ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: Last week, two of my friends produced a major event on behalf of their company. It was an opportunity to build audience engagement, introduce new products and network with other industry professionals. The event turned out beautifully, and they had a great turnout. Over the past month or so, I have expressly shared with these ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I bought our current home about four years ago, although the house itself is about 20 years old. The backyard is surrounded by a standard wooden fence.

The condition of the wood suggests the fence has been there nearly as long as the house, and we think it desperately needs to be replaced. Two of our neighbors ...Read more

Dear Annie: My fiance, "Mark," and I are getting married in six months, and there's one issue I can't shake. His best friend, "Tyler," makes me uncomfortable. Tyler has a history of cheating, drinking too much, and making offhand comments that cross the line -- especially toward women. At Mark's bachelor party planning dinner, Tyler joked that...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I walk around a local lake three times a week. We met another couple there who seemed pleasant until the husband tried to give me his doctor's name so I could "Get that 'thing' removed." ("That thing" being the beauty mark next to my smile.) I told him I wasn't interested.

The next time we met, he brought it up again. ...Read more

DEAR SUSAN: This is my response to your recent column about single women dating married men. You tell us that when the man's wife learns of the affair and gives her consent, single women seem to lose all interest in continuing it. Well, Susan, I disagree mightily.

In the past, I happened to be the other woman, and I desperately wanted him to ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I've been dating my boyfriend for about six months now, and things have been going really well. The only issue is that while we both live in New York City, he lives in Brooklyn and I live in Washington Heights (Manhattan), and the commute is usually over an hour -- sometimes longer if the trains are delayed or rerouted, which ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: At a restaurant, if my food is served by someone other than my waiter and I need to request an additional or missing item (e.g., extra sauce or sour cream), do I make that request to the person who served the food? Or do I wait for the waiter to come over and ask if everything is OK?

Does it even matter? Sometimes the waiter ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been together for 34 years, married for 25 of them. We both brought children from previous marriages into the relationship; he has two and I have two. A week before our wedding, he surprised me with a prenuptial agreement. I had no time to consult an attorney. The choice was to sign or cancel the wedding. At ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a man whose long-distance boyfriend of one year has a married female best friend. (She's his boss.) She is also a tobacco-addicted narcissist who drinks a lot. They chat on the phone and text for hours every day because, as he puts it, "she can't be alone." I think she uses him to compensate for her insecurities. I also think she...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I met a guy about a month ago in a bizarre way: We were riding the same subway car during an off-peak hour and kept locking eyes. He came over and sat with me, and we swapped a few stories. It was crazy but so sweet. He told me that he used to play sports overseas and is now back in New York City opening a restaurant. He invited ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am of Asian descent and have lived in the U.S. for about two-thirds of my life. My pet peeve is when people ask me where I am from. I politely reply with the name of my home state (in the U.S.).

Yes, I still have an accent.

My kids were born in the U.S. and have grown up here; they have no accents and no ties to Asia. And ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been married to my wife for 25 years, and overall, we have a strong, trusting relationship. But something happened recently that I cannot seem to shake, and it has been gnawing at me more than I would like to admit.

My wife's best friend's husband, whom I will call "Charlie," came to her with a very strange request. He told...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My son and his fiancee are getting married in a few months. They are planning a small reception with only their closest friends and family. Unfortunately, this excludes my late father's second wife, "Bonnie," who has been in our lives for nearly 40 years. My son has no particular problem with Bonnie, but she has struggled with mental ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am living with my mom again for the first time in a long time. I am back in my hometown, and as I plan for what's next, living with her seemed like the best idea. Boy, oh boy, was I wrong. Aside from occasional three-week-long visits during holidays, it's been about eight years since my mom and I lived in the same space, and ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When I went to the DMV to get a temporary tag, I noticed that every person in line -- about 25 people, from young to middle-aged -- was wearing their pajamas and flip-flops. They all looked like they had just rolled out of bed.

They were also all on their phones, oblivious to others. I felt like I was in their bedrooms or ...Read more