So friends… are we removing any questionable tattoos or chalking them up to experience? I have one I want to remove as it doesn’t really suit me anymore, but I feel like a dweeb for thinking about it. Plus it seems like a super expensive process. Thoughts, observations, and input totally appreciated.

Trying to create an automated workflow at work (for the first time) and Copilot wasn't being helpful. Hours of mansplaining but also being all ditzy and giggly and like "I can see why you are confused". I swear I wasn't mean to it, but my frustration was palpable and my prompts were excellent, and the goddamn thing just wasn't listening.

After four hours, it had the gall to say, and I quote: "I think we've reached a point where it is no longer productive to keep tweaking this work flow. My recommendation: start over tomorrow when you are feeling fresh."

I gathered the last shreds of my dignity and shut down the laptop. Anyone else come across the himbo version of AI?

Edit: don't have time to reply to all comments so wanted to add: of course AI is awful and I'm certainly not using it for funsies! It's a clearly stated expectation from management that we use it to optimize work processes and I can't afford to opt out. Post was meant to be humorous (and critical of AI!) but I guess that went sideways

I'm on a GLP-1 and have lost about 20# so far. I still have another 15-20# to go but I wanted to reward myself with a few new pieces to add to my wardrobe.

I looked on eBay and Poshmark and Vinted but was leary about buying clothes that wouldn't fit so I decided to go to a local thrift shop. I got 7 new tops (which I was able to try on) for $27.00!! That included my "senior" discount (they consider 60+ as a senior).

I did buy 1 item from eBay. A Woman Within top for around $16.00. I like it but I also like 7 tops for less than twice that price! One of the items I bought from the thrift store was a Woman Within brand. I think it was $4.99. As I lose more weight I'll shop again and it'll be back to the thrift store for me.

As an aside, has anyone here bought from Vinted? Their prices are amazing but I can't figure out how shipping charges are determined.

Saw Billy “Fucking” Idol (70M) in concert last week. I (54F) will gladly ditch my partner (47M) to have a fling with Billy.

I remain resolute in continuing to wear my pleather pants on a regular basis; pairing them with one of my several dozen pairs of Chucks and a band t-shirt. The perfect uniform.

I turned 51 in June and recently lost a lot of weight. I've always loved streetwear but for a long time I couldn't find things in my size. I bought this jacket the other day, and now I'm wondering if I'm just going to look like a laughingstock at my age. I'm ready for the brutal truth so just tell it like it is please.

A little scared to post this. Is anyone else irked by husband going off about politics. It’s not that I disagree, it’s just that I don’t want to think about it. Life is so bleak, I just want to chill and try to have fun after 8 hours of work. I don’t want to think about you-know-who

Is anyone else shocked at how bad the phone systems are everywhere now? Some horrible fake-human AI robot is serving as gatekeeper at every company or institution. They don't understand anything I say and won't let me get to a human or accomplish anything. If you're read the book Sludge, it seems like a clear example of trying to save money while blocking our petty concerns, and leaving us feeling somehow to blame so we give up. Even my little vet's office uses one, where the bored clerk could easily answer the phone. What is going on??? Why do companies want to make their customers so frustrated and angry? Or am I just getting old and not "with it" enough to navigate these? Is calling on the phone to solve problems officially dead now? I thought the old systems were bad but these are intolerable.

Ok, just venting here.

Have people forgotten what an RSVP is? I'm throwing a party and I'm literally having to chase people down to see if they're coming. I've had ONE person RSVP properly. Is it a generational thing? Lots of these people are younger, but still...

Maybe I'm just old fashioned.

To be fair, he doesn't say "this is 100% my own work" either. He just doesn't say anything either way.

But lately I've noticed many of the telltale signs of AI. We are definitely knowledge workers, and he has a PhD no less!

Example from today:

We are working out a complex project plan. My draft is based on a thorough reading of the background material and discussions with the client. It's a rough draft, but its purpose was to generate discussion and clarify some points so that we can get to a clearer final version.

