The Verbally Disastrous Podcast With Leslie M. Jasper (Guest Co-Host Melissa Polito)

In this episode, on a Sunday afternoon, I passed the microphone around in the group to bounce back and forth a wide variety of topics. In this first section, the main theme is the the power of friendships, how you should nurture them, and how to find balance so that you do not drop your friends off and try to re-connect when your relationship unfolds. Amongst the group, we have my co-host Melissa, our pal Donna, and my two sons Tom and Johnny. We try to understand each other's current view in life on relationships.  Kudos to Donna for asking a lot of questions and working to steer the direction of the conversation.  I'm sure she will be back in future episodes! This is Part A and the first half of the discussion. For more information, head over to www.constructiontales.com.

In this episode, Leslie is your host while she takes on you a journey through her eyes to see what it was like to work as a pregnant electrician in construction back in 2004 to 2005 in New York. Leslie made the choice to expand her family, back in 2005, when she welcomed a 8 lb., 3 oz. baby boy named Johnny. Today, Johnny is a 16-year-old active teenager who is working on finishing high school and then moving onto college to become a future electrical engineer. Leslie shared how she tried to hide her pregnancy as long as possible in order to keep working while dodging discrimination. She also shares stories of different jobsites, co-workers and peers, and the various challenges she faced along the way. We do not recommend that you work as far along as Leslie did during her pregnancy or tackle the various hazards faced while on the job. Leslie gave an overview of what it was like for a pregnant woman to have toxemia over 16-years ago. Always speak with your obstetrician and follow the physician’s orders to ensure a safe labor and delivery for both mother and baby. If a triggering discussion, enter this episode at your own discretion and risk.  Check out the website www.ConstructionTales.com for more information.

This podcast episode is about our Friday to Saturday adventure where Melissa and I decided to take a ride up and check out the town of Newport, Rhode Island.  We drove up early on a Friday morning and strolled the Cliff Walk, checked out the shops, some beaches, and ocean front mansions along the way. After checking into our run-down hotel, we discovered that a plunger was required to be used after each flush. Booking.com sure got a scathing review because of this disappointing experience.  I have a video of Melissa pissed off plunging the toilet on my Verbally Disastrous YouTube channel.  Once we were done plunging the toilet, we stepped out to visit some pubs, downtown along Broadway, for dinner and drinks.  We got to socialize with some locals and tourists alike.  Shout out to the bartenders at the Fastnet Pub in Newport for putting up with us! Melissa opted to record our newly discovered pub friend Bobby. She asked and was granted permission to record his drunken antics. Our new pal we discovered was very funny already with his delivery and observations about life.  As the evening progressed, Bobby became even more drunk, incoherent, and an absolute rambling mess! Eventually, Bobby’s sister came into the bar to persuade him to go home and stop embarrassing himself and the family.  I have the audio clips, from this podcast episode, also posted to the Verbally Disastrous YouTube channel. Check out this episode to get a few laughs and experience Newport in July vicariously through us.

I connected with Melissa Sak, from The Brook Reading Podcast, recently on Twitter.  We agreed to check out each other's podcast and Melissa honored her end of the agreement.  Therefore, I am honoring my end of the agreement with this podcast episode.  Melissa is an author of the book entitled, "Turning Point" that can be found on Amazon in both e-book and paperback.  Melissa reviews various historical content and current events while offering her perspective.  The Brook Reading Podcast has recently released a new series on the history of women entitled, "A Brief History of Women-Volume I".  I am honored that The Verbally Disastrous Podcast, my book #ConstructionTales, and my Kindle Vella library entitled, "Construction Tales- Told By A Woman" were showcased in Volume I of the series.  In this episode, I share my review of podcast episodes from the "Brook Reading Podcast".

Head over to www.ConstructionTales.com to check out more content details and other episode links.

