Orange Juice Optional

The champagne is flowing freely today for Michelle now that she has survived the ‘Summer from Hell’, and Suzanne is celebrating her recent victory as well. One thing they’re not exactly celebrating, however, is how travelling post-COVID-19 is a different experience from what it used to be in the past. In today’s episode, our hosts have more than a few things to say about the new flying experience and what it means for air passengers.  

The episode starts with Suzanne picking up from the last episode and talking about how she won the candle contest on Instagram. Then, she moves on to the theme of the day’s podcast and discusses how flying is now an uncomfortable experience for her, including her experiences with flights being delayed or canceled at airports. She also relates her difficulties with car rental services, and problems related to obtaining food on flights. Together, Michelle and Suzanne explore how employee shortage hurts flight operations at airports. Finally, the episode ends on a positive note, with Michelle giving a shout-out to her daughter-in-law for taking on the Orange Juice Optional Instagram page.

Episode Highlights

Quotes

‘‘And my point at that point was, if you’re getting on a plane, and passengers have become unruly, and it’s like, I wonder if that’s because the airlines have made it so uncomfortable for us to travel, that our frustration levels are at their peak.’’

“But instead of trying to get to where we were, how to recreate a positive environment that we can all peacefully live in without feeling this angst and this stress, and this frustration, wherever we go, the judgment.’’

“It’s like I am on a campaign now to find the positive ways to deal with life in general.’’

Show Links

Homepage:  Orange Juice Optional

To share comments & podcast ideas please email: OJO Email

Suzanne’s candle contest is drawing to a close – in fact, it will be over by the time this episode airs – but she has taken time out of routinely checking the voting updates on Instagram to join Michelle for today’s episode about fall – the favorite season of at least one of our hosts. In their wide ranging discussion here today, they share their perspectives on autumn and explore some facts about the season that prove to be as interesting as they are entertaining.

The episode begins with an update on the candle contest followed by the autumn personality quiz, Michelle’s feelings about the fall season, leaves, and Suzanne’s pumpkin spice cookies. Suzanne goes on to review her love for autumn colors like yellow, brown, and orange, and together she and Michelle talk about the places which they would like to visit in the fall. Love it or hate it, fall is a fact of life – one which our hosts shine the spotlight on in today’s fun and fascinating episode.

Episode Highlights

Quotes

‘‘I love seeing different leaf colors. I love to feel the crispiness in the air, like when I breathe in to take it in and it feels so crisp and fresh.’’

“But I like how the skies look when it’s fall. Like, there’s a lot of drama in the skies, the clouds.”

“In fall, there just needs to be an eeriness in the air, just a little bit of mystery.’’

‘‘Fall colours are my favourite colours. I love browns. I love orange. I love deep yellow, like a golden rod yellow.’’

Show Links

Homepage:  Orange Juice Optional

To share comments & podcast ideas please email: OJO Email

If there is one topic that all of us know something about, especially over the past year and a half, it’s stress. Michelle and Suzanne certainly are no strangers to this condition, and today they focus their trademark entertaining and informative spotlight on some of their more stressful situations in life as well as some techniques that can be used to beat stress.

In today’s episode, Suzanne starts by discussing a candle slogan contest she is participating in on Instagram. Then, the conversation shifts to the topic of stress, an evil that makes people feel overwhelmed in certain situations. After discussing stressful experiences related to airport protocols and passengers, Michelle and Suzanne explore stress management, techniques to combat stress, and how unconventional stress reduction techniques like sparking joy for other people can also help them uplift their moods. Finally, the episode ends with Michelle committing to implement the stress reduction techniques next week, an excellent example for all of us to follow.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“I know when I find myself getting stressed out, I start that mental process. Also just breathe, just breathe.’’

“And a lot of times when I close my eyes like that, I will listen for sounds and I have always found this fascinating that when you really listen to sound, you don’t just hear one level of sound. You can usually hear different sounds all at the same time.’’

“And the best, best, best way for me is if I take a walk. It’s like, for whatever reason, it clears my brain, it makes me feel better.’’

“When you turn, try to turn someone’s day around just by giving them a nice comment, just by making them feel better.’’

