Good wedding muhurthams in 2010

My wife and I made our annual Hersheypark visit this past Saturday to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. Hershey, the park and the town in general, have become a very special place to us, and we wanted to spend the weekend in town. We stopped out at the park Friday night for an hour during the preview, but we just walked around due to the rain. Still fun to see everything.
Saturday, the forecast changed drastically, as it was supposed to rain all day, until about Thursday, when it changed to being mostly cloudy until the evening, so the park ended up being pretty packed, and we had a really nice period of blue skies and sunshine. We bought Fast Track Unlimited so that we could make the most out of our day at the park, and it turned out to be a great investment, as most rides had at least an hour long wait. After arriving at around 12:30, we rode 9 rides by 6:00, when they started to shut things down due to the rain moving in.
Candymonium (x2) - Honestly, I have no idea why this ride gets so much criticism. I always hear that it's because of the trims and the short layout. But honestly, it doesn't matter, because Candy is such a great ride! We had 2 rides, both in the back row of the Twizzlers train, and it was awesome. The first drop deserves more recognition, because you are floating from the second you drop, until you reach the valley between the two hills. It gives such great floater air throughout, and the banked drop after the first helix (my favorite element on the ride) is so much fun.
Skyrush - So, the big news maker of the offseason. I love Skyrush! I liked the old restraints, and I didn't find them uncomfortable, but I understand why a lot of people had complaints. First off, the new station, with the lighting and sound effects, is great. They did a fantastic job. That lift never gets old. It's such a thrill being yanked from the station to the crest of the lift hill so fast, and that first drop is just absolutely bonkers. There are 2 things that I noticed. 1.) The ride seems a lot more rattly this year. It's not unpleasant, and it didn't make me enjoy the ride less. It's just very, very noticeable. 2.) The new restraints take away a lot of the intensity. The laterals are a lot more muted, and the overall insanity seems a lot more scaled back, which is a shame. I still love it, it's such a crazy ride, but it did drop slightly in my rankings.
Fahrenheit - Why doesn't this ride get talked about more? It's such a good ride, but it gets lost in a very, very stacked coaster lineup. That lift is a cool experience, the drop gives great airtime, and the inversions, though they are right after one another, don't feel like they're too much too quick. It was flying through the course on Saturday (which Fahrenheit isn't the only coaster that was doing that Saturday). It's so good, and deserves a lot more love.
Great Bear - My shocker of the weekend. I love Great Bear, it's my second favorite invert, but WOW was it moving on Saturday. This was probably the best ride I've had on it. I accidentally took one of the plus sized seats, and didn't realize it until I fastened the belts, and there was a lot of room, and it made a huge difference. The pre-drop is so good, and when it's flying through that helix, oh man. I had no idea where we were on the course because it was just hauling. I was getting crazy hangtime, and the head banging was almost non-existent. Just a fantastic ride!
SooperDooperLooper - First, I want to say that Hersheypark's app was way off on the wait time. It was reading a 1 hour 15 minute wait, and when we got in the Fast Track line, which you don't skip a whole lot of the standby line for this one, there weren't a whole lot of people behind us, and we waited about 10-15 minutes. It was probably more of a 30 minute wait than 75. Anyhow, Looper is great. For being in its 50s, with a perfectly round loop, it is so smooth, and so fun. Always a great time riding Looper!
Wildcat's Revenge (x2) - Where to begin? I rode WR once last year and loved it, but ranked it behind Skyrush, but didn't ride both of them last year. I rode this twice by myself, once in row 7, once in row 10. If there's a tier above elite, Wildcat's Revenge belongs there. This ride is so out of its mind insane, it's unbelievable. Absolutely relentless from the time you leave the station until you pull into the brake run. I love how it varies from airtime to inversion to airtime to inversion, and so one, so that it's giving you something different instead of repeating the same thing over and over. This thing hauls, and the pacing is phenomenal. I love when you get to the middle of the ride, and everything happens so quickly. It has a completely out of control feel to it. The station is a vibe, the ops are quick. This is a perfect ride, and it jumped Skyrush in my rankings.
We also grabbed a late ride on the Monorail in the rain before heading to The Chocolatier for dinner. The ops were hit or miss. The ones on Fahrenheit and Wildcat's Revenge were flying. Skyrush and Candymonium were stacking big time. Didn't get on Storm Runner because it was running one train with a listed wait of 45 minutes, but I overheard a few kids say that they were waiting for their friends, and they were still in line over an hour and a half later, and Fast Track doesn't skip much of the line on Storm Runner. While watching it while waiting for my wife to get off Remix, the dispatches were probably about 5 minutes.
Overall, it was a outstanding trip to our favorite park! The rides were running extremely well, and it was a great way to celebrate our anniversary, Hersheypark Happily!

I (f, 25) have this friend (f, 26) that I’ve know since elementary. We didn’y begin to be friends until eighth grade, though. We went to different high schools, but still managed to grow our friendship and became best friends. When it came time for dating, she chose questionable guys. And anytime there was a new boyfriend, i felt pushed in the back, hardly talked to, and when we did hang out, he ALWAYS had to be there. It was hard to hide my hurtness, so rather than fight, i just kind of let it happen.
Everytime she’d get a new boyfriend, i saw her mentality hidden, and she would become a whole different person. It’s like she would take on the personality/persona of the boyfriend at the time. And each boyfriend, slowly started to not like me overtime (i would have the feeling but then after every break up, she would also confirm it and would say she didnt know why). She started dating one guy, and i would catch her telling little lies to me and started really questioning everything. One day, i caught her in a lie around these new friends (all friends of her boyfriend) and i kind of snapped and we got into an arguement and i finally told her i couldnt do it anymore. We went about a year or so of not communicating.
We eventually started hanging out again, and it was like going back to the beginning. I truly missed it. But then her energy would feel off. It was like she was always trying to one up me, or make me feel jealous about things that really meant nothing to me. With every boyfriend, it was like she would tell me all this stuff theyd do for her, and downplay my boyfriend (even when i knew she was always fighting with her boyfriends). She would go on and on about how so-and-so was so amazing, and then when i would talk about my boyfriend, it’s like she wasnt really listening. It’d always come back to her boyfriend. If i ever had anything to say, it was always her one upping me. And it was still, even as adults, could never have one-on-one time together. Her boyfriend at the time would always have to be there.
Anyway, she started dating someone new in say, 2019. He was older and very out of character for her. He seemed like the nicest boyfriend she’s had, actually. Again, she started morphing into him. They moved in together within a handful of months. I started dating someone in 2020. We went on trips together and hung out, the four of us, often. My relationship was thriving- i was in love, we did not fight, we were always laughing and having fun (we’re now getting married soon!) Anytime she’d see something he’d do to/for me, she’d point it out to her boyfriend and say “see! “So and so does that for her!” He seemed to get annoyed really quick. Their bad times really outshined their good. They dated for four years? And especially towards the end, it was nonstop fighting. I hated that for her, and would try to give advice.
I then found out he would dangle marriage and kids over her head. He planned proposals (once i was somewhat involved in, several times, from what i heard, that i didnt know about) and then over the littlest of things, he would say to her “you know, i was going to propose to you (tonight/this day coming up), but you just ruined it for both of us.” I was appalled. All she had ever wanted was to be a wife and mom. She has self image issues from being overweight and little confidence. I kept urging her to end it because not only was she miserable, but who does that to a person!!!? I even found out that he did try ending things a couple times, but she would fight him on it and theyd stay together (dont ask me why.)
So i distanced myself again. I tried urging her to get maybe a therapist for herself, or to talk to her parents… Or anyone for that matter. I couldn’t continue to lot her lifestyle and poor choices around myself, and I know she needed me, but I tried as much as I could to help, and it went left unheard. When I got engaged, my fiancé was hesitant to reach out to them, and invite them to the engagement party that happened the night of. He left it up to me, which was smart of him. I texted her the news (immediately) and told her to come out and celebrate with us, it took her a while to text me back, but she ended up declining it, saying that her boyfriend did not like the place that we were going to. I was beyond hurt their relationship ended up ending a couple months after that.
About a month after their relationship ended he got a new girlfriend and within a few weeks, the new girlfriend was pregnant. I knew that crushed her because that’s all my friend ever wanted after about a month of finding out that his new girlfriend was pregnant. She got a new boyfriend that she met on the Internet no no disrespect I know people find each other that way, but she told me that she was on the Internet looking for a roommate not a boyfriend. They ended up being friends with benefits and my fiancé, and I met him a couple months into their Situationship. We both couldn’t believe how much him and the old boyfriend had in common. They were basically the same person except he is in his 30s and has five young kids.
Me and my friend basically drifted apart again, and from what I saw on line, she was basically taking over as a mother for these kids. I didn’t know that they were dating until the fall.
I just saw online this morning that he proposed to her yesterday, less than a year or knowing each othedating. I am happy for her, but my heart kind of sunk because the one time that I met him a year ago, I saw the same patterns of her, losing her self, and slowly morphing into him.
No, my wedding shower is next week. I invited her because I knew that if I didn’t, she would come after me. I am inviting her parents and her to the wedding in a couple months. I had no intention of inviting her boyfriend because I only met him once and I know nothing about him. As shitty as it sounds, I was going to invite her to the wedding and then kind of cut ties. She is no longer somebody that I want or feel comfortable in my life. I know that her now fiance not being invited will cause another issue. I almost look at is as a blessing in disguise.
Shes told me countless times that id be her maid of honor (half because her sister distanced herself from her years ago because my friend (and ex boyfriend) both talked to and treated her poorly, and because from what i knew, was her only real friend. I dont feel comfortable standing up next to something that i know nothing about. After all the years of me and my life/accomplishments being diminished… I feel we arent even friends.
I guess… How do i go about this?

