TRANSCRIPT
Office Ladies | Episode 306 - Summer Travel Journals
Jenna [00:00:04] I'm Jenna Fischer,
Angela [00:00:05] and I'm Angela Kinsey.
Jenna [00:00:06] We were on "The Office" together,
Angela [00:00:08] and we're best friends.
Jenna [00:00:09] And now we're doing the ultimate Office lover's podcast, just for you.
Angela [00:00:13] Each week we will dive deeper into the world of The Office with exclusive interviews, behind the scenes details, and lots of BFF stories.
Jenna [00:00:21] We're the Office Ladies 6.0.
audio cue [00:00:00] [musical sting]
Jenna [00:00:01] Hello!
Angela [00:00:00] Hi!
Jenna [00:00:02] I am really excited about today because we are going to be reading each other our summer travel journals.
Angela [00:00:11] I know. I really hope it doesn't disappoint. We wrote about our trips.
Jenna [00:00:13] Yes. So for spring break, I went to Japan and you went home to Texas and you did some college tours. We're kind of flipping it this time. I went home to visit my family and you went to Wimbledon.
Angela [00:00:27] Yes, in London!
Jenna [00:00:28] And you have not told me a single Wimbledon story.
Angela [00:00:31] No, because you were like,"Let's journal about our travels," so I purposely saved it.
Jenna [00:00:35] I know, and I have been dying to hear about this trip because I just know what a bucket list item it is for you. And now you've been!
Angela [00:00:43] And Sam, you went to Germany.
Sam [00:00:44] I did. I went to Munich and then took a six hour train to Osnabrück.
Angela [00:00:48] Ooh, and Matt went camping in the sticks with no self-service.
Matt [00:00:53] Right, I was out of pocket.
Jenna [00:00:55] Alright. Well, we're going to hear about all these things today, but we thought it might be fun to start this episode with an Office question of the week. So rather than a chit chat, we are going to dive into a little Office talk. This question comes from Soha P. in Bellingham, Washington who said, "Hi Office Ladies. I want to know absolutely everything about table reads. For example, when you read a script, did you more or less say the words or did you really go for it from an acting perspective? You mentioned that table read drafts could be pretty long. So did the table reads take over an hour to go through? You also mentioned that you did table reads at lunch. So did you have to time your bites strategically? Finally, I'd love to hear more about what the very last table read for the finale was like. Love you and your podcasts."
Angela [00:01:46] Such a great, specific question. So many different questions within one overall question. I was a real fan of this.
Jenna [00:01:54] Well, I realize we do our best to explain things, but sometimes we might just use lingo or assume that people know what that looks like. So I like that we're going to dive into the specifics of a table read. So first of all, we did a table read once a week on Tuesdays. Now, most days of the week, we got an hour break for lunch. But on Tuesdays, we got 30 minutes for lunch. Then we would head over to the writer's trailer, they had this big trailer, for a table read. So we got to eat first. We did not have to time our bites.
Angela [00:02:33] Thankfully though, right? Because us eating and reading out loud would have been a mess, especially if you've ever watched Rainn Wilson eat.
Jenna [00:02:43] Which you have if you have seen The Office.
Angela [00:02:46] Then also we would receive a hard copy of the table read draft of the script, usually Tuesday morning. Like, you would already start filming and you'd go in your trailer and you'd be like, "Ooh, the new script's there."
Jenna [00:02:58] Yeah, and if we had time, we would flip through it. Maybe we'd read it in the hair and makeup trailer, maybe during breaks and filming. But sometimes we wouldn't get a script until we walked into the writer's trailer. So we were doing what is called a cold read.
Angela [00:03:12] Yeah, where you've never seen the words you're about to say. What's interesting to me though, is that it's called a cold read, but when we would get those scripts, right as we walked in, they'd be warm from the printer.
Jenna [00:03:23] I know. So it was actually kind of a warm read.
Angela [00:03:24] Yeah.
Jenna [00:03:24] And then inside the writer's trailer there were these four long tables and they were set up in a rectangle shape, with chairs all around.
Angela [00:03:34] Yeah, the four tables were like rectangles that made then one giant rectangle. If that makes sense.
Jenna [00:03:42] We could take a seat wherever we wanted but there was this one chair that was positioned in the center of the top table and it was a really nice chair. It had arms and we always left that one for Steve.
Angela [00:03:53] I never wanted to sit in that chair. It felt too important.
Jenna [00:03:58] I know. And it's not like he insisted that was his chair or anything. This was just something we kind of collectively did out of respect.
Angela [00:04:05] Yeah, I was usually on one of the sides, like, I would just file in. There was also rows of chairs at the far end of the trailer where network execs would come and sit.
Jenna [00:04:17] Or the writers would sit and take notes. I do want to say that when Kathy Bates came to guest star, Steve gave her the nice chair. Then after Steve left, I remember none of us would sit in the chair for weeks.
Angela [00:04:33] You know, it was interesting because no one talked about it.
Jenna [00:04:36] I know! When I was thinking about table reads, I was like, "Remember the chair?"
Angela [00:04:40] We just were like, "No, we're not sitting in that. That was Steve's."
Sam [00:04:44] You mentioned Kathy Bates being there. Would most major guest stars go to table reads?
Jenna [00:04:49] Yes, major guest stars who had recurring roles, even a weekly guest star who was cast in time. So they would come and do the table reading.
Sam [00:05:00] Oh, interesting, okay.
Jenna [00:05:02] James Spader came to the table reads.
Angela [00:05:03] Exactly. It really came down to also if it had been cast by the Tuesday and that person had been contacted.
Sam [00:05:10] Oh, okay.
Angela [00:05:11] You know, so sometimes those roles weren't cast until later in the week, so our writers would fill in and read the roles that were all the extra parts.
Sam [00:05:19] Oh, interesting. Okay.
Jenna [00:05:21] Let's see, what were the other things that Soha wanted to hear about? Oh, they usually took about 45 minutes. In general, we really all went for it. We read in character how we might perform the scene. But of course, everyone knew we were making our choices kind of on the spot.
Angela [00:05:38] And you know, once it was over, the actors had to get back to set. So we had to ready for our scenes that were up after lunch. So we pretty much filed out. We didn't hang out and linger.
Jenna [00:05:49] Yes, no, the writers and Greg and the director, they would stay. They would give notes on what they thought worked and what didn't. They would make a list of assignments for rewrites. The actors did not stay for notes and there were no performance notes. No one would come and talk to us about our performance. This is just all about the script.
Angela [00:06:09] Mm-hmm.
Jenna [00:06:10] And when I was a producer in season nine, I got to stay for the note sessions and they were fascinating. Sometimes it would just be as small as like, "Hey, I want you to write alt jokes for that line." And then sometimes it would be whole storylines that they would say, "I think we need to rethink this. We need to reinvent this. It needs more conflict or it needs more something." Fascinating.
Angela [00:06:38] And as far as the final table read, that was really a huge deal. We weren't in our writer's trailer because we were on location. So we were in this big room. There were rows and rows and row of chairs for anyone that had ever worked on the show in any way. They were there and were watching. They had a camera set up to film it.
Jenna [00:06:57] Yeah, we did not usually film our table reads.
Angela [00:07:02] Chris Haston took photos, but several people took pictures, like just even from our crew, people were just documenting the moment. The table was set up in this huge U-shape and we had microphones, which we normally didn't have.
