Welcome back to Dont get this Twisted

In this conversation, Robb and Tina discuss their personal experiences and traditions surrounding Christmas. They share nostalgic memories from their childhood, the evolution of family dynamics, and the importance of cherishing time spent with loved ones during the holiday season. The conversation also touches on the challenges of navigating family gatherings, especially when political discussions arise, and emphasizes the significance of creating new traditions while honoring old ones.

Explicit

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This podcast and website represent the opinions of Robb Courtney and Tina Garcia and their guests to the show and website. The content here should not be interpreted as medical advice or any other type of advice from any other type of licensed professional. The content here is for informational purposes only, and because each person is so unique, please consult your healthcare or other applicable licensed professional with any medical or other related questions. Views and opinions expressed in the podcast and website are our own and do not represent that of our places of work. While we make every effort to ensure that the information, we are sharing is accurate, we welcome any comments, suggestions, or correction of errors. Privacy is of the utmost importance to us. All people, places, and scenarios mentioned in the podcast have been changed to protect confidentiality. This website or podcast should not be used in any legal capacity whatsoever, including but not limited to establishing “standard of care” in a legal sense or as a basis for expert witness testimony related to the medical profession or any other licensed profession. No guarantee is given regarding the accuracy of any statements or opinions made on the podcast or website. In no way does listening, reading, emailing, or interacting on social media with our content establish a doctor-patient relationship or relationship with any other type of licensed professional. Robb Courtney and Tina Garcia do not receive any money from any pharmaceutical industry for topics covered pertaining to medicine or medical in nature. If you find any errors in any of the content of this podcast, website, or blogs, please send a message through the “contact” page or email DGTTwisted@gmail.com. This podcast is owned by "Don’t Get This Twisted,” Robb Courtney.

And welcome to another don't don't get this twisted. am Rob along with my co host as always Tina. you doing Tina? You sound a lot nasally. Before by next week you're going to sound like me. You're be like yeah baby yeah. I know right you do.

I've been better, Rob. I, I'm a bit under the weather today. I sound a little nasally.

Yeah, I

Oh, I could sound like that right now. Yeah. I am. We have to make tamales for Christmas and I was at my friend's house and we were belting them out and the damn chili was so pungent. It was up my nose and it started to burn and then the burn turned into me having a runny nose last night and then I got up and got on the bike with a friend and we took off and it was.

Mm-hmm. Woo-hoo.

freaking frigid on the bike we we wrote the bike for like seven hours straight today and then came home and now i sound like this because of it so

Yeah, it was it was chilly and it's been it has been chilly in the morning Okay when I

I think the highest it got today where we were was like 56. And with the wind and all that.

Oh, the wind that's yeah with you that's probably killing your nose. I think when I at the park this morning when I got there it was 52. But you know the daytime high was nice. It was like 74 here today. But man that that that morning. It's it's pretty chilly. It's pretty chilly. And since since people are listening to this on.

Mm-hmm.

Ooooo

Nice.

Yeah, it was very chilly.

Christmas Eve. We'll say Merry Christmas to everybody because you know it's that holiday season. you

Christmas Eve!

right? It's It's crunch time basically for me so I've been on a roll and other than today like I said I took off on the bike and I didn't give a shit I wanted to have some me time and got it in. I don't know I was kind of sad when we rolled up I didn't want to I didn't want to get off the bike yet I mean I was cold as hell but I didn't want to get off the bike yet so...

Right. I get it. That's a nice, fun, long day.

yeah, and then it was, we're celebrating Christmas today. So this is, this is a Christmas lunch. Where do you want to go? And I'm like, hell yeah. So when, when that happens, I normally pick sushi cause that's just what I like to eat. So we went to one of my favorite Lancaster places to have a lunch today and it was delicious. So.

Big ass.

Yeah, there's a place called Big Tuna. I'm just going to like put it out there. Big Tuna in Lancaster off of, I want to say it's K and 20th Street West, but it's called Big Tuna anyways. The only one in Lancaster and it is fire. It is far. I love their sushi. So that's where we went to eat. And then we just tripped it through the desert and

It is fire.

kind of looked at things out there because there's so much to see but man are people throwing their garbage out there it's kind of it's kind of sad you know because the desert is a beautiful landscape on its own I mean it's very different than the mountains or the beaches or whatever but it still has its own like beauty to it but all the trash was so sad so I wasn't digging it

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, it's when you see places that are beat up like that it sucks. It's Crazy. It's funny, you know, me and you went to Titi's not too long ago. I was talking to my boy's girlfriend and.

yes like why what can you do it is but i had a good time rolling through it so not gonna complain

Yes.

