Episode 52: Dexter's Construction Corner and the Whistleblower's Dilemma

All right, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome back. I'm Luke. I'm your host of Luke at the Roost. It's the late night call-in radio show where you can call in and tell me about what's going on in your life. I'll give you the very best advice that I can. Today is Thursday, April 16th. It's actually kind of cold out here in the New Mexico desert. But we're getting by, just fine. I got to remember tomorrow to go get some propane before I, I run out, I keep thinking it's going to be warm at night and it keeps not being that warm at night. But it's okay. We're going to get through it anyway because that's just what we do. Let's, well, before we check in with our intern here, I just want to let you know if you'd like to call in, the number here is 208-439-58-3-3. That's 208-439, Luke. If you're not into talking on the phone or you're not whoever it is that you're sleeping next to, you can send us an email, and if we think that email is worthy, we'll read it on the air. Send emails to submissions at lukeatsherust.com. Now let's check in with our intern, Devon. Devon, how's it going over there? You ready for a show tonight, buddy?

Yeah, going good over here, Luke. Systems are all green. I double-checked the playlist and pulled up some fresh stats on last week's top callers just in case. That reminds me, that girl from the bar last night, but she hasn't replied yet. Anyway, we're locked and loaded for the show.

Oh, the girl from the bar last night. Tell us about this girl from the bar. What is she like? Did you have yourselves a conversation, or what's the deal? How did you get her number?

So basically, she was this brunette with these huge hoop earrings, sitting alone, nursing of vodka soda. And I noticed she had this tattoo of a cassette tape on her wrist. Turned out she's obsessed with old mixtapes from the 90s. We talked for like an hour about late night radio shows, which felt like fate since I'm here every night, and I joked about how my ex used to make me custom tapes before she ghosted me after that whole road trip fiasco. I just asked for her number straight up at the end, like, hey, text me if you want to hear the show sometime. And Ed and gave it over, fingers crossed, she replies before I chicken out and delete the message.

Well, you can't really delete the message now. You only have like 10 seconds to delete the message. I mean, you can delete the message, but it's just going to delete it from your phone, and she's still going to see it. and then you're going to get a text from a weird brunette in the middle of the night, you know, weeks from now and not know who it is. Don't delete the message. That's crazy. But good for you for putting yourself out there, and hopefully something comes to that.

Yeah, you're probably right. Last time I tried deleting a text like that, it just made everything worse because she screenshotsed it first and sent it to her friends. Thanks, though, man. Means a lot. Anyway, board's looking good. First calls queued up whenever you're ready.

Whoa. What did she screen? screenshot and send to our friends. What was the message, Devon?

Oh, man, it was this super needy text I sent at like 2 a.m. after we had broken up. Something like, hey, I know we said it was over, but that dream I had about the storage unit last night made me realize, I missed the way you'd hum along to those tapes while we were stuck in there. She screenshotsed the whole rambling paragraph, sent it to her group chat calling me the mixed tape psycho, and I only found out months later when her friend accidentally texted me back. Anyway, lesson learned, no deleting. Just own it, right? Board's still clear over here if you want to take that first call.

Yeah, we'll take the call in a second. I want to know what was on the mixtape, Devon. Tell us, what was she humming along to? Did you make this mixtape for her, or did she make it from you? And what was the contents of said mixtape?

She made the mixtape for me, actually. It was this weird 90s nostalgia thing with tracks like Wonderwall by Oasis, No Rain by Blind Melon. because she said a reminder of that time we got lost driving back from her cousin's wedding in truth or consequences. I think she was humming along to no rain in the storage unit, the one with the Blind Melon B Girl video. We've been locked in there after trying to borrow some of her old furniture for our apartment, and it was like three days of just eating stale granola bars and playing it on my phone until the battery died. Kind of romantic in a desperate way, if that makes sense. If you want to hit it.

Yep, I definitely want to do because I don't want to hear any more of that. But good luck with your brunette. So first up on our color line here, we have Dexter. Dexter, welcome to the show. Hopefully I've got the names right now. Our last show had some technical difficulties. Is your name actually Dexter? And what are you calling in for tonight, sir?

Yeah, yeah, Dexter's right. Thanks for having me, Luke. I appreciate it. Look, I'm calling because I've been listening to your show for like three years now. Wow. thing with the construction company downtown, the one that's been cutting corners. And I just, I had to call because I worked there. I work for them. And some of what you were saying tonight, man, it's not the whole story. I mean, it is, but it's not. You know what I mean?

No, I don't know what you mean. I think you might have the wrong show because we haven't been on the air for three years and you're our first call of the night. So I haven't been talking about any construction companies. But fill us in. What's going on that's shady at your work?

Oh, man. Oh God. I'm sorry, Luke. I'm nervous. I don't. I don't. I don't know why I said that. I've been rehearsing this call for like two hours and I just, I messed it up already. Okay, so I work at Brennan Construction. We're doing the renovation on the old Riverside Plaza downtown. And there's this inspector, guy named Caldwell and he's been signing off on work that we haven't actually done. Like we skip steps. We use cheaper materials than what's in the contract.

All right, well why would Caldwell sign off on that then? What's in it for him?

Cash. My supervisor, he gives Caldwell a cut. I've seen it happen. It happened three times now. They meet in the parking lot behind the site, hand over an envelope. I don't know exact amounts, but it's enough that Caldwell keeps coming back, keeps rubber stamping everything. And here's the thing, Luke. The building's going to have people living in it. Families. When we cut corners on structural stuff, on electrical, that's not just about money anymore.

No, it certainly is not. And maybe you obviously know that's wrong and you don't feel great about it because you're calling me. So maybe that's the type of thing that has to leak to the local publications. anonymously, if you know what I'm saying.

Yeah, I know what you're saying. And you're right. I don't feel good about it. I really don't. But Luke, I've got two kids. My wife, she doesn't work right now. We're barely making it on what I make. And if I lose this job, if I say something and they find out it was me, I mean, these guys, they're not nice people. My supervisor, he's made it pretty clear that loyalty matters to him. But here's what I'm thinking. What if there was a way to do it where they couldn't trace it back to me?

Well, I mean, if you were going to try to me? try to do it in a way that was untraceable. Maybe you shouldn't have called a radio show and given your name and the name of your company and the name of Caldwell. Because now I think it's probably pretty easily traced back to you, Dexter.

