Talking with T-Bird: Wanda Shirk

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2:20Yeah, that's right. Talking with Tea Bird is back again. And boy, do we have another good one for you here today? We've been on such a roll with talking with Tea Bird because today we're going to be talking with an icon out of Survivor Palau. Wanda Shirk has been found by this woman, my co-host, the amazing Teresa Tea Bird Cooper. Hello, Rob. It's Tea Bird. How are you? I'm great. I'm excited. I'm excited that we have Wanda today. Wanda is so mysterious. She's not on any social media. Here she is. Well, in that she's not on any social media. She has a landline, no cell phone. She's still a big adventure out, hiking, and that we were able to get her and that we've

3:25pinned her down today is going really excited. Good. Well, excited to chat with Wanda. We're coming off of such a great talking with Tea Bird just a couple of weeks ago that Tea Bird, if you missed it, tracked down Suhawk. It was so much positive feedback for the interview with Suhawk. I think we're going to submit it for the podcast Emmys this year, the Suhawk episode. You're a fool. That gets a dang. Yes. Sorry, I slammed on the video too. It was such a good interview. It was so wild. It's Suhawk. I mean, you know if interview with Suhawk is going to be good. Yeah. So be sure to check that out if you missed it. Anything new with you, Tea Bird? No, I'm looking forward to survivor starting up. Yeah. Continue with the open era. What? It's the open era. Yes, the open era. Yeah, what does that mean to you, the open era? I just think they, I think and they just have to figure out the next, the next era.

4:26Yeah, it's kind of like a marriage, right? It's like if you're, if you're bored in your marriage, you say like, you know, we're going to call this the open marriage. We're a little bored. We want to try new stuff. Let's see what happens. Like that's what that's, I think they call it. It's, this is the open era. So Rob, I haven't watched many of the promos, but it seems like I heard because we were, we're doing talking to Wanda today. Mm-hmm. Getting to make it as far in the game as we would have liked to have seen. Sure. But did they say on some of the promos that they're going to start and somebody might not be starting the game? I think somebody, if I had to guess, I think somebody is going to go to exile Island. I don't think somebody is going to get wandered. I think they learned their lesson on that. Not going to get one. Yeah. Yes. Yes. Okay. We'll, we'll see about that. Okay. But T-Birt, we have wand standing by. So let's go ahead and take it away. This high school English teacher from Ulysses, Pennsylvania was one of 20 left stranded on an island in the South Pacific.

5:28She had applied for season seven, Pearl Islands with no look. She then applied for season 10, Survivor Palau. She knew casting wanted characters. She dubbed herself Wild, wacky, wise, witty, warm and wonderful. She interviewed in Philly where she wild the producers with her song, quote, Wanda, the great survivor to the music of Rudolph the Red Nose reindeer. She made it to LA still singing her wacky shined. She was in at 55 years old. She told her friends she wanted to be the best prepared over 50% ever to be on the show. She was a hiker, had backpacked a mountainous 85 mile trail alone, a runner running half marathon and five k's and a swimmer. She believed she could make it to the final four. She lived on the beach with the other 19 players for two days and was ready for anything.

6:32Well, anything that is but the twist. The school yard pick on the third day unfortunately had her and another player getting back on a boat and heading home. She was asked back for season 11 Guatemala, but production decided to go in a different direction casting two other return ease from Palau. She is high spirited, optimistic, energetic, who boasts? I had no tried no buff, no torch, no tribal council and no votes against me. Very few players can say that her iconic saw a field of legacy still remains after 21 years. And now at 77 and retired still lives a life of adventure out of the social media spotlight playing her ukulele and spending time with her grandkids. I introduced the woman some lovingly say has always marched to the beat of a different

7:32drummer. The one of a kind, Wanda shirt. That was an amazing introduction. I can't believe you knew that much about me. Yes, Wanda. Wanda. Happy to see you. Well, Rob, I am happy to see you too. It's been a long time. Yes, we had. We shared one night together in only Ann and I was so happy to meet you then and I looked forward talking with you again today. Good. Well, I'm very excited to have you here and Wanda, you seem like you're doing great. I am. So for my 77th birthday, I climbed the highest mountain in the cap still, slide mountain 4184 feet and it is the eastern terminus of the 584 mile finger like trail, which I've been hiking over a period of years. So I still stay fit and I know high thousands of miles of trails and I've got more to do.

8:37Wow. Rob, let me ask about Wanda since she's talking about all this hiking. We got in 2018 a life achievement award. Is this right from the Keystone Trails Association? That is right. Yep. So for building and maintaining hiking pass as a volunteer. So she's been involved in hands on with hiking for quite some time. I was president of Keystone Trail Dissociation for several years. I've been president of my local Susquehannock Trail Club with about 250 members. I've been president for about 16 years and I do a lot of hiking and trail maintaining. I really enjoyed being outside. That's part of why I applied for survivor because that was into the outdoor stuff. And in the earlier seasons, it seems, well, the initial impression was that it was about outdoor survival, not just about backstabbing or the social game or whatever.

9:41I mean, that was obviously part of it too. But more of the physical element of survivors seems to be important in the earlier years, maybe the Aussie years that, you know, can you do it outdoors type of thing? Yeah. And you could. And I could. Yes. I was prepared to do it. Shorten the seasons now. So it doesn't. People don't have to survive and suffer for as long. But yes, like as T-Bird said, when I was getting ready for survivor, I was going out to a farm pond and swimming across it back and forth and getting very used to swimming and all the challenge things that I thought I would be doing. Of course, the one challenge that I was in was when we jumped off the boat and had to swim to shore. And I wasn't the first one to the island. The first two there were Ian and Joana, but I wasn't the last one either.

