Her Story: Anna, Renee & Jeanie

00:00:01
Speaker 1: Hey, everyone, welcome back to Bacheler Happy Hour. I'm Joe and I'm Serena, and we are here.

00:00:06
Speaker 2: With none other than Anna from The Golden Bachelor. Anna, Welcome to the podcast.

00:00:12
Speaker 1: How are you?

00:00:13
Speaker 3: Thank you? Thanks for having me. I'm so excited to be here, Joe, Serena. I've watched you both from the beginning, and yeah, I have a celebrity crush here.

00:00:26
Speaker 4: Anna.

00:00:26
Speaker 5: So when we first see the cast gets released, all your gorgeous photos come out. Joe and I look through the cast and we pick just based on like photos and bios, who we think is going to end up with Gary, which is honestly so difficult.

00:00:42
Speaker 6: I pick to.

00:00:43
Speaker 5: You and I was so devastated when you went home Night one.

00:00:49
Speaker 3: I couldn't believe it. The actual Serena picked me.

00:00:53
Speaker 4: I was like, no, I know what happened.

00:00:57
Speaker 3: I don't know what happened. Didn't happen, that's for sure.

00:01:02
Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't know. It's a night one. I mean, listen, I went home night one as well. It's a it's a time.

00:01:09
Speaker 6: I know.

00:01:10
Speaker 3: I know that too.

00:01:11
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a tough night, but yeah, I mean yeah, let's let's get into how where do you live.

00:01:19
Speaker 3: I live in Summit, New Jersey, and I'm about, let's see, fifteen minutes from Newark Airport and about thirty five minutes drive from Manhattan. So we're a metropolitan city.

00:01:31
Speaker 4: Oh, we're very close to you. We're in Chelsea, yeah, Manhattan, Kelsey, New York.

00:01:36
Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, Oh that's great.

00:01:38
Speaker 3: My daughter's right by you. She's on a twenty second and second, twenty second and seventh.

00:01:46
Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, not far from us.

00:01:48
Speaker 1: Don't give us any more, don't ugress.

00:01:52
Speaker 3: I will not give you the number. There's so many buildings that that means nothing.

00:01:56
Speaker 2: True, Yeah, that is very true. How often you come in? How often do you do you come into the city?

00:02:03
Speaker 3: You know, I was just there about three days ago. We went to see a small venue music show, and then I went to see my daughter and took her to Frankie's for dinner. You probably know Frankie's and Daddy's. So I love their focucina. It doesn't even I've never seen it anywhere else, but I go in for the focacina. So once weeks I don't see her. You know, it's amazing. It's it's a pizzeria, so it's supposed to be a pizza, but it's actually like two flaky pitas, one on top of the other and in the middle is regatta, cheese, lemon and pujuta.

00:02:39
Speaker 4: That sounds amazing.

00:02:43
Speaker 5: Joe and I just went on a pizza tour this past weekend, so we went to Limp Mystery EMM. It's on Grove and Uhomoni Gardens.

00:02:54
Speaker 3: Lovely pizza. We're in the right York.

00:02:58
Speaker 5: Yeah, exactly, but we'll have to try. We'll have to try Franki soon.

00:03:02
Speaker 3: Frankie's daddy's the fokuchina. Don't don't. We'll get the regular pizza, go right to the middle. And I just came back from Italy and the pizza there was great too, super thin, like I like it thin and Christy.

00:03:13
Speaker 1: Where did you go in Italy? We were just there as well.

00:03:17
Speaker 3: So I was everywhere pretty much. I went for three weeks by myself, took the ferries and the buses and just kind of went in with the people. And I was on the island of Esia for five days, then Sorrento, and then from Sorrento that was a great jumping off point to Capri. Then I went to Ravello, stayed in Positano for a few days, probably missing something. Amalfi Minori. I was on Minori for five days, which is the Amalfi coast.

00:03:50
Speaker 4: That's amazing. That sounds like an incredible break.

00:03:53
Speaker 1: We speak Italian.

00:03:55
Speaker 3: I don't, but I speak Spanish and French. But I'm picking up Italian. Since I have the other to romance languages, it shouldn't be too hard, so I'm going to try to work on it. After all, this Bachelor stuff is done, who knows when it's ever going to finish. We get all drips and drabs. Would you like to do this? Would you like to participate in that? And I say yes to everything. I'm so excited. I'm such a Bachelor Nation fan.

00:04:18
Speaker 1: That's good, that's good. I love the positivity. So yeah, let's go. How did you get on the show?

00:04:27
Speaker 3: So I had a relationship. My last relationship was three and a half years long and it ended five years ago. And when it ended, I was watching TV sad and lonely at home watching The Bachelor. And after The Bachelor, the commercial came up for the casting and as I know, I might as well. I don't feel like going back on the dating apps. Let's see how this goes. So that was five years ago, heard nothing, so I just assumed, Okay, well I guess you know, it wasn't for me, and I would see the commercials now and then over the years, but I ignored it because I said I already did it once. I guess that's enough. And then about two months before I'm supposed to leave, they contact me, what am I single? Am I still single? Will I be interested?

00:05:06
Speaker 6: Yes? Hell?

00:05:07
Speaker 5: Yes, It's so funny, fun because I always forget that they were. Yeah, they started casting and then COVID hit and then they picked it up after but because it was they were airing the application commercials for so long that I was like, this is just feels like it's never going to happen at this point, like there's just no way this is going to happen.

00:05:30
Speaker 4: And I'm so glad that it finally didn't.

00:05:32
Speaker 5: It must have been so surreal getting the call five years later after you applied.

00:05:36
Speaker 3: But didn't believe it, and then come to find out from a few friends that they applied every year for the last five years. And I lived at one time, so that was interesting, Like where was mine? Did they stick it in a car? Put it in a box, Like, where did that thing go?

