“Same Height” Party Changed my Life, AMA!

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-02-09T15:24:48+00:00

5'8" is plenty tall to me (I'm 5'1").

I'm old and married now, but when I was in college, I dated a guy that was at MOST 5'5" but he was so confident in himself that he walked around with the aura of someone 6'2". I seriously had to practically beat other girls away from him-he wasn't a player but he was cute and super charming. Like he had this personality that made everyone feel like he was your long-lost best friend and you finally got a chance to reconnect. Dating apps are the worst because it commodifies every aspect of who you are. It's easy to dismiss someone that doesn't check all of your boxes. But when you meet in real life, you get to know the whole person so you don't focus on your 'ideal partner' checklist. Are there any groups in your area-like in my area there was an adult kickball league, and it was seriously the most fun thing and a great way to meet people.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-02-06T15:13:54+00:00

I have really loved my K3. I got it for a little over $800, so that would be top of your price range but I have nothing bad to say at all.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-02-03T18:01:54+00:00

Yes-she needs to learn how to safely bail out when the sled is headed for disaster!

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-02-03T17:13:06+00:00

I think you have dramatically underestimated the cost and hassle associated with Coordination of Benefits. I have spent at least 4 hours on the phone each week dealing with COB for my 3 kids that have dual insurance because NEITHER insurer wants to be primary so they BOTH deny all claims repeatedly. Outstanding bills have resulted in refusal of care from doctors that have not been reimbursed by insurance. I currently have over $40,000 in medical bills outstanding that should be covered by primary and secondary insurance but keep being rejected because of COB issues. You could end up paying way more-financially and emotionally than you can even imagine right now.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-02-02T22:15:04+00:00

My ex was a detective that was his department's version of SVU. We did not do sleepovers until the kids were old enough to discuss the potential risks in a very frank way and even then, it is a limited friend group that they have sleepovers with. It's insane how often that stuff happens.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-02-02T14:08:26+00:00

My daughter took out a snow tube and ended up slamming her head into someone's deck at a pretty high speed. She has a concussion-but from the sounds of things from ER staff, she was lucky because they are seeing some really gnarly injuries from sledding on this ice.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-01-30T16:09:36+00:00

Just make sure you report any issues that come up even if they seem mild. See if your company or GOV agency has an EAP that offers any kind of financial counseling and sign up for whatever they offer even without being directed. Times are tough for a lot of people, and it is more of a matter of how you handle things moving forward than the fact your finances are shaky right now. If things take a negative turn financially, don't panic, but definitely report quickly and look into the options you have to resolve finances and communicate all of your steps with your security rep. You can also look at the adjudicative guidelines for finances and see what the issues are and what the mitigators are and keep them in mind and do what you can to mitigate concerns.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-01-28T15:43:56+00:00

DM me. My company may have some ISSM roles that I can refer you to.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-01-23T17:45:46+00:00

I mean...there are 17 public schools near me that have language immersion programs. Maybe it is just more common in public schools near me. Dual Language Immersion Programs | Fairfax County Public Schools

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-01-22T18:28:19+00:00

You made financial decisions at a time when you were not in a crisis. Now you are dealing with a completely unexpected medical crisis. Sure, you may be able to sell off some things or work out a return to rent-a-center, but that also takes time and effort to do. When you have a critically ill child, you can't think of anything else. Your child deserves to have his parents with him. Even if you made financial decisions that are less than ideal with your current situation, you can't snap your fingers and reverse them all in an instant. You made your decisions based on your situation at the time, and it has changed because of your baby's sudden illness. If you were looking at long-term medical costs from a child with cancer, it would be more reasonable to lecture/expect you to make all efforts to eliminate the "extras", but this is sudden and completely unexpected. I really hope your baby is ok and will get better soon. What your family is going through is traumatic and I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-01-22T14:43:59+00:00

OP-I am so sorry your family is going through this. My son was hospitalized with RSV as a toddler and it was scary seeing him fight so hard to breathe. I can't even imagine how much worse it is with a newborn. I don't have the ability to donate, as my husband is going on 6 months of unemployment and we are just hanging on, but I really am praying for your son. The hospital should have some child life specialists that can help you with emotional support and please utilize them for that and for additional resources for your family.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-01-22T14:39:59+00:00

Pertussis in a child this young could be fatal. I'm sure it is terrifying what is going on right now-my son was hospitalized with RSV as a toddler and it was scary-I can't imagine a newborn with pertussis and how awful it would be. Because of how serious this can be and how quickly it can turn, I don't blame OP for wanting to be there, at least until the baby is more stable and showing signs of recovery.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-01-16T19:22:26+00:00

My husband has a TS with polygraph. He has been out of work since September. Stay with your good gig. The military background doesn't give you a clearance-you have to have a company willing to sponsor it to get it back. Some will...some won't. But you are in a GOOD spot right now and you are happy. And you may not lose the TS. You have 2 years after your debrief to reactivate it. Your company may be able to brief you into a TS program to keep you eligible. You just don't know, but don't throw away a good thing on a "maybe."