10:42I was kind of middle of the pack and last were Stephanie and Jonathan and Stephanie went on to be on survivor for time. So I can say that I'd be Stephanie in the one challenge that I was ever in. Of course, that was because she decided to jump off the boat too early. And so she had a longer distance to swim and some of us, most of us, rode closer to shore before we jumped into the swim. Yeah. That's story. Yeah, Wanda, if you ended up playing on the season of season 10 of survivor, how do you think it would have gone? Well, if you played, they played like that to play longer, I should say. Right. I will say that Ian was once asked that question post survivor and he said he thought I would have done very well.

11:42And I think so too because I'm a congenial person, easy to get along with low maintenance. And as I said in part of my introduction to survivor, I came to be fun. I came to be a fun person. And I think that I would have been kept for a long time. Also, the way things were set up, I would have been on a colloid tribe. And obviously, the, uh, who long tribe would completely defenate. Right. You were on Coror, you were sort of automatically in the top half and on the jury. Yeah. And, uh, uh, Willard volunteered to be the first one off when Coror had to send somebody off. I wouldn't have volunteered to go off. I wanted to go the whole way. But he was, he was ready to go and chill out where it would be easier and more comfortable. Mm-hmm. So, yeah, I think, I think I would have had a good shot. Although it's also true that I think when most of the players are younger players, it's

12:44difficult for the oldest player to find a niche that makes them happy to keep that person when they've got friends their own age there. Right. So, it was an extra challenge. There aren't many seasons when they have players that are over 50 competing with people who are mostly in their 20s and 30s. But, I know, you know, age diversity is one of the kinds of diversity they want to have. And so, I was willing to play that game. Mm-hmm. I was willing, I was able to show that I would fit as well. And that I think I could have been at that time a good competitive player in the challenges. In Wanda, so you had applied first for Pearl Owens. Yeah. Right? So, it's interesting that had maybe the players been reversed. Your character, Pearl Owens, was Lil. Right? Yes. Where we saw how far Lil made it.

13:46So, did you ever play that in your mind? Well, I think I could have outflayed her. And of course, if you remember that season, she was voted out and then brought back in in another twist. And so, you never know. I mean, there were multiple twists with my season. The pickup game was a major one. But there were a couple of other twists such as that we were not given our game clothes. So, it seems like there was the third one, which doesn't come to my mind right now. But there were three twists there in the beginning. Every season has. And so, that's just all part of it. You know, I want that when it first happened, many people felt like this was unfair that the game is survivor and you go to tribal council and you get voted out. And I think that when we take a look now that that was season 10 and now we've played

14:4840 seasons after that. And still, there has not been anything else like that where maybe that there was like a root burk got sent to redemption island, but still had a chance. Like, nobody has ever else been other than like a medical evacuation. And unless there's something I'm not thinking of, everybody else has gotten like, if this was, they should have sent you to redemption island or like they would never do that to anybody else. I think that they know that that wasn't right. What happens to you? A producer came back to the Pandarosa, to loser lodge and talked to me and said that they were very sorry to have lost a good character there in the beginning. And he thanked me for helping them to make one great show. And that meant a lot to me.

15:50But also, I think the original plan was that the two people that didn't get picked, Jonathan and me, the plan was to bring us back then for the next season. But because of the way Palao went with Stephanie and Bobby John being such fan favorite, they abandoned the plan of bringing, bringing Jonathan and me back. I think personally, I think that was also because they didn't feel like Jonathan would want to. The experience was so tough for him. And the key thing was that Stephanie and Bobby John were such fan favorite that they just went with an alternate plan. So that was, that was bad luck for me, but I still had a great experience and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have been on survivor. Wanda, I think I also saw somewhere that they were actually, before they went with Stephanie and Bobby John, they were considering you and Michael scooping.

16:51Yes, I did hear that too. But anyway, Stephanie and Bobby John won, right? Wanda debate on that. So you talked about how, and I know for us, Rob on Africa, you never know, most, maybe with your fingers, he's seasoned as well. They don't want you to know when the game is going to start, but they told y'all to put on your press clothes, right? Yeah. And then press clothes to think you were doing press and then the game started. Yes. Which is why that was for me, I was a teacher. I had high school and junior high school students. I teach in a building with grade seven through 12. So I was going to go back to school and didn't, it was very hot there in Florida, but I didn't particularly want to appear in my underwear. I had to get in clothes which they took away to inspect. And so I did take the dress off and I ended up playing in my slip last day.

17:54But that was a twist that was a difficult one for me to think through as well. Propel fitness water with Gatorade electrolytes, zero sugar and vitamins. Propel hydrates better than water to help you get the most out of your workout and get back to your best self. Propels you. Propel with Gatorade electrolytes. Visible puts unlimited 5G data in hotspot in the palm of your hand, powered by Verizon's 5G network, with no contract holding you back. And for a limited time, you can get visible for just $19 a month for 12 months when you use promo code Save6. All the features of big wireless service for half the cost. Tap the banner to switch today. And supply, standard rate applies at month 13. See visible.com for plan features and network management details. It's football season and you can now get almost anything you need for game day delivered with Uber Eats. What do we mean by almost? You can't get a running back delivered, but you can get baby back ribs delivered.

18:55A strong defense? No. A strong deodorant? Yes. The six pack of abs? No. Six pack of beer? Yes. Get almost almost anything for game day delivered with Uber Eats. Official on demand food delivery partner of the NFL order now. Alcohol 21 plus in Inselect City's product availability varies by agency app for details. Disney Plus Hulu will make your day every day. Bluey for the kids. The all new Hulu original series, Furious for the second they're down. Good morning America for your morning. ESPN College game day for your Saturday and Toy Story 5 for a cozy family movie night on Sunday. Make your day every day with Disney Plus Hulu 18 and older with the Disney Plus Hulu bundle subscription. Access these titles via Disney Plus. Terms apply.

