Josh: 0:00

Sorry, I'm I'm momentarily distracted because a very large insect just landed on the door in front of me. And I'm leaving all this in the podcast, but I'm just gonna go ahead. I have this towel right next to me, and I'm just gonna throw this towel on top of this bug. Oh, that didn't work at all. Oh no, that flipped him upside down. Now he mad. All right, I got another towel. I'm leaving all this in the episode, by the way. This is staying right now. Yeah.

Pamela: 0:21

You do you, babe.

Josh: 0:22

So yeah, so here is a towel. Oh, shoot.

Pamela: 0:36

You're listening to premeditated opinions because yes, we thought about it, and then we said it anyway. I'm Pamela.

Josh: 0:43

And I'm Josh, and we are two people who somehow share a brain and decided to weaponize our brains with microphones. Each week, we unpack anything from politics and religion to carpool dread and everything in between.

Pamela: 0:56

You know, it would really help us a lot if you followed us on Instagram and YouTube. Giving us a like and a follow is probably the best thing your thumbs will do today.

Josh: 1:04

We are not experts. We are just way too confident in our own opinions. With all that being said, let's get started. Well, hello and welcome to a very unique episode of Premeditated Opinions. Um, we are coming at you just in the uniquest of circumstances. So the visuals are gonna look a little different, the audio is definitely gonna sound a little different, and we're just going to trust that you're gonna roll with it with us because this was all we had. It was either this or we don't publish something this week, and we decided to do this. So, why don't we start with you, Pamela? Why don't we start with what is happening at your house right now, and how have the last 48 hours been in general?

Pamela: 1:49

Inebriated.

Josh: 1:55

Same, very much the same.

Pamela: 1:58

Um, and and okay, so full disclosure, we have the the red wine is making an appearance. Um it is oh my god, is it already January 24th?

Josh: 2:10

It is January the 24th in the year of our Lord 26th.

Pamela: 2:13

Okay, okay, okay. So this this episode, okay, so this is the closest we've ever cut it with recording to edit. Um and uh yeah, it's for the last 48 hours. Uh so we're down in Dallas. Uh okay, I'm down in Dallas, not all of us are down in Dallas, but it's fine. Um and honestly, since early this morning, it has been sleeting on and off. Um and I have to keep reminding my son, he's like, snow, and I'm like, sleet. And he's like, and he keeps coming down, he's like, it's snowing. I'm like, it's sleeting. And I have to keep explaining to him over and over again the difference. But um, yeah, we have, I mean, I'd say at least half an inch of sleet, if not more. Um, and it's been coming in waves, so it's like it'll sleep for about 20 or 30 minutes and then take a break for like two hours and then kick back up. And um, but it's been pretty steady.

unknown: 3:22

Yeah.

Pamela: 3:23

Um, yeah, and the city of Dallas is freaking out.

Josh: 3:27

Oh, fully just dissolving into chaos. Yes.

Pamela: 3:31

Everything is shutting down. Um, and I get it. Like, I used to make fun of Texas when we first moved down here about I think it was actually last year. It was sunny and like 50 degrees outside, and they canceled school for the next day. And I'm looking around, like, what is happening? Like, I it's almost like they just say the word snow in the forecast, whether it's you know, a five percent chance or more, and people just lose their minds. And after being down here, like I get it now because this happens, you know, one maybe two weeks in the winter down here. So there's not really a point in investing in plows and salt trucks and all that. I I know that they do brine the roads and they do what they can to clear them, but I'm like, yeah, I guess that makes sense, you know. Whereas back home in Kentucky, you know, this is four to five months out of the year, so it makes sense. Like, so actually back in the early 90s, I don't know if y'all experienced this or not, but it was like probably 94, 92 to 94-ish, we had a blizzard and we had over a foot of snow.

Josh: 4:58

Wow.

Pamela: 4:59

And UPS had just set up their one of their main hubs in Louisville. And we had this blizzard, and it shut the city down for like I don't know, a week or two.

Josh: 5:11

That's crazy.

Pamela: 5:12

And then we had it again, something similar. An event happened again like a year or two later, because I remember it happening around my birthday. Now, my birthday's at the end of October, and we had this like storm, and I and people like were canceling, and I was like super, I was probably like eight or nine, and people were canceling left and right. And that was the last time that we that I remember having the city shut down because UPS basically was like, move all, get your together, or we're pulling out, like we cannot have these kind of you know, delays where you're shutting an entire city down for a week or two. Um and yeah, after that, we've had very few snow days. So that wow, yeah, yeah. Um but now, like if Louisville gets shut down, I mean it's it's maybe a day or two, a couple days, but they're they're clearing the main highways and roads, and they're definitely going together. So um anyway, yeah. It's been um in the teens. I don't think we've hit 20s yet. Wind chills like four degrees, or it says it says it feels like four according to the weather channel. Um, it is cold as balls.

Josh: 6:34

Um and you've still got power, so that's good.

