Shows
Midlifing231: Returning love for hate I am covered in wineSend us a textSimon and Lee talk about metaphors and the tragedy of how poetry is taught, before discussing three truisms from Anthony de Mello.Things covered: the bell is tolling, true words said in jest, many a slip between cup and lip, not understanding metaphors, being literal, not liking poetry while really liking poetry, the meaning of poetry, Kae Tempest, Lee having an ugly cry at the traffic lights, Simon sneezes, all the Latin Simon and Lee know, the sweetness of dying for your country, Wilfred Owen, nationalism and nation...2025-05-0726 minMidlifing230: Everyone loves something even if it's just a tortillaSend us a textSimon and Lee talk about things they love.Things covered: back in Blighty, the nature of home, putting down roots, having multiple passports (Jason Bourne), freedivers, things we love, what Lee is wearing (again), being self-conscious (or not) about the things we wear, being policed and judged, tortilla covered sourdough, Lee loves perfume and smelling good, layering perfumes, clothes or scent, Dubai chocolate, cookie mix floor tiles, negronis, spending time with friends outside, being social, Simon loves stillness, Stansted Airport, a bus trip to Coventry, TikTok, three hours...2025-04-3024 minMidlifing228: Breaking marble all over the placeSend us a textSimon reports in (once again) from Sardegna while attempting to buy a kitchen and the question of consent raises its head again. Lee and Simon also discuss Simon's lack of sartorial elegance. Things covered: marble floors and empty walls, buying a kitchen, 3D models of kitchens, discounts, putting washing machines in kitchens, boring jobs, sharing news over a negroni, descriptions of spaces in another language, asking for consent in Portughese, another leak in Lee's roof, climate change being real, imagining things (and bodies) in spaces, big cultural shifts, f...2025-04-1624 minMidlifing225: People my age have children that ageSend us a textSimon and Lee talk about the relevance and irrelevance of age as precipitated by a Simple Minds song. Things covered: Opening a can of beer, being taken out for lunch by a former PhD student, Noble Rot (Lambs Conduit, London), Reacher (the TV show), Anthony Michael Hall (The Breakfast Club), aging and looking aged, Lee and Andrew Child's 'In Too Deep', jumping the shark (again), The Chills, the Dunedin sound, Lee in Portugal again after a heavy pour, Finn and Sophie's visit to Coventry, Simple Minds' 'Don't You F...2025-03-2625 minMidlifing224: A low lying bubble of cortisolSend us a textSimon almost got hit by a hearse and as a consequence Lee and Simon discuss the nature of stress. Things covered: Taking risks on a bike, where humans feel stress, noticing being stressed, degrees of stress, the difference between stress and anxiety, Simon not having headaches, migraines, difference limens, Simon has a panic attack during an Italian lesson, shame and disappointment, Jefrey gives Australian and New Zealand cuisine an 8, Lee on a high with the Falmouth Postgraduate conference, Lee wears his home-knitted scarf, Lee's knitting tension is gorgeous, L...2025-03-1928 minMidlifing223: I have had an experience with ladybirds and it was horrificSend us a textLee and Simon talk about things that bother them about themselves and learning to live with them. Things covered: Apple iCloud shared accounts and how shit they are, a ladybird backflip a la Jackie Chan, ladybugs, speaking all Northern, living in Lancaster, Blackpool, depressed British seaside towns, PIGS acronym (Portugal, Italy, Greece, Spain), Bob and Lee's ladybirds experience, finding out what ladybirds taste like, Torch Song Trilogy, the difference between hardware and software, knitting stick count in, Simon getting high on his own (bread) supply, Oliver Burkeman's Meditation...2025-03-1229 minMidlifing221: Podcasting with Homer SimpsonSend us a textLee and Simon talk about songs that make them dance (or not in Lee's case).Things covered: an Oliver Spencer jacket, body size, Simon's nickname "Snogglegrass", having brothers, David Byrne's American Utopia (by Spike Jonze), I Zimbra by David Byrne, songs that make you dance, songs that make you sing, songs that make you cry, Nina Simone's "Don't Smoke in Bed", Sarah Bareilles "Once Upon Another Time", Elbow "Build A Rocket Boys!", searching for pitch, Lee banging his head three times, the feeling of longing for the things...2025-02-2627 minMidlifing219: So many heaven songsSend us a textSimon shows up late so Lee bangs on fabulously. But then they talk about how much time we spend in our bodies (versus in our heads) and whether it's possible to spend too much time (in our bodies).Things covered: Lee gets going by himself while waiting for Simon to show up (late), if only dogs could talk, Saturday Night Live, Lee failed to plug in his microphone (up until 06:50mins), needing a checklist and checking them off, Heaven songs, spending time in your body, spending too much...2025-02-1224 minMidlifing218: Like any new drug you start to takeSend us a textLee and Simon talk about becoming experts (in knitting), reducing screentime and nostalgia for things we have never experienced. Warning: episode includes SPOILERS for the film Conclave.Things covered: Knitting update from Lee, maintaining the intensity of a hobby, well-being and knitting, novices, expertise and thinking, changing sides while teaching a dance class, being the best in a (yoga) class, the slowness of learning a new skill, Lee being a slow study, knitting becoming a meditation, being distracted from stress, much less screentime, knitting in bed, spending less...2025-02-0524 minMidlifing217: What to do if you are shit at knittingSend us a textLee and Simon go on a typically chaotic ride that is tricky to summarise other than they catch up. Just read below.Things covered: Lee takes up knitting, the latest on Mark Zuckerberg, Badly Drawn Boy's Pissing in the Wind, Lee's knitting sticks, reducing screen time, finding a hobby that isn't reading, Lee's year of not buying anything, Simon's recording mishap, screentime by proxy, finger knitting, Lee travelling the globe (Portugal) in a mini-van, taking knitting needles on a plane, Hannibal Lecter, dog muzzles, Simon saw two films with John Lithgow...2025-01-2928 minMidlifing214: He did want it slightly stretchedSend us a textLee and Simon catch up a bit before Lee discusses having his testicles scanned. Yes. Scanned. Things covered: Waking up from a nap, staying up late, snow on the ground, 2025, Lee has visitors from Alice Springs, the size of Alice Springs, Alice Sings (a choir), Simon spoiling a surprise party, baby in the house, Lee's nextdoor neighbour Jill, time keeps on ticking, Lee has a lump on his testicles and had them scanned, man-sized tissues, the NHS, Finn needs to check his balls (men aged 17-35), Lil makes an appearance...2025-01-0825 minMidlifing213: The silicon chip inside your headSend us a textLee and Simon talk about being sensitive (or not) to others and Lee had a conversation with his Dad about politics (spoiler: changing what we watch and read changes what we think and believe). Things covered: Queen at Live Aid (1985), Lee has been having a lot of fun, Simon is not a big drinker, Simon and Lil's cocktail phase, Gimlets, Lee helping the Portuguese government (not really), having fun vicariously, Queen being big in Italy, Pink Floyd, I don't like mondays, Bob Geldof, Happy Salmon, Do They Know It's Christmas "...2025-01-0125 minMidlifing212: Put it in the back and bubble wrap itSend us a textLee and Simon enter the Christmas spirit by discussing fart walking. Simon reads Lee a brief story, they discuss a plan to move things and Lee has an airport encounter. Things covered: Determination to continue, Simon being a Christmas grinch, saying Happy Solstice, putting clothes down in different rooms, Lee in Portugal (hence poppy microphone), fart walking, Bob Whalley's suggestions (and drunken guest appearance), flight attendants' crop dusting, David Sedaris stories (sadness and meanness), not talking to people on airplanes, post-prandial walks, reading a (bread) story to Lee, the song of...2024-12-2527 min
