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July 12, 2024July 12, 2024

Episode 51: Time Warp

Hey, we’re back already! After a less-than-consistent podcasting schedule, we’re posting an episode for the second week in a row. Which is pretty remarkable, all things considered.

This week we talk about using people’s preferred names. That is, everybody’s preferred names. Not just trans and nonbinary people. It’s a sign of respect and you should get in the habit of doing it.

On a sort of related note, we talk about the term nibling, a gender-neutral collective term for nieces and nephews, which is particularly useful if you have nonbinary relatives with that relation to you. Again, it’s all about treating people with respect.

And because we’ve been inconsistent with posting lately, we talk about trying to record and post more often and suggest that you might be interested in some of our earlier episodes, including Episodes 49 and 50, in which we talk about our recent trip to Ireland to see Bruce Springsteen and a host of other things.

That leads us to revisit our recent impromptu/informal high school “reunion” and how we reconnected with old friends. We also spend some time talking about maintaining lifelong friendships and how valuable they can be for your mental health. And we talk about surprise parties, which are somehow related to this topic. You’ll just have to trust us.

From there, we recap our past couple of weeks, including walking in the Chicago Pride Parade with Lambda Legal, a fantastic organization that advocates (and litigates!) for LGBTQIA+ individuals and people living with HIV. We did an awful lot of walking that day — and struggled to find parking, as you do in Chicago — but it was a great time.

Finally, we talk about our youngest daughter’s college graduation party, living in a swamp, and the curious (and annoying!) morning time warp. Which is an appropriate way to wrap up this episode!

So, we hope you enjoy the show, and please feel free to follow us on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). You can also follow us on the site formerly known as Twitter, where our joint account is @JennandDave1 and the podcast account is @itsotetPodcast. Until next time!

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July 4, 2024July 4, 2024

Episode 50: Ireland, Part II — Improvisational Travel

Well, we finally made it to fifty episodes! And then we waited nearly two weeks to post Episode 50. But life is kind of busy, so here we are.

Anyway, in this episode we answer the question we left you with at the end of Episode 49: Where do we want to retire, if, God willing, retirement is in our future?

Kinsale, County Cork, Ireland. Gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way. That’s where. Is it any wonder why?

Beyond Kinsale, we continue our recap of our latest trip to Ireland, including some hidden gems in Cork City: Thompsons Cork Restaurant & Microbrewery, and a bar called Sin É, where we listened to a wonderful singer and guitar player named Tony Milner.

And we talk about another pleasant surprise we discovered in Cork: a Mediterranean/Turkish restaurant called Nosta. Modern Ireland is far more diverse than you might expect.

We also spend a good part of this episode discussing the virtues of not over-planning vacations, which we call improvisational travel.

And speaking of improvisation, we talk about our wild weekend of June 7 and 8, which included our local PrideFest, a tribute concert for our old high school jazz band director on the occasion of his 80th birthday, and reconnecting with friends we haven’t talked to in quite a while.

We hope you enjoy the show, and please feel free to follow us on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). You can also follow us on the site formerly known as Twitter, where our joint account is @JennandDave1 and the podcast account is @itsotetPodcast. Until next time!

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May 31, 2024May 31, 2024

Episode 49: Twenty-two Songs, Seven Encores and the Power of … Maybe?

In our first episode back from our vacation hiatus, we begin our recap of this year’s trip to Ireland, a country that is near and dear to us. We briefly talk about our visits to Dublin and Cork, using GPS to navigate, and the many (many) modes of transportation we used.

But we spend most of the episode talking about Bruce Springsteen’s fantastic show at Croke Park on May 19. Bruce’s 2023 show at Dublin’s RDS Arena was great and will always be a special experience, but this year’s show was really something. In front of 80,000 adoring fans from Ireland and around the globe, Bruce had a renewed energy, a strong voice, and a seemingly invincible spirit. The 2023 show, while uplifting and life-affirming as always, had somber, introspective moments that simultaneously made you feel glad to be alive but appreciate how fleeting it all is. This year’s show, on the other hand, convinced us that Bruce and the rest of us will live forever.

Figuratively, at least.

Some highlights from his twenty-two song, seven-encore performance in Dublin:

Opening the show with “Lonesome Day” from The Rising, a pleasant surprise in its own right, and following it immediately with “Night” from Darkness on the Edge of Town, a diehard fan’s favorite.
Bringing back “Darlington County” from Born in the U.S.A., a song he might have left behind because of its comical (obviously pre-9/11) reference to the World Trade Center.
Giving Nebraska’s “Reason to Believe” a full E Street Band/ZZ Top-inspired treatment.
“Wrecking Ball,” the only song he played off of that album, which the crowd always goes crazy for.
“She’s the One.” Nothing else to add here, really. It’s simply one of the best songs ever recorded.
“Nightshift” from Only the Strong Survive, Bruce’s 2022 album of soul covers. This song lets the E Street Band’s great backup singers step into the spotlight.
A rousing, emotional “My City of Ruins,” a song he originally wrote for Freehold, NJ, that became a New York City anthem after 9/11.
An incredible set of encores featuring “Land of Hope and Dreams/People Get Ready,” “Born to Run,” and a cover of the Isely Brothers’ “Twist and Shout” (Dublin did not cut the power half-way through, unlike London when Bruce and Paul McCartney sang it at Hyde Park).
And the emotional crescendo of the evening: closing the show with a cover of the Pogues’ “A Rainy Night in SoHo” as a tribute to the late Shane MacGowan. We knew it was coming, but that did not lessen the impact.

