America's Big 250: Fourth of July with Cypress Drivers

1 00:00:01,240 --> 00:00:08,200 250 years ago, a group of very stubborn Americans looked at the most powerful empire 2 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:15,080 on Earth and said a few words that changed the world forever. Something along the lines of no 3 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:21,879 thanks. We're going to try this on our own. And somehow, against every odd imaginable, it 4 00:00:21,879 --> 00:00:28,080 worked. Two and a half centuries later, that same spirit is still rolling down our American 5 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:33,280 highways. It's in every veteran who raised their right hand and volunteered to protect this 6 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:40,080 country. It's in every family gathering around the grill on the 4th of July. It's in every 7 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:46,279 small town parade, every fireworks show, every American flag flapping from the back of a pickup 8 00:00:46,320 --> 00:00:52,200 truck. And it's in every truck driver crossing this nation one mile at a time. 9 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:58,960 Because while most people celebrate freedom for a weekend, truck drivers help deliver it every 10 00:00:59,029 --> 00:01:05,989 single day. The food, the fuel, the steel, the lumber, the building supplies, the machinery, the 11 00:01:05,989 --> 00:01:12,829 supplies that everybody needs. If America moves, it's because a truck driver moved first. 12 00:01:13,230 --> 00:01:19,509 So today we're celebrating America's 250th birthday. The only way we know how. 13 00:01:20,309 --> 00:01:26,309 We're talking freedom. We're talking fireworks. We're talking questionable childhood decisions 14 00:01:26,309 --> 00:01:33,069 involving explosives. And probably most importantly, we're talking pig missiles. Happy 15 00:01:33,069 --> 00:01:35,789 birthday America! Let's light the fuze. 16 00:01:41,110 --> 00:01:45,709 Countdown to the Cypress Truck Lines podcast starts now. 17 00:01:48,030 --> 00:01:54,950 Your number one professional flatbed podcast here to deliver stories, safety updates and company 18 00:01:54,950 --> 00:01:59,729 news directly to your ears. Let's get down to business. 19 00:02:05,689 --> 00:02:11,049 How's the weather out there? Cypress and Sunbelt. Welcome to another episode of the Cypress Truck 20 00:02:11,089 --> 00:02:17,809 Lines podcast. And a very special episode, if I do say so myself. In fact, I 21 00:02:18,009 --> 00:02:24,609 think that it's only, uh, it should be a thing that we do every single 4th of July special here on 22 00:02:24,609 --> 00:02:31,529 this. We're going to go with some party horns. I mean, the 250th. Birthday that definitely warrants 23 00:02:31,529 --> 00:02:38,329 party horns. Uh, I got an eagle screech here for you. Love it, love it. How about 24 00:02:38,329 --> 00:02:44,969 some, uh. How about some fireworks? Little bottle rocket action for you. And, of 25 00:02:44,969 --> 00:02:51,409 course, the most iconic, uh, quote from anybody ever that was fighting to protect our nation. Not 26 00:02:51,410 --> 00:02:56,519 really, but this is kind of facetious of me. I just love the movie Independence Day. So much so I got 27 00:02:56,520 --> 00:03:01,400 this for you too. Welcome to Earth. Right after he punches an alien in the face. You know, I always 28 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:06,679 have said if he just said. Welcome to Earth. After he slapped Chris Rock at that award show, 29 00:03:06,679 --> 00:03:11,039 everybody would have laughed it off. But no, you had to be all serious about it. You had to take a 30 00:03:11,039 --> 00:03:15,119 stand. I mean, all you had to do was drop the Welcome to Earth and everybody would have been 31 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:21,679 like, well, it's Will Smith. I mean, he fought the aliens. I digress. Welcome to our big 32 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:28,439 4th of July special here on the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. We are celebrating America's 33 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:34,120 250th birthday today and I am pumped about it. We got a couple drivers that are going to come in 34 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:40,599 here and join us a little bit later for some nostalgic talk about Fourth of July's past, as 35 00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:46,719 well as what it actually means to these guys. And we are going to introduce a new term to you that 36 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:51,800 you might have heard in the cold open and said, hey, what does that mean? Well, you'll find out. So 37 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:56,869 just stay tuned. Uh, we'll bring our drivers in here in just a moment. Now, obviously, I got to tell 38 00:03:56,869 --> 00:04:02,670 you about our website. It's the one stop shop for all things Cypress Truck Lines podcast. So make 39 00:04:02,710 --> 00:04:08,989 sure to get over there and, uh, check out podcast.cypresstruck.com. But the one thing I really 40 00:04:08,990 --> 00:04:15,350 want to put on your homework agenda today is to tell a friend, you know, you're going to hear Tony 41 00:04:15,350 --> 00:04:20,789 and Kevin come in here and join us for this episode, and we're going to have a lot of fun. It's 42 00:04:20,790 --> 00:04:27,310 a lot of laughs. Look for the for America's 250th birthday and the 4th of July. We're celebrating. 43 00:04:27,310 --> 00:04:32,589 We're not talking a lot of the nuts and bolts of trucking here. Uh, and and it's fun. We get to have 44 00:04:32,590 --> 00:04:36,589 fun doing this type of stuff. Like, there's a reason these guys are willing to come on and play 45 00:04:36,590 --> 00:04:42,190 ball with me, and it's because it's a fun episode, but all of them are fun to a certain extent. We 46 00:04:42,190 --> 00:04:48,109 tell some phenomenal stories on this podcast. We get really in depth. We'll give you time to let 47 00:04:48,109 --> 00:04:54,769 your story or your experience breathe and actually get out of it what you put into it. So 48 00:04:54,769 --> 00:04:59,809 tell a friend, if you're listening to this today and you know a driver that maybe hasn't looked it 49 00:04:59,809 --> 00:05:06,409 up, but you're enjoying it, I want you to tell that driver, hey, maybe the the big 4th of July special, 50 00:05:06,410 --> 00:05:11,289 where we celebrate America's 250th birthday, is the one you want to check out because it's a 51 00:05:11,290 --> 00:05:16,529 little bit goofy, it's a little bit off the wall, and it's a whole heck of a lot of fun, too. Well up 52 00:05:16,529 --> 00:05:22,729 with national pride with a microphone in your face. So tell a friend that's your homework today 53 00:05:22,730 --> 00:05:28,649 and probably for the weeks to come. Tell a friend. Listen to the Cypress Truck Lines podcast and 54 00:05:28,649 --> 00:05:34,809 then head on over to the website podcast.cypresstruck.com and click that button where you can get in touch with 55 00:05:34,810 --> 00:05:40,929 me if you want to be on this show. We welcome all comers. If you wear a Cypress Truck Line's logo, 56 00:05:40,970 --> 00:05:45,450 you are welcome on this show. I don't care if you're dispatch, I don't care if you're admin. I 57 00:05:45,450 --> 00:05:50,760 don't care if you're out in the shop. Uh, maybe you're at CTC, maybe you're in orientation. It does 58 00:05:50,760 --> 00:05:56,920 not matter. We will welcome you on this show. And of course, drivers get in here. Let's talk. Let's 59 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:02,079 have a little bit of fun on the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. Tell a friend that's your homework 60 00:06:02,079 --> 00:06:08,959 for today. Moving on. It's time. It's time to celebrate like no other 61 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:14,159 country can. And let me tell you something. Uh, with the World Cup in town, there's one thing that I 62 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:20,359 have noticed. And it is nobody really celebrates like America. And you're finding that out. You're 63 00:06:20,359 --> 00:06:27,079 hearing that from Europeans, from, uh, from various Asian countries. The Japanese are down in 64 00:06:27,079 --> 00:06:33,320 Texas right now watching their team play soccer, and they are over the moon. I mean, they are 65 00:06:33,359 --> 00:06:39,200 they're experiencing a culture shock that is years in the making. Uh, the culture down in Texas 66 00:06:39,239 --> 00:06:45,719 is very unique, and it is a state all of its own. Um, and you've got some people from Japan who 67 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:52,459 aren't used to that type of hospitality and man, I am eating it up on the social media websites. It 68 00:06:52,459 --> 00:06:59,219 is so much fun to watch people come over here and start just, you know, having fun, 69 00:06:59,260 --> 00:07:05,339 start living it up like Americans do. Because I've said it before and I'll say it again, uh, nobody 70 00:07:05,340 --> 00:07:09,659 really does it better than we do over here. Okay. That's, you know, well, up with national pride. 