“I STOLE MY BEST FRIEND’S GF AND KIDS”

Summary

Therapy Gecko – “I STOLE MY BEST FRIEND’S GF AND KIDS”

iHeartPodcasts / Host: Lyle (The Gecko) | Feb 15, 2026
A cosmic lizard in a green suit takes phone calls from strangers about their rawest dilemmas, with wild honesty and disarming humor.

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Overview of the Episode

This episode of Therapy Gecko finds Lyle taking calls from two guests with wildly different but equally unfiltered stories. First, Zach recounts how he found himself raising his ex-best friend’s kids after rescuing their mother from abuse. Then Carleo, a 24-year-old DIY punk hosting his own house shows, talks about anger, isolation, childhood trauma, and the vital role community and music play in his life.

The episode navigates messy morality, real darkness, and the resilience people muster to move forward, all within Lyle’s uniquely surreal, empathetic, and gently comedic lens.

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Key Discussion Points & Notable Moments

Zach: "I Stole My Best Friend’s Girlfriend and Two Kids"

(Starts at 01:33)

The Backstory

• Lyle reads Zach’s text: “You said: I stole my best friend's girlfriend and two kids.” (01:59)
• Zach, 21, recounts being close friends with a man who became increasingly abusive to his girlfriend.
• Incidents escalated until cops were called to protect the girlfriend and children. Zach helped her in these moments.

Taking on a Family

• After the breakup, Zach and his friend’s ex began hanging out, which developed into a romantic relationship.
• Zach became the de facto stepdad to her two children (ages 3 and 1).
• Zach describes the impulsive nature of their new family: “It all happened really fast.” (15:18)

Navigating Guilt and Respect

• Zach admits to feeling guilt for “stealing” his friend’s family, but feels he made the right choice after witnessing the abuse:

  "The only person who loses in this situation is the one acting a fool." (05:58)

• Lyle repeatedly expresses awe and respect:

  “Dude, you really stepped the fuck up.” (06:06)

Parenting Challenges

• The younger child suffers from OI Type 5, a rare bone disease—Zach candidly shares the challenges:

  “…he's the only kid in our country with it. It's OI type 5. So he has bones that break really easy.” (05:13)

• The ex-friend sees the children rarely, as there is now a no-contact order with their mom.
• Zach’s bond with the kids is growing. The three-year-old calls him “my Zach.”

Family Support and Background

• Both Zach’s and his girlfriend’s mothers were initially skeptical about the relationship but came around.
• Zach describes a troubled family history:

  “My dad’s just an alcoholic and meth head and whatnot, so… lots of problems there. We don’t talk too much.” (12:22)
  “You're gonna be the dad your dad wasn't.” - Lyle (12:30)

• Both partners are young (20 and 21); Lyle is struck by how mature they have to be:

  “You're like a… you might as well be just a seasoned ass adult.” (04:44)

Financial and Medical Pressures

• Zach works as a drywall taper; his girlfriend is seeking remote work but can’t place the child in daycare due to his condition.
• The family’s experience with Canadian health care is frank:

  “Free health care, not good health care. … All of our good doctors … just move to America and start private businesses.” (08:11)

Reflections, Recovery, and Commitment

• Zach opens up about past drug use and a seizure he had from benzo withdrawal, now only smokes weed.
• Lyle summarizes his admiration, giving Zach the episode title, and encourages him:

  “I have so much respect for you. That's awesome.” (06:53)

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On stepping up:

  “Dude, you really stepped the fuck up.” – Lyle (06:06)

• On guilt and justification:

  “The only person who loses in this situation is the one acting a fool.” – Zach (05:58)

• On abuse:

  “On the last night that they saw each other…he, you know, like, shoved her and screaming at her, just saying nasty shit.” – Zach (03:33)

• On family legacy:

  “You're gonna be the dad your dad wasn't. That's so cool.” – Lyle (12:30)

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Carleo: The Punk, the Night Terrors, and Finding Hope

(Starts at 23:34)

Setting

• Carleo, 24, is prepping for a DIY punk show at his Asheville, NC apartment. He’s not performing tonight but is active in two bands and runs a house venue, “Cystic House.”
• He is practical, candid, and self-aware; happy to talk about rocks, music, mental health, and life’s chaos.

Therapy, Communication, and Anger

• Admits he’s never been to therapy; anger issues stem from “people not understanding me or me not understanding people.”
• Feels more understood as an adult but struggled when younger.

Wrongful Arrest and Injustice

• Recounts being wrongfully arrested while trying to make sure police weren't abusing a Black man (33:03):

  “There's this guy downtown. He was getting beat the fuck up. … I try to get close to make sure these cops aren't abusing your power … then immediately puts me in handcuffs… I sat there for, like, two hours before they put me in the tank to go to the jail.”

Night Terrors & Depression

• Shares about severe night terrors, including dreams where he harms his mother (41:24):

  “A lot of the times I have night terrors where I shoot my mom in the face…”

• Nightmares intensify with depression; feels his depression is always present but fluctuates in severity.

Childhood and Racial Trauma

• Grew up biracial in rural North Carolina, in a family with a history of racism:

  “My great grandfather… was in the Klan. … My grandfather used to keep a noose in the yard.” (48:05)

• Mother was initially bigoted but grew with Carleo’s influence.

Self-Reliance and Community

• Lived out of his car multiple times; relishes independence but found it tough when holding down a job.
• Finds hope and validation through music, organizing shows, and close friendships.

Openness and Faith

• Candidly shares about near-death experiences from drugs (58:23), relationship struggles, and feelings of isolation.
• Despite hardships, maintains optimism:

  “I still think there's a chance for me.” (46:35)

Building Something: Music & DIY Venue

• Plays guitar in bands; describes the sound as “Post Prague punk…old school, like, 80s hardcore riffs, but kind of proggy.” (54:11)
• His house venue “Cystic House” hosts shows for the community and supports local food pantry efforts post-hurricane.
• Encourages others to follow their DIY dreams:

  "I'm throwing a show in my living room. You can throw a show... If you want to do it, just do it." (71:53)

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On being misunderstood:

  “I'm not very good at turning the thoughts in my brain into words that come out of my mouth.” – Carleo (32:00)

• On optimism:

  “I still think there's a chance for me.” – Carleo (46:35)

• On depression:

  “Depression for me is just, like, it's always going to be there no matter what. It's just, like, how intense, or... how much I can, like, kind of ignore it.” – Carleo (43:52)

• On building community:

  “Just do it. I'm throwing a show in my living room. You can throw a show. … If you want to do it, just do it.” – Carleo (71:53)

• Lyle’s admiration:

  “You give me hope for humanity.” – Lyle (63:54)

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Key Segments & Timestamps

• 01:33 – Zach’s call: Stealing the best friend’s girlfriend and kids.
• 03:33 – Zach details the abuse.
• 05:13 – The child’s rare bone disease.
• 06:06 – Lyle’s awe and encouragement.
• 12:22 – Zach’s family struggles.
• 23:34 – Carleo’s call: music, anger, house shows.
• 33:03 – Wrongful arrest story.
• 41:24 – Night terrors and mental health darkness.
• 48:05 – Family history of racism.
• 54:11 – Describing his band’s music.
• 58:23 – Near-fatal fentanyl experience.
• 63:54 – Lyle expresses his respect.
• 71:53 – Carleo’s closing encouragement to others.

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Episode’s Tone & Takeaway

Lyle’s unique tone—equal parts wry humor and sincere empathy—draws out these deeply personal stories with both humility and absurdity.

He offers validation without judgment:

“Everyone’s a little fucked up.” (46:16)

The calls oscillate between dark honesty and moments of hope, reminding listeners that life’s hardships can create unexpected sources of resilience, family, and fulfillment.

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Further Listening / Follow-up

• Slug Hole AVL (Carleo’s band): Find them on Instagram for future music releases.
• Cystic House (Asheville DIY venue): For show info and community efforts.

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Final Thoughts (Lyle, 66:46):

“I don’t know why I’ve kept you on the phone for 43 minutes… I’ve enjoyed getting to know you… You had a weird childhood, but you have faith. I think that’s exciting… You’re depressed, but you know it’s not—you don’t seem like you’re, like, living life in despair. I find that exciting."

This is Therapy Gecko at its best—affirming, odd, and deeply human.

Transcript

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[Carleo]

Hello.

[Host Lyle]

Hi. What's your name?

[Zach]

Zach. How's it going?

[Host Lyle]

It's going good, man. It's going fine. It's going. Dude, dude, man, you know, I don't know. I'm. I don't feel. Who cares? Zach?

[Zach]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Zach, you texted me and you said I stole my best friend's girlfriend and two kids.

[Carleo]

Yeah.

[Zach]

Yeah, that happened. So I. I was friends with this guy for a very long time and he was. I knew he was kind of an to his girlfriend or whatever, but I don't know. I've known him for a long time.

[Carleo]

I try to move past it, but.

[Zach]

He didn't really work out. And then one time I was at their house and. And things got a little crazy and I had to get him out of the house. And then that happened another time so they broke up and she was lonely.

[Carleo]

With the two kids, so we started.

[Zach]

Hanging out as friends and then, you know, that escalated and now I am with her and stepdad to the two kids.

[Host Lyle]

How's. How's that going?

[Zach]

Well, you know, it's it's pretty fun. I'm 21, so it's a little crazy, but.

[Host Lyle]

Whoa.

[Zach]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

How old is your. What? Okay, so what happened to your boy? I guess he's not your boy anymore.

[Zach]

No. Well, I mean, I can't hang out with someone acting like that, you know what I mean? And it was weird for a while because, like, he was pretty volatile. Things were pretty crazy just between the two of them. And so we didn't really want to tell him for a while. But then, you know, one of them's three and she sees him pretty often and she sees me all the time, so we knew that she would up saying something. So we have to get ahead of that.