Pamela: 6:37

We do, yes. So you can still see like this is not fake power um yet.

Josh: 6:44

Right, yeah, it's not flashlights yet.

Pamela: 6:46

Yeah, but I've noticed, I don't know if it's like our street or something, but a lot of times when people lose power around us, like we don't usually get affected. So I'm just knocking on all the wood and and hoping. I think if we do lose power, it's gonna be at some point tonight. Um they said that it's supposed to stop, the precipitation's supposed to stop around noon tomorrow, um, which is good news for y'all because kicking it over to your side where I can hear the ocean and the waves, which is horse, but it's fine.

Josh: 7:23

Yeah. Okay, so it's been an interesting week. Um for starters, ladies and gentlemen, um, my family was invited um by another part of my family to go spend some time in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands um this week. So we left last Sunday and without us, but it's fine. Yeah, and not only do we leave without you, which is rude, we also left our dog with you. So not only did we not take you, we gave you a chore. So congratulations, here's something else to do. Um so she's been fine, which is great, and I'm so glad. Uh but so we flew out to the Virgin Islands, and it has been really remarkable. I mean, by any metric, it has been beautiful. The the weather's been a little rainy, but like not that bad.

Pamela: 8:19

Um, okay, when you say rainy, is it like Florida rain where you know it rains every day in Florida for like 20 minutes? Okay, yeah. So then that's not really rainy, that's just typical and tropical.

Josh: 8:33

It's very coastal, it's very tropical. Um, and honestly, it's the rain is almost refreshing. Like it kind of works. And so, yeah, we we've been down here since last Sunday. So tomorrow is a week. That's a lot. Um, and we've we've had an amazing time. We we have done a ton around the island of St. Thomas. We actually took a ferry over to an island called St. John, which has a very famous beach at it called Trunks Bay, which is one of the best beaches I've ever seen in my life. Um, and so it's been really wonderful. Now, we committed to the these dates, I mean, months ago. Yeah. I mean, it's it, you know, we don't have any way of knowing what the weather's gonna be like at home. We were supposed to come home Friday, which as of the taping of this podcast, is yesterday.

Pamela: 9:21

Yesterday, yeah.

Josh: 9:23

Um and as it stands right now, we are supposed to come home tomorrow, which is Sunday. I think it's about a 50-50 shot. Um, I won't say that I'm confident, yeah, but um, but you know, if you're gonna be stuck somewhere, this is about as good as it gets. Um yeah. The the tricky parts um are like thankfully, because of all the winter weather in North Texas, the commitments that I had over the weekend all canceled, every single one of them. So I'm not missing anything where I'm supposed to be somewhere. So that's good. Um beyond that, I have been you know, able to do some work stuff here or there. We're obviously recording a podcast right now. It's 9 21 p.m. where I am because I'm two hours ahead of you. But uh, you know, we're just figuring it out. Yeah, we're making do. Um, but I am.

Pamela: 10:16

I think you're an hour ahead, but you're two hours this whole week. I've been thinking you're an hour ahead. So yeah. Whoops.

Josh: 10:23

No, you're fine. You're fine. But but no, I am literally sitting on the patio of our hotel. You you can't see anything behind me because it's just the ocean. Um but what you what I wish you could see is just over my shoulder, there's one, two, three, four, five, six. There's about eight sailboats parked just they're anchored just uh, I mean 200 feet away. Um and it's just serene. I know. You know, I can pick them out if I squint really closely. I can almost see them in your sheetrock. Um but yeah, it's it's been an interesting week. We uh like I am certainly not mad to be stuck here. Um and at the same time, you know, if we don't get out tomorrow, then we're starting to get into some trickier territory for me professionally, like it could get a little disruptive if I'm not home tomorrow. Um, not not huge, not not in a way that I'm like super nervous about, but it would really be in our best interest to get home tomorrow. Yeah. Um so I know school for you and your kids is already canceled for Monday.

Pamela: 11:42

So is ours. Y'all.

Josh: 11:49

Yeah.

Pamela: 11:50

Okay.

Josh: 11:51

Yeah.

Pamela: 11:51

They called it though, they called it on Friday. I'm like, and when it even started, and y'all are already like, nope, we're taking none chances. And I'm like, you okay. Um and I know, yeah, I've been teasing you a lot this week about oh, it sucks that you're stuck in St. Thomas. But like, honestly, I'd rather y'all be stuck there than like Atlanta, because I know y'all have to drive or drive, fly through Atlanta. Um right now, from what I've heard, I have friends who have family in Atlanta and it's just raining right now. Yeah. Um, but still, like I kind of would rather and like your family. The reason you're down there is because your family's got a timeshare. So at least you guys have a place to stay. Um, you know, it it I hate to say it's like if this had to happen, it was kind of the best time because you're down there with your family. You got people watching your dogs. I'm pretty sure your dog now thinks that she's just been adopted. Um, she feels very abandoned. Um, I tell her hourly that just let them go.

