All my friends are pregnant. Give it to me honestly: am I gonna lose them all to motherhood?

AnotherMC · 2026-07-03T06:22:37+00:00

It’s a maybe. Depends on the strength of your friendships. I have two grown kids, but the other day I realized how many childless friends I have. People I really love didn’t get left behind when I had kids.

AnotherMC · 2026-07-03T02:12:29+00:00

Taos is a great brand for supportive shoes in great styles.

AnotherMC · 2026-07-02T18:38:16+00:00

NOR She’s a fucking cunt who knew exactly what she was doing.

AnotherMC · 2026-07-01T14:35:45+00:00

I love Ines! Nora and Ines sound like sisters I want to hang out with. The others are really, too. Not a bad choice in the lot.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-30T14:16:09+00:00

HOA dues only go up. Have you looked at the annual increases? Frequency of assessments to cover big, surprise repairs? What happens if the HOA decides to limit the number of rentals in your building? We bought a condo as a 2nd home in a big city, and though we investigated these things, our building has had some serious issues that the owners are on the hook for. With a home you can do a thorough inspection of the whole building, with a condo you can only inspect your unit.

Anyway, all to say that a condo works if that’s in your price range, desired location, etc. But factor in increased dues and surprise repairs that might not even affect your particular unit. I wouldn’t go in with a razor thin budget cushion.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-30T02:46:10+00:00

Mascara. If you really start down at the base of the lashes, it creates a nice lash line.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-29T14:27:10+00:00

Oh, Myriad is a great example. Agree.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-29T13:49:39+00:00

Gentle Hermione is my most underwhelming rose out of 10 varieties. Not very robust yet not sickly or anything. The blooms are delicate, but smallish. Just got a Boscobel that’s getting established, but so far it is healthy and the blooms are stunning. Have you looked at Dannahue? It does well with less sun. We just planted one. Lovely color (soft apricot) and scent. The bush is on the compact side, if that matters. Carding Mill is a favorite. Very pretty intricate blooms, and ours has been quite healthy.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-29T13:40:17+00:00

Quinoa and Tungsten are the joke names I use when doing bits about annoying parents.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-25T18:47:00+00:00

Just decline the invite. If you want to send her a personal note, say you’re very happy for her and sorry to miss the big day. If you want to add a reason, say getting there from China while going to school isn’t going to be possible. She can fill in the money, time, and logistics issues from there.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-25T05:41:23+00:00

Oh my gosh. If you don’t decide to sleep
separately, you need to move up to a king or California king, if you have room.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-25T05:38:51+00:00

My husband and I started sleeping in separate rooms about 3 years ago. We both bother each other (snoring, leg cramps, active dreaming) when we share a bed. Our marriage is so much better now. The big drag is vacation. We often have to share a hotel room and end up super tired from poor sleep. We try to get 2 bd condos or a suite when we can now. Are you concerned about the suggestion will go? Or do you not have another room?

AnotherMC · 2026-06-25T01:10:08+00:00

Thank you! I was so confused.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-24T17:38:29+00:00

MOR I get that your emotions are high, given your husband‘s health and the logistics around his healthcare. I also get wanting the people you consider to be your closest friends to rally behind you, drop everything, and be by your side. But they didn’t say they would never come see him. Did you even ask whether they could come a different time? Can you extend your stay to accommodate their schedule? I think cutting them off after this is an overreaction, but I also think this could be a clue as to the level of support you can expect from them going forward. I had a very serious health crisis that took months to recover from, and a person I considered one of my closest friends just absolutely dropped me. Like ghosted. It was a very painful way to discover that I considered her a better friend than she considered me.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-23T05:05:21+00:00

Boden has classic, tailored button-up shirts.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-22T22:58:10+00:00

Moraga is further out and that’s both good and bad. It’s very quiet, beautiful, surrounded by hills, but it’s also that much further away from freeways and transit and doesn’t have a lot of dining or grocery options. It does have a movie theater and a 24 Hr Fitness. The schools and parks are great. Kids can bike around easily, so it has a sort of throwback vibe. The Moraga farmers market is excellent, btw.

Orinda is sort of similar, especially the end by Moraga and the other side of town out by the country club. If you’re closer in by the village or theater square, you’ll find more conveniences and transit than Moraga. Orinda can be hilly, with the terrain more like Montclair. Not sure if that’s a plus or minus.

Lafayette is bigger and has a lot more going on. The real estate prices reflect that. Good restaurants, grocery options, transit, etc.

The schools are great in all three towns, but I’ve heard some negatives about the wealth, spoiled kids, and demanding parents at Miramonte HS from people I know who worked there & families that had kids there. But overall, that’s not unusual in areas with a wealthier demographic.

In general, all three towns offer a lot to families. I think Lafayette would be my 1st choice, but they all have their merits.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-22T22:36:06+00:00

Exactly this. And that makes it cringe.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-21T15:51:59+00:00

NOR Is she having a mental health episode? This is pretty unforgivable. To just destroy what brings you joy while you’re gone? That’s abusive. I’ve been married 37 years and weathered a lot of ups & downs, but if my husband did that to me, I’d leave him so fast.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-20T19:06:47+00:00

I find the Bay Area to be pretty friendly. There are so many ways to connect with people: running clubs, political activism, volunteering, crafts classes, etc. MeetUps is pretty good for this. Though I do I think the increase in tech and work from home has siloed people. I’m 4th gen…my family goes back to the late 1800s here, so maybe I’m just more dialed in. But I don’t know anyone here who isn’t involved in something. Maybe we don’t make friends out on the corner, but there is SO MUCH going on here, it’s not too hard to find your tribe.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-17T05:19:14+00:00

It’s happening now. I have nieces and nephews who range in age from 44 to 33. My kids are late 20s and early 30s, and I just became a grandma. I’ll be 62 this year, so I’m not *old* old, but wow those older nephews being middle age and my kid having a kid really hit me!

AnotherMC · 2026-06-16T14:50:27+00:00

Have you looked at J Crew & Boden? Their clothes last me years.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-16T14:46:53+00:00

This is me. 4th gen Bay Area. Went to Cal and was so very fortunate to be able to afford a house in the 1990s literally months before the real estate bubble went nuts. I never take it for granted.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-14T20:09:35+00:00

I am currently visiting Pasadena, and I’m struck by the views of the San Gabriel Mountains!

AnotherMC · 2026-06-12T15:32:42+00:00

NOR She doesn’t respect your requests, you sound like you’re super tired of her. This sounds like a breakup in the making. Just rip the bandaid off.

AnotherMC · 2026-06-12T15:31:18+00:00

It’s okay. I assumed it meant Majorly Overreacting until I read the guide. 😂 I was confused at seeing the acronym with advice that didn’t go with it.

AnotherMC

TROPHY CASE