EXPERIENCE 135 | Saving the Planet, One Putt at a Time with Matt Gettig, Creator of Lightning Mini Golf and Owner of Down to Earth Landscape, Irrigation, & Fence Company

Matt Gettig is my neighbor of 14 years, and his home at the corner of Whitcom and Laporte in Fort Collins is the epicenter of a neighborhood phenomenon known as Lightning Minigolf. During the summer of 2020, Matt and his son Ray built a Minigolf hole on a hard-to-grow section of his lawn, set it up with putters and balls and signage welcoming players, and within days found lines of people waiting to play. Soon followed a second hole and a third on their property and new holes installed for Matt's friends and neighbors and irrigation clients, including yours truly. Lightning Minigolf now boasts a total of 10 holes in the Old Town West side, and Matt and Ray would like to build 8 more to bring it to a total of 18 by the end of next summer. Matt's business journey has been primarily that of a solar printer. He builds fences and decks, installs and maintains landscaping and irrigation systems, and now builds Minigolf holes and courses using recycled materials. He's an imaginative fellow, an amazing drummer, and a great community citizen. This summer he went viral, with a clip on 9 news, interviews with radio stations, and even an editorial in Interview International Golf Magazine. In today's episode, we'll hear the story of developing a community movement, and Matt's dreams of where to take Lightning Minigolf from here. So please join me in enjoying my conversation with Matt Giddig. Let's have some fun. Welcome to the Local Experience Podcast. On this show you'll get to know business and community leaders from all around Northern Colorado and beyond. Our guests share their stories, business stories, life stories, stories of triumph and of tragedy, and through it all you'll be inspired and entertained. These conversations are real and raw, and no topics are off limits. So pop in a breath mint and get ready to meet our latest guest. Welcome back to the Local Experience Podcast. My guest today is my neighbor, Matt Giddig, owner of Down to Earth Landscape, Irrigation and Springtler and Fence Company. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Good job. Tom's backyard. I find some leftover rolled up bastard turf and I say, hey, Tommy, what do you want me to do with these? I would think and throw them in the dump trailer and he goes, hey, you know, you should take some and I'll take some and we'll be a little mini golf hole in our house and I go, that's a great idea. And I just thought, you know, they're the free library right by that area where you leave a book, take a book and I thought, you know, it's a community thing. I'm going to build a putt putt hole right there off the sidewalk for everybody to play for free. Yeah. And it was COVID time people walking around and I said, whatever, whatever, it might work just for the fun of it. Yeah. So me and my son Ray built it next thing in a line of people standing outside. Here's the other thing about lightning, mini golf, we leave all your balls, clubs at the hole. So you don't need anything. Yeah, you're set up every hole. That's correct. And we go on the good karma policy. But at that point, have you had anything stolen? No. The more donated balls, it just balls show up so everywhere, clubs, you know, people just leave them. They leave rolls of astro turf. Really? It's just great. Oh, I love it. And so that hole got popular. Get up in the morning, like people out playing mini golf, you know, 738 in the morning. Oh, that's cool. And kind of high. I'm mad. And they're like, ooh, this neat. Got pretty popular. So I built another one on the other side of the side. And what time of the year is this, by the way? Is this 2020? 2020? 2020. 2020. Yeah, it was 2020. It was like summer fall of 2020. That's correct. It was about spring time. Oh, really? That early. Yeah, it was that going into that nice time of year, we're, again, people walking around anyway. They were really out walking around. So it did get a lot of attention, which was cool. But still respect. People actually, I had to build a sign that was like 5 feet wide by 4 feet high, it said free mini golf. Because if you just put a little sign on paper, like a garage sale, free, no, no, they're just looking at it. They're just looking at it. They're going, wow, that's kind of cool. But you're like, if you were over there, like staring at them or watching from it then they usually wouldn't play. So I ended up making a sign. Come on, play. I force the issue a little bit. Once people realize that they can actually grab the club and grab the ball and nobody's staring at them or they were like, they put it and then they were like, oh, it's kind of fun. And build the other one in your hole is so good. Like every one of them can be a hole in one. But it is so hard to get a hole in one. It's easy to turn a two into a six. Thanks, Kurt. I'm glad you have noticed it. Oh, it's tough. When I first built the first one, it was a luck of the angels of pure, I say, they are the creative ones. They built that hole because I was very picky. I've never really built a mini golf hole, but you build it. But when you put the cup in to where it goes in, you've said it, okay? So I go, this is kind of a very important where it does it go. Right. I thought it. And finally, I said, okay, I'm cutting it in and I cut it in. And it couldn't have just ended up being more of a fun course. It just worked. Yeah. And that's what was fun about it. But then I did have challenges where it wasn't that like that. It was either just too easy, like it went in all the time or it was just no way. I go, well, there's got to be an in between, because if they get bored, well, they're never going to come back and play if you get a hole in one of each shot. But if it's too hard, they're just, so I try it and hit a fine middle of it. Even though I've been thinking lately, Mr. Kurt, I might, I might change the whole locations on the existing ones because I need to bring a little bit of interest back. Yeah. Now we're starting to walk by that you said just play all the time. Well, like my whole instead of the volcano, maybe you go all the way around the you. So instead of having a shot from the right or the left at the top of the volcano, maybe you do something where it has to be a race car. I like race cars. I love the input of the course because now you've gotten to play it. You've gotten to understand and when we kind of got together and we talked about the design. Cool. We were concerned. Remember the mini golf is built in design off of roads. It's right off of street off of the port. Yeah, you got to be careful. Balls, you know, there's a lot going on. We're all safety, too. We don't want kids running in the street at a ball of my course. So me and Kurt really thought, you know, is it going to work off this busy street or is this not, you know, and at first, no, the women said, no, really don't do it. You know, Kurt, your wife Jill likes it. Oh, yeah. Absolutely not. And my wife is, no. And then, you know what, but as the men keep getting together, I don't have to pull weeds in that section if I put a mini golf hole there. Yeah. And you reach out just one more time and you're like, yeah, I think we should just, let's try and design something. And I go, I like the challenge. But still I designed it a little on the caution side, meaning put it easy. We know it works now. We know you can go all the way around. Oh, yeah. I'm going to line it and make it go all the way around. I agree. And it's cool things like that. So you had two at your place. You started a second hole at your place because you had lines and did you go three right away before you ventured off? And so Tommy's was, did he build his right away too? By the way, Tommy, neighbor Tommy, if you listen to this, also co-creator of my chicken coop, which also needs a refresh, by the way, right, it's 10 years old now. You know, we all got to give credit to where it's due. And Tom isn't present a lot, but Tom, Trumbauer has a lot to do in a sense with Lightning Minigal. For one, if it wasn't for that conversation, because these are very creative guys, you know, if it wasn't for that, then it wouldn't happen. Well, Tom didn't do anything about it. He had to move to where we moved. And I moved forward with the project. That Tom also recycles and reclaims everything he finds and brings it to his property. So neighbors and community, if you need a fan of rocks, that's right. See, I got all of Marcia's rocks when she moved away and I've been storing them in piles in my yard until I use them. I find that is community, right? Yeah. And so if your needs and share of your abundance is my motto. And Kurt bearer has produced more rock at the courses than anybody, either. But Tom, Trumbauer comes up with these weird, crazy, cool little metal things, whatever. It's just something he says. You can go to my house and pick it. Yeah. So he provides that. And he also has two holes on his own property that still go today. So it did go from that one. I built a second one. Then I went to Tom's and I built one at Tom's. Okay. So three, right? Now the neighbors are getting noticed and the next one was the mushroom course, which was kind of down a few blocks to