: Yeah. Nima Kharrazi: And that and the Kestrel falcon have been two birds that I've always had an adoration for. Marco: Sure. Nima Kharrazi: And I met them both at. There was like a, uh, farmers market event in, you know, Redondo beach or some beach city. And there was a bird captivity rescue center. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi: That had a tent and they had birds there, and they had a Castro falcon and screech owl. Marco: Wow. Nima Kharrazi: And it was like, amazing. And I was like, can I take a photo? And they said no. And I said, I could put five bucks in your tip jar. And they're like, you could take as many photos as you want. Marco: There you go. That's nice. Um, that. That scene you just mentioned from my cousin Vinnie. Nima Kharrazi: Yeah. Marco: I don't know if it was you who told me this. That was a fluke. That the owl, like, they, they did not like it was. It was just a happenstance moment that when they panned that, the owl, on cue, knew it was on camera, knew it was its good side, hit its mark, did its action. That's, that's uh, you know, it was like, everyone was like thrilled with it. Nima Kharrazi: Oh, yeah, I didn't know that. That's amazing. Yeah. Marco: If you look it up, there's the. I think the story's even better than how I'm telling it. But. Yeah, um, one of the birds that always impresses me when I see that, see it is the cardinal. Whenever I see a cardinal, I'm always like, struck by it because I'm like, oh, a cardinal. Like, you know, it's so, it's so impressive. Like this red bird out of nowhere. All. Nima Kharrazi: Often it seems regal almost. Marco: There's something. And they say, you know, when you see a cardinal, it's the, um, memory of a loved one who's passed on. Right. So it's always a lovely. Yeah, the cardinal are associated with that. I mean, I see blue jays all the time and they're, they're, they're not the nicest birds when it comes to the bird. Not, not that birds need to be nice. I shouldn't try to humanize them, but they can be aggressive. And uh, and uh, so I see them all the time, but they're not as impressive to me as the cardinal. So I guess I'm a St. Louis fan versus Toronto fan. Nima Kharrazi: Yeah, um, I actually my. I've all. I visited Toronto when I was a kid and my first. I have so many positive memories with Toronto. And then my. When I saw Niagara Falls, I saw from the Toronto side. I've never seen it from the New York side, nor will I because it's not. The good Toronto side's the better side. Marco: Anyway, we'll say the Ontario side because Toronto is about two hours from. Nima Kharrazi: Yeah. Yes. That's okay. It's all the same to me. Yeah, sure, sure. Marco: Or the Canadian side. Nima Kharrazi: Yeah, yeah, I hear what you're saying. So I saw that. And then my first baseball game was a Blue Jays game. Marco: Oh, was it really? Nima Kharrazi: And so this is it. This is a fun little story. Okay, so my father told me me and my co workers got four tickets for the Blue Jays versus the Angels. So my dad tells me I have these four tickets to the Toronto Blue Jays game. They're playing the Angels. Why don't you come down, me and two of my co workers, the four of us will go see this game. And I go, sure, let's Go. We. I get down there. I take the bus. I get down to his work, we drive over to the thing. We get there two hours early. My dad and his friends are like, all right, we're gonna, you know, have some drinks and, you know, eat some chips and then go inside in, like, an hour. So they drink a little tequila, whatever. Marco: Sure. Nima Kharrazi: We go to get into the game, and they. The. My dad comes back and goes, the tickets are for tomorrow. Marco: Oh. Nima Kharrazi: So we ended up spending the whole game listening to it on the radio. Marco: Oh, my goodness. Nima Kharrazi: Being in the parking lot, and they had a blast. And then we went back the next day. The next day we went back, and the Blue Jays were losing, I want to say, like, five to one against the Angels. And my dad goes, look, it's the seventh inning stretch. Let's go home. Marco: Sure. Nima Kharrazi: And I'm like, dad, you never know. And he's like, no, no, no, I. I'm telling you, I know. And I'm like, you never know. Marco: Let's beat traffic. Nima Kharrazi: Traffic. No one cares. Marco: Yeah. Nima Kharrazi: Um, we get in the car, we drive home. I checked the next day, and the Blue Jays won 9 to 7. And I was like, I am m. Never leaving a game early ever again. Marco: Oh, my goodness. Nima Kharrazi: But I've always had that. So every time I see a blue jay, I think of Toronto. Marco: Okay, sure. Nima Kharrazi: And so every time I think of Toronto, I think of you. Marco: Thank you. Nima Kharrazi: So now all the blue jays and also all the scrub jays. Because I don't. I can't really identify the difference unless they're standing right next to each other. Marco: Sure. Nima Kharrazi: So every blue jay. And we have a ton of scrub jays out here. Marco: Are scrub jays blue, though? Are they blue in color? Oh, they are. Nima Kharrazi: Okay. I think they're just a little smaller than a blue jay. Marco: Oh, I see. Okay. Nima Kharrazi: Yeah, but they're very territorial. They're like. What's that Australian bird that attacks a bunch of. Um, it's with an M, I think, like a. Um. Uh. Marco: Does it make the big sound? That really big sound? I can't think of it now. Um, Amanda can do that sound. She does one bird, and it's an Australian bird. It'll come. Oh, no, it's the kookaberra. She does the kookaburra. Nima Kharrazi: Oh, yeah, that's the licorice bird. Marco: Yeah, Licorice bird. Nima Kharrazi: There's a kookaburra. Licorice. That's out of Australia. That has the picture of the kookaburra in the front. Marco: No, I can't. You know, we had a Bird this past summer. Oh, I wish I could remember it. It's like a, Looks like an oriole, but it's not. That was very aggressive towards people this, this, this year. And a couple of my friends were bombarded by them this year. Nima Kharrazi: I have to. Marco: Yeah, let me, I'm gonna, as we're speaking, I'm gonna text my friend Trevor. Nima Kharrazi: Thanks for asking. Because it might be the same bird, because that bird also exists in Denver, Colorado. It's just not as territorial or as aggressive when we're there. So it's just really pretty to look at. It's this beautiful black bird and it's got this, like, white stripe on its wing, and it's really, it's, uh. And they also, they, they're in, like, small groups of like three or four. Marco: Sure. Nima Kharrazi: And they, they all just kind of hang out and mostly on the ground, which is weird. Like, you don't think about it, but most birds stay in trees. But when you see birds, you know, usually you're not looking up to see bird when you're walking around. Right. So you'll see like, a, uh, pigeon is on the street or, you know, and so when you see these birds, like ravens and crows and stuff, you hang out on the ground because they're, they're scavengers. Marco: Right. Nima Kharrazi: So these birds are also on the ground too, but they're real pretty. Marco: Yeah. Nima Kharrazi: Yeah. But they can be real territorial. In Australia, they get, they get, they attack bicyclists and stuff. If they come by their nests under a tree, and they'll chase them for blocks. Marco: Wow. Wow, that's, that's nifty. Yeah, I've texted, I've texted Trevor. We'll see if he gets back to us before the end of the podcast. But, uh, but yeah, I'm just texting random friends about birds. They'll be like, what, what is this text you're sending me? Um, I, I, I know that we were talking about jays a second ago. The gray J is also called the Canada J, and I'm curious to see that one if I haven't already seen it. And, um, I'm, uh, just trying to think of other birds that I really enjoy spotting in the wild. Is there any bird that you have yet to see that's on your list? Nima Kharrazi: Okay, so another little story for you. Marco: Okay. Nima Kharrazi: Um, when my dad and I lived in La Habra with my mom and my sister, um, there was a little, um, Costa Rican restaurant that had a green quetzal bird on the side of it. And if you're not familiar with quetzal birds. They're like a little bird. They're like this. The size of like a. Like a. I don't know, a finch or like some. Like a small. Like a sparrow. Sure. But they have these really long, gorgeous green feather tails. Marco: Right. I know this about you. I thought you saw this at the farmer's market. Nima Kharrazi: No, no, no. It was a restaurant that had the picture of this bird. Okay, Sorry. On the side of it. And so my dad looked and said, oh, what kind of bird is that? And I said, oh, dad, this is the most interesting bird in the world because there's a tribe in. In South America that in order to become a man in this tribe, you have to bring back a feather from this bird. And you can't kill the bird because it's a sacred holy bird. Marco: Sure. Nima Kharrazi: So you have to track this bird from the age of 12 until you can find a feather. And sometimes you'll be walking, you'll be tracking this bird day and night, and then the bird will just fly across a waterfall and you'll just miss out. That's it. You. You lost your bird, you have to go back, and then you. You have to do remedial work, and you can never be considered a man in this tribe. Marco: Right. Nima Kharrazi: And anyway, I went on and on and told all this great story, and years and years later, my dad was telling me. Oh, you know, uh, he was telling about me to somebody. You know, Nima told me this story about this bird in South America where the tr. And I had totally forgotten about it. And