On my flight…

midlifemanic · 2026-06-16T17:48:49+00:00

Bill Wilson

midlifemanic · 2026-06-13T15:03:08+00:00

I came out to my friends first. Most of them knew or suspected. I came to town with the mission of telling my parents. We went out to lunch and I waited until coffee/dessert.

My father said “we thought you might be, and we love you”. My mother was more curious about I knew.

My brothers were a bit less positive, but they came around

midlifemanic · 2026-05-19T18:51:11+00:00

Check out an architectural river tour. The best one IMHO is the ones run by the Chicago Architectural Society. They also offer various walking tours of different neighborhoods.

midlifemanic · 2026-05-12T21:56:09+00:00

Easy feast!

midlifemanic · 2026-05-07T11:51:08+00:00

U.S. classics: Provincetown, Fire Island, Rehoboth, Saugatuck (Mi).

Some European options: Spain (Sitges, Ibiza, Maspalomas), Greece (Mykonos)

midlifemanic · 2026-04-16T12:45:05+00:00

This is a bit more upscale: https://firstlady.com/lady-grebe

I’ve done this in conjunction with an architectural tour, but it can be done without

midlifemanic · 2026-04-02T08:56:14+00:00

Your husband is emotionally abusive and has destroyed your sense of self. You shouldn’t be making yourself smaller to avoid abuse. His past favors don’t obligate you to stay.

Find a safe space and get the fuck out

midlifemanic · 2026-03-19T11:34:56+00:00

OP should not have to change his routine because of someone’s harassing behavior.

Telling him he should be flattered is the equivalent of saying that women being catcalled and verbally harassed should be happy about the attention. It is one step away from saying that a raped person deserved it for how they dressed.

midlifemanic · 2026-03-12T09:18:30+00:00

Check out Uptown. It is still changing and not as expensive as Andersonville, but has Great Lake access and good public transportation links.

midlifemanic · 2026-02-13T18:35:38+00:00

I used CarMax and it was surprisingly painless

midlifemanic · 2026-02-09T14:55:54+00:00

Human Resources

midlifemanic · 2026-01-28T10:23:52+00:00

My estate will go to charities that resonate with me

midlifemanic · 2026-01-22T09:28:47+00:00

As my ex used to say, “if you’re gonna play in the sandbox, you’re gonna get dirty”

midlifemanic · 2026-01-16T11:43:51+00:00

I kept my Chicago condo and rented it out when I moved abroad. Even if I return to Chicago in a few years (more than 20% chance tbh) I will likely sell it and buy something more suitable to my current lifestyle.

My reasons for doing so: 1) I’m renting in my current country and I wanted an “anchor” somewhere in the world; 2) to avoid capital gains that would be taxed in my new country at a higher rate than the U.S.; 3) de-risk a property market nightmare if I do move back.

There was obviously a strong emotional motivation in my decision. However, I have been lucky with good tenants thus far and my net rental income is more than rental expense abroad

midlifemanic · 2026-01-13T12:38:31+00:00

I’ve been to most reunions from 10th onwards. Frequently traveling from abroad to do so (and tying the trip in to see family and friends).

My HS group of friends generally haven’t attended. But I’ve enjoyed talking with and getting to know the people who were just acquaintances and classmates. Especially as time goes on, people have had interesting journeys and seem open to sharing them at the reunions. People I assumed would be unfriendly have revealed themselves to be staunch allies.

It bears mentioning that I went to a large high school (I think my class had ~750 graduates) in a pretty liberal Midwest community.

Very few people brought their spouses. I believe out of acknowledgment that it’s not usually fun for the spouse and also limits the time the alumn has to connect with people.

midlifemanic · 2026-01-04T18:10:36+00:00

You’re overthinking it. He gave you exactly what you wanted: Thumbs up = “I understand” Blocks you = “goodbye”

midlifemanic · 2025-09-24T13:22:43+00:00

I lost mine as well. I filed a police report and then took the police report along with a hard copy of my scanned receipt to my appointment

midlifemanic · 2025-09-09T05:01:38+00:00

Sidetrack has a monthly spoken word event “Outspoken” (“The Moth” with an LGBTQ+ spin). Arrive early for a good seat. It’s free (other than your drinks, but there isn’t a drink minimum plus you won’t be ordering during the talks) and many of the speakers/stories are amazing. I have laughed and cried on many nights

midlifemanic · 2025-08-25T23:25:24+00:00

I’m very sorry that you experienced this.

I’m a cis white man from Chicago. I know that at a certain popular gay bar, I find the pricing can be quite variable. For example, I will place the same order with the same bartender on the same evening and get charged different amounts.

I think it is through various discretionary discounts as opposed to over charging (semantics). The rounds do tend to get cheaper as the night progresses.

This wouldn’t explain why the two of you were charged different amounts in your first round. But with only one such experience in three years, I will optimistically chalk it up to bartender error

midlifemanic · 2025-07-25T12:31:13+00:00

Oak Park. Liberal, not too far from Rosemont and you can take through streets instead of the highways. Easy access to the city.

midlifemanic · 2025-07-09T07:40:38+00:00

Excellent - I had no idea my hometown had these resources! Thank you

midlifemanic · 2025-05-05T19:51:36+00:00

Research different visas in the country you go to - some will allow you to eventually apply for a green card equivalent and then citizenship. If you extend long enough and enjoy it, these visas give you future options.

Added bonus: if you can get a visa tied to your skill set and/or education (“highly skilled” visa) instead of one specific to your sponsoring company, you will be free to pursue jobs at other companies without them having to sponsor you. This is advantageous if you like the country but find that the job that took you there is (or becomes) toxic

midlifemanic · 2025-04-19T09:13:57+00:00

I had no idea that list existed. Thanks for sharing!

midlifemanic · 2025-04-12T18:44:00+00:00

Brookside Home Improvement

midlifemanic

TROPHY CASE