• Lace Larrabee is a 41-year-old who felt that Thanksgiving was a burden she carried alone.
• After divorcing her husband nearly two years ago, she has started dating her girlfriend.
• The two women share the load now when it comes to celebrations.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Lace Larrabee, a touring stand-up comedian. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Until this year, I had always been the person in my relationships who planned and implemented holiday plans — first with my long-term boyfriend and then with my husband. It all fell on me.

Gatherings with family and friends to celebrate is a priority for me, but my past partners never seemed interested in birthdays, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I just took it all on myself.

We got divorced, and 6 months later, I met someone new

I remember that for past Thanksgiving meals, I would spend the day before prepping the food and wake up early on Thanksgiving to finish cooking and decorating. I wanted it, the celebration, and so it was all on me.

I recently wrote about it on Threads, and found that so many women resonated with how I have felt about holidays in the past. I wasn't alone. It's common to see that women are the ones on whom the burden of celebrating falls.

In July 2024, my husband and I split, and I moved out of the house.

Just over six months later, I met Alix, a woman who was taking a stand-up comedy class I was teaching.

After the class finished, Alix got in touch to say she was interested in me. I told her I was interested in her too, but said she didn't want this — I was complicated and had lots going on. She replied: "Yes, I do."

We started dating in the spring and have been together since.

She likes to plan with me for the holidays

Right away, we became partners, not just companions, when it came to planning for activities, events, and celebrations.

I remember telling Alix I really wanted to go to a concert in Florida with her. She told me she would love to go with me. She was just as enthusiastic as I was. We booked an Airbnb together, shared expenses for travel, and she planned a romantic way to officially ask me to be her girlfriend, thinking through every detail to make it special for me.

We have planned a Fourth of July weekend getaway, a birthday celebration, and Halloween together. I haven't had to force her; she's wanted to share the load of these celebrations with me.

Our families are spending Thanksgiving together

Months ago, Alix told me she wanted to host Thanksgiving at her house, bringing both of our families together to celebrate.

After creating a menu together, Alix created a group chat with everyone invited, asking each person to share what they would bring.

Together we made seating arrangements. Together we decorated (the house is decorated for Christmas, and the table for Thanksgiving). Together we shopped. Together we'll cook. Together we'll clean.

It has been so unlike any Thanksgiving I've ever hosted previously. Before, it had always felt stressful, frustrating, and overwhelming to do it all alone. But this Thanksgiving is different, because I now have a partner to share it with. I'm doing this with someone. I didn't know holidays could be like this. It makes me look forward to all the celebrations to come.

Growing up, my dad and mom always shared the burden of everything. They were partners. It was something I had always wanted in my own relationships, but I never had it, until now.

• I'm a home cook and Costco superfan who runs the recipe blog Costco Kitchen.
• I've relied on the store to satisfy all of my Thanksgiving dinner needs for about a decade.
• I've picked up flowers, disposable plates, appetizers, and pumpkin pie at Costco.

I'm an avid home cook and quite a fan of Costco.

In fact, I run a recipe blog and social account, Costco Kitchen, dedicated to making delicious dishes using ingredients from the wholesale retailer.

For the past decade or so, I've relied on my Costco shopping trips to stock up for hosting Thanksgiving dinner.

A premade vegetable tray is a great way to kick off a meal.

Offerings vary, but I can always find at least one great veggie tray at Costco. They typically come in a ready-to-serve plastic platter, which means one less dish for me to wash.

Simply peel off the plastic cover and set it out for your guests to enjoy.

This one from Taylor Farms has an assortment of colorful, crunchy, and cruciferous produce, plus a delicious ranch dip.

Costco's wide selection of cheese and cured meat makes assembling a charcuterie board easier than ever.

We usually serve Thanksgiving dinner around 4 p.m., so I like to set out small dishes and snacks for guests to have beforehand.

A charcuterie board is a great way to ensure no one gets too hungry or full before the main course.  

Costco offers premade flights and variety packs with assortments of cured meats or soft and hard cheeses, making it easy to customize a board.

Additionally, the chain offers lots of finishing touches to complement any charcuterie selection, including nuts, crackers, dried or fresh fruit, and olives. 

It's not a bad idea to buy your turkey a few weeks in advance.

The sell-by dates for the turkeys usually fall after Thanksgiving, so you can purchase them relatively far in advance as long as you have the space in your refrigerator. 

If you shop at Costco a day or two before Thanksgiving, there's a chance the store may be sold out of your preferred size.

In my experience, the chain's turkeys can range from about 10 pounds to over 22.

