If You Need A Laugh Right Now

Summary

Podcast Summary:

Laugh Lines with Kim & Penn Holderness
Episode: If You Need A Laugh Right Now
Date: January 27, 2026
Hosts: Kim & Penn Holderness

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Episode Overview

In this light-hearted, refreshingly candid episode, Kim and Penn Holderness set out to cure Kim’s January blues by intentionally seeking laughter and joy amidst stressful times. Together, they reminisce about lighter moments in life, share strategies for finding happiness, reflect on how the seriousness of the world can affect our mindset, and connect with listeners and family for uplifting, funny anecdotes. Classic Holderness warmth and banter are on full display as Penn tries to “fix” Kim’s mood with jokes, songs, and nostalgia, while the duo unpacks how to balance comedy with empathy and awareness of current events.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. January Blues & Intentional Joy

• Kim opens up about how January feels endless and heavy, especially this year with personal and global news piling on (“January, to me, is just like the longest Monday.” [06:56, Kim]).
• She asks Penn for a podcast dedicated to cheering her up and lightening the mood.
• Penn encourages Kim, noticing her “celebratory glitter” and using humor and small observations to spark joy (“You have a little bit of glitter on your face, and it looks adorable.” [07:47, Penn]).

2. Nostalgia – School Closures and the Local News Era

• Discussion about waiting for school closure announcements from beloved news anchors (Larry Stogner, Gail Syrens, Bob Hite), leading into memories about how news consumption and local TV personalities have changed (“If you know the names of your legend newscaster, you’re so right.” [05:05, Kim]).
• Penn comedically proposes calling snowstorms “snorms.” [05:22–05:27]
• Both hosts predict weather-related school closures, setting up a future callback.

3. Heavier Times & the Search for Slow News

• Kim and Penn reflect on working in television news during “slow news days,” when stories about “squirrels on water-skis” were headline material ([10:18, Penn]).
• Now, news is non-stop and often disheartening, making it difficult to find moments of levity. Penn admits he no longer watches local news due to difficulty finding unbiased reporting ([12:21, Penn]).

4. What Makes Us Happy? Kim & Penn’s Lists

• Kim shares a personal, hyper specific happiness list:
  • Baby sneezing videos
  • Dogs running in slow-motion
  • Prescription sleep aids that guarantee rest
  • Buying “happy birthday” cookie cakes for no reason (“As an adult, you could buy a birthday cake, and it doesn’t even have to be your birthday.” [16:26, Kim])
  • Satisfying pimple pop videos (“Golden retriever puppies. Pimple popping. Yeah, I’m almost there.” [17:43, Kim])
• Penn notes Kim’s repeated, unprompted purchase of birthday cakes has become a joyful family tradition.

5. Health, Aging, & Shingles

• Penn recently had shingles, sparking laughter (and a fair bit of pimple-popping glee from Kim). They discuss perimenopause and aging bodies with relatability and humor:
  • “0 out of 10 recommend getting shingles.” [18:02, Kim]
  • “Get the vaccine.” [18:32, Both]
• Penn shares his exhaustion after starting antiviral treatment and binge-watches “The Pit,” a gritty ER reality show, finding inspiration and happiness in its “perfectly flawed angels on earth” ([24:54, Penn]).

6. Finding Joy in Shared Experiences

• Recap of their family trip to Asheville, NC, and an impromptu “Super Bowl of dance” marathon (UDA College Dance Team Nationals) which Penn and their boys unexpectedly enjoy.
  • “My Super Bowl… the best university dance teams get together and do… jazz, hip hop, pom. This is my Super Bowl.” [26:24, Kim]
• Kim reminisces about her own college dance team days, reflecting on the lack of NCAA recognition and support for dance athletes.

7. Listener Connection & Community Contributions

• Kim shares Instagram responses about what makes listeners laugh (ex: “watching little kids fall and stuff”) and favorite viral trends (pet videos, AI animal videos, owl impressions with regional accents).
• Listener voicemail from Mark (Portland, OR) brings validation for keeping their content light-hearted during tough times ([37:05, Mark]).

8. Comedy vs. Crisis: Navigating Humor in a Complicated World

• The hosts frankly discuss the tension between wanting to bring joy and feeling an urge to acknowledge the world’s pain:
  • “How do you do that when the world is on fire?... What is the balance of how we acknowledge this but also do what we love to do?” [36:10, Kim]
• They land on the importance of giving space, sustaining mental health, and doing the “bucket work” they can manage instead of burning out ([38:46, Kim; 39:04, Penn]).

9. Penn Tries to Cheer Up Kim (Musical Interlude)

• At Kim’s request, Penn composes and sings a silly, spontaneous song about buying birthday cookies for no reason ([39:58–40:37]), while playfully debating which celebratory cake has the most icing based on the number of letters.
• Anne Marie joins in on the support chorus: “Yeah, we got your back, girl. We got it so hard.” [40:59, Anne Marie]
• Humorous discussion (“Don’t get the shingles on your back.” [41:06, Kim]) closes out the bit.

10. Regular Segments: Complimenting Other Men & Gen Z Slang

• Penn Compliments Other Men:

  • Listeners send in photos of their husbands for compliments. Highlights: Brian (Canadian castle background, meal planner, theater lover) and Seth (stilt-walking, 61 years old but looks decades younger).
    • “Brian, first of all, my wife has a crush on you.” [47:13, Penn]
    • “I think that people who walk on stilts have to be fun.” [48:19, Kim]

• Gen Z Slang of the Week:

  • This week’s word: “High key” (meaning overtly, very).
  • Kim and Penn gamely use “high key” and “low key” in sentences, segueing into a tongue-in-cheek discussion about hard science fiction and their book club’s current Andy Weir pick ([50:00–51:51]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Kim on adulthood:
  “As an adult, you could buy a birthday cake, and it doesn’t even have to be your birthday.” [16:26]

• Penn on the state of the news:
  “I just want someone to talk about it in the middle. And it’s very hard to find.” [12:52]

• Listener voicemail validation:
  “I really understand the struggle between wanting to say something about things going on in the world, but also wanting to have that space from it.” [37:05, Mark]

• Penn’s musical fix:
  “Hey, babe, I know that you’re having a tough time, but it’s all gonna get a lot better, yeah…” [39:58]

• Kim’s honest confession:
  “0 out of 10 recommend getting shingles.” [18:02]

• Penn’s take on comedy in crisis:
  “There’s what we most see, which is just people in front of cameras who are furious at the other side of the world. And then there’s, like, the really important part, which is… you being able to talk about it with your family and your friends and your loved ones.” [37:41]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [03:55] Kim asks for cheering up; Penn begins playful support
• [05:01] Nostalgia about local news and school closures
• [06:46] School snow day predictions
• [10:06] Kim reflects on the heaviness of January and newsrooms past
• [13:26] Kim’s happiness list: baby sneezes, slow-mo dogs, etc.
• [16:14] Discussion of buying unnecessary birthday cakes
• [17:43] Kim’s fondness for “pimple popping” videos
• [18:02] Shingles update and vaccine recommendation
• [24:10] Penn’s “The Pit” binge-watching for comfort
• [26:24] UDA Dance Team Nationals—Kim’s sports equivalent
• [29:47] Listener joy submissions: kids falling, AI pet videos
• [31:29] Owl impression trend
• [33:00] Looking back at 2016—music videos, early career days
• [36:10] How to balance laughing with being aware of hard things
• [37:05] Listener Mark’s validating voicemail
• [39:58] Penn sings to cheer up Kim
• [45:08] “Penn Compliments Other Men” segment: Brian & Seth
• [49:52] “Gen Z Slang of the Week”: high key/low key
• [52:31] Kim affirms she feels better—mission accomplished!

