Armchair Anonymous: Meet Cute II

Summary

Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard

Episode: Armchair Anonymous: Meet Cute II
Release Date: April 4, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this heartfelt episode of Armchair Anonymous, host Dax Shepard delves into the enchanting and often serendipitous nature of "meet cutes"—charming, unexpected encounters that lead to meaningful relationships. Joined by co-host Monica Padman and special guests Heather, Sean, Curtis, Lee, and Megan, the episode showcases a collection of personal stories that highlight the unpredictable paths to love and connection.

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Heather and Brian: A Bittersweet Beginning

Timestamp: 04:10 - 08:49

Heather shares her tumultuous yet memorable encounter with Brian at a New Year's Eve party at Central Michigan University in 2008. The night begins with a playful setup involving a grand bong filled with champagne, leading Heather and her friends to meet Brian upstairs. What starts as a promising connection takes a dramatic turn when Heather is unexpectedly bitten by Brian's large dog, Homer.

Heather (04:10): "It takes place at Central Michigan University. It was New Year's Eve, 2008... the dog just kind of looks up at me and gives me this look and gives me this low growl."

Despite the initial chaos—a bite to the upper lip and a bloodied handprint left at the scene—the encounter blossoms into a lasting relationship. Heather and Brian reconnect a month later, eventually dating for 16 years and marrying seven and a half of those years.

Dax Shepard (08:32): "He could smell that there was a love connection and that they were gonna be together forever."

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Curtis and Lee: Destiny Through Compatibility Tests

Timestamp: 12:40 - 20:36

Curtis recounts the story of meeting Lee through a high school compatibility test organized by the junior class in 2008. Initially hesitant and shy, Curtis finds himself matched with Sean, the "hottest guy in the marching band," leading to an orchestrated meet cute facilitated by interconnected friend circles.

Curtis (12:49): "I was a shy little baby sophomore and Sean was a senior at the time."

Years later, Sean reconnects with Curtis through social interactions at a bar, culminating in a date that eventually leads to a 15-year relationship and marriage. Their story emphasizes the role of fate and the unexpected ways relationships can form.

Monica Padman (20:20): "You must ask yourself, had he not bit your face? And both of you are not asking for anyone's. Like, neither of you are pursuing this with any kind of gusto."

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Sean and Kurt: From Adversity to Forever

Timestamp: 21:32 - 29:10

Sean shares his intense journey of meeting his husband, Kurt, which begins with an unexpected confrontation. In 2009, after a Jay-Z concert in London, Ontario, Sean gets entangled in a fight with Andrew, a trained fighter who later haunts Sean's thoughts when he becomes a court witness. This altercation inadvertently leads Sean to meet Kurt, a bouncer at the bar where Sean works, resulting in their eventual marriage and the birth of two children.

Sean (24:08): "So a few weeks after that, Kurt and I started dating. Now we're married. We have two kids."

Their story underscores how even negative experiences can pave the way for profound and lasting relationships.

Dax Shepard (29:10): "Think about his versions even more. Like, something terrible happened to him, but it resulted in the greatest thing."

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Megan: Love in the Dining Hall

Timestamp: 31:02 - 39:38

Megan narrates her serendipitous encounter with Robert Herrick during her time as a student worker at UMass Amherst in November 2010. Initially introduced through a humorous compatibility theory based on last names differing by just one letter, Megan meets Robert while working the late shift in the dining hall. Their flirtatious interactions culminate in a surprising revelation of shared surnames, leading to a deep and enduring relationship.

Megan (35:07): "So we clock out. But of course, the next day, Kate quickly tells all of our friends, oh, it's fate. Leigh's met the love of her life. She's getting married. Joking around tonight. Kind of just blow it off, because that's ridiculous."

Their connection was further solidified by historical coincidences, such as shared town namesakes, reinforcing the idea of destined meetings.

Megan (37:15): "We're really not the type of people to believe in that kind of thing, but it does feel like that's a little too much to be just coincidence."

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Listener Reflections: Impact Beyond Stories

Timestamp: 39:38 - 41:18

The episode concludes with poignant reflections from listeners Monica and Megan, who share how the podcast has positively influenced their personal lives. Megan describes how listening to stories about sobriety and recovery provided her with the understanding and courage to support her brother, leading to his successful journey to sobriety.

Megan (40:15): "I started listening to a lot of your stories about AA and recovery, and it made me understand him in a way that I never could before."

Monica echoes similar sentiments, highlighting the profound effect of vulnerability and honesty in the podcast's storytelling.

Monica Padman (41:06): "Well, I'm so glad it's been helpful."

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Closing Thoughts and Future Directions

As the episode wraps up, Dax Shepard and Monica Padman discuss potential future topics and engage in light-hearted banter about upcoming meet cute prompts. The overarching theme emphasizes the beauty of human connections and the unforeseen circumstances that bring people together.

Dax Shepard (41:32): "What a dick move to make. What if I go home? The greatest thing happened to me yesterday."

The episode leaves listeners with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation for the intricate tapestry of human relationships, celebrating both the joy and unpredictability inherent in finding love.

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Notable Quotes:

• Heather (04:10): "It takes place at Central Michigan University... the dog just kind of looks up at me and gives me this look and gives me this low growl."

• Dax Shepard (08:32): "He could smell that there was a love connection and that they were gonna be together forever."

• Curtis (12:49): "I was a shy little baby sophomore and Sean was a senior at the time."

• Monica Padman (20:20): "You must ask yourself, had he not bit your face?"

• Sean (24:08): "So a few weeks after that, Kurt and I started dating. Now we're married. We have two kids."

• Megan (35:07): "So we clock out. But of course, the next day, Kate quickly tells all of our friends... Kind of just blow it off, because that's ridiculous."

• Megan (40:15): "I started listening to a lot of your stories about AA and recovery..."

• Monica Padman (41:06): "Well, I'm so glad it's been helpful."

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Conclusion

Armchair Anonymous: Meet Cute II serves as a testament to the unpredictable and miraculous ways in which human connections are forged. Through a series of personal narratives, Dax Shepard and his guests illuminate the magic of chance encounters, the resilience of relationships forged in adversity, and the profound impact of shared stories on personal growth and healing.

Transcript

[Dax Shepard]

Wondry plus subscribers can listen to Armchair Expert early and ad free right now. Join Wondry plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts. Or you can listen for free wherever you get your podcasts. Welcome, welcome welcome to Armchair Anonymous. I'm Dan Rather and I'm joined by Mrs. Mouse.

[Monica Padman]

Hi.

