Advice Columns

Basically what you said. I too have peed in the shower. NOT A LOT. Just a couple of times.

Peeing in the sink seems far far more disgusting to me. I mean the toilet is right there.

I'm with the shower-pee-ers. (And how often has that phrase been used in the history of the world?) It is not a big deal, it's running water and pee is just some salts anyhow. Salts that smell gross, I know, but they go down the drain right away. I think a sink would be much grosser, though.

I did pee in a sink once, but there were extenuating circumstances. I was little and we were staying in a place that only had an outhouse. There were these huge cockroaches (like the size of my palm, really enormous, and I'm pretty sure they could fly, too *shudder*) standing between me and the outhouse, and a lot of times they'd set up shop in there as well. Usually it was okay because I would peek inside and if there were huge roaches I would get an adult to de-roach it before I did my business. But one time I woke up in the middle of the night and I reeeeeeaaally had to go. I tried to overcome my fear of being eaten by cockroaches, but it didn't happen, and I didn't want to admit to being a big baby by waking up an adult. There was a little sink in a closet across the hall from us that wasn't being used, and like I said, I really had to go. I'm still not sure how I maneuvered by eight year old self onto a sink that was as high as my chest, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

And that's my sink-peeing story.

What grosses me out about the peeing in other people's sinks is thinking of all the times I've dropped my toothbrush. Not that the sink is the cleanest place anyway, what with all the handwashing and germs going down the drain, but that is an accepted and accounted-for hazard. Some stranger peeing in my sink is not.

blooey wrote:There were these huge cockroaches (like the size of my palm, really enormous, and I'm pretty sure they could fly, too *shudder*) standing between me and the outhouse

And we pause here to SCREAM LOUDLY AND WE DON'T STOP SCREAMING EVER.

punkysdilemma wrote:My boss is a hoooooooor

This sounds more like a spat in high school math class than a "major corporation."

God, that boss sounds like a nightmare. They both need to keep their personal and professional lives separate. Why is the letter writer trying to set her boss up with guys anyway? The boss needs to learn to be professional, and the employee to remember that her boss is her boss, not her friend (though there's probably no risk of that now).

Re: the ungrateful teen, presumably he did thank them when they said goodbye at the end of the trip, or when they first offered it to him? I understand them being hurt since they obviously did have a close relationship for several years. If someone spent most weekends and holidays with me for years because they were at school nearby, then stopped speaking to me as soon as they didn't need me any more, I'd be hurt too. But he is a teen and teens are thoughtless. If I were in that situation I'd casually mention it to my sister, though I does make me wonder what their relationship is like.

You guys, guess who I sat next to during the orientation video at jury duty. MISS MANNERS! Is that not crazy? She looks exactly how you would expect, with the intricate updo and super proper tweed suit.

Holy crap! Were you tempted to ask her every etiquette question you've ever had?

Lucky! I think she's awesome.

Miss Moneypenny wrote:Holy crap! Were you tempted to ask her every etiquette question you've ever had?

Totally. I notice she did check her blackberry during the film, so I guess that's kosher. She also was reading some sort of old-fashioned looking book and using an awesome ornate bookmark, of course.

How did you know it was her?? Does she have a real name?

Instant Monkeys wrote:How did you know it was her?? Does she have a real name?

The guy on the other side of me passed me a note saying "You better be on your best behavior, you're sitting next to Miss Manners" and she looked just like the picture in the paper (but to be fair, I could totally be jumping the gun and have gotten a look-alike. She does live in Washington though, I think).

I thought her real name was Judith Martin.

That is so, so cool! And I am glad to learn that even Miss Manners thinks checking one's Blackberry is acceptable during orientation videos.

Gilraen wrote:You guys, guess who I sat next to during the orientation video at jury duty. MISS MANNERS! Is that not crazy? She looks exactly how you would expect, with the intricate updo and super proper tweed suit.

Did you talk to her?? Tell me you talked to her!!!

Oh, oh, I am SO jealous of you!!! Was she wearing pearls? For some reason I envision her always wearing pearls, even to jury duty.

Did you talk to her?? Tell me you talked to her!!!

No, I'm too much of a wimp, sadly. I feel like I should write her and ask what the proper way to introduce oneself to her at jury duty would be.

No pearls, but some kind of necklace with orange beads and matching earrings.

OMG that is amazing! Her real name IS Judith Martin, and she DOES live in DC. That is so awesome.

Not to completely derail the Miss Manners convo, but when reading about Prudie's response to sink peeing I remembered that she also purposefully spread lice in a motel.

I'm pretty sure that was not in Miss Manner's Guide to Excruciatingly Correct Behavior.

dreago wrote:Not to completely derail the Miss Manners convo, but when reading about Prudie's response to sink peeing I remembered that she also purposefully spread lice in a motel.

WHAT.

Yeah she and her daughter got lice and went on vacation and didn't tell anyone at the hotel. Delightful, isn't it?

I can't even. The HELL? How on earth could she think that was okay?

OH MY GOD! WTF was that?? I am so itchy after reading that and my opinion of her is officially in the toilet. A.) because she sounds painfully stupid to not have realized what was happening and frankly, because SHARING that story voluntarily shows a certain lack of social intelligence and B.) because who does that?

Her daughter was pulling "creatures" out of her hair on multiple occasions and it still didn't strike her that something was not right? Yikes.

I have to say, I'm also kind of horrified that her doctor was like "Huh, crawling insects on your scalp? Must be an autoimmune disorder!" Get a new doctor!

After my daughter and I treated ourselves with insecticide, and combed out cascades of lice for two hours, we all went to dinner in the dining room. At one point, I tossed my hair and a permethrin-drugged louse fell out and staggered on the white tablecloth.

In an inn. In an inn they did this. In a place that was NOT THEIR HOME, they did this.

I will never stop being itchy after that. Oh my God.