SPEAKER_04: 3:02

Well, it's time for Road Adventures with Cycling Men of Leisure, the podcast for cyclists who understand that writing is not just about getting to the destination, but the experience along the way. Now, here are the original cycling men of leisure, Adam and Michael.

SPEAKER_02: 3:16

Welcome to Road Adventures of Cycling Men of Leisure. As usual, I am Adam, and once again I'm being joined with my good friend all the way in Whoa, not central time. We are sitting right next to each other. Look at that. Hey. So for those of you on YouTube, you saw we just bumped heads. So um good to be with you, sir.

SPEAKER_00: 3:37

Uh welcome. Good to be with you. Uh here in sunny Florida.

SPEAKER_02: 3:43

It is, it is. I can see the golf course out there. It's kind of sunny. It's kind of overcast.

SPEAKER_00: 3:48

So uh two days ago it was 30-some degrees when we woke up.

SPEAKER_02: 3:53

35 degrees when we woke up. Uh it didn't get much warmer. No, we were uh beanie caps and gloves. And but you know what? When you want to go to Podfest, Podfest. So um so for those of you, our community who follow us along and know what we do, um, we were uh traveling to Florida. This is our annual trip where we we come on down and we we bring the golf course. I mean golf course, yeah. We brought the course with us. Um we bring the we bring the golf clubs and we go by Podfest because our platform Buzzsprout has uh provided us with some uh creator passes. Thank you. Very nice, of course. Um so our trip began planning back before um you know the demise of unfortunateness for you, but you're gonna climb back on top of the mountain. Yeah. So we decided to go ahead and just uh the room was already uh paid for and the hotel, I mean that and the ticket hope flight was already paid for, and and so a lot of stuff that we're actually doing. I'm gonna use the word free in air quotes because nothing's really free, but um very frugal when you consider doing a um a trip away. We've got a lot of stuff that was not uh costing out of our pocket immediately per se. Um so we met in Detroit for about 30 seconds. You were literally, I don't even think it was 30 seconds.

SPEAKER_00: 5:22

It was like, hey, how's it boom, I gotta go.

SPEAKER_02: 5:26

So I uh I got to the airport uh early. I'd stayed the we had a horrible snowstorm in in Michigan, and I got there the night before and uh I had a hotel, so I didn't have to worry about the traffic going in. And I said, Oh, you know what? I'm gonna be nice, and and um I went up in the Sky Club and got my coffee, and then I I'm gonna go meet my friend at his gate. And sure enough, it said you landed half hour early, I think. I mean We were yes, we were 20 minutes early. And so I I could literally see your plane sitting out there on the tarmac. I mean, uh but the plane that it was sitting. It was sitting, and uh the the gate that you were coming into, they they couldn't push back their plane yet. And so finally the gate agents said, Well, you know, uh that is the flight from Kansas, and you both are scheduled to go to Orlando. Sir, I'm gonna recommend that you go on down there because they're gonna whisk him right there, or whatever, she said. Um, and sure enough, I was waiting and they finally called you know my zone, and then I'm like, hey, good to see you.

SPEAKER_00: 6:28

So nobody whisked, I whisked myself. I mean, there wasn't like a little cart pull up and go, let's go.

SPEAKER_02: 6:34

Didn't I am curious? I've been on flights before where they say, Um, ladies and gentlemen, everyone, if you don't have a connecting flight, please stay seated. Do they do that to you or do they not?

SPEAKER_00: 6:44

Yeah, but it doesn't matter. Oh, I know. Because then all of a sudden everybody's got connecting flights, even though they were like, Oh, it's so nice to be home. I've got a connecting flight. Well, we made it anyway.

SPEAKER_02: 6:54

We did.

unknown: 6:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 6:55

Headed over to Podfest. Um, it's in the Sea World Convention Center. Um, what'd you think?

SPEAKER_00: 7:03

Um it was inter it's always interesting. And I always hesitate because there's always such a wide variety of podcasting people there as far as topics, and um, you know, there's a lot of people that are just far more gung-ho about this than we are. I mean, they're like, we're gonna make millions of dollars and we're gonna do this and we're starting. And uh, you know, I ran into people that it's like, yeah, I've got four podcasts. And I, you know, don't want to be rude and go, why do you have four podcasts? But um, it just seems like a lot of overkill to me. Yeah, there's some people it's like, yeah, I do uh I've got three different podcasts and I do four live streaming segments every day, and I'm just like, okay. I mean, if it works for them, great, but I'm just like, what do you guys do? Well, we have one podcast we produce every two weeks. I mean, you know, it's it's some of them are just like really into it and uh or a lot of them are like really into it and really jived. And it's nice to see uh the podcasting community, you know, kind of come together and things like this. Uh, but sometimes I'm like kind of feel like I'm out of my element because I'm like, yeah, no, we're just we're just here to talk and have fun and share some stories and and build a community and we're not going to monetize, we're not looking to monetize, we're not looking to write a book. Um, that's a big thing. Let's podcasters, you should write a book. And it's like, well, what we're doing right now isn't we aren't, excuse me, are not we creating a uh audiobook?

