People can be really, really dense about this. I was grilled extensively by someone after Christmas last year—they wouldn’t take my pleasant and fairly noncommittal reply and let it go. “But did everyone come to your house?” “Oh yeah.” “Oh, so everyone came in? How many people? They all came to you?” on and on. TAKE A…

Depending on the person, when asked if I have plans for the weekend, I’ll just say “Yes.” A full sentence. If I’m feeling generous/garrulous, I might say “The usual, you know.”

Could you not take Humphrey too?

I’m watching it. I couldn’t get into the book AT ALL, and am mystified by the hype. The violence—which I remember from the 20 or so pages I managed to get through—is really off-putting. 

I am so happy to hear this!

I just meant that this is not the type of shooting that gives St. Louis a bad name—for people (unlike us) who don’t know the geography. Anyway:

The vast majority of the shootings are not in the county, but parts of St. Louis city.

This is my life exactly. The hours-long MEETINGS with developers talking over each other! One to four meetings a day, three or four days a week! I’m an INFP (as many editors are) and the hours of talking, mostly on VTCs or conference calls, puts me in a constant state of nerves-on-edge. Plus, developers can’t spell.

I’m a rape survivor—attacked with a knife by a stranger who broke in and hid—and became pregnant (does math in head) 4 years later. This won’t help you, but thoughts such as yours about fearing a boy pregnancy never entered my mind. I DID, however, desperately want a girl and I did have one and later, another.

Thanks. I’m an “other” grey.

I have been grey forever and it would be nice to do it for me too. Thanks!

Not sure if we had this in high school World History, but there’s college classes and then there’s just being moderately well read.

I had to go look for that video. It’s pretty good!

Recently when I asked a nurse if I could skip the weigh-in, she told me it was a requirement of HIPAA. This same office, though—my GYN’s—now takes off 2 lbs if they are weighing you in the afternoon. Which is pretty great, after a lifetime of asking for the first appointment of the day so I’d weigh less.

I agree, but a big problem is that many (all? most?) states follow Texas’s lead in textbook purchasing. Because they’re so big—it some economy of scale thing. I am not explaining well, but let me look for a source:

And helpless animals, who had no choice in the matter.

Farm animals have sad enough lives as it is. I’m sorry this disgusting thought is out there in the universe. What a vile person. (Also, no one cares what I think, but ballet culture is as creepy as gymnastics.)

This is a nice alternative to pumpkin pie at holiday times:https://platedcravings.com/chocolate-cranberry-cake/ (not that it isn’t my favorite pie—it’s just something different to bring to a party or the office.)

That face is really squeezed up TIGHT now! Whoa!

That or Prince Harry.