Tiny Victories

This week Annabelle tells Laura about an article in the Washington Post that she’s read over and over again because it’s just that delightful. It concerns a family of dolls that moved into an Orchard Lake, Michigan mailbox in the dead of night. Plus, hotline caller Lou has an issue with being late, and may or may not have had a tiny victory about it.

This is a particularly polarizing episode of Tiny Victories during which we learn that Laura is not a fan of the birds. While she’s happy that Annabelle has found a tiny victory in some recent bird news, for some people (esp. dog people), birds are a flying, squawking menace. Plus, we got a Hotline Email from Jesse that’s super chill.

Laura House tells Annabelle how plumber Frank did great work on her and Brian’s home…and their hearts (platonically). And now that Annabelle is back from her book leave, House dusts off the Tiny Victories hotline to play one of the calls that came in while AG was out.

This week, we have a few tiny victories that happen to share a theme: Mother Nature giveth, and taketh away. This is one thing Annabelle knows all too well as someone who tends to her own, private orchard (read: two fruit trees). And we have a hotline call about a choir fire.

Laurie Kilmartin is back again this week, filling in for Annabelle who is still on book leave. We learn that Laurie is obsessed with the Royal Family, and that the Royal Family has blocked her on Twitter. And House may or may not have had a tiny victory with a new bra.

Filling in for Annabelle while she’s on book leave is Laurie Kilmartin of The Jackie & Laurie Show, and author of the book Dead People Suck. This week–and likely the next few foreseeable weeks–Laurie and Laura are walking the picket lines for the ongoing WGA Writer’s Strike. Though they would no doubt prefer NOT to strike, while they are striking, House and Kilmartin look for the tiny victories in their struggle for better working conditions and better pay.

Jackie Kashian fills in again for Anabelle while she’s on book leave and working hard. In this week’s episode, Laura recounts her run-ins with Oprah and Malala, only one of which reduced her to tears. Plus, an NSFW tiny victory involving squash.

This week the delightful Jackie Kashian of The Jackie and Laurie Show is filling in for Annabelle. House has a victory so tiny she’s almost embarrassed to bring it up, but Tiny Victories is a shame-free zone, so her tiny victory about working out may actually inspire a listener or two.

Jackie takes advantage of an Audible arrangement she has with her brother so she can consume her literature in a very specific way that works for her. It involves the same title, multiple formats.

This week, Annabelle tells Laura about a recent interaction she had with a sanitation worker who covers her neighborhood. This relatively brief interaction could prove to be life changing…in a tiny way. This encounter brought to mind a study about the importance of these types of “shallow” relationships, and why you should be grateful for the dentists, baristas, mail carriers, fitness instructors, pick-up basketball court mates…in your life.

**Spoiler Alert**

There is Succession talk ahead and a reference to something from a recent episode. If you’re not caught up, consider bookmarking this episode and coming back to it once you are caught up. Or don’t! Up to you 🙂

How is HBO’s Succession so good?! No matter. It’s dark. It’s funny. It’s all House can think about. And the only thing to do in this kind of situation is…lean into it.