20:03After fighting so advanced, Sting won't see it coming. Tidy Katz Performance Plus. Mission mighty. Keep it tidy. Shop now at tidycats.com. Sure. I saw two that they started some other player needed bandages so they started cutting up your dress that you were wearing. Yes. I volunteered that. Willard cut his finger pretty badly with the machete. So he needed to have it bandaged and I just said, bring that machete over here. We'll cut my split for some bandaging. That nurse wanted experience I thought should help me. But that didn't get shown on TV. Of course, no, I was only on for the first half hour of the show. And when they were trying to do so much with 20 people in a one hour episode where they had Jonathan and me out in the first half and then Jolanda out in the second half, there

21:03was just so much that couldn't have been shown, including my bandaging of Willard's finger, which was pretty serious and he did end up betting stitches in that finger. So yeah, that was a little. You and Jolanda became really close to see she was voted out behind you. But you'll want to have said that you're one of the strongest women I think she's ever met. And it was a shame you didn't get a chance to play. Jolanda and I did become good friends. And actually one of the reasons that I applied for survivor was that I wanted to enjoy the diversity of pasting that it would have. I live in a rural community that's just simply all white and I was looking forward to meeting people who were from cities and who were different racial and ethnic backgrounds and so forth. So it was a great experience. Unfortunately for Jolanda that she was the first one to be actually voted out.

22:04But we became good friends in the 39 days that we spent together. And I subsequently had gone a couple of times down to Houston to visit her and she came up here to Potter County, the Pennsylvania wild here in Pennsylvania. I took her for a 14 mile hike and she said never again to that. And she had trained to be an Olympic athlete. So I'm glad she felt that I brought physical strength to the kids and wouldn't have been a weakness in challenges had I had more opportunity. So I think I'm glad that we're that Jonathan. Do you keep up with him at all? I think he's somebody that I think we know so little about Jonathan. As you know when people are out of the game, they are sent on a trip. Yes. Jonathan actually got permission to go home. Oh. Very impressed. It was very hard for him to accept what happened.

23:09I feel very bad about that. I could come to grips with what happened to me because I could fall back on the fact that I was older when you've got 10 guys going on a cancning trip. They might love their mother. They might love their English teacher. But that's not who they're going on a cancning trip with. Jonathan on the other hand was a good looking young man. And it was hard for him to understand why he didn't get chosen. Yeah. Thanks. There are some reasons for it. One was that when he first got to the island, of course we were in our press clothes as he birds dead. So he had on an expensive pair of pants and a good belt. And he commented on when he cut his pants off to make shorts because it was so hot. He said, well, there goes a $600 pair of pants and a $300 belt or something like that. So it's all kind of resolved that rich kid like he doesn't need to be in this game.

24:14But secondly, Kobe, in our gay guy, was very eager to find a target to put on somebody else's back. I think Kobe was kind of spreading the word that when it comes to finding to vote somebody out, might think about Jonathan. And as there was also like Jeff Wilson and Kim Mullin, maybe Jonathan was trying to be part of that friendship. And maybe some people just decided that it would be easier just to have Jeff and Kim. And anyway, it was tough for Jonathan. So I especially caught up in $600 pants. Yes. And that was when $600 was really it was something. People said, so what do you do? And he said, I've worked for my dad's software company. At least that's stories that I got back. I didn't talk with Jonathan directly about that.

25:16But as I said, he did not go to Australia with the rest of us. Yeah. He commissioned to go home, which is of course very rare because they don't like the boot order to get out. No. And one of the things, if I could do something differently, you'll recall that I left singing on the boat. And Jonathan was kind of behind me in the shadows. And if I could do something differently, I would have pulled Jonathan up to stand beside me and go out with, you know, with the graciousness and smile that we have to have when. Yeah. Those are the set curves. You could have done a wet. Not a little more. Yeah. But I'm sure, I mean, you are as devastated as he was. You just came about so that so you did your thinking about Jonathan now and after the fat was really sweet, but I'm sure it was equally, extremely difficult for you as well. Oh, absolutely. I did not understand it at the time.

26:16It took me a while to process it because I really did think that I could go far into the game. And I think that everybody who knew me felt that way too, because I am positive and energetic and basically fun to be around. Not a gloomy person, not a complainer. And I think it just didn't meet my expectations what happened, but it was, it was the twist. And I, of course, I felt like the twist was on there. It's a multiple twist that the tech off game and the, um, not having our clothes, not our game clothes and things like that, that put me at a disadvantage. Another thing that I was hoping to do in the beginning was I was looking forward to this kind of campfire experience where we'd all sit around the fire. And even on the first night, like, talk to each other, but there were no logs there that you could pull around to a central campfire where everybody could get together. Now I was looking forward to developing a group camaraderie that never really happened.

27:20And on day two, it was very hot and we were all out in the water to keep cool and some were splashing and I was splashing along and Jolanda said to me and it was interesting. Jolanda and Angie DeCouze, let's say our tattoo girl and I were kind of one that out of the splashing and fun that the others were having and when I tried to engage, Jolanda said, the kids don't really want you in there. Like that's there. That's there. And so there was that and it was just, I just wasn't able to get a whole group cohesion that you have when you have a smaller tribe. It's hard to get 20 people together, especially when you can't even develop a central campfire because fire and it's your time that I was there. Yeah, that's so interesting about that, you know, we have seen such small tribes on

28:23survivor over the last couple of years, but you're not even in a tribe of 10 yet. You're in a group of 20 people. So that's really hard to navigate. It is. And I know that I just felt Ross has written like if you can't get children in a pickup game, well that's on you. You haven't practiced your social game. Well, one of the factors there too was that no woman could pick me because men had to pick a woman. Women had to pick a man. So if I had friends there, which I did, such as Jolanda, she couldn't pick me. She would have picked me early if she had the opportunity. In fact, she was the first person to pick someone, but she had to pick a man. So that was another factor. That's just one of the challenges. I'll tell Dalton Ross, that's a bad take that he had. Come on, Dalton. Yeah, come on, Dalton, you're better than this.

