Rebekka and Anne Check In Again

The Non Drinking Buddies talk ditching the pot, picking up racquetball and the art of enjoying cookies.

Mocktail Recipe: Lemon Lavender French Soda

Unflavored Seltzer Water (we used Topo Chico)
1 oz. Monin Lemon Lavender Syrup
Splash of Half&Half
Stir
Add Ice
Top off with more Seltzer Water

Recorded at The Lyric Hyperion - Silverlake, Los Angeles.

Instagram: @nondrinkingbuddies
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0_Z_CJZ3USL7EK6pQ09huQ

Transcript

Anne:
Yeah. I started playing racquetball with my seven year old. It's chaotic. It's crazy. Balls fly at my face. Oh. Oh, yeah.

Rebekka:
More dick jokes.

Anne:
Yeah. And I don't have the proper gear. I'm just going, it's so fun. The lateral movement. My knees hurt afterwards. It's great and fun, and my son has fun, too, and I'm just getting into racquetball.

Rebekka:
That's awesome. Yeah. I went to Vegas this weekend, which is also a funny thing to do when you're. Yours is cooler.

Anne:
God damn it. Hi. Welcome to non drinking buddies. I'm Ann Gregory.

Rebekka:
And I'm Rebecca Johnson. And this is the podcast where we normally talk to teetotaling guests about how they find the fun in a boozy life. But this time, again, we're gonna just talk to each other, because so much.

Anne:
Has been going on in our lives and our sober journeys. I've been having a little bit of a difficult spell.

Rebekka:
Yeah.

Anne:
And I have to be honest, and I hope this isn't triggering to any of our listeners, but I definitely had the urge to drink last week.

Rebekka:
Well, and you know what? We're gonna have that urge. And the urge is okay, and the urge is natural and normal. Like, it doesn't just go away because we make a decision to stop drinking. That's the thing.

Anne:
Yeah. 100%. And I never entertained the idea that I actually would. I was just honestly surprised that that was my go to. And I realized with reflection, not in the moment. In the moment, I was just like, shit, I drink right now.

Rebekka:
It's like, why did I.

Anne:
And then I'm like, why am I getting mad at myself? I know this is a thing that happens. Yeah. But I was mad at myself.

Rebekka:
If I'm being mad for having the urge, but for having the urge, oh, it's totally normal. And it's honestly, like, it would not be normal if you didn't have it.

Anne:
Yeah, I do.

Rebekka:
The thought is the normal thing. What you did was not act on the thought, and that is not normal, and that is to be commended. And that's something you should be proud of yourself for, because we can't really control all of our thoughts.

Anne:
No, no, no. Yeah, exactly. And I realized, and I was telling Rebecca this yesterday, that, like, it was more that I needed just a full release. It was an unexpectedly stressful week, and, you know, we're gonna have those in life happens where just life happens. We're just, you know, one bad thing happens, and you're like, oh, what are the next two things. Cause I always think things come in three. It's, like, terrible things. And it's like, yeah, it was like, three really terrible things happened.

Anne:
And then I was just like, I want to release, and I just put 1ft in front of the other. I resumed journaling every morning.

Rebekka:
So you went to your tools.

Anne:
I went to my tools.

Rebekka:
That's great.

Anne:
Maybe I could go through what my tools are and what your tools are right now.

Rebekka:
Sure.

Anne:
Okay. So my tools right now are, like, I mentioned journaling. And it's not like some, like, I have this beautiful leather bound journal.

Rebekka:
Leather cowboys. I can only write in skin animal skin journals.

Anne:
No, I write on my Google Drive, like a Google sheet.

Rebekka:
I'm a notebook. I'm a pen to paper.

Anne:
And that's what helps me more.

Rebekka:
If I'm typing, it feels like I'm working. If I'm writing with a pen, it feels like, you know, like I'm some 18th century princess under a tree. You.

Anne:
You are. Honestly, you time traveled here. Thank you. But I actually. I think and type really fast, and my handwriting can't keep up.

Rebekka:
That makes sense. Yeah.

Anne:
So I just get, like, I vomit out the thoughts. And they're not, like, profound thoughts, necessarily. What? Sometimes they're like, I need to go.

Rebekka:
To the grocery store.

Anne:
Yeah, I'm a piece of shit. Oh, I'm not a piece of shit. That was just a thought. Like, I literally will write that out. And that helps me to stream consciousness. Yeah.