[Host Lyle]

So what is this guy's deal? What was he doing? Was he like. Was he like yelling at her? Was he hurting her?

[Zach]

Well, the night. The night. So he. On the last night that they saw each other in person, I was also there and he, you know, like shoved her and screaming at her, just saying nasty.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah, yeah. Jesus.

[Zach]

And so the cops ended up getting called that night because I got him out of the house and then he proceeded to try and break back into the house, man.

[Carleo]

And.

[Zach]

Yeah, so that was. That was that. And then what? We ended up telling him and I expected like, violent, but he took it surprisingly well and, you know, things have been smooth since then.

[Host Lyle]

Wait, things have been smooth?

[Zach]

Yeah, for the most part, you know, we don't talk anymore, but.

[Host Lyle]

But he. Okay, so you guys don't talk anymore, but he's not like. Things are smooth in the sense that, like, he's not like sending you guys fucking, like.

[Zach]

Yeah, exactly. I thought there was a good chance he would try and like, set her house on fire or something.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. So he left you alone?

[Zach]

Yeah, yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Damn, bro, that's crazy.

[Zach]

Yeah, that's a lot.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. Wow. Holy shit. Okay, how old is she?

[Zach]

Like my girlfriend? Yeah, she's 20 and I'm 21.

[Host Lyle]

Damn. How old are your kids?

[Zach]

Three and one.

[Host Lyle]

Wow, man. Whoa, man. How do you feel, dude? What's. How do you feel?

[Zach]

Ah, you know, it's a lot. I mean, at first I felt like kind of a bad person, I'm not gonna lie. But I feel like I've justified it to myself enough at this point. Sorry.

[Host Lyle]

No, you go ahead, go ahead.

[Zach]

The craziest part, honestly, about the two kids is the. The one year old has a. A bone disease. And I guess he's the only kid in our country with it. It's OI type 5. So he has bones that break really Easy.

[Carleo]

So that's also a lot.

[Host Lyle]

Why do you feel like. Why do you feel guilty? Why do you feel like a bad part? You. You struck up as a real good person.

[Zach]

Yeah, I felt guilty at first because we had been friends for so long. And then like, I knew he cared for this girl, but I. For a long time I liked her as well. But I try to get over it because, you know, friend's girlfriend. But then after seeing him like act like that towards her, it was like, all right, well, the only person who loses in this situation is the one acting a fool, so.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. Damn, dude, you really stepped the. You really, you. Dude, he really stepped the up.

[Zach]

Yeah, I'm doing my best.

[Host Lyle]

You taking care of that kid with the bone dis. You're stepping the up, man. Jesus Christ. You're stepping the up. I. I have I. My utmost respect to you, my friend.

[Zach]

Well, I appreciate that.

[Host Lyle]

And so he. Does he ever see the, like, what, so he's just gone? He never tried. He doesn't even try to get custody of the kids?

[Zach]

Well, he's got a no contact order with their mom, so the only way he really gets to see them is when Jacqueline, my girlfriend, her mom, will bring them to his house. And so he sees them every now and then. He doesn't make too much of an effort to be honest though.

[Host Lyle]

And so you're in. These are your kids now?

[Carleo]

Yes, 100%.

[Host Lyle]

Dan. Dude, I have so much respect for you. That's awesome. Okay. So do they call you dad?

[Zach]

No, not yet. It's only been a couple months. Mila, the three year old, she calls me my Zach, so.

[Carleo]

That's cute.

[Zach]

And then Theo, he's one, he doesn't talk quite yet.

[Carleo]

So.

[Host Lyle]

What do you do for a living?

[Zach]

I'm a taper. Drywall.

[Host Lyle]

Cool. What city are you in?

[Carleo]

Calgary.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, you're in Canada?

[Carleo]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Cool. Does your wife, girlfriend work?

[Zach]

No, she's looking for an at home job right now though, because with the bone situation, he's not actually able to go to daycare.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. Do I. Does he need like extra medical care and all that for all that stuff?

[Carleo]

Oh, yeah.

[Zach]

Every six months he has to go and get IV treatment and they do lots of blood work on him and stuff, but because of his age, it's actually really difficult. One year olds aren't big fans of getting poked with needles and whatnot. And our healthcare here isn't great. We don't have the best doctors in nurses.

[Host Lyle]

Wait, I thought you guys were known for like.

[Zach]

No, we got free health Care, not good health care is free, but then kind of actually makes. Makes it a little shitty because our. All of our good doctors that are actually like well trained and can make a lot of money, they just move to America and start private businesses.

[Host Lyle]

Damn. All right, well, I guess at least it's free.

[Carleo]

Yeah, exactly.

[Zach]

We're paying for a shitty service outside.

[Host Lyle]

So what's up with the family? What's up with your. Are your parents involved in any of this? Are her parents involved in all of this?

[Zach]

Well, her mom is. At first she thought it was a little crazy, but she's. She's more comfortable about it now. We spend a lot of time at her house with her mom, so she's cool with it. My mom at first too was like, what the are you talking about? I thought I was being.

[Carleo]

But.

[Zach]

Yeah, now, now she's met Jacqueline and hung out with her a bit more. She likes her a lot and she likes the kids. So everybody's kind of. At first they just thought I was making a silly decision, putting myself in a bad spot. But yeah, more now I think.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. How's your relationship with this woman? Like, are you guys really tight? Do you guys have a good partnership?

[Zach]

Oh, yeah, no, we're great together.

[Host Lyle]

I think that's great. That's great. And you like the kids?

[Zach]

Very happy, the kids here? Oh, I love the kids. Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Damn.

[Carleo]

Absolutely.

[Host Lyle]

Fuck. I'm truly oozing with respect for you because it's crazy, man. Cuz you're 21.

[Zach]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

You're 21. You're like a. You might as well be like just a seasoned ass adult.

[Zach]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

What do you eat all day? What do you eat?

[Zach]

Actually, I'm trying to fix my dad for. For a couple like last year or two. Now I kind of don't eat during the day and then I'll just kind.

[Carleo]

Of feast at night.

[Zach]

But I've been trying to fix that because I a bigger guy and I lost a bunch of weight and then I've kind of plateaued and I've been doing some research. Research. And I think that's probably the problem. Not eating all day and feasting too much at night now, you know, at work I tried. I don't bring full lunches or nothing because I got stomach problems and whatnot. But I'll eat peanuts and things for protein throughout the day. Hard boiled eggs and stuff, so.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, actually, okay, I got a question about this. So, okay, so you were homies with these kids dad. Right. And is he so. And he's just gone. You don't talk to him. He sometimes sees the kids, but he don't. He don't really make an effort. Yeah. Were you guys in a group of friends?

[Zach]

Well, so me and him knew each other in high school, and then he met my now girlfriend and they started dating.

[Carleo]

And that's how I met her.

[Zach]

Was through him. And so, yeah, we would spend a lot of time with her and whatnot.

[Host Lyle]

I guess I mean this to say, like, was there any, like, besides your girlfriend, was there anyone else in the gang who was like. Like, it's like in the rift. Is there any. Was there anyone else in the gang who, like.

[Zach]

No, not really. With kind of just the three of us.

[Host Lyle]

Do you have a lot of friends?

[Zach]

No. No, I got. Now it was three, now it's two, and one lives in another city.

[Host Lyle]

Who's the. Who's the one that lives in another city?

[Zach]

It's my friend. He's just my friend. No, I moved to Vancouver.

[Host Lyle]

Okay. So you're. You're. You're. You said your mom thought you were. You were crazy.

[Carleo]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

And. But she's come around to it.

[Zach]

Yeah, she thought. At first she was just like.

[Carleo]

Well, like, have you thought this through?

[Zach]

Like, she. I think she thought I was being like. Just thought I was doing this for sex with Jack, to be honest. And then so I, like, explained to her, like, no, like, I love her and the two kids very much, and I'm willing to do it and whatnot, man.

[Host Lyle]

Do you have a good relationship with your parents?

[Zach]

With my mom, yeah.

[Host Lyle]

What's up with your dad? I mean, you don't have to talk about. You want to.

[Zach]

No, it's all good.

[Carleo]

He.

[Zach]

He's just an alcoholic and a meth head and whatnot, so. Lots of problems there. I don't think he's on drugs anymore, but we don't. We don't talk too much.

[Host Lyle]

Damn, you're so cool, man. You're gonna be the dad. Your dad wasn't. That's so cool.

[Zach]

Yeah, working on it, I think.

[Host Lyle]

That's so cool. And how's her relationship with her parents?

[Zach]

Same thing, pretty much with her mom.

[Carleo]

They're pretty tight.

[Zach]

I mean, her and her dad don't talk too.

[Carleo]

Too much.

[Host Lyle]

All right, so one kid is one. Who. Which. Which. Which is then the. Okay, so. And then the three year old.

[Carleo]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Are they both two boys? Two girls?

[Zach]

Boy and a girl, One girl and one boy.

[Host Lyle]

Okay. Older. Older kid. A boy or girl?

[Zach]

The older one is Mila.

[Carleo]

She's a girl. She's three.

[Host Lyle]

And is she like, has her personality developed at all? Like, can she. Oh, yes.

[Zach]

She is a fucking menace.

[Host Lyle]

Really? How so?

[Zach]

Oh, yeah, she's just a terrorist. She likes to see what's she doesn't. Like, if you're having a nap on the couch around her, that pisses her off a lot.

[Carleo]

Things like that she terrorizes her little brother.

[Host Lyle]

And so they don't call you. What do they call you?

