The Grocery Stick Podcast

#55: Two Weeks??? Francis and Jessica lost their “freeze the rent” Kalshi bets. That’s ridiculous! So what’s the deal with all the online hate for The Alchemist? Meanwhile, Jessica’s search for information on The Poetica’s far left turn resulted in a new online argument with neighbors :). Let’s hope Jessica finally bought her lottery ticket after FOUR birds dropped some poo on her head.

#54: Bring in the Medics This episode is for us Gen X oldies! Just like the pigeons, don’t feed the temporarily unhoused (sorry). The oatmeal and incline walking are actually improving the health profile of Francis. Unfortunately, he’s headed in for another kidney stone procedure - whoops. Bring in Dr. Jessica and the pair go down the medical rabbit hole of America. PSA: YOU are your best medical...

#53: It’s Inconceivable! Francis and Jessica chat about celebrity sightings in Brooklyn as the OG Inigo Montoya (Mandy Patinkin) was on the same return flight to NYC. JetBlue has clearly seen better days in the past - could they really charge higher prices without losing customers? For all you flyers out there in the USA, try the paiback.app to get money back on flights when prices fall - use our...

#52 Mind the Gap! The Fresh Prince doesn’t want to share Jessica with the rest of the family. Friendship is a two way street people, so check-in on a friend today. At our age, we need hobbies, so Jessica has taken up some serious sewing as she gets ready for a future at The Villages in Flo-Ridaaaaa. Francis is still in disbelief at the woman who parked her car on Fifth Avenue and fell down a manho...

#51: Mini Tiger Prawn Francis is angry at the weeding he doesn’t want to do and the pigeons he has to chase away each day before they build a nest. At the same time, he can’t figure out how construction workers know what to do each day while building a high rise. Meanwhile, Jessica is absolutely amazed by the peculiar story of future NHL draft pick, Jaxon Cover. Reluctantly, Francis recounts his d...

#50: No Tailgating Francis and Jessica marvel at their 50th episode! Do first world dogs really mellow out on Prozac and other modern medication? And what actually happens to a Make a Wish kid who fully recovers? There’s a quick Kalshi update as we warn listeners against tailgating through the new subway turnstiles. PSA of the day: wear your full visors and mouth guards while on the ice! Finally,...

#49: The Even MORE Angry Episode Francis and Jessica are even more agitated than normal this week as the NCAA continues to make rule changes that penalize college hockey players. But first there’s plenty of talk about Italian bakeries, hash brown waffles and the incredible, talented entertainment found on @bkcoffeeshop. Here come the lawsuits as JetBlue gets busted for price surveillance and the C...

#48: It’s Not Fair! Francis started his day with a bike ride but then it completely upset his morning coffee ritual. Meanwhile, Jessica automates her cup of morning joe. They meander through volleyball, the disappearance of Greek life on campus, sun tan oil, and eventually land on “fairness”.

#47: Let's Do Lunch The FPOBA is super chill as Jessica is now hiding Prozac in his cream cheese. Why can’t Americans say what they mean and mean what they say? Francis is still searching for the meaning of his odd teeth brushing dream. The duo chat about Trader Joe’s tote bags, Erewhon smoothies and Love on the Spectrum. SPOILER ALERT for Sinners and Outcome - fast forward so we don’t ruin the mo...

#46: Jail Time Happy birthday wishes to Jessica!!! She spent the morning returning a mansion purchased for the FPOBA. Boy do we miss hearing about her fights with strangers on Threads. Watch HBO Max if you are in need of gratuitous sex and violence. Francis outlines the latest Apple Pay credit card scam and we want your vote on whether you see pre-fab jail cells in the picture above.

#45: Poulet Frites The Fresh Prince of Bel Air (Cesar the rescue) is still going strong in the Jessica household. Francis is still tempted but cannot bring himself to tip the coffee joint using the previous customer’s payment screen. Montreal was a successful 48 hour poulet frites fest! Meanwhile, the Brooklyn crew cannot agree on decision optimization tactics in everyday life.

#44: Adjust The Tip Francis cannot figure out why people leave the payment screen untouched at his favorite coffee shop. Should he tip the barista with someone else’s credit card? Jessica talks about the origin of Vision Zero as the hosts recall speeding tickets and an 8 month old fine from Mallorca’s “Vatican City”. Once again, the junior hockey leagues confirm they just don’t care about their pl...

