Podcasts about uncle mark

We're halfway through the show now and the fun continues! Local Legends is back, Brandon Clay breaks down the hotdog toss, and Uncle Mark knew all about the Bruno song! Listen to Billy & Lisa Weekdays From 6-10AM on Kiss 108 on the iHeartRadio app!    

Kevin Adler grew up with a beloved uncle, Mark, who never forgot to send him a Hallmark card on his birthday.  Over time, Kevin learned that his uncle was unhoused and suffering from schizophrenia.  When Mark died at the age of 50, Kevin decided that working to solve the crisis of homelessness would be his life's work.  The experience of having a close relative in this predicament made him realize that “everybody is somebody's somebody,” and deserving of our compassion.  He founded Miracle Messages, a nonprofit working to tell the stories of individuals who are unhoused, in hopes of connecting and reuniting them with estranged friends and family.  To date, they have facilitated more than 800 people and have created a phone buddy system where volunteers communicate weekly with their assigned partner, building relationships where none existed before. Kevin Adler tells this story in his new book, When We Walk By, and shares many of these stories in this episode, while also describing his optimistic views on basic income and affordable housing programs.    Chapters: 03:09 The Personal Journey Begins Kevin recounts his personal connection to homelessness through his Uncle Mark, whose struggles profoundly influenced his life's work. This emotional story sets the stage for Kevin's mission to humanize those experiencing homelessness.  05:19 The Crisis of Shared Humanity Kevin discusses the dual crises of inadequate service systems and a lack of shared humanity in addressing homelessness.   08:12 The Jeffrey Story Kevin shares the poignant story of Jeffrey, a man he helped reconnect with his family after years of separation.   12:00 Understanding Relational Poverty The conversation shifts to the concept of relational poverty, emphasizing the importance of social connections in preventing homelessness.   16:39 Challenging Stereotypes Kevin discusses the harmful stereotypes surrounding homelessness and the diverse experiences of those affected.   19:54 Miracle Messages Programs Kevin elaborates on the various programs of Miracle Messages, including family reunification and the Miracle Friends Phone Buddy program.   25:00 The Impact of Basic Income The discussion turns to the controversial topic of basic income, with Kevin sharing insights from his organization's pilot program.   30:01 Rethinking Assistance: The Impact of Basic Income In this chapter, Kevin Adler discusses the misconceptions surrounding financial assistance for the homeless, emphasizing that many recipients prioritize housing and basic needs over substance use.   32:01 Success Metrics: Measuring Impact Adler shares the positive outcomes of Miracle Messages' programs, revealing that 80% of reunions lead to improved health and social conditions.   34:17 The Cost of Homelessness: A Financial Perspective This chapter dives into the financial implications of homelessness, comparing the costs of emergency services for unhoused individuals to the potential savings of providing basic income.   36:47 The Affordable Housing Crisis Adler tackles the pressing issue of affordable housing, discussing the systemic underinvestment and barriers faced by those in need.   39:13 Lessons from History: The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Drawing parallels between the 1906 earthquake and today's homelessness crisis, Adler illustrates how collective trauma can lead to community resilience and action.   46:15 Taking Action: How You Can Help In this chapter, Adler encourages listeners to engage with their communities and challenge misconceptions about homelessness.  

What if your passion for fishing could turn into a thriving career on YouTube? This week on Diaries of a Lodge Owner, we sit down with Jay Siemens, a YouTube fishing and outdoor sensation, to uncover his remarkable journey from lodge guide to digital media star. Jay shares heartfelt stories about his early days with Uncut Angling in 2011, how his grandfather ignited his love for fishing, and the transformative moment when he embraced photography, leading to the birth of Thrive Visuals. Together, we laugh and reflect on our guiding days, pulling back the curtain on what it takes to create captivating outdoor content.Have you ever wondered what makes a great fishing guide? It's not just about catching fish—it's about people skills and creating unforgettable experiences. Jay recounts valuable lessons from his guiding days, highlighting the importance of adapting to different guest expectations and the mental game involved. From learning not to out-fish his guests to understanding the diverse needs of those seeking relaxation or adventure, Jay's insights offer a fresh perspective on the art of guiding. We also discuss the evolution of guiding techniques and how young guides at Nordic Lodge are redefining guest interactions.Join us as we explore the origins of Uncle Mark's Outpost and the unique DIY fishing adventures it offers on Lake of the Woods. Jay shares the logistics, challenges, and creative techniques behind producing high-quality fishing content, providing a glimpse into the meticulous planning required. We also touch on the collaborative efforts with tourism agencies and lodges that elevate these adventures. 

