My dentist asked about my board game group while I was numb and it got weird

I was at my checkup last week and my dentist, Dr. Chen, started asking about my weekend plans while my mouth was full of cotton. I mumbled something about my game night. She stopped and said, 'You know, my husband and I tried Catan once, but we spent two hours just reading the rules and gave up.' I couldn't talk back, so I just made a sad noise. It hit different because I realized how our hobby must look from the outside sometimes. Anyone else have a non-gamer describe your hobby in a way that made you laugh?

Serious question, is that expensive online course really worth it?

I dropped $800 on a 'career accelerator' program that promised to teach me negotiation skills. The content was just repackaged blog posts you can find for free. Has anyone actually gotten a raise from one of these things?

Had a close call with a silt cloud at the Lake Pontchartrain bridge project last month.

Serious question, has anyone else had a customer ask for a 'bloodless' cut?

A woman at my counter in Denver last month insisted I drain every drop from a leg of lamb before wrapping it, saying the sight of any red made her sick, and I had to explain that's not how meat works.

Can we talk about those cheap torque wrenches from Harbor Freight?

I bought one for a quick job on a Cessna 172's wheel assembly, thinking I'd save some cash. It was about $40, so way less than a Snap-on. After torquing a few bolts, I had to redo the whole job because the wrench started clicking at different values. That mistake cost me nearly three hours of labor, which at our shop rate is over $300. Some guys say those tools are fine for non-critical stuff, but I think any aircraft work is critical. What's your take on using budget tools for certified repairs?

Rant: My old furnace conking out in January was a wake-up call

Now I get it serviced every fall, in my experience it's cheaper than an emergency repair.

Our block's new sculpture is so weird it broke my prompt brain!

I usually get cool ideas from public art for my writing group. This thing looks like a giant twisted spoon and it just makes me mad. Now my mind is totally blank!