Josh: 13:02

Um, it's amazing. I'm just kidding. Um, you don't love you anymore. No, we're the only ones that love you. Yeah.

Pamela: 13:13

But you know, you don't have to worry about like boarding or sitters, especially with the bad weather and all that. Like it it kind of like worked out.

Josh: 13:22

Uh it absolutely did.

Pamela: 13:24

And you know, oh darn, we have to spend our day on the beach again today.

Josh: 13:29

Right. Yeah, which is what I did most of the day today. Um, and and it was delightful. Uh, but the one thing about being here that that makes it tricky, like you're absolutely right. We have my family has a timeshare down here, and so lodging is covered, so that's a huge, huge deal. Um at the same time, everything here is colossally expensive. I mean, everything. Uh, I went to the grocery store yesterday to pick up some odds and ends because I actually were staying in like this condo kind of thing, and it's so it was a full kitchen. Um, and so I actually bought ingredients to make dinner last night and tonight. And um part of that was a little bit of trying to save some money, and part of it was when you've eaten at nothing but restaurants, you start craving something that you cook yourself. And so um we we grabbed some ingredients, and I mean I had maybe 20 things in my cart, and oh, hold on.

Pamela: 14:35

Sorry, my no, you're fine.

Josh: 14:37

I like this, ladies and gentlemen. This is what you're getting when we're recording thousands of miles apart. I'm like 3,000 miles away from you right now.

Pamela: 14:46

I'm seriously like I'm waiting to lose power. Um I did not lose power. My light is um, you know the what do they call those? Okay, I'm just gonna call it the depression light. The light that you get, like when you have depression, they tell you like to have this like light lamp or whatever. I can't remember what it's called right now. That's what I'm using, and okay, okay. I'm just gonna show you.

Josh: 15:11

Okay, okay, perfect. Please show us.

Pamela: 15:14

This is it's got tissues just because it's so bright.

Josh: 15:23

It's so like you made your own softbox. I thought that's called a softbox in the video world, and you made your own.

Pamela: 15:33

Like when I'm doing stuff like this, but it has a timer, and I always forget that like the timer, I have to set it so far in advance, and so it just went off, and I was like, Oh god, we lost power, and it's like, wait, there's no light still on.

Josh: 15:50

We lost very specific power, yeah. Okay, uh no, but we uh anyway, we we went to the grocery store. I had less than 20 things in my cart, and it was $160. Oh, yeah, and and I didn't have anything crazy in the cart except for like one bottle of inexpensive vodka and one bottle of inexpensive wine. And other than that, it was just basic food. It was $160.

unknown: 16:17

Wow.

Josh: 16:17

Yeah, and so it's and it just is what it is, you know. I I have no room to complain. I I spent so little money actually getting here, I spent actually no money staying here. Like this has been a an absolute gift from start to finish. And at the same time, it's expensive. So yeah, we I wouldn't mind being back in my neighborhood Kruger. Um that sounds pretty great. But we we'd had a great time. The kids actually, so my bio mom, who I've talked about before, um, and her husband actually took our kids to a uh uh a museum of pirate treasure today.

Pamela: 16:59

Interesting.

Josh: 17:00

So they went and checked out some real pirate treasure and got to like walk around through these exhibits and it's all interactive, and um and then they went up this gondola. So on St. Thomas, they have a gondola that takes you to the very like the um the highest point in elevation. And so they went up there as well and then went and got some food, and so they were gone for several hours today. And so me and Krista just hung out by the beach, and like there's a there's a nice pool here, but then there's a walkway to go down to a beachfront, and it's gorgeous. The water's amazing. Oh yeah, and so um, yeah, we took full advantage and just hung out on the sand and uh enjoyed ourselves a little bit because we can't go anywhere else. But to your point, like we we are flying through Atlanta. Um and so our flight was it was supposed to be Friday, it got canceled, supposed to be Saturday, it got canceled, but the the leg that's getting canceled is Atlanta DFW. Yeah, and so they're just having us rebook our whole itinerary, which honestly surprised me a little bit, but it works. So um I would have figured they would have gone that Delta would have wanted us to go ahead and get to Atlanta, but I don't know. Uh I they're doing what they do. So um we as of right now are flying into Atlanta tomorrow, and as far as I can tell, they're staying above freezing um basically the entire time, which is great. And then yeah, I don't know. I it I've been tracking like DFW's um status, like there's an FAA website where you can see like the departure and arrival status of of any airport. And I've been checking DFWs really regularly today, and it's saying that they're open. So I don't know.

Pamela: 18:54

Like I don't know though, but you made a good point earlier. I'm sorry, I was just pulling up the weather channel. Yeah, Sunday is below freezing, Monday is below freezing, and Tuesday is when it's above freezing. Now precipitation slows down on Monday, but it doesn't matter. Ice is ice, so um you mentioned earlier though, it's like I'm not as concerned about the flying into the airport as I am being able to leave and get home from the airport, right? Because if y'all go and look at well, I guess this will be out by by then, but the uh map, uh like if you just Google around here, all the highways are shut down, everything is just a mess.