SPEAKER_02: 8:43

Yes. And and one you don't have to read and turn chapters or flip pages so you can you know mark the page for later.

SPEAKER_00: 8:51

Yeah, I mean it just some of it seems kind of weird, and then everybody's got their solution to modernizate or uh monetize monetization. I can't speak today. Um then the expo itself was a little weird. There was probably, I don't know, 18 vendors. Um, and they were they all seemed to be platform vendors. I mean, there wasn't like a lot of like, hey, we got new speaker equipment or new microphones or new this. So um that was a little bit of I don't know, unexciting, I guess. But the good news is we did get to hang out and talk with the folks from Buzz Sprout.

SPEAKER_02: 9:27

Yeah, for sure. I mean, um, you know, got to see um I I enjoy uh people from BuzzSprout. I listen to their show all the time. I think maybe you might start a little bit, but um um, you know, got to see the people that I listen to every couple weeks about how to better um uh podcasts. So yeah, it was kind of weird. I mean, you know, um I know in the industry they're using uh podcasts for training at work. So if there's like a a lot of mundane training where you can say, well, you know what, why don't we put out an episode every week and then you know we'll make it funny in the in the industry, we'll make it where the employees will be like, all right, I gotta do this training, at least I can do it this way. So I know people are doing that. Um and I know like if you you like this is started off as a cycling centric, we're kind of we're kind of changing it to more of a leisure-centric. Um, and and even though we still love to cycle, don't get me wrong, but we're just opening up to the things. Um, you know, if you were to have another podcast where it would be about, you know, my I always use golf as an example because that'd be the total opposite, you know. Um, although if you cycle and golf at the same time, that's that's basically bicycle polo. And and then our friends from Kentucky have done that. So uh that's a good point. So yeah, no, it's definitely an interesting thing. Um am I glad we went? Yeah. Um and then yesterday we um we we went back um and we attended a session and I learned some stuff on YouTube. And so you and I don't uh we don't walk around going, yeah, we've got a YouTube channel. Um do we have one? Yes. Do we put the show on there? Yes. But it's not like we're like our big aspirations like for being a YouTuber. So um so learning some of those tricks uh yesterday, that was kind of interesting.

SPEAKER_00: 11:12

Yeah, it was helpful. We um, you know, we went to several sessions, uh, and there, you know, it's one of those things where you kind of got to pick and choose, you know, find the nuggets in there. Um so it was good. Good experience again.

SPEAKER_02: 11:25

We were lucky enough to meet our our good friend of many, many years, uh, Mr. Armando. We had dinner with him, and um you know, uh this is our our official thank you, Connie. Connie is uh we'll just say uh provided uh something very nice and and we were able to enjoy. So uh and and Connie, if you're watching with Armando, thank you. Thank you. Absolutely. Um it was great to see him. I I love his stories, you know, I love his Disney stories. Um he's traveling all kinds of places, and so uh uh it's a I'm just like like a like a magnet just listening to his stories when we're with him.

SPEAKER_00: 12:05

So yeah, he's got I mean, working for Disney as long as he did, uh he's got some great Disney stories. That just and in and it gives you some kind of insight into what Disney was. Um, you know, it's ever changing, but it's kind of cool because uh, you know, you find out little tidbits about this and that. So it's always it's always enjoyable. So thanks, Armando, for coming uh and having dinner with us and hanging out.

SPEAKER_02: 12:40

So um, you know, we've uh we've throughout the few episodes we have asked for um a work update. And I know that the the community cares. And so do you have any do you have any updates?

SPEAKER_00: 12:54

Well, you know, I was getting ready to golf the other day and somebody called me up and uh headhunter and said that they had a contracting job um that they might want to sit down and talk with me about. So uh, you know, things are things are starting to uh I think we're after the first year, things are starting to move along. So gotcha. I feel feel perfect. And I did, you know, uh Adam can attest to this. I brought my computer. Um I brought my suit coat and my tie and my shirt just in case somebody called me up. It's like, yeah, we'd like to do an interview and we'd rather do it sooner than later. It's like I'm ready, I'm ready to go. So perfect. Got to cover all the bases.