Rebekka:
Consciousness. Yeah.

Anne:
And then the other tools working out another tool that I have been working on and I am not there is to not look at my phone immediately in the morning.

Rebekka:
Yes.

Anne:
People call it a low serotonin morning.

Rebekka:
That's great. I haven't done that yet, but I feel like that's really. That's commendable.

Anne:
Thanks. Well, I've missed some of your texts because you did.

Rebekka:
But now that I know, though, now that I know, I won't expect you to text me back until 930. Yeah, that's the thing. We made a plan to hang out, and then I texted her and was like, so should I still come now or are we going to my place? And she didn't write back. So then I was like, oh, I guess we're not meeting. Maybe she's still sleeping. And then she's like, I'm doing a low serotonin. I was like, oh, shit, I forgot.

Anne:
Yeah.

Rebekka:
So now that I know, that's been helpful.

Anne:
And then I just. Therapy. Going back to therapy. And then I just need to plan some fun shit in my life, I get obsessed with work and doing things for my kids and my family and achieving the things on the to do list. I'm a virgo.

Rebekka:
Full disclosure. Thank God you've disclosed that to our.

Anne:
Gen Z listeners with the Capricorn rising. I mean, wow. Wow. Just so many to do lists. But, like, just to, because I'm like that, I need to, like, fricking schedule fun things in my life.

Rebekka:
Right. Otherwise you'll just gravitate towards that to.

Anne:
Do list a million times and burn out, and burn out. And then just not be like, oh, but where's the fun in my life? Well, I didn't allow for any fun in my life.

Rebekka:
Right, right. We get so busy at this time.

Anne:
At this chapter, this chapter of great.

Rebekka:
School aged kids that, yeah, you have to schedule it in.

Anne:
Yeah. So what are some of the tools.

Rebekka:
That you've been using? I write a gratitude list every morning, and one of the things that I've been doing, I find myself wanting to qualify my gratitude with all the things that are wrong about me or my life. And actually, I find it to be very healthy for me when I write the gratitude list, to just write the gratitude part, because it makes me focus first thing in the morning on the thing that I want to focus on. I want to focus on the gratitude. I want to focus on the pressure. I want to focus on what I do have rather than what I wish I had or what I used to have. Because I think that so much of my life is spent relitigating the past, like, looking at the past and being like, these are all the choices. This is all the places I went wrong, or wishing for the future and thinking that as soon as I get.

Anne:
To that future, things will be better.

Rebekka:
That's when I can be happy and everything. So just saying, hey, even if it's something as simple as, like, I like this cup of tea, I like looking at the sky. Or it could be more profound. Bigger things in my life, they say.

Anne:
Honestly, because you're being honest in that moment, like, oh, man, this jasmine tea tastes amazing. Like, if you're being honest, you know? Cause it's like, not everything that you're gonna be grateful for. Not everything you notice is gonna be those profound things.

Rebekka:
No. And even just sometimes I'm writing, I'm grateful for taking the time to write a gratitude. Listen, like, sometimes it's as simple as that. Now I'm writing, I try to write, you know, a couple of things, but it doesn't have to be major. And it also gets me in the right head. Right. So I want to be grateful. I want to be happy.

Rebekka:
Like, and when I look through so much of my journals from the past, it was so much about dumping, about what was going on, and that's fine, but it doesn't actually necessarily, like, move you forward to just be in all the problems. And so sometimes the problems can feel bigger than the good things, but when we actually look at the good things, even if bad things are happening, the good things can help us. So I do the gratitude thing, and.

Anne:
Just before you go on, I just want to say, Rebecca. And my brains work very differently. And so I do the gratitude list as part of my journaling, but I do almost find that I need to just get those other thoughts out in a barfy kind of way.

Rebekka:
Yeah.

Anne:
And so just, like, just. I guess what I'm trying to say is that different things work for different people. So try your own. If you're having a hard time with, you know, the not drinking or life in general, like, maybe just trying different methods until you find what works for you.

Rebekka:
Yeah, yeah, totally. And then I've been going to meetings and, you know, like, working a program and reading, like, you know, the things I'm supposed to read, and that's been really, really helpful. And, like, the thing that I realized is, growing up, I used to go to church, and because I had to, because it was, like, part of my family, and I enjoyed elements of it, mainly the community. And then also that there was, like, an hour that you just had to, like, even though sometimes I was bored, of course, as a kid, I was like, this is boring to sit there for an hour. But as a person now who's.