#43: Blow My Glass It’s looking more and more like Jessica is now the new dog owner of her supposed rescue. But who’s counting? There’s a two way Delta rant as Jessica visits Tampa with her daughter and almost didn’t get home. Francis recalls a Murano glass blowing scam in Venice.

#42: Sh*t Everywhere It’s been 12 weeks and Jessica is still being exploited by the dog rescue network - no money, no medical help. And now that youth hockey is finally over, Francis can’t find enough hours in the car to listen to all his favorite podcasts. There’s mayhem on the horizon for future hockey parents, as USA Hockey launches the new national development league. As old man Francis keeps...

#41: Teamwork!  Jessica and Francis wonder why on earth teams always seem to rise and fall together - what does it take to shake them from their inconsistency? Meanwhile, Francis wonders if the constant chase for “better” is worth all the grief. In the race to build resilient kids, is there a “right” amount of failure or do we all end up as helicopter parents?

#40: Justice for Orelha Jessica and Francis regret not documenting more baby moments as their kids head off to college. Francis’ battle with oatmeal takes a chocolate chip twist. Team USA Men’s Hockey win olympic gold but inadvertently disrespect their gold medal winning female colleagues. We remember and celebrate Boston Bruin players McAvoy and Pastrnak as absolute heroes to our kids - but F U M...

#39: The Almond Mom Turns out Jessica grew up a redneck on Long Island with a pickup truck! Rubber mallets do not solve all engineering problems. We’re still waiting for all the cutting edge tech to really improve and take over our lives, just like Bieber’s NFT which lost 99% of its value. Francis talks Kalshi and how Mamdani can’t really deliver on all his promises. Jessica finally got to see Pai...

#38: Watch Out For Those Uggs It’s funny how everything moves slower but friendlier once you leave NYC. Jessica recounts how she was bullied in her Uggs. Francis makes the mistake of asking Jessica who she’s currently fighting with on the internet :) And what’s with the NIL payments to NCDC players as they look to standardize team resources across the nation? Jessica keeps chugging along and guess...

#37: Freeze the Rent! Turns out the dog rescue is not a Lab Retriever but really a Pit Bull! Francis thinks the rescue people are taking liberties with Jessica’s kindness. There was money raised for her rescue pup but it’s nowhere to be found. There’s a likely win in predictive markets with Mamdani’s “freeze the rent” promise that is expected in October. Gavin McKenna gets arrested for assault, bu...

#36: Snow + Disney ≠ Fairytale! It’s the aftermath of Winter Storm Fern and Francis wants to know why on earth the bike lane is plowed but not the streets or parking spots? Of course Jessica is obsessed with Heated Rivalry and somehow she’s still harboring Cesar the foster dog. We get a Disney trip update, a Jetblue fail and Jessica surprises Francis by guessing 2/3 of the dad jokes. She’s on a ro...

#35: Can You Pronounce Xoloitzcuintli? Francis annoys Jessica as he tries an episode of speaking like a left coasterrrrr? and we revisit the proposed USA Hockey National Development League with its unintended consequences for parents. Swimcloud is a rare app that’s actually fair to families. Meanwhile, Francis’ iPhone thinks he’s in distress because he loves watching marriage humor on the Gram. Je...

#34: Let’s Build A Prison Downtown Jessica gives us the latest update on her temporary dog rescue while Francis recounts his unfulfilled morning of coffee, oatmeal and mysterious “hello’s”. They don’t quite understand how the lefties decided to build a high rise jail on prime land in downtown Brooklyn. Pay attention to the Donkey principle and did you know Instacart is price gouging you for basic...

#33: Learn to Respond and Not React Francis starts out with an update on his Kalshi bets. Jessica goes on a family shooting trip and she’s a sharpshooter! Shooting is definitely harder than it looks and our PSA for the day is “learn to respond and not react”. We wonder out loud why any player is willing to pay to play junior hockey; Disney is hyper expensive and why not hit Medieval Times for some...

#32: Life Was Better in 2000s What’s up people? Jessica enlightens us all about dog foster care, while Francis romanticizes NYC/West Coast life in the early 2000s. Predictive markets has become a hot topic and the house always wins - was Venezuela technically invaded? World Juniors hockey was a complete bust for Team USA and Canada but congratulations to Sweden for the win! #zencastr #applepodcast...

#31: Happy 2026! It’s the first episode of 2026!  Jessica and Francis wish all of you a safe, healthy, peaceful and successful new year. We talk 5,000 calories a day, bitch about tech billionaires, and spend a little time walking down memory lane as latchkey kids with no safeguards.