You read that right- my (22F) husband (22M) and I have been married for 3 years now. To sum it up, we were both young, dumb, and going to enlist in the military to get out of our small town so we eloped to the courthouse. We were both gonna keep it a secret at first and reap the benefits from the military, see how our relationship went, and go from there.
Ended up not enlisting in the military so I told my parents we eloped a few months after. He never told his parents and I’ve been asking him to tell them. They didn’t have a good relationship when we got married and that is why he didn’t tell them. I gave him an ultimatum this past week that he has to tell them by the end of the week or I’m divorcing him because he’s crossing a boundary I have discussed with him multiple times over the past year. I am uncomfortable with them not knowing and I honestly feel like he’s not mature enough to be in a marriage if he can’t man up to tell them. He said he’s scared to hurt them and I countered that he needs to get it over with, that he’s also hurting me. His parents love me by the way and I’m ve been tempted to tell them myself but he always stops me.
Well, I gave him the ultimatum and he immediately became defensive, told me that if I didn’t want to be married to him that he would return the wedding set he just upgraded for me. He told me I was being an AH for pressuring him when he wasn’t ready. I told him that I wasn’t saying that at all, I’m just tired of him not being an adult which makes me question our relationship. I love him but it’s screaming red flags and I know I’m young enough that it won’t ruin my life if we divorce. My parents have a big issue with him keeping it a secret too and have brought it up to him. The reason I haven’t already went home is because I live on the other side of the country away from both of our families and we have pets. However, he knows if he does not tell them by this Sunday that I will be making plans to move once my summer semester ends.
So, AITAH for threatening to divorce my husband because he won’t tell his parents we are married?

I always thought Carlo Ricardo was a savage. Especially during that scene where he's banging his head against the wall. That dude was fearless and you could tell.
Robson. A lot of people hate him and for good reason but he was so fucking ruthless. They needed Schillinger to have a strong number-two and Robson was perfect. Dude is a maniac and the acting is so on point.
Yuri Kosigyn. Man, I really wish we'd gotten to see more of this guy. Definitely one of the coolest flashback sequences. Stanislovski running away from him as he explains calmly about his victims always makes me die laughing. 😂
Dino Ortillani. Only in the pilot episode, but he definitely left a lasting impression. I think he could hold his own against most of the other guys.
If I could choose four minor characters I liked most it would definitely be these guys.

My wedding videographer sent me a video that was not up to the standard of those he had shown as examples. I asked for some corrections and he said “I will get all the requests put in and begin fixing everything y’all don’t like! Thanks for the feedback!” This was in November. I hadn’t heard from him so in late December I reached out again asking for a timeline and he said “Hi there! I’m still working on the hour-long version of the video. It is still taking me some time to work on this video and I apologize for that. I want this video to be the best possible video you guys can watch! I’m going to continue working on this video for you all through the holidays. I’m at minute 28 out of 60 minutes in the video. I decided to start all the way over to really focus on the story. I don’t have a good day to say when it will be finished, but I’m about halfway through the edit if that helps! I hope you enjoy the holidays and have a Merry Christmas!” I have messaged him about once a month since asking for updates and he has not answered any messages/ calls or emails. I was considering messaging him that I will be moving towards filing in small claims court if I don’t receive my video soon. Should I say that or would there be a better way to proceed?

My siblings and I are at the difficult point in our lives when our parent is having to move to retirement care. This parent is unmarried and has been living in their home in Burlington for 31 years and will not need a house full of small kitchen appliances, furniture, books, craft supplies, and too much clothing once they move into care. Ideally we want to keep as much as possible out of landfill.
Where is everyone donating their used but good quality household items these days? I don't want to just dump our items at Value Village, but I also know most shelters only accept new items now, except for clothing.
What ideas do you have? Here is what I have now:
Furniture: Habitat for Humanity as they will do pick-up (if valued more than $300) and provide a tax receipt. Most furniture was purchased in the 70s and is in good condition, and we know auctioneers can be really picky
Professional clothing: A donation drop-box for a womens shelter (Halton Women's Place)
Fiction Paperbacks: Distribute amongst local little libraries?
Non-Fiction Hardcovers: Including university textbooks from the 60s. What do we do with these?
Working Electronics: Thrift store
Broken Electronics: e-waste recyclers
Home maintenance and garden tools: ? No clue
Small kitchen appliances, random place settings, mismatched flatware: Thrift store?
Fine bone china, crystal, and servingware: ? No clue (all is good quality from the 1960s as wedding gifts)
I appreciate any other suggestions you might have to my list above!

Recently engaged and an initial guest list has us around 200 wedding guests (big families). Obviously not going to be cheap, but was hoping for suggestions for venues that won’t completely break the bank. Prefer an all-included venue for convenience’s sake, but open to anything at the end of the day. Located in Camden/Burlington County so closer to that area would also be preferred but we’re flexible. Also open to PA spots if anyone has had a good experience across the river.

I dunno who else's parents were/are like this. My parents are fairly wealthy people. It feels like all my life this is something they managed to use against me rather than for me, in big and little ways.
I remember one birthday as a teen they got me a computer. This was a REALLY big deal back then - your average kid didn't have their own PC, with internet access, and in their own room! I was absolutely over the moon. Couldn't stop thanking them, told everyone I could. My birthday is in May. In June final grades came out and mine were very meh. The psychological warfare started. They weren't just disappointed, I didn't deserve my birthday gift - which had been unexpected, and they hadn't negotiated for high grades to get it for me, and even if they had, I wouldn't have had time to change anything. They were going to take it and sell it. Whenever I used it, it reminded them I still had it, I didn't deserve it, and they should take it back. What did I even need a computer for, if it didn't get me good grades? I'm clearly not very smart. Bad grades are ungrateful. By the end of summer I was begging them to sell it just so I could stop feeling bad. This insulted them incredibly - they didn't need the money, why sell it? Such drama. Where did I get these ideas?
Never did it occur to them to talk sensibly about next year's grades, and whether the computer was a hindrance, and what they could do to help.
It was very difficult to discuss the issue with anyone at the time. I got a free computer and I was complaining about it. Anyway it's normal for parents to want you to do well in school, no?
At 19 while starting university, I moved out of their house to a small student town, against their wishes. I was supporting myself, aside from school and books, which they paid for after threatening not to at the very last minute because they didn't like my major. That, in itself, was the first time I realized I could manipulate them back. When they threatened not to pay at the point it was far too late for me to apply for loans or bursaries (what little I might have qualified for here, while living with rich parents), and too late to switch my application anyway if I'd wanted, I was a wreck. Figured I'd have to cancel my application, save up money, try next year, I was throwing up with anxiety for a week. But then, we went to a family gathering where a relative asked me where I was going to school soon. I locked eyes with my dad. He went white. Because we'd both seen in an instant all I had to do to make him look like an asshole was say I couldn't afford to go, when my dad is the richest guy in the family. I said what I was studying. Everyone was perfectly happy for me. He made the payment. We both knew if I wasn't in school by the next family party I wouldn't be the one who looked bad.
But nobody ever understood why I was upset later, because after all, having your schooling paid for is a huge privilege. And my major is a useless subject.
Anyway, I loved living with roommates, working and going to school. It was an incredible experience just to be independent and away from them. I had to admit after a year, though, that I wasn't doing as well in school as I could be. I didn't have time to attend some advanced things or do enough research because I was working a lot. Meanwhile my parents wanted me back very badly. My dad had been saying he'd have the entire basement renovated into an apartment for me if that's what it would take. He would buy me a car. I could have anything.
I thought it over. I didn't need an entire apartment or a car. But I said I would need the guest room next to my bedroom to turn into my office, since my bedroom would be too crammed, and I'd need them to repaint it and get a few extra furniture pieces. They were happy to agree. I made sure to make a big deal of telling relatives how excited I was about my future office. Because you can imagine as soon as I told my landlord I wouldn't be renewing the lease, they tried to wiggle out. I painted the office myself with a friend because they 'couldn't find painters', but I was very insistent on making them pay for the paint. I refused to move boxes out of the hallway until they took me to Ikea to get what I needed. When my dad told me 'no one else your age needs their parents to pay for things' I reminded him he VOLUNTEERED tens of thousands of dollars in renovations and a free car, but now was making a big deal out of a desk, a lamp, and two bookshelves. He paid. We cohabited poorly for a few more years, because now I knew I could make it on my own if I had to and the dynamic was never the same.
But this is only a story about how entitled I am, because I expected my parents to accommodate me and even buy me shelves, everyone else's kids only get one room of their own in their parents' house.
Sorry for the long text. It's been mother's day and my birthday again - there's been fuckery and I'm upset.