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Tone & Style

Kim and Penn bring their trademark warmth, vulnerability, and humor throughout. There’s a gentle self-awareness and playfulness as they poke fun at themselves, each other, and the absurdities of aging and parenting. They also demonstrate genuine care for their listeners and each other, seamlessly blending comedy with empathy and open conversation about tough emotions.

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Summary for New Listeners

This episode offers a hearty dose of laughter and relatability for anyone struggling with the winter blues or the heaviness of world news. The Holdernesses demonstrate how tiny, silly joys—whether it’s a birthday cake with extra icing, viral video animal silliness, or supporting each other with an earnest song—can make a meaningful difference. Longtime fans will appreciate the all-in family spirit and familiar deep dives into “the little things,” while new listeners will find an accessible, humorous, and heartfelt approach to finding light in dark times.

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For more uplifting stories or to share what small thing makes you happy, write the show at [e-mail] or leave a voicemail at 323-364-3929.

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Transcript

[Kim Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[Penn Holderness]

As an avid Peloton user, I love that Peloton IQ creates a personal workout roadmap with weekly recommended classes led by instructors who match my mood, my vibe and my personality with features that help.

[Kim Holderness]

You plan, state motivated and achieve peak performance. I love that you can get your workout on while Peloton handles the rest.

[Penn Holderness]

So let yourself run, lift, sculpt, push and go explore the new peloton cross training [e-mail] this episode is brought to.

[Kim Holderness]

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[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

I would just like this podcast dedicated to cheering me up.

[Penn Holderness]

Hey, babe. I know that you're having a tough time, but it's all gonna get a lot better.

[Kim Holderness]

You do your job and they give you money.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

And with that money, you can do whatever you want. You could buy a birthday cake.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

And it doesn't even have to be your birthday.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah. We get older every day. Got more wrinkles. That's okay. Yeah, we're laughing. When we age, life is like a comedy stage. And that's why we got fl.

[Kim Holderness]

Hey, everybody. I'm Kim Holderness.

[Penn Holderness]

And I'm Penn Holderness. Welcome to Laugh Lines.

[Kim Holderness]

If you had to sit by the TV and wait for your favorite news anchor to announce your school for school closures, welcome. Do you know kids these days, they just get a text?

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah, we're talking about for like snow.

[Kim Holderness]

And stuff for snow days.

[Penn Holderness]

So I did not have the Internet. I had the legend Larry Fricking Stogner who told me about every single cancellation that we had. Who was. Who was your. Who was your legend?

[Kim Holderness]

Gail Syrens and Bob Height.

[Penn Holderness]

See now here's another. If you know the names of your legend. Newscaster.

[Kim Holderness]

You're so right.

[Penn Holderness]

Growing up. Because I don't know if people know those names as much anymore.

[Kim Holderness]

I know which. Okay, first of all, this podcast might be delivered to you via carrier pigeon because we're. We are recording this in advance to a. Of a massive snowstorm. Winter storm.

[Penn Holderness]

A snorm.

[Kim Holderness]

It is a storm.

[Penn Holderness]

It is a snowstorm. They should just call it a snorm.

[Kim Holderness]

A snorm. But it's where we live. It apparently is just gonna be sheets of ice, meaning our power is gonna go out. So thoughts and prayers.

[Penn Holderness]

That is how we roll in north cac. Like you have you.

[Kim Holderness]

That's North Kakalaka.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah. You have been a Florida girl most of your life and you've had your own set of things to deal with.

[Kim Holderness]

Yes.

[Penn Holderness]

People think that North Carolina's biggest issue is hurricanes as well. And we do have it sometimes on the coast. Like, they do come this way. Ice storms are the worst thing in our state. And it's because it doesn't quite. And it doesn't quite rain. It freezing rains. And then the fricking ice sticks to the trees and the trees get heavy, they die, and they knock over everything.

[Kim Holderness]

So what's your. Okay, we're gonna. We're gonna go back and we're gonna play this in the future. So if I predict we're out of school for the full week.

[Penn Holderness]

Yes, I'm with you on that. And here's what's gonna happen.

[Kim Holderness]

We're gonna go back and just like.

[Penn Holderness]

We'Re gonna be sitting around with our sleds. We're gonna be so ready to go make snowmen and have hot cocoa. And then we're gonna hear. Which is the sound of sleet. And sleet is going to cover everything. It's not going to be pretty.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah.

[Penn Holderness]

And everyone is going to drive into everyone. And you will. Honestly, a good sleet. You can get some sledding.

[Kim Holderness]

So what is your prediction for how long we'll be out of school?

[Penn Holderness]

Five days.

[Kim Holderness]

Okay. And we'll go back and see if we were right.

[Penn Holderness]

They might close on Friday in. Because it's going to Snow in like 12 hours.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah. Okay. So I have always. I've always had issues with January. January, to me, is just like the longest Monday. Right. And so I. You guys heard in a previous podcast, I've just. This has been a rough January for our world. Right. And it just feels very happy. Monday, it's my Monday. And there's been A lot happening in the news, and it's really tough to process. And so coming on this podcast, I felt like I can't be alone in this feeling. So I've spent most of our marriage trying to tell you, like, you don't need to fix me. You just need to be witness to my story. I'm going to just, like, put that on pause. I would like you to fix me.

[Penn Holderness]

You'd like me to entertain you.

[Kim Holderness]

I would like you to cheer me up. Okay, so I would just like this podcast dedicated to cheering me up.

[Penn Holderness]

I hear you. Well, first of all, you're not alone. And we'll. I think we've got proof of that, by the way. Like, just some quick. Here's some things to cheer you up. You ready? First of all, you have a little bit of glitter on your face, and it looks adorable.

[Kim Holderness]

How do I have glitter?

[Penn Holderness]

I don't know, but it's your. It's a celebratory glitter. Yeah, but it's. It's like glitter. You were licked by. Kissed by an angel or snow. Not licked.

[Kim Holderness]

How do I have a glitter?

[Penn Holderness]

I don't. I don't know where it came from. But you've got a little. One piece of glitter.

[Kim Holderness]

I'm not even going to try to take it.

[Penn Holderness]

But you're just. It's just shining, and it's just shiny wonderful. So that's good. That's. That's my personality shining through another piece of shiny wonderfulness. Someone made us clipboard.

[Kim Holderness]

You know who someone is?

[Penn Holderness]

Sam.

[Kim Holderness]

You don't read our group text.

[Penn Holderness]

Oh, Sam made these for us. That's amazing.

[Kim Holderness]

She. Even. So, Sam is not here today. Feeling a little under the weather. I think we even have a message she sent in for us.

[Penn Holderness]

Okay, we'll have to play that right now, though, because she's editing this. She's like, how does pen bleeping, bleep? Not bleeping. No, I made the bleeping. And these, they've got a caboodle in the inside of it.

[Kim Holderness]

Put snacks inside and.

[Penn Holderness]

Or fidget toy.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah, but there's a message she sent us. Hey, you guys, Sam here.

[Penn Holderness]

Sorry to miss the podcast today. I am homesick with the flu, but I'm sure Anne Marie is doing a.

[Kim Holderness]

Great job over there.

[Penn Holderness]

Speaking of Anne Marie, she gave me.

[Kim Holderness]

Permission to order you some custom clipboards.

[Penn Holderness]

The problem is, to get custom clipboards.

[Kim Holderness]

You need a minimum order of 100.

[Penn Holderness]

I'm not really sure what we would.

[Kim Holderness]

Do with 100 clipboards. So what I decided to do was just Buy two, get some custom stickers, and make my own.

[Penn Holderness]

So I hope you enjoy your new clipboards. I bought the ones that have a little holder inside. I thought that would be fun. I put a little. A few snacks in there for you if you need it. Anyway, hope you enjoy and see you next podcast.