SPEAKER_02: 13:33

Yes. Um well, we'll wish you wish you nothing but the best, of course. So um, well, I'm glad you gave us a little bit of an update there. Uh, we'll wish you the best, of course. Um, our community has reached out and cares about you, and so uh that's great. Uh, why don't we get into everyone's favorite piece? Um, and now I get a little bit of insight of how he does it. He's got his notebook out, and so now I can get a little cheating box here.

SPEAKER_01: 14:01

So no, it's all packed away in the nice book.

SPEAKER_02: 14:04

Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time for listener spotlight.

SPEAKER_00: 14:14

All right. Actually, we've got two listener spotlights.

SPEAKER_02: 14:17

We do. We do. I've got some guesses, and um um so Matt, our good friend, you always like to call him Mark, and and Jeff, our good friend, both have guessed. Um and uh I'll let should I let you read the clues first? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 14:35

Um be, don't be. See, geez, there's always cheaters. All right, I'll look over here. Um I'll look over here. Thank you. All right, the first listener spotlight uh from two episodes ago. Uh here are the clues, and they are as follows. No less than 10 flags have flown over the city. The civiti the city was severely damaged in the 1940s. The city boasts a very efficient uh transportation system. Uh bookworms would have a ball in this city, and the city helped inspire an American cookout classic. There we go.

SPEAKER_02: 15:17

Um would this be the appropriate guess that that Matt and Jeff gave? Well, I don't know. What was their guesses? Frankfurt, Germany. Both of them.

SPEAKER_00: 15:30

Can we can we do foreign countries?

SPEAKER_02: 15:32

Well, of course. We have we have listeners from all over the place.

SPEAKER_00: 15:35

No, the reason why I asked that is uh I believe it was Matt. Yep. Um said, Whoa, I didn't know we could potentially, because he guessed Frankfurt could potentially use uh foreign countries. We can use any location that a somebody has listened to our podcast from. So he even said, you hot dog. So both of them guessed Frankfurt, Germany. That's correct. It is correct. Good guess. I don't have any toys. No less than 10 flags have flown over this city. They include, some of them include the Holy Roman Empire, um, the Frankfurt Free Imperial City flag, the French, the German Confederation, uh, the Prussian flag, the Third Reich, uh, the Allied occupation flag, uh, to name a few. Uh, the city boasts a very efficient transportation system. Uh, they've got a great underground transit system. It's one of the most efficient in Europe. Um, bookworms would have a ball in this city. Uh, Frankfurt hosts a book fair, which is the largest book fair in the United States. And um the city helped inspire an American cookout classic. I was going for uh the American hot dog, which is based upon the Frankfurt Sausage, named after Frankfurt, Germany. So to our listeners from Frankfurt, we thank you.

SPEAKER_02: 17:03

Well, listen, listeners from Frankfurt, thank you very much. Thank you, all listeners, but especially this time, Frankfurt, Germany. Yes.

SPEAKER_00: 17:12

But you had another. I do. And then the second one, which I uh which we did a special a special uh episode, and we decided to include one for that. Um these guesses were as followed. You're okay, you can't see my answers here. Uh, the city appreciates a good band. It is named for a judge. The city was founded in the 1800s, but not incorporated until the late 1800s. Um its stonework does not require any concrete, and the city's population is less than 5,000. Not St. Louis. Not St. Louis.

SPEAKER_02: 17:53

Uh we didn't get any guesses. But then again, we just released it and we traveled.

SPEAKER_00: 17:59

So Okay.

SPEAKER_02: 18:00

Well, no guesses? No guesses. Bum, bum, bum, bum.

SPEAKER_00: 18:04

Well, this is actually getting towards uh your old stomping grounds. This is the listener spotlight, is Marshall, Illinois. Oh, wow. Yes, that's getting close. Um, this city appreciates a good band established in 1875. They have the oldest continuing, continuing operating community band in the United States. Um, its stonework does not require any concrete. Um, they have an old stone arch there that was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1828 and 1837. It is still standing to this day and used absolutely no concrete. Wow. So let me tell you, those Army Corps of Engineers know how to build a stone arch. And uh yeah, and then it's just population is less than 5,000. So there you go. So we would like to thank all of our listeners from Marshall, Illinois.

SPEAKER_02: 19:05

Thank you, Marshall, Illinois. Thank you, all listeners. But thank you, Frankfurt and Marshall, for this uh episode. Um, and hopefully you uh will be able to bring us something new.

