Rise and Shine Otters, it's June 2nd, and the sky over the 32nd State is pulling off one of its soft blue miracles. The kind of morning where the sun peeks through the spruce just right, like a slow sip of sunlight warming your bones. I’m Spiess in the Morning, sending you some festive vibes and cheerful energy today from the spectacular studios next to the swamp
Now June 2nd may not be circled in red on your calendar, but let me tell you — she’s got some stories to tell.
Let’s talk theme days. Today is National Rocky Road Day, celebrating that glorious ice cream combo of chocolate, marshmallows, and nuts. Invented during the Great Depression, they say it was meant to give folks a sweet distraction from the hard times — a rocky road for sure, but paved in fudge and hope.
Also, for the political philosophers and lovers of freedom out there, it’s National Leave the Office Early Day. Yeah, that’s a real thing. Boss might not like it, but Thoreau would — because sometimes escaping the hum of fluorescent lights is just what your soul needs. Go fish. Go hike. Go stare at the clouds and feel small. That’s liberation, baby.
History’s pages got a few interesting chapters on this date too. Back in 1953, Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was crowned Queen Elizabeth II in a coronation fit for the storybooks. A real-life fairy tale… or perhaps a cautionary tale, depending on how you feel about hereditary rule.
Speaking of shifts in power, it was also on June 2, 1924, that President Calvin Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act, granting U.S. citizenship to Native Americans born in the country. A significant step, though wrapped in contradictions — a recognition long overdue, yet layered with federal control. Progress with asterisks. History is messy like that.
Pop culture lovers — on this day in 1989, Dead Poets Society hit theaters. Robin Williams as Mr. Keating, whispering “Carpe Diem” into the ears of boys in blazers. That movie taught us to stand on desks and see the world with new eyes — to suck the marrow out of life. And if that doesn’t deserve a toast of rocky road, I don’t know what does.
Let’s start with some birthdays — and let me tell you, today’s guest list is one hell of a dinner party. And for you stargazers and soul travelers, Charlie Watts, the heartbeat of the Rolling Stones, born in 1941 — quiet, classy, the gentleman drummer.
Dana Carvey, born this day in 1955 — the man of a thousand voices, a thousand eyebrows, and enough SNL characters to fill a sketch comedy Mount Rushmore. Church Lady, Garth, Hans or Franz — take your pick. And underneath all the laughs, there’s this quiet little current of social satire. Not bad for a guy who made Wayne’s World a household term.
Next, we’ve got Dennis Haysbert — born 1954. You might know him as President David Palmer from 24, or the Allstate guy with that voice as rich as a cup of dark roast coffee on a rainy morning. When Dennis talks, you believe. Doesn’t matter if it’s nuclear codes or car insurance. There’s just truth in it.
Now stepping into the ring — AJ Styles, born 1977. Pro wrestling royalty, the “Phenomenal One” himself. You might think it’s all body slams and crowd chants, but there’s art in it, too — movement, story, archetype. AJ brings a kind of balletic chaos to the ring. Like if Bruce Lee moonlighted as a rockstar in spandex.
Then there’s Justin Long, born 1978 — the everyman of the digital age. He was the Mac in those old Apple commercials — remember those? Mac vs. PC? The slacker genius up against the corporate robot. But Justin’s got range: Dodgeball, Jeepers Creepers, Live Free or Die Hard. He’s like the guy next door who accidentally stumbled into a movie set and nailed the scene.
And rounding out the crew, Wayne Brady, born 1972 — a guy who can improvise a Broadway number out of your grocery list. Comedy, music, hosting, drama — there’s not a stage he hasn’t owned. He’s like jazz personified. Unpredictable, smooth, and impossible to pin down.
Kinda poetic, right? You’ve got a master of disguise, a velvet-voiced oracle, a high-flying grappler, a digital-age journeyman, and a human Swiss Army knife.
So here we are, friends. June 2nd. A day with its own flavor, its own rhythms. Somewhere between a coronation and a scoop of ice cream, between citizenship and poetry. It’s a day to remember that we’re all walking our own rocky roads, but maybe — just maybe — there’s something sweet in the struggle.
Take a deep breath. Let the wind remind you you’re alive. And if you can, leave the office early.
This is Spiess in the Morning, reminding myself and anyone else listening that the only crown that matters is the one made of sunlight on your shoulders. Stay weird otters and stay kind
Spiess in the Morning broadcasting from the spectacular studios next to the swamp, your low-watt lighthouse guiding you through the murky waters of memory, meaning, and the magic of the everyday.