29:26So one day, those two days you were saying the first two days, did you notice anybody other than Kobe that looked like they were actually playing the game, starting, you know, already strategizing with other people other than Kobe? I didn't. That doesn't mean it wasn't happening because I do believe that some of the finalists in Karour, Edan Katie, they were already developing a kind of alliance. Maybe I had ruled myself out of that a little bit because I had said from the beginning, let's all get to know each other before we start making judgment. Yeah. So this is out of that. So because I really did want to get to know everybody before just slamming into a alliance that sometimes people regret later when they get to know somebody else better and when they have 20 people to start with. I want everybody to have a chance.

30:29So maybe because I'm public about the fact that we just all need to get to know each other, the unity thing may be precluded by being invited into or engaged in an alliance. I didn't see to start one by one. Yes, T-Bers. Let's play your one thing we've got for that strategic player. This one, it's me. Do you even know I am? It's Kobe. I know you don't recognize me because I'm old. But it's me. It's my little clown. I love you. And I just wanted to come here and tell you that. And I also wanted to surprise you with the fact that maybe it's not a surprise that I have talked about you nonstop for 21 years because any survivor fan who talks to me wants to talk about the school yard pickup. And they want to ask why didn't it you are Angie and why I picked Karen and I have to explain all that Angie got rest or soul. But what people don't realize is that you know you're not just this skit of this person

31:31who came and sang this song that you know we all knew each other. We were on the beach together for two whole days and at the night before the school yard pickup, we had already known each other for two days, three days I think. And me and you had stayed up all night long talking about our lives, me, you, Jolanda, her, him and like we talked about your son and some other stuff in your life where I'm not going to talk about. But like I really knew you and it was hard not to pick you. It really was. And so I still feel guilty about that 21 years later. But I just want to let you know that I have pride that I still get to talk about one done and survived 21 years in the making. Now I hope I get to do it for another 20 and I love you and I wish you were easier to get a hold of than we're on social media. Oh, Kobe, I remember our conversation there at that in those first couple of days there are by the water and the talks that we did have about the difficulties, the challenges that we were having in our lives, your families or whatever.

32:34And when we had the system getting at least you were standing behind the evening sort of day the instruction and so when they told us to line up on that line and the sand on the beach, all of that short and front. And I believe you were behind me and I heard you say, oh, this is so unfair. Like I never get picked in this kind of thing. I've been in school in the art of gum, I've never gotten picked in this is just so unfair and I was standing in front of you and I was thinking I could say, oh, Kobe, I'll pick you but I thought I was going to be one of the first to pick and I thought, oh, but there's also, you know, I'm looking to like Tom and eat in and some of the others. I don't want to make a commitment right now as to who I'll pick when I get picked. So anyway, but you were on my list and I almost made a pledge to you there at the beginning when you were kind of destroyed about the pick of a game too.

33:37I'm one that's interesting. Yeah. Yeah. You know, we remember so much about the songs that you sang on Survivor. I'm interested to know your background with music because you were a crankman, you're English teacher, right? Right. And so what's your musical background? Well, I don't really have a lot of formal training in music. I just like to be a fun person. Yeah, I played in the band a couple of different instruments and things like that. But I've just always made a song. I wish this thing and teacher in school. I might say singing teacher. I don't think music teacher. I mean, if somebody had a birthday, like kids would come running to me in the morning and say, well, that Johnny has to birthday. You guys are going to sing to them. And so I wouldn't just sing the ordinary birthday song. I would sing something like Johnny has to birthday. Johnny has to birthday.

34:37One year older than you once before. Johnny has to birthday. Johnny has to birthday here. So if you want 100 more, I might have a bunch of other birthday songs, you know, happy birthday, happy birthday, happy birthday. Other stuff like that. I made up school songs like when we had to tune up the month. I made up parodies like, it's your going to Northern Potter. You're going to find some special people there. Now, I mean, just take songs and make parodies for somebody who's in a teacher's retirement or with the trail club, I've made up songs that are trail club things and the KTA theme song. You know, blah, blah, blah, chop, chop, chop, iPod, fuzz, fuzz, those are so clear. The STS and keeps the world in awe. And there are multi-themed verses to that. And it's just something I do.

35:38I don't have a trained voice. It's one of the ways I've tried to have fun and voice. Well, I want to introduce you to somebody who is one of my colleagues that I have been podcasting with and your music has made such an impact on his life. I want to introduce you to a man his name is Josh and I would love to I'd love to welcome him into the chat if we could. Here he is. Oh, I'm happy everybody. Meet Josh Wiggler. I wanted such a pleasure to meet you. How's your day going? Are Robin Teibird treating you well? Oh, absolutely. Yes. This is just a pleasure and it should have happened long ago. Oh, now that is something that I can agree with. Do you like? Yes. Yes. I feel like this this meeting should have happened a long time ago as well, Rob.

36:39Yes. Okay. Well, so that Josh and I have been talking about survivor for a very, very long time and one to one of them we went through every single season of survivor and we watched them all in a row, 30 seasons in a row. And when we got to Palau, you made such a big impact on our journey going through all of survivor and we kept your spirit of state with our needs alive through all of the seasons of survivor. Some of the seasons before me, they had the little little like television shows and you heard that. I don't remember even which season it was. But I thought that was just such a lot of fun. And I thought it would be fun to try to be the fun person. There are people who try to make the season fun for the people who are on it, not just for people on television, but for everybody there. So I was trying to. You made it, you made it very fun for us.