A few months ago, I was invited to be a guest on a podcast hosted by my guest this time, Will Polston. I told Will at the time, of course, that I would be happy to appear, but that I also wanted to have him as a guest on Unstoppable Mindset. And here we are. Will started his career as a broker. Actually, he always wanted to make lots of money. As a child, long before he became a broker, he was living out his entrepreneur life selling things as a child. He was successful. He was successful as a broker as well, but he felt that something was missing in his life. It wasn't until he attended a Tony Robins event in England that he realized that there really was more to life than money. Will changed direction after the Robins event. For several years now Will has dedicated his life to helping others transform their lives. Will tells us all about his journey in this episode and along the way he offers good insights and thoughts about adopting a mindset that offers a better and less fearful existence. About the Guest: Will Polston is a best-selling author, entrepreneur and one of the UK's leading business strategists & performance coaches. Will works with ambitious people, rapidly transforming their lives by empowering them to solve their biggest challenges and holding them accountable on their journey towards their dream life. Wills achieved “traditional success” with a career as a broker, despite this he found himself feeling unfulfilled. It was only when a surprising turn of events led him to a personal development seminar, that he finally gained the clarity that deep down, his belief that “money equals happiness” was not true and what he really wanted to do was empower others to achieve their dreams. From that day onwards Will has dedicated his life to studying the art and science of behavioural change and performance coaching. Using a powerful combination of techniques across multiple disciplines, Will helps give people a unique insight into their behaviour, providing proven strategies that transform their lives. In 2023 Will's first book was released ‘North Star Thinking: Master Your Mindset and Live a Life You Love' and became a #1 Amazon best seller. As an entrepreneur himself, Will understands the struggles and challenges, highs and lows of being in business. His humble approach and unique coaching style puts everything on the table, making people feel comfortable digging deep into the depth of their vulnerabilities. Not only is he a Certified Master Coach, NLP Master Practitioner, Member of the International Coach Federation, and International Speaker but he's spoken at TEDx, blogged for The Huffington Post, been a finalist for ‘Coach of the Year' at the Association of Professional Coaches, Trainers, and Consultants, been awarded the prestigious ‘Expert Coach of Excellence' accreditation, been a finalist for ‘Best Business Enabler' at The National Entrepreneur Awards two years in a row and won the ‘Best Business Enabler' awards at the Business Champion Awards in 2023. Whatever you want to achieve in life or business, Will really understands what it takes to help you master your mindset and live a life you love. Ways to connect with Wallace: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willpolston/ Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/will.polston Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/willpolstonmih/ Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/makeithappencommunity/ Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/c/WillPolstonMakeItHappen TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEHlSiFxmBI&t Website: willpolston.com Podcast: https://link.chtbl.com/mihwwp Book: http://northstarthinking.com/ About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson ** 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us.   Michael Hingson ** 01:21 Well, hi, wherever you happen to be, and welcome to unstoppable mindset. Today, we are going to have a chance to chat with someone that I met a little while ago, because he runs a podcast and invited me to come on, which we did, and it'll be out in the in a fairly short time. He is Will Polston, and will is a best selling author, an entrepreneur and a leading business strategist and coach in the United Kingdom. So we're really wow, that's a lot, a lot of things to live up to, so I got to be careful in what I say. But anyway, will welcome to unstoppable mindset. We're glad you're here.   Will Polston ** 02:07 Thank you for having me. I'm grateful to be here. Well,   Michael Hingson ** 02:12 I look forward to having a lot of fun. Why don't we start as I love to do? Why don't you tell me something about the early will, growing up and all that? Wow, the I know that that could take an hour, right?   Will Polston ** 02:25 We've got a long time. Yeah, something I've never said on a podcast, and I think this is really interesting, was that many years ago. So when I was a real when I was really young, I that we, there's a TV program that's over here called Fireman Sam, and I always wanted to be a finance when I was, like, four or five years old, I was forever dressed up in a fireman's outfit. Then I got a little bit older, and then I wanted to be an architect and and then I went on to be a paperboy. And I see why. I thought that was really interesting when I first realized that was because fireman was about fireman. It was about helping people. An architect was about designing things, and being a paperboy, was sharing information, and now I work as a coach. I think it's a combination of all those things. I help people design that design their life. I help them and I share information so but no, the that's kind of the that's something that was the case for me years ago. But there's an extended version, I suppose of what actually happened, which led me to to do what I do now, which, if you want me to share, I'm happy to, but,   Michael Hingson ** 03:25 Oh, you're welcome to.   Will Polston ** 03:27 So the short version is I grew up with a belief that money would happiness, and I went off on a tangent to make as much money as I could, as early as I could. And then it was and I become pretty good at that. And then it was 11 years ago I have what I call my lightning moment where I realized my real driver was nothing to do with money. Never really about money. It would too what to do with my dad and how my dad hadn't achieved certain things he was capable of, and the impact that had on him and my mum and me and my family, and I vowed I don't want anyone else to have to go through the pain that he went through, and we went through as a result, and from that moment on, I've just been obsessed with anything to do with human awareness, human potential, human potential and human behavior, to enable people to do exactly that, achieve what it is they're capable of, and benefit not only them, but their family, their friends, their community, society, humanity and the universe, which as a result of having an unstoppable   Michael Hingson ** 04:22 mindset, when you talk about the pain that he had, what what do you mean by that?   Will Polston ** 04:29 So the slightly more detailed version is my dad worked in London, and he hated his job, so he would get up at five o'clock in the morning, come home at seven, eight o'clock at night, and he'd bring the stress and frustration of work home with him. And I don't know if people listening to this can relate to this, but he had so much tension that when he would walk into the house, he could physically feel it. He was in it, okay? Head of it, head of it for a stock brokerage. And, yeah, that was a. And yeah, stressful for him back then, but I've always got two very wealthy uncles, one's a billionaire, one's a multi millionaire. And dad always used to say they just got lucky. That was his excuse. They got lucky. They got lucky. And what's interesting is, is even back then, I was at 1011, years old, I used to think that's all. I can't believe it's just luck. And even now, I don't believe in luck, but yeah, he used to say that. And one day I came home from school, and my dad had to quit his job to set up a business with one of my uncles. But that, long story short, that never got started. My dad fell into a depression, slept in a separate room. My mom curtain shut all day, didn't leave the house. All the stereotypical stuff, and what I observed as a 10 year old. 11 year old was there was Uncle Mark. He was a billionaire. He was really happy. My Uncle Steve, he was a multi millionaire. He was really happy. Then there was my dad, when he worked in London, all right, he was stressed and whatnot, but he had money. And there was now he had to work for months on end. He had no money and and that was what I witnessed. I witnessed the depression, the feelings of depression, the stress and all of that. That was the pain, essentially.   Michael Hingson ** 06:05 What? Why did he hate his job?   Will Polston ** 06:09 Well, I think it's, it's an interesting one, isn't it? What? Whether it was he hate where he hated it or not, whether he just didn't have the skills to handle the stress. So I think that for a lot of people, why is you can look at some one person doing one thing, and it's so easy for them and so difficult for somebody else, and they get stressed, yeah, yeah. I think it's having a skill set to be able to do what was required. Maybe it's that, but he likes computers. He's always liked computers, but maybe it was just not in the way we've been done.   Michael Hingson ** 06:51 Yeah, now, is he still with us? Yeah, is he working now or   Will Polston ** 06:58 he's working now? And yeah, he's, he's probably happier than he's ever been. I was gonna ask that, yeah, yeah, in a much better place.   Michael Hingson ** 07:05 What does he do now?   Will Polston ** 07:07 He's involved with architectural glazing, of all things. So he, he basically prints these stickers that go on windows that are required in construction, so that people don't walk into glass doors and whatnot.   Michael Hingson ** 07:24 Well, that won't help me, but that's okay. But well, you know, so obviously all that had an impact on you. And so what? What was it that finally made you realize that, well, one you didn't want to live that that kind of life, but that you really recognized that there's a whole lot more to life than than money, and there is something to be said for having peace of mind.   Will Polston ** 07:55 Well, what happened is, there's a chat that you may have heard of called Tony Robbins. He's from your side of the pond, and I was at one of his events, and he shared what's known as the Thanksgiving story, and it was like the perfect metaphor for my life. And it made me realize, wow, if, if that experience was able to shape that man that is in that man being Tony, to do everything he's done and the way he's helped people, then maybe that's, that's what it is for me too, you know, it's, it's that it's that catalyst to change and do things, and that was that moment.   Michael Hingson ** 08:30 So up until that time, what were you doing? So, yeah, I assume you went to college and so on.   Will Polston ** 08:36 No, not at all. No. I mean, I was just obsessed with making money, frankly, because we didn't have money, so I did anything that we could do to make money. So I was even when I was 1211, years old, I was buying stuff off the internet and selling it at school, and buying sweets and selling at school and and then i was running multiple paper rounds. And then I wanted to I was really when I was making lots of money as a teenager, I got quite into fashion, and I was buying clothes and whatnot. And then I decided, well, actually, what I want to do is own, my own designer clothes shop. So that was kind of what I thought I wanted to do. From about 14 years old, started working in a designer clothes shop, and this, this was sort of real high end designer clothes. And after a while, I thought, I mean, I own my own shop. And then I kind of had a moment where I realized actually that probably wouldn't be possible for me. I need to do something else. Now, a lot of the clientele of this shop basically fit into one of four categories. They were either professional footballers, property developers, stock brokers or drug dealers. So I just thought, right, well, I need to become one of them. I need to become one of them for what one can it be? And the first one I ruled out was being a professional footballer, because I'm rubbish at football. I'd play rugby all my life, but never football. The second one I ruled out was being a property developer because I didn't have loads of money to. Sell up properties, I was left with two options, become a stockbroker or or become a drug dealer. And to I would imagine, to my mother's delight, I didn't choose the drug dealer option, and I decided to start working in in financial services and and did that for many years. And what happened was, because at the time, my belief was money called happiness, the I was doing whatever I could to try and make more money. And that's where I stumbled across personal development. The more personal development I did, the more money I made. And that went on for some years, until I ended up at the Tony Robbins event. And that was when I had the, what I call my lightning moment,   Michael Hingson ** 10:41 what, what got you to go to the Tony Robbins event? Because that certainly is a whole lot different than the mindset that you clearly had been living with.   Will Polston ** 10:50 It was a friend, actually, a friend said to me, I'm thinking of going along to this event with this, this big American guy called Tony Robbins. Would you be up for coming? And I sort of checked him out, checked out few videos, and said, Sure, I'm up for that. That looks like that'll be looks like that'll be good.   Michael Hingson ** 11:07 And so you went, and the world changed,   Will Polston ** 11:11 yeah, and life was never the same again.   Michael Hingson ** 11:13 So what did you do?   Will Polston ** 11:17 Well, so this, this is where the story unfolds. So I did eventually leave the city and I set up a renewable energy business. So I set up that renewable energy business, we were growing rapidly. I mean, we went from a standing start to 85 staff within 18 months, growing, growing, growth, growing. I mean, government changed legislation, and it pretty much killed that business overnight. And it was when I was away on holiday. So I took the holiday with my ex girlfriend, girlfriend at the time, and just to have a bit of a break and work out what we were going to do next and what was going to happen. And it was when I was away on a holiday. It was a funny sort of event. So I'm a big believer that there are no coincidences, only for synchronicities. And my girlfriend, at the time, she was a dentist or dental nurse, should I say, and she's like, well, we're going to go on holiday. You need to go and get your teeth cleaned by the hygienist. So we went to the hygienist, and unfortunately, she clipped my gum with the tool that she was using, and it got infected two days before the holiday. She said, Well, I'm really sorry. You need to go on these particular antibiotics, and you're not going to be able to drink alcohol. Now I don't drink alcohol. Now I haven't drunk alcohol for coming up to probably six years. But back then, I was a big drinker. I was a big ginger drinker and and I was like, I can't believe you, I'm about to go to the land of tequila. We were going to Mexico, and I'm not going to I'm not going to be able to drink. This is crazy. So we ended up going on holiday, and I didn't drink, but we went to this, this, this night time entertainment venue called Coco bongos. And it's kind of like a cross between a circus, a West End Show and a musical, all mixed in together. There's midget sprying from the ceiling and drag ax and all sorts of stuff going on. And my girlfriend, at the time, was throwing back tequila like it was nobody's business anyway, early hours of the morning, I carry her over my shoulder, I put her to bed, and I wake up in the morning and she's got her head down the toilet and will. I can't go out in the pool, so I said, Well, look, my holiday, I haven't drunk a holiday. I'm definitely going to the pool. And I went to the pool with a book, and the book that I went with was a book called The Hero by Rhonda, Byrne. Anyway, I'm reading through the book, and it gets to a particular part of the book where Rhonda talks about a guy called masting Kip. Masting Kip used to have a like, maybe he still does have a website called the daily love and he used to post, uh, motivational quotes on Twitter every day. And one day he got retweeted by Kim Kardashian. And then he went from 1000 followers to 10,000 followers overnight. And I just started crying, because in that moment, what happened, Michael was I realized that I'd left London because I didn't want to chase the money I'd set up this year in your will and your business, and then all I was still doing was chasing the money. And the thing what I really wanted to do, the thing that was in my heart, was helping people in the form of coaching them and working with them in some capacity like that. And I kept saying, well, I'll do it when I'm successful. When I'm successful, I call it when men syndrome, you know, people get so caught up with when this happens, then I'll do that. And and I just decided what I need to do is just come home and start. And I can start by putting a motivational quote on Twitter every day and on social media. So I did. I started putting a motivational quote on Twitter and on Facebook and the platforms. I did one every day for a week. And I thought, will you idiot. Some people don't go on social media in the morning. You should put one in the afternoon as well. So I did that. A week after that, I set up my own website. A week after that, I wrote my first blog. Three months after that, I had 10,000 strong social media followings, so I. A very long winded way of sort of sharing how I then made that transition from leaving London and then ended up finally pursuing what it was that I wanted   Michael Hingson ** 15:08 to do. And how long ago was that? Nine years. Okay, so you you finally really got to the point where you didn't worry as much about money, which, which certainly was a challenge to get to, but, but you you thought about it and, and I guess one of the questions that I have is, what, what made you really think about the fact that money didn't need to be the only thing that drove you. Did you do a lot of introspection in your life at night? Or did you think about it? Or did did it just sort of happen? Or what   Will Polston ** 15:50 it was that it was the moment, it was the driver at the Tony Robbins event. So that lightning moment, as I referred to it, it just opened everything up. And I was like, No, my drive for money was actually linked to the fact that my dad didn't do certain things and we couldn't do certain things. So I thought, well, rather than me trying to just treat the symptom, which is just to pay for the things that dad couldn't sort for us, what about if he had been empowered? What if there'd been somebody that could have given him the mindset that he so that he could have done work that he loved. What if somebody gave him an abundance mindset so he didn't live in scarcity? What if there was somebody that could have been there for him so that he could have learned to handle his anger and it not impact the family in the way that it did? So everything that I do really now is kind of aimed at trying to help people that were once like my dad. What   Michael Hingson ** 16:47 happened along the way that caused you to really go into to coaching as such? What What made you think about that as what you wanted to do, as opposed to thinking about the fact that you're only successful if you make money, and that that spiral just wasn't going anywhere. Well, if I, if I make more, if I do this, then I'll be successful. And what? What caused you to really well, I guess the Tony Robbins thing caused you to change that. But what made you decide to go into coaching, and how does that equate with the idea of success that you had?   Will Polston ** 17:27 So in the moment, the Tony Robbins moment, I just instantly thought, No, my what I want to do is I want to I want to become the world's best life coach. That's what I said back then. But actually I then realized later on, I that that's what I said, but that's not what I meant. What I actually meant was that I just wanted to work with lots of people and lots of people and help them achieve their potential, so that that was what it was about. And I then saw, because I was literally standing in front of the guy, that, well, he's doing this. This is what he does for a living. So essentially, I modeled him and then I went on and trained in a whole array of different different mediums and modalities and and one of the things that I'd realized in my whole life that enabled me to have a sort of a decent amount of success, financial success, even at a young age as a teenager, was what I'd been doing my Whole life without knowing what it was called, was modeling other people. So I was essentially modeling Tony. I saw what he was doing. I saw that he could help he'd help me, and I wanted to look at doing things in a similar way. And that was what, yeah, what that came from.   Michael Hingson ** 18:38 And we've ever come to the conclusion, though, that ultimately you can model people only so much or so long, and that ultimately you have to to do what, what you do, and maybe then people will will, although that's not a desire, necessarily, but then people will model you   Will Polston ** 18:54 absolutely. Yeah, I believe that every single one of us on this planet, or 8 billion of us, or however many it is, have a completely unique fingerprint. Our fingerprints completely unique. But what also is that's completely unique to us as individuals is our own genius, and our own genius is derived from our values. And every single person the planet has a completely unique set of values, and they're unique in the sense that of the hierarchy that they're in. And it's it's from this when, when we live in alignment with our values, we operate from inspiration, versus when we operate from somebody else's values, we operate and we require motivation. And one of the ways that I'll know if people are living their values with somebody else's from the language they're using, so if they use, using. So if they're using language like I need to, I ought to. I should. I have to. It's an indication they live in somebody else's values. When they're saying things that I love to, I desire, I choose to, they're living their own values. And if you take the word inspiration, inspiration in spirit, what's another word for spirit? Energy? You're in your energy, and a lot of people think they burn out because they're working too hard. They don't they burn out because they're living somebody else's values. And that's now what I do myself, and what I help people do is identify what is their own unique hierarchy of values so they can live that and turn that into a mission that then becomes what I call their North Star, that they live and work towards every single day, that enables them to wake up every day and feel more fulfilled and grow and contribute in the areas that are most meaningful to them.   Michael Hingson ** 20:34 So you are. You have written a book. I have indeed, if you would tell us about that   Will Polston ** 20:41 absolutely, always   Michael Hingson ** 20:42 good to write a book. I say   Will Polston ** 20:45 the book's called North Star thinking, master your mindset and live a life you love.   Michael Hingson ** 20:52 Wow. What a title. Thank you. And so is it? Is it published? Is it out? It's   Will Polston ** 21:00 out. It's out. It's available. We get it in on Amazon and Waterstones, Barnes and Noble. It's on Audible as well, so it can be listened to on Spotify Premium, yeah, so pretty much anywhere where you you would normally get your books.   Michael Hingson ** 21:18 So what? How long has it been out?   Will Polston ** 21:21 It came out last year. Okay,   Michael Hingson ** 21:24 so what was the inspiration for writing it? What? What caused you to decide that you wanted to write a book to share your knowledge that way? Well,   Will Polston ** 21:33 there's a there's a few things, I suppose. One of them was, it was a book that I read that that was the, the first personal development book that I ever read, which was such a great catalyst for me, and I thought, well, there's a lot of stuff that I've done, and there's one of the things Michael that I've tried to do over the years is I've learned and consumed a huge amount of different resources and modalities, and I've got my own spin on things. One of the things that I try and do is take complex stuff and simplify it. So I took a range of different things, and there's four main pillars to the book. So Northside thinking is about essentially getting people to have a mission in life. That's the equivalent of trying to empty the sea with a spoon. It's a mission in life that you continue to work towards, that you're fulfilled, that fulfills you every single day you're working towards it, but the essence of the book is sort of North Star thinking, which is all around goal, setting and purpose. Then it's around master your time, which is around essentially well time. Then there's cultivating an attitude of gratitude and evolving your thinking, so using your thinking to gain different perspectives and the smart way to do that, and then finally, habit creation. So they're the four main pillars of the book, and I think that the most people, if they can nail those four things, they've got the clarity of where they're going. They're taking the intelligent action in the sense that they are mastering their time. They're evolving their thinking, and they're doing things not just in terms of action, actual external action, but internal action. And then finally, they're creating the habits that create the lasting change then then that puts a lot of people in good split.   Michael Hingson ** 23:14 Why do you call it North Star thinking?   Will Polston ** 23:17 Well, there's a famous story you've probably heard of. It involves a baby born in a stable a couple of 1000 years ago, and there were three men, supposedly wise, all carrying presents. And they they followed the North Star, and they followed the North Star, and they found this baby. Now, when I was reflecting on that story, I thought, well, that's really interesting. They never actually went to the North Star, or at least they didn't in the story that I heard. And it dawned on me that these the in their story, they use the North Star they got to their goal. But so many people in life, what happens is they they fall into what I call when, then syndrome, as I mentioned before, which is they set their sights on a goal, they achieve the goal, and then they just set another goal, and then they might achieve that goal, and then they achieve that. So they set another goal and they achieve that. And after they've done that four or five times, if they're short term goals, they find themselves actually becoming really quite unfulfilled. Like, wow, they keep doing all these short term goals, and I'm just unfulfilled. It's because they're generally attached a feeling of happiness or fulfillment or accomplishment to having got the goal. But the problem is, is that whenever you set a goal, if you've got that way of thinking all the time that the goal hasn't been achieved, then you're perceived to you're perceiving that you're not where you want to be, as opposed to so you so most people are focusing on the gap rather than the gain of the progress that they're making. So this way, it enables people to over, sort of stop that way of short term thinking. I think of it like a pinball, you know, they're from one side of the table to the left, never really progressing forward. And then they can just, they can. Focus on this overarching piece, and it enables people to become a lot more fulfilled and energized and accomplished as a result.   Michael Hingson ** 25:09 Well, yeah, and you know, there, there is nothing wrong with setting goals and achieving a goal and going on. But you also kind of have to look at the overall Where do you want to, where do you want to end up at some point? And maybe you don't, what do you what do you think about that? Do you really want to have an ultimate goal? And you short goals to get there, or is that going too far?   Will Polston ** 25:35 Absolutely. That's the whole part of the process. So I call that a component the North Star trajectory. So we start with where we are. We create the ultimate goal. That's the guiding light, and then we just reverse engineer that 10, year five, year 20. Year 10, year five, year three, year one, year 90, day 30 day we break the whole thing down. But of course, if you can imagine it, it's it's far wiser. If you're here now and the North Stars directly in front of you, it's far wiser to go in a dead straight line? Now, look, I'm a realist. It's never a dead straight line. But if you jump in an aircraft to fly from London to New York or from New York to London, the pilot knows where he's going. He's going to set a trajectory. Now, sure, he may have to alter because of the wind, the weather, the flock of birds, or whatever it is that's coming towards them, but they're still going to follow that trajectory. Rather than go, Hey, we're just going to take off south of London, and then we're just going to kind of make it up as we go along. That's not going to be very good in terms of fuel efficiency. It's going to take far longer to get there. It can actually be lot more dangerous, because you might end up being somewhere where you run out of fuel, or run out of energy and you can't carry on. So it's far wiser to do exactly what you've said, which is kind of know where you're going long term, but then break that down so you've got the milestones to work towards.   