Hello, Laura, Ms. Ross.
Good morning, hello.
Can I take your coat for you?
Oh, no thank you.
Of course.
And how 'bout a coffee?
How would you like your coffee?
I can get you
whatever you'd like.
Anything to eat?
Thank you, I can
get my own coffee.
- Hey, Jasmine?
- Mm hm?
Hey, I think we're fine in here.
Do you mind checking
in my studio
and seeing if they
need any help in there?
- Yes, Sir.
- Okay.
Hey, what did I say
about calling me sir?
Not to do it.
I should just call you Paul.
- Exactly.
- Yes, Sir.
You're right.
So sorry.
She's a good kid.
She's very excited to be here.
Who is she?
Should I know who she is?
I'm usually very
good with faces.
Oh no, that's our
new intern, Jasmine.
It's her first day.
I thought I was losing my touch.
Nah, still got it.
All right, you ready in there?
Let's start talkin'.
Okay, we are on in five, four.
Hello ladies,
and any of you modern
thinking men out there.
Welcome to another episode
of the "Modernly
Independent" with me,
your host, Laura Ross.
If this is your
first time listening,
this is the podcast where we
discuss life as a modern woman
and how you don't
need anyone's help
to do what you
wanna do or to get
where you wanna be in
your life and career.
As always, I'm joined
by my dearest friend
and producer, Paul.
Hello, hello and
good morning, Laura.
You're looking lovely as always.
Ah, thank you.
How are you doing today?
I'm doin' well, thank you.
I think I'm finally
recovered from last week.
That's right.
Last time we were here,
we were getting ready
for Thanksgiving.
And what a Thanksgiving it was.
I had people over to my house
and in true "Modern
Independent" fashion
I made the entire meal
entirely by myself.
So, I'm gonna ask you, and
I want you to be honest.
- Whew.
- Paul?
- Okay.
- What did you think?
I ate myself into a coma
if that's what you're asking.
That is what I'm asking.
Great.
I made all of the Thanksgiving
goodies this year.
So Paul, are you
ready for a game of,
Name It!
For those of you who are
new listeners to the show,
Name It is a quick
f*re rapid challenge
where we try to name single
items within a category.
Today's category is
Thanksgiving food items.
Laura, go!
- Turkey.
- Tofurky.
- Mashed potatoes.
- Green beans.
- Yams.
- Apple pie.
- Salad.
- Mac and cheese.
- Pecan pie.
- Potatoes.
Green bean casserole.
A tuna fish sandwich.
I don't think that counts.
I don't know why
I said tuna fish sandwich.
You know, in fairness,
I did have a sandwich that
afternoon before I came over
to your house for
that lovely dinner
because I was scared that I
would get full too quickly,
so I wanted to
expand my stomach.
You pre-game.
Mm hm, I'm quite the pre-gamer
when it comes to eating, yes.
I don't, I just wait.
But given that that's
not an actual answer
for a Thanksgiving food item,
I am going to award
you the point.
Of course you are, thank you.
You're so generous.
For any of you listeners
out there, you can do this.
It takes a lot of time
and a lot of hard work,
but I felt so
accomplished in the end.
Having done it myself,
I think it made the food
taste that much better.
And you can take this mindset
to all other aspects
of your life.
I am getting the
signal from my producer
that it's time to listen to a
few words from our sponsors.
And when we come back,
we're gonna be reading
your comments and emails.
Good show today.
Oh, you too.
Thanks.
So, we've got something
to talk about.
Oh, that sounds serious.
Good news.
Well possible good news.
Okay, h*t me.
Okay, so you know
how we've been doing
this podcast for
the last few years,
and so far things
have been really good?
Mm hm.
We've had great reviews
and a steady increase
in our listenership,
but a few months ago
it's sort of plateaued.
Okay.
We can drum up some ideas
to get more listeners.
Right, well, I
might have a solution.
You know how we were
talking about reaching out
to one of those bigger
podcast networks?
Yeah, wider audience,
more advertising revenue.
But I thought we were too small
for them to take us seriously.
Well, I reached
out to a few of them.
I sent off some
links and one of 'em
just got back to me saying
we might be the perfect fit
to fill a void in their
female demographic.
Are you serious?
It's nothing concrete
yet by any means,
but you know, they're gonna
be taking an extra look at us.
That's great.
Yeah.
So, I was thinking that since
we're starting off December,
it would be really fun to
come up with a cool idea
to engage the listeners
for the rest of the month.
Okay.
We have the award show buzz
with all the female nominees
and the progress being made.
Right, which is great but
I was thinking this year,
it might be cool to do something
a little bit more Christmas-y.
I like Christmas as
much as the next person.
Oh, do you now?
Unless the next
person is literally you.
Thank you.
I mean, I like
me some Christmas.
- Yeah.
- But don't we have
enough of it out there?
Oh, as opposed to the lack
of Hollywood awards
coverage out there?
- Oh, oh good point.
- Yeah.
Did you have any ideas?
No, nothing certain yet,
but I'm marinating on it.
Big things to come, I promise.
Hey, congrats.
This is a really
good first step.
Yeah.
Okay, so we will think about
it and we will talk later.
Right now I've got to
meet Mary for lunch.
Oh, that's funny, I'm
meeting Erik for lunch.
Do you think it's
the same place?
Who knows?
But if it is, it certainly
isn't a coincidence.
They're one of those
perfect couples
who tell each other everything.
Something we can
all strive for, right?
Right.
- Oh, Jasmine?
- Yes, Ma'am?
Hi.
You can call me Laura.
I just want to
officially meet you
and welcome you to the team.
Thanks for meeting me today.
I love having a
lunch date with you.
Me too.
But it sounded like there
was something important.
Did you want to talk about it?
Yes.
So, I'm not sure if you noticed,
you probably didn't notice
because you were a little
busy at Thanksgiving,
running around, handling
everything yourself and all.
Okay, I get it.
Go on.
So, I wasn't drinking
at Thanksgiving,
and there's a very
wonderful reason for that.
Oh my goodness, you're pregnant.
A baby?
Oh, that's awesome!
You are gonna be like
the best dad ever, man.
Thanks, man.
It's still a little early,
but we wanted to
make sure we told
you and Laura first thing.
Wow!
So, that's what Laura and
Mary's lunch is about.
Well, that and we wanted to know
if you and Laura would
be the godparents.
Yes!
Are you kidding me?
Yes.
That would be...
Oh man, that would
be such an honor.
Wow.
"I'm gonna be a godfather."
Don't do that again, please.
- No promises.
- I know.
"I'm the godmother."
Please, don't do that again.
No promises.
In fact I can guarantee
I will do it again.
Please don't change your mind.
Never.
I couldn't think of
anyone else I'd rather.
I'm so excited for you.
And for me, actually.
I'm just a little sad
that we aren't gonna
be pregnant together.
Are you kidding me?
Do you think the
world could handle
both of us being pregnant
at the same time?
Yes.
With you I can only imagine.
