Dose of Delusion
Two professionals serving up witty banter, unfiltered opinions, and contagious laughter. Join us in Dose of Delusion as we dissect life's absurdities and navigate the world with humor and touch of delusion.
Dose of Delusion
A Conversation about a Duck Named Neeon w/local author Patrick Miller
In their latest episode, Jay and AJ reminisce about the fusion of sports and music during Super Bowl weekend, inspired by Usher's halftime performance. From casual Sunday gatherings to lively watch parties, they reflect on the evolving NFL audience demographics highlighted by the halftime spectacle. Amidst tales of drag shows, DJ gigs, and VIP moments, they introduce guest author Patrick, who discusses his book "Neeon the Duck" and its message of inclusion and empathy. They explore the power of storytelling as a universal connector, blending sports excitement with literary warmth in an episode that's both celebratory and introspective.
Hello, hello, hello and welcome back to your dose of delusion. It is me, your host, yours truly Jay, and I'm sitting right in front of the posing, glamorous, smoldering, quintessential. Aj, aj, how are you Tell me everything? Hi.
Speaker 2:I'm doing really well. I was trying to get through this disastrous week but you know, just going through. How was your Super Bowl weekend?
Speaker 1:You know what that right it was this past Sunday. It was actually a lot of fun. It was a nice break from my hellish reality, but it was so much fun. Did you go to see? Did you watch?
Speaker 2:So I am not an avid watcher, but I do believe. Where was I Sunday actually? Now that I'm thinking about it, I can't recall, but I do. Oh, you know what I was out and about for Sunday Funday? Because I had some friends in town that were actually here for an event that I had gone to on Saturday. There was this locker room event that my friend, it's DJ, dj Tyler, was in town for, so so I went to go see him Saturday, which was super fun. Then for Sunday Funday, we went out and about and actually was that, let's be honest, and was there watching it? I wasn't really paying attention, except when, a bit when Usher came on for the halftime show.
Speaker 2:Just a bit Just like a smidge, because again, I was at a bar with some friends. So, I'm there just like drinking and having a good time, and then like taking a gander over, and then I would see it. You know, were you paying attention? Did you watch it? I?
Speaker 1:watched the halftime show. Now, I did watch the game in the first half, you know, because I am not an avid football game watcher.
Speaker 2:I understand. I understand the game.
Speaker 1:I enjoyed it as well. But I think everyone could agree with me that the whole first half and from right here the three, the first three quarters were a snooze vest, like the game didn't become a game until the fourth quarter which I left after halftime but I went over to a friend's house that had a little get together. Gathering lots of great food, lots of dogs was a good time, but I was mainly there for the halftime.
Speaker 2:I see.
Speaker 1:And I watched the entire thing. I'll have funny story about that. Okay, Last year was Rihanna's right.
Speaker 2:Yes, when she was pregnant, all right.
Speaker 1:Exactly when she announced her pregnancy. Well, I mean well, whatever. Anyways, I remember like being pissed because everybody goes, everybody wants to watch the game and also everyone wants to see the halftime show, right, Right. So second quarter's ending Cool, it's exciting. They're doing their extended commercial break while they set up the stage and whatnot. Halftime show starts and that is when everyone in the room decided to have a conversation about their week.
Speaker 2:Excuse me, I was losing. Hold on. Was this a straight party? No, actually. Oh, actually, no, it was.
Speaker 1:How dare they the host is a gay couple. They have straight friends but the host is a gay couple and have to guess there were gay. I was livid. Okay, so same house again this year.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:And this year I spoke by truth.
Speaker 2:Okay, AJ.
Speaker 1:I literally was like I swear to God, this is not my house, but I will kick all you bitches out if you guys speak during the halftime show and we had a great time Nobody spoke. We cranked the volume up. We enjoyed every moment of every usher song.
Speaker 2:So who else was like in it? Like I know, alicia Keys was singing off key or something like that. How dare you? You know, I knew she did.
Speaker 1:She really did. I saw a meme about that that said God still ain't gave Alicia her voice back after she stole that man, that lady's man.
Speaker 2:I don't know anything about that.
Speaker 1:Are you being?
Speaker 2:serious? Yeah, I don't know, I don't follow.
