IntenseDebate - PallasPerilous

8 years ago @ The Toast - Reasons I Would Make A... · 0 replies · +5 points

Ah, Dogsbody! Still one of my favorites.

8 years ago @ The Toast - Cocktail Hour: Open Th... · 0 replies · +7 points

My grandmother's favorite movie is "In Bruges" but I can't say that's entirely out of character, just...unexpected for her demographic.

8 years ago @ The Toast - On Not Being a Mom or ... · 0 replies · +9 points

My wife has had a lot of anxiety about her future parenting role (and parent-name). Thank you for writing this.

8 years ago @ The Toast - Cocktail Hour: Open Th... · 3 replies · +11 points

While it is Straight White Male territory, I really recommend the collected essays of George Orwell. He had no patience for the wanky self-importance of many of his contemporaries. A young person will feel cool for reading beyond "1984" and there is plenty of fodder for I Am A Seeker of Truth inclinations, but will also get a hefty dose of "get over yourself, pal."

8 years ago @ The Toast - Cocktail Hour: Open Th... · 1 reply · +8 points

Might it help if you had a framework for interacting with him? Like, interviewing him, first in person and then later over the phone, about his childhood or another interesting period in his life, for family history purposes.

That way the forced focus on "THIS TIME MUST BE APPRECIATED" is lessened in favor of a mutual goal, and if more important conversations happen, they will do so organically over the course of the interview.

8 years ago @ The Toast - Cocktail Hour: Open Th... · 0 replies · +2 points

Oh, I'm so glad you survived and had a decent time! And that the pre-travel terror transmuted into the usual "ugh air travel is gross" irritation. PHEW.

8 years ago @ The Toast - Cocktail Hour: Open Th... · 0 replies · +3 points

WHAT

8 years ago @ The Toast - Cocktail Hour: Open Th... · 0 replies · +7 points

We combined two tabbies with a French bulldog. We kept the kitties in a separate room for a couple days so everybody could smell each other through the door but without any actual contact.

Every day we would take the dog out or shut HER up in a different room and let the cats roam the house for awhile to get the feel of the place and smell out the spots that were dog-smell-free.

Then we opened the door and put up baby gates so there were areas of the house that the dog couldn't access.

Then when the cats were consistently tolerating the dog's presence instead of bolting to safety, we took the gates away. The dog was crate-trained, so they weren't in each others' space when we were out of the house. (If she hadn't been, we would've given the cats a closed room instead.)

They never became Best Buddies or anything – couch space was always a contentious issue – but they co-existed without major incident, and once they all piled onto my lap and fell asleep on top of each other.

8 years ago @ The Toast - Link Roundup! · 1 reply · +13 points

Have you looked into whether there are any Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioners (PMHNP) in your area?

In areas where psychiatrists have low availability, they are an increasingly popular alternative and typically FAR less overbooked. I haven't seen a psychiatric MD for almost fifteen years, but have received timely and thoughtful care from two different PMHNPs with a minimum of calling around.

They have prescribing privileges and specialize in medication matching, monitoring and counseling, and most insurance companies are thrilled to cover them because they are CONSIDERABLY less expensive.

8 years ago @ The Toast - Link Roundup! · 2 replies · +14 points

We BOTH had our parents walk us down the aisle. A parent on each arm. It was lovely and we all cried.

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