Hey there, situation normies. You usually don’t hear from me on a Monday, but I wanted to share this conversation I had with my friend Amran Gowani (see video / audio player above).

If you’re curious about my writing career, where my comedic voice comes from, and what compels me to write fiction, this is the conversation for you.

Our chat lasted a little over an hour, so I highly recommend taking us on a walk, or listening to us while you do some chores — let’s face it, those toilets aren’t gonna clean themselves, but with Amran and me in your ear, the time will fly. Promise.

This was a fun, wide-ranging conversation with my friend Alex Dobrenko`. We talked about:

* Letterman vs. Leno, and why comedy that bombs can be better than comedy that doesn’t.

* The absurdity of my Substack bestseller badge.

* My recent Waymo story.

* A blue turn into bathroom humor that seemed to disappoint at least one person in the comments.

* How Alex and I both suck at disappointing people, and why we’re supposed to get better at it.

* Alex’s latest legal shenanigans, which are absolutely not legal.

* The backlash to the backlash.

* Phoning friends.

This was the first time I’ve ever done a Substack Live, and I gotta say, I’d like to do it again. So if you want to go Live, let me know!

Hello and welcome to episode eleven of the Situation Normal podcast! The podcast has the same vibe as the newsletter, but instead of reading, you listen to me tell stories to my friend Todd.

In this episode, we’re talking football in honor of America’s favorite holiday—Super Bowl Sunday. I tell Todd about Christina’s brilliant, outside-the-box idea to make football more entertaining to people who don’t give a shit about football. Then we talk about the time my dad changed the way we watch football on TV. It’s a super episode!

Listen on Substack, or click here to listen wherever you listen to podcasts.

Also, for the love of boneless chicken wings and nachos, please rate & review this podcast if you listen on Apple, Spotify, or any of those places. THANKS!

Quick programming note:

After 11 episodes, the Situation Normal podcast is going on hiatus. That’s Latin for a break of an undetermined time. The show will come back, because I love doing it. But I don’t know when. I’ve got a few things in my life that need to take priority. This will be the last episode for a bit. Thanks for understanding.

Time to discuss👇

* Who are you rooting for? The Chiefs? The 49ers? Taylor Swift? Pizza?

* If you’re not gonna watch the Super Bowl, what are you doing Sunday?

* Kickers are easy scapegoats, right?

* What toppings were on your last pizza?