Peter
00:00
be done with Thanksgiving dinner by like 1. 30 and then clean up and then just like had pie like two or three different times the rest of the day.

Aubrey
00:19
And welcome back to Generations. I am one of your co-hosts, Aubrey.

Peter
00:24
And I am your other co-host, Peter.

Aubrey
00:27
So how have you how have you been doing, Dad? We're recording this day after Thanksgiving, so how was your Thanksgiving in the past couple weeks?

Peter
00:34
It was nice. Past couple weeks have been busy, but yesterday was nice. It was good. I had some family up here. Kinda had an earlier Thanksgiving dinner 'cause your brother had work and and that was actually nice. It was kinda nice to um, you know, be done with Thanksgiving dinner by like one thirty and then clean up and then just like had pie like two or three different times the rest of the day.

Aubrey
01:02
Yeah, you guys had a lot of pie of pie. So we did.

Peter
01:08
How about you though? How was it? Your guys' first Thanksgiving officially uh out there in Wisconsin on your own.

Aubrey
01:17
In Wisconsin. Yeah, it was good. Um yeah, it was, you know, pretty quiet. I mean it was just the two of us. We had the the national dog show on on the TV. Um, I didn't realize how long that went for. Oh. Um I did not realize. Literally it was on the entire day. Like, I mean the volume was kind of, you know, down low because we were FaceTiming other people and just doing other stuff, but it was just kind of chilling in the background. We turned it on at like eleven thirty in the morning and it just kept going um until we turned it off at like 8 30 p. m Like it just was going the whole day. I was like, how many dogs are we showing? Like what is happening right now? Um, but it was so it's not like I was really paying attention to it, but so that was fun. Um yeah, Hayden wanted to try making some Thanksgiving dishes that he's never made before. Um because cooking is a huge hobby of his, which is great, because I literally hate cooking. Um, so he made like a little turkey, um, some stuffing, rolls, mashed potatoes and stuff like that. Then we got one of the coffee Costco pumpkin pies. So yeah.

Peter
02:38
Classic.

Aubrey
02:39
Yeah. And everything turned out very, very yummy. I mean I'm not super picky in terms of quality of food. Like I kind of am just like, yeah, if it's good, it's good. But Um he did great. So yeah. It was it was nice. It was nice. It was very cold. Very cold outside. We have a winter storm warning for this weekend. Um, so we'll see how that goes. But yeah, for the past few days it's been, you know, like twenty like you check the weather, it says like twenty-five degrees feels like three, um, like every day. 'Cause of the wind chill. So so we're we're in it now. So we're in it.

Peter
03:19
So Yeah, sounds like It has not been that cold here, thank goodness. I don't know if I'm emotionally ready for quite that sort of temperatures. So, you know, I am in the okay, yeah, I think I'm I'm ready for Uh I'm I'm ready for uh for winter.

Aubrey
03:35
Yeah.

Peter
03:36
Sort of. Yeah. Maybe.

Aubrey
03:39
Yeah, I don't really know if I ever am, but I kind of have to embrace it here, um, 'cause it'll just be so It'll it'll just be very, very, very cold, very snowy. So I just need to embrace it.

Peter
03:52
Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure you do. Yeah. Well So uh other than that, anything big, new or different going on for you guys?

Aubrey
04:02
I mean, you know, we had our honeymoon, which is why we took a you know, took a break from recording two weeks ago.

Peter
04:09
Yeah.

