And That's Why We Drink — Listener Stories: Vol. 111

Date: January 1, 2026
Hosts: Em Schulz (subbing solo, as Christine Schiefer is out for the holidays)
Guests: Taylor and Morgan from the "Creeps in Crime" podcast
Episode Type: Listener Stories (with a Christmas theme plus an extra-large dose of hauntings, family ghosts, and a couple of true crime chills)

Episode Overview

This special holiday listener stories episode is a crossover between "And That's Why We Drink" and "Creeps in Crime." While Christine is out, Em welcomes back Taylor and Morgan to help read a new round of spooky, heartwarming, and chilling stories submitted by listeners—many with a Christmas or family twist. The trio kicks things off discussing holiday plans, self-care in podcasting, and their traditional “why do you drink?” segment, before diving into several vividly retold listener tales (and one spine-tingling audio recording).

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Holiday Chit-chat and "Why We Drink" Segment

Timestamps: 02:05 – 19:00

• Christine is out: Em is flying solo for the main host role, bringing in Taylor and Morgan (Creeps in Crime) as special guests.
• Holiday plans: The trio discuss upcoming travels, spending time with family, and Christmas traditions.
• Why do we drink? Each shares reasons for reaching for a drink—ranging from family logistics to the pain of adult tonsillectomies and overenthusiastic Pilates classes.
• Notable exchange: On navigating overwhelming family obligations:
  • Morgan: "Everyone's like, well, we got this plan, this plan, this plan, this plan... Christmas is one day, but then for four days, you're arms stretched out — this house, then this house." (09:48)

2. Podcast Mental Health & Taking Breaks

Timestamps: 16:45 – 20:29

• Announcement: The show is taking official breaks for hosts' wellness in January, starting Jan. 4th.
• Vulnerability from Em: Em shares their struggles around letting go of a perfect release schedule, worrying what listeners will think.
• Listener & guest support: Morgan, Taylor, and listeners express support, highlighting the importance of rest in creative work.
  • Taylor: “… as a listener, I really am grateful you guys are taking the time to do that. I think everyone wants you to come and be your best selves and be rested.” (19:54)

3. Getting Ready for Listener Stories

Timestamps: 21:00 – 23:00

• Story sources: Most stories are selected from the "Creeps in Crime" inbox (including some previously sent to ATWWD), with two additional stories from the ATWWD inbox (thanks to Eva).
• Themes: Several tales are Christmas/holiday-themed, and a few are general paranormal or true crime.

Listener Stories — Main Tales

1. Danielle’s Angelic Christmas Dream

Timestamps: 27:59 – 38:26

• Story: Danielle shares her cherished family tradition of Christmas Eves spent with her large extended family. After her beloved grandfather’s passing, she and her sisters share the same vivid, comforting dream every Christmas Eve: reliving a day with him, complete with the aromas, laughter, and rituals of their childhood. After their grandmother passes, she joins the dream too.
• Memorable quote:
  • Danielle: “That’s when each of us described the dreams we had. Moreover, the same dream. We each experienced the same exact dream in every single way…” (36:39)
• Hosts’ reactions: Awe, chills, and tearful appreciation; a reflection on the beauty of shared dreams as possible spiritual contact.
  • Em: “That is what all of us can only hope to experience if there were ever a tragedy.” (39:34)

2. Timber’s Mama Died on Xmas

Timestamps: 39:45 – 46:27

• Story: Listener Timber recounts a bittersweet holiday: after their “mama” falls seriously ill just before Christmas, Timber drives to Indiana for a final goodbye, managing both grief and guilt over enjoying time in Chicago with chosen family. The night their mama passes, Timber hears her signature laugh during a solitary walk. Returning home, Timber finds her favorite movie ("Flowers in the Attic") playing—a final sign that mama is still near, her humor intact.
• Hosts’ reactions: Lighthearted ribbing about regional “Kentucky mama” energy, but also heartfelt appreciation for a subtle, goosebump-inducing haunting.
  • Taylor: “I believe that she did come and cackle—like, 'wait 'til you get back home and see what I put on the TV for you.'” (46:18)

3. Lenny's Decade-Long Demon Stalker & Exorcism

Timestamps: 46:58 – 79:58

• Story: Lenny details a terrifying saga: after making a DIY Ouija board at a slumber party in eighth grade, a spirit attaches to her—spawning sleep paralysis and years of escalating supernatural torment, including hat-man apparitions and tactile hallucinations (like being licked on the ear at night). After gaining spiritual support from a church group and exercising her own discernment, Lenny disables the attachment for several years. It returns with a vengeance when her boyfriend moves into an old haunted house, culminating in a genuine audio recording of him uttering inhuman, guttural phrases in his sleep. Lenny prays over him and the house, and peace is restored.
• Memorable moments:
  • Sleep paralysis auditory nightmare: "This thing crawled onto my bed, got right behind me, and it began to lick my ear..." (55:11)
  • Hosts react to audio recording: [Listen at 70:06 – 72:58]
    • Em: “I've actually never had chills quite like that. That was... I didn’t know how to [expletive].”
• Quote:
  • "After he said the last line of the video ... He had no recollection of the past 10 minutes and went upstairs and went to bed where I continued to pray over him and his soul.” (78:46)