SPEAKER_00: 19:17

I have one right here, hidden out of your sight so you don't cheat.

SPEAKER_02: 19:23

I guess I can't guess St. Louis just yet, but oh you can guess St.

SPEAKER_00: 19:26

Louis right now.

SPEAKER_02: 19:27

Go ahead. No, I'm gonna wait till I hear it. Okay. I'm gonna wait till I hear it. So um um well, we are uh we did go golfing. We uh We did. I'm not sure if if it would call it golfing, but actually you did pretty well.

SPEAKER_00: 19:43

Wait, because I did better than normal? Or you don't want to call it golfing? No. Wow. No, I'm just kidding. No, I gotta admit, uh yesterday I golfed for the first time since I had since we had golfed here a year ago, and um I had a very marked improvement in my game, and I haven't been out practicing or anything like that. Uh, so I was very impressed. I mean, I was actually hitting the ball pretty good and and all that, and it felt pretty good. Maybe I just needed to break my clavicle and my golf game improves.

SPEAKER_02: 20:17

You know what? If that's if that works, uh where do I where's that garden hose?

SPEAKER_00: 20:22

Because I'm not gonna suggest that being a way to to improve your golf game, but uh it seemed to help mine. Um but I and and to give you kudos, you did give me a couple little tricks uh that that did uh did help, but I was I was hitting them all much better. It was a great day. Uh we didn't have to fend off any alligators this time. No. And um, yeah, it wasn't busy. It was a nice little course. It wasn't on Disney property. Um a nice 18-hole course, and there wasn't a lot of people, so there wasn't like you know, nobody behind you pushing it and things like that. So it was a great day.

SPEAKER_02: 20:56

As we record here, there uh we are on like the fifth fairway here. I can see guys out of my peripheral vision. That'll be us later today.

SPEAKER_00: 21:06

Yeah, I can kind of nice. We can actually uh see the green and see a sand trap, and yeah, very nice.

SPEAKER_02: 21:14

Well, um we've uh we've been to Disney Springs a few times. Um we've been to a few areas here. We haven't been to the parks. We are going to the parks one night. We have uh uh special ticketed event that our that our our membership gives us. So I again I'm gonna use the word free very lightly because you pay for it. So um the uh looking forward to that. Um what is the 2026 goals for cycling men of leisure?

SPEAKER_00: 21:51

Goals for cycling men of leisure? Yeah, I don't think we've established any goals yet, but it'd probably be a good thing to do. Um but if you're just asking me personally without us have done any talking about it or anything, uh I would think that um well we're one of our goals is we're gonna switch some things up a little bit. Uh we've been doing this for you know five seasons. This is our fifth season. Um we're shaking some stuff up. I mean, just kind of giving it a new sound. Um that'll be forthcoming here in a couple of weeks. Cool. Um I I think we need to redo our website. Yeah. I'd like to do that. And um yeah, I think those are the two big things. We're gonna we're gonna retool the sound a little bit. People who listen often will will hear a slight difference. We're not like, you know, all of a sudden we're gonna be, you know, road adventures with cycling men of soccer or anything. We're not going crazy or anything, it's just uh a couple things to make. It sounded better. Now wait a minute.

SPEAKER_02: 22:53

Aren't you having like a major soccer event by you? Maybe that might be not such a bad idea. I've been hearing about that all kinds of places.

SPEAKER_00: 23:03

Oh, let me tell you. So have I.

unknown: 23:06

Yes.

SPEAKER_02: 23:07

So the transportation in my other part of my life, um, they're concerned, actually. They're concerned, yeah, a little bit. It's made the made the the wire of having enough transportation to get people to all the games and such. So um so that's kind of an interesting thing.

SPEAKER_00: 23:25

But yeah, our emphasis we're we're the smallest city, Kansas City's the smallest city to pay host of these. I will say that although over the last uh five to seven years they have improved uh transportation in the main city corridor. Um I don't I I would have to agree. I don't think it's robust enough to be handling tens of thousands of extra people. But I'm not a transportation guy, so maybe I don't know.

