Fresh Chicken & Sexy Knees (Zoomed-In Moment)

It's  Zoomed-In Moment #1 - a shorter episode that takes you into the smaller moments that create life's twists and turns.  As February is Cupid's month, find out how Cory stole Dana's heart with a chicken card and how for Adrianna and Allison it was "love at first knees."

We hope you enjoy these shorter moments of 

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Transcript

This text may not be distributed or published online without documented or written permission from Shadow Clock Podcast. Transcripts are generated using a combination of human beings and AI software (i.e., speech recognition) and therefore may contain errors. Please reference the corresponding audio before quoting in print. Special thanks to Cindy Mahalic Higgerson, Spencer Masternak, Bruce Scivally, and Alec Jansen for making these transcriptions possible.

START OF EPISODE

Katie Mahalic (Voice over)

If you haven't heard the announcement we released before dropping this episode, be sure to take a listen, as today's episode is following a slightly different format than our other six. We will be going back to our longer audio documentary-style format, but in between our larger episodes, we're trying something new called Zoomed In Moments. And what better place to start than by zooming in on a few lovestruck moments made possible by Cupid, to wrap up the month of February. First up, a conversation with my cousin, Corey Griffiths and his wife, Dana Griffiths, followed by another conversation with my close friend Adrianna Tatti. We hope you enjoy this first episode of Shadow Clock's Zoomed In Moments. Hi, guys. How are you doing?

Cory Griffiths:

Doing wonderful. How are you?

Katie Mahalic:

Good, good, good. Thanks for being here. So where did you guys meet?

Dana Griffiths:

Uh, we met in Michigan at the Cabbage Shed restaurant.

Cory:

You know, background. I was living in Maryland at the time, on the East Coast, and um, Dana’s family has a cabin up there. They go up there every summer. And she was in college at the time. And then my family, we go up there because we have family up there as well. So, um, we were up there every summer. And then, um, we would always go to the Cabbage Shed in Alberta, Michigan.

Katie:

Can you describe to listeners what the Cabbage Shed looks like?

Dana:

It looks like an older, like, kind of restaurant and bar right out on...

Cory:

Yeah, very rustic.

Dana:

...like a little bay area.

Cory:

And the, the whole story to that is it was truly back in... I don't know, the thirties or whenever it was built was truly a cabbage-it was truly a shed to store cabbage in. So that's why they call it the Cabbage Shed.

Katie:

Ah, that's pretty cool. I didn't know that.

Cory:

So we--me and my side of the family and there's probably 12 or 13 of us, we like the Cabbage Shed. We went in there, we get there, we get seated. And um, Dana happened to be our-our waitress.

Katie:

So I have a question on this. Do you remember the moment you first saw each other?

Cory:

I-there, there, there was a moment we touched hands when she was giving water and filled--filled up my water. She said she didn't mean to touch my hand. But I think we all know Dana. She definitely planned that.

[Cory Laughs]

Dana:

It's funny, because I was going to say the same thing, because I don't remember necessarily seeing him, but... and we didn't talk about it. But that was like the moment for me, too. And we, we touched hands. Like when I, we exchanged the water and it was, like I remember it vividly when it happened.

Cory:

Yeah. I mean, yeah, you could definitely feel the good energy.

Dana:

It was, I've never felt that, like, by an exchange like that.

Cory:

But after our first kiss, that's when the real magic... she felt that, too, you know? No I’m kidding.

[Everyone Laughs]

Katie:

You just jumped way, way ahead there Cory! What -

Cory:

Yeah, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.

Katie:

We can hit that moment in a moment. Let's back up to this first moment. So how many? I, so I know this story, but I'd like to know, I never knew about the hands with this hand touching over water. How many people were at your table the night you met?

Dana:

We were just talking about this because when the hostess came up to me and it was 4th of July weekend, so we were like, slammed busy. And she came up to me and said, like “there was a party of, like, 12 or 13 that we just sat... it’s your table” and I, and I looked at her. I have, I was so busy and I said, “No, I can't take on that many people.”

And so she came back and was like, “Well, let me like sit them down. I'll give them their water, get them all, I'll let them know, you know, you need a little time. Would that work?” And so, I said, “Yes, okay, I'll take them.” Even the fact that it was my table and that I tried to pass them up and still ended up happening.

