BONUS EPISODE: A Halloween Surprise with Roz Hernandez!
Special guest Roz Hernandez, host of the podcast Ghosted!
Surprise and happy Halloween! We're here to celebrate all things spooky with our new friend Roz Hernandez from the podcast Ghosted! and the new queer ghost hunting show on Hulu, Living for the Dead! Don't worry, we cover all the important topics from inner gay healing to skin care routines in haunted locations (just don't do it). And can trans women become nuns simply as a precaution against the paranormal? ...and that's why we drink!
TRANSCRIPT
[intro music]
Christine Schiefer: Hello, everyone. Welcome to a surprise episode, a Halloween episode of And That's Why We Drink, which I don't think we have ever done before.
Em Schulz: No, we...
Christine Schiefer: Uh, we are...
Em Schulz: I've, I, I... Let me jump in.
Christine Schiefer: You talk.
Em Schulz: Because I'm very excited. This is our first, uh, bonus episode with a guest.
Christine Schiefer: Ah!!
Em Schulz: And, uh, this is, uh, uh, a pretty big one for us. This is comedian, actor, uh, podcast host of the show, "Ghosted!" and now, uh, cast member, I don't know if that's the right word, but cast member for, uh, "Living for the Dead", which comes out on Hulu, October 18th. And this is Roz Hernandez.
Roz Hernandez: Oh my God, I'm making history. [laughter]
Em Schulz: Thank you for being our first.
Christine Schiefer: Can you tell, can you tell we're, we're really new at this? I like accidentally completely F-ed up the start of the recording. So we're, we're newbies at having guests on, but we were waiting for the right person to come along and here you are.
Roz Hernandez: You guys, I'm so honored. Thanks for having me. And you're gonna be on my podcast.
Christine Schiefer: That's right. We just did like a little crossover moment. It was a delight. We had so much fun. And, uh, now we dragged you here to tell us about your creepy experiences.
Roz Hernandez: It's the truth.
Em Schulz: And also, um, I wanted to give you an opportunity to, um, tell everyone about your show coming out, too. So...
Christine Schiefer: Yes. I wanna hear about that.
Roz Hernandez: Oh yeah.
Em Schulz: Because it ties in very perfectly with Halloween season.
Roz Hernandez: Oh, yeah. This show, "Living for the Dead", which is coming out on Hulu.
Christine Schiefer: [gasp]
Roz Hernandez: It's very, um... It, it goes hand in hand with my podcast. 'Cause my podcast, I talk about ghosts and aliens and cryptids and everything paranormal. And, um, I'm queer, I'm trans, and a lot of my guests are queer and, uh, allies. And I, I don't... I love just like the connection between queerness and the paranormal. And this show is an all-queer cast.
Christine Schiefer: Ahh.
Roz Hernandez: There's five of us. There's three psychics, there's me, and then there's a person that's doing all the tech and all of the equipment and all that kind of technical stuff with ghost-hunting. And...
Christine Schiefer: So if they're the psychics, what's your like...
[laughter]
Em Schulz: Entertainment or...
Roz Hernandez: Uh, I am me.
Em Schulz: Yeah.
Christine Schiefer: Entertainer? [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: Hello?
Christine Schiefer: Obviously.
Roz Hernandez: Well, I do a lot of the research. I mean, I'm...
Christine Schiefer: Ooh, okay.
Roz Hernandez: Nosy, especially when someone, uh, you know, when it's historical, when it's stuff from the past, I like to, I like to dig around and see what I can find out. So...
Christine Schiefer: Oh, I love that.
Roz Hernandez: It's fun working with psychics because they'll, they'll get an impression about something, and then I can go, you know, figure out if that's...
Christine Schiefer: [gasp]
Roz Hernandez: If that name that they just picked up is a real thing, or whatever.
Christine Schiefer: That's the coolest like puzzle ever to get to play with. I love that.
Roz Hernandez: Yeah. It's really interesting having three psychics, like... 'Cause they all have different abilities and one, one is more tarot-heavy and, um, one's like uh, a really good psychic medium and, um, then there's another one that's got more witchy vibes to what she does. And I don't know, I think it's cool. It's like definitely, um, a different approach, I think, to these kinds of shows. And with it being so, such a queer show, I think it's definitely through a queer lens. The aesthetic is really beautiful and it's created by the people that created Queer Eye. So we're also going into these locations where people are dealing with these ghosts and we're helping 'em the best we can. And um, and Kristen Stewart's the narrator and it's super fun. Hulu.
Christine Schiefer: Oh my gosh.
Em Schulz: Very cool.
Christine Schiefer: I cannot wait. Um, it's right down our alley on like every possible level. Um, I'm curious about the psychics. Did they ever look at you in... Do they like close that off when they're just talking to you, or are there some times where they're like, "Listen, I have to tell you, um, something... "
Em Schulz: "Someone's coming through... "
Christine Schiefer: "Your, your grandfather's coming through"? Do they ever do that with you, or is it just like, "No, we're here for professional reasons only"?
Roz Hernandez: I wish. [laughter] I... My dead people said goodbye and they're good.
Christine Schiefer: They're gone. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: They don't want anything to do with me, I swear to God.
Christine Schiefer: I feel that.
Roz Hernandez: I've tried... I am obsessed with psychics. I'm addicted to psychics. [laughter] I've gone to probably 100 or more psychics in my lifetime and I don't feel like my dead people ever wanna talk to me and it's very sad. But...
Christine Schiefer: Aww.
Roz Hernandez: These psychics, they're pretty good at turning things off. Um, I don't know. I compare psychic abilities to sense of humor a lot.
Em Schulz: Mmm.
Roz Hernandez: And I think it's like similar where like, yeah, I'm a comedian, but like when I hang out with people, I'm not like cracking jokes left and right.
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: But sometimes one, a good one will slip out and, [laughter] you know, I think it's like the same kind of thing.
Christine Schiefer: I love that. I never thought about that. 'Cause we talk about that too, where like we'll be out and we're not like on, or like in character, you know, not trying to be the funny person all the time. So I can, I can see that. That makes sense they would like turn that valve off. Um...
Roz Hernandez: Yeah.
Christine Schiefer: Wow. Em...
Em Schulz: I, I...
Christine Schiefer: Have you ever talked to a psychic? Sorry, I'm like totally derailing the conversation, but...
Em Schulz: Um, I have talked to psychics. Yeah. The... We both, we both, uh, have been to the same psychic, actually. Uh...
Christine Schiefer: That's true.
[laughter]
Em Schulz: And, uh, I feel like, actually, speaking of queer stuff, when I, when I first, um, when I first went to her, my... I, I do this thing where I treat myself to things in advance. So we'll like go shopping and like click the calendar date of when it should get delivered and it's very far in the future. So I treat myself to things and surprise myself. And I surprised myself with, um...
Roz Hernandez: Oh.