[Kim Holderness]

Bye, guys.

[Penn Holderness]

And she knows me. She knows these are my favorite candies.

[Kim Holderness]

We got emergency snacks, so. Emery, welcome. Thank you.

[Penn Holderness]

Emery is here in. In Damn Stab.

[Kim Holderness]

Okay. When she's listening to Pen. I know that's Emory. We welcome you. You take this job very seriously. I love that you're here. Thank you. I need to be allowed to wallow, but I also can't wallow in it. So I do need you to fix me. Okay. So back to that.

[Penn Holderness]

Yep.

[Kim Holderness]

But I will say the world has been heavy. I have to keep reminding my kids that what we're going through right now is. Is not normal. You and I used to work in the news business, and there was a time in local news where we had to work to fill Slow news day.

[Penn Holderness]

It's called slow news day.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah. And we used to have to, like, really struggle to fill the newscast. Even, like, world and national news. Like, we would be scrubbing the feeds, looking for, like, squirrels on skis, on water skis. Like, we were looking. That was a kicker. Right. We were looking for long things like that. And that. That was. That was normal. That's. That was our world.

[Penn Holderness]

This was as recently as 20 years ago. Like, when we were working in local news, I had a. Like, I had a segment called look at this. And it exclusively had, like, you remember the lady who said, ain't nobody got time for that? There was, like, one of her every other week. Right.

[Kim Holderness]

So it was just, like, viral videos.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah. So it was fun viral videos. And then it was always some sort of animal that could do something that a human could do. Like, they thought it was people. And then there would be a person who did an unbelievably sweet gesture towards someone else. It was just like, kittens and bunnies and squirrels and. And funny people.

[Kim Holderness]

No.

[Penn Holderness]

The one.

[Kim Holderness]

But I'm not gonna pretend that through the 90s and early 2000s, it was like sunshine and rainbows. It definitely wasn't that, but I had to tell my son, like, presidential debates weren't must see tv. We would have to watch them. Like, we were assigned to watch them the next day in high school. And I would fall asleep. They were so boring. And when I was a news reporter, list, this was the most controversial thing I ever Covered. And people. This got dirty. There was the county I was working in. There was a school dress code debate. And this was like class warfare. Should kids be allowed to wear flip flops to school? We were in Florida. So like that was the lead story. Could you imagine now, like close toed shoes. What are they like? That was big time news. So I would just love. I would just love a slow news day.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah. I'll be honest, I haven't watched the news in quite some time. And it's not because it's not important. It's because I did it for 15 years.

[Kim Holderness]

You mean local news?

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah. Well, I haven't watched like it's.

[Kim Holderness]

I.

[Penn Holderness]

If I can just share my feelings. I have a hard time watching any news because I. I don't know what news is unbiased right now. I really don't. On either side. It is. I. Something can happen and I can. Especially if it's something important. I can turn to one cam, one news station and I'm getting one opinion and then I'm getting the exact opposite opinion on another channel. Which side I agree with is not relevant here. I just want someone to talk about it in the middle. And it's very hard to find.

[Kim Holderness]

I know. It is hard to find.

[Penn Holderness]

I'm not fixing you here.

[Kim Holderness]

No, I was going to say Penny. All that to say. This is not cheering me out.

[Penn Holderness]

I gotta get back to dancing bear.

[Kim Holderness]

No, I. So I. I even went so far as to like when I was journaling this morning because I'm trying to, like, it's January and I'm trying to focus on my mental health. I'm trying to journal and I. I made a list of things that make me happy.

[Penn Holderness]

You did?

[Kim Holderness]

I did.

[Penn Holderness]

Okay. I failed. Now you've. This is going to come from within. So I'm very happy.

[Kim Holderness]

These are very specific things that make me happy.

[Penn Holderness]

Okay.

[Kim Holderness]

Baby sneezing. Like videos of baby sneezing. Isn't that like.

[Penn Holderness]

I'm not familiar with this craft.

[Kim Holderness]

Is it like you've never seen a child sneeze? Like a baby sneeze?

[Penn Holderness]

I mean, I've seen my kids sneeze. Is it.

[Kim Holderness]

They like scare themselves when they do it.

[Penn Holderness]

Okay. There's video. There's a video collection of these things.

[Kim Holderness]

You work on the Internet?

[Penn Holderness]

I do. I've seen a panda sneeze.

[Kim Holderness]

He is the most uninformed Internet personality there is.

[Penn Holderness]

Why do you think I'm so happy?

[Kim Holderness]

Videos of dogs in slow motion running at full speed. Yeah, like. Yeah, a slow motion dog like that. That Makes me smile.

[Penn Holderness]

Can I do you one better?

[Kim Holderness]

Please.

[Penn Holderness]

The. The guy who does the two dogs going after the ball in the pool. Who's. Who's like, tell mom I'm a good boy.

[Kim Holderness]

Yes.

[Penn Holderness]

And then. And then also he has the making of videos. Like I went down a rabbit hole with him where it's. Every time he does it, he records himself recording it and he's like, throw. Like, he's literally.

[Kim Holderness]

I feel like at this point you've described it enough that we need to set this up and play this. If you're watching on YouTube or if you're listening to the audio version here.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

There's a guy who does voiceovers, hilarious voiceovers to like his golden retrievers.

[Penn Holderness]

I think they're his. Sometimes he does it with things that aren't his, but those are his.

[Kim Holderness]

Yes. And we'll play a clip here.

[Penn Holderness]

It's definitely down there. I can see it.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah, I can see it too.

[Penn Holderness]

I'm woken right up.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah.

[Penn Holderness]

Well, I just feel like you can't be 100% sure because you're not looking.

[Kim Holderness]

In the water with me. So let me just double check for you. Okay. Another thing that makes me happy when I take. It's doctor prescribed and I'm not to take it all the time, but when I take like the good sleeping pill and I go into a coma for like 10 hours.

[Penn Holderness]

And I know when you've taken that.

[Kim Holderness]

Pill because I don't respond. You could perform surgery on me.

[Penn Holderness]

And you're generally a very light sleeper. So when you take that, you are a heavy sleeper. And it's a wonderful night for both of us.

[Kim Holderness]

Yes.

[Penn Holderness]

But.

[Kim Holderness]

But then I wake up and I, I think being perimenopausal and not sleeping consistently, I, like, there is evidence that if I took this every day that, like, it could cause long term, like cognitive. But I literally sit there, I'm like, you know what? Some cognitive decline might be worth it because I'm going to. I'm going to suffer mentally if I don't sleep. So just like doctor Prescribe y', all.

[Penn Holderness]

Do you know what makes me happy about what makes you happy? Like, there's something that you've done that I don't know if you're aware of in the last, like three months.

[Kim Holderness]

Okay.

[Penn Holderness]

That, that makes me laugh and makes me happy. You have bought three happy birthday cookies from the grocery store.

[Kim Holderness]

I mean, a cookie cake.

[Penn Holderness]

Yes. 3 Happy Birthday Cookie cakes from the grocery stor. It has been no one's birthday.

[Kim Holderness]

Do you know that as an adult yeah. You do your job and they give you money.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

And with that money, you can do whatever you want you earned as an adult. You could buy a birthday cake.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

And it doesn't even have to be your birthday.

[Penn Holderness]

So she's been doing this quite a. Quite a bit. And it makes everyone happy. Like, we. But it's always happy birthday we. Like, we. Maybe next time we'll grab like a. I don't know, like a bat mitzvah or something.

[Kim Holderness]

But they always have the most icing. Like, happy birthday. It's the longest, it's the long, it's the most amount of icing. So. And I go, cookie cake. Right. So I. When I discovered that, I discovered that late last year. And when times get tough, I just add that right to the cart and nobody's mad. Everybody's happy. I suggest it.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

Everybody should go buy themselves a cake.