We then talk (half-jokingly and half-seriously) about the power of saying “maybe” instead of “yes” or “no.” You know, we really might be onto something here!

And finally, we think we found the place where we will ultimately retire (God willing). But you’ll have to tune in to our next episode to find out where that is.

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May 10, 2024May 10, 2024

Episode 48: Civil Rights Galas, College Graduations, Kind Words, and Bruce in Ireland

In this week’s episode, we talk about Lambda Legal’s Bon Foster Civil Rights Celebration at the Art Institute of Chicago, for which Dave is on the host committee. It’s not too late to make a donation to this fantastic organization, which has been fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights for more than 50 years.

Then, Jennifer gives a recap of her fun but very hectic trip to San Antonio last weekend, we talk about our youngest’s college graduation this weekend, and the importance of sharing kind and supportive words … even if it doesn’t come naturally to some of us!

Finally, we spend some time talking about our upcoming trip to Ireland to see Bruce Springsteen (again!), Bruce’s European tour opener in Cardiff, and his (first ever?) performance in Belfast, a city that could use a lot of love.

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April 25, 2024April 25, 2024

Episode 47: Garland Jeffreys — 35mm Dreams

In this week’s episode, we first talk about San Antonio and its famous River Walk, which is a great place to visit. If you’ve never been there, check it out.

But we spend most of the episode discussing last weekend’s trip to the Milwaukee Film Festival to see a documentary about our good friend Garland Jeffreys. The film is called Garland Jeffreys: The King of In Between. Garland’s wife Claire — also a good friend — wrote, directed, and put the film together with the help of editor Evan Johnson.

We’ve talked about Garland and this documentary before, but this was our first opportunity to see the film in a theater with Claire. We also spent time with Claire and Evan before the screening, which was great. We talked to them about making the film and Claire’s life with Garland … and some other famous people.

This week’s episode also goes into how we got to know Garland and Claire and the many times we saw Garland perform over the years, from a street festival in Chicago in 2012 to his farewell performance at City Winery in New York in 2019.

And we talk about brisket sandwiches. Which all ties together. You’ll see.

Anyway, it was such a special experience to share with Claire after all these years and we had a great time recapping the whole thing.

So, we encourage you to see the film if you can and to get to know Garland’s music. You won’t be disappointed.

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April 16, 2024April 16, 2024

Episode 46: Music for All Occasions

We take the title for this week’s episode from a 1995 album by one of our favorite groups, the Mavericks. But more on that later.

We start out with an update on our local walking club, which we joined a few weeks back despite some initial … hesitation. Turns out, it’s been a lot of fun and we’re glad we joined. Then we discuss our upcoming schedule. We will be out of the box for most of May, going to our youngest child’s college graduation followed by yet another trip to Ireland.

At least we have excuses this time. And we’re telling you up front!

After that, we circle back to last week’s topic — mental health. And, in particular, how to manage your mental health on social media. This week’s story begins with an infamous comment by an infamous billionaire author who’s made it her life’s work to trash trans and nonbinary people, and what happens to normal people when they push back. We talk about the positive side of social media (that it can give you a voice when you feel like you don’t have one) and the negative side (that angry mobs will try to silence you if you challenge their narrow-mindedness). And then we talk about the strategies that work for some of us: Don’t engage the haters. Instead, go ahead and block them, mute them, and leave conversations to protect your own mental health. These strategies may not work for everyone, but they give many of us peace of mind while still allowing us to have our say.

We then turn to much happier topics: Seeing the above-mentioned Mavericks in concert this past weekend for what is at least the sixth, if not seventh, time. From the first time we saw them at a small club in the Chicago suburb’s touring in support of their 1994 LP, What a Crying Shame, to this most recent show, they’ve never let us down. Their music spans country, rock, blues, and Latin, but it’s all universally fun. And they’re fantastic musicians, which doesn’t hurt. They also have a new album coming out called Moon and Stars which will be available on May 17. We’re really looking forward to that.

Finally, we talk about an interesting new album called Petty Country: A Musical Celebration of Tom Petty. As the name suggests, the album consists of twenty covers of Tom Petty songs by a diverse group of country artists, including Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, the Brothers Osborne, Willie and Lukas Nelson, Margot Price, Wynonna Judd, Marty Stuart, Steve Earle, George Strait, and Rhiannon Giddens. We’re not entirely sure what to expect, but we’re looking forward to giving it a spin.