[Zach]

So Mila is the only one who can talk. So she just calls me my Zach right now. Yeah. I don't want to stress her out. What's, like, you know, trying to explain.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Zach]

And then Theo doesn't talk yet, so.

[Carleo]

We'Ll see how that goes.

[Host Lyle]

Do they ask? Oh, okay. So I guess I'll focus on the three year old. Does she ask about her dad?

[Zach]

Yeah, she likes to see her dad. Her and her dad are pretty cool.

[Carleo]

He's good with the kids when he does see them, for sure.

[Host Lyle]

Okay.

[Carleo]

Or at least with. Yeah, with Mila, They're. They're all right. Okay.

[Host Lyle]

So. So. So she. So he's good. He's. He's gonna be around.

[Zach]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

All right.

[Zach]

At least somewhat. He. He was talking recently about wanting to move, maybe to a different province.

[Carleo]

So that would kind of be nice.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. Or do you not? I. That's tough. That's tough for you because it's like, you know, like, I mean, this little girl, like, of course she wants, like, to be with her dad. You don't want to deprive her of that. That's tough. That's sad, man, for you. Because it's like, you know, she wants to be with her dad, but you also know that her dad is, like, crazy.

[Zach]

You know, it's definitely a little weird. Like, today I brought home my little ice cream treats because they're doing, like, a Valentine's party with her or whatever, and she was. Oh, my dad got me ice cream, too. And it's like.

[Carleo]

Well, that's nice.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, man. Dude. What? So this just like. This just, like, happened?

[Zach]

Yeah, like, really fast.

[Host Lyle]

And you're not, like. You just seem. You just seem so fearless.

[Zach]

Yeah. Definitely not worried about it at first.

[Carleo]

There was.

[Zach]

I was definitely pretty anxious, but having spent as much time as I have with them now, it's like. Like there's no doubt in my mind. This is what I want. So.

[Host Lyle]

Wow. That's cool. What did you want when you were, like, in high school?

[Zach]

Well, in high school, I was a little. I was just on drugs and stuff, so I. I Wasn't really thinking about the future.

[Host Lyle]

Do you still do any drugs?

[Zach]

No, I smoke weed and that's it.

[Host Lyle]

That's cool. How often do you smoke?

[Zach]

I had. I had a seizure from benzodiazepine withdrawal.

[Carleo]

So I quit dead after that.

[Host Lyle]

Really?

[Zach]

Yeah. That was probably two years ago now.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah, I. I mean I have it. Like I'll take a. I'll. I got prescribed Diaz Pam. You know what that is?

[Zach]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Host Lyle]

I'll take one now and then, you know, nothing crazy with it, but like were you, were you doing a lot of that kind of shit?

[Zach]

Yeah, I'll Plaza Ram. Because we don't have like the brand Xanax here, so we take out Plaza Ram and then sometimes you get something.

[Carleo]

That had Xanax on it, but who knows? And yeah, I was taking a lot of those every day.

[Zach]

It was like, I always kind of like in, in school and stuff. I around with drugs a little bit, but I never got like hooked on anything. And then I was staying with this girl and she had a lot of disposable money, so we just started doing a lot of drugs. It was probably like a two month period where I was doing drugs every day. Mostly Xanax, but then whatever else I could get my hands on.

[Carleo]

And then.

[Zach]

Yeah, had the seizures and realized that I was being ridiculous and quit doing that.

[Host Lyle]

And so you're just a weed guy now.

[Zach]

Yeah. Trying to work on that.

[Host Lyle]

But how often are you smoking?

[Zach]

First thing in the morning, right when I get home from work and then before bed.

[Carleo]

That's usually the. How it goes.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah, yeah, I'm. I'm in every night. Sometimes if I wake up and I'm just like the day, I'll do it in the. Yeah. Sometimes like sometimes you want to trick your like dude, sometimes you just want to trick yourself into thinking you're dreaming.

[Zach]

Yeah, exactly.

[Host Lyle]

It's like, it'll make the day go by easier.

[Zach]

Especially if you go out in public.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah.

[Zach]

A little scary, but it's fun.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. Dude, that's like the whole, the, the weed paranoia thing is like I, I love it because I'm like, you know, go into the grocery store to buy something. It's too easy. What if it was hard?

[Zach]

I did this to myself today.

[Carleo]

Like, ah.

[Zach]

I might have smoked a little too much before coming in here. These people are looking at me funny.

[Host Lyle]

What if having a normal interaction was actually very difficult for no reason? Just. Just because I wanted to up the difficulty.

[Zach]

Right.

[Host Lyle]

It's just stupid.

[Zach]

But I'm pro.

[Host Lyle]

Cool man. I don't know if I have any other questions for you.

[Zach]

All right, fair enough. Thank you very much. I've been listening to you for so long.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, God.

[Zach]

I'm really never had anything interesting enough to talk about until now.

[Host Lyle]

This. How. Okay, so how recent is this, by the way?

[Zach]

Like, Christmas time we got officially together.

[Host Lyle]

It's been two months.

[Zach]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

And you're like, I'm. And you're just in it. You're committed. I can feel that you're committed.

[Zach]

Yeah, I mean, like I said, I've liked her for. For a long time. Known her probably five years now.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah.

[Zach]

You know, almost every weekend for those five years. So once we got together, it all kind of, like, started happening pretty fast.

[Host Lyle]

Dude, I have no. I got. Oh, man, that's so cool. I have. No, no, you. You're definitely. I can tell that you're committed. I hear it in your voice.

[Carleo]

Hell, yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Give me your name one more time. That can be a fit one, Zach. Good luck to you, my brother. God, I'm rooting for you. Is there anything else you want to say to the people at the computer before we go?

[Zach]

I just want to ask, do you think I might make it on the. The podcast or.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah, of course you can make it on the podcast.

[Zach]

Yeah. I'll be listening to that at work.

[Carleo]

When it comes out.

[Host Lyle]

We'll make you the title.

[Zach]

Dude, that's exciting. Thank you so much.

[Host Lyle]

We'll make you the title. I recorded an ep. I actually. I recorded a phone call before this phone call, which was a great phone call, and I'm going to play it right after this phone call that. I was going to make that the title, but now I'm. You should still listen to that one because it's a good phone call. I'm going to play it right after this, but this will be. This will be the title.

[Carleo]

Awesome.

[Zach]

All right. Enjoy the rest of your show.

[Host Lyle]

Thank you, man. You take care. Good luck.

[Carleo]

Thank you.

[Host Lyle]

Bye, Zach.

[Zach]

Bye.

[Host Lyle]

It's true. I recorded it. Sometimes I'll record them and I'll put them in a different order. That's why I did for this episode. So this next phone call, I actually recorded before the phone call, the phone call I just took. Both good phone calls. You'll hear. You'll. You'll understand by the end of this. But this has been a very good session of phone call taking. I feel. Shout out to Zach. Zach's a fucking. What? A legend, dude. God damn. Truly, truly. The father that stepped up on deck.

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[Host Lyle]

Hello.

[Carleo]

Hello.

[Host Lyle]

What's up, man? What's your name?

[Carleo]

My name is Carleo. Carleo, Sick as.

[Host Lyle]

What's up, Carleo? How's life, man?

[Carleo]

Pretty good, man, pretty good. Just passing some time because I'm about to throw a house show tonight.

[Host Lyle]

These are on a house show tonight? Who's playing? What's the name of your band?

[Carleo]

My band's not playing. I'm hosting it in my living room.

[Host Lyle]

Okay, who.

[Carleo]

Who's playing right now? It's going to be shot with a gun. Socially constricted and. Fuck. Caledria.

[Host Lyle]

Ooh, Caledria sounds like they play very ethereal, spacey type of shit. The other guys seem like they just kind of tear the house down with, you know, yelling.

[Carleo]

Yeah, that's what I'm planning on happening.

[Host Lyle]

Cool, man. I love that. I love DIY shit. I really do. So you're just hosting?

[Carleo]

Yeah, no, this is the second show I've done, but I threw one back in December and two of my bands played.

[Host Lyle]

How come you're not in the band anymore?

[Carleo]

No, I am in the band. We're just not playing the show.

[Host Lyle]

Really?

[Carleo]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

How come you're not playing the show?

[Carleo]

Oh, one of my friends, he doesn't like to play that often, and one and my other friends are busy because it's Valentine's Day.

[Host Lyle]

Do you think that. Yes, today is. This episode will come out on Sunday. But today is Valentine's Day as I'm recording it. Do you think that a lot of the people coming to this will be single people who did not have Valentine's Day plans?

[Carleo]

No, because I invited a lot of my friends and I'm like, yo, bring your girl out to the hardcore show.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah, but is that really. Is that. Is that really a good Valentine's Day date?

[Carleo]

I mean, if you're really in the music scene and, like, you really like this kind of stuff, you like moshing and, like, just hanging out with at shows and stuff and. Yeah, I think it's a great date.

[Host Lyle]

All right. Do you have a girlfriend?

[Carleo]

Not right now.

[Host Lyle]

No, not right now. What happened with the one before?

[Carleo]

Oh, it was just like. It was a whole thing. I. I just got really weird and I was going through a rough time. Like, I went through the hurricane in Asheville, and so I had to move to Atlanta because I lost my job in my house for a bit.

[Zach]

Yeah.

[Carleo]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Okay, so you. So you. You let. You guys broke up because you had to move?

[Carleo]

Well, we moved together, but we'd only been together for like six months and so it wasn't like a great thing.

[Host Lyle]

Why did.

[Zach]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Why did moving together deteriorate the relationship?

[Carleo]

We weren't ready because, I mean, we're as much as similar as we were. We were like, still, like, not. We conflicted a lot when it came to, like, living together.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. What were the main conflicts?