I said, dad, I. I made that up. And he goes, what part of it? And I said, all of it. I, uh, actually don't even know if that's a real bird. And then I looked it up, and it is the quetzal bird from Costa Rica. And it is a. It is actually somewhat sacred. It's actually endangered as well. Marco: Oh, okay. Nima Kharrazi: And it's rare to find them or see them, but there's tours you can go on in Costa Rica and you could find this bird, and it's on their money then, so they. You can always get that. Uh, so I've. I would be so happy if I could see a quetzal bird in real life. I think it would be amazing. I think that would be one of the coolest things ever. Marco: That is awesome. Would you go on that tour? Nima Kharrazi: Oh, yeah. I mean, yeah, I think, you know, I have a really bad tendency when I travel where I want to do things that I really want to do. I want to save it like dessert and do it at the end of the trip. So if there's, like, I don't know, a special drive to some place I want to do, or if there's like a walk in nature that I'd like to do, I want to save that for the last. So that if there's anything not so great in the middle of the trip, at least we left on a high note. And the problem with that is, more often than not, that thing that you did that you had a really great time doing. Marco: Sure. Nima Kharrazi: You wish you would have done earlier so that you could have done it twice, maybe if there was time allowing. Marco: I hear you. Nima Kharrazi: So now I'm like, maybe we just do the dessert first. Like, that's one of the first two day things that we do. And then if we really like that, we can maybe schedule one more towards the end of the trip. Marco: Not a bad idea. Nima Kharrazi: Not a bad idea. Marco: But it's also what makes it special, too, that you, you know, you did it once and that was it. Until next time. You know, that's true. Trevor did get back to me, but can I guess? No. He gave me the wrong bird. Nima Kharrazi: What did he say? Marco: He said starling. Nima Kharrazi: It's not a starling. I think if. I think if I'm not mistaken, Marco, it's a magpie. Marco: Maybe you're right. Magpie. Nima Kharrazi: It's a magpie. Because those. Those look up birds in Colorado. Yeah. Are just as beautiful as the Australian version, but they're not aggressive. But the Australian ones are super aggressive. And there's even. They even have special. During magpie seat, like, m, um, nesting season, they have special bicycle helmets that have, um, wires on them to discourage the magpies from attacking bicyclists. And you have to be very careful. It's like there's signs and everything telling you in Australia that magpies might attack you. Marco: Okay. It's not the magpie. It's not the starling. I've looked it up. Nima Kharrazi: Yes. Tell, um, me. Marco: So it wasn't last year, but in 2021. Nima Kharrazi: Okay. Marco: The red winged blackbirds were diving people in Toronto like it was going out of style. So. Yeah, the red. The red. I'm just gonna take a snapshot of it. Nima Kharrazi: Yeah. Marco: Oh. Did you hear that? I did. I didn't think I had that on. Uh, I'm gonna see if I can send it to you. Um, I'll see if I can send it to you just so you can see what it looks like. I'm gonna do it. Nima Kharrazi: Old. Marco: Old School, So I'm gonna send it to the wrong person. Nima Kharrazi: Now Marco: I'm sure everyone's like, this is really fascinating podcast right now. Marco's sending snapshots to Nima. So this is what the bird looked like. Uh, you know, part of the reason I got so into birds was, and I've said it on this podcast before, was the game Wingspan that we play, because I've learned so much about birds playing. And I've also realized the birds that I like and that I'll go for are, ah, birds that I'm like, oh, I really like that bird. I would like to see that bird. And there's other birds from the game that are probably really nice birds, but their powers in the game just irritate me. So I don't like the bird. You know, the bird on the box cover, the scissor tail. I don't like. Pretty, pretty bird. Nima Kharrazi: Oh, because he's a crummy card bird. Marco: Yeah, it's not a great card. And so I'm like, this bird, I can't stand it. And it's on the token. When you play, I forget what the name of the bird. I want to say scissor tail, something or other. And I'm like, I don't like that bird. And then there's other birds that I'm like, I love Nuthatch. I think they're great birds. The Thrasher. The Thrasher, yeah. The Thrasher bird's an incredible bird. Like, what it does. I'm not even going to say it on the podcast because it's. Nima Kharrazi: It's. Marco: It's quite aggressive, but. Nima Kharrazi: Wow. Marco: Some birds are just really cool birds. Nima Kharrazi: Yeah, we. We actually got lucky. Where we live, there's a magnolia tree in front of our house. Marco: Oh, beautiful. Nima Kharrazi: Hummingbirds love to nest in magnolia trees. So two years ago in February, we had a hummingbird nest, and she had two eggs. Marco: Oh, wow. Nima Kharrazi: And then last year, we had one that she had two eggs. And so in February, we should have. And I have this little thing where I share the video with all my friends. And so I. I, uh, I usually just up update that. Although last year I didn't do it, but I'll. I'll do it this year. But that's another bird I love a lot. Marco: Will you do it on your Instagram? Nima Kharrazi: Oh, yeah, I could do it on my Insta. Yeah. Marco: All right. So where can people find you? Nima Kharrazi: So I'm across all social media. I am at Nima Speaks. So N I M M a S P E A K S or Nima's Peaks, you know. Sure, sure. Marco: That works too. Um, I think I heard your wife coughing in the background there in case anybody. It wasn't a starling that got trapped in the house. Um, why is it that hummingbirds like to nest in magnolia trees? Nima Kharrazi: Because the leaves of magnolia trees are so large and they hang down. Then they give enough cover because there's a bunch of squirrels and stuff that come up and pester them. And then other birds also. Sure. Bigger than them. And unfortunately, there's. There's just, you know, people. There's animals that eat eggs. Marco: Right. Nima Kharrazi: Of course they have to try to cover and protect, but they're just so beautiful. And they sit there and they. They. They're patient. And usually around February, it's a little bit rainy out here, but that mama bird just sits on that nest and is just so patient and waits, goes and gets real necked. Because we have, like, hummingbird feeders in front of our house, like, um, hanging. Yes. But she goes and gets. She never drinks from the feeder. She goes and gets it from real flowers. Right. She's organic. You know, she doesn't listen. Marco: When you live in California, it's part and parcel of what goes on. Well, Nima, I gotta thank you so much for, uh, you know, last minute, I just sent, uh, Nima a message, and he's like, yeah, let's do it. And I really appreciate it. I appreciate you and I appreciate all the bird talk that we've had, both on the podcast and listeners. I can tell you we have a lot of bird conversations off the podcast, too. Nima Kharrazi: Yeah. Yeah. And thank you again, Marco, for teaching my wife and I how to play Wingspan. That was very, um, patient of you to. To take your time. Marco: I'm going to just, uh, you. Nima Kharrazi: You. Marco: You cut out there when you said, I want to thank you, Marco. Nima Kharrazi: Oh, okay. So I want to thank you, Marco, so much for teaching my wife and I how to play Wingspan. It took a lot of patience on your end, but I really appreciate that. So, uh, it's a game that we still play, uh, every now and again, just the two of us. And she was actually playing solo. It's a great game. You could even play solo. And then every time, she would lose to the non existent player. And so we would call the non existent player nep, because that's non existent player. Sure. And I go, how'd it go? She'd go, nepal beat me again. Marco: Oh, my goodness. Nima Kharrazi: Nap's a monster. Marco: Uh, we just got the Oceana expansion. Oh, nice with the nectar. Nima Kharrazi: Oh, oh, okay. Marco: It's a different game, my friend. It's a different game. I'm just saying. Anyways, until next time, thank you for. And I hope you, uh, were able to listen to the podcast today and either get a little grain for yourself or at least fall asleep. Until next time, Sam.
In Soap & Subscriptions, Amanda and Marco settle into a softly spoken, gently meandering conversation designed to help you unwind at the end of the day. This calming podcast lingers on the comfort of everyday rituals, beginning with a thoughtful reflection on soap — the subtle differences in scent and texture, the familiar rhythm of washing hands, and the quiet sensory details we often overlook. It’s a relaxing conversation that turns something ordinary into a small moment of mindfulness.
From there, the discussion drifts naturally into the world of subscriptions — the steady arrival of household staples, curated boxes, and small conveniences that show up at the door. Amanda and Marco reflect on the comfort of predictable routines and the mild anticipation of receiving something familiar. Nothing urgent, nothing dramatic — just steady, companionable thoughts. As always, the pace is intentionally unhurried, making this episode perfect for background listening as you fall asleep, ease anxiety, or quiet racing thoughts during a middle-of-the-night wake-up. The Insomnia Project offers gentle company in the dark — a peaceful space where conversation hums softly and you’re free to drift off whenever you’re ready.
