The Grit City Podcast - Episodes Tagged with “Weekend Recap”

GCP: Hangover Sunday - Hospital Trips, Pickle Fries & Streaming Hell

GCP Media — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 05:00:00 -0700

The Grit City Podcast crew is back for another Hangover Sunday, and this episode manages to cover an impressive amount of ground without ever really staying on one subject for very long.

The episode opens with Jeff sharing a genuinely frightening story from a couple of weeks earlier. He describes waking up in bed to find his wife telling him that he had apparently suffered a seizure and needed to go to the hospital. Still confused and coming out of the episode, Jeff remembers emergency responders arriving at his house and attempting to convince him that it was time to leave. His response? He needed about twenty minutes.

Eventually, Jeff made it into an ambulance and to the hospital, where doctors ran tests and tried to determine what had happened. He describes waiting for the worst possible news while medical staff kept reassuring him that things appeared to be okay. The aftermath was less dramatic but considerably more painful, with his muscles feeling like he'd run multiple marathons and his tongue taking a beating during the incident. Naturally, the guys find a way to turn the whole experience into comedy, including Jeff's realization that one of the biggest victories of the night was simply not pissing himself.

After getting that out of the way, the conversation shifts to Olympia.

Scott and C-Note recently visited Porchfest in Olympia and came away impressed by the smaller, neighborhood-like festival atmosphere. The crew talks about wandering through the city, finding live music in unexpected places, and stumbling across bands playing in garages and alleys. The conversation turns toward Olympia's long musical history, including its punk and grunge connections, before moving into comedy and the generally strange atmosphere that makes Olympia such an interesting place to spend a day.

Food naturally becomes part of the discussion. Charlie's gets a mention, but the real star is West Side Tavern and its surprisingly excellent food. Scott becomes particularly enthusiastic about the pickle fries—actual pickle-based fries rather than the usual fried pickle chips—and the crew spends considerably more time discussing them than anyone probably expected.

The conversation then moves into other weekend adventures. C-Note talks about a trip to Rockaway Beach on the Oregon coast with his family, including a visit to Tillamook and some early-morning metal detecting. The discussion naturally expands into magnet fishing, the kinds of things people might accidentally pull out of rivers, and the strange appeal of spending hours searching for something that may or may not be worth finding.

Eventually, the Grit City crew gets into one of the modern world's great frustrations: trying to watch football without paying for an absurd number of television services. Cable, YouTube TV, Fubo, Amazon, Netflix and NFL packages all enter the discussion as the guys try to figure out why watching the games people actually want has become so complicated.

That leads directly into a larger conversation about streaming television. The crew reminisces about having only a handful of television channels growing up and contrasts that with today's enormous libraries of movies, shows, streaming services and advertisements. Tubi, smart TVs and streaming boxes become the next rabbit hole, followed by concerns about privacy and what modern televisions may be doing behind the scenes.

From there, technology takes over completely.

The guys talk about AI, small cyber decks, security devices, streaming hardware, cloud gaming and the strange explosion of inexpensive technology projects that people can now build or buy. The discussion eventually reaches Super Boxes and IPTV, followed by NVIDIA Shield, cloud gaming and the question of whether physical media might actually be making a comeback.

The episode closes with a nostalgic discussion of older game consoles such as the PlayStation 3 and Dreamcast, along with the renewed interest in physical games, printed photographs and owning actual copies of things rather than depending entirely on digital services.

It's a quintessential Hangover Sunday: a serious personal story, a trip to Olympia, questionable food obsessions, Pacific Northwest adventures, football frustrations, streaming technology, retro gaming, AI and enough random side conversations to make the whole thing unmistakably Grit City.

