ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: My family and I are gearing up for our annual family vacation. My oldest child is in a relationship and has been badgering me about wanting to bring his girlfriend. I would prefer not to bring her along on an intimate weeklong trip because I feel that her clothing can be rather revealing, and she doesn't seem shy about PDA. I ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I needed to have the washer and dryer replaced in my apartment, and two maintenance workers showed up to do the work around breakfast time.

I usually make breakfast for my husband before he heads to school, but I felt uncomfortable cooking for the two of us without offering anything to the maintenance men who were there.

So ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am concerned that my wife has given up on life and there is nothing I can do to help.

For background, I am a 67-year-old man, and my wife is around the same age. We married about 20 years ago, and she was able-bodied and working.

She has multiple health issues. She is at high risk for cardiovascular problems, based on family ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My father's wife, "Carole," loves to thrift-shop. She enjoys hunting for a good deal, particularly if she can find things for our 5-year-old daughter, "Liana." It's sweet how excited she gets when she brings over a pile of new clothes.

The problem is, Carole has really different taste than my husband and I do, and most of her ...Read more

Let's take a summer break from the usual, same-old (yawn) essay format and sprinkle some questions about living together as a lifestyle choice and (quite possibly) rebellion against marriage. My nationwide survey saw it coming, this fast-growing option, but no one could have predicted its overwhelming numbers. As it turns out, this extra-legal ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Over the past few years, I've been fortunate enough to do well in my career and build some financial stability for myself. I'm proud of how far I've come, especially because my sibling and I grew up without much, and I know how hard it is to break out of that cycle. The problem is, my sibling seems to resent me for it. Lately, ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am trying to drink more water, so I set an alarm on my phone to remind me hourly. Sometimes I am in public when the alarm (birds or crickets chirping) goes off.

I turn it off immediately, but my husband says the noise is rude. But if I could remember to shut off the alarm when leaving the house, I wouldn't need an alarm to ...Read more

Dear Annie: After living in separate cities for most of our adult lives, my older sister moved just a couple of miles away from me a few years ago. One unexpected benefit of her being nearby is that we are often invited to join mutual friends and extended family for dinners out. Since I am financially able, I usually pick up the tab and do ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Years ago, I purchased your recipe booklet which had a very good recipe for gazpacho (no oil in the recipe).

I no longer have that booklet. Could you print the gazpacho recipe? Also, is the booklet still available? There were several other dishes in it I enjoyed preparing. Thank you. -- BRENDA B. IN BOSTON

DEAR BRENDA: I'm pleased ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my co-workers keeps going to my boss about every little thing he thinks I'm doing "wrong" -- even when it's something minor, subjective or easily fixable. It feels like he's constantly monitoring me, waiting for any small mistake or oversight, and instead of coming to me directly, he escalates it to my supervisor. This has...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I have joined a fitness club. The policy of the gym is that members do not talk on their phones in the workout area.

While there is very little of that, many people do talk with each other and text on their phones. The problem is they sit on the machines while doing so -- sometimes for five or 10 minutes.

...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 26-year-old woman deeply in love with someone my parents can't stand. He's not what they envisioned for me; he's rough around the edges, has tattoos, rides a motorcycle and works with his hands for a living. My parents like clean-cut, college-educated types in suits, and he's the complete opposite.

Yes, he has a bit of a "...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married 33 years, but the last 10 years have been extremely difficult. His attitude and selfishness during that time led me to strongly resent him.

He's now telling me he has changed and things will be different, that I am important to him and he will consider my thoughts, feelings, wants and needs going ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I had an intense relationship with a special man for nearly a year, and then he ghosted me. A few months later, he came back, but it has never been the same. He claims that his life is complicated right now, which includes him being out of work. I told him I could deal with that -- for a while, at least -- if he was attentive in ...Read more