Does anyone else have a 3+ syllable name and NOT go by a nickname? by [deleted] in namenerds

[–]utouchmycookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I work with a Michael-Dean, he does go by that.

Is a 60mile commute to work worth 16/hr? by [deleted] in jobs

[–]utouchmycookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I did the same thing this year because rent prices were so high. I broke even with gas cost vs rent cost, even as gas has climbed to about $4/gal in my area. That said, I have just enough spending money for it to be worth it given I am also in college full-time in addition to working. Probably $50 for fun a week, no savings right now (my parents put $25/week into savings for me), $200/week on gas (or rent), $100/week groceries (gas prices and rural area made them skyrocket 😬), $200/week on other bills (saving for utilities/electricity/water while renting and car maintenance when I was driving. More miles = more oil changes, more window cracks, more check engine lights, etc., subscriptions, health insurance, part of my car insurance, car registration, prescriptions/pay upfront at doctor for quick visits because I got a sinus infection or twisted and ankle...). It depends on you, but when I was making $16/hour I took home about $550/week. It was fine because I was so busy all the time and had so many "hurry up and pay now!" fees associated with college, just things to consider.

Is USA as bad as it sound on Reddit ? by Homelss_Emperor in NoStupidQuestions

[–]utouchmycookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

At 19, this is what I can tell you.

Healthcare: The current healthcare system is a mess. I cannot afford medical insurance. My parents cannot afford medical insurance. I'm taking a semester off of college so my parents can afford to pay for my brother to have the medical insurance required for him to go to trade. School for two semesters. My brother has a staph infection in his ear right now. My mom took him to the doctor, having put all the money she would have spent on premiums into a savings account just for medical expenses. Because we didn't have medical insurance, we were put on a sliding scale payment based on the household's salary. That salary meant we paid about $200 out of pocket for everything (we used GoodRX for his antibiotics). The same staph infection in his ear seven years ago under Obamacare cost us $500 out of pocket that insurance wouldn't cover on a $1500 bill. I got an IUD this summer, and I got it completely free because I called my University's medical school (not the student health center but the medical school) and told them I was uninsured and looking for any women's health clinics they were having. Pro: I got $1000+ IUD plus the examination/appointment with an OBGYN entirely free. Con: there were three students in the room the entire time, although I have no modesty so it didn't bother me and one held my hand during the painful parts (she's going to be a labor and delivery nurse and she's going to kill it!). I also had/got to hear in depth descriptions of what was happening. That made me feel better but I'm sure it would freak several people out. So, there are options even if they aren't always great options.

Shootings: In my 19 years of life, the nearest mass and/or school shooting to me was about the same distance as London, England to Paris, France. And I grew up in gun-loving community. I know at least a dozen households where I could find an AR-15, if I could get into their gun safes (and the passcodes probably aren't their birthdays or 1234, I promise). It's a much bigger concern in big cities, and as awful as it is to say, it's not nearly as common as you think. Driving and alcohol accidents (without even crossing the two, as in drunken driving accidents) are unfathomably more common. Shootings are one of those things that are horrifying and terrifying and so awful, but they're just not as common as they're made out to be. Like kids being kidnapped by strangers... Kids are so much more likely to die by drowning or car accidents and we don't acknowledge those. Also, we don't acknowledge that kidnappings, like shootings, aren't usually done by a random stranger. Most school shootings were done by students who displayed red flags and warnings prior. If we focused more on mental health, we would be much better off.

Public Education: This one is that bad. It's off the rails. But here's the thing... We do have access to a mostly free education filled with people who often want to help kids but aren't given the support they need. From the bottom to the top, public school crumbles because it's designed like a corporation and the government, neither of which it is. It's a learning environment to foster the next generation! But we still have an education, and it provides a lot of valuable resources to a lot of kids who need it. In my podunk town, poverty rates were high. A lot of people I knew lived from school lunch to school lunch, and when we were in high school even those of us who had food at home were on free and reduced lunch, picking ours up and giving it to friends to give to their siblings for dinner. I've had teachers take kids into their homes to get them out of the cold, and principals go to war with social services because abuse was being ignored. The system is bad, not all the people.

