Thank You, Mark and Lynda

My heart is sad this week.  The Mark and Lynda Podcast will cease production on Friday afternoon (6/19/2015).  When I heard Mark and Lynda give the announcement it felt like the worst gut punch ever.  I was in a funk.  My friends were going away.

The Mark and Lynda Podcast has been a daily habit for me for two years.  I discovered it one night when I was listening to Tim Conway, Jr.'s show on KFI in Los Angeles. Tim had Mark on  to talk about the podcast and to give an update on what he was up to since leaving "The Mark and Brian Show." I knew of Mark and Brian from their TV show "The Adventures of Mark and Brian" that spent one season on NBC.  I watched the show when I was in college and loved it.  I also followed their exploits in various radio trade magazines.

Mark and Lynda Thompson (From www.markandlynda.com)

I downloaded the show and was hooked.  This was nothing like any radio show that I have ever heard.  Here was a married couple talking about their lives, the latest news, and giving relationship advice, no holds barred.  There were no FCC censors to worry about so the language flew, and the relationship advice dealt with things you couldn't talk about on the radio, such as how to spark things up in the bedroom.

Red, The Radio Dog.  (From www.markandlynda.com)

Mark and Lynda soon became a habit for me, if not a downright addiction.  I couldn't go a day without hearing about their exploits Lake Norman, North Carolina with Red the Radio Dog or how Mark would yell at the old lady who tried to cut him off in the parking lot at the post office.  This was real life, and they were letting us in and making us feel like a family.  The regular listeners became a family and Mark and Lynda were our parents or our favorite aunt and uncle who were taking us along for the ride.  We shed a lot of tears with them when they lost their dog Elvis.  We were there cheering when Mark announced his new radio gig on The Sound in Los Angeles.  We recorded "The Bold and Beautiful" to see daughter Katie make her acting debut as a restaurant hostess, and we learned to make sausage balls with daughter Amy at Christmas.  When their son Matt released a new single on iTunes, we downloaded it.  It was these little moments and the big ones that became a part of our lives.

The hard part for me is how do you thank these folks that have been a part of their daily lives for the past two and a half years.  There are plenty of memories that you have created and emotions I have that I don't think that I could ever put into words.  Thank you Mark and Lynda for giving us valuable advice on being better husbands and wives, for giving us guidance on raising our kids, for finding the humor in everyday matters, and for valuing "the simple things in life."  It's all about the simple things.

Mark and Lynda, thank you for reading my many comments on the air and for critiquing my radio production with the promos I made about your show.  Thank you for allowing me to call in to the podcast to tell you that I was a faithful listener here in The Steel City.  Thank you for getting me through the rough times as well when I was waiting to hear back on blood tests from the doctors or when I found out that my temporary job was going away.  For an hour or so each day I could forget about the outside world and find a safe place with your podcast. I don't know how I can ever thank you.  My heart is heavy, but I will never forget all of the wonderful things that you have done not only for me, but all of us.  You inspired, informed, enlightened, motivated, and humored us.  For that we are grateful.

Thank you to Jordan, their producer.  Your insight to all of the technical minutia saved us a lot of aggravation.  Your intellect gave us some great food for thought.  You have a bright future ahead of you and you're going to go far.

Thank you for your movie and music recommendations.  The bulk of my iTunes account is made up of the music you both have played and films that you have seen.  You have exposed me to a lot of great tunes and artists that I would have never listened to before and to hear some older things in a whole new way.  Every trip I made to Amazon was through your website, and I am proud to have  a Mark and Skeeter t-shirt and golf shirt in my wardrobe.

I must also thank a group of people here know as The Chat.  These folks, like me are the daily listeners who became a bunch of good friends that talk amongst ourselves when the show is going on.  These folks are AaronA, Alex_Bot, BadApple, BobD, Britincali, Chewie, ChrisAnn, ChrisW, Cleon, DanTheMan, Devin, Dr. Deboze, Ellimoose, Erin, Galen, HavasuSteve, Judie_G, Justin, KerryBear, KristiK, Laura, MikeBrum, PrinceSS, Raq, Renee_in_OC, Smity, SteveE, Taxi, Teddy, and Tvs23.  Thank you for taking me in and making me laugh.  We've been there together through the good times and the bad, and made jokes at each others expense.  I hope that there is a way we can keep the conversations going.  Hopefully, someday I can make it out to California and Seattle to meet all of you.

I also made a great friend, Matt, who moved to Pittsburgh from Pasadena two years ago. We became good friends through their website and have had a lot of great times here in The Burgh.

Mark and Lynda, I hope and pray that the day comes when I can thank you in person.  On the 200th show one of the things I talked about was Primanti's, a culinary trademark of Pittsburgh.  I would personally love to take you both there for a sandwich and an Iron City Beer, and to show you my hometown, my treat.

May you both enjoy all that life has to offer, and remember that there is a group of faithful listeners that love you and your children.  Here's to all of the good times until we meet again.  Thank you.

The Thompson Family (From www.markandlynda.com)