Bedtime stories to help grown ups fall asleep in the deep, dark night.

Episode 1460 – Silliest Gingerbread Surprise | Trending Tales Rarely Told

 

SCOOTER: Friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it’s time for the podcaster who’s here to be your friend in the deep, dark night, to keep you company, maybe bring you some sleepy joy and delight — did I already say it? — in the deep, dark night, to make bedtime a little bit easier, a little bit more fun, a little bit more comforting, and a whole…I guess a whole lot more silly. Is that one of those things…? Morest Silliest? Morest Silliest; there’s another name for me. It’s almost a name, Morest Silliest. Morest…it’s a silent T. Morest Silliest. Morest Silliest, could I be…? Does that one sound like I could be in Esquire? Morest Silliest, Esquire. Morest Silliest…Doctor Morest…no, that’s too hard to say. That’s more like Morse Silliest. Did you say your name is Morris or Morse? Are you fam…are you the same guy that did a intro three years ago about the difference between Morris code and Morse code?

 

Yeah, I’m not allowed…the Samuel Morris Institute actually…they had me come in for 40,000 hours of…well, they asked me to come in, and they said, could you just say the name over and over? I said, um, I think I covered that in the intro. So…oh, by the way, if you're new, welcome to Sleep With Me. Morest…Morest Silliest. I’m just saying it…'cause the thing is, even if I say it a bunch of times in my brain…I don't know if you could relate to this. If I could trace…I know this is the very beginning of a sleep podcast and I’m already going off topic, but if I could…the things that I cause…that I do today that cause me time-consuming effort later, I would say that 60% to 64% of that is like, of course I’m gonna remember this later. It’s important. I can't tell you how many times I do that, and then I save a file somewhere or put a thing somewhere, mostly in saving files or remembering…not code; I have something to do that. But you know what I mean?

 

I say, of course I’m gonna remember to pay that later. Follow up on it? My middle name’s not Follow Up On It, but for some reason I’m supremely confident I will. What does that have to do with Morest Silliest? ‘Cause…oh, I always tell myself…when I think of a book that I’ll never write that’ll be published by my in-print, Jim Gingerbread Press…not ginger…Jim…Jim Gingerbread? Wow. Anyway, welcome to Sleep With Me. Maybe I’ll remember this. Well, actually, I guess this will be a Tuesday episode. We’ll have Morest Silliest and Jim Gingerbread. I thought this was gonna be about something else. But welcome to Sleep With Me. This is a podcast to keep you company and take your mind off of stuff, and this is just the very beginning of the show. So, if you're new, this show does take a couple tries to get used to. I’ll explain it more. I’m already trying to get to the rest of the beginning of the show. But just give the show a few tries. See how it goes.

 

What we got coming up is support so that paying for the show is optional, then a long, meandering intro — maybe it’ll be two minutes less long because of this — that’s meant to ease you into bedtime, not so much to put you to sleep. Then later on I’ll be talking about…something about Jim Gingerbread. Nice to meet you, Jim. Jim Gingerbread and Morest Silliest. I have no idea what’ll happen. But I’m glad you're here. Whether you're new — welcome — coming back, you're dealing with something right now and you just need the show while you're getting through it, I’m here to help. If you're one of those people that listens all the time or more than one episode a night, I’m glad you're all here. I couldn't do it without all of you, particularly the people in that all-the-time group, that…the people that listen the most. There’s a percentage of those people that say, I want to be a rebel, pay for a free podcast so it stays free for everybody else because this podcast makes my life so much better. I’m gonna do something silly and wild and support the show or the sponsors. If that’s you, here’s the ways you could support the show back, but only if the podcast makes your life better on a regular basis. Thanks.

 

Intro: Hey, are you up all night tossing, turning, mind racing? Trouble getting to sleep? Trouble staying asleep? Well, welcome. This is Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. We do it with a bedtime story. Alls you need to do is get in bed, turn out the lights, and press Play. I’m gonna do the rest. What I’m going to attempt to do is create a safe place where you could set aside whatever’s keeping you awake. Those could be thoughts on your mind, thoughts about the past, the present, the future, thoughts about the nonsense that’s coming out of my mouth. I mean, why wouldn't you have thoughts about that? Or thoughts that are just there at bedtime. I guess those are inopportune thoughts, or thoughts at an inopportune time. Now, I’m not…that’s not judgmental, either, thoughts.

 

You're welcome here for this podcast, but it’s a opportune time for you to maybe listen to the show, too, and just see where it goes, 'cause I’m here to be here for your thoughts and you, your feelings, anything coming up for you emotionally, feelings about thoughts, about the day, about something coming up, or feelings that are just bubbling up to the surface, physical sensations, changes in time, temperature, routine, you could be going through something, in the middle of something, getting over something. Whatever it is, I’m glad you're here, and the only reason I run through that…some of that stuff…I mean, I guess I run through it because I’m glad you're here. ‘Cause if you're anything…or your experience or what brought you here is anything like mine or a lot of the other listeners, there’s a lot of times I didn't feel glad I was anywhere. I was like…I just wanted to be glad to go to sleep or to get back to sleep or to stay asleep.

 

Also, when I told people about my…or even…even now I don't like to talk about the podcast too much. People bring it up; I’m happy to talk about it. But I mean in my personal life…because people that sleep fine, they immediately…for a lot…and this is a totally okay reaction. I don't think you're listening if you're one of these people, but just in case you are…they want to…I should tell them, hey, it’s fine if you never listen to the show, 'cause they describe how well they sleep and whatever — I say, okay, that’s fine; that’s cool — or why they wouldn't listen to me in particular if they know me. I say, well, yeah, it makes total sense. But I feel like that translates to people that have nothing to do with the podcast. When sleep comes up, I do not feel like I get a sense that my sleeplessness is welcome. It’s like, oh, well, why don't…? You know what I mean? Maybe you don't…that people are like, you must be doing it wrong. That’s what I usually…the sense I get from normal sleepers.

 

Well…and I don't think this is intentional, but they're like, if you did it my way…you must be doing it…you got thoughts, feelings, physical sensations at bedtime? Well, you must be doing it wrong. That may be just the meta communication, or it may just be my…whatever you call it, my reaction; what I’m hearing, not what they're saying. That’s…so, what does that have to do with me running through all the stuff that might be keeping you awake? ‘Cause whatever it is that brought you here, I am glad you're here. Whether the show helps you out or not, I’ll have something coming up where if this show isn't helpful for you, I’ll have other recommendations. Well, I could tell you about it now; a website, sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou. But I’m glad you're here because I’ve been there or some place very similar and it hasn't been pleasant for me, whether it’s at bedtime or when someone…I feel like someone’s kinda dismissing my sleeplessness or making it kinda feel diminished or something.

 

So, that’s one of the reasons I’m glad you're here. The other reason is even better news, that there’s people listening right now around the world, and some of those people — and they could be close to you or they could be really far away from you — came here and discovered the podcast for some reason very similar to what brought you here or what brings you back here night after night, or what brings you back here when you're having a tough time, and they're glad you're here, too, and they're actively glad. There’s people right now in bed or winding down, and right now they're pausing, and they have a smile on their face or a warm look on their face, and they're welcoming you here. This is actually happening right now around the world. They're sending you comfort across the deep, dark night. They don't know you, but they know what it feels like for them. They know what brought them here, and they're like, if it feels anything like that for you, I’m really glad you're here.

 

I hope this podcast can help. They get…they can receive that same energy whether it’s from you or the other listeners, too, and…or it can go both ways. But we're like this indirect community that does share a few things here in the deep, dark night. But mostly it’s a welcome understanding. Say, oof, that’s rough. It was different for me but it was still rough, and I’m glad you're here. I hope this podcast can help you out. The other thing we all share is you deserve a bedtime where you could get the rest you need so your life is better tomorrow, more manageable tomorrow, maybe where you could get the rest you need on a regular basis so you could be out there in the world flourishing, and that bedtime is less of a rigmarole if you have a wind-down routine and this podcast is part of it or another podcast, that you could say, well, at least I look forward to bedtime now, or I feel neutral about it. I don't dread bedtime anymore.

