EP. 149 — Holiday Mailbag

Jenna [00:00:03] I’m Jenna Fischer.

Angela [00:00:04] And I’m Angela Kinsey.

Jenna [00:00:06] We were on The Office together.

Angela [00:00:07] And we’re best friends.

Jenna [00:00:08] And now we’re doing the ultimate Office rewatch podcast just for you.

Angela [00:00:12] Each week, we will break down an episode of The Office and give exclusive behind the scenes stories that only two people who were there can tell you.

Jenna [00:00:19] We’re the Office Ladies. Hello, Angela.

Angela [00:00:26] Hi there!

Jenna [00:00:27] Hi, everyone.

Angela [00:00:29] That’s right.

Jenna [00:00:30] We have an exciting episode today. I’m excited about our episode today.

Angela [00:00:33] I am, too. I’m looking at our desk right now. And you guys, there’s all kinds of packages. There’s stuff, there’s tchotchkes, there’s knickety knacks. I can’t wait. What did we bring?

Jenna [00:00:42] Well, today is our mailbag episode. We went through all of our mail again, both digital and what would you call it? Real?

Angela [00:00:49] Physical?

Jenna [00:00:50] Physical. Yeah, we opened it. We’re going to share all about it. And I even have a couple of great deep dives.

Angela [00:00:56] I was not expecting a deep dive today.

Jenna [00:00:59] I know you weren’t, but you’ll see. It’s a good time.

Angela [00:01:02] Well, let’s start with some Office Ladies news.

Jenna [00:01:04] I like that, Angela, because we do have some news.

Angela [00:01:07] Go first.

Jenna [00:01:08] All right. Office Ladies news number one: on January 4th, to kick off the new year, we will be having a special, special guest on our podcast. Billie Eilish!

Angela [00:01:20] Yes! OMG.

Jenna [00:01:23] Billie came into the studio and sat with us and we gabbed and gabbed and gabbed all about her love of The Office.

Angela [00:01:31] We fully geeked out in front of her. She was so charming and sweet, and we met her mom, Maggie, who was so delightful. You know, Jenna, we were chatting with Maggie, and I thought she looked familiar. And then she said she was main company at the Groundlings Theater. You guys know The Groundlings Theater is where you can learn sketch comedy and improv. There’s theater and a school. I was there. I think we cross paths at the Groundlings.

Jenna [00:01:58] That’s amazing.

Angela [00:01:59] I went back and I looked up and I found a sketch with her and Will Ferrell. It’s on YouTube. It is so hilarious. They’re on the Groundlings stage and they’re pretending to be members of a high school marching band. And she’s playing the flute, really playing it. He’s playing the saxophone. But then they’re having this awkward adolescence conversation. I’ll put it in our stories. Maggie was hilarious.

Jenna [00:02:21] Well, here’s something crazy. After the interview, we’re standing in the hallway and Billie says, You know, my mom was on an episode of The Office.

Angela [00:02:29] You and I about pooped our pants. We’re like what?

Jenna [00:02:32] We were like, what? And she said, Well, my mom was also a voice actress, and her voice is on The Office. And then it turns out that she was in Goodbye Toby, part one. Remember, that’s the episode where Michael wants to throw an elaborate party for Toby’s goodbye.

Angela [00:02:49] Yeah.

Jenna [00:02:50] He puts Phyllis in charge. He tells her he wants an anti-gravity machine, so she’s making phone calls. When we listened to the episode, we weren’t sure who was on the other line. We asked Kent’a’pedia. He thought it was this one actress who’s this great character actress, but he couldn’t be sure. Well, now we’re sure.

Angela [00:03:09] Now we know!

Jenna [00:03:11] I found an audio clip. This is Billie Eilish’sh mom, Maggie Baird.

Phyllis [00:03:15] Hi. Are there any local companies that rent anti-gravity machines?

Maggie Baird [00:03:20] Anti-gravity machines?

Phyllis [00:03:22] That’s right, yeah.

Maggie Baird [00:03:23] What do they do exactly?

Phyllis [00:03:25] They make you feel lighter.

Maggie Baird [00:03:28] Anti gravity. Um, anti-depressant? I could put you through to someone on that.

Phyllis [00:03:35] Okay.

Angela [00:03:39] So good. Well, we were also reminiscing about the time that I met Billie and her mom, Maggie, at the San Francisco airport years ago. Billie was a fan of The Office and had asked me for a photo. And as we were talking about this moment, Maggie was like, Angela, I remember when Billie asked for your photo, you were really excited because you had just bought a jacket in a vending machine at the airport.

Jenna [00:04:04] It was insane. It was insane to find out that Angela had gone on and on about her vending machine jacket.

Angela [00:04:10] To a stranger I had just met.

Jenna [00:04:12] But that tracks, that’s you.

Angela [00:04:14] That’s me. And she said, You were really excited because you’d only paid $60 for it. I can’t believe she remembered that detail.

Jenna [00:04:21] Well, guys, we cannot wait for you to hear this conversation that we had with Billie all about her love of The Office. She asked us questions. We asked her questions. Again, that’s going to air on January 4th. And then the following week, we’re going to be breaking down Threat Level Midnight with B.J. Novak.

Angela [00:04:37] What a fun way to kick off 2023.

Jenna [00:04:40] I know. I agree with you.

Angela [00:04:41] We’re excited about it. Second part of Office Ladies news. Number two is that we are finally going on the road.

Jenna [00:04:49] Ba boo! boo! boo!

Angela [00:04:49] Hey! You did my thing!

Jenna [00:04:51] I did your part!

Angela [00:04:53] We are going to be at the Just For Laughs Festival in Vancouver, Canada on February 24th. It’s an evening with Office Ladies. We are so excited. Tickets are on sale now. 2023. We’re going to be on the road.

Jenna [00:05:07] Yes. We are hoping that that is our year that we can finally hit the road and come out and see y’all. This is going to be the first one. We hope it goes well.

Angela [00:05:16] We’ll you know, we had so much fun in New York at town hall.

Jenna [00:05:20] We really did. That was such a great evening. It really inspired us to do more.

Angela [00:05:24] So. 2023.

Jenna [00:05:26] Tickets are on sale now for the Just for Laughs Festival. We’ll put a link in our Office Ladies pod on Instagram.

Angela [00:05:34] Office Ladies news number three. A lot of you have reached out to me and you know I do the stories on Office Ladies pod, and you’ve said, Ange, I missed the stories. I got home late from work and now they’re all gone. And we’ve been talking about what are ways where we can always make the stories available. And then Jenna was like, Oh, Ange, we could make highlights out of them. I was like, Well crap.

Jenna [00:05:54] To be fair, that was an email that I found in our email box. That wasn’t my idea. So yes, it took you all writing in about it for us to realize that we could make highlights of our stories.

Angela [00:06:07] I don’t know why we didn’t think of it. I feel so silly.

Jenna [00:06:09] Well we’re two old ladies who run an Instagram. I mean, I know that’s where we are.

Angela [00:06:13] It’s not a high tech machine here. So I went into our stories and as it turns out, there was about a year and a half there of stories.

Jenna [00:06:20] Amazing.

Angela [00:06:21] It took me a few days and I finally got all the episodes that were still there in little highlights. So you’ll see them on Office Ladies Pod. I worked one day so long on it that my phone got really hot and I couldn’t hold my phone. I was like, This is probably bad. But they’re there, you guys, and I hope you enjoy them. And it was really fun. I kind of just got to go down memory lane of our last two years.

Jenna [00:06:44] Well, you work so hard on those every week, Angela, and it always bothered me that they were gone in 24 hours because a lot of people listen to the podcast later in the week. So now if you listen to the podcast on a weekly basis, you’ll have a little highlighted story that coordinates with each episode, thanks to Angela.

Angela [00:07:01] You’re welcome. I do have one note for the people that run Instagram.

Jenna [00:07:05] Yes?

Angela [00:07:06] The little title for each highlight. You only give me like nine characters.

Jenna [00:07:10] I know.

Angela [00:07:11] Maybe ten. So like, for example, the episode, The Manager and the Salesman, you can’t fit that. So if you guys go-.

Jenna [00:07:17] What did you do?

Angela [00:07:18] I don’t, I can’t remember. I think I put man manager slash I know I can’t remember. So if you go and look at the titles and you’re like, that’s weird, like classy xmas, like it’s because I didn’t have a lot of room.

Jenna [00:07:33] That’s what she said.

Angela [00:07:34] Hey-o.

Jenna [00:07:35] One other tiny piece of news before we go to break. We are moving studios. We have to leave these Earwolf studios.

Angela [00:07:44] We’re real bummed about it.

Jenna [00:07:45] Yeah, the lease is up in the space and the powers that be decided not to renew. So we are on the lookout for a new space.

Angela [00:07:54] We’re going around looking up spaces and we’ll let you know when we find our new home.

Jenna [00:07:58] We’re being very picky because we basically just want a space that looks exactly like this space. We went into one place last week and we were like, Well… The table is not the same. The chairs are not the same. There aren’t enough lamps for Angela.

Angela [00:08:13] I actually asked Josh if he could help us move this table when we move.

Jenna [00:08:17] I know we’re like, Well, what’s happening to this stuff? Let’s just move it all.

Angela [00:08:19] Yeah, can we keep this table?

Jenna [00:08:21] Gosh, we don’t like change, do we?

Angela [00:08:23] We’re not good at it.

