Tag: illness

  • Bumperpodcast #221 – Strep throat blues …

    Bumperpodcast #221 – Strep throat blues …

    There is some strep throat at Headquarters, and Bumpercar is full of it. So, special guest host Mott the Sheep comes in to do what he does best! (We’re still trying to figure out what that is …)

    Have you ever talked to a sheep?! Let us know by sending an email to bumperpodcast@nattybumpercar.com.

    About This Episode

    In this unique episode of Bumperpodcast, host Natty Bumpercar is suffering from a severe case of strep throat and can barely speak. Unable to host the show alone, Natty brings in special guest Mott the Sheep to take over hosting duties. Mott discusses recent travels to Brooklyn and performing at comedy clubs, though listeners only hear Natty's side of the conversation. The episode showcases the improvised, experimental nature of the show as Natty struggles through the recording while attempting to interview the largely silent Mott. Despite the unusual format, the episode maintains the show's characteristic humor as Natty worries about other puppet characters possibly catching various animal-themed illnesses.

    Memorable Quotes

    “A little word of advice to you listeners don't get strep throat it hurts so bad… I yawned and it hurt which has never happened to me before.”

    — Natty Bumpercar

    “I'm contagious but i don't know if sheep can get it… There's no sheep flu. Okay? Just relax. I think you're going to be fine.”

    — Natty Bumpercar

    Topics: #illness #guesthost #comedyclubs #brooklyn #improvisation #friendship

    Featuring: Natty Bumpercar, Mott the Sheep

    Full Transcript

    Natty Bumpercar: hi everybody it's me natty bumper car and i have what is called strep throat a little word of advice to you listeners don't get strep throat it hurts so bad and so i'm not really gonna be able to do a lot of talking today on the podcast but i ow coughing hurts breathing hurts i yawned and it hurt which has never happened to me before um how i uh drinking hurts i blinked i blinked my eyes and it hurt which is not even on my throat but anyway um so here's what we're gonna do uh is i brought in a special guest uh host today so uh give it up this is my friend he's been around for a long time he's gonna do the show hasn't been here in a while uh mott the sheep yeah mott how's it going that's funny no i mean i'm contagious but i don't know if sheep can get it so uh no i'm pretty sure you're okay okay well that's fine did you want to just take over you want to tell a little joke a little story or uh no okay what about uh just tell everybody where you've been up to i guess

    Mott the Sheep: uh

    Natty Bumpercar: really and then what kind of Did you just hang out there? Did you spend the night? No, okay. I've been there once, but it's really expensive, so I just kind of walked in and walked out. Yeah. Have you been to comedy clubs or anything? You were in Brooklyn. Oh, that's fun. Did you do a show? Was it scary or anything? I know you're not up on stage as much as you used to be. Uh-huh. And what kind of joke did you tell the people? That's funny. No, I mean, I feel like I should just stick around while you're doing the show, just to keep things moving a little bit. Do they like it? Do they like the show? Yeah. That's cool. Robot? No, I don't know. Robot's, I don't know. He's plugged in, so I don't know what he's doing. He's, uh, I haven't seen Pig. He was looking pretty peak at the last time I saw him. This whole strep thing. I know, I know. I said you couldn't get it. But Pig, maybe he's got, like, the swine flu or whatever. I don't know what happens. There's no sheep flu. Okay? Just relax. I think you're going to be fine. I appreciate you coming by. What, so tell me.

    Mott the Sheep: Um, yeah.

    Natty Bumpercar: Uh-huh. Well, no. Well, glad it's… All right. I don't agree with that, necessarily. I mean, so you have been listening to the show a little bit here and there. Okay. Um, because we've been really trying lately. Ow. All right. That's unnecessary. Anything to say? Um, did you want to ask the people out in the world anything? That's a good question. Hey, Bumper Podcast Coutures, if you want to email us your answers to that, yeah, at bumperpodcast.nattybumpercar.com. And, uh, I'll give it the responses to Mott and hook over from there. Really? All right. Uh, so Mott's actually… You're just done? You didn't really do a lot today, did you? Got anything on your plan, on your plate? Anything you're going to be working on? Okay. So you want to just plug that or… Yeah. Okay.

