FEATURES
6A
School is hyper-involved
Dear Annie: My 10-year-old’s
school administrators are over-the-
top nosey and won’t stay out of our
business. I think they mean well, but
at times they try to micromanage the
care of our child. For example, his
favorite pair of shoes are falling apart,
and although he has new shoes, he
prefers the old ones. The school sent
home a pair of shoes, as if we couldn’t
afford to buy any. It seemed insulting
and passive-aggressive, and my son
liked those shoes even less than the
new ones we’d bought him. So that
was a waste.
Also, our son recently had a cut
that became infected. The school
nurse spotted the beginning of the
infection, so we are grateful for that,
though we were watching it closely,
too. We took him in immediately
and began treatment. The school
sent home notes about where we
could take him in case we could not
afford a doctor. (We can and have
never implied that we don’t have the
means or insurance.) The adminis-
trators even sent instructions on how
to give him a bath using Epsom salt
for the wound. They know that we
are both professionals with advanced
degrees, yet they treat us like nimrods.
— Capable With a Cub
Dear Capable: Unless the school
addressed the note home to “Mr. and
Dear Annie
By
Annie
Lane
Creators
Syndicate
Inc.
Mrs. Nimrod,” you’re jumping to con-
clusions. I guarantee that the adminis-
trators were just trying to help.
Your son really shouldn’t wear
shoes that are disintegrating — no
matter what he “prefers.” A 10-year-
old might prefer to eat pizza rolls three
meals a day and play Xbox all night;
that doesn’t mean you let him.
We make concessions where
we can as parents, but some matters
aren’t up for debate. Make your son
wear the new shoes, no matter how
much whining follows. (I know, I
know. Easier said than done.) Some-
times cubs need tough love.
Dear Annie: My brother-in-law
keeps borrowing money, and my
husband just can’t say no to his big
brother. This wouldn’t be a problem
if we were Rockefellers. We’re not.
We both work full time. We have kids
of our own to put through school. We
are barely scraping by and even have
debt. We’re just not in a position to
lend money.
Larry, my brother-in-law, seems
to have a new career every year.
This year, he’s trying to get his real
estate license. Last year, he started an
online store, which never took off. In
the past, he’s tried photography and
painting.
It’s hard to watch him fail, and I
would feel sorry for him if I weren’t so
ticked off that he’s lushed thousands
of our dollars down the drain along
with each of these new enterprises.
And now I ind out that behind
my back, my husband co-signed a
loan, which his brother defaulted on,
and we had to take out a second mort-
gage on the house to pay it. How can
I get my husband to stop giving him
money? How can I stop resenting
both my brother-in-law and his wife
for this? — Broke and Bitter
Dear Broke: You’re right. He’s
wrong. But you probably married
him because you fell in love with his
generous disposition and his desire
and willingness to help others in need
— qualities at play here. Recognize
that big heart of his while also telling
him it’s unacceptable to make such
decisions behind your back. Tell him
that his continuing to do so would be
a betrayal of your trust.
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, AUGUST 1, 2016
Tomorrow’s horoscope
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). As for this funny
responsibility you’ve taken on, which you prom-
ised in a more or less unlimited capacity: At the
time that promise was made, it did seem that
you’d likely enjoy this absolutely forever. Well,
forever isn’t over yet.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Owing to your
“do it yourself” spirit, it won’t cost you too much
to learn what you want to know. Internet class-
es, library books and YouTube videos, coupled
with tenacity and practice, will get you there
rather quickly.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). A fuller life
doesn’t have to be a more complicated life.
You’re on a mission to simplify. You are espe-
cially interested in streamlining your relation-
ships, priorities and domestic processes. You’ll
succeed in this today.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Probably there’s
no need to be sorry, especially in a professional
setting. If you understand that you were wrong,
it’s fine to mention it and make plans to correct
it, but an apology won’t be necessary.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You make sense.
Trust that. If they don’t understand, try again a
different way. If they still don’t understand, go
back and break your ideas down further so you
can articulate them in their simplest form.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Because you
made the first friendly gesture long ago, you
will now find yourself in a most auspicious situ-
ation with lovely people that you wouldn’t have
otherwise gotten to know. Kudos!
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). In order to be hap-
py, you really don’t need for the circumstances
to change. It would be nice! But it is in no way
necessary. Your happiness follows that mag-
netic attitude of yours, always has, always will.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). No one will
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
know it in a hundred years. But the ones who
know about it now will talk like crazy for a while,
and there’s little to be done about this except
to stay out of it, refusing to add fuel to the fire,
which will soon burn out.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The fast-
est way to get over upsetting events is to wal-
low in the discomfort they have caused until it
gets old and boring to you. This won’t happen
overnight. Then again, you could be healed by
this time next week.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). If the dog
carries a bone to your yard, he’ll also carry it
to someone else’s yard. Gossip is the same.
Repeating the story, to anyone at all, will make
you party to gossip mill. You’ll avoid trouble by
staying out of this one.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). It’s not about
winning or losing today, it’s about being confi-
dent enough to take action. The idea may not
be good, the action may not be right, and yet
life will be different and better because you
made your move.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). As for that lot-
tery, in many ways you’ve already won it. Your
blessings are remarkable and unique. Your
awareness of them is possibly the greatest
blessing of all because it brings more good-
ness into your life.
TUESDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Aug. 2). First you’ll
get extra money to fund your interest. Your
curious mind will seek the back story; your re-
search will lead you to deep knowledge, pro-
found understanding, rich relationships and
an enhanced experience of daily life. The op-
ponent you come up against in September will
spur you to new heights. Virgo and Sagittarius
adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 6, 13, 29,
33 and 48.