The Wayback with Ryan Sickler – Episode 110: My Brother Todd Sickler | Baltimore Junkyard Series

Main Theme & Purpose

In this episode, Ryan Sickler is joined by his brother, Todd Sickler, for a deeply nostalgic trip through their childhood and family history. Set in Baltimore at the Auto Recycling of Baltimore, the conversation weaves personal memories, playful sibling banter, and authentic reflections on family, growing up working-class, and overcoming difficult moments. This highly requested “brothers” episode is filled with laughter, vivid storytelling, inside jokes, and heartfelt moments—especially as Todd recovers from major heart surgery.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Todd’s Health and Recovery

• Todd’s Triple Bypass Surgery
  • The episode opens with Ryan checking in on Todd’s recovery just six weeks after his surgery.
  • Todd: “Six weeks out from having my chest cracked open and new plumbing and doing rehab now.” (04:47)
  • They discuss expected recovery milestones, low energy, and upcoming improvements from rehab.

Early Family Memories & Houston Years

• Todd’s Birth and Early Childhood

  • Ryan shares memories of Todd’s birth and the emotional reaction of their grandmother and family dog. (05:09)

• Move to Houston

  • Moving due to their dad’s job transfer to Hobby Airport.
  • The family’s beloved dog, Brandy, was left behind with another family and ultimately sent to a shelter, a story with some family mythmaking and unresolved details (06:07), highlighting both childhood confusion and adult reconsideration.
  • Ryan: “You just give a good dog away. That's a good hunting dog too.” (06:32)

• Houston Anecdotes

  • Fire ant attacks, tormenting a neighborhood bull or Doberman, climbing trees to escape animals. (06:45–08:00)
  • Recycling bottles for money, enduring the Texas heat, and the excitement of rare snow days.
  • Ryan: “If the Frisbee went on the roof, it stayed there.” (08:37)
  • Collecting lizards, launching toy rockets, learning to climb trees, and a detailed physical ‘walk-through’ of their Houston home. (08:45–09:44)
  • Flooded neighborhood adventures using a boat. (09:44)

Family Dynamics, Struggles, and Grandparents

• Return from Houston and Living with Grandma DeVito

  • Moving in with Grandma DeVito as a strategy to save money during tough times.
  • Grandma DeVito paid cash for cars and houses and supported the family financially.
  • Tension between the mom and Grandma DeVito—“they hated each other”—while living under the same roof. (11:23–12:00)
  • Stories of a daycare they were ‘way too old for,’ a recurring theme of hand-me-downs and ‘getting by.’ (12:16)

• Grandma DeVito’s Quirks

  • Her diet of “peanuts, cigarettes, and a diet soda” (14:00–14:41)
  • References to her smoking indoors and the realization, later in life, of how strange and unhealthy that was.

Baltimore Adventures & Working-Class Childhood

• Iron Gate & Their House

  • Vivid descriptions of their Iron Gate home layout; the family’s creativity in making ends meet with wood-burning stoves and kerosene heaters. (15:30–16:00)
  • Ryan: “She goes, were you guys poor? I said, your grandparents were poor.” (16:32)

• Family Scandals and Peculiar Neighbors

  • Colorful accounts of their mother’s affair with a much older man, “definitely in his 70s,” and swimming in a neighbor’s pool shared with dead animals. (16:47–17:00)
  • Adventures and misadventures: bee stings (including Ryan warning them not to go under a tree with a nest) (17:05–17:25), hand-fishing crayfish in streams, and mischief with water balloon launchers at neighbors’ houses. (18:00)

• Absurd Fingernail Stories

  • A memorable Thanksgiving where a relative cut his fingernails at the dinner table, launching clippings into the food, causing disgust and laughter. (18:55–19:33)

School, TV Memories, and Sibling Relationships

• Chase Street Era

  • Playing Nerf basketball in the hallway, bunk bed drama, and sibling room shuffling as each one discovers adolescence. (19:54–20:55)
  • Ryan: “The minute I started figuring out jerking off...I was like, we’re moving into Second Avenue and I was right back with Derek.” (20:22)

• Memorable TV Shows

  • Watching “Great Space Coaster,” “Captain Chesapeake,” and “He-Man” before school (20:08)

• Ms. Vicki and Neighborhood Friendships

  • Remembering neighbor Ms. Vicki and her giant goldfish, and being introduced to the hippie side of Baltimore (20:57–21:10)
  • Stories of being the “rough kids” and gaining the trust of other parents through honesty.