Oh, Jesus. Oh, God, I didn't think about that. I didn't think. You're right. You're absolutely right. Okay, so maybe this was stupid. But I'm telling you this because I need someone to know. I need it on records somewhere that I tried to do the right thing, you know.

Because next month they're pouring the foundation for the foundation for the residential units. Once that happens, it's locked in.

All right. Well, it's done now. So you've already, this is a live radio show, and there's millions of people around the world listening at any given moment. So you're already, you're already, you've flew the coop, as they say. And now it doesn't matter. So you could just call up your newspaper and let them know or tell, I don't know, the building inspector or the city hall that there's some shady stuff going on and they need to come investigate because. You're right. You can't let that go on. It could cost a lot of people their lives.

I know, I know. You're right. I'm already out there now anyway. Look, there's documentation too. I've got photos on my phone of the materials they ordered versus what actually got delivered. Different grades of steel, cheaper drywall. And Caldwell, he's got a notebook where he writes down the payments. I've seen it sitting on his truck seat. If someone actually went looking, they'd find it. The thing that's really eating at me, though, is my supervisor told me last week they're planning to cut even more corners on the electrical work, because the budget's tight.

Well, it sounds like they're not very good criminals if this dude's writing it down in a book. I mean, haven't you ever seen Goodfellas? Isn't that what took the whole thing down? The guy was writing down all his receipts in the book. I mean, watch some movies. You got to learn how to do this. And it sounds like now your cover is blown. We've got to get you into witness protection and all that because there's the mafioso guys that are going to come after you and attack your family. So I think we're going to have to give you a new identity. going to send you off to, I think, what do you think of Malaysia? Malaysia seems like a good place to disappear and start a new life.

Wait, hold on. Luke. I appreciate the movie reference, but I'm not trying to be funny here. I'm not a criminal. I'm just a guy who didn't want to keep his mouth shut about something dangerous. And I'm not running to Malaysia. My kids go to school here. My wife's family is here.

All right, buddy. Well, I'm not calling you a criminal. I'm calling Caldwell a criminal. He's the one that's writing down his payoffs in a notebook under his car seat. Not you. You called in and I'm just saying your life and your family may be in danger now because you're, you're knocking out a giant construction company, which I assume there's millions and millions of dollars on the line. So they're not going to be happy about that. And they might send somebody to your house. You know what I mean? They need to send a message. I've seen lots of movies. And that's how it works. So I'm just, I'm just trying to think in your best interest in the future here. Once you've blown this whole, the cover off this whole thing. what are we going to do to keep you and your family safe?

Yeah, okay, I hear you. And honestly, that's what scares me most. Not losing the job, losing my family. But here's the thing. My neighbor, he's a cop, detective with the city police. I haven't told him anything yet, but I'm thinking maybe I should. If I go to him first, if I make an official report, then it's not just me anymore. It's documented with the police. That's got to count for something, right?

It depends on how much they're paying the police. It's true that construction workers have specific whistleblower protection. protections, especially when reporting unsafe conditions or fraud. And OSHA enforces those protections. Yeah, you know what? If it were me, I would, we're going to assume that Dexter is not your real name. Okay? You called in with a fake name. I called you Dexter. And maybe Devon fucked up the caller list and we got the names wrong. And that's all. So you're just a guy that called into the radio. You're not Dexter. Nobody knows who Dexter is. I think the best way to hear you. handle this is for an anonymous tip to go out to the press, not to the police, to the press, and let the press send their investigators and deal with it. And the police will read about it, you know? So keep yourself as far away from this as possible without keeping your mouth shut, because it's not right to keep your mouth shut either.

You know, what? That actually makes sense. Yeah, go to the press first. Stay anonymous. Let them do the digging. Then when the cops get involved, it's because the story's already out there, not because I went running to them. That protects me and my family better than being the guy who's snitched, right? The press has resources they can investigate properly without me having to be the face of it. But Luke, I got to ask, how do I even do that? Do I just call the newspaper? Email them?

I wouldn't email them. You could call them from a burner phone if you want to be extra safe. So go to Walmart, get yourself one of those little $25 phones, and call them from that. That way they can't trace the number. They don't have your name. It's an anonymous tip. I'm sure, I don't know. I haven't read a newspaper in a long. time, but there's a contact information on there. If you want to send a letter to the editor or something, a hot tip. Um, you know, just do that.

Yeah, okay. A burner phone. That's smart. I can do that tomorrow on my lunch break. There's a Walmart like five minutes from the site. And then I just called the newspaper's tip line and tell them everything. The inspector's name, the company, the materials, all of it. Let them verify it themselves. Luke, I got to say, I feel a lot better about this now. Like I was sitting here thinking I was going to thing. But this way?

Yeah, this way you can protect yourself as much as possible, not Dexter. Yeah, a lot of those prepaid phones at Walmart are basically burner phones. And you can get them with a prepaid SM card already installed. So it's pretty easy to stay anonymous.

A prepaid SM card, huh? All right, yeah.

So get yourself the burner, call in the press, let them know what's going on, and then just keep your mouth shut and do your job and let them think. think somebody else did it.

Right. Right. I can do that. I just keep my head down, show up to work, do my job like nothing happened. And meanwhile, the press is investigating. They'll find the notebook, the photos, all of it. They don't need me to keep talking about it.

No, they don't need you to talk about it at all. Just mention it and then leave it alone. And if, you know, if a month goes by and you still see there's dangerous corners being cut, then maybe escalate a little bit and do the same thing to the police department. But my guess would be the... the police department are also on the payroll.

Yeah, that's what I'm worried about too. I mean, how deep does this go, right? But you're right. One step at a time, call the press, let them handle it, see what happens. And if nothing changes in a month, if they're still cutting corners, then I go to the police. At least by then, the press will have already put pressure on them. Luke, I really appreciate this. I came in here thinking I was crazy for calling, but this actually feels like a plan now. I'm gonna do this.

All right, good for you. You're a true American hero, not Dexter, and we appreciate the call. Good luck to you and your family, and hopefully everything resolves itself in the cleanest way possible. Next up on our caller line, we've got Tina. Tina, welcome to the show. What's going on in your life? You got any crazy stuff happening to tell us about?

Oh my God. Luke, thank you so much for taking my call. I've been listening to your show for like three years. Wow. And I finally worked up the nerve to call. So, yeah, crazy stuff, I mean. It's not like a disaster or anything. But I'm going through this thing where I'm questioning everything, you know? I'm 42. I've been married for 16 years, and I just, I don't know.