00:05:52
Speaker 4: But God sees they saw That's all that matters.

00:05:56
Speaker 1: Well, they like me.

00:05:57
Speaker 3: I wish Jarry would have liked Maybe.

00:05:59
Speaker 6: They sure did.

00:06:01
Speaker 2: Yeah, so let's let's talk about your first Let's you see what what was that interaction like out of the limo when you talk to Gary.

00:06:09
Speaker 3: Yeah, you know, it's funny because I was so excited.

00:06:12
Speaker 6: I guess.

00:06:12
Speaker 3: You know, it's different for the Bachelor or the Bachelorette than it would be for us contestants. For us, we're dying to meet him. He's like a celebrity at this point.

00:06:21
Speaker 6: You know.

00:06:22
Speaker 3: We love the way he looks, and everybody's giving all these little bits of information about him for the two weeks after they present him, so you get really excited. So, you know, I knew he was handsome. I knew he seemed very kind and sweet and like a gentleman, and the right age and fitness level. I was super excited. So when I got out of the limo, I was just full, unhappy, just like, oh yeah, you know, I feel a vibe. It was great, you know, But then I realized when I sat back and took a minute to think, I'm like, wait a minute. I think the vibe was only in my direction, Like I didn't feel like he was really feeling.

00:06:58
Speaker 7: It for me.

00:06:58
Speaker 3: If I'm going to be honest with myself, you know and really look back at the moment. You know how we do when we have an exciting moment. In the minute, you don't really realize what's happening. But when you step back and look at it, that's when I said, oh, I didn't even see it in his eyes, Like he didn't look at me the way that men look at me on a first date. He kind of didn't have that look, and I was like, oh no, I don't think he liked me. And I was also a later limo. I think I was like, maybe second to the last limo. So I think he might have already seen some pretty amazing women, because the women there were really spectacular, and he looked a bit overwhelmed. I will say the look in his eyes was not only not too interested in me, but also overwhelmed. So I think if you put all that together, I kind of got lost, maybe I mean surprising. I don't usually get lost, But all right, did.

00:07:52
Speaker 1: You get to talk to Gary at all when you were in the mansion?

00:07:56
Speaker 6: I did.

00:07:57
Speaker 3: I definitely did, and it wasn't aired, and I thought, I've had a good conversation. But like I said, I really didn't feel that he was feeling it for me. That's fine, because I had a wonderful time. The women were fantastic. I had a great experience and I'll never forget. And I hope I influenced some of the viewers to, you know, get out there and try again. That was really my main purpose if it didn't work with him, because what are the chances really, you know, one out of twenty two women, the chances are very slim that it would work out. So it was already in my mind, you know, be positive, enjoy the women, enjoy the experience, make sure you present yourself so that the viewers can really get motivated about dating at our age and what could be, you know, what could be? So I feel like it was super positive. I'm happy with the whole thing.

00:08:43
Speaker 1: Yeah, well that's good. What is what's dating life look for you right now? Look like for you?

00:08:50
Speaker 3: Yeah? So I sort of got off of the apps, got off of the uh but when that's on the internet, that's not really an app. I got off of all of them es actually when I got back, I had to get off of them before I went, and then when I got back, the thought of putting them back on again was like, oh, I don't really want to do that. So something interesting has been happening, like when I go to the farmer's market, when I go to supermarkets. Now I think I'm a bit more open and you know, taking my time smiling when somebody smiles at me. And I have met a few people that way that have been interesting, and I've had.

00:09:27
Speaker 6: A few dates.

00:09:27
Speaker 3: But I stayed off the sites for a little while. Let's see what happens. Because he's a little bit, you know, coming back from that, a little bit sort of shell shop, so I needed a minute.

00:09:37
Speaker 5: I feel like you give off a very like warm positive energy. I would not be surprised if you met someone, yeah, like at a supermarket or.

00:09:46
Speaker 4: Like in the street.

00:09:48
Speaker 5: Like I just feel like you you would give off that like welcoming vibe that someone would come up and talk to you.

00:09:54
Speaker 3: Thank you. I r L right in real life.

00:09:58
Speaker 1: Yeah, you also see very active. Are you do gym? Pickleball?

00:10:02
Speaker 3: Like?

00:10:03
Speaker 1: What are you doing?

00:10:04
Speaker 3: I do everything really so I do a trail run almost every day. Three and a half miles. Lately it's been a little closer to four and a half miles. So I do that either every day or every other day. I love the weights, so I have weight systems set up in my house. I do a lot of weights, probably three days a week. Then I'll walk everywhere. So if I'm in the city, I don't go on the subway. I don't take a cab no matter how far it is. I walk, wear sensible shoes and what else I mean really anything that comes up. I'll do rock climb.

00:10:35
Speaker 6: You know.

00:10:36
Speaker 3: I swim with sharks. You guys had a fun time with that when it first came out, which she goes cageless? What does that mean? So I did dive cageless in Bora Bora, Tahiti, Borbora Morea. It's an area called Morea and it was called Shark Gallery. So I did go shark diving there. Some scuba certified.

00:10:55
Speaker 1: Were you scared it all?

00:10:56
Speaker 3: Were you scared?

00:10:57
Speaker 1: Were you scared at all? When you know, not at all?

00:11:00
Speaker 3: No, You know what the funny thing is. I don't know if you can relate if you've ever been diving before. But when I put on my wet suit. Somehow I feel like it's invincible, like a shark can't eat through this. I don't know what it is. It's something about that suit that makes you feel.

00:11:16
Speaker 6: Like this is good like that, do.

00:11:20
Speaker 1: You think that.

