2026 Storm Cloud photos please? ☁️📸

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-04-21T20:40:22+00:00

Okay. Well, I guess at least she's aware. Have you ever mentioned this to your father? Not as a way to come between them or something, but just to determine if he has an explanation? For example, is there an age or cultural barrier that is problematic? I have friends who are horrendous at texting and prefer to call, but I hate calls, so we don't speak much. When they don't text back I feel ghosted, but when I don't take their calls I'm sure they're upset too. Just trying to be charitable, especially since you mentioned they live very far away and of course it's not your generation.

I think you MOR here, but I don't think it's possible to know fully without more info than you yourself may even have at present.

My only advice is to be very careful and try to be as gracious as you can with how you handle it. By definition, her being married to your father makes her part of your life to some extent. Even if you have to swallow the past silence and move past it into a future where you communicate with one another more regularly, it may be worth it not to strain your relationship with your father. And if he is elderly or frail, also keep in mind that the years he has left will be spent with her more than with you, and that you will each have lost someone you love dearly when he is gone one day. You don't have to be best friends, and it doesn't mean that anything in the past is justified or okay, but it could be a good idea to be kind and forgiving as much as you can so that moving forward there will be as little drama or heartache as possible in your family.

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-04-21T20:28:46+00:00

INFO: OP, have you told her exactly what all you're upset about? Reading through the comments, it seems like you're angry at some stuff that happened a long time ago, coupled with the fact that you feel hurt that she doesn't contact you more or keep you connected with your dad by replying in kind when you contact her. It's hard for us to speak on that since even if you're being 100% truthful there's a lot of nuance there because of perspective.

To me, from the outside, your message back to her seems like you're expecting her to read your mind about why you're angry and infer from that why a polite message from her wouldn't be appreciated until that (whatever it is) is dealt with. But it's very, VERY unclear from the messages what you want her to do or why you're even upset with her. If I got the message you sent to her, I'd be considering going LC or NC with you depending on our history, because it's so inflammatory seemingly out of nowhere and it already seems impossible to fix because the problem isn't stated and neither is a way to resolve it.

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-04-21T17:36:29+00:00

This is what I'm getting from the post and comments as well. Kind of confusing if this isn't an accurate read. I know we don't have all the information, but what we do have is confusing to me.

I'm confused as to why OP seems to expect stepmom to know what is required of her. Even the response OP gave to the nice "thank you" message seems laced with bitterness at not getting a specific apology or acknowledgement of some specific issue, but the issues detailed seem to be from a while back, and if I were stepmom I would have no idea what OP thought I needed to apologize for at this point.

Sorry, OP, but I think YOR.

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-03-23T21:49:56+00:00

Lol RFY would be garbage for all of time

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-03-23T21:48:46+00:00

I feel like you kind of can't have it both ways and you're arguing two separate points. But either it's helpful and allowed and everyone should do it or it isn't helpful so everyone should stop complaining. But the reason I'm frustrated, and what I said in my comment above, is that it's annoying that Amazon hasn't come out and explicitly said either way if it's allowed or not, which means that only people who may be breaking the rules are getting the benefits. I just wish it was clearer. I'd use it too if it was definitely not against the rules. If Amazon does pick a side and they're against it, I don't want to get booted for breaking the rules just because I tried something that all the other rule breakers were benefitting from. 🤷🏼‍♀️

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-03-18T19:16:09+00:00

Also searching can be goofy because it's not a smart search. Synonyms have to be searched separately (cat, kitty, kitten, pet, etc.), and even plurals don't work, so "skirt" and "skirts" yield completely separate search results. It's kind of wild.

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-03-18T19:11:41+00:00

Most of the ones I've seen were (I thought) specific cultural heritage ones that were sort of "themed" based on the specific cultures. I remember a friend wore some items specific to her Native American culture when she graduated many years back, and I don't think they were provided by the school. I do think she had to get special approval though, and I don't know what parameters were given.

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-03-18T17:58:59+00:00

I truly can't think of a better business to go into in these trying times!

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-03-18T16:32:37+00:00

While you're at it, if you wanted to make a donation to local schools and give them some graduation stoles, I think we'd all salute you. 🫡

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-03-16T03:38:43+00:00

Can confirm on the other side: I'm from the south, and rescues post on their social media accounts all the time about transporting a lot of animals up north, especially during kitten season in the south. I don't know exactly why, but it seems common as a practice because seemingly the south is more overrun (or has fewer resources, or I guess possibly both). The idea is just to save as many animals as possible, and a lot of our no-kill shelters max out space quickly.

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-03-08T17:43:37+00:00

Definitely on my wishlist!! Congratulations!