Jenna [00:08:25] We’re creatures of habit.

Angela [00:08:24] We’re not good at it. You know what? Don’t give me a new remote. I don’t want your new stinkin remote. I just got used to the one remote I have.

Jenna [00:08:31] This sounds like.

Angela [00:08:32] That’s how I feel about this move.

Jenna [00:08:33] Something that happened in real life.

Angela [00:08:35] Well, maybe it has. n

Jenna [00:08:37] You know what? I don’t want your dumb computer update.

Angela [00:08:39] Oh, don’t give it to me.

Jenna [00:08:41] Not interested.

Angela [00:08:41] Go away.

Jenna [00:08:42] Yeah. All right, well, listen, why don’t we take a break, and when we come back, I’m going to have a beverage.

Angela [00:08:49] Oh, I have some sweet treats.

Jenna [00:08:51] This is going to be good. And we’re going to open up your mail and talk all about it. We are back. And like I said, I have a beverage to kick things off.

Angela [00:09:04] You’re being really sneaky about it because they’re all in like Starbucks cups. But.

Jenna [00:09:08] Yeah.

Angela [00:09:09] You didn’t get me a Starbucks?

Jenna [00:09:11] I did get you something at Starbucks.

Angela [00:09:13] Okay?

Jenna [00:09:14] This is a nonalcoholic surprise. I know normally we go with a more adult beverage, but ever since the chair model episode when Michael ordered a coffee while he was waiting to meet Pam’s landlord, I have wanted to try Michael’s drink.

Angela [00:09:32] Oh, Lord. Oh, my God.

Jenna [00:09:36] It is a large hot chocolate with caramel and a shot of peppermint with whipped cream. And I got one for everyone. We’ve got Sam, Cassi, and Aynsley in studio today. Guys, come on in and grab your Michael’s drink.

Sam [00:09:51] Very scared, very excited.

Angela [00:09:52] This is gonna be like drinking a muffin.

Jenna [00:09:56] I thought it felt holiday with the peppermint shot. These were prepared by Evie. She’s my gal that I always see at Starbucks. She was very excited to make these. She’s a fan of the pod.

Angela [00:10:07] Thank you. Evie.

Jenna [00:10:08] Evie, we’re going to let you know how they are.

Angela [00:10:09] Okay. Here we go.

Jenna [00:10:10] Here we go.

Aynsley [00:10:15] I like it.

Jenna [00:10:16] I think it tastes good.

Sam [00:10:17] It’s great.

Jenna [00:10:17] It tastes like a chocolate covered what’s it called?

Sam [00:10:21] I love it.

Jenna [00:10:21] Candy cane.

Angela [00:10:22] I don’t hate it.

Aynsley [00:10:23] Or York peppermint patty.

Jenna [00:10:24] It totally tastes like a York Peppermint Patty.

Sam [00:10:27] These are great. Thank you.

Jenna [00:10:28] They’re good.

Angela [00:10:30] I’m telling you right now, I love the shot of peppermint, but I think I could make this into a hot toddy.

Jenna [00:10:35] Hmm. Well, I will say we were gifted when Aynsley arrived. Aynsley brought everybody a cherry whiskey.

Angela [00:10:44] Homemade! She made this, you guys.

Jenna [00:10:46] It’s in a mason jar.

Angela [00:10:48] In a mason jar. These are my favorite kind of gifts to get at the holidays. I love this. Shall we try the whiskey?

Jenna [00:10:54] I had an idea because I’ll say I’m really loving this coffee that’s not a coffee that’s really a hot chocolate. I’m loving it, but it is a little sweet for me. And I’m also feeling disappointed that we aren’t doing our usual sort of adult beverage at 10am.

Angela [00:11:12] Hoo! Aynsley! Is there any cherry in that whiskey?

Aynsley [00:11:16] They’re actual cherries.

Angela [00:11:17] Oh, my God. Oh, there’s cherries floating in here. Woo!

Aynsley [00:11:21] Yes, there’s cherries…

Jenna [00:11:22] That is good!

Aynsley [00:11:22] Orange peel, a cinnamon stick, and a touch of maple syrup.

Angela [00:11:27] Oh, my God.

Jenna [00:11:28] Oh that is good. That is- that is.

Angela [00:11:30] That is a got toddy.

Jenna [00:11:31] Better than Michael’s drink. I’m gonna say that. But I’m going to pour some of it into my.

Angela [00:11:37] You are?

Jenna [00:11:38] You are?

Angela [00:11:38] You are.

Jenna [00:11:39] We are.

Angela [00:11:40] We are.

Jenna [00:11:41] Okay. I might have poured too much. Oh no.

Angela [00:11:42] How much did you pour?

Jenna [00:11:47] Too much. Maybe too much.

Angela [00:11:49] Oh, here goes.

Jenna [00:11:52] I’m stirring.

Angela [00:11:54] I should have stirred.

Jenna [00:11:56] Here we go. I’m going to try mine.

Angela [00:11:58] Oh, my God. That is delicious. That is- that is Christmas morning. Hello!

Jenna [00:12:01] Oh! All right. Good morning, everybody!

Aynsley [00:12:07] And good night.

Jenna [00:12:08] That is nice. That’s nice. I highly recommend.

Angela [00:12:12] You know what? That, that sip did that thing where you feel it in the warm spot of your throat. It goes down.

Jenna [00:12:18] And then it settles in your belly and it starts a fire in the best way? And warms you up on a cold day.

Angela [00:12:25] All right. Michael’s coffee order with a splash of Aynsley’s whiskey cherry. I’ve got more treats.

Jenna [00:12:33] More treats?

Angela [00:12:34] I’ve got more treats. They are not beverages. They are little desserts. First of all, Josh and my kids made cookies for you guys last night. They’re like a chocolate cookie with marshmallows on top, and then you crush peppermint candy. It’s like a hot cocoa cookie. So I brought those for everybody. Who wants one?

Jenna [00:12:53] How much sugar are we going to have today?

Angela [00:12:55] I don’t know.

Sam [00:12:56] Oh I’d love one. Second half of this show is a nap.

Angela [00:12:57] I know. And then. Okay, you guys. Here, come take a cookie. Okay. How are they, guys?

Jenna [00:13:05] We’re getting some thumbs up.

Angela [00:13:06] I’m getting mouths full with thumbs up.

Aynsley [00:13:08] They’re so soft and chewy!

Jenna [00:13:12] What she said.

Angela [00:13:13] Oh, gosh, it’s so early into the show.

Sam [00:13:17] This is fantastic. Thank you.

Jenna [00:13:19] We’ve got two that’s what she shez it- oh no!

Angela [00:13:20] Oh no!

Jenna [00:13:20] Oh boy!

Sam [00:13:20] There it is!

Jenna [00:13:25] That is a strong homemade whiskey!

Angela [00:13:29] This leads me perfectly into our first letter from our fan mail. This is from Jenny. She wrote in and said, Hi, I’m from Indianapolis, Indiana. I’m a huge fan of the podcast and wanted to send you a small treat. I’m a travel nurse, so I spend a lot of time away from my family and loved ones. And right now I’m on assignment at Saint Louis Children’s Hospital.

Jenna [00:13:50] Hey, that’s a great hospital.

Angela [00:13:52] She said, shout out to Jenna’s hometown. And while she was in Saint Louis, she found a family owned chocolate factory.

Jenna [00:13:59] I think I know who this is.

Angela [00:14:00] Really?

Jenna [00:14:01] Yes.

Angela [00:14:01] Jenna, she says they do free tours of their factory.

Jenna [00:14:05] Oh, my God.

Angela [00:14:06] It is the Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company. And she sent us their truffles. Look how delicious these look. She said, I love you ladies. Thanks for the podcast that I can take with me wherever I go. P.S. Toby is the Scranton Strangler. Thank you so much, Jenny. These are delicious.

Jenna [00:14:24] Ooh I wanna eat one!

Angela [00:14:25] And I want to go to the Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company.

Jenna [00:14:28] Yeah. Here are the flavors. Sea salt caramel.

Angela [00:14:31] Mm hmm.

Jenna [00:14:32] Fresh mint, birthday cake, fresh raspberry, Italian espresso, red velvet cake and white euro dark.

Angela [00:14:39] They looked delicious. There you go, Jenna.

Jenna [00:14:42] I’m going to eat one.

Angela [00:14:45] How is it?

Jenna [00:14:48] It’s really good. Sitting to my right is a wrapped gift from Sam.

Sam [00:14:54] Oh, yes, we have one small treat. This isn’t your Christmas one. It’s a very specific in my free time when I’m not making your show, do a fair amount of nerdy things in my free time.

Jenna [00:15:03] This is true.

Sam [00:15:04] I was at a nerdy event recently.

Angela [00:15:07] Was it a Comic-Con?

Sam [00:15:07] It might have been. There was a gentleman at this thing that I paid to stand in his line to explain to him that some of us very much enjoy and know all the lore and some of us do not.

Angela [00:15:19] Oh, no! Is this a Lord of the Rings thing?

Sam [00:15:21] You may open your gifts.

Angela [00:15:23] All right.

Sam [00:15:29] So it’s signed by Mr. Frodo.

Jenna [00:15:30] What?!

Angela [00:15:32] Awww!

Sam [00:15:32] I believe yours says, To a true fan, and yours says, Why don’t you like my movie?

Jenna [00:15:37] It does! Mine says, Why don’t you like my movie?

