“I WAS JUST BITTEN BY A SNAKE”

Hi.

What is your name?

My name's Jed.

Jed. How can I get you today?

Jed?

What's going on?

Well, it's been an interesting morning. But I had two new life experiences today and one of them is really cool and one of them not so much.

Okay, what were they?

Well? I got bit by a copperhead in the foot at work, which, as you'd imagine, was pretty intense. So you know, I cussed out the snake and cursed his name. My boss wrested me to the er, and they decided to put me on a helicopter all doped up, which is one of the coolest experiences ever, by the way, So it was almost worth it in a way getting bit, because when else when I was I ever going to be able to get on a helicopter you know.

Brouh, You know you can just get high.

I mean, yeah, I know I could, but that's not what I mean, that's not my aim. It was just a cool like cherry on top, like you know, like a little treat.

A little treat, I guess. Yeah, you don't have to get bit by a snake to get high. I mean, the helicopter ride is probably uh you know, that's a whole that's an excursion.

But yeah, well you see, the thing is kind of like a loophole. So I was just going to get high. People people would judge me. But like if you get bit by a snake and then say, you know, you got a bunch of shots and morphine, people are like, oh cool, that was awesome. You know, they can't judge.

You for that.

Interesting. Yeah, no, you're right. You're right. If you're if you're facing an injury or something like that and you just get really high, you're actually you're a hero.

Actually yeah, And they're like, ooh, I bet you felt good. But if I just go get high and then you know, they're like you piece of ship.

All right, Where do you work that you're hanging out with snakes?

Well, so I live in the woods, like in the holler, uh, on my boss's property. I'm mostly a full time musician, but I do some like constructions and stuff on the side, and uh yeah, I'm usually I'm usually really vigilant. That's spend a lot of time in the woods grown up, and I know what you look for. And surprisingly enough, I haven't seen one on the property this year, So

Where are you? Where's that beeping noise that I'm hearing?

That is my either my heart monitor or boodpression monitor, one of the two. Sorry about that? Are you annoying me too? Yes, that's what I'm saying. I got wife flighting or whatever they call it.

What so, how how did you?

Oh?

Yeah, okay, oh yeah, I guess no, yeah, you said the whole thing about the fucking helicopter. Sorry, I just my brain operates as if it's always coursing with snake venom.

I like your brain.

Oh thanks man, I'm gonna take that. Uh positively, definitely. So how long are you in the hospital for? How long do you have to sit there for?

I don't know. They don't know yet. I could be released tonight, or they might keep me overnight to monitor me. I didn't even think I was gonna have to stay. I was actually like kind of annoyed when they're like, well, we're gonna, we're gonna keep you here a while. But then I heard, you know, heard about the helicopter, and I was like, oh yeah, bet let's go.

Were you So when people get airlifted to a hospital and a helicopter, I've always noticed that, tell me if this is what happens. But like the people like typically you're being dangled from the helicopter. Is that how it worked?

Oh? I wish man, that would have been fun. They didn't have to like pull me out of the woods or nothing. I was able to live. I live in the Ozarks, you know, very mountainous, beautiful region, and so the nearest town is probably like, I don't know, twenty minutes away, and it's a small, a small, little emergency room.

You know, that's cool. I used to back when I did stand up, I tried to make this bit work where it was like use because they okay, so they do that right where they dangle people from the helicopter, and uh, I was always like, why don't you just why do you just let him in? Why do they do that? Just put him in the fucking helicopter? You know. I feel like that's the that's the last place. That's the last place I would want to be if I was injured, is dangling from a helicopter, right, Like, sorry.

About your broken back, but you're about to go in the ride of your fucking life. Man. Yeah, can they at least like winch them up? You know what I mean? There has to be a better system. Those are the clips of people of the helicopters doing that with like big animals like elephants and ship.

Yeah, sure, yeah, I have to that. Yeah the elephant, I get the elephant. They can't get him in.

But yeah, that's understanding.

That must be bro, that must be crazy for the elephant.

Yeah right, that's that's fucking I don't know the first time I ever saw that, I was just like, huh, Like this is like, what is the point of this? They didn't look injured, you know, It's just like it's like one of those things some dude woke up in the morning. He's like, I have an idea. Boys, let's go. We're gonna wrangle lesson elephant.

