Season 9 The Age Of Weddings Blog 10: Dayton

 Dayton

My mom’s college roommate was a woman named Shannon. While I wrote about her once in my books, within this series, she and her husband, Tim, have only appeared in Cousin Simple-themed installments (Columbus Against The World, Full Circle, and Not Just A Background Character, which mostly takes place during Columbus Against The World). Both of the shows depicted in those installments took place in Columbus. On Friday, February 27, 2026, Cousin Simple had their first show in Dayton, where Shannon and Tim live.

At around 7:10, Mom, Dad, Josh, Paige, my friend Elana, her sister Jenna (who also happened to go to school with Paige), and I walked into a pizza shop called Oregon Express. Shannon, Tim, Ryan, Luke, Will, and Dave were already there at a table. Full Circle happened two years ago, so before the show started, we spent our time catching up with Shannon and Tim. 

In my head, I’ve broken up Cousin Simple’s discography into 4 eras. The classic/nostalgic era (from their first album, And We Would Never End, to their first two singles, This Is A Robbery and Rockstar). The First Singles Era (their second two singles, Honeybee and Star Destroyers, and their Christmas song, Laughing All The Way). The Second Singles Era (which is most of their remaining singles, We Know, Boy.Girl, Let’s Be Together, You Want It You Got It, Chapstick, All My Movies, Fast Lane, and Candlelight). Finally, the EP (current modern) Era, (their last three singles, Vacation (Taylor Swift), Prima Donna (single version), and Long Way (single version), and their EPs, Sugarcoat, Part Time Job, and You Don’t Have To Sing Along).

The first band that played was a screamo band, and before they went on, the tables were moved so people could dance. Once the first band was finished, Elana and I made our way to the front of the crowd. There was a girl at the front in a We Know shirt. As I always do, I walked up to her to do some crowd work.

“How long have you known the band?” I asked.

“Oh, I’m here for the next band,” she replied, thinking that I was asking about the screamo band. Once I explained the connection, we talked for about a minute, and Cousin Simple started playing. After the first song, I looked to my right and saw Paige and Jenna.

There are two things about Paige you should know. 

1. She hates to be the center of attention.

2. She has never come to the front of a Cousin Simple crowd with me.

When I saw her, I smiled, and she knew it was because she was at the front with me. Because she doesn’t like being the center of attention, she jokingly gave me a glare. I responded, “I love you,” with a chuckle. Unfortunately, the girl in the We Know shirt was standing between Paige and me, and because we had talked, she assumed that I was telling her I loved her.

Elena, who saw the whole thing, laughed. “Oh my gosh,” she said, “ you do get yourself into these awkward situations! I thought you were just making them up.”

I laughed. I was once told by a mentor, “Mitchell, you are the best person to have an awkward moment with.” I’ve always been a people person, and I’ve learned that despite the negative connotation of the word, I’ve always taken that quote to heart. Nothing is inherently good or bad; it’s about how you use it. I might be awkward, but I’m awkward with confidence!

Have a Greattastic day and be safe!

J. Mitchie Ulibarri, SBT

Season 9 The Age Of Weddings Blog 9.5: Rambling House

 Rambling House

Elena Collins was a classmate and friend of S.M. and mine, and for a very brief time, a coworker of mine at Kroger. We reconnected at Thread of Hope last October, and I found out that she’s been following me since I started the podcast, because her niece was diagnosed with Autism in November 2019. This was depicted in the installment Elena. The day after Thread of Hope, Paige and I went to a Cousin Simple show in New York, spent the day after the show exploring the city, and then got trapped in Orlando because we missed our connecting flight (A Quick Trip To NYC Parts 1, 2, and 3).

On Monday, October 27, 2025, as I drove into work late after getting home from Florida, Elana texted me to ask if we could meet up for coffee, as we had discussed at Thread of Hope. On Wednesday, the 29th, at 4:00, we met at Crimson Cup and talked about life.  Specifically, a major loss that she went through recently, and the events of my weekend in New York. As a result of this series and her knowledge of both Box Seats and Cousin Simple, she told me to let her know next time they had a show. 