Jenna [00:07:17] Yeah, and we would have the occasional NBC executive stop by our weekly table reads, but we were far from the main lot and they did not make that trek. But for the final table read, it was like every executive who worked at NBC was at that table read.
Angela [00:07:33] Exactly.
Jenna [00:07:34] It was a huge deal.
Angela [00:07:35] Huge deal. And our table reads for so many years, like Jenna said, I mean... The first year, we sat in a circle on the stage, like on the Dunder Mifflin Office.
Jenna [00:07:46] Yeah, we just pulled our rolly chairs up around the Dwight/Jim desk clump.
Angela [00:07:50] Yeah, we would just sit there. In fact, when my parents visited in the early seasons of The Office, we did the table read and my parents sat in a rolly chair by Creed's desk and listened to us read the script. So it was kind of interesting to see the progression. As the years went on, we had the trailer and then we had network execs that would come. And then, yeah, ended it with this huge crowd.
Jenna [00:08:16] Yeah. Alright. Well, that was fun.
Angela [00:08:19] Yeah, thank you so much for that question. I actually just loved revisiting all of that in my brain. It was fun to remember.
Jenna [00:08:26] Alright, well, listen, why don't we take a break? And when we come back, I'm gonna share about Lake of the Ozarks.
Angela [00:08:31] Where I want to go with you! I want go with you, I need to go and I can't wait to hear about your trip.
audio cue [00:08:41] [musical sting]
Angela [00:08:41] Alright, we are back from break. Are you ready to go to the Lake of the Ozarks with Jenna Fischer?
Jenna [00:08:49] Alright. Well, here we go. I journaled each morning, just to give you some context.
Angela [00:08:57] I was gonna ask you about that, because I would have to journal either in the morning or late at night. Right?
Jenna [00:09:02] Yes, because it was wall-to-wall activities all day. Family, all that. So here we go, Lake of the Ozarks Summer Travel Journal, first morning at the lake.
Angela [00:09:13] [laughing] You're sitting so properly. I wish you guys could see her. She's, like, with her hands clasped in front of her.
Jenna [00:09:18] I don't know why. I feel like I'm giving a speech. Okay, "I'm sitting out under a big covered patio. It has two ceiling fans, which is amazing because we are having a heatwave. It's 9:40 a.m. and it's already 90 degrees outside."
Angela [00:09:33] Ooof!
Jenna [00:09:33] "We are here during the week before 4th of July. I hope that means the lake will be less busy and we can go for a long boat ride without getting thrown around too much. My folks have had a place at Lake of the Ozarks since I was eight years old. Or maybe my sister was eight and I was 13. I'll have to ask my mom. But we came here even before that, every summer from as far back as I can recall. I think it's safe to say I've been coming here for over 45 years."
Angela [00:10:01] [gasps] Older than some of y'all listening.
Jenna [00:10:04] Yes. Thank you for making that clear. "My parents place started as a two-bedroom cabin they had built on a spot that I remember first visiting by boat. It is in a quiet side cove and there is a soft rocky beach and I remember pulling our little red speedboat up onto that shore, tying it to a tree with a long yellow plasticky rope, having a picnic lunch and watching my parents talk about putting a house there. The soft rocky beach was discussed many times as a big plus. It meant we could slowly wade into the water from shore while we waited for a dock to be built. Had they already bought the land? I'm not sure. Again, maybe I should ask about these details. But more than anything, I think it's cool that they made this dream come true for themselves. I remember driving down over the next year, watching as the house was built. All of the anticipatory excitement. Two bedrooms, one bath, a utility room (which also houses the washer/dryer and all of my dad's tools), a kitchen/living room, and a great big deck facing the lake. I remember their decision to put their bedroom in the front of the house with a lake view and deck access and our bedroom in the back of the house. Theirs was small, just big enough for a queen bed and two nightstands. Ours was much bigger with bunk beds and a couch and a large walk-in closet, which served as a place to put life vests, overflow food items, skis, and even a drying rack for swimsuits."
Angela [00:11:33] That's a big closet.
Jenna [00:11:34] It was really big. You could almost fit a twin bed in there. It was almost like another room. When we were teenagers, we could put blankets on the ground and hide in the closet for privacy. Incidentally, the bunk beds had no railing on the upper bunk. It's not like how they are today. Since I was older, I got the top bunk, even though my daredevil sister really wanted it. I fell out of that bed in the middle of the night at least once a year.
Angela [00:12:01] Oh no! [laughing] I do feel like our generation was just like, "Well..."
Sam [00:12:05] Yeah, not a railing in sight.
Angela [00:12:06] "Figure it out."
Sam [00:12:08] No seatbelts.
Angela [00:12:09] Yeah. "You'll be fine. You can lay on the floorboard while we drive."
Jenna [00:12:14] "The top bunk now belongs to my niece and we laughed about the fact that she too has fallen out in the middle of the night. My dad even attempted to add a safety railing but I guess it didn't work."
Angela [00:12:25] So the bed is still...?
Jenna [00:12:27] The bunk bed is still there, from my childhood.
Sam [00:12:31] Still taking victims today?
Jenna [00:12:31] Yes. Same bunk bed.
Angela [00:12:32] With no railing.
Jenna [00:12:33] Well my sister was like, "If my children are gonna sleep in this bunk bed, Dad, it needs some sort of railing." But then my niece and I were talking and she was like, "Oh, yeah, I fall out of that like once a year."
Sam [00:12:42] She just went right through the railing.
Jenna [00:12:44] [laughing] Yeah, I guess so. And I was like, "Oh, no!" We bonded. Moving on, I'm almost done with morning one. "A few years ago, my parents expanded the house, adding on a second story and two additional bedrooms. It's big enough now that my sister and her kids can come down and stay, but not quite big enough to also house me and Lee and our kids, so we usually get an Airbnb somewhere nearby. Our place this year is great. I slept so well in the bedroom." That was in all caps. SO WELL.
Angela [00:13:15] Now this is the one thing you shared with me about this trip. We tried to keep secrets so that we could share them today. But you were like, "Oh my god, lady, I slept so good."
Jenna [00:13:25] I slept so well.
Angela [00:13:26] To know Jenna is to know how important sleep is.
Sam [00:13:29] Yeah.
Jenna [00:13:29] It's true. I wrote, "Great mattress. But the best thing is the big covered deck with the fans facing the lake. Oh, and there's a mama cat and two little kittens living under the house next door to us. It is very hard not to rescue these kittens. They seem to be around the same age we usually get them to foster, right on the brink of being able to still be domesticated. The mom is young. I think the best we can do is put out some wet food while we're here to help her produce milk."
Angela [00:13:59] Aww.
Jenna [00:14:01] Mm-hmm. Alright. Are you ready for morning two?
Angela [00:14:04] Yeah.
Sam [00:14:05] Yeah.
Jenna [00:14:05] "Well, yesterday was your quintessential lake day. Swimming, boat ride, trip to the grocery store for some item we forgot to bring with us, more swimming, my dad's barbecue, family game, World Cup. We played the game 'Celebrity.' There were nine of us playing and it was pretty cool to play with three generations. We had names like Richard Chamberlain,"
Angela [00:14:25] That stumped the kids.
Jenna [00:14:26] "which the kids did not know, to Millie Bobby Brown who my parents did not know. But what I found really interesting are the celebrities that ended up in the bowl multiple times. I'm not sure what it says about their fame, but Will Ferrell was in the bowl four times. Madonna and Sabrina Carpenter were both in there three times. There were also two Michael Jacksons and two Barack Obamas. We divided up girls against the boys and the girls won. Handily."
