Hot Mess Happy Hour

Send us Fan Mail Norm is back and telling the story of how, after getting rejected by the cashier at the bagel place, he met his beautiful wife Marie, starting with a blind date at a U2 concert. Using U2 tickets could be used as a good way to get dates! We also delve into his past where he falsely claimed to be a professional bikini stylist and his petty criminal past as a strainer thief at bars....

Send us Fan Mail My car-less friend Norm meets up with me on a Vespa, to tell us about his time at Improv Summer camp and explains their Kitty Cat Careers game. He was slightly traumatized by 'Onesie Karaoke,' which I have not personally ever participated in, but no judgement. I discuss tipping over canoes and bailing out with a Solo cup. We also briefly meet former NBA basketball refere...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to part 2 of my happy hour with my friend the famous true crime podcaster Javier Leiva! I knew him before Pretend was just a twinkle in his eye. In this episode, Javier tries to talk me into being a cult leader, discusses his near shark attack, funeral etiquette, name drops his high school buddy Pitbull and a few other celebrities, and explains Brazilian butt lifts to me....

Send us Fan Mail My long-awaited Emmy-award winning guest Javier Leiva from the popular Pretend Podcast joins me on Hot Mess Happy Hour with breaking news! He has been officially diagnosed with ADHD and can join our tribe of hot messes! He discusses how Pretend got its start and how his true-crime series ended up being featured in the New York Times, BBC, and New York Magazine. He also discusses s...

Send us Fan Mail ADHD people are more likely to be people-pleasers as a survival mechanism to avoid rejection and cope with emotional regulation. I am guilty of it too, but we need to find a way to break this cycle of pleasing. It is okay to be kind and do things for others but don't make it cost your personal values. Recognize what you want to do versus what you feel obligated to do to keep...

Send us Fan Mail The fun continues with our insightful and hilarious guest Nate, as we discuss what not to say to people with depression or ADHD. Best practices if you will, and you should. We also do a deep dive into LEGO minifigs, vegetarian foods, and feature the song "Game Boy" by Zack Cokas, with a sample of this rockin' tune. Don't miss the Yard Sale stories, as those are...

Send us Fan Mail Sing it: "He is 16 .... going on 35..." Nate is back and talking about the disparity of the solos assigned to the seven von Trapp siblings during the infamous "So Long, Farewell" song. Fun fact: Georg had 3 more children with Maria making it a grand total of 10 von Trapp kiddos! We also discuss potential dog dating websites, (we're copywriting eBark) and m...

Send us Fan Mail Back by Popular Demand — NATE! Your favorite ADHD duo is back....and even more off track than ever! We discuss Nate's brief but illustrious bowling career, his many balls, his fun-filled rolling skating party to celebrate his early thirties, Trader Joe's (because why not?) and the benefits of physical therapy (PT). This is all coming to you from Nate's very high-sec...

Send us Fan Mail Woop Woop! You'll cheer for this method to help you meet your goals! WOOP stands for Wish, Outcome, Obstacles, Plan and it challenges you to identify what your true wishes are, and what stands in your way. I have started using this mental exercise and it is helping me prepare for things I want to achieve. Deceptively simple but effective! Thank you to the class I took from a...

Send us Fan Mail No one is SAFE from us! Join us for Hot Mess Happy Hour as Craig and I drag a stranger from a bar on St. Patrick's Day into the podcast to share her fun stories! We talk about driving through Ireland from Cork to Dingle. Jaqueline attended Johnny Cash's funeral and almost blew up a gas station! She fit the bill for hot mess and we love her! Craig shares his love of proct...

Send us Fan Mail Make a toast with your finest green beer and celebrate St. Patrick's Day with my friend Craig and me as we discuss "Fun-employment" and how when one door closes...a trap door opens...in the floor...so you can slide down further into your very own hot mess basement! We haven't hit rock bottom yet! We also discuss signs to look for if your company is downsizing,...

Send us Fan Mail It's almost tax time, but if you have ADHD like me, taxes hit you all year round! The ADHD taxes I mean. Forgetting where you put a gift card, or letting things expire or not paying a bill on time and racking up late fees, the list goes on. Listen in for some tricks and tips to help lower these taxes so we can save money, time and a whole lot of frustration! Take care!  Suppo...