[Dax Shepard]

Meet Cute, part do.

[Monica Padman]

That's right.

[Dax Shepard]

I feel like it's part D tray, but it's part de. It is part dew.

[Monica Padman]

We love a Meet Cute. It's very hopeful and sweet and we need to throw those in.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, they kind of are pallet cleansers. They're uplifting, they're hopeful. Yeah, yeah, we needed it because we had animal attacks and we've had shit in your pants. There's a whole host of depravity. Really a lot of nasty could be called armchair depravity. Good. But it's not. It's called Armchair Anonymous and this is Meet Cute part two. Please enjoy. We are supported by Discover. If there's one thing people have learned from the entertainment industry, it's just how easy it is to earn a reputation, even if it doesn't reflect who you are. For example, everybody thinks that Discover is a card that isn't widely accepted, but in reality, it's accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards nationwide. Yes, 99%. So maybe now you'll think twice before judging a book by its cover. Unless it's a cookbook. In that case, judge away. Based on the February 2024 Nielsen report. Learn more at discover.com credit card we are supported by BetterHelp. Let's talk numbers. Traditional in person therapy can cost anywhere from $100 to $250 per session, which adds up fast. But with better help. Online therapy, you can save on average up to 50% per session. And you know, people don't have any problem investing into their physical health, and I sure would like to see them have that same willingness to invest in their men health. With BetterHelp, you pay a flat fee for weekly sessions, saving you big on cost and time. Therapy should feel accessible, not like a luxury. With online therapy, you get quality care at a price that makes sense and can help you with anything from anxiety to everyday stress. Your mental health is worth it, and now it's within reach. With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, having served over 5 million people globally. It's convenient too. You can join a session with the click of a button, helping you fit therapy into your busy life. Plus switch Therapists at any time. Your wellbeing is worth it. Visit betterhelp.comdax today to get 10% off your first month. That's BetterHelp. H E L p.comdax Hard times come and go Good times take them slow My life, I had them both Remember one thing you gotta know I'mma keep on shining.

[Monica Padman]

Hi.

[Heather]

Can you hear me? Okay.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my God. This is beautiful setup.

[Dax Shepard]

What is happening?

[Heather]

Thank you. I'm underneath my standing desk.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, do you watch Severance? It looks like you're in that welcoming room. Or she delivers information.

[Dax Shepard]

Your Audi is a very good roller skater.

[Monica Padman]

That's right.

[Heather]

I do have a little lamp with a sheet over it to give it a little ambiance.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my gosh. Well, it looks great. First of all, where are you other than this cute cave?

[Heather]

I live in Beverly Hills, Michigan.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God. By Aaron Weekley. Do you ever see Aaron Weekley?

[Heather]

No, he's not my neighbor.

[Sean]

Dang.

[Dax Shepard]

But Beverly Hills is tiny. I love Beverly Hills. That's such a secretly great place in Michigan.

[Heather]

It is really nice.

[Dax Shepard]

Do you have a nice yard?

[Heather]

Yes, we do.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, it's all about the yards. Monica in Beverly Hills.

[Monica Padman]

Does it feel a little like. Why'd they have to name it that?

[Dax Shepard]

Do you know the history of why it's called Beverly Hills? Does it predate?

[Heather]

I have no idea. I like to think so.

[Monica Padman]

Okay, we'll say so.

[Heather]

Did you grow up there up in Royal Oak.

[Dax Shepard]

Wonderful.

[Heather]

I actually went to a shrine.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my God.

[Dax Shepard]

Of course you did.

[Sean]

Okay.

[Monica Padman]

That's Kristen's high school for people who.

[Dax Shepard]

Don'T know you had to. Okay, Heather, you have a meet cute story.

[Megan]

Yes.

[Heather]

So it takes place at Central Michigan University. It was New Year's Eve, 2008. I was up there after Christmas to go back to work. My roommate Mary was up there with me, and my neighbor, our friend Kelly was also there. And Kelly, at the time was dating this fraternity guy. They're actually now married, but the fraternity was having a New Year's Eve party. So the three of us decide that we're going to get dressed up and go to this party. As the party's going on, my roommate Mary comes over to us and she's like, hey, there's this guy Brian here. I think you two would really hit it off. He's upstairs in the attic with some friends. You should go up there and say hi. So I grab my friend Kelly and we go up there and they're all smoking in the attic.

[Dax Shepard]

Cigarettes or marijuana?

[Heather]

Marijuana. Probably cigarettes too.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Nice mix of marijuana and cigarettes.

[Monica Padman]

It's the last day of the year. You're allowed.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. You're about to quit tomorrow.

[Heather]

And they're smoking out of this six foot bong. They called it Godzilla. It was filled with champagne, not water.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my.

[Dax Shepard]

Very classy, Elevated.

[Heather]

We say hi to Brian and he packs the bong for us. We hit it and then we're like, okay, bye. We go back downstairs as the party goes on. We don't really talk again. Fast forward a month later. I go to a house party that some of these fraternity guys live in. So I notice Brian's there and he's brought his dog with him. And his dog is this big bloodhound Doberman mix named Homer that he's just letting run around the party. And I love dogs. So I'm like going, going up to the dog, petting it, becoming best friends.

[Dax Shepard]

Is he a student at this point? I've never known a student to have a dog on campus.

[Heather]

He was not a student anymore at Central. He was a part of that fraternity when he was there. And then he left to go to community college. Brian and I keep kind of making eye contact throughout the evening, but we haven't really talked yet. So as the night goes on, we find ourselves upstairs talking at the top of the steps. We're sitting down and we've been talking for some time. His dog is laying on his lap. His head's kind of in my lap as well. And all of a sudden the dog just kind of looks up at me and gives me this look and gives me this low growl. I've been drinking. I thought this dog and I were best friends at this point.

[Monica Padman]

Is this a meet cute story with the dog? That would be a twist.

[Heather]

So I kind of look at this dog like, what's going on? And I give it a little noise. That was a big, very big mistake. The dog launched up and bites me in the face.

[Dax Shepard]

No.

[Monica Padman]

Oh my God.

[Dax Shepard]

Half Doberman, half bloodhound. This is a big dog.

[Heather]

He's a big boy. Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

I gotta say, I'm now staring at your face, extra scrutinizing.

[Monica Padman]

It looks pretty perfect.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, you're fucking lucky. That's a big mouth.

[Curtis]

Yeah.