We took her to the Mexican food place down the street from us that we all like and blah and we were driving in the car and we were driving past some of the places locally and I was like, this place is known for this and blah, blah, blah. And I was like, next time you come down, I'm going to drive. We're going to drive to the valley. I'm going to take you to Cheechee's Pizza. And she's like, what is it? And I was like going down the line of all the stuff there and she's like, cool, cool, cool. So and I said, look, it might not even be that good to you.

because it's just nostalgic and I think that that's a lot of places, you know what I mean? cause like some of the local places around here, people had told me stories about him and I went and I was like, yeah, it was good. And they're like, what do you mean just good? Like, oh yeah. So, know, nostalgia has a, nostalgia plays a part in so much, you know, so many things.

It's nostalgic to all of us.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And kind of like what we're going to talk about today, like the nostalgia of like Christmas experiences and you know, things that everyone does every year. Because I was kind of talking off the air where like my family and I'm talking like from when I was a little kid and further, you know, we we did like traditional Christmas, like waking up at the ass crack of dawn on Christmas Day.

Yeah.

And then I met my best friend at like 13 and he's Mexican. So I always got to experience Christmas Eve, like literally staying up until midnight and watching him open gifts. And it was like such a different experience for me. And it's so funny.

Yeah.

How many people have their own little, you know, idiosyncrasies about it? I mean, usually we might get one gift on Christmas Eve, you know, get one, something like that. Did you have anything that you guys did when you were, I mean, and I'm talking like, obviously young, younger.

things they do. Yeah.

Well when I was young my mom used to have Christmas Eve at the house and it was an open house thing and Everybody showed up like we used to have so many people roll through our house on Christmas Eve. It was it was It was a lot I mean You know you got to understand that my mom was the last of 13 kids

You You

And that's the small side of the family, you know, because my dad's side being Native American and stuff, they were all they would all come over. So we and and we invited everybody to we invited friends, you know, even my brother and I when we were kids would invite our friends to go and.

All the family, anybody that was in town, just bring them, yeah. So, you know, it's a potluck style and there's so much stinking food and the kids would get in trouble because of course we were running around and shaking things and doing stuff we didn't, we shouldn't have. But my mom would always give us like one Christmas present on Christmas Eve to like hold us over. But then in the morning, she...

Right.

The rule was we had to everybody had to get up so we could all watch each other open gifts and The only thing that we were allowed to touch was our stocking stuffers So we were allowed to go through our stocking stuffers, and that was always like a toothbrush a toothpaste some gum some little trinkets or whatever that she She found that we never got socks that I could remember I don't think because I never like anything on my feet, so I don't think she'd waste her time on that for me, but

All right, Socks.

you you

I wonder if my brother ever got any. But it was all just like nail clippers or nail files. She'd find little little shit and just throw it in the the stocking. So we got to open those up before she got out of bed because my parents did not roll out of bed, you know, very quickly. And mom had to have her coffee first. And kids are just impatient. So the stocking kind of made everything OK. But my brother would wake up so damn early that he go, Tina, Tina.

You You

Tita said it was here said it was here and I'm like, yeah, okay, like I can't my brain does not work before like seven eight o'clock in the morning so He would bring in my my stocking and he's like open your stocking open your stocking because once I did Then he wouldn't get in trouble, right? So that was his line of thinking if I did it first that it was okay because I told him to do it So we'd open up our stuff and I tried to go back to sleep and he was a pain in the ass so he would always try to keep us awake and

Sure.

and work mom and dad because he my brother gets up at the butt crack of dawn and he's ready to roll but as soon as the sun goes down he's ready to go to bed like when we were camping that's what he would do i stay up all night i i kind of like the quiet of the night and so we're very opposite on very opposite ends of the spectrum and and he was like always trying to come on team get up because if you get up then mom and dad i'll have to get up and yeah he worked us but you know that's just that was just the tradition

Right. Right. So when I got married, my ex-wife had to run me through Christmas tradition.

You as we got older, my mom didn't do the Christmas Eve anymore. She did. Then it just got into Christmas Day.

Uh-huh.