So okay, I'm when when do you get discharged? Do you know?

I don't know yet. Let's see, I started this adventure about one so and the swelling is still going up. So they're just kind of I'm just kind of chilling until they know more. But my friend just dropped me off like a shitload of fried rise, so I'm like sneakily eating it because I'm because I'm not supposed to be eating.

Don't tell well, hold on, why are you not supposed to be eating?

Talk about them? They don't tell me anything, just tell me what to do.

I feel like, if the doctor tells you hold on, I feel like, pro if the doctor tells you you're not supposed to be eating, don't fucking eat? What are you doing?

Well? They say they aren't, they aren't sure yet, and I haven't. I'm not taking the end of venom and I haven't, you know, there's like I only took freaking painkillers and commit a drill, Like, I'm pretty sure I can eat on painkillers.

Drill the doctor said. If the doctor says you're not supposed to eat, don't eat.

They said they weren't sure. They didn't do it, yes or no. Yeah, so they didn't definitely say it, don't. They said, well, we're still figuring stuff out. So I feel like if it was that pertinent, they would have been like, yeah, no, don't not like not make it kind of vague, because if you even vague, I'm gonna do what I want to do. You know what I mean.

I mean, whatever do you do, I.

Need to do it. Die copperheads, don't.

Feel I see where you're I see what your I see what you're saying. I see what you're saying.

If they don't put that on me, don't put that on me?

What do you what do you?

What do you mean?

Don't put it on you? It's on you, Yes, it is, it is on you. It is propectively on you. No, if you die, here's I I will. I'll say this though. I get where you're coming from. That if it was hold on, hold on, if you yes, if it was dire enough that if you ate you were going to die. Yes, probably they would be like, don't do it until we find out. But that's what they fucking said. What I

Be very very I just, uh, you know, I feel like it's gonna be okay. And if say, if I die, I'll die happy eating fried rice. I mean, I'm cool with it.

What's what's your name, Jed?

Jed?

What?

So?

What do you see? Your musician? What do you what do you do? The little thing where you play a flute and the snakes, uh rise from a from a basket? Is that what the kind of music you make? Is that what we're hanging out with? Snakes?

I'm actually concerned that like that will be like some weird superpower I gain after this, But I'll cross that bridge when it comes.

Okay. Is that real? What is that? What is that called? That's a real art thing people do? Oh? Snake charming, snake charming in that wild that some.

Dude along the line was like, hey, I got this flute. I wonder what the Snake's gonna think, like, who comes up with that?

How old are you? Jed?

I'm thirty four? Man, Holy shit, I thought.

You were in nineteen bro.

Yeah, I sound like a young man and got like I'm still kind of childish. I'm like, you know, I feel like I'm very uh, I've been through last shit, I'm very emotionally mature, but I still like to just like, you know, I do fun stuff steel like skip rocks, watch cartoons. You know. I'm trying to hold onto that that childlike wonder as long as possible, because you got to.

You know, Yeah, thirty four years up? Thirty four is it's too old to be named Jed? I think.

WHI should I change it to? It's I feel like thirty five is probably a good cutoff, but I yeah, thirty four is cutting close?

Yeah, thirty Yeah, thirty four is is? No. I think the cutoff for Jed is like twenty seven. I think thirty Maybe you could change it to something adult like David, maybe Adam Timothy. That's good.

Yeah, if I made though, Lyle is you know, you're kind of too young to be named Lyle too, you know, Le seems like an old man's name. I hate him, but if we're pointing out each other's names, you know, I just I just figured i'd throw that out there.

What's the what's next for you in your life after the snake bite?

Oh? Well, I have to miss. I had a really good paying gig tonight. I have to miss, which sucks. So I think I'm just gonna like chilling beds for a few days, play some guitar, eat ice cream and snacks, and it's kind of like cuddle over my dog and shit man, which is kind of cool because I mean, it sucks on one side, I can need money. On the other, like I never get like two days to do nothing, you know what I mean. Like, so in a way, I'm looking forward to it.

What kind of what kind of music do you play?