Show Links

Homepage:  Orange Juice Optional

To share comments and podcast ideas please email: OJO Email

After doing a quick check on what kind of mood they’re in, and reviewing just how overwhelming Michelle’s move is at the moment, our hosts pick up where they left off at the end of the previous episode to explore the world of ‘life hacks’. Realizing that sometimes we all can get so used to performing actions in a specific way, today Suzanne and Michelle share with listeners some of the life hacks – those pieces of information that make your life simpler - that they have adopted over the years which have worked for them and might just work for you as well.

Beginning with Michelle’s embarrassing moment of realization that water boils faster with the lid on, they go on to look at hacks that can be used in the kitchen and share their experiences of applying some specific life hacks. They finish up by discussing the hack that involves taking a photo of a car in the parking lot to remember its location. Whether or not you have heard these tips before, today’s episode is as entertaining as it is informative – definitely one you do not want to miss.

Episode Highlights

Quotes

‘‘I probably missed a lot when I was writing my list down as well, for that very reason. Because there are things that you just do over and over again, that you forget is a life hack.’’

‘‘Okay, so you, if you have boiling water with no lid on it, and you want to keep the water from boiling over, you put a wooden spoon across the top of it.’’

‘‘But again, for me, it was really hard because, you know, you integrate them into your everyday life, and they don’t feel like hacks anymore, but they could really save somebody else some time.’’

Show Links

Homepage:  Orange Juice Optional

To share comments & podcast ideas please email:  OJO Email

With fingers crossed that their mic issues are in the past, Suzanne and Michelle are back today to talk about one of the side effects that technology holds for them – procrastination. But it’s not just technology that inspires this delay of completing tasks in their lives, and in today’s episode they take a deeper look at why and how it shows up for them, much of which will undoubtedly ring true for listeners as well.

They begin by exploring some surprises in Suzanne’s life and the reason why she dislikes them so much, and then they move on to discuss the times when they themselves have procrastinated. They also examine why the need to procrastinate arises in the first place, and throw light upon how procrastination can be viewed as a positive activity. To finish up, Michelle and Suzanne take the procrastination quiz and determine which type of a procrastinator they are, based on the five different types outlined. There’s no surprise that today’s episode is yet another thoroughly entertaining one, and listeners will come away so very pleased that our hosts didn’t put this one off.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

‘‘Like, if I have to have a really uncomfortable conversation with somebody, or share some news, or have a talk that I’m not looking forward to, I will procrastinate. I do not want to step into that feeling of I’m disappointing someone. I don’t want to step into that feeling of being mad at me, perhaps.’’

“There’s always that element of surprise in a conversation that you’ve planned to have, especially uncomfortable conversations. Even when you try to anticipate their responses, there’s always that element of surprise.’’

“So, I guess what I’m trying to say is when it comes to having a timeline in place, or a deadline in place, I am very good at not procrastinating because I don’t like to put myself in a state of chaos, like this move every step of the way.’’

“So, people might procrastinate because they feel anxious about something, like they’re not going to be able to do it well enough, or it’s too much on their plate or there’s no interest.’’

Show Links

Homepage:  Orange Juice Optional

To share comments & podcast ideas please email: OJO Email

In moments of frustration or truly poor customer service, sometimes you’ve just got to slip into “Karen Mode” to stand your ground. Suzanne kicks off today’s episode with an absolutely aggravating story about a recent experience she had while visiting Las Vegas for a home product show, and reflects with Michelle about why middle-aged men are not labelled a “Karen” when they ask to speak to the manager. As they contemplate this double standard, Michelle then shares her hilarious story about a makeshift Louis Vuitton dog leash, and the puzzling feedback she’s received from buyers in the very stressful process of selling her home.

Michelle and Suzanne touch on today’s topic, procrastination, and discuss the pros and cons of being a mental listmaker versus writing things down. They chat about the sense of accomplishment that comes with getting things off your plate, which brings them to a most amusing conversation about work dinners, exaggerated stories, and experiencing FOMO when they miss out on events with one another. Of course, they have much more to say about procrastination as well, but they’ll get to it next time!

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“Are we dealing with a little bit of a double standard here? Because all of a sudden, middle-aged white female women are ‘Karens’ when they create a scene about something that is somewhat justified. But this older gentleman, who is tossing around names and tossing around his importance in life, and demanding a table right now is not getting a ‘Karen’ label.”

“Experiences in selling a house... I know it will sell when the time is right. It's a beautiful home. It's just having patience. And we all know that is not a strong suit of mine.”

“It's such a great feeling, when you can get it off your plate. When you actually take care of something, you accomplish it. It's done. And it's off your plate. No more procrastination.”