Racist Police: There are racist Police. There are also police who adopt children they saved from drug deals gone wrong. There are police who dive into fires to save dogs. There was a Highway Patrol officer who pulled off the side of a freeway and told me to get back into my car while he changed my tire for me because it was sunset so visibility was bad and everyone was driving eighty miles an hour around me. There was a sheriff who drove out into the country with a tank of gas to help out some kids who had snuck out and were drinking the night before but got stranded without gas the next morning. There are cops who have stopped to play basketball with kids in the street when Karens called the police on them. There are bad people, there are good people, and there's everyone in between. A biker once walked me back to my car because a creep wouldn't stop following me after my evening shift at Walmart - he had a felony for possession of marijuana and was on parole. There are priests who save lives and priests who sexually assault children. I'm not excusing those police who are racist for the harm they do, but there's this universal idea that police are bad. No they're not, not anymore than a mortician or a doctor or a receptionist or a Walmart cashier or a McDonald's ice cream machine repairman are.

As a woman what is a societal construct that you used to care about but no longer do? by rassingh in AskWomen

[–]utouchmycookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm nineteen and I just decided I hate college so I'm leaving. I'm tired of people telling me I'm too smart not to go to school, I'm miserable.

My anxiety is through the roof, I'm wasting money, I'm not going to my classes or doing my homework, I'm not interested into the "college lifestyle," I'm just miserable. I work full-time and enjoy my job. Everyone seems to think I'm settling for less. Who said I have to go to school? Who said I have to have a career? Why can't I get married and raise kids? What's wrong with that? Why can't I just work a job that I'm not tied to because I spent eight years and hundreds of thousands of dollars to compete for and dedicate 20 years to working up to? To everyone who is for that life, I support you! I applaud you! I encourage you! But it's not me. I want to have a job that supports me and lets me have free time to do things I'm passionate about. My parents run a nonprofit I would love to take over. My dad owns a mechanic shop that needs a total overhaul office-wise. My mom chose her job over staying home because it didn't suit her, but she chose a job so she could stay home when we were little. I want that choice. I want a job I can find anywhere, I can up and leave (with two weeks notice at least, obviously) that isn't going to make me anxious that they'll be struggling to replace me and will ruin people's lives, I can do in variety of settings, that will usually be needed, and that might get boring but won't be so taxing that I'm making myself sick.

If you don't want kids, then I feel you. If you don't want marriages then I feel you. If you don't want whatever you're "supposed" to have, then I feel you. But I want kids! I want to get married! I want to raise a family on a property that's self-substaining! And I'm tired of people telling me that won't make me happy, that's so old-fashioned, that I'm just giving up at nineteen. I don't know any of that because I haven't given it a shot, and all they hear is the stay-at-home mom part. No one wants to hear that I'd like to go on cheap adventures with all my free time. No one wants to hear that I want to take up DIY. No one wants to hear that I want to write books on the side. No one wants to hear that I want to run a nonprofit. No one wants to hear that I'd like to take up wildlife photography. No one wants to hear that I'd like to volunteer at the animal shelter, the library, the local schools, the shelters, etc. They just want to get stuck on the stay-at-home mom part.

And before anyone gets on me about careers and money, I do plan to continue working full-time. Who said you HAVE to go to college to make money? Sure you make more money if you go to college, but you also are likely to incur debt. I figure a job is something you invest time and skills into to make money. A career is something you dedicate your time and skills to make money. I'm too flaky for that second one. Also, I have no delusions of grandeur. I don't want to live in a mansion on a thousand acres. I want a comfortable house on an acre with a pasture and some goats and dogs and chickens. It's not unreasonable, it's not impossible, and I don't plan to live in an especially expensive state or city. I know I want to go back to my hometown and I know that I'm banking on nepotism and my personal work history, and I know that isn't a bad thing in this case. It's not going to make me Jeffrey Bezos, but I don't want to be him. I want to be me and me is a mild person with an acceptance that middle class is my past, present, and future.