the left or is it open with them? It is all of them with them. And it was so fun. It was my fourth one. At this point here, it is, it's really my first one of somebody that took charge of being a whole host. Right. Tom, he's part of it anyway. The other two are already at my house. So there we go. Boom. I go, and there I built the mushroom one and it came out great. And it was all just recycled metal edging and fun little stones. And so next thing, you know, it started like Reddit. I see these posts like Fort Collins has many golf holes popping up everywhere. You know? All of a sudden, okay, people are now taking notice. And that's what it kept me like, okay, maybe we should do something about it. How about we raise some money or do something, you know? If you want to. And I'm telling you, you should get sponsors for $200,000. Yeah, I am so excited to do this. I really am. I think if anybody wants to sponsor a whole, we can design around it. It doesn't matter what business you have, really anything. Yeah. You'll put a sign up for whatever. It's just something. There are a lot of people that go through every week at these courses. So I think it's great advertising for anybody who wants to get in, you know? All the time I said it might become like one of those things that goes into the visit for it. I hope so because every to me, every little, you could say a lot of old towns in every town could have it, but a lot of neighborhood alone could have it. It doesn't just have to be an old town for a town, it's kind of thing. And you know, you could get together with a new subdivision, a whole mini golf. One called a sack with nine houses could just have nine. Or you do it in the green belts around this new subdivision. So not in people's yard, but it's like you still walk around along those paths. A lot of times neighborhoods have paths built in to kind of why water the grass is there. Let's put something community that you can go do. They put parks in and playgrounds. Why not some mini golf everybody says, well, what about the clubs and ball? Well, at that point, you just carry your club and ball and you go play mini golf. It's really what it is. You know, there's a lot of details to work out if you went that way. But that's what I'm thinking. And then I think maintenance contracts is what you need. Yeah. And that's one way from me to get contract because where it's like that. But the neighborhood thing, I think, Kurt, is where you raised money for funds. I'm going to talk about your beautiful wife, Josie, for a minute now. Man, she is beautiful. Oh, my wife. I know you do. How many years have you guys been together? We celebrated our 20 first anniversary. You're just ahead of us. We're at Jill and I celebrate 20. You're at Jill and I? Yeah. Yeah. And you lived in your home since what year? 2002. OK. Well, that, no, no, I bought my house in 2002. OK. I rented my house seven years. But no shit. So I lived in my house like 1997 is when I moved in. Nice. I lived in the basement. Really? You just keep people upstairs, moved out and I go, this is my opportunity. I'm going to move it up like George Jefferson. So moving up in the world, I asked, landlord, hey, can I move upstairs? This is pretty Josie. Yeah. And then now I'm living upstairs and people move down. And then I lived there until Josie moved in and just kind of the blue. I just asked my landlord like, I've lived here a long time. You should just sell it to me and she goes, you know, my brother's a realtor. And we were thinking of selling it. Oh. Next thing, you know, I signed the papers. I came home and me and Josie didn't have to move in. How much did you buy it for? 170. Nice. But they're the huge story. That one we won't get into. But at first it was only 140. But the loan didn't go through. Oh, no, bummer. And then by the time I went and did it, new ones, they had to re-appraise it. It went up that much more. And she was only going to sell it for the appraise value. Oh, dang. And when I bought it, it was 12.5% interest. It's probably worth 600,000 now though or something I suppose. It just got a prize for almost eight. Those fuckers. I know, man. But you know what, I still have like two of them. Yeah. Well, that's the way it goes. But I've gotten my interest rate down so low I could never refinance again. So whatever it's all good. Yeah. So anyway, get back to Josie. Yeah. What is she thinking? Well, you're, it's your busy season while you're building these golf holes. Kind of, you're supposed to be building fences and fixing irrigation systems. And instead, you're volunteering to build golf holes. Um, you know, it's been tough, honestly. Yeah. Um, my business too is seasonal. Yeah. So I find time in the winter, if it's not snowing and I'm not doing snow removal, to just do stuff, you know? Yeah. So that, again, gave me the time. Oh, so you were talking kind of something. Even in the winter, I was trying to build these course because I knew spring hits. But, um, bills need paid, um, here I am not getting really any donations. It's just kind of starting, but I, I do have a goal. Like, man, if you could just get nine holes, um, it could become something. Don't stop it. Yeah. Like six. No, I agree. I agree. Yeah. And I'm trying to light them up and buy the lights and, and every hour of, every day and no other income. So yeah, a little argument in fighting here and there, but you know what, without her support now. I mean, this is mislightening we're talking about. She is the coolest. And she's really feeling now like, you know what, that little fucker might be right. Sometimes he might actually turn this into something that's really special. He does get up and say, it already is something that's very special. Thanks. I do believe in it. And I wouldn't do it. But she, I do like when she does say I'm proud of you, even today, I told her I was on with you and she, you know, I'm so proud of you, just keep moving forward with it. Because you know what? It's working. Yeah. I get enough donation now that we're, yeah, we can support, we do support animal friends the lines. Yeah. I don't know. No kill shelter. Cool. Um, so yeah, we can, at least every month, we are donating what we can to them. Right. We still can't pay Ray anything really. No, it's still a lot of volunteer work, but it pays a little bit, you know, that you got to patch Astro Turf, you got it, it's just blow them off. It's the balls disappear here. Just make sure it's always playable, because if it looks abandoned and it's not working, right? Well, then the whole project is going to take a crap, so let's move forward, keep it going. And the funds are, it's working, it's amazing. I would like to recommend that any business owners out there that are listening that would like their brand, like recognize as sponsoring this kind of community endeavor. What? Like two or a month or something like that to have a nice sign there. If there's any like artificial turf people listening, anyway, we could definitely use that sponsor. I'm just thinking, yeah, let's, let's, uh, what do you want, hole sponsors, do you want course sponsors? I'm looking for a course sponsor, somebody who come in and sponsor the course, start making it, you know, a little bit better than they are knowing that it's going to work and the traffic they take and the beating they take, I do want to start using better Astro Turf. Right. It'll just save on the maintenance of what's happening, you know, the first one they're just, you know, it's a constant maintenance thing, I'm over there every day, you know, fixing things. I never thought it would be so much, but I still do it. I don't care. It's the love of it. But something like that, go ahead, let's design something so cool and help transform somebody landscape into something so cool. Right. Yeah. Let's get you some kind of number, the sponsor to help pay for this and a couple hundred a month to make sure everything's tip top shape, which they walked by. They know they, your business is doing it. Yeah. And you'll get more work off it, especially like a fake grass company. Well, it, well, that, that would be the Rio Grande or something, some downtown businesses that want to be seen as a great community sponsor. I do think the restaurant, just we could lead the 19 hold, if we're at the Capitol Hill area, you could, oh, you could end up the 18th hole down towards the old town area. Have you called on my friend Dana with the old town putt yet? No, but I would like to reach out. I should. Dana, if you're listening, because I think that would be cool for that to be the 19th hole. I agree. And 18 more. I just like it. So you end up down that way to enjoy something. Yeah. The cool thing of Lightning Minigolf is trying to find the locations where people are getting to go and walk around and see part of the town. So maybe you'd want to get some more over like Sherwood and, and, uh, Maldrum. Yes. I like that area so that you can be on your way to, to proper old town. I agree. Okay. But even a little bit south is fine too. So you, I, I appeared on TV as far as I know for the first time on your like nine news, like cool story of the week kind of thing or something. Handsome too, you are. Well, you know, charming also. You are. I was like, I can't kill it, man. Killed it. So you had like a two minute spot