Cory:

Yeah. Fate always has a different plan. You know, you can think one thing and do another, but it always works out how it's supposed to work out in, in my opinion.

Katie:

So, can... Corey, can you tell me a little bit about how you took control of that fate when uh, you might have asked Dana out?

Cory:

Uh, I was 22-23, but single. You know, I didn't have any, any girlfriends or anything like that. So, of course, my sister uh, was all like, “oh my gosh, she's so pretty. You need to ask her out. Corey!” And I'm like, “I'm not going to hit on a girl in front of my family. Number one, what if she says, No, You're never going to let me live that down,” you know? But I definitely did notice her. You know, our hands touched with the water, so there was something there, but it was like, how is this really going to work? So anyways, I was working for a poultry company. I was in sales there and I just got a promotion. But the company's logo was Fresh Young Chicken. So like, really, I'm going to give a business card to people and it says Cory... Cory Griffiths’ Fresh Young Chicken. Uh, you know, that just kind of embarrassing, I'm selling myself here, fresh meat. So anyways, I was passing it around the table to the family, was like, “Look at this card I gotta pass out.” And I end up having to go to the restroom. Towards the end of dinner, I went to the restroom, came right back, and everyone's laughing at me. I'm like, “Why is everyone laughing?” And, you know, they ended up putting the business card in the bill.

Katie:

So, Dana, do you remember the moment you opened your... I’m assuming, it was like, uh, like a server's checkbook?

Dana:

Yes.

Katie:

Okay. Can you tell me about the moment you saw the fresh chicken card?

Dana:

Um, yes. [Cory Laughs]

I remember it. I remember seeing it and then kind of like closing it and showing the girl that I was working with. And then I was more thinking, “oh no, I have to go back to the table now with his whole family. And [Cory Laughs] what am I going to say?”

Cory:

What did you tell the girl?

Dana:

I said “this guy put his chicken card in my check!” And she's like, “are you going to call him?”

Cory:

And then you said, “He's really cute. Yes.”

Dana:

I was... I re-.. no, I remember being like, “I don't know!” And then going back to the table and him and I made eye contact and he immediately was like [Dana Laughs] and immediately started talking.

Cory:

Imagine that. So then, uh, Dana comes back and we look at each other and she looks away real quick. And I was like, “Oh boy, this is awkward.” So I was like, “Look, I didn't put that in there. I'm not stalking you, you know, like, I, I wouldn't do that.” And Dana, being witty was like, “Oh, so you don't want me to call you?”

Dana:

And because I was like, I'm not trying to, like, hit on you here. You put the number... someone put the number in to me. So I felt like I need to, you know, make it known that this is your doing, not mine.

Katie:

Was the whole family watching this?

Dana:

Yes.

Cory:

Yep.

Dana:

That was said, like, to the whole table, Like I wasn't even necessarily directly in front of him when we made eye contact. Like this was like, like a community conversation.

Cory:

Yep.

Dana:

You know, so…

Cory:

And my sister, like, you know, she really loved the fact that, like, Dana kind of gave it back, if you will, is waiting. She's like, “So you don't you call you.” And I was like, “Whoa, whoa! Hold on, here's my cell phone!” Right? And at the time, you know, you didn't have cell phones on your business card. You truly had like a business phone. So. So yeah. And it had been given those cell phone digits.

Katie:

Did you notice, Dana, right away that he was, like, eager?

Dana:

Oh yes. And it made up for the like, “Oh I didn't do that,” you know, in the beginning.

Cory:

And, and yeah. You know, ever since then, it's, we've been tied together, so. And, and one more thing, Katie, around this, all ties together with those moments, but whenever we actually, whenever I proposed to Dana we went back to the Cabbage Shed. We were on vacation there. She had no idea. And I got one of those server books and I put like a, you know, just wrote things that I liked about her and a little poem.

And I had it hidden in the kind of, back of my pants, and then we were eating dinner, and I... uh, she had no idea. And I got down on one knee. I did almost knock over the drinks, by the way, but like they literally slow motioned and went err. And I was like, oh my God, this is not happening. But they didn't fall over and yeah.

Dana:

I’ve never seen you nervous. That was the first time I've ever seen you nervous.

Cory:

Right? But yes, I did promote, propose to her. And there's a little server book, you know, wrote little memories, special memories and stuff in there and um, at the Cabbage Shed as well. And she said yes. So another, another part of the story.