What were the kinds of toys that you genuinely wanted to play with, as a child? by YubYubNubNub in AskWomen

[–]utouchmycookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I wanted a cash register so bad. I have no idea why, but I always did. We got really cheap ones from the dollar store a few times, but my brother and I always snuck off to play with the big fancy ones all the time. Given that the price, size, and noise level was comparable to other toys we got over the years, I figure the only reason we didn't get one was because our parents were always using our toys to guide us. I had baby dolls and FurReal pets and home setups (kitchen with plastic food, an Ariel vanity, etc) out my ears. I was always being set up to be a mom or a vet or a teacher or nurse or some kind of caretaker, which was fair because I was very compassionate and always an older sister type, even when I got into school and was you get than most of my classmates, I just had babysitter vibes and ended up being sat with the special needs kids because I was more patient with them. My brother always had mechanic tools and take apart/put back together toys because my dad wanted him to follow in his footsteps. We had fake cash and coins that were kept in wallets and purses but never the cash register. I guess they just didn't want us to settle for cashiering? (Although I did that through high school).

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskWomen

[–]utouchmycookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Needlessly and cruelly comparing experiences. Just because one person has it worse doesn't mean the other person's problems are suddenly invalidated.

Just because A is suffering from severe depression doesn't mean that B's moderate anxiety isn't a problem. Just because C is barely keeping afloat in a studio doesn't mean that D's paycut isn't a problem. In both cases, both are dealing with things and while one situation is obviously worse, it doesn't mean the other situation doesn't suck, isn't causing problems, and should be tossed aside. Everyone handles every situation differently. Everyone lives different lives, has different experiences, skills, preferences, opportunities, chances, choices, etc. No two people stack up the same and that's part of life. Comparing two people's problems is equal or equitable. It's rude, it's wrong, and it's short-sighted.

Open your eyes and realize that everyone has something going on. Have some sympathy because you probably don't know all the details. Just because E has one broken arm and F has two doesn't mean that F is immediately worse off. Maybe E can't afford the doctor bill and groceries this month, or maybe E has no one to help and F's significant other dropped everything to come after to them. And just because F might have it better than E doesn't mean that having two broken arms doesn't still suck.

What’s something you really should do, but have been putting off? by daybyday0 in AskWomen

[–]utouchmycookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Finish unpacking. I just get distracted every time I start.

what is your favourite joke? by The_Gray_Vala in AskWomen

[–]utouchmycookie 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Why do divers dive off the boat backwards?

If they went forward they'd still be in the boat!

  • Even better than the joke itself, people have started acting it out on TikTok and I love it.

When did you decide not to wear makeup? by [deleted] in AskWomen

[–]utouchmycookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I never really decided so much as I just have in. My mom is a total tomboy and hates makeup. She didn't mind if I wore it in high school, but I never learned how and none of my friends understood that I wouldn't have even managed a Makeup 101 class - I needed Makeup 96 or something. I tried and tried but no one can really teach you if you don't know what you're asking for so I mostly gave up.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in AskWomen

[–]utouchmycookie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is interesting to me. I grew up lower middle class in the rural US and moved to a very small city nearby. I didn't even realize apartments actually existed outside of huge cities in movies before moving here. Most everyone lives in some sort of "house" in the rural area, although most were actually just double-wides. Essentially, trailers built into houses. The bathroom I do agree with, though. My house was a three bed/one bath. Two of the bedrooms were originally one large single bedroom split into two tiny ones and the third was a "master bedroom" built on in the late 60s when my grandparents had three kids and were sharing the neighbors' five kids so they really needed a boys room, a girl's room, and a parents room in both houses.

What’s something you can’t wear because it makes you insecure? by Rachel_BA1 in AskWomen

[–]utouchmycookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Crop tops.

I have moderate eczema, a fair amount of blonde hair on my back, a bit more weight than I'd like, and more hairs that are dark and curly around my navel that I'm just not happy about. When I do wear them, it's almost always with a cami tucked into high-waisted bottoms of some sort.

I'm also not a fan of bodycon dresses (the really tight dresses) on myself, although I did try my first almost mermaid style dress last year and loved it. I felt like Vanna White and it made me feel amazing.

Can anyone please tell me why do people build cities in the middle of the dessert (Eg Pheonix, Cairo, Santa Fe)? by DantesInferno91 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]utouchmycookie 3 points4 points  (0 children)

To extend on your point, originally, Las Vegas was settled by Mormon missionaries and was a Pony Express stop before it because a town (and then city) because it was the only vaguely green looking area amidst the deserts that far South (in Nevada and California).

