Lifestyles

Dear Annie: Faux pas during crisis costs him a friendship

DEAR ANNIE: Recently, I had a major social misstep that has essentially pushed one of my best friends out of my life. During the week of my birthday, I had a mid-30s crisis; a string of bad memories from dating and bad luck with women hit me and put me in a very emotionally weakened state of mind. In front of this friend, I was reduced to what felt like a whimpering fool, complaining about my bad luck with dating and women. Two days later, I was back to my normal self and saw her at my birthday dinner with friends. During the dinner, she was distant from me, which was fine, and I gave ...

Hints from Heloise: Baking soda can clean toys

DEAR HELOISE: I use baking soda to absorb odors in my refrigerator. I replace the box about every four months, but instead of tossing out a perfectly good box, I use the remaining contents to scrub plastic toys that my young son chews on. He’s cutting teeth right now. It doesn’t kill bacteria, but it does a great job of removing dirt, dust and saliva from his toys. I have to scrub his toys nearly every day. The leftover baking soda also does a great job on my pots and pans, in the laundry on my husband’s work clothes, and on washable rugs. What a great product! It has so many ...

To Your Good Health: Meclizine doesn’t ease her vertigo

DEAR DR. ROACH: I got vertigo for the first time; not knowing what was happening, I went to the hospital fearing that it could be an aneurysm or a stroke. The hospital told me it’s “just” vertigo, showed me the Epley maneuver, and prescribed meclizine for me to take for three days. A follow-up visit to my primary care doctor a couple days later confirmed the hospital’s diagnosis and treatment. Since the hospital visit a month ago, I’ve had vertigo two or three times a week. Some episodes are so severe that I get nauseated and vomit, and it often takes me out for a full day ...

Thursday evening TV

Bridge by Steve Becker

It has been said that nothing is certain except death and taxes, but the knowledgeable bridge player would add to these the maxim that each player is dealt 13 cards. The backbone of good card play, both offensive and defensive, rests on this simple truth. Take this case where West leads the ...

Feeling sting of supporting daughter’s family

DEAR ANNIE: My husband and I have a 34-year-old daughter who has lived with us all her life (except for maybe a year). She brought her freeloading boyfriend in. I had cancer at the time, and they didn’t even bother to do anything, so she ended up pregnant. I kicked her boyfriend out of the house after finding out he couldn’t even take her to the hospital to have his baby. The baby brought such joy to our lives, but she works at a very part-time job, doesn’t help around the house and stays in her room while we watch the boy. She wanted to get him a dog, so we helped her. If we ...