[Penn Holderness]

We did it one night, like, after a dinner, and we were like, just felt like staying up and eating cake. And it was real good. Those things are good. And so now every time I see it, I don't question it.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah.

[Penn Holderness]

I smile. It is very much exclusively you, and it makes me happy.

[Kim Holderness]

Oh, thanks, babe. Yeah, I also something else that makes me happy. Don't come at me. I love a really good pimple pop video. I've been trying to train my algorithm because it was getting a little dark and bleak. Golden retriever puppies. Pimple popping. Yeah, I'm almost there.

[Penn Holderness]

This has been like the state fair for you the last couple of weeks with my shingles, hasn't it?

[Kim Holderness]

Oh, we should update everybody.

[Penn Holderness]

Old Shingle Johnson over here just hanging out. Anybody needs me. Disgusting welds all over my body. Why do you think I'm wearing this?

[Kim Holderness]

You guys, this is. January's just been a lot for everybody, right? And we're not trying to bury our heads. We're just trying to find, you know, moments of lightness. 0 out of 10 recommend getting shingles. So there's even in the news, like, if you get the shingles vaccine, it causes such an immune response that it's supposed to be, like, good, like, fighting dementia. I know, and we're all about.

[Penn Holderness]

But I put it off because it's supposed to, like, knock you out for a day. And when has been a day that you could just. I could just be knocked out.

[Kim Holderness]

Right?

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

So he has put off getting the vaccine.

[Penn Holderness]

Get the vaccine.

[Kim Holderness]

Get the vaccine.

[Penn Holderness]

I don't like, honestly. Look, I know the vaccine is like a trigger word. Would you like to hear about my Shingles. And then we can ask about the trigger word.

[Kim Holderness]

No, we're vaccine people. That's fine. Yeah, it's.

[Penn Holderness]

It was gross.

[Kim Holderness]

No, it was.

[Penn Holderness]

But you were okay with it because you like weird stuff on.

[Kim Holderness]

I like weird skin rashes.

[Penn Holderness]

You do?

[Kim Holderness]

No, but it. What? We caught it very early. Yes, Very, very early. He got on the antiviral.

[Penn Holderness]

That's what knocked me out, by the way.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah. So he was on antiviral meds, but we were sort of bracing for impact because everybody we told that you had shingles was like, oh, my gosh, that's the worst pain I've ever been in. And I wasn't great. No, it wasn't great, but we caught it very early.

[Penn Holderness]

We. So, I mean, like, we. I got the shingles and realized I had it, and then we had two work trips.

[Kim Holderness]

I know.

[Penn Holderness]

Back to back to do. And I had a keynote.

[Kim Holderness]

I know. But nothing was exposed, by the way. And it's only supposed to be contagious if you haven't had chickenpox and it's exposed and nothing was exposed.

[Penn Holderness]

My doctor's exact words were, unless they lick the. The sore you're going to be.

[Kim Holderness]

And it wasn't even open, which is like, oh, my God, So gross. Tmi. Sorry, guys.

[Penn Holderness]

Anyway, so that. This has just been like Bonnaroo for you with the old shingles.

[Kim Holderness]

And again, this is supposed to be the podcast where you're supposed to fix me.

[Penn Holderness]

Well, we've been laughing. That's fixing. So I don't want to fix. So that part's important because the older I get, the more crap I'm going to have on my skin and under my skin. And, like, you're going to. Not sure if you heard that, but Anne Marie has knocked over something.

[Kim Holderness]

Everything is fine. Everything's fine. Yeah.

[Penn Holderness]

It's okay.

[Kim Holderness]

We didn't need that. It's okay. Not valuable for the. You didn't need that tripod.

[Penn Holderness]

Emery, you've had. Have you had shingles? We talked about this, right?

[Kim Holderness]

Oh, my God. I've had shingles.

[Penn Holderness]

You and I were shingles buddies.

[Kim Holderness]

We're shingles, pal. But I did think it was an old person thing. It is. That's the problem. And how did you even. Our doctor. My doctor was like, oh, God. When the doctor's like, oh, God. I. Like, I just had a baby. I was postpartum, and I think that just my. The stress was going a little wacky. Yeah. But I'm okay. I made it through, guys. Okay. The vaccine. Get the vaccine.

[Penn Holderness]

Speaking of speaking of doctors going, yeah, so while I was like, when I wasn't working, I was like heavily sedated and just like needing something to get me through it.

[Kim Holderness]

What do you mean sedated?

[Penn Holderness]

Like, the antivirals made me like exhausted, so I was just like, kind of like either on a couch or on a bed, just zonked out. And so I watched the pit.

[Kim Holderness]

More on this after these words. Okay, quick show of hands. Have you ever gone to the doctor with a very real concern and left thinking, cool. So I guess I just imagined all of that.

[Penn Holderness]

Oh, yeah, you've told me about this, Kim. The, the classic medical shrug.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah. And if you're in midlife and feeling dismissed, unheard, or just completely over the healthcare system, you're deeply not alone.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah. For years, women dealing with perimenopause and menopause have basically been told to just deal with it, which feels unscientific.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah. And frustrating and exhausting and honestly kind of rage inducing. So. Especially when you learn that 75% of women seeking care for menopause and perimenopause are still left totally untreated.

[Penn Holderness]

And that's not because women aren't advocating for themselves. It's because the system has not been built for them.

[Kim Holderness]

Which is why I love the next part. This show is sponsored by MIDI Health. MIDI is a women's telehealth clinic focused specifically on midlife, founded and backed by world class leaders in women's health.

[Penn Holderness]

And here's the big deal. They're the only women's telehealth brand covered by major insurance. So this is expert care that's actually accessible.

[Kim Holderness]

You get one on one, face to face virtual visits with clinicians who truly listen. No rushing, no minimizing.

[Penn Holderness]

Hormone therapy, weight loss support, lifestyle coaching, preventative care. This isn't. Here's a pamphlet, good luck. This is personalized care for your body.

[Kim Holderness]

Ready to feel your best and write your second act script. Visit join midi.com today to book your personalized insurance covered virtual visit. That's joinmitti.com midi the Care Women deserve.

[Penn Holderness]

To all the parents out there trying to juggle work, school and sports schedules, man, do we see you. And are we not going through the same thing?

[Kim Holderness]

And Blue Apron just made our lives infinitely easier. We just got our box. It's my ultimate hack for getting a nutritious and delicious dinner on the table for my family in 30 minutes or less.

[Penn Holderness]

And since we're living in a world of subscription overload, Blue Apron is now making it easier to than ever to get incredible meals on your table with no subscription needed.

[Kim Holderness]

When it comes to our busy lives, time is one thing we don't have a lot of. Blue Apron has two new product lines designed to make mealtime faster and easier.

[Penn Holderness]

First up is Dish by Blue Apron. Those are pre made meals that all you have to do is heat them in the oven or the microwave.

[Kim Holderness]

And my favorite, assemble and bake one pan meals with minimal prep and cleanup. I just got their sheet pan garlic hoisin cod with brussels sprouts and jasmine rice. That's on the menu for tonight.

[Penn Holderness]

So literally toss the pre chopped ingredients onto a sheet pan, slide it into the oven and walk away.

[Kim Holderness]

You got it. Order [e-mail] and get 50% off your first two orders plus free shipping with code LAUGHLINES50.

[Penn Holderness]

That's code LAUGHLINES50. Terms and conditions apply. Visit blueapron.com terms for more information.

[Kim Holderness]

Finally got him to watch the Pit.

[Penn Holderness]

It is freaking amazing. I've called all of my ER doctor friends and asked to buy them dinner.

