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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (March 27, 2015)
FEATURES 6A Alcoholic son needs help Dear Annie: My youngest son is 34 years old and lives with my wife and me. He is an alcoholic and is unemployed, with no in- terest in getting a job. He helps at home by doing the cooking. He is a great cook by trade. He was laid off as head cook at a restaurant and can’t get over it. My son is a good person, and I love him very much. He claims he was blackballed. He has had 10 good jobs over the past 15 years, but has had at least five DUIs and has been in jail three times. Could this be true? Is there any way I could get him out of the house and into a work program? My wife will not back me up when I tell him he has to get a job. — Beside Myself Dear Beside: Employers rou- tinely refuse to hire those who have a drug or alcohol problem and have been arrested multiple times. It has nothing to do with being “blackballed.” Regardless of his cooking skills, your son is not a reliable employee. Before you check out a work program, please see if he will go to an AA meeting (aa.org). You and your wife could also benefit from un- derstanding how you may be en- abling your son’s drinking, which Annie’s Mailbox Creators Syndicate Inc. Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar undermines his efforts to find employment. For you, we recom- mend Al-Anon (al-anon.alateen. org). Your son can still turn his life around, but he needs to get off the booze first. Dear Annie: I could have writ- ten the letter from “Tired of Shar- ing,” the woman in her 50s who was dating a man who always had a group of women around him. It brought back vivid memories of a crazy time in my own life. I, too, met a man who seemed witty and funny. I fell hard, ignoring all the signs of a lousy relationship blooming on the horizon. My guy had a harem of wom- en, too. They were only “friends” whom he talked about all the time. They knew no boundaries and would call him at any hour for anything. If they wanted help, he’d drop whatever he was do- ing, leaving me to handle stuff at home by myself. How stupid of me not to know that the relationship could only go downhill. My life was a living hell for a long time, culminating in a ner- vous breakdown. I finally had enough and moved out, and it was the best thing I ever did. He ended up marrying one of his “friends.” I dodged a big bullet. There is life after such a hor- rendous mistake if you get out in time. I always thought I had to have a man in my life in order to be happy. But after years of dat- ing and being in unhappy rela- tionships, I gave it all up, and I’ve never been happier or more free. It’s exhilarating to know you can do for yourself and be truly con- tent with life. I would never go back to that crazy lifestyle. Tell that woman to run away as fast as she can. She’ll be glad she did. — Older and Wiser Dear Older: No one should re- main in a relationship where you don’t feel valued, where you think you have to put up with constant mistreatment and disregard be- cause otherwise you would be on your own. There are worse things than being alone, as you have learned. 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 THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015 Tomorrow’s horoscope By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Believe your gut reaction — the one you had be- fore you got the chance to intellectually process things. It was the first response you had, and it came with a physical sen- sation. It was correct. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). If you stay too long among those whose sen- sibilities are not well matched with your own, you’ll start to feel lonely. What good is having a sense of humor if you’re the only one who gets it? Seek communion with the likeminded. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Your intuition will most likely communicate in whispers. What you need most is to direct your excel- lent listening skills inward. This effort will be rewarded with a delightful discovery. CANCER (June 22-July 22). As you meet new people, keep in mind that the beginning stages of a relationship will set the tone for the rest of it. What is the first impression you’d like to make? LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). A true love is a constant companion regardless of phys- ical vicinity. Your heart feels this person’s presence. Your affection makes you ac- countable, even at a distance. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Beauty, by its very nature, is a temporary state. Ap- preciate it, and capture the memory of it in any way you can, but don’t spoil it by trying to make it last forever. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). If you cel- ebrate often, there will often be things to celebrate! That’s why it would be a shame to let today’s achievement (especially if it’s yours) go without commemoration. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). How are you going to make more money in less time? The answer will have less to do with being efficient than with choosing projects that make you lose track of time altogether. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). There’s safety and strength in numbers. If anyone can get the whole group to agree, you can. And there will be extra points if you get them to agree and act as one united front. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Life isn’t always about finding that one thing you want to do and doing it like crazy. Sometimes life is about exploring op- tions. Sometimes life is about making the most of your in-between time while you wait. Be patient. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Lack of sleep can be blamed for bad moods and attitudes, as well as poor choices, illness and more. Catch up. Get all you need. It will make the rest of your weekend better. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Liking the idea of something and being committed to it are two different things. You may be wise to take your time with an idea, because once you commit, you won’t be satisfied until you see it through. SATURDAY’S BIRTHDAY (March 28). The highs and lows will even out during this hugely productive cycle. Improve- ments in daily life allow you to focus on an interest. You’ll meet mentors and money- makers in April. In May, your unorthodox methods get the right kind of attention. You’ll make a difference and be credited as a life changer in July. Gemini and Vir- go people adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 45, 16, 31 and 27.