The No Politics Podcast

[00:00:02] What you want, when you want it, where you want it. This is The MESH.

[00:00:07] Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to podcast number 104, volume 7 of a special No Politics Allowed episode of Big Fan.

[00:00:33] My name is Chad East and I'm not a big fan of complete darkness by 5.30pm.

[00:00:41] Raking leaves multiple times in a two-week period and waiting in line for dinner at 6.30 on a Tuesday night in Hickory, North Carolina.

[00:00:52] When have you ever waited in line for dinner in Hickory, North Carolina on a Tuesday?

[00:00:57] That's tough.

[00:00:58] That's never happened, right?

[00:00:59] Rake? Who uses a rake anymore? Don't you own a blower, for God's sake?

[00:01:03] I think my blower ran out of gas and so my only option was let's start raking. You do what you got to do.

[00:01:08] Okay, my name's Hank Imer and I'm a big fan. 70 degree weather in November.

[00:01:16] Enjoying Halloween now that I'm not dragging a two-foot Spider-Man around.

[00:01:21] Yes.

[00:01:21] And having your son's playlist be the soundtrack of your day-to-day life.

[00:01:26] Wow, so that's happened.

[00:01:27] Yes, man.

[00:01:28] Yes.

[00:01:29] It's happened. It's just like I'm getting introduced to new bands and things that I like.

[00:01:34] Like, we like the same music. I mean, he kind of goes off on a tangent and stuff I don't really love.

[00:01:40] But it seems like on our Amazon music, like I go into the library and I'll go into his playlist.

[00:01:48] And I can put it on front to back, cut the grass, do whatever. And I'm like, man, I kind of like it now.

[00:01:53] So what are these new bangers that I need to be aware of?

[00:01:55] Like, what are the artists, the songs, what do I need to know?

[00:01:58] Well, because I am way behind the top. I'm still listening to like Dr. Hook and the Eagles.

[00:02:05] You know what I'm saying? Bring me some new. Bring me some new.

[00:02:09] Okay. So, you know, I think the biggest thing for him is he's a hip-hop guy, right?

[00:02:14] So, I mean, he likes like Kanye and he likes Drake and he likes all those guys.

[00:02:17] And I like J. Cole. And so like, he kind of likes J. Cole.

[00:02:20] But like the newer guys that I, I mean, like Brent Fias, who I never would have heard of.

[00:02:26] He's kind of like that Tommy Richman kind of guy, but he's kind of like that.

[00:02:30] So, I mean, he's on there. He's got this like JPEG mafia that I'd like.

[00:02:35] I mean, it's funny because like I'll hear the songs because he just adds them to them.

[00:02:38] Sure.

[00:02:38] And I'll be like, hey, that was pretty good.

[00:02:40] And then I'll introduce one to him and he'll be like, hmm.

[00:02:43] And it's because he wants to be a critic.

[00:02:45] Of course.

[00:02:45] You know, he doesn't want to have that addition to it.

[00:02:48] Yes.

[00:02:48] But what I have to do, you know, Don Tolliver, who's great.

[00:02:52] You know, there's just a lot of cool.

[00:02:53] How does he find these new artists?

[00:02:55] Or they might not even be.

[00:02:56] He's a music dude.

[00:02:57] Oh, really?

[00:02:58] Like he really likes music.

[00:02:59] And so like, I think he's, you know, he, Tyler, the creator, his album dropped and he was like up ready to listen to it.

[00:03:06] Lucy Rose too.

[00:03:07] You know, listen to it straight through.

[00:03:08] And so, and he'll be like, oh, that one stinks.

[00:03:11] That one's good, whatever.

[00:03:12] And so, you know, I think that the more that he does that, it makes me interested in it more.

[00:03:18] And so like, you know, I used to always think that like, you know, I like Travis Scott a lot, but now I really like a lot of his songs because he's playing them.

[00:03:28] And like today we're driving to Charlotte so he can hit and we'll have two hours.

[00:03:31] And that whole two hours we'll be playing music and he'll be showing me new songs and stuff like that.

[00:03:36] So it's pretty cool.

[00:03:37] That's awesome.

[00:03:37] Good father-son time.

[00:03:38] Yep.

[00:03:39] So staying in the music genre, I don't know if you remember this, Hank, but you actually introduced me to an artist.

[00:03:44] I'd probably say maybe eight to 10 years ago.

[00:03:47] He's a Charlotte artist.

[00:03:48] His name is Anthony Hamilton.

[00:03:49] Oh yeah.

[00:03:50] Okay.

[00:03:50] So in the meantime, I think that was maybe a decade ago.

[00:03:53] Okay.

[00:03:53] You actually even let me use, this is when we were still passing CDs.

[00:03:57] Sure.

[00:03:57] You let me have a CD.

[00:03:58] I listened to it in the car, all that good stuff.

[00:04:00] I gave it back to you.

[00:04:00] You still got that thing?

[00:04:01] I might still have it somewhere in my car, to be honest.

[00:04:03] Well, anyway, he came out with a tiny desk that was just out of this world.

[00:04:09] It was so good.

[00:04:10] And so I shared it with some of my friends in Raleigh and I'd say, check this out, check this out.

[00:04:14] Well, I have a friend in Charlotte.

[00:04:15] His name is Alan Tumas.

[00:04:17] Lives in this wonderful neighborhood called Longview.

[00:04:19] Jack Nicklaus Golf Course.

[00:04:21] It's like a lot of athletes live there.

[00:04:22] Live there.

[00:04:23] Steve Smith, Dale Curry.

[00:04:25] You know, I played golf behind Steph Curry one time I was with Alan.

[00:04:29] Well, Alan is like the mayor of the golf course and the little community.

[00:04:36] I mean, because he's just fun.

[00:04:37] You know, so everybody knows him.

[00:04:39] We were sitting at the bar.

[00:04:40] There was a gentleman sent to the right of him humming.

[00:04:45] And so Alan was like, that sounds good.

