“I ESCAPED DARK TIMES”

Summary

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Therapy Gecko – “I ESCAPED DARK TIMES”

Host: Lyle (Therapy Gecko)
Guests: Zachary, AJ
Date: February 4, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this heartfelt and candid episode of Therapy Gecko, Lyle (the gecko therapist) takes calls from two listeners—Zachary and AJ—each navigating major life transitions. Zachary shares his harrowing journey through addiction and family trauma, culminating in recovery, self-discovery, and optimism for the future. AJ, recently out of the military and starting over in a new city, discusses transitioning to civilian life, aspirations to become a firefighter, and the comforts found in small pleasures and supportive relationships. The conversations are filled with personal revelations, humor, camaraderie, and genuine advice—delivered in Lyle’s signature open, compassionate, and lightly absurd style.

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Call 1: Zachary – Escaping Dark Times

Timestamps: 02:14–36:05

Zachary’s Story: Triumph Over Addiction

• Background:

  • Works at a party equipment rental company, currently cleaning resin chairs.
  • Grew up with parents addicted to meth; abusive, unstable home.
  • Early exposure to alcohol (age 12) and rapidly escalating drug use, including heavy cannabis (THC cartridges) and riskier substances in his teens.
  • “I was finishing a THC cartridge within a few hours… I could finish two a day by the time I was, like, 16.” (Zachary, 05:30)
  • Severe cognitive decline, withdrawals, and withdrawal-induced vomiting led to a desperate breaking point by senior year of high school.

• Turning Point and Recovery:

  • Suffered severe depression, considered suicide:
    • “It was either I get sober or, you know, I kick the bucket.” (Zachary, 09:00)
  • Grandparents intervened; Zachary entered rehab eight months ago.
  • Embraced leadership roles in treatment facility (running meetings, routines):
    • “They put me in leadership towards the end of my stay there… so the last two weeks, I was running all the meetings.” (Zachary, 11:09)
  • Graduated, got CDL with boss's support, now lives with supportive roommate and works a stable job.
  • “Now, at the point I am in my life, it’s probably the most fulfilling I’ve ever had it be.” (Zachary, 11:55)

Family & Community

• Relationship with Grandparents:
  • Grandparents played a crucial support role, especially after mother’s abandonment.
  • Father is a “functioning alcoholic,” but Zachary sees his recovery as his own responsibility:
    • “That’s really what it takes to get sober. You gotta really want it, man.” (Zachary, 14:47)
• Support System:
  • Close friends Jamie (roommate, coworker) and Leonard (gym buddy).
  • Regular fitness, powerlifting, healthy eating.
  • Attends Recovery Cafe meetings weekly for sobriety maintenance.

Finding Fulfillment & Looking Forward

• New Lifestyle & Aspirations:
  • Laser-focused on health and fitness:
    • “Cleanest I’ve ever eaten… I’m actually very proud of myself.” (Zachary, 17:37)
  • Ambitions: possibly becoming a firefighter after fulfilling work commitments, building a retro video game collection, and eventually starting a family.
• Favorite Pastimes:
  • Retro gaming collection with roommate (notably PlayStation 1’s Silent Hill and an aspiration to expand a Nintendo collection).
  • “Dude, forget about all the rehab and drug stuff. You buried the lead. This is what I want to talk about…” (Lyle, 22:34, jokingly shifting focus to gaming)
  • Favorite games: Super Mario Galaxy 2, The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask.

Reflections & Wisdom

• Overcoming Family Trauma:
  • “It’s scary where a lot of people can just go wrong and things can kind of get disastrous. I am very grateful for the life I have today.” (Zachary, 27:54)
• Agency vs. Determinism:
  • Lyle ponders the influence of family and environment, respecting Zachary’s strength to forge his own path:
    • “I commend you for making your own path in life. I think you’re doing great.” (Lyle, 29:24)
• Advice:
  • “Don’t drink and drive. Don’t get high and drive. It’s not worth it. It’s never worth it.” (Zachary, 34:18)
• Notable Moment:
  • Zachary describes his most valuable gaming collectible:Silent Hill figurine: “I have a figure of this super sexy nurse that’s, like, covered in blood and it says ‘Welcome to Silent Hill’ behind it.” (35:06)

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Call 2: AJ – After the Military, a New Life

Timestamps: 39:53–62:09

AJ’s Story: From Airman to Firefighter

• Military Background:
  • Recently discharged from U.S. Air Force (admin/medical support in Alaska).
  • Now moved to Rocky Mount, North Carolina with husband. Preparing to start Fire Academy.
• Relationship & Transition:
  • Met husband in Alaska (“We met at the club, started dancing… and from that night… never stopped talking.” (A.J., 46:09))
  • Quick engagement and marriage (“Five and a half months after meeting.” (A.J., 47:00))
  • Transitioned from Air Force to civilian life, initially managing a Chick-fil-A.

Navigating Work and Purpose

• Working at Chick-fil-A:

  • Explains unique corporate culture: “They really put it on you to make sure that the quality of the food is always right and that we get in and out fast enough.” (A.J., 49:37)
  • Notes high standards, parallels with military discipline, and relatively good pay (“I talked them up to $19.50 an hour.” (A.J., 50:11))
  • Management challenges, consistency of experience ("All Chick-fil-As are good." (Lyle, 49:37))
  • Deals with customers, including “Karens,” but finds most issues manageable.

• Current Status & Aspirations:

  • Preparing for Fire Academy; aims to become a firefighter.
  • Receiving disability benefits from the military ("I just got 100% disability, so I get paid. Like, I don't have to work again if I don't want to, but I want to be a firefighter." (A.J., 59:17))
  • Emphasizes the value of finding pleasure in simple things and enjoying life.

Philosophy & Advice

• On Change and Happiness:
  • “Doesn’t take a whole lot for me to have fun… to be happy.” (A.J., 61:04)
• Birthday Reflection:
  • Celebrates birthday with tequila, dinner, and acceptance: “I went out to dinner, and then I came home and went to sleep… it was cool.” (A.J., 61:23)
• Closing Wisdom:
  • “You can do anything you want if you want to do it.” (A.J., 61:57)

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Notable Quotes

“Instead of just, like, getting high, it’s getting yourself normal, you know, just to be able to function… it’s a scary place to be.”
—Zachary (08:41)

“Now, at the point I am in my life, it’s probably the most fulfilling I’ve ever had it be.”
—Zachary (11:55)

“I could tell you some stories that... I grew up. My parents were... My mom had some mental health issues... I did a good part of raising my little brother. He’s seven years younger than me, so I matured a lot in that.”
—Zachary (12:38)

“Dude, forget about all the rehab and drug stuff. You buried the lead. This is what I want to talk about… retro games.”
—Lyle (22:34, joking about priorities)

“It’s not easy. But if you do it long enough, even if you just pretend to do it for a little bit, eventually it gets easier and things just start falling into the place that they should.”
—Zachary (30:46)

“I don’t see you having any problems with dating, man. Regardless of the tragic circumstances under which it was forged, you have a very mature demeanor… and you’re getting ripped.”
—Lyle (32:32)

“They put it on you to make sure that the quality of the food is always right and that we get in and out fast enough.”
—A.J. (49:37, on Chick-fil-A)

“You can do anything you want if you want to do it.”
—A.J. (61:57)

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Memorable Moments & Interactions

• Retro Gaming Deep Dive:
  • Lyle and Zachary bond over their favorite classic video games, with playful debate over Nintendo vs. PlayStation and stories about cherished collectibles. (22:32–26:50)
• Back-to-Back Firefighter Aspirations:
  • Coincidentally, both callers are on paths related to firefighting—one finishing recovery with that as a goal, the other actually entering Fire Academy. (42:13, 59:17)
• Coping with Trauma through Community:
  • Both callers exemplify the importance of community support—whether it’s grandparents, friends, recovery groups, or a spouse—in overcoming trauma, addiction, and big life changes.
• Lyle’s Philosophical Tangents:
  • Offers reflections on agency versus determinism and emphasizes everyone’s power to shape their lives.
• Comic Relief:
  • Jokes about “burying the lead” with the retro gaming collection, Chick-fil-A’s mysterious uniform greatness, and hypothetical “horse in a Chick-fil-A” scenarios.