 

‘Cause that’s when it gets really tough for me, when I start to dread bedtime. I want to be a part of that or introduce you to something else that can help with that, 'cause when you come to this show…and I guess…or any other sleep podcast that’s adjacent to us, you're in a welcome space where we could share that a little bit and say, well, yeah, we're all here and we're all in this together, separate but together, and in a almost counter-cultural way we're sending each other kindness and understanding. So, that’s really the foundation of the show or what exists underneath the surface of the show beyond the Morest Silliest and Jim Gingerbread. I think it’d be Jin Gingerbread. I think I prefer that. But let’s save that for later. But so, I’m glad you're here. That’s what I mean when I say I’m glad you're here. Yeah, I hope I can help. Now, this show does take some getting used to, and when you first get here, you're probably skeptical, you're probably doubtful.

 

I don't know if you found the show through a search or a recommendation or you just stumbled on it, but you probably had some reasonable expectation of what a sleep podcast would be like, and this may be pretty different than that. So, alls I could say is give the show a few tries and see how it goes. That’s what — over the past thirteen years — a large number of people said; when I first got to this podcast I did not like it or you, but then I gave it another try and then I was like, huh, wait a second, I don't…huh. Then on the third try or the fourth try I fell asleep. Now, it does work for some people on the first try, or they get it on the first try or the second try, but most of the people’s reaction when it clicks for them is like, oh, he was serious. He’s always going nowhere. He’s always never getting started. I had no idea there was something like this out in the world, that something like this could exist. I never knew this is what I was looking for my whole life.

 

That might sound grand, but it is…because we already tried stuff similar to this and it worked and we kinda forgot about it, which I’ll talk about in a second. But it does take some getting used to. Just see how it goes. There is no pressure to like me or the show. Just try it and see what happens. If it doesn't work out or you're already like, this is not a personality fit, I say, that’s totally fine. You don't have to like me, or you don't have to…it doesn't have to work. I have a website set up. For most people it is…if we're not…if you're not into someone saying Jim Gingerbread and then more…I think fans of Morse code…Morse code? Morris code. Or…there’d probably be…I don't know if they'd be split…yeah, probably like 70% would be like, no thank you. 30%…well…and that goes for everybody.

 

So, if it’s not a fit already or you listened a few times and this is your last time listening, go to sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou, and there’s other sleep podcasts and sleepy stuff on there you could check out and see what works for you. Then you'll find something. Now, if…what else do you need to know, though, if you're still testing the show out or you're coming back? You always love when I try to explain the podcast I made for thirteen years in a inefficient manner. ‘Cause I don't…how did I never…? Here’s the thing; what did I say? Morse…Morest Silliest and Jim…Jin Gingerbread or Jim Gingerbread. How…have I never said that before? ‘Cause that’s the most sensible…one of the most…it just has a sleepy ring to it. So, some listeners that have been listening the whole time, they might be like, Scoots, you've talked about both of these things two weeks ago. I say, oh, okay, well, you know me better than myself. Okay, so what else do you need to know?

 

This is a podcast that you kinda just barely listen to. It’s like a TV on in the other room, a show streaming under your pillow, a roommate or a friend or a seminar or like a conference where you're drifting in and out, or music on a summer breeze or wind in the trees, sand passing through your hands, a out-of-focus picture, water, nice water moving through your toes. It’s something that’s there but it’s not quite there at the same time. So, it’s a podcast you could listen to but you don't need to listen to it, just like if a friend was talking to you and they kept going and going and going. So…and they kept going back to stuff, being like, well, is there…is it just…? I say, well, let’s save it for the episode, creative brain. I don't know if it’s just Jin Gingerbread. There is…there was a comedic, magical performer at the Dickens Fair called Jim Chiminey. Jim Chiminey, which…that’s probably where Jim Gingerbread came from. But yeah, just…what was I saying?

 

Oh, this is like a podcast…you just barely listen to it. That takes some getting used to. It’s also a sleep podcast that’s…I'm not here to put you to sleep. There is no pressure to fall asleep with this show. That’s why it’s over an hour. So, there’s no…you don't have to worry about falling asleep. You don't have to say, what if I’m not asleep in twenty minutes? Don't worry, I’ll be here. There’s over 600 episodes for you to choose from, 'cause I’m not here to put you to sleep. I’m here to keep you company while you fall asleep. There’s people listening who can't sleep at all or who need a break during the day or wake up in the middle of the night or have a job where they just need some sort of background noise that’s somewhat engaging or barely engaging. I’m here whether you're listening to me or not, whether you're awake or not.

 

I’m here to the very end no matter what for those people who need me there actively and for those people who have me at a mumble, because my job is not to put you to sleep; it’s to be your bore-friend, your bore-bae, your bore-sib, your bore-bud, your borebie, your boreman, your Boris Borelaf, your chairman of the boreds, your best bore-friend f’eva. Your bore-friend just hangs with you and talks and talks and talks and is just barely…I guess you'd say he’s not Morest Silliest; he’s not…definitely not Mostest Silliest, but he’s a little bit silly and just here to take care of me by being a distraction and a misdirection in the deep, dark night. So, those are a couple things that take some getting used to. The other thing that can throw new people off is the structure of the show. The show is structured in a way to benefit the most amount of people it can, but the great news about podcast apps and podcasting is it’s also flexible.

 

So, as you become a regular listener and you develop a preference, you can make adjustments. But most people like listening to this ad-supported, listener-supported version of the show for free linearly. That’s what works best for them to get the sleep they need when they need this podcast. So, the show starts off with a greeting; friends beyond the binary, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, so they feel seen and welcomed in or…and hopefully that…you feel seen and welcome, too. They say, okay, I can check the show out, or oh, I’m glad I’m back. Then there’s support, and really, the support…whether you support the show directly or the sponsors, it’s only if the podcast changes your life for the better on a regular basis. Then the show gets to be free for everybody else, 'cause there’s a lot of people that just listen to the show when they need it or are new.

 

Then after the support, totally separate from the support, is a show within a show, the intro of the podcast, where I attempt to introduce what the podcast is but it takes me fifteen or twenty minutes 'cause I go off topic or some turn in phrase or nom de plume, in this case, takes me off. Well, I don't even know. I mean, I don't know if I could go by Jim or Jin Gingerbread. Morest Silliest for sure. Morest Silliest…I mean, the only problem is I don't think I could spell that. Morris, I guess…M-O-R-R-I-S with a silent T. Silliest…I think I could spell that. Morse or any other…that would be tough. But I introduce what the podcast is. You say, well, most podcast intros are like, thirty seconds, and a lot of times they say the same thing or they just use the same intro with the music bed. I say, yeah, that makes a lot of sense for most podcasts, but this podcast is meant to ease you off into bedtime and then put you to sleep and to be reassuring and comforting but also fresh.

 

I mean, I don't mean that kind of fresh, nana. She just rolled her eyes at me and tsk-tsked me. I mean like fresh like every episode we follow the same structure on the intro, but every intro is new, so I get distracted by something new so that whatever it is that keeps you awake…if it’s anything like me, it does crave something fresh and new every time, and that’s why a lot of the stuff I tried in the past didn't help me, and why people say, well, why don't you just think about, whatever, floating sheep or something? I say, that may work once every three year…why don't you just count sheep? Or, I count backwards. Okay, I appreciate that advice, but…well, one, I have trouble counting backwards. But yeah, I could do that. I’m willing to try it, but in my experience it may work once, where having something with a little bit of variety, that’s what ended up helping me out. So, that’s why every intro is new.

 

Now, the reason the intros are like, fifteen to twenty minutes long is that most people are getting ready for bed. If they're a regular listener or an occasional listener who’s been here before, you're getting ready for bed, you're winding down, you're in bed getting comfortable, or you're doing some chill activity. This pardcast…this podcast is a part of it to ease you into bedtime, to help you make a transition from being awake to asleep instead of just putting you to sleep, which never was effective for me. It’s like a slow lowering of the volume or the sun setting, being eased off into dreamland. So, that’s why the intro is like, twenty minutes long. While there is a small percentage of people that fall asleep fast, we always encourage them to support the show directly because it’ll just be better designed for them. Or some people listen all night long. Maybe that’s better getting the ad-free stuff or all-night episodes or whatever.

 

But if this works for you, getting eased into bedtime, that’s great, 'cause that’s what I’m here to do. So, that’s why the intro goes on and on and on. Then after the intro we’ll have some support, and then we’ll have what we call a Trending Tuesday-style episode, which means I’ll try to come up with a somewhat-random story with a couple of these names I got in my…got my attention. Yeah, all told I’ll be here for about an hour, and I’m really, really glad you're here, whether this is your first time here, your second or third time here, your last time here — sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou — or you come back when you need this show, when times…bedtime gets more challenging, whether you got an exam coming up, you're getting over something, or you're in the middle of something. I’m glad to be here for you whenever you need it, and all those people that listen to the show all the time.

