Under the old system (written exam plus oral exam, which was basically a day-long group interview), it was common for recent grads to get into the Foreign Service. In fact, it was one of the few organizations where all applicants, young and old, BA or MA, were basically on an equal playing field with their success…

I claim to be an owl, but sometimes I wonder. I mean, it's 4:30am on a weeknight and I'm awake, eating gelato and posting on Jezebel. But I also napped for a few hours earlier this evening. I often crash in the early evening, stay up half the night, then sleep a few hours before morning. It kind of blows my mind that…

Five of my childhood dogs are buried in my parents' backyard. Most of them had long lives — 15-16 years, long after I left home. My current pup is about to turn five, and I stress about what I'd do if he died. (Every time I leave him with a sitter, I wonder, is this the time I'll come home and she'll tell me he got…

I hope this one works out for you. But honestly, I'm going to go against the popular vote. People generally are on their best behavior when they're trying to impress someone new. If a guy starts out flaky, douchey, etc, why would you want to bother? It'll only go downhill from there.

I too hate the implication that I'm frivolous or carefree because I don't have kids. I recently mentioned to my boss (who is my age and runs in the same social circle) that I was feeling overwhelmed and stressed with my workload. He told me that he had no sympathy for me because his workload was heavy too, and then he…

I have fluorosis and spent much of my life self-conscious about my teeth. It caused me to become overly paranoid about dental hygiene, to the point where I was wearing down my enamel from constant brushing. Over the past couple of years, I've spent thousands upon thousands of dollars doing something about it. Now my…

The enzyme cleaners can cover it up enough to live with, but in my experience as a landlord, cat urine damage is unrepairable — the whole flooring has to be replaced to completely get rid of it. That's why I banned cats and allowed small dogs only (so many landlords have that backwards).

Where are you coming from? Try looking for people renting out vacation homes in out-of-the-way areas (some of the best beaches in the country are private/semi-private stretches of coastline far way from major population cities). Most "known" places people will suggest will be SLAMMED with city folks on a summer…

Why not be drunk and here?

Don't forget to let the new guy know you're on the rebound. Most likely he'd be thrilled you're an easy, NSA lay, but there's a chance he might think you could be a real prospect. It's almost as offensive to know you're being used as it is to see your ex posting pictures of his new gf on facebook three days after…

Truth. About the dogs, I mean.

I don't like leggings for the same reason I don't like tights, pantyhose, most underwear, and certain pairs of jeans: tight material hugging my crotch is a no-go. I have yet to find a pair of leggings that are as comfortable as people swear they are. I'm an old-fashioned garter-and-stockings girl when I need my legs…

I don't bother with lingerie per se, but I'll never leave the house without a padded, pushup bra (flat chest, big booty, I like feeling more balanced). And my daily undies are Hanky Panky, which might count as lingerie to some, but which to me are pieces of fabric to pack for easy travel. That said, I feel like my…

I am trying to train my dog to use the bathtub because he refuses to use piddle pads. I had the flu last week and thought it would be the perfect training experience. But no. Dog was like, "no way, you're just going to yell at me if I pee in the house." And he held it. It was 24+ hours until I could get him out. Dog…

Ha. I stalk pups online until they're finally adopted. I don't really memorize names (except for the name of the cutest fluffy dog I wanted to adopt from the SPCA, but he DID NOT get along with my dog and, you know, my dog was there first). Names...though I do know the names of all of the dogs in my neighborhood and…

Who was it who said that if a job isn't done by an animal in a Richard Scarry book, then it is job that doesn't have to exist? I feel like I read it on one of these Gawker economy-sucks stories. It is truth. (I'm going to extend it to include Sweet Pickles. Talk about problematic stereotypes.)

I deleted my account a couple of weeks ago when I accepted the fact that OKC is a repository for guys who fail at life. I feel like I fail at life too, sometimes, but not enough to settle on any of the really, really poor options. May you have better luck.

I wish people would give up their New Year's resolutions and stop crowding me out of my yoga classes.

One of the State Department's primary duties is to provide consular services to American citizens. This includes having a duty officer being woken up in the middle of the night because Gullible Traveler has managed to lose every penny (and possibly ending up in jail or the hospital) doing something he probably should…

Even introverts need a social connection, it's just usually in the form of one or two close friends and/or a partner. I'm as introverted as you can get, and when I feel like I can't depend on ANYONE around me, I tend to spiral into an anxiety-depressive state. And when I'm in that spiral, I almost always get sick. If…