On Friday, February 20th, 2026, my parents, Ryan, Elana, Paige, and I walked into a bar called Rambling House, where Box Seats was opening for another band. They started at 9:00, and they played 3 new songs! At the end of the show, I asked Elena how she liked it.

“It was awesome,” she replied, “now I just need to see Cousin Simple!”

“Actually,” I said, “they are playing a show in Dayton next week!”

“Sweet!” Elana said. Then after a pause, she asked, “Do you think you get a ticket for me and my sister Jenna? With the anniversary coming up…  I think it would be good for her to get out of town.” 

Season 9 The Age Of Weddings Blog 9: A Gregtastic Surprise

 A Gregtastic Surprise

As I’ve mentioned before, Greg Parker was my childhood neighbor on the other side of my parents' house from the Andersons, and he is my “brother” in the same way they are my “sisters.” The last time I saw him was when he, his wife, Temi, and their daughter (who we will call Blessing) came to visit us two years ago.

After our dinner at North Star, Arden drove Paige and me back to Summit Crest. We were back inside by 8:00. At 8:06, Greg texted me, “Yo, I’m in town till Monday. Want to get a drink?” I immediately called him, and eventually we decided to go to Old North Arcade the next day.

At 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 15, 2026, Greg picked Paige and me up, and we drove to the arcade. As we got in the car, we said hi and gave him his and Temi’s invite for our wedding. I couldn’t help but feel déjà vu from 24 hours before. 

When we walked into the arcade, Greg was clearly awestruck. “Have you really never been here?” I asked.

“No,” he replied with a chuckle. It made sense. I hadn’t discovered the arcade until about 9 months after his wedding, and he met Temi in college. He definitely wasn’t going to find a local bar in high school.

After getting our drinks and sitting down, Paige started digging for embarrassing childhood stories. This led us to talk about my imaginary girlfriend, Christina. While she appears in The Greattastic Adventures 2: Fractured and was “reincarnated” as Natalie in the Season 1 finale in this series, in both cases, I used her for very specific narrative reasons. In other words, Christina's “life” was a little more far-reaching than it was written in the book.

At the end of that conversation, we started playing some of the arcade games. We played Qbert, Super Mario Kart, Asteroids, and a few others. Greg and I specifically played a game of air hockey, and I think this is the only thing that I’ve ever beaten him at. When he dropped us back off at Summit Crest around 5:50, he told Paige, “Congratulations on not being imaginary!”

We got out of his car, and we waved as he drove away. Greg went to Cornell in 2016, and since then, I have only written about him 6 times. The first time is in Greattastic Adventurers 3 (which admittedly has not been published yet; I will do an update soon). His next appearance chronologically is the Season 4 installment, Groomsman (which is about him coming to town and asking me to be in his wedding). Then I did a three-part installment about his wedding, and in Season 5, I wrote an installment called Maintaining The Empire about him and me catching up after not seeing each other since the wedding. In Season 7, I wrote about his sister’s wedding, and then I wrote about when he, Temi, and Blessing came to visit (Emotional Reset). 

I’m bringing up his previous appearances because, outside of my next book, up to this point, Greg has only come back to Columbus for, or because of, a special event. The difference between Greg and, say, the Andersons is that, while we have remained at the same level of friend and they are all in different phases of life than I am, the Andersons and I have still grown together, whereas Greg is off in his own bubble. This is the first time since he got married that he and I have been able to be friends in person in normal circumstances, and I hope to continue this going forward!

Have a Greattastic day and day and be safe!

J. Mitchie Ulibarri, SBT 

Season 9 The Age Of Weddings Blog 8: The Valentine’s Day Special (Test)

 The Valentine’s Day Special (Test)

I have a theory. It's been a theory I’ve held for the last couple of years, probably ever since I started working at New Story. Astrologically speaking, winter starts a few days before Christmas and lasts about 12 or 13 weeks. There are seven weeks between Christmas and Valentine’s Day. In other words, Valentine's Day is approximately halfway through winter. My theory is that the best way to fight seasonal depression (barring the eradication of daylight saving time) is to make Valentine's Day more of a Christmas-esque holiday as opposed to a Hallmark one, so people have something to look forward to.

