Podcast Summary: "You, Me & Mike"

Episode 204: How Did We Get Here??
Date: September 17, 2025
Host: Thirteen Media
Hosts: Jenn Todryk (@theramblingredhead) & Mike Todryk

Brief Overview

In this wide-ranging and delightfully off-the-cuff episode, married hosts Jenn and Mike Todryk pivot away from their usual structure, bouncing from relatable married-life anecdotes to personal quirks and eventually into the weeds of conspiracy theories and faith. While ostensibly picking up on “part two” of a popular conspiracy theory discussion, much of the conversation detours into fun marital banter, quirks, and big-picture musings on belief, curiosity, and skepticism, before touching base again with ancient history, the Denver International Airport, and the Illuminati.

The episode is lighthearted, authentic, and often hilarious—perfect for listeners who enjoy a spontaneous, realistic window into a married couple’s unfiltered conversations as they debate topics from periods and lost ketchup to lizard people and spiritual gifts.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Marital Banter & Daily Life Quirks

• Period Talk and Patience:

  • Jenn and Mike open the episode with playful banter about energy levels and Jenn’s “period brain,” leading to a candid discussion on how Jenn’s patience for Mike’s inability to find things (e.g. in the fridge) disappears when she’s menstruating.

  • Jenn coins the term “look with your lady eyes” for how she searches for things versus how Mike does, and shares a humorous anecdote about slamming mustard on the counter in frustration (West Point/ketchup story at 04:15).

    “Find the gay chop… look with your lady eyes.” — Jenn, [02:02]

    “I might not be able to find the ketchup on the middle shelf, but at least I know what West Point is.” — Mike, [06:28]

• Memory & Auditory Processing:

  • Mike reveals he has a mental block for remembering song lyrics—even simple songs like “Jingle Bells”—but can recall the beats, context, and emotions around the music.

  • They conduct a live “ChatGPT diagnosis” to seek an explanation, leading to laughter and a dive into cognitive styles.

    “He cannot remember a single lyric to any song… but he recognizes the beat and what the song is.” — Jenn via ChatGPT, [14:11]

    “If his brain prioritizes patterns over language in music, the feel of the song sticks but not the words.” — ChatGPT, [15:21]

  • Mike attributes his skills to high pattern recognition but low verbal recall; Jenn confesses she can memorize anything set to music.

2. Grooming, Beards, and Family Preferences

• Beard Preferences:

  • Jenn discusses her preference for Mike’s beard being tidy rather than long (“rugged clean”), and shares a story about their daughter disliking when Mike shaves clean (Berkeley cries when he removes facial hair at [20:00]).

  • They reflect on aging, going gray, and genetics for hair/beard color.

    “No, I do not like a clean-shaven face.” — Jenn, [19:16]

3. Personality & Neurological Quirks

• ADHD in Adulthood:

  • Jenn and Mike discuss findings and self-management of ADHD, agreeing that Jenn tends toward task-switching and hyperfocus but always completes her self-defined tasks—even if not on the expected list.

    “You bounce around tasks, but you finish things.” — Mike, [24:00] “I still think it's a superpower. I really do.” — Mike, [25:19]

• Household Messes:

  • Light-hearted banter on Jenn’s habit of leaving coffee cups or cereal bowls around and Mike’s structured method for clothes piles.

4. Conspiracy Theories: The Denver International Airport

• The Illuminati Headquarters Theory:

  • They dig into the conspiracy theory about Denver International Airport being a secret Illuminati HQ, referencing weird art murals, Freemason plaques, underground tunnels, and the infamous “Blue Mustang” (aka “Blucifer”) statue.

  • Jenn is bemused and mildly disturbed by the murals, reading from sources to confirm detail and lore ([31:01]); Mike provides background on the horse sculpture and lizard people myths.

  • Both agree the art’s weirdness is likely an over-the-top attempt at provocation or publicity.

    “Why is there a blue horse with red glowing eyes at an airport?” — Jenn, [32:27]

    “They've leaned in… their signs say, ‘Pardon our mess. We have a lizard people problem.’” — Mike, [48:10]

5. The Illuminati, Secret Societies, and Manifestation

• Illuminati Origins & Pop Culture:

  • Mike offers a brief factual history, clarifying the Illuminati was originally a society promoting science over religion, not just a “devil cult.”
  • Pop culture ties—Beyoncé and Jay Z, etc.—are referenced.

