Happy Halloween from Have Coffee Will Travel! This week, we traded our lattes for chainsaws (figuratively, promise) and dove straight into one of horror’s most infamous franchises — The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Armed with caffeine and questionable judgment, we watched three slices of cinematic chaos: the gritty 1974 original that started it all, the wild and weird 1985 sequel, and the 2013 “direct sequel” that somehow forgot math. From Leatherface’s home decor choices (bones, bones, and more bones) to the unforgettable dinner scene that scarred an entire generation, we unpack what makes this series both horrifying and… kind of hilarious?

We talk about how the 1974 film still feels raw and disturbing fifty years later, how the 1985 sequel went full gonzo comedy with chainsaw duels and screaming, and how the 2013 version tried to modernize it — complete with cell phones, plot holes, and a surprisingly sympathetic Leatherface. Somewhere between the jump scares and the questionable fashion, we found ourselves weirdly entertained — and maybe a little nostalgic for old-school practical effects.

So grab your coffee, lock your doors, and join us as we break down what happens when Hollywood just can’t stop revving the chainsaw. Whether you’re a horror buff, a casual viewer, or someone who watches from behind a blanket, this one’s for you.

Because on Have Coffee Will Travel, we may not know what’s in the chili — but we do know how to make a mess out of a movie marathon. 🔪☕

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Episode Title: A Day Late and a Dollar Short

Podcast: Have Coffee Will Travel

Hosts: Shawn & Leah

This week on Have Coffee Will Travel, we’re feeling the crunch — financially, mentally, and emotionally. Shawn’s on strike with Canada Post, Leah’s trying to get her new foot care business off the ground, and the bills just keep rolling in. With both of us out of our usual routines, every day feels like a confusing blend of Monday and “who even knows anymore?”

We chat about what happens when your schedule disappears, how stress sneaks into every corner of your day, and why even Amazon Prime Days can’t seem to lift our spirits (spoiler: the deals weren’t great anyway).

Leah shares her plans for teaching part-time at a local college, helping train the next generation of personal support workers — a bright spot amid the chaos. Meanwhile, Shawn’s keeping his sanity by looking forward to one simple joy: the arrival of his LEGO Gingerbread AT-AT set. Because when life’s unpredictable, sometimes a good build is all you need.

We also talk about our new neighbour — someone Leah’s known since childhood — and how strange it feels when the past shows up next door. And yes, we couldn’t forget a little rant about Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford, who seems more focused on beer and booze than real issues.

Add in a cruise we can’t cancel (hello, more money stress), and you’ve got one episode full of real-life challenges, laughter, and just enough caffeine to keep us going.

Grab your mug, pull up a chair, and join us as we figure it all out — one sip at a time.

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☕ Have Coffee Will Travel – Episode 35: Casablanca, Canada Post & Cosmic Pizza Milestones

In this episode of Have Coffee Will Travel, your hosts Shawn and Leah settle in with their favorite brew and take you on a ride through film history, small business hustle, postal politics, and a touch of personal reflection.

We kick things off with a deep dive into the legendary film Casablanca—why it still holds a place in the cinematic hall of fame, what makes its dialogue so quotable, and how it became a timeless classic. Whether you’re a film buff or just discovering the movie for the first time, we share our favorite moments and what struck us on this rewatch.

Next, we give a little update on our Etsy store adventures—what’s been selling, what’s surprised us over the past two weeks, and how we’re balancing it with everything else.

Shawn's store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RustedRobotToys

Leah's store: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/Collectandcaston

From there, Shawn shares the latest from Canada Post, where negotiations with the union remain at a standstill. We talk about what it’s like working under an expired contract, and how uncertainty affects not just workers but the whole system.

Things get a bit personal when we explore a tricky question:

📷 What do you do with photo albums full of deceased relatives?

Are these keepsakes we should preserve, digitize, or let go of? We share our thoughts and invite you to share yours too.

And finally, we celebrate a big milestone: we've recorded the 100th episode of our other podcast, Cosmic Pizza! It’s been quite a journey, and we reflect on what it’s meant to reach triple digits. And there's a new YouTube channel. Find it at: https://www.youtube.com/@CosmicPizzaPodcast

Thanks for listening—pass the coffee and hit play.

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Epic Horror Universe – Orlando Theme Park Adventures

This week on Have Coffee Will Travel, Shawn and Leah take you along on a whirlwind Orlando adventure packed with thrills, chills, and more than a little sticker shock. Joined by Wyatt, they set off midweek for a short but action-filled trip that had them walking miles, navigating crowds, and soaking up everything Universal had to offer.

On Thursday, the trio stepped into Islands of Adventure, exploring the rides, attractions, and over-the-top environments that make this park so iconic. From superhero action to magical lands, there was no shortage of things to see. But the day didn’t stop there — that evening they braved Halloween Horror Nights, Universal’s famous after-hours scare fest. Haunted houses, scare zones, and eerie performers filled the night with screams, laughs, and unforgettable moments.

Friday brought an even bigger highlight: Epic Universe, the much-anticipated new addition to the Universal family. With state-of-the-art rides and immersive lands, it lived up to its name. Still, between the endless walking, the heavy crowds, and the sky-high food prices, the day came with its own set of challenges.

Throughout this episode, Shawn and Leah share their candid reactions, trip highlights, and some of the frustrations that come with theme park travel. As always, they keep it honest, lighthearted, and full of the little details that make their adventures relatable.

If you’ve ever wondered whether these massive theme parks are worth the hype — or the price — this episode gives you a front-row seat. Grab your coffee and join the conversation, because this trip was truly an Epic Horror Universe.