Union Organizing Update
Over the past few weeks, several of us from this subreddit have joined together to form an organizing committee for unionization. We have organizers from across the United States, including organizers from Washington, Virginia, New Jersey, Florida and more. They are among some of the most frequent posters and helpers that you’re familiar with already, like ( u/mamabroccoli and u/Inevitable_Laugh4569 ). We have already been in contact with a couple unions for guidance, including a union with an office within a couple miles of the TDC main office in New York City. While our numbers are sufficient and I think we’re making great progress thus far, if you are still interested in having an active role, we’d love to have you. The more people helping, the better! If you would prefer a more passive role by simply giving your support, that’s always appreciated too!
We have been discussing our plans for near future of our potential tutor union. Most of the work from here will be contacting people and spreading the word about unionizing the tutor base. We will be providing more information over the next couple/few weeks. Later in the week, there will be a post about the benefits of unionization. Next week, we will post about the demands we’re going to state at the beginning of any negotiations. We have ideas for further informational posts. This is truly a group effort. I think you will like what we’re offering and will be glad to vote to unionize in the future.
The following letter is an open letter to tutor.com / The Princeton Review. You may notice that it is written a bit differently than the writings I usually produce. The reason for the tonal shift is because of writing help. I wrote the initial draft, which was edited by our committee to have a nicer flow, be less antagonistic, and add further pro-union arguments. We are committed to work together, and this is just the start of what we can do when we work together!
Also, if you haven’t yet signed the video petition, please do so. https://www.change.org/p/oppose-tutor-com-mandating-video-sessions-for-tutors?recruiter=300829309&recruited_by_id=b62a6030-fe40-11e4-95d0-ef524b399632&utm_source=share_petition&utm_campaign=petition_dashboard_share_modal&utm_medium=copylink
Open letter to tutor.com / The Princeton Review regarding attempts to unionize
Since we're starting the process of putting together a union proposal, we're publicly requesting tutor.com and/or The Princeton Review to voluntarily recognize that we're attempting to organize, and provide the resources necessary to hold a vote. From discussions amongst the committee, we know the main office is aware of this subreddit, and we'd imagine that someone is paying particular attention to our recent discussions about unionizing.
We understand if there's resistance from TDC to seeing their workers unionize, as that's a normal reaction in the business world. However, we urge you to instead be proactive and helpful as we attempt to organize.
We believe a tutor union can work in tutor.com's favor, to a great extent, for a variety of reasons:
* It would be a very good look publicly if you were to openly support the effort to unionize. We're in the education industry, a famously unionized industry, filled with people who will be more sympathetic to companies with unionized workforces. Being the one tutoring company that can truthfully say "We supported our tutors' right to unionize from day 1" could be a major selling point when seeking contracts in this industry.
* From what we've seen from your social media posts, tutor.com does seem to project a degree of progressivism. As an example, you've made posts taking pride in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at tutor.com, and you always try to highlight tutors who receive awards and recognition. You could significantly further this image by taking a union-friendly stance here. You've had executives post about how the tutors are loved - here's your chance to prove it.
* A tutor union would work to infinitely better the company itself. Tutors would feel better compensated and better heard, and as a result feel better and more enthusiastic about the company and their work overall. The better conditions would set tutor.com up as the de facto best online tutoring company to work for, and attract more and better talent to the company. It would be reasonable to set stricter quality standards and, in time, tutor.com would gain a reputation for being *the* premium tutoring service - the tutoring service that has tutors who rise above and beyond those at other services. Retention rates would skyrocket, institutional knowledge would accumulate - we'd become a company of true professionals.
* Were tutor.com to support the unionization process, it would start the relationship between the union and company off with mutual respect, a willingness to cooperate and compromise, and general friendliness and good will. This would ultimately serve us all better than a relationship borne out of malice, a refusal to acknowledge our existence, or open antagonism.
* tutor.com has faced some recent backlash from some right-wing government people regarding where we've ended up through corporate acquisitions, to the point where some are beginning to attack the military contract. One contract has already been lost for this reason. Being seen as a pro-worker company that broke industry norms and went out of their way to support their worker's right to organize, even if the effort ultimately fails, could easily work to gain the company some new allies on the left, shielding it from pointless attacks about its ownership.
We want to be clear that we're not asking for you to come out and endorse a "Yes" vote on unionization - though of course we'd be delighted if you did. What we're asking is for you to provide the resources necessary to hold an informed vote. Let us send out an email to all current US-based tutors with information regarding our efforts, and help us hold a vote to unionize at some point in the future. Offer your support or your neutrality, but please don't openly oppose or ignore our efforts. You've mentioned that "9 out of 10 tutors rate themselves Satisfied or Very Satisfied with Tutor.com" before - let's put that to the test. It may be that we hold a vote, and fail - and then, so long as you maintained neutrality and enabled us to make our case to the other tutors, we'll at least have our mutual good will, and you'll still be the pro-worker company that enabled, rather than hindered, an unsuccessful attempt to organize.
So, tutor.com / The Princeton Review, the ball is in your court now. Our attempt to organize will continue with or without your help, but we believe the best path forward is clearly the one where we work together on this. Doing nothing at all here is the easy choice, but it's also the cowardly choice. Support us, and we'll work together to better this company for its tutors and its students.
-The TDC/TPR Union Organizational Committee

TLDR: Im scared to make the jump of ending things. I love him but I don’t think I’m in love with him anymore. Im scared it’s the wrong decision. Im scared to start over. Im worried financially. Im worried about our pets.
If you can do math I’m sure you can see that my boyfriend and I started dating pretty young, if anything I’d say he is my first love. I thought he was my true love. Backstory: We moved in together after about 7mo of dating (with roommates) then a few months later just the two of us. Things were great, we were working on our careers and got two dogs. It felt like we had a little family and happy life. Fast forward three years: we go on a trip with his family. His dad flips his shit on us about finances in an airport but is primarily yelling at me because my partner was being submissive and not questioning or trying to discuss this with his dad. His dad also brought our relationship into his yelling, saying things like I don’t make my BF happy, he doesn’t support our relationship. It was really shocking and “random” for me to see this display. It honestly sent me into a depression to be broken down like that publicly, with no warning, by my boyfriend’s dad and him not even sticking up for me or our relationship. My bf telling me the entire trip home and at home that that’s how his dad is, that he’s sorry, and he doesn’t know why his dad said those things. That he’s happy with me. Three months later I catch him texting other girls talking about meeting up. I already had a girls trip planned coming up and told him I needed time to sort through all of this given that I feel like I was dealt blow after blow. I came back from the trip and we talked about it more, I asked numerous times if there’s something I’m not doing right or if I do truly make him unhappy. He denies, says that he doesn’t know why he reached out to other women and that it was a stupid mistake that will never happen again. Of course for awhile I was on edge and wary but I loved him and wanted to make this work. A few more months later I was trying to find a tattoo artist he follows and showed me on instagram. But instead I found him following a lot of explicit female pages. I told him that this made me uncomfortable especially given our recent issues and set a boundary to not continue following/looking at these women. For the past year I feel as though things have been good and my trust is back for him. Here’s the but: 1) I don’t feel like I enjoy his conversation anymore or it’s gotten less. I feel like I have to initiate every conversation, find things to talk about. 2) I feel like I almost have to mom him or be his parent. Having to help him file his taxes, figure out his car insurance, his doctors appointments, cleaning etc. 3) He’s not romantic. We’ve had numerous conversations about how I want to surprise occasionally, I want him to do something romantic for me. I’ve quite literally almost begged him to. He always says he’ll try harder and he’s sorry. I know everyone has different love languages giving and receiving but I feel as though we’ve both communicated ours and it’s feeling one sided. Some anniversaries or valentines we took it easy and just did a cute dinner together. Some I planned trips for us. One year I did a surprise beach trip. For our 5yr anniversary I did a spa resort since neither of us had gone and well it’s our big 5 year anniversary! I don’t want to degrade him and say he’s never done anything for me but I just don’t feel like we’re on the same level. We just got back from a week long trip to the PNW we’ve been wanting to do for years. He didn’t put any effort into planning so I made the entire itinerary including finding where to eat at during the trip. I feel like this trip really snapped for me. Our 6yr anniversary is next month and I almost want to just not bother and see what he does, if anything. I know I shouldn’t expect things but I thought he was going to propose during our 5yr anniversary because he occasionally would ask what kind of wedding rings I liked. When he didn’t, I thought maybe he was waiting for a romantic trip like the PNW since we always talk about where we would and wouldn’t want to be proposed at. He didn’t. I know it sound silly to expect a ring when I’m sitting here questioning staying with him. Because I’m usually a logically person and clearly a planner and mentally made a pros and cons list.. and the reasons I kept coming back to for not leaving him is 1) we have long history together 2) I love him and I don’t want to hurt him 3) the stress of having to decide moving out and furniture 4) we have two dogs together 5) financially 6) I’m scared to start over.

