We’re pretty distant. I’m older but only by 17 months. I love my sister and wish her well but I don’t trust her enough to be close with her. Our mother really did a number on us and I have to be very careful what I tell her, because I don’t have any faith she won’t share it with our mom. And it’s a shame because if we could talk honestly I think we’d have a lot to commiserate on. As it stands we trade texts very occasionally, mostly focused on nostalgia for some TV show or game we played as kids. Never anything more personal than that. It’s usually months between texts.

Her dog died and I wanted to send a sympathy text, but my mother asked me not to because she wasn’t supposed to tell anyone the dog died… well then why on earth did you tell me!!!

We are two women in our forties still goosestepping around a difficult mom who I strongly suspect is borderline, and because of the way she treated us growing up, our sibling relationship basically became collateral damage.

Oh snap

Yep it’s insane. Healthcare shouldn’t be a for-profit business FFS.

All due respect but you can fuck right off homoludens

Pushing Ice might be cool. His other stuff is so hit or miss for me.

In undergrad we called that tornado because of how our Math Phys professor wrote it.

Go tankless or go home baybee

Thanks but I already know what it is - perimenopause!

My forties have brought night sweats. If I don’t set the AC to 63° I wake up just absolutely drenched in sweat, it’s awful.

I smell everything. Dog’s noggin, the insides of books, my morning cup of tea. Everything gets a healthy whiff.

When I’m in the shower, I purse my lips and blow directly against the water coming down because it makes a nice sound.

When I’m reading, I rub the edges of the page I’m currently on super tightly between my thumb and index finger because I like the sound and the feeling. I also rub the tops of my nails when I’m wearing nail polish for the same reason.

Don’t forget the blue pages (municipal/government)!

Shropshire Blue!

the redesign just looks kind of anemic and sad

I completely agree. I really liked the old design - it was bright and engaging, information was right where I wanted it, and there wasn’t a ton of whitespace. The new design looks like it’s meant for the elderly - everything is so big and cartoonish. Hate hate hate.

Dude, retirement is where it’s at. I retired early and it’s amazing. It took sacrifices (modest home, aggressively paying off mortgage, no fancy cars) but it’s so worth it. Most people don’t take good enough care of themselves and by the time they retire they no longer have their health. :(

Digital is the way to go - who knows how long DVD will be a viable format. Hard media formats come and go.

When you called up the radio station and placed a request so you could tape it but then the fucking DJ talks over the intro so every mix tape you make with that song has his dumb yapping baked in

You mean Convicted Rapist Brock Turner, now going by the name of Convicted Rapist Allen Turner, who was sentenced to six months but only served three for what his father called (and I quote) “twenty minutes of action”? That Convicted Rapist Brock Allen Turner?

I can tell you love and respect your sister, which can sometimes be hard when you’re ideologically opposites.

I do think you’re excusing her a little too easily. Don’t we all have a responsibility to be informed, especially about who we vote for?

I do this too

I’m sure your sister is a lovely person but how blind can she be after all that has happened? Is she voting for Trump or is she just brainlessly voting republican? And in either case, why? Where’s her culpablity?