Soap & Subscriptions
(Original airdate: October 4, 2023) Welcome to the Insomnia Project, the Patreon episodes. Thank you for joining us. Of course. We appreciate your patronage. I'm your host, Marco Timpano. Amanda: Here I am Amanda Barker. Marco: And, Amanda, um, while our season hasn't started, It'll start on February 1st. The regular podcast episodes were. Amanda: I'm sorry. The podcast was Episodes. Marco: Applesaudes. Um, Applesaudes. Uh, the patrons get, uh, you know, uninterrupted episodes. So there we go. Amanda: All, uh, your Insomnia project content. All the time. Marco: All the time. I wanted to talk about soap. Amanda: Okay. Marco: And bars of soap. Amanda: All right. Marco: Because, you know, I'm a huge fan of soap. Amanda: Man soap. Marco: Yes, man soap, as we refer to it. Because I'm always saying, you know what I want? I want some man soap, which is a bar of soap that I can use in the shower, uh, as soap. And I don't know why we started calling it man soap, but that's what I want was man. Amanda: Well, because it, uh, sounds as sexist. That's why. It really does. But the soap that I kept getting, I was trading for it. Marco: Oh, that's right. Amanda: It was handmade soap, and it would kind of disintegrate quickly. And then you started getting upset because you said we had no good soap. And I'd be like, we have all this. And you'd be like, mm, m. It's not. I need a heartier soap. Marco: It's true. Amanda: Um, and for you, you meant. I think, at that point, anyway, like bars of soap that you would buy en masse at a grocery store. Marco: That's right. An Irish spring. Um, dial. Amanda: An Ivory. Marco: Not ivory. I don't like ivory. Amanda: Okay. A dove. Marco: Dove works. Yeah. Amanda: Okay. Well, anyway, um, which is funny because dove is often marketed to women, but, uh, for you, that would be called a man soap. Marco: It's just a soap that I can hold and has some, uh, girth and hardiness to, uh, versus a soap that's, like, delicate or thin. Sometimes you would give me, like, hotel soaps or soaps that were too thin to use. Amanda: Do those hotel soaps continue to last? I have one going that just lasts and lasts. So there you go. Um, and I think we talked before about the project where they take hotel soaps that are gently used and, uh, melt them down to make soap for developing countries. Marco: Oh, yeah, I don't remember that. Amanda: I'm pretty sure I've talked about it before. Marco: Um, do you know this soap, the soap that we wash our bodies with is actually technically called toilet soap. Amanda: What? Marco: Yeah, it's called toilet, uh, soap. I'm looking at this on Wikipedia. In a domestic setting, soap usually refers to what is technically called a toilet soap used for household or personal cleaning. So in other words, the soap that you would use in a toilet or a bathroom or a washroom, whatever you call it, uh, when used for cleaning other things like, uh, detergents or cleaning oil spills and whatnot, it's not obviously called toilet soap. Amanda: I'm fascinated by that because there would be toilet soap, laundry soap, that kind of thing. Marco: Yeah, I guess so. That's exactly it. It's not laundry soap. Um, when used for cleaning, soap solubilizes particles and grime which can then be separated from the article being cleaned. The insoluble oil fat molecules become associ inside, uh, micelles, tiny spheres formed from soap molecules with polar hydrophilic groups on the outside encasing, uh, lipophilic, uh, which are fat attracting pockets, which shields the oil fat molecules from the water, making it soluble. Anything that is soluble will, uh, be washed away with water. So that, I guess is the definition of toilet soap versus a surfactant soap or a soap that does other things. Yeah. Amanda: Do you think a lot about, um, soap in the olden days? Marco: I don't, but Soap is like 2,500 years bc I noticed here. Um, and for our listeners, just so you know, and I'm sure Amanda is aware of this now, I will always refer to soap as toilet soap, uh, around the house, because I think it's great for that. Amanda: Yeah, that'll be great. It's very funny when we have guests over. Um. Yeah, I often think about. In fact there's a famous case and I don't really want to get into the case right now just because of the details of it, but, um, ah, a famous true crime case that actually began with, um, somebody taking somebody else's bar of soap. Marco: Oh, I didn't know that because it Amanda: was in the 1800s and so there was quite a scrap over. They borrowed the soap and didn't return it. Marco: Well, soap was a high commodity. Amanda: Well, that's just it. This was like, um, Victorian, like late 1800s. Marco: Sure. Amanda: So I often think about that. Like, imagine you Know, having such a reverence and obviously a need for soap that, um, you know, imagine if you Marco: didn't have it, a bra breaks out. Amanda: Yeah. Marco: You know, um, soap. Good soap. I love good soap. And it's interesting we talked about man soap because a lot of the scents of soaps that I like aren't, you know, necessarily associated with men. I like floral. Floral scents, um, all kinds of scents, you know. Um, how important is the scent of the soap to you, Amanda? Amanda: For me, very important. Um, I'm not so into floral scents. I like m sort of the sandalwood variety. Something earthier. A, uh, patchouli based. Although I'm not really, I don't really care for patchouli. But anyway, things that are in that word, like, um, a, ah, sage, a cedar, a green tea. Ylang. Ylang. Marco: Even I don't like the ylang Ylang. That's the soap that's currently being used. The toilet soap. Amanda: I like that one. Marco: You do? Amanda: Really? You're gonna call it toilet? Marco: I'm calling it toilet soap. Yeah, of course. That's its technical name. Amanda: Toilet soap in our shower. Um, no, we're not gonna call it. Marco: You may not, but I should. Amanda: Well then what do I clean my toilet with? Marco: I hope it's not toilet soap because that's what I use for my body. You use other soaps, disinfectant or detergent soaps. Amanda: That's toilet soap. Marco: Well, maybe for you. Amanda: Yeah. Marco: What is ylang Ylang? Amanda: I don't know. An herb. Marco: Looks like it's a flower. Oh, maybe it is kananga odorata, which is a kananga, uh, tree. Comes from the Kananga tree. Amanda: M. Well, I'll be the one cleaning the toilets for the most part. So I'm going to call that toilet soap. Marco: Okay, well, you call it what you will. I will call it the proper term. Amanda: How about you call it toilet soap? Marco: Toilet soap. Amanda: No. Savant de toilette. Marco: Uh, the French are really, uh, well known for their French milled process of, uh, making soap. M Marseilles. I did a brief while. Amanda: It gets very humid. You need soap when you're in France. Marco: I guess you do. Amanda: Yeah. Marco: So I have to answer back to an email because I got on a soap subscription, ah, service and I don't like the soap that they sent. Amanda: I had nothing to do with this. Marco: She had nothing to do with it, folks. Anyway, so I got on the subscription service of the soap and they sent me eight bars of soap and I didn't love them. Amanda: Which begs the question, how much soap do they think One human needs that they're sending eight bars per time. Marco: That was the introductory sort of thing. Like you get eight bars for the price of six. Amanda: I see. Marco: And it was supposed to be a four month supply and then on the fourth month they send you another supply. I think of three soaps. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: To sort of get you into your toilet soap needs. Right. And I didn't love the ones that we got and I thought I canceled the subscription. They sent me three more soaps and I don't, uh, I mean, I don't anticipate I'm gonna like these toilet soaps. So I sent an email to them and now they've sent an email back trying to woo me as a customer. But it's not gonna happen and I just have to answer that email. So. So I'll do that. But it's not anything of a rush, let's say. Amanda: Well, I mean, the worst case scenario is we just have more lovely soap. I don't mind toilet soap. You know what, I'm not calling it toilet soap. Marco: You said it. So naturally you benefit from my love of toilet soap because you get a little extra toilet soap in your life. Amanda: I do and I don't because I end up using the soaps that you've decided you don't like and you're very particular. So if you're like, mm m. I don't like it, then I take it to we're lucky we have two showers. So I take it to the shower that I more often use and then I'm stuck with it. Marco: It's true. I'm not gonna lie. It's true. Um, well, I'll try to save the Amanda: soaps that you've got me thinking about subscription services though. Um, have we ever talked about subscription services? Marco: I'm sure we have. I can't even begin to remember all the topics we've talked about on the podcast, unfortunately. Amanda: Well, I'd love to go through the ones that I've benefited from. I don't have to name them because nobody is sponsoring our podcast. But things that I've chosen to do in the subscription, of course. Marco: Of course. And if you like the subscription, name it, because then our listener are getting the benefit of your sort of review Amanda: of it, I suppose. Um, well, one that I've actually really enjoyed, maybe surprisingly, is Ipsi I P S I Sy Ipsy. Um, I sort of did it on a lark actually now quite a few years ago, maybe four years ago, and I really enjoy it. Maybe even five years ago. Marco: Uh, no, it can't be that long Amanda: ago, I think it might have been really. Maybe Marco: not a magazine subscription, of which Amanda: I have many of those. It's a makeup subscription. And, um, they give you five products a month, which sounds like a lot, but some of them are often a sample size. And what I find is I try more things, I go through it a lot quicker than I did. Marco: You mentioned it was all makeup. Like makeup based. Amanda: Yeah, it's makeup. But then there's other things that sort of show up, like deodorant, full size deodorant. Soap was one of the things actually. Marco: Toilet soap. Amanda: Yes. And you liked the one we got from that, actually. Um, and, uh, you know, a candle at one point came. But for the most part, it's makeup. It's usually if it's coming in that world, um, you know, face wipes, things like that, creams, sunblock, lip balms, for sure. So it's sort of all facial care products. And it's, uh, I pay, I think 20, something like 24amonth or something. It comes to, uh, I think it's less than that. I think it's like 22amonth Canadian, which is not very much. Probably like, you know, 18American. And I do love makeup, so it depends on who