Welcome everybody to Amy and TJ coming to you from Los Angeles once again.
Whis in two weeks? How are you feeling?
DJ?
I feel like we're bi coastal. This podcast is now bi coastal. This is the fast five podcast we've recorded, including this one. Three out of the past five have been recorded in Los Angeles. That feels by coastal.
It certainly does. And yet we've had a heck of a few days in New York. Lots of this hasn't happened in one hundred years. First actually in New York, and it all began. I guess with the earthquake that you felt and I didn't. And where were you when it all hit?
Oh? I was in on the twenty seventh floor of my place. Felt a little sway, thought it was there's some construction work going on, so I thought it was those guys. But but no, Now, I never would have crossed my mind that it was actually an earthquake. And everybody was all the.
Course until you heard like everyone's phones went into massive emergency alert mode, which is always jarring. I was on the second floor of a building getting some well. I was at my anesthetician's office, which is basically not quite
a dermatologist, but someone who helps you stay young. And I was getting a procedure done called micro needling, So I had needles going into my face when the earthquake hit, and so thank goodness, I didn't feel a thing, because I actually later on thought what would that have actually
been like had something shook or moved. I had radio frequents, like they are these needles that go into your skin, like fairly deeply, and they just put out radio frequency vibes into your skin into supposed to like stimulate your own collagen and keep you looking young. But anyway, can you imagine I was getting that done when the earthquake hit.
Thank goodness, I didn't feel a thing. Thank goodness. Our buildings are.
Well supposedly most of them earthquake proof. We'll see they haven't been fully tested. But five point eight on the Richter scale, and didn't feel a thing.
It was a five point eight, Yes, oh, I didn't realize it was that. That's a very serious earthquake.
So there wasn't.
Yeah, it's been eighteen eighty four, was the last one that hit five point zero or above? And so you know, they always say you're due your dual. Anyway, we got that. Apparently there were some aftershocks felt none of those. I felt nothing. I was a little disappointed. I kind of wanted to feel the swaying. But you didn't even realize it was an earthquake.
No, I mean, you got could tell there was swaying. It's just a matter you don't think in New York. I've been in two earthquakes in my life. That was the second, but that was you don't The first thought is never. I felt strong winds in New York before on the in a high rise and you feel a little swaying, but there's no way the first thing that crosses your mind is an earthquake.
So we were all okay, got text from my mom. Do you get text from people checking in on you making sure you were okay?
Not really actually all right?
Well, my mom definitely checked in on me to make sure we were okay. And that all worked out. So that was that started off a couple of days of some madness. March madness actually continued this weekend and I really got into the women's games. We had some fun watching that, and I also had some fun watching the men's games for another reason.
Which was, Well, let's just say this.
You've told me that you've never enjoyed watching basketball so much because I point out all the things that are not sports related.
I just say that to you. It's it's it's it's no, I don't like watching basketball like that. You you point out the color of the guy's shoes. You got me focused on woman on the fourth row. I'm missing the game because you're pointing out some oddities in the game. You distract me from the game. So it's hilarious. Don't get me wrong, but yeah, you focus on everything except basketball.
Well, I do like to watch the game, but when it's a little slow or they're missing their shots, I like to maybe just look at some of the local color. I got really into the commentators this time. I actually had a running list, because I don't know if anyone else out there who I mean.
I've always watched sports. I love college football.
My dad and my brother were a big sports watchers, so it's not some new foreign thing to me. But I've never watched this much sports like this much basketball, Like we don't miss a game, or you definitely don't miss a game, and I don't think I've missed many But what I kind of started finding a little funny was if anyone else just can listen to the commentators, there are so many sexual innuendos that they make when
they're talking. I don't know if it goes for all sports or if it's just basketball, but there were a lot of phrases that were and you were noticing them too correct.
Uh, no, you were pointing them out. But I've been watching by bsketball my entire life. I've never heard some of the things you pointed out. With the last few.
Days, there's a lot like pounded it in down below, might as well ride him while he's on the floor. They'll take it anyway they can get it, massages it with his left hand. I mean, we were having some fun with it. It was kind of like NonStop if you really listen for it. Anyway, if anyone's bored and they're watching a game, if you just listen for this, it actually is quite funny because it never disappoints.
It hasn't yet.
