ArcaMax

Dear Annie: Our local gym opened back up recently. Only half the machines are in use, to encourage social distancing, and only half the lockers and bathroom stalls are available. We're supposed to all wear masks, but of course, sometimes masks come off during exercise when people are breathing hard or jostling around. I understand that that ...Read more

Dear Annie: I realize that this is a difficult issue on which to offer advice, but I suspect it might have widespread interest.

I have found that many friends with whom I have coffee in the morning talk in an exuberant way, and in the process, spew pieces of bagels, croissants and more across the table, often into my face or food. This is ...Read more

Dear Annie: My father did everything he could to make my life miserable, and to deprive me of anything and everything. He treated my brother and sisters far differently, but even so, everyone in the family knew he was one sick man.

My brother committed suicide when he was 21, and after that, my father made a couple of attempts to have a ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have an absolutely wonderful boyfriend who I have been with for nearly two years. The only issue we have is regarding some of my exes. Although I have proven to him that I have no lingering feelings whatsoever, he has a hard time when they come up in anyone's conversation, or if they contact me out of the blue.

Recently, one of ...Read more

Dear Annie: I often go to a large pharmacy to pick up prescriptions. They see hundreds of customers daily, so there is no way the several pharmacists would recognize me. Since I wear a mask and must speak through the plastic shield between us, sometimes they cannot understand me when I say my name and birthday.

I've found a simple solution: ...Read more

Dear Annie: I grew up with an alcoholic father. It made my childhood and teenage years incredibly difficult. It strained my relationship with my dad throughout my entire life. I have since been moved out of my parents' home, for about 10 years now, and the distance has made it easier to accept the fact that he will never change, despite ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married for 37 years. We were separated for five years and, recently, have started spending time together again, with an interest in reuniting. But we've found that we get along better while he has his apartment and I have my apartment. We both really like having our independent spaces, even if we spend ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 73 years old and having feelings like a 17-year-old. "Richard" and I were an item in high school. It ended when my mother would no longer let me see him. I didn't know why at the time. Many years later, I figured out why; but it's complicated and has no bearing on what's going on now. However, I always regretted how things ...Read more

I feel some days I just can't handle our society and the cruelty of men and women toward other humans or defenseless animals. My life has been full of neglect, disrespect, abuse (mental and physical) and loneliness, so I'm accustomed to it. However, when I hear a story about people neglecting an innocent child, or a dog being left inside a ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been following the recommendations for protecting ourselves and others from COVID-19 in recent months. Although we've missed seeing our kids and our grandchildren, we've stuck to our guns on this, even as others around us have begun to take a more relaxed approach. We've only recently started to see our ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been with my husband for 23 years now, married for the last eight. A year ago, I found out that my husband had been communicating with an old high school girlfriend without my knowledge. They ran into each other seven years ago and had been talking daily. He used his work phone so I wouldn't be able to suspect anything. She ...Read more

Dear Annie: Every year, my sister organizes a family reunion, which is held at a local botanical garden the weekend after Labor Day. She reserves the location and coordinates the food. There are usually 60-70 people, and the adults are assigned to "setup," "serving" or "tear-down/cleanup" crews.

Last year, I requested to be part of setup (as ...Read more

Dear Annie: My letter about how to deal with my wife about getting a second dog made it in your column. I never in my wildest dreams ever thought it would! This is a nightmare right out of a TV sitcom whereby the husband does something stupid that publicly humiliates his wife, and their neighbors and friends are privy to the inner workings (or...Read more

Dear Annie: I love my wife very much and try to be a good husband. However, my wife has an explosive temper. Whenever she is mad at me, she punishes me by not speaking to me. This time, she has not spoken to me for almost a week. On the other hand, she can talk to her friends on the phone for hours. What should I do? I am exasperated. -- Out ...Read more

Dear Annie: What is the protocol when a dear friend repeatedly uses an incorrect word or incorrectly pronounces something when speaking to you? For instance, recently, my friend was speaking of the proper "protocol" for visiting a doctor's office (under these pandemic conditions), but she said "portacol," which is not a word. It was not a slip...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been dating this guy for almost nine months, and we often talk about getting married. Yet, I find myself preoccupied with a small thing: He doesn't accept my friend requests on Facebook. Several times now, I have sent him a friend request, and it hasn't been accepted. After three days, I get embarrassed and go to his page ...Read more

Dear Annie: My daughter, "Connie," left home when she was at 17 to join the army. I was going through a separation, and then divorce, from her father. Before leaving, she was very unruly and hard to handle. So her father and I decided to sign her up for the army since she was underage. I still had a 16-year-old son at home to raise as well.

...Read more

Dear Annie: Shortly after I was born, my mother and biological father divorced. My mother later married the man who I grew up with and will always call "Dad."

I didn't know about all of this until I was about 12 years old when my parents told me that my grandmother from my biological father wanted to see me after all these years. Over the ...Read more

Dear Annie: For over four years, I was with and engaged to who I believed to be an incredible man. He was smart, funny and hardworking. We had to live in two separate states for work, but I commuted as much as I could and helped with his bills. I learned six weeks ago he has been cheating on me. I told him to go be happy.

Honestly, I meant it...Read more

Dear Annie: We were in the same situation as Divided Family, anticipating an eight-hour drive to New Orleans for a family wedding we really wanted to attend. We decided not to go because of the pandemic but sent not only the usual wedding gift but also the money that we would have spent on the trip there.

That clearly showed the bride and ...Read more