Em Schulz: I surprised myself with a psychic reading and it happened to be like two weeks after my grandma ended up passing.
Christine Schiefer: Oh my.
Roz Hernandez: Woah!
Em Schulz: And worked out very well. And one thing that I never got to tell her, or I, I avoided telling her was that I was queer because I kind of got the vibes that she wasn't about that. Um, and...
Christine Schiefer: She wasn't about it. It just like wasn't her thing.
Em Schulz: She, she made it kind of clear, uh, in passing.
Christine Schiefer: Yes.
Em Schulz: But um...
Roz Hernandez: Yeah, I get it.
Em Schulz: So I was like, "Alright, you're just not gonna know that part of me." Well, then I have this psychic coming in and the first thing she says is like, "Your grandma's here and she wants to apologize for making you feel like you couldn't come to her about things. And she sees what, what's, what your life is about and she couldn't be happier for you."
Christine Schiefer: Awww.
Roz Hernandez: Awww.
Em Schulz: And I'm like, "Oh my God!" I'm like, "That's like the... That's like some sort of inner gay healing." So um...
Christine Schiefer: I love that.
Roz Hernandez: That's sweet. See, I always wonder how that works. Like, I, I've had a lot of psychics tell me about how your dead loved ones, like can always watch, like they're just like always tuning in.
Christine Schiefer: Oh, gosh. Just pop in. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: Like it's Santa Claus, he sees you when you're sleeping. They know when you're awake or something.
Christine Schiefer: Cute.
Roz Hernandez: But I... And that's my theory of why my people don't wanna talk to me. I think they've seen some shit and they're like, "We're not talking."
[laughter]
Em Schulz: Also, you know that like they all... I feel like we've been reassured a bunch of times by mediums of like, "Oh, well they can't... " They don't like watch you like when you're in the shower or when you're like doing, you know, you know, some certain things, but like you know there's one ghost that does, you know...
Christine Schiefer: There has to be a pervy ghost out there. You can't...
Em Schulz: Like, it's not like, it's not like there's a locked door they can't walk through or something...
Christine Schiefer: Right.
Em Schulz: In those moments.
Roz Hernandez: Right. Or they're like, "Okay, now I'm gonna turn the channel and look at another relative now like as they get naked and I'll come back later." Like, I don't know if that really what happens.
Em Schulz: I don't know. But if I... The not knowing terrifies me. So, um, anyway, oh, I was gonna ask too, uh, about, um, the psychics on your show. Do you ever feel then that like the pressure's on you?
Christine Schiefer: Mmm.
Em Schulz: Because everything... Like what if their readings... I don't know about clash, but what if they're, you're just getting... If there's three psychics, you're getting three completely different stories and it's your job to piece them all together. I mean, that... I would feel like I'd be the most stressed out one on the set, you know? How do you...
Roz Hernandez: Right.
Em Schulz: Deal with that?
Roz Hernandez: Interesting. Well, I mean, I think a mistake that a lot of people make with psychics is that they think that psychics have all the answers, or like people go to psychics all the time and they assume that the psychic is going to solve all their problems or whatever. And, and I really like the psychics that I was working with and, and my belief on this sort of a thing is like, just let me know what's coming through. It's sort of like when you're brainstorming, like, "What are some ideas that are popping up?" I don't know. It's like, "Tune into your psychic-ness. Let me know what you got. Oh, you got like a man with brown hair. Okay, cool. Oh, somebody that's in 1940s clothes. Okay, cool. Like, let's just like jot these down. Who knows, maybe you're picking up on a relative that is, um, of a crew member. I don't know. It could be something."
Christine Schiefer: Hmm.
Roz Hernandez: It could be a lot of things. Um, and then we'll figure out...
Em Schulz: So you also have to weed, you have to weed through some of the stuff too to see if it even...
Christine Schiefer: Like what's applicable.
Em Schulz: Connects with the story.
Roz Hernandez: Totally. And then it's like, "Okay, we have confirmed that there was a guy with brown hair that in the 1940s died in this room. Let's like tune into that and see what else we can find out about that."
Em Schulz: Mmm.
Roz Hernandez: But most of the places that we went to, I mean, I'd say most of 'em, we kind of... There was like a problem that was going on, like a specific energy...
Em Schulz: Mmm. Okay.
Roz Hernandez: Um, was making it hard for the people that were living there or, or working there or whatever it was. And so we were sort of tuning in and figuring out, "Okay, what do you guys need? Like...
Christine Schiefer: Right. Right, right, right, right.
Em Schulz: Sure.
Roz Hernandez: "How can we make make it so you all can co-exist here?" Which was like really empowering for me because I had... I mean, I'm sorry. I come from the world of drag queens. I give a lot of side eye and sass. And when these ghosts are being assholes, I mean, I wouldn't say that I was like yelling at them, but I had a couple of moments where I was like, "Alright, listen up."
Christine Schiefer: "Let's set the record straight here." [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: "I was sent here by the nice people that own this building and you, if you wanna be here, you can, but come on."
Em Schulz: Is there like a...
Christine Schiefer: Get it together.
Em Schulz: Is there, um... I guess this leads into another question of, have you done any ghost-hunting before this, but also...
Christine Schiefer: Mm-hmm.
Em Schulz: Do you have any, um... Was there like a, like a ghost-hunting like training that you all had to like sit down and like, "How are we gonna handle this? How are we gonna, you know... " 'Cause there are some shows out there, which I'm sure a lot of people can read the room, where they're just aggressive and hostile to the spirits. Like, how... Did you all talk before, like how you're gonna address it?
Christine Schiefer: Like, "What's the vibe... What's the tone before we do this intervention with the ghost?"
[laughter]
Em Schulz: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: Yeah, yeah. I mean, we've all done this kind of work like...
Christine Schiefer: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: To varying degrees. I mean, I, I think with my podcast and researching and talking to witnesses is like kind of what my podcast is that I've done every week for the past few years. And, um, I've also done ghost-hunting stuff. And we all sort of have different approaches in a way. But yeah, I mean, we had a lot of meetings together throughout each investigation and be like, "Okay, what should we do? Like, what are you... What are we all thinking? Let's kind of... "
Christine Schiefer: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: "Let's, you know, let's figure out what the best plan might be here." Um, but yeah, no like ghost-hunting school or anything like that. But, um... [laughter]
Christine Schiefer: We should start one of those. I don't know if that exists, but we should TM, TM, TM.
Em Schulz: Yeah. [chuckle]
Roz Hernandez: Well, I just think there's like so many different... There's so many different ways that you can do this stuff and... I don't know. I think ultimately, it's like be respectful and...
Christine Schiefer: Right.
Roz Hernandez: Um, have an open mind and be curious. And um, that's sort of, sort of what we did. I mean, the few times that I got like sassy with a ghost, [laughter] it was just like... It actually kind of just came out. I couldn't help... It's not something I would normally do. But...