• Manifestation & Faith:

  • Jenn expresses skepticism over “manifesting” as a trend, preferring to attribute success to faith and action.

  • Mike draws parallels between manifestation and prayer/faith in Christian practice, while stressing that, for them, spiritual success is not self-created but God-allowed.

    “You didn't manifest crap. God did that.” — Jenn, [43:01]

    “I actually look at that [faith] as a gift.” — Mike, [44:03]

6. Ancient Civilizations, Human History, and Aliens

• Ancient Technology & Biblical Mysteries:

  • Mike posits that human civilization is likely much older and more complicated than assumed, referencing biblical stories of giants (Nephilim) and ancient cataclysms ([54:26]).

  • They briefly discuss the idea of ancient advanced societies, Peruvian “alien” mummies, and how myth/history blurs over millennia.

    “I think the history shows that there’s more going on… there’s a longer history than we think.” — Mike, [55:56]

• Fun with Conspiracy Theories:

  • Mike engages the fun side of conspiracy culture but remains cautious, emphasizing he only really entertains those with potential scientific basis.

    “I just think it’s fun to talk about… I actually just want to look at things that have scientific basis to them.” — Mike, [59:00]

7. Government, Power, and Corruption

• Which Conspiracy is Most Believable?

  • Jenn candidly admits she finds coverups and government manipulation most believable—not because she seeks drama or paranoia, but because she’s “an enthusiast living in the moment” and isn’t easily shocked when stories of control and money surface.

    “It doesn’t take a lot to convince me when government covers stuff up.” — Jenn, [61:16]

    “Follow the money, you’ll follow the decisions.” — Mike, [61:44]

  • They discuss human selfishness as a root for much corruption.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I might not be able to find the ketchup on the middle shelf, but at least I know what West Point is.” — Mike, [06:28]

• “He cannot remember a single lyric to any song… but he recognizes the beat and what the song is. Why?” — Jenn via ChatGPT, [14:11]

• “You didn’t manifest crap. God did that.” — Jenn, [43:01]

• “Faith is your gift… no matter what, you always trumpet with ‘yeah, God did that, you didn’t do that.’” — Mike, [43:43]

• “Why is there a blue horse with red glowing eyes at an airport?” — Jenn, [32:27]

• “They believe a lot of leaders are actually lizards.” — Mike, on the lizard people conspiracy, [48:44]

• “It doesn’t take a lot to convince me when government covers stuff up.” — Jenn, [61:16]

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------| | 01:04 | Introduction to today’s loosely-structured episode | | 04:15 | “West Point” ketchup/marriage anecdote | | 07:51 | Mike’s inability to remember lyrics/Jingle Bells demo | | 14:00 | Live ChatGPT diagnosis on Mike’s lyric memory | | 19:16 | Beard preferences, facial hair stories | | 24:00 | ADHD discussion, hyperfocus, and task-finishing | | 29:03 | Conspiracy theories — Denver International Airport | | 32:27 | Discovery of “Blucifer” blue horse route | | 41:38 | Mike’s 3x5 card “type of man I want to be” exercise | | 43:01 | Jenn: “You didn’t manifest crap. God did that.” | | 48:10 | DIA leans into “lizard people” conspiracy | | 54:26 | Nephilim and biblical mystery discussion | | 59:00 | Mike’s thoughts on which conspiracies can be true | | 61:16 | Jenn: Government coverups are the most believable |

Tone and Style

• Authentic and Candid: The hosts openly share quirks, beliefs, and poke fun at themselves (and each other).
• Playful & Light: Even as they touch on heavier or more serious conspiracy and faith topics, the tone remains warm, humorous, and accessible.
• Thoughtful but Unscripted: The episode flows naturally, with tangents embraced rather than avoided.

For New Listeners

This episode is a perfect sampler of the Todryks’ dynamic: real married talk, spectrum-spanning topics, and easy, often irreverent, always loving rapport. If you want a funny, honest take on how couples actually talk about everything from mental quirks to the Illuminati (with a generous helping of “did you really just say that?”), this is your episode.

Final Note

This episode is aptly titled "How Did We Get Here??"—a fitting reflection of its charmingly meandering but always entertaining approach, reminding us that some conversations are best when they’re allowed to wander.

Listener tip: For a deep-dive on faith or conspiracy theory, watch for future episodes where Jenn and Mike promise to return to those juicy topics!