[Carleo]

Mainly cleanliness or like, just not even like cleanliness, but like, just like, keeping stuff organized and like, because I'm very, like, OCD about, like, where things are supposed to go. Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Okay. As the DIY punk rocker, I am sorry because I assumed you were the type B person.

[Carleo]

No, that's funny though.

[Host Lyle]

I mean, I always. I tend to assume that in situations like these, it's the guys that are less cleanly than the girls.

[Carleo]

No, I just like. I really, really like having like a clean space like today because I have. I'm going to have a bunch of people in my house. I've just been cleaning the whole fucking day.

[Host Lyle]

How often do you host these shows?

[Carleo]

Well, this is only the second one, but I also still have a third one planned in March, so it's looking around like every. Either once or every other month.

[Host Lyle]

Are you ever afraid that people will, like, steal?

[Carleo]

I kind of am, but, like, I got pretty good hiding spots for the stuff that I actually care about.

[Host Lyle]

Tell us them. This will. This will air. It'll. It'll air tomorrow by the time the show is over.

[Carleo]

Yeah, but there's gonna be more shows.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah, so you can change them.

[Carleo]

No, no, no, no. I got.

[Host Lyle]

Give me one. Give me one of your hiding spaces.

[Carleo]

Really? Up in the back of my closet.

[Host Lyle]

I don't know.

[Carleo]

There's a bunch of. In the way.

[Host Lyle]

Okay.

[Carleo]

Yeah, there's a bunch of stuff in the way. Like you can't open the door without.

[Host Lyle]

What are you hiding there? Like your wallet, your phone? Like, what's so important?

[Carleo]

My liquor and my cool rocks.

[Host Lyle]

Your liquor and your cool rocks?

[Carleo]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Tell me about these rocks, brother.

[Carleo]

I want to tell you. I've been trying to call you for so long, man. I didn't think it was real. I thought it was your voicemail again, telling me that Alaska is not a state.

[Host Lyle]

Brother. Tell me about these rocks. What kind of rocks you got back there?

[Carleo]

I got this really, really big cluster of rocks with a bunch of milky and clear quartz. I went mine in, in central Arkansas and I found this big ass rock when I was out there, bro.

[Host Lyle]

I love it. You're a Rock guy. And a rock guy.

[Carleo]

Yeah. What can I say, man?

[Host Lyle]

Okay, so you like rocks? Are you. How old are you?

[Carleo]

I'm 24.

[Host Lyle]

24. Can I ask you a question and you can answer nothing if that's the answer, but I just want to try answer. What is wrong with you?

[Carleo]

Oh, man, there's so much. I think one of the big things is that I don't go to actual therapy.

[Host Lyle]

That's not. I don't think that that's something to inherently be wrong with you. I don't go to therapy.

[Carleo]

I really. I mean, yeah, it's more of a domino in the effect of everything that's wrong with me.

[Host Lyle]

Okay, if you did go to therapy, what would you be talking to them about?

[Carleo]

A bit to do with my anger issues for sure, because I definitely struggle with that pretty often.

[Host Lyle]

What makes you angry?

[Carleo]

When people don't understand me or there's like. Or vice versa. When I can't understand people and like, either party just keep saying, like, the same thing over and over again. It gets really frustrating.

[Host Lyle]

Okay. Do you mean, like, okay, you don't feel. Do you feel, in general to be misunderstood?

[Carleo]

Not as much as I used to. I definitely feel more understood now as an adult, but I don't know how that is in comparison to anyone else, you know?

[Host Lyle]

Do you have certain people in your life that you can think of and be like, that person understands me.

[Carleo]

Yeah, definitely.

[Host Lyle]

That's great. Do I understand you? Do you think I understand you? I don't know, man.

[Carleo]

It sounds like you got a parasocial relationship with me right now.

[Host Lyle]

Well, I don't. I've. We've only been talking. I actually. Can I try? Can I try to understand you? It's only been eight and a half minutes, so. And we've had a pretty surface level conversation, so I want to see if I can understand you. So let's do this. What aspect of you do you feel like is most commonly misunderstood?

[Carleo]

Usually it has to do with how I communicate, like, my words, because I'm not very good at turning the thoughts in my brain into words that come out of my mouth.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah, that makes perfect sense because when.

[Carleo]

I try to think, I think in very, very specific ways, I guess. And it's, like, hard because, like, the vocabulary have. Doesn't match what I think inside. You know what I mean?

[Host Lyle]

Tell me. Tell me the last time that you were really angry.

[Carleo]

Last time I was really angry when I was wrongfully arrested, like, last year.

[Host Lyle]

What were you arrested for?

[Carleo]

The charge that they tried to get me with was resisting a public officer.

[Zach]

Ooh.

[Carleo]

So what happened was there's this guy downtown. He was getting beat the up. And of course, it's some black dude by, like, five different cops. And I'm, like, trying to get close to make sure these cops aren't, like, abusing your power or nothing. And then they start, like, yelling at me to back up, and I'm, like, probably, like, 20 yards away from the guy. So, like, I'm a safe distance where I can, like, watch what's going on and still be fine. Like, I'm not impeding on anything. And they keep threatening me over and over again, so I'm like, whatever. And I try to go to my car, because at this time, I'm living in my car, and I'm trying to. Just trying to go to sleep, But a different cop sees me trying to cross the street and thinks I'm trying to get closer to the dude and then immediately puts me in handcuffs. And I'm like. And I sat there for, like, two hours before they put me in the tank to go to the jail.

[Host Lyle]

Yo. Wait, so you tried to leave and then they cuff?

[Carleo]

Yeah, exactly, because they'd get. They were getting really strict out here because there was this one bar that, like, always got crazy on the weekends. Like, sometimes there's, like, shootings every once in a while. So I understand that, like, they're, like, on edge or whatever, but they don't need to be beating people up on the streets and then arresting anyone who, like, even cares about this, bro. Like, one of the guys I got arrested with, he got punched, like, five times in the face because they were arresting the guy right beside his car, and he was just trying to get in his car.

[Host Lyle]

Where are you at? What city are you in?

[Carleo]

I live in Asheville, North Carolina.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, yeah, you mentioned Asheville, North Carolina. I've heard a lot about Asheville. I want to go there. It seems like an interesting.

[Carleo]

You should. It's pretty sick.

[Host Lyle]

Okay, let's get back on track.

[Zach]

All right.

[Host Lyle]

You were wrongfully arrested. Yeah, I. Understandably. Yeah.

[Carleo]

And I had to spend the night in jail.

[Host Lyle]

Understandably made you very upset. Did you. When you were in jail, did you, like, cuss anyone out? Did you, like, lash out at anyone?

[Carleo]

No, no, no, no. I was. Other than the guys who got beat up with me by the cops, I was mainly in there with a bunch of, like, meth addicts, and so, like, they were all, like, tweaking in there.

[Host Lyle]

Okay, so the guy who you were watching get beat up was in the.

[Carleo]

Cell he got put in the whole same holding cell? Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Did you talk to him? Were you, like, bro, what's up?

[Carleo]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

What was that conversation? What was that conversation?

[Carleo]

He was talking about, like, he found out his girls, like, cheating on him or something or some weird, like, crazy drama. And then he's like, next thing I know, there's a bunch of cops telling me to get down, so I just start running. And they tased me. He said I fell down, but he was, like, so drunk, he, like, took the off and then just started, like, running again. And, like, three more cops, like, tased him simultaneously. He was down.

[Host Lyle]

Dude. What? That's crazy.

[Carleo]

It was insane. Dude, there's some crazy that happens here.

[Host Lyle]

Okay, so wait, did you, like. Okay, did you become homies with this guy?

[Carleo]

Not really that much. I mean, we were, like, tight in, like, when we're in the holding cell, but I got out, like, pretty fast because I had some friends who bailed me out.

[Host Lyle]

Okay, well, I got a question. When you. Is that awkward when it, like, you're kind of bonding over the fact that you're both in a cell and then you get out, are you, like, all right, man?

[Carleo]

Well, no, not really. I don't think it was awkward because, like, everyone's, like, trying to get out. So, like, if anyone, you know, especially if it's someone that you, like, fuck with, it's like, I'm glad you're getting out.

[Zach]

You know?

[Host Lyle]

That's good. Are your friends bail you out and then. Fuck. We still have. Okay. That's an interesting story. I'm glad you told me that story. But I feel like I still don't know a lot about you. Actually. No, I feel like I. I do know a little bit about you based on that story. Let's see here. Okay, you're wrongfully arrested, and your friends bailed you out. The friends that bailed you out earlier, I asked you if you felt understood by anyone in your life, and you said yes. Are these friends people who you feel understand you?

[Carleo]

One of them? Yeah, because it was two of them. It's like one of my old roommates and her fiance now.

[Host Lyle]

Okay, so are they. Are. Are both of them your friend, or is one of them, like, a friend?

[Sponsor Voice]

Yeah.

[Carleo]

Yeah, no, we're still homies. But I just think that the other one doesn't fully understand you as a person, and one kind of does.

[Host Lyle]

Okay, the one who doesn't fully understand you as a person. What's going on there?

[Carleo]

I don't know. There's just a bit of difference in, like, our rules and stuff. And it's not anything that's, like, worth, like, fighting over or, like, not being friends. But there's just a few things I don't really agree with that I don't think you really understand the way of, like, thinking that I do kind of thing.

[Host Lyle]

Sure. And then the other girl. And then the girl. You. You guys?

[Carleo]

No, the opposite.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, okay. It's okay. Okay. Your roommate, she doesn't understand you. And then her fiance, you think understands you?

[Carleo]

Yeah, he's the homie we like. I've gone on, like, three vacations with these people, like, all three of us.

[Host Lyle]

That's cool. Wait, okay. Is there more people or are you just third wheeling on these. This couple's vacations?