You know, our kids could
be pretty close in age
if you'd go ahead and
get hitched already.
I'm not even dating anyone.
You could be.
You know, I always
thought it'd be fun
if you and I had kids
around the same time.
You know, they could be
on the same baseball team.
They could ride bikes to school
together, stuff like that.
I'm one very key ingredient away
from making that a reality.
Why don't you just ask her out?
Who?
Laura.
Oh, come on man, you know Laura.
I do know Laura, and I know you,
and I know you two are
perfect for each other.
You're in love with each other,
but neither of you
is gonna make a move.
With her being Miss
"Modern Independent,"
I can hardly imagine that
she'd want me to ask her out,
and she clearly doesn't
see me that way.
So, while you're probably right,
I also really love
our friendship
and I don't wanna mess that up,
so it's probably for the best.
He's my producer and my friend.
That's it.
That doesn't have to be it.
If he was interested,
he would ask me out.
You think so?
Really?
He knows you better than anyone.
You think he would ask Miss
"Modernly Independent?"
Yes, that's me,
but I'm also a girl
and I'd like to be treated
like a lady and romanced.
Besides, I don't wanna
risk losing our friendship.
Some risks are worth taking.
Let's be done talking about me.
Let's raise a...
Let's raise a fry to you
and me having a baby.
Well, actually it's me and Erik
that are having-
To you and me having a baby.
To havin' a baby.
We got nine months
to prepare ourselves
for the adventure that awaits.
What's all this "We"
and "Us" talk?
I'm this kid's godparent,
and that is a role I plan
to take very seriously.
To us molding the future.
You know, we could have
toasted without drinks
like normal people, right?
Oh, you think I'm
gonna let my godchild
be raised like a normal person?
Not a chance.
I knew this was
gonna be a mistake.
I can feel that.
You know, I have a
ton of baby names
for you whenever you're ready.
Oh, that's so kind of you,
but I think Erik and now can
take care of this on our own.
Okay, so I'll write
him down for later then.
- Ladies.
- Hey.
- Mary, a hot cocoa for you.
- Oo.
Thank you, babe.
Oh,
well, do you think
I'd be bold enough
to get Miss "Modern Independent"
a drink and deprive her
of getting one herself?
Okay.
Well speaking of that, we
should get back to work.
Bye.
- Gimme a call.
- Okay.
- Yeah, gimme a call.
- Okay.
Nice work.
Y'all have a good show.
How'd it go?
No luck on my end.
She didn't say no, but
she's waiting for him.
He's waiting for her.
So, what do we do?
Now, I think we need to
take this into our own hands.
Hm, what do you have in mind?
Well, we've got our
work cut out for us,
but this is gonna be really fun.
This is gonna be so much fun.
Oh!
What are you doin' in here?
Working.
Don't you have your
own office to do that in?
Yes, but I don't
have a comfy couch
in my office and
you're not there.
Yeah, 'cause I'm
working in my office.
How was your lunch
with Mary yesterday?
Good.
How was your lunch
with Erik yesterday?
Good.
"They made me
an offer I couldn't refuse."
What are you doing?
Uh, Brando, "The Godfather."
What are you doing?
I think it's pretty obvious
what I'm doing.
We're gonna be godparents!
Yes!
You gotta work on your Brando.
Yeah, sure.
Okay.
Well, in other news,
I think I may have stumbled upon
the perfect Christmas
idea for the podcast.
That's funny, so did I.
- Really?
- Yeah.
You first.
Well, I got an email from
a listener this morning
and it suggested that we do the,
Christmas Challenge.
Yep, well, this listener
must have doubled down
because I got the
same exact email.
What do you think?
- I like it.
- Yeah?
Yeah, we do a new
Christmas-y thing
every day leading up
until Christmas Day.
Yes, no, I think it's perfect.
I think it's a really fun
way to engage the audience
and capture the
network's attention.
Yeah!
Yeah.
Yes.
What?
Where?
I present to you, the Christmas
Challenge calendar board.
So, you were pretty confident
that we were doing this?
Was I wrong?
No, you were not.
Well, I'm glad we're
on the same page then.
But the listener's
email did not detail
what we were gonna
be doing each day.
Well, actually I did get a list
and in order for
them to be done in,
but per the listener's
request, I didn't look at it.
Oh, you did this
board blindfolded.
No, I used the
power of an intern.
The what?
- Jasmine made it.
- Oh, yeah, yeah, Jasmine.
So, shall we?
Yes!
Well, thanks to this listener,
I think this is gonna be
an interesting month
leading up till Christmas,
don't you think, Paul?
I do think so, yes.
I think it's gonna
be a really fun way
to get into the
Christmas spirit, yeah.
Yes!
All right, well,
let's get started.
Paul, will you please
reveal day number one?
Oh, the moment we've
all been waiting for.
Paul is standing
up and reaching over
to our Christmas Challenge
board and reviewing number one.
Day number one,
"Christmas music!
Kick off the season
by getting the warm,
fuzzy feeling inside
you by pushing play
on some classics,
some favorites.
Any kind will do,
but play Christmas music
and let it work its magic."
Oh, Christmas music, huh.
Well, that's an easy one.
I think I'm gonna be getting
through this list pretty fast.
Okay, so any of you
indie poders out there,
please feel free
to join us on this.
Yes, and we will be
posting every item up
on our website so
you can join along
and participate in this
Christmas Challenge with us.
Hey, make it a family affair.
Or you can join me in showing
that you could enjoy
Christmas independently
if that's what you want.
And I'm gonna do this
one for everyone.
Here's some Christmas music to
get us in the holiday spirit.
You know, it's day two.
Day, number two, indeed.
Yes.
Hm.
I listened to
Christmas music yesterday
for like 24 hours straight,
and I gotta say, it's kinda
workin' its magic on me.
What about you?
I listened during
the show yesterday.
I'm ready for my next task.
All right, well let's
roll in five, four.
Christmas time is upon us.
Welcome to day two of this
crazy adventure that we're on.
To reveal day two,
I'm going to throw it to
Mr. Christmas himself,
Producer Paul.
Mr. Christmas.
That's a title I
could get used to.
Paul is reaching up.
He's grabbing number two
from our Christmas
Challenge board
and executes it perfectly.
- "Christmas cookies."
- Oo.
I don't even have
to read the rest
of this because Christmas
cookies are my jam.
Cookies are good.
So, what do I need to do today?
"You are gonna need some energy
for the rest of this list,
so let's give it to ya.
Everybody loves
Christmas cookies."
- True.
- "So, share some
with friends, family,
even strangers,
really anybody who could use
a little extra holiday cheer.
And don't forget to enjoy some
yourself while you're at it."
Great.
So you heard it, poders.
It's,
"Cookie time!"
We're so lucky.
We get to eat cookies
as part of our job.
Merry Christmas.
Thank you, kindly.
Of course.
Merry Christmas.
Some fresh baked
Christmas cookies.
And I included some fun
things to help you decorate.
