The HoneyDew with Ryan Sickler - Francisco Ramos - HoneyRamos

Episode Date: August 26, 2024

My HoneyDew this week is comedian Francisco Ramos! Check out his new comedy special, Venezuela'Merican, on YouTube now! Francisco joins me to highlight the lowlights of his Venezuelan upbringing in Am...erica, his family dynamic, the passing of his late father, and the impact it has had on his life since. Francisco describes what it’s like living with a double identity—being himself at home, but ‘Frank’ at school. He shares the warm way his grandma would greet him by saying things like, “You’ve gotten fat.” He opens up about his family's challenges in expressing emotion to one another, even during a time like his father’s passing. Francisco also talks about leaning more into his Venezuelan roots in comedy as a way to feel connected to his late father now. CATCH ME ON TOUR https://www.ryansickler.com/tour Austin, TX - Sep. 13th Dallas, TX - Sep. 14th La Jolla, CA - Sep. 20th & 21st Salt Lake City, UT - Sep. 27th Denver, CO - Sep. 28th Chicago, IL - Oct. 11th & 12th Detroit, MI - Nov. 8th Minneapolis, MN - Nov. 9th Madison, WI - Nov. 15th & 16th Portland, OR - Nov. 23rd Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Dec. 6th Tampa, FL - Dec. 7th Tempe, AZ - Dec. 20th and 21st SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE and watch full episodes of The Dew every toozdee! https://youtube.com/@rsickler SUBSCRIBE TO MY PATREON, The HoneyDew with Y’all, where I Highlight the Lowlights with Y’all! You now get audio and video of The HoneyDew a day early, ad-free at no additional cost! It’s only $5/month! Sign up for a year and get a month free! https://www.patreon.com/TheHoneyDew What’s your story?? Submit at honeydewpodcast@gmail.com Get Your HoneyDew Gear Today! https://shop.ryansickler.com/ Ringtones Are Available Now! https://www.apple.com/itunes/ http://ryansickler.com/ https://thehoneydewpodcast.com/ SUBSCRIBE TO THE CRABFEAST PODCAST https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-crabfeast-with-ryan-sickler-and-jay-larson/id1452403187

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey, everybody want to let you know I'm headed back on tour Friday, September 13th. I'll be in Austin, Texas at the Vulcan one night only Saturday, September 14th. I'm at the Granada Theater in Dallas, Texas. One night only. I'm back at the La Jolla Comedy Store Friday, September 20th and Saturday, September 21st. Salt Lake City, September 27th at the State Room and Denver, Colorado, Saturday, September 28th at the stateroom and
Starting point is 00:00:29 Denver Colorado Saturday September 28th at the Oriental Theatre Get your tickets for those shows and all shows on my website now at Ryan sickler.com The honeydew, y'all. We're over here doing it in the Nightpan Studios. I'm Ryan Sickler, Ryan Sickler on all your social media, ryan sickler.com. And I'm going to start this episode like I start them all by saying thank you. Thank you for whatever you do to support anything that I do. I don't care if it's a shirt, an email telling a neighbor, whatever.
Starting point is 00:01:13 Thank you for whatever you do. All right. And if you've got to have more, then I'm telling you, you've got to have the Patreon. The Patreon is called the Honeydew with you all. And it is this show with you all. And nobody's got crazier stories than you all. It's five the honey do with y'all and it is this show with y'all and nobody's got crazier stories than y'all. It's five bucks a month. You get the honey do a day early. You're getting it ad free and you're getting it at no additional cost. And if you or someone you know has a story that has to be heard, submit it to honeydewpodcast at gmail.com. I want to do an episode with you.
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Starting point is 00:02:10 We highlight the lowlights. I always say that these are the stories behind the storytellers. I'm very excited to have this guest on first time here on the honey. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Francisco Ramos. Well, yeah, I should say Ramos Ramos. That's right. What's up? Thanks for having me. And I really appreciate great hat. Thank you. Yes.
Starting point is 00:02:31 I mean, it's now it's fun to walk around with this hat. You know, tell my daughter, you don't even know. It's like I wouldn't even have these games on in the house. We're getting beat 14. I know. I know. But now they're like in prime time. So he is being Sunday night baseball and they always are playing. I was like, oh, we're doing we're great.
Starting point is 00:02:51 We're going to see them in Anaheim. Yeah, they look good. They're fun, dude. They're funny, young, fun, fun and young. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Before we get into your whatever, we're going to talk about, please promote everything. You have a new special out. Yes. Tell everybody. Yeah, it is a special school. Yes. Tell everybody. Yeah, this is a special school.
Starting point is 00:03:05 Yes. So my special school, Venezuelan American. And it was it comes out right now. It's on YouTube. You know, you can check it out. You can go to my Instagram, F. Ramos Comedy. And it's all there. All the info, the info. And it was shot at last year at Brad Garrett's Comedy Club, produced by Brad Garrett. So it was great. And like and then I have some shows coming up on the road, which I'm going to be in a rhythm right here.
Starting point is 00:03:29 I mean, Bellflower, August 10th, Houston, August 30th, Orlando, September 19th, New York, October 4th and Madrid, Spain. No shit. October 19th and 20. Yes. Wow. I'm going international, baby. That's big, dude. Yeah. It's a small, it's a school like little thing. Don't down talk about that. Yeah, but it's good. You're going to Madrid, Spain. I don't care. Yeah. One show in English and one show in Spanish. Well done. All right. Yes. I started because I'm also starting to do, slowly doing Spanish. All your shows are where on your website? They're all in francescoeramos.com or you can go to my
Starting point is 00:04:03 Instagram, F Ramos comedy or Francisco Ramos Google You'll find all the information there. Um, well, I mean I obviously known you for a long time now But I really this is the thing I love sitting down with this show because I don't you don't get people's family history and all these things So are where are you originally from? Were you born in Maryland? No, I was born in Venezuela And we and we moved to DC for my mom's job. She got a job at the Pan American Health Organization, which is based on DC, right? Is that a government job? Yeah, it's part of like the World Health
Starting point is 00:04:35 Organization. It's like one of those, you know, there's like in DC, there's like the World Bank and all this other, so it's part of those international organizations. She got a job there and that's where we moved. We moved to DC and then the idea was like, hey where do we live, is DC, Maryland or Virginia? My mom chose Maryland, so I grew up in Bethesda. That's where I grew up in Bethesda. Then we moved to Rockville, so Bethesda and Rockville,
Starting point is 00:04:59 those were my literally middle school, high school and college years living there. Where'd you go, you go to Maryland? I went to Merrill Oh you did your turf as well. I'm a terp and I was there when we won the only basketball national championship Yeah, with one day since great Blake's Chris Wilcox Chris Wilcox again. Yeah. Now we had a good team I was a good that was a good Joe Smith years were good, too Yes, but not was not yeah, no, I will William Gary Williams. Hey, that's why he has now hit the court his name I remember Cole Phil House.
Starting point is 00:05:26 I used to play pick up soccer at Colfax. Yeah. Yeah. When it was like they did like a whole like inside like, you know, soccer field inside the thing before when they moved to the other one. So how many siblings do you have? I have one sister, older sister. How much? Two and a half, almost three. OK, so the four of you moved to the States.