If you're not cooking a whole turkey this year, you can also typically find precooked oven-browned turkey breast at Costco.  This is a great option for those who prefer white meat over dark. The turkey remains moist and juicy after getting warmed up in the oven.

It's also a great choice if you are serving ham, steak, or seafood as the main course, but would like to offer a small portion of traditional turkey. 

If turkey just isn't your thing, Costco offers a selection of alternative entrées to serve on Thanksgiving.

You can choose from a wide array of meats, such as rib-eye, prime rib, or a rack of lamb. 

Depending on the location and time of year, you may also find cold-water lobster tails. They can be poached in butter and served on their own or paired with steak for a classy Thanksgiving surf-and-turf.

Costco sells a variety of potatoes that you can use to make sides.

At any other time of the year, you may find it difficult to justify purchasing 6 ½ pounds of potatoes. However, during the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, it just makes sense.

Costco offers a variety of options, including sweet potatoes, tiny mixed potatoes, and yellow potatoes. Use them to make plenty of your favorite mashed potatoes so guests can have seconds and take home leftovers.

I like to make a garlic mash or mashed sweet potatoes. 

I look for green beans in the refrigerator section.

I typically look for 2-pound bags of pre-snipped, washed, and ready-to-use green beans at Costco.

Once cooked, you can sauté the green beans in garlic, butter, and lemon and top them with Kirkland Signature Parmigiano-Reggiano or add them to a baking dish to make a casserole.

If I'm going with the latter, I also pick up a big bag of crispy onions at Costco to top my casserole with.

You can also find a number of premade side dishes at Costco.

If you're short on time and need to add a few more sides to your Thanksgiving spread, consider looking for premade dishes at Costco, such as scalloped potatoes, mac and cheese , or roasted Brussels sprouts.

These sides are also great for those who lack oven space, as they can be easily heated up in the microwave, toaster oven, or air fryer.

One year, I grabbed trays of Chef Hak's seasoned, roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon and cranberries.

Costco offers a nice selection of treats, but the nearly 4-pound pumpkin pie is iconic.

The Kirkland Signature pumpkin pie is delicious — and it can feed up to 12 people for under $10.

I like to top the individual slices with whipped cream. Leftover slices also freeze well.

It's quite a popular item around Thanksgiving, so I highly recommend getting to Costco early before it sells out. 

Whipped cream is an essential component of a proper Thanksgiving dessert.

Homemade whipped cream is superior, but these canisters can help you easily upgrade your pecan or pumpkin pie. 

If you decide to make the topper yourself, you can also find heavy whipping cream in Costco's refrigerator section.

Spruce up the house or surprise the Thanksgiving host with a beautiful bouquet.

Whether you're hosting Thanksgiving this year and want to dress up the house with seasonal decor or are attending as a guest and don't want to show up empty-handed, Costco is the place to go.

You can find beautiful bouquets of fresh-cut flowers for under $20, which is significantly less than what you'd probably pay at a local flower shop or online.

The retailer also tends to sell floral arrangements in decorative vases that can upgrade a Thanksgiving tablescape for under $25.

Costco offers a selection of elegant plastic plates and cutlery.

If you're looking for something a little more elevated than the run-of-the-mill paper plates you've been using for your backyard cookouts, then look no further than Costco.

Around this time of year, the chain typically offers a selection of elegant plastic plates and tableware that, at first glance, appears close to porcelain and silver.

In the past, I've seen Reflections cutlery sets with 160 pieces of heavyweight plastic silverware for under $11. I've also seen Kirkland Signature's elegant plastic plates priced at $10 for 50 dishes.

I give my guests to-go containers for leftovers.

Once everyone has eaten their fill, I like to provide take-home containers so my guests can continue to enjoy their Thanksgiving leftovers after they leave. 

I can usually find take-away containers for a reasonable price at Costco. One year, I snagged a 25-pack of 38-ounce Glad meal-prep containers for under $10.

This story was originally published on November 16, 2021, and most recently updated on November 26, 2025.

• Carol Klenfner credits ping pong for keeping her mind sharp and active in her 80s.
• She began playing table tennis in her late 60s after seeing a documentary on senior athletes.
• Klenfner's daily exercise routine and competitive spirit highlight the benefits of active aging.

Carol Klenfner had played ping pong on and off since growing up and into adulthood, but it wasn't until she was 69 that she picked up the paddle to compete.

Within just a few months of playing consistently, she began to notice a difference.

"I remember when I started playing ping pong," she told Business Insider's Sarah Andersen in April, "I noticed that my reflexes were faster than they had been."