Speaker 1:She does no wrong, unfortunate, except sing off key.
Speaker 2:I keep on falling.
Speaker 1:I don't recall her husband's name or whatnot, but when she got with her husband he was not single.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, it was Well, I'm sure they were separated.
Speaker 1:They laid low for a while to avoid the radar, but nonetheless, yes. So Alicia Keys came out. Yeah, ludacris.
Speaker 2:Oh, Luda was a rapper.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah.
Speaker 2:Young yeah. So what one? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:Yask Yask, okay, um, it was a good time. It was a really good show. I was sure it was on roller skates. He almost fell down. What yeah?
Speaker 2:Okay, I missed that Not even like inline skating Not even like roller blades, like old school, like old school. Yeah, he did a whole roller skate thing. Oh my god, have you seen his, isn't he like on Kim Kardashian's skims? Like?
Speaker 1:Is he one of those? I don't know. I think he is. I know skims are the official undergarments of the NFL.
Speaker 2:I think he, I'm sorry, go ahead. No, I don't know.
Speaker 1:Anyways, while you fact check yourself. Yes, Thank you Um no, it was a good.
Speaker 1:It was a good halftime show, Of course very nostalgic, but you know what actually does kind of get close to home a little bit is we're we're not that far apart in age, but do you remember, I will, I'll say your high school, my middle school, your early college, my high school, and they would have these like older, um, like rock bands, and we don't have to be like, why is like sting and kiss and up there like singing, and that's not anything that I'm interested in at the time. Well, I've learned over the years that what they do is they bring artists that were really popular during their for the, the main populace of the NFL watchers.
Speaker 2:Oh, we've hit that level, is what you're saying?
Speaker 1:Exactly. So I was like oh, we are that Interesting we're at that group. Now we're in that category and that's why they're bringing back an old artist such as Usher. Oh no, Because we are now the number one populace who watches the games and NFL.
Speaker 2:Are we the? I was never a fan of Usher, to be quite honest. I mean no, I mean that wasn't my thing, Like that, like, like R&B and stuff like that. Just wasn't like my like. You know what I mean. I was just like pop and like you know, like who else was like big when Usher was like.
Speaker 1:I remember like it was like Usher Aliyah, tlc 702.
Speaker 2:Okay, but you're saying nothing. But this is older, older stuff. Like who would be the pop comparison at that time?
Speaker 1:I wasn't in the pop at that time, other than like Britney Spears.
Speaker 2:Okay, well, so I was about Britney and Christina and all of them.
Speaker 1:I did have her butterfly album.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it was great, right, Britney had a, are you?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think.
Speaker 2:Mariah.
Speaker 1:No, Britney Spears has an album called Butterfly. Am I, am I crazy?
Speaker 2:I think so.
Speaker 1:Are you sure? No, I don't want to. I don't want to be reality checked.
Speaker 2:No, we won't, that's fine.
Speaker 1:No, I don't want to be reality checked.
Speaker 2:We'll have we'll have a dose of reality later. But so after, so before the Superbowl or whatever like, and before all of that, like I, I think I had a you know, typical, usual Friday where just out and about to sparkies for you know, the Drag Race show, and then ran into some friends and that was like nice and quaint and then again Saturday went to go see my friends spend their beats at 800 live which was really fine. You went for a smidge and then I didn't see you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I went for a brief moment. I brought a couple of friends. I was actually really excited about it. I got in the whole you know theme, the tire and whatnot, and then I stayed for about 45 minutes an hour and I was like let's go check out another bar. Yeah, and I did, and obviously I had a really great time there because I never made it back. It was kind of funny because I was the only one in the sports camp Well like a jersey.
Speaker 2:So I was like in like a little flat cap and like a little like sport jersey and the amount of compliments I got and like oh, you're so straight. And I'm like excuse me, it was such a push out for this.
Speaker 1:Unlike, it was a baseball jersey.
Speaker 2:It was. You had a wide open.
Speaker 1:I did. Yeah, it looks great. You're wearing your flat bill hat.