Midlifing211: Some people I know talk from their throatSend us a textLee and Simon talk about their bodily 'tells' regarding stress, then digress into a conversation about fashion before a surprise guest appearance. Things covered: A bodily tic and noticing habits, lip balm, Jon Kabat-Zinn "we are being breathed", work stress, breath, holding back tears, trait anxiety and recipes for heart attacks, Bob's stressors are different, the stress of travelling (and leading up to travelling), airports being designed to bring out the worst in people, Lee's new blue headphones, Simon being able to hear himself, replacing the battery on Bose headphones...2024-12-1827 minMidlifing210: Be careful this podcast is reversingSend us a textLee and Simon start with a bit of follow-up before droping into a conversation about human resources and being in conversations that are not what we think they are. Things covered: Lee sings Simon a song, some follow up re Simon's TikTok job, IBAN numbers, foreign exchange trading, Irene Miller's FX chops, why Irene passed out last week (fanmail from Midlifing's resident Doctor Corbetron), Strictly Come Dancing research, anger at Bruce Forsyth, BBC spending money on EDI agenda, OfCom, Candoco Dance Company, human resources, Scooby Doo, Wayne's World, paradigm shifts...2024-12-1125 minMidlifing209: Nobody has ever died from an infection beforeSend us a textSimon meets up with an old academic friend and it sparks a conversation between Lee and Simon about having a plan B (which might involve collaborating with TikTok). Things covered: Lee's Apple Watch, meeting a proper academic, having a Plan B, going to the cinema, doxing, a letter from TikTok, content moderation, PTSD from content moderation, generating dance content, Lee's grant winning capabilities, Bob and Lee's Plan B (involves houses), Lee's Mum's hospital visit, real midlifing content, Lee's Mum's health, the Silent Generation, clown face emoji, silly cows (gendered), passing...2024-12-0427 minMidlifing208: Do you mind if I hit your foot?Send us a textAfter keeping some content in his pocket for some time Lee springs a question on Simon about touch and fondness. Things covered: Simon being able to move bodies, Lee's content about touch and fondness, Lee's love for Jefrey, consent, touch being less appropriate, because HR, Simon's dance training and making contact with people all the time, newborns who are not held, Simon asking a PhD student to touch them, things gained and lost regarding consent, dropping a consent grenade, Simon touching people far less than he used to, Lee's actor...2024-11-2728 minMidlifing207: Sophisticated bees (Part 2 of 2)Send us a textIn part 2 of a two-parter Simon and Lee carry on (obviously) from last week and get lost (and het up) discussing misogyny.Things covered: voting with our own best interests, the ruling classes, the feminist narrative, misogyny, Bob going shopping for batteries, skin hunger after COVID, getting closer and closer, women and fear, more misogyny, seeing ourselves in other men, rape culture, consent, 16 Candles, The Breakfast Club, Lee's huge fondness for horror films, the final girl (the girl who survives), Nightmare on Elm Street (spoilers), Star Wars (briefly, also BIG...2024-11-2021 minMidlifing206: Sophisticated bees (Part 1 of 2)Send us a textIn part 1 of a two-parter Simon and Lee start off (inevitably) with an apartment update, some elongated preamble, check in post US election, and voting in our own best interests (or not).Things covered: Photoshop vs CAD models, learning 3D modelling, planning a kitchen (again), apartment update, Bob and Lee making a list of all the things they are going to do on their week off, camping in one's own place, podcast relationships, parasocial relationships, Colin and Johnny's podcast, Lee asks for feedback from listeners we don't know, US election aftermath...2024-11-1324 minMidlifing205: One centimetre in photoshop equals 50 centimetres in real lifeSend us a textSimon seeks some advice from Lee about keeping things in confidence, and then they talk about what our work colleagues really think of us. Things covered: A messed up beginning riddled with technological issues and two different audio streams, Sennheiser headphones, Sony headphones, photoshopping floor plans (apartment update), Lee's Dad flipping houses, renovations from another country, Ian Dury and the Blockheads (Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick), the rhythm method, a drummer in the room as a form of contraception, a conversation in confidence, burning bridges with everybody, overestimating one's...2024-11-0625 minMidlifing203: Unsettling music playingSend us a textLee and Simon discuss what it is they are most proud of and the capacity to feel as if terrible events are gifts. Things covered: Not having a kitchen, Wolf ovens, removing fitted carpets from a place, Simon being met by a friend at St Pancras, Lee being proud of still being married to Bob, the challenges of a life, having had a difficult week (tummy anxiety), the feeling of underperforming at work, men being less able to communicate feelings (or not), texting a Jungian analysis, the feeling of a...2024-10-2325 minMidlifing200: Like weeing at the pubSend us a textSimon and Lee get silly celebrating their 200th episode, and they discuss a translation of a speech by Donald Trump. Things covered: The arbitrary nature of 200 episodes, Lee's soporific tone, falling asleep during meetings, haribot in a mini, just how easy the marshmallow test is (for Simon), Simon's TeeVee snacks adventure (from another episode), brain messages, weeing at the pub, falling ewoks, Return of the Jedi (and ewoks), seeing Star Wars for the first time, force fields, breaking the seal at the pub, waking up people dozing off while listening to...2024-10-0228 minMidlifing198: Rubbing my gums with the numbing stuffSend us a textSimon and Lee discuss Simon's experience of a root canal. Lee chimes in with buying a car and a bit about optometrists. Things they discuss: Simon having a root canal, dealing with the unknown, teachers (for example) keeping in mind how unfamiliar an experience is and how important that is, getting the giggles while at the dentist, down-dogging to the dentist, Tonya Harding the shit out of the others, having five canals, not really knowing what a root canal is, three different approaches from people before Simon had the treatment...2024-09-1824 minMidlifing197: I think my husband died but I had earplugs inSend us a textSimon and Lee discuss how Lee's relationship with his parents is changing (or not) and Simon going through his Mother's writing.Things they discuss: Jefrey is inbetween breakfasts, Lee's breakfast, brushing your teeth when you wake up, not talking about the science of brushing your teeth before or after breakfast, bacteria replicating at night in your mouth, water squirters, mouthguards at bedtime, sleep apnea, Lee not making breakfast because he's dead, Weekend at Bernie's, how the age of Lee's parents is manifesting itself, Jonathan Silverman, Andrew McCarthy, Brighton Beach Memoirs...2024-09-1122 minMidlifing196: I love the word nemesisSend us a textSimon and Lee talk about the things they have learned from their enemies.Things they discuss: Mars the planet and who owns Mars the confectionary thing, Lee's newfound love of stickers, Pema Chodron's "Living Beautifully", the people we don't like, Bob interviewing a student who talked about their nemesis, Lee getting the discards, the wisdom of Ru Paul, feeling happy at the misfortune of another, Simon's greatest teacher, gentle hints to help you get rid of people, being an outsider, Peter Kramer helping Lee with a bullying situation years ago, the...2024-09-0425 minMidlifing194: Everyone in the room is in the darkSend us a textSimon and Lee talk about "youngest and smallest" and the long-term effects of this feeling (and other similar feelings). Things they discuss: visual but small, knowing things (or not) in meetings, refiling funding pots, knowing less than other people and what gets said (or not), speaking with confidence and authority, being the youngest and smallest, a curse