71 00:07:09,660 --> 00:07:15,539 That's fine. I have a microphone. I can say what I want here to a certain extent. Anyway, another 72 00:07:15,540 --> 00:07:22,259 digression. Uh, let's bring our drivers in here because we have to introduce a new 73 00:07:22,260 --> 00:07:27,659 term into the lexicon. It's very important, especially for the 4th of July. And you'll find 74 00:07:27,659 --> 00:07:33,019 out why. Because I'm going to come back on the back end of this interview, and we're going to 75 00:07:33,020 --> 00:07:39,859 talk some 4th of July stats, and you are going to be blown away by what I tell you. When 76 00:07:39,859 --> 00:07:46,059 we start talking about the consumption that's going to happen over America's 250th birthday. I'm 77 00:07:46,059 --> 00:07:51,209 so pumped about this episode. Let's get our Stars and Stripes hat on and get our two drivers in 78 00:07:51,209 --> 00:07:52,329 here right now. 79 00:08:00,250 --> 00:08:06,928 All right, welcome back in here to the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. And a big, happy 250th 80 00:08:06,929 --> 00:08:12,889 birthday that we're wishing today to these beautiful United States of America. Uh, it's a it's 81 00:08:12,890 --> 00:08:17,488 a big one right there, throwing block parties all the way across the country. We'll get into that 82 00:08:17,489 --> 00:08:22,130 here in just a little bit. Uh, but first we want to welcome the two guys that are joining us today, 83 00:08:22,130 --> 00:08:26,649 and they have made appearances on this show before. We're always happy when we can get some 84 00:08:26,650 --> 00:08:31,049 time to sit down with them. Please welcome to the show first, Mr. Kevin Barritt. Kevin, how are we 85 00:08:31,049 --> 00:08:36,010 doing out there today? I'm doing all right, Marcus. Sounds like you're baking on the blacktop a 86 00:08:36,010 --> 00:08:42,968 little bit today. Oh, yeah. I'm here at the CTC Cypress Training Center. Trust 87 00:08:42,969 --> 00:08:49,079 in the process. Getting a nice suntan in the process. I imagine so. You know, every time I saw 88 00:08:49,120 --> 00:08:54,479 Ken when I was actually on, uh, on station out there in Jacksonville, Ken always was wearing long, 89 00:08:54,520 --> 00:09:00,279 long pants and a long sleeve shirt. Uh, I have a feeling that is to, uh, basically shield himself 90 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:05,920 from the Florida heat out there. That's kind of the, uh, the the idea that I got out of the whole 91 00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:10,560 thing. Yeah. They try to protect yourself a little bit from the sun instead of sitting out here 92 00:09:10,599 --> 00:09:15,359 baking in it. Yeah, for sure, man. And how long are you going to be over there? Do you know? Uh, at this 93 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:20,559 point, I don't know. It all depends on when when my hand heals and I'll get back in the truck. Okay. 94 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:25,639 Well, uh, here's to, uh, a speedy recovery for you. Because I know you'd rather be in the truck than 95 00:09:25,640 --> 00:09:30,559 out there baking on the blacktop. Oh, yeah. Definitely. Thanks for joining us today, Kevin. 96 00:09:30,560 --> 00:09:35,000 Always a pleasure to have you here. Uh, our other driver joining us, another guy that's been on this 97 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:40,039 show plenty. His name is Tony Miller. Tony, thank you so much for being here as well today, man. Hey, 98 00:09:40,039 --> 00:09:44,619 Marcus, thank you very much for inviting me, sir. Kevin, how are you doing? I'm doing all right, Tony. 99 00:09:44,659 --> 00:09:49,779 Now, uh, where are you doing today? What's your name? What's your. Name? 100 00:09:52,099 --> 00:09:57,099 Oh, man. I'll tell you guys, if I could, if I could say some of the jokes that are flung back and 101 00:09:57,099 --> 00:10:02,099 forth in the group text that I have with you guys on this show, I totally would, but it's never a 102 00:10:02,140 --> 00:10:07,499 dull moment with you guys, and I really appreciate that. Now, uh, Tony, where are you joining us from 103 00:10:07,499 --> 00:10:13,699 today? I actually made it to Fort Myers, Florida today. I don't get to go home, but. 104 00:10:14,739 --> 00:10:19,579 But you're there, is it? You're you're close to home. I am so close to home. Just can't go home 105 00:10:19,580 --> 00:10:24,419 tonight. Okay. All right. Well, we appreciate the time. Uh, hopefully this will break up the monotony 106 00:10:24,460 --> 00:10:29,979 a little bit for you. Um, I kind of am curious. I know it's off in the future a little bit, just so 107 00:10:29,979 --> 00:10:34,859 everybody knows here, and we're completely transparent. We are recording this episode, uh, a 108 00:10:34,859 --> 00:10:40,619 little bit before the actual 4th of July or the week that the 4th of July falls on. Um, you know, 109 00:10:40,659 --> 00:10:45,488 I'm going to take some vacation. I'm going off all next week. So I had to get this episode done 110 00:10:45,489 --> 00:10:52,048 before I left. And, uh, so it's a little bit strange for us to talk about all this, uh, patriotism and 111 00:10:52,049 --> 00:10:57,690 pageantry that surrounds the 4th of July. Uh, but, uh, what are you guys doing on the 4th of July? Are 112 00:10:57,690 --> 00:11:02,049 you getting to take some time off? Are you getting home at least to spend time with your family? Tony, 113 00:11:02,049 --> 00:11:07,809 I'll start with you. Yep. My wife and I, um. She's already done the research. Uh, there's going to be 114 00:11:07,849 --> 00:11:13,770 fireworks at Fort Myers Beach, and we don't live far from there. And then just across the river. 115 00:11:13,770 --> 00:11:20,369 Cape coral always has a nice Fort Myers, our 4th of July celebration. So we're actually going to go 116 00:11:20,369 --> 00:11:27,249 across the bridge to Cape Coral to Red, white and uh, boom, they call it red white and boom. Red white 117 00:11:27,250 --> 00:11:31,889 and boom I love it, I love it. How about you, Kevin? Uh, since you're over there at CTC, probably a 118 00:11:31,890 --> 00:11:37,129 little bit easier for you to get home for the weekend festivities. Yeah, well, technically not, 119 00:11:37,169 --> 00:11:43,479 because I live four hours away, So most likely I'll probably be here. Okay, well, uh, maybe you 120 00:11:43,479 --> 00:11:50,039 should go tag along with Tony. Yeah, right. CTC will be closed, I'm sure, but I'll be here in 121 00:11:50,039 --> 00:11:55,999 Jacksonville, so I'll find something to do. I'm sure. For sure, for sure. Well, that kind of leads me 122 00:11:56,000 --> 00:12:00,599 to my next question, fellas, because I was thinking about it the other day, and as I was putting this 123 00:12:00,599 --> 00:12:07,389 episode together, one question that kept rising to the top for me was, what's your ideal 4th of 124 00:12:07,390 --> 00:12:13,799 July celebration? What? What if everything worked out perfect? What would it be? And the reason I 125 00:12:13,799 --> 00:12:20,158 came to that is because I was very fortunate as a kid. We grew up only six miles from an alpine lake, 126 00:12:20,199 --> 00:12:25,799 did a lot of water skiing, a lot of wakeboarding on that lake. Um, I was a parasail boat captain out 127 00:12:25,799 --> 00:12:31,879 there for a few summers. Um, just spent so many hours on that lake. And that is where the firework 128 00:12:31,879 --> 00:12:37,319 display was, uh, for us. And and what we would do is always just jam pack. There were way too many 129 00:12:37,340 --> 00:12:42,738 people. We would pull the boat out just before dusk, and we would barbecue up in the parking lot. 130 00:12:42,739 --> 00:12:47,820 And then once everybody poured out after the, uh, or before the fireworks, we would put our boat 131 00:12:47,820 --> 00:12:54,059 back in and I would sit up on the wakeboard tower and watch the fireworks blow up over my head in 132 00:12:54,059 --> 00:12:58,939 this beautiful mountain lake setting. And I don't know that that was a more ideal place for me. It 133 00:12:58,940 --> 00:13:04,059 was all where all my family was. All my friends were sitting in this beautiful location watching 134 00:13:04,060 --> 00:13:10,059 these fireworks. So I want to present that question to you guys. What is the absolute ideal 135 00:13:10,059 --> 00:13:15,819 celebration here? Um, and maybe it's exactly what you're going to be doing, Tony. But, uh, talk to me 136 00:13:15,820 --> 00:13:21,899 about it. If you could have all things in line and everything perfect. What's the ideal 4th of July 137 00:13:21,900 --> 00:13:28,379 celebration for you? Almost similar to yours. I grew up in a little town called Lakeview, Iowa. 138 00:13:28,460 --> 00:13:33,979 Obviously, there was a lake and a 4th of July. They always had a big celebration and then fireworks 139 00:13:33,979 --> 00:13:40,769 at night. And we lived just a couple blocks on the lake. So I would say an ideal going 140 00:13:40,769 --> 00:13:47,489 back. And my wife and I actually got married there in Lake View. So her and I going back to Lake View, 141 00:13:48,449 --> 00:13:53,488 grilling hamburgers and hot dogs, and then going down to the lake and watching the fireworks. That 142 00:13:53,489 --> 00:13:58,568 would be ideal for me. That sounds nice, man. And I have to tell you right now that we have we have 143 00:13:58,569 --> 00:14:03,090 officially changed the name. They are no longer called hot Dogs on this show. They are called pig 144 00:14:03,090 --> 00:14:09,848 missiles. And uh, they from henceforth they shall be known. Okay, so just just a 145 00:14:09,849 --> 00:14:14,130 little a little peek behind the curtain of what I got going on because there is a pig missile 146 00:14:14,130 --> 00:14:19,368 question coming up here. Uh, but that's how I'll be referring to them for the rest of the show. Okay. 147 00:14:20,570 --> 00:14:27,489 Perfect. You like that one? I do. Good, good. How about you, Kevin? What's the ideal 148 00:14:27,489 --> 00:14:33,170 celebration look like for you? Everything perfect. You're off work. You can go wherever you want. What 149 00:14:33,170 --> 00:14:39,109 are you doing for your ideal 4th of July celebration on America's Big 250? I was I was 150 00:14:39,109 --> 00:14:44,269 fortunate enough to grow up there in Saint Pete. So I grew up on the beaches and we always went to 151 00:14:44,269 --> 00:14:51,070 the beach or downtown Saint Pete where the pier was and watched the fireworks there. So anytime 152 00:14:51,309 --> 00:14:55,589 family that I can get to the beach and actually watch the fireworks, there's always, always ideas 153 00:14:55,589 --> 00:15:00,750 for us. I bet you it's beautiful out there for it's Saint Petersburg for a fireworks display. Oh, 154 00:15:00,750 --> 00:15:07,229 yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, it's it's beautiful out there, but my wife and I, we'd really probably one year 155 00:15:07,230 --> 00:15:11,789 I'd like to go up to, like, Gatlinburg and try to feed in the mountains, you know, just for something 156 00:15:11,789 --> 00:15:17,830 different. And in Gatlinburg is that, uh, is that Tennessee? Where's that? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, that's out 157 00:15:17,830 --> 00:15:22,189 there by the Smoky Mountains. Okay. Gotcha. Pretty much the only mountains you guys got out there. 