[Heather]

I immediately just throw my hands up to my face and I use my right hand to kind of prop myself up off against the wall to stand up and go to the bathroom. And Brian has thrown the dog off of him and follows me into the bathroom as well. It's probably 2:30 in the morning or so, and the three guys that all lived upstairs. They all come out. Cause they've heard the commotion. So they're all just staring at me in the bathroom when I'm just bleeding over the sink.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, where'd it get you?

[Heather]

Right in my upper lip.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh.

[Heather]

Thankfully, it did not puncture through. I probably should have gone to the hospital, I think probably to get, like, a tetanus shot. I'm a college kid. I'm not going to go to the doctor. So Brian hands me, like, a wad of toilet paper, Put some pressure on it. I just look at him. I'm like, I need to go home. Thankfully, one of the guys that lived on the main floor, he sees us, and he hands me a T shirt to put better pressure on the wound as I'm walking home.

[Monica Padman]

Did he take it off his body?

[Heather]

No. I mean, it could have been a dirty shirt from his room, but it was better than toilet paper.

[Dax Shepard]

Even more shots needed now, but continue.

[Heather]

So now it's Brian, myself, and this dog walking back to my apartment. So we get home. I show him where the first aid kit is. So he starts cleaning it up, seeing what's happening. That's when we find out it's not that deep. We should be okay. But my lip is starting to swell. At this point, the bleeding has stopped, so we're just kind of putting some ice on it, and then we go to bed. So I let him stay the night.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my God. Good job. Good job.

[Heather]

He does try to give me, like, a little kiss good night. My lip's a little swollen. I can't really kiss. We wake up in the morning when we go downstairs and the dog just hanging out with my roommate, Acting like he's just a great little boy. And Brian takes the dog and leaves. He doesn't ask for my number.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh.

[Heather]

I don't ask for his number. I think we were both kind of embarrassed and didn't know what to do.

[Dax Shepard]

Can I ask at this point, how much you like Brian out of 10?

[Heather]

A good question. Maybe seven.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, okay. Okay.

[Heather]

Probably about a week goes by, and he Facebook messages me. So then we start talking, we exchange numbers, and we start dating pretty soon after that. So we've been together since then. We've been together for 16 years, and we've been married for seven and a half.

[Megan]

Wow.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my gosh.

[Dax Shepard]

How long did the dog last throughout this?

[Heather]

Maybe one more year. And then he tried to bite me a couple more times.

[Monica Padman]

Jesus Christ.

[Dax Shepard]

What?

[Monica Padman]

He was jealous. That dog's gotta go.

[Dax Shepard]

He could smell that there was a love Connection and that they were gonna be together forever. And he was a little drunk from the champagne water he drank out of the bong.

[Monica Padman]

Of course.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, I know. That was two different parties.

[Heather]

But still, best parts, besides, obviously, meeting Brian, was when I stood up after getting bitten. I used my hand to kind of push up against the wall. Well, I left this bloody handprint at this house. I didn't clean it off. They never cleaned it off. So it was there for the rest of the semester. So I would show people the scene of the crime.

[Dax Shepard]

It's interesting. You said I put my hand up and touched the wall. When you said it, I thought, that's an interesting detail. Is that foreshadowing?

[Monica Padman]

Oh, and then it was.

[Dax Shepard]

It was. Yeah. You must ask yourself, had he not bit your face? And both of you are not asking for anyone's. Like, neither of you are pursuing this with any kind of gusto. Had the dog not intervened and caused this walk home in the ice pack. I don't think we're here.

[Monica Padman]

It's.

[Heather]

Good point.

[Monica Padman]

I hate to give the dog any credit.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, you got to give credit where credit's due. That's also another ethos of yours. Well, Heather, it's lovely meeting you. I'm delighted we've got a Michigander in the audience. We don't talk to nearly enough people.

[Monica Padman]

From Michigan, a lot of them, but I love them. You guys are a great group.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Before we go, if you had to guess what the best amusement park in the world is, what would you say?

[Heather]

My husband and I were literally talking about this earlier. Cedar Point, of course.

[Dax Shepard]

Let's go, baby.

[Monica Padman]

But have you been to Six Flags?

[Heather]

Yes, I have. Not so great over Georgia.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't think that one makes it so good.

[Monica Padman]

Okay, so we can't really speak on it, although I've never been to Cedar Point, so I can't either.

[Dax Shepard]

We're definitely going to have to do an armchair trip there. For sure.

[Monica Padman]

Well, thank you so much for chatting.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. It was nice meeting you.

[Heather]

It's great meeting you guys, too.

[Dax Shepard]

All right, take care.

[Monica Padman]

Bye. Okay, two things.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes.

[Monica Padman]

One, when she talked about going up onto the stairs, I was like, is this going to be a staircase sex story?

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, God.

[Monica Padman]

One we've been waiting for. And then also, it reminded me, like, do men have this? Or boys? When you have a crush, you really want a piece of clothing?

[Dax Shepard]

No.

[Monica Padman]

Okay. That's a women's thing. Like, you really want that shirt, the T shirt.

[Dax Shepard]

And you put it over your pillow so you can smell the guy. Yeah. I'd be really curious if we could get an evolutionary biologist to explain why that is. Do we not smell as good? Is it more important for a female throughout history to be able to identify her partner? There has to be an explanation. You definitely don't have that zero desire.

[Monica Padman]

Do you think so, too, Rob?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, I agree. All right, we have a pair. Oh, fun. Hi. You're in two different locations.

[Curtis]

We are.

[Monica Padman]

Did you do that for sound?

[Megan]

Yes.

[Curtis]

That was the advice given. We both wanted to be here because we're both big fans.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, how exciting. You guys are so cute.

[Dax Shepard]

But wait, are you in the same home we are?

[Lee]

We're vacationing in Colorado Springs, actually. And building a fort at your Airbnb. Talking to Dax and Monica was not on our vacation. Biko cards, but we love it.

[Dax Shepard]

Really quick, why does one go on vacation? Vacation to Colorado Springs. Is there an activity you both love that's available there?

[Curtis]

Hiking. And we're actually with friends right now, so we did a little couples trip just to get away from it all.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, and you'll hike in the snow.

[Curtis]

It's actually right at the end of snowy season, so we haven't had to have the snowshoes or anything. So we only slipped a little yesterday.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, anyone go down just a little.

[Lee]

Bit, but they bounced right back up.

[Dax Shepard]

You don't want to out anyone.

[Monica Padman]

Different prompt.

[Dax Shepard]

Someone did fall. They were embarrassed and they're being kind and not telling the story. Okay. Sean and Megan, who begins, I usually.

[Curtis]

Tell this story and Sean fact checks me or helps to keep the plot going. So I will kick us off. Shawn and I are from Cincinnati, Ohio.