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Key Timestamps

• Zachary’s Call Begins: 02:14

• Moment of Recovery Turning Point: 09:00

• Finishing rehab, goals ahead: 13:07–20:14

• Discussion of Retro Games: 22:29–27:06

• Lyle’s Agency/Determinism Monologue: 28:10–29:24

• Final Encouragement & Advice: 34:18

• A.J.'s Call Begins: 39:53

• Transitioning from Military: 41:45–42:13

• Chick-fil-A Management Stories: 48:17–51:43

• Preparing for the Fire Academy: 59:17

• Life Philosophy & Wrap-up: 61:00–62:09

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Tone & Style

• The episode balances sincerity, dark humor, and vulnerability.
• Lyle’s approach remains gentle, nonjudgmental, and playfully quirky—even when probing tough subjects like addiction or suicide.
• Both callers exhibit candor, growth, and a resilient sense of hope, underscored by relatable stories and small victories.
• Listeners are left with a sense of camaraderie, optimism, and practical wisdom.

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Takeaways for Listeners

• Recovery and self-improvement are possible even from profoundly dark places—with community, support, and personal determination.
• Authentic sharing of trauma and growth can inspire others to seek help—and remind everyone they’re not alone.
• Major life changes (e.g., post-military life, recovery, changing careers) are challenging but also open the door to new connections, meaning, and joy—sometimes found in the most unexpected places (retro games, Chick-fil-A, fitness, recovery meetings).
• “You can do anything you want if you want to do it.” (A.J., 61:57)

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Lyle]

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[Zachary]

how's it going Lyle?

[Lyle]

It's going good man. How are you?

[Zachary]

I'm Doing good. I'm. I'm at work right now and it's pretty slow. We're just back here cleaning party equipment.

[Lyle]

You're cleaning party equipment?

[Zachary]

Yes, I work for a rental company. I mean, we usually do. I'm usually on the equipment side, but things definitely slow down in the winter, so. Thought you were taking calls and looks like I got through. I'm pretty. I'm pretty shooken up right now, honestly.

[Lyle]

What is the party equipment that you are cleaning? Are you cleaning like a mechanical bowl? Are you cleaning a DJ boot set? What are you cleaning? Right. Are you cleaning a birthday cake? What are you cleaning?

[Zachary]

It's resin chairs that people sit on. It's. It's pretty handy, honestly. I. I like them.

[Lyle]

Do you ever just sit in the chairs? Because you can. Because they're in front of you?

[Zachary]

Yeah, all the time.

[Lyle]

Cool.

[Zachary]

I'll eat lunch on them and.

[A.J.]

Rad.

[Lyle]

That's badass. What's your name?

[Zachary]

I agree. Zachary.

[Lyle]

Zachary. Zachary. Zachary. Zachary. What brings you to call the Gecko show today, Zachary?

[Zachary]

So I've been listening for a couple years now, and in my time listening, I. I got. I struggled with addiction for a couple years. I'm a recovering drug addict and alcoholic. And I wanted to see if I can kind of share my struggles and share my story with you and ponder with you on some things and how far I've came because I kind of came from some. Some dark areas in my life as of very recently, and I went to rehab eight months ago and things have changed.

[Lyle]

I'll go ahead. I'll let you have the floor, man. It sounds like you have a particular arc you want to share.

[Zachary]

Yeah. So, I mean. Sorry, I'm headed to the break room. My boss was giving me the green light there, but. So when I was. I grew up in a kind of troubled home. Both my parents are drug addicts. Their primary drug of choice is meth. And I grew up in a pretty abusive home. And I didn't realize how much that kind of fucked with me, you know, until I got a bit older. When I was in treatment, I actually got diagnosed with ptsd, which shook me up quite a bit when I was in there because, I mean, there's definitely a stigma around that, that I thought of that. I mean, you know, I. I didn't. I didn't think of labeling myself that way. And as I. Sorry, man, I'm just a little nervous.

[Lyle]

You're doing fine, man.

[Zachary]

As I got older, I think I was 12 when I had my first drink and I got really wrapped up in the crowd with, like, skateboarding, and that exposed me to a lot of other things. Stuff started escalating, and for a while it was just alcohol and cannabis and weed actually was my primary drug of choice. I was finishing a THC cartridge within a few hours. I, I, I could finish two a day by the time I was, like, 16. And that started creating some pretty scary health issues in my life. Even at that age. Um, my time perception and, like, my thought processes started changing. It felt like it, it was pretty extreme. Like, my IQ had a significant drop after, like, some vendors.

[Lyle]

You were, you were ripping an entire cart a day?

[Zachary]

Yeah, yeah, sometimes, Sometimes two. Once I got a little.

[Lyle]

How much do you have to smoke to rip an entire cart a day?

[Zachary]

It was, I mean, I would just go until I passed out. There's a certain point I would get to where, like, I just wouldn't feel any, any more high, I guess. But it was like, it, it was pretty bad, man. I mean, I got myself. Since you're 16, I'm, I'm 19 now.

[Lyle]

Oh, you're 19 now? Well, okay, yeah, yeah. So this is when you were 16?

[Zachary]

Yeah, yeah. And then, I mean, it just kept getting worse, man. I started going to trap houses and got wrapped up in a party crowd, and I would go to raves, and so I, I started getting wrapped up in harder drugs. And I was, I, I got wrapped up selling drugs and making money that way. And I was constantly driving around drunk or high, and my dad started catching on, like, I would. I shared a room with my younger brother, and he saw me passed out all the time, you know, And I stopped showing up to school because this, this was my senior year that I'm talking about now, before I graduated. That's when it was probably at its worst. And I was just, I, I did not really care for my life anymore. I was just kind of throwing things away. And it got to a point where I brought myself, I was getting so up that every, after every bender, there was like, a very, very noticeable, like, cognitive decline. And I started getting pretty, pretty extreme withdrawal. I would wake up throwing up every morning. And there, I mean, I'd just. Horrible, dude. It was, I'd wake up myself and, like, there's that.

[A.J.]

It's.

[Zachary]

I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy, really. Like, it's, it's a really scary point to be in where instead of just, like, getting high, it's getting yourself normal, you know, just to be able to function, you gotta put some chemicals in your body. It's like, it's a scary place to be. And at a certain point, I ran out of money and I was just about to graduate. This was just in June, and I. I couldn't finish a sentence. It was just like, I. I knew at that point I wasn't going to be able to finish school. My grades were still fine. My attendance was bad, but I was able to. I had a pretty solid GPA. It was like 3.5. I just got my schoolwork in and I. I knew I was going to make it past finals. And there was some other things that were going on that were really with me and the withdrawals and everything. And I was. I was at the point where I was so fed up with myself and some other. I was dealing with at the time, along with addiction, that it was either going to be, I. I get sober or, you know, I kick the bucket. And then I. With having that thought like, that I was planning on killing myself.

[A.J.]

I was just.

[Zachary]

I. I knew I had to talk to somebody. So I'm very, very fortunate that my grandparents. I mean, my parents are not really somebody I would want to go to because they are not really. They're. They're not very functional people. Um, but I got them to send me to rehab about eight months ago. I went through. I went through treatment. And honestly, it was. It was definitely the best decision I've ever made. I made some of. I mean, there is. There's a lot of hard things that happened in there, but some of the best memories I've had were in there. I was 18 then, and they put me in leadership towards the end of my stay there. So the last two weeks, I was running all the meetings, like AANA meetings. I'd get up in the morning and do the little morning routines, get everybody ready and do the AA readings and whatnot. Yeah, I graduated rehab and got back to work. I got really lucky. My. My boss sent me to school to get a cdl, did that. Now I have a damn good job security. Now I'm living out on my own with my roommate. It's one of my best friends, Jamie. He's helped me a lot through a lot of things, too. And yeah, man, I. Now, at the point I am in my life, it's probably the most fulfilling I've ever had it be. And it's. I. I was doing kind of a quick summary. There's a lot more I can talk about, but that. I think that's kind of where I can let you put in some input if you want to Go any further into anything, my man.

