WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Thursday Lunch: Happy Birthday

Episode Date: March 29, 2025

This Thursday, come join us for Thursday Lunch, where It is neither of our birthdays. We’re talking about them though! From questionable bedroom makeover themes to very sweet sixteens, we��ve had them all. All twenty-two! We hope you enjoy this rare wholesome episode, where for once, we are not the villains.

You're listening to Radio Free Hillsdale, 101.7 FM. I'm Jillian. And I'm Bella. And you're listening to Thursday lunch. Where we only have one question for you. Ew. Gross, Bella. Do you?

They don't. They just, everybody just tuned. No, no, come back. Come back. Come back. Wait, wait, don't turn it off. We have great stories. Yeah, in fact, today we're coming,

it's going to be a little more wholesome. The problem is that I was thinking about our episodes, and they are so sad. Yeah. Like, we're evil. It is. giving like, oh, all our stories are like bad and drama, but that's not really the point. But the problem is that those are the funniest stories.

Yeah, exactly. So people are going to listen to this and be like, okay. Okay, so you had a good childhood. Wow. What does that do with us? But we do want to say like both Bella and I have reflected on the fact that our whole lives, we've had excellent birthdays, except for one for me that I'm not going to get into in this episode because it's not appropriate.

Whoa. It's not appropriate to bring up sad things when you're talking about happy things. Yeah, so come on now, though. So grow up. Okay. Bella, do you want to start us off with your appetizer? Yes. And today we will be doing a bit of a different deal because I think we...

We're getting dessert today. Oh, we are getting dessert today. We're eating dessert today. Wait, that's awesome. Why have we not had dessert before? I don't know. So we will be having a third story. Are you excited?

Can you replace my noise with the real one? Of the wopopo-paw-b-wab-b-b-wab-wab-ha. I'll do it the second time. Nice. Okay, so for my first, did we even say we're doing birthday stories? Oh, I said we've all had really. Oh, yes. Wait, you're right, because it kind of sounds like I was just like, guys, we've had, we've had birthdays.

So we're doing birthday. No, that's the theme of his episode. Stories. So for my first story, I believe it was my 10th birthday. And my, I have one, well, I have two cousins who are the same age as me, and I have one who is a girl. So that was perfect, okay? And they were visiting from California. And so my grandma was like, okay, Ruby and Bella, y'all come over here.

We went over to her island house on Sanibel Island, okay? Wow. So already we're off to a good start. And my grandma takes us to Clare's. There was like a Clare's right off the island. Oh, get this. You know how they had those little black baskets? Get whatever you want.

No way. Wait, how much? I don't know because when she tells it now, she tells it like, I didn't even know you guys were going to do that. but you told us. Wait, that's crazy. And so we just started, Ruby and I started going

creasy in this Claire's. I don't even know how much because we were 10, but like, I remember like I had 4,000 pairs of those spiky earrings. Ew, the balls.

Yes, the balls with the little spike. I had lime green ones that I wore to Christmas Eve one year. Yes, this came up in one of your stories before. Oh, that's horrible. And then Ruby and I got matching friendship, mood changing,

mood necklaces. Wait, this is insane. That's not even a good part. So I got to go in this little shopping spree and then my grandma took Ruby and I to Blue Giraff, which is this restaurant, and we got to sit by ourselves at our own table. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? And she just watched you guys? She watched with my grandpa. She watched it at the other table. She got to sit alone. And it was so exciting. Let me tell you.

Oh, and that's not even one more part to this. For dinner, we went back home and my cousin, my other cousin, her older brother, had also a birthday in March. So we were kind of like doing a little, you know, What's it called? Combined? Collab. Yeah, combined. And we're sitting here at this dinner on my grandma's porch. What do they roll out?

A roast pig with an apple and it's not. I would not want that. I'm not kidding. I was like, so I'm the queen. Were you excited? Oh, yeah. I think I ate the apple. It literally was like, like lay it out.

