ArcaMax

ATTENTION "SINGLE FILE(R)" EDITORS: THE FOLLOWING COLUMN WAS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED IN 2020. THANK YOU. - CREATORS

Cohabitation Quiz

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 ...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

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have developmental prosopagnosia, or face-blindness, and cannot recognize any human faces. I work remotely in a profession that does not require me to interact directly with others. My husband watches TV and movies with me in case I confuse the characters, and goes to parties with me to help me know who I'm talking with.

I ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a mom to a wonderful adult daughter, and we've always had a close bond. We live in the same neighborhood, and our grandkids can walk over to our house anytime. We spend a lot of time together as a family, and I cherish being a regular part of their lives.

My daughter's mother-in-law used to live out of state and only visited a...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My oldest sister has it in her head that since she's home all week, she needs to go out every Sunday. She started calling me every Saturday to invite me to accompany her, which I did a few times. In doing so, I realized she has mobility issues and the beginnings of dementia. She wants to go to these certain places where we would ...Read more

Starting at about second grade, when the novelty of reading about a family of bears started to wear off, I inhaled ghost stories. One of my favorites was "Wait Till Helen Comes" by Mary Downing Hahn. It was about dead kids, dead parents, and, the cherry on top of a trauma sundae, navigating a blended family.

I was lucky as a child. I didn't ...Read more