Starting point is 00:05:46 The States. And are your parents both from Venezuela as well? Yeah, so yeah. So they're Venezuelan. Fully Venezuelan, a hundred. Which yeah, like, which I realized too, this is why I kept so much of also, or we kept so much of that Venezuelan culture
Starting point is 00:06:02 because my parents are very Venezuelan in terms of like, they're very proud to be. And like we spoke Spanish at home. It was very like, no, summers. You're going to go back to Venezuela. Oh, is that right? Yeah. Spend time three months with your grandma. You know, all that stuff.
Starting point is 00:06:17 I like that. So I, you know, I that's why I kept the Spanish. You know, I kept the, you know, and I that's why I feel like I'm in both worlds, you know, with the like American world and the Venezuelan. I said this outside, bro. You need to be the Joe Coy of Venezuela. Tap into your people, man. I'm ready to do it. Nobody reps harder. And this is not a diss on the US. I just find it to be a fact like and it because it's not a white people thing. It's like an American thing. Like the Irish go hard. Yeah. McGregor.
Starting point is 00:06:51 The Philippines go hard for Pacquiao and Joe Coy. You know, Asians love Ali. Well, yeah, they they're your people. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And those Peter with all the people. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. 100%. No. And I think it's yeah. I love I mean, I've and also I've got a new. They understand who the hell you are. Exactly. And they feel proud to.
Starting point is 00:07:10 You're also the hybrid. A lot of these comedians are where you can dance both sides. You can tap into them and then make fun of it on this side and vice versa. And I know what's going to how to deliver it to because it's like I know this way that the American will get and this Latina will get it like that. So yeah, I have both sides. So yeah, I mean, I'm very, uh, so what sort of things like, are you guys flying a flag at the house? You got a Venezuelan flag. We had like a wall.
Starting point is 00:07:37 Like a wall, like a flag in the wall and some kind of like, uh, oh, uh, there's a Venezuelan instrument called cuatro, which is like a ukulele, like a little bigger ukulele. And like, so that was in the wall. There was this mask, like an evil mask, which is like a very like, it's a Venezuelan thing called the devil. So it's like a, some kind of like, I don't know.
Starting point is 00:07:59 Keep evil away thing. Yeah, some shit like, you know, and then we had that too. So we had maracas in there. So it was very like the wall, the Venezuelan wall, you know. So, yeah, we had that. And as you as a kid in elementary school, are you meeting other? Because it's I mean, I grew up in the suburbs of Baltimore. There's no Spanish speaking.
Starting point is 00:08:17 You know what I mean? Like my name in Spanish class was Raul because it was as close to Ryan, they said, as you could get. And we had seniorita doile. Now, she was crushing Spanish, OK, but she was very textbook Spanish. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So are you finding kids you can relate to young or are you the outcast? No, I was.
Starting point is 00:08:36 These are melting pots. That's why I wonder. There's a lot of Puerto Rican. Yeah. A lot of Dominican. But I don't know. Well, I mean, definitely. The thing is, like my mom put me in a in a little of Dominican. But I don't know, well, I mean, definitely, the thing is like my mom put me in a little private school. So like I didn't get the whole, which I realized later, I was like, oh, in public schools, they have the ESL thing where they teach.
Starting point is 00:08:55 I'm like, I didn't get that. This school was literally one teacher per grade. Oh, shit. So there was nobody to teach me English besides, you know, so I would just go to the class and sit in the back. So it was a very small class. But in terms of the people that were there, yeah, it was mostly, you know, Americans and they were like, everybody was American, but there were like some, there was like three or four, like, I guess minorities, if you want to call it, like two guys that were like Latinos. And then one guy was a
Starting point is 00:09:23 black guy. And like, and those are the ones that I kind of like gravitated to more but they were still it's not like they knew in Spanish or anything like that was just pretty much you know I was just more like okay you guys you know we're kind of like y'all got some pigmen in your skin, I'm off. I'm gonna slide over for y'all. there's more shadow on this side of you. Should I sit in this side? you know because remember once his name is Gonzales, I'm like, well, like, yeah, you got something in there, you know, even his pronounced goes out.
Starting point is 00:09:53 And you know, but but yeah, so I was more so. So I never got but I did get this whole site. I was also still I think I was also more of like the out not outcast were like definitely the The weird kid or not in that because I didn't know anything. I didn't know, you know It was just some random kid that was just sitting in the back Couldn't talk to anybody, you know the first because I started sixth grade like in the middle of sixth grade So the whole basically from January to like the end of the semester The school year, I was just going to school
Starting point is 00:10:27 to just to kind of listen and try to learn English. And that's how I did it. But do you remember when it clicked, when you're like, okay, I fucking can finally understand. Cause the thing that I still struggle with, I do Babble for Spanish and stuff, and I can do it on the app. But the speed that people speak it,
Starting point is 00:10:49 I'm like, God damn dude, you gotta talk to me. Like I'm special needs, you know what I'm saying right now? Like I know words, but you're, I'm like, I gotta fucking, I got calcetines. I got socks out of that whole thing, bro. That's what I struggle with. I say it back to you. I'm definitely like, you know, like the guy, the Mexicans that speak here.
Starting point is 00:11:11 Yeah, they speak. Like, that's me. That's you. It's bad. Yeah, I'm doing that back. Like, Biblioteca. You got to go slow. I can't do it.
Starting point is 00:11:22 And it's true. I mean, we speak, especially like Venezuelan, we speak very fast. And it's just, yeah, I mean, that's I understand slow. I can't do it. And it's true. I mean, we speak especially like when it's on. We speak very fast and fast. And it's just yeah, I mean, that's I understand because it's very hard. But my thing, what did you say when it finally clicked? When did it click? What grade? It was good. It was like literally finished sixth grade summer. I don't know what grade you're in all the way up to sixth grade, all the way to sixth grade.
Starting point is 00:11:41 Finish the summer started. I don't know what we did during the summer, but I remember starting seventh grade and I was like, oh, I understand everything. It was literally, so it took me six months and I was adamant to learn because I wanted to fit in. My whole thing was always telling me, I need to fit in because I want,
Starting point is 00:11:59 I was kind of like the one of the cool kids back in Venezuela in the class. And then for me then I was like, oh, I don't like not being the one of the cool kids or whatever. So it's like, my whole thing was like, I need to learn quickly English so then I can fit in and then be part of the cool kids. So when do you get to the school system
Starting point is 00:12:16 where you're no longer in that sheltered room with the one teacher? When do you finally hit public school, middle school? No, I never hit public school. Because my mom, so the whole thing. Even high school? Even high school. Went to to a good council high school. So how many kids are in your class?
Starting point is 00:12:31 For middle school, it was probably like 25, 30 per class. But it's the same teacher teaching every subject. Yeah, pretty much. Yeah, yeah. I mean, also, I see the flaw in that whole fucking thing. What teacher knows everything about everything? Of course, and I remember her teacher, she was very, like in the beginning,
Starting point is 00:12:50 she was very cool with me trying to help you, but it's like, I gotta teach a class. It's like, I'm sorry. Like, it's literally like bringing your kid or your baby to work, or like your pet. Sorry, you gotta stay in the corner and drink your water, because it's like, I gotta teach you things., you got to stay in the corner and drink your water, because like I got to teach the thing. So like middle for high school was definitely just a bigger high school.