[00:04:48] And so they get to talking.

[00:04:50] And it's Anthony Hamilton.

[00:04:51] Oh, my gosh.

[00:04:52] And he finds out that Anthony Hamilton lives five doors down from him.

[00:04:56] Oh, my gosh.

[00:04:56] And this was last week.

[00:04:58] And so, of course, Alan calls me and was like, dude, do you know who Anthony Hamilton is?

[00:05:02] And I was like, yes, check this.

[00:05:03] So I send him tiny desk so he could watch it.

[00:05:06] And so now he and Anthony Hamilton are going to start getting down.

[00:05:09] Oh, my gosh.

[00:05:10] So next time I go play golf, I'm going to be getting down with Anthony Hamilton too.

[00:05:14] Isn't that cool?

[00:05:15] That is cool.

[00:05:15] What a small world.

[00:05:16] That is a small world.

[00:05:17] Small, small world.

[00:05:18] I actually heard a new band today.

[00:05:19] Who?

[00:05:20] It's called The Dip.

[00:05:21] You ever heard of them?

[00:05:22] Never.

[00:05:23] It's kind of like a, I want to say it's like the feel of a 50s band, but it's got like

[00:05:29] brass and everything else, but real soulful.

[00:05:32] Yeah.

[00:05:32] Real soulful.

[00:05:34] Really good band.

[00:05:34] I mean, it's somebody you'll like.

[00:05:36] Okay, cool.

[00:05:37] Moose is bringing them up right here.

[00:05:39] Yeah, we'll have to check them out for sure.

[00:05:41] And last thing, we'll talk about music.

[00:05:43] So Lucy Rose went to her first live big concert last weekend.

[00:05:47] They left on a Friday, went to Atlanta, spent the night, some cool hotel, woke up, went to

[00:05:53] the aquarium.

[00:05:54] And then Billie Eilish played.

[00:05:57] Seven o'clock.

[00:05:58] Wow.

[00:05:58] Atlanta.

[00:05:59] They said it was just phenomenal.

[00:06:01] She puts on a show.

[00:06:03] Packed.

[00:06:03] Packed house.

[00:06:04] The thing, you just kind of live it in Hickory.

[00:06:07] You kind of forget all the stuff that can go on in a big city.

[00:06:10] So Dallas Cowboys and the Atlanta Falcons were playing Sunday.

[00:06:14] The Atlanta FC game and the playoff game was down there on Friday.

[00:06:18] Billie Eilish is there Saturday.

[00:06:20] All these things happened within that.

[00:06:22] Yeah, right there.

[00:06:23] Right there.

[00:06:23] That Olympic centennial area.

[00:06:26] And you got all those huge three things in one weekend within a five-mile radius of each

[00:06:32] other.

[00:06:32] Wow.

[00:06:33] And there were still hotel rooms to be had.

[00:06:35] That just shows you a big city they can accommodate big events like that.

[00:06:39] For sure.

[00:06:39] So anyway, I'm so glad Lucy Rose got to go to the show.

[00:06:42] She got to go with her mom, which is important, and her girlfriends.

[00:06:45] Nice.

[00:06:45] Because I was telling Lucy Rose the story about when Olivia, I don't know if you remember

[00:06:49] this, I took her to her first big concert with one of her friends, Panic at the Disco.

[00:06:54] Yeah, Panic at the Disco, I remember.

[00:06:55] And so she'd never been to a concert live.

[00:06:57] And so I would never forget we'd get there.

[00:06:59] And when they come up on stage and the music hits, because music, it'll overpower you live.

[00:07:05] Yeah.

[00:07:05] And they, just the smile, they could not believe they were seeing their favorite band in person.

[00:07:11] Yeah.

[00:07:11] And so I'll never forget that feeling and that image.

[00:07:15] Right.

[00:07:16] Yeah.

[00:07:16] That's pretty awesome.

[00:07:17] I mean, you know, to be able to experience that.

[00:07:19] And you know, the tough thing is, it's like, you know, it's not cheap to go to these concerts.

[00:07:24] No.

[00:07:24] And so it's not like when we were younger and you would go to multiple, you know what

[00:07:28] I mean?

[00:07:28] Like.

[00:07:28] Because the ticket was like 15 bucks.

[00:07:30] Yeah.

[00:07:30] Remember?

[00:07:31] Yeah.

[00:07:31] These are hundreds of dollars.

[00:07:32] Yes.

[00:07:33] And you know, so, you know, you really have to pick and choose like who would be worth

[00:07:36] spending that type of money on, you know, that, like if I were going to be like, if

[00:07:41] I had to pick somebody I'd go to right now and knew I was going to be entertained.

[00:07:45] Yes.

[00:07:46] And the music was going to be great.

[00:07:47] I would be like, all right, I'll go see Bruno Mars.

[00:07:50] Yes.

[00:07:51] Right.

[00:07:51] Awesome.

[00:07:51] Or Justin Timberlake or somebody like that.

[00:07:53] Because you know, they're going to bring down the house.

[00:07:55] Right.

[00:07:55] For $600 or whatever it is.

[00:07:58] Exactly.

[00:07:59] Something like that.

[00:07:59] Yes.

[00:08:00] Yeah.

[00:08:00] Yeah.

[00:08:01] So I don't know.

[00:08:02] Has Harris gone to his first live concert yet?

[00:08:04] Because he's a music guy.

[00:08:05] He's a music guy.

[00:08:06] Yeah.

[00:08:06] He's a music guy.

[00:08:07] So, you know, he has not, and actually my niece is a very big music person.

[00:08:13] There's one in, I think it's Future, who is coming in March.

[00:08:19] Yeah.

[00:08:19] And, you know, we're kind of talking about that one.

[00:08:23] But, you know, it's kind of funny because, you know, you don't, you've got to want to go down to them too up until the point that they're old enough to get in there and hang out by themselves.

[00:08:33] Right.