00:11:23
Speaker 3: You? And I thought my daughters would me, and I made them come down with me. I was like, come on, girls, it's fine, these are okay, And so two of mine came down with me. They were like fourteen and sixteen at the time, so it was a while ago. And then the little one was only nine, I think, and they put her in a separate area with a snorkel because you can't get certified till you're ten. So the other two girls got certified at ten and she was one year away, but they let her snorkel and the sharks came up to where she was. She was with a guide, you know, she was with people and other other people, but the sharks came up, so she got the experience as well. I have it in pictures crazy.

00:12:05
Speaker 5: So that gold a bachelor is like the least adventurous thing you've ever done.

00:12:09
Speaker 3: At least adventures. I am up for it. I am ready, I am I was like boot camp in the hotel. You know how you have that time before you get into the mansion. I was pumping the furniture over my head, doing squats at the end tables. I'm like, I'm trying to get game ready for the mansion. And I really was, you know, very pumped up, not nervous in that sense at all. I was nervous about the cameras. That's an animal and an activity that I have not encountered before. If it were anything else, like Leslie just did the waterfall, no problem. I actually did that waterfall in Costa Rica. Wouldn't bother me at all. The horseback riding I rode for three years wouldn't bother me. I also ski. By the way, I'm going to valdas Are in France in March, so I'll do that for two weeks.

00:12:55
Speaker 1: You get where do you get all this energy? Do you drink?

00:13:00
Speaker 6: No?

00:13:00
Speaker 3: I don't drink at all. No alcohol. I mean I'm not I'm not sober, and I'm not anybody who ever had a drinking problem. I just realized that once I got into my forties sort of late forties, that I didn't metabolize the alcohol as much. And then the next day I was a little groggy. So the next day I want to work out. I want to hit the gym. I want to either go for a run or a hike or the weights.

00:13:23
Speaker 6: And if I'm.

00:13:23
Speaker 3: Feeling roggy from even a glass of wine, I'm not really feeling motivated. So I kind of stopped it in my late forties early fifties. So it's been a fit ten years.

00:13:33
Speaker 2: That seems like you know that, that seems like the trend that. Honestly, it makes sense. I've been doing it just the reason. I had just been doing a lot of research on that. But that's yeah, that's interesting.

00:13:42
Speaker 3: Yeah, I know you're into health. I love that. I don't want enough the two of you.

00:13:46
Speaker 1: What what are your things.

00:13:48
Speaker 3: For Red Saana Joe, You're like that, I do it.

00:13:50
Speaker 6: Yeah.

00:13:50
Speaker 5: I did a call dip with him this weekend. We did a cold I was like this, it was so cold.

00:13:57
Speaker 1: Yeah, it was right.

00:13:58
Speaker 3: That's because she has no fact.

00:14:08
Speaker 4: And you're a big fan of the show. You've watched it for years.

00:14:11
Speaker 3: Since what is it? Trista and Ryan.

00:14:14
Speaker 4: Was that the first Yes, that's the first batch.

00:14:18
Speaker 3: Then that's it, and probably before that, but I don't remember that. I just remember Trista and Ryan. It was so touchy and that was the best I think, you know, maybe because it was my first, but it was the best ever.

00:14:28
Speaker 5: So many people say that. I feel like it's like an iconic season.

00:14:32
Speaker 4: I have a question.

00:14:35
Speaker 3: Was the best?

00:14:36
Speaker 4: Oh? Thank you?

00:14:39
Speaker 3: I love you too, falling in love it was fantastic.

00:14:43
Speaker 4: Thank you. Thanks worked out for us pretty well.

00:14:46
Speaker 3: Unbelievable.

00:14:47
Speaker 2: So happy, well Anna, thank you so much. If they if they thanks, If they do a Golden.

00:14:55
Speaker 1: Bachelor in Paradise, I'm voting for you to be there. Definitely. Thank you so much for coming.

00:15:01
Speaker 3: Going on a beach and sitting in a bikini all day. Oh no, if they do it in Paris. If they do it in Rome, I'm in. But not on ach.

00:15:09
Speaker 5: No, you will dive with sharks cageless, but you won't go hang out on a beach with some other people at.

00:15:17
Speaker 3: Stage, not at the stage to be to have that. That camera was unforgiving. I'm sorry on this show that camera is I think in a filter. Why are we doing my Marbart Streistan and the Kardashians. You know they have a filter on that lens. Why is this high depth for these poor ladies. It's so sad.

00:15:36
Speaker 4: Now you're being way too hard on yourself. You guys looked so good, you really did.

00:15:41
Speaker 3: No, of course they look great, but the camera is a tough one.

00:15:44
Speaker 1: Yeah. All right, well, Anna, thank you again. We appreciate it, and lovely rest of your day.

00:15:51
Speaker 3: Thank you, thank you. And your wedding pictures were fantastic. Oh my god, you look so beautiful. Yeah, you were very handsome, Joe. But I know.

00:16:05
Speaker 1: Renee, welcome to the podcast, and you are not alone because Anna is still here because she wanted to stick around to say hello to you.

00:16:15
Speaker 3: I want to see how beautiful Renee looked. So exciting to see her. We talk all the time on the phone, but for some reason we don't FaceTime. I guess because we're at home in our whatever cash. But now I love seeing her dressed up. She's beautiful.

00:16:29
Speaker 6: Oh, it's so good to see you. Like well, we're always talking really early morning. We're early morning, you know textures. But I can't wait to see you. I can't wait to get together with you, and I just you know, it's just such an honor to get to know you.

00:16:43
Speaker 3: Anna, you too, absolutely what a blessedness was. You're the kindest person and it's such a good heart.

00:16:51
Speaker 6: How's your dad is doing good? Actually just got on to the hospital yesterday. But he's a rock star. He's amazing. He's doing great.

00:16:59
Speaker 3: Oh my god, as her dad had COVID so they're troopers. My gosh, that was tough.

00:17:10
Speaker 6: Yeah, I got well, I got through it.