Starting point is 00:13:09 It was like, you know, it was like, I think my class was like a thousand, you know, students. It was a big high school. But it's still the thing about it was it was private because my mom saw her job helped her, like gave her like 80 percent would pay 80 percent. Oh, OK. So then it's like That's why if not, I would have gone straight to like public school, you know But like so that's and also my mom been very you know Catholic She wanted to me keep you know me and my sister keep the whole Catholic for like, you know until high school
Starting point is 00:13:40 High school. Yeah, so that's why we went to private school. So do you go buck wild when you get to the University of Maryland then? I mean, good God. No, I was I didn't know it was what was weird because I was already like being buck wild in high school in terms of like I was already there was a. Where's your friend group? So that's what then it was a switch that happened. So like I would say like I started freshman year and I was like, and it was new kind of friends. I had the other friends, but it was like, and I knew the new other kind of friends in this in high school.
Starting point is 00:14:14 And they were all pretty. I started feeling more like American. I was going more like I was Frank going to the party. Was that what they called you? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I don't know. So you are not in school. There ain't no way. I can never look at you and think Frank, dude. No, Frank. Your friend, let's go, brother.
Starting point is 00:14:40 Ain't no way. Oh, next time I see you, I'm fucking screaming. It's a friend. I'm going to do it. A friend. I love it. I see you, I'm going to fucking scream. You're so frank. I'm going to hit you with a frank. I love it. I love it. How long were you frank? So no. So I was. So my thing is like I started developing like two personalities.
Starting point is 00:14:54 Because what happened was my sister at that time then met another Venezuelan friend that was that was basically it was another family that had the same kind of like thing that we went through we moved they moved from Caracas to Venezuela to DC and she had a Brother like my age so I met him and then I started hanging out with him in the during the weekends and he had another friend was Dominican and We started speaking, you know we start hanging out doing the clubs in DC when I was like 16, 17 years old. Can I ask you this too?
Starting point is 00:15:26 Like, I know you're Venezuelan, you come over and you're hoping to find, you know, someone you can relate to. But has it ever happened where you're like, fuck yeah, they're Venezuelan. And then you meet him, you're like, God, these people suck. Oh, yeah, yeah, 100 percent. And then you can't, you know what I mean? And I don't care. And they want to. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know what I mean? Like, nah, man.
Starting point is 00:15:44 No, no, I don't. And that's another thing too. Like I mean? Like, nah, man. No, no, I don't. I don't. And that's another thing too. Like, if I was in Venezuela, I was like, oh, I've got some Americans there. I'm like, these people fucking suck. Yeah. Yeah. I don't want to hang out with you. Or you go like, I don't care if you're Venezuelan. And I can't hang out with you because you're just annoying or too much. You know, so it's like, man, that's been my thing all the time, too.
Starting point is 00:16:01 I'm like, I don't care. Like, first of all, be a cool dude, cool person. And then if you're from Venezuela, then that's a cool little like bonus or something. You know? So you had the Frank public persona and the Francisco student. No, Francisco was also the public persona, but in the weekends. Got it. So like weekends, I was Francisco during the week I was Frank.
Starting point is 00:16:21 So I had like, Who were you Francisco with? So my, the, it started developing. No, just friends who I started like, were like kids like me that had moved late. Like 15, 16 years old that moved from other countries like Dominican Republic or Mexico or Uruguay, whatever. That also their parents were in the same. So it's like, I started building that friendship too,
Starting point is 00:16:46 and those of we were going out, partying in clubs. I was already partying in clubs in DC when I was like 16, 17 years old, with like, my sister would sneak a scene, you know, stuff like that. So I was like, I was already doing that shit. And then also, but then I was hanging out with my friends to go to their parties, you know, the house parties,
Starting point is 00:17:04 you know, in Maryland and all this stuff. And I was like, listen to Sublime to their parties, you know, the house parties, you know, in the in Maryland and all this stuff. And I was like, listen to sublime and all, you know, and all this shit. So I was like, it was definitely like a whole two words. Yeah. And I knew how to like I was always like, yeah, I was very like it wasn't like I was like I was I was a cool kid in the in both worlds in a way. Not one of the cool kids, not the coolest kid. All right, so that's your mom. What about your dad? Tell us about your dad.
Starting point is 00:17:30 What did he do for a living? So my dad, he had a, so when we moved, he had his own medical distribution business where he would like, which he created by scratch. He used to, he was an industrial chemist. He used to work for Merck, this pharmaceutical company, and then he started his own business. And he basically had a...
Starting point is 00:17:48 We had a... That's the thing that I tell people. It's one of those immigrant cases where we didn't move because we needed to move. We moved because my mom and my dad wanted us to basically learn English for the future, but it wasn't like we needed. We were very well off in Venezuela. My sister, my mom had a good professional job with Oral-B, my dad has his own business and was growing.
Starting point is 00:18:12 So- Was the move to the States a lateral move or was it an elevated move? It was an elevated move in terms of like, because, I think because of the, more of the opportunities for us, me and my sister and I. But in terms of- Lifestyle.
Starting point is 00:18:28 Lifestyle or economy? No. I think we would have actually, I think would have been better in Venezuela. Like in terms of we had more, I guess, more of an affluent lifestyle in Venezuela than in the US. But my parents did it because also the contract was going to be for two years and then
Starting point is 00:18:45 it kept getting renewed and then shit started happening in Venezuela. They're like, all right, let's just stay here. But that was the whole thing. So my dad, when we moved- So he had to start all over when he moved here? So literally. And that was, it's one of the things when you grow up and you realize you're like, I mean, I started after I was like, fuck man, I gave a lot just to be with us because he literally, he could have stayed in Venezuela and keep handling his business, but he kind of left and he had another partner there,
Starting point is 00:19:16 but you could tell, but it was him, the one that basically ran the business. So after he was here, he had to close down the business and he had to literally start from scratch. He became what I was called like he became Mr. Mom to us. He was a guy which is very because he was very he's, you know, I always go back like, man, like that must have been, you know, hit the ego a little bit to be
Starting point is 00:19:39 like, I have my own business, I have my own shit. We're thriving and thriving. And now I'm like, now I got to pick up the kids and my wife is the breadwinner from a Latin country Swallow a hundred percent. So he did all that and he used to work I mean, but he was he worked he tried to also be you know work. He worked as a shoe Salesman and DSW warehouse. Oh Oh yeah. Like trying to sell shoes. He worked at time cell like insurance or like attorney
Starting point is 00:20:09 things, you know, and then he, and then finally then he started working with a cousin of my mom. He had his own architectural design thing. And he started working like the administrative, the business side of it and stuff like that. And so he started doing all, he's that, he did a bunch of side jobs, You know, ask my, you know. And eventually he found what I'd say
Starting point is 00:20:28 his second vocation in life, which is, became like a Spanish teacher and working with like, the government with like CIA agents. Oh shit, really? So he would work with guys that would go to like Columbia or like other parts. And he's teaching them how to speak. How to speak in, you know, how to speak Spanish so they can defend themselves over there.