you are and what you like. But one of the things I like is, you know, eye makeup you're not supposed to have it for. Or lipstick. I mean, these should not be things that you have had for years and years and years. You should go through them. And I find when I have a smaller, um, mascara, for example, then I'll use it for two, three months. I've used it up and it's done. And then I can recycle it. I also, there's a lot of nice, um, environmental products on there. A lot of the nail polishes, um, are all natural, which is really hard to find with nail polish. Marco: Oh, is it okay? Amanda: Yeah. Um, a lot of the products are cruelty free and you can tailor your choices depending on what it is that you want or what you'd like to try. Also what kind of skin type and coloring and all of that so that you're getting products you actually want and can use so you can really adjust your subscription each month. And, uh, the reason I'm surprised is I felt like it would be something I would do for six months and then sort of peter out. But actually I love the products I get. And like I said, it's kept me going. It. If it was a bit more money, I probably wouldn't do it right. But um, the only thing is every month these products come in a little makeup bag and the bags are great. But I have so many now. Marco: But you have been using those makeup bags as gift bags for kids and I love it. Amanda: They're great little pencil cases for kids or whatever they want to use them for. Marco: What I loved about that particular soap that came, that toilet soap that came in your uh, Ipsy subscription was it was a triple milled soap. Amanda: Okay. Marco: And for me, my favorite is triple milled soaps. Amanda: I didn't know. So this is like thread count of sheets. I didn't know there was different mills. So can you explain that? Marco: Of course. So a triple milled soap goes through a refinement process, Amanda, that presses the soap through a mold. Hm, sorry, not a mold, through a mill, I should say. And this process basically squeezes out all the air and all the moisture from that soap. So what happens is you get a better distribution of scent, a better distribution of color if your soap happens to have a, a color to it. But it also means that it breaks down slower. So that milled soap, and you can tell when you hold a milled soap because it's often heavier and it feels very smooth to me. And in fact that bar of milled soap, toilet soap we're talking, will last longer than a regular bar, uh, of soap. Amanda: And so this is what you mean by man soap, what you actually mean is milled soap. Is milled soap particularly a tripled. Milled. Marco: Triple milled. Amanda: Is there a double milled? Marco: No, I mean, uh, there could be, but the triple milled, or I think it's called the French milled soap is the other term for it. And that's why it came to me because the soap from France is generally triple milled or regarded as such. Amanda: Yeah, um, well that makes sense because all of the soaps that I had before that were very glycerin based, handmade, somebody made them and traded me for um, whatever, a spatula or whatever. Marco: And sometimes that soap, uh, dissipates rather quickly. Amanda: It does. Marco: Even the one that I made, remember I talked about on the podcast, I was making soap. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: That lasted, you know, four or five washes. Amanda: That's true. The one you made didn't last very long. So that's good to know. I didn't know about the milling here, Marco: actually, I just looked online. Here are the benefits of triple milled soap. Amanda: Tell us. Marco: Longer lasting than standard commercial or hand poured bar soap. Because the soap contains little to no water, as I mentioned, or air, it can Outlast the other types by months. Amanda: Wow. Marco: The other thing is it's more solid or dense. The bar does not quickly soften, which is something else I dislike. And dissolve in the soap dish. It m. Tends to hold up to a soap dish better. Denser soap is less porous, which means it will not turn to mush as quickly as others. If soaked in water, it may soften, but it should still stay solid when it dries, although it may crack. And that's true. Milled soap does, uh, have a tendency or propensity to crack. Uh, it's smoother and creamier. It's so funny because I didn't even look at this list before I said all those things. Um, it's smoother, creamier, texture feels more sensuous. And I guess that's why I really love that soap. You can feel the quality of the finished product by just holding it in your hand. And lastly, it's richer and more luxur. It has a richer and more luxurious. Luxurious or luxurious lather. Amanda: Oh, I don't know. Marco: You'll notice a difference in the richness of the lather. And that's important to me, too. Amanda is the lather. I, uh, like a good, strong toilet soap lather. Amanda: Wow. Marco: Okay, back to your subscriptions. Amanda: Oh, no, I enjoyed that little trip down Triple Mill Lane. Marco: Yes. Amanda: Um, so I'm trying to think. So do you have subscriptions that have worked for you? Marco: I had a subscription once that you got me, and it was. And it was supposed to be a subscription that was, um, not specific to any gender. Amanda: That's right. Marco: I was very excited about it because Amanda gets all these cool little, uh, packets or boxes with subscription things. So I was like, I got my own subscription. And then it was, like, sending me a lot of stuff that I wouldn't necessarily use, like, uh, nail polish or, um, things. Barrettes. Fancy barrettes and things. And it was like, this isn't really geared to, um. You know, it felt very gendered. Amanda: It felt very female. Yeah. Or it's hard to say that because anybody can wear nail polish and do. Anyone does wear nail polish. But there were lots of things. Actually. There's a lot of hair products. Yeah. Marco: And I don't have a lot of hair for product, so it didn't work for me. Amanda: So we spoke to them about it and said, you know, we're really excited about your service, but everything seems really female focused. I, uh, can't remember what else was in there, but there was definitely things that were gender meant to be gender specific. Uh, and for people with long hair. And so, um, they apologized and they sent us a free box as a. And that box, um, was wonderful. Was wonderful. It had sunglasses in it. Lots of wonderful. I think a candle. Marco: Yeah, it was great. Amanda: Yeah. The whole point of that box was, um, products that, um, have no footprint on the earth, so things that biodegrade, things that are all fair trade practices, um, that type of thing. So yeah. Marco: Then I had another subscription. Amanda: Should we name that one? Marco: I don't even remember the name. Amanda: It was called an Ecobox. Marco: An Ecobox. Amanda: I don't know if they're still around. Marco: And I think that's why we were excited to get it. Because we thought, oh, ecobox, it's gonna be things for the home that were gonna be ecological. And then it was a lot of combs. Yeah. Uh, lipstick and nail polish. And I was like, well, this doesn't work for me necessarily as a gift for you. Amanda: It wasn't as appropriate as I had hoped. Marco: Then I got one that was at that time. Amanda: But I will say, I just want to say about that company because they sent us this gorgeous box full of things as a worse. Sorry. I would absolutely recommend them because they're. Customer service was great and hopefully they found more products. Marco: Oh, and don't get me wrong, the products that they did send were top notch. Amanda: We're still using some of them. Yeah. Marco: Which ones are we using? Amanda: I found a knife and fork traveling set today as I was cleaning the kitchen. I've been doing a major purge of things in the house and uh, I found that, um, we have wooden sunglasses. Marco: Oh yeah, the wooden sunglasses. Amanda: Those things have been around since we got them and they travel all the time with us, so those ones are great. Those are a few things I can think of. Marco: I had a subscription to a tie. I think it was like a. It was a specific. Once again, here was a specific subscription for. Geared towards men. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: Though the products could be used by either gender or any genders if they wanted. But it was very tie focused. So it was like ties and wallets. And then I was like, okay. After like the fourth box, I was like, I don't need any more ties. Clearly I don't need more wallets. Amanda: How many wallet, like a wallet subscription? Who would need that? Marco: No, I think it sent one wallet and then like a, um, money clip. Amanda: Okay. Marco: But then a lot of that stuff was sports focused too. Amanda: Right. Marco: And they would send socks. So it was like ties and socks. And I was like, surely you can think of more than just ties or Socks or cufflinks? Amanda: Mhm. Marco: And because they were very sports focused too, and I don't really follow a lot of sports teams, I was a little bit like, ugh, uh, I canceled them too. Amanda: I'm trying to remember the name of that snack subscription box. Marco: Oh, I don't even remember this. Oh, I think I remember it. Amanda: I'm actually messaging our friends right now. Marco: Who ordered this? Who recommended it? Amanda: Um, no, they used to use it and we used to use it. We went through a real phase. They were on it for a long time. It was a lot of like chocolate covered cashews and things like that. Um, and they got really into it. It was like nuts and cookies. Marco: I love nuts. Especially if you cover them in chocolate. They're great. Amanda: I can't remember what that one was called, but we spent about a year with that one. Marco: Now. What's the one? You get a big box that's always fun to open. Amanda: I do, and I'm hesitant to talk about that, but I will. It's called the FabFit Fun Box. I, you know, I got roped into it through a friend. I shouldn't say roped into it, but, um, she offered me. It was like $15 in a free box. Um, and so I said, okay, fine, I'll do it. And got a box for 15 bucks and then went, okay, I'll sign off. Then they get all your info. And I thought, okay, I'll buy it, I'll do this. It's an interesting one. Um, they tend to in their marketing target a lot of like influencer people. And there's a lot of unboxing and stuff. So, um, I don't think all the products are, although some of them are. But I don't know if they have quite an, uh, ecological component to them as some other boxes. But every time I think I'm going to cancel that subscription, I do get a box. And the truth is I open it up and kind of go, okay, yeah, uh, maybe. And then I end up really loving a lot of those products. So I've gotten both of those bathrobes that I have are both from them. Marco: The soft. The soft. Amanda: The soft one and the satiny one. Marco: Oh, the satiny one. Amanda: Both from them. Yeah. Because you can go, it'll be like, okay, it's, you know, it's a big business, that one. And they'll be like, okay. And it's definitely, um, gendered. Like it's definitely targeted to women. Yeah. Like the clothing is like, it's not just clothing, but um, you Know, hair product, a lot of creams and facial creams and stuff. But you can go on and you can pick the stuff you want. It ends up being like 90 bucks. Ouch. Yeah, so it's always a is it worth it? Kind of thing for me, I don't think so. But I end up loving it every time. So once I get a dud box, I'll probably cut it off. I've had a couple repeat things in the boxes and there's always things I don't really use, uh, on the smaller things. But if you can go and click on the things you want, then that's kind of fun. It's a little bit like, you know, a mini Christmas when you get one. Marco: So here's what I would love. I would love a reasonably priced flower subscription bouquet. Amanda: That's a great idea. Marco: And I don't think, I think in the US they have them. Amanda: Yeah, it's harder in Canada, but it's Marco: harder in Canada because cold and you know. