ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: It's been almost two months since my boyfriend and I moved in together. He's lived with romantic partners in the past, but this is my first rodeo, and I'm struggling to adjust. It's not anything that he does -- except for the fact that he looks forward to being with me every day, every night, every morning, every meal ...

I feel...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When meeting people -- job interviews, the doctor's office, the bank, or just meeting new people socially -- I have encountered an idiosyncrasy that bothers me. When coming face-to-face with someone for the first time, I have often been asked, "What was your name?"

This strikes me as odd. Since I am currently still using my ...Read more

Dear Annie: What do you think about friends who give gifts such as thrift store items or items that they no longer want in their homes? I have one friend who gives thrift store items to me as gifts. They are almost always cracked or chipped with the thrift store tag still on them and wrapped in used tissue paper.

Then I have another friend ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: There is an 8-foot privacy fence all around my backyard, except for a small path that goes from the corner of the driveway around the side of the house. You can't see the path or the backyard from the street.

The other evening, I was grilling dinner when a pair of young women walked right up inside the fence. One of them introduced ...Read more

"She makes me laugh. We have fun together." "Just being with him is fun." It's more than possible that the same person who brings a smile to your lips has soul mate potential. Let that thought percolate awhile and my hunch is that pretty soon you'll be nodding in agreement. Thing is, finding humor in the same things could be an important common ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: If I want to start a conversation with a stranger -- say we're next to each other on an airplane -- I might comment on the book they're reading. Similarly, is it OK if I comment on their tattoo?

Especially if it's a tattoo of a name or other words, it seems like it was put there so people could read it.

GENTLE READER: You ...Read more

Dear Annie: Every year, as soon as October rolls around, my husband and I start having the same argument: Whose family gets us for Thanksgiving?

We've been married for 12 years and have two children, ages 7 and 10. Both sets of grandparents live about an hour away, and both families expect us to spend Thanksgiving with them.

My mother starts...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I was sexually assaulted at work about 20 years ago. I went through an off-and-on cycle with that supervisor for almost a year. He used many different tactics: isolating me, befriending me, apologizing insincerely, stating that he was a pillar of the community and no one would believe it, and even telling me I hadn't meant it when I ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My life partner and I are blessed to have a tight-knit family and a small group of close friends. We have a nice, modest home and we are pleased to host the above on holidays.

We have twice run into issues with our sewer lines being plugged. On both occasions, the technicians have pulled out "flushable" wipes from the system....Read more

Dear Annie: My in-laws are in their mid-80s, and for most of their lives, they appeared to be quite wealthy. They lived in beautiful homes, entertained lavishly and traveled frequently. They were successful in real estate and should have been financially comfortable in retirement.

Over the years, extravagant spending, poor investments and ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My sister-in-law lives across the country. For years, we shipped each other's children Christmas gifts. A few years ago, she went through a difficult divorce and has since stopped sending gifts. While we didn't discuss it, I figured it was a financial strain, which is understandable.

My issue is that we continued to send her children...Read more

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