FEATURES
6A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 2015
Strange bedfellows raise question Tomorrow’s horoscope
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
Dear Annie: Over the holidays, I
stayed at my cousin’s home. My cousin
has two children, a daughter and a son.
The son is 14 years old.
I noticed that the boy’s grandmother
slept with him in the same bed. I think
she has a weird obsession with the boy.
She is constantly touching him and rub-
bing his back. She always has to sit next
to him. She pays very little attention to
the younger granddaughter. Worse, the
granddaughter told me that her mother
also sometimes sleeps with her brother
(instead of her dad).
I think it is extremely odd for these
women to be sleeping with this young
man, who also still sleeps with his baby
blanket. Isn’t he too old for this? What
is wrong with these women? Should I
say something? — More Than a Little
Grossed Out
Dear More: Yes. We are surprised
that a 14-year-old boy wouldn’t object
more to the sleeping arrangements, and
we suspect he will put a stop to it soon.
If the mother and grandmother are doing
this over the boy’s objections, howev-
er, that is completely inappropriate and
potentially abusive. You could ask your
FRXVLQDERXWWKLVVD\LQJ\RX¿QGLWRGG
and possibly damaging. You also could
mention it to the father, suggesting he
step up and protect his son.
Dear Annie: I read the letter from
“Help,” whose husband naps when he
sleep is important to your health.
If the problem is snoring, dry mouth,
excessive urination or apnea, please see a
GRFWRUWR¿QGRXWZKHWKHUWKHUHLVDQ\HI-
Creators
fective treatment for you. But also check
Syndicate Inc.
your bedroom to make sure there isn’t a
lot of light or noise, or electronic gadgets
Kathy Mitchell
that glow or vibrate. This, too, can inter-
and
fere with restful, restorative sleep.
Marcy Sugar
Dear Annie: I am responding to
“Actively Confused,” whose wife bat-
gets home and then is up half the night. tled cancer and now resents his activities.
She seems to think everyone can handle
I am a lung cancer survivor. My wife
regular nighttime hours.
took care of me for the better part of 18
If I slept every night from 11 p.m. to months, showering me and feeding me
7 a.m., I would be more tired as the week through a tube. She also worked full time
went on, because my body wakes me up outside the home. At the time, I didn’t
multiple times at night. When I don’t set much care what she wanted to do.
an alarm, I sometimes don’t wake up until
As I progressed, I realized she need-
10 hours after I went to bed. If I get up ed to get out of the house and do things
after eight hours, I often need a nap later for herself, even though it meant going
because I did not get enough actual sleep. ZLWKRXWPH7KDWZDV¿QH$VP\PR-
While I agree that seeing a doctor bility improved, I would do things with
might be helpful, his wife can also sug- her even if those weren’t my favorite
gest that he stay up all night one time things. We both knew that I needed to be
and then try to sleep from 9 p.m. until 7 more active, or I’d just waste away on
a.m. He might be able to manage that. the couch. It takes a long time to get your
— John
stamina back, and I still haven’t after
Dear John: Why are you getting four years.
up so much at night? To use the bath-
Together, my wife and I are getting
room? Because something (snoring, through this, and we both realize that
apnea, dryness, light, noise) is waking neither one of us is what we used to be.
you up? While we understand that not With her, our children and good doctors,
everyone has a “normal” nighttime nurses, therapists and prayers, I am still
VOHHS F\FOH D VXI¿FLHQW DPRXQW RI here to try. — Less Active, Not Confused
Annie’s
Mailbox
FRANK AND ERNEST
BLONDIE
THATABABY
SALLY FORTH
STONE SOUP
B.C.
LOLA
DILBERT
SIX CHIX
BIZARRO
MUTTS
NON SEQUITUR
BABY BLUES
WIZARD OF ID
ZITS
ROSE IS ROSE
ARIES (March 21-April 19). You come
to the mysterious door and turn the key
in the lock, and to your utter delight, you
see... Your answer to the question points
to the direction of your happiness. How
can you get there faster?
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your early
memories of faith or religion will have a
bearing on your thought process today.
Recognize that you are still being influ-
enced by someone else’s moral code
even though you don’t completely share it.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Because
of the way our minds work, whatever the
endeavor, the first time is usually the most
memorable one. It’s time for another first
in your life. Make it happen.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). You desire
to grow your brain, yet there is a point at
which reading too many unfamiliar con-
cepts, words and styles makes you numb,
immune to learning or sleepy. Take it in
small bites.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). There’s a sub-
ject that keeps revisiting your mind sever-
al times a day, and this is likely to continue
until it’s resolved. As much as you dislike
confrontation, this is probably not going to
happen without one.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Sitting qui-
etly and waiting for inspiration won’t work.
The muses are likelier to visit you while
you’re walking, cooking, showering or
driving. One good idea could change your
life.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’ll prac-
tice the kind of skill that is pretty easy to
pick up initially but takes years to perfect.
Keep at it. The mastery of common things
can be uncommon indeed.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). It’s not
about what actually happened; it’s about
the context, mood and feeling — the in-
calculable data — that have to line up with
the actual events for the situation to work.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Do
you have the manpower, tools and re-
sources necessary to complete a job? It
doesn’t matter. You’ll cross the finish line
because of your sheer determination.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Maybe
you’re not exactly in a state of harmony
today, but you will be in the near future.
Trust that, and build your resources for the
later date when you’ll need them.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Some
social scientists have concluded that
brainstorming in groups actually impedes
innovation. Whether or not that’s true, the
groupthink will annoy you now, and you’ll
be brilliant on your own.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). There’s
poetry in simplicity, though — with the ex-
ception of nursery rhymes, haiku and lim-
ericks — it rarely happens in the reverse.
You’ll have an audience for the beautiful
simplicity you concoct today.
SATURDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Jan. 31). If
life is a party, you’re the “it” guest this year.
February is a whirl of fun. After March’s
call to clear out negativity and dysfunc-
tion, you’ll work on the fundamental build-
ing blocks of good living again in May. July
and August are focused on a moneymak-
ing venture with a stellar chance of suc-
cess if you don’t give up. Leo and Aries
adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 22,
31, 39 and 13.