ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: At our neighborhood dinners, there seems to be a tense atmosphere of Republicans against Democrats. Because of this atmosphere, I have never joined in the conversations about politics because I am trying to stay neutral. Moreover, I was taught as a child not to talk about politics, religion or money. At one of these dinners, the ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I try to be polite and patient when dealing with so-called customer service reps; I swear I do. I've listened to their endlessly repeated robo messages with no choices that fit my problem, their screeching hold-music, and their endless requests for the same information.

If I ever get to a human being, they say they'll put me ...Read more

Dear Annie: For years, I've been the person my family turns to whenever they need help. Now, after everything I've done for them, I'm the one they've turned against.

During the pandemic, my husband and I moved into my elderly parents' home to help care for my seriously ill mother. I'm a healthcare professional, and whenever she was ...Read more

DEAR READERS: The mailbox was bursting with responses to the Oct. 9 letter from Frustrated Neighbor, whose 94-year-old neighbor is bedridden and nominally cared for by a woman who also holds his power of attorney. I'll let the readers speak for themselves:

"Red flags everywhere! The neighbor says the caregiver has his POA, which means she can ...Read more

My dad died at 49. I was 23.

He never wanted me to work with my hands. I've spent most of my patchwork of a career working with my mind. I'm not sure either side gets away without scars. It's perhaps a conversation we could have had over a beer. I never did have a beer and a conversation with him. It might have been more honest.

But death ...Read more

Dear Annie: My daughter is getting married soon, and what should be a joyous occasion has become a source of heartache.

Her father and I have been separated for three years. Although he has repeatedly said he would go to counseling to work on our marriage, he has never followed through.

I recently learned that his new girlfriend has been ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: How much should a neighborhood do to keep up a vacant house? About 15 years ago, a couple in their 50s moved into the end of my cul-de-sac. Their two children were out of college; the son lived elsewhere, and the daughter lived with them.

Almost two years ago, the dad died suddenly. The mom moved out of state with relatives. The ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my friends decided that she wanted to start dating my ex-husband. I have been remarried for two years and I'm completely over him, but something about this makes me feel weird. I have started asking questions about whether they always looked at each other this way and whether I should be upset. There are so many men on ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was watching one of my all-time favorite bands with my wife. Suddenly, halfway through the show, the venue announcer told the crowd behind us to fill the empty seats in the amphitheater. I did not have a problem with that, although I paid double to get our seats compared what general admission paid.

A drunk man and woman ...Read more

Dear Annie: Where do I begin?

My son and our family have put up with our daughter-in-law for 15 years. Although she appears charming to others, she is downright crude to me. I have ignored her rude remarks to me for years, letting time pass, but there is always another conflict. My son puts up with her outbursts of anger, but then she turns ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: We live 500 miles from our nearest relatives, but a niece is attending a university about 50 miles away. We invite her to join us for holidays and weekends, and sometimes she asks to visit to escape from roommate drama.

We love having her, but she often says she's coming at one time only to arrive hours or days later. Last time, she ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm a 45-year-old woman, and a 26-year-old man I've been getting to know wants a serious relationship that leads to marriage. He has been consistent and clear about his intentions. I enjoy our connection, but I've also been honest with him about my hesitation regarding our 19-year age gap. He knows how I feel and remains ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: One of our ladies' restrooms at work has a push-open door; there is no latch and no handle on the outside. One of my co-workers tends to blast through this door at top speed, often startling a person reaching for the handle on the other side.

Today, after narrowly avoiding being struck hard by said door, I'm afraid I made a ...Read more

Dear Annie: My 27-year-old son moved back home eight months ago after his lease ended. The plan was for it to be temporary while he "regrouped." But since then, he's applied to only a handful of jobs. Meanwhile, he's sleeping in, playing video games and getting defensive if I bring up the job search.

I don't want to kick him out, but I also ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm 78, and my husband is 79. This past year, he lost $500,000 through a fraudulent bitcoin site. Fortunately, we have $500,000 left, but I'm so angry about this, you can't imagine -- all of my hard-earned savings, gone. I've had a lifelong dream to go to Italy to see all the amazing art and sculptures. I have scoliosis and suffer ...Read more