158 00:15:22,190 --> 00:15:27,509 Unless you're going to go see the Appalachians, right? Yep. Yeah, we took a family vacation out 159 00:15:27,510 --> 00:15:33,539 there during Christmas one year. So one year we like to try for 4th of July. You know, it's it's so 160 00:15:33,539 --> 00:15:37,859 pretty in the mountains. But the only problem is the mountains, at least over here, where I'm from 161 00:15:37,859 --> 00:15:43,699 in the Pacific Northwest and on the west coast, you have to weigh, uh, the mountains and the views 162 00:15:43,699 --> 00:15:48,659 with the fact that you could easily catch all of that on fire in a moment's notice and just watch 163 00:15:48,660 --> 00:15:55,419 it burned to the ground, you know? Yeah, right. Uh, we had a baseball stadium here that was built in 164 00:15:55,419 --> 00:16:01,779 the, I believe, in the early 1900s. So like 1906 or something like that. It was called Civic 165 00:16:01,780 --> 00:16:08,098 Stadium, and it was the quintessential old school baseball stadium. It was all wood. The bleachers 166 00:16:08,099 --> 00:16:13,138 were all wood. It literally looked like it came out of the movie A League of Their Own. And, uh, you 167 00:16:13,139 --> 00:16:18,099 know, when I was in college, they had dollar beers on Thursdays, so we'd go down and watch the local, 168 00:16:18,100 --> 00:16:24,299 uh, farm team play and and drink dollar beers and just have a great time. Well, not very long ago, 169 00:16:24,300 --> 00:16:29,820 within the last, probably 7 or 8 years, a couple of eighth graders were playing with ground blooms, 170 00:16:29,820 --> 00:16:36,289 and they burnt the entire stadium to the ground while it was still in service. No joke. 171 00:16:36,690 --> 00:16:43,609 Complete structure. Fire 100% loss. It's no longer there. So that's a real that's a reality for 172 00:16:43,610 --> 00:16:48,568 us out here in the Pacific Northwest. You know, we can't have any fireworks out here that, uh, that go 173 00:16:48,569 --> 00:16:54,769 up in the sky unless you're licensed to have them, believe it or not. Uh, but. Now, are you guys big on 174 00:16:54,769 --> 00:16:59,409 the fireworks? Because, uh, is something I've noticed about truck drivers. I got a few guys that, 175 00:16:59,410 --> 00:17:04,729 uh, that have joined me on other shows. It's nothing for them to drop 4 or 500 bucks on 176 00:17:04,730 --> 00:17:10,649 fireworks each year, and they go through them. They have big, big block parties. They set everybody's 177 00:17:10,650 --> 00:17:15,889 car alarm off. Uh, you know, some of them singe off an eyebrow. Uh, it's pretty much par for the course. 178 00:17:15,889 --> 00:17:21,410 So I wonder, Tony, are you a big firework guy? I mean, I know you like to watch the big ones, but do 179 00:17:21,410 --> 00:17:27,009 you like to have a horde of your own? You know, I used to, but I'm so darn cheap 180 00:17:28,189 --> 00:17:34,269 Oh, I wouldn't spend over 20 bucks now. I used to do that when my sons were younger. We would 181 00:17:34,310 --> 00:17:39,909 scrounge the money up and have a good time, but not anymore. They get expensive fast. Man, you fill 182 00:17:39,910 --> 00:17:44,390 up the trunk of your car, uh, with with a lot of that stuff. And you will be a few hundred bucks in 183 00:17:44,390 --> 00:17:49,789 the hole, no question. Now, Kevin, you said you injured your hand. You weren't holding on to an 184 00:17:49,790 --> 00:17:56,589 M80 for too long, were you? Nah. Nah. What about you? Do you like the. 185 00:17:56,670 --> 00:18:03,229 Are you a big fireworks guy? Do you have a closet full? No. We, uh. Now we'd rather just watch someone 186 00:18:03,230 --> 00:18:08,749 else do it. But, uh, we're more into the whole barbecue end of it and cook it out. And having 187 00:18:08,749 --> 00:18:14,069 family time. Okay, well, Tony told us he's going to be grilling, uh, pig missiles and burgers. What are 188 00:18:14,069 --> 00:18:20,429 you throwing on the grill? Pig missiles. Okay, I like it, I like it. Well, that's a great. That leads 189 00:18:20,430 --> 00:18:26,229 me to my next question, fellas. And this is one for me. I'll tell you a little story. You know me. Every 190 00:18:26,300 --> 00:18:32,499 question I have here is going to come with a little setup story. Um, and, uh, this one, when I came 191 00:18:32,500 --> 00:18:38,139 across the term pig missile, I got to thinking, what's the best pig missile I've ever had? Hands 192 00:18:38,140 --> 00:18:42,900 down. What is it? It's got to be one that stands out. And actually, I'll be honest with you, it's 193 00:18:42,900 --> 00:18:47,979 four that stand out. But they were all in the same sitting. Um, I, I was, uh, I was down on Fremont 194 00:18:48,020 --> 00:18:52,779 Street in Las Vegas. Uh, this is back in my, in my early 30s. And I would definitely say that was in 195 00:18:52,780 --> 00:18:59,738 my party days. Okay. So I it was about 4:00, I stumbled neigh I crawled into a casino 196 00:18:59,739 --> 00:19:04,499 down on Fremont Street. Uh, I don't know what they were thinking out there on the on the actual 197 00:19:04,500 --> 00:19:09,539 street itself, but they were selling IPAs that were 32oz, and I was drinking them like it was the 198 00:19:09,540 --> 00:19:15,019 end of the world. And, um, I got into this casino and I was in a bad way. I was just about to go up 199 00:19:15,019 --> 00:19:21,099 to the hotel room and call it a night at 4 p.m.. Um, and I look up and there's this sign on the 200 00:19:21,099 --> 00:19:25,929 wall, and it was almost like there was, you know, a ray of light coming through the window that was 201 00:19:25,930 --> 00:19:32,530 illuminating the sign. It was this old canvas sign and it said hot dog and a beer. $2. And I 202 00:19:32,530 --> 00:19:38,050 thought, it's my guardian angel. I've been saved. So I went and spent eight bucks and I didn't drink 203 00:19:38,050 --> 00:19:43,849 any of the beers, but I ate all four of those pig missiles. Um, and it saved my life. I had a full fun 204 00:19:43,849 --> 00:19:48,410 night in Vegas playing blackjack with my buddies that night. And I have to say, that's the best pig 205 00:19:48,410 --> 00:19:53,889 missile I've ever had. All four of them. Nothing but ketchup and mustard, probably, I don't know, 206 00:19:53,889 --> 00:19:59,329 passed their expiration date by at least six months. Uh, but they saved my life that night. And 207 00:19:59,329 --> 00:20:04,809 so I present that question to you because, uh, the pig missile is something that America takes very 208 00:20:04,810 --> 00:20:11,529 seriously. You can go to almost any region in the United States and try some type of regional pig 209 00:20:11,530 --> 00:20:16,890 missile. And you guys, as truck drivers, get to see a lot of those different regions. So I'm curious, 210 00:20:16,890 --> 00:20:22,169 Tony, is there a pig missile that you've had in your life that really sticks out to you as the 211 00:20:22,170 --> 00:20:29,029 best one ever. Well, your story is unbeatable. You cannot be. You cannot top your story. Um, 212 00:20:29,189 --> 00:20:35,949 but first, I would say the first best missile is a free one. Yeah, yeah. 213 00:20:35,990 --> 00:20:42,909 Um, but second of all, with family and friends. Family and loved ones. So I would say growing up 214 00:20:42,910 --> 00:20:47,750 when the, you know, with family camp outs or something, the pig missiles at family camp outs 215 00:20:47,790 --> 00:20:52,948 would probably be ranked pretty high on my book. That's a really good answer. Well, and I'll follow 216 00:20:52,949 --> 00:20:59,629 it up by asking you what are your preferred toppings? Ketchup. Straight ketchup. Nothing 217 00:20:59,629 --> 00:21:05,549 else. Boy, there is a whole city up in Illinois that would, uh, they would burn you at the stake 218 00:21:05,550 --> 00:21:10,469 for saying such blasphemy. You know that, right? But I'm the same way. I love ketchup on my hot dog. 219 00:21:10,990 --> 00:21:17,550 Yeah, I know, I know, I don't like, relish or whatever. None of that. Just straight up 220 00:21:17,550 --> 00:21:23,540 ketchup. Yeah. No mustard, no mustard, no mustard. All right, well, uh, hopefully nobody from Chicago is 221 00:21:23,540 --> 00:21:27,300 listening right now because we just offended them. But you know what? They shouldn't be so 222 00:21:27,300 --> 00:21:33,219 pretentious about their pork missiles. That's all I can say. Or pig missiles. Sorry. Um. Pig missiles. 223 00:21:33,219 --> 00:21:39,218 Get it right. How about how about for you, Kevin? Uh, you got one that sticks out in your mind is the 224 00:21:39,219 --> 00:21:45,139 best one you've ever had in your travels? No. Not really. I mean, being being on the road so much, you 225 00:21:45,140 --> 00:21:50,979 know, you you get the the pig missile style that we like, the truckers call roller dogs. So you have 226 00:21:50,979 --> 00:21:57,540 to let the truck stop. And. Uh. But do you, do you are you selective about those roller dogs? Because 227 00:21:57,540 --> 00:22:00,779 some of them look like they're a bit weathered. Some of them look like they've been out on the 228 00:22:00,779 --> 00:22:06,059 blacktop getting baked at CTC, if you know what I mean. Yeah, well, those are the kind I like that are 229 00:22:06,060 --> 00:22:10,619 a little bit, a little bit more done. Got a little bit of crunch to them. I mean I don't like them 230 00:22:10,620 --> 00:22:16,579 burnt, but one that's really done real well. And my preferred topping would be just mustard. So I'm 231 00:22:16,579 --> 00:22:22,289 opposite Tony. Something about that sometimes spicy mustard. Okay, something about that doesn't 232 00:22:22,290 --> 00:22:26,328 surprise me that you guys are polar opposites when it comes to the hot dogs, based on some of 233 00:22:26,329 --> 00:22:33,209 our conversations, you know? But okay, I do. I do agree with him that the 234 00:22:33,329 --> 00:22:39,729 the best one is free, especially on National Pigments Day in the South. Give me a free one. Oh, 235 00:22:39,770 --> 00:22:43,929 hey, I didn't know that was the thing. That's pretty cool. I got a truck stop not far from my 236 00:22:43,930 --> 00:22:49,169 house. I might have to dip in there on Pig Missile Day. Is that is that like all of them? Is it kind 237 00:22:49,170 --> 00:22:53,609 of like, uh, what? You know, a bunch of restaurants on Veterans Day will give veterans free meals. Uh, 238 00:22:53,609 --> 00:22:59,569 this is kind of the same thing for truck stops on on National Pig Missile Day. Yep, yep. Very cool. 239 00:22:59,569 --> 00:23:03,209 Okay, you guys are teaching me something. I'm actually writing that down right now because I 240 00:23:03,209 --> 00:23:07,169 don't want to forget it. Do you have do you have that day marked on your calendar? Do you know what 241 00:23:07,169 --> 00:23:13,289 it is? No. It comes through the loves app and says, oh, you know, it's National Hot Dog Day or Pig 242 00:23:13,290 --> 00:23:19,829 Missile Day, and we're, uh, come get your free pig that's all. And of course, in