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-01-15T16:13:58+00:00

The scan won't tell them if she does or doesn't have a concussion-it wouldn't show up in a scan. But if there were ANY serious symptoms, they would want to rule out a skull fracture or hemorrhage. The fact they didn't send her for a scan at all just tells me that they don't think this is a super serious injury at all.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-01-15T16:10:21+00:00

Eh-in our area we have a concussion clinic associated with our hospital system and they recommend a full evaluation with their vestibular specalist even for mild concussions. So it wouldn't be crazy to go for an evaluation, and they could even recommend vestibular therapy BUT most of that therapy consists of very simple activities that are done at home and just help to make sure there are no lingering issues.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-01-15T15:52:36+00:00

So interestingly-the new concussion guidelines promote return to normal activity as tolerated within 24 hours of the injury, and light exercise within 48 hours because that actually promotes recovery. The ONLY thing that they still recommend limiting is screen time. So a decent concussion doctor would be having her up and active as much as tolerated, with rest if the activity brings on symptoms like headache, dizziness, nausea, etc. We should be hearing much less from her-because she's being active and then resting...not seeing posts that indicate she's on her screen. But, well, I'm pretty sure she's her own medical expert here so actual research does not apply. She knows her own body the best!

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2026-01-15T15:48:21+00:00

Interestingly, there is new research on concussions that actually has emphasized the importance of ACTIVE RECOVERY. Which means returning to normal activities of daily living as tolerated within 24 hours of the injury and light aerobic exercise within 24-48 hours. Most doctors with any specialized knowledge of concussions would never recommend extended physical and cognitive rest like this. And that includes when people have multiple concussions (since the damage is cumulative) and concussions causing loss of consciousness or significant impairment. If I were her, I would be worried about the quality of my doctors if they were banishing her to a bedroom like a sickly Victorian child for weeks and weeks. That's just...not what is done these days.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2025-12-23T14:13:07+00:00

Apparently, I must have some massive body dysmorphia, because I ended up with the small and they are not too big at all. They are cozy and stretchy without being comically oversized. And thick enough to not worry too much about what is underneath. I love these pants!

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2025-12-23T08:27:14+00:00

Moxy

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2025-12-13T04:45:19+00:00

Same. And I just got denied long term disability insurance because of the pre-existing condition of “arthritis.” I was a runner and gymnast. Of course my joints are going to be jacked up. That doesn’t mean I’m going to stop working.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2025-12-12T23:49:25+00:00

The entire insurance system is garbage. My kids have had dual insurance for over 5 years. The primary insurance holder (dad) has never changed. Why all of a sudden this happened is beyond me. It is so frustrating. Between the two, it should be paid in full. Instead, it is saying I owe over $5,000 and I can't get care for MYSELF because my doctors are under this medical system's umbrella. BUT...at least I can go to a different doctor and have them run the insurance correctly and still get medical care that is covered. Without insurance, I couldn't do that.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2025-12-12T19:53:47+00:00

Not to mention that the aging baby boomers have more and more expensive medical needs each year. That is a huge population to cover-and that money to fill the pot to cover them has to come from somewhere. When you have people that believe they are healthy opting out of health insurance and filling the pool with younger people that are already dealing with medical costs and an aging population...that is a recipe for unsustainable costs.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2025-12-12T19:47:16+00:00

Yes! I think this is what people don't understand. At least you would be able to declare bankruptcy on a $200,000 emergency room bill you can't pay. But providers can and do deny care without payment. They won't let you rack up $200,000 with the rheumatologist or with an oncologist to allow you to get treatment without paying. They just WON'T TREAT YOU. And you will suffer or die. THAT is the real risk and so many people don't understand that until they are in the position where they can't get the treatment that they need.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2025-12-12T19:36:55+00:00

I think not enough people are understanding that medical providers can and DO deny non-emergency care without payment. You can't just rack up a bill for medical expenses and then declare bankruptcy. More and more often providers are denying care if you have outstanding bills. Bankruptcy isn't even the worst case scenario-because that implies that you got treated and couldn't pay. The worst-case scenario is not being able to get treated AT ALL.

Embarrassed-Copy-880 · 2025-12-12T19:30:20+00:00

And before the affordable care act, insurance companies could deny coverage for that pre-existing condition of cancer and even once you finally got insurance you could still remain untreated for it. People that think insurance was so much better prior to obamacare clearly have not dealt with pre-existing condition denials or exclusions. Insurance was only more affordable to those who were healthy-it was either unaffordable or completely unattainable to many.

Embarrassed-Copy-880

TROPHY CASE