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Feckin’ January!

January 21, 2020March 21, 2020 themuglytruth

Hey don’t look behind you now. We said don’t look! Sigh. Yeah. It’s January. Shhhhuuushhhh yes it’s stilllll lurking. DON’T! LOOK! It’s just hanging around, lurking, glowering gloomily all chilly and grey, like a glutinous unflickable blob. It’s like January’s not getting the hint. Sometimes you just have to be brutally honest and yell, “SCRAM buddy! You’re not welcome here anymore! Scat…shoo. FLICK OFF!” Ah, yes. January doesn’t seem to be going anywhere soon and we’re all sitting over here feeling that post-holiday malaise: a distinct lack of energy and money, coupled with an excess of pastry/cookie/pie/candy-induced weight. Ooof. If you relate, you’ll really feel today’s episode!

We’d like to say thank you to Loving Dublin for their funny and relatable January 2018 article called, “13 Reasons Why January Is The Worst Feckin’ Month Of The Year” especially as they inspired part of our conversation and the title of the episode. Much like Loving Dublin, we talk about the reasons we feel like we’re struggling with January:

For people like us, that holiday-high from Halloween through New Year’s is gone, and the crash has left us tired and listless, counting the days til we can feel the excitement and energy of HallowThanksMas on the horizon!
But to get there, we have to get through our nemesis season: Summer. For us Autumn babies, it’s almost too much to bear knowing we are soon to face 110 degree days (in Southern California that is). That thought alone makes us curl up in the fetal position.
The lovely Christmas decorations are gone (except for those spotty stalwarts about town clinging to their wire-frame lawn deer for just a little while longer). So except for them, hearth and home is back to un-Christmas normalcy. There’s an internal struggle going on as we’re happy to have calm and uncluttered space back, but missing that twinkling, joyful magic which our smiling holiday inflatables, potted poinsettias, colorful lights, and elegantly draped garlands emanate. Sniff.
We don’t have to circle the lot for a parking space or queue up behind three other people for that rowing machine at an overpacked gym, but we kind of wish we could, because we need to work out just like almost every other person out there. Boy are we feeling the shock from that hyper-infusion of holiday sweets! And, as we discuss in the episode, the consequences of all that indulging doesn’t just affect the scale. It’s affecting our moods too!

Of course, not ALL of January is bad. No way! It has plenty of redeeming qualities and we’d be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge them. It’s time for new beginnings and renewal, and rededicating ourselves to a better course of action…so many goals and good intentions. We’ve got some great holidays (Martin Luther King! Abe Lincoln and George Washington’s birthdays! Woohoo!) And keeping Abe and George company, it’s Kym’s birthday month! In fact, TOMORROW 22 January is co-host Kym’s birthday so drop her a line on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (see links below). Happy Birthday Kym!

As for all the rest, here are links to the things we discuss in our episode today:

California’s Golden Boy. We LOVE and genuinely miss Huell Howser. A Southern California icon, Howser was a television broadcaster with a linebacker’s physique, a country-charm drawl, and a contagious passion for all things California (most notably in his KCET show, California’s Gold). Here is a clip from the Hearst Castle Neptune’s Pool episode Kym waxed nostalgic about. And if you’re from Orange County, or are vacationing in the area and are interested in learning more about Howser’s legacy, visit the Chapman University Huell Howser Archives in the old town section of Orange, CA.
Hearst Castle. If you haven’t been, visiting this historic landmark is a must for anyone coming to (or living in) California. The stories of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, his “castle,” and the Hearst legacy (including granddaughter Patty’s adventures in the 70’s) are a fascinating bit of California heritage.
The Artist’s Way. Julia Cameron’s book, The Artist’s Way, is a resource every ~~creative~~ person should own and utilize. Don’t think you’re a creative? Oh, dear reader, you are. Trust us, trust Julia. Not everyone may be a stereotypical “artist,” but everyone is creative. YOU ARE a creative being, and this book will help you discover your talents.
Get The Funk Out! For tips and tricks on how to get out of the after-festivity funk you may be in, here is the psychcentral.com article we reference, plus this rather dated but still applicable article from dumblittleman.com for good measure.
Sugar-Induced Depression. If you’re interested in diving into the rabbit hole about how sugar intake actually affects not just your waistline but your emotional and mental state, check this healthline.com article and its linked sources for an eye-opening read. You may still eat sugar (yep, guilty), but at least you’ll have a better understanding of WHY your body hurts, your brain feels foggy, and sadness seems pervasive.

