THE DAILY ASTORIAN • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2018
FEATURES
Concerned about odors
Dear Annie: My mother is in I even buy air fresheners for the
her 80s, and I love her very much. closet. But the next time I visit,
At her age, she has earned cer- I notice the air fresheners are
tain privileges. And I understand gone. When I ask my mom why
we all have our little quirks that she isn’t using them, she says, “I
might annoy others.
can’t smell, so they’re a waste
The problem is my
of money.” Of course,
DEAR
mom doesn’t wear clean
money isn’t a problem.
clothes. It started out that
We have had the dis-
ANNIE
cussion that when a
she would wear a cer-
tain outfit a couple of
person gets older they
times before washing.
start losing their sense
Now, however, every out-
of smell and taste. She
fit has a spot or stain on
agrees with this but
it. She will wear a piece
doesn’t incorporate this
of clothing for a couple
idea into her house, car
Lane
of hours, and then put it Annie
or clothing. I know this
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
back in the closet. If it is
may seem like a trivial
a heavier piece of cloth-
problem, but I’m not sure
ing like a coat and it has a spill what to do. — The Nose Knows
on it, it might be months before
Dear The Nose Knows: It’s
it gets washed. My mother is in not trivial in the least. Accord-
good health and is perfectly capa- ing to the National Institute on
ble of washing her clothing. If Aging, while a declining sense
she wanted to, she could even of smell can be a normal part
hire a housekeeper. That said, of getting older, it can also be a
if she wants to wear dirty cloth- sign of Alzheimer’s disease or
ing, who am I to push my stan- Parkinson’s disease. Encourage
dards on her? The real problem, your mom to talk to her doctor
though, is that Mom has a musty about this issue so she can rule
and stale smell on her at all times. out serious medical causes. Also
When I open her closet, it nearly pay attention to her overall mood
knocks me over. I have tried and behavior. Disregard for per-
talking nicely to her about this. sonal hygiene can be a symp-
tom of depression. Good on you
for looking out for your mom: I
can tell your concern is from the
heart, not the nose.
Dear Annie: I disagree with
“Jan,” who was concerned about
other drivers not acknowledg-
ing when she defers the right of
way to them. Many drivers feel
that the safe and courteous driv-
ing habit is to follow right of way
according to traffic codes and
not attempt to communicate with
other drivers. I have observed at
least one collision caused by a
driver insistently waving another
driver, who did not have right
of way, into a busy intersection.
A following driver was caught
off guard and a collision ensued.
I have also observed drivers
attempting to wave other drivers
into a hazardous situation, such
as a left turn across two lanes of
traffic. Drivers are responsible for
safety at all times, and Jan should
not interfere with other drivers’
decision-making. — Ronald S.
Dear Ronald S.: You make a
fair point that it can be dangerous
for drivers to attempt to commu-
nicate with other drivers. Though
I still don’t think a small thank-
you wave is reckless.
5A
TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Life on earth
can be attributed to the flow of water distrib-
uting organisms all over this planet. The life
of the human body is also a function of water
flow. You’ll think better and be your highest
self when properly hydrated.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). If you knew
that what people would remember about you
would be the very last part of the interaction,
how would you play it? Do it that way today.
Gear everything toward the takeaway.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You will be
the calm, centered one today, and don’t be
surprised if the tightly wound and high-strung
individuals are even more attracted to you
than usual. It’s an excellent match, actually.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). Don’t forget
that you were built from scratch. Once upon a
time, your cells knew how to multiply perfectly
to make you. And you still have amazing
powers of regeneration, which will be applied
to your body, mind and spirit.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The magic doesn’t
need you to believe in it. It goes on regard-
less, a gift for any taker. This is one of the
few times when it’s OK to be a taker. Take
as much as you want. There is plenty to go
around.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). It would be easy
to get seduced by extrinsic standards of
success. These can only satisfy you when
attached to a pursuit that will also feed your
need for meaning and purpose. Is this really
your true north?
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). What you’re
offering isn’t right for everyone, but for the
customer who needs it, it’s everything! This is
a day to find your fit — in love, business, food
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
and any other pursuit you can think of.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Before you
even think about being happy, there are
some basic responsibilities and obligations to
get out of the way. With your stellar attitude,
you should be able to find happiness while
tending to those things.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). You made
the key decisions and did a lot of the work.
Still, there’s much to be gained by letting the
others get the credit. They’ll buy in, move for-
ward and do even more than you could alone.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Your top pri-
ority is people. A good team with a mediocre
plan is better than a mediocre team with a
good plan. If you don’t feel like you have the
right people around you, this is a good day to
go out and get more candidates.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). This is no
time to accept defeat. You’re almost there!
Keep the fight going. Adapt as necessary.
Have the courage to take action again and
again, but take it from different angles.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). In this whirl-
wind of a day, if you can figure out how to do
something as straightforward as surrounding
yourself with quality people and doing what
you enjoy, you’ll be among the privileged few.
TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (March 22).
Your popularity surges this solar return. Peo-
ple feel your genuine interest in them and will
move in closer to your warmth. This favorably
affects your personal life and business life,
too. Your family will grow in June. One partic-
ular talent comes to the fore, and you’ll cash
in handsomely with it in September. Libra and
Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are:
10, 2, 22, 28 and 14.