[Lyle]

God Damn, dude. You're 19? Yeah, man. And so you're. You're sober now?

[A.J.]

Yeah.

[Zachary]

Yeah, eight months.

[Lyle]

Cool. Very cool. Congratulations, man. Congratulations. You're. You're a hardened.

[A.J.]

You're.

[Lyle]

You're a. You're a real hardened veteran of this crazy world we live in.

[Zachary]

Yeah, man. I could tell you some stories that.

[Lyle]

I'm sure you can.

[Zachary]

I grew up. My. My parents were. My mom had some mental health issues that I kind of had to step up while growing up. And I did a good part of raising my little brother. He's seven years younger than me, so I matured a lot in that.

[Lyle]

Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah, I mean, I got a lot of things. So you got a cdl. Can you say what that stands for?

[Zachary]

A commercial driver's license. So I got a class B, so I drive a rollback truck.

[A.J.]

I. It's.

[Zachary]

It's kind of like a tow. I think it is a tow truck, but I deliver excavation equipment like for construction excavators, telehandlers, forklifts, etc. It's a fun job. I actually, I really enjoy it in the future. I have aspirations of becoming a firefighter eventually, but I gotta. I gotta fulfill three years here. They paid for my school and everything, so.

[Lyle]

And what's your relationship like with your grandparents?

[A.J.]

Very good.

[Zachary]

Especially since I got sober before I went to treatment. They. I mean, they knew I was struggling. I think they thought it was more mental health stuff along with other things because they knew how crazy my mom was. They. She's done a number on up a lot of my family's lives, and she abandoned me and my brother when we were a lot younger. So we. I got closer to them then. And so towards the end of my reign in addiction, they saw me more and more up. And I think that I. They. My. My dad, when he was 14, he started using meth. So they've been through it before, but I think they're kind of wanting. I was still living with my dad at the time. They were still wanting my dad to kind of be able to handle things or let him do things because he's sober off of meth now. He's an alcoholic, but functioning. So they. They trusted him to do what he wanted to do with it. They wanted to allow him to keep his boundaries and let him parent me. But he just kind of. I mean, I was. I was out of control. So eventually I had to. I mean, that's really what it takes to get sober. You got to really want it man. No matter what anybody tells you, it's just denial and destruction.

[Lyle]

Do you have, do you have friends, acquaintances?

[Zachary]

I have, I have, I have a couple close friends, yeah.

[Lyle]

And where are they from? Like not like, like where are they from in your life?

[Zachary]

So Jamie, my roommate, I met him when I started working at the place I'm at now. I've actually been working with this rental company for coming on four years. But I mean it was when I was in high school and then when I, they, they took me back after I got back from treatment. So I've known him for about four years now. And then I have my buddy Leonard. I'm very close with him. He's. He's kind of always been by my side through a lot. I always have him to talk to.

[A.J.]

He's.

[Zachary]

I, I got close with him. I did powerlifting in high school. I've always been really into. Well, when I was in middle school I was, I was obese and I, I lost a ton of weight. I got, I mean, pretty underweight. I developed an eating disorder and then I from there eventually tried to work on it. There was a lot of struggles with that. But I got really into fitness and he's kind of the gym bro.

[Lyle]

Cool. Yeah, you need that. There's like getting. Yeah. Doing all that shit alone is just sucks compared to. I mean it's, it is what it is. I'm not gonna say it sucks, but doing all that shit with a bro is, you know, is a lead. It makes it so much better to have someone else trying to, you know, be on the same journey as you.

[Zachary]

It is, yeah. Yeah. I mean I go to, I go to meetings and stuff. I don't, I don't do AA regularly. I go to a place called. I'm not. I don't think this is gonna be doxing myself.

[A.J.]

It's.

[Zachary]

It's in Washington. It's called the Recovery Cafe. I don't know if they have, if they've expanded outside of Washington, but it's city funded area where we all just go and do our shares and it's a good community there. Do that once a week and then that's kind of the main meeting I go to for now. That's a good place for keeping in my recovery.

[Lyle]

How's, how's your sort of relationship with your health now? Because it sounds like you like kind of did a lot of flip flopping and had it, you kind of on a roller coaster vibe. How is it now?

[Zachary]

I have been locked in with, I mean I'm I'm losing, I'm losing weight right now. I got, I put on a good amount of weight when I got first got sober. I mean in the last two months I'm down 30 pounds and I've been really working on getting my lifts up and sweet. I've been, I've been eating clean. Man. That's the cleanest I've ever eaten in my life. I'm actually very proud of myself.

[Lyle]

What's a clean eating day look like for you?

[Zachary]

I kind of. I mean, I eat the same things every day. Really. I'll eat chicken and fish and Greek yogurt and rice and rice cakes. That's usually, that's usually my, my daily feed and.

[Lyle]

Do you have friends where you work?

[Zachary]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[A.J.]

I was just.

[Zachary]

I mean my co worker Caleb, I was talking to while I was trying to get on, get on with you. Great. I got a lot of good guys here. I like all of them.

[Lyle]

That's one of the most important things in life. I'm sorry to hear that things are a little crazy with your parents, but it sounds like you do have a good community of other people to interface with on a day to day basis. So I'm glad to hear that you ran through it a little bit like finishing school and whatnot. What are you. What are your aspirations for the future?

[Zachary]

I. I'd want to stay sober for the rest of my life. I mean, I'm kind of still trying to figure that out, man. I. I do the things I like to do and I kind of just let things go as I think they should. As long as I stay doing the right thing. I just try to keep myself occupied. And not just dopamine racks, if you will. Try to. I don't know, man. I. Like I said, I have. I eventually want to become firefighter one day, but that could change. I'd like to get super jacked and ripped one day, which I am in the progress of doing, in the process of doing and shit. I don't know. I mean, have a family one day.

[A.J.]

I don't know.

[Lyle]

All good stuff. All good stuff. That's a lot. That's. Honestly, that's a full plate of aspirations. Considering where you're at, that's pretty good, man. So, so you re. You not only. Correct me if I heard this wrong, but you not only attend the meetings, you help run them.

[Zachary]

I did when I was in rehab.

[A.J.]

They.

[Zachary]

I mean, when I was in there, I was kind of one of the more responsible people, if you will. There's. There's a pretty crazy, crazy jumble of guys and girls that they put in there. But when I was in there too, there was some like, fuck up they had where they were. This place I went to was for profit. It wasn't a nonprofit. I don't know if rehabs are always like that, but they weren't getting revenue for about like six months before I got in there. And they had just found that out right when I got admitted to getting in there. So they started flooding people in and it was pretty overfilled. So there's a lot of that was going on that was going under the radar that shouldn't have been happening. But that honestly made it for a pretty fun experience in some regards. Some regard it made it a little scary, which I'm sure you can understand why. But I mean, now I just, I just go and listen and talk and do that for an hour once a week and then I go home and ponder on my life.

[Lyle]

So what is home? Like? Not the location, but are you, do you live alone? Do you live with grandparents? Do you have roommates?

[Zachary]

So I have an apartment. It's a one bedroom apartment that I have with a roommate. I just live in the living room. And we actually, we just started. We have, we have a good amount of space in there and we've made it work pretty well. We got a storage container to put a bunch of shit in because it was getting kind of difficult with all the stuff that we have and what we're trying to do now. But we just started a like retro gaming collection, me and my roommate, that

[Lyle]

we're putting together out of here.

[Zachary]

Dude, forget about sick dude.

[Lyle]

Dude, forget about all the rehab and drug stuff. You buried the lead. This is what I want to talk about for the next entire duration of this podcast. No, that's fucking awesome, dude. What, what, what, what kind of retro games? Are you a Nintendo guy?