Like it's leathery skin, apple and it's smell. Bella, that's horrible. I would have wept uncontrollably. Well, for me, I thought that was really fun. So I got Claire's sit alone, by myself at the restaurant, pig with apple in its mouth. That was my 10th birthday. Okay. I guess good for you.

I'm going to tell my 10th birthday story later. I'm going to start actually with what I believe is my fifth birthday story. But I might have to come back in fact check because I just texted my mom and I'm not sure. But we had a rule in my family. We weren't allowed to have two things until we turned five. Soda and gum. Okay. And so I went five years in my life.

I just remember going The one memory I have that's related to this Is I remember going to Chucky Cheese And gazing up at the fountain And being like one day One day and that'll be me I could have lemonade I could have milk

I could have juice And I think that's why today I'm so in love with juice But I wasn't allowed to have soda And so I'm like gazing up at this soda And then on your fifth birthday Mom I remember this I was really young

Brings out a cake Chocolate cake Bubble gum all over it Double bubble all over Like wraps Wait that's actually so wonderful of her. And you know what it made me feel like?

A new world is unlocked. The gum world. Like adulthood is soda and gum. And now, even now, sometimes when I have soda or I like chew gum, I'm like, there was a time I wasn't able to do this. That's actually really nice. Which is like, by the way, like a very short percentage of my life. Yeah, five years from one to five.

The non-sent portion, but I still look back and I'm like, that was the year. And there I was. And unfortunately, created in me kind of a weird. perception of restrictions, like when you were allowed to have certain things. So because I truly do blame this birthday for the reason, when I was like 11 years old, I got into a debate with somebody that it was illegal to drink coffee before you were 18. She was drinking a Starbucks Frappuccino. And you were like, that's not okay.

And I was like, that looks really good. What's in it? And she goes, it's coffee. And I go, you're not allowed to have that. You're lying. She's like, no, there is coffee and a Frappuccino. And I was like, that's illegal. If you're being serious right now, that's illegal.

You're not 18. And she's like, it's not illegal to not, to drink to coffee before you're 18. And I think that's why, I think I thought on your 18th birthday, you get a big smoldering cup of coffee. Like, I got a big chocolate cake with bubble gum on it. But I was wrong. Wait, my food for that is going to be bubble gum. Okay, my, I was just going to say, my food's obviously the pig with the apple is my own.

That's your appetizer? Oh, yeah. Okay, Queen Bee. Yeah, I guess so. Okay, ridiculous. Are you ready for your entree? My entree, entree. This birthday, honestly, part of me wants to say it was also my 10th birthday, but this was my celebration with my friends, but it very well could have been my 11th.

I know it wasn't my 12th. I don't think it was my 9th. Anyways, this is just a testament to how awesome my mom was at the time, I think. So I got to plan a little sleepover with my friends, and we're living in this condo, which will come in later, once again, the balcony. but I remember my mom she like laid out all the sleeping bags for us like with the little pillows and everything and like I got to have all my little friends over maybe like six girls and my mom I'm literally getting chills thinking about this right now because I remember being so excited she she bought like so many rolls of duct tape and we made duct tape wallets wow do you remember the duct tape them I had I had a business no literally I was into that I was so into that and so imagine Imagine my surprise when my mom takes out a bin pink and black zebra duct tape,

but neon blue duct tape, camo duct tape. And we all just sat around and like made all the little wallets and like, oh my, I, like, the feeling of fun. Oh my gosh, it was so good. And then my mom made us pizza. But in the morning, my mom woke us up and she had set out, and I have pictures of this. She had set out on the balcony, like this, we had this little coffee table and she put like pillows for us to sit on.

a beautiful breakfast spread. Wow. Like pancakes, orange juice, berries, bacon, eggs. Wipped cream. No, and it's funny you say that because there was whipped cream and that was one of the things was like, whoa. Are we allowed to have this? Cream and syrup on the pancake.

Wait, mom, are we allowed to have this though? Or can you just look at it? Tell me. Can I have like, can I put two? Two? Like dollars on it? Or like, can I do another spread? But I just remember being like, this is the best feeling I will.