Michael Hingson ** 26:53 You talk about aligning your decisions with values and purpose. I'm assuming you do that in the book. And what, what does alvat really mean when you talk about aligning your your decisions? I'm assuming in part, that that means that you do have values. You do have the things that you are made up from, and you really need to make your decisions go along with those, or you change your values and purpose? Yeah,   Will Polston ** 27:27 yeah, absolutely. So it's about congruence. You know, it's about congruence. So for example, if somebody's goal is, I'm just going to use a very apt one at this time of year, if somebody's goal is that they want to lose weight, and they want to lose weight and they want to get fitter, then a decision and action in terms of what they want to eat, if that's their goal and that's what they really want, then it's probably not going to be best that they have McDonald's breakfast for breakfast, they have Burger King for lunch and and Domino's pizza for dinner, that making those food decisions would be, one would argue, would be incongruent with somebody's health and fitness goals if they were to eat lat every day, if their goal is that they want to lose weight body fat and get fitter over The course of a four to six week period,   Michael Hingson ** 28:23 I was watching something on the news. I think just last week over here, we have Costco. Do you have Costco in London? We do, yeah. And somebody went into Costco and spent a whole week only eating Costco hot dog meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and actually lost a little bit of weight, but he only did it for a week. Was inexpensive, but yeah, I gotta believe that that's not something I would want to do. Yeah, for sure, there is something to be said for trying to align your eating habits with giving you the maximum amount of energy and eating healthy. But people do strange things sometimes, you know, it got him on the news. So, whatever. Well, well, what about you know, you so your idea of success has changed over time. What do you define success as today? What does it mean to be successful?   Will Polston ** 29:18 Well, it's a really great question, and I've even contemplated even changing that in recent weeks, because so I will say that for me, my definition of success is people being doing and having what they desire. You know that for me, and of course, success is subjective, so people being doing and having what they desire is completely unique to them. But then I was re listening to something called The Strangest Secret by old Nightingale a couple of weeks ago. I've listened to it many, many times before, but it shared his definition of success, which I really, really like, which is success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal, and that that I really like, and I think it's very aligned. With the whole concept of more Star thinking, because if somebody is, somebody is a success because they're doing the work. So rather than having the end part, which is the having in be do and have they are doing the work. And I really like that, because when we're when we're taking on work, whatever that might be, whether it's health goals, relationship goals, business goals, financial goals, is that compounding can can often have a big impact. Now, Albert Einstein called compounding the eighth wonder of the world, and there's a huge amount of work that has to go into building the foundation. You look at houses that get built, you know, if you've got a new house that's being built for six months, there might look like it's just a building site, but there's all of the infrastructure that's going in, the sewage and the the water pipes and all those things. And then one day, all of a sudden, almost out of nowhere, you're going six months, nine months of it looking like a building site, look like they're not doing anything, and then the space of, like, three days, three weeks, a whole house has been built. Well, it all been happening the whole time, but it just looked slower, and then you only see the end goal part, and that, that's the thing, I think, is really important. There's so many people in today's day and age due to, I guess, social media having an impact, and so many of us want an instant gratification is that they get frustrated with the process, and it's so it's easier now than ever to compare your Chapter Two to somebody else's chapter 20, and that's what happens so often.   Michael Hingson ** 31:37 Yeah, and it's so interesting to hear people talk about success, and to just ask people about it, and they talk about, well, I gotta make a lot of money. I've got to be independently wealthy, and things like that. And I admit some of that would be nice, but it's not the ultimate thing that's going to make me happy, at least, I think, for me, and I think about the things that you've been saying for the last half hour, I grew up wanting to teach, and I always thought I wanted to be a teacher, and then along the way, I got very interested in science, so I wanted to be a physics teacher. Well, as things settled down and progressed, I ended up not being a physics teacher. But I do believe that in a lot of ways, there's no question that, that I get the opportunity to teach as a salesperson. For many years, I learned from the Dale Carnegie sales course that the best salespeople are really counselors. They're teachers. They guide people to look at products. And I'm not above telling somebody that a product I'm selling may not fit their specific need, but if I'm honest enough to do that, I believe that comes back to affect me in a very positive way. And there are several instances where I and my staff would tell people our product isn't going to work for you, but then later we get a call from the company saying, you know, we really like what you had to say. We've got another project, and we really appreciate all you taught us. We know your product will work. Just give us price, and we'll order it right today. I'm not sure that'll happen today in the world where we're so stuck in doing things by committee, but it works 20 years ago, 25 years ago?   Will Polston ** 33:23 Yeah, yeah. I think there's, there's a there's a lot to be said. I mean, sales, when I think, let's face it, sales, there's nothing that's ever really been accomplished at great scale without salespeople. And yeah, salespeople get a bad rap in a lot of instances, but if they've got integrity, then then they can do a lot of good for a lot of people.   Michael Hingson ** 33:51 Yeah, well, there is the other side of it, and sometimes salespeople deserve a bad rap for what they do and they don't really understand the true science and art that sales is and what it gives you the opportunity to do. But when, when it's done well, and it's done right, it really will make, and does make a big difference in the lives of so many people, because you provide what it is that somebody needs. And you know, you do that, and that's a wonderful tribute to accomplishment, which is also part of success. Yeah, you get paid and all that, and that's great, but there's a whole lot more to it than just money. Yeah, for sure, I do like money. I think there's a lot of merit to having that. That's okay. But by the same token, it's not the only thing in the world, but it's part of what we have to deal with. So you talk about resilience, tell me a little bit more about your thoughts about resilience, and how that plays into the book and and how it plays into you and your life. So   Will Polston ** 34:57 I have a an. An interesting stance on resilience. So first of all, I think that anybody that has an ability to go through tough times, when, when they when they have to resilience is a phenomenal attribute to have. I really, really do. My concern that I see now is that people are aware of resilience, almost like a badge. And it's a bit like, busy, you know, people were busy like a badge. I'm so busy, like thinking it's a good thing. They're proud of it. Or I'm so resilient, you know, I've handled this and this and this, and it's the whole like, what would you rather? Would you rather work smarter? Would you rather work hard? Would you rather not have to be resilient because you were wise enough to overcome the challenge before it happened? Now knowing me wrong, having certain skill sets to be resilient is so important. I've had some really challenging times in my life, but I'm a big believer that if something is chronically happening, so it's happening and over and over and over again, and you're constantly having to find yourself being resilient if it's the same problem showing up, then let's just treat the cause so the symptoms go so you don't have to be resilient in if it's if it's the same problem coming up over and over again. But yeah, look, I think resilience is a combination of a mindset. I also think it's a combination of a skill set that enables people to deal with various things. And a huge amount of that mindset is down to perspective, whether somebody believes that something is happening to them, either the victim, or whether they believe it's happening for them. And I think that the moment you change your perspective on life, that this life isn't happening to me. It's happening for me, and it's not in the way, it's on the way that can completely alter your life by having that perspective, and in the same way that the moment you change your I've got twos to I get to life changes. It does. There are people, there are people today that haven't had the privilege of experiencing today because they didn't wake up this morning. Yet. There's still people that have woken up and went, Oh, I've got to go to work today. Oh, I've got to do this. But there are people that would have done anything to have had today to be able to do that. And I think sometimes we all get can get carried away with, with not, not sort of maximizing the things that we can get grateful for, especially the privileges that we have on a daily basis. I   Michael Hingson ** 37:37 have had jobs in my life that I didn't really like for one reason or another, and when things got to the point where it seemed like it was intolerable, then I had to make some choices and decisions about whether to stay or go find another job, which could be difficult for blind people, especially because the unemployment rate is so high, because People think we can't work, but I would very have been very blessed to be able to find jobs, but I think that's in part because my choice was to live life and get to live life and not have to live life, which is what you're saying. And so when there got to be enough of a challenge, then my job was to go deal with it. And I think that's part of the whole issue of resilience. We really get ourselves locked into a mindset so much as a as a people, that we don't look for options, we don't look for opportunities, and sometimes we don't look for the good parts of a job that we have.   Will Polston ** 38:44 Yeah, absolutely, yeah, absolutely.   Michael Hingson ** 38:46 And that's that's also part of what we have to do. And I think that we all can make life better for ourselves. I remember after September 11 and everything that happened that day, within a very short time, like just a few days, we were getting a lot of requests for interviews, and my wife and I talked about it, and she said, Do you really want to do these interviews? And I said, here's my thought, if I can help people move on from September 11, if I can teach people about blindness and guide dogs, and if I can help people see, maybe things in a different sense, then maybe it's worth doing. And we agreed, and it had to be both of us agreeing that we would do that. And then people started calling and saying, Would you come and talk to us? And as I love to tell people, I made the decision that selling computer hardware wasn't nearly as much fun and wasn't as rewarding as selling life and philosophy. And I and I think that now, what 22 and a half years later, I still believe that, I think that it's so very important that we, we. Look at outlooks, and I've I've learned a lot. I've got to the opportunity with this podcast to learn so much in talking to people. It's such a blessing to hear from so many people and be able to synthesize all the things that they say. It's really a lot of fun. Yeah, absolutely you know that firsthand. Absolutely I do. Indeed. I'm sorry I   Will Polston ** 40:23 do indeed. Yeah.   Michael Hingson ** 40:25 Tell me your thoughts about self respect, reflection and introspection and so on. You know, from my perspective, I think it's important that we take time every day to do that. Tell me what your thoughts are about that   Will Polston ** 40:38 I can. Couldn't agree more. I couldn't agree more. I have a practice that I use on a daily basis, and old journal. So old journal what time I wake up, I'll journal how I feel when I wake up, and anything obvious that I might think of why I feel that way. So if I've woken up like a really groggy it's like, Well, it's because you went to bed late last night, or you'd eaten loads of sugar, or whatever it might be. Then I'll write out 10 things I'm grateful for, and what I do when I'm doing the 10 things I'm grateful I actually think of the previous 24 hours, and I look from a couple of each of these areas. So I think of the people that I'm grateful for, and I think of the experiences that I had. Then I think of my belongings. What belongings am I grateful for? Example, my I'm grateful for my laptop because it enabled me to do this interview with you, Michael, as an example. Then I think of the these. These are the two areas are the big ones, which is expectations and privileges. So what my expectations? Well, I had an expectation that the internet was going to work today for me to be able to do this interview, but I'm glad that it worked a privilege that I've got, a privilege that I've got today. Right now, as I sit in this house, it's warm, you know, I've got heating. I'm privileged. There are people right now that are sleeping out on the streets. There are people that have not got heating. So, yeah, there's a whole array of different things that I look at and reflect on daily basis to keep me focused on what's going well. Because no matter what's going on in my day, no matter how bad it is, there are always at least 10 things that I can find to be able to count my blessings, that count my blessings and where focus goes, energy flows. So I'm constantly giving myself the reinforcement that there's some great stuff going on to keep me in a great state and keep that level of perspective. So   Michael Hingson ** 42:29 you know, you you bring up things like the fact that there are people in the world who are cold, who don't have a lot of heat, and so on, but you also know that you alone aren't going to solve all those problems, and but I assume that you think about it and it kind of kind of weighs on you. How do you how do you really address that, because you can't solve everybody's problems? What? What do you do without sounding cold, if you will, or unfeeling, to deal with that?   Will Polston ** 43:01 Um, there's, there's a great story. And it was a man who was walking along a beach. I'm going to paraphrase it slightly, but he was walking along a beach, and as he was walking down the beach, he saw a small there was, he saw a small boy, and as he got closer, he saw the small boy was was throwing starfish back into the sea, and there were hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of these starfish all washed up on the ocean. And the man said to the little boy, what are you doing? He said, Well, I'm throwing the starfish back in the sea. Said, there's so many of them, you can't make a difference. And he picked up another starfish and he threw it into the scene. Said, Well, I made a difference to that one. And I think that people in general are doing the best they can with the resources they have. And yeah, sure, there's lots of things I would love to be able to do more of, but when I sit back and I reflect at the end of the day, did I do the best I could with the resources I had? And if I can honestly answer yes to that, then I'm okay with that.   Michael Hingson ** 44:09 And that's the real key. Is that, are you doing the best that you can do? And if you think about that every day, and then you think about, what else can I do to make the best better, if anything. And you can either say, Well, I can do this, or I really am doing the best that I can do. That's as good as it gets. But the key is to really look at it and to think about it and to consciously make that decision, which is something that all too often we just don't do. Collectively, we don't really take that step back, or too many of us don't, don't take that step back. How do we teach people to be more introspective in their lives? A   Will Polston ** 44:50 daily reflection exercise, I think, is a good one. Just even asking that question, Did I do the best I can with the resources I had today? And. And I also think, I mean, this is, this is really getting on my soapbox, is that I think a huge part of this comes down to how we've been conditioned from schooling, because we are graded in school on achievement, not effort. So for example, if you had an a star student that gets a B because they didn't put any effort in. But then you have a D grade student who does everything they can, and they get to they may get a D. Why is the person that got a B still classes better? Quote, unquote. So I think that if we condition people on effort, and we train people and educated people on the effort that they put in, then even asking that simple question, did I do everything I could? Was there any more that I possibly could have done? If the answer is yes, then great, do that thing. If the answer is no, then great, be at peace with whatever the outcome is. And   Michael Hingson ** 45:56 that's really it. And we each have to answer that for ourselves. I love to say, I used to say I'm my own worst critic when I always love to talk about the fact that when I give a speech, I record it and I go listen to it. And I used to say, I do that because I'm my own worst critic. And I realized last year, actually wrong way to put it, wrong way to think about it. And I've realized that the best thing for me to say is I'm my own best teacher, because ultimately, only I can teach me to do stuff, but it's so much more positive. And it also makes it a lot easier to go listen to the speeches and so on that I record, because I know that if there's something to learn, I'll pick it up. Absolutely,   Will Polston ** 46:36 yeah, for sure. And also, I would argue that a critique generally is going to look at the what the negative stuff is, but a teacher is going to acknowledge the things that work well and the things that could be improved. So that's that subtle nuance can make such a difference.   Michael Hingson ** 46:54 Yeah, we often just talk about failure, and I, I'm not of the opinion that failure is a good word anyway, I do think that failure is an opportunity to do better. Alright, so it didn't go right today. Why? And what do we do to address it in the future? Not it's a failure. I screwed up, and that's all there is to it. Yeah. Does that make sense?   Will Polston ** 47:20 Yeah? Yeah, yeah, absolutely, yeah. Failure definitely is. Well, the biggest thing with failure is that people make it an identity, don't they rather, okay, yeah, I failed. It didn't work out. What I've learned and, and, but people, they found, they go, Well, I have that failure with too much powerful words the English language I am yet, what I think people are better to do is sort of think more like a scientist. Because what a scientist do? They do experiments and they go, right, well, I've experimented with this. I don't go, Oh no, my experiment failed. They go, Oh, that's interesting. That one didn't work. Let's try this this time. Yeah, so if we took more of a scientific approach and it was everything as an experiment, then we would look at it in a very different line.   Michael Hingson ** 48:08 And the experiment didn't necessarily fail. It well, it didn't fail. It really is an issue of what went wrong in terms of what were my assumptions? What do I need to change? Absolutely,   Will Polston ** 48:21 it's the whole famous Thomas Edison quote, isn't it? I I've never failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that didn't work, or whatever, whatever it is,   Michael Hingson ** 48:30 right? You were talking before about how people just always do the same thing over and over again, which goes back to Einstein's, if we believe that definition of insanity, which is you expect something different, even though you do the same thing every time. Yeah, and it just isn't that way. We have to hold more than anything else, it seems to me, we have to hold ourselves accountable for what we do, and we should always deal with accountability. I've been a great believer in teamwork, and even in a team where you have a number of people, it's the greatest value if the team members feel empowered to be able to hold each other accountable for whatever their commitments are, whatever they contribute to the team. There's nothing wrong with accountability. Yeah, absolutely, yeah and and especially within ourselves, we need to hold ourselves accountable to ourselves, and we need to define that and think about it so that we do the right things to improve.   49:36 Completely agree.   Michael Hingson ** 49:39 So how have you approached, especially since you started being an entrepreneur and a coach and so on. How do you approach the whole idea of goal setting and what people should do for creating goals?   Will Polston ** 49:50 So I believe that the most effective thing that people can do is they create their North Star, which is identifying this mission in life. That's the equivalent of from empty the spoon is the one. Thing they drive towards, strive towards, every single day. Then they reverse engineer it so 20, year 10, year five, year three, year one, year 90, day 30, day goals. So then they've got that full milestone that, for me, is what I found to be the most effective way of doing it that gives people clarity and confidence and what it is that they're working towards.   Michael Hingson ** 50:22 Well, yeah, goal setting is such a ubiquitous, ambiguous thing sometimes, well, I gotta set different goals. Well, really, what does that really mean? And all too often, again, we really don't understand what the nature of goal setting is about, and it is   Will Polston ** 50:44 go ahead. I can say, ultimately, any goal that anyone ever sets is to do one thing, change the way they feel. That's it. Ultimately, any goal is about people wanting to change the way they feel. Now, what's great is that you have an ability to really do that in any given moment. But that's the first thing. The second thing was that one of the most amazing things about setting goals, well, set goals is the person you become as a result of working towards it.   Michael Hingson ** 51:23 Interesting way to put it, and i i By that, I accept that, because ultimately, when you set a goal and you achieve it, there, there are feelings that go along with it. There are things that affect you, and that's the way it should be. How about self limiting beliefs? We all often limit our own selves because we think we can't do something or that this is impossible to do. But you know, self limiting beliefs, it seems to me, is is a whole concept that we need to to address and change our own thinking about because it is, it is what limits us, it is what holds us back all too often, absolutely,   Will Polston ** 52:09 yeah, um, well, first of all, a belief is just a feeling of certainty about what something means. And if you take the word belief, you know there's another big word that sits inside it, which is lie, and most beliefs are liars. And what's happened is that people have created the reinforcement to a belief which is their their way, their their evidence, if you like, of why that belief is so. And what it sometimes takes is a different perspective to see that that isn't the case. So the way that we do that is by introducing doubt. And that's the beauty of working with a coach when you've got these beliefs. Because some people don't even realize that they're limiting them. They don't see it. They physically can't see it in the same way that, I think of like the fish doesn't see the water. They're just in the water. And it's the same when it when it comes to these things. So you can't see the whole picture when you're in the frame. And one of the the key metrics of identifying well, have I got limiting beliefs and whatnot? Is a from Yes, the language you use. But also, are we actually achieving what it is that we want to be achieving, what it is that we want to be working towards? So if we're not, and we're coming up with all the reasons or excuses as to why that isn't done, then that's a way of uncovering what some of those limiting beliefs are as well.   Michael Hingson ** 53:29 Yeah, and I had never actually heard that, but I love it. Belief has lie in it, and that makes a lot of sense. And we we need to always examine our beliefs and our perceptions. I know I talk a lot to various people about blindness, and the society we live in has such limiting beliefs about what a blind person can and can't do, and that results, in large part, to the unemployment rate of between 65 and 70% of employable blind people in this country because not that they are not able to or that they're unable to do things, but people think they are. And so we never get the opportunity when we have to ourselves push through that. And it does start with us to recognize all right, so I don't see, but the problem is that sighted people do see, and then there are a lot of challenges with eyesight. But you know, the the bottom line is that we we shouldn't buy into the beliefs that that tend to try to limit us. Either,   Will Polston ** 54:40 absolutely not   Michael Hingson ** 54:42 you. You talk about gratitude, and I think that's an extremely important thing. I believe we all ought to be a whole lot more grateful and live a life of gratitude. Tell me more about that.   Will Polston ** 54:55 Yeah. So for me, gratitude is something that most of us have been brought. Up, and when you think of the word, what's the word gratitude that people associate most of the time, well, they're going to say thank you. You know, you guys on the other side of the pond, you of course, have Thanksgiving every year, an opportunity to give thanks. But where most people get gratitude wrong is they only ever think about being grateful for what's going well, they don't find the blessings when things aren't going so obviously, the famous Yin Yang symbol. So you got the little black.in the white side and the white.in the black side. And it's about creating balance and seeing that in any given moment no matter what's happening. It's perfect, but it's having an ability to see the divine perfection in any given moment, no matter how bad we may perceive it in the initial stages. And that's the part where gratitude really becomes powerful, because most people, they live in a state of either moving away from something out of desperation or moving towards something in sorts of pain or pleasure. You know, it's that's kind of how they're operating. And both of those are essentially lower forms of lower level living. Essentially you're moving pain and pleasure. Pain and Pleasure is born out of the amygdala, the reptilian part of the brain, whereas what we can do is we can use our higher level thinking. We can use our prefrontal cortex, which is the thinking part of the brain, where we can create perspective, where we can choose to see a different side, and that can bring us back into balance. And that's that's really where, that's really where we can find gratitude. In fact, there's a part of the brain called the corpus callosum. It sits in between the left and right hand it right and left hand hemispheres of the brain, and what they do is they balance out the brain the left and right hand hemispheres. Now the when it's doing that, and it's creating that balance in the brain, it's it's creating equilibrium. And the Latin translation of Corpus Callison means human tough, and that's what gratitude does. It enables you to become a tough human when you can see the good and the bad and the bad and the good. Because let's face it, nothing is good and nothing is bad. Nothing is hot, nothing is cold, nothing is positive and nothing is negative. It's all a matter of perspective, and when we can choose to see that, we can completely alter how we feel about any situation, no matter how bad.   Michael Hingson ** 57:32 What do you teach people about dealing with fear? Fear is something that's all around us, and everybody talks so much about being afraid, and I know a lot of that has to do with not stepping out of or stepping out of your comfort zone and being afraid to do it. But tell me a little bit about fear and your thoughts about that.   Will Polston ** 57:51 Yeah, look, let's face it, fear is there to serve a purpose, and I don't think fear is all bad. You know, so many people put fear in this category is, oh, you should never be fear. You should net. You should be completely fearless, and whatever, sometimes fear is there to serve us. You know, otherwise we would have it, would have we would evolved out of it, and we haven't, because fear is basically what's kept the human race alive for however many 1000s of years. So I don't think fear is all bad, but I do think we're wise to question it from time to time. And there will be times when we are fearing things because we again, we're in our amygdala. We're not using the rational part of the brain to think. And that that a lot of that can come down to people getting caught up in the possibility of something. So I talk about the distinction between possibility and probability. And a lot of people might get fearful, because they fear something that could possibly happen. Well, yeah, it might possibly happen, but there's a big difference between the possibility of it happening the probability of it happening and and when you make that distinction, you open them, you open your mind up to be able to look at other things. And   Michael Hingson ** 59:06 usually what we're afraid of that might happen doesn't, and when it doesn't, and that's the big problem, is that we create a lot of our own fears. And the fact is, I think we can learn to control fear and use fear in the very positive sense that you just talked about, because all too often we just let fear, as I put it, blind us or paralyze us, and we can't decide we can't move forward. But the reality is, we can learn to move forward and use that fear in a very positive way, if we would absolutely so it's it is part of the challenge that we face. But I believe that the fear is something that that God gave us, that we need to learn to use and not fear, which goes back to Franklin Roosevelt. The only thing we have to fear is fear itself. What a very profound statement i.   Will Polston ** 1:00:00 Yeah, absolutely.   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:01 Well, I want to thank you for being here. We've been doing this an hour. Can you believe   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:05 it? Wow, time flies when you're having fun. I know this   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:09 has been great, and I really appreciate you being here with us. And I want to thank you for it all. Um, if people want to reach out and contact you and maybe use your coaching services and so one, how do they do that?   Will Polston ** 1:00:23 I mean, if you Google me or look on social media anywhere, Will Polston, that's, that's kind of the best place. You know, on Google or social media anywhere, feel free, please, please do reach out if you found this. Because   Michael Hingson ** 1:00:32 Will Palston, Will Polston is spelled   Will Polston ** 1:00:36 W,

