Personal Stories Episodes

Mike and Darin defend the legacy of Hills Department Store and why modern nostalgia keeps missing the point. A Midwest-flavored conversation about memory, shared experiences, and why certain places mean more than they probably should.

The first episode of the new year starts strong with food disasters, questionable cooking techniques, and a surprisingly thoughtful discussion about whether rehearsing the podcast would ruin it. Add in movie talk, parenting moments, and accidental philosophy for a classic IDS reset.

A broken dishwasher sends Mike into full DIY repair mode while Darin deals with plumbing scares and household chaos. Appliance failures, homeownership stress, and dad-level confidence collide in this everyday life comedy episode about trying to fix things yourself… and hoping for the best.

What starts as a normal restaurant visit turns into a story so upsetting it permanently changed one man’s dining habits. In this episode of Irritable Dad Syndrome, Darin explains a restaurant experience that went spectacularly wrong, while Mike admits to showering in the middle of the night and apo…

Family road trips continue as Mike and Darin discuss the disappointment of arriving at an attraction only to find it closed—specifically, a rock museum no one was that excited about to begin with.The episode spirals into stories about vacations, food stops, roadside attractions, and the way cor…

Mike and Darin reunite after time apart and immediately unleash vacation horror stories. From flight delays and screaming kids to the kind of stress that only travel can provide, this episode documents what happens when everything goes wrong.They talk about airports, hotels, power outages, wild…