“Am I permanently stuck in the friendzone?”
So there’s this girl I’ve known since we were kids. I never saw her in a romantic way growing up, but some fairly recent interactions made me realize I had feelings for her and I was certain there was at least some interest on her end.
She lives a few hours away, so I chose to message her and ask her out. I start out by asking how she’s doing and then it progresses into us talking about our jobs. She’s an EMT and I’m a Retail Supervisor.
Thinking conversation is going good, I take my shot and ask if she’d be open to furthering our relationship. She responds back that she is so busy with work and stuff, that she’s not looking for anything more to at the moment, but she appreciates my honesty toward her.
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“Is it wrong for me to not compliment my wife so that she won’t become vain?”
My wife and I have been together for about a decade and we have three young kids together. For most of our relationship she was never someone who put a lot of effort into her appearance. She was always naturally beautiful, but she did not really dress up or focus much on how she looked.
A couple of years ago she went through a phase where she felt like she did not have an identity outside of being a mom. Since then she has started traveling more, joining social groups, dressing up, and wearing makeup.
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“I fucked up big time”
I have been married to my wife for four years. In the beginning everything felt perfect. I wanted to give her everything she never had growing up. She came from a financially unstable family and had never experienced things like travel, nice clothes, or good restaurants. I was excited to provide that life for her and to protect her.
She loved me deeply and unconditionally. She worked eight hours a day like I did, but still cooked, cleaned, and did my laundry. She even learned new recipes just to make me happy. She seemed genuinely happy caring for me.
Things changed when I started gambling. I lost everything. My savings, her savings, my salary, and I even stole from her. She still did not leave.
Linkage
Inside Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather’s lavish, debt-filled post-boxing life – Archive.ph
24 Random Finds That Scratched My Brain Just Right – Ned Hardy
This bar soap is great because it’s simple, all-natural, lasts forever, and cleans really well without a bunch of harsh chemicals or weird additives. – Amazon
7 Rare Vinyl Records That Are Worth a Fortune – Mental Floss
The World’s Tallest Vertical-loop Roller Coaster Debuts in 2026 in This U.S. State—and the Ride Breaks Multiple Records – Travel + Leisure
Women Are Falling in Love With A.I. It’s a Problem for Beijing. – NYTimes
Could a vaccine prevent dementia? Shingles shot data only getting stronger. – Ars Technica
27 Photos That Will Unlock A Core Memory Lurking Deep Within Your Brain – Ned Hardy
Best book I read this month: It powerfully shows how culture, identity, and personal pride collide with colonial change—and how that collision can quietly destroy a person and a society from the inside out. – Amazon
‘This Whole Thing Is Not Normal’: Inside the ‘Baywatch’ Reboot Casting Call With 2,000 Wannabe Lifeguards – Variety
Influencers are promoting peptides for better health. What does the science say? – NPR
Rare Photos of Germany’s Sword-Dueling Tradition Where Facial Scars Meant Honor – Rare Historical Photos
The True Story Of Frank Lucas, The Harlem Drug Lord Who Built A Heroin Empire – All That’s Interesting
The Islamic State Is Using AI to Resurrect Dead Leaders and Platforms Are Failing to Moderate It – 404 Media
The Dumping Grounds
“My wife asked me if I would ever consider an open relationship”
We’ve been together almost 10 years, married for 7, and started dating in our early 20s. We have two young boys, ages 2 and 4. From my perspective, our marriage has been solid. Life is busy with kids, so we don’t go out much, but neither do our friends since they’re mostly parents too.
A few weeks ago, my wife went out drinking with mutual friends while I stayed home with the kids (we take turns about once a month). She came home pretty drunk and randomly asked what’s something I haven’t done that I want to do. Then she asked if I’d ever consider opening our marriage. This completely shocked me because she’s usually very risk averse. I asked if she was worried about jealousy (she said no), if she had someone in mind (she said no), and how it would even work (she suggested maybe starting with a threesome). I told her we should talk about it when she was sober.
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“Boyfriend of 4 years doesn’t know if he will ever want to marry me”
Next month marks four years for me (28F) and my boyfriend (30M). We live together with our two dogs, and early on, we both agreed that marriage and kids were in our future. About a year ago, I asked him when he thought we’d get married, and he mentioned he always imagined dating someone for 5-6 years before tying the knot. That worked for me, as I wanted to be married before 30.
Now, as our anniversary approaches, I’m starting to feel like we’re not moving in that direction. When I brought it up, he admitted he feels emotionally inadequate, worried he can’t meet my needs for affection. He said the differences in our emotional needs are draining for him, even when we’re not actively addressing them. He also expressed concerns about being a people-pleaser and how our differences could chip away at him over time.
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“My parents are trying to live with us”
My parents have struggled financially for as long as I can remember. They refuse to work traditional jobs because they don’t want to deal with “corporate America,” so they do gigs like DoorDash and GrubHub, barely getting by. Last year, they lived with us for six months, crammed into our two-bedroom apartment with my wife, 1-year-old son, my parents, little sister, and their husky. It was suffocating and put a huge strain on our marriage. We couldn’t kick them out because I didn’t want to leave my sister without a place to go.
Linkage
What a $3 Million Fire-Resistant Home Looks Like – WSJ
A Damn Fine Collection of Fascinating Photos – Ned Hardy
A hanging travel toiletry bag is one of my new favorite travel items. You can carry a lot more stuff and the organization is so much better and easier to access everything! – Amazon
Bill Gates Apologizes to Foundation Staff Over Epstein Ties – CBC
Katherine Short, daughter of actor Martin Short, dies aged 42 – The Guardian
Little Ceasar’s Employee with a Hot n Ready Uppercut – Reddit
Inside the Mexican country villa that became ‘El Mencho’s’ final refuge – Straitstimes
Anthropic is dropping its signature safety pledge amid a heated AI race – Business Insider
25 Accessibility Designs That Are Almost Impressively Bad – Ned Hardy
This portable tire inflator is solid, reliable, and way better than the cheap ones that tend to overheat or break after a few uses – Amazon
METALLICA Officially Announces ‘Life Burns Faster’ Residency At Sphere In Las Vegas – Blabbermouth
Ayahuasca psychedelic DMT shows promise as depression therapy – The Guardian
Ranked: The World’s 50 Largest Economies, Including U.S. States – Visual Capitalist
14 stunning images from the 2026 World Nature Photography Awards – Upworthy
How to use AI for your taxes — and how not to use it – Vox
Here’s How Many Remote Operators Waymo Has Per Self-Driving Taxi – Futurism