[laughter]
Em Schulz: You were possessed in some way.
[laughter]
Roz Hernandez: Yes. There was... Well, the one that I'm thinking of was insulting, um, my hair.
Christine Schiefer Gasp.
Em Schulz: Oooh.
Roz Hernandez: And that was the last straw.
Christine Schiefer: Too far.
Roz Hernandez: For me.
Christine Schiefer: Too far. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: Yeah. Um... So...
[overlapping conversation]
Christine Schiefer: Sorry.
Roz Hernandez: Yeah. But...
Em Schulz: Do you...
Roz Hernandez: We work really well together, the, the the five of us. And, and I think that this show... Like if you've seen ghost-hunting shows, like I'm such a fan of ghost-hunting shows...
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: And I've watched them for the past 20 years or whatever. And I do... I love what I've seen so far, but there's... This one is different because I think we're really focused on helping solve a specific scenario.
Christine Schiefer: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: And so like, even, even a lot of the process that we go through to get to a conclusion, like you don't necessarily see all of it. I mean, sometimes... I don't know if it's like the most interesting thing in the world to watch people like playing with equipment. Like you don't see necessarily that part. Um, you do, but it's not just that. Like there's, there's a lot going on. You might even cry a few times while watching it. And, um, it's also like really fun and silly and... Yeah, it's a good time.
Christine Schiefer: I love that. Were you ever like terrified? Were you ever like really scared, or was it more low-key than that?
Roz Hernandez: The whole time, I was terrified.
Christine Schiefer: Oh, you were? [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: I mean, I love to try to act like, "It's... You know, these are living people that have died and now they're just existing and they're... "
[laughter]
Roz Hernandez: I'm sorry. I don't care who you are, if you have the ability to be invisible around me...
Christine Schiefer: Oh, God.
Roz Hernandez: That's terrifying.
Em Schulz: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: And also, I don't know these ghosts. I'm sorry.
Christine Schiefer: True.
Roz Hernandez: I didn't know them when they were alive. I don't know them now. I don't know how they feel about all of this. I don't know how they feel about queer people. [laughter] I don't know how they feel about camera crews. I don't know. So I mean, I definitely approached it like I was going into a stranger's house, which...
Christine Schiefer: Right.
Em Schulz: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: I think having had a little bit of experience going into strangers' houses in my day, um, you never know what you're gonna get. And... [laughter]
Christine Schiefer: That's true.
Em Schulz: Did you ever get, um, like... Like an example of mine is whenever we've gone ghost-hunting, even though I'm excited that we're going ghost-hunting and that, you know, it's, you know, helping us either...
Christine Schiefer: And it was your idea usually.
Em Schulz: And it was my idea. Uh, when we, when we book a place and it's like actually happening, part of me is like, "Shit, shit."
Christine Schiefer: Like, "Why did I do this?"
Em Schulz: "Why did I do this? How'd I get myself into this?" Do you ever feel like that...
Roz Hernandez: Yeah.
Em Schulz: Where you're like, "I got cast on this great show and it's gonna do really well, but fuck, now I have to go in all these stupid haunted houses."
[laughter]
Roz Hernandez: Yeah, absolutely. Like...
Em Schulz: Okay, good. Thank you for normalizing that.
Roz Hernandez: It's just like...
[laughter]
Christine Schiefer: It's validating. Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: It's just like how I'm like, "Oh, I want... I'm... I gotta plan the cutest outfits. Like I'm gonna be on camera." And then I get there and we're in like an abandoned funeral building [laughter] and I'm like, "I... This is not an outfit for this." I guess there's a reason...
Christine Schiefer: But you look good, I bet. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: Oh, totally. Like, I totally get why people don't wear high heels and skin-tight dresses and stuff like that when they go ghost-hunting. It makes sense. But um...
Christine Schiefer: Well...
Roz Hernandez: Sometimes you gotta learn the hard way.
[laughter]
Christine Schiefer: Well, Em still mocks me for getting a spray tan before one of our ghost hunts.
Em Schulz: To be in the dark. To be in the dark.
Christine Schiefer: Em was like, "We were filming in infrared camera." [laughter] I was like, "Okay, that's fair."
Roz Hernandez: Oh my God.
Christine Schiefer: That's fair.
Roz Hernandez: That's hilarious.
Em Schulz: Did you...
Roz Hernandez: Well... Okay. I was just gonna answer your question real quick. Like I, um, I definitely feel that experience of like excitement and then I get there and I'm like, "What the hell?" when it comes to sleeping. Like these...
Em Schulz: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: Places like... I, I think like three or four of 'em we slept in...
Christine Schiefer: Oh, geez.
Roz Hernandez: For three nights or so? And that's when it's like, "Okay, we're having a blast all day long. We're here." And then it starts getting dark, and then...
Christine Schiefer: And it's quiet.
Roz Hernandez: Everyone's getting sleepy. And I'm sorry, but we got three people in this group with magic powers. [laughter] We got one person that's, that's the kind of ghost hunter that's like, "Bring it on. I want the scariest stuff ever." [laughter] I hate to say this, but I'm the only normal one in this damn group.
[laughter]
Roz Hernandez: And so when it would be nighttime, I never slept the entire time that we were doing this because it was so scary. Uh, any little noise I heard I assumed was a ghost. And um, you know, you just heard so many stories all day long and you had all these experience. Like we had... Sometimes when at nighttime, we would do all these experiments, the scariest shit would happen. And then it's like, "Alright, everyone, goodnight. We'll see you all in the morning." And I'm like, "How do I just go to bed after that in a haunted room?" [laughter]
Em Schulz: Is there a way that like... Is... Are you told by production like you actually have to go try and sleep? Or can you just be like, "I'm now officially the only one ghost-hunting all night long 'cause I can't go to bed"?
Roz Hernandez: Well, there's no way in hell I was gonna leave my room. I just like...
Em Schulz: Okay, that's true. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: Sat in my bed with my blankets and my eyes wide open.
Christine Schiefer: Aww.
Roz Hernandez: Yes. That, that, that was what it was. I didn't... Everyone else was just sleeping. There was a night or two when, um, some people would stay up a little bit. But I mean they're also... It's also a really exhausting process...
Christine Schiefer: True.
Roz Hernandez: Of ghost-hunting like that and traveling and, and all of that. So people, like normal human beings would just go to bed and...
Christine Schiefer: Right.
Roz Hernandez: I didn't. So I dont necessarily...
Christine Schiefer: Did anything... Oh, sorry.
Roz Hernandez: Mm-hmm.
Christine Schiefer: I was just gonna say while people were sleeping...
Roz Hernandez: I was just gonna say, I don't dont know that you can see, uh, the, in the episodes that I didn't sleep, but anytime we're at a place where we had to sleep, you'll...
Christine Schiefer: [laughter] Right.
Roz Hernandez: If you look closely, the bags under my eyes get a little bit bigger. I'm a little less energetic as the episode goes on.
