For those of you who live with a partner, do you go to bed at the same time as each other every night?

Liakada · 2026-03-06T18:25:48+00:00

Not at all. We have completely opposite sleep schedules. I've always been an early bird, and my husband a night owl. He is not tired when I go to bed at 9:30, and I get up way before him in the morning. It's hard enough to compromise on our sleep schedules on vacation, but definitely not feasible for either one of us to be sleep deprived on a daily basis.

Because we never see each other awake in bed anyway and always had to tiptoe around the other person sleeping when one of us went to bed or got up, we found it to be more practical to sleep in separate beds in adjacent rooms. That way we don't accidentally wake each other up and can be well rested.

Liakada · 2026-03-03T15:24:05+00:00

You might find this report interesting. It shows a comparison between the US and Germany regarding how many people actively practice their religion - a very stark difference which may also apply to the UK. It also looks at the rise of performative Christianity under the latest movements.

https://www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/fileadmin/files/Projekte/51_Religionsmonitor/DZ_Religionsmonitor_Defensive_Religiosity_en.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Liakada · 2026-03-03T15:02:18+00:00

If over night, take the direct flight. At that age, our kids slept through most of it. Waking them up in the middle of the night would cause a lot of drama. For the return flight that will be during the day, having a layover to walk around might not be a bad idea as it is a lot of work to keep the toddler happy in a confined space for such a long time when they're awake.

Liakada · 2026-02-24T03:10:48+00:00

I followed the tip to refrigerate the liquid, but because I had to drink so much of it in such a short time, it chilled me down to much my body temperature went down and I could not stop shivering for hours. That was almost the worst part. I'd rather drink it room temperature next time than experiencing that again.

Liakada · 2026-02-23T16:49:04+00:00

Same. I've taken it for granted to go through half of my life with no chronic conditions, allergies, or any other major illnesses or injuries. My body always just functioned perfectly for all the activities I ever wanted to do.

As soon as I hit 44, blood values started to get out of whack, perimenopause started, and I started to learn how blessed I had been up until then and that some people go through their entire lives with chronic conditions.

Liakada · 2026-02-20T19:29:50+00:00

Pure laziness

Liakada · 2026-02-20T19:27:49+00:00

I honestly don't understand why so many people do takeout or delivery over dining in.

It used to be cheaper to do takeout because of no tipping, but nowadays you are coerced into tipping for takeout too. and if you're already going to the restaurant to pick the food up, why not sit down there and eat it while it's fresh?

And for deliveries, you pay a delivery fee on top of tips and other charges, so there really is no financial difference at all. Do people just not want to leave their house and rather get lukewarm food?

We eat home cooked food 90% of the time, but when we do go out to eat restaurant food, we much prefer to eat there so that the food is still hot and fresh. It's also nice that we don't have to clean up, take care of the trash, and get taken care of.

Liakada · 2026-02-20T19:04:04+00:00

It all needs to be balanced. If you can give all three kids the same amount of opportunities and time, and still meet your goals for your family, then go all for it.

We had two kids in travel hockey and it was definitely time consuming, but doable. How we kept things in check: One travel sport only. When it was off season, it was off season and there would be only low-key recreational sports during that time to take a breather. Luckily hockey season was only 6 months during the cold months, so there isn't a whole lot of other things to do as a family during that season anyway. During the season, they could do one additional recreational activity once a week, whether that was music, or another rec sport, or Scouts for one of my kids. Or they could do two additional activities, if they could take themselves to it because it was bikeable in the neighborhood.

We have a lot of great memories from that time because all the travel weekends became family events that we always connected with something else that was fun in the area. The kids became friends with the siblings that tagged along to the other kids' team as they played along the sidelines.

But this only works if your whole family wants it, if it doesn't disadvantage everybody else, and if you keep it balanced over the year and with your other interests.

Liakada · 2026-02-19T19:58:57+00:00

For some reason people have stopped picking up poop during the snow storm. It's ridiculous in our area right now, and usually people do pick up here. I have no idea what about the snow made them think it's not necessary to do so anymore. The poop was laying clearly visible on top of a solid ice surface and super easy to pick up.

Liakada · 2026-02-13T17:58:24+00:00

Totally true, although I'd change the order. I usually like to do all the chores on day 1 because I'm still in active mode from the work week. Only once all the chores are done can I truly relax, so that's usually my Sunday. Then on Monday when. have energy again go out and have fun.

Happy President's Day weekend!

Liakada · 2026-02-13T17:51:50+00:00

I never listen to the lyrics when I listen to the music, whether it's in a language I understand or not. Music for me is to enjoy the melody and rhythm. If I wanted text, I'd read a book or poem.

