I know what you’re thinking right now. You’re thinking, “Andrew! It’s the Friday after Christmas! Why are you at work right now?”

Oh, hello, by the way, and welcome to the latest installment of the TBTL newsletter. I hope this email finds you well.

I know, I know. You thought I’d have something more fun to do today than write this newsletter. You thought I’d be playing with all the toys I got for Christmas, or practicing Pai Gow on that poker app I downloaded to my iPad the other night. Or maybe you think I should be getting the house in order; Dusting. Vacuuming. Alphabetizing the silverware. Polishing the couch cushions. 

“What about your poor cat, Bingo?” you’re thinking to yourself. “Doesn’t he want you to play with him?  He can’t chase the laser pointer around the basement like a crazed cheetah if you don’t turn it on for him!”

You also probably think I should be catching up on some of my own favorite newsletters, like Matt Becker’s Eleanor Avenue Review of Books or Ciara LeRoy’s Strange Delight or Aiden Arata’s under the influence. Or maybe you assumed I’d be spending the day flipping through my beloved copy of Nancy and Sluggo’s Guide To Life that I picked up in a Phinney Ridge bookshop the other day. 

In fact, I can feel you getting a little frustrated with me now. “You haven’t even finished reading Inherent Vice yet, Andrew! You need to jump back in before you forget all 130 characters and how they relate to each other!” 

Well, you’re right. I could be doing any of those things right now. Or I could be cooking one of those huge, greasy, late-in-the-day breakfasts that’s actually raising my doctor’s blood pressure as well as my own. I could be drinking mimosas with Genevieve, since we forgot to crack open the Christmas champagne yesterday. Or I could be watching some random football game on the basement TV. (I know it’s a Friday, but it’s the holiday season, so the NFL must be airing some sort of crusty AFC South matchup on a streaming service I’ve never heard of.) 

But I’m not doing any of those things today because I care too much. I care too much about you, the TBTL Podcast Newsletter Reader who’s come to rely on these weekly missives to get you through the weekend. I care too much about the sanctity of the newsletter schedule, which must maintain its consistency or face potential atrophy. And I care about my paycheck, which Jon Sklaroff threatened to withhold if I took today off. 

So, as I fire-up my video editing software and prepare to spend the next few hours carefully editing and crafting another Academy-caliber Hey Dummies video which I will post below, I hope you and yours are having a well-deserved day of rest, relaxation and joy.

Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. 

-- Andrew

PS -- The irony that I just heard the garbage collector empty my bins into his truck as I finished up this love letter to my own self discipline is not lost on me.

What’s your name and where do you live? 
Amanda Wilhelm. In the Lynnwood, WA, roller skating district.

When did you start listening to TBTL? How did you find the show?
From the beginning almost! I was a regular KIRO listener and was taking my kids to evening swim lessons when I heard TBTL on the car radio. I became a fan and have listened ever since. My kids are 27 and 30 now, so it’s been a while.

How would your friends describe you?
Kind, friendly and very crafty!! I am a member of the Crafty Tens Facebook group and an avid knitter, quilter, and crafter.

What was your favorite cereal when you were a kid?Is it still your fav? 
Corn Pops were a favorite, usually eaten at sleepovers because we didn’t get sugar cereals. I rarely eat cereal, but I could still get down with some Pops.

What food do you love to eat the most of?
Currently it’s gingerbread cookies and eggnog lattes. But anything sweet will do!

What’s the best or worst nickname you ever had?
Pooh Bear, as in Winnie the Pooh, but shortened to just Pooh by my dad. So yes my dad called me what sounded gross but was supposed to be endearing.

If you could play one song on TBTL, what would it be?
Broken by lovelytheband.

What’s a special skill that you have?
I won some blue ribbons this year for my knitting!

What’s a skill you *wish* you had?
I would like to be able to karaoke and actually be good at it! I have no musical ability.

If you were driving down the street and you saw Luke and Andrew on the sidewalk, what would you yell at them as you drove past?
“Hey friendos!”

Can other Tens find you on social media? 
I’m on the STens page, and Instagram is @uwmandy

Hey, it’s Andrew here again. Just a reminder that you can find our Ten of the Week form here! If you’ve never been a TOTW before  (or if it’s been a really, really long time) fill out our little questionnaire. And check out our Ten of the Week archive here!