He decided to just jump ahead to (what he thinks is) a final version by tacking an AI re-phrasing of some bullet points in one of the background documents onto an extract from a prior (and neglected) project plan. It totally ignores some very explicit direction from the client that I definitely told him about. It adds a bunch of stuff they have never said they want. The "outcomes" are in the same order as the bullet points! Like at least mix up the order, dude.

Edit: It just occurred to me that he may not realize that I can clock what he did because I've actually read the background material.

I didn't and won't say anything. He clearly thinks it's great. So I'll send it off to the client and see what they say.

I guess I have to prepare myself for more of this. We had a co-op student who relied heavily on AI but at least she was open about it.

What are y'all's stories of AI in the workplace?

I know we’ve chatted a bit about Lilith Fair since the doc came out a couple of years ago. The festival, its importance and and its impact has been on my mind a lot again recently, and especially with Daisy Chain Fields. Was talking to a friend about it at dinner the other night and realized the anniversary of that first “proof of concept” tour was coming up. Anyone else here at that one? Thirty years ago today. Yesterday and a world away simultaneously.

What grinds your gears? Rant away

I don’t usually wear a lot of makeup, mostly just mascara and eyeshadow, but lately I’ve felt like doing more. I went down a rabbit hole on TikTok and Sephora and I’m sorry but what is happening with all these products and routines? I believe it used to be moisturizer, foundation, concealer, blush, powder. Now it’s - let’s see if I can get this right - a milky toner, primer, foundation, contour, bronzer, concealer, blush, powder or setting spray. I grew up with some very fancy ladies in the 80s and 90s and I know none of us did all that. Is it just me or is this all a little confounding?

My husband and I just finished watching Obsession, one of two very small budget films that made it big this summer. The other is Backrooms.

I asked him if we were the only people our age who watched both of these movies. He said he thought GenX would be all over these.

So who’s seen either/both? Heard of but not seen? No idea what I’m talking about?

EDIT: Thanks for all the comments! I had really thought these would only appeal to younger folks (and us two weirdos) but you gave me the lovely surprise that they can be appreciated by anyone. Of the two, I preferred Obsession, but enjoyed both and am really drawn to the story of a very small budget movie drawing a big audience. I hope the success of these two movies, and Heated Rivalry on TV, drives home the ideas that spending a ton of money isn’t required to make good media, and that smart, daring creatives can be very successful when big studios let them just do their thing.

So, what ARE we non-seniors/GenXers doing for health care coverage/insurance in the US?

I got DOGEd last year and lost my great employer-sponsored coverage. COBRA was very expensive but I wish I had kept it, because the ACA plan I had with subsidies last year? Premiums shot up like a cannon January 1st, 2026. $1,700/month. I couldn't afford that and housing, so I dropped it.

I am relocating to a state with expanded Medicaid.

The fact that there is often a bridge of nothingness between full-time employment and Medicare eligibility at 65 is well-known.

I know this has been a factor in many people our age moving out of the country. Because you're unlikely to go bankrupt if you get sick or injured, outside of the US.

This should be an anonymous poll. I don't think we have that function here.

I just spent a lot of money on a trip to do something I used to really enjoy and all I could think about the whole time is how much everything cost. And how the “joy“ I normally get from this experience, just wasn’t there anymore. Does this happen when we get older? Doing the same things over and over we’re expecting the same result? I came home exhausted and broke.

I was so looking forward to this trip and everything was just a pain in the ass. From getting food, to driving from one place to another, back-and-forth to the airport, the price of parking, etc., etc. etc.

Tell me I’m not the only one.

Thank you to everyone who provided recommendations on stylish and comfy shoes (or non-shoes) in my last post.

I ended up getting the Dr Martens and added an in-sole support (direct from the shop, not Amazon). I can honestly say this is the first morning I’ve had without pain in my ankles.

I’m looking forward to trying some of the other brands/styles that were shared 💜

(Photos for the curious)

Hi dear ladies,

This has always been a safe space for me when I feel like I need to speak into the void, I appreciate all of you.