Now, after more than a decade of playing and competing at the national level and earning more than 50 medals, she attributes the sport to keeping her mind sharp and engaged as she enters her 80s.

Andersen followed Klenfner as she trained for the 2025 National Senior Games in Des Moines this summer:

Ping pong's speed demands full attention — the spin of the ball, the bounce off the paddle, and the angle of each return. That focus, repeated hundreds of times a day, has helped tune both Klenfner's body and mind, she said.

"If I'm in the bathroom and something falls off the medicine chest, my hand is there catching it before it even registers in my head," Klenfner said.

Klenfner's experience aligns with what researchers have found on the effect of regular physical activity and strength training on the aging human brain.

Building balance, coordination, and fine motor control can strengthen neural connections, reducing the risk of cognitive decline and frailty in older adults.

What's more, picking up ping pong later in life gave Klenfner a renewed sense of adventure.

"The single most important thing that I've learned, and the advice that I would give to somebody who wants to pick up something new later in life, is that it's never too late to learn," she said. "It's never too late to start something new."

Picking up a new sport later in life

Before tackling table tennis, Klenfner had spent most of her life avoiding sports. She was injured in a car crash in college that dislocated her hip. After that, running, playing tennis, and general athletics were off the table.

"It changed the trajectory of my life till now," she said of the event. "I kind of stopped playing sports at that point."

Then, in her late 60s, she saw the documentary "Ping Pong" on PBS, which follows a group of seniors, ages 80 to 100, going to the World Masters Championship.

"I watched that documentary and I said, 'Well, I can't play tennis anymore because of my back and my sciatica, but I think I could play ping pong,'" she said.

Now, at 80, she plays table tennis and trains several times a week.

She's competed in many events, including the Empire State Senior Games and the National Senior Games. She won gold for women's singles at the national games in Pittsburgh in 2023 and took fifth at the 2025 games in Iowa, which disappointed her but didn't deter her from continuing.

"Winning's better, but I love to play and playing is the goal," she said.

How she stays in shape at the competitive level in her 80s

Klenfner says she works out every day, morning and night. Space is limited in her small studio Manhattan apartment, but she gets creative.

She completes about 60 squats, including one-legged squats, each morning while her oatmeal warms.

Then, she'll do some stretches specifically for her back and sciatica, followed by side planks to strengthen her oblique muscles, which are key for the side-to-side motion in ping pong, she says.

After that, she'll typically head to either PingPod to practice with their coaches or her private Pilates trainer, whom she sees twice a week.

In the evenings, she completes sets of resistance exercises with a weight band that she attaches to the only door in her place: the bathroom door.

Klenfner says there are three main reasons she's so committed to exercising daily: staying strong for her tournaments, staying strong for her life, and helping her mental health. "I am happy when I'm moving," she said.

"I'm currently living the best chapter of my life in a lot of ways. I am doing what I want to do when I want to do it."

• The first McDonald's franchise opened in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955.
• Chicken nuggets were introduced to the menu in 1983.
• Motorhead and President Ronald Reagan were photographed eating at McDonald's in the 1980s.

By the 1980s, McDonald's had already become a well-established fast-food chain with an well-known menu and distinctive branding.

Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's franchise location in Des Plaines, Illinois, on April 15, 1955. That year, he also founded McDonald's System, Inc., which would become the McDonald's Corporation we know today. 

By 1958, McDonald's had sold 100 million burgers, and the restaurants had taken on a signature design style that prominently featured the chain's iconic "golden arches."

The 1980s were a major period of growth for McDonald's.

By 1989, systemwide sales had reached $17.3 billion, The Deseret News reported, citing McDonald's. Sales outside the US grew from $900 million in 1979 to $5.3 billion in 1989.

Today, McDonald's has more than 38,000 restaurants in over 100 countries, according to the company. It made $25.92 billion in revenue in the 2024 fiscal year, and continues to look for ways to grow.

Photos show what it was like to eat at McDonald's in the 1980s — while some aspects of eating there have remained the same, some feel iconically '80s.

By the 1980s, only a few McDonald's retained the original restaurant design from the '50s and '60s.

Architect Stanley Meston designed the original look for McDonald's restaurants, which featured a red-and-white color scheme. When the McDonald brothers first saw the design for their new restaurant, they were concerned that the roof was too flat.

Meston recommended adding the now-iconic golden arches to the building's roof to create a more dimensional look.

A location in Downey, California, is the oldest still-operating restaurant featuring the original red-and-white design.