Her father would dress up like Santa Claus and come to the house, I mean not the ass crack of dawn, but the ass crack of dawn, and literally go through the house going ho ho ho, like Santa's here. they were 12 and eight, and he still did it. And he did it until he passed away and.

Okay.

Yeah.

Wow.

Have a picture of him in a Santa suit holding my son when he was like three days old Yeah, and and I think he passed away before he was two but it was a it was an experience like to see And the girls were so excited and it was like he had a knapsack I mean he had everything he literally walked through the house of Santa Claus

Aww.

wow.

That's cool.

Yeah, it was so neat and to see I wish he would have lived longer so my son could have got more of that because it was really neat. I'm not sure if. I'm assuming he did it since they were really little because she. Kind of warned me about it like.

Yeah.

Getcha.

But in a good way, like, just so you know, like we wake up early. and then it was really cool because every time, he would do it. There were, her mom would come as well. Even when they were divorced, they both came. And afterwards we always like, always had this big cooked breakfast. And so like, that was the best part about it for me. It was like, I knew I was going to get fed really well. Cause there was always.

Yeah.

Nice.

Yeah.

that and then like Christmas dinner I generally went to my dad's just because they had a big ass house so for me it was cool once I was older because my mom also came so when my mom and dad got a divorce my dad would still invite my mom over yeah so it was like I'm kind of one of those

That's cool.

I'm like a weird child when it comes to the divorce thing because like I'm not the same as them of most people because like like my mom and dad still talked and My mom brought her husband over and and my stepmom was very good about it and my then my brother would come over and it was So it was like a very different thing. So Christmas always did kind of feel

Yeah.

Still very good for me. It wasn't like I had this separate Separate thing even though I was much older So it's neat. I like to see people who have these different traditions And I think as you go through either if they're from a different country, you know, they have such different traditions and Even within

Right.

like I said my best friend is Mexican but my son's girlfriend is El Salvadorian so they have a totally different you know thing that they do and like all these really cool things so for me it was it's kind of interesting to see these just different things that people do for Christmas and I you know now that our children are much older and

Robb (13:39.367)

gone off to do their own thing or just so old. I mean, and I don't mean old, like 20 somethings old, but you know, it's just not the same. know, Christmas is. Yeah, Christmas is for children. It just is. And and like I said, there's nothing better than than watching kids. You know.

Christmas is really fun when it's kids.

Yeah.

Go through the holiday see see the presence mostly There's nothing better than going to bed and there's nothing under the tree and them running downstairs and everything's under there There's just something about that that Really gives you you know The the the view of innocence You know what I mean? It's and it sucks now that That they're older

Absolutely.

You know this year we did Christmas really early because my son's girlfriend's in town and I got him a bunch of tools because at some point he's going to be leaving the house and I thought I should probably I should pretty I should probably get him started on having things that he'll be ready for and I got him you know I got him some other things that I knew he'd like I got him like a portable Bluetooth speaker like a really nice one

get him started.

Yes.

So he's like he and I had him open that first and then he opened this one and I got him like a decent drill set from Milwaukee so and he knows that Milwaukee is a good brand because that's what I have for my work stuff. So he was like wow and his girlfriend told me later on that they went to they went to pick up some stuff actually they went to buy me something. And it was pretty interesting she's like yeah he was like

super happy and like he he's like he almost cried because like like I want him to succeed and and I think you know as time goes by it's gonna be even weirder the first time that I don't have him here but it was I wanted to get him something that was both practical and you know worth having for later on because I told him I said look I got this little tool thing for you

You'll have this for years if you take care of them. He's like, oh yeah, yeah So today I was funny I was looking online shopping for him or later like I was looking at dishes and Silverware like things that I will try to help him out with when he leaves And even he said he's like, yeah, goes I've started to think about that kind of like, you know when you move like you need all these things. I was like, yeah like

Yeah.

Yeah, for sure.

But the cool thing when you move, seems like it just comes to you. Like somebody has something that you need or, you know, it just, there's so much stuff in this world, it seems like it just comes together. That's how I see it.

Yeah. Right. And, and it does like I remember when I first moved out, like, you know, since my stepmom and my dad were first moving in together for the first time.