there. And the next set off, like even people have been calling you and, yes, yes. So you have been on a tea to green, a big national radio show about golf. Um, they were very interested in know what I do. Um, K B P I, um, Willie B, great, great guy. Even though I don't listen really heavy metal music, that guy Willie B doesn't rate sponsorships and good community stuff. So yeah, love Willie B and he's all in board. And, um, I don't know how about the local think tank podcast helped me out here. Thanks. I appreciate it. The word as much as I can. And what I'd like to do is I'm going to tell you a number after this podcast that I want to hook up for being an early adopter with local think tank. But I want a nice big sign there that has both our episode, this episode posted as well as a local think tank as a proud sponsor of the local experience podcast, something like that. Thank you. So anyway, we'll talk turkey later. That sounds good, man. Um, like maybe tonight. Yeah, for sure. Yeah. So Matt, Joe is here coming out to watch football and I made some, I hope, delicious vegetable beef barley soup. If you don't know, Kurt's a good cook. Thank you. Yeah. Yeah. I've got a reputation. Well, I, you know, I look forward to it whenever I do get invited over, like, you know, we should do more. Get to go. Well, I'm the one that you invite me all the time. I just seem to miss a lot of them, but thank you. Well, you're busy maintaining the free. I do think tonight is happening stuff. Well, good for sure. You better. Yeah. So, um, like, what's your dreams for next? Oh, plus, I guess, let's talk about the lyric, right? Because they're like the next, they're like the first follower, right? It's outside of you building around the neighborhood. They're the first to reach out and say, hey, can you build mini golf courses? Yes. Um, where they have actually reached out. It was a payable gig. It was great. They let me have free reign. But, you know, here's what I think is going to happen with the lyric movie theater. They're, they're kind of the places kind of recycled. They look like that kind of thing, um, if you had never been there. So, I don't know if the lyric, most of them don't even get it. That lightning mini golf, what it's down there for is to take donations to give the good causes. It's a communications. Right. It's down there trying to make money off this with my QR codes. That's not how it works. If I could just break even on this, so it'd be great and give some money away to good causes. Yeah. And so you can go there where it is a nine home course lit up at night, free to play club and ball. And play donate. But right now, I must say, um, it is under just not renovation, but, um, the weed, the weeds got out of control a little bit, been raining. So we're in the middle of cleaning it up. And hopefully it'll be done tomorrow and open for the weekend again. But it's one of those things you can just go play and enjoy a beer or whatever. And if you're ever there and you're playing mini golf and there's huge weeds, you can pull them. You can. Go ahead. Yes. This is kind of what I'm hoping happened that the lyric is we're going to get together, make lightning mini golf along the old abandoned roller tracks where it's at, which is cool. Make it what it's supposed to be. Keep it going. Maybe get to 18 homes one day up along there. There's enough room. Yeah, to where they are on board, helping with the maintenance so the weeds don't get out of control. And it's not just. I can charge for it. Yeah. And it still has to get goes to the donation. That's really it. It's a donation if you want to play mini golf and it does work there, um, a little bit. But the force has to be open. If I want to go to for fun and play mini golf, I would think it's just included with part of it. Right. Kind of. I think you can just play mini golf, but it's going to cost you 20 bucks a bit. Right. Mm-hmm. So you have five at least if you play, you know, not every time, only if you're feeling good. If you're, if you're, if you're scratching, the times aren't that good, then you should play for free and have fun as a free activity in our community. Thanks. And this is it. And that's all it really is about. But you know, there's people out there that are on a budget and they can't take their family to play, put, put for fun or anywhere, or maybe you can't even donate, but you know what? You can come to lightning mini golf with your whole family and play free. And it's a beauty. Well, there's some grandmas and grandpas out there that might bring a bunch of grandkids downtown and get some ice cream and play mini golf. And for them, donating 50 bucks is kind of nothing. Yes. And that's okay. You can do that too. And the whole thing is. Subsidize those that can't support you. It is working. It really is cool. I'm just finding you have to keep up on it. Don't let them get a band and look and don't let them sit there like otherwise it doesn't work. You know, that's what has happened to the lyric. I love the lyric. If anybody gets to go, you'll like it. It's fun. But if they could just help me out a little bit because I'm a lone wolf, and so it's to help. You go there and, you know, the ball just flies out of bounds and it's so weedies. So you lose the ball. You're like talking about Ray. Ray's been helping a lot on the labor side and some of the social media and stuff. Is that true? Yeah. Ray's my son. Yeah. And he's, what is he? 15, 16, 17. 17. 17 now. Senior at Pooter High School. Talk. Good looking young man. Thank you. Very good heart. If there's any ladies out there. No, I don't know. Yeah. Don't stress. Yeah. But he's such a sweet kid, just the kindest person I can hardly describe. I appreciate you using a services too. Could you use? Oh, yeah. He's our cat sitter. Chicken feeder. Yep. He's a great kid. So you're right. Social media kid. Good at it. Restler too. So here's the next little thing for Lightning Minigolf and what Ray's up to. And Ray's there for Pooter High School wrestling coming up. Oh, sweet. Yeah. And that's going to happen. I believe third week in October. OK. I don't. Is that your fault classic? I'm sorry, but the fault. Didn't you have a fault classic or Halloween classic? Yeah, yeah. Is that still happening? Or is that going to be this fundraiser instead, I think? That's the thing we're up against. Depends on how many people we get from Pooter High School, you know, should we open it up? But I can fundraise for something like that anytime with a QR code. But this is something where families and the wrestlers are all going to play and just try and raise money for that cause. And I'll let you know what that is, because it's going to be super duper fun. And so Ray is a wrestler and all the wrestlers are going to have this. He's helping with this. And he's enthusiastic. Oh, so much. He's like, because Lightning Minigolf, you can change your little LED lights on the course to whatever color you want. And so we're going to go the blue and silver for Pooter. And he's all excited. And, you know, he wants to, you know, over there, and he had coach already playing Minigolf. And, um, are you just running all this through like your business account or something? There's not enough money so far to work. Right. Well, what I'm thinking is maybe you and Ray should be partners in Lightning Minigolf. And then like started new like a LLC. Well, right now it is. It is Lightning Minigolf LLC. Oh, it is. Okay. So it isn't that much to split, but have him really be invested so he could, because you're never going to become a social media guy. No, not really. Although I've seen you on video, you do some really good video stuff. But I'm learning. Are you doing some of the modifications and stuff of the video? Yeah. I do it all. Oh, so you're, you're just, you're a social media guy then, too. Well, I'm learning. Yeah. Ray go dad. You have to quit doing. I'm like, why? He's like, you aren't, you don't know what you're doing. I go, wasn't, what am I doing wrong? He goes, well, you're posting stuff like too much. And I go, well, it's social media like so you can post stuff as much as you want. And he's like, yeah. And I go, he's like, well, you're embarrassing me. Some of your videos are a little bit funny. You're like puppet skits. Yeah. Well, I must say I became involved a little bit into YouTube just because I watch a little bit of it. I would be like, you know, I got to figure out how to fix my car or whatever. So you watch a YouTube video and, and whatever. Right. I just thought it was kind of funny. I think hilarious. Yeah. I go, the only thing is, you know, everything you can imagine is on YouTube like, okay, how to fix this car. Well, it's the same guy holding the carburetor, holding the wrench, doing this. I go, why not just have a puppet on my hand? Yeah. And act it. I think it's legit. And you know what? I think the smokey puppet or whatever, like it wasn't like a major pothead or something like that. Yeah, smokey does it. I've just done sure puppets and potheads. He's not really. He's smoking tobacco. Oh, you're just assuming he's okay because he smokes a lot, but then there's buzz. He is the fly who thinks he is a lightning bug. If you look closely at buzzes out his wardrobe, it's a sock with marijuana. He's so over it. But buzz does not like