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On this week’s episode of Have Coffee Will Travel, we’re diving into both spooky thrills and some truly frightening news for small business owners. First, we share our excitement for our upcoming trip to Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights in Orlando. From haunted houses to terrifying scare zones, we talk about what we’re most looking forward to at one of the biggest Halloween events in the world.

But the real horror this week isn’t in Orlando — it’s in Washington. The U.S. government has officially removed the de minimis exemption for international packages, a change that directly impacts Canadian sellers like us. Up until now, we’ve been able to ship items from our Etsy shop to American buyers without excessive red tape. That market accounted for about 75% of our business. With this new policy, however, it’s no longer possible to sell to our U.S. customers in a simple or affordable way.

We break down what this means for us as Etsy sellers, how it could affect countless other small businesses across Canada and beyond, and why buyers in the States might also feel the sting. It’s a frustrating change, and one that could reshape the way cross-border e-commerce works for makers, collectors, and entrepreneurs.

To lighten things up, we also chat about movies we’ve recently watched and why film is such a comforting escape when the real world gets a little too overwhelming.

Whether you’re here for the travel talk, the business insights, or just to hear about two Canadians juggling coffee, collectibles, and a love of pop culture — this episode has a little something for everyone.

Grab your coffee and join us for a conversation that’s equal parts spooky, frustrating, and fun.

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Song of the South film review is the 32nd episode of the Have Coffee Will Travel Podcast. We dive into the movie and discuss its impact on popular culture. We try to break down its meaning, and if the film is, in fact, racist. Also on this episode, we are discussing the new television show Alien Earth. As always we tackle the latest news from our Etsy shops. At the end of the show, we chat about the joy of taking a cruise. And in an unusual for us diversion, we discuss our tastes in alcohol.

Song of the South is a 1946 American musical film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures, based on the Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris. The live actors provide a sentimental frame story, in which Uncle Remus relates the folk tales of the adventures of Br'er Rabbit and his friends. These anthropomorphic animal characters appear in animation. The hit song from the film was "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah." The song won the 1947 Academy Award for Best Song. It is frequently used as part of Disney's montage themes, and which has become widely used in popular culture. The film inspired the Disney theme park attraction Splash Mountain.

The film has never been released in its entirety on LaserDisc, Beta and VHS in the U.S. Nor has it been put out on Blu-ray worldwide, except on VHS and DVD editions outside of the U.S. This is due to accusations of racism and stereotypes of African Americans, and is thus subject to much rumor today. For this reason, the producers decided to not make it available on the streaming platform Disney+. Some portions of this film have been issued on VHS and DVD as part of either compilations or special editions of Disney films.

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The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is a movie from 1982.

Released in July of 1982, and running just under 2 hours, the film stars Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds. It is a musical comedy with a score of just 50% on Rotten Tomatoes. Shawn and Leah watched a VHS copy of the film on their vintage VCR. Neither Shawn or Leah had seen the movie before. Their thoughts, feelings and insights are presented in this, the 31st episode of the Have Coffee Will Travel Podcast. This is actually the second recording of the podcast as the recorder did not work on the first try.

The synopsis of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas is as follows:

Miss Mona (Dolly Parton) runs the Chicken Ranch, a brothel with a long history in a small Texas town. The locals have a good relationship with the institution, and Mona is respected in the community. The sheriff, Ed Earl Dodd (Burt Reynolds), also looks out for the Chicken Ranch due to his past with Miss Mona. However, when pious reporter Melvin Thorpe (Dom DeLuise) exposes the brothel, outside interests want it shut down, putting the governor (Charles Durning) in a tough spot.

Also on this episode. we are talking about upcoming vacation plans and our Etsy shops. On every episode of the show, we give you an overview of what has sold for us in the last 2 weeks. We would love it if you followed our shops on Etsy. Leah's is called collectandcaston, and Shawn's shop is rustedrobottoys.

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Road trips and renovations are exciting, expensive, fun, scary and filled with unknowns. This week on Have Coffee Will Travel, Shawn and Leah are chatting about a recent adventure, and an upcoming project. Also included is some television talk, thoughts about coffee and the regular Etsy feature.

According to AI: A road trip is a long journey, typically recreational, undertaken by car. It often involves exploring new places, enjoying the freedom of the open road, and can be planned or spontaneous. The term can also refer to trips by sports teams or business professionals to play away games or attend events. Road trips can be meticulously planned or involve a more relaxed, spontaneous approach, allowing for detours and unexpected discoveries. In essence, a road trip is an adventure on wheels, a chance to embrace the journey itself and the experiences along the way.

Our recent road trip was a necessary adventure to attend a funeral. Leah's uncle passed away late last year, and because of the season, it was decided to have the funeral in July. This would allow for a more comfortable experience (weather-wise). And it would allow more time for people to make plans to attend the event. We headed out early Friday morning, and we returned late Monday afternoon. The weekend was spent with family. Both Leah and Shawn have family in the area. There was also a small amount of time to go to Ikea and the Vaughn Mall. Although we didn't spend much money, the browsing was fun.

Just before we left on our trip, our dishwasher decided it was done. Water was leaking everywhere. We attempted to fix it. Pulling it out of the cabinet and unhooking all the electrical and plumbing, we took a good look. After fixing it, we put everything back together. Did our repairs work? No. They did not. Now the idea is to save for and plan a complete kitchen renovation. Leah already bought the new sink. Although this will take some planning, the ideas are all in place. Wish us luck!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and The Gilded Age are back on television. We are excited in our own ways!

Besides road trips and renovations, we tell you all about the last few weeks in our Etsy shops.

Leah's Etsy shop can be found at https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/Collectandcaston

Shawn's Etsy shop can be found at https://www.etsy.com/shop/RustedRobotToys

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