Uh? So I'm in one band. I'm a drummer, and and I'm not gonna plug it, just throwing it out there because I like to have my own little face and corner in privacy, you know what I'm saying. But so I'm a drummer for one band for a singer songwriter. But it's not like your typical singer songwriter stuff. It's very very funky and uh, these words are so good man. Like, Uh, I'm pretty picky when it comes to music. You know. I've been playing some sort of music and involved in

Your this is your full time, this is your full time gig.

Yeah, more or less. Yeah, sometimes it's slower than others. But I mean there's some weeks I play four or five shows a week, you know.

I mean cool, very cool, very cool, very cool, very cool, interesting, interesting, interesting, hmmm hm, oh what else do I want to know about you?

It's really cool to be talking to you, by the way.

Man, Yeah, it's quite cool talk. It's cool talking to you too. I feel like i'm sometimes this podcast. I feel like I'm transformed. I'm like, uh uh, traveling around to people's rooms and it's like, I'm just let's see what's going on with this guy who just got bitten by a snake at the hospital.

I've been listening to you. Sorry, sorry, I've been listening to you for a good while man, And like you know, I thought about calling in, but it was like, the only things that maybe you want to talk about are super depressing and fuck that ship. So it's happened to me today. And after my last little shot of painkillers and I saw that you'd come on, I was like, oh, well, I'm calling. I'm calling, yes, just gotta know about the snake bite, all.

Right, I'm gonna take some questions from the chat. And then and then I'm gonna let you rest because you'll be dead soon because you had too much fried rice. Let's see here, Well, I have a question. Where's the fry what what's in the fried rice? Is there egg in it?

There's egg? His chicken and I got extra beds. He got that light roll.

That's cool. People want to know what kind of snake you got bitten by. I think you said it was a copperhead.

Yeah, it was a younger copperhead, which is why I think they were so nervous. I wasn't so nervous, but yeah, it was a younger one, probably like two foot long, not quite two foot in, like three quarters of an inch diameterter.

Someone wants to know what your favorite kind of snake is.

I like the ball pythons. They're just so chilled. And I had this. There was this moment in time I was like looking at one of one of my friends and he like kind of yawned and smiled, and I was like, holy shit, snake's yon. That's the cutest thing ever. From that moment on, I just really liked him.

Oh I've never seen a snake yawn before. That sounds cool.

It was super cool, man. It was all very like, it's very cartoony, you know, and he kind of like like snacked his lips afterwards.

It was very Someone wants to know, are you worried about the bill for the helicopter ride?

Yeah?

You have to pay for that.

Ship, right, I mean I don't have to. I'm not worried about the bill. I'm not gonna pay it, but I'm not worried about it.

Wait, what do you mean? You know? Don't they like fuck it? Don't they go after you?

I mean they can try, but I mean there's no such thing as debtor. It's prison anymore. What are they gonna do that attack? Money already destroyed credit?

Yeah, I guess that's true. I was talking to I was talking to It's funny, I was. I was talking to a friend about this last night, and I was We were saying, there are two ways to be rich. One is to have a lot of money, and the other is to be in so much debt that it's not real.

Right my thoughts exactly. So I had a similar not I wouldn't even buy a snake, but I like so the reason I fucked off worried about paying the bill is because, like, who was it about a decade ago. I had a really intense thing happened and you know, had to get surgery and blah blah blah blah blah. And I got the bill and it was like it was laughable. I'm like, who's fucking afoid this? And you know,

You know, someone wants to know. Are you mad at the snake?

No, it's not the snake's vault. Like I usually walk around the property and I get rid of most around the property. If not, I leave alone. It was I'm usually really vigilant. I mean I did cut. Don't get me wrong. I fucking cussed the dass out, like really loudly. You call him a stupid, little slithery fuck. But I'm not mad at him. I'm more mad at myself. I'm not being as vigilant as I usually am.

Oh, that probably really hurt his feelings. I know it was rude, but I mean, like, you know, you gotta tell me one time someone wants to know what you were wearing. And I don't think they meant that in a weird way. I think they just want to know.