 

What a honor that I get to be a part of your life and to try to be of service to you and help you out when I know what it feels like, or I know it’s a very non-positive experience for me. If it’s a non-positive experience for you, maybe I can bring some positive elements or neutral elements into bedtime for you, or some silliest. They don't call me Morest Silliest for nothing. I think this will be the shortest episode we did. That’s the…I wish that could be the end of the episode. I don't know if I’ll remember that. So…but they don't call me Morest Silliest for nothing. Well, sir, they don't actually call you Morest…sir, you still haven't told us exactly whether…what you're even saying. Silliest is clear. Let me introduce you to my co-thing, Jim Gingerbread. Sorry, sir, what did you say? Oh yeah, so, I was just explaining what the podcast is. So, I’m glad everybody’s here and I hope I can help out.

 

Those people that come back all the time, I’m here for you a lot, and I make your life a lot better…we really could…if you're in a place where you could help the show or check out these sponsors…when you do, not only is it a rebellious act to pay for a free podcast so it’s there for you and everybody else; it’s…you get…the show is kinda…what we offer on Sleep With Me+ is designed with super-listeners in mind, and you'll be helping out all those other listeners, too, but only if the show changes your life. If it’s…doesn't, we're here for you. So, either way, I’m glad you're here. I work really hard. I yearn and I strive, and I really hope we can help you fall asleep, and here’s a couple of sponsors or requests for support. Thanks.

 

Hey everybody, this is super-chill Scoots coming no…going…moving like molasses, and it’s time for another Trending-style episode here on Sleep With Me, the podcast that puts you to sleep. This episode is brought…this is a tale that I heard about, and it’s a good one. It’s about Morest Silliest and Jin Gingerbread. Now, once upon a time there was someone named Jin Gingerbread, and they had their ups and downs. They were a gingerbread-based being, a GBB, and also, they left…they went…they were…they left the world they were in, and then they’d…they were a lot…gingerbread-based beings or…ginger-people, I mean. Let’s just talk about it that way. The only reason I say…'cause in our world you'd say, no, no, that’s just a animated film.

 

So, setting up the premise…it’s a gingerbread-based being…initially helps to prepare you for the fact that there’s other worlds, and there’s other worlds very similar to ours, and there’s also gingerbread-based beings who do consider…I mean, maybe there’s ones…are there…? This is a question; are there gingerbread-based android…that have not attained consciousness yet? I guess you say the majority of ginger-people or gingerbread cookies…we’ll just…of any form are not sentient. So, that’s something I guess we could all agree upon. In our world it’s very, very rare for a gingerbread of any sort to attain consciousness. I’m not here to explain how that could happen, but it’s been told. Those are tales that are told. Tales that are regularly told that Scoots doesn't quite remember is one of the…when gingerbread…I don't think there’s any book called When Gingerbreads Reach Consciousness, or The Consciousness of Gingerbreads.

 

Alls I really remember is Shrek and the voice of one of the…I don't know if there was only one gingerbread-person in Shrek. I’m pretty sure it was only…I'm remembering it more on the attraction, Shrek 4D, maybe the pre-show, 'cause that’s probably…of all the Shrek I’ve…oh, by the way, great news; this episode will be coming out, and maybe a month or two after it there will be…so, there’s Shrek…what are they called? Shrek raves or Shrek dance parties, and…at least in the Central New York Area. But there’s…the group or the collective that puts it on is doing something at the New York…Great New York State Fair at the free area. Chevy Court, I think they call it. So, that’ll get me a chance to reconnect with my Shrek roots. I don't know if there’s…is there a Shrek movie scheduled? I think there is, or maybe it came out already.

 

Okay, so once upon a time there was a gingerbread person named Jin Gingerbread, though they didn't…that was a name they…and they were in one of these tales. Basically, I think…something like they were being produced by a cauldron-keeper. The short version that I’m aware of is like, something spilled or maybe there was some…a misplaced newt, ocular newts, or some sort of casting mishap, and Jin became conscious, and Jin became conscious right at the right time. Now, because of…because things move in mystical ways, Jin also became fairly weather-proof. So, this wasn't just…because this explains a lot of stuff that you'd have…that I would have questions about or you…well, what happens when Jin goes out in the world and it rains, or a bird says, hm, looks like…I’ve never had gingerbread before, but certainly willing to try it? Jin was a fairly decent-size gingerbread boy, according to the person creating ginger-people that were not meant to be sentient.

 

So, here’s the thing; if you are a cauldron-caster, spell-caster, any of those other things, maybe have your kitchen…one, keep your oven door closed, or don't…remember, when you're doing…work and play may not mix. Or if you are gonna mix work and play, be prepared, because if…I don't know what they were doing, but clearly somehow there’s…I mean, it was not intended because they were surprised, Jin was surprised. Now, you may have another question, which I think is a fair question; is this some sort of movie…was Hayley Mills in one of those movies? I don't know. Like, movies about Friday. You say, oh, it’s surprise…actually, this story is about a good surprise…but Friday surprises where the mother and the daughter, they do the switch. Or, I know there was a movie, strangely enough, with Kirk Cameron and Dudley Moore, and they did it. You say, really? Yeah.

 

I know there was other ones that I can't remember right now, including…I mean, ones I probably watched a ton of times, maybe not…for some reason I’ve seen that Kirk Cameron, Dudley Moore one. It must have been at one of my many formative years where I was watching TV nonstop. So, I was probably somewhere between the age of eight and whenever I started this podcast. But so…okay, so, Jin Gingerbread left our universe. Luckily, but not surprisingly, 'cause if you're in that kind of…you know, if you're in a area of high spell-casting, portals, while they're not easy to find to other realms, they do exist. Oh, I think I was saying Jin Gingerbread’s structure, it wasn't just consciousness only. He came with the whole thing. Another good question you're asking; is Jin Gingerbread or gingerbread-based beings mammals? I do not know. I would say it’s…I would say, well, it’s…they could be cool…are they cool circulatory? Are they more like a bird? Would Jin sing I’m Like A Bird? I don't know.

 

But so, I just don't know. I don't know why I’m trying to explain it. But I’d say…and maybe they're not…maybe they're some sort of…their internal makeup is different than we’ve experienced or we know about. I guess the shortest version I could say is that Jin Gingerbread is alive, became alive, but also in a way where they have self-awareness, not just…like, I don't think…just in case you meet…well, I can only speak for Jin Gingerbread. But if you met Jin, I wouldn't go saying, come on over here; come on, follow me. You may…I guess if you encounter a ginger-person, you're gonna…I mean, if they're smaller than you and they're…look like a gingerbread cookie, you may inadvertently speak to them like they're a child, and then you would be prepared to…I mean, I would just…I'm always prepared to apologize. So, you'd have to say, sorry, I’m just used…I just never interacted with a gingerbread being before. Sorry I was talking to you like a child. Clearly you are not.

 

Also to say…Jin Gingerbread, alive, headed to a world where being a gingerbread-person’s a little bit more regular, and…get a job, get a place. Probably right now, when our tale takes place…the human equivalent of a major milestone but still in somewhat-young adulthood. So, I’m guessing around the human years of thirty. Like, Jin has just gone through their late twenties…pretty much close. Say, okay, that’s a sign they're a mammal. I’d say, okay, well, why don't you…? Is a dolphin a mammal? I guess so. So, I wouldn't ask a dolphin. Okay, so, Jin Gingerbread; ginger-person, alive, sentient, good-natured, good-hearted, by the way, in their late…actually, at the very end of their twenties, and emotionally feels like a storified version of what the end of your twenties would be. But for Jin, Jin was the only ginger…well, Jin lived in a world where they were…just like our world, but if there was a variety of form of being.

 

I’m just trying to say…whatever assumptions you're probably making, just go with those, right? ‘Cause Jin…Jin’s experience was much like ours. This world was enough…had enough similarities that on the inside Jin shared a lot of the things that we do, even though on Jin’s…outside in the construction of Jin’s world…'cause I guess on this…in this world there was no other gingerbread people, but it was not like if you were driving your car down the street and you'd say, did I just see a gingerbread…was that a gingerbread walking? That would be break…would it make it on the news? That’s a good question. I mean, what if Jin was in a great mood just strutting down the street, whistling? You'd say, is that…? That’s what I’d do. Well, first of all, I’d be like, what are you so happy…? Oh, it’s a bright day, a beautiful day here. Great day to be a ginger-being, ginger-person, ginger-boy. Okay, and what do you…just walking around…? Oh, just…I'm just out enjoying the day.