[Carleo]

Well, kind of, yeah. But, like, that's also just like, homie, because we usually go to Florida and, like, meet up with other friends while we're out there.

[Host Lyle]

Okay, that's cool. Yeah. All right. Am I any closer to understanding you? I feel like I.

[Carleo]

We haven't really gotten into it maybe a little bit. I think. I think you understand me a little bit more.

[Zach]

For sure.

[Host Lyle]

All right. All right, let's keep going.

[Zach]

All right.

[Carleo]

What else do you want to know?

[Host Lyle]

What are you afraid of?

[Carleo]

Oh, man, I'm afraid of a lot, to be honest. I think the thing I'm the most afraid of is, like, isolation. Like, forced isolation.

[Host Lyle]

Ooh. Do you feel isolated?

[Carleo]

No. I have a pretty good community around me.

[Zach]

I have, like, a lot of good.

[Carleo]

Friends who, like, actually care about me.

[Host Lyle]

That's great. Forced isolation. What's an example of forced isolation?

[Carleo]

Imprisonment and solitary confinement.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. Have you ever been in a situation?

[Carleo]

Being lost at sea?

[Host Lyle]

Yes. Yeah. Have you ever been in a situation. What's the closest situation you've been in to forced isolation?

[Carleo]

Forest isolation, probably kind of. Recently there was a pretty good snowstorm that came through and a lot of places closed. And the day it started snowing, I lost my phone and my keys, so I couldn't go anywhere and I couldn't talk to anyone, and that kind of sucked, dude.

[Host Lyle]

Interesting. All right, so you felt isolated when your phone was gone?

[Carleo]

Well, because I. I couldn't even, like, go to, like, a bar or a restaurant to, like, see my friends or anything because, like, everything was closed, you know?

[Host Lyle]

Yeah.

[Carleo]

And I couldn't, like, meet up with people because I didn't have my phone to text them. I did hang out with my roommate and stuff, though.

[Host Lyle]

You weren't fully isolated. You hung out with some people. It's just they weren't.

[Carleo]

Yeah, but there was definitely some. Like, at night I was like.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah.

[Carleo]

It'S also cold as fuck in my apartment.

[Host Lyle]

Okay. I feel like I don't fully understand you yet. What can you tell me? Is there anything that you're willing to tell me right now, like, publicly, that you've never told anyone else?

[Carleo]

But I've never told anyone else. It's okay if I took people a lot of stuff.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. You seem like an open.

[Carleo]

But I can. I can try to think of one. Give me a sec.

[Host Lyle]

Okay.

[Carleo]

I don't know, man. I can't think of it on the spot, to be honest.

[Host Lyle]

That's all right. Well, okay. What's. What about? Something you've only told a few people.

[Zach]

Okay.

[Carleo]

This is gonna get dark for sure. I got one loaded in my mind.

[Host Lyle]

That's okay.

[Carleo]

Ready?

[Host Lyle]

Yeah.

[Carleo]

A lot of the times I have night terrors where I shoot my mom in the face and then I just, like, stare at her, like, face, like, all, like, blown out by a shotgun shell.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah, dude, what is that? Like, now? And by the way, I don't mean that, like, I'm not. Phrase. I. When I say, dude, what is that? I'm not phrasing that question to you. I'm phrasing that question to, like, intelligent design. You know what I mean? Like, whoever the made the brain, it was science. What, like, to. I asked that question to God. I'm like, what the is that? You know? Because that's not your fault. You know what I mean? That's just like.

[Zach]

No.

[Carleo]

Yeah, I mean, I just. I just, like. I've always had night terror since, like, I was a little kid. And, I mean, they're not as bad now, but, like, when I was a little kid, I'd, like, wake up screaming.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. How often do you have that dream about your mom?

[Carleo]

It usually gets worse the more depressed I am. But I haven't had that dream in, like, maybe, like, three and a half months. Maybe four.

[Host Lyle]

This reminds me. Do you know who Jack Stauber is?

[Carleo]

Yeah, I do. I do.

[Host Lyle]

He has it. He has a skit that's exactly like that dream. Well, it's not exactly, but it's similar. Do you know what I'm talking about?

[Carleo]

Which.

[Zach]

Which song are you talking about, man?

[Host Lyle]

I think it's called Library or something.

[Carleo]

I haven't listened in a while.

[Host Lyle]

Jack Stauber. Yeah, it's called Library. Yeah. If you just search Library, Jack Stauber, you're fine. Anyway, whatever, okay? The more depressed you get, the more likelier to have that night terror about shooting your mom.

[Zach]

Yeah.

[Carleo]

Or just in general have nightcares. That one, like, comes around, like, every once in a while. Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Why are you depressed? Okay. In the aggregate of the past seven days, have you been depressed?

[Carleo]

The past seven days, I've been feeling pretty good because I, like, I decided I'm not going to drink in February.

[Host Lyle]

Cool.

[Carleo]

So I've been, like, waking up early and, like, drinking a shit ton of water, so I feel pretty good.

[Host Lyle]

Cool. Okay. When was the last time you were depressed?

[Carleo]

Probably like a week ago, before I stopped drinking.

[Host Lyle]

Could you pin it to anything or was it just a general depression?

[Carleo]

Just a general kind of thing. Because it's like depression for me is just, like, it's always going to be there no matter what. It's just, like, how intense or, like, how much I can, like, kind of ignore it. Ooh.

[Host Lyle]

So you feel it? You always feel its presence?

[Carleo]

Yeah, for sure. But sometimes it's not as harmful.

[Host Lyle]

It's malignant.

[Carleo]

Sometimes it's pretty tame. Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Interesting.

[Zach]

All right.

[Carleo]

I feel like you're starting to get me on me a little bit.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah, I feel like I am, too. Okay. What's your favorite color?

[Carleo]

I really like a. Like a deep forest green.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, you're not just saying that, are you?

[Carleo]

No, I'm not. Okay.

[Host Lyle]

Because, you know I'm green, right?

[Carleo]

Well, I know you're green, but you're not deep forest green.

[Host Lyle]

What do you mean? I'm not deep force green?

[Carleo]

It's like that really dark, like, pine green.

[Host Lyle]

You're right. I'm not. I'm not a pine green. And I don't care if I'm not a pine green. I don't need to be any other green.

[Carleo]

That's okay. You're still green.

[Host Lyle]

Thanks. Thanks.

[Carleo]

Yeah, no, you don't have to, you know.

[Host Lyle]

All right. You broke up with your girlfriend. Have you. Are you. Have you ever been in love?

[Carleo]

I think I was in love with my ex, for sure.

[Host Lyle]

What made you feel like you were in love with her?

[Carleo]

Well, they didn't make me, like, have to explain things. They just kind of try to understand me a lot. And, like, no one's ever loved me like that. And I think I love them because I felt very similarly because, like, there was a lot that I just kind of understood about them or, like, things that they would hate. I'd like, for some reason would love about them. You know, like, they almost. They had their flaws, but I still love their flaws.

[Host Lyle]

Do you think you'll ever fall in love again?

[Carleo]

I hope so.

[Host Lyle]

Do you think anyone will ever love you again?

[Carleo]

Yeah, I think so. I think I'm pretty cool.

[Host Lyle]

That's good. That's all you need.

[Carleo]

Worth loving.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. That's all you need. That's all you need. Not that I don't mean that in like, a Beatles love is all you need type of shit. I mean that in the sense of, like, you know, hope is all you need. You seem like. Okay, so you're. So. You're like. Okay, so you're a little fucked up. I mean, everyone's a little fucked up.

[Carleo]

Yeah, no, I mean. Yeah, I definitely had, like, a pretty crazy, like, childhood dealing with a lot of racism and.

[Host Lyle]

But you. But you're not. So you're not up beyond.

[Carleo]

Repair.

[Host Lyle]

Repair. Because you're. Because.

[Carleo]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Optimistic. Because you have.

[Carleo]

Yeah. I still think there's a chance for me.

[Host Lyle]

Yes. You have the faith, that's all, by the way. That's. That's all you need is the faith.

[Carleo]

Yeah. It's just hard to change your ways, especially when you're so stuck in these habits, you know?

[Host Lyle]

Okay. You said you had a bad childhood. Do you want to talk about it? We don't have to, but we're kind of doing the whole thing.

[Carleo]

We can talk about it a little bit. Like, I'll give. I'll give you, like, some, like. What are they called? Like, the flash words or whatever? They're called flashcards. No, no, no, but, like, the words, you can say that, like. I don't know.

[Host Lyle]

You'll give me the spark notes?

[Carleo]

Yeah, sure. So I am.

[Host Lyle]

Wait, do you know what spark notes is?

[Carleo]

No.

[Host Lyle]

Okay. How old are you? 24.

[Carleo]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Okay. Did you. You didn't have. You remember, like, when they would tell you to read a book when you were a kid, and then instead of reading the book, you would. I mean, now with AI, nobody uses this shit anymore, but, like, instead of reading the book, you would just go on spark notes and they would, like, give you a summary of the book.

[Carleo]

No, I usually just read the book, to be honest.

[Host Lyle]

All right, tell me about your childhood.

[Carleo]

So I grew up in, like, rural North North Carolina, and my great grandfather, because I'm half Hispanic and half white, my mom. So her grandfather was in the clan.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, wow.

[Carleo]

Yeah. So that.

[Zach]

That.

[Carleo]

It's weird. Growing up when your great grandfather hated the people that you like, know and love.

[Host Lyle]

All right, so great grandfather was in the clan on your. That's on your white side.

[Carleo]

Yes.

[Host Lyle]

And then it's somewhere down the line, his. That guy's grandson. Grandson, grand granddaughter. Granddaughter marries a Hispanic man.