smoking at all. Oh, no, no, no, he's very against smoking. Interesting. But he again is just thinking smoking. It's, you know, of course, it's, you know, it's Colorado references in about three weeks. I'm going to have Mark Torres on from Chiba Hut. He's the CEO of Chiba Hut franchising. No kill. Maybe he would like to sponsor a hole. He should. He should definitely. I'll talk to him. Thanks. Maybe I'll ask him right online. We'll see. I would. Sure. Why not? I can promise that. He'll ask me or I'll ask him. Okay. So what I was thinking is, how's your beer? It's excellent. Thank you. It really is. No, because mine's empty. Oh, take a break. Okay. Let's take a quick break. And then we'll come back. All right. Cheers. I'll go and see you at GMAIL.com. And mentioned you heard it on the local experience. I love you, but and Mark, he's not, he doesn't really. He's not into the weed necessarily. He's all into healthy eating and very little alcohol and he's one of the smartest guys I know. He took the role from the founder. The founder is now the chairman of the board. Oh, okay. he sold a portion of the company. I don't know the details. I don't know if Mark's going to be a... Obviously, he's here, but he saw the idea. Mark was like 29 when I first met him. And Scott Jennings, the founder, had been a member of local think tank early on during the first year. And he left maybe 18 months in or something, but he was like, but you should get Mark into a group. He's going to be a future leader. And so Mark had a couple of restaurants of his own, but then he was becoming kind of the implementer of Scott's vision as they built out the franchise or a company. Yeah, it's been really cool to watch. I don't recall how long has that cheaper had been in business now? It's been a while. I mean, it's been close to 20 years, maybe 18 or something. I would have to say a lot of sub companies aren't in business anymore, like, right? Yeah. Well, they were the second fastest growing franchise. There you go. In the country are they were last year, I think. But they only had like maybe seven or nine or 10 stores at the time. And now they've got like, I don't know, 50 or 70 or something, I wouldn't be shocked. No kid. Yeah, they're growing real fast now. So good for Mark. Yeah, he's a stud. And, you know, even though he's at Chiba Hut. So, but yeah, Chiba Hut would be a logical sponsor for a girl. We'll call her out of golf, whole around here. Well, for an old town west. I think it would just be one of the favorites. Yeah, for sure. Give him a, oh, I'll scan this to get a $2 off Chiba Hut coupon. Right. See, this is like here on the board of Lightning Mini Golf as a creator. I wish I had more time to be on your board or something. But maybe with just great ideas, you know, all we got to do is implement it. So you alone right now being able to bring a resource to talk to Mark is just priceless at that point. So thank you. What we're talking about, if somebody has an idea for you and they want to help you implement it in some fashion or be a sponsor, a whole sponsor or a corporate sponsor. Yeah, anybody who knows how to coordinate events, I have a lot of tournament stuff. How to do things. Anybody wants to reach out, feel free. How about, how do they find you? What's the thing? Well, I can give a direct number. Of course, you can go lightningminigolf.com, which does have a contact page. And it gives my phone number everything there. So lightningminigolf is probably the best resource at the point. Yeah, just go lightningminigolf.com or whatever. Even Google lightningminigolf.com and it'll be able to go to the website because it has all the cool articles that I've been in and everything it's kind of about. So yeah, it's neat. You've gotten semi-viral with potential to go even much more. That's great. I've had like 10 people say to me, hey, I saw you on that little nine news thing with lightningminigolf. You guys have a hole in your yard. I know, man. I can't believe the people that reached out to me that saw that, you know, people like, are you sitting around watching nine news at four o'clock or something? Right. Anyway, I didn't think anybody I knew would see that. And all kinds of people were like, dude, you're famous. I'm like, you're not surprised. Well, thanks for inviting me to talk to them. Couldn't be anybody better. Sure. Well, it's a good thing. They're the whole host. She's almost 80. Barbara, and she's absolutely fabulous. She's cooler than me a little bit. She is a little bit. We did go and talk to her, the whole new thing. At 10, 30 at night, got her out there. She's now in her slippers playing mini golf. They're all recording. She didn't make the cut, but she didn't really want to. When we got done, she was like, I look like crap. I'm like, no, you look fine, you know. Anyway, no, you hit it right on the nail, man. You were just man positive and hit it on. Well, I was like, you can, like, start a website traffic or anything, because I wore my local think-takes shirt. I mean, I didn't wear it for that. I just happened to be still wearing it. I love the excitement when you hit the pole. I hit the pole. It was first shot, like my very, like, yeah, anyway. That's what was great, because really? I rarely make a hole in wood. It's like one out of 30. Throughout the neighborhood, if you're just walking around, if you ever just listen, maybe you had a little con. Quiet. You hear people like, yeah. And you get, like, somebody just got a hole in one over on the mountainside. There'll be a big cheer up, right? Talk a little right outside and bark at the fence. Right. That's kind of what it's all about, you know, like, maybe they got it first time. Maybe they've been trying for 20 times and they finally got it, but they did finally get it. So to stick with the format of the show, we're going to move on a little bit. But first, I want to talk about the Halloween classic class here, and specifically, specifically, who won that, baby? Oh, man, I'll tell you. First off, I'll tell you who didn't win it. Me. I thought you were going to win. Kurt, you ended up winning, man. And it was great. The problem is, can you win it again? What is it? Is it this fundraiser of a pooter? No, that's a different thing. That might have a little Halloween theme to it, but it's not the Halloween class. We need to talk more about that, because Jill and I are going to Palm Desert, like Halloween weekend. Yeah, that Saturday. You'll be gone or whatever. Yeah. I can't defend my crown if you do it that weekend. You know, I don't really mind doing it on Halloween either. I don't know if you're back then either. The only problem is there's just so many people out to hold a tournament on Halloween just to train me. Right. But with your organizing event, we'll talk about that tonight. We could have it the first of October here in two weeks and just have friends and stuff together. We could have 50 people all of a sudden. Yeah, you know what I mean? Well, this won't even go live for a little bit. So I think we should do like a Thanksgivingy thing. That'd be good too. Gratitude classic. I just hopefully, Greg, you could cycle through. But as long as the weather doesn't get too bad, or you started last year with Halloween. Yeah. And then you could go a turkey one would be great. You should roll them off and everything, because you know, people are from out of town. New people get to see it. Yeah. And you could get community. I'll make turkey sandwiches. Yeah. I do want to do a fun Thanksgiving because we always have our Thanksgiving party. The Thanksgiving, the turkey gobbler classic. Maybe. Is it always the classic or something else? I don't know. The only ones interested in this little segment of conversation. Here's the thing though. This is going to go off like wildfire. So anybody listening, get ready. You might want to join the tournament because Kurt's on fire. He wants to get his checkered jacket and not give it away. I got a two on the first six holes last year. Yeah, you killed it. Yeah. And then I got a six. And then I got a hole in one. You got the hole in one at the last one, didn't you? Either the last one or the second the last one. Yep. And so that's scored it. And I think a one by one. Two. Two. Yep. I got a six on the last one or something like that. And I was like, but you know what? Nobody wants to see the founder and creator of lightning mini golf win it. Yeah, if me and you played 10 games, you would probably win at least eight of them. If anybody does want to see me get a hole in one, I do have a YouTube channel where I go up and I show you how to get it. And if you get a hole in one for every hole in there, not everyone, but my quest is to have a hole in one video of daytime and nighttime lightning mini golf is a little more challenging at night. It's just different. And so videos of they are all mostly not all most of them are lit up with LED lights. They all are. They are. Whether it's solar panel or not, they all are lit up. Yeah, I just have a plug. We just that's my story has to plug now. The ultimate goal of lightning mini golf has to be, you know, it was green and it's possible. But again, LEDs, you know, I'm like, that's a dime a month or 50 cents, thank you, thank you. But you know, here's one. If any, um, solar sponsors, yeah, like sandbox