Aubrey
04:10
Um So that was amazing 'cause, you know, it was getting cold here and then we left and were in beautiful weather and then came back and now it's, you know, winter winter but Yeah, it was it was amazing. The we were at like an all inclusive resort. Um it it was amazing. We basically we kind of like accidentally got upgraded to VIP. Not accidentally, but I I did a whole lot of research on different resorts like when we were booking. This um in terms of like prices and we wanted it to be like adults only. I didn't really know if I wanted like kids running around and like a couple other things like how close it was to like the airport and what did like the transportation is say you know, there's there's a million things that can that go into it. Um And I found one room that was like cheaper than the other rooms, but it was like a VIP room. So you book this room and you get a private pool and all of this so it's like a swim up suite. So you like open the back door and just jump into the pool and then you get access to all these extra, like, private lounges, like a private section. of the beach, um you get a butler, you get like um a couple other different areas that are VAP. Um, stuff like that. And so I was like, is this a joke? Am I gonna get scammed? I was not scammed. Um, it was like almost It w it would it was like eight hundred dollars cheaper than a different resort, but a regular room. Um and so yeah, so I snagged we snagged that when we were booking it um back in like June or whatever. Um and yeah it was it was amazing. It was pretty seamless as well in terms of traveling internationally and like train transportation and stuff like that because we did it through Costco. Um which was great because then they part of like the package, they all in one, you know kind of itinerary is when you book your flights and the resort and like have your transportation to and from the airport and everything.

Peter
06:34
Um so that was super nice.

Aubrey
06:36
So we kind of we just had like a representative we went to at the airport. and they, you know, took our name and then we're like, oh, your transportation's over here, let's go. Okay, here you go. Um and Bye-bye. We were like, oh, okay.

Peter
06:51
Okay.

Aubrey
06:52
So it was yeah, it was and I was a little s nervous about traveling internationally, like flying internationally, because I've never flown internationally before. Um, like we we went on a Disney cruise, you know, when I was in like seventh grade or whatever, but that's not flying.

Peter
07:06
Sure.

Aubrey
07:07
Um, so that's a little different. Um, but I, you know, being the anxious person that I am, when I was checking us into the flights, I like uploaded all of the, you know, our passport information so everything was nice and easy and like electronic as well. I was a little worried we were gonna actually have to get to the airport, you know, three or whatever hours early, show them a passport, check the bag, whatever. But it ended up being super seamless, doing it just electronically with through this other like travel thing that 'cause our we flew Americans, so they had some sort of thing where you uploaded your passport. and stuff like that there and then you that's how you check in and then you get your boarding pass and everything's great. Um so yeah so that was pr like super seamless which is fantastic as well. And yeah, the we were there for seven days, um, like Saturday to Saturday, and the weather was just so perfect the whole time. Um, so we went to I don't even know if I mentioned it, we went to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Um and the like high every day of the outside temperature was eighty-five degrees and then the low would be like seventy-eight like every single day. Like it would never flu it would fluctuate, you know It would be eighty-five at like noon and then it would get down to seventy-eight in the evening and that night. But it was so that's like my perfect temperature 'cause it wasn't too hot. I get getting up in the nineties is like too hot. Of course, cause it was also humid 'cause we're right next to the ocean. So that's it was humid, but it wasn't too humid. It would rain a little bit, but only like at night when we were asleep, so it didn't even matter.

Peter
08:52
Nice.

Aubrey
08:53
Um, we barely missed their super rainy season, which was like I think it's like August to October is their super rainy season, so We barely s skimped past that, which is also great.

Peter
09:04
Um Perfect.

Aubrey
09:05
So yeah, everything just worked out like so perfectly Um yeah, we had a personal butler, which was crazy. Um the he like gave us his like WhatsApp information so he would send us every day like a like a daily sort of newsletter thing that was like the weather for the day, the activities for the day, which restaurants were open for like lunch or dinner or whatever. And then he would always text in the morning and say, like, good morning, Mrs. Aubrey. How is everything? Like it was so cute. Um

Peter
09:37
So that was awesome.

Aubrey
09:39
And he would like give like I would just text him if we needed more like bottled water to the room.

Peter
09:44
So you're not pushing the tap water.