The only thing that makes sense in the show is that nothing makes sense. Take any scene from show and think about it for more than a minute and it all breaks down.
The characters are face blind unless the plot demands it. Everyone forgets everything of importance until it becomes relevant to the plot again. The entire plot literally makes no sense.
Moldover wants cold fusion. So she going to achieve this by letting fate give it to her and lucky for her Fate does give it to her.
Let wilzig somehow cross the wasteland alone even though everyone is hunting him down, why not wait for him on the town he is supposed to show up on instead of leaving it to chance? The guy was literally outside vault 33 just few hours after moldover how didn’t she know?
If moldover is doing everything in honor of Rose why not start the riot by taking Lucy and Norm hostage instead of leaving their fate to chance? Cause that would’ve been awkward “hey feral rose I did it I finally got the cold fusion, our dream is coming true, btw your kids are dead because of me, sorry.” It’s almost like she knows they have plot armor. But that would just be ludicrous.
How does hank, someone who was an assistant executive on vault tec, even know the big shit codes like the code for nukes and cold fusion?
And speaking of Hank how did he not recognize moldover? She literally identifies as moldover. They later establish that all overseers in vaults 33 and 32 are vaults 31 desfrosted vault tec employees so even if he didn’t remember her, why is he not wondering why the overseer is a complete stranger who wasn’t a vault tec employee? And they also establish that vaults 32 and 33 trade people throughout the years for marriages and stuff yet no one at the wedding is suspicious of the fact that everyone from vault 32 is a complete fucking stranger?
And why don’t the pipboys geiger counters work before lucy has to turn it on? If you need to turn on the geiger counter then it is useless. Radiation is invisible you would get cooked inside out before realizing you’re already dead in most cases. The reason why radiation was considered the silent killer in fallout 1 was not because the counter didn’t make a noise, it was because theres was no indicator at how irradiated a place was or how irradiated the character was so you could accidentally get irradiated enough to die and not know just like in real life where people can take hours before showing symptoms of radiation poisoning and by then it’s too late.
The brotherhood forgets they have headlamps.
Maximus come across wilzig’s trail by pure fucking coincidence thank god that guy wanted to strech his legs. thanks the writers for using coincidence it’s what good storytelling needs.
Maximus forgets he essentially has super strength when on the power armor so he gets stuck on a plank. Actually is it maximus who forgets or the non sentient power armor? Because I can’t tell, shouldn’t just the act of lifting his leg break the plank. It shouldn’t matter if he remembers or not.
The Ghoul forgets his one shot power armor trick against maximus and decides instead to just keep wasting bullets for some reason. But lucky for Maximus I guess.
And the worst part is I could go on.
Is the show fun? Sure, for the most part but in a michael bay transformers or godzilla x kong way where you have to turn your brain off and not question the ride. Not because it’s well written. The writing is legitimately ass.
Why did I make this post? Because one of the ways for something to improve is to criticize it and hope they listen. Bethesda never listen, will Jonathan Nolan and company?

This needs a little back story first. And this one is a bit long, sorry. My mil and I never really got along. She was an overbearing, passive aggressive Karen. That thought I wasn't good enough for her son. He was a bit older than me (13 yrs) and came from a better background. My family grew up rather on the poor side and his was solid upper middle class. My father-in-law was rather indifferent about most things and she wore the pants in the family, what she said goes, always.
That said here we go. Her and my father-in-law would go to Krispy Kreme at night to get a cup of coffee after supper. When my daughter was born, a few months after her birth they started taking her to Krispy Kreme with them to give me and my husband "a little time without the baby" her words, which was appreciated but we never asked them to do it. They're reasoning was they wanted to show off the baby, their first and only granddaughter.
I guess after having three grandsons from her daughter, it was a joy to have a female child in the family again and she wanted to show her off at every occasion she could think of. My husband and I never really minded I thought it was wonderful. I thought she was wonderful, she was going to be the perfect grandmother. She loved having her granddaughter around. She loved showing her granddaughter off even though she and I didn't get along she loved her granddaughter.
The problems started, after my only son was born. Now I know she had three other grandsons and I figured she'd treat them all the same. Boy was I wrong. Her daughter's Sons were treated like normal grandchildren wonderful presents at Christmas and birthdays she spent time with them she babysat them she was the same way with my daughter if not more so. But when it came to my son that was a completely different matter. She didn't want to hold, him she didn't want to feed him like she had my daughter. She didn't want to take him anywhere either. Remember she had been taking my daughter with her to Krispy Kreme every evening for 2 and 1/2 years before my son was born. But she didn't want to take my son anywhere, ever. I overlooked it at first. My son was still a baby my daughter a toddler handling both of them would have been a bit too much. So I figured when my son got older she would want to take him as well. She never did
When my son got old enough to ask, why granny didn't take him to Krispy Kreme in the evenings ever, I figured then we'd have a conversation. Well that day arrived and he asked the question that I knew he would and the only thing that I could tell the poor little guy was let me talk to Granny about it. So I talked to my mother-in-law about it and asked her why she never took my son to Krispy Kreme. And she explained that he was too much to handle. I asked her what she meant by that. She said I can't handle both of them. I told her that you don't have to handle both of them take my daughter one night and my son the next that way you won't be overwhelmed. She agreed to do this. My son was overjoyed he thought he was going to get to go to Krispy Kreme with Granny! So that night she took my daughter and I told her before they left that tomorrow night was my son's turn to get to go. She said "yeah yeah I know". So the next day after dinner she tells my daughter come on honey let's go to Krispy Kreme and I tell her wait just a moment you said you would take my son today. This is when she tells me again I can't handle him. And I again ask what do you mean by that. She says he's too rambunctious that she can't make him behave that my daughter is easier to handle.
Granted little boys can be a little harder to handle but he was no harder than his sister. This answer aggravated me to the point where I told her "you said that you would take him tonight, you promised him". And she again tells me "I can't handle him". So I tell her "if you can't take him tonight like you promised him, you can't take her anymore either. So instead of agreeing to take her grandson to Krispy Kreme she simply stops taking her granddaughter to spite me, or her grandson, I'm not sure which. She always treated my daughter much better than my son and this was just one example of the petty, small-minded, ignorant behavior she heaped on that child's head. My son was never cruel, loud,or entitled he never broke anything that belonged to someone else, he never had tantrums like most small children do, he was a well-behaved little boy and she already had three other grandsons and didn't need another one or that's the way I felt anyway, especially after all the other incidents but this one sticks in my head for the blatant disregard for either of her grandchildren. So I told her she was a horrible grandmother to my son . I never fought in front of the children with her. I never talked about her badly to them either. So am I the a******?
If you want to know more of what she did let me know.

Context information: When my husband and I met in November 2009, he had a 2-year-old son, (we will call him Tre) whose bio mom had voluntarily gave up custody and agreed to visitation prior to me being involved. We have been married since June 2010. In that time frame, we have had 2 more sons and the bio mom decided to stop visitation in January 2013.
When we started dating, I told bio mom I wasn't there to replace her, that I was there to help parent this little boy. My husband and I agreed that Tre should have the choice of what he wanted to call me (ex. my name, a nickname, mom, etc.). He chose to call me "Mommy (my name)" and to call his bio mom "Mommy (her name)". It was mostly to be able to distinguish between us and predominantly called us "Mommy" in person. His bio mom lost her mind when he said it to her face. It took hours to calm her down when she was going off because I "let him pick such a disrespectful name" for her. He was 2 1/2 years old.
We tried to be flexible with visitation, but countless times, she was coming to get him and would cancel or bring him back within hours of picking him up for whatever reason she would come up with. It got to the point that we had to stop telling him she was coming because of the disappointment he had when she cancelled. When Tre was 4 1/2, she decided to stop her visitations, brought all his belongings to our home, and walked away without even saying good-bye to him. I promised her I would never speak bad about her to him and have kept that promise to this day.
He asks questions about her which we answer to the best of our abilities and always remind him that if he wants to have a relationship with her, we will find her. He has a every right to know where he comes from. Currently, he has no interest.
One day, he asked me if I hated her. The answer was easy to me. "I do not agree or like the choices she's made, but I could never hate her. Hating her, would be hating a part of you, and I hate no part of you. Without her, I wouldn't have you." I don't want him to hate her. Hate is too heavy to carry.
Somehow, this story was brought up while I was talking to my husband's mom. My in-laws and I have had a rocky past because we are just simply very different people. After telling her the story about my son, she said that she would never be able to tell him that, that she hated his bio mom, and was utterly shocked that I didn't hate her too. After explaining my side and getting nowhere, I simply said, "If you can't keep that to yourself, then don't talk to him about her at all. He is a kid going through a lot and doesn't need the weight of your emotions weighing him down." She was baffled and screamed, "I helped raise that boy until you came into the picture, I'll say whatever I damn well please to him." For the record, my husband supports me and agrees not to talk bad about his bio mom to him. We want his opinion of her to be his own.
So, AITA for putting my foot down about this and not allowing her to speak badly of his bio mom to him?

