Breaker Whiskey

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] Breaker, breaker, this is Whiskey calling out from…somewhere in Utah.   I don’t expect anyone to call back. I haven’t heard from you in days, Birdie, and you missed our date, so I’m assuming the worst. That you’ve decided you want nothing to do with me, or that— Well, I don’t think anything happened to you. You’ve survived this long, so unless you had a heart attack an...

As a patron, you will also receive each week's episodes as one longer episode every Monday. [TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] “Dear Harry,  Today I saw the Grand Canyon. And it was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. The picture on this postcard doesn’t do it—“ And then my pen exploded, so there’s a big ink splatter on half the card now. Not a lot of room left to write. But if there were, I...

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[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] I was writing a postcard from the Grand Canyon to Harry and my pen exploded. My fingers are covered in ink and it made me think— [click, static] Harry’s hands always had something on them. Paint usually, or dirt from the garden…ink even. She found this old typewriter in the house and got me to fix it up for her despite the fact that I knew nothing about typewriters. I...

Please visit breakerwhiskey.com for more information or to send a message to Whiskey's radio. Breaker Whiskey is an Atypical Artists production created by Lauren Shippen. If you'd like to support the show, please visit patreon.com/breakerwhiskey. As a patron, you will also receive each week's episodes as one longer episode every Monday. ------ [TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] I’m on my way to Salt Lak...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] Okay so… 
(sighs) “What choice marks”. That’s what you sent. I guess I should have seen that coming. It’s the question I’d ask too. [click, static] I’m surprised you haven’t put it together yet. We both know I haven’t been careful about what I say on here, what I say to you. I know you figured out that I was an art thief long before I told you. And I’ve already said a...

Please visit breakerwhiskey.com for more information or to send a message to Whiskey's radio. Breaker Whiskey is an Atypical Artists production created by Lauren Shippen. If you'd like to support the show, please visit patreon.com/breakerwhiskey. As a patron, you will also receive each week's episodes as one longer episode every Monday. ------ [TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] Hey Birdie.  I got to the...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] Breaker breaker, this is Whiskey calling out for Birdie. You here? [one beep] Hell yes. How long’ve we got today? [five beeps] Five…five minutes? We have five minutes? [one beep] Okay, Jesus Christ. Well, I’ve been thinking about this, what I would ask. So let’s go, one beep for yes, two for no, three beeps when the answer is too complicated, and one dash for I don’t k...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] So, I’m on my way to the Grand Canyon, but apparently Arizona is full of cavernous earth. Because I’m standing in front of an absolutely enormous hole in the ground.  A meteor crashed here. I had no idea. Which is weird, right? Isn’t that something that everybody should just know? That we have an enormous meteor crater in our country? It feels noteworthy.  But no, I on...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] I haven’t heard from you, which I’m trying not to read into too much. It’s not like we haven’t gone days—or weeks, even—without talking but I guess I’m feeling— Well, between talking to you—actually talking to you—for the first time and you knowing my name… Is this what it feels like to be…vulnerable? I know I’ve told you about K not calling me back and Millie moving a...