Thank you for joining us friends! Want to know what all the write up is about? Check out The Mugly Truth Podcast’s episode “Feckin’ January!” on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.

And don’t forget to follow us here at themuglytruth.com (click that blue WordPress Follow button on the right side of your screen) so you get notifications every time we post an episode blog! You can also follow The Mugly Truth on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

© The Mugly Truth 2020 and © The Mugly Truth Podcast 2020. All rights reserved.
Intro and outro music, “Clever as a Fox” by Espresso Music through premiumbeats.com.
Featured Photo of Rainy Day by Kaique Rocha on Pexels.com

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The Best Is Yet To Come

January 14, 2020January 13, 2020 themuglytruth

Hello all! We’re talking about the best days to do things in January 2020! Before you get all packed up for some tropical cruise ship getaway, or strap on glittery stilettos for some epic concert based on our episode, relax. Calm thyself. We’re talking ’bout such wholesomeness as canning, brewing, breeding, and pruning. That’s right. Toss those stilettos and pull on those work boots! Snap those suspenders, comb that incredibly long yet surprisingly attractive beard and get ol’ Nellie out of the barn for a cruise around the wheat field. We’re going old school with ye Old Farmer’s Almanac (not to be confused with that young whippersnapper Farmer’s Almanac) to titillate you with all the Best Days To Do Stuff First Quarter of 2020. YEEHAW LET’S DO THIS!

PSST! Hey. Listen. The online list only covers the first quarter of the year…we’re pretty sure you have to buy the Almanac for the entire year’s list. Oh, they’re sly ones, they are.

Don’t know the difference between Old Farmer’s Almanac and Farmer’s Almanac? Well, they’re both almanacs, they both have the word Farmer’s in them. But the likeness doesn’t stop there. They’re both filled with all kinds of goodness like gardening tips, astronomy, folkore, predicting trends for the coming year and most importantly: weather forecasts. They are both still in publication to this day. The biggest difference is that the Old Farmer’s Almanac has been in publication since 1792. Farmer’s Almanac since 1818. So settle down junior. Make way for gramps. If only because OFA’s list of Best Days (written by Celeste Longacre) serves this episode. Otherwise we tip our hats to both of you for looking so great for your ages. A little dusty, but aren’t we all after a certain, ah, amount of trips around the sun. We’re sure there’s plenty of distinctive elements between the two publications, but we haven’t got all day folks. We’re a humorous (questionable some might say), lighthearted podcast, not CNN. For the Wikipedia version of events, read about the auld geezer here, and the young upstart here.

As always, before we get into the hot topic of best days to cut your hair to encourage growth, brew beer, or breed that bull in the north forty, otherwise known as the actual topic of our episode, we bandy about the airwaves (not really…it’s digital…it’s…there’s no airwaves…) in our ramblings, bringing up all kinds of questions and the usual misnomers. So let us tary nae longer and get right to the links post-haste:

Kym and the Fuggler Lucy doooooon’t likey.