Again, it's not if you're watching the basketball game. All that stuff makes perfect thing, no sexual connotation at all. He massages it in with his left hand. A guy shot a hook shot with his left hand and it barely just got over the front of the rim, so it massage. He massaged it in. He eased it in with his left hand. The other guy, he was hot on the floor. I think he was in foul trouble. So hey, you keep feeding them and you might as well ride him while he's on the floor. That all
makes perfect sense if you're a sports fan. You're a basketball fan, and that never in life did any of those things have any sexual connotation until you started pointing all this stuff out.
But then I just think it adds some levity and some fun. You can still concentrate on the game, and if you just keep your air out for that, it's just an extra layer of fun.
Just I don't need it.
I get it.
I'll get what you're saying. You're not a man. I know it's fine. You're not necessarily a basket you and just watch a basket. You need other things to entertain you, to keep you engaged. Same thing with Sabine. Sometimes watching football with me, she'll point out some silly stuff on a stat or something on the bottom of the screen. I'm not paying attention to because she's not necessarily into the game. What you're saying makes sense, makes a perfect sense,
and you got to kick out of it. But if it keeps you on the couch watching the game and engaged, I'm okay with it.
Yeah.
And it's like I think this all came out of it's not just watching a game, it's watching lots and lots and lots of games. So anyway, I found a way to make it even extra fun for myself and enjoyed this weekend a lot.
What did you think of the games? What did you think of the comes?
I was very disappointed in the National Championship because you wait all year, I watched basketball all year. You're waiting for the championship game. You'd like for it to be a little more competitive. Yukon is unreal. So they just they made the game not a game. There's that good. So the run they've been on back to back championships, congrats to Yukon for what they pulled off is really
really impressive. But as a basketball fan who didn't have a dog in the fight that was Arkansas playing, sure I want them to blow somebody out, but anybody else playing, I would like to see a competitive game. But they were impressive and on the women's side. That was the marquee Final four, Yukon women against Iowa and Kaitlyn Clark. Paige Becker's from Yukon against Kaitlyn Clark. Just what the women have done with the game now, they are the they are the highlights. They are the one that was
a more interesting final four. You know my schedule. I scheduled my day completely around watching women's basketball and canceled plans with some people because of women's college basketball. It's just what they've done is unreal. And if you're not paying attention, I hope you continue. It's not just about Caitlin Clark. Yes, she got people involved, but man, I hope that this brings more and more eyeballs to women's college basketball and women's basketball in general. But this is
just an unbelievable run. And I applaud South Carolina. Congratulations Dawn Staley what they've done. But it's just the women's game is unreal right now.
And you have said this, you prefer watching the women play to the men. I really got into it. It was so fun to be We actually went out for that game and to see this bar packed in Manhattan, men, women, old, young, you know, all everyone coming together to cheer on women's basketball. That wouldn't have happened five years ago, would it have ten years ago? I mean, this is a fairly new phenomenon and to what do you attribute that?
And does it have legs?
No, it's a matter of I mean, they're hardcore basketball fans who have followed the women's game. Now it's just brought more people in to watch a college women's college game in January versus just watching March Madness. Right, Kaitlyn clark Is, she's completely responded on stay leave South Carolina. But you go back to pat Summit and Tennessee, you go back to what Gino Arama has done at Yukon. I mean there's been eyes on women's college basketball, but
nothing like this before. So yeah, Caitlyn is just I mean, you know the nil stuff. Kids are being being able to be in commercials now. I think that's been the issue. I think you always you need to invest in the players and making them the highlight reel. So I've always I've preferred to watch women's college basketball over NBA basketball during the regular season NBA playoffs than mere love that high intensity. But during the year, the beauty of the
college game and the women's game. It's been there for a long time, just some people are starting to pay more attention.
Well, it was fun going out with you and seeing that and just honestly seeing I was noticing tables full of girls. You know, they weren't on dates, they weren't with their boyfriends. These girls got out together to come cheer on the women. It was just it was really fun. It was really cool to watch. And you mentioned, you know, you schedule your day around We've scheduled our weeks, our weekends around these games.
And there was a little opening.
Was it on Sunday and we got to see something that we were both very excited about. It was the first OMEN, so we got to mix a little sports and a little horror movie and it did not disappoint. I've always said my favorite horror movie of all time goes back to Gregory Peck The OMEN, the original, and we actually rewatched it again just to get ready for it, and then you know, you just think it's not going to be as good, it's going to disappoint, and it was awesome.
It was so good.
Highly recommend if you're a horror movie fan. It was It was so good.
