THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2017
FEATURES
Not looking for anyone
Dear Annie: I am a woman talked with a doctor about your
in my mid-20s, and I have hormone levels?” I will soon
known I’m asexual for about be going home again and could
five years. This fact doesn’t play use some outside perspective on
a major role in my day-to-day how much of my personal life to
life, but it makes explaining my disclose. — Not Interested
Dear Not Interested: Lis-
lack of romantic relationships
ten to your gut —
to my family awkward.
DEAR
which, based on your
Every time I go home
letter, seems to be tell-
to visit, I get the usual
ANNIE
ing you to come out to
questions of whether
your family members.
or not I’ve met anyone.
Yes, it’s possible they’ll
My answer is always
brush it off as you fear.
no. Though I don’t feel
But that’s their prob-
my family members are
lem. All you can do is
overly pushy about my
hope that in time they’ll
relationship status, I
Lane
see you’re serious about
know it worries them, Annie
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
this and accept it. Right
and I can see the con-
now, there seems to be
fusion on their faces.
It’s clear they think that either a wall up that’s preventing you
there is something emotionally from being close with them, and
wrong with me or I’m a closet I get the feeling you won’t feel
lesbian. Should I tell them I’m fully yourself around them until
asexual? On one hand, it might that wall is down.
Dear Annie: Your recent
help explain things to them and
end the questions. On the other, column on the preferred way
it seems like an overshare of to wash dishes (the response to
something that should be no one “Washing Well”) prompts me to
else’s business. I also worry that offer mine.
I use the biggest pot or bowl
if I were to disclose this informa-
tion, I’d get the usual, unhelp- needing a wash. I put a lit-
ful reaction of being told, “It’s tle soap and a small amount of
just a phase.” “You haven’t met water in the bottom. I start with
the right man yet.” “Have you the silverware because it goes
5A
TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
into your mouth and needs to be
cleanest. I wash it in the soapy
water and then rinse it with hot
water that goes into the wash
bowl. Next, I wash glasses and
rinse into the bowl, which is fill-
ing up with water. Next, I do
plates and other containers. I do
the pots last. This way, I use only
one bowl of water. And if the
water gets too dirty at any point,
I dump it and start clean — but
it’s rare that I need to do this.
This is a method I have used
through 40 years of camping.
It uses minimal water, which is
good if you have to boil water
on a camp stove. I encourage
everyone to use minimal soap.
Soap left on dishes does more
harm to your stomach than the
occasional food scrap does. If
you do use more soap, be sure to
rinse well.
I think this method uses the
best parts of the methods of the
mother and son who wrote to
you. And in drought areas, such
as the Southwest, it is especially
friendly to the environment and
the pocketbook. — Lynn in
Moorhead, Minnesota
Dear Lynn: I love learning
tips from crafty campers. Very
resourceful. Thanks for sharing.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). There may be le-
gitimate reasons for futile pursuits. As impossi-
ble as the standard of perfection may be, there
are excellent near-perfect findings along the
way to make such a quest worthwhile.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Not every appetite
is an indulgence. More often than not, what you
crave will point you to what your body and soul
know will nourish you. Follow an interest into
the deeper and more nourishing levels.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Of course you
stand for something: You stand for a lot of
things, in fact. That being the case, there’s no
need to go out of your way to find new things to
stand for. This is a day to relax and just be who
you are.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). In the case where
the boss is away, inept or nonexistent, someone
has to lead. You’ll be good at it. You’ll call some
key shots, in a manner that is necessary and
beneficial to you and all involved.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You refuse to give
a mood too much sway over your schedule.
Moods come and go. You prefer to make deci-
sions based on your overall vision of your life,
not the moment-to-moment minutiae of feelings.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Repetition makes
for ease ... that is until it makes for weariness
and exhaustion. Practice until you get good
— but then know when to quit. Recognize the
point of diminishing returns.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). The competition isn’t
always coming at you from an opposing side.
Often it’s your nearest and dearest who are the
most competitive with you, which adds compli-
cations to the scene today.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You want some-
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
thing that scares you. The prospect of having
what you want is even more frightening than the
possibility of never having it, but you’re brave,
so you’ll go for it anyway.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You’re a hard
worker today, with deeper wells of self-discipline
than usual. Take advantage of these focusing
powers while they last. Also look for ways to
apply more of your talents to the task at hand.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). It will be
important to separate your identity from your
opinions. Your opinions — even your beliefs —
may change as you come to understand more
about the world. Who you are is much deeper
than one world view.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). People connect
in the soft parts of their hearts. Those are also
the vulnerable parts. You cannot make that
connection without leaving yourself somewhat
vulnerable. On some level you have to agree to
get hurt.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). If relationships
were emotional weather, some would be a
gentle wind through the mind and others would
put you on tornado watch. Then again, you can
be a bit of a storm chaser these days. It’s one
way to fight the ennui.
TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (Sept. 13). If this
year were a musical score, it would have the
soaring melodies of a John Williams action/ad-
venture piece. You’ll make friends who up your
game. The financial infusion next month will be
well-invested in education or travel. The end of
the year will bring a merging of families. May
is the most romantic month. Pisces and Libra
adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 36, 2,
28 and 31.