Rum & Nerdy

Episode 5.44.5 - IAAPA Live Day 5: We close out the week with Phil from Extreme Legacy, wrapping IAAPA 2025 in a haze of exhaustion, laughter, and questionable insights. It’s part therapy session, part recap, and part “how are we still standing?” If you’ve ever ended IAAPA with sore feet, a hoarse voice, and a pocket full of business cards you don’t remember collecting — this one’s for you.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 5.44.1 - IAAPA Live Day 4: Day Four finds us wading into the booth at Martin Aquatic, joined by Josh and Chris, who somehow make engineering sound sexy. We talk fountains, show water, and the occasional near-death plumbing experience. There’s splashing, laughing, and just enough professionalism to not void our exhibitor badges.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 5.44.3-  IAAPA Live Day 3: Midweek, we wander into the digital deep end with Michael from Worldbuildr and Jeff from AWS. It’s all about cloud platforms, real-time worlds, and whether AI will eventually write this podcast better than we do. It’s equal parts innovation and procrastination, with a side of rum-fueled tech optimism.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 5.44.1 - IAAPA Live Day 2: Day Two takes us to the Themed Entertainment Association booth, where Greg and Garrick catch up with TEA staff and try (unsuccessfully) to act like responsible board members. Expect talk about collaboration, community, and the fine art of networking without accidentally starting rumors. 

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 5.44.1 - IAAPA Live Day 1: IAAPA week kicks off with Greg, Garrick, and our favorite repeat offender, Scott, holding court at the Electronic Theatre Controls booth. It’s equal parts lighting tech, show control, and the kind of deep nerd talk that requires a warning label. There’s rum, there’s banter, and at least one person who definitely should’ve been working instead.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 5.43 – Snowblower: Sometimes, you just need a low-stress episode before the IAAPA madness kicks in. This week, Greg and Garrick break out the Chat Pack card game for a round of random questions, weird hypotheticals, and whatever tangents come to mind.

While sipping on Planteray Traditional Dark Rum, the guys keep it loose, keep it nerdy, and try (mostly unsuccessfully) to stay on topic. It’s an easy, laid-back episode full of laughter, questionable wisdom, and at least one conversation that probably shouldn’t have been recorded.

A little rum, a little nonsense, and a whole lot of prep avoidance for the week ahead.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 5.42 – Snowcat: This week, the guys dive into the swirling Arctic-cold rumor mill of a potential sequel to John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982). Naturally, this leads to the shocking revelation that Garrick somehow forgot there was already a prequel. Yes. A whole movie. That he has seen. And forgot existed. We take a moment.

From there, we dig into our favorite practical effects legends — the wizards who made monsters feel wet, sticky, unsettlingly real, and absolutely unforgettable. This, of course, spirals into a half-dozen nerd tangents. Because of course it does.

Then it's time for Trick-or-Treating Rules & Etiquette, including; Age limits (or lack thereof),  Why porch light law is sacred and stay to 1 side at a time or zig zap.  

In reality, are this close to becoming the neighborhood “Get Off My Lawn” guys. (Spoiler: It’s closer than we want to admit.)

Practical effects. Horror rumors. Aging disgracefully.

Just another week at Rum & Nerdy.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 5.41 – The Munster Coach: This week, the guys wrap up the Santa Teresa 1796 Triple Aged Solera — the rum that’s been hanging out with us for a few episodes and has now officially crossed the finish line. We give it a final send-off, a last swirl, and maybe a moment of silence. (Maybe.)

With it being Halloween, we dive into what we’re planning, what we’re wearing, and what questionable life choices are inevitably going to be made in the name of the season. Expect discussion on whether adults are legally allowed to have more fun than the kids. Spoiler: yes.

And to the deep disappointment of Typhoon Tommy, we have a football update. We know he hates it. You know he hates it. And yet… here we are. It’s tradition now.

Rum. Halloween. Mild emotional harm to a friend.
Just another week with us.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 5.40 - The Knott's Berry Express: This week, Greg and Garrick climb aboard The Knott's Berry Express to wrap up the TEA SATE North America Conference with our annual post-event breakdown. We’re joined by a full train car of friends, Andy, Shireen, Morgan, Jay, and Sean, as we recap another wild week of storytelling, architecture, technology, and experience (and probably too many boysenberry cocktails).

We give a massive thanks to the TEA Staff, the Content Committee, and of course our incredible Keynote Speaker: writer, director, actor, and comedian Kevin Smith.

From the behind-the-scenes chaos of producing the event to the brilliant sessions, the amazing speakers, and our hosts at Knott’s Berry Farm, this one’s packed with laughs, reflection, and just enough sarcasm to keep it on brand.

What a great week. What a great ride.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.

Episode 5.39 - VW Jetta: This week, chaos reigns supreme as we’re joined by Sammy the Podcat (who refuses to stay off the table) and Andy(who refuses to stay on topic). Andy tries to tell us a simple story about his son’s new car—a VW Jetta—and somehow turns the registration process into a full-length feature film.

Between discussions of car fluids, paperwork, and the world’s most invasive cat, we manage to stretch a six-minute story into an entire episode. There are tangents, distractions, and possibly a few lessons learned (but probably not).

Grab your drink, pet your cat, and prepare for a master class in podcast derailment.

Two rambling idiots—Greg and Garrick—bring you the *Rum & Nerdy Podcast*, a weekly dive into the world of nerd culture through the eyes of late 40s/early 50s dads who still can't get enough of their favorite movies, TV shows, and theme parks. With a deep love of all things nerdy and a shared passion for good rum, these two buddies mix laid-back humor, nostalgic memories, and plenty of laughs as they discuss everything from classic sci-fi to the latest pop culture trends.