Friday, February 12th, 2026, was a Teacher Work Day. When I was at lunch, Arden texted me and asked what Paige and I were doing that weekend. I told her that we didn’t really have any plans, and she said she was thinking about coming up. On Valentine’s Day, I got up, wished Paige a happy Valentine’s Day, recorded the podcast version of Michelle, and read the first chapter of a book a family member wrote (we will come back to that eventually), as we waited for Arden to arrive.

At 3:30, Arden texted to let us know she had pulled into Summit Crest Apartments, and we went out to meet her. After we said hi, and we  gave her her wedding invite, Arden drove us to a little coffee shop she and I used to frequent as teenagers, called The Coffee Hub. The last time I was there was in 2019, so I was expecting it to look a little different, but they had completely remodeled it, so it was almost a totally different shop!

After that, we went to a new thrift shop that a new friend Arden made told her about. On the drive there, we went through Meadow Park Drive and drove past her childhood home. “It’s so sad,”  Arden said.

“I know,” I replied, “ I haven’t been able to look at the house when I go to my parents’ place, since they (her parents) moved.”

 When we got to the new thrift shop, I had to use the bathroom almost immediately. When I was done, I saw Arden and Paige in one of the aisles. When I was younger, I would go thrifting with the Andersons, and I would sneak under the clothing rack and scare them by grabbing their ankles. Old habits die hard.

After the thrift shop, we went to North Star for dinner. During that dinner, I explained my Valentine’s Day theory and proposed that, as a group, we start celebrating Valentine’s Day together from now on!

Have a Greattastic day and day and be safe!

J. Mitchie Ulibarri, SBT

Season 9 The Age Of Weddings Blog 7: Once In A Lifetime 8 Years Later

 Once In A Lifetime 8 Years Later

My second book, Once In A Lifetime: A Song For Sam, ends with Luke and I performing a love song that I wrote for S.M. at my graduation party. When I played the song, the McCarthys obviously were the honored guests, but August, Arden, Aspen, and Kid were there too. That was 8 years ago, as of this coming May. On the week of February 8th, 2026, Mom and Dad had to go to NYC to move a temporary exhibit they had set up there. I had to watch the house and cat Sammie.

Over the last year, my “sister,” August, has done a lot. Her husband and her are in the middle of a divorce, so as that has developed, she has had to adapt to being a single mother. Throughout 2025, the other Anderson women, myself, and Rich, and Barbara (especially after they moved to Wyoming), have become a huge support for August and Emerald. On Thursday, February 12th, 2026, I was at my parents' house writing because Paige had a late shift. At around 5:50, I got a FaceTime call from August. I answered and was immediately met by the face of my “niece.”

“Uncle Mitchie,” the two-year-old exclaimed. 

“Hey Emmy,” I replied. After August said hi and we caught up, I asked Emerald, “Are you ready to be a flower girl?”

“I throw flowers at Awden, and Aspen, and Lo-lo… and YOU!” She declared.

As we continued to talk, a few more things about Emerald were revealed. She was very content bossing me around. She loved dancing around and being the center of attention. So very typical two-year-old behavior… put more accurately, very typical Anderson behavior. Based on our history, August and I thought it was a little bit funny that it almost seems to be a genetic urge to boss me around (though I’m not worried about Emerald, as August and the other Andersons have grown out of that). Toward the end of the FaceTime, August told Emerald that I have written songs, and the child got really excited about that. I sat down at the piano and played Once In A Lifetime. 

Up to this point, in my writings, Emerald has effectively just been a plot device or in some cases, just a plot point. August, coming to Ohio to tell us that she was pregnant (and then deciding against it at the last possible second), led directly to Kid and Paige living together. August not being around as much over the last few years is because she’s been figuring out this whole mom thing. In any appearance that Emerald had that didn’t have to do with those two aforementioned things (either as August’s baby bump or as herself), she just kind of existed. Mostly because she was too young to have a personality that wasn’t “generic baby.” All of the writing I do about my life isn't necessarily 100% true; it’s more like an artistic representation of the truth. What I’m saying is that while I (the author) haven’t been able to make Emerald into an actual character yet, that reflects my (the actual person’s) relationship with the person Emerald is based on.