You and Mary can get into
the Christmas spirit.
Oh, thanks, man.
This is very nice of you.
Yeah.
I'm sure the missus will
be very happy to get these.
Mm hm.
I even predated some so you can
just dig right in if you want.
Even better.
Is this part of your
Christmas podcasting?
- Yeah.
- Do I smell cookies?
It's like she has superpowers
now that she's pregnant.
You wanna hang out?
No thanks, I got some
more cookies to deliver.
All right, well good luck.
Thanks.
I'm sure I'm smelling cookies.
What are they?
Okay, well I better get goin'
and you better get
her these cookies.
Yeah, thanks man.
As we said last time,
we are changing up the
format a little bit
to be a daily mini pod
leading up until Christmas.
Paul, will you reveal
what we are doing today?
"Hang a wreath.
There will be more Christmas
decorating to come,
but let's start with
a wreath on the door.
Just a way to warm your heart
as you walk into the door
of your home or office."
Well, I don't have a wreath
on me here in the studio,
but that doesn't
mean I can't get
a little creative and make one.
All right.
Like I always say, don't let
anything stand in the way
of you achieving your goals.
With a little creativity,
out of the box thinking
and some extra red bows,
you can really
accomplish anything.
So, I am gonna have
Jasmine, our trusted intern,
she's brand new and lovely.
You're gonna hear from her soon.
She is going to just put this up
on the site so you can see it.
All that's left to do is
hang up this brand new wreath
that I made right
now on the podcast.
Good luck to all of you out
there on your Christmas journey.
Wow, very impressive.
It looks like we've got a
Picasso in the studio, everyone.
You're so kind.
Hey, how's the
mama to be feelin'?
She's good, man.
Well, consumin' a lot
of Christmas cookies,
but she says it's
due to the pregnancy.
I however, think
it's just an excuse.
Yeah, well, let's
not get in the habit
of cookie shaming pregnant
women now, all right?
Yeah, I guess you're right.
How's the Christmas
Challenge going?
It's going pretty good.
You know, I was
hoping that Laura
might be a little bit more
excited about it, though.
What are you talkin' about?
Well, you know,
I was really hoping that we
could do these things together,
but she seems more interested
in just checking items
off a list than really getting
in the Christmas spirit.
Well, maybe she'll
get into it soon.
I mean, you're only
on day three, right?
Maybe she needs a
little bit more,
you know, motivation
or encouragement.
Yeah, maybe.
Well, I gotta go.
Did you tell him?
I will.
Paul, Mary says thanks
for the Christmas cookies,
and if you have any more, feel
free to dump 'em off here.
Okay.
I'll drop some off tomorrow.
Thanks, man.
You're a lifesaver.
Bye.
How's it goin'?
Not great.
What do you mean?
They're taking very
different approaches
and she's not interested in
doing this with him at all.
Well, let's give it some
time and see if that changes.
She can't do the
whole list by herself.
I don't know.
She's a pretty
determined person.
There's still time.
Um, what, um,
what did he say
about the cookies?
He'll bring them tomorrow.
Tomorrow?
I know, he's a horrible friend
who's clearly not doing his
role as godfather any justice.
Mm mm.
- What?
- I need all these.
It's the season of
giving, not taking.
Good morning.
Care for a breakfast cookie?
What's a breakfast cookie?
They're breakfast cookies.
Wow, what a balanced meal.
Mm hm.
Do you happen to have any-
- Oh, I got you right here.
Very clever.
Thank you very much.
Wow.
You are rolling day
two into day four.
Well, you don't
have to just stop
an activity because
the day's over.
I mean, I haven't
stopped listening
to Christmas music
since the first day.
It's about getting into
the spirit of things,
not just checking
items off a list.
Well, I think if
I'm doing my list,
the listeners will be happy.
Sure, but keep in mind
we've also gotta
impress the network.
You're right.
I should step it up for them.
Mm, nice.
"For day four's activity,
we are gonna be writing and
sending Christmas cards.
It's a great way to keep
in touch with old friends
and reacquaint ourselves
with those we may
have lost touch with.
Day seven is write
a letter to Santa.
It's an activity that
brings so much joy
to kids each year and can bring
the same to you as an adult."
"Dear Santa,
how are you?
Things are good here."
"Dear Santa,
thank you for all the
joy that you have brought
and continue to bring to
children all over the world.
You are a true
inspiration to us all.
Merry Christmas, Paul."
"I know what I want
for Christmas this year.
I want the network to
pick up our podcast."
Yeah.
"P.S., please help us get
acquired by the podcast network.
Laura really deserves it."
All I'm saying is
that we're a quarter
of the way through this,
and so far, I feel like
maybe you're not caring
as much as I expected you to.
Oh, well, I'm
coming in every day
and I'm doing
everything on the list,
so what is it exactly
that you want me to do?
Well, yeah, you are completing
the list and reporting to
your listeners about it,
which is great.
I just feel like there could
be more energy put behind it.
Does that make sense?
Yeah.
Do you want me to be
sprucing up the podcast?
Like, we could put
some more work into it.
I mean, it's not like we're on
TV or anybody's watching me.
You're right, we're not on TV,
but pretty soon somebody
will be watching you.
What?
I talked to the
network this morning,
they really like
what they're hearing,
but before they
commit any further,
they wanna send
somebody down here
and check out how
our operation works.
Okay.
When?
Today.
Okay.
Paul, wait, what did,
what are you saying?
Paul?
Paul, are you...
Hey Jasmine, I need three copies
of this put on my
desk right away,
and then this needs
to be proofread,
retyped and put on Laura's desk
before our two
o'clock recording.
And then this needs to be
collated and delivered to HR ASAP.
I'll get right on these on.
But oh, where is
the HR department?
I don't think I've been there.
Okay, you know what?
Nevermind, I'll just take that
one back then, do it myself.
That was really
painful to watch.
What are you talking about?
I'm talking about
the busy producer guy
routine you're doing.
Well, excuse me for trying
to give off a good
first impression.
Oh, is this person coming soon?
Honestly, I don't know.
I just know that a Michael
is supposed to be here today,
so I figured I'd get
down here to greet him
and then got a little
carried away giving off
the impression that maybe
we're a bigger deal
than we really are.
I know.
You know what?
These need to go
to our sponsors,
so let's just get right on that,
and then this, hi,
needs to be completely redone.
Hi.
Hi, Chad.
Pay no attention to the
show going on over here.
Paul's just having a little bit
of a nervous breakdown.
No, I'm not.
Thank you.
- I'm gonna go to work.
- Okay.
Real work.
Good luck with Michael.
- Okay.
- Have fun.
- Thanks.
- Okay.
Did I get you the
licensing agreement?
Mm.
Oh, I forgot to
hand these to Laura.
Okay, I'll get these to Laura,
the podcast host in the
third office down the hall.
Yeah.
Okay.
And these need to be-
- Tabulated.
Got it.
Tacked to a bulletin board.
