My biggest gripe is the people who no longer make an effort to maintain relationships. I get that parenting is exhausting and overwhelming, but I have longtime friends with whom I’ve made every effort to spend time: Offering to come to them (out in the suburbs), at whatever time fits their schedule, and making clear…

In a similar vein, if your company limits who may post in a “general” or “announcements” channel (as mine does), don’t co-opt another popular channel for this purpose. For example, my Slack has a channel for our HQ building, of which most people are members, which is supposed to be for building-specific issues…

And if you’re a friend, based on my experience with other friends, just start with “I’m so sorry for your loss. Do you want to talk about it?” Don’t give yourself an opening to say something dumb, or speculate on the reason, or compare the situation to someone else you know who miscarried (unless you are sharing your…

1) Ignore the comments from other tourists, who don’t know much more about the city than you do (goes for any city, TripAdvisor, etc.).

I got married in 1996 and there was a person + her guest who RSVP’d but then didn’t show up. We never spoke to her again (she also never reached out). My ex and I split up almost a decade ago but I still harbor a little bit of a resentment towards the no-show! Ours was a more typical wedding, maybe 80 guests, and her…

It’s funny, I read the headline and thought “THIS IS ME” ... except that the article was actually about something else. I have to deal with anxiety when I can’t work out because working out is my primary tool for managing my anxiety/mood, not because I’m worried about losing my fitness. I’d love a future article on…

This is a dangerously incorrect headline. It sounds like you based the entirety of this article on talking with the authors of *one* book. Please either take down the article or talk to more people. All pet foods are definitely not the same, for many more reasons than are cited here. Talk to some vets who specialize…

Thank you for this, I’ve been struggling lately with the fact that so many of my friends now have small children (I’m 43 and have never had or wanted them). Relationships are the most important thing to me, and I try to do everything right — I’m happy to come to them, on their schedule, and just hang out and chat…

For the 2nd letter writer: I went to my 20th high school reunion at a time when things were particularly challenging in my life, but it wouldn’t have occurred to me not to go for that reason. My experience was that everyone was just super excited to see each other and share old memories, and the only people who did…

As someone who never wanted or had children, I have many, MANY smartass, shut-down-someone quickly answers to hand out, but I think what makes this situation different is the nuance that you would like to let the questioner know that this is a sensitive subject that may carry a lot of sadness and pain, so that maybe…

I absolutely love mine, BUT please be aware that it sounds an insanely loud civil air defense siren when the eggs are done cooking, and there’s no way to disable this. A big part of why I bought it was so that I could start it cooking and go do other things, but you really do have to stay nearby and watch the timer so…

I absolutely love mine, BUT please be aware that it sounds an insanely loud civil air defense siren when the eggs…

I’ve tried to articulate this to my partner before, but you do so much more eloquently, thanks! In our house, he’s more than willing to do chores, but almost never notices when something needs to be done. We solved this by making a list, stuck to the fridge, of specific things that usually need doing (i.e. Wipe down…

If you’re trying to buy a dog online in the first place, you’re doing it wrong. (1) First, contact breed-specific rescues in your area — there is an organization for every breed. (2) If that doesn’t pan out, start by attending local dog shows and meeting the people who are showing dogs in your breed. Talk to them and…

Yes, but what really made me bawl my eyes out was the image of someone who has “balled” their eyes out. Is that like with a melon baller, or... (ahem)...

I don’t care how much I spend on a dress, but telling other women what to wear is a real minefield. I was thrilled to be asked to be a bridesmaid in a good friend’s wedding, and she chose very lovely strapless dresses. I’m pretty fit, but I’m in my 40s, and nobody wants to see my chicken wings in a strapless dress. I…

This is normal in my universe, and I’m always kind of baffled when I hear about bridezillas and people who are much more focussed on the “getting” than the “giving.” I guess people who just want their loved ones to enjoy a nice day watching them get married don’t make it into advice columns. BTW, what I did with my…

I wasn’t asking for sympathy, I was pointing out that city and county are a much greater determinant of property taxes than state, which is what the list ranks.

LOL at the idea that a “half-million-dollar home” is something fancy. That might buy you a one-bedroom condo in the more remote part of town around here.

The relevant variable isn’t state, but city and county. I support everyone paying their fair share and don’t see taxes as inherently bad, but I probably pay more in property tax in San Francisco than 90% of other American homeowners — our tax levels are insane, especially when you factor in the fact that home values…

You can have an attorney draft a template agreement for you that you can use for all clients. It won’t cost very much and then you can just use it again and again. Obviously, there’s a risk to that as every deal/client is different and you risk missing important legal issues, but at least it will (hopefully) address…