Texarkana Gazette

Advice

Houseguest gets goodbye look from friend's husband Dear Abby: After a bad breakup, a good friend and her husband offered me a room in their home. They have two wonderful teenagers. Then the pandemic came, and we all became infected. Published May. 8 2021 @ 4:46pm

Dognapping is on the rise Dear Readers: During COVID, the theft of dogs has taken a major uptick. People are looking for companionship, evidently, and they see stealing a dog as a viable choice to get a companion. These people can also use your dog for resale, ransom, breeding or baiting. Protect yourself and your pooch. Published May. 8 2021 @ 4:44pm

Showing chronic pain who's boss The experience of chronic pain is very personal. What bothers one person badly might not trouble another very much. Published May. 8 2021 @ 4:43pm

More meat maladies and white flour substitutes Q: You keep saying red meat is bad for you, but I don't see why it is any worse than chicken or shrimp -- they have saturated fat too. -- George T., Lake Worth, Florida Published May. 7 2021 @ 6:41pm

Veteran feels used by friend demanding her discount Dear Abby: While shopping with a friend recently, I was put in an awkward situation in regard to a store discount. Having served in the military, I qualify for a discount at that particular store. She was aware of that discount, and while she was at the checkout lane, she yelled at me, "Hey, you! What's your phone number for your military discount?" Published May. 7 2021 @ 6:40pm

Half-sister obsesses over her new-found brother Dear Abby: Six months ago, my husband, "Lee," met his long-lost sister, his father's daughter from a previous marriage. Lee's father passed away when he was 6; he is now 30. Published May. 6 2021 @ 7:13pm

Keep your appointment Dear Heloise: We are currently giving out appointment times for COVID-19 shots, but all too often someone is a no-show. Published May. 6 2021 @ 7:11pm

Start doing this in your 20s Reese Witherspoon, 44, has done dance, strength training, stretching and yoga for years. She gets up at 5:30 a.m. and hits the gym by 7:30 a.m. "I probably do that six days a week," she says. Published May. 6 2021 @ 7:08pm

Boyfriend makes grab for woman's child tax credit Dear Abby: My daughter received her tax refund recently. It amounted to $8,700. Approximately $5,000 is for overpaying on taxes. Approximately $3,000 is the child tax credit she receives for her two children. Her boyfriend, the father of the two boys, thinks he's entitled to some of her money. Published May. 5 2021 @ 7:39pm

Young men, don't go breaking your heart When a 32-year-old Jon Bon Jovi sang, "I am a man on the edge of a broken heart" (1994) and a 49-year-old Al Green asked, "How can you mend a broken heart?" (1995), they nailed the cardiovascular worries that would afflict younger men and women in the next decades. Published May. 5 2021 @ 7:36pm

Back to reality: it's time to cut down on binge watching Dear Readers: You've been at home for over a year now; have you been binge watching your favorite TV shows? You might want to scale back a bit. Published May. 5 2021 @ 7:34pm

Quick solution saves cleaning gloves Dear Heloise: I use rubber gloves for most of my household cleaning. I Published May. 4 2021 @ 5:23pm

Snacking hurts job performance The list of celebrity revelers who partied too hard to make it to their gig the next day is long and legendary. Some, like Rihanna and Justin Timberlake, have mended their ways; others, not so much. But it's clear, celeb or not, that what you consume the night before can have a profoundly negative impact on work the next day. Published May. 4 2021 @ 5:22pm

Wife discovers man's interest in escorts Dear Abby: I just found out my husband has been looking at escorts in the local area. I know he has watched porn, but that never bothered me. When I confronted him about seeing his search for escorts, he said he just clicked on a link that popped up on a porn site. (I have seen them, so I know it can happen.) Published May. 4 2021 @ 5:21pm

Obnoxious boyfriend ruins family get-togethers Dear Abby: We get our children and grandchildren together twice a year. Our oldest daughter is divorced and, unfortunately, has a significant other the rest of our family cannot stand. He's an arrogant, competitive know-it-all Published May. 3 2021 @ 2:47pm

The shopping cart test Dear Readers: Fess up. Do you always do the right thing, even when no one is looking? I'm sure you do. This is called the Shopping Cart Theory. When you're done grocery shopping, do you take the shopping cart back to either the store or the corral, even though you're not required to? There's no bonus for doing it, and there's no sanction for not doing it. Published May. 3 2021 @ 2:44pm

Buddy-up at mealtimes for weight loss success Buddy movies don't always have a happy ending -- take Butch and Sundance, Bonnie and Clyde, even Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. But teaming up with a weight-loss buddy to share mealtimes can have great results. It's proved to help you successfully shed excess pounds and raise your spirits. Published May. 3 2021 @ 2:41pm

Siblings perplexed by their troublemaking sister Dear Abby: My sister is a pathological liar who causes rifts between family members. She tries to turn us against each other. We must constantly check with each other to find out if what she has said about each of us is true. We can't understand why she's this way. None of the rest of us is. When I have asked her, "Why are you lying about me, us, etc.?" she tells me, "I did not lie." I think she believes her lies. Published May. 1 2021 @ 3:50pm

Dog's need for closeness stems from pack instinct Dear Readers: Ever get annoyed when you go into the bathroom for some, shall we say, privacy and your dog follows you in? Don't get peeved. The dog is acting on his natural instincts. Published May. 1 2021 @ 3:47pm

Time to start eating to think and thinking to eat smart every day Your brain is a powerhouse of neurological functions that keep your heart beating, your guts moving, your eyelids blinking and your experiences inventoried. You observe, learn and imagine because of the interwoven networks of neurons, chemicals, hormones and blood vessels. Published May. 1 2021 @ 3:46pm

Physically active jobs versus physical activity Q: I have a very physical job as a stonemason, but it doesn't seem to keep my weight or my cholesterol level down. Why should I still have to go to the gym when I'm hauling things and moving around for hours every day? -- Leon T., Pittsburgh Published Apr. 30 2021 @ 8:32pm

Couple clashes over time spent with sons Dear Abby: My wife and I have been married five years and are raising four children. One is from my previous relationship, one is from her previous relationship and two are ours. We both have joint custody. My son goes to school near his mom. My wife's son goes to school where we live. They are 9 and 8. Published Apr. 30 2021 @ 8:27pm

Dating experience suffers in sex-obsessed culture Dear Abby: I am a 48-year-old woman, divorced for 10 years. During that time, I have been in two serious relationships. I'm no prude, but it seems like everyone I date, and who my friends and I talk to, and articles I see are all about sex, having sex, rushing to sex. It's like there's no emphasis on actually getting to know a person anymore. Published Apr. 29 2021 @ 6:01pm