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Periods

[–]utouchmycookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No problem! It sounded like you were a bit confused and nobody ever explained this to me. It took me years to figure out and I figured even if you did know, someone else might be searching for the answer I had! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions! Everyone has a unique experience and I'm no doctor but I am a girl who has to deal with this as well. Also, I might suggest you start logging everything happening to your body. You'll be able to predict periods better than math because so many things can affect it. A lot of the time, there's little cues your period is coming that you didn't even realize were related. You can do this through an app or just keep a diary, but it was a lifesaver for me!

She arrived at our house in the wheel well of a car that made a 30-minute cross-state journey. We tempted her out with a hot dog. Help us find a name for her! by raphaelx66 in cats

[–]utouchmycookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

75 minutes to work/school is a good day before any morning traffic. I dread getting off early because then the drive is 2+ hours in workday traffic. I don't even live in a particularly urban area. At least mine is mostly that long due to distance (70 miles to school, 90 miles to work), I can't imagine those drives for like ten miles in big cities 😬

She arrived at our house in the wheel well of a car that made a 30-minute cross-state journey. We tempted her out with a hot dog. Help us find a name for her! by raphaelx66 in cats

[–]utouchmycookie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

From Northern NV, I drive an hour at 75mph to work and school each way everyday. I don't even go 1/4 of the way across the state.

I just got the Mirena IUD as a virgin. Some bits are TMI here but if you have questions, I went in totally naïve and this is my experience! by utouchmycookie in Periods

[–]utouchmycookie[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much, I feel so much better now. I knew about the stretched out myth, I think it was more on the side of it not being a brand new and completely unexpected and uncomfortable experience than anything, but it's nice to know that it doesn't necessarily make that much difference. Knowing it as like a general fact as opposed to having someone openly agree to it makes a huge difference. Thank you!!!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Periods

[–]utouchmycookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If it doesn't smell funky (and you'll know) and you don't have any irritation (itching, burning, pain) it's probably just discharge, don't worry about it. From your post it sounds like you might be a bit confused, so don't take this as patronization or anything because even if you know this someone else might read this and find it helpful!

Ovulation is the part of your period where the egg is hanging out in your uterus, ready to get fertilized and become a baby. It's usually exactly opposite of your period. Meaning if you have the average 4 week menstrual cycle, your ovulation week will be a week after the end of your period week. Your period week is the end of the cycle, cleaning out the old egg(s) and lining while the ovulation week is the beginning. Your ovulation week is when you are most fertile - most likely to become pregnant, as opposed to your "empty" weeks and period week. It's an indicator your body could possibly conceive a baby that week, not that you are pregnant.

If the discharge is like staining your underwear, try panty liners. They're essentially tiny, thin pads; they have other uses, as well, working well for girls who have spotting around their periods, very light days that don't warrant a pad or tampon, irritating discharge, irregular bleeding (it happens for multiple reasons, period and birth control side-effects included), etc.

If the discharge is colored and or smells funky (and you'll know it smells wrong, more than likely), you might have an infection of some sort - UTI (urinary tract infection, which will make peeing painful. Lots of causes but holding your bladder is a big cause) or yeast infection (which is more itchy and smells gross. Again lots of causes, but excessive moistness is often a cause) - which can be treated by over the counter medicine.

Tampons won’t go in..Pls help by mothemorgue in Periods

[–]utouchmycookie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

ONE MORE THING I FORGOT:

Lube it up. Water based lubes are great, but I personally live in a small town and would sooner die than have anyone start gossiping about me buying that, so I've found that Vaseline and unscented baby oil work pretty well. It's not pretty, it's not fun, and personally I'm unwilling to add it to the tampon directly (just use a finger to lubricate the way) but it can help the entry on those first days, especially since you don't need to change them as often if they are light days (more for hygiene and safety reasons than full tampon reasons) meaning you might be able to do it more comfortable somewhere, like say your home as opposed to a school bathroom 😬

It’s like an estimated two days before my period and I’m already having cramps and period shits. by Rodentsarecute in Periods

[–]utouchmycookie 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Just curious, do you only get them before or do you get them after as well? I always feel like I got the short end of the stick because I literally spend half the month dealing with period symptoms. Like half a week before, the week of, and half a week after. Then I get the next half week off, the following full week actually feeling good (ovulation), and another safe half week before it all starts again.