“It's great having a person like that in your life, who makes you feel like they want you there.”

Links:

Homepage:  Orange Juice Optional

In getting her house ready to be sold, Michelle is going through a lot of her belongings and trying to decide what needs to stay and what needs to go. As she engages in this process, she’s finding, as many of us do, that the memories arising are making her feel quite nostalgic, reminding her of different moments in the lives of herself and her family. As a result, this week’s episode is all about the sense of nostalgia that virtually all of us experience at some point in our own lives as well.

Today, Michelle and Suzanne begin by catching up on some news such as Michelle’s two new ‘hellions’, Suzanne’s swimming history, and the board game, ‘Really Karen?” From there, they go on to explore what makes them and their family members nostalgic as, together, they take a trip down memory lane, recalling such items from the past as certificates, jerseys, dragons, and Power Rangers. They also discuss how deciding to put an old object in the trash or keeping it safe is a difficult decision, and finish up by reviewing how our good and bad memories make us who we are today. Rest assured, today’s episode is yet another one which will bring you joy, and which will be remembered fondly for a very long time.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

Links:

To share comments & podcast ideas please email: OJO Email

In getting her house ready to be sold, Michelle is going through a lot of her belongings and trying to decide what needs to stay and what needs to go. As she engages in this process, she’s finding, as many of us do, that the memories arising are making her feel quite nostalgic, reminding her of different moments in the lives of herself and her family. As a result, this week’s episode is all about the sense of nostalgia that virtually all of us experience at some point in our own lives as well.

Today, Michelle and Suzanne begin by catching up on some news such as Michelle’s two new ‘hellions’, Suzanne’s swimming history, and the board game, ‘Really Karen?” From there, they go on to explore what makes them and their family members nostalgic as, together, they take a trip down memory lane, recalling such items from the past as certificates, jerseys, dragons, and Power Rangers. They also discuss how deciding to put an old object in the trash or keeping it safe is a difficult decision, and finish up by reviewing how our good and bad memories make us who we are today. Rest assured, today’s episode is yet another one which will bring you joy, and which will be remembered fondly for a very long time.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

‘‘It’s like you started getting rid of these things that no longer spark joy. And you know, what immediately pops into my head is like, ‘So what’s the problem?’”

“But I know what you mean when you’re going through boxes and you come across things. And yeah, it becomes very sentimental.’’

“It’s only a small percentage of things that you’re actually going to really regret getting rid of. And it’ll be that one piece of paper that you know you have, but you can’t find it anywhere.’’

“Because there are definitely things that trigger my senses that helped me remember and take me back to a certain place or time.’’

“I would like to add about nostalgia, like, the good, the bad. It’s what makes us who we are today, the memories of it, and those little things that spark those memories of it.’’

Links:

Homepage:  Orange Juice Optional

To share comments & podcast ideas please email: OJO Email

With all of the frustration that technology has introduced into their lives, Michelle’s been looking for a topic to discuss with Suzanne today that is benign enough to calm everything down for a bit. Given that the Tokyo Games are running right now, the Olympics and sports in general seem to fit the bill perfectly.

This week, she and Suzanne start by sharing some of their technological woes, before going on to discuss the Olympic Games, including the athletes who participate in them and the performance anxiety they go through, and the impact of COVID-19 on their experience at this year’s Games. They also discuss the sports they like and play, as well as their flexibility and athletic build, and, as is their habit, head off into such tangents as picky eaters. As always, you just never know what exactly you’re going to get when these two best friends get together, but you always know you’re going to enjoy the ride.

Episode Highlights:

Quotes:

“But there’s actually a thing that they refer to when you kind of lose your train of thought, in the middle of your routine. And she said that’s what’s happened to her, is her mind and her body connecting.’’

“Because in anything you do, you have to be mentally strong and prepared.’’

“So, I think there’s a lot of pressure, especially in the Olympics on individual athletes, especially on the ones that are favored to win the gold because they get so much media attention, which you kind of have to blame the media, you kind of have to tell the media back off, you know, let these kids perform, because most of them are just kids.’’

“If you have the passion for it, you could be really good at it if you have the skill, right?”

“To be perfectly honest, tangent things are more interesting to me than the Olympics.”

Links:

Homepage:  Orange Juice Optional

To share comments & podcast ideas please email: OJO Email