00:17:12
Speaker 4: Oh good, I'm happy he's doing doing well.

00:17:16
Speaker 3: I'm going to say goodbye and leave you with Joan Serena. It was fantastic. I had a great time and so will you see it soon.

00:17:24
Speaker 6: Thanks girl friend, Thanks.

00:17:26
Speaker 4: Ada, Thanks Edda, Bye bye love.

00:17:30
Speaker 6: I love talking to She's great.

00:17:33
Speaker 1: So where where do you live?

00:17:36
Speaker 6: Well? I currently live in Middleton, Wisconsin. I've been in Chicago up till just recently. I moved to be closer to my father. Oh I could be around him, and he turned ninety nine this year.

00:17:47
Speaker 1: Nice. Wow, wow, Yeah, I'm from Chicago. Are you from Chicago?

00:17:52
Speaker 6: I actually grew up in Wisconsin in a really small town called Dotsville, But I've been in Chicago since I was in my twenties. For a very long time. My family there, and it's it's strange to be back after all these years. But you know, you know, my dad's a pretty super you know, he's just an amazing man, and I wanted to spend more time with him.

00:18:12
Speaker 1: Nice. What uh, what part of Chicago did you live?

00:18:16
Speaker 7: Well?

00:18:16
Speaker 6: I actually lived in the city, and I was cheer living for the Bears of course downtown in the gold Coasty area, and.

00:18:23
Speaker 1: I remember that, I remember your profile.

00:18:25
Speaker 3: Yeah.

00:18:26
Speaker 1: Cool.

00:18:27
Speaker 6: Yeah, And so eventually got married and lived in Highland Park, raised my kids there, and then ended up back in the city years later. It was just kind of really fun to get back down. And I lived in Streeterville, right like along the river in between Michigan Avenue and Navy Pier.

00:18:42
Speaker 1: Cool.

00:18:43
Speaker 2: Cool, Yeah, I lived in I lived in West Town in like the west Loop area for quite some time. So yeah, small world.

00:18:52
Speaker 6: There you go.

00:18:53
Speaker 4: Just two people from Chicago, I guess.

00:18:55
Speaker 6: So. Yeah, it's a great city, especially in the summer.

00:19:00
Speaker 1: More so the summer definitely definitely. So what made you want to go on the Golden Bachelor?

00:19:08
Speaker 6: Well, actually, you know a few years ago, when Peter Webber became the Bachelor, I was called out to do the you know, the kind of like Barbara was a hunger with me. We were both Chicago and Childers. So it was really cool to find that Peter. Yeah, both the.

00:19:27
Speaker 5: Barbara Barber, Peter's mom, Sweet Nums was a cheerleader with you.

00:19:32
Speaker 4: Yes, small world.

00:19:36
Speaker 1: Yeah, did you know? Yeah, this is cool. Okay, this is so cool.

00:19:41
Speaker 6: I just talked to her today. We talked every day. I mean, it's crazy. Even we're grocery shopping, we're talking. We're you know, always talking together. But yeah, so we have a lot of history together. And I was really honored when they did the wedding renewal. At the very first episode, I was one of the guests. So that was the first time I got the experience of, you know, just watching the Bachelor of Bachelorette shows all these years, but to be actually, you know, you know, participant. And so when the Golden Bachelor information came out, of course, I'm like, was interested in, you know, signing up. And that was a few years ago. And then we had COVID yeah, so you know, and then all of a sudden it came back again, and I was like, you know, maybe I should push this a little bit because I really wanted to do it before and I was in the middle of moving to a new apartment in Wisconsin and a lot was going on, but I'm so happy that I followed through. It was just an amazing experience.

00:20:38
Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, so let's let's get into a little bit night one.

00:20:45
Speaker 1: What's running through your head as you're in the limo everything?

00:20:49
Speaker 6: Yeah, okay, I've cheered in front of sixty thousand people, okay, and you know, performed my whole life dance since I was age four. I've never been that nervous in my entire life. And I to do a little cheer, you know, and I was like, oh, nervous. I couldn't believe how nervous I was. And excited, really really excited at the same time. So it was a lot to overcome when you jump out of there, that you're not gonna like just you know, Yeah, it was really exciting, you know, it was really exciting.

00:21:22
Speaker 5: And you came out of the limo wearing your Honey Bears Honey Rest tracksuit.

00:21:27
Speaker 6: Actually it was my, yeah, our warm up suit that we would practice in before we put on our little uniforms. And it was an original uniform, so and pomp homs as well. And so I knew that Gary was a Chicago Bears fan and sports fan, so I just felt like, hey, why not come up and made an original Honeybear from you know, back in the eighties. So I wanted to go there and just through him on cheer us on And.

00:21:54
Speaker 4: Do you have daughters by any chance?

00:21:57
Speaker 1: I wish?

00:21:58
Speaker 6: No?

00:21:58
Speaker 3: She so, my my.

00:22:00
Speaker 5: Mom was an Argos cheerleader and Argos is the football team in Toronto where I'm from. And I think both my sister and I have worn her like her like warm up gear, her track suits to like for every Halloween because I'm like, this is so cool. This is the best Halloween costume ever because I'm a cheerleader and I have the original gear for it.

00:22:19
Speaker 6: Well, I have two granddaughters, so there you go. Fo.

00:22:23
Speaker 1: Yeah, did you chair for the eighty five Beers?

00:22:28
Speaker 6: I did not chair in the eighty five beers. That was quite the year I was on. Seventy eight, seventy nine, and eighty actually wrote a book about it like four years ago called Missing from the Sidelines, talking about nineteen eighty five being our last year. Was that, you know, we won the Super Bowl and the honey Beers were gone, and that was because you know, Papa Bear. Hell is one of dancing girls with those daughter Virginia, you know, she wasn't so hot, honest, and we had a contract that went through nineteen eighty five. So that was it. And that's why if you ever look up the Curse of the Honeybears is the Bears have never won a Super Bowl since we were fired. Okay, so it's called the Curse of the Honeybeers. So in the book I wrote, my last chapter was chapter thirteen, you know, so it was it was a great experience. And like Barbara and I met and she was on in nineteen seventy eight with me before she became Miss Illinois and so yeah, it's really fun kind of going back and we had a reunion and that's how we kind of reconnected as friends.