SPEAKER_02: 24:00

So when we had dinner with Armando, he asked us our cycling plans, and I thought this is a good place to just to kind of let everybody know that you and I are kind of on hold. We're we are uh status quo for uh until the future of your um employment goes through. So uh which I think it will. I I have no doubt in my mind. I mean, otherwise I offered you that bus job in a job, but in Detroit. Uh and so come on down. I mean, it's uh gonna be a little chilly, and uh uh my drivers work super hard and and I appreciate every one of them. Um so I would even appreciate you. But um, yeah, I just wanted to to just to be truthful and honest that we're kind of I'm you know, I Armando said, Hey, you guys gonna do Bragg, you know, and are you gonna do the cycle zydeco? And and you know, you guys have talked about the Katie Trail, and and you know, we did have some plans, um, full transparency. We had a few things where we were working through, um, and then we kind of just had to push pause on that for right now. So um we are not exactly sure. As a matter of fact, the conversation we literally had two days ago, which was if I could squeeze one off as opposed to our normal three trips a year, if I could, you know, squeeze one, what what should we work for? And so um, you know, once we once we know that, and for those of you who I know like um um like to join us and do things, I still have another team at Bragg. Um we you know, um whether we're there or not, uh we've we've we've put some cards in play to take care of that. So don't be afraid to sign up for the any team for real. I mean, but um if you're looking to join the cycling men or cycling women of leisure, uh the teams will be there.

SPEAKER_00: 25:49

So I'm happy to say that. We have a we have a team captain lined up uh who's been on our team for uh well since we started it out there in Georgia, uh and is is is it will do a great job. And uh we will certainly be following it. And if we're not there, we'd certainly be following it and uh uh trying to get a couple updates and things like that uh from the road as we go. And uh, I'm sure if we're not there, we're going to be producing little daily, like you know, hey, keep it going, guys. So we'll do little little fun things if we don't make it.

SPEAKER_02: 26:22

So for sure, for sure. Just wanted to mention that and just kind of be on the up and up and transparent about um about our plan. So kind of holding, uh holding pattern, and uh we'll once we figure something out, but you know, we'll still be doing shows and and working with directors and doing the normal stuff. Just um obviously just need to push pause until uh until you uh land a new gig or drive the bus.

SPEAKER_00: 26:52

Some uh although if you're driving the bus. If I drive the bus, I'm not gonna be able to do anything because the boss is gonna be like, you ain't got no vacation.

SPEAKER_01: 26:59

Get on that bus. Remember the yellow standee line.

SPEAKER_02: 27:04

Man, you're a tough guy to get along with, I swear.

SPEAKER_00: 27:07

But I've I've heard stories about the guy running the transportation down there. And oh, there's some stories. Oh why. Anyways, next. So um yeah, we'll let we'll let everybody know once once that gets sorted out.

SPEAKER_02: 27:22

So um did you see the sales uh of bicycles um due to due to certain uh uh political reasons? Uh um bicycle sales are way down, and so that's really really interesting to see.

SPEAKER_00: 27:39

So bicycle sales are way down. I think we all understand the political uh scene which would incur those that well let me start over by asking are the bicycle sales down due to price? I I don't think it's just price. Because I can see them due to price due to the political climate, uh, you know, with our country and other countries, I could see where that would raise the price on bicycles, and I'm sure it has. Um, but I don't know what the other one would be.

SPEAKER_02: 28:13

I I I think that people are doing different things and long and keeping bicycles even longer than they used to keep them, and because the quality is so so uh so on a high level that um at the necessary need of always wanting the there's still people who are gonna go out there and buy the new one all the time, but um that the price is driving it, you know, supply and demand. Um but it's just like you know, in the computer world with AI, uh it's driving the price of memory and hard drives, things that were coming down and almost nil, um they're they're skyrocketing because people are gobbling up all the memory. And um people like Crucial who used to sell to the public are now just they're basically privatizing. So it's amazing. So it we're seeing some weird things, and you know, um just kind of the things that I pay attention to, my little technology toys and stuff. It's weird to see some of the the prices going up. And but um I just thought I would tell you about the I I had not seen anything.

SPEAKER_00: 29:12

It makes sense from um from one aspect, and it makes sense, I guess, from what you're speaking of, where you know, I mean, especially if people are concerned about uh economic factors in the future, um, you know, one of the first things people are gonna start pulling away from is is hobbies and and things like that. If they're you know worried that the economy might get tight or something like that, I understand it. I'm not buying a new bike this year, so I'll hold on to mine.

SPEAKER_02: 29:39

Okay, okay. Um I noticed in your camera, my camera as well, uh, in honor of your daughter, I see confetti has made uh has made You noticed that right there.

SPEAKER_00: 29:52

For those of you watching, you can see Confetti in the back. He I wasn't kidding, travels with me everywhere, apparently. Uh not quite everywhere, but uh on all these type of vacations with us or getaways, he's he's always there. And uh so shout out to Maya. Confetti is uh participating today.

SPEAKER_02: 30:11

The man carries a stuffed animal with him everywhere.