I feel like I woke up one day and realized I have no idea who I am anymore. Like I'm a mom. I'm a wife. I work in accounting. And that's just... That's just perfectly normal.

I think everybody around this age, I mean, I'm 43, too, so I'm around the same spot. We all have to question what our life has been. We're recognizing our own mortality. It's very normal. Who would you like to be? because that's what matters. It doesn't matter who you are. The only thing that matters, it doesn't matter who you are. is who you want to be. And who are you going to be when you wake up tomorrow?

That's actually a really good question. And I appreciate you saying it's normal. Because honestly, I've been feeling kind of crazy. Like I'm the only one going through this. Who do I want to be? God. Luke, I don't even know where to start. I think I want to be someone who does things for herself for once. Like, I haven't taken a class or learned anything new since 2008.

Well, I mean, that seems like a good start. And you can take all sorts of classes at your own home, on your own time now. So it's not like you even have to go to a school to take a class. You can sign up for really anything that you could possibly imagine getting better at. There's a class for that.

You know, you're right. I actually looked into that a few weeks ago. There's this photography class I found online that I've been thinking about. I used to love taking pictures when I was younger, before everything got so busy. He actually encouraged me to do it, which is sweet. But then I just, I don't know. I taught myself out of it. I was like, why would I spend the money on that when we could use it for something practical?

Well, because it is something practical, right? You need hobbies and things that you're invested in and passionate about to have good mental health and to feel productive and get what you want on a life. So there's really nothing more practical. It's the most. practical thing you can do. So it's not just the learning, it's the actual class itself is an event. You know, that's a thing that you're doing that you're having fun with. It's challenging your brain and not doing those types of things can, you know, just make you rot away. If you're just following a routine and not doing anything new, then your brain slows down.

You know, what? You're making me realize something. I think the real issue is that I'm scared. Like scared that if I start doing something just for me, my family's going to fall apart or something. My mom was always like that. She sacrificed everything. And I grew up thinking that's what a good wife and mother does. But then I look at my daughter. She's 16 and she's so independent and she does whatever she wants. And I'm like, where did I go wrong that I'm not like that?

Yeah, I don't think it's good for anybody for you to be like that. I think the best thing that you can do for your family is to take care of yourself and make sure that. you're a whole and satisfied person. And it sounds like you're not right now. And that's okay. A lot of people get to where you're at. You did what you had to do when you've done it. Your kid's 16. It's not like you have to constantly babysit her or anything. She's independent. She can get around and do stuff on her own. And now it's time for you to get back to doing what you want to do. And try photography. It's a great hobby. It's got me around the country to take pictures of the Milky Way. And, I mean, I can't. I couldn't imagine what my life would be like had I not picked that up and ran with it so heavily. It's not a particularly good money-making activity, but it's not about making money. It's about doing something that gets you out into nature and invigorates you creatively. So anything that you're creating is very practical.

Wow. Okay. I'm actually getting goosebumps listening to you say that because my husband mentioned the way thing last week. He was like, you could drive out to the desert, take some night sky shots. And I was like, that sounds amazing, but also terrifying because I've never done a road trip alone before, like, ever. I've always been the one driving the kids to soccer practice or whatever, but going somewhere, just for myself, that feels selfish somehow, even though I know intellectually that it's not. But here's the thing that's really been eating at me, Luke. My best friend from college, Sarah, she reached out to me a few months ago, and she's been traveling solo, doing all these and she asked me to join her for a week in Colorado next spring. And I told her no.

Yeah, well, that's okay. I mean, maybe you don't want to go to Colorado and maybe you don't want to do this with somebody else. And a solo road trip is good for you, I think. But I do want to say you have to be safe, especially if you're going out into the desert at night. There's things out there and people out there that can hurt you. So make sure that you're protected, make sure somebody knows where you're going. Make sure that you have some method of communication. an Apple watch with a cellular connection, make sure your phone works where you're at, you know? Because if you twist your ankle out there in the desert and nobody's around, you're in real trouble. So take it very seriously. It is serious and it is dangerous. But that doesn't mean it's not worth doing because it's absolutely worth doing.

That's really good advice. And honestly, that's the kind of thing I need to hear. Because my brain goes to worst case scenarios. Like, I immediately think about all the things that could go wrong instead of just doing. it. My husband actually said something similar to you just now. He was like, we'll get you set up with a good phone plan. We'll check in every night, whatever you need. And I realized he's not trying to stop me. He actually wants me to do this.

Yeah, he does. Like I said, it's good for everybody, for you to take care of yourself in this way, for you to be independent and have your own hobbies and things that bring you pride and gratitude in life. That just makes you a better person to be around. And it's going to affect everybody in your family. Your kid's going to notice. Your husband's going to notice. And everybody's going to end up happier because of it. So it's a good thing to do. I would advise you if you're thinking about taking photography classes, be careful with that because it's hard to make money as a photographer. People don't buy art all that much. So when people get into photography and they want to turn it into a career, the first thing they do is go and make a course. Because that's how you can make money. But a lot of the people that are putting those. courses out. They don't know anything about photography, right? They're just regurgitating what they saw on YouTube, which can be fine, but make sure that you do your research and get somebody that makes images that you want. You know, if you see their images and they say something to you, then maybe look at their course. Don't just go to the first one you see and pay them, you know, 150 bucks or whatever it is.

Yeah, that makes total sense. I wasn't planning on turning it into a career or Anyway, I just want to do it for me, you know. But I appreciate that warning because I probably would have just signed up for the first one that popped up on Google without really thinking about it. That's kind of my pattern with everything. So I guess what I'm hearing from you is that I just need to actually do it. Like, stop overthinking and just sign up for the class this week. And maybe plan that desert trip for the fall when the weather's better.

I don't know. The weather's just about perfect now. Now is a good time to do it. And you don't have to complete a course before you can go on a road trip. My advice would be, when you have the time to do it, do it. And if it doesn't go well, then do it again. That's all. You can do it more than once. It doesn't have to be a big yearly trip.

It can just be a weekend thing. You know, start small. And if you're having a good time doing it, keep doing it. And if you're not having a good time, if you find out it's not for you, then try something else. So I just looked up the best time for Milky Way photography. And a lot of sources say June through October is ideal for seeing the galactic center. Especially early in the morning. It's out there right now. It's Milky Way season here in the desert, and you can see the whole core of the Milky Way for basically now until October. Okay, so a weekend trip. That's actually, that feels doable.

