Your shirt is so cute.
It's a dress.
Oh! That dress is so cute.
It's so star spangled banner-y. It's like gonna match the fireworks tonight. And when I say fireworks, I don't mean you and me together.

[Theme music by Orkas]

Welcome to episode 72 of Delete This History, podcast by two besties of a certain age searching for answers. We are your host, Cara Burch.
And I'm Brea Brown.
I'm better. My health has improved.
Thanks for bearing with us, bear with. Thanks for bearing with us on the rerun.
Sorry about the rerun, sorry about the coughing, but I'm much better now. I can even laugh without coughing.
Oh my gosh.
Now I do cough just a little bit still, but nothing like last time.
And it doesn't turn into like a jag, coughing jag that you, where you're like, this might be the way I die.
Right.
My lung ends up in my esophagus and then it's just all over. That was awful. I know that a lot of people have been sick with respiratory stuff and gosh.
Bronchitis is terrible.
I mean, that was bad. Anyway.
And it lingers forever and ever.
Yes. Frustrating.
Especially when you're a woman of a certain age…
…searching for answers…
…about why the hell this cough won't go away.
Oh my gosh.
Okay.
Okay. Speaking of which, under my recommendations and bookmarks for this week, I recommend Mucinex Kickstart Severe Cold and Flu. It's a really good medicine. It worked really well for me and it's liquid, so you don't have to sit and wait for it to break down. And then Sugar-Free Cherry Halls. They saved my life. And that segues into my next recommendation, which was the Pink Martini concert that we went to Sunday night. If I hadn't had 16 cough drops in my mouth, I couldn't have gone to that concert. And I bought tickets for this months ago. Like it was in the fall when they first announced they were coming to the Gillioz. And I was like, Oh my gosh. I have been listening to them for like 15 years, something like that. I love Pink Martini. And they've never been to Springfield. This was their first foray into Missouri.
I wonder how they liked that.
I don't know. But at the end of the show, they did say they would come back.
Oh, nice.
And they went to…so that was Sunday night and they went to Kansas City for a Monday night concert.
So, I don't know if there were other stops in Missouri, but hopefully they will come back because it was awesome. If you don't know who Pink Martini is, look them up.
I did not.
Did you listen to it? 
I had never, ever, ever heard of them or the lead singer that you were so starstruck by.
I was starstruck by China Forbes.
Yes. And so I did look them up and I did listen to some of their music and I do like it, kind of.
I would categorize it as world music.
Yeah.
One of my friends calls it Mad Men music.
Oh, yeah, it does have a very 50s kind of vibe to it.
It always makes me think of Breakfast at Tiffany's.
Yes. So, 60s.
Yeah, yeah, I love it.
Yeah.
If you want to listen to them, my two recommendation albums to start with are Hang in There Little Tomato, and the other one is their Christmas album, which I think is just called Joy to the World. It's a different type of Christmas album, if you're looking for something that's a little non-traditional, but also has some tradition running through it.
They're both great.
Good.
Anyway, so we enjoyed that. It was a ton of fun. Um, and that's it.
Okay.
Those were my bookmarks for the week.
I have a bookmark in here that's really dated, so I'm not going to use it. Instead, I'm going to just ad lib some bookmarks. First, a podcast that's new to me that I think you're going to love. It's called the Curious History of Your Home and it is hosted by Ruth Goodman, who you probably know from Victorian Farm.
Oh, I've not seen that.
Or Victorian Christmas. There's a bunch of like documentaries where she it's like immersive. She and two other guy, two guys, they live on a farm like from Victorian.
Okay, I have seen one of those. Yes.
Yes. She's got red hair.
Yes.
Okay. And they, she's done a couple other things like Tudor something or other. It's raining really hard. I hope you guys can all hear that.
I know. I hope the lightning doesn't hit us.
It's gonna. So, she hosts this podcast and basically she takes all the things that we take for granted in our houses, in our homes, and in our lives, and she tells you the history of it, what it started out as way, way long ago, like in ancient times and then what it is now.
That's cool.
It's really good.
And she's got a great voice and it's very soothing to listen to, but also so, um, just educational.
Nice.
Love it. What's the name of it again? 
The curious history of your home.
Okay.
And I've got one more thing.
Okay.
This is for all you ladies out there. Have you tried honey pot feminine products? 
I have not.
Okay. I meant to bring you one. They are pads that are like 100 % cotton.
Ohhh…
And also they have like the ones I use have a lavender kind of something on it so it makes your hoo-ha kind of tingly and cool.
Oh, I like a cool hoo-ha.
Yeah it's very like refreshing feeling and you don't feel dirty and gross and they're a little bit scented they've got like a scent to them nice but they're they don't have that whatever that material is on modern day pads everyone's changed to that irritates my skin. It really like I can't go a whole month using them and so that's why I use period panties and I use I use tampons, but I don't like tampons because they're not very comfortable and you can only use them at certain times of your cycle because if you're like me and you've pushed three humongous children out then when you're on your light days, you can't wear tampons because the little ones that are made for your light days don't stay up there you sneeze and you're like, you're like a cannon!
Oh no.
So, I was, I've been looking for, as I've been dealing with all of these lovely premenopausal and perimenopausal or whatever-the-hell-I'm-going-through-symptoms, I've been looking for something to make me a like feel secure and like I'm not yeah, so that I can leave my house.
Okay I'm gonna check it out and I picked them up on a whim one time because I had one of those surprise moments and so I like sped into a CVS…
Oh my gosh…
…and I was just looking at all the different products they had and I was like Hmm, maybe I'll try something different and I got them and they were so great that now that's my new go-to.
Nice! 
Mm-hmm.
And they've got all different sizes just like all the other ones, but they don't have all those chemicals like that chemical material that like it breaks me out. I can't...It's supposed to be that mesh that sits on the top and stays dry while the other stuff goes down in 
Yeah, I just don’t think they are as good as they used to be. 
You know like everything else!
Yeah! And you know what the sticky stuff? It's not as good as it used to be either
Yeah, it’s not very stick and then it like curls up on you.