So typically I have my boots on when I'm walking around the property. But this morning was supposed to be like a very chill day. We were supposed to just like go down the road and get this back ho and I was gonna follow boss Man back in his car, you know, easy psy. So I'm like, I'm gonna wear my tea list today, get my hiking sands on, you know. And it was one of those things. I was walking out the door looking at my boots like maybe I

Well, Jed, I hope you get better. I hope that the hot I hope I'm gonna give here's my manifestations for you that'll end this car with. I manifest that the collections agency that works for the hospital will forget about you. I manifest that the fried rice you just ate won't kill you, or if it does that, it'll do it fast. I manifest that you will heal from your snake bite and that you will get super cool

Got that?

Yeah, then it doesn't really matter if you can talk to them, but I think they'll probably think you're cool. Jet is anything else you want to say to the people the computer before we go?

First of all, that was really thoughtful, all your manifestations. Wele thank you very much.

You're the man.

And I'll just leave you with a fun fact about copperheads if you didn't know, copperheads are one of the only snakes you actually make for life. And they'll meet up and go to their din the same place every year, which I find that interesting. And that's all I got.

Thank you for calling jed ah right, buddy, I love you. Say say what you will about gecko's but we don't bite, not that hard.

All from alex Ornoys.

These guys Hello, Hello, what is your name? Good sir, my name is Alex. Alex. I really I don't know why I'm saying this right off the bat, but you seem like like a wholesome guy.

No way, Well, I really appreciate that. Actually, I just got off of wor. Yeah, you're a wholesome guy as well.

No, No, I don't say that. I don't like when people say that about me. I don't think whole. I don't Wholesome is not a U. It's not really a compliment. It's just like it's like a it's a it's just like an adjective. I don't know if it's inherently bad or good.

You know, Hm, I guess the way I perceive things with being autistic, I guess when somebody says I'm wholesome, I don't know, it just seems like I guess I took it as a compliment, but I appreciate it. I can't believe.

I'm not hold on, I'm not trying to I'm not trying to insult you. I'm just uh, not that of anything I'm saying is anything to do with you. This is this is just how my guess, my my brain works. No, wholeso. I don't know. I don't like a whole wholesome. Like when I think about the word wholesome, it feels like, uh, something fake about it maybe, or something like cutesy, And I don't. I guess I'm not like uh uh, I guess I don't. It feels cutesy to me, and I

Man?

Would you would I assume, I assume you came here for some reason. What would that reason be?

You're absolutely right, and my reason for trying to call you so many times? And congratulations on streaming five days in a row. I got the live alert, and I was so excited. I just got off work. I wanted to talk to you about I felt sabotaged and caused myself to get fired from a really good corporate job back in March, and I've been trying to land back on my feet, but it's really hard. I guess I just don't really know how to feel about it because

Okay, I have a few I have a few questions. How old are you, Alex?

I am twenty six?

Okay, rock and roll me too? What well, tell me what did you do to get fired from this job?

I was working from home and mental health crisis kind of ensued and I kind of started my work computer on fire.

You started your work computer on fire?

Correct?

Like had what? So you? What did you do to set your computer on fire?

So?

First I pour well, I tried to pour like some cleaner on it and then wouldn't ignite. Then I just used like an aerosol and just sprayed it with a lighter underneath it, and once that started catching and then it went and then I kind of had like a breakthrough after doing that. I was also incredibly intoxicated as well, which didn't help things. But and then you know, kind of watched it burn for a little while, and I'm like,

Why did you set your computer on fire?

You know?

And that's the question I've been trying to answer myself. I am in professional therapy. I've been going for about eight well over a year now, actually since I three months before I even lost this job, and I've been working with my therapist. I've been doing all these things and I don't know I was too drunk, and that part is blacked out, like I don't I don't know what what court snapped to cause me to take the actions that I did. I just I know it happened.

You said you referred to this as a mental health crisis. What did something like trigger you to like go like just like go go feral?

Well, I know when I've because I've been trying to work through this and go back through my thoughts I from who I was talking to, I was talking with a family member that tends to be kind of toxic that had reached out to me, and I'd kind of been fighting with them, and I'm thinking that may have something to do with it, But I really I don't know what triggered it, because looking back, like this was the best job I ever had, and if I wouldn't

Well, Okay, that's a whole other aspect of this that I'm curious to get into, But for now, what'd your therapist say when you told them that you lit this computer on fire?

