“Beyond unions”....

Half-star for the first sentence. I grew up with too many not-so-good-ol’ boys like Blake Shelton to be swayed.

So did SV.

Here’s hoping you and your family get through this tough time. Find your support system (bff’s, family, whomever, wherever) and don’t be afraid to lean. Glad you got through your final exams.

I am the same. I decided when I was a teenager that I didn’t want children and it’s been ok, because I have a ridiculous number of cousins on both sides, and they keep multiplying! However, it is awkward when the first questions people you haven’t seen in years ask in rapid succession, “Do you have kids? Are you…

Replying because I wish I could be having me a naked Christmas, too!

I’m sorry. That sucks.

I would also take a shot in the dark and ask if she is very conservative/old-fashioned/religious? Only because I’ve got family who I know would speak exactly the same way in that situation.

My no-fail, thirty minutes or less go-to is ground meat with a sauce (alfredo, tomato variation, whatever is tasty and comes out of a jar), and frozen vegetables in a pan with butter (or olive oil and spices if you want to be really good).

Ditto on the no babies, for lots of reasons. I have a couple of cousins that I am very close to that have little ones now. They made the holiday so special.

My heart goes out to you. Having a very ill parent in the hospital is super tough, and that is an understatement. I don’t know if this will help you, but if you are spending most of your time in the hospital with him, try getting cat naps as often as you can, and hold his hand as often as you can. When my mom was…

The dark side: Let’s see, I’ve been home for the holidays since the 16th (working remote, yay, me). My dad and I have only gotten into 1,235 shouting matches over bs. My mom, maybe 10. You’d think I’m still a teenager from all the fighting we do (almost two decades out of the house). And my mom’s dialysis clinic has…

Replying to bump your statement. NPR did a whole thing on a woman who went through a pregnancy and “viability” became a VERY tricky term. They pointed out that this word, besides what you’ve already stated, became a special word during the Roe v. Wade case, and it continues to be how the anti-abortionists fight…

Because it can never be said enough, women’s health is constantly negated by family, doctors and nurses as some variation of “it’s all in your head”, it’s “just stress”, “you just need to do XXX infinitum”. There are a bajillion studies on it.

Gahh! What can we do tradesies with? I might have a Rainbow Bright doll hiding somewhere... :)

Whoooo boy, I feel you there. I actually only went there by myself for the first time and got a membership in the last couple of months. In short, I’m pretty sure I’m only ever going to buy a TV and toilet paper there.

As long as we are talking about perfumes, that Lady Stetson perfume is one that my 4th grade best friend’s mom wore all the time. It smelled so good. Her mom was the absolute coolest person I had met up to that point, other than my cool girl cousins, of course.

Yerp, I kept that damn bottle for decades after its smell had long since ruined.

DITTO

OMG, I LOVED ELECTRIC YOUTH when I was a teen!!! (ETA, may have been younger...)I had a precious bottle once and almost immediately lost it. I was devastated. It smelled so fucking good. If it is still made somewhere, give it to me NOW!