Yes!
And halfway through, you know, when you're wearing it, you decide, oh, I'm about to have a Brazilian! I'm going to have a Brazilian when I go to the bathroom next.
Yeah, I feel like every time I buy a package of those, they have been made just a little cheaper. They've cut back on the products, the materials.
It's just and they're more annoying as shit.
Yeah. come on!
Yeah, and they charge you more, but they are not as well made.
Yeah!
Anyway, so there you go.
All right, honey pot! Okay.
So, guys, you can, you can start listening again. Sorry. More than you ever wanted to know about my menstrual cycle.
They need to know about this stuff.
You do need to know the struggle is real.
It is 100% real.
It's, it's a real struggle.
Anyway, so those are my bookmarks for this week.
Hey, great.
Good adlibbing.
Thanks.
But we're not here to talk to talk about…
…my about menstruation struggles?
And me coughing my head off.
Like a tampon cannon? 
We are quite a pair!

[storm warning coming across cell phones]

Oh…there she is….
Yep….
A tornado warning??
Oh, shit...
Take cover now??

[10 second gentle musical intermission]

So, we're back. We had a really good time hanging out with some library patrons in the hallway, in the “storm shelter.”
And now guess what? The library, aka our studio, wants to interview us about our podcast.
For their newsletter!
For their newsletter because we were chatting and they were like, oh, you're the podcasting ladies.
Yes, we are.
So, we'll share that with you someday.
So, the whole time we were sheltering pretty much when we weren't fearing for our lives, once the storm kind of passed and we were just waiting for the warning to expire, we basically just talked about ourselves the whole time.
I mean, how else are we going to make our millions? Tell the world!
Just evangelizing.
Okay, so you were just telling me that we're not here to talk about my tampon cannon.
That is correct.
We are here to talk about our internet search histories for our DTH besties’ entertainment. And how do we do that, Brea? 
With the reading of the list? 
That's right. Okay.
This segment, we tell you our top three most interesting, funniest, successful searches of the week in list form.
It's even Steven Week.
Yeah.
Here's my list.
Okay.
Number one, can CSF do a poor job of removing waste from the brain? Number two, how were balloon animals invented? Number three, brain ventricles.
Oh my gosh.
So, two brain things.
Two brain things.
And a weird creepy clown thing.
You got it.
Got it.
Okay.
Here's my list for this week.
Number one, Kratom.
Number two, hypersomnia.
And number three, cytokine storms slash anosmia.
Bless you.
I know.
Chew it, anosmia.
All right, well, now it's time to play a little game that Brea and I like to call...
Search me.
Where we each pose one question to each other to see if she can answer based only on the reading of the list.
Yeah.
Brea.
Yeah.
Our score.
Yeah.
Current standing score is Brea seven, Cara five.
Oh gosh, you got to catch up.
I am losing and I don't like to lose.
No, she's going to go crazy on me.
Quite competitive.
So, here's your question.
I have no doubt that you will get this correct.
I'm hmm.
Okey dokey.
Brea.
Yeah.
Which of my searches is something I feel like I should have learned in school and probably did, but cannot recall it whatsoever.
Okay.
Your choices are can CSF do a poor job of removing waste from the brain? How were balloon animals invented and brain ventricles? I'm gonna guess brain ventricles.
Oh, that's so right.
I was gonna laugh my ass off if you said balloon animals.
Well, you know, you did go to clown school.
What would my clown name be?  Probably loudie.
Aunt Loudie.
I don't know how you pick clown names.
There's like probably an official way.
Oh probably is.
I'm writing that down as a search for next week.
How to choose clown name.
Oh yeah.
How would you guys choose your clown name? I don't know.
What would they be? Let us know.
This week mine would be Grumpy.
Grumpy the Clown.
Grumpy the Clown.
Mine would probably be Coffee.
Coffee the clown.
Nothing like a clown that coughs in your face.
know sicko.
Sicko the clown.
Sicko, it's perfect.
Sicko.
That's me.
That's it.
We got to get your immune system back on track.
Sicko the clown.
Crap.
All right.
So, tell me about these brain ventricles.
Brain ventricles.
All right.
Now I took anatomy and physiology in college.
Yeah.
So, I'm sure I learned about these.
But you were probably so sleep deprived.
Well, and there's a lot to anatomy and physiology.
Oh yeah.
So, maybe I just forgot.
don't know.
Ironically, I forgot about these parts of the brain that are so important.
Oh yeah.
They are a system of interconnected cavities filled with cerebro, cerebrospinal fluid.
The system plays a crucial role in the health and function of the brain.
Ventricles contain structures called choroid plexuses, which produce the cerebro.
spinal fluid.
You did it.
I know, thank you.
The ventricles act as a pathway for the CSF to circulate through the brain and the spinal cord.
The fluid cushions the brain, protecting it from physical trauma, and it helps remove waste products from the brain.
The ventricular system consists of four Ventricles.
We have four brain ventricles.
Two are called lateral ventricles.
These are the largest ventricles located within each cerebral hemisphere.
And they kind of run like this.
Oh, front to back.
Yes.
The third ventricle is located in the diencephalon.
I'm gonna try this again.
Dian-se-fa-lon.
What? Dian-se-fa-lon.
Did you write a, like a, yeah, a pronuncer? Can you see the pronunciation? Let's see.
Dian-se-fa-lon.
Or is it day? De-un-s, I feel like I use my hindbrain a lot.
All the time.
And that is between the cerebellum and the brainstem.
so the spinal fluid produced in the lateral ventricles flows into the third ventricle.
From the third ventricle, it flows through the cerebral aqueduct into the fourth ventricle.
From the fourth ventricle, the fluid exits into the subarachnoid space surrounding the brain and the spinal cord.
Okay, after the CSF circulates within the subarachnoid space, it is primarily reabsorbed into the bloodstream where it is filtered along with the blood that's moving through the circulatory system.
So, it grabs it grab not only is it protecting your brain like if you are in a car crash or yeah from shock and things like that.
Exactly.
It is a it's a pillow for your brain.
