Senses Working Overtime with David Cross - Cat Cohen

Episode Date: December 12, 2024

Cat Cohen (The Twist? She’s Gorgeous) joins David to talk about medical emergencies, why babies cry, and more. Catch all new episodes every Thursday. Watch video episodes here.Guest: Cat CohenSubscribe and Rate Senses Working Overtime on Apple Podcasts and Spotify and leave us a review to read on a future episode!Follow David on Instagram and Twitter.Follow the show:Instagram: @sensesworkingovertimepodTikTok: @swopodEditor: Kati SkeltonEngineer: Chris OsbornExecutive Producer: Emma FoleyAdvertise on Senses Working Overtime via Gumball.fm.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is a HeadGum Podcast. People throwing parties, ugly sweaters everywhere, stockings hung up by the chimney with care. It could only mean one thing. McRib is here. At Participating McDonald's for a limited time. Touch, touch, taste, smell, hear, see. Touch, touch, taste, smell, hear, see. Do you know Sean Patton? No. Comedian?

It's not so familiar. Maybe a memory. He's a great comedian. Opened for me last tour, is opening for me on this tour. Is also an English teacher, plays the, he's great. Oh, I know, yeah, I know, yeah, yeah. Yeah, and a great comic. Anyway, he and I got invited to take a private tour of NASA, and it was unbelievable.

It was crazy. NASA's crazy, that's so funny. Have you been in there? A famous family story, are we recording? Yes. I have a famous family story. Okay. I had no idea we started, that was just so.

Oh no, no, we just roll right in. That's incredible. Famous family stories, we took a tour of NASA, like, you know, was not private. Right, yeah, and you could see people on the upper Glaston thing. And our tour guide fumbled his words, and instead of saying the Earth's surface,

he said, on the Urfus. And we thought that was like the funniest thing we'd ever heard, and like, we've been saying that for like 20 years in my household. That's true. It's like, we're like, today was so Urfus. Yeah. But yeah, I don't really remember like, today was so orifice. Yeah. But yeah, I don't really remember it, but I guess it's pretty cool.

Did you go into, what do you call it, the command center? Oh, I don't remember. Yeah. It was, and then they took us, it was about a 15 minute drive away to what I, as I understand it is the world's biggest pool and, or deepest pool. And it's where they train, they have a life-size to, to scale international space station in the water. It's 40 feet deep. Oh my God. And it's massive football field, like football field and a half. And that's where they train

the astronauts who are going to go up in space to like go up in space to do spacewalks and repair. I'm getting so stressed hearing about that, like thinking about being under there. It was so cool. And you thought who were in there when you went? Yeah, yeah. They're like, hmm. I so wanted to just jump in.

Oh my God. But you know, and apparently a guy did, we heard a story about a guy did jump in. Goofball of a group, yeah. Class clown. Of course he's banned, yeah. Crazy. Here's another little interesting tidbit.

So we started this with an awesome guy who was like a fan and he's like, I'm going to take you around. And it was just an amazing, amazing day. Two little tidbits. One is there was one other guest who was about maybe 15 minutes behind us with his own guide, him and his partner, girlfriend, wife, I don't know. But it was one of the guys from Five Finger Death Punch. I don't know what that is. It's a band.

That would have been, I'm sorry. And then the other thing was- But that's amazing. I, shortly after that, I want to say less than two weeks, this is in the middle of the tour, right? And I was in Chapel Hill doing a show at Cat's Cradle. And my sister who lives in North Carolina, I have two younger sisters, one I'm very close with, one I'm not that close with.

You know, everybody else is back in Atlanta, the rest of my family, but my little sister is in North Carolina, like in the country. And she will come down to the show, she'll drive down and has friends and I've met them numerous times. And this guy, and you could see a slight smile on his face when he was his friend. Hey, so do you believe the, you believe the earth is round? And I was like, and I was so excited.

I can't wait to have this conversation with this guy. And I was like, yes, I do. And then he proceeded to explain the two things he had read over and over again online about why it can't possibly be. And no matter what I brought up, it just doesn't compute. It's not worth putting into the equation because of these other two things.

His links, he has links. And his links. And it was like nothing I said could penetrate this idea he had based on whatever epiphany he got from you know being online at two in the morning and that they're lying to you everyone's lying to you and I also was like well what what do they gain by that and I mean everybody has to be in on this conspiracy. And anyway, so it was funny because his wife,

my sister's friend, and my sister, as soon as he started going into this, he's like, I ain't going to listen to this, JR. I'm out of here. I'm going to be outside because I'm not listening to this again. And it was pretty funny. Clearly, he's been annoying everybody with it. But, so we said, Sean and I were like,

you know, we toured NASA and we saw the live feed from the space station. You could see the curvature of the earth there. And I explained like I was on, I've been on a couple of Virgin Atlantic flights that go up to, I think they're, when they're up there, it's like 45,000 feet above, you know, their cruising altitude, whatever.

And they have the cameras on the, and you can clearly see the curvature. It's not as defined as if you were on the moon, obviously, but you definitely see, so I'm like, so they, so did they film stuff and then alter it in post and then they just have, they're running this film on, and what? And he's like, yeah.

Yeah, he, no, it didn't matter. He would say like, you know, all I can tell you is it's flat and the sun revolves or doesn't revolve, it goes into figure eight and any logical thing like, so what at the edge? What happens at the edge? Where's the edge? Is there water? Is it just landlocked or? And then just, you know, kept repeating the two things he had learned online. That's all he's got going. It makes him feel powerful. Yeah. Sounds amazing. I'd love to meet him if he's single or.