    Mott the Sheep: Okay.

    Natty Bumpercar: You're so busy. It's so impressive. I know, but it's just… I mean, you really get around. So… All right. This has been Bumper Cop… I got strep throat. I'm sorry. I'm off the sheet.

    Mott the Sheep: Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye. Bye.

    Podcast: Download | Embed

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | RSS | subscribe

  • Bumperpodcast #183: Gummy New Year!

    Bumperpodcast #183: Gummy New Year!

    Natty Bumpercar has a stuffy nose. He talks about the new year being a hill that he is ready to climb … Until he has a piece of gum.

    Do you like gum? Let us know by sending an email to bumperpodcast@nattybumpercar.com.

    There are no wheels on this show!

    About This Episode

    In Episode 183, Natty Bumpercar kicks off the new year with a stuffy nose and an optimistic hill-climbing analogy that quickly derails. What starts as a motivational metaphor about starting at the bottom and going up becomes complicated when Natty discovers a piece of gum with paper stuck to it. The episode follows Natty's struggle with the gum while attempting to explain the purpose of Bumperpodcast to listeners. Between discussing cavity-fighting gum innovations and lamenting constant sickness, Natty concludes that 2014 might just be "the year of the rude Natty Bumpercar." This short, stream-of-consciousness episode perfectly captures the show's improvised and charmingly chaotic style.

    Memorable Quotes

    “We're at the bottom of the hill and so the only place we can go on the hill is up unless I suppose we want to go somehow around the hill.”

    — Natty Bumpercar

    “I'm the kind of guy who opens up a piece of gum and just eats it, eats it right up.”

    — Natty Bumpercar

    “Maybe 2014 is the year of the rude Natty Bumpercar.”

    — Natty Bumpercar

    Topics: #newyear #illness #gum #comedy #rambling #self-deprecation #improvisation

    Featuring: Natty Bumpercar

    Full Transcript

    Natty Bumpercar: well happy happy happy happy to you happy to you and you and you and you and you hi bumper podcast it's me natty bumper car and i have a stuffy nose because what better way to start off the new year than with a stuffy nose that means that's how you know that things are going to go uphill from where you are at the point on the hill where you're starting at you know because like wait so if you're on the hill you're starting the new year okay this is our analogy over the new year is a hill and we're at the bottom of the hill and so the only place we can go on the hill is up unless i suppose we want to go somehow around the hill um we don't have any kind of shovel or pickaxe so we cannot go through the hill uh we also don't have any mode of transportation to like carry us over the hill we have our really our only option is to go up the hill so that's pretty exciting you know uh i i think it portends some good things i uh oh well here's a piece of gum i guess it would be my first piece of gum for the new year a little piece of uh bubble bubble bubble gum okay i'm just that's not oh oh all the paper sticking to the gum i can't and now i can't well this is no good thing how do i like it's breaking off in little itty bitty pieces inside the piece of gum and uh uh now i don't think there's any um almost almost got it wait to no no oh okay wait okay yeah that's good we got a big piece off but there's still paper in the gum that's not what i want my first piece of gum of the new year to be and i gotta sit here and pick paper out of gum that's not the kind of guy i am the kind of guy who opens up a piece of gum and just eats it eats it right up wow how is how is how is you bumper podcast you know what answer away because i am going to be eating my new paper-free piece of gum oh it's delicious it might be watermelon it might be just sugar i think it's probably just sugar have we invented gum yet that um that kills cavities or like plaque killing gum like maybe put a little bit of grit inside the gum so that it'll take care of your teeth this is a lot juicier than i was expecting it to be i'm not gonna lie i probably should not have um started chewing this piece of gum while i was talking to you so that's a point off on me so i'm already starting the new year off with negative points um do you have any points yet oh that's funny you're asking what the whole point of the bumper podcast is well the whole point of the bumper podcast is it's a weekly fun time our gum is terrible wow where you get to hang out with me natty bumper car and you know we talk about things we discuss things a lot of the time it seems to be um how sick i am pretty constantly sick upper respiratory nose throat ear ear nose throat i need to go to an ent now he'll take care of me wow what a horrible mistake so at this point we're on the hill and the only place we can go is up the hill however what we've decided to do is just sit down at the base of the hill and not go anywhere we're not even on the hill we're on the hill we're on the hill the hill anymore i think we're pre-slope we're like on the path to the hill we're not even we might still be in our cars because well who eats a piece of gum i'm rude i feel very rude right now maybe this is me maybe 2014 is the year of the rude natty bumper car the bumper podcast the wheels i would say the wheels have come off but they really haven't because they're stuck on there with gum oh this is a gum this is bad idea i have a lot of bad ideas

