TBTL #4671: “Oh, What A Feeling When Your Cat Is In The Ceiling”

February 25, 2026
Hosts: Luke Burbank & Andrew Walsh

Episode Overview

This episode centers around classic TBTL banter, a gripping (and hilarious) saga of Andrew’s cat Bingo getting obsessed with his basement ceiling, musings on animal antics, airport travel class warfare, why TSA PreCheck might be coded as a class/political signifier, animal empathy (including a viral Japanese monkey), and, naturally, a detour through the ethics and evolution of Girl Scout cookie sales. The show delivers its trademark blend of story-driven chatter, relatable anecdotes, and affectionate ribbing—peppered with notable TBTL running gags and listener interactions.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Cat in the Ceiling: Bingo's Obsession (03:31–14:47)

• Andrew’s “Bingo Problem”:
  Andrew confesses it’s the first time he's truly had a “Bingo problem” with his normally chill cat. Explains Bingo’s penchant for finding high/cubby spaces, culminating in Bingo discovering a ceiling crawlspace in their unfinished basement.
• The Incident:
  Bingo clambers up via various household surfaces (bookshelf, Adrian the contractor’s shoulders, the fridge) into makeshift ceiling gaps, experiencing newfound freedom and stoking an obsession to return.
• Measures Taken:
  Andrew and Genevieve try blockading the crawlspace with heavy fabrics, pillows, and reinforce against further Bingo break-ins.
• Cat Psychology:
  Luke draws a comparison to his cat Bubbles’ similar penchant for trouble and hypothesizes, referencing Temple Grandin, about cats’ desire for cozy/confining spaces.
• Notable Quotes:
  • Andrew: “He’s got a frantic nature to him. He needs to get back up at the ceiling.” (10:12)
  • Luke: “Oh, what a feeling when your cat’s obsessed with the ceiling.” (13:19)
  • Andrew: “He is, in the parlance of our household, full of beans.” (09:35)
• Practical Anxiety:
  The segment is a master class in blending real concerns (pet safety, home damage) with comedic flair.

Memorable Moment

[13:19] Luke: “Oh, what a feeling when your cat’s obsessed with the ceiling.”

2. Airport Security & The Politics of Travel Programs (17:13–22:59)

• TSA PreCheck Saga:
  Luke vents over (now-dropped) plans to halt TSA PreCheck during a funding standoff, asking if the move was politically motivated to target travelers who might skew more urban, affluent, college-educated, or Democratic.
• Andrew’s Take:
  Pushes back, noting high-frequency business travelers may trend more conservative or upper class; both agree “CLEAR” truly represents airport stratification.
• Sign Rage:
  Andrew recalls his rage at a TSA sign advertising PreCheck by implicitly disparaging their regular service:

  [24:22] “You are providing a service that you are saying is so bad that we have to buy your better service.”

3. Listener Dazzle: Donor Messages & Family Outings (27:31–35:15)

• Dazzling Donors:
  TBTL reads listener shout-outs (including fun asides about donor kids’ names), jokes about shared scooter/skating memories, and riffs on airplane travel with large families.
• Airplane-building Donor:
  Will in Mountlake Terrace is building a plane from a kit, prepping for med school at midlife—all while working as a government lawyer. The hosts marvel both at his time management and at the courage to fly something self-built.

4. Monkey Business: Viral Empathy for Japan’s ‘Punch’ (48:21–53:21)

• Punch the Monkey:
  A baby macaque in a Japanese zoo, rejected by its mom, has become a phenomenon for bonding with a stuffed orangutan (which has since sold out at IKEA).
  • The hosts express heartbreak and empathy for Punch’s plight, with nods to Sarah McLachlan-soundtracked ASPCA ads.
  • The story resonates with Andrew’s own childhood affinity for plush animals, drawing connections between animal psychology and childhood development.
• Crowd Impact:
  The monkey’s popularity has spiked zoo attendance.
• Memorable Quote:

  [51:24] Andrew: “As a person who grew up having trouble connecting with peers and had a very strong connection to stuffed animals in my life... it’s like this toy is his everything.”

