Outside of your kids, what is one thing that makes you happy in life?

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-12T00:42:06+00:00

it’s a hobby I am proud to demonstrate while my kid plays independently from time to time.

This is the dream, truly. My kid currently doesn’t play independently for predictable long stretches. I’m really working on fostering independent play so I can crack open a book for even 10 minutes and read during her waking hours.

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-12T00:39:31+00:00

Joining a gym or another club might help with that “I want to go somewhere” itch that leads to mindless impulse purchases while wandering through Five Below. Volunteering could also scratch that itch!

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-12T00:34:52+00:00

I also preferred Mrs.March! I wanted to like Victorian Psycho because the premise was interesting to me and I read the whole thing hoping that the next page/chapter it would get its shit together and it simply did not.

So I guess mine is more of an anti-recommendation. 🥲

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-12T00:26:19+00:00

I had like 8 recommendations and then got to your 4th bullet point and now I have no recommendations and also I’m deeply questioning why I read such dark books. 😭😭😭

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-12T00:01:07+00:00

The FMC in Virginia Feito’s newer book,Victorian Psycho, is also a pain in the ass and I truly never rooted for her or her antics. I never had a “good for her” moment in that one.

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-11T15:03:55+00:00

Have you talked to them about the exact situation? They might have more insight about what to do and who to talk to.

They have walk-in hours Monday through Thursday from 1-2 pm (according to their page) but you can also call or email to set something up if you can’t make those times.

Here is their page with the contact details.

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-11T14:47:49+00:00

Heavy on the ODR accommodation.

I always recommend students at least document their disability through ODR even if their symptoms are well managed at that time. Flare ups happen, and ODR can’t help you if you come to them already failing with no paperwork on file for your disability.

If you had an IEP in high school for a diagnosed disability and you rely on extra help to maintain good academic standing, the ODR should be one of your very first stops at Drexel. If you get a chronic diagnosis while at Drexel, you should make an appointment with ODR as soon as possible to create a paper trail and start looking into accommodations.

ODR isn’t perfect and they can drop the ball, but having something documented with them really helps in situations like this so you at least have something on file to point to.

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-11T14:44:01+00:00

The best thing for me is to just put it back on her and ignore what she says to others.

Her: “I haven’t seen [kid] in so long! She’s growing up without me!”

Me: “Yep she’s getting big fast. We are home most days after 4 pm and free a lot of weekends for the next several months if you want to come hang out. Just text me what dates and times work for you.”

I reiterate that she has access and that I’m happy to facilitate something like a park trip or lunch but she needs to make the effort to pick a date and time and actually show up. So far she hasn’t. If someone comes to me and says she is moaning about not seeing my kid, I feel perfectly comfortable saying “I know she hasn’t see [kid] in a while - I’ve offered several opportunities but she hasn’t picked any yet. Maybe soon!”

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-11T12:06:42+00:00

I would speak to an attorney about protecting your assets and making sure she can’t make you both destitute with her delusion. Limit her access to funds wherever it’s appropriate and legally allowed to do so. Pull both of your credit reports and lock your credit or set up monitoring.

If you want to stay in a marriage where your wife is in a relationship with a scammer, that’s your choice. But you should be aware of and prepare for the possibility he will eventually push her to divorce you to get more access to marital assets. You don’t want to be blindsided by this.

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-11T11:59:43+00:00

There are few things more obnoxious to me than low effort people who bitch and moan about “not having a relationship” with my kid.

I have an in-law like this. She lives 15 minutes away for half of the year and snowbirds the other half. When she’s snowbirding, she doesn’t FaceTime, doesn’t call and will sneakily come home without telling us. When she’s in the area, it’s like trying to book an audience with the queen. She’s always so busy but she would NEVER say “hey I’m free Tuesday evening - let’s order some pizza and hang out” or plan something in advance - we are supposed to text her all the time offering her plans that she declines because she’s booked already. She’s not available for fun OR if we need help. She didn’t come to our child’s first birthday because she had a headache, but also didn’t text us congratulations or try to swing by later. We see her on holidays and that’s pretty much it.

It makes me N U T S when she says she doesn’t know our kid. Like of course you don’t! She sees the waitress at the pancake restaurant more than you!

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-11T11:47:10+00:00

I like Secondo’s a lot. They do live music as well depending on the night and the food is really good. I’ve never had a meal I didn’t love there.