[Zachary]

So I am, I am a Nintendo guy. We don't have any, the fucking retro Nintendo consoles. The games are expensive as fuck, man. They're like all the games I want. Majora's mask is like 150. I, I mean I've spent, I spent a good money amount of money on some of these. Like I have a, we have a PlayStation 1. That's the collection I'm mainly working on right now. Probably the coolest thing I have on that. I don't know if you're, you're familiar with Silent Hill, but that, that's pretty rare. The one that I have, I bought it for, I think it was around 250. And if I were to resell it, it goes around. I could get. I could make some good money off of it. I'm never selling any of this shit, dude. It's priceless to me.

[Lyle]

Yeah. Fucking. I'm not an. I'm not a big PlayStation guy, but. So I don't know Summit Hill, but I'm a big Nintendo, dude.

[Zachary]

What's your. What's your favorite Nintendo game of all time? Out of any. Out of any era?

[Lyle]

Super Smash Brothers Melee for the Nintendo GameCube. Easy call.

[Zachary]

That makes sense from what I saw. You used to compete, right?

[Lyle]

Yeah, yeah, I still, I haven't. I haven't played in like a tournament in a long time, but I, I still, I have like a deep love for that game and that tournament community. But wait, what year were you born?

[Zachary]

2006.

[Lyle]

2006. So your first console. Well, you were born right around the time the Wii came out, and then you had. You had to develop a little bit as a human being before you could hold a thing. So what was the first video game console you played?

[Zachary]

The. The Wii. That was. That was.

[Lyle]

Yes, I had Wii Sports, Twilight Princess.

[Zachary]

All of them, dude. I mean, I was. I was really young when I played Twilight Princess, but I think my favorite favorite games on the Wii was Super Mario Galaxy 2.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Zachary]

And yeah, I gotta replay Twilight Princess. I've revisited all the big Zelda titles. All the big Mario titles. I'm a huge Zelda fan. There's. I gotta get started on a Nintendo collection, dude.

[A.J.]

That's.

[Zachary]

It's just expensive.

[Lyle]

Yeah, yeah, Nintendo is. Is expensive. I've been ripping it on the Switch. They re. I don't know if this is interesting to anyone at all, but I'm still going to talk about it. They re released Mario Galaxy 1 and 2 on the Switch, so I've just been ripping them on the subway. It's so awesome. Yeah, dude. I like. I don't know. I don't know if I've talked about this before, but like, I'm at a point in life right now where. Fuck, man. I like the whole thing of like, discovering your inner. Like not discovering like, like being in contact with your inner child. Dude, all the shit in the universe. I mean, I like life. I'm actually feeling like, pretty good in general. May have problems like everyone else does, but like, I'm not, you know, in some crazy existential depression modes that I've been in in the past. Life's pretty good, but still, good for you, man. But still, I Have a thing where just. When I see Mario, I'm just like. I feel so safe. I just feel so safe. When I look at his face, he's just. It's just the most pure. I remember being like. It just brings me back to being a kid. And you don't. You don't know all the crazy things, you know, And I'm happy to. I don't. You don't want to stay that way. You think it's good to know all the crazy things, but you just. When Mario's around and you're jumping through colorful lands, I'm just like, fuck, man. This is. Forget about anything else, you know what I mean?

[A.J.]

For real, dude.

[Zachary]

He's a beautiful man.

[Lyle]

He's a beautiful man. He's really. He's a. He's a real hero. What's your favorite video game of all time?

[Zachary]

The Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask.

[Lyle]

I never played the greatest game ever

[Zachary]

made, in my opinion. You have to, dude. It's incredible. Incredible game.

[Lyle]

So you have one roommate.

[Zachary]

Yes, sir.

[Lyle]

And how do you know him again?

[Zachary]

Through work.

[A.J.]

He.

[Zachary]

He. He kind of got me my job. Actually, it was through. I met him through his brother because we were friends in school, and then he. His brother told me to get him my job. I have now. And then that worked out very well because it supports my life. And I could go to the gym and eat a lot of food and live and buy video games.

[Lyle]

Cool, man. I'm glad you didn't kill yourself, man. You got a good life.

[Zachary]

I am. I thank myself every day for the path I'm on now, because it's. It's incredible, man.

[A.J.]

It's.

[Zachary]

It's scary where I have brought myself, and it's scary where a lot of people can just go wrong and things can kind of get disastrous. I. I am very grateful for the life I have today.

[Lyle]

Well, yeah, man. I mean, shit, your. Your folks being addicts, like, is. Is. That's a tough thing. It's like. It's like a handicap on life. You know who so much, dude, It's. You know what's crazy is I'm always thinking about this shit about, like. I think, dude, I'm very. This is like a whole determinism versus agency thing. It's always better. It's always better to believe in agency, right? But even agency, that you. You could go, there's a. There's like an infinite mirror thing where you're like, well, how much of agency is deterministic? Blah, blah, blah. But it is interesting how much of your life is influenced by where you are born and who you are born to, and yet people are able to make it so far in their own direction regardless of those things. I always find that very amazing because it's so impactful who you're born to and where you. Where you're born, you know?

[Zachary]

So, yeah.

[Lyle]

So I commend you for making your own path in life. I think you're doing great.

[Zachary]

Thank you. Yeah, there is. There's a lot of troubles that happen, man. I mean, my mom, she. She. I mean, my dad, I'm very grateful for him because he was still able to take care for me, care of me. But my mom growing up, she was just like a fucking villain, man. She stole my first couple of paychecks. She, like.

[A.J.]

It was very.

[Zachary]

I mean, just very abusive and growing up. And then now. Now, now ever since I got out of treatment, I have blocked her number. I mean, she's homeless now, and it's a lot harder for her to get to me. But when she still had a car and, like, was able to get to places, it was just. Dude, she was a. Everything behind her path would fall apart, man. It was hard growing up with that. And now that I'm kind of free of that and addiction, it's been able to allow myself to grow so much and to build the path where I really feel fulfilled and kind of that same thing. It's just that you were saying earlier. It's.

[A.J.]

It's.

[Zachary]

I'm happy that you are out of that, you know, depression and. What was it, how do you say? Existentialism? Ex.

[Lyle]

Something like that. Something like that.

[Zachary]

Something like that. Yeah. It's just being the best that you can be every day and showing up, man, it's. It's not easy. But if you do it for long enough, even if you just pretend to do it for a little bit, eventually it gets easier and things just start falling into the place that they should.

[Lyle]

Let me ask you this, and I just to throw it out there before we go, because I. I'm. I'm invested in your story, and I know that you're an evolving thing in process, but, you know, I'm glad you told us your whole story. Is there. Like, are you. Are you in any conflict right now moving forward that. That you want to talk through, or do you feel pretty confident about the road ahead and just where your brain is at?

[Zachary]

I mean, there's some things here and there. I. I tried. I had a little bit of trouble with dating when I first got sober. Which I don't know if that was the best idea to get into, but it seems like things are going all right right now. Like, I kind of gave up on it because I wanted to go just all. All into fitness and fully focus on that. And I did that for a while, and then this. This girl that I was talking to for a bit just hit me up recently, and I never even really had done anything with her whatsoever. But I'm planning on seeing her this weekend, so we'll see if that will happen. Cool. I mean, yeah. No, right now, in my life, everything's going as it should. I. There's no. There's nothing I could think about.

[Lyle]

I don't see you having any problems with dating, man. You got a. You have a very. You're. I mean, regardless of the tragic circumstances under which it was forged, you have a very mature demeanor.

[Zachary]

Thank you.

[Lyle]

And you know, you're getting ripped, so you'll. You'll be. You'll be fine in that department. Zachary, you said your name is.

[Zachary]

Yes, sir. You remembered it. That's. That's awesome. Good for you.

[Lyle]

Well, Zachary, this is a pleasure talking to you, man. I appreciate you sharing your story. I'm. I'm looking forward to see what you do in your life. I have a deep, deep respect for it. Deep, deep respect. I really mean this for anyone. I had this weird mo. I'll talk. I'll talk for a second. I had this. Yeah. Like I said, like, things are. I'm feeling pretty chill. I mean, not everything's perfect, but, like, the. I was just walking around today, and I was like, oh, shit. I, like, thought many times I was gonna, like, die, and I didn't die. And we're still. This life kept going. And so, you know, he's good to take a second to be like, okay, all right, this. You know, things have been worse. So I commend you. I commend you for doing all that, and I appreciate you coming on here and talking about it, giving other people some hope that they can continue to thrive

[Zachary]

for sure. Thank you for giving me the chance, man. I'm. I'm so fucking happy I got on here. I've been listening to you for many years.