It's a shock absorber.
but it's also circulating through all of these ventricles and around the subarachnoid space and it's pulling the waste out of your brain and it's filtering it and then it recirculates into your bloodstream and then your, little things inside the ventricles make more fluid to just keep the process going.
It's a bath.
It's a bath for your brain.
It's like a river system.
So, What kind of wastes are in your brain Cara? That's a really great question.
Oh I thought that was gonna be the next thing but It's interesting that the cerebral spinal fluid is a specific Waste collector just for the brain.
Yeah, so I don't quite understand that Maybe because the brain tissue needs a certain type of something.
It needs a certain type of fluid to bathe it.
Maybe so.
My sources for that were the Mayo Clinic, neurology.com and frontiersin.
org.
I love it.
Now I'm giving it a 10 on the Garen scale because brains are fascinating and you can never learn enough about the brain because there's so much to learn.
Yes.
Kind of important.
Kind of important.
I love it.
I love stuff about the brain.
Me too.
I the brain is just incredible.
Me too.
If I was smart enough, that's what I would study.
I would be a scientist, you know, like a brain scientist.
Yeah.
A neurologist.
Really? I would be a psychologist.
That would be fascinating too.
That's my favorite.
Also sociology.
Yeah.
Sociology and psychology.
Yeah.
Super interesting.
If only...
I would have been able to make a living with just four years of school.
And either one of those things, I would have done that in a standard job where I could still like be a mom and stuff.
I mean, I know psychologists, sociologists are still everything.
They don't do everything.
No, they don't have any children at all.
But I felt like I was very much.
on a fast track.
Like I had to get shit done.
I understand.
Had to get shit done.
Had to take care of business.
I also think that stems from just the way we were raised.
Like, yeah, don't dilly dally.
Don't, don't take off any time after high school.
No, no.
You go straight into college.
Yep.
That has been my biggest regret.
That you didn't take a gap year.
Well, because nobody did.
Just, yeah, I know.
And then you were, you were a weirdo.
You're not going to college the first year.
Exactly.
Loser.
Yeah.
You're not going to college.
If I could go back and do it again, I would take a year off.
Hell, I might take two years off and do a whole bunch of jobs and figure out what I liked, what I didn't like.
And then I go back to school and focus on that.
Can I still do that now? Yeah, probably so.
But I'm so tired.
I was going to say, I'm just too tired for that.
You got to do that when you're young and have a lot of energy.
Yep.
Your brain were still works properly.
And your brain is very plastic.
Elastic.
You're you're just absorbing, absorbing, Mine is made of Teflon now.
Oh, is it? I think so.
Yeah.
Mine is granite, I believe.
It's very slippery.
Don't drop a glass on your brain.
Oh, man.
Are you ready for your question? I so am.
Your question is, which one of my searches is going to make you seriously paranoid about your sleep habits and wonder if you have this condition? Okay.
Your choices are Kratom, hypersomnia, and cytokine storms slash anosmia.
I, it has to be hypersomnia because as soon as I heard that I thought, Do I sleep too much? You are correct.
It is hypersomnia and you're right about what it is, but it's not, it's not really sleeping too much.
Like it's not like a fault.
Like you sleep too much.
okay.
You, you're hypersomniac.
You're a hypersomniac.
It's not like that.
It's a condition characterized by excessive sleepiness.
person experiences difficulty staying awake during the day and might sleep for long periods at night like more than 10 hours.
Oh, are you checking on these boxes? Do you see the look on my face? I told you it was going to make you paranoid and you're going to panic.
It can be caused by various factors, including other medical conditions, medication side effects, which is called secondary hypersomnia, or it may be idiopathic, no known cause, which is primary hypersomnia.
Good Lord.
Of course.
To determine if excessive sleepiness is due to hypersomnia or maybe another issue, you should talk to your doctor who will do any combination of the following.
Have you keep a sleep diary.
Ask you to wear a device on your wrist to track your movement and sleep patterns.
Basically, you know, a smartwatch or like a Fitbit thingy.
Enroll you in a sleep study.
Have you fill out a questionnaire to measure your level of daytime sleepiness using what's called the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.
Oh my gosh.
which asks you how likely you are to fall asleep during everyday activities like watching TV or sitting in traffic.
Oh my God.
Okay.
That's not happening to me.
No.
And they will run other tests.
Okay.
Wow.
So, what is, what is the thing that you fall asleep during? No, don't have to get too personal.
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you.
That is the most surprising to you that you were able to fall asleep during.
it.
Um, it is so rare that I do that.
Really? Yeah.
See, this is why I got paranoid reading about this because I can fall asleep at the drop of a hat.
Oh, like, I might not, I probably shouldn't admit this, but I have fallen asleep before at work at my desk in the middle of doing something.
Oh my goodness.
actively doing something at my desk, looking at my computer screen and I have dozed off.
I had no, I don't do that.
I've never dozed off in traffic.
That's good.
Now I will say, speaking of traffic.
Yeah.
If Sean is driving, it is raining, and the vehicle is warm, I am out like a light.
Yeah, that's different.
That's, I will go to sleep.
Sometimes, sometimes I will fall asleep watching TV.
Yeah.
it just rarely happens.
I fall asleep watching TV sometimes.
I have fallen asleep in the movie theater at a movie at the theater.
have? Yes.
I've never done that.
I have.
I'm trying to remember which movie it was.
It was a really long movie and I just got to the point where I was like, I don't really care what happens anymore and I'm tired and these chairs are super comfortable.
That is awesome.
I love it.
I fell asleep playing the games on my Kindle.
when it's not bedtime, like just in the evening.
Yeah.
Or just like during the afternoon.
That's my signal that it's nap time.
Oh my goodness.
So, maybe I do have hypersomnia or I just need to get up because energy produces energy.
Move around.
I just need to move around more.
I'm so sedentary.
Get your ass up.
I understand.
I don't think I have hypersomnia.
But I love a solid nine hours.
yeah, you do.
Brea found out when we went to South Carolina just how much I like to sleep.
Yeah, I, it didn't bother me cause I like alone time in the morning.