What did you think, Oh, the first time it's I was disappointed, not in the movie going into it. How people were putting Immaculate against the first omen uh none what they call it, none exploitation what they call it. But it's pitting them against each other, just saying, well, they're kind of the same concept. And if you see this when you're probably not going to see that one. But the movie, don't know. The movie did not disappoint
in the least bit. It is I mean, wow, we we we saw a disappointing horror movie not too long ago.
Yeah we did.
I don't want to not We were looking forward to it for so long and it was a dud. This was not one of them. This one delivered, so job well done. I don't want to not do what the movie was.
I was just gonna say what it was because it was kind of funny that we had high hopes for it in the first place, if you think about the concept, but I get it, I get it.
Yeah, but no, no, But for the first OMEN highly recommended. It didn't have the greatest weekend opening weekend at the box office, but we are here endorsing and pushing and plugging and by all means, go see that movie, the first Omen, especially if you liked the first the original excuse me.
Yeah, because they even paid homage to Gregory Peck. I mean they weave in the story so well so that it literally ends, because it's a prequel obviously the first Omen, it ends going straight into the original OMEN in such a perfect way. They did such a good job. We liked it so much we went home and then watched the OMEN two just to kind of continue the fun. So anyway, it really got us back into that groove and that series of horror movies that I absolutely love.
And so I was just I love it when you don't get disappointed when you're looking forward to a movie and then it's maybe even better than you thought. It was, So hats off to everyone involved in the first moment because I can't wait to actually watch it again when it's streaming.
So that's how good it was.
And then, oh my goodness, we had a total solar eclipse.
It was ninety percent in New York City.
No, it was well, I mean that was I don't know what to call that. It was eclipse mania to a certain degree. For a little while. All the we were part of that for so long, the mania in building something out being a part of the media networks, and I mean they had countdowns going for a week. I swear to God about it coming, and but it's
just I can't get away from it. It's just so rare that we in this country, or even in town states wherever you are, that we have such a communal event like that, to where everybody is on board and excited about something and not us versus them, and we're not on different sides or something. And I likened it in New York to the to the New York City Marathon. It's it's rare that we just have the community, the whole city come together for something like that, and it was fun to see.
I agree.
And the cool thing is, yes, this is the first time where we got to actually just participate. We got to just be spectators. We weren't covering it like we'd always done before. You were actually where were you the last there was an eclipse? A few years back? You actually went to one of the epicenters now in Indiana, Illinois, Illinois, Illinois, So you were working, we were all working. The last
it wasn't a total solar eclipse. I don't believe it was a partial one, correct this one though, this one was the total.
But so was.
This hadn't happened in New York City again in nearly one hundred years, I believe. So this was a big, big deal and I had so much fun. We you and I went to lunch. We kind of planned a whole day around the eclipse. We walked over to the West Side Highway. We staked out a little spot on one of the piers, and the cool thing was watching everybody come out whatever they were doing. And I liked watching people watching the eclipse.
That was like super fun.
We had to share us a of glasses because we only had one pair that Simene gave us.
So while you were looking around.
I was looking we were able to kind of look around and watch people just be in awe of mother nature. I think it sounds a little sappy, but when you're looking up at something like that, you are forced to recognize that we're a little ball floating around in the middle of the sky in space, and just how small we all are, but how a part of this larger
universe we are. So it kind of gives you this like crazy perspective when you're looking at this unbelievable event happened, and I don't know, I just felt it felt like a moment where you felt connected not just to everyone around you all watching it, but to the universe and beyond.
Did you feel any of that?
I didn't feel, okay, a single bit. I got a little cold when the moon covered the sun. The temperature dropped pretty severely. But yeah, I didn't. I didn't have the out of body experience you seem to.
No, it wasn't an out of body it was it was actually feeling connected. And funny enough, Yes, I too forgot that the sun warms the Earth because it got really cool. It didn't get dark, it got a little shaded, it didn't get as dark, but it got cold, very cold, and so we hurried home after the event to get back so we could get some sweaters on because it
was not the warmest event. And I didn't even put two and two together that the Sun being blocked by the moon would make the temperature drop, but it did.
Indeed.
No, But I don't. I mean, I'm not taking away from you or anybody else who had that, you know, having a moment with something like that, and people got people. I saw people on TV getting men in teers getting very emotional and worked up about people proposed at the moment that the eclipse was happening. So no, I'm not taking away from you and find it silly that you were thinking that I just didn't. I just didn't have that experience.
Well I wasn't crying or anything like that, but it's okay if you did. I think, Oh, I do think it's cool.
I think anytime you recognize just that you're a part of something bigger than yourself, I can see where emotion comes into play.
