Talkin' Trash Addiction Recovery Podcast

Our trip around the world continues as we welcomed Robin B. to the program to share his experience, strength and hope with the show and our audience. We have about 5 in-patient rehabs who watch the shows on Sunday's and Wednesday's live as their nighttime group session. We recognized Father's day showing love for all the dad's (and father figures) out there who do right by themselves and their children both in and out of recovery. Robin shared that all 3 of his kids reached out to him today to say they love him. That hope is out there and we implore our listeners to abstain and live a life of recovery where that hope is manifested tangibly day in and day out. Happy Father's Day.

TV-MA. We welcomed a cultural shake-up with our guest whose graciously donated their personal time to be on a show, halfway around at the world at 3am his time. He did it,  he does this, we do this... to help spread a message of hope that keeps us both accountable and grateful for our life up to that point. This perspective shift in concept eluded us for so long until we finally realized that self-importance, self-happiness generates low self worth and  is an illusion that was running our undetectable self esteem. "Ease your grip and gain control"...doesn't connect the historical logical experience to reality by definition at all. The euphemism, part of an oxymoron, says by that a certain action will produce very unexpected results. As lifelong addicts, we need to be reminded that the old adage, “the slip comes before the fall" sounds clean and wise. And through relapse and failure, we continue to learn, thinking, “I know how to beat it I next time. If I just do this like this way or that like that, the desired results will come populate as ration dictates. To those of us who experienced this phenomenon can attest to it's veracity. By doing (or not doing) the opposite of the behavior that's failed in the past, we feel a regained sense of control just generally by being aware of executing different defense mechanisms and ultimately a better place of rest for our mental health. 

The team broke up the monotony of addiction recovery playing a Talkin' Trash original favorite, Recovery Jeopardy™. It's obviously not actually trademarked. That'll be the day. It was a cattywampus episode to say the least. We're going to be looking at masks in recovery for the month of June. This month is National PTSD Awareness Month and it's so important to acknowledge this mental health concern especially with how it ties into addiction. We create these events that cause us anxiety and stress once we get clean; however, we're causing our loved ones, who never asked for it, PTSD of their own.

Amy S. graciously joined us in studio to share her experience, strength and hope with us. What an inspiration she is. Against all odds, cards stacked against her, she battled her way into a life of sobriety; celebrating 6 years in 2 days. Tried every substance there is (except heroin) and found herself going through 12 cans of Duster. Happy to have a new friend to the show.

A Talkin' Trash Quasar™. A divine, luminous event that randomly strikes to produce a galaxy of love and recovery in its most perfect form. We can do this, and we can do it TOGETHER.Episode 110 is just a galactical convergence of war and wisdom. A Talkin' Trash Quasar™A Quasar of recovery captured in all its brilliance as worlds of sobriety collided in this episode providing a clear and present message, that we need to stand up together in this battle against an unknown enemy. The only ammo of defense is abstinence. The ClearlyWell Podcast and My Fight Our War!! squads were in the house as we suited up together in this call to arms. A fight for survival, a call for glory.

Tim, Kajsa and Jim held down the the fort for a little Wednesday night action.

We welcomed a new friend to the show tonight. Adam S., with one year of sobriety, shared his struggles with existential reasoning. It's a common thread, we get clean and sober and now our eyes are opened to both the good and bad that we hid from for so long. Why are we here? Why was I made the way I am? Is there a God? Adam represents a population of society that might be too smart for their own good. Faith, a Higher Power, a Power greater than myself. These all represent a subject that is, and will forever be, touch-and-go. We were grateful for Adam sharing his story to our audience and the message remains the same: "There's no right way to do this." On a more ridiculous note, Will has been blurry on screen since he started with us here at Talkin' Trash. Well, his screen protector was cracked and he just figured that out now, 40 episodes in. Unreal.

The original 4 behind the wheel for this one. We're starting to welcome more guests onto the shows, leaving fewer of these open shows.

