TBTL Episode #4626 "I'm Workin' Here!"

Date: December 24, 2025
Hosts: Luke Burbank & Andrew Walsh

Episode Overview

On this festive Christmas Eve episode of TBTL, Luke and Andrew lean into the coziness of the holiday season with nostalgic stories, discussions about the quirks of modern life (from digital check deposits to high-tech bidet toilets), and a listener-submitted list of the top five best walks one can take. Their meandering, irreverent banter is in full effect, bringing a blend of relatable, warm humor and random practical advice—from managing receipts to choosing the right wax ring for your toilet.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Holiday Gifting… with a $0 Budget

• The episode opens with the hosts joking about a gift exchange, but the maximum spend is $0, leading to a playful riff on creativity.
  • Luke: “Creativity, to me, is just like... like a friendly bird that embraces all ideas, just, like, shoots out of its eyes, all kinds of beauty.” (00:16)

2. Nostalgia for Obsolete Tasks: Checks & Bank Visits

• Andrew waxes nostalgic about the bygone days of paper checks, bank visits, and the satisfying destruction of checks after digital deposit.
• Both recount their evolving levels of trust with mobile check deposits and reluctance to discard paper checks (“It took me years to trust the hashtag process…” — Luke, 05:16).

3. Sitcom Life Lessons & Receipt Anxiety

• Andrew reflects on early sitcoms (such as "Cheers" and "Mary Tyler Moore") that instilled a lingering, irrational fear of audits and the need to hoard receipts.
  • “All I knew from watching media like that was that if you don’t do things right, somebody from the government could knock on your door unexpectedly and say, where’s your shoebox full of receipts?” — Andrew (06:08)
• Luke details his father’s compulsive receipt-keeping tendencies and manual hoarding habits.

4. DIY Toilet Installation & Bidet Confessions

• The hosts take a deep dive into modern toilet technology, recounting their personal tales of installing bidets and debates over the merits of the classic wax toilet ring.
• Luke admits his family is intimidated by his “Casa de Diva” bidet, resulting in guests seeking out the more traditional toilets in his home.
• Andrew expresses discomfort sharing bidet functions, finding it “a little too close to someone else’s hoo-ha,” and coins the phrase: “You hose nozzle!” (11:35)
• They both discuss the practical realities and emotional satisfaction of replacing fixtures and the relief of solving household disasters before company arrives.

5. Donor Shout-Outs and Listener Community

• The show’s characteristic community spirit shines as they thank donors, share inside jokes (like Scotty’s unwavering karaoke song “Teenage Dirtbag”), and reminisce about shared experiences.
• Geographic tidbits, like the history of Longview, Washington and its pivotal “Monticello Convention,” are woven in for local flavor (25:32).

6. Top Five Walks—Listener Sarah’s Holiday List (see Timestamps: 30:00–47:18)

The heart of the episode: Sarah’s top-five list of life’s best walks, which sparks expert-level banter and listener identification.

Sarah’s List (and Host Commentary):

• #5: Walk to kill time with a good companion (or a chatty four-year-old)

  • Andrew: “I always try to make a lot of noise so that they know that I’m behind them… especially if it’s nighttime.” (34:49)
  • Luke reflects fondly on his daughter's inquisitive "why" phase during walks.

• #4: Early spring walk when the world reawakens—seasonal depression melting away.

  • Luke: “It sort of fixes something inside me that gets broken about this time of year and continues to be broken until, I don’t know, we get that first nice week in April or May.” (35:37)
  • Andrew prefers the melancholy joy of a crisp fall walk with fallen chestnuts.

• #3: Braving the cold—a walk that starts too chilly, but soon feels invigorating.

  • Advice: “Dress for the second mile.” (37:41, Andrew quoting a classic TBTL story)
  • The hosts riff on the joy of donning a good scarf and their evolving criteria for purchasing accessories (in-store vs. online).

• #2: Revisiting an old haunt—walking familiar ground a decade later, preferably with someone who shares the nostalgia (or someone to bore with “that used to be a laundromat!”).