Josh: 19:42

Yeah, and you know, we drove Krista's Jeep to the airport, so you know, thankfully both of our cars have four wheel drive, and that's good.

Pamela: 19:50

Yeah, um, yeah, but so four wheel drive on ice means nothing, right?

Josh: 19:56

Yeah, absolutely. Um, four wheel drive will help. Hopefully pull us out of the ditch that we spin into. But um I'd also like to not do either of those things. So yeah, I I think it's gonna be a bit of an adventure because even even if we do get back tomorrow, we land at almost 10 p.m. So yeah, we'll land at I mean it'll be cold and dark, exactly, and the ice all over again. Yeah, it's so what DFW's closer to our house than yours, so honestly, I kind of had that thought, and we we might end up slumber partying, um, which wouldn't be the end. I mean, we've got clothes. We'll be showing up with all of our stuff.

Pamela: 20:41

Oh, yeah. Do you all have a washer and dryer in your condo? Okay, that's that's good. Oh, that makes life so much easier.

Josh: 20:48

Yeah, so we've done all of our laundry. Um, she really spearheaded that that effort uh and I I helped out a bit, but it was that's a handy feature to have. So we've got fully clean clothes, and then I'm gonna make sure and pack a change of clothes for us and kids in our carry-on in the event that we get stuck in a which I don't think is impossible. I I hope that it is off the table. I actually I just got a text message as we were recording right now from Delta saying that check-in for that leg of our flight is available. So they're checking people in.

Pamela: 21:23

I mean, that's a good sign.

Josh: 21:25

Yeah, it's a start. Interesting.

Pamela: 21:27

Uh it's a little dressy though. Like, I don't know. We'll see. I don't know. I'm right there with you. Yeah.

Josh: 21:34

I I I I I guess I'm just gonna believe that it's all okay when I actually land. Um, but until then, we're just gonna do our best.

Pamela: 21:42

So the moral of the story is do not travel between mid-January and mid-February, period, no matter where you are, like, unless you want to get stuck some wherever you're at. Now, if you're on a tropical island, of course. But if you're like in Wisconsin, maybe think twice.

Josh: 22:04

Right. Did you see that the coldest place on earth right now is in Ontario?

Pamela: 22:09

No, I didn't see that.

Josh: 22:11

I was reading this earlier. It the uh the wind shill hit minus 55 today.

Pamela: 22:16

Oh, like I just why like why would why would you subject yourself to that?

Josh: 22:23

Like, I don't know, free healthcare, um, you know, governmental leadership, it isn't outside their minds.

Pamela: 22:30

Okay, you went political, so I'm going political real quick. Yeah, that's I did see. Did you see that Bernie Sanders tweet about Greenland?

Josh: 22:40

Uh, I have seen some Bernie Sanders content about Greenland, but I think there's been a bunch.

Pamela: 22:44

So he was like, he was like, okay, he's like, yeah, let's let uh Greenland be I can't remember exactly, but something along the lines of like, yeah, let's let Greenland be a part of the United States that way we can get free health care, universal basic income, like six months maternity leave, like all this stuff. And I was like, I mean, yeah.

Josh: 23:12

We might destroy NATO as a result of it, but you know, yeah, it'll just see what happens. Well, but I did want before we shift gears out of the political, I did want to ask. So I tried to watch the debate between James Taliko and Jasmine Crockett earlier today, but um unfortunately, it was only available through a very specific streaming platform, which I couldn't get on my phone here. Um, you did get a chance to watch it, and we don't have to super deep dive it, but for anyone who's listening who is unaware, so um Jasmine Crockett is a current sitting member of the House of Representatives, um, and she's from the Fort Worth area of Texas, and she's a polarizing figure who I very much enjoy, but I enjoy her because she speaks a lot of truth, even when it's uncomfortable. Um, so she has decided to run for uh a Senate seat in the state of Texas, and then her opponent on the uh Democratic side of the ticket is a guy named James Tallerico. James Tallerico is a little bit more of a newer face and up-and-comer, but has a ton of energy behind him. He's he's run really for over the last year or so, he's been kind of setting up a campaign. He announced his run for Senate, and he is a pretty universally loved person in everyone outside of the hardcore GOP. So that kind of sets the stage a little bit. So these are two candidates, both Democrats, um, running against John Cornyn um in the state of Texas, and they had a debate today. And I unfortunately could not watch that debate. You did watch that debate. We don't have to super deep dive it, but I just would love a penny for your thoughts. Like, what stood out to you? What what makes sense? Would there anything jump out as a red flag? Like just whatever your observations.