Yeah, what about those?
Do those need to be shredded?
And do those need to go
to the printers for
balloon printing?
No, stop.
Jasmine, just stop.
Okay, did you say
balloon printing?
What are you doing?
Okay, we're waiting for Michael.
Does that look like
a Michael to you?
No.
Sorry, Paul, I just
really felt that one.
You know, I thought that Michael
would be really impressed
if he walked in on that one.
Maybe.
Hi.
Are you Paul?
Yes.
I couldn't help but overhearing.
You're waiting for Michael?
Yeah, that's correct.
Hi.
Hi.
I'm Michael.
I'm sorry, what?
I'm Michael.
Well, actually it's
pronounced Michale.
Oh, oh.
You're Michael?
Michale.
She does look like a Michale.
Okay, thank you
so much, Jasmine.
Hi, I'm so sorry.
It's such a pleasure
to have you here.
Thank you, I'm glad to be here.
Hi.
Hi.
Paul, I see that you found a
fellow Christmas enthusiast.
Oh, hi.
It is such a
pleasure to meet you.
I have been a fan of yours
for quite some time now.
That is so nice of you to say.
Thank you.
And I've been loving the
recent Christmas episodes.
It's really put me into
the Christmas spirit
as you may have noticed.
Oh, I even brought some of
the cookies that I made.
Wow!
And don't worry,
I did it myself.
No pre-made dough or
store bought cookies here.
As you say, we can do anything.
This is great.
Thank you so much.
That's so kind of
you to do this.
I really appreciate it.
And as much as I've
enjoying this, Paul,
I feel like you might
wanna get back downstairs
before we start so
that you can be there
when the big network
big wig gets here.
I don't mean to be rude.
I'm so sorry.
If you would like
a tour, Jasmine,
one of our interns would
love to take you on a tour
or if you're really
close with Pauly here,
he might want you to join
him in the big show down-
- Okay, Laura?
- Yeah?
This is Michale.
Hi, Michale.
Nice to meet you.
Hi.
Michale is from the
network where ironically
there's no Michael
who works there,
and she's here to check out
how our operation works.
I'm so sorry.
I'm, I'm so sorry.
I'm sorry.
Me too.
So Michale, if you
have any questions
for me before the show, I'm
happy to answer some as well.
Oh, thank you so much.
More than anything, I'm
just happy to be here.
Thank you so much, I'm
really just happy to be here.
Oh.
I forgot to take
you off of mute.
- Oh.
- There we go.
- Sorry.
- Now she can hear you.
Okay.
Thank you, Laura.
You can just pretend
I'm not here.
I'm just going to be a
silent observer.
Great.
That was my fault.
Okay, well, I'm all set in
here whenever you're all set.
Yeah, we're all sudden here.
We are on in five, four.
So, I count down silently
and then she just knows
to go on and talk.
Yeah.
Hello, hello, hello.
I hope that you aren't getting
too sick of me and Paul yet.
You're probably not used
to this daily dosage from us,
but I really hope that
you're enjoying yourself.
Right?
Isn't that right, Paul?
Yes, that is correct.
Okay, well, let's just jump
right into day eight then.
- Oh.
- Day eight.
Yes, day eight.
Okay.
Oo, a Christmas tree.
Personal favorite of mine.
Let's see what the
card has to say about it.
Oh, right.
Yeah.
In my opinion,
best bakery in town.
Oh, well thank you again
for the hot chocolate.
Oh yeah, it's the best way
to keep warm on a
cold day like today.
Hey, if you two don't mind,
I would love to
tag along with you
when you do your
Christmas tree shopping.
You know, kinda get a feel
for how you work together.
We actually do the
activities on our own.
Oh.
I just assumed from listening
that you two were really close.
Yeah.
I mean, we've been
best friends for years.
You know, Laura
likes to live the life
that she talks about on the air,
and I guess being independent
is a big part of that.
I see.
Well, I guess I'll just
have to keep listening then.
I'm sure I can get a feel for
your work from the office.
Oh, well, I don't
have any commitment
to being independent if
you'd like to join me.
I'd love to have you.
- That would be great.
- Okay.
I gotta warn you, I do my
Christmas tree shopping
just a little bit differently
than most.
I decided to step
out of the normalcy
of the Christmas
tree lot this year,
and step into nature's
Christmas tree lot, nature.
I'm venturing out into the woods
to pick my own tree
and cut it down.
I hope it inspires you to
know that you can do that too.
And I have found a winner.
The next sound you hear
will be metal to wood,
sawing down the tress and
listening to the tree fall.
Now, the key is to look
at it from all angles.
Most trees have a weak
side and sometimes
that's just what
you need to be able
to perfectly fit it in
the corner of a room.
And then sometimes you need-
- Sometimes you find the
perfect tree from all angles,
which gives you more
room for decorating
and the ability to
put it in a window
so it can be enjoyed
from all sides.
Boom.
Wow.
Isn't that a beauty?
I know, right?
Would you like the honors?
I mean, I can give it a go,
but maybe be ready
to jump in and help.
This is the perfect tree.
You've got plenty
of room down there
at the base to make a cut,
but you don't have to
worry about making it even
'cause we'll just
make it straight
before we put it in the stand.
This is so great.
I wonder how Laura's doing.
I hope she's all right.
All right.
Oh, we're gonna do this.
Oh, right there.
Oh, that's the stuff.
Oh, oh.
Take that, nature.
Ah, man.
I cut down the tree, and
I feel so accomplished.
Now I just need to get it to
the car and drive it home.
I need to get it to the car.
Oh.
Star first and decorate.
You decorate after.
No, no, no.
Yeah.
The star definitely goes last.
Oh, Laura.
Hey.
Hi.
I didn't realize
you were out here too.
Yeah.
You okay?
Yeah, I'm great.
Yeah.
Okay.
Would you like some help?
You know I don't.
All good.
Yeah.
Okay.
Laura, that's a really
great looking tree.
Oh, thank you.
So is yours.
Are you sure you're okay?
Yeah, yeah.
Okay.
Well, we'll see you later.
Bye, Laura.
Have you guys see my car?
- Sorry.
- Okay.
Isn't it a good
thing that she's here
and enjoying herself so much?
Doesn't that bode well for
you joining the network?
Yeah, but does she
have to be so happy
with Paul all the time?
He's the producer of your show.
It's kind of his job, right?
Well, it's just ever
since she got here,
they have been
completely inseparable.
She's shadowing him.
No, it's the Christmas
Challenge thing.
Ever since the
Christmas tree day,
they've done
everything together.
Day nine, Christmas
shopping together,
day 10 wrapping
presents together,
day 11 toy donation
together, day 12 eggnog.
Okay, slow down.
There's nothing wrong with
drinking eggnog with someone.
Oh, no.
They decided it would be best
if they made homemade eggnog
from scratch together.
They did the same thing
with the warm hot meal
and hot chocolate
for days 13 and 14.
Well, have you thought
about joining them?