[00:08:33] And so, you know, your music's got to kind of collide.

[00:08:36] And ours kind of does.

[00:08:37] Yeah.

[00:08:37] So we'll see.

[00:08:38] Maybe this summer we're going to go to one.

[00:08:40] Cool.

[00:08:41] Well, you know, last week, Hank, we had the Halloween Eve was upon us.

[00:08:46] We couldn't podcast.

[00:08:48] Oh, it was furniture market time.

[00:08:50] Right.

[00:08:50] So couldn't swing it.

[00:08:51] A lot of printing.

[00:08:51] A lot of printing going on.

[00:08:52] So anyway, we get back.

[00:08:54] I think Halloween was Thursday evening.

[00:08:57] So I get back in from market.

[00:08:59] My last day was Wednesday.

[00:09:00] Really pumped up for Halloween because Halloween in our area is pretty big.

[00:09:04] This little thing called Sixth Street that all the kids get dressed up, you know, thousands of kids.

[00:09:10] You know, they block off streets.

[00:09:11] There were fire trucks.

[00:09:12] You know, the house is decked to the nines.

[00:09:14] Thousands of dollars worth of candy exchanged.

[00:09:17] So we normally go.

[00:09:19] It's kind of different for us this year because Lucy Rose normally go.

[00:09:24] We start the walk together, you know.

[00:09:26] No, not this year.

[00:09:28] She stays behind with her girlfriends.

[00:09:30] They're getting their costumes ready.

[00:09:31] And we're like, Lucy, it's time to go.

[00:09:32] And she was like, we're not ready.

[00:09:34] Yeah.

[00:09:34] And she was like, go on.

[00:09:36] Go on.

[00:09:36] Don't need you.

[00:09:37] Yeah.

[00:09:38] So we left and went to do, Jennifer and I went to do our thing, which is distribute candy at the Temple's house to see all the kids.

[00:09:44] And I love it.

[00:09:45] It's so much fun.

[00:09:45] An hour and 15 minutes go by.

[00:09:48] They finally leave the house.

[00:09:50] Then they come up to 6th Street, basically hang out in their costumes for 30 minutes, 45 minutes tops.

[00:09:56] Then go back.

[00:09:56] Back to the house, watch scary movies.

[00:09:58] Yeah.

[00:09:58] Right?

[00:09:58] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:09:59] We did the same thing when we were young, too.

[00:10:01] We did the same thing.

[00:10:02] But it's just wild to see how it's just turned upside down compared to how it used to be.

[00:10:07] Yeah.

[00:10:07] They ready to go trick-or-treat five as soon as they get home from school, get the costume on, ready to go.

[00:10:13] Now it's, y'all go ahead.

[00:10:15] And we'll come out there when it's time.

[00:10:17] Dude.

[00:10:17] It was, you know, we just moved in this house about a year ago that we're in.

[00:10:22] And we spent right when we moved in there, it was Halloween.

[00:10:25] So this was kind of our first full year there.

[00:10:27] And we didn't know how many people were going to come.

[00:10:29] And so we had a good amount of people.

[00:10:31] But, you know, we always shut it down and we go walk in our old neighborhood because it's perfect.

[00:10:36] It's this figure eight.

[00:10:37] We know everybody.

[00:10:39] And Harris was nowhere to be seen.

[00:10:41] He got picked up about 530.

[00:10:44] Oh, really?

[00:10:44] He just skipped the whole trick-or-treat deal entirely, huh?

[00:10:47] He skipped it completely.

[00:10:47] So he went out with friends and Ray and I were forced to sit.

[00:10:52] But to tell you the truth, to tell you the truth, though, I enjoy Halloween.

[00:10:56] I know it's Jennifer's favorite holiday.

[00:10:58] Oh, she loved it.

[00:10:58] Yeah.

[00:10:59] Three outfits this year.

[00:11:00] Three.

[00:11:01] Ridiculous.

[00:11:01] Awesome.

[00:11:02] And costumes.

[00:11:02] So I really enjoyed seeing the little kids this year.

[00:11:07] I love seeing the three to nine-year-old.

[00:11:12] I like the other ones, but the other ones know the gig.

[00:11:14] Yes.

[00:11:15] It is so pure and innocent.

[00:11:18] And they're so proud of their costumes and everything.

[00:11:21] Oh, yes.

[00:11:21] Coming out and letting them pick their candy and everything.

[00:11:23] Because, you know, Sixth Street, you've got to limit them to one.

[00:11:26] Or you're going to spend $6,000 on it.

[00:11:29] But this one, you get down there and you talk to them.

[00:11:31] And what are you?

[00:11:32] Yes.

[00:11:33] It's so sweet.

[00:11:34] That's why I love going up there.

[00:11:37] And they always save me the block of time.

[00:11:39] The temples are gracious because they know I love it.

[00:11:41] Chad, get here, X them out.

[00:11:43] And then you got the hour and a half shift to give the candy out, which is perfect.

[00:11:47] Kids started to come on Sixth Street at 430.

[00:11:49] It didn't end until 9, 830 or 9.

[00:11:51] Not a break.

[00:11:52] I mean, constant line.

[00:11:53] I can't even imagine how many kids.

[00:11:55] So anyway, just like you said, the three to six year, I saw a little Beetlejuice that was just –

[00:12:01] I mean, I just want to put him in my pocket.

[00:12:02] He was so cute.

[00:12:03] But we started catching on to what the teenagers would do.

[00:12:06] Because it's one per candy.

[00:12:07] If you come in the line multiple times, there's no way there'll be candy enough for all the kids.

[00:12:11] So the teenagers would work out some gig where they would come in.

[00:12:14] One would have a red hat on.

[00:12:16] Or it's Mario.

[00:12:17] Let's say it's Mario.

[00:12:18] Well, then he would switch and put a Luigi hat on.

[00:12:21] Luigi.

[00:12:22] And the same dude would come in.

[00:12:23] He got the Mario red and blue on, but the Luigi hat.

