Freedom to me is the ability to control my time and have enough knowledge to be self sufficient.
A part of me wanted to say to have enough money to be “comfortable” but “enough” money is relative. I grew up in Zimbabwe where one random Monday a million couldn’t get you on the local bus nor could a billion buy you a house.
I quickly learned that money can’t always “give” you freedom in the way that a practical skill or wisdom will always provide you with a plan, which will always result in real freedom.
E,g. If I lost my job today I can rely on other skills and that’s freedom
I am a 34 y old female (In this day and age I should say cis heterosexual female). I normally love listening podcasts, reading and swimming but I met a man and he seems to take up all my time. I think of him often and I hate people that randomly sing but I’ve found my self listening to hours of music and sending him songs I think he may like.
Dear *favourite column* when he start to sing I join in (something I usually find very annoying) and the other day I was horrified that I not only recorded but proceeded to send him a voice note of me singing TO HIM! 😩
Please help. I’m not sure what’s happened to me. I’ve even started apologizing when I’m wrong, I’m never wrong but something about him makes me reconsider.
Could this be what they call love?
With love from hater of musicals and all things too cute and mushy
I love to eat out so to name one favourite restaurant is impossible because I’m always excited to try somewhere new. I have also been frustrated at the out of control tipping culture, so I’ve been eating out a lot less so I often go to the same places where I know the prices which brings me to the shameful affair I’ve been having.
Approximately 2015 or 2016 a wonderful new breakfast place opened where live and I love brunch. I don’t want to wake up early for breakfast but if you wait till lunch then you will snack on the wrong thing and be too hungry so brunch is perfect. The place was Sunset Grill, they had the most beautiful fluffy pancakes I had ever eaten and I was in love.
For about 5-6 years I ate at Sunset Grill (the same location) whenever I could and when I travelled anywhere with a Sunset Grill I would go eat there. I loved this place so much and I told everyone I knew about it. I went there on dates (of course different locations) I didn’t want an awkward encounter. My ex even started taking his mum there when we had broken up.
During the summer months I would head there alone with my iPad or client files to work on the patio. At this point I knew the owner and his wife and during the pandemic my greatest “moment” was when one of the servers said there was no room and the owner said something like “for you we can find something”. I honestly felt like I had made it. I was guaranteed a seat a my favourite restaurant and did I mention that they give lollipops when you pay your bill and put fresh strawberries on your mimosa.
But like all relationships the problems slowly started. Some called it inflation some call it smaller portions and some called it a $7 mimosa that went to $13. Now if you live in a big city I can see how that may not be a big deal but a $13 drink in my town better have 4 types of liquor. As with all relationships you become a little complacent and you hear others talk of a new brunch place in town. You see the “new place” but would never go there because it’s a little further than yours and who know what their pancakes, prices or portions are like. They probably have too much baking powder and they do not even have a patio. Why would you opt for a lesser experience? You put it out of your mind and continue as you always have.
One day you ask yourself “well what would it hurt for me to try it?” and before you know it you are hooked. You are now driving past your old favourite restaurant simply because they put whipped cream on their pancakes not to mention you don’t even need maple syrup on these pancakes. Their pancakes are just as fluffy and the guilt that consumes does not seem to be enough to stop you driving past your old spot. Now you take friends and family members to the new spot thinking how could this happen, how could I be so disloyal.
Ah well my mouth is filled with too much whipped cream to care and as the brunch conversations continues your friend asks if you have heard about the new brunch place by the beach? You quickly respond “No I would never go anywhere else, I love brunch here” but your mind starts to wonder and alas the cycle starts all over again so I really can’t say I have a favourite restaurant.
I’m actually very upset about this. I recently rented the car and driving in the UK while living in Canada is quite an experience. I won’t get into the smart motorway which I think is the stupidest idea ever but those in the UK can tell me if they agree that this is a good idea. For those that don’t know what that is or those that live in Canada a smart motorway is where they have different speeds on the motorway depending on traffic and you have to keep adjusting your speed.
In Canada, if you’re on the motorway or highway you just have one set speed. You know what the speed is unless there is construction or you could follow the flow of traffic if there’s “something” happening on the highway. In the UK they’ve decided it’s a great idea to just change the speed intermittently so that it can slow down traffic in one part and speed up traffic on another part so that I don’t know what exactly is being accomplished but I hate it, and I think it’s dangerous.
So the last thing I learned is that when you have a rental car they let you know that you will pay for your tickets, which I think is fair enough if you get a ticket you should pay for that ticket what I didn’t know was they charge or try to charge you a 68 pound administrative fee. That fee does not include the actual ticket, which if you paid within 14 days you only pay 35 pounds.
Now this is infuriating me because it’s not enough that they just charge the admin fee once they charge it per ticket so right now I have received the three administrative fees of 68 pound not including the ticket that’s either 30 pound or 70 pound depending on when you pay it. What infuriates me is this wasn’t explained to me and I think that this is something that should be explained to people in the same way the re-fuelling fee is explained upfront.
I’m a little bit ashamed because as an administrator I should’ve read it properly and I should know better but this just seems like another sneaky fee and it seems like everywhere you go. I know it should be buyer beware but it feels like you really can’t get a break as a consumer, at every turn someone is trying to rip you off. There are lots of little sneaky fees creeping up everywhere and I’m getting really really sick of it and for one I’m going to be fighting the sneaky fees.
TIGERE.CA 