What a Hell of a Way to Dad

Francis and Nate bring you weekly dad chats, plotting the growth of their daughters and themselves. Episodes are interspersed with interviews with various authors and journalists. The hosts are both veterans, so also expect a lot of meandering stories

DadChat: STL style 04/30/2026

DadChat: STL style This week Jack is on to talk about his trip to St. Louis. We took him to the City museum and stuffed him full of Provel afterwards and somehow he survived. If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates Instagram - Facebook - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/41065130

MASHCast: Chow time 04/23/2026

MASHCast: Chow time This month Francis and Carey talk about two food centric episodes in Season 3: Private Lamb and Adam's Ribs Opening intro by Manic Street Preachers If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates Instagram - Facebook - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40915375

WifeChat: First prize at the state fair 04/16/2026

WifeChat: First prize at the state fair This week Beth and Francis talk about winning the blue ribbon at the State Fair, the books we're reading, and the movies those books turned into. If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates Instagram - Facebook - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40901470

Twin Peaks: Into the mind of Agent Cooper -Preview- 04/13/2026

Twin Peaks: Into the mind of Agent Cooper -Preview- This month Jack takes Francis watch Episodes two and three of season one. We are diving into the mind of Agent Cooper as Francis begins to regret the decision to watch this show all the way through. I'm sure it only get more normal from here. This is a preview episode. You can get this and many more back episodes on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/posts/155517135 /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40832420

DadChat: Tooth Fairy 04/10/2026

DadChat: Tooth Fairy This week Francis and Nate talk about losing baby teeth, childhood injuries, and the joy of wearing sweatpants If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates Instagram - Facebook - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40799840

The Neverending Story -Preview- 04/07/2026

The Neverending Story -Preview- This week Francis and Nate break down the 1984 classic kids movie The Neverending story. We follow Bastion as he plays hooky to read a book in the attic of his school, transporting him to a magical land full of Rock monsters, depression swamps and sphinxes with huge cans. This is a bonus episode. You can get this and ten years of back log bonus content here for just $5 a month - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40756615

DadChat: Thrift Store cookout 04/02/2026

DadChat: Thrift Store cookout This week Francis and Jack hit up the thrift store to expand our cooking options, brag about shopping efficiency, and go to the No Kings protests. If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates Instagram - Facebook - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40710675

The Highlands Burn with Joe Kassabian 03/26/2026

The Highlands Burn with Joe Kassabian Friend of the show and Lions Led by Donkeys host Joe Kassabian talks to Francis about his latest book The Highlands Burn. Joe is diving into Gunpowder Fantasy as he tells the story of Sayat and the Foundling Brigade. This book has revolvers that shoot sorcery, descriptions of how much it sucks to live through a siege, and the time honored favorite: corrupt military police. Preorder today If you're in London, get tickets to the May 29th Live show here: If you're not in London, you can still get tickets and watch the live stream: If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates Instagram - Facebook - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40624670

DadChat: Twin Peaks pilot episode 03/19/2026

DadChat: Twin Peaks pilot episode This week, and for many weeks in the future, Jack joins Francis to watch through Twin Peaks. Why is it different from every other millennial podcasters who have already done this? Because Francis knows nothing about it, and Jack is a rabid fan of the series. For this episode we talk about our relationships with David Lynch movies, and dig into the opening episode of the series that inspired everything that came after. Future episodes will be available at the 3$ level of the Patreon. And I promise we're gonna do it all, through the weird and the bad. If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates Instagram - Facebook - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40418000

DadChat: Airport hangout 03/12/2026

DadChat: Airport hangout This week Francis and Nate stuff insulation into their walls as the mercury fluctuates, childhood peer pressure, our mustard collections, and waxing nostalgic about hanging out at the airport. If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates Instagram - Facebook - Bluesky - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40417785

Clerks (1994): We're not even supposed to be here today! -Preview- 03/09/2026

Clerks (1994): We're not even supposed to be here today! -Preview- This week to better understand the GenX mind, Francis and Nate watch Kevin Smith's directorial debut Clerks. A movie about nothing and everything at the same time. Does it hold up? Is it as good as you remember when you were 17 and watching for the first time? Find out at the $5 and up tier today! This is a preview of our monthly bonus episode. For full access sign up at the $5 and up level here - Instagram - Facebook - Bluesky - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40368630