00:23:36
Speaker 1: Pete's male was Miss Illinois.

00:23:38
Speaker 4: Yeah, why don't we know any of this?

00:23:41
Speaker 6: It's actually Barbara's sitting with one of my friends, Mary Kay, who was a Honeybeer too that lives in California. They're having coffee right now. Wow, said, don't call me in the middle of my podcast.

00:23:51
Speaker 5: Hey, she could call. She could jump on a chat too. We can have both the y do a full Honeybears reunion.

00:23:57
Speaker 6: Yeah, oh my god, that all three of us. That was so fun.

00:24:01
Speaker 1: Are you able to Are you able to travel a lot? Do you travel? Do you head out to California? You ever go out there?

00:24:08
Speaker 3: Oh?

00:24:08
Speaker 6: Yeah, I mean I love going out to California and I can't wait to, like now travel to meet the other you know, the gold and Bachelorettes. We started. We have a huge text chain. We've been back and forth texting each other. Then as we all came home, you know like, you know, it's really been We've gotten really close and it's so similar to the sisterhood that we have like with the Chicago Chu Leaders. I don't know, we just felt even though night one we were there for a whole week. You know, people don't realize that we were there for a week filming before we even stepped out of a limo. And even though we didn't get to see each other, you know, the night that we got in a limo was the first time we had glimpses of each other. So it was really exciting and just actually just feel this really as a bond. It's a weird, you know connection that we all kind of went through different things, but we're all there, you know, searching for love.

00:24:58
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, no, absolutely, Who what girls are you would you say you're the closest.

00:25:02
Speaker 6: With well Anna of course, and and I because I as we both were like O night one, and you know, I, you know, I was really happy to finally hear from her and Patty of course, Patty James been talking well, Teresa, and uh, let's see you. I've been talking to Adah, you know, Peggy, you know, just get you know, we're just all kind of emiling each other and texting and how are you and just checking in on each other. Susan, you know, Susan fath Uh, you know, are pretty close. Oh yeah, we're close.

00:25:43
Speaker 1: What do you think? What do you think when? What do you think went wrong? Night one? If anything went wrong?

00:25:51
Speaker 6: You know, I think it went so fast. I felt like I was in a dream. First of all, You're just like you're walking into this beautiful mansion and instead of like going upstairs where I didn't really know where I had a dressed somewhere. I didn't know where exactly was, but I could have found it. But I was so like, oh my gosh, look at this, look at that, and everyone, you know, we were Patty and I were walking Patty James and I were, you know, in the same limo and we were walking around and all of a sudden Aunt Chippy comes in and then they're going to take pictures. So I kept like all night kind of second guessing myself about tod I go change. I think the tracksuit got a lot of a lot of people commented it. They like, going, probably the only one ever in Row ceremony in a track suit. I really wanted to put my dress on. I just didn't know when and where to do it. And I kept going, well, maybe you won't remember me if I put that dress on, but I can tell you right now everyone remembers who I am because I wore that tracksuit. It's I kind of like stood out, and a lot of women kind of related to it, but no one really understood because what I was doing in that tracksuit, because you know, my conversation with Gary was you know, it was just the cheer and then it didn't no one really got to see you like, oh, I was a former Chicago Bears cheerleader. He was a fan. So I think the whole night went by and people were getting chosen to talk or like they were getting there, you know, to meet him, and I think the thing I really just went so fast and all a send and it's really getting late, and I hadn't you know, had a chance to talk to Gary. I was really just kind of sinking in, like probably feeling like, oh my gosh, it's getting really late. I haven't been talked to him a lot of you know, there was a few other women, and then all of a sudden, it was you started. You know, when you're filming all night long, it's hard. You know, my spirit was kind of going down, and you know, we finally did get to talk, but it was really really late, and you know, I felt like at that point it was the end of the night, and you know, I don't know, I felt I wish we had had more time and you could always go would have, should have, could have. I would like to go back and just not be I think I was a little bit more worrying about this stupid dress, like whether I should change or not than just really enjoying the moment and being there and you know, meeting the ladies and stuff. There was just a lot going through my head because I was there to meet to make Gary, and I was really excited because he's from the Midwest and he's an Iowa Hawkeye fan. My father played football for the Wisconsin Badgers, so I have been a Wisconsin Badger fan and Iowa and you know, Wisconsin have been arrivals, so there was a lot in common. But I think I just it's hard. You know, you have very little time to make an impression, so I think that's really important. It's like that first impression is just you know, go have fun and enjoy, don't worry about what's happening around you. But it's hard because it meant a lot to me, and you know, we all gave up a lot to be out there, and I don't regret it for a second. I wish I could relive it and redo it. But you know, it was really everyone was super nice. It was really devastating to go home. I wasn't. I never thought I was going to go home. I didn't think that was a possibility, so that was really rough. I was really really sad about that. And you know, a lot of people stepped up to the plate, my father and friends. I had a sick cat at home, and you know, everyone's like, we're going to You're going you know, we've got you. So I was like, I didn't want to disappoint I had a lot of people watch parties, like probably seventeen, so I was like, oh boy.

00:29:44
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it's not going home night one is. Yeah, it's such a letdown. But fuck yeah it sucks. I mean, there's no say it does. It does suck.

00:29:55
Speaker 1: What's what's dating life been like for you?

00:29:57
Speaker 6: Now?