Pamela: 25:08

Absolutely. So um, I have met James Tal Rico. Um, it was a couple months ago. Um, I'm a huge fan. I'm a huge fan. Um, I'm also a huge fan of Jasmine Crockett. Like, that's the thing, is I think that a lot of you know Democrat, liberal, like centrist that they these two really appeal to that side. Now, I I do like how you mentioned, like, I love Jasmine. I love Jasmine because she says it like it is, and she's highly intelligent. She was a she was a public defender. Um, and and she really cares. You could definitely tell in the debate, she really cares about her constituents. In fact, there she somebody had asked a question and brought up a constituent. It it had something to do with like um like workplace safety. I can't remember exactly what it was about, but someone, one of her constituents had passed because there wasn't regulations or or something that that caused this accident, and she teared up like talking about it. So it's like, okay, like she's got a heart, she's empathetic, which is something we desperately need um right now. Um I like so I like her, and she's fiery, and I like that. The only problem with that is when I think about Jasmine from the opposition, you know, a lot of conservatives and Republicans think that she's just a lot or she's just too much. Um, it doesn't help, unfortunately, that she is a woman and she is a minority um when it comes to the opposite side. Now James is a white man, he's from Austin, he was a teacher. Um, from uh he taught in one of the lowest income areas of San Antonio. So he's also going to seminary to be a preacher. He is a Democrat. And I think that positions him really well across all party lines because he speaks the truth about Jesus and the Bible and all of these things. But he does it in a way that makes to me makes sense. So you know, when when legislation came up, uh there's a a really popular viral TikTok about the Ten Commandments in schools, and he was against it. Someone who is going to seminary to be a pastor, right, is like, no, like this is not this is not the teachings of Jesus. Like he did not say put the Ten Commandments in schools. Like, what are we doing here? Like he said to feed the poor and to feed children who can't afford lunch. And like he understands the actual issue. So I think that that really appeals to all party sides.

unknown: 28:38

Yeah.

Pamela: 28:38

Um, you know, because they kind of see, I think there's a little bit of juxtaposition there where people would think he would be on the Republican side, but he is on the Democrat side. So um I really like him. Um I've liked him ever since the first time I heard about him. Now, the debate today was um, yeah, it was on a very what's the word? Um, it was an Austin News channel. It was their app. I had to download it on my Amazon Fire Stick. It was an hour long. Um, they were very respectful. They you know had time limits, and like they would kind of go over those time limits, but again, like it was very disrespectful. So they didn't attack each other.

Josh: 29:33

Yeah.

Pamela: 29:35

They, if anything, they were pushing back against a lot of the issues that a lot of people are having problems with right now. Um, you know, when it comes to immigration and how to handle that and a couple of other like pretty big key issues.

Josh: 29:55

Yeah.

Pamela: 29:57

I they, you know, I appreciated the fact that James would say things like, you know, Jasmine and I believe in X, Y, and Z, or Jasmine and I have fought for X, Y, and Z. And she would do the same. Um, you know, he was very just inclusive. You could tell like they were on the same side.

Josh: 30:18

Yeah.

Pamela: 30:19

It really, I think, just comes down to which candidate can win against the other parties.

Josh: 30:33

Yeah.

Pamela: 30:35

So James, I will say, spent a lot of his time kind of storytelling versus answering the question. And I think it helps and hurts. Like, I get he's trying to get a lot of his message out that like you and I have heard before. We've heard it on TikTok, we've heard it on Instagram, we've heard a lot of these stories, especially like you know, when he found out he was type one diabetic, and you know, it was like $600, $680 for insulin. He spent a lot of time telling those stories versus kind of answering the questions at first. And so I was like, dude, like I you gotta answer the question. Like, I get that you're trying to make like anecdotes and things here, and and I I these are definitely very important points and context and things, but like you got 60 seconds, like you know, and and they would let them run over a little bit to like finish a point, and neither one of them like got uppity about that, which is refreshing, yeah, compared to debates from a year ago. Um, yeah, Jarvin would, you know, she of course she's kind of been in that position a little bit more. Like, she's like, I have like they would ask her things like how would you handle immigration? Well, I have done this, I have been on this committee, I have introduced this legislation, I have argued against this, like where James has that, but just in different areas because again, you just have different representation. As much as I want to back Jasmine on this, being a female, being a minority, and not really wanting to back another white man.

Josh: 32:29

Yeah, yeah, I get it.

Pamela: 32:31

I feel like Taller Rico can bridge the gap across lines a little bit better just because he's not as polarizing. He can appeal to the centrists, he can appeal to Republicans.

Josh: 32:50

Well, for anyone who it wants to know a lot more about Talo Rico and just his background, his uh like uh path into politics and all that. The way that really he he was already on our radar, but I remember sending you a link to freaking Joe Rogan's podcast. Oh, yeah, and he did a two and a half hour show on there, and you and I already knew about him, but then he did that, and we were like, holy crap, I think it was the same week.

