Enjoy it While it Lasts

In this episode, I take a break from society’s issues to reflect on what I’m grateful for — surviving illness, finding stability, raising my kids, the people who shaped me, therapy, and the chance to finally create the life I always wanted. A grounded, personal look at gratitude and the path that led here.

A one time special release of a Wednesday Chill due to the holiday week. I have a two chapter one for you today.

First I interview my niece Bekka to get a snapshot view of her world. We talk about her favorite movies and games, her hopes for the future, and how she feels about going to middle school somewhat soon.

Then my sister shares the story of their Disney World trip that she has waited her lifetime for. It was full of chaos, laughter, and memories. 

Two Generations, two stories, one episode capturing a peek into their lives. 

Thanksgiving hasn’t always looked the same in my life.

In this Tuesday Chill, I walk through all the versions of Thanksgiving I’ve lived, and what this year means now that my kids are old enough to make memories of their own.

A warm, 20-minute Thanksgiving story.

Public schools carry a beautiful promise: a safe place where every child can learn, grow, and be cared for. In this episode, I talk about what schools are meant to be, what they actually provide, and how hard educators work to hold everything together despite curriculum mandates, flawed testing, political interference, and chronic underfunding.

This is an honest look at the people inside the system, the limits placed on them, and what happens when a system this important is held back on purpose.

I'm feeling sick this week, being a father of three with a chronic illness caught me on this one. Instead of trying to force a low quality Newsish, I made this to give you a recap of my situation but to mainly talk to you about what's to come. I'll preview this week's Deep Dive and tell you all about Thanksgiving week plans. Enjoy it While it Lasts will be back in it full normal routine the week after Thanksgiving, including the Newsish being back in full

Nico is gone… but Luka still isn’t coming back. Today I talk about how the Luka trade broke my connection to the Mavs, how deeply basketball shaped my identity, why ownership still feels like the real problem, and what it’s been like to lose the joy of a sport I once lived for.

Enjoy it While it Lasts isn’t just the name of this show — it’s the philosophy I built my life around. In this Deep Dive, I break down why I call myself a “realistic optimist.” I look straight at the harsh truths most people try to ignore — division, fear, helplessness — but I also talk about how I found peace, purpose, and joy by focusing on the small world I can shape. This episode is the clearest explanation of who I am, how I see the world, and why optimism still matters even when reality looks bleak.

Today's Weekly Newsish features updates about the government shutdown, including a surprising impact on Texas THC consumables. Then, Giant underground spiderweb where different species have found harmony, incurable brain cancer cured, McRib is back in DFW and the best news of all, Nico Harrison is out as the Mavs GM! Everything is great! Well except in Waco, Tricia tells us about some shady shit down there... Enjoy!

Friendships change - the grow stronger over time and they also fade, which can hurt at times. In this Tuesday Chill Tricia and I talk about some friendships that have meant a lot to each of us, and those connections have evolved. It's a conversation about love, loss, and the marks people leave on us.

Ashley had a solid foundation in her home life from her family, but started to lose confidence in herself from a young age due to academic struggles caused by dyslexia. She became a teen mom that was abused by the child's father. 

In our talk she explains how she was able to get out of the situation, and now how she uses conversations with her daughters as a way for them to learn. We relate to each other on the struggles of raising daughters that are boy crazy younger than we'd expect. Ashley is open in sharing the positives and hardships of being so close in age to her oldest daughter, as well as her two daughters having such a wide age gap.