A Mediocre Time with Tom and Dan

Author: Tom Vann & Dan Dennis

Tom and Dan were once sitting in a hotel room in Daytona Beach, Florida where the air-condition didn't work, they were out of beer, and the cable only had 2 channels that came in static free. One of their friends suggested that they leave and attempt to find something better to do to which Dan replied "Why would we want to ruin a mediocre time?" If you were to ask "Tom and Dan" what the meaning of life is, they might tell you that there is none. Born from a feeling that nothing in life truly matters and that for the most part we're all surrounded by scumbags, "Tom and Dan" figured out that there's only one true constant in life; laughter. How did they come to that conclusion? It's all they have. You see, just like the mass majority of us, "T & D" have day jobs and it was at said day job where they cued in on the fact that some of the greatest laughs came at the end of the day. There's just something about the relaxed feeling of knowing that you have very little time left at work to put in. Maybe it's the "punch drunkenness" of still being at work; no one is quite sure. There they sat in their office, the door shut to their co-workers and management, only making each other laugh to the point of tears. Finally they realized that it might not be such a bad idea to roll tape on these conversations. Why not? They would be having them anyway, taped or not, and it was fun. Both of them come from rather lengthy broadcasting careers so setting up a home studio wasn't so hard to do. And with the addition of Ross, the consummate straight man and "News Dad", things got even more "mediocre." Broadcasting since 2009 has garnered a rather extensive following for "T & D" with loyal "scumbags" (as their listeners are affectionately known) checking in from all across the world. Hundreds of shows under their belts and winners of the Orlando Weekly's "Best of Orlando 2011" for "Best Kept Secret" reassures them both that yesno one is listening! (Best Kept Secret? HA!)
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Language: en

Genres: Comedy, Improv

Contact email: Get it

Feed URL: Get it

iTunes ID: Get it

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858 - Seth's Bubble Cabinets
Friday, 16 January, 2026

• Opening musical parody, extended singing, parody station drops • "Time for a bath" spoken-word/rap monologue • Gas station checkout bit with donations and tiny purchases • Pop culture name-drops and exaggerated confidence imagery • AMT Friday Free Show intro • Guest Seth Petruzzel returns; callback to Halloween special at his house • Ongoing house build delays; living in a rental; stressful unsettled Christmas • Missing a "first real Christmas" with daughter; limited meaningful kid Christmases • Debate over earliest memories, neuroscience, and false memories • Stress text about childcare, construction, and overwhelm • "No Smile Seth" nickname from construction crew; tension with workers • Yard/seagrass service failures and staff turnover • Interior progress: drywall, paint; Seth paints entire house himself • DIY vs professional painters debate • Limestone flooring installed too early; damage from ongoing work • Admitted poor sequencing, rushed decisions, and contractor confusion • Money wasted on inefficiency; budget blown by ~$100k cash • Dark humor from stress; resentment toward dogs after barking wakes baby • Babysitter chaos; raised-hand gesture scares sitter; anger acknowledged without harm • Tracy working multiple jobs to cover costs; dojo staffing struggles • Teaching classes while overwhelmed; no-call/no-shows • Boat broken and unused; pods block driveway; storage and delay stress • Yelling over missed deadlines; workmanship defects; cabinet and floor damage • Cheap vs quality work discussion; timelines constantly pushed back • Contractors criticizing each other; electrician refuses unsafe wiring • HVAC ductwork never replaced; contractor ghosted after payment • Realization money was taken; lesson on hiring cheapest bids • New AC installed; marriage stressed but solid; stress seen as situational • Considering selling boat; joking about downgrading and paddleboards • Dock delays due to rain; feeling too deep to change course • No nearby family help; brother unavailable; childcare strain • Estrangement from father after emotional texts; anger over lack of involvement • Father's minimal apology; no-contact; canceled life-story emails • Grief over lost family history compared to mother's legacy notebooks • Daily micromanaging renovation; cleaning dust; weeks of painting • Acknowledging misdirected anger; dojo as emotional outlet • First daycare drop-off at age two; guilt, crying, camera-checking • Kid illnesses after daycare; stress symptoms, weight loss, graying hair • Picky eating; reliance on carbs; supplementing nutrition • Shift to processed kids foods; questioning processed meat risks • Deli ham vs cigarettes carcinogen debate; nitrates and long-term risk • Parenting tension between health anxiety and convenience • Colonoscopy and PSA results good; jokes about aging and pelvic floor • Nerve issues from past B6 toxicity; substance use reflections • Panic attack after mushroom mocktail; heightened sound sensitivity • Little Saints described; conclusion anxiety likely self-induced • Decision to stop dwelling; announcement of trying for second child • Curiosity about father–son bond; light emotional dad talk • Viral poop videos and construction bathroom chaos • Grocery store poop incident; biohazard cleanup and food waste debate • Lee & Rick's Oyster Bar shutdown and reopening; bug tolerance jokes • Extreme lack of germ aversion; belief exposure builds immunity • Childhood TV theme nostalgia; Silver Spoons, Today's Special, Eureka's Castle • Theme songs imprinting more than shows; modern shows less memorable • Tomb Raider Prime Video series announced; Lara Croft portrayal debate • Criticism of Gladiator; new Game of Thrones spinoff tone discussion • Attention span concerns; distracted concert crowds • Voicemail callouts; hoodie sale and mystery merch bags • Gym workouts at Crunch; dojo recruitment jokes • Apple Music UI complaints; updates removing useful features • Decision to move into voicemails due to show length • Merch strategy shift to preorder-only; storage cost regrets • Counterfeit jersey acceptance debate • Pro Bowl no longer in Orlando; family outing idea • Listener voicemail on weed-induced panic attack • Gross-out debate ranking bodily fluids • Team shout-outs; editor KC praised • BDM promotion, Appreciation Week, $5 shirt tease • Weekend sign-off ### Where to Find the Show – A Mediocre Time Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-mediocre-time/id334142682](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-mediocre-time/id334142682) Google Podcasts [https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2FtZWRpb2NyZXRpbWUvcG9kY2FzdC54bWw](https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkLnBvZGJlYW4uY29tL2FtZWRpb2NyZXRpbWUvcG9kY2FzdC54bWw) Exclusive Content [https://tomanddan.com/registration](https://tomanddan.com/registration) Merch [https://tomanddan.myshopify.com/](https://tomanddan.myshopify.com/)