[Monica Padman]

Go ahead.

[Dax Shepard]

I don't even need to ask them.

[Curtis]

We know.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Greatest place on Earth.

[Curtis]

Absolutely.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. It's so funny that you don't get intrigued. Has there ever been a topic that's so unanimously loved we've ever brought up anywhere?

[Monica Padman]

I know it must mean something horrible about my personality that all it does is make me say, drives you away.

[Dax Shepard]

Not you can't even ask people, do you like Coca Cola? And get this level of approval?

[Lee]

Agree with that. And just as a side note, my mom also works at Kings Island. Even another layer on top.

[Dax Shepard]

That was closer for you guys, right? Kings Island.

[Lee]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

The Beast.

[Curtis]

Heck, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. Cincinnati.

[Curtis]

We went to the same high school. Shout out. Coleraine High School. The year was 2008. I was a shy little baby sophomore and Sean was a senior at the time. The junior class was having a fundraiser for Valentine's Day and they had the whole school take a compatibility test.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, fun.

[Curtis]

I know. Do you guys remember Scantron?

[Monica Padman]

Yes.

[Curtis]

Like, those little tickets. So that's what we all use to, like, fill out our compatibility tests.

[Dax Shepard]

There must have been one 11th grader that was like a future Bill Gates who could orchestrate this whole thing. Is that person now a billionaire?

[Lee]

Would not surprise me.

[Curtis]

Very organized thing, and I was type A. So I was like, great, just tell me who my boyfriends are. Let's just get this whole thing over with.

[Dax Shepard]

Give me a list.

[Monica Padman]

Right.

[Curtis]

On Valentine's Day, you handed over five bucks, and then you got your little report of your top 10 matches in the school. The cool part was, is you could see where you fell on your matches list because it wasn't always your number one match. You were their number one match because they could have had someone more compatible.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, sure.

[Monica Padman]

This is my nightmare, by the way.

[Dax Shepard]

If I had designed this test, I would have rigged it where everyone got me. And there's five.

[Monica Padman]

Is this from a psychology class? This is wild.

[Curtis]

I have tried to look it up because I've had people like, what is the authenticity here? Like, I didn't ask any questions.

[Dax Shepard]

It also begs the question, is your perfect match someone that's got the same interest in you? I don't think so. I think your perfect match is the opposite of you.

[Curtis]

I open up my little report and I see my top 10 matches, and I'm like, oh, my God, I matched with a senior. That's a man. What am I gonna do? I went from like, no boyfriend, never been kissed. Now I'm matching with a senior man. So I turn around to my friend in class, and I'm like, do you know who this Sean guy is? And she's like, wait, you matched with him? That is the hottest guy in marching band.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, in marching band. It was off to a great start, but then you're like, oh, this is a very small pool of people that he's the hottest of.

[Monica Padman]

Still great.

[Curtis]

Our school was big, so I had never heard of him.

[Dax Shepard]

Hottest guy in the marching band. That should be your autobiography, Sean.

[Lee]

I know.

[Dax Shepard]

It really should.

[Curtis]

So the marching band gets wind of this, and we have interconnecting friend circles. So they all coordinated our little meet cute in the band room at the end of the day. I was a nervous wreck the whole day, and they had to, like, drag me down the stairs, pushed me on my heels. The band separates in the band room. And there he is, the hottest guy in marching band.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, I believe it. Looking at Sean, I believe that Sean.

[Monica Padman]

Is hot for the listener.

[Dax Shepard]

I would say for people who watch that Kingdom show, the lead of Kingdom, Very handsome dude. Frank Guerillo.

[Monica Padman]

I think you look like Rob McElhenney.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, that too.

[Lee]

I love all of this.

[Dax Shepard]

What was your instrument?

[Lee]

My main instrument was trumpets. I still play shout out to the marching band folks. It does happen.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah.

[Lee]

But I actually teach college music now.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, amazing.

[Dax Shepard]

Awesome. Now, Sean and I don't want to jump ahead, but was she on your list?

[Lee]

She was. We both saw each other's, and everything was all mixed up except for the number one spot. So both her and I, we saw Megan and Sean.

[Dax Shepard]

And did they say Megan's the hottest chick on the math team?

[Lee]

Well, I was talking to some folks. Same question. Like, do you guys know this Megan? Like, oh, wait, you messed with her, too. Let me talk to her. And we're gonna set something up. It was a lot at once. It was a very big day.

[Monica Padman]

This test had the school in a frenz.

[Dax Shepard]

I can only imagine how unruly everything. No one learned a fucking thing. For the next week and a half as they tried to get married. Okay, so it parts, and you see Shawn, and you're like, schwing. Wow.

[Curtis]

I was, like, so shy and intimidated by the whole thing. I was like, great. Hi. We did a hug, and he had that deep voice. So I was, like, terrified. And he's pretty shy, too. It took us a minute to actually reconnect. I ended up texting him when I was a senior and he was a sophomore.

[Dax Shepard]

So nothing happened. You guys met, but you didn't pursue it.

[Monica Padman]

You let it go to see if it would return.

[Curtis]

Oh, well, it was almost, like, too much. It was very intense, very overwhelming. I wasn't ready to get married.

[Dax Shepard]

You're looking for a first kiss.

[Lee]

Within that meeting, all of our friends were just surrounding us.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, this is too much.

[Curtis]

Before my senior year, I went to leadership camp, and I got all this confidence and was like, I'm gonna text the hottie from marching, see if he remembers me. And he was in college now, so I was ready for a college boyfriend. So I sent him a text, and the rest is history.

[Monica Padman]

You started dating immediately?

[Lee]

Pretty much together. In total, 15 years. Been married for eight. Needless to say, best five bucks ever spent.

[Monica Padman]

I wonder who else got married from this.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, yeah, I was gonna say, how connected are you still to your class? Have you gone to a reunion and found out that 30% of the people were married to their match?

[Curtis]

Really good question. We are still friends with quite a few of the people who Got us together. We always text them on Valentine's Day, like than so much guys.

[Dax Shepard]

And are you still in Cincy?

[Lee]

For the past three years we were actually living in Seattle. I was finishing up my doctorate work at University of Washington.

[Dax Shepard]

Go Huskies.

[Lee]

Yes. Just this past year we moved to Wichita, Kansas. Got a job up in central Kansas up there in Bethany College. Shout out. So yeah, we've been bouncing around a little bit. We're loving it.