00:29:57
Speaker 1: Are you out there? Are you dating at all? You know?

00:30:00
Speaker 6: I since I came home from the show, we all obviously I wasn't even dating before because I was in the middle of moving and packing and I just didn't you know, really, and then I really haven't gone back on any dating sets. But I feel more excited about dating now. I feel more confident after being on the show that hey, if I can put myself on national TV in my sixties and you know, look for love, I can I can do it here too and be more confident, and you know, I feel you know, everyone, it's a hard thing to do, you know, when you're getting up into your you know your age is getting higher and higher. But it just goes to show you you've watched the show, there's a lot of people out there still looking for love. And it doesn't mean my father got remarried at eighty five and my mother best away. So there you go. Yeah, that's amazing.

00:30:50
Speaker 1: Do you think if there was something that you could have did differently night one, what would that be.

00:30:57
Speaker 6: I'd be able to drop my palms and held his hands and just you know, taking a little bit breather moment to you know, calm down, and and then I would have like changed into my dress the minute I walked into that mansion. But I was so overwhelmed with everything happening, and.

00:31:16
Speaker 5: It's just it is so overwhelming, Like night one, there's so much happening. There's so much going on. You're dressing to the cameras, you're meeting him for the first time, you're meeting all these women. So I can totally understand how you could have just kind of felt a little deer in a headlights because I know I felt that way well in.

00:31:35
Speaker 6: My dress too. Was it was very pretty, but it was very you know, sophisticated. It was. I mean, I was like, Okay, is my dress is gonna look? You know, you know, it was kind of like just seeing this, you know, it was like I just kept yeah, over overthinking.

00:31:56
Speaker 5: Two in the morning, I guarantee you every other woman was jealous that you were wearing attractive sneakers and they had to stand on their chests and heels.

00:32:02
Speaker 6: All I know, I was wearing my white boots. I was wearing I was actual white. Hi.

00:32:08
Speaker 4: Oh yes you were? You were?

00:32:11
Speaker 6: Yeah. But in between I had my odd slippers so that was awesome taking them in, you know, on and off and you know. But yeah, the girls were getting a little cold and grabbing blankets and they're like, well, you're lucky you have that out. You're comfortable, but yeah, what do you look awesome? You know. They're like like, well you maybe you should go up and change. And I'm like, at what point am I going to call the change? I feel like maybe I'll miss not talking to Gary. I was so like, oh, it's just you know, I wish like I had my my producer and like get upstairs, you know. But they're like all over the place, you know, trying to take care of everybody. Night. It is, it.

00:32:48
Speaker 2: Is, but you never know, maybe you'll get another shot before before we let you go.

00:33:02
Speaker 1: Did Barbara Webber what did she say to you when when she saw you on TV and you went home? You give you any she said?

00:33:15
Speaker 4: Did she give you any advice going on to the show.

00:33:19
Speaker 6: Oh, she just basically told me, you know, we talked, you know, a lot about it, and she said, you know, Rene, just be yourself. You know, just just be yourself, and you know they'll fall in love with you and have fun and enjoy it. And you know, but basically, once she did find out that I was in my tracks, it all might she kind of like, you know, let me have it.

00:33:47
Speaker 2: Okay, Well, Renee, thank you so much for coming on better Happy Hour.

00:33:50
Speaker 1: We really appreciate you.

00:33:52
Speaker 6: Honor to meet the two of you.

00:33:54
Speaker 1: Thank you, thank you. It was really nice chatting with you. And have a lovely rest of your day.

00:34:00
Speaker 6: All right, it's so nice to meet you both.

00:34:03
Speaker 1: Hey, Jeanie, welcome to a Bachelor Happy Hour. How you doing?

00:34:07
Speaker 7: I am doing well today. How about yourself?

00:34:11
Speaker 1: How are you doing?

00:34:12
Speaker 4: I'm doing great? Joe?

00:34:13
Speaker 1: How are you doing good?

00:34:14
Speaker 3: Uh?

00:34:15
Speaker 1: Jeanie, where where do you live? Where are you right now?

00:34:19
Speaker 8: I am in Nestral Springs, Tennessee, about an hour and a half outside of Nashville.

00:34:23
Speaker 1: Okay, okay, it looks very it looks looks lovely. I see you. You got the Christmas tree going already? Yeah? When when do you usually put up the Christmas tree? What time? The time of the year?

00:34:33
Speaker 7: You used play after Thanksgiving, but I wanted to put it up for y'all all.

00:34:39
Speaker 1: Way too nice.

00:34:41
Speaker 4: I'm so excited we have.

00:34:42
Speaker 5: So I'm from Canada and our Thanksgiving is early October, so I'm used to like decorating around this time. But because American Thanksgiving hasn't happened yet, we're waiting.

00:34:55
Speaker 1: So now, yeah, we we have. We have two Thanksgivings Giving okay, so how let's start off. How did you get on the Golden Bachelor? What made you want to go on?

00:35:08
Speaker 7: I'm sorry I said that again?

00:35:09
Speaker 1: What made you? How did you get on the Golden Bachelor.

00:35:13
Speaker 8: So I'm a bit of a rule follower, and I waited until I turned sixty five because that was the rules. And about four days later, it was Valentine's Day and I had no date, so I grant that laptop and I just started working and two days later I got a phone call. Wow, it happened very fast.

00:35:38
Speaker 1: Have you ever been have you ever been married? Do you have kids?

00:35:41
Speaker 8: I have been married, and I do have two kids. I have a son who is also married and has two eight month old grand babies, So my first grandbaby and I have a daughter.

00:35:55
Speaker 1: So, and what did your kids think about you going on the show.

00:36:00
Speaker 8: When I first told them, they were a bit in shock. It was like, what did you say?

00:36:06
Speaker 7: Excuse me?