Reflecting on 2021, truly marked the zenith of my young career. The pandemic was coming to an end, I was fresh from the hallowed halls of a prestigious but unheralded college, thrust into the corporate labyrinth where, as a mere sidekick to the big shots, I contributed to a deal of record-breaking magnitude. My modest corporate minion life was exaggerated into legend by my professors during an alumni reunion, leading to a rather embarrassing episode where I was paraded around as the poster child of their education career’s success. My parents, not ones to shy away from a bit of pomp, lauded my achievements to anyone within earshot.
But as 2022 unfurled its chaos with the epidemic, my professional life spiralled downwards as swiftly as it had risen. I was laid off, and replaced by a nepotistic hire—my boss's new mistress's nephew. During my dismal final days, my colleagues, once comrades became corporate sharks, whispers of them scheming to claim my last efforts as their own filled the empty office spaces.
Compelled by financial duress to abandon my central city dwelling, I relocated to the outskirts with two college mates, Jaz and Kath, who had similarly found themselves victims of the economic downturn. We settled into apartment 606, a unit with dubious charm, suspiciously affordable on the 13th floor of a dreary building, its corridor haunted by a flickering sensor light that was only designed to function on rare occasions. Yet, the apartment itself was surprisingly very well furnished, almost like something that jumped out from a design mag, out beating sample rooms in Ikea, boasting a spacious balcony, a living room ready for an impromptu soirée, a dining table that’s good enough to hold a banquet(became our co-working space) and a kitchen isle that became our sanctuary and curse.
When we first settled into our new abode, we discovered a trove of fine kitchen utensils, perfect for whipping up sophisticated cuisine and crafting cocktails worthy of a swanky soirée. Tucked away in the fridge, among the remnants of the previous tenants' life, was a quaint note: “The three of us really enjoyed our stay here, especially our meals and nights spent by the kitchen island. We hope you find as much joy in it as we did. Use it well.” With a casual flick of my wrist, I dismissed the note into the garbage can, oblivious to the depth of its seemingly innocuous message. Little did I know, that piece of paper was more a passing of the torch than a simple goodbye.
Our initial days in apartment 606 brimmed with camaraderie and impromptu celebrations: movie nights sprawled on the living room sofas, barbeque dinners under the stars on our balcony, and co-working sessions at the dining table, peppered with resume tweaks and contemplative conversations over cocktails. We even scored a second-hand karaoke machine, allowing me to channel my inner diva—a throwback to my musical theatre days in college and my stint as the voice of corporate presentations and negotiations at my previous job, where I was known for my resonant yet finely tuned voice.
Yet, as the months wore on and the job market remained unyielding, our early merriment slowly surrendered to a creeping anxiety. The kitchen island, once the heart of our home where laughter and shared meals flowed freely, gradually morphed into the epicenter of our collective unease, bearing silent witness to the quiet desperation settling over us.
One evening, in the suspiciously affordable yet stylish apartment, I sank into the sofa, my spirits dampened by my favorite team's disheartening loss. The mood was grim, mirroring my fears of my beloved player's potential retirement at season's end. Later, as we congregated around the kitchen island for dinner, I transformed into an impromptu sports commentator, passionately preaching about the game’s disappointing details that led to failure and my favorite player’s fine qualities. Meanwhile, Jaz updated us on a friend's melodramatic breakup, with guesses that something ugly must have happened behind the scenes. Kath, ever the culinary enthusiast, not only served up her delicious pasta but also dished out the latest celebrity gossip, each tidbit as spicy as her sauce.
The next day, during a late breakfast at the same kitchen island—our unwitting oracle—we were hit by a triple whammy of reality checks. The news of my favorite player's retirement broke, echoing my gloomy predictions from the night before. Jaz chimed in with an update that our friend had uncovered a cheating scandal worthy of its own reality TV special. And Kath, never one to be left out of the drama: her favorite celebrity was now the star of a scandal.
By the third morning, as we sipped our coffee, the newspaper slapped me with another bizarre twist. I was going through the devastating economics and politics sections, then I saw the sports section——featured an irate coach, hell-bent on convincing my favorite player to dismiss retirement plans and keep his jersey on a little longer. Meanwhile, Jaz had good news for a change: it turned out our friend's love story might have a second act after all, as misunderstandings were being cleared up. Amidst these revelations, Kath, who had been grumbling about the nearby supermarket’s inability to stock anything remotely gourmet, and hadn’t had a taste of her favorite Blue Mountain coffee since the beginning of that year, triumphantly found a can of Blue Mountain coffee, and it was on sale and therefore affordable—proof that miracles happen, and sometimes they even go on discount.
As I sat there, absorbing the serendipity of our discussions manifesting into real-world events, I couldn't help but marvel at the mysterious knack of our kitchen island. Was it merely a coincidence, or had this stylish piece of decor become the unlikely conductor of our lives symphony? One thing was certain: life in apartment 606 was never dull, and our kitchen island seemed to be more than just a place to eat—it was a place where, apparently, you could stir the pot of fate.
I decided to conduct a whimsical experiment with our now seemingly magical kitchen island. Clearing my throat theatrically, I declared, "I should be interviewed for a director position." To my sheer astonishment, the next day a headhunter rang me up, claiming I was the ideal candidate for a directorial role at a prestigious corporation in my field. Despite the other candidates possessing decades more experience which defeated me with no effort, and my own lingering self-doubt from months of unemployment, I sailed to the final interview round with the company's executives.
Upon returning to our apartment, I found Kath flaunting a chic dress from a designer brand brand she’d snagged on clearance—a little luxury courtesy of our wish-granting island. Inspired, I approached the island and cheekily requested, "Get us jobs. Something fun." Lo and behold, the following day was spent lounging and binge-watching Netflix, only to be interrupted by a call from a former bigwig at my old job. He was venturing into a more illustrious company and wanted me onboard. The informal chat that followed was a breeze, and just like that, I was back in the game with a fancier title and a fatter paycheck.
The subsequent week was a flurry of celebrations. Jaz secured a senior-level position, and Kath landed her dream job at an influencer management agency. Feeling triumphant, we decided to indulge in a night of fine dining—our first in months. That Friday evening when I went from office to restaurant, on a whim, stopped at a convenience store to grab snacks and cigarettes for our post-dinner revelry. Outside, I encountered a homeless person. After offering him a sandwich (which he traded for a cigarette instead), he took a drag, peered into my eyes, and ominously muttered, “Look, young lady, this isn’t my business, but be wary of what you wish for; everything comes with a price. Good luck and god bless you.”
His words barely registered until later that evening when a mishap occurred that seemed to underline his warning. As we enjoyed syphon coffee post-dinner, a barista accidentally tripped over Kath’s flowing dress. The resulting spill left her with first-degree burns, abruptly ending our night as we rushed to the emergency room. Though it was "just" a first-degree burn, the pain was significant enough to require several days off for Kath’s recovery. Amid the drama, I couldn't help but wonder about the cryptic caution from the man outside the store—had our fortunate streak come with a hidden cost?
We chalked up the coffee calamity to bad luck. The next month flowed smoothly: Kath's fingers healed, she returned to work, and I quickly found my groove at the new job. With all of us gainfully employed, our communal meals at the kitchen island became rare. My mornings were a whirlwind of grabbing breakfast and coffee on the go, followed by an hour's commute to a job that had me scarfing down instant noodles by nightfall, just in time for a quick shower.
As the busy season kicked in, my workload ballooned—not just from the seasonal uptick, but because I was hell-bent on proving my mettle. I quickly outshone most of my peers, and my employer, recognizing a budding overachiever, piled on major tasks, which I eagerly accepted. What started as the occasional hour of overtime soon devoured my weekends. Unpaid overtime, as the fine print in my contract gleefully noted, became my new norm. Driven by a mix of ambition and expectation, I had become the go-to young hotshot, the erstwhile record-breaker now expected to continually outdo myself.
Mentally, I was too swamped to entertain thoughts of anything beyond work, which, in a twisted way, felt like a break. Physically, however, the strain began to show. A bout of flu caught on a business trip escalated into a fever. Sick as I was, deadlines waited for no one, and I soldiered on medicated and miserable. By the time I made it home, my voice had abandoned me. Unable to utter a word the next morning, I resorted to emailing my manager about my sorry state.
That week, robbed of my voice, I mused that it was perhaps a well-deserved hiatus for my overworked vocal cords—a silent retreat if you will. But when my voice did return, it was as a raspy whisper, a shadow of its former crisp and melodious timbre. My doctor offered a grim prognosis: slight improvement might come, but the golden tones were gone for good—scarred by the relentless grind. Ah, the price of ambition—a scratchy throat as a permanent reminder of my corporate conquests.
It seemed I had unwittingly exchanged the clarity of my voice for the tumult of career success. In the midst of our domestic enchantment with the possibly mystical kitchen island, Kath unearthed the contact of a reputed psychic, hailed as the finest in the land. However, the consultation fee was nothing short of princely, and with Jaz vehemently dismissing anything that couldn't be explained by cold, hard science, she promptly opted out of splitting the bill. Kath and I, unwilling to drain our wallets on what could be mere phantasmagoria, reluctantly let the opportunity pass.
Meanwhile, I couldn’t help but notice a curious change in Jaz’s routine. She had ceased dining at the kitchen island, avoiding it as if it were cursed—or perhaps, in her view, simply out of style. The Saturday morning brought a particularly harsh twist: a murder of crows took to spiralling above our balcony, their cries as sharp as the plot of a Poe novel. We found ourselves drawn to the infamous kitchen island, lined up like the cast of a macabre play, silently praying for the birds to disperse. Kath, ever trying to restore some semblance of normalcy, offered up cups of Blue Mountain coffee. She absentmindedly inquired if I wanted cream or sugar in mine—a blunder that made me realize just how long it had been since our last coffee klatch at this very spot. My inner monologue couldn't resist a dark wish for the crows to scatter, perhaps too dark, for they began to dive bomb our balcony in a feathery kamikaze. The spectacle was enough to knock Jaz off her feet—literally—as her mug met its end on the floor. Kath, meanwhile, made a hasty retreat to worship the porcelain god, and I sat frozen, my brain offline, pondering the twisted power of our kitchen island's apparent wish-granting.
After the unnerving spectacle of crows turning our balcony into a scene straight out of a Hitchcock film, our first rational step—post-collective fainting, of course—was to summon cleaners to manage the feathery carnage. Then, still rattled but increasingly curious, we visited a psychic, who, contrary to the crystal-ball-gazer image, operated out of a posh boutique in a high-end mall and dressed more like she was headed to a fashion show than a séance. We laid bare our saga of the seemingly cursed kitchen island, complete with photographic evidence of where domestic bliss meets eerie phenomena.
The psychic introduced a term that chilled the air around us: “limbo,” the threshold between our world and the otherworldly, and she dubbed our kitchen island the "Devil’s Bargain Counter." According to her, our wishes came with a heavy and unpredictable price, because we have accidentally started trades with beings from the netherworld. Her advice was disarmingly simple: cease all trades on the island. To address the repercussions of past wishes, she advised us the first line of defence, which was an eclectic mix of offerings laid out on our cursed countertop: raw meat(rooster works the best), a cocktail of spices(coca and cinnamon preferably), liberal splashes of spirits(whiskey and rum ideally), and an eerie bouquet of black flowers(luckily I found some black roses at a flower shop of the mall). In a grander gesture of appeasement, Kath relinquished her shiny new diamond bracelet, Jaz her absurdly expensive headphones, and I parted with cash—— a hefty slice of my bonus in hopes of placating whatever capricious spirits we'd angered.
Our return to normalcy was brief but sweet, prompting us to plan a getaway, eager to forget about our nefarious kitchen island. Yet, the respite was merely a tease. Jaz, in a stroke of spectacular misfortune, narrowly dodged disaster twice in one day—first nearly becoming subway track fodder on her way back after work, and then almost getting knocked out by a rogue plant at our apartment building’s doorstep. Clearly, our previous offerings were mere appetizers to whatever forces we'd stirred. The psychic, summoned once again to our now-dubious sanctuary, decreed that the spirits had developed rather expensive tastes, unsatisfied by our initial gestures.
In a desperate bid for closure, we had the psychic over for a nighttime ritual, timed perfectly with Earth's closest approach to the netherworld, according to her. Our living room turned into a ritual chamber, with windows blacked out for days, to keep the otherworldly dealings strictly nocturnal. That night, we arranged ourselves around the island, now less a kitchen fixture and more an altar of last resort.
The psychic, amidst a chorus of Latin incantations, directed us through a chilling séance that included a mirror that reflected nothing but darkness and a burning black candle, the three of us sat in a row, joined hands, eyes closed. When the black candle was flickering at its last, the first eerie scratches heard prompted our eyes to open prematurely, we saw a command appear on the island, written by invisible hand and pen, in blood-red script, urging us to find the next "succeeder" before our lease on otherworldly disturbances could be terminated.
With bated breath, we agreed, and as if by magic, our signatures materialized on the countertop, then faded as the candle sputtered out. We tore off the black cardboard taped on the windows at dawn, the sunrise revealed a final message etched into the surface: "Debt cleared." As the daylight grew, the ominous inscription dissolved into nothingness, signalling the end of our spectral saga.
The ordeal, now officially behind us, left us enjoying a semblance of normalcy: life in 606 returned to its mundane rhythm, with dinners and movie nights back on our social calendar. Though not without its scars—literal and figurative.
It’s been two years since then, Jaz, in the throes of romantic bliss, is now gearing up for a new chapter waiting to be written alongside her soon-to-be spouse; Kath, her career finally taking a lucrative turn, was poised to upgrade her living situation, she secured a lease on a lavish serviced apartment in the city center—a place that matched her newfound financial swagger.
I’m not without my own leaps forward. With a modest boost from my parents, I took the plunge into homeownership, snagging a property within the city’s vibrant confines. The process was a whirlwind of paperwork and decorating decisions, culminating in a space I could truly call my own.
As we are packing up now, my last act is to type out our story, at the infamous island, and of course, I left a note in the fridge for the next tenants:
"Welcome to 606. We had a wonderful time here, especially at the kitchen island, filled with joy and unforgettable moments. We hope you find as much happiness as we did. Use the isle well. Warm wishes, the previous tenants."