37:41And even even though your time on survivor itself was, was short lived, I don't think I'm speaking out of school to say that you have become a podcast legend that you have become iconic specifically in the RHAP community. And even more specifically in my podcasting career, Wanda, because not only did you follow us as Rob and I would sing songs in your honor across the journey of the evolution of strategy for every single season from seasons 11 on through 30 every single one of those seasons. We then would go on to podcasts starting around season 31 32 and would start singing songs on those podcasts as well. And around season 35, this would be 2017. Rob, we did something. Yeah, we made a song parody contest where people would send us in their own survivor

38:45song parodies and it was called the Wandaugh. And the idea would be all of our listeners who were so inspired would create their own survivor song parodies, submit them in every single week, battle it out for the top honors of who had the survivor parody of the week. And I think I've had a very fortunate to have a very blessed career. I've had so many highs. I've gotten to talk to a lot of great people, Wandaugh, the Wandaugh to this day, the pinnacle of my creative accomplishments. So I'm like gobsbacks to be speaking with you right now at all. Thank you so much for everything, absolutely everything. Well, I'm very honored. That is very cool to hear, Josh. And I wish you a lot of success for all the years of survivor and beyond. They had last forever. They had last. That's part of the Wandaugh.

39:45We sing in the, there's a theme song that says that it'll, the Wandaugh will be here forever. All right. That's great. So yeah, I still have some stuff up like, we, I don't know how much people want to hear here. Yeah, sure. Wandaugh, do you have any new songs that we haven't heard yet off of, whether it's like based off of popular new songs or anything like that? Well, nothing particularly new because it's been, you know, 21 years since I've gone, but I don't think my survivor, post survivor rap was ever heard. I call it a rap. Excuse me? I was born from day one and I'm strong and I'm smart and I came to play with all of my heart, but the bachelor's paintings they were short arose and the old-fashioned style was sure to get home. Now I'm sorry, Cove said that my songs could annoy because I really came to be fun and bring joy and willard called me a lunatic.

40:46Well, I'm saying her than he is and much more fit. So I'm still going to sing and I'm still going to dance and please, mark for next at me one more chance. So there's never got on it. Yes. Great, Wandaugh. Yeah. Wanda, what about beyond survivor though? Are you still making song parodies? Well, yes, as I said, like for my trail club, I have our annual song to jingle bells, not coming to me how it starts right now, but it's for us is blah, blah, blah, chop, chop, chop, because we're trail maintainers. Yes. Yes. So we will clear the FDS, that's the name of our trail, the Spranget trail system. And he's so world and awe and there are multiple verses to that. So sometimes the time I still make up her any for hiking and trail work and things like that. Yes. And while I was in school, I was doing it quite frequently for teachers' retirements or

41:51I remember when Bob retired, bye, bye, Bob, bye, bye, happiness. Hello, hello, me, nice. That's my name. Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Oh, yes. Oh, yeah. I'm trying to think of some of the others. Wanda, can I ask you a question? Absolutely. What's your mouth? Do you have a favorite song of all time? Oh, I can't come up with anything on that right now. No. Sorry about that, but you know, I could have my poll cleaning survivors on. We were stranded on, allowing shores to open us and rats. We survived 50, 752 weeks and some survived this past. We survived, we survived, they sent us the past and the history of the world will see that survivor and voice that's death.

42:52Yes. Yes. Yeah. It nailed it. Well, like, this was a little bit more morbid, but when my dad was in the nursing home, like, everybody has dementia there. Hey, for diapers are you underwear when you're living in silver stains there at the library? Oh, man. They should do that as a commercial. I was just going to say that Wanda, I feel like you could have a, you could really have a heck of a, a new career writing jingles, I think, for commercial advertising. Oh, yeah. Well, I'm very happily retired. Yeah. Rob, could you, could you hire Wanda to do song jingles for like, oh, that would be good, especially, you know, we have sponsors on the podcast. That's what I'm saying.

43:52We could get you to help record some of these. Oh, blue, wait, friend. We want to eat your steaks. That would be great. Or Wanda, you should get on cameo and then people would give birthday messages from you. That's a great idea. Yeah, well, the songs are ready. Wanda, when I, when I, when I tell you that you would clean up on cameo, yeah. You know, if you want to come out of retirement, Wanda, are you familiar with cameo? I guess I've heard of it where there's something where you can get people to sing birthday songs to you. I actually, we find that for kids in school because not always that. It comes to me and say, hey, some of our kid has to birthday and then I'd have to go to their home room or cast theory or something and find them and send happy birthday. But sometimes the kid would call and say, let's just share my dad and the birthday. Can you call one tonight and you call them and send happy birthday to that kind of thing?

44:56Wanda, you could still, you could still do that kind of thing. Yes. And you could make, you know, you could make some cash on the side of people. Pretty lucrative gig, I think. Thank you. I'm not sure what it would take to look into that. Yeah, see bird can help you get some. Yeah, we'll have our people call your people. Yeah, Wanda, have you kept up with watching survivor over the years? I have. I don't think I've nipped more than maybe one episode. Really? Or am I not? It didn't come through or something like that. Yeah, I'm a faithful survivor watcher. Of course, after 50 seasons, so many characters I can't be quiz. So no quizzes. What do you think of Stephanie in her return to survivors? Yeah, 50. I cheer Stephanie all the time.

45:56She was a good person, good friend. And so I think she did very well in this last round. I thought she would actually go farther than she did. But it was, it was a season and there are a lot of other people that we'd like to see go back to. Yeah, maybe one day one. Yeah, I appreciate that. What's been your favorite season of a bit? Well, probably pull out what in your favorite season? She said it's the best of all time. It's true. She did sing that. Yeah, survivor 10 was best. Other than it's the number 10. What's your favorite? What's been your favorite season? You know, I really did like Guatemala a lot. I like out and I love twilight. That was Van a lot to. Yeah, the one before you. Yeah, yeah, yeah, Van a lot to which was right before my season. Yeah. So I enjoy that season a lot. I have to say that I probably like stuff or only your season better because I think the twist sometimes.

47:04I like it when people had a more equal opportunity and. Well, you know, twist through me out and I didn't feel like it was a totally fair opportunity to me to play the game. I felt like that that happened with the mother. I know they feel like they use things to game up with all the. I think that's not so many things going on now that you practically have to take. People put forward there like. Who has this advantage? Yeah. You can't keep track of it and then they're switching the tribes around. You don't remember who has background with you. And it's gotten much more complex to follow. It was easier to follow when you had to try to stay presenting all the way through. And everybody had I felt more fair.

