Hall is working with a lot of Chicago police in his job in the park and has a few observations. Himmel is not as anti-cop as he appears.

The chimps are starting to feel the march of time in their lower backs and ankles and sit in Himmel’s kitchen and bitch about it.

Parents often shower their love upon us by buying us lawn mowers and droids. These are the tales of parenting through commerce.

Hall joins David in his newly emptied home, does his dishes, and they discuss everything from the divorce to Elvis Presley. Also some Stallone, Israel, and the smoke show that is J. Brush.

WBEZ is taking some real hits on their credibility and efficacy as a public news source and David is frustrated with the timbre of the pledge drive.

Hall signed up for Hinge only to discover that the prospect of dating in a post-apocalyptic divorce scenario is almost too daunting.

Himmel was incensed by both a WBEZ bracket contest about Chicago icons and a woman trying to get child support from an anonymous sperm donor so that’s where we went.

A discussion that includes ways to artistically be inspired, terribly dark fiction, and the road to work/art balance.

Hall is in his own transition, having recently uprooted and come home. Himmel is on the edge of the cliff, trying to find purpose and joy amidst a great upheaval. Also, Himmel uses a word he’s not supposed to. Listen for it.

Harry has been indoctrinated into the wildest version of Jesus via Youtube and his non-denominational recovering Jew father finds it adorable. So did Jim Jones’s parents.

Hall has been in Chicago for three weeks and the experience has him feeling things.

Himmel decides, like a dog, to mark his territory in Hall’s bathroom with an odd request. Then a discussion of purpose and optimism, fatherhood, and navigating big life changes. Some news, a quote, and a few recommended activities for the week.

Himmel keeps locking himself out of things; Hall is interested in the question of whether to delete past writing that hasn’t aged well or revise. TRIGGER WARNING: there is drinking and talk of man on man sex acts.

Don is now officially a Chicagoan again. David is perilously close to being divorced. It’s a whole new world!

Gang—things have come to head and the Apes need a break in the routine. This episode is short, has Don reading his lessons of Year 58 and that’s it. We’ll be back in March.

The Apes discuss what they do with free time, the writers they love, and break down what devices in writing turn them on.

David decides to have a bit more to drink prior and during the podcast than he should and ends things with an extended riff on Saltburn.

We’re all so certain of things. What music we like, other art, the foods, places we visit, etc. It’s hard to change our minds of things. But it does happen. So what have you changed your mind about recently? And how did that come to be?

The Apes wax philosophical about the upcoming new year. Also, some trash talk and a terrible Celine Dion joke.