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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2016)
FEATURES 6A Friend is becoming a liability Dear Annie: For 10 years, I have had an unwritten business partnership with a woman 26 years my senior. It has mostly worked well, until “Doris” crashed her car into a tree two years ago and had her license suspended. Though no one was hurt, and the tree survived, the car was totaled, and Doris isn’t allowed to drive anymore. Since then, her many friends have provided transportation for her. Her children, two of whom are within an hour’s drive, have helped shuttle her around, but not as much as the rest of us. Worse, they don’t acknowl- edge their mother’s shortcom- ings. They don’t know what her schedule is like, and how much her schedule impacts those of us who deal with it on a regular basis. Lately, Doris has become a liability regarding our real estate business. She forgets details about contracts, inspections and disclosure. I end up doing all of the work and still splitting the commission with her. My bro- ker, who is Doris’ partner of 40 years, won’t intervene. Doris comes to the of¿ce four days a week, and I know she needs that Annie’s Mailbox Creators Syndicate Inc. Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar structure. How do I keep her from wrecking the business and still preserve her dignity? — Not Her Daughter Dear Not: We commend you for being kind to Doris, but you aren’t running a charity. More importantly, you aren’t doing Doris any favors by ignoring her problems. Please talk to her children and her partner directly. Explain that Doris is having dif- ¿culty with her memory, and that there may be other medical issues. It may even be that the car crash caused some of this, or vice versa. Suggest that she get a check-up and ask her doctor to test for executive functioning. Then consider giving Doris a new title so that she still has a job, but is no longer in a posi- tion to mess up the contracts. Perhaps you can pay her a sal- ary that is more commensurate with her current contribution to the business. Dear Annie: We have friends whom we’ve hosted for din- ner at least a half-dozen times in the past few years. But they have never invited us to their home. They once invited us to dine with them at a restaurant, but they did not offer to pay for our meal. We are reluctant to keep invit- ing them to dinner at our house, as they make no effort to recip- rocate. However, we do enjoy seeing them. What do you sug- gest? — Feeling Used Dear Used: Had they treated you at a restaurant, that would have been a ¿ne way to recip- rocate, because not everyone is comfortable entertaining in their home. But since they expect you to pay your own way, we suggest you continue with that method. Invite them to join you at a restaurant and split the bill. That way, you can continue to enjoy their company, and no one feels taken advantage of. And it’s per- fectly OK to periodically enter- tain them in your home, should you wish to do so, as long as you expect nothing in return. THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2016 Tomorrow’s horoscope By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Warming up isn’t just for exercise or hard work. Every- thing you do today will be better when you honor some kind of ramp up to the main ac- tion. Breathe, stretch, ease your way gently from one thing to the next. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). A simpler life appeals to you. You see the elegance in having less stress, clutter and confusion. Furthermore, you’re in a mood to make the hard choices about what to cut. Watch out, world! GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Not only do you have a genuine love and excitement for the day’s subject matter, you have a specif- ic map for getting from point A to point B. Avoid kinks by working it through on your own once more before sharing. CANCER (June 22-July 22). Stay frugal even after you get the means to buy the fan- cier version. Living on less than you make is wise, but living on much less than you make is true freedom. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). How well are your experiences building on one another these days? When you’re living well, each experi- ence transforms from or expands upon the last. When you’re not living well, each expe- rience repeats the last. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). People show you, through their attention, how they think and feel about you. Are you satisfied with the quality of attention you are receiving? If the answer is “no,” then today is a fine day to do something about it. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Youth has its own kind of reality. You’ll be an objective wit- ness to this today with just the level of de- tachment necessary to enjoy the situation FRANK AND ERNEST BLONDIE THATABABY SALLY FORTH PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN B.C. LOLA DILBERT SIX CHIX BIZARRO MUTTS NON SEQUITUR BABY BLUES WIZARD OF ID ZITS ROSE IS ROSE without completely buying into it. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You’ll come upon your opposite again and be at once fascinated, frustrated and intrigued by this person. Should you take things further? It may benefit you, but it won’t get any easier. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’re not seeking dramatic change, but a few key refinements could up your entire game. That you’re able to note subtle delineators is a mark of your good taste. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). They’ll bring you complexities and intricacies. You bring the practicality and quick solutions. This may very well be the most productive day you will have all month. You’re a life whiz! AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). What you once thought was a natural progression now seems like an overly ambitious plan. That’s because you’re listening to skeptics. This is still within the realm of possibility; you’ll need more help is all. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Privilege is costly. Whether or not the experience is really worth the cost is up to you. Chances are it’s going to take you a good while to de- termine this. In the meantime, you’re better off saving your money. WEDNESDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 17). You’ll put ideas into action this year, which is why, over the next six weeks, it is so im- portant to test out those ideas and pull out the best ones. Let friends help you. Ask for public opinion. Take a vote. April and July are stellar opportunities to travel and gain influence. Music and love will fill your sum- mer. Cancer and Taurus adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 5, 30, 2, 33 and 16.
