The Juice with Jeff #116

On this episode of the podcast, Jill Brimeyer conducts/co-produces a fantastic and superb interview with me in person. This is Jill's second time conducting the interview with me for these podcasts.

 

After Jill and I spend the first five minutes giving our introductions and express our excitement at how we're finally able to do an interview for the show IN PERSON, we then proceed to have a two-way conversation where Jill uses the Vertellis/Vertell?s Complete card game series where the slogan is "Less Small Talk, More Genuine Conversations" to guide her in the questions that she asks me. Here are the topics that Jill brings up and asks me questions on from the Vertellis card game during the course of the epic podcast: 

 

1.  Of which personal achievement are you most proud of?

During this segment, I talk with Jill about the progress I've made over the years on my social skills, a little bit about my being autistic, about my basic values, and how I stress quality over quantity in terms of my friendships. Then I share with Jill about the history of these The Juice with Jeff  podcasts, how they came to be, the technical details on how these podcasts are produced, and on how I've accomplished quite a lot with these podcasts over these last five years. And I also tell Jill about how I've been recording personal memories with friends (albeit usually on a private basis) onto audio cassettes or onto videotapes long before the podcasts started. This part of the show lasts around 18 minutes. 

 

2. What was your most memorable day?

During this question, I talked with Jill about both my Valley High School graduation (Spring 1994) and my Drake University graduation (end of 1998), and I explained in great detail how things with my Drake graduation went.  I also talk about how every time I get to have a friend interview me for these podcasts it's a memorable day for me; especially whenever I'm able to get together with friends in person for the interviews. And I share with Jill how I've been dealing with having these podcasts recorded/produced throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. I also share with Jill how whenever I have eaten out at a local restaurant or even just picking up from local restaurants, it's also a memorable day for me. This segment of the show lasts nine minutes.

 

3. What are your earliest memories?

During this part of the show, I talk with Jill about my elementary school years, the several years during my elementary school years where I participated in a local Jewish day camp in Des Moines called Camp Shalom (which is now called Engman Camp Shalom). And I also talk about a mutli-purpose facility and activity center in the Des Moines Jewish community called Caspe Terrace. This part of the show lasts around 11 minutes.

 

4. During your elementary school years, what did you do during recess?

I answer Jill's question and then I share several specific memories from my Crossroads Park Elementary School years, including two specific trips my class made during my fourth grade (a bike ride from Crossroads Park Elementary to a park in Waukee) and sixth grade years (a 2 day 1 night trip to Springbrook State Park for a Conservation Educational program). I then talk about how during both of my Junior High school years, the middle school/junior high school age Jewish students from throughout Iowa participated in a Shabbaton/Sabbath weekend program which both times took place at Springbrook State Park. And this leads to my sharing with Jill how much I love state parks, nature, and about the moments I get to see animals such as Canadian Geese and Mallard ducks. This segment ends with me sharing how I feel about Zoos. This part of the show lasts 12 minutes.

 

5. What was the best book, movie, or TV series you read or saw? And one we might not expect?

 

I talk with Jill about my love for the Harry Potter book series and the movies on DVD that go along with it, a big book with a compilation of MAD Magazine comics from between the 1950's and 1990's, several movies that specialize in puns and parodies type humor, several animated cartoons including Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids, and the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 TV series. This part of the discussion lasts 12 minutes.

 

6. There are moments where Jill shares her answers and thoughts on the above five questions. And then Jill shares a few things about her interests and hobbies. Her thoughts on creativity and art then lead to me talking a little more about my passion and intense interest in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood and Fred Rogers o.b.m. and how Mister Rogers relates to being creative and how it promotes being spontaneous and artsy. About 15 minutes or so are devoted to this part of the podcast.

 

And then for most of the remaining 13 minutes of the podcast, I perform the following voice impersonations for Jill: Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the late Jim Morrison doing the Toys R Us jingle like The Doors would have done it, Senator Mitch McConnell, Senator Chuck Schumer, VP Kamala Harris, President Joe Biden, and Mister Rogers. Jill and I then share some closing thoughts before we wrap up the podcast.

 

We recorded our podcast outdoors at Crossroads Park (not the school) in West Des Moines, IA on May 15, 2022. This episode of the podcast is FEATURE LENGTH and it runs at an EPIC 1 hour and 38 minutes long (98 minutes long), which makes this one of the longest episodes to have ever been produced of the show and it's the SECOND LONGEST in person episode to be produced to date. As is the case with all of "The Juice with Jeff" podcasts, funding for this podcast is provided by Realty With Ahart and RandomKid. Enjoy!!