Is that what it's like for you watching basketball?
Uh? I always know you say that, I'm always that moment. You always feel like there's something you're part of, something bigger.
I have to you. I guess over the past couple of years, it's I don't know, you know, with all the stuff I've been reading and studying and trying to do better about and I don't want to call it a did aj McClain just set a journey of self discovery that sounds so lame, but the idea essentially being you start to figure things out as you get older and you start to reflect, and that's something I've been for a while now realizing just how small we are,
just how insignificant we are, and we think all of our problems are the biggest thing in the world and they ain't nothing to nobody. Yeah and so so yeah to your point, sometimes something like an eclipse could put you back in that moment. But but yeah, it's always a good reminder.
And I think sometimes for me, when I'm feeling overwhelmed or getting caught up on something small that's bothering me, if I just go out and look at the stars.
It's not that easy to do in New York City.
Very often, but it's the same kind of a thing where you just get this perspective of where we are in the world and what we're focused on isn't.
At all what matters. So I love those moments. It was a really cool moment to be a part of.
I was excited to be able to just be in New York City for that and be around so many people, everyone looking up to this guy for some greater meeting, or maybe just excited that they got a little time off of work in the middle of the day. I don't know, whatever it was, it was a really special day and I'm just really happy to share it with you.
Oh that's very sweet. No, it was funny. It was funny, something that rare. Oh, it's a treat to do something like that in New York.
Yeah, and we're about to be a part for the first time in a long time for a couple of days.
Everybody needs a break, right, everybody needs a break.
Right. Oh my goodness.
Maybe we don't even realize we need a break.
Oh my goodness. All right, Well, wow, I wasn't expecting that as a response.
No, I said maybe. I didn't say I would like. I didn't say I want, or I didn't say we need. I say maybe. I mean. I don't have a hand in us being a part.
I am heading out to see my oldest.
Daughter in Germany, So I'm going to go out just for I think I'm gone for four days.
It's a quick trip. But what are you going to do.
While you're gone? Yeah, I will probably, I'm guessing fetal position for several days. Uh, that's just a guess. I haven't planned it out.
Really, you don't know what you're going to do.
I know I'm gonna do no hang out with the mean Probably we'll kick it like crazy. Got the weekend. Yeah, champion cuaase tournaments over. Yeah, they had no friends in town. My boys gonna be here. No, I'm gonna wait.
I thought you said you were going out the first night I'm leaving.
I mean, I don't know. I haven't.
Oh, you forgot, you forgot.
No, I didn't forget. I just I don't know what I'm doing. I haven't offered to go out, and I don't know if I'm going out that night or not. I don't know if i'll be up for it. After you're gonna be gone, I'll be worried about your traveling.
Really, you're a warrior.
I'm not a warrior.
I know.
I've said you plenty of times. I get I'm I get what's not pissed. I get really frustrated when we are not a part but actually a part in traveling apart. We've been through so much together and it always is some I get an anxiety. I get fear that we're not together. I'm not there with you, frankly.
To.
Protect you, to help you if anything goes on, and I just don't like me apart from you in a way. When somebody's traveling on the other side of the planet. And yeah, I do get an anxiety about that, that that while something's going to happen and all we've gone through is in some way I do. I forgot about.
That, and so I know you've explained this to me, but it's it's less about missing me and more about something's going to happen to me.
Uh yeah, it is less about I mean, you put it that way. It makes it sound bad. It's about No, it's not a matter of missing you. I'm missing you when you go to the bathroom. It's just uh yeah, that is a real thing I've talked to you about for a while. I hate, hate, hate when we travel, apart from extended periods and certainly long distances.
Yeah, well we should book some travel together.
We do, we have.
I love to travel, you know this, right, And I like to have at least I don't know, one trip in the books, like I like to look up my apps, like my flying apps, and see that I at least have one thing bucked.
Are you that way? No?
I didn't think so.
No, No, I that don't. I don't want to. I don't if I got a trip coming up in six weeks. I just hate it's almost like wait, looking looking forward to the weekend, like if you're only living for the weekend, you are not living well. So it's one of those things like, oh, yeah, I just got to get through these next six weeks so I can get to this trip or oh, I'm just I know what you're saying
about looking forward to. But that's why I it doesn't get in my head too, like I got today, trip is coming, that's fine, but I just that's my mindset.
No, I hear you, and I I'm with that too. I love. I don't know who to attribute this to, but I love. I read somewhere what brings you joy?