our group, you know, we 243 00:23:19,829 --> 00:23:26,189 make sure we all text each other. Hey, you know, it's pretty hot dogs with the love. I like it, I 244 00:23:26,189 --> 00:23:31,229 like it, and I love the way that you guys have adopted my my nomenclature there. But pig missile 245 00:23:31,230 --> 00:23:35,509 is. It's real. We've probably already said it 40 times. That's good. That's going to be our new 246 00:23:35,550 --> 00:23:42,349 thing for sure. Perfect. I'll get the hats and t shirts printed. I love. It. Uh, looking like. 247 00:23:42,389 --> 00:23:48,228 According to a quick Google search here, National Hot Dog, or as we call them, Pig Missile Day, uh, 248 00:23:48,229 --> 00:23:53,629 takes place Wednesday, July 15th. So coming up here in just a couple. Coming up. Yeah. Coming up in just 249 00:23:53,630 --> 00:23:59,309 a few weeks after, uh, after we're recording this and, uh, it looks like out here, at least in my 250 00:23:59,310 --> 00:24:05,670 neighborhood, 7-Eleven, pilot, flying J and Sonic Drive-In will all hook you up with either heavily 251 00:24:05,670 --> 00:24:12,269 discounted or buy one. Get one, uh, missiles. So, man, you can't you can't lose on that day. You can't 252 00:24:12,269 --> 00:24:19,180 lose it all if you got a pig missile in your hand, am I right? All right. Well, fellas, 253 00:24:19,219 --> 00:24:25,459 uh, it brings me to my next one here. Um, we talked a little bit about fireworks already, but we had 254 00:24:25,459 --> 00:24:29,300 to sit down and talk about, uh, pig missiles because we talked about just. That was going to be 255 00:24:29,300 --> 00:24:36,059 an aspect of our ideal celebration. Uh, but now I'm asking you to to dig into your past a little bit 256 00:24:36,060 --> 00:24:43,059 here. Um, one thing I know about truck drivers is a lot of them, uh, grew up with, uh, with very. I don't 257 00:24:43,060 --> 00:24:48,620 want to say feral childhoods. I want to say, uh, they were they were outside kids always out there 258 00:24:48,620 --> 00:24:55,299 playing, always out, uh, getting into adventure and trouble, if you will. And what I find is that, much 259 00:24:55,300 --> 00:25:02,219 like myself, that made for a lot of really funny 4th of July memories growing up. Um, I'll tell you 260 00:25:02,260 --> 00:25:07,579 my favorite one I don't. Yeah, we already mentioned ground blooms on this show. Uh, you guys might know 261 00:25:07,580 --> 00:25:11,619 them as ground bloom flowers. They're the little pink things that they're kind of cigar shaped, and 262 00:25:11,619 --> 00:25:17,759 they spin around like crazy and light up on the ground. And as a kid we were out lighting those 263 00:25:17,760 --> 00:25:21,639 and throwing them into the lake from the shore, because they'll sit on top of the water and 264 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:27,919 they'll spin, and it's really cool. And I got really brave, and I was holding mine until it got 265 00:25:27,959 --> 00:25:32,560 right down to the end of the fuze, and I took it and I threw it. And that thing about probably five 266 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:39,479 yards off the end of my hand spun up, and it spun directly up and over my head and back behind us, 267 00:25:39,479 --> 00:25:44,559 and it landed in one of those old nylon lawn chairs, you know, the basket woven nylon lawn 268 00:25:44,560 --> 00:25:50,760 chairs. Yeah. And it landed and it spun through and it dropped onto the ground and it burned out. And 269 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:56,199 this lady walks over and she looks at her chair. It's got a brand new hole in it. She looks down at 270 00:25:56,199 --> 00:26:00,759 a at a field of eighth graders that are just all red in the face because we want to laugh, but we 271 00:26:00,760 --> 00:26:06,560 might be in big trouble here. Doesn't stop, doesn't doesn't do anything strange. She just looks at us, 272 00:26:06,560 --> 00:26:10,679 looks at her chair, sits down in it, grabs a beer out of the cooler and pops the beer. It was the 273 00:26:10,680 --> 00:26:16,549 coolest thing I've ever done, you guys, I've never. I couldn't do that again twice if I wanted to. Uh, 274 00:26:16,550 --> 00:26:21,149 and so that's the one that really sticks out for me, is one of my favorite or funniest 4th of July 275 00:26:21,150 --> 00:26:26,109 memories. Uh, Kevin, you got anything like that happened when you were a kid? Or maybe when you 276 00:26:26,109 --> 00:26:31,469 had kids that, uh, it sticks out in your mind as the favorite or funniest memory on the 4th of 277 00:26:31,469 --> 00:26:37,429 July? Yeah, I got I got a couple of them when I was, when I was a teenager. Me and my buddies, we would 278 00:26:37,430 --> 00:26:42,670 take a bottle rockets and we put them in a sling shot. You know, bottle rockets would go up on their 279 00:26:42,670 --> 00:26:47,909 own. But, you know, we wanted to get them to go higher so we'd stick them in a sling shot. And, you 280 00:26:47,909 --> 00:26:52,910 know, we were we were bad kids. So we all smoked cigarettes. So we would like to bottle rocket off 281 00:26:52,910 --> 00:26:59,669 with our cigarette. And then, uh, we'd fling it up into the air. Oh, I had 282 00:26:59,670 --> 00:27:05,870 one. I slung it up in the air and they went up probably maybe ten, 20ft, and turned direction and 283 00:27:05,870 --> 00:27:10,539 came straight back down across the street from where I was at, landed in the neighbor's bushes 284 00:27:10,540 --> 00:27:17,539 and caught it on fire. Whew! That one went the wrong way. They went up. They went. It lit. It 285 00:27:17,540 --> 00:27:22,619 shot straight back down. We're like, wait a minute. That went the wrong direction. Maybe a good shot 286 00:27:22,660 --> 00:27:27,979 over there. Sorry. Sorry. Go ahead, go ahead. We looked across the street. We just started seeing. 287 00:27:27,979 --> 00:27:34,179 The sparks in the bush are like, oh, we got fun getting to that. So were you able to put the bush 288 00:27:34,180 --> 00:27:39,219 out or did you just let it burn out? Yeah. No, we ran over there on. About four of us went over and 289 00:27:39,219 --> 00:27:45,099 started stomping on it. We got it out. But yeah, it was it was it definitely wasn't what we were 290 00:27:45,099 --> 00:27:51,539 expecting. And then after I got up drinking age and I was we were having a 4th of July 291 00:27:51,579 --> 00:27:57,818 cookout. And those spinners you were talking about, you know, I thought it would be a cool idea to 292 00:27:57,859 --> 00:28:01,899 light one up, drop it down into one of my beer bottles and watch it like the beer bottle up. 293 00:28:05,699 --> 00:28:10,439 There so many times until the glass gets too hot, and then eventually the glass just shatters. Yeah. 294 00:28:10,719 --> 00:28:15,199 But it looks cool at first couple of times because that bottle will light up, especially at 295 00:28:15,199 --> 00:28:22,040 night. Okay. Well, uh, you know, maybe no better time for us to say don't try this at home. Uh, 296 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:26,639 for any of these things that we're telling you guys. Don't throw em. Don't put em in beer bottles. 297 00:28:26,639 --> 00:28:32,639 Don't launch bottle rockets with slingshots. This is why I say of memories past. And then, sure 298 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:36,359 enough, you were. This is back in your young days. Is back when you were at your fighting weight, 299 00:28:36,359 --> 00:28:43,159 right, Kevin? Yep, yep. Uh. That's great. That's great. Tony. Uh, as you listen to that, I'm 300 00:28:43,159 --> 00:28:48,759 sure the memories start to bubble up in your head as well. Man, what do you got for me? Well, I'm. I'm 301 00:28:48,760 --> 00:28:53,839 honestly way more angelic than Kevin. So. But 302 00:28:55,319 --> 00:29:02,199 way back between, like, second grade. Third grade. Um, back when the dinosaurs. Wrong. Now, 303 00:29:02,200 --> 00:29:08,949 listen, we had running water. We had indoor plumbing, but this was. 304 00:29:08,989 --> 00:29:15,629 What a. Luxury would. Last. This was back in the early 70s 305 00:29:15,670 --> 00:29:21,589 and it was just my mom, my sister and I, and mom was putting herself through college, so I was I 306 00:29:21,590 --> 00:29:27,509 was left alone a lot. And me and my buddies in the summertime, we'd go around picking up Coke bottles 307 00:29:27,510 --> 00:29:32,029 and we'd bring them to the store and get $0.05 for every Coke bottle we brought in. We bought 308 00:29:32,029 --> 00:29:38,069 $0.05, and we lived in a town called Hayward in Iowa, which was right on the South Dakota border, 309 00:29:38,069 --> 00:29:44,789 so we could ride our bicycles outside of town across the river on the, of course, using a 310 00:29:44,790 --> 00:29:49,949 bridge. And then there'd be a fireworks stand. So as a second grader, I was buying bottled water, 311 00:29:50,030 --> 00:29:56,588 bottle rockets, firecrackers. Then we'd go back into Iowa, climb up on one of my buddy's roofs 312 00:29:56,589 --> 00:30:02,670 using the tree, and we'd sit up there lighting our bottle rockets off, and our firecrackers never got 313 00:30:02,670 --> 00:30:08,459 caught. Wow. That is. I mean, that's the stuff that they make it. You know, if that if that was a scene 314 00:30:08,459 --> 00:30:13,299 in Stand By Me or The Sandlot or something like that, I could totally picture that. I mean, you guys 315 00:30:13,300 --> 00:30:18,259 out there and you're in your converse all stars standing on a roof, lighting bottle rockets. And 316 00:30:18,300 --> 00:30:23,659 it's amazing to me because, Tony, we're not that far away from a time when second graders could go 317 00:30:23,660 --> 00:30:30,140 and buy explosives during one very, uh, you know, very distinct part of the year. I'm pretty sure 318 00:30:30,140 --> 00:30:35,900 that at least where I am, you got to be 18 or have a, uh, a parent or guardian with you. Are they still, 319 00:30:36,099 --> 00:30:41,859 uh, hawking bombs to to second graders out there in South Dakota and Iowa? Do you know? No they're 320 00:30:41,859 --> 00:30:48,779 not. I guess different time back then. Yeah. They would have sold you a pack of Marlboros and a 321 00:30:48,779 --> 00:30:55,620 beer back then, too, if you were nice enough to him. Right? Yep, yep. Yeah. Oh, man. It's 322 00:30:55,620 --> 00:31:01,819 it's so funny. You know, um, I, I, we could have, like I said, anything that that went up in the air when 323 00:31:01,820 --> 00:31:07,599 I was a kid. Well, you still can't hear. And as much as I hated it as a kid, as as a 41 year old, I look 324 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:13,559 at it and say, yeah, I do like looking at my state when it's not on fire and it's so infrequently 325 00:31:13,559 --> 00:31:19,718 not on fire anymore that I kind of agree with the laws as they sit now. And far be it for me to 326 00:31:19,760 --> 00:31:24,999 agree with any law. I'm a real freedom lover, which is one of the reasons we're having this episode. 