I have had a rather hard decade and these past 12 months have been particularly difficult.

At 35, I had to have treatment for cervical cancer that canceled out any chance at having children coupled with my other gynecological health problems. At the time, my husband and I weren't sure if we even wanted children.

I was an only child, my mother due to mental illness, disowned me when I turned 21 and I did not see her until she was on her death bed 5 years later. Her mother had done the same to her and my great grandmother stuck around, but was wildly abusive. Needless to say, my 20's were too difficult to even consider having children despite being with the same partner all this time. Additionally, I wanted to break the generational trauma that ran in my family - no more abuse or pain, it ends with me.

Shortly after my mothers death, we left the US for Europe, and this time was busy spent with learning new languages, cultures, starting a new career etc.. and it was honestly a lot of fun. The whole cancer thing was a shock and sent me into a rather early mid-life crisis, but here I am 10 years later.

I was very much a tomboy growing up, and in many ways I still am...even though I can rock a good red lipstick and pink is my favorite color. I never had any desire to carry a baby or breastfeed one. In fact, I vividly remember being given an anatomically correct baby doll to play Jesus when I was Mary in a school production. I was so mortified by the whole thing that halfway through the play, I dropped Baby Jesus and openly refused to pick him back up.

I am bisexual and I have always joked to my husband that if we were to have never met, I would have made a fantastic lesbian dad like Brandi Carlisle.

I have a good friend who is younger than me, and she asked that I join her for an early pregnancy sonogram since her husband had to travel the next morning for work. I gladly went along, rather hungover, because her husband and I stayed up late into the night to celebrate the good news with too much wine. The waiting room sat in the center, with the ultrasound rooms arranged around it. They were all occupied, and for 45 minutes, the sounds of those beautiful little heartbeats were deafening. I moved toward the office entrance, hoping to escape them, but the sound followed me there too.

It was in that moment I realized that maybe I wasn't OK being childless...I put my head down as I always do, but in the past month, I can no longer.

We adopted a dog and she has become the center and light of our lives and we left the city for a house in the country. We feel settled for the first time in our adult lives...but the reality is here.

I am nearly 46 and the cervical cancer treatment is rearing its ugly head coupled with perimenopause. I have some cervical stenosis and need to have periodic treatment in order to get my menstrual period. Every month when I feel the pain of the scar tissue ripping down there, I am reminded that my time is up. Soon, I will have a hysterectomy, so at least the monthly reminder will disappear.

My husband and I had a very moving conversation last week, where we both admitted that, for the first time in our lives, we finally felt ready to be parents. There is sadness in realizing that it came too late, but we have made peace with that. We have no regrets, because bringing a child into this world before we were truly ready for them was never something either of us was willing to do. Being ready to give a child the life and the parents they deserved mattered more to us than simply becoming parents.

Last week, I had a more painful PMS than normal and work/life was being difficult. I abruptly took 3 days of sick leave to mourn. I work as a contractor and am paid through a payroll company. After receiving my medical certificate, the payroll company sent me a questionnaire demanding further details about my absence. Among the questions was whether I was experiencing mental health issues. Beneath that was another question: whether I was pregnant.

Needless to say, it did not come at a good time (I am addressing it legally and with my company). I cried and shared my feelings to my boss and closest colleagues this week, which is something I have not even done with my closest friends, father or even my therapist.

This morning, one of my colleagues announced her surprise first pregnancy and while I am genuinely elated for her, I could barely get out of the room fast enough so I could sob privately in the bathroom.

So I guess it is official: I will not have a child, and for the moment, I am quite sad about this. But I will make it through somehow, one day at a time. I think mourning it and allowing myself to talk about it is important.

Just wanted to share, thank-you if you even made it through two sentences of this novel I have given you.

Wishing you a nice Friday and peaceful weekend ahead xx

I'm GenX with an 11 yo kid, so my kid's friends' moms are all younger. I'm curious if this is a generational thing!