Like, I could tell my husband I'm going out Saturday morning and coming back Sunday night. That's not crazy, right? That's not like abandoning my family or anything. Oh my God, I'm doing it again, aren't I? I'm already making excuses before. before I even try.

It's not abandoning your family. They probably need a break from you. And you need a break from them. And it's good for everybody. So just do it. And everybody is supporting you. And you're the only one holding yourself back.

You're right. You're absolutely right. I am the only one holding myself back. My husband's supportive. My friend Sarah would probably love to hear from me about this. My daughter's doing her own thing. I think I've just been so used to being the person who takes care of everyone else that I forgot And honestly, I'm tired of being that person. I'm tired of waking up and not recognizing myself in the mirror. So I'm going to do it. I'm going to sign up for that photography class this week. And I'm going to plan a weekend trip to the desert in the next month or so. And if I hate it, like you said, I can try something else.

There you go. Best of luck with photography and your road trip. Just be smart. Plan ahead and make sure that you've got a method of communication with people. Because you don't want to get stuck out there alone in the desert. So, Oh, ladies and gentlemen, it's about that time. We need to listen to a word from our sponsors. Are you tired of your protein having a shape? Introducing Meat Cube, the world's first geometrically perfect meat product. Every meat cube is exactly two inches by two inches by two inches of lab engineered protein that we are legally required to call meat adjacent. What animal is it from? Absolutely none of your business. What we can tell you? tell you is that Meat Cube has been approved by the FDA. Not the American one, but one of them. Meat Cube is a shelf stable for 11 years. It does not need to be refrigerated. Honestly, refrigeration seems to make it angry. Each cube contains 40 grams of protein, zero grams of fat, and a faint electrical charge that our lawyers say is within acceptable limits. Meat Cube comes in three flavors. Original, smokehouse, and, uh-oh. You can grill it, fry it, or just set it on the counter and watch it slowly rotate on its own, which it will do. We don't know why. Meat Cube. It's not meat. It's not not meat. It's meat cube. Available at grocery stores that have recently fired their health inspector. Use code Chew Harder for free shipping. All right. Let's try out some of that meat cube, will we? Next up on our caller line, we've got Hector. Hector! Welcome to the show. What can we do for you tonight?

Thanks for taking my call, Luke. Yeah, I've been listening for years, and I finally worked up the nerve to call in. Look, I don't even know where to start, man. I'm a mechanic, been working at the same shop for 12 years. And I just found out today that my boss hired my nephew at almost twice what I'm making. Twice, Luke. The kid's got no experience. He's been there three weeks. I'm the one. who trained him.

Okay. I mean, what do you expect? That's how the workplace works. You don't, they don't adjust your salary to current market values. The only way to do that is to change companies and go somewhere else that's going to hire at today's rates. This is a well-known thing. So you can expect that anywhere that you work. If you want to have current market rates, then you've got to switch jobs.

Yeah. I hear. hear what you're saying. And I know that's the smart play. I do. But Luke, I've got two kids in school. My wife's hours got cut at her job last year. We're not exactly in a position where I can just walk out and hope something else pans out, you know? Plus, I've got relationships there. The owner, he's been good to me mostly. Or I thought he was. And here's the thing that really gets me. I trained the kid. I showed him everything. And now I'm training him on jobs. And he's making more than me doing the same work.

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. That's how it works. because if you were working at a company for a long time, they're going to give you a cost of living increase of, what, 3% year over year? And that, I mean, inflation is moving faster than 3%. So, I mean, you just have to do the math. So if you want to be level set, you could talk to your boss about that. He's going to tell you to go fuck yourself. You've got to switch jobs. And you were content with your salary before you knew that it was possible to get a higher salary. So you're obviously able to live on what your money. making. So just live on what you're making until you secure yourself another job at today's market rates. That's how the workplace works. It's how it's designed.

Right. Okay. I get it. I do. But here's what's eating at me. I wasn't content, Luke. I was just stuck. And now I know what I could be making. That's different. That's not the same as before. I'm actually seeing a lot of articles about how wage stagnation for long-term employees is a really get better offers because companies are trying to attract talent at current market rates.

Yeah, I don't really know what to tell you that I haven't already told you. I know this is the case. Everybody knows this is the case. It's designed this way. And now that you know, if you want to level set your salary with the current market rates, it's time to leave your job. You can talk to your boss. He's going to tell you to go fuck yourself. And you have to go find another job that's trying to attract talent. like Devon said, that's how it works. And I don't have anything else to add to this conversation. It doesn't really matter how you feel about it or how shocked you are by it. It's just the way that the capitalism works.

Yeah, yeah. I hear you. I get it. The system's the system. I'm not stupid, Luke. I know I got to look around. I guess I just needed to say it out loud, you know?

Well, now you've said it. Do you feel better?

Honestly, a little bit. Yeah. Not about the situation. But just getting it off my chest. I'm going to start. start looking around. I've got some buddies in the trade. I'll make some calls. It's just scary, man. Twelve years is a long time to be somewhere, but I hear what you're saying.

Yeah, 12 years is a long time for 3% incremental increases, and it's obviously not kept up with the current cost of living. So it's time for you to move on, my friend. And congratulations to your, what was it, nephew? Good for him, because it sounds like he got himself a nice entry-level job there. got Carla. Carla, welcome to the show. What's going on in your life tonight? And how can we help you?

Hey, Luke. Thanks for taking my call. I've been listening for like three years. Really? And I finally worked up the nerve to call in. So, um, I'm dealing with something that's been eating at me. My sister and I haven't spoken in almost two years. We had this huge fight about money. I lent her $5,000 when she was going through a divorce. And she just never paid me back. Didn't even acknowledge it after a while. But that's not really what this is about anymore, you know?

No, I don't know. If you lend somebody money, it's almost certain you're not going to get that money back. So that's what I would expect. What is it about if it's not about the money?

You're right, you're right.

I mean, I've made peace with the money. That's gone. I get it. What's killing me is that she just shut me out completely. Like, I was there for her when nobody else was. I drove four hours to help her move out of the house. I listened to her cry for months. And then when things got better for her, it was like I didn't exist anymore. She won't return my calls. She unfollowed me on social media. My mom keeps trying to. to play peacemaker, but it just makes it worse. And I guess what I'm really struggling with is I don't know how to let it go.

