Mark introduces the episode and frames it around the holidays, the challenges therein and the notion that “the more people the more problems”

Jim says the topic is timely and he connects it to our flywheel of life…all starting with the self. He shares his opinion on the more people topic and heightened emotions

Mark adds New Years and all the prep before the holidays. He cites the pressure the woman are under

Jim laughs about being through 50 of these. He says it means more, the younger you are…we’ve seen this movie

Mark talks about the evolution from childhood to present holiday state. The expectations are so different. Mark says, as a guy, he doesn’t really care about the details

Jim brings up the idea of more than one family…more chaotic

Jim goes around the wheel, starting with money. Mark tells some stories about traveling versus staying at home

Jim mentions health. Physical and mental. Everybody gets a little crazy. Mark cites anxiety. You don’t know what might happen. Alcohol comes out…

Mark jokes about dietary restrictions. He tells about the football game we played and how snow and alcohol changed it and then it stopped

Mark talks about being the boss versus being on holiday. No rules or systems

Jim talks about gifts he gave his clients for the holidays

Mark brings us back to today. This past holiday and how fragmented the family unit is now

Jim shifts to relationships and the difference between men and women during the holidays

Next is worldview. Politics and childhood

Red team and blue team

Religion and nationality

Mark goes back to the men and women thing. Parade versus the football game. How it was when he was a child

Back to worldview. Mark thinks people can’t avoid these topics. Jim says it’s why he went to Mexico:). 85 and sunny…no political drama

30 days later we have Christmas coming up. Jim says Xmass is better. More festive. Both guys share Christmas stories. Comparison. Who has what and who makes what…

Mark talks about forming new traditions as his family evolved and changed

Mark shares his holiday ZOOM call with his kids and more traditions and stories

Jim shares his Santa suit tradition and some related stories

Then Mark shares his “Santa’s coming” bells

Manipulative and fun at the same time. The guys talk about when the kids figure out Santa

Mark brings up religion as things evolved and how different faiths come in

Jim brings up midnight Mass and hook ups. Catching up and reconnecting…and more fights

Mark brings up the anticipation of the New Year. A new start. New Years resolutions

All the emotions. Guilt, anxiety, disappointment. The New Year adds to the emotional whirlwind

Mark ends with how important being in the moment is during all the holiday chaos

Jim ends with gratitude