    Podcast: Download | Embed

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | RSS | subscribe

  • Bumperpodcast #180: Feeling Moderate

    Bumperpodcast #180: Feeling Moderate

    Natty Bumpercar is feeling a might bit better – and is thrilled with modern medical technology. Is it magic – or – is it science? He has no idea!

    How do you feel? Let us know by sending an email to bumperpodcast@nattybumpercar.com.

    Feeling better is better than felling not better!

    About This Episode

    In Bumperpodcast episode 180, host Natty Bumpercar shares a humorous update on his battle with bronchitis while juggling single-dad duties. Fresh from a trip to the x-ray store with his four-year-old son in tow, Natty reflects on the simple joy of breathing and navigating medical appointments with a goldfish-eating, iPad-toting toddler. Between bouts of coughing and wheezing, he delivers a lighthearted monologue about rediscovering modern medicine, evolving from a single-cell organism, and the awkward comedy of being a contagious patient. This episode showcases Natty's signature conversational style and self-deprecating humor while dealing with everyday parenting challenges.

    Memorable Quotes

    “You don't realize how much you love to breathe until there's an elephant sitting on your chest and you can't do it anymore.”

    — Natty Bumpercar

    “I devolved into a single cell organism and now I'm evolving again. I'm re-evolving into whatever I was before.”

    — Natty Bumpercar

    “I get it, you don't want me to breathe on you, and she just chuckled like oh that's right sicky.”

    — Natty Bumpercar

    Topics: #illness #parenting #breathing #bronchitis #x-ray #modernmedicine #familylife #health

    Featuring: Natty Bumpercar

    Full Transcript

    Natty Bumpercar: well well well is it the bumper podcast and am i feeling a little bit better yes and yes double yes yes yes hooray hooray yippy skippy i gotta tell you guys modern medicine kind of amazing uh i mean i'm still sick my throat still hurts i'm still tired i'm still stuffy uh but i still have goop coming out of my eyes uh but with all that i no longer feel um like there's an elephant sitting on my chest which is great because you don't realize how much you love to breathe until uh there's an elephant sitting on your chest and you can't do it anymore i think at that point you're like you know what i miss uh that breathing that breathing was great why i can't i hope i get to breathe again because everybody else in the world seems to be enjoying breathing and i'm looking at them over there and over there doing all their breathing rubbing into my face a little bit that they're just like look at me take a breath oh uh last night i've got so i've got bronchitis that's what i have uh but last night i uh i got to go to the uh x-ray place the x-ray store where you go and get your x-rays and uh and uh first thing that happened it was kind of funny to me because i walked in and i had a four-year-old baby bumper car with me he was toting the ipad and eating goldfish and uh drinking a juice box because that's how we roll but so i get to the front desk and the lady i sign in and everything and and she looks at me and looks down at him and says uh so um did you bring somebody to watch him and i was like oh oh oh i didn't i didn't bring anybody to watch him because the wife was at home with the baby who has all sorts of ear infections happening this is too much so then i was like oh yeah i'm getting an x-ray so he probably can't hang out in the room with me and get exposed to doses of x-ray radiation or whatever it is that they use to take the pictures i'm assuming it's it right is it radiation yes oh so um luckily you know it worked out because uh there was a changing room he sat in there he didn't move more than a half an inch and the lady from the front desk uh just kind of watched him and she was very nice and you know it was it was it was fine it was good but then i go in and the girl says so i had to take two i think two different pictures and she she said all right you gotta put your chest against this thing and she's like pushing contorting my shoulders and neck and chin and moving hands and arms and moving me all around and uh all right take a deep breath hold it hold it i did that and then as soon as it was time to let the breath out because again i'm still getting used to this whole how people breathe thing oh it hurt so bad i was coughing everywhere and uh i tried to get away from her but she had to come over and reconfigure me for a different picture and she said look that way and i said through the wheezing and gasping and coughing i was like i get it you don't want me to breathe on you and she just chuckled like oh that's right sicky i don't want you to breathe on me perfect so then she took the other picture breathe in hold it and that time a little bit better i'm telling you i'm really figuring this whole breathing thing out pretty soon uh i might be able to breathe through my nose which is going to be crazy i mean crazy crazy i'm evolving is what i'm telling you i devolved into a single cell organism and now i'm evolving again i'm re-evolving re-evolving into whatever whatever i was before awesome yeah of course so then i finished the thing go out he's still sitting there grab him we go get some dinner me and a kid it was a great night all the way around um so thanks for sticking in with me glad that you're glad that i'm so much better how are you feeling i realize i've spent this whole time talking about me that's not acceptable

