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THE UPSIDE with Callie and Jeff Dauler

BARE BONES NEIGHBOR DRAMA

·31 min·3 clips
An HOA board member's brutal email response to a complaint about a 20-foot skeleton is accidentally sent to the complainer.
The episode opens with Jeff expressing gratitude for paperless travel tickets and sharing a paranoid habit of screenshotting QR codes. Callie is grateful for the podcast HR Besties and reflects on continuous improvement in their show. Jeff shares a listener story about using the Keepsake journaling service, advertised on their show, to document a friend's Alzheimer's journey, which he finds validating. He also mentions feeling validated by a study confirming his view that most people prefer audio-only podcasts over video podcasts. The hosts provide an update on their friend T-Bird, who is home but not improving health-wise, expressing concern and asking listeners to send supportive messages. The main segment involves a detailed story about a neighborhood conflict: a woman named Susan sent a bulleted, formal email to her HOA complaining about a neighbor's 20-foot skeleton Halloween decoration, citing reasons like personal emotional distress and property value impact. The HOA board member Becca accidentally sent her sarcastic, point-by-point rebuttal email back to Susan instead of the board, which the hosts read aloud with amusement. Jeff shares his past experience on an HOA board and why he left due to lengthy meetings. The episode includes ads for Little Spoon kids' food, the Alzheimer's Association Walk, and Liquid IV hydration. Callie recounts an embarrassing valet interaction where her messy car and dropped tip caused humiliation. The hosts discuss personal quirks, like Jeff not bringing items in from his car. They end with three random things: an app for leaf peeping locations, a study on ultra-processed food addiction comparable to drugs, and benefits of using the snooze button.

As heard by us

A giant Halloween skeleton turns HOA etiquette into comedy about everyday panic.

A 20-foot Halloween skeleton turns an HOA complaint into a neatly scaled comic premise, with Becca reading concerns about emotional distress, frightened children, and the supposed symbolism of the holiday.

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Why you'd press play

You get a 20-foot Halloween skeleton and the HOA-level outrage it somehow summons.

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