They were pretty shocked. They kind of knew that I hated this job. I certainly I didn't speak highly of it in therapy. I kind of trashed the job, and I think it was more of an ego thing. I felt like I was almost better because I had this decent job, and you know, I think my ego got the best of me. But they basically they've worked through

So you didn't like this job. Is it something where you hated this job so much that, uh, lighting the computer on fire was a symbol of your hatred?

You know, I've thought about it. I don't think it was that. I mean, I greatly disliked the job, but it could have been worse. And now even looking back because of how bad you know, the economy is and trying to get a new job, I look back on it like, Hey, it wasn't even that bad at all.

I think I just got it sol on for a second. I got I want to I'll get into what now in the future and all that stuff, But I guess I'm just curious why you did this? What did Have you done something like this before?

Not with fire. I've gotten at that job previously. I had gotten upset and like punched monitors and broke them, but I've never started anything on.

Fire as you're so, have you talked to your therapist about like like anger issues and whatnot?

I have? And that leads kind of into a can of worms with the mental health and feeling stuff.

Okay, what they don't.

They don't think I have anger issues. It's more me having an inability to recognize my thoughts and feelings when it comes to like some of the autism, like I can, but kind of understanding how it works in a way, recognizing how I feel. That's one of the reasons I've been in therapy so long, is trying to be healthier. I was in therapy even before any of this happened.

Mm hm.

Hm hmm.

How long ago was this that you let this computer on fire? Said March eleventh, Yeah, March eleventh. Have you had any kind of bizarre like outbursts similar to that in these past few months?

No, not in the past few months.

How many times has something like this happened for you?

Honestly, this outside of punching my monitors a few times, I think they replaced it like two or three times, and then lighting my computer on fire, I those were the only times. And then since then, after getting fired, you know, there was definitely some anger and resentment, and there was like one other incident after that, you know, where I kind of punched a wall, but it was nothing to the extent of like lighting something on fire.

In your current state of mind and of being. Are you confident that something like this wouldn't happen again?

I would say yes, Okay, and I say that because I have seriously considered reapplying.

Okay, look you yeah you probably yeah, you probably not could, you probably not could get that job back. I know, yeah, you're not getting there. I don't think you're getting that job back. But that's okay, all right, hold on, it's not. I'm not You're totally not getting that job back. But that is in no way, shape or form an indication that your life is ruined forever. But you're totally not

Yes, I feel extremely stable. I'm actually just starting to now land on my feet a little bit. I after getting fired from that job, I worked two other jobs, pretty short stints, one at a hardware store and then one at a hotel, both of which fired me after a few weeks, one saying I wasn't a good fit in the other one due to just some background issues. And there's a lot of challenges in me getting a job, so losing that good job has been a little difficult.

I hope you're doing it good, good, good. I'm glad to hear that life is good. Were you fire? Were you? You know, I've talk about this if you don't want to, but like, were you? Were you fired from those other jobs because of something similar to the thing whatever was that made you let your computer on fire? Or was these kind of this is a different thing.

No, the one job I didn't pass the background, they let me work for two and a half weeks, you know, running the front desk of the hotel. But once the general manager came back from vacation, magically my background wasn't good enough, so they let me go. And then the other job, I was just quoted as not a good fit where I think it was just some of the interpersonal you know, with the autism and mental health, because going from working from home for three years to an in person job.

Yeah, and now you're you're a painter. How long you've been doing the paints.

A little over a month?

Now?

Okay? All right? So I mean let's talk about the uh, the dwelling you're feeling like you you I guess you've expressed regret that you don't have this corporate job anymore. You feel? Is that what you're feeling?

It is?

Tell me the more about this regret.

I regret getting fired and the actions I took, and the fact that I that I'm not lying to you and not really knowing definitely what caused me to act the way I did. But yeah, it's sorry. Can you it just the thought just left my mind. Can you repeat what you had asked me?

No, I just I just was just wanted you to go back to talking about like it's it seems as though you're I guess kind of yeah, you're in a yearning back for this job. But I but I think, uh sure, even if the job may have paid more money, the bottom level to me and I don't know, to me, the bottom line is that you're telling me. When you talked just now about being a painter, you talked about it in higher regard than the job that you claim you hated. Is that accurate?