 

Sorry, I was so caught up in the fact that you were enjoying the day I forgot that I stopped my car, because I’ve never seen a ginger-person in my entire life, and I didn't even know this was possible. Then Jin…well, by the way, you're dreaming of a future episode about Jin…me, Jin Gingerbread. Say, thanks, Jin. Thanks for helping me get out of that one. So, alls that’s to say that…probably like Stan the soda machine. Trying to think of other characters. Lady Witchbeard…in our world it’d be…you'd say, wait a second…but this world was a little bit…this was just not…no one was ever surprised. But there comes a time in someone’s life when…let’s see, how do I put this? Though…we’ll just skip it. How about that? But Jin did want some gingerbread connection because…like, it said, man, I wonder if anybody else has these experiences that are very unique to gingerbreads.

 

The big birthday coming up…also, none of this is super important for the story, except for the fact that Jin had a best friend, Morest Silliest. Morest was planning a surprise party for Jin Gingerbread, and Morest wanted it to be the best surprise party and experience you could ever have, and with lots of fun activities so that it would cheer Jin up and…because they were best friends. Morest had a lot of out-of-box ideas, but based on what we…even though I’ve gone way off tangentially…a lot of experiences, some of which could be considered archetypal…but this was the kind of birthday party…initially you'd get there as a surprise, but we really wanted to get to the games, because that’s where Morest Silliest…another…I guess in this world you come up with your own names. Morris was…or is it Morris or Morse? Not important for this…that was more important in the intro…started coming up with the games.

 

Now, one of the things that…they had met each other in university, and so, the first game…it’s kind of like Jin Gingerbread…this is your life, kinda thing, but in games…for party games that are gonna be really fun. Also Morest Silliest was…had incredible…the ability to get resources. So, no resource was un-spared in this party. So, the first game…actually, this reminds me of why I never was able to make the Hall & Oates musical, even though it was a totally different…this is how they met. So, they both went to a university, a big, big, university, huge, with a grad…and again, I don't know if it was a graduation or a convocation. We just did that as a family, and it was like a opening of this podcast, where we were trying to plan my nephew’s convocation or graduation and saying, okay, which one do we go to, though? Which one has the fame…? You’re supposed to have the famous speaker. Which one…do they get called up on stage to get their diploma?

 

This particular one…I don't know, maybe they were right in a row or something, or they…'cause everybody had a diploma and their motorboard or whatever you call that thing. Now, this was also the first year — this is only important because it’s a big part of this story — that they had…they had used…it was…I guess at the time it was a big deal — probably would have been in our world — that they were printing these diplomas and not…whoever…professor of signing diplomas or whatever, the provost, was not signing them. All these were printed because they would last longer, was what…they had a seal and everything and whatever those things are embedded…no way you're gonna make a fake diploma from this famous, fancy school. So, they were printed on what you'd say was some sort of acrylic or waterproof paper, right? But they were still put in that thing with the four corners that you open up and you say, hubba, hubba, check this out.

 

I got a degree, as they sing in one of those Phish songs that’s a cover, I think, of another…that’s a cover, but…oh no, maybe it’s not a cover, Alumni Blues. Okay, so, there’s the big thing. We're gonna call it a graduation just because I have no idea. Somewhere in the collection of graduates is Morest Silliest and Jin Gingerbread. Probably alphabetically, right? So, G, gingerbread’s with a G, and Silliest is with an S. So, not sitting very close to one another. Now, on this particular day what happened was…this was how they met one another, because it started…oh boy, was it one of those rain storms. They have these things in the spring. In any world, spring in some hemispheres, is known for rain. I guess in every hemisphere, 'cause you'd just call it spring. It’d just be happening at a opposite time at the opposite hemisphere on worlds that have that kind of weather function. Okay, so, I think I’ve set the table. They're sitting there.

 

Now, in this world their gowns were a little bit…they were a faded red, almost a pink, and they were a little bit more like robes instead of some cheap plastic or whatever…I guess I’m picturing my high-school robe. But even my college one, I say…like, these ones were more robe-like. So, picture your philosophers, but if your philosophers were in kind of faded red. You say, is that pink or faded red? No, that’s faded red. So, this particular game…okay, so…oh, why are they having it? ‘Cause this is like…this is a show. I don't know, it’s supposed to be fun and silly. Okay, but what happened was in reality…reality…using that on a Sleep With Me episode…let me just tell you what really happened. But this is what happened, how they became…how they first met and became friends. It starts raining. Holy cow. Like, we're talking…it starts as drips. They kinda…it was…luckily it was happening towards the end, and it becomes a deluge unexpectedly. Okay, so, sorry, I got distracted.

 

So, how did they meet? Okay, so, it starts raining a little bit, and then…so, they kinda…luckily they were towards the end of the ceremony, 'cause I think they already had the speeches. Alls they had to get through was to…the people, X, Y, and Zs are like, please…but they were already on the Zs, and so, they're getting through the Zs, and then they're like…they do the whole thing; they throw their hats and all that. This is like the magical rain, right? ‘Cause the sun’s in part of the sky and the rain’s in another part of the sky, and then it starts pouring, and it gets worse and worse and worse. Now what happened was most people bailed early, or the graduates kinda…whatever. Now, for Jin, unfortunately a lot of people have…even though being a gingerbread person…even though there weren't any other gingerbread people in there in this world and that it wasn't something people pointed out…like, what, are you…?

 

But the people would inquire…and much like our world, a lot of people offer…just like around sleep, people offer unsolicited advice or things they believe in that may not be true. So, Jin’s whole life, they were like, oh man, gingerbread, huh? Better not get too wet. You don't want to get soggy. So, Jin was particularly…never got soggy, but it was something in the back of Jin’s head. Like, well, it’s really raining; I’m not gonna stay outside. So, Jin’s holding Jin’s diploma over his head and trying to find somewhere to get out of the rain. Now, Morest Silliest had just gotten…Morest Silliest was one of those people that had really good hair and really good resources. Morest had just gotten this glamor…I guess…I don't know, do you call it…? I don't know what a updo is, but let’s just say it was an expensive updo. Morest didn't want…'cause Morest had a whole thing planned for the next, whatever, thirty-six hours to celebrate graduation. So, Morest does not want to get his hair wet, either.

 

So, they're both running around with their diplomas on their head. Irony is they were waterproof diplomas, and…but it’s still…it’s raining. Then they're…everybody…so, a lot of people that are graduating, they're like Footloose and Fancy Free, right? This is like a warm spring rain. Maybe their parents and their relatives bailed. But a lot of them, they start playing music, they're dancing around, but not Jin and not Morest. So, they end up under this…they're trying to find a school building. This is on the…what do they call that thing? Like a quad-type…a big piece of grass in front of the fancy building. They can't find…all the buildings are locked that are around this quad, and none of them have really a good overhang. They're both trying to position themselves with their diplomas under the same overhang, and they realize they're doing it competitively.

 

Then they realize that they're both…it’s ridiculous, and that they're both somewhat competitive, like trying to see who can hold their thing or angle it. So, they said, oh, we got something in common here; we’re avoiding getting soaking wet. We have practic…so, this was the start of a wonderful friendship. So, in this particular game, which guests can get to participate in…prizes for everything. When Morest Silliest buys prizes, you want…it’s not like something from…it’s not something you forget about when you go home. Each competition has its own cool prize. So, whatever, they…the game is…Morest Silliest has bought one of those Hollywood rain machines. Everybody gets a diploma, everybody gets a red robe, and then you get your picture taken at the starting line and then at the end line, and whoever has accumulated the least amount of rain, according to this, whatever, top-of-the-line photographic, infrared…I don't know, near…whatever, wins. But it’s also kinda fun because it, again, is a warm day.

 

It’s kinda like…and the rain’s gonna be cool. So, it’s…this is the kinda thing…yeah, I don't know, people dancing in the rain on the sidelines and cheering for their friends. Okay, so that’s that first game, right? Now, the second game planned by Morest Silliest…huh, how do I explain what this game is? So…okay, so it’s a take on the game Telephone. Alright, but let me explain the rules of the game Telephone. Of course, of course. So, the game Telephone, when we played it in elementary, grammar, primary school, was the teach…this was an educational thing. I never…I don't know if I ever thought of this when I was substituting or filling in, but it was a good time…it was a brilliant one, brilliant game for classroom management when you need somewhat of a break, though there’d probably be still people like me that you'd need to manage, though I wasn't much of a talker, so it wasn't like I would be talk…okay, but so, if you were doing it with a class of children, the game of Telephone would go like this; okay, well, little Zee-Zee’s in the front seat here.