Sam [00:15:40] Cassi, Here’s yours. Aynsley, sorry, yours is at home, but I do have one for you.

Cassi [00:15:43] Aww.

Angela [00:15:44] Oh, my gosh. That is hilarious.

Sam [00:15:46] He is familiar with The Office and when I explained who this is for, laughed very, very hard.

Angela [00:15:52] That is amazing. I don’t know if you know this, but I was in Vancouver working on a show the same time that Elijah was working on a show, and we would all hang out and we actually watched a Game of Thrones all together at a pub. It was so much fun. And we got these beers that were like the size of our heads and we took pictures because the beers were so big. But he is one of the nicest people. He once did a birthday video for my son Jack, who loved Lord of the Rings.

Sam [00:16:20] He really was. He was one of those- he has that thing I like in an artist you admire where he had no questions. I go, It’s for the people from The Office. One of them explains this, or one of them loves it and one of them doesn’t. He goes, Totally. Got it. Just immediately.

Jenna [00:16:33] Thank you, Sam. I will cherish this signed picture from a movie I’ve never seen. Thank you.

Angela [00:16:40] Agh, that breaks my spirit every time you say it. And that is not just because I’m friends with Elijah. Oh, my God. I want him on the podcast. I want him if we ever break down Lord of the Rings.

Jenna [00:16:53] Oh, no.

Angela [00:16:55] He could school you.

Jenna [00:16:56] You’re, you’re saying we should break down Lord of the Rings so that you make me watch it? I know you. I know you.

Angela [00:17:02] Busted.

Jenna [00:17:04] All right, well, listen, when I was going through our mail, I found a truly delightful gift that was sent in by one of our listeners. It’s a book.

Angela [00:17:14] Oh.

Jenna [00:17:15] And it came with this note. Dear Office Ladies, my name is Jasmine and I am from Roseville, California. I am a fan of the show, your podcast and your book. Jenna, I love your deep dives. I recently read this book and thought you would really love it as it is a whole book of deep dives written very comedically. And here it is, Angela. It’s called Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything.

Angela [00:17:41] Like this is your Christmas present. This is your favorite thing.

Jenna [00:17:44] If I had known about this book, I would have asked for it for Christmas. But I don’t need to because Jasmine sent it to me.

Angela [00:17:50] Jasmine, you’ve made her day.

Jenna [00:17:51] Here’s what else she said. I marked my favorite part about the origins of the phrase “blowing smoke up your ass”. I hope you enjoy it.

Angela [00:18:01] Oh, my God. Please tell me that’s what that Post-it’s for.

Jenna [00:18:04] That’s what the Post-it’s for, lady. So here it is. Sit back. Enjoy your beverages and your treats. And I’m going to tell you the origins of the phrase “blowing smoke up your ass”.

Angela [00:18:14] Jasmine, thank you in advance.

Jenna [00:18:16] In the 18th century, blowing smoke up someone’s ass was a sanctioned resuscitation method for someone who had drown.

Angela [00:18:24] Stop it!

Jenna [00:18:25] Yes.

Angela [00:18:26] So if I, like, fell into a lake, you someone would have to?

Jenna [00:18:31] Yeah.

Angela [00:18:32] Oh, Lord.

Jenna [00:18:32] Yes. They made tobacco smoke enema kits, and everyone was encouraged to have one on hand, like a first aid kit.

Angela [00:18:40] To blow tobacco up your shmingy?

Jenna [00:18:43] Yeah. So the kits had a tube and you put the tube in the person’s butt, and then you used a fumigator to create the smoke. And then a bellows, you know, a bellows it’s that accordion thing that you used to blow air on a fire.

Angela [00:18:58] Uh huh.

Jenna [00:18:59] I’ll show you a picture of it. Here it is.

Angela [00:19:03] That looks horrifying. Oh, my God. It’s so much bigger than I thought. That’s a lot of air up your butt.

Jenna [00:19:10] It is. So the original first aid kits did not have a bellows.

Angela [00:19:15] Guess what? They’re too big to fit in a first aid kit.

Jenna [00:19:18] Well, when you didn’t have it, you had to blow the smoke into the tube yourself with your mouth. But this was a problem because sometimes people would accidentally inhale.

Angela [00:19:28] Oh, God.

Jenna [00:19:29] And then they would get sick and sometimes die. Like if the person you had rescued from drowning had cholera, and then you inhale the air from their butt, you could die. Apparently. It wasn’t good. So you should be thankful that they added the bellows.

Angela [00:19:46] I am speechless that this was like a common practice. It’s like he has fever, get the leeches and blow up his ass! Like, what’s happening?

Jenna [00:19:57] According to the book, drowning happened so regularly in England, along the River Thames that there was actually a special society formed and funded to promote the resuscitation of drowned people.

Angela [00:20:10] Society.

Jenna [00:20:12] It was. It was called- it’s a very long name. This sounds like something Dwight made up. It was called The Institution for Affording Immediate Relief to Persons Apparently Dead from Drowning. That’s their real name. Members of this group would walk along the banks of the river with their tobacco smoke enema kit in case they stumbled upon a person who needed help. I’ll tell you, you’re speechless right now. You’re just shaking your head.

Angela [00:20:39] I am just I am speechless.

Jenna [00:20:42] The idea behind this medical treatment was that it would do two things: number one, it would warm up the drown victim. Number two.

Angela [00:20:53] It would make your butthole burn.

Jenna [00:20:54] Don’t know.

Angela [00:20:55] And maybe from the burning sensation, you would awake.

Jenna [00:20:59] Number two, it would stimulate respiration.

Angela [00:21:03] How?

Jenna [00:21:04] Exactly. It did neither. Which is where we get the phrase “blowing smoke up your ass” which means something that does nothing to help you.

Angela [00:21:12] I will never, ever. I will never, ever say that lightly, ever again.

Jenna [00:21:19] I want to say, incidentally, if the smoke enema didn’t work, the second method of helping a drowning person was to give them mouth to mouth resuscitation. But that was considered a vulgar last resort. Like you only. I mean, disgusting.

Angela [00:21:36] Yeah.

Jenna [00:21:37] To put your mouth on someone else’s mouth. My God.

Angela [00:21:40] It’s horrifying.

Jenna [00:21:41] Much better to remove their pants.

Angela [00:21:44] And stick a tube up their butt and blow in it.

Jenna [00:21:46] That’s right.

Angela [00:21:47] Whew!

Jenna [00:21:48] So there you go.

Angela [00:21:49] Where do we go from that?

Jenna [00:21:50] I don’t know. But, Jasmine, you made my year. There are so many good things in this, and I will be bringing it out often in 2023.

Angela [00:22:00] Seriously, Jasmine. Wow. Well, you know, Jenna, a lot of folks also wrote in and told us where they like to listen to the podcast and how. Sometimes why, right?

Jenna [00:22:13] Yes.

Angela [00:22:13] I loved this letter from Casey. And Casey, I couldn’t find the envelope, so I’m not quite sure where in the country you are. But Casey wrote us this: I tune in every Saturday morning as I clean the house. You ladies help me make it fun and get me through. But most recently, I tuned into your 100th episode to help calm my nerves and get me through a root canal.

Jenna [00:22:38] A root canal?

Angela [00:22:40] Yes. The staff at the endodontist office thought it was a very funny but smart choice when I brought in my earbuds and asked if I could listen to my podcast.

Jenna [00:22:49] She had a root canal without being put all the way down? All the way under?

Angela [00:22:53] No one’s put all the way under. They just numb you.

Jenna [00:22:54] I was. I was.

Angela [00:22:57] I was not.

Jenna [00:22:58] Oh?

Angela [00:22:59] Yeah. Oh, no. I was there. I was present.

Jenna [00:23:03] Wow.

Angela [00:23:03] Yeah. She writes on to say, Thank you both so much for being so genuine and open with your listening audience. Jenna, you remind me of my Type A Self and Angela, you make my day because your responses to her…

Jenna [00:23:18] What?

Angela [00:23:19] Because your responses to and love for her reminds me of my BFF.

Jenna [00:23:24] Awww.

Angela [00:23:24] Thanks for helping me overcome my nerves and get through a procedure that I was not looking forward to. And then she sent pictures of her three kids and their dog, who they named Bratton after Creed Bratton. So cute. So cute.

Jenna [00:23:37] Oh, I love that. Well, one of my favorite things to open when we get our mail are letters that come from kids and teenagers who love Office Ladies. And I wanted to share a few of their letters. So the first one is from Ellie, who is 11 years old, who said, I have been watching The Office since I was six. I am such a huge fan and I could swear I’ve memorized every piece of Office trivia. I’m even watching Golden Ticket as I write this. I love Angela, as I share the same love of cats. I don’t lick them, though. And I adore Pam and her perseverance and resilience.

Angela [00:24:17] I’m really proud of those two vocabulary words.

Jenna [00:24:19] I know. For 11 years old? Ellie says, I listen to your podcast every day, even multiple times a week. I would love for you guys to read this letter on air, but if you can’t, it’s okay. Just knowing that you read this makes me smile.

Angela [00:24:35] Aww.

Jenna [00:24:35] Ellie, your letter made me smile.

Angela [00:24:38] Yes.

Jenna [00:24:39] And also your comedic tag at the end. P.S., I hope this letter has an oaky afterbirth. Love, Ellie.

Angela [00:24:47] Oh my goodness. Oh, my goodness.