Mother's Day Episode 106 with special guest Phyllis Kleiber on the show. Phyllis lost her son a year ago this time to a Fentanyl overdose. The pain is still raw and not only does she carry it with her all day, she's determined to revisit the scar left from a tragic event such as this. Her son, Trey, passed away on May 20th of last year. Phyllis is set on getting the word out in the hopes of spreading awareness and saving people the anguish her and her family suffered, before it's too late. We checked in with Mrs. Snyder for a holiday-hello. Tim wrote her a poem for Mother's day apparently so we're working on gaining access to this embarrassing piece of literature for future blackmail opportunities. We're grateful for all the mothers that are in this addiction thing fighting for their kids' lives. Happy Mother's Day everybody, thank you Moms.

Mental health awareness month is in full-swing with the team breaking down the different types, treatments and experiences that come alongside mental health and addiction.

The show welcomed Ryan K into the fold as he delivered a heartfelt message that whether it's 26 years or 26 days, all we really have is today.

This is most definitely episode 103 despite Tim's efforts to confuse the shit out of everybody. We took a look at step 8 of the A.A.'s 12 steps. We explored what it means, how to approach it and how it applies to everybody not just those working the steps. The experts explained that the steps are meant to be done in order, that's why they're numbered that way. Pretty simple concept. In working the program of A.A., you'll be taken through these steps with a sponsor, someone that knows their stuff. For those not in A.A., or just attending meetings, or just doing their own thing, this is a principle that applies to all walks of life. We've hurt people, we've done things that require an apology with action. A big part of making this list is owning your part in the mistakes you've made. As addicts we tend to blame everyone else for our mistakes. It is important to own our misgivings before listing who we owe amends to. And sometimes all you can do is a living amends. Bella J. joined us once again to check in and do some clean time. Always great to see her smiling face and attitude towards life given the challenges she's overcome. It's a jam-packed confusing episode so get in there.

Tim & Will broadcast from the final day of the A.A. campout & share their inexperience, lack of strength & hope. The boys had a good time as they made the best of a rainy, injury-filled adventure. We met some of Tim's home-group members, Thomas, Krista and Jana. We were so happy to be able to acknowledge both Jana's actual birthday and her 9 month milestone of sobriety. She's doing so much. Working in treatment, working on her sobriety and living her best life after a long stretch in prison. Not to take away from Krista, she's awesome too. So it's the boys, exhausted, injured (Tim really) and pleased with the camaraderie from the weekend's events.

Jim went to prison 5 minutes in for copyright infringement from the Adobe™ corporation so it was a three man tent tonight. Episode 101. How could we possibly top 100? Not doable. So we figured, 101... let's go back to drug school. Will, Kajsa & Tim held down the fort as they went through the effects of alcohol use disorder & the impact various illicit substances on the user. A refresher as we enter the 3rd season of T-dubs. We outlined what these substances do to your body when abused, what to expect getting clean & sober & our personal experiences as we lived these addictions.

We hit the century mark in style, bringing out all the stops. One in particular, Isabella J. shared her experience, strength and hope in style. Especially the experience part. It's amazing she's righted her ship and pulled herself out of a dire situation. We learned to say "100" in 17 different languages. Jim used a royalty free background today. Kajsa's rocking some buddhist meditation so she doesn't strangle a bitch. Will's living his best life and is going camping with Tim this Friday. It'll probably be a shitshow. What a great show for episode ett­hundra (one-hundred in Swedish). Bella was phenomenal, start to finish. You hang on every word.

Episode number Wayne Gretzky. Hockey playoffs are on the horizon so we had a little hockey shenanigans throughout the show. We hit on guilt and shame. In early recovery we don't know what's what. We think we're bad people when it's likely we just made bad decisions. Dealing with these things one by one, one day at a time can be a daunting task. It's easy to fall into a self loathing pity party when you see the things you've done, through clear eyes. As we look at where we're at in life and our recovery, knowing the difference between guilt and shame is crucial. "Am I inherently bad, defective... Or is this regret of the things I've done wrong". Regret isn't a bad thing, mixing it with shame is. We watched Tim get his ass handed to him from an old hockey game. Jim's background had an Adobe watermark on it. Kajsa was nearly killed. Will's tummy hurt. We threw our hat into the action figure A.I. game and we had a great clean time tonight. Lots of birthday's to be had in our recovery orbit and we're proud of every one of them and grateful to our supporters.