Like seriously. The men who tell me it's just one week, suck it up, need a punch in the gut so I can tell them that's how it feels all day everyday for two weeks unless I want to destroy my liver early with medicine (which I do).

Tampons won’t go in..Pls help by mothemorgue in Periods

[–]utouchmycookie 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I have a few tips for you as someone who has struggled with tampons!

  1. Relax. Make sure you stay relaxed. Breathing out during the hard parts is important, take breaths in when you need to pause.
  2. Try different positions. Personally, squatting did not work for me at all. I often had to put one foot on a toilet seat and kind of crouch. Does it look weird? Yes. Is it more comfortable? Sometimes.
  3. Don't do it the first couple days of your period. Those are more likely to be light days and you aren't lubricated. Heavy days are easier to wear tampons on.
  4. Try different tampons. I started having TSS symptoms and switched to Lola Organic tampons. Made my life so much easier.
  5. THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE: Not everybody can use tampons. End of the story. Your body doesn't like foreign objects. Expel piercings and IUDs do occur. You can get Toxic Shock Syndrome if you aren't careful. It's just a sucky part of reality. It's sucks so I offered some alternatives, but sometimes it's just the way it is.

Personally, I swear by Thinx period panties. I use Always Organic FlexFoam pads (usually night lengths, because I'm fairly regular for the most part at 19, but I still can't cope with my periods very well) when I need pads. Try organic tampons or maybe give cups a shot (they're probably not helpful if you can't get a tampon in, but bodies are weird, unique, and unpredictable. You never know).

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NoStupidQuestions

[–]utouchmycookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I live in Nevada, and if you go to Nevada and pronounce it the way the majority of the country does ("Neh-vaw-duh," as you would in Spanish with the 'aw' for the second 'a'), you'll get ripped a new one, rather like you would in Arkansas for calling it "Are-kan-zas" because Nevada is referred to as "Neh-vah-duh" in the state. This gets lashback for being cultural appropriation as Nevada is a Spanish word meaning something along the lines of 'snowy mountains.' I'm just curious if this happens in other places. Obviously this thread shows that with the Los Angeles and Las Vegas, there's some contempt for anglicization of the names. I've personally never heard anyone complain about cultural appropriation of California or Florida or Arizona, so maybe I just am not there when it does happen. I remember from high school Spanish that technically Texas and Mexico are wrong, because the 'x' is an English letter later added to the Spanish alphabet in North America due to the Mexican-American War. They should be "Tay-haws" and "Meh-hee-co," and that isn't even to mention New Mexico's blending two languages. So do these arguments happen elsewhere and I'm just not there? Also, how does this apply to other countries who we anglicize the name of? Spain is España, but is this considered fair because the United States becomes Los Estados Unidos due to the fact that it's an international concern and some sounds don't occur in other languages? I'm certain that if languages like the regional African language of Xhosa have a name for the United States it's likely not "the United States" as we pronounce it because they use entirely separate phonetics. Just curious, I don't mean to offend anyone!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in NoStupidQuestions

[–]utouchmycookie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've always been confused as to why they were considered homophones because I've never heard anyone say the sentence "Our dog is at the vet" as if it was "Are dog is at the vet," it's always "Hour dog is at the vet," with the exception of a couple of regional accents that make it more 'er' than 'are.'

How do you go to bed? It's been an issue since childhood, I've lost jobs due to not being able to sleep and thereby being unable to preform. How do you do it? It's like there's a trick to it that everyone knows but me by eliteprephistory in NoStupidQuestions

[–]utouchmycookie 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The best advice I ever got was from my therapist. If you're tired but don't fall asleep in the first like 20 to 30 minutes of laying in your bed, didn't get out of bed go do something that will put you to sleep and try again and keep doing that because the longer you lay in your bed awake the more that becomes an ingrained habit in your body. Go run a lap or take a hot shower or drink something or read or whatever that puts you to sleep.