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: Flowers are just pricey. So anything that I've looked into that, it's like you might as well just get it from a local florist because it's going to cost you the same. And you know, flowers are not inexpensive. So you're going to look at over $80 for such a subscription. So it's kind of for me, cost prohibitive. But how lovely would it be to get like a little plain flower subscription? Amanda: A once a month bouquet would be a really great idea. There's an underwear subscription box that I'm actually interested in that is um, biodegradable underwear. Marco: Oh, so you wear it once and you bury it. Amanda: No, you actually. They say it lasts a long time. I actually had it in um, my Christmas wish list this year I think. Um, let me see if I can find it. But yeah, it's biodegradable underwear. Um, and they send you three every month or something like that. So eventually that would be all your underwear. I don't know. Apparently you can wear it a lot and then you bury it and it's fine. Or you put it in the compost and it's fine. Marco: Imagine all the little burial spots you have in your backyard for all the underwear that you. Amanda: Oh, that's just my underwear. No problem. Marco: Don't worry about that. Amanda: Yeah, so I'm not really sure about that one, but I know that that one exists. Marco: Um, there's a lot of food ones we have partaken. Partook. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: In the food boxes. Amanda: Mhm. We have and we tend To I rotate between two or three of them. And I will say, with Food Subscription boxes, now, there's three major. One, there's a few that deliver to our area. And what I'm talking about is the meal kits. You know the ones. Marco: Good Food, hello Food, Happy Food, hello Food. Isn't there one called hello Food? Amanda: There definitely is. Marco: Hello Food, hello Food, hello Subscription, Happy Food, Happy Food. Amanda: These are all made up names. Good Food is not. Should I just name them? Marco: You can name them. This is the Patreon episode. Amanda: Okay. It feels like M. I'm plugging them. Marco: No, they take everything with a grain of salt. Our patrons know that this, by the Amanda: way, all these meal kits want you to add a grain of salt to everything. It's a lot about seasoning. Uh, the three I rotate between are Hellofresh, Chef's Plate, and Good Food. Currently, anyway. And what I do is I. Yeah, if this is the Patreon. That's right. I get a discount. Marco: Insider tip. Amanda: This is how I do it. I get a discount. And it'll usually be right now. For me, it'll usually be reactivation. You always get a discount to join. But, um, after you've joined them and done the 30% off, or your next four weeks or whatever it ends up being, you cancel it. Well, once you cancel it after about a month or two, they want you back. So they'll say, hey, reactivate now, and your next two boxes are half off, or whatever it ends up being. So I'll ride that code and do it for two weeks or whatever our schedule is, and then I'll deactivate that. And then I usually, at that point, have a code for the next one. Do my month or whatever, couple of weeks, deactivate that, then do the third one. Marco: So Amanda's working the system, in other Amanda: words, and usually by the time the third one's deactivated, they're offering me codes back on box number A. Ah, yeah. Marco: So she's maximizing her box potential by, uh. Amanda: I never pay full price for them. I don't. The thing is about them is with inflation, they're actually a good deal. Because if you do protein, especially if you're eating. If you're vegetarian. I don't know if they're a great deal, but if you're eating meat or want to eat any meat, then they're a good deal. Because, um, you know, they're a good deal for all the reasons they'll tell you that they're a good deal and that they're giving you all the ingredients and there's no waste because you're using it all. And that's true to a certain degree. Um, and they've become all bit more environmentally sound. When they first started, a lot of them had a lot of prepackaging. They've minimized that to some degree. But, um, yeah, they are a good deal because if you were to, you know, buy chicken breasts or some, you know, whatever ground turkey, then it's a better. It's actually cheaper or as cheap than buying it at the grocery store for us anyway, where we live and what prices are. So for us, it works out. And also because it's just you and I, I think if I were feeding a family, I might feel different. Marco: It'd be a different story, maybe. Amanda: I don't know. Marco: Amanda, thank you for sharing all that. That, uh, subscription m. Um services that you. You get, the underwear that you're going to purchase and bury and our toilet soap talk, that's all we have time for on this particular Patreon episode. Thank you all for listening. We hope this episode was able to make you feel cleaner. And, um, also realize that you can probably bury your biodegradable underwear, which I think is hilarious. And also, of course, we hope it helped you sleep.
In Massage & Cologne, Marco and Amanda settle into a softly meandering conversation about relaxation, scent, and the small rituals that help us unwind. They begin by reflecting on their favourite types of massages — from pressure preferences to those little details that transform a simple appointment into a truly calming experience. The discussion lingers on soothing environments, ambient music, and the subtle scents that can enhance a moment of rest.
As the episode drifts along, Marco shares a lighthearted massage mishap, adding a touch of gentle humour without disturbing the tranquil tone. The conversation then glides naturally into the world of cologne, perfumes, and eau de toilette — exploring favourite fragrances, memorable bottles, and the curious power of scent to evoke memories and moods. Like every episode of this calming podcast, the pace is unhurried and companionable, offering a relaxing conversation designed to help you fall asleep, ease anxiety, or quiet racing thoughts. It’s perfect for background listening at bedtime or during a middle-of-the-night wake-up — soft voices, familiar topics, and a steady drift toward rest.
Massage & Cologne
(Original airdate: October 11, 2023) Marco: Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm conversation about very calm topics to help you, the insomniac or the person who's feeling a little bit out of sorts. Relax and chill, and who knows, maybe even find your way to sleep. Thank you for joining us. I'm your host, Marco Timpano. Amanda: I'm almost asleep myself. I'm Amanda Barker. Marco: Amanda, um, I wanted to talk to you about massages. Amanda: Okay. Marco: Uh, are you the type of person who enjoys massage? Amanda: I do. Marco: So tell me, what is your. Amanda: Are there people that don't enjoy it? Marco: Oh, I'm sure there are people who don't. But, you know, massage is a very relaxing thing one can do. And, you know, there's different types of massages out there. Uh, there's some that are a bit more aggressive than others, some that are more calm. Let me ask you, where's the most picturesque massage you've ever had? Amanda: Oh, um, the one that comes to mind is you and I in the treetops. Marco: Yes. Amanda: Um, in, uh, a spa, uh, just outside of Ottawa that is on the other side of the border to Quebec, Marco: which one of our listeners told us to go check out. Amanda: Chelsea, Quebec. Yeah. And it was. They do. It's a Huge spa water park, uh, called the Nordic Spa. Uh, and they offer massages in the treetops. So they have maybe, I don't know, four or five. Yeah, I would say, so treetop cabins that you can go into, and then they massage you. Now, that said, when you're face down on a table, you could kind of be anywhere because you're in a little cabin. So it could be a cabin in the woods or on a treetop or inside of a office somewhere. Marco: Right. Have you ever been massaged on a beach with the sunset or with the sun? Um. Amanda: Um, I've been massaged near a beach. I don't love getting. Well, I don't know. I don't think I've ever gotten a massage where the person comes up to you as you're laying in the heat or in the sand. But I've been in a hut that's looking at the beach. Marco: Oh, that's cool. Amanda: In Thailand and got a massage that way, which was lovely. Marco: Okay, so when it comes to massages, uh, is there any kind of massage? Like, do you prefer a scrub? Do you like certain smelling oils? Do you like to just be left alone? Do you like when they talk to you? Amanda: Well, I. I'm chatty, and it's just in my nature to connect with people. Marco: Sure. Amanda: I think it's in everyone's nature, but I do that through talking. And, um, so sometimes what ends up happening, especially if I don't know the person, um, they'll see on my form that I've written that my occupation is actor. So then they just have to ask me, what have I seen you in? Or, uh, you know, so that can end up being an entire massage you kind of hit. There's like, a point of no return in a massage, don't you find? Marco: Yes. Marco: Like, I always sort of set the tone of my massage and my dental work because I don't like to chat with. With people who are doing that kind of work on. On me, on my body, let's say on my teeth or whatnot. So I'll always say, is it okay if I listen to a podcast or music? Amanda: It's a great way to get out of