ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently started dating someone who's great in almost every way, but there's one issue that's starting to bother me: He's constantly on his phone when we're together. Whether we're out to dinner or watching a movie, he's always scrolling through social media or checking work emails. When I bring it up, he insists he's just ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I got married at an early age, but the marital bliss was short-lived as my wife died a few years later. That was 20 years ago, and I have since built a new, happy life for myself.

In this new life, I have never had any desire to embark on another long-term relationship, let alone remarry. I enjoy being on my own, although I ...Read more

Dear Annie: I don't understand why people see me as a threat. I have no devious plans or intentions. I've never been in a fight. Throughout my life, I've been bullied -- from elementary school all the way through college -- by the same girl. Despite everything, I've always tried to help others. I feed the homeless, even though I am homeless ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 38 years. We have three adult children and four grandchildren. I have always wondered whether I have stayed in the marriage out of obligation and/or because I got a young woman pregnant. I have on many occasions asked myself if I should have ended it and continued on with my life after the first child was born....Read more

The emails started early this year, alongside the creep of holiday decor where fat Santas pushed skeletons off the endcaps so fast that the turkeys just waddled back to the clearance aisles. Those emails all carried that corporate form, interlaced with out-of-office alerts and the familiar refrain of "Let's circle back after the holidays."

It's...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my co-workers has had a lot of personal stuff on her plate lately. I am always an advocate for work-life balance, because no matter what, you should always take care of yourself (mentally, physically, spiritually, personally -- whatever that looks like). Normally, she goes above and beyond for the team, so I wanted to ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: At several gatherings with friends and family, the food is blessed by holding hands during a prayer -- after I have already washed mine in preparation for eating.

Holding hands defeats the purpose of washing them, but I don't know how to avoid it during the prayer. Refraining from holding hands, or immediately rewashing right...Read more

Dear Readers: Thanksgiving has a way of sneaking up on us, doesn't it? One minute we're rushing through the year, taking the kids to games and meeting deadlines, and the next we're standing over turkey and wondering how the year flew by so fast. But beneath the noise of the dinner table and all the pie crusts, this day gives us something rare:...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I married 20 years ago. We have a blended family of eight kids, but it's just us now. Our kids are scattered across the country. Over all these 20 years, we have never taken a vacation just for us. We have always visited family.

Now, after scrimping, saving and planning, our dream trip is finally happening. We are ...Read more

All right, moving right along to continue the findings of that exploratory survey you began last time here in "Single File":

--Do you expect to have sex on the first date? (About 76 percent of women said no; 6.7 percent said yes; 13.8 percent said sometimes. As for men, 15.1 percent said yes; 75.6 percent said no; 9.3 percent said sometimes.)

...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend has always made comments about my weight, saying that I'm too skinny and that I should eat more. At first, I tried to laugh it off or change the subject, but over time, it started to really bother me. I have felt self-conscious and frustrated, but I didn't know how to tell her how hurtful her remarks were.

I'm not sure...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My home has an open floor plan with the kitchen, living room and dining area all combined. This leads to guests meandering through the kitchen area while we're preparing food.

No approach I have used has been successful to deter this. How do I approach my dear aunt at Thanksgiving, who is a repeat offender? She hovers over ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm writing about my sister, "Claire," who seems to be living two completely different lives. By day, she's a high-powered attorney, wearing tailored suits and commanding boardrooms. But on weekends, she disappears to a tiny town in Michigan, where she rents a cabin and paints. None of her colleagues know about her art, and she ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My child "Logan" is the product of a sexual assault. He has located his father and formed a relationship with him. Logan didn't know the circumstances of his conception at the time he contacted his father. He has now been made fully aware by our family as to what occurred.

Abby, Logan has invited this person to his wedding. I do not ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend "Janice" is mad at me. We had plans to go to a food festival, and she canceled at the last minute. I had already bought both tickets, and since she said she couldn't make it, I didn't want the tickets to go to waste. I asked another friend if she wanted to go instead, and she happily agreed.

About an hour before the ...Read more