Angela [00:14:55] Oooh, "Handily."
Jenna [00:14:58] "This morning we all slept in till 10 a.m. Glorious. To our body clocks, that is 8 a.m. LA time, but still. Have I said the bed in my Airbnb is super comfy? With a ceiling fan, which is kind of the best thing ever if you have hot flashes. It's making me want to put a ceiling in at home. I woke up to a text from my sister that she and my mom were going to go to the local thrift store called 'Hope House.' My mom had some donations to drop off and she also just loves looking around. My sister said that my dad was going to Walmart to grab something, not sure what. And yet, as of noon, my sister and my mom have still not gone to Hope House, which is pretty typical. First of all, they realized that the donations they wanted to drop off were in my dad's car, so they had to wait for him to get back from Walmart."
Angela [00:15:45] There's a little bit of shade, just a scooch of shade.
Sam [00:15:49] Every tenth word is a dagger.
Angela [00:15:51] "Which is typical."
Jenna [00:15:53] I mean... It is, though.
Sam [00:15:54] Handily.
Jenna [00:15:57] I guess I'm super braggy and shady in my journal about my family. You know what, the boys were all thinking they were gonna crush us in Celebrity and they did not win, and they very much did not win.
Angela [00:16:11] Okay, okay. Now, did your mom and sister ever make it?
Jenna [00:16:15] I'll let you know, I will let you know. You have to wait for it. But this is the thing, they'll tell us, "Oh, the plan for the day is we're going to Hope House at 10 a.m.." Then at noon, no one has left. This is very typical of my family. Alright, so anyway, the problem was the stuff was in my dad's cart. They had to wait for him to get back from Walmart. "They dropped the kids at our place at 12:15pm, so the cousins are reunited and watching the World Cup. Just now, my sister texted me that they made to Hope House. It's 1 p.m. It's closed. They're coming back home. My sister said, 'Mom, the sign clearly says they are open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.' This was a Tuesday. But my mom's response was, 'Yeah, that's what the sign says, but sometimes they're open on Tuesdays.' They drove all the way there. I spent the morning reading a play by Gina Gionfriddo. I hope I'm saying her name right. When we were in New York, we saw the revival of her play 'Becky Shaw,' which I absolutely loved. So now I'm reading her other plays because I love living in her dialog. Oh, I just finished the book 'Yesteryear,' which was a trip and a great summer page turner. It's kind of the book of the moment. It's about a tradwife influencer who suddenly wakes up living an actual pioneer life like in the 1800's. I read 'All Fours' by Miranda July earlier this year, and I feel like reading them both in the same year was very interesting. In both instances, the protagonists are women who feel suffocated by what they perceive to be the confines of living a married life with children. Very, very different protagonists, but similar theme. They would make an interesting addition to a women's studies course."
Matt [00:17:55] Jenna, again, I'm on the same book train as you.
Jenna [00:17:59] You are?
Matt [00:17:59] Yeah, you and I are three for three on "Marriage at Sea," "Strangers," and Yesteryear.
Jenna [00:18:03] Matt, what did you think of Yesteryear?
Matt [00:18:07] I loved it. I thought it was so interesting and funny. I don't know, just kind of right on kind of a different perspective than I would normally have.
Jenna [00:18:15] I agree. I really, really liked it. It was quite a page-turner. I think I tore through that in about four days.
Matt [00:18:21] Yeah, totally. Let's discuss. Future episode.
Jenna [00:18:25] We will discuss more. Alright, I go on to say, "But the book I finished recently that has become perhaps my all-time favorite book ever is 'Station Eleven.' In the same way that 'Demon Copperhead' created a fundamental shift in my awareness, Station Eleven has too, but on an even deeper level. It is the story of a flu that wipes out 99% of humanity. With only 1% of people left, all industry has stopped. All electricity, food production, transportation. The story centers around a few characters and their experiences in these new times. One of the main characters is a member of a troupe of musicians and actors who go from settlement to settlement performing Shakespeare and playing music. Their commitment to creating art in a world of survival is intensely beautiful. They quote a line from Star Trek as their motto. 'Because survival is insufficient,' which is now maybe my favorite quote ever. It was a spiritual experience for me. It had me pondering what it means to be human and the ways in which we are all interconnected during our passage of time on Earth. There is one paragraph about a snow globe that is now my favorite piece of writing. I will never forget it. I've gone back to it a few times since finishing the book. When I read it over again, I feel a deep ache in my stomach because what it evokes is so beautiful, it's hard to hold in my body. I will ever see a snow globe the same way again."
Angela [00:19:52] My goodness, I need to read that.
Jenna [00:19:55] It's absolutely wonderful. Alright. Moving on. I wrote "moving on." "Moving on, I have a cat update. We fed the mama three meals of wet food yesterday and also left out dry food overnight. It was all gone in the morning. She ate well yesterday, but no sign of her babies. Yesterday afternoon, I saw two lake otters, also living under the house next door. These people have a small petting zoo living under their deck. I also saw a bunch of geese down by their dock this morning. Oh, and my folks have a pair of ducks that swim with us and we can feed them out of our hands. We are also seeing a ton of deer, lots of animals at the lake, I love it." Alright, next day, lake day three. "Good morning!"
Sam [00:20:47] Somebody slept well.
Jenna [00:20:52] "When we got back to the house last night, the mama cat ran over to the edge of our porch expectantly. We put out some wet food and her two kittens also came up to eat. This is when we got our first really good look at them. The mama is a gray tabby. She has a gray, tabby lookalike kitten, except that her baby has white paws. And then there is a super shy, smaller, all black kitten. I fed them three plates of wet food. They could not get enough. My daughter's angling for us to take them back to St. Louis. She looked up the rules for flying them home. I told her that pets must be up to date for their shots in order to fly, but she said she read online that 'a lot of times Southwest doesn't even check.'"
Angela [00:21:30] Oh no.
Jenna [00:21:32] "I said quote, 'I'm not gonna try and take three feral cats on an airplane,' but I'm feeling the same urge to rescue them as she is. When you have a skill, which for us is cat rescue, it's hard not to put that skill into action. I also woke up realizing that this is our last full day here, which means my last full day with my folks. My dad is getting older. He turns 80 this year, and I'm always acutely aware that I'm on borrowed time with them. I want to ask them more questions, but I'm not sure what those questions are. Mostly, I just want to drink them in, particularly my dad here at the lake. He's always puttering around doing little chores, even at his age. Making barbecue ribs for dinner last night was a whole day affair. It's multiple steps. I'm noticing him in every detail here, like all the do-it-yourself fixes to little problems, like how he has a special spot to tie up the swim noodles on the dock, or the sunshade he puts on hooks outside their bedroom window for when the sun is setting. I'm trying to drink it all in. Yesterday was another typical lake day. Tubing, boat rides, swimming, my dad's delicious barbecue ribs for dinner, my mom's homemade coleslaw, or as she says, 'cold slaw.' Another game of Celebrity. This time the boys won. We said we need to do a tiebreaker tonight. By the way, I'm sorry to George Clooney, but none of the kids knew who he was. Last night, we also did fireworks. They are illegal in Los Angeles and it's super fun for the kids to do them each year with their cousins at the lake. On our drive down, we passed by so many firework stands on the side of the road. It's such a core memory of my childhood around the 4th of July, the roadside firework stand. We got ours from a little place in front of a gas station near my folks' lake house. We got the usual: chicken, tank, fountains. Then we went outside the box and got something called 'Big Blue Balls/ and one that was shaped like a Slurpee. And then we asked the guy at the stand what would make a good finale. And he pointed us to this giant pack of rockets for like $200."