Anne:
Go, go, go.

Rebekka:
I'm like, oh, I get that. Like, why that time where you just dedicate, where you're not looking at your phone? Not that we had phones back then to look at, but it would have been weird to bring, like, a whole cord for you to plug it in. Just stare at it.

Anne:
Yeah. Have a huge extension cord into the pew. Yeah.

Rebekka:
And just be looking at the numbers over and over. But, yeah, like, going to meetings or listening to podcasts, listening to, like, sobriety uncensored. We had Daniel on and just keeping that in the top of my mind and reaching out to other people. I've been, like, really trying to connect with other sober people, and, yeah, so just sort of, like, being in the middle, I think, of that has been really helpful to me. And then trying to exercise and, yeah, I think those are, like, the main tools. And then we've talked about this before about, like, having tea. Having, like, those.

Anne:
I mean, we're having tea right now. I'm having a nice tea right now.

Rebekka:
And I'm having a hot tea. You know, it's just, we're not the same, but we're similar. Yeah. Just, like, giving myself, like, those tiny little gifts. Right? Like a. Just a tea with honey sometimes feels like, oh, I'm treating myself. Even if I just make that at home, it's like, something that's gonna make me feel warm and cozy. And I would think nothing of giving myself a glass of wine in the past.

Anne:
Oh, yeah.

Rebekka:
But I barely made herbal tea, and I liked it, but I barely made that when I was drinking because I just wouldn't even. Cause it didn't get me drunk, so why would I drink that?

Anne:
Yeah, completely.

Rebekka:
Yeah.

Anne:
The other thing I was just thinking about, like, a tool that I'm working on. I'm not there yet, but it's just like, sometimes when I'm like, oh, I'm on my phone too much. Like, I think I'm very much addicted to my phone now, as so many of us are, especially people who leave an addiction and go to another addiction. What are we consuming on there? So I'm gonna try. I was just watching this world champion figure skating.

Rebekka:
Oh, yeah.

Anne:
Thing. Did you see that? To the succession?

Rebekka:
I didn't watch it yet, but I'm.

Anne:
Gonna murder his last name. It was incredible, and it was so beautiful. Just trying to consume, for lack of a better word, some goddamn positive content versus just this, like, doom and gloom stuff that our brains actually they say, like, crave and get addicted to. Like, getting outraged into, like, getting angry and instead being like, okay, no, no, no, no. Like, what is some stuff that's actually gonna make me see wonder and beauty in this world? And so, yeah, I saw this figure skating thing, and it was frickin beautiful.

Rebekka:
It was beautiful.

Anne:
Yeah. Yeah.

Rebekka:
I feel like I started following lots of dog accounts, bird accounts.

Anne:
Yep, me too.

Rebekka:
And also fine line painterly tattoos. Oh. Cause I really.

Anne:
We just hired a tattoo artist. Oh, yeah, I know. You said that.

Rebekka:
And I was like, yes, I really want to get a tattoo.

Anne:
Oh, they're amazing.

Rebekka:
But I want to get a very specific type. And so I'm just, like, following, and I'm like, you know what? One day, I'm gonna save the money, and I'm gonna get what I want instead of just trying to, like, get some random tattoo that's gonna be on my body for the rest of my life. But, yeah. Like, I think art and it's funny that we're both comedians and I don't find it comfortable or I don't find it relaxing to, like, follow a bunch of comedians, because then I'm just jealous sometimes. Unless they're very different from sometimes.

Anne:
Yeah, that's right. Sometimes. I, like, love watching some. We, like, we went to our friends show last week, and there was this one stand up who was. We were both like, oh, my God, we're in love. That was so fun. Oh, yeah.

Rebekka:
Seeing live comedy shows would be great, but I think on instagram, I would immediately be jealous that they're even making comedy.

Anne:
My thing is more like, I'm not working enough. It goes back to the my to do list. Yeah. Sometimes it just, like, reminds me of work. Yeah. That I'm not.

Rebekka:
We do for a job.

Anne:
Yeah.

Rebekka:
So that's why it's like, doing something like figure skating where you're like, I.

Anne:
Could never do that, 19 year old man. I cannot.

Rebekka:
You can't possibly feel like you should be doing that.

Anne:
I should be on the ice. I was also listening to Kate's, like, Kate's songs last year.

Rebekka:
Yeah, Kate Nash. She just came out with some new.