Well, he's not single. He has a wife. Oh, fuck. But also the firmest handshake I've ever. Really? Like frighteningly, like what I imagine RoboCop's handshake. A little painful. Painful, yeah. Do you go in for a handshake always when you meet someone?

No, not really. not always, no. I'm quite happy though when somebody else instigates it and then does the fist bump, because then there's no, because also I don't have a strong grip and I have to be conscious of like, especially these bigger guys, I'm like, well, I better grip up, you know, and for two reasons. One is like, I don't want them to think I'm like, well, I better grip up, you know, and for two reasons. One is like, I don't want them to think I'm, you know,

a pussy with this wet fish handshake. Totally. And then the other is like, I don't want to get hurt. It's scary. You know, cause I have, I've been twice awarded this over, I mean, it's, I'm going back 20 years now, but twice gotten the award and then almost always, except for one time, been in the top 10, but softest hands in showbiz.

Softest hands in showbiz. Have you ever modeled the hands? No, I don't want to exploit them. Yeah, shh. And I don't want to introduce them to that kind of lifestyle. Totally. I've always thought I could get into the hand game,

but I met this professional manicurist who said my nail beds weren't quite right. I was waiting for her, she said her son is a hand model and I was waiting for her to be like, and you, because I was kind of like, and. Let me see your hands. What do you think? I don't have a manicure right now.

But aren't they kind of like. I mean, they're kind of average to me, but maybe that's what you want. It depends on what you're selling. What are you selling? I'm an all American, I have all American hands. I have the hands next door. Yes, you have the hands next door.

Exactly. Maybe another life. I don't have my hands, my nails painted right now. Okay, so you just got back from Montana. Yes, last night. Do you get a little break now, or do you have to go back? I do, I have a, and I've been on the road

pretty consistently, excuse me, since September. And- It's so hard. It's hard. I mean, I love it, but I'm so- Are you by yourself? No, it's Sean. You and Sean, and y'all are besties.

No, but he's a great hang. That's nice. We've gotten closer as the tours have continued. This is the second tour. Do you have a good rhythm of being like, I'm going into my own zone, like don't talk to me? Oh, I'm not that guy. What are you?

I know. What guy are you? I'm more of a, like I have a gravity inversion boots and a whole rig that I bring with me. And I have a tour bus for that. I wish I was on a tour bus. I'm usually, you know, flying coached with connecting flights.

But as long as I can get my gravity inversion boots and the little rig going, and I do that for about a day and a half before the show. So I'll go into, let's say I'm in Spokane, right? I'm at the casino in Spokane. And there's nothing else around. It's off the highway there, about a half hour out of Spokane. highway there, about a half hour out of Spokane. Even Spokane is a half hour out of Spokane. I will get the stuff delivered there. I'll go about a day and a half early and I'll just hang out there, take my supplements. Then I have a live video feed of my fish and I'll like just check on them and they're okay. And then, and you know, and do, I have an Etch A Sketch which is just for my brain. I try upside down, do an Etch A Sketch.

I try to do the Notre Dame and on the Etch A Sketch upside down and then, and then I'm ready. And then show time, whether people are in or not. And it might be 3.30 in the afternoon, shows later in the day. You decide when the show is. I'm doing the show and I do the show. Take it or leave it.

Yeah. I love that. So you have a little break. How do you like to unwind? There's no unwinding. I've got a seven year old just about to be eight. So there's not a lot of unwinding, but I. Girl or boy?

That's up to it. Totally, what's it into? Right now, chick shit, but you know. Cute. No, she's a girl. I had hopes that she would be gay, but I don't think, I don't think that's gonna be. It's not shaping up like that.

No, I really was like. It is hard to be a straight girl. Well, yes, for sure in this, I just know guys are fucking awful. That's what I'm saying. And yeah, and she's around a lot of very healthy lesbian relationships. I see, I see.

And I, my experience is the lesbian couples I know are happier than a lot of, yeah. Really? What do you think makes them happier? I think there's a, you have less of the, the heterosexual male and heterosexual female, there's a lot of compromise and you have to, you have to work hard on,

I mean, biologically a man wants to keep fucking, right? Right. biologically a man wants to keep fucking, right? Right. And biologically and up till fairly recently, societally a woman does not, even though we know that's not exactly true. I know, but some cliches can be true sometimes. Right, so given that, there is a kind of, and then men,

not to get into the hacky men are from Mars, women are from Venus bullshit. So true, so true. See, here's the thing, can I say this? Go ahead. You're a lady. Yeah. I've always thought, I've seen it as men are from Mars,

women are from Pluto. That's fascinating. Yeah, and I have theories and pay, I did a lot of work on this. Right, back at NASA. Back at NASA, well I tried to, Yeah, you loved those hours. I tried to submit it to them.

I had everything on a flash drive, but it fell into the pool. Of course. So I think there is more, you're starting from a similar place with lesbians or gay, you know. Or gay. Or, you know.

But, so that's my shitty theory. That's my uneducated theory. That's beautiful. And I thought, and I also know that guys can be fucking cruel and awful and exploitive. I know. And a lot of this is kind of in a selfish way, not selfish, but self-centered way of going, I don't want to have to deal with some asshole guy who I can see right through, you know, taking advantage of my daughter.

And I just wanted her to be in a healthier relationship early on. you know, taking advantage of my daughter. And I just wanted her to be in a healthier relationship early on. Yeah, growing up my dad was always like, whatever you do, don't get married, men are horrible. You're more likely to get divorced than see together. Don't ever stay away from everyone. Do your own thing, fuck them, fuck them. But now he gets along with my boyfriend quite well.

