In the vein of LAs frequent suggestion that I be open to change in Mrs. Hold:

Both D12 and S15 will need oral surgery in the coming few years. Both have impacted wisdom teeth that will need to come out. Upon Mrs. Hold hearing this news, she called me to discuss how we would pay for these procedures and whether finances would affect the timing. I repeat: she called me BEFORE scheduling the procedures or giving consent to the dentists to do the work.

As it happens, we will need to review the procedures with our medical insurer and then decide whether to handle the cost through dental insurance or by increasing our flexible spending account. In any event, the procedures cannot be done before July when our firm's "health year" starts. Which means that the preliminary visits for x-rays etc should not be done before May or June (so the teeth don't move before the procedure).

Mrs. Hold was very pleased with herself that she called me. She said something like "see, I am learning. I did not go ahead and book the appointments for whenever was most convenient for me and leave you the task of paying the bills with no notice they were coming."

So I wanted to give her kudos for changing. Perhaps I too can change. But please do not leave posts encouraging me to do so. That will just get my contrary nature perked up to oppose change. Let us leave this as congratulations to Mrs. Hold.