Em Schulz: Do you, do you do like a usual like skin routine at night in the bathroom? Or do you just like get under the covers and...
Roz Hernandez: Hell no!
Em Schulz: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: I wasn't doing any of that shit because...
Christine Schiefer: A skin routine. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: I know a scary movie scene very well, like it's the typical trope, you put your face down in the sink...
Christine Schiefer: Yup.
Roz Hernandez: You look back up in the mirror and that's when they get ya.
Christine Schiefer: Not happening. Not happening.
Roz Hernandez: So I wasn't letting that happen the entire time. Um, I... Taking a shower? Shaving my legs in the damn Clown Motel, it was very scary.
[laughter]
Christine Schiefer: Oh no! Oh no. Did, did anything happen to anybody during the night like when you weren't filming, or were, was everyone filming that whole time?
Em Schulz: Or was there like a... Or was there like uh, a 24/7 like security cam tracking stuff, you know?
Roz Hernandez: We did have cameras.
Christine Schiefer: You did. Okay.
Roz Hernandez: Um, but I, um... And we had handheld cameras.
Christine Schiefer: Mmm.
Roz Hernandez: Um, yes. The... Actually the Clown Motel, which was the first place that, that we went to, I... The first night was definitely my night, like the first time that I was like, "Wait, I have to actually sleep here?" Like...
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: This a TV show. Like, aren't they gonna like put me in the Ritz-Carlton of the middle of nowhere, Nevada?"
Christine Schiefer: Yeah. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: Um, no. I had to actually sleep there and like nobody else was there but, uh, the five of us. And I kind of begged one of the, um, one of my castmates, uh, Ken, to let me sleep in his bedroom because there was two beds. [laughter] And platonically...
Em Schulz: We've been there.
Roz Hernandez: I slept in his... [chuckle] I slept in his bedroom.
Christine Schiefer: Oh yeah.
Roz Hernandez: And we stayed up really late and he gave me a tarot reading and it was nice...
Christine Schiefer: Aww.
Roz Hernandez: But then he had to go to bed. And I was in his room... 'Cause we only stayed in the most haunted rooms. It's not like they were like, "Oh, we're gonna put you in some... The rooms where nothing bad happened." Like, no.
Christine Schiefer: No.
Roz Hernandez: We had to stay in the haunted rooms. So this was a room where people, where people report ghosts like interrupting their sleep, grabbing their feet when they sleep.
Em Schulz: Hm.
Christine Schiefer: Oh.
Roz Hernandez: Whatever. And I... Literally, my body gave out.
Christine Schiefer: [gasp]
Roz Hernandez: I was starting to fall asleep sitting up, and I felt two taps on my neck, like tap, tap. And I don't...
Em Schulz: [gasp]
Christine Schiefer: Shut up.
Roz Hernandez: It felt... I thought it was Ken, so I, I got up real quick and then it wasn't..
Christine Schiefer: [gasp]
Roz Hernandez: And that really freaked me out. And then I really couldn't sleep after that.
Em Schulz: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: And he's just sleeping peacefully in his bed. I have the lights on because I'm not paying the electric and I don't... I'm not taking any chances. And all of a sudden his feet starts wiggling.
Christine Schiefer: [gasp]
Roz Hernandez: And his one foot starts wiggling off the bed. Like it's like being pulled. And it kept happening.
Christine Schiefer: Stop.
Roz Hernandez: And he was like in his sleep, like shaking it off..
Christine Schiefer: [gasp]
Roz Hernandez: And I was like...
Em Schulz: Oh my God.
Roz Hernandez: "Sorry, Ken, I'm pulling out my handheld camera," and I started filming his foot. Um, so yeah.
Em Schulz: Oh my God. Well, now...
Christine Schiefer: Oh my Lord.
Em Schulz: Every time I shake in my sleep, I'm gonna jolt awake of like, "What was grabbing me?"
Christine Schiefer: A clown.
Em Schulz: Yeah. Oh God.
Roz Hernandez: Totally. I was like, my feet were tucked in. There was no way there was a... [chuckle] No foot fetish ghost.
Em Schulz: I'd be going to sleep, criss-cross applesauce. I would be so...
Roz Hernandez: Absolutely.
[laughter]
Em Schulz: I'd be in a ball all night. Oh my gosh. Well, did you have like a favorite personal experience when, when ghost-hunting in any of the locations?
Roz Hernandez: Honestly, my favorite experience was probably, um, when we went to the strip club, the Palomino, which is in Las Vegas.
Christine Schiefer: Mmm.
Roz Hernandez: And that one, the whole experience was just really empowering. And they were dealing with aggressive spirits that were making it tough for the girls that work there. And that's actually the location where I was like, I stood up to the ghost. And...
Em Schulz: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: Being a scaredy cat, that was like a big moment for me.
Em Schulz: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: And even like, it just, it just came out of me. I just started talking to this ghost and I'm like, "You get to haunt a Las Vegas strip club. Like, are you kidding me? There's so many places that you could be haunting. This is where you get to be. So like, come on, be cool."
Em Schulz: To some people, it would be the dream. Yeah. Yeah, it would...
[laughter]
Roz Hernandez: Absolutely.
Em Schulz: And you're gonna, and you're gonna be and you're gonna be a Negative Nelly about it? I don't think so. Yeah.
[laughter]
Roz Hernandez: And that was the one moment... Now, I don't know if, how people would feel about this. Uh, this might be like slightly ghost bro-y of me. But I was like, "Listen, we could, I don't know, maybe we could light a few things. We could, you know, we can get your ass out of here."
Christine Schiefer: "We could kick you on out."
Roz Hernandez: We could.
Christine Schiefer: That's right.
Roz Hernandez: Right. "'Cause no one wants you here if you're gonna be mean. I would... Everyone would like you to be here, but it's like they're being a shitty customer. And if you're... "
Em Schulz: Yeah. [chuckle]
Roz Hernandez: "You know, I'm sorry that you're, that you know, for whatever reason you're tied to this area, but like, you gotta be cool. Like, you don't pay the bills here and you get to see free naked ladies all night. Like... "
[laughter]
Christine Schiefer: Count your blessings.
Roz Hernandez: "You gotta be cool." And...
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Em Schulz: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: Um, the ghost assured me that it was gonna be cool, so...
Christine Schiefer: Okay.
Em Schulz: Hey, alright. Sounds...
Christine Schiefer: I hope it, I hope it is. I hope it was.
Roz Hernandez: It worked.
Em Schulz: You're, you're a professional. After that officially, you're a... That's an expert level move. And I appreciate the not-so-veiled threat of like, "I can kick your ass. We can get you out of here if we need to."