’ve been chewing on something lately. Not deer jerky—though, thanks again, Joe—but rather, I’ve been chewing on the idea of narcissism.
Not the Greek myth, though old Narcissus sure set the stage, gazing into the water until he withered away, starved for something that couldn’t love him back. No, I’m talking about the real-world version. Living with a narcissist. Loving one. Working with one. Thinking you can help them. And the reality of how it almost always ends.
Now, if you’ve never had the pleasure, let me tell you—it’s like trying to hug a mirror. You keep reaching out, hoping your warmth might generate some in return, and every time you’re met with cold glass. You tell yourself: maybe if I just stay calm, stay kind, show them grace, maybe that’ll crack the ice.
But it doesn’t.
See, when you’re in love with someone like that—someone who sees your kindness as weakness, your compassion as currency to be spent—it becomes this endless negotiation with your own soul. You tiptoe around the emotional landmines, trying not to trigger the next explosion. You think, if I don’t react, they won’t escalate. But that’s the rub. Narcissists don’t need your reaction. They feed off your stillness, too. They twist your quiet into consent.
You get real good at making peace, even when there's no war you started.
I remember waking up one morning and realizing I hadn’t had a real laugh in months. Not a chuckle, not a polite smile, but a good, old-fashioned, coffee-through-the-nose laugh. Because I’d been so wrapped up in managing their moods, explaining myself for the hundredth time, rephrasing truth until it fit their version of reality.
There’s this belief that love can fix anything and grace will always prevail. Maybe it can patch a leaky roof or nurse a sick dog, but it can’t fill a black hole. And that’s what being with a narcissist can feel like: an endless cosmic pull, drawing your light, your energy, your sense of self into a vortex you can't name.
And still—you stay. Because you think leaving makes you the selfish one.
But eventually, there comes a moment. It doesn’t always come in a bang. Sometimes it’s quiet. Like a bird landing on a wire, or a leaf detaching from a branch. A whisper of enough. And that’s when you realize the real peace you were chasing wasn’t in trying to make it work. It was in walking away.
Not in anger. Not in revenge. Just... stepping out of the mirror.
So if you’re out there, listening from your pickup truck or your cabin or the warmth of someone who does see you—just know this: leaving isn’t failure. It’s a return. A homecoming. To yourself.
Alright, otters, the sun’s cresting the edge of the lake now, and that low glow is reminding me that even the darkest night gets lit up by the smallest ember. Stay strong out there otters. Stay strong and stay real.
Spiess in the Morning, coming at you live from the epicenter of introspection and espresso, where the coffee’s as bitter as the wind, and the thoughts are as vast as the night sky.
I was sitting out in my garden lounge last night, along with my trusted companion Gouda, wrapped in a blanket older than some of the trees around here, listening to the wind whisper sweet nothings through the birch. There’s something about the change of seasons in Minnesota—she’s like a fickle mistress.
One minute, the world’s thawing and the sun’s staying up late like a teenager with a summer crush, and the next minute, she throws a snow squall at you like a cold shoulder after a bad date. Keeps you humble. Keeps you grateful.
Got me thinking about change. Not the kind you find under couch cushions or the kind you shout about during an election year—but the slow, molasses kind of change. The kind that creeps in on tiptoe, changes your favorite song, nudges your beliefs, reshapes your silhouette in the mirror.
People are funny creatures. We say we want change, but deep down, we want certainty wrapped in the illusion of progress. We want adventure with a GPS. Transformation without letting go. But the universe? She doesn’t play by those rules. She’s jazz, not pop. Improvised. Moody. Sometimes out of tune, but always honest.
Like old Heraclitus said—'You can’t step into the same river twice.' The river moves. You move. Maybe that’s the point. You’re not supposed to anchor yourself too tight to the banks. You're supposed to flow. Get your feet wet. Risk the current. Maybe even lose your boots.
So whether you’re waking up next to someone you love, or all alone with your cat and a half-eaten cinnamon roll… take a breath. Feel the tide in your bones. Because change, my friends, is not the enemy. Stagnation is.
And now, here’s a little something for anyone out there standing at the crossroads with a suitcase in one hand and a heart full of maybe in the other. A little Tom Peckskamp and the Moody River Band, because even prophets wear sunglasses and play harmonica.
Stay calm and cool, otters.
Spiess in the Morning sending some festive vibes and cheerful energy into the universe today. And with that, it’s a reminder that today is Monday. Again.