solar, I can really, really, I'm looking to build something miniature that holds the clubs, the balls and the solar panel and then run it all solar. That's my ultimate goal. So a solar company wanting to maybe talk about sponsorship would be fantastic to you. You know, I saw a namaste solar truck, uh, which would kind of fit your vibe. There would be a core of everything. You know a lot of, I don't know, I used to know who the namaste guy, but I don't know who it is now. I can't just think it's the same. Anyway, um, so thank you for any resource and resource to help out would be great. If you see me in a checkered sport coat, uh, then you know it's getting tournament. So I have to turn that in or you're going to get a new one for the new one. You know, here's the, here's what ultimately happens. Ultimately, to make you try, you have to give it up. If somebody else wins it, it's not a traveling trophy. It's my class. So it's basically, you're like, I didn't win. So now I got to take the green jacket away from the master's winner. Yes, no, they do not. It's the same coach since 18 or no, it is not. They do not pass it like moth holes and Greg Norman's coat from them. It's all like different side of the failure. Anyway, no, Kurt, you do not have to give it up. You earned it. And, um, but I think we'll keep the thing. Yeah. The purple check or the checkered jacket is a black and white checker. See other people have been doing in tournament and some, uh, tournament group gives the way a bright velvet purple jacket. So anyway, well, I mean, maybe there's something with a lightning, you know, a purple jacket with lightning bolt on it or something that glow in the dark. Yeah, and I, I do say not only are you going to win your jacket, but I will start providing there will be a lightning bolt trophy. There'll be some kind of donation put in your way that lightning mini golf will give or whatever. So it's going to make you win. It's going to make people try. I want to look like this says Kurt bear winner of the first, uh, all the classic. I just acquired a 3D laser printer. Perfect. I did. Good. I can do anything you want. I want to, I'm going to move us along. Um, when did you first get into business for yourself? Um, let's see, it was. You were living in that house in 1994. Oh, before that, that's when I started my own sprinkler business. Okay. And what was your situation in life at that time? A young, um, probably 20, just looking for a job. I played the drums. I just wanted to rock band. I went to California and tried out for heavy metal bands, brought my drum set. But you know, listen to heavy metal anymore. I mean, to them, they, they were heavy metal, you know, I'm like, I don't know. How about deaf leopard? That's kind of me, but anything that's like a little harder. Really? So you were darn good drummer. I just at least went out and tried out, right? And it was weird to try out for the band. I'd never done anything like that. Anyway, I didn't make any of it. So I moved back here, got a sprinkler job from here. Yeah, born and raised in forecalling. Yeah. So easy to come back, know everything, got a job, put in irrigation and ended up. That really the whole story is, I got pretty good at it. I did it for two years, now I'm like 21 years old. I'm a foreman of a big project at, um, a park, putting in a park. It's like a whole area for this thing. Six inch mainline, you know, I'm the foreman, you know, but my boss was a really cool guy. And it was rain dance irrigation, not around anymore. I always thought it was a cool name, rain down. Yeah. So here it is. One day I'm dating a girl, her mom's a real turn and says, Hey, Matt, I have a friend who needs a sprinkler. Would you be willing to put it one in? I'm like, sure, never done one or whatever, I'll go look at it. So I go look at it and I got the job, do it after work. And so I kind of got to know this guy, um, who was working there at rain dance. And we went in together and there we are after work about six o'clock at night. And our boss pulls up and goes, what are you doing? And we're like putting sprinkles and they're like, hmm. Well, next day I show up to work and I got fired because they thought I was like competing with them. Interesting. It wasn't how it worked. I was like, it was my mom's friend, yeah, whatever. And so I said, fine. I just passed out simple flyer method. How was it going crazy around here? I'd get calls and I knew everybody at the sprinkler distribution. So they gave me an account, right. And even in that year, same year, there was an incentive at this place. They said, spend so much with us will give you a free trip to Hawaii. So my first year, I went a free trip to Hawaii and I'm on the plane with my boss who fires me, right? And we party the whole way. It's great. So I've been on my own, even though I was like, this is just a part time gig. Right. I'm still doing it. And, um, whatever I'm always looking for a fun thing. But I'll tell you, I've been doing it irrigation landscape handed hand in hand. It's one of our things with a technician's capabilities. Well, thanks. I would say that, um, yeah, I do shape the land and I do enjoy it. But really, I, it's just one of those things. I don't, well, hard work is hard work. And, but I learned to do it. And so the mini golf, I'll tell you, that's how it is. It's more creative. And it, I just shaped the land on, I put the asteroid to right on the ground. Yeah, there's nothing under it. There's no weed barrier or nothing. No, really, it works as it. And then once it just rains and people walk it, it becomes part of it. And it's, it's work. I can't believe it. So anyway, um, that is the story of how I got my experience anyway. Um, but I still am an irrigation technician and would love to come help your landscape. That's bad. And I'll do the best I can. Well, you build fences. Yep. Fencing, I loved anything with woodwork like that. Like Kurt has some beautiful refurbished wood. I probably should have hired you for that project. I heard a young man handyman. He's a good kid though. It's all right. Kurt, um, I, I'm busy enough for some reason doing. I'm probably over doing free golf stuff, starting eating ramen noodles. But I love what I do. I wouldn't continue doing it. If I really felt it wasn't a good cause, it's a community thing. I feel I'm not into it except for really people just getting together. And if we can raise money, that's it. I do enjoy doing it. By the way, I think we might, um, October 1st, uh, you guys should come to the eight thirty north college north side chippers. Oh, okay. And we're having a Matthew's house fundraiser, the fall jam. Do you know those guys too? Yeah. Of course. Okay. Well, my, here's what I was thinking. I want to do a bowling one. Yeah, yeah. To where if you get it right through that first pin, it's, yes, you just, I wanted to go talk to them. So maybe I should just get, like, you have three resources right now. I could probably get you so many sponsors if I just go ask them for you. But I want a long, I want like a royalty. I like, I want like one per se. He'll be flying around on the lightning bolt litter jet with us. You'll be the board member. Come on. You gotta just donate a little time here. Let's go. And then it's a long come. So you know these people, when is this, when is this that you got fired from your job and started passing around flyers? This would be about 1994. I was about 20, 21, yeah. And you were you just a single fella for a, what did you meet? Josie, 1997. Okay. So just a few years later, yep, a few years later. Yeah. That's right. As I live in right where you're living now. Exactly. I still in there. That's because the business partner that I said I went in with it. Yeah, yeah. He was the guy who lived upstairs and then I moved downstairs and he moved away. And then you can have the business. Yes. Basically kind of something like it was a thing where we split ways. Yeah. And then I just stayed living there. Yeah. And you've built your business now. So you're mostly only want like old town and old town west side. Maybe up northwest a little bit. I do love the old town area and serving old town. I just the community. I just know a lot of people just have a lot of. I'm a solo kind of guy too and not a big sprinkler outfit. You know, so it's just me and so the less drive time I get, I can, I can really serve us a lot more people. Right. And I just get to know him. It's just sometimes, you know, it's hard to even get over to curb bears and get his sprinkler on. I didn't even turn my sprinkler on this year. I didn't. This is a thing. It was a weird year, man. Yeah. I come thick and I get this again. I'm like, I'm in the sprinkler business. It's just I had water by tomatoes. Yeah. I've got a pretty good harvest anyway. Man, come on. I think I need the sponsor to help me build some holes and get this mini golf going. Man, sprinklers are working. So it saves them. Yeah, no, it's actually the less sprinklers you can do kind of the better. But if you can make foods or sprinklers, that's even better. That's another thing you could do. Find one of the Native Hill farms and they could have a hole that's got like garden plants and stuff like that growing in it. The people don't want that big tomatoes. Exactly. You're really, really cool. So, um, what