Misery Menagerie

Mom Ericka is off doing lots of things in the very hot real estate season of spring in the very hot real estate market of the Pacific Northwest, so son Jay is flying solo this episode.

He's found a whole lot of very interesting questions which he's answering - sort of. Mostly. With pauses.

Jay occasionally says something that is wonderfully inspired, like the recent, "I really like my kidneys," and this episode is no exception. The title is from one of his answers, with no apparent sense of irony.

Enjoy Jay, who is by all measures, a remarkable young man. But not at all old-fashioned.

No sirree.

A classic Ericka and Jay exchange:

Ericka: I want to tell you this story that happened early tonight. [gives introductory details]

Jay: Whoa. I've never heard this story!

Ericka: Yes, I know. That's why I'm telling you now

Mother and son are at it again, discussing blindness, cannibalism, and what to get Jay and Law for their birthdays. (Apparently, getting Lawson to say what he wants as a gift is about a 56 on the Misery Index.)

Take a break, grab popcorn, have a hearty laugh. This is just the refreshing, palate-cleansing treat you need right now.

If this episode doesn't make you laugh until you cry, well, you're more mature than the rest of us. We'll just leave that little tease there for now.

In this episode, Jay and Ericka Hardwick look into things that creep them out: breathing techniques that cause some sort of near-hallucinogenic effect, staring too long in the mirror, people who pop pimples... can you truly be driven crazy by being stuck in an elevator with Christmas carols playing on a loop? Are you sure it hasn't already happened?

Take a break from your day; the weekend is nearly here, and what better way to prepare for the first weekend of spring than some belly laughs with the Hardwicks?

This week we're somehow talking about having an argument with a co-worker, big shrimp, "beta-sitting," where North Carolina is, and which is scarier: jumping out of an airplane or scuba diving.

It must be Thursday!

Back from a brief hiatus, the Hardwicks are at it again, having one of their free-flowing, charming, and hilarious conversations that take them, somehow, from North Carolina to Hawaii, from sky diving to scuba diving. And we learn that it takes a LOT to make Jay mad.

Grab some popcorn, curl up on the couch, and take a break for Life and have a few laughs instead.

What are you most afraid of? Things that go bump (or boom) in the night? Rinky dink carnival rides that don't feel quite...clicked?

And is hearing that your mom did something untoward with a controlled substance while pregnant with you just slightly more concerning than finding a worm in an apple?

Today we're talking fear: chronic pain, death, stick figures on dragons. It's kind of a crazy conversation, but considering it's Ericka and Jay, wouldn't we be more concerned if it wasn't?

"I really like my kidney."

It's time for Ericka and Jay to, once again, dive into the headlines and talk about things like DB Cooper and the Tylenol scare. 

It might be time to get them some more recent newspapers...?

Anyway, this laugh-out-loud episode of mom and son features all sorts of educational content like bees vs wasps and what might happen if you get lured into an Anatomy & Physiology class.

We're sure the actor Jack Nicholson is a very nice person, but if you saw The Shining at a tender age (say 10 - 12), you may be less star struck than fear struck at meeting him in ... say, a creepy hotel or a dark alley. 

Now imagine he's wearing a clown suit.

That's gotta hit high on your Misery meter, right? 

Even if you're not a fan of scary movies, you'll love this episode, as mom and son Ericka and Jay discuss their favorite and least favorite scary movies and why some rank so high and others are just ... rank.

Welcome to ... the Misery Menagerie!

You just lost 10 IQ points. On a scale of 1 - 100, how bad does that make you feel? Remember the one about peeing on an electric fence? How much better or worse is this? (And if you're peeing on electric fences, are you sure you can afford those 10 points?)

Today Ericka and Jay are debating kinds of intelligence -- does an IQ test really tell you how smart you are? Or does it measure just one kind of intelligence and leave out the rest?

Mom and son take on intelligence, humor, frustration, patience, and family outings, and answer that really big question: 

How long ago was the great Calamari Caper?

What do you do when life gives you lemons? Like, say, naked pictures of you get distributed? Or you're stuck in traffic for DAYS? Or maybe your mom gives you a really bad haircut?

If you're Ericka and Jay Hardwick, if life gives you lemons, you make a podcast!

This hilarious mother-and-son duo take on life's lemons in this episode - how bad could it be?

The mom-and-son duo are back with yet more situations you REALLY don't want to find yourself in.

This week, they're disrupting our sleep with tales of insomnia, sleep demons, middle school math, PE classes, UFOs, and all manner of spooky stuff.

Where would you rate these things on the Misery Index? Hear from Ericka and Jay about what keeps them up at night!