Like we had an extra couch and we had an extra refrigerator like there was like all these things that I just happened to Fall into and I kind of said the same thing to him Like I have a Sectional couch and I said like if if and when you go I'm gonna I'll give it to you because I won't need a big huge couch it'll just be me and my dog like I can go buy some little couch and

I'll be fine." He's like, yeah. No, no, I mean, but I meant like, right, a standard couch is what I meant. Like I'll just get a standard couch cause I won't need a huge sectional. And he was like, yeah. And I go, look, you, you know, you'll be moving on for your first time and you'll probably have a bunch of friends and you know, whatever. And he'll probably have to live with somebody else. So.

buy a normal couch because you still want to have people over you know you want to entertain

gotcha.

Yeah.

And I'm hoping that he takes Christmas with him. Right? or, you know, because for a couple of years when we first moved out, I, well, the first two years were in Vegas, so we did have a tree. And then after that, I didn't. For like many years when I lived with my roommate, then we finally started doing a tree.

And then when I moved here the first year, I somewhere in there, I didn't have a tree anymore. So I was like, shit. So I remember talking to my friend down the street and she was at big lots and she's like, Hey, do you have a tree? And I'm like, no. She goes, you need to come down here right now. And she's like, they have like these killer deals on trees. So I'm like, all right. So I went down there and it's like a six foot tree lights already on it. And it was like,

Nice.

I don't know, 75 bucks. I was like, yeah, I was like, I don't know why it was super cheap. So anyway, so lo and behold, I go get it and I got some balls to put on it and you know, and so like this year we put it up. I put it up early for me. Now my other friend, I told you she puts it up at like fucking Thanksgiving and she put it up in a day and it looked amazing.

What?

Where I did I waited I put mine up. think like December 6th or something like that. I waited and waited and I was like, OK. But I hope that he you know either I'll give him my tree because I won't have any. You know, buddy here to do it and I'll just get like a tiny tree. Or I or I hope he goes and they get a tree or whatever, because to me it's important. It's such a. A fun part of the year.

Even if you don't have a ton, right? It really is so much about Getting together and just you know being happy that Fucking you got through another year Somehow that's that's kind of how I at least take it these days

Yeah.

Yep.

You got through another year. It's kind of like that though.

I mean, it's kind of like that, you know, I mean, that's the whole thing about New Year's Eve. Like I know we've done, you can go back and through. know it was one of the. think the first year we did one on resolutions. And. You know, there is something about the Christmas time spirit, you know, and look, I think that there. Whatever you you celebrate, whether it's.

Monica, Christmas, Kwanzaa, know, fucking whatever it is. Up to you. But there's something about all of them that are very similar of just family, you know, and you really should just be happy that they're still, if you have one, that they're here. Because, you know, at...

Yes.

You know, there's just family that I'm just grateful I don't have to see. That don't show up for Christmas and I'm kind of, I'm most thankful for that. if we can't be real with each other, if we can't just be okay with each other, like, stay away. I'm okay with that.

No, well, I mean...

I get that. I know I think there is something to that without a doubt, but I think that's in regular life anyway. I think that, you know, you don't need Christmas to tell people to leave you alone. I think you need Christmas to tell the people that are important to you that they mean something to you. Because it's, mean, fuck man, it's,

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, that's true.

It's its own thing and I think that that is what the Christmas spirit is. At least for me. I think there's something to that. Make sure that people out there, if you need Christmas to remind you to tell people, not to be nice. No, because I don't think you have to be nice during Christmas. I just think you should make sure that you go, look, it does mean something. That's the whole thing of gift giving, right? It's that small reminder of.

to be nice, help people.

You know, hey, thanks. I know I didn't, I should probably do this all year, but at the end of the year, it's that, hey. And look, know, New Year's is its own thing. I was just talking to my boy's girlfriend about it. Like, I don't go out on New Year's Day or New Year's Eve. I just don't. I'm not a fan. Too many people die on the highway. Bars, drinks are like three times the amount. It's just...

You know, I would probably go to a party, like a friend's party if I could, but I would have to be a place I could stay. You know, I don't... Yeah. Well, if I decided to drink, yes. Like if it was somebody that I could... Because I'm... It's not that... I hate to say I don't trust people. I'm just very... Yeah, I just... I have to be around people I like. I'm not a... And I'm also not a huge party person.

Because you would drink or because...

but you don't trust people

Like I would rather go and you know barbecue in the backyard with eight people Then go to a party that has 50 I'm just Yeah, see I I I do good for a little bit and then I'm like, okay, I gotta get the fuck out of here just It's just it becomes overwhelming and like here's the other thing. Well your birthday like your birthdays are

I love the 50 parties though.

a little different though. that's a different kind of party. But New Year's is like, it's such a only drinking thing. People can get out of hand and very belligerent very quickly. So I just think that I would prefer not to put myself in that in that surrounding.

yeah, for sure.