Yeah.
She, what you were probably up for three hours before I even got up.
Yeah.
I like to sleep.
And when I'm on vacation, you better not be setting no alarm near me.
Heck no.
My body just wakes me up no matter what.
Maybe that's why I fall asleep.
Maybe so during the day.
Cause my body's like, Oh, Hey, you got four hours, four, four to six hours.
You're good to go.
Let's do it.
I like to get seven.
But it's pretty rare that my body will let me sleep for seven hours.
I did that test one time where I read somewhere that you need it like for several days in a row, just sleep until you wake up, no alarm clock.
every night I did that like a week in a row and it was, we were on vacation.
And it was every day.
It was right at nine hours every single day.
Yeah.
So, that's what your body's telling you.
You need.
I feel so good with nine hours.
I'm just like, they they experts say multiples of three are best.
Oh, is that right? Because you can get an entire sleep cycle in in three hours.
Yes.
Nailed it.
So, you're not interrupting a sleep cycle if you, you know, sleep.
Yes.
Yeah.
So, why do we say, Hey, you got to get eight hours of sleep.
Why did we do that? Dummies.
So, arbitrary.
That is weird.
Anyway.
My sources were WebMD, Mayo Clinic, sleepfoundation.
org and my Garen scale number.
Yes.
I remembered.
Yay.
I gave it a six.
Okay.
Cause it scared me.
No, I'm just kidding.
I gave it a six just because it was kind of like, Hey, I mean, I had to ask a lot of questions, like follow-up questions.
I see.
But what about this? But how does your doctor know it's not just you being a lazy ass? Yes.
Your sleep scale interested me.
Oh, the Epworth sleepiness scale.
Yes.
Yeah.
I don't even know.
I'll tell you what, when I get to work in the morning and I haven't had a cup of coffee yet, my sleepiness scale, I am so sleepy.
And it's allergy season like it is right now.
I feel like I'm just constantly like my eyes just have a sandbox in them.
Yes.
It's been really bad this week too.
Okay.
Very good.
That was an interesting search.
Thanks.
What? What made you look that up? Hypersonia.
I think I heard it mentioned in something.
Something I was watching, something I was listening to.
You know how I am.
I know.
And those little puzzles that you do, they throw out words sometimes.
Sometimes they do, you're right, but not that wasn't it.
Okay.
Interesting.
this next segment is called Shared History.
If you would like to move on to it, I'm ready to move on.
I am ready.
Let's do this.
We have to because we got to get moving.
Yeah, we do.
They're going to close this place down.
They don't give a crap.
No, they don't.
That this is our studio.
All right.
My next search is can cerebrospinal fluid, so hard to say, do a poor job of removing waste from the brain.
OK, so this was my I'm scared search because I didn't realize that the spinal fluid removed waste from the brain to help you think better.
Right.
And I thought maybe that's my problem.
So, like plaques and things like that.
So, I wanted to know, can the spinal fluid do a poor job of removing waste from the brain? And the answer is yes.
Oh shit.
Not to scare everybody, but here we go.
It can indeed do a poor job of removing waste from the brain.
And this can have a significant implication for brain health.
Recent research has highlighted the importance of the glymphatic system, a network that facilitates the clearance of metabolic waste from the brain.
There you go.
It's metabolic waste.
With cerebrospinal fluid playing a central role.
The system is particularly active during sleep, which is why adequate adequate sleep is crucial for the brain health.
Ah, how in the world are our searches continuing to cross over? each week.
Just because.
This is hilarious.
That's just how we are.
We have one brain.
We have one brain.
And it's not getting cleaned very well.
Brain poop everywhere.
Okay.
When the glymphatic system is impaired, waste products like amyloid beta proteins can accumulate, potentially contributing to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's.
Oh no.
Because I had this ready for two weeks ago, I totally forgotten that it talked about the kinds of waste that their brains being cleaned out.
So, sorry.
That's meta.
It's meta.
You forgot.
Factors affecting cerebrospinal fluid waste removal.
Age.
Yeah.
The efficiency of the glymphatic system tends to decline with age, making older individuals more susceptible to waste accumulation.
That makes sense.
Sleep disturbances.
Disrupted or inefficient sleep can hinder the glymphatic system's ability to clear waste efficiently.
Cerebrovascular diseases.
Conditions affecting blood vessels in the brain such as cerebro, amyloid, and geopathy, or CAA, can disrupt spinal fluid flow and waste removal.
Hydrocephalus.
This condition involves an abnormal buildup of the spinal fluid in the brain, which can impair its circulation and waste clearance function.
Inflammation.
Inflammation within the brain can also interfere with normal function of the CSF in the glymphatic system.
You think? Consequences of impaired cerebral spinal fluid waste removal.
The accumulation of waste products can contribute to neuron, neuronal.
neuronal damage, neuronal damage, damage to your neurons.
Thank you.
And the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
It can also lead to cognitive decline.
Check mark.
Memory problems.
Check mark.
And other neurological symptoms.
I got them.
So, we want to do everything we can to help our cerebrospinal fluid work efficiently and flush out all of the brain poop.
Right? So, what do we need to do? We need to prioritize our sleep.
The glymphatic system is most active during deep non REM sleep.
I see.
Aim for consistent high quality sleep every night.
Okay.
Establish a regular sleep routine to regulate your body's natural sleep wake cycle.
Yep.
Sleep hygiene.
Create a relaxing bedtime routine.
Ensure that your bedroom is dark, quiet and cool.
Avoid all screens before bed.
Oh shit.
We all do it.
Regular exercise to boost circulation, which can positively impact your spinal fluid circulation.
huh.
Exercise may also enhance the glymphatic system's efficiency.
Aim for a mix of aerobic exercise and strength training.
A healthy diet with anti-inflammatory foods such as fruits, vegetables, omega-3 fatty acids.
Inflammation can interfere with your spinal fluid function.
Limit processed foods like sugary drinks and unhealthy fats.
Manage your stress.
Stay hydrated.
Proper hydration is essential for maintaining a healthy spinal fluid volume and composition.