[Lyle]

Is there anything else you want to say to the folks of the computer before we go?

[Zachary]

Don't drink and drive. Don't get high and drive. It's not worth it. It's never worth it. Yeah, that's it. I love you, Lyle.

[A.J.]

Thank you.

[Zachary]

Thank you for giving me this chance.

[Lyle]

Wait, real quick. What's the most valuable thing in your collection.

[A.J.]

Probably that. Probably that.

[Zachary]

Silent Hill copy. I got a figure for it. It looks so badass.

[Lyle]

Dude, you said, did you say Summit Hill?

[Zachary]

Silent Hill. It's.

[Lyle]

Oh, I thought. Oh, I know Silent Hill. I thought you said Summit Hill.

[Zachary]

No, no, it's. I, I really, I really enjoy Silent Hill.

[Lyle]

Is that, is that the p, Is that the pyramid head? Like. Wait, I'm sorry. Okay, okay, now that I know what it is. What, What? Is it a video game? Is it a figure? What did you say it was?

[Zachary]

So I got, I have a figure of this super sexy nurse that's like covered in blood and it says welcome and welcome to Silent Hill behind it. I got it from etsy. Some guy 3d printed it for me and painted it. Looks great.

[Lyle]

Nurse. I got Silent Hill blood. Is it. Wait, hold. Oh, oh, this is the sexy nurse with the crazy that looks like she has no, she has no face.

[Zachary]

Yes. Yeah, yeah. I think they're called bubble heads. I think, I think her head popped or something. I, the pyramid head, dude, he's from Silent Hill 2. It's a great game.

[Lyle]

Yeah.

[Zachary]

And then Silent Hill 1. Yeah, I don't, I don't want to give too much away if anybody hasn't played it.

[Lyle]

Well, all right, well, thank you, Zachary. Good luck to you, brother. And I appreciate you calling, man. I hope you have a good rest of the day.

[Zachary]

You too, man. You too. Thank you very much.

[Lyle]

See you, Zachary.

[Zachary]

Deuces.

[Lyle]

That guy rocks. That guy rocks good, dude. Jesus Christ, man. I, I, dude, that's crazy. That guy's 19. You could tell that all that shit aged him up like fucking 10 years, dude. Respect. Mad respect. Mad fucking respect. Also is like, is. I love, I love like, you know, younger generation getting into retro video games and shit. Like it just always keeps, that stuff is timeless. I could, I spared you guys, but I could have talked about retro video games with that guy for a full hour. Um. Shout out. Zachary. Big respect. Anyone who's ever tried to quit nicotine knows it takes more than willpower to make it stick. That's why X Program by Truth Initiative is with you from the start. Because when changes are worth making, every minute counts and you don't play around with your time. Quitting nicotine isn't easy, but can be more successful with a plan. That's where X Program comes in. It's a free quitting tool built to help you outsmart nicotine. Built on proven methods, its science backed approach can increase your odds of quitting by up to 40%. When you need support, X program is always there. You'll get 24. 7 advice via text message and community support. Whether you're thinking about quitting for the first time or are a seasoned quitter, X Program tailors a personal quit plan to meet you where you're at. Quit smarter, not harder, with X program. Visit exprogram.com to learn more and join for free when you're ready.

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[Lyle]

Hello. Hey, what's up, man? What's your name?

[A.J.]

I'm aj.

[Lyle]

Aj.

[A.J.]

I didn't think I was really gonna get on.

[Lyle]

What's up, A.J. brother? How you doing, my friends?

[A.J.]

I'm doing good. How about you, man?

[Lyle]

How am I doing? I'm doing all right. I'm in a room with no windows that I don't know if I'm allowed to be in, but that's. That just happens to you sometimes in life. Sometimes you find yourself in a room with no windows in the script that you don't know if you're allowed to be in. What room? What room are you in, A.J.

[A.J.]

i'm in. I'm actually eating right now. I'm in my dining room, I guess you would call it. The way my house is set up, it's kind of like the kitchen and the dining room is almost, like, in the same. Almost in the same spot. So, yeah, I guess my dining room.

[Lyle]

Adrian, did anything in particular? Oh, aj. Why'd I say Adrian? AJ Sorry, AJ I think. I think AJ Is the name of one of Timmy Turner's friends. Chester and A.J.

[A.J.]

yeah. Hell, yeah.

[Lyle]

Are you named after that kid?

[A.J.]

No, it's my nickname.

[Lyle]

But aj. Aj, Is there a particular thing that you wanted to call in to talk about today?

[A.J.]

You know, I just always. Because I've been. I've been watching for, like, two and a half years now, and I always thought, like, it's crazy, because I always felt like when I would call, I would actually get on. But then, like, it happened, and I'm here, and I want to talk about, like, just life, you know what I'm saying? I've been through a lot of changes recently.

[Lyle]

Well, what kind of changes?

[A.J.]

I actually just got out the military in March, and from there ended up picking up to a whole new city, and now I'm here, and now I'm just trying to figure out, like, this whole new place I've never been in before. And now I'm getting ready to be a firefighter. I'm going to fire academy.

[Lyle]

Get the out of here. The guy we just talked to, the guy we just talked to before you. It's so funny. He. He said his. His goal is to be a firefighter, and now we're talking to a. A firefighter.

[A.J.]

Well, I'm not actually a firefighter. I'm getting ready to go to fire academy.

[Lyle]

Guy. A gentleman becoming a firefighter. You're.

[Zachary]

You're.

[Lyle]

Yeah, in the Process of becoming a firefighter.

[A.J.]

Right, Cool. Yeah, that's cool.

[Lyle]

Yeah. Here. Well, let's get into a bunch of stuff. What. What branch of the military were you in?

[A.J.]

I was in the airport.

[Lyle]

Cool. What did you do?

[A.J.]

I did. Well, they call it a foray. The functional code was 4AO x1. But it's really just like I worked

[Zachary]

with insurance, I could do well.

[A.J.]

This is all medical, anything medical. So I work with insurance. And then I did like check ins at the front desk. Like if you go to the hospital and you have to check in somewhere, like any type of clinic or anything like that, I'm a front desk person.

[Lyle]

So you were at. This was at a military health clinic?

[A.J.]

Yeah, I was actually up in Alaska. He came from Alaska. Anchorage, Alaska.

[Lyle]

No, wait, what's it like in Anchorage, Alaska? Dude, I'm trying to go there. I'm actually, I have. I'm doing a show there in October.

[A.J.]

Oh yeah? That's cool, man. I always wanted to catch a show like when you went on tour, but I never got around to like, it fit in the perfect timing of my schedule, you know what I mean?

[Lyle]

So what? So what's it like when you come to Vibe? Oh, where? Hold on, sorry.

[A.J.]

No, I was saying I'm up in North Carolina now, so I haven't got a chance to look at your list yet. But when you come to North Carolina, I'm gonna try to shoot that show.

[Lyle]

I'll be in Charlotte. I don't know exactly when, but I will be in Charlotte this year.

[A.J.]

Okay, cool. Yeah, man. Me and my husband, we watch you. We watch you, man. We'll be get done smoking and stuff.

[Lyle]

Oh, kick ass.

[A.J.]

Yeah.

[Lyle]

So what is the Vibe in. In Anchorage?

[A.J.]

It's cool. I grew up in the city. Like I'm from. Originally from Detroit, Michigan. But it really forces you to be an outdoors person. Like when I was there, I wasn't used to doing like snowboarding or anything like that or it's not really a whole lot that's really going on in the city. Like I'm used to like going out, like going to clubs and things like that. And it's only like a few. It's meant to like two, but it's not a lot of options. But it's more so like for outdoorsy person.

