THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2017
FEATURES
Rearranging the furniture
Dear Annie: My husband You can erect boundaries,
and I have been married 34 but because your husband is
years. He’s a wonderful man. closer to her, he needs to do
His sister, “Debbie,” is awful. the heavy lifting.
My husband remodeled our
Express to him just how
old house, and as soon as Deb- much Debbie’s visits impact
bie saw it she started hound- you, between the furniture-re-
arranging and the
ing him to come do
DEAR
binge-drinking. And
hers. She lives three
with regard to that
states away. She
ANNIE
second point: She
wants him to remodel
her kitchen and add
clearly has an alcohol
problem. If you and
a bathroom. She told
your husband con-
him that she would
pay him $10 an hour
tinue to host her even
when she’s drink-
to do it. He said no:
ing, you could be
He knows that she is
Lane
never happy with the Annie
enabling her. Make
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
her staying with you
work anybody does
on her house.
conditional on her not
She also has a drinking drinking. Tell her if she drinks
problem. From the second and drives, you will call 911,
she rolls into our driveway, because she’s a danger to her-
she has an open beer in her self and everyone else on the
hand. We’ve seen her drink road.
Dear Annie: I have writ-
five beers and call each one
her “first beer today.” I can’t ten scientific papers on a vari-
decide if she thinks we are stu- ety of cancers, including skin
pid or blind. My husband and melanoma, which takes more
I have tried to talk to her about lives every year. Unless caught
her drinking problem, and early, the prognosis remains
she just accuses us of stretch- grim. While the shape, color
ing the truth. — Way Past and size of a blemish might
suggest a malignancy, only a
Annoyed
Dear Way Past Annoyed: surgical biopsy can secure a
diagnosis.
Here’s my problem: While
in a crowd — usually on a
beach or by a pool — I have
noticed someone with a sus-
picious blemish. Though I’m
tempted to suggest an exam
by a physician, two fears have
made me hold my tongue:
the distress caused by a total
stranger confronting a per-
son in such an intimate way,
and the needless anxiety if
a biopsy shows no sign of a
malignancy. — Heads-Up on
Melanoma
Dear HUOM: Perhaps
you could print out some
cards that say something to the
effect of, “I’m a medical doc-
tor. I am giving you this card
because I noticed a blemish
on your skin that I believe you
should have examined by a
physician.” Keep them in your
wallet to discreetly hand out
when necessary. This would
give them space to decide
whether to see a doctor, with-
out having to get into a con-
versation about it. No doubt it
will still be a little uncomfort-
able — but if it saves even one
person’s life, it’s worth a thou-
sand awkward moments.
7C
TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Modes of mind can
be triggered automatically before you even notice
or know what’s happening. For this reason you
can’t be blamed for your moods, though you’re
still responsible for managing them.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). There are people
who are just better for you. They bring out the
better side of you. They make the stresses of
daily life seem like no pressure at all, because
you see yourself as they see you — strong and
capable.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). It’s possible you’ll
think more deeply than clearly, which won’t be
helpful. So when you feel yourself getting very
ponderous without a direction, simply stop asking
questions and do something physical, such as
walking.
moments spill into the rest of the hours.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Remember the mo-
ment when you owned the room, though quite by
accident, making people laugh and want to play?
Well, it gave you a taste for being the center of
attention, and you’ll figure out how to get back
there today.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Memory is
kind. Happy ones get better over time, and sad
ones fade. What happens over the course of this
day will be a perfect package for nostalgia to
wrap itself around in the future.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Emotional
states are infectious. Yawns, laughter, nerves and
just about anything you can feel have the possi-
bility of rubbing off on others. Associate with the
happy and fortunate people and be one yourself.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). You’ve a very
upbeat attitude, and there’s nothing petty that
can bother you or throw you off your game. Truly,
optimism makes you immune to 80 percent of the
things that bother those around you.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Since there will
be people around you who have expertise they
either don’t mind sharing or would absolutely love
to share, you’ll be in a lucky position to learn —
and possibly have your problem solved for you.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You command atten-
tion, sometimes uncomfortably so. Sometimes
you’d rather deflect it or hide out than take your
moments. It’s fine to feel shy, but is this a missed
opportunity to channel awareness to what’s
important to you?
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). Don’t worry about
willpower. Your imagination is so vivid today that
when you direct it to see and taste what your
work will bring you, you won’t even need willpow-
er to move toward that gleaming prize.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You are dedicated
to your chosen work and willing to apply yourself
more intensely than before. In fact, the subject of
your strong feelings may take over your life in the
next few days.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Serenity is not some
distant ideal. You already experience it many
times a day. It’s just a matter of letting those
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
TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (Sept. 2). You’ve
seen enough plans come to fruition to think a
little bigger and enough dashed hopes to respect
the risk and sweat investment that must be made
on the regular. Family celebrates together in
December and May. You’ll get a fresh start for a
relationship that’s been through a lot. Cancer and
Taurus adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 12, 2,
22, 7 and 31.