Starting point is 00:20:48 Yeah, but there was agents, you know. Yeah. So he did all that shit. Like it was like and I was again, when you're growing up, you don't even pay attention to that shit. I learned this later on. Yeah. Like, and I'm like, oh, fuck, he did all this. He sacrificed a lot. So he was a good dad. You were close. Yeah, very close. We were close and he was very always
Starting point is 00:21:10 super coach any of your sports teams? Yes. He was a huge base. I mean, that's why I mean, I'm a huge baseball fan and sports fan. And look, I'll be straight. If I ever get into a position where I'm a stay at home dad, I'm fucking third base coach. I'll be out there waving you around like a son of a bitch. I'm coaching.
Starting point is 00:21:28 Hell yeah. Of course. That's fun. Little league kids too. Kids on the map. You know what I mean? Come on, Frank. Let's go.
Starting point is 00:21:36 Let's get to it. And now the world where we are, you could do that. And then all of a sudden now you're managing a major league team. Look what JJ Ray had. JJ was literally doing like a little basketball kid and now he's a Lakers coach. But yeah, he did all, he was very into sports, very into baseball.
Starting point is 00:21:54 That was kind of like the thing that very, like we would, that connect us a lot. Like we would just talk a lot about sports and watching baseball. He was like, you would go with him to a baseball game, we went to the Orioles game. He was like, you go with him to a baseball game. We went to the Orioles game. He was like an encyclopedia. He just knew he knew everything, you know, in history of baseball and very knowledgeable about it.
Starting point is 00:22:15 So, yeah, he was very into sports and did he support like your the world team to like the Venezuelan was the end of that? Yeah, you guys have crazy leagues. We have. Yeah, so good. Yeah, we did. And that was a thing, too. Like we would he would watch also a lot of games because there were so many Venezuelan players in the Major League. So it's like, oh, look at this guy.
Starting point is 00:22:34 Who's the most famous, would you say? I think I think the most, you know, the most famous, I guess. I think you have to go from right now from like Miguel Cabrera to Ronald Acuna to Altuve those three guys those three yeah so it's like I think those are they're pretty much fame I mean the old school ones that I remember him talking about was the only guy who's in the Hall of Fame Venezuelan he played for the White Sox like in the 60s Luis Luis Aparicio Luis Aparicio. He played for the Orioles. I believe we play for the Orioles as well. Yes. Yeah. Okay So like he's Venezuelan
Starting point is 00:23:11 So he was like a very big fan of him a shortstop and stuff like that the big cat andres galarraga You know remember he was that yeah, so there's been a lot on but yeah, but it's like I think that's how that bonded You guys a hundred percent%, yeah, that. And he was an Oriole fan. Oriole fan, yes. So were you going to, did you ever go to Memorial Stadium or you always came to New York? No, I always came to New York.
Starting point is 00:23:32 Okay. I never, cause we moved there in 94. Yeah. So there was no, yeah, so came to New York all the time, but yeah, we went there all the time to the games. And there was, that's why I became an Orioles fan, because the Nationals weren't there. And that's- And we were good then too. Yes, we were good then too yes we were good for a couple years there yeah Eddie Murray
Starting point is 00:23:49 came back of course you had the streak going on yeah it was a lot of good stuff going on at the time it's gonna tie me an Orioles fan yeah yeah it was good um but you say your dad recently recently passed? No it it's been since 2009. So it's literally like when I first, like three years into starting this comedy journey. So you're how old now? I'm 42 right now. And 15 years ago, so what are you, 27?
Starting point is 00:24:17 Yeah. Yeah, that's young. And that's, yeah, and it sucked because he couldn't, he never saw this whole thing come to fruition. Because he was very not- Had you even started? I started like literally like when I moved here,
Starting point is 00:24:32 but it was like doing open mics and kind of like- Not enough for him to come see a show yet. No, I don't think he, I think he maybe saw me once when I went back to DC and I was hosting at the DC Improv, something like that. But that's it but it was never like Like I remember like the first year when I remember we had like, you know fire like he's like, ah, why don't you just move back?
Starting point is 00:24:53 I'm like, I'm not moving back. This is what I do I this is what I am right now all this kind of like and I at that time I was mad But I would realize yeah, he's you know, he just wanted me not to I was mad, but I realized, yeah, he's, you know, he just wanted me not to struggle, you know, because he didn't also he came from a new generation, a different generation. These are generations of like his whole idea of being successful and my mom's too in that generation is being like, just get a job in a corporation, an office. That's it. That means you're successful.
Starting point is 00:25:21 But the next level was for their kids, get a college degree. Exactly. Get a job, you'll get paid more with their kids get a college degree. Exactly. Get a job which will get paid more with that piece of paper. Exactly, exactly. So they had all that stuff and me literally flipping the script of like, yeah man, I majored in finance and worked for like a year, but I don't like this anymore. Now I'm moving to LA to do this comedy stuff. They were like, what the hell? You know, it was, they never like were, were like, what the hell you know it was they never like were like what the fuck are you doing but it was more like I say all the time it makes me laugh because my father's generation was Vietnam era his father was World War two
Starting point is 00:25:54 era and I'm like I want to go be a clown and there's like what the fuck are you talking about you know thank God they died when I was young like what are you doing? but I think it's like it's one of the things is they just also they just I mean, we're lucky because we're living in a, you know, in a time that we could do that. This is the freedom you all fought for me. Actually, you didn't have any freedom because you had to survive. Now we can do what we want to do.
Starting point is 00:26:21 And that's I'm doing what you want to be to do. Even though you don't want me to do this. I want you to follow my dreams, your dreams, my dreams. Yeah. So that was the thing. So then, yeah, he he passed away and, you know, I was what happened. So he had cancer. He did. And when did you what age do you find out he has cancer? So it was it was very quick.
Starting point is 00:26:41 So it was like this. I mean, it was so it was 2009 and I guess maybe in the beginning of the year like I remember Getting the call, you know that I was like, hey, you know, your dad has his multiple myeloma Which is blood cancer, which is now was he experiencing anything prior to that or was he? No, he was it just hate hearing these stories are like, I just thought I had a cough. I knew a guy I worked with, a kid that thought he had a chest cold. And he went in and you have a tumor already growing. He was like, what? And thank God he made it.
Starting point is 00:27:14 But I'm just like. So it was like that. Was it? It was. I remember now. It's funny you remember because I remember now like, yeah, he had like he had a pain in the back or something like that. He was doing some exercises or something and he pulled something and he had a pain or something. And then he went to the doctor and that's why they did all the tests.