[Curtis]

But like you asked about, sometimes your perfect match isn't a one to one match. He's a Scorpio, I'm a Sagittarius. So there is a lot of things in common, but plenty of difference. And I think that's what really clicked in for us was that it was all about balance. We pushed each other, but also challenged and supported. So even our careers complimented each other. I'm a graphic designer, so I work remote so I can go wherever he's like. We're moving to Wichita. My great. They have computers and wi fi there, right? No big deal.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, I'm gonna ask a challenging question now. So you've been with, I don't know what number boyfriend he was, but certainly from your senior year till now adulthood, you've been with the same person. Is there any tension with that?

[Curtis]

No. And he was really my first real boyfriend because I didn't date anybody after that match. I was just so terrified of dating and seeing my friend's heart get broken. My mom was a single mom and I was like, this is a lot. And I think I just needed to be ready to open up. I think once I started dating Sean and he was so, so kind, so patient, so sweet. I didn't really need to look anywhere else. It all just kind of felt right. It just worked.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, Sean's kind of a storybook figure, right? I didn't think.

[Monica Padman]

You didn't think they exist. And see, when I tell you they exist, I can always point to Sean now.

[Dax Shepard]

You're right. Six thousand interviews later, we've met one. So.

[Monica Padman]

Well, congratulations you two. You, you guys are such a cute couple. I'm so happy for both of you.

[Dax Shepard]

Me too. I'm sorry I asked that question.

[Curtis]

No, no, no.

[Dax Shepard]

I just always Marvel that my 8th grade girlfriend, she broke up with me in 9th grade for another guy and she is still with that guy.

[Monica Padman]

A lot of my friends are that way.

[Dax Shepard]

I guess I'm just too greedy of a pig. I needed to experiment.

[Monica Padman]

Personality.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Okay, you guys. So nice meeting you. I'm really heartwarmed by this.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, me too.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. I feel good about humanity right now.

[Curtis]

Thank you, too. We love the show. We listen all the time. The genuine, heartfelt conversations. It's great. Keep making them.

[Dax Shepard]

Great meeting you guys.

[Lee]

You too.

[Monica Padman]

That was really sweet, and I feel hopeful.

[Dax Shepard]

I do, too. I have a bad view of the world.

[Monica Padman]

No, you don't.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, a little bit.

[Sean]

Hello.

[Dax Shepard]

Hi. Where are you?

[Sean]

Julie, I am in the city where you would throw your McDonald's bag out the window.

[Dax Shepard]

London, Ontario. You got it. Home of Rachel McAdams.

[Monica Padman]

Wow.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay, tell us your meet Cute story. What year?

[Sean]

The year is 2009. It was October 29th. I remember this because me and a few friends were going to the Jay Z concert.

[Monica Padman]

You lucky fox.

[Sean]

Yeah. He came to London, Ontario.

[Dax Shepard]

No. Oh, my God.

[Sean]

I think artists come here because it's in between Detroit and Toronto, so it's like another venue. Stop.

[Dax Shepard]

What do you guys have there? You have like a little arena or something?

[Sean]

It's like an O. And Ohl arena, which is a level below the NHL hockey arena. But we've had, like, Billy Joel, Sting, Cher.

[Heather]

Yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

If you're someone who your big hobby in life is seeing live events, good place to move.

[Sean]

We're really lucky HOV came. And of course, we weren't gonna pass that up, but a caveat in the story was the Yankees were playing the World Series, so it's game two of the World Series, and of course they're gonna ask him to perform. He was flying in late. There was four openers, so it. It was probably okay that he was late, but as a result, everyone at the venue was getting absolutely trashed.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. In Canadian style. Yeah. Yeah.

[Sean]

So he was flying in privately after New York to London. Not a long flight, but we got there when doors opened at the venue, so we got pretty inebriated, to say the least. I was 20 years old. It was fun.

[Dax Shepard]

How late is late? When does he get there?

[Sean]

He probably didn't go on stage until even, like, 10:30 that night. Oh, it was rowdy. It was fun. It was a good show. So after that, we wanted to keep the party going, so we went to a local bar, walked to one. It wasn't too far away. We were having fun at the bar in a booth. I got up to either see a friend or go dance. And I left all my stuff in the booth. I was with friends, so I wasn't too worried about it. But when I went back, they were all gone.

[Monica Padman]

Fuck.

[Sean]

They took my stuff. They're good friends. But as a result, I was like, I can't Go meet them at another bar. I don't have money for a cab. I don't have my phone.

[Monica Padman]

They just left you? Yeah.

[Sean]

I don't know. We were all kind of out of it.

[Dax Shepard]

Most generous case I could make is they thought she left the bar entirely. She was hammered. And they're like, well, fuck, we better grab her stuff and she'll surface.

[Sean]

I wasn't mad at them. Happy go Lucky. Having a great night. So I just figured the night's about to wind down anyways. I'll just walk back to their student house a few kilometers down the road. There's a big strip of bars in London, so I felt very safe and not concerned at all. Like, most people who were out partying that night were students, young people. Halfway through my walk, this guy starts walking with me. He was holding a longboard.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh.

[Sean]

He wasn't at the bars, but he was a bit younger, so I wasn't again, concerned. And he. He did say, you shouldn't be walking alone. Yeah. And I again, happy go Lucky me. Talked to everyone, wasn't very concerned about it. And I said, well, if you want, you can walk with me. So we started making small talk. And he just said, I just knocked someone out down the road. Uh.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, yeah.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay.

[Sean]

I got tripped on my longboard and we got in a fight. I was not too surprised. He was wearing a tap out shirt. So I said, that seems on brand. He'd mentioned he was a trained fighter.

[Monica Padman]

He got a lot out in that first couple minutes.

[Dax Shepard]

Got 30 or 40 red flags to hit you with. I want to get them out quickly.

[Sean]

A few more minutes down the road, three cruisers pull over and they grab him, and they grab me.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, my God.

[Sean]

And he starts yelling like, let her go. Let her go. I don't know her. I was just walking with her.

[Dax Shepard]

Can I add one thing? If you knock a guy out on the sidewalk and you're trying to not get arrested, don't carry a longboard. Because they go, yeah, it's a guy carrying a fucking obnoxiously long skateboard. And no one else is right.

[Sean]

And we were on, like, the main street too. You think he would have cut down a neighborhood street? So ultimately they take him away. But they wanted a statement for me, and I was all jazzed up to talk to the cops and thought it was hilarious, so I gave them one. And they also drove me home and flattered me by putting on the lights.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, that's cute.

[Sean]

Time passes now after that happens, I kind of didn't really think much of it. Now we're in spring 2011, two years later. Yes. I got a letter in the mail, me being subpoenaed to court. So we're going to call the guy I was walking with longboard, Andrew. Basically, Andrew's attorney wanted to use me as a witness because he was being charged with assault. So I show up at court, and I was waiting and waiting. So I sat down beside a different person and I just again, as I do, I was chatting with them. The guy was kind of annoyed. He was just saying, like, I have to take off work to be here. We chatted for about 20 minutes, and Andrew's attorney came to grab me. And they read me my statement from that night. Yeah, they could not use it. I was so drunk. I even say it in the statement. I'm like, this is awesome, Mom. So sorry. Keep stuttering. I'm so drunk. It was not usable.

[Dax Shepard]

Inadmissible.

[Sean]

Ultimately, after they read it back to me, they decided I wasn't going to be a reliable witness, and they let me go home. On my way out, though, I did see that guy I was sitting beside, and I told him, good luck, for whatever reason you're here. And I was on my way.

[Dax Shepard]

Did he tell you why he was there? Was he also a witness to something?

[Sean]

Yeah, he was involved in one of the trials. But the thing is, where the courtroom is, there's 10 different courtrooms. We didn't get too into it. He was a bit more of a shy guy. But now we're in September 2011. Just a bit later that year, I start working at a new bar downtown. And I started doing guest list and cover charge. So I would stand kind of outside the bar. And it was quite a popular student bar, young person bar. It had quite a line on busy nights, and if any of my friends knew me or anyone recognized me, they'd try to cut the line. As you do. I hear one night, hey, Julie, remember me? It's Curtis from court.

[Dax Shepard]

He remembered your name, though. That's impressive.

[Sean]

Yeah. I walked over and then I ultimately did remember him too. And he was with a bunch of friends, so obviously asking to cut the line. And I let them in. Later, he had a bit of liquid courage in him, and he asked if he could buy me a drink after my shift. I was intrigued and single, so I accepted the sim. Part of the story is that I was now having a drink with the guy who got knocked out by Andrew.

[Dax Shepard]

No, he's the guy. No.

[Sean]

Yes.

[Heather]

Oh, my God.

[Sean]

And the knockout happened in front of the bar I was working at.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, oh.

[Sean]

So another one of the witnesses ended up being a bouncer that worked at that bar too, which is kind of funny.

[Monica Padman]

This is wild.

[Sean]

The reason it went to court was this Andrew guy. It wasn't his first assault, but he also hit Curtis so hard that he. He had brain trauma and was in the ICU for like a week.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, fuck.

[Sean]

When this guy was saying he was a trained fighter, it all kind of makes sense. So a few weeks after that, Kurt and I started dating. Now we're married. We have two kids.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my gosh.

[Sean]

One was born two weeks ago.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, congrats.

[Monica Padman]

Wait a minute. Oh, my God. This is a lot.

[Dax Shepard]

You're having a hard time.

[Monica Padman]

All the coincidences and meet cute. It's so exciting.

[Dax Shepard]

Even when you told me that he said, some guy tripped me on my skateboard and we got in a fight and I knocked him out. Even when I heard that, my mind, I was like, probably something inane happened and you overreacted and punched a guy. So when you got to hear Curtis's side of the story, what was it?

[Sean]

Obviously, he doesn't remember anything after being knocked out, but he probably did trip the guy. In London, Ontario, after the bars get out, it is like mayhem. There are so many people out on the sidewalk. So for anyone to even be skateboarding down a sidewalk is going to run into someone.

[Dax Shepard]

You're making a strong case to moving to London. It's like the bar's let out and it's chaos. Jay Z's there. I know. It's incredible.

[Sean]

Come join us. Ultimately, it's kind of funny because me and Kurt are very different. I'm super outgoing, he's a bit more reserved, and he's always harping on me for talking to strangers. But I never would have met him if I didn't strike up conversation with him in court. And I didn't walk with a stranger who had assaulted him.

[Dax Shepard]

Think about his versions even more. Like, something terrible happened to him, but it resulted in the greatest thing.

[Monica Padman]

How sweet.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, Julie, what an adorable story.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, we love that.

[Sean]

Thank you. I wrote in for a few different things. Did you guys ever. A sleepwalking prompt?

[Dax Shepard]

We did. Some guy walked through a plate glass window and fell down two stories.

[Sean]

I wrote in for that one too, but if it ever circles back, we.

[Monica Padman]

Do a part two.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Rob, flag that. You got it. After staircase six, we're going to put out a prompt. Tell us about a staircase that went wrong. Do you think anyone's going to submit to that? Do you think people have tried to fuck on a staircase?

[Monica Padman]

It doesn't have to have gone wrong.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, just tell us about a. Okay.

[Sean]

I think people do it at Sports Stadium.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, my God. You're reminding me. I had sex in the stairwell of the Luxor Hotel when I was 23.

[Monica Padman]

But not on the stairs.

[Dax Shepard]

Not on the stairs. Leaning against a railing.

[Monica Padman]

Okay, well, you acted so shocked when.

[Dax Shepard]

I did, but I had not even thought of stairwells. Have we already put it on our list to do the foreign bodies and the colon thing, whatever that official term was? Because I was just reading a Sedaris story and he said. Said that he has a couple different nurse and doctor friends and that they all have the stories, too, and he has a whole thing about it. It's very funny.

[Monica Padman]

I think it's on our list.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, you're delightful and I think you are a very good ambassador for London, Ontario.

[Sean]

Thank you. It was lovely meeting you guys.

[Dax Shepard]

You too.

[Sean]

Do everything in your power to bring Ted Seegers to Ontario.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay? That's the goal. All right.

[Heather]

Okay.

[Sean]

Looking forward to it.

[Dax Shepard]

Be well.

[Sean]

So nice meeting you. Take care.

[Monica Padman]

What about Jury Duty stories?

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, that's good.

[Monica Padman]

Also, I had an idea because I was watching ER stories of. You learn something from watching TV or a movie and it changed your life.

[Dax Shepard]

Interesting.

[Monica Padman]

There was an episode yesterday, so maybe.

[Dax Shepard]

This is a prompt for you tell us.

[Monica Padman]

There was an episode with this guy who came in and he had hiccups and I was like, oh, weird. And then turned out it was really, really bad.

[Megan]

So.

[Monica Padman]

I mean, TV can say a lie.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Here's Leah. Hi, Leah.

[Megan]

It's actually Lee, but you are the 8 millionth person to get that wrong. So we'll just blame my parents together. Nobody.

[Dax Shepard]

And I'm gonna immediately throw Rob under the bus cause he said Leah out loud. Why did mom and dad choose Lee? Is there a story behind it?

[Megan]

Both from England. It's a more British typical name.

[Dax Shepard]

They're from England.

[Megan]

My dad was born in England. My mom's whole family was in England. Emigrated to Canada. That's where I was born.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, back to back Canadians. Are you currently in Canada?

[Megan]

I live in Greenfield, Massachusetts now.

[Monica Padman]

Nice.

[Dax Shepard]

What's Greenfield? How close is that to Boston?

[Megan]

Two hours west. It's very close to where you've been. Dax, you recorded the judge in the town next to us in Shelburne Falls.

[Dax Shepard]

Shelburne Falls? Yes.

[Megan]

I love it there. We actually got engaged in that town.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. That's an incredibly beautiful part of the country. Okay, so you have a meet Cute story. Where does it take place? What year?

[Megan]

I do. Okay, so my story starts in November 2010. I was a junior in college at UMass Amherst. So me and my friends were at one of my friends apartments. We're partying, drinking, you know, as a junior in college does. Somebody notices our friend Alyssa's calendar on the wall and it says, Johnston family Christmas party. Alyssa, how drunk are you? Your last name is Johnson. Do you not know how to spell your own last name? And she was like, wait, you guys don't know this already? My dad was a Johnston and my mom was a Johnson, so she only changed her last name by one letter.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh.

[Megan]

So in our tipsy girlhood state, we all just start laughing and come up with this theory. Her parents were like the sweetest couple. We all loved them. So we're like, it's fate, right? If it's one letter different, fate has spoken and you must be together.

[Dax Shepard]

I agree with that.

[Megan]

Right. Continue on with our night. Keep drinking mostly. Forget about this until the next night. My best friend and I, Kate, who was at the party as well, part of this conversation. We go to our shift at the dining hall. Quick side note, you guys have already heard about this dining hall.

[Dax Shepard]

This is where the boy got poop on the staircase.

[Megan]

It's the same building. Isn't that so funny and sim, right?

[Monica Padman]

That is so sim.

[Megan]

When I heard that story, I was like, what are the chances? And then he's describing the building. I'm like, yes, this is the building I worked in. And I think it's around the same time. I want to say he said 2010, 2011. So we're talking, could have been the next day, who knows?

[Monica Padman]

Did you work there?

[Megan]

Yes, I was a student worker. So we actually traded text back and forth trying to remember who this person was.

[Dax Shepard]

He was super charming and he's very tall.

[Monica Padman]

So much is going down at the dining hall.

[Dax Shepard]

I want to enroll there. I'm going to move to London, Ontario and then commute to Amherst.

[Megan]

So yeah, this is the same place. So Kate and I go to our shift and our shift was late nights, which basically means serving fried food to kids, stumbling and drunk or high, you know, on a study break, very laid back. And there's usually only like one or two cooks who are the supervisors for the night. And then the rest are just student workers. Workers. 9pm to 2am but a good shift for people watching.

[Dax Shepard]

Can we digress for one second? I can't think of anything more fun than being at this college and being able to Stumble and drunk between 11 and 2am and fucking eat a bunch of diner food with your buddies.

[Monica Padman]

French fries.

[Dax Shepard]

I didn't have that experience. That sounds so fun.

[Megan]

It honestly was the best. And it was also great working. Cause you saw all your friends, they came in and said hi. But you also just got a lot of good stories. So. Yeah. On this particular night, we're setting up our station, Kate and I, we see someone in a cook's outfit walked past and we were like, huh. I hadn't seen this person before. He's walking by and I definitely clock him. He's tall, he's handsome, broad shoulders, bright.

[Monica Padman]

Blue eyes, a little bit of poop.

[Dax Shepard]

Coming out of his pants. Not quite that tall.

[Megan]

He caught my eye for sure. Kate, of course, knowing me better than anyone in the world, she clocks me. Clocking him. She kind of gives me a smirk and she's like, okay, we like him. And then that's when she, I think, remembers the joke. She's like, well, you can't date him unless it's one letter different. There's no way. You know, it's the rule. It's fate. We joke about it. Then he comes over and is like, hey, I'm the cook for the night. Which means he was our super supervisor for the night.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, in power.

[Megan]

Not quite a professor, but almost.

[Monica Padman]

Almost.

[Megan]

I'll take it. He's on making the philly cheesesteaks. And he assigns me to the fry later, which is right next to him frying the onion rings. Because of course, onion rings, Philly cheesesteaks.

[Monica Padman]

It'S a good starving.

[Megan]

We're next to each other all night. And to my pleasant surprise, the flirtation is on. Immediately. We're chatting.

[Dax Shepard]

What's the age difference?

[Megan]

Three years?

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, nothing. It's not like a 45 year old guy.

[Megan]

No, no, no, no, no. The cooks were often just out of college. We're flirting and Kate's clocking it. And being my best friend that she is, she's of course gonna give me a hard time about this. So she just keeps as often as she can, discreetly being like. Doesn't matter if it's not one letter different, you can't date him. Joking. So anyway, the shift goes on, more flirting happens, and we're getting towards the end of the shift and she's just kind of like, all right, I'm taking stuff into my own hands now because we don't know if we're gonna see this guy again because he doesn't normally work with us, so we don't Know, like, is he new? Is he from another dining hall? Is he just covering. Next time he walks up to us, she just goes, hey, I didn't catch your last name. What is it? And he goes, harrick. And we just are frozen, staring at him. So he walks away, and our jaws are on the floor because my last name was Derek.

[Monica Padman]

No, also was.

[Megan]

Was.

[Dax Shepard]

Wow.

[Monica Padman]

Derek and Harry.

[Dax Shepard]

Is he related to the Elephant Man? Wasn't his last name.

[Monica Padman]

No, that's Merrick. This is Herrick.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, Harrick. Sorry, I went with M. I understand.

[Megan]

It's a lot's taken the letters. So anyway, he walks away and we're like, we're logical girls. That's crazy. We just talked about this yesterday. There's no chance that this is real. So we come up with, he must have overheard her joking with me. He was standing right next to me a lot. And maybe he got given, like a list of staff names of who was working with him that night, and so he just decided to pull a fast one on us. So he walks back, and Kate, being the future badass lawyer that she is, immediately pounces on him and is like, there's no way that's your real last name. What is it, really? He's like, you don't believe my last name? Like, what do you want, a cid? And we both immediately were like, yes. He takes out his id, and just right there on his Massachusetts driver's license says, robert Herrick.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, how soon do you explain to him what he's just fallen into?

[Megan]

Not then, because our jaws were plastered on the floor. And I don't know how you really explain that in a non creepy way.

[Dax Shepard]

Yes, yes, yes. Stakes are high.

[Megan]

All of my friends have decided it's fate and you now must marry me. And this is now 2am we're a little delirious. He walks away, and we clock out. We go on with our day. But of course, the next day, Kate quickly tells all of our friends, oh, it's fate. Leigh's met the love of her life. She's getting married. Joking around tonight. Kind of just blow it off, because that's ridiculous. Nothing happens. Don't see him again at the shift until a month later, he finds me on Facebook and slides into my DMs.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, wow. Good for him.

[Megan]

He just was kind of like, how's it going? You want to go on a date? So we did. Somehow that date lasted four days. Sorry, Mom. Oh, it was just one of those things where you start hanging out and you never stop. I was still in College. So of course I continued on college. But as soon as we graduated, we moved in together. And in 2016, Kate told this story at our wedding as my maiden honor.

[Monica Padman]

How exciting.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, yay.

[Monica Padman]

I love that.

[Dax Shepard]

It's really cool. It's meant to be.

[Monica Padman]

So now you just had to change one letter?

[Megan]

I had to change one letter, which I have to tell you, was way more of a pain in the ass than it was maybe worth. But I also couldn't fathom our future children having to explain Derek Herrick to people. Or like hyphenating. That seemed really out of the question. One of my husband's friends, his suggestion was to compromise and go with an F in between D and H and go Farrick.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, that's also a great compromise.

[Monica Padman]

Did you keep it as a maiden name? Like, is your name Lee? Derek Herrick?

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, no.

[Megan]

I thought about it. Facebook was the only social media at the time, I believe. And I, as a joke, hyphenated it just to make people think. And then I realized you can't change it back for three months. So I got stuck with that for a while.

[Monica Padman]

How cute.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, I like that story.

[Megan]

We got a five year old boy and a three year old girl. And I still work at the college where we met.

[Dax Shepard]

You were like, this is so fun. I'm not leaving. That's smart.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. The best thing ever. The best things ever.

[Dax Shepard]

And he found employment in that area.

[Monica Padman]

Know what I mean?

[Megan]

I know what you mean.

[Dax Shepard]

Paradise is in your backyard. What is it? What are you trying to go for?

[Monica Padman]

I was trying to say a regular sentence that those are the best times of your life.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, I hope you had the time of your life. Is that what you're thinking?

[Monica Padman]

Yeah, that's what it was.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, Lee, what a sweet story.

[Megan]

Thank you. We had a couple other weird things too, like the town he's from Bernardson, Massachusetts. When we went to meet my parents, my mom was like, that's really weird because we live in Bernard's Township, New Jersey. And so a little Googling later and we find out that the namesake is the same person. Sir Francis Bernard.

[Dax Shepard]

He was like a town slut. He was just going all over the country and spraying his seed everywhere.

[Monica Padman]

You must believe in soulmates.

[Megan]

It's funny you say that. We're really not the type of people to believe in that kind of thing, but it does feel like that's a little too much to be just coincidence.

[Dax Shepard]

I still think it's coincidence, but I still like it just as much.

[Megan]

That's how I feel.

[Dax Shepard]

Dax, I'm like, I still feel like.

[Megan]

It'S coincidence, but I. But I love the story. It's a fun story, and it got me here, so that's pretty exciting.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Well, Lean, lovely meeting you, and what a delightful tale. Thank you.

[Megan]

It's kind of a thank you to both of you. But, Dax, when the podcast was first launched, my brother had just come to me and told me that he was struggling with alcoholism, but he wasn't ready to get sober yet. And so that was a hard relationship at the time to navigate. Really hard to help in that type of situation. But just so happened that I was a day one armchairy. So I started listening to a lot of your stories about AA and recovery, and it made me understand him in a way that I never could before, and it allowed me to see how his brain works in a way I couldn't before. I would bring that to him and we would talk about it, and he would open up to me and share with me what he was going through. And so then in 2021, he did the most courageous thing ever, and he called me and asked for help. He told me those conversations were the thing that allowed him to open up to me and ask for help when he needed it. And we got him to rehab, and he's now three and a half years sober.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, get it. Oh, man, that makes me so happy.

[Megan]

Like, the reach is further than you think. And I know people thank you as people who are in sobriety, but as a family member of someone in sobriety, it's a little bit not as talked about, how hard it is to connect with the people you love who are struggling. And so having that insight and hope from someone who was on the other side of it was huge.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, wonderful.

[Megan]

And then Monica, on day seven, when you were talking about what it's like to love someone in addiction, that hit so deeply and you were so vulnerable, about how you sometimes feel crazy and you don't know what to do.

[Dax Shepard]

We'll make you feel crazy.

[Megan]

Sorry, Jax, that's just.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, I know. Yeah.

[Monica Padman]

Well, I'm so glad it's been helpful.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah, me too.

[Megan]

Really is. Yeah. So thank you.

[Dax Shepard]

All right, take care.

[Monica Padman]

Oh, man.

[Dax Shepard]

Yeah. Me cutes are pretty cute.

[Monica Padman]

Me cutes are so cute.

[Dax Shepard]

We do need one, like every 20th episode just to cleanse the palate of all the gunk and garbage we put out there in the universe.

[Monica Padman]

Yeah. I don't know, but there might have been a seed to a potential meat cut queue.

[Dax Shepard]

Oh, really?

[Monica Padman]

Not going to say.

[Dax Shepard]

Well, what a dick move to make. What if I go home? The greatest thing happened to me yesterday.

[Monica Padman]

And I can't tell you this is different. It hasn't turned into a meet cute yet, but it may.

[Dax Shepard]

Is this with your toe truck?

[Monica Padman]

No, but we'll get to that in the fact.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay?

[Megan]

Okay.

[Dax Shepard]

Okay. Love you.

[Megan]

Do you want to sing a tune or something?

[Dax Shepard]

We don't have a theme song. Oh, okay, great. We don't have a theme song for this new show. So here I go, go, go. We're gonna ask some random questions and with the help of Armchair's we'll get some suggestions on the Fly Rhyme Dish. On the Fly Rhyme dish. Enjoy. Follow Armchair Expert on the Wondri app, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to every episode of Armchair Expert early and ad free right now by joining Wondry plus in the Wondry app or on Apple Podcasts. Before you go, tell us about yourself by completing a short survey at wondry. Com. Survey.