From the Middle

#281. Are your pants too small now that Thanksgiving is over? We heat up the leftovers and tell you about our holiday. Then we find out that most of us experience issues with people understanding, remembering, or misspelling our name. Maybe Matt doesn’t deal with this, but Rebekah sure does. We ask you, how do you have to deal with your name in intercommunicative circumstances? Another name that’s...

#280. “The turkey goes ‘gobble gobble’ and then he gets his head chopped off. Whack!” That, believe it or not, is a weird Thanksgiving song. Weird and Thanksgiving gatherings can also overlap on the dinner table. Dillon goes through a list of odd dishes as we play “smash or pass,” and we would love to hear some of YOUR highs and lows from that list via the LinkTree below! On the back half, we ente...

#279. In your weekly Taco Bell news, the 90’s are back and more expensive than ever! Even the cups are throwback and they’re perfect for late night sipping or to add flare to your small painting projects. Kory joins us from what could be his last trip to Seattle for a while, but he does share a hunting story which is a bit happier and more easy-listening than some hunting stories from the past. Af...

#278. We’re almost halfway through November. How’s the beard growing? Have you shaved? Do you change your routine at all for No-Shave November? Speaking of routine changes, the three of us are heading into girl’s basketball season on three different levels. What’s your family transitioning to or from? Speaking of transitions, Kory’s career may be heading into new adventures and opportunities. The...

#277. Your local mall is probably decking the halls, and we think a presidential election year is the perfect time to take advantage of the joy, even if premature. Speaking of elections, we discuss what voting and cake have in common and perhaps want to join arms in a grass-roots movement to save the nation. After the break, we discuss pepperoni and an innovation that Canada is bringing to pizza....

#276. We are From the Middle, and we approve this episode. Also, political ads are annoying. Let’s move on to the important stuff, such as the Where’s Waldo story arc and AI vs Al. Yes. I typed those differently. Speaking of differences, Mountain Dew changed their branding and of course we have opinions! After the break, Kory shares his beautiful experience at The Gathering in Banff, Alberta, Cana...

#275. DOWN WITH BIG MUMPKIN! How do you feel about elementary school fundraisers? Let us know via the LinkTree below! As for us, we’re generally not fans. PTA’s are great, schools need our generosity, but are we doing our best? We also talk about hotels and how reliable a reality it is that the usb ports in the lamp aren’t going to work. But at least there’s breakfast in the morning. We then discu...

#274. Dig out the flannel and spice up your cider, it’s fall! It’s time to get the holiday decorations out of the basement. Speaking of basements, Kory’s is remodeled and you need to see what he’s done with the place! The tv is hung and the kid’s toys are gone. It’s the phase of life where the largest user of toys in the household is Kory himself as he and Dillon got away with their dad and visite...

#273. Here’s your reminder to worry helplessly about whether you closed the garage door on your way to work this morning. Good luck getting that off your brain. And hey! The port workers up and down the east coast are on strike. But don’t worry. We share how you can make your own mayonnaise at home! In other sauce news, if you are selling chicken but aren’t offering ranch, don’t even try to market...

#272. Sometimes kids make the best parents. They can free up the adults to play red light/green light with their friends online. They can figure out their food allergies on their own with the correct AI prompts and a little know-how with iOS 18. All things “kids” is getting more sophisticated, and that includes sports. Parents of children getting into athletics these days have experienced how smar...

#271. Do you like the mermaid fin to be removed before eating a shrimp taco? Of course you do. Is having to de-tail your own shrimp in such a dish worth speaking to the manager or are you just getting your meUndies in a bunch? Perhaps breaking down your own seafood is a good reason to wear latex gloves in public. But please just make sure those around you are aware of your intentions. With no smoo...

#270. The older you get, the more you talk about doctor visits. In the front half of this one we follow Kory into the office for a check-up and share our opinions on how things went. There’s a transcript somewhere that he agreed to which was generated by AI, so if that leaks, you can follow along there. Kendall wants someone to look at his foot, and he’ll shortly be paying someone to do just that....

#269. Today in cooking tips by From the Middle, we discuss sauce thickening techniques as well as digesting salmon. We then get into our business advice. Sometimes you shouldn’t be afraid to just give stuff away. Then we share our expertise on the male aging process and how you can feel as young as we do. Maybe just take some time to smell the grass. On the back half we once again solve the world...