Well, unless something else happened there that you haven't mentioned, it sounds to me like she probably feels guilty about the money. She knows she owes you the money and she doesn't want to pay it back. So she's finding a way to cut ties with you so that she doesn't have to think about that. So do you have any opportunity to talk to her? Do you see each other at family events or anything like that?

We used to, yeah, but she's been avoiding those too. Last Christmas, my mom invited us both, and she said she had to work. She didn't have to work. I saw on Facebook she was at some friends party that night. So that hurt, honestly. But Luke, I don't know.

Well, it doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. You were the best sister you could have been to her, and if she doesn't feel like talking to you right now, then she doesn't feel like talking to right now. You can't force her to. And hopefully she comes around, Just remember that the next time she gets herself in a bind and comes looking to you to bail her out.

Yeah. Yeah, I hear you. I guess I just, I keep hoping she'll reach out, you know? Like maybe one day she'll wake up and realize what she did. But you're saying I should just accept that she might not, right? That she might just stay gone? Because the thing is, Luke, I'm scared that if I don't do something, if I just wait around, that this becomes permanent. Like we'll be strangers forever. And I have all these memories with her. We grew up together. And I don't want to lose that.

Yeah, but it takes both. you to not want to lose that, right? If she doesn't want to talk, she doesn't want to talk. And you can't force her to. And she's making it pretty clear that she wants to be off grid. So I would say let her have her time here. She went through a divorce. She's going through some shit. And she will likely come back eventually. If not, then you've got to move on with your life.

I know. I know you're right. It's just hard to accept that, you know? Like, logically, I get it. She's got her own stuff going on. But emotionally, I'm still sitting here waiting for my phone to ring. And I guess what I'm really asking is, how long do I wait? How long before I just...

That's something only you can answer. How long do you wait? You don't have to be waiting right now. If the phone calls and you answer it, great. Then maybe you can rekindle that relationship. But if she doesn't want to talk, she doesn't want to talk, and it's not going to do any good just sitting there waiting for the phone to ring.

You're right. You're absolutely right. I think I needed to hear that from someone else, honestly. I've been holding. on to this hope that if I just wait long enough, she'll come around. But that's just me spinning my wheels, isn't it? I need to let go of that and actually live my life instead of just pausing it.

Yep. Yeah. So just go about your life. And if when she does call, you're, you still feel like you want to put effort into that relationship. Great. I'm not saying that'll never happen or that she's going to be estranged forever. That could be the case, maybe. But it doesn't do any good to just sit around. waiting for the phone to ring. When it rings, it rings. If it rings. And you can be okay, no matter what happens.

Yeah. Yeah, I think I needed that perspective. It's weird because I came into this call thinking I wanted advice on how to fix things, but what I really needed was permission to stop trying so hard, you know? To just live. I'm going to take your advice. I'm going to stop checking my phone every five minutes waiting for her to reach out. If she does, great. If she doesn't, well, that's on her. And I'll be Either way.

Well, there you go. That's all you can do. So I hope she calls you and you guys have a wonderful remainder of your lives together. And if not, you're both going to be just fine either way. So next up, we've got Virgil. Hey. Hey, Virgil, welcome to the show. What's going on in your life tonight? What has you calling in?

Hey, Luke. Thanks for having me. Yeah. So I've been listening to your show for like three years now. Three years. I don't know. Tonight just felt like the right time to call in. Look, I'm going to be straight with you. I'm 42. I work in insurance, which is about as exciting as it sounds. And I've been married to the same woman for 16 years. And that's, that's good. That's stable. But I'm calling because I think I'm having some kind of crisis. And I don't know who else to talk to about it. My wife doesn't need to hear this.

All right. Hit us with it. What's the crisis? What's going on? You don't love your wife anymore? You think you're gay? Did you gamble all the families. money in Vegas? What's going on?

No, no, nothing like that. My wife is great. I love her. And I'm not, I mean, I'm not questioning that stuff either. It's just, okay. So about eight months ago, I ran into an old girlfriend at the grocery store, Sarah.

Okay, and what did Sarah have to say?

We just talked for like 10 minutes in the produce section. Nothing crazy. She was in town visiting her parents. We exchanged numbers, you know? Just to catch up. some time and I told myself that was it just a friendly thing but then she texted me a week later and we started talking and Luke I haven't felt like this in well

Virgil I'm gonna stop you there because you know damn well that if you're exchanging numbers it's not just to catch up sometimes so somewhere in the back of your head you were you were hoping to catch up or or she was hoping to catch one either way you're telling us that you love your wife and she's great so I These two things, they don't match, right? If you love your wife, you're not taking a phone number from an ex-girlfriend.

You're right. You're absolutely right. I know that. I knew it then, too, I think. Look, I'm not going to sit here and tell you I didn't know what I was doing. I did. Some part of me wanted her number. Some part of me wanted to talk to her again. And yeah, with my wife, it's, it's comfortable.

All right, so what do you want to do? Are you going to get back together with Sarah, the ex-girlfriend, or are you going to go back to your wife? Because what you do next is what's going to determine the rest of your life.

I don't know. That's why I'm calling you at 2 in the morning instead of sleeping. I haven't done anything physical with Sarah, if that's what you're wondering. We've just been texting, talking on the phone when I can get away. And it feels like, it feels like I'm alive again, you know?

Yeah, you're lying. You're cheating. and you're being unfair to your wife who is sitting at home, uh, uh, uh, comfortably with you. So what you're doing is wrong. You know that it's wrong. And you have to decide if it's, uh, just this exciting fling that's happening that's putting some excitement into your life or if it's a problem with your relationship, your marriage that you need to get out of. You have to decide, but either way, you, you, you can't continue to, uh, do both things, right? It's not fair to. involved.

I know. I know you're right. And I hate that you're right because it would be easier if you just told me what to do. But you're not wrong. The thing is, with Sarah, it feels like I'm 25 again. Like anything's possible. With my wife, it's just...

Well, you're not 25 again. And you're not going to be 25 again. And Sarah is your ex for a reason.

And you got to remember what that reason was. And your wife is there being and you've built the life together and you've made vows to each other and life gets boring life gets complicated and it's not always excitement what you could do is talk to your wife about that about that you're feeling kind of stuck and comfortable and that you want to do something to change that to bring back some of the 25 year old spark but what you're doing is is wrong and and you need to stop I just looked this up and a common reason people cheat is to feel appreciated or independent, which sounds a lot like what Virgil is describing.

Yeah, yeah, I hear you, both of you. And Devon's right, actually. I do feel like I'm not, I'm not seen anymore, you know, like I'm just the guy who pays the bills and mows the lawn.