[Kim Holderness]

We don't have, by the way, we have one ER doctor. Oh, his wife. Yeah, yeah, he and his wife.

[Penn Holderness]

Yes, I called them both. That's all. Just two of them. But, but it's such, you know, so this, that show makes me happy. I know it's like blood and gore and everything, but every person on that show is like perfectly flawed, cares so much, is doing the best they can and just like, like they're all angels on earth. And it's. Even though it's the most disgusting, graphically violent, like blood and gore stuff it takes.

[Kim Holderness]

It's called the Pit and it's a Pittsburgh emergency room.

[Penn Holderness]

It is, it's. It's so inspirational. Like, it makes me want to be a better person. It makes me, that show somehow makes me very happy. Does it make you happy?

[Kim Holderness]

It keeps me entertained.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

But I don't. I think I'm dealing with like. And I know it's entertainment, so I don't get too wrapped up in the heavy themes because the themes are very heavy. No, I think. And that's not a show I would reach for in my gloom of January, but it's great. Yeah, it's. It's a great show. And I think there's a new season out.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah, it's coming. Like I'm trying to, trying to give it some lead time because I like to watch these back to back.

[Kim Holderness]

Something else that made me very happy. We had. We went to Asheville, you guys. Asheville, North Carolina is back. Asheville, North Carolina is open, and we took a trip, and we're gonna put a video out very soon with all the details, but we did everything on Instagram stories. It was so fun. We loved it. Went back to the hotel room. PC was with us, and my boys were trying to watch some, like, NFL game. Boo. And I made really good game. I know, But I was like, I feel like, as a woman in this space, I need to educate you on uda, the super bowl of dance, which is like, the uda, the national championships, like, where all the. The best of the best university dance teams get together and do. There's different categories, like jazz, hip hop, pom, and this is my Super Bowl. So I was like, I hear you that it's a tie game, but I'm going to screencast these live tiktoks, and I want you to judge.

[Penn Holderness]

Listen.

[Kim Holderness]

Hey, they got so into.

[Penn Holderness]

Hey, I got something for Minnesota right now. Y'. All. Y' all can dance. I know you're upset, right? I know LSU getting second in the jazz comp has a lot of Gophers on tilt right now. I get you. I feel you. Second place. I'll give you a. Nobody touching Ohio State. Those girls were like cyborgs. Every turn was perfect.

[Kim Holderness]

Hear me out. The Minnesota turn section was harder and I think more synchronized in the finals.

[Penn Holderness]

So you're. You're gorgeous.

[Kim Holderness]

Like, that was my, like, instant first place.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah, we got. We got into an argument about Ohio State versus Minnesota. Not an argument like a. Like a sports, but.

[Kim Holderness]

But we believe LSU was beautiful, but, like, just different there.

[Penn Holderness]

They could hip hop.

[Kim Holderness]

We watched their should. Came in second for hip hop. They should have won hip hop.

[Penn Holderness]

Okay. I didn't see who won hip hop.

[Kim Holderness]

I think it was, like, unlv, maybe, who also did great. So, anyway, so what I loved about it was both my boys, they understood that they had been subjecting me to football all day long.

[Penn Holderness]

Yes, we had.

[Kim Holderness]

Like, we were going through Asheville. If we were sitting down at the restaurant, and normally we're in no cell phones at the table. Like, they were live streaming games. And it was.

[Penn Holderness]

It'd been a long day.

[Kim Holderness]

It had been a long day. It wasn't my favorite, but they understood because I literally was just, like, sitting there and they're huddled up or watching a phone. They humored me, and they got into it. So listen up, fellas. Like. Like, I think there was, like, a tie game on the. Like, something.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah, it was a good game, but.

[Kim Holderness]

They watched 25 minutes of college dance.

[Penn Holderness]

Team videos, which wasn't even live. Like, we could have watched it the next day. I just want to throw that out there like it had already happened.

[Kim Holderness]

Yes.

[Penn Holderness]

So.

[Kim Holderness]

But that made me so happy.

[Penn Holderness]

I'm glad. No, we, you know, PC and I have a thing about us that if it's a competition and there's a winner.

[Kim Holderness]

Oh, yeah.

[Penn Holderness]

We watch it like it's a sport. We watch it like it's a sport.

[Kim Holderness]

And I will also say these girls, because I was on a college dance team. It's not a recognized sport within, like, the ncaa. So they don't get, like, the resources that other sports would get.

[Penn Holderness]

Fair.

[Kim Holderness]

Like studio space, Marley floors, which are, like, gentler. Like, they have to practice and I.

[Penn Holderness]

Have to pay for a lot of their own stuff.

[Kim Holderness]

Probably have to pay for a lot of their own stuff. Anyway. They're incredible athletes.

[Penn Holderness]

Would you ever want me to take you to the event or would it be creepy that you're not somebody's mother and you're there?

[Kim Holderness]

No, I would love to go. Oh, my God.

[Penn Holderness]

Where do they hold?

[Kim Holderness]

Usually in Orlando. I would love to. That. That goes into your. Like, when we're empty nesters. You might be like a middle school basketball coach.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah. And you might be a. You wouldn't be a dance coach. You'd be a. You'd be like, travel the world.

[Kim Holderness]

No, just, I'd be the judgy mom in this dance. I don't want to coach or teach you.

[Penn Holderness]

Like, when you watch it, you notice stuff. Obviously. This was. For those of you who don't know, Kim was a Division 1 athlete. Dancer.

[Kim Holderness]

No. They don't recognize it. But I do tell my family I'm the only Division 1 athlete.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah. And so that was. It was fun to watch. I'm glad that makes you happy. Anytime.

[Kim Holderness]

Anytime.

[Penn Holderness]

Unless there's a really good football game.

[Kim Holderness]

It is during, like, a big football weekend.

[Penn Holderness]

She's like, pause.

[Kim Holderness]

Guys, I need you to acknowledge what's important to me. Hold space for me.

[Penn Holderness]

Caleb Williams making the greatest pass of, like, all time. But Ohio State's dance team.

[Kim Holderness]

I just was feeling like I wanted to hear from our viewers. And so I went onto Instagram and asked, like, what's something that just. What's a little thing that sparks joy? What's a little thing that makes you laugh? And my favorite is Liberty Newton said, watching little kids fall and stuff.

[Penn Holderness]

So that's not their kids. Right.

[Kim Holderness]

Just other little kids. I hope.

[Penn Holderness]

Actually, that doesn't make it any better.

[Kim Holderness]

I don't. The only time I don't like watching People get hurt, which is why I. I like football. But when somebody really gets hurt and they slow, like, I don't like that part of sports in general. I don't like videos of people getting hurt. Except dad's getting hit in the nuts. That is always funny. Like when the kid. The kids on T at the T ball team and he like, misses and he switch and he hits it hits the dad. And that's. I will laugh.

[Penn Holderness]

I want to be like, kim, you don't understand. You don't have balls. But you're right, that's funny. So Beetle Freak said, I saw a dad teach his young son to do the MJ spin. And that made me happy.

[Kim Holderness]

What's in the MJ spin?

[Penn Holderness]

So he puts his hat down, spins.

[Kim Holderness]

Around Jacobelli, the cat. AI videos. Love them. So here's where, like, I, I have a battle with AI, but they do make the AI machines make some really funny animal videos.

[Penn Holderness]

You know how I feel about this?

[Kim Holderness]

It's just be happy.

[Penn Holderness]

Okay, Sorry. Sam loves AI videos of animals too. She's editing. Let's see. I want to see what's like. Honestly, she's putting something up on the screen right now. That's her opinion. And we're going to let you guys read it. If you're watching the YouTube version, which.

[Kim Holderness]

Is a great version, Chrissy asks, have you seen the impressions of people as owls? You had not seen that trend?