[Lyle]

Was your husband with you while you were there or were you guys long distance?

[A.J.]

Yeah, no, we met there. We met there.

[Lyle]

Oh, no shit.

[A.J.]

Yeah, we've been married for two years now and we met in Alaska.

[Lyle]

No shit. And he was he also in the military?

[A.J.]

No, no, no, no, no, no. I met him actually. He was just living there. His dad was in the military, actually. Just got out. And so they were up there living there from where his dad had just got it out, and I ended up meeting him there. We met at the club.

[Lyle]

Interesting. What? Like, what. How did that encounter go? Like, what was the initiation?

[A.J.]

We. It was mostly we just kind of, like, I was a little loose. You know, I was drinking at that point, and I assume he was, too. And we just kind of made eye contact, and then we ended up dancing together and stuff. Because I'm a big dancer, you know, when I get some tequila in my system, then I can dance a little bit. You know what I'm saying? And so we just kind of started dancing together. And from that night we met, we just kind of never stopped talking. And we hadn't actually been together for that long before we got married.

[Lyle]

How long were you together for

[Zachary]

like,

[A.J.]

five and a half months.

[Lyle]

Wow. What was it that made it so much like, oh, shit, let's just. Let's get married?

[A.J.]

So I was just leaving Texas. Like, I had just came there from Texas because I was there doing my. My tech school there. And we. It was a big thing. We talked about, like, if I had to get stationed anywhere else to go ahead and get him on, like, my orders and stuff like that. And also, it was just, like, good time. Like, we weren't. It was nothing we were really waiting on, per se. And I just always felt like he was my person, so I didn't really hesitate when he actually asked me to marry him, which I never thought I'd have. Somebody like, you know, proposed to me, but it happened, and I made a decision to say yes. At the time, there were no. It was nothing that was like, telling me to say no at that point. So I just kind of, like, you know, went with it. And we've been together ever since, so.

[Lyle]

And so what. What did you. Where did you move to? From Alaska, you said?

[A.J.]

Moved to North Carolina. I'm in this small city, North Carolina, called Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

[Lyle]

And what are you doing in North Carolina?

[A.J.]

I actually, when I got here, I was a manager at Chick Fil A. Oh, all right.

[Lyle]

The plot thickens. Dude. I just came up with 10 more questions to ask you. Because. Because being. Because being the manager at Chick Fil is not like. At least from my perspective, it is not like, you know, any old retail management job, because the Chick Fil A, I don't know how they do it, dude. I don't know how they fucking do it, but they manage to standardize the Chick Fil a experience across the nation. So you go into any, like. Because, you know, like, there's shitty Wendy's, right? And then there's good Wendy's, and there's shitty McDonald's. There's good McDonald's, but all Chick Fil A's are good. I've never been to a shitty Chick Fil A in my life. And I've been to. Why is that? Why have I never been to a shitty Chick fil a? How do they do that?

[A.J.]

They look. So when I first started working there, they pretty much preached about quality is more so. And it's not even leaning towards more quality than anything else. It's both. They lean into quality and how fast you do it. So, like, they. They really, like, put it on you. Especially for a manager, they put it on you to make sure that the quality of the food is always right and that we get in and out fast enough. Because I bet you've never been at a Chick Fil a for long either.

[Lyle]

No, I don't know how they do it. Do. Do. Let me. Here's the real question is, like, do they pay well? Like, how do they get people to give a. Because. Because, like, I don't know.

[Zachary]

Okay.

[Lyle]

Because, like, you know, you go into a Wendy's and it's like, this person doesn't give a about anything. But then it's also like, well, why the hell would they, you know?

[Zachary]

Huh? I mean.

[Lyle]

Yeah. What do they put in that sauce? You know,

[A.J.]

I mean, they. They pay pretty. Okay. I was making, like. Because they don't. Rocky. Because I stay in a city called Rocky Mount, and they don't really pay a whole lot here, so it's not really. A lot of. It's very cheap here. And so the pay at the Chick Fil a was more so. I think it was like, I talked them up to 1950 just because I had experience and stuff in the military, being a leader and all that jazz. But, yeah, I talked enough to 1950. I don't. I never really asked how much anybody else was getting paid, but they pay me a lot to give a, so.

[Lyle]

Pretty good. Pretty good. I love.

[A.J.]

But they also, like, It's.

[Lyle]

That's. So there's something funny to me about, like. Like, you're bringing your military experience to managing a Chick fil a because that is really what it takes.

[A.J.]

Yeah. Honestly. Because the way that it, like, runs is like a. It reminds me so much of the military like, you have to keep a clean shave. You have to, like, have your shirt tucked in if you work in the front. And it's all different types of stuff that relates to the military at Chick Fil a. Honestly.

[Lyle]

Did you encounter more civilians or people working with you? Just either one. Just lump them all in. Do you encounter more working in the military or in Chick Fil A?

[A.J.]

That's a good ass question. I say Chick Fil a. My military experience wasn't great, but I definitely met more. At Chick Fil A. Especially, like the people that they just bring in, you know what I'm saying? Like, to work. Like, they're not really the smartest people, but I don't. Like, they're. They're. They're fine, but some of them are just working dickheads.

[Lyle]

What about the. Like, I feel like there's something about Chick Fil A where, like, I. Sorry for dick riding Chick Fil A so much. It's just. Yeah, I'm just. It's not even dick riding. I'm just like, genuinely amazed. Like, it seems like it's the kind of place where like, like people at Wendy's are going up to the cashier and like, screaming at them and stuff. Do you. Do you Chick Fil a seems like you don't have a lot of angry, yelling customers. Is that wrong?

[A.J.]

No, that's not wrong. I mean, I've never really encountered a whole lot of, like, angry customers, but there are a lot of Karens that come to Chickfila.

[Lyle]

Karen's what I. Karen is what I mean. Okay, so I was wrong. Karen's what I'm referring to.

[A.J.]

Yeah, yeah. There are a lot of Karens that come through here about what is.

[Lyle]

What. What are their main. What are their main complaints? What was that? What was the nastiest Karen that you encountered?

[A.J.]

So I worked in the back. I ran the kitchen. I didn't really, like, encounter a whole lot with the guests. So there wasn't really nothing too crazy that I can really, like, pinpoint right now.

[Zachary]

But

[A.J.]

now we had somebody coming here and not even a Karen. Like we have the only. Or we work. Because I don't work there anymore. And I. And I started fire academy the day after tomorrow because it snowed here in North Carolina. So. But we're the only Chickfila. So everybody from around the city comes here, no matter who, for, like, who they are. And sometimes we get like, just people that come in and they just like, stay there just to stay there. They try to sell stuff in there and then like, they grab one of the managers from the back to be like, hey, I'm gonna need you to get out. And I've had to do that before. But they try to. Yeah, like some guy was trying to promote his car washing business, which I'm like, right on. I'm not right on that, but you can't do that in here.

[Lyle]

Did you get any, like, people making tick tocks in there and like that?

[A.J.]

Our. Unfortunately, we do sometimes on our. Whoever controls our, like, page, you know, the. Not entertainment, but promo, not promotional, but you know, whatever. Like, make videos for the. For the store and stuff like that. Yeah. So sometimes we. We do tick tocks. But I never, like, met anybody and. Or seen anybody in there do tick tocks. It's a lot of kids that tell my. Nervous. A lot of, like, babies. I always hear a baby crying at Chick Fil A.

[Lyle]

I had another Chick Fil? A thing because. Oh, yeah, because I'll see. Dude, I'll see videos like that. Like, I saw a video of a guy who brought a horse into Target, and I. I'm very conflicted about these videos because on one hand I'm like, that's so undeniably funny. To bring a horse. Funny. Some of those videos are not fun. Some of those videos are just people. Some of those videos are just people going in and making a mess and being assholes, which. And I mean, bringing the horse in there, you are making a mess and being an asshole. But. But there's. You have to really put in a lot of effort to get that horse into Target. So I'm not gonna say I respect the content necessarily, but it's. But it. The content is undeniable. I can't be like, oh, that's. You shouldn't do that, because it's just under. It's just an undeniable thing. Yeah, it's probably more work for the people working there, but it's. It's just an undeniable thing bring. You know, I get what I'm saying. Like, what do you think about that? What do you think about the horse and a target?