Now, I can almost guarantee you that's my main problem.
Lack of hydration.
I am terrible at drinking water.
And I know when I push the water and push the water and I'm like, I'm...
Ugh, I've had so much water, but I just function so much better.
Yeah.
But I'm terrible at it.
And I know that I am.
It's so stupid.
Cara, come on, do better.
Well, I drink a lot of water.
Yeah.
A lot.
Yeah.
It's pretty much all I drink except for coffee.
Yeah.
And it's made with water.
No.
But you know what I mean? Like I don't drink a lot of soda.
wear like I maybe drink one soda every two weeks.
Yeah.
I just don't.
That's good.
I just don't ever drink it.
I drink coffee and I drink water and that's it.
That's very good.
And then sometimes beer.
Oh, well.
If I'm not drinking coffee and water, it's because I'm drinking beer.
I understand.
But I don't drink beer very often because it's expensive.
So, anyway, and you can't be drunk all the time.
It's true.
So, my problem then is probably the diet.
Oh, I know.
That's a huge part of my problem.
I eat all the wrong things.
So, yeah.
 I wonder what it would feel like if I ate the right things, drank the right amount of food and exercise.
What would that be like? That'd be so boring.
amazing? I don't know.
You probably, I mean, this is what this is a story I tell myself, that it wouldn't be enough of a difference to make all that work worth it.
I don't know.
That's what I tell myself.
I've never tried.
I've never tried either.
But see, my brain tells me.
My brain was just not filtering things well.
It's pooping all over the place.
Yeah.
My poopy brain is like, hey, don't worry about all that.
You got to die from something and you're probably going to die falling asleep in traffic.
That's right.
I saw a comedian on Instagram the other day and he said, our brains are so stupid.
And it said we have the ability to make ourselves feel better.
And our brains like, hey, You can feel better.
We're going to do it all the time.
You just got to go run.
He's like, you're such a jerk brain.
Yeah, exactly.
It is.
It's a trick.
It's a trick.
But I don't feel good when I run.
Oh, no.
Running's not for me.
Running's not for everyone.
You got to find your own thing.
But nothing.
Well, you can do half cartwheels.
Start there.
We found out what they are.
You're right.
And now can't remember what it's called.
It's called a round off.
A round off.
That's right.
don't do it.
Watching those people do round offs, they look harder than cartwheels.
Don't do it.
Don't do it.
I think that I was told what a round off was.
I think I was told incorrectly.
It's entirely possible.
Like, yeah, just do it like this.
It's like a somersault, basically.
Not quite, but you know what I mean.
Okay.
Lame.
Anyway, do all the right things and you'll clear out your brain poop.
Yeah.
My sources were nih.
gov, R-I-P, academic.
oup.com and that was it.
Okay.
Oh, I gave this one a 10 as well because brains.
And like it, it really, I'm a little shook because I'm like, I need to get my cerebrospinal fluid in good shape.
Yeah.
Cause Alzheimer's it's the one thing I'm scared of.
I Bring on everything else.
I can handle it.
Alzheimer's that's what scares me.
I don't want to be in pain.
Well, I don't either.
Or feel sick either.
I just don't want people to have to be taking care of me and me being not me anymore.
Yeah.
That I'm not okay with.
Yeah.
That's, it's super terrifying.
It is very terrifying.
Would you like to talk about something else, Terrify? Yes, please.
Let's just keep on writing it.
I'm going to tell you about Cytokine Storms slash anosmia.
Okay.
I was reading a book by Curtis Sittenfield called Romantic Comedy.
That was the name of the book.
It's about a writer for a live sketch comedy show suspiciously similar to SNL.
who falls in love with one of the guest hosts, a pop musician whose music she's always shunned as too shallow.
Okay.
They meet when he's guest hosting and then they strike up a sort of email pen pal ship during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fun.
Which hits a couple of years after his appearance.
Anyway, since so much of the book happens during the pandemic, there's a lot of talk about COVID related stuff.
Gotcha.
In one instance, the main character talks about obsessively googling cytokine storms and anosmia.
I don't remember either of those terms from the pandemic.
No, I don't either.
So, I think maybe I was in my little bubble, sheltering in place and trying not to read too much stuff about COVID.
Because I didn't want to be freaking out.
Here we go.
A cytokine is a small protein released by cells, especially those in the immune system, where they regulate and mediate the immune response, inflammation, and the production of blood cells.
A cytokine storm is an overreaction of the immune system where the body releases an excessive amount of these proteins into the blood at once, which can lead to severe inflammation and damage to multiple organs.
With COVID-19, cytokine storms were a significant cause of severe illness and death.
The COVID virus triggers an uncontrolled release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which can result in acute respiratory distress syndrome called ARDS.
ARDS and multiple organ failure.
hmm.
Anosmia is the loss of the sense of smell.
Oh, that is the term for it.
Okay.
Which we all know was slash is one of the most common and early symptoms of COVID.
I don't remember hearing it called that.
No.
But when I had COVID more recently, yeah, I definitely experienced it and it sucked.
and I'm glad that it didn't linger or hang around as long as some people.
I remember someone you knew that you worked with.
He had lost his sense of smell and taste for how long? It was months.
He still does not have it all back.
Oh my gosh.
It has been probably...
What probably four years since he had it, but I think he got it a couple of times since then well Total, okay, but he's still he's he's told us that he still hasn't gotten it all the way back.
That's a tragedy It's terrible.
Oh my gosh.
Oh It does suck yeah, it sucks not to be able to taste or smell things it's like what's the point what am I doing here? Yeah, I still ate though crazy.
Well, you had to you had to maintain your strength.
I mean, I still overate.
Let's put it that way.
I still pretended like I could taste it.
This is gonna be great.
No, I didn't lose it for that long.
Maybe just while I had COVID.
Okay.
But I was so glad when it came back.
was like, Oh, thank God.
What was the first thing you tasted when it came back? You're like, Oh, I can taste it.
I don't remember.
Oh, that's sad.
I know.
Sad Panda.
I don't remember.
That's all right.
I'm sure it was something.