It is accurate, But the only reason it was at a bank. The previous job was at a bank, and I guess part of me just didn't sit well, you know, even if I was just taking new applications and stuff, a lot of people just didn't really understand the financial terms, and it was kind of predatory, you know, and getting people in debt. You know, and that's one of the reasons I had started therapy and was really disliking that job, is because, yeah, they paid really good money, but it

Now, are you enjoying the painting job more than the bank thing?

Not?

Really, It's more satisfying, like being able to see your work, you know, paint a wall and you can see it in front of you. But you know, I took an eight dollars pay cut and I have a thirty minute commute now where I had no commute before, and I made a lot more money. But I think there's something to be said, you know that.

Yeah, but yeah, but but before, First of all, I mean, satisfaction is I would call I would call that a form of enjoyments.

Uh.

Second of all, you I mean you really see, I mean you hated that job so much that you lit your computer on fire. That's a sign that it was that's a sign that it wasn't a good fit for either party. You know what I'm saying?

Mm hmm.

So if I mean, I don't know do I'm just from listening to you talk, it sounds like you are doing better in this in this painting gig, even if it's not as much money, honey, it sounds like you you hate it significantly less. Just from what you're telling me. I don't know if you if you believe that or not.

I do, and actually, you know, being that one, excuse me, That's why I wanted to talk to you so bad, because it's like I feel like I know these things in my head and I try to talk to them with my therapist. But yeah, like you are absolutely right, there's something to be said about job satisfaction and yeah I do feel.

Happy though, Okay, good, that's all that fucking matters? Dude. That's actually no, I don't think that's all that matters, but it I'm probably I don't actually think that's all that matters, but I'm probably wrong. Did that make any sense? I just expressed how I feel about life exactly perfectly correct, which is uh. I don't think that happiness is all that matters. But simultaneously I think I'm wrong.

I think you're right. Sorry, that's I'm parked. I am parked. That's somebody next to me. I'm still in the parking lot at work.

But so let me so so so here, let me let me just say this. First of all, I'm glad you're happier. That's a good sign. Uh, that's probably all that matters.

And uh, just if I could, I don't, if anything, just the worst thing I think you could do in this situation is to like dwell you know what I mean.

That's just never helped. And I think, look at there's a different there's a difference, right, and it's maybe it's kind of like a bell curve of like dwelling versus you know, Hey, that didn't work out, probably because of these reasons. Let me use that to inform the future so that I may not make the same mistakes again. You know, that's health, it's positive versus Oh, I'm such a fucking idiot and I shouldn't have done that and now everything's ruined and blah blah blah blah blah. That's

It does? And I really I can absolutely appreciate and share, you know what, in what you're sharing, because that is kind of how life works. And I've actually, you know, I've been working on shifting my perspective. If one thing has taught me getting fired from these two other jobs is you know, it's helped me with my social skills and want to improve and from there. You know, now, even with the painting gig, they kind of know I'm not going to leave because I've been here months and

No, they'll they'll they'll they'll find a way to do that. They'll make like a robot paint brush guy, and they'll give him like a face and whiskers and make it cute and call him Adam the cat paintbrush or something. You'll know, we're all gonna be We're all fucked, but uh, you know, we can enjoy the time we have until then. What's your name? Against sir?

Name is Alex.

Your name is Alex. I'm I was about to say, I'm not worried about you. I'm I'm ninety percent not worried about you. I think you'll be okay.

Well, hey, I appreciate that, I really do, and.

And if if it, if it, by the way, if it helps you, and at all, I think that I don't think lighting your computer on fire is a good idea, But I.

Can image, I understand why you did it. From the perspective of I can imagine that doing that probably feels amazing. Could you imagine like your boss is saying something annoying to you on Slack, or you get an email that pisss you off, and you just light your computer on fire. That would be fucking awesome. I get. I get why I'm just saying. I get why. I don't get like the mechanisms of what is going on in your brain

Yeah, yeah, I.

