Advice Goddess

HAND TO GOD: Good Luck Macbeth Theatre

Company presents Robert Askins’ play which explores the fragile nature of faith, morality and the ties that bind us. Through

Sat 4/8, 7:30pm. $15. Good Luck Macbeth

Theatre Company, 713 S. Virginia St., (775) 322-3716, www.goodluckmacbeth.org.

PARALLEL LIVES: Mo Gaffney and Kathy

Najimy’s comedy that asks whether life would be better if women were in charge instead of men. Through Sat 4/8, 7:30pm;

Sun 4/9, 2pm. $12-$20. Restless Artists Theatre Company, 295 20th St., Sparks, (775) 525-3074, www.rattheatre.org

THE WORD BEGINS: Merry War Theatre Group presents this play written by Steve Connell and Sekou Andrews that follows the journey of two men discovering the power of words to define love, faith, race and humanity in America. Mashing up spoken word, comedy and hip hop, Richard McIver and Lachlan McKinney deliver hyperkinetic performances in this satire that examines the current American cultural landscape as it appears to a young white man and a young black man. Through Fri 4/7, 7:30pm. $10-$14. The Potentialist Workshop, 836 E. Second St., www.merrywar.com.

SPORTS & FITNESS

GUIDED HIKE: Enjoy a guided hike through

Galena Creek Park with a local specialist.

Please bring appropriate clothing and plenty of water. If there’s enough snow, this will be a snowshoe hike. There will be a few pairs of snowshoes at the visitor center available for rent. The hike intensity varies, depending on the audience. Sat 4/8, 10am. Free, but donations welcome. Galena Creek Visitor

Center, 18250 Mount Rose Highway, www. galenacreekvisitorcenter.org.

RENO ACES: The minor league baseball team takes on the Albuquerque Isotopes. Tue 4/11-Wed 4/12, 6:30pm. $9-$10 general

admission. Greater Nevada Field, 250 Evans Ave., (775) 334-7000.

CLASSES

CONVERSATIONAL SPANISH PRACTICE: Practice

Spanish and improve language skills. Meet other travelers and professionals who are interested in Spanish language and culture. Sat 4/8, 11:30am. $10. Training Connexion, 4600 Kietzke Lane, (775) 3849036, www.trainingconnexion.com.

C@PITAL CODERS: Learn how to code or improve coding skills at Carson City

Library’s new club The C@pital Coders.

The club will practice coding through activities using NC Lab, Makey Makey,

Scratch and more. Tue 4/11, 4pm. Free.

Carson City Library, 900 N. Roop St.,

Carson City, (775) 887-2244.

PORTRAIT SOCIETY OF RENO: PSOR meets

every Wednesday. There is painting from life models (no instruction). For more information, email psor2016@gmail. com. Wed 4/12, 9am. $10. Nevada Fine Arts, 1301 S. Virginia St., www.nvfinearts.com.

WATERCOLOR PAINTERS OPEN GROUP: This is a

group of watercolor painters who paint together and learn from each other. Fri 4/7, 9am. $5. Nevada Fine Arts, 1301 S. Virginia St., (775) 786-1128 long workshops and presentations on various topics. Changes weekly. Topics vary from consciousness to art, music, social networking, theater, etc. Contact ksweetsparlormint@gmail.com if you are interested in facilitating a workshop of your choice. Wed 4/12, 6pm. Free. The Potentialist Workshop, 836 E. Second St., www.potentialistworkshop.com.

COMMUNITY

BLOOD DONATIONS: Give the gift of life. Donors must be healthy, weigh at least 110 pounds and be at least 17 years old. Call to make an appointment. Ongoing. United Blood Services, 1125 Terminal Way. (775) 3246454, www.unitedbloodservices.org.

BLOOD DONATIONS: Give the gift of life. Donors must be healthy, weigh at least 110 pounds and be at least 17 years old. Call to make an appointment. Ongoing. United Blood Services, 1125 Terminal Way. (775) 3246454, www.unitedbloodservices.org.

BREAST CANCER—ON WITH LIFE: Saint

Mary’s team of social workers and educators, as well as other breast cancer survivors, meet weekly to discuss cancer survivorship. The group meets in the Tumor Board Conference Room. Tue 4/11, 4:30pm. Free. Saint Mary’s Center for Health, 645 N. Arlington Ave., Suite 120, (775) 722-1222, www.saintmarysreno.com.

DIABETES SUPPORT GROUP: Terry Lee Wells

Reno Family Support Group offers a supportive environment for parents and children to learn about diabetes management. Meetings include guest speakers, youth activities, special events and parties. This event takes place on the second Wednesday of the month. Wed 4/12, 6:30pm. Free. Terry Lee Wells Discovery Museum, 490 Center St., (775) 856-3839, http://diabetesnv.org.