Or asking Paul to do any of
these daily things with you?
I can't.
Why not?
The whole point of my
podcast is that I'm showing
that I can do all of
these things by myself.
What would it say
to my listeners
if I was just doing
everything with someone else?
Maybe they would
think it's Christmas,
and it's not about checking
things off of a list
or doing things alone,
but about spending time
with the ones that you love.
Babe, I'm home.
It's day 15,
Christmas movie time.
Speaking of time
with loved ones.
Laura, are you joining us?
No.
You two have a
wonderful time together.
I don't wanna be a third
wheel, or a fourth wheel.
Are we counting the
little one in your belly?
Sweetie, we would be
happy to have you join.
Or you could call Paul.
No, I think I will
go home by myself.
I'm sure he and
Michale are watching
a Christmas movie
together right now.
Think about what I said.
It's so much better to share
these things with someone.
Oo.
It's that time of year, folks.
It's time to sing.
It seems that the Christmas
board is repeating itself.
If you recall,
we started this adventure
with Christmas music.
Yes, that's true, but
this kind of Christmas music
is to be performed
by you for others.
It's time for
Christmas caroling.
Oh no, that one's way too hard.
Oh, no.
Hey, what's goin' on?
Hi.
Well, I'm looking up Christmas
carols for me to sing tonight
that won't bring physical
pain to the listener.
Come on, I've heard
you sing before.
You've got a lovely voice.
In fact, we could use that
voice of yours tonight.
What are you talking about?
Well, you know,
Christmas caroling
is usually done as
a group activity.
It's not so much a solo thing.
You know-
- So far it's Michale, me,
Jasmine and her boyfriend,
really nice guy, and then
you, if you wanna join.
I think I'm gonna
do this one solo.
Unfortunately, I don't
know any Christmas carols,
but fortunately I
have the internet.
The internet.
Oh, the worldwide web.
I gotcha.
Bye, Paul.
Okay, have fun tonight.
Thanks, you too.
I think I can make this work.
Yes.
Uh huh.
Can I help you?
Hi.
Yes.
Good evening.
I'm here to carol for you.
I don't need to tell you that,
I should just start singing.
Oh, wait a minute.
My wife loves this stuff.
- Oh.
- Honey.
- Okay.
- Come out here.
- Cool.
- We have carolers.
She'll be right here.
Honey, come on.
I'm coming.
Well, hurry it up.
Why are you yelling at me?
We have carolers.
- Oh.
- Oh, well, we have a caroler.
Okay.
Oh, that's me now.
Okay.
On the first day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
A partridge in a pear tree
On the second day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Two turtle doves, and a
partridge in a pear tree
On the third day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Three French hens
That's okay.
Two turtle doves and a
partridge in a pear tree
On the fourth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Four calling birds, three
French hens, two turtledoves
And a partridge
in a pear tree
On the fifth day of Christmas,
my true love gave to me
Five golden rings
Four calling birds, three
French hens, two turtledoves
It has been quite
an adventure so far.
And my caroling last night is
something that we may never,
ever speak of again.
And we are well past
the halfway point
and a dear friend reminded
me about the holidays
being about spending time
with your friends and family,
people who mean the most to you.
I really hope that
these daily activities
are bringing you
closer to someone.
It's been a crazy- Told you.
Yep, you were right.
She certainly has
a way with words.
She does.
And with that, I'm gonna throw
it to Mr. Christmas himself
and ask you to tell
us what we have next
for all of our wonderful
people out there.
"With Christmas
growing even closer,
it's time to decorate your home.
It'll fill your spirits
every time you come home
and do the same to
anyone who passes by
and sees the lights shining
the way for Santa to find you."
Well, that's right.
It is time to decorate.
And I hope you caught that.
He said, "Decorate your home,"
not your house because
it doesn't matter
if you live in a house or an
apartment or even a hotel room.
It's your home for
the time being.
Time to make it festive.
I heard what you said today.
Whoever that friend
is sure sounds
like they know what
they're talking about.
Even you have good
ideas sometimes.
It doesn't mean I'm gonna
start listening to you.
So, you aren't even
going to take your own advice,
which was actually my advice?
Actually, I just loaded a
box of decorations into my car
and I'm gonna bring it over
to Paul's house and surprise
him, help him decorate.
Yay!
Stop wasting time on the phone
with me and get over there.
Okay.
I'm invested.
Bye.
Aw, man.
Are you sure you
can spare all of this?
Oh my gosh, it's
no problem at all.
You heard Laura the other day.
It may be a hotel that you're
staying in for right now,
but it's your home, so you
should decorate it that way.
Well, I appreciate it.
Definitely never decorated
a hotel room before,
but I think it
should be pretty fun.
Yeah, you'll be great at it.
I'll load these in your car.
Oh, thanks.
Good morning.
Sounds like you had a
good night last night.
You know what, I did.
I spent the entire night
decorating my house
and you know how I love
some Christmas decorations.
I do.
I'm glad you and Michale
had a good night.
Michale?
Good morning.
Hi.
Hi.
I just wanted to say, Paul,
thank you again for last night.
Yeah, did it all
work out for you?
Yes, perfectly.
Good.
So, should we get
today's recording down?
Yeah.
Great, let's do that.
Yesterday's task was a big one.
Well, that depends on the amount
of decorating you wanted to do,
so today we're just
gonna get right to it.
Paul, what do we have today?
Yes.
Okay, before I read this one,
there's something that I
have to do real quickly.
Okay.
For all you listeners, because
this isn't a visual format,
I'm gonna let you know that I
have no idea what's going on
and you are not missing much.
Oh, I take that back.
Our producer, Paul,
is, I can't quite describe
what he's wearing.
It's my Christmas sweater.
Yes, it's a Christmas
sweater and it's so very-
- Festive.
Paul.
I have to know, why
was it under your desk
and are you peeking ahead
to see what we have on
our Christmas calendar?
No, I have not.
When we started this
whole Christmas fun,
I just knew there would be a day
that would arise where a
Christmas sweater was called upon.
So, you hoped there would
be a Christmas sweater day?
Well, maybe a
little bit of both.
Either way, I bought this
beautiful Christmas garment
last holiday season but never
had a chance to wear it,
so when we started the
challenge, I came in,
hid it under my desk
and was just waiting
for the perfect moment to
pull it out, which is now.
It's so you to do that.
And with that, I encourage
all of you out there
to go out and get
a Christmas sweater
that would bring this much joy
to the people in your lives.
Great, and we are out.
Please tell me, like how
long have you been waiting
with the Christmas sweater?
Hey, I could not wait for today.
- Wow.
- This has literally
been marinating inside
of me this entire time,
and I was just scrolling
through social media.
I found it and I was like,
"I do not care what this costs."
Of course you would.
I love the lights on
the trees and the like,
the Christmas string.
Like, everything about it.
Do a little dance,
let me see it.
What's your favorite part?
Of course, it's the
Christmas trees that light up.
Mm hm, it's perfect for you.