And all my friends the whole time were like, this is so fun. Like your mom's so awesome. And I was like, yeah. I love stuff like that. Like moms who pull through, my actual, did you give a food for that one? That for that one, honestly, I feel like it has to, I guess the food's already in there, but it has to be like a pile of blueberry pancakes. Wow.

Oh, so yum. My next one, my next food is going to be great. green and purple okay and blueberries in a bowl oh okay I know that's not really a great entree I can get down with that but like bubble gum that's okay my appetizer wasn't a pig so I feel like we're trying to lose the meaning of the words appetizer entree but mine is so special because when I turned nine oh was I nine I believe this was third grade my mom took me out shopping and she was like you can like pick out whatever you want and then you'll get it on your birthday that was the idea was The idea was that, like, I could go through the store, buy whatever I wanted.

And I, like, I know I didn't buy too much stuff, but I was picking out, like, a new rug, a lip. I got new bedding. Like, I got a bunch of new stuff. Oh, you got to, like, redecorate. And then wait. Oh, my gosh. I got off the bus. It's my birthday.

I know for a fact my hair was curled. I probably ran off. I'm, like, jumping for joy because it's my birthday. I've always loved my birthday. Like, even to this day, it's a big deal to me. Burst in my room. Mom reed in my room. So not only are there like presents downstairs that are whatever else was left, my mom put all this stuff up in my room.

And it was completely redone. And the theme that I chose, which is so classic, purple, blue and green. Everything was either neon, neon green, blue, or purple. Everything. Purple blue and green. Purple blue and people would ask me from that day forward because that was such a formative special thing for me. People would be like, what's your favorite color? I'd be like, purple blue and green.

purple blue and green it's the theme of my room the theme of my room is purple blue and green and for years before that i had had to like share a room with my sister we had a neighbor who slept in our house for a week or so it might have been longer than that i don't really remember she was a little neighbor girl um but like it was my space and it was completely decorated for me the idea of your mom like she probably like you like got on the bus in the morning she was like okay she was like putting it all together and that's the thing here's another fun fact about joy our birthdays in the park's house is that we would go to bed and then mom and dad would decorate the whole downstairs with birthday decorations and then we'd come down and mom would have made blueberry

muffins and they were out on because that's what we ate blueberry muffins and they were out on the table and they would have streamers and our presents were all there. Our birthdays were so special and this one I remember being like wow I had the best mom in the world. Isn't that special? See it's good we're telling these stories because we are all the other stories are us abusing our moms. Yeah. And here's the thing they did all this. And then we still abused them when we were teens.

No, literally. I got older and put a knife to my birth. So all you new mama's out there, you can be the perfect mom and your kid's still going to yell. He's still going to hold a knife to their throat if they don't get a playlist live. So something bad's always going to happen. No matter what you do. No matter how good you are. Everything bad will happen to you. But then they'll get older and talk about how nice you were on the radio. Isn't that special? That is really special. My mom's always doing nice stuff and I'm always yelling at her. Oh. Not to bring up the mirror. The mirror. Did you know that my mom text? Wait, here's a follow up for...

I'm going to give you guys a follow up for our two extreme viewers. Extreme viewers. What are they extreme in? No, my mom, like, text me. She goes, listen to the episode. Don't remember that. Oh, period. Oh, perfect.

Because it's been eating me alive from the inside out. I'm really glad you don't remember that mom. But it definitely happened. I definitely remember it. Oh, I certainly do. I remember that feeling of like, wait, I don't. of anything good and anything bad that happens to me hence two fourth is my fault oh okay well time for dessert time for a delicious yum yum what's your what's yours gonna be um i think mine is funnel cake oh wow

yum and this will be my 17th birthday baller and why it's funnel cake is because i got to go so every year literally into up to college i never missed the fair it was a thing we always did like we get the like the like the pass, the respond, so you don't have to buy the tickets, and we'd go to the fair. And this year, I was like, I was having all my friends, funnily enough, two people from my 10th birthday party or 11th, whatever that sleepover was, were also at this birthday. Wait, so my older, so Bell's older sister, or maybe even Bell, like, one of us was driving, which was super exciting. Too cool.

