ArcaMax

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I had an art show last summer, the week before my birthday. An old friend stopped by and purchased a very nice glass platter (over $150) for her daughter.

As she was paying for it, she told me that this sale was my birthday gift. I smiled and said "thank you." I didn't really know how to react.

Then at Christmas, as I opened...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I'm a university professor and a woman in her early 30s. I was attending a talk and arrived late. The only place to sit was a small couch, big enough to seat two (or perhaps three, but it would be a tight fit).

A male graduate student arrived a few minutes later. He sat down and stretched out on the couch, putting an arm on ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We love our neighbors, but an increasing number of them -- parents, children or both -- are appearing at our front door to sell products for fundraising purposes. We are asked to buy cookies for the Girl Scouts, popcorn for the school team, pizza for the PTA, and so on.

The money goes to good causes, and the parents are ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am the event manager at a very sexy and trendy nightclub. We host fun parties every week.

We have a regular guest who is absolutely smitten with me, but he is not my type. I feel obligated to cordially socialize with him whenever I see him, due to the customer service standards at my job.

When it comes to relationships, I ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have been married to the same man for 40 years. He has recently decided that opening doors for me, serving me first at dinner, and other forms of respect and thoughtfulness are "sexist."

I fix dinner for him daily, do his laundry, etc. -- all of the things that a "traditional wife" does. I recently retired from a great ...Read more