Speaker 2:I love a theme. It was a great theme, it was different than you would normally wear. Absolutely In prior years I actually the past two years for locker room. I was actually like cheerleading, so so very different. Opposite end of the spectrum. Absolutely, I thought it was just like you know, a time for change. Well, I love 2020 form.
Speaker 1:So I love that I pray in the city. Everybody else, but they did great.
Speaker 2:So my friend, dj Tyler, was just like he played so good and kept me dancing and the way they had the lighting this last time it was really strange because you could barely see the DJ and there were times when, like it would get like dark on the dance dance floor and then you could see like the silhouette and he'd be dancing with us or whatever. And it was just so fun and I actually one of the last times that I saw him, him and his husband Justin, was we had spent fourth of July in Guadalajara and that was like a super fun. That was when I had like first really met them and hung out with them because I had met them socially before and so it was really really good seeing them and saw them again Sunday for a brief Sunday, sunday before they went out on their flight or whatever, and then it made it home by nine and then you know, just work, work, work.
Speaker 1:Oh, I feel you on that. You know, while I was at that, at a Hengel life with the event. I found it really. You know, I think our podcast is really getting out there a little bit and so people are constantly walking up oh, are you so? And so from the podcast you look really familiar, right, I know you're from and I've been like this is a podcast. Oh, my God, you have that podcast with AJ.
Speaker 1:I'm like, yeah, that's me and all this good stuff, right, and so my friends are like kind of making fun of like oh look at you, jay, you have notoriety in San Antonio and I was like do you want my autograph or? Not Just making fun and having jokes with it. It was so cute. And then we left 800 live, we went to like Pegasus and whatnot and again a few people walked up to the same thing and it was kind of cute.
Speaker 2:What was?
Speaker 1:hilarious AJ is. I walk out of Pegasus and you know how they have that hot dog stand there. Okay, guilty, Get a glissie from there Every now and then. I used to get up every single time, but I have them a couple of months. Right, lion is long. I walk up just because I'm considering it and let me tell you what hot dog stand guy says Stop his partner is helping him cook.
Speaker 1:Hey, let me get you for my VIP over here. And I was like shamed, I was like dude. What? That is not the status.
Speaker 2:No, that is, if there's any kind of like like VIP to be at, it's to cut in front of the fucking lion.
Speaker 1:To get your fucking hot dog at the end of a drunken night. Give us two for the price of one.
Speaker 2:Skip the whole line Wow, I would much rather have that than are you. Are you AJ from dose of delusion?
Speaker 3:For sure?
Speaker 1:No, I would not.
Speaker 2:But also I'm not there guzzling down a weenie dog, and that's what that At 2 am, and that's everyone in my hair is seen.
Speaker 1:Thank you. That's not a brand insults me, but no, I'm saying thank you for agreeing with me. That's what I'm trying to say is everyone in line was like VIP. He must order a lot of fucking glizzies here but you don't look like you. Oh see, if you eat it really fast, okay, where do you put them? Then, no, so other than that, I you know, I kept it really chill on.
Speaker 1:Sunday football game home. That's it. My week with my coming move is chaotic, but no, it's been a. It's been a good time, it's been a good week overall, and now we are here.
Speaker 2:We are here and I actually have a friend. Yes so he's going to call in. I have a little. He wrote a book actually so he's gonna call us in and discuss his little book that I'm showing right now.
Speaker 1:I am actually super excited about this. You've told me about him I did meet him a couple of times what you know what.
Speaker 2:let's just I believe we have.
Speaker 1:Patrick with us now. Patrick, how are you tell us everything? I'm good. How are you? I Am doing fantastic. First of all, patrick, I am. I am elated that AJ did this introduction and had decided to go ahead and bring you on the show. He told me a little bit about you. I'm excited to learn a lot more about you, but, most importantly, I want to learn just a lot of different things. Aj, go ahead, please tell us so okay.
Speaker 2:So Patrick is the sweetest person I've ever met and we know each other socially through mutual friends that we had bumped into each other at a social gathering and I just became infatuated with one his beautiful eyes, which unfortunately you're unable to see currently, and his adorable giggle. And Then I found out he wrote this children's book About a duck named neon, and it is the sweetest thing, may I just say, okay. So it says what happens when you find out. What makes you different is to be celebrated. Neon, a duck whose feathers glow Unlike the rest of the flock, will be a lesson learned by his town and peers as they celebrate his special oddity, a reminder that conformity should not outweigh one's unique qualities. Now, patrick, what made you write this book?