As I played Once in a Lifetime and Emerald started humming the tune, I realized how amazing this moment was. By her relation to August, Emerald was born into my childhood friend group, but because of how age works, she is the only member who was not there when I performed it at my graduation party. Performing this song for her retroactively inserts her into that initial performance (at least from an emotional standpoint). Additionally, I was excited that I can officially consider Emerald a friend, at least in some capacity.

Have a Greattastic day and be safe!

J. Mitchie Ulibarri, SBT

Season 9 The Age Of Weddings Blog 6: Michelle

 Michelle

Nicole is Paige’s best friend; in fact, she is Paige’s “sister” in the same way the Andersons are mine, and she is her maid of honor. She has been a major part of Paige and my love story. First and foremost, she helped me ask Paige to be my girlfriend (The Scroll). While I mentioned her twice last season, her last full appearance was in the first part of the Season 7 finale, October-December. I wanted to take this installment to catch up with Nicole and show how she has been helping us in our engagement.

On Sunday, January 26, 2025, Paige and I took my cousins, Lexi and Caitlynn, to the mall to help Caitlynn get something for my grandpa‘s funeral the next day. Toward the end of our trip, we wanted Starbucks, and when my order came up, the barista called me “Michelle.” Then on that Friday, January 31, Paige and I went out to Pins to celebrate Clo’s birthday (They Grow Up So Fast). When we left Pins, Clo wanted Cane‘s, so we went there. I ordered, and as Paige and I were telling Clo the Starbucks story, wouldn’t you know it, one of the Cane’s employees yelled, “Order for Michelle.”

Now, earlier that month, Nicole had started dating a guy, who we’ll call Carson. The day after we hung out with Clo, Paige, and I went out to dinner with Nicole, Carson, and one of Nicole's friends at a restaurant that, ironically, was in the same mall we had been to on Sunday.

I was out here making a great first impression. The whole table was laughing, and they were all loving me, and it was awesome. Having known Carson now for over a year, I've come to the conclusion that he is a very funny person, but I don’t think he was ready for me to be as funny as I was that night. At some point, Paige told the whole Michelle story.

Now I wish I could remember the setup for this. I don’t remember exactly what was said, but after Paige told that story, Carson kept calling me “Michelle.” At some point, I said something, and Carson jokingly asked, “Michelle, are you pregnant?”

What I said next came out of my mouth before my brain had processed what I was thinking. “Yes,” I replied, “and Nicole’s the father!”

That comment solidified Carson and my friendship. And I would like to add this little bit has not stopped. Every couple of months, some random person in the food service industry, not to mention Carson, calls me Michelle, and it’s hilarious.

Nicole continues to be a major part of our story. On May 9th, 2025, Nicole kidnapped Paige, got her into the dress that she wanted to be in, got her nails painted, and drove Paige to Good Night John Boy, the bar that Paige and I had a first date at. Once Paige walked in, she and I started a scavenger hunt that ended with me proposing to her (The Scroll Of Proposal). About a month after Paige and I got engaged, Carson proposed to Nicole. Over last summer, Nicole figured out most of her and Carson’s wedding stuff, while Paige and I were getting very overwhelmed. While Paige and I were on my family vacation in July, I talked on the phone with Nicole for like an hour, and she helped me with some of the anxieties. And that is on top of the usual maid-of-honor duties. I know they already went wedding dress shopping; she has been there for some meetings we had with our parents, and she has continued to give us advice on managing wedding-planning anxiety.

There are a lot of people who are supporting Paige and I, and we appreciate all of them. Over the last few months, I’ve learned that having another 2026 bride on the team has been a huge asset for us!