else? Like, what do you think? Because you've been, you call yourself a lone wolf, you know, raised helping. So I do have Josie support. I mean, I have that support, you know, where I come home and at least I can talk to Ray about questions and ask him and Josie and they do help a little online stuff. But I go out and mainly do the shovel work and you do whatever books and whatever books, all that kind of advertising, yes, I do. Send the secretary to the builder, yeah, the estimator, the, everything I do, you know, and like, have you tried to make a different, have you hired people intentionally, you know, I really was great this summer was getting just summer raised friends, yeah, um, and him, yeah, I tried to teach him a little bit, yeah, and they were great help this summer. It was probably the most help I've had in a long, long time, at least, like, quality, good help. Yeah, and, um, just losing them going back to high school, you know, right. I was just kind of like super busy again. Yeah, and I'm just like, yeah, really miss my kids, yeah. But anyway, um, as long as they learn something, you know, it's kind of neat Ray is in a landscape class at putter high school, just kind of cool. Yeah, I never had a landscape class. Yeah. But the other day, they went out and helped somebody lay some grass in their yards. So a community thing and to teach him how to lay grass and Ray just really knew how to do it and how to stagger it. And they were like, like, how do you know how to lay grass? You know, anyway, it's kind of cool. It's experience did pay off. But well, he might be the person that takes down earth landscape into a larger company. Yeah, he could get a good landscaping degree. If you went that way, be fantastic. Yeah, that's an education so that you can do design or different things and really, you know, get some crews out there. Yeah. And my son does see it. You know, he talks to me, you know, about, you know, dad, how come you don't hire people? How do you know that? Right. Well, I've been just doing it so long by myself. It's hard to be like, let's just hire all these guys and then what? Lay them all off in the winter and right. It just take care of everybody's life. I can't even take care of my life. But Ray could do it. So I'm trying to teach him like, Ray, you be the owner and I'll just work for you. Right. Yeah. That's all it is an interesting transition. I, you know, not to poo on you or brag on him. But I think he's got the, the, the continents to do it. He's going to the Air Force is he? And he's going to be a pilot. Wow. Yeah. I'm going to lose him here pretty quick. Yeah. But he's only going to Colorado Springs. So yeah, is he committed for four years or longer than that? Four. Yeah. Well, he wants to be a pilot. Yes, he wants to say it for longer than that, probably. Probably. That sounds better than one of those kids were when you dedicate something like wrestling. Yeah. Eighth grade. He never wrestling starts in like junior high. Kids is butt just handed to him pretty much, you know, but said, you know what dad? I'm just going to do it the rest of. It's the rest of my school until I'm done. And here it is. A senior year and he's done it, done it and he's gotten, you know, super good at wrestling now. And it's one of those things where he says, if I'm going to do something, I'm just going to do it. And he sticks with it. So if he wants to be a fighter pilot, whatever that becomes, however long they want him, I do think he'll stick it out. Yeah, yeah, but proud of him, man. Yeah, that's cool. Yeah, I'm like, you can't take over the applied and stuff. Uh-huh. Yeah. So it's going. That's exciting. I didn't want to like open too big of a can of worms. But at first, it was a shock to me. You know that he'd even been talking to the recruiters. Right. You want to be a pilot? I didn't know this. That's good for him. Next thing, you know, here we go. Dude, that's awesome. That's a good one. Select crew. It is. And the military is having a hard time recruiting enough people, like nobody can, only like 27% of people can pass the physical to be in the military right now. And he's worried about his eyes, but that's kind of crazy. Number, right? Wow. Yeah, kiddin' because we got all these backheads that never exercised before. They just like a computer and do computer and stuff. Maybe they need to play more lightning when he goes and gets a mechanism. That's what's around the neighborhood at least a little bit. That's what's fun about lightning when he goes. It doesn't make you walk right a bike or do something. You guys, it's about what? A two miles if you walk the whole road? Yes. And that's for nine or ten or a little bit? For nine, ten hole. Ten there is no? Yeah. So there is ten. That means the question is continuing. Yeah. Yeah. Eight more, seven more. Eight more. That's it. It's easy. It's easy. So in this podcast, we always talk about faith, family and politics. Okay. Which one would you like to address first? Oh, faith and family kind of go together for you. For me. This episode is sponsored by Loco Think Tank. Loco Think Tank provides peer collaboration for business owners. We build smart, safe places to help business leaders navigate every stage with a business journey and we love what we do and who we do it with. Our model features gift-back minded business veterans and the role of Loco facilitators. We're always looking for abundance minded individuals to add to our membership, facilitator team, local community, or to feature on this podcast. Listeners of this podcast who go on to become members of Loco Think Tank get their sixth month of membership for free. Just mention the Loco Experience Podcast on your application. To learn more, visit our website at locothink Tank.com, that's l-o-c-o-think Tank.com. You know, I'm never the most religious kid growing up, but I do have a good faith in God and I think it keeps my family together and just to say thanks to God or thanks to something. That's why you're there. That's why you're there. That's why you're there. And if a family prays together, it'll stay together, I believe. And so it's the glue to say thanks to God and thanks for our health. That first and foremost, then that'll take care of your family, which has held us together through many golf. Thank God. And probably so much stuff too. Yes. So those are it. And I really believe, yeah, they're the higher power for sure out there. But use it for good, that's all. Which church do you go to when you go? St. Joseph on Mountain. Right down the road. Yeah. Yeah. Been going about 20 years there. Wow. And where do you go? We go to the Crossing Church, it's a whatever kind of a non-adominationalist. We? Okay. We just got, you know, new father came in. It's funny how they rotate. Yeah. I do last one a little bit. I sat with him at a luncheon and had a real nice conversation. Father Joe? Mike, I thought his name. Okay. I don't know. It was like maybe four or five years ago. They got rid of father Joe. He had to go on another mission. He was my favorite. Oh, yeah. This old boy played guitar, you know? And so we have a new, he's from India and I can have a hard time understanding them. That's hard. It is. And does the church make that decision or does the upstairs push it on them? Church. Like your father Joe's coming. This is your next little mission. Right. And this is where you're going. Well, that's pretty cliche. And yeah, the local parish is like, well, I had a statistics class in college. And with respect, I couldn't hardly understand the teacher. It's hard. Yeah. Uh-huh. And so, and respect to them for trying. For trying. Right. I don't really agree. But I just lose a little bit of the homilies and yeah, and whatever father Joe's up there playing. I don't know. Yeah. He was like of the people. Yeah. Yeah. But, uh, but I like going there. It's fun and entertaining. I think it's so Catholic. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's beautiful. It is. And, uh, you know, I walk past there mostly when I'm going to the trailhead. That's like. Oh, sure. I agree. I think I'm going to give this sign of the cross. I can make sure I make it. Yeah, to the real. I want to make it back home. Anyway. But, um, have you ever been in there for a mass? Um, not for an actual service. No, I don't feel like that. I'm not Catholic. So I don't feel like I'm going to be appropriate. Right on. Um, but I have been in there like just to say hi. And I met the pastor there one time. Yeah, it's. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, let's talk about your family a little bit more. What, uh, what, uh, what was it that drew you and Josie together? What, uh, what was that first moment? Funny. This is how it all works people. Right? Me and Josie met in high school at Puder. We're now in Rago school. I remember the first time I ever met her outside the door. The kind of just ran into each other. When I left there, I go. Man. I kind of want to make that girl my girlfriend. But I was dating like this other friend. But I did not really ever see Josie again until the trailhead. Right? God bless the trail. 