6A
FEATURES
Friend just won’t shut up
Dear Annie: I have a friend suppressing or avoiding bother-
of over 20 years who has some thoughts or feelings.
Others talk excessively sim-
become such a motormouth that
I have begun to avoid contact. ply because they think everyone
She talks nonstop. If I call her, will be fascinated by their sto-
she immediately launches into a ries or because they feel they’re
marathon monologue, and try- not really being heard. You can
try setting time limits
ing to break in with a
DEAR
on your conversations.
comment doesn’t work.
(“I’d like to talk, but I
I once decided to let her
ANNIE
only have 10 minutes
talk until she ran out
for this call. Then I need
of things to say. Five
to get back to work.”)
hours later, she was still
You might also try
talking without coming
interrupting her, sum-
up for air, and I said I
marizing to her what
had to go somewhere
you’ve understood so
and hung up.
Lane
far and then leading that
I try to tell her this, Annie
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
thought toward a con-
but she just gets angry.
clusion. Ultimately, set
I know that other peo-
ple and even some her family whatever boundaries you need,
members have distanced them- and don’t feel guilty. Our time
selves because of this. I hate to on this earth is precious, and no
drop her, but I see no other solu- one should have to sit through a
five-hour marathon monologue.
tion. — Frustrated Friend
Dear Frustrated: Because In that time, you could have run
you said she’s “become” a an actual marathon.
Dear Annie: I’d like to
motormouth, I’m assuming she
hasn’t always been one. Try to respond to “Feeling So Bad,”
dig deeper when you can get the woman who was upset that
a word in edgewise; she has her friend “Nancy” had passed
to breathe at some point. Try away and the friend’s hus-
to see whether there are some band, “Bill,” hadn’t filled her
underlying issues. Some peo- in. Her husband, according to
ple talk excessively as a way of the writer, limited visits to his
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 2017
TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
wife during her terminal ill-
ness. My wife, too, was diag-
nosed with a terminal and rare
cancer. She, for some reason,
felt embarrassment and shame,
which I since have learned is
completely normal. My wife
didn’t want to be talked about,
didn’t want to be seen with a
wig or a scarf around her bald
head and so forth. My orders
from her were that no one was
allowed to visit or drop by at
all. I did just as she said because
meeting her needs during this
awful time was more import-
ant to me (and to her) than wor-
rying about our neighbors and
friends. Indeed, other than our
trips to and from treatment, she
shut herself in the house. “Feel-
ing So Bad” need not be upset. I
suspect that “Nancy” told “Bill”
that she wanted to deal with her
sickness in her own way. I’ve
learned that there is no right or
wrong way to deal with the pro-
cess of death. — B.R.
Dear B.R.: I appreci-
ate hearing the perspective of
someone who has such a per-
sonal experience with this issue,
and it may bring “Feeling So
Bad” some peace, too. Thank
you for sharing.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Comfort is loose
clothes and tight relationships. It feels good and
cozy, until it doesn’t. Because comfort is a little
messy, and it can get too comfortable, too messy.
When that line is crossed, comfort changes to
discomfort.
will be regrettable.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Energy cannot be
destroyed, only transformed. You have been a
part of many transformations that you are con-
scious of and many more that you are not. Today,
change will occur around you, through you and
because of you.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). The bottom
line is that the very predictability that would
make you feel secure would also bring a level
of boredom so severe it could be classified as
dangerous.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Your social nature
is amplified today. You like to get to know people,
which of course is very different from trying to
figure out “their deal” so you can offer advice and
fix it (like some you know).
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The one skill that
has the greatest potential to enhance (or ruin)
your life is the skill of knowing how to find good
relationships and avoid bad ones. Most people
are not born knowing this skill. Study and thrive.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Just when
you thought you knew where you were going,
a fog descends and the destination cannot be
clearly seen. This is when you have to trust your
map, engage your senses at a higher level and
proceed with caution.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). What you believe
about people is what you know about them. It’s
hard to learn differently. All your questions and
observations will follow the prior belief. Drop
preconceived notions to the extent that you can,
and ask again.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’ll see the big
picture today. For better or worse, the world is
on a fast track to change and your role within it
is changing, too, as you see new ways to help,
contribute and get what you need from it.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Let the others coast
down Easy Street while you take the mountain
pass. Challenging work is good for your mind,
body and soul. Not to mention, you’re extremely
attractive to others as you take it on.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). In the words of the
inimitable Talking Heads, “You may ask yourself,
how did I get here?” You can bet that any answer
you come up with will oversimplify things, but it’s
still good to ask. This will inform your next move.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). When you like
someone but you can’t put your finger on the
reason why, give yourself a little shake and then
try to reason it out. Relationships (business or
otherwise) based solely on a person’s charisma
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
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Maybe some-
times it’s beneficial to your creative spirit to
reason about unreasonable things. Today it’s
rather pointless. If the problem is logical, solve
it through logic. And if it’s not, feel your way
through.
TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (March 9). The
love you give will be so sweetly received and
redoubled. A trip you take before June will be
magical. There’s an exciting change in your
professional life in April. One good relationship
could change the whole trajectory. There’s good
fortune to be mined in familial events. Together
you’ll build something unique. Capricorn and
Cancer adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 2, 5,
33, 17 and 21.