ArcaMax

Dear Annie: We have one son who is married and has two beautiful children. At Christmas time, I go all out to make sure that I gift the grands things I know they will enjoy and appreciate.

We also exchange gifts with my son and daughter-in-law. This past year, it was an Omaha Steaks assortment, which I know they love to receive. In addition, ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My longtime boyfriend has been divorced for more than 20 years. Every year, his ex comes to stay at his house for a week or two and brings along another female friend. He caters to them, driving them around and entertaining them at restaurants, etc.

I am never included, even though I have expressed an interest in doing so. Am I wrong...Read more

One day soon, in the middle of male-bashing with friends, you're going to discover that you're not participating as enthusiastically as the rest. When that happens, I hope you pat yourself on the back and think of me. It was the exercises of self-exploration in this column that you used to strengthen yourself and become abler to give yourself ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I went on a wonderful date last week. I encouraged myself to go to a networking event alone and ended up meeting an intriguing gentleman. We both decided to show up for ourselves, and throughout the evening we spoke about how we were new to branching out but determined to do so. The conversation felt illuminating yet platonic, so...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a professor at a small university. One of my colleagues has the annoying habit of entering my office without knocking. These are not social visits: She invariably needs help with her computer or wants to borrow instructional materials, and she just opens the door and walks in.

Before we moved to this building, her office...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a problem that feels small when I say it out loud, but it is starting to take up way too much space in my head.

I have a close friend, "Megan," who has quietly turned into the scorekeeper of our friendship. She keeps tabs on everything. If I take two hours to text back, she will say, "Wow, must be nice to be busy," with a ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a widow who has been dating a widower for the past eight years. He's a wonderful man and the love of my life. We both have children, so we have been extremely careful not to cause them any distress with our relationship, and we have kept our home lives pretty separate.

At first, I thought that when the kids graduated from high ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My son moved away a couple of months ago. At the time, he told me that he was able to transfer his job, which would make the move that much more seamless. Last week, he called me to tell me that his employment contract will terminate in the next few weeks. I asked him where this was coming from, and he admitted that he knew all ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have just received a delivery notice that two bottles of wine are on the way to me. This is the fourth such delivery, from a financial professional who manages some of my accounts. I have always sent a nice thank-you afterwards.

The problem: I don't drink wine! I just give it to someone who does appreciate it.

What bothers...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife and I have been married eight years and we have two young kids. They are my whole world. I love being a dad in a way I did not expect. I am the one who volunteers for bedtime stories, who gets up early on Saturdays so my wife can sleep, who actually enjoys the chaos of backpacks, snack cups and little shoes that disappear. ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My daughter-in-law, "Louise," died of cancer five years ago. She was 45; my son, "Pete," was 48. They'd been married for 15 years and had no children.

Three years ago, Pete met "Shelly" through a mutual friend, and they were immediately attracted to each other. Within a year, they were living together and seem very happy. Shelly has ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: A close friend has expressed romantic interest in me. We've been in the same friend group for about eight years now. In recent years, I had suspected there was a bit of chemistry between us, but I always denied it to myself and to my girlfriends when they would ask about it. Recently, this friend admitted his feelings and ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: You must be really happy that the Secretary of Transportation has told us poor wretches who fly economy to dress up for the privilege. Hats and gloves, naturally. I have my grandfather's old fedora, but my wife might have to buy new white gloves.

But why stop at the Perfect 1950s? Shouldn't red-eye flights require tuxedos and...Read more