Here, kids usually call the parents Ms. Firstname. On sir/ma’am, I did tell my kids to use that with servers, cashiers, housekeepers.

No. Cooking any food makes me more hungry. Even in the decades I was vegetarian it didn’t bother me, honestly.

It’s normal here (Florida US) “wow that’s a big watermelon”. “Looks like you are having a party!” “Hey, I haven’t tried that, it’s good?”. Or just weather or OMG your baby is so cute, or whatever. General small talk.

I remember once a lady saw me buying a diet coke and asked “does that work?”

I think the US is sort of a middle ground on random conversations. Not super friendly but not aloof.

Yes, of course. Most people die from something. I think OP’s point stands though. Enough morphine puts you far away from the pain even if it doesn’t lessen it (I have used it that way for my very rare status migraines before the state disallowed it) and that does provide relief. When I get there, overdose sounds like the best of the set of bad choices available.

Your premise is wrong. Most people don’t mind working, as long as it has a clear link to some personal benefit. We exercise to stay fit, I grow food and cook for my family, and honestly don’t mind working at my job.

I read somewhere that 4 hours a day of work is ideal, and agree with that. We work too much, that doesn’t mean we don’t want to work at all

I’m with the consensus here, it’s a great plan. It will challenge you without bothering anyone else. I read somewhere (can’t remember where) that generally, people wildly overestimated how bothered others were by random conversations out in the world. Like your chances of hitting someone who will be receptive are better than you think.

I do think that on a phone or computer one ought to be able to opt out, like how shops who spam me in email say “do you want to opt out of mother’s day emails?” Because they don’t want to send them if your mom or kid just died, right?

But I don’t know how you would do that without sort of registering as an alcoholic, which seems problematic.

I’m literally subscribed to an industry newsletter and research cocktails for the community here, and haven’t seen very many ads for any sort of alcohol though? Are you really seeing them all the time?

Sure, yes. I don’t even do drugs anymore, and was never really into opiates when I did, but my experience coming out of anaesthesia with a nurse who was remarkably free handed with opiates in the IV as she didn’t want me to wake up quite yet convinced me that is the way to go. Let me just float out on a soft cloud. It’s an annoying feeling when awake and trying to do anything; but as a death it seems perfect.

I am sorry to say I think all women have experience with this. For me, I mostly just was not as traumatized as I’d expect someone to be, it would be more traumatic to bring it up, so I just moved on. Only if someone asks do I disclose it. If it was someone who later became powerful I might feel different though, right? Might feel like if he did that to me, he doubtless hurt others, and it might possibly do some good.

I grew up here in Florida without air conditioning until I was about 25.

Really just learned to be still, that helps. Keep the windows open at night if it cools off at night.

Stay in the shade, if there is a breeze it is not bad. Fans, fans, fans. Carry a parasol if possible . Shade helps so much.

And I wait for the rainy season, ours is at the same time of year yours is. Love that time, every day it gets hot but then in the afternoon the rain comes.

ETA I think India has this covered already but stay away from synthetic fabric and cotton. Linen or silk are best, and oddly, light merino wool in a loose fit is also so good in the hot weather.

I don’t use either of those, generally. Pintos make the best chili, for veg or beef chili.

But if making a chili with chicken, black beans are the best.

You won’t wreck it, it’s chili. Taste and adjust till you like it.

How long have you had these beans, that they are expiring? Don’t they last for years?

Sometimes I do it before, not after, because UTI. Hands are dirtier than any other part of you, generally speaking. Usually after, but it’s just an opportunity to wash my hands in general - I don’t really think touching toilet paper to my pussy is going to get my hands dirty. So yeah, I wash my hands because it’s a convenient time to do that.

No, not normal. If you enjoy it, something is wrong. If you just aren’t upset by it, but care, you might make a good emergency room doctor.

How do you feel if it’s someone you care about, or yourself?

Not where I live. “Nice” in our office for men is a button-up tucked into actual pants, and good shoes. Maybe a sweater or blazer if it’s cold (not often here) Just looking put together. Some guys wear that everyday, others are more casual.

Women gave up formal office wear completely because that involves heels and pantyhose. For “Nice” we have a similar outfit as the guys, or a dress or skirt & top combo. Some women dress like that everyday in our office but just like with the men, most of us do not. I wear jeans and a good T-shirt or button-up or a light sweater.

I mean, you could pick it up with your foot without bending down, right?

My mom worked as a university professor, then advisor, and what she said about college was “it just shows a prospective employer that you can follow rules and commit to doing something for a few years and follow through on it. That’s why they want the degree. Also cuts down on applicants, fewer to sort through.”

So, from someone on the inside, she didn’t think the main reason was education, in terms of specific jobs. I know in accounting I don’t use so much of what I learned and that’s a pretty specific degree. Anyone with a mind for numbers & systems could be trained on the job to do what I do.

But are none of the streets long enough to end up with a 1867, or whatever?

I am not good with left and right, mostly orient myself in the world using north, south, east, west and it is oddly disorienting to be on the diagonal road, my mind keeps wanting to think of it as a north-south road. Until I can FEEL it I keep saying it. The corners of the house are the compass points. My work office right now also is set diagonally like that!

May I ask a question about German addresses? Here, they go up and up as you move out from the center of town - we have a zero/zero, so to speak, at one corner, and if you live at 100 N, you are one block north of center. So if you are 100 blocks north of center you live at 10000. I lived at 1500 E on 15th St I’d be 15 blocks away in two directions from that central point.

Our German addresses are always like 6, never a big number. How?

Our house is on a slanty road and I’ve never lived on one before, my mind rejects it. The CORNERS of the house point in cardinal directions. It’s because we are near a river, some of the streets in my neighborhood follow its course, which right here runs southwest.

I just have to stop and think every time. Because I have only stayed on N-S or E-W roads my mind thinks our walls ought to be along those lines. I have to point at the corner and say NORTH out loud more often than you’d think.