So I lucked out. So, and what's your dad's story? He's my best friend in the world. Well, that's not his story. What's his story? What do you mean? He's- What would bring him to say,

men are awful, don't get married? Actually, he and my mom are still together very happy, but I think many of their siblings have all- Oh yeah. Had difficult marriages. And so that has led them to see marriage more often, works out less often than. Sure.

I mean, I don't know how old you are, but my generation, and it was abnormal to have a friend who had a mother and father that were still together. That was, there were way more products of divorce as was I in that era. How old were you when they divorced? My dad, I was 10 and we had moved back to Atlanta where I was born when I was nine and then where I was born when I was nine and then had a really rough time of it. And then we got evicted from this apartment. We were there for about, I'm going to say three months.

So I was about, I was probably, it was probably not too long after my 10th birthday. Yeah, it was, it's not important, but it was early 10, which would have made Wendy, you know, almost nine. And Julie. Great name, Wendy. Okay. And then Julie would have been six, I think. So young. Oh yeah, my dad was pretty shitty.

Really? Yeah, yeah. And how many siblings do you have? I have two younger brothers. Okay. One of them lives here, one of them just moved to San Francisco. So one of them's I have to shout out is understudying in a new Broadway play

called Cults of Love. It opens next week. Wow, right on. I'm going to see him, I'm so proud of him. And I cannot wait to see the show, yeah. And I wonder- Say it again, cults. It's called Cult of Love. Cult of Love.

Broadway, off Broadway? Broadway. Musical? It's a straight play. I think there might be some musical elements, kind of chic, a play with music. And I'm going next week, and yeah, I wonder, fingers crossed he'll get to go on at some point

during the run, because he's understudying a couple of the roles. Oh, that's great. Yeah, yeah, he's great. Well, maybe there can be like a Rosemary's baby situation or something happens mysteriously to the lead and then, you know. Yeah, we'll see what happens,

but I wish all the actors the best. You just want to cover your bases. Totally. Yeah, but they're cool. And you have how many you said? Two, two younger sisters. Are you reading something good right now? want to cover your bases. Totally. Yeah, but they're cool. And you have how many you said? Two, two younger sisters. Are you reading Something Good right now?

Yes, I just finished Moby Dick, which I really enjoyed. Oh my God. I really enjoyed it. I've never read it. I hadn't either. And it was, as I've gotten older, I've started rereading some of my old favorite books, and I'm doing that now with this current one.

And then also reading classics. I feel like, oh, I have less time to dick around with, you know, oops, excuse me, it's my phone. God damn it, okay. I have less time to, you know, take a chance on something I might not like. Yeah. And yeah, Moby Dick was,

I did not expect it to be as funny as it was. Really? It seems like a slog. It is a slog, but it's real. He's such a good writer, and I keep thinking about the book. Really? I really do. Again, I just finished it, I don't know, eight, nine days ago.

You must feel so accomplished. Well, that's one more book. I've got a gazillion more to read. I know. They never stop. Yeah, it's really funny, like laugh out loud funny sometimes. If I walked by someone reading Bobby Dick and they're like, oh, this is crazy. I'm like, who's paying that person? Good to know. I'll keep that in mind. No, it is. I mean, and I have laughed out loud at it, but, and it definitely, as you're getting towards the end of it,

it's a bit of a slog, because you're like, I know what's going to happen. So let's get to that. I don't need to learn about the tarps and the mess and everything, but he's such a great writer. Are you someone who, like, if you start a new book, do you let yourself just move on if you aren't liking it, or do you make yourself? Yes, oh, absolutely.

I'll give it a hundred pages. That's good. Or I'll give it 50 pages if I feel like I'm not gonna like this. And like everybody, I don't, my biggest pet peeve is when characters who are wildly different talk the same way. Oh. I don't like that.

I'm sure, if I wrote a novel, I'm pretty sure, yes, that's how it would be. I don't like that. I'm sure if I wrote a novel, I'm pretty sure yes, that's how it would be. That's the thing that I, but so I started reading, re-reading this book that I try to read every, you know, three, four, five years. It's called economics with an X. And it's a graphic history of economics and economy based history of economics and economy based and how from the beginning of modern meaning like starting in mercantile type era up through the Industrial Revolution into America and World War I, World War II,

post-war economies. And because I don't know anything about that stuff, I want to know I have trouble retaining that kind of information. It's an easy read. It's extremely informative. I should read that. I'm the same way. It's great. It's called Economics with an X. Okay, cool. economics with an X and it will, and you will breeze through it and it's got just tons of information and I just have to try to retain it but I'm not good at that. So every, as I said, three, four years I'll pick it up and reread it and it doesn't take long. And then I've got Palefire, which my friend Michael recommended, highly recommended. I've got that and my wife who reads voraciously the new Ta-Nehisi Coats. And then there's

something else. So you're doing multiple at once. Oh yeah, no, no. This is the lineup. They're just compiling. So then, and then I got The Squad by Ryan Grim that I wanna read. I'll push, I try to put, mix up my fictions and non-fictions.

So I not, I read, there was a period where I was reading too much non-fiction and it was bumming me out. That's so, I can barely get through a novel. I feel like I used to, when I was little. Prose fiction? Yeah, now I'm just like, I need to know real. I'm like, what's real, what's real, what's real?

I had a period of that and I wish I would have, you know, at least put one story in between two non-fiction books. Just to free your mind, free your head. Yeah. You know, especially as somebody who writes and is creative. I am trying to be that. Yeah, totally. Well, yeah, I'm excited for the holiday break.