While some restaurants continued to feature the golden arches, others looked more modern.

This London restaurant, pictured in 1985, looks remarkably similar to urban McDonald's restaurants of today. 

Some restaurants were built into eye-catching locations, like these colonial-looking buildings.

This outdoor courtyard, with its wooden tables and benches, looks quite different from most McDonald's seating areas now, though some McDonald's locations are still housed in historic buildings.

This Sydney restaurant featured a large skylight and modern seating.

The first McDonald's in Australia opened in 1971 and the number of locations in the country grew significantly throughout the 1980s. The company's 900th location in the world opened in Sydney in 1986.

There are still surprising, unique McDonald's restaurants around.

By the 1980s, many of McDonald's iconic menu items had been rolled out.

Before the 1960s, the McDonald's menu was simple. It included burgers, cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes, and other fast-food classics. The first new item to be added to the national menu was the Filet-O-Fish sandwich in 1965.

In 1968, the Big Mac was released nationwide, followed by the Quarter Pounder with cheese in 1973. Breakfast options, including the Egg McMuffin, were also rolled out during the 1970s. In 1979, Happy Meals were introduced for the first time. 

Chicken McNuggets were added to menus in 1983.

Development for the chicken nuggets began at the end of the 1970s and they were added to menus in 1983. They were rolled out internationally in 1984.

McNuggets were initially available in orders of six, nine, or 20, and they came with a choice of four sauces: honey, sweet and sour, hot mustard, and barbecue.

They were an immediate hit. USA Today reported that many customers in the 1980s were looking to reduce their fat intake and were shaking up their diets by introducing more lean protein and poultry.

Employees wore striped bowling-style shirts and hats.

Today, employees often wear T-shirts that reflect the chain's most popular and current promotions.

Celebrities like British metal band Motorhead were spotted taking photos at McDonald's.

For McDonald's customers in the 1980s, the restaurant was a symbol of America, which translated into the chain's advertising campaigns. 

In honor of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, McDonald's introduced the slogan "If the US wins, you win." With every purchase, McDonald's customers received a scratch-off ticket that revealed a certain sporting category.

The New York Times reported that if a US Olympian won gold in that category, they could exchange the ticket for a free Big Mac. A silver earned you free french fries, and a bronze medal won customers a free Coke.

Even President Ronald Reagan was photographed chowing down on a McDonald's burger.

The Tuscaloosa News reported that customers were caught off guard when Reagan made an unplanned stop at an Alabama McDonald's restaurant in 1984.

"The President of the United States ordered a Big Mac, a large order of fries and sweet tea, proffered a $20 bill from his right front pant pocket, got his $17.54 in change, and looked around for a place to enjoy his meal," a reporter on the scene later wrote in 2006. 

When asked about the last time he had eaten at McDonald's, Reagan replied that it was before he "got this job."

"But I kind of miss it sometimes," he continued. "I figured as long as I had the opportunity, I might as well take advantage of it and stop."

• $2.3 billion healthcare investor Catalio Capital has hired Ajay Mantha as a partner for its hedge fund.
• The hedge fund invests in public equities and runs roughly $900 million.
• The firm counts KKR, Brevan Howard, and wealthy finance titans like Orlando Bravo as backers.

Catalio Capital Management is adding to its team.

The $2.3 billion healthcare investor has hired Ajay Mantha as a partner within its hedge fund, Catalio Public Equities, according to a note to investors seen by Business Insider.

Mantha previously had been an executive at Zimmer Partners, a New York-based stockpicking hedge fund where Mantha built and then ran the healthcare group. He spent nine years in Bain Capital's public equities division as the head of its healthcare sector group. Prior to that, he worked as an analyst at D.E. Shaw and a consultant for McKinsey.

The note states he will start next year and report to Ben Snedeker, the firm's head of public equities.

Catalio declined to comment on the hire.

The hedge fund, which now runs roughly $900 million following an infusion of capital from Brevan Howard, is up nearly 16% this year, a person close to the manager says, besting the average fund's gains of 9.9%.

The hedge fund has returned roughly 55% since rebranding with the Catalio name at the start of 2023, this person added.

The firm, founded by George Petrocheilos and Jacob Vogelstein, originally focused on private market investments in the healthcare and biotech sectors before acquiring longtime stockpicking hedge fund HealthCor Management at the end of 2022.

HealthCor, founded in 2005 by SAC Capital alums Art Cohen and Joe Healey, was merged into Catalio but is still led by Snedeker, who invested for HealthCor for four years before the sale of the fund.