327 00:31:25,000 --> 00:31:30,998 And, uh, but right across the border, you know, where I grew up in, in the very northeast corner of 328 00:31:30,999 --> 00:31:37,239 Oregon, we were only about 60 or 70 miles from Idaho, 50 or 60 miles from Washington. And both of 329 00:31:37,239 --> 00:31:42,599 those states would sell the bombs. I mean, the big stuff that goes up, the mortars, all of it. And what 330 00:31:42,599 --> 00:31:47,319 always happened, it was funny because now that I think about it, it was totally illegal, but we 331 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:52,599 would just load one guy up with all of our extra money, and he would come back with a trunk full of 332 00:31:52,599 --> 00:31:58,920 explosives. Um, and man, did we get into some stuff. You know, Roman candles. Uh, we used to have the 333 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:04,829 Roman candle fights out in our driveway. And that actually ended the first time that I was pointing 334 00:32:04,830 --> 00:32:11,229 a Roman candle at somebody, and it fired out the back and hit me right in the family jewels. I mean, 335 00:32:11,269 --> 00:32:16,910 took me out. And I was like, I'm never firing a Roman candle again. How am I supposed to depend on 336 00:32:16,910 --> 00:32:23,229 these things? That's like, if you were out target shooting and you shot your 45 and it came out the 337 00:32:23,230 --> 00:32:28,470 back end and hit you in the shoulder, I mean, it just doesn't make any sense to me. So I, uh, you 338 00:32:28,470 --> 00:32:34,709 know, I never lost any fingers. I have singed an eyebrow or two before. Uh, one time we got in a lot 339 00:32:34,750 --> 00:32:39,949 of trouble with one of those. Uh, it was one of those canister mortars that has, like, 12 that fire 340 00:32:39,949 --> 00:32:44,909 out of it, and they go up in the air and they explode. And we were out on my family's boat dock 341 00:32:44,949 --> 00:32:49,909 on 4th of July. We were staying the night out there, and we had taken this thing and put it on 342 00:32:49,909 --> 00:32:56,629 the picnic table on the boat dock for some stupid reason. And of course, it fires one up and it moves 343 00:32:56,630 --> 00:33:01,089 a little bit and it fires another one up and it wiggles a little bit. And the third one, it fired 344 00:33:01,089 --> 00:33:07,689 it, vibrated it right off the table, and it fell onto its side, pointing its next nine mortars at 345 00:33:07,689 --> 00:33:13,129 all of us on a 20 by 20 boat dock surrounded by water. I mean, it was like a scene out of Saving 346 00:33:13,129 --> 00:33:17,929 Private Ryan. We got guys diving in the water because they're scared. We got people yelling and 347 00:33:17,930 --> 00:33:24,249 screaming, ducking for cover. And, uh, my buddy Kyler, I gotta hand it to him. Real hero stuff here. Uh, he 348 00:33:24,250 --> 00:33:30,968 just took three steps and punted this thing into the water. Uh, and it actually landed face down. And 349 00:33:30,969 --> 00:33:35,849 so it started firing the mortars down into the water, which is really kind of one of the coolest 350 00:33:35,849 --> 00:33:41,129 things I've ever seen. But now we've got people in the water, and now we're firing mortars into the 351 00:33:41,130 --> 00:33:46,369 water and they're exploding beneath them. So I don't think I ever should have had my hands on 352 00:33:46,370 --> 00:33:50,769 any of this stuff. You guys, I'm widely kind of considered the safety captain out there on the 353 00:33:50,769 --> 00:33:55,729 water. I'm really concerned somebody's gonna get hurt. But my instinct for self-preservation goes 354 00:33:55,730 --> 00:34:01,559 out the window when explosives are involved and I don't know why. Well, my question would be, you know, 355 00:34:01,600 --> 00:34:06,280 it's illegal to throw dynamite in the water to kill the fish. Did you kill any fish when that 356 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:11,678 happened? None that we saw. It was really dark. I mean, this is like midnight up in the mountains. So 357 00:34:11,679 --> 00:34:16,800 not only do we not have any light pollution or anything like that, but the moon can't even keep 358 00:34:16,800 --> 00:34:22,959 it bright out there. It was really dark. I wouldn't be surprised. Tony. We're sitting at about 80 or 359 00:34:22,960 --> 00:34:29,040 90ft worth of water right there. Probable that we killed some fish. We just never knew that that was 360 00:34:29,040 --> 00:34:33,959 what happened. But I didn't even think about that until you brought it up. But yeah, fishing with 361 00:34:33,960 --> 00:34:40,039 dynamite. Highly illegal in most states, from what I understand. Maybe not Alabama, but most other 362 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:44,719 states. Yeah. Maybe not. And they let you get away with a lot down there in Alabama, don't they? Kevin. 363 00:34:45,919 --> 00:34:52,878 Yeah, I guess. They let them have a football team, so. Oh well right. 364 00:34:54,879 --> 00:34:59,429 Yeah. Yeah. And, uh, you know, just a quick offshoot here. How do you think that football team's gonna 365 00:34:59,429 --> 00:35:04,189 play this year? What's, uh, what's your prediction? Early for us now that spring ball is over and 366 00:35:04,189 --> 00:35:09,468 we're just in that kind of lull in between spring ball. And when you actually get to watch football. 367 00:35:09,469 --> 00:35:16,389 I'll just ask you real quick, how are you feeling about your Crimson Tide? Well, as a true fan, uh, you 368 00:35:16,389 --> 00:35:23,389 know, I'm hoping for, for at least, oh, ten and 2 or 11 and one or something, you know, and shout 369 00:35:23,389 --> 00:35:30,070 at the playoffs. But with the with the way this town's been paying for bill paying 370 00:35:30,070 --> 00:35:34,830 for students, you know, it's it's almost hard to predict anymore. They were hired. They're buying 371 00:35:34,830 --> 00:35:41,669 their teams. Yep. Yep. It's hard to predict. And you know uh, as a as an Oregon fan, I was more than 372 00:35:41,669 --> 00:35:45,669 happy to see you guys take Caitlin DeBoer the hell out of Washington. I didn't want to see that 373 00:35:45,669 --> 00:35:52,109 guy anymore. How do you like your coach now that you're a few years in? Not too impressed. I mean, 374 00:35:52,110 --> 00:35:57,289 that's how I was a diehard Saban for himself. Well, I mean, he did come from the University of 375 00:35:57,290 --> 00:36:03,689 Washington, so you can't expect much. That's all I'll say about that. All right. Uh, Tony, I'll go 376 00:36:03,730 --> 00:36:07,689 ahead and ask you about your Florida Gators. Uh, I know Kevin probably doesn't want to hear too much 377 00:36:07,690 --> 00:36:13,049 about him, but how do you feel about your team this year real quick? I'm. I'm hoping for a 500 378 00:36:13,050 --> 00:36:18,610 season. You know, right down the middle. Okay. 500 points should be happy. 379 00:36:20,370 --> 00:36:25,809 Yeah. Uh, I just that's the only reason I asked the question is because I know maybe you guys are 380 00:36:25,810 --> 00:36:30,370 going to take shots at one another. So I was just opening up that, uh, that arena there for a second. 381 00:36:30,370 --> 00:36:37,289 Okay. But we do we do agree during football season that we either one of us are little 382 00:36:37,289 --> 00:36:44,248 cubicles. No, not at all. I get it, I get it. I mean, that's easy to say, right? I'm not a fan 383 00:36:44,249 --> 00:36:51,089 either. Oh, you all good? We'll all go down there and eat pig missiles, 384 00:36:51,090 --> 00:36:55,559 right? There you go. We can all. That's one thing that we'll join hands across America to eat pig 385 00:36:55,559 --> 00:37:00,958 missiles together. I know that for sure. Uh, I know that for sure. Well, fellas, uh, this has been great 386 00:37:00,959 --> 00:37:06,239 so far having you on here, but, uh, I want to take a little bit of a serious turn here, because we've 387 00:37:06,239 --> 00:37:11,039 been laughing a lot, talking about memories and everything like that. Uh, but I want to give you a 388 00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:17,560 chance to talk about what the 4th of July really means to you and to your family or to just, uh, 389 00:37:17,600 --> 00:37:24,399 your your view on on the world here, because it's a big one. This is America's 250th anniversary or 390 00:37:24,399 --> 00:37:31,239 250th birthday. Excuse me. Uh, the World Cup is going on right now, so the nation is welling up 391 00:37:31,240 --> 00:37:36,159 with national pride in a way that I haven't seen in a while. And I'll be honest with you, I didn't 392 00:37:36,159 --> 00:37:41,080 think the soccer team was going to be the the team that really pushed us over the edge for that. 393 00:37:41,080 --> 00:37:46,359 But, uh, the US men's national team had a great win in their opening game of the World Cup. We got 394 00:37:46,360 --> 00:37:52,949 people from every corner of the of the world out here right now, uh, basically immersing themselves 395 00:37:52,949 --> 00:37:57,110 in American culture. And I've been on social media for these last couple weeks during the opening of 396 00:37:57,110 --> 00:38:02,428 the World Cup. And what I've seen is that every corner of the world says the exact same thing. 397 00:38:02,429 --> 00:38:07,549 Once they actually get to America, they say, don't listen to the news media. Everything is great here. 398 00:38:07,550 --> 00:38:12,349 If you just watch the media, you'll think all the cities are on fire and everybody's shooting at 399 00:38:12,350 --> 00:38:16,749 one another and nobody's friendly. But they get over here and they realize it's all the exact 400 00:38:16,790 --> 00:38:21,869 opposite. The cities are beautiful, the stadiums are amazing, the people are friendly. And let's not 401 00:38:21,870 --> 00:38:28,269 forget the food. We do it better here than anybody else does. So this is kind of the segment of the 402 00:38:28,270 --> 00:38:34,069 show where you guys can well up with a little bit of national pride, if you feel so inclined. Uh, Tony, 403 00:38:34,350 --> 00:38:40,389 real, real simple question that will yield of probably a very complex answer. What is the 4th of 404 00:38:40,389 --> 00:38:47,389 July mean to you as Tony Miller? That's it. Freedom. Easy. You know, I had both 405 00:38:47,389 --> 00:38:53,809 my friends served in the military. My youngest was over in Afghanistan twice. And. Freedom. 