Easy going, lighthearted show with two friends hanging out with us. The human torch was denied a bank loan. Manny Vitale and Billy B. joined us to help float this thing to smooth shores. Manny is an animal, we absolutely love him, despite not knowing what day it is. And Billy was and is phenomenal. Billy works in the movie/show production realm and has made it into films and shows as an extra. He's seen it all and he's done it all. He's a firm believer that you can only keep what you have by giving it away.

Special guest comes on but first, the gang talked about absolute nonsense for 30 minutes before that happened. Billy B. fit right in with us addicts/alcoholics. We identified with him & Billy likewise. Billy's 4 years clean & sober and he shared his experience of what happened in last 1,559 days. Billy B's main focus is that there is no middle ground. That's where relapses happen. He explained that discovering a life of recovery is his "all in" that finally clicked; you're either all-in or not at all. It's important to realize this as addicts. When we're "not at all", it's our disease running rampant, consuming our lives from morning till' night. An "all in" mentality is the key to success. Make life about recovery, keep your guard up, be open about your recovery and most importantly, give back. Service work can leave you with a sense of fulfillment as it's better to give than receive. Billy was an awesome guest & will be back on May 7th, Episode 105.

The gang welcomed a special guest onto the pod but first, they advertised how we're gonna' work on cutting Tim off. He talks entirely too much. Jim slightly misspeaks and Tim pounced on it and attacked both Jim's intelligence and character, as we're known to do here on this show. The team touched on the pickle situation rapidly unfolding. The mood turned as Phyllis Klaiber shared her experience, strength and hope with us. Phyllis lost a son to this disease about a year ago. Phyllis herself is 14 years clean and sober and mourns her son every day. It was an emotional and powerful interview where Phyllis took us on a rollercoaster ride of sadness, pain, hope and acceptance. She'd shared her story several times on different shows and she was a pro.

Our eskimo had to dip out early so it was mostly the boys and girl. Lucky that we're pros and we adapt to any environment. We broke down what depression and anxiety meant to us. Varying opinions which is what we want. We talked about different medications, early recovery dual diagnosis, can come up when you least expect it so we stressed the importance of addressing their mental health. There's a reason we self-medicated in the first place. So instead of using band-aid after band-aid, we finally decided to put on a cast and treat the underlying issue and begin a true recovery.

The boys and lady ran this thing into the ground so skillfully it was like art and poetry becoming one. It's like, they were all them tonight and it was funnies. Will the Thrill's in high demand, Kajsa just needs a little Jesus and Jim has to be muted into pieces for clean time to avoid an international incident. Tim was fairly sure of his surroundings on the show, presented cognitive thought, sensitivity to light. She was injecting 40 times over the period of 40 minutes. Those statistics are 100% official. Did a bunch of giggling. Refracted on early and often. Will was distracted by a flash in the distance for 5+ minutes. He came around. So recovery huh? Great choices. Good clean fun was had by all.

Your recovery is yours and yours alone. When the time comes, sharing that recovery with others is when you realize you're not alone. We talked about how, in active addiction, every situation required drugs and or alcohol to "get thru it" or "enhance" the situation or event. We recalled how we needed it to work, go to a family function, birthday, graduation... funeral, we needed it to function and that's where addiction lands you 100% of the time. Lauren E. chimed in seamlessly adding a perspective we hadn't even considered. When needing it and having it became two very different things that ran our lives in our road to recovery. We share our experience, strength and hope and a few laughs in this merry-go-round of misery. Lauren E. was a peach, as always.

