Luke Burbank (2:18)

Take it a run. See you on the flippy flops. All right. Hello, good morning, and welcome, everyone, to a Thursday edition of tbtl, the show that just might be too beautiful to live. I can't believe you're still on the air. My name is Luke Burbank. I'm your host. As Jay would say, he's got flow. Coming to you from the shores of Lake Michigan here in Chicago, Illinois, where we are not dealing with the chilly weather of yesterday, but we are Fully under a fog warning.

Andrew Walsh (2:53)

A foggy day.

Luke Burbank (2:57)

I'm saying that I'm coming to you from the banks of Lake Michigan, but I'm just. That's an article of faith right now because I'm looking out the window of the hotel here and I can't actually see the lake even though it's like three blocks away because there's so much fog. But luckily none of that impacts what we do here. We sit indoors, we, we talk under these microphones and we bring you episode 4677 in a collector series. Let the fun begin. Foggy weather was not enough to stop me from taking a little, a little journey this morning over to the Chicago Art Institution where there's a, I guess installation or retrospective of a guy named Bruce Goff, this architect who is no longer alive but was doing really interesting stuff in the Midwest.

Andrew (3:42)

Oh la la.

Luke Burbank (3:44)

And I had, I had, as I do sometimes, I had a sort of an epiphany standing in there that I want to tell you about. So we'll get into that. Also, it's a Thursday, AKA blursday, my birthday today. Of course we'll do the blursday messages and of course we'll talk to this feller. He's the longest running co bro of the show, maybe best known for his depictions of the tall ships. I just want you to be normal and clearly you're not. He is Andrew Walsh and he's joining me right now. Good morning, my friend.

Andrew Walsh (4:11)

Good morning, Luke. Just realized I have too much headroom on my camera. Camera here. I don't think anybody's ever going to see.

Luke Burbank (4:16)

Would you say you have Max Headroom?

Andrew Walsh (4:17)

I have Max Headroom. Listen, I need to clear something up here. I feel like I've been. I feel like I've been misunderstood on social media, which is a dangerous place to be misunderstood.

Luke Burbank (4:28)

Yeah, it happens a lot.

Andrew Walsh (4:29)

Honestly, it happens a lot. But as you know, there can also be sort of a mob mentality over there. So I'd like to straighten things out. Would you mind? Are you in a position where you can look at my account on Blue Sky?

Luke Burbank (4:39)

Yeah, absolutely. It's a tab.

Andrew Walsh (4:42)

See, this is one of those situations where I posted something I wanted engagement and I'm getting engagement, but I'm brutally

Luke Burbank (4:50)

face mogged by bingo.

Andrew Walsh (4:52)

I guess what you're talking about, that's that thing, by the way, that you were talking about smashing, like the smashing part of your face in with a hammer so that it breaks and goes back. I swear.

Luke Burbank (5:04)

Now showing up in your Timelines.

Andrew Walsh (5:06)

Do you know the name for that? Because there is a Mariners van video going around one of those tiny mic things, like a montage of somebody asking Mariners dumb questions. And one was like, can you tell us what this, you know, modern slang means? And I swear one of them had to do with something. Not the cheek, but the jaw. About doing something like tapping your jaw to make it, like, look better or look stronger or something. And, like, Cal Raleigh knew all the lingo because his brother is 15 years old, but everybody else was just like. I think JP was just like, the younger generation is cooked, man. Or something along the lines of that. But.

Luke Burbank (5:43)

But the other thing is, JP is Unk.

Andrew Walsh (5:45)

Yeah.

Luke Burbank (5:45)

So can he even weigh in? Cal Raleigh is borderline chopped.

Andrew Walsh (5:49)

Okay, I'm out of my. Well, no, that's the thing. I thought chopped sounds like it's something good, but I guess it's bad because Cal says that. He says his little brother calls him Chopped all the time. And Cale said, well, if I'm chopped, then you're chopped, too, brother. That was what I learned in this video yesterday.

Luke Burbank (6:05)

Well, I mean, Cal is allowed to say that. We can't. Legally, we can't stop him from saying that. But it's very much. To be chopped is to just essentially be somebody who is older than the person who's calling you chopped. You know?

Andrew Walsh (6:21)

Say that again. Can you say that again?

Luke Burbank (6:23)

Okay, Unk is now kind of like, just for anybody who's thought to be, like, older. And by the way, you'd be shocked at how young you can be and still be thought of as Unk.

Andrew Walsh (6:30)

You could be, like, 22, older, but attractive. Like, kind of like a young, younger zaddy. Does not.

Luke Burbank (6:36)

Does not. As far as I understand, it does not factor in perceived attractiveness, which takes us out of the looksmaxing universe.

Andrew Walsh (6:43)

Oh, yeah.

Luke Burbank (6:43)

But to be Unk is just to be kind of like old.

Andrew Walsh (6:45)

But again, you could be chopped, though.

Luke Burbank (6:47)

Chopped is to be kind of broken down. Chopped is to be not. And that is more of an attractiveness kind of, I guess, in the negative.

Andrew Walsh (6:56)

In the negative? Yes.

Luke Burbank (6:58)

In the negative, you're thinking of chopped. Like chopped and screwed, which is our era, which was kind of cool.

Andrew Walsh (7:04)

I'm thinking of chiseled. I hear chopped. I think chiseled. And I think this guy should frame Mog Lavadier. What's his name?

Luke Burbank (7:14)

Clavicle.

Andrew Walsh (7:16)

It's not Clavicle.

Luke Burbank (7:17)

I think Clavicular. I think Clavidere sounds great. He was the seventh Knight of the Round Table. Clavidere.

Andrew Walsh (7:25)

Clavidere the Brave Unlucky in love as the story. Weirdly enough.

Luke Burbank (7:30)

Weirdly enough.

Andrew Walsh (7:31)

All right, tell me what you're seeing on my Blue sky.

Luke Burbank (7:33)

Well, is it the very top post?

Andrew Walsh (7:35)

Is that the one we're talking about? I think so, probably.

Luke Burbank (7:37)

I don't actually ask and answered is what you have written about a. It's a screen cap of a guy. And I know who this guy is by the way. I kind of like his name is. His name is actually Luke. I don't know, I can't remember his last name, but I've noted at times. And he is part of this wave of like food tasters who they're not so much restaurant. Well, I mean they are I guess providing their own review of a restaurant, but they're no Ruth Reichel. They're not going and to, you know, Le Cirque with a fake mustache on and trying to, you know, write about it. They, they go get food from a place, they sit in their car typically, and they just try the food and they, and they, they tape their response. And this is, this is the level of food discourse we are now ready for as a society as our brains ever so slowly drain out of our ear hole. And so I actually, like I said I actually like this guy. I think he seems very, he seems very sweet. He seems very unpretentious, which I kind of like. He just seems like kind of a good dude. I understand why, why he shows up on a lot of people's feeds. So I'm guessing from the photo that he went to Perkins.

Andrew Walsh (8:43)

Yeah, he's holding up a box that says like a takeout box that says Perkins Restaurant and Bakery.

Luke Burbank (8:49)

Yes. And, and then he's got, and this is, you know, in that kind of writing, you know, that's over the video because of course most of us are now watching these videos sans headphones. Somewhere in the, in the, I don't know, the lobby of some gig economy job. And so they put the text on everything so you can have the sound down but still know what's going on. And written on the screen is, is Perkins still good? Two question marks.

Andrew Walsh (9:13)

Yes. Now it seems obvious to me why I would have posted this last night about 14 hours ago.

Luke Burbank (9:21)

Uh huh.

Andrew Walsh (9:22)

And I'm getting some responses from people that are very sweet. Our boy Mike, this is Hollywood Mike, right? Hollywood Mike saying hey, this brings back memories. Just to love Perkins going there in high school, whatever. I posted this photo of the, or this screen cap of this guy holding up the Perkins thing with the text that says, is Perkins still good? I wrote asked and answered and I posted this. And it's a pretty low res photo. I really thought, given the context. And when I posted this, I really thought this was my moment to blow up on social media. I thought, like, I've.

Luke Burbank (9:55)

No, I've been in that moment of thinking. It's my moment to blow up. I mean, usually involved for me, alcohol and a certain sense of grandiosity.

Andrew Walsh (10:04)

Okay, so a lot of checking a lot of similar boxes here. Alcohol was involved. You're a smart guy. Why do you think I posted this? I mean, it's such a dumb question.

Luke Burbank (10:16)

Well, I actually have. I have more than one dumb question because I guess what I'm trying to understand. I've never understood the phrase asked and answered. When I took over as the host of Livewire, our catchphrase was something like, livewire asked and answered.

Andrew Walsh (10:34)

Oh, that's. Yeah, that's.

Luke Burbank (10:35)

To this day, I don't know what that means. Does that mean in asking the question, you have answered the question in that the need to ask the question indicates what we all know the answer to be. Like. So if you have to ask, is Perkins good? That tells us Perkins is not good. Is that the takeaway?

Andrew Walsh (10:52)

All I can answer for is my intention in this particular case. And what I meant by this was this fella. I'm trying to create a meme here. You're familiar with memes, right? Yes. So I'm trying to create a meme here that is very much of the moment.

Luke Burbank (11:07)

And because of the low res of the picture, because of the. It's all colliding in this kind of moment of Supreme 2026 Ness.

Andrew Walsh (11:15)

And like, I. You gotta be ready if you're going into a meme war. Right? Like, so I got all kinds of memes. So I. So yesterday, something huge happened in the world that I thought everybody was following. And I felt like this was funny because my intention was this fella. I didn't know his name was Luke, but that's a nice little dazzling detail that this fella asked the question, is Perkins still good? And I posted something that implied. Well, I guess we got the answer to that. And of course. Do you want me to tell you, like, shouldn't be so hard. That was when catcher Robbie Perkins hit the home run in game one of the World Baseball Classic to put Australia up two runs to nothing over the favored Taiwanese team.

Luke Burbank (12:00)

I see you were baseball maxing.

Andrew Walsh (12:02)

I was baseball maxing. People think that I just have opinions on Perkins the restaurant. No, no, Per in a game that looked like it was going to be no run scored. I think it was the fifth inning. Finally he broke it open with a two run homer classic. Robby Perkins, the 31 year old phenom. Is Perkins still good? Asked and answered.

Luke Burbank (12:26)

See, I love this. I love this because I can see myself in exactly the same like headspace you were in. I forgot that. Remember I said alcohol, late nights, delusions of grandeur. Let's throw in time shifting baseball.

Andrew Walsh (12:41)

No, it was live.

Luke Burbank (12:43)

It was live.

Andrew Walsh (12:44)

It was when everybody, I thought everybody was.

Luke Burbank (12:46)

They're playing in like Taiwan, right? Or what are they playing?

Andrew Walsh (12:48)

The timing. Those games are in Korea. Korea. I think there's four different places where the World Bespoke Classic is happening. But it start like the official. The first official actual competitive game was on last night. That started at 7 o' clock our time on the West Coast. You know, as I mentioned, Chinese Taipei, as they're called, versus Australia. Chinese Taipei majorly favored in the matchup and ended up losing in the first

Luke Burbank (13:15)

game of pool play thanks to Robbie Perkins.

Andrew Walsh (13:17)

Thanks in large part. Another run was scored. Can't remember who got that. I think it was another. Maybe that was a solo blast. Score ends up being three nothing. It was a shutout. I was. In all seriousness. So obviously I posted this. Yes, under the influence of alcohol and I would say more so the influence of just like really excited to watch a meaningful baseball game. Now meaningful is like lowercase meaning.

Luke Burbank (13:42)

That's what I'd like to kind of.

Andrew Walsh (13:43)

But it's not. It wasn't a pack with you. It wasn't a scrimmage. It was like the first actual game that the people competing in it actually were playing for something. Because leading up to this game over the past couple of days there have been like these scrimmages where like the USA team played the Giants or something along the lines of that, you know, and so there. But those were meaningless games. This was officially the first game of meaningful baseball. Not in the National Baseball League.

Luke Burbank (14:09)

Yeah, yeah, the nlf.

Andrew Walsh (14:11)

What did I just.

Luke Burbank (14:11)

The National League of Baseball in Major League Baseball.

Andrew Walsh (14:16)

Did you hear me? Were you thinking of me approaching that wall?

Luke Burbank (14:19)

Were you thinking of the Colombo hat? Do you think that, that, that nfi.

