Dear Barb: I am in my early forties and about to enter into my third marriage. My wife to be has also been married twice before. We are not having a big celebration because we both feel a little awkward having to deal with all the comments about a third marriage. I know I messed… Read more »

Do you want to thrive socially? At your workplace? At school? Well, you need the right attitude. And the right attitude changes, depending on who runs the show. I once interviewed at a funeral home. The staff beamed with smiles. The friendly HR fellow said, “When you cross paths with colleagues, you must chat.” I… Read more »

Artist: Bad Mary EP: Glitter Bomb On September 29, Bad Mary are dropping their new EP, Glitter Bomb. Based out of Long Island, New York, this four-piece punk band has given us a treat with their new EP. Bad Mary consists of Amanda Mac on vocals, Mike Staub on bass and vocals, Bill Mac on… Read more »

How does Stephen King do it? Sit and write five-hour marathons? Well, maybe he has fun—like you soon will. How? By doing something fun before you write, suggests Helen Sword. Or find fun places to write papers. During undergrad, I had little playtime. My time-off revolved around a two-hour visit with a senior. I’d put… Read more »

Dear Barb: I was at my friends’ house the other day and another friend came to visit with her dog. I’m not sure what kind of dog it was, some kind of terrier cross and weighed about 45 pounds. I’m always a little leery of dogs I don’t know, so I asked if he was… Read more »

If you plan to make gym-going a lifestyle, learn the etiquette. First rule for new gym-goers? Don’t chat—especially if you’re female. You want to keep training for as long as possible, right? Then, don’t get duped by Ed the gym playboy. Truly, he doesn’t mean well. I’m in my fifties or sixties, you might think…. Read more »

On dusky, late-summer nights bats flit and flicker by in what appears to be playful pursuit of insect prey. I marvel at how it might feel to actually be what, in German, is known as a fledermaus (Reverso-Softissimo, online). As a flying mouse, I’d traverse the starry night’s buffet and dance aloft with my nocturnal… Read more »

Do you cringe at the idea of group work? Do you twitch and tingle to Cotton Eyed Joe busting your woofers? Professors dole out budgie-sized bits on how to work in groups. And howl when you flail. A feminist professor called students who declined group work “Princesses.” She despised princesses—and hammered their grades. But groups… Read more »

Recently I moved from living in the comforts of my parents’ home to a new home closer to school, work, and downtown Edmonton. The first week navigating the freedom of cooking my own meals has been a rocky start. Not knowing where to begin, I scrambled to purchase ingredients, eliminate ingredients (from the mold!) and… Read more »

Dear Barb: I guess I have more of a statement than a question. A close family member recently passed away without a will and it has been chaos ever since. My aunt never discussed her wishes with anyone, not even her own children. Her husband passed away three years ago, so the responsibility for everything… Read more »