Angela [00:23:37] Did you get them?
Jenna [00:23:39] No. "We said, 'A smaller finale.' We settled on this cube with a dinosaur on it. It was supposed to have 10 shots inside. He said it would be good. We had the kids arrange everything in an order. We started with the chicken. It was lame, as expected. Small tank was lame. Medium tank was cool. The exploding blue balls was fun surprise. Slurpee was awesome."
Angela [00:24:02] That's what she said.
Sam [00:24:05] [laughing]
Jenna [00:24:07] [laughing] That's very funny. "Slurpee was awesome. The fountains were fountains. Then we set up Dino Box. I would like to repeat that this box was small. Like, imagine if a softball was a cube. You could hold it in one hand for sure. I think we were expecting like 10 smallish fireworks to fly up one by one overhead and explode, kind of like bottle rockets, but a little better. Dear Lord, this thing was like a tiny professional fireworks show in a cube. And it wasn't 10 of the same thing either. It was this intense variety of different giant fireworks shooting into the air literally right above us. It was completely unexpected and a great finale."
Angela [00:24:47] Oh, awesome.
Sam [00:24:48] Oh, that's great.
Jenna [00:24:49] Alright, final lake day, everybody. "Our final full day at the lake was a big success. My mom and sister made it back to Hope House in the morning. It was a Wednesday and they were in fact open as the sign suggested. My mom dropped off her donations and got my dad a nice summer shirt. She loves a good find. We rented a wave runner and hosted everyone at our place. My folks brought over a bunch of lunch stuff and a cooler and drinks and we basically camped out on our dock all day. I should mention that the one drawback to our rental is that the house is up high on a hill. There are multiple levels of decks leading down to the water and lots and lots, and lots of stairs. Once you get down there, you only wanna go back to the house if you absolutely need something. There are so many stairs you might consider pooping in the lake. Thankfully it never came to that, but I'm just saying it was a climb. We tried hard to have everything we needed down on the dock. When we did need something from the house, I'd volunteer to go and get it, as I decided that the stairs and treading water were my two chances at exercise during this trip. All day long, we basically took turns riding the wave runner and swimming. Our dock also had a diving platform that the kids loved. Lots of near heart attacks for me watching them flip and dive off that thing. In the evening, we ordered takeout and watched the USA World Cup game together. Me and my folks sat outside on the covered patio and watched the outside TV. They weren't super interested in the game, so it gave me a good chance to ask some questions and get the scoop on the lake house and how it came about. I found out my memory was mostly correct. They bought the land when I was eight years old and it took a year to build. My dad told me he especially liked that the house faced west. He wanted to sit on the deck in the mornings and have coffee without the sun in his eyes. Since this is literally one of my favorite things to do at the lake, I love knowing that detail. He also told me the man they hired to build the house was a drunk and they got into a ton of fights. He would set a meeting with my dad, my dad would drive three hours from St. Louis and then the guy would be late and reek of booze. It caused a lot of problems. At one point they got in to such a huge argument the man threatened to burn the house down."
Angela [00:26:59] Oh my goodness!
Jenna [00:27:00] Crazy. "In other news, we met the neighbor next door to our rental. I mentioned that he had some stray cats living under his porch and that we'd been feeding them. I offered to give him our leftover food if he'd like to keep feeding them and he said his wife already feeds them. We were so excited to hear this. He said that last year they rescued four kittens and took them back to their family farm. He also said he thinks they're all coming from this one house down the road that doesn't fix their cats. He really wants to try and trap the ones at his house and get them fixed and then re-release them. He said quote, 'They're good at getting critters.'"
Angela [00:27:32] Lady, this must have made you so happy, because she does the rescue work that you do.
Jenna [00:27:38] I wrote, "We are not going to have to worry about these kitties. What a relief." It was really weighing on us this whole trip. Are these kittens going to be OK? "We played our final round of Celebrity. It was our tiebreaker game and the girls won. It was a really super close fifty four to fifty one. Some impressive gameplay and some hilarious clues. I was quite fond of Harper's clue: "First name is the name of my principal at school. The last name is crispy meat." Kevin Bacon. In this round, there were multiple Rin Tin Tins and Taylor Swifts. Oh, by the way, we are pretty sure we are about to share a wedding anniversary with Taylor and Travis on July 3rd. This year, it will be 16 years for me and Lee. While she is at Madison Square Garden with 1,000 guests, I'll be on a Southwest flight that connects in Phoenix. Thankfully, I won't be flying with three stray cats. But I will be with my sweet family that I love with all my heart and filled with wonderful lake memories. I can't wait until next year."
Angela [00:28:39] That was fantastic.
Matt [00:28:40] Very sweet.
Sam [00:28:41] You're a really good writer. I realized during you saying this, what I like about these travel journals. It's such a good snapshot of the person writing them. That three minutes we just spent together sums you up perfectly as a person. What you like: animals, comfort, family, but with a little bit of snark.
Jenna [00:29:02] [laughter]
Sam [00:29:02] Like there's a knife just out of reach, but it's not coming out unless it's deserved.
Jenna [00:29:08] Thank you.
Sam [00:29:09] Yeah.
Angela [00:29:09] Yeah, and also your eye for detail is fantastic. You get a real sense that you do like a plan. You would not have gone to the thrift store on a Tuesday, you would have looked it up.
Sam [00:29:24] You would have confirmed that it was open before you got in the car.
Jenna [00:29:27] Of course. Also, knowing that my mom had planned it, I would double check those plans. And my sister is the type, she so go with the flow, she would never even think to question whether or not this place was actually open. During the week of July 4th, no less.
Sam [00:29:42] It reminded me of... Who's the artist that did the "Saturday Evening Post" for years, the painter... Norman Rockwell! There's a very Norman RockWell-esque picture you just painted.
Matt [00:29:53] Yeah, I was gonna say this sounds like such a great tradition and all American family vacation that I really want to go to there. It just sounds so nice and fun.
Angela [00:30:03] I feel like it's one of the things that we bond over, too. Some of the shares you have about your dad and the DIY and all that. That's very much my experience on the farm with my parents and what that land meant to them. And yeah, I loved it.
Jenna [00:30:20] My parents were always happiest at Lake of the Ozarks. They were relaxed. It's their happy place.
Angela [00:30:25] Mm-hmm.
Jenna [00:30:26] And so, it's really important for me to experience them in that place each year.
Angela [00:30:32] With your kids, too.
Jenna [00:30:32] With my kids. Yeah, my dad driving the boat, all that. Well, Matt, I feel like a camping trip is pretty quintessential American vacation.
Matt [00:30:42] Yeah, a little different spin on it, but it's related for sure.
Jenna [00:30:46] Well, tell us about your trip!
Matt [00:30:47] Okay, I wrote a little short piece.
Jenna [00:30:50] Oh, let's hear it.
Matt [00:30:51] Okay. "This past weekend, I received a last minute invitation from two friends to go on a bike packing adventure, which is a cross between biking and backpacking, where you load up all your camping gear on a big mountain bike and head out into the wilderness. I was up for the challenge and said yes to the dress. Big shout out to my wife, Casey, for staying back and watching the children while I tested my metal in this way. The goal was to bike around 100 miles in three days with lots of uphill climbing under the blazing sun. It became clear pretty early on that I was the weakest link, by far. I was trailing my group and riding solo pretty much the entire time. While they were way up ahead talking about bikes, gear, and other endurance challenges, I was far in the rear. However, I was having the absolute T of my L taking on a different (some would say even harder challenge) singing every part of 'Les Miserables,' word for word. I think my finest work was the confrontation scene between Javert and Jean Valjean."
