A final Sunday evening before we go FULL-HOUSE for the next month with the kids home for the holidays... That means one last leisurely dinner with our friends Katie & Phil Brodkin (and our epic dogs). Then the chaos of college kids will sweep thru our little beach town!

Most importantly on this episode, we celebrate the TENTH BIRTHDAY of our favorite furry friend, FLYNN!

Then we discuss the importance of pets to the well-being of their owners. You want to live longer and healthier? Get a dog (or any other pet for that matter)!

We move on to the "COVID Induced Reluctance to Leave the Couch" that happened to all of us (and remains), and why, you MUST break thru it. 100% of the time, you'll be happier that you got out and socialized with friends, rather than binge watched the latest whatever on Netflix......

And finally, a quiz is taken by Chris to see just how well she knows and understands (and listens to), Jen! And guess what? He passes with flying colors!

Please follow, download, review, and enjoy! We'll be launching new episodes regularly throughout December, so get ready for MASSIVE FUN and ENGAGING CONVERSATION as we continue to PLATE & PONDER!

PS. GO TULANE AND GO MIAMI! College Football Playoff bracket has been announced! Let's GO!

Yes, Los Angeles has tunnels, and we've used them! Want to know where they are? We tell you!

And what happened to the old Water Cooler? You know, the one that we all gathered around and conversed about who-knows-what -- regardless of political affiliations, religious beliefs, or what-have-ya...

And what about the television shows we discussed around those said-coolers?

And, oh yeah, a near miss with Jury Duty this week...

And finally, what's the deal with Potluck dinners and gatherings? Is that old-fashioned and COVID infested? Or are they coming back??

We cover it all on this episode! Please follow, download, review, and enjoy!!!!!!!!

For all of us newbie empty-nesters, our small town felt completely overrun by college kids returning home to get some free meals, have mom do their laundry, catch-up with old friends at their former stomping grounds, and, eventually, leave a little bit of havoc in their wake... And it all repeats again in a few weeks after Finals!

So yes, we discuss that a bit... But we also hit some serious topics too:

1 - Coaching loyalties, both in high school sports and college.

2 - USC Trojan achievements (Don't worry Bruin fans. We do it quickly!).

&

3 - The Challenge Beijing poses on Hollywood and the world thru mandated narratives. ("Zootopia 2" has re-wakened The Dragon!).

Jen and Chris are back as a solo duet, and we are loving it...... Hopefully you do too!

Please follow, download, review, and enjoy!!!!!!!

EMPTY NEST = FULL NEST = OUR TOWN IS PACKED WITH KIDS HOME FROM COLLEGE!

AND WE LOVE IT!!!!

We have Eric & Jenna Brodkin, Dash Seiffer, and Kaylie & Dylan Fenton as our VIP GUESTS on this amazing episode.

It's a short one, because they all have things to do (PG-13 Kind of Stuff), but we do cover:

Some Glazing...

Puppies...

Thanksgiving Favorites...

COVID Connections...

And a lakeside story for the ages...

Please follow, download, review, and ENJOY..............

Empty-Nesting? Say what? We don't have that today! It's Thanksgiving, and we have a FULL HOUSE, so our son, Dylan Fenton, joins the podcast to share his insights from Montreal, Canada, where he attends McGill University, playing lacrosse with some living legends (lots of shoutouts) and studying international business (while also finding some time to be a bro at Zeta Psi)....

Serious topics today include (FYI, THE STOKE WAS SICK!):

AI use at McGill University...

The stressful experience of Car Buying (and when the best time of year is to actually buy a car)...

The differences between the USA & Canada, and what do Canadians think of us down South...

The beer selection up North and the beauty of the 5.9!

Oh, and of course, how much Dylan loves and cherishes his amazing parents...

Download, Follow, Review, and Enjoy......And HAVE A FANTASTIC THANKSGIVING!!!

EMPTY NESTING HIATUS ALERT!!!!!!!!!!

We have one kid back from Tulane - Kaylie!

One more, Dylan, coming home later this week!

It's Thanksgiving! AND WE HAVE A FULL HOUSE IN THE WORKS! So why not talk to our kids about life and global issues over dinner and a drink....

Serious Topics Include:

Fake Plastic Christmas Trees vs The Real Thing

AI as a Tool for College

AI vs Human Interaction for Things That Are REAL!

Nothing better than the perspective of an 18-year-old. Let's go!

Enjoy, Follow, Review, and Download........ And thank you!

Oh boy......

We have fans around the world, and we have fans who are also VERY close friends (and fellow empty nesters!)..... How about having two of our most favorite friends join us on Episode 11???

Well, that's what we did! Manhattan Beach's finest people, Katie & Phil Brodkin. EMPTY NESTERS who love to plate, ponder, and gab... so we have LOTS in common!!!

Serious subjects include:

Jeffrey Epstein

Black Friday Madness

Pickleball

And the Art of Sharing!..........

Enjoy, Follow, Download, and Review. It's PLATE & PONDER!!!!!!!!

We are back... Been a week, but the NOLA SET Conference & Tulane Parents Weekend interrupted our flow.... But all for good reasons.

Yeah, it rained in LA (not kidding!), and we got a leak in our roof. So it goes...

But on the fun-side, we met some great football recruits, chugged beers at The Boot, ate insanely good Gumbo, hung with our epic daughter, met her friends, danced to some groovy beats, and just soaked-up some life moments...

On this episode we hit the serious topics of:

Creative Surplus vs. Side Hustle (Credit: Erik Lokkesmoe)

&

The Importance of Trade Schools (Hint: Jen is on the board of one, so she KNOWS what she's talking about.)

Enough of the banter....... IT'S GO TIME!