Where generally if there's eight people and you're all partying outside with a barbecue and you know toasting each other it's You're less likely to have fistfights and people get in trouble no, I'm not saying it doesn't it can happen with

and fistfights and getting in trouble is something that happens too.

It can happen with two people if we're being honest. Yeah, I mean, I've heard some stories about couples getting together and it just going sideways very quickly. You know, look, men are. No, but men can there's so much machismo between men like. I'm.

Mm-hmm.

Probably more so than if there's more.

men and women are very different

I'm competitive when I play sports, but I'm not competitive like doing fun shit like playing pool. If I went out and played pool at a bar, I don't don't give a shit if I lose or not. I think it's kind of funny where when I played hockey, I was competitive and threw sticks across the locker room when we lost like so. But like if I'm hanging out with the boys and we're at a bar and we're drinking.

I love that.

I don't give a shit if I lose it pool. It's about the company. So, but I've heard stories about couples where the two men were both just competitive in life and they couldn't let that shit slide and they would fucking get an R you know that you get super drunk and then the next thing you know, they're yelling at each other and the wives or girlfriends had to get in between them. And,

Right.

No.

And I, and I know the couples, both of them. So, and then I've heard stories about. I didn't, I'm not now because I didn't know a lot about them. Or I didn't know a lot about the husbands, but I do now. And no, doesn't surprise me at all. One of them is just a fucking hothead. Like, yeah, he has to win at everything. He's just like that. And then he put booze in him. He's like, thinks he's.

Were you surprised then?

Really?

You know, 10 feet tall and bulletproof. And he's a big dude and he's been in a lot of fights. So, but. Yeah. You know, but this is what I usually tell people about that kind of shit sooner or later you you someone catches up to you where you think you can whip their ass and they choke your ass out and that's the end of it. So.

God's fun is that to deal with that guy? Well, if he's acting like a moron, it make sense that he would get in a lot of fights? Yeah.

But that's why I do my best not to go to those type of things. look, and to be fair, I've been at Chris family Christmas dinners where arguments, someone brought up a political thing and the next thing you know, people are not happy with each other. Yeah. Separated?

They're all not happy. You know, that's, that's, I don't know that I've ever seen a society so, opposed to each other. Yeah. Like we didn't, we never had this sort of thing, I think people's families quit talking to them for stuff they posted that whole situation. I know we're not going to get into that because it's something else, but it just blows my mind that people would have a problem with it.

yeah.

No, but but just but just think that I guarantee you right now there are people who have Spent years going to Christmas with each other that will not be there because of some stupid political belief I guarantee it and and they're going I don't want to go over there because they believe in this and they like this person like

even after all this time.

I'm sure.

Heh.

Okay, I have my political views. I don't care. I'll go hang out with anybody. And I know the level to talk about at certain, you know, places. There's a there's a place for everything and generally Christmas dinner is not it. Now, I will tell you on a Thanksgiving one year I did have some problems.

So, you know, I can see it happening. You know, I brought something up at Thanksgiving dinner one time and it went sideways really fast. yeah, it was abortion. Yeah, and it went sideways. And I mean, really quick to where like, I was like, and it was like everyone against me.

Really? What was it?

Hmm.

Robb (29:28.272)

Yeah, I was just like, oh shit. And then to the point where I just had to go look, let's not talk about this. And this was years ago.

Since I threw it out, let's just not talk about it.

Well, because like everyone got the, you know, their beliefs in a, yeah, everyone got their beliefs in the panties and in a wad. And I was like, Hey, you know, this is what I thought. And look, and here's the funny thing since then I've actually changed my mind. So like, so now it would, that conversation wouldn't come up either way. So

worked up.

Right.

But, but look, this is what why Christmas time and New Year's and Thanksgiving, this whole two months of holiday is about family. You have to be able to not agree with your family and still be family. You just do. And you have to realize that you're going to invite people over where they're your family and their kids are shitty.

Right? That's very true.

Yep.

Right. And you're going to have to deal with divorced families where, you know, mom is going to do stuff with the kids and dad's going to do stuff with the kids and. It's yeah. Well. And here's like, and I'll give you a real world example, and it's more funny than it is anything because.

or mom's gonna do something with her new boyfriend and leave them with the kids. Like it goes, like there's so many variations to that.