    Podcast: Download | Embed

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | RSS | subscribe

  • Bumperpodcast #179: Airport

    Bumperpodcast #179: Airport

    Natty Bumpercar is at an airport and wants to tell you all about his day … He is also coming off the flu – so – it might not make much sense.

    Do you ever make sense? Let us know by sending an email to bumperpodcast@nattybumpercar.com.

    Sense is for sensible folk!

    About This Episode

    In episode #179 of Bumperpodcast, Natty Bumpercar records from a terrible airport restaurant while waiting for his flight. Dealing with the flu, last-minute travel packing, and a particularly difficult parenting moment, Natty shares the story of missing his four-year-old's field trip and the heartbreaking conversation that followed. Between navigating distant airport parking lots, fire alarms in the bathroom, and questionable shrimp decisions, Natty reflects on the chaos of modern travel and the guilt that comes with work-life balance. This candid, solo episode captures the humor in everyday disasters and the universal experience of feeling like everything is falling apart at once.

    Memorable Quotes

    “He looked more hurt and let down and sad than I think he ever has with me before and so it was one of those parenting moments you know it was just like daddy has to go to work.”

    — Natty Bumpercar

    “The thing is is I got a flu shot so you know what I shouldn't have the flu but I do and I'm getting on an airplane so I'm guessing I'm gonna be sick for about another year.”

    — Natty Bumpercar

    “I'm gonna eat some shrimp because why not get food poisoning before going on a business trip I think it's probably my best move.”