Andrew Walsh (14:24)

No freaking idea what I'm talking about here. But anyway, I was legit. Like I, I was, I was a bit buzzing about, about this last night

Luke Burbank (14:35)

and I know you were because I got a text on the criminals from you yesterday and I think I saw the. Before I looked at what the sort of Attached photo was it said. And I'm paraphrasing something like. And just like that. Baseball's back.

Andrew Walsh (14:48)

That's right. To which you guys replied, yeah, well,

Luke Burbank (14:52)

this is what I want to talk about. And I don't want to. I do not want to yuck any yums or dampen any enthusiasm because, like, I've even mentioned on this show that I remember, whatever it was the last time they did this world. Is it every four years?

Andrew Walsh (15:06)

Yeah.

Luke Burbank (15:07)

Is this? Okay, So I do remember that the last time they did this. And for people that don't know, the World Baseball Classic is teams from different countries made up allegedly of people from those countries. Although there's some ones that seem a little. Maybe like with the Olympics, a bit of a stretch.

Andrew Walsh (15:23)

Yeah.

Luke Burbank (15:23)

Basically when they're a Mariner playing for Great Britain.

Andrew Walsh (15:26)

I don't know about Great Britain. That I'd like to know.

Luke Burbank (15:28)

I think there's a Mariner on the Great Britain team.

Andrew Walsh (15:30)

But basically the World Baseball Classic is. It was created after the Olympics, took baseball out of the Olympics. So it's basically the Olympics of baseball now, its own thing.

Luke Burbank (15:39)

And definitely, like, I. I mean, it's a. I. My sense of it is that it's actually been a big success and it's. It means a lot to people and people care about. And again, the last one kind of came down to this crazy thing of USA versus Japan and these two megastars. Shohei Ohtani pitching against Mike Trout. I mean, that's about. That's about as good as it gets. That's some real Rocky Ivan Drago kind of like, you know, jingoism, usa, USA stuff. And I remember watching that last inning and being like, wow, this is dramatic and interesting. So I'm not trying to act like I don't see the. The fun for people, but I feel like the World World Baseball Classic fans in America fall into maybe two categories. People that are way more into baseball than I am, which I would put you in that category now. You just know so much more about it. You do your fantasy team, you just, like, you're steeped in it. And so you're probably. I mean, you're just interested for a bunch of reasons. One would just be because maybe you want to see how various Mariner prospects are doing or people you have on your team or just general interest because you know a lot about the topic now. You really do. Then the other category would be, I would think people that got into baseball more recently than I did, because I got into baseball when there had never Been a World Baseball Classic. And then like 15 years ago or something, they started telling me there was a thing I should care about called door. I had already become too set in my ways. I didn't have room in my heart for a new thing like this. It's sort of how I feel about the Carolina Panthers. They made. They invented that team too late in my life journey. Like, you know what I mean? It's just like, I don't. I can't. There's only so many things I can care about in sports world. And if you bring one into my life when I'm in my 20s already, I just. It's not something that I have any. There's just no. There's no area to plant new seeds of interest in this raised bed. That is my. That is my caring about sports. And so to me, that's why I can never really get into the World Baseball Classic.

Andrew Walsh (17:34)

Well, let me. You're forgetting a category. And first of all, you miscategorized me. If we're going with your two categories, I guess I would more slip into the second category of no, that's not true. No. But I don't know. But here's the deal. I'm not being humble here. I'm being quite honest. I turned on this game yesterday. I didn't know one player in this game. I knew that Australia was the underdogs. I didn't know the backstory of anybody. Me and my buddy were texting each other.

Luke Burbank (17:59)

I had $1,000 on this. On.

Andrew Walsh (18:01)

I was joking. I said that I had $10,000 on

Luke Burbank (18:04)

this, but I bet on John Denny.

Andrew Walsh (18:06)

But I was texting with my buddy. Like, they introduced one guy. They said, what's his name? I'm already forgetting, but I think his name is Yu Chen. And they said, yu Chen, a man who needs no introduction. And I was like, I do need an introduction. That I got a text from my friend Paul, who's really into baseball, and he does know these players. He's like, I know who Yu Chen is, but I think he does need an introduction. I was like, sir, hilarious. So let me get this straight. No, this is not. I mean, you give me far too much credit when you say that. I'm following this, and I know who these people are. Luke, you forgot a third category. And I'm being quite serious about this. People who need a distraction. I just needed sports, and I'm not. I couldn't. I can't get into. I don't know why. It's not like ethical or moral reasons. Kind of like Genevieve has moral outrage over, like, the Olympics and the Olympic Committee and everything. It's not that for me. I just have never been able to get into it. I can't get into a rhythm of following it. I don't. I just. I guess I just don't care that much. With all due respect, I'm not saying that people shouldn't. I'm just saying that I have trouble getting into that. But I know the contours of baseball. And turning this on. Last night, looking down at my clothes, I had this sort of circle down my mental calendar. And yesterday around 6:45, I was just wrapping things up for the day, thinking about tonight. Pants and a Coors Light and playing some darts. And I have a little lap. So when I'm playing darts, usually I'm listening to music or a podcast, but I also have a little laptop set up in the corner of my little dart area. So sometimes I'll just put on visual spackle, or I'll put on a baseball game. Like, if the Mariners are playing yesterday, I'm just in this mode, and I look down and I'm trying to make up my mind, do I want to listen to music or a podcast or What? And it's 6:45, and I'm like, I think this is when I texted you guys. We're like 15 minutes away for the first baseball game of the season. I don't know anybody. I don't have any vested interest. I was just joking about betting $10,000 on the Australian team, but I wish I wasn't joking.

Luke Burbank (20:01)

Oh, wait, I didn't see that. You had that on your.

Andrew Walsh (20:02)

No, I made. I just rat a tattoo headed that at you a second ago. Because I was joking around with Paulie about that. But all of that is to say it was like, oh, there it was amazing how quickly I cared. It was weird. You think going in that I would be rooting more for Taiwan, but. But because Australia was the underdog, I immediately just started rooting for them. And then when they were, like, kind of holding their own and their first pitcher went out there and I think pitched like, three or four shutout innings, I'm just kind of like, I'm texting my friend. I'm like. I said, this is kind of a Lukian joke. Unless you hate it, in which case I won't give you blame for it. But I was like, I've said it once. I've said it a thousand times. I would die for David Wells. They're starting pitcher, you know, because I'm just like you. You can just get into it so quickly. And that's what happened to me. And I think it was just.

Luke Burbank (20:51)

Australia has a starting pitcher named David Wells. Luke, he's not David Wells Jr.

Andrew Walsh (20:57)

I don't know who you're talking about, but they kept talking about this guy. He and his brother were both in the major leagues and. And they both quit baseball. And one of the reasons was David Wells, the starting picture pitcher for Australia yesterday, quit baseball because he said it stopped being fun and started feeling like work. But then after a few years of leaving baseball, decided to get back into it and now he was the starting pitcher for Australia at the wbc.

Luke Burbank (21:23)

You know what it sounds like it was. Sounds like. It sounds like that guy did some real work. Yeah.

Andrew Walsh (21:28)

And realized it. Baseball, he's like, baseball feels like work. And then he did real work and he's like baseball crew. But like, I mean, I was like, I was laughing my ass off. He's like kind of cooking out there and he just left baseball because it was stopping fun for him. Now he's getting back in. I just immediately got into it.

Luke Burbank (21:45)

There's a. I think, is he probably a Hall of Fame guy? There's a Hall of Fame pitcher, I think, from, from many teams, but including the Yankees named David Wells, who once famously pitched a no hitter hungover as an absolute skunk. In fact, the story goes that in the locker room, somebody, this is before the game, and he was slated to be the starting pitcher and one of his teammates said, do not let the manager near you right now because you reek of alcohol from last night. And he goes out in. I'm a sucker for a good no hitter. That should have never happened because of the state of affairs in the brain of the pitcher kind of story, including also the guy who pitched that no hitter. Just absolutely zooted off of like on acid. Various acid and other things. I like those kinds of stories. But anyway, yeah, so. So that's just when you said David Wells, for a moment I was like, did he have. Did he have A David Wells Jr. And that guy is starting for the, for the Australian team. Sounds like that was not the case. But I listen, I very much identify with what you're talking about around just you needed. And you were so.

Andrew Walsh (22:46)

Alex. His name is Alex. I knew as you were saying all of that, I'm like, I know I got David wrong. Sorry. Alex Wells.

Luke Burbank (22:54)

I know that feeling of like, of just needing something like this where it's like, okay, it's. It's A real. It really matters who wins this. I mean, for the nation, you know, the nations that are competing. So this is real baseball. Even if it's not Major League baseball, even if it's not NFI baseball. It's. It's like it counts. It counts for these people that are playing on these teams. And it's. And then just that feeling of like, yeah, how much you. How much you need something like that to distract you, to entertain you, to engage you. I'm. I'm. I'm sort of like that. Although. And again, not to get too down the sports. The sports rabbit hole today or whatever, but, like, here's what I've learned this year, Andrew. And this actually has a lot to do with our friendship and just kind of like how much we check in via text and other things. I realize that I'm not a spring training guy anymore. Like, I don't have. It's not that I don't have the bandwidth, because, listen, I make bandwidth for things that I. That I'm interested in. It's like, I guess I kind of don't care, which is weird because I used to, when I was a kid, I would listen to every spring training game, like when I was, you know, in like, you know, 12 years old, 13 years old, like, because I was so excited about baseball that. And I didn't care that the games didn't really count for much and that it's cycling and a lot of players who you might not hear from for the rest of the year because they're just kind of trying out for the team and stuff. And, like, what I've realized this year is that, like, I just don't care about spring training as much as I wish I did, because I feel like that also makes me not a real baseball man. You know what I've started doing? I started following this guy on TikTok who's basically going like, I'm watching spring training so that you don't really have to. And I'm for the Mariners, and I'm just going to tell you what you need to know about what happened today. And I am finding it to be a. I'm going to the AI overview of how the Mariners spring training games are going.

Andrew Walsh (24:40)

No, actually, this is. I think this actually really speaks to what I enjoyed yesterday. Actually, it's another good way of maybe explaining my experience because, first of all, I always like spring training as an idea and as a vibe. Like, I've never been like, oh, I've got to listen to a game all the Way through the very first one, you want to kind of, like, tune in because you've been. You're thirsty for baseball to begin. And I've always mentioned to you I like it, like, if you have home projects, you turn on the game on the radio, and it's just sort of. It ends up being sort of a soundtrack to the spring, sort of. As you start doing your spring projects this year, it doesn't feel like that to me. And I think that. I think I could be wrong about this, but it feels like a few years ago, like, when we first moved in this house, we're doing a bunch of projects. Every time I turned on the radio during spring training, a game was on. And now I'm just not hearing them that often. You have to seek them out on, like, satellite radio or something. I think the local station has stopped airing as many spring training games. I could be totally wrong. That's just my feeling. It could be my. But I honestly, like, I'm basically doing the same thing you are with spring training, which is, if a game is on, I'll click it on. But, like, it's less fun because you don't really have the rhythm of the regular game, like you say, because you're just like, test. You're kicking. You're kicking the wheels on players. They have player. For people who don't know players. Now, there's a new rule. You can use wheels if you think it's safer. It's a player safety thing. Yeah, but.

Luke Burbank (26:05)

Well, that's. That guy, David Wheels, that's pitching Australian team, Alex Wheels.

Andrew Walsh (26:10)

Get it right. And so I, you know, I've been listening to a lot of podcasts. I've been enjoying getting into the baseball conversation this spring by listening to podcasts and stuff about baseball spring training. But I haven't really been following, you know, actually the games that closely. Yeah, but. And it's for that exact reason, like, I found more enjoyment in watching a game yesterday where all of the decisions and pacing of the game made sense as a baseball game. A spring training game doesn't do that. You're not making decisions about your bullpen or how much we're going to, you know, like, kind of how much pressure we're going to put a picture to go far into a game. And like, any of that, and it turns out like, that's kind of what. That's a huge part of the game. That's what you love, those decisions. And when you take that out of the. Out of the equation, you can enjoy a spring training Game on a lot of different levels, but yesterday was the first game that, when it got to the. I mean, the ninth inning was really interesting. Like, this game yesterday went to the last out because Chinese Taipei had two runners on, I believe, first and second or whatever, and could have tied up the game with a swing of a bat, but they ended up, I think, popping out to end it. So, like, I was, like, engaged in this game, even though I wouldn't have been able to name one player going into it. It's not because I'm somebody who's super following this stuff, or I remember these players when they were in the league here in the States, or I'm hoping to see them because I guess there were some pretty prominent, you know, prospects in this game, too. One for the Guardians. But, like, I don't know any of that shit. You give me way too much credit. I just. I needed the game because otherwise I was going to listen to sad bastard music.