Anne:
Songs and they're wonderful. Yeah, check them out. And, like, I. I was crying to that, too. I've been crying. Like, sometimes you just need to cry. And I wasn't actually depressed. I just, like, my body needed to release some stuff or something like that.

Rebekka:
Now, I haven't told you this yet. Yeah, this is hot off the presses, fresh off the. Fresh out of the oven.

Anne:
Okay.

Rebekka:
So one of the things when we quit drinking, I was. And Anne and I have talked about this, that we were, like, still sometimes using pot and drinking either marijuana drinks or smoking. And I started to get, I think probably since I'm doing the program more, but I started to get to this place where I'm like, well, technically, according to, like, twelve step recovery, you're not supposed to do anything that's gonna affect you from the neck up unless it's prescribed to you by a doctor. And what about sucking dick? Sorry. Yeah, no, you're allowed to have a dick in there as long as there's no drugs inside the dickhead.

Anne:
I got it.

Rebekka:
Okay.

Anne:
Sorry. Just had to put a dick in there.

Rebekka:
Ann loves to do lines of coke off of dicks. Uh huh. But anyway, I don't even smoke pot that much and I don't use it that much. But I started to realize that I was thinking about it all the time that the way I used to think about alcohol, which is like, when can I drink? What time can I have a drink? Should I have a drink? Should I have more than one drink? How many drinks am I going to have? Like, and doing my, like, little planning negotiation thing, I was starting to do that with pot. Even though I wasn't using it. I would ultimately choose not to, but it would become this thing that I would have. Right? And it also was same.

Anne:
Same.

Rebekka:
This thing that I would have in my back pocket of, like, well, I'm still able to do that, so I'm cool. Or I'm fun. I'm still can be fun because I could smoke pot. And honestly, like, we went away, we went on a vacation, and the first night, I was like, okay, well, my husband's drinking, and we're here. And normally, pre December 2022, I would have been like, great. As soon as we get to the vacation house, crack a beer, make a cocktail, whatever. And so instead, I was like, I'm gonna allow myself to smoke pot. And I, like, thought about it ahead of time and smoked just a little bit.

Rebekka:
Not that much. But I think probably my tolerance is way low. Cause it's been really rare that I actually do it for as much as I thought about it. But I smoked. And then I didn't wanna go down to the game room. We had this cool house that had a game room with, like, food spray.

Anne:
Was this the most recent?

Rebekka:
Yeah. Okay, got it. Darts, which my son kept calling pins instead of darts. They are cool. But he was like, do you want to play pins? And I just love that. And I was, like, not wanting to go downstairs. I was just zoning out, cooking. I was, like, thinking, okay, it's 630.

Rebekka:
What time can I go to bed? And being like, okay, I only have to get through 3 hours until I could go to sleep. And the whole thing was, I was supposed to be checking out in. I was in a gorgeous location in, like, the woods. And the whole point was family bonding and relaxation. And instead I was like, when can I go to sleep? So then I took notice of it. And then the next day, I was like, I'm not gonna smoke. And we had a dance party in the kitchen. We, like, played pins.

Rebekka:
We played foosball. We sat outside. We, like, had so much fun. My husband still drank. My husband, he doesn't have an issue. He could do whatever he wants. Cause he's not gonna take it too far and not do it every day. And in that moment, I was like, I think I don't need weed.

Rebekka:
Anymore. But I wasn't telling my sponsor the truth, that this whole 15 months of sobriety was not sobriety, that there was pot involved, because I didn't want to bring it up, because I was like, if I bring it up, she's gonna tell me, I have to stop, so I'm just gonna not say it. And then I basically brought it up the other day, and we had, like, a hard con. It wasn't even a hard conversation. She thought it was gonna be a hard conversation. Cause she thought she was gonna say, you really have to do that? And I. Before she even had to tell me, I was like, I think I'm gonna not do that anymore. All of a sudden, I felt like a weight lifted off me because I think I've been, like, holding onto it to hold onto a part of me that was the past.

Rebekka:
And so I don't think everybody has to quit pot. I think whatever you end up wanting to do, it has nothing to do with anybody else.

Anne:
2024.

Rebekka:
I haven't even had it. You didn't even feel good?

Anne:
No, I don't feel good. So I'm just so sensitive anyway. And that's.

Rebekka:
I think we're more sensitive now.