00:36:08
Speaker 8: But they were very supportive and I'm very happy that I went about during my journey.

00:36:16
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's good, that's good. Okay, So.

00:36:20
Speaker 2: Do you get there night one? What's going on in your head? Yeah, just kind of explained like the limo and just just where you were mentally.

00:36:31
Speaker 8: When I got there at the mansion night one, and I opened the door and I saw Gary. Obviously, I was very excited, and I was also excited about being at the mansion, so it was kind of a double hit. It was, Oh, I'm going to meet Gary, the infamous Bachelor, and I'm also at the mansion. And I have watched series after series after series, so it was a little bit surreal walking up and seeing the mansion in person.

00:36:59
Speaker 1: Yeah, have do you have a Do you have a favorite season that you've watched?

00:37:04
Speaker 7: Oh, it has to be your season on Bachelor in Paradise.

00:37:07
Speaker 1: Really really really wow. I love that. I love that. Who is your Who's your favorite person from that season? Right now, I'm joking, but yeah, no, I I go ahead, Serena.

00:37:23
Speaker 5: I was gonna say, so, you've watched for years, do you have like a Malet Rushmore of Bachelor Nation people that you love not including us?

00:37:34
Speaker 7: Like, do you have including you? You're gonna put me on the spot right now.

00:37:42
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's a tough question, Serena, I Rushmore, I don't like your favorites.

00:37:50
Speaker 7: Can I tell you first how I started watching?

00:37:53
Speaker 4: I would love that absolutely.

00:37:55
Speaker 8: So I'm talking to my mom and we were pretty close, we talk a lot, and she started talking about all these different people and all these love triangles, and I'm thinking, not a cousin, nan, I'll go, I don't know who these people are. So finally I asked her to mom, who are we talking about? And she goes, Oh, it's a Bachelor and so and I was dating so and so. And that's how I started watching The Bachelor. And it's been sort of a way for me to talk with her on Tuesday mornings. But it has become much more than that to me because now I'm actually just as hooked as she is. Yeah, and I'm going to go with somebody current.

00:38:41
Speaker 7: Right now.

00:38:42
Speaker 8: I like baby Jess, and I know she doesn't like Baby, but I like Jess. There's just something about her that I like. She just is endearing.

00:38:51
Speaker 4: She's very sweet.

00:38:52
Speaker 5: Do you have a favorite bachelor, bachelorette or Bachelor in Paradise to watch?

00:39:00
Speaker 7: I would say, can I go with the host?

00:39:04
Speaker 4: I like Jesse, Sure you go with the host. We love Jesse too.

00:39:10
Speaker 1: So what was that? What was that like? What was that like? Meeting Jesse in person? Did you have a chance to talk to him at all?

00:39:16
Speaker 6: I did.

00:39:17
Speaker 8: I was actually one of the ladies who chose top bunk, and he asked us about the bunk bed situation, and I had told him. I said, you know, that was a choice because I'm in the master bedroom and there's all these twin beds and then there's a top bunk, and there were three other beds and I didn't want to get stuck below and the chances of me beating the other girls out was slim to none.

00:39:39
Speaker 7: So I went with the top bunk.

00:39:41
Speaker 8: And Jesse surprised me because when he asked who had top bunk, I raised my hand.

00:39:47
Speaker 7: He goes, Gemie, and I'm like, he knows, so exciting.

00:39:51
Speaker 1: Oh that's fun. That's fun. What was what was your conversation with Garylake in the house, Like, did you did you feel a spark or connection at all with him?

00:40:05
Speaker 7: I did.

00:40:05
Speaker 8: I Gary had this way of making everyone feel special, and everyone, I think felt that spark when they talked to him.

00:40:15
Speaker 1: Typical.

00:40:16
Speaker 5: Yeah, it is a trait of a good bachelor bachelorette. A lot of people will say about their lead they were able to make everyone feel like the only person in the room.

00:40:28
Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, so so yeah, can we hear more about that? Just like your connection with him and how that was.

00:40:36
Speaker 8: So my connection with Gary was a little short lived. I wasn't on the series that long. I loved after episode two, but when I was there, I really.

00:40:52
Speaker 7: Had a ha moment, and not a ha moment for.

00:40:55
Speaker 8: Me was there's great guys out there, and I think I got into the roots and going out with my friends and just doing my thing and not really looking or keeping my heart open. And after meeting Gary, he gave me a lot of hope. I know we all are saying hope and optimism, but it's true. I think that we just sat back in our ways and this series gave us an opportunity to sort of open up to possibilities.

00:41:24
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think I think that's I think that's good. Are you are you dating now? Have you dated since the show?

00:41:31
Speaker 8: I have not been dating since the show. I've gotten some dms and some people who have tried to contact me. But I'm a bit old fashioned and if I meet somebody, I want to meet them organically.

00:41:44
Speaker 7: I want to meet them in person.

00:41:46
Speaker 8: So these guys got to step it up and learn the sixth degrees of separation.

00:41:50
Speaker 7: There's a way to meet me. Just don't do it through texts.

00:41:54
Speaker 4: To show up at your house.

00:41:56
Speaker 6: But no, let's not go that.

00:42:00
Speaker 4: You mean like out of a.

00:42:02
Speaker 7: Bar or something.

00:42:04
Speaker 4: Yeah, I get set up.

00:42:06
Speaker 5: Okay, gotcha? So more you like an in person, organic meeting? Well maybe not organic because you went on a reality TV show, but an in person meeting.

00:42:17
Speaker 7: Yes?

00:42:18
Speaker 4: And then what are you looking for in a partner right now?

00:42:22
Speaker 7: I'm looking for someone who likes to have fun, someone who is accepting of others. That is so important to me, that they're kind hearted and that they want to sort of give it themselves.

00:42:34
Speaker 8: I do some things for charities, a couple of different charities, and I find that very fulfilling in I want somebody to share that with.