Catalio counts plenty of big names as backers, including private equity giant KKR. Brevan gave the hedge fund $200 million in a separately managed account earlier this month, Reuters reported.

Wealthy financiers such as Thoma Bravo founder Orlando Bravo and Highbridge Capital founder Glenn Dubin are also investors in Catalio.

• Colon cancer patients taking GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, had better odds of survival in a new study.
• Weight loss and diabetes injections have well-known anti-inflammatory benefits.
• It could be that Ozempic starves tumors, turning off key pro-cancer proteins.

First, they were diabetes drugs. Then, weight loss blockbusters.

Now, scientists believe they have identified another potential benefit of injectable GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro: fewer colon cancer deaths.

In a recent study, researchers at the University of California discovered that colon cancer patients who happened to be taking a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic or Mounjaro cut their risk of death in half over a five-year period.

Professor Raphael Cuomo, lead author of the new research, said his team tried to find other explanations for the trend. Perhaps the people who weren't taking GLP-1s had other health issues, like depression or kidney disease, impacting their chance of survival. Nothing stuck.

Even when controlling for all of those issues and more, there was "still a consistent, significant association between GLP-1 drug use in colon cancer patients and improved survival," Cuomo said.

Cancer patients on GLP-1s were also less likely to have advanced colon cancer symptoms, such as sepsis, and suffered fewer strokes and heart attacks during the study period.

That made Cuomo, a cancer epidemiologist at the University of California, San Diego, think there must be some wider benefit to the drug, one that goes beyond just fighting back cancer directly.

Why weight loss injections might be able to starve cancer

This effect probably boils down to how GLP-1 drugs improve systemic inflammation, Cuomo said.

GLP-1 drugs lower inflammation across the body in several different ways, which is a big part of why researchers are studying whether they might improve longevity, or prevent cognitive decline, as well as improve conditions like fatty liver disease, and prevent more heart attacks.

Tumors love inflammation. They thrive in an inflammatory environment, feeding off the growth factors that inflammatory cells release to live, grow, and thrive. GLP-1s reduce inflammation in several different ways. Indirectly, they help fight inflammation through regulating blood sugar and promoting weight loss. But they also go after inflammation head-on, changing the way a person's immune system operates, and suppressing pro-inflammatory proteins. That's all bad news for a tumor.

"Potentially by taking the GLP-1 drugs, the patient is short-circuiting the tumor microenvironment," Cuomo said.

Looking at records of 6,871 patients across the University of California statewide health system, researchers found that patients on the weight loss and diabetes injections had a roughly 15.5% five-year mortality rate, compared to 37.1% mortality for colon cancer patients who took no GLP-1 drug.

Not everyone seemed to benefit equally from taking Ozempic or Mounjaro. For cancer patients with a "normal" BMI — under 25 — taking a GLP-1 drug didn't seem to impact survival at all.

On the other hand, people with a BMI over 35 who were on a GLP-1 during treatment more than doubled their survival odds, from 15% to 37%, on average.

Why? Cuomo suspects it may have to do with the unique ways that cancer behaves in different bodies. Perhaps in patients who are shouldering a lot of systemic inflammation, the GLP-1 has a more potent anti-inflammatory impact on tumor development. For patients with less inflammation, there might not be much need for a GLP-1 drug.

It's still too early for doctors to start prescribing GLP-1s to all overweight cancer patients, though. The next logical step would be for doctors to test GLP-1s head-to-head against a sham placebo drug, to prove GLP-1s really do help colon cancer patients live longer.

"I'm the first to caution people that these results are not conclusive and that we need to replicate them in randomized trials in order to be more confident that there is a benefit for cancer patients," Cuomo said. "That being said, everyone I've spoken to is very hopeful that this can be beneficial for cancer patients."

Colon cancer is quickly becoming one of the deadliest cancers in young people. It's already the number one cause of cancer death in men under 50, and in women in the same age group, it's second only to breast cancer, with death rates rising every year.

• As someone born and raised just a few miles away, I love the Scottish Highlands.
• I've seen many people plan trips here — and make a lot of common first-time mistakes.
• If you're visiting, I recommend packing bug spray and being mindful of how you drive.

For most of my life, I've lived just a few miles away from the southern edge of the Scottish Highlands — so I know firsthand that the region is one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland.

Located in the northwest of the country, the area is geologically distinct from the Lowlands, being home to all 282 of Scotland's Munros, which are mountains taller than 3,000 feet.

Impressive peaks aren't the only draw of the Highlands, though. The region is replete with tranquil lochs, lush forests, historic castles, and whiskey distilleries.