[00:12:26] I'm like, bro, you ain't fooling nobody.

[00:12:29] But for your creativity and the hard work, I'll give you this extra piece of candy.

[00:12:34] But don't come back here no more.

[00:12:35] Yeah, so anyway, I saw a lot of that, two or three time Halloween trick-or-treaters.

[00:12:41] But it was a big success.

[00:12:43] We had a lot of fun, as always on Sixth Street.

[00:12:45] Sixth Street is – it's kind of an event.

[00:12:48] Yeah.

[00:12:48] Because it really is – people from our entire community come out there.

[00:12:53] I mean, there is – everybody is coming.

[00:12:56] And it's awesome that Sixth Street does such a good – the people that live on Sixth Street

[00:13:00] do such a good job of making it so inviting and making it so colorful and so creative.

[00:13:07] You know, I actually – you know, we sell houses on Sixth Street.

[00:13:10] And I once was like, maybe we should put that in the disclosure that you're expected to spend thousands of dollars of candy

[00:13:16] and, you know, be prepared to dress your house up.

[00:13:19] Yeah, to all our listeners who don't know what the Sixth Street Halloween experience is,

[00:13:23] I guess I could only describe it as it's maybe 40 – 20 houses on this side,

[00:13:29] 20 houses on this side of this one street.

[00:13:31] They block off, fire trucks come, cops are out there making sure the kids are safe.

[00:13:35] And every house is decorated to the nines.

[00:13:38] I mean, you couldn't go anywhere else and find the consecutive amount of homes that contribute to the Halloween, you know, festivities.

[00:13:46] I mean, they make their homes just look lovely.

[00:13:48] There used to be a skit.

[00:13:50] One of the families would have a skit that would go on right down the middle of the road,

[00:13:53] which sometimes they would do thriller, sometimes they would do other stuff.

[00:13:56] It was just awesome.

[00:13:57] So it's a wonderful four hours on Halloween night.

[00:14:01] Well, you know, the way that I kind of think of it and describe it,

[00:14:04] imagine Bourbon Street on Mardi Gras.

[00:14:06] And instead of the bars, they're houses.

[00:14:08] Instead of drunk people, they're little kids.

[00:14:10] That's exactly what it's like.

[00:14:11] Instead of beer, it's candy.

[00:14:12] Yeah.

[00:14:13] Yeah, absolutely.

[00:14:13] That's exactly what it is.

[00:14:14] Great.

[00:14:15] You just nailed it, Hank.

[00:14:16] Thank you.

[00:14:16] I'm going to use that again.

[00:14:17] I know you will.

[00:14:18] On the next podcast with my next host, because, you know, you're almost out of here.

[00:14:21] I'm going to use that analogy next Halloween, okay?

[00:14:24] Wonderful.

[00:14:24] All right, Hank, very good.

[00:14:25] So in our intro here, I mentioned to you, I was in Hickory last night going to dinner at 6.30,

[00:14:33] and there was a line out the door to go to this place.

[00:14:38] Now, where would you think I would have been?

[00:14:41] There's only two guesses.

[00:14:43] Give me, go ahead.

[00:14:44] Texas Roadhouse.

[00:14:45] Okay.

[00:14:45] Or Longhorn.

[00:14:46] Bingo.

[00:14:47] Texas Roadhouse.

[00:14:48] There's only two.

[00:14:48] They're like on a wait at like 3.30.

[00:14:50] Unbelievable.

[00:14:51] So this place has got to be a gold mine.

[00:14:53] I mean, it's got to be.

[00:14:54] Do you think they're smuggling drugs through there or something?

[00:14:57] I don't know something's going on there.

[00:14:58] Well, their little bread biscuits or rolls are like crack.

[00:15:01] So, yes, I mean, I guess they are smuggling something.

[00:15:04] But anyway, my first trip to Texas Roadhouse, my family and I, we haven't eaten dinner together

[00:15:08] like on a Tuesday, and there's just too much stuff going on.

[00:15:12] We dance, and we got soccer, and we got meetings, and we got tennis, and, you know,

[00:15:15] so probably the first time we've eaten dinner together in a month, I'll say.

[00:15:19] So I said, Lucy Rose or Jennifer Rose, Lucy Rose, where do you want to eat?

[00:15:22] And she said, Texas Roadhouse.

[00:15:24] So I've never been there.

[00:15:26] So I was like, no problem.

[00:15:28] Tuesday, we'll roll right up in there, right?

[00:15:30] No problem.

[00:15:31] Line out the door.

[00:15:33] Jennifer was smart enough to get a call-ahead reservation, so we didn't have to wait too long.

[00:15:37] They take us in the back.

[00:15:39] Very impressed by this place.

[00:15:41] They're there quickly with the water and the breads.

[00:15:43] Bingo.

[00:15:44] She's there ready to take the menu.

[00:15:45] Appetizer?

[00:15:46] No appetizer?

[00:15:46] You ready to get your entree?

[00:15:47] And the menu's pretty steaks, burgers, ribs.

[00:15:50] Not too much.

[00:15:51] Food came out in about five minutes.

[00:15:54] Cooked perfectly.

[00:15:55] Perfectly.

[00:15:55] Side, big load of potato.

[00:15:57] Lucy Rose wanted that.

[00:15:58] And a Caesar salad.

[00:16:00] Both fantastic.

[00:16:02] Ate the steak.

[00:16:03] Had one glass of wine.

[00:16:04] Sweet tea for Lucy Rose.

[00:16:06] We were out of there in 45 minutes.

[00:16:07] Look at you.

[00:16:08] And the bill was $29.

[00:16:10] And you drank?

[00:16:11] I mean, without the booze.

[00:16:13] Of course, the booze is going to double it.

[00:16:15] But the food, the thing we ordered was $29.

[00:16:18] And we all split it.

[00:16:19] So it was a steak at two sides.

[00:16:22] So one person ate for $30.

[00:16:24] That's not impressive, Chad.

