InsertObligatoryPun

The Last Lecture, because 15 years on it still hits. Cat’s Cradle when I need something easily digestible and enjoyable. Fifth Elephant because it was the first Terry Pratchett book I read, and easily one of my favourites.

The post literally asks if parents feel guilty or annoyed that they raised a child who just wants to work at a shop, like it’s a reflection on their parenting and not an adult making a choice or working within their limits.

Not even close. Long shifts covering all hours of the day. Piss, shit, blood, disease. Watching people slowly deteriorate alone from their families, wondering when they’ll go and if the take matters into their own hands. All for piss poor wages.

If sticking with BG, I’d fix. Variable rate goes up in July, and like again in October and January. Fix with be cheaper by year end.

To be honest, the only thing I really do different is hydrate more and loosen clothes. Maybe an extra shower before bed. Otherwise, business as normal. When we hit 40 degrees a few year back, I was still exercising at home. Just gotta hydrate.

I mean, this year’s was shit. No surprise there.

Don’t piss on someone’s front door in the middle of the night.

It somehow manages to be worse than the previous Sparks program, which is impressive.

The one from there that’s seared into my mind is the ‘real subtitles’ for the Billy Bob Thornton crash out on Q Radio. The video doesn’t work there anymore and it’s not posted anywhere else.

Yeah. Our household income is around 60k in the East, but no kids no car. Pretty comfortable.

I enjoyed it through the 90s. Always wanted a Blue Peter badge.

I mean, that’s a pretty wide spectrum you’re asking about there. (pun intended) Hiring managers for retail are going to look for vastly different things than software engineers, or train drivers, and so and so forth. Some companies give more affordance and understanding towards neurodivergence. Others don’t give a monkeys. Size of the company usually matters too; the bigger they are, the bigger their responsibility under the law (and the more attractive they usually have to look to staff).

Trebor Hurricane mints. Just want to feel that overwhelming minty heat again.

When it stops being a trend. See also: salted caramel, pistachio, Dubai chocolate, gochujang.

Yeah, the area is really the thing here. We moved into a 3 bed mid terrace for around £176k in East of England 2022. Even with the rate hike a couple of years back, we’re at £850ish a month. We were also looking further up north though, and would have gotten more for our money. Just couldn’t stomach the move. Life in a high priced area, struggle to buy a house.

Even if you get 1 prescription a month, you’re saving a couple of quid. Definitely worth it as cover.

It usually a little round plastic lid looking thing in the floor. Should helpfully say water on. Could take a few days readings in a row and try and compare to your usage. If the meter is spinning, but everything’s off and you’re not doing laundry etc, could have a small leak somewhere.

You can and probably should also take them manually if you can. Always worth double checking, especially if you think you’re being overcharged. Our bill under Anglian is around £50 a month for two adults, showering probably once every other day each, 2 or 3 washer and dishwasher loads. No watering through.

Quick google brings up the [Institute for Functional Medicine](https://www.ifm.org/functional-medicine) page, which has a Find Practitioner function, although: - they’re not necessarily MDs - could be nutritionists with functional medicine training - they’re likely pricy, and not NHS covered.

My wife would. She’s adamant she’d want to continue just to have something concrete to do. Maybe work less hours, but she fully believes in being useful in that sense. I’d text my boss my resignation the second I get the cheque.

I mean you do you but that pic makes my toes curl.

Dude just put the phone down and pick up the nearest book. Or get an Audible trial and start listening to one.

Did you?

I had keep mine on my list. Redundancy’s spoiling that one.

Ask me again in 2 months when this redundancy process isn’t sending me haywire. But the book How To ADHD is pretty decent.

It kind of is, though. If WFH is an option, then you’re almost certainly laptop based, which means all your work is on a screen. Need to learn to do something? It’ll be on a screen. Need to check if you’re doing something right? Screen. Plus, if you need to actually talk to someone, that’s what headsets are for.

That’s what screen sharing is for.

Honestly? Not much more. Remote work capability is _so good_ now. Everything I could do in person I can do through Teams now. It’s way easier to get someone to help because I can easily see who’s available. I get better internet connection at home on WiFi than I do in the office via Ethernet. Couple that with a vastly improved work life balance and increased capability town while sick, as well as not being distracted by everyone in the office.

The development point is just as varied as the productivity point though. I effectively learned my BA/Scrum Master role with no practical experience despite my team being scattered across the country. Then when I found my current role during the pandemic, I learned more in 6 months than previous hires had learned in a year, all remote. I don’t see the inside of my office for 2 years. It’s absolutely doable, but just like productivity variable from person to person.

Might actually splash out and buy YouTube Premium.

Bupa also do them. I got a discount as part of my employee benefits, and it was great. To follow health coaching was kinda pants, but the actual appointment was really useful. 1 hour with a healthcare assistant, 1 hour with a private GP, who can and will order a wide range tests (the assistant takes four vials ahead of the appointment), and a fitness test. A lot of money, but can be worth it.