Luke Burbank (27:54)

Well, that makes perfect sense to the idea that the people in charge of the game, I.e. the managers, are. They're doing this to try to try to win, not to try to just see what a guy does in a high leverage or low leverage situation or whatever. And so, yeah, it's. I get that I am getting. Don't. By the way, do not, please do not confuse me not being into spring training for me not having the home opener circled. In fact, I might try to come up for the home opener. I know you guys are going to be in Hawaii that week, but have you considered canceling the trip? And how do you think Genevieve would respond?

Andrew Walsh (28:27)

So, yeah, this is something I wanted to tell you about, actually. You had so many things to talk about, and I didn't mean to turn my little baseball, my little blue sky spoof into such a long conversation about baseball, but I learned that the. Not only is the opening day going to be when we're in Hawaii, but I've got that on my calendar and we don't have anything scheduled for that particular time. So actually, I'm looking forward to, like, watching it. Yeah, you know, I'm just glad that we didn't have, like a dinner reservation or anything at that time. But what I didn't prepare for was that the fantasy league, I'm a part of drafts right before opening day. I wasn't even thinking about that. So, like, draft night is while I'm in Hawaii. And, like, there's just no way I'm gonna take the time to block off three hours so I can sit behind a Computer. And to be honest with you, I think this will be my fourth year in the. In the fantasy league. And they keep switching, like, the. The rules of it, like, the main rules, like how the game is played. I don't have to get into the details, but, like, Roto is kind of the classic way of playing fantasy baseball. Then they went to, like, weekly one on one matchups, and then I had to relearn that. And I never knew how to play fantasy before joining this league. Now I finally learned the middle way, and now we're going back to Roto, and. And I don't know anybody in my four years of playing on this team, like, or in this league. I don't know anybody. It doesn't seem like the league for me. Like, these guys are clearly too advanced that they're just whipsawing the rules around so much while I can't get a handle on what the hell is going on. And then realizing I can't even draft my own team. I got Paulie in the cut. He's ready to draft for me, but

Luke Burbank (30:02)

he's let him Cyrano that de Bergeriak bud.

Andrew Walsh (30:05)

Paulie is a little bit like. And I hope it's okay to say this publicly. I think he would. I think he's okay with me saying this because he might hear it. But Paul. Asking Paul to draft for me is a little bit like asking your friend who's a recovering alcoholic to bartend at your wedding. Like, Paulie had to get out of fantasy baseball because it took over his life too much. And he's like. He'll literally say. He's like, it just. I don't like the person. I don't know if this is a direct quote, but essentially sort of like, it takes over too much. He can't just enjoy it as a casual pastime. He becomes obsessed with it and it interferes with other things in his life.

Luke Burbank (30:47)

Now let me ask you this.

Andrew Walsh (30:49)

He's cut himself out of it, but I asked him if he would draft for me. Just draft and then I'll take over the team.

Luke Burbank (30:54)

Ask him. Hey, I need to get a sense on what kind of beer we should have at the wedding. Will you just hold some of it in your mouth? Just swish it around and spit it out.

Andrew Walsh (31:02)

We're interested in the photos, so we just want to see what a ham's can look like when it's touching somebody's lips. Would you mind? Would you mind?

Luke Burbank (31:09)

I mean. Okay, now we're getting into, like, speculation on Paulie's life, but like, so, I mean, first of all, in a way, this is kind of great because he is obviously steeped in the information and would make probably really good decisions, or at least he'll be using a lot of personal experience and data driven stuff to draft you a good team. So that's cool.

Andrew Walsh (31:27)

Yeah.

Luke Burbank (31:28)

But is there, is there the concern that that will pull him back in? Because now this team, all season, do you have a name for them yet? Do you change the name of the team?

Andrew Walsh (31:37)

It's the Akron Groomsman as it'll remain.

Luke Burbank (31:41)

I think so. Like now, unfortunately, I mean, potentially, he's got an emotional stake in the Akron Groomsmen, you know what I mean?

Andrew Walsh (31:51)

He already did, though. Like, okay, well then like an ex going with this addict behavior conversation. Like an ex smoker who says to no, go ahead and smoke around me. I like the smell. He's always sort of had that a little bit with my fantasy teams because I'll ask him who should be my keepers this year. The players that you can keep from one season to another. You can keep five. And so he's always, he's just curious about it. You know, he's always got. He's always like, hey, what is that?

Luke Burbank (32:20)

Can I smell your breath?

Andrew Walsh (32:20)

Was that Jim Beam taste? I mean, just. What does it taste like? Just describe it for me. And so I've always felt a little bit of a big brother on my shoulder. Sort of like not big brother in the, in the.

Luke Burbank (32:33)

In the surveillance.

Andrew Walsh (32:34)

Surveillance state sense, but just like, you know, a little bit of, well, Paulie will be mad if I make this move or there have been definitely times where I've been where I've made some moves on the wire and I thought, like, don't tell Paulie about this one.

Luke Burbank (32:47)

Well, that's actually sounds like actually kind of a good. We call that harm reduction in the recovery community, Andrew. So it's like, maybe it's not great for him to have a team that he spends so much time thinking about, but his friend having a team that he can kind of check in with and that can kind of scratch that itch for him a little bit. I think, honestly, this all sounds like a. So you're not. You're not going to quit this. You're going to do this league one more year, but you have the growing sense that it might not be the league for you.

Andrew Walsh (33:12)

Yeah. I actually sent a note to the commission. I'm like, listen, I don't want to leave you guys high and dry, but I will. Yeah,

Luke Burbank (33:21)

those. Keep those. Michael Chickless jokes coming fast and furious to keep the show relevant.

Andrew Walsh (33:27)

I love a chickless joke. The Commish. I never watched one episode of it, yet it seemed like it loomed so large in the culture.

Luke Burbank (33:34)

I couldn't tell you one thing about that show other than it was starring a guy named Michael Chiklis.

Andrew Walsh (33:38)

I love it, but I can't remember what I was gonna say. But, yeah, no, I did. I told Joe, the commission, not Chiklis, but the commissioner of the National. Buddy, I just said, listen, I don't want to leave you guys high and dry. I'm sure if I quit now, you wouldn't be able to replace me. But just so you know, this will be my last year.

Luke Burbank (33:56)

Oh, wow.

Andrew Walsh (33:57)

Okay. Yeah. Because I just realized there was something about seeing the notes going by where everybody was scheduling it, and then me realizing I have to relearn what the game is because now it's going back to Roto, and I don't know what it was or I don't. I don't remember how to play that way. And then I'm not even going to be there for the draft. I was just like, this doesn't feel fun. I had this moment of realization. Like, I thought that after one or two seasons, I would know the beats of the game better and then it would become a little bit. But it never. It's a little bit like rollerblading for me. I just felt like I. It sounded like fun from the outside. I still think there might be opportunities for me to get into a different fantasy baseball league down the line with maybe people who are a little bit more my level. People that I know, maybe people that I don't know, but I just feel

Luke Burbank (34:45)

like also live primarily in the same city as you. Like, I could see this, like, if you endures got into one and it was like, you know, or maybe with some other folks from your IRL friend group who, like, you know, really, really get really geek out on baseball, but at the level you're talking about. And maybe you could be there for the draft and then, you know, a few times a year, everyone goes to a game together or whatever. Like, that sounds like a fun vibe, but for you, I. Not that we need to turn all of this into fantasy sports talk today, but, like, this is exactly what happened to me with a fantasy football team I was doing with our friend Mike Pesca many, many years ago, which I've talked about on the show. I don't need to rehash the whole story, but basically, when we did the draft, he Was had been deployed to New Orleans post Katrina and was like literally out of contact. It was still an era where there's still a moment in time of that city where like stuff was non functional. So he's like trying to like send me these like bursts of like text information when he's in an area of. Of post Katrina New Orleans that has any connectivity. And I am then going to this apartment in Manhattan that's all of his friends, all these people that he knows who are so much more read in on fantasy football stats than I would have been even at the time when I was most obsessed. And it was just like I would. I literally went to a newsstand and bought like a magazine that was like, here's who you should pick. Fantasy like a glossy magazine that was like pick these guys. And that's what I tried to do. And then I think Pesca left the league or so I ended up somehow in this league. This is how by the way, all of my ex pets must feel they're like, wait, he bought him and now I live with someone else. What's happening here? Like, so I ended up in this league where I didn't really know anyone. Everybody was way more serious about it than I was and same thing. It just kind of wasn't. It was not the best fit for me and I ended up, I think, you know, leaving after one season. So I understand where you're coming from.

Andrew Walsh (36:37)

Can I ask you a question on an emotional level? There's one very small aspect of this that you might have been able to suss out already. But I haven't said it explicitly. But in order for Paul to take over drafting responsibilities for my team, I had to make him a co manager. He essentially we, you and I started this team together as co managers.

Luke Burbank (36:59)

Sure did.

Andrew Walsh (37:00)

And then you, Grandpa Simpson your way right on out of there.

Luke Burbank (37:03)

We call it a Burbanking.

Andrew Walsh (37:04)

And now he. Now we're co managers again and it's you there. And so it's sort of like it's a bit of a second marriage. Sort of. I wasn't sure. Well, it is, but it's.

Luke Burbank (37:14)

But like many of my second marriages, it's still complicated. It sounds like you went from. Because yeah, I was the one who brought you into this thing that then I immediately realized was way too serious for me. And then. And then it was you solo. And now you've got this other person in there who's a co manager who is infinitely more knowledgeable about the topic than I ever was and probably than you Are, but who also has a history of this being an issue for them.

Andrew Walsh (37:39)

Right? That's a really good point. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, that's a good point. Well, things are going to be in

Luke Burbank (37:43)

like, are you going to have him? Will he have the password? Was he going to be allowed to

Andrew Walsh (37:47)

make Ross by making him. By making him a co manager? I think he just creates his own password and has his own, like, login. You know what I mean? We don't share a login the same way that you had our own. Right. So I think I could kick him off at any time. Although, I don't know. I mean, it's one of those things where I may need to do it for his own good.

Luke Burbank (38:05)

Well, it'll be interesting to see what happens this season. And I had this little moment this morning because there's a time difference from here in Chicago to where you are. So I had a little window of time today to go out and about and explore something that I've been looking forward to checking out here in Chicago, which is this kind of retrospective of. It's actually the work of this architect named Bruce Goff. But the show is at the Chicago Art Institute. And I read about this. I didn't know anything about this guy. He grew up in the Midwest and is a very interesting character to me because he was designing and making these really unique buildings. He was into a very kind of animal, futuristic, space age kind of vibe. But he was doing it all. He was a very Midwest guy. He was doing it in like, places like Tulsa and places like Nebraska and stuff. He was also a gay man at a time when it was really, really not accepted. I was actually reading this, like, you know, where they had paintings he had done and architectural drawings. And there was this kind of, you know, big block of text that was explaining some stuff about him. And it mentioned when I started reading about this guy, I knew already that he was a gay man and that that was part of his, you know, his identity, et cetera. And then I was reading this description of his life and it said, like, well, his first wife Julie, a dancer, you know, and da, da, da. And it was like, it sounded exactly like Corky from Waiting for Guffman. Like when, when somebody runs into him, he's in the store and he's in the women's department. He's buying stuff. He's like, I'm buying this for my wife. I buy all of her outfits. And I like, I laughed for a moment and then I felt profoundly sad for this guy. Like he Ended up with a life partner and, and, and being able to pursue his true identity. But I was just struck by like, just how, you know, different the world was. And in some ways it still is the same, I guess. But anyway, this guy just made this stuff. You know, I've been on this whole thing about like trying to engage more with art and things that do not immediately make sense for me. And the thing about this guy's work is like, I don't. I would never want him to build me a house. I would never want to live in one of these houses he built. They look like spaceships or kind of like, you know, I tend to go more towards mid century stuff. I tend to go more towards maybe even a more classic style before that of a craftsman or something or, you know, something Frank Lloyd Wright or whatever. Not a big like kind of weird kitschy kind of thing. He would put Astroturf in his houses. He seemed more like, in a way he was, he, he held. He had more creative DNA shared with John Waters than with like, again, I'll just say Frank Lloyd Wright or somebody like that who, whose work I really kind of respect.

