ArcaMax

DEAR MISS MANNERS: For work, I often attend meals with assigned seating -- not just assigned tables, but individual chairs. I really enjoy these events, since they are opportunities to talk with seatmates I may not know well, or at all.

So I returned to using assigned seating at dinner parties in my home, hoping to replicate the opportunity for...Read more

Dear Annie: I have worked for the same company for six years and, until recently, truly enjoyed my job. I have always had strong reviews, good relationships with my co-workers and a reputation for being dependable.

Eight months ago, we got a new boss, and the entire mood of the office changed.

She rarely raises her voice or says anything ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My father is in his mid-80s. He has been to the hospital several times in the last month because of age-related medical conditions. A family member is vacationing here and wants to stay at dad's house for a week instead of a hotel or bed-and-breakfast. Dad told me he's not feeling up to it, but he doesn't know how to tell them without...Read more

There's a consultant who comes to give us a quarterly report, and each time, I marvel at their ability to speak and smile at the same time. They also give slight nods when they would like you to agree with a point they are making. It is a class act, especially since I have spent the week noticing how few people seem able to read a room, let ...Read more

Dear Annie: Two members of my extended family have ADHD. One is receiving counseling and medication year-round and is doing very well. My grandson, however, is being treated quite differently.

He takes medication for ADHD, but as far as I know, he is not receiving counseling or much help understanding what ADHD actually means. What worries me...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a retired executive chef, divorced for many years with three adult children. My son was also an executive chef, but no longer. He is a mean alcoholic. He stays drunk when not at his job, and he says cruel and nasty things to all family members. His older sister has written him off because of all the hurtful things he has said ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently read my teenage daughter's diary. I wasn't looking for anything in particular or worried that she was hiding something from me -- I was honestly just being nosy. She often leaves her diary lying around, so I convinced myself that perhaps she didn't consider it completely private. What I read, however, has left me ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I'm a college student who used to share the common area of my dorm room with one girl, Missy, while a third roommate, Artemis, has her own room with a door. She has a boyfriend (with his own apartment) who is over all the time, which I didn't mind, because he's a nice guy.

But since Missy left, Artemis and her boyfriend have ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been a teacher for 19 years. I've quit my job and have what I think are panic attacks when I think about going back.

Throughout my career as a mandated reporter, I've had to call the authorities multiple times, and I've always been a shoulder for children who've been abused to cry on. I never let it interfere with my attitude...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have a group of friends who get together once a month, usually for a casual dinner. Next month's gathering will be to celebrate three birthdays, one of which is mine. While planning this gathering (via text), I asked if we could skip exchanging presents and just enjoy our time together. The response from my friends was "No! We're ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I love my friends, but I hate how inconvenienced they have made me. My friends and I are all college students who met freshman year living in the dorms. It was so easy to hang out with one another because we all lived in the same building and were basically joined at the hip. This year, three of my friends have moved nearly an ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I live with my daughter and her husband. He prefers to be the cook for dinner, and he's good at it.

He also has a new job as a mechanic. He changes oil and tires, and is training as a master mechanic apprentice. He's a great guy and I'm very happy for him.

The issue is that he comes home and washes his hands before he cooks,...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband retired last year after 40 years as an engineer, and we finally started planning the life we'd been talking about for decades: travel, hobbies, quality time together.

But three months after he retired, he accepted a series of offers for "small consulting projects." He accepted without checking with me, and since then, ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have a mother-in-law of 30 years I distance myself from. I do this in order to maintain my sanity. She seems incapable of carrying on a normal conversation and responds to any comment or question by talking about herself, even though it usually has nothing to do with what was said. What bothers me most is when she's around our adult...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I just got a new job, and it's a lot of fun and even more responsibility than I previously had. My boss is cool and we often work long hours together, including going to tons of social functions. My boss doesn't drink, but I do. She says it's OK if I drink, but I realize it's a little tricky. The other day, we were out super late...Read more