SPEAKER_00: 30:14

Yeah, that's not half as bad as when I'm taking pictures of it and people come up and go, oh, that's cute. And you're like, while I'm taking the picture, you're like, he doesn't have a daughter.

unknown: 30:25

Like, oh man.

SPEAKER_02: 30:26

I'll never forget we were in Ragbury where we took the they had taken those big hail hay bales and made like a cow out of the big round bales. And so we took a picture and and then there was a a ladies' team or a group of young ladies or whatever, and um she said, Oh, that is so sweet. And you turned around to put confetti away because when and in fairness, because of sweat and because of rain, you put confetti in a bag and then put the bag in the back of your jersey. And when you did that, I went, ladies, he doesn't even have a daughter. Can we just go with it for a second? And and you turned it around and they were all like, Oh god, this guy's a creep, and and and so we turned around and I go, I'm just kidding, he's got a daughter. So he's special. Yes. Uh but yes, the adventurous confetti. If you're listening um and you would like to hear that a little bit more about confetti, your daughter uh did a phenomenal job and banged one out.

SPEAKER_00: 31:28

So um definitely had it. Excuse me. Sorry, I don't have my board right here where I can hit mute. No, it doesn't. So we are we're working on a it's an elaborate setup, but it's a mobile elaborate setup. So the sound might sound a little different because we don't, you know, we're in a big room here. So, but it's all good.

SPEAKER_02: 31:50

A few times as we've been recording, I actually have been hearing some stuff in the hallway. Um and I'm thinking to myself, come on, our platform, you know, they they promise to pull out some of those things. I'm hoping it works. So um, but no, it's definitely good to be with you in person. It's different. I mean, normally when we're recording, you know, in our our offices, it's 500 texts of is tonight good? What time? When should we get together? Um, and then matching our schedules up, and which is always awesome to hang out with you, but it's you know, some some of the logistics is like, I don't feel like it's tonight, or I don't feel like I'm like, okay, well, we're down to the wire. Uh well, uh this show's we are down to the wire. We're down to the wire.

SPEAKER_00: 32:31

Well, you know, if we wanted to make this more like like normal, we could have set up one of these in the back room and we could have just video, you know, zoomed it.

SPEAKER_02: 32:40

Yeah, yeah. We uh you could have been on my laptop and I could have been in here, and then I could have been like, God, where's my mute button?

SPEAKER_00: 32:48

My laptop, so see, we'd have been we'd have been okay.

SPEAKER_02: 32:50

There we go. Uh well, it is it is definitely uh you can't do that at home. So I can't do that at home. Yeah, I have uh a board with me, it just doesn't have any sound effects or toys or or anything like that. But uh I think our listeners might be happy about that. Yeah, some are, and some love it. So I I would imagine, but the community itself is strong, and so we uh we appreciate them. So well, I mean, I I I think we've given a pretty good update. Um, I know that you've got uh listener spotlight. I'm just very closely moving my eyes, just like when I was in high school and got caught cheating all the time. Just kidding. I went to military school. Didn't mean you couldn't get caught cheating. Well, yeah, well, it it was pretty pretty brutal if you got caught there. So they did this thing called tours, and you basically marched on Friday nights when everybody else had free time, and you literally marched for three hours, and so I only did that like one time in four years because I don't want to do that again. That was horrible. So um discipline works, huh? Yeah, it definitely definitely worked. I'll tell you a funny story before we do the listener spotlight. I may have said this before, but um my parents decided I lived in a small town of close to the 5,000 that you had with Marshall. Um, and um and so I had been a little bit entitled and done my own thing, and my parents were concerned about my outcome, and and I'm glad they did, they decided to send me to military school. So I actually, for those of you who don't know, for my high school years, I went to Missouri Military Academy in Mexico, Missouri. Uh one of the best things that ever happened to me. But a funny story is after the, you know, the initial we're sending you to military school and kicking and screaming, and I don't want to go, and then, you know, we got in the car and we drove and we get we got there, and then the parents on the first day they get to walk around with the children. And and um this is where your room's gonna be. And then, you know, they kind of frowned on mom helping set up the room because there's a certain way they want to do it, um, but they let parents go around. And so I went to um they had a um an armory where you got your your boots and you got your uh got got all the military items that you would think about. So like quarter quartermaster type you got it. And uh gentlemen said, uh, what size boot do you wear? Just very like, you know, this guy was really in the military. Because to give you an idea, it was a junior, you know, J R O T C junior reserve officer training corps, and but there were always two two gentlemen who were actually part of the United States military who were stationed to come there. And this guy was named Sergeant Balisteros, and and he he said, uh, what size shoe do you wear? And I was like, nine, I guess. And he's like, nine what? And I go, nine and a half, and my dad goes, and my dad goes, I I think he's looking for sir. And I go, nine and a half, sir. He's like, What's your last name? I was like, my dad goes, Don't do this, yeah, don't do this. You got and so I I said uh Baransky, and he's like, that's better. And then in the end, in four years, he was uh we definitely made a connection, but boy, let me tell you, for the first couple weeks he had his eye out for me. So um very quick lesson to learn that uh he would say, uh, what's my name? I'm like, Sergeant Balastaros, sir. You know, so it was definitely difficult uh my freshman year, but then my sophomore, sophomore junior, and senior year was was great and best best one of the best experiences of my life, actually. So that's hilarious.