Anne:
Sensitive. Like, I just. It. I did at the beginning. Yeah. I think at the beginning, it helps me, like, we would have those, like, low dose weed drinks. Yeah. Like, pool parties, and.

Anne:
But now I could just have, like, I could just have an iced tea, or I could have, like, spindrift or whatever, and I'd be fine. Yeah.

Rebekka:
And I just was, like, really just thinking about it too much. Or, like, I even found myself, like, if we were gonna. If I was gonna go somewhere, like, even when we were going to Edinburgh, I was like, how am I gonna get weed when I'm there? Like, even though I wasn't even barely using it. But it was this thing of, like, we're gonna be on a plane, and then. And it was, like, the same way I used to think of, like, okay, I need to make sure that I, like, pack alcohol in my bag if I can't get. You know. And so I just feel good. So now it's interesting because now in terms of, like, my alcohol free date is the same as, you know, December 3.

Rebekka:
But now I'm like, okay, so now I'm ten days, like, fully sober. Cause now I don't, like, I'm not using weed anymore. And congrats. And it feels.

Anne:
And we don't have embarrassing.

Rebekka:
But we do still with alcohol.

Anne:
Yeah.

Rebekka:
We quit drinking on the same day. We still quit drinking on the same.

Anne:
Day, but it feels like.

Rebekka:
I feel, like, embarrassed.

Anne:
Why are you embarrassed?

Rebekka:
I don't know. I just feel embarrassed. I don't know why. Because I was honest, and it was like I was talking about it on this podcast, which is a public thing, and yet I was thinking, I'm not gonna tell anyone in the.

Anne:
Yeah, well, I think.

Rebekka:
I think it's a journey, though. My friend just said, it's not a straight line.

Anne:
It's not a straight line. And even within, you know, the program, there's different degrees of, like, I think that it's just, like, I think sometimes people in sobriety are very, very hard on themselves and, you know, for good reason, because of our past and things like that. But you're doing a good job, and I think sometimes I know you, and you're very, very hard on yourself. Yeah.

Rebekka:
And it kind of, like, sucks to, like, it's not that I lose all that time that we didn't drink. Like, I mean, I quit drinking. Yeah. And then I used marijuana or the promise of it to be able to get through that transition period. And then now I feel like I've moved on from that at this point in my life.

Anne:
So maybe it was okay for that transition.

Rebekka:
It totally was.

Anne:
Yeah.

Rebekka:
And I think the one thing, though, is I think I expected if I was gonna have to change my date, that I'd have some glorious bender before. So, like.

Anne:
Oh, yeah.

Rebekka:
Do you know what I mean? Like, but I was talking to someone.

Anne:
About a couple of puffs and wanted to go to sleep. Yeah.

Rebekka:
And that was it. And I didn't. And it was mostly the disconnection. It was that I was there to connect, and instead of connecting, I wanted to go to sleep. And the whole purpose of being there was the connection. So it's like that not only the connection is more important to me, but also, like, getting the full benefits of whatever this sobriety is. Like, I see people who were alcoholics or are. Who are happy and, like, happy Joyce and free.

Rebekka:
They are. They are now. And I'm like, you can. Like, they'd say. People say you can eventually get where you don't have that mental obsession about alcohol and that if you continue to use different drugs, that it's, like, harder to get rid of that because you're still, like, able to check out and get fucked up. So I'm basically saying, like, I want to be those people who are. That I'm, like, looking up to now, and they're not, like, militant, you know, it's not like people who are, like, shaming. It's more just like I'm looking at them as an example.

Rebekka:
And so I'm like, I'm gonna do that.

Anne:
So that was a tool that I.

Rebekka:
Had, that actually, I feel really good about not having anymore. But I also feel that, like, at the same time, I woke up today and I was like, oh, you fucking idiot. Like, why did you give. Why did you tell people? You should have just kept it. It's the same with drinking. Sometimes I'm like, why did I have to go so hard with this? Why couldn't I have just cut back? And it's like, because I couldn't cut back.

Anne:
Yeah.

Rebekka:
You know, with that, like, cycle where.

Anne:
I'm like, why did I have to.

Rebekka:
Publicly say I don't drink? Cause now I can never drink again. It's like, right, yeah, because you can't drink again.

Anne:
Well, it just holds us accountable, you know? Yeah. But, like, you know, and we're talking about all these things that are really good for you, and I gotta just be honest. Like, I love fucking trader Joe Joe's and cookies and, like, you gotta have some pleasure in your life.