Pamela: 33:17

I think it was that same week that I went to that rally, and it was, yeah, it was. I remember that this guy, this is this is who we need to be representing, not just Texas, but the United States. Like, yeah, he has a very unique perspective, but it's not polarizing. He has a way of speaking to everyone, um, and but I like that part of his like strategy is to go on Joe Rogan and to go on Fox News and to go on all of these platforms that typically aren't very democratic friendly, I guess. Yeah, um, and make them that way, you know. Give give people an insight to like democrats are not the enemies here, liberals are not the enemies here. You know, we can be Christians and be pro-choice, like we can be Christians and his heart and everything, his policies are in the right place. So, and that really came through in the debate. I just wish he would have like I appreciate the anecdotes, but I'm like, dude, you got 60 seconds and maybe maybe 10 and maybe 30 on top of that. Like, yeah, I forget the anecdotes.

Josh: 34:39

I I think he's probably still in a place where he is nervous about people just knowing who he is, and I think a lot of those anecdotes, like he's starting to finally like and jasmine brought that up.

Pamela: 34:50

Jasmine said she's like, you know me, and and it was good. Like, if you get an opportunity, I'm sure it's like gonna be on YouTube or something. Oh yeah, I I'm definitely recommend going back and watching it because it it wasn't really so much a debate. I mean, I guess it was like I'm used to the I guess because I'm used to debates being like Democrat and Republican. This was like Democrat Democrat, but they are all they were both basically like we're charting the same course here. Like we both believe the same thing, it's just which one can do which one is more likely to win, is really what this came down to.

Josh: 35:30

Yeah. Sorry, I'm I'm momentarily distracted because a very large insect just landed on the door in front of me. And I'm leaving all this in the podcast, but I'm just gonna go ahead. I have this towel right next to me, and I'm just gonna throw this towel on top of this bug. Oh, that didn't work at all. Oh, no, that flipped him upside down. Now he's mad. All right, I got another towel. I'm leaving all this in the episode, by the way. This is staying right now. Yeah.

Pamela: 35:53

You do you, boo.

Josh: 35:54

So yeah, so here is a towel. Oh, shoot. Oh, that didn't go the way I expected it to at all. And now I don't know where he is. Well, that's that's not terrifying. Well, ladies and gentlemen, if you never see me again, it's because I got eaten by a bud um that I don't know where it is. So, and and what you're seeing right now is all of my family's towels um that we've hung outside to drive. But it's it's rough out of them street. Yeah, it is. Like, I'm I can't believe I missed a bug twice. Uh that was less than a big thing.

Pamela: 36:31

I'm gonna blame it on the app, Paul.

Josh: 36:35

It's definitely it. Um well, I love that you watched all that. I love that it happened at all. I I said to you earlier that, you know, I really believe this like I really wanted them to look like two sides of the same coin, and it sounds like they did that.

Pamela: 36:49

They did. It was it was I was a little nervous because I knew how Talerico was going to he did exactly he did it exactly how I expected. Like he stuck to the issues, you know, told his stories. I wasn't sure about Jasmine. Like, yeah, she can be fiery, but she kept the fire on the on the right things, and she did not like neither one of them attacked the other. They were basically like, we're in this together. We both feel the same way about things. You know, it was really uh quote unquote competition of which one of us can be corning.

Josh: 37:30

Well, I mean, just to put a pin in that conversation, like it's uh I'll say this it's nice to have two options that I'm excited about. Yeah, it's nice to have two people that I'm like, man, that either one of them would be a wonderful addition to what we're doing. And um, you know, with and I I don't want to dovetail us down this because it it would get dark, but with all that's happened in Minneapolis over the last few days, with with all that's gone on and other cities around us, but specifically Minnesota, um like uh having some people in leadership that aren't afraid to have some hard conversations is just critical. And um we we've got to be at peace with that.

Pamela: 38:08

So, okay, we won't go down the whole, we won't go down the whole rabbit hole, but Minnesota? Minnesota, Minnesota is where we choose to have this art, like Minnesota.

Josh: 38:23

Yeah.

Pamela: 38:24

Is where we are choosing not us, the people.

Josh: 38:29

Right.

Pamela: 38:30

Where ICE is like it's basically Canada. Like, what are we doing? What are we doing? Like, might as well have it in Wyoming or like what are we what do we I mean I could get I could get Illinois, I could get New York, I could get DC, I could get California, I could get Texas, Minnesota, yeah. Where they still say A. And yeah, yeah.

Josh: 38:59

That is a white bread state, man.

Pamela: 39:01

Like these you can't get any sweeter than Minnesota.

Josh: 39:05

You can't, and they're and those people are putting ketchup on their steaks, man. Like, these are not complicated individuals. The this is like of kind of the this grassroots kind of salt of the earth types, they're all from Minnesota, and so I don't really get, yeah, it it's bizarre.

Pamela: 39:22

But anyway, uh good for them. Uh good for them. I'm very glad that they are holding strong. Um, you know, the the strike that happened yesterday. Um, um, I'm like, yes, like let's let's back Minneapolis. If you've ever been to Minneapolis, St. Paul, it is gorgeous. Yeah, it is a gorgeous area.