Send us Fan Mail She's never ANNE-noying and always Anne-tertaining! Hear this second episode with our fave legal eagle improvisor Anne! She's had a few more glasses of chardonnay and is ready for some funny smack downs, including offering this show some hosting tips. (Mainly for Norm). Fergus weighs in and is anxiously waiting for some pizza crusts. We have moved to a heavenly environme...

Send us Fan Mail Get ready to lawyer up for this episode with my hilarious friend Anne who is not only funny, she's a Diamond-level athlete who was also on a case that went all the way to the supreme court! She speaks Russian but wasn’t ready to Rush In to being an undercover honey pot. Take a look into her legal briefs and enjoy the ride!  If you liked this episode and would like to help my...

Send us Fan Mail We all have "to do" lists. I have several all over the place on post-its and what have you. But here's a new one, for me at least, make a "to don't" list. Things that don't serve you, aren't worth doing, or things that just don't bring you joy. Just don't do it! Don't go to that party where you don't know anyone and you&a...

Send us Fan Mail If you are trying to make big changes in 2026 and are not quite succeeding, this podcast is for you. STOP with the scary huge goals or resolutions and go SMALL! You'll still get there... and doing it a bit slower with little tweaks along the way will actually get you there faster than trying to go big or go home. You'll just end up going home and you know it! With nothin...

Send us Fan Mail In this part 2 episode, we continue the discussion including needy ghosts, being haunted, Tadum! and more theatre talk with our good improv friend Norm, whose name is just so perfect for creating just the right puns and we thank him for being such a good sport! We also discuss getting attention you do not want during work video conference calls, Zoom call fails, and major meeting...

Send us Fan Mail A NORMal hot mess episode featuring NORM, my improv friend. He enjoys signing up to mentor people and then ghosting them soon after! He discusses fun improv show stories and all things "Yes, and." He loves his own kids but not other random people's kids and pets. His dog Benji also joins him on this podcast.  Support the show To mainly support my rescue pups and kee...

Send us Fan Mail Join me for this feel-good Friday mini episode where I talk about volunteering and how it connects you to others and can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, while boosting your happiness, giving you social connections, and a sense of purpose.  It shifts focus in your mind from your own worries to helping others.  I remotely most days and it does feel isolating at times. V...

Send us Fan Mail Join us as our conversation continues to wander all over the place, shocking I know, bringing you even More Malarkey with Michael covering a wide range of topics like ADHD meds, rubber necking, Andrew Lloyd Weber (for some odd reason) and of course out of tune pianos! Because, why not?  Thank you Michael for your time and for coming on this wild ride of a hot mess podcast.  Suppor...

Send us Fan Mail Saving cats, the new pope, eating too many burritos, grabbing snakes by accident and ranking wines and musicals... it's all in one episode and much more with Michael! He's entertaining and an all around fun person to be around. Catch us as we catch up after being apart for more than a year!  If you liked this episode and would like to help my rescue pups get treats, you...

Send us Fan Mail Focus mode, Post-Its, labels, alarms, forgetting to name your phone alarms so you then forget why it is going off...you know the drill! Nate helps us navigate through the time blindness and myriad of ADHD hurdles we both face and a few helpful tips to get through the day without being overwhelmed, and of course we get sidetracked and somehow talk about colonoscopies, climbing moun...

Send us Fan Mail Join Nate and me as we relive the tale of our hero coworker Cory who started AND quit the very same day! He read the vibe within 8 hours and said "immediately no" to our house of horrors. Also hear the tale of our poor coworker who was fired, had stomach flu and was bit by a rabid fox...all in the same week! A camera crew was waiting for her at her house after getting 10...

Send us Fan Mail Nate is everything you want in a fave coworker — funny,  kind, and smart with a great sense of humor! We worked in a crazy nut house of a place with see-through walls and had to entertain ourselves to get through it all with laughter. He joins me today with a non-alcoholic beverage and calls himself "Nate the Cheap Date" with all you'll save on wine and liquor. This...

Send us Fan Mail Coworker Craig demanded more episodes and so his Trauma Dump continues as he tells us how he once worked for hair cuts (BAD ones! ... yet he went back) and old shoes. He would prefer working for money. We also worked at an ad agency where the owner was (unknown to us) laundering money and then fled the country. We were "fun-employed" at the same time. That's the unp...