Starting point is 00:27:32 And that's where he found that. And so then he started doing the chemotherapy and you know, all this stuff. And like, so I went to visit him, guess like in the summer, I spent a couple of, you know, with him. And it was fun. It was like, cause he was, you know, all the chemotherapy makes you all swollen and like,
Starting point is 00:27:52 and he had trouble even kind of walking. So I would help him. Like, remember one time I was in the bedroom and he was, you know, he was kind of almost crying, you know, because it's that whole kind of like, I should not be, I don't want my, he had, he was kind of almost crying, you know, because it's that whole kind of like, I should not be, I don't want my, he was very proud. That my cheese mode bullshit. That my cheese mode bullshit, which is like,
Starting point is 00:28:13 I don't want my kids to help me. I should be helping. I should be able to get up. How old is he at this point, by the way? He's 65. Okay. That's why he passed away, 65, yeah. And yeah, you could tell, I remember going like,
Starting point is 00:28:24 don't worry, you know, like, it's fine.'re here to help you, you know, but it was very, you could tell that anger of like, I don't want to be a burden, you know, and that was his main thing. And I think, and I don't, I think it was, you know, I would love to, you know, if I get a chance to meet him again, be like, did you kind of like force yourself to, because I feel like he did that in a way, because he passed quickly in terms of like, so he passed on October 29th of that year. So it was pretty like- And when was he officially diagnosed? Like in let's say like February, March, like it was-
Starting point is 00:29:00 Damn. And that, but he passed away because he never got to the which was cool to him. We never got to a point where he was in the hospital like all 80 pounds. Yeah, it was all that stuff. He passed away actually, I think of a heart attack. It was like one day that, you know, and it was the day that my everyone was always at the house and then my mom had like left for like a day. My sister was coming in and always something and he and then my mom had like left for like a day. My sister was coming in the night. Always something.
Starting point is 00:29:25 And he, and he, and I don't, I, I feel like he did that because of his whole. Proudness. I don't want them to see this. I'm here. I'm done. I'm done with it. I don't want to be a burden anymore. I want people to take care of me.
Starting point is 00:29:36 I should be able to take care of people. And I think he had that. He was one of the older, not the oldest, but one of the oldest of his brothers and sisters, and he was being, I think, the guy that people would always look up to for help. So I think he had that thing, and he never wanted to be a burden. And yeah, he passed away on October 29th.
Starting point is 00:29:56 My mom's friend came to see him the next day, and he found him on the bed, and just a heart attack, which I always say, well, at least he didn't get to the point of suffering of like even though the chemotherapy you know kills everything including yourself which is like horrible too but like so yeah it was very you know and I remember getting that call at work because at that point I was still working at an investment firm in Century City as I was started open mics. I remember getting the call and during the office, I was like, you know, and I was like, what? I was like, it took me by,
Starting point is 00:30:30 obviously by surprise. And I was like, okay, I got to, all right. And I remember going to the- Who called you? I think it was my sister. And yeah, I was like in shock. And you didn't know this was coming? I mean, you knew there was an inevitable end, but you weren't, you didn't think October. Because he wasn't like in. Right, he wasn't. And I was about to go see him too,
Starting point is 00:30:52 in Thanksgiving or something. So yeah, it wasn't bedridden. Supposedly the chemotherapy was helping, you know? So it wasn't like, yeah, I didn't expect that it was gonna happen that quick, you know? And yeah, I remember telling him that I got to go. He was like, okay. So I, you know, next plane straight to DC.
Starting point is 00:31:11 And yeah, man, it was very, you know, tough, you know, just, you know, being with my mom and my sister, my mom's also very tough too. Who found them? It was a family friend because she was like she came in that morning and and yeah, she like knocked on the door and opened the door and then went upstairs and then that's when she found him like just in the bed. You know, and and yeah, man, it was I remember being in the
Starting point is 00:31:41 you know, even seeing him when we went to the funeral then seeing him, you know And I'm like open casket and casket thing and like fucking Catholic. Yeah Gotta keep the casket open Pretty this dude up it don't even really some of them do a bad job Look like this dude right here. You got you got the right body in this kid? I don't think that's my dad. My dad had more hair. That is not my dad.
Starting point is 00:32:09 Is that a wig? What? Yeah. But yeah, so yeah, no, it was very, it was tough. And then obviously, I think it's the whole idea of like, he was still, I think it was, and I even said this during the urology. I was still, I think it was, and I even said this during the urology, I was like, I think he died during,
Starting point is 00:32:27 it's funny that he died in the fall because he died in the fall of his life. Because I've, you know, 65, you know, even if he had 15, he died 80, you know. What year? 2009. Oh. So it's like, and yeah, I mean, it was,
Starting point is 00:32:45 it's one of the things that like, obviously has affected me all my life, but I think the cool, not the cool thing, but it was more about like, it really helped me continue my journey of comedy and doing all this stuff and following my dreams and all that stuff because I was like, oh, I'm gonna do this now for him kind of thing.
Starting point is 00:33:04 I'm like, I'm not gonna just just I'm going to obviously I'm sad, but I'm not going to like just stop not doing stuff for you. Yeah. Why this? I say all the time, like I literally believe that my dad and my grandmother, they gave their lives for us. My dad died 42. I'm 16. And I'm like, I'm not going to waste that. Exactly. I don't want to waste that. They were too important to me,
Starting point is 00:33:26 and I love that through these shows and through our standup and things like that, we're able to keep them alive. Yeah. I love that. And I never saw something like this coming for that. No, yeah, yeah. Can I ask you, once you guys found out
Starting point is 00:33:39 your dad was gonna pass, February-ish, I think you said it was, did you guys start having any conversations? Did you talk real shit about life and death? Did you talk to him about any of that? You know, that's the problem with my family. It's very close. We don't share emotions or feelings
Starting point is 00:33:58 or kind of stuff like that, especially on my mom's side. That side was more emotional, and he would show his emotions more. So we never, no, we never talked about, and I regret that. I regret even with my dad, even going here and talking to him about his life and all his stuff,
Starting point is 00:34:16 because I always felt like I, later on after he passed away and then I started talking to his friends, it was kind of like I started getting to know him more and I was like, oh man, all the cool things that my dad did. He was such a cool dude and fun dude to hang out with. And I'm like, which I never saw that. You just know him as dad.
Starting point is 00:34:35 As dad, you know, another guy who's always like annoying you or embarrassing you. You're like, dude, embarrass me, dad. Yeah. You know, stuff like that. It was like, and yeah, so it was, dad. Yeah. Stuff like that. It was like, and yeah, so it was like, we never talked about anything of that. And like, I mean, my mom either or nothing. He never brought up just- No, he never-
Starting point is 00:34:53 Just went about his business day to day. He didn't call you and be like, I'm experiencing this now. No, nothing. I'm going to miss you when I go. Nothing. Nothing. None of that. Did you think you had more time?
Starting point is 00:35:04 Yes. And I regret it. Did you think you had more time? Yes. And I regret it. Did he? I think he did too. And or maybe it's one of the things that, yeah, he never wanted to face the fact that he was going to, you know, or like, but yeah, we never had those conversations. We never had those conversations, which I regret it,
Starting point is 00:35:19 because I think it's one of the things that you should have, it would have been cool to kind of like close the chapter in a way, you know, not lead that, you know. Yeah, I always think about, you know, I, there's a few things that you think about when you lose a parent as a kid. Like one thing I don't have to deal with is my dad becoming elderly and then having to care for him, put him in a home, figure out what to do about that. Exactly.
Starting point is 00:35:42 Not that I wouldn't trade anything to do that, but that's just something that I listen to so many people talk about. Like my parents are still here and they're not doing well. They're losing their minds. You know, these things. I'm like damn. Yeah. I don't ever have to deal with that.