Katie:

So I've got follow up questions on this. One, do you remember who put the business card in there?

Cory:

I believe it was your sister, honestly, Mary. But then my sister says that she did it. Or maybe she said it was Ryan, so we're gonna have to let them hash it out.

Dana:

I thought that was Miles?

Cory:

Well see? Look! We... who knows? Whoever it is, like, we're thankful for any of them, any and all of them. Obviously, some people want some credit for it, but uh. But yeah, those are, either my sister, your sister, or their husbands. Now, we do still have that business card framed and hanging up in our bedroom to this day. So it's pretty awesome.

Katie Mahalic:

Hi, how are you?

Adrianna Tatti

Good. Hi, how are you? 

And happy Valentine's Day.

Katie:

Umm yeah! So thanks for doing this. Happy Valentine's Day! 

Adrianna:

You look real cute.

Katie:

Oh thanks! So do, you you always look cute. [Adrianna and Katie Laugh]

Uh, so, it's so fitting that it's Valentine's Day today. I'm looking at these little moments that dive into people's love connections or not love connections. So, I would love for you to tell me about the moment you and Alison kissed.

Adrianna:

Oh boy. Uh, it was like a, a failed attempt our first time. I think it was our third date that we finally did kiss, but it was the second that was like an embarrassing, like ughhhh! [Adrianna and Katie Laugh] She had taken me to this... uh, it was like drag at Hollywood Beach. And it was a really nice night. It was towards the end of summer, so it was like right around my birthday. I don't know, like early October was a really nice and I think it was a Sunday. Anyway, we have like this really cute, you know, set up. She brought like a blanket. We grabbed a couple, you know, beers or whatever we... and we got there and the sun had... was just like it was that it was like magic hour like the dusk was there and then it got really dark and the moon rose, like, right, right above us. So it was like super magical. It was really pretty. And we watched the show. We had some laughs and stuff. We, we initially were sitting on the blanket, you know, with space between us, um, and we just kept inching closer together. And then eventually, you know, maybe three quarters of the way through the-the show, we were... our knees were like... had connected and we just kept them there. And we just kept like, getting like, you know, eventually we were sitting, like, directly next to each other. It was just really... it was kind of like the first time we like touched you know, we like, kept it, kept them there, which was really cute.

Katie:

Like what? Like you're sitting, you're like, knee-to-knee like, middle school, high school, feeling? Like literally you're sitting cross-legged as your knees connect.

Adrianna:

Yeah. Like, I was just kind of “bing!” like, you know, like a magnet, [Katie Laughs] like, like coming into each other. It was, it was cute.

Katie:

And tell listeners, how old you are.

Adrianna:

45!

Katie:

And you still got the “bing!” 

Adrianna: [Overlapping with Katie]

Game

Adrianna:

Oh! I still got game!

[Adrianna and Katie Laugh]

Katie:

I like that you're 45 years old and you're telling me that you're sitting on this blanket with your knees touching and it's like... you're into it. You know what I mean? So you didn't kiss on the blanket?

Adrianna:

No, we didn't. So I drove her home. And, you know, the way there we’re, like, oh, I had such a great night, and I definitely would love to, like, hang out again. We should, we should do something. And uh, she was like, yes, I'd, I’d be interested. And, you know, kind of pulled up to her condo and I didn't want like a lingering moment in the car. You know, how it's always, like, awkward, you know, just like, ugh what do you do? So I like, you know, said, “well, I had a great night” and kind of like, turned and then she turned and like we did this, like, thing where we, like, went in to, like, maybe hug each other, but we were like, head to head. And then it was like “bow!” like dodging like a bullet for some reason for both of us in this way, like, it was just like a missed, it was like a missed opportunity because we were both nervous. So like, she ended up getting out of the car and I was like, oh no! Like, I’ve no game [Katie laughs] whatsoever, uh, and kind of giggled about it. And I'm like, Well, whatever. Everything happens for a reason. You know? Obviously, that wasn't like the time we were supposed to kiss, but she had messaged me in the interim, like, “Had a great night,” whatever. And I'm like, “me too.” And then I think I made like a, like a joke about it. I was like, “Yeah, let's hang out next time. And next time I definitely won't, you know, fail making like a pass on you. I like, really, like, wish I would have kissed you tonight” or said something like that, I think along those lines. And she was like, “Yeah, me too.” So then it was the next date we had, which was about a week later. We did this paint and sit thing, which was really cool, and I kept calling it like Pino’s Palais, but it's Pino’s Pallet. I don't know why. I just thought it sounded fancier, like Pino’s Palais. And then I dropped her off again and I was just like, I like just leaned to her and I’m like, “we're doing this!” Like, it was like, almost like, you know, we were about to amp up for some race or something. I like looked at her like, all business like, and was like, “we're doing this!” And like, just leaned in and it was like a really super soft and like, really like, not... like just, it was like a perfect kiss. Like, wasn't sloppy or too long or too short. Was like, you could tell we had both wanted to kiss each other and like, let it linger for a minute. Um, and then she, like, got out and then, you know, we kind of continued that little... this little dance for like, you know, that's how it's been.