Jenna [00:24:49] We also got a very sweet letter from Lilly who wrote to us on some beet stationery. She stamped her letter “girl’s rule”. She said, I would like to start by saying I love your podcast. I enjoy all your tangents, stories and insights into your life on The Office. I am 12 years old. I’m from Newbury Park, California, and she watches the show with her sister and now she’s been listening to the podcast. She listens on road trips, plane rides while she’s doing her homework, and at times when she’s sad or stressed out. She’s listened to every episode about 100 times and she crushes all her family members in Office trivia now. And next up is Vilina. Or Vilena. I hope I’m pronouncing your name correctly. Who wrote to say, I am a big fan of the show and the podcast. In my class we had to write a thank you letter to someone and I picked you. My mom and I love your podcast. I made a collage of The Office. I was Dwight Schrute for Halloween. It was a fun costume that cost under $29.

Angela [00:25:54] I love that.

Jenna [00:25:55] And I have three Funkos of The Office.

Angela [00:25:57] I love those letters. I also love it when parents write in and share with us that their children use The Office and our podcast as part of their homework assignment.

Jenna [00:26:06] Oh, wow.

Angela [00:26:07] Yeah. Okay. So Annie wrote in and said her daughter Ilana wrote her persuasive paper on why The Office is the best show ever, and she used Office Ladies as part of the reason why. And she got a four out of four grade, a perfect score.

Jenna [00:26:23] Very good.

Angela [00:26:24] I know! Ilana is eight years old, and I want to read you the last summation paragraph of her persuasive paper.

Jenna [00:26:31] All right.

Angela [00:26:33] Quote, The last reason The Office is the best show ever is there is a podcast called Office Ladies where Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer tell some fast facts and give interviews to people that were on The Office. The Office Ladies also tell secrets about The Office. Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey are also very funny and that makes the Office Ladies very likable. In conclusion, The Office is the best show ever.

Jenna [00:26:57] Four out of four!

Angela [00:26:58] Yes!

Jenna [00:26:59] I agree!

Angela [00:27:00] I got another letter from Jackson in Kansas City, Missouri. He’s a seventh grader. And as part of his ELA and reading class assignment, they had to write a fan letter and he chose The Office Ladies.

Jenna [00:27:11] Wow.

Angela [00:27:13] Yeah. Jackson said, quote, I love the Office Ladies podcast because it really breaks scenes down and gives us great details. Keep up the good work! Thank you, Jackson. And then, Jenna, Jackson said he had two questions for us.

Jenna [00:27:27] Okay.

Angela [00:27:28] Question one: On a scale of 1 to 10, how hard was it to keep it together when somebody messed up in the scene?

Jenna [00:27:35] Oh, for me? A ten.

Angela [00:27:37] Yes! Like, impossible.

Jenna [00:27:39] You know, if someone else is laughing, it’s hard not to laugh with them. And they’re probably laughing because someone did something funny, and I was already trying not to laugh.

Angela [00:27:48] Right.

Jenna [00:27:48] I will say I was always relieved when someone else broke first.

Angela [00:27:52] Yes. Because then you could kind of tuck into their laughter. Jackson’s second question is, What is the hardest challenge as an actor? It’s a big question.

Jenna [00:28:02] Jackson, I think it is the constant rejection. You go on about 100 job interviews or auditions for every one thing you get. So 99% of the time someone is saying, no, it’s not you. And it’s really hard to convince yourself to keep going.

Angela [00:28:22] Yeah. And I would also say once you get an audition, just believing that you have something unique to bring to the part. When I was looking up Maggie Baird and Will Ferrell’s sketch at The Groundlings.

Jenna [00:28:33] Mm hmm.

Angela [00:28:34] I also found Will Ferrell’s audition for Saturday Night Live- his original audition- and I watched it. And he is doing these hilarious characters to silence.

Jenna [00:28:44] Wow.

Angela [00:28:45] And just the mental fortitude to just be like, okay, I believe that this is funny. I believe in myself. I’m just going to keep doing it, even though no one is responding.

Jenna [00:28:54] Mm hmm.

Angela [00:28:55] So there’s some of that, you know, mental fitness that you just have to keep believing in yourself.

Jenna [00:29:00] Very well said, lady.

Angela [00:29:01] Thank you.

Jenna [00:29:03] Well, Angela, we also got a gift from Ryan, who is 11 years old in Maryland. When we were breaking down Costume Contest, Michael has a line where he says, Halloween should be a day in which we celebrate monsters and not be mad at each other.

Angela [00:29:16] Mm hmm.

Jenna [00:29:17] And we said that would make a great mug.

Angela [00:29:20] Yeah.

Jenna [00:29:21] Ryan made a mug of that and sent it to us! It’s on my desk. Thank you so much. We really loved it. We’ll put a picture of it in Office Ladies pod. And then finally, Angela, we got a letter from Reese Castro who said, I am 17 years old and I have cerebral palsy. Your podcast has inspired me to be the best version of myself. My favorite part of the podcast is the deep dives. You know what? We really enjoy doing those.

Angela [00:29:50] We do.

Jenna [00:29:50] Reese has an idea for an Office spinoff show where the show is about what happens with Jim and Pam and Darryl over an Athlead. But the big plot twist is that Dwight joins the Athlead team.

Angela [00:30:04] They hire Dwight? Is Jim crazy?

Jenna [00:30:06] Someone hires Dwight.

Jenna [00:30:08] And you know, that means Angela is coming along.

Angela [00:30:11] Well, you betcha.

Jenna [00:30:12] Reese. Absolutely. If there was going to be an Office reunion, we could not let Jim and Dwight not work together anymore. It’s the ultimate, like pranking, fun foil couple.

Angela [00:30:24] I even think that they would grow old pranking each other.

Jenna [00:30:28] Oh, yes. I believe they would.

Angela [00:30:30] They’d be like two old men giggling at their pranks.

Jenna [00:30:33] Angela, shall we get to your favorite part of our mail?

Angela [00:30:37] Yes!

Jenna [00:30:37] This lights up Angela’s soul.

Both [00:30:41] Dun dun dun dun, dun dun dun dun (TO THE TUNE OF “HERE COMES THE BRIDE”.

Angela [00:30:42] We got a lot of wedding invites. You know, I love them all. I want to list every single person that sent one in, but then this whole episode would basically be wedding invitations because we got probably 600. I’m not exaggerating.

Jenna [00:30:56] Angela, in our old age, I want us to start accepting these wedding invites. We could eat free every weekend of the year by just going around to weddings.

Angela [00:31:07] We would be traveling a lot. But you guys, I do want to single out a few people. Here are just a few. Taylor and Brady of Iva, South Carolina, who currently live long distance and listen to Office Ladies when they travel to see each other. Alec and McKenna of Washington, who first bonded over The Office. Jenny and Johnny of Newnan, Georgia, who sent us a wedding invite with a note. She said that Johnny introduced her to The Office and it’s one of the cornerstones of their relationship. And our podcast is the only podcast they listened to together for 16 hours nonstop when they drove from Georgia to New York to visit family.

Jenna [00:31:47] Oh, I’m sorry. That’s so much of us. Is that too much of us?

Both [00:31:51] 16 hours.

Jenna [00:31:53] We love you.

Angela [00:31:54] One more. Jenny and Ryan of Orlando, Florida. Jenny added a note with their wedding invitation that stated this. Hi, Angela. I hope you used your new mail opener for this letter. I did! And then she went on to say, My fiancee and I love to listen to you every week. We own the DVD set and we are rewatching with you. I have two more folks shout out.

Jenna [00:32:18] Okay.

Angela [00:32:19] I’m calling this good use of a wax seal.

Jenna [00:32:22] Oh, you do love a wax seal.

Angela [00:32:25] I do. I do. Shout out to Austin and Kirsten of Lafayette, Louisiana, and another Austin and Nadia of Fairdale, Kentucky. Excellent use of wax seal. Applause. Applause.

Jenna [00:32:37] Very nice. Angela, in my pile of physical mail I also got a wedding invite from Abby and Jonathan, who are getting married in April of next year. Listen to what Abby wrote. I wish that I could describe to you how much your podcast means to me. I have been listening to it from the beginning and was listening when I was proposed to!

Angela [00:32:57] What?

Jenna [00:32:58] Yes! It felt only fitting to include you in our special day with an invite to our wedding. We even have a Nard Dog quote in our ceremony. I feel honored.

Angela [00:33:09] Mm hmm. I want to know the Nard Dog quote in your ceremony.

Jenna [00:33:14] In addition to all these wonderful wedding invites, we receive holiday cards, graduation announcements, birthday wishes. So many wonderful cards. Even handmade cards.

Angela [00:33:25] Yeah.

Jenna [00:33:25] Baby shower invites.

Angela [00:33:27] Oh, I have a baby shower invite.

Jenna [00:33:29] Oh?

Angela [00:33:30] Yeah, I brought one. Okay. This is Robin of Brownsburg, Indiana. She included a note with the baby shower invite because, Jenna, she was going to throw her best friend, Missy, a small baby shower and call it a baby sprinkle.

Jenna [00:33:44] Oh?

Angela [00:33:44] Yeah. A small shower is a sprinkle. And as it turns out, during this time, Robin and her husband were redoing their floors and going through all their old cabinets, and they found Robin’s great grandmother’s tea set and teapot. So Robin said, I decided to throw my friend a Finer Things Club baby sprinkle. Or, as Angela would say, a finers things club sprinkle.