[00:16:26] $10 each.

[00:16:27] No, that's not impressive because you ate one meal.

[00:16:29] I know.

[00:16:30] My family goes out, we eat three meals.

[00:16:32] We ate lots of free bread, though.

[00:16:34] That's ridiculous.

[00:16:35] Lucy Rose ate six bucks.

[00:16:35] That's ridiculous that you try to sell that on air.

[00:16:37] Six rolls, okay?

[00:16:40] Because we don't eat a lot.

[00:16:42] Did you have three straws in the wine?

[00:16:45] Yes, we all shared the wine.

[00:16:47] Shared that?

[00:16:47] No.

[00:16:48] But anyway, I was just thinking, man, what a gold mine this place is.

[00:16:52] And you say Lone Star is like that, too.

[00:16:54] When we leave the place, still, I mean, now it's 7.15, 7.30.

[00:16:59] We're out of there.

[00:16:59] Still a line.

[00:17:01] There's still a line of people to come in.

[00:17:03] So we're listening to something that they were talking about.

[00:17:05] Another restaurant closure in such and such.

[00:17:08] And 24 more restaurants closed.

[00:17:10] So I wanted to make a list of the restaurant closings, not only in our area, but in the country.

[00:17:14] And some of these are big brands.

[00:17:17] So obviously my favorite, Red Lobster.

[00:17:19] They've closed 100 locations in the last year.

[00:17:24] Luckily, Hickory's still alive.

[00:17:26] When was the last time you were at Hickory's Red Lobster?

[00:17:28] Olivia and I ate lunch there before she went to college.

[00:17:30] I love that place.

[00:17:31] I mean, I'll go in there and eat lunch solo.

[00:17:34] Admiral's Feast, Shrimp Scampi.

[00:17:36] Admiral's Feast?

[00:17:37] Admiral's Feast, Shrimp Scampi, Calabash Shrimp.

[00:17:39] And I think they put a little filet of flounder or something that I could eat on that for an entire week.

[00:17:46] So Red Lob.

[00:17:47] The other one, I don't know if you've ever been to, TGIF.

[00:17:50] Right?

[00:17:50] Thank God it's Friday.

[00:17:52] Yeah.

[00:17:52] Thank goodness it's Friday.

[00:17:53] Yeah, they had all the buttons on their shirts.

[00:17:55] There's only a handful of those left.

[00:17:57] They're almost gone.

[00:17:58] They started in New York City and branched out across the world, and now they're almost gone.

[00:18:03] One that you'll probably remember.

[00:18:05] Well, they never had one in Hickory, but it was called Bennigan's.

[00:18:08] So Bennigan's was kind of like what we had at Annabelle's.

[00:18:12] Yeah.

[00:18:13] You know, kind of comparable.

[00:18:14] It had all the stuff on the wall.

[00:18:16] Yeah.

[00:18:16] Yep.

[00:18:17] So Bennigan's, not one store exists.

[00:18:19] Not one store exists.

[00:18:21] Budruckers.

[00:18:21] Remember good old Budruckers?

[00:18:22] Hey, I think we're going to get you lying here because we just pulled up Bennigan's locations,

[00:18:27] and they're all over the place.

[00:18:30] Well, this is delivery only, it looks like.

[00:18:32] Texas.

[00:18:33] There's two in Texas, one in Illinois, two in Iowa, one in North Dakota.

[00:18:37] See, they spell it different.

[00:18:39] It's two Ns where the one I'm talking about is one N.

[00:18:41] I don't think so.

[00:18:42] I don't think so.

[00:18:43] Budruckers.

[00:18:44] Only one location left.

[00:18:45] Boston Market.

[00:18:46] Almost extinct.

[00:18:47] Denny's.

[00:18:48] Close 50 locations in 2024.

[00:18:51] Burger 5.

[00:18:51] Remember we had one in Hickory?

[00:18:53] Oh, yeah.

[00:18:54] Gone.

[00:18:55] Jeez.

[00:18:55] Hooters.

[00:18:56] Is Hooters?

[00:18:57] Is Hickory's?

[00:18:57] Hooters is still.

[00:18:58] It's still in Hickory?

[00:18:59] But they've closed a bunch too.

[00:19:01] Hardee's.

[00:19:01] The other one that-

[00:19:03] Hardee's.

[00:19:04] Yeah, they closed the one in Hickory.

[00:19:05] There's still several, but I'm saying they've closed 50% of their locations.

[00:19:08] Yep.

[00:19:10] Did you ever go to a little place called Friendly's?

[00:19:13] No.

[00:19:14] So Friendly's was really famous for their ice cream and hamburgers and stuff.

[00:19:18] And we passed one going to, I don't know, we were going up north, Baltimore.

[00:19:24] And instead of getting a cheeseburger and an ice cream cone like everybody else in the group

[00:19:28] did, I ordered something called a clamwich.

[00:19:32] So it's-

[00:19:32] Oh my God.

[00:19:34] And so when I, because I always order the weirdest stuff, because, you know, just weird.

[00:19:38] And so burger coming up, burger coming up, chicken sandwich coming up, clamwich.

[00:19:44] That lady on the line, clamwich?

[00:19:46] I'll never forget it.

[00:19:47] Somebody ordered it, man.

[00:19:48] Someone actually ordered a clamwich.

[00:19:50] But anyway, so all those restaurants, they are struggling while, oh man, at Texas Roadhouse,

[00:19:56] killing.

[00:19:56] Killing it.

[00:19:57] And I bet all of them.

[00:19:58] There are probably locations all over the place.

[00:20:00] Probably.

[00:20:00] Probably all killing.

[00:20:01] Probably.

[00:20:01] Probably.

[00:20:02] There's probably people in there sharing plates left and right.

[00:20:05] Eating lots of free rolls.

[00:20:07] Yep.

[00:20:07] That's just how we do at the East Family, brother.

[00:20:10] I get it.

