From the Middle

#183. It’s chow time! Dillon had an idea a while ago that we call “One Last Shot” where we would record eating foods we hate just to see if we maybe have changed our tastes since we’ve last tried them. Resulting from a wager on the Michigan vs Ohio State game, that idea has turned around to bite him and Kory as they eat themselves through a grid of terror. There is some relief built into the chall...

#182. One man’s “hail” is another man’s dry heave. The game has been played and Kendall’s Michigan Wolverines have defeated Dillon and Kory’s Ohio State Buckeyes. Yes, this means that in a future episode we will feature the outcome of the disgusting food bet the fellas wagered, but for this episode, we’re still in shock by the viewership numbers this game had. The Vegas odds were beat, but Kory in...

#181. Have you ever wanted to get into the mind of a game creator? Jordan McLaughlin is the founder of Rookie Mage Games, a company producing clever card games for friends and family of all ages. We take some tangents including horror films, pizza, and mashed potatoes, but the bulk of this episode is us picking the creative brain behind some masterpieces of story telling. The beauty, as we find, b...

#180. Happy Thanksgiving! Don’t burn the turkey. Or do it and replace it with ham, bacon, or even bologna and enjoy your celebration that much more. But if turkey is your thing and you turn to a Thanksgiving-themed TV dinner, you have an inept employee from Swanson’s to thank! If you’re looking to pack a TV dinner for a school lunch and have no idea how that could be practical, just wait for “Anyt...

#179. Stoke the fire and find a cold one; the fellas from Grab’em in the Brisket are here! We wish we could say we’ve known these guys before they were cool, but their quick wit and Texas charm precedes us. We love food and there’s no better brains to pick than this collective who run a mouthwatering podcast centered around America’s favorite culinary pastime: BBQ. They graciously shared their exp...

#178. Halloween is barely over, which is just another way of saying “Merry Christmas!” Or at least, it’s time to take a look at the movie trailer for A Christmas Story Christmas, the highly anticipated sequel to the classic Christmas Story film. We recommend checking out the sequel, but in the privacy of your own bathroom at home where you may listen at full volume without the judgement of the str...

#177. Happy Halloween, Middlers! We kick off our spooktacular with a look into Halloween and Holiday adjacent movies; films which aren’t necessarily holiday specific in plot, but perhaps support the holiday setting we enjoy. Die Hard would be a good example, but we all know that one is a Christmas movie through and through. Kendall brings up a book because he thinks he’s soooo smart. Nerd. Then, b...

#176. Caffeine is just a marketing ploy that doesn’t deliver on promises of stimulation. Or at least that’s what these three non-scientists are here to say. Also, truffle and caviar are just marketing ploys to get people to spend lots of money on things that taste gross. We’re not chefs. We’re not doctors. We are PODCASTERS! Podcasters are a lot like YouTubers, only we feel weird about cameras in...

#175. Smooth and sultry: two words to describe the timbre of what feels like our classiest hour. Dillon brings us to the mythical land of Scranton with his Dutch take on the working class via plastic sculpting. He calls it LEGO, The Office. Then he takes us on a ride around a German inspired faux pine on the Hogwarts Express. Kendall laments the rearing of children in solitude. Then after a pause,...

#174. An eccentric YouTuber found some fame but didn’t dress for the occasion, and therein lies a piece of the charm. Dillon and Kory saw Mark Rebillet in concert and found things “Wonderfully Weird” as Dillon put it. Kory had just found his hotel room in England before recording, so we got to interact his jet-lag as he shared his strategy to combat the disorder. Perhaps a pleasant surprise from a...

#173. It’s Homecoming season! This leads to some “kids these days” moments. Also, in “adults these days” we grown-ups have our own Happy Meals now! McDonalds is rolling out the limited time toy-centered deal for adults, which begs the question; what would you want in your adult Happy Meal? Perhaps a short run of LEGO figurines so Kory can work his charm on the employees to give him just the one he...

#172. You may want to grab a snack for this one. We live one of Kendall’s pizza goals courtesy of the Hubbell brothers and The Eagles Villa Pizza while washing it down with some of Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson’s Teremana Tequila. For dessert we try some Great Britain exclusive Kit Kat flavors with Mt. Dew Voo Dew 2022 edition. Between bites, we manage a smart and nostalgic conversation about news pap...

