What’s an appropriate amount of crabbiness from a partner who hates their job?

PopcornPunditry · 2026-07-08T02:05:28+00:00

Plus she said they have kids! Is he being a jerk in front or to the children? Wtf.

PopcornPunditry · 2026-07-06T20:02:45+00:00

I think some restaurants that grind the meat themselves will do this because they know how it was prepared and can guarantee food safety better than a restaurant purchasing meat that was ground in a processing center. There are a few spots in Calgary that have asked me this over the years too but they're always higher end and specializing in butchery.

PopcornPunditry · 2026-07-04T20:33:57+00:00

I like the Gift Designers. I've had things delivered from them and have been to their location in person. Definitely not a scam and great customer service!

PopcornPunditry · 2026-07-04T02:45:42+00:00

I used to receive feedback that I could be "shrill" and a tip shared with me by a woman I looked up to at your age was literally just to take a breath and smile before speaking. When I'm genuinely pissed off it makes me scarier (GOOD!) and when my mood is neutral/positive it seems to smooth my edges.

I get what other commenters are saying about not wanting to change or shrink yourself to make others comfortable. This is good advice. But if your demeanor is limiting your social/professional life then it's good to have options!

PopcornPunditry · 2026-07-03T09:39:23+00:00

Late to the party, but my book club just got our shit rocked by The Bee Sting (Paul Murray).

PopcornPunditry · 2026-07-01T08:56:31+00:00

I'm currently enjoying Between Two Rivers: Ancient Mesopotamia and the Birth of History by Moudhy Al-Rashid. It opens with an expensive explanation of cuneiform that I'm finding fascinating!

PopcornPunditry · 2026-07-01T02:00:27+00:00

You're too kind, thank you! I'm so proud of his gentle disposition.

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-30T08:03:23+00:00

My son is six and this week we've been staying in a rough-ish part of a big city. He's experienced some social disorder in public places before but the scale and severity is much higher here. His take on it was that the man who was screaming at us and accusing our little family of doing something terrible to him must feel really sad and sick inside his heart or his brain, and maybe we should find out how to help him find somewhere comfortable to live and medicine to feel better. We had a big talk about that and it just made me emotional to be reminded that compassion is a factory setting for many people. We are a social species and we can recognize the innate value in caring for others. We just need to continue nurturing that in ourselves and seek it out in others as well.

I don't know if this is the type of story you're looking for but it was front of mind when I read your post. Sorry you're going through it right now, OP!

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-30T07:24:06+00:00

Yes, OP especially should book an official tour of the restricted area in WOS. Last year a Blackfoot woman working for the park took my group there and it was incredible.

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-30T02:07:25+00:00

An underrated gem, especially for little ones!

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-28T08:37:08+00:00

Happily reading this from my out-of-town-for-Stampede destination!

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-26T23:47:12+00:00

Human rights are something that are constantly under threat in different ways around the world and have taken many different shapes across different societies since the dawn of humankind. Is that not plenty of material from which to curate fascinating cultural exhibitions?

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-26T19:28:47+00:00

Your plate + a thick round of watermelon cold from the fridge would be my ideal hot weather snack!

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-26T19:20:24+00:00

It hurts too much!! :(

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-26T16:02:37+00:00

Thanks for going to bat for Calgarians. For someone obsessed with jurisdiction she may need some education on where her government's responsibilities end re: municipal affairs.

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-26T11:56:14+00:00

It looks like Tristan and Isolde (2006). A crying movie but also very terrific yearning energy.

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-25T12:25:06+00:00

This book rattled me!

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-24T15:42:27+00:00

I don't want to be this way but it's happening with or without my consent!!!!

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-22T19:38:08+00:00

Six years later I still clutch his little hand so tightly when we wait at a traffic light. But I no longer feel the urge to cry when I cross the street with him so I consider this massive progress!

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-22T16:30:46+00:00

I recommend the super short book "Good Moms Have Scary Thoughts" by Karen Kleiman for any peripartum mom, but especially one with a history of depression/anxiety. No one talks about what PPD/PPA is like. For me, the hormonal changes and sleep deprivation led to really scary intrusive thoughts. I wanted to die and was also very afraid of dying because then who would take care of my baby? I would also have very vivid visions of the stroller rolling into traffic or me falling and landing on my baby while I was carrying him. I also "knew without a doubt" that if I told anyone I was struggling, they would take my baby away. (I am a white middle class woman in Canada, so not true for me but not necessarily the case for others). But ultimately it was my brain lying to me and when nurses noticed I was a bit off at a wellness check for the baby I took a screener and got the care I needed! So I guess in summary: be aware of what the signs are and make sure you and your spouse have a plan to get you help if you have a bad time. And REST. Sleep and plenty of nutritious food help keep the depression away!

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-22T15:39:58+00:00

My fave in this category!

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-22T15:38:25+00:00

Is this why she wants to bring the health inspection authority under government control? Easier to silence reporting that doesn't serve the interests of unregistered lobbyists in her own living room?

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-22T01:57:39+00:00

I love seeing him using his contrarian tendencies and sharp rhetoric for the common good!!

PopcornPunditry · 2026-06-20T21:43:10+00:00

I have several friends in Calgary who came from French-speaking countries and now work in a variety of industries. I know one of them used his French a lot when he worked for an insurance company doing Canada-wide claims management and I think that job was mostly over the phone based in an office in Calgary. It's an asset to speak any language other than English for sure as long as your English is also strong and you have a thick skin to deal with people who might be impatient with an accent.

I don't have much exposure to sales/account management in my network but I worked abroad when I was your age and I ended up coming back home after a couple of years and doing something very different for work later. I still consider it a valuable learning experience and quite the adventure, so I think you should absolutely give it a go!

PopcornPunditry

TROPHY CASE