Houston, we have a solution. A little astro-themed show tonight since we're so current events woke. Not even sure that makes sense. We did some fun space related things and talked about how we once felt directionless and floating in the vast darkness of space. Jim had to bail but of course it's to spread the message to prisoners. What a guy. So Tim, Kajsa and Will had some fun. We talked about how every situation required drugs and or alcohol. About how we needed it to work, go to a family function, birthday, graduation... funeral, we needed it to function and that's where addiction lands you 100% of the time. Needing it and having it became two very different things that ran our lives in active addiction. We share our experience, strength and hope in this merry-go-round of misery. Especially the hope part. Early recovery, we don't know what to do, our solution to the problem became the problem and all we knew was to use and escape and just causing more problems. Early on you have to ask for and listen to help from someone who's been there. Once we can get our head above water and some time under our belt, we can see it all from a different perspective and we realize that it's actually easier being clean and sober. You just gotta' hold on, put your hand up and ask for help. It's there.

Fear drives behavior. Consequences from behavior. If you don't try, even a little bit, to address these fears, they will come back to get you. There's three fears, rational, irrational and primal. Knowing and understanding what your fears are and placing them in their proper categories is paramount. Identifying your fears doesn't make you weak. It helps you level out and see them for what they are and develop healthy coping mechanisms. When you find yourself fearful of something, you can now address it in a calm, non-reactive response like we used to. Manny V. dropped into the pod. Never disappoints, guy's an animal. He's got such an energy and feels so called to help others who've been where he's been. It was the day before the St. Patty's Day drink-a-thon so we had some Irish colored fun. It's also the 90's and we'll be rockin' the cyan and purple from now to 99.

The greatest mistake we make is living in constant fear that we will make one. We looked at the different types of fear that can plague someone in early recovery. We acknowledged that there's a difference between being afraid and having fear. Early in recovery, and in recovery in general, fear can drive behaviors if not kept in check. Identifying these fears and facing them head on is the only way to overcome your fears. Before we can do that, we have to be aware of what kind of fear we're experiencing so it doesn't manifest itself in a behavior, both consciously and subconsciously. We unpacked the different types of fear, rational, irrational and primal fear.

Tonight we focused on emotional regulation. So important for the addict in recovery to learn. It takes a while to develop new skills and coping mechanisms in the early stages of the recovery. The self-regulation of emotion or emotion regulation is the ability to respond to the ongoing demands of experience with the range of emotions in a manner that is socially tolerable and sufficiently flexible to permit spontaneous reactions as well as the ability to delay spontaneous reactions as needed. Copy and pasted that, no idea what it means but it sounds smart.

The team goes Back to the Future on episode 88. A little overdone, borderline obnoxious at times. Nicky joined us on the pod and the panel shared their most embarrassing stories they could think of while Tim fumbled around trying to troubleshoot the audio issues. Later, we then find out that he would've needed a passport as the issue resided in Saskatchewan where the whole country echos for some reason.

If we put as much energy that we put into getting high and or drunk into our recovery, the obsession can be lifted. Recovery brings its own pain. Especially in early recovery. The old adage, "no pain no gain" is very real in the recovery process. We can quickly forget the pain of active addiction. Keeping it green by going to meetings and being active in bettering your life and working a recovery program. Remember, the past is a place of reference not a place of residence. This perspective can make the pains that come in recovery tolerable and the gains even that much sweeter.

We had a great guest in studio night in Manny Vitale. Imagine going from upholding the law to living on the edge. That's the incredible journey of Manny Vitale, a former Detroit police officer and E.M.T., who battled addiction and found a new path in life. Manny shares his rollercoaster ride through alcoholism, drug addiction, and eventual recovery. Celebrated five years of sobriety on January 27th, Manny's story is a testament to resilience and the power of community. He's truly a miracle. Organs shutting down, an all inclusive, existential, 6 months to live diagnosis. Powerful story, when Manny told his mother about his prognosis, she said "nope, not happening". And she was right.

