The Morning Brew with Chris Bennett

Rain, Laughs, and Facing Fears

• Chris Bennett • Episode 133

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Rain taps the studio windows and the lines light up—gratitude for soaked forests, a playful dare to face what scares us, and a cowboy on the line with a memory that still rides shotgun. We open with a quick-fire “Would You Rather” that turns fear into a laugh you can hold, then pivot to Virgil’s quiet tribute: driving his late friend’s truck and asking for George Strait to fill the empty seat. Between a new calf on the ranch and preferences that sketch a life—cowboy hat, truck rides, bar at sunset—we find the texture of a Tuesday that refuses to be ordinary.

We shift gears into a local heartbeat: a community fundraiser at Birdie’s Steakhouse to support families of fallen firefighters. Real details matter—doors open midafternoon, silent and live auctions, donated gear from log splitters to smokers, a retired firefighter at the mic. When people know where to show up, they do. That spirit echoes in a Wichita taco line where a stranger quietly covers a family’s dinner and tips the staff, later crowned the “Taco Hero.” Kindness becomes a chain reaction you can taste.

There’s a global note too—families reunited after long captivity—reminding us that courage also looks like patience, relief, and the awkward joy of meeting your people again. Then Paul calls with a personal win: down from the high 270s to 249 on a GLP-1/GIP med, swapping non-stop snacking for oranges and setting a realistic target. We cap things with National Chocolate Covered Insect Day, a quick insect trivia face-off, and enough nerdy facts to make you smile at the next buzzing visitor. It’s a full cup: local community, personal resilience, country music comfort, and small brave acts that add up. If this blend fills your morning like a good brew, hit follow, share it with a friend who could use a lift, and drop us a note with the best good news you’ve heard this week.

SPEAKER_01:

From the Horn Auto Center Studios, Chris Bennett and the Morning Brew. Good morning, it's the Morning Brew with Chris. Who's this?

SPEAKER_04:

Good morning, Champion Chris Bennett.

SPEAKER_01:

Heck yeah, it's Brian from Pinedale on this. Talk about something good Tuesday. You have anything good to talk about? Oh yeah, I'm so thankful for all this rain. Brian, isn't it the best? I mean, you know, the flooding stinks, but uh, we definitely need the rain, right?

SPEAKER_04:

Oh, yeah, because like 18% of our forest I'm reading is suffering from the drought.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, really? Oh wow.

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, so I'm so happy to see this rain.

SPEAKER_01:

Heck yeah, bring on the rain, buddy. What can I do with you for it this morning?

SPEAKER_04:

How about a song? Get the day going.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, I'll play you a song, but you gotta play a game with me? Sure. Awesome. What song you want? Uh Midnight Train to Memphis. We are on the phone with our best friend Brian from Pinedale. And today, Brian, is Face Your Fears Day. Do you uh have any uh fears? Oh yeah. What's your biggest fear?

SPEAKER_04:

My biggest fear?

SPEAKER_01:

Death. Well, yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

Second one is my wife.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh are you afraid of heights or spiders?

SPEAKER_04:

No, I'm not really.

SPEAKER_01:

No, no. Well, uh, for International Face Your Fears Day, we're gonna do Would You Rather Face Your Fear Edition. You ready? Sure, let's go. Would you rather hold a tarantula in your hand for 30 seconds or let your ex pick your next haircut?

SPEAKER_04:

Uh, I'd rather hold the tarantula.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, but your your last ex was like 40 years ago?

SPEAKER_04:

Yeah, I don't know. I mean, shoot, I don't even can't even remember my last one.

SPEAKER_01:

And I've held a tarantula before. They're not scary. No, they're they're just they're curious. Yeah. Would you rather give a 10-minute motivational speech naked or sing Let It Go live at the Sholo Elks Lodge on their talent night?

SPEAKER_04:

Ooh. I think I'd rather do the lecture. Oh, really? A motivational uh Yeah, I'm not one to get in front of people.