So I got a call from my ex-wife on Thanksgiving and I was going to go to a friend's house for Thanksgiving dinner. Me and my kid and his girlfriend were gonna go have a Thanksgiving with a friend of mine who doesn't have family close. So we went to do that. And my ex-wife called me and was like, I heard he's going with you somewhere on Thanksgiving. And I was like, yeah. And she goes, well, no, it gets better.

Why is it any of her?

And she goes, she goes, she was, well, I want him on Christmas. And I was like, he's 23 years old. He's a grown ass man. Call him. Like, because here's the difference. At least I just think since I have him every day and I've had him for fucking ever, I just see him as. If, if I go, Hey dude, I'm going to go.

I'll give you I'll give an example like in your case Tina invited me to Christmas dinner. I'm gonna go do you want to go and he goes no Do you know what I'm gonna tell him? Okay? I'm not gonna go. come on, dude. You need to you should go Baba. He's a grown man So his mom calling me and saying I want him on Christmas. I I wanted to laugh

Hehehe.

Yep.

I was like I just think that because I had him on Thanksgiving she probably wanted him to come over on Thanksgiving but never called him in advance anyway and again like I'm not trying to throw stones at my ex-wife I'm just thought you know that I get it you want to see him for the holiday that's great you should have asked him in October not three days before Thanksgiving where

And why wouldn't she, what does that have to do with you?

Right?

So, but it's family time and I did tell him you need to go see your mom. Like, but you are, but I also pushed that all year. Like don't just go there on the fucking holidays. And, but I think that this is the whole point of family, friends, everything. Like you have to make traditions. Because sooner or later,

Absolutely.

you're going to leave the family or whatever like for your kids, they're gonna go and do their own thing and you're going to either get a new girlfriend or boyfriend and you're gonna start your own thing and then you're gonna have to deal with their family and your family and that's gonna come together or you're or you're gonna go and see your best friend who's far away and you're gonna do dinner with them just in the intern.

here.

So my thing is what I was trying to tell my kid about kind of what we were talking about. That you have to either start a tradition or be part of someone else's sometimes. it's important because it's such a good time. Mostly if you can...

It's absolutely important.

Like tonight, you know, we're going to celebrate my son's birthday today. They got me this really cool, it's like a water boiler, but it's like really quick. It's a tea kettle.

But it's like a modern tea kettle. It's electric and it gets water boils in like a minute. It's insanely fast. So I went over and I got some muffins or I got some cupcakes for his birthday and I got some hot cocoa and like I said tonight we'll we're gonna have some hot cocoa after we eat and we'll have it we'll have two little muffins and we'll celebrate your birthday and blah blah blah. And and he was like how cool and I go I get to I get to

Okay.

Use the gift you guys got me. I'll watch it boil together and and You know do that kind of thing and I think that since his birthday is so close to Christmas I do my best to separate them

Yeah. No, we used to have to do that with my mom and my dad. Their birthdays were in December, both of theirs. My mom got married on her 18th birthday. And then, you know, just...

my... jeez. Yeah, it's just the cycle of... of, you know, things to do. Yeah, I mean, look.

Their anniversary was also in December on my mom's birthday. Then there was Christmas. Then it was like it was never ending.

Yeah.

Yes.

If you guys out there have a Christmas tradition or your friends have a Christmas tradition or whatever it is that you do every year I say make sure you enjoy every second of it because sooner or later you might not be able to do it because you know friends move away family moves away

Yeah.

You know, whatever it is. It's so important that we continue to do these things.

Absolutely. You know, so that I'm sick because of doing the chilies for the tamales. And that was my grandmother's thing. And then it went to like her daughters. And then I don't know how I ended up with it, but now I have it. And, you know, I think to myself, I'm like, even in traditions, like you could still get messed up because

my sinuses are burnt, I'm not feeling good and all for all for everybody to have the same thing to eat on Christmas like I'm starting to rethink these whole tradition things why keep them you know why not do I don't know I think it's good to make up your own thing too and then do that but I'm still doing tamales uh red pork and green chili and cheese

What kind of what kind do you make? Very nice. Yeah, I'm a fan of so my friend down the street would make some she would make beef.

and chicken so I yeah they can be they can be pretty dry pork's always good pork is I just swine is good with everything really

I don't like chicken. I've never liked chicken. They're dry.

Yeah.

yeah, can't go wrong.