Jenna [00:31:49] Oh, that's my favorite song!
Matt [00:31:50] It's the best. It's best.
Angela [00:31:53] You were singing Les Miserables while you were riding?
Matt [00:31:56] I mean, kind of from memory in my head.
Angela [00:31:58] I would have no air.
Sam [00:31:59] You and I relax in very different ways, Matt. This is so many tasks.
Matt [00:32:06] "We climbed mountains, descended long dusty trails, jumped in mountain lakes, and slept out under the stars with no cell phone service and without seeing a car or another soul for miles. While pedaling, I found myself wondering who from the Office Ladies crew would also take on this rugged experience: sleeping on the ground, only packing one pair of underwear for three days, going to the bathroom in a hole in the ground."
Jenna [00:32:28] I mean, I think if my journal where I went on and on about my mattress is any indication, I think it's not me.
Matt [00:32:38] "Sam, a hundred percent. Sam would probably leave this recording with me right now to go bike packing."
Sam [00:32:42] True.
Matt [00:32:43] "Angela, I think would enjoy all the time in nature, but miss the comforts of home."
Angela [00:32:47] I would love all the time in nature. I would hate being on the bicycle. It always hurts me privies.
Sam [00:32:55] If you could be in a sidecar being cuddled, that'd be perfect.
Angela [00:32:59] Yes, I would navigate from a sidecar.
Matt [00:33:02] "Jenna, I could really see going either way. She said she gets creeped out being in nature for too long, but I think she might enjoy the hardcore challenge element of this experience."
Jenna [00:33:11] You're right about that. There's a part of me that does like to push myself.
Sam [00:33:15] Yeah, what's the line from "The Edge," what one man can do?
Jenna [00:33:17] Another can do. Mm-hmm.
Matt [00:33:20] "We completed our ride and I found bike packing to be a pretty apt metaphor for life. There were hills and valleys, moments of pure joy, intense struggle, and also many of just peddling through it. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and your undercarriage will be sore and chapped most of the time."
Angela [00:33:35] Exactly.
Matt [00:33:36] "But at the end of the day, it's all about taking care of others, yourself, and our planet. Peace and love, Matt, Senior Producer, Office Ladies.
Angela [00:33:44] I love the official sign-off in your journal.
Sam [00:33:46] You sign that like you weren't coming back, in case somebody found your body.
Matt [00:33:51] Sam, there was moments when I wasn't sure if I was coming back.
Angela [00:33:55] Aw. Wow, what a trip. That's amazing.
Jenna [00:33:59] I love it. Alright, well, should we take a break? And then we'll be back, Angela, with your Wimbledon share, and Sam is gonna share about Germany.
Angela [00:34:08] Yeah, we both went abroad.
audio cue [00:34:11] [musical sting]
Jenna [00:34:14] Alright, we are back and I have been waiting a few weeks to hear about your trip to Wimbledon. I can wait no longer.
Sam [00:34:20] I'm on the edge of my seat.
Jenna [00:34:22] I made her go second because I knew this was the journal everyone wanted to hear.
Sam [00:34:24] You can't follow this.
Angela [00:34:26] I don't think so. Jenna's and Matt's were both wonderful. Mine, I don't think it's that interesting, but I'm going to read it. First of all, I want you guys to know I've been to London many times and I did a semester abroad in college in London. So I didn't need to do a ton of tourist stuff. This was really about seeing my friends, hanging out with my friends that lived there, and then going to Wimbledon. So anyway, just thought I would preface that. Alright, this is titled "AK Travel Journal."
Jenna [00:34:55] Okay.
Angela [00:34:55] I don't know why I felt the need to title it. Here it goes. "Tuesday, June 30th, 11:30 a.m., On the way to the airport. So excited, woo-hoo! We are behind a 1990 silver Toyota Corolla that has pinstriping that says 'gnocchi mobile.' How much do you have to love gnocchi to pinstripe it on your car? Hi from the TSA line! So, we play this game with our kids when we travel, where we share things you overhear as you walk past someone. This started a few years back on a trip to New York City. A big city is great for this game because you hear crazy snippets of people's conversations as you walk past them on the street. But it is also fun at airports. Here's one of those moments from my walk through LAX. This man had two suitcases, and he was hauling ass to try to get to the front of the security line before this big group got there. Trailing behind him, carrying a big bag, was his wife. She was clearly annoyed at his brisk pace, and she said, 'Gary, can you slow your roll?' That cracked me up. 2 p.m. At the airport lounge, baby. This is a bucket list trip for me. So I went all out. I used my miles and I'm flying business class. Ooh la la. I still can't believe I'm going to Wimbledon!!" Two exclamation points. "I can't remember a summer where I didn't watch Wimbledon with my mom. It's her favorite tennis tournament. We have always dreamed of going together. We have spent countless hours in front of the TV watching all the matches. We would make ourselves cups of tea and eat strawberries and pretend we were there. I have so many favorite moments, like when Björn Borg beat John McEnroe and he dropped to his knees on the grass, or the many times Serena Williams won and would pump her fist like, 'Hell yeah.' One of my mom's favorite players was Kim Clijsters. We loved watching her play, and this is where life gets really crazy. And as I write this, I still can't believe it, but I met Kim Clijsters last year at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She is one of the nicest, most wonderful people. Not to mention one of the greats in tennis history. We have stayed in touch over the past year and have become friends. Ah!" Exclamation point. "Isn't that crazy? My mom and I both still can't believe it. I shared with Kim our love of Wimbledon and she offered to help me get tickets. I about fell on the floor. Getting tickets to Wimbledon is really difficult. I've never been able to. I called my mom immediately. She was so excited and I asked her to go with me. We had a really long conversation. You know, my mom turned 88 this year, and she shared with me that long travel days are just too much for her now. But she told me I absolutely had to go. She said I had to for the both of us. And I had orders to take a ton of pictures and call her every day. So," this is gonna make me cry. "Here I sit in the airport lounge, texting my mom and wearing a necklace that my dad bought her in the 70's. He knew her love of tennis, and it's a string of tiny gold interlocking tennis rackets. My mom gave it to me after he passed away, and I knew I had to wear it on this trip. So I'm gonna hold her and my dad close to my heart as I go on this adventure."
Jenna [00:38:21] We both were bumping up against our parents' age and limitations and our awareness of that on our trips.
Angela [00:38:31] Yeah, it was so thrilling to get these tickets and also better sweet that my mom wasn't with me, but she was.
Jenna [00:38:39] Yeah.
Angela [00:38:39] Okay. Sorry. I needed to wipe the tears. And now are you ready for a hard pivot? There had clearly been a passage in time because here's my next entry. Ready?
Jenna [00:38:49] Okay.