Speaker 3:Well, actually the book started. I had a project in my undergrad at University of New York, Texas. I took a child development class and the final was to write a children's book based on what you learned in the class.
Speaker 2:I love that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, so I got to work with a colleague of mine and a good friend, sylvia Arriba's her she's now Sylvia Skinner and she she did the art for me and I I just kind of used parts of my, my story and put together this project and I Got to teach with it for a few years after becoming a teacher and developed curriculum for it and it just I don't know that the point was to kind of help Gay people in schools, gay or anyone who has a difference, and so that's kind of where it's done from.
Speaker 2:I really love that it is. You know it did. It was very tearful and joyous and, and you know, it is a children's book. But as an adult I really enjoyed it and it was so it was so good, and the drawings, actually your friends, sylvia, so they are so darling, they are, are precious, and speak to me and, and, jay, what did you think when you?
Speaker 1:read it. When I read the book I loved it. It was super sweet. Obviously it's so funny how something as simple as a children's book with obviously text for children to read can still touch Us as adults brain. I I found it fascinating. But I want to go to say the full title. It is neon and EEO and neon the duck who enlightened others. Now AJ, yeah, I do. You remember the dedication in the book?
Speaker 2:I do remember slight. Can you refresh my I?
Speaker 1:want. It's not very long. I want to go to read it because I have some questions about it. Okay, all right. So the dedication is and Patrick, do you mind if I read a dedication?
Speaker 1:That's perfect, yeah, okay it is to my grandma, kay, for instilling a love for reading, storytelling and being a library of knowledge. My parents, for all the hard work and sacrifices made for the Miller flock, for modeling and encouraging me to learn, question relearn and love To teachers who work diligently to allow students to shine while simultaneously protecting their own light, especially through a pandemic. To Mrs Moles, mrs Norrin, it's not.
Speaker 1:Excuse me, I'm sorry, mrs Mals, mrs Norrin and Mrs, help me out with that one freezing on, freezing on. And Dr Emmanuel, who greatly inspired my teaching and to any kiddo with a soft heart, learning to grow in their own light, especially within the LGBTQ plus community. So, first of all, you think your Grandmother okay, tell us about your grandmother.
Speaker 3:So I come from a line of bitches.
Speaker 2:Excuse me, oh, yeah, so my grandma. I have a bite too.
Speaker 3:So my grandma's last name was Byche. It's an Ukrainian name, so that's kind of cool, so yeah. So I grew up with my grandma nearby here in Cibolo, Texas, and she actually is the one who taught me how to read. We would read this Lullaby book every day. She really instilled a love for learning in me and I think it's really awesome. She spoke two languages and I wrote specifically in there that she's a library of knowledge, because she actually worked at the Cleveland Library. She was a janitor on the janitorial staff and cleaned the Cleveland Public Library. So I just I love that she also used her knowledge to teach me to love learning and knowledge. So, yeah, it's great.
Speaker 1:And you also think. I also noticed that you think quite a bit of your teachers. What is that? How does that play into this book or your role?
Speaker 3:There are just some teachers. There are the reasons why I became a teacher. They kind of touched my heart and inspired me, and so that's why, of course, I have being a teacher. I have them in there and so, yeah, I shout out to Miss Malz who she, the Malz Abbles, we, I was, we, she, her room was Harry Potter themed and I remember one kid oh my God. I remember one kid couldn't be in the class because their parents were like um, we're not.
Speaker 2:No, we're not doing. Oh how inscrutable. And I loved Harry Potter, so it was just yeah. Okay, hold on, I have to interrupt. So your what house of Harry Potter. I'm a Gryffindorian, of course you are Precious being. I told you it's so sweet, I love it.
Speaker 3:So I, and then Harry Potter, oh my God.
Speaker 2:And Miss Freason was my high school band director at Steel High.
Speaker 3:School and so she was there for me in really cool times and then we got to. She featured me a lot playing the oboe and so I really appreciated her and she always believed in me when it was hard to believe in yourself as a kid at those times.