I'm about to turn everything off, make a bunch of soup, get my books ready. My friend gave me this new book about Joan Diddy and Eve Babbitts and their friendship. I just, I'm immediately transported five pages in. I'm like, it's the sixties, we're in LA, like, take me back. Which I love. Wait, so you get, when you think about that era, you get glottal fry?

Yeah, I suffer, yeah, yeah, yeah. Really? This whole thing. That's interesting. It's crazy, yeah. It started in the early 2000s. The glottal fry? Mm-hmm, when thinking about 60s LA.

Oh, it just popped in, just so you can't even say it. It's hard for me to say that. Wow. Yeah, it's, yeah, I get embarrassed. So just, I'm gonna cut that, but yeah. I'm gonna leave it in and then give it a little bit of, a little bit of echo. Yeah, some reverb.

Some reverb, please, thank you. Amazing. Let's brighten it up. So are you done with your tour or do you have more dates? I have, I can't remember why, but I had to, oh, I know why. So I, anyway, had to, oh I know why. So I, anyway, had to postpone some shows that were on the West Coast, so I'm going to,

in fact those of you listening who are interested, Kat, I don't know what kind of poll you have, but we'll find out shortly. Oakland, no, San Diego, LA, Oakland. Coming up in January. When the fuck is it? Here, let me, I'll tell you right now. I'll tell you right now, people. Um, there we go. So, at the Music Box in San Diego on January 9th. And then, I'll be at the Bellwether on January 10th

in Los Angeles, then at the Fox Theater, January 11th in Oakland. And I will be honoring those dates that I was supposed to do back in September, October. Couldn't do. It's a, it's definitely a really fun set to do and it's altered. I was gonna shoot my special in Missoula.

Oh yeah. Two shows there two nights ago. And, but when the election happened, I was like, shit, this is gonna feel weird because it takes, you know, six months to turn it around and who knows what the set will be like. And I'll do those other three dates. And then I've got a couple weeks in Canada in March.

And I've got different LA, I'm sorry, American dates sprinkled through to bring me up to April in which I'll be in Europe and the UK for a month. Yeah. That's so fun. And then I'll be pretty much done. And then you'll shoot it? I'll probably shoot in like, you know, February, March.

And like when you're, so when you started this tour, was the show done or were you like, I'm gonna figure it out as I go along? Oh god, no, I would never charge people, you know 50 bucks or 45 bucks to see me working on shit But how but it's a little bit of a Z's. I'm sorry. I don't know. I'm not gonna charge you for that Is there any part that still that you are figuring out while you're doing it or is it like this is the show? I Think what you're asking me is,

do I, does the show evolve? I assume it, yeah. Yes, it's always evolving. And I, that's why I, I always shoot the special about halfway through the tour and then record the audio version at the end of the tour because there's different stuff in different.

And I don't want to do more than, I try to keep it at an hour 15, hour 20. And so I've got to start dropping stuff as things expand or a new thing. Like there's this thing that I've been doing for, I don't know, maybe 20 of those shows where I put one of Trump's speeches he gave in Michigan at a rally and I just put it to music and I sing it. Oh my God. And then, and that's also evolved, but it also feels like I have to create context for it especially you know if I'm gonna be doing it post his you know his four-year residency at the White House and so that'll be different right and then I had to drop some stuff

because again I don't want to do more hour 20 is really as long as I want to go yeah that's long. And how long did it take to write this show? Well, two things. One is, because of what I just described, where I'm dropping bits, I will, those bits now go in my back pocket, and I have those ready to go.

For the next time. So I'm not completely starting from scratch. Yeah, yeah. But then I'll do this thing that I've done the last five tours, I think, which is I do stuff here in Brooklyn or Manhattan, whatever, where I'll go, I do these things called shootin' the shit, seein' what sticks.

I'll be at Union Hall for the beginning, first six, seven of those things where I don't know what the fuck, I'm the, I've scribbled shit on it. Right. And I record everything and I have some special guests and then, you know, figuring it out. Then I moved to kind of a bigger room like Littlefield, something like that, Sultan Room and- Oh, I love Sultan Room, it's so fun.

Sultan Room is great. Yeah. Great, great, great. All these places are great in their own way. I know, I love Sultan Room. It's so fun. Sultan Room is great. Yeah. Great, great, great. All these places are great in their own way. I know, thank God. Yeah. And I'm so fucking lucky. And I can walk or ride my bike to every single one.

It's the best. So I'll do, and then there's just one guess in between and I'm kind of trying, refining stuff and then also still finding stuff in the other half or vice versa. And then, you know, then when it gets to the really important underrated part of putting a set together, which is sequencing stuff, like what feels right here? Have I done too much of this thing? This flows into this better and et cetera, et cetera. And then I'll do maybe two or three shows at like, where it's just me for the hour and change

at the bell house somewhere like that. And then I'll go out and I'll do like a mini tour to see how this plays outside of Brooklyn. I'll go to Milwaukee and Omaha and Fresno and whatever and see how this works there. And then I'm, and by the time I get to that point, I know I can start booking the tour. Yeah, yeah.

And then I go out on the road. Amazing. Yeah, I'm asking because I'm just about to start working on my new show and I've. Do you have a title? You know, I do have an idea of a title. I had a stroke last summer. No kidding.

So I wanna call it broad strokes. Kind of cool. I don't get it, but yeah, okay. So what, tell me about the stroke. What is PrizePix? Well, PrizePix is the best place to get real money sports action with over 10 million members and billions of dollars

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Thank you, Aura Frames. Yeah, I had, I was in my apartment and I felt, I was like, I feel like I just had a stroke. Like I tried to move my arm and I couldn't. And I was like, that's weird. Wow. End up in the hospital and pretty, you want it to step by step.