Katie:

Did you actually say, “we're doing this”?

Adrianna:

I did. I did. Like my nerves got... like would always get the best of me. And I'm like, “Fuck” I have to, like, implement, you know, all these people like Mel Robbins. It's like, five, four, three, two, one. Do this thing or, you know, count down and do it. Like, don't drag your feet, just do it, you know? And it, you know, it's always been, it's been received well. So that is that.

Katie:

Do you really have Mel Robbins in your head, like five, four, three, two, one?

Adrianna:

Well, yeah! Like... not... kind of in my mind. That book was so influential a little bit in the way like, of like, just go for it. Like, who cares? Like, if you fail, you fail. It's like if you don't, if, if, if you like are afraid of failure, then you're never going to, like, do half the shit that like, maybe you want to do and whatever. Even if she denied me, I, I think I could get over it, [Adrianna Laughs] you know? So I think that was kind of my approach in my mind. Um, but yeah, and we love kissing each other and all that, all the other things too. So. [Adrianna and Katie Laugh]

Katie:

I love the knees touching. That's more, that's more of a moment than even I thought, like, you know, I, I'm always going for these moments and then I think I have like, I'm an interview about the kiss. But that knee touch thing was great.

Adrianna:

It's like those little things, you know, we want to hear about the kiss. We want to hear about like, you know, those first, like more intimate, deeper moments or like within friends, like, okay. But it's the like, the beginning. It's like that first touch or people say, like, you know, like the first time we held hands, it felt like we just fit. It was... it was like that. And it was even like that. Yeah. Even when we first held hands, like I told her early on, like, “I really wanna...”, you know, we both like taking walks together. So I was like, “I really would love to go on a walk with you. I'd love to hold your hand.” And like, it was just really genuine. And then we did, like, we always hold hands, like they just fit. So I don't know, it's like the little stuff too, outside of the kissing and like, you know, the deeper, intimate stuff that has to be there as well, I think.

Katie (Voice over)

If you liked today's stories which focus on the smaller moments in life that matter, take a listen to our longer episodes that are not specifically specified as “Zoomed-In Moments.” Our non-Zoomed-In Moments episodes tell the tales of more complex, true-life moments that will take you through the twists and turns of life's journey. Don't miss hearing from Bob, a former bank robber who did five years in Alcatraz, or from biologist Diego, who was kidnapped while doing fieldwork in Colombia. And you definitely want to hear about the 150-year-old mummified remains of a child discovered in the backyard of a San Francisco home.

This episode of “Shadow Clock,” including the editing and sound mix, is created by me. Social media is managed by Spencer Masternak. Kate Cosgrove creates original illustrations for each episode of “Shadow Clock,” which you can also see at shadow-clock.com. Music for this episode is credited to Pond5. Content contributors, composers and individual song titles can be found on our website at shadow-clock.com. If you like the show, follow us on social media and please tell a friend about us. The more people who know about Shadow Clock, the more people we can keep sharing these true life moments with.

Thank you to Alejandro Vélez, Kate Cosgrove, Spencer Masternak, Bruce Scivally, Adam Gould and Robin Williams. And of course, a huge thanks once again to Cory, Dana, and Adrianna for sharing their personal valentine-themed moments for this episode. Lastly, as we are an independent out-of-pocket podcast, if you feel so inclined to donate, head over to our website at shadow-clock.com and click the contribution button. All monetary contributions go toward pumping out our next episode. I'm Katie Mahalic and this is a “Zoomed-In Moments" episode of “Shadow Clock.”

END OF EPISODE

Questions or comments on this episode? Contact us at info@shadow-clock.com.