Speaker 3:So thank you, miss Freason and Dr Manuel. I got to go on a trip to Austria with her and she was one of my professors and she was always. She was a professor or a friend and a mentor and she was just really kind. So they all modeled teaching for me and I appreciate that. I love that.
Speaker 1:You know, okay, you're an educator, which is, see, I knew we were going to be the best of friends. So I, for some reason probably a great reason I have this affinity and this magnetic connection with educators. One of my best friends she's been an elementary school teacher for 19 years, I think. Now I have some other good friends of mine are also been educators. I myself have been teaching my whole late teens in all of my adult profession mainly adult education, but I always have some sort of draw towards educators, which AJ, good pick on this one, of course.
Speaker 2:I told you.
Speaker 1:Love. That. That is really, really fascinating. I have one other question here regarding your dedication. Okay, to any kiddo with a soft heart learning to grow into their life, especially within the LGBT community. So this is a children's book. Right and very happy, proud and brave of you to go ahead and put that in there. But what kind of feedback have you received from that mentioning the LGBTQ community in today's culture, publishing this book with children?
Speaker 3:I actually haven't had any flack. Really I was kind of nervous, to be honest, exactly by your question, being in Texas and even when I was living in Indiana. But I took my book to the children to my library, my school and my librarian put in circulation and had it displayed in the library and so I don't know, so far hasn't been an issue.
Speaker 2:I think yeah, so I so so, you know, for me I love that you put that in the dedication and for me, also, reading through the book, I was like, oh, I could definitely, you know, give, see that and and and feel that and and understand that being outcasted as as a, you know, young gay boy or whatever.
Speaker 2:And for me, what, what kind of stood out is, is the ending. Is it's not like, oh, this little boy duck likes this other little boy, like there was no, there's nothing mentioning in that it might be somewhat alluded in it and and and, listener, please go find it and read it. I'm not gonna give out all the details, but you know I it doesn't, it's not. It's not that, it's just it's easy to relate as a misunderstood Person, not just, not necessarily gay, but just anyone who you know wasn't, wasn't just like any of the others that you know, maybe Someone who still liked the opposite sex growing up but but maybe was shy or or had a stutter or only had a mom or, you know, single parent or something you know. So there's differences that that anyone could relate to, that that neon could kind of kind of you, could you could relate to. What did you feel about the? What?
Speaker 3:do you?
Speaker 1:I wonder yes.
Speaker 3:They answered your question. If it be different, if it was a boy on the bus again, and that's kind of interesting to Right, and that's, and that's what I mean.
Speaker 2:Like it, it didn't, but also just because it wasn't, or whatever it that it's alluding to the fact that we don't know what's gonna happen next. We don't know if they become Besties. We don't know if it's becomes. You know, whatever there there's, it's, it's quack elementary you know what I mean.
Speaker 3:It's, it's not anything like that.
Speaker 2:What were your thoughts on?
Speaker 1:you know I liked it a lot because it was you know, it is like a till as old as time, right, you know, again, not to give too many details, out.
Speaker 1:I mean not that it's an X Harry Potter movie. You know you can get. You can get to just a bit. You know adult listener that. You know it's A duck who may have felt outcast, unwanted, and then eventually at one point you know people saw him differently, in a better and a better point of view, and I think we can all kind of you know, sympathize with that, or I'm so empathize with that because we've had it in the past. People may not see our true life, what we are. They just judge us based on something. We different, we look different or sound different or no, whatever it may be. So the way you're able to take a very real life Issue that happens in all ages of our lives and bring it down to a children level, as a, and you identify as gay is that correct? Yeah, okay, as a gay author, without and mentioning it for LGBTQ plus youths, without pushing an agenda, I think you did really, really well.
Speaker 3:I wish it. Yeah, I agree, I agree. I really think that's a company and because the teacher's job is to water down hard Concepts to children and I so I appreciate your words, thank you.
Speaker 2:And you know, and especially for like the, you know, like like you, jay, you are adult learners or you know you teach adults versus teaching the youth is completely different. And how you have to, I'm not sure that.
