Andrew Couch
To be sure, I’m mostly just some guy. Because who isn’t, really? I mean, unless you’re just some lady or just some other, non-label-laden creature of fluidity & freedom from traditional identity - in which case, congratulations.
What kind of “just some guy” am I, and why should you care about the stories I’d like to share? Well, I’m a traveler, a chronicler, an observer, and a pal of the weird and easily overlooked. I hope to be a champion of the mundane yet peculiar and a conduit between those who like stories and the events which give birth to them, but I’d settle for being an advocate. As for why you should care, I have a rich inner life, just like you, and you care about your stories all the time - seems fair to me.
Also, I've been collecting these stories as I’ve held over forty different occupations in what I refuse to call my career. These include, but are not limited to, the following:
o Washing dishes at an Egyptian-owned catfish restaurant in North Mississippi.
o Selling trinkets at Elvis Presley's Graceland.
o Answering telephones on the 57th floor of the Empire State Building.
o Turning wrenches on cooking-grease-powered diesel engines in Memphis, TN.
o Professionally petting rich, drunk ladies in Northern California – or “massage therapy.”
o Doing my bit to change the name from "Handy Man" to "Ableman" for reasons which may or may not seem obvious.
Despite my best efforts, I remain fortunate to have a wife who loves me (Tiffany), a dog who needs me (Pelé), and a family who's stuck with me (You know who you are).
This is my second fake radio show; the first, Monkey Tooth, was tremendous fun and, by my metrics, a great success. Although I enjoy riding my bicycle and paddling a kayak, I’m not likely to be referring to myself as a “cyclist” or “kayaker” any sooner than I’ll be referring to myself as a “podcaster” or “blogger.” When I refer to myself, it will usually be qualified with some sort of apology.
So, tell a friend that you’ve found a great new storytelling podcast, then tell them about this one.
Glenn Vanderkloet – Drifter/Roustabout
I grew up truly in the middle of nowhere. The house where I spent the first several years of my life was situated on a rural route sandwiched between two villages of around 75 people apiece. These villages were 20 minutes north of the city of Brockville, Ontario, Canada, a retirement community of 21000 souls which sits across the St. Lawrence River from New York State.
I assimilated fairly seamlessly into the farming/religion/sports dominated culture of country life as a child however in my adolescence, I was starved for something more. Music, books, travel and writing began taking up most of my mental bandwidth and I couldn't wait to finish high school and start to explore all the things I was reading about and listening to. I didn't have much in the way of career ambitions, I just wanted to get on the road. Which is what I did as soon as I received my diploma.
I've held many jobs in many locales including a night cleaner in Ottawa, a printer cartridge delivery person in Vancouver, a pharmaceutical processor in Brockville and a pet crematorium service driver in Guelph. There's more but the aforementioned are the most prestigious. (Yikes!)
These jobs have helped me cobble together a living over the years and for that I'm grateful but it's the things I don't get paid for that interest me most. I've always dabbled in songwriting and all things music including being an avid listener and visiting many music oriented American cities like Nashville, Memphis, Austin, Seattle, Portland, et al. I also love to read just about anything from shampoo bottles and cereal boxes to the Russian classics. Furthermore, I'm just a curious person that is interested in a lot of shit from Geography and History to Psychology and beyond.
I now make my home in the Greater Toronto Area along with my partner Ashley. We used to have a cat but now it's just the two of us. (Fantastic song btw.)
This is my first venture into podcasting however I'm a huge consumer of the medium including being a fan of Andrew and Tiffany's previous project, Monkey Tooth.
Can't wait to share some stories with y'all!