Chapters & Timestamps
00:00 – Cold Open Chaos
01:36 – Welcome Back to Hangover Sunday
02:05 – Jeff's Unexpected Hospital Trip
03:48 – The Ambulance Ride Nobody Plans For
05:04 – "Pale and Sweaty" at the Hospital
06:08 – The Tests, Recovery & Waiting for Answers
07:09 – The Muscle Pain Aftermath
09:00 – Massage Therapy & Getting Back on His Feet
09:18 – The Real Victory: Didn't Piss the Bed
11:38 – C-Note Hits Port-Fest in Olympia
12:01 – Olympia's Music, Punk & Grunge Scene
14:27 – Garage Bands, Convenience Stores & Olympia Weirdness
15:08 – Olympia Jam Grass Collective
17:28 – Comedy in Olympia
18:29 – Why Olympia Is Such a Weird Town
20:35 – Olympia Food: Charlie's & West Side Tavern
21:29 – The Pickle Fries Have Arrived
23:18 – Dave's Hot Chicken & Giant Portions
25:16 – Vegetarian Haggis Somehow Enters the Conversation
25:53 – Why Olympia Is a Good Hang
26:30 – Rockaway Beach, Tillamook & Metal Detecting
27:47 – Magnet Fishing & Finding Questionable Things
28:36 – Geocaching, Job Hunting & Life Updates
35:20 – The Football Streaming Problem
36:00 – How Many Services Does It Take to Watch Football?
38:28 – "We Got Played": The Streaming Revolution
39:00 – NFL Sunday Ticket Still Isn't Enough
40:03 – Too Much Sports, Too Much Content
42:20 – The Golden Age of Information
43:00 – Tubi, Old Movies & Nostalgia
44:00 – Commercials Are Everywhere
45:09 – Streaming Boxes & Cutting the Cable Cord
46:13 – Smart TVs, Local Channels & Privacy
49:03 – The First Wave of the AI Takeover
51:25 – The Flipper Craze & DIY Cyber Decks
52:43 – Security, Technology & the Future
53:33 – Super Boxes, IPTV & Streaming Crackdowns
54:37 – NVIDIA Shield & Cloud Gaming
55:48 – The Return of Physical Media
56:25 – PS3, Dreamcast & Retro Gaming
57:39 – Why People Are Printing Photos Again
58:29 – That's a Wrap

GCP: Hangover Sunday - Beer Fest, Carrot Dogs & Nuclear Wings

GCP Media — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 07:45:00 -0700

The Grit City Podcast crew is back with another Hangover Sunday, and this week's episode proves once again that a simple weekend recap can go almost anywhere.

Jeff, Scott, Mike and C-Note kick things off by talking about the podcast itself. After years of making Grit City episodes, the crew has noticed a major increase in listeners, with downloads reportedly tripling over the previous month and a half. They take a moment to thank the longtime listeners, welcome the newcomers and remind everyone about the Grit City Discord, Patreon and the growing collection of classic episodes.

Then Jeff gets into the main event: the 2026 Tumwater Artesian Beer Fest.

Jeff spent the weekend hanging out with friends, including Ken Carlson, before heading into the festival. The group wasn't exactly made up of professional beer drinkers, but that didn't stop them from sampling the local scene. The festival featured beer, cider, mead and plenty of fruit-forward drinks, including strawberry, huckleberry, watermelon basil and blueberry offerings.

There was also plenty of food. Puget Sound Pizza gets a shout-out for serving enormous slices, while the guys discuss barbecue, food trucks and eventually making a stop for ice cream afterward. Being the designated driver wasn't a bad deal either, with discounted admission and free non-alcoholic drinks and snacks.

The weather also played a role. What was expected to be an overcast day turned sunny and hot, leaving people baking in the unexpected Northwest sunshine. Fortunately, the crew had a solution: food, drinks and eventually ice cream.

Jeff also puts the Grit City hotline to work with some genuine on-location reporting. Festival attendees check in with their names and what they're drinking, giving listeners a little taste of the event directly from the crowd.

Of course, no Hangover Sunday would be complete without several completely unrelated detours.

The crew revisits some classic Grit City history, including the early days of the podcast, old sponsors, conventions and a bizarre story involving a giant carrot costume that apparently looked enough like a hot dog to cause some confusion.

From there, the conversation travels into the world of strange internet rabbit holes before landing on something much more wholesome: professional disc golf. The guys discover just how serious the professional disc golf world has become, including a major tournament at The Preserve.

Eventually, naturally, they return to beer.

The crew debates hazy IPAs, traditional IPAs, hops, yeast, fruit flavors and the difference between craft beer and the kind of "garage beer" people drink when they aren't thinking too hard about what they're drinking.

And then the conversation takes a hard turn toward food.

A bizarre peanut butter, potato chip, barbecue sauce and pita bread creation gets discussed with the seriousness of a culinary crime investigation. The guys then move into an argument over American cheese before somehow landing on Cincinnati chili spaghetti and the strange combination of spices—including cinnamon and cloves—that goes into it.
Finally, the episode reaches its logical conclusion: incredibly hot wings.

