I try to dig myself out of the trench I wandered into last week.  It'd be so nice if I could trick someone into being a co-host if only to stop me from getting so derailed and saying dumb things.  

And then a 'brief' run-down of the weekend I spent driving to and from Conshohocken for Myles's soccer tournament.  Some games with Duncan, some games with snow, all games with super awesome 6th grade soccer action. 

Enjoy!

I recap the final chapter of my COVID experience.  And guess what, the CDC had to show up a week late and with exactly what I was going to discuss and propose in this very episode.  

Then after a quick whiskey review, I let things get a bit off-track and go off in a direction that I probably shouldn't go.  Yet another time that I listen to things when editting and realize I need a co-host/moderator to keep me in check.  Live and learn I guess. 

Enjoy!

Well it finally happened.  Took 4 long years, but I finally got COVID.  And after all the relatively risky situations I've put myself in it happened during just normal life.  All the hockey, travel, disney, movie theaters, whiskey clubs at random houses, and then during a mundane week I get it.  Such is life. 

And then I get into a political 'discussion' I had with my MIL.  A pretty standard arguement we have, too, but with some details this time that I obviously feel are worth covering.  

And that's about it.  Cause nothing much else happened that I'm allowed to talk about on mic.  Cause I'm stuck in isolation, dammit!

It was a weirdly chaotic week here at home.  Hayley was at a work conference for most of the week, and then came home sick.  Like, real sick.  Like, slept for 2 days sicks.  

And then one of the days school was closed, Duncan and his friend had a spark of imagination.  But not in a good way; more of a literal way. 

But Myles and I got out for some great night skiing when we crashed ski club.  I hadn't night skied in years and it was pretty awesome.  

Week 2 of grossly amateur whiskey tastings wrap things up quite nicely.  

Enjoy!

This week I'm recapping SuperBowl weekend and congratulating the Chiefs (and Duncan) on being the first repeat champs in a couple decades.  Just wish it didn't require OT to get there.

Then a nice flip-flop from thinking I'm doing much better with handling stressful weeks to wondering if maybe I really am.  The reality is probably somewhere in the middle.  I'm much healthier than previously, but probably still doing more than ideal.   But if I'm at a place where I can handle it, so be it. 

I conduct my first quasi whiskey review!  Gonna start going through the unopened bottles from Chicago and tasting them on air. 

And of course I drop in my thoughts on Valentine's Day.  The day that I prefer to just downplay.  

Enjoy!

This week we recap the 3 days of skiing in Utah with The Dads, plus a fun new term I learned about the mormons.  No, it's not safe for children.  But it's also not worse than any of the similar games that teens from every other represive religion use.  

Which of course leads into a larger conversation about my feelings about all the various loopholes people will try to utilize to claim they abide by their strict religion without really abiding by the intent.  

And we wrap with a little tiff that Hayley and I got into over the weekend.  I think my recovery from it lasted longer than the incident itself.  But it burned hotter. 

Enjoy!

Continuing my 2024 trend of being rather introspective, I managed to find yet another mental/emotional area that needs serious improvement.  It would appear I'm passing on my emotional dysregulation to the kids.  Or maybe Myles is just a normal pre-pubescent boy.  

Then I scratch the surface around my feelings and options on the current landscape of gender issues.  Spoiler alert, I support everyone and want them to be happy, there are just a few areas where I'm not sure there's an easy answer. Or an answer that anyone is really going to be satisfied with right now.  

Enjoy.

Wrapping up the first very snowy week we've had here in 2 years.  And the fact the kids spent more time home than at school.  By like a 3:1 ratio. 

Then we dive deeper into my analysis of why I ended up the undriven underachiever I am.  I think I've gotten down as far as I really care to go.  Any further and we're getting into some really weird physcho stuff.  Plus some things I don't think I've even talked with Hayley about.  

Then back up for some light-hearted nonsense.  

Enjoy!

The kids finally had their first snow day in 2 years.  The day after being off for MLK day.  And then got a 2-hour delay the next morning because the roads were still icy.  And now they'll likely get Friday as a virtual day when we get another 3" of snow.  

But over the weekend we had a great family ski outing.  All 4 of us.  And Duncan did surprisingly well especially for his first day of the season.

Then I briefly cover my personal and podcast goals for 2024.  Exciting stuff.

Late edition to this episode was the realization and acceptance that I need to be smarter and more realistic about where I'm setting my goals for a successful weekend with the kids.  Dovetails a bit with last week's "I wish I was still 29" conversation.  So I either need to accept normal, or I'm a bad parent and don't like normal.  

And then a discussion on why I've been so grumpy about the state of bowl season and the cause of effect of my rant on Facebook about FSUvUGA.  Stick-tap to Michelle Smallmon from ESPN's Unsportsmanlike for some eye-opening insight.