 

I’m gonna tell them a sentence, and then Zee-Zee’s gonna tell the person behind them, then the person behind them, then we get to the last desk in this row. You're gonna go to the last desk in the row next to you, then we’ll go forward, and that way we’ll work our way to the end of the room, and then little Lee-Lee will say what the sentence is. You could say it once or whatever. There’s not gonna be any talking except for the whispering. You're gonna whisper it in their ear, and…that now. So, that’s the game of Telephone, right? So, you'd say, whatever, we met in the rain. ‘We met on graduation day in the rain’ would be the sentence. Okay. Now, for adults, I don't know, that’s…at a party…and again, this was an adult party transitioning from your twenties to your thirties. Still trying to cusp…and this is Morest Silliest. This is a close group of friends.

 

Morest Silliest is one of those magnets, right, that brings people together, makes people feel at ease, and not in a performative…well, in a way with performance, because he said, well, Jin, I’m gonna have the greatest birthday party ever for you, or for my friend, Jin Gingerbread, I’m gonna have a great party because Jin’s feeling down. So…okay, but so, this game of Telephone was a little bit different, and there was two reasons. Everybody would be lined up, but there was also this thing you would put on so no one…kinda like a covering, a little bit like a habit, it looked like, so that no one could see your lips, or kinda…it made the sound…contained the sound between two people, but you weren't whispering. This was the main thing. Again, this was…you could do it in two different places, but you were…okay, so then there’s another thing called a raspberry, which is when people make a noise with their mouth.

 

It’s a bit different than the noise you make when you eat…if you're not…I, myself, eat a lot of beans, so I don't have this problem. But if you're not used to eating beans and then you cook beans from scratch and you don't soak them, your body may make a natural sound that gets compared to the raspberry, but I don't believe that they're similar, really. The rasp…so, then you can also do a raspberry on yourself or on another person, of course as part of the established agreement of a game. In this one they're all close friends. So, mostly people were doing it on their cheeks, but you could do it on the inner arm or you could opt out or whatever, or someone could do it on their hand. See, I prefer…whatever. Just like Jin Gingerbread prefers not to be in the rain, even though technically they're rain-proof…I prefer…so, you could have the person do it onto their own hand near your ear, but they were attempting to convey the sentence but only in raspberries.

 

This game actually was…would get hooked, because then they’d do it with numbers or something else. They would do it with different sayings or something so it’d be a little bit easier to guess. Or, even Barbara Streisand would be an example. So, you'd just do that. Barbara Streisand…people would be like, banana wet band? No. Rosanna Dana? No. Barana banana ramogram? No, it’s a name of a famous person. Okay, so that was another game that was going. Pretty good game also to play after you're wet in the rain. Also, there was another thing, auditory, that was not a party game but was a feature of the party, 'cause of course Morest Silliest had this on a place where you could…the party was in a central location, but if you needed time alone or to contemplate, it was on the edge of these gardens where you could stroll the gardens in peace. Then, like me, you say, wow, boy, I love listening to that party from over here. It’s comforting.

 

But they had this thing called the…it’s kinda like a wishing well, but it wasn't a well. It was this giant metal thing, kinda like a helmet you'd expect to see on someone, like a Knight of the Seven Kingdoms or something. But it was giant and it was shaped a little bit different. So, a little bit different than a human head, and it had grates and stuff, but it was amazingly resonant. So, I guess you'd say it was a giant sculpture. If you say, Scoots, how big? I’d say it was tall enough that if you were my height and you walked up to it…or most heights; anywhere between four feet and seven feet, six and a half feet, I’d think, your mouth would be in the opening, which was kind of grated like a grate where their mouth would be, but it was giant, like the width of like, three or four of me. So, just like a giant helmet, a sculpt…not a sculpture. It was metal but it was not loose.

 

Like, it wasn't meant for…a helmet for a giant I guess would be what you'd say, and it was painted very…probably Morest Silliest hired somebody famous. So, it looked really cool. But when you spoke into it, it made this echo. Now, a little secret; I’m sure Morest is fine with me…below it was an actual well. Now, I said it wasn't involving a well, but I just want to reveal some of the magic of this. Below it was a well. Now, not a water…so, I guess technically it’s not a well; more of a tube, so that when you spoke into this…and I mean, I don't know if it was an accident, synchronicity, or it was planned. I can't even…I wish I was an artist and I had unlimited funds; I would actually do this. I don't know if they studied acoustics or what.

 

But when you said something into there, it would…however the metal in the helm…the size of the helmet, the metal of the helmet, then the opening underneath the helmet, then the material in the well-like structure, the depth of the well-like structure, created this echo that was one of the longest echoes you could possibly…exist, like however it was reflecting. Eventually it would reflect its way back up to you. Or, I guess it was always reflecting back to you as it got further and further anyway. So, you could go up to it and make a wish. I mean, I don't know what Morest would have called it, 'cause a wishing helmet does not sound as good as a wishing well. Maybe well wishes? I don't know what you'd call it. I wish I could…I didn't get a invite, clearly, to this party. I’m just the…that’s the other thing; say, I’m supposed to just look at a picture of this party? Then I say, great, thanks for the invite. I got a couple…invite Scoots next time. So, yeah, that was a cool thing you could do during the party.

 

I guess sometimes you could maybe go…I don't know how long…it’d be cool if you got there and somebody else’s wish was still echoing. Okay, so then the next one, the next game…now, this is a game, and this is…I think I’ve talked about this on the podcast before. This is one of my earlier memories of…they used to play this game with a poster called…it was called Pin the Tail on the Donkey. You would spin around and you would wear something over your eyes, and you would stick this donkey tail on a picture or some sort of animated donkey. You're trying to get the tail on there. When I was a kid, before…so, it was somewhere between age one and five, so probably four or five or…maybe I was six. I went to this birthday party of this kid who was my neighbor, and I don't have a ton of memories of this. I’m not sure if it was also the time I was like, I’d prefer…I think it was…it wasn't…he was my neighbor friend.

 

I’m guessing he was younger than me, but now as I’m piecing it together, I’m like, maybe he was older than me. But we didn't have any common overlap other than we were neighbors and I spent time there and we were friendly, but I don't ever remember…I think it was one of those early friendships where I’m like, I don't really remember much about it. But I was invited over there more than once. Then…but this one time — and maybe it was the same party — I said, well, I think I’m gonna opt out. He had a bunk bed, and I just went up to his room and sat in the bunk bed. I said, yeah, I prefer to…this was the first time my preference was not…I said, well, I think I prefer to just stay in this bunk bed and listen to the party downstairs of the other children I don't really know. But the mom, she was really nice. She said, oh, why don't you come down and we're gonna play, whatever, Pin the Tail on the Donkey. This is one of my few claims to fame, was that I was the closest one.

 

Now, it wasn't perfect, so I wasn't able to see. That’s why it sticks out to me. But it wasn't on the actual donkey’s rear end, either. It was about…so, these kids must…I mean, no offence to whoever was at the party, but no one was even close except for me. I was like…if you were to say, there’s the donkey’s rear end where you'd put a imaginary tail…it was probably…it was below…kinda close to the donkey’s thigh, like the back of the donkey’s thigh. I got it and I won. I’m not sure what I won, but it was my first taste of victory, and kind of a random victory. So, no need to bask in it 'cause it was just a accident, but it meant something to me at the time. I think that maybe the mom helped me? I don't know, because that’d make sense. So, this was another game. So, maybe one of them had a memory like that, or maybe…I don't know, maybe I’m somehow…these last things, they were tapping into my experience. I said, come on, Morest, do something different. But this game was a little bit different.

 

I don't quite understand it, but it was like…somewhat like…this was a smaller game, so not everybody was playing it. It did take a lot of management. But it was some sort of poker. So, you played with playing cards and you were sticking the playing cards places. ‘Cause I know there’s the poker where you put the card on your forehead and then you try…you see the other person’s card and then you're betting just based on their card. So, maybe there was one part of that like that. That would make it fun. Then you're pinning other cards up, and…but I don't know…I think you could pick your card, but then you had to get it in a certain area. Like, if you didn't get it on the board, the card wouldn't count. So, maybe you had your card on your forehead, one down…or then you had, whatever…let’s see. I don't know, I’m like…maybe it’s a little bit like Hold ‘Em, where there’s gonna be a community board. So, I’m just saying for example. Let’s…okay, so you have your card on your forehead.