Or what? What? What's happiness? And it was you need three things.
Number one you need something to do, Number two you need someone to love, and number three you need something to look forward to.
Your thoughts on that saying yeah, well, I've heard you say it a lot.
I know, so you've had time to think about what you think about it.
No, it's clever, it's cute, it's fine, it's I mean, I don't what was the first one?
Again?
Something to do, something to do, somebody to love, and something to look forward to. So what if I don't right, or if I don't have somebody to love? What if I don't have something to look forward to? What was the first one?
You can love yourself and you can look forward to waking up, something to do.
Something to do. I don't know. So what if I don't.
Then where you are right now?
No?
Mean, but does that mean I am not living a life that's full?
No?
It was just a kind of a subscription of prescription for happiness.
It was what you know, that's.
That's what I need for happiness. If I don't have that, I know.
That's just according to one person, and it's something that I actually agree with. But I told you, I don't know who it was. It just read it somewhere and it's stuck like bel crow.
It was on a bathroom stall.
You probably you never know. You never know. Uh, Now, what's your prescription for happiness?
Selfishness? I think you have to take care of yourself first. If you make sure you're healthy, you make sure you're in a good place mentally and physically, you can then actually be at peace and be of service to everything and everybody around you. So I think that that sounds stup. But nobody no prescription everybody is you selfish or usually
that's an insult. But I think I've learned, certainly the past couple of years, that you have to have to have to You are no good to anything, anybody anywhere if you have not taken care of yourself first and foremost. So I think that's where it starts. And you need to be selfish about your time. You need to be selfish about your health, you need to be selfish about your mind. You need to be selfish about all of those things. And I think you can get to a
peaceful place. And I think we say we look it for happiness, but I think it's just peace.
Piece is definitely underrated. And I think when you've gone through some TUMULTI you recognize it pretty quickly that that's the one thing actually that you do have control over. You can control that. Do you think this is interesting? How did you come to that place? No one teaches you that, or no one taught me that. In fact, selfish has a negative connotation. And then I wondered, have I given that to my daughters? Have I taught them that? Where did you get that belief from?
Maybe it's I mean, maybe it's again it's out of context. It sounds awful to be selfish, but you've learned it over time and experience that I was a bad dad, I was a bad mate. I was a bad coworker because I was too busy trying to be a good dad and a good mate and a good coworker by doing everything everybody around me wanted or expected, or grinding myself to the ground, trying to accomplish something to make everybody around me satisfied, to make everybody around me happy.
And it's you know, yeah, talked about it here, and we'll talk about it down the road. But yeah, you get to a point where you almost you almost hit rock bottom. And then I finally just started decided to start taking care of myself.
And well, look at you now, are you happy?
I am at peace?
Yes, you're at peace.
Do you want to do you strive to be happy? Do you strive to be joyful? Or is peaceful? Good enough? Good?
And peaceful?
Is it?
That's that's everything, the happiness. I don't need anything or anybody to make me happy. I am. I have to be comfortable in at peace where I am, and I'm at peace, and happiness just comes. It's a byproduct. It's not even I don't need I'm looking at you in the eye right now, I don't And I don't think you want me to say that I don't need you to make me happy. Right That's not enough.
I don't think I can make you happy.
Yeah you could, you could give it a shot, though.
I do every day.
No, But the point being, if I am looking to you to make me happy, we are doomed.
I agree. I agree, one hundred percent dooms.
So yeah, I have been a I've said this for a while now, I'm the happiest and healthiest I have been in my adult life.
You know, I know you said you don't. You like to live in the moment and you don't like to necessarily have something you have to look forward to. But come on, the NBA is about to start up, just as the college hoops are over.
You got another sporting event to be excited about.
Series, But no, that this is worse than I mean for you, I mean than March madness. I don't know, but that was two weekends of a lot of the first weekend is back to back to back to back. The game's nonsense up. When the NBA playoffs start, like every night there's games boom boom, but like four or five games every night the first week, a couple of weeks, that's gonna be rough.
When does that start?
How many games left in regular season? Probably only a week left in regular season?
Oh wow?
So yeah, yeah, a couple weeks.
Gonna be a couple weeks.
Oh yeah, it's gonna be full steament.
I'm gonna get my whole list going. I can't wait. It's my new fun passed on to listen to the commentators.
You see, I have no idea about the NBA because I've never listened to it with you to where I don't know what they say. It might be gross.
Buckle up, I can't wait. Yeah, I'm gonna make it even more entertaining than it already is.