406 00:38:53,850 --> 00:38:59,009 Freedom. It's true man. I you know, I love that answer because I've seen a lot of these guys say 407 00:38:59,009 --> 00:39:05,529 that, uh, you know, America does freedom better than anybody else. And I heard, too, that America is 408 00:39:05,529 --> 00:39:09,928 still the most free country from a guy who's, you know, from Europe in their country hopping over 409 00:39:09,929 --> 00:39:16,209 there. They can see 20 countries in a week. We'd be lucky to see that, uh, you know, we can maybe see 20 410 00:39:16,250 --> 00:39:21,729 states in a week by by comparison. But that's such an important thing. And and I'm glad that you 411 00:39:21,730 --> 00:39:26,529 brought it up, because we want to take a moment to thank all the veterans. Uh, whether you're driving 412 00:39:26,529 --> 00:39:29,888 for Cypress, whether you got veterans in your family, whether you're just listening to this 413 00:39:29,889 --> 00:39:34,729 podcast, doesn't matter. Uh, we're always going to take a moment out to thank our veterans for 414 00:39:34,729 --> 00:39:39,770 fighting for that freedom. And, uh, I'm sure, Tony, that having two sons that have experienced that 415 00:39:39,770 --> 00:39:45,330 firsthand, uh, this time of year, is really when the national pride starts to, uh, starts to bubble up 416 00:39:45,330 --> 00:39:52,319 in you. I can see that. Yes it does. Yes it does. You got yourself in a like an American flag button up 417 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:55,999 shirt, or you got one of those cowboy hats with the stars and stripes on it or anything like that. 418 00:39:56,039 --> 00:40:01,929 Do you go that far? No, but my wife has gone out and gotten us both matching shirts for the 4th of 419 00:40:01,929 --> 00:40:08,280 July. Oh, perfect. Perfect. Uh, any. Did they have any kind of fun, uh, saying on them? Like, I saw a shirt 420 00:40:08,280 --> 00:40:12,199 the other day that said back to back World War Champs. And that really made me well up with 421 00:40:12,199 --> 00:40:18,359 national pride. Uh, anything like that? Really cool. No, nothing like that. But that is really cool. Yeah. 422 00:40:18,879 --> 00:40:24,159 So. Uh, is my shirt says I'm was stupid. But. 423 00:40:28,399 --> 00:40:35,199 Uh, we kind of teed that up for him, didn't we, Tony? Yes, sir. Uh, Kevin. 424 00:40:35,200 --> 00:40:41,159 Man. Same question going over to you. Uh, what is what is the 4th of July mean to you personally? It 425 00:40:41,159 --> 00:40:47,019 was such a simple but, uh, deep answer from Tony They're saying freedom. How about you, my friend? 426 00:40:48,020 --> 00:40:53,860 I was, I always take the time to, you know, take that, you know. Most of us as Americans to take 427 00:40:53,860 --> 00:40:58,619 this, you know, take our freedom for granted. You know, we're, you know, we're we're born into this. 428 00:40:58,659 --> 00:41:02,138 You know, this. This is the only thing we know. You know, and then I sit back and I think of the, you 429 00:41:02,139 --> 00:41:07,539 know, people that come over here the right way, the legal way. You know, that actually, you know, this is 430 00:41:07,539 --> 00:41:12,300 a dream of theirs to come over here. Like we have Cypress drivers that have left their their home 431 00:41:12,300 --> 00:41:17,579 countries that come live over here because we have stuff that they don't. And, you know, 4th of 432 00:41:17,580 --> 00:41:22,459 July just reminds me, you know, you know, that most of us take, take our freedoms and what we have 433 00:41:22,740 --> 00:41:28,418 really for granted. Yeah. It's true. We just we just think it's, you know, just a way of life. And 434 00:41:28,419 --> 00:41:33,739 there's plenty of countries that it's not a way of life. You know, I, I, I was thinking about that 435 00:41:33,740 --> 00:41:38,060 the other day when I heard there was a guy from London talking about he was visiting for the 436 00:41:38,060 --> 00:41:43,249 World Cup, and he said he was in a Walmart and he's in a Walmart looking around for something he 437 00:41:43,249 --> 00:41:47,449 can't find it in. A random lady walked up to him and said, hey, can I help you? And she wasn't 438 00:41:47,449 --> 00:41:53,329 working there. She's just a patron. She said, can I help you find something? Um, you look lost. And the 439 00:41:53,330 --> 00:41:58,569 guy says, at first I was so apprehensive because I'm from London and in London, if a random person 440 00:41:58,569 --> 00:42:03,969 walks up to you to talk to you, that's a distraction. Rob scenario. Almost every single time 441 00:42:03,969 --> 00:42:08,409 the person that's talking to you is trying to grab your attention so that somebody behind you 442 00:42:08,449 --> 00:42:13,809 can pick your pocket or take something out of your bag, or whatever the case may be. Uh, I was 443 00:42:13,809 --> 00:42:18,649 amazed to hear that, because I don't think of London as a place like that. I've never been. But I 444 00:42:18,649 --> 00:42:24,090 also think, you know, you think of some of the more refined areas in the world, and London kind of 445 00:42:24,129 --> 00:42:28,369 starts to get to the top of that list. It doesn't sound like that. That's one thing that the 446 00:42:28,370 --> 00:42:34,089 Europeans are all, uh, pretty taken aback by is how friendly we are as Americans and how much we're 447 00:42:34,090 --> 00:42:38,209 willing to just walk up and have a random conversation. It kind of goes to what you're 448 00:42:38,210 --> 00:42:42,840 saying. You take that type of stuff for granted because it's just what you've always known as an 449 00:42:42,840 --> 00:42:48,199 American. Mhm. And when why not celebrate it with a pig missile in one hand and a cold beer in the 450 00:42:48,199 --> 00:42:54,280 other, right. I mean, is there anything more American that we could do. Oh. Oh I love that 451 00:42:54,280 --> 00:43:00,559 answer, man I love it. It really is something that we do take for granted. And, uh, I guess this is the 452 00:43:00,560 --> 00:43:05,399 time of year that we should sit back and really enjoy those freedoms. And what says freedom more 453 00:43:05,399 --> 00:43:10,639 than setting off some bombs at a lake somewhere? I mean, there really is nobody that does it better 454 00:43:10,639 --> 00:43:16,679 than us, you know? Yep. Number one, number one country in the world. No question about it. For my 455 00:43:16,679 --> 00:43:21,719 mind. Uh, fellows, I'm going to ask you one last fun one here before I let you get back to it. I know 456 00:43:21,720 --> 00:43:26,120 you're both busy. We've been going for a little under 40 minutes here, and I appreciate every 457 00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:31,399 second that we get with you guys. But you got a job to do. I'm. I'm not, uh, I'm not blind to that 458 00:43:31,399 --> 00:43:38,360 fact. So I've had some really fun answers in the past to this question. And, uh, you know, you 459 00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:43,860 can take it as seriously as you want to. Um. I hope that you don't say your truck. That's the only 460 00:43:43,899 --> 00:43:48,939 thing I'll say. I hope you don't say your truck when I ask you. Kevin, I'll start with you. What is 461 00:43:48,939 --> 00:43:55,219 your favorite thing that explodes? Favorite thing that 462 00:43:55,219 --> 00:44:02,019 explodes? I mean, stuff that I've blown up when I was a kid. I'd have to say just blowing 463 00:44:02,019 --> 00:44:07,259 up, you know, sticking fireworks or something under a beer bottle or glass bottle and just watching 464 00:44:07,259 --> 00:44:14,259 just disintegrate would be fun. Yeah. Yeah, I. Feel that still is. Still 465 00:44:14,260 --> 00:44:20,978 is. But do not try that at home. Wink, wink. Right. Yeah. Yep. Okay. That's a good one. 466 00:44:21,020 --> 00:44:27,419 One party we took, we would take. Uh, well, one of my brother's got these, uh, waterproof in 80s said, oh, 467 00:44:27,459 --> 00:44:31,699 you know, you could throw these in the water, and now they're, you know, they'll still go up. No, 468 00:44:31,739 --> 00:44:36,019 that's that's impossible. Because once you think of fire and water, it's going to go out. Oh, you 469 00:44:36,020 --> 00:44:40,570 throw them in the water and they Well, of course we had the bright idea. Well, what if we stuck it 470 00:44:40,570 --> 00:44:47,329 in a beer bottle and threw the beer bottle in the pool? What would happen? And believe it or not, the 471 00:44:47,330 --> 00:44:52,369 beer bottle or the beer bottle would not explode unless there was water in the bottle. If we threw 472 00:44:52,370 --> 00:44:58,489 it in there empty, it wouldn't break. Huh? I'm sure there's some science behind that somewhere. It's 473 00:44:58,529 --> 00:45:04,530 way over my head. But that's. That's interesting. The ones we threw in empty, they didn't. They 474 00:45:04,530 --> 00:45:09,968 didn't explode. But if we put water in it, threw it in there, they would shatter. And then my brother 475 00:45:09,969 --> 00:45:13,809 one, the brother with the apartment where he was staying at, he was getting mad because we were 476 00:45:13,850 --> 00:45:20,569 busting beer bottles in his apartment pool. But yeah, I could see that kind of ruins the fun of 477 00:45:20,570 --> 00:45:27,408 the pool party. At least the pool aspect, right? Uh. That's great. Tony 478 00:45:27,489 --> 00:45:33,009 coming to you next, man. Favorite thing that explodes? Well, first, I think we should contact. I 479 00:45:33,009 --> 00:45:38,080 don't know if the MythBusters even still is in syndication, but that sounds like something that 480 00:45:38,080 --> 00:45:44,918 we should give to those guys to. Yeah. Why? Water in the beer bottle. I mean, it kind of 481 00:45:44,960 --> 00:45:49,079 sounds like Kevin's already myth. Busted it, to be honest with you. But I would love to see somebody 482 00:45:49,080 --> 00:45:55,759 that knows the science talk about it, that's for sure. Yeah, that'd be cool. I always like grouping 483 00:45:55,999 --> 00:46:02,839 4 or 5 mermaids together, lighting them and then putting them in the mailbox. I thought you 484 00:46:02,840 --> 00:46:09,760 said you were more angelic. Whose mailbox are you blowing up on? Neighbors. I never 485 00:46:10,399 --> 00:46:16,158 put glass at the bottom of a pool. Oh, well, thank you. Thank you for that. You did commit a federal 486 00:46:16,159 --> 00:46:22,759 crime when you blew up a mailbox. But, hey. Hey, he's right. He's breaking laws. I'm just breaking 487 00:46:22,759 --> 00:46:29,759 rules again. Want to take this moment to say, do not try this at home? This was a 488 00:46:29,800 --> 00:46:35,459 long time ago. We've we've, um. We've made penance for our sins. Right, fellas? I'm sure some kind of 489 00:46:35,499 --> 00:46:42,259 karma came back and got you for that, right, Tony? Yes, yes. Karma always gets. You. It always does. It 490 00:46:42,259 --> 00:46:46,739 always does. Uh, fellas, this has been a lot of fun. I can't thank you enough. You guys both jumped in 491 00:46:46,739 --> 00:46:51,979 here with me on short notice to get this episode done, and, uh, we've got a good one here. It's been a 492 00:46:51,979 --> 00:46:56,859 great conversation. As always. We're going to give you some time here to share your final thoughts. 