 

You don't know what card you have. Then you also get dealt five cards that you're gonna use for the community board if you get them on there, and then you get to keep one card in your hand. That would make sense, so then at least you know you got a chance for a pair. But then also if you see the person has a two, right, then you're gonna purposely try to miss the board. But you must have…you have to get it somewhere. So, maybe it was in a hallway or something, 'cause you don't want to put a two on the board if they have a two. But then that also gives them information; huh, they missed on purpose. Maybe I do have a two. Interesting. So, this actually is a pretty good game, I think. So, then similar to Hold ‘Em, you'd try to make the best five-card hand out of five community cards and the two cards you have that you have to use, but you only know what one of those is.

 

But then you also have a chance to deduce that, which would totally make sense, 'cause if you had an ace and they had an ace in their hand, then they would definitely…I mean, 100% of the time they’d miss with the ace, right? But if you…if they had a king and they put it on the board, you'd say, huh, interesting. Maybe if I have…I hope I have a queen and I hope they don't have a king. Like, if you had a queen-high in your hand, you say, well, will a queen-high win? I don't know. So, a pretty cool strategy, and very labor-intensive, obviously, but also fun for the people that like…I mean, I like…I might play that game. Now, that one comes from that…they did love playing cards together, particularly poker, and they had poker nights all through school and then graduate school and then their first jobs where they…through their twenties where they worked at different places. I’m gonna guess that Morest Silliest was probably a museum curator or somewhere in the museum business.

 

I think that’s a good job for someone like Morest Silliest. Maybe a children’s museum, maybe not. Okay, so the next game was not a game. It was a performance. Another thing they shared was a love of lyres. Not liars; lyres. You thought Morest was a word I was gonna get mixed up on. But they both loved the lyre, L-Y-R-E, and different instruments like that. Now, Morest Silliest, I guess as a curator of great things, commissioned someone to make probably not the world’s largest lyre, and I don't know at what point it becomes some other instrument, but they had it tuned…yeah, I guess they must…maybe this was even in the garden, but I guess it would be under a overhang. So, this was a real musical instrument, a stringed wooden instrument, that was so large that you could…that the audience could be inside of the instrument if you chose, and that that would obviously impact the sound outside of the instrument.

 

So, you could be inside whatever the…I don't play guitar or a lyre, but…and I don't even know if it’s a lyre. So, whatever, one of those big ones. It’s like a guitar but it’s bulbous and big. Yeah, you could be inside of that. Then of course…now, because they both loved it, that was…now, this was a big debate with Morest Silliest, was like, well, we could have our favorite lyre-players come, but then they'd be expected to play a giant lyre, which wouldn't really be fair. So, there was two opportunities; so, there was actual performances that were electronically…again, spare no expense. So, Morest Silliest was able to have electronic, mechanical means to recreate…play…kinda like a mech…like a player piano…lyre music in a giant lyre that you'd be inside of. But then also there was toys. This was the competitive part, but it was more simple competition. This was two people teams where you'd have to just play certain melodies, and they had different level…there was people that played the lyre, like Morest.

 

That was from their music and medieval music friendship group. They would actually…they'd play a simple song, and then you'd try to replay it as a team of two. Then there was other ones where it’s just like, you just…we’ll show you the note. You just have to play the note as a team, hard enough. But it was also like Simon. You play, whatever, I don't know, low C? I don't know what anything’s even called. So, then it was kinda like Simon where…how many notes can you end up…can you remember the notes, the first note you played and the second note you played? Can you play them as a team? ‘Cause one person would have a presser, one person would have a plucker. Then another thing they had, which was pretty cool, was a super slide. That’s kind of a key thing…I don't know, especially if you're flashy or you have a carnival. But that’s always fun, like a super slide. That was another thing.

 

Then there was another game which…'cause I guess this estate must have been so extensive that there was a area on the far edge of the state…estate that was really good for flying kites. Again, this was another thing important to Morest, because they both got into kite-building and different kite activities, including kite-offs, where you have competitive…your kites…try to take out each other’s kites, then kite art. They loved flying kites. They liked going to the beach or windy places, so it kind of fit their lifestyle. Again, those are a bunch of good ways to fly kites, like whether you're doing it in a contemplative way alone or you're flying one kite between two people working as a team or you're side-by-side parallel kiting, discussing things or relaxing, taking turns. But not with…now with Morest, this was…of course had to be a challenging game. So, this was a game called Kite on a Giant Pole. So, this was a team game, and kinda tough to explain. But I don't know if you're familiar with Caber Toss.

 

Caber Toss is a game where…like at different highland festivals where you take almost like a telephone pole and they try to throw it, but they kinda lift it from the bottom and they try to balance it, and then they try to flip it. This is nothing like that. But I don't know why I even…well, okay, so that’s like a telephone pole-looking thing. This was more like a flagpole, right? So, the first thing you had to do as a team…this was out in a field. So, the ground is not particularly hard. You have this flagpole that’s pretty tall, okay? Now…oh, by the way, most of these people, they love puzzles and love this kind of stuff that are at this party. Or if you don't, you're like, yeah, I’ll pass, 'cause there’s no instructions other than the first person to get their kite up to the certain distance on this line…there’s a marking, right, on your kite string. The first person to do that…the first team to do that wins.

 

But the…and they each had a circle that they could do it in so you weren't on anybody else’s space, and the circle was a bit…a circumference of the circle, radius by squared…no…is like, longer than the height of the…and then so, there was a place in the middle where…a circle where you're supposed to stand your flagpole, but there’s nothing to help you. So, you have all these people and you're trying to get this flagpole up and balanced with…first you're trying to get it up and everybody’s working at that, and it’s windy. Everybody thinks that it’s easy. But I mean, anybody that has put up…there’s nothing easy about it. It has a mind…those flagpoles, they have a mind of their own. This was only similar to a flagpole. Similar…also similar to a mast of a ship. Anyway, so, they're trying to get that thing up. That’s the first thing you do. You got no braces at the bottom.

 

So, once you get it up, most of the teams, what they would do is a certain number of team members would either try to put their backs against the flagpole…I guess this is spoiling it. If you stand somewhat upright and two or three people are leaning against it, you can…and you're just…and you maintain the balance, you'll be okay. But there’s probably other ways to do it as well, maybe even other ways. Now, after you get the flagpole up, then it is like a flagpole or a mast of a ship. The kite line is going out…up the top of the flagpole and then back down to where the kite is on the ground. So, somehow you're supposed to operate…you're supposed to get the kite in the air and operate the kite or control it, but you've got fourteen, fifteen, twenty…I don't even know how many feet between you and the kite string. So again, quite a puzzle to kinda…so, a lot of throwing the kite up and then try…a lot of timing of like, you pull this, you pull that, and doing that to try to get the flag…the kite up.

 

Now, eventually the teams were successful. Then the closing of the thing was very…once night fell…and it was a little bit dramatic, right? Because that’s just what Morest Silliest is known for. So, they were…Morest is like, we're gonna have this bonfire, and it’s gonna be very impressive. There was another piece of art. But in the bonfire light, where they led down to this area…kinda like a amphitheatre, it kinda seemed like there was a stage and then the bonfire in front of the stage. Then behind it you're like, huh, this is some sort of building, like a large, metal building, like white metal. Then is that clear glass behind it? But what it really was was like a fake, giant oven door. Each person would…the thing would lower and then it would become the stage. Then each person would read a poem that said, I am a gingerbread. They would find one thing…and everybody said it in a different way. So, some people did it as prose, half-prose, whatever, poems, songs.

 

This was like…'cause everybody felt connected. They would say one thing they shared with Jin Gingerbread, and some people would set it up with a heartfelt story; some people would just lay it out, you know? Like the way Jin’s…we swing our arms the same. That’s just kind of a non-tear-jerker. But you're talking about every guest…everybody wanted to be a part of it, but it was also kind of like…there was food and drinks and stuff, but it was so…you felt like you were…it was very…I mean, talk about cinematic in a way that’s not…or idealized, and as a reminder that we can even do it in our world. But that was the intention of Morest Silliest, was like, hey, Jin, you're not alone. Yeah, there’s differences between all of us, but there’s some things that are similar that we love about one another, including our imperfections.