Speaker 1:No, no, I am agreeing with you, but I'm shaking my head and frustration stubborn it's not just stubborn, but I don't know if it's, you know, because of the curriculum, or maybe because adults are more sensitive, they can, you know about league, you know, complain about different things, but when I am being coached by my instructor, supervisors and why not? I've gone through a handful of certification courses as well we cannot tell an adult that they're wrong. You know what I mean, and Patrick, I do it all the time.
Speaker 1:I don't know how you deal with this when it comes to youths, but like, for example, I can tell an adult and I'm gonna break down the math you know, hey, hey, sir, what's five plus five. They can say nine. Like you know what I see where you could think it's nine. I can understand why you might think it's nine, but if you read it again, can you tell me what you think it actually could be? And it's not nine? I can't say like, no, it's, it's ten. You know I can't, I can't do that. No, no negative feedback, and it's incredibly frustrating. I love it, I enjoy, but it's very, very frustrating. So, patrick, how do you you know, work with the youth and dealing with that and Son, your situation probably like.
Speaker 3:Thank you for trying your best.
Speaker 1:However, I like, yeah, you're trying your best, but it was not the best. There's better you do better. Oh my goodness, yeah. When you first read this book, I felt like you were getting a little misty.
Speaker 2:I it was just listen, I'm an emotional rag, I'm very emotional, I wear my emotions on my sleeves and I'm very easily touch. Oh wait, I'm very Easy. Oh my, no. So like I'm just, I, I get emotional very quick, like I cry movies. I just like I, I, I feel it. I put myself in the all the Situations that I can, and I was. I was neon at that moment. Why didn't they want to hang out with me? What was what was wrong with me? I thought you know, I thought my, I had fluffy little feathers too, like why, what's what's wrong? Why look like you, you know. So it was just, it was I did get very I'm getting too late right now.
Speaker 1:Just even thinking about it, it is beautiful. Again, the title of the book is neon with two ease. Neon, that's a cool, and land others. Patrick, is this your first book? This is my first book. Yes, do you think it will be your last book?
Speaker 3:I hope not I hope not either.
Speaker 1:Do you have any other Ideas that you've been working around or thinking about, or maybe some inspiration?
Speaker 2:No, no, what I'm gonna say, I hope. Yes yes, I love that. I love to experience more and hear more about neon and and and what my part of lay later on in his Little duckling life. He's precious.
Speaker 1:He absolutely. And again I have to give a shout out to the illustrator, sylvia Skinner. That art, listen, listeners, get on, get on. Amazon, barnes and Nobles purchased a book. It's not, it's a couple of coffees. Okay, support, support, patrick Miller. It's amazing, but you need to just witness this art. It is again something that is so simple but also so beautiful, it's given.
Speaker 2:It's really reminding me of Like I'm that little sassy duck with a little pink bow to the side, not the one with the beret, the brace cute, not the blue bow, but the little pink sideways. But that's me.
Speaker 1:Reges, I cannot wait. Patrick Patrick, patrick Miller, thank you, thank you so? Much for for being here today. Listener, please go follow Patrick on his Instagram. At patch M91, that is, p, a, t, c, h, m, numbers 9 and 1, you can purchase his book again neon the duck who enlightened others available on Amazon, kindle and Barnes and Noble. And please, please, patrick again.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much for coming, aj, yes, thank you so much for having Patrick with us. Absolutely, it was my pleasure. Like I said, he's a sweetie pie, so I'm glad he was able to call in. And, patrick, I look forward to hearing more about neon and I hope that you do pursue something like that so but everyone. Thank you for listening and Jay.
Speaker 1:We will see you soon. We'll see you next week, guys. Please, all right, listen. So we are, we have. I don't want to say big things, but we are really working the pod. We're gonna keep it going. I know my move is gonna be crazy. I'm gonna have a lot of content. Let me give you a little little insight. Right now I will be going on a four-day road trip to my new home with my mother, so please be ready for that. But with that, folks, thank you all so much. We can't wait to see you guys next week. Take care Bye.
Speaker 3:Bye.
Speaker 1:Bye now.
Speaker 3:Cute.
Speaker 1:Patrick, you did really, really well. I don't know what you were nervous about.
Speaker 3:I was, I didn't see.
