You’re correct about my name. My daughter and I are the Whovians in the house. Though Matt Smith is her Doctor, she’s seen all the modern episodes starting with Chris Eccleston, so she loves to tease me with “Mummy? Are you my Mummy?” from time to time.

sorry, responded to the wrong person.

I’m late to this party but here to note that in CA we have Paid Family Leave, which covers 6 weeks for both men and women.

Always eat the cake at your own wedding! We gave out small airplane sized bottles of whiskey. There were a couple left over that we saved. Everyone at the time told us it was great stuff. Of course a few years later we cracked one open only to find that well, maybe it would have been best to believe everyone rather…

Hahahaha...both!!! I like your idea though. Maybe the cake is like the ravens at the Tower of London. As long as we have the cake in the freezer the marriage will hold? And whichever of us dies first, the cake has to be cremated with that spouse. Or served at the wake.

IKR! At this point it feels like, “Well let see how long it can hold together.” 20 years? Who knows...

Their version of fruitcake and my 70's Midwest experience are two totally different things. I learned this when my husband and I got married in a small fishing village in Scotland. We wanted their traditional wedding cake and when we were told it was fruitcake I wanted to vomit. However it was actually pretty damn…

I’m sure the contract for the main kids was/are on a favored nations basis.

Really? I didn’t know that. I usually stay with friends when I’m there, alas everyone I know has cashed out and sold their flats. I did stay at The Dorchester once (years ago, before their renovation) and the tub was enormous. I could lie down in it, but I’m only 5'3" so maybe I’m not a good person to go by.

I did know, but I’m weird in that I think it would be cool to get a pic of it covered up, instead of the standard tourist shot.

“People still use LinkedIn?” Right! I didn’t know that was still a thing. I’m job hunting for the first time in years. I’m giving my resume a makeover and I’m thinking about setting a personal website to refer people to with bio etc on it, but I never once thought of LinkedIn.

Well, I’m not going in time for the wedding, I’ll be going in early August, but I did snag my room with a view of Big Ben before the wedding month was announced. I’m sure there will be a flood of Americans going after the wedding. The Contrary Mary in my wants to cancel the trip, but I got too good a deal of the…

“Portraiture prior to the advent of photography did require accuracy...”

“I don’t know why, but it just doesn’t sit right with me that this study makes a comparison between Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (something wholly preventable) and Autism Spectrum Disorder...”

I second the New Zealand suggestion. If you’re into planning ahead (my sole reason for being is to “plan”) then wait for Air NZ’s Cyber Monday deals, they’re insanely cheap and I can vouch for them being a top notch airline. Once in country, get thee to either Hot Water Beach (North Island) or Hanmer Springs (South…

Art seems to be a theme here. A few years after I moved out, as a birthday present to myself, I had one of my own paintings professionally matted and framed. It was a fairly small piece and cost the earth, but I still have it some 25 years later.

I just don’t understand the culture of putting your hobby on YouTube. I honestly feel like I’m missing something here, aside from the “look at me” factor. I’m not being grumpy about it, you do you, good on ya and all that, I’m just bemused by it.

Youtube is Public Access TV for Gen Z. Sometimes it’s Mr Rogers type stuff, sometimes it’s The Groul and Froggy/Mr Bill type stuff. As a Gen X parent with an 11 yo and a 9 yo, I have a love/hate relationship with the platform.

Check with your pharmacy before you go. We got ours at CVS the same day she wrote the last‘Get your flu shot“ post. We went after work/school and they only had 8 shots left! We were a party of four, but I was shocked that that was all they had. So again check before you head out.

My local sheriff has a collection bin for drugs. I had bottles of oxy and tramadol I didn’t need anymore. It was easier than a trip to the post office.