Like “you sweet, summer child” except less obviously condescending?

Sometimes discoloration of water is just it being full of air. My HOA’s backup water well is like that. It’s been tested and is fine to drink, but it’s incredibly cloudy until it’s sat for a few minutes.

Also, if you’re on well water get it tested. Even if it was fine when you moved in, things change. Maybe the new farm down the road’s fertilizer is leaking in to the ground water. You won’t know unless someone tests.

The water at my office smells like chlorine. It’s dreadful. I wouldn’t even use it to make coffee, I fill up a nalgene at home and bring that in. My home water is well water and tastes a tad high iron, just the way I like it. (HOA regularly tests the water and it’s always within legal limits, yay.)

I’m also on Sharkey. It’s just more fun that Mastodon. Also feels a touch more queer, in a wonderful way.

I don’t know your insurance, location, or financial situation, so the following might be totally irrelevant.

If you have a primary care doctor/physician, they should be able to get you antidepressants. You don’t need a specialist. You might even be able to have a telehealth visit, instead of going in-person.

I hope things smooth out for you. BTW, my therapist says carbs are good for short-term stress. Ice cream and chocolates help.

Also, maybe look into if your local library has any meetups? Mine does a regular knitting/crochet circle (if you just show up, you’ll probably find friendly folks happy to teach you to make a dish cloth), book club, grown-up crafts a couple times a month. Might be good to get out of the house and meet some friendly faces.

Yes, but that was generally because stories don’t always fit nicely on a page. I’ve seen plenty of old-timey newspapers and laid out a few modern ones. It’s all about what fits on the page.

Old newspapers also didn’t have ads breaking up the articles. None of this “ad between every paragraph” bullshit for the ancestors!

•Internet stranger hugs• for the third one. I already have all boxes checked, but I’m hoping to avoid adding a second dog’s ashes for a few more years. My pup already surprisingly old and hasn’t died yet, so, if that trend continues, he should live forever.

Some/most electric toothbrushes have built-in timers to help you give each quarter of your mouth equal time, so you don’t rush. Some will vibrate in a different/angrier way if you brush too hard.

Curiousity: Could you please explain what was awful about the comment you responded to?

For context, I’m also autistic.

I’ve taught literal toddlers that my dog needs his alone time when he’s in his crate.

A 10 year old should be able to understand that sometimes people just don’t want to play/talk. Maybe wear headphones or some other very visible indicator that you’re not social right then?

Thanks. The scars are still there, but things are getting better.

The best thing to come out of my dad’s death was me becoming closer to his sisters. They’re mostly lovely. Like, they have blind spots, but they’re minor and sometimes adorable. (Example: one of them kept talking about her daughter and her daughter’s roommate. After a couple months of this, I asked directly “are they dating?” Yes, yes they were. They’re now married. My aunt was just awkward about saying her daughter was dating a woman because she lived through times when that could have been a fight, and I think it was habit.)

My brother was adopted and my grandmother was similarly biased against him, asking my mom if we got any money from the state for taking care of him. Like, no, he’s her son! There wasn’t even the excuse of racism–my brother is blond-haired and blue-eyed. He just wasn’t her blood.

Eventually she started liking him as dementia kicked in and she forget his origin. Still messed him up.

I’m glad your nephew didn’t have to deal with her for all that long, though it sounds like it was already long enough.

Mom always thought she was a good person and not racist. The cracks started to show when she’d express options on Facebook, like that sure, black people go to jail for much longer that white people for the same crimes, but it’s their fault for being criminals.

Lots of little things like that. I started therapy in my late 20s for anger management. A couple months in, my parents and brother came from out of state to visit. It was a Bad Time. My mom and brother kept needling me constantly. They mocked my opinions. They told me I was wrong about local facts. They asked a local for directions then mocked him for having a Boston accent. In Boston.

The several-day visit ended with me driving them back to their hotel room and my mom telling me the whole trip had been a waste, we were probably the sort of family that should only see each other at funerals, preferably hers.

Poor dad was hard of hearing, so missed a lot of what was said. He apologized for any part he played in it.

A few years later in December 2020, my mom brought COVID home from what she described as a mandatory work Christmas breakfast potluck. My dad caught it from her and spent a month in hospital. I don’t know how mandatory that potluck could have been, tbh–she retired a few months later after my dad died. She was all shocked Pikachu that my dad, who was known to be immunocompromised, could die from COVID.

She also lamented to me, the week before he died, that dating as a widow sucks. Either you date too soon and everyone thinks it’s inappropriate OR you don’t and everyone thinks you’re sad. (Not saying she shouldn’t have thought ahead to her widowhood, but don’t say these things to your kid.)

Anyways, she sucks and is blocked on my phone. She could email if she cared. My dad was the Good Parent and he had his warts, but he at least tried to relate to me and explain things instead of just assuming I could read minds.

I think lots of libraries do that. It’s awesome! (Source: my last 3 libraries in New England did that.)

Be sure to return the pass on time, though. You might screw up someone else’s trip to the museum if you return it late :( (that’s also why they tend to have higher late fees)

TBH, I know most of my neighbors by their dog’s names. Max’s owner, Buddy’s human, that sort of thing. And then there’s New Max’s owner. She lives 2 doors down from Original Max. No confusion there.

My partner’s company starts some standup meetings with optional ice breaker questions. Partner will frequently will say “pass” when the ice breaker comes to him. Since he goes early in the rotation, it helps emphasize to newer employees that they don’t have to answer, either.

Anyways, I’m proud of him for helping destigmatize non-participation in silly stuff.

It’s a type of folk dance popular in New England. Think line or square dancing, with the moves called by a caller.

Edit: it’s been described to me as a couples dance where you spend most of your time dancing with people other than your partner.

Just go to a contra or square dance and meet folk. They’re not class-locked.

I’d

1. replace my laundry dryer,
2. give each of my 2 favorite niephews a $3000 investment for when they graduate high school (tbh, probably more for the older niephew because he’s 10 years closer to graduating, so has less time to accrue interest), and
3. give the rest to the student-run food pantry at my college

Tbh, I’m financially doing ok.