Send us a textEver wondered how chaotic and amusing it can get with a wife and an ex-wife on the same podcast? This episode is packed with laughter and awkward moments as Amanda, Jams, Brayden, and Denny navigate through playful banter, personal quirks, and even some technical difficulties. You'll hear us tackle societal norms like not wearing white after Labor Day and light-heartedly tease Brayden about his relationship status. Jams shares her upcoming Labor Day plans, and the familial chaos and camaraderie will keep you entertained from start to finish.The fun continues with a lively "Put a Finger Down" challenge that takes an amusing turn as we confess our mischievous pasts, from spending money that wasn't ours to attending uninvited parties. One highlight is Uncle Mark's memorable bubble bath incident, which sparks laughter and candid discussions about our wild childhood antics and personal revelations. We wrap this segment with a blend of humor and introspection that will keep you engaged and chuckling.And if you think that's all, wait till you hear our random conversations about relationship challenges, pet peeves, and quirky personal preferences. From debating pronunciation to discussing the pros and cons of nude beaches, the topics are as diverse as they are entertaining. We also dive into the joys and frustrations of working with youth sports and even vent about inappropriate clothing in extreme heat. With plenty of laughs, surprises, and genuine camaraderie, this episode is a rollercoaster ride you won't want to miss!

Blending Our Lives.by T. Foxal. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.Chapter 20.The next morning I was awakened by a beautiful sensation on my hardened shaft. Carrie was licking and sucking me. When my hand caressed her face, she popped off of it and looked at me. “I couldn't help it Babe. It was so hard and wanting attention. Lay back and enjoy.”I smiled at her and said, “You know, if you are quiet, I too, could be licking and sucking something as you do that.” She smiled and moved so we could 69. As her damp panty clad cunt came down to me, my fingers moved the fabric to the side and I began enjoying her sexy slit.It wasn't long before Carrie's body stiffened and she began to cum. I have no idea how she kept from yelling out, like she usually does, but she managed. I was already close when she started cumming, and that just helped me along, because about a minute later I was ejaculating into her mouth, which she somehow kept in and swallowed. After taking one last lick, she came off of me and moved so we could kiss. It was a very passionate kiss, that we both could taste our handy work. After kissing, she looked at me and said, “Good Morning Honey. I like this new mouthwash we use.”, then giggled softly.After resting a bit, I had to get up and pee. Carrie just snuggled back under the covers and smiled at me. It was only 6:30 in the morning, but I was up now. I told her I needed some coffee. She said that I should make two cups and bring one back for her. I looked down at her and said, “You getting used to this morning service young lady?” “You betcha Baby.” then directed me to where the coffee pods were for her Keurig.As I entered the kitchen, lo and behold, Chief was sitting at the table, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. I didn't even think that the paper was even delivered anymore. I red the news online. “Morning Chief” He looked up and said, “Morning Mark.” Good sign I thought. At least he didn't call me Shitbird, or any other name.I got my coffee and started to get Carrie her's. John cleared his throat and told me to take a seat. “So Mark. Tell me what's up with my little girl. I know they found some spot on one of her ovaries.”“Trust me John. That's about all I know. It took some prying to get that out of her. Hell, she was going to send me packing because of this. No way would I walk away from her, especially with something like that. But, I think it is just a cyst, that time and some meds will take care of.”He just stared then said, “Mark. Honestly, I am an overprotective father, and grandfather. I just want only the best for my two girls. I know you and I like you. You have always been a man about things and someone I can trust, unlike that fuck knuckle she was married too. I never trusted that guy from the first day I met him. I know from just looking at Carrie, she is in love with you, and judging how you look at her, the same is true for you. All I ask, is don't play games with her. Either be all in, or all out. I don't want her hurt again. As for her cyst, or whatever it is, I'm sure it is nothing. Connie has had those in the past.”“Sir. And I mean sir as respect as her father. We both know that we had to call officers sir, but we both know they couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag, with a knife and directions on where to cut. But John, truthfully, this is the real deal for us and me. I have never let a woman into my life before. I saw too much when I was in. How they were in love but deployment after deployment, took a toll on those marriages and most ended in divorce, so I never got into that situation. But your daughter has my heart and soul now and I will do anything for her.”He chuckled then said, “Well, I am not complaining. I've seen the same as you. I got real lucky with Connie. We have been together almost 43 years now, married 42 of them. She is the love of my life. Best thing that ever happened to me. How she endured all of my deployments, I'll never know. But I never took her for granted. Every time I was gone, I hurt inside, but I'd never show you assholes that side of me. I made sure when I was home, that she, and Carrie were the only things important to me. And I always acted like we were dating. We had date night a couple times a week. I don't mean sex either. Taking her to dinner, or a movie, or anything that she had an interest in. You do that, and you'll have a very happy home life. And, the sex is great too, even to this day.”“Yeah Chief, Really? Last night?” I said and laughed. He just chuckled and told me “Hey. When she wants it, who am I to deny her”, then laughed again.“Deny Who?” we both heard, and there, standing near us was Carrie. She walked over and behind her dad. Put her arms around him and kissed his head. “Morning Daddy. So who weren't you denying.”“Nothing Princess. Some things you don't need to know.” then laughed. She looked at me and said, “Glad I wasn't dying of thirst Honey” then shot me a glare. “Sorry Babe. But your dad wanted to speak with me. Here, let me get yours now.”, then laughed. Her dad then chimed in, “Christ Carrie, you broke him already. 20 years in the Marines and never broke the man, and you do it in two weeks.”“Mwah? Not me. But you know those Gyrene's, they sometimes need direction. They're not as cool as us Navy people.” then laughed, which made us all laugh. I was glad to see her sense of humor back, and the twinkle in her eye.We were gone most of the day. There was a huge craft show at this one park they we stayed at for most of the afternoon. I did learn that John got into woodworking as a hobby now. He said he always wanted to do that, but being away so long, he never found the time. At one point, I found myself with Connie, while Carrie was with her dad, looking at something a few booths down from us.“Mark. I am so happy you came into Carrie's life. I have never seen her this alive before, except when she took in Jenny. I know that you are worried about her, with whatever this growth is. As I told her last night, it is probably nothing, but a simple cyst. I have had 4 in my lifetime, and they always go away. The specialist will know better on Tuesday. I bet they don't even do an exploratory on her. Her lab results will tell the tale. Her doctor should have eased her mind some, but some reason didn't. Just be there for her, no matter what. That's all I ask.”I told her I would. After a bit we headed to this little Italian place her parents knew of, for dinner. John picked up this tab, although I was willing too, but he told me my money was no good tonight. I did invite them to join us the next day at my sister's, but Connie said they already had made plans to spend the day with Jenny and Alan.After dinner we headed back to Carrie's. I stated I needed to go home and get some clothes. Carrie offered to go with me. But I told her stay and enjoy her time with her parents. I wouldn't be long. Just needed to shave and shower and get some more clothes. I was back within an hour. We stayed up some and chatted more, then we all retired to bed. After the I love you's, Carrie said she wished we were alone right now, and that she needed me inside her. I just held her close and told her soon Baby, soon.Chapter 21.We left for my sister's around noon. The get together was to start at 1pm, but I wanted to see Ann before any others arrived. I knew she would just love Carrie, there was no question in my mind. She'd probably love any woman who could tie me down. Ann and my brother in law have been married 18 years. They have two kids, Kyle, who will turn 16 in November, and Katie, who turned 14 yesterday. They have a very nice and modern house, which they moved into a few years back.Ann met us at the door, when we pulled into the drive. She is 41, same as Carrie, and stands 5'6, 130 pounds. She has dirty blond hair, and blue eyes. She is a spit fire too. Never afraid to speak her mind and tell you like it is. She has tried, unsuccessfully, to fix me up with a multitude of her friends or single neighbors. Nothing ever came to pass with them. A few became sex buddy's, but that was it. None ever made my heart beat fast, or my stomach tighten up in a knot, like Carrie does.After the introductions were made, and a few cracks about how Carrie somehow managed to corral me in, the girls went off to the kitchen, while Brad, Kyle and I went to the family room to watch some football. Eventually, my uncle and aunt showed up, along with 2 of their kids and grandkids. Also was some of my sister's neighbors and friends too. Two of which I had dated, but nothing was ever said around Carrie. At one point, Ann got me alone and said, “I love that woman. She is so right for you. You better not fuck this up little brother.”We stayed until after eating and cake was served, and presents opened. I did not what to get a 14 year old, so I went the safe way and got her a card with $100 visa gift card. She loved that. I signed the card from Uncle Mark and Carrie. When she gave me a hug and a kiss, she whispered in my ear, “I like her Unc. I hope she will be my aunt one day.” I just smiled at her, knowing full well that was my plan too.Carrie's parents left Tuesday morning, to visit, and stay with Connie's sister Bev. Connie did tell me to call her if there was anything wrong, after the doctor visit. I did not stay Monday night at Carrie's. I figure they all needed a break from me. Of course Carrie really did not like that, but I thought it best. We've laid a lot on her parents by being together as a couple and actually sleeping together.I went with Carrie to the doctor's office and sat with her in the waiting room. The whole time, I held her hand and at times, felt as though she was crushing mine, because she was so nervous. Once she was called, I stayed in the waiting room. About forty minutes later, a nurse called for me to come with her. She led me to an office that had Carrie and the doctor.I looked at Carrie and she was smiling. The doctor introduced himself to me, and I did the same. He then looked over some papers, then looked at Carrie.“Ms. Reynolds, you can rest assured that you do not have any tumor, benign, or cancerous. It is what we call a functional cyst. It is a sack that usually contains an egg, then releases that egg during your monthly cycle. The sack normally then goes away. Well this one did not, as of yet. They sometimes don't, which is what has happened to you. It may take a few weeks, but it will go away, and when you come back in three weeks, if it hasn't, we'll give you some medication that will help with that process. Otherwise, you are very healthy. If you have stopped having intimate relations, like many women do at this time, you are very safe to resume, and did not need to stop in the first place. I only say this, because that is the first question I am usually asked.” he said with a slight chuckle.As we were driving home, Carrie was all smiles. This was a huge relief for her, and me too. Maybe our lives could get back on track, after this slight derailment. I asked her if she was hungry, but she said no. She just wanted to get home.After arriving, she excused herself and went upstairs. Lord knows what she was doing, but I finally heard heard coming down the stairs. When I looked up, there she stood, with this white lace Baby doll outfit on. You talk about sexy looking. “Oh My Sweetie. You look absolutely beautiful and very sexy”“Thank you Honey. I feel absolutely sexy right now and I need you to make love to me all afternoon.”She grabbed my hand and led me upstairs to her bed. I did not waste any time in disrobing. My cock was as hard as a rock, before my boxers hit the floor. As I stripped, Carrie got on the bed and lay there, with her legs spread wide, inviting me to take her. Her white thong barely covered her moist sex, and the top did not hide the excitement she felt , with her nipples already hard as pebbles on her beautiful tits.I kneeled between her legs and slipped my fingers under her thongs waistband and gently tugged them down and off of her body. Her labia was glistening in the afternoon sunlight, filtering through the window. I leaned in and blew on her sex, which elicited a moan from her. Then lightly licked her swollen lips. “Later Baby. I need you inside me now” she softly said.I rubbed my head all over her soaking wet slit and then slowly inserted the head. “Oh Gawd” she moaned out. I slowly inched my way into her inner being, which was so soft, and so hot. “God. You feel so good Carrie.”My mouth lowered to her chest, as I sucked in one fabric cover tit. She arched her back some, like she was giving me her tit. I then sucked the other one, which made her moan so loud. Then I moved up and started kissing her. Her legs wrapped around me and we made slow, and very passionate love to one another. Neither of could hold back though. We were like teenagers doing it for the first time, and erupted in orgasm. I shot first. As I was shooting my love juice deep inside her, Carrie crushed me with her legs as this set her off on her own orgasm. Her nails dug into my back, but neither of us cared. My grip around her neck was tight as well. I felt like I hadn't cum in ages. As we settled down, we lay in each other’s arms, panting from our euphoric bliss.I was still inside her, and surprisingly, still hard as well. I gently rolled us over, so she was now on top. Our lips still together. Our tongues exploring every inch of tongue. I loved her kisses, but best of all, I loved her more than ever. She sat up on me and looked down at me, smiling. Then slowly removed her teddy from her body, exposing her beautiful tits to me.“My God. You are so beautiful Carrie. You can stay her all day like this.” I told her. She smiled then said, “I had all intentions of doing this all day.” then she started to giggle. I asked what was so funny.“Last night, after we went to bed, I was laying here missing the hell out of you by the way, but I had to endure another night of my parents going at it. You have no idea how horny that made me.” she exclaimed. I asked, “Did you take care of that?”She sort of blushed, then laughed and said, “Yeah. I did. All I could think of was you, making love to me. This sure beats my fingers, or any toy I have.”I chuckled and said, “Wish I could have watched that. That would be so sexy to see.”“Maybe one day I will let you watch. But right now, Fuck me Babe. Fuck me so good”Later that evening, after napping and then showering together, we headed out to dinner at a local bar and grill. Afterwards, I brought her over to my house for the first time.She was in awe of it, just coming down the driveway. The house is big. It is 4 bedroom, Victorian style farm house. It was, at one time, 5 bedrooms. But my grandfather combined two bedrooms into one and made a new master bath in one portion of it. Otherwise, it only had one bathroom.When we entered the house and I turned on the lights, Carrie sort of gasped. I asked what was wrong, but she just smiled and said, “I'm waiting for June Cleaver to come out of the kitchen with her pearls and high heels on. God Mark, this is so 60's looking.”“I know, but it serves it purpose for me, at this time. I do plan on buying furniture, just never got around to doing it. Ann bitches at me all the time. Come on with me, while I gather some clothes for the morning.”We went upstairs to the master bedroom. When she saw the furniture up there, she really gasped. “Oh My Mark. This stuff is gorgeous. Please don't replace this. This stuff has to be from the 20's. I just love the bed.”“Yeah. Gramps said his father built it.” The bed was a big four poster and had matching dressers and nightstands. It was old, but finely built and well maintained.As I was gathering things, she laid out on the bed. “You know, maybe this weekend, we stay here and let the kids have the condo. I'd love to make love to you right here. Also, pack up some underwear and some shirts and pants, so you can leave them at my place.”“Sounds like a plan to me. Where does Alan live anyways?” I asked“He actually lives with his mom. Close by campus. She is divorced for years now. I am actually pretty friends with her. We have gone out for drinks a few times and have had dinners at each other's places. She just adores Jenny, which makes it a whole lot nicer.”After a few more minutes, we left and went back to Carrie's. Of course we made love again that night, and early the next morning, before she had to leave for work. This arrangement worked out quite well for us.Chapter 22.By Thanksgiving time, we were comfortably into our relationship. Most nights were spent at her place, and most weekends were spent at mine. There wasn't a night we did not spend together. I was hooked on her. I never, in a million years, could believe I could wake up every morning with someone. This felt awesome to me and so special. I loved looking at her while she slept. I also enjoyed just sitting with her at night reading, or just watching TV, then retire to bed. The best part is when she folds herself into me and falls asleep. I love that most.Thanksgiving is time for family. This year though, I was spending dinner with Carrie, Jenny and Alan, and Alan's mom, Brenda. I usually would be at Ann's, but she understood. I did tell Ann we would be over after dinner to visit.Carrie and Brenda did all the cooking. Alan and I set the table, but then retired to the couch to watch some football. Jenny was out with the ladies, so this left only Alan and I alone. As we watched, Alan and I would talk some. He was a nice young man and had his head together. He told he would be graduating in the spring and already had a job lined up. He wanted to work a while before he went for his Masters.Then he looked around to see where the ladies were, and saw they were still very busy in the kitchen. “Mr. Roberts, Mark. I… I want to ask Jenny to marry me this Christmas. Do I ask her mom beforehand?”“Well Alan. To be honest, I think that would be a great idea. Are you absolutely sure of this? This is a huge step in your life?” He smiled and said, “Oh yeah. I have never been sure of anything like this. I love her so much and can't wait to start our lives together.”“Tell you what. You get Carrie alone one day soon and ask her. I'm sure she will give her blessing. But, she's not the one you need the blessing from. You know who that belongs to.” I told him.He chuckled, then said, “Yeah. I kind of had a feeling you would say that. But I don't know when I will ever see them before Christmas. That's not something you ask over the phone.”I laughed, then said back to him. “Oh you are so right there. That old bastard would kill you if you did it like that. When can you get a Friday off in the next couple of weeks?”He shrugged his shoulders, “I guess any Friday. I usually have labs on those days, so no biggie, why?”I shook my head. “Between you and I, and I mean this, you don't say a word to Jenny. I too, plan on asking Carrie to marry me. So pick a Friday. We'll tell our fine ladies we are doing a guy thing that day, which we are. But we'll fly down to Florida, and ask the Chief and Connie in person.”“Oh wow Mark. But I can't afford that. Heck, the ring I want to get is a bit over my budget.”“Don't worry about the flight, I'll handle that. Where did you get the ring, or see it?He smiled and said, “Over at the mall, at Kay Jewelers. It's only a half carat, but one day, I'll get her a bigger one.”“Look, tomorrow, the girls are going shopping with my sister, god help me. So why don't you come with me. A friend of mine is a jeweler and has a lot of nice rings.

