ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: My ex, "Hank," and I have two sons together. Both are smart, kind, college-educated, hardworking and independent young adults.

Hank is estranged from our younger son, "Andrew." Andrew could never live up to his father's expectations. This is one of the reasons I fell out of love with my husband. He would initiate a verbal ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My boyfriend recently moved in with me, and ever since then, my cat's behavior has completely changed. She's been acting out: scratching furniture, hiding for hours and even refusing to eat sometimes. She used to be calm and affectionate, but now she seems anxious and territorial. My partner is trying to be patient, but I can ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is the polite way to eat large sushi rolls? Sometimes they're too big to comfortably eat whole without gagging!

GENTLE READER: Dissect them.

Miss Manners does not usually condone deconstructing food in public, but these are desperate times. Use your chopsticks to pull out the insides and eat them separately. Then either...Read more

Dear Annie: My friend "Caleb" and I have been close for six years. We met in college, stayed in touch and still talk almost every day. He's been in a relationship for a while, but I recently realized I have feelings for him.

We've never crossed any lines, but it's getting harder to ignore my feelings. I've tried dating other people, but no ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I often see ads about stopping smoking. I'd like to share my story of success in overcoming this filthy habit in the hope that it may help someone else.

I smoked four packs of non-filtered cigarettes every day. At the age of 37, I knew I wanted to quit. I set a goal to stop one month away, and on that day, cold turkey went into ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My fiance and I dated for a little while in high school and rekindled after college. About a year ago, he proposed to me, and I said yes. At the time, I was living with my parents but spent many nights at his place, so eventually, I moved in. It wasn't planned, but I am the oldest of a family of seven children, so I spent a lot ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I are disagreeing on what a proper RSVP is. I sent out digital invitations for my son's birthday party and requested people RSVP to me. Many of his family members "liked" the digital invitation, but did not specifically respond as to whether or not they were attending.

I told my husband that no one from his ...Read more

Dear Annie: My daughter "Kate" recently got engaged to her boyfriend of three years. He's polite and responsible, and they seem happy together. The problem is that Kate doesn't want to invite her father -- my ex-husband -- to the wedding. She says it's her day and she doesn't want the stress of dealing with him.

For context, her father and I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My brother has ALS and lives in another state. He has a wife and children. His wife has decided that when family visits from out of state, they need to stay in a hotel instead of their house because she does not have the capacity to host.

I understand that it is stressful to have houseguests while also being a caregiver for someone ...Read more

These are the core questions asked of every participant in my sexuality survey of single people. See how your responses stack up against the majority voice.

--Have you experienced close friendships with people who could have been sex partners that did not lead to physical intimacy? (About 85 percent said yes.)

If so, did you become closer or ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I've been talking to a guy for about a year now. It has been casual for two reasons: He is unemployed (for quite some time now) and struggling, and I am in the beginning of a divorce -- a messy scenario.

We like each other and have enjoyed talking. Being the person I am, I have helped him in different ways, coaching him on his ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a divorced woman with no nearby family, so I am often invited to the homes of various close friends on holidays. Last year, I was invited to a Thanksgiving with about 30 people.

Upon receiving the invite, I offered to bring a couple of homemade pies. The hosts replied that they would instead like me to bring SIX bottles ...Read more

Dear Annie: A few years ago, a group of us started a book club that became one of the highlights of our month. We'd gather with good food, wine and plenty of laughter, and occasionally even talk about the book. For a long time, it was pure fun.

But over time, one member began to dominate everything. She interrupted constantly, turned every ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I think you once wrote that failure to thank people for gifts is the No. 1 complaint you receive. Well, I can see why!

My daughters, grandchildren, nieces and nephew not only fail to acknowledge gifts which involve thought, time and effort, but they also do not acknowledge receiving them when I send them by mail. My mother taught me ...Read more