The crew remembers a meal involving wings so brutally spicy that everyone eventually gave up. One person even managed to rub the sauce into his eyes, turning an already painful meal into a full-blown disaster.

Beer festivals, disc golf, carrot costumes, craft beer debates, bizarre sandwiches, Cincinnati chili and nuclear-level wings.

It's another weekend in the world of Grit City—and another perfectly chaotic Hangover Sunday.

00:00 – Cold Open Chaos
The episode starts with the usual Grit City technical confusion before the intro.
01:18 – Welcome to Hangover Sunday
Jeff, Scott, Mike and C-Note kick things off and admit everyone had a big weekend.
02:13 – Grit City Is Growing
The crew thanks listeners after noticing downloads have roughly tripled over the previous month and a half.
03:11 – The Grit City Archives
A look back at the show's older interview episodes, the early days of podcasting, and recording interviews in the back of bars.
05:53 – Old Episodes Become Local History
The guys talk about people and businesses from the early Grit City days that aren't around anymore.
06:04 – The E.J. O'Donnell Story
A conversation about one of Grit City's longtime sticker partners and how one former contact went on to build a successful business.
07:47 – Call the Grit City Hotline
The crew promotes the listener hotline and talks about the new AI-generated jingles.
10:46 – Tumwater Artesian Beer Fest 2026
Scott recaps his weekend at the Tumwater Artesian Beer Fest and hanging out with Ken Carlson and friends.
11:19 – Ken Carlson, Beer & A Very Reluctant Beer Drinker
The crew talks about Ken, his work, his writing, and bringing a reluctant beer drinker along for the festival.
12:26 – DD Discount, Pizza & Festival Food
Being the designated driver has its perks, including cheaper admission, free non-alcoholic drinks and snacks.
14:10 – Ice Cream Saves the Day
The crew discovers the simple beauty of post-festival ice cream—and the heat starts becoming a problem.
15:19 – On-Scene Reporting from Tumwater
Scott talks about calling into the Grit City hotline from the festival and getting some real-time reactions.
16:21 – Live from the Beer Fest
Festival-goers check in with their names and drinks, including strawberry cider, huckleberry cider, watermelon basil cider and blueberry jam ale.
17:25 – The "Jimmathy" Problem
The guys discover a suspiciously named drink and debate whether they're comfortable with it.
18:42 – How to Do a Proper Grit City Check-In
The crew explains the strategy behind approaching strangers at events and getting them on the hotline.
19:07 – Fruit Beers, Mead & the Steam Mule
A deep dive into the festival's flavored drinks, huckleberry mead and one particularly questionable-sounding "Steam Mule."
20:22 – Wristbands, Sunshine & Camp Stamp Cameras
The guys discuss the festival's wristband system, unexpected sunshine and Scott's photography setup.
22:28 – Mead, Cider & Braggot
A stop at Acorn Brewing leads to a discussion about mead, cider, beer and the mysterious hybrid drink known as braggot.
23:13 – What Exactly Is a Black & Tan?
A quick beer education session turns into another Grit City tangent.
24:58 – The Giant Carrot That Looked Like a Hot Dog
An old workplace story involving a giant carrot costume somehow looking like a hot dog.
25:32 – The Night Side Distillery Days
The crew remembers an old sponsor, conventions and a particularly memorable case of flavored vodka.
26:02 – The Carrot Incident Explained
The legendary carrot story gets the full treatment.
29:00 – The Internet Rabbit Hole
The conversation turns toward strange online rabbit holes and the kind of stories that always seem to end with demons, dimensions and doom.
33:26 – Disc Golf Has a Pro League?!
The crew discovers just how serious professional disc golf has become, including a tournament at The Preserve.
34:00 – Skip Aces & the Disc Golf Tour
A surprisingly enthusiastic discussion about professional disc golf and Minnesota's top courses.
40:00 – Minnesota, Family & Pay-What-You-Can Events
The conversation shifts into Minnesota culture, family stories and the idea of events using donation-based admission.
45:57 – PorchFest, Conventions & Finding Something to Do Every Month
The guys discuss PorchFest, local events and the dream of having enough business-related excuses to attend conventions constantly.
46:50 – Are Microbreweries Disappearing?
A conversation about the changing craft beer scene and the future of small breweries.
50:00 – Hazy IPAs & Why They Taste Fruity
The crew debates IPAs, hazy IPAs, hops, yeast and why some beers taste more like citrus than traditional beer.
56:35 – Midwest Beer vs. Garage Beer
A discussion about regional beer preferences and the idea of a "garage beer."
57:28 – The IPA Weekend
The guys admit the conversation has basically become an extended beer discussion.
59:59 – The Peanut Butter, Potato Chip & BBQ Sauce Situation
A bizarre food combination involving peanut butter, potato chips, barbecue sauce and pita bread gets put on trial.
01:02 – American Cheese Controversy
The crew debates American cheese, melted cheese and whether American cheese belongs anywhere near pizza.
01:03 – Cincinnati Chili Spaghetti
The conversation turns to Cincinnati chili, spaghetti and the surprisingly complicated ingredients involved.
01:04 – Spaghetti vs. Chili: The Family Food Debate
A discussion about childhood food traditions turns into another culinary argument.
01:08 – Nuclear Wings
The guys remember an encounter with brutally hot wings that eventually defeated everyone at the table.
01:09 – The Food Disaster Files
The episode closes with stories about bad restaurant experiences and the strange food-related luck of the Grit City crew.

