Join us for a hilarious and heartwarming trip down memory lane with Melanie. She talks about her adventures traveling Europe on a shoestring budget in the 1970s. From hitchhiking with a fake female friend to camping in secret to avoid hostel fees, Melanie shares her wild and unconventional stories from the road. Podcast Episode Chapters

- Introduction
- Melanie's Background and Travel Philosophy
- Hitchhiking with a Fake Female Friend
- Camping in Secret to Save Money
- The Train Incident
- Reuniting with the Backpack Watcher
- Reflections on Traveling on a Budget
Podcast Episode Show Notes

- Melanie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanieadventures
- Florence Hostel: https://www.hostelflorence.com/
- Train Travel in Italy: https://www.trenitalia.com/en.html

Traveling on a Shoestring Budget: Unconventional Tales from the '70s

In this episode, Christine Feldman shares her teenage adventure with her sister visiting their cousins stationed at Fort Ord in California. What started as an innocent drive turned into a misadventure when they found themselves lost in a restricted area of the base. Listen to this hilarious and heartwarming story of how they stumbled upon an unexpected reunion and the consequences that followed.

Chapters:
- Introduction
- Teenage Adventure
- Restricted Area
- Unexpected Reunion
- Consequences
- Common Sense
- Conclusion
Interesting Things Mentioned
- Fort Ord
- Monterey, California
- Cannery Row
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- High School Reunions

Christine Feldman 6/23 - Restricted Area: A Fort Ord Adventure

In this episode, we hear a story about the experience of getting dressed up for prom. Thea Daniels shares her experience taking her sons to Men's Warehouse to pick out their prom outfits. We explore the importance of dressing up and how it can make us feel confident and empowered.

Chapters

- Introduction - Thea Daniels introduces the topic of dressing up for prom
- The Men's Warehouse Experience - Thea shares her experience taking her sons to Men's Warehouse
- The Importance of Dressing Up - We discuss the impact of dressing up on our confidence and self-esteem
- Becoming a Sharp-Dressed Man - Thea's sons' experiences of becoming a sharp dressed man
- Conclusion - Final thoughts on dressing up and feeling confident
Interesting Things Mentioned

- The importance of dressing up for prom
- The experience of taking sons to Men's Warehouse
- The impact of dressing up on confidence and self-esteem
- Becoming a sharp-dressed man

Thea Daniels 6/23 - Becoming a Sharp Dressed Man

In this heartwarming episode, Ray Engan shares the story of how he and his friend Billy attempted to scientifically prove the existence of Santa Claus on a California Christmas Eve. Join us as we relive the magic of the holiday season and learn about the power of belief. Chapters:
- Introduction
- Billy's Shoebox
- The Gravity Machine
- Scientifically Proving Santa Claus Exists
- The Low Toe
- Conclusion
Interesting Things Mentioned
- The Jets winning the Super Bowl
- The moon landing
- The Mets winning the World Series
- Leprechaun traps
- Footprints of Santa Claus
- The power of belief

Ray Eagan 6/23 - Proving Santa Claus Exists: A Christmas Story

Madelyn Claire shares her hilarious and relatable experience navigating airport common sense. From getting to the airport too early to dealing with TSA, Madeline's mishaps will have you laughing out loud. Tune in to hear her story and learn some valuable airport tips along the way. Chapters

- Introduction
- The Problem with Common Sense
- The Cheese Danish Debacle
- TSA Troubles
- The Frozen Bear Head
- Defeat and Redemption
- The Tape Fix
- Is It Common Sense?
Interesting Things Mentioned

- The importance of understanding common sense
- The perils of arriving at the airport too early
- The struggles of navigating TSA
- The danger of bringing yogurt through airport security
- The unexpected appearance of a frozen bear head
- The use of tape to fix airplane parts
- The question of what constitutes common sense

Madelyn Clair 6/23 - The Trials and Tribulations of Airport Common Sense

In this episode, we follow the story of a father and son who set out on a kayaking adventure in British Columbia to bridge the growing gap between them. From dodging killer whales to encountering bald eagles, they faced challenges that ultimately helped to melt the ice in their relationship.