Andrew Walsh (40:40)

Was he the set designer for the movie toys? Because that's now what I'm picturing. I don't really know Bruce Goff. But you, you've seen the movie toys, of course.

Luke Burbank (40:47)

Well, you know, I haven't, except I just had a clip. I mean, I know it from the audio that you have program. And I also saw a clip of it the other day and it made me very intrigued. It was LL Cool J. Yeah. And it was. Joan Cusack was ordering a sandwich in a cafeteria.

Andrew Walsh (41:06)

Yeah. Did you see this on our website? I feel like I pulled this for some reason. It was a show pick, wasn't it?

Luke Burbank (41:13)

Maybe. Well, maybe that was what told my phone to deliver me the scene on TikTok.

Andrew Walsh (41:17)

No. Oh, you actually saw the scene. You know what? I saw the scene I posted. That is so weird. I literally posted. That's them in the lunchroom.

Luke Burbank (41:27)

Yeah. She's trying to order a sandwich. She wants to order an applesauce sandwich. And the cafeteria guy says, well, that sandwich will be soggy. And he says, well, maybe I'll make you one next time. And then she orders a mayonnaise sandwich, I believe. And then she goes and sits down next to LL Cool J. That's the scene that I.

Andrew Walsh (41:42)

That is so weird. I posted. And it wasn't videos, it's a still shot. But somebody had one of those things on Blue sky where they were like, they said, I can't remember what it was. It was like something about some sort of iconic scene or something. Nothing more iconic than the scene or. I don't know what the prompt was, but I took a clip of a scene immediately after that where she and ll are sitting down to eat their food, and he is talking about how he doesn't like his food. Touching. He's a very regimented man.

Luke Burbank (42:08)

Oh, interesting.

Andrew Walsh (42:09)

Yes. And so. And that's why my brain was. Was very confused when you were talking about that. I was like, how could this have come up twice? I guess it's totally coincidence, but it does. It's a very. All of that is to say what I liked about toys, which is. It's comical to ask you if you've seen it, because I don't think anybody except for me has seen that movie. I don't think anybody except for me likes that movie. And rightfully so, I think, in a lot of ways. But the set design is very quirky and bright in a way that I wouldn't want to live in it. But it's why I like the look of that movie, dude.

Luke Burbank (42:42)

Literally, the wig that Joan Cusack's character is wearing and the vibe. I thought, oh, I should probably watch this movie. Just for the. For the visuals.

Andrew Walsh (42:50)

Yeah. And for the duplication investigation.

Luke Burbank (42:52)

Well, that, too. I would like to see that in the wild. I've only experienced that decontextualized as an audio intro on this program. It lives large in my head for something I've never witnessed with my own eyes.

Andrew Walsh (43:03)

It was also one of the only intros. And this goes way back to when we were first working together on this particular podcast. And you were like, I don't know about that one. And I think I just pushed forward with it. I just have this early memory of you not telling me, like, I don't want to use that, but you just saying, like, I don't get that. And I was like, well, I do.

Luke Burbank (43:20)

And. And now we love it. We all love it because we've played it enough.

Andrew Walsh (43:25)

Right.

Luke Burbank (43:26)

Well, so I was excited to see this. The thing I was. I didn't know about this guy at all. And then the New York Times wrote like, a piece about him and then mentioned that there was this show in Chicago which happened to be up while I was going to be here, and then also included a link to this documentary that some, like, I think maybe British magazine back in the, like, 80s had done about this guy, where they'd gone to wherever in the Midwest he was now living. He was very old at this time and they interviewed him and he just seemed like such an interesting dude to me. And so anyway, I was very excited to see this, this exhibit, but I was also stressing about the timing of it because you and I were set to start recording this at 12:00 clock Chicago time. This, the, the. The Art Institute at Chicago opens at 11am a.m. it's a 15 minute walk from my hotel. So I was going to have, I was going to. I was going to have just enough time to maybe spend like 45 minutes in there looking around and then, and then have to hightail it back here to the hotel. So I had the whole morning kind of planned out around this little window of time. And so I am. Because after we're recording, we're doing some extra recording today. I've got to do some stuff for. Wait, wait. My afternoon is pretty packed at this point. So I get in there and I just. I don't know if I do know you can identify with this feeling, but where you just have kind of a low level, like you're doing something that is theoretically supposed to be fun or interesting or enlightening. But I wasn't in the right frame of mind around experiencing this stuff because what I was thinking about was the

Andrew Walsh (44:59)

scheduling of this stuff. Yeah.

Luke Burbank (45:01)

You know, like, I get there and I'm starting to go and I talk to the security guard. I go, do I need a ticket? Do I need a special ticket for the Bruce Goff thing? And she said, no, no, you don't need a ticket. I mean, you need a ticket to the museum. I was like, oh, okay, okay. Because, like, it wasn't in the air. They have like a Matisse thing up right now that you need like extra tickets for. So I was like, okay. So I go over to the line now and I'm already in this mode of like, I'm late for this and I'm not gonna get to experience all of it the way I want to. And I'm like, I'm just like stressed about it in such a dumb way.

Andrew Walsh (45:31)

Can I ask. I'm sorry to interrupt your flow. It's a bit of a prosaic question, but I'm interested because I'm sort of thinking, like, it is kind of hard to like, hurry up, enjoy the art. Hurry up, enjoy the art. I'm curious, as an architect, what is the actual display? What is the exhibit?

Luke Burbank (45:47)

Well, it ends up being a couple of big sort of models, I guess, of places that he designed, which are pretty interesting. And then a lot of, like, renderings or, like, they were, you know, like, sort of architectural plans. Some things that were made and some things that were not made. Weirdly, there's. I'm not weirdly, but, like, interestingly, there's this huge. Like, the largest model is of an apartment building that he lived in that he didn't even design. I think it was a Frank Lloyd Wright design that he just lived in. And he lived in there after he was the head of the architecture program, I think, at the University of Oklahoma. And during, like, a gay panic of the 50s, they did some kind of sting operation where they tricked him into, like, going on a date with someone or some shit and then ran him out of the University of Oklahoma for being gay.

Andrew Walsh (46:36)

What the hell?

Luke Burbank (46:37)

Oh, yeah. I mean, and by the way, he probably had it lucky that he was not physically harmed and also was able to then go open his own architecture practice. You know, like. And again, I say lucky in quotes. But so then he lives in this apartment building that I think was a Frank Lloyd Wright design boat that was quite interesting. So it's architectural models of things. It's. It's. And then it's a lot of just, like, his things that were in his house that they think kind of inspired him. He had a real interest in, like, sort of East Asian design and art and things like that. And so, yeah, that's kind of what the. That's what the. What the vibe was. But that actually gets me to the thing that I. I was going to talk about, which was just like, I'm hustling through the line to buy the tickets. I get back to the security guard that had first been my point of contact, and now there's like, a little bit of. There's like, three people in front of me to go through. There's two security guards, and there's three people that are waiting to go through where my security guard is. There's maybe five or 10 people on the other security guard. So I'm trying to go in the shortest line, but then there's a woman who's in a wheelchair, and then my security, who's not in our line, but my security guard decides to attend to this person in the wheelchair, helping them. But it involves this, like, ticket scan, and there's a little confusion, and I'm just having that mode of just like, what the hell is going on here? How, like, this is taking way too long. I got in the wrong line. Why is my security guard now going over and helping the other line and not you know, and you were telling

Andrew Walsh (48:03)

me before we started recording that you think that this person was sort of faking it in the chair. You were saying that you think they were just doing that sort of for attention.

Luke Burbank (48:11)

And I don't think we could rule it out.

Andrew Walsh (48:14)

I mean, I think those were your exact words.

Luke Burbank (48:17)

Yeah. Were we rolling on that? So I just have this weird, like. Like angst going on. That's the opposite of, like sitting in with a piece of art or angst, Dude. I had it complete. I was overwhelmed with Unk. Unk. That could be the show title. And so I get in there finally and I go, I'm in the. Oh, oh, by the way, I also couldn't find. It's a big museum, right? And it was not particularly well marked. You had to go, like into. It wasn't like you walked in and it was just kind of right there. You had to go into this one area, but then down a very narrow aisle that didn't look like it was leading anywhere. And I'm like, this was written up in the New York Times. This is, to me, the reason we're all here.

Andrew Walsh (49:09)

I also just love that it's like the thing that's preventing you from enjoying this architectural design is architectural design.

Luke Burbank (49:16)

I mean, it was bad feng shui. It was a non Norman door. It was every piece of. Of every piece of kind of human. What's it called? Like UX or like, you know, human design, scale or something? Like it was all wrong. Yeah. So I finally get in there and I'm. And I'm Now. And it's got an arrow. So you come into this big room and it's got an arrow. It's like basically go this way. So cool. I go that way. I'm looking at something. I'm actually. I'm telling myself, I'm checking my clock, my watch notes. It's like 10. It's 10. 10 now or something. I'm like, okay, I have 35 minutes to experience this thing. Thing. And I am. And then I hear the most dreaded sound I've ever heard, which is children screaming. Children screaming. Just not yet in the display, the exhibition. But just outside, they're taking a picture and I'm like, omg, are these children about to enter this. The sanctity of this architectural space where I am here right now, to think deep, uninterrupted thoughts and experience the world of design in a way I've never done before. I cannot believe they're letting children into a museum. How I didn't have this wave of, like, resentment about, like, whatever. And then I'm. And, like, I'm literally thinking, like, should I just leave and come back later when they're gone? Should I. Is there someone I can complain to? This is also not my typical move. I'm on the record as saying, like, I don't understand people who are put off by the laughter of children, generally speaking. But I found the place where it's possible for me to be put off, and it's. It's the Bruce Goff exhibition. Because it's. If you're like, a ball field or something, you're in somewhere where it's like, kids having fun adds to the experience. Because I was already having my unk. Angst because I was already fully torqued up about the schedule of this event. It was something about the noise that just felt to me like, oh, my God, this has been totally ruined for me. And so, sure enough, the kids all come in. They're from some school. I would put them at about. Maybe they're, like, third graders or something. They've all got their little, like, special, you know, stickers on from the museum. They're with two teachers, and they're coming in. And I just. I had this moment of, like, observing myself from far away of being a person who really. I think really the timeline was right when you walked in. It was actually this huge model of some building that he had designed. And these kids came in, and they just lined up, like, right at the edge. And the teacher said, okay, nobody step up on here. Everybody stay one foot back. And they all just stayed one foot back. And they all had these little, you know, like some kind of an art guide of. From the museum of. Here's what you're looking at. Here's an explanation of. And they're all holding these. These. And they were looking at them. And I heard more than one of these kids just say, like, oh, my God, this is so cool. And they were. And you could tell.

Andrew Walsh (52:16)

Yeah.

Luke Burbank (52:17)

Already where this. Where this is going, because, like, this is where this stuff always goes for me. But, like, it was, like, the best thing I've ever seen. Like, it was way better than the stuff in. In the. In the display. It was just like. It was like, this is exactly what this. What this should be, you know, and, like, for these kids who, by the way, I don't want to. I don't want to generalize or stereotype, but they definitely seem like Chicago public school kids.

Andrew Walsh (52:43)

Yeah.

Luke Burbank (52:44)

You know, like, not kids who. I mean, I don't know what their life is, but I doubt they, they spend like, you know, all their time going to museums and it was just, it was just like so, so life affirming.

Andrew Walsh (52:58)

Do you regret having them kicked out?

Luke Burbank (53:02)

Yes. Yeah, they were with the lady in the wheelchair.

Andrew Walsh (53:07)

Yeah.

Luke Burbank (53:08)

And yeah, if I had it to do over again. And the worst part, Andrew, was somebody was filming on their phone and I think we're, we're due for a total. Chad gets instant karma when he tries to kick disabled children out of museum video on Tick Tock. But anyway, so that was like, that was just like a kind of a beautiful moment where I got to have a total, like a total just like 180 spin of like. And by the way, I had plenty of time to look at the thing. These kids were also so quiet in there. Yeah, they were not crazy and they were like digging it. Yeah, their teachers were really had a great sense of like letting them enjoy stuff, but, but not like they were not running a moke, but they were having, they were having a chance to experience this stuff.

Andrew Walsh (53:55)

Stuff.