I'm sure it some kind of junk food.
My sources were verywellhealth.com, the virology page on biomedcentral.com, healthgrades.com, Harvard, and The Independent.
And I gave this a seven on the Garen scale.
Tell me the smell word again.
Anosmia.
Anosmia.
Think of it like your nose.
Your schnozmia.
A schnozmia.
A schnozmia.
That was good.
You're welcome.
Oh gosh.
Here's your dad joke of the day.
It was good.
All right, my last search.
Yep.
How were balloon animals invented? There is evidence suggesting that ancient civilizations...
Get out of here.
Part two.
Get out of here Ruth Goodman, come on.
Particularly the Aztecs may have created forms of balloon animals using animal intestines.
You're welcome.
These were reportedly used for ceremonial purposes, not entertainment.
Why are you using balloon animals for ceremonies? Well, okay, so think of the caves of Lesko.
Oh, I'm thinking of them all the time.
Constantly.
try to stop me.
 I'm sure they were not painting those walls with the animals for entertainment.
I would say there were ceremonial purposes involved.
I have not studied the caves of Lascaux, so I don't know.
But I mean, I'm sure that's a that's a history like today.
These animals ran over Bob and now we're going to draw.
see what you're saying.
It was it was record keeping.
was record keeping.
But I'm assuming.
You they didn't call these balloon animals.
I would assume it was some type of.
 Like I'm imagining they created this form, you know, out of these animal intestines and then maybe they, they burned it in a ceremony or maybe it was a, know, protect them from the mammoth.
Yeah, yeah, The mammoth bladder and tied it off.
Right.
Or maybe it was like before a big hunt or I know nothing about the Aztecs.
So, I don't know, you know, maybe it's like, Oh, we're going to do a big gathering party tomorrow.
So, we want to protect ourselves from this horrible animal that's out there.
And so I'm twisting this intestine into the shape of this animal.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I don't know.
Maybe pure speculation.
And maybe it was part of storytelling.
Yes.
Because they had very rich, you know, oral storytelling history.
Entirely possible.
Yeah.
There's more.
Okay.
I'm ready.
Now, um, The modern form of balloon animal creation uses latex balloons.
Historians often credit Herman Bonnert of Pennsylvania as a pioneer in this art.
So, I'm sure...
An American? I'm sure Erin, Pennsylvania Erin knows all about Herman Bonnert.
Oh, of course.
They study him in school.
Of course.
He is believed to have started shaping balloons into animals at magicians conferences in the late 1930s.
It's gotta be before then.
Over time balloon twisting has evolved into a skilled art form with balloon artists creating increasingly complex and intricate designs.
The development of specialized long and flexible latex balloons has enabled this evolution.
My sources were scienceworld.
ca and twistyart.com.
hang out there all the time.
It's cool.
You know, I would think that court jesters and things like that, they probably did stuff like that, don't you think? With what? Animal intestines? Yeah, like with bladders and intestines and...
I don't know, but what this made me think of...
Is how disgusting condoms used to be? Oh, no, that is not what it made me think of.
Something a lot more innocent.
Okay.
Little house on the prairie.
Oh, yes.
Because I think it was Little House in the Big Woods.
They used a pig bladder when they did the slaughter.
And they paw blew it up and put a string around it and they like kicked it around and bopped it around.
Yeah, remember that.
Pig bladder.
They also ate pig's tails.
Yes, they got all crispy.
The crunchy pig tail.
The crunchy pig tail.
Oh, those are core memories because we were so shocked.
And I read that book.
about a bajillion times.
me too.
It's the best one.
Yes.
Little House in the Big Woods is the best one.
Yes.
In fact, when I read Little House on the Prairie, I was kind of disappointed.
Same.
I was like, why is the show called Little House on the Prairie? And they make it sound like that was the best book.
And I didn't, I was like, hmm.
Yeah.
That book was nothing special.
And honestly, weren't they in Minnesota? That's not the prairie, is it? I mean, I know there's Prairie Land in South Dakota.
I don't know how far north it goes.
I think on the show they were in Minnesota.
I don't know.
Anyway, more things to search.
They just keep popping up.
They just keep popping up.
You keep asking about things like geography and I don't know.
Me neither.
I don't know crap about that because my cerebrospinal fluid does not do a good job of.
Washing my brain poop.
I understand.
All right, I give that a nine Because ancient balloon animals are off the chain that's pretty interesting I think so too.
Also a little hard to believe but You know what I I like I like a little fantasy.
It's fine I'm gonna do a little research about the Aztecs.
I'll find out.
I'll find out more.
They were, um, a brutal.
Cause I know I studied Aztecs in school.
It's gone.
Of course.
Cause I've got too much brain poop floating around.
Yeah.
I always get the Aztecs and the Mayans confused.
For sure.
They're just one thing to me.
They're just one thing? Cause they were neighbors.
I'm just a dumb American.
All right.
My last search.
Right? Yeah.
Is Kratom.
Yes.
You know what this made me think of? SpongeBob SquarePants.
Like Krabby Patties? I don't know.
just sounded like something that would be from Bikini Bottom.
It does.
But it's not that.
And it looks like it would be spelled out with the SpongeBob font.
You know which one I'm talking about.
It starts with a K, right? The three years later.
Three years later.
Yeah.
It does start with a K.
It's K-R-A-T-O-M.
Okay.
And I've been driving past places in this town for years.
Yes.
Wondering what the heck Kratom sold here means.
Tell me about it.
And how it compares to CBD and THC and ABC123.
Okay.
And finally, I decided to look it up.
Good.
Because this is what happens.
I drive around.
I get to where I'm I see it on my way to wherever.
And I'm like, what the hell is that stuff? What does that mean? What is it? And then I get to where I'm going and boom, I'll look a bunny and I've forgotten.
I never think to look it up.
Yes.
Once I'm not driving around anymore.
Cause people don't Google while you're driving.
It's not safe.
So, finally I decided to look it up and see what the fuss is about.
Okay.
Also I consulted with our friend, Julian Miguel.
 Oh, Julian! About how to pronounce it.
