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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 15, 2016)
FEATURES 6A Package thief hurts community Dear Annie: I live in a large apartment building in a very safe part of town. It’s an older building, and all of the mail for the complex is in one room. Large packages are placed by the mailbox in that room rather than brought up the four lights of stairs. A few weeks ago, I purchased a couple of expensive kitchen gadgets online and was waiting excitedly for them to arrive. As the order said ive to seven business days, the more than two weeks I’d been waiting seemed wrong. I work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., so I knew that the package would arrive while I was at work. However, I checked for it every day before and after work, just in case. Nothing. After tracking the package online, I saw that my order had arrived three days earlier. But it had gone missing. I told the apartment manager, and he said there wasn’t any video surveil- lance. The best I could do would be to put up signs asking for info or say- ing that the package had been mistak- enly picked up and to have it deliv- ered to me or the apartment manager. I can be refunded for the kitchen- ware through the online retailer, but, Annie, how do I deal with neighbors stealing my stuff? I don’t feel as safe in this apartment now, even though I’ve been living here for more than four years. — Signed, Sealed, Deliv- Dear Annie By Annie Lane Creators Syndicate Inc. ered ... and Stolen Dear Stolen: If you want to feel safer around your neighbors, get to know them. It’s harder to steal a Ginsu knife from someone you know — and who may be in your kitchen one day — than from a stranger who is merely a name on a packing slip. Consider planning a barbecue or movie night for the complex. You’ll make friends, and the other people in your building will recognize you as an active member in your commu- nity. In the meantime, to ease your mind, have your packages delivered to the post ofice for you to pick up or delivered to your work. Dear Annie: I had my irst child when I was still a teenager, and we’ve always been exceptionally close as mother and daughter. When my daughter had her own children in her mid-20s, I was still young enough to be mistaken for their mom. I’ve enjoyed fun and close relationships with my grandsons and my granddaughter. However, I just found out that my 14-year-old granddaughter, Emma, has been in therapy for the past few months because she was cut- ting herself. She’s been acting out since my daughter and her husband got divorced last year. I heard one of my grandsons talking about Emma’s “sessions” and asked my daughter what was going on. I’ve done some research online about cutting, and I know that Emma’s health should be our main focus. But I’m hurt that no one told me about this sooner. I have always been there for my family and would think my family members would turn to me when things get hard. — Confused Nana Dear Nana: Your daughter is act- ing purely on instinct, a mama bear in survival mode. She hasn’t been thinking about anyone but her lit- tle cub. The most important thing is getting your granddaughter help. It sounds as if she is on that path. Your family didn’t mean to hurt you by leaving you out. Try to remember what it’s like to be in the trenches of parenthood with a young daughter. It’s easy to get tunnel vision when in such a crisis. THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2016 Tomorrow’s horoscope By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’re helpful. You realize when a person needs help but isn’t saying, or perhaps even knowing, that this is the case. In today’s instance it’s best to wait for the request, otherwise you’ll over- help, which helps no one. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Your group is strong and so is its persuasion, but you are among the strongest minds in it. Instead of falling into the “group think,” you’ll be a thought leader, showing the way for your crew. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You tell your stories to friends in a lighthearted social man- ner, but you’re also very aware of the light these anecdotes cast on you. You’re the con- summate politician! CANCER (June 22-July 22). People are still asking you what’s going to happen. They want information that is perhaps best spoken by time itself. You may have a compelling feel- ing about the future, but you certainly don’t want to spoil the ending. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The ones who seem like they have it all together may not have it all together, not by a longshot. But they have it enough together in a few areas to help you in the way you need right now, so go with that. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Real life is not a drill. There are no dress rehearsals. Each mo- ment is distinct and impossible to do over. But don’t let that make you so nervous that you don’t participate. Messing up is half the fun. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). To pretend to know is a very common thing for children to do. It’s part of the can-do spirit. Without a little arrogance, no one would dare. People around may pretend too much today though, and that makes for problems if you buy in. 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). Do you care more about who gets the credit, or do you care more about what gets done? Both sides of the equation are important now, but things will turn out best when you decide which mat- ters more to you. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). This project you’re involved in is getting hard, weird, awkward, maybe even painful. You’ve known failure, you’ve had setbacks, but you’re not even close to being finished. In many ways you haven’t even started! CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). You have the right to be different, and knowing this makes you feel free — even if what you are most compelled to do is make the same choice as the others. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It’s comfort- ing to have a friend on your side; however, what you need more than comfort now is the eye of discernment, the heart of justice and the voice of knowledge — however friendly or unfriendly it may be. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You may feel slightly reckless, and it’s time to rein it in. You didn’t get where you are without exercising a degree of self-control. If you can control a lit- tle, you can control more. SATURDAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 16). In some way you’ve been mismatched, but that’s all about to change. There’s a sparkle in your eye, and it draws in the people who can most make you happy. The journey of getting to know yourself helps matters now through September. Experiment, dare and, most of all, break free from a situation that has become something of a trap. Leo and Li- bra adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 30, 44, 12, 22 and 18.