Don't do it again, but or anything like that again, Yeah, I understand why you get that. I've always I've had plenty of times where I wanted to just take my computer and smash it on the fucking ground. Uh, but you know you can't. You can't do that, Alex. Is there anyth else you gonna say to the people of the computer before we go?

I guess I would say, you know, I learned a valuable life lesson from this. I'm so happy I was able to get on your show, Lyle. You're amazing. I hope everybody has a great day.

Hey, take care, Alex.

Thanks Wow.

I mean you guys, you've seen Office Space, right, It's like that scene where they smash the pro printer or the fax machine or whatever it is. I get why the guy did it. The guy I just know. I mean, I don't get why the guy. I don't know that. That's not what I meant. I don't understand specifically in this specific situation why this man lit his computer on fire. But I understand in a general sense why someone would because it seems like it'ld be really fun. But I

Hello, Gek, are you there?

Yes? What is your name, sir? What is your name. What is your name?

My name is Jake.

Jake. I like that. I like that name. I like that name. What's going on, Jake? How can I get you today? What's happening?

I'm going to see you in Atlanta in like a week or two.

Oh cool, cool, very cool, very cool. Yes, I am playing. I'm gonna plug real quick. I am playing The Earl in Atlanta on September twenty eighth. The early show was sold out. The late show. There's some tickets left. Are you going to the early one or the late one?

The late one?

Okay? Cool, I'm very excited. I like that venue a lot. Shout out. The Earl had a great time last year. I'm gonna have a good time this year.

U well, I texted you as well, but I called him this time. I I like to explore abandoned buildings. That's like something I do pretty often.

You like to explore abandoned buildings. Well, hopefully when you come to the Earl, it won't be abandoned. That was that was that was That was a joke I was trying to make about people, like if people don't come, sorry, what kind of abandoned? Like you? You? Oh, there's a word for this urban urban exploration. Yes, urbax urban exploration where I'm so, uh, do you have asbestos? That's my first question.

I hope not. But there's a lot of abandoned buildings where I'm from. I've been to some schools. I've been to a peanut butter factory, which is like definitely my favorite one I've been to.

Tell me about the peanut butter factory.

Oh my god, this place was. This is probably the largest building I've ever been in before that was abandoned and they had all the systems of distribution there. They had the packaging center, they had the offices, they had where they made the peanut butter, they had the storage. The place we walked into was initially the where they make the peanut butter and had these giant vats that we crawled on top of and we able to look into and they were all empty because the place was abandoned.

Uh where okay, I don't know. If you're breaking a code, you probably would be well, where is this peanut butter factory?

I don't live there anymore, but it's in upstate New York.

Okay. Now what Normally when I see like urban exploration stuff, it's like I see a lot of like malls and movie theaters and stuff like that. How do you even how do you even find out about these places?

Right?

Because you can't just they're not just around, right. You gotta kind of know where you're what you're looking for.

Yeah, there's like two different ways. We found a lot of ours just by living in a shitty town where like a lot of stuff was just run down. So we found this like really old school from like the nineteen fifties just by driving by it one day and we were like, oh, I think there's like a building behind them, like that tree line, and then we like parked our care we explored and we found like a little school there. But the other way people do it is like Google Maps. They go on Google Maps and

That's awesome. I actually used to do a lot of this in high school. That was like kind of our favorite thing to do in high school was to do uh. I didn't even know it was called urbex until later, but uh yeah. We'd go into the woods and like find weird abandoned places. And there was this like abandoned mansion that my friends and I would just go into to smoke weed all the time. There was so much fun doing that. Yeah, I guess my. But looking back on it, though, is not to like be your fucking

Honestly? I think the thing I'm scared of most is just like finding like homeless people or something there. But I've only ever encountered that where I live now, not in Upstate New York, where I used to do it a lot. I only explored one abandoned building down here where I live now, and that's where I encountered a homeless person. Then I decided I don't want to do that anymore down here.

Well, at that point, they're more of a squatter.

Right, Yeah, there's just a lot of homeless people where I live, and they're all really scary.

Why was it particularly scared? Why was it particularly scary this homeless person that you encountered?

