FEATURES
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JULY 19, 2016
Meat lover worries about love
Dear Annie: I’m a self-proclaimed
meatatarian. I suppose I eat vegetables
from time to time, such as the lettuce
and tomato on a hamburger. But for the
most part, if it didn’t have a central ner-
vous system, I’m not interested.
You can’t fault me for it; I grew up
in the Midwest, where we treated sau-
sage like a food group. I feel manly
when I eat chicken wings, ripping flesh
off the carcass of an animal with my
teeth. Beef, chicken, duck, lamb, rab-
bit, bison, fish — love ‘em all. How-
ever, I also love my new vegan (gasp)
girlfriend.
Vegan Girlfriend is the best, and I’ve
never felt this way before. She seems to
really accept and love all of my person-
ality. She’s even fine with the meatatar-
ian thing, never making any comments
about it and saying it doesn’t bother her.
My family really likes her, although
it’s always a process trying to explain her
diet to Grandma, God bless her. (“No
steak for her, Grandma. ... No, ‘those
people’ don’t eat chicken, either.”)
I’m really starting to believe that
Vegan Girlfriend is the one. But it keeps
nagging at my mind that she’s a vegan
for a reason. Part of me thinks that
underneath all her I-don’t-minds, she is
saying to herself, “How could you stuff
another defenseless animal down your
gullet when there is perfectly good kale
in the fridge?”
Dear Annie
By
Annie
Lane
Creators
Syndicate
Inc.
I love this woman, but I also love
meat. Am I doomed to a life of guilty
animal consumption? — Meaty Mike
Dear Meaty: What’s eating you?
Your girlfriend doesn’t care that you’re
an omnivore. She has said — and I
quote — “I don’t mind.” You’re pro-
jecting. On some level, you must feel
bad about eating meat. Maybe that’s
your conscience nagging at you, or
maybe it’s just your cholesterol. Either
way, figure it out and get right with it.
And it wouldn’t kill you to eat some of
that perfectly good kale in the fridge.
Dear Annie: My younger sister is
a 59-year-old woman who has never
been married. She’s fun, creative and
full of life, and she still has her looks.
I also know she’s really lonely. After a
string of bad boyfriends in her 20s and
30s, she gave up on dating and has since
devoted almost all her energy to her
work and her pets.
5A
Tomorrow’s horoscope
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
She’s gone on a few dates here and
there over the years, but she refuses to
do any kind of online dating because
she thinks that it’s “desperate” and that
“only freaks are out online.” She refuses
to hear me when I say otherwise. Every
time I try to approach the subject of dat-
ing, she tells me that I have no idea what
I’m talking about and that we’re too dif-
ferent to understand each other.
And that’s true. We were never close
growing up. She was the “wild child”
who dropped out of high school, and I
was the “good daughter” who got a col-
lege degree. And there’s a 10-year age
difference. Also, I have been married
for more than 30 years and have two
great kids. I feel guilty and like a brag-
gart every time I talk about my family.
And her resentment has only grown
after the recent death of her pet. How do
I help my sister find someone when she
doesn’t want to hear it? Maybe she’ll
listen to you. — Elder Sister in Omaha
Dear Elder Sis: A white picket
fence and 2 1/2 kids are not for every-
one. Plenty of people live amazingly
fulilled lives without getting married
and having children.
I don’t think your sister would be
“full of life,” “creative” and attractive
if she were lonely and miserable. Once
you stop forcing your idea of happiness
on her, that guilt you mentioned may
magically disappear.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Business guru
Raymond Aaron said, “If you don’t have an as-
sistant, you are one.” You’ll certainly feel like an
assistant as you run around tending to dozens
of details today.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You needn’t
worry about what you’re going to contribute to
others that will mean something. It will all hap-
pen in the moment. You’ll capture hearts by
just being you — the courageous and selfless
version.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Maybe you
made some adjustments because you had
to, not because you wanted to. Still, there’s
strength in versatility. Those adjustments will
work for you, and ultimately you’ll be glad you
were strong enough to bend.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). That person
asking you annoying questions is just trying
to get to know you. Hopefully, it’s flattering that
someone wants to be closer to you, even if that
person doesn’t have a clue how to go about it.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You can easily
sense social tension, and when you do, your
immediate response is to smooth things over
with a joke or diversion. This is just one of your
many charming habits.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You may be put-
ting your all into a project, and yet the desired
result still eludes you. If this makes you frus-
trated, all the better. A touch of angry energy
will push you to reach for and achieve some-
thing better.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). You’re spiritually
generous, and this is why you can be as en-
thusiastic about the successes of others as
you would be if the win were your own. You’ll
rejoice in the chance to celebrate the people
around you.
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). The astral in-
fluences may have you feeling edgy. Among
the many ways to work off this stress, the
easiest way is to exercise. For bonus benefits,
try a form of exercise you haven’t endeavored
before.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’ve
very few regrets. Everything that’s happened,
good and bad, has made you who you are to-
day. You’ll find a way to profit from one of your
past mistakes.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Today will
offer opportunity to develop your inner world.
Your experiences will mimic the scenes in your
mind, so taking charge of your imagination is a
powerful way to bring about the changes you
desire.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’ve a
strong will, big goals and the freedom to pur-
sue them. This is a magic combination. The
current circumstances are more precious and
rare than you think. Use them to your advan-
tage — now!
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’re used to
leading in a certain arena but were you to back
off and let another person help, your schedule
would open up, your load would lighten and
you would be quite impressed by what hap-
pens next.
WEDNESDAY’S BIRTHDAY (July 20). Your
talent for rapport and knack for warming peo-
ple up to you will help you reach a significant
goal in August. You’ll be paid well for this, but
more importantly, you’ll make a difference.
September features you in a new role. You’ll
love what you and a small group build in No-
vember. February will test your skills. Pisces
and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers
are: 4, 10, 3, 33 and 12.