    — Natty Bumpercar

    Topics: #travel #parenting #airports #guilt #illness #work-lifebalance #comedy

    Featuring: Natty Bumpercar

    Full Transcript

    Natty Bumpercar: hey there bumper podcast it's me natty bumper car and i am coming to you a little bit quiet today and that is because i am sitting in an airport but not just at an airport at a terrible restaurant in an airport because i forgot to eat food and my flight leaves in an hour and oh here comes the waitress hold on thank you very much and um so i figured now it's a good time to say hello to you because it is wednesday it's the day of bumper podcast here is me opening my straw oh yeah this is a big day so let me tell you a little about my day i got up early i uh missed a field trip uh the first time i've had to do that for my uh for baby bumper car now four-year-old bumper car and it was a terrible time around headquarters last night it was one of the most depressing times i've had in a while he looked uh more hurt and uh and let down and sad than i think he ever has with me before and so it was one of those parenting moments you know it was just like daddy has to go to work and i even like threw in i was just like daddy you know to get the food we have and to have the house that we have i did that to him he's four it didn't mean anything to him and so then i uh capitulated i was beaten down and what i went and did ended up doing was uh i was like do you want do you want me to get you a prize from wherever it is that i'm going because i can do that i can get you a surprise which he immediately goes to well what is it i don't know it's a surprise you know well what is it where are you getting it the place i'm going is i'll get it from there you know that general area that town and what it is i haven't seen it i'm not there i'm here so i don't know well what is it okay and this was about a half an hour back and forth so then but today everything was pretty fine he calmed down a little bit i calmed down a little bit uh i also have the flu because why wouldn't i be sick uh i'm at the tail end of it saturday i couldn't move it was one of those things i was laying down just waves washing over me with pains have you ever and but the thing is is i got a flu shot so you know what i shouldn't have the flu but i do um and i'm getting on an airplane so i'm guessing i'm gonna be sick for about another year um so then today drop him off at school uh drop the tiny one off at school i had to slather his face with uh uh neosporin because he's all sick and his face is all bloody yucky it's all raw it's so sad when babies aren't happy it's so sad but he's he's all right he's fine and so then i i went home and i i packed haven't been on an airplane in a couple years so it's kind of exciting but i'm also uh constantly thinking i'm forgetting stuff um but so far so good i got to the airport i went to the uh the overnight parking and found out that it was gonna cost me fifty dollars and i said no no i want your cheapest i'll have your cheapest parking good sir and so then off i drove about four miles away like down roads that weren't even roads and every so often a sign would come up and say um yeah sure there's a parking lot down here and i'm a believing fellow a chap so all i went and i got there got on the bus came to the proper airline and um and i got in everything's great and then i went i went had to go potty because i went to the bathroom and i was in there and the fire alarm went off and i mean the most painful thing ever like ears popping painful and uh it was me and there were three other guys in there and uh they all we all looked at each other and shrugged our shoulders because that's what you do in social situations for instance i had two tables down from me but this kid just looked over at me because i'm recording something so i'm talking to myself and uh he shrugged again because again the shrug is the universal hey what's going on i don't know i don't do you know what's going on i have no idea so now i'm in a terrible restaurant i got an hour and 25 minutes before my flight i'm gonna eat some shrimp because why not get food poisoning before going on a business trip i think it's probably my best move and um i've been caught up you know my day better than i do so i hope you have a good day and that you're not at an airport bye

    Podcast: Download | Embed

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | RSS | subscribe

  • Bumperpodcast # 158 – I’m the boss

    Bumperpodcast # 158 – I’m the boss

    I fell into a crevace of jelly and got stuck and have missed the beans out of you guys … Seriously.

    Also – Headquarters has gotten a bit more full.

    Do you feel full? Let us know by sending an email to bumperpodcast@nattybumpercar.com.

    Eating is an important thing!

    About This Episode

    Natty Bumpercar returns to Bumperpodcast after falling into a jelly-filled crevasse that froze over, leaving him trapped and blinking for what felt like 16 years. Upon his return to headquarters, Natty discovers chaos: the holidays have passed, there's now a second baby bumpercar who may have given him bronchitis, and he's been passing out from illness. As he struggles to adjust to life with two baby bumpercars (whom he temporarily nicknames Blue and Yellow), Natty hilariously attempts to establish parental authority while dealing with bath time incidents and contemplating how to keep the kids in line. This episode showcases Natty's signature rambling storytelling style as he processes the absurd changes that occurred during his frozen absence.

    Memorable Quotes

    “i've just been down there blinking that's all i could do was blink obviously i can't even breathe it's still there's jelly stuck in my uh in my throat”

    — Natty Bumpercar

    “i'm not gonna say he gave me bronchitis because i don't know if babies have that power but he might have gotten me really sick”

    — Natty Bumpercar

    “the more guilt that i can have on this baby the more check marks against them the easier it's going to be for me to keep them in line down the road”

    — Natty Bumpercar

    Topics: #parenting #illness #babies #winter #jelly #headquarters #holidays #responsibility

    Featuring: Natty Bumpercar

    Podcast: Download | Embed

    Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeartRadio | RSS | subscribe