No.
Stop.
- Oh my gosh.
- Get outta here.
- Look at this.
- You gotta be kidding me.
Did you- Oh my gosh.
It's amazing.
I...
There's...
Literally I am in awe right now.
I mean, what are the odds?
We look so cute.
I feel like we need-
- Oh, great minds think alike.
All right, okay.
Yeah.
I listened to
your podcast today.
Sounded like you and Paul
were having some
fun times in there.
I assume it went
well at his place
with the house decorating?
I'm afraid not.
What are you talking about?
Well, first of all, I did go,
but I never made
it outta the car.
Did you chicken out?
No, I didn't make
it outta the car
because when I got there,
Paul walked out of his
house with Michale.
So, I left before
they could see me.
But what about today?
Well, yeah, we had
a moment, but then...
Michale.
Yep.
Hm.
Don't give up.
Honestly, I think I'm too late.
I missed my chance.
And honestly, it's
better this way.
She is perfect for him.
They're like two happy little
Christmas elves together.
Now I just need to focus on
making the network deal happen.
Hey.
Hi.
Paul, I'm sorry
for bothering you.
You're not bothering me at all.
What's up?
Can we meet for
breakfast in the morning?
Yeah, sure.
Office break room at eight?
No, away from the office.
Can we meet before we go in?
Yeah, sure.
Is everything okay?
Yeah, yeah.
Everything's fine.
We'll talk at the cafe.
Okay.
I'll see you in the morning.
Okay, bye.
Hey.
Oh, let me- I got you covered.
Oh, thanks, but I don't do-
- Do coffee for the
month of December?
I know, it's hot chocolate.
It really is a
wonderful month, isn't it?
Yeah.
So, what's goin' on?
Michale's not gonna
walk in here is she?
No.
Okay, I wanted to talk
to you away from Michale,
so that means away
from the office.
Okay.
You've been spending
a lot of time with her.
Yeah, she's been really helpful
and a lot of fun to do the
Christmas challenges with.
I know.
Where do we stand
on the network deal?
We don't really talk
that much business
when we're together.
I mean, we talk about
you and the podcast,
but not exactly where we
stand with the network per se.
Okay, well, we're coming
to the end of the month
and soon she's gonna go back
to wherever it is she came from
and I wanna make sure that
we did everything possible
to make this happen.
So, what can I do
to win her over?
She thinks you're awesome,
and she loves the podcast.
I don't know.
Maybe just spend
more time with her,
give her the chance to
get to know the real you,
see how awesome and amazing
the real Laura Ross is,
and then like me, she'll
fall completely in love with,
you know, um,
she'll fall in love
with the idea of
acquiring the podcast
and be a win-win for everyone.
So, I'll join you two on some
of the upcoming Christmas
challenges, I guess.
Yeah.
Yeah, that would be great.
Great.
Only eight more
days until Christmas,
so let's make sure
to make 'em count.
Yeah.
Man, I do love hot chocolate.
You're such a child.
At heart, yes.
A child at heart.
It is one week till Christmas,
and we are getting down
to the nitty gritty
of this Christmas Challenge.
I really hope that you've
been enjoying yourself,
either listening to our exploits
or joining along with us.
Paul, will you tell
us what you have next?
Apparently Paul has decided
to keep this one a secret
and enjoy it all by himself.
No, there's no way I would
deprive you of this one, Laura.
Oo, I don't like
the sound of that.
Today we are going to
be visiting Santa Claus.
Like, take a kid to Santa?
No, you wish.
"As a child, one of the
most cherished moments
was always going to visit Santa.
You sit on his lap,
he listens to you
and his presence magically
brings you warmth and love
and you usually get to
walk away with a candy cane
and an unmatched sense
of wonder and excitement.
It is now time as adults
for you to go and
regain that feeling."
So I'm all for this,
but I think this should be
a group activity, right?
Let's all go see Santa.
Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
Now, Sammy, I know you've been
a very good girl this year.
How do you know?
Well, because you're
on the nice list.
But I haven't
checked it twice yet.
You have been good, haven't you?
Yeah, I was really good.
Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
Well, that's so good to hear.
Well, in that case,
I think you can count on getting
that robot for
Christmas this year.
Does that sound good?
- Yeah.
- Good.
Ho, ho, ho, ho.
Have a very Merry Christmas.
Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
Thank you, Santa.
You're welcome.
I really think we got a lot.
Come here.
Was this so much fun?
Ho, ho, ho, ho.
- Say bye.
- Bye Santa, love you.
Okay, let's go.
Come on.
Ho, ho, ho, ho.
And that is what we are trying
to recapture for ourselves.
I can't ever remember
being that happy.
Hello there.
Is your little one around?
Did they run to the potty?
Oh no, we're here to see Santa.
What do you mean?
We're here to see Santa.
Oh.
Okay.
Well in that case I guess,
you are about to
meet Santa Claus.
He's just the greatest, right?
Yeah.
We're really excited Yeah.
To meet Santa Claus.
He's super great.
This is gonna be the
best day of my life.
I love Santa so much.
I just can't even.
Okay, that's good.
That's enough.
Now remember, Santa has
lots of other kids to see,
so you can't stay
up there too long,
but he loves you so much and
is so excited to meet you.
We can even take your picture.
My good friend Chipper
right over there
just got a new camera
last Christmas,
and he would be happy
to take your photo,
or we can use mommy and
daddy's camera as well.
Not a daddy, but
you can use my camera.
All right.
It looks like he just finished
up with his last friend.
Who wants to go first?
I'll go first.
Right this way, little girl.
Okay.
Well hello, little girl.
- Hi, Santa.
- Ho, ho, ho, ho.
It's so nice to see you.
Yes.
Come over here and
sit on Santa's knee.
- Oh.
- I'm not gonna break,
you know?
Okay.
I'll sit right here.
Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
Now, have you been a
good girl this year?
Yeah, for the most part.
Hm.
That's nice to hear.
You know, Laura,
we all make mistakes sometimes
and may upset our mommies
and daddies and our friends,
but as long as we
work really hard
to make it right and be good,
you will for sure get
on that nice list.
Thanks, Santa.
Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
Now, what is it you
would really like
for Christmas this year?
I think I know what I want.
I know exactly what I want.
Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
Family photo.
Very fun.
Looks like it's time
for another field trip.
Okay, everybody scooch in.
I have a lot.
- Oh.
- Scooch in.
We're taking a family photo
and you guys are my family.
Thank you so much
for doing this.
I can take the picture.
Well, thank you,
but you're family too.
You've been here
for almost a month.
Get on in here.
And I can figure out how to do
the timer on Paul's
camera, is it?
Paul, do you think you
could figure out the timer?
I am not so good
with that camera.
Austin, could you set
it up on a timer for us?
Thank you so much, Paul.
Thank you, Austin.
Okay, where should I?
Oh, squeeze in right here.
Okay.
Great.
Everybody look at the camera.
Everyone say podcast.
Podcast!
Let's take a look.