Luke Burbank (53:56)

And I just thought like, how freaking cool. I hope for these kids that this is the beginning of a lifetime of getting to go and experience things and not be sort of intimidated by these spaces and not be, you know, just so. And then again, I had, it was, you know, what was really, what was really cool about it was completely punctured that sense of being late or the anxiety that I was having and just like it let all the air out of that balloon. So then I just looked at the stuff and I was just like, I was in such a good headspace and

Andrew Walsh (54:28)

you know, checking it out. I'm sorry, this is so not the, this is so not the point of your story. But if you needed like an extra half hour, you could have just texted me.

Luke Burbank (54:38)

I know, but like I, I, whatever. I mean, yes, you know me that

Andrew Walsh (54:42)

I don't like, I don't like having to show up early for something. But like, if you're like, hey, I need an extra half hour, I'm like, all right, I'll do the blurs days.

Luke Burbank (54:48)

You know, but that's what. But, but see, that's also where, you know, we talk about this on the show a lot, asking myself, am I late for something or am I just being impatient? And that's where when I get into this mode, it's not even logical. Because yes, the logical answer is I look at the stuff. If I'm 15 minutes late getting back here, I text you, the world doesn't end. Yeah, but like when I'm in that state of like Ajita, it's not rational. You know what I mean? It's not like, oh, yeah, I'll just say, hey, Andrew, can we start a little bit?

Andrew Walsh (55:15)

Like, well, mine is. I've been actually trying not to talk about this too much because like a big storyline on the show or something that people know about me is that I am like a bit of a busybody when I see other people not following the rules of society somewhere. Like the other day I saw somebody was pulled over and parked in the bike lane. And I'm trying to be more chill about that. Like, okay, sometimes people need to pull over. But it pisses me off so much because then a biker has to drive out into traffic. You know what I mean? I'd rather you park. If you're just gonna stop your car in traffic, I'd rather you stop your car in the middle of automobile traffic. Not what is making life more dangerous for the people who are not driving cars. And the other day I saw somebody pulled over and then some young woman on a scooter who was using the bike lane had to totally stop and then look very in a pretty dangerous place and then go out in traffic and go around this car. And it pissed me off so much. I was at the gym just yesterday. And this is. I'm gonna try to, I'm not just trying to steal your story. I'm gonna come back to this.

Luke Burbank (56:18)

But I've cried enough for a Thursday.

Andrew Walsh (56:20)

You're gonna cry when you hear that this story has no power out. But generally speaking, a thing that I'm going through is I'm kidding on the square or not really kidding at all. When I say things like I needed baseball yesterday, I'm in a bad place. And I'm seeing it pop out because of just, I think the unrelenting news of, of this country. And it's coming out in various ways, but also that cranky side of me of judging other people's bad behavior in public, of their non rule following behavior in public is getting more acute. And right now a lot of listeners are saying, Andrew, I don't think that could get more acute. We know you, you're already at peak grumpy old manness. But it turns out that is not true. And, and even when I talk about like yelling at my neighbor who's knocking over signs, I still think I'm in the right there. But like, you know me not just feeling like everything is an affront. I was at the gym yesterday and there's this, I'm going to admit something here by the way, I will say I didn't, I didn't give in to my worst demons, but it's just an example of how deranged I've become, is there are like several just machines that I like to use, little strength machines, right, non free weight little machines, whatever you call those, and resistance machines or whatever and I'm part of the resistance. And there are about, I don't know, like four to five of them that maybe I'll cycle through. But I have a little kind of unwritten rule in my head. Like on certain days I'll do this ARM1 and other days I'll do this other ARM1 and then blah blah, blah. And it was a day yesterday where one of the machines that I like to use and there's only one of this type of machine, like they have duplicates of some which is good, but then others there's only one of them and there's one that seems to be pretty popular. It's kind of a curl kind of thing. You're sitting in a chair, I guess it's like a curl. And it wasn't really my day to use that, but it could have been. I sort of wanted to use it, but I saw that. And it also leans you back a little bit the way you were leaning back in your chair before, just by the nature of how the curl machine is. And so when people are sitting in that I've noticed like people gravitate towards that one and then they'll just sit on their phone for a really long time. You never know when it's like between reps and sometimes I'm there right when school lets out. I don't know what school is nearby but there's sometimes like a lot of teenagers that come in right around 4 o' clock or something. I try to avoid that time. And sometimes there'll be like some, you know, Gen Z er on there with his, you know, alfalfa, not alfalfa, what do we call the alpaca haircut or whatever and just sitting there and then on his phone, on his phone, on his phone. And then we'll maybe do one little rep and then go back to the phone forever. But I'm like, well at least. But then I start dialing in like how many is this person resting or is this person just using this as a bench? Well, yesterday I'm in there and it's not a high school student, it's a grown ass adult. And I'm starting to wonder, while I'm doing my other exercises, will I want to use that machine? I noticed there's a man on it and he's leaning back like. And again, this, this chair position sort of makes you slouch anyway, which sort of makes me judge you even more, which makes absolutely no sense. But he's just slouching there on his phone for the full time that I'm doing reps on another machine. I'm like, huh? Is he ever going to do anything? I might want to use that machine. And then I go and I use another machine that does something else. But now I'm like clocking him. And so far he has not done one exercise. And this is where my insanity comes in. In my plan, if I had the whole gym to myself, was probably to use the machine next to his to do some other exercise anyway. Similar but different. But the more I'm seeing him sitting there for 10 minutes, 15 minutes, not doing one ounce of exercise, but taking up this machine while he's doing nothing but scrolling on his phone, I'm starting

Luke Burbank (60:18)

to think the more you want to

Andrew Walsh (60:19)

use that machine, I'm like, I think I want to use that machine. I should probably use that machine. I should probably ask him, are you using this machine? And I'm always ready to be not aggressive about it, but just as a little reminder, like, hey, hey, we live in a society. People need to use this machine. And then I have to catch myself. I'm like, dude, that was never part of your plan. You are just looking to scrap. You gotta. And not even scrap. Like I'm, you know, me, I don't like to get into fight fights, but like, I'm looking to mix it up. I'm looking to tell people that you're not behaving in a way that I find appropriate or whatever. And it's like there is always a little bit of that in me and I need to work harder and harder to like kind of tamp that shit down. And I do think, even though I've been talking for, for 40 minutes in this story, do you see how it connects back to your feelings of the kids? Because I feel like I know exactly what you're talking about. When you heard those kids coming, you felt like that was going to be an affront on something that was supposed to be your time in space.

Luke Burbank (61:13)

Yes, yes, 100%. And I think any dime store psychiatrist would just describe this as transference, right? It's like there's nothing, it feels like there's almost nothing that we can control in the. The nation and the world right now. And all of our anger feels so impotent and so just feckless. And so when you see something that seems like a transgression, but it's something that you could actually engage with in a meaningful way, probably tend to want to go there or your brain is trying to go there, because it's the only affront that of that day that you can actually have any potential to address. Yeah, you know?

Andrew Walsh (61:57)

Yeah, that's definitely what it is.

Luke Burbank (62:00)

Well, did you end up using that machine at all, or did you decide?

Andrew Walsh (62:03)

And that's the thing, like. And I didn't. I know that story makes me sound horrible, but I'm just admitting my internal thoughts. But then I did. But what I need to do during this period is just constantly remind myself that, like, you might be.

Luke Burbank (62:20)

This might be about something else.

Andrew Walsh (62:21)

It's definitely about something else. And also, if you keep behaving like this, you are the one who's inexcusable. Like, how many neighbor disputes am I gonna be in? Well, you know, by the end of

Luke Burbank (62:31)

the year, I think that that guy brought the fight to you.

Andrew Walsh (62:33)

Yeah, but then I got the dogs next door, that whole. You know what I mean? Like, how many? But I'm just saying that, like, if I'm going around, I'm acting like the world's policemen carry a big stick. Walk, clip, clop loudly through the locker room and carry a big stick. You know, I'm getting. I was really mad at, Like, I had gone to the gym the day before, and there was like some. There was literally this soaking wet sock and a towel that somebody had just thrown on the ground in the locker room. I was like, that is disgusting. And I had to kick it out of my way. And then I go back the next day and it's still there in the locker room that hasn't been cleaned overnight. I. I'm taking a shower and I'm imagining, well, maybe I can just write to them, like, when are you cleaning the locker rooms? And then I'm just like. Like, again, I'm just taking a shower after working out, and I'm thinking about picking a fight online about how gross the locker room is, which I do think they should clean the locker rooms. It's gross, but I just don't have. Why. I'm just. Look, I just feel like, yeah, I might be just a little bit fighty. I remember Genevieve saying that a while back that I don't know if it was the world events. I think it Was maybe that. Maybe it was about a year ago. And she's just like, maybe it was right after the election. And she's like, I just got to be careful because I just want to fight all the time. Not me, I think, just generally speaking. And I'm like, okay, this is something that's sort of living in me now that I might need to be a little bit more thoughtful about or conscientious of what's going on inside me.

Luke Burbank (63:54)

Aware of.

Andrew Walsh (63:54)

Aware of more than usual. But I will not. And don't worry, listeners, I will not get therapy.

Luke Burbank (64:00)

I mean, I'm thinking, okay, so you're kind of wondering what the line is. You said you have. Okay, you have the dog. Neighbor. You have the sign neighbor. You have the thing. I guess I would say you're okay, but you are.

Andrew Walsh (64:11)

He's about at his limit.

Luke Burbank (64:15)

I would say that you have. This is the maximum number of beefs that you can be currently carrying around in your back pocket. Okay. We was hoping for some razzle dazzle. Razzle dazzle. That's right, man. Razzle dazzle.

Andrew Walsh (64:29)

On your mark. On your mark. Get set, get set now. Ready, ready, go, everybody.

Luke Burbank (64:35)

Razzle dazzle. All right, let's thank some dazzling donors. These folks are donating a dazzling amount of dough to TBTL, and we are 100% listener supported. That is the only income stream for this show is people voluntarily sending in money because they want this to keep happening. And here we are, 4,677 episodes in thanks to folks like Joseph Lamb, pronounced Janiel, who's in Mesa, Arizona, Danuary. Danuary. Joseph says. Greetings business bros. Thanks again for another year of quality hashtag content. If you don't mind, I would like to take this opportunity to put in a quick plug for my husband's carpentry. Wait, company? Why did I say carpentry?

Andrew Walsh (65:24)

Maybe it's a carpentry company. Let's see.

Luke Burbank (65:26)

God, I sure hope. I can't believe that I saw the word company in my brain. Did carpentry with that. That's a pretty big leap other than it's starting with the letter C. Well,

Andrew Walsh (65:35)

you've been thinking about design and construction today a lot.

Luke Burbank (65:38)

That's right. This is. You know, that's. That's actually. That's how Bruce Goff spelled the word company. He spelled. That's how out of the box he was. He spelled it carpentry.

Andrew Walsh (65:46)

Golf and carpentry.

Luke Burbank (65:47)

Famously, in an era of smartphones and vertical video. Do you miss the days of film cameras? I bet. I Feel like I know the answer to that when it comes from you, Andrew. You're a fan of all things kind of, you know, classic in that way.

Andrew Walsh (66:00)

Yeah.

Luke Burbank (66:01)

If so, check out Strap Photo Club to order disposable cameras. Each kit includes shipping both ways, film development and digital scans of your images delivered right to your email inbox. This is such a freaking thing.

Andrew Walsh (66:17)

I'm on the website. This is.

Luke Burbank (66:18)

I'm actually curious that I didn't have this idea.

Andrew Walsh (66:22)

Oh, really mad.

Luke Burbank (66:23)

I've been looking for a million dollar idea, Andrew.

Andrew Walsh (66:25)

Yeah.

Luke Burbank (66:26)

And. And I can't come up with one. And this seems like an incredibly cool idea. Party packs are also available for events such as birthdays, weddings, and dart throwing in your basement. Visit strap photo club.com to check them out. This is such a. You know what's so genius about it, Andrew, is also just the, like, the fact that you can drop it in the mail and that it'll come back to you in a digital format if you so desire is really, really smart. I mean, we all remember. Did you ever. You seem like even in the days of the disposable camera, you were probably still a brick and mortar kind of camera guy. Did you ever mess with disposable cameras?

Andrew Walsh (67:07)

Yeah, I think so. In fact, I think I still have one around here somewhere that we got to figure out what's on it because it's probably 25 years old or something. But you know, my experience with digital cameras would usually be if you go to an event or something and they have a bunch of disposable camera, like at a wedding or something, everybody has a dispos camera on their table. Like, I still love that move. I mean, nowadays a lot of them might be the instant Polaroid style, but this is also very fun. There's something about waiting too, to find out what did I take photos of.