[TRANSCRIPT] [beeps] [click, static] I—I’m not sure I translated this message right. Except, I must have. I’ve gotten pretty good at this over the weeks and I listened again and again to make sure I had it right but how— [click, static] How do you know my name? That’s—I have to think that’s what that message is about. You wouldn’t send that randomly, it wouldn’t make any sense. Which means you kno...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] Hey Birdie.  
I’m still… [click, static] I can’t believe we talked yesterday. It doesn’t feel real, it happened so fast and it still doesn’t feel real. But it is. It is real. You’re real. You’re real and you can hear me and I know that we’ve been communicating for months now but I didn’t realize just how different it would feel to have you responding in real time to me...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] Birdie? You there? [one beep] Is that…is that you? Are you really here? [one beep] Okay—okay, jesus christ—wow. Hi. Oh my god, hi. [click, static] Right, I guess we’re not gonna have me translating full morse sentences in real time. Though—I’m up for that if you are? [two beeps] Two dots…that’s the letter “I” but…maybe you’re thinking what I’ve been thinking if we ever...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] Um, so…I translated your most recent message.  Sorry for getting distracted—I was figuring out what the best way to go to the grand canyon was and it seems like there’s…basically one way from here, so that’s sorted now.  But, well Birdie, you did it again. You left me a fucking cryptic message.  “Th. 9AM.”  That’s all. I’m assuming the “Th” stands for Thursday? Day and...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] “It still matters” - I asked you a question ages ago. I only just remembered. I asked you if what your job—if what happened with your job—if it still mattered. Now that we don’t have jobs and careers and all that.  And you’re saying it does. Which could mean…a lot of things. It could mean that your job has something to do with…all of this. Or it could just mean that yo...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] Breaker, Breaker, this is Whiskey heading west from Albuquerque. [click, static] “It still matters”. That’s what you said: it still matters I’m not sure what you were referring to with that…I don’t even know what I was talking about.  My…friends? Or—my crew, that is. I was telling you about Harry and I being nice to each other…is that what still matters? I’m not sure w...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] Harry was right. Santa Fe is gorgeous.  You know, being here, thinking about it being Harry’s favorite, thinking about the fact that she could be here, right now, with me, and she’s not… (sighs) It wasn’t…it wasn’t all bad. That’s what I’ve been thinking about. Since I arrived, since going to the art museum, it’s like I see her around every corner, and I imagine what s...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] The painting is sitting in the passenger seat now. It is my companion.  I wish I could explain why I took this one in particular. But I just…I liked it. It made me smile the moment I saw it. Gave me a kind of good ache right behind my ribs.  It reminds me of my mom. I don’t know why. She never went to Santa Fe, I don’t think. I don’t know that I ever heard her even ref...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] There’s a saying about bad habits. Or maybe it’s just habits. Habits die hard. Bad habits die doubly hard, I guess.  Although maybe I shouldn’t be considering it a habit—it is what I did for a living. And is it really bad now? I don’t think so.  I stole a painting. That’s what I’m trying to say. Just the one. Because I could. Because I wanted to.  “Santa Fe Mountains i...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] (sigh) Alright, you sent me a message last night that just said “Santa Fe”. That’s fucking… Well, I assume it means you want me to go to Santa Fe. Well, I am. I’m already here, actually. And not because of your message but because I was close and it’s November and I’d honestly rather be in New Mexico than Colorado, so.  I’m not even really a hot weather person, to be h...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] Alright, your most recent message. Let’s talk about it.  “Collision point in Denver” Birdie, what the hell?  [click, static] You can’t just leave a message like that and not follow up. We’ve talked about this. I know that our communication capabilities are limited but this is completely absurd. “Collision point”?? What does that mean? Maybe I should stop expecting thin...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] I think…um, I’ve been on edge. All week, ever since I left the Stanley. Maybe it was driving past Denver that set me off, set me thinking about Harry again. You ever gonna tell me what the hell that was about? You ever going to respond to any of the bonkers transmissions I’ve sent in the past week or so? [click, static] I’d…I’d really like to come see you, Birdie. The...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] Hey Birdie. I’m, uh, I’m on route to Santa Fe, now, I guess. It’s a place I’ve always wanted to go—it’s supposed to be beautiful, and cultural, and it’s very much on my route, so…

Not that I have a route. I have to stop following invisible rules. Just because it’s the next major city on the highway I’m currently following doesn’t mean that— (sighs) Harry fucking loves...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] Okay, maybe I’m not doing great. I can’t get his face out of my head. The way he looked as he was leaving, suitcase in one hand, other hand on the doorknob, turning around like he forgot something. Turning around like he wanted to say goodbye to me. But that doesn’t— [click, static] I’m trying to…focus on other things. I took a branch from the national park back in Wyo...

[TRANSCRIPT] [click, static] The stupid thing is, with all the weirdness at the Stanley, I didn’t even take a look around Estes Park that much. And it looked like it is beautiful. Sure, I got a lot of beautiful lakes and mountains in Wyoming. And it’s not like I can’t come back if I really want to. But I don’t think I’ll be staying at the Stanley again. I forgot to tell you—when I was driving out...