Kym’s Fuggler. Yes. Here is the duo who made Lucy the cat barf. It’s a great story, go listen to the episode for the full effect. Just know, these are the culprits, and you can buy your very own Fuggler right here to cause your own personal pet mayhem. Or simply chill with because they’re freaking cute. Also we love our cats beyond the Universe, so don’t come at us man.
Cat vs. Coyotes. Max is one scrappy cat! Thankfully Max’s human’s heard the ruckus their fierce warrior boy was putting up against three coyotes. The video is a bit harrowing, as it looks like the end is near for this little tuxedo fighter (SNIFF!!!! Rocky the Podcat is a tuxedo – and was almost killed by coyotes a couple years ago!) but thankfully his humans came out and chased off the predators, bringing their good, brave boy inside safe and sound. WE LOVE MAX.
Don’t F*ck With Cats. BEFORE YOU CLICK THAT LINK to the article, just know there is a photo of a monster holding a kitten. It’s not horrific in it’s own right, but knowing what that POS did to that kitten…just be warned. So. This is a difficult one. If you’re a true crime follower you may have heard about this story when it came out a few years ago. This controversial documentary chronicles the social media sleuths who helped pinpoint a murderer down to the apartment in which he lived in Toronto! Unfortunately the police didn’t take them seriously. If they had, maybe the horror would have stopped with the kittens. Maybe this murderer’s human victim, Jun Lin, would be alive today. Be warned: even though the Netflix documentary doesn’t show the actual cruelty to the kittens or Lin, it does show parts of the videos that were aired on YouTube. If you can’t handle violence, implications of violence, or violence against animals (i.e., if you’re a normal, not psychopathic/sociopathic human being with a beating heart and a soul) it’s still – in our minds – too much to bear. Kris fast forwarded past the abridged clips. In her humble opinion showing the clips even to the extent they did had no redeeming effect on the story being told. However, the document IS worth watching if only to meet Baudi Moovan (Deanna Thompson) and John Green. Just keep your remote at the ready and be on deck with the loud LALALALLALLALAAAS until you’re past the “bad parts.” Just one more thing: the jab at the end. Really Netflix? REALLY?
Canadian Justice. Speaking of putting monsters away for life…or not, here’s more information on Canada’s stance on violent offenders. While, ah, people, like Karla Homolka and Vince Li/Will Baker are free to roam about the country, it seems perhaps Canadian lawmakers are taking a more conservative stand on the subject these days? Yes? No? We’re not educated enough in the subject to make any unequivocal statements one way or another in this space at this time, so feel free to research for yourself and let us know what you come up with. We believe people can change and we believe people can make one incredibly horrible mistake based on piles and piles of extenuating circumstances. We also know people who are pigeon-holed by society without benefit of society getting to know them personally are basically doomed to a lifetime of trying to prove they’re not the same person they were 5, 10, 20 years ago. We do get it. We’re just not sure we’re comfortable with some people free to attend PTA meetings, soccer games and gnosh poutine at their local Tim Horton’s after beheading and eating a person or drugging and murdering their own sister. You know. That’s…that’s all we’re saying.
ANYTHING OTHER THAN CANADIAN MONSTERS. How about that Wolf Moon, eh? If you’re like Kris you missed it both nights even after your podcast cohost told you it was coming. January’s full moon (the first of the decade) is known as “Wolf Moon” in North America, as well as Old Moon and Ice Moon. Well, if you missed it by any of those names, we’ve got you covered. Here you go.
Finland For The Win. Unbelievable. Kris got the country correct. We think a celebration is in order. It’s just that Kakslauttanen Resort name she couldn’t quiiiiiiiiite capture. You’ve got to check it out. What a way to see the Aurora Borealis. So cool. Literally. TBH, frigid, more like.
What the Heck is Calico? Calico Ghost Town! It’s a favorite haunt (ahaaahahaa see that? We’re smart funny!) way out in Yermo, CA. And after a day of walking ye olde 1800’s western town, checkin’ out the mystery shack or panning for gold, drive into the Mid-20th-Century over at Peggy Sue’s Diner up the road. Order a milk shake, burger and fries and then spend what little money you have left on Americana tchotchkes – there’s enough Coca-Cola, Lucy, Elvis, Marilyn, Dean, and Judy Made-In-China curios to fill a small warehouse. It’s all a fun, if a bit touristy, experience.

Thank you for joining us. Check out The Mugly Truth Podcast’s episode “The Best Is Yet To Come” on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.

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Control Is An Illusion

January 7, 2020January 7, 2020 themuglytruth

Hello 2020! SO much to…uh…unpack in today’s episode! Yes. Yes, we just said “unpack.” But it’s kind of true. We are bringing 2020 in like spiritual giants today! None of this namby pamby “I want to lose 10 pounds” or “I’m going to quit yelling at people in traffic!” resolution nonsense to start off the new year and new decade. (For the record, Kris already tried the second one and it’s just NOT happening folks. As for the first…we’re both working on it.) Nope. We get straight into beastmode as we go over two very deep topics: Letting Go and Signs of Maturity.

Tee hee. Don’t mind us. We’re just over here on top of the mountain, sitting cross-legged and sh*t talking to butterflies with our minds. Just kidding. We’re probably sitting at our desks drinking coffee cussing someone out under our breath and immediately feeling guilty for it. Because not mature, for sure.

Moving on.