Aubrey
09:47
Um and if we needed dinner reservations or like literally anything, um I would just message him and we'd see him around the resort and was just He was just a super nice guy. He was also jacked as crap. So his arms were like so huge they were like ripping out of his butler uniform, which was hilarious. But yeah, it was. It was amazing. Something funny that we did learn though. No, it's not funny really. Um, but I overheard people when we were like at the main pool, they were talking about how they kind of they were talking to some of the staff about what their like working schedule and like salary and stuff kind of looks like. And the most highly paid people at the resort, so probably the butlers They get paid four hundred and fifty dollars a month. US dollars a month, which is insane. Like Insane.

Peter
10:44
Yeah, you know, it's really interesting. Um we We often, I think, don't appreciate the difference in cost of living and stuff. Yes. Again, I I don't know how that works out for the Dominican Republic. But I know that when, and this was again years ago, but when your mom and I went to the all-inclusive resort in Jamaica that we went to. They were like the people there were just so they were so kind and so gracious. And and one of the things they kept saying is they were like, Oh, thank you so much for coming. Thank you so much for coming. And and I kind of asked somebody, I was like, gosh. You know, you guys are just, I mean, this is so so kind and everything. And yeah. And they said to us, oh, you know, you gotta understand. They're like, these are some of the best jobs on the island.

Aubrey
11:36
Yeah. Yeah. Oh I bet.

Peter
11:39
So they were just like they were thrilled that we wanted at least that's what they said. You know, maybe they're lying, but I don't know. I don't know why they have any reason to. Right. But yeah, so I wonder if it's kind of a similar thing where it's like, you know, these are highly, you know, these are good jobs for where they're at.

Aubrey
11:57
Yeah, oh I bet. And yeah, so it's like one US dollar to about sixty-four Dominican pesos, which is also crazy. Cause we would be like driving like from the airport to the resort and you'd see a sign for McDonald's. And it would be like a meal was three hundred and ninety-nine dollars. But of course it's in Dominican pesos, but so that would throw me a little bit 'cause I was like I was like, whoa, what is what is happening? Right. But yeah, so we we did have like we obvious obviously brought cash, so for a some of the waiters or just some of the staff, especially the butler that we saw like every single day. Um, we did tip them pretty well in cash. But we gave like the butler a fifty at the end of the week. And just knowing that he got paid like $450 the whole month, I was like, I know that's actually gonna go far.

Peter
12:53
Yeah.

Aubrey
12:53
So I was like, this is actually a good, yeah, and he and he was saying like He was like, I can get one extra day off if I get two more TripAdvisor reviews. And I was like, I'm on it. Okay, I'll th I'll do that and and there were like it was a lot of stuff like that where they were like if I can get this review then I get this bonus or something like that. Um which is interesting. I kind of wish they could just get, you know, their days off.

Peter
13:21
But I also feel predatory, but you know Definitely.

Aubrey
13:26
But I also heard that they most of the staff works twelve days on, two days off. Which is insane. Um, and they are they apparently have like living quarters right across the street, so they just like go across the street, sleep, and come back. Um which is feels not um great. So we tried to just and they were all so kind and just so you know just so, so kind, even though they were being worked to the bone, I'm sure. Um, they were always just so attentive and so, you know, grateful we were there and chatty and making friends with us and stuff and so Yeah, they were just they were amazing. So I made sure in I got a couple, you know, review email things where it's like review your stay at blah blah blah. So I made sure to give really, really good reviews in case they could that's good, you know, benefit. Yeah, if it helps at all. Right. Um but yeah, it was amazing. We went parasailing. Which was super fun. Uh we went on like a buggy tour where we it was like a little side-by-side um ATV sort of thing and you like drive through mud and They um go tour this like water cave we got to jump into, um, this little shop where they made like they make Dominican hot chocolate and coffee and tea and stuff like that. So we got to try some of that which was really yummy. Um anyway, so yeah, we toured a water cave and tried some of like the Dominican hot chocolate coffee tea. That was really yummy. Um and then like we went to another little beach. Like it was a half day buggy tour. So we had like a tour guide and he was um you know, taking us through. And that was also um interesting because beforehand, you know, there was like eight pairs of people, like eight buggies total. Um, and he beforehand was kind of warning us he was like There's gonna be a lot of people on the road that will probably especially kids that will just come up to you. Um, you know, they're asking for money, they're gonna try and give you flowers, they're gonna try and get money and stuff from you and you have no obligation to, you know, give them anything, but just know if you do give them something then there will be an entire crowd of kids like crowding around your buggy and you like won't even be able to drive. Um, so just, you know, be wary of that. And so that was just sad too, because you know, you go to one part of the city where there's the all-inclusive resorts and it's so, you know, luxurious and crazy infrastructure and stuff like that. And then you drive like two blocks and it's like these kids living in super rundown. houses and they're just trying to like give you a flower so you could give them money. And so that was just, you know, sad.

