FEATURES
6A
Fear is grounding wife
Dear Annie: My wife is ter-
riied of lying. Always has been.
Back when we were deciding on
a honeymoon destination, I con-
vinced her we should try Hawaii
— and she spent the light so on
edge that it must have taken years
off her life. I felt terrible. It was the
last time she went on a plane. That
was 15 years ago.
Her phobia hasn’t interfered too
much with our lives up until now.
We live within driving distance of
all her extended family members.
The issue has to do with my
parents, who live out of state. They
used to come visit us once a year,
and I’d usually ly out to see them
once a year on my own or with
one of our kids. But they’re get-
ting older, and traveling is becom-
ing more dificult for them. I would
really like my wife to visit them
with me at least once a year. She
loves my parents, but she’s so petri-
ied of lying that she doesn’t even
consider it an option.
Do you have any tips to help
calm the nerves of an anxious lier?
Or should I give up trying to con-
vince her? — Grounded
Dear Grounded: It’s time to
ground your wife’s nerves. Try to
talk to her about what it is she is so
Dear Annie
By
Annie
Lane
Creators
Syndicate
Inc.
afraid of. Is it the actual lying or
that she might have a panic attack
on the plane? Inquiring about her
fears will help her feel supported
and more connected to you.
After she opens up, she might
consider trying hypnotherapy,
which some formerly anxious li-
ers swear by. Cognitive behav-
ioral therapy, which asks people
to examine their thoughts and the
evidence (or lack thereof) that they
have for their thoughts, is another
option. If you still can’t get her to
agree to planes, there are always
trains and automobiles. Although
a road trip requires more time off
work, who knows? Maybe the trav-
eling time would be a great bond-
ing experience for you and your
wife.
Dear Annie: I get so many
return address labels in the mail
that I could wallpaper my whole
house with them! I did not ask for
them, and I don’t need them. They
are such a waste. Could you please
print the contact info for the ofice
that people can call to get their
names off these lists? You will be
doing a lot of us a great service.
— Spammed
Dear Spammed: The Direct
Marketing Association is a trade
organization comprising thousands
of businesses that send direct mail.
In the interest of placating the pub-
lic, DMA built a website, DMA-
choice.org, that lets you adjust set-
tings to receive less or different
promotional mail.
In addition, register with Cat-
alogChoice
(https://www.cata-
logchoice.org), whose stated mis-
sion is “to stop junk mail for
good.” Another such nonproit
is 41pounds.org, named for the
amount of junk mail the aver-
age American receives each year.
There is no central database with
which you can register to stop
receiving all junk mail forever, but
by dovetailing these free services,
you can cancel a good amount of
unwanted mail, reclaiming your
inbox and sanity.
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016
Tomorrow’s horoscope
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). You do cha-
risma today like you were raised in charm
school, with a dash of spice that lets them
know you most certainly weren’t. It’s all
working for you now, so enjoy!
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There are
those around you who will be indignant in
the face of the fallen, blaming them for their
own folly. Does the blame really matter? To
stretch out a hand to the one on the ground
is among the finest instincts of humanity.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). When you
want something but don’t take the action
necessary to bring it into being, well ... you
probably don’t want it very badly. Go back to
that original desire. Touch it and test it. Poke
it and prod it until it tells you about itself.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). The way
you see it, there’s no such thing as good
art or bad art. It either speaks to your soul
and brings you pleasure or it doesn’t. In the
case of the latter, just because it’s not for
you doesn’t mean that it’s not for anyone.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’re ever aware
of other people’s attention spans. This is
practically inherent — a secret and rare
sense for timing and a talent for making
your message shorter and more interesting
than was expected.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Today you’ll
lump yourself in with the group, talk about
“our” issues and explore what “we” can do
as a team. It’s not a sales technique as far
as you’re concerned; you really care about
this thing that you’re all in together.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). It’s easy for
you to find beauty in your surroundings
these days. Others may not feel the same
way — that is, until you point out what 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
see and help them experience it as you do.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Sure, things
need to evolve and grow. The direction life
needs to take, though — that’s the question
now. This afternoon’s hit of reality will knock
out some of the less-than-constructive op-
tions on your mental list.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). If no
one thinks it’s a problem, it’s not. But if you
think it’s a problem, you’ll have to convince
the others by demonstrating the signifi-
cance of this potential harm before you can
move forward with possible solutions.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). While
some are threatened by success, you’ll be
inspired by people out doing special things
in the world — and even more so if they
happen to be close friends of yours.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). While it
feels good when a thoughtful person cares
enough to show you that he or she is think-
ing of you, it feels crummy if you haven’t
reciprocated in this kindness. The compli-
cations of friendship can be many.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). While exter-
nal forces may be to blame for miserable
circumstances, it does us no good to blame
them, just like it doesn’t help us to credit ex-
ternal circumstances for our wondrous luck.
THURSDAY’S BIRTHDAY (Oct. 13).
You’re not trying to impress; you just can’t
help yourself. You’ll be a hero for doing what
comes naturally. A fascinating turn of events
puts you in a position to ask for more, earn
more and get more in December. Family re-
lationships bring joy and pride at the end of
the year. Romance will be your main spring
focus. Taurus and Virgo adore you. Your
lucky numbers are: 4, 2, 22, 27 and 31.