The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current, April 22, 2015, Image 5

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    THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22, 2015
FEATURES
5A
Woman can’t get over this guy Tomorrow’s horoscope
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
Dear Annie: I am a 59-year-old
woman. Two years ago, I met this
guy, “Jake,” and had feelings for
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together one night at a club. We ex-
changed phone numbers and then
talked for about two months.
Jake invited me to his place, and
we made love. For the next several
months, that was the pattern — I’d
go to his place to make love. We
had no dates outside of his apart-
ment, so I backed off.
Jake now texts me often, but I
am determined to stay away. But,
Annie, I love him. I think about him
every day. How do I get over this
man? — Lost in Love
Dear Lost: This isn’t love. It’s
a booty call that you’ve romanti-
cized into something more. Jake is
using you, and he knows your weak
spots. Delete his number from your
cellphone and block his calls. You
can’t get over him if his texts en-
courage you to think about him all
the time. Then make it a point to get
out more with friends. Join a social
organization through your church
or community center. Look into
organizations that appeal to your
creative interests. And do some vol-
unteer work. It will help you forget
your troubles and concentrate on
someone else’s.
Annie’s
Mailbox
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
Kathy Mitchell
and
Marcy Sugar
Dear Annie: So often I read ter-
rible stories of people abused by an
alcoholic parent. I’d like to let your
readers know that not all alcoholics
are monsters.
My father was a proud, honest
man and a hard worker. And an al-
coholic. His drinking caused much
heartache, and many times we didn’t
think he would survive another
binge. But he was the kindest, gen-
tlest man you could ever meet. He
loved his six kids every day of his
life.
Make no mistake, there were
countless times he was so drunk he
couldn’t stand up or remember our
names. And there were many morn-
ings that we watched him cry be-
cause he was so ashamed of himself.
He was in and out of AA programs
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briety in his late 50s. He remained
sober for 32 years. My sweet father
passed away a year ago, and there’s
not a single day that the entire fami-
ly doesn’t miss him.
The one important thing I’d
like to add is that our mother was a
strong woman and smart enough to
teach her kids that alcoholism is a
disease and not a choice. She stood
by him through good times and bad,
but she never gave up on him. They
celebrated 60 years of marriage and
enjoyed their retirement for 20 years
before she passed away.
Please let your readers know
there are some wonderful people
in this world who are alcoholics
and not the monsters we often read
about. — A Child with a Different
Story
Dear Child: It’s true that not
everyone who has a problem with
alcohol or drugs is an abuser of
those in the family. But that doesn’t
mean the person’s behavior doesn’t
have a negative impact on the fami-
ly, particularly the children. We are
glad your father managed to get so-
ber and enjoy a good life with your
mother and leave you with sweet
memories of him.
Dear Readers: Today is Admin-
istrative Professionals Day. If you
have assistants who make your job
easier, please let them know how
much they are appreciated.
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). Just be-
cause you hold an office doesn’t mean you
automatically wield all of the authority as-
sociated with that position. You have to step
up and claim it. Today you will.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There’s al-
ways more to learn, but on days like today,
it’s more important to stick to the schedule,
muscle through and say “good enough.”
You don’t have to be the world’s greatest
expert to get this job done.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Don’t wait for
permission or for someone to grant you the
status you need to move forward. Claim
what you want. This actually makes a lot
less work for others.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). This is one
of those times when it will feel far more
urgent to give than to receive. You need to
know you make a difference in someone
else’s life, and you’ll give until you have
proof.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Right now you
have so many events and items you’re in
charge of that you may find it challenging to
get them into a system that makes sense.
Spend a few hours trying anyhow. You’ll
find something you were missing.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). The tiniest
things can make you happy when you feel
you have earned them. Use this principle
to your advantage by supplying a small but
meaningful prize for another person.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). A lot of peo-
ple won’t even realize the truth of the situa-
tion until you point it out. You will say what
everyone else is thinking and with such a
light touch that they can’t help but laugh.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You can’t
change people, but you can inspire them
to change themselves. Because you look
like you’re having so much fun today, you’ll
influence the people around you. They’ll
want your happiness secret.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You
feel a duty to love, but you don’t always
love the duty. The mundane acts of self-
lessness, like feeding or driving another
person, may not be very romantic, but they
are now among the best ways to show you
care.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Should
you offer your kind service for free? Some
say that people only value what they pay
for. Research and experiment. What’s
working for other people will likely work for
you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Per-
sistence will win out, but only if it’s coupled
with problem-solving skills. Success will re-
quire tinkering. Before you try again, figure
out what went wrong the last time.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Others
around you are trying to rush to the finish.
There’s no hurry! Take your time. You have
a talent for thinking things through. What’s
well conceived will be well expressed.
THURSDAY’S BIRTHDAY (April 23).
Because you surround yourself with fresh,
playful influences this year, you will grow
up without growing old. You’ll be up against
a worthy competitor at work, and this helps
you achieve your best. The special times
with family will make May and June sing.
September and November bring finan-
cial highs. Capricorn and Scorpio people
adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 33,
2, 38 and 16.