Ep. 279 – Loosen The Grit

The hosts discuss Erik returning to Spain after a week in London and how crossing streets in the UK prompts second-guessing, prompting Dennis to recount a childhood jaywalking accident where a motorcycle severely injured his ankle and left him in a full leg cast for months. They compare big-city office life and commuting with working from home, then Dennis shares a long-running oak furniture story that leads to his “tool of the day,” a vibrating square sander used to restore an old round oak table. Erik describes speaking at a London conference, playing a sponsor’s space-bar game that earned him a high score and a Lord of the Rings LEGO set he declined, which later went to an emotional volunteer, plus other prizes like a signed coding book and AI cloud tokens. Erik also recounts joining an English-speakers group in Bilbao and doing an “outdoor escape room” treasure-hunt tour through the old medieval city, followed by beers and snacks, and ends with notes on listening to 60s funk, Dennis’ Kalamazoo weather and river-brewery plans, and Erik’s London meals including mozzarella tasting and a Sunday roast.