Christine Schiefer: I, I'm holding some sage and you know what that means. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: I mean, that's the thing that I kind of try to remind myself is like, I'm alive and they're not. And it's not. I mean, [chuckle] you could almost look at that like it's a, it's a privilege or something. Um, but it, it's not like I'm... I'm not saying I'm better than you 'cause you're dead or anything like that, but like, if there's people that genuinely do own these places and they pay the bills here, the building's in their name, like it's not technically yours right now. Like it's not.
Em Schulz: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: But... So you just have to like be nice. You have to learn how to co-exist. Like you can be roommates, um...
[laughter]
Em Schulz: Yeah.
Christine Schiefer: In this strip club. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: But... Yes. Like you're... You can be there. I never... I'm not in the business of like crossing people over...
Christine Schiefer: Sure.
Roz Hernandez: Or any of that. That's not... I don't feel like that's my place to do. But it's like, if you're a major nuisance and you're affecting the business of the people that...
Christine Schiefer: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: Are currently operating that place, like you gotta figure it out. You either have to be cool or you gotta go.
Em Schulz: Mm-hmm.
Christine Schiefer: Do you, do you have a theory as to... 'Cause I always wonder this, why certain spirits get stuck, or do they choose to stay there? Do you have any idea, like especially with this strip club ghost, was he like, "I'm gonna stay in this, my favorite spot on the strip"? Uh, or, or was it... Do you think he's like accidentally stuck there? Do you have any theory on that?
Roz Hernandez: I mean, I definitely think there's a lot of reasons why it happens. I mean, definitely it seems like the unfinished business thing...
Christine Schiefer: Right.
Roz Hernandez: Is a thing. Um, I... My favorite thing about the unknown is that it's unknown and nobody knows anything for sure. [laughter] And so it's all just theory. And I like, I like to entertain different theories especially as you collect more data and you do this stuff constantly, you're like, "Okay, it seems like that's a theory that works." Um, so I do think that the unfinished business thing is a thing. I think...
Christine Schiefer: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: That the, "I love this place and I don't wanna leave" is a thing.
Christine Schiefer: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: Um, I think there's several things. I, I also always like to entertain like, maybe it's just an energy that's trapped.
Christine Schiefer: Right, like leftover energy or something.
Roz Hernandez: Totally. Like I don't know. Uh...
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: I don't know any of this. I, I don't know what these things are capable of. I don't, I don't know... I don't know. But...
Christine Schiefer: Mmm.
Em Schulz: Is there...
Roz Hernandez: I'm down to try to figure out.
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Em Schulz: Is there a, um, a type of flavor of ghost that you are really hoping you never have to work with on this show?
Christine Schiefer: Oh, interesting.
Em Schulz: Like is there uh...
Roz Hernandez: Ooh.
Em Schulz: A doll? Is there uh, um, uh, a certain...
Christine Schiefer: A gremlin, a wendigo... [laughter]
Em Schulz: A shadow figure, uh, like a, like a house where like really like it's too much for you? Like is there one thing you're just hoping, "Please don't let production ever get us there"?
Roz Hernandez: Well, okay. I grew up Catholic and I can't help it... I mean, I'm very much not Catholic now, but um, I'm terrified of the idea of a demon.
Christine Schiefer: Mm-mm.
Em Schulz: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: And I definitely entertain the possibility that it could be real, though at the same time, I don't know, I'm very skeptical of everything. I've also talked so much shit about demons on my podcast and I'm always convinced that they're going to be like, "Hey, we heard you running your mouth about us," and once they have me in their grasps. Um, so I would say just like a demon type thing. We had a couple of moments where it was, it was suspected that it could be something like that. But I don't know. I think it's very rare. I think it's... I'm not the kind of person that thinks it's gonna be a demon like just right off the bat. I think that...
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: Ghosts are super misunderstood. I definitely know that there's people in this world that see someone like me and they think that I'm a demon [chuckle] just because they don't understand me, you know.
Christine Schiefer: Oh, good. Right, right, right. I get that.
Roz Hernandez: Like I think there's definitely, um... I think there's just a lot of misunderstanding that...
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: You know, it, it could just be a really bitchy ghost and...
Christine Schiefer: I was gonna say, like people are ass... Like demonic in real life, so why not be total assholes in the afterlife? But yeah, the, the Catholics, I swear to God, they instilled... 'Cause I grew up Catholic too and I'm also recovering Catholic and far from it, but they really, from like two years old on, instilled this fear of demons in me, um...
Roz Hernandez: Yeah.
Christine Schiefer: Even though I kinda know better. [laughter] But any of those movies like The Exorcist and Emily Rose and all that, I mean really, I think that's probably, I, I guess I would agree, um, I would agree.
Roz Hernandez: Yeah, that stuff still to this day just really like scares me in a way that is... I'm so annoyed. And actually, during the pandemic, we had an earthquake here and it happened when I was on a Zoom call with somebody and they were asking me my thoughts of demons...
Christine Schiefer: [gasp]
Roz Hernandez: And I started talking shit about demons and about how I'm not really convinced that they're real, and then...
[ATWWD elevator music]
Christine Schiefer: Okay, we had some technical difficulties right as Roz said the D-word. Uh...
Em Schulz: I know I...
Christine Schiefer: Rhymes...
Roz Hernandez: The D-word!
Christine Schiefer: Rhymes with... Oh, never mind. Not gonna say what it rhymes with, um, 'cause only one word came to mind. Uh...
Roz Hernandez: Semen.
[laughter]
Em Schulz: Oh.
Christine Schiefer: That's the one. Uh...
Em Schulz: Thank you. I was like, "Where are we going?"
Roz Hernandez: Listen, I kept saying... There was one of these haunted locations where uh, I was like, uh... I shouldn't say this. Uh, I was just basically like, "This is the, not the D-word um, I would like." Um...
[laughter]
Roz Hernandez: But anyway.
Christine Schiefer: Ohh Yeah. And the whole computer... Uh, all our... Well, Em's and my internet and Eva's all went funky, then Em got kicked into the... I don't know, stratosphere...
Em Schulz: The nebulas of the internet. Yeah.
Christine Schiefer: Yeah, somewhere, um, and couldn't hear us, but then was muttering under their breath, not knowing we could hear them. So it was all very chaotic. Chaotic.
Em Schulz: I was like, "What do I do?"
Christine Schiefer: Um, so I apologize, Roz. As you can tell, we're new at this whole guest thing um, that...
Roz Hernandez: You guys are doing great. Well, I think...
Christine Schiefer: Thank you for sharing your story about demons.
Roz Hernandez: Let's just not... We won't talk about the D-word anymore.
Christine Schiefer: Mm-hmm.
Em Schulz: Hm.
Christine Schiefer: Excellent idea. Excellent idea.
Em Schulz: Well, that's okay. I, um... I don't even remember what I asked to get us there, um, but I said...
Christine Schiefer: You said, "What are you... What do you not wanna encounter?" basically.
Em Schulz: Oh, yes. And...