[Carleo]

Yeah. And.

[Host Lyle]

What were your grandparents like? Were your grandparents Clanny or just the great grandma?

[Carleo]

They were just, like, regular racist, but it was still pretty bad, I would say.

[Host Lyle]

Regular, actually.

[Carleo]

Actually, you know what? I think they were very racist. I'm just now remembering that my grandfather used to keep a noose in the yard.

[Host Lyle]

Okay. Yeah, that's what I think. That's what I meant when I said Clanny. Like, I think that. I think regular.

[Carleo]

I'm thinking about it. Yeah, no, they were. It was pretty bad.

[Host Lyle]

Okay, but is your mom racist?

[Carleo]

She was a little bit when I was a kid. But, like, I kind of helped educate my mother about what things are okay and what things are not. So she's. She's actually pretty chill now.

[Host Lyle]

That's cool. Is your dad racist?

[Carleo]

No.

[Host Lyle]

Okay. Do you have any siblings?

[Carleo]

I do. Two young.

[Host Lyle]

Are they racist?

[Carleo]

No, they're both brown.

[Host Lyle]

Do you have a dog?

[Carleo]

No, but I do have a cat named Otis.

[Host Lyle]

Is your cat racist?

[Carleo]

Sorry. He actually kind of is, you know.

[Host Lyle]

Wait, really? You really. How is your cat racist?

[Carleo]

I can just feel it, you know? He just kind of gives you this kind of vibe.

[Host Lyle]

Are you serious?

[Carleo]

He just gives racist vibes. It is funny, though. My neighbor's cat has a little Hitler stash.

[Host Lyle]

Because you can't. Because animals can be racist. You know, there's like, dogs. Oh, I know.

[Carleo]

I know dogs. Like, if you, like, bring, like, a brown person around for the first time ever, they go crazy. One of my friends. Dogs are like that.

[Host Lyle]

You said you. How many siblings did you say you have?

[Carleo]

Two.

[Host Lyle]

What's your relationship like with them?

[Carleo]

It's not too bad. I don't talk to them too often, but I, like, text them and call them, like, maybe like every other week.

[Host Lyle]

Do you not. Do you not talk to them too often on purpose or just because you're all adults with busy lives?

[Carleo]

We're all adults.

[Host Lyle]

Okay. What's your relationship like with your parents?

[Carleo]

Kind of the same thing. I. I, like, call them every once in a while, let them know what's going on in my life, and they fill me in on the tea of what's going on in my hometown.

[Host Lyle]

That's cool. That sounds fun. Wait, what's good? Give me the. Give me the latest update. What's the latest tea on your hometown?

[Carleo]

Oh, man. No, I. I don't think I could say it's a little crazy.

[Host Lyle]

Wait, what the.

[Carleo]

Wait.

[Host Lyle]

Okay, now you're. Oh, it has to do with your. You should have said that. You should have just said it was like a different. A random thing that. Unrelated to you, and then you could.

[Carleo]

Say, I guess I could have. It's too late now.

[Host Lyle]

What. Can I guess what it is?

[Carleo]

Yeah, you can try to guess.

[Host Lyle]

Is your aunt dating a dog?

[Carleo]

No.

[Host Lyle]

All right. You can't tell me what it is?

[Carleo]

No. I think that's a little too far for privacy sake.

[Host Lyle]

All right, that's fair. I understand. Okay, whatever. This isn't about your own.

[Carleo]

We're trying. Yeah. I feel like I've given you some pretty good juice for the. For the title of this podcast.

[Host Lyle]

I'm not. I. Listen, I'm like. I'm not thinking about the title of this podcast until we're like, see, here's the thing. Let me. What's your name again?

[Carleo]

Carleo.

[Host Lyle]

Listen, all that. Like, what. I. I'll think about it. As right now I'm in the moment of having this conversation with you, so I'll think about the title later. But.

[Carleo]

All right, all right.

[Host Lyle]

I. I forget. I forget what your name is already, but that's okay because I feel you're.

[Carleo]

I understand. I'm. I do the same. And every person I've ever met at the bar.

[Host Lyle]

Do you remember my name?

[Carleo]

Of course. It's Lyle.

[Host Lyle]

It's crazy. You know my fucking name. I'm just some random.

[Carleo]

You're just some random dude in New York. Yeah, I know.

[Host Lyle]

All right. Yeah. All right, all right, all right, all right, all right. All right. Hold on. Bear with me. Okay. You sounded like you had a. Okay. Why was your childhood so bad? You. As. You sounded like you have. You have a good relationship with your parents, you have a good relationship with the siblings.

[Zach]

Yeah.

[Carleo]

Now. But it really sucked as a child because, like, things are not the same. My. I was raised by teenagers. Like, my mom was 16 when she got pregnant.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, yeah?

[Carleo]

Yeah, yeah.

[Host Lyle]

How old is it?

[Carleo]

Yeah. 18.

[Host Lyle]

That's tough.

[Carleo]

Yeah, exactly. It was like a whole thing.

[Host Lyle]

Mm. Okay. And you're 24 and you're optimistic about life. That's pretty good.

[Carleo]

For the most part. I try to be.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. Let me think here. What's next? What's your ultimate dream?

[Carleo]

Ultimate dream? Being able to quit my job and just play music.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, yeah, you. I forgot we got so deep into your life. I forgot about the house show that you're putting on. Tell me. Yeah, tell me more about your band. What kind of music you guys play?

[Carleo]

Well, I got two bands that are playing right now, one of them Slug Hole. And it's like. I guess you call it Post Prague punk music. It's got a bunch of, like, old school, like, 80s hardcore riffs, but it's got a bunch of like, kind of praggy kind of from like 2008. It's really fun music. I. I like it a lot. People seem to as well.

[Host Lyle]

Prague means progressive rock.

[Carleo]

Yeah, Prague, like, just like weird sounds and like, all the, like, kind of mathy, but not all the way deep into that kind of shit.

[Host Lyle]

You know what's funny? For a guy who says that he has a hard time taking the thoughts in his brain and putting them into words, you figured out how to take, like, sounds like this intangible. Yeah, but music is different and ascribe and you've. You've taken this. These intangible feelings and you've ascribed words to them.

[Carleo]

Yeah, I mean, I guess I am better at communicating through, like, music and stuff, but, like, that's just like. That's its own thing. And it's like, it's not always like 100% either. There's still like a lot of pretentious people about what is exactly what sound and all that.

[Host Lyle]

What's your favorite song of all time?

[Carleo]

Oh, man, there's so many good ones. Yeah, let me look at my recent, so I can think of everything.

[Host Lyle]

Wait, look at your recent. Are you a Spotify guy? You an Apple music guy?

[Carleo]

Who are you? YouTube Music.

[Host Lyle]

YouTube Music. Do you have to pay for that?

[Carleo]

Yeah, to get no ads. So recently I've been listening to this one demo EP by this band, 8ate. This is grindcore band from New York, and they're sick. I saw them because I was in Philly for Halloween and they played a grind show out there.

[Host Lyle]

Did you go to the prison in Philly?

[Carleo]

No, I was mainly just hanging out with my friends out there.

[Host Lyle]

Wow. There's a Eastern State Penitentiary, I think it's called.

[Carleo]

What's so special about it?

[Host Lyle]

They have. They have. There's like scare act. They do, like. They open it up and it's like a haunted prison. It's a local Philadelphia thing in case. If anyone gives a.

[Carleo]

Okay, well, I do now because I have friends that live up there, so that'd be kind of cool.

[Host Lyle]

Okay, give me your name one more time. I don't remember it this time. I'm gonna try to.

[Carleo]

Carleo.

[Host Lyle]

Carleo. Okay, I got that down now.

[Carleo]

Like Carlito, but without the T. Carleo.

[Host Lyle]

That sounds like the name of a candy.

[Carleo]

It could be.

[Host Lyle]

What do you eat every day?

[Carleo]

Usually a chicken sandwich or chicken grilled or fried. Life usually Pan fried.

[Host Lyle]

Pan fried?

[Carleo]

Yeah, in there.

[Host Lyle]

Do you make it or do you like it?

[Carleo]

I usually make it.

[Host Lyle]

What else is on the sandwich?

[Carleo]

If I have all the stuff that I want, I get some of that oil, some sub oil. I get pickled jalapenos, spinach, banana, peppers, and then some mayo and mustard and maybe a slice of cheese if I'm feeling it.

[Host Lyle]

How do you think you will eventually die?

[Carleo]

Oh, dude, there's so many ways I could die. I make so many bad decisions.

[Host Lyle]

What was the most recent you came to dying based on your bad decisions?

[Carleo]

The most recent? Like, like a near death experience kind of thing?

[Host Lyle]

Sure.

[Carleo]

I did some drugs that were bad a while ago.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, yeah, that'll get you.

[Carleo]

Yeah, I did some bad drugs and felt like I was gonna die. This is when I live in my car too. Die alone in my car.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah, man. Yeah, you don't want that. What? All right, so what were the drugs you thought you were doing and then what were the drugs you ended up doing?

[Carleo]

Thought it was cocaine. Ended up being fentanyl.

[Host Lyle]

Ah, yeah. You don't want to be doing fentanyl alone in your car, man.

[Carleo]

Yeah, no, it's scary. It doesn't mean I keep it mark in on me at all times just in case because there's a lot of druggies out here because I live like near downtown. So like, they walk around my, like they, like, on the street. I can hear them like arguing sometimes on my window at like 7 in the morning.

[Host Lyle]

Okay, so you thought you were doing cocaine?

[Carleo]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Where did you. Where did you get the cocaine from? I'm not an arc. I'm just. You don't have to.

[Carleo]

It was a friend.