Blending Our Lives.by T. Foxal. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.Chapter 20.The next morning I was awakened by a beautiful sensation on my hardened shaft. Carrie was licking and sucking me. When my hand caressed her face, she popped off of it and looked at me. “I couldn't help it Babe. It was so hard and wanting attention. Lay back and enjoy.”I smiled at her and said, “You know, if you are quiet, I too, could be licking and sucking something as you do that.” She smiled and moved so we could 69. As her damp panty clad cunt came down to me, my fingers moved the fabric to the side and I began enjoying her sexy slit.It wasn't long before Carrie's body stiffened and she began to cum. I have no idea how she kept from yelling out, like she usually does, but she managed. I was already close when she started cumming, and that just helped me along, because about a minute later I was ejaculating into her mouth, which she somehow kept in and swallowed. After taking one last lick, she came off of me and moved so we could kiss. It was a very passionate kiss, that we both could taste our handy work. After kissing, she looked at me and said, “Good Morning Honey. I like this new mouthwash we use.”, then giggled softly.After resting a bit, I had to get up and pee. Carrie just snuggled back under the covers and smiled at me. It was only 6:30 in the morning, but I was up now. I told her I needed some coffee. She said that I should make two cups and bring one back for her. I looked down at her and said, “You getting used to this morning service young lady?” “You betcha Baby.” then directed me to where the coffee pods were for her Keurig.As I entered the kitchen, lo and behold, Chief was sitting at the table, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. I didn't even think that the paper was even delivered anymore. I red the news online. “Morning Chief” He looked up and said, “Morning Mark.” Good sign I thought. At least he didn't call me Shitbird, or any other name.I got my coffee and started to get Carrie her's. John cleared his throat and told me to take a seat. “So Mark. Tell me what's up with my little girl. I know they found some spot on one of her ovaries.”“Trust me John. That's about all I know. It took some prying to get that out of her. Hell, she was going to send me packing because of this. No way would I walk away from her, especially with something like that. But, I think it is just a cyst, that time and some meds will take care of.”He just stared then said, “Mark. Honestly, I am an overprotective father, and grandfather. I just want only the best for my two girls. I know you and I like you. You have always been a man about things and someone I can trust, unlike that fuck knuckle she was married too. I never trusted that guy from the first day I met him. I know from just looking at Carrie, she is in love with you, and judging how you look at her, the same is true for you. All I ask, is don't play games with her. Either be all in, or all out. I don't want her hurt again. As for her cyst, or whatever it is, I'm sure it is nothing. Connie has had those in the past.”“Sir. And I mean sir as respect as her father. We both know that we had to call officers sir, but we both know they couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag, with a knife and directions on where to cut. But John, truthfully, this is the real deal for us and me. I have never let a woman into my life before. I saw too much when I was in. How they were in love but deployment after deployment, took a toll on those marriages and most ended in divorce, so I never got into that situation. But your daughter has my heart and soul now and I will do anything for her.”He chuckled then said, “Well, I am not complaining. I've seen the same as you. I got real lucky with Connie. We have been together almost 43 years now, married 42 of them. She is the love of my life. Best thing that ever happened to me. How she endured all of my deployments, I'll never know. But I never took her for granted. Every time I was gone, I hurt inside, but I'd never show you assholes that side of me. I made sure when I was home, that she, and Carrie were the only things important to me. And I always acted like we were dating. We had date night a couple times a week. I don't mean sex either. Taking her to dinner, or a movie, or anything that she had an interest in. You do that, and you'll have a very happy home life. And, the sex is great too, even to this day.”“Yeah Chief, Really? Last night?” I said and laughed. He just chuckled and told me “Hey. When she wants it, who am I to deny her”, then laughed again.“Deny Who?” we both heard, and there, standing near us was Carrie. She walked over and behind her dad. Put her arms around him and kissed his head. “Morning Daddy. So who weren't you denying.”“Nothing Princess. Some things you don't need to know.” then laughed. She looked at me and said, “Glad I wasn't dying of thirst Honey” then shot me a glare. “Sorry Babe. But your dad wanted to speak with me. Here, let me get yours now.”, then laughed. Her dad then chimed in, “Christ Carrie, you broke him already. 20 years in the Marines and never broke the man, and you do it in two weeks.”“Mwah? Not me. But you know those Gyrene's, they sometimes need direction. They're not as cool as us Navy people.” then laughed, which made us all laugh. I was glad to see her sense of humor back, and the twinkle in her eye.We were gone most of the day. There was a huge craft show at this one park they we stayed at for most of the afternoon. I did learn that John got into woodworking as a hobby now. He said he always wanted to do that, but being away so long, he never found the time. At one point, I found myself with Connie, while Carrie was with her dad, looking at something a few booths down from us.“Mark. I am so happy you came into Carrie's life. I have never seen her this alive before, except when she took in Jenny. I know that you are worried about her, with whatever this growth is. As I told her last night, it is probably nothing, but a simple cyst. I have had 4 in my lifetime, and they always go away. The specialist will know better on Tuesday. I bet they don't even do an exploratory on her. Her lab results will tell the tale. Her doctor should have eased her mind some, but some reason didn't. Just be there for her, no matter what. That's all I ask.”I told her I would. After a bit we headed to this little Italian place her parents knew of, for dinner. John picked up this tab, although I was willing too, but he told me my money was no good tonight. I did invite them to join us the next day at my sister's, but Connie said they already had made plans to spend the day with Jenny and Alan.After dinner we headed back to Carrie's. I stated I needed to go home and get some clothes. Carrie offered to go with me. But I told her stay and enjoy her time with her parents. I wouldn't be long. Just needed to shave and shower and get some more clothes. I was back within an hour. We stayed up some and chatted more, then we all retired to bed. After the I love you's, Carrie said she wished we were alone right now, and that she needed me inside her. I just held her close and told her soon Baby, soon.Chapter 21.We left for my sister's around noon. The get together was to start at 1pm, but I wanted to see Ann before any others arrived. I knew she would just love Carrie, there was no question in my mind. She'd probably love any woman who could tie me down. Ann and my brother in law have been married 18 years. They have two kids, Kyle, who will turn 16 in November, and Katie, who turned 14 yesterday. They have a very nice and modern house, which they moved into a few years back.Ann met us at the door, when we pulled into the drive. She is 41, same as Carrie, and stands 5'6, 130 pounds. She has dirty blond hair, and blue eyes. She is a spit fire too. Never afraid to speak her mind and tell you like it is. She has tried, unsuccessfully, to fix me up with a multitude of her friends or single neighbors. Nothing ever came to pass with them. A few became sex buddy's, but that was it. None ever made my heart beat fast, or my stomach tighten up in a knot, like Carrie does.After the introductions were made, and a few cracks about how Carrie somehow managed to corral me in, the girls went off to the kitchen, while Brad, Kyle and I went to the family room to watch some football. Eventually, my uncle and aunt showed up, along with 2 of their kids and grandkids. Also was some of my sister's neighbors and friends too. Two of which I had dated, but nothing was ever said around Carrie. At one point, Ann got me alone and said, “I love that woman. She is so right for you. You better not fuck this up little brother.”We stayed until after eating and cake was served, and presents opened. I did not what to get a 14 year old, so I went the safe way and got her a card with $100 visa gift card. She loved that. I signed the card from Uncle Mark and Carrie. When she gave me a hug and a kiss, she whispered in my ear, “I like her Unc. I hope she will be my aunt one day.” I just smiled at her, knowing full well that was my plan too.Carrie's parents left Tuesday morning, to visit, and stay with Connie's sister Bev. Connie did tell me to call her if there was anything wrong, after the doctor visit. I did not stay Monday night at Carrie's. I figure they all needed a break from me. Of course Carrie really did not like that, but I thought it best. We've laid a lot on her parents by being together as a couple and actually sleeping together.I went with Carrie to the doctor's office and sat with her in the waiting room. The whole time, I held her hand and at times, felt as though she was crushing mine, because she was so nervous. Once she was called, I stayed in the waiting room. About forty minutes later, a nurse called for me to come with her. She led me to an office that had Carrie and the doctor.I looked at Carrie and she was smiling. The doctor introduced himself to me, and I did the same. He then looked over some papers, then looked at Carrie.“Ms. Reynolds, you can rest assured that you do not have any tumor, benign, or cancerous. It is what we call a functional cyst. It is a sack that usually contains an egg, then releases that egg during your monthly cycle. The sack normally then goes away. Well this one did not, as of yet. They sometimes don't, which is what has happened to you. It may take a few weeks, but it will go away, and when you come back in three weeks, if it hasn't, we'll give you some medication that will help with that process. Otherwise, you are very healthy. If you have stopped having intimate relations, like many women do at this time, you are very safe to resume, and did not need to stop in the first place. I only say this, because that is the first question I am usually asked.” he said with a slight chuckle.As we were driving home, Carrie was all smiles. This was a huge relief for her, and me too. Maybe our lives could get back on track, after this slight derailment. I asked her if she was hungry, but she said no. She just wanted to get home.After arriving, she excused herself and went upstairs. Lord knows what she was doing, but I finally heard heard coming down the stairs. When I looked up, there she stood, with this white lace Baby doll outfit on. You talk about sexy looking. “Oh My Sweetie. You look absolutely beautiful and very sexy”“Thank you Honey. I feel absolutely sexy right now and I need you to make love to me all afternoon.”She grabbed my hand and led me upstairs to her bed. I did not waste any time in disrobing. My cock was as hard as a rock, before my boxers hit the floor. As I stripped, Carrie got on the bed and lay there, with her legs spread wide, inviting me to take her. Her white thong barely covered her moist sex, and the top did not hide the excitement she felt , with her nipples already hard as pebbles on her beautiful tits.I kneeled between her legs and slipped my fingers under her thongs waistband and gently tugged them down and off of her body. Her labia was glistening in the afternoon sunlight, filtering through the window. I leaned in and blew on her sex, which elicited a moan from her. Then lightly licked her swollen lips. “Later Baby. I need you inside me now” she softly said.I rubbed my head all over her soaking wet slit and then slowly inserted the head. “Oh Gawd” she moaned out. I slowly inched my way into her inner being, which was so soft, and so hot. “God. You feel so good Carrie.”My mouth lowered to her chest, as I sucked in one fabric cover tit. She arched her back some, like she was giving me her tit. I then sucked the other one, which made her moan so loud. Then I moved up and started kissing her. Her legs wrapped around me and we made slow, and very passionate love to one another. Neither of could hold back though. We were like teenagers doing it for the first time, and erupted in orgasm. I shot first. As I was shooting my love juice deep inside her, Carrie crushed me with her legs as this set her off on her own orgasm. Her nails dug into my back, but neither of us cared. My grip around her neck was tight as well. I felt like I hadn't cum in ages. As we settled down, we lay in each other’s arms, panting from our euphoric bliss.I was still inside her, and surprisingly, still hard as well. I gently rolled us over, so she was now on top. Our lips still together. Our tongues exploring every inch of tongue. I loved her kisses, but best of all, I loved her more than ever. She sat up on me and looked down at me, smiling. Then slowly removed her teddy from her body, exposing her beautiful tits to me.“My God. You are so beautiful Carrie. You can stay her all day like this.” I told her. She smiled then said, “I had all intentions of doing this all day.” then she started to giggle. I asked what was so funny.“Last night, after we went to bed, I was laying here missing the hell out of you by the way, but I had to endure another night of my parents going at it. You have no idea how horny that made me.” she exclaimed. I asked, “Did you take care of that?”She sort of blushed, then laughed and said, “Yeah. I did. All I could think of was you, making love to me. This sure beats my fingers, or any toy I have.”I chuckled and said, “Wish I could have watched that. That would be so sexy to see.”“Maybe one day I will let you watch. But right now, Fuck me Babe. Fuck me so good”Later that evening, after napping and then showering together, we headed out to dinner at a local bar and grill. Afterwards, I brought her over to my house for the first time.She was in awe of it, just coming down the driveway. The house is big. It is 4 bedroom, Victorian style farm house. It was, at one time, 5 bedrooms. But my grandfather combined two bedrooms into one and made a new master bath in one portion of it. Otherwise, it only had one bathroom.When we entered the house and I turned on the lights, Carrie sort of gasped. I asked what was wrong, but she just smiled and said, “I'm waiting for June Cleaver to come out of the kitchen with her pearls and high heels on. God Mark, this is so 60's looking.”“I know, but it serves it purpose for me, at this time. I do plan on buying furniture, just never got around to doing it. Ann bitches at me all the time. Come on with me, while I gather some clothes for the morning.”We went upstairs to the master bedroom. When she saw the furniture up there, she really gasped. “Oh My Mark. This stuff is gorgeous. Please don't replace this. This stuff has to be from the 20's. I just love the bed.”“Yeah. Gramps said his father built it.” The bed was a big four poster and had matching dressers and nightstands. It was old, but finely built and well maintained.As I was gathering things, she laid out on the bed. “You know, maybe this weekend, we stay here and let the kids have the condo. I'd love to make love to you right here. Also, pack up some underwear and some shirts and pants, so you can leave them at my place.”“Sounds like a plan to me. Where does Alan live anyways?” I asked“He actually lives with his mom. Close by campus. She is divorced for years now. I am actually pretty friends with her. We have gone out for drinks a few times and have had dinners at each other's places. She just adores Jenny, which makes it a whole lot nicer.”After a few more minutes, we left and went back to Carrie's. Of course we made love again that night, and early the next morning, before she had to leave for work. This arrangement worked out quite well for us.Chapter 22.By Thanksgiving time, we were comfortably into our relationship. Most nights were spent at her place, and most weekends were spent at mine. There wasn't a night we did not spend together. I was hooked on her. I never, in a million years, could believe I could wake up every morning with someone. This felt awesome to me and so special. I loved looking at her while she slept. I also enjoyed just sitting with her at night reading, or just watching TV, then retire to bed. The best part is when she folds herself into me and falls asleep. I love that most.Thanksgiving is time for family. This year though, I was spending dinner with Carrie, Jenny and Alan, and Alan's mom, Brenda. I usually would be at Ann's, but she understood. I did tell Ann we would be over after dinner to visit.Carrie and Brenda did all the cooking. Alan and I set the table, but then retired to the couch to watch some football. Jenny was out with the ladies, so this left only Alan and I alone. As we watched, Alan and I would talk some. He was a nice young man and had his head together. He told he would be graduating in the spring and already had a job lined up. He wanted to work a while before he went for his Masters.Then he looked around to see where the ladies were, and saw they were still very busy in the kitchen. “Mr. Roberts, Mark. I… I want to ask Jenny to marry me this Christmas. Do I ask her mom beforehand?”“Well Alan. To be honest, I think that would be a great idea. Are you absolutely sure of this? This is a huge step in your life?” He smiled and said, “Oh yeah. I have never been sure of anything like this. I love her so much and can't wait to start our lives together.”“Tell you what. You get Carrie alone one day soon and ask her. I'm sure she will give her blessing. But, she's not the one you need the blessing from. You know who that belongs to.” I told him.He chuckled, then said, “Yeah. I kind of had a feeling you would say that. But I don't know when I will ever see them before Christmas. That's not something you ask over the phone.”I laughed, then said back to him. “Oh you are so right there. That old bastard would kill you if you did it like that. When can you get a Friday off in the next couple of weeks?”He shrugged his shoulders, “I guess any Friday. I usually have labs on those days, so no biggie, why?”I shook my head. “Between you and I, and I mean this, you don't say a word to Jenny. I too, plan on asking Carrie to marry me. So pick a Friday. We'll tell our fine ladies we are doing a guy thing that day, which we are. But we'll fly down to Florida, and ask the Chief and Connie in person.”“Oh wow Mark. But I can't afford that. Heck, the ring I want to get is a bit over my budget.”“Don't worry about the flight, I'll handle that. Where did you get the ring, or see it?He smiled and said, “Over at the mall, at Kay Jewelers. It's only a half carat, but one day, I'll get her a bigger one.”“Look, tomorrow, the girls are going shopping with my sister, god help me. So why don't you come with me. A friend of mine is a jeweler and has a lot of nice rings.