Roz Hernandez: Oh, right. Yeah. So I would say that, um, and I, I just don't like the sleep stuff. I don't... I just...
Em Schulz: Yeah.
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: That is such a sacred time for me. It is such a vulnerable time for me.
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: I'm not even gonna lie, like the last relationship I was in for like two years, I made him sleep in a different bed than me. Um, I don't like to be interrupted when I sleep. And...
Christine Schiefer: That's fair.
Roz Hernandez: My dog sleeps in my bed. He knows better than to lick me when I'm sleeping. I just... I don't wanna be interrupted.
Em Schulz: Your boyfriend didn't? [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: He didn't. He wouldn't stop licking me.
Christine Schiefer: That's the rule, the only rule. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: No licking, no grabbing my toes, none of that stuff. [laughter] So, um, yeah, I just... I, I... The, the funny thing is... Okay, here's the story. I'm very big into therapy.
Em Schulz: Mmm.
Roz Hernandez: And um, I, I love EMDR therapy...
Christine Schiefer: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: With like the lights and dealing with traumas and um, I... [chuckle] I was already in therapy and I do it over an app. And my therapist is wonderful and she lives in the Midwest. And it was revealed to me after I was already in therapy with her that she likes ghost-hunting and...
Christine Schiefer: [gasp]
[laughter]
Roz Hernandez: It was kind of a weird coincidence.
Christine Schiefer: Wow.
Roz Hernandez: And I told her like, I, I really want to deal with this sleep thing.
Christine Schiefer: Uh-huh.
Roz Hernandez: And so we focused together weeks, every single one of my damn sessions, there's a lot of things I need to be talking about, [laughter] but I dedicated it on sleeping in haunted places the entire time I was working on the show.
Em Schulz: That's amazing.
Roz Hernandez: And sometimes I would be FaceTiming with her in these haunted places and she was great at talking me through and whatever. And when I first got the show, I told her like, "That's the part that I'm the most stressed about...
Christine Schiefer: Right.
Roz Hernandez: Because I'm gonna be on TV, I wanna look pretty, I need my beauty rest, whatever." And she said to me, this being a ghost hunter in the Midwest, she said, "Well, just be grateful you don't have to sleep at the Lemp Mansion."
Christine Schiefer: Ah!
Em Schulz: Ohh.
Roz Hernandez: The Lemp Mansion was the final place that we went to.
Christine Schiefer: No! You're kidding me. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: And she had no clue. And I said, "Why would you say that?" She's... Uh, 'cause I said, "You know, we are going there. I just learned... "
Christine Schiefer: Of all things.
Roz Hernandez: "That we're gonna be going there." And she's like, "No reason." She's like, "It's not that bad."
Christine Schiefer: No.
Roz Hernandez: "It's fine. It's fine. It's fine."
[laughter]
Christine Schiefer: Oh Shit.
Roz Hernandez: Um, so yeah, for, for me, it kind of led up to going to that place at the very end. And um... I mean, she did a lot of great work with me, but I'm still not fully there when it comes to sleeping in haunted places.
Christine Schiefer: Was she like on FaceTime while you were, uh, at the Lemp Mansion, like just kinda doing her own little snooping around, doing her own little investigation?
Em Schulz: Right.
Roz Hernandez: I wish. I... No, I was like just about threatening her, like "If there's a ghost in this damn place, I'm calling you at 1:00 AM. I don't care."
Christine Schiefer: "I'm flying you in here." [laughter]
Em Schulz: Yeah, drive over. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: Yeah, exactly. Um...
Em Schulz: Do you... Because of like, you know, all of your ghost-hunting, it's, I think it's fair to ask, did, do things follow you home? And like, how do you handle that on...
Christine Schiefer: Ooh.
Em Schulz: In your own space?
Christine Schiefer: Yeah. Do you have like a ritual to keep them away?
Roz Hernandez: I know. I think about this a lot and there's a part of me where I'm like, "Okay, I don't wanna be too fun 'cause I don't want them to be like, 'Okay... '"
[laughter]
Christine Schiefer: Don't wanna be roomies. YEah.
Roz Hernandez: "You're fun. You're cute. Let's go wherever you're going."
Em Schulz: "I'm coming home with you." Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: Yeah. Um, I, I definitely have like my, my little personal beliefs with my crystals and my things that I light and my whatever...
Christine Schiefer: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: That help me to feel better about that sort of a thing. Um, luckily, knock on wood, it has not happened. [chuckle] I know that, um, my home-home has a security system for humans and non-humans. And I've got truly like a spiritual force field...
Christine Schiefer: Oh, good. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: Set up around here. And every damn thing that anyone has ever told me will keep away.
Christine Schiefer: You have like salt in the corners and...
Roz Hernandez: All of that.
Christine Schiefer: All that business. Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: Oh, I got tourmalines in each corner.
Em Schulz: I would appreciate a list, um... I, I'd love a list where you can tell me exactly how to do it for my own home.
Christine Schiefer: Yeah, I wanna follow the rules. I wanna follow the same guidelines.
Roz Hernandez: Well, here's my general belief of all this kind of stuff. I really think whatever you believe, that...
Christine Schiefer: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: Power, that conviction is strong enough to keep away an invisible bad energy. That's...
Em Schulz: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: What I think. Um, it...
Christine Schiefer: 'Cause every culture has a different process and procedure. And it's like the intention...
Roz Hernandez: Exactly.
Christine Schiefer: It's the intention behind it, I think, more than anything.
Roz Hernandez: Totally. I'm like, how can all of those things work? How can...
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: Saying an Our Father work the same...
Christine Schiefer: Right.
Roz Hernandez: As sage or whatever? Like, I think, I think that it's just all about what you believe. So sometimes when people will be like, um, "What do I do?" or whatever, I'm like, "Well, I can tell you some things that people do... "
Christine Schiefer: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: "And which one resonates with you?"
Christine Schiefer: Right.
Roz Hernandez: And um... "Or you could do what I do, which is a little bit of that. And also like, just to be safe, I'll have, uh, this little thing and that little thing. Because I... "
Christine Schiefer: It can't hurt. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: It can't hurt. Um, so... And I also have like a lot of friends that I've gathered from doing the podcast over the years that are people that kind of specialize in, in keeping the...
Christine Schiefer: Nice.
Roz Hernandez: The bad away. And so, um, I got them all on speed dial.
Christine Schiefer: That's perfect. 'Cause Em, if you, uh, if you don't know, Em is Jewish, but for some reason is the first person when we're ghost-hunting, to immediately start saying the Our Father, the Hail Mary... Like, we'll just straight up be like, "Jesus, I believe in you, you're in my heart." And we're like, "What?" [laughter] It is... It is uh...
Em Schulz: I'm like, what...
Christine Schiefer: It is, uh it is Em's...
Em Schulz: Whatever...
Christine Schiefer: New belief system when we're ghost-hunting.