[00:20:10] That's just how we do.

[00:20:11] I get it.

[00:20:11] Not big eaters.

[00:20:12] Yeah, not big eaters.

[00:20:13] So what else has been going on?

[00:20:14] I know we had a World Series champion crowned last week.

[00:20:18] I wish we could have pulled up.

[00:20:19] I wish our producer could have done that.

[00:20:21] But I wish we would have pulled up my prediction from the last time, because I predicted

[00:20:24] the Dodgers to win.

[00:20:26] I agreed with you, too.

[00:20:26] The Dodgers to win.

[00:20:27] You were exactly right.

[00:20:28] I mean, that's an all-star team.

[00:20:30] Yeah, loaded.

[00:20:31] I mean, it is an all-star team.

[00:20:33] And so watching them play.

[00:20:34] But my biggest thing with the World Series, what I enjoyed watching, Freddie Freeman is

[00:20:42] a superhuman, first of all.

[00:20:44] A great dude.

[00:20:45] He just showed America that he is a bad man.

[00:20:50] Unbelievable.

[00:20:51] And he's an older gentleman.

[00:20:53] And he was coming off a bad injury.

[00:20:56] Yeah.

[00:20:56] He couldn't even walk the series before.

[00:20:58] Yeah.

[00:20:58] So, I mean, to hit the way he...

[00:21:00] I mean, to play the way he plays, just...

[00:21:03] I mean, you know, I hate that he left Atlanta.

[00:21:05] I think Atlanta did it poorly.

[00:21:07] But I'm very happy for his success.

[00:21:10] I'm happy for Shohei.

[00:21:11] You know, although he didn't get to play that...

[00:21:13] I mean, he didn't play that well.

[00:21:14] And he didn't hurt, yeah.

[00:21:15] And he didn't play well.

[00:21:16] Yeah.

[00:21:16] I still think, you know, that team is tough to deal with.

[00:21:21] I know it doesn't matter.

[00:21:22] But if they get...

[00:21:23] The Yankees get out of the fifth inning in that deciding game five, I guess it was, right?

[00:21:29] Were they all the errors?

[00:21:30] All the errors.

[00:21:30] If they can get it to game six, of course, it'd be hard.

[00:21:33] But they were up 5-0 in the fifth inning.

[00:21:37] Make a couple catches and a routine play.

[00:21:40] Those are really bonehead things, too.

[00:21:42] Yes.

[00:21:42] To drop a pop fly like that.

[00:21:44] The throw to third wasn't that bad.

[00:21:46] Right.

[00:21:47] But Garrett Cole not covering.

[00:21:49] Come on.

[00:21:50] You learned that in Pee Wee League, right?

[00:21:52] I mean, my gosh.

[00:21:53] You've got to be able to get over and cover that ball.

[00:21:55] That was lazy.

[00:21:56] Oh, so lazy.

[00:21:57] And so, I mean, it just showed that that team was playing off their celebrityism more than...

[00:22:03] You know, I mean, they weren't playing like a team.

[00:22:05] Yeah.

[00:22:05] Whereas the Dodgers were really playing.

[00:22:06] They had the chemistry and the athletes, the Dodgers, and they brought it home.

[00:22:11] Yes, they did.

[00:22:11] Yeah, they did.

[00:22:12] But yeah, it was fun to watch.

[00:22:14] You know, this time of year, you were kind of talking about...

[00:22:16] We were talking about it earlier before we got on, that it just feels like it's like boom,

[00:22:20] boom, boom, things going on.

[00:22:22] Like one right after another.

[00:22:24] And it almost gets a little overwhelming because, you know, you have these weekends where you're

[00:22:27] like, oh my gosh, I've got the National...

[00:22:30] We're playing in the Town Cup.

[00:22:31] Yep.

[00:22:31] And both of us are, which is a really fun tournament that we always get to play in.

[00:22:34] And then we got Thanksgiving.

[00:22:37] Then we have Chili Cotillion the next week after that.

[00:22:38] And it's just like, then you've got sports and everything else to throw on top of it.

[00:22:43] Yes.

[00:22:44] It's been kind of, you know, it's kind of a cool time of the year, but it's a busy time

[00:22:49] of the year.

[00:22:49] Yeah, no doubt.

[00:22:51] So are there anything...

[00:22:53] I mean, the Chili Cotillion, always exciting.

[00:22:56] And I hear Moose and friends are playing.

[00:22:59] Our producer will be on stage at that event.

[00:23:03] So Moose, I'll make sure I smuggle you a bunch of beer, buddy, and I'll bring you some chili

[00:23:07] up there while you're on the mic.

[00:23:08] It should be a blast.

[00:23:09] Poop, poop.

[00:23:10] And then I'm going to NC State Duke game this weekend in Raleigh.

[00:23:14] So that'll be fun.

[00:23:15] I normally get to go to one game a year and this happens to be the weekend we're going.

[00:23:19] So get to see a bunch of our old friends from college and all that stuff.

[00:23:22] But yeah, there's just so many things are happening.

[00:23:25] And I did notice Christmas lights are already out.

[00:23:28] Oh my gosh.

[00:23:28] We're already out at a couple people's homes.

[00:23:33] So it's a little early, Hank.

[00:23:34] It's way early.

[00:23:35] Let's get to Thanksgiving first.

[00:23:37] Let's get to Thanksgiving.

[00:23:37] And speaking of getting to Thanksgiving, my wife and I decided to gut our kitchen last

[00:23:42] week.

[00:23:42] Whoa.

[00:23:43] And so we are down to the studs.

[00:23:46] Okay.

[00:23:46] Okay.

[00:23:49] Makes life a little bit difficult.

[00:23:50] Where's Thanksgiving?

[00:23:51] Does Thanksgiving normally spent at your house or you go...

[00:23:54] Everybody comes to my house.

[00:23:55] Okay.

[00:23:56] So what are we going to do?

[00:23:56] Will it be ready?

[00:23:57] It will not be ready.