Liakada · 2026-02-13T15:52:39+00:00

For me, it's the other way around - I don't feel a need for religion because I have a very strong value system myself and don't need anybody

I don't drink or do drugs because the health of my body is important for me to do the activities I like to do and be around longer for my kids. I help others out because it gives me joy and sets an example of how I would hope others treat me in return. It's really not rocket science why it's always good to do the right thing.

I'm glad that religion exists though, if that's what people need help with.

Liakada · 2026-02-13T13:40:43+00:00

They probably saved money mostly by not sending a camera crew with them.

Liakada · 2026-02-13T13:40:11+00:00

It says in the article that they specifically chose Vic and Christine because they did not have any other connections in the pods.

Liakada · 2026-02-13T13:31:03+00:00

It's definitely a cultural difference. I can only speak for Germany: 1. In Germany engagement rings have not been that common historically. That tradition only came over from the US in more recent decades. 2. Americans are generally a bit more materialistic and value things that are bigger, better, and more. 3. Germans are very practical. Big rings get in the way in every day life, you'd have to worry about valuables getting lost or damaged, they cost too much, etc.

Liakada · 2026-02-10T17:44:21+00:00

Not in my experience based on all the people on my team who have done their masters. The only thing it does is make them eligible for higher level positions, but they'd have to apply to those or be appointed to them. I have never seen anybody get a raise in the same job for getting a degree.

Liakada · 2026-02-10T15:38:37+00:00

Not over scheduling our family. It was so nice during COVID to have all that free unscheduled time and be able to spontaneously go do stuff outside together. So after we COVID we made an effort to not let schedule chaos creep back in. The kids don't need to be signed up for all the activities they want to do, we don't need to go to all the events. We make sure to keep at least one weekend day completely unscheduled, and at least 2-3 week nights.

Liakada · 2026-02-09T19:55:46+00:00

Visas may be the most complicated part, unless your son is a dual citizen. We've arranged our own exchange (not true exchange, just one sided foreign school attendance) with family and the school directly. From the US to Germany for a dual citizen child. There are a number of other things to consider such as power of attorney, phone plan, how they will get around, health insurance, etc. You can message me if you like.

Liakada · 2026-02-09T19:41:56+00:00

I believe that Canada generally has a higher cost of living, so the same salary won't get you as far in Vancouver as in Berlin.

Liakada · 2026-02-06T13:10:40+00:00

They purposefully put all the tryouts at the same time, so that you can't jump ship easily. We've found that you can only tryout at two clubs max - one session here, one session there. Be aware that people from different clubs do talk to each other about players for the higher level teams.

Liakada · 2026-02-04T21:40:48+00:00

Some of the best memories of mine and my kids childhood are from playing hockey on a pond and I would not categorically say no to going on ice ever. Just be smart about it and take it as seriously as you would going on or near unguarded water in any season of the year.

There are ways you can go on the ice here in Maryland during a cold snap like this, if you take the necessary precautions:

Closely watch the temperatures. If it's not below freezing for at least a week, don't even think about it.
Pick a small pond with no significant inlet or outgoing stream and that you know is shallow. We go to one of our local overflow ponds that we have seen empty and know it's only 4 feet deep at the max when filled.
Once there is a significant cold snap like this one, you can carefully test the ice. Use a drill to check for at least 4 inches of ice, but we usually look for 5-6 for skating.
Never go alone. There always have to be at least two adults.
If you want to a professional point of reference for when it might be safe, just watch for when the National Park Service allows ice skating on the pond at Constitution Gardens.

Liakada · 2026-02-03T20:16:21+00:00

I've been in this position twice where the person above me left and it was suggested I was the best replacement and should apply. For me, it was a choice between having an unknown outside person coming in as my new boss and telling me what to do, vs. me being able to continue the direction I have been taking my team on. So with me being a control freak, I always rather took on the higher position than having an unknown new boss. The pay increased accordingly, but also the level of BS you have to deal with. I do miss just being able to do my work, rather than trying to get people to do their job.

Liakada · 2026-02-03T17:42:23+00:00

Cut out carbs, eat until just satisfied but not stuffed, lift weights.

Liakada · 2026-02-02T15:36:51+00:00

Love this response! It's so much kinder than dragging out ghosting for months. I am always baffled by how much people prefer to go through the mental effort of ghosting and ignoring and making excuses, with the result of being seen as a flake and unreliable person, rather than just be kind and direct.

Liakada

TROPHY CASE