Josh: 39:49

I love it.

Pamela: 39:50

Just great people. I just, I'm like, I we're at war in Minnesota. I just I cannot.

Josh: 40:04

What what Twilight Zone is this? It's really bizarre. But yeah, I I there's a lot to talk about there. I don't want to deep dive it too hard, but but it's it's there's a lot going on, and I'm pulling for them. And something like that happening right in front of us makes me care more about these congressional elections.

Pamela: 40:23

They're out there doing that in negative 20 wind chills. Like yeah, that it more than anything should tell you how dire the situation is.

Josh: 40:33

Right.

Pamela: 40:34

Minus 20 wind chills.

Josh: 40:36

Yeah, my wife doesn't leave the house when it's in the 50s.

Pamela: 40:39

Well, we're also like in Texas, so we're kind of wheeze about that, but yeah. Minus 20 anywhere, even in Minnesota, is uh dangerous. I mean, to be honest, like like not jokingly, like that's dangerous weather.

Josh: 40:58

It is, yeah.

Pamela: 41:00

And use power and that and they're they're out there and they're staying, yeah. Like, what are we doing?

Josh: 41:07

Ultimately, I think that people are starting to wake up to a lot of what's going on, and even the more conservative folks are starting to be like, what is happening? So, what are you doing tomorrow with the the sleet and all that? Like, it what's is there a game plan or is it just ride it out and hope we don't lose power or right now?

Pamela: 41:26

Yeah, it's pretty much ride it out. Um, so both of our daughters had big weeks this week. Mine turned 13 on Tuesday.

Josh: 41:38

Huge.

Pamela: 41:40

Yeah. And so we celebrated the previous weekend because your daughter was going out of town with you where you're stuck. So we we did it the week before so that way she could be a part of it.

Josh: 41:53

Um very kind.

Pamela: 41:55

So they did my daughter loves escape rooms. So we did that. They had a blast, they made it out with 30 seconds, 31 seconds to spare.

unknown: 42:06

Nice.

Pamela: 42:06

If I don't say it correctly, she's gonna listen to this and I'm gonna have to hear about it. Yes, I'm talking about shoe cash. She wants to be on this podcast so bad. We have to listen to it in the car every morning when it comes out. Um 31 seconds to spare. She had um a sleepover. Uh, took them to the mall. That was that was poor choice on my part, but they had a blast. Um we ended up at five below. They all wanted matching pajamas and face masks. They decided to do like a like a spa evening, but they all wore like the same thing. So that was that was actually pretty cute.

Josh: 42:46

Um yeah, that's adorable. I didn't know that.

Pamela: 42:48

That's uh yeah. And then uh Monday, they were off school because it was Martin Luther King, which typically casts around her birthday. Yeah, she either has her birthday off or somewhere around here. So it's MLK Day. We what did we do? Let's see. We went we went to brunch. Nice, so she just turned 13, so like she's a big girl now. Um so we went to brunch and then we went and got our nails done, and then we went to Sephora and I had signed her up for a beauty lesson because she keeps asking me about makeup. Now, I didn't learn how to do makeup till I was in my 30s, okay? Yeah, I don't know what she needs at 13. I don't, yeah, I don't I don't know. So we we did this beauty lesson, the girl went through and like some skincare stuff, and you know, uh matched her, like they did a tinted moisturizer, so like her foundation, and you know, just picked out colors and kind of just taught her how to do stuff, which I thought was really cool. Um, we ended up buying everything that was put on her face. Um and so she's she's been wearing that to school all week, and then your daughter had a big day on Thursday.

Josh: 44:17

Thursday, yeah, yeah. So so my daughter turned 10 on Thursday and double digits, yeah. She's she's in the double digits now, and and we made uh quite a fuss of it uh here in in St. Thomas. So basically, so my my bio mom and her husband are are here with us, and they help make a ton of arrangements. So um that day we ended up at dinner at uh a really oh well, so for starters, the first part of the day we went to a place called Coral World, and it's like a like a marine experience uh park of sorts. So you can go and you can they have these sea turtle demonstrations that you can go in an aquarium space. There's like a uh marine life like interaction uh element to it where like you can touch a starfish and you can touch a sea cucumber and you can touch all that stuff, and so we did that. Um we uh we went to a sea lion demonstration, which was hilarious and a ton of fun. Um and then they have an aviary in that same space, and so you can go in and pay a little bit of money, and they'll give you these tiny cups full of sugar water, and you hold them, and parakeets will land on your arm and drink your sugar water. So we did that. Um, and then uh we spent a little bit of time on the beach. Then we went to dinner that night at an Italian spot down here. Um, and my bio mom and her husband worked very, very hard to arrange for uh a cake for her. So they found through some sort of personal recommendation, to be honest, I don't even know what the path was to find this person, but they found someone down here who bakes really great cakes in St. Thomas.

