Mrs. Venation's mom passed away yesterday.

Alice had been ill, so fragile, for a few years. Kathy's dad died in July, and mom declined dramatically since then.

We were on our way from Maryland to Kathy's home of east Tennessee when Alice took a drastic downward turn. We got to the hospital just a couple of hours before mom died. She waited for Kathy.

Mom went peacefully. Kathy was holding her hand when she died. She was unconscious, but when Kathy talked to her, mom squeezed her hand.

Alice's mom died on Christmas day when Alice was five. Strange how a coincidence like this can be so significant, but of course it is.

Please keep Kathy in your thoughts. Thank you.

Godspeed, Alice. You were one of a kind, and one of the kindest women in the history of mankind.

Help! Need assistance in shopping for a six-year-old girl.

She wants "stylish-looking grown-up clothes." And dress boots. I have no idea where to begin.

Can anyone point me to some sites where I can get such clothes? Help!

Mrs. V's grand niece is six, with flaxen hair and blue eyes. She lives in eastern Tennessee, is already a cheerleader, and is already a diva. She's a delight.

resume advice

Hi.

For the last 13 years, I worked as a legal secretary. In July I left my job. After caring for my wife post-back surgery, I began looking for a job near home.

I've applied for over 40 jobs since then, admin, clerical, and secretarial jobs, jobs I know I would kill, I mean I would just knock it out of the park.

I haven't had one single bite. Not a reply email, not a phone call, and in all but four cases, not even a "thanks but no thanks."

I am imagining that employers see 13 years in legal and don't look any further. This is very frustrating because I have the skills and experience all of these employers require! And I'm drawing on 20 years' admin and 15 before that in jobs so varied that it's nearly impossible to quantify their value to what I have to offer.

My resume is pretty standard: employers/experience first, then skills. I am wondering if I could make my resume unconventional, put a summary of experience and skills first, then just a list of employers and dates. Or something like that. What do you think?

Any advice for me other than re: resume?

Is there a relevant forum I can cross-post this to?

Edit: I am not looking for work as a legal secretary.

I'm 51 and I just made my first meatloaf.

It came out dry. 😢 But I followed the recipe very closely. Ground beef and pork, cracker crumbs, an egg, salt and pepper, ketchup, Worcestershire, onion, and parsley. I cooked it at the right temp (350F) for the correct time (an hour and ten minutes).

Why was it dry? How do I fix it?

Tire Pressure Tango

pop - squish - six - ah-ah - cicero - lipsitz
oops, wrong tango...

I was at the dealer for a brake problem today. Asked them to check tire pressure; specs = 35 psi. They said tire pressure was fine.

While driving away I turned on the tire pressure display. One tire was at 29, the others at 30. I figured, drive around a little, maybe it'll come up. The highest any of them got was 31.

So I looked around for a gas station with an air compressor, but couldn't find one. So I went to a tire shop and asked if they'd fill the tires to 35 psi for me. No problem. They were very nice.

Was driving around on other errands, and after a time I remembered, and checked the display again. 30-31! WTH? I thought, hm, maybe there is something wrong with the computer that creates the display. The guy at the tire shop even had a gauge on his air compressor hose.

So I went to an auto parts store and bought a tire gauge. Checked the psi when I got home. 30!!

Does anyone have any idea WTH could be going on with my tires?

Does/did your Thanksgiving day food include a relish tray?

My mother always (well, when she was coherent enough to assemble a Thanksgiving meal) prepared a relish tray, little things to snack on while the meal was being prepared. Hers included olives, sweet gherkins, and radishes. There was more but I can't remember what.

Yours?

question about symptoms of menopause

Have others here been through menopause? Was it your experience that hot flashes occurred mostly in mornings and evenings? How weird. Also, did/do you sweat? A lot? In a house with the a/c on?

Make it stop...

How does one properly answer this most frightening of interview questions?

"What is your greatest weakness?"

Does one tip a personal trainer? If so, how much?

I think I've asked this before, but I don't remember.

Thanks!

Thank you for the hearts.