The gang touched on self care and its importance in early recovery. We went through the physical side of self care. We identified physical, emotional and mental self care categories. Moderation, as addicts, does not come easily. We're used to as much as we can as fast as we can as many times as we can. This is why overdose is something to be so cautious of in the early stages of recovery. Our tolerance has been cut in half, if not more than what we used to now that we've gotten clean. You think "Oh, I'll only just do a little, that won't hurt me..." famous last words right there. The paramount thing you can do for your physical well being in early recovery, is not to have a "just this once" moment. There is no more just this once. Even for seasoned addicts in the worst of their addiction even more so for the addict in the early stages of addiction recovery.

5 guys, burgers and fries tonight. No guest so the team just did their sobriety thing. We talked about airplanes crashing, anthems getting booed and how ridiculously cold it is where Jim chooses to live. Unreal -50° weather. Who voluntarily chooses to live in that. Those puck slapping maple suckers. We expanded on self care and how utterly crucial in early recovery. We also talked about rehab romances. Forget self care now, your new mate is now your higher power and hate to break it to you but they're as messed up as you. We look for distractions, especially in early recovery. We're vulnerable, exposed, defeated. We can make bad choices in that state and most do at least once. It'll end in a relapse. Most of the time it does just that. And if you're lucky, you make it back into recovery with a lesson learned. Not all get that chance so if you're a repeat offender, you might want to listen to what the message says. Admit you're powerless, start there.

We were blessed to have a guest on tonight with such a powerful story, reclaiming her sobriety after more than a decade of use. Lauren E. bravely came on the pod and we've got a new one friend. Just like that. That's how this thing works. Lauren shared how she struggled with different substances at different times in her life. She's done it all and she's seen it all. What a privilege it is to have her in the fold here. We tried a little game called "Think Think Think" (a old AA adage) and it's a cleverly done extremely sharp design whoever made it. It's kind of like Family Feud. Well, not kinda it basically is Family Feud.

We had a great guest on 82 here despite running our show during the 2nd half of the Super Bowl. Our biggest demographic are men aged 25-65 so we did our best to keep people up to date whilst getting their recovery on. Ronnie Jemison, with 15 months and 15 days clean and serene, shared his story. Raw, deep, impactful. And just like that, we have a new friend as our fellowship grows, that's how this works. We are all equals. It doesn't matter your age, race, identity, anything... addiction does not discriminate. This can be a tough life to navigate without being addicts so kudos to people like Ronnie. And tip of the cap to our trashclan as we all come from different backgrounds and different recovery experiences and our peeps donate their time to share the news, recovery is possible. It's not easy, but trust us it is possible.

All kinds of stuff. Things too. But mostly stuff. We touched on that attitude of gratitude. Especially when we're at the bottom of a mountain staring almost in disbelief at this unsurmountable task. "Being grateful amidst the storm" means maintaining a thankful attitude even when facing significant challenges or difficulties, acknowledging the positive aspects of life even when surrounded by hardship, essentially choosing to focus on what you have rather than what you're going through during a difficult time. Each one of us here at t-dubs come to the program with different, and sometimes varying degrees of insanity.

Special guest & founding father of T-dubs, Nick DeAngelo joined us for a very special Episode #80. We talked about the 4 C's of addiction. Compulsion, control, craving & consequences. Each member of the panel, including our guest, shared their experiences with each one of these C's. Everybody offered their unique perspective on the levels of dependency that addicts suffer while in active use. We reminisced about our growth since beginning this venture 80 episodes ago. We looked back on our first Clean Time segment from March of last year where Mike trampled over Tim's effort in rolling out the segment. So nothing's changed there. No wonder Tim gave up & just let Mike have it. We read listener e-mails & revisited Dustin Wells' heartfelt message to the show & thanked our audience for all their support.

