Off The Desk 12/18/2025

Hello and welcome back to Off the Desk on this Friday Junior Friday. >> I'm Julia O'keefe. Yes, we finally made it to Friday Junior. Thanks for being with us. We have two guests with us again today. Welcome guys. Introduce yourself. >> Yeah, I'm Lindsay. Excited to be back on Friday Jun. Friday Junior energy is the best energy. >> Yes, always good to have you guys. And >> um we did have our GM Bob Simone was on yesterday and he wanted to come on and talk about a couple of surprises, but he did mention um we obviously had you on the show last week, but this all is working towards something really exciting and he kind of uh gave an overview of the new show that is forming with you two as host. So, if you guys want to maybe talk a little bit about it and what we can expect in the next couple of weeks. Exactly. >> Yes. So, now our our show is going to be everything that's like pop culture, trending, what's fun online and stuff. >> Yeah. >> Whether it's from like TV shows, music, streaming. We kind of just want to keep everyone in the loop. Yeah. It'll be called in the loop. It'll be um it'll be a name. It'll be once a week. Um the date TBD. Um, but yeah, we're looking forward to just talking about all things, you know, pop culture and also about our jobs and, you know, what what makes a good news story, you know, uh what makes a good headline. Is this like a good headline or is it a hoax? You're going to play some games. >> Yes, we have some games lined up. We're going to try to push everything to social media as well. And we're really excited. >> Yes. >> Nice. Sound like a lot of launching in January. >> Yeah. Hope hopefully January. >> Yes. >> Get through the holidays and then come back. something to look forward to in January because January is such a long cold month. >> There's no there's no necessarily big holiday to look forward to, but we can look forward to the launch of in the loop every calendars for some undisclosed date, but something to look forward to figure that out. We were just talking about that this morning with um Chris Zakis because we were just talking about I guess planning our time off like after the holidays and stuff like that and we realized we're like yeah there aren't really like any holidays until like after the new year and after Martin Luther King Day it's like >> until Memorial Day. >> February is just a chunk of Valentine's Day is on Valentine's Day is on a Saturday so we don't >> Oh my birthday's on a Friday. winter birthday the day before Valentine's Day. >> So exciting. >> That's fun. That'll be a fun weekend. >> Yeah, I'm very excited. >> That's awesome. >> Nice. >> So, at least there's like some things to look forward. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I mean, today um we're a week away from Christmas shopping. >> I think I just still have time. I just I shouldn't talk. I finished yesterday and I still have one more thing to order online, but it's going to be like a print out thing. Tonight is going to be all wrapping for me. I got all my packages delivered. I'm going to go and just try to knock out as many wrapping presents as I can. >> There you go. Yeah. And then come the returns cuz I have a few things that I got I got too many things because I'm like I don't know if this one's going to come in. I don't know if I'm going to hate this when it comes in. Now it's sifting through making a final choice. >> Oh no. >> Then the returns start, you know, it's it's the joy. So >> it goes into January for sure. Yeah. Yeah. >> And then like your credit card bill that hits too. >> I don't want to I can't look at my credit and talk. >> Hey, but it's okay because it's Christmas and we're one week away. >> Yes, we're one week away. I still I still can't believe that it doesn't like it feels like Christmas because I've been trying to, >> you know, listen to Christmas music and watch Christmas movies and stuff. I think I was saying this to you and Chris previously. I don't know if you guys relate to this, but I was so in the camp of like wait till after Thanksgiving to start celebrating Christmas, listening to Christmas music, watching Christmas movies. And then because it was so late, Thanksgiving was so late in November this year, I feel like I did. I actually went against my own belief system at that point in time and I started listening to music a little earlier. But I'm not sick of it yet. usually to a point like when I did that with Halloween, I was like, "Okay, I've already been kind of celebrating since se since since September." >> Um, I'm still kind of like the festive Christmas spirit. So, I guess >> that's a good sign. That is a good sign. >> Cuz the one thing I've noticed compared to last year, like not a lot of like music artists are like dropping like Christmas covers. >> I was all That's true. >> Yeah. There weren't really any new jobs cuz I've been listening too. And I I hate to say that I am kind of starting to be like, "Okay, I just heard this one skip. Just heard this one skip. Just heard this one skip. Need something new and also something that I can sing along to because I can't drive in silence. I