Peter
16:28
Oh, 100%. Yeah, that part is that part's rough.

Aubrey
16:31
Yeah, so I yeah, I don't know. I kind of am I don't know. I was just kind of learning more about the the touristy part and how yes tourism is a huge part of their economy, but also like some American billionaire is probably the one who owns all of the The like the all-inclusive resorts, and it's not actually boosting the Dominican Republic's economy. It's probably just going to this one guy.

Peter
16:55
Oh, it's it provides jobs, but you're right. I doubt that the resort other than the the staff that it pays probably doesn't do much more to put more money back into the local economy.

Aubrey
17:12
Right, exactly. So yeah, I mean it was obviously it was super, super fun, but just seeing some of those things that I was like, who, you know, kind of just Opens your eyes a little bit sometimes.

Peter
17:24
It was like I say, uh only time your mom and I've been to an all-inclusive resort like that was when we were at the couples resort in Jamaica for our anniversary. And it was that same thing where It was like beautiful sand, you know, white sand beach and all this great stuff. And then it's like if you walked like 200 feet off the property, you were like, oh. Yep. This is actually what Jamaica's like.

Aubrey
17:51
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and also like I was super interested in learning about the history of the Dominican the Dominican Republic and Haiti, because obviously they're on the same island. Um So one morning at breakfast Hayden and I just like spent thirty minutes reading like the Wikipedia, like the history of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Um and I what I didn't know, which it you know kinda makes sense, is the Dominican Republic hate they they hate Haiti. They hate each other. They really hate each other. Yeah, I can believe it. Um, 'cause I mean there was a whole bunch of like one side was um Haiti was, you know, um conquered by the French, I wanna say, and the Dominican Republic was Spain. And then there was a time where, you know, Haiti was trying to be independent, and then they wanted to then they conquered the Dominican Republic. and then things were really bad and then so now they just kind of hate Haiti, which is you know, uh it was interesting to to learn about all that history 'cause that was not something I had remembered if I had learned it in the past. Um but but anyway, yeah, it was I mean it was super fun. The beach, I obviously love the beach. It's like my favorite. If I could just pick a place to be for the rest of my life, it would be somewhere with a beach. Um, so that was amazing. Um, yeah, weather was amazing. There was so many fun, like there was like live music and stuff every night, and the food was delicious and Um yeah, so it was it was amazing. There was usually at the end of a trip, I feel like I'm kind of ready to go home. Like I'm like, yeah, you know, I could I'm okay with going back home. I've sufficiently rested, you know, whatever. But this time I was not like that. This time I was like, I actually am not okay with the fact that we're going home. I do not want to leave. Um so yeah, but it was it was amazing. I am it was yeah, it was just so so so fun. So Yeah, that was that was kind of the big thing. And then yeah, I don't remember if I mentioned this on the pod last time, but I did start my job. I believe I did. Mention it. Yeah. So yeah, I've been starting my job and stuff. Things have been things have been pretty good. But yeah, how have how have your past couple weeks been for ya?

