DEAR HARRIETTE: While most of my family members moved away when they went to college, I stayed in town.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I quit my job just four months after starting because it wasn’t what I expected, and now I’m struggling more than I ever imagined to find a new one. I honestly thought I had built enough connections in my industry to help me land a position quickly, but everyone has gone silent. I’m updating my resume constantly, applying to jobs every day and reaching out to old contacts, but nothing is moving. I’m starting to worry that the short stint on my resume is hurting me and that I made a huge mistake by leaving before securing something else. I feel like people in my network are judging me for quitting so soon, even if they don’t say it outright. My savings are dwindling, and the longer I go without work, the more anxious and embarrassed I feel. I’m trying to stay positive and keep my routine, but I’m losing confidence and questioning my decisions. How do I bounce back from this and get my job search back on track? What can I do to rebuild my professional momentum and stop feeling like I sabotaged my own career? – Bad Move DEAR BAD MOVE: As you are experiencing, for a lot of people, leaving a job quickly earns them a reputation for being unreliable. That, in turn, can make it more difficult for people in your network to want to vouch for you.
• One of the worst ways to waste gas when driving your car is to accelerate quickly when the red light turns green. When you use your foot like it’s a solid piece of lead, all you really gain in time savings is a few seconds. Slowly accelerating and getting to the desired speed saves gas, and you will get to your destination in just about the same amount of time. Also, when you need to pass a car, try to do it when going downhill, not up. Passing a car while going uphill is a major gas guzzler.
Late in the movie “Shadowlands,” the C.S. Lewis character describes the role that books can play in real life.
Dear Doctors: Intense pain during a bowel movement sent our son to the ER. He got diagnosed with a blood clot in a hemorrhoid and needed surgery to fix it. I thought hemorrhoids happen when you sit a lot. Our son is a football player, so it’s a big surprise that he even had them.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My partner and I decided to take a break because I felt consistently unheard in our relationship. No matter how many times I tried to express my needs, it seemed like they never truly landed, and I reached a point where I needed distance for my own emotional well-being. Now something heartbreaking has happened: His father passed away suddenly. Even though we’re separated, I can’t stop thinking about him and what he must be going through. A part of me wants to reach out, offer support and be there for him the way I always was when we were together.
In 1903, Orville Wright made the first controlled, sustained flight in an airplane.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My parents are coming to visit me for Christmas in New York City, and I really wanted to do something nice for them by booking an Airbnb or hotel so they could have their own space and be comfortable. I tried to plan everything myself to make the visit special, but I ended up waiting too long. Now the prices are sky-high – completely out of my budget – and I’m panicking. I feel embarrassed because I had plenty of time to prepare, and I don’t want my parents to think I’m irresponsible or that I don’t care about making their trip enjoyable. I’m also stressed because my apartment is small, and having them stay with me for several days is going to be cramped and uncomfortable for all of us. I’m torn between telling them the truth and trying to scramble for a last-minute deal that I can barely afford. I just don’t know how to navigate this without disappointing them or putting myself in a financial hole. How do I handle this situation gracefully and still make their holiday visit feel special? – Expensive Christmas DEAR EXPENSIVE CHRISTMAS: This may be the most expensive time of the year for tourists in New York City. Even if you had booked sooner, prices would have been high because tourists flock to the city at this time. Try to widen your search to cities in New Jersey that are an easy train ride to Manhattan. You may find a better deal there.
Iknow there are a lot of opinions about the right way to do Christmas.
Donald Trump, spoke at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania last year saying, “from the day I take the oath of office, we’ll rapidly drive prices down and make America affordable again.” But this year he is denouncing rising costs as a “Democrat hoax” and “Joe Biden’s inflation crisis” and declaring, “affordability is the greatest con job.”