[A.J.]

I feel like. I don't know, man. I just. I don't really, like, look at it on the whole deeper level. Like, at least not on the deep. On the deeper level as you do.

[Lyle]

Okay.

[A.J.]

But. No, no, no, no, for real. But I just. I just kind of look at it and. I don't know. I mean, if you were.

[Lyle]

If you. If you were. Okay, I'll ask you this and. And then I'll let you go AJ if you were working in the back at the Chick Fil A, right? And someone came into the Chick Fil a with a horse, would you be pissed off or would you be like, this guy brought a. A horse into the Chick Fil a, how would you feel?

[A.J.]

I would be like, what the fuck? I mean. Cause like, who the just brings a horse in the. In the Chick Fil A? It was just.

[Zachary]

I don't know.

[A.J.]

I wouldn't do anything about it. I wouldn't be mad about it. It would be funny as hell. And I'm sure they get a lot of views for it.

[Lyle]

But dude, everyone. Everyone searched. Guy brings horse into Chick Fil a. Not Chick Fil A. Everyone's. He maybe. He maybe. He maybe has done Chick Fil A. His whole thing is bringing a horse to places he shouldn't do it.

[A.J.]

Yeah, but I don't.

[Zachary]

I don't.

[A.J.]

I don't work at Chick Fil A anymore. I just actually.

[Lyle]

I know you. I know you. I know. I know. I know you don't. I was just. If you have. Having had the experience. Where did you say you work now again?

[A.J.]

Yeah, I actually don't. So I just. This whole time I've been in North Carolina, I've been working on getting, like, my benefits from the military because I ended up getting out, like, earlier than my contract. So I've been working on getting my benefits. And I just got 100 disability, so

[Zachary]

I.

[A.J.]

I get paid. Like, I don't have to work again if I don't want to, but I want to be a firefighter.

[Lyle]

Are you going to be like a. Wait, so. Wait. Interesting. So are. And I assume are you able to still. Like, how are you able to qualify for disability but also able to be a firefighter when you become a firefighter, or are you no longer able to get the disability?

[A.J.]

No, no, no, no, no, no. And I thought about that too, but they call it like permeating totaled or something like that where they can't. They can't touch it at all.

[Zachary]

So.

[A.J.]

But it doesn't prevent you from working either. Like, sometimes they put you on. They put people on the disability where they can't. Like where they can't work or they have to get it reviewed every, like, for after a certain amount of time. But I got the good one, so I'm Good.

[Lyle]

Sweet. Sweet. A.J. i hope you are successful. I hope everyone on the podcast today is. Is. Is greatly successful in any and all fighter firefighter becoming endeavors.

[A.J.]

I appreciate that. And my birthday just passed.

[Lyle]

Oh, happy birthday. Brother.

[A.J.]

Appreciate it. It was on the 27th.

[Lyle]

What'd you do for it? Anything fun?

[A.J.]

Nothing too crazy, you know, I just kind of went out to dinner. We just went out to dinner and had some tequila.

[Lyle]

Not too bad.

[A.J.]

Nothing too crazy.

[Lyle]

Aj, Is there anything I don't.

[A.J.]

It don't take much for me to be. I'm sorry.

[Lyle]

No, you go ahead.

[A.J.]

No, I'm just saying it doesn't. It doesn't take a whole lot for me to. I'm one of those people. It doesn't take a whole lot for me to have fun. You know what I'm saying? Like, it doesn't take a whole lot for me to be happy.

[Lyle]

Did you get. Did you get up on your birthday?

[A.J.]

I did.

[Lyle]

He's saying it like it's an admission to something.

[A.J.]

I did. No idea. I did because I told myself I would stop drinking because I'm trying to, you know, be locked in for this whole process, but I ended up being blasted on my birthday, and then I went out to dinner, and then I came home and went to sleep. You know, it was cool.

[Lyle]

It is. It is pretty fun to get blasted.

[Zachary]

Hell, yeah.

[Lyle]

Aj, Is there anything else you want to say to the people at the computer before we go?

[A.J.]

You can do anything you want if you want to do it.

[Lyle]

Swag. Thank you, aj.

[A.J.]

I appreciate it. Talking to you, man.

[Lyle]

Have a good rest of your day, dude.

[A.J.]

Appreciate it, man.

[Lyle]

You too, A.J. forever. That was A.J. man, that's crazy. We got two firefighter becoming people. That's what I call someone who wants to become a firefighter, as a firefighter becoming person. Two firefighters, one podcast. I hope they both become successful, and I hope that they get to take a ride around in the truck because it looks fun and you can spray people with the hose. I don't think you can just spray whoever you want with the hose. I think you get fired if you do that. You'd be a fired firefighter. All right, sorry. Anyone who's ever tried to quit nicotine knows it takes more than willpower to make it stick. That's why X Program by Truth Initiative is with you from the start. Because when changes are worth making, every minute counts and you don't play around with your time. Quitting nicotine isn't easy, but can be more successful with a plan. That's where X Program comes in. It's a free quitting tool built to help you outsmart nicotine. Built on proven methods, its science backed approach can increase your odds of quitting by up to 40%. When you need support. X Program is always there. You'll get 24. 7 Advice via text message and community support. Whether you're thinking about quitting for the first time or are a seasoned quitter, X Program tailors a personal quit plan to meet you where you're at. Quit smarter, not harder, with X program. Visit exprogram.com to learn more and join for free when you're ready.

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[Lyle]