Blending Our Lives.by T. Foxal. Listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.Chapter 20.The next morning I was awakened by a beautiful sensation on my hardened shaft. Carrie was licking and sucking me. When my hand caressed her face, she popped off of it and looked at me. “I couldn't help it Babe. It was so hard and wanting attention. Lay back and enjoy.”I smiled at her and said, “You know, if you are quiet, I too, could be licking and sucking something as you do that.” She smiled and moved so we could 69. As her damp panty clad cunt came down to me, my fingers moved the fabric to the side and I began enjoying her sexy slit.It wasn't long before Carrie's body stiffened and she began to cum. I have no idea how she kept from yelling out, like she usually does, but she managed. I was already close when she started cumming, and that just helped me along, because about a minute later I was ejaculating into her mouth, which she somehow kept in and swallowed. After taking one last lick, she came off of me and moved so we could kiss. It was a very passionate kiss, that we both could taste our handy work. After kissing, she looked at me and said, “Good Morning Honey. I like this new mouthwash we use.”, then giggled softly.After resting a bit, I had to get up and pee. Carrie just snuggled back under the covers and smiled at me. It was only 6:30 in the morning, but I was up now. I told her I needed some coffee. She said that I should make two cups and bring one back for her. I looked down at her and said, “You getting used to this morning service young lady?” “You betcha Baby.” then directed me to where the coffee pods were for her Keurig.As I entered the kitchen, lo and behold, Chief was sitting at the table, drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. I didn't even think that the paper was even delivered anymore. I red the news online. “Morning Chief” He looked up and said, “Morning Mark.” Good sign I thought. At least he didn't call me Shitbird, or any other name.I got my coffee and started to get Carrie her's. John cleared his throat and told me to take a seat. “So Mark. Tell me what's up with my little girl. I know they found some spot on one of her ovaries.”“Trust me John. That's about all I know. It took some prying to get that out of her. Hell, she was going to send me packing because of this. No way would I walk away from her, especially with something like that. But, I think it is just a cyst, that time and some meds will take care of.”He just stared then said, “Mark. Honestly, I am an overprotective father, and grandfather. I just want only the best for my two girls. I know you and I like you. You have always been a man about things and someone I can trust, unlike that fuck knuckle she was married too. I never trusted that guy from the first day I met him. I know from just looking at Carrie, she is in love with you, and judging how you look at her, the same is true for you. All I ask, is don't play games with her. Either be all in, or all out. I don't want her hurt again. As for her cyst, or whatever it is, I'm sure it is nothing. Connie has had those in the past.”“Sir. And I mean sir as respect as her father. We both know that we had to call officers sir, but we both know they couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag, with a knife and directions on where to cut. But John, truthfully, this is the real deal for us and me. I have never let a woman into my life before. I saw too much when I was in. How they were in love but deployment after deployment, took a toll on those marriages and most ended in divorce, so I never got into that situation. But your daughter has my heart and soul now and I will do anything for her.”He chuckled then said, “Well, I am not complaining. I've seen the same as you. I got real lucky with Connie. We have been together almost 43 years now, married 42 of them. She is the love of my life. Best thing that ever happened to me. How she endured all of my deployments, I'll never know. But I never took her for granted. Every time I was gone, I hurt inside, but I'd never show you assholes that side of me. I made sure when I was home, that she, and Carrie were the only things important to me. And I always acted like we were dating. We had date night a couple times a week. I don't mean sex either. Taking her to dinner, or a movie, or anything that she had an interest in. You do that, and you'll have a very happy home life. And, the sex is great too, even to this day.”“Yeah Chief, Really? Last night?” I said and laughed. He just chuckled and told me “Hey. When she wants it, who am I to deny her”, then laughed again.“Deny Who?” we both heard, and there, standing near us was Carrie. She walked over and behind her dad. Put her arms around him and kissed his head. “Morning Daddy. So who weren't you denying.”“Nothing Princess. Some things you don't need to know.” then laughed. She looked at me and said, “Glad I wasn't dying of thirst Honey” then shot me a glare. “Sorry Babe. But your dad wanted to speak with me. Here, let me get yours now.”, then laughed. Her dad then chimed in, “Christ Carrie, you broke him already. 20 years in the Marines and never broke the man, and you do it in two weeks.”“Mwah? Not me. But you know those Gyrene's, they sometimes need direction. They're not as cool as us Navy people.” then laughed, which made us all laugh. I was glad to see her sense of humor back, and the twinkle in her eye.We were gone most of the day. There was a huge craft show at this one park they we stayed at for most of the afternoon. I did learn that John got into woodworking as a hobby now. He said he always wanted to do that, but being away so long, he never found the time. At one point, I found myself with Connie, while Carrie was with her dad, looking at something a few booths down from us.“Mark. I am so happy you came into Carrie's life. I have never seen her this alive before, except when she took in Jenny. I know that you are worried about her, with whatever this growth is. As I told her last night, it is probably nothing, but a simple cyst. I have had 4 in my lifetime, and they always go away. The specialist will know better on Tuesday. I bet they don't even do an exploratory on her. Her lab results will tell the tale. Her doctor should have eased her mind some, but some reason didn't. Just be there for her, no matter what. That's all I ask.”I told her I would. After a bit we headed to this little Italian place her parents knew of, for dinner. John picked up this tab, although I was willing too, but he told me my money was no good tonight. I did invite them to join us the next day at my sister's, but Connie said they already had made plans to spend the day with Jenny and Alan.After dinner we headed back to Carrie's. I stated I needed to go home and get some clothes. Carrie offered to go with me. But I told her stay and enjoy her time with her parents. I wouldn't be long. Just needed to shave and shower and get some more clothes. I was back within an hour. We stayed up some and chatted more, then we all retired to bed. After the I love you's, Carrie said she wished we were alone right now, and that she needed me inside her. I just held her close and told her soon Baby, soon.Chapter 21.We left for my sister's around noon. The get together was to start at 1pm, but I wanted to see Ann before any others arrived. I knew she would just love Carrie, there was no question in my mind. She'd probably love any woman who could tie me down. Ann and my brother in law have been married 18 years. They have two kids, Kyle, who will turn 16 in November, and Katie, who turned 14 yesterday. They have a very nice and modern house, which they moved into a few years back.Ann met us at the door, when we pulled into the drive. She is 41, same as Carrie, and stands 5'6, 130 pounds. She has dirty blond hair, and blue eyes. She is a spit fire too. Never afraid to speak her mind and tell you like it is. She has tried, unsuccessfully, to fix me up with a multitude of her friends or single neighbors. Nothing ever came to pass with them. A few became sex buddy's, but that was it. None ever made my heart beat fast, or my stomach tighten up in a knot, like Carrie does.After the introductions were made, and a few cracks about how Carrie somehow managed to corral me in, the girls went off to the kitchen, while Brad, Kyle and I went to the family room to watch some football. Eventually, my uncle and aunt showed up, along with 2 of their kids and grandkids. Also was some of my sister's neighbors and friends too. Two of which I had dated, but nothing was ever said around Carrie. At one point, Ann got me alone and said, “I love that woman. She is so right for you. You better not fuck this up little brother.”We stayed until after eating and cake was served, and presents opened. I did not what to get a 14 year old, so I went the safe way and got her a card with $100 visa gift card. She loved that. I signed the card from Uncle Mark and Carrie. When she gave me a hug and a kiss, she whispered in my ear, “I like her Unc. I hope she will be my aunt one day.” I just smiled at her, knowing full well that was my plan too.Carrie's parents left Tuesday morning, to visit, and stay with Connie's sister Bev. Connie did tell me to call her if there was anything wrong, after the doctor visit. I did not stay Monday night at Carrie's. I figure they all needed a break from me. Of course Carrie really did not like that, but I thought it best. We've laid a lot on her parents by being together as a couple and actually sleeping together.I went with Carrie to the doctor's office and sat with her in the waiting room. The whole time, I held her hand and at times, felt as though she was crushing mine, because she was so nervous. Once she was called, I stayed in the waiting room. About forty minutes later, a nurse called for me to come with her. She led me to an office that had Carrie and the doctor.I looked at Carrie and she was smiling. The doctor introduced himself to me, and I did the same. He then looked over some papers, then looked at Carrie.“Ms. Reynolds, you can rest assured that you do not have any tumor, benign, or cancerous. It is what we call a functional cyst. It is a sack that usually contains an egg, then releases that egg during your monthly cycle. The sack normally then goes away. Well this one did not, as of yet. They sometimes don't, which is what has happened to you. It may take a few weeks, but it will go away, and when you come back in three weeks, if it hasn't, we'll give you some medication that will help with that process. Otherwise, you are very healthy. If you have stopped having intimate relations, like many women do at this time, you are very safe to resume, and did not need to stop in the first place. I only say this, because that is the first question I am usually asked.” he said with a slight chuckle.As we were driving home, Carrie was all smiles. This was a huge relief for her, and me too. Maybe our lives could get back on track, after this slight derailment. I asked her if she was hungry, but she said no. She just wanted to get home.After arriving, she excused herself and went upstairs. Lord knows what she was doing, but I finally heard heard coming down the stairs. When I looked up, there she stood, with this white lace Baby doll outfit on. You talk about sexy looking. “Oh My Sweetie. You look absolutely beautiful and very sexy”“Thank you Honey. I feel absolutely sexy right now and I need you to make love to me all afternoon.”She grabbed my hand and led me upstairs to her bed. I did not waste any time in disrobing. My cock was as hard as a rock, before my boxers hit the floor. As I stripped, Carrie got on the bed and lay there, with her legs spread wide, inviting me to take her. Her white thong barely covered her moist sex, and the top did not hide the excitement she felt , with her nipples already hard as pebbles on her beautiful tits.I kneeled between her legs and slipped my fingers under her thongs waistband and gently tugged them down and off of her body. Her labia was glistening in the afternoon sunlight, filtering through the window. I leaned in and blew on her sex, which elicited a moan from her. Then lightly licked her swollen lips. “Later Baby. I need you inside me now” she softly said.I rubbed my head all over her soaking wet slit and then slowly inserted the head. “Oh Gawd” she moaned out. I slowly inched my way into her inner being, which was so soft, and so hot. “God. You feel so good Carrie.”My mouth lowered to her chest, as I sucked in one fabric cover tit. She arched her back some, like she was giving me her tit. I then sucked the other one, which made her moan so loud. Then I moved up and started kissing her. Her legs wrapped around me and we made slow, and very passionate love to one another. Neither of could hold back though. We were like teenagers doing it for the first time, and erupted in orgasm. I shot first. As I was shooting my love juice deep inside her, Carrie crushed me with her legs as this set her off on her own orgasm. Her nails dug into my back, but neither of us cared. My grip around her neck was tight as well. I felt like I hadn't cum in ages. As we settled down, we lay in each other’s arms, panting from our euphoric bliss.I was still inside her, and surprisingly, still hard as well. I gently rolled us over, so she was now on top. Our lips still together. Our tongues exploring every inch of tongue. I loved her kisses, but best of all, I loved her more than ever. She sat up on me and looked down at me, smiling. Then slowly removed her teddy from her body, exposing her beautiful tits to me.“My God. You are so beautiful Carrie. You can stay her all day like this.” I told her. She smiled then said, “I had all intentions of doing this all day.” then she started to giggle. I asked what was so funny.“Last night, after we went to bed, I was laying here missing the hell out of you by the way, but I had to endure another night of my parents going at it. You have no idea how horny that made me.” she exclaimed. I asked, “Did you take care of that?”She sort of blushed, then laughed and said, “Yeah. I did. All I could think of was you, making love to me. This sure beats my fingers, or any toy I have.”I chuckled and said, “Wish I could have watched that. That would be so sexy to see.”“Maybe one day I will let you watch. But right now, Fuck me Babe. Fuck me so good”Later that evening, after napping and then showering together, we headed out to dinner at a local bar and grill. Afterwards, I brought her over to my house for the first time.She was in awe of it, just coming down the driveway. The house is big. It is 4 bedroom, Victorian style farm house. It was, at one time, 5 bedrooms. But my grandfather combined two bedrooms into one and made a new master bath in one portion of it. Otherwise, it only had one bathroom.When we entered the house and I turned on the lights, Carrie sort of gasped. I asked what was wrong, but she just smiled and said, “I'm waiting for June Cleaver to come out of the kitchen with her pearls and high heels on. God Mark, this is so 60's looking.”“I know, but it serves it purpose for me, at this time. I do plan on buying furniture, just never got around to doing it. Ann bitches at me all the time. Come on with me, while I gather some clothes for the morning.”We went upstairs to the master bedroom. When she saw the furniture up there, she really gasped. “Oh My Mark. This stuff is gorgeous. Please don't replace this. This stuff has to be from the 20's. I just love the bed.”“Yeah. Gramps said his father built it.” The bed was a big four poster and had matching dressers and nightstands. It was old, but finely built and well maintained.As I was gathering things, she laid out on the bed. “You know, maybe this weekend, we stay here and let the kids have the condo. I'd love to make love to you right here. Also, pack up some underwear and some shirts and pants, so you can leave them at my place.”“Sounds like a plan to me. Where does Alan live anyways?” I asked“He actually lives with his mom. Close by campus. She is divorced for years now. I am actually pretty friends with her. We have gone out for drinks a few times and have had dinners at each other's places. She just adores Jenny, which makes it a whole lot nicer.”After a few more minutes, we left and went back to Carrie's. Of course we made love again that night, and early the next morning, before she had to leave for work. This arrangement worked out quite well for us.Chapter 22.By Thanksgiving time, we were comfortably into our relationship. Most nights were spent at her place, and most weekends were spent at mine. There wasn't a night we did not spend together. I was hooked on her. I never, in a million years, could believe I could wake up every morning with someone. This felt awesome to me and so special. I loved looking at her while she slept. I also enjoyed just sitting with her at night reading, or just watching TV, then retire to bed. The best part is when she folds herself into me and falls asleep. I love that most.Thanksgiving is time for family. This year though, I was spending dinner with Carrie, Jenny and Alan, and Alan's mom, Brenda. I usually would be at Ann's, but she understood. I did tell Ann we would be over after dinner to visit.Carrie and Brenda did all the cooking. Alan and I set the table, but then retired to the couch to watch some football. Jenny was out with the ladies, so this left only Alan and I alone. As we watched, Alan and I would talk some. He was a nice young man and had his head together. He told he would be graduating in the spring and already had a job lined up. He wanted to work a while before he went for his Masters.Then he looked around to see where the ladies were, and saw they were still very busy in the kitchen. “Mr. Roberts, Mark. I… I want to ask Jenny to marry me this Christmas. Do I ask her mom beforehand?”“Well Alan. To be honest, I think that would be a great idea. Are you absolutely sure of this? This is a huge step in your life?” He smiled and said, “Oh yeah. I have never been sure of anything like this. I love her so much and can't wait to start our lives together.”“Tell you what. You get Carrie alone one day soon and ask her. I'm sure she will give her blessing. But, she's not the one you need the blessing from. You know who that belongs to.” I told him.He chuckled, then said, “Yeah. I kind of had a feeling you would say that. But I don't know when I will ever see them before Christmas. That's not something you ask over the phone.”I laughed, then said back to him. “Oh you are so right there. That old bastard would kill you if you did it like that. When can you get a Friday off in the next couple of weeks?”He shrugged his shoulders, “I guess any Friday. I usually have labs on those days, so no biggie, why?”I shook my head. “Between you and I, and I mean this, you don't say a word to Jenny. I too, plan on asking Carrie to marry me. So pick a Friday. We'll tell our fine ladies we are doing a guy thing that day, which we are. But we'll fly down to Florida, and ask the Chief and Connie in person.”“Oh wow Mark. But I can't afford that. Heck, the ring I want to get is a bit over my budget.”“Don't worry about the flight, I'll handle that. Where did you get the ring, or see it?He smiled and said, “Over at the mall, at Kay Jewelers. It's only a half carat, but one day, I'll get her a bigger one.”“Look, tomorrow, the girls are going shopping with my sister, god help me. So why don't you come with me. A friend of mine is a jeweler and has a lot of nice rings.