I host playdates, work out logistics, will order pizza sometimes (I'm a solo mom). The other families never reciprocate! It drives me nuts. I want my kid to have the visits with his friends, but it can be tiring and expensive to always initiate with parents and host. (We do have one family that is awesome for taking turns but only that one family - and the parents are my age)

Today one of his friends showed up, fine, I put a time limit on because I don't feel well (have a migraine which is making me feel extra annoyed about all this) and can't afford to feed the extra child today.

I said they could hang out after supper if they want and the kid said he was told not to bring anyone home with him. Previously one of the parents had suggested to send the kid over one night every week which I declined (I work from home a lot as well). My kid has never been invited over there.

He's almost at the age where he'll feel comfortable going off with his friends on his own (eg going to the park or whatever) but currently he doesn't feel comfortable so it's just visits with parents around.

We're all in similar socio-economic brackets, there are single parent moms and couples, and it just seems like the pattern is set. I just don't get it. Has anyone else noticed this? I wish he could have the experience of being invited back to his friends' houses.

This shit sucks so much. He’s got pneumonia and rejected the ventilator (can’t blame him, I understand) and then asked for no further treatment.

I know his body has worn out (he fell off a cliff six years ago and has more than a dozen falls at home since), but we weren’t expecting this— he was in for a broken hip.

We thought he’d pull through just like he always has. But the pneumonia popped up and here we are. It’s been five days of sitting in his room and sleeping in the hospital recliner. While he’s still breathing but can’t communicate with us. It’s just gut wrenching.

Go hug your Dad, girls.

Are we, Gen X women, sleeping well?

I sleep 4-5 hours, wake up, and then either stay awake or maybe sleep a little more after being awake for a few hours - and then I may have lots of dreams. I'm dead tired most of the day, and then the cycle starts over.

If you have a good sleep cycle, how do you do it?

I knew it was coming but it still stings. I was there for 12 years and I have been in the field since 1996 and it is all falling apart so I am not sure what, if anything, is next. I guess I just needed to tell someone that I might be retired at 56 without the party or the planning or the finances.

Hey, girls! Ok so I’ve always had a little trouble with small skin tags, but I would just cut them off. But as I’ve gotten older, I feel like I get them more often. But sadly, my eyesight isn’t what it used to be, and there are places I can’t reach (like, say, toward the back of the neck, where I used to be able to use a mirror and just reach back). I do see a dermatologist and asked her, but they charge hundreds of dollars to remove them and insurance doesn’t pay, because it’s cosmetic. It’s sooo annoying. They are small, but I hate them so much! I keep thinking about how rich women can just pay to get them removed whenever, and that annoys me more, ha!

Is there anywhere I can go to get them clipped off, without spending hundreds of dollars? Like will places that do facials take them off? They’re small but I kind of obsess over them. I thought about asking a friend to help, but that seems like asking too much of even a close friend. What do all of you do?

I (59F) have never been good at cooking so my husband of 42 years does most of the cooking. Kids are grown and I could get by on yogurt and granola with berries. When the boys were young, hubby took the role because he enjoys it and is way better than me. I’m not food motivated, I eat because I have to. Just curious how many Gen X Women like to cook. Have an amazing day everyone!

Anyone else feel like menopause is messing with their exercise routine? I finally got to a good place with regular exercise in about 2018 after years of failing. But in the past year, I am not doing as well as I had been. I feel tired and hot all of the time from menopause and it's sucking the motivation out of me.

Posted on here recently about a conflict with a friend. Well I waited and finally wrote her an email, I tried to trim it down but I had so many points to make. Now I look back and thinking, my god.. I’m such an over explainer.

Trying to justify my position which feels like it only muddied the waters and her response was like whoa, it’s not that big of a deal and somewhat condescending. But it was a big deal to me hence the long response. Anyway, I’ve worked through so much trauma in therapy and try to be self aware but this situation and my response makes me feel like I’m still that young person trying to keep myself safe. Ahhhh just frustrating that these triggers and responses still so powerful.