SPEAKER_00: 36:43

Nine what? Nine and a half. Nine and a half what? Nine and a half regular.

SPEAKER_02: 36:50

Yeah, I I was never uh never quick to pick up on that, but uh of course I didn't want to be there, and I um I was well you know I'm I'm assuming that probably 80% of the kids that were there didn't want to be there. Yeah, you know, but yeah, it was made some lifelong friends and um good good uh basis, and so um to this day I I'm probably one of the only few well not only, but I still wear my my military school ring and uh means the world to me. So uh definitely definitely good core uh institutionalized, you know. But uh he needs it to be institutionalized, all right. God, I wish I had a sensor button. I this is like torture.

SPEAKER_00: 37:35

Isn't isn't that the ring they had to cut off your finger?

SPEAKER_02: 37:37

At one time, yeah. I uh I may or may not have I did uh got to uh a size of that the swelling uh because I got a little too too big in the britches, and so they had to cut the ring off, and then uh a couple years now I've obviously gone through my my my new part of my life, which you know now has become normalized, so that's good. And so then I had the ring redone, and yes, sir, uh it is back and it's alive. And well, I don't know if it's alive. I hope it's not alive, but it's it's uh it's on me. So cool. Great story. Well, in that case, let me try this again. It is now time for Listener Spotlight.

SPEAKER_00: 38:24

All right. Here we go. Here is the hints for this week's Listener Spotlight. Uh this city has a significant designation within the steel industry. Uh it is named for an English town. It was founded in the late 1800s. David Copperfield would have loved this city in the early 20th century. And the local jail is inspiring. What do you think?

SPEAKER_02: 39:07

I mean, the steel, I want to go Pittsburgh, but um the local jail is inspiring?

SPEAKER_03: 39:13

Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_00: 39:15

I have not been there myself, but it is inspiring.

SPEAKER_02: 39:20

Yeah, I mean, my only steel city, Pittsburgh, I mean it just seems so obvious, but obviously for you to say that you would not make it that obvious. So I'm trying to Are you sure? Maybe, maybe. Does Pittsburgh have an inspirational jail? I've never been to jail in Pittsburgh either. But you've been to jail.

SPEAKER_00: 39:39

No, I'm just saying I've never been to that jail. Oh, we've been to lots of jails in Iowa. Yeah, they they have them have them out in front of their museums and their courthouses, and this is a jail from 1807, you know.

SPEAKER_01: 39:54

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 39:55

They seem to be a uh commonplace in uh a lot of Midwest states. They take their old jails from, you know, 1872 or whatever, like the metal frame, you know, boxes with the bars, and they when they've rebuilt, they've taken that out and they set it in front of their museums as just kind of a a talking piece and put a little plaque by it. Something they do.

SPEAKER_02: 40:19

Well, I mean, it's it is uh part of history. Uh, we've definitely seen some. That one in Georgia uh was like a two-story, like that was that was more than a jail.

SPEAKER_00: 40:30

I mean, that was built like a fortress.

SPEAKER_02: 40:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00: 40:32

Uh or a castle, literally, because you'd go in, it was all stone, two-story, and you'd go up, you could go this way, and then you could go up to like the second floor. Isn't that where they like actually had executions? Yes. Yeah, if I remember they would would hang people up there. Yeah. Um, it was kind of crazy, made me feel like I was back in an English castle again. It's very much so.

SPEAKER_02: 40:54

And then it was weird the radio station was outside on the parking lot, and it's like, yeah, come check out our jail, ladies and gentlemen. We are WPR. I'm like, wow.

SPEAKER_00: 41:04

Okay. Check out our jail. Oh, who did we who did we first meet there?

SPEAKER_02: 41:10

Uh, your your person who always calls you uh strawberry.