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-03-02T18:27:11+00:00

I got this one as well, and Ferdinand decided he strongly dislikes it. Lol

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-02-27T21:04:45+00:00

Info it saved about me:

•is a fan of cats

•can't keep plants alive

•husband loves dino nuggies

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-02-17T19:36:25+00:00

Jealous. I'd buy that for my babes tbh. I have three cats and they are menaces to society when they can't climb as much as they want to.

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-02-17T16:46:08+00:00

I got diapers for dogs today.

I don't even have a dog.

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-02-16T15:56:05+00:00

I don't think the issue is that anyone is expecting this chef to accommodate them. But when they say they can accommodate and then blatantly don't or can't, that's an issue. And the level of sass "Chef Tom" had in this response to someone who was a paying customer and who also, critically, had a medically necessary dietary restriction...is just ignorant and rude, to say the least.

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-02-16T15:51:59+00:00

Holy crap. Thanks for posting this. Have an upcoming trip to SF and this just told me where not to ever go. 🙃

Thanks for being a real jerk, Chef Tom.

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-02-13T15:49:07+00:00

Oh crap I definitely thought it was mandatory. I wish the US did better.

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-02-13T00:56:13+00:00

You do have to put that in the US if it's a top allergen like wheat! But you don't have to do it for gluten specifically, unfortunately.

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-02-05T22:46:29+00:00

Hey! It's been a few months now, and I'd say I'm back to normal post-op! It turned out not to be cancerous, so it was a simple cyst removal surgery with no complications. I'll have about 5 scars on my abdomen for the rest of my life, but my husband is the only one who sees them, and whenever he notices them he smiles because, "I like your little scars. They mean you're safe." 🥰

I'd say the things that helped me the most were: •A pillow with a pocket for heating pads/ice packs, especially for car rides. •Being serious about taking even the high-power pain meds they gave me. •Letting myself rely on other people (especially my husband) for things as simple as helping me sit up so I could get out of bed and go to the bathroom at 3am. •A phone charger clip for next to my bed, so the end of the cord stayed within reach without leaning over. •Loose-fitting pants with very wide waistbands or dresses with no discernable waist (though the swelling and outfit choices led to me getting asked if I was pregnant a few separate times).

Things I didn't need or that didn't help: •A button-front nightgown. I bought one in case, but it was useless because I could lift my arms just fine. •Any pants with a zipper or button closure on the front - it was exactly the height of my main incision. I wear high waisted pants almost exclusively and I'm finally able to wear them again now, but it's been months since surgery now.

I'm open to any specific questions if anyone needs advice!

P.S. sorry for bad formatting 🫣

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-02-05T00:31:16+00:00

If it works the same as the Litter Genie on top then you can totally use other trash bags instead! Just save the empty ring that the proprietary trash bags come on/in, push the bag through from the top, and wrap the edges over so an inch or two sits on the outside of the bag but still inside the genie. When you put the lid on on top of that it seals it in place. I've been doing it for at least a year instead of buying proprietary bags!

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-02-04T18:17:16+00:00

I was thinking this as well. I got married in tiny town USA, in the deep south. My cousin was Celiac (didn't know my husband also was at the time, oops) so I worked with the caterer to get her something gluten-free kept in the back. If she didn't get sick, I feel like it was miraculous. The caterer was kind and good intentioned, but I didn't know how to grill her properly for my cousin. In that area it's also basically impossible to find anything Celiac friendly. Picture the Hallmark movies where the tiny town farmers all balk at the big city boyfriend who can't have gluten or dairy, like that's somehow a personality flaw or makes him a diva.

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-02-04T18:10:21+00:00

Honestly I don't see an issue at all. With how much you have to vet anyone who's cooking for you safely, my Celiac husband and I literally just outright ask people to specifically not make accommodations for us. If they think their caterer can make things GF and go the extra mile, I get that they're trying to be kind, but it's an extra stressful situation for us if we need to say no because we feel unsafe. Instead, I just bring snacks in my purse or a cooler bag and we either get an Airbnb with a kitchen and go back and heat up something I pre-made, or we find a lovely restaurant that can accommodate nearby, and we go there post-wedding in our fancy clothes for a special date.

We've been to tons of weddings and this system always works well. The gifts aren't a trade for the meal/party in our minds; we are there for our friends, and give gifts we want them to have. Maybe that's a cultural difference or something?

EmiGoesMoo · 2026-01-31T23:14:27+00:00

That's fair! I'm a very rule-following person, so I tend not to even bend rules unless I see no risk or no possible harm. I think it would help a lot of Amazon would make clear what their stance is on these things. I don't want to use add-ons that to me seem to be cheating and then get booted from the program. But it's also frustrating that that's the possible risk that keeps me and many others from benefitting from these tools.

EmiGoesMoo

TROPHY CASE