THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2018
FEATURES
Bugged by elusive expiration dates
Dear Annie: OK, I realize there are no federal laws requiring compa-
are innumerable insurmountable, nies to print expiration dates on food
earth-shaking universal problems in products (except for infant formula
our world. This is definitely a “First and baby food). Some states have laws
World problem,” but it is one that could mandating expiration dates on meat
be easily fixed.
and milk, but that’s about it, in terms
Could manufacturers please mark of legal requirements. So you can’t
their food products with expiration rely on these dates as the ultimate pan-
try authority; you might end up
dates that are easy to locate
DEAR
eating something that’s past its
and read? I probably spend a
prime or throwing away some-
third of my grocery shopping
ANNIE
thing that’s perfectly fine.
time squinting, turning prod-
ucts round and round or hold-
Bottom line: Expiration
ing them up to light, trying to
dates can offer a helpful guide,
locate teeny-tiny black type on,
but you should still use your
for example, dark brown iced
senses and common sense to
tea bottles or embossed letter-
decide whether a product is
ing on lids of yogurt containers.
safe to eat.
Lane
And why do they have the date Annie
Dear Annie: I am some-
Creators
Syndicate Inc.
stamped on the bottom, forcing
what appalled by “Wish She’d
people to pick up and turn each
Stop,” who complained about
container? Why do they put dates on her 82-year-old mother. Having her
the ends of egg cartons so people must mother over once a week is very nice
unload an entire shelf of fragile eggs try- and expected. Considering no longer
ing to seek out the elusive printed dates? inviting her mother for dinner is an
How about some buyer-friendly indication of this daughter’s lack of
bright type on the fronts of products? compassion and understanding.
Wouldn’t that be just as easy for the
My 92-year-old mother lives with
producers as what appears to be their my husband and me, along with her
attempt to make buyers play hide-and- yappy little dog, who has accidents in
the house often. My mother has unpleas-
seek with these dates?
Now back to focusing on world peace. ant habits, as well. For instance, she
— Exasperated by Expiration Dates
leaves messes in the bathroom. I would
Dear Exasperated: After receiv- never humiliate her by pointing this out
ing your question and looking into it to her. I discreetly slip into her bathroom
more, I was surprised to learn that there and clean the fixtures. When we have
guests, I leave antiseptic wipes on the
counter. I also have them use the other
bathroom. When her dog leaves little
gifts on the carpet, I pick them up and
never complain. It is my responsibility
to take the dog for walks to avoid this
inconvenience. I would never dream of
stripping away my mother’s dignity by
mentioning these inconveniences.
“Wish She’d Stop’s” mother
changed her diapers, wiped her snotty
nose, bandaged her scraped knees and
cleaned her vomit. The elderly revert
back to childish habits. Such is life! This
daughter can offer to clean her moth-
er’s dentures and treat her wounds. The
scab picking should be brought to the
attention of her treating physician, as I
believe this is a psychological problem.
It is no big deal to treat her mom with
proper respect. Mothers this age come
from the greatest generation known
in our lifetime. They lived during the
Depression and World War II. They
have known real hardship.
Many organizations in the commu-
nity offer caregiving classes, which I
have taken. This daughter could benefit
from such classes. She would learn how
to care for and understand her mother’s
behavior. — Caregiver in Arizona
Dear Caregiver: Bravo for finding
the most compassionate way to han-
dle what many of us would consider
problems. Your degree of sympathy is
inspiring.
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
3C
TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE
By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc.
ARIES (March 21-April 19). Friends who
don’t agree can be the luckiest relation-
ships you have. Somewhere between
your differing points of view lies the elusive
answer to a question of recent importance.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You’ve a
choice of solutions today: Should you go
for the common fix that’s worked for many
or the idiosyncratic route that’s worked for
maybe one person (if her story is to be be-
lieved)? Both will work; one will be more fun.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). You’re involved
in a positive and gradual change, which
causes you to stretch emotionally. You can
expect things to feel a little weird. Being
slightly uncomfortable is a good sign,
though.
an actuality.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). There are
people around you who can contribute to
your life, but you won’t know who those
people are until you turn on the radiant
energy, which will attract them like bees to
honey.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Your
rebel spirit is even stronger than it was yes-
terday. Before you go “off script,” make sure
that what you have to say is necessary or
better than the role you were given.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Life is
complicated and filled with interesting
contradictions. However, many of them do
not need to be analyzed right now. Don’t let
too much thinking ruin the fun.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). You get to be
the favorite. Special responsibilities come
with the territory. Tonight, everyone seems
to have advice for you, but the best idea will
spring from your own imagination.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Someone
has opened a conversation that you’re not
sure you should get into. You could tiptoe
around it or confront it. If you choose the
latter, tonight will be the best time.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You’ll be as effective
as your support system. So choose a good
team of helpers — people who are more
concerned with seeing the big picture come
together than they are with their own egos.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). The more
you try to make sense of a love relation-
ship, the more complex it becomes. Do you
really need to understand why things are
how they are to enjoy them? The simple
answer might be to accept how things are.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). It’s a weird
social rule: Focus on impressing someone
and the opposite tends to happen. Anyway,
you’re impressive enough without trying.
Your attractiveness will have everything to
do with how you make other people feel.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). It’s fun to dream
about the future, even as you are fully
aware that things happen only in the now.
Your superpower today is weaving the un-
real with the practical steps that will make it
TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (Sept. 1).
You’re extremely talented at risk assess-
ment in all areas of life. It takes you very little
time to determine what’s worthwhile. You’ll
put your money behind the metaphorical
winning horse or, more likely, be the one in
the winner’s circle. Your solar return will start
with happy news and end with a checked-
off goal list. Leo and Cancer adore you. Your
lucky numbers are: 9, 20, 3, 33 and 17.