I believe that any trip to the Highlands, regardless of your itinerary or the weather, is sure to be unforgettable. That said, there are five mistakes that first-time visitors often make.

People don't take advantage of all the wildlife to see here.

Highland cows are deeply ingrained in Scottish iconography, so it doesn't surprise me that many tourists come here hoping to see them.

I won't deny that they're very cute with their shaggy ginger coats, but they aren't the only wildlife worth seeking out.

There are plenty of animals to see in the Highlands, from seals in the seaside town of Oban to puffins at Dunnet Head. My personal favorites are the reindeer — the Cairngorm Mountains are home to the UK's only free-ranging reindeer herd.

I love taking a guided hill trip, which typically involves a 20- or 30-minute walk up a mountain, to hand-feed the gentle animals.

A waterproof coat and boots are essential for any kind of wildlife excursion, since the weather here can get wet year-round. In my opinion, though, the experience of feeding and learning about reindeer is well worth any potential rain.

Many tourists visit Loch Ness, but there are other lakes that are just as scenic — and less crowded.

Scotland is home to more than 30,000 lochs (the Scottish word for lakes).

Although Loch Ness is one of the most popular — in part thanks to tales of a monster known as Nessie lurking in its depths — there are many other lesser-known, yet no less scenic, lochs worth visiting.

Loch Awe, to the east of Oban, is Scotland's longest freshwater loch at 25 miles long. The striking ruins of Kilchurn Castle stand at the loch's northern end, meaning you can get a photo of a castle, a loch, and mountains all in one go.

There's also Loch Shiel, which isn't far from Scotland's tallest mountain, Ben Nevis. Climbing a small hill at the head of this loch offers an incredible view of not just the water, but also of Glenfinnan Monument — a memorial to the Highlanders who fought during the Jacobite Rising of 1745.

If you turn around, you can see the impressive Glenfinnan Viaduct, which was crossed by the Hogwarts Express in the "Harry Potter" films.

I've seen people remember to dress for the rain … but not for the wind.

It's pretty well-known that it rains year-round in Scotland, and many travelers come prepared with a waterproof coat. What not everyone accounts for, though, is how windy it can get, especially on the coast and in the mountains.

If it's a particularly blustery day, a thin, waterproof jacket won't cut it. I recommend dressing in layers and making sure to pack a sturdy waterproof windbreaker.

In colder months, such as December, January, and February, a warm, padded raincoat is essential.

As a local, I've noticed that tourists drive too slowly on rural roads.

Some Highland roads are not for the faint-hearted. Not only are there many single-lane roads, but some streets through the mountains feature alarmingly steep drop-offs.

First-time visitors often drive with a little too much caution on these roads, and the slow speeds can be frustrating for locals.

If you notice a queue forming behind you, then it's considered good etiquette to pull over — always in a designated parking area or lay-by — to let cars pass.

The roadside scenery is often so picturesque, you'll likely want to stop to admire the view anyway.

First-time visitors are often unprepared for midges.

While in Scotland, beware of the many midges, whose bites cause small, itchy bumps.

These tiny flies are most common in the warmer months, and very prevalent around lochs and in marshlands and forests.

Midges are most active around dusk and dawn, so if you plan to be out in nature around those times, you'll need lots of bug spray.

• Black Friday is one of the best times of the year to get a streaming subscription.
• US streaming sign-ups on Black Friday deals surged last year.
• While these sales are a proven way to add customers, streamers risk hurting their profits.

Streaming services may have a problem: their Black Friday deals are wildly popular.

The Friday after Thanksgiving has long been known for its blockbuster sales, marking the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. Streamers have spent the last few years celebrating in style, with massive markdowns of more than 70%, in some cases.

These steep discounts are highly successful at bringing in new subscribers, according to new data from Antenna, which was shared exclusively with Business Insider ahead of its release.

About 8.3 million people in the US took advantage of Black Friday promotions for streaming services in 2024, up more than 31% from the 6.3 million who scored such deals in 2023, Antenna found.

In 2024, more than a quarter of all US streaming signups in the last two months of the year came in the week or so between Thanksgiving and early December. That percentage was about 23% in 2023. And those who snag these offers cancel at slightly lower rates than other customers, Antenna found.

Customers now expect Black Friday firesales

However, these generous deals aren't all gravy for streamers. Not only are these customers paying far less than full price, but they may be conditioned to expect heavy promotions.

"Customers aren't stupid," a Disney streaming employee said. "If they want to sign up in September, they might wait until Black Friday in November."