We're halfway through the show and we gave another pair of tickets away at 8:10!It is National Nurses Day so we wanted to give a big shout out to all our nurse listeners. Weird Stories covered resume hacks and people going crazy for a song about Kim Jong Un. Then, we had Uncle Mark on to explain how he celebrated this weekend! Listen to Billy & Lisa Weekdays From 6-10AM on Kiss 108 on the iHeartRadio app! 

Spanners and Trumpets are joined by Lola Cars Motorsport director and ex-F1 technical director Mark Preston as they get into the good old days, dally a bit peering into the future and sneak in a touch of FE to boot. From marvelous McLaren to macro packages to double diffusers, no non-linear data goes unmodelled in this, the latest episode of Missed Apex Podcast.Please share this link with your friends and tell them you listen to Missed Apex on a Sundaywww.missedapexpodcast.comMisano Eprix review showhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/1bhXwvdXs0SIO041WxcdJn?si=pxVfBqCYR9yzKCHcremfqQTell us if you want to meet up at the Miami GP!http://missedapexpodcast.com/miamiOr send an email with subject line Miami to spanners@missedapex.netSpanners Ready Spanners���� (@SpannersReady)spanners@missedapex.netMatt Trumpets mattpt55 (@mattpt55)matt@missedapex.netCheck out Trumpets first single with the NYC Ska Orchestra!!!On A Clear Day - song and lyrics by NYC Ska Orchestra, Larry McDonald, Pallavi Gummalam | SpotifyMark Preston Mark Preston (@markpreston3) / XListen to Chris interview FE champ Jake Dennis!Jake Dennis Deep Dive - Missed Apex Formula E Podcast | Podcast on SpotifyOr use our Tip Jar to support our 2024 advertising campaign and help us grow the podcast Sensible Tip Jarhttps://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=ZE3U7VXTXQSS8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a Jazzmas Eve party with Blind Mango Chutney, Miss Dom and Frances Chan playing their faves from 2023 and some vintage classics, including picks from absent hosts Def Jim and Dr Mark Baynes who are there in spirit. Plus Christmas Elf Sassy provides the Jazz Gig Guide and a her special Jingle Janglemosa mocktail for the festive season. Uncle Mark from Logg Cabin joins in the Chrimbo cheer.

For this Christmas, I offer you a guild on annoying convos wityh your racisit uncle Mark. But seriously here is a pdf that Search for Common Ground created to help https://www.sfcg.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Peacemaker-Practice-Cards.pdfSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Ang and Pete are joined IN-STUDIO by two more Fish'n Canada Co-Hosts, Steve Niedzwiecki and Nik Viola!Since they are in-studio, Steve and Nik joined us for our weekly housekeeping. Topics discussed included: when winter really starts; dumbing things down; getting too technical; the importance of being unplugged; tire chemicals leeching into rivers; forever chemicals; 6PPPD; the need for planer boards; and unconventional smallmouth fishing.With those matters out of the way, the whole crew gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming season of The Fish'n Canada Show! Topics discussed included: the inevitability of smallmouth during pike opener; spotting fish from the drone; why you shouldn't fish for spawning bass; holey boats; the open water walleye bite; knowing muskie by name; horsefly-crow hybrids; taking fish in the shower with you; catching big fish off camera; and much more!To never miss an episode of Outdoor Journal Radio, be sure to like, subscribe, and leave a review on your favourite podcast app!More from Angelo and Pete:► WEBSITE► FACEBOOK► INSTAGRAM► YOUTUBEThank you to today's sponsors!Invasive Species Centre - Protecting Canada's land and water from invasive speciesColeman Canada - The Outside is Calling, Answer the Call.Promised links:- Episode 93: Uncle Mark's Outpost- Episode 74: Off the Grid Walleye (LIVE from Quantz Lake)- Episode 69: Canada's New Smallmouth Capital? (LIVE from Nackawic, New Brunswick)

You can now watch this podcast! Check it out on our YouTube channel. This week on Outdoor Journal Radio, Jay Siemens returns to the podcast to talk about the inaugural season of Uncle Mark's Outpost!First, however, a bit of housekeeping was in order. Topics discussed included: Taylor Swift; Pete's problem with Hollywood; Al Pacino; fishing with Jonah: world record Lake Trout; overestimating fish fights; and the difference between pelagic and inland walleye.With those matters out of the way, the boys head to the phones and are joined by Jay! Topics discussed included: meeting THE Uncle Mark; the future of outhouses; Lake of the Woods' Rusty Crayfish problem; northern Largemouth; Starlink; the importance of sat phones; Cinematic YouTubing; boat control; Brazillian Peacock Bass fishing; and much more!To never miss an episode of Outdoor Journal Radio, be sure to like, subscribe, and leave a review on your favourite podcast app!More from Angelo and Pete:► WEBSITE► FACEBOOK► INSTAGRAM► YOUTUBEMore from Jay Siemens:► WEBSITE► FACEBOOK► INSTAGRAM► TWITTER► YOUTUBE► SHOP CATCH AND COOK

Chris Schmidt, Elijah Herbel, and Connor Clark are back for a Friday edition of Hail Varsity Radio. The guys open up the show by giving their initial thoughts on Nebraska-Purdue on homecoming and what Nebraska can do to win this football game on what will be a cold afternoon. Then the guys welcome Jacob Padilla onto the show to discuss Nebrasketball and their slew of injuries as well as Nebraska football and preps football playoffs. Later on, Bill Doleman joins the show and gives his favorite "Animal House" quotes before diving into Nebraska-Purdue and his predication. Finally the guys round out the episode with Marcus Schmidt or "Uncle Mark" with a live hit from game one of the World Series in Arlington, Texas and then the Friday Forecast with Clauseborne. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam talks to business strategist, performance coach, and author  of his new book North Star Thinking, Will Polston. They discuss the inspiration for the book and Adam and Will share the trigger that enabled each of them to discover their own North Star.  His new book can be found here:  https://amzn.eu/d/dlqashc  As a child, Will witnessed his father's daily struggle with his job, which left him stressed and miserable. He eventually quit to start a business with one of his wealthy uncles, hoping for a better life. However, his dreams were dashed when the business didn't materialize, and he fell into what Will Polston perceived as a deep depression. As an observant child, Will Polston tried to connect the dots. Uncle Mark was wealthy and happy. Uncle Steve was well off and content. When his dad worked in London, he'd been stressed and tired but a lot happier than when he wasn't earning. To a 10-year-old Will Polston, it became obvious – money must equal happiness. Acting on that belief, Will Polston became a very young workaholic. He had multiple paper rounds, bought and sold things at school, washed cars at the weekends, and even got a job at 14 working as a pot boy in a bar. At 18, just as he started working in financial services, he stumbled across personal development and tried to become a better, wealthier, and therefore happier version of himself. While working in investments and running a division of a stock brokerage in London, he made a lot of money, but he still wasn't fulfilled. He was 23 and had spent the last thirteen years chasing money as happiness. So, why was he tired, unfulfilled, and wanting more? One day he went to an event being held by personal development guru Tony Robbins. That workshop led him to a life-changing realization – his lightning bolt moment – it was never really about the money. He realized his belief that money equals happiness wasn't true, and it had never really been about the money. In fact, his drive to make money was fueled by something much deeper. What it was really about was his dad and his perceptions of what he could have achieved so much more, because his potential was huge. His perception of him not achieving his full potential not only impacted him but his mum, him, and the rest of his family. He cried for fifteen minutes in the aftershock of this understanding. It was a huge release from a core belief that had been weighing him down. This is what he called his lightning moment. FINDING THE NORTH STAR In this moment of deep clarity, he found his North Star – his purpose in life. He wanted to empower people to unlock their full potential and create a life they love. Since then, he has embarked on that mission with his coaching and training business as well as multiple running other businesses that help fulfill his North Star including owning a medicinal mushroom supplement company, a marketing company, a small private equity company that invests in construction professional services such as his mechanical, electrical, public health design company.

This week, Outdoor Journal Radio comes to you LIVE from the luxurious Uncle Mark's Outpost on the shores of Lake of the Woods as we reap our latest Fish'n Canada shoot! Topics discussed included: The Machine; Natalie; pickerel dinner; ricing it up; Harvest Time; how wing shooting entered waterfowling; swatting grouse; wing shooting turkeys; Soviet stocking programs; Pink Salmon in Newfoundland; breaking poles; incinerating toilets; the state of Lake of the Woods; the impact of ice fishing; and much more!To never miss an episode of Outdoor Journal Radio, be sure to like, subscribe, and leave a review on your favourite podcast app!More from Angelo and Pete:► WEBSITE► FACEBOOK► INSTAGRAM► YOUTUBE► SHOP THE MERCH

Jon Summers is The Motoring Historian. He was a company car thrashing, technology sales rep that turned into a fairly inept sports bike rider. Hailing from California, he collects cars and bikes built with plenty of cheap and fast, and not much reliable. On his show, he gets together with various co-hosts to talk about new and old cars, driving, motorbikes, motor racing, and motoring travel. Uncle Mark's Life South of the Border Other Topics covered on this Episode: Ford F250 diesel 4x4 manual Ford F450 Shortbus Baja Street Dogs Buzzed By a Trophy Truck Yamaha WR 450 and riding in Baja “Mustangs to Todos” Argentina bike road trip; heavy vs. light off-road bikes A Eulogy to Heated Seats and Grips “Personalities” in modern Nascar Indy vs. Grosjean Modern Motorsport and Money Mark's 1966 Mustang GT The Gasser Vision “The Thing I Most Want Is My Own Stuff To Work” J's Pontiac Grand Prix Mark and J can't “thin the herd” of their non-functional cars  Toyota Chinook Mark's Mustang SN95 Track car J's hypoglycemia "Quad into an electric fence" ZF and Fly By Wire Steering - “you can't get the staff” Sim Racing Games, pedals and steering setups, VR motion sickness J's Mustang SN95 Track car "A Historian, Not A Mechanic" Harley-Davidson Fast Johnnie The Death of the Sportsbike  Alpine A290 Freightliners Taycan Turbo S vs. Bullitt Mustang Eulogy to Steve B, the consummate Ford Guy Pebble Beach class-winning Bob McGee '32 Model A Roadster The Cobra Bigblock mule Crocetti Speciale Tundras I Have Known New Cars I Have Bought Seat Leon Cupra R Mercedes E63 wagons  M6 Gran Coupe Daimler-Benz M156 engine Eulogy Mark's Dad's ‘40 Ford Coupe - “a blown Cad with a La Salle rear end” The “Business Coupe” explained Mark's ex-Police Harley '80's Thunderbirds as an Investment A moment's silence for J's Mondeo ST24 Tony Angelo's Lincoln MkVIII Copyright Jon Summers, The Motoring Historian. This episode is part of our Motoring Podcast Network and has been republished with permission. ===== (Oo---x---oO) ===== The Motoring Podcast Network : Years of racing, wrenching and Motorsports experience brings together a top notch collection of knowledge, stories and information. #everyonehasastory #gtmbreakfix - motoringpodcast.net Check out our membership program and go VIP at: https://www.patreon.com/gtmotorsports Other cool stuff: https://www.gtmotorsports.org/links