Leslie hosts this episode on the time she had gotten into an altercation with a dude.  This challenge happened on a large project in Stamford, CT back in 2007.  She shares what goes on during a brand new job coming out of the ground.  Leslie introduces some co-workers and foreman during the build-up to the showdown between trades.  This episode is dedicated to a fellow journeyman we lost this year, Scott Gross.  He is gone way too soon.  May he RIP and his family find comfort and healing.

Leslie is your host in this episode. She dives into how a person finds their voice, some jobsite stories, and advice given to teens as they grow up with her son. Leslie gives a snapshot of what it is like navigating around construction jobsite humor as well as strategies for coping with jobsite "ball busting". This topic came up as a blog post and inspiration from a question on Quora. The post is intended to offer advice while diving into speculation on how to acquire one's voice and lose the fear of speaking up.

Head over to my blog/website at: www.ConstructionTales.com for more content and information.

Your host Leslie shares some funny stories from when she worked with the tools earlier in her career as a journeywoman electrician in New York. Leslie discusses some crazy job antics amongst her crew, coworker personalities, as well as interactions with both correctional officers and inmates while working at the Westchester County Jail almost a decade ago. The work crew was responsible for installing cameras throughout the entire jail. It is with these stories; you get an idea of what it was like for a woman to work while behind bars within a male-dominated trade. Leslie is the author of the book entitled, Construction Tales: Volume I: A Woman’s Journey To Become An Electrician on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, and Audible. These short stories belong to the ongoing #ConstructionTales book series. For more information, head over to the website at www.ConstructionTales.com and check out further content.

Your host Leslie reviews a Tedx Talk, hosted by attorney Marilyn York, YouTube video entitled, "What Representing Men in Divorce Taught Me About Fatherhood". This Tedx Talk presentation was delivered by family law practice attorney Marilyn York from Reno, Nevada. Ms. York shares several lessons learned during her +20-years of practicing law, on behalf of fathers that are going through divorce, within her family-owned law firm.  Ms. York is joined by another nine women lawyers who exclusively represent over 650 fathers, since 2001, in family court.  Her law firm believes that men are the "underdog" in family court and crucial in the development of rearing children.  Leslie maps out the lessons learned in this presentation while offering her thoughts on the importance of fathers in a child's life.  As a daddy's girl growing up, Leslie wholeheartedly believes in the importance of a father's role in a child's evolution through childhood.  She learned powerful lessons from her father that would have never been taught by her mother.  This podcast is in honor of Father's Day that was observed last weekend.  For more information, head over to the website at www.ConstructionTales.com and look for this blog post and YouTube video link to the Tedx Talk.

This episode was hosted solely by Leslie. Leslie opted to discuss this Tedx Talk that she watched awhile ago on YouTube.  Yes, her topics swing wildly from side to side.  Leslie does not like to look at only one angle ever.  She is very open minded and willing to evolve with her thought process if it seems to be logical in nature.  Leslie reviewed a YouTube video entitled, "Meeting The Enemy" that was presented by filmmaker Cassie Jaye.  Cassie walked into a project with one line of thinking and walked out totally evolved. Leslie shares the take away points as well as her opinion on the topic.

I received feedback that the audio was tough for people who listened with headphones.  I sent the audio file out to get it cleaned up and enhance softer voices from a sound engineer.  I am sharing the edited version of Episode #20 Part B.  I apologize if you are still not happy with the sound quality.  The content is interesting so I didn't scrap the episodes.  I hope for better episodes moving forward.

We invited special guests Juana and Vanessa to discuss their choice to not have children. This is Part B and the last half of the discussion. Melissa and I also give a snapshot into our earlier lives as mothers of young children. The goal of this two part episode is to give listeners an idea of what it is like to choose to either have or not have children. According to U.S. Census statistics, more and more women are choosing to not have children or wait until later in life before starting their family. This is Part B of the discussion. If you missed Part A, go back in to find it so you can listen to the start of the dialogue on the choice to navigate through society without children.