pretty in orange

I just started a new job this week.

I'm not usually a timid person, but I'm nervous about asking for things like days off at the holidays -- it's kinda silly, but I just have this fear that my boss won't think I'm serious about the job if I ask about days off during my first week in the office.

The timing is just plain awkward; I've never started a job so close to the holidays, or for that matter, at any point where I've known that I'd like to request days off before I've accrued them.

Is there a *good* way to ask for a couple of days off as a new hire, or should I just suck it up and adjust my travel plans and be thankful that I have a job to schedule around?

So, my boyfriend can't stand Halloween. He'll go out for the parties, but he refuses to wear a costume. I'm really annoyed, and I don't want to deal with people constantly asking why he's not wearing a costume (like last year). What can I do? I've tried suggesting that he wear something really mild, like dressing in a suit and being James Bond, or wearing a pocket protector and glasses and being a nerd, but he doesn't like those suggestions because they're still costumes.

My little brother is moving away from our hometown for his first job out of college. I'm so proud of him, but he's having panic attacks, and I just have no idea how to help him feel better. The move is next week, and I don't think he's interested in seeing a therapist (which is what I'd usually think of as a solution to panic attacks).

If you've ever moved to a strange, big city, where you didn't know a single person, what helped you through that change? Is there anything that someone could have said to you to make you feel better about the major transition? I feel weird just saying "chin up, it'll work out okay" -- it just doesn't seem sincere enough, you know?

I currently have a credit card (with Capital One, if that makes a difference), in my name. I'm also a student, and my parents have been helping me out with groceries and things, and have put my name on a card that they pay for. This card has always been with another company, but lately they've been wanting to switch, and have been considering choosing Capital One. Is it possible for me to have two Capital One cards with my name on them?

Here's what I know: basic HTML, CSS. I'm pretty handy at picking up code, and once I see something new, I can usually figure out why it does what it does.

What I'd like to be able to do is allow my site's users to create individual pages (kind of like how MySpace lets you make a profile, but nowhere near that sophisticated -- just a member bio page, really). I would like to offer them a set of templates to choose from. I have already coded stylesheets, etc for the different templates, but I have no idea how to implement this.

Where should I start?

Okay, so I brush and floss like I'm supposed to, but after getting my wisdom teeth out 2 years ago (and all of the pain, etc that came with it) I've been afraid of going to the dentist, so I've skipped my regular cleanings/checkups for two years.

This has resulted in me having sore/swollen gums and also several visible cavities (I can see at least 4, there may be more than that). I have an appointment scheduled for next week, but what should I expect? Can multiple fillings be done in one trip, or am I in for a whole lot of dental work?

Also, is there anything I can do about my gums? They're swollen and sore, and when I brush too hard, they bleed.

Anyone know the designer (and/or style number) of the maroon bridesmaid dresses from the end of the movie Wedding Crashers? They're dark red/maroon, spaghetti strap satin dresses with an interesting detail on the back skirt (it looks like either a sash, tuck, or bustle type thing).

I'm planning on moving to a new city, and I wanted to get the job search started ASAP. The problem I'm running into is that I don't yet have an address in the new city, and I'm worried that potential employers will see the old city's address on my resume/cover letter and put me in the "no" pile because of that.

Is this something I should legitimately be worried about?

Also, should I put a line in the cover letter about how I will be in my new city by January 1? What's a tactful way to assure an employer that relocation is happening anyhow (on my dime - not expecting a company to move me) and that they won't need to worry about that?

I accidentally broke a glass. It was part of a set, and I'd really like to replace it. It's not mine, it's a roommate's, and she got the glasses as a gift.

I know that there are ways to find replacement glasses for crystal and stemware, but is there a way to track down a water glass? I remember my friend saying it was Mikasa, but I can't find everyday glasses on their website.

Is there a way to search (everyday) glass patterns online? Should I take a photo of the glass and wander around department stores? Is this a totally hopeless venture?

Of all the terrible timing...

I have a job interview this afternoon, and I fell on my face in the parking lot. It's bad...I'm all scraped up, and my busted-open lip is very swollen. Also, I don't feel comfortable covering any of it with makeup, since the wounds are so fresh.

How do I approach this? I think it's poor form to cancel an interview for anything that isn't life-or-death, but I'm sure the interviewer is going to be wondering what the deal is when I walk in with such an obvious injury.

I'm in the middle of a career transition right now. I'm working on a Master's in a field that is totally different from what I did before (going from business to software engineering). I'm also about to move to a new city, so I'm looking at this move as an opportunity to do something different.