On this Random Hit, Shawn and Mark talk about a well-known celebrity's birthday, dog names, and a river troll. Pretty normal things. Mark messes up Chris Hemsworth's name, which leads to a new version of the Thor movies. The guys also give bad movie plot summaries with Sloppy Synopsis, and though it does no justice to the popular films, it's absolutely hilarious! The fellas close it down by talking about celebrity, television and movie weddings. Plus the Maroon of the Week and a trip to Uncle Mark's Joke Bag. Rebrand Tuesday with some comedy and nostalgia! Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

We're still needing more time for life, so here is a Random Hit where Shawn and Mark talk about medicinal wine, brain volume and they offer advice for criminals. Shawn tells everyone about getting pie-faced for charity. The guys also discuss important things they have learned from celebrities, what decade they would like to live in and what inventions they would get rid of. The fellas close it down by recasting movies that will have you rethinking how good you thought they were. Plus the Maroon of the Week and a trip to Uncle Mark's Joke Bag. Rebrand Tuesday with some comedy and nostalgia! Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

Shawn and Mark couldn't be here this week.  So enjoy this Random Hit where the guys discuss unidentified flying objects, Dave's new band and alternative song titles.  Shawn and Mark welcome a special guest to the program, our very own local wizard, Martini the Magnificent who will mystify us with his powers of clairvoyance. The fellas round out the program as they talk about stand-up comedians, and they do it sitting down. Plus, the Maroon of the Week and a trip to Uncle Mark's Joke Bag. Rebrand Tuesday with some comedy and nostalgia! Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

Enjoy this randomhit that is packed with humor and nostalgia. Shawn enlightens us with the names of everyday items, including the hard part at the end of a shoelace, and what the bottom of a wine bottle is called.  Mark freaks out everyone in the studio with a news story out of Australia. And the guys give out some Random Recommendations. The fellas pick famous classic rock bands and put them on their place of honor on Mount Fourhead. Shawn and Mark wrap up the show with those great trends of the Me Generation, that's right they are talking about the 80's. Plus the Maroon of the Week and a trip to Uncle Mark's Joke Bag. Rebrand Tuesday with some comedy and nostalgia! Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

This week's episode of BM starts off with Animal Excrement Corner! Hear about where Luke and Jenn's animals have pooped, peed and barfed. Most excellent. Daisy sucks at being a dog. Jenn and Katie are synced up and it's pretty gross. Katie talks about her medical corner and her 'Gluten-O's' cereal. Luke had to rage quit Minecraft last night because his Totem of Undying did not work. Next, Edward classes up the show with his Fashion Corner and a breakdown of Paris Hilton and Arby's uniforms. This week marks the return of the Don't Make Me Laugh Challenge. This is our third installment of this segment and it's as good as ever. Hear about Jenn's 'horny books', Katie's story about 'Whiteclaw Superhero', Edward's tales about Uncle Ted Nugent and Luke's adventures with Uncle Mark. Try not to laugh! Follow the show on Instagram @bubbmush and email the show at bubbmush@gmail.com - Thanks for checking out our dumb program and we hope you enjoy it!

On today's episode, Shawn and Mark talk about St. Patrick's Day, sage advice from the Parks Department, time on the moon and the poop knife. The fellas wrap things up with the Random Topic Generator, you never know what you're going to get when they fire that thing up. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

The guys are hot blooded Check it and see They got a fever Of 100.3 Taking a sick day today, so please enjoy this Random Hit where the guys talk about the expanding Yellowstone universe, a seal that comes to the rescue and a smelly new job for Dave. The guys also talk about their favorite and least favorite songs of the 80's in High 5/Low 5, from Take On Me to the S-A-F-E-T-Y Dance, find out how they rank and what the fellas have to say about them. Shawn and Mark wrap-up the show with a trip back to 1977 with a look at the television shows from that year that will definitely bring back some memories and maybe a laugh or two. Plus the Maroon of the Week and a trip to Uncle Mark's Joke Bag. Rebrand Tuesday with some comedy and nostalgia! Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

On today's show, Shawn and Mark discuss an alternative to toilet paper, a man who received a letter informing him that he is dead and the bear escapes again. The guys inform us how you know you are a Gen-Xer. The fellas wrap things up with a trip to the movies with a look back at 1983. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

On this show, Shawn and Mark discuss vibrating your colon, a bear on the loose and Mel Gibson. The guys close down the program with songs from 1973. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

That's life (that's life) No new episode today Enjoy this Random Hit Be back next Tuesday… This Random Hit is packed full of laughs. The guys launch a new segment called The Making of a Podcast that gives a behind the scenes peak of the show and what happens off the air as they discuss the program's topic ideas. This week is a phone conversation about perfect songs for a wedding that will make it an unforgettable event. Shawn and Mark wrap-up the program as they jump in the way-back machine and talk about television shows from 1965, so don't touch that dial and get ready for a walk down memory lane. Plus the Maroon of the Week and a trip to Uncle Mark's Joke Bag. Rebrand Tuesday with some comedy! Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

On Today's show, Shawn and Mark discuss whiskey saving your skin, breaking the seal and how much was that Grub Hub order? The guys also look at the top 10 streaming shows from 2022 and Groundhog Day alteratives. Lastly, the fellas talk about the greatest opening lines to songs. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

On Today's show we learn about a fish that spends its owner's money, strange delivery for Uber Eats and how to spot expired spices. The guys provide the 10 day forecast for the area, let's see if they are right. The fellas shut it down with the Random Topic Generator, coving exercise, advice, and opening a restaurant. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

Come on in! Pull up a chair as Shawn and Mark talk about a stolen hot dog statue, Santa's DNA test and Toadzilla. The guys also have life advice on today's show with The Problem Solvers. The fellas say goodbye to this episode after they discuss the good, the bad and the ugly of movie remakes. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

On today's show, Shawn and Mark talk about burning poop, a funeral flash mob, and a pigeon caught for drug smuggling. The guys also try to ruin movie titles with another round of One Word. The fellas wrap things up with a look at movie cameos from the silver screen. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, we are back with a brand new episode. On today's show, Shawn and Mark talk about Christmas ritual fighting, a Cousin Eddie mannequin, and the McRib. Then the guys take a deep drive into commercial jingles with High 5 Low 5. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

The year ends merrily for Maggie, the Nolan family, and Renfield in “Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor” by Lisa Kleypas!!  And, there is a Hallmark Hall of Fame adaption, “Christmas with Holly!” Tragedy hits the Nolan family and the silent youngest member, Holly, moves to Friday Harbor with her guardian, uncle Mark.Maggie Collins knows loss.  She may not be open to love, but she is open to making her dream come true with a toy shop where she encourages imagination.Mark does not believe in magic, however Maggie's magic helps Holly communicate again.  Holly writes to Santa wishing for a mom.  Uncle Mark takes next steps towards commitment in his situation-ship however he is left disappointed.Join us as we discuss how Maggie and Mark can have more magical conversations forever while Holly has a jolly holiday season!!DRAWING ROOM DISCUSSIONSHappy New Year!!Switching up the sub-genreWe support the Harper Collins Union strike and we support authors we love!!“OFFICIAL, UNOFFICIAL BOOK REVIEW” – 22:40Lisa KleypasChristmas Eve at Friday HarborFriday Harbor book onewww.lisakelypas.com www.facebook.com/lisakleypas www.instagram.com/lisakleypas“POT-TAIL PONDERING” – 49:42 Please continue to support local businessesOld Pali Road Whiskey, Made on Oahu, HawaiiShips to most contiguous US stateswww.koolaudistillery.comA Wicked Game by Kate BatemanNext – Rainshadow Road by Lisa KleypasHosts - Toni Rose & Wendy Woo Email - litwallflowerspodcast@gmail.com Follow on www.instagram.com/litwallflowerspodcast Shop at https://www.zazzle.com/store/lit_wallflowers/products Social Media https://linktr.ee/litwallflowers Lit Wallflowers is part of the Frolic Podcast Network.  You can find more outstanding podcasts to subscribe to at Frolic.media/podcasts! 

As we nurse our holiday hangover, enjoy this Random Hit where Shawn threatens to do the whole show as Carl from Sling Blade. The guys play One Word using song titles and have an issue with the new word generator. Shawn and Mark wrap-up the program with a round of Liar/Liar, see which one of them is better at spotting fact or fiction when it comes to McDonalds, Frazier and England. Plus the Maroon of the Week and a trip to Uncle Mark's Joke Bag. Rebrand Tuesday with some comedy! Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

EPISODE 100! They said it couldn't and wouldn't be done. And to be honest, we were never certain either. On today's show, Shawn and Mark talk about a monkey feast, lobster Mickey and an overdue Beatles recording. Then the guys take a deep drive into the greatest Christmas villains, with a trip to Mount 4-Head. The fellas close things down with a walk down memory lane as they reminisce about the last 100 episodes. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

Happy Thanksgiving! We are so thankful for all our listeners. Today, Shawn and Mark talk about the largest beard chain, new words in Scrabble and a new kind of hearse. Then the guys mess up perfectly good titles with another round of One Word. The fellas wrap things up with a documentary focused on the Randomosity Turkey Parade of 2020. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

On this episode, we learn about a six foot bread sculpture, a smelly art form and a warning about licking toads. The guys also discuss rabbit brains, invisibility and summer snow. You also do not want to miss their delightful and delicious look at Thanksgiving scenes from TV and the silver screen. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

On today's show, Shawn and Mark talk about orbs terrorizing the streets of London, a cookie stealing bear and two love sick pythons. Then the guys jump into a perfectly terrible edition of That's a Good Question. Lastly, the fellas discuss idioms, which might be a blessing in disguise if you choose to bite the bullet and listen. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

On today's show, Shawn and Mark talk about a tumbleweed warning, beauty trends and the Quacken returns. Then the guys dive deep into fact or fiction with another round of Liar, Liar. The fellas close things down with their reactions to randomly generated topics. See how deep or stupid their comments go. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

We are working on our upcoming Halloween special. While we do so, enjoy this random hit where the guys celebrate Halloween in their normal nonsensical way. Shawn tries to tell a spooky story, but keeps getting shut down at every turn. The guys choose their favorite movie monsters to place on Mount 4-Head. Shawn and Mark take us on a trip to some haunted places that may make your hair stand on end or just die laughing, and Dave is not please with their idea of sending him out to broadcast from Zombie Road. The fellas wrap up the program with some Halloween related Would You Rather questions, including one that involves the monster in your closet and the one under your bed. Plus the Maroon of the Week, and a trip to Uncle Mark's Joke Bag. Join us for another hilarious episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

This episode is packed. Shawn and Mark discuss an escaped bull, two-headed snakes, Nigel Fest and a strange odor in Utah. The guys dive into some life advice to help out some of our listener with The Problem Solvers. Lastly the fellas polish it off with a conversation about songs that were covered and are better than the originals. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

Come celebrate the show's second anniversary with some absolute nutter nonsense! Shawn and Mark talk about the upcoming Halloween Special, robbers trapped in a store, a seal that turns himself in to authorities and a bad time to take a coffee break. The guys twist things up with another round of Title Twisters. The fellas close it down with a look at cult classic movies. Plus the Maroon of the Week, headlines from RNN and a joke from Uncle Mark's Jokebag. Re-brand your week with some absolute nutter nonsense. Subscribe and tell your friends about another funny episode of Randomosity with Shawn and Mark.

Uncle Mark has finally cleared his head from a month of being an "artist" but now looks to the future as a newly ordained uncle to some Australian chick. (His brother had a baby). Katharyn recounts Edinburgh in all its gory details. I recorded this on new equipment so this should sound good, also we decide that rock n roll guys are allowed be peedos. The guy from Arcade fire is in trouble cus he likes sexy messages, whats happening to all my hero's :)

It's the first day of football season as far as we're concerned. The Steelers will hold their first practice at St. Vincent's in front of what will probably amass to be a few thousand or so representatives of Steelers Nation. Mark Madden will not be one of them. Mr. Wednesday feels as though summer is slowly speeding by, and Steve Blass recalls his time at the '72 All Star Game and some wise words from his late Uncle Bill.

In Episode 333: Ghost Of The USS Forrestal, we are joined in the studio by Tony's Uncle Mark as he discusses being stationed aboard the haunted USS Forrestal while serving in the Navy. The USS Forrestal experienced a tragedy in the 1960s when a missile was mistakenly launched onboard, resulting in many fires that claimed the lives of over 160 men. One of the men who escaped death that day, only to be captured as a POW a few weeks later, was none other than former senator John McCain. Needless to say, this aircraft carrier has sailed with tragic baggage throughout its history. As time passed, rumors circulated of apparitions of past sailors appearing on the ship; one was even seen so often that the crew named him George. Mark shares some ghost stories with us and describes what life out at sea was like for all those years. We discuss why he believes he never witnessed a UFO despite his many years at sea, and he also tells us about living with his family in a haunted house in Massachusetts, where a former owner died and odd things occurred. As a journalist in the Navy with over 20 years of service, Mark decided to pursue novel writing once he retired. He is now the established author of a book trilogy called the “Forever Avalon” series. Combining experiences from his Navy service with his love for sci-fi, he created a fantasy world that begins when a storm slams into a ship and pushes the characters onto an uncharted island – but not just any island. The family finds themselves in another world frozen in time, on the magical island of Avalon, a place of eternal magic where the descendants of King Arthur rule. And this is just where the “Forever Avalon” series begins! Mark Piggott Books: Forever Avalon: https://amzn.to/32CF1Kr The Dark Tides: https://amzn.to/3emL2QW The Outlander War: https://amzn.to/3vc4giQ Become a member for AD FREE listening and EXTRA shows: theconfessionalspodcast.com/join SPONSORS GET Surfshark: surfshark.deals/confessionals GET Cerebral: getcerebral.com/tony GET SIMPLISAFE TODAY: simplisafe.com/confessionals GET Hello Fresh: hellofresh.com/confessionals16 Promo Code: "confessionals16" for 16 FREE MEALS!!! Get Emergency Food Supplies: www.preparewiththeconfessionals.com Get Beard Oil: bit.ly/2FbOhN5 CONNECT WITH US Website: www.theconfessionalspodcast.com Email: theconfessionals@theconfessionalspodcast.com Subscribe to the Newsletter: https://www.theconfessionalspodcast.com/the-newsletter SOCIAL MEDIA Subscribe to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/2TlREaI TikTok: @theconfessionals Discord: https://discord.gg/KDn4D2uw7h Show Instagram: theconfessionalspodcast Tony's Instagram: tonymerkelofficial Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheConfessionalsPodcas Twitter: @TConfessionals Tony's Twitter: @tony_merkel

Today in the attic we will be talking about "Ghosts"! Although there have been many ghost-hunting TV shows over the years, cohosts Zach and Uncle Mark will be going over the books "Holy Ghosts" by Gary Jansen and, "When GHOSTS Speak" by Mary Ann Winkowski.

Brett takes you back to what won the Celtics game 2 last night and what that has to do with all the blowouts this season. He also walks you through NIL and what that has to do with the fight between titans in college football. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app