Chapters:
- Introduction
- Growing Apart
- Planning the Adventure
- First Day on the Water
- Wildlife Encounters
- Struggles on the Water
- Melting the Ice
- Conclusion
Interesting Things Mentioned
- The unique starfish found in British Columbia
- Bioluminescence in Tamales Bay
- Bald eagles and their significance as a national symbol
- Porpoises and sea lions in the area
- The challenges of kayaking in open water

JP Frary 6/23 - Kayaking with Killer Whales: A Father-Son Adventure to Melt the Ice

In this episode, Janet shares a personal story of overcoming bureaucracy and fighting for her mother's right to travel. She recounts the challenges she faced when trying to obtain a Real ID for her 91-year-old mother and the absurdity of the situation. From dealing with outdated systems to proving her mother's citizenship, Janet's story highlights the need for common sense in government agencies.

Chapters
- Introduction: Janet's Story
- The DMV Fiasco
- Homeland Security's Flag
- The Name Change Saga
- The Receiving Line
Interesting Things Mentioned
- Real ID
- Novato, Arizona
- Bubby
- Bat Mitzvah
- DMV
- Homeland Security
- Superior Court
- Congressman Jared Huffman
- Redwoods

Janet Friedman 6/23 - Janet's Common Sense: A Story of Bureaucracy and Family

In this episode, Ken Gallegos tells the story of how his common sense saved him from a potentially deadly situation. He shares his experience of dating a Reagan Republican and meeting her gun-toting father. Gallegos recounts the night he narrowly avoided getting shot and how he used common sense to get himself out of a dangerous situation.

Chapters:
- Introduction
- Meeting Julianne
- Julianne's Father
- The Night of the Incident
- Common Sense Saves the Day
- Conclusion
Interesting things mentioned:
- Ken's experience dating a Reagan Republican in the 1980s
- Meeting Julianne's gun-toting father
- The night Ken was nearly shot
- The importance of common sense in dangerous situations

Ken Gallegos 6/23 - Common Sense Saved My Life

In this episode, Ken Gallegos tells the story of how his common sense saved him from a potentially deadly situation. He shares his experience of dating a Reagan Republican and meeting her gun-toting father. Gallegos recounts the night he narrowly avoided getting shot and how he used common sense to get himself out of a dangerous situation.

Chapters:

- Introduction
- Meeting Julianne
- Julianne's Father
- The Night of the Incident
- Common Sense Saves the Day
- Conclusion
Interesting things mentioned:

- Ken's experience dating a Reagan Republican in the 1980s
- Meeting Julianne's gun-toting father
- The night Ken was nearly shot
- The importance of common sense in dangerous situations

In this episode, Patty shares her harrowing experience on a whale-watching tour that turned into a nightmare. She tells the story of how the rough seas and choppy waves made everyone on the boat sick, and how the captain's pursuit of the whales only made things worse. She also shares how the experience affected her for years to come. Next Bill tells the story of his first kiss, which ended in disaster. He reflects on the lessons he learned and the impact the experience had on him.

Dave Pokorny Presents…
West Side Stories Petaluma’s StorySlam on the first Weds of each month at 417 Western Avenue Petaluma, CA 94952 at 7pm.

TICKETS here: https://ci.ovationtix.com/36153/
Westside Stories:
https://www.davepokornypresents.com/west-side-stories
https://www.facebook.com/dave.pokorny3/

Our Partners:

Once Upon a Slush - https://www.onceuponaslush.com/
Polly Klaas Community Theater - https://www.pollyklaastheater.org/
Sonoma Portworks - https://portworks.com/
Getphily Podcast Production - https://www.getphily.com/
Lend an Ear Media - https://lendanearmedia.com/

Daniel Ancheta