So we, like, left school and, like, we all had, like, our sleepover bags, and we went to my house, and then we drove to the fair, and the cool thing about this is my crush was invited. I made a mistake. This was, it was my 16th birthday. But at this, and I think, I can't remember, I know for sure for my 17th birthday, this guy made me a playlist.

I can't remember if he did for this birthday, too, but that was a big deal. A big deal. But the awesome thing about this. When you're 16 and somebody makes you a playlist, you're gonna start screaming Anyways So Bell

Bell's older sister Alexandra She also was there And so I can't remember if she was dating My crush's older brother at this point or not But he was also there So my crush and his brother Came to the fair as well And this was just super exciting

Because it was one of the first times We'd like hung out outside of school And I like didn't really know if he had a crush Like but I kind of did You were kind of thinking maybe And so it's like that perfect period Like you know what I mean? All time.

Literally the best of all time. And we get on this ride together. So it literally felt like a movie in the way that like his parents were like, you have to be home at midnight or like you're grounded forever. And then so his older brother was like, we have to go. We have to go. And he was like, I want to go on this last ride with Bella. So we get on this ride.

And it's literally, no, literally it's like the two of us. Like you guys aren't going to be able to see. But basically it's like a stick with like two seats at the top and two seats. seats at the bottom. There might have been four, but like your back's to each other. And so like, and he his brother was like, we have to go, we have to go. And the cute thing about this is they did end up getting grounded for this. No way. But he like got, we got on the ride and we were, nothing happened, but we like

literally were stopped like up in the air on this ride. Two of us like locked into these chairs. Like we couldn't even like turn to look at each other really. But I just was like, oh my gosh, my crush. And he totally likes me. Wait, wow. And he totally and like, like I just remember. I don't even remember what we said it was like wow it looks really beautiful or something but like it was literally that feeling I was like my gosh I'm the queen and the fact that like when we got to the ground he he was like okay bye like I hope you had a good birthday and like sprinted his brother was like come on

like he got in trouble and they got grounded because they were home in time is you're the queen on your birthday I literally I guess so and like I remember going to bed that night like with all my friends over at my house and me like my gosh And so that was a really good birthday And it's like 16 And it was like a classic 16th birthday You know what I mean? So

And so that is, what did I say? That was funnel cake. Okay. My final story. The one I'm going to tell is my 16th birthday. So my, oh, I was like stressed and struggling trying to figure out a theme for my 16th birthday

Because all my friends were coming over And I was in a show at the time So I invited like most of the teens in the cast And it was so fun because we were trying to come up with the theme and my dad and my mom, maybe my mom, but one of them was like, let's just do like your favorite things. Like, let's do a birthday party. That's just themed after your favorite things. So they catered Torchie tacos, which was obviously my favorite at the time food. It might still be like my favorite restaurant, but it's so baller. And then we

played Jackbox because that's my favorite game. And so we had like 20, like 20 people and each one had like each one was in a team. So there were, well, I guess there were like 40 people. Yeah. Each one was on a team. So like 20 players. And we played these like, these games forever and ever and we jumped on my trampoline outside because I love my trampoline and we had a big cake that was like my favorite cake ever

and everybody I remember I opened my gifts in front of everybody and there were all these like wacky things you'd never want but it was just everybody being like Jalene's crazy and mom I hear her fun and crazy gifts and my dad this is the kicker part my favorite game growing up

was called the Penny Game and the Penny Game is where you put these it was so fun my dad always set it up with these bowls on the stairs and you'd have pennies and you throw the pennies into the bulls and if you hit if you got if it landed in a certain bowl you could get the prize that was next to that bowl and so we'd play these games and my dad dressed up as a carnival worker for my 16th birthday and he set up the penny game and so when everybody came in they got to play the penny game in honor of my 16th birthday he dressed oh he dressed and he did this dumb he's like hey welcome in welcome in it's chilling birthday and the people to this day will still be like remember when your dad was a carnival worker at your birthday I'm like yeah of course I remember and he wore his costume with suspenders the whole the whole the whole shivans And here's the thing is like with birthday parties, it can be so disappointing because people say no. And when you invite a bunch of people, the possibility that like, I don't know, 40% are like, I can't make it is high.

