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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (May 2, 2016)
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, MAY 2, 2016 FEATURES Tomorrow’s horoscope Uncle upset by boy’s advances Dear Annie: I am a 38-year- old single man with a serious problem involving my 13-year- old nephew, “Hayden.” Hayden’s father died when he was 3, and I immediately stepped in as a sur- rogate parent. We share a close, affectionate relationship, and he has spent the night at my house on numerous occasions. There was never a problem until a month ago. During a sleepover, I awoke to ind Hayden had crawled into my bed and was attempting to per- form a sex act on me. I immedi- ately stopped him, and we spent the rest of the evening discuss- ing what happened. He confessed he was attracted to men and had been obsessed with having an inti- mate homosexual encounter since he was 11 years old. He thought I would be receptive to it because I always give him a hug and kiss when I see him. I have been doing this since he was a toddler, and there was never anything remotely sexual about it. Hayden also admitted he has had a few sexual encounters with a 16-year-old male neighbor. I was stunned by all this. I calmly explained to Hayden that a sexual relationship between us was sim- Annie’s Mailbox Creators Syndicate Inc. Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar ply not possible, and that it was dangerous to be looking for that with any adult. He seemed gen- uinely sorry and begged me not to tell his mother. I agreed, but now regret making that promise. I worry he might seek an encounter with someone who may not have his best interests in mind. Do I break my promise and tell my sister, thereby losing his trust? Or do I handle this myself, and if so, how? — Louisville Uncle Dear Uncle: You have han- dled this well so far. However, at some point you will need to break that promise, so irst arm yourself with useful information. Contact PFLAG (plag.org) and encourage Hayden to do the same. Like any teenager, he should understand the emotional and physical risks of becoming sexually active, and he needs guidance. Dear Annie: My daughter received an iTunes gift card from one of her friends. At the birth- day party, she and this friend attempted to redeem the card online, but it did not activate. The friend told her mother the card did not work. Two days later, we attempted to exchange the card at the store where it was purchased, but we needed a receipt. I called the friend’s mother, but she told me she thought she had thrown it out, but she’d check and let me know. Anyway, this particular mother has not contacted me, apologized or tried to exchange the purchase herself. If it were me, I would have taken the card back and got- ten another. Am I out of line? What would be the proper action if this happens again? — Kind of Annoyed in Florida Dear Annoyed: Say nothing. Is it possible this girl gave your daughter a card that had already been used? That would explain a lot, including Mom’s reaction. Yes, of course she should have apologized and exchanged the card herself. However, it was a gift, which means even if Mom was ill-mannered and cheap, you’re out of luck. 5A By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. ARIES (March 21-April 19). One sign of deep affection is the ability for partners to re- lax around one another. Another sign is the resistance to relaxation, wanting to continu- ally impress and improve for your love. You’ll dally in both sides of affection. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Negativity is like arthritis to the soul. It makes your emo- tional body stiff and achy. Stave off negativity; gently stretch into hope. Your worries will dis- sipate as your emotional flexibility increases. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Awkward stag- es happen to all. Furthermore, everyone is weird in some regard. You see beauty in this. Your hospitable demeanor is comforting to one who sorely needed comfort, and it’s at- tractive to all. CANCER (June 22-July 22). You will skill- fully calibrate a person’s interest level and then match it with a response that will ratch- et that interest up a few notches. That’s real talent there, and you’ll be paid well for it, too. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). To volunteer or not to volunteer — that is the question. “Not” is the answer, unless you’re strongly feeling it (and if you were, why would you be asking the question in the first place?). VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You have your eye on a role you’re not exactly qualified to play. It’s what ambitious people do and it’s how you grow. A low-grade razzle-dazzle may be all the distraction you need to get your foot in the door. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). If you knew that your fond dream would come true eventu- ally, would that allow you to relax and enjoy what’s unfolding right now? Trust that the future favors you so you can pay more atten- tion to today. 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 SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There are many sides to you, and sometimes you’re not sure which “you” to bring to the mo- ment. Breathe, relax and focus on the other person’s needs and wants. The “you” who emerges to help will be the perfect fit. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). So much of who you are is coming from a deep- ly entrenched moral belief, a moral belief that someone close to you does not share. Today this could cause an interesting intellectual clash. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It feels like the work is being put upon you, like the meal comes with the package deal, like the circumstances are dictated by another. Is that really so? Or do you have choices you’re not seeing? (Yes!) AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Nothing fits its definition completely, and that goes for people, too. You can sum people up in one look today with a high degree of accuracy. Just know there’s more to learn. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). More spon- taneity is what’s needed, and you probably know just the character who will give this to you, too. This person makes an art form out of the pursuit of happiness, and when you’re around this person you’ll follow suit. TUESDAY’S BIRTHDAY (May 3). There’s a kind of rage in you this year — a fire that burns in your belly and won’t let you quit even when it seems quitting is the sensible thing to do. You’ll reach a personal goal by the end of July. August represents a turning point for your family, and some of the struggles you’ve been dealing with will finally be behind you for good. Capricorn and Aries adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 3, 11, 25, 48 and 16.