Hi, I'm Kate. And I'm Lori. We've always thought that the most compelling story

strikes the perfect balance between an honest look at the mess of life and the humor that can be found in the mess.

To be perfectly honest, we don't really know how to live life without both the humor and the authenticity.

Our podcast might be a little bit of whiplash at times. We can spin from hard, We don't really know how to live life without both the humor and the authenticity.

Our podcast might be a little bit of whiplash at times.

We can spin from hard and deep to humor and laughing on a dime.

The hard will be really hard and the truths we share are the ugliest of humanity.

We don't intend to make it seem like it's all fine or to pretty up the pain.

But we also know that the joy we found is all the more profound because of the pain. So we hope you can stick with us through the ugly

because there will also be joy and hope and humor. Welcome to the ugly truth about the girl

next door. Hi, welcome back to our podcast, the Ugly Truth about the Girl Next Door.

I'm Kate. And I'm Lori. And we are back. Back from a bit of a break over the holidays.

I just got back from Boston, Massachusetts again. Yeah, it's been a minute since we've podcasted.

Mostly just time. We're busy,

building and growing our new nonprofit, Mezzo Allies. Also, just the holiday season.

You know, we've talked a lot about, we talked a lot about it on social media, but also on the

podcast, just the reality of how hard the holidays can be, how hard the holidays are,

how at every opportunity that offenders get to terrorize and taunt and hurt, they do.

And holidays are an especially particular time that they decide to do that.

So that was a lot getting through this year.

I know.

I have a fidget and it's making noise and Lori doesn't like that it's going to be in the background.

...