Hello, everyone, it's Lyle. And this is a segment that I do on the podcast. It's called Geck mail. And get this. It's when I read emails that people have wrote me to the email therapy. Gecko Mail gmail dot com. We have a lot of emails. And I'm not going to. I'm going to read a couple of them just to sue this out. As we end the program today, we're gonna read some emails. All right, this is from Tiffany. Subject line. They're turning my workplace into a casino. Hey, Geck, I hope this email finds you well and full of Taco Bell or something you enjoy. I work at a live entertainment venue full time in marketing, and I can honestly say I have my dream job. I've always wanted to work in live music entertainment. So when I got the opportunity three years ago, I was stoked and planning on staying here and climbing the ladder to be a general manager one day. My dreams all came crashing down recently when the city that this venue is in that owns the venue. Wait, the city that this venue is in and owns the venue? The city owns the venue? Hold on. Okay, whatever. The city is in and owns the venue is talking about getting rid of the music venue's entire campus and turning the complex into a casino. Okay, now I'm. I don't. I. The idea of a city owning a music venue, is that a thing? That's got to be a thing, right? Anyway, yeah, that's a thing. Hold on. Is that a thing? Am I an idiot? Are there city owned music venues? Uh, okay, yeah, there's plenty. All right. There's several of them. There's cultural institutions. Okay, I'm assuming this is like a cultural institution or something like that. They're turning the complex into a casino, which means I would no longer have this job and would potentially have to move and start over in a different music venue hours away. Which would be tough because my entire life is here. My family, my serious boyfriend who can't move with me because of his job in this small city that this music venue is in. The city has major money problems and is grasping at straws to recoup this money that was mismanaged years before. I love this city, but there are no opportunities for what I want to do here. I'm pretty torn up about it since it was announced. And although it's something out of my control, I. And not 100% done yet, I can't help but worry and feel like what I do at my job now no longer has any impact. And finding an opportunity somewhere else is going to be extremely competitive. Any advice, Tiffany? Mmm hmm. I wish I knew what city this was, but I'm just gonna assume it's like, I'm just gonna assume it's some city in, in, in Buck Ass, Wyoming or something like that. No offense. If you live in Buck Ass, Wyoming, is that a real city? No, it's not. Hmm. This is a tough one. I mean, I think first of all, as I would, I would figure out why you like this job that's going away. I'm sorry, this job is going away. Why did you like it? Why do you like working in live music and entertainment? Why do you like working at this venue? Like really, if I were Tiffany, I would like journal about the answers to those questions because rarely is there just one thing that, that tickles our fancy. And if we, and if there is just one thing in our brains that tickles our fancy, it tickles our fancy for certain reasons that could very well be applied to a different thing should this thing no longer be. Be a viable option for us. And so if you are like, well, I like being in a, working in a music venue because I like seeing a show get put together, or I like working in music because I like, I fucking like music or whatever it is. If you boil down the reasons why this job was important to you, I don't know what town you live in and I don't know what opportunities are or are or aren't there. But if you reframe why you like this job and then you ask yourself again, hey, are there any opportunities in this town that I might be able to. To, to. To do? If the answer to that is still no, then I'm like, well, okay, what's the, who's this boyfriend? What's his job? Is he so great? Who's your, your family? Are they so awesome? You know, how old are you? Are you 47? And you really are like, I'm not gonna fucking start over. I mean, you can you start over when you're 47. Who gives a shit? You can start over. You can do whatever, you can do whatever you want at any time, Tiffany. You can do whatever you want at any time. So that's my pondering of this is, see if there are any opportunities in your town, once you boil down the actual reasons why you like the job and not needing those inner kind of core desires to have such a rigid form. And then also if your family is, is that great, that you can't move. Nothing wrong with starting over. Nothing wrong at all with starting over. Life. It's good when you start over. You know, life should be. It's fun to live multiple lives, I think. Okay, this is from Crash. Subject line, porn parodies. Oh, shit. This person's email off. I don't want to. Whatever. There's, like, numbers and whatever in it, but this person's email is Crash Bandicootchi, which they spelled it differently, so you're not gonna be able to. And there's numbers and letters and symbols and shit, but Crash Bandicootee is a great email. Okay. Hey, Gak. I've been listening to your podcast since 2001, and I love the show. I'm noticing an uptick in talk about porn parodies, and I was wondering if you've seen this one. Enjoy. And there's a link. There's a link here to eporner.com. should I click on it? Fuck it. Okay, this is. What is this? Princess Leia sucks a dick and then is fucked by a spaceman. And then two brunettes have lesbian sex. Okay. Oh, holy. Wait, this one's kind of cool. Oh, shit. What the fuck? They have. Dude, Greedo is in this. Greedo is in this. And he's just like a CGI Greedo. Whoa. Does Greedo have sex? No. Greedo gets shot. Yeah, okay. Greedo got shot. So he's not having sex with anyone. Wait, this is. This is produced really well. What is this called? If. Search up Wicked Pictures porn parody. They have, like, actual CGI going on in here. Wicked Pictures, Star wars porn parody. You know what I don't get? What? Like, dude, I don't know about you guys, but, like, my, like, sex horny brain and my, like, sitting down to watch a movie brain are very different brains. I never understood what the appeal is of porn parodies, right? Like, it's like, I don't like. I guess they're supposed to be kind of funny, but, like, my sex isn't. Like, I don't know it. Like, when you're. And I'm not talking about, like, sex as a. Sex as a concept is funny, but, like, when you're really into it, it's not like, I don't feel like it's humorous. You know, it's like a very not humorous part of the brain. So why is there all these, like, sex parodies? I guess I get it if it's like, okay, you, like, people have a crush on Princess Leia or Marge Simpson or whatever, and they want to See her have sex. But a lot of these, A lot of these parodies seem like they're unnecessary. Okay, thanks for sharing that. Crash Bandicootchee. Now, Crash Bandicootee. That is a porn parody that I would watch. All right. Okay. This is from Ken. Come to the Nassau Reptile Expo. Yo, what the fuck? Hold on. Hello, Geck. My name is Kevin. We spoke a few months ago. I discovered there is a reptile expo going on in Nassau county on Long island, not too far from New York City. And my friends and I are going to go hang out with reptile enthusiasts. I love reptiles, but I can't afford to own one since I'm still in school. So I'm getting a fix from this. I'm getting my fix from this. You should totally pull up. It seems like a cool vibe. Tickets are 16 bucks. That's. Honestly, $16 is a great value ticket for anything and you can get them here. Oh, crap. All right. It's this weekend. The Nassau Reptile Expo. I'm gonna be totally honest. I don't think I'm gonna go all the way to Nassau to attend this. It would be kind of cute to do a video. It would be cute to do a video there. It would be cute to do a reptile. You know what it is, is it would be cute to do a video at a reptile expo. And I also, just as a human being, would enjoy going to a reptile expo. It sounds fun, but such so little of my gecko existence is like actually about geckos. It's all the way in Nassau on a Saturday. I don't want to. I don't know, actually. I mean, the days of the week, I guess. Who gives a. Hosted by Uncle Tony's Reptile show. Let me read the schedule. What's on the schedule? Okay, wait a minute. Wait, wait. Okay, there's another. Okay, there's another NASA Reptile Expo. They do it three times a year. Okay, I'll go to the next one. June 13, 2026. I'll try to go to that one. There's no frequently asked questions. Let's see. What the heck is a reptile Expo? A reptile expo is a one stop experience for anyone with an interest in reptiles, amphibians, plants or invertebrates. It's an exciting experience for families and seasoned reptile hobbyists alike. Dude, this is the kind of shit where I wish I had a kid because I was like, like I would take. I would take like a five year old to the NASA Reptile Expo. That's. That sounds pretty awesome. Or I'd go myself, I don't know. Anyway, thanks for sharing that Ken. I appreciate you. I appreciate all of you guys. Thanks for listening to this podcast. Thanks for. Thanks for being a friend. Thanks for listening to the show. My name is Lyle. I dress. I dress up as a gecko and I talk to people on the phone about life and I make documentaries. I'm working on the the Ukraine one. I think it should be done hopefully in the next month or so. We shall see. I'm going on tour soon. Therapygeckotourmail.com Some of the dates have tickets available right now. Some I don't have the ticket links for just yet but you can RSVP and I will text you when I do and I'll never text you ever again. I just for that one thing, I will not spam you or annoy you. I don't do that. So yeah, go to therapygeckotour.com Eat a piece of salmon, Try not to kill yourself. Play a game on your phone, watch a YouTube video, drink a Diet Coke and live your life. Try your best. Everything's gonna be fine. Probably for someone at least. Geck Bless you guys. Have a good day. Until next time. We all need a little help. Sometimes when doing something as tough as quitting nicotine, it can make all the difference. That's why having real support matters. Get a leg up on your quit journey with help from X program, a free 24. 7 tool for quitting nicotine. Join millions of other members, its confidential 24. 7 support community. You'll also get expert advice, text support and a personalized quit plan, all for free. Visit exprogram.com to explore X program's community today. I'm U.S. transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. We all get distracted when we drive, whether it's from our phones or kids

[Zachary]

in the backseat bickering. But how we handle these distractions can

[Lyle]

be a matter of fact life or death. Before you get on the road for your next road trip, please put your phones on silent and take a mental note to focus on driving. Paid for by nhtsa. We all have different styles.

[Zachary]

I may be into Levi's and you

[A.J.]

may be into Fendi or Miu Miu.

[Lyle]

But we all should be into poshmark.com right?

[A.J.]

Because we can all find exactly what

[Lyle]

we want to fit our style. Poshmark has millions of new and pre lived pieces. Vintage, luxury, men's, women's, children's, everything from Carhartt to Coach.

[A.J.]

Head to poshmark.com sign up with code podcast10 and get $10 off your first purchase.

[Lyle]

This is Chelsea Handler from Dear Chelsea after the Big Game. Like most people, I kept thinking about the commercials, and there was one that stayed with me. It was from the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, and it wasn't loud or flashy. It showed a Jewish kid being targeted at and another student who chose not to ignore it. As someone who is Jewish, that moment felt very real to me. Not dramatic, just familiar. And what struck me was how clearly it showed that hate doesn't always announce itself, but the impact is still huge. If you saw the Blue Square spot during the Big Game, it's worth thinking about. And if you want to show support, sharing the Blue Square is one small way to do that.

[A.J.]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Lyle]

Guaranteed Human.