10 years later. I don't know. I'm at the trailhead and playing pool and turn around and there she was. And we sat next to each other. That was it. What, uh, what do you think it was about you that she found compelling? You know, we're totally opposite. Yeah. You're a lot different. Maybe that's it. Yeah. We're just so opposite. That it's fun. Well, why be so alike? Like look at yourself in the mirror all the time. I don't know. It's something. You know, we have fun together. We're just best friends too. If I want to play Josie or something with somebody. Where's my wife? Yeah. Or go to Central City and just gamble and just have fun. And, you know, that's it. Well, just what happened. We love each other too. And now, Ray, God, we were dating forever. You know, I was 38 when we had Ray. Really? So, you know, we were always like, are we ever going to have a kid? She had Myra. Oh, that was from a, oh, I didn't realize. Yeah, that was from somebody else. Okay. So, Myra's father passed when she was five or something. And then I kind of. Yeah, her presence. Yeah, yeah. So, I'm dead. And away. It's a sweet girl too. Yeah, she is. But, you know, I was like, never thought. But whatever we thought, I'd go play hockey. And you tried to get a good kid as Ray. No. It was terrifying. I mean, when he first, you know, he's four years old. Here he is. Fell off of my pipe pool or knocked his tooth out. Fell through the tree house, almost poked his eye out. I go, the kid's never going to make it. Man, living with me. He's living in my world. Because I was just awful. And anyway, he's just, you know, who it was? It was Josie's mom, grandma. Yeah. Yeah, he would go over there after school and she'd babysit. And he's still. She wrote him up. Yeah, got him the cook. Yeah. He raised a good guy. I remember I brought him home some hot sauces one time. Yes. I'm all, you know, catching him, always staring at your stuff. Like, yeah, I mean, let you take the old street cart out and fire it up. You know, dude, you should buy it for me. But now he's going to the airport. Yeah. But last year wasn't good. A potential amazing entrepreneur that is going to be lost to the government. But that's okay. I trust him with flying airplanes with intelligence. You know, I just can't say no to his vision. No. If that's what he's got a vision and passion for, he should just never tell him to go to that. But anyway, I respect it. Yeah. I really do. For sure. Yeah. So we always do a one word description of the children. And so would you like to start with Maira, maybe? Maira? A one word. She is just opinionated. That's with love. And Maira, you're super charming and kind in my experience. I love Maira. She is on the board to be kind of the personnel. She's on the board of lightning mini golf. I just, she's got a role, a business role. Maybe it's more of the engaging of the public, the media stuff. Community relations or something. Yeah, she is. Is she at Infra Collins now? Yep. She is. She came back from OS Starbucks. Gave her a manager position. Oh, great. Yeah, she was a roaster out in Chicago. The only female roaster at started in Seattle. So she knows the whole industry really. And then they built the giant biggest roastery in the world in Chicago and moved her from Seattle to there to be part of that roasting team and worked out great until she heard her. She decided to kind of move back and she asked, can I? They said, yeah, we've got a great position for you in Fort Cone again. You can run this new store. Perfect. Right after that, it was the same like next day or she blew her knee out at work. Oh, no. And then she was getting ready to go to Bolivia because Starbucks was sending her there. Anyway, it's all worked out. She just got on a delay because of her knee, but they sent her there. She went on her big trip, came back, moved to home, but couldn't start because of her leg. So she had her knee operated on going through rehabilitation. Oh, I'm sorry, dear. Yeah, but she's doing great. And during this whole time, they've been taking care of her, sending her to school, paying for that. So she's full time student too. And now just recently, she's been good enough to start the position. And she did that last month, about a month now, and been just working 40 hours there now and eight, 40 hours at school. And she's like, wow. And that's minor. She's a beast. Yeah, man. So project self-sufficiency, you heard of? No. What? Well, there's an organization in town tracing me. He's in my rotary club and she came out of the Starbucks organization. Oh, great. Great. And Jen Henderson, a podcast guest from like about a month ago that has a company called Tilt, also came out of the Starbucks organization. No kidding. So they're great leadership developers. They really, really are. And this is where my riff, whatever, she's going to be good on my team one day. Right. I guarantee it. She's just got it, you know. You should probably make her your like three hour a week, run the back office. She already kind of does. Yeah. She does behind the scenes already. I don't quite give her credit for her already, but her ideas are there. But when she has an idea, it's hard to kind of change her idea. That's the opinion. Her way is the right way. Yeah. I know on the only other person on the board here. I know. She's got to be another way. I had an old boss. And you might like this joke, but he never heard a good idea that wasn't his. Yeah. No, that wouldn't be true of my right because you have so many ideas she has to love you outside of that. It's funny. She saw a little bit of an oil leak in grandma's driveway last night where Ray was parked. So she instantly told Ray. Ray, you have a leak in your oil pan. Ray. Okay. She calls me on the phone. Ray is on his way home. As soon as he gets in that driveway, you've got to make sure you fix that. Oh boy. So she. Ray comes home. And Ray does come in like dad, you know, I might have an oil leak. Come look at it. Dark out. It's okay. So did you run over anything? Let's go over that first Ray. I was like, well, I did hit a speed bump doing about 10 miles an hour. I was clanking. Yeah. Well, maybe you did put a hole in your. Yeah. Maybe you did. Good. But anything else? No. Anyway, we're under there last night. I think nothing. Bone dry. Never dripped. Nothing. No. And I go, well, that's my room for you. Yeah. What in the world would make her think that he has a hole in his oil pan? She just decided exactly what he was. Yeah, because he backed out. It could be this. It could have been anything else. Ten months ago, somebody else left that spot. And so I was like, yeah, you know, that's mine. That's just my room. I love you. I do. I love it. How about Ray? Now what's your one word description for Ray? Positive. Nice. Yeah. What a positive individual. He really is. Yeah. Yeah. I would trust him. Like he could live in my house for a month if I was going. He saved us on my way to my mom's house in Georgia this year going out there. We missed our flight for one. But Josie's bag took off on the plane. Without you. Yeah. But then we didn't get on another flight until over 12 hours later. And then by the time we landed. They said we're back. Yeah. Yeah. We were like, where is the bag? Did I ever make it? Because it was kind of important to find our rental car and move on from the trip once we got there. But it was closed. You couldn't even ask any. But it was three in the morning at that point. Like, where is the bag? Well, it's at Frontier. And where's Frontier's office right there? Well, it's closed. Well, open the five. It could be in there with all those other bags. And we're like, what do we do? And I'm like, and here's Ray. It'll be okay. We'll find the bag. You know, it'll work out. And next thing, you know, two minutes later, it's not five in the morning. It's like three in the morning. We're out of the lady's head. They don't open the five. Lady comes around the corner. Open the dang door. She's there early. She's there early. She's there early. I am way down there. I see all these people kind of run over there. And she turned up. Ray walked out. Yeah. It's a suitcase. It's like right on down. I got it. I was freaking out. They're moving our trip. Yes. I literally tears coming down my eye. Right. I'm sorry. I failed you, family. Yes. And there's Ray sticking the glue to just say, you know, stick it in there. Yeah. So I like that about it. I like that most. Yeah. You're a good kid. Politics. You know, I don't talk about politics. But if I had to say anything, I would say Ray Gettig is going to be the next president. The next one? Well, he's got to go through the military and learn. But whatever. So he's 17 now. 37 is a little too young. 47 is better. Okay. So 30 years from now would be 2053. 