Hi all.
I (35F) have been friends with "Dave" (44M) for about 8 years now. We met at work and over the years became pretty good friends. About two years ago Dave's wife left him for another guy and he was devastated. I was there with him the whole time, helped him move into his own place. We became especially close during this time, I'd visit often and we'd hang out, drink, play card games, watch shit YouTube, etc or head into town and go to gigs. When he was sick, I'd come round with a little care package and food for him. He's also been there for me when I needed some support after dealing with some trauma.
About a year ago Dave began to distance himself from me. When I finally got him to talk about it (he isn't the best at being able to actually communicate when emotions are involved) he admitted that he was conflicted about how he felt for me. He said he didn't want to date me, still wasn't over his ex (understandably). To be clear, I didn't want to date him either. It wasn't something I saw as a possibility. He said he just needed some time to sort his head out. I thanked him for his honesty and gave him space. He slowly made his way back into my life and things went back to normal, we were best buddies again.
Six months ago he left our place of work under some quite nasty circumstances. I cried when he told me, I listened when he needed to vent and I kept everything he told me in strictest confidence. On his last day I took him for a beer and asked whether we'd still be friends. He promised we would, that I meant a lot to him. And, sure enough, we continued to catch up. Mostly just through text but we did go for a beer once. Until four weeks ago.
We were in the middle of a text conversation, he was telling me about all the stuff he was doing around the house, I was telling him about a recent doctor's visit. Just chit chat. I asked if he'd like to catch up for a drink. No reply. No worries, I thought, sometimes he'll get busy (especially if he has his kids that week) and he won't reply til the next day. But then nothing. We were talking every second or third day before this point so four weeks is very unusual.
Two weeks later I sent another text like "Hey, hope you're doing good, know that you can talk to me if you need. Miss you heaps." Still nothing. I know he can tend to retreat if he's going through a hard time but never to the point where he'd outright ignore me. A day later I followed up with "Can you at least let me know if youre okay. I'm worried about you." Still. Nothing.
I tried to ring him last week, no answer. I tried again this morning, no answer.
Like, obviously I know he doesn't have to talk to me but if someone says they were worried about you would you not at least say "yeah, sorry I'm going through something, I don't want to talk about it but I'll reach out when I'm feeling better" or just ANYTHING. It's causing me so much anxiety. I wake up in the morning thinking about him.
It was just so abrupt. I want to check on him, make sure he's okay. How do I get in touch with him?
TL,DR: my buddy of eight years just suddenly stopped contacting me four weeks ago, when at the time we had been in regular (near daily) contact. I'm worried about him but don't know what to do to check on him.

I'm planning a road trip for May 25th - June 9th. The only things that I know I 100% will be doing is the Air Force Museum in Ohio, staying in Chicago for a few days. Everything else is just areas I am thinking of exploring.
I am traveling alone, and the main focus of things to do is great nature and great driving roads (I am a car enthusiast taking my fun but comfortable and roomy car (BMW M5).
Any suggestions for great roads to drive, nature to see, great restaurants, or things that are a must-see or do, please comment!
Couple questions/thoughts:

1. I've never driven to Canada before. I have my passport. Am I able to just drive my car in and that's it? Anything special to do beforehand, or anything I should know?
2. Is it possible to bring a firearm with me along this trip? I have my Pennsylvania License to Carry Firearms, and generally carry wherever I am legally able to. Traveling alone, it would bring piece of mind to have a form of protection, especially as I plan to camp in some remote areas.
3. I really enjoy stargazing and have been to Cherry Springs State Park, and seen darker skies while in other countries. Any dark sky opportunities or observatories will be great!
4. Please recommend any great driving roads near my route! Twisty roads through scenic areas that are good road quality (minimal potholes). Low population/traffic preferred.

Here is my rough itinerary (majority of it can be changed if I take too long somewhere, it's just an idea). I put some notes of what the main objective is.