Peter
20:19
They've been good. They've been good. Busy. You know, the end of the year. Work always gets busy. I had a weird, it was like right after we got back from our trip. to California. I had like a light this weirdly one really light OR day, but then it's just been busy. And I've had a med student and a resident the last couple of weeks, which always makes it again. feel like even more. Yeah. And so uh it's it's it hasn't been bad, but I was very much looking forward to you know, kind of four days off and then I'm back again and I start calling on Monday and of course stuff. But, you know, it's um it's it's not bad. It's just the usual end of the year stuff that goes along with my job that makes it uh that makes the end of the year not my favorite time of the year. And everybody's all excited and happy for

Aubrey
21:21
You know, Christmas and stuff, and I'm like, uh Yeah, it's notoriously been up. rough time of year for work for you. So that'll be exciting, you know? For sure.

Peter
21:38
Be exciting when January rolls around. Although, you know, the last couple years There hasn't been a really noticeable drop in how busy we are come January.

Aubrey
21:49
So Yeah.

Peter
21:51
I don't know. We'll see. But other than that, you know, just good hanging out with family for the holiday, for Thanksgiving and stuff. And and uh Just all the adjusting to still a little bit of difference. It's it's been a little different just having your brother here, your, you know, having Alex here again because Um he very much kind of, I don't know, it's more, you know, he comes and goes as he pleases. And I have to keep reminding myself, no, he he he is an adult and I don't need to be asking him. where he's going, what he's doing all the time. Um but uh but no, no, it's been it's been good. Just kinda chill. Otherwise, no real big Nothing too exciting happening over here.

Aubrey
22:40
Yeah, yeah. I guess the other thing that's new-ish Um over here is that I have a new um unpaid job.

Peter
22:53
A new unpaid job.

Aubrey
22:55
Yes.

Peter
22:55
Um Tell us about the unpaid job.

Aubrey
22:58
Yes, so I am the social media manager for my best friends and her partner's uh mobile food pantry that they're doing in Salt Lake. Um so that's being extra busy, especially around the holidays. Um, but yeah, I've I just started doing their social media for them because I wanted to be able to help um remotely as much as I can. So That's been fun to do some fun, you know, graphics and stuff on Canva for them making, you know, TikToks and videos and reels and stuff like that for them. Um Shameless, shameless plug. Um, but the Instagram is freefoodtruck dot slc. Um, that's the Instagram. If anyone wants to check that out. Um, but yeah, they're trying to be kind of an in between of like mobile food or regular food pantries, um, just because people can't always uh drive to food pantries and actually get the things that they need. So they're doing more of the active drop offs in areas around Salt Lake that is needed. Um, there's obviously a lot of homelessness and uh stuff like that in Salt Lake. So there's a lot of people in need, especially when it gets colder, um, outside. So yeah, so that that'll be that'll be good. I've kind of been wanting like as I've I can't really speak words good so I'm thinking about to say my words um I've been thinking this these last few months with kind of how the government has been going, you know.

Peter
24:57
Yeah.

Aubrey
24:58
Um, and when the government shutdown happened and SNAP benefits were not rolled out for uh the month of November in Utah. That's when my best friend started the mobile food pantry. Um basically no better time to start that. Um thankfully Snap is is back, obviously now because of if the government shutdown has stopped. But so I've been kind of thinking this holiday season that instead of, you know, going to Target or something like that and just buying gifts for people. Maybe I am a little bit more thoughtful with The way I'm spending my money and time in like the holiday season and just in the future in general There's just a lot of like volunteering opportunities I think would be really valuable for me and Hayden to do, even if like it's not like we can do much monetarily, like we don't have infinite money to make donations and stuff like that. Um, but I don't know, just being a little bit more mindful where I am spending my money, um, in terms of like not contributing to overconsumption, um, crazy style and um stuff like that. I don't know. I've just kinda that's kind of been on my mind recently. So this this holiday season I wanted to do more volunteering opportunities anyways and then my best friend I'm just like, hey, actually, um, the social media has been really stressing me out about this thing. And I was like, hey, I can do that remotely. So kind of getting more involved in that way, I think, could could be nice. Um feel like I'm making a making some changes and helping people where they need help because I don't know, it kinda sucks that giving people food and wanting people to have food and shelter is like a political thing these days.