#268. A professional ball player bats for both teams, a professional comedian fields questions from Kory, and a professional (not THAT kind of “professional”) masseuse eases minds with her presence. All of that and some etiquette concerning cell phones in public cover the first half of this episode. On the back half we discuss an Australian reboot of “The Office” and we hope there’s break dancing...

#267. Like any good podcast or media member, we do our fact checking after we’ve already said the thing. Sorry, Raygun. But still, thanks for the memories. Speaking of making memories, our kids are all back in school, and for some, it’s a milestone year! One littler (a young middler), is taking on the world of jiujitsu which sparks a conversation about the merits of martial arts for kids. If you’r...

#266. Cue the John Williams! The Olympic Games are over and we all win, that is, unless you imitated a kangaroo in front of a panel of judges. Anyone who did that didn’t win. We have a bit of glitter-wizard updating followed by Kory’s recounting of his (not a) party including the event itself and some bonus bike riding and vintage Star Wars viewings! Happy 40th, dude. Now let’s turn some Hot Ones...

#265. It’s time for our generation to influence the world with our vernacular, and we’re starting with “hotspotting.” It means what you think it means. And it comes into play on an otherwise delightful trip Kendall took with his soon-to-be ten-year-old to Houston, Texas. Then Kory tries his hand at influencing the youth with his imagination which is only rivaled by Bluey’s dad. Sometimes fantasy c...

#264. The Olympics are on, but can we finally start talking about athletes!? Kory’s pool is illuminated, so can we talk about wiring diagrams!? And sure, the Mandela Effect is real, but can we talk about the Fruit of the Loom logo!? And talk about these things did we. Also something about peeing into golf clubs. Details inside. After the break, Dillon shares a wonderful online trend of using Insid...

#263. Kendall’s first birthday gift was a home run, Dillon’s recent gaming experience is a touchdown, and Kory is punting on what a party is. Have you yet tried the long awaited NCAA College Football? You all know its a big deal for one host and we celebrate with Dillon as he discusses the overall feel, gameplay, bugs, and learning curve (or lack thereof). Speaking of celebrating, Kory is having a...

#262. Kory’s working on a project in Manhattan where a kid dropped a bomb in an elevator. We’re also seeing possibly-not-but-probably-so celebrities but we don’t know who they are. And in the confusing world of Gen Z, rat boys apparently are owning June through August. After needing to take a break to wrap our heads around that, we spend the back half discussing old guy things like sitting in dine...

#261. Kendall’s bright-eyed and bushy-tailed hanging out in a hotel lobby somewhere in Pittsburgh. Or maybe his voice is low as he looks around making sure no one is listening. Also, Independence Day is behind us and we recount our moments and memories of this year’s celebrations. Then we hear some of the less fluffy details of being in Pittsburgh. After the break, we discuss sports team logos and...

#260. Middler extraordinaire and fellow podcaster Jon Lathrop sits fourth chair as we head into Independence Day festivities. He’s a bbq master from Texas who co-hosts the show Grab’em in the Brisket and if his cookout skills don’t make your mouth water, his July 4th USA outfit will. This episode goes way beyond meat, however, as we discuss some of our typical fare: hot dogs being considered sandw...

#259. Kory shares one more gangsta Hawaii story before we dive into a new-to-us pizza experience which can be found in Colorado. The “Rocky Mountain Pie” is your entree and dessert all in one package and it needs to move to the midwest. Speaking of Kory being away, we pull back the curtain on how Dillon and Kendall craft an episode in Kory’s absence with a fun game. Then we talk about how great co...

#258. Dillon’s garage sale results are in! But what about the stuff that didn’t sell? Is it still out? What ever happened to the typewriter? Did we have good Father’s Days filled with sweet gifts and chewy ice? We dish out all the juicy details along with some discussion comparing today’s rubber-mulched playgrounds with the skin-burning reality of the hazardous zones we grew up with. After the bre...

#257. We share some honest facts about Abraham Lincoln because we’re high-brow. We do things like write in cursive and pass on traditional table manners to our kids. We also enjoy playing with sticks and geek out over Alvin and the Chipmunks, so take that for what it’s worth. Long story short, we dive into what our kids are up to when school is out versus what we did at their age. Also, Dillon is...