GCP: Hangover Sunday - PorchFest, Rainiers, Glamping & Doppelgangers

GCP Media — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:30:00 -0700

Hangover Sunday - PorchFest, Rainiers, Glamping & Finding Your Doppelganger

Sometimes the best weekends don't need a big plan—they just need good friends, great weather, and enough stories to fill a podcast.

This week's Hangover Sunday episode is exactly that.

The crew kicks things off by sending their thoughts to C-Note and his family before diving into a recap of one of the busiest weekends they've had in a long time. Scott shares his experience exploring Tacoma PorchFest, one of the city's most unique community events. Live music spills from neighborhood porches, comedy shows pop up inside local businesses, and the entire 6th Avenue district transforms into one giant celebration of Tacoma culture.

Along the way, the guys talk about meeting Migs from KISW, checking out SOS Pro Wrestling, discovering new bands, reconnecting with friends, and enjoying one of those rare Pacific Northwest summer days where everything simply comes together.

The conversation shifts from neighborhood festivals to another Tacoma tradition—a Tacoma Rainiers game at Cheney Stadium. While the Rainiers may not have had their best day on the field, Scott explains why minor league baseball remains one of the best entertainment values around. Great seats, cold beer, hot dogs, and an afternoon with friends make the final score almost irrelevant.

Jeff balances out the city adventures with a weekend getaway to Suncadia Resort near Cle Elum. Instead of roughing it, he experiences what can only be described as "luxury camping," complete with mountain scenery, hiking trails, golf, wildlife, and enough amenities to make even the least outdoorsy person appreciate a weekend in the Cascades. The discussion turns into a celebration of everything that makes Washington State such an incredible place to explore.

As always, the conversation refuses to stay on one track for long. The crew eventually wanders into a surprisingly entertaining discussion about doppelgangers, accidental family discoveries through email, genealogy, and whether everyone has someone else walking around who looks just like them.

It's another classic Hangover Sunday episode filled with laughs, local recommendations, random tangents, and the kind of conversations that happen after a weekend well spent. Whether you're looking for your next Tacoma adventure, planning a Rainiers game, or just want to hear friends swap stories, this episode has something for everyone.

If you've ever been to PorchFest, found your own doppelganger, or have a great Pacific Northwest weekend story, the crew wants to hear from you. Give the Grit City Podcast a call at 1-855-474-8272 or 1-855-GRITCPC and you might hear yourself on a future episode.

Chapters

00:00 - Welcome to Hangover Sunday
01:40 - Missing C-Note and a heartfelt message
02:40 - Tacoma PorchFest recap begins
09:45 - Tacoma Rainiers game experience
18:10 - Finding your doppelganger
22:40 - Jeff's luxury glamping trip near Cle Elum
31:00 - More Pacific Northwest travel talk and weekend adventures
40:00 - AI, technology and random rabbit holes (approx.)
49:00 - Listener callouts and weekend reflections (approx.)
58:00 - Wrapping up another Hangover Sunday (approx.)