Today, I went out with a friend. We got burgers, went to Laduree for tea and pastries, and saw Isle of Dogs. Then I went to Old Navy and bought some new clothes, because I have chub-rubbed holes into all of my old jeans.

OH MY GOODNESS THAT LITTLE FACE! Congratulations! I haven’t crafted anything lately, but I did make apricot-and-white-chocolate blondies and they were delicious!

That’s especially shameful on the school’s part: “Be civically engaged, but only in ways that let us use you! Expressions of agency are Not Allowed!”

To be fair, doing whatever we can to stop this shit is the height of reason.

The gifts of a really good therapist.

The Waffle House Exemption is real. And now I just want to go to Waffle House.

And all that open shelving! In a kitchen! It’s all going to get covered in cooking grease, and then the dust sticks to the grease, so it’s a pain to get clean before you use it. They probably won’t do that, because it’s work, and their kitchen things will be greasy and dusty but stylish on those open shelves.

I feel like not being a pedophile is one of those things that ought to be taken as a given for this one. Like, it’s the bare minimum.

Exactly! It’s a sign you haven’t thought hard enough about how your customers will actually use the space.

You and me both, pal. It is weird, bad garbage, and it stays with you.

And this is why my goal is “Treat yourself like you would a child you love.” I try to give myself lots of routines, and limits, and accountability to follow through on those things, because having to constantly choose is exhausting. Knowing that Friday nights I order pad Thai and rent a movie, or that bedtime is 9 PM…

Nah. I don’t want shitty furniture in my house that’s uncomfortable for my dad to use when he visits; he had polio as a kid and his back is basically garbage. Supportive furniture for life!

Ditto. Just go for a comfy standing mat and pretend to be at one of those fancy Italian espresso bars (also have a murderous spine, so I feel you).

Oh, the breakfast bar! It is complete and utter crap! I don’t want to have a meal sitting cheek-by-jowl next to my cohabitants; it’s all the discomfort of being at a shitty diner with none of the joy of eating shitty diner food. Tables are comfy. They are civilized; they give you room to spread out and eat something…

FINALLY, someone has said it! Stools are trash—no back support, not quite large enough to sit on without spillage, and there is rarely a place for me to rest my feet comfortably. It’s an extra pain at bars, because there isn’t anywhere for me to hang my coat. They are a sleek, stylish con.

Don’t you knock Certs! They are a perfectly cromulent breath mint!

So, I think it’s twofold: confidence can make people generally seem more attractive, but it usually (in my experience) isn’t confidence alone. More often, it’s married to charisma, or a genuine warmth, or lively curiosity about the people around them—that is far more likely to make someone attractive, because really,…

So, I think it’s twofold: confidence can make people generally seem more attractive, but it usually (in my experience) isn’t confidence alone. More often, it’s married to charisma, or a genuine warmth, or lively curiosity about the people around them—that is far more likely to make someone attractive, because really,…

Because sometimes, you’re just waiting for the allergy meds to kick in and you think “Hey, here’s an aggressively mediocre thing made with someone I think is okay—why not have this on while I mix Benadryl with rosé against medical advice?”

Thank you so much! Needing long walks is actually kind of perfect for me—I also need long walks (very good for the old anxiety and depression). And of course, affection is key. Even prey drive doesn’t sound so bad now that I’ve seen a mouse in my apartment!