  • Luke: “Not only will I comment extensively on what is different, I’ll comment on what isn’t different.” (43:33)

• #1: Exploring somewhere entirely new, destined for a simple reward (like coffee or a bakery).

  • Andrew: “When I was visiting Boston for the first time, it was very important for me not to look like a tourist…”

BONUS:

Luke adds a “1A”: The transformative moment when an unfamiliar neighborhood starts to feel like home after a couple days’ exploration.

7. Bonus: Top Five Underrated Smells (48:00)

• Sarah’s quick hit-list: printer paper, pickles, ivory soap, apples, and a hot clothing iron.
• Inspired, Luke and Andrew add their own favorites: gasoline, distant cigarette smoke (“I’m like a shark… that’s me, if someone lit a cigarette right now in Tacoma, I would be able to smell it.” — Luke, 50:17).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Luke on trust in technology:

  “It took me years to trust the hashtag process because it does feel... still feels crazy and new to me and does seem... rife with... skullduggery.” (05:17)

• Andrew’s sitcom anxieties:

  “Somebody from the government could knock on your door unexpectedly and say, where's your shoebox full of receipts?” (06:08)

• Luke defending high-tech toilets:

  “I guess I just assumed everyone would be stoked about getting to wash their hindquarters... But I know there is a little bit of a barrier to entry.” (10:05)

• On letting go of manuals and receipts:

  “I went over and I just put my hands on his shoulders and I said, there, there, there. No one can hurt you now.” (16:29)

• Walking pace anxieties:

  “I really hate it when someone is walking exactly the same pace as us, but like four steps behind us. I don't know what primal fear that is...” — Luke (33:20)

• Memory-lane walks:

  “That used to be a laundromat. Wow. Crazy they didn’t change that sign. Oh my gosh, I’ve literally said those words...” (43:08)

• Sarah’s pick for underrated smell:

  “Luke Irons getting hot; that is... very comforting, right?” (48:29)

Timestamps of Important Segments

| Time | Segment Description | |-------|------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Holiday banter & creative $0 gift exchange | | 02:04 | Connecting with listeners, setting up "top walks" | | 02:45 | Paper checks, bank nostalgia, digital deposits | | 05:45 | Life lessons from sitcoms & receipt hoarding | | 07:44 | Toilet installation and old-school plumbing tech | | 09:00 | Bidet adventures & guests’ bathroom preferences | | 13:03 | “Casa de Diva” bidet woes and wax ring mishaps | | 14:47 | Father’s obsession with receipts and manuals | | 16:29 | Letting go of paper manuals in the digital age | | 17:33 | The existential joy/surprise of replacing a toilet | | 18:00 | Dumping the old toilet at the landfill | | 21:18 | Donor thanks—community stories & in-jokes | | 25:32 | Longview, WA history, Monticello Convention | | 30:00 | Top Five Walks—Listener Sarah’s List (Main Segment) | | 33:32 | Walk pacing anxieties | | 35:15 | Spring walks and their emotional impact | | 37:41 | Braving the cold (“dress for the second mile”) | | 39:05 | Parking lots, scarves, and shopping strategies | | 42:40 | Urban planning rants (U Village, Seattle) | | 43:08 | Revisiting old neighborhoods—nostalgia walks | | 44:44 | Exploring new neighborhoods on foot | | 47:57 | Cozy Seattle walk memory & setting holiday moods | | 48:00 | Top Five Underrated Smells (quickfire) | | 51:06 | Episode wrap-up & teasers for Christmas Day special |

Tone & Closing

Staying true to TBTL’s essence, the episode is filled with random detours, affectionate ribbing, and long-form digressions—making the listener feel like an insider in a private, winding conversation. The warmth and self-deprecation shine, carrying a low-key message about appreciating the ordinary: the walks, smells, and quirks of life (and plumbing).

Luke: “May all your walks be wonderful and full of amazing smells. Holiday season. Season.” (50:35)

For Further Listening

Stay tuned for the Christmas Day special (51:17) and, as always, remember:

“No mountain too tall, and good luck to all.”