it. Marco: Y of 10 times. They're like, yes, or 10 out of 10 times. I don't think anyone's ever said, no, don't. But I'll put them in. Put it in my ears. I'll put on my music. I'll put on whatever I want to listen to, and then that's what becomes my focus. I had one. One chiropractor Someone who was really, like, chatty. And I was like, I just can't continue a conversation while this is going on. So that's when I put on my. My headphones and I just chilled and relaxed. But I did have a massage once that ended up being a very, um, awkward moment in Prince George, bc. Oh, I was at this clinic that does massages. And it was a nice clinic. You remember, it was near the mall or whatever, behind the mall. I can't remember exactly. And, uh, I was on. You know how they had these kind of wooden tables, massage tables, and they kind of look like IKEA wood, for lack of a better word. So not solid wood, but pressed wood. Pressed wood, pressed board. And so it looked like a standard massage table table. And I had. I had been going there for a. A few times because we were. We were doing a show in. In. In that town. And as I was lying on, um, the massage table, I could hear creaking. And it was an odd sound. And I remember I checked in with the masseuse, uh, and I said, do you hear that creaking? And they said, no. And, like, I hear, like, creaking. And they just continued massaging. And after a certain part, I could feel listing. So it was creaking. And I started to list, and I was like, this isn't. Something feels weird. But, you know, sometimes when you get a massage, you can be in a different place. Like, you don't. You kind of almost get disassociated, and things around you either sound louder or less. And so I said to them, I said, I really feel like I hear creaking. And a moment later, the massage table started to list and fall forward, and I could feel that it was about to fall and hit the ground. So I kind of jumped off it as it cracked and snapped and broke right in half. Amanda: Oh, my God. Yeah. Marco: So I had broken the table, and I was like, I think I was Amanda: on that same table earlier that day, and as I got on it, something weird had shifted and happened, because I remember saying to you, yeah, the table. There's an issue with that table or something, Right? Marco: Well, that table was no more once I was up. Yeah. Amanda: It was really so dangerous. Marco: Yeah. And I was. I was a little bit embarrassed, too. Amanda: But were you naked when you jumped up? Marco: No, no, I was. I was in my underwear. Amanda: See, I'm often naked. Marco: That would have been a surprise for me. Amanda: A challenge. Marco: Yeah. Amanda: So, I mean, it wouldn't have been a surprise because that's the thing. So I always Say, like, what are you? And they always say it's to your comfort. And generally speaking, for me, sometimes I leave my door on, sometimes I don'. Um, but that's it. I'll just have my underwear on. And they just. They're very discreet. They're always, you know, they hold the blanket and you shimmy down when you flip and all that. But, um, it's always an interesting thing because you're like, all right, now you're on the leg. You're gonna figure it out. I don't have any undies on. Marco: Yeah, I'm not a fan of that. That's not. No. But, um, I do like massage oils that have, like, essential oil smells. Amanda: What's your favorite? Marco: I like lavender. I don't mind eucalyptus. I don't anything. I don't. I don't love anything too floral, so. M a jasmine is not gonna work for me. Amanda: Right. Yeah. Uh, right. My favorite is lemongrass. Marco: Oh, yeah, I know that about you. Amanda: Yeah, I love lemongrass. Marco: Why is that? Amanda: Uh, I love it. I don't know. Marco: Because we don't really cook with lemongrass. Amanda: No, we don't. I mean, maybe that's why. Maybe my first time smelling lemongrass, maybe it was that beach in Thailand, you know? Marco: Do you like the smell of fresh cut grass? Amanda: I hate it. Marco: Oh. Amanda: Yeah. Apparently it's a thing people love. I can't stand it. Marco: I didn't know that. Amanda: Yeah, I don't like it at all, I think, because I associate it with work. Marco: Oh, that's fair. Amanda: I associate it with, uh. One of my parents was mowed. Now I have to go rake up all the lawn clippings and put them into piles and do all that work. Marco: Correct me if I'm wrong. I remember there was a cologne or something called grass that smelled like fresh cut cut grass. Amanda: Really? Marco: I think so. Maybe. Amanda: Maybe it's just avoid that person at all costs. Oh, um. How about you? What's your favorite locale for a massage? Marco: Um, Marco: you know, I don't mind. I. I don't really care. I have been massaged on a beach, and I don't love that. Amanda: Why? Marco: Because people can see you. Amanda: Yeah. Marco: And I'm kind of like, you know what? I don't feel the privacy that I want. And I don't need to be in a tent or in a cabin in the sky or whatever it was that we did in the tree cabin or whatever it. Amanda: Again, I wouldn't bother with that. I think I just do one of the regular massage rooms because I think we paid Extra for that experience. It was cool though. Marco: I do like sort of a spa setting. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: So if I'm walking to where I'm gonna get massage, there's a little waterfall and towels that are rolled up and little rocks that are on heating pads. I don't even know why I care about that, but there's something about that that I really love. Yeah, um, I love that. And then once I'm in there, as long as it's like, you know, a nice temperature and I don't have to talk, I'm good. But I'm not. I'm also not someone who like, you know, is a massage enthusiast. Amanda: Oh, really? Marco: Yeah, it's never my, like my go to. You're more inclined to use massages than I am. Yeah, I wanted to go back, you know, I miss it. I mentioned, uh, perfume and cologne is when you get cologne or perfume as a gift. What strikes you the most or what are things that you like about getting cologne? Amanda: I usually ask for the cologne I want. So it's not like people get me smells that I haven't already designated. Marco: How important is the shape or look of the bottle? Amanda: Um, not very. Okay, I like that Jo Malone, we're talking about cologne. Marco: Yeah, let's talk about cologne. Amanda: Cologne shift. Um, I like that, um, I had more to talk about with massage. Marco: Oh, so you're going back to massage? Amanda: No, it's okay. We can talk about cologne. I like that Jo Malone has little ones. Marco: We'll get back to massage. Amanda: Um, that I can travel with. And they actually, I like that they're smaller because then I like a smaller cologne because it doesn't go off, which I'm told some colognes can, I guess. Um, and they're all, um, essential, uh, oil based. Marco: Okay. Amanda: Um, so they're a little bit of a different kind of smell. Uh, but I love them. And the thing about them is, um, you actually can use them up. So I like a cologne. If you're asking me about the bottle, I like a cologne. I actually can think, okay, I'm going to use this for a year. At the end of that year, I won't have it anymore. Fair versus sometimes with those bigger ones, which are beautiful and they're a lovely gift. And I certainly have. I got into one Terry Mugler fragrance and then got into another Terry Mugler and there's only three, luckily. So I have the three fragrances. Um, and I have travel sizes of two of the three fragrances sitting in my closet. Marco: And those are cool bottles. Amanda: They're very Cool. The Terry Mugler bottles are really cool. Um, and, uh, I first got Aura, and then I got Alien, and then. No. And then I got angel, and then I got Alien. Marco: Right. Amanda: Of the three, I like all three, I think. Depends on what mood I'm in. But I think angel is my favorite. Marco: Yeah, I like angel and Aura. Uh, what's interesting is Terry, uh, M. Mugler has more than just those three, but those are the three, I guess, signature. And then there's versions of each. Amanda: Well, there's always. I mean, that's the thing that's confusing about cologne. There's the cologne and the eau de parfum and this spray and the eau de toilette. I don't really know the difference of all that. I'm sure there is. Marco: I believe that there is concentration, I think. Amanda: Sure. Um, Angel I like, because I wore it when we were in. I believe I wore it anyway when we were in, um, the Middle East. Marco: I see. Amanda: And so it reminds me of Turkey and Bahrain and Israel, and it just. There's the beautiful scents, the smells, the energy of those, and they're very different. Three very different countries. But I loved the. What. That when we first landed in Bahrain and being in that hotel, and there was a perfume in those, and it was reminiscent of Angel. There was a musky kind of quality that I just absolutely love. So, um, Yeah, I like those perfumes. I find these days I'm not as adamant to spray them. I'm always wary of people's allergies. Marco: Sure. Of course. Amanda: So I'm always conscious of that. And I do find that the Jo Malone ones, um, I think in their makeup, they're a little less allergeny. Marco: Okay. Um, I'll even wear cologne around the house when it's just you and me, because I like this. I like to wear cologne. It's something I enjoy wearing. Uh, and for me, the bottle can play a decent role in at least gravitating towards checking that scent, um, out, really. Amanda: So what's your favorite cologne bottle that you've had or had? Marco: Oh, that's a great question. Um, I liked. Yeah, there's a few. I almost. So we have this pretty neat thing that you can do that Amanda has done for me. Uh, a couple of Christmases where you go and you buy this kind of package that gives you a sampler of, like, six different. Six or seven different little bottles, and then you pick the bottle you want and you go back to that drugstore. Amanda: I think it's eight. Is it not eight? Marco: Yeah, it could be. Amanda: I think it's eight. Marco: Yeah, there's, uh, quite a few little bottles and, um, little travel bottles. Little travel bottles. Thank you. Probably the size of your thumb kind of thing. Or a little slightly bigger than your thumb and. No, like maybe the size of your thumb bigger. Amanda: They're like the travel bottles you get, but you get a lot of wear out of one. Marco: Yeah, they're like, they're like two and a half inches tall. Yeah. Uh, and you do get a lot out of it. And so when you select the cologne you like, you then bring the certificate that's in the box to the drugstore and they will give you a full bottle of one of them. Amanda: You pick the one. So it's a hundred dollar gift usually, or maybe just over 100 