Few years ago my wife lost her grandfather, was working a sh*tty job, and was developing some of the medical issues we're currently dealing with. One night I went out to start her car to warm it up before her shift, and found a parking ticket. Pocketed it, paid it, and tossed it without her knowing. She didn't need that on top of everything else.

The first Christmas after I got together with my partner, he brought me a beautiful opal necklace. He knew it was my favorite stone. I suspect he paid quite a bit. He's mad proud of the thing and loves to see me wear it. He told me that when he brought it he paid for a slightly smaller opal, and the shop worker accidentally grabbed the wrong one so he got an upgrade to a bigger opal for free! My partner also has a whole thing against fake stones in jewelry, thinks it tacky, horrible dishonest etc. Long story short, what he doesn't realize is that my beautiful opal IS fake. See I suspect he paid for a real opal. But he probably wasn't meant to see that *opps* when the shopworker grabbed the bigger one. I suspect they ran a little con on him, charged him for a smaller real one and grabbed the larger fake instead. He thought the accident was in his favor so he never complained. I only know 1) The play of color and size in the opal I have would have cost a small house deposit if it had been real and there is no way he brought that as a uni student when we first go together and 2) A real opal would never have stood up to the wear and tear I have put it though - I literally never take it off, it comes for me on runs, in the salt water, in the shower etc all things that would have destroyed a real opal many years ago. 3) A friend brought a pair of earrings that matched my necklace (not on purpose) and she confirmed that my necklace and her earrings made up the stores imitation opal birthstone set. I love that fu**ing stone. I don't wear much jewelery, but I haven't taken that necklace off in three years. I have literally told him that if we get married one day, I'm having the thing pulled off the necklace and set into a ring (thats gonna be an awkward conversation with a jeweler). If I told him he'd probably feel really bad about it and want to get me a replacement. But I love the stupid thing so I won't tell.

The British have worse teeth than Americans. Brits have fewer missing teeth on average, and the DMFT index is 0.8 for Brits but higher at 1.2 for the United States. There are cultural differences, with natural teeth colour being considered natural in the UK, but unnatural in the USA where flourescent white is considered correct.