2052. Probably I'm guessing is the. Yeah. When he named him is Raymond Thomas Gettig. And me and Josie would only be like something presidential. Even though we're taking on the role of Ray Lightning, like that's not a cool name. President Lightning. That's cool. Yeah. Anyway, it's just kind of a joke name. But anyway, I have an easier time saying Matt Lightning and my other name. Good. I don't mind taking on a role. I call you Matt Lightning. Thanks, man. And I respond to it. Yeah. Yeah. So we don't need to really spend too much time talking about politics. But let's talk about local experience. Okay. That's our final segment. And it seems to me that I've heard you tell at least like 20 crazy stories. For sure. That are rankers with mine. Like I've got some crazy ones. You got some crazy ones. You got more. I don't know about that. But tell me. Tell me. I want to hear. Three. Three crazy. Three crazy. Three crazy stories. A mean. Yeah. Not about you. No, not about me. You can have one include me if we have one together. I don't know. They don't think it can be anything. Yeah, they don't have to be crazy crazy. I think I grew up. I think. Well, no, whatever. Whatever comes to mind as a crazy experience. To me, one one crazy experience that comes to mind is when me and you. And Jill and Josie and Chris and Christy were playing mini golf in the front yard at like one o'clock in the morning and a Friday night after trailhead after after Rio. Doesn't have a good time. And we somebody had a hole in one. Yeah. And like we were like. And it was like, oh wait, it's one o'clock in the morning and we're in the hood. And we should probably be a responsible 50 year old people. Exactly. But you know what? It getting that hole in one is so exciting. It is exciting. So that's a crazy experience. This is limited. It's prime example folks. So people that do want to hold host the whole. And I'm like, you know, there's people sometimes that, you know, yeah. And so I just don't want them to get annoyed with it to where they don't want it. And so that's the fun of it. And that is a beautiful experience. I do love it. So a crazy experience from your lifetime. Have you ever been to a near death experience? If I ever been close to a near death experience a couple times. Really? Let's do one. Well, we used to choke each other when I was a kid, you know, and pass each other out. Okay. I kind of grew up as a cowboy out there on the farm. I've been chewing tobacco since I'm seven years old, you know. Copenhagen. Wow. Now I'm only on like. A little. Then I'm good. Or so. Everybody should chew tobacco. Yeah. Anyway, stop it. Yes. So here I am. But yeah, we would literally like choke each other out. And I just remember these one time, the older cowboys there, a couple of years older. They were kind of having fun with it. But they were saying, hey, you know, your turn. And I've never really done this. Probably nine years old. I remember they said, okay, breathe really hard. And then stand up against his wall. And then the guy came up me like, like that, you know. The next thing you know, I wake up, face down on the floor. In a puddle of blood, about the big around. Oh my god. I had no idea what was going on. Yeah. You know, I'm just like. Oh, Bruce. And I remember that I had a chew in my mouth, too. Okay. And my two front teeth went through my lip right through my chew. And I fell down and spent my face. Right on my face. They just let me hit my face. Oh, fuck. And I couldn't stand up. And. And who are these people? Yeah. Crazy cowboys are lived around there. I grew up like riding like we'd make bucking barrels and stuff. And they rode like outside of forecast where it was. And like by this man playing out by the port. Yeah. Yeah. So like the good old days. Well, that's how I grew up, man. It was really, really early time. That's just one out of many, man. We had to explore that cement plant out there. Yeah. One time. Well, we walked across this pipe. That was about that big around. We climbed this big ladder, about a hundred feet off the ground. Yeah. And you walked across a pipe. Yeah. You all have BB guns instead of a three inch pipe. Yeah. And it was held by these cables like this. So you could hold onto the cables. And you know, to fill these giant silos. But I mean, one slip. Right. You're gone. Yeah. And we're walking over this hole over in the other silo. And we just go up there and terrorize the place, man. At midnight, you know, go up. And one time. Were you breaking stuff? Not really. But we did bring some pop our rockets and stuff like that. Right. Well, we had our BB guns around here. Right. You were bad asses. But we weren't like destroying it. We were like four to twelve. But I do remember we were shooting some pop our rockets off. But we made it across that two. We were in the heart of like this meant plant at one point. Wow. And um, next thing you know, bam, like spotlights. I don't know where. Yeah. So we all just split up. Boom. You know, and everybody went their own way. And I just hit under this bush. And I'm like kind of five feet off the road. And I'm sure enough, man. Here this guy, like go buy in a car and he stops. It's out. And I'm like. And next thing, you know, um. Oh, what? Well, he moved. He moved on. I don't think that's what. Oh, let me get my story. It wasn't a car. He just was walking by, like looking for me. Oh, like I'm hiding in this bush. But he has like a radio or something around him. I thought it was my buddy with like his BB gun. I don't know. Anyway, I'm like, I go, John. And I got busted. I'm like, oh, so he drags me in. And he's like a security guard brings me into the heart of the tower where everybody's working. And call the cops. And while I'm waiting for the cops, they go, well, you want a tour? You know, I'm about 15 or so. I go, sure. And they showed me like the smelting power on his rock melting. You look to the glass and show it. Maybe this goes on. They showed me all this computer. Like the screen's like, man, we've been watching you guys run around out there. So anyway, the cop comes and picks me up. It gives me a ride home. Knocks on the door. Anyway, here's your son. My mom's like, thanks. That was it. I didn't get in trouble. I got a free ride home, man. Everybody else was like, what happened to you? And I go, dude, I got to ride over the cop. The tour of this man plan. Good old days, man. Yeah, but it was stupid though. I just always get kids. Well, I risked. Well, are you the one that floated through Alfred's ditch like underground in the pure dark? No. No, you didn't. I would never. But you know people that have. I've heard of the horror stories. You know, before they redid that ditch, they were monitoring it. And I wake up, go out in the morning coffee, and there's two guys in a manhole inspecting it. One guy's like, one guy's in the hole. I'm making sure that he comes back. Right. He comes back, you know, five minutes later. And he's like, he's on his knees and getting ready to crawl up. He's got only giant spiders and stuff out of the back. His work or his body, what did he say? And he just kind of flicks him off. The guy came up and I was like, I will never. You couldn't pay me any money to go into that death trap. But that was better than if you had the horror stories of that death where people. Yeah. Well, it didn't die, but you can do darkness for like three or four blocks or something, right? There's miles of it. Oh, miles. Yeah. How much underground? Well, it goes all through sea as you, indifferent wise and connected. There's a map you can go to. Well, usually it's only half full, right? That's correct. You're flowing too. Yes. That'd be awful, dude. Oh, okay. That was a nightmare. I met somebody that floated that shit. Yeah. I've heard that. And I don't know. It would take a lot of, a lot of. Yeah. We could win us to do it. You don't want to do it. I wouldn't do it for a million dollars. Just leave it there. Yeah. Money's not nothing important to me. Otherwise, you wouldn't have created this. Exactly. Yes, yes. I'm only here to save the planet. Do you have any other local experiences? We might have you back on again. I think we're going to. I would love to come back. It's been the greatest interview I've had in a long time. Thanks. Well, have you had, well, yeah. Well, it's way longer than your radio interviews and stuff. This is great, you know. It's more fun. Well, you know me. So. Yeah, I do know her. But this is very nice. And it's a good setting. And it's. It's all professional. You know, it's not like we're sitting in a backyard or whatever. Well, maybe next time. I will. Yeah. Exactly. All right. Go live experiences. Yeah. Mini golf. Come on. We could do it. We could talk about how the three of them went. But I hope people do come out and play just to enjoy it. Come see it. Bring your friends. Bring your family. So yeah. It's fun at night. What come in the port is the center? Yeah. Or lighting mini golf.com. Yeah. Well, you don't want to sell the address. No, 130 North Whitcom is. Okay. If you're going to look up the address. That's where there's three holes. Yeah. And if you Google it on the map, it says 529 La Port. No. But that's like La Port. The two neighbors. The holes actually over on the Whitcom site. And since I have a basement apartment. Oh, that's a dirty address. Oh, that's cool. So I get people that because that's where the map is. We actually want to be. Cool. So anyway, a lot of come to you. All right. Well, that's good. Let's go. Let's do it. Dude, thanks for everything. It's so fun. All right, man. Appreciate it. Thank you for listening to this episode of the Loco Experience Podcast. Produced and sponsored by LocoThinkTank. This is your producer, Alma Ariana. Check out our website at thelocoexperience.com to find all of our episodes, nominate future guests, or leave us a message. You can also find us on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn at the Loco Experience. To support the show, please subscribe and share it with your favorite people. Until next time, stay Loco. Bye.