• Grandma’s Accidental Exposure to Adult Content

  • Story about getting caught watching the Spice Channel and their grandmother misinterpreting the visuals ("Is that two foxes?”). (22:12)
  • Exposing her to Sam Kinison’s HBO special—the shock, then laughter. (22:30–23:10)

Father-Son Traditions

• Crabbing with Dad
  • Getting up early to go to the Y River, towing boats with an underpowered station wagon, and mishaps involving escaping crabs in hotel elevators and almost dropping coolers on kids in Ocean City. (23:36–24:51)
  • Ryan: “We towed a boat with a goddamn wood panel station wagon every time... Nobody else was towing a boat with a wagon.” (24:12)
  • Ryan shares his living will: requesting his ashes be spread in the Y River or Chesapeake Bay. (23:53)

Extended Family & Baltimore Institutions

• Colorful Relatives

  • Recollections of Janice (mom’s friend and dad’s possible romantic rival), godparents Jack and Janice, Aunt Marguerite, and their signature sayings and quirks. (25:32)
  • Aunt Marguerite’s nickname for Janice: “that Leslie Janice...that’s my godfather, I don’t care, she’s an—” (25:55)

• Friday Night Pizza at Sorrento’s

  • Ritual of Friday night trips to Sorrento’s with their dad and grandmother—memories of pinball, the owner’s bad hair plugs, Gilligan’s Island pinball, and movies next door at the Paradise. (26:22–27:16)
  • Todd: “She would give us quarters to go play...Pinball. The Gilligan's Island.” (26:43)

Grandma Stories & Family Bonds

• Infamous ‘Bathroom Story’

  • The oft-requested tale of their grandma discovering a mess on a bathroom wall, her horror, cleaning attempt, and lasting family hilarity. (27:26–28:10)
  • Ryan: “If you could get her going, it was like, all right, let’s kill this lady now. Let’s make her laugh so hard.” (28:31)

• The Strength of Sibling Bonds

  • Ryan closes with genuine gratitude for Todd’s participation post-surgery and a heartfelt “I love you.” (28:42–28:53)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Post-Surgery Recovery
  Todd: “Six weeks out from having my chest cracked open and new plumbing…” (04:47)

• On Giving Away Their Dog
  Ryan: “You just give a good dog away. That's a good hunting dog too.” (06:32)

• On Childhood Poverty
  Ryan: “She goes, were you guys poor? I said, your grandparents were poor.” (16:32)

• On Family Dysfunction
  Ryan: “There was Grandma and there was Grandma DeVito. Grandma Titsi, Grandma DeVito. Grandma DeVito loved us, but she just couldn’t stand Mom. Like she was on. She hated Mom. They hated each other.” (11:25–12:00)

• On Sibling Mischief
  Ryan: “If the Frisbee went on the roof, it stayed there.” (08:37)

• On Grandma’s Diet
  Ryan: “Her whole diet was peanuts, cigarettes, and like a diet soda.” (14:00)

• On the Spice Channel
  Ryan: “She was squinting and she goes, is that two foxes?” (22:12)

• On Crabbing with Dad
  Ryan: “We towed a boat with a goddamn wood panel station wagon... Nobody else was towing a boat with a wagon.” (24:12)

• On Grandma’s Infamous Story
  Todd: “She went down [in the bathroom] to flush and there was nothing there. She looked up on the wall and she was terrified.” (27:36)

• Heartfelt Closer
  Ryan: “Thank you for...I know you just had your chest cracked open and you got three new arteries in your ass. And I appreciate you doing this. Todd. I love you. I'm glad you're good.” (28:42)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 04:47 – Todd discusses his heart surgery recovery
• 06:32 – The fate of the family dog, Brandy
• 08:37 – Houston adventures and recycling
• 11:23 – Grandma DeVito and family financial struggles
• 16:32 – Growing up poor: wood stoves and kerosene heaters
• 17:05 – Swarm of bee stings incident
• 18:55 – Disgusting Thanksgiving fingernail story
• 19:54 – Life and bunk-bed politics on Chase Street
• 22:12 – Grandma and the accidental Spice Channel showing
• 23:36 – Crabbing with dad, Y River and chaos
• 25:55 – Aunt Marguerite and the “Leslie Janice” nickname
• 26:22 – Friday nights at Sorrento’s and Gilligan’s Island pinball
• 27:26 – The family “poop on the wall” story
• 28:42 – Sincere closing and brotherly love

Overall Tone and Takeaway

The episode blends brotherly banter and riotous anecdotes with flashes of vulnerability and warmth. Ryan and Todd’s chemistry captures not only the rough-and-tumble reality of their Baltimore upbringing but also the resilience and laughter that held their family together through hard times.

For listeners, it’s a front-row seat to a working-class coming-of-age—wild, loving, a little unrefined, and very, very funny. The authenticity and detail will resonate with anyone nostalgic for childhood chaos or who knows the healing power of a good laugh (and a strong sibling bond).