See, now, why go for the negative online review instead of using your words at the time?

As the person who has been known to ask for the music to be turned down, that is a perfectly reasonable response.

Team Politely Ask To Turn The Music Down If Possible here.

Can confirm: 15 or so years from retirement age, here - spouse and I are actively planning our vacations around checking out other countries to retire in.

Quarters and Asshole were good enough for my generation, they should be good enough for these spoiled kids. And they should get off my goddamned lawn, too.

So she was a professional undergraduate sorority sister. Great.

I guess feminism allows for barely mediocre women to fail upwards as well as the barely mediocre men, so uh... Yay? I guess?

Exactly. They’re all trash, all the way down.

I was in the same situation, IndianaJoan (student husband, sole breadwinner, mid-thirties) and it is possible, but it requires a crap ton of planning. If it helps, this is how I managed it: 1) figure out what your monthly “nut” is, how much you can expect to get from other parties (husband, work, current savings) and…

I have a 12 year old boy. I’m team enchantress.

Oh, very nice.

Same. I go out for stuff I can’t make well at home; Mexican, Asian and Indian, and also brunch, because I suck at making poached eggs. If I want lobster, a burger, pasta... it’s way better cooked at home.

Any smaller people here who can clue me in on a polite way to eat sushi when one cannot manage an entire piece of nigiri (or maki) in a single bite? Because I can’t, and I end up having to shamefacedly deconstruct each into two bites. Not elegant. Tips?

Excellent advice.

I have to disagree with you here. As a woman, I would want to know about this early on in the dating phase, AND, again, as a woman I would automatically be a little more careful about evaluating someone I don’t know well, who has guns. I would expect him to feel somewhat the same but not as acutely (ref. Margaret…

Right. (We) Americans tend to interpret as rudeness, simple stylistic differences, as you note. We also think that anyone who isn’t smiling at us by default is giving us attitude. This is not our best quality when we travel.

Welcome to the East Coast. Enjoy your stay.

I adore chawan mushi. Do you have a recipe you like?

God love this woman. I hope she lives forever. Ruth, if you need a kidney or something, DM me. I got you.

Why? That’s not unusual. For us, second marriage, we each have kids and businesses. We have a joint account for groceries and joint toys, and that’s it. Works perfectly for us, and cuts out a lot of arguments about discretionary spending that don’t need to happen.