Luke Burbank (67:37)

That's, that's the thing about this, that we, you know, that has been fundamentally changed for us about taking pictures is that it's generally on our phone and it's generally instantaneously delivered to you and you can figure out if you liked it or not. There was something that was really fun also, by the way, these film cameras, I feel like, are for all the, for all of the filters and the things that we have. I feel like Polaroids and these disposable film cameras were way more flattering. Maybe I was just way younger. That might be part of it. But like there's. It was so fun to get because I was a disposable camera. Guy. For a while there, you know, I never. In fact, I don't know if I ever really owned like a legit. I guess I had a digital camera. I never had a film camera that you put like, you know, know, Fujifilm in. But when the digital or the disposable camera came around, I started to buy them and take pictures. And it was. It was so fun to get back the pictures and see how things had turned out and even how things had not turned out. So this is. And by the way, their website is.

Andrew Walsh (68:30)

Yeah, I'm looking at it. Very cool too. Get one of these things.

Luke Burbank (68:33)

I mean, seriously, this is way cool.

Andrew Walsh (68:35)

You know, I. I've said this on the show many times, speaking of, like, kind of home improvement, which is like, you. While you might feel a little obsessive over it at times, like your home reno and sense of design and everything. It's like you want everything perfect in your house. Whereas my problem is I'm deeply lazy. When we moved in, I'm like, yes, I want a picture there. I want a. This decoration there, or whatever. And then I'm just like, man, I'd rather probably smoke a J and play some darts instead of actually working on these projects. And one of the big spaces in my house is in my own. Is in my bathroom downstairs. And it's kind of cool. Cause, like, that's my. That's my personal space, right? It was like, kind of like I decided to put my little lockers in there. I bought a little vanity and mirror thing that Genevieve helped me install. But it's like, kind of. It was my space, and there's this big space on the wall, and I've always known I wanted to put something there. And I've had some ideas about things to frame, but then I've never really followed through. And I kept thinking, like, well, one of these days I'm going to be in a. I'll be in a. You know, I'll be shopping at a. I don't know, like a reuse store or something like that. And I'll find something that catches my eye and I'll put it there. And then the other day, it occurred to me, I've taken tens of thousands of photos, one or two of which I'm actually proud of. Why would I not just go through my own collection from the years and find one or maybe even a triptych of photos and put them on my wall so that this has nothing to do but just speaking of print and everything? So now I'm kind of. I'VE been going through some things and like Genevieve and I looking at photos, things that would like kind of, you know, be good for a bathroom. Like what you put in a bathroom is going to be a little bit different. And any. It's kind of exciting. It's kind of like, oh, I don't need to find somebody else's thing. I can find my own. Get some prints made, get them free, spend $1 billion to get them framed.

Luke Burbank (70:21)

Yes. As I've learned lately with my whole Michael's card debacle. Yeah, that's a. That's a great. And in fact, that's something. Well, that's not true. I do have a fairly large photo up in my house that I took Andrew.

Andrew Walsh (70:32)

Which one?

Luke Burbank (70:33)

On a disposable camera. It's a picture of Addie as a little kid. And she is. She's sitting next to a pancake that I made for that I cut into the shape a.

Andrew Walsh (70:42)

Yes.

Luke Burbank (70:42)

And she's just making this kind of like funny, goofy smile. And it's very funny because, like in the photo there are at least definitely two pieces of furniture I stole from Kuow. Like, this was the time when it was like, I think I took. I think the table it's on was like, you know, it was like uw surplus. But then Kuow had it. But then they had somebody stuffed it down the end of a hall because it wasn't getting used. And I thought, well, I should. That'll fit nicely in my breakfast nook in my apartment. And then I think that anyway, what I think about the photo, I think about all the objects in there. Like, the plate is one that my parents had. You know, I got some plates for my parents when I finally moved into my own apartment, stuff like that. But I really love the photo. And I will say part of what I love about it is I do think it's kind of visually interesting, but I like that I actually took it. You know, I feel some connection to it. So that's gonna be cool for you. Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. Joe says if you're in the Phoenix metro area, you can also check out their sister company, Strap film lab for in person film development, scanning and printing for a variety of types of film. Remember when I had that obsession with that photo of Andre the Giant in Portland that I then went and the guy let me borrow it from Nick's Coney island, and then I went and had it scanned in and digitized and all that I could have. If I was in Phoenix, I could have Taken it to Strap Film Lab.

Andrew Walsh (71:59)

Strap Film Lab.

Luke Burbank (72:02)

Joe says, thanks again for bringing joy and laughs every day. Joe in Mesa. Parenthetically, Phoenix. And now there's a link here.

Andrew Walsh (72:10)

Yes.

Luke Burbank (72:11)

To. Is this. This. This is to something that's Mesa related?

Andrew Walsh (72:14)

I guess so. So when I click on this link, it just says it takes me to a 40 second clip. I'm sorry, a 37 second clip of the TV show American dad. And it's just labeled on YouTube as American dad. Dash Mesa, Arizona. No description is available for this. It was posted in 2011. I'm gonna hit play now. I don't know what this is. It looks like if I can set up just the very first scene is it looks like it's taking place at a water park. And maybe somebody's going down a slide at this water park. That thing is so awesome. Yeah. Had it in my storage space from when I lived in Phoenix. Well, I lived in Mesa, but when you say Mesa, people don't know what Mesa is. I mean, it's Phoenix. I lived in Phoenix. Great. Okay. I think that was probably.

Luke Burbank (73:04)

Is that the alien?

Andrew Walsh (73:05)

That's the alien, yes. Good call. I haven't seen that anywhere. Yeah.

Luke Burbank (73:10)

Joe in Mesa, AKA Phoenix. Thank you very much for supporting the show and listening and. Yeah, we're gonna check out Strap Photo Club. Maestro.

Andrew Walsh (73:19)

On your mark.

Luke Burbank (73:19)

On your mark.

Andrew Walsh (73:20)

Get set, get set now. Ready?

Luke Burbank (73:23)

Ready.

Andrew Walsh (73:23)

Go. Everybody rattle. Do you think they ever sing Strap Photo Club to the tune of Pink Pony Club?

Luke Burbank (73:30)

Pink Pony Club. I think constantly. I wouldn't be able.

Andrew Walsh (73:33)

Yeah, you can't.

Luke Burbank (73:34)

I wouldn't be able to stop myself. I'm gonna keep developing in the Strap Photo Club. Look who it is. It's our friend Deb. Tanas. Tanas Tenassee.

Andrew Walsh (73:49)

Tenassee.

Luke Burbank (73:51)

I've been saying it for many, many years. It's Tenassee.

Andrew Walsh (73:53)

I don't know. That's just what my gut says.

Luke Burbank (73:56)

I've only read Deb's name, I don't know, 15 times for donor messages and many other times for other things. Like, we know Deb. We love Deb. Deb's in Tacoma. Deb. I'm sorry if I'm still struggling with the pronunciation.

Andrew Walsh (74:09)

I'd like to just point out we have gotten in the past few days a pronouncer on the name. Pam. We have gotten pronouncers for the word name. Homer.

Luke Burbank (74:19)

Well, we got one for Joseph.

Andrew Walsh (74:20)

We have gotten a pronouncer for the name.

Luke Burbank (74:22)

It was Daniel, so it wasn't very serious.

Andrew Walsh (74:24)

We have somebody explaining how you say the word word Sarah, but we don't have a pronouncer.

Luke Burbank (74:29)

So Deb, I don't want to. I don't want to put even more on your plate, but. But if we are so lucky so as to have you supporting the show in going forward, if you want to let us know how to say your name correctly, we will do our very best for that. In the meantime, thank you for the support. Here's what Deb wants to say. Just a big thank you for another year of tbtl. A little sanity is a welcome distraction from the chaos. I've been listening since the very beginning and you've been with me on many walks, hikes and flights across the globe. Again, a shout out to my fellow tens, Lisa, Chris and Jordan. They know who they are. Keep up the good work. What you do is so important.

Andrew Walsh (75:10)

Do you think that it's ironic that Deb describes the show as a little bit of sanity given even the conversations that we've been having today about our

Luke Burbank (75:22)

unhealthy minds insanity behavior? And by the way, I said you probably missed this. Well, actually you caught it in soundcheck and you actually did a pretty sweet burn on me. Then you probably missed it in the intro to the show. But I mentioned how I'm, I'm realizing I'm kind of a spoiled brat or I said I'm starting to. I said I'm starting to become a spoiled brat and you said starting. That was a good one. But at the top of the show I also mentioned my sort of bratty behavior. I wasn't even referring to the art museum.

Andrew Walsh (75:49)

Oh, we're still getting to that.

Luke Burbank (75:51)

We're still getting to that. Right after we say thanks to Deb one more time for all. We appreciate you.

Andrew Walsh (75:57)

Actually, let me just also say sorry for I was just teasing about the pronouncer on your name. I hope I wasn't nagging too hard. I truly, truly, truly appreciate seeing your name. You've been a longtime supporter and friend of the show. Thank you, Deb, from the bottom of our heart.

Andrew (76:17)

Hello and welcome to Top Story.

Luke Burbank (76:20)

I don't know, this is quite Top Story material. In fact, it was just going to be a passing reference. But now that I've made so much out of it and we've done, we've done plenty of self exploration today so we don't need to do a whole lot more of it. But you know how I've been talking about this feature of some. I'm always staying at like some sort of Marriott related situation when I'm traveling. If I have any control over, over it, luckily I'm here to do. Wait, wait, don't tell me. And luckily they just so happened to put us in a hotel that is part of the, the, the world of Marriott. And what it has, like the one I was staying in Kansas City in last week is a lounge which is just basically a place that you know, you can only get into if you've got whatever status is going on. But it just has bottles of water, as many bottles of water as one could ever dream of of, and soda pop and usually some bags of sun chips and then coffee all day long. And it's like I realized that this is mostly what I need in a hotel. I need to get some, a couple of free bottles of water and put those on the nightstand or put them in the little mini fridge. I would like some diet cola and I would like to be able to get coffee in the morning and not have to go to the coffee shop and pay 5 or $10 for, for it. And so when I checked in last night I was like, yes, oh, this is one of those places that has one of those little lounges. And then I just like I went down there last night. So I decided that I was going to do, I was going to doordash here because I just thought, you know, I, I'm very tired. I have a lot of work to do. I don't need to like go out into the Chicago night just because I'm here. I still treat. It's weird. I still sometimes anyway treatment these work trips. Like well, when am I going to be in Chicago if I don't go? Like I was going to Google like what's the best Italian restaurant near me and then I was going to go try to like have some foodie experience. And then I was like it's a Wednesday night in Chicago and I'm dog tired from traveling out here. And I know that Thursday I have a lot to do. Like why would I even consider leaving this hotel? And it's not like I don't get to be here a lot. And you know what I mean? I still think some part of me is mystified. Not mystified, but it's still kind of like, like feels like it's a special occasion. If I'm enchanted by, I'm enchanted by and I feel like it's a special occasion that I'm somewhere that's not my house. It's like that ain't a special occasion anymore. That's just called Wednesday night. So I decided I was gonna doordash. But you know what I did? I was like really craving like a burger because we were. Why are we talking about burgers?

Andrew Walsh (78:51)

Honestly? Because we're talking about that supposedly McDonald's fail of a video. But it's not a fail if you are thinking about burgers all day. That is a huge part of it.

Luke Burbank (79:00)

I have burger brain for the rest of the day.

Andrew Walsh (79:03)

I got burger brain bad. See National Baseball League from earlier, which I will never. That is up there with Cooperston.

Luke Burbank (79:12)

At least you're consistent. It's all the same sport that you're having trouble.

Andrew Walsh (79:16)

Go on and tell me how into baseball I am. How. What a baseball power. I am the.

Luke Burbank (79:21)

So I was like, you know, let me see what the best burger in Chicago is allegedly. And then let me see if they're doing like maybe their play on a, on a, on a plant burger or something.

Andrew Walsh (79:31)

It was the big arch.