have to be able to have to be able to sing along. I have to be able to sing along. I have to always go back >> to Justin Bieber's Christmas album." >> Okay. >> The drummer boy. >> The drummer boy. We didn't really get any holiday drops this year. No. >> Although, have you guys have you watched the Jonas Brothers movie? >> Wait, now I went to bed today. >> It's like so bad in the best way. Like, it's so >> cry. >> Oh, I didn't actually. I will say I didn't watch all the way till the end because I just put I put it on and we had like plans to go out to dinner and I I was laughing at so many of the like >> it's really really cheesy but like it's a good like a feelood Christmas brother so like they're entertaining if she wants to watch that with me today. >> You should watch it. That's a good idea. >> I didn't watch the end so I'll probably go and watch the end. But um I think that they they had a Christmas song in there. >> They they do have one. I' I've listened to it this year. I don't know how many >> question is it the you make every day feel like it's Christmas. >> Yes. >> Oh yeah. >> My question is Kevin singing in it because Kevin's new song changing really good. Is he singing? >> I don't know. He does. >> I mean he he I think he always did sing like the back backup tracks. I don't know. He never had a solo before. So I don't know. >> He's good though. I was at the concert when he debuted. >> It was so It was so good. I did cry. It was so good. It was so good. >> Also, on the Speaking of the Jonas Brothers, have you seen the video on Tik Tok of Joe Jonas trying to parallel park? >> Yes. >> It's so funny. I love that man. Oh my god. So, >> it's my favorite. But that video is so funny. And then he made a response to it and I forget exactly what he said, but he said something >> something in response because it was like basically the video was a girl a random I don't even know if it was a a man or a woman but um >> yeah someone recording Joe Jonas outside of a their window of whatever shop they were at in New York City and the caption was I love New York City because you could just casually watch Joe Jonas struggle to parallel park for six minutes. >> That would be me though. I can't par like the luck you have like I would have lost it. Oh my god. >> Just like went outside being like >> I would have sat there and sipping my coffee watching. Yeah, >> that's funny >> in any city though. >> Oh, it's so diff avoid avoid avoid at all cost. >> I avoid backing out of parking spots. Never mindful parking through. I would rather be in the back of the parking lot. I pull through or I back out. You think you get lucky? You can like pull up onto the side of the road still, right? You're the last car and then you can fit like you would have to had to parallel park but you didn't. Then someone comes behind you and then you have to try to get out. >> Struggles. >> I went to Boston recently. >> I went to Boston recently and we uh we stayed downtown and we didn't want to like drive around try to find parking everywhere. So we just Ubered everywhere. We just parked at the hotel. >> The way to go. The way to go. >> Don't worry about park. Parallel parking. >> No parking. No, not not now. Not >> everm. >> All right. Well, we're going to take a quick break here and then talk about some other things that are going on today. Maybe look at the >> national All right, welcome back to this I don't know what what should we call this edition. All right, we're festive in I was going to say we're we're in the loop on off the desk, right? >> I like that. >> Yeah, >> love that. Anyway, >> but yeah, today, December 18th, like we said, we're a week away from Christmas, which is exciting, but there's some other stuff going on on the National calendar. >> Um, National Buddy the Elf Day. Was that >> um National Answer the Phone Like Buddy the Elf Day? >> There it is. I will be the first answer the phone. What's your favorite color? Great movie. Top one of my top Christmas movies. I will say I just watched it. It's so good. >> We were talking about this yesterday a little with Bob when he was here talking about Christmas movies. Um, he didn't name that one, right? >> He named that as one of the ones he didn't like. >> He didn't like Elf. >> What? >> Yeah. >> See, the thing about Elf is that it's so funny and so cheesy. It's peculiar taste, but it's something that maybe I'll I'll only watch it once a year, but every time I watch it, especially now as an adult, too, I'm picking up on things. And the jokes, they're they're they're still hilarious. And I think it's great that I could probably quote almost every single line. And that's what I mean by that. And you're waiting to see what's going to come next so you can say it, too. >> Yeah. I said that it was like the whole movie. I said it was such a quotable movie. He's like, "Really?" >> Like, "Yes." Yeah. Wait, that reminds me. So, I saw this thing. It was a video. Um, do you guys know I don't know what the game is called, but it's it's like a wheel and it has all the letters of the alphabet and it has a timer and you have to you get a category and you have to go