Angela [00:38:50] "Oh, Lord. The man next to me took off his shoes. Why? Oh, God, now he's taking off his socks. I might move. Need snacks. BRB. Moved seats and got some type of spicy nut mix. So, family update. Josh and Kate are going to a volleyball tournament this week. Isabel and Jack are taking college courses over the summer, so this is the first time I'll be taking a big trip by myself. I feel a little rusty at doing this solo. Sidebar: they are not playing Wimbledon in the lounge. WTF. There are so many TV's, but all they're showing is the World Cup. And look, I get it, okay? The World Cup is amazing and fun, and I love it too. But not one TV for the biggest tennis tournament of the year? Not one? Ugh, getting a glass of wine, finding out the wifi. Please hold." Very grumpy. "Okay, I'm back with wine and I'm watching Wimbledon on my laptop. I am trying to take a selfie of myself in the lounge with my wine and tennis on my computer to send it to my mom, but I couldn't figure it out. I'm not bendy enough to fit it all in the picture. A very nice gentleman asked if I needed him to take the picture because I probably looked so awkward. I'm slightly embarrassed. 4 p.m. British Airways flight 282 LAX to London Heathrow. Okay, I need to be snarky. My flight attendant is 100% an Angela Martin, severe blonde bun, so bossy. She's snippy with everyone and she's also a little gossipy. I was in line for the bathroom and she was looking at a passenger and whispering to another flight attendant, and then they both started laughing. I'm trying to figure out who they're talking about. Maybe the man with the skeleton socks. He does seem annoying." I had the beet goat cheese salad, I really liked it. And then I watched the movie 'Midwinter Break,' so good. This movie deals with traumatic moments that shape us, marriage ups and downs, and the calling to be of greater service through our faith. It also does a great job of showing that life happens in crowded spaces. Sadness, anger, heartbreak. It can all happen over dinner at a restaurant with tons of people around. There is only one sex scene in this movie and barely that. Like, you don't see anything. It's just a bunch of sheets. It's between two older people. Maybe they're in their late 60's, early 70's. And that is the moment when a dad from our kid's school walked up to me to say hi. I paused the TV and it's two old people, barely clothed, in bed together. The dad from the school said, 'What are you watching?' Cringe! July 1st, 10:30 a.m. I just landed at London Heathrow. It's the day after I left LA and I barely slept on the plane. I'm not sure how I'm gonna stay awake. In my taxi now, the driver's an older man and he said, 'Where to, love?' His name is Andy and I told him my name was Angela and he's said, 'We're the two A's.' I love him. Traffic getting from the airport to my friend's flat in Highgate was really bad, but I didn't mind. I was tired and the taxi had air conditioning. I was almost asleep and Andy said, 'You might get to see the royal family.' So I perked up. On the other side of the freeway, there were a bunch of police on motorcycles clearing the way for a vehicle motorcade. Then three big black SUVs came whizzing by. And he said, 'That's one of the royals.' And then he said, 'They'll never know what it's like to sit in traffic.' I asked him who he thought it was and he said maybe the king. Andy said that the king goes back and forth to London and then to High Grove so he can 'smell his flowers.' I feel like Andy was throwing subtle shade."
Jenna [00:42:32] Andy and I might be related.
Angela [00:42:36] "July 2nd, I'm staying at my friend's in Highgate. We walked a ton yesterday. My friend Betsy says that is the best way to stay awake and fight off jet lag. Step count, I can't remember, but it was over 17,000. Today we took the tube to Marleybone to meet up with Betsy's friends Louise and Marina for what they call fancy lunch. So here's what you do for fancy lunch, first you meet for tea and biscuits, then you do some shopping, and then you have a fancy lunch." It was fantastic, I loved it. Then we went back to Highgate to play tennis at the park. Yes, you guys, I brought my racket all the way to London. Step count today was crazy, around 19,000. July 3rd, I have now played tennis twice in London. I think I'm ready for Wimbledon. Ha ha. More walking today. Things I took pictures of: flowers by the street, lots of hanging flowers, window box flowers, and hydrangeas. So beautiful. Also, I took picture of ivy that grows on the sides of buildings. I am driving my friends nuts because I keep stopping to take pictures of flowers. Last night we walked through a park and Mumford and Sons was playing a concert. There was a giant fence and we could hear them from the other side. There were a lot of people that I guess didn't get tickets or were just enjoying the concert from outside on the lawn, having wine and picnics. We hung out there for a bit and heard the end of the concert. It was a lovely night. Step count was around 20,000. July 4th, all my tennis gals have now arrived. The four of us will be going to Wimbledon together. I saw a reel on Instagram that says every group of four friends on a trip has a navigator, a planner, and two that don't know anything. Well, I think for us, Betsy is the planner. Rebecca actually likes to navigate and figure out all the trains and routes. She told me she enjoys it. Thank God, because I hate it. Julie is the responsible one who makes sure we all have the things we need, and I am the historian. I take all the pictures and document the trip and sometimes drive everyone crazy in the process, but they're always happy after the fact to have the pictures. And you guys know I'm gonna scrapbook."
Jenna [00:44:40] Yes.
Angela [00:44:41] My next entry is, "We are now at an Airbnb near Marble Arch. This morning we were walking to the tube station near us and there was a big truck going down the street and a man was leaning out of the back of it with a special type of water hose. It looked like a long pole, but then it had a bend at the end and a nozzle. He was using it to water the flower pots that hang from the lamppost. I cannot tell you how happy that made me to see them being watered and cared for. I bet you could guess it, but I took a picture. 1 p.m., walked through a beautiful park today, and there was a cafe where you could get snacks, ice cream, and also buy plants! I am in heaven. I took picture of the sign, 'Pavilion Cafe.' And then as we walked through the park, there was game of cricket going on, so we sat on a bench and watched for a while. I also fell in love with a floppy Dachshund named Peanut. I would love a floppy Dachshund. I love any type of dog that looks like a big burrito. 3 p.m. Went to the department store, Liberty. It's so beautiful. It was founded in 1875. It's several floors tall in an old Tudor-style building. I love the wooden staircase and the ceiling. I bought a cute summer robe with a navy floral design. Step count today was crazy, 23,102. My watch says I climbed 25 flights of stairs."
Jenna [00:45:58] Wow.
Angela [00:45:59] I know!
Jenna [00:46:00] You haven't even gotten to Wimbledon yet.
Angela [00:46:02] I know. I have one day.
Sam [00:46:03] I forgot that's where this is headed.
