Misery Menagerie

What's worse: losing your wallet and being sad about what you lost, or losing a wallet but not being sad because there wasn't much in it?

Is it just 5 points more miserable to accidentally set your house on fire if it's Christmas Eve?

Our favorite Misery Tour Guides, Jay and Ericka Hardwick, join us again with a new host of miseries for us to rate, review, and be relieved they're not actually happening. Not right now, anyway.

Buckle up, buttercup, and join us for Christmas in the Menagerie.

Catapulted over the border — how does that rate on the Misery Index?

Mother and son Ericka and Jay are back with another assortment of odd topics: deportation, driving, and really dumb ways to get arrested. Would you rob a turkey farmer or break into a fast food joint to drink the grease?

Maybe not, but it's still oddly fascinating to talk about those who would... and did!

You need a break from the sane and often dull "real" world. Take some time out of your busy, hectic day to wander into the Menagerie!

Today mother and son combo Ericka and Jay are discussing the relative misery of your favorite TV show being cancelled, the difference between the Mafia and a cartel, the importance of Christmas lights, exiting a ski lift with a snowboard vs skis, and a whole lot more.

Basically, this week is about being uncomfortable. And just getting on with it, even if you take out a whole family like dominoes.

And we finish this week with a challenge. Are you ready?

Welcome to the Menagerie!

Using the cards from the game and TV show The Misery Index as conversation starters, mom Ericka and teen-age son Jay are talking about things in life that most of us cringe away from.

In this episode, we learn about peeing on electric fences, operations when the anesthesia wears off, weight loss and get-fit plans, and much, much more.

The conversation may be "miserable," but we promise you won't be. Yes, the topics are unique ones for a mother and son, but so are this mother and son. Come for the laughs, and take away some ideas about how to communicate with your kid or parent.