493 00:46:56,860 --> 00:47:01,619 And, uh, this one is a little bit of a special Final Thought segment because it's a chance for 494 00:47:01,620 --> 00:47:07,579 you not only to wish America happy. 250 uh, but to talk a little bit about, uh, you know, any any 495 00:47:07,620 --> 00:47:12,939 family, friends, anything like that, that means something to you as we celebrate our freedoms and 496 00:47:12,940 --> 00:47:19,779 our independence, uh, on this great Independence Day? Um, so final thoughts from you guys here on 497 00:47:19,779 --> 00:47:25,018 our 4th of July special. Tony, we'll start with you. First and foremost. Thanks again for the time. 498 00:47:25,019 --> 00:47:31,099 Thanks for joining me on short notice. It's been fun. As always. It has, um, pig muscles. 499 00:47:33,129 --> 00:47:39,609 I love it. You guys spread it like wildfire. Okay. I've given you permission. I want every Cypress 500 00:47:39,610 --> 00:47:46,569 driver to refer to the hot dog as the pig missile from here on out. Oh. It will. My. My 501 00:47:46,610 --> 00:47:52,569 real first experience with 4th of July is I actually got to see the Freedom Train of 76. They 502 00:47:52,570 --> 00:47:57,649 let out school. We all walked down to the tracks, the railroad tracks, and watched the Freedom Train 503 00:47:57,649 --> 00:48:04,529 go by in 1976. I thought that was super cool, but my shout out not just my 504 00:48:04,570 --> 00:48:10,728 two sons, but anybody that has a loved one, a family member that served. That's a great shout 505 00:48:10,770 --> 00:48:15,610 out, man. That's a that's a great shout out. And so that the the Freedom Train that you're talking 506 00:48:15,610 --> 00:48:21,770 about there, that was America's 200th birthday right? Yes, sir. Yes, sir. That's cool. That's cool man. 507 00:48:21,809 --> 00:48:27,728 So you've got you've been here. What was America's 150th birthday like? I wasn't. There, 508 00:48:29,570 --> 00:48:34,279 Kevin. I figured you would take that one for me, but you weren't saying it, so I had to take it. I 509 00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:41,079 let I let that one go. I was I was trying to think of my final thought. Oh, man. 510 00:48:41,080 --> 00:48:45,759 Thanks for thanks for playing ball with me, Tony. You know, I'm just messing with you. Yes I do. Yeah, 511 00:48:45,800 --> 00:48:52,319 I missed that one. Oh, great stuff there, Tony. And listen, I appreciate it taking the time to, uh, to 512 00:48:52,360 --> 00:48:56,479 thank every those veterans and the families of veterans. You know, there's a lot of people that 513 00:48:56,520 --> 00:49:02,119 won't get to spend time with their family members this year because they're out defending our 514 00:49:02,120 --> 00:49:07,719 freedoms or their family is out defending our freedoms. So, uh, that's pretty poignant of you, man. 515 00:49:07,719 --> 00:49:12,799 And and once again, uh, tell your sons from the Cypress Truck Lines podcast here, all of us 516 00:49:12,800 --> 00:49:18,039 involved. Thanks for their service. It means a lot. I sure will, thank you. Thanks for joining us today, 517 00:49:18,080 --> 00:49:23,479 Tony. Kevin, you've been thinking about your final take here. Uh, thanks again for joining us on short 518 00:49:23,520 --> 00:49:27,679 notice. Really appreciate it. Had a lot of fun with you here today. Final thoughts before we let you 519 00:49:27,680 --> 00:49:34,138 get back to CTC now? Same thing I have to say. You know, a big shout out. Thank you to the people who 520 00:49:34,139 --> 00:49:40,099 make our freedoms possible. And you know, freedom isn't free. Someone's got to pay the price. And the 521 00:49:40,100 --> 00:49:46,819 guys on the front line, you know, kids can't be more selfless than that. So shout out the wind 522 00:49:46,819 --> 00:49:53,259 and blow. Happy birthday to this great country that we are so fortunate and blessed to call home. 523 00:49:53,659 --> 00:49:59,220 Great stuff there Kevin. Thank you guys so much for joining us. Happy two 50th America. We'll be 524 00:49:59,220 --> 00:50:04,099 right back here to wrap it up on the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. So get your pig missiles 525 00:50:04,100 --> 00:50:10,939 ready because nothing is going to go better with the outro to this episode than a nice, uh, slightly 526 00:50:10,939 --> 00:50:14,819 charred pig missile. I'm telling you, if you're boiling these things, you're doing it all wrong. 527 00:50:14,860 --> 00:50:19,019 Thanks, fellas. We'll talk to you soon. Thanks, Marcus. Thank you. 528 00:50:26,929 --> 00:50:33,649 Hats off to Kevin and Tony for joining us for such a fun interview. Uh, the pig missile has found 529 00:50:33,649 --> 00:50:40,409 its way into the Cypress Truck Lines fleet, and you guys are going to hear about it a lot. I'm 530 00:50:40,410 --> 00:50:44,529 telling you right now, uh, there's nobody that's listening to this podcast that hasn't already 531 00:50:44,529 --> 00:50:49,689 adopted it. And when you go to your cookout over the 4th of July weekend and you say, somebody 532 00:50:49,730 --> 00:50:55,409 throw a pig missile on the grill for me, they're gonna know exactly what you're talking about 533 00:50:55,409 --> 00:51:01,529 without you having to explain it. There's really nothing else that could be a pig missile. Okay, um, 534 00:51:01,530 --> 00:51:08,249 so remember it. Spread it like wildfire. It's. It's in the dictionary now. Or at least the one that I 535 00:51:08,249 --> 00:51:13,129 wrote, which it only has a few words in it. So don't look to learn anything right yet, but we're 536 00:51:13,129 --> 00:51:19,329 adding to it all the time here on the Cypress Truck Lines podcast. So once again, uh, big thanks 537 00:51:19,329 --> 00:51:26,189 to, uh, Tony and Kevin. Uh, and again, I will say just to make sure that we've said it enough. Do 538 00:51:26,189 --> 00:51:32,469 not try any of that at home. Uh, this is what it used to be like. That's not what it's like anymore. 539 00:51:32,550 --> 00:51:36,988 There's a lot more red tape involved in the fireworks world than there was when we were kids. 540 00:51:36,989 --> 00:51:42,589 And I don't like to date myself like that, but, you know, I've already said it in this podcast. I'm 41 541 00:51:42,590 --> 00:51:48,869 years old, and even 20 short years ago, things were quite a bit different. Um, and then you start 542 00:51:48,909 --> 00:51:55,110 talking about back in the 70s and the 80s. Well, it's amazing that so many of us have all ten 543 00:51:55,110 --> 00:52:00,870 fingers and all ten toes, or we have all of our eyebrows or facial hair, because let me tell you, 544 00:52:01,029 --> 00:52:07,469 it got wild. Uh, back back in those days, for sure. But I told you I was going to bring you some 545 00:52:07,469 --> 00:52:14,269 stats here to close out the show. I love coming to a good, like, dripping with American Pride 546 00:52:14,270 --> 00:52:21,148 statistic. You know me, I love my stats and info, but these ones are so specific to the 4th 547 00:52:21,149 --> 00:52:26,819 of July celebration and I just can't believe them. These really paint the picture for you on. Why? 548 00:52:26,860 --> 00:52:32,579 Nobody does it better than America. Okay, how about this? Let's start right out with pig missiles. How 549 00:52:32,579 --> 00:52:39,459 many of them? How many do you think? Well, let me tell you. On the 4th of July alone. Just 550 00:52:39,460 --> 00:52:44,820 that day. Not the week surrounding it. Not the fact that we've been kind of talking about America's 551 00:52:44,820 --> 00:52:51,039 250th birthday for, like, a month now, Americans will eat roughly 150 552 00:52:51,040 --> 00:52:57,979 million pig missiles on Independence Day alone. That is enough 553 00:52:57,979 --> 00:53:04,899 to stretch from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles more than five times. And you 554 00:53:04,899 --> 00:53:11,739 think I did the math on that, huh? That stat comes directly from hot dog.org. I 555 00:53:11,740 --> 00:53:17,259 didn't even know of such a place, but I am going to submit a strongly worded letter and ask them 556 00:53:17,259 --> 00:53:24,249 to treat to please change their their domain name to pig missile. Because I think they'd get a lot 557 00:53:24,250 --> 00:53:28,809 more traffic. But that's just me. You wonder what that breaks down to. I already told you it would 558 00:53:28,810 --> 00:53:35,688 stretch from DC to LA five times over. Well, this is the real stat that'll impress you. Okay? Because 559 00:53:35,689 --> 00:53:39,209 when you think of a pig missile, you think, you know it's going to take you a few minutes to eat 560 00:53:39,210 --> 00:53:43,409 it, right? You got to take bites. You got chew, you got to swallow. Make sure we're not choking. Maybe 561 00:53:43,450 --> 00:53:50,409 wash it down with your favorite beverage of choice. But 150 pig missiles in one day breaks 562 00:53:50,409 --> 00:53:57,090 down to 818 pig missiles per second between Memorial Day and Labor 563 00:53:57,090 --> 00:54:03,489 Day. Americans will consume about 7 billion pig missiles. So 150 564 00:54:03,489 --> 00:54:10,489 million is one heck of of a number to reach on one day. But if you take Memorial 565 00:54:10,489 --> 00:54:17,449 Day to Labor Day and the 7 billion hot dogs that we as Americans will put back, that's 818 566 00:54:17,490 --> 00:54:24,469 hot dogs or pig missiles, if you will, every second of every day between Memorial Day and 567 00:54:24,470 --> 00:54:30,229 Labor Day. I'll tell you if if something on this show has ever earned a round of applause, I think 568 00:54:30,230 --> 00:54:37,070 it's that stat right there. 