Luke Burbank (79:34)

I hate. Yep. I went to rockin McDonald's which by the way is a thing here in Chicago. It's this giant ass McDonald's. It's open like 24 hours a day. I. I did like a Internet search of like what's the best burger in Chicago? And this place came up. I'm looking up the name now because I was able to doordash from them. They were called. Let's see, I gotta go to my orders. Sorry, this is. I should have thought this through. Orders. Okay. And it was called oh, small Cheval. Small Cheval. And they. So I looked them up. They looked, it looked really good what they're making. They did have a plant based burger, but I didn't do that. I did a switcheroo. I noticed that you could order like a burger with no meat on it. That was just like the bun. Like they look like they're these really nice brioche buns and like really good. Like I know you're not into the cheese stuff, but like a really good kind of like American cheese situation. And then this like some kind of a. Another thing you don't like, which is like their own Dijon sauce I think that looks like had chopped up onion in it. Like they really like all of the elements of the burger look like they were really good. And so I like, I ordered this burger with no burger, but then I just put in everything else. So I had lettuce and tomato and pickles and extra onions and. And I ordered by the way, 349 for one of these. Because I think they're like, who's Ever going to order the bun with cheese in it. But then you can like a la carted up, which I did. So I ordered two of these and fries. And what I didn't order was a soda pop because I was like, we got free soda pop in the lounge. I don't need to pay that whatever the door dash cost for soda pop is. And so anyway, I ordered this stuff. It eventually when it was about five minutes out I went, I got in the elevator, I went downstairs, I went to my. To the lounge to get. And I had, I had a whole plan in my mind. I was like, I'm gonna get some of those Sun Chips and you get some of the Diet Pepsi that they, that they always have. And I'm gonna get some chocolate chip cookies. Cause they will usually have some chocolate chip cookies out too. And I had the whole plan in my mind. And I get down there and it's just like, they had no diet soda. And when I tell you the, the how, the affront that was to my very life. They did have diet soda, Andrew, but it was Diet Orange Crush. But I wanted to drink a diet cola with my French fries and my burger, like, thing for some reason closed.

Andrew Walsh (81:57)

So they were open. No, no, it was Sun Chips.

Luke Burbank (81:59)

No, no Sun Chips. I had to get some barbecue chips, which I. I don't even like, but I ate them anyway. They had no cookies, they had no bottled water, they had no diet soda except for diet Orange Crush, which is not the flavor that I wanted to wash down my burger bite with. I wanted to wash that down with like a Pepsi or Coca Cola product. They did have Pepsi, but it wasn't the diet kind. And I was so, just like. So I got the Orange Crush and, and I did get a Pepsi, like a full sugar Pepsi, which again, this just gets into. Also my silly. I'm eating, I'm eating two weirdly unburgered burgers and French fries. Just have the Pepsi. Just at this point, have the Pepsi. Like it's a mental hang up for me. But I was just, just like.

Andrew Walsh (82:45)

But yeah, you're willing to drink Pepsi, which is interesting. Genevieve is. I mean, you know, I know that you and a bunch of our friends and Genevieve included are very Coke loyalists, but you're willing to go the Pepsi route.

Luke Burbank (82:57)

I think I might like Pepsi better.

Andrew Walsh (82:58)

Really? Oh, I guess I'd be wrong. Okay.

Luke Burbank (83:01)

I mean, not enough that like, I'm not gonna ever. I'm not gonna lead out with the. Do you have Pepsi? I don't think anyone's ever said That I don't think everyone anyone's ever been. Do you have Pepsi? No, we only have Coke. All right. It's always going the other way. Coke is fun, but I basically, like, I think if. If I'm doing a Diet Pepsi or a Diet Coke, I think I'm going Diet Pepsi. It's sweeter. In some way.

Andrew Walsh (83:22)

Pepsi is sweeter than Coke. I think. Yeah, I think that I haven't had a Pepsi in forever, but.

Luke Burbank (83:27)

But, yeah, they just. They didn't have. It's. It's. It's amazing how quickly I go from. I didn't even know a thing. Like, I was staying at this hotel for, I don't know, a year before I knew this room existed. So I go from like, I didn't even know this was a thing to like, I swear to God, the plane landed at o' Hare and I was thinking about that Diet Pepsi I was going to score, and then to not have it, I was like, oh, my God, this is just like, what are we even doing here? So luckily today when I was hustling back from the art show, I popped in there to get a couple of things and they have replenished the Diet Pepsi supply. Still no cookies, still no sun Chips, but as long as I. And I got a coffee, which was fine, as long as. As long as I've got my coffee and my Diet Pepsi, I'll be okay. There's a right way to rock in

Andrew Walsh (84:14)

a wrong way to roll. You can't just listen to your song. Just remember that life is number one.

Luke Burbank (84:25)

You can be having so much fun.

Andrew Walsh (84:28)

Just remember that life is just fun. You can be nothing but. All right, it's time to wish some people some happy blursdays. If you'd like to wish anyone, including yourself, a happy blursday, email me andrewbtl.net make sure you put blursday in the subject line. Luke, we are going to start off today in verse. Oh, there are two things that are making me a little bit nervous today. Having to perform this poem, and I do consider it a performance. It's good. By the way, that's no shade.

Luke Burbank (85:09)

Does it start with there once was a 10 from Nantucket.

Andrew Walsh (85:12)

It does. Whose dazzling donation was so long. You know what? I'll just leave it there.

Luke Burbank (85:17)

Did you pre read it? Because I think this is one you want to. Want to pre read.

Andrew Walsh (85:20)

Yeah. And then there's another one that gets into some just knocking on the door of sexy talk that I'm all that. That's coming up too. I'm A little nervous about that.

Luke Burbank (85:32)

I'm listening.

Andrew Walsh (85:33)

Yeah, I thought that might get your attention here. This is nice, though. This is to listener Clementine, who's a wonderful, longtime listener who texts me sometimes. Yes, we're. I don't know if Clementine liked my Perkins post on Blue sky, but we're Blue Sky.

Luke Burbank (85:51)

I think you also missed what I think was my. Possibly my joke of the week, which I said, I'm just. I made the joke about I bet a bunch of money on Kalshee on that game. And then I said, but actually most stupid, I bet my money on Kevin Denny's.

Andrew Walsh (86:05)

Oh, I didn't hear you say that. I was just talking over Perkins. Pretty good.

Luke Burbank (86:09)

Yeah, Denny's. They're kind of in the same. By the way, did that guy say that Perkins was good?

Andrew Walsh (86:14)

I didn't watch it. I just grabbed that preview screen.

Luke Burbank (86:17)

I just typed in googly Perkins related information.

Andrew Walsh (86:20)

I thought I was gonna go viral because I thought everybody was locked in. And so I Perkins hit that home run. I was pretty excited.

Luke Burbank (86:30)

You're looking for Perkins content.

Andrew Walsh (86:31)

I just typed Perkins into Google and then looked at the very, very first result under image search was this like, preview of a TikTok video. And so I just screen grabbed the Preview of the TikTok video.

Luke Burbank (86:43)

The problem is, what I really need to know is, did he like the food from Perkins?

Andrew Walsh (86:48)

Yeah, I don't know. It had nothing to do with the restaurant. And you know, the issues you're having connecting with that Blue sky post in the spirit in which I intended is not on you. It seems to be a universal problem. So that's not on you. This is a note to listener Clementine, though. A very happy Birds say to my longest running cobro, known for her depictions of the now extinct dodo. Through sadness and joy, laughter and losses, I shall forever endeavor to keep you in sauces. Though I cannot predict down which pathway we're heading, we'll always have Richard, yours and 11. Aw, very sweet. Right?

Luke Burbank (87:38)

And good read, Andrew.

Andrew Walsh (87:40)

Proud you of did my best. Happy blurs a clementine from year 11. And from your buddies here at TBTL, Steph says happy 35th Blursday to my husband and dedicated 10. Ian, look at this. Okay, so not an 11. I love that Ian is solidly a 10. Oh, Steph might be an 11 though. Is Steph an 11 or a 10? I don't know. Thank you for being the most loving supporting partner, especially during this pregnancy. Oh, congratulations guys.

Luke Burbank (88:07)

Cute.

Andrew Walsh (88:07)

I can't wait to see you become a father in a few months and to embark on on the adventure of parenthood with you. Love, Steph. Nice. Happy Blurs day. Congrats you guys. Happy blursday to Kathy from your fellow book club members, Christine, Kelly and Cecilia. We're grateful for your friendship and making the book club so wonderful and fun. What you do is so important. We look forward to seeing you this Sunday at book club so we can sing. Rip diddlepip dip dip dip it's your birthday on Zoom.

Luke Burbank (88:39)

I wonder, I wonder if my mom is. My mom was like threatening to be part of one of the TBTL book clubs and then I just haven't heard. Just haven't heard a lot about it. Which generally means I think you would

Andrew Walsh (88:53)

have heard about it.

Luke Burbank (88:54)

I think I would have heard about it, I think from the listeners from law enforcement.

Andrew Walsh (89:02)

Happy birthday to Sheila from your fellow Ithaca Cindy. I recall that day back in 2008 when we were brand new co workers. I remember this story. Wow. I remember that day in 2008 when we were brand new co workers and you introduced me to tbtl. We've been communicating in drops ever since. Thanks for introducing me to this funny and comforting podcast and thanks for being such an amazing friend to me these past 18 years. Love you, friendo. I feel warm and I'm levitating. Love that.

Luke Burbank (89:35)

I mean, that's incredible that that worked. Yeah, that Sheila was like, hey, I've got something you might be interested in. And then it was us.

Andrew Walsh (89:44)

Hey, you.

Luke Burbank (89:45)

And then it stuck.

Andrew Walsh (89:46)

You're new here, right? You're new here. Come here, come here, come here. I'm gonna play.

Luke Burbank (89:49)

Sheila's got a trench coat on, by the way. Clothed.

Andrew Walsh (89:53)

Yes.

Luke Burbank (89:53)

Okay. Everyone clothed under the trench coat, but just like pulls it like the guy, you know, with the watches.

Andrew Walsh (89:58)

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Luke Burbank (89:59)

That's. I feel like that is a. That's a character or a trope that we just don't. We don't see anymore. That was when you and I were growing up. That was a thing that was going around, was like you were going to be in New York City.

Andrew Walsh (90:10)

New York City, exactly. Yeah.

Luke Burbank (90:12)

A guy was going to like gesture you over and then pull open his trench coat and have watches for sale that were, I guess, counterfeited or stolen or something. I assumed when I got to New York, that would be the first person that I would see when I got off the plane.

Andrew Walsh (90:24)

That's why I thought it was called Times Square.

Luke Burbank (90:27)

Uh huh.

Andrew Walsh (90:29)

Listener Nate from Shoreline here. I'd like to wish my five Molly a happy 17th Blursday. They grew up so fast, don't they, Luke? You're my favorite youngest daughter. I can't believe you're 17. I love you more than you'll ever know. Happy birthday from Mama, Papa, Jamie and Millie. Sweet, Happy blursday. Molly. Let's just let this establish.

Luke Burbank (90:53)

Dig it. They're getting ready, by the way, for their big. I think they're doing their big Oscar show again. Well, by them I mean some. I mean the Tim Heidecker universe.

Andrew Walsh (91:02)

I was really wondering. I was like, oh, I didn't know that. Have we talked about. I really thought you were talking about Nate and the gang there.

Luke Burbank (91:08)

I mean, I don't. That's also possible. But like, this is High Decker on the bass, right?

Andrew Walsh (91:12)

It is High decker, I think.

Luke Burbank (91:13)

And then of course, it has me thinking of the High network.

Andrew Walsh (91:16)

Yeah.

Luke Burbank (91:17)

Office hours. And I've been seeing some stuff pop up on my feed lately that's like truly weird. So songs about Oscar fever, I think I might have.

Andrew Walsh (91:26)

I signed up to actually, because a lot of their content is free, but you can pay for more of it. And I'm trying to remember. I signed up for it like a year ago. I sent you the login too, in case you wanted to go on that ride with me. And I either it renewed recently or I chose not to renew it recently because I liked the idea of supporting them. But also, I don't think I watched any of it. Not out of any particular reason. I just need to, you know, it's not on like a main platform on your smart TV or whatever. You have to sit down and kind of like make a. Make an effort to like log in and watch the High network.

Luke Burbank (91:57)

Well, what I have done is just through like watching so many clips of it on my TikTok algorithm or my TikTok feed, I'm getting just the exact right amount of it, which is about a minute and a half of it occasionally.

Andrew Walsh (92:08)

That's the.

Luke Burbank (92:09)

That's. It's, you know, a little goes a long way.