now. But, um, it's $100 gift. So you're like, oh, well, for 100 bucks I'm getting him eight samples of cologne. But you get to pick the one after wearing them and kind of working in them, living in them. You can take a month and kind of explore them and then, yeah, you can go back and you have their certificate in the box and pick the one that you like the most. I really love it. Marco: Yeah, it's a wonderful gift if you don't know what to get someone and Amanda: if they like, uh, colon colognes and are open to that. Marco: So one of the bottles, I think was Jean Paul Gaultier, had a really fascinating looking bottle. And I wanted to like that cologne because of the bottle, but it wasn't my favorite of the eight. And then Versace always has really interesting bottles. And I used to, many years ago have their blue jean cologne, it was called, and it had an interesting bottle. It looked kind of like a Coke bottle. It had that shape to it and whatnot. But, um, and there was a cologne many years ago that I didn't love, but it was very popular at the time. And it looked, it was called Pino Silvestri. Amanda: Okay. Marco: And it looked like a pine cone. Amanda: Oh, that's cool. Marco: Yeah. So the glass bottle looked like a pine cone and the top looked like was. So it was green, this dark green. And then the top was brown, but it smelt, you smelled like pine trees. So it always made me feel like a car air freshener. So that was never my cologne. And then one time, I don't know if you know this about me, but one Father's Day, I got hired through a friend's aunt to work in a department store spraying cologne. Amanda: You were that guy. Marco: I was that horrible guy. And I hated every minute of it. And not only did I hate it, it was a particular cologne that I hated. And the end of the day I smelled like Dracoir Noir. Is that what it was? It was Draco Noir and I couldn't. I couldn't stand that smell. It was just not a scent for me. If you like it, more power to you. But it was not a scent for me. And I didn't like it when I started. But after those two days of doing it, I cannot go near that scent. It just, it's just too much. But yeah, I do like a nice bottle. Um, the nicest bottle. I did remember when, um, Calvin Klein had Obsession. Yeah, that bottle was kind of neat. Amanda: The one I remember of Calvin Klein. That really rocked everybody's world. And we all were wearing it and loving it. Marco: I want to know what rocked everybody's world. Amanda: CK1. Do you remember CK1? Marco: Wasn't that when men and women could wear it? Amanda: Yeah, I think that's why it was the first sort of gender neutral or Marco: at least one of the first unisex kind of. Amanda: Yeah, that was in like 1992. And my friend Wade, I remember he always wore CK1. We all wore it. We just thought it was the best. Prior to that, though, I'm actually remembering and I would love to smell it again. Um, the first perfume I ever wore, um, that I actually bought the bottle and wore it on a regular basis. I don't remember buying the bottle at all, but I do remember being a big part of my life and a lot of people loved it was a perfume. I don't know who made it, but it was a perfume called Exclamation. Marco: I love this. Amanda: Do you remember it? Marco: Kind of. Amanda: Do you remember the ad for it? No, I remember it and I remember hearing the ad. I lived in New Brunswick at that point, so I remember hearing the ad in French a lot. Marco: This reminds me of getting, getting in shape. Girl doll that, you know, it's similar actually. Amanda: It had a similar energy. It was like a lot of women in like, well, like girl, girl women, you know, like 16 year old girls in like, um, Blossom outfits. Marco: Young woman. Young women. Amanda: Yeah. So like polka dot frilly skirts and bolero hats. Marco: Amazing. Amanda: And this, the year would have been 1989 and M. I don't remember much about the ad, but it was like exclamation, Exclamation. Yeah. Marco: A bilingual ad, no less. Amanda: Well, that's what I'm saying. It was in because I watched a lot of French TV at the time because I was living in a bilingual province and, um, every. I remember wearing it, and everybody would be like, are you wearing exclamation? But like, you got it at the drugstore for like 20, 30 bucks. Like, it wasn't. It was not a high end product. Marco: It wasn't Oscar de la Renta or one of those. Amanda: Well, even CK1. I mean, looking back, it feels kind of pedestrian, but it felt very like CK1. Like we loved it. Right? Like, it felt very designer. Marco: Now I wear a cologne that isn't my favorite, but I wear it because I know you love the scent of it. Amanda: I was going to tell you about the exclamation bottle. Marco: Oh, sure. Yeah, tell me. Amanda: Can I just tell you about it? So it was an exclamation mark. So it was a black. The part that you lifted up to reveal the perfum. Yeah, I think the Elisheva perfume was like an exclamation mark. And then there was a. It was a white circle bottle with a big black dot in the middle of it. So there you go. Sorry, what were you saying about the. Marco: No, I have a clone that you like the scent of. So I wear it because I know you like it. Amanda: Every time I like it. Marco: Yeah. Uh, now I like it because I know you like it and I just wear it and what is it again? Amanda: And I always say, what are you wearing? I like that. And you always answer the same thing and you always go, the one you like. And it always smells different and new to me. Marco: And what's funny is it's not even a, uh. What is it like? Amanda: Yeah, it's not one of the most high end. Marco: It's not like a Dolce and Gabbana that I could tell you off the top. It's like some. Amanda: Yeah, what is it? Um, now I'm only thinking Drakar Noir. Marco: No, it's not Drakar Noir. It's, uh. Amanda: You brought it up. Marco: I can't remember now. I'll remember. Amanda: I know there's a regular one I got you and then I got you blue. Marco: Yeah, I don't like the blue. Amanda: Does that have men in the title? Marco: No, look it up and I'll. Amanda: How do I look it up? Marco: Type Cologne. Blue. Amanda: Men's fragrance. Marco: Fragrance. Blue. Yeah. Amanda: All right. Marco: Uh, yeah. And that one there. The shape of the bottle is kind of neat because it's very, um, stout. It's very, like, stubby, but it feels nice in the hands. I, um, remember Moschino. Moschino cologne for women. Looked like olive oil. Amanda: Oh, wow. Marco: Yeah, it had like a really long neck with olive oils, kind of, um, pointed nose on the top of it. And that one was a cool looking bottle. And do you remember, um, Halston had a bottle that was really famous. Amanda: Very well know the Halston. Marco: And I think, um, Elsa Peretti, uh, designed the bottle and that's what made me. Amanda: Well, I found the cologne. Marco: Okay. I. Zarro Azarro. Amanda: Yeah. Marco: And what's the one I wear? I wear Zarro. Amanda: I looked up a Zarro Blue, but Marco: yeah, it's not blue. It's a. It's a. It's a Zaro Yana. And that's an. If you ever said to me, like, hey, here's all these colognes, which one do you think you'll pick? I would never pick Adzato as one of the colognes, but clearly it works on me. Amanda: Which one did I get you the most? Wanted. Is it called Wanted? Marco: No, Chrome. Amanda: That's the blue one. Is the chrome. Marco: Yeah. No, it's called, uh, Ozato Pour home. No, it's like a, you know, the bottle, it looks like a. It almost looks like the, the center part. Oh, yeah, here we go. Um, all of those are the wanted ones. While I look, you tell us the massage. The end of the massage story that you wanted to. Amanda: I didn't have it. I just wanted to talk about, uh. Because I thought you had talked about massages when you had Natasha Boomer on as a guest back in the day. Marco: I don't remember if I did. Amanda: Okay. All I was gonna say, she's a friend of mine who gives massages and I haven't been to her in a while, but every time I go to her, I end up talking the entire time. But that is part of the therapy for me because when you have a lot of mut. I enjoy the social part of it, that's all. Marco: Sure. Yeah. Amanda: Isn't it wanted that the cologne is. Marco: It might be wanted. Amanda: Yeah, I think it's. Marco: Yeah, I think it is Wanted. Yeah, I think it's. And once again, even that name, I would never buy a cologne that's called Wanted. Amanda: Well, it's not about the name, I Marco: guess for me, for me, I think it was like, you know, at one point it was like the bottle, the prestige behind it and, uh, whatnot. But, um, anyways, Amanda, that was massage and cologne. Amanda: Mhm. Marco: Eau de parfum. You do have, um, Chanel no. 5 and that bottle's really cool looking. Amanda: I do have Chanel no. 5 and I liked it. The thing about cologne is you can like it on a person, and then you buy it, but it doesn't smell the same on you. Marco: Sure. And there's colognes that, like, you know, that are very, very distinctive people. You know, like, for example, my grandmother used to wear opium and Elizabeth Taylor. One of her. One of her, I think poison were my grandmother scent. And, uh, when people wear that and they're around me, it immediately evokes memories of certain people in my life. And that one there reminds me of my grandmother. M. And that's the end of our episode. Amanda, amazing. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on massages and colognes, uh, and perfumes and. Amanda: Yeah. Relaxing. And table massage. Table mishaps. Marco: Yeah. There you go. Until next time. We hope you enjoy this episode, and we hope you were able to listen and sleep.
Welcome to this special bite-sized episode of The Insomnia Project, where Marco and Amanda offer a compact yet gently meandering conversation designed to help you unwind. Even in a shorter format, the tone remains soft and unhurried — perfect for quiet evenings when you need a calming podcast to ease anxiety or settle racing thoughts.
The discussion drifts through the ever-evolving world of fashion, reflecting on trends across decades and how personal style shifts over time. From there, Marco shares thoughts on the book Breathe: The New Science of a Lost Art by James Nestor, describing the quiet insights he found within its pages. Rather than a deep analysis, the conversation stays light and companionable — just enough substance to keep you listening without keeping you awake. As always, this relaxing conversation unfolds at an easy pace, making it ideal for background listening as you fall asleep or during a middle-of-the-night wake-up. Cozy up, let the gentle zigzags of fashion and literature carry you along, and drift steadily toward rest.
Marco: Tonight's meal Tilapia Surprise with boiled cabbage. Begin cooking steps 1 through 50 now.