[Penn Holderness]

No. But you did a really funny one.

[Kim Holderness]

Well, it, it started with. I don't know who started it, but they're like, this is my impression of an owl, but the owl is from North Carolina. It's like, who. Like, so they're doing like very simple accents. And like, this is a. An owl, but it's from Brooklyn. So my idea was like, an owl, but she's perimenopausal and she hasn't had sleep. No, Like, I'm just not just, no.

[Penn Holderness]

I'm not gonna do it. I thought that was really funny.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah.

[Penn Holderness]

I didn't understand the joke, but I'm like, oh, look, she's saying, no, we.

[Kim Holderness]

Love in this house and on this channel to be about two weeks late to a trend. Okay.

[Penn Holderness]

Sometimes later.

[Kim Holderness]

Sometimes later, we. There was this. Everybody was posting pictures from 2016. Like, you know. Cause it's. I think it's a full decade on the Internet. Right?

[Penn Holderness]

And yeah, of like lots of Internet.

[Kim Holderness]

Of lots of Internet.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

Right. So people, now that we're in 2026, started putting their 2016 pictures and videos. We are very well documented over the Last decade. Yes. And I. And I thought about, like, oh, we should do something with that. It's two weeks after the trend.

[Penn Holderness]

Well, I did make a list of some things that we did in 2016.

[Kim Holderness]

Okay.

[Penn Holderness]

Do you want to know about it?

[Kim Holderness]

I don't know this list. So tell me.

[Penn Holderness]

So we made a lot of music videos. We did one called Colder Weather.

[Kim Holderness]

Should we play that?

[Penn Holderness]

We could play a little bit of it, but it's apropos right now because we might actually be underneath snow.

[Kim Holderness]

Snow or ice. Yeah.

[Penn Holderness]

We really want to see you again, but we suck in colder weather. Yeah. Up north, they do it better, but we're scared of it. We did. We did a lot of, like, for some reason, we were like. We had not figured out that you. You are amazing at skits. And we should do more of, like, your just kind of skits and your. Your POVs. But we did a lot of pen empathy videos. Yes. That year, like, where it was like, okay, my husband has never done this, this, this, this. And so, like, I remember I got a blowout. There was, like, this, like, the year before, you had simulated labor.

[Kim Holderness]

Oh, should we. We have to play some of that labor. Okay, breathe, breathe. Don't push. Okay. There you go. Okay. So we'll take a little break.

[Penn Holderness]

Okay. That contraction's over. And we smooth it out.

[Kim Holderness]

We're gonna smooth it out. You need anything to drink? You want anything to eat?

[Penn Holderness]

I just don't want you in my face right now. Honestly. Yeah. So there was no podcast?

[Kim Holderness]

No podcast, yeah.

[Penn Holderness]

Which is, like, wild to even think of a time when we didn't have one of those. And, like, work was interesting because people always ask us all the time, like, when did you start doing this full time? Not yet. We were putting videos out, but at the same time, we were. We were part of a production company and a content company, and we had still had responsibilities as part owners and as creative directors to, like, keep doing that. And that's actually Amory worked with us there too.

[Kim Holderness]

Yes.

[Penn Holderness]

And it wasn't until, like, around 2017, maybe even 2018, we were able to, like, kind of dis. Not disentangle, but to be able to, like, focus full time on this. So we had two jobs.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah. So the. As part of that production company, marketing company. Anne Marie, tell us about your job. We used to have, like, a. An actual job that was a director. Director of strategy. No, it was actually. I mean, it was super fun, like a traditional digital marketing ad agency. We honestly. A lot of similar themes, though, like thinking up videos for Other brands, marketing, plans to launch products. I mean, it's, it's, it is similar.

[Penn Holderness]

But also we, we took our first big family vacation and we haven't taken one this big since. It's been 10 years since we took a vacation this big. We spent two weeks in Hawaii.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah.

[Penn Holderness]

Roughly speaking. And that still is my favorite vacation.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah. That was the longest family vacation we'd ever.

[Penn Holderness]

It was spectacular. And then the other thing that happened 10 years ago today.

[Kim Holderness]

Today.

[Penn Holderness]

10 years ago this week, the Panthers were destroying Arizona in the NFC Championship and about to go to the Super Bowl. The Carolina Panthers were about to go to the Super Bowl 10 years ago.

[Kim Holderness]

Oh, and our son, like, just wasn't old enough to have awareness of that.

[Penn Holderness]

Oh, no, he, he remembers, he remembers it. So there's something about Cam Newton that like a two year old saw him and they thought he was like Superman, like a superhero because he did these dances and these dabs and he always gave birth, like the footballs to little kids. So like most kids in this area, their first sports memory is Cam Newton.

[Kim Holderness]

That's so cool.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

So early in this podcast and earlier, like a couple of weeks ago, I talked openly and I wanted feedback and you guys gave such great feedback. We come here to laugh and feel lighter. And I know for a lot of people it's the same. And that's like, when we meet you guys in the airport or at Target, it's the thank you for making me laugh. And that is like, that's just something we hold very precious. Right. And we don't want to. We love, like, we require that as well. Like, we love to get to do that, but how do you do that when the world is on fire? Like, how do you, how can you just be. Sit there and be funny when, like, are you ignoring this over here? Like, how do we. What is the balance of how we acknowledge this but also do what we love to do? And we got such great feedback, including this voicemail from Mark.

[Penn Holderness]

Hi, this is Mark from Portland, Oregon.

[Kim Holderness]

I just listened to your latest episode and I just wanted to say I really understand the struggle between wanting to say something about things going on in the world, but also wanting to have that space from it. I really appreciate you guys talking about it and being open about it. Just another example of listening to you guys and really relating to what you're talking about. Thank you so much. Really enjoy you guys. Oh, I, I like to play the, the voicemails where it's just them being really nice and complimenting us.

[Penn Holderness]

Well, I mean, he makes a good point. Like, the space, right? There's. There's what we most see, which is just people in front of cameras who are furious at the other side of the world. And then there's like, the really important part of it, which is, like, not what's happening now, it's you being able to talk about it with your family and your friends and your loved ones. Like, face to face, like, having conversations about this. I think that's super important too.

[Kim Holderness]

But also I have. I have a feeling because I get so. Just some really tragic things have unfolded, and it's like someone's house is on fire, right? And you went. You're grabbing buckets to throw water on it, right? And you. You think everybody should be. If everybody grabbed a bucket and thr water on it, we'd be good, right? And you see, you turn around, you look and like, half the neighborhood's not throwing water on it. Like, I feel a little bit of that. Like, I need. I. I should be saying more, but I also know how that makes me feel. Like I can't run that consistently.

[Penn Holderness]

Right. And your bucket, if it's so empty. No, no. Well, I was gonna say I would.

[Kim Holderness]

Show up and, like, nothing would come out.

[Penn Holderness]

No, I was gonna say, like, if you're talking to your friends or like the person on the street, your bu. This big. If you do it on the Internet, your bucket is the size of a swimming pool.

[Kim Holderness]

Right? Yes. So it's hard.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

So anyway, you were gonna cheer me up.

[Penn Holderness]

I'm. Well, I was. Sorry. Was that. Is that making you sad? I'm just like, yes, ending it. I thought that maybe listening to you and validating your feelings, but that's not. You know what? I'm going back to the old pen, which listens to invalidates. She just wants me to make her laugh right now.

[Kim Holderness]

We've done so much marriage counseling about like, don't fix me, but you're totally. Just validate what I'm feeling. You're doing such a good job of that.

[Penn Holderness]

No, I'm failing at the thing you're asking me to do now, which is to go back to just being a. Like a smart ass dancing bear.