Jenna [00:34:07] I love this so much.

Angela [00:34:10] She went on to say, they’re huge fans of the show and the podcast and that she is sad that we’re getting close to the end of the rewatch, but she is super excited to hear or see whatever we do next.

Jenna [00:34:22] That is so sweet. Just the sweetest thing.

Angela [00:34:25] We also get letters that we keep a lot of expecting moms and new parents company. Like this letter from Bethany in Pasadena, Texas, about her son, Joseph. Bethany wrote this: During Joseph’s almost six week NICU stay, you ladies kept me company. Bethany went on to say that she would normally listen to the podcast on her drive to and from work, but before her son was born, she was put on bed rest, so the episodes piled up. As a result, she had a bunch to listen to on her drives to and from the hospital each day for weeks. She said, quote, You ladies kept my mind occupied when my heart ached, and you cheered me up and made me laugh when I cried after going home with empty arms. I am so grateful to you and your team for that. I’ll end with a high note. Joey turned eight months old yesterday and is thriving. He is meeting all of his milestones and is one of the happiest little babies you’ll ever meet. And most importantly, he’s a healthy and loved little boy.

Jenna [00:35:24] Mmm.

Angela [00:35:24] Isn’t that so sweet? She included a little picture. Look at that sweet face.

Jenna [00:35:29] Oh, that’s a cute baby.

Angela [00:35:30] I know. Well, Bethany, I’m so glad we could keep you company during that time.

Jenna [00:35:34] Me, too. So, Angela, I know that people often include The Office in their celebrations. And we got a really touching letter from Ashley R in Columbus, Ohio. It included two photos that look like a pregnancy announcement. In one of them, her and her husband are kissing and they’re holding a sign that says, Dwight, send in the subs, along with a photo of their ultrasound.

Angela [00:36:02] So cute.

Jenna [00:36:03] And the other photo is of a little boy who’s in an assistant to the regional manager shirt next to a sign that says Baby R due January 2021. And there’s a little banner that says, It is a baby. So I thought that was so sweet.

Angela [00:36:18] So cute.

Jenna [00:36:20] Then I read her letter. And here’s what she said. I wanted to take a moment to share my story and explain the photos with this letter. In February 2020, my husband and I decided to try for our second child. Our first was a huge surprise to us just after we got engaged, just like Jim and Pam. So her and her husband had a son, that’s a little boy who was in the picture. She went on to say, The idea of trying for a baby was new to us, but we got pregnant on the first try. We saw baby O- baby O is what they were calling the baby because they didn’t know yet if it was a boy or a girl.

Angela [00:36:58] Mm hmm.

Jenna [00:36:59] They saw Baby O in an ultrasound at eight weeks and two days. And since we didn’t get to celebrate and have an announcement with our first, we were excited to make an announcement this time around, and we decided on an Office theme. As you can see in the pictures, my husband and I got picnic shirts made. They did. So they really went with the company picnic theme. She said they posted the pictures to announce and celebrate. But then she goes on to explain that just a couple of weeks later, they lost the baby.

Angela [00:37:32] Oh.

Jenna [00:37:33] And that these pictures that she sent are the only prints that she has of this memory.

Angela [00:37:38] Oh, my goodness.

Jenna [00:37:39] And she would love it if we would post the photos in Office Ladies pod when we post things from fans, because that way the pictures will be a part of a place that celebrates their favorite show, rather than locked away in some box somewhere. Ashley, we will definitely post the photos.

Angela [00:37:57] Absolutely. Yeah.

Jenna [00:37:57] And I want you to know, Ashley also says that she has since welcomed twins Oliver and Olivia, who join their big brother, Milo.

Angela [00:38:06] Oh, my goodness. Oh, Ashley, thank you so much for sharing that with us.

Jenna [00:38:11] I know.

Angela [00:38:11] That is so touching.

Jenna [00:38:12] Yeah. And we will definitely post the photos.

Angela [00:38:15] Yeah. Well, we love being able to support new parents in any way we can. And, you know, Jenna and I love being moms. It is the hardest job, but it’s the best job.

Jenna [00:38:25] Yeah. But there’s so much you have to carry around as a parent. I worry even in the best of times.

Angela [00:38:32] I know. And it’s nice to know you’re not alone in that.

Jenna [00:38:35] That’s right.

Angela [00:38:36] We also heard from a few of you who love our tangents that we go on. In particular, Jenna, when you get on your soapbox.

Jenna [00:38:44] Oh, thank you.

Angela [00:38:45] Are you ready for this one?

Jenna [00:38:46] Mm hmm.

Angela [00:38:48] Hi, Jenna and Angela. I’ve been listening to your podcast since 2020, and it’s really been such a great companion. It’s like we are hanging out with our BFFs. I think that what I love most about your show is you celebrate, respect and empower each other and other women. In parentheses, she says, Stay on your soapbox, Jenna.

Jenna [00:39:09] I really appreciate this because I do sometimes get some haters.

Angela [00:39:13] Some snarkys.

Jenna [00:39:14] For my soapboxes. So thank you for the love.

Angela [00:39:17] She goes on to say, I am grateful that the two of you promote sisterhood. I’m also inspired by your creative success. Keep rocking it. I’m including an official invitation for you guys to be lifetime members of the FCW Society.

Jenna [00:39:33] What is the FCW Society?

Angela [00:39:35] It stands for (BLEEP) cool women, friends.

Jenna [00:39:42] Ah! I love it!

Angela [00:39:43] And she gave us, like, a little card.

Jenna [00:39:45] Oh, it’s a membership card.

Angela [00:39:47] Yeah. Here’s what it says. We’re a lifetime members, and the card says FCW Society is dedicated to promoting and exploring feminist issues and interests while spreading the word and celebrating the fact that women are so (BLEEP)ing cool.

Jenna [00:40:00] I’m putting it in my wallet. I love it. Oh, there is a Facebook page for this society!

Angela [00:40:08] I know! Thank you, Joanne in Georgia. That really lifted me up. I have another one.

Jenna [00:40:14] Oh!

Angela [00:40:16] This is from Kayla in Dixon, Tennessee, who was very inspired by your rant about panty lines.

Jenna [00:40:22] Okay.

Angela [00:40:23] She even made stickers of big panties with captions on them. They are hilarious. I will definitely be putting them in stories. Here’s one. They’re f-ing comfortable. Getting shit done. Feminists for pockets and panty lines. You should keep that one, Jenna.

Jenna [00:40:43] Oh my goodness. Can I please- I don’t know where I’m putting it, but I want this sticker of giant underwear that says getting (BLEEP) done.

Angela [00:40:50] Okay. Here is the letter from Kayla that went along with the stickers. Dear Office Ladies, I look forward to new episodes of Office Ladies every single week. I love your tangents most of all. I love it when Jenna talks about feminism. I get self-conscious of panty lines sometimes, but your discussion on it really helped me. I mean, why would I? I have to wear panties. Chill. I don’t care if you see lines.

Jenna [00:41:17] Yes! Yes!

Angela [00:41:18] These are all full of exclamation points, by the way. And then she goes on to write, I just got sticker paper and I made stickers inspired by your talk. Thank you so much for your podcast. It made me laugh all through my final year of college. Enjoy. Kayla.

Jenna [00:41:34] Kayla, I love it. I love it. And look at the creativity that it inspired. These are wonderful. Well, I am loving all these boss lady letters. I also found a boss lady letter from Nichole H in Kansas City, Missouri, who said, I am from a smallish town outside of Kansas City. I really love listening to your friendship, your deep dives, and learning about my favorite show. I also think all women’s pants should have pockets.

Angela [00:42:01] Agree.

Jenna [00:42:02] Nicole goes on to say, I went back to work in August teaching middle school reading. While I love teaching, it breaks my heart running around in the morning and dropping my kids off at daycare. So I decided to start my own business as a virtual assistant so I can work from home.

Angela [00:42:19] So smart.

Jenna [00:42:21] I toyed with the idea for a while, but then I listened to one of your episodes when you described how you were really driven to start this podcast because you wanted flexible hours and to be your own boss. I thought, Same, lady!

Angela [00:42:36] Did she write same lady?

Jenna [00:42:37] Yes!

Angela [00:42:37] So cute.

Jenna [00:42:38] You were really encouraging. So I was like, okay, they did it. I can too. And while building my own business, I had to set my own prices. And I remembered the information Jenna presented about how we tend to first negotiate with ourselves. I want to really thank you for that information because it’s true. I went back and I reset my rates.

Angela [00:43:00] I loved it when you talked about that.

Jenna [00:43:03] Yeah.

Angela [00:43:03] Because since you and I started this company together, how I approach my worth in our industry has completely changed.

Jenna [00:43:10] We talk about it all the time. When people reach out to us and they want to hire us for a gig, we so often apologize for being paid to do our work.

Angela [00:43:23] I know, but not anymore.

Jenna [00:43:25] Not anymore. Well, I think we should take a break.

Angela [00:43:28] Mm hmm.

Jenna [00:43:29] When we come back, I do have more deep dives. I’m not going to lie. If you like that portion of our show, this is the episode for you.

Angela [00:43:37] We’re also going to go back in time a little to some episodes that you guys wrote in about. We are back and we got some mail about past episodes we really want to share with you.

Jenna [00:43:52] I’m so excited about these.