around and you say a button like that starts with that letter and you you have to cancel out and you try to get the whole wheel and you play with teams or against each other. So, I saw one video of um this group of friends. It it was actually only two of them and they did it. Yeah, they did it but they quoted lines from the Grinch and it it is so impressive. They got everything. They got them all. They got them all. >> They did it like in the Jim Carrey one. Yeah, they did it in the voices. It was so funny. And they got every single letter before the time ran out. It was so impressive. I could probably do that. But I could probably do that with L. I feel like that's Yes. >> I'm a very like >> We should like We should do that on a come up with something for every letter of the alphabet. I'm a very like um I I remember a lot of quotes in movies and actors like I'll be like, "Oh, this actor was in this movie." And people like, "How do you know that?" I just I so I think I think we should play that. >> You think you can do it? >> I wish I could do that. Quotes maybe. But actors and actresses go sometimes over my head. >> Yeah, that would know the face but not the name thing. >> Yeah. But yeah, so I guess uh we can try out we should try whoever calls the news station today to answer it. Video of the elf. >> That's like a busy task because you answer the phone mostly. >> I will try my best. >> You do answer on the phone. >> Yeah, we'll we'll we'll try our best. I get I get some good callers though that are like ready for a good laugh. So I'll I know the right people. >> Yeah, regulars. We have regular callers. >> The regulars. That's funny. >> Love it. So what else? National Day calendar today. Well, it was National Twin Day. We were just talking about it. Lindsay and I were talking. So, we do have 22 News twins here, obviously, Nicole and Victoria, buddy. Um, but one time Lindsay and I were at an event with our lovely Mayor Sarno, and he um asked if we were twins, so we talk about it still all the time and call each other twin because of that day. >> Thank you, Mayor Sarno. >> Thank you, Mayor. >> Yes. So, if you're a twin, happy twin day. If you're expecting twins, congratulations. >> Yes. That's exciting. Like, no, like twins in general are just it's so fascinating to me. I I'll have to talk to the buddy twins about like cuz you hear so many of them having this type of bond that you can't really like imagine unless you are a twin. >> Exactly. >> And I don't know, especially if you're like an identical twin. >> Yeah. >> That's like crazy to see. >> Yeah. >> Like twin telepathy. What's that? Or what was it like when you switch class places classes? I tried to say places and classes at the same time. They're like, "What happened when you switch classes to play a prank on your teacher?" I don't know. >> I told you what I did fifth grade. Really? >> We don't even We look alike, but we don't look like twins. And I got scared and halfway through like went back to the classroom. My teacher like looked at me like, "Kaylee, I thought you were here." I got to like put the book down and they were like, "Ah, >> that's funny." >> I absolutely would love that. >> We were just both blonde. We don't even >> look that much alike, but >> I don't look like my sister, so we couldn't pull that off. My sister has blonde hair, blue eyes, so could not pull that off. >> Different features. Funny. >> Happy National Twin Day. >> Happy National. >> Yeah. And that's National Regift Day. >> Oh, I saw that, too. >> Day things. I think it's time >> 100% appropriate. I think if if you get something that that's been, you know, we'll know if we get a >> gift with love. Regifting with love is appropriate. I think if you have something that's been sitting around and you know gifts have a certain shelf life and if you've given it time and it just hasn't blossomed to your taste yet, it is absolutely okay because listen and here's my reasoning. I'm trying to do like the project pan stuff. I'm trying not to be in project pan when you try to use up all your stuff before you get new stuff. >> I thought you said project pants. I was like >> project pants. I'm trying to I'm trying not to over consume. I'm trying to curb my consumption habits. And my thing is if I have something that I've never like the tags are on it or it's something that I've never used, why should it not go to someone else to use? I agree. I'm probably going to donate it to like Goodwill or a donation bin somewhere anyway. So, I could give it to someone >> that I love anyway. >> Okay. Tasteful regifting with love is >> definitely regift. >> I think I've regifted before. I think like I don't I've definitely regifted like a candle like all the time. If you haven't used it and you have a lot of other candles and it's a good >> scent gifting I don't think I would and half the time you wouldn't even know if you've received gift >> yeah um >> but yeah so I guess today's the day to >> to choose what gift I guess so it's a little early but >> sorry I feel like I'm like going to any moment It's that season. >> Where is it? >> All those like little tips. >> I don't