Fashion and Book (Original airdate: October 18, 2023) Marco: Welcome to the Insomnia Project. Sit back, relax and listen as we have a calm conversation about the mundane and hopefully it'll help you drift your way to sleep. Thank you for joining us. I'm your host, Marco Timpano. Amanda: And I'm Amanda Barker. Marco: Amanda, how you doing today? Amanda: I'm um, kind of calm, really. In fact, yeah, I've had a pretty chill day. I, um, as we've talked about in the past, one of my. One of my jobs is, uh, directing for a casting house. And this, the thing that we were working on today. And everybody had to be very chill. So we were telling everyone to be very relaxed and just, uh, relaxed deliveries, relaxed blocking, everything was chill, relaxed. So, um, I think that I needed that today and that kind of, you know, I've absorbed some of that energy, so I pass that on to you. Marco: So you've been in a chill state of mind for the entire day? Amanda: Practically almost, I would say. Yeah, I've been, uh, this morning it was like a practice, and then it just sort of became my work today. Not every day is like that, but I'll take. Marco: If you were to pick the chillest moment in your day, what would that look like today? What was the chill? Amanda: This particular day? Marco: Yeah, this particular day. On this. On this day in October. Amanda: Oh. Um, I think the chillest moment was, um, I had a director that I was working with who really just wanted to have calm conversations with people. And so I kind of just melted into the wall. Like I wasn't there to allow the flow of that conversation. So I think that's actually the chillest part of my day. Or this part. This might be the chillest part of my day. Marco: Well, I hope it's the chillest part of our listeners day. Um, the chillest part of my day was I brought all my work and everything outside today. It was a beautiful day. It's a nice fall day. I had to actually clear some leaves and I had to wipe down the table outside. But once I was out there, it was just so serene. It was so lovely. Had my computer on. I was listening to an audiobook and I really just dug what I was doing. Amanda: What audiobook are you listening to right now? Marco: So I'm listening to this really cool book. It's called Breathe the New Science of a Lost, uh, Art by James Nestor. And I know you're the big, um, reader, but this book here, I discovered, um, by accident by listening to a podcast that was recommended to me. And the. And the guest was this author, and he was talking about how we no longer breathe the way we used to breathe 300 years ago, and how the breathing has impacted our lives and how we can get back to that more natural breath. So I'm really, I'm. As humans. Yes. Uh, as, as readers, as humans, as people who can, uh. Amanda: Well, you said we I thought you meant, I don't know. And then 300 years ago I was like, okay, so we're talking about like humankind. Marco: Yeah. And I really am finding a fascinating. And I'm, um, I'm not one to read a science book that's not my genre, as you know. But this one here I'm digging. So I will give a synopsis of it when we do the Patreon episodes, when we talk about books. But that's one of the things that I want to. Want to mention. Amanda: I also podcast too. Yeah, that you got it from. You said you got it from a podcast. Marco: Yeah, I, this person, James Nestor, was a guest on a podcast called Diary of CEO. Uh, and that's how I discovered them. So speaking of discovering things, one of our listeners sent us a, uh, Instagram message, uh, mentioning that they really enjoyed our, our episode and some suggestions for topics we could talk about. So I just want to give a shout out to T, who is our listener on Instagram. And I of course encourage our listeners to send, to send us any messages that they might have with regards to what they want to hear. But I wanted to, I wanted to ask you this, Amanda. Mhm. What does 70, 80, 90 fashion mean? That's one of the one things that, that T had mentioned. Amanda: I mean, I'm assuming it's the decades. Fashion from the 70s and from the 80s, that would be my guess. Marco: Oh, I guess so. I thought it was 70, 80, 90 fashion meaning. Amanda: Oh, 90, yeah, that's got to be the decade. Marco: I thought it was like 70% of your clothes should be this, 80% of your clothes should be that. I guess that doesn't add up. Amanda: Yeah, like a capsule wardrobe that adds up to that. I don't know, 170. Marco: That all makes sense now. 70, 80, 90. Like the years that you want to Amanda: talk about is fashion through the decades. Marco: Oh, just tell me which of those decades, um, does the fashion resonate with you more? I guess is the question I would have. Amanda: Well, it's funny, I was looking at, I was reading an article today of somebody who had watched the Gilmore Girls for the first time. Now she's 22 and that is a show, uh, I believe that was in the 90s. I'd have to look it up, but I think it was sort of late 90s, early aughts. And um, so she was reflecting on the fashion of that show and how everything that they're wearing was actually things she either owns or wants to own. And so it was a real, um, you know, a Real sort of, uh, highlight. Yeah. Just a realization that we say that we repeat ourselves every 20 years, but it's obviously very, very true because that show's now 20 years old. Uh, maybe even more than that, depending on the episode. But we're wearing a lot of those. The cropped tops. Marco: Yep. Amanda: The wide legged pants, the choker necklaces, etc. A lot of denim as well. Marco: Who was the star of that show? Was it Marcia Gay Harden? Amanda: Definitely not, um, a Marsha Gay Harden wannabe. I, I'm gonna be very honest with you. I never watched it because they all talked too fast for me. I could never connect to it because they all talked like whiplash dialogue, which is not normally my jam. And it certainly. I'd like to give it a try because I know, you know who loves the Gilmore Girls is our sister in law, Carrie. Marco: Oh, really? Amanda: Is an avid listener. She loves the Gilmore Girls. Marco: Yeah, I, I mean, a lot of people, A lot of people, you know, talk about it or like it. Like it seems very popular or it seems like it was popular. And it seems like in reruns it's popular too. So anyways, I don't know why. Amanda: Yeah, I think it's just been, um, released. I'm just gonna look up, uh, who those, who those stars were, because I only know them by the names, uh, Lorelei. Um, yeah, but that's, that's the. It's like a mother and daughter. Right. Lauren Graham, uh, was one lead and Marco: then the daughter is Laura Graham, the one that reminds me. Amanda: Lauren Graham. Okay, clearly I don't know Lauren Graham. And then her daughter was Rory Gilmore, who was played by Alexis Bledel, who you may know from, um, uh, a movie that I love called the Travel the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. Marco: Okay. Amanda: That was her big one of her big movies. She was the Greek one. Marco: Okay, I've never watched that movie. I know you enjoyed it. So which one looked. Amanda: I enjoy. I enjoy clothes and I enjoy talking about clothes. Marco: So which one of those two looks more like Marsha Gay Harden? Amanda: Lauren. Uh, Graham. Marco: Okay. Okay. Amanda: But it's not Marsha Gay Harden, who I love. I, I know, but she was not in it. Maybe she was a guest star. I don't know. She. Marcia Gay Hardin works a lot and shows up in a lot of places, so. But, but she's not the mom. If you're thinking that she was the mom. Marco: She was not cool of the 70s, 80s, or 90s fashion. Tell me, which of those decades does your current closet reflect more? Amanda: Oh, my goodness. Um, I Don't know what this says about me, but I'm gonna say the 80s. Marco: Okay. Amanda: And in my reasoning, M for this, it's because of the, the way my, the way my body decided to show up in the world. It's most suited to 80s fashion. 80s had really big blousy shirts with like, remember stirrup pants? Okay. But leggings? Anyway. Marco: Okay. Amanda: Stir pants were just m pants that had a stirrup on the bottom, which I remember. Marco: Palazzo pants in the 80s. Amanda: Yeah. So that's the other sort of. Those are really wide legged pants. Right. Of which I also owned a pair. Although I think for me that was more 90s. Marco: But, um, I used to go to a club called Palazzo and I remember being in this club, Palazzo, with friends who were wearing palazzo pants. That's the only reason I know. Amanda: Um, I would argue Palazzo was probably more early because you know what I think of when I think of palazzo pants? I think of like Madonna in Vogue. Marco: Okay. Okay. Amanda: She's wearing like a bouchet with palazzo pants. Marco: Right, Right. Amanda: But not really. But anyway, I, I like a really big blousy top with like leggings. And that is a look that kind of really happened in the 80s and then, you know, has come back in different ways. Marco: Fair enough. Well, listen, whatever clothes you choose to wear, I hope your closet really resonates with them is what I have to say. Amanda: I don't know what that means. Are you talking to me or our listeners? Marco: Our listeners. I know what your closet, whatever you Amanda: choose to wear, I hope your closet resonates with them. Marco: Well, I hope you resonate with the clothes you have in your closet is Amanda: what I'm trying to do. I hope so. Yeah. And if you don't, that's what thrift, Thrift shopping is for, right? Marco: You're a huge thrift shopper. That's why I know I am. Amanda: Um, can we talk about Buy the Pound or do we need to wrap this up? Marco: You know what, let's end with by the Pound. Tell our listeners about by the Pound. Amanda: Buy the Pound is an amazing store. I know we have listeners all over the world, so. But I hope that you listen, you could start a franchise in your city or hometown. By the Pound is a, ah, store in Toronto. It's for those who live in Toronto. It's on Orphice Road and I know you know where that is. Um, up by Yorkdale Mall. Anyway, it's a store where you go in and it's all just big tubs, big boxes of secondhand clothes. You know, some with tags still on that stores have gotten rid of. Others have had some wear. So it's a sort of mixture m of everything, and you go through it. You can take all the time you want, and you weigh your clothes. You can try them on if you want, but you weigh the clothes that you're going to buy. You have to buy £5 worth. £5 is $25. So the last time I was there, I got nine tops, and I just concentrated on tops because there's so many things there. So I kind of made it my mission. Okay, I want a couple cute new tops. I got nine tops for $25 by the pound. Marco: Are they new or are they used? Amanda: They were all secondhand, but two of the garments still had tags on them from the Bay, which is a store here in Canada. So department, uh, store. So, um, I think, like I said, I think they. I mean, they were secondhand, but no one had. They had tags on them, so no one's worn them. Marco: So you spent less than $3 on nine tops. $3 each. Amanda: Yeah. And now one of the tops had a rip in it. I didn't realize that until I got it home, but I'll be honest, it was a big, big. Like I said, I like blousy tops. So it's a really big, blousy top. So I would. The rip was such that I could kind of tuck it into my pants and you couldn't see it. That's the top. Remember, I got rid of that top in, um, St. Pierre Michelo? Yeah, yeah, that was that top. But anyway. Marco: Yeah, well, that's. That's a great tip. Thanks, Amanda. Amanda: And some of my tops don't weigh very much. That's why I got nine of them. Rayon. Marco: If the top was heavier, it would cost more. You would have less tops in your. Amanda: Yeah, like five pounds. Could be one thick jacket, or it could be nine rayon tops. So it just depends. Marco: I gotcha. All right, well, thanks for sharing that. All right, folks, thank you for listening to today's episode. I hope you enjoyed it. I certainly learned a lot, at least about fashion. Amanda: Yeah, well, you didn't know what 70, 80, 90 fashion was. You thought it was a some sort of fraction that didn't happen to anything. Marco: Yeah, some sort of code that. That represents a type of fashion. I. I think I have to go buy the pound and just learn more about fashion, is what I would say. All right, well, until next time, I hope you were able to listen to our podcast and chill and relax and sleep. Amanda: Thank you so much for listening. |
AuthorMarco Timpano is an actor, storyteller, and the voice behind The Insomnia Project, a calming sleep podcast that helps listeners quiet their thoughts and drift off through soft, meandering conversations. Archives
March 2026
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed