Garage Logic – MISCHKE: Night Shift (March 20, 2026)

Episode Overview

In this episode of Garage Logic’s “MISCHKE: Night Shift,” host Tommy Mischke embarks on a whimsical and offbeat exploration of the world of overnight work, the psyche of night shift workers, and the subcultures that come alive after dark. Drawing on listener stories, creative monologues, and conversations with both experts and fans, Mischke dives into the existential and often surreal realities of those who keep watch while the rest of society sleeps. Along the way, the show takes detours into poetry, reflections on intimacy, Minnesota winters, and even a darkly comic take on a true crime headline.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Decline of Overnight Shifts

• Mischke opens with a riff about the growing reluctance of Americans to work overnight jobs, despite the higher pay (01:16).
  • Quote: “There’s been a gradual turning of the back on the overnight gigs. Those late night shifts just aren’t as popular as they used to be.” – Mischke (01:48)
• Station Psychologist offers psychological insights into why night work is so difficult:
  • Night alters mental states, invites introspection, and is often feared as the realm of “freaks, ghouls, oddballs, and subversives.” (03:35, 05:57)
  • Quote: “Night is a secondary world… The imagination can get carried away. Historically, of course, night is the domain of the marginalized.” – Station Psychologist (03:35)

2. Night Shift Compatibility & Relationships

• Matching personalities to shifts: Mischke and the psychologist discuss the importance of pairing night jobs to those with a certain makeup ("the Craigs" of the world), using a recurring oddball character as an example (07:39).
  • Quote: “You gotta pair the right personality with the right job.” – Station Psychologist (07:39)
• When “morning people” marry night shifters: Dr. Elizabeth Lombardo offers practical advice for couples living on opposing schedules, suggesting written notes, gratitude, and creative communication (10:06).
  • Mischke launches into a comedic song about such a marriage, highlighting the absurdities and emotional distance inherent in never seeing your spouse (10:41).
  • Memorable verse: “I work days, she works nights. I say, honey, are we gonna be alright? She says, who needs sex? Send me a text.” – Mischke (11:07)

3. Lived Experiences: The Night Shift In Practice

• 7-11 Worker’s Chilling Tale: A listener recounts a deeply unsettling overnight experience with a disturbed man who seemingly follows them home (16:45).
  • The story highlights both the danger and psychological toll of night shift work, as paranoia lingers even after the shift ends (18:00).
  • Quote: “All night I felt like I was being watched. Even with all the blinds shut and I could swear I heard strange noises…” – 7-11 Worker (18:00)

4. Listeners’ Lives & Philosophical Meanderings

• Douglas’ Auto-Intimacy and Reflections:
  • Douglas shares the comfort of eating lunch alone in his car (20:26), leading to a Mischke riff on the lost intimacy of vehicle spaces.
  • Douglas reveals personal struggles: obesity, failed overseas teaching job due to weight stigma, and writing poetry as catharsis (24:12, 26:36).
  • Mischke encourages Douglas to read his poems, which reveal nostalgia and longing for innocence and love (27:00 & 28:49).
    • Poetry Highlight: “There’s a park just outside of town… with just enough of a hill that the green has been worn into patches of blackish brown by the padding and trotting of the young’s naked feet...” – Douglas, “Up at the Top” (27:00)
• On Finding Satisfaction in Work:
  • Mischke and Peter debate whether anyone, historically, actually liked their job, tying in the existential dilemma of modern work-life balance (37:50).
  • Quote: “They sleep a third of their life. They work a third of their life. So one third of their life awake, they’re unhappy. One third, they’re sleeping. That leaves a third for them to find some ecstasy…” – Mischke (37:50)

5. Dick Prenicke: Ego and the Myth of Self-Sufficiency

• Mischke and Peter analyze Dick Prenicke, the legendary Alaskan homesteader known for filming himself in the wilderness.
  • Mischke suggests Prenicke’s need to document was as much about ego as solitude (40:13), likening him to the “original YouTuber.”
  • Quote: “Dick wanted the world to know he was a big deal… It wasn’t enough to live that life and know you were capable. He wanted the world to know there were few out there who have ever done it better.” – Mischke (40:13)

6. Minnesota Identity and Winter’s Influence

• Mischke discusses his book “Winter's Song,” examining how Minnesota's harsh winters shape character, culture, and even happiness (32:03, 46:02).
  • Quote: “Winter… shaping the personalities of the people who grow up in that world… being truly the dominant parental figure of the four seasons.” – Mischke (31:11)
• On the ecstasy of spring after surviving the hard winter:
  • Quote: “A 70 degree day where you are cannot in a million years feel as thrilling and ecstatic and as wondrous as the 70 degrees we’re going to feel.” – Mischke (44:26)
  • “If you can’t take my winters, you don’t deserve my springs.” – Mischke, quoting from his book (44:41)

7. Farce, Crime, and the Absurdity of Life

• Mischke recounts the true crime story of Corey Richens, a children’s book author convicted of murdering her husband (47:03).
  • He skewers the bizarre irony—writing about grief while hiding her crime—and imagines a pitch-black Dr. Seuss-style rhyme about the case (53:44).
  • Darkly Comic Verse:
    “But we cry when daddies die, oh, it makes us all so sad.
    Well, I’m not that upset. Cause I’m the one who killed your dad.”
    – Mischke (53:00)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Highlight | |-----------|---------|-----------------| | 01:48 | Mischke | “There’s been a gradual turning of the back on the overnight gigs. People collectively are saying, no sir. No thank you. No, I will not take that shift.” | | 03:35 | Station Psychologist | “Night is a secondary world with its own rules, its own psychological landscapes… Night has served as a sanctuary for subversion.” | | 07:39 | Station Psychologist | “You gotta pair the right personality with the right job.” | | 10:41 | Dr. Lombardo | "Leave notes, send texts, emails... whatever it is to make sure that you’re continuing to communicate." | | 11:07 | Mischke (song) | “I work days, she works nights. I say, honey, are we gonna be alright? She says, who needs sex? Send me a text.” | | 18:00 | 7-11 Worker | “All night I felt like I was being watched... I refused to get any sleep until the sun came up.” | | 27:00 | Douglas (poem) | “There’s a park just outside of town... with just enough of a hill that the green has been worn into patches by the padding and trotting of the young’s naked feet...” | | 37:50 | Mischke | “They sleep a third of their life. They work a third of their life... That leaves a third for them to find some ecstasy…” | | 40:13 | Mischke (on Dick Prenicke) | “Dick wanted the world to know he was a big deal… He wanted the world to know there were few out there who have ever done it better.” | | 44:41 | Mischke | “If you can’t take my winters, you don’t deserve my springs.” | | 53:00 | Mischke (satirical rhyme) | “But we cry when daddies die. Oh, it makes us all so sad. Well, I’m not that upset. Cause I’m the one who killed your dad.” |

Important Segments (Timestamps)

• [01:16] — Mischke introduces the topic of night shifts and societal reluctance.
• [03:35] — Station psychologist breaks down psychological effects of night work.
• [10:06] — Dr. Lombardo’s advice for relationships affected by night shifts.
• [16:45] — 7-11 worker’s chilling night shift story.
• [20:06-32:12] — Conversation with Douglas: cars, life’s trajectory, poetry readings.
• [36:17-46:55] — Conversation with Peter: shifting careers, work-life balance, Dick Prenicke discussion, Minnesota identity.
• [47:03-53:42] — Mischke’s darkly comic retelling of a true crime story.

Tone & Style

Mischke brings a blend of wry humor, melancholy, and philosophical curiosity, inviting both laughter and introspection. The episode is rich in anecdotes, existential tangents, and creative asides, giving voice to everyday workers and oddballs who populate Garage Logic’s fictional universe.

For Listeners Who Missed It

• This episode offers a unique look at the night shift’s social, psychological, and cultural dynamics—at once funny, poignant, and slightly surreal.
• The show is as much about the characters who call in (and the creative flights they inspire), as it is about the ostensible theme.
• Listeners get a dose of offbeat poetry, deep dives on work and loneliness, and dark comedy served in Mishke’s unmistakable, off-kilter voice.

If you have ever wondered what keeps the world running overnight—or why life sometimes feels both tragic and farcical—this is a must-listen.