Angela [00:43:54] Me, too. I got to kick it off with Olivia from Malvern, Pennsylvania. She said, I was just listening to your recent episode of The Seminar and the Pastabilities bit about Lou Peachum. That was Lou Peachum’s idea. You guys remember, Hi, Nard Dog. I’m Lou Peachum. So guess what? Olivia wanted us to know that there is a Pastablilties!

Jenna [00:44:14] It’s a real place?

Angela [00:44:14] Yes! It’s a very delicious Italian restaurant in Syracuse, New York. She said she has visited this restaurant many times with family and friends, and she did a little deep dive on Pastabilities. Are you ready?

Jenna [00:44:28] Be still my heart.

Angela [00:44:29] I know. Olivia, we are thrilled. She said it is located in Armory Square, which is a busy hub in central Syracuse, known for its many diverse cafes and restaurants, as well as lively bars and nightlife along West Fayette and Walton Streets. Pastabilities, the restaurant, has been there for 40 years and it opened in 1982. And it is the oldest active restaurant in downtown Syracuse.

Jenna [00:44:54] Wow.

Angela [00:44:55] Ready for this?

Jenna [00:44:55] Yes.

Angela [00:44:56] It’s been featured on the Food Network!

Jenna [00:44:58] What?

Angela [00:44:58] Yes, they are well known for their hot tomato oil.

Jenna [00:45:02] Hot tomato oil?

Angela [00:45:03] I know. They actually started packaging it and distributing it to grocery stores.

Jenna [00:45:08] How do you how do you sell hot oil?

Angela [00:45:10] I don’t know. But you can buy it at Walmart.

Jenna [00:45:13] Oh like spicy. Like hot. Like hot spice.

Angela [00:45:15] Spicy. Yes, that makes sense.

Jenna [00:45:18] We caught up.

Angela [00:45:20] What are we buying, oil in a thermos?

Jenna [00:45:22] That’s where my brain went.

Angela [00:45:24] Well, you can buy it at Walmart and Amazon. And because of all the buzz the restaurant created, they opened a bakery right across the street.

Sam [00:45:32] Sorry, I need you guys to know that while you’re describing this, Aynsley has ordered the oil. She said she’s been to this place.

Angela [00:45:39] What?!

Jenna [00:45:39] Hold on.

Angela [00:45:40] Aynsley! Get her a microphone.

Sam [00:45:41] Buried the lead on that.

Jenna [00:45:43] You’ve been to Pastabilities and you’ve ordered the hot tomato oil?

Aynsley [00:45:46] I’ve been to Pastabilities many times because I went to Syracuse University. And that was a big deal for us to go off campus and go to Pastabilities. And that hot oil, I’ve had it delivered to me in Los Angeles.

Angela [00:45:58] So it’s spicy oil.

Aynsley [00:45:59] It’s spicy oil. You can put it on pasta, but you can also dip bread in it. It is a dream.

Angela [00:46:03] I love to dip bread in stuff.

Aynsley [00:46:03] And I’ll get you some.

Angela [00:46:06] Yay!

Jenna [00:46:06] Woo!

Angela [00:46:08] Well, maybe now it makes sense that one of our writers might have known about Pastabilities, which is why they made it Lou Peachum’s business pitch. Olivia goes on to say, If you ever find yourself in central New York, you’ve got to go.

Jenna [00:46:20] We got to go.

Angela [00:46:22] Thanks, Olivia!

Jenna [00:46:22] Find myself in central New York? I’m going to purposely make a trip to central New York just for Pastabilities.

Angela [00:46:29] Well, maybe we’ll go to a wedding there.

Jenna [00:46:32] That’s what we need to do. We gotta bundle it.

Angela [00:46:34] A wedding tour.

Jenna [00:46:35] Listen, if you’re getting married and you’re going to have your rehearsal dinner or maybe your reception at Pastabilities.

Angela [00:46:41] Let us know.

Jenna [00:46:42] Please. Send us an invite. Well, I got a letter from Rachel in Burlington, Ontario, Canada, who has a tidbit also from the seminar episode. Do you remember the scene in the kitchen where Dwight is steeping Andy’s tea?

Angela [00:46:58] Yes.

Jenna [00:46:59] He’s doing it incorrectly.

Angela [00:47:00] Right.

Jenna [00:47:01] But there was a mug and I tried to zoom in on it and I couldn’t figure it out. It was really cute. Well, Rachel wrote in and said, I think that this mug is from Zummo’s cafe. I looked it up on the website and they have the same mugs as the one in this episode. It’s a little cafe in Scranton.

Angela [00:47:19] Oh.

Jenna [00:47:21] So I went to the Zummo’s website, and on their website, like Rachel said, they do feature these coffee mugs. The mugs actually say, Electric City Roasting Company; it’s all in the beans, and they have a little moose on them. And I found out that this coffee company was created by a woman in Scranton. And according to the website, the woman who started the company, her name is Mary. She had been living in San Francisco and had been getting all of this kind of, what would you call it, like artisan coffees?

Angela [00:47:56] Mm hmm.

Jenna [00:47:56] She moved back to Scranton, and she felt like she couldn’t find that artisan coffee anywhere in Scranton.

Angela [00:48:03] So she made her own.

Jenna [00:48:04] She made her own using a hot air gun and a funnel. The first blend that she created was called Blue Moose. It was a big hit. So she retired from her job in banking and finance, and she opened Zummo’s Cafe in 2004. It is a combination coffee house, penny candy store and shoe cobbler.

Angela [00:48:25] What?

Jenna [00:48:26] I couldn’t get more information on the shoe cobbling part.

Angela [00:48:29] We’re all of a sudden in Ye Olde England.

Jenna [00:48:32] I know!

Angela [00:48:33] Sign me up!

Jenna [00:48:33] Is this a cuter place or what?

Angela [00:48:35] I don’t think so.

Jenna [00:48:37] So Mary went on to become a licensed Q grader of coffee. At the time, in 2008, there were only 514 in the world. She was also one of the only female judges selected for the World Brewers Cup competition in Vienna, Austria.

Angela [00:48:55] I love the image of her with all those dudes in Austria, and she’s like, No, I’m here, guys!

Jenna [00:49:01] I know coffee!

Angela [00:49:02] Mm hmm. I had a glue gun. I had a funnel. And I made it (BLEEP) happen.

Jenna [00:49:07] That’s right. Today, the Electric City Roasting Company serves their coffee in cafes, grocery stores, hotels, and directly to consumers on their website, ElectricCityRoasting.com. And get this. They have a special brew called Boom Roasted.

Angela [00:49:24] Perfect.

Jenna [00:49:25] Here’s a description. Quote, A tribute to the greatest television show from a northeastern Pennsylvania based mid-size coffee company with tasting notes of beers, beets and Battlestar Galactica.

Angela [00:49:38] That’s so cute.

Jenna [00:49:39] Boom Roasted is a wonderfully crafted dark roast with dark cocoa and nutty flavors. I really wanted to get us some, but I only discovered this two days ago and I couldn’t get it in time, so I’ll get us some Boom Roasted in the future.

Angela [00:49:53] I love that story, all because you couldn’t make out a coffee mug in the background.

Jenna [00:49:57] Right?

Angela [00:49:58] Love it. Well, we also got a delightful letter from Sierra in Elverson, Pennsylvania. It’s about Michael’s love of YouTube. Listen to this fun tidbit, Jenna. Sarah writes, Here’s why I think it’s really cool whenever The Office mentions YouTube throughout the show. I come from a small town called Elverson in Pennsylvania. It’s 2 hours south of Scranton. The high school that I attended was also the same high school as Chad Hurley. Chad Hurley is the creator of YouTube.

Jenna [00:50:30] Whoa.

Angela [00:50:30] Yeah. She said our town is very small, so when people end up doing awesome things like creating one of the first and biggest media sharing platforms in the world, it sticks around for a while. To be honest, people in our town still talk about this almost weekly. I like to think that the news of this spread to Scranton and the creators and stars of the show were just as tickled as we were. She goes on to say, Thanks for all of your great work on the podcast. I hope this makes you think of us whenever you hear Michael mention YouTube. P.S. I just think you should know that when Chad was trying to figure out the name for YouTube, he asked our history teacher if he thought the name YouTube was a good one. My history teacher, Mr. Ollenbach said No.

Jenna [00:51:13] Oh, no.

Angela [00:51:14] And he really pushed for Chad to rename it. But Chad moved forward with the name YouTube anyways, and thus it was born.

Jenna [00:51:22] Wow.

Angela [00:51:24] Isn’t that so fun?

Jenna [00:51:25] That is so fun.

Angela [00:51:27] Well, Jenna, I know a lot of folks have written in about what your panty lines rant meant to them and pockets and whatnot. I still get a lot of mail about chunk it. To refresh your memory, when we were breaking down the episode The Client, I described how Pam put Michael’s pants in the trash, and you kind of have to hear Jenna’s reaction in the moment to what I said. Let’s play that clip.

Jenna [00:51:51] What’s interesting to me is that this cold open implies that we have casual Fridays at the office, but so far we’ve never shown a casual Friday or referenced a casual Friday, and I believe we never do again, even though we very often have episodes set on a Friday.

Angela [00:52:08] No, this is the one time. I said also there’s some real great Pam sass in this cold open because what do you do at the end? You just chunk his jeans under the recyc-.

Jenna [00:52:17] Chunk them?

Angela [00:52:18] Yes. You just you flip them over and you toss ’em.

