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ANNIE'S MAILBOX(R)
Dear Annie: I am currently engaged to an exotic dancer, and we recently found out she is pregnant. Times are tough right now, and this is the problem: I was laid off but receive unemployment while I search for a new job. My fiancee recently told me …Read more.
ANNIE'S MAILBOX(R)
Dear Annie: I have been married to a wonderful man for less than a year. We are both in our early 40s, educated, with good jobs and have no children at home. The problem is, my mother-in-law is driving me crazy. She is a lovely person, but has …Read more.
Annie's Mailbox, November 7
Dear Annie: My parents divorced 18 years ago, and Dad has had numerous partners and wives since. Three months ago, Dad found out he had stage-four colon cancer. Two weeks after his diagnosis, he married "Sue."
Here's the problem: Before he …Read more.
Annie's Mailbox, November 6
Dear Annie: Last weekend, my daughter, my grandchildren and I attended an exhibition at a well-known museum in Chicago. While waiting to enter, I saw a boy around 8 years old trying to comfort his toddler sister, who was crying. The mother was not …Read more.
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Annie's Mailbox®, November 9Dear Annie: I work for a wonderful company as an "administrative assistant extraordinaire." I love what I do and do it well, and I adore the owners. A major headache for me is "Maxine," the woman who covers for me when I'm away from my desk, running errands, on vacation, etc. When I return to my desk, clients and employees from my office and our other offices often comment that Maxine comes across as uncaring, unhelpful, rude and just plain miserable. It's true. Even when she hands me a file or a message, she just says, "Here," holds it out for me to take and then leaves. A lot of times when I've needed to forward calls to her, she's on her cell phone talking to friends and just ignores me. She never offers to help answer the phone when I'm busy. Management and the owners of the company are aware of her shortcomings but say backing me up is not Maxine's main job and, therefore, not a critical issue. My company plans to hire a receptionist in the future, but at this time, it's just not possible. Annie, I find it hard to believe that Maxine is unaware that she lacks people skills. She is an organized, presentable woman. I want to bring up the issue with her, but she makes me so uneasy that I don't know how to do it. Can you help? — Terribly Frustrated Dear Frustrated: Maxine is being insolent because she resents covering for you and behaves accordingly. Her performance does not reflect on you. It reflects poorly on the company. However, your supervisors have made it clear that they value Maxine and have no intention of doing anything about her rudeness — and she knows it. Tolerate as much as you can, and if anyone complains about her, tell them they should take it up with management. Dear Annie: I am a 12-year-old girl in a weird predicament. There's a 13-year-old boy, "Alex," who lives up the street. He has a huge crush on me. Alex claims he just wants to be friends, but all the things he says behind my back frighten me. I would like to let him down gently, but I really don't want to be his friend. What should I do? — Scared of Him Dear Scared: We think Alex is like a lot of 13-year-old boys who say things they believe will impress their friends because they don't have the maturity to handle their emotions well. First, talk to your parents about what Alex has been saying. They need to know. Then, when they are nearby, tell Alex politely that you find his remarks offensive and frightening and you cannot be friends with him unless he becomes more respectful. Dear Annie: "Upset Wife" thinks no one knows about her drinking, and she was angry that her husband told a niece who also has a drinking problem. Believe me, everyone in the family has known about the wife's drinking for some time. Neighbors and friends know, store clerks, the school principal very likely knows. Her children are dealing the best they can with an alcoholic mother who is emotionally absent much of the time. I am fairly sure they do not have friends over. I feel compassion for her husband, who is probably overwhelmed much of the time. His enabling behavior allows his wife to live in self-deception, a key ingredient of addiction. There is help. Al-Anon is a welcoming source of healing, empowerment and hope for family members living with an alcoholic. I know. I wish their entire family wholeness and happiness. — Vermont Dear Vermont: Many readers said "Upset Wife" is fooling herself if she thinks she is hiding her drinking. Anyone who wishes to contact Al-Anon (al-anon.alateen.org) can do so by calling 1-888-4AL-ANON (1-800-425-2666). Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailbox@comcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, P.O. Box 118190, Chicago, IL 60611. To find out more about Annie's Mailbox, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.
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