Rebekka:
Yeah.

Anne:
And some fun. And sometimes I'm like, you know, I ate my vegetables. I want some cookies. Oh, yeah. So I just. That's been giving me joy.

Rebekka:
Yeah. Having sweets. I mean, I do feel like sometimes with sweets, I have the same brain that I do with other things where I'll sugar, I'll think, how many cookies can I have? Can I have more? I'll, like, walk through the kitchen, have a cookie. I'll make my walk back through the kitchen, get another one. Eat them in, like, a sneaky way. Eat them before bed, after I've brushed my teeth. My psycho brain will do it with anything.

Anne:
Oh, gosh. Okay. So I can have psycho, by the way. Don't say that.

Rebekka:
My fucking psycho.

Anne:
Don't say that.

Rebekka:
But there is an addiction. There's, like, an addictive quality to, like. Yeah. So I. And it's the same with the phone. So I think that.

Anne:
Yeah.

Rebekka:
Just keeping. But keeping, like, my. Like, it's okay. It's okay for me to, like, it's better for me to eat ten cookies than it is to drink ten drinks. Right.

Anne:
So maybe you should make, like, a ritual out of the cookies so that you're just owning it. Yeah. It's like, actually a beautiful moment with, like, you got your tea here with your honey.

Rebekka:
How luxurious.

Anne:
Then you've got, like, give me some beef, your three cookies here, and you like, are, like, they're on a plate.

Rebekka:
Right.

Anne:
It's beautiful. You're just, like, honoring your.

Rebekka:
Instead of being like, I shouldn't have any of them. Okay, I'll eat.

Anne:
I don't know. I'm just saying, like, honoring the moment.

Rebekka:
Like, I think there's, like, a restricted. When I restrict too much, then I rebel, and so I've restricted myself in all these different ways, and so then I'm rebelling with whatever I can.

Anne:
Yeah.

Rebekka:
And I get that.

Anne:
I do that, too. Yeah. I'm just like, I don't know, but.

Rebekka:
I like that idea of making tea.

Anne:
And I'm like, maybe make it part of the tea. Yes.

Rebekka:
Tea and biscuits.

Anne:
Trumpets. Crumpets. Crumpets. All right, let's do crumpets. Let's do crumpets. Let's do crumpets. That's where we are right now. And we wanted to just talk because when we're interviewing people, we want it to be more about them than us, and we just wanted this to be about us.

Anne:
No, we wanted to be honest where we are in our journey right now, because we were both having kind of difficult weeks, but we came out of it, and it's all positive and good.

Rebekka:
I also think it would be fun because our podcast is about the whole entirety of our sober journey. Yeah. Is there anything fun that happened in the last few weeks? Like, something fun? We already talked about square dancing or whatever, but any fun time that you're like, yay, I'm so happy because I got to do this thing that might have been different because you're sober and I have one while you think about.

Anne:
It, if you don't. Oh, yeah. Yeah. I started playing racquetball with my seven year old. It's chaotic. It's crazy. Balls fly at my face. Oh, oh, yeah.

Rebekka:
Yeah. More dick jokes.

Anne:
Yeah. And I don't have the proper gear. I'm just going, it's so fun. The lateral movement. My knees hurt afterwards. It's great and fun, and my son has fun, too, and I'm just getting into racquetball.

Rebekka:
That's awesome. Yeah. I went to Vegas this weekend, which is also a funny thing to do when you're yours is cooler.

Anne:
God damn it.

Rebekka:
Well, I was there for a job, and then I got to see my friend Sarah in two shows. She was in absinthe, an atomic saloon, and I just laughed my ass off. I mean, they're both such good shows, and it's hilarious to go to absinthe, which is all, like, the whole show comes from this guy's trip while drinking acid. And then atomic saloon is a literal saloon. So neither are, like, if you get triggered by literally seeing alcohol everywhere, maybe not a good idea. But I just freaking laughed so hard. And, like. And we saw that comedy show, and as you brought up and, like, that alicia Gaddis did, and.

Rebekka:
Yeah, I just love, like, seeing live comedy.

Anne:
Yeah, I do too.

Rebekka:
Is so fun. And I used to. I know that I would have had a drink at dinner. Had a drink right before when we were waiting to go in. And then at both shows, there's a waitress that comes around, and so I would have had a third drink, at least, and I would have proposed more drinks at home if I'd been drinking. And then I wouldn't have remembered all the greatness, and I would have had to just look at the videos instead.

