Look, communicating awkwardly doesn’t make you a horrible person. I think part of it is you have a confidence problem. It sounds like you always cowtow to your coworkers’ reactions, even going so far as apologizing when you haven’t objectively done anything wrong (your responses don’t seem that weird, but maybe it is the way you say things). It seems odd to me that anyone would be offended by an offer to go home early, unless you’re making it seem like you specifically don’t want them to be around.

At the end of the day, your coworkers are just people with their own issues and imperfections. They are probably not experts at communication either, so don’t treat them as such. I would not take any social cues from coworker 1.

You may not be able to change the dynamic at work, so my advice is to find a way to socialize outside of work (with people who actually like & respect you!). That way you won’t have to rely on your workplace for those needs.

How is that post borderline insane? It’s a lot of unnecessary detail, but outgrowing your high school mates is a pretty common thing that people sometimes don’t know how to handle.

How does that not hurt your wrist??

Don’t go to Facebook first! We need to start normalizing ways to organize outside of those giant corpo-fascist sites.

Especially at work, where you can’t leave and should probably be focusing on the work.

I keep getting told that no one will want to see my travel photos. Maybe it’s because I’d rather show them in person instead of posting on social media?

One time it snowed a foot or two in Seattle. I had a set of studded tires on a little Toyota Tercel and I swear I was the only fucker driving around. Uphill, downhill, cruising down the lumpy hard-packed freeway, didn’t have any problems. Besides, if you get stuck in a Tercel you can just lift the whole rear of the car out of the snow with a second person. I really miss that car.

They are and they do, but this example is extreme. Having been on both sides of this, I’d say no one should have to live their life in fear of every little interaction. It’s exhausting, and you will never succeed in getting every person to leave you alone anyway. But this doesn’t have to be “the way it is.” You can actually change and make your life easier. Sometimes it takes help and a long time, but I believe most people can do it if they really want to.

I guess not everybody is as smart as you. Congratulations or something.

You win, lol. That’s terrible.

My mom used to be a great cook but now she just makes everything in the microwave, often in plastic containers. This year she seemed to forget half the things she was going to cook. We had plans to make beignets and homemade eggnog (we didn’t). For Christmas dinner she made this elaborate meal plan and then changed everything at the last minute. She somehow didn’t think about starting the rice until the chicken was done cooking… then suggested we have nasty precooked pouch rice. For Christmas dinner. It would be different if she didn’t cook much or know how, but cooking is her whole thing! I’m honestly baffled. I’ve decided I’m just going to volunteer to cook the entire dinner next time. I’ve been a professional cook before. I can make something fancy, even if I’m the only one who will appreciate it.

If it chipped, then it is likely some kind of vinyl or composite made to look like wood. Nowadays the fake wood looks realistic enough to fool people! But real wood doesn’t chip like that.

I’m surrounded by pine trees, blackberry bushes, and ivy. Christmas looks pretty green to me!

I know unfinished business doesn’t necessarily mean business in the economic sense, but it’s still funny we call it that. Like even ghosts can’t escape capitalism.

Russia wants to pit the US and China against each other to distract and destabilize them both. So all of this is great for Russia’s bottom line.

There’s a bit of a sugar replacement movement, which isn’t necessarily healthier. Most of the sugar replacements have been linked with stuff like dementia if consumed regularly for a long period. And most of them taste a bit off. The other part of the problem is that when you eat something sweet, your body expects sugar. When it doesn’t get the sugar it’s expecting, it will feel like you are still hungry even though you just ate something.

I hate to break it to you but almost every major corporation has a person whose entire job is to translate corporate copy into easy-to-parse, casual, friendly “conversation,” because they do want you to think of the brand as your trusted friend. They’re trying to manipulate us at every level, every interaction.

Ok doc, what do you suggest? I’m 40 and somehow my 80 year old mother has better mobility than I do. I can’t even tell you why I have pain, there is no injury. Doctors can’t tell me why. I’ve tried everything short of opioids and back surgery, and I know those aren’t going to help either. What the hell do you do when your body just doesn’t react normally to exercise, stretching, physical therapy, etc?? It’s not that I want to accept that this is my life now, but there don’t seem to be any other options. Just be glad this isn’t happening to you, I guess.

Wikipedia lists Real Clear Politics as having become more conservative and right leaning in recent years. Their polls may not be as accurate.

I want to be friends and stay professional overall, while tapping into potential with the guy I like

These things are not really compatible. The sooner you learn that, you will have a lot less workplace drama. Your professional workplace should not be a dating pool. There is no reason to exclude the other women. Who cares if one of them lied? Are you the moral police? Just chill, and let people do what they want. You don’t need to control the situation.

I just couldn’t believe that after all those years living completely different and separate lives, neither of them changed their hair at all. And since the adult twins were played by the same actor, I couldn’t tell them apart aside from clothing.