Yeah, bridge that gap for me. I call my dad, I'm like, I feel like I should have a stroke. I'm also, I'm a hypochondriac, so of course everyone's first thing to say is like, no, you didn't, you're fine, but this, I was like, no, something's really wrong, so I walk myself to CityMD, I'm like, I think I had a stroke, they're like, okay, hold. And what besides your?

It was very quick. What happened was I started feeling kind of woozy. I've gotten migraines my whole life. I was like, oh, maybe there's a migraine coming on. I sit down. All of a sudden I was like, I need to call someone. I don't feel good. I go to call my boyfriend, but I try and pause the TV.

I'm like, why isn't it pausing? Why isn't it pausing? Because my arm wasn't moving. I'm like, oh my God. And it was like a short circuit. But it was pretty quick. It was like less than like, less than two minutes, this whole thing. Wow, that seems pretty long.

Maybe less than a minute. I still, honestly, when I still talk about it, I still feel like so crazy. But then- Wow. I was like, I know I need to go to the, I was literally zipping my suitcase to leave for like three months.

I was like, okay, fuck, I guess I better like go to the doctor instead of getting on a plane, thank God. Wow. Holy shit. I'm sent to the hospital, blah, blah, blah, pretty quickly. Oh, MRI, CT scan, all this shit. There's like a dot on my brain and they're like, it looks like you've, we don't know what today was, but it looks like you've had a stroke in the past

that didn't leave any lasting damage because there's parts of your brain that aren't active or whatever. So I'm like, what are you talking about? I'm 30 years old, like, what are you talking about? And they're like, when this happens in young people, it's usually this thing called a PFO where there's a hole in your heart.

I'm like, a hole? I'm like, a hole? What is going on? What are you talking about? You explained so much, really. Yeah, I'm like, it's, what is going, what are you talking about? Explain so much, really. Yeah, I'm like, it's been years. A whole lot. Anyways, and they were right,

and I was born with this heart defect I didn't know I had. And it's not super common, but it's not uncommon. Like it happens, usually they catch it when you're younger, but, and also you might have it and never know, but on occasion, if you do have a blood clot that tries to pass it and go through this hole to your brain, hence the stroke. Wow.

So they did a procedure where they closed the hole. I have to, this is, I apologize for my ignorance, but what is a stroke exactly? What's happening? Oh my God, but what is a stroke exactly? What's happening? Oh my God, I get like so, this is also why I need to start talking about it on stage because I've been kind of like suppressing it.

What is it? It is when there's like a blood clot in your brain, basically. Wait, I could be wrong. Because there's also different types, but it's where, yeah, I guess in my experience, part of the blood flow stops and depending on where it goes, it affects different parts of your functioning. Wow.

So you can, and a lot of old people too will have little dots, but they aren't on an active part of your brain, so I didn't know I had one. Right. So it was just like, la la la la, like on stage laughing. Do you have insurance? I do have insurance. It was difficult to get them to cover the procedure. Well, of course. But they did. Okay.

Yeah. Thank God I had a shout out, shout out to SAG for my insurance. Yeah. Oh God. Yeah. No, I've told people, not that I've had a ton of these conversations, but occasionally have a conversation about unions, right? Just somebody you meet in a bar, somebody who's ambivalent about unions or somebody who's anti-union or whatever or right to work and they live in a right to work state. And I'm like, man, the benefits I've gotten, I'm so lucky that if I'm going to live in America, I have a strong union and a strong, I'm protected and I have health insurance and I've used it, I mean, so many times and they're really good to deal with. There's only so much you can say to somebody about it.

I know you're getting an extra $120 a year to not be in a union, but it's worth the dues. Also, the health insurance is so affordable that I have through SAG. It's not bad at all. So I was very lucky that it all worked out. And also I get emotional because just being that working, doctors and nurses are so amazing, is what I'm gonna say.

And the nurses who helped me deal with that shit and deal with the claims. I was like, you are a saint because this is stressing me out more than you could. They're like, we know, we know, we know. So they did the procedure, clogged up that hole, and then I'm good to go. That's great.

So obviously lots of jokes were writing themselves as it was happening, because I was like, this is just so, the cardiologist's name is Dr. Love. I'm like, come on. And what would have happened had you gotten on that flight, do you think? I could have been completely fine

or I could have had a stroke that like affected something. Yeah, so it's crazy. Cause then I was on these crazy blood thinners for like at least six months. And I was like, I flew to Australia for the first time and I'm like on all these meds. What do, physically what happens when you have blood thinners? I mean, obviously, what are the side effects?

I honestly felt pretty normal. It's just my anxiety was really, it was just all like, for me at least, very mentally taxing. My doctors were like, you're good, you're good, you're good. And I was like emailing them every night. Like my leg is weird. They're like, you need to stop. Lose my number, they said.

No, but that's what- That's my number. But that's what the new hour is gonna be about mostly. So yeah, I booked like similarly, like a work in progress night at Union Hall for the new year. So I'm gonna try and start doing it. But yeah- On New Year's?

In the new year. Oh, in the new year. Yeah, to celebrate. Five, four, three, so, wait, does this work? Yeah. Where was I? Anyway. Fuck, fuck, no, no, ignore that, ignore that.

Don't, don't, don't, don't film this. But yeah, so I'm in that new writing zone, which is good. It is good. But it's just hard to leave behind the, the old shows so good. I always have a postpartum thing when I'm finished with the show. And I know I'm never going to do it again. And it's melancholy.