of humility and inferiority, the opposite of a humble brag, walking towards police, Jefrey climbing into police cars, lots of cutting out, a drop off and pick up zone for Jesus, Jefrey being blessed...2024-08-2125 minMidlifing192: Smug evangelising sneaking inSend us a textSimon and Lee talk about obsessions and whether or not to talk about them. Things they discuss: Being discombobulated, Lee's flight being cancelled, more on Simon's cholesterol and the NHS, budget cuts, brief (tangiential) conversation with Jefrey the dalmation, there will be butter (a film starring Daniel Day Lewis), birthday presents and Bob's birthday present registry, Bear (note-taking application), annual subscription services, shitting and kissing balls, putlocker (again), very delayed update on Kamala Harris, Eames House Bird, reading in the pub with a frolleague, articles about Lidar ("light detection and ranging"), Q...2024-08-0727 minMidlifing189: Still in the process of being nurturedSend us a textSimon and Lee talk about no longer being children.Things they discuss: Lee deals with some parent issues, tries out his Australian accent, Simon had dinner with friends and talking about no longer being children, dying from a broken heart, family lineage, a line from Shakespeare's Hamlet, not being nurtured as children, being loved by parents, Lee's Mum wanting udder cream, face and hand cream, the active ingredients of udder cream, the Dark Web, Lee still being a child, a 1.1kg pot of udder cream, Lee solves the udder cream problem...2024-07-1719 minMidlifing187: A little bit of pre-marital sex to borderline orgySend us a textIt's hard to describe what this one's about. Just listen. Things they discuss: Lee cutting half a yew tree (that has grown a lot), Simon's 40th at Riverford Farm, being old and unimportant academics, the foundations of Bob and Lee's house, youse as plural pronoun, the inaccuracy of language, splitting infinitives and Star Trek, mooching versus smooching (a clunk and Freudian slip by Simon), practice research, a soporific version of Midlifing (mixed in with practice research), Edward S. Casey's bimble, send Midlifing a text message, learning a language by listing all...2024-07-0324 minMidlifing186: Now Varley! The bugs!Send us a textSimon and Lee are back in the saddle together (finally) and they talk about funerals and one of Simon's experiences in Rome. Things they discuss: Lee is sick, they discuss Bridgerton Series 3 and Lee's eye for detail, Lee working too hard, a funeral in Portugal, drinking wine at a funeral, the size of one's funeral, Jefrey not technically being a person, dying before or after one's partner (and a rationale old age suicide), Lee's parents at the funeral, becoming inured to death, members of Lee's family, ex-council house buy-off under Thatcher, S...2024-06-2627 minMidlifing185: Semi-Santa selfSend us a textA minisode: Lee covers for Simon and talks about having too many water bottles.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net. ---The Midlifing logo is adapted from an original image by H.L.I.T: https://www.flickr.com/photos/29311691@N05/8571921679 (CC BY 2.0)2024-06-1906 minMidlifing183: You are a cult beautySend us a textLee and Simon talk about perfume and where to put it.Some other details from the episode: being overwelcomed, being taken out for dinner, saying thank you and please so much, Lee's shock collar to stop him saying bad words, language being amazing, Lee's Cult Beauty notifications, Lee wearing perfume (in layers), Simon not wearing perfume, half-chubs, more and more about perfumes and where to put them, Simon's summer scent: DEET; Ffern, the rigour of Lee's perfume profile, aluminium under your arms, Lee being a ledger member of Ffern, Men's Health...2024-06-0528 minMidlifing182: Join me in the middle it's amazing hereSend us a textLee and Simon had a real meeting for work before Simon had to sneak off for tooth hurty where he discovers he may not be happy with his smile. A conversation about intimacy and being turned on. Some other details from the episode: Simon is impressed by Lee during a real meeting they had together for work, feeling fraudulent at work, expressing not knowing, professorial training, Logan's Run, teeth issues for Simon and the difference between not paying and paying for dentistry, having one's smile fixed, an attractive dentist who showed...2024-05-2926 minMidlifing181: Hand on the knee going nnagghhwwwwSend us a textLee and Simon try and get up from the floor without using their hands and they discuss quite expensive beds and twilight years. Some other details from the episode: Lee's shoulder, getting sorer as you get older, getting up off the floor, putting your hand on your knee when you bend over, where Lee puts his bakeware, not adapting as you get older, Trikonasana (yoga posture), Bob and Lee buying beds for each other in the future, memory foam mail order mattresses who don't sponsor us, twilight year plans, living...2024-05-2224 minMidlifing180: Spelt like Manchester sounds like LiverpoolSend us a textSimon and Lee discuss many things including pizza, the D-Day landings and going dry. No one reads these show-notes so we will just leave it at that. Some other details from the episode: getting things stuck in your teeth, Lee's naked ambition, remote dinner dates, kamaikaze blue tits, stressing syllables in language, how to say Alghero, Cagliari, Dittisham, Broughan, zero-alcohol beer, sleeping better without alcohol, Lee slacking off at work, whether or not the Falmouth VC listens to Midlifing, breakfast dessert, a piece of theoretical cake, the US Army and the...2024-05-2026 minMidlifing177: Everybody say tofurkeySend us a textSimon is dog tired from baking too much bread, and Lee is in the midst of a work load that is barely sustainable: enter Grover from Sesame Street.Some other details from the episode: Enjoying making processes efficient; sourdough and allergens; Lee figuring out the rhythm of his job; being surrounded by kindness; a packet of crisps and a sandwich; cheese and Simon's LDLs; sheese (vegan cream cheese); everybody say tofu; tofurkey time; two-thirty and tooth-hurty; the life-cycle of bad jokes; Grover's near and far; the rule of three in comedy...2024-04-2427 minMidlifing176: The P zombieSend us a textLee and Simon have stories of spring before a brief chat about entertaining the possibility of being wrong. Some other details from the episode: Lee and Jefrey saw a seal (eating a fish); scroggin; supermarkets in the UK and class; swans; woman jogging; deer; Simon's bird feeder; anxious Blue Tits; Lee's biodiverse garden; Lee interviewing PhD students; Lee's selfie-taking abilities; Falmouth University (FU); uck you; Lee being delightfully photogenic; Daniel Dennett, being wrong and being specators or participants; philosophical zombies and consiousness; qualia; Kevin Bacon.Get in touch with...2024-04-1724 minMidlifing175: Simon had a fallSend us a textSimon and Lee talk about how well humans know ourselves versus how well we are known by others (with a diversion into Lee scaring someone in a toilet).Some other details from the episode: BST does not stand for Big Sexy Time, the difference between falling and having a fall, manifesting a fall, Lee crashing his bicycle in Lisbon, Dr. David Corbet (@corbetron) is our Ask Jeeves for medical information, dreamcatchers, having a dance vs dancing (for 55 year olds), the articular surface of the patella has a poor blood supply, arthroscopies...2024-04-1027 minMidlifing172: Do you want someone to butter your muffin?Send us a textSimon and Lee talk about affective states (as opposed to emotions) and in doing so veer terrifyingly close to their field(s) of expertise. They also talk about other stuff.Some other details from the episode: Lee reprises some Wet Leg, Simon has been doing some dancing with Katye Coe, the other C word, a place called Beer in the UK, not being interested in being watched, being a performer, people who enjoy being watched, audiences knowing the affective state of a performer, Silvan Tomkins and affect theory, Hamlet being sad...2024-03-2029 minMidlifing171: The very definition of flibbertigibbetSend us a textLee