FEATURES
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2016
Groom’s mom a problem
Dear Annie: My iance, “Kyle,”
and I are supposed to get married in
three weeks, and the venue — his
mother’s house — is falling through.
Kyle and I are on a budget and
were engaged for a year trying to save
up enough to even begin planning our
wedding. Then Kyle’s mother gra-
ciously offered to lend us her house
for the event. It’s a big old place with
a lovely backyard. We thought it
would be perfect.
We picked out food options (with
my aunt and cousins as the cater-
ing team), took care of the DJ (we
put together a massive playlist of all
our favorite songs) and sent out invi-
tations (which our graphic-designer
friend made). It was shaping up to be
our dream wedding, even on a mod-
est budget — that is, until a week ago,
when my soon-to-be mother-in-law
went into meltdown mode.
She’s stressing out majorly, saying
it isn’t fair for us to put so much pres-
sure on her. The thing is, I’m not even
sure what she’s talking about. Kyle
and my bridesmaids and I have taken
care of all the big items on the to-do
list. And we’re really laid-back peo-
ple, so even if something were to go
wrong or be missing, we wouldn’t get
angry. We just want to get married.
Unfortunately, she’s blown every-
Dear Annie
By
Annie
Lane
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
thing out of proportion and, just to
make things worse, dug up old family
drama. She and Kyle got into a huge
argument about a week ago and hav-
en’t spoken since. What should we
do? Postpone the wedding? Look for
another venue? Sedate her? — Bride-
to-Be or -Not-to-Be
Dear Bride: Put away the tran-
quilizers. With some luck, words will
be enough to calm the mother of the
groom down.
Weddings can be a sensitive time
for all involved, illed with excite-
ment and nerves. Marriage is a huge
milestone and signals major change.
Kyle’s mom is probably feeling a mix
of competing emotions. She’s happy
that her son has found in you a life
partner, but she’s also probably deal-
ing with the fact that she will no lon-
ger be the main woman in his life. She
could be taking out her anxiety on
something she can control — namely,
the venue.
Be patient with her. The fact
that she was so excited to lend you
her house to begin with leads me to
believe that she can be persuaded.
You and your husband-to-be just
need to assure her in every way pos-
sible that everything will be handled
by the two of you; her only duty is to
be there.
Dear Annie: As a newly sin-
gle woman who has been staying in
motels alone for the irst time in my
life, I have realized that I am com-
pletely ignorant about at least one
subject. I have no idea how much
tip you are supposed to leave for the
maid. Some motels leave an enve-
lope for this purpose. I usually end up
leaving all the cash I have, but I don’t
know whether that is too much or that
is too little. What is the right amount?
— Uninformed
Dear Uninformed: The Amer-
ican Hotel & Lodging Association
recommends tipping housekeepers
$1 to $5 per night, leaving cash in a
marked envelope or with a note. Visit
the AHLA website for a handy gratu-
ity guide, which includes suggested
tips for shuttle drivers, concierges and
other hotel staff.
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
5A
Tomorrow’s horoscope
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Are you
going to do what you said you would do?
That’s all they care about today. Hopefully,
you underestimated what you would do,
and the delivery will be over your promise.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You might
be very bored with what’s going on today,
and that’s really just a challenge to look a
little deeper. There’s always a pretty thing
to be admired, a problem to be solved.
There’s always a day to be made.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). When you
don’t exactly know how to manage what’s
going on down low, look up high. Is there
a higher thought that resonates with
you? A guide, a cloud formation, a sky
that speaks to you?
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Small
thinkers will go disguised as “reasonable”
people. They may tell you about limits
that are true for them, but that does not
mean that the same rules apply to you.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The market is
calling you. You’ve something to sell, and
they definitely want it. How will you po-
sition this? Knowable, likeable, trustable:
You’re all these things.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Something
you set up one way will end up another.
There is nothing reasonable you can do
about this. Settle in. That is just another
way of saying, “Chill.” It’s going to work
when you calm down.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). “With liberty
and justice for all”: Well, that’s a big state-
ment with a big meaning. Your sign of
balance and fairness, you really get that,
live it and mean it. What are you going to
do about it today?
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Your
plans are solid, meaning that nothing has
been left to chance — but chance doesn’t
like that at all. This is the time she will reb-
el, elbowing her way into the equation.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The
dynamic between two people is compel-
ling. Fake or real — it depends a lot on
the medium. Of the ones you observe
now, you’re wise to be a little skeptical.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). There
is safety in being shy. If you feel like hid-
ing, it’s a signal that you will benefit by
doing the opposite. Take one step for-
ward. Put yourself out there, even if it
feels foolish.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You
sought a position in the middle because
you thought it would be logical and eas-
ier, but it wasn’t. There is no middle. It’s
always the start of something or the end
of something.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Life is an
experiment. No one ever really knows
how a choice will turn out; they just get
adept at playing their odds. And the only
way to do that is by building experiences
— choosing and then choosing again.
TUESDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Sept. 27).
You can’t help who you are. That’s the
sad way to look at it. Who you are is a gift.
That’s the happy way. This is your year
to start making good on all those things
you thought were “different” or “flawed,”
because it turns out that those are your
assets. Lean into it. December and June
will be your best months financially. Libra
and Your lucky numbers are: 30, 1, 11,
13, 29 and 4.