DOWN SYNDROME FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPS:

Down Syndrome Network of Northern Nevada invites guest speakers to discuss a wide variety of topics and age-related issues from education, health and wellness and recreation to extracurricular activities and other community resources that educate and benefit the Down syndrome community and their families. Thu 4/6, 5:45pm. Free. Vassar-Cordone Nonprofit Building, 1301 Cordone Ave., Ste. 190, (775) 828-5159, http://dsnnn.org.

FRIDAY NIGHT BALLROOM DANCING: The Senior

Dance Club of Reno presents live music, refreshments and three hours of dancing every Friday evening from 8pm to 11pm. Dancing is for all levels. Singles and beginners are welcome. Fri 4/7, 8pm. $7$10. Washoe County Senior Center, Building E, 1155 E. Ninth St., (775) 343-8138.

NEW MOTHERS SUPPORT GROUP: This support

group is free and open to new mothers and their infants. A new topic concerning the postpartum mother and newborn will be discussed each week, including breastfeeding, sleep issues, normal newborn behavior and more. A scale is available for weight checks. Thu 4/6, 10am. Free. Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center, 235 W. Sixth St., (775) 770-3429, www.saintmarysreno.com.

Rebooty and the beast

by AMY ALKON

I’m a woman in my 30s. I was married for five years, but now, thank god, I’m divorced and about two years into a wonderful new relationship. Disturbingly, I occasionally call my boyfriend by my awful ex-husband’s name. He laughs it off, but it really freaks me out. Should I see a neurologist? Is my memory going? Or—gulp—do I miss my ex on some subconscious level? It’s unsettling to have your ex’s name bobbing up when you love somebody new. Naturally, you suspect the worst—that you’re subconsciously pining for the ex. But—good news!—the likely reason for your name swapperoos is something you should find comfortingly boring. According to research by cognitive scientists Samantha Deffler and David C. Rubin, we’re prone to grab the wrong name out of memory when both names are in the same category—for example, men you’ve been seriously involved with or, in the pet domain, gerbils you’ve dressed in tiny sexy outfits.

You might also keep in mind that your ex’s name was the default for “man in my life” for more than twice as long as the new guy’s. Other memory research suggests that especially when you’re tired, stressed, or multitasky, it’s easy to go a little, uh, cognitively imprecise. You send your mindslave off into your brain—back to the “My Guy” category— and the lazy little peasant just grabs the name he spent five years grabbing. So, you might think of this as a mental workforce issue. The Department of Emotions isn’t even involved.

However, research by cognitive psychologist Robert Bjork suggests that you can train your memory to do better through “spaced retrieval”— correcting yourself just post-flub by asking and answering “Who is the man in my life?” and then letting a few minutes pass and doing it again. But considering that you have a partner who just laughs at your errors, your time would probably be better spent appreciating what you have—an easygoing sweetheart of a guy and no readily apparent need for a neurologist. Bottom line: Your calling the guy by the wrong name probably points to a need for a nap, not unwanted company—as in, a tumor named Fred squatting in the crawlspace behind your frontal lobe.

Insecurity blanket

I’m extremely insecure about my looks, though objectively, I know I’m pretty. I constantly ask my boyfriend for reassurance. He gives it to me but feels bad that I feel this way. Now I’m worrying that I’m making such a good case for what’s wrong with me that he’ll start believing me. Possible?

Research confirms what most of us recognize about the especially eye-pleasing among us: They get all sorts of benefits—everything from social perks to job opportunities to discounts when they act like dirtbags.

As a woman, being babe-alicious is a pretty vital tool for landing and maintaining a relationship, because the features that men—across cultures— evolved to consider beautiful are actually health and fertility indicators. So, for example, full lips and an hourglass bod are basically evolution’s bumper sticker: “Your genes passed on here!”

Not surprisingly, psychologist Tracy Vaillaincourt, who researches competition among women, explains that women attack other women “principally on appearance and sexual fidelity” because men prioritize these qualities in their partners. One way women chip away at rivals is by trash-talking another woman’s looks to a man— suggesting he really could do better. That’s what you’re doing—but to yourself.

Beyond that, constantly begging a romantic partner for reassurance—while being kind of a black hole for it—can be toxic to a relationship. Also, the fact that your need for reassurance seems bottomless suggests it’s not your exterior but your interior that’s in need of work. Get cracking on that, and try to remember that your boyfriend is with you for a reason—and it probably isn’t that your mom and grandma are crouched behind your sofa, holding him at gunpoint. Ω

Got a problem? Write Amy Alkon, 171 Pier Ave., No. 280, Santa Monica, CA 90405, or email AdviceAmy@aol.com (www.advicegoddess.com). 04.06.17 | RN&R | 33