Jenna [00:52:21] I know, but I think that- have y been saying chunk your whole life? It’s Chuck. You chuck ’em. Wait. No. Have you been saying chunk for your whole life?

Angela [00:52:32] (UNINTELLIGIBLE, CRY/LAUGHING) I think I said you chunk it at something.

Jenna [00:52:40] Chunk it? Sam. Sam, it’s chuck, right? It’s chuck.

Speaker 3 [00:52:49] It’s 100% chuck. Another whiffle.

Angela [00:52:53] Oh, my God.

Jenna [00:52:55] Do you chunk your woofle ball?

Angela [00:52:56] I chunk it. Chunk it real hard at someone. Oh, my God. I have to take my glasses off because I’m crying. I’m crying I’m laughing so hard. I chunk it!

Jenna [00:53:09] You don’t chunk it. Oh, man.

Angela [00:53:11] Oh, lord. So people are still letting me know if they are a chunk it or a chuck it person. And whenever you’re a chunk it, it really makes my day. Here are two I want to share. Becky B from Fort Worth, Texas, wrote in and said, I don’t have a question. I just had to tell Angela that I was just watching an IG video of a man rescuing a baby deer from a frozen pond, and he was using a sledgehammer to get through the ice. Once he had the deer in hand, he was having difficulty carrying it and the sledgehammer. In the background, you can hear his brother, who sees that he’s struggling to carry both, and his brother yells, Chunk it up here! I heard that and immediately I had to tell you guys.

Jenna [00:54:01] Wait, wait. The brother didn’t run in and help? The brother’s, like, chunk it over here! But, like, dude, put down the camera and help me. I’m rescuing a baby deer from the ice!

Angela [00:54:15] There’s that. But let’s just not lose the fact in all of that.

Jenna [00:54:18] I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I will stay focused that.

Angela [00:54:21] The verb chunk was used.

Jenna [00:54:22] We have a chunk it. It’s on record.

Angela [00:54:25] We have a second use of the verb chunk. Recently a bunch of you shared an article with me that was written by an ESPN staff writer. His name is Mike Reese, and he wrote this about Mac Jones, the quarterback of the New England Patriots. I guess after a very frustrating game, Mac was quoted as saying this: Obviously, I just kind of let my emotions get to me. What I said was about throwing it deeper within the short game. I got to execute that part better. But I felt like we needed chunk plays. I shouted that out to kind of get everyone going. That’s emotional, that’s football. And I’m passionate about this game.

Jenna [00:55:03] Wow.

Angela [00:55:05] Thank you. Mac and Becky, I feel seen.

Jenna [00:55:10] Angela, I occasionally slip and say, chunk it now.

Angela [00:55:14] You you have told me this.

Jenna [00:55:16] You have worn off on me. And when we were listening to that clip and I asked you if you chunk your woofle ball, it didn’t sound wrong to me.

Angela [00:55:23] You also told me your husband has heard of the use chunk it.

Jenna [00:55:27] Yes. He grew up all around the country, but his family eventually settled in Texas. And when he first got to Texas, he heard someone say chunk it because he had been saying chuck it. And he was able to confirm to me that both are used.

Angela [00:55:41] Thank you very much.

Jenna [00:55:42] And mean the same thing.

Angela [00:55:43] Thank you. Mm hmm.

Jenna [00:55:46] Mm hmm. I get a lot of letters from people who share with me how much they appreciate when I talk about my anxiety and my social anxiety. And we got a letter from Anouk in the Netherlands who said, I am 19 years old. I found your podcast last March and listened to all the episodes nonstop. I also just listened to the podcast you did with Elise Meyers, and you mentioned that you struggle with social anxiety. On previous episodes, you have mentioned that you had anxiety before, but I didn’t know that you struggled with social anxiety, something that I struggle with, too. I find it so encouraging that even though you have social anxiety, you still chose an acting slash in the spotlight career. I was wondering if you could share a little bit more about your experiences of what anxiety was and still is like for you.

Angela [00:56:40] That’s a very thoughtful question.

Jenna [00:56:42] It is. It is. And this is such a common thing. I have anxiety. I am also an introvert. That does not seem like a good formula for a career in the spotlight.

Angela [00:56:55] Do you know what I would say? That you also love a challenge. So it’s like you gave yourself a personal life challenge.

Jenna [00:57:02] It’s interesting because my therapist a while back actually said that I picked a very challenging profession for a person with anxiety issues.

Angela [00:57:11] This is also someone who decided one year to never use a calculator and only do all the math herself. You love a challenge.

Jenna [00:57:20] This is true. I thought I would start by defining an introvert. Because I was looking it up recently because I kind of wanted to differentiate between my introverted self and my anxious self.

Angela [00:57:33] Hmm.

Jenna [00:57:34] So here we go. First of all, I learned that psychiatrist Carl Jung developed the concepts of introversion and extroversion in the early 1900s. And the easiest way to determine if you are an introvert is by discovering how you recharge your social battery. So introverts have very low social desire and tend to prefer minimally stimulating environments, and they go inward to recharge. Extroverts are re-energized from being around others. So, for example, after a long workday, do you like to recharge by being alone or by meeting up with friends? Guys? Where are we on this? Are we? What do we have in our group here? Do we have introverts or extroverts?

Sam [00:58:23] Introvert for me.

Jenna [00:58:24] Okay.

Aynsley [00:58:26] Introvert. I love being alone.

Cassi [00:58:29] I don’t believe in introverts/extroverts. I think everyone’s in the middle.

Jenna [00:58:32] Oh, I like that, Cassi.

Angela [00:58:34] I love it when Cassi’s just sitting in the corner. What are you doing over there? I don’t even know what you’re doing.

Jenna [00:58:40] She’s doing something with some wires.

Angela [00:58:41] I know. It looked like you were doing something with wires. Who knows what you’re up to? You’re just quietly sitting there, and then we throw you on the mic and you’re like, I’m a call bull (BLEEP) on all that. Just like this quiet power. It’s so awesome. I’m actually with Cassi. I love being alone, but I also would love, at the end of a day, to meet up with friends and, you know, talk about our day and sort of commiserate. I need both in my life.

Jenna [00:59:07] I see. Well, let me see if this helps us. In 2011, some psychologists named Jennifer Grimes, Jonathan Cheek and Julie Norem broke down the introverted personality into four distinct types: the social introvert, the thinking introvert, the anxious introvert and the restrained introvert. I read the four descriptions and I most identified with the social introvert. A social introvert is most happy in either complete solitude- Aynsley, I’m looking at you- or in small groups, in subdued places. A social introvert will happily go on a solo date or vacation. I’ll have you know I was going to the movies by myself as a high school senior on a Friday night.

Angela [00:59:59] You still enjoy going to the movies by yourself. It’s something we’ve talked about, because I would never want to do that. Like I never want to go to the movie by myself.

Jenna [01:00:08] I will go eat a meal alone in a restaurant. Table for one.

Angela [01:00:13] I had to get used to that and it was really hard for me when I was on that show in Vancouver. I ate alone a lot. And at first I was like, Oh no. And then I began to love it.

Jenna [01:00:23] All right. Moving on. A thinking introvert are most at peace when they’re studying, reading, learning, researching or investigating.

Angela [01:00:32] That’s kind of you. You love your morning cup of coffee in your office where you can dig in to work.

Jenna [01:00:38] I’m telling you, I’m every one of these introverts. A restrained introvert moves at a slower pace. They crave structure, and they also have their guard up around others until they get to know them. Am I still describing myself?

Angela [01:00:55] Yes.

Jenna [01:00:55] I believe I am. Finally, an anxious introvert are often quite shy and nervous, and when they meet people, they can sometimes appear highly avoidant or even rude because social interactions make them so uncomfortable and they want to avoid social interactions at all costs. So those are our list of introverts. But here’s a little bit about social anxiety. Social anxiety is a disorder in which you have an irrational fear of social interactions. Kind of leans into that anxious introvert. Symptoms of social anxiety include excess fear of being judged. Not mild fear. I want everyone to understand as a person with social anxiety, the key word here is irrational, excessive, also intense worry about embarrassment or humiliation or concern about offending another person. So I will say for me, I can go to a dinner party or a social interaction and on paper everything went great.

Angela [01:01:58] I always know what I’m going to get the next day with you. I get a voicemail where you spiral.

Jenna [01:02:06] Yeah. It’s really amazing, actually. I can come home. I will review every moment in my head. I will think of all the ways I messed up, embarrassed myself, offended someone. My heart will race. I will lose sleep, sometimes for days. And this has been going on for me for as long as I can remember. I have always had this. I’ve gone to therapy for it, which has helped a ton, and I did that therapy before I became a professional actor. So I’m very grateful for that. I started therapy in my early twenties. But I have to say, Anouk, in answer to your question, acting has always been a little bit of an escape for me. In high school, like I said, I would avoid going to parties. But I loved being part of theater productions. I loved the artistic community. I felt safe there.

Angela [01:02:56] It’s a very accepting group of folks.

Jenna [01:02:58] It is. And I often do well socially when there’s a project involved. When we all have something we’re working on or working toward, because I do like people and I like being around people.

Angela [01:03:10] And you’re goal oriented. So it’s like you have that common goal.

Jenna [01:03:13] So while I love acting, the part that has been hardest for me has been the public events like interviews or red carpets. Things like that. I wrote in our book, The Office BFFs, that Melora, who plays Jan, was a really great mentor for me in how to navigate that part of the business with boundaries and self-care. You know, it just requires a lot of thought, a lot of strategy for me. But yeah, this anxiety has never gone away. It just ebbs and flows.