Starting point is 00:35:55 Um, but yeah, I, I, I don't know. I, um, do you have kids? No, I just got married last year. Was it last year? Congrats. Last year. Do you want kids? I do want kids. married last year. Was it last year? Congrats. Do you want kids? I do want kids. Do you?
Starting point is 00:36:07 Yeah, I do. I do. I mean, my wife's a little younger than me. So it's like she's still kind of like not wants to have kids. But I think we both do for sure. But yeah, I do want kids. I mean. Do you have you ever had these conversations with your mom
Starting point is 00:36:23 about your dad? So I work on an idea for a show that I was working developing Do you have you ever had these conversations with your mom about your dad? so Working on an idea for a show that I was working developing based on my family You know I we had I we I kind of interviewed my mom about mostly about the you know When we move and all that stuff so yeah We had some but we haven't had my mom is especially my mom my mom is one of those People that she cannot I don't think of heard her say I love you out loud to me. Really? Like and I know she does, but she's one of those.
Starting point is 00:36:50 Your mom, that surprises me. No, she sends me reels and emojis. Yeah, she just sent me one. It's like hearts and hearts. It's like I'm so proud of my son like that. She doesn't type I love you. I'm so proud of my son like that. But she doesn't type I love you. A heart. She can't type I love you and there's no way she can say I love you. So did you ever see your parents affectionate?
Starting point is 00:37:14 My dad, it was always my dad kind of joking, like give me a kiss, my mom's like, eh. It was that, that's what I pretty much remember. That's what you remember, yeah. That playing fool. And it was funny because I grew up that way too. I'm like that with my mom and my sister. I'm like, my grandma was, like there's no,
Starting point is 00:37:34 when I, for example, I used to go visit my grandma. I was like, never saw her like in a year. I'd be like, show up at the house. I'm like, hi grandma. She's like, hi. That's it. Oh, she'd be like, you look fat. I was like, all right, hello.
Starting point is 00:37:49 Good to see you too, grandma. I was like, what the fuck? It's like, all right. That's where I grew up, that whole like, like no share emotions. I was gonna say, I feel, I'm surprised, I'm not surprised by the male side of it, but I am surprised by the female side of it.
Starting point is 00:38:07 Oh yeah, no, it's more of the female. And that it goes to generations too. Yeah, oh yeah. So your mom was clearly raised that way. Of course, and my grandpa, and I always hung out more with my mom's side of the family because my dad's side of family, they're very emotional. They show their emotions, they love to hug. And I remember every time I would go visit them, they love to hug and I remember every time
Starting point is 00:38:25 I would go visit them, they would hug me and I would feel so uncomfortable. I would be like, eh, eh, don't, don't kiss me. It's just, I, and I always had that whole thing of like, even with like, you know, with ex-girlfriends, they'd be like, why are you not, I'm like, that's not, you know, I'm sorry, I just, another thing that I learned to kind of like let go.
Starting point is 00:38:46 But if I was, my nature is not to be huggy feeling like touched is more blunt. It's more like, and unfortunately, yeah, looking at the bad size instead of the good size. Climate change, a problem so huge. How could I ever make a difference? I'm Marco Chianovet, climate reporter for the Toronto Star. I meet a lot of smart people doing really inspiring things in this space all the time. Small things that add up to big climate benefits.
Starting point is 00:39:16 Small things, big climate, wherever you get your favorite podcasts. The Climate Solutions podcast is brought to you by SmartFlow from Enbridge Sustain. It's always like, why'd you do that? Instead of like, hey, great job doing that. You should have done this. And which that's a thing that came from both, mostly my mom, but also my dad used to do
Starting point is 00:39:39 stuff like that, which especially when I started thinking about doing I've been a comedian that really kind of had to like switch that change that chip Because I grew up with people don't mean like hey, you're not good at this. You're not good at that. Like So then I'm like, well, I guess I'm not good at anything and then you start realizing on now They're just telling you this doesn't mean that you are right and that's and I had and then I realized and then it's just Going back like oh they're telling you not because they don't they they don't like is because that's their and I had, and then I realized, and then it's just going back like, oh, they're telling you not because they don't like you, it's because that's their way of protecting you. That fucking weird old school way of like protecting you. But like, and then that's kind of, oh, okay.
Starting point is 00:40:15 And then I started going like, all right, that's now every time they tell me shit like that, I know where it's coming from, even though it's always, and it's even to this day you know like like my mom the first time I got a like a speaking part on Netflix show you know I sent her the thing and the first thing that she said is like how come you only have one line no yeah I'm like what the fuck well I had 12 but they cut 11 of them out mom I was like you know how hard it is to get this shit?
Starting point is 00:40:46 And you're like, I'm like, when we go to the director, like, hey, can I get more lines? Because my mom is asking. I'm blown away that your mom isn't like, I'm so proud of my baby. Oh, I love you. I realize, and then I realized this later on, especially with my dad and my mom too, they fucking, when it's with their, against in their friends circle,
Starting point is 00:41:07 they, that's where they show. That's where you shine. That's where you shine. Yeah. But when you're, but they don't tell you that shit to you. I'm giving it to you. No. But my circle of people.
Starting point is 00:41:17 Oh yeah, look what he did. Yeah, he's on Netflix. Yeah, look at that. And like my mom, you know, they don't, that's how it is. And it was always like that, that I realized, ah, and I don't know why, I don't know, I mean, obviously the way that I grew up, but it's like this whole thing of like,
Starting point is 00:41:32 which if I have kids, that's something I'm definitely gonna change. Yeah, you gotta break that cycle. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. You gotta break that cycle. 100%, it's like you can't, it's like you can't, you know, you gotta show emotion, you gotta be telling your kids kids and I do remember my dad was better than that
Starting point is 00:41:46 I do remember one time when he told me he was proud of me Like it was come he picked me up from school It was just some random but he remember like and I still picture remember when the building walking from the car to the elevator He goes like hey, man, I'm proud of you and I was like, okay, but I still remember that shit see I think about this all the time, too. Just as a philosophy, like if we don't ever tell our kids, we're proud of them all the time. And then once in a while, that shit's stuck. Look at it.
Starting point is 00:42:14 Yeah, it's stuck. I say it to my daughter so much that I wonder if it even has any effect. You know what I mean? It's kind of like the comic that says too much fuck during the set. And then when you actually say the fuck, that's funny. It doesn't have doesn't have its punch So yeah, yeah, I don't yeah, I'm not gonna be proud of my kid all the time I'm like when you do something good, then I'll tell you I'm proud but I'm like I did your bed No, you should be doing but you did a lot of good. Yes more than just the one time. Yes
Starting point is 00:42:41 Yeah, no, of course. There was a more, more, I mean, there was, I think there are times, especially, there's things that you do as a parent that you don't realize. Like, remember one time I was taking a shower and I think I was singing. And I think my dad came in the, in the, to get something in the, in the bathroom.
Starting point is 00:43:01 And he heard and I think he was like, ah, you suck. Ha ha ha ha! yeah, you suck. Maybe you think it's up now, which is which I at that point, I remember. I mean, I at that point, I realized, oh, I suck at singing. I can't sing. But that doesn't just say singing. That reflects everything. I suck at every right. All of it.