Em Schulz: Whatever is... Whatever deity is going to protect me in that moment, I am, I am worshiping you. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: Oh my God.
Christine Schiefer: It's the most ridiculous thing.
Roz Hernandez: That's hilarious. I know. There's times where I'm like... Especially when I was doing this project and we were at nighttime where I'm like on my phone, Googling like, "Can I technically become a nun, um, as a trans woman? Like, would they accept me? Like what... "
[laughter]
Christine Schiefer: "Do I have to tell them? Can I just like fly under the radar?"
Roz Hernandez: Yeah, exactly. Like...
Christine Schiefer: "Is that allowed?"
Roz Hernandez: I was just like, I, I think I need to just get out of this business, uh, go to the other... [laughter] Go to that side. Um, but also, Em, we live near each other. So if you ever have something follow you over, call me up. You can come over here. It's safe...
Christine Schiefer: Borrow some salt for the corners.
Roz Hernandez: Yes. [laughter] It's a safe place.
Em Schulz: I, I...
Roz Hernandez: I have a feeling that if a psychic came over here, they would see just a bunch of demons smoking cigarettes outside 'cause they're not allowed in. I don't know.
[laughter]
Em Schulz: Uh, I very much appreciate that. I'm, I'm happy to have you on speed dial in an emergency 'cause I never know. The other day I felt something in here and I was like, you know, it all of a sudden becomes a moment when, when you're like, "Oh, I really wish I had some backup." So, you know, maybe you can be my backup.
Roz Hernandez: Oh, you gotta have backup. And my friend, um, Roz Hernandez Davis is a, uh, exorcist who lives in Los Angeles.
Christine Schiefer: Oh, shit.
Roz Hernandez: And, um...
Em Schulz: Good to know.
Roz Hernandez: Yeah. She is somebody that if I locally need someone, the first person I'm calling.
Christine Schiefer: Wow.
Em Schulz: How do you find and, and collect so many contacts? Like do... Is it like a directory somewhere?
[laughter]
Christine Schiefer: Asking for a friend. Yeah. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: Well, I mean, I've been doing my podcast for like, I don't know, five or so years, and when you have guests, you need different people every week.
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: And...
Em Schulz: That's true.
Roz Hernandez: Particularly, the first few years was really focused on people's stories and experiences um, and then I got to a point where I was like, "Okay, I'm running out of people with stories that... " You know, 'cause I was having on celebrities and...
Christine Schiefer: Mmm.
Roz Hernandez: Um, the occasional like, person from a ghost-hunting show or...
Christine Schiefer: Right.
Roz Hernandez: Or whatever. And then people started telling me they wanted more, um, professionals that work in the field. So I was having them on and, and I learned so much from talking to those people. And...
Em Schulz: Sure.
Roz Hernandez: A lot of them I've gotten to become friends with. Uh, I would say like... That's what I love about podcasting. It's like such an excuse to hang out with somebody.
Christine Schiefer: Yes!
Roz Hernandez: And uh, honestly, like most of the people I've ever had on my podcast, if I didn't know them already, like we're like friends now. And that's really...
Christine Schiefer: I love that.
Roz Hernandez: Been cool. And so now you guys are my friends.
Christine Schiefer: Well, since you and Rainn Wilson are the only people that have ever been on this podcast, I feel like you're...
Roz Hernandez: Woah.
Christine Schiefer: You're our little crew. [laughter] Welcome to the club.
Roz Hernandez: Oh my God, I'm honored. Yeah. No, like that's, um... Nowadays like my podcast, I, I still have on a lot of celebrities and um, comedians and uh, and people like that, but I do like my own research a lot of the time and we just like laugh and talk about different, um, paranormal cases that I've researched. But if they have stories, I'm always like, "Bring 'em on." I love to hear people's stories.
Christine Schiefer: Bring it on.
Roz Hernandez: Um, and actually, since this, this episode will be out after, um... What I'm about to say. Uh, I am... I'm having Kristen Stewart on my podcast.
Christine Schiefer: [gasp] Oh my God!
Em Schulz: Oh, that's perfect.
Christine Schiefer: How fun!
Roz Hernandez: My boss, Kristen Stewart.
Em Schulz: Oh my God. [laughter]
Christine Schiefer: Fuck yes. Fuck yes.
Roz Hernandez: Yeah.
Em Schulz: That's, uh... Do you know any of her personal stories already of what you're gonna ask her, or is this gonna be brand new for you too?
Christine Schiefer: Or have you already recorded that?
Roz Hernandez: I, um, at the time of this recording, I have not recorded it yet.
Em Schulz: Okay.
Roz Hernandez: Um, we've talked a little bit about it and, um... I mean, for years now, 'cause I'm always looking for guests, I have Googled celebrities with ghost stories, [laughter] and there's always like these, like, you know, People Magazine or whatever, like they're always like the same list of the same celebrities...
Christine Schiefer: Right.
Roz Hernandez: And Kristen's always been on there. So, um, I definitely know that she's had some experiences and, um, definitely believes in this stuff. And like this show is her idea with her best friend CJ, and they're both like real into this kind of stuff.
Christine Schiefer: I love it.
Roz Hernandez: So...
Em Schulz: Perfect.
Christine Schiefer: Oh, I'm excited to listen to that. Well...
Roz Hernandez: Even When celebrities don't have stories, like, I think it's interesting as a fan of them just to hear like what their belief is. I think it's...
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: I think it's a really unique insight on a person that you're, that you're into or that you've watched in movies or TV shows or whatever to, to just hear what they think about it. Like it...
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: It's such a... I don't know. It's such a deep thing and um, it's a lot of talk of life and death.
Christine Schiefer: It's like kind of an intimate thing, but like still fun to talk about.
Roz Hernandez: Yeah.
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: Totally.
Christine Schiefer: Yeah. Do... Well, since you, we have a celebrity on our show right now, are there any personal stories you've had before, you know, your actual, uh, job doing this scary stuff? Did you have any experiences before that that got you into the whole paranormal world?
Roz Hernandez: Oh yeah. Um, I mean, I have like a number of them. I'm very skeptical even of myself, I think...
Christine Schiefer: Yeah.
Roz Hernandez: Of myself more than anyone. God, my, my ass is always trying to be, "Oh, I got a great story." It's not that good, girl. Like...
[laughter]
Roz Hernandez: Um, so I, I would say... I'm trying to think of one that I haven't told a billion times. I... Well, I have a haunted Ouija board story.
Christine Schiefer: Ooh!
Roz Hernandez: That I think... Uh, I had like a Ouija board roommate for a while that...
Em Schulz: Oh, God. [laughter]
Christine Schiefer: Em's worst nightmare. [laughter]
Roz Hernandez: I know. The year was 2009. Kesha was...
Em Schulz: Oh, gosh.
Roz Hernandez: On the radio.
Christine Schiefer: Was playing on the radio.