[Kim Holderness]

It. It really caught because I would. I would get sad and he'd. He would try to cheer me up. I'm like, I don't want that. I want to be sad and I want you to hold space for me. But now. Dancing bear.

[Penn Holderness]

Okay, do you want me to, like, tell you a joke or something?

[Kim Holderness]

Is there a song you could sing Me?

[Penn Holderness]

Sure. Hey, babe, I know that you're having a tough time, but it's all gonna get a lot better. Yeah, it's all gonna get a lot better. Cause you bought a birthday cookie at the store today. You can eat it whenever you want. You can leave now. We can stop recording, go downstairs and eat that cookie. It says happy birthday. That's got the most words. So it's got the most icing. Actually, it does it. Birthday has eight words at graduation. Birthday has eight letters. Graduation has ten.

[Kim Holderness]

No, but nobody's graduating. Happy retirement.

[Penn Holderness]

One, two. R E T I R E M E N T. That's 10, two.

[Kim Holderness]

You know, Anne Marie has a good voice too. I can make you guys both sing for her.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah, we should. Let's just sing for her. That one wasn't great.

[Kim Holderness]

That was great.

[Penn Holderness]

Hey, Kim.

[Kim Holderness]

What's up?

[Penn Holderness]

We're here for you whenever you need us.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah, we got your back, girl. We got it so hard.

[Penn Holderness]

We got your back so hard that your back might hurt.

[Kim Holderness]

Don't get the shingles on your back.

[Penn Holderness]

I have one shingle. It's still there. It kind of hurts every time I do this. This with my arm. It's hurting right now.

[Kim Holderness]

Scene.

[Penn Holderness]

Yep, I feel better. Okay, good song. Song.

[Kim Holderness]

More on this after these words. We all have those little dreams we'd love to make a reality. Well, now's the time.

[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

Shopify gives you everything you need to sell online and in person.

[Penn Holderness]

Millions of entrepreneurs have already made this leap from household names to first time business owners. Just getting started. We're on the list with our merch store happily running through Shopify.

[Kim Holderness]

Shopify gives you all the tools to easily build your dream store. Choose from hundreds of beautiful templates that you can customize to match your brand.

[Penn Holderness]

Setup is fast with Shopify's built in AI tool. Tools that write product descriptions and headlines and help you edit product photos.

[Kim Holderness]

Marketing is built in to create email and social campaigns that reach customers wherever they scroll.

[Penn Holderness]

As you grow, Shopify grows with you. You can handle more orders, expand to new markets and do it all from.

[Kim Holderness]

The Same dashboard in 2026. Stop waiting and start selling with Shopify.

[Penn Holderness]

Sign up for your $1 per month trial and start selling today at Shopify.

[Kim Holderness]

Shopify.com laughlines Go to shopify.com laughlines that's.

[Penn Holderness]

Shopify.Com laughlines Hear your first this new year with Shopify by your side. January is already in full swing and our schedule is quickly becoming booked and busy.

[Kim Holderness]

When I need a restful escape but I don't have time to go anywhere, I turn to my trusty comfy bed.

[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

I love it.

[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

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[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

Branch B O L L A N D branch.com Holderness code Holderness to unlock 15 off exclusions. Apply new Year Same kid chaos. But what if your pantry could actually make life easier this year?

[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

Running a home is already enough. You shouldn't also have to be the ingredient detective.

[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

Easy to shop for your family's needs without endless label reading. Use their 90 plus filters that include high protein, low sugar, gluten free and plant based.

[Penn Holderness]

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[Kim Holderness]

Now I can say goodbye to the mean mom syndrome when I say yes to more nutritious versions of my kids favorite foods.

[Penn Holderness]

Join Thrive Market with our link thrivemarket.com Holderness for 30% off your first order plus a free $60 gift.

[Kim Holderness]

So we started a segment called Pen Compliments Other Men. I think you need to know the history of this.

[Penn Holderness]

Although it's fairly self explanatory.

[Kim Holderness]

Right.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah. This is important.

[Kim Holderness]

But a man walked up to you unsolicited and I think told you, like said something very kind to you.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah. Like, about my appearance. Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

And it was just like you look like a male model or something like that. Women say that to each other all the time. All the time.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

And again, my favorite space is like 1am in a bathroom at a club.

[Penn Holderness]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

And just like with that is just like girlhood right there because you were. You were just.

[Penn Holderness]

You don't even know the person. You're like, that dress like, you ass looks amazing.

[Kim Holderness]

Yes, you are. You were getting very detailed. And so women do this with each other all the time. We want to start something where men feel comfortable to compliment each other. We're starting that on this podcast. You guys sent in so many photos and you are so proud of your people.

[Penn Holderness]

And to be clear, these are not men sending the photos. These are their wives saying, like you to compliment my husband. Okay, so. Okay, so Jen sent me this picture of Brian. So first of all, Brian appears to be in front of a Canadian castle.

[Kim Holderness]

Love it.

[Penn Holderness]

There is a Canadian flag there and he has a great smile. Jen said, by the way, this is. Give him some props. He does all the meal planning and shopping for the family. Loves space and sci fi stuff. So something Kim likes, something I like. And he does theater date nights with his wife.

[Kim Holderness]

Is Brian perfect?

[Penn Holderness]

He's right.

[Kim Holderness]

Like you had me at meal planning.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah. And then theater nights. I do.

[Kim Holderness]

And theater nights. Brian, Brian. Brian. Are you real? No offense, Pen.

[Penn Holderness]

No, it's Kim compliments men now, which is very good. It's fine. You should. So the first thing I noticed about Brian was he looks very huggable.

[Kim Holderness]

He looks like he gives really good hugs.

[Penn Holderness]

Also great smile. He really. All I need to know is that he likes space, sci fi and theater to know that we would be friends.

[Kim Holderness]

Right.

[Penn Holderness]

So, Brian, first of all, my wife has a crush on you. So that's what. That's a compliment. This is obviously very clear. Love your smile. Would love to give you a hug. Let's move on to Seth. So Seth's wife gave me what I would call maybe a little too much information. I'll explain why later. She said he has great genes. This is insane. Seth is turning 61 next month and that's what he looks like. So his hair appears to be toit. Yeah, he looks great young. His eyes look like he has like 41 year old eyes, it's very sparkly. And he's turning 61. He's got good teeth. He can walk on stilts. Right. And she, like, she gave me that information, which allowed me to Google and get much more information about him. So. So as we said before, if you give me too much information, I'll know your home address, I'll know your date of birth, I'll know your wife's date of birth, I'll know where you live in Jacksonville, and I'll go to your website and look at all of your stilt walking videos, which I have done all of these now. Also that you graduated from New Hampshire University and you can speak German well.

[Kim Holderness]

So here's what I love about Seth. I think that people who walk on stilts have to be fun.

[Penn Holderness]

Yes.

[Kim Holderness]

Right. Like nobody. You don't probably encounter a lot of mean stilt walkers.

[Penn Holderness]

Well, glad you asked. He does his routine. It's called Seth and Emily. I assume Emily is the other one. And the part when you sign up for him there is a, what's called a ten minute comedic performance. So he's got like, he's got a. He's not just walking on stilts. He's doing, he's performing. He's doing all the things and he has, he has. His oldest just went off to college, so he's to going through the same stuff as us. So, Seth, first of all, you're a Vampire if you're 61 and you look like this. And second of all, like, I think I, I think if I tried to walk on stilts, I would break my neck immediately.

[Kim Holderness]

My toxic trait.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

Is I think I would be really good at walking on stilts.

[Penn Holderness]

Well, you've got balance and core strength.

[Kim Holderness]

Yes.

[Penn Holderness]

People like me don't have that.