SPEAKER_01:

And last one, would you rather eat a chocolate-covered cricket or kiss someone who just ate garlic and sardines? Eat or kiss somebody with garlic and sardines. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_04:

You've never eaten a chocolate-covered bug? No, I when we were in um Thailand, yeah, they had chocolate-covered crickets. Oh yeah, were they good? Um, I don't know. Oh, you never had one. Yeah, I don't think I could try them. They were there, we could got them, but we didn't try them.

SPEAKER_01:

That's right. Well, uh, today is actually also National Chocolate Covered Insect Day. So yeah, and International Face Your Fears. So if that's a fear, go ahead and face it today and get yourself a chocolate-covered insect.

SPEAKER_04:

All right. I I if it's if it's processed, maybe you'll do it.

SPEAKER_01:

That was International Face Your Fears Day with Brian from Pinedale. Brian, thanks for calling in and having fun with us this morning.

SPEAKER_04:

Great day.

SPEAKER_01:

Have a good one. You too, best friend. Bye. Good morning. It's the morning brew with Chris. Who's this?

SPEAKER_02:

Hey, good morning, my friend.

SPEAKER_01:

Heck yes, Virgil the Cowboy from Eager. It has been a while. Give us an update on Virgil the Cowboy.

SPEAKER_02:

The boys and the girls are painting and taking care of the place because it's raining.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, nice. So they're they're painting to take care of the inside of the place? Yeah, inside and all that. So just because it rains doesn't mean that the cowboys and cowgirls get the day off.

SPEAKER_02:

Nope.

SPEAKER_01:

Nope. Well, what can I do you for this morning, Virgil? I miss my friend. The one we lost.

SPEAKER_02:

Yes, yes. I'm gonna drive her truck today.

SPEAKER_01:

I drive your truck when I want to hear. What um I know it's hard, best friend, and she's been gone for how many months? Couple. Couple months. Uh what do you what do you miss most?

SPEAKER_02:

The way she laughs, the way she jokes with people.

SPEAKER_01:

Right. Well, man.

SPEAKER_02:

She was a very happy person.

SPEAKER_01:

Ah. Well, that's the best way to be, right? Yeah. Yeah, be happy, spread happiness. She sounds like she was amazing. And uh we'll play a little song for her. I drive your truck. Sounds good.

SPEAKER_02:

I gotta drive it today.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh Virgil, any uh new arrivals on the ranch? You got any new uh horses or baby cows or anything juicy?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, we got a baby bull the other day.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, really? And do you uh do you name the uh the bull when it's born or you just treat it like a a cow?

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, just like a cow.

SPEAKER_01:

You don't treat it like a pet. Huh? You don't treat it like a pet. Oh, we do. Oh, oh nice. But you don't give it a name?

SPEAKER_02:

Uh I think the ladies are doing that one.

unknown:

Oh, nice.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, uh Virgil's gotta get going. You're gonna uh you're you're gonna leave the uh cowgirls and cowboys to do some work and you're gonna go uh drive your friend's truck. But I thought first we would do a little this or that with Virgil from Eager. You ready? All right, go for it. All right, cowboy hat or baseball cap? Cowboy hat. Yeah, absolutely. Do you wear a cowboy hat every day?

SPEAKER_02:

No. No?

SPEAKER_01:

Horse ride or truck uh horse ride or truck ride?

SPEAKER_02:

Truck.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, over a horse?

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, really? Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

Sunrise on the ranch or sunset at the bar? At the bar. Uh, let's see. Uh a leather saddle or a lazy boy recliner?

SPEAKER_02:

Uh lazy boy.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh rodeo clown or bull rider? Clown like it. Clown. And last one, George Strait or Garth Brooks.

SPEAKER_02:

Uh King of Country, George.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, you got it, buddy. We'll play some George Strait for you right now. Thanks so much for having fun with us, Virgil, and I hope you have a great rest of your day, best friend. You too. You be safe, my friend. You too. Bye. Later. Janine, are you over there?

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, I am. Hi, hi.

SPEAKER_01:

She's always waiting for me.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, you love that, don't you?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it's the best. Uh, anything uh new and juicy on this uh Talk About Something Good Tuesday?