Angela [01:03:47] But here you are crushing it, lady.

Jenna [01:03:49] Here I am. Listen, like you said, I am also very stubborn. I don’t like to be stopped. So I am a stubborn social introvert with social anxiety and an actor and a podcaster.

Angela [01:04:01] And a mom and a friend.

Jenna [01:04:02] And I have the best BFF because having someone who will listen to me spiral the morning after a dinner party, that helps a lot. So thank you, lady, for being there for me.

Angela [01:04:13] I always will.

Jenna [01:04:15] Now, Angela, Anouk also had a question for you, which is this: I know that Angela has shared that she grew up in Indonesia, and as a TCK myself, I was wondering if she could share some of her experiences and difficulties in growing up there and what it was like returning to the U.S. and if and how it has affected her identity.

Angela [01:04:36] Oh, my goodness. Anouk, first of all, I think I went into comedy because we moved so much and I was such a fish out of water growing up. And the quickest way for me to fit in was to make everyone laugh. But TCK means a third cultural kid, and you grow up not in your home country and you have a hard time kind of figuring out where you fit in. Because there’s a huge part of me that loves and identifies with my childhood in Jakarta. And when I came to the U.S., I found it hard to fit in and find other people who had had an experience like that. But yet my family, my parents who were raising me in this other country, had all of their traditions from their culture and where they grew up. And when I would go to Texas and Louisiana in the summers, and I wouldn’t understand pop cultural references or I wouldn’t understand colloquialisms or I felt like out of place there, too. And it was sort of like, where do I fit in? And then you have this small group of people who also grew up like you that you really hold tight and dear. I am still friends with my friends that I grew up with in Jakarta. We all moved and got dispersed. And that’s that’s another thing, because you don’t have that constant touchstone of that neighborhood you always go home to, that corner store, that, you know, coffee shop. It’s you grow up kind of displaced a little bit. And it makes me crave roots and tradition. I get very attached to the smallest things about family tradition, like, okay, it’s Christmas Eve. We open one gift on Christmas Eve. And I remember one year my mom was like, What if we just open all of them? And I was like, No! Because I needed some type of roots.

Jenna [01:06:26] Mm hmm.

Angela [01:06:27] And but I am thankful for my childhood because I really believe, and I know this, that you could drop me anywhere and I will find a way to survive. I’ll find my people. I’ll find out what to do there and I’ll be okay.

Jenna [01:06:42] Yeah.

Angela [01:06:42] I’m not fearful at all about new places and new experiences and new people and new cultures. I get excited about it.

Jenna [01:06:50] Mm hmm.

Angela [01:06:51] But, yeah, Anouk, I can definitely relate to that. And ultimately now, as an adult, I see it as a gift. But when I was a kid and we moved back in middle school, that was a tough time.

Jenna [01:07:01] And middle school is already tough.

Angela [01:07:03] Oh, my God. It’s like, what? Am I wearing a training bra? What’s happening?

Jenna [01:07:08] The most miserable couple of years of my life were middle school.

Angela [01:07:12] I know.

Jenna [01:07:12] And I can still feel them. So for you to be also new?

Angela [01:07:16] Mm hmm.

Jenna [01:07:17] Not just new school or new kid, but, like, new to being back in the country.

Angela [01:07:22] Yeah.

Jenna [01:07:23] Wow.

Angela [01:07:24] I know. I would say things too and people would be like, what are you talking about? All the time. But Anouk, thanks so much for asking about that. It’s a part of my childhood that I just treasure as an adult. I really have seen it now to be such a gift that I had that I grew up in a different country. I have such great perspective and appreciation for sort of a global view of the world that we’re all in this together. We really are. So I love it when people reach out to me about that. I also got a letter from Sarah, who is living near my old school in South Jakarta.

Jenna [01:07:57] No way!

Angela [01:07:58] Yeah, she’s living near JIS, which is where I went to school, and she sent me the most beautiful batik skirt. Sarah, I’m totally going to wear it. It’s so beautiful. I’ll put a photo of it in stories. Here’s the letter she wrote. Dear Office Ladies, my family and I have been a huge Office fans, and so when your podcast came out, I was thrilled. And imagine our delight to find out that Angela went to school at JIS. We have lived down the street from that school for the last five years. And I just had to reach out and send you guys a few goodies. A traditional batik skirt and Javanese coffee from Lewak. Jenna, you would love this coffee.

Jenna [01:08:36] You know I love a coffee.

Angela [01:08:37] I know. Please keep up the great work on the podcast. So great to enjoy a bit of home when abroad. With much love, Sarah. Sarah, terima kasih. I just said thank you, Sarah.

Jenna [01:08:51] Well, I love when people send us things, Angela, and people get real creative in the things they send. I got a letter from Chris S in Knoxville, Tennessee, who remembered when we talked about our love of Wheel of Fortune.

Angela [01:09:06] Oh, my grandmother’s favorite show.

Jenna [01:09:08] Chris emailed Vanna White and told her that we were fans. I don’t know how he had her email, but somehow he got her to send us each personalized photos autographed by Vanna White and Pat Sajak. Here they are!

Angela [01:09:23] You are kidding me?

Jenna [01:09:24] No!

Angela [01:09:25] Somewhere my grandmother in heaven is smiling. Wait, I have to see this.

Jenna [01:09:30] Here. There’s one for each of us. There it is.

Angela [01:09:32] To Angela, heart, Vanna White. Oh, my God.

Jenna [01:09:35] And Pat Sajak!

Angela [01:09:36] And Pat Sajak! Look how glamorous. Look how glamorous she looks.

Jenna [01:09:40] It’s a great photo.

Angela [01:09:41] Oh, my goodness. That is amazing.

Jenna [01:09:44] Angela, when we get our new studio space.

Angela [01:09:47] That’s going up on the wall.

Jenna [01:09:48] We’re going to have the best autograph wall thanks to Sam and Chris. And my God, if we could get a personalized autograph from Keanu.

Angela [01:09:56] Don’t say it. Don’t even say it.

Jenna [01:09:58] From Keanu! The wall will be complete.

Angela [01:10:03] (WHISPERS) Keanu, please come visit us at our new space.

Jenna [01:10:06] (WHISPERS) Keanu, it’s going to be a great place and you’ll love it.

Angela [01:10:09] Keanu, please.

Jenna [01:10:10] We’re just saying.

Angela [01:10:11] We also love getting your art. So many of you guys have painted and drawn pictures for us. That’s going to go on our wall in our new space. I want to give a shout out to the coolest art sent in by unlucky press dot com.

Jenna [01:10:25] It’s so great.

Angela [01:10:26] It’s- okay, guys. Imagine the Charles Schulz Peanuts gang meets Cafe Disco. It’s the whole kind of hang out down in cafe disco portrayed by the Peanuts characters.

Jenna [01:10:40] But it’s like a Peanuts Pam and a Peanuts Angela.

Angela [01:10:43] Yes, exactly.

Jenna [01:10:44] Right?

Angela [01:10:44] Yeah.

Jenna [01:10:44] It’s so cute.

Angela [01:10:46] It’s so stinkin cute. We’re going to put it in our Instagram. I love it so much. I have another fun thing to share.

Jenna [01:10:54] What is it?

Angela [01:10:55] I got a birthday card from Katherine in Lincoln, Nebraska, and she put a business card inside with a note. I am fascinated by her business card. I did a deep dive on her business card.

Jenna [01:11:07] What is it?

Angela [01:11:07] It said, quote, blank journals and more. Lady, she makes her own journals.

Jenna [01:11:15] You’re kidding me.

Angela [01:11:16] I found a write up about Katherine, and here’s something she said. Bookbinding has become my passion out of a love for beautiful and unique papers, leathers, beads and other found objects that I collect from my everyday life. By combining these different elements, I create each book as an individual piece of art. They each have a title, a theme and a voice. Each book is full of blank pages for use as a journal, a photo album, a sketchbook, or simply a personal place to put thoughts. She has a studio in her home where she fulfills custom orders, and she currently teaches and demonstrates paper arts at various locations. Katherine, I found you on Etsy. Your journals are beautiful. I saw you’re taking some time off, but when you’re back, I will be ordering one.

Jenna [01:12:02] Angela. Yes, you will be.

Angela [01:12:04] I know. I can’t wait to write ridiculously stupid things in it, but it will be mine and it will be beautiful.

Jenna [01:12:12] Well, guys. Thank you for all of your mail.

Angela [01:12:16] I really felt like I spent the last few days with you guys, just hearing your voices, hearing your stories, and it really built me up. So thank you so much.

Jenna [01:12:24] We hope you have a wonderful holiday and a happy new year. We will be back on January 4th with Billie Eilish.

Angela [01:12:31] Happy holidays, you guys!

Jenna [01:12:33] Bye!

Angela [01:13:03] Bye!

Jenna [01:13:03] Thank you for listening to Office Ladies. Office Ladies is produced by Earwolf, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. Our show is executive produced by Codi Fischer. Our producer is Cassi Jerkins. Our sound engineer is Sam Kieffer. And our associate producer is Aynsley Bubbico.

Angela [01:13:19] Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton. For ad Ad free versions of Office Ladies, go to StitcherPremium.Com. For a free one month trial of Stitcher Premium, use code: office.