[Kim Holderness]

That. Yes.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah. I was always, I was waiting on the Amazing Race for some sort of like, not stilt walking, but like some sort of like, feat of balance, like having to cross a very narrow balance beam like over a body of water. And like, I could, like, I would.

[Penn Holderness]

Have like done an axle pirouette.

[Kim Holderness]

Right. But no, it was just like finding weird things. And I learned I wasn't good at finding weird things.

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah.

[Kim Holderness]

Yeah. Job.

[Penn Holderness]

Thank you for sending pictures of your husband so I can say nice things about them. We'll keep it going.

[Kim Holderness]

Okay, time for another favorite segment. What Gen Z is saying.

[Penn Holderness]

Just try to say that.

[Kim Holderness]

What Gen Z is saying.

[Penn Holderness]

That's what they sound like. They sound just like.

[Kim Holderness]

Okay, this, this segment is meant to translate what is coming out of Your Gen Z person's mouth. Our son says high key now. A lot like high key. That's real cool.

[Penn Holderness]

As opposed to low key, which just to explain to those who don't know, was a Gen Z word last week.

[Kim Holderness]

High key is slang, meaning obviously extremely or very used to emphasize strong feelings or truth without shame. For example, Pen Haiki loves space. The opposite is low key, which means slightly or secretly. For example, Kim may low key like space.

[Penn Holderness]

I don't think she does, though.

[Kim Holderness]

I I so it is so cute how you were, like, trying to tell me all about your book and I was interested. Low key. I was interested.

[Penn Holderness]

True or false. You have finished Project Hail Mary. I have one of my top five favorite books about space ever written.

[Kim Holderness]

I enjoyed the story.

[Penn Holderness]

Yes. And it's interesting because to me, because I read so much hard science fiction that to me was like the popcorn movie version of what I normally read. And your thought was there was a lot of math.

[Kim Holderness]

There was a lot of math. Did you read it, Emery? I have not read it yet. So for the listeners at home, we are in a team book club and Pen was the first pick. Yes. So, TikTok, finish that book. We want it. And then we're gonna go see the movie with cute Ryan Gosling.

[Penn Holderness]

Yes. That's the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

[Kim Holderness]

So I loved this story. This story was really great. And we've had Andy Weir on this podcast, and I think the writing is great. I have zero critiques, except for there was a lot of, like, it was, you didn't have to understand the math, but he was explaining, like, how he got, you know, was computing, you know, gravity at this space and how to tell where he was and stuff.

[Penn Holderness]

It's amazing. It's like my favorite part of the book.

[Kim Holderness]

It's his favorite part of the book. And I was like, wow. Yeah, I just, I mean, I've read.

[Penn Holderness]

Spaceflight textbooks, so that's different. He. It's so funny. We could go back and find this interview where he actually said, I put this movie, this book out. It's turning into a movie. It's a huge hit. And then I realized, because I talked to some of my colleagues, that, like, I did nothing to develop any of the characters in any of these books. And to which my point is, like, I don't care. I just like the space and the physics.

[Kim Holderness]

I don't know that there would have been room for character development, like deep character development and math. One of the other kids. Anything else you could say to cheer me up?

[Penn Holderness]

No. How are you feeling?

[Kim Holderness]

I feel better.

[Penn Holderness]

Okay.

[Kim Holderness]

I feel better.

[Penn Holderness]

I think that this is very unnatural for me, trying to like, like I don't really care what's going on. I'm just going to try to be fine.

[Kim Holderness]

Yes. January is six months long baseline. January for me personally is hard because it's colder than I like it. And then just. You got shingles. Weird stuff was happening. Like it was just. There's a lot going on. So thank you very much.

[Penn Holderness]

We PC and I went to Bojangles when I had shingles and we called it our bow shingles trip. Just trying to get you to laugh.

[Kim Holderness]

Okay. Wanna read our credits?

[Penn Holderness]

Would it make you happy if I read the credits?

[Kim Holderness]

Do you want to sing the credits?

[Penn Holderness]

Lifelines is written and produced by Kim Holderness, Pen Holderness and Emery Tapke with original music by Penholderness. It is filmed, edited and live produced by Sam Allen and hosted by a cast. As always, we love to hear from you. Please write to us@podcast holdernessfamily.com or leave.

[Kim Holderness]

A voicemail at 323-364-3929 and we will.

[Penn Holderness]

Talk to and we will talk to you soon on the laugh line. Yay.

[Kim Holderness]

Okay, love you.

[Penn Holderness]

Bye.

[Kim Holderness]

Break through the busiest time of the year with the brand new Peloton Cross Training Tread Plus. Powered by Peloton iq, this is Peloton's.

[Penn Holderness]

Most elevated equipment with real time guidance and endless ways to move alone or with your favorite instructors. It's cross training reimagined with features designed to help you reach your goals effortlessly.

[Kim Holderness]

Peloton IQ has features like goal setting and weight suggestions so you're always making new progress.

[Penn Holderness]

Plus the new movement tracking camera allows Peloton IQ to count your reps and correct your form in real time and that takes the guesswork out of your workout so you can train safer, lift smarter and make every rep count go.

[Kim Holderness]

And a 45 minute run on the tread plus or a 5 minute stretch off of it with one smooth spin of the swivel screen. It offers endless ways to train for a well rounded routine no matter how busy you are.

[Penn Holderness]

As an avid Peloton user, I love that Peloton IQ creates a personal workout roadmap with weekly recommended classes led by instructors who match my mood, my vibe and my personality with features that help.

[Kim Holderness]

You plan, stay motivated and achieve peak performance. I love that you can get your workout on while Peloton handles the rest.

[Penn Holderness]

So let yourself run, lift, sculpt, push and go explore the new peloton cross training tread [e-mail] this episode is sponsored by GAB. As we know, the youth mental health crisis is all over the news and we know that social media is a huge driving factor.

[Kim Holderness]

Did you know the US Surgeon General warns that kids who spend more than three hours a day online are twice as likely to have depression and anxiety?

[Penn Holderness]

Yeah, we are huge advocates for prioritizing mental health and that includes monitoring the time that we and our kids spend in front of devices.

[Kim Holderness]

I personally keep my phone out of the bedroom at night so I don't spend hours mindlessly scrolling rather than getting a good night's sleep.

[Penn Holderness]

Here's the good news though. A company called GAB has solved that problem by doing something no one else is doing. Their approach is tech and Steps.

[Kim Holderness]

Tech and Steps works by providing kids safe phones and watches tailored to every age, offering the right device device at the right time.

[Penn Holderness]

From GPS tracking enabled watches for young kids to increased features and parent enabled apps on the phones for tweens and teens, each device grows with your child.

[Kim Holderness]

Bottom line, you don't have to give your kids a device that was made for an adult. Get them Gab, which keeps them socially connected safely.

[Penn Holderness]

Use our code to get the best deal on something that'll make parenting easier and give you some peace of mind. Visit gab.com holderness and use that code.

[Kim Holderness]

Holderness for a special offer that's G-A-B-B.com Holderness.

[Penn Holderness]

If you're the purchasing manager at a manufacturing plant, you know having a trusted partner makes all the difference. That's why hands down, you count on Grainger for auto reordering with on time restocks. Your team will have the cut resistant gloves they need at the start start of their shift and you can end your day knowing they've got safety well in hand. Call 1-800-granger. Click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Kim Holderness]

Flowers die in three days. Matching underwear from Meundies that's a gift that lasts. Meundies creates matching prints for couples and friends. Same adorable designs in different cuts for each of you. All made from their signature ultra modal fabric that feels impossibly soft. With 30 million pairs sold and 90,000 five star reviews, MeUndies matching prints are the perfect gift. Valentine's Day is February 14th, so don't wait. Get exclusive deals up to 50% off at Meundies.com acast code acast that's Meundies.com acast Code acast.