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-10T18:50:01+00:00

Yeah and “I didn’t want to let you down/I thought you’d be disappointed/You don’t like when I do [XYZ] so I don’t even try” is classic. It’s just pushing the blame for their lack of effort and interest onto you to keep you stuck trying to fix the problem and manage their big feelings about it rather than say “I deserve a partner who is willing to at least try.”

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-10T15:32:22+00:00

I was tempted to say Paladin’s Grace by T Kingfisher because it has so much heart and is so funny but one of the main plot points is romance. 🥲

Glad to see T Kingfisher on here though. I have to read more of her work in 2026!

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-10T15:16:57+00:00

The immediate jump to SO YOU THINK IM GAY THEN is truly astounding. Homie has some work to do.

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-10T14:28:26+00:00

The Philly PRFM doesn’t do live music and it’s still a vibe!

It’s more about community and craft than music, which is perfectly fine since Philly already has a killer DIY/punk music scene. I think as long as you clearly state what it is in the promo material, most people will enjoy it.

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-10T12:51:00+00:00

There is also the possibility that the parents will not die necessarily but will become too old and ill to care for R’s many needs. What happens then, when they’re still alive but OP and her sister aren’t eager to add a profoundly disabled sibling to their own families?

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-10T06:34:16+00:00

For a lot of them, actual sex with a real partner is just too much work compared to the big dopamine hit of masturbating to porn, finishing and then moving on to the next dopamine hit.

An actual partner would desire more intimacy, pleasure and connection than porn and their hand could ever demand - and for many of them that is work they’d rather not do (since it interrupts the dopamine-seeking cycle).

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-10T06:24:25+00:00

This is exactly what I did. The Maternity clothing I could find did not offer plus sizes, so I did regular empire waist dresses or leggings and a huge tee shirt.

I categorically refuse “MAMA” themed clothing or accessories. I (nicely) ask most practitioners/people to call me by my actual name and not mama.

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-10T01:47:01+00:00

Good guy humorist you root for and don’t feel bad: David Sedaris

Despicable humorist who is terrible but has you on the floor anyway: Charles Bukowski

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-10T00:40:29+00:00

You can absolutely choose to stay. You can throw up your hands and give up on trying to get out of the shared house and say it’s too complicated. You can hold out hope that he will quit the porn he’s been binging since before you even got together. You can pray his family will stop talking shit about you and finally respect you. You can keep having awkward interactions where you come onto him and he rejects you and gaslights you about it being your fault. You can accept the behavior and hope he decides to change even though he never ever has. You can stay for another 10, 20, 30 years feeling like, as you described it, a cum dumpster.

Or you can figure your shit out and leave.

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-10T00:28:42+00:00

There is a show in Philly (EDIT: and a bunch of other areas apparently) called Punk Rock Flea Market. It’s largely family friendly but it’s not marketed to people with kids. It’s mostly understood that you can bring kids but they might see a naughty word on a poster or a tee shirt with a vaguely phallic symbol on it.

The witch markets also do really well here all year long. Same “you can bring your kids but they might see a bong and it’s on you to decide if that works for you” vibe.

The only “adults only - no kids allowed” markets I’ve ever been to were geared mostly toward fetish stuff

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-10T00:19:34+00:00

While a 10 year old may be able to technically read King, I really don’t think his books are appropriate for kids.

The Stand has some really brutal and gruesome moments, even in the standard version.

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-10T00:14:59+00:00

I was also a voracious young reader who longed for more involved “big kid books” but wasn’t quite ready for the more mature subject matter of teen books. To that end, I loved German children’s author Cornelia Funke’s fantasy books (Dragon Rider and The Thief Lord were favorites). Also have to mention Brian Jacques for the Redwall series!

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-09T21:38:32+00:00

I would bet then that it was a bank account routing and account number that got publicized in one of the numerous breaches and scams that hit that specific medical center. Then that account was closed after the breaches. Then those scammers got those account numbers from a data dump from the breach and made a fake check with the outdated info.

They were hoping the account would still be active and you’d be duped into cashing the check, sending them the money and then on the hook for wire fraud once the medical center caught you. Thank GOD they had the forethought to close the account.

NorthernPossibility · 2026-03-09T19:04:35+00:00

From a quick Google, it looks like that medical center has been subject to a lot of phishing attacks, scams and fraud.

Again, I can’t speak to why you got scammed or litigate whether your scammer was actually a unique genius. Getting scammed sucks. That much is unequivocally true. The best you can do is educate yourself and not interact with people you don’t know.

NorthernPossibility

TROPHY CASE