1. Sat 5/25 Home to Charleston, WV (planning to stop in Harper's Ferry)
2. Sun 5/26 explore WV (mostly looking for good nature or driving roads)
3. Mon 5/27 Charleston to Dayton, Ohio for AF Museum
4. Mon 5/27 Dayton to Chicago
5. Tues 5/28 - Thu 5/30 Chicago (visiting a friend, any good driving roads? everything is so flat)
6. Fri 5/31 Chicago to Toronto
7. Sat 6/1 Toronto to Montreal
8. Sun 6/2 Montreal to Quebec City
9. Mon 6/3 explore QC (seems like a cool place; history, architecture, food)
10. Mon 6/3 QC to Baxter State Park, ME (for stargazing)
11. Tues 6/4 ME to Mt Washington, NH (I love a good mountain)
12. Tues 6/4 NH to Albany, NY
13. Wed 6/5 Explore Albany
14. Thu 6/6 Albany to Syracuse
15. Thu 6/6 Explore Finger Lakes
16. Thu 6/6 End at Watkins Glen
17. Fri 6/7 Watkins Glen to Catskills
18. Sat 6/8 Explore Catskills
19. Sun 6/7 Drive Home

Please let me know if there are any questions or clarifications needed. Thanks!
https://preview.redd.it/8c1mghqsvg0d1.png?width=2008&format=png&auto=webp&s=f570595c3a7139fc213cd47433f5d1ffa67ea9ac

Hello, I am a frequent viewer of this subreddit and I am having an issue that I am second guessing. So I've known my male friend since around high school. Things never really worked in high school but we both had huge crushes on each other but never reciprocated it correctly (from both of our own admissions). We get to college and we went to separate schools and became somewhat distant but were still close friends as we'd both come home a lot and we'd still hang out. Most of the time we just hung out as friends and enjoyed each others company, a few times we got intimate but never to the point of sex. His senior year of college he had a girlfriend and we got more distant out of respect for the relationship. They broke up shortly after he graduated. After their breakup we got intimate one more time but we had an intimate talk about progressing to sex and how it was a big step for both of us, so we decided to not go that far with things.
In present day, we were still friends but our communication became a lot more distant. I admit I had feelings for him in this year and still do now. I just really admire the person he is and I would love to be with him. We still maintained communication and always checked in on each other but never spent much time physically together due to time consuming careers, especially since my job requires me to travel a lot.
I am a lot more settled and stationary with my job now and we ended up hanging out at each others place about a week ago. Everything felt comfortable and like old times and eventually we ended up having sex, multiple times... It was really good and we had great chemistry. I stayed over at his house and we cuddled and ended up having sex again in the morning. But instantly after I went home I began to second guess everything and regret the sex.. We texted that same morning and he mentioned how he wanted me to come over again that night, but he ended up going ghost that night, so I feel like this really triggered me.... The sex just seemed to happen so fast too... like we were both turned on and I really enjoyed it but his energy just seemed much more different than the last time we were intimate. I guess it made me feel distrustful of him as well.
I used to be a lot more open with sexual things and did so more freely. After lots of experiences where I was used for sex and led on to believe things would be more but didn't, the act of sex now always fills me with regret, dread and anxiety and I always think of how I should've waited. I have kind of shut myself off to dating and sex in general for a bit over a year as I just couldn't deal with all of the ups and downs.
So in the morning i felt really horrible about the whole thing, and in my head I figured he just wants me as a hookup... Especially since prior to we said we both get attached to sex but it didn't seem like he was any different..
So I called him and told him that I think we should just be friends.. I basically told him that I didn't want to ruin our friendship by being just about hooking up with each other. He simply responded Okay and we hung up and haven't spoke since which is weird because we are generally close even prior to this..
Did I make the right call? Was this likely going to just result in a hookup situation? I feel like if it wasn't he would've said something, especially since I made sure to say the reason for this decision was because I hadn't had sex in so long and didnt want things to become just about sex with us... And guys will usually say that a guy will make it known if he wants to be with a girl. and there will be no confusion... I would love to be with him but I cant be that same girl I was pining over a guy that tells me "sweet nothings" just to keep me around which has happened pretty much every time before... I should also mention I have never been in a fully committed relationship... just talking stages and situationships so I dont know if Im going about this all wrong.
Tl;Dr: Childhood close friends and I hooked up with each other. I told him I just want to keep things platonic because Im not looking for a hookup. I am wondering if I made the wrong decision or self sabotaged...

I'm (23 f) starting to lose hope that I'll ever reach a healthy weight, sorry if this will be more of a long rant but I'd appreciate any advice really.
Ever since I was younger I've been kinda overweight but it was always easily manageable, I'd just watch out for calories and walk more often and I'd lose the extra weight in little to no time.
But at like 19 - 20 years old i gained so much weight and nothing has been working since, I currently weigh 83 kg (183 pounds) and as for height I'm 167 cm (5'4) but at my healthiest i usually stayed within the 65 - 70 kg range.
I spent a long time last year eating healthy, drinking alot of water, walking whenever i can and avoiding junk food, did intermittent fasting for a while and occasional calorie deficits but my weight has been literally the same so assumed I had something wrong health-wise but my lab results had absolutely nothing concerning in them, I even went to a few doctors and everyone told me i was perfectly healthy but i just need to drink more water and eat healthy (which i already did??)
and even when i kinda lost hope a while ago tho and started eating whatever junk i wanted, not going to the gym but i still walking to and from work whenever the weather was okay (2 km) but guess what?
weight. is. still. the. same.
lately though I've been having trouble digesting food and going to the bathroom but again after good lab results and seeing more doctors i got the same answers once more and idk if i just have to live like this or what lmao (TMI: I'm constantly bloated, my stomach hurts every time i eat, i poop once every 3 days or smth and according to my last doctor no it's not IBS)
Summer is approaching, my wedding is also soon, I'm in so much physical (stomach hurts) and emotional pain, my confidence is pretty much nonexistent and I'm just so lost
YET
I'm trying one last time before i officially lose all hope.
I'm gonna renew my gym membership (I'll get a private trainer and all) and eat healthy again..but I'm just scared that it'll be all for nothing once more so any advice?

My first season of track ended, and I was not committed at all. I did not try at practices, and didn't work on anything at home. I ended the season with a 27.5 200m at 15y/o 5'11 173lbs and ~22% bf. I've been pretty unatletic and unfit all my life and I pretty much used that as an excuse for being slow.
Our season ended and I guess I've just been reflecting. I want to genuinely try and get faster over the summer. Unfortunately I'm pretty busy with finals and other projects till the end of the school year, but I'm trying to work on an off-season plan.
From my knowledge, my coach is really old school. Most of his practice consists of high volume workouts such as 3x250 100%, 200-200-400-500-400-200, etc. These were 6 days a week. Again, I wasn't the most consistent person at showing up to practices, half because I'm lazy and half because of shin splints, so that's the general idea of practices from my knowledge.
I've been doing research on the FAQ and other places, to try and develop my own plan. One that I would stick to because of my friends motivating, but also one that genuinely makes sense to do. I know a more than average amount of sprinting workouts for speed, but the main thing I'm having trouble with is the programming layout. If someone, or some resource was able to tell me: how many times should I sprint and lift a week, and in the 12 weeks of off-season sprinting, what should the workouts look like.
My un-realistic but possible goals are to run a sub 26 sec 200m and a sub 13 sec 100m by the end of summer. Hopefully under, but I have not much clue about how progression works.
TLDR: It would be helpful if someone structured the sprinting portion of the 12 week off-season sprint plan. If someone told me what type of speed training for each day of the week, I could most likely find a good workout for each day.
ex. Mon. - Accel Tue. - Rest Wed - Max V Thur. - Rest etc.