Have a Greattastic day and be safe,

J. Mitchie Ulibarri, SBT

 

Season 9 The Age Of Weddings Blog 5: Snowmageddon

 Snowmageddon

This was not supposed to be the fifth installment for this season. I, in fact, have already written the installment that is now the sixth and already told the subject of that installment that it is the fifth (sorry, Nicole), but last week was too weird not to write about! On Saturday, January 24th, 2026, I picked up Noah at his apartment, and we went to a nearby Starbucks. We had been trying to hang out since Christmas, and with the blizzard expected to hit that night, we weren't sure when we'd see each other next.

“So do you think you're going to work Monday?” Noah asked.

“I think we'll get Monday off,” I said, “but I think anything else might be a bit of a stretch.”

At 4:00, I went with Paige, and my parents went to Mass at OLP. There were two reasons for this. 1. Obviously, because of the snowstorm, Paige and I were a little worried that we were not going to be able to get to our church the next day. 2. That weekend, Our Lady of Peace celebrated their 80th anniversary, and so the Bishop was the celebrant for the Mass. It was kind of weird for me because I was struggling to wrap my head around the fact that my entire time as a student and an educator there happened so early in the parish's history. Like, there's an argument to be made that in 200 years, my time at OLP could be considered part of “the early years.”

When Mass ended, Paige and I drove back to our apartment, and I put my windshield wipers up. We spent the night watching TV and keeping watch out the window, waiting for the first snowflakes to fall. Now Paige and my apartment complex, Summit Crest Apartments, is huge, but it's kind of tucked away. I've driven/ridden my bike past it since I was a teenager (though probably before that), but I didn’t know it was there until Paige and I signed our first lease. Honestly, I wouldn't even call it Columbus, it's kind of like its own little pocket Universe.

Anywho, because it's so blocked off, we have a private snowplow operator. On Monday, the 26th, not sure if I had to go to work the next day, I went out to see if my car could actually get out, and it had been completely boxed in by the snowplow. Mom and Dad came to help me out just in case, and I was really thankful for that. I did not have to go to school the next day. In fact, I did not have to go to school until February 2. Because of this, while I know other things that happened during this week, I have no sense of when they happened. 

One day, Paige wasn't feeling too good, so I had to trudge through this shin-deep snow to get her some Pedialyte from a nearby store. On another day, we met up with Nicole at Roosters to talk about wedding stuff (which, honestly, is a good lead-in to next week's installment; I'm kind of glad it happened this way now that I think about it). Paige and I also figured out how many invitations we need to send out for the wedding, and I did a ton of writing. I worked on upcoming projects, talked to Kid about the cover for Greattastic Adventures 3, wrote the first six installments for this season, and recorded the first three.  Also, this isn't important at all, but I kind of want to vent. I had no idea that you could schedule podcast posts until I released For Papa. Like, oh my gosh, that's going to make posting days so much easier now, cuz I can just upload the podcast beforehand, but I'm just really upset that I'm figuring this out 9 seasons in!

When I was a kid, after a shower I would turn the water off, grab a towel, cover myself in it like a blanket, lay on floor and take like a 10 minute power nap, much to the dismay of my father (I don't think he knew what I was doing), and then I would continue with my day as if nothing happened. A few months ago, Paige asked me, “Why do you always take so long in the car?” What I'll do is park, and she will get out of the car, and I will scroll on social media for anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes before she calls me and asks what's going on. The answer to both of these situations is that transitioning is hard for autistic people. The transition from warm (the shower) to being naked and cold is… I don't know… scary feels like a dramatic word, but I can't think of another one right now. And when I sit in the car, it's not that I don't want to get out; it just takes me a bit to actually do it. While transitions are a pretty big problem, I think there's another issue, too.

Time is a social construct. Yes, for astrological purposes, there are mornings, noons, and nights; throughout the year, the seasons change, and cause and effect are real things, but the fact that I am writing this sentence at 11:37 on a Thursday in January of 2026 is genuinely nonsense. It doesn't mean anything. Time exists to keep society moving, and while that is necessary, it is not something that autistic people innately understand. We feel like we get it when our schedules are running normally, but as soon as snowmageddon hits, we lose all sense of time. Or at the very least, I did.

Have a Greattastic day and be safe!

J. Mitchie Ulibarri, SBT