I forgot one thing .... in the beginning of the book he talks about a meeting between him, Prince Charles and Prince William. He says something like "I really looked at my brother Wills for the first time. ... really looked at who he was. His blue eyes, his height, his glaring baldness ...." It just seemed such a rude and unnecessary swipe. I mean, Prince William does have a big dome, but his brother didn't have to say that!

I downloaded it on Audible and was very excited to listen to it. I love biographies and gossip! I stopped listening after about 3 hours. I found it boring! He seems to do a lot of just blah blahhing ... so many times he will recollect something and then say "Or maybe I imagined that ... I'm not sure". I found it very annoying. The whole audio is 16 hours long and I just cannot imagine listening to it for that long.

Thank you! It sounds like a bit of a process but one that will be worth it!

With my divorce finally settled I want to change my name back to my maiden name. Anybody been there / done that? I don't want to mess up things. I think I have to go to a Social Security office? I will have to change all my log-ins, my email address, etc. What am I missing? How much of a pain in the butt is it? Thanks in advance!

Thank you for all the kind responses. I see a pattern of answers and I do understand what you all are saying. I will just keep it to a simple response, vent elsewhere, and hope for better in the future. Ugh, but thank you ❤️

My oldest dd (27 yo) has been estranged from me for 11 months now. I say she is estranged from me because she chose to walk away from the relationship. There are a lot of reasons, etc., but in my mind, none of them warranted her cutting off the relationship. We did therapy, etc., but nothing helped. She has moved across country from me. When it is mother's day she will send a text that just says "happy mothers day" but that is it. My birthday is coming up in a few days and I am assuming I will receive another generic "happy birthday" text. I want to respond and say "How dare you? How can you not talk to me for 11 months! Where do you get off with that level of disrespect??" I know she has her side and her reasons, but I know I do not deserve this level of behavior. It breaks my heart but I am also so mad! I just don't know how to react if she texts me. Do I just keep going along like this? How do I say "I love you and want to have a relationship with you, but my heart is starting to close to you...." Just typing this makes me cry.

From the Amish: Put chicken breast side up in baking pan Put cut up red potatoes and onions and place around the chicken Melt one stick butter in one cup chicken broth - I also add a squeeze of lemon and then put the lemon in the chicken cavity. I also add some thyme. Cook at 425 for 30 minutes (this makes the skin nice and crispy) and then turn the chicken breast side down, lower heat to 350, and cook until the right temperature (usually another 45 minutes) The chicken is literally cooking in the broth -- no way it will get dry.

I think the easiest costume for a husband is to wear a ribbon and bow across his chest with a tag that says "FROM: God / TO: Women" Get it? God's gift to women haha

My town had a street called "Roast Meat Hill Road" -- I think I would've thought twice about buying a house on that road!

It IS brutal at first. Plus you have to do all these things .... find financial paperwork, get an attorney etc. when all you want to do is hide under the covers. It DOES get better. Once you get some distance and some time you will start to view things from your perspective, just you, and not an "us" perspective. I was with my ex since I was 18. I spent months thinking "how will I go on without him" and "I miss the sound of his voice" -- omg when I think of that now I realize how much I had been manipulated. After a while, I started thinking about how the marriage was bad from my perspective. That, along with getting used to taking care of yourself, doing what you want, spending your time the way you want, you start to realize that freedom aint so bad! I feel you when you say it is brutal. It is. But it won't always be. Give it time and be kind to yourself.

Hugs to you. It sounds like he is being a real a**hat about things. Get a lawyer asap. Not a mediator. He is not willing to meet you half way, so do not even waste your time on a mediator (ask me how I know!) It will just give him more time to make his plans. I believe that a husband cannot force you out of the family home until your youngest has graduated high school. You may have to compensate him for that, but look into that aspect. If he has narcissistic tendencies you need to STOP asking him for things and start making your own plans. Do not believe a word he says. From this point on he will try to manipulate, shame or coerce you into a position that is good for him. And narcissists just love when you ask them for things --- it allows them to punish you. Can you take a chunk out of savings (maybe 50%?) and just hold it for you? I did that with my ex and it was the best decision I made. He had just shut down access to our joint money and without taking that chunk of money I would have had NO money. He moved into a $4,000 a month condo while I had to move in with my sister. He did not want to pay me ANYTHING. Without my sister I would not have been able to afford an apartment. You may find yourself surprised how awful and how low he will go. It's best to prepare for this. It is like once they decide they are done with you, they literally want you to walk of the edge of the earth and not bother them anymore. I'm sorry to sound harsh but I just finished going thru a 5 year divorce with a narcissist (he is actually still fighting me on stuff!) Fight for yourself and don't let your guard down. Eventually your heart will get over him but your living situation will go on. Make it the best you can. My divorce is why I have the tattoo "She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom" - The Scarlet Letter

I went on a job interview 3 weeks ago. It was for a small law firm. I have 7 years experience working for a small law firm - I could do the job with my eyes closed. The interview was going well, started with one of the partners and then he called in the other partner. They started asking when I could start, explained where I would park, etc. I have gone on enough interviews to know when it looks very promising. I was wearing a blouse and a cardigan. I have a tattoo that runs the length of my arm (from elbow to wrist) - it is a saying in cursive "She had not know the weight until she felt the freedom" from The Scarlet Letter. I got the tattoo during my divorce. It is not huge, but it is noticeable if I have on a short sleeve shirt. I had pushed the sleeves up a bit on my cardigan and I noticed that one of the partners saw my tattoo and immediately his demeanor changed. He literally scowled. Since then, I have not heard a peep. No rejection letter, certainly no acceptance letter! I am just surprised that people still judge tattoos negatively. I get if you do not want one for yourself, but judging a person because of a tattoo has become, well, just silly! People of all walks of life have tattoos now. I am just surprised he would have THAT much of a reaction. Meh. I guess I wouldn't want to work for someone that small-minded.

