Friday, May 16, 2003 DEAR ABBY: Yesterday, my 27-year-old daughter was
coming out of a store behind a woman who was reeking
of very strong perfume. It triggered an asthma attack
and my daughter ended up in the emergency room.
Would you please remind your readers that they should
apply their perfume with discretion, and that there
are people who are allergic to it and could end up
seriously ill if they are exposed to it? -- KATHY IN
NEW MEXICO
Dear Kathy:
My readers are being reminded as they read your letter, however it is not possible to allergy-proof the entire planet. It is quite sad that your daughter has this affliction, and she will simply have to be more cautious than others.
DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend recently gave me a beautiful
engagement ring. It is custom-designed. I like it, but
I also remember a story he told me when we first began
dating. He mentioned he'd had a ring designed for an
old girlfriend, but she had refused it. Abby, I think
this is the same ring! It makes me uncomfortable
knowing that the ring he gave me might have been
designed with another woman in mind.
Should I ask him about it with the fear he might get
defensive? Or should I adopt a "don't ask/don't tell"
policy? -- NEEDS TO KNOW IN KNOXVILLE
Dear Needs:
If you think you can be happy whatever the ring's history (or lack thereof), then you can be happy about it whether you ask him or not. If you cannot be happy if it is the ring designed for the ex, then ask him, and give it back to him if it is, and see what happens from there. If it bothers you that it might be the same ring, but you don't feel comfortable talking with him about it, then you should not marry him.
DEAR ABBY: Last summer I met "Lauren," a single mom
who was new to our neighborhood. We began jogging
together in the mornings. When she needed help
trimming a tree, I volunteered my husband, "Dave," who
was happy to help.
After that, Lauren began calling Dave for every favor
she needed -- going with her to buy tires, helping to
paint two bedrooms of her house, getting an estimate
on her car and taking her kids on motorcycle rides --
some of which last all day. Lauren recently told Dave
she doesn't like me, and that I have started false
rumors about her, which is totally untrue!
Both my husband and Lauren maintain they're "just
friends." Clearly, she has become more HIS friend than
mine. When an attractive, single woman calls a married
man eight times in a two-hour period -- something's
up.
Dave says I need to "deal with it" -- that he has a
good time with her and her kids, and he's sorry I feel
he's putting me second. It's to the point that I may
ask him to move out. Dave says he's put too much money
in our house to leave. What should I do, Abby? --
TIRED OF BEING SECOND FIDDLE
Dear Tired:
You should tell him to move out. If the only reason he isn't leaving is because he's put too much money in your house, then he shouldn't be in the house. He can decide then if he wants to start putting you first again, or if he wants to start putting money into Lauren's house.
1:21 PM
Dear LeBaroness
DEAR ABBY: About eight years ago, I ordered your two
cookbooklets and I loved the recipes, especially the
Spicy Shrimp or Lobster Appetizer and the Gourmet Rice
Pudding you offered. I loaned one booklet out -- and
never got it back -- and misplaced the other. Are they
still available? If so, how can I get copies of them?
Have you tried a Google search? There are all manner of recipes on the internet, free for the taking. There are also lots of other great cookbooks out there. For a great cookbook you'll refer to again and again, as well as enjoy reading (yes, there's that much there!), I highly recommend The Cook's Bible. For a lot of very well-explained, fail-proof recipes, as well as the science behind them, you can't go wrong with Cookwise. And don't neglect local cookbooks, which are so often great, despite the risk of occasionally finding flawed recipes doomed to fail. I hope you have learned about the pitfalls of being some inconsiderate individual's personal library and about the importance of keeping track of one's possessions.
12:44 PM
This is asinine, even by SF standards. I will not call them hare-brained idiots, however, as I believe the wild hares that hang out in the backyard, right in front of the window where the vicious canine watches them, licking his chops in anticipation, are smarter than the average resident of San Francisco. Further, I will assert that the aforementioned canine, who has been known to unilaterally launch pre-emptive attacks on innocent baby rabbits, is more compassionate than the residents and leaders of the City by the Bay.
11:13 AM
