At my kitchen table this week is my former co-worker, current friend, and fellow GenXer, Tim. Tim joins me to discuss his journey to an OCD diagnosis.

I took AMKT on the road and recorded with Tim in Connecticut during the holidays for our annual "therapy session" with other former co-workers. We chat about our shared love of music, the imminence of annihilation we experienced as kids in the 80s, the importance of having buddies, and how some of his obsessions seriously fucked with his ability to listen to Slayer. He also covers why we aren’t using his last name or tagging him in social posts (it's because middle schoolers are still the douchiest age level in all of grade school).

Caveat: no matter how put together Tim sounds, I can assure you that he’s held together with duct tape like a proper 80s kid.

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Welcome to my third episode that features Glen Rock, PA! At my kitchen table this week is Ali Collier, owner of Brabble Hill Farms and owner / proprietor of Main Street Market in Glen Rock.

My chat with Ali marks the first time that I sought a guest because of a topic – she and her husband own a micro farm, and I’ve become very interested in learning more about small, sustainable farming. Ali has worn many hats in her life, which is something she's done with intention. Her curiosity and ability to solve problems has led her to constantly try new endeavors, which is how she ended up leaving corporate America for literally greener pastures. Ali talks about how she became a mechanical engineer, the wilderness that is small farming, food as a community connector, her desire to live her life like her grandfather did, and wtf a brabble is.

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Welcome to 2026, teabags! I’m back at my kitchen table this week with Rollin Apgar! This is the second episode in what is becoming a short series of episodes that feature Glen Rock, Pennsylvania either as its center or as its backdrop.

Local, small-town politics is fascinating to me because it feels like it's often ignored, but is the most impactful politics to our day-to-day lives. Rollin and I chat about being drawn to service, the story of how he became involved with borough council, why it’s important to give people the space to be heard, and how Glen Rock is like vultures. Pull up a chair!

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Back at the kitchen table to say good riddance to the dumpster fire that was 2025 is my sister and first ever podcast guest, Angela Myers. We tried to talk shit about the New Year’s holiday in a kind of minisode. But we had a lot to cover, so it became a full episode.

We send 2025 out with a whimper, yapping about what we think of this past year (it’s askew) and how we feel about things like New Year’s resolutions (they’re dumb as hell). We also chat about how 6th grade Ange wanted to marry Def Leppard’s Joe Elliott, what a MAMIL is, her love of the 7 habits of highly effective people, and her focus on health and strength as she ages.

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

It’s almost Christmas, and having Adam Wright join me at my kitchen table this week is a gift! I connected with Adam through our mutual friend (and friend of the pod), Jenn. He’s the kind of person you feel like you’ve known forever when you’re five minutes into a conversation with him.

Adam lost both of his parents to cancer, and we discovered that we have a mutual bond in that we both lost our moms in our late thirties and experienced delayed grief. But our talk is far from sad...it’s full of wonder and humor. We chat about his uncanny ability to talk himself into jobs, his love of Lancaster, PA, the world’s worst ball tap, and how his worldview changed for the better after losing his mom and living through COVID. And we talk about the really cool things he was able to do with his mom before she passed away.

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

We love a good passion project at the pod because we love it when someone says "fuck it" and tries something new on for size. Today, I welcome back friend of the pod, Jason Hill, to my kitchen table to talk about his passion project, which is training to become a professional wrestler at the age of 43. This was a lot of fun to get to be nerdy about particularly 90s Attitdue Era wrestling, but also about Jason being an elder statesman for the younger trainees, and why his lack of fear might mean he's a sociopath.

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Jenn Rennie pulls up a seat at my kitchen table today, and chatting with her is like having both the tea *and* a sweet treat! Jenn is a damn delight as she shares the story of how her experiences with cancer treatment and her care team brought the out the closeted writer in her and changed her career path to oncology nursing. Jenn is one of those people who always tells the real-real of a story, and today is no different as the conversation takes us to the importance of having a local "therapy" bar, how she has a friend assigned to social media duties in the event of her demise so that no pictures exist of her with angel wings, and why your attitude matters.

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.

Content warning: contains descriptions or mentions of drug use, OD, and suicidal ideations.

Get ready for Hayley Reyes to join me at my kitchen table today! I'm really fortunate that Hayley trusted me enough to speak frankly about how she became addicted to drugs, what led to her recovery, and why it's important to challenge our perceptions of people who become addicted. While her story is heavy at times, Hayley keeps it real with wry humor and realistic descriptions, and I get to throw in some "mom perspective." We talk about druggie buggies, the angels guiding her, and why Florida is where you go to relapse. And, most importantly, how she came out on the other side and is thriving today.

We are also joined from time to time by Hayley's dog, Xenia, who just wants to have a yap as well!

Intro riff by Dale Lytle (concert husband).

All content edited (I use that term very loosely) by Karen Shaak.