You’re not wrong for wanting to avoid a situation because of the potential of screaming children, but it’s important to remember that, with parents, it’s a package deal. To avoid overstimulation, try and go to a park for the first meeting. Like get coffee and go to a place with a playground where the toddler can run wild, and the 6 month can be in a stroller or rocker. Being outside vs bring in a building where screams can echo, makes a big difference.

Something that helps me hang-outs with my friends who have kids, is remembering that screaming children are inevitable… but most of the time, I’m not enjoying the company of my friends alongside the random, misbehaving ones. This time, you can make a friend.

We took a trip to Chicago and decided to go to Navy Pier. Traffic was basically gridlocked and the car behind us was not happy that my friend didn’t break the law and block an intersection. After the light turned green, the idiot took his massive, shiny, brand new, white pickup truck onto the SIDEWALK to cut in front of us.

When we got to the parking garage, there was a HUGE sign saying the clearance was 6ft 3in and tall vehicles needed to go to a different garage. The idiot didn’t read it and, even with the windows shut, we heard the screeching and scraping of his roof on the top of the structure.

The best part was watching him back out, hearing more scraping, seeing his surprised pikachu face, and the disappointment on the face of the woman in the passenger seat.

I’m immunocompromised and still mask indoors. I haven’t been sick at all since 2020 and it’s awesome! Between 40-60% of people have some form of permanent brain damage and 70-80% have long covid problems from Covid. The damage to the body compounds every time a person gest re-infected, so the numbers are terrifyingly high.

I have a postmortem science degree and it required 4 years of pre-med/pathology. With all that and what we know about the virus, I am honestly not sure I’ll stop wearing a mask indoors until we find a cure or better vaccine. I can’t stand that politicians are trying to ban masks, essentially sacrificing the elderly, disabled, and ill. A government making medical decisions, creating an environment where a person can’t mask up, regardless of if they have cancer and want to stay safe; or if they’re severely sick with something else but need to pick up medication at a pharmacy… it’s dark. It’s fucked up

My bigger concern is that almost every company now has it in their contracts/terms of services, that all users are not allowed to participate in a lawsuit, be it class action, or court case against them Most of them even have a maximum sue limit too! There’s a lot that have a rule that initial arbitration cannot have a lawyer, but that won’t be enforced.

I have to fight every time I am suffering. It’s ridiculous.

• Bad cramps; must be normal period pain… Nope! Severe Endometriosis that required surgery.

• Exhausted all the time; must need to exercise more… Nope! Narcolepsy!

• Joint pain and weakness; you could afford to lose 10lbs… Nope! Ehlers Danlos Syndrome

• Passing out going from heat and movement; change your diet and drink more water… Nope! Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome

• My feet are always freezing; wear more clothes… Nope! My veins are literally leaking (found this out on the 30th)

• Headaches where I blackout and slur words; must be hormones or poor nutrition… Nope! Hemiplegic Migraine Disorder and TIA(mini strokes)

• Getting spacey, dropping things, memory issues; must be a hypochondriac… Nope! Seizures.

• I fought for 7 years to get sterilized because my health problems are genetic and was told I was too young to make that decision (at 24) and that my ex husband might change HIS mind about wanting kids so they wouldn’t do it.

I’m so sick of doctors not listening to me because I’m a woman who is not even remotely fat, but has a pronounced hourglass figure. (Size H chest)