TBTL #4621: "My Own Personal L"

Airdate: December 17, 2025
Hosts: Luke Burbank & Andrew Walsh

Episode Overview

In this lively, meandering episode, Luke and Andrew serve up their signature blend of personal storytelling, banter, and pop culture nostalgia. The episode’s main throughline is Luke’s recent streak of being comically wrong (“taking Ls”) about trivial family memories, but the conversation careens through topics ranging from epic Pacific Northwest windstorms, Stand By Me and Rob Reiner retrospectives, soup recipes, the reliability of memory, to Dungeons & Dragons dice holders. True to TBTL form, the hosts riff about the mundane and the bizarre with self-aware humor and warmth.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Luke’s “Week of Ls”: Embracing Being Wrong

• Family Memory Snafus: Luke recounts confidently correcting his mother on which song his sister and her husband performed at their wedding—only to discover, to his horror and chagrin, that he was completely wrong (24:04). This humbling moment leads to broader reflections on the unreliability of memory.
  • Quote:

    “If you would have said, ‘Luke, bet your entire 401k and home, all of your worldly possessions, right now, on the fact that you’re right,’ I would have said, ‘Easy money.’ That’s free money right now.” (25:49—Luke)

• The Perils of Overconfidence: The personal theme of stacking up small losses (“Ls”) resonates throughout the episode, with both Andrew and Luke swapping stories of mistaken certainty—sometimes with comedic results.

2. Windstorms and Rural Living Anxieties

• Power Outage Adventure: Luke details a harrowing night: a severe windstorm knocks out power and nearly sweeps his hot tub cover into the Columbia River, forcing a pajama-clad rescue mission.
  • Quote:

    “I just see a purple explosion, like a transformer going up... areas of houses just go dark.” (06:53—Luke)

• Tensions Between Esthetics and Pragmatism: Luke laments having to secure the cover with a cinder block and plywood—his inner decorator at war with reality.
  • Quote:

    “Do you think old Lukey B. likes looking at a cinder block and a piece of plywood on top of his hot tub?” (08:07—Luke)

3. Rob Reiner, Stand By Me, and Kids as Actors

• Rob Reiner Retrospective: Tributes following Reiner’s passing have prompted Luke’s deep dive into the director’s filmography, especially Stand By Me.
  • Quote:

    “He just seems like a guy who was moving through the world, improving every single situation he was involved in, which is just incredible.” (50:02—Luke)

• Stand By Me Reflection: Andrew and Luke discuss how the film, set in fictional Castle Rock, Oregon (originally Maine, per Stephen King), showcases a cast of then-unknown young actors. They comment on changing standards for child performances.
  • Quote:

    “Movies where you have a cast of very young actors doing a lot of the lifting are tough for me. I think kid actors have gotten better.” (54:39—Luke)

4. Nerd Out Corner: Bob Dylan, Impressions & D&D Dice

• Krause/Kraus Pronunciation Rabbit Hole: Via an NPR clip, Andrew and Luke settle an ongoing debate about pronouncing actor Peter Krause’s name (“Kraus”).
  • Quote:

    “I have just been taking so many Ls lately on stuff that I’ve been so convinced of my rightness. I just got absolutely owned on Sunday.” (19:05—Luke)

• Bob Dylan Impressions & Humor: They enjoy James Austin Johnson’s uncanny Bob Dylan impressions and riff about Dylan’s “crooner era,” lightly mock Morning Edition host patter, and joke about the absurd malleability of Dylan’s voice (38:21).
• Listener Gifts & D&D: Andrew opens mail from listeners, including a 3D-printed, custom D&D dice holder—“You could keep your weed in there” (78:07—Luke)—and ornaments referencing I Think You Should Leave.

5. Soup, Cooking, and Comforts

• Home Cooking Wins: Luke celebrates the joy of making simple veggie rice soup with what’s already in the fridge—a little win in a week of “Ls.”
  • Quote:

    “Those are little moments of triumph for me when I’m able to cook food from things I already have inside my house.” (69:42—Luke)

• Grocery Store Privilege: Andrew marvels at the joys of living near a massive international grocery store—making spontaneous, ambitious meals possible.