WifeChat: Culturally Catholic 03/06/2026

WifeChat: Culturally Catholic This week Francis is joined by his wife to discuss our favorite trinket based religion. Both raised in the St. Louis Catholic Church, we talk about the perversion of the religion by converts, the loss of yet another third space, and how to tell if you're at a good Fish Fry. If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates Instagram - Facebook - Bluesky - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40342040

Seven Brides for Seven Kidnappers -Preview- 03/03/2026

Seven Brides for Seven Kidnappers -Preview- This is a preview of our bonus episode. To hear the full episode, sign up today at This week Eric Peacock from SoundTracker joins Francis one again to take in some Musical Theater. From the Golden Age of Musicals, we watch Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). Seven mountain man brothers need wives and when courtin' fails they resort to kidnappin'. Filmed in beautiful cinemascope and filled with acrobatic dance fights (and quite a few brawls), this movie manages to be fun and entertaining seventy years later, if just slightly problematic. Keep up with Eric and the return of SoundTracker here - Follow Eric here - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40290630

DadChat: Hoosier Bourgeoisie 02/27/2026

DadChat: Hoosier Bourgeoisie This week on DadChat, Francis and Nate talk about the coming Spring weather, Hair Metal, the increase of the Golf Cart Class, and Canadian TV. If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40251845

DadChat: Mailbag episode 02/20/2026

DadChat: Mailbag episode This week Francis and Nate go through the mailbag. Not the messages the fans are sending, but the cold emails we get weekly as people try to pitch our show. We talk about stealing wine mom valor, virtual challenge coins, and how to spice up the bedroom If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40174690

DadChat: Sportsball Chat 02/13/2026

DadChat: Sportsball Chat This week Jack and Francis get patriotic with the Olympics. We talk about being sports guys for the obscure rules, hating a team, and being an Irish dance dad. If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40097980

DadChat: Becoming a kinder and gentler hater 02/05/2026

DadChat: Becoming a kinder and gentler hater This week on the DadChat, Francis and Nate discuss having a Reddit renaissance and how to be a kinder and gentler hater If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/40007185

DadChat: The Midwest Swing 01/29/2026

DadChat: The Midwest Swing Jack Forman joins Francis again to talk about his upcoming trip to Indiana and St. Louis. We talk about throwing up in the back of the car on a road trip, how to punish soldiers, and flying under the parent's radar. If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/39870715

Pulp Fiction (1994) -Preview- 01/27/2026

Pulp Fiction (1994) -Preview- In our eternal quest to find out why GenX is the way they are, Nate and Francis watch the 1994 Tarantino classic Pulp Fiction. We untangle the story, remember the quotes, and cringe inwardly at multiple places. In all, we discovered the real Pulp Fiction was the Royal with Cheese we ordered along the way. This is a preview episode. To listen to the whole episode, sign up at the $5 level on patreon - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/39870605

DadChat: Boot and Rally 01/23/2026

DadChat: Boot and Rally This week on Dadchat; Francis talks about his one beer, Nate sings French nursery rhymes, and one of our daughters keeps alive the proud tradition of throwing up in an Irish Pub. If you like this and want more, consider giving to the Patreon. Five dollars a month gets you bonus episodes every month, and entry into our monthly giveaway. Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/39850175

Zoo Crew: New Year, Same Crew -Bonus preview- 01/21/2026

Zoo Crew: New Year, Same Crew -Bonus preview- The Zoo Crew is back in the saddle again. Carey and Joe join Francis to talk about tank fluids, Middle aged t-shirt culture, and living in Michigan without getting additcted to heroin. This is a preview episode. For full access to all of our bonus content, sign up today - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/39818585

DadChat: Get your dang shots 01/16/2026

DadChat: Get your dang shots This week Francis is joined by Dylan Kilby, a public health professional, to talk about how public health affects us all. From the air you breathe, the water you drink, and the pothole you hit on the way to work The Coming Plague by Laurie Garrett - Pox Americana by Elizabeth A. Fenn - Follow Dylan on Instagram - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/39757905