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49:06It's football season and you can now get almost anything you need for game day delivered with Uber Eats. What do we mean by almost? You can't get a running back delivered. But you can get baby back ribs delivered. A strong defense? No. A strong deodorant? Yes. The six pack of abs? No. Six pack of beer? Yes. Get almost anything for game day delivered with Uber Eats. Official on demand food delivery partner of the NFL. Order now. Alcohol 21 plus in Inselect City's product availability varies by agency app for details. Disney Plus Hulu will make your day every day. Bluey for the kids. The all new Hulu original series Furious for the second they're down. Good morning America for your morning. ESPN College Game Day for your Saturday. And Toy Story 5 for a cozy family movie night on Sunday. Make your day every day with Disney Plus Hulu 18 and older with the Disney Plus Hulu bundle subscription. Access these titles via Disney Plus. Terms apply.

50:10Game with their new Performance Plus lineup. Your home is your happy place. Your cats. VIPs. So when it comes to the litter box. Excellence isn't optional. Choose from products that specialize in max power clumping. Low tracking. Or over fighting so advanced. Stink won't see it coming. Tidy cats Performance Plus. Mission mighty. Keep it tidy. Shop now at tidycats.com. Although wander this I it looks like that they're going to have two tribes in survivor 50. That's nice to bring that back. Yeah. Now I don't really object to maybe three tribes. The big. You do get to know people better when you have. Ball or tried. So that's not too bad. But for for on a. A tried is too small. Yeah. And on a try. Too big. This is sweet. Yeah. Want to. So I know. I know you like survivor more cases. But I also think I heard you say that you almost stopped watching survivor.

51:14When hunter Ellis was voted out. I can't believe you know stuff like that. But that is true. Detective T bird. Why. Why. I'm not really sure. Because I know that. What I want to. The part is. Yeah. How should they all with this stuff? Because I don't know that anybody before I thought I knew that. And they couldn't see my daughter. But yes. He might have it's. Totally possible. And. And I felt like hunter was was really good and worthy. And that was the first time when people started taking someone out. And actually, you know, the people that were threats were sometimes really good in worthy people. Some of the winners have occasionally not seen somebody that I can't recall the name of the guy right now, but sometimes people that I didn't think were as worthy.

52:17Yeah. My strategy, actually, when I talked to that, had it finally, we talked to it, you know, whatever the meat, the fresh fruit, but people might have been and so forth. And I explained my strategy. I said my strategy was I wanted to go with what I called the bond and the best. And when I found out who the really good people were, I wanted to say my strategy is, you're a wonderful person. I like to view in the game. I want to see that you don't get taken out because you're considered a threat because you have physical skills or because you're a person of real character. So I'd like to see people in a character win rather than being in like the most more handsome. And I know that right now it seems like they've stopped doing villains and I like these in where I just fall in love with a bunch of people and there are half a dozen people where I could say I'd love to see that person in and I'd love to see that person in.

53:19I like to see that person win. I like to see people and people who deserve chance and opportunity in life. Wanda that we do we do have some other messages to share with you from some of the other survivors that I know you said that you almost stopped watching after Hunter God voted out. But here's a message from Boston Rob. Hey, Wanda, you seem like a nice lady, but I didn't appreciate that. You smut up. Okay. I think I've also rubbed Wanda. It's me, Russell Hans. I didn't appreciate it. You said they didn't think I should win. I'd be the best winner of all time, Wanda. I wrote a song too. It's called Russell is the best. Russell won the Wanda one time. But he won that hat in the fire. Yes. Okay. Wanda, you talked about some one of the guys that you didn't think was worthy of winning. But I don't think you were talking about hats, Richard Hatch because you and Richard developed

54:22relationship after. Oh, I think this was in Wanda's mouth, T-Bird. But we would never do that. Yeah. He is absolutely right. I did establish a relationship with Richard Hatch. Haven't caught two cents for a while now. I think he's got a concept right now or not a concept of some stuff. Yes. Incredible. Like I didn't even know he had all that. He's an interesting guy. Oh, he seems really amazing. And that's Dubstack. Like the people have time to read something that's deep and thoughtful. Yeah. Had a lot to say. Check out his substack. I guess I won the I did not have on my bingo card that you would be talking about a substack today. I am a reader and I am interested in quality of life.

55:26And I'll tell you a lot of what Richard has to say is about really developing that interior life and becoming a thoughtful wise person. And that's very important to me. Yeah. So I read a couple of substacks. Would you have a right one, Wanda? I did not write a substack. I have not done that. There's just so much out there. I think people aren't just wanting with too much stuff. Oh, while I wrote some columns for our local newspapers, a couple of times a month, but I've backed off from that. There's just so much out there for people to read. And so there's plenty. I don't need to. Do you like writing, though? Did you enjoy that when you would do it? Yes. But I spent a lot of time on it and a lot of research to things carefully. I have written some essays that I sent for a work while.

56:27For example, I was challenged one time to define like five things would make you feel like you like this is success. So at the end of life, you could say my life has been successful because. So the challenge was to think about that. So I decided the first thing that's important is family must always be first. That's first priority. And secondly, I wanted to be a person who was a thinker and that thing to be and to listen carefully to people. Under it, think about it. So I thought to plan a body. So readers think a learner is that category. And then a leader that's important to me to be a leader in my community like on the wide very board. And as I said, President of my trail club, we started an organization called the list of community helping hands. I'm president currently has to help in hand screws and so forth.

57:29So there's that as a leader. And then to be an adventurer, a survivor's part of that, but also one hiking experience is their part of that. And then at the end of life, to leave a legacy. And that is to live simply so others can simply live and save money. So for food and profit, Christmas is getting much as I can. There's still in summary that it's now a literated. We a lover, a learner, a leader, a liver, and a lever of legacy. Wow. Wow, Wanda. Right at a on things like that and on living simply so others can simply live. And yeah, sometimes I write things like that, but I haven't put it that well. I know a lot of people write a lot of things, but I think there's always I would love to read more of what you have to say if it's something that you were ever interested in. Well, I would pass on some of those essays that are in the back of my computer sometimes.