Here's my problem: at the moment, I'm not qualified for software jobs. I won't be for a few years, and I don't have experience in networking or other IT-type jobs. It would be really great if I could land something that would make the transition easier, but that looks pretty unlikely, and unpaid internships aren't an option for me (I need income).

Does it make me look flaky if I seek out a job in a totally different field while I'm finishing grad school? I'm making the transition away from business/finance for a reason - I don't enjoy it anymore. Do employers frown upon resumes that seem jack-of-all-trades-ish, or is it good to have a well-rounded career history?

I just bought an adorable little knit cardigan, and while I was cutting out the little security tag thing, I sliced the bottom of the sweater. Is there anything I can do to close up the cut?

Artists: would you want your paintings back in this case?

My boyfriend's ex-girlfriend is an artist. When they were together, she painted him a series of very nice original works, and they stayed on his walls until recently. When they broke up (almost two years ago), she didn't ask for them back. Now he's moving into a new place, and they don't fit in as well with the decor, plus he feels strange keeping up his ex's art.

Should he mail them back to her? Give them away on Craigslist? Something else? They are not on speaking terms, nor are they likely to ever be, but the pieces are rather nice and it seems like a shame to just throw art away.

Does that mean my account has been hacked? It wasn't changed to anything offensive, but it looked like someone else's name.

The Chicago Parks District website doesn't exactly have a ton of information on this...

Does anyone know how far in advance the beach needs to be booked for a wedding ceremony? Is it something that can be done in 6 months, or is this such an in-demand site that I'd need to reserve it a year or more in advance?

I got a pretty nasty sunburn last weekend, but I have a wedding to attend in 4 days, and I would rather not be peeling at the wedding - nobody likes to shed skin while they're in formalwear! It's just barely starting to peel right now...is there a way to speed up the process without hurting myself? I was thinking of exfoliating with a sugar scrub or something, but will that cause more harm than good? My skin is still red and warm to touch at the moment.

I have a rather severe sunburn, along with some very noticeable tanlines. I also have a wedding to attend in six days, and the tanlines (from a wide-strapped halter top bikini) are not the same shape as the neckline of the dress I'm wearing to the wedding (wide, shallow V-neck).

I've never been spray-tanning before, but a salon near my house offers it. Can I safely get a spray-tan over my sunburn, will it have any effect on the healing process of the burn, and how many days in advance of the wedding should I get the spray-tan done so I'm not orange or anything like that?

I'm usually very smart about sunscreen and everything, but yesterday I fell asleep in the sun for several hours and got a very deep sunburn (my skin is still hot to the touch). I've been alternating aloe gel and cool water all day, but it's still very red and painful.

Here's the big problem: I'm supposed to be at a wedding next Saturday, and my dress is dark-colored. I'm worried that I'll be peeling by that point, and the last thing I want to do is shed skin all over the place at a formal event.

Is there a way to either (a) prevent peeling altogether, or (b) accelerate the process so that it's not an issue in 6 days?

I'm interested in covering some small, square canvases with the paint I'm using to paint the walls of another room - in other words, I'd like to maintain the exact color between the wall paint and the canvas, and I'm not confident in my ability to mix oil or acrylic colors with that kind of precision.

The paint in question is a semi-gloss interior latex from Sherwin-Williams. I'm not sure if this is important, but on the can, it indicates that primer should be used. I haven't bought the canvases yet, but they're the premade kind found in art supply stores.

Can I apply the housepaint directly to the canvas, or do I need to treat the canvas (either before or after)? I'm not an artist, but I do know that some kinds of paints don't play nice with certain surfaces, and I was wondering whether I would have to do any special extra steps to make sure the paint stays on the canvas and doesn't crack or bubble or do anything weird.

I recently moved into a house that was built in the 1920s and "renovated" several times since. There is a window in the bathroom, right next to the shower/tub. The window frame has been painted over several times, and, as it is an old chain-style window, no longer opens because of the layers of paint and years of disuse.

During an initial deep-cleaning of the house, I noticed some dark brownish-black spots on the windowsill. They do not come off with either Windex, Scrubbing Bubbles, or bleach, and no amount of scrubbing has changed their size or shape.

I don't know very much about mildew (I try to keep things ultra-clean, so I've never seen it!), but is that what this is? Is there a way to remove this, or is my best option just to clean it as much as possible and paint yet another layer on so it doesn't look so terrible?