[00:23:58] Oh my gosh.

[00:23:58] Okay.

[00:23:59] So I think we may do the club or we might just do something.

[00:24:03] We're still in the midst of that.

[00:24:04] But we were planning on doing it.

[00:24:08] Contractor that was going to do it had this window of time.

[00:24:10] And so it was, hey, let's go ahead and pull the trigger.

[00:24:13] And it just makes life.

[00:24:15] You've got dust everywhere.

[00:24:18] You're walking through a construction zone.

[00:24:21] It's just...

[00:24:22] Is it a lot of Chick-fil-A?

[00:24:23] What do y'all do to eat?

[00:24:25] Because I mean, it's shut down.

[00:24:26] Your kitchen is shut down.

[00:24:27] So what are you doing?

[00:24:27] Eight weeks.

[00:24:28] Eight weeks.

[00:24:29] Eight weeks?

[00:24:29] Yeah.

[00:24:30] Eight boy got to eat though.

[00:24:31] So what are we doing?

[00:24:32] Look, dude.

[00:24:32] I'm going to get mine.

[00:24:33] Okay.

[00:24:34] I'm going to get mine.

[00:24:35] So we've committed as a family.

[00:24:37] We're going to eat breakfast and lunch at home.

[00:24:40] Okay.

[00:24:40] Okay.

[00:24:41] Yes.

[00:24:42] And then we'll go out and get stuff for dinner.

[00:24:45] And we can...

[00:24:45] We still have an oven.

[00:24:46] So we can still like...

[00:24:47] Like last night we made a chicken pot pie.

[00:24:49] So we can still do stuff like that.

[00:24:50] But if you eat out, you have to tip each time you eat out.

[00:24:55] That makes...

[00:24:55] I mean, eating out's expensive.

[00:24:57] Tipping's expensive.

[00:24:59] Everything's expensive.

[00:25:00] Yes.

[00:25:00] You might see me eating some charcuterie stuff here and kind of changing what I'm doing as

[00:25:05] far as eating.

[00:25:05] You might see me wither to nothing.

[00:25:07] Yeah.

[00:25:07] Well, get a jar of pickles.

[00:25:09] That's all you eat.

[00:25:10] You pop a couple pickles in, it curbs the appetite, and then you can go to bed.

[00:25:14] Okay.

[00:25:15] That's how we do it.

[00:25:16] You might need to try that.

[00:25:17] That's how we do it.

[00:25:18] I might need to try that.

[00:25:19] Absolutely.

[00:25:20] We'll get a look at the kitchen reconstruction.

[00:25:21] That's pretty awesome.

[00:25:22] Appreciate it.

[00:25:23] Yeah.

[00:25:23] I don't really have anything else on my agenda here, Hank.

[00:25:26] So let's talk a little about Hickory High School sports.

[00:25:29] Let's do it.

[00:25:30] They are still killing it.

[00:25:32] Four seed.

[00:25:33] Four seed.

[00:25:34] Okay.

[00:25:34] So the season is over.

[00:25:35] Yep.

[00:25:36] They won the conference again.

[00:25:37] They won it.

[00:25:37] And they ran the table.

[00:25:40] The Mountain teams have to play this week to make up for the games that they didn't play

[00:25:45] during Helene.

[00:25:46] Yep.

[00:25:47] So usually we would have started into the playoffs already.

[00:25:50] Okay.

[00:25:50] And so we're taking a week to let them play their games.

[00:25:53] And then we go into, I think we play the 29 East Guilford, I think is who we play,

[00:26:00] which should be, you know, we should be able to walk in there and handle that team.

[00:26:04] Mm-hmm.

[00:26:05] And, you know, as the fourth seed, we're going to get, we're going to be at home for, you

[00:26:10] know, most of the games until the last two.

[00:26:13] And that's saying that the one seed makes it.

[00:26:15] Sure.

[00:26:15] You know, and then we play the four.

[00:26:16] I mean, then we play them.

[00:26:17] So the good news is we're going to be able to see them at home.

[00:26:20] Yeah.

[00:26:20] But, you know, there's a lot of good high school football out there.

[00:26:23] So, I mean, you know, they're going to have to, especially after the first and second game,

[00:26:26] you know, we should be able to go through those and feel quite comfortable.

[00:26:29] But we're going to bump into some, we're going to bump into some boys.

[00:26:32] Just like last year and our team took care of business.

[00:26:35] They brought it home.

[00:26:36] I was just reminiscing.

[00:26:37] So the championship game last year was in Chapel Hill, December, early December.

[00:26:43] Yeah.

[00:26:43] Maybe the first week of December.

[00:26:44] And y'all were there.

[00:26:45] Yeah.

[00:26:45] It wasn't the first week because it wasn't Chile-Catine weekend.

[00:26:47] It was the next weekend.

[00:26:48] It was the next weekend.

[00:26:48] Next weekend.

[00:26:49] And they pushed it back because of Helene to the 21st.

[00:26:52] So this year is the 21st.

[00:26:54] Yes.

[00:26:54] Holy cow.

[00:26:55] Yes.

[00:26:55] Wow.

[00:26:56] So anyway, hopefully we'll be there because that experience was something really, really special.

[00:27:01] A bunch of my high school friends came.

[00:27:03] We met there.

[00:27:04] And then all y'all, you had a big crew.

[00:27:06] They rented out that spot.

[00:27:07] He's not here or there or whatever it's called.

[00:27:09] And the Hickory community just came together and everybody got behind the team, just like

[00:27:13] the basketball team last year too.

[00:27:15] Yeah.

[00:27:15] Hickory High's got a game tonight against Moravian Prep.

[00:27:18] Yeah.

[00:27:18] And you know, it's tough because, you know, Daniel's a good buddy of mine and good friend of

[00:27:23] yours.

[00:27:24] And, you know, he's got basketball players that aren't coming out.

[00:27:27] And you face Moravian Prep and you need all hands on deck.