Peter
27:02
Oh, 100%.

Aubrey
27:03
Um, that's kind of horrible. So instead of, you know, getting mad at people on the internet politically and just like, you know, reposting things that I agree with that are political instead of wasting my time doing that and just getting mad at people, I might as well spend that energy. Doing something actually good, like volunteering or stuff like that. So I don't know. That's kind of been on my mind lately. So that's awesome.

Peter
27:32
That's my little side rank. That's a great idea and definitely something that I think we should be thinking about. You know what I mean?

Aubrey
27:40
Yeah. And there's it's it's also kind of hard if you do have, you know, money, it's like where do you want to put that money? Um, but there is like you know who Hank Green and John Green are, right? Yeah. Yep. They have their um goods store, which I don't know if you've seen that? I'm familiar with it, yeah. Yeah. Um so I've had their awesome socks subscription for a couple months now, um which is super fun. Um, but they all of their profits for anything you get at the goods store goes to um different um charities that they work with. Um the coffee and tea one is not sponsored, obviously. I just love being able to put my money in, you know, where it's good. Um their coffee and tea helps with tuberculosis research and treatment. Um their Awesome Socks Club goes to funding maternal healthcare centers in Sierra Leone, which has been their like huge project that they've been working on for quite a few years now. Um so yeah, every it it's just it's nice to find those little things where Yes, you also get something um with that, but it's just fun to if you're gonna get socks anyways, you know, you might as well be also helping a really good cause that makes you feel good. and it's they're always, you know, high quality products and stuff like that. Um I'm just kinda sick of like, you know I don't know, over consumption and stuff, especially around the holidays where there's just so many ads being like, here, buy this, buy that, buy this, and it's just all garbage. It's just all garbage stuff. So that's my that's my rant for the day.

Peter
29:33
I think it's a pretty good one. And I think it brings up a really good point. You know, on the middle of culture, Eden and I were talking about how I don't know, just I feel like it's a shame we're so fast to go straight from Halloween to Christmas. And it feels like it's happening sooner and sooner every year. and and people kind of forget Thanksgiving and and that I think that it's a i it's a holiday with a lot of meaning, certainly more meaning than friggin' Halloween. Right. But we all know how I feel about Halloween. Yes. Um but you know, as Eden pointed out, really part of the problem is is that with the exception of food, you can't commercialize Thanksgiving.

Aubrey
30:17
Right.

Peter
30:18
And so it's just like how fast can we get past that and how fast can we start selling you stuff to buy for either Halloween or Christmas. And I think it's a little sad. So

Aubrey
30:32
And the Black Friday, you know, deals not even being Black Friday anymore. Like I like it it's like, oh, something's thirty percent off. I'm like, what What happened to the 90% offer stuff?

Peter
30:47
Right.

Aubrey
30:48
Yeah. Just disappointing. But anyway.

Peter
30:52
Kind of is. But Well, it sounds like it was a good good time in uh the Dominican Republic and back and you know, getting settled back into to the uh to the routine and that's I guess, you know, all we can do sometimes.

Aubrey
31:08
Yep, it's yep, it's true. It's true. Gotta just kind of hunker down and hibernate for winter. I'm a little some little scared.

Peter
31:15
Yeah. Well. Get as much light as you can, even if it's artificial, I suppose.

Aubrey
31:20
Yep, exactly.

Peter
31:24
Well I guess I I forgot it was me, so I was like waiting for you to close out the episode and I was like, I just you know, I I was trying to d I didn't want to be uh taken over, taken control.

Aubrey
31:33
No, I just forget. I just Forget. But anyways, thanks everyone for listening to our little update episode. We'll be back in another couple weeks with another topic. Um if you, you know, like the pod, maybe subscribe and like and comment or whatever they do these days. Um leave us a review as well. Um if that suits your fancy and we'll be back in another couple weeks. See ya.

Peter
32:00
Bye