TravelChat: Visiting Some Holes in the Ground -PREVIEW- 01/14/2026

TravelChat: Visiting Some Holes in the Ground -PREVIEW- This week Miss Elizabeth joins me again in our living room to give you a little behind the scenes with your dad. We talk about our love of Roadside America, our first date in an abandoned lead mine, and our last trip to the Lacleade's Landing Wax Museum. This is a preview of our bonus content. You can access all our extra episodes signing up for $5 a month on Patreon, or buying the episode itself - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/39729960

DadChat: Swedish Death Massage 01/08/2026

DadChat: Swedish Death Massage This week your dads talk about Fist of the North Star, missing out on Quaaludes, and boning up on languages. Looking for more? We have years of back catalog bonus episodes right here Check out the store, and sign up for our twice a month email updates Wolf of Wall Street - I'D WALK 20 MILES FOR A QUAALUDE - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/39654545

Hallmark Holidays: Christmas at Crown Center -Preview- 12/24/2025

Hallmark Holidays: Christmas at Crown Center -Preview- The final episode of our Hallmark Holidays series is here, but Beth will be back on the show in the near future. This Christmas eve we're taking you to Crown Center in Kansas City to see the gleaming teeth of all the stars of Hallmark. We also cover the finale of Finding Mr Christmas and our future Hallmark plans. This is a preview of our bonus feed. If you want to hear this and nine years of bonus content, sign up on Patreon today - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/39527900

Dadchat: Pest Control 12/18/2025

Dadchat: Pest Control Francis and Nate talk about dumpster diving, household pests, caring for strays, and electrical work. Don't miss the special Hallmark Christmas episodes over on Patreon with Francis and his wife. Final episode will be available December 24th! - And if you're looking for presents for the father figure in your life, check out the store - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/39457765

Hallmark Holidays: Operation Christmas Drop -PREVIEW- 12/16/2025

Hallmark Holidays: Operation Christmas Drop -PREVIEW- This week Beth and Francis talk about a Netflix holiday movie called Operation Christmas Drop, which highlights a real humanitarian mission the US has carried out in Micronesia since 1951. Technically not a Hallmark movie, but it follows a lot of the same beats. We talk about the differences in decorations, shooting locations, and how a movie can become unsalvagable when your leads don't have any chemistry. This is a preview of a bonus episode. To get full access either sign up for the Patreon or purchace individually here - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/39424580

Hallmark Holidays: A New Special interest for Christmas 12/10/2025

Hallmark Holidays: A New Special interest for Christmas This week my wife Beth joins me for another Hallmark movie deep dive. Instead of focusing on one movie, we have leaned into the whole Hallmark experience. In this episode we discuss USS Christmas, Christmas Homecoming, and the reality show Finding Mr. Christmas. We will have two more episodes, one on Operation Christmas Drop and a final Christmas eve drop of our trip to Hallmark Crown Center in Kansas City to immerse ourselves in the Hallmark experience. You can get access by signing up for our patreon, or purchacing the episodes individually And if you're looking for presents for the father figure in your life, check out the store - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/39356765

Hallmark Holidays: Christmas on Duty 12/03/2025

Hallmark Holidays: Christmas on Duty This week Francis is joined by his wife Beth to watch military themed Christmas movies from the Hallmark channel. This week it's Christmas on Duty, a USAA funded movie released in November of this year. It features Parker Young and Janel Parrish, two montages, USAA branded ice scrapers, and a whole lotta heart. Two of these holiday episodes will be free, but everything after that will be on Patreon, available to buy individually, but always available to the $5 a month subscribers - And if you're looking for presents for the father figure in your life, check out the store - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/39250285

DadChat: Checking under the hood 11/28/2025

DadChat: Checking under the hood This week Francis and Nate talk about getting a colonoscopy, prepping Thanksgiving food, Hallmark movies, and avant garde Garfield Get the lastest bonus episode and many years of back catalog at Christmas has landed in the shop! Get your house ready with Ornaments, stickers, and patches today! - /episode/index/show/hellofawaytodie/id/39198255

What a Hell of a Way to Dad

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