the letters and things

In this episode, we talk through arctic explorer and boat guy, Ernest Shackleton and explore the artisan side of ship building with the Chinese junk ship. And despite saying we're not talking about the Titanic, we talk about the Titanic.

In the episode, we talk about the presidents born under the sign of cancer: sons George W. Bush and John Q. Adams, the silent Calvin Coolidge and Gerald Ford. The most interesting thing about any of these presidents is first wife Betty Ford, who was ICONIC. And though Andrew Jackson wasn't a cancer, he still manages to make it into this episode somehow.

In this episode, we are fully in swing with boat girl summer. This time we cover two museum boats. the Cutty Sark and the HMS Warrior, and then two sunken boats, the Vasa and Mary Rose. Lessons are learned, namely make sure your gun ports are more than 1 meter above the water line.

In this episode, we continue boat girl summer with submersible stories. Despite being terrified of undersea, deep sea, submarines, submersibles we can't seem to get enough of talking about these guys.

In this episode, it's anchors aweigh as we launch Boat Girl Summer! In this Boat 101 episode, we discuss the syllabus for Boat Girl Summer with a rundown of the main categories of boats, which Samantha takes issue with before proposing an even more nonsensical categorisation method.

In this episode, we go through two of the three Gemini Presidents: JFK and George H. W. Bush, or as he is now known Shady Bush. Both rich east coast Ivy League white guys that didn't even have to try to be President. Both terms a shit show in their own right. Chaos reigns supreme with the Gemini guys.

In this episode, Samantha does a deep dive on Samantha Parkington, American Girl, which is why my Google history now has "samantha parkington's dead parents". It is the final Lynn letters, also an American girl, and I don't think anyone will be sad about it, just like Samantha Parkington's dead parents.

In this episode, we read the birthday cards of Grandma Mickey, one of which contained none other than stickers! We also discover that Sam hates adhesive. Manette is shook by this revelation.

In this episode, we cover the Taurus presidents. These guys aren't as bad as some of the others and one of them we even kind of like. We've got two James, two guys with an S in their middle name, and some eye stuff. In addition to four presidents, we have a teaser and world premier of the new hit song Celsius inspired by the energy drink Celsius.

In this episode, we celebrate US Mother's Day and Thai Royal Ploughing Ceremony Day with Grandma's Mother's Day cards. Confused? So are we! All the time! Happy Mother's Day to all the moms, Mothers, and mom-like figures, but only if you read the podcast episode descriptions. ; 0 ) This one's for you!

In this episode, we continue reading through the 1960s letters belonging to Lynn, who was a pre teen girl. Many questions arise like why JFK is on a Mexican stamp and what is a bushel basket? Lots of questions, zero answers, and at least one US President, though he's in Mexico? Unclear.

In this episode, we read some letters to Lynn, grandpas second eldest daughter (of three), but in reality all we really want to talk about is unincorporated territories of America, Teddy Roosevelt, and the Supreme Court case that I don't think the Founding Fathers would be too happy about.

In this episode, we go over the Aries presidents - Thomas Jefferson and John Tyler. One is considered the worst president in history and the other one of the greatest, but take it from us - they both really suck. In this episode we get a long list of wrongs both to humankind and to the nation.

In this episode, we continue reading through the pre-teen mail of aunt Lynn, the second daughter of dear old grandpa. An emerging theme is Lynn is a absent correspondent. A "valentine" promoting big pharma and some letters from Mexico. Relatively uneventful and wholesome and free of dead presidents.

In this episode, we exit the season of hate (March) and finally arrive at out favorite holiday - Easter! Dead Jesus, alive Jesus, eggs, chocolate, buttered popcorn flavored jellybeans, and ~ apparently ~ pink eye!

In this episode, we continue reading through the letter belonging to Lynn, who is a tween living in Palo Alto in the 60s. We get even more extreme tween energy in a letter from insane Linda, another from Margaret Frost who is doing the least, and then a slightly threatening epistle from Sue who is at her wits end.

In this episode we continue with presidential recounting by order of the zodiac. This time we have one sign, two fish: Pisces. We've got a couple of real stinkers: Andrew Jackson and Grover Cleveland. There's also "quote guy" James Madison and then the ubiquitous George Washington, who - HOT TAKE - isn't all he's been made out to be.

In this episode, we continue the letters belonging to Lynn as a youth. Some letters from sister Kathy One, living in Wisconsin, while Lynn was busy not writing people back and soaking up the California son. And we get another letter from our new favourite guest star, a pen pal from the UK!

In this episode, we begin going through the letters of aunt Lynn, grandpa's second daughter. Lynn was trying out living in California so there's the usual letters from het sister Kathy One and family back home, but a surprising letter from a pen pal in England!

In this episode, we round out Wuthering Heights month with more Valentine's Day cards. A snarky one from Kathy One, the offensive mouse card from Grandma to Grandpa, news of Geese that Grandpa would have loved to shoot from Auntie, and many more cards filled with celebrations of love (for the Greeting card industry).

In this episode, we discuss the Aquarius Presidents: the Williams (McKinley and Henry Harrison), Ron Reagan, Abe Lincoln, and FDR. In a shocking twist we discover that rich boy FDR is the least problematic president so far and that George Washington, beloved Pisces president may, in fact, be an Aquarius.

In this episode, we continue our reign of terror with Wuthering Heights and Valentine's Day cards. There's demonic human-faced hearts, an upsetting cherub spread-eagling a heart, and other diabolical Valentine's Day Hallmark moments. We laugh, we cry, we call the child protective services.

In this episode, we honour tortured love stories with several very torturous Valentine's Day cards. While the sentiments are admirable, the cards themselves leave much to be desired, as do the poems they contain.

In this episode, we contemplate Neptune, claim Neptune energy, and also blame Neptune. We also get a pre-mail letter warning of mail to come, some post cards from the Soo Locks, and some very exciting update on the Pinewood Derby. And a phantom letter from Jeff, a man of many girlfriends and few words.

In this episode we go from depressing to fun - starting from the passing of a family friend, to a card from a beautiful woman throwing away her life with a mediocre man (don't worry, she didn't end up settling). Then we move on to a delightful update from fun cousin Jenny and a few family portraits featuring impish Grandpa and his fashionable daughters, Kathy One and Lynn. The gangs all he...