Pour Me A Story, Vol. 6
feat. the boys from 10Luck, motherly compliments, a wild McDonald's photo and more
hello again friends, and welcome back to the only newsletter in the world that solely exists to tell people about the good stuff in your life. if you’re new to these pages: thanks for indulging your curiosity, and I hope you’ll stick around.
I spoke with my mother on FaceTime this week, and for as long as I’ve been documenting my experiences living in the U.S., she’s been giving me frank and accurate reviews of my work. She once told me to stop cursing so much on my blog, and told me on Wednesday that my writing here is “interesting.” while that wasn’t the review I was hoping for, she went on to explain that she was fascinated to learn that I knew such a wide range of interesting people, as evidenced by the first few editions of Pour Me A Story.
later, when I stopped to think about it, I realized it’s something I very much take for granted. after having lived in two countries as well as three very different regions of this nation, and having met a bunch of folks online over the years, these folks all feel like old pals, but rarely do I stop to give thought to just how diverse their backgrounds and occupations and interests are. that’s pretty cool, I think.
Anyway, We Have Company
last Friday I mentioned 10Luck, a podcast I’ve enjoyed listening to recently, despite my fear of commitment to and inability to keep up with regular shows. the foregone conclusion was that I’d have the guys behind 10Luck as special guests sooner rather than later, and here they are. I’ve known Mike Nelson for a couple years through the bar at which we used to work (me) and drink (both of us), and Jerrod Roberts I met first via Twitter and then IRL. without further ado!
AC: fellas! thanks for joining me this week. how are you doing in these unconventional times we find ourselves in?
MN: I'm doing good, bingeing too many shows, but not too bad.
JR: Besides the feeling that we're on punishment like we were children again, it's been really, really good.
AC: there’s definitely an element of “being grounded” to all this, but overall that’s good! that’s what we like to hear. as you’ve probably already discovered, this here newsletter is all about giving folks a chance to celebrate their good news, big or small. what’s the best thing that’s happened to you both recently?
MN: Ooh man, that is tough. I've been trying to keep things low-key. But I guess for me it would be getting to 20 episodes on the podcast.
AC: twenty episodes is a hell of a milestone man, huge congrats to you guys. I was hooked from the opening minutes of the first episode, but I genuinely think you guys have found a great groove and it just gets better and better. what was the catalyst that made you guys finally go “okay this is something we gotta do?”
JR: I think we just got tired of talking about it and wanted to put some action behind it. The best part for me, is that i don't think anyone involved with getting it started was scared or nervous, either. Just had to get the ball rolling.
MN: Yeah we talked about it a bunch before and then 2020 pops up and you find yourself with free time and no excuses.
AC: for sure, for sure. that first step I personally find is always the toughest one to take. now every episode is real easygoing and just flows, but have you guys hit any hurdles along the way, or had some “learning moments?”
MN: For sure. Mostly with equipment and some technique. Just learning what works and what doesn't and allowing ourselves to mess up.
JR: I liken us to a band, so dealing with personalities is always a work in progress, even for me and Mike who have known each other going on 15 years. So navigating friendships amongst projects is a thing for me. Also not half assing the editing process, which is something that I'd LIKE to say I already knew, but sometimes putting out something that's not totally up to par for us is a learning experience too.
MN: Right. Hey if we're like a band which one of us is the Bobby Brown?
JR: I'm definitely Bobby Brown. I care much less about what others think than you. You can be Johnny Gill.
AC: hahaha. and which one is gonna find Jesus, quit the group and release a tell-all book? my money’s on Tanner. I think you do a great job of including guests and having them contribute just as much to each episode as you all do. who’s the dream guest when this thing blows up? no one’s off limits.
MN: Adrian Crawford, duh.
AC: that one’s a lock, you can shoot higher than that.
MN: Or Dave Chappelle.
JR: I could honestly see me coming to Jesus before everyone else, but I'd also be the quickest to throw him away. Mike Tyson would be pretty awesome to have on the show if Adrian can't make it.
MN: One of us would definitely say something stupid to Tyson.