00:42:42
Speaker 1: Are you are you retired or do you still? Do you still work?

00:42:45
Speaker 7: I am retired. That's why I have time to do philanthropic things.

00:42:48
Speaker 1: Nice What did you? What did you do?

00:42:51
Speaker 7: I do two things.

00:42:52
Speaker 8: I am Actually I have the express I have the really great position of dogs. I go to the Animal Charlterer and I'll go out there three or four times a week and I get my dogs out and we go for walks and it is the best thing you get all these dogs that just are loving oning in and having fun and.

00:43:17
Speaker 7: I just love it.

00:43:18
Speaker 8: And my second thing that I do is actually through my sorority, and for sixty two years we have had a Christmas Village in Nashville, which is an arts and craft show. People come from all over the country to be vendors in it, and we've given close to fourteen million dollars back to charities that help the hearing impaired, hearing impaired schools, a brain trauma unit at Vanderbilt, and an arts and craft school in the Gatlinburg Mountains. So could it be any more esoteric than that?

00:43:50
Speaker 7: I think?

00:43:51
Speaker 3: Is it?

00:43:52
Speaker 6: Oh?

00:43:52
Speaker 1: Yeah? That is amazing? Good for you? Do you do you go out. Do you ever go out to Nashville? Do you go out there often?

00:43:58
Speaker 3: I do.

00:43:59
Speaker 8: I do about one month in Nashville. I will do a meetup group for an art crawl, and then I also do other things. And when I go out in Nashville, I tend to get recognized. And I still I think and Esther was just what we call it for Estel Springs. I think down here I get a little more of the giggles, but nobody says anything. But when I'm in Nashville, it's kind of cool. I get recognized a little bit, not overly.

00:44:26
Speaker 4: But that's awesome I find. I'm sure that's fun to go out and have people be like.

00:44:32
Speaker 5: Oh my gosh, you know around the Golden fashilor maybe that's how you'll meet So you'll meet some guys that way.

00:44:38
Speaker 8: You never know, and it's it's kind of cool because my golden rule is that if they recognize me, I will not do a selfie for them. They have to be in the picture with me because they have to prove that they actually met me. It's not just a picture on their phone. And so they're all there there, they seem to be excited and flored to do that, and I kind of I don't like it.

00:45:00
Speaker 1: It's kind of so fun.

00:45:02
Speaker 4: That's a freak.

00:45:04
Speaker 5: Are you watching the rest of this season? Have you kept up with The Golden Bachelor?

00:45:09
Speaker 7: What are your thoughts on?

00:45:11
Speaker 8: Well, all my friends are on there, and so we actually got along very well, all the ladies in the house, and I think that that is fabulous because it's, you know.

00:45:25
Speaker 7: It shows that, you know, we don't always have.

00:45:30
Speaker 8: To have drama in our life, have fun, and to be even involved with the same guy. Although granted, I know it gets a little harder the longer you go. But I have been watching them, and I've been rooting for him, and I've seen some of my favorites go, and I see some of my favorites still there, and I'm excited to see who Gary actually picks.

00:45:52
Speaker 6: Who.

00:45:53
Speaker 4: Who are you rooting for? Teresa? Leslie?

00:45:57
Speaker 8: Okay, so Leslie and I did our makeup together because she forgot her makeup mirror and I happen to have one, so we were makeup hoals. But I have said since day one that I thought he would go with Teresa. I don't know why, but it's on go back to be Roll, It's on there I'm talking about.

00:46:18
Speaker 7: You know.

00:46:19
Speaker 8: They asked me who he thinks and he says Teresa. So I could be got fifty to fifty chance on that now, But I.

00:46:25
Speaker 4: Guess we'll have to tune in to find out. Are you gonna watch the finale?

00:46:28
Speaker 7: I am, I am. I'm looking forward to it.

00:46:32
Speaker 4: So what is next for Jeanie?

00:46:33
Speaker 6: Then?

00:46:33
Speaker 4: What's coming up in your future? In your life?

00:46:36
Speaker 7: Iceland?

00:46:37
Speaker 6: I see the Northern Lights?

00:46:40
Speaker 1: Yes, it's awa.

00:46:41
Speaker 8: I am so excited. They're supposed to be fantastic in twenty twenty four. So one of my girlfriends and I are going a girl trip and we're going to look at the northern lights.

00:46:52
Speaker 4: Oh that's amazing.

00:46:53
Speaker 5: One of my best friends went into that and he said it was absolutely incredible and just so magical.

00:46:58
Speaker 4: You're gonna have the best time.

00:46:59
Speaker 7: Oh yeah, I'm looking forward to it.

00:47:02
Speaker 2: Well, Jeanie, thank you so much for coming on Bachelor Happy Hour. I really appreciate you taking the time, and it was lovely getting to know you.

00:47:10
Speaker 7: It was lovely getting to know you.

00:47:11
Speaker 8: One more thing for my mom is said to tell you that you are her cutest couple ever and she loves your makeup commercial.

00:47:19
Speaker 2: So yeah, your mom is my favorite tell we say thank you.

00:47:27
Speaker 1: That is so nice, and thank you to all our listeners for tuning in to Happy Hour every week. We really appreciate it and make sure you stay tuned for more episodes.

00:47:38
Speaker 5: This week we have the finale of The Golden Bachelor, the episode everyone has been waiting for, and we have a new episode of Bachelor and Paradise as well, and then we will have some very exciting episodes of Bachelor Happy.

00:47:51
Speaker 4: Hour for you guys as well, so be sure to.

00:47:53
Speaker 1: Subscribe, stay tuned. Thank you, bye bye.

00:47:56
Speaker 3: Bye bye.

00:47:57
Speaker 1: It's nice.

00:47:57
Speaker 7: Thank you all.