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.