ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I began seeing my boss romantically outside of work. After a while, I decided I didn't feel the same way anymore and I don't see myself going anywhere with him in the future. So I started canceling our dates and haven't been answering his texts or calls after work. He has resorted to scheduling us on the same shifts so that we ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Our very cute dog, Wally, has enjoyed the occasional table scrap on top of her usual dog food dinners. As a result, she has added a few pounds to her otherwise sleek physique. Lately, my wife has been gently chastising her, even calling her pudgy.

I'm concerned that this is not only a breach of etiquette, but could have a ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a beautiful daughter in her mid-20s. She is attractive, bright, friendly and hardworking. She has so much going for her. She does have a peculiar bad habit: She picks her nose in public. It's not just a quick pick when no one is looking. This is a thorough deep cleaning without a tissue.

I have tried to talk to her about this...Read more

DEAR ABBY: A friend of mine from college (I graduated four years ago) is incredibly kind but terrible at keeping in touch. She has never been good at responding to texts, but now that we no longer live in the same area, we don't communicate.

When she invited me to her wedding, I was surprised because when she got engaged, I reached out to ...Read more

Dear Annie: I read with great interest the letter from "At My Wits End," whose rude neighbors take up too many parking spots on her street.

We had a similar situation a few years back. After several attempts to resolve the problem, I waited until the street was empty of cars due to street cleaning. I then called all of my friends and had them ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My sister is pregnant and has cancer. Her doctors said her hormones could speed up the growth of her cancer and the baby may not survive the treatment for the cancer. The father is not in her life, so I've been attending all of her appointments, and she's turning to me for advice. She's had a lot of trouble with pregnancy and ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My wife and I have a large deck in our backyard, and have been able to host couples for dinners with proper social distancing in nice weather. Before anyone visits us, we make it very clear that we have been following pretty strict social distancing, and ask that our guests do the same.

We also have a bathroom with a separate...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 36-year-old man living with my father. I also have autism, and because of this, I have had difficulty in dating women.

For a few years, I was on the dating website called I Love Your Accent (I had been on 10 other sites prior to that), which matches American and British singles, but nothing happened.

Then, last fall, I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are both enlisted Army (he -- 20 years, two Iraq deployments; I -- 15 years, one Iraq deployment). We met in the service and have been married for 10 years.

Three years after our wedding, my husband told me he was no longer physically attracted to me. It hurt. A lot. It has been seven years since that day, and we're ...Read more

Dear Annie: I met my husband in college. He was outgoing, handsome and a star athlete. We now have two beautiful babies and, I thought, a perfect marriage.

A month ago, we had dinner with a couple we've known for years. One of them said something about "bisexuals," to which I replied, "There is no such thing. You are either gay or straight." ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I purchased my first home last year. As we came into 2020, the pandemic hit, and my wife and I lost our jobs. We were unable to pay our full mortgage. We scraped together enough money doing side jobs to pay some monthly payments, but we are still behind. Now we are going into 2021, and we are exhausted. It feels like we work ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My fiancee (now wife) and I wanted to have a potluck wedding reception, where instead of bringing gifts, the guests would bring a dish and share the recipe. The wedding was being hosted at my mother-in-law's house -- my wife's decision, as she wanted to be married under a particular tree.

My MIL refused to let us do the ...Read more

Dear Annie: There are three sisters in my family. Two of us are childless. Our other sister now has seven grandchildren. Every Christmas and birthday, my other childless sister and I send a check to each grandniece and grandnephew. We never expect any gifts in return, but it would be nice to receive a text message or an email acknowledging our ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a mom of three young adults, a daughter and two sons. The oldest recently married. My youngest is finishing his last two years of college out of state. Three months ago, he met a young lady.

I have tried constantly to be close with all my children, but the youngest has always kept me at bay. He expresses how different we are. Now...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife and I have been married for 30 years and we've had the same problem all of that time. She doesn't have an outside job, but she doesn't do much around the house, either. She doesn't clean and rarely cooks. It is always up to me to tidy up. I am forever picking up stuff, clearing piles of papers and eating mostly store-bought ...Read more

More than 100 million strong -- and soon to gain majority status in America -- the unmarried community affirms its undependence with this Declaration of Undependence.

I RESOLVE to think for myself in all situations rather than allow anyone (even "experts") to make important decisions regarding the course of my life. While I will remain open to ...Read more