Yeah, I do understand that I've been married myself. I think you can talk to any married man that's been married for any length of time or any married woman, and that's that's what happens when you're with somebody for a long time. Things follow into into a routine. Things are taken for granted and that's that's part of life. But marriage is a long-term commitment and you're making the commitment to each other to make it through those times and talk them out and figure out what you have to do to make yourself feel whole and satisfied. If that's not working out with your wife, then leave your wife and you guys can work that out. But either way, you can't have both things. It's cruel, it's wrong, it's lying, and you should feel guilty about it because it's not the right thing to do.

I do feel guilty. I feel guilty every single day. And you're right. I know you're right. I think, I think I needed to hear someone say it out loud like that. Not my therapist, not my own head telling me at three in the morning.

Good. Well then cut the shit and talk to your wife. That's my advice for you. Next up we've got Let me guess. You've been listening to the show for three years, right? And this is the first time you're calling in?

Actually, it's been more like five years, Luke. I've been listening since that whole thing with the caller from Portland. You remember that? And yeah, this is my first time calling. I've started to dial so many times and just hung up. But tonight I couldn't not call.

So I just looked this up and it seems like the Luke at the Roost Portland incident was actually about a guy named Luke Lensner and a bar incident, not a caller to the show. Okay, well, what's going on, Deb? Why are you calling in tonight?

Oh, God. Maybe I'm mixing things up. I listen to so many shows late at night, you know? My brain just... Anyway, that's not why I called. I'm calling because my daughter, she's 23, and she just told me she's dropping out of her nursing program. She's three semesters in, Luke, three semesters. And she wants to move to Portland, actual Portland this time, to find herself, or whatever that means, She says the program is making her depressed that it's not what she wants anymore. And I don't know how to talk to her about this without sounding like every disappointed parent in the world.

Yeah, well, she's 23 years old. She's an adult and she can make those decisions for herself. If she wants to move to Portland and that's what's next for her in her life, that's on her. And really what you think and feel about it has nothing to do with anything.

I know that. I know she's an adult. I'm not stupid. But Luke, we paid for two. and a half years of that program. That was stupid. Two and a half years. And she never said anything was wrong until now. Not one conversation where she told me she was struggling. She just kept saying everything was fine, fine, fine, and then boom, she's done. And it's not even about the money, okay? Well, it is, but it's not just that. It's that she won't talk to me about what comes next.

Well, that's a risk that you took when you decided to pay for her program. Um, I mean, shouldn't have done that. If she wanted to go to school, she could have figured out a way to pay for that But you did take that risk and you paid for it and now you're out the money. And if she wants to leave, she's going to leave. And there's nothing you can do to stop her.

You're right. You're right. I know that. But what am I supposed to do here, Luke? Just let her go to Portland with no plan, no backup. She doesn't have any savings. She's got maybe $2,000 to her name. And I'm terrified she's going to get out there and realize she made a mistake and then what? She'll be stuck. I guess what I really need to know is.

What is it that you really need to know?

know. I need to know if I'm supposed to just cut her off completely. Like, is that what a good parent does? Let them fail on their own? Or am I allowed to still care about what happens to her without it being controlling? Because right now I feel like either I'm the bad guy for wanting her to have a plan or I'm the bad guy for enabling her if I help her at all. And I don't know which one I'm supposed to be.

Well, I don't either. I don't have any kids, so I can't speak from a place of experience here. But what I believe and what would work best for me, is, uh, yeah, have a talk with her to say, hey, if you do this, you're on your own. You're welcome to do it. You're an adult. You can do whatever it is that you want to do, but you have to take care of yourself because I'm not going to be here to bail you out if you fail. Hopefully, you know, she doesn't fail and things work out for her in Portland, or she changes her mind, or, you know, wherever life leads her is where life is going to lead her. But you don't have to be on the hook anymore to bail her out when she gets stuck, and she needs to know that.

Yeah, okay. I think I think I needed to hear that from someone other than myself. I've been going in circles in my head about this for weeks. Just telling myself the same things over and over.

You're going to have your thoughts about it, and that's fine, and there's nothing you can do about that. Thoughts happen. And you can still care. You're going to care. You're her mother. That makes perfect sense. But you don't have to support her financially. She's an adult. And if she's leaving a program, you've already gone above and beyond to help her out. And if she wants to throw that away, that's her choice. And she's going to deal with the consequences of that.

I guess what's eating at me is that she won't even tell me why she's really leaving. Like, is it the program? Is it a boy? Is it something else entirely? We used to talk about everything, Luke. And now she just shuts down whenever I try to ask. So, part of me thinks if I just knew what was actually going on, maybe I could, I don't know, help her see things differently. But you're right. That's not my job anymore, is it?

It's not your job unless she asks. If she asks you to get involved, then maybe that's a different conversation. But right now, if she doesn't want to talk about it, she's an adult, and she can make those decisions, and she doesn't have to tell you why. And she doesn't have to ask permission. And if she wants to go to Portland, then Portland it is.

Okay. Okay, I hear you. I do. It's just hard to let go, you know? Even when you know you're supposed to. Even when someone's telling you straight up that that's what you need to do. I think I've been to. holding on so tight because I thought if I could just understand her reasoning, I could fix it somehow. But there's nothing to fix, is there?

There's nothing to fix, Deb, and you've done the best you could. You just got to, you know, hope for the best. And now it's time. We've got to take another moment for a word from our sponsors. This episode is brought to you by Nile Nosh, the meal kit for people who've given up but still need to eat something. Look, we're not going to promise that it'll change your life. you're still going to die alone.

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Hey Luke, thanks for having me. Yeah, so look, I've been listening to your show for like three years now.

You don't say?

And I finally worked up the nerve to call because I don't know, man. I know. I know. I know. needed to talk to somebody who gets it, you know? I'm a contractor, been running my own business for about 12 years. And I'm good at what I do. People trust me. They call me back. I take pride in that. But here's the thing that's been eating at me. You know, it's eating at me?

Every single person that's called today has been listening to this show for three years when it's only been on the air for three months. Also, everybody that's called has something eating them. So, uh, well, what do you think is up with that? There's an awful lot of sameness and, and you callers. What's going on? What's eating you there, Norm?

Oh, man, you got me. Yeah. Okay, look, I wasn't listening for three years. I don't know why I said that. I've been listening maybe three weeks, four? Maybe. I lose track. And yeah, I guess I'm just...