6. Mail, Neighbors, and Collection Agencies

• Mail Adventures: Both hosts share stories of misdirected mail and the complications of old tenants’ debts leading to collection agents actually showing up at Andrew’s door.
  • Quote:

    “Genevieve says that a creditor came to the door and gave her kind of a hard time. ... I’ve never heard of a collection agency coming to your house, but I would be—I would. Said it was like a collection agency.” (86:28 & 86:50—Andrew)

7. Seattle Weather, Audience Support, and Donor Thanks

• Storm Recap: The regional weather continues to be apocalyptic, prompting a round of donor thank-yous and well wishes to listeners in the storm zone.
  • Quote:

    “Hope you’re doing okay, weather-wise, wherever you are, and that you haven’t forgotten: no mountain too tall...” (92:26—Luke)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

| Time | Speaker | Quote/Description | |-------|--------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 06:53 | Luke | “I just see a purple explosion, like a transformer going up.” | | 08:07 | Luke | “Do you think old Lukey B. likes looking at a cinder block and a piece of plywood on top of his hot tub?” | | 19:05 | Luke | “I have just been taking so many Ls lately on stuff that I’ve been so convinced of my rightness.” | | 25:49 | Luke | “If you would have said, ‘Luke, bet your entire 401k...’ I would’ve said, ‘Easy money.’” | | 38:21 | Andrew/Luke | James Austin Johnson’s Bob Dylan impression; riffing on Dylan's voice. | | 50:02 | Luke | “He just seems like a guy who was moving through the world, improving every single situation...” (Rob Reiner tribute)| | 54:39 | Luke | “Movies where you have a cast of very young actors doing a lot of the lifting are tough for me.”| | 65:56 | Luke | “I made the easiest thing last night that I was so weirdly proud of…” (soup story) | | 78:07 | Luke | “Dude, you could keep your weed in there.” (re: the D&D dice box gift from a listener) | | 86:50 | Andrew/Luke | Story about a collection agent coming to Andrew’s door, rare even for hosts with collection agency experience. | | 92:26 | Luke | “Hope you’re doing okay, weather wise, wherever you are, and that you haven’t forgotten. No mountain too tall…” |

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:45–10:30: Luke’s power outage odyssey, the hot tub cover rescue, and rural life weirdness.
• 12:20–18:00: Rob Reiner and Stand By Me memories. The start of Luke’s “week of Ls."
• 23:15–27:26: Luke’s wedding song mix-up; broader reflection on unreliable memories.
• 38:21–40:22: Bob Dylan impressions, discussing the chameleon voice and James Austin Johnson’s SNL bit.
• 50:02–54:39: Rob Reiner appreciation; Stand By Me deep dive; kid actors past vs. present.
• 65:56–69:49: Soup and cooking talk; making the most of home supplies.
• 76:42–80:11: Listener mail; D&D dice box discussion.
• 83:00–88:18: Old tenants, mail nightmares, and the saga of collection agents ringing the doorbell.
• 90:00–end: Football game anticipation; Thursday Night Football superstitions.

Tone & Style

TBTL’s conversational style is equal parts self-deprecating, warmly neurotic, and playful. Luke alternates between amped-up storytelling and “agonizing over aesthetics”; Andrew plays the straight man and the curious neighbor, but gleefully joins in on the bits, especially when it veers toward Bob Dylan/Muppet territory. Both are comfortable going on tangents, looping back wryly to earlier points, and puncturing their own opinions with humor.

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

• You don’t have to be up-to-date on the hosts’ lives or inside jokes to appreciate the friendly confessional vibe and wit: The episode’s best moments—the “power outage hero saga,” the “family memory own-goal,” and “Bob Dylan as a Muppet”—are as much about emotional honesty as about punchlines.
• The hosts model humility and humor in the face of small, relatable defeats. The titular “My Own Personal L” is not failure, but the joy of realizing how little, in the end, any of us know for sure.

No mountain too tall, and good luck to all!