SPEAKER_00: 41:14

Strawberry, strawberry delight. Uh, yeah. Eva. Eva. Yeah, we met Eva for the first time uh at that stop. So that's right.

SPEAKER_02: 41:23

We took a picture, and then a couple years later she's like, I've never met you guys. And I pulled out my phone and I'm like, Yeah, you have.

SPEAKER_00: 41:30

Because we were all wearing, um, this would have been at Georgia's um, was it the regular Georgia ride? I don't remember, but we were all wearing the spring tune spring tune-up kit. Yeah. And so it's like, oh, let's get a picture. And a couple years later, we actually met her and say, nope, we met a couple years ago right here. She's like, Oh my gosh, I met the men of leisure.

SPEAKER_02: 41:52

I'm like, Well, you met us twice now. So um, well, always good to be with you. Um, we're gonna record another show here in Florida, and so we're gonna do that uh before heading home. Um, maybe uh enjoy the adventure a little bit longer here. But uh uh always good to be with you. Any closing thoughts?

SPEAKER_00: 42:14

No, we've got another uh couple of days here. Um gonna do some more activities. Um so uh we didn't really have any stories in this one, we just or any like you know, big segments. We just kind of wanted to give an update, talk about what we've been doing, um, and we'll record another one to finish out what we've been doing. And then, like I said, um be on the uh here in the next month or so, be on the lookout for some new sounds. I've got an idea for a new segment. So um it's gonna be fun.

SPEAKER_02: 42:46

You know, there is one piece that I almost forgot. We went somewhere for dinner last night and we did not run into your friend with a bucket hand.

SPEAKER_00: 42:58

Oh. Yeah, if anybody remembers, uh last year at this time, we went to what is it, Tapolinos? Tapolino's Tapolino's, which is at the top of the Riviera Disney Resort. Uh, we went there last year, and um anybody who didn't hear the story can can go back to last year's uh edition of the show, and uh we set our table was set next to a gentleman wearing a bucket hat, and um he apparently didn't like what we were saying, but I mean because you're so close in those restaurants or whatever, and uh got mad at us and about assaulted you. He got mad at me, and then when I didn't like engage him further, then he you know was next to you and slapped the pin out of your hand while you're trying to sign the bill. And um, so we had we went back to where the bucket hat, and we were actually two tables over from where the bucket hat incident happened. Uh there was no incidences this time, and no bucket hats uh were were seen. And uh we had a great dinner, yeah, but we did get a couple of laughs thinking last year the bucket hat and things. So it was a good time. Check that episode out if you haven't heard it. Yeah, I don't want to give anything away. I think it was called uh do bucket heads uh hurt your brain affect your intelligence or something. I don't know. But uh yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 44:17

Yeah, that was definitely um a weird thing for me. I mean, you know, I'm I'm not a perfect person by by any means, but I'm far from perfect. But you know, I think I live my life pretty low key, and and to have have this gentleman trying to pick a physical fight with me, uh I'm like, dude, this is not high school. This is not grade school.

SPEAKER_00: 44:37

I mean we're at a Disney resort for God's sakes. Let's let's I mean, okay, if you don't like something we're saying, okay, that's fine. We weren't like screaming it or anything. Uh I'm sorry the tables are not that far apart. Um, you know, it was just it was ridiculous. It's like maybe you should uh grow up a little before you go out in public or something.

SPEAKER_02: 45:00

I just wanted to give an update that uh Bucket Hat Gate did not continue.

SPEAKER_00: 45:05

There's no there's no part two to I guess it's over. Yeah, well, well, we'll find something else. Or something else will find us one too.

SPEAKER_02: 45:14

Well, sir, always good to be with you. Um, you know, uh yesterday we did see a couple of guys riding some bicycles, so uh kind of crazy right in the middle of traffic.

SPEAKER_00: 45:24

I was like right down through the middle of uh two lines of traffic. I mean the traffic was stopped because it's stop and go, but uh still a little bit dangerous. Uh there was a nice wide sidewalk right off the side. I would have probably been riding on that. Um, because let me tell you, traffic in this city in this city is getting worse every time I come. So yeah.

SPEAKER_02: 45:46

But somewhere, somehow, it's not only a great day for a bike ride, but a great day for almost anything. For leisuring. A great day for leisure. Leisure. That's a blur, that's absolutely right. Everybody have a great day. Thank you so much. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04: 46:01

Thank you for coming along with Adam and Michael on Road Adventures with Cycling Men of Leisure. If you have enjoyed this, please subscribe to the show on the podcast app of your choice.