So this is my first time. It was like my first week when I moved here, and across from my apartment complex where I was staying for college, I saw an abandoned I want to say, it was like an abandoned senior center. Which is already a very creepy place to exist and be abandoned. But I went there with me and my friend I had just met, and we

Well, I'm sorry to hear. I'm sorry to hear that that man's misery and plights in life have prevented you from getting laid. That's really, that's really tough.

It is unfortunate. I feel like I was kind of invading his home, to be honest, So I feel bad, a little bad looking back on it now.

Well a little bit. I mean, yeah, that would make me feel bad too if it was like, uh, you know, I mean this guy is using this band in place for shelter, like that's all he has, and you go in there like, well there, I guess that. Yeah, there's something kind of I guess sucked up where it's like, you know, this person is using this this is all they have, and you're just like, oh, this is a hobby to me to explore places like this.

Yeah, exactly. It's almost like demeaning to them. So I feel a little bit bad about that.

Do you have other hobbies? But do you you know, do you play checkers? What do you do besides this?

My hobbies include pretty much just going to the gym, and I go to college and work full time. Now that's why I have I pretty much no time to do anything but go to the gym and go to work and do my school work. How old are you, I'm twenty one?

Okay, okay, What are you hoping to continue urban explorating until in in your later years of life?

No, I think I'm settled down now. I'm engaged, and I really don't think I have any more need for that.

Yay, Jesus fucking Christ, who'd you get engaged to?

Oh? My my manager. I used to work at Starbucks and I got engaged to my manager there I have. Wow.

Okay, that's cool. I guess that's cool. Are you How old is she?

Twenty nine?

Okay? All right? How long you guys been dating.

About? We just hit our two year.

Mark now, okay?

Any other two years?

It's cool. Love triumphs overall. Yeah, maybe maybe you could have. Maybe you could have your wedding in an abandoned building and everyone can get asbestos, get hurt, and then ever and then ever and then here's here's what you do. You get everyone in a building and you have your wedding there, and everyone gets ausbestos and gets hurt, and then as a wedding gift, they can, I guess, give you the money that they would win in in the in the lawsuit against the developer.

Yeah, that'd be a good con. Could I could get behind that?

Yeah? Well, I think you'll be You'll probably you will probably be all right. Do you think you won't be all right?

Or do you? Are?

You pretty camp? You seem confident that you're gonna be okay, And that makes me confident that you're gonna be okay.

I always think that my life can't get any worse than it is right now, which I know is not true. But I feel like, at the bare minimum, I'm okay where I'm at right now, and I feel like I can sustain where I'm at right now. So that's that's how I feel. I feel like if I can sustain how I am, i'll be okay.

I like that. I like that. Yes, some people are some people are on a never ending quest to do as amazingly as they possibly can. But I don't know how realistic that is. I think if you're I think if you're just like, look, I'm fine, And if I can keep being fine and definitely, then that's pretty good. I don't need to be fucking you know, Steve Jobs or whatever. I don't know what that means, but you know what I mean.

I feel like if you find happiness in making progress, that's going to be a sustainable way to live, because you'll always be getting happier, but not because of you're achieving a new goal, but just because you enjoy progressing. I feel like that's a good way to try to live life.

Well, yeah, you'll be fine. Nothing I don't think anything. I don't think, well, how long does asbestos take to incubate?

I feel like I know by now.

I feel like you would too, but I don't know. No, no, okay, well, is there any other aspect of this that you wanted to talk about before we go?

No? I think we can cut it off here, gek.

Okay, good luck. I don't I don't know why. I'm worried about you again a little bit.

I feel like everyone's a little bit not worried and worried about me at the same time.

Okay, uh, I'm debating, but I mean you're you'll you'll be fine. Just it's like, just don't I just don't die and you'll be Okay. Don't go into any more of those buildings because you're gonna you're gonna step on a tile and it's gonna send you underwater or some

Yeah, it's definally. My worst fear is just finding a dead body in one of those buildings. That would be horrible.

All right, is there anything else you want to say to the people of the computer before we go?

Yeah, GEK, I just know that when I look at the moon and you look at the moon, I'm looking at you and you're looking at me. That makes me happy.

All right, Thank you very much for calling, sir. But it goes on the line, calls every night, neverthe goes going to ride.

He's teaching you how to be like but he's not really an expert.