Yeah, that ol' cyclical hammer striking the bell of our weekly rhythm. Monday—the white canvas we didn't ask for, but somehow get handed like a blank tax form or an unsolicited poem. Some folks dread it. Some folks fight it. And a few brave souls, caffeinated and freshly showered, charge into it like it's the Normandy of new beginnings.
But me? I like to think of Monday as the universe’s do-over button. A little cosmic mercy built right into the Gregorian calendar. A chance to recalibrate. To shake off the Sunday sermons and Saturday sins. It’s a checkpoint on the trail, where we look back at where we stumbled, where we danced, and then adjust the pack straps for the climb ahead.
I see Terry heading to Kate’s with his coffee and his philosophical fix. Paul’s probably gathering eggs, which he is selling $3/dozen. Amy’s counting kegs and to-go cups, getting The Silver Dollar in order for another week of burgers and half-sipped confessions. Everyone’s got their own Monday ritual. Their way of saying: I’m still here.
And maybe that’s all Monday really is. A whisper from the cosmos saying, You made it. Try again.
See, Mondays don't come with confetti or champagne corks. They’re not built for fireworks. They're made for small things. Quiet courage. A note to an old friend. Lacing up your boots. Returning the library book that's three weeks late. Making peace with that pile of laundry and the unanswered email from your cousin in Willmar.
So to all my fellow wanderers, dreamers, and 9-to-5 warriors—don’t let the Monday blues swallow you whole. Sip your coffee slow. Breathe in that cool Minnesota air. And remember, the only thing heavier than a Monday is the weight we give it.
This is Spiess in the Morning, reminding myself and anyone else who’s listening that even the longest journeys start with a Monday... and maybe a decent cup of joe.
SONG BY FLATLANDS
OTTER TALK COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Paul’s Fresh Eggs - $3/dozen - call or text 218-205-7779
Summer Fest in Fergus Falls is Friday June 13 and Saturday June 14.
The Shoreline Bowling Alley in Battle Lake has open bowling All Summer Long. Call 218-864-5265 for more info or stop by 505 N Lake Ave, Battle Lake, MN.
The Bookmobile stops across from the Parkers Prairie Post Office every other Wednesday throughout the year. You can find the Bookmobile there from 3 pm to 4 pm. Not only does the Bookmobile have books, movies & magazines to check out, but the Bookmobile and member libraries also offer a wide variety of electronic resources including Ebooks, downloadable audiobooks, streaming movies, TV and music, and a wide variety of educational databases and distance learning resources.
Join The Depot on 59’s Summer Volleyball league in Erhard, MN! 8 Weeks- Ages 21+- Coed Teams.
Volleyball & Chill Wednesday:
May 28-July 23
July 30-September 10th
Power Players Thursday:
May 29-July 14th
July 31-September 11th
Sign your team up today by calling 218-842-5185 or stop by The Depot on Hwy 59 in Erhard. $20 Per team sign up $2 per person per night. 100% payback.
If you have a community event for the Community Bulletin Board, email studio@ottertalk.media
Food & Festivities
Long Bridge Bar, Grill & Marina (Detroit Lakes): Check out the Pepper Jack Slaw Dog, a 1/4 lb all beef hot dog served on a poppy seed bun with sweet chili sauce, spicy pepper jack cheese, and topped with coleslaw.
Knotty Pine (Elbow Lake): Offering great food, cold drinks, and fantastic service. It’s Create-Your-Own-Pasta time - your choice of pasta, protein, sauce and veggies!
Garden Bar (Alexandria): Locally owned, The Garden Bar is committed to providing its guests with a memorable dining experience through fresh and eclectic menu options, an extensive wine and beer list and hand-crafted cocktails. Celebrate Truffle Day and try the Pomme Frites, which are hand-cut, then topped with gruyere, bacon, scallions and truffle aioli.
Rothsay Powerhouse (Rothsay): Burgers, wings, walleye fingers, dinner specials and much more! Live Music, tasty drinks and friendly staff.
Want Otter Talk to highlight a local musician or upcoming gig? Email studio@ottertalk.media
Happy Monday Everyone! Feel free to like, share and or comment!
Please tune in Tuesday for more local lakes area tunes, totally tubular tales, and some small-town smiles.
Know someone who might enjoy today’s program? Give a gift subscription or share it on!
Have some news? How about an idea for the show? Email studio@ottertalk.media
Share this post