Today’s episode is inspired by an amazing 12-step program called Al-Anon. If you aren’t aware of what Al-Anon is, it’s an offshoot from the 12-step program Alcoholics Anonymous. It was co-founded by Lois Wilson, wife of Bill Wilson who co-founded AA. As the wife of an alcoholic, Lois needed her own support group, and thus was formed Al-Anon…a group where family and friends affected by loved one’s drinking (or drugging, or any addictive self-destructive behavior, frankly) can find fellowship, guidance, serenity, and sanity.

Two readings we reference today are “Letting Go” (just google “letting go checklist Al-Anon” and you’ll see images pop up…mostly in Pinterest), and “A Checklist for Evaluating Our Maturity” (same, except, here’s a link to a blog which has it written out). There are some real gems in helping us realize just how much the idea of control is an illusion, actually, and that true serenity comes from “going with the flow.” As for that maturity thing…tsk…sigh…ugh…well, as much as Kris thinks she’s got a long way to go, it’s safe to say we’re both actually doing ok in the adulting department. Some would argue otherwise. Those some can kiss our butts. NYAHpffffffffffffffttt!

They’re GOALS….we never said we accomplished them all. TSK.

Now before we get into the fact checking and the links to topics we mentioned in the episode today, it’s very important for us to take a moment to get a bit serious and encourage anyone who has a friend or family member in the throes of alcoholism and/or addiction of any kind to contact Al-Anon as a starting point to help YOU get YOUR life back into the land of the living. It’s a scary thing, watching friends or family suffer from addiction, but on the sideline you don’t realize you, too, are suffering from the effects of the disease. If you need help to cope, you can start here. Give it a go…there is hope.

Alright. Now let’s get down to correcting ourselves. Six minutes into the episode and there’s already SO MUCH to fix. Sigh.

Is it realllllllly a new decade? If you’re like Kris’ dad, Kym’s former co-worker, and this article, you’ll be on the “NOPE WE AIN’T” side. If you’re like us, you DGAF. BUHbye moving on, there’s more important things to worry about, like Australia (pray for more rain. Right now. If you’re reading right now, stop and just read this out loud: “Dear God please rain water down on Australia”. Don’t care if you don’t believe in God. You can be an atheist. Just do it this one time…don’t even need to say the “G” word, just say, “HEY YOU UP THERE RAIN ON AUSTRALIA.” Thanks. And thanks skydaddy!)
Ok. Geography lesson. The mountains we refer to as Saddleback Mountains are actually the Santa Ana Mountains; the mountains we refer to as “north of us where Mt. Baldy and Big Bear are”….well, Mt. Baldy (also known as Mt. San Antonio) is in the San Gabriel Mountains which were spectacularly covered (and still are) in snow last week. Big Bear, however, is in the San Bernardino Mountains. We’ve lived here all our lives and yet we still can only dopity-dope over the purty snow on the hills off yonder without knowing what the heck we’re actually looking at. Whatever. Now we ALL know. Class dismissed.
Mr. Geography: Excuse me, Kris, please hang back a mo. Kris: But Mr. Geography, the rest of the class is leav… Mr. Geography: Mt. Whitney is in Sequoia National Park which is nowhere near where you live. No. Where. Near. Hundreds of miles away. Still in California, yes. But you can’t see it. Because…Far. Away. Not. Near. You. Kris dismissed.
CFL…ohKriskriskriskris. You talk so much. So fast. You make so many mistakes. #eyeroll. It’s CSF. Cerebrospinal Fluid. Sniff.
Morf = Mike Morford, whom we interviewed last season, is producer of Scene of the Crime podcast, cohost on Criminology and Three Men and a Mystery podcasts, and host of The Murder in My Family podcast. Thank you Morf for your shoutout on Twitter. We’re still gobsmacked you listen to our show.
Naptime Nancy: Another kickass podcaster whose episodes can be and should be listened to immediately. Go here to do so.
Morning news items. Time to change the lock screen settings on the ol’ iPad to something more relaxing. Not like this creepy crap: We killed an Iraqi General and have maybe started WWIII; why you shouldn’t ever write “20” for the year 2020 on checks and documents (always write 2020); and those nutty mysterious drones over Colorado.
Anjelah Johnson. Kym was mostly right. It’s Anjelah NICOLE Johnson. OHMYGAWD if you don’t know the nail salon sketch, you need to edumacate yourself now.