Disney's streamers are among the most popular on Black Friday. Hulu brought in an industry-high 2.4 million subscribers in the Black Friday window last year, up 51% from 2023. Disney+ was third behind Paramount+ with 1.4 million sign-ups, thanks in part to a deal that gave customers both Disney+ and Hulu for 70% off at $3 a month for 12 months.

Only HBO Max, which at the time was called Max, reeled in fewer subscribers last Black Friday than the year prior. Its sign-ups fell 14% to 900,000 for its offer, which was $3 a month for its ad plan for six months. HBO Max seems to have stepped up its sale this year by offering that same price for a full year instead, even after raising its typical price by $1.

Media companies hope these eye-catching promos will draw in those who've never tried their services, and then they can hook subscribers on their content, build habits, and keep them.

While customers on these deals pay less, streamers have determined it's worth the risk to land them in a highly competitive landscape.

Two other Disney streaming employees said its holiday promotions are chiefly about getting people in its Disney+ and Hulu bundle, betting that customers who sample it will stay. Package deals have "really strong retention," one employee said, including the Disney bundle with HBO Max.

The days of streamers adding subscribers at any cost may be over, as media companies raise prices and focus on growing engagement and profitability. But this Black Friday is again showing consumers that there are some streaming deals to be had.

• In 2021, my husband and I moved from the United States to Scotland.
• I've loved living in Edinburgh and exploring popular tourist destinations, like Arthur's Seat.
• But over the years, I've curated a list of underrated recommendations, too, like Cramond Island.

When I first moved from the US to Edinburgh in 2021, I knew little about the city beyond its striking medieval architecture, whisky distilleries, and supposedly dreary weather.

Four years — and far more sunshine than expected — later, I've fallen in love with Scotland's capital and all it has to offer.

Although popular spots like the Royal Mile, Arthur's Seat, and Edinburgh Castle are worth seeing, here are six places I think are just as worthy of a visit.

In addition to Arthur's Seat, I recommend hiking the nearby Pentland Hills and Blackford Hill.

Arthur's Seat, an ancient, extinct volcano, is a defining landmark of Edinburgh's skyline and often tops lists of must-see attractions.

Although I love its ridge walk and summit hikes, I think it tends to overshadow its equally striking and lesser-known neighbors: the Pentland Hills and Blackford Hill.

I gravitate toward the Pentlands, which offer about a 62-mile network of trails for a range of abilities, less than an hour from the city center.

Blackford Hill also presents itself as a less-crowded but equally scenic alternative to Arthur's Seat, complete with wooded walking trails through a nature reserve and sweeping views, all about 20 minutes from downtown.

I love walking across the sea to Cramond Island.

One of my favorite parts of living in Edinburgh is how easy it is to access nature, and Cramond Island serves as a peaceful coastal escape from the bustle of the city.

Just northwest of the city center, Cramond Island is connected to the shore of Edinburgh via a tidal causeway, allowing individuals to walk across the Firth of Forth to this island during low tide.

I always recommend this unique experience, and think it's a great opportunity to explore Cramond's rugged terrain and scattered wartime bunkers while basking in the picturesque views.

Just make sure to check the tide chart beforehand to ensure you have enough time to return to the mainland.

If you're tired of whisky, I think it's worth touring the capital's acclaimed gin distilleries.

Although whisky might be Scotland's most famous drink, fewer people may know that the country is also a major gin producer, responsible for about 70% of the UK's gin.

Two of my favorite local distilleries are Edinburgh Gin and Lind & Lime, which both offer beautifully designed and immersive tours and tastings.

I especially enjoy Edinburgh Gin's rhubarb and ginger liqueur and appreciate Lind & Lime's emphasis on sustainability and organic ingredients in crafting their signature London Dry.

Stockbridge is one of my favorite parts of town.

Although Stockbridge has become a popular neighborhood in northern Edinburgh thanks to its charming village feel and selection of shops and boutiques, as a local, I think there's much more to this area than travelers may realize.

For example, I love how easy it is to access nature — whether it's taking in skyline views from Inverleith Park, strolling through the Royal Botanic Garden, or trail running along the Water of Leith, a 22-mile river that winds through the city.

One of my favorite weekend routines is visiting the Stockbridge Market on Sundays to stock up on fresh flowers, artisanal goods, and produce from local vendors.

And while you're in the area, I also think it's worth exploring the plethora of art galleries, such as the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, which showcases some of the best contemporary Scottish art in the city, in my opinion.

I think the Leith neighborhood showcases some of the finest modern Scottish cuisine.