58:35Robin T. Bird have my email address and I'd share it with anybody in the top of the greatest state that I've ever had. I don't want to share. Yeah, I think a lot of people would want to read that. Yeah. So I think Mark Burnett asked you how you deal with adversity in your interview. And you said when bad things happen, it's a choice how to react. I choose to be happy for giving us as a choice. You know everything don't you? So she's a learner. Yes. And the choice and happiness is a choice. Yes. Yes. And that's a matter of no matter what life dishes out to us and every life is going to have challenges or at least I think most people are going to have challenges. Some are much greater than others, but it only responds to them that makes the quality of the life and the character that you're going to have.

59:36So yeah, choose happiness, choose forgiveness. Anybody who has heard my survivor speech, my summary of what happened. That's what I talk about. Yes, choosing choosing forgiveness and choosing happiness. Matter of how the cookie crumbles, the matter of how the ball bounces. That's all I've got to ask her. Wanda, I know you didn't get to spend a whole lot of time, but Jeff probed. But what is your one word adjective to describe Jeff probed? Wonderful. I love Jeff. And he thinks I love Jeff. What are the reasons for going on survivor was to be able to get up close and personal symptoms and to try to travel to a town. And I never got to a travel council. So I didn't really have to do that. But yeah, I think he's wonderful. I think he really tries to be a good person and to understand what people are going through and smart and perceptive, but also a daring, wonderful, truly wonderful person.

1:00:39Appreciate it. Yeah. Wanda, who do you think should host survivor after Jeff probes? Thank you, Josh. Catchy teabird. I, I, I, I, Rob, Rob, that's your name. Yeah, that's a good answer. Good answer. Good answer. Good answer. Wanda, Mel, I'm not, you're really on my bad list. Wow. No. Oh, yeah. No, not, not Boston Rob. I think he's a great guy, but he's not, he's not a survivor of host. That's not to, he's ill. Yeah. Um, thank you, Wanda. Appreciate it. Um, yeah, Wanda, it, it's been so interesting to, you know, to hear more about the, the way that you look at things and that I really, I love your perspective on, on all of the things and the way that you handled this, you know, unfair, uh, bit of adversity and the, and the way that you've, I, I've never seen anything where you're not beaming with

1:01:43happiness and, uh, we saw it like, look at Jonathan and how he handled the whole situation that he, he took it one way and you took it the entirely different way. And I think it's, um, such an amazing testament to everything that you believe in, Wanda. Well, Jonathan was young and so it was hard to break him. I have already had a tough experience and why you know that you just have to feel was that was. Yeah. And his dad bought him $600 pants, Josh. Oh gosh. Really? Yeah. And a $300 belt. That's what I've ready to do. To $900 lower. Yeah. Told me. Wow. Yeah. Wanda. But before we, before we leave here, do you have any, I think you had songs that you did in when you were in casting? Do you remember like the one I said that you did to Rudolph the Red Nose Rainier? Do you remember one or any of those that you did for casting?

1:02:47I don't have my notes here, but let me see if I can start it. Okay. How far I get on it. Okay. You know, ruptured and ruptured and Colby and Tina, Heidi and Hunter and Janet and Gina. But do you recall the greatest survivor of all? Wanda is a great survivor. Adelaide got 10 with. And you ever saw her. You sure we know she said all of the other. I don't remember. No. Yeah. Oh, wow. Anyway, great. Yeah. Send her a rhombads hat. Yes, please. Derek. Mm hmm. So, yeah. You guys have my email address or anybody can have it. I could. Don't give it to anybody. That's somebody who wants the old song sheets. Yeah. So, yeah. Double you shirt 49 at outwebs.com.

1:03:48All right. Wow. It is. I have never been on Facebook. I have never been on. And you didn't miss anything, Wanda. You're fine. You're doing great. Yeah. I think it's better. What you did was better. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There's only so much time that we have in life. I think that I think it was Aristotle who said there's an Occupal number of friends that we can actually have. Because you can't spread yourself out to them. And that's very tough when you. And you've been on survivor in a particular. I've had any point in life. If you're a friendless person. You've had an experience like survivor. And so many people are interested in talking with you. You have to at some time say my family has to come first. And I have both friends that I have to. Suppose there's only so much time where we're fine.

1:04:50I people were fine. I'm not surprised. We have to use it to this. Yeah. That's tough. But, but I. I didn't want to be as accessible as maybe I can with you and you and your friends. I appreciate the opportunity to be on your five. Yes. Well, one day you brought so much wisdom to the podcast. We don't always get that, you know, people are funny and people are smart. But we don't always get wisdom. And I feel like that we got so much of that from you today. Thank you. That's been important to my life is to try to. To seek wisdom from myself and to live wisely. I've said with things like we have simply so others can simply live. I make choices even to eat simply so others can simply eat. It is important for me to give to others and you know, even the best. A full answer best I can to be a generous person and think of others. Yeah. That's all important to me in terms of. And. We can go left.

1:05:50Yeah. And it seems like it suits you because you seem like you're doing great. And yes. Well, I think you haven't lost a step. I like to share the joy of making other people's lives better whenever I can. I have defined woke W. Okay, as working on kindness and empathy. W. Okay. Yeah. I do want to try to sell a kind of that empathy and understand other people. I think Jeff broke tries to do that too. So you know, we've left back on that. And now, yeah, I admire people of character. I wish that our country would choose leaders that buy our type character and I'm selfish men. And. What about connect that choice for our own life? You're the grandchildren are very blessed to have you as your grandma.

