ArcaMax

He kept emailing me about the slide. I had already told him what I knew: There wasn't extra funding for a replacement slide. The parks department wasn't ignoring the request. They wanted to redo the entire playground, and in that context, it was a fair question. Was it worth investing in something temporary, knowing it would be replaced?

I ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I are the parents of an 18-year-old son who is a kind, thoughtful and deeply romantic young man. He has been dating the same girl since junior year of high school, and like many first loves, theirs feels very big, very serious and, to them, very certain.

The problem is this: We recently discovered that our son is ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My 43-year-old daughter, "Patti," a mom of two from different dads, is constantly in financial difficulties and periodically asks family members for money. Her live-in boyfriend earns a good living but is no help beyond paying the rent. Their partnership allegedly exists only for the kids' benefit. The two school-age daughters attend ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My mom has always had a troubled relationship with my grandmother, primarily due to growing up in poverty, surrounded by so much uncertainty. Due to her upbringing, my mom vowed to provide her children with a better life than what she had. After high school, my mom left home and became the first one in her family to obtain a ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a neighbor who makes it a point to tell me that she and her husband have an investment portfolio worth $1 million-plus.

I manage a smile and a "That's wonderful!," but I was brought up to not mention such things. And yes, there is an air of superiority and self-satisfied smugness about her comment that does, I admit, ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I are invited to my co-worker's daughter's midweek black-tie wedding at 3 p.m. My husband and I would need to leave work early to attend, and I feel it's a burden to both take time off work and purchase or rent black-tie attire for a warm weather event in the summer.

Is it acceptable to decline the invite and just ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm an ophthalmologist, a physician who specializes in medical and surgical eye care, and I'm hoping you can help me debunk a common myth about eye health. Many assume eye disease happens only to older adults. While age does increase the risk of developing certain vision-threatening diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: A few months ago, I traveled home for winter break and went on a date with a former classmate. I was surprised when he asked me out, mainly because growing up, I was the only gay boy in my grade. To be honest, I really wasn't even that interested in him; I just wanted to see what this was about. Turns out, we get along well. He ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I had a birthday party for my 8-year-old son at a trampoline park. The party package requires an exact headcount, and charges a rather steep fee per child.

Along with my son's friends, we invited some of their siblings, whom we are close with. A parent I'd never met showed up with her son, who'd been invited, and her middle ...Read more

Dear Annie: My neighbor "Rod" installed a motion-activated floodlight that shines directly into our bedroom window every time our dog (or another animal) moves in the yard -- which is often. It goes off all night long.

I mentioned it once, and he said, "It's for security," and suggested we "get better curtains." We already have blackout ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My wife recently immigrated to our current residence in the U.S. from Canada. She has a 23-year-old son dealing with mental illness back in Canada. He refuses to remain in therapy or to hold a steady job, and he failed out of university.

My wife consistently lowers her expectations and continues to support him. As a result, he has ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been going out with this guy for a few months now. He's great. His energy makes me feel comfortable, we have great conversations and he is well-mannered. When we have disagreements, they stay respectful and productive; however, there is one caveat: He has two kids, a son and daughter. They are both in middle school, and ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I work around machinery that features rotating plastic molds. While not common, the molds occasionally catch on a person's clothing and damage the zipper of one's pants. When that occurs, it is impossible to rezip the pants and the person has to replace the zipper when they get home.

If I happen to spot one of my co-workers ...Read more

Dear Annie: Hopefully you can help me. I've read your column for years. My two kids are adults and have kids of their own, and they have always gotten along. However, last Thanksgiving, my son and his family decided not to stay when they found out my granddaughter was there.

My granddaughter is gay and was recently married last fall to her ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: For the past three years, my family has had reunions with my older half-sister, "Sybil." We did not grow up together, and we have very different lifestyles. I grew up with little money and numerous hardships; Sybil grew up having every need and want met. She's successful and wealthy.

I am proud of her and everything she has ...Read more