My wife and I are first-time parents returning home to LA with a newborn (<3 months old) and a good amount of luggage. We live near the VA Hospital and UCLA, just up the 405 from LAX. What's the best way to get home from the airport with a young baby and luggage in tow? As new parents, we'd truly appreciate any suggestions on how to make this return trip home from LAX smooth and less overwhelming.
We had our baby out of state to stay with my wife's family for support during the first few months. We're both familiar with LAX's evolving transportation options (I grew up here), but traveling with a baby is new territory for us.
Since we normally travel lighter, we'd usually take the LAXit shuttle to the LAXit lot and order an Uber home. However, given how crowded the shuttle often can be, we're thinking it's not the best option this specific return trip, especially with a newborn and an above-average amount of luggage in tow.
I'm considering hiring a car service, but I'm not sure if it's worth it or if there are other options we haven't considered. Additional details: we'll be landing at Terminal 4 and have a combination strollecarseat (Doona) that we'd use in the car.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Okay this is not specifically Taylor AND Travis, but I feel this sub would get where I am coming from.
Now I am not one to ever compare one individual's mental health conditions that may be with another person. Everyone has their own struggles and challenges they go through, even if the severity differs. However, in this situation, I would like to put my two cents in on a subject many of us already have started to discuss: Taylor's usage of mental illness, mental institutions, and just overall angst she has been harbouring since TTPD's announcement to present times. As others have pointed out before me, it has never been confirmed if Taylor has any medical condition or has any mental disorder. She did confirm back in 2019 though I believe, she has never gone to therapy as she sees her mom as the only therapist she ever could need (if it has changed since then, please let me know). To be honest, yes, it's not our place to know if she doesn't want to share, about anything involving herself, especially like mental health, as it's a personal subject for many, whether famous or not. Also I truly think therapy while super helpful for some, may not be the right for others in contrast. It genuinely depends on each individual on what they need and what works best for them. Alas, whatever we want to call Taylor is doing for the TTPD era with the usage and imagery of mental illness, personally I'm not only over it but disgusted by it.
For starters, we are led to think all this imagery and wordplay and overall presentation of mental illness and mental institutions and lobonomies etc are solely due to her broken heart over a former love (popular suggestion says it's for Matty Healy but some think it's still Joe and some think it's for other people completely or even other situations). We're left with solely her songs and her choices in words both in songs and in real life, to theorize what they could be alluding to. I have seen many Gaylors suggest these are influenced by the LGBTQIA+ was and have been treated in mainstream society. How, homosexuality was even listed an actual illness not so long ago unfortunately.
But for the sake of calling a spade a spade and being simplistic, I am just going to follow the popular belief that this era is just her choice of showing her reaction and feelings towards some ex-lover and feeling scorned by them, most likely it's Matty. Or least the grand majority of the songs seem to lean in his not so favour. That being said (and as someone who has been there with Taylor since Debut), she could have honestly chose a better direction. Mental illness isn't a joke to make people laugh at parties. It isn't a trend or the latest accessory to buy at the mall. It's not something you can just shake off and pretend it's done by the next album. It's real and it's really affects your every day life. Just as mental institutions are no joke. They're not fun playgrounds to meet potential besties at. It's literally a place that originally people were sent to against their will. Even in present times, some people are still sent to them against their will. Yes, some go now voluntarily, but it isn't always the case. I understand being heartbroken and something like ghosting can make one feel emotionally vulnerable and hurt on a multitude of levels. I just wouldn't justify making chronic word usage of "asylums", "madhouses", phrases like "they sent me away" or referencing coming straight from the hospital if she just meant it "symbolically". I get she could have easily meant Hollywood and stardom especially like she has experienced, is a crazy experience to endure, but in that case, it seems like her previous analogies of a circus works better without offending potential parties or people with actual experiences with mental institutions and/or mental illness. It reminds me of how several people say something like "I always wash my hands, I'm OCD" or "War time flashbacks, I got PTSD from *names a very underwhelming situation that disturb a person slightly*", It's careless and callous wording all around. The fact we have even seen some of Taylor's so-called fans start to make their own medical bracelets to play up this theme is disturbing in my opinion. Again mental illness isn't some necklace to show off like a diamond studded piece.
I'm not saying Taylor couldn't have felt maddened in a way by her experiences that inspired TTPD thus how she chose to display this era and such. In my own personal experience without going too much into it, I had my own ghosting experience a few years back that wasn't fun in any way, and it was with someone, who reassured me for months on end that they were going to stay and we'd always be in each other's lives so obviously my trust and faith were both shaken when I noticed one night, I got blocked from all their social media and they didn't answer any call or text I left. However, I didn't go around not only acting like a tortured Victorian woman, who was imprisoned against her own will in a sanitarium but marketing myself as one and even trying to trademark a term I clearly didn't create. Granted say Taylor hypothetically went through a whole bunch of worst case scenarios: loved ones dying, friends leaving her when she needed them the most, people she care for getting sick, potential bankruptcy, etc then fuck, I get her reason behind using all this theme and the imagery as well. But I am going to take the benefit of the doubt and say she really chose a serious topic and things associated with it, just because something went awry again with her and some person she dated unfortunately. And what makes it even more vulgar in my opinion is it's not even like her first break up. It's much more than her first rodeo at this game yet she chose to display all of her feelings for it this time in perhaps, one of the worst ways. She is being insensitive to the ones who actually have been in mental institutions, whether by choice or not, and/or are suffering from mental illness. Again maybe she has something too, maybe not but regardless, she seems tone-deaf to the bigger picture here, similar to her using soldier terminology despite never been at war or even in service.
Many musicians have used this imagery before as we've established but it doesn't make it any more right. Several artists in comparison have been public with their mental health situations and don't even choose to use this type of imagery for themselves. They'll mention it time from time, but it's definitely not treated like a personality trait from them. It's just an aspect of them but not the whole picture. The fact she's even referring to herself as "The Chairman of The Tortured Poets Department" sounds like the combination of one of the most pretentious and woe is me crock I have ever heard. We don't see Morrissey calling himself, "The Pope of Mope" (yes, the fans do but he doesn't) and I doubt we'd see Robert Smith call himself, "The King of Sad". Yet Taylor who has had what seemed like a well off childhood and many good things happen to her and never seemed to brand herself as anything less than cheery adjectives for more over a decade, it just sounds so off-putting now she's trying to play the tragic role like it's natural or genuine.
I find it important to note, one particular musician named Emilie Autumn, has been inspired by the Victorian era for her whole career and real life "tortured" writers , along with incorporating the whole asylum analogy long before Taylor, but in sheer contrast, it was documented she actually went to a psych ward in a book she published in 2009. In the book itself, she discusses what it was in both a fictional way and factual way of what she went through as well showcasing how women were treated there in present times compared with the 1800s hasn't changed that much. She wanted to write the book to empower women though and to rise above the turmoil and be stronger because of it. She was no victim here (nor trying to just use it "alt points"). She has since (and even before the book) been very open about her experiences with mental illness (she's openly bipolar and the abuse she's endured over the years, as well her songs show she's not afraid to tackle the harder subjects) and what's it really like to be in a psych ward. I feel Emilie Autumn accomplished making mental illness a subject we can understand and even relate to, without it feeling gimmicky or a cash grab until she comes up with another aesthetic. Again I'm not saying Taylor's life story has been nothing but peaches and cream though, I recognize it hasn't been. And again she isn't expected to tell us her entire medical history and every blemish she ever had, but I don't support nor think her going around at her concerts with her dancers dressed as nurses and doctors and her using mental institutions as settings when she has been so mum on the subject of mental health, whether hers or in general, is a good look especially if she's just doing it to songs about how a guy stopped pursuing her and they weren't even together for that long. It comes off disrespectful and even condescending to the ones, who really have mental conditions and we can't just shake it off with a dance number. I'm sorry she got hurt (whether she still is or was is debated), but it doesn't give her a free pass to use something as heavy as this as just an aesthetic and equally turning a blind eye when some of her fans think it's just a lighthearted thing too. I will never get over how so many are now using asylums so loosely, like "OMG this album makes me crazy, send me to an asylum next". That's fucked up to say the least. Ultimately, I just hope this phase changes fast, and hopefully, Taylor can heal from whatever she is or isn't singing about, and more people step in when an idea is just isn't a good one.

So my finances and I have decided to take an untraditional route and go to Iceland for our honeymoon. Planning it has fell on me. We are both pretty much doers when it comes to vacation and I don’t believe we would enjoy 10 days on a beach compared to something like this (our initial idea was RVing around USA- still on the bucket list).
So we would like to see the northern lights, I don’t think we will have much issue with that. I would like to see as many (or at least the big ones) waterfalls as possible. We are open to hikes but with the shorter days idk how much time we would have for it. I’d also like to hit up a few of the good hot springs / lagoons. I’d like to do the silfra snorkeling, myvatn baths, and maybe the glacier walk tour.
We are renting an AWD suv vehicle and plan on staying in a different place every night maybe 2 nights in some.
So here’s roughly what I have so far.
10/15 - 6am - we arrive pick up the car go straight to blue lagoon. I know it sucks but my fiancée is dead set on doing it and since we are right there we can get it out of the way. It would be nice to relax for a few after wedding things.
Head back to Reykjavik- see the city stay the night
10/16 - we both were thinking another night in Reykjavik. I don’t think it’s a terrible idea. I wanted to get to sky lagoon at some point also so this may be the time for that. See the city. If anyone has any recommendations on tours or things to see places to eat I’ll take them.
10/17 - leave for golden circle. May go straight to snorkeling at silfra from Reykjavik. With whatever daylight we have left try to see a few more things.
***Stay in bubble hotel in olvisholt possibly. Does anyone have any experience with this? This was on her bucket list. It’s a little pricey, is it worth it?
10/18 - try to see a few more things in the golden circle or the area. And then head to vik
10/19 - fosshotel itinerary TBD open to recommendations
10/20 would probably do the glacier walk this day. *** open to recommendations about tours/ companies. Katla looks kinda boring. I’m looking more into the vatnajokull / ice cave ones
Stay the night in hofn
10/21 - this is where my anxiety kicks in and I have no idea what to do. I don’t know what is over here how long it will take to cross or what the weather is. Is it worth splitting the East into two days?
Going to spend the night at hotel 1001 nott or that general area.
10/22 myvatn spend night in area
10/23 akureyri I know they have a beer spa and forest lagoon. Even possible whale watching in husavik although I don’t know how weather will be. Stay in area.
10/24 - I have no idea about this day. I know I want my next stop to be snaefellsnses but don’t know if that drive might be too much. Maybe stay at a place along the way? Is there much to see between akureyri and snaefellsnes worth spending a day for. Would be open to recommendations
10/25 snaefellsnes what’s even over here. I have to look through my saved posts but I would like to see it.
10/26 return to Reykjavik. Wind down. Maybe another tour or something. Stay the night
10/27. We dont leave until later in the day so we will have some more time Reykjavik. Yay
So if you have any recommendations. If you have made a similar trip and have your itinerary saved please please feel free to send it my way. Anything I should see / shouldn’t see. Any advice on my starred items is most helpful right now. Thank you guys. Idk what I would do without this sub lol.