But with this one, I think almost everyone could make it. And I remember that being like, it's like magical. Everyone wants to be at my birthday and celebrate me. So that's my 16th birthday and it was extravagant. And we've had great birthdays, Bella. Yeah, we truly have. My dessert, what did I say, what my dessert was going to be? No.

Okay, my dessert for that one is going to be that cake. the cake that my mom made. Because it was so... Okay, we ready to do our drinks? Yes, so... You're gonna go first. Yes, my drank is... And I know what drink it is.

It is cranberry juice. Yummy, yummy, yummy. I do love cranberry juice. It's tangy. It's fun, okay? It's red! Hey, quit it. And...

Hey, quit it. Hey, quit it. The song is FM by Steely Dan. And I love the song because it sounds so good, but also the lyrics are straight up nonsense. Not... Like the first... It's like, worry.

the bottle mama it's grapefruit wine what worry the bottle mama it's grapefruit wine okay yeah okay it's all nonsense like none of it makes sense but it just sounds like they're having fun it does sound like and like they know it doesn't make sense and it's just like it's very funky so anyways grab my my drink is a a glass of cold water with ice oh it's in a mason jar oh Okay, yum. And it's a song. Star or no straw? I'm going to go with no straw so I could just like chuck.

Yeah, I got you. You know what I mean? So this song is actually my favorite song, but I've been listening to it a lot lately because in the heat and stress of like thinking about getting a job and where I'm going to go next and all that jazz, I have really just been only able to listen to songs that are like,

God is good and no matter what you're going to be fine. So I've been listening to this song called, well, I think it's a reworking. of a hymn. The hymn is great as thy faithfulness. And it's a reworking in this song called He's Always Been Faithful. I think it's by Sarah Groves. But if it's not, it's a cover and that's the version I listen to. And it's the most soothing song in the world. And it makes me feel infinitely better no matter what. I wake up in the morning. I have a pit in my stomach for no reason. Just because life is kind of stressful and I'm an anxious person. And I play that song. And it's like

the coolest glass of water. And it makes me feel so refreshed and like safe. Because the gist of the song is like he's never like he's always been faithful to me my whole life. And so there's no reason to be any sort of in doubt. And when you remember that's like, wait. It's like, why am I so stressed? Why am I so scared and anxious all the time? No, and that's been really helpful for me. And especially in these couple upcoming weeks, it's just been healing me.

So that's my cool drink of water. That's wonderful. So my meal ended up being bubble gum, blueberries and grapes. and my birthday cake with a glass of water. Man, these are not nutritious meals. No, not at all. So mine would be a roasted pig with an apple in its mouth. Good luck drawing that one.

Yeah, follow us on Instagram. Wait, guys, we'll get to that in a second. Okay. Steaming stack of blueberry pancakes with whipped cream and maple syrup. Okay. And then funnel cake. Funnel cake, yum, yum, yum, and cranberry juice. Wait, guys.

That sounds- I would eat that. Your meal sounds baller. I might eat that. Guys, if you love our episodes, follow us at Thursday Lunch on Instagram. Is that what Thursday lunch? Thursday. Thursday. Thursday.

Thursday. Thursday. Oh, my gosh. Thursday. That's day. Lunch. dot podcast. Grab it, rip it, and follow.

Thanks so much for tuning in to Thursday lunch on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.1.1.7 FM. I'm Jillian. And I'm Belin. And we're going to talk to you next week whether you like it or not. Yeah.