recounts his visit to the UK's corridors of power before they talk about using correct accents (or not) for words that are not English. Some other details from the episode: Gwyneth Paltrow's mother, the original Westworld, a bad joke about a week in tents, Bob and Lee's keynote in Malta, The Beatles (and Paul McCartney) Lee's intemperance and his flibbertigibbet-ness, the weather still being cold, Simon's intense week, Lee visiting the corridors of power (the palace of Westminster), shaking green hands, Lee and Simon's differences of opinion, security arrangements for...2024-03-1327 minMidlifing170: They are all going to laugh at youSend us a textLee has watched a couple of films and cried a lot. Simon asks Lee about the pleasure of crying. Some other details from the episode: Eating chocolate in the morning, Jeffrey helping Lee decide whether or not to make cake, Lee's capacity to cry, Adam Sandler and Carey Mulligan in Spaceman and All of Us Strangers by Andrew Haigh, Sixth Sense spoiler (Bruce Willis is dead), Star Wars spoiler: Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father, Carrie (1976), Steven Spielberg's wives, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Spaceman Candy Sticks (NZ lolly i...2024-03-0623 minMidlifing169: I almost finished watching Mean GirlsSend us a textLee takes us through his record buying spree, and they both rabbit on before Simon asks Lee what he is afraid of. Some other details from the episode: Lee's selfie photo on work website (see show notes), Lee's face for radio, Simon watching 2024 version of Mean Girls (a musical), Lindsay Lohan's cameo, being frightened by a mediated horror film, Lee goes on a record-buying spree, Idles, not post-punk, Lee has his headphones connected by bluetooth and sound fidelity, Lee not using streaming services, The Sugarcubes, Wet Leg, when Lee...2024-02-2829 minMidlifing168: An episode of Mister MenSend us a textA surprise guest appearance gets ruined by Simon. Instead they talk about achievement orientation and finding out what people think of you. Some other details from the episode: Some blow back from last week's episode from Simon's frolleagues, Finn's girlfriend Sophie (and brownies), the oddness of the phrase "fuck me sideways" and its mechanics, Lee's lovely lovely week of achievement orientation, useful meetings, achievement orientation in general, how well-read Bob is, Mr Product and Ms Process, a report about three types of men in relationships that Lee doesn't want to talk a...2024-02-2128 minMidlifing167: Reaching out through the solitudeSend us a textSimon and Lee talk about the size of circles of friends, and being properly in the world. Free tangents included. Send no money.Some other details from the episode: Lee is by himself during the week and gets some space for reflection; Apple Vision Pro; extended/mixed reality; Lee sucks his teeth about AVP; different kinds of reality; George Clooney in ER; video passthrough; Apple Inc.; Simon being happy for Lee and his professorship; being on our way to XR contact lenses; most in and of the world through craft; how...2024-02-1429 minMidlifing166: Pineapple on pizzaSend us a textLee and Simon discuss any possible plans for their funerals. Some other details from the episode: Simon talks final season of The Crown, Imelda Staunton's performance, and the depiction of Operation London Bridge (Queen's funeral); pineapple on pizza, Simon wearing aprons, Imelda Staunton singing, 11 o'clock numbers, parking and barking, Company (the musical) and Here's to the ladies who lunch (and Elaine Stritch), Imelda Staunton singing Losing My Mind, acting through song, Staunton as Dolores Umbridge in Harry Potter, Lee's funeral full of song, funerals as dignified quiet spaces, Bob crying at...2024-02-0723 minMidlifing165: I don't want a normal life what's wrong with normal?Send us a textLee asks Simon if he is where thought he would be and also where we wants to be: A conversation about change, ambition, community, regret and going along for the ride. Some other details from the episode: Tearing up over bread, Lee will be missed, vacuum cleaners, living a normal life, most car drivers being above average, David McRaney's You Are Not So Smart, what normal looked like to one's younger self, Simon meeting some people who like his bread, regret and not having a great memory, tip-toeing in the...2024-01-3125 minMidlifing163: Margarine was done to meSend us a textSimon comes in hot with some "content" about margarine and he and Lee discuss health stuff (again), before transitioning into body fat content and (unrelated) a discussion about making ciabatta.Some other details from the episode: Apologising at the beginning of something, attribution and circulation of ideas in dance, saying 'fuck' in multiple languages, margarine trigger warnings, Lee reminisces on learning how to bake, Simon's LDLs and a low saturated fat diet, the difference between statins and stents, Lee's gallbladder (and gallbladders in general), peanut butter being good for you...2024-01-1727 minMidlifing162: Other brothers of his also died from heart diseaseSend us a textSimon and Lee discuss some health concerns, eating butter, the unrelenting depressing feeling of watching Fleishman is in Trouble, Taylor Swift's Eras film, and the trouble with boys and men.Some other details from the episode: Follow up on Simon's PSA test, some stuff about lipids, heart disease, LDLs, a TV update (Slow Horses, Reacher, Fleishman is in Trouble, Taylor Swift's Eras film, Saltburn, The Creator), ferries vs fairies, woman vs women, spoilers for a concert film, video mapping, the end of Simon's days as a swifty, grave fucking, pearl clutching...2024-01-1027 min
Midlifing160: I fucking hate clownsSend us a textLee and Simon talk about men they are attracted to. Also, Lee takes away Simon's last pleasure in life and they accidentally hang up on each other.Some other details from the episode: Cirque de Soleil, Lee's parents visiting, Norman Miller's (postcard sized) book of life, more on Lee's Swytch wheel, bad Australian accents, Alan Watts (definitely dead), cut glass English accents, inner beauty, jumping the shark (again), Lee's gently (gender) fluid ways, Jack Reacher's bottom, (little) Tom Cruise as Jack Reacher, Tom Holland and not Tom Daley, Timothée Chalamet, A...2023-12-2727 minMidlifing137: They go weeeeeeeeeeeeeee (Part 2 of 2)Send us a textHope these two (or three) parters aren't getting you down. In Part 1 Simon and Lee tried to make sense of a strange exchange between Simon and someone else (driven by anxiety? banter? mocking?), and then diverged into a natter about electric vehicles, smugness and cheapness. In part 2 they rock a conversation about deserving success (or not). Congratulations Professor Lee David Miller! Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net. ---The Midlifing logo is adapted from an original image by H.L.I.T: https://w...2023-07-1924 minMidlifing136: They go weeeeeeeeeeeeeee (Part 1 of 2)Send us a textHope these two (or three) parters aren't getting you down. Simon and Lee try to make sense of a strange exchange between Simon and someone else (driven by anxiety? banter? mocking?), diverge into a natter about electric vehicles, smugness and cheapness, and then rock a conversation about deserving success (or not). Congratulations Lee David Miller! Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net. ---The Midlifing logo is adapted from an original image by H.L.I.T: https://www.flickr.com/photos/29311691@N05/8571921679 (CC B...2023-07-1224 minMidlifing99: Roll titlesSend us a textThings get a little strange this week. It carries on from Episode 98 in a conversation about comedy and class, but the best bits don't even belong to Lee and Simon. Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net or @midlifingpod on Instagram. Related links (and necessary corrections):The comic strip presents: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_The_Comic_Strip_Presents..._episodesVictoria Wood Things Would Never Have Worked: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zB0yS7eAhRoVictoria Wood meta sketch: https://www.youtube.com...2022-09-2827 minMidlifing88: Making myself sound less righteous in the editSend us a textLee and Simon discuss a situation in which Simon's nephew Finn responds to a homophobic statement. Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net or @midlifingpod on Instagram. Related links (and necessary corrections):UK Equality Act (2010): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equality_Act_2010Owen Jones "Chavs: The Demonization of the Working Class" (review): https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jun/08/chavs-demonization-owen-jones-review---The Midlifing logo is adapted from an original image by H.L.I.T: https://www.flickr.com/photos/29311691@N05/8571921679 (CC BY 2.0)2022-07-1329 minMidlifing81: And now for the weatherSend us a textSimon and Lee discuss the terrible romantic idea that 'no' will become a 'yes', and the differences between wooing and harrassing. Lee then describes a moment of shame and Simon says 'wow' a lot.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net or @midlifingpod on Instagram.Related links:Tre Piani by Nanni Moretti: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_FloorsRiccardo Scamarcio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riccardo_ScamarcioAlba Rohrwacher: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alba_RohrwacherEvery Breath You Take lyrics: https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics...2022-05-2527 minMidlifing79: A low-digit odd numberSend us a textLee and Simon go on a weird trip together and talk about furniture, moving, photographing dead people and consumer capitalism. They also try to remember each other's birthdays.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net or @midlifingpod on Instagram Related links:Chet Hanks (known professionally as Chet Hanx): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chet_Hanksnominative determinisn: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nominative_determinismMan and van: https://www.comparethemanandvan.co.ukGimme Shelter (documentary): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimme_Shelter_(1970_film) Altamont: The Rolling Stones, t...2022-05-1123 minMidlifing74: Coming to you live from purgatorySend us a textSimon and Lee wander all over the show: smart speakers, Bridgerton (spoiler alert – Antony and Kate get it on), getting cut, listener questions (and feedback), making horse lips and cosmetic surgery.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net or @midlifingpod on InstagramRelated links:Ezra Miller injunction: https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/actor-ezra-miller-ordered-stay-hawaii-couple-83793977Bridgerton: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BridgertonBrad Pitt in Thelma and Louise: https://www.theringer.com/movies/2020/5/21/21266834/thelma-and-louise-brad-pitt-masculinityWho else might have played Brad Pitt's role in Thelma and Louise: https://ww...2022-04-0625 minMidlifing72: Thrusting show titles at meSend us a textLee and Simon get stuck in an acronym loop while discussing perceived value and worth at work (and in life). Then they move onto talking about dicks on TV and in films.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links:Steel Magnolias: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel_MagnoliasIt was Bette Midler in Beaches! "That's enough about me": https://youtu.be/9IJvgD7c1KoP&O Ferries sackings: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-60792039Three poisons of...2022-03-2327 minMidlifing68: Incidents and accidents, hints and allegationsSend us a textSimon and Lee start with a little bit of ambition-related follow up, before slipping into a conversation about retirement, the future and the intrinsic value of doing things.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Paul Simon, Graceland (1986) - Lee wins! - https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graceland_(album)Brene Brown dealing with Joe Rogan situation: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/brene-brown-spotify-update-1235089635/Storm Eunice: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storm_EuniceAnthropocene: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AnthropoceneCarbon shadow...2022-02-2326 minMidlifing67: Walt Whitman is robbing from the bibleSend us a textSimon and Lee start talking about how the pandemic has shown their characters and Lee suspects he has joined the great resignation.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Kath and Kim 'look at me': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSMmxyGeEb4I am legion and we are many: https://biblehub.com/mark/5-9.htmWhitman, 'I contain multitudes': https://poets.org/poem/song-myself-51Exorcist 'Your mother is in here': https://youtu.be/LHnDyOr0DfI2022-02-1626 minMidlifing62: I am not sure that biting hard on a stick will do it for meSend us a textLee and Simon indulge in a personality test (separately and together).(Sorry about Simon's crackly audio)Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Jon Kabat-Zinn: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Kabat-Zinndon't know mind: https://jackkornfield.com/practice-dont-know-mind/Novak Djokovic as political pawn to Scott Morrison: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-06/novak-djokovic-the-unlikely-hostage-in-petty-political-saga-/100741720Florence Griffith Joyner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florence_Griffith_JoynerScarJo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlett_JohanssonBennifer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki...2022-01-1225 minMidlifing61: Chicken stepsSend us a textLee and Simon take Midlifing outside for a walk, and treat listeners to bonus airplanes, wind, traffic and heavy breathing. In the conversation, they try and answer the question, "What are you good at?" Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Gary Lineker: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_LinekerCristiano Ronaldo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_RonaldoRauhnacht: https://www.invest-in-bavaria.com/en/blog/post/a-ghoulishly-beautiful-tradition-rauhnachtin-bavariaLisbon housing and money: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/22/luxury-homes-short-lets-and-shacks-inside-lisbons-housing-crisisFour Thousand Weeks: https...2022-01-0529 minMidlifing60: That's what balaclavas are for SimonSend us a textIn between Christmas and New Year things get spooky when Lee confesses his undying (and somewhat middle class) love for M. R. James' ghost stories. Be afraid, be mildly afraid.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):M. R. James: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._R._JamesThe Mezzotint: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p06w5x96Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%27Oh,_Whistle,_and_I%27ll_Come...2021-12-2923 minMidlifingTrying to get back to normalSend us a textThis week's episode begins with a failure, descends into a very boring discussion of airline seating before being warmed up by Lee's new heating system. In other words, Simon and Lee are united in the same timezone (physically, not psychically). Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):economy 7 (refers to the number of hours, not when it finishes): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_7sophomore slump: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophomore_slumpgynocentrism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynocentrismfirst...2021-12-0825 minMidlifing98th percentile kidney sizeSend us a textSimon and Lee dig into Lee's gallbladder before thinking through Simon's NZ buffer between being home and, well, being home home. Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Simon's glamorous podcasting setup: https://www.skellis.net/midlifing/setupadventure racing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventure_racingLee's gallbladder scan: https://www.skellis.net/midlifing/gallbladderThere are known unknowns: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There_are_known_knownsJet planes: https://lolliesnz.co.nz/lollies-nz/lolliesnz/gummy/pascall-jet-planes/World famous in NZ: h...2021-12-0126 minMidlifingClutching my pearls in horrorSend us a textSimon and Lee talk about instability, letting go of cynicism, and being profligate with love.