It's like I'm so glad I was able to do it and I feel sad and I've accomplished this thing but I'm sad I'm not gonna be able to do it anymore. I know. And have each of your shows gotten to that place where you're like, oh, I'm really gonna miss this? Oh, fuck yeah. This one's really fun.

This one, I mean, I say that every time, but this is way, and this wasn't intentional, just shook out this way, but way less political or topical than, not to say that there isn't any stuff in there, but there is, but a good half hour of the set is talking about these two personal experiences I had that have nothing to do with anything, but have just kept growing and growing.

And they're all true story. I mean, it's absolutely 100% true. And it's a fun, I mean, I'm kind of sick of doing it over, for the fucking millionth time, but it's a fun, it's fun to go to, you know, Missoula, Montana and Olympia, Washington and Portland, Maine, and just look at all the people as I'm telling the story, because I know where it goes, I know what's gonna happen.

I know I have some, you know. Or their twists and turns? Yes, and it's fun to watch them, you know, as I go through it. So, but I say that every time. But this will be the latest I've ever shot a special. In the run? Yeah.

So I have, you know, I've got another, I think we've done 44 shows and I've got another, I don't know, 25 maybe, which is probably the least amount of dates I've done for a run. Really? Yeah. Why is that or why? I didn't wanna start until my daughter was in school so I could have the whole summer off and hang out with her. Did she come see you perform?

No. Really? No. No. When will you let her? No. Really? No. When will you let her? I mean, I don't know. At some point she's going to...

Look you up. Discover that stuff. Discover the truth. And you know, dinner will never be the same. Yeah. She's looking at me with horror. What have you, the things you've done. Yeah. She's looking at me with horror.

What have you, the things you've done. But I don't know, I'm not, I'm in no rush, I'm not interested in, you know, I mean, when she was like three and a half, I brought her on, she actually came on stage when I was in Montreal. It was cute. I didn't know they were going to do this. My wife and the nanny brought her out and we were all on tour together. But I have no interest in kind of forcing it. If she says to me, daddy, I'd like to see you do stand-up sometime, I'll go, great. Totally. But I'm not, I have no interest in going, come on, honey, why don't you see what daddy

does? Look at all the people I make happy. That's how you get your fucking things. Oh my God. Yeah. She's definitely starting that individuating and you know you can be getting glimpses of what which way she's starting the head outside but just like man she's of what, which way she's starting to head outside, but just like, man, she's really stubborn or a boy, she's really this or that. Like things that people say their kids are, which, uh, you know, maybe true,

but they can also be temporary. But, um, and they're also meaning like, man, she's really stubborn. Yeah, most kids are, you know? And, uh, um, but we're starting to get like, yeah, most kids are. But we're starting to get like, oh, I can see where that's going. Look at your personality. Yeah, so that's cool. That is cool.

So far. Yeah, crazy. But I don't know if you're asking me these things because you want to babysit, but you're welcome to. Where do you live? I'm in the West Village. And you'd have to take the F to J Street, transfer to the C, I think.

Yeah, so the Union Hall area. Yeah. Yeah. Although I was just, you know, last time I just took the two, three to Atlantic, nice little- You could do that. Nice little walk. And then walk, yeah. When I can babysit, yeah, yeah. No, I'm just, you know, last time I just took the two, three to Atlantic, nice little. You could do that. Nice little walk. And then walk, yeah.

When I can babysit, yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah. No, I'm just always curious. One day, I froze my eggs, so I'm not ready. One day. Yeah, no, you're 30, you said? Almost, I'm 33. Almost.

Almost 30. It's, because it's funny. Yeah, you could keep saying that. Yeah, almost 30. Yeah. You can technically get away with it. Totally. Yeah, yeah.

And why wouldn't I? 30? Oh, close, close. Not exactly, but yeah. Yeah, around, I'm about 30. But yeah, we'll see. We'll see how it goes. No, you should not be having a kid yet.

I can't, I gotta do my dreams. Yeah. You write your dream journal? Is that what you were saying? I gotta write my dream. Do you keep one? I keep several my dream, do you keep one? Keep several, yeah. Really?

In multiple languages. Oh my God, that's so beautiful. They say you don't know another language until you dream in it. Well, I don't dream in the other language. I will have my dream. Transcribe. Yeah, exactly, Google Translate. That's, yeah.

So, so far I have, you know, English obviously, which is my first and only language. And then Hebrew, Aramaic, Latin, Cyrillian, which is the alphabet, I know it's the alphabet, but the, you know, Russian. Oh, because I was gonna say, you know. Yeah, yeah. And Babel, and then like dog, I translate in dog,

you know, which is limited, but it's still, if a dog is interested in my dream journal, they now have access. They, it's so inclusive. Thank you. So you're doing UK Europe, that's so fun. I did that this summer, it was heaven on earth. Oh, I love it. Thank you. So you're doing UK Europe? That's so fun. I did that this summer. It was heaven on earth.

Oh, I love it. I, I, I, um, and I'm doing some places that I haven't been to in a couple tours. Like I didn't do Scandinavia the last tour cause I was stupidly like, I don't want to be away from my daughter too long. Loser. And she could not give a shit. So yeah, I'm going back to Scandinavia and Germany, a couple of places in Germany and England. I don't know why, but Ireland,

which is usually some of my best shows. Yeah, that was like my favorite, my Dublin show. Yeah, Dublin. Liberty Hall. I did the Old Vic. Oh yeah, it's bigger. And yeah, really. And I also love Dublin too. They're rowdy and they're so fun.