My brother he always says I only like breakfast wine the rest of it go to hell like he doesn't want any part of it Yeah, so he does a lot of the green chili and cheese with us, but yeah

He only likes the breakfast swine, huh? I don't know, man. I love me some bacon. I love ham. I love a good pork roast. Ooh, bless you. I mean, the pulled pork sandwich, how can you, man, we gotta talk to the old boy.

He doesn't like ham or pork.

Excuse me, sorry about that.

Yeah, he's not not about it not about it. Well when we do like I was making fun of him the other day because we did thanksgiving and my and I was making a pork roast and I was like I I think my brother likes it. I'm not sure he had it that one time. I thought it was okay, but you know, we cooked the crap out of it. So that was part of it and And so I

That's too bad.

I was saying to my friend, they're like, well, what if he doesn't like that? What does he eat? Does he eat the turkey? No, he doesn't like birds. Did he eat the mashed potatoes? I'm like, maybe, you know, maybe he did. But they're like, well, what does he eat? I'm like, just the fruit salad. And then I went to him and I asked him, I'm like, what do you eat? He goes, oh, mostly the fruit salad because he won't. So all that food that gets made, he doesn't even participate.

Wow. That's wild. What is your like go to Christmas dinner?

tamales tamales rice beans salad and then we'll either make a ham maybe a turkey and then do the mashed potatoes so everything traditional like traditional Thanksgiving dinner will do that on top of having a Mexican Christmas dinner but I'm at the point now where I'm like we don't need all that food because it's you can't possibly eat two big-ass dinners you know

Just tamales? Okay, so the... Right. Right, exactly, you can't.

So I said this year it's just gonna be tamales, rice, beans, maybe some enchiladas, some salad, and you know, then call it a day. Please, because I'm tired of throwing all the, you know, we put it all in baggies and then people forget it and then, you know, it stays in our fridge. We don't eat it, then it has to be thrown away. It's a waste of, but again, more tradition, because that's what we do every year, so.

Keep it simple. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

We used to do ham or turkey or both and then mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, know, rolls, the whole nine. Which is kind of good because it's comfort food. It's kind of like like I was telling somebody today because we're about to go have spaghetti for dinner. like I make I make jokes because it's like ghetto meal. And and she goes, it's not a ghetto meal. That's that's comfort food. And then I was like,

Yeah. Yeah. Yep.

Yep, same here.

Yeah.

Oh yeah, I guess you're right. But like to me it just seems like it's just such a cheat meal. It's like it's a single guy meal. You know, I used to make spaghetti and know garlic bread and the whole nine. And it's funny because she was like it's not... Oh, garlic, yeah. Let me get some garlic bread. Actually, if anyone goes lives in the San Fernando Valley or is close to it and you go to Cheechie's Pizza, they have the greatest sourdough rolls ever. Ever.

spaghetti?

you keep the spaghetti, I'll just eat the garlic bread. Gotta love me some garlic bread.

ever. You know what they I we got some chicken wings the other night and they were they were just like the breaded ones I didn't I didn't want any of the sauces on them so those were freaking fantastic yeah and who knew because I've been going there a hundred years never had those before

Yeah, my boy, he's although he eats spaghetti, he's never ate it from there, but he gets the they have pressure cooked chicken and potatoes. Like fried chicken. So good.

Okay.

Super good. Mm-hmm. And like there's like these big there's like two size two sizes steak fries. They're like these massive potatoes. They're really good. You who knew? I'd never know because I get the pasta there. So. For for years. Mm-hmm. Yep. And then.

Really?

Huh. Who knew? Yeah, you get the same thing. I've seen you get the same thing every time we go for like hundred years. Since we were like 15, 16, 16 years old when we went the first time.

Bread the same bread that I dip in that sauce. So, Look my whole thing. I guess on for this since we'll wrap it up now a little bit early is Enjoy because it's hard enough out there Christmas is that one time a year where you can Have a good time Yeah, and and for the people that really mean something to you make sure they know There's some there's man life

You can stick it up for one day and just have fun with your family.

Yep, absolutely.

quick. We don't have we don't have many Christmases left so enjoy them. Yeah so next one will be on New Year's Eve so we'll come up with some crazy thing to talk about. It's an opinion show don't get it twisted keep coming back every Wednesday. That's Tina I'm Rob we'll see you in week. Merry Christmas!

True.

See ya! Merry Christmas!