Memorable Moment

[53:02] Luke: “Jon Stewart really on my list because yesterday his hot take on the matter was maybe the mom is onto something. He was anti-punch.”

5. Girl Scout Cookies: Hot Takes & Changing Times (54:28–62:12)

• Modern Cookie Sales:
  Luke broaches controversy: Do online mega-sales by viral Girl Scouts “count” as classic accomplishment? Andrew gently highlights how times have changed, reminding “everything is ecommerce now.”
• Cookie Nostalgia:
  Luke recounts childhood disappointment losing a beef jerky sale contest to a classmate’s airplane-factory-assisted sales.
• Flavor Debate:
  They review preferred cookies—Andrew is a Tagalongs/Rods guy, neither loves plain shortbread or coconut-heavy Samoas.
• Memorable Quotes:

  [60:01] Luke: “I spent weeks going door to door to door selling these pepperoni sticks ... and then friggin Isla Higgins wins because her dad worked at Boeing.”

6. Word Nerd: Why “Restaurateur” Isn’t “Restauranteur” (68:05–71:25)

• Listener Max’s Etymology Call ([68:14]):
  Max clarifies that “restaurateur” (person who restores) and “restaurant” (place of restoration) both derive from French, hence their divergence.
  • “Restorateur is someone who restores your strength with food. Restaurant is a place where you get restored. ... It’s because French is stupid.” (69:29)
• Luke’s Joke:
  “Restoration Hardware is where I buy a very expensive couch I lose in a divorce.” (70:35)

7. Miscellaneous & Listener Connections (Throughout)

• Mina Kimes/Patriot TV show:
  Listener tips sportswriter Mina Kimes to TBTL's McMillan Men podcast about the TV show Patriot, resulting in excited cross-fandom chatter.
• Upcoming Topics Teasers:
  Luke seeds future episodes: a feud with StuBot, a neighborhood POS, and more.

Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• “He’s got a frantic nature to him. He needs to get back up at the ceiling.”
  — Andrew (10:12)

• “Oh, what a feeling when your cat’s obsessed with the ceiling.”
  — Luke (13:19)

• “You are providing a service that you are saying is so bad that we have to buy your better service.”
  — Andrew (24:22)

• “As a person who grew up having trouble connecting with peers and had a very strong connection to stuffed animals in my life ... it’s like this toy is his everything.”
  — Andrew (51:24)

• “Restorateur is someone who restores your strength with food. Restaurant is a place where you get restored ... It’s because French is stupid.”
  — Listener Max (69:29)

• “Restoration Hardware is where I buy a very expensive couch I lose in a divorce.”
  — Luke (70:35)

• “I spent weeks going door to door to door selling these pepperoni sticks ... and then friggin Isla Higgins wins because her dad worked at Boeing.”
  — Luke (60:01)

Important Timestamps

• Bingo’s Ceiling Adventure: 03:31–14:47
• Airport Security & Politics: 17:13–22:59
• Dazzling Donor Segment: 27:31–35:15
• Listener Will: Airplane Kit/Med School: 35:15–46:10
• Punch the Monkey Discussion: 48:21–53:21
• Girl Scout Cookie/Beef Jerky Story: 54:28–62:12
• Word Nerd: Restaurateur: 68:05–71:25

Tone & Style

Conversational, wry, occasionally self-deprecating, and full of affectionate, meandering tangents. The hosts’ friendship animates the narrative, with a sense of warmth, controlled silliness, and honest reflection on modern life’s oddities.

For New Listeners…

This episode is a microcosm of TBTL’s charm: two friends riffing on their own foibles and fascinations, making the everyday epic and the epic thoroughly ordinary—while maintaining a running conversation with their community. Whether you’ve ever chased a cat, lost a school sales contest, or had opinions about cookies and airports, you’ll find something familiar here.

Power Out.