818 a second from Memorial Day to Labor Day. That is 569 00:54:37,070 --> 00:54:42,269 red, white and blue. If I've ever seen anything that's red, white and blue. Uh, how about this? 570 00:54:42,310 --> 00:54:48,829 Americans will spend nearly $9 billion on the 4th of July for 571 00:54:48,830 --> 00:54:55,829 food alone. 8.9 billion is the official estimate. But I like that 9 billion. I'm 572 00:54:55,830 --> 00:55:02,310 a big round numbers guy. Now. That includes burgers, pig missiles, potato salad, baked beans, watermelon, 573 00:55:02,310 --> 00:55:08,909 and enough chips to bury a small town. Uh, I got that stat from WalletHub. And, 574 00:55:08,909 --> 00:55:15,148 um, let me tell you, it's really kind of poignant when you think about it. And also, all joking aside, 575 00:55:15,189 --> 00:55:22,179 you got to think about truck drivers impact on that, right? None of that $8.99 billion 576 00:55:22,179 --> 00:55:28,620 worth of food gets to us as. As normal everyday four wheel in Americans. If a truck driver doesn't 577 00:55:28,620 --> 00:55:34,739 move it first. So hats off to all of the 3 million truck drivers that get our goods where they need 578 00:55:34,739 --> 00:55:40,219 to be in this great nation. Now, you might ask if we're going to spend. 9 billion on food. I kind of 579 00:55:40,259 --> 00:55:45,100 got to wonder how much we're going to spend on booze because, hey, people like to get a little bit 580 00:55:45,139 --> 00:55:49,779 rowdy when they're celebrating America's birthday, and that's one of the freedoms that we enjoy. I 581 00:55:49,780 --> 00:55:55,459 will say this be safe. Okay? Consume responsibly. Make sure you're not driving. We don't want 582 00:55:55,459 --> 00:56:00,819 anybody's career to end over a night where you had too much fun. Uh, but Americans will spend 583 00:56:00,820 --> 00:56:07,779 about $4 billion on beer and wine for the 4th of July alone. George Washington 584 00:56:07,779 --> 00:56:13,579 would approve. That's all I can say. Look it. Don't kid yourself. The founding fathers were were 585 00:56:13,580 --> 00:56:19,008 drinking whiskey back in the day. And without that whiskey they might not have ever had. Sit down and 586 00:56:19,009 --> 00:56:24,570 have the conversation about no taxation without representation. And we can do this better across 587 00:56:24,570 --> 00:56:30,889 the pond. So I'm just saying that's a stat that would make your forefathers proud. How about this 588 00:56:30,889 --> 00:56:37,409 $2.8 billion will be spent on things that go boom. Americans will spend 589 00:56:37,409 --> 00:56:44,289 2.8 billion on fireworks this year. That's actually more than four times what we spent 590 00:56:44,290 --> 00:56:50,370 at the turn of the century, which isn't surprising at all. But hey, the industry is kind of on fire 591 00:56:50,370 --> 00:56:55,089 right now. Pun intended. Um, especially this time of year, man, you start to see them pop up. It's always 592 00:56:55,090 --> 00:56:59,409 one of my favorite times in the summer, when you're cruising around in June and you start to 593 00:56:59,409 --> 00:57:05,089 see those big striped tents go up all over the place and parking lots across this country. And 594 00:57:05,090 --> 00:57:10,889 kids eyes start to get big because they know sooner or later, mom and dad are going to stop at 595 00:57:10,889 --> 00:57:15,539 that tent and we're going to load up the car with all the entertainment we're going to need for the 596 00:57:15,540 --> 00:57:22,509 4th of July. It's exciting. I love this time of year. How about this the 2026 Macy's 4th 597 00:57:22,509 --> 00:57:29,509 of July celebration in New York. Plans to launch 85,000 fireworks shows during 598 00:57:29,509 --> 00:57:35,989 its display alone. 85,000 shells in one performance in 599 00:57:35,990 --> 00:57:41,070 one city. It's pretty mind blowing. You start to couple that with all of the other big 600 00:57:41,070 --> 00:57:46,389 metropolitan cities that will put on their own gigantic firework display, and then you 601 00:57:46,389 --> 00:57:51,829 extrapolate from there all of the people that just love this holiday, and they're going to go 602 00:57:51,830 --> 00:57:57,870 out and spend 500 or 1000 bucks to load up their camp trailer or whatever they're in, and then 603 00:57:57,870 --> 00:58:02,389 they're going to go out and put on their own display. I just would love to know. I couldn't find 604 00:58:02,389 --> 00:58:09,309 any stats about how many fireworks will be set off in total, but let me tell you, it's a lot. 605 00:58:09,350 --> 00:58:14,139 If they're going to do 85,000 in New York alone. You can bet you were creeping up into the 606 00:58:14,139 --> 00:58:21,019 millions of fuzes lit for the 4th of July alone. Now, America's firework industry relies 607 00:58:21,019 --> 00:58:26,099 heavily on trucking every summer, as you might have imagined. The American Pyrotechnics 608 00:58:26,100 --> 00:58:32,619 Association even receives special federal trucking exemptions around July 4th, 609 00:58:32,659 --> 00:58:39,258 because moving fireworks become such a massive nationwide operation, that's pretty cool. I did not 610 00:58:39,259 --> 00:58:45,499 know that until I found that stat from American Pyro. Com, which had sounds like a metal band to me, 611 00:58:45,500 --> 00:58:50,418 but it's actually where the pyro technicians gather, and that's kind of their spot. Um, it's kind 612 00:58:50,419 --> 00:58:56,340 of cool website if you're into that type of thing. I would go check it out. 86% of Americans will 613 00:58:56,340 --> 00:59:02,579 celebrate in some way, shape or form over the 4th of July. That's what. That's what they say. 86% say 614 00:59:02,580 --> 00:59:07,899 they will celebrate. That, to me, means it's probably it could be even more than that because 615 00:59:07,899 --> 00:59:11,560 some people are just, you know, maybe they're just being jerks about it. No, I don't like this country. 616 00:59:11,560 --> 00:59:15,839 I'm not going to celebrate. But sure enough, we'll catch you out on the porch with a pig missile in 617 00:59:15,840 --> 00:59:21,038 your pocket. Watch on the fireworks show. That sounds like a celebration to me. And of course, 618 00:59:21,039 --> 00:59:25,719 we've got the people that say they're going to celebrate, but just stay home. Hey, I consider that 619 00:59:25,719 --> 00:59:30,359 celebrating in your own way. If you'd like to just get a pizza and stay in for the night. Heck, man, 620 00:59:30,359 --> 00:59:37,159 it's hot out there. I understand that, but 86% is a pretty good clip. I like it, I 621 00:59:37,160 --> 00:59:42,319 think we can do better. I think we can get to 90% next year, but we'll see. Like I said, it's the 622 00:59:42,320 --> 00:59:48,319 250th birthday. It's a pretty good time to well up with national pride. This one is a little bit of a 623 00:59:48,320 --> 00:59:54,399 morbid stat, but one that I think is very poignant when you think about it. Three American presidents 624 00:59:54,399 --> 01:00:00,959 have actually died on July 4th, and not because of a misguided bottle rocket. Thomas Jefferson and 625 01:00:00,959 --> 01:00:07,479 John Adams both died on July 4th, 1826, exactly 50 years after the 626 01:00:07,479 --> 01:00:13,870 Declaration of Independence, and James Monroe died on July 4th. Five years later in 627 01:00:13,870 --> 01:00:20,188 1831. Three founding area or three excuse me. Founding era presidents. 628 01:00:20,349 --> 01:00:25,509 All. On the 4th of July. I mean, if that's not patriotic, I don't know what is. Give me the big 629 01:00:25,510 --> 01:00:30,909 stars and stripes top hat and the long stars and stripes trench coat. I'm gonna stand up on top of 630 01:00:30,909 --> 01:00:36,629 the mountain and scream, happy birthday, America. I mean, and and also rest in peace to our founding 631 01:00:36,629 --> 01:00:42,309 fathers there. But, uh, kind of a, like I said, a little bit morbid, but also a very interesting 632 01:00:42,310 --> 01:00:49,229 stat. And finally, we're turning 250. Can you believe it? 250 years in this great 633 01:00:49,230 --> 01:00:54,469 nation, the biggest number of all, really, only one generation gets to celebrate America's 634 01:00:54,470 --> 01:01:01,069 bicentennial. Only one generation gets to celebrate America's 250th birthday. And that's 635 01:01:01,069 --> 01:01:06,709 us. Okay, pretty cool stuff when you break it down to brass tacks. So this weekend, whether you're 636 01:01:06,780 --> 01:01:11,938 watching fireworks, grilling pig missiles, haul and freight, spending time with family, or just 637 01:01:11,939 --> 01:01:18,699 enjoying a cold drink on the porch. Remember that 250 years ago, a bunch of stubborn Americans 638 01:01:18,699 --> 01:01:25,459 bet everything on an idea called freedom. Today, 150 million hot dogs, billions of 639 01:01:25,459 --> 01:01:32,259 dollars in fireworks, and 340 million Americans later. I'd say that that bet 640 01:01:32,299 --> 01:01:38,340 paid off. Thanks for joining me here on our special 4th of July episode, as we celebrate 641 01:01:38,340 --> 01:01:45,219 America's 250th birthday. The number one thing I want you to take away is be safe, as always. 642 01:01:45,219 --> 01:01:50,100 And I'm talking if you're driving. If you're out there hauling, you know I'm going to tell you to 643 01:01:50,100 --> 01:01:55,180 be safe. If you're lighting off fireworks, keep a bucket of water or a fire extinguisher around. All 644 01:01:55,219 --> 01:02:00,059 right. We over here on the West Coast tend to burn down this time of year. So take the firework 645 01:02:00,060 --> 01:02:04,919 safety seriously. You don't want to be stomping out a bush like Kevin was talking about. uh, that 646 01:02:04,960 --> 01:02:10,039 that can go bad really fast and be safe with your consumption. I'm not going to tell you how many 647 01:02:10,040 --> 01:02:15,560 pig missiles to have that's on you, but if you're, uh, if you're imbibing a little bit this weekend, 648 01:02:15,560 --> 01:02:20,479 you're having some beer. In the spirit of America, uh, I understand we're all going to do it, but 649 01:02:20,479 --> 01:02:25,999 let's be safe out there again. We don't want one fun night to ruin a career and such a great 650 01:02:26,000 --> 01:02:32,039 career at that. A career that actually makes it possible for America to grow to its next 651 01:02:32,040 --> 01:02:38,999 250 years. Once again, thank you all for for joining me today. Be safe out there. Happy 652 01:02:38,999 --> 01:02:44,119 250th America. This is the Cypress Truck Lines podcast signing off.