Anne:
I remember all of it. I don't have to look at the videos, bitch, but you can if you want to.

Rebekka:
That's true.

Anne:
With your tea and honey and my.

Rebekka:
Cookies, I'm gonna figure out, you know what I'm gonna do, Anne, what are you gonna do? Make lavender shortbread cookies.

Anne:
Cause. Oh, my God. Can I have some? Yeah. Okay.

Rebekka:
Those are my. I'm gonna give you a very small one, though, and I'm gonna give myself a huge one. That sounds fair.

Anne:
Speaking of unfair things, let's go do our mocktail.

Rebekka:
Okay, great.

Anne:
All right, let's do it.

Rebekka:
Let's do it.

Anne:
We're talking about lavender shortbread cookies, which brings us to a lemon lavender french soda. Ooh.

Rebekka:
I have actually never had one.

Anne:
Oh, you haven't?

Rebekka:
No. And I know that you serve them here at the Lyric Hyperion theater and cafe.

Anne:
It is so easy. Okay, so first we're gonna just put in a little mineral water, a little carbonated water.

Rebekka:
Okay.

Anne:
Fizzy water, whatever. I mean, I would go with a non flavored one here because the lemon lavender is pretty flavorful.

Rebekka:
Yeah.

Anne:
Then this is Monin. I call it Monan.

Rebekka:
Here, here. Great.

Anne:
And you do about, you know, 1oz. So I would say that's about three squeezes, squeezes. Little squeeze, squeeze.

Rebekka:
Just three pumps. Squeezes, pumps.

Anne:
It all sounds very sexual.

Rebekka:
Yeah, just do four humps, two shags, three dry humps.

Anne:
Yeah, they're actually wet humps. Okay, and then we're gonna stir.

Rebekka:
Okay.

Anne:
Just stir this up, stir it up.

Rebekka:
Stir it down, stir it left, and stir it right. Sure.

Anne:
I don't know if you're gonna. I'm gonna go in a circular motion, and then you're gonna add here.

Rebekka:
I wanna add the ice a little.

Anne:
Actually, you know what?

Rebekka:
I'm gonna add the cream first.

Anne:
Add the cream first.

Rebekka:
Cream.

Anne:
So just a splash of cream. We're using half and half. You could use milk too, but I think you wanna go Rico.

Rebekka:
A little rich.

Anne:
Okay.

Rebekka:
I was like, what do you mean by Rico? Like Rico laws. Oh, yeah.

Anne:
No, like Spanish. So a little ice in each glass, and then you top it off.

Rebekka:
Oh, wait, here. I have too much ice.

Anne:
Oh, my gosh.

Rebekka:
I'm gonna go ice, ice, baby.

Anne:
Okay, now put a little bit more of this. Ooh, baby.

Rebekka:
This is kind of like an egg cream.

Anne:
That's right. Except it doesn't have the chocolate syrup. Yeah, well, I mean, the chocolate syrup is taking the place of this syrup.

Rebekka:
Yeah. Cause when I, growing up, I used to have vanilla egg creams. Now that I'm fancy in California fancy. We can have a lemon lavender french soda.

Anne:
And so you see there is this kind of, like, creamy thing at the top from the milk.

Rebekka:
Yeah.

Anne:
Cheers.

Rebekka:
Mmm.

Anne:
It's yummy.

Rebekka:
I love it.

Anne:
It's really yummy.

Rebekka:
That's really good. I can make myself this.

Anne:
It's so yummy.

Rebekka:
And dip my lavender shortbreads in it. Yes.

Anne:
And you don't have to walk and run past the kitchen crying. You can sit down. You deserve to sit and have a cookie. And thanks for listening to us. Please, you know, share this with any one of your sober, curious friends. Rate it. Leave a comment. We love your comments about how this is helping you.

Anne:
Any tools that you have maybe we haven't discovered. Yeah.

Rebekka:
Or if you have, like, a mocktail recipe that you like, please share it with us. Like, please comment, because we just want to hear from you. Sometimes when we're recording this podcast, it feels like we're recording in a vacuum. Luckily, we're not.

Anne:
That would be loud.

Rebekka:
But we would love to hear from you guys. So thank you so much. And if you don't have a non drinking buddy, you could be buddies with us.

Anne:
Be my friend.

Rebekka:
Oh, you're turning them off.

Anne:
Oh, sorry. Be my friend. All right, bye.