And I've been saying it in my head incorrectly all this time.
Oh.
So, that's great.
Thank you, Julian.
I've been calling it Kratom or Kratome or with a long A and a long O.
And it's Kratom.
OK.
OK.
It's an herbal substance derived from the leaves of a tree native to Southeast Asia.
The plant is a relative of the coffee plant.
However, while coffee is primarily a stimulant, Kratom can be used as either a stimulant or a relaxant depending on the dosage.
It's magical.
At lower doses, it can increase alertness and energy, while higher doses can lead to relaxation and pain relief.
Wow, that's the opposite of what I would think.
Exactly.
That's interesting.
It can be consumed in a variety of ways, including powders that can be mixed with liquid, capsules, tea, extracts or tinctures, or chewing the leaves.
Oh.
It can get real medieval.
Straight from the source.
Yeah, just like a panda or a koala.
Okay, how does it differ from CBD and THC? Are you ready? THC provides a high and can be used for pain and nausea relief, which I did not realize it helps with nausea.
No, I didn't either.
CBD does not produce a high, but reduces anxiety, pain and inflammation.
And Kratom can have a stimulant or opioid like effect depending on the dosage as we already discussed.
CBD is legal in many places as long as it contains less than 0.
3 % THC So, that's why you'll see a lot of places like even before it was legal Before THC and pot was legal in Missouri.
You would see a lot of places that sold CBD Yes, because it had less than 0.
3 % THC got it THC THC's legality varies depending on the state and country and kratom is not governed by the Controlled Substances Act at all but may be regulated differently per state.
ZPD and THC have both been clinically proven to provide medical benefits, while cradoms safety and effectiveness have not or has not been clinically determined.
And the FDA has not approved it for any medical use.
Yet.
Cause you know, things change.
It can cause side effects such as confusion, rapid heart rate and addiction.
My life.
The Mayo Clinic really doesn't like it.
Oh, interesting.
Its website didn't have nice things to say.
Okay.
At all.
They were like steer clear.
This is not regulated.
This is not tested well enough.
Don't do it.
Interesting.
Okay.
Gosh.
My sources were Julian Miguel YouTube channel, Forbes.
which is interesting, Cleveland Clinic, drugs.com.
Drugs.com.
I'm just going to hang out there.
Healthline.com, WebMD, VeryWellHealth.com, Mayo Clinic, Authentic Cradum, Cradum IQ, and Xamnesia.
Oh, wow.
My Garen scale number for that is a nine.
Oh, okay.
Because I really learned a lot and it really Satisfied that curiosity about what the heck is that stuff and why do people use that instead of THC? Now that THC is legal and blah blah blah.
Yeah, I Don't think I'll be trying it.
Will you? No, I won't but you know, I'll have to say I had never really Researched CBD.
Yeah, I didn't really understand the difference between CBD and THC but If it's, you said it was for anxiety, inflammation and something else.
relief.
Pain relief.
Yeah.
mean, let me tell you, while I was sick, I ingested a lot of NSAIDs and my liver ain't happy about it.
I'm sure.
So, if there's something that is an alternative to an NSAID, that might be interesting to try.
I'm not supposed to take those.
because they interact with my seizure medication.
Alleged.
Yeah.
Oh dang.
Allegedly.
But I take them anyway when I am, when I need them for pain, but maybe now I'll just use CBD.
Maybe you could.
Good job.
Thanks.
But Brea, what about this one? This is a quick listing of our other searches from the past week that we didn't have time to discuss or are simply too boring to share.
Too damn boring.
You forgot.
You're boring.
Yeah.
All right.
Here's my list.
Tasmanian devil.
Wallaby.
How cold does it get in Tasmania? We watched the Australian version.
Are you worried about this? What are you worried about these animals? No.
They we watched the Australian or the Tasmanian version of Alone.
yeah, yeah, yeah.
We hadn't seen it and they were all complaining about how cold it was.
And Sean's like, how cold could it possibly be in Tasmania? And I mean, it could it did get down to freezing.
Yeah.
But they were talking like they were going to.
It's cold.
Which that is cold if you're living outside.
Yeah.
And you've only got a tarp as a roof.
Yeah.
So, we were just trying to figure out how cold it be.
there? It's cold.
And then we wanted to know how big a Tasmanian devil was and how big a wallaby was and how much meat they could get from these animals if they actually captured them.
Oh, I see.
These survivalist shows, man, they're brutal.
They are.
What is a solo adventurist? Instapot pasta cooking time.
video of person doing a round off.
You're welcome.
I watched that for so long.
These girls, yes.
And like they were probably their middle school or high school.
They were just like, yeah, we'll show you how to do a roundoff.
I sent you the link.
you did? That's the link that I watched and sent to you.
And I was like, I don't think this is what I was told was a roundoff.
I watched multiple of their videos.
They have multiple ones.
I even watched a roundoff back flipped.
Yes.
They did a good job on that.
Yeah.
Anyway, of course they did.
Little tiny Healthy bodies.
Yeah, and they had legs up to their armpits too.
know.
Hammonds Hall capacity, Gillioys capacity, Pink Martini, David Gilmore age.
Happy birthday, David Gilmore, lead singer of Pink Floyd.
Oh yeah, happy birthday.
He is.
OLD.
OLD.
Yeah, but he's still hanging in there.
That's right.
Wolf Hall, The Mirror and the Light.
Dude, I saw that.
is a sequel and I cannot tell you how excited I am.
I can't tell you how excited I am to sleep through that.
It's going to be great.
So, excited.
So, then I got so excited about that.
I went to Shop PBS because like I'm buying the DVDs immediately.
Shop PBS.
has been shut down.
Why? It is shuttered.
Oh no.
that it is no longer selling items.
I don't know if they just weren't doing good business, but shop PBS is gone.
I used to buy all kinds of stuff there.
Oh Lots of British shows.
I've got books through there.
got lots of merch.
They've got great merch like t-shirts and bags.
Yes.
Water bottles.
Why? It's gone.
What are microgreens? Race Brothers, Farming Home Supply and Western Ware.