JR: And then we would have to worm out of it, and it'd be such gold.
MN: Chappelle would drop knowledge and have us dying laughing too.
JR: I feel Tyson would have viewpoints and insight that I couldn't even fathom, him being one of the baddest men to walk the planet.
AC: Tyson strikes me as the kind of guy that might interpret things his own way, regardless of whether or not it was a stupid thing to say. he and Chappelle would make for must-listen shows though, for very different reasons. what else are y’all doing to keep your head on straight as we move into month nine of Rona Watch?
MN: For me I'm trying to do a lot of simple things, games, movies, trying to keep up with exercise and I'm practicing some cooking.
JR: I'm just trying to stay busy, dodging having to use my degree and sit behind a computer. Stay in the gyms for as long as they stay open.
AC: I miss the gym. I’m managing to keep some balance with running but it ain’t the same. Mike what’s your best cooking success to date?
MN: I recently made some red beans and rice...sort of. My instacart shopper replaced kidney beans with black beans man. Not my fault.
AC: yeah you can only work with what you’re given, so you get a pass for that. also I didn’t cook rice well until I was like 32, it’s one of those ones where one tiny thing can throw the whole pot off. alright one more then I’ll let you guys go -- this is the segment where you get to plug whatever you like, so go wild with it.
JR: I'll plug this: don't be afraid to say how you feel and own it, that's how we operate on 10Luck. You might get praise, you might get hate, but you also might get it off your chest. A lot of things going on in our world could do with a little more honesty and a lot more heart, so don't let that fear hold you back...pussy.
MN: Yeah, you’re the Bobby Brown. Well obviously we have to plug 10Luck. It's been fun doing it and it really is like sitting down to a conversation with friends even as a listener.
AC: Jerrod, you said on the most recent episode, and I’m paraphrasing here, that you don’t do hollow words, and that really hit me in the chest. I like that a lot. and Mike at least part of the appeal of the pod for me is that it feels just like we’re sitting around talking shit at Cap (RIP) or Prohibition, which is comforting in these times. anyway thank you gentlemen both for your time, keep up the good vibes, and I’ll be on an episode when the governor allows it.
MN: We can't wait to have you on.
Catch 10 Luck on SoundCloud and Spotify and Twitter.
What Is Going On Here
earlier this afternoon I saw this tweet heralding terrific news for my pal Dan, a handsome dude who’s married to a wonderful woman named Erica, with whom he has kick-ass twin boys. any day you can snag a Bonus Sandwich is a good day in my books.
anyway that reminded me of something wild I saw on Wednesday night. it was my rest day from running, but I went for a walk after dinner to move around a little. all that walking, combined with a reasonably sensible day of eating, combined with the desire for a McDouble, so I wandered by the Mickey D’s up the street to see if the dining room was open for walk-ins. what I saw when I peered through the window blew my mind a little bit.
bags. dozens and dozens and dozens of bags. there were so many that I was convinced that they were closed to cater a private function or something (at 9 p.m. on a Wednesday night in November during a pandemic). I strolled up to the counter, placed my order, and asked the cashier in sheer bewilderment who all those bags were for. “oh they’re delivery orders.” “all of them?!” “yep. those will go out tonight.”
pay these people $15 an hour, man. hell, pay them $20 an hour. it’s no wonder Dan got himself a free Big Mac.
Parting Note
recently Netflix released the three seasons of Chappelle’s Show and it’s been good for white-noise watching as well as the nostalgia of it all. we all know the skits, but to my mind some of the best time-capsule moments are the musical guests that capped off every other episode or so. it’s like a who’s-who of hip-hop legends: De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, Fat Joe, Big Boi, Mos Def. this one, from Common and Kanye West (long before he became 2020 Kanye West), is one of my favorites.
that’s all from me, pals. if you made it this far, thanks for a slice of your time this fine morning, or rainy afternoon or whatever. don’t forget to leave me a comment if you like — share your own good news or tell me what you liked (or didn’t.) catch you next week!
— adrian ✌🏻