[laughter]
Roz Hernandez: The TV show, "Glee", was tearing it up on TV. [laughter] And I'm finding myself in a thrift store and I was, I, I was actually going from Orange County to North Hollywood where I lived at the time. And I pulled over, went to a Goodwill 'cause there was all this traffic and I didn't wanna drive, and I see this Ouija board. I like old spooky retro stuff. My whole living room is like '60s, '70s paranormal stuff.
Christine Schiefer: Oh, cool.
Em Schulz: That's amazing.
Roz Hernandez: And, um, I was like, "Okay, I need to get this." It was $1. Basically, I take it home. I was like, "I'm never gonna play with it." Like of course, my like Catholic whatever, uh...
Em Schulz: Mm-hmm.
Roz Hernandez: Especially at the time, I wasn't like working around paranormal a lot, so I was just kind of like, "Hm, I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be playing this. But it looks cool." [laughter] So I just like put it on the ground in my living room... Well, it was a studio apartment, so living room, kitchen, whatever, um...
Em Schulz: Bedroom, yeah. [chuckle]
Roz Hernandez: All of it. Yeah. Um, and a couple days later, I had a gentleman over in my home and we are hanging out and he kept, um, he kept like looking around my little kitchen area and like, he kept hearing something tapping, like it sounded like...
Christine Schiefer: Ooh.
Roz Hernandez: Something was dropping on the ground. Like it sounded like there was a leak in the ceiling or something. And I kept hearing it too and I didn't say anything. But as soon as we acknowledged it, it stopped. And then we would like...
Em Schulz: Ooh.
Roz Hernandez: Go back to whatever it is that we were doing and then we would, um, we would hear it again. It was like such a weird thing. And... Oh my God. This one night, this was the night.
Christine Schiefer: [gasp]
Roz Hernandez: This one night, I'm all alone. This is probably why I don't like ghosts when I'm sleeping. I'm sleeping. The window's open. It's a hot summer night. And I'm one floor up. There's a parking lot below me. And I'm sleeping. My back is to the window, which is open. I'm looking at the wall and I hear outside the window, somebody walking back and forth below my window...
Em Schulz: Mmm.
Roz Hernandez: And they're like kind of, they're kind of like shuffling their feet and they're breathing like [heavy breathing sound]
Christine Schiefer: Eww.
Roz Hernandez: And they're just shuffling and they're going back and forth. And it was like, I don't know, 15 minutes. I'm like, "What is this person doing?" And I'm not getting up and looking out there, but they just kept doing it. And I was getting annoyed, but whatever. I was trying to sleep. And then all of a sudden, I stopped hearing the shuffling on the pavement, but I hear the... [heavy breathing]
Em Schulz: Oh my God.
Roz Hernandez: And it's getting louder, and it's getting louder.
Christine Schiefer: Ugh!
Roz Hernandez: And then all of a sudden, I hear my carpet shuffling and the... [heavy breathing]
Christine Schiefer: No!
Roz Hernandez: And it's getting closer and closer. And then I feel something sit on my bed and I turn and there's nothing there.
Christine Schiefer: Ah!!
Roz Hernandez: And then instantly I feel scurrying. I hear scurrying up at my walls... [vocalization] My light turned on, and then it turned off. It was terrifying. It was such...
Christine Schiefer: Are you serious? All of that happened at one... Oh my God.
Roz Hernandez: All of this stuff happened in one night.
Christine Schiefer: Forget it.
Roz Hernandez: So that was the night that I never went to sleep.
Em Schulz: That was a great, great story. That was...
Christine Schiefer: Beautifully told.
Em Schulz: The, the storytelling...
Roz Hernandez: Thank you.
Em Schulz: I, I had an adrenaline moment there. Yeah. You really got me. Oh my gosh.
Roz Hernandez: Well, more happened, but... You know, I think I told it in the first ever episode of Ghosted! If you went all the way back, you could hear um, the wrap-up to that story. [chuckle]
Christine Schiefer: What was the... So the scurrying up the walls, was it like little...
Roz Hernandez: It sounded like fingers. [vocalization]
Christine Schiefer: Blah! Gross!
Em Schulz: Forget it.
Christine Schiefer: Forget it.
Roz Hernandez: Yeah.
Em Schulz: Oh my God.
Christine Schiefer: No wonder... Yeah. Like you said, no wonder you don't like to sleep in a haunted house.
Roz Hernandez: I know.
Em Schulz: Oh my gosh.
Christine Schiefer: Ew.
Roz Hernandez: Well, call me crazy, I don't like sleeping when there's invisible things grabbing and touching...
Christine Schiefer: Crawling in the walls.
Roz Hernandez: And breathing on me.
Em Schulz: And touching toes. Yeah. Oh my God. Well, um, thank you so much for being with us and talking to us. And I, I was gonna ask more questions, but you really, that story was the perfect high to end on. So um...
Christine Schiefer: Beautifully told.
Roz Hernandez: Aww.
Em Schulz: Is there... Before we go, uh, please, like shout out all the places people can find you and, and all that good stuff.
Roz Hernandez: Well, thank you. Um, thank you so much for having me. This is so cool.
Christine Schiefer: What a delight.
Roz Hernandez: I really appreciate this. And you guys will be on my podcast um, I believe in like a couple of weeks, sometime in November.
Christine Schiefer: Woo-hoo.
Roz Hernandez: Um, and that podcast is called "Ghosted!" by Roz Hernandez. And um, that's every single Monday that's out everywhere you get podcasts. My dream since childhood is to be an Instagram celebrity and that is @RozHernandez. I'm a standup comedian. I'm going on tour in November and December. I'm doing New York, Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, and maybe some more cities. I don't know, just a little mini tour. And um, the TV show I'm on is called "Living for the Dead" and that will be out um, on Hulu starting October 18th. And even after Halloween, you could watch it and enjoy it.
Christine Schiefer: October 18th. I'm put... I'm genuinely putting this in my calendar 'cause I cannot wait.
Roz Hernandez: Yay!
Em Schulz: Thank you so, so much for everything.
Roz Hernandez: And please everyone, tell the queers that there's a queer paranormal show that Bella...
Christine Schiefer: Extra, extra, read all about it.
Roz Hernandez: The queers and the allies. I think everyone will enjoy it. Um, but, you know, these shows with like, with these casts of just queer people and it's a very diverse group of queer people...
Christine Schiefer: It's amazing.
Roz Hernandez: Like, you know, um, we love to see it and I just, I wanna make sure that people do see it and um...
Christine Schiefer: Yes.
Roz Hernandez: And spread the word.
Christine Schiefer: Yeah. Give it some love. We, uh... It's, it's about time we get some queer ghost shows on the air is all I have to say.
Roz Hernandez: Yeah!
[laughter]
Christine Schiefer: We've been waiting.
Em Schulz: Thank you so much for um, for chatting with us.
Roz Hernandez: Thank you!
Christine Schiefer: Thanks, Roz.