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April 9, 2024April 9, 2024

Episode 45: April Is the Cruellest Month

So, we were off for the past three weeks due to illness — not COVID, but each of us had bad colds that interfered with podcasting and life in general. Fortunately, we’re more or less back now. Until the next thing happens.

In this week’s episode, we first talk about the bizarre weather we’ve had over the past few weeks, including torrential rains, gale force winds, and, yes … snow. Which, to be fair, is not all that unusual in April in this part of the world.

We then turn to the thirtieth anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s death, which came just three years after the death of Dave’s brother under similar (but not identical) circumstances. Which leads to a conversation about whether this time of year may have a negative affect on some people’s mental health. After all, April, as T.S. Eliot famously said, is the cruellest month (that’s his spelling, not ours).

From there, we have an extended discussion about mental health and our own journey with it. We don’t, of course, offer unsolicited advice (as so many people do!) other than to say that each person has to deal with their mental health in the way that makes the most sense for them. We simply encourage people to deal with their mental health as they deal with their physical health: Take it seriously, talk to your doctor or other health professional, consider the options, and, most of all, take positive steps to control the things you can control.

We hope you listen to this frank and personal discussion, and please feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section. We hope that, by talking openly about these issues, it will encourage others to share their experiences — or just give some serious thought to their own mental health and what they need to live happier lives.

Finally, we talk about George Constanza’s weird obsession with death and how to be more philosophical about it, and we chat briefly about NCAA basketball tournament season, the women’s final (which had not yet taken place at the time of recording), and Illinois’ women’s team winning the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament.

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March 13, 2024March 13, 2024

Episode 44: Celebrating 29 Years

On this week’s show:

So, we joined the local walking club (as promised on last week’s show), met some new people, and got t-shirts! It’s kind of like being in a gang.
We also talk about cursing on social media, and Jennifer lets the expletives fly.
AppleWatch vs. iPhone — which measures distances better?
Making small talk with strangers.
It’s our anniversary! Or it was, anyway. Twenty-nine big ones. So, we reminisce about honeymooning in the Bahamas, St. Patrick’s Day on the beach, lessons in mixed drinks, tuning into the NCAA tournament on a transistor radio, (not) snorkeling off Treasure Cay, and … Chris the Burner. (You can see him perform here.)
Finally, we recommend the David Letterman U2 documentary on Disney+, Bono and the Edge: A Sort of Homecoming (again!).

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March 5, 2024March 5, 2024

Episode 43: Virtual Reality

On this week’s show:

Crazy weather in the Midwest, from a high of 71º to a spate of tornadoes to bitter cold and snow. It must be spring.
Our (or Jennifer’s?) guilty pleasure: Reality TV. We talk about how it all started with the PBS show called “An American Family,” the evolution of shows like MTV’s “The Real World” and “The Challenge” (a modern day Rollerball), and the guiltiest of all pleasures: “90-Day Fiancé.” We also talk about Jennifer’s online friendship with Darcy, our beef with “Catfish,” and where we draw the line … (hint: no “sister” or “brother” spouses, please).
How weird it is to move to a new subdivision as old people and have to make new friends, and Jennifer’s solution: A local walking club (which *might* include mall walking) and … secret t-shirts?
Plus: the old days of marathon training; our version of March Madness (birthdays, anniversaries, etc.); looking forward to warmer weather … eventually; keeping in touch with kids in college; and college graduations, past and present.

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February 25, 2024February 25, 2024

Episode 42: Channeling Difficult Emotions

Since we rebooted our podcast, we begin this week’s show discussing topics we plan to cover going forward, including familiar themes such as LGBTQIA+ rights, family, and music, and new(ish) themes like cooking and physical and mental health.

From there, we discuss the tragic death of indigenous nonbinary teenager Nex Benedict after a brutal attack at a high school in Oklahoma, and the range of emotions their death evokes: anger, rage, frustration, despair. But, more importantly, we talk about how to channel those emotions in a constructive and positive way, because losing hope is not an option.

To that end, we also talk about an important fundraising project we are involved in: the annual Lambda Legal Bon Foster Civil Rights Celebration in Chicago, which takes place on Friday, May 10, at 6:30 p.m. Central at the Art Institute. Please consider joining us if you can, and, if that’s not possible, please consider making a donation to Lambda Legal, one of the country’s oldest, largest, and most successful legal organizations fighting for LGBTQIA+ Americans and people living with HIV.

Above all, to paraphrase the late, great Joe Strummer of the Clash, we urge everyone who’s feeling justifiable anger today to turn that anger into power.

So, we hope you enjoy the show, and please feel free to follow us on Instagram (@jenn_and_dave). You can also follow us on the site formerly known as Twitter. Our joint account is @JennandDave1 and the podcast account is @itsotetPodcast. Until next time!

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