Driven to Drink

Hey!

Surprised?

I simply needed to allow those of you who follow along here to hear the rest of the conversation from the DelNorris three point series without much delay.

So, here it is.

And John Coltrane…because John Coltrane’s “My Favorite Things” is like my forever mood. Overcast. Cool. But absolutely chilling within the chill. Floating on the grey clouds and drinking in the aromas of Fall.

-G

For those keeping track in the manner I began keeping track of the D2D Pod post Penelope, this would be Del Norris 3.3.

For those now utterly confused, welcome to my brain.

I’m sorry.

(Not as sorry as I am.)

Here are a few handy notes as you move through today’s podcast:

1.Cochlea

2.Miller Lite

3.Under the Table and Dreaming

4.Geoff is a Bahá’í

5. 4 Non Blondes

6. He-Man

Follow along, kiddies, it’s great fun.

We present to you, “What’s Going On?”

-G&J

A former Catholic socialist-leaning Clinton-voting Pitt graduate and a reformed Catholic conservative-leaning Reaganite Penn State graduate walk into a basement with wine and whiskey, have a conversation about intelligent design, politics, philosophy, and faith, and come out on the other side with love.

That ain’t bad, huh?

When you hear the word cochlea…drink.

Who knew the Driven2Drink podcast could provide the impetus for a fantastic drinking game?  Jason.  Why didn’t I think of this first?  Who cares right?  Cochlea.

(Drink)

Love yinz.

I’m an only child who has been fortunate/blessed/karmically-enabled with a Dugger-sized family of non-blood brothers, and those of you who know what I’m talking about will get this immediately…blood isn’t always thicker than water.

Jim is my brother.

I trust, if you’ve processed and are familiar with any single element of the title and/or the meme below and if you know me and my connection to those elements, that you understand sarcasm.

However, if that first paragraph simply confuses you, know this…today’s conversation with James has depth, humor, and honesty. Of course, you’ll be the judge of that, but I hope you do listen.

Oh, and yes Virginia, there is a first official D2D sponsor.

We present to you, “The Sam Harris Problem.”

Here’s the thing.

Apparently I’ve come to love using the phrase, “Here’s the thing,” which is the newest of conversational fillers I’ve come to incorporate into my speech.  And here’s the thing, I hate it.

Here’s another thing.

Reddit is all the things all the time.  It’s like culture shock on the streets of Calcutta.  It’s like that box from Hellraiser which, if unlocked, gives the user all of the sensory input all at once at maximum volume.  It’s simply…entirely too ov

This podcast might be the pure encapsulation of how much I adore my wife and, when I unpack my suitcases and have a few angst-depleted breaths to simply exist, my life.

Sitting outside with Jen as the sun finds it’s daily nest at the Western horizon, a small but substantial fire crackling between us, the dog relaxed, wine and spirits, old-school soul and R&B playing on a Bluetooth speaker, the temperature purt’ near perfect.

Then…the skies erupt in sheets of unrelenting rain.

Today, Jim schools me.

No better way to state it.

I learn about SOGIE.

That’s sexual orientation, gender identity and expression.  Now, there’s no great revelation having two fairly straight, completely white dudes discuss things entirely outside of their expertise or experience.  However, what you have here are two fairly straight, completely white dudes who are NOTstereotypically defensive, hyper-masculine, closed-minded, dogmatically-handcuffed straight white dudes.

As I reviewed this conversation for editing and polishing, I grew again.  A little bit more.

I emerged a bit further from my slumber and inched forward on my path toward enlightenment.  And whether or not Jim realized it (…and the fact that he likely didn’t realize it allows me to state the following with full confidence…) he performed a mitzvah.

He’s a good boy.  A great friend.

Have a listen, will you?