Angela [00:46:07] "July 5th, 11 p.m. So tired, but I wanted to jot down about my day. I bought a tin full of tea with Queen Elizabeth's face on it. There were a bunch of different royal family members' faces on tins of tea to choose from, but I went with Queen Elisabeth. I also bought a cute tote bag for Isabel and a Christmas ornament. I always buy an ornament from our travels and the kids love it, so this year, we'll be adding a little figurine of Paddington Bear to the tree. Oh, and I also went to see the plate adaptation of 'My Neighbor Totoro.' I loved it. I teared up at the end when the cast and puppeteers took their bow. We all stood on our feet and applauded them. It's what I love about theater or making TV or film. So many people behind the scenes that come together to make a piece of art. It's truly moving. July 6th, 8 a.m. Drinking my tea and steaming my dress. Today I feel like that moment when Michael Scott was screaming, 'Oh my God, it's happening!' Today is Wimbledon! I'm so excited! No time to journal, must get ready. Also, my travel steamer is fantastic and tiny and folds up. It's by a company called Nextdo. Okay, I felt like that was important to share. Okay. July 7th. Good morning. I woke up early. I couldn't sleep. I stayed up late with the time difference, talking to my mom to tell her every detail of my day at Wimbledon. She was thrilled. Yesterday was one of the best days of life. I don't even know where to begin. I took a ton of pictures and jotted things down in my notes app so I could share in my journal. Let's start with my outfit. Fit check. I wore a green linen dress by Bedouin and comfy white sneakers with a green trim by Vivaia. I don't know how to say it. And then I also brought a tote bag with an empty water bottle cause you can refill it once you get inside. Sunscreen and a hat. Very important. 9.30 a.m. We left early to grab some breakfast to go or as they say here, 'to take away.' And then we took the train from Marble Arch to Wimbledon. Thank you to the folks we met at a coffee shop who told us to get off at Southfield Station. If you guys ever go and take the tube, get off there. Then you walk to the entrance gates of Wimbledon and it's not a bad walk, about 15 minutes. The whole walk to gates, I had a body buzz. You could feel a joy in the crowd we walked with, a huge group of strangers all dressed in what looked like their Sunday best, excited for the day ahead. 10:30 a.m. Walking into the courts, we had four tickets, two to center court and two to court one. Throughout the day, we would trade seats so we could see different matches. The first match I saw was on center court. Walking into that stadium felt like a religious experience. Our seats were across from the royal box, so I had a great view of Roger Federer and Billie Jean King, O-M-G. The match was amazing. It was Jasmine Paolini and Alexandra Eala, and they absolutely floored me. We had two very charming men from Italy sitting behind us and whenever Paolini hit a winner, they would chant, 'Bravissimo, bravissimo!' It's such good people watching at Wimbledon, too. I met a woman named Jude who had a hat covered in tennis balls, but somehow it was also fashionable. I asked her where she got it and she told me she made it. She said, 'All you need is a glue gun.' I got very excited. I have a glueg un, and I want to make one."
Jenna [00:49:20] Oh dear.
Angela [00:49:21] And she let me take a picture, lady, of her hat. And I really want to try to make it. Will I be the crazy lady wearing a hat with tennis balls?
Jenna [00:49:28] Yeah.
Angela [00:49:29] Maybe. OK. Back to my journal. "Throughout the day, there were so many fantastic matches. I felt humbled to be there and spent the day in awe. There was a moment I won't forget. It was in the Arthur Fery and Grigor Dimitrov match. Fery won the wild card slot to play. This means he didn't have a high enough ranking to normally get a chance to compete. He wouldn't have even been there, but he got the wild card. Dimitrov has been on the professional tennis circuit around 18 years. The energy in that stadium was absolutely electric. They played amazing tennis and went five sets that led them to an insane tiebreaker. Fery is from the Wimbledon area and at one point, when the stadium was very quiet, a fan yelled, 'Go on Fery!' And the place went nuts. This match could have easily gone either way. But in the end, Fery won and the place went berserk. Here's this local kid with a wild card now going to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon. You felt the weight of that moment wash over him and he dropped to the ground. I had to wipe away some tears and I wasn't the only one. I looked around that packed stadium and people were crying, hugging and cheering. It made me think of our discussion with Mike Schur about fandom. This one singular moment brought a crowd of strangers together in pure joy. And the food and drink of it all.
Jenna [00:50:55] Yes, I needed to know if you had strawberries and Pimms.
Angela [00:50:59] Yes, I had strawberries and cream, and a Pimms. And I got to go into the Wimbledon broadcast building. I hopped on the Access All England show, which is a behind the scenes live stream on the Wimbledon app with my dear friend Nick McCarville, and his co-host and former professional tennis player, Jill Craybas. Shout out to everyone in the broadcast building, they let me keep my giant bag of merch there all day, so I didn't have to carry it around. I think I bought everything they make in the Wimbledon shop because you know I love the merch!' Exclamation point, 'and I have to share a lovely text I got that night from Beth in the broadcast building she said, 'We're here super late, so let me know whenever you're looking to grab your bits and bobs. Do you want me to bring you guys some snacks or anything? Crisps or chocolate for the journey back?' We were starving. All the food vendors had closed by that time so Beth thank you for the snacks we ate it on the way home. I have a video from the end of the day of us and we literally closed the place down. We were there over 12 hours. I didn't wanna leave and I hope someday I get to go back. Alrighty, I've had my Queen Elizabeth tea and now it's time for my very last day here. We're going to Notting Hill and Richmond." And then I have my last day. "Okay, last day in London, July 8th. Hi from the London Heathrow Airport. Today I go back home. I miss my family and I'm ready for my bed, but oh my goodness, do I love London. Yesterday we went to Notting Hill. It's as charming as I could have imagined. I loved all the buildings, painted different colors and all the different shops. Here's something to know about me." Again, my journal, who doesn't know me, I guess."
Jenna [00:52:40] Never met you.
Angela [00:52:41] Yeah, "Here's something you know about me: I love maps. I'm kind of obsessed with maps. I have two different maps hanging as art in my house. And for my folks who also like maps, there is a fantastic vintage map store in Notting Hill. The Portobello Print and Map Shop. Listen to what all they have. Old maps, engravings, plus decorative flower, animal, and maritime prints. Yes, please! I really wanted this big map, but I knew I couldn't fit it in my suitcase, so instead I got this amazing antique engraving dated 1683. It's of the port in Cartagena with all the old timey boats pulling in. It's so cool, I can't wait to show it to Josh. After lunch, we went to Richmond. My friend Rebecca lived there for a bit and she showed me all of her stomping grounds. What an absolutely wonderful town. We went to the open bookstore and I met Madeline, who works there. I was looking at books about Anne Boleyn and she took me into a smaller back room and went through a stack of books with me. I settled on 'The House of Boleyn' by Tracy Borman. I can't wait to dive into it. Before we left the bookstore, Madeline gave us a rundown on every Prime Minister she thought was 'absolute rubbish,' her word." I literally said to her, I was like, "Well, it was nice meeting you. I'm gonna go," and she goes, "Not yet."
Sam [00:53:52] I have a little snark for you to take home.
Angela [00:53:56] "Next, we went to a pub called the White Cross. It's famous for being the pub that floods. It sits right on the Thames River, and as the tide rises later in the day, the beer garden and patio at the entrance of the pub flood. But no worries, they keep serving drinks and food even as it floods, and they have a sign hanging outside that says, 'Can't get in because of high tide? Call us to borrow some wellies.'"
Jenna [00:54:20] Oh.
Angela [00:54:20] "And then they have their phone number, and they'll bring you a pair of wellies!"
Jenna [00:54:23] That's nice.
Angela [00:54:24] I know. "I was bummed because we couldn't stay for high tide. We had to get back to Marble Arch to pack for our early flight home. But we did have a glass of wine and watched the World Cup and I definitely wanna go back there. I have two last things to share. One: I'm gonna miss the announcement on the tube. 'See it, say it. Sorted.'"
Jenna [00:54:42] Yeah, my family still says that.
Angela [00:54:45] Because they say it over and over.
Jenna [00:54:47] [in a British accent] "See it, say it, sorted."
Angela [00:54:49] Love it.
Jenna [00:54:51] [in a British accent] "And mind the gap, please."
Angela [00:54:53] "And before I sign off here and get on my plane, I wanted to jot down pubs and great food I've had since I've been here. In North London and the Highgate area, The Bull and Lass: I got the ricotta stuffed courgette flower with parmesan and honey. Delicious. The Red Lion and Son: I got the chicken schnitzel, jalapeno salsa and Caesar salad. The Flask: we went for a Sunday roast. So good. I got the roasted pork belly with roasted potatoes, maple carrots, squash, mash, cauliflower cheese and seasonal greens, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. Uli and Marleybone: which was a mix of Chinese, Thai, Malay and Singaporean cuisine, amazing. The Shed in Notting Hill, which is a farm to table type of restaurant. Great food from their farms in Sussex. And finally, on our last night near our flat by Marble Arch, we went to Zanya, which is a restaurant that features Pakistani and North Indian cuisine. Again, delicious. I think I gained six pounds since I've been here. I feel so bloated. Okay, bye for now. I'm so tired and I can't wait to sleep on the plane." Honestly when we got back, that's the end of my journal, I don't think I ate for the first day. I was like, 'No, I'm good, I am good.' I was texting with my mom and sisters and I said, 'I don't think I need to eat a potato for like a month.' I ate so many potatoes.