 

These are the specific things that each one of your friends and I share with you, whether it was a moment or a memory or the way we move or the way we think or the way we love, the way we cry, the things that…thoughts, the feelings, and physical sensations we deal with in the deep, dark night or the deep, dark day, that sometimes they can hook us internally. But when it’s pointed out externally, it’s something magical we share, that it was…that was…a lot of people in the history books like to point out that, yeah, in the history of the universe, this is one of the better parties ‘cause of some of the stuff Scoots listed, which is only scratching the surface. But it was that moment that everybody left changed. I mean, almost like a retreat or some sort of gathering that no one was ever the same after that in a good way.

 

In a small way they were reconnected and filled with this magic of the small things that connect us, the small things that we share, or the small things that other people share that we don't that we can appreciate, and that they all did it for this friend they loved so that their friend would know that they're not alone and that we're all here and we're all in this together. Yeah, some ways they're different and in some ways they're similar, but it was so heartfelt and so…the warm…the smell…it was…I'm being silly but I’m not; it was like that warm, comforting smell of gingerbread but on…in the spirit and the soul and on the inside of their thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. So, thanks so much, and goodnight, everybody.

 

[End of recording]

Transcription performed by LeahTranscribes

Trending Tuesday

 

Gingerbread

https://www.pbs.org/food/stories/history-gingerbread

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/christmas/a-short-history-of-gingerbread/

https://www.thespruceeats.com/the-history-of-gingerbread-1135954

 

Shrek Raves

https://www.portlandmercury.com/culture/what-happens-at-a-shrek-rave-46833726/

https://couchsoup.com/lifestyle/what-the-heck-is-a-shrek-rave-we-found-out/

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/16/style/shrek-memes-brooklyn-rave.html?unlocked_article_code=1.glA.qxeC.sG6H8t7lWZE5&smid=url-share

 

Commencement Speakers

https://time.com/4327774/history-commencement-speech/

https://www.bestcolleges.com/news/analysis/2022/05/11/controversies-swirl-around-honorary-degrees/

https://alumni.cornell.edu/cornellians/earle-commencement-traditions/

 

Mario Party

https://shop.mandmgames.com/blogs/news/a-brief-history-of-the-mario-party-series?srsltid=AfmBOoowrc4vOQSSDepad10DgJ11wNttt46M-B6Ke2Kl5Lp3xA613x4X

https://brockpress.com/the-rise-fall-and-return-of-mario-party/

https://thenewleafjournal.com/the-two-decade-mario-party-finally-ends/

 

DOWN TO BUSINESS

Making bedtime a whole lot more silly

Morris Silliest, there’s another name for me

Morris Silliest, Esquire

Morris Code vs Morse Code

Even if I say this a bunch of times, I will lose it

Mostly in trying to save files, I end up not following up

Jim Gingerbread Press

Well I guess this will be a Trending Tuesday style episode

 

PLUGS

Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Story Only Feed; Emily Tat Artwork; Crisis Textline

 

SPONSORS

Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; AquaTru; Talkiatry; Quince

 

INTRO

Thoughts about the nonsense that’s coming out of my mouth

Inopportune Thoughts

Thoughts, you are also welcome here

I run through all that stuff because I’m glad you’re here

There were a lot of times where I didn’t feel glad I was anywhere

I don’t like to talk about the podcast in my real life

People will describe to me how they sleep fine or wouldn’t want to sleep to me

(And that’s fine)

Your sleeplessness is welcome

You must be doin’ it wrong

That might be more what I’m hearing than what they’re saying

Welcome Understanding

It gets tough when I start to dread bedtime

I think I actually prefer Jin Gingerbread to Jim Gingerbread

Always Never Getting Started

Fans of Morse Code (Morris Code?) might like this episode

sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou

Morris Silliest and Jim/Jin Gingerbread

How have I never said that before?

Maybe I did two weeks ago, who knows

Save it for the episode, Creative Brain

There was a comedic magical performer from the Dickens Fair named Jim Chiminy

Your Best Bore Friend 4 Eva

I’ll just hang here and talk and talk and talk

A little bit silly

Explaining the show structure

Are these noms de plume?

I don’t know I could spell Morris Silliest well enough to use it as a pseudonym

This’ll be a Trending Tuesday episode, as we’ll see

We’ll be here for you whenever you need it

It’s an honor to be of service to you

They don’t call me Morris Silliest for nothing (or at all)

 

STORY

Super Chill Scoots is here, movin’ like molasses

A Trending Tuesday style episode

A tale about Morris Silliest and Jin Gingerbread

Jin Gingerbread, a gingerbread-based being (GBB)

A world of gingerpeople

There’s other worlds very similar to ours

Are there gingerbread-based androids who have not yet attained consciousness?

At least in our world, it is rare for gingerbread to reach consciousness

I’m remembering the gingerbread man from Shrek 4D

Oh by the way, I just heard about Shrek dance parties at the Great New York State Fair

That’ll give me a chance to reconnect with my Shrek roots

Once upon a gingerbread became conscious because of some misplaced ocular newts

What happens to a gingerbread man in the rain?

Fairly decent-sized gingerbread boy

If you are a cauldron-caster, remember that work and play do not mix

The Freaky Friday genre

I remember one with Kirk Cameron and Dudley Moore

Are gingerbread based beings mammals? I don’t know

But I do know that Jin Gingerbread became alive

You may inadvertently speak to gingerbread like they are a child

I’m always prepared to apologize

JG is probably around the human year of 30

Jin Gingerbread: Alive, sentient, good-hearted, at the end of their 20s

Would walking gingerbread make the news?

A great day to be a gingerboy

Jin has a best friend: Morris Silliest

MS is planning a surprise party for JG

MS wants it to be the best surprise party ever

A lot of out-of-the-box ideas

I guess in this world, you come up with your own names

It starts with a surprise

The party games will be a reflection of JG’s life

Game #1

This is why I couldn’t ever make the Hall & Oates musical

They met at a big university

The diploma and motorboard

They pre-printed diplomas but they weren’t signed

Printed on an acrylic / waterproof paper

Is “Alumni Blues” a Phish cover or Phish original?

JG and MS were sitting at graduation

They actually met at graduation

One of those spring rainstorms

In some hemispheres, spring is known for rain

Really robe-like robes

Philosophers in faded red robes

How dare I invoke reality in a Sleep With Me episode

The rain begins to fall

Most people bailed early

Don’t let your gingerbread get too wet

JG never got soggy, but he was worrying about it

JG holds his diploma over his head

MS had really great hair and really great resources

I don’t know what an updo is, but let’s say they had an updo

Ironically, these diplomas are waterproof

JG and MS are both competitive

Competing over how they avoid getting soaking wet

The start of a wonderful friendship

Back to the party game

MS bought a Hollywood rain machine

Everyone gets a diploma and a red robe

They race

Whoever is least wet wins

Game #2

A take on Telephone

Telephone is a great way to get a breather

Explaining the game Telephone

MS is a friend magnet

You’re wearing a head covering that contains the sound of speaking

The raspberry mouth sound

The sound of raspberries

I don’t think they sound a lot like the bean sound

Making raspberry sounds

Conveying a sentence with only raspberries

Another auditory feature of the party

I love listening to the sounds of a party

There’s a wishing well that isn’t a well

An amazingly resonant giant sculpture

A helmet for a giant

MS probably hired somebody famous to make it

When you speak into it, there’s an echo

Below it is an actual well

But there’s no water, so maybe it’s more of a tube

The helmet and the tube creates one of the longest echos that could possibly exist

Wishing Helmet doesn’t sound great

Maybe Well Wishes?

I didn’t get invited to this party, btw

Another game

Pin the Tail on the Donkey

I remember a childhood party with a kid I now barely remember

I opted out of a party and hung out in his bunk bed

The mom invited me to come play Pin the Tail on the Donkey

My claim to fame: I was closest

Some sort of poker where you stick playing cards in places

And there’s a community board like in Hold ‘Em

Wait a sec, this game actually sounds fun

They had loved playing cards all through school and their early 20s

I think Morris Silliest is in the museum business

The next game is a performance

Love of lyres

MS commissioned someone to make the world’s largest lyre

A bulbous, big lyre that you can go inside of

Who will play it?