Starting point is 00:43:20 And let me and to be honest, yes, I'm not a good singer. It's true. But like, don't fucking say that to an eight year old that way because he probably was joking to us. Like, I tell him like that, that suck. But when we're older, we know that we're joking. I didn't realize that shit. I'll never forget, man. Just maybe remember this.
Starting point is 00:43:37 We used to have a snapper ride mower and it's my turn to cut the grass. Is it the one that goes like that? The one from can't buy me love. If you ever saw that movie with the bag catcher on the back, this little red one with a white tea handlebar. And it's my turn to cut. And I had the old school, I have them out there actually.
Starting point is 00:43:53 I got the old school yellow cassette player with the yellow headphones. Yeah. And I'm just, it's summer. I'm out there riding around. I'm singing to whatever is on my thing. Yeah. And I'm just singing out loud. But you got headphones and you don't realize how
Starting point is 00:44:06 loud and the front door is over to shit. I come by and my dad's like, he goes like this, like, Oh, what's up? He goes, listen, you sound like a cat. He told me, he said, stop fucking singing. You're embarrassing us to the whole neighborhood. I was like, you piece of shit. I'm like 14, you know, like you fucking did. Yeah, I'm like 14, you know like you fucking did
Starting point is 00:44:29 Stop me to tell me I sound like a cat me I go be singing at any high school band. That's for damn sure And that's what they're ready. Let me do it next. I know even Sometimes I'm like, let me record myself. Which by the way, if you think you can record yourself, listen to yourself in the car. Listen to yourself talk for a while. It got, I mean, it took a long time for me to hear recordings of myself where I finally was like,
Starting point is 00:44:56 okay, I sound like that. Okay, yeah, yeah. At first you're like, I don't sound like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm like, oh my God. Yeah, me too, like people imitate me. Like Jeff Richards has an imitation of me. He goes like, I talk like my mouth is too big for my mouth.
Starting point is 00:45:12 My tongue. So he talks like that. I'm like, I don't sign. And people are like, no, you do sign. I'm like, no, but I don't sign like that. And it's like, but it's one of the things when you start like, yeah, I do. Bro, you're the reason I take magnesium.
Starting point is 00:45:23 Do you remember that? Dude, I still remember. I saw it in improv that night. You're like, magnesium. You're the reason I take magnesium. Do you remember that? I saw it the improv. I mean, you hit it like that. No, I still take it every day. How's my bones? My magnesium is good shit. So did you ever take a trip back to Venezuela to talk to your dad's uncles or any relatives like that?
Starting point is 00:45:40 I get to know him a little more. I've been. It's funny you mentioned that because that's one of the things, I would like to do that as a documentary. Like record that and go talk, because my dad used to travel a lot also through Venezuela and like go to these different cities and different events.
Starting point is 00:45:57 I like, that would be my thing, to go back and talk to, like talk to their friends, but also visit this place. Retrace his steps. And kind of like, yeah. And all the things. But yeah, no, I haven't had a chance because I haven't been back in Venezuela for eight years. Is that right?
Starting point is 00:46:10 Yeah, so now hopefully I'll go back this year, next year, and then start working on that. But I would love to get their side of the things or then tell me stories about what they did. And especially, I would love to get my dad, I get to know my dad as an adult. Cool. Like what the crazy shit that he did. You know what I mean? Because obviously I didn't.
Starting point is 00:46:33 He never shared that with me because I was I was still young or whatever. But like, I would like to be like, now, what? I was here. I've said way too much on these microphones over these years. My daughter's going to know it. Oh, yeah, she's going to like, well, remember that time you said you did shrooms? Like I never did that. She's like, you said on episode four that we got this. I can't lie about anything now.
Starting point is 00:46:53 Yeah, it's like, all right. That was me. Yeah. And your mom, has there ever been anything you talked to your mom and you asked about your dad, she told you it shocked you or surprised you? Man, no, no, there's nothing I can think of that was like, like what the, no, no, there was nothing that I can, cause again, my mom very doesn't share shit. Were they, if he doesn't pass away, are they together forever? Were they that, were they in love?
Starting point is 00:47:20 Were they that couple? They were going nowhere. Yeah. I don't think they were like my parents would have, I mean, my mom has never even remembered anything like that. I was gonna ask you, did you start dating or anything again? No, no, no. Never brought another man around you? No, no, which I wouldn't care.
Starting point is 00:47:32 You wouldn't? I wouldn't. At this age now, I hope you just want your mom to be happy. I'll be careful if it's like five months after. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean like, hey, what the fuck? But like, now, I wouldn't, but yeah, no, I think they were very, you know, together like, but like now, like I wouldn't, but yeah, no, I think they were very, you know,
Starting point is 00:47:47 together, they're very much in love. Their idea was to retire together, move back to Venezuela and kind of like live over there and kind of like, you know, enjoy the rest, which my mom is back there, you know, she- Oh, she is back there now? Yeah, cause she moved back after my dad passed away a couple of years after she moved back
Starting point is 00:48:02 to take care of my grandmother. And then she just stayed there because now she, she actually lives better over there, which if you can think about it. So you haven't seen your mom then? No, no, she comes back to visit all the time. So I've seen her, you know, all the time we traveled, but like, but in terms of going back to Venezuela,
Starting point is 00:48:17 I know I haven't been, but yeah. This, because something I just had experience with my health and stuff, genetics, this blood cancer, is this something that you have to be tested for? Is it run in your family? Does that? Well, I think he's the only one that's gotten it. That's definitely, obviously I had grandparents think of my grandfather that have cancer,
Starting point is 00:48:38 but it was another type of cancer. And then my grandma too, lung cancer, but she smoked. So there's obviously cancer runs in the family but like I think more is like taking care of like the hearts too. You know, like that's the thing that I've go and be like always checking the heart, you know, to see if I, you know, because my dad had high blood pressure and all this stuff which that's one of the things that led to him, you know, passing away. So I was checking that but like I think with the blood stuff,
Starting point is 00:49:05 you just got to always have your checkups. But it's more about taking care of the blood, of the heart stuff. I like to ask people this a lot. If you had 24 hours with your dad, what are you doing? I think definitely we would go to a baseball game if there's in the season you know I think that'd be there. You'd see you out there with my dead dad.
Starting point is 00:49:28 Yeah. I'd be like. What's up Frank? I would definitely see you there's gonna be a lot of dead dads at baseball. There's gonna be a lot of dead dads. That should be a thing of dead dads at baseball game. There's gonna be a lot of dead dads at baseball game. That should be a thing. A dead dad day. Dead dad day.
Starting point is 00:49:49 It's just a bunch of guys with... Two for one tickets. There's nobody there. That's great. The dead dad day. Nobody's there. Every other seat. That's hilarious, dude.
Starting point is 00:50:04 Dead dad day at the ballpark. Last place teams. That's hilarious, dude. Dead, dead, dead. Ballpark, yo. Last place teams 100% should do that just to get rid of tickets. Of course. Sure. Have somebody not throw the baseball. Just somebody just like, nobody throw the baseball. It just sits on the mound.