Jenna [00:56:17] I remember being in London and they love peas on the side. Like, in America where it's green beans or broccoli, over there it's peas. So many peas.
Angela [00:56:28] So many peas, but so many potatoes.
Jenna [00:56:30] And potatoes, peas and potatoes.
Angela [00:56:32] Peas and potatoes, but that Sunday roast was like... All those things come when you order and it was so good.
Jenna [00:56:42] Well, I loved that.
Sam [00:56:43] Yeah, that was great.
Matt [00:56:45] My favorite part continues to be the level of detail before the trip has even started.
Sam [00:56:49] Yes.
Matt [00:56:50] The way to the airport.
Jenna [00:56:51] Yes, yes.
Matt [00:56:53] It's the best.
Angela [00:56:54] Do you get behind a car like an old Toyota that says "gnocchi mobile" and you can't share that? Come on.
Jenna [00:57:02] I hear you.
Sam [00:57:03] Yeah.
Angela [00:57:04] But yeah, it was a truly amazing trip.
Jenna [00:57:06] Those are the details that I think most people don't put in their journals and it's unfortunate.
Sam [00:57:09] Yes, I would say between the two of you, you paint a full picture of a moment.
Jenna [00:57:14] This is why we need to travel somewhere together and each tell the story.
Angela [00:57:19] But I want it to be somewhere neither of us have ever been, so it's new. Because it's the newness, right?
Jenna [00:57:25] Yes.
Angela [00:57:26] So I don't know where that is, but we need to do it.
Jenna [00:57:28] We'll figure it out.
Angela [00:57:29] We'll figure it out.
Jenna [00:57:30] That's going to be our next Travel Journals episode.
Angela [00:57:33] Okay. But Sam, you went to Germany. We'd love to hear about it.
Sam [00:57:36] I did. Okay, so full listener disclosure, we were originally gonna record a couple weeks ago, so I intended to send this in for you guys to listen to while I wasn't here.
Angela [00:57:45] That's right. You're going to send us an audio file.
Jenna [00:57:48] From Germany.
Sam [00:57:49] Yeah, mine is an audio recording from my hotel room in Munich. So I flew to Canada, then my girlfriend Steph and her family, we flew from Canada to Munich, and then took a six-hour train up to Osnabrück for her cousin's wedding. So that was two weeks, and we saw a bunch of stuff and ate schnitzel twice a day. It was great. So without further ado, here we go. Alright.
audio cue [00:58:10] [bouncy German music plays]
Angela [00:58:13] What? You did music?
Sam [00:58:15] Oh yeah.
Sam (Diary) [00:58:18] [German music continues] 12:22 p.m.. Greetings, Office Ladies. It's Sam and I'm in Canada, the land of Celine Dion and Poutine. Myself and Stephanie are on our way to her parents' house to take a van together to the airport. I'm aware this is exactly how "Home Alone" starts, so I will be counting everyone before we get in the van. Steph's parents really highlight the difference in our travel, or more accurately, they highlight the poor boxcar hobo way I've traveled. For instance, her dad was insistent I get travel insurance. What the f*** is travel insurance? Steph asked me what I would do if I got hurt in another country. I thought about it and realized as a proud American my plan was if I ever got hurt in another county, I would simply die there. They would put my hat on a poorly made cross on the spot where they buried me like in Oregon Trail. 3 p.m.. We arrived at the airport. Steph's pre-flight anxiety is again highlighting my complete lack of interior flight sense. She travels much how I imagined Jenna would fly, with her travel documentation in an alphabetical binder by her side, whereas I travel how I imagine Angela travels, my passport loose in my backpack, stickily covered in Sour Patch Kids sugar. 7 a.m. The next morning. We have arrived in Munich. Our flight was eight hours so we got a full meal and a breakfast. Steph and her mom didn't want any yogurt, so I got three full yogurts. I know that sentence will be exciting for both Jenna and Angela. 7:47 a.m. Slight airport train to airport baggage claim. I am delirious with airplane sleep and nothing coming out of my mouth makes sense to me. Nothing I need to worry about. Not my monkey, not my circus. That's my motto, nicht mein affe, nicht meine zirkus. 10 a.m. We are attempting to take the train from Munich Airport to Steph's uncle's house. We've already gotten off on an incorrect stop and then a bus no one told us to take. We are back in the train, we got off. 12.20 a.m. I have now been traveling for 24 hours. My passport has merged with my hands and I am only able to say 'Guten tag' and 'Ischheises Sam.' But we are at the hotel, which has no AC. So with ma in her kercheif and I in my cap, I've just settled in for a 90 degree Fahrenheit, 35 degree Celsius nap. Thanks to global warming, because 60 years ago a bunch of baby boomers threw a bunch of styrofoam in the forest, and now I'll never be able to afford a house and the world is on fire and I eat a credit card's worth of microplastic each week. Guten Abend!" [music fades out]
Angela [01:00:42] [laughing] With all the music and everything!
Matt [01:00:43] We definitely got the best production out of you.
Sam [01:00:47] From my hotel room.
Angela [01:00:48] No way. That was so cool. What a crazy long travel day.
Sam [01:00:52] Yeah. And here's the thing, the trip itself, despite the delirium of travel, was gorgeous. I'd never been to Germany before. Munich was awesome. We took a bullet train which went like 250 miles an hour up to Osnabrück. Osnabrück was built in 780 A.D. Like, that's 1200 years ago.
Angela [01:01:11] Wow.
Sam [01:01:11] America's like 250 years old.
Angela [01:01:12] Oh, I know.
Sam [01:01:13] So everything there is so old and still operational. Like, it was built well and there's a church there that was around since, I think, 800. Just casually, you can just pop your head in. It was crazy.
Angela [01:01:24] So cool.
Jenna [01:01:26] Well, everyone, we hope you enjoyed this episode about all of our summer travels. If you have a suggestion for where you think Angela and I should go on our trip that we will then journal about, will you please write us? We have a new folder at Officeladies.com for general mail. So tell us in the general mailbox where you think Angela and I should go in this world for our duo travel journal.
Angela [01:01:51] Okay.
Jenna [01:01:52] We can't wait to hear.
Angela [01:01:53] I really am excited. And thank you guys for listening. We hope you enjoyed our summer travels and we'll see you next time.
Jenna [01:02:00] See you then!
Jenna [00:00:17] Thank you for listening to Office Ladies.
Angela [00:00:19] Office Ladies is a presentation of Audacy and is produced by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey.
Jenna [00:00:24] Our senior producer is Matt Beagle. Our audio engineer is Sam Kieffer, and our associate producer is Aynsley Bubbico.
Angela [00:00:32] Audacy's executive producer is Leah Reis-Dennis.
Jenna [00:00:35] Office Ladies was mixed and mastered by Bill Schultz.
Angela [00:00:37] Our theme song is "Rubber Tree" by Creed Bratton.