1:06:52I hope so. I definitely want to leave a legacy to them that's not a legacy. That's a share of money, but a legacy of. Their understanding and importance of being compassionate and. And then others looking at who they really are. I will help everybody else we make life. Yeah. It's always possible. Well, you're incredible, Wanda. Thank you so much for making some time to talk to us. I think that you're going to have a really big impact on anybody who listens to this. Thank you, Wanda. Yeah. And if they don't edit your email address out of the podcast episode, I don't think that's so much email, by the way, I just want you to know because so many people love you. Take it out. We'll leave it in if you want. If you want to see, but I can. As much be sure to stop the answers, but I'll try to okay. All right.

1:07:52Well, I don't think I love my guess. It's great. All right. Wanda, thank you so much. Josh, great to see you all. Thank you so much for setting this whole thing up. You're incredible. You're the best. I just see Josh. You look too amazing. Oh, thank you so much. Very handsome. Well, very, very, I had to address my best today. Great. This was really important to me. Thank you so much. I appreciate it so much. Okay. Bye everybody. All right, everybody. Have it. Wanda, sure. How about that? Josh, after all this time, you got to talk to Wanda. So, you know, I, as I, I've had a great career. I've interviewed a lot of people. I interviewed Wilsmith twice, you know, not to brag too much, but just to brag a little bit. I never thought that I had a bucket list anymore. And then every once in a while, a name pops back up and an opportunity arises. And I reminded that the bucket is never full. There is always more room in the bucket. And I am going to remember I have to, I have how many thousands of hours have I recorded for RHAP?

1:08:53And I think I just had the 45 most joyful minutes of my entire podcast and career. The smile on my face. I may not have been talking that much because I was just, I was locked in. She's so wonderful. Oh my God. I can go back and listen to Wanda's five Ls. Oh, yeah. I gotta make sure, make sure. I'm gonna write that on a, on a card and put in my office. Yeah. That's like your Ted Lasso belief poster. Mm-hmm. Yeah. She has such a beautiful spirit. Yeah. So real. I mean, it's just. Well, and she's not fake either. Yeah. Yeah. Like that's like, she really like, you get like that's, that's, she lives, she lives this life. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Amazing. And just the way that she talked about handling her loss in, you know, that, you know, like, that would have been like for so many people like, okay, this is a very painful experience. I don't really like. And she just like, okay, so what, you know, how do I help more people? Yeah.

1:09:53So, I think it's just, it's just a beautiful, because you know, again, Rob, she was just so upset and distraught. Mm-hmm. And she didn't get to play the game because she, well, like, like, like, well, like we all prepare for it. So the way she, you know, people might think, oh, well, it didn't bother her, but it did, it did bother her. She just chose a different way, you know, to react at the time that was really, I mean, memorable. Of course, right, Josh? Miracle. Yeah. Is she going to get on the show, I think? 100%. 100%. She would have been phenomenal on the show. Yeah. There's, you know, there is absolutely the world where she's, you know, the fan favorite player in the season finale, you know, like, there's every world in which Wanda is the wonderful survivor player we want her to be. Mm-hmm. All right. Josh, anything you want to help people to check out? No. I'm going to ask. If I said yes, that would be like, okay, here's my actual literal physical address.

1:10:54Yeah. Combine me because I'm not online. Yes. Do you want to give out your email? No. No. So I'm never. No, I'm posting thirst traps occasionally on Instagram at around now. Yeah, I feel like you're in thirst trapping a little bit on this podcast. I feel like this is like a lot of like a man cleavage. Listen. I feel good. I'm. I'm. I'm choosing. I'm choosing man cleavage every day. That's a choice that I can make. And it's a choice I'm choosing to make on this. I don't know. I don't know if you know this. That me and T-Birt don't do this kind of podcast, you know, this is not. This is a family show. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. I'll button up. I'll button up here right at the end. I've got one button that I can do. I can't wait to do that. Josh, you look fantastic. Thank you, T-Birt. I appreciate you. You look amazing too. You both look incredible. Everyone looks so good right now. So great. What a great time. What a great time. It's been. T-Birt, what's coming up for you? Well, I'm hoping the survivor. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's over 51.

1:11:54It's around the corner. Josh, did you hear our talking with T-Birt with Siu Hawk? Um, I saw it make the rounds. I saw clips online for sure. Uh, it hit my, it hit my algorithm, uh, square dead center. I can't believe T-Birt, you got Siu Hawk. Yeah. Come forward. I was asking Siu Hawk about her iconic uh, final travel counsel speech. Stay for Siu Hawk's 30 minute answer about the time she went to Russia to go kill bears. Oh. I mean, that does sound like exactly the podcast I would hope and expect from Siu. Yeah, it's a wild ride. So they were just a point. Yes. Wow. All right. Uh, T-Birt, anything else you want to tell people? No, just thanks for joining us. And I hope there is moved with his Wanda is, is I have been just learning about her and how wonderful, but a beautiful person. Yeah. Yeah. All right. I am really glad we didn't try to explain like the ghost of Casey Kasey. Yeah. Yeah. No, no, no, no. I think that's like we stopped one. We stopped a couple notes shy of it getting real weird.

1:12:55Yeah. Yeah. The whole, like, that's the perfect amount of information. All right. Thank you so much, everybody. Take care of a good one. Bye. Bye. Bye. What do we mean by almost? You can't get a running back delivered, but you can get baby back ribs delivered. A strong defense? No. A strong deodorant. Yes. The six pack of abs? No. Six pack of beer? Yes. Get almost almost anything for game day delivered with uber eats. What do we mean by almost? You can't get a running back delivered. But you can get baby back ribs delivered. A strong defense? No. A strong deodorant. Yes. Uber eats. A official on demand food delivery partner of the NFL order now alcohol 21 plus and in select cities product availability varies by region. See app for details. NFL football season is here. Which means when you switched to Verizon, it feels like because you get NFL Sunday ticket from YouTube on us. When you buy an eligible 5G phone on select unlimited plans.

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