The Goose Coat Menu.
St.
Michael's Menu.
Rocco's Pizza Menu.
How to compress a PDF.
Dripping oil lamp with Lady Statue in the middle.
My grandparents had one of these and I'm trying to remember what it looked like.
Oh my gosh.
A coworker.
I know what you're talking about.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
A coworker and I took a deep nostalgic dive this week talking about oil lamps.
And so I've been asking my family members, if anyone has a picture of grandma and grandpa Callaway's oil lamp, I need to see it.
Cause I can just.
Yeah.
Just remember the basics of it.
And I really would like to see one more picture of it.
Yeah.
I was obsessed with that as a kid and they always told me, don't you dare touch that.
Right.
And one time I touched it while no one was looking and I got oil all over my hands and I was like, they're gonna catch me.
Cause I didn't know what to do.
So, then I was like trying to sneak around and find a Kleenex.
I hid it.
I didn't get in trouble.
No one knew, but I did disrupt the oil.
Disrupting the oil.
And then finally, my last one is whose line is it anyway tickets Hammonds Hall.
They're coming to Springfield.
Sean and I are going.
Oh, I love that.
It's at the end of this month.
If anyone's interested.
All right.
That's it.
OK.
Here's here my search is you're going to laugh.
OK.
Android auto USB C to A cable recommendations.
Are you still having trouble with that? That's been I finally found a cable that works.
Good job.
It's only been two years.
I've only had that car for two years.
Data transfer rate for Android Auto.
LinkedIn learning.
Zataran's Jumbalaya.
Nate Winslow, TV executive.
He's the person who contacted me about my secret camera series.
Well, I don't want to jinx it.
Okay, I understand.
Number six, handspring.
Oh, yes.
Because that's what I thought maybe the half cartwheel was.
ain't handspring is real crazy.
Yes, it is.
Half cartwheel.
Popular appetizers for office social.
I look up stuff for other people who don't realize that they can look up stuff.
Let's just put it that way.
is Obama? Where is Obama? Where is Obama? Do you know I got an email from him this week? Did you? Yeah, I did.
He's saying, we need your help, folks.
Well, we need him to tell us what to do.
Well, he told me what to do.
Oh, did he? Yeah.
They're basically doing a massive fundraising push right now.
Like, money ain't going to help, bitches.
You gotta find an Obama.
I don't want to give my money to something.
I want you to tell me what to do.
Exactly.
Ugh.
Anson Mount.
He's the lead actor.
Oh, right.
Helen wheels.
I was getting ready to say that sounds dirty.
He does sound dirty and he looks dirty and in a good way.
Laminites.
Tatter ducks meaning how often is leap year? This is how stupid I am, Cara.
I had to look up how often a sleepier.
What's happening? I don't know.
I thought it was seven years.
Seven years? Yeah.
You're just tired.
I must be.
chalking that up to exhaustion.
I'm so stupid.
Okay.
UPS store.
Marjorie Kemp.
That's it.
Do you have any listener shout outs? I do.
Oh, we do.
Go.
Okay.
My first one is Brad R.
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Listener Brad are he was listening to our podcast when we were talking about my diner search.
Uh huh.
And he said that that made him think about Iggy's diner in Carthage, Missouri.
Oh, he said it is a 100 % classic diner.
I looked at pictures of it.
Oh, he sent us a link.
Yeah.
So, I looked pictures.
It is classic.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's got all the things.
It's silver.
whole thing is silver on the outside.
All that chrome.
All the chrome, all the furniture, the inside, the milkshakes, the onion rings.
Yeah.
I think we maybe need to take a field trip to Carthage, Missouri.
We should definitely.
We could even take Brad R with us.
Listen, if we go to Carthage, can look, we could go to the Precious Moments Museum.
I'll wait in the car.
Do know I've been there? Have you? When I was a kid, we went to it.
Oh, wow.
I've never been so bored in my life.
That boring.
I was just like, oh my God, when are we leaving? Figurines.
mean, what? That's just fascinating and exciting.
There's actually a chapel there.
I remember annoying my mom saying, are we about ready to go? We're almost done.
It's almost over.
And then I got the look.
Mm-hmm, I didn't say anything else.
That's right because we were raised at a time when the look worked and I knew I was about to get it.
Uh-huh.
Mm-hmm My sister yes My oldest sister.
I mean, I'm sorry my most experienced eldest wisest sister She messaged me and she said that she was listening to the podcast and that she feels very helpless where she is and she's devastated about what's going on in our country and she said that she's sending all of her love and she sent me like a bitmoji of her with a heart, hugging a heart and she said to stay strong.
and that she loves us.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Because not all of us are on board this crazy train.
Nope.
And then I kind of unloaded on her and I felt bad about it.
I was like, sorry.
But then I ended it with, we'll get through it.
We have to.
We have to.
Just keep swimming.
Just keep swimming.
Just keep swimming.
OK.
That's all I got.
Well, what should we ask people to do just like Brad R and Colleen did? Get in touch with us.
Please! Lots of different ways.
Tell your friends.
Yeah.
They could email us at Delete This History podcast at gmail.com.
Yes.
Or they can find us on insta and threads at DTH gals.
Yes.
Or Facebook.
Delete this history.
Yeah, we're on all those things even though I'm very angry at social media right now.
Yeah.
All the platforms.
I'm just not really happy with it.
No, not really.
I'm kind of like you all suck and anyway, that's just kind of my attitude about everything right now.
I'm a real joy to be around.
Just ask my family.
Oh my gosh.
It'll be better.
It'll get better.
Yeah, yeah.
It has to.
You know what I wish we could do? What? I wish we could delete this part of history as easily as we delete our internet search histories.
That would be really great.
Yeah, because that's what I'm going to do next.
I'm going to do that next too.
Yeah, yeah.
Well, stay fresh, you cheese bags.
Bye.
Delete This History was created, written, edited, and produced by Brea Brown and Cara Burch.
music by Orkas.
Copyright 2025, all rights reserved.
Biggest laugh of the week provided by Ancient Balloon Animals.