Special guest and old friend of the show, Tina C. came on and was awesome as always. What a story, sheer willpower putting together 8 years of sobriety. As they say, there's more than one way to skin a cat... do they say that? Seems inhumane... anyway, our purpose on this podcast is to show, in 2025, there's no wrong way to recover. The more tools you have in your toolbelt, greater are the chances for long-term recovery. Tina shares her story, identifying as an addict, without a shred of embarrassment or shame. The steps, psychiatric help, church, MAT, God, CA, NA, AA whatever A keeps you alive, we support 100%. Too many of us are dropping.

The whole gang was rowing the boat this evening. Tim made an impactful and transparently honest into to the show. Mike used a big word that impressed the entire panel. Will dropped knowledge like the Dalai Lama tonight. Kajsa and Jim did their thing as always. Jim read us a colorful version of the 12 steps. Laughs were had all around and lifetime friendships were forged. The miracle was shared by all on this show. Kajsa had a Texas snow day and Jim's life is a snow day. The Eagles are going to the Super Bowl and the Mayor of Philadelphia can't spell.

We had Elizabeth McKeon on our show on Episode 41 as the front end of a Podswap. Where she comes on our show and we do the same. Episode 78 is tomorrow but we've been saving Episode 74 for the swap. Elizabeth digs into what makes Tim tick (that's a brave soul) and what we're doing with Talkin' Trash. It was a fun collab and we look forward to working with her show, The ClearlyWell Podcast, in the future.

The team's getting better with each episode. Today was celebration of life day, which honors the children & grandchildren who bring joy to our lives. We talked about the mental obsession that comes pre-programmed into the addict's mind. Without treating the phenomenon, and left to our own devices, we know the obsession will eventually take over, repeating a viscous cycle. Kajsa shared her alcoholic routine & what it's like now looking back. It's exhausting to think about she said. Gigglin' Willy always in the background chuckling away & we welcomed Mike back with a video tribute. A little much for having a cold & missing a show, but that's how we do here on T-dubs.

Guest bailed, host sick... the new crew held it together, trial by fire. We're so grateful to of the TT crew for doing what they do. We found out why Will got unjustly arrested in Vegas. We talked about spirituality and faith and what it meant to each on the panel. Kajsa knew a kangaroo baby was called a Joey. That impressed Tim, but Tim's an idiot so lets keep that in mind. Jim shared the miracle and the as always. Tim was sick and persevered through the ol' throat frog. Episode 76 and American history was made today. Fun coincidence, get it? cuz America... 1776.. 76th episode... do ya get it? Ahhh forget it. Jim confirms for us, it's cold in Canada. Thank you, Jim.

Our second season is jammed pack with new format, new branding & a new cast of knowledge bringing diversity to our podcast. We officially welcome Jim, Kajsa & Will to the team as co-hosts. Tim & Mike, the original hosts, are thrilled that the show is evolving into something we never imagined. We hit about 7,000 views a month, averaging out to about 800 per show. We've made connections with other podcasts, groups & rehabs who show our video broadcast in groups. Season 2 has the show changing rapidly as viewership & friends of the show, continue to grow as we move forward. We're here to spread the message that recovery is possible and that there's hope for those suffering from Substance Use Disorder.

Tim steered the ship solo tonight. Directly into an iceberg. Dude phoned it in tonight but we had a little fun looking back at the previous 72 episodes like he was too good for this. What shame . Anyway, We're amazed with the support from our listeners. We watched Recovery Jeopardy throw back when Mike blows it on the final question. So disappointing, but Mike rallied on the next Recovery Jeopardy pulling a rabbit out of his lap, an ace up his sleeve. A 1,500 point question turned the tides when Tommy was up 2,500ish points. So check this episode you and who are we kidding, Timmy boy rocked that shit for an hour and fifteen.

What a refreshing show having a guest on who's overcome so much and has such an amazing story to share. Todd Davidson, from our friends at HealtHIE Georgia, stopped by to share his experience, strength and hope with us as he recalls his addiction and time in prison. Amazing to see him use that working with inmates, identifying with them as he's been where they're at. Creating a special bond opening an avenue of trust where he can spread a message of healing to ears that are ready to hear in his role as a Behavioral Health Coach & Assistant Project Manager Jail-In Reach. The perfect job for the perfect dude.