Electronic Mechanical Means

2 people teams compete to play certain melodies

Medieval Music Friendship Group

It’s also part memory game a la Simon

Presser and Plucker

There’s also a super slide

There’s an area where you can fly kites

They loved flying kites

Explaining the caber toss

But it’s more of a flagpole

Most people at this party love puzzles

Teams try to lift up the flag pole

A kite line leads from the top of the flagpole

Operating the kite via the flagpole

It’s quite the puzzle

MS is known for their dramatic flair

A bonfire stage

A large metal building with clear glass behind it

A fake giant oven door

This would become the stage

Reading a poem about being a gingerbread person

Then each guest would share something they share with JG

Jin, you’re not alone

Something magical that we share

One of the better parties in history

No one was ever the same after this party

Filled with the magic of the small things we share

They all loved their friend

It’s like the warm, comforting feeling of gingerbread

 

SUMMARY:

Episode: 1460

Title: Silliest Gingerbread Surprise | Trending Tales Rarely Told

Plugs: Sleep With Me Plus; SleepPhones; Story Only Feed; Emily Tat Artwork; Crisis Textline

Sponsors: Helix Sleep; Zocdoc; Progressive; AquaTru; Talkiatry; Quince

Notable Language:

• Morris Silliest, Esquire
• JIm Gingerbread
• Inopportune Thoughts
• You must be doin’ it wrong
• Welcome Understanding
• Always Never Getting Started
• Jim Chiminy
• Movin’ Like Molasses
• Gingerbread-Based Being (GBB)
• Ocular Newts
• Fairly decent-sized gingerbread boy
• Diploma and Motorboard
• Updo
• Wishing Helmet
• Love of Lyres
• Lyre / Liar
• Electronic Mechanical Means
• Medieval Music Friendship Group
• Presser and Plucker
•  

 

Notable Culture:

• • Samuel Morse / Morse Code
  • Gingerbread Press
  • sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
  • Dickens Fair

• The Consciousness of Gingerbread

• Shrek

• • Great New York State Fair
  • Hayley MIlls
  • Kirk Cameron
  • Dudley Moore

• Freaky Friday

• • Hall & Oates
  • Phish – “Alumni Blues”
  • Telephone (game)
  • Barbra Streisand

• A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

• Pin the Tail on the Donkey
• “Indian” Poker
• Texas Hold ‘Em
• Simon board game
• Battle Kites
•  

 

Notable Talking Points:

• Thoughts about the nonsense that’s coming out of my mouth
• Inopportune Thoughts
• Thoughts, you are also welcome here
• I run through all that stuff because I’m glad you’re here
• There were a lot of times where I didn’t feel glad I was anywhere
• I don’t like to talk about the podcast in my real life
• People will describe to me how they sleep fine or wouldn’t want to sleep to me
• (And that’s fine)
• Your sleeplessness is welcome
• You must be doin’ it wrong
• That might be more what I’m hearing than what they’re saying
• Welcome Understanding
• It gets tough when I start to dread bedtime
• I think I actually prefer Jin Gingerbread to Jim Gingerbread
• Always Never Getting Started
• Fans of Morse Code (Morris Code?) might like this episode
• sleepwithmepodcast.com/nothankyou
• Morris Silliest and Jim/Jin Gingerbread
• How have I never said that before?
• Maybe I did two weeks ago, who knows
• Save it for the episode, Creative Brain
• There was a comedic magical performer from the Dickens Fair named Jim Chiminy
• Your Best Bore Friend 4 Eva
• I’ll just hang here and talk and talk and talk
• A little bit silly
• Explaining the show structure
• Are these noms de plume?
• I don’t know I could spell Morris Silliest well enough to use it as a pseudonym
• This’ll be a Trending Tuesday episode, as we’ll see
• We’ll be here for you whenever you need it
• It’s an honor to be of service to you
• They don’t call me Morris Silliest for nothing (or at all)
• Super Chill Scoots is here, movin’ like molasses
• A Trending Tuesday style episode
• A tale about Morris Silliest and Jin Gingerbread
• Jin Gingerbread, a gingerbread-based being (GBB)
• A world of gingerpeople
• There’s other worlds very similar to ours
• Are there gingerbread-based androids who have not yet attained consciousness?
• At least in our world, it is rare for gingerbread to reach consciousness
• I’m remembering the gingerbread man from Shrek 4D
• Oh by the way, I just heard about Shrek dance parties at the Great New York State Fair
• That’ll give me a chance to reconnect with my Shrek roots
• Once upon a gingerbread became conscious because of some misplaced ocular newts
• What happens to a gingerbread man in the rain?
• Fairly decent-sized gingerbread boy
• If you are a cauldron-caster, remember that work and play do not mix
• The Freaky Friday genre
• I remember one with Kirk Cameron and Dudley Moore
• Are gingerbread based beings mammals? I don’t know
• But I do know that Jin Gingerbread became alive
• You may inadvertently speak to gingerbread like they are a child
• I’m always prepared to apologize
• JG is probably around the human year of 30
• Jin Gingerbread: Alive, sentient, good-hearted, at the end of their 20s
• Would walking gingerbread make the news?
• A great day to be a gingerboy
• Jin has a best friend: Morris Silliest
• MS is planning a surprise party for JG
• MS wants it to be the best surprise party ever
• A lot of out-of-the-box ideas
• I guess in this world, you come up with your own names
• It starts with a surprise
• The party games will be a reflection of JG’s life
• Game #1
• This is why I couldn’t ever make the Hall & Oates musical
• They met at a big university
• The diploma and motorboard
• They pre-printed diplomas but they weren’t signed
• Printed on an acrylic / waterproof paper
• Is “Alumni Blues” a Phish cover or Phish original?
• JG and MS were sitting at graduation
• They actually met at graduation
• One of those spring rainstorms
• In some hemispheres, spring is known for rain
• Really robe-like robes
• Philosophers in faded red robes
• How dare I invoke reality in a Sleep With Me episode
• The rain begins to fall
• Most people bailed early
• Don’t let your gingerbread get too wet
• JG never got soggy, but he was worrying about it
• JG holds his diploma over his head
• MS had really great hair and really great resources
• I don’t know what an updo is, but let’s say they had an updo
• Ironically, these diplomas are waterproof
• JG and MS are both competitive
• Competing over how they avoid getting soaking wet
• The start of a wonderful friendship
• Back to the party game
• MS bought a Hollywood rain machine
• Everyone gets a diploma and a red robe
• They race
• Whoever is least wet wins
• Game #2
• A take on Telephone
• Telephone is a great way to get a breather
• Explaining the game Telephone
• MS is a friend magnet
• You’re wearing a head covering that contains the sound of speaking
• The raspberry mouth sound
• The sound of raspberries
• I don’t think they sound a lot like the bean sound
• Making raspberry sounds
• Conveying a sentence with only raspberries
• Another auditory feature of the party
• I love listening to the sounds of a party
• There’s a wishing well that isn’t a well
• An amazingly resonant giant sculpture
• A helmet for a giant
• MS probably hired somebody famous to make it
• When you speak into it, there’s an echo
• Below it is an actual well
• But there’s no water, so maybe it’s more of a tube
• The helmet and the tube creates one of the longest echos that could possibly exist
• Wishing Helmet doesn’t sound great
• Maybe Well Wishes?
• I didn’t get invited to this party, btw
• Another game
• Pin the Tail on the Donkey
• I remember a childhood party with a kid I now barely remember
• I opted out of a party and hung out in his bunk bed
• The mom invited me to come play Pin the Tail on the Donkey
• My claim to fame: I was closest
• Some sort of poker where you stick playing cards in places
• And there’s a community board like in Hold ‘Em
• Wait a sec, this game actually sounds fun
• They had loved playing cards all through school and their early 20s
• I think Morris Silliest is in the museum business
• The next game is a performance
• Love of lyres
• MS commissioned someone to make the world’s largest lyre
• A bulbous, big lyre that you can go inside of
• Who will play it?
• Electronic Mechanical Means
• 2 people teams compete to play certain melodies
• Medieval Music Friendship Group
• It’s also part memory game a la Simon
• Presser and Plucker
• There’s also a super slide
• There’s an area where you can fly kites
• They loved flying kites
• Explaining the caber toss
• But it’s more of a flagpole
• Most people at this party love puzzles
• Teams try to lift up the flag pole
• A kite line leads from the top of the flagpole
• Operating the kite via the flagpole
• It’s quite the puzzle
• MS is known for their dramatic flair
• A bonfire stage
• A large metal building with clear glass behind it
• A fake giant oven door
• This would become the stage
• Reading a poem about being a gingerbread person
• Then each guest would share something they share with JG
• Jin, you’re not alone
• Something magical that we share
• One of the better parties in history
• No one was ever the same after this party
• Filled with the magic of the small things we share
• They all loved their friend
• It’s like the warm, comforting feeling of gingerbread