What are you? Come on. Get to the point. What are you calling me for?

This is actually a common phenomenon in radio, where callers exaggerate how long they've been listening to try and sound more dedicated. Look, I'm calling me for. because I think I messed up a job. A big one. I did work for this couple, renovated their kitchen, and I found out through a mutual friend that they're telling people I cut corners, that I used cheaper materials than what they paid for. And Luke, I didn't. I swear I didn't. But now I'm terrified this is going to tank my reputation, and I don't know if I should go back to them, try to prove it somehow, or just let it go. Because if I go back looking defensive, doesn't that make me look guilty?

Well, you don't really have to do anything. The worst thing that they can do is, uh, like, leave a bad review. And I think if they do leave a bad review in a public place, then you just respond to it honestly. Say, look, I'm sorry you feel that way, but it's not the truth. Uh, I used the materials that were paid for. I used the right ones for the job. If that's the truth. Um, so just rebut any sort of negative feedback with, with the truth, if you can do that.

Yeah, that makes sense. That actually makes a lot of sense. I guess I'm just, I'm just, I'm I'm worried because word of mouth is everything in my business, right? Like, I don't advertise. I get jobs because people know people who know me. And if this couple starts telling their friends that I'm a hack, that spreads fast.

Not really. I mean, it feels that way to you, and it may spread a little bit, but it's not going to spread to whole communities that you're a hack. So you might lose out on a couple of jobs from people that they're close to, but people can understand when somebody is just disgruntled for no reason. Right, people can read through the lines. And I think in a month or two, maybe even sooner than that, it'll blow over and people won't remember any of this.

You know what? That's actually really helpful to hear. I think I've been catastrophizing this in my head, you know? Like I'm imagining my whole business going under because of one unhappy customer. But you're right. People aren't stupid. They know when somebody's just being bitter. I guess what I really needed was permission to not freak out about it.

Well, you have my permission. Go and peevee. Next up, we've got Tanya. Tanya, thanks for calling in. What's going on in your life tonight? Anything exciting? How long you've been listening to the show for, just out of curiosity?

Oh my God, Luke, hi. Thanks for taking my call. I've been listening for like three years now. Maybe closer to four. I used to fall asleep to your voice, honestly. It was like the only thing that helped when I couldn't shut my brain off at night. But yeah, tonight.

Yeah, tonight. What's going on tonight? What's got you calling in?

So, okay, this is going to sound weird, but my mind. My ex-boyfriend just texted me. Like, out of nowhere. It's been two years, Luke, two years of nothing, and tonight he's like, Hey, how are you? And I know I shouldn't care. I'm with someone else now. We've been together almost a year and a half. But the second I saw his name pop up, my heart just, I don't know. It did a thing.

Sure, it did. I mean, that's exciting and novel, and it feels good to be wanted by somebody that you have bad feelings about. knows. Did you respond to the text or have you just left it alone?

I responded. I know, I know. I know. I shouldn't have, but I did. I just said, hey, I'm good. How are you? Like super casual. And then he sent back this whole thing about how he's been thinking about me, how he misses talking to me. And like, Luke, he said he made a mistake. He actually said that. And I haven't told my boyfriend yet. That's the thing that's eating at me.

meeting at you. And it looks like you got two possibilities here. Which one are you going to go with?

I don't know. That's why I called you. I mean, my boyfriend is he's stable. He's good to me. He remembers things I say. But with my ex, it was like electric, you know. It was chaos, but it felt alive. And now he's saying all these things I wanted to hear back then. And I'm wondering if people can actually change or if I'm just being stupid.

You're just being stupid.

Wow. Okay. I mean, I guess I knew that already, but hearing you say it, look, I know what this is. I know what he's doing. He probably broke up with someone or got dumped or something, and now I'm the safe option. The one he knows will respond. But Luke, what if he's actually different? What if I'm throwing away something real? Because I'm scared?

Well, if you're throwing away something real, it's probably your current boyfriend. And he didn't change. He's exactly the same. for a reason, and it's not going to go better this time. But you're a big girl and you can make your own decisions, but I think you've got to pick one or the other because it's not right to keep both on the line.

You're right. You're absolutely right. I know you are. I just, God, I hate this. I hate that part of me still wants to see what happens with him? Like, what if this time is different? What if we're different now? But you're saying, I need to tell me. my boyfriend. That's what you're saying, right?

Well, not necessarily. I'm saying either stop talking to the ex-boyfriend or have a conversation with the boyfriend and break up with him. Pick one or the other.

Yeah, okay. I hear you. I just, my boyfriend doesn't even know this guy exists, really. Like, I never talk about him. And that's probably the problem, right? If I can't even mention his name without feeling guilty, then what does that say?

I don't care what it says. And that's not the the problem. The problem is that you're emotionally cheating on your boyfriend with an old boyfriend. And it's not right. It's not fair to him. And it's a douchebag move. And you feel guilty about it because you should. So pick one of the dudes, whichever one you like better, and go with that one. But you can't have both. That's what I'm saying.

Okay. Okay. You're right. I'm being a douchebag. I know that.

I just needed to hear someone say it out loud, I guess. So I'm going to...

Well, whatever you do, Do it. Next up, we've got Leon. Leon, thanks for calling the show. What's going on in your life, buddy? How long you've been listening to us?

Hey, Luke. Thanks for having me, ma'am. I've been listening for like three years now. Wow. Maybe longer. I don't even remember when I started, honestly. Just became this thing I do late at night, you know? As for what's going on, that's kind of why I'm calling.

Yeah, I bet it is why you're calling. How about you tell us?

Yeah. Okay. So, I'm dealing with something that's been eating at me for a while now, and I don't really have anybody to talk to about it. My wife, she doesn't get it. My buddies definitely don't get it. But I figured, I don't know, maybe on your show where nobody knows who I am, I could actually say it out loud. It's about my job. I've been at the same company for 12 years, Luke, 12 years. And I just found out they're bringing in this guy from corporate to basically do what I do, but for less money.

All right. Well, that's the thing that happens in business sometimes. It might be time for you to find a new job.

I know, I know. That's what everyone says. And yeah, I've been looking. Trust me. But here's the thing, Luke. I'm 53 years old. I've got a mortgage my daughter's in her second year of college. And the job market for guys like me, it's not what it used to be. I'm not some 25-year-old coder or whatever. Plus, I'm good at what I do. I'm really good.