[00:27:29] Like, and I mean, it affects because, you know, I mean, Jamie Little is arguably one

[00:27:34] of the best basketball players at the school, but he also has like a lot of his depth for

[00:27:38] his bench on there.

[00:27:39] Yeah.

[00:27:39] And so, you know, you go into playing a really good school and you don't have all the bullets

[00:27:43] in your gun.

[00:27:44] It's kind of, it makes it a little bit tough, but they'll, I mean, they're going to compete.

[00:27:47] Yes, of course they always do.

[00:27:49] Who cares who's out there?

[00:27:49] Is the Moravian Prep team the same team that came here last year?

[00:27:52] Yes.

[00:27:52] And remember, do they have that Eli?

[00:27:55] What's his name?

[00:27:55] Ellis Brothers.

[00:27:56] Ellis Brothers.

[00:27:57] Eli and Isaac.

[00:27:58] So they're still in high school.

[00:27:59] Both of them are there.

[00:28:00] Wow.

[00:28:00] Because they were good.

[00:28:01] Eli's committed to South Carolina.

[00:28:03] I read that.

[00:28:04] They've got, I've got, so it's funny you say that because I actually, Daniel sent me

[00:28:11] the roster to kind of look at.

[00:28:13] And I mean.

[00:28:14] The commitments that are out there.

[00:28:15] It has a little bit of their commitments, but it also has like their sizes and just going

[00:28:20] through them real quick.

[00:28:24] 6-3 Youngstown State, 6-7 High Point, 6-9 High Point, 6-7 Missouri State.

[00:28:30] Wow.

[00:28:30] 6-6 Northern Illinois, 6-1 South Carolina.

[00:28:34] That's the guy.

[00:28:35] 6-7 South Carolina.

[00:28:37] Whoa.

[00:28:37] Yeah.

[00:28:37] And there's a bunch, there's a couple 6-7, 6-5s that aren't committed yet.

[00:28:42] Aren't committed.

[00:28:42] Yeah.

[00:28:42] So you're just going to have some real dudes in there.

[00:28:46] And there's a guy named Cole Rosario who's on that team too, who has crazy bounce.

[00:28:51] Really?

[00:28:51] Yeah.

[00:28:51] And he's going to be tough to deal with.

[00:28:54] I remember the game last year.

[00:28:55] I was like, whoa, this is a high level of basketball.

[00:28:59] It didn't feel like we were watching a high school game.

[00:29:02] It felt like we were watching a college game.

[00:29:03] Yeah.

[00:29:03] So anyway, are you going tonight?

[00:29:05] I'm not.

[00:29:06] I'm actually having to take Harris to go hit tonight.

[00:29:08] Okay.

[00:29:10] But it should be a lot of people there.

[00:29:12] Are you going?

[00:29:12] Yeah.

[00:29:13] We're going to try.

[00:29:13] I got to get Lucy back from dance and see if we make any time.

[00:29:15] It should be.

[00:29:16] I mean, it should be worth going because the Ellis boys are like entertaining.

[00:29:20] Yes.

[00:29:20] You know, because they talk.

[00:29:21] They talk mad.

[00:29:22] They talk a lot of trash, which, you know, is entertaining.

[00:29:25] They'll pull it from half court.

[00:29:26] You know, they're trying to put on a show.

[00:29:29] And, you know, they got videographers and everybody around.

[00:29:32] Absolutely.

[00:29:32] So I'm sure Hickory student section is going to get loud and put it on them.

[00:29:36] Yeah.

[00:29:36] I hope so.

[00:29:37] I hope it's a fun game for sure.

[00:29:39] All right, my man.

[00:29:40] Well, Hank, it's so good seeing you again.

[00:29:41] We haven't been in the studio for the last three weeks.

[00:29:43] I know.

[00:29:43] But hopefully we'll get back here in a couple weeks.

[00:29:46] And once we get to that point, we'll have a lot more of adventures of what our November has been so far.

[00:29:53] Let's do it.

[00:29:53] Let's do it.

[00:29:54] All right.

[00:29:54] To our producer, Moose, thank you for your help, my friend.

[00:29:57] Looking forward to listening to you at the Chili Catillion.

[00:29:59] And to all our dozen listeners, we appreciate it.

[00:30:02] Oh, didn't we have a new listener that came into the fold, Hank?

[00:30:05] Yeah.

[00:30:05] Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:30:06] I'm glad you brought that up.

[00:30:07] Yeah.

[00:30:07] Let's talk about it.

[00:30:08] So, you know, there's Center Street Eats in town.

[00:30:13] There's a gentleman there, Nate.

[00:30:15] He's an LR grad, lacrosse player, right?

[00:30:20] Yep.

[00:30:20] Now he's helping the team.

[00:30:21] And he said he'd be a good addition to a big fan.

[00:30:25] He said he wanted to come on here and maybe co-host.

[00:30:27] I said maybe if we do a lacrosse addition, that's where we'd go.

[00:30:30] Yes.

[00:30:31] Right?

[00:30:31] But, you know, you've got to walk before you can run.

[00:30:34] Sure.

[00:30:34] So I know nothing about lacrosse.

[00:30:35] So if our listeners have any questions they want to ask the lacrosse expert, fax them on in, right?

[00:30:41] Fax them on in.

[00:30:42] Fax them in.

[00:30:44] Carrier pigeon.

[00:30:45] Yes.

[00:30:45] Whatever way you need to get them to us.

[00:30:46] And we'll make sure that we ask.

[00:30:48] What's the gentleman's name?

[00:30:49] Nick Nate.

[00:30:50] Nick Nate.

[00:30:50] We thought his name was Nick Forever, so we called him Nick.

[00:30:55] So when Nick Nate gets in here, we'll make sure we have a lot of lacrosse questions for him.

[00:30:58] I look forward to that.

[00:30:59] And I look forward to talking to you two weeks from now for the next episode of Big Fan.

[00:31:05] Peace.