This week on Two Grumpy Vets, the three of us catch up on life, weather swings, bills, and a deep dive into wood stoves and heating hacks—right down to firewood sizes and the best slow-burning woods. We roll into Jeep tire drama (RIP KO2s), price-versus-wear debates, and why research can change your mind about Patagonia's. From there, we veer through a spicy but civil Facebook dust-up about geopolitics and legality, then swing into radios: selling big rigs, unboxing a new contest-grade DX10, late-night France contacts on 40 meters, logging workflows, Linux toys, and prepping for upcoming contests. We round it out with road stories about DPS stings, hands-free laws, ghost-marked cruisers, yard work, stubborn acorns, donut loyalties, value-for-value podcasting, and the eternal loyalty (and gas) of our dogs.

It’s classic us: three friends intentionally showing up, swapping stories, sharpening each other, and laughing at our own nonsense—from “let me take two PTO hours for a throat chop” to queef-slapper-level punchlines. If it’s on our minds—heating, radios, tires, laws, Linux, biscuits, or bacon-laced beans—it’s on the mic. Share it with a friend (or an enemy), send us your thoughts, and we’ll see you next week.

Email Us:
Rich -- mailto://rchelson@gmail.com
Bryan -- mailto://circlecast@gmail.com

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In this New Year’s episode, I catch up with Bryan and The Duuude for a freewheeling, three-hour hang where we kick off 2026 with stories, laughs, and some real talk. We swap New Year’s Eve recaps—from solo fire-pit zen with a pack of 7% seltzers, to hot-chocolate-at-midnight serenity, to working oilfield staging pads while hunting for cell signal. From there, we wander delightfully through trucking and fracking loads, fireworks prices and city ordinances, drones-as-firework-viewers, dog thunder shirts, vertigo, and the odd places different states drop acorns, anchors, and balls at midnight. We even go deep on the surprising history of time balls and the first Times Square drop in 1907.

We also geek out hard: home bread machines and einkorn wheat, DIY pizza and pretzels, Linux backups, self-hosting, and AI chatbots (how to prompt better, where they’re useful, and why they’re not AGI). The Dude shares ham radio updates—DX chasing, noisy bands, contest goals, and 2026 awards—while I reflect on site traffic milestones, writing rhythms, and value-for-value podcasting. We close with a candid detour on border drug interdictions, the EMT smuggling sting in Texas, and a few state and national political riffs—then wrap with gratitude, goals, and good wishes for a better 2026.

Chat Links: (Not Sponsored)

https://www.farm2flour.com

Email Us:
Rich -- mailto://rchelson@gmail.com
Bryan -- mailto://circlecast@gmail.com

If you are struggling with life please reach out to The Suicide Life Line - Dial 988
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In this week’s Two Grumpy Vets and a Duuude, we celebrate a birthday (the Duuude's) and dive into a lively, winding conversation about intentional living, service, and everyday grit. We kick off with retail rants (Walmart vs. H‑E‑B and the lost art of customer service), drift into wealth, power, and philanthropy, and spotlight the Bentonville/NW Arkansas boom. From there we hit military life—why a one‑time $1,776 payout matters to junior service members—then swap stories from the road: high‑wind trucking hazards, governed rigs, and the science of getting blown around at 70,000 lbs. We cover nicotine’s grip, addiction recovery, and mindset triggers; ham‑radio contest woes and sunspot cycles; winter storms out West; cold‑weather Army “Mickey Mouse” boots and Alaska training; plus moonshine stills, Jeep tires, and the economics of tire warranties. We also get into health: VA visits, amniotic‑fluid injections for shoulder pain, new hearing aids that stream calls and music, and how better hearing changes daily life (from birdsong to turn‑signal clicks). Not only that, but we round it out with AI image/video tinkering, backups and local models, pet antics, Mardi Gras timelines, and a quick Value‑for‑Value segment on how listeners can support the show. Programming note: we’re off for Christmas and back on New Year’s Day. Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all!

Resources mentioned (non‑sponsored):
• Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art (Bentonville, AR) — free admission supported by philanthropy
• SolarHam for solar and sunspot activity (ham radio propagation)
• VA audiology and ortho care discussions (hearing aids; context)

Email Us:
Rich -- mailtto://rchelson@gmail.com
Bryan -- mailto://circlecast@gmail.com

If you are struggling with life please reach out to The Suicide Life Line - Dial 988
The world needs you here.