All righty.
Well, thanks for coming over
to help make gingerbread houses.
I think this is gonna be fun.
Well, I would've had
you over to my house,
but I figured it'd
be more festive here
and I don't wanna
make any assumptions,
but did you happen to have
all of these ingredients
already in your house?
That assumption would be
completely correct, yes.
But what Christmas
would be complete
without all the gingerbread
house fixins, right?
Well, thank you guys
for letting me tag along.
I would've had you
over to my hotel,
but well, it's a hotel.
That's a good point.
So, have you all
done this before?
I have.
It's been a tradition in my
family since I was a kid.
Oh, cool.
Fun.
I'm sure I did it
as a kid or in school.
I just have no recollection
and I have not done it
since I entered the
boredom of adulthood.
Hm, well, before we begin.
Up on the house
top reindeer pause
Oh.
Hm.
Gotta set the tone
for the evening, right?
Okay, let's get started.
Oh, how do we do that?
Okay, so your plate
is your workstation,
but also think of it
as your foundation.
The walls and the roof are
gonna be made outta gingerbread.
Is that why they're
called gingerbread houses?
You know what?
I never thought of it that way,
but you might be onto something.
I'm so wise.
And then you're gonna use icing
to hold everything together,
and I suggest getting a
good layer on the bottom
so it holds the walls up,
but if you want to
cheat a little bit,
you can use a few of these
toothpicks to prop the walls up.
But don't tell anyone I
gave them to you, okay?
Thanks for lookin' out for me.
- No problem.
- Hm.
Other than that,
the sky's the limit.
You can make any kinda
house you want to.
I suggest probably putting a
door and some windows on it,
but hey, you do you.
Who are the residents
of these houses?
Oh, that would be those
fine friends of mine.
Oh.
Did you make
gingerbread men and women?
Oh yeah.
Do you think I would
work with this one
for as long as I have and not
have a little sense
of female empowerment?
Good on you.
Hm.
Let's get started.
Let's do it.
All right, let's start.
Okay, so where is
my foundation from?
Rooftop, rooftop
Up on the rooftop
Up on the housetop
reindeer pause
Out jumps good
old Santa Claus
Down through the chimney
with lots of toys
All for the little
ones Christmas joy
Ho, ho, ho
Who wouldn't know
Ho, ho, ho
Who wouldn't know
Up on the housetop,
click, click, click
Down through the chimney
with good St. Nick
Up on the rooftop
Up on the rooftop
Rooftop, rooftop
Up on the rooftop
Well, ladies, we did it.
Or looks like two of us did it
and one of us sort of did it.
Hey, my gingerbread
house has a story.
It's a jailhouse, and
people in jail deserve
a happy Christmas as
well, and this person is,
he wanted to be home so
badly he climbed all the way,
like dug a hole all year
long and he's coming out
with his cellmate and
they're gonna run home
just in time for
Christmas dinner.
Yeah, I think the takeaway
here is there's no wrong way
to celebrate Christmas.
Yeah.
Merry Christmas.
Are you sure you didn't break
through the roof
of the jailhouse?
Well, that's the guard.
- Oh.
- I see it.
It's like a control tower.
Are you ready for this one?
Yes.
I don't know if you're ready.
Oh, come on, bring it on.
A good old fashioned
Christmas party.
All right, folks.
We are going to have a party.
I imagine people all over
the office are slowly closing
their computers and
getting ready to celebrate.
Well, keep in mind not all
of our listeners
work in an office.
That's right.
You can translate this to
mean whatever works for you.
As long as you're celebrating
this joyful season with
the people in your life.
Dashing through the snow
In a one horse open sleigh
Over the fields we go
Just laughing all the way
Bells on bobtails ring
Makin' spirits bright
What fun it is
to write and sing
The sleighin' song tonight
Oh, jingle bells,
jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
in a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
in a one horse open sleigh
Oh, wow.
Isn't that something?
Yes, thank you to Sarah
from our marketing department
for sharing her gifts with us.
This is really special.
If any of you are talent
scouts here in the audience,
she is the real deal.
Mm hm.
And we still have plenty of room
if anybody wants to
sign up to show off
their hidden talent tonight.
Oh, and if you haven't given
out your Secret Santa yet,
tonight would be the perfect
opportunity to do so.
Oh, who do we have next?
Oh, next up we have
Jude who juggles.
Wow.
One of our technical
directors at the studio.
Apparently he has other talents.
- Yes.
- Come on up, Jude.
Wow, how about that?
Wow.
Did you know Jude could juggle?
When he started showing up
at the office a few months ago
with bruises all over his arms,
I thought there might be
something up with that.
I feel like the practice
was probably worth it.
Do you know how to juggle?
I do, yes.
I juggle things at
the office everyday.
Very funny.
What about you?
I do not, no.
Well, there's no time to learn
like the present is there?
Hey, Jude, can we get a couple
of those juggling b*lls up here?
Great.
- Are you serious?
- Why don't you give it a go?
Yeah.
Cool.
Here goes nothin'.
Wow.
Oo.
Woo!
Thank you, thank you.
- Great.
- Very wonderful attempt.
Next up we have John, the
nicest custodian in the state.
He's gonna tell
us all the secrets
that he learned by
going through our stuff.
Excuse me?
Yeah, I'm just kidding.
He's gonna do magic!
Everyone, give it up for John.
I can't believe you guys put
this Christmas party together
on such short notice,
and it was so thoughtful for you
to let all the employees
out early today.
Well, thanks, but
it's all credit to Paul.
Oh, come on.
He's the super producer here
and him putting together
this party is his talent.
I have been very impressed
with Paul in my time here.
Thank you.
Laura, this is for you.
Oh.
I drew your name
for Secret Santa.
Thank you.
This is-
- Open it!
Oh, 'kay.
Oh.
I didn't know what to get you.
I mean, you're Miss
"Modernly Independent,"
and you're so good
at everything,
but then I saw you try to
juggle, and it was great, and-
- It's okay, I was horrible.
Well, I thought you
might like to learn,
so I asked Jude and he
said you could have these,
so Merry Christmas.
Thank you.
Sincerely, thank you.
This is so thoughtful and
yes, I will be mastering this.
Okay, well, I have to go
get set up for my talent.
I'm up next.
Yes.
Have fun.
Good luck.
Wow, she's just somethin'.
Our next performer
is a new member
to our team as of recently.
Yes, she has been a
wonderful addition to the team
and you've no doubt seen her
running around the office.
Yes, please welcome our talented
and valuable intern, Jasmine.
Hey, everyone.
I'm here today to talk to you
about scuba diving, all right?
And what we need to
know first of all
is that safety is
number one, okay?
So, we wanna get our
buoyancy clearing all set.
Make sure you have a
safe zone of entry.
All right?
Let's check our pressure next,
our air pressure, all right?
We wanna make sure
we have enough time
down there, all right?
'Cause if you don't
have enough time,
you're gonna run out of time,
you know what I'm saying?