Pamela: 46:15

Wow.

Josh: 46:16

And they went and basically had her make this really delicious, like four-layer chocolate cake. Um, it's tall. It's it's wow. I I bet it's 12 inches tall. Like it's a really tall cake, and it was iced beautifully and decorated really well. So they smuggled it into the Italian restaurant we had dinner at, and the the server actually brought it out with candles on it, and it was a whole thing. Um, and so and one one fun part about Willow is she uh to her, the height of luxury is dessert in a restaurant. Like there is nothing fancier in the world to her than dessert in a restaurant, and so for her to have like birthday cake in the restaurant was a huge deal. Um, but it was just it was a ton of fun. We we really enjoyed ourselves, and uh yeah, we got back and and yeah, that was supposed to be our last full day, but y'all sent a video like she was like feeding sharks or something. Oh, oh, oh, she was feed what was she feeding? Um we saw sharks, we didn't feed them.

Pamela: 47:26

We just like throwing fish.

Josh: 47:29

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. So so they actually while we were at the turtle demon, the the uh sea turtle demonstration, they told us that they had some um some food come in that didn't meet their their standards as far as like what they would feed animals inside the park. So they wanted to just distribute it, and so they just it wasn't grass-fed fish, you know, it wasn't. Uh apparently it wasn't free GMO, non-GMO, whatever. But but they um they literally were like, well, if you want to help throw these bait fish into the water, you'll be able to watch all these much bigger fish come up and like oh devour. And so they weren't sharks, they were just pretty big fish.

Pamela: 48:13

Oh, they definitely look like little sharks.

Josh: 48:16

They do. They they look like a tuna-ish kind of shark thing. Yeah. Um, but I don't remember what they were about. I'll uh I'm I'm sure that if I went back and and like dug through my photos, I could figure it out. But uh, but that was really cool. So she she threw some fish to them, and um it was it was a big old day. It was a big old day.

Pamela: 48:36

So that's awesome. Yeah, and then I mean no, everyone can say that they spent their 10th birthday in St. Thomas. Mine was spent in a blizzard.

Josh: 48:45

Right, yeah, yeah. Mine was nowhere near that bougie either. So it's pretty cool. But yeah, that's awesome. But yeah, I'm I'm pretty I'm pretty thrilled with how it all went down. She definitely felt special and um uh yeah, I'm I'm pretty happy about just a lot of this experience. I you know, being stuck has been bittersweet. Um, you know, it's it's great to be here. Um, I'm in short sleeves. Uh I bet you're not.

Pamela: 49:11

Um I am, but it is still a sweater situation. Yeah, yeah.

Josh: 49:17

I mean, it's you know, I'm I'm a little warm and sweaty right now, and I bet you're not. And so it's yeah, we're in very different places.

Pamela: 49:26

We are, we're in literally polar opposite places. Yeah, like it couldn't probably not get much different unless you were like in a desert.

Josh: 49:35

Yeah, more or less. But I probably better cut us off because it's after 10 here and I'm sitting on my balcony. I'm afraid I'm keeping people awake. But um, but um, yeah, I to those of us who are who are joining us on this very bizarre um episode of Premeditated Opinions, man, we're thrilled you're here. And we hope you're getting through the cold okay. And the day that this episode drops will be the first day where it gets above freezing. So we got that to look forward to, yeah. Um, but yeah, we just think y'all are the best. And thanks for rolling with us as we do this silly little thing, even when we're like 3,000 miles apart. So uh, but anyway, you go enjoy some wine, and I'm gonna go enjoy another beverage or two, because I'm I guess I'm on vacation. I'm on obligatory vacation. Uh I'm on forced vacation.

Pamela: 50:26

I'm in obligatory cabin fever.

Josh: 50:28

Right. Yeah, yeah, I get it. And I mean, we'll see what the day gives us tomorrow. And and if we get home and the roads look too treacherous, we might be rolling up to your place instead of ours. And and you know, that that wouldn't be the only thing.

Pamela: 50:41

Your dog's gonna be like, wait a minute. I thought y'all died in the plane crash. Like, wow.

Josh: 50:45

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, everyone's been lying to me. Everyone said this is where I live now. And yeah. Well, all right, well, have a lovely evening.

Pamela: 50:58

All right, you too, and yeah, hopefully we'll see y'all soon. Well, that's it for premeditated opinions, where the thoughts were fully baked and only mildly regrettable. If you enjoyed today's episode, congrats on having truly excellent taste in podcasting opinions. Following us on YouTube and Instagram is a quick and easy way to support us. So if you liked literally anything about today's episode, please like and subscribe.

Josh: 51:24

Also, send this to someone who needs to feel seen, dragged, or both. We'll be back next week with more unsolicited insight and emotionally responsible spiraling. And until then, please stay hydrated and behave yourself in the comments. But if you don't, at least make us laugh.