And with that, we’ll say, “welcome 2020, you’re doing your best to test us mere mortals first week in, but guess what. You’re not in control. We choose zen.” And coffee. We always choose coffee. Clink!

Thank you for joining us. Check out The Mugly Truth Podcast’s episode “Control Is An Illusion” on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.

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Buhbye 2019!

December 31, 2019December 31, 2019 themuglytruth

Today is the last day of the year, and (does this come as a surprise to anyone) we were shooketh last week when we realized it’s also the end of an entire decade! Now that we’ve come out from under our respective rocks, reset those judgy eyebrows of yours. Even those caterpillars up bro. Look. Kris was shopping on December 23. It’s been a year, k? So we’re not here to just slam the door on 2019, but to remind you of some (though definitely not all) events that happened over the last ten years. Not all of it has been a blistering ride down that hot metal slide of life…some of it was quite amazing. A lot of it was forgettable. That’s why we’re here. To help you remember what color that dress really was, that one song about that one day of the week, when the world was supposed to end, and Fat Amy’s real name.

Ten points if you can figure out what Redd Foxx, Tuna Melts My Heart, and Ed McMahon have in common? Hint: nothing. We just make obscure references to them during our conversation. No big deal. As the other fox says, “moving on.” 10 points if you get THAT reference. This entire blog is a pop quiz. Yeehaw!

But of course, before we get into the heart of our retrospective, we ramble on about how Christmas was (good, decent, ok), a great new party game, and what it’s like to be the mother of a new teenage driver (gasp).

You can find a bigger and better list of all the memorable events from the last decade and year – from the intense to completely forgettable, depending on what you want to focus on, but the majority of our particular list came from goodhousekeeping.com’s November 2019 article “31 Things We Totally Forgot Happened This Decade” by Hannah Jeon.

And here’s the other list…the list of things we didn’t know anything about as we talked:

For that Hawaiian fake missile alert Kris couldn’t remember, here’s a great article by Sean Flynn from April 2018 at GQ.com on that scary incident. And it wasn’t Bob’s fault after all. Tsk, Kris.
Don’t know what the hell Pup’N’Taco was? It was a great little fast food chain from the 80’s and was one of Kym’s favorites. Find more information about it at We Miss the 80s. Yes we do, Rick. Yes. We. Do.
Disney’s movie The Black Hole came out December 21, 1979. You can watch it in all it’s 70’s Disney glory on Disney+ (not a sponsor…chyaaaaa AS IF).

You’re the best for reading our blog! Thank you so much for joining us here. Now to listen to our episode “Buhbye 2019!” on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.

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That’s What We Said!

December 24, 2019March 21, 2020 themuglytruth

To all our friends and family and to all who may come across this post whether by design or by fate, if you choose to celebrate this wonderful holiday, we wish you a very Merry Christmas.

Today’s episode is a mash up of inappropriate remarks, catching up with our lives, and some alternative Christmas music (Sandy Bainum “This Christmas” people!) for your playlist pleasure. We’re keeping it short and sweet today. If you’re listening on Christmas Eve or Christmas, thank you for taking time out of your day to include us. We hope your celebrations are filled with happiness, love, laughter and joy.

And, as we said in the episode, if this holiday just isn’t your bag…if it’s too much…if you are struggling a little or a lot, just reach out. To us, to a trusted friend…or call 1-800-273-8255 (yes that’s the number to Suicide Prevention Hotline but you can call them even if you are NOT feeling suicidal….they’ll talk to you, listen to you – they understand). You can drop us a line here, on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.

Oh and before we forget, here are the pictures of the ornaments Kris’ family purchased and the painting Hayley did on her Vans shoes:

Thank you for joining us. Check out The Mugly Truth Podcast’s episode “That’s What We Said!” on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Libsyn, Pocket Cast, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Then all you need to do is 1) subscribe 2) download and 3) listen! AND!!! 4) If you enjoy what you hear, please leave a rating and a review (pretty please?). The more subscribers and reviews we get, the more opportunities we get to grow this podcast and bring you richer content.

© The Mugly Truth 2019 and © The Mugly Truth Podcast 2019. All rights reserved.
Intro and outro music, “Clever as a Fox” by Espresso Music through premiumbeats.com.
Featured Photo of Christmas Tree by freestocks.org on Pexels.com.
Ornament photos and Van’s art photo courtesy Kristen Core © 2019. All rights reserved.

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