Elizabeth McKeon of HealtHIE Georgia and the Clearlywell Podcast joined us in studio. Elizabeth shared her professionalism and knowledge with us from her role as an addiction recovery advocate. She caters to those in rural areas and advocates for addicts in the prison system. She promotes mental health and well being for the mind, body and soul.

Be you. Be your authentic self and you can relax by not having to act differently in different situations. "Practicing these principles in all our affairs" means living the steps and living recovery in your daily life. The holiday's can prompt people to put on facade. This is okay, as long as it doesn't lead to disappointment as that can cause a chain of events that can end disastrously. Most of us, especially in recovery, can tell right away if someone's real or if they're putting on an act. Acknowledging that they're on their own journey and not letting it affect you and your journey is paramount.

Be you. Be your authentic self and you can relax by not having to act differently in different situations. "Practicing these principles in all our affairs" means living the steps and living recovery in your daily life. The holiday's can prompt people to put on facade. This is okay, as long as it doesn't lead to disappointment as that can cause a chain of events that can end disastrously. Most of us, especially in recovery, can tell right away if someone's real or if they're putting on an act. Acknowledging that they're on their own journey and not letting it affect you and your journeys paramount.

Will, Kajsa and Tim were treated to some real Canadian bacon with special guest Jim Leibel. Jimmy's a huge supporter of Talkin' Trash and once we got to know Jim, we had to have him on. Jim's from Regina, Saskatchewan. He's spent time abroad pursuing his education and he was drafted by Ohio State to play football. He shared his experience, strength and hope with us as he recalled his time getting sober in the great white north. Jim experienced heartache and headache during his career as a "functional alcoholic". Sobriety has given Jim a new lease on life and an appreciation for things he took for granted. We had a few giggles at some Christmas movies and went through the 12 steps of Christmas.

A very special episode where we were honored to have our friend, Kajsa back in the house as we celebrated her 5 year anniversary with with our audience. Willy Dougs came by to celebrate with our friend and we talked about Christmas and the struggles we've faced and overcame in years past. We shared, as a recovery-centric panel, what real struggles can look like around the holidays and how we've dealt with those struggles both successfully and unsuccessfully in the past. We shared what it's like to have a level playing field in the recovery community and how we can use that as a support systems for when friends and family can let us down.

We folded on Wednesday's episode, Tim had malaria and mike burnt his tongue on hot coffee. We had no choice. Going around. So, we thought treating you to a double-dose of Hablañdo Basura. That's español for Talkin' Trash. Or is it Comieñdo Basura... One means Talkin' Trash one means Eatin' Trash. Either way we're bilingual and woke AF. Even with our struggles this week, we we're gonna be the pros that we are and rock something out. And we did so, for 2 freakin' hours. No script, no topics...seat of our pants and look what we came up with. A double header for our nearest and dearest. We talked about the holidays and outlined our plan for navigating the season's schedules. We unanimously decided we would make some adjustments to accommodate the two holidays that find themselves back-to-back a week apart (both falling on a Wednesday this year). We'll clearly outline everything on our website, socials and in upcoming shows.

Get your kicks on route 66. Fun episode on the fly. We're focusing on surviving the holidays until they're over. There's a number of components to consider, we looked at family challenges tonight as people, yes even family, will say the wrong thing us and we'll take it over-personally and it'll fester until it eats us up. Willy D in the place to be tonight, live broadcast with our nearest and dearest checking in during the show.

It's the holiday's and we're gonna' get through this thing together. Preferably sober but if not we'll work with ya either way. Inspirational guest on this show in Lee Bembry. Lee shares his story from the depths of addiction to salvation in Jesus Christ. He's a good friend of the show and we love to spotlight our recovery warriors. We mourned Mike's perverted bird and said hi to our most remote fan, Jim from Regina, Saskatchewan. He's a beaut.