ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: I'm a man in my early 30s who has made a career switch. My new field requires me to be more social because I will be meeting with colleagues, some of them older than I am, and attending trade shows, meetings, and business and social networking outings. This was never part of my former job.

I'm somewhat shy, and I can be uneasy in ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Our neighbors, "Wanda" and "Bob," have agreed to care for our house and cat when we vacation. We told them we'd like to pay them for their troubles, but Wanda says they want to do it for free. Bob just smiles.

Judging by her body language, Wanda seemed offended when I asked her how much she'd like to be paid. You see, I'm sure we can...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. A fellow AA member suffered critical injuries in a motorcycle accident recently and had been in the ICU for several weeks. I visited the hospital regularly, bringing cookies and offering support to his girlfriend, who is also in the program.

During my last visit, I unknowingly arrived at the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I've been married for 19 years to my second husband, "Jack." Our children are grown. When we met, I was a business owner, and he was retired. He has had numerous medical issues and procedures, and I have always insured him on my health plans and been his advocate. We have always had separate bank accounts and a household account we ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have read letters in your column from women whose boyfriends or husbands flirt with other women in their presence complaining about feeling hurt and embarrassment. I was married for 25 years to a man who flirted with other women while we were dating and also after we were married. I told him many times that it hurt my feelings and ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I love my cousin "Carly" like a sister. We come from a large family, and both of us are estranged from our mothers (who are sisters) as well as our siblings. We're OK with this because we have no room for toxic people in our lives.

Recently, Carly has fallen on hard times -- a bitter divorce and a failed business. She lost one son in...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I walk around a local lake three times a week. We met another couple there who seemed pleasant until the husband tried to give me his doctor's name so I could "Get that 'thing' removed." ("That thing" being the beauty mark next to my smile.) I told him I wasn't interested.

The next time we met, he brought it up again. ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a man whose long-distance boyfriend of one year has a married female best friend. (She's his boss.) She is also a tobacco-addicted narcissist who drinks a lot. They chat on the phone and text for hours every day because, as he puts it, "she can't be alone." I think she uses him to compensate for her insecurities. I also think she...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My son and his fiancee are getting married in a few months. They are planning a small reception with only their closest friends and family. Unfortunately, this excludes my late father's second wife, "Bonnie," who has been in our lives for nearly 40 years. My son has no particular problem with Bonnie, but she has struggled with mental ...Read more