#171. In the wake of the recent state funeral for HM Queen Elizabeth II, we take a moment to nod to our friends in Great Britain. We also, in our admitted ignorance, discuss our fascination with the idea of a current first world monarchy and the pageantry found in its midst. Then we discuss taco juice and Walmart shirts as prompted by a middler. We follow that with an epic story of a different mid...

#170. We begin this episode responding to a comment from a Middler who has witnessed some shady, shall we say “slumlord-y,” behavior among fast food management. Are these experiences descriptive of an entire class or industry? We take on the heavy economic topics of our day with ease. Then we talk about sneezing in bathrooms for a while. Granted we stole the content idea from some pretty famous po...

#169. Kory’s been in a mood. Dillon is getting distracted from the one thing he wants. Kendall’s celebrating made up holidays. But you know what? Football is back! We needed something manly to discuss after talking about man-periods and man-nesting. Happy belated Labor Day weekend, America! We know its an “only here” thing, so to be inclusive, Happy Labour Day, Britain! Did you know you all have K...

#168. “It was the ASPHALT!” We have all watched the videos or have heard of the cute little limericks and puns that some flight attendants like to work into their routines. Like any good trio of millennials, we put our huddle together to figure out how we feel about it. But before we get to that and Dillon’s trip to Atlanta, we first have a thoughtful moment in Answers from the Middle. How involve...

#167. We begin with a couple Answers From the Middle. Are you compelled to share that gift bottle of wine with the person who gifted it to you? Also, If you could create a place-holder for yourself to seamlessly take on your life after you die so your friends and family never know you’ve passed, should you? That last one comes from the film Swan Song which Kory recently watched and thoughts were s...

#166. Crack open a cold one and join us for another fun chat with the fellas. Just make sure you pay for that beverage at some point. Do you know what a Tamarind is? Doritos has developed a new flavor featuring the tanginess of the legume. We get to say happy birthday to our dear friend and co-host, Kory in this episode! He shares with us the trip that almost wasn’t but ended up being and was cert...

#165. After a quick sip of some of Michael Buble’s sparkling water, we dive into some camping stories. Kendall shared some fun family time in the heat and thunderstorms while Kory camped with his son and what may have been a raccoon who was having a bad night. It was probably the humidity. Dillon watched the outside on TV from his new home theater so all in all, we can’t get enough of the great ou...

#164. Aaaaaah. Pure Michigan. Tim Allen said it best. Kory and family took a little trip to Michigan for some relaxation and fun. You know what else is in Michigan? Nate Weber, previous guest on the podcast (episode #117) and previous contestant on the History Channel’s series Alone. Kory and Nate had a chance to catch up for some good conversation which may help Kory along in his current stage of...

#163. In this episode we get back into our beloved segment, “Answers from the Middle.” How large of an order is too large for the drive-thru line? Should adults put ketchup on hotdogs? Do you fill a gas tank when borrowing a car? Is it ok to edit the tip for delivery drivers? We tackle all of these in the front half of the show. After the break we learn Kendall has a minivan, which definitely does...

#162. Kory squirted some high power adhesive into his eye. We’re still waiting to see what super powers he ends up with. Perhaps it’ll be the ability to digest the digestion pieces from other animal organisms. Dillon is developing the power to paint two days in a row. Some of you are thinking that’s not a big deal. But others (you know who you are) understand perfectly. You are also probably not t...

#161. This episode is another flow-of-thought sort of thing, but we discovered an unintentional theme: fatherhood. We hit several stereotypes about ourselves such as finding ugly yet comfortable shoes, not wanting salespeople to hassle us, bourbon, golf, and home maintenance. Speaking of the latter, Dillon is moving his family into a new home! The freedom of spending as much time as he wants on th...

#160. It’s good to be back in studio to catch up. Thank you for understanding our one week break. Dillon and Kory lost a very important and loving piece of their lives, but their grandmother still managed to get the family together for some singing and other sweet moments. Enjoy Jesus, Queenie! We get a chance to discuss some fishing. The sentimental moments of catching large sunfish in grandpa’s...

#159. Happy belated Father’s Day! We begin by expressing what our wonderful families did to show their appreciation. Gifts, food, and a camping trip made the list. Kendall’s first time taking his family camping went off without a hitch, so they resorted to sleeping in a tent. We’ll give you a second to find the pun. The weekend went swimmingly. Raccoons suck. Kory had a hobbit style breakfast, but...