Ask Amy
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Ask Amy: Husband insists on driving distracted
Dear Amy: My husband insists on being the driver on both long and short car trips. He prefers his driving over my driving, as well as that of other family members or friends. However, he has a bad habit of texting or otherwise playing on his phone while driving. I’ve told him to stop because I...
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Ask Amy: Erotic fiction turns into catfishing reality
Dear Amy: My problem started when I joined an erotic story site. I enjoy writing erotica, and when I joined, I decided to write as a female (even though I’m a man). My stories garnered quite a following. I received a lot of racy emails from men and women. I thanked them for their comments. However,...
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Ask Amy: Invite baby-sitting in-laws to wedding?
Dear Amy: Our older son and his wife are bringing her parents to our younger son’s out-of-town wedding to baby-sit their 1-year-old. This baby-sitting doesn’t feel necessary to anyone except the young parents. The marrying couple don’t mind if the young parents bring their baby to the wedding and...
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Ask Amy: Job seeker needs a little help from his friends
Dear Amy: I am an immigrant. I moved to the United States as a bachelor more than 20 years ago. I have several friends in the same stage of life when we all moved to the U.S. We developed great relationships and over the years settled into a group of eight families. We routinely get together for...
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Ask Amy: Phone use at concert not music to their ears
Dear Amy: My husband and I have season tickets to our local symphony. Before the start of each concert, audience members are asked to silence all cellphones and to NOT record any part of the performance. During the last two concerts we attended, we’ve sat behind several people who have whipped...
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Ask Amy: Romantic remains unfulfilled
Dear Amy: I have been dating a guy for almost four months. We met right before Thanksgiving, so it was lovely to feel connected to someone through the holidays. We even rang in the new year together, sealed with a perfect kiss. From the beginning, we agreed to take things slow, because he was newly...
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Ask Amy: Worker uncovers supervisor's criminal past
Dear Amy: I’m a recent college graduate working in my first “adult” job. I work very closely every day with an older co-worker who essentially oversees all of my work activities. Recently, while trying to connect with him on LinkedIn (with no success, because he isn’t a user), I Googled his name...
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Ask Amy: Mom's legacy is estrangement, and some cash
Dear Amy: In my opinion, my husband taught my children to disrespect me. He has been gone since 2004, and the situation is getting worse year by year. Two of my children have not talked to me for 11 years, and took my grandchildren away from me. I have two more children who are nice to me for maybe...
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Ask Amy: Husband blames car buys on disorder
Dear Amy: My husband is a compulsive spender. He buys vehicles and will hide them and never drive them. For many years, he has blamed bipolar disorder as the cause of his behavior. I understand that bipolar disorder can lead to impulsive spending. However, I think there’s a problem more than bipolar,...
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Ask Amy: Diner wonders about stopping harassment
Dear Amy: This morning I was having breakfast in a cafe and overheard the interaction with our server at the table next to us. Our server was an attractive young woman. Two older men were seated at the next table. They were being rude, asking her questions about her race: “What are you mixed with?”...
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Ask Amy: Introvert seeks quiet in a noisy world
Dear Amy: I am a 26-year-old woman living in LA. I am a friendly, open person. I smile and laugh easily. I’m sure my friends would describe me as “nice” or “sweet.” Despite my disposition, I am an introvert. In order to keep my energy levels up, I need moments alone throughout the day. I use ride-share...
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Ask Amy: Mother's anger exposing her grief
Dear Amy: Twenty-five years ago, when my son was 10, I dated “Carl” for five years. Carl treated me badly, and this created a lot of disturbance in my son’s life and in mine. I eventually married a wonderful guy and forgot about Carl. Seven years ago, my son died in an accident. Around that time,...
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Ask Amy: Spouse's ethical choice affects a long friendship
Dear Amy: I have been friends with a woman for more than 30 years. She is wonderful. Her first husband cheated on her, they divorced, and she married another man within a year. I have been trying to be supportive of her choice in mates. Her husband, “Jake,” works in social work, as do I. Occasionally...
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Ask Amy: Student wants to shake parental chaperone
Dear Amy: I’m a senior college student on a medical leave of absence from school. I’m living at home until I recover. I very much had to uproot my life, and lost much of my independence, due to this sudden ailment, and living with my parents has always been a source of conflict. My boyfriend is...
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Ask Amy: Student debt crisis creates ethical dilemma
Dear Amy: Would it be wrong to ask my mother to use her inheritance from her father (my grandfather) to pay off some of my student loans? I graduated nine years ago into a terrible job market, and I am just now breaking out into a decent, good-paying career. However, I have barely made a dent on...
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Ask Amy: Politics might interrupt neighborly kindness
Dear Amy: Our next-door neighbor is widowed and in her 80s. She has no family nearby, so I often help her with small tasks such as changing lightbulbs, shoveling snow, etc. She is very nice, and we get along well. Recently she posted a radical, right-wing political ad on her Facebook page, which...