We don't want that, all right?
So we've got air checked.
We got our buoyancy checked.
All right.
Make sure we have our water
nice and nice and toasty.
Just kidding, you
can't control that.
You kinda just gotta do whatever
you're gonna do, you know?
All right.
So, air check.
Cool, all good.
All right.
And then we're gonna enter.
We'll do entry, that's next.
All right, we're in the water.
All right,.
Interesting.
Whoa!
No one's gonna believe
that we saw that.
We will, we'll know.
All right, let's put out a call.
Woo!
We got limited air here, guys.
We gotta be careful.
All right, so solid form.
We got the froggy
as the first one.
Goin' on.
All right.
Ew.
All these limbs, we're
gonna make it happen, okay?
All right, there we go.
Look at us go.
Look at that, that's a whale!
Wow!
You won't be able to see that
without being in
solid form, all right?
How much longer do you think
we should let this go on?
From the ground, up to the top.
Yeah, I think we should
put a stop to this.
Yeah, I think so.
Actually, Laura,
do you think you could
handle this on your own?
I had Paul for Secret Santa
and I was kinda hoping I could
give him his gift
if that's okay.
Yeah, sure.
That's...
- Cool.
- Don't!
It's dangerous.
The real question is when
you're under that big blue,
you know, and you're lookin' up,
think about what your future
self on land would say.
Would they want you
to have this journey?
Think so, but I'll
tell you what,
you can't go under
unless you got safety.
Underwater safety up top foot,
you know what I'm sayin'?
All right, thank you
so much, everybody.
Wow, thank you so much
to our resident
scuba diver, Jasmine!
Thank you.
I was afraid I would
look silly up here,
but scuba really is one
of my biggest passions,
so thank you.
You looked great.
Really great, and educational.
That is a tough act to follow.
So, I'll take my turn.
Ladies and gentlemen,
it is time for a
Christmas classic
that I will try to do my best,
but I would really love it
if you would join in with me.
I'm sure you'll know it.
It is a Welsh melody
from the 16th century
by beloved Scottish
maestro, Thomas Oliphant.
Deck the halls with
boughs of holly
Fa la la la la, la la la la
'Tis the season to be jolly
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Don we now our gay apparel
Fa la la la la, la la la la
Troll the ancient
Yuletide carol
Fa la la la la, la la la la
You guys are wonderful at this.
Now, the original Welsh lyrics.
Just kidding.
We are gonna have
Sarah from marketing
come back up and
entertain all of us.
Sarah from marketing!
You sure know a lot about
Christmas Carol history, huh?
I did do a little
bit of research, yes.
Well, I thought it was great.
Thank you.
Do you know where Paul is?
Michale said she
had a present for him,
but she wanted to give
it to him in private.
Yeah.
They're really cute
together, aren't they?
Who?
Paul and Michale.
They're like two peas
in a pod with how much
they both love Christmas
and both being producers.
It's really cute.
Yeah.
And in conclusion,
I think we have the most
talented office around.
I totally agree.
I hope that you enjoyed
whatever festivities
you were able to put together
or are planning for the future.
And most importantly,
we hope you had time to
enjoy this with a loved one.
Let's move on to the next day.
"Some Christmas
traditions we all know,
but we don't know
why they continue
to stick around year after year.
Mistletoe is one of those.
If you're standing
under some mistletoe,
it's bad luck not to
give someone a kiss.
So find a loved one, find
some mistletoe and find luck."
Well, you heard it, folks.
Paul's the producer and you
have to do what he says.
Only two more days.
Great job, everyone.
Keep it up.
Okay, and we're out.
Good work.
And I really think this has been
a wonderful idea
for the podcast.
Yeah, it's been great.
Hey, Laura?
There's something
that I've been wanting
to talk to you about.
I was just wondering if you
had some time maybe later we-
- Hold on, I've gotta get this.
Hey.
Hold on just a minute.
Hey, this is gonna
take a minute.
Did you have a question
for me or anything?
Oh, no, no, I'm fine.
Thanks.
I didn't see Michale,
So when you go see her tonight,
make sure to bring
some mistletoe.
See you tomorrow.
I really thought we'd been
connecting these last few days.
Maybe it's not
what it looked like.
No, I think it was clear.
And honestly, it's my fault.
I missed my chance.
And I'm really happy for him.
They're perfect for each other.
I'm sorry.
Me too.
Thanks, I'm gonna be fine.
I'll talk to you tomorrow.
Bye.
Well, our Christmas Challenge
worked exactly as we wanted.
Well, that's great.
Unfortunately, it worked for
Paul and Michale, not Laura.
No.
Oh.
Well, there's still time.
According to Laura, it's
gonna take a Christmas miracle.
Is there enough
ice cream in there for two?
Hi.
Hi.
How did, why are you up here?
I wanted to tell you something.
How did you know I'd be up here?
Well, I think I know you
better than just about anyone.
Well, yeah.
Look, I've got something
to say and I just,
I can't wait any
longer to say it, okay?
Where's Michale?
Michale went home,
but I'm not here to
talk about Michale.
Wait, Michale went home?
What happened with you two?
- I thought-
- I love you.
Okay?
Look, after the Christmas party,
Michale offered me a job working
as an executive
producer at the network.
That's so exciting.
But I told her no.
Why?
Because I'd have to move away.
I thought about it, and the
more I thought about it,
the more it didn't feel right
and I realized that it didn't
feel right because of you.
Me?
Yeah.
I have felt this way about
you for the longest time
and I just didn't
know how to say it.
And I didn't want to
ruin what we have,
but I think you're the most
amazing person in the world
and working with you has been
the best experience
of my entire life.
Everyday, I look forward
to coming into the office
because I love my job.
That's because I love you.
I mean, I have my own office
and I don't even use it
because I wanna be close to you.
I...
We don't want bad luck, do we?
No.
No, we don't.
It's been a crazy
adventure here podcasting
this Christmas Challenge.
I am so thankful to
the mystery listener
who sent this to us.
You have changed our lives
more than you will ever know.
For our 24th day activity,
we have started a new
Christmas Eve tradition
of spending the
holiday together.
Something that I look forward
to doing for many years to come.
And now we have
come to the last day
of the Christmas Challenge,
which means it is Christmas Day.
Merry Christmas to you all,
and thank you for being
a part of this with us.
Remember, family can
mean so many things.
So, for your Christmas
dinner with family,
make sure that you're spending
it with the ones you love.
So, here we go.
I still feel strongly
that you can do anything
you put your mind to.
It's okay to be independent,
but I've learned that it's
okay to have help sometimes.
In fact, some things
are better shared.
And starting in the new year,
you are all going to
be sharing this podcast
with a lot more people
because we will be joining
the Podworks network,
which is very exciting
because we will be reaching
a much bigger audience.
So this Christmas, be
sure to raise a glass
to the ones you love.
I guess all there
is left to say is...
Merry Christmas!
Christmas Challenge (2022)
Moderator: Maskath3