[Host Lyle]

Okay. You got it for a friend. I don't. I don't know. Yeah, Elaborate story. You went on the price.

[Carleo]

No, no, no.

[Host Lyle]

Okay.

[Carleo]

No.

[Host Lyle]

All right, so, yeah. Did you go to the friend and say, hey, what the.

[Carleo]

I did. And he was like, oh, I don't know, man. I thought it was good. I'm like, well, it's fine. And now I've never bought from him.

[Host Lyle]

Do you still do cocaine?

[Carleo]

On occasion. I used to have a problem with it, but I'm pretty good about it now. I have good self control.

[Host Lyle]

How did you end up living in your car?

[Carleo]

I've lived in my car like three different times. This most recent one is because me and my girlfriend, we both moved up to Atlanta or down to Atlanta.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah.

[Carleo]

And broke up while we're out there. And we moved back. They moved in with their parents, but I saw I just like lived in my car and was like working for full time until I could get an apartment.

[Host Lyle]

Cool. How does, how do you like when you're, when you're living in your car, are you like, all right, this is chill, I'll just fucking do this. Save up some money. Or are you like, oh fuck, I fucking hate living in my fucking car?

[Carleo]

Well, I, I honestly really like living in my car, but only when I'm like traveling and I'm not like stuck somewhere at a full time job. Like taking care of myself is already kind of hard when you're like living out of your car. But when you're also having a full time job and I was working in a kitchen so I was getting like smelly as and I couldn't get showers all the time. So it like really sucked trying to take care of myself. I was, I. I honestly broke down a couple of times where I just had like a break and I just kind of like freaked out a little bit, but I made it.

[Host Lyle]

When did you move into this place that you are doing this show out of?

[Carleo]

Oh, July.

[Host Lyle]

Cool. All right. So almost. You've been there almost a year? I round up pretty like. Like. Well, that's probably like eight months ago. No, seven months ago. I could, I'll round, I'll round up seven months ago to a year.

[Carleo]

Yeah, I mean, I don't know. That's seven months. That's way closer to half a year.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah, but you round up. But it's all.

[Carleo]

No, but you round down for that one. Half a year.

[Host Lyle]

Seven months has been. People like to pretend like they have, you know, that, that a year is a long. People like to pretend that, you know, there's time. There's no time. Sorry.

[Zach]

No, no.

[Carleo]

Time doesn't exist. Obviously.

[Host Lyle]

What's your favorite video game ever?

[Carleo]

Probably Dark Souls.

[Host Lyle]

Do you anticipate that you will end up moving back into your car or do you feel pretty stable?

[Carleo]

I feel pretty stable right now. My roommate's pretty chill. I don't. I pay kind of a lot, but like I could be paying more.

[Host Lyle]

What do you Pay?

[Carleo]

I pay 700 without utilities to live.

[Host Lyle]

In a 2, 3, 4, 5, 2 bed apartment. Two bedroom.

[Carleo]

Yeah, but I have a roommate.

[Host Lyle]

Is your roommate your friend or your roommate?

[Carleo]

He's my homie. He was actually my. One of my friends who moved to Philly. He was his old roommate, Carmelo Carleo.

[Host Lyle]

Carleo, yeah. That's why I thought I was a candy, because there's caramellos. Do you know what those are?

[Carleo]

No.

[Host Lyle]

I actually. I don't even know if I'm saying that right. Hold on. Caramello? Yeah, the Cadbury Caramel. Do you know what that is?

[Carleo]

No idea.

[Zach]

Dude.

[Carleo]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

You don't have to. You don't have to know anything. You don't have to know anything or do anything ever.

[Carleo]

This is true, Carly. But I am doing stuff. Yes, Dan.

[Host Lyle]

Carlo, can I be honest with you?

[Zach]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

You give me hope for humanity.

[Carleo]

Ah, thanks, man. I appreciate that. But there's a lot coming from you.

[Host Lyle]

I feel like I don't. I. I do. Okay, we've been talking for 41 minutes now. Do you. Do you feel like I understand you at all?

[Carleo]

Yeah, I think you got a pretty good understanding. I mean, to fully understand me, I have to see you in person. And for that to happen, you got.

[Zach]

To come out to Asheville.

[Host Lyle]

I want. I'd like to do a show in Asheville. That could be fun. Maybe I'll try to find a thing. Asheville. I've heard good stuff about Asheville ever. It's very. It's like Portland vibes, right?

[Carleo]

Yeah, it's like Portland like 20 years ago is what people say cool, just a little bit smaller. And there's a lot of racist people out here.

[Host Lyle]

So I thought. I thought it was like a lot of like liberal people.

[Carleo]

Well, yeah, in actually in actual. But like you go like 20 minutes outside of Asheville, there's like giant rebel flags like on the highway and.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, okay.

[Carleo]

North Carolina.

[Host Lyle]

That's most of America though, isn't it? Is like you have a big city and it's liberal. Then it's like surrounded by.

[Carleo]

Yeah, that's true. That's true. I guess. But the circle is kind of small for the blue. But yeah, you should definitely come out here, man. It's really pretty. And if you wanted you just reach out, I would show you some cool spots out here.

[Host Lyle]

What time's the house show tonight?

[Carleo]

8Pm is when it starts. All right, so you got 7:30 doors.

[Host Lyle]

It's 4:26pm right now. What are you gonna do for the next three and a half? What are you gonna do for the next three hours and 34 minutes?

[Carleo]

Well, I got the bands coming around 6, 6:30, so that we can all get set up and do maybe a little mini sound check beforehand, but other than that, probably just scroll on my phone and listen to music.

[Zach]

Maybe.

[Carleo]

Already cleaned up everything.

[Host Lyle]

You know, I. I don't know, man. So you just, you, you're. I'm. I'm proud of you. I'm not even I'm not just saying this shit. I don't know why. I don't know why I feel this way. I don't know why we've been. There's no real good reason why. Why I've kept you on the phone for 43 minutes. Other than the fact that I just feel. I've enjoyed getting to know you. I feel like you're a positive. 4. I only know you. I've only known you for 43 minutes, but I just feel like I like what I. I like what you've shown me about yourself. You had a weird childhood, but you have faith. I think that's exciting. You're putting on a house show. You don't seem like you. You. I. You're depressed, but you know it's not. You don't seem like you're, like, living life in despair. I find that exciting. Yeah.

[Carleo]

I try to do stuff because doing stuff makes me feel better.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. No, you're.

[Carleo]

I know it's, like, way easier said than done, but, like, just doing stuff makes me feel better.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. No, you're doing great. What else? Why else do I respect you? Car. Carmelo. No, Carleo. Why else do I respect you? Carleo? You play music? What's it? What instrument are you the best at?

[Carleo]

I mainly play electric guitar.

[Host Lyle]

You play electric guitar?

[Zach]

Yes.

[Host Lyle]

That's so fucking cool. Can we listen to your music? Where can we hear it?

[Carleo]

I don't have anything released yet, but they can follow my Instagram for when I do.

[Host Lyle]

All right. What is it?

[Carleo]

It's Slug Hole. Avl.

[Host Lyle]

Slug Hole AVL on Instagram? Yeah, Slug Core out of Asheville, dude.

[Carleo]

Oh, yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Awesome. This is crazy.

[Carleo]

Do you care if I shut up? My venue page, too?

[Host Lyle]

Venue page?

[Carleo]

Yeah, for my living room, like the DIY venue.

[Host Lyle]

You want. You want to. You want to dox your home address right now?

[Carleo]

No, I don't know. You have to ask the address.

[Host Lyle]

All right, you can, but just one second. Is this a picture? Is this your hand holding a beetle and a slug?

[Carleo]

It's two slugs. One of them is really fat, but yeah.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, yeah, yeah, look, this. You just have a black. Your Instagram is three photos.

[Zach]

Yeah.

[Carleo]

We've only played two shows.

[Host Lyle]

Yeah, two of them. I don't know what it is, but the other one is. This is just a slug. Is your. Is your hand holding two slugs? I'm going to like it.

[Carleo]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

And I'm going to hell, right?

[Carleo]

Dude, that's awesome.

[Host Lyle]

I liked it. And I commented, I wrote nice.

[Carleo]

Wow, you're so cool.

[Host Lyle]

I'm cool. You're the one holding two fucking slugs. Look at this picture. This is sick. All right, give me the. Give me the venue name. What is it? What's the.

[Carleo]

Alright, it's a Cystic House. C Y S T I C. Dude, you've what? Cy s T I C. Cystic House.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, like. Like Cystic Fibrosis.

[Carleo]

Yeah, exactly.

[Host Lyle]

Okay. Dot com.

[Carleo]

No, just on Instagram.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, on Instagram. Okay. Cystic House. I like that. That's not taken for sure. Instagram.com. cystic House. Okay. Cyst on my house. DIY punk venue in downtown Asheville. DM for booking an address. Okay. And this is tonight. Insight. Shot with a gun. Socially constricted. I'll. I'm gonna write. I'll be there. I'm not gonna be there. I'm not. I'm not gonna come, but.

[Carleo]

Well, actually, Insight dropped. I don't remember why they said. But there's still gonna be three bands tonight.

[Host Lyle]

Okay. Cry Mosh. I'd come if I could, but it's all. I don't. It's too.

[Carleo]

I like White Flyer the most. The Violentine's Day.

[Host Lyle]

I didn't even see.

[Carleo]

Pretty good, right?

[Host Lyle]

Yeah. You're playing. Yeah. Violent Tines Day. Holy crap. What does AVL mean?

[Carleo]

Asheville. It's the acronym.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, for the city.

[Carleo]

Like Charlotte clt.

[Host Lyle]

Oh, I thought it was a S.