Yeah, well, I mean, I, I, I am. I am a, well, I'm a 42-year-old coder, and I've been looking for a job for months and months and years, and I totally understand. So I don't think it matters. What profession you're in, your job's on the chopping block for something or someone who can do it cheaper. And that is the way of the world. There's nothing you can do about it other than look for another job.

Yeah, man. Yeah, you're right. I hear you. It's just, it's different when you've been somewhere that long, you know? I built relationships there. I know every system inside and out. I trained half the people on my team.

Yeah, every adult person has had a job for a long time and trained a bunch of people and knows the systems at their job and eventually has to leave. What is, is there some sort of actual issue you've got here, or are you just going to talk about this, uh, menial bullshit that happens in literally everybody's life?

Okay, okay, fair enough. You want the real thing? The real thing is, I've been thinking about doing something. wanted to do. Something completely different. And this job situation, it's like the universe is telling me it's now or never. But I'm terrified, Luke. I'm terrified, because if I fail, I don't have a safety net anymore.

Well, if you've worked somewhere that long, you should have yourself a 401k or a pension or something, and I don't care what you do, but find something more interesting the next time you're going to call a radio show. That's my advice for you. And our last caller, for the evening, ladies and gentlemen, is going to be Patrice. Patrice, welcome to the show. What's going on in your life? How can we help you?

Hey, Luke. Thanks for taking my call, man. I appreciate it. Look, I've been listening to your show for like three years now.

Really?

And I just, I needed to talk to somebody who gets it, you know? So, here's the thing. I'm 42. I work in it, been at the same company for 11 years. Solid job, good benefits. hate it.

All right. So it sounds like you're an American person working in a company here and doing your job and getting paid for it, and you hate it like everybody else. What's the problem?

No, no. It's not like that, though. It's not just the normal complaining thing. I mean, yeah, sure. Everybody's got stuff they don't like about work, but this is different. I'm good at what I do, Luke. Really good. And that's the problem. They keep promoting me, giving me more responsibility, money. And I'm just, I'm trapped, man. I'm trapped in my own competence. My wife, she thinks I'm crazy for even thinking about leaving.

I understand that, and I made myself a promise when I was very young, because I'm also very good at what I do. I'm frequently in the top 10% of performers, no matter where I go. And I've been trapped by my own confidence as well. Competence. I obviously have it in speech, but in computers I do. I promise, I swear. But I made myself a promise that I would never be held to a job by the money, no matter how much money it was. And if I decided it was time to leave, I would leave and start over with nothing. And I've done that a few times, and I can't say whether it's been a good decision or a bad decision, but it's one that I believe in.

Yeah, okay, that hits different. That really does. See, that's what I needed to hear, because around me is like you've got a mortgage, you've got a kid in college next year. You can't just walk away. And they're right. They're technically right. But I'm dying in there, Luke. I'm literally dying. I come home and I just sit in front of the TV and I don't even remember what I watched.

Yep. If that's not the life you want and it's time to move on, it's time to move on and you can do whatever it is you want. So I assume you've made good money all these years. You just said they give you good money. I assume you've been saving some of that, so you've got some runway, and you can start your own business, or you could go into a different field, or you could just go work in a different industry, and things would be completely different. You need something novel. You need to shake it up and not be imprisoned by the money, because that's no way to live.

You're right, you're right. I do have some savings, not a ton, but enough to maybe make a move if I'm smart about it. Here's what I haven't told you, though. That this thing I used to do, man. I used to build websites for people on the side like 15 years ago before I got locked into the corporate track, and I was actually really into it. I loved it. I'd stay up late, just tinkering, solving problems, making something from nothing. But then the money dried up, the economy tanked. I needed steady income. And I just...

Well, if you still need steady income, making websites is not the way to get it, on account of anybody can make a website in three minutes, plug code. So whoever it was that you were going to sell a website to is now going to do it themselves at their computer with a couple of prompts.

Yeah, I know, I know. That's what kills me about it, right? Like, the thing I loved is basically obsolete now. But here's the thing, Luke. It's not really about the websites themselves. It was about solving problems for people, you know? Making something work that didn't work before. I could do that with anything.

Yes, you could. They call the that consulting. And there's good money in it. As long as you can also do the sales part, you'll have to go out there and get your clients and solve their problems. And you can make an even better living doing that than working on the corporate track if you're good at it. So I say if you're tired of your job, it's time to move, then it's time to move and do it and put your all into it.

Consulting. Yeah. I mean, that makes sense. That actually makes a lot of sense. The sales part, though, that scares me a little bit. I'm not a salesman, Luke. I mean, I can talk to people. Obviously, I'm talking to you right now. But going out there and pitching myself, asking for money, that's different. That's vulnerable. But you know what? Maybe that's exactly why I need to do it. Maybe that's the thing that's going to shake me out of this fog I've been in.

Maybe it is. Maybe it's not. Give it a shot. See how it works out. And maybe if you're lucky and you get to come back to corporate America, jobs still exist in six months. But we don't know about that. So that's going to be the end of our show, folks.

It wasn't particularly exciting. I didn't feel very emotionally invested in any of these callers. I thought they were all pretty dull and drab and definitely didn't have good reasons to call a radio show, but they can't all be the best show, you know? So, Devon, what did you think about the show?

I thought it was pretty shitty.

Nah, I actually thought it was solid tonight. Those job market collars were gold. are going to relate hard to that age discrimination stuff. Kind of reminds me of when my uncle got restructured out of his gig at the tire plant and ended up breeding those weird hairless cats for a living. Anyway, beats a slow night of dead air, right? What part felt off to you?

It felt a little bit cliche, and none of the calls really had much emotional value to me. It was just normal people with normal people shit calling a radio show. It was fine, but it wasn't exciting. There was no aliens. there were no crazy callers or Silas wasn't around. So I don't know. I just thought it was kind of dull.

Yeah, I get that no aliens or Silas does leave a hole. Those nights are like fireworks. But honestly, the normal people stuff hits different sometimes, you know? Like that, one lady talking about her resume black hole, I bet half the listeners were nodding along going, that's me. We could always amp it up next time with a theme or something wild. What if we did an alien job hunts? segment.

Maybe that's what we'll do, but we'll see what we do for the next show, but ladies and gentlemen, thanks for tuning in to another episode of Luke at the Roost, and we will talk to you again, maybe tomorrow, maybe in a couple days, whenever we feel like it, because that's how we roll. Bye-bye.