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):casket vs coffin: https://www.legacy.com/advice/what-is-the-difference-between-a-coffin-and-a-casket/pīwakawaka (fantail): https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/native-animals/birds/birds-a-z/fantail-piwakawaka/Simon's eulogy for Gabrielle: https://www.skellis.net/midlifing/eulogyPatere: https://maoridictionary.co.nz/search?idiom=&phrase=&proverb=&loan=&keywords=paterePatere performed by Lisl Prendergast for Gabrielle Anne Eastwood Ellis (16 January 1937 - 4 November 2021). It was t...2021-11-1628 minMidlifingAll roads lead to the same placeSend us a textThis is a strange one. Simon and Lee talk about the death of Simon's mother Gabrielle, eulogies, and racism. These things are not connected. Also, Simon's recording crackles in sadness (or something went wrong with his setup).Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):King Lear and Cordelia (more than words can wield the matter): https://www.bard.org/study-guides/more-than-word-can-wield-the-matterCritical Race Theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critical_race_theoryYorkshire County Cricket Club racism scandal: https://www.theguardian...2021-11-1024 minMidlifingThat's a spicy meatball as they say nowhereSend us a textSimon and Lee talk tattoos and shame. Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):demob: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/demobASMR: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASMRmukbang: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MukbangSimon's waffle podcast setup: http://skellis.net/midlifing/waffleshame: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shame---The Midlifing logo is adapted from an original image by H.L.I.T: https://www.flickr.com/photos/29311691...2021-10-2025 minMidlifingI have never seen anyone go around it like youSend us a textIntroducing Lear B. Miller. Simon and Lee try to have a regular conversation but Simon's state of disrepair gets in the way. Eventually they talk about his blue wrist band of freedom. Confused? Yes, so are they. Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Frances Haugen (Facebook whistleblower): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_HaugenYale Law conversation about Facebook Files with Shoshana Zuboff, Tristan Harris, Frances Haugen and Meetali Jain (who was the person Simon couldn't remember): https://yalelaw.h...2021-10-1324 minMidlifingOh future boy you are making my life so complicatedSend us a textSimon leaves the Wild West and Lee leaves a party: COVID, isolation, and panic attacks. Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Feijoa Frenzy: https://www.newworld.co.nz/shop/product/5012429_ea_000nwMIQ: https://www.miq.govt.nzET: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E.T._the_Extra-TerrestrialET lockdown scene (MIQ in NZ is not really like this, but you get the idea): https://cms-assets.theasc.com/ET-19476-copy.jpgTime it takes to get over jetlag: https://www.epainassist.com...2021-10-0626 minMidlifingA strange sort of trainer wheel situationSend us a textSimon and Lee talk about being caught between bureaucracy and grief when a previously imagined scenario becomes real.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Rosemary Lee (choreographer): https://www.artsadmin.co.uk/profiles/rosemary-lee/Raymond Tallis: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raymond_TallisMIQ: https://www.miq.govt.nzEmergency allocation request: https://www.miq.govt.nz/travel-to-new-zealand/secure-your-place-in-managed-isolation/emergency-allocation-requests/The Midlifing episode when Simon says he wouldn't travel in such a situation: https://www.midlifing.net/1480717/9001033-you-could-be-in-new-zealand-or-you-could-be-around-the-corner---2021-09-2925 minMidlifingIt has not been hung very long but who am I to judge?Send us a textSimon and Lee are asked to talk about conspiracy theories but take a long time to get to them, and then realise they have very little skin in the game (but for very different reasons). They end up at self-consciousness and not changing anything.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):sonhos: http://portuguesediner.com/tiamaria/sonhos-portuguese-dreams/Thames Path: https://www.thames-path.org.ukDartington College of Arts: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dartington_College_of_ArtsMarina Abramović: https://en.w...2021-09-2232 minMidlifingDangerously close to our specialismsSend us a textLee and Simon talk about attitudes and habits towards the body in decline. Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):winnowing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnowingpicked up the ball and ran with it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Webb_Ellisgender theory: https://www.encyclopedia.com/international/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/gender-theoryincel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IncelJamie Lewis Hadley: http://www.jamielewishadley.comlive art: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/l/live-artJosé Limón: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jo...2021-09-0827 minMidlifingIt turns out I like a wet martiniSend us a textSimon and Lee talk about making things with love. Recorded using Simon's 52 year old mouth and listened to with his 53 year old ears. Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Pet Shop Boys 'West End Girls': https://youtu.be/p3j2NYZ8FKsSuperman logo: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_logoMichael Sandel 'The Tyranny of Merit' (TED talk, not the book): https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_sandel_the_tyranny_of_meritJacob Wren 'Authenticity is a Feeling': https...2021-08-2526 minMidlifingThe me that is now asking the her that is thenSend us a textLee expresses some concerns about the UK's "Freedom Day" and has an excellent strategy to prevent people dropping by. They touch on the 1976 film Logan's Run which leads to a conversation about assisted dying. We also find out if Simon's nephew Finn is polite or just not a glutton.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Camo software for using phone as webcam: https://reincubate.com/camo/Freedom Day: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/analysis-and-features/freedom-day-coronavirus-restrictions-lockdown-end-b1886862.htmlLogan's...2021-07-2826 minMidlifingThere's quite a big gap, and then PaulSend us a textOur fearlessly absurd friends find themselves in the land of musicals until Simon reveals that he did his long overdue Suspiria watching homework.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Sweet Caroline (don't watch it, you'll never get it out of your head): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty1dwBCR6D0Michael Jackson Black or White: https://youtu.be/pTFE8cirkdQStevie Wonder and Paul McCartney Ebony and Ivory: https://youtu.be/fXAlfh6QKQscolons and titles: https://www.psychnewsdaily...2021-07-2127 minMidlifingUniquely qualified if not an expertSend us a textLee and Simon become agony aunts (or uncomfortable uncles) for one episode. Perhaps this is the start of a dramatic rise into the top 1% of all podcasts?Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Sourdough starter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sourdough#StarterBobby Baker: http://bobbybaker.com/Shattered Anatomies: https://www.adrianheathfield.net/project/shattered-anatomiesBakery in Auckland using Simon's starter (without payment): http://www.4and20.co.nz/Top 1 percent of all podcasts tweet: https://twitter.com/jackbutcher/status/1405883978435993603Corbetron...2021-06-3026 minMidlifingLike a bidet for your mouthSend us a textJust to be clear, Midlifing is not a side hustle. Lee and Simon talk about hobbies. Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):pain de mie: https://www.tasteatlas.com/pain-de-miepullman tin: https://www.bitchinfrommelanieskitchen.com/2021/04/how-to-bake-a-pullman-loaf-in-a-pullman-bread-pan.htmlChorleywood bread process (1961, not the 1950s): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorleywood_bread_processfood stuck in teeth as you get older: https://moorefamilydentist.com/food-stuck-teethwaterpik: https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/what-is-waterpikAnnie are you OK? https://youtu.be/LzAGAA6t2FYmirror, signal, manoeuvre...2021-06-1629 minMidlifingWe've got a great show lined up for you todaySend us a textSimon is dealing with a cold and Lee is empathetic. Special guests (not literally): Kermit the Frog, Animal, Mr Miyagi, someone throwing glasses in a cocktail bar in Lisbon, Ian Ellis, Doctor Emmett "Doc" Brown, and Thom Yorke.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Muppets Christmas Carol Marley and Marley: https://youtu.be/VsiKOJOXMJUmate (link from James in NZ): https://www.smh.com.au/national/mate-what-s-the-history-of-our-most-treasured-salutation-20210513-p57rhk.htmlThese are not the droids you're looking for: https://youtu...2021-06-0925 minMidlifingHeart attacks can present in a variety of waysSend us a textSimon and Lee talk about being beginners, selling bones, and the Dao of butchering a cow. They also finally use the word behove.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Simon's apron: https://www.skellis.net/midlifing/apronFAST (stroke symptoms): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FAST_(stroke)Mnemonic: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mnemonicheart attack symptoms: https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/heart_attack.htmjointing a chicken (example video): https://youtu.be/ZfBCQ0KdkNoYuk Hui: http://www.digitalmilieu.net/yuk...2021-06-0225 minMidlifingI get involved in the sniffSend us a textLee and Simon start with Jef's deep sniffs. They then move into a brief career as film reviewers before digging into a conversation about perfectionism, being a fraud and the Pomodoro technique. Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):The Truman Show (bumping into the edge of the world): https://youtu.be/Gn5kuDdeGzsBas Jan Ader, In Search of the Miraculous: https://hyperallergic.com/336146/in-search-of-bas-jan-ader-the-artist-who-disappeared-at-sea/Peter Weir (still alive): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_WeirThe Cars That Ate...2021-05-1225 minMidlifingTwo people monologuing about themselves near one anotherSend us a textSimon and Lee discuss itchy feet, talking side by side and starting a cult.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):The Year Earth Changed: https://youtu.be/XswV_yqPq28Itching, shingles and cerebrospinal fluid (not for the faint-hearted): https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/06/30/the-itchNew Zealand OE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overseas_experiencearse-end of the world: https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780195563160.001.0001/acref-9780195563160-e-47rumspringa: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumspringatourist gaze: https://wallaceandjames.com/term-tourist-gaze-originates-john-urrys-aptly-named-book-tourist-gaze/David Koresh...2021-05-0527 minMidlifingSomething you will only ever get right once in your lifeSend us a textSimon and Lee discuss their shop-owning fantasies and how real they really are. But the conversation jags into death and dying and those four emails you need to get done before your bucket gets kicked.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net (and/or send in your "How much do you hate Lee?" numbers).Related links (and necessary corrections):Tracking down Ted Lasso's shortbread: http://david-smith.org/blog/2021/04/21/breadcrumbsWim Hof breathing technique: https://www.wimhofmethod.com/breathing-techniquessnookered: https://www...2021-04-2836 minMidlifingThe blood clot oneSend us a textLee and Simon meander into a conversation about freedom, vaccinations, not pushing elderly people out of the queue and new memories on your telephone. Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Blood clots and vaccines: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/pill-blood-clots-vaccine-covid-astrazeneca-b1818613.htmlFreedom march sticker: https://www.skellis.net/midlifing/nite-for-freedoVaccine passports: https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/vaccine-passport-travel-holiday-how-to-get-b1818530.htmlraises my hackles: https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/raises+my+hacklesDeborah Hay: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_HayBoris Johnson...2021-04-2131 minMidlifingIf you fall I will catch youSend us a textLee and Simon talk about a different set of neighbours: the ones that sing songs out of tune throughout the night.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):wimple: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimplejaundice: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaundiceegg whites for curly hair: https://www.naturallycurly.com/curlreading/ingredients/136481Branko on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/brankoofficialBranko and Anna Moura sing Vinte Vinte: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eORRKrcJ8...2021-04-1431 minMidlifingHallmarks of competenceSend us a textA lovely opening gambit about the difference between competence and skill turns Lee and Simon's pre-show natter into the show itself. Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Just three related links:Christian Marclay's The Clock: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Clock_(2010_film)Surgeon Simon Bramhall signing his initials on livers: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/dec/13/surgeon-admits-marking-his-initials-on-the-livers-of-two-patientsDigital poverty: https://www.digitalpoverty.co.uk---The Midlifing logo is adapted from an original image by H.L.I.T: https://www...2021-03-2424 minMidlifingDry humping the wallsSend us a textLee and Simon start talking about being at school and end up at burgeoning sexuality and Bob the Drag Queen.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull and disruption to travel (for 6 days, NOT 10 days -- come on Simon, sort it out), April 2010: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eyjafjallaj%C3%B6kullTsunami, 24 December 2004: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake_and_tsunamiGrange Hill: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grange_HillComprehensive schools UK: https://en.w...2021-03-1725 minMidlifingMaking a virtue out of necessitySend us a textLee and Simon take too long getting to the three questions, which in themselves are the start of a chat about community. Also, Lee edited out all Simon's mentions of Bruce Springsteen.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):We don't know whether we got it right about things that are random vs things that are arbitrary, but we know we shouldn't have even tried to talk about: "randomness is not haphazardness; it is a measure of uncertainty of...2021-03-1027 minMidlifingThere is no promise to the futureSend us a textOnce they get past psychoneuroendocrinology, being attuned to panic, and the definition of sonder, Simon and Lee talk about being in love (not necessarily with each other). Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links:tornare vs ritornare: https://hinative.com/en-US/questions/3943098saudade: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudadeflop sweat: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/flop-sweatBroadcast News (film): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadcast_News_(film)Broadcast News flop sweat scene: https://youtu.be/RR9TFbqAScQBetween Us (Bob and Lee's book): https://w...2021-03-0332 minMidlifingOne person's Star Wars is another person's cheeseSend us a textLee and Simon talk about bubble-bath ... not for the entire episode but probably more than is necessary. Then they talk about the nature of fandom (but only get there via Lee's undertaker friend).Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):Matey bubble bath (for clean fun): https://youtu.be/YqL-2wmF7dwUngulates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UngulateSix Feet Under (TV show): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_Feet_Under_%28TV_series%29The Green Funeral Company: http://www.thegreenfuneralcompany...2021-02-2428 minMidlifingWe don't feel like we always have something to addSend us a textLee and Simon respond to some listener questions, but definitely not their feedback. The show ends when Simon realises that he's not going to be a secret witch for much longer.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):object permanence: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Object_permanencemacroeconomics: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macroeconomicsa bit more on Armie Hammer: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/movies/armie-hammer-dropped-by-talent-reps-amid-alleged-graphic-message-scandal/ar-BB1duv5WEvan Rachel Wood as Dolores Abernathy on Westworld: https...2021-02-1026 minMidlifingA totally stink conversation about being out of controlSend us a textA conversation about being out of control starts off all middle class, veers wildly out of control and Simon and Lee end up struggling past thirst tweets.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related links (and necessary corrections):How to pronounce stracciatella: https://youtu.be/K9JpVi_FanEGroundskeeper Willie has a Sardinian accent in the Italian version of The Simpsons: https://italicsmag.com/2020/08/03/sardinian-case-for-language-diversity/Bonce: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/bonceThe Notebook is not a rom-com Simon: https://ew.com/movies/2019/02/06/what-is-a-rom-com...2021-01-2731 minMidlifingWhenever I opened my mouth everybody else shut upSend us a textLee and Simon talk about being heard and privilege. It gets beautifully messy and ends in shame, and then ice-cream.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related Links:Stelarc's Ear on Arm: http://stelarc.org/?catID=20242Maxwell Smart shoe phone: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoe_phone Being heard and being loved (David Augsburger): https://www.skellis.net/blog/being-heardAcademic parent episode (on feedback): https://www.midlifing.net/1480717/6791131-they-re-your-worms-you-didn-t-tell-us-where-you-kept-themEcosia: https://www.ecosia.org/Poverty Safari (review): https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/aug/30/p...2021-01-2027 minMidlifingThe most frequent causes of deliberate acts of injusticeSend us a textSimon and Lee sometimes publish episodes out of order and this is one of those times. They take you all the way back to the year 2020 (when this episode was actually recorded) in order to discuss their 2021 understanding of ambition and potential.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related Links:Sign on door: https://www.skellis.net/midlifing/signVideo of arborist at work at Simon's place: https://www.skellis.net/midlifing/arboristStrictly Come Dancing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strictly_Come_DancingBack to...2021-01-1328 minMidlifingWe hold ourselves responsible but at the same time let ourselves offSend us a textHappy Gregorian New Year faithful (and unfaithful) listeners! In this episode Lee describes a video of Simon's immanent obsolescence before they both dig into the nature of responsibility in the middle of a pandemic, or even just in normal times. Remember those halcyon days? Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related Links:Brexit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brexit Our Tune: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_TuneSimon Bates: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simon_BatesThe Hunger Games Mockingjay Call: https://youtu.be/p...2021-01-0629 min
MidlifingIt hurts so much to hear you say that (part 2 of 2)Send us a textOne thing Simon and Lee haven't talked about over the last fourteen years: deflection, friendship and a quiet and long withdrawal. Mourning something that has never been.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related Links:miscarriage: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/miscarriageexponential function: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponential_functionMeghan Markle The Losses We Share: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/25/opinion/meghan-markle-miscarriage.htmlTurkish lira: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_liratriggering: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/triggeringJoanne "Bob" Whalley (2014), The unborn undead. Studies...2020-12-3026 min
MidlifingOn circlusionSend us a textA Christmas Day minisode from Lee and Simon, and it's all about – well, mostly about – circlusion. Merry Christmas!Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related Links:noise-cancelling headphones: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noise-cancelling_headphonesSony WH1000XM2 Over Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones (unboxing video): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTCZRYfeQZYItalian COVID-19 colour zones: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/09/italy-faces-10000-covid-deaths-in-a-month-with-no-lockdown-medicsAustralian temperature colours: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/damian-carrington-blog/2013/jan/08/australia-bush-fires-heatwave-temperature-scalekink shaming: https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/kink-outside-the-box/202008/kink-shaming-how-did-we-get-herePrince and the Revo...2020-12-2514 min
MidlifingIt hurts so much to hear you say that (part 1 of 2)Send us a textSimon and Lee talk about legacy and how we want to be remembered. Simon crosses a line.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related Links:bequeath: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/bequeathsynology: https://www.synology.com/en-uk/products/DS1520+data rot (Simon was wrong about this; it does have to do with reading and writing of physical storage devices): https://www.partitionwizard.com/clone-disk/bit-rot.htmlconsumerism vs materialism: https://centegrity.com.au/materialism-vs-consumerism-why-we-buy-so-much-stuff/One Man and His Shoes (review...2020-12-2327 min
MidlifingThey’re your worms you didn't tell us where you kept themSend us a textThere comes a time in anyone's life when preparing food for worms is a warning that things are about to go bad. Lee and Simon tackle feedback and Lee confesses that he cuts out the good bits. Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related Links:Stollen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StollenWorm composting: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=726Simon's finger: https://www.skellis.net/midlifing/nailGip: https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/gipHow to use a chef's knife...2020-12-1629 minMidlifingI got the giggles so badly I was reminded of being at churchSend us a textLee and Simon fall into a hole caused by a crisis of faith and end up getting stuck. If you don't know how to talk about something at least talk about it together. People mentioned: Jesus Christ, Gabrielle Eastwood-Ellis, Simon's former tennis coach Simon, Bill Gates, Philip K. Dick, Sean Connery, Indiana Jones, Norman Miller, Bono and Irene Miller.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related Links:belief systems: https://medium.com/intercultural-mindset/belief-systems-what-they-are-and-how-they-affect-you-1cd87aa775ffgiggle fits: https://healthyliving.azcentral...2020-12-0925 minMidlifingGwyneth Paltrow came to me as a fully formed memorySend us a textYou know when you're talking about ethical shopping, climate change and GDP, but then end up being confused for Chris Martin at a service station? Precisely. Lee and Simon talk about buying services not things, investing in the body or the face, lingering glances, self-expectations, overnight contextual changes, lunch 'with' Gwyneth and Chris, delusion and self-judgment, and Darth Vader.Get in touch with Lee and Simon at info@midlifing.net.Related Links and References:Paynter Jacket Co: https://paynterjacket.comCorrection: Simon mentions a...2020-11-2526 min