SPEAKER_00:

You know, I want to alert everybody and remind you about tomorrow. Tomorrow at Birdie's Steakhouse on Porter Mountain Road. You can go there like at 3 o'clock. They're gonna have it just go, and they have silent auction items, live auction items, and um Chuck Haney with Chuck Haney Auctions, he's doing it with Birdies. They've gotten all of these donations, and everything is to benefit the three firefighter families from our fi fallen firefighters. So it's super, super cool. So that's tomorrow at Birdie's Steakhouse on Porter Mountain Road. Starting about three o'clock. The live auction will go at six, but they're gonna have great food, all this kind of stuff. Doesn't cost anything to get in, just go. And uh they have I mean, they have log splitters and recliners donated and a smoker, and yeah, they have all kinds of stuff. So you can get a Christmas gift and help our firefighters. There you go. Can't think of anything better. Yeah, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01:

Help our firefighters and get some Christmas.

SPEAKER_00:

And Chuck Haney, the auctioneer, he's a former firefighter, he's a retired firefighter himself, so kind of cool.

SPEAKER_01:

Heck yeah. All right, everyone, you know what to do. Go ahead, and that is tomorrow night.

SPEAKER_00:

Tomorrow, tomorrow Wednesday, starting about three o'clock. You can go there at two o'clock, they're gonna open their doors to three o'clock, and they're gonna have silent auction, live auction, great food, all that stuff.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, Janine, it's time for some good news on this talk about something good Tuesday. I'll go first. All right. Uh, and this is perfect on Talk About Something Good Tuesday because uh sometimes, Janine, heroes don't wear capes, they buy you tacos. Those are my type of heroes. At a Wichita taco restaurant, Janine, their payment system went down and only cash was accepted. And so the Sheer family, they were waiting in line only to realize they didn't have enough money. And so uh just as they are about to leave, a stranger, a man with jeans, and a voice like Nick Nolte, they said, handed them a hundred dollar bill and said, Dinner's on me tonight. And uh they tried to give him the money back, and he said nope, and they gave him the change, and then he just tipped the whole staff before he left. And the family later shared the story online, and the mystery man was found. His name is Jared, and he said he grew up poor, and a family once took him in, so he is paying it forward. The restaurant crowned him the Wichita Taco Hero, and guess what? He gets free tacos for a year. Ooh. Yeah, because sometimes kindness is the best thing on the menu. There you go.

SPEAKER_00:

Very sweet. Awesome. We love that.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, a great good news story about giving back. All right, Janine, I'm ready for your good news story.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I have to go with this one because, you know, and it's not even political or anything. It's just that this is weird because you know, our wise guys think it's very, they're very it's a liberal media group, right? Pretty liberal. And even they have let off the top of their good news today with all of those hostages being released. That was super, super cool. Yeah, their number one story on this liberal site. So good for them. It says world leaders, including President Trump, signed the big Gaza peace deal and watching the 23 hostages be released to their families. I know you saw a lot of that video, just heartwarming. I mean, the tears, the hugs after being in captivity for more than two years in tunnels. I know it's so cool, and it's so good to have them released. So that's their top good news story. So I had to share that really, really cool uh piece in the Middle East, and so tons and tons of people are celebrating that today. So good for them. That is awesome.

SPEAKER_01:

That is great news.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes, yes. That was that's gotta be the big good news story almost of the month, it's gonna be. So that that's a big one. Had to mention it. Yes, getting them out too. Can you imagine two years?

SPEAKER_01:

And it's uh like I literally, Janine, just bury my head in the sand and don't pay attention to like stuff like that.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, that's a big one, though. To be a hostage for yeah, and I'm gonna go. But like I can't imagine Yeah, Hamas gave him up. And the one dad, you could see him having seen his little girls, and they were tiny for two years, and the little girls are trying to understand who he is. It's just but it's just heartwarming to see all the families get these family members back. So super cool.

SPEAKER_01:

So, so glad they are reunited with their family.

SPEAKER_00:

Exactly.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, awesome. Good news on this talk about something good Tuesday. Janine, we love you, best friend. I hope you have to be here.