4. Marigold & the Interactive Haunting

Timestamps: 82:43 – 91:38

• Story: In a 100-year-old childhood home, Marigold and family encounter increasingly odd phenomena: a singing toy that won’t die, a 10-year-dormant radio blaring at night, and (most chilling) a moment where Marigold, home alone, feels a cold presence pass through and is struck by an instinctive, unexplainable urge to run toward the light. Bonus cameo: group panic over Google Docs as text is mysteriously highlighted—until Em confesses, "It was me. Sorry!" (91:07)

5. A Christmas Ghost Story (from Abrah)

Timestamps: 93:43 – 97:36

• Story: Abrah describes seeing, for the first time, the little girl ghost haunting her mom’s house—a pale-skinned child with enormous eyes who appears on the stairs during Christmas 2017. The sighting is accompanied by sudden, violent illness lasting yearly on Christmas. Abrah’s then-partner later confirms the shared vision, cementing the home’s haunted status.
• Hosts’ reactions: Discomfort at ghost-induced vomiting, but admiration for how partner Josh believes and validates the experience.

6. Teddy’s True Crime: Grandpa Survives a Christmas Shotgun Ambush

Timestamps: 99:22 – 104:01

• Story: Set in rural Canada, 1977: after a tense home situation, Teddy's great-grandfather is mistaken for a romantic rival and shot through the window by an abusive partner. Astonishingly, he survives the point-blank shotgun wound. The children are kept in the dark, but the assailant even casually approaches the family at a hospital Christmas show afterward. Years later, Teddy's mother recounts seeing x-rays of shrapnel still in her father’s chest.
• Notable quote:
  • Teddy: "If you ever get shot in the chest with a shotgun, I hope you live. Cheers, Teddy." (103:49)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “Is it dark out yet?”: Danielle’s cherished Christmas anticipation phrase, associated with her grandfather’s magical presence (29:54).
• “You know, sometimes I think about getting baptized just to avoid some stuff…”: Em, after hearing about Lenny’s exorcism-by-prayer story (75:18).
• Hat Man kink:
  • Morgan: "The kink of Hat Man." (55:14)
  • Em: “I didn’t know he had a tongue and knows how to use it.” (55:42)
• Hosts' group panic over a haunted Google Doc (91:07), as text highlights and everyone thinks it’s the ghost in the machine, before Em admits to highlighting by accident.
• Generational Heart Hands Debate: Wrapping up, the hosts riff on how Gen Z forms hearts with their hands, complete with visual confusion and finger contortions (104:42–106:25).

Notable Timestamps for Key Segments

• Holiday & “Why Do You Drink?” catch-up: 02:04 – 19:15
• Announcement re: Show Breaks: 16:45 – 20:29
• Listener Stories Begin: 27:59
• Unnerving Audio Recording (“Lenny’s Story”): 70:06 – 72:58
• Ghostly Tech Malfunction & Google Doc Hijinks: 91:07
• Closing Banter/Heart Hands/Wrap-up: 104:01 – end

Final Thoughts and Tone

This episode delivers the classic, irreverent, and deeply empathetic ATWWD atmosphere—balancing light banter, personal anecdotes, and truly spooky listener stories. The guest crossover keeps energy high, while real moments of grief and connection (especially in stories of lost loved ones returning at Christmas) add genuine depth. There’s vulnerability, gallows humor, and a willingness to get existential about family, trauma, and fandom—punctuated by expletives, lots of giggles, and the occasional on-air group therapy session.

If you love:

• True stories of family ghosts and signs from beyond
• Relatable banter about holiday/family stress
• Paranormal stories with confirmations from multiple witnesses
• The messy, heartfelt chaos of millennial and Gen Z podcasters keeping each other afloat

…then this is your episode.

Why Do They Drink (This Week):

• Holiday stress, overbooked family plans, and tonsillectomies
• Home renovations, surprise houseguests, and fitness class regrets
• The emotional challenge of setting boundaries and taking breaks—even on a beloved podcast

Bottom line:
This episode is a festive, spooky, and occasionally hilarious celebration of the stories that haunt us—and the chosen family we lean on to make it through another year. And that's why they drink.