Starting point is 00:50:18 It doesn't go anywhere. Have Kevin Costner come. That would be great. Dead, dead, dead. All right, sorry, 24 hours. Yeah, 24 hours. I think I would do that. We would go definitely. He loved to barbecue, like do barbeque. So maybe like good, like, you know, get some steaks and grill them and,
Starting point is 00:50:38 you know, and he loved to drink scotch. That's why I drink scotch too. Like sort of we'll get a bottle, do that drink, and then we'll play dominos. He used to play dominos all the time, so we'll play dominos. So I think, and maybe fish, because he loved to fish too, so that'd be a thing.
Starting point is 00:50:56 Where'd you go? Where'd you go in Maryland? Were you in the Potomac or? No, we never fished in Maryland. It was always like in Venezuela. Like early when I was younger, I remember like going and fishing, which was funny story. So there's a, so in Venezuela, it's not like here, like in the U S where like the boat is nice and you got like fucking like this
Starting point is 00:51:16 shit. Like I remember, so remember one time in the beach and like, it's literally like those boats that you see on like Discovery Channel when people are going through the Amazon, like those just one engine. Yeah. That's it. So there was like, so me, it was my dad, my uncle and then other friends. And then I guess a guy who, so we started going, it was funny. My uncle would say, hey, you should tell you, you should give a, what's that thing? Dramamine that they give to, you know, it's like for Francisco. Cause you know, and I was like, no, he'll be fine. And like, so we and this we we went out on kind of like open, you know, open sea wasn't like we didn't stay.
Starting point is 00:51:54 So we're there. And obviously they were waiting there for the, you know, fishing or whatever. And then like then my uncle who had said he starts throwing up and I'm going, you're the one that But then so then we're about to get back and then all of a sudden the guys like Shit doesn't start And nothing and nothing and we're just fucking just in that little boat just hanging and it's kind of getting late.
Starting point is 00:52:28 You know it's not dark yet but it's getting there. And then the guy my dad's like so it's like hey what happened? He's like no it's just I don't know man I think we're out of gas. I was like out of gas are you fucking nuts? It's like don't worry I'm gonna go swim. The guy he's like and we're, you could barely see the land. I'm like, are you going to swim? It's like, nah, it's fine.
Starting point is 00:52:49 You know, those guys, they're always like, I'm like, no, you cannot leave us here. You're fucking nuts. Especially if you don't make it. Yeah, exactly. It's like, I got my kid here, eight years old. Like, what are you fucking nuts? It's like, there's no cell phones. No. So finally we, the more we do, they finally turn on and then we got the fuck.
Starting point is 00:53:06 But it was at that point, I was like, fuck, I remember going like, what the fuck, my dad was getting, because my dad was one of those guys that's like, I remember when you're young, it's one of those kids, and when you're a kid, he embarrasses you because he was too emotional sometimes, and we would be like,
Starting point is 00:53:23 but then when you get older, you'd be like, oh yeah, I know why he did it. But it was like, another time, remember back in Venezuela, we were going to, so we had a, there was like a, the school bus that would pick us up. But like the guy who, so the guy who drove the school bus
Starting point is 00:53:40 was the son of the lady who worked in the cafeteria. But this guy was like a stoner, kind of like just doing. So he would like, for example, when he drive the bus, he was literally basically first grade to like seniors in the high school. So guys are like watching Playboy and doing this. And then we would stop by other schools and throw water balloons to other students.
Starting point is 00:54:02 It was like fucking crazy. So one day the guy comes picks us up. The bus wasn't working. My dad's waiting with me. He comes in in a Jeep Wrangler, you know, not covered just like with a bunch of kids in the back. And then my dad sees this shit and he's like, what the fuck?
Starting point is 00:54:19 He's like, are you gonna put my kid in there? He's like, are you crazy? He just starts going like fucking nuts. Like, this is my kid. This is my life. Are you fucking you? You're fucking out. You know, and like and I'm going like, oh, yes, you just want to be a kid with the other kids. Exactly. Obviously, there's nothing wrong. There's nothing wrong. Kids there. Exactly.
Starting point is 00:54:37 And I'm just so crazy embarrassed. And then finally, I think I did get in the thing. He finally gave it. And the guy is like, put your seatbelt on. No seatbelt. There's no seatbelt. It was a fucking mess of a car. There's no seatbelt, you know. But yeah, so he was that guy.
Starting point is 00:54:58 But yeah, I remember like we got back in the ocean and from the boat and it worked out. But it was. Yeah. So there were times. were times a lost at sea story right there about to happen And because good luck getting back to shore get the boat and come back it out and finding you you're fucking I know it's like it was like literally like I don't know but like you could barely see the land It wasn't like we were like just close there It's like are you fucking and there was no anchor either is like this is a. It's like, are you fucking? And there was no anchor either. It's like, this is a fucking little boat. Like, you know, it's like, luckily that shit.
Starting point is 00:55:28 And like, again, no cell phones back then. So, so yeah, I remember that shit. Dude, thank you for doing this episode. Dude, man, thanks for having me. I appreciate it. I told you before we started, I asked everybody their first time advice they would give to their 16 year old self.
Starting point is 00:55:43 So what advice you give into to 16 year old Francisco? I would be like, nothing matters. So do whatever you want to do. Like, and I think in terms of nothing matters, I don't, don't be pessimistic, but I'm just saying it's like, don't think. Cause I was very introverted, very follow the crowd kind of kid growing up. I don't always want it to belong. I want it to be like part follow the crowd kind of kid growing up. I always wanted to belong. I wanted to be like part of the cool group and all that stuff.
Starting point is 00:56:10 And when that happens, then you start not... You care too much about what other people think. And that's what I mean. It's like nothing matters. Do what you want to do because at the end of the day, nothing matters. It's like when you're trying to do stuff for somebody else, do it for you. And that's when shit really starts happening. And we, you know, you're kind of tested to this
Starting point is 00:56:31 when you start, especially in the entertainment business, you know, when you start doing stuff because the industry tells you, somebody tells you, no, but we start doing your own shit, that's when people start gravitating to you. So that's why I would tell, like, don't worry about being cool. Cool, what's cool gravitating to you. So that's what I would tell. Don't worry about being cool. Cool, what's cool is cool being you.
Starting point is 00:56:48 And then people will get attracted to that. So that's what I would tell my. Great advice. Yeah. And also watch out because your mom's gonna catch you jerking off. Ha ha ha ha! One more time, plug everything, please.
Starting point is 00:57:03 Well, just come, remember my special is out right now, Venezuelan American, you can watch it on YouTube. Just go to my social media, F. Ramos Comedy, it's all there, all the information there. And yes, I have shows coming up. I got Houston, I got Orlando, I got New York, I got Madrid, I got Bellflower, California, so come check it out. I love the Bellflower.
Starting point is 00:57:24 Comes after Madrid, California. So come check it out. And I love the bellflower. I was after Madrid. You know, when you go to restaurants, there's like Tokyo, Madrid, Bellflower. Thank you, brother. Thank you, man. I appreciate it. As always, Ryan Sickler on all your social media. Tickets for my dates are up on my website. Uh, go get them now.
Starting point is 00:57:47 If I'm in your town, when you are around, come see a live show tickets are at Ryan sickler.com. We'll talk to y'all next week. Thanks for watching!

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