I just finished watching this on Peacock. Renee Zellweger did an amazing job! Her makeup and styling were spot on. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but it is based on a true store covered by Dateline. They even have the deep-voiced guy from Dateline doing some of the over voice. It is 6 episodes. If it wasn't a true story you would think it was just a far fetched Hollywood script. The fact that it is true ..... man, some people are just evil--crazy!

When you are in a that is on but still parked and the other person needs to get out to get something and they LEAVE THE CAR DOOR OPEN .... so the binging things goes "bing ....bing .....bing..." until you want to scream! Also, when people freak out over having their taxes postmarked by April 18 (or whatever that year's date is). I mean, people actually stand in line for hours to get their taxes to the post office just so it has the right date stamp on it. Do they really think that there is someone who works for the IRS and sorts out the envelopes that say April 19th or 20th? And then that person .... what .... calculates the penalty you will receive for being 2 days late? And what if they owe you money .... would they deduct the penalty? I literally HATE when people say "you HAVE TO get it by the 18th! The IRS will fine you if you don't!!" Ahhh gotta love sheeple.

I changed the word "murder" to "crime" because of the example it is used with

Let me start by saying I hope smarter minds than mine are figuring out this issue because there are just so many angles and situations. And I don't mean to stir up any controversy here. I am not one way or another on this issue because I find I keep coming up with arguments on both sides. My family was discussing the issue of abortion because of Roe v. Wade. I asked this question to the pro-choice people in the room but could not receive a good answer. "When someone like Scott Peterson kills his wife while she is pregnant, he is charge with two counts of murder, one for the mother and one for the unborn child. But why is it is not considered a crime when a mother chooses to abort the baby?"

Thank you for all the thoughtful replies. I love the idea of reframing things. I am so enjoying the way I live my life. After 25+years married to a narcissist and a contentious 5 year divorce, it is like Nirvana living with my sister. I actually have my own apartment attached to her house so I have all the privacy I need. But she provides such a safe space to just be ME. I wouldn't give it up for the world. I just need for the world to back off! haha

I would label myself an introvert and am very happy with that. When the weekends come I love to putz around the house, do some yardwork, read, nap, just basically chill. I don't like going out on the weekends because I work all week and would rather stay home on my days off. I work with two very social women. When Monday mornings come around the coffee time discussion is always around what happened over the weekend. They go to parties, go to dinner with other couples, impromptu day trips, etc. Then when it comes to me I always say "not much, just stuff around the house." It always makes me feel inadequate. My co-workers don't make me feel that, it is all from me. I start thinking maybe I am super boring, or that there is something wrong with me. I DO NOT want to increase my social time, I just want to be settled with the choices I make. Ugh. How old do you have to be before you stop doubting yourself compared to others?!?!

and I have no idea where to start! I have always wanted a fish tank. Now that I have my own life back, I'd like to finally make that happen. Where is the best place to have a fish tank? I would like it somewhere in the living room, near the TV, because that is where I think I would enjoy it the most. What should I know to start? How much to set up a simple aquarium with some fish? Should I even start down this path? Any advice will be helpful! Thank you! :)

Not really a creepy story but more of a cute story ..... when my nephew was about 4 we were visiting our grandmother. She had a picture of God on the wall. My nephew asked who it was and we told him it was God. After a few minutes of thinking he said "who took the picture?"🤪

I feel like the whole court system is a money grab and only the lawyers make out. I guess he did do his job and got the appeal denied ..... but $10,000? IDK

We tried to recoup fees as part of our rebuttal. The court decided that, even though he lost the appeal, it was not considered frivolous enough for him to be responsible for all the court fees. 🙄

For those who remember the saga that is my divorce .... the last asshat thing my XH did was appeal the divorce decree to try and get his alimony payments as a deductible, etc., and he lost the appeal. My regular attorney does not handle appeals so she referred me to another attorney. Now I am hit with a $10,000 bill from the new attorney! I have to pay $10,000 because my evil, malicious EX decides to try for an appeal. The court, although they denied his appeal, stated that the appeal was not deemed "frivolous" so I could not recover attorney fees. I am just sick to my stomach over this. I don't have $10,000 in cash laying around. I will either have to take out a loan or take money out of my 401K and get hit with taxes. I don't get the courts. I have not had any fair relief from them at all. My EX makes 5x what I make so he can do this crappola all day long and not have his back to the wall financially like me. I still have to go to court again next week with him for a different contempt order (we were supposed to split taxes that were due and he still has not paid his share) and again I will ask for attorneys fees, but I might not get them again. That will be more $$$$. I am just so beaten down by this still going on 6 years later. I feel like I will never be rid of him

I always went back to an office admin job ..... there seems to always be a lot out there. Some computer skills and a good personality will get you a long way. Plus you are usually working in a nice office without a lot of manual work. BTW, both times I got a job interview (and the job) because I had put homeschooling on my resume. I always worried it would be looked at negatively, but in both cases it was the deciding factor in getting my foot in the door!

Absolutely NOT okay to do. Some people react very badly. I smoke pot and do edibles with no problem. My sister suffers from joint pain and has trouble sleeping so I suggested she try a small amount of a edible. It was literally the size of a medium size crumb that I gave her. She ended up puking for about 3 hours straight. It was awful