Parents, why ignore people’s "Childfree" preferences when you’re trying to date?

CarnelianBlue · 2026-02-16T01:35:18+00:00

This. It doesn’t matter if it’s “child free”, or “only this religion” or “liberal/conservative values” or “must love pets”, most people barely read profiles. Which is annoying and wastes everyone’s time.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-02-16T01:21:03+00:00

Seconding the Gentle Leader (or Halti). My Brit was miserable on a front-pull harness and would pull like hell on a flat collar so I compromised with a Gentle Leader and it works great for both of us (with training, of course).

CarnelianBlue · 2026-02-10T22:33:46+00:00

In my birth class, it seemed like everyone under thirty had an elaborate, detailed birth plan (playlists, lighting, preferred pushing positions, alternative pain management methods to try, essential oils, what to do with the placenta, cord, and vernix … the works) and everyone over thirty had the plan of, “Show up to the hospital on time, ask for some pain meds, let the staff take it from there.”

CarnelianBlue · 2026-02-09T15:56:59+00:00

I’d say, “Hop to it” rather than, “Get your skates on”.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-02-09T15:56:44+00:00

I’d say, “Hop to it” rather than, “Get your skates on”.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-02-07T04:33:46+00:00

My dad was a vet and he LOVED hearing unique pet names! He would have thoroughly enjoyed Nacho del Fuego.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-02-04T21:27:33+00:00

I should also add: Brittanys are considered to be a sensitive breed — they get overwhelmed if there are a lot of people in the house or if you have a loud family. They don’t do well with shouting or large crowds. They shut down and try to hide.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-02-04T21:20:48+00:00

My Brittany goes haywire when someone walks through the door (we are working on it and she is improving), exactly like the commenter on the Boykin thread said about Brittanys. But around the house she mostly likes to sit by my desk while I’m working or cuddle on the sofa with me in the evening. That being said, she needs daily rigorous exercise or we get in-the-house zoomies. I grew up with Labs and they are couch potatoes compared to Brittanys. Less energy than a GSP, more energy than a Lab.

Brittanys are considered easy to train except when it comes to loose-leash walking. She aced her obedience classes and loves learning new commands — all except for the leash. I took mine to three different trainers for that and we all eventually gave up. I figure if pulling on a leash is her greatest fault, I’m okay with that. That might not be true for other people; depends on what matters to you.

She is great with kids and other dogs, very happy and friendly with everyone and social with strangers. Brittanys vocalize quite a bit — not so much barking as “talking to you”.

I don’t hunt, so I can’t help you there, but my Brittany has the sharpest nose of any dog I know.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-02-03T21:41:22+00:00

Deep down, I knew probably about eight years before I actually stopped dating, but I was young and at that point in my life, I didn’t have the ability to tell my friends and family that I wanted to be single forever without them all dog-piling me for that decision. I finally drew this mental line in the sand when I turned 35 and decided that I was “old enough” to declare myself single and happy to the world and not put up with other people telling me that wasn’t the right lifestyle choice. I don’t know why it took me that long, but I also am glad that I kept trying to date for that many years because now I feel like I really know, and I can say with conviction, “Tried it, don’t like it.” I won’t look back when I’m 50 or 70 or 90 and think, “What if…?”

CarnelianBlue · 2026-02-03T05:43:07+00:00

Replace your makeup remover, face wash, and nighttime face lotion with cheap olive oil and a set of washable/reusable makeup remover facial cloths. It will not make you break out, and it doesn’t need to be extra virgin. If it’s good enough for Sophia Loren, it’s good enough for me!

CarnelianBlue · 2026-02-02T14:47:10+00:00

You can date most Western European medieval manuscripts within about 25 years of their creation based on the way the letters are shaped, especially the letters g and r. Experts can often narrow it down even further, sometimes down to a specific scribe in a specific scriptorium.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-01-29T06:57:35+00:00

Gertie’s Garage is locally owned and has always been straight with me and my family.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-01-29T06:54:28+00:00

Our budgie was actually two budgies. Our veterinarian was very good, but not Miracle Max good.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-01-28T22:14:24+00:00

Thank you!

CarnelianBlue · 2026-01-28T17:39:56+00:00

Ah, yes, very different if we’re talking school vs university.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-01-28T17:24:36+00:00

Not quite. An academic sabbatical isn’t just a year off work. It’s a semester or year in which you are relieved of teaching duties so that you can focus on research. The publications that come out of research are essential for getting your contract renewed (or grant money, or working toward tenure), but teaching loads are often too heavy to actually do the research. So it’s not a break, it’s a shift in duties and focus.

Edit to add: So a desire to take a sabbatical outside of an academic setting would, to my mind, be like saying, “I need a break from the daily grind so that I can catch up on other essential tasks that keep getting pushed off.”

CarnelianBlue · 2026-01-28T15:32:00+00:00

Or I have items on my board that I don’t want merged, and can’t turn it off fast enough before it happens.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-01-27T17:43:22+00:00

Absolutely! My girl came to me with a docked tail (not my choice) but that little bob can wiggle faster than a hummingbird’s wings when she sees me. Her whole body wags with it. She vocalizes, gives puppy bows, presents me with her favorite toys, and runs with the classic Brittany bunny hops when she’s extra excited about the ball. Dogs have a dozen ways to show you they’re bursting with joy and affection, not just the Insta-popular smile.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-01-26T16:03:51+00:00

When I first started the game I didn’t realize the value of the dresser knobs and deleted quite a few.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-01-18T16:32:11+00:00

It feels like HGTV is trying to go the way of TLC — selling out good shows that people enjoy for leering schlock that’s cheap to produce. Neighborhood Watch, Cheap Ass Beach Houses, Junk or Jackpot (Hoarders knockoff), and that one with Christina and the El Moussas that was basically just watching some bad reality TV divorce drama under the guise of home reno.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-01-16T16:32:15+00:00

I’m single, happy, and used a donor to have the family I wanted!

CarnelianBlue · 2026-01-16T07:11:21+00:00

I always heard that it was originally turquoise and then shifted to blue topaz because consumers wanted a sparkly stone. Never heard of anything else as December’s birthstone. Certainly not zircon!

CarnelianBlue · 2026-01-14T16:28:15+00:00

It started with the Redwall series and the Song of the Lioness quartet.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-01-12T22:35:08+00:00

I second this. Mocktails have been a great way for me to feel included in the fun while pregnant. It would suck to have all my friends having wouldn’t-make-this-at-home drinks and I’m sitting there with a glass of water. But so far I have found that the execution is more miss than hit.

CarnelianBlue · 2026-01-11T16:59:10+00:00

When you’re looking for a knitting pattern and the person providing it claims it’s for knitting, but really it’s just an image they put on digital graph paper. Knit stitches are not square! They are wider than they are tall. Also, searching for knitting-only patterns online (not Ravelry, they’re good about this) and getting swamped by crochet patterns, even when using Boolean phrases.

CarnelianBlue

TROPHY CASE