The JV Club with Janet Varney

It's a campfire-worthy episode of The JV Club with guest Michaela Watkins ( Wanderlust ) as she and Janet settle in for an evening of conversation about ghosts, close encounters of the litter kind, and pursuing careers in the spiritual realm.

It's an embarrassment of riches... or maybe just an embarrassment of embarrassments in episode 50 (Wow! We made it to 50!) with ridiculously fun guest Carla Gallo ( Bones) - complete with revealing stories about prom nights gone awry, blooming late, and... um... cat lockets.

In this second-ever live episode of The JV Club, first-ever returning guest Tig Notaro sits onstage with Janet at SF Sketchfest in San Francisco to discuss the events of her life since the last time they recorded together. What follows is a frank, intimate and emotional discussion... with a very liberal dose of laughter. (Special thanks to SFSF photographer Jakub Mosur!)

A far cry from the overly-tan, dog-frenching Magda of There's Something About Mary fame, actress Lin Shaye gives Janet a peek into her aptly-named girl gang The Coquettes, the challenge of a corkscrew ponytail, and what you can expect from a psychedelic wedding.

Episode 47's guest Erica Rhodes gives Janet a peek into the cruel world adolescent ballet, the passionate poetry borne of a broken heart, and the balance between ambition and contentment. Plus, Janet geeks out over Erica's involvement with the delightful live radio show A Prairie Home Companion.

Take an evening walk down a quiet street or spend an afternoon riding your bike through the woods... or at least listen to Janet and guest Paget Brewster (Criminal Minds) revel in the magic of unstructured time spent alone in this episode, where Paget also proves herself to be the creator of a VERY important masterpiece.

It's an episode filled with mystery as Janet and guest Morgan Walsh ( Burning Love) shower praise on the magic of Portland, Oregon and then begin to wonder if they share a dad. Further intrigue abounds with talk of living a double life in high school and the puzzling appeal of the Salton Sea.

Episode 44 brings you guest Kristen Rutherford (Geek and Sundry) and everything that comes along with her, which in this case includes discussions on fairy houses, supermarket birthday cake, and and being horrible in groups. Bonus: Kristen opens a belated Christmas gift from Janet!

It's a teenage diary showdown as Janet and Episode 42 guest Erinn Hayes ( Childrens Hospital ) marvel at the shocking similarity between their respective angst-scribbles. Further parallels abound as the two discuss being hot in baggy clothes, embarrassingly earnest glamour photos, and marrying Ricky Schroeder.

Janet and guest Carly Craig ( Role Models) share a metaphorical school locker together and fill it with a conversation about the companionship of volleyball and the isolation of swimming (echoing Mary Lynn Rajskub's ep!), the liberation of writing your own material, and yes, the benefits of cooking with grapeseed oil.

Janet accuses guest Leslie Bibb ( Iron Man) of having a Harper Lee novel-worthy childhood in Episode 41, amidst a powow  covering the dangers of altruism, being fearless in your fashion statements, and standing on the balls of your feet.

If a low-key conversational podcast episode can be described as zany and madcap, this might be that episode. Which is just a nice way of describing an oft-interrupted Episode 40 with the disarming, adorable Vanessa Ragland (Pop My Culture podcast), who takes it all in stride with Janet as they romp through a discussion about being the happy weird kid, ill-timed bathroom breaks and oh-so-much-more.

Guest Janie Haddad Tompkins (Janie and Aaron Does Hollywood) and Janet delve into a cornucopia of topics including  the fear of inappropriate earthquake attire, the extremely specific cache' of growing up on a small island in the 80's, and boys, boys boys.

Writer and comedian Tess Rafferty ( The Soup ) joins Janet to debate the pros and cons of Barbie dolls, the pressure of "The Five Year Plan," the delights of a good table setting, and how to reconnect with the art of your art.

It's a long one! The longest yet! Alison Rosen (Alison Rosen is Your New Best Friend, The Adam Corolla Show) lounges on the rug with Janet to give you an earful of wonderings about the parallel between old-school modems and human emotions, how it feels when your pediatrician recommends you go to a fat camp, and making friends with uncertainty.

The charming Kathleen Rose Perkins ( Episodes) recounts the joys and challenges of being a certified bird-owner, being heard in a family of boys, and what we're really doing when we're eating eggs. Want more? Find out where Kathleen's future home is, courtesy another glorious game of M.A.S.H.!

It's a trip around the world with Episode 35's guest Amy Acker ( Person of Interest, Angel) -- or at least a trip around Dallas, Japan, and pumpkin festivals, with a little high school drill team, country western dancing, and a horrible arachnid encounter thrown in for good measure. Plus a return to the classic, irrefutable fortune-telling game, M.A.S.H.!

Janet and guest and friend Stephanie Escajeda ramble down memory lane, stopping to reflect on the joys of Mexican holidays, shooting hoops with your brothers (all nine of them!), dating your local version of Johnny Depp (complete with the heartbreak that follows), and the level of nerdiness it takes to have a life-size poster of Albert Einstein on your wall.

Episode 33 was recorded live at the LA Podcast Festival on Saturday, October 13th and features the ridiculously cool Lizzy Caplan and the insanely talented Priscilla Ahn. You can expect references to nerdy apocalypse movies, boobs, and some surprising fantasy career choices (thanks to Lizzy). You can also expect gorgeous songs courtesy of Priscilla Ahn.

This episode of the JV Club was recorded in 2011 and features the stunningly awesome Tig Notaro... as she and Janet deconstruct the intense appeal of Chrissie Hynde, taking the road (or roads) less traveled to find your individual success, and the peculiar & delightful fate of her GED.

Tensions are high as the final two contestants of Burning Love (Janet and Abigail Spencer) face off to discuss counterculture of surfing, discovering Barbra Streisand, the rush of a flea market find, and the emotional magnetism of the City of Angels.

Zut Alors! It's the merveilleuse Montreal-born Jennifer Finnigan ( Better With You) joining Janet to celebrate the thrill of a good scary movie, the magic of a potluck, and how a little girl who wanted to be a nun ended up winning three daytime Emmys.

Think an episode with a scientist will be all about genetics, space travel, and neurons? Think again. Janet and guest Cara Santa Maria (Talk Nerdy To Me) delve into their shared experience of a childhood attending LDS church, ballooning raver pants, and the puzzle of sexual identity, finding a partner who can stand you, and the appeal of androgyny.

Bad home perms! "Flesh" colored tights! Platonic love affairs! Janet and awesome guest Erin Gibson (Throwing Shade) jaw a little about suburban Texas and a lot about women in comedy, the way girls learn to compete, and then wonder why everything has to be so... complicated.

Podcast darling Elizabeth Laime muses about the drunken poodle purchases, being at the bottom of a cheerleading pyramid, reconnecting with your junior high crush... and the heartbreak of loss when it visits you young. This could be considered a three-tissue episode.