I, yeah, always good shows. And Belfast, have you done Belfast? I have not, I'd love to. Which is part of the UK, but it's all Ireland to me. I don't know. All right, Protestants. All right. Catholics. Um, yeah, Belfast was great. I had not done that before the last tour. It was, uh, awesome. Also the best fish and chips I ever had. Yeah. Um, and of course Scotland again, talk about rowdy.

Yeah. Glasgow is the best. Yeah. What did you do, Orrin Moore? I don't know that. Glasgow. What about Glasgow? Where did you perform? What's Orrin Moore? It's the name of the place that I- Oh, no, I didn't catch that.

It was kind of like a club vibe. Was it in a basement? Maybe, I know it was like a newer venue. That's not this place. This is like in a church that's- No, that sounds cool. Yeah. No, but that was an amazing crowd, so much fun.

Yeah. What do you like to do in London? Man, I'm not there this time, but the last, I'd say the last three times I've done it in, no, last two times in, oh, what's it called? It's the church that's up in, is it in Hatton? Oh, in Islington? No, it's, no, it's up in like Islington or a little,

so the Chapel Hill, so beautiful. No, not Chapel Hill, that's North Carolina. It is such a great venue, beautiful church. Yeah, it's gorgeous. And I really enjoy the shows there. And then I did the, oh gosh, I'll have to think of it, but I did a theater in, where was it? Hackney?

No, it was, I'll think of it, but I did this theater. And do you know Jack Tucker, Zack Zucker? Yeah, yeah. So he opened up, I had- So fun. Zack, you know, the stamp town. Zack as Jack. Yeah, Zack as Jack, right.

Yeah, yeah, the best. And he was so great and they loved him. Yeah. The Empire Theater, that was it. Yeah, the Hackney Empire? Yeah, Hackney Empire. It's so beautiful. Cool old theater.

The best. And a really fun crowd and then, yeah. I love it. So you said that's the spring or summer? I will be doing it, or when did I do that one? When are you going back? the spring or summer? I will be doing it. Or when did I do that one? When are you going back? What month is it? I'm going back in April.

April, and it's almost Christmas. On top of everything. On top of everything. Yeah. Do you celebrate? How do you celebrate? Celebrate every day. Christmas. I'm always saying that.

We do celebrate Christmas. We do it all. Are you talking about your family or you and your boyfriend? My family, yeah. My dad's Jewish, my mom's Catholic. We always did the Christmas and then sometimes there's a menorah around and one night my brother will be like, let's do it. I learned the prayer.

Elehem, Elehem, Elehem. Of course. This year I'm going just home to Houston and we just do nothing, which lay around. It's really nice. Houston Jews. Yeah, there are a bunch. Ain't no nothing like those Houston Jews. We stay here and unwind.

No fucking. You're going. I, I, I have to go to LA. I just fucking got off. Why? Well, for a good reason. It's my- For fun job. No, but my father-in-law's 90th birthday.

Oh my God. So there's this huge party. Very cool. Big thing. And it's Christmas and my father-in-law's birthday and there's going to be, I got a text from my wife yesterday, her, you know, hey, is it okay if we pay $10,000 for, you know, put in for the party? I'm like, what the fuck? That's so much.

Yeah, that's so much. You mean $100? She's like, well, you know, it costs a lot to have a party with rental chairs and booze and stuff. I'm like, 10, and I can't, and I said like, well, I can't say no, can I? It's fucking. 90.

Yeah, and she's like, it costs a lot of money to have a party. Well, you shouldn't be having those kind of parties. It's better be a nice party. And also Russ isn't going to give a shit. I know the guy. Well, I mean, obviously he's your father, but I know him enough to know he's not going to care. It's like, but we'll care and we want to honor him. Oh my God.

And yeah, so there's like catering and stuff. You're gonna be at that party just like, hope everyone's having a fucking good time. Yeah. All right, and my family would say, we say it's a very nice party. Yeah, it will be nice. It will be very nice if you did that.

But all like immediately, like it's cause my throat was all fucked up and I was getting sick and I was traveling every motherfucking day. Gotta get you on that wellness formula. Wellness formula. It's just a pill from Whole Foods, but. Oh no, that stuff doesn't. That does work.

No it doesn't. What if it's placebo? That's what I'm saying. Yeah, but placebo works. I don't wanna fight. Well some placebos work. I don't wanna fight. Not on the podcast.

I imagine your boyfriend's gotta hear that all the time. He's about to make a really cogent, smart statement. You're like, I don't wanna fight. I don't wanna fight. Oh, you have no idea what he's been through. It's crazy. It's outrageous. How did you and your wife meet? Ashley Madison's website.

A friend of ours. No, we met, it's a long story, but we met, I had been through a really rough breakup with an ex, and the breakup occurred in a shitty way. So not that the breakup wasn't warranted, but the way it went down was not cool. And I was shooting Arrested and Portia De Rossi was like, I know this great girl for you. She's awesome and she's, you guys would be great together and blah, blah, blah. And I was in no mood to date at all. I wasn't, I mean, I was fresh into this thing.