[Carleo]

H. Nah, it's avl.

[Host Lyle]

Okay.

[Carleo]

You.

[Host Lyle]

Why'd you. Hold on. Wait. Carleo.

[Carleo]

Yeah.

[Host Lyle]

You post. You made one post a month ago. Who's gonna come?

[Carleo]

Oh, people have been dming me and also the other bands have been posting it. You see how many likes are on there?

[Host Lyle]

You do? That is a lot of likes. 100, 130 likes is a lot of likes for something for like a di.

[Carleo]

For a house show. That's a lot.

[Host Lyle]

How many. How many people are you expecting?

[Carleo]

Well, I can only fit about 40 people in here. Maybe, maybe 50. Like max. Like everyone's standing shoulder Shoulder. So hopefully that many.

[Host Lyle]

We will have a food pantry organization collecting funding, so please consider donating to that. That's cool. Wait, who's this food pantry?

[Carleo]

It's usually just for like a lot of the Helene victims or people who still aren't housed. Whoa. Damn. Yeah, no, there's still a lot of like reconstruction that's going on after the hurricane hit us. There's still a lot of homeless people because of it.

[Host Lyle]

I with you, Carleo.

[Carleo]

Thanks, man. I with you. I listen to you all the time at work.

[Host Lyle]

Okay. This was good. I'm this. Thanks for doing this podcast. Thanks for calling me. This was dude.

[Carleo]

Thanks for answering. So glad I could finally get through.

[Host Lyle]

We'll. We'll take a couple more but Carleo.

[Carleo]

Yes?

[Host Lyle]

How do we end this?

[Carleo]

I don't know. You got. I'm waiting for the question, honestly.

[Host Lyle]

All right. Is there anything else you want to say to the people before we go?

[Carleo]

There is. Just do like I'm throwing a show in my living room. You can throw a show. I'm in an apartment. You guys can do if you want to do it. Just do it.

[Host Lyle]

No, that's sick.

[Carleo]

That's all I got.

[Host Lyle]

That's cool. I with you man. I'll with you Carly you. I just please have a have an amazing rest of your life, man.

[Carleo]

Thanks. You too man.

[Host Lyle]

You take care, Carleo. Thank you for calling.

[Carleo]

All right, later. Bye.

[Host Lyle]

See you. Carleo mecha rocks. Everyone follow what was the name of the fuck? All right, well I said I forgot I don't have the name Slug. I don't want to say the wrong name but I go follow the stuff he said. Yeah there's Cystic House, but what's the bands where he's holding the slug. What's that called? Follow Slug Hole AVL on Instagram. And look at this picture with him and the Slug dude, that's crazy. Thank you.

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[Host Lyle]

Hey, what's up everybody? It's Lyle and I've decided that we're going to end today's podcast by reading one viewer email. Just one. Just one viewer email. That's all for today. You know, two great phone calls, two excellent phone calls, two fantastic phone calls. Thank you again to Carleo and Zach for their great phone calls. And we're gonna end this by reading one final geck mail before we get out of here. So let's do it. Let's do a thing. All right, which one? We only get one. Which one should we read? I don't even know. All right, let's do. No, this is hard. We only get one. All right, now we only get one. All right, we only get one. All right, let's do. Let's do Ashton. Great. This is from Ashton. Subject. Why do I think like that? Hey, Gecko, I emailed you recently, but I kind of start tweaking often, so I'm having more thoughts. Do you ever wonder why you are thinking the things you think you have talked about this before, but sometimes I just feel so guilty of things that I think. Recently my girlfriend was away on a weekend trip and the worst things just came to mind the whole time. I know these thoughts have zero ground to stand on in reality, and I have no reason to be thinking them, but I do. This isn't the only example of this, but it's a recent one. I hate being this way because it causes so much anxiety and can sometimes make me cry if it's really bad. I don't really want to talk to anyone about this because I fear being looked at like a crazy person or someone who has horrible thoughts, but I can't control it. I'm not currently in therapy, but I have done years of that in the past for totally different reasons. I'm thinking about going back for general melancholy. Anyway, I don't want to make this too long, and I don't think I have to elaborate. I think you'll know what I mean. Thanks, Gekko. I know what you mean, Ashton. I know what you mean. I lit. I. Bro. You know what, Ashton, I'm gonna give this to you. Dude, Today I was going crazy. I was going crazy today, Ashton. I don't want to talk about why, but I was just going crazy. And I was thinking. I was like, why am I thinking these things? Why am I like this? I just want to be normal. And I'm feeling like I'm having, like, weird thoughts that just, like, invalidate the rest of my existence, and I don't like them. And I'm like, whoa, where'd that come from? That's not me. So I know. I know what this feels like. And it's okay to have thoughts that you don't like. I think the difference is about whether or not you choose to act on those thoughts and how you want to respond to those thoughts. And I think, you know, bro, like, it's like we all have, like, venom in us, you know? Venom from Spider Man. That's how I feel sometimes, man. I feel like I got Venom. I feel like there's a black gecko suit that tries to overtake my body, but you got to fight it back sometimes, you know, we all got that venom in us, but it's about what you want to feed, right? So sometimes you got to just let those thoughts, like, pass through you like a fart. And you just gotta fucking let. Let yourself have them. Realize that they have no ground to stand on in reality. Realize that they're coming from a part of you that is Just within you, but doesn't have to be the defining version of you that you look to. So, you know, I don't know if that's helpful, but, you know, just like, this is. This is kind of classic. What is it called? This is like very classic meditation shit. But just like, let the thoughts pass through you. Accept that you had them. Accept that as a human being with a conscious brain, your brain is going to. What's the. It's not the butterfly effect. What's the. What's the like, anything that can be done, will be done thing? What's that fucking called? What's that effect? Anything that can't can go wrong, will go wrong. What's that called? Murphy's Law. Yes, your brain follows Murphy's Law. Anything that can go. Any weird, fucked up, insane, crazy thought that your brain can have. And your brain's an amazing tool. It's an amazing thing. So your brain can do all of these crazy, beautiful, amazing, wonderful thoughts, and then it can also have all these crazy, horrible thoughts that you don't like. And. And it'll have all of them. Because it can. But that doesn't have to. That's going on in your brain. That's not going on in your spirit and your soul and your essence. Right? Your spirit and your soul and your essence and your narrative and who you are that you get to write that story, not just your brain going crazy with its thoughts. So, you know, accept that your brain's gonna do what it does because it's crazy and you're crazy because you're a conscious human being, which inherently makes you fucking crazy. And try not to let it seep into your idea of who you are. Because once you do that, then your thoughts, then those thoughts start. Then, then that's. That's the slippery slope to having those thoughts become your actions, and that's when things get out of hand. So that's what I would say to you, Ashton. That was a little bite. That was a little email that we read. I hope it made any sense. I'm losing my voice. So I'm going to end this podcast. Thank you again, Ashton, Zach and Carleo for talking to me. Everyone who has contributed to this podcast today has been a very admirable soul. I appreciate them. Go to therapy gecko tour.com please go to therapy gecko tour.com I am going all over the United States. A lot of the dates are not available yet, but a lot of them are. So go to therapygeckotour.com right now and buy tickets or RSVP for tickets to see my show. Or don't. It's okay. Whatever you want to do with your life, it's your life. Go live it. Get blessed. Thank you.

[Podcast Host]

Here's the truth no one in pet food wants to say out loud. If it isn't just fresh from just food for dogs, it isn't fresh, period. Because a lot of fresh dog foods in those cute little packages, they're not 100% human grade, they're not backed by real science, and they're definitely not something you could eat unless you enjoy mystery meat puree with a side of marketing spin. Just Fresh is different. It's real beef, chicken, sweet potatoes, green beans. Actual food you recognize. It's cooked daily in real kitchens. Vets recommend it. Dogs lose their minds for it. And honestly, if your dog could talk, they'd ask you why you ever fed them anything else?

[Host Lyle]

New Year. New Year.

[Podcast Host]

But what about your dog's fresh start? Make the switch. Make it just fresh from JustFood for dogs. Get 50% off your first box at JustFoodForDogs.com that's JustFoodForDogs.com no code, no fine print, no fake fresh. Just real food. Finally, at cvs, it matters that we're not just in your community, but that.

[Sponsor Voice 3]

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[Podcast Host]

And we want everyone to feel welcomed and rewarded. It matters that CVS is here to.

[Sponsor Voice 3]

Fill your prescriptions and here to fill.

[Podcast Host]

Your craving for a tasty and, yeah, healthy snack. At cvs, we're proud to serve your community because we believe where you get your medicine matters.

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So Visit [e-mail] or just come by our store. We can't wait to meet you.

[Podcast Host]

Store hours vary by location.

[Host Lyle]

Janice Torres here, and I'm Austin Henkewicz. We host the podcast Mind the Small Business Success Stories, produced by Ruby Studio.

[Sponsor Voice 2]

In partnership with Intuit QuickBooks.

[Podcast Host]

We're back for season four to talk to some incredible small business owners.

[Host Lyle]

The big thing about working at tech is that it's ever evolving, ever changing.

[Carleo]

Everyone's a rookie.

[Zach]

That's how fast the industry is changing.

[Host Lyle]

So what I'm really excited about is.

[Carleo]

To be part of that change.

[Host Lyle]

So listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Podcast Host]

When you stay in your home, what you love gets to stay, too. From the gardens that grow wild to the grandkids that run wilder. From the Friday night baseball games to the Sunday morning brunches, even the daily crosswords and weekly book clubs. There's room for it all with help from home and staff. Home Instead, the largest in home senior care network. With over 30 years of trusted experience delivering the peace of mind you deserve, visit home instead online for a better what's next? This is an iHeart podcast.

[Host Lyle]

Guaranteed Human.