Andrew Walsh (92:11)

Yeah, that's what they say about us. Ann says happy Blurs day. I'm gonna turn this little blursday message into a little bit of a quiz, Luke. So you're want to stay alert for this.

Luke Burbank (92:21)

I'm locked in.

Andrew Walsh (92:22)

Ann says happy Blursday to Scott. The best chicken tender a family could wish for.

Luke Burbank (92:29)

They're naming their chicken tenders the Best Chicken. I mean, first of all, how many people eating? Four people. They're eating four tendies each. That's 16 carry the one. There's a lot of names you gotta come up with.

Andrew Walsh (92:43)

That's really rich. That's rich. Why do you think Ann is saying that Scott is the best chicken tender a family could wish for? Because we have. Next.

Luke Burbank (92:52)

I'm wondering. Okay. My guess, it's not. This is not a funny answer, but I'm guessing it's the right answer. I think that they got some chickens.

Andrew Walsh (93:02)

You couldn't be more right. My friend Ann says, get it? We have backyard chickens. Thus, happy birthday to Scott, the best chicken tender of family. Good work. How loud that was. Sally in North Bend says, Happy 63rd birthday to Charlie. Oh, no. Charlie. My favorite 11 and second favorite old man. Which really raises the question, who's Sally's first favorite old man? Happy 63rd birthday to Charlie. My favorite 11 and second favorite old man. Let's spend the weekend enjoying some steak, jelly beans, planning vertical gardening, and contemplating the strengths and weaknesses of the Mariners lineup and starting rotation. Ooh, can I join? I love you.

Luke Burbank (93:47)

Sounds like the fantasy that you should be in.

Andrew Walsh (93:49)

I mean, okay, listen, I know that you guys have probably been in a relationship for a long time. You're not looking to shake things up that much. But I'm just saying. I like steak. I like jelly beans. I remember being very into the idea of vertical gardening when I first heard about it in the early 2000s and when was producing segments of iron.

Luke Burbank (94:09)

And yet you only like horizontal photography.

Andrew Walsh (94:11)

I know, it's weird.

Luke Burbank (94:12)

The irony.

Andrew Walsh (94:13)

That's not true. And I love contemplating the strengths and weaknesses of the Mariners lineup. Like, I'm just saying, maybe there's room for me in the relationship. Yeah. Somewhere. I don't have any. I don't have any expectations of anything beyond what we've talked about. Happy, Blurry.

Luke Burbank (94:31)

All about ground rules. That's right. It's all about ground rules and ground rule. Dogs. Bubbles. Andrew. That's right. When you enter a throuple purely for Mariners related discourse.

Andrew Walsh (94:40)

Exactly. My safe word is J.P. crawford.

Luke Burbank (94:46)

Well, that's weird because my safe word is Colt Ford. No, wait. Who's the guy that everyone thinks is

Andrew Walsh (94:51)

going to challenge J.P. well, there's Emerson.

Luke Burbank (94:55)

That's what I was thinking.

Andrew Walsh (94:55)

There's Colt Emerson and then Cole Young, who are both Cole Young.

Luke Burbank (94:59)

I think I'm thinking of Colt Emerson.

Andrew Walsh (95:00)

Colt Emerson? Yeah.

Luke Burbank (95:02)

These guys, they're in a real Kirsten Kristen situation. Yeah.

Andrew Walsh (95:05)

And especially because they're playing the same part of the infield, sort of. They can like that, that second base, shortstop area. You've got a Colt, you got a Cole. It's still unclear.

Luke Burbank (95:15)

We've also got an Emerson Hancock.

Andrew Walsh (95:18)

Sally, we're doing it. Yes. On the pitching staff. Right. Emerson Hancock.

Luke Burbank (95:21)

That's what I'm saying. You should not be able to have a team where one guy's first name is Emerson and another guy's last name is Emerson, and then have a Colt

Andrew Walsh (95:28)

and a Coal, kind of like.

Luke Burbank (95:29)

And then have Lake and Palmer in the outfield. It's just. I mean, how am I supposed to keep it straight?

Andrew Walsh (95:36)

Okay, we're getting close. We. We're getting close to the end of this list, but I don't want to rush through it. Chad says happy blurs to TBTL's official drummer and my official wife. Do we have an official drummer? Is this an unofficial drummer situation?

Luke Burbank (95:50)

I. I'm willing to.

Andrew Walsh (95:51)

You're willing to. Okay. All right, Cool. All right, here we go. Chad says Happy Blurs, a TB Tale's official drummer and my official wife, Amy. That's my wife, Minneapolis. What's left to say after more than 36 years together. Well, no way.

Luke Burbank (96:04)

A lot.

Andrew Walsh (96:05)

It turns out you're a talented actress, a sexy drummer, a hot librarian. You were nervous about hot librarian. And now in your. In our 56th year of life, a minister's wife.

Luke Burbank (96:19)

Wife.

Andrew Walsh (96:19)

Smart, funny, wiser than you give yourself credit for in creating this life with you. Keeps being a gift to me. So. Happy Blurs day to Amy from Chad.

Luke Burbank (96:30)

Look, it's. I'm into. I'm interested in a more expansive definition of the clergy, but, I mean, as a minister, should Chad be saying things like sexy drummer?

Andrew Walsh (96:43)

Well, this is the problem here. He's not. He's making me say it, Luke. And that is the problem with Blurs days.

Luke Burbank (96:49)

That's his kink.

Andrew Walsh (96:50)

That is the fundamental problem with Blurs days. He didn't say it. Those words came from my mouth because I was compelled. I have one more here. I'm not gonna restart the music for it. This is short. This is sweet. This is lovely. Linda says, happy birthday to the kindest, most thoughtful, caring, gentle and generous person. A friend to all, my daughter, Lindsay. Love ya, mom. Ooh. I instinctively went to raise the.

Luke Burbank (97:15)

The.

Andrew Walsh (97:16)

The slider here to bump up the music after that, but there's no music playing, Luke. There's a disconnect between my. Between my arm and my brain.

Luke Burbank (97:23)

It's muscle memory now. You know, you're like Venus flytrap on wkrp. You're just in there.

Andrew Walsh (97:28)

Yep.

Luke Burbank (97:28)

You got the records going. You're. You're. You're, like, moving the fader up and down the board.

Andrew Walsh (97:33)

Yeah. Of all of the people on that show, that is who I most like.

Luke Burbank (97:35)

You're rock blocking. Was he the black guy?

Andrew Walsh (97:37)

I believe so. Yes. The incredibly cool black guy. Yeah.

Luke Burbank (97:42)

I think that. Yeah, you're right. That was Venus Flytrap. I think that's the only. Maybe less Nessman. Okay. You're more or less. That's not.

Andrew Walsh (97:48)

Yeah, yeah. He's the news director. Right. And then you have the straight man who's like a. He's the program director, Andy, I believe, right now.

Luke Burbank (97:57)

But he's not the. What about the guy who then went on to be the teacher in the other sitcom? Not. Not. Not. Head of the class. Was it Head of the class?

Andrew Walsh (98:06)

I think it was head of the class because I think the other one was Drexel's class, which was Dabney Coleman. Right.

Luke Burbank (98:11)

I mean, how many Dabney Coleman references?

Andrew Walsh (98:14)

That was organic, too, man, can our

Luke Burbank (98:17)

show handle in one week.

Andrew Walsh (98:18)

Am I right about that? Drexel's class, Dabney, I think you and

Luke Burbank (98:22)

the estate of Dabney Coleman are the only two people I know who are tracking Drexel's class at all as a thing. And I do believe you mentioned it maybe six months ago, so I'm going to believe you on this.

Andrew Walsh (98:31)

I don't know much about Dabney, who was also in that 1991 episode of Columbo that we were talking about recently.

Luke Burbank (98:36)

So was Head of the Class. That was the one that was kind of a remake of basically. Welcome Back Cotter. You know, it was like a teacher and then. But the guy who was both in WKRP in Cincinnati and on the teacher

Andrew Walsh (98:47)

on Head of the Class, Howard Hessman is his name. And he is. Or was. Oh, he was. Was an American actor known for his role as, oh, Dr. Johnny Fever. Burned out disc jockey Dr. Johnny Fever, and then went on to be Charlie Moore and head of the class.

Luke Burbank (99:10)

All right, well, there you go. Well, happy birthday, Lindsay.

Andrew Walsh (99:13)

Yeah.

Luke Burbank (99:13)

Everybody else, buddy.

Andrew Walsh (99:14)

And listen for. I got something to say here. Luke, you're. Wait. Wait. Waiting tonight, right?

Luke Burbank (99:21)

I sure am.

Andrew Walsh (99:22)

Yeah. So this, I guess, doesn't apply to anyone.

Luke Burbank (99:23)

The waiting is the hardest part. No, I've said it for years.

Andrew Walsh (99:26)

What they say, that would actually be a great show title. We had one earlier, though, that you said. Right. Oh, Unk.

Luke Burbank (99:32)

Angst is also. No, you said it, but it's great. I just repeated it often. Unk, Unk.

Andrew Walsh (99:37)

But listen. So I mentioned that Australia had an unlikely win yesterday. Yesterday, right. Over the Taiwanese team and they're back at it again today and it's seven again. One of the things that appeals to me is the start time is 7:00pm West coast time. Now, I know you're not in west coast and I know you're going to have other things on your plate, so this might not apply to you. This is from mlb.com Australia is riding high after a 30 victory against Chinese Taipei. Home runs from Luke Robbie Perkins and the 2024 number one overall draft pick, Travis Bazana. By the way, a lot of the

Luke Burbank (100:18)

number one MLB draft pick.

Andrew Walsh (100:20)

Yeah, he's in the. I believe he's in the guardians system.

Luke Burbank (100:24)

So that's Australian then.

Andrew Walsh (100:26)

I guess so. He was. He was playing for him. So they were responsible for the scoring. It's put them in excellent position to advance to Miami because that's another place where people, once they get out of this round, I think it moves to Miami. It would be the second consecutive tournament to see Australia advance from the. After failing to do so in 06, 09 and 17 tournaments. So there you go. We have Australia facing off against Czechia, which is again, you'd think I'd root for Czechia because I have. Those are Czechia, the Czech Republic. Am I saying that incorrectly? Czechia?

Luke Burbank (101:01)

Oh, no. I just. This is where your Eastern European background is different than mine.

Andrew Walsh (101:05)

It's spelled C Z E C H I. A Czechia, I think is how you would say that.

Luke Burbank (101:09)

I just have never seen it written that way. That must be. Maybe if you're in Czech. That's what they're. That's probably how they're referring to it there.

Andrew Walsh (101:15)

So I think Czech Republic is used but in a more formal governmental sense I could be wrong about that. But anyway, you'd think that I would be a Czechia through and through, but now I've sort of got that. Like I was rooting for Australia yesterday.

Luke Burbank (101:26)

You got a taste of that, Perkins.

Andrew Walsh (101:28)

And now I'm. That's exactly right.

Luke Burbank (101:30)

Also there's the. The. The better that the Australian team does and becomes more part of the conversation, the greater the chances of your blue sky going viral.

Andrew Walsh (101:39)

That's exactly. That's exactly right. You know what I mean? I almost woke up this morning and seriously deleted that thing because it's like nobody. I'm so glad you have any idea what it is. But now it lives for.

Luke Burbank (101:52)

I need you to pin it to the top of all of your accounts.

Andrew Walsh (101:54)

That should be my pinned tweet.

Luke Burbank (101:56)

And it could just be a slow. Just a slow build Maybe there's a long tail on that post, man.

Andrew Walsh (102:02)

Yeah, maybe. Well, maybe Robbie will do it again tonight. Let's go.

Luke Burbank (102:06)

Absolutely. Absolutely.

Andrew Walsh (102:07)

All right.

Luke Burbank (102:08)

Well, that's going to do it for today's episode. But we are going to be right back here tomorrow with more of this imaginary radio, including, and I think I can say this, a special appearance from Genevieve.

Andrew Walsh (102:18)

That's right. I'm very excited.

Luke Burbank (102:20)

We're all looking forward to like a long overdue dose of sanity on the program when Genevieve shows up.

Andrew Walsh (102:26)

Let's we're calling it a pre trial interview with Genevieve who is heading to court soon.

Luke Burbank (102:32)

Yes, exactly. So tune in for that. In the meantime, thanks for listening, folks, everybody. Again, have a great blurs day week. Enjoy the rest of your Thursday and please remember, no mountain too tall.

Andrew Walsh (102:42)

And good luck to all. Power out.