When people think of Scottish cuisine, traditional dishes like haggis, fish and chips, and sticky toffee pudding may come to mind.

Although these classics are arguably delicious, I think Edinburgh's food scene has evolved far beyond them, with the buzzy neighborhood of Leith helping to lead the way.

I always recommend dining at Eleanore, a family-run restaurant known for its innovative, artfully presented small plates, as well as its sister restaurants, Ardfern and The Little Chartroom.

My favorite 2025 opening, Barry Fish, is nestled along Leith's Shore and boasts sublime seafood. From their signature pastrami to a lobster and smoked fish agnolotti, I think every dish is outstanding.

And for quicker bites, I always stop by Alby's — an Edinburgh institution beloved by locals and visitors alike — for its flavorful focaccia sandwiches.

I recommend wandering through Old Town's ancient closes and underground vaults to better understand the city's haunted history.

Many visitors don't realize that Edinburgh has a hidden "underground city," a maze of vaults beneath Old Town that dates back centuries.

Originally used for storage, the vaults were later associated with disease, crime, and ghostly lore — all of which contribute to Edinburgh's reputation as one of the most haunted cities in the world.

The city is also home to more than 250 narrow medieval alleyways, or "closes," most of which are located off the Royal Mile. Some notable ones include Advocate's, Bakehouse, Old Fishmarket, and The Real Mary King's Close, each of which carries its own history.

The history of both the vaults and closes offers a haunting glimpse into Edinburgh's layered and often overlooked past — one I believe is worth exploring.

• Penn professor Ioana Marinescu said AI may already be near the upward peak of its pay curve.
• Her Brookings model shows wages could dip once about 37% of intelligence tasks are automated.
• But she said the downturn isn't inevitable if AI and physical-sector investment grow in tandem.

Artificial intelligence may be driving a surge in productivity and pay — but that growth could soon slow.

That's according to Ioana Marinescu, an associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Social Policy & Practice and coauthor of a new Brookings Institution paper on what she and colleague Konrad Kording call "intelligence saturation."

Their model suggests that as automation spreads, wages are likely to follow a hump-shaped trajectory — initially rising, then flattening, and eventually declining as machines take over more of the cognitive work that humans once performed.

However, that downturn isn't inevitable.

Where we are on the curve

Marinescu estimates that more than 14% of "intelligence" tasks are already automated — a figure based on research showing that routine cognitive jobs have declined from 49% in the late 1970s and 1980s to 35% in 2018.

"This is closer to a potential decline in wages than no automation," she told Business Insider.

In the baseline Brookings simulation, wages begin to fall when about 37% of intelligence tasks are automated — a threshold that could arrive sooner than many expect if AI adoption continues to accelerate.

So far, there's no broad sign of that shift.

"It's too early to tell," Marinescu said.

Still, she pointed to "suggestive evidence" that less-experienced workers in AI-exposed jobs are already being displaced, citing a recent study by Stanford.

The study found that early-career workers, ages 22 to 25, in AI-exposed occupations such as software development and customer service have experienced a 13% decline in employment since the rise of generative AI, whereas employment for older and less-exposed workers has remained stable or increased.

Yet, Marinescu added, the real warning sign would be "a noticeable reduction in the overall share of intelligence jobs" across the economy — the moment the labor market begins to reallocate toward more physical work.

Why a wage downturn isn't inevitable

Marinescu said that the outcome depends on how society manages the transition between the "physical" and the "intelligence" sectors.

"We think the two [sectors] are complements, like labor and capital — i.e., you need some of both to produce," she said. "Automation is more likely to yield steady wage increases with complementarity; at the same time, the long-run gains from adding more AI in the economy saturate under complementarity."

In other words, AI and human labor can raise productivity together — but only if automation is paired with real-world investment that keeps workers essential to the production process.

The Brookings paper said that the economy's physical side — the factories, hospitals, construction, and infrastructure that AI still can't automate — must keep pace with intelligence-sector innovation.

To prevent a wage collapse, the authors propose slowing the pace of automation and boosting investment in physical capital, ensuring that embodied work remains productive.

They also suggest taxing virtual labor to encourage companies to maintain a healthy balance between machine and human production — a proposal similar to Sen. Bernie Sanders' call for imposing a "robot tax" on companies that adopt AI to replace jobs.

The real uncertainty, Marinescu added, lies in how substitutable AI and human output become.

If AI ultimately replaces most intelligence work, wage growth is likely to flatten.

However, if humans and machines remain complementary — each amplifying the other's output — the economy could continue to expand without leaving workers behind.