Functioning is itself a scale. What you don’t see is the cost of the functioning. I could socialise to an extent, but i was either playing a role I thought I had to, or tapping out after two hours because too many things. Hobbies and interests does not get you a diagnosis. Intense, often brief, levels of interest in a thing can be a symptom. Think like being completely obsessed with video for two weeks, playing it every second possible, looking up guides and streamers, then all of a sudden absolutely no interest. It sounds like your friend doesn’t meet the general stereotype the public expects of autistic people, but that doesn’t mean he’s not autistic.

Dated is perfect. It felt like he hit the mainstream for his time. I watched his stand up shows multiple times over but now it just doesn’t hit. Incredible performer though.

You can look on the NHS site for registered dentists in your area offering NHS spots, but expect bitter disappointment. £100 for a consult is pretty steep but I guess it’s regional. I’m in the East, most places I see are around £70 for new patients. Yes, there’s separate charges for cleans etc, that’s just private practice. Try and treat it like any other service you buy from. What sounds like an upsell vs what’s needed? Do you need a clean for £100, or can it be put aside. That said, Invisalign and braces aren’t generally cheap products, and could be wrong but braces require an orthodontist instead of your generic dentist.

Yeah, but now the balance has shifted. Way more calls, online appointments, and triages.

I mean, root canal is a band 2 treatment, costing £75.30 per the NHS site, so not sure how it’d be cheaper. Plus is there no pain at all, I’d shocked if you need one tbh…

r/ukpersonalfinace will help. Check the Wiki.

I think you need to have a serious conversation about quality of life expectations. Having worked in insurance, that kind of bill at a referral hospital for a cat suggests something incredibly serious, presumably with a significant amount of aftercare considerations. Financially, your premiums are going to sky rocket, and depending on your policy you could potentially expect anything remotely related to it to be excluded.

Can I ask what the diagnosis is? I’m a few years out of the pet insurance business, but £5-10k at a referral hospital isn’t a medium sized problem. It’s usually major spinal injury/treatment, advanced cancers, etc. Not to mention you’ve already maxed your insurance.

When I was 16/17, I went to see the Chili Peppers in London on my own. This was my first gig, first trip to London (outside of school trips to the West End), first solo train journey, etc. No real idea what I was doing. It was also peak summer, pushing into the 30s. My dad died when I was a baby, and I don’t know why but I felt compelled to ask whatever spirit of him might exist for help, just a short prayer in the cathedral along the lines of ‘hey, any assistance to prevent myself fucking up would be great.’ I got to Earl’s Court with hours to spare. Ended up making buddies in the queue. When I ran out of food because I underprepared, someone offered their’s down the queue because he was full. When it came to getting in, rather than letting the queue snake work its way through the fences, they just opened up the front, so I got about 6 foot from the stage barriers. After the gig, despite the place emptying at the same time, managed to find my way through everyone, making it to the crossing just as the police signalled to stop traffic. Got straight to the tube which turned up as soon as I did, only to get a sense of urgency to get off, that I’d got on the wrong one even though I had no idea how to read the map on the tube. Turns out I had, got the opposite direction, and made it to King’s Cross literally as my train had arrived. I’m not blind to the reality that it’s almost certainly coincidence. But that’s not what gave me comfort then, and comfort’s in short supply.

HR work for the company’s interests, not yours.

Kitchen behaviour - don’t microwave fish or strong smelling stuff Small talk - don’t overthink it, if you wouldn’t say it to a stranger don’t say it in the office Lunch - either/or, take your cue from others. Some places are fine or even encourage lunch at your desk, others really don’t want you eating around people trying to work Work socials - YMMV, some places make it borderline mandatory but you should always feel free to decline Commuting - it’s gonna get packed, don’t be a dick about it Dress code - if unsure, ask. Smart casual to me could be a loose as jeans and a moderately smart shirt/t shirt.

I always trying and keep the bit from the Last Lecture in mind here, where he’s scanned his card twice and been charged an extra $15. If the amounts within my means to pay anyway and losing it is no real drama to me, why would I spend the time chasing down a refund for a few extra quid when I could be doing literally anything else? I could get on the bus, go downtown, find someone’s the shop to ask for a refund, wait for them to verify and then process the refund, for it to appear in my account 3-5 days later, _or_ I could spend my time doing something fun or meaningful.

Curling is easily my go to Winter Olympics event. Perfect evening TV.

Yeah, seeing more and more of them pop up as new builds in my area. There’s loads of ex-council stock that are three stories too, far from glamorous.

Probably best to post in r/HousingUK, or better yet ask your broker.

I may be getting made redundant from a job I was looking at getting out of in the next year two, only ideally I was going to move into a job and not into unemployment. Alternatively, I may end up being kept on in a department that been bled by half in a changing workplace, so the workload goes up, office attendance goes up, but I get to keep pushing our savings up above where we were. Super.

I’m an aeropress convert since I was first shown one in Camden market probably 10-12 years ago. Super easy to use, can get great coffee out of it, cheap to maintain. Couldn’t tell you much about Rave though.

Have they given a reason? By and large, if it’s a medically necessary procedure, and there’s a private provider with an NHS contract that can do it, I thought it’s doable?

Is it something you could pursue through Right to Choose?