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Ask Amy: Facebook tests definition of 'friends'
Dear Readers: I’ve briefly stepped away from my column to work on a new writing project and have been rerunning topical Q&A’s from 10 years ago. Today’s topic surfaced during the dawn of Facebook: social media friendships. Dear Amy: What is the best course of action to take when someone who tormented...
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Ask Amy: Struggling with 'more than friends'
Dear Readers: I’ve briefly stepped away from my column to work on a new writing project. This week, I’m rerunning topical Q&A’s from 10 years ago. Today’s topic: more than friends. I’ll be back next week with fresh columns. Dear Amy: I am a 35-year-old divorced mother of two. During the past five...
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Ask Amy: Fiance moves in, then stops moving
Dear Readers: I’ve briefly stepped away from my column to work on a new writing project. This week, I’m rerunning topical Q&A’s from 10 years ago. Today’s topic: pre-wedding jitters. I’ll be back next week with fresh columns. Dear Amy: My fiance and I got engaged last year. At the time, he was...
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Ask Amy: Phone distractions test relationships
Dear Readers: I’ve briefly stepped away from my column to work on a new writing project. This week, I’m rerunning topical Q&A’s from 10 years ago. Today’s topic: our relationship with our cellphones. Dear Amy: I have a good friend who is very nice, very thoughtful and very dependable. Whenever...
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Ask Amy: Tolerating political differences is evergreen issue
Dear Readers: I’ve briefly stepped away from my column to work on a new writing project. This week, I’m rerunning topical Q&A’s from 10 years ago. Today’s topic: politics and tolerance. I’m struck by how, even though there is a very different president in the White House from when these questions...
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Ask Amy: Future in-law withholds 'blessing'
Dear Readers: I’ve briefly stepped away from my column to work on a new writing project. This week, I’m rerunning topical Q&A’s from 10 years ago. Today’s topic is: boundary-crossing in-laws. I’ll be back next week. Dear Amy: I will be getting married to a wonderful man in a few months. My future...
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Ask Amy: Hub forgot anniversary; who's to blame?
Dear Readers: I’ve briefly stepped away from my column to work on a new writing project. This week, I’m rerunning topical Q&A’s from 10 years ago. Today’s topic is: celebrations. I’ll be back with new columns next week. Dear Amy: I forgot my 18th wedding anniversary. I completely forgot. I discovered...
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Ask Amy: Common frustrations of being in a book club
Dear Readers: I’ve stepped away from the Ask Amy column for two weeks to work on a new writing project. I hope you enjoy these edited “best of” columns in my absence. The questions and answers were first published 10 years ago. Today’s topic: book clubs. Dear Amy: In my book group, we try to keep...
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Ask Amy: Who has the last word on names?
Dear Readers: I’ve stepped away from the Ask Amy column for two weeks to work on a new writing project. I hope you enjoy these edited “best of” columns in my absence. The questions and answers were first published 10 years ago. Today’s column asks: What’s in a name? Dear Amy: My brother and his...
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Ask Amy: To protect herd, nurse urges all to immunize
Dear Readers: I’ve stepped away from the Ask Amy column for two weeks to work on a new writing project. I hope you enjoy these edited “best of” columns in my absence. The questions and answers were first published 10 years ago. Today’s topic is: wellness. Dear Amy: As a public health nurse and...
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Ask Amy: Partners ponder angles on infidelity
Dear Readers: I’ve stepped away from the Ask Amy column for two weeks to work on a new writing project. I hope you enjoy these edited “best of” columns in my absence. All of these questions and answers were first published 10 years ago. Today’s theme is: unhappy partners. Dear Amy: Several years...
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Ask Amy: Grandma doesn't want adopted child in family photo
Dear Readers: I’ve stepped away from the Ask Amy column for two weeks to work on a new writing project. I hope you enjoy these edited “best of” columns in my absence. The questions and answers were first published 10 years ago. Today’s topic is: Petty is as petty does. Dear Amy: I had a child before...
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Ask Amy: Teen wonders how to stop offensive friends
Dear Readers: I’ve stepped away from the Ask Amy column for two weeks to work on a new writing project. I hope you enjoy these edited “best of” columns in my absence. The questions and answers were first published 10 years ago. Today’s topic is: teenagers. Dear Amy: I have a few white friends who...
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Ask Amy: A raccoon stirs up household drama
Dear Readers: I’ve stepped away from the Ask Amy column for two weeks to work on a new writing project. I hope you enjoy these edited “best of” columns in my absence. All of these questions and answers were first published 10 years ago. Today’s topic is: red flags. Dear Amy: A guy I’m interested...
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Ask Amy: Mom feels pressured to distribute inheritance
Dear Amy: Recently, my elderly mother sold her home. She and my disabled younger sister moved in with me and my family to care for them. My older brother, “Randy,” has been calling and asking for his “inheritance,” citing mounting bills and being a possible casualty to the government shutdown....