know. Someone once told me that if you're about to sneeze, say pineapple. Look at a light. Yeah. Word of mouth. >> I've heard that one, too. That's like the option on like when you're at, I don't know, a business or something. Where did you hear about us? Word of mouth. >> We're in the industry of word of mouth. >> We are. Yeah. >> Anyway. Oh, kind of on that note, if we're on the note of regifting, we kind of talked about this um just in the newsroom the other day, the the controversy of the gift card as a gift. How do we feel about giving slashreceiving gift cards as gifts? I love >> I love it. >> Bring it on thing. Or if it's like food, >> give me like a Duncan gift card. I bring it Starbucks. I love Duncan. >> I agree. I definitely love getting receiving gift cards. I can pick what I want and I don't if I get something I don't like. Yeah. Also, if you don't know a person, I don't think he'll watch it, but um like one of the his stocking stuffers is a Barnes & Noble gift card because he loves Barnes & Noble and he likes to go out and like have the experience going to Barnes & Noble and picking out a book. So rather that's >> thoughtful thoughtful thoughtful I know he likes doing that so I'm going to get him the Barnes & Noble >> gift card I experience that comes with I did that a Barnes & Noble for my friend for her birthday too because she's such a book lover and I was like I could get her a book that either like one of my favorites or one that I think she would like but I think this girl has read them all. So like I don't want Yeah. And then and then you have two of the same books and then that's an opportunity to regift and I don't necessarily want to give her that. So, I gave her the gift card and I think it's experience. >> I want a Barnes gift card if anyone's listening. >> Coffee go around. I love Barnes & Noble. Me, too. I haven't been in a while. >> I heard that. >> I can't go in there. >> I don't know if they're still doing it, but I heard if you like buy a coffee at Starbucks at at Barnes & Noble, you get like a $5 book. >> Oh, >> I think there is something like that. There's some deal between the two. Yeah. >> Yeah. Christmas. But they did it for Halloween, but they're doing it for Christmas as well. It's like a Christmas theme. >> Oh, that's good. I need to I want to get back into reading. >> On the topic of Christmas books, how do we feel about like the the holiday the holiday reads? How do we like the cheesy Christmas romance books and stuff? >> I truthfully do not really read those Hallmark movies. >> I was going to say or the Hallmark movies. Well, I only asked because I feel like I I'm reading a couple different books, but none of them were getting me in the holiday spirit and I've been reading more than watching TV. So, I wanted to get read something that was going to get me in the holiday spirit. So, I found a couple cheesy Christmas reads and now it's it's a waste of my time. I feel like I just need to stop doing that. But, so I was wondering if you guys had any experience with good holiday reads, >> but I like the concept. I've never read like >> read anything that's like holiday. >> I bought I bought a book for Halloween, but I never ended up getting the chance to read it. So, I feel like I have to wait now till next year. Halloween is different cuz you could read like just like a >> thill like a witch like I want to feel like cozy and have a pretty cover with like my copy in front of the Christmas tree but it's just not doing it for me. >> What about So I mean I guess and we probably have all like you just mentioned Hallmark movies. Is there a particular you should maybe try looking for one of your favorite shows that has >> a we talked about this. Yes. What is everyone's favorite holiday episode of a TV show? >> I have one. >> There's a lot I feel like. >> So, my household, my mother, we are a holiday baking family. >> So, when I tell you we've watched like holiday baking championship, sweet empire, like Food Network is on in my house all Christmas like time. >> Love Cupcake Wars when that was like bigger. >> That was huge. We have watched them all. >> I love it. And so that's kind of been like our thing because I used to bake a lot for like my family Christmas, but like with time and life got a little crazy. So now my mom's like, "Well, this is a close second." So >> that's awesome. That's super That definitely would get me in the spirit for sure. >> Sweet Empire. I would love that. >> I'll check it out. >> Okay. >> I I will say I'm a the biggest Friends fan that you can find around. >> Me too. Me too. I was going to say, well, I don't know. We should do a Friends trivia sometime. I would win. I'm not. >> Okay. Okay. Like I like friends but not like they do. >> I know middle names. Anyway, um I >> She's like I want to do it right now. I'll do it. Um I'm trying to >> I love the Christmas one with the holiday armadillo. Ross being the trying to incorporate, you know, TJ about, you know, Hanukkah >> and things like that. >> Armadillo. >> Oh, you got to watch it >> for the longest time. Watch growing up watching Friends like when my mom would watch it. I