I'm like, no, no, I'm not. No, no, thank you. And she's like, it's Amber. And I was like, she's a child, please. And then we met at some awards party thing that, she was on Joan of Arcadia at the time and I was on a rest and whatever. And then she was with her dad and Jason Ritter,

who's awesome. And they're like, she's a really, she's your number one fan. And I was fucking high out of my mind. I was like, oh, great. Yeah, see ya. Oh my God. And then years and years and years later, I was, no, it wasn't that much later. It was actually, it was probably just a little while later. But I was in the East Village where

I lived for a long time and I was walking my puppy and she was shooting a movie at, what do you call it, Two Boots on third and A. And I was walking, I recognized her and I was like, oh, hey, you know, like I threw the glass like, they were, you know, in between takes. And then she did little in those little heart things where you put your heart together and your hands together. And then I was like, so I wrote, I was like, hey, it's David Cross. Here's my number.

I don't know how long you're in town for, but you know, I can tell you all the cool places to go to, etc., etc. And I gave it to a PA with no designs on a romantic thing at all. Just like, oh, I know she's cool and whatever. She gave me heart hands. She gave me heart hands. And so I gave that to the PA, never heard from her, which is fine. Girl.

It was fine. So then maybe seven, eight months after that, I'm not even sure. Could have been longer. I was on one of those tiny connecting flights from Houston to Shreveport. And as was she, and she's sitting in the plane. It's like tiny, you know, it's one of those things

that has like, you know, 20 seats, tiny. And this fucking girl was just staring at me. It's weird. It's really off-putting. And I could see it in the corner of my eye. I'm like, what the fuck is this girl's problem? Look over occasionally. And I'm like, God, I knew it.

And then I realized, oh, it's Amber Tamblyn. Oh my God. And then, so there was this army reservist who was on this woman who was sitting in between where she was on one side and I was on the other. And then we're talking across the, across her. And she's like, do you guys want me to change seats? And she's like, yeah, thank you so much.

And then she sat next to me and we made fun of the Sky Mall. And I didn't realize how funny she was. Really funny, like fucking funny, funny, funny. And you know, super cute and smart. And then I said, look, I was going back to work on this film. It was like a four month long shoot in Shreveport, which is awful. Oh, it's, don't go. And then she was going to start a film and like, there's not a whole lot of great stuff, but I can tell you, you know, whatever. And so we started hanging out and

we hung out quite a bit. And then it became really obvious this tension. I mean, it sounds electric already. But I was like, man, if I make a move on this girl, it's awful because I know she's a fan, and I'm way older than her. And so it's kind of, but at, you know, let's say our 10th time of hanging out together and listening to music music and she comes over

and I was renting this house on this bayou or whatever. Oh my God. And then at some point it's like, you just, and then when you hear her tell her, it's like, you know, when the fuck is he gonna kiss me? Yeah, of course. And then eventually I did and then we haven't been apart. That's so sweet.

You know, since then, that's going way, way, way, way back. Oh my God. You have so many invisible strings. No, they're visible. They're very visible. You must be a big Swifty. A what? A big Swifty.

I like her. I like, I like- Invisible string is such a great song. Oh, I don't know. I'm not familiar with that much. Time, curious time. I don't know. It doesn't matter.

Sing along. No, she, I have friends that are very good friends with her and they're cool and I have heard amazing things about her. And just what I know and what I've read and what she said and she seems very cool and she was super, super cool to my daughter and yeah, like made her a bracelet, like they made a bracelet together. And we have to congratulate her because the Ares tour is finally done. It's crazy.

I've never met her. And me and of course me neither. Okay. But I feel connected to her. But I mean, you know, her music's all right. I don't, I don't. It's great. I mean, it's good for that kind of music for sure. But it's not necessarily my kind of music. But I don't hate it like modern jazz or new country or shit like that, you know. No, she seems really cool. And again, I have mutual friends who I trust and I know are good people who are good friends with her.

You said she's a real one. Yeah. That's great. She seems it. I love it. Yeah. But I mean, and I like what she has done And I like what she has done as somebody with a platform, I like what she's done within the music industry to go fuck you.

Fuck you. And go give it back to the artist and the artist get out of the business aspect of it. And so that I really admire. She seems really smart and cool. I'm a big fan. I end every show with a question from my daughter, who is seven. Oh my God, cute.

All right, Kat Cohen. Yes. And what is Kat short for? Catherine. Oh really? Yeah. Not Katerina? Yes. And what is Kat short for? Katherine. Oh really? Yeah. Not Katarina?

No. Not Catastrophe? Catastrophe is a good one. All right. New special title. Oh there you go. Could be good. Kat asks me.

Pretty fun. Let's see, which one of these do I wanna... Okay, I'm gonna ask you this one, Kat. Kat Cohen, do you wanna plug something? Yes, I would love everyone to go watch my new comedy special on Veep's. It's called Come For Me. Is there a double meaning there or is it?

A triple. A triple? I know two of them, what's the other one? Come to the show for me. Oh, oh, okay, yeah. All right, ready? Yeah. From my daughter.

Kat Cohen, why do babies cry? Because it's hard to not have words. And so they have to let it out somehow. What would you say to a seven-year-old, I guess? Why do babies cry? Yeah, seven-year-old goes, Cat, why do babies cry? I would say because they can't speak yet and it's their way of letting us know they need something.

Don't you think that's true? Me? I don't know. Yeah, you really shouldn't have a kid. Oh, please. I'll figure it out. I'm almost 30. That's true.

I have time. All right, Kat. Thank you for having me. Thank you for coming on the show. Thank you. Sense is Working Over Time is a HeadGum podcast created and hosted by me, David Cross. The show is edited by Katie Skelton and engineered by Nicole Lyons with supervising producer Emma Foley. Thanks to Demi Druchen for

our show art and Mark Rivers for our theme song. For more podcasts by Headgum, visit Headgum.com or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts and maybe we'll read it on a future episode. I'm not gonna do that. Thanks for listening.