SPEAKER_00:

Have a great day, Chris. Alrighty, okay, bye-bye. The camp is in the house.

SPEAKER_01:

It's Paul from Boma, everyone's favorite redneck on this talk about something good Tuesday. Uh, do you have something good to talk about this morning?

SPEAKER_03:

Man, I broke 250. I broke 250. Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

Feeling pretty good, feeling pretty strong. Feeling pretty thin. Have you noticed, so you started taking the fat shot? It's like an Ozempic type thing.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, trizippitide or something. That was dangerous.

SPEAKER_01:

And you started at 270 what? 277, 278. It was up there. And now you are down to 249. 249. Have you noticed any side effects from uh the the shot?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, I can I can I can put I can put pants and shorts on without having to hold on to the wall to get that second leg in.

SPEAKER_01:

What uh do you have a goal weight that you're gonna hit and then stop taking the shot, or you just do you have to take the shot the rest of your life?

SPEAKER_03:

No, I'm not taking it the rest of my life. Uh I might just maintain. But no, I'm not taking it the rest of the shot. I I d honestly, I think once your body gets used to taking in what it's taking in, you should be good. Okay, my body was used to just consuming and consuming. Right. And non-stop consuming. Now, it's kind of used to, hey, just go get an apple. Hey, just go get an orange. Re really just an orange. I ate the heck out of oranges.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, that is some good news, man. Glad you're getting healthy. What's the uh the final goal weight? What what are you trying to hit?

SPEAKER_03:

About 230, 235.

SPEAKER_01:

All right, all right. So probably in another month you'll be there.

SPEAKER_03:

I don't know, bro. I think I'm still kind of a stall, stall tip.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh well, I hope you keep losing weight, buddy. It is now time for Are You Smarter Than a Redneck with Paul from Beaumont today, Paul? It is uh National Chocolate Covered Insect Day. You ever uh eat uh chocolate-covered insects?

SPEAKER_03:

No, but I got my grandkids uh suckers and crickets in them.

SPEAKER_01:

Right?

SPEAKER_03:

They ate them.

SPEAKER_01:

Did they know they were crickets?

SPEAKER_03:

No, they thought it was just more candy in it because our mom was like, that's a real cricket.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, for National Chocolate Covered Insect Day, I thought we would do some insect trivia. If you know the answer, say your name. That's your buzzer. Are you ready? Let's do this. All right. Which of the following arthropods, which I don't know what that is, which of the following arthropods is not an insect? Is it scorpion, fly, cockroach, or dragonfly? Oh. Paul Paul. Fly? Is it fly? No, I'm gonna say scorpion. It is scorpion. So scorpion's not considered an insect?

SPEAKER_03:

Yes not. I didn't say fly was all right.

SPEAKER_01:

Next one. Uh the insect abdomen contains organs for excretion, the reproductive tract, the digestive tract, or all the above. Paw. Paw. All the above? Yeah, that's always the best answer to go with. There we go.

SPEAKER_03:

Hey, we're talking. We're talking about insects. Yeah. I saw a wasp flew right in front of me the other day. I think it's sliding. I swear. I think it took a poop. I saw a poop come out. That's disgusting.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. All right. I've never seen a wasp poop. No, I've never seen that either. That's disgusting. Thanks for sharing that with us. All right. I'm freaking out. All right, Paul. You and I are tied at one apiece. This last question will determine who the winner is. Here we go. In which of the following insects do only the female suck blood? Is it a louse, a bedbug, a mosquito, or a flea? Paul. Paul.

unknown:

Meskiter?

SPEAKER_01:

Mosquiter? I'm gonna say bedbug. Is it mosquito? It is mesqueter. You are smarter than a very handsome radio DJ. Congratulations, Paul.

SPEAKER_03:

Of course, man, I'm a winner. I don't tell you I'm gonna go.

SPEAKER_01:

That's right. Well, Paul, we love you, buddy. Thanks for calling in, checking in, and we'll talk to you tomorrow.

Contributor

Chris Bennett

Host