just like don't know why as a kid I did not like Ross. I found him so whiny. As I got older and I watch it again, I do find him funny now, but I just have that vivid memory of being a child thinking like I don't like Ross, you know. >> Okay, >> so maybe that's why I associate it with like I don't like that. But >> no, definitely check that one out. And you know, doing on top of this, the Thanksgiving episodes, >> those are good. >> The football episode is so good. The one with Brad Pit there on Thanksgiving. >> And then um I don't know if this is the same one where I think this is the same one where um Joey gets his head stuck in a turkey. >> Yes. The throwback. Yeah. And then I was also Yes. I was also going to add to those um New Girl where they make Thanksgiving dinner and Jess is thawing the turkey in the dryer. >> Oh god. >> Oh, you haven't seen that? Oh, it's so funny. It's so funny. It's so funny. But yeah, all the French ones are good too. about you, Kayie. >> I don't know. I can't think of like a particular >> holiday episode of >> Oh, >> I got to think about it more. >> I love I also like The Big Bang Theory. I know that's like hit or miss with some people. I love Big Bang Theory. And there's a a Christmas episode where >> like Shel Sheldon main character. He is against Christmas. He hates the idea of gift giving. The responsibility has to do with gift giving. And he receives a gift. It's like a life-changing gift. And it's like he know how to react and it's just like the funniest thing. That's funny. >> I used to love um I was a Disney Channel kid, but all the all the holiday all the holiday episodes. Good Luck Charlie. It's Christmas. That movie now. >> I do like Good Luck Charlie, so I feel like I'd like it, but I don't think I've seen it. >> Or maybe it's been a while. >> It's a good watch. I like the sweet life on deck where London is like like a Christmas carol >> episode of my icon that she >> goes out very coin home alone which I also think that's I didn't not realize that >> they're so in love with family I was like oh >> very cute >> that's like a top movie for me as well but >> we should probably take a break >> and yapping right away right along All right, welcome back to the last few minutes of Off the Desk on this Friday Junior. >> Friday Jun, >> one week from Christmas, it's almost the start of winter. A lot going on. Mhm. But there's a lot of things to look forward to over the next couple of weeks, including you guys mentioned, you know, the official launch of your show that'll come into. So tell us a little bit about what we can expect maybe for next week in your next appearance here at Off the Desk. >> So we have a little game that we have come up with and it's called headliner hoax where we're going to take headlines that we had on our website and see if you guys have seen it. Is it real of what we're telling you? Is it fake? because we know how like media like kind of gets all crazy sometimes with news and everything like that. So, we're going to see what you guys know. >> Wait, are you going to be making up some ones, too? So, some of them are going to be making up some taking some from the website and see which ones you guys can point out. And really excited about that. This is this is going to test us any of our story >> or just does it seem legit because you know we you know as you know we have to kind of make things that are clickable you know that's true >> so like does it >> yeah not make things misleading engaging. So yeah >> and some things are crazy that you that that happen that you don't necessarily think about happening regularly. So there are some Yeah. So, we'll see with your news brains if you could pick out which >> it's on. >> All right, cool. >> That's exciting. >> Yeah, it'll be good. We'll have to >> Yeah, >> probably before Christmas. >> We have to come up with um >> Yeah, we we love We love a would you rather? We love a this or that. Remember when we did the spelling thing though on a practice episode? That was good. They for the national spelling be they had um words on NBC Boston that you could like final words eventually from over the years. So we tried to spell them. >> It was funny. But now it's we write for a living. So I feel like >> that'd be funny. >> No, these were like triscodophobia. >> I don't even think that was one of them. >> Julia just knows that word for fun. >> Like what is that? >> Oh, remember borillia? I read that. That word was in my book the other day. >> Are you serious? >> What? >> Yeah. It's a Dan Brown like history buff book. But so it's like the flora and fauna and stuff. It's a plant. Yeah. That was in my book and I was like I remember this. >> I know what that means now. >> Yes. >> I'm sure we'll make up more games. That's the first one that we're going to >> start with. Well, we're looking forward to it. Hopefully we'll probably get it in before Christmas. We'll >> cool. >> All right. Well, thanks for joining us and thank you guys for tuning in. Last Friday Junior episode and we'll be back here for the last day of the week. The work Friday. >> Real Friday. >> Bye everybody. >> See you. >> See you.