The BulleTin • Monday, March 21, 2022 A3
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: I’ve been in
a relationship with a man I
met at work. It took me six
months to decide to be inti-
mate with him, and it will be
a year next month. Things
are going great. The only is-
sue is, he has a wife and kids.
(The children are about my
age.)
I am young, beautiful and I
know I deserve more. But I’m
falling in love with this man,
and I can’t resist our passion-
ate sex life. He’s done things
with me I’ve never experi-
enced before. We see each
other often, and I enjoy his
company.
This is the first time I have
ever been a “side piece,” and it
bothers me that the time we
spend together is limited and
I can only call within certain
hours. I know he likes me,
but my feelings for him are
way stronger.
How do I resist my yearn-
ing to want to be around him
or just talk on the phone?
Should I change jobs to have
a new beginning, or consider
a relationship with some-
one who doesn’t have to be
a secret? How can I end this
when, with every fiber of my
being, I want to stay?
— Mistress In Massachusetts
Dear Mistress: This affair
is going nowhere, so sharpen
your survival instincts. Wake
up and realize it could go on
until he decides to trade you
in for a younger, fresher “side
piece” he can impress with
his prowess. I’m willing to bet
you are not his first, nor will
you be the last.
Quitting this person will
not be entirely painless, but
do it cold turkey anyway.
You already know how. And
if you’re feeling generous
when you wave goodbye,
thank him for the many
valuable lessons he’s taught
you, because you intend to
share them with younger,
stronger, single men. Be-
lieve me, there are plenty out
there.
Dear Abby: I am preg-
nant with my second child.
My first child is a girl and so
is the baby I am expecting.
A few months ago, my hus-
band’s cousin gave birth to
a girl. The baby had a heart
defect that unfortunately
could not be repaired. She
died four days after birth.
My heart was broken for not
only this baby girl but also
her parents. I cannot fathom
what it would be like to lose
my child.
While I have shared my
good news with close family,
I have not shared it on social
media out of respect for my
husband’s cousin. I’m torn
because this is a happy time
in my life and I would love to
share my news, but I worry it
would be insensitive. I have
confided my concerns to a
few friends. They are divided
about how I should proceed,
so I am hoping you can offer
guidance.
— Feeling Her Loss
In New York
Dear Feeling Her Loss:
Sooner or later, your hus-
band’s cousin and her hus-
band are going to learn about
your pregnancy, if they don’t
already know. The kind thing
to do would be to let them
hear about it directly from
you rather than via a post on
social media. After you have
spoken with them, you can
then share the happy news of
the impending arrival for all
of your friends to see.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Georgia Nicols
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
dynaMic | PoSiTiVe | aVeraGe | So-So | diFFiculT
MOON ALERT: There are no restrictions to shopping or important deci-
sions today. The Moon is in Scorpio.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2022: you are
pleasing, charming and talented. you are a passionate person, but you are
also contemplative. although you appear lighthearted, you don’t take things
lightly. This is a wonderful year to enjoy yourself and your relations with oth-
ers, because you have a great zest for life. let your hair down! enjoy!
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
even though you feel basically happy and optimistic today, you might
find yourself at odds with someone about bills, shared property, taxes, debt
or disputes about who owns what. a friend or a member of a group might
challenge you. don’t take the bait. Stay calm. Tonight: check your finances.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
Be patient with those who are closest to you today, because something
unexpected might throw you a curveball. a friend or partner might make an
unusual demand or surprise you in some way. (Whaaat?) you also might have
a testy exchange with a boss or parent. Stay chill. Tonight: Follow the rules.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Something might interrupt your work routine today. it could relate to
a dispute about philosophy or your beliefs about something. Be careful, be-
cause unexpected health concerns also might arise. Meanwhile, pet owners
should keep their eye on their pets today. Tonight: Work.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
if you are a parent, this is an accident-prone day for your kids, regard-
less of their age. do be aware of this. Sports accidents also might occur, along
with a sudden change of social plans. avoid disputes about shared respon-
sibilities or shared property because people are argumentative today. Make
nice with everyone. Tonight: Be patient.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
do what you can to maintain your own peace of mind today because
that will help you be patient with parents, bosses, partners and close friends.
you will need to stay calm to avoid an argument with someone. Small appli-
ances or minor breakages at home also might occur. Tonight: listen.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Go slowly and carefully today, because this is a mildly accident-prone
day for you. Very likely, your daily routine will change. you might find yourself
at odds with someone, especially at work, or about health issues or some-
thing related to a pet. Stay calm and keep your eyes open. Tonight: Stay
flexible.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Keep an eye on your money today, because you might find money or
you might lose money. likewise, you might have to protect what you own
against loss, theft or damage. a social outing might cost more than you an-
ticipated. Meanwhile, keep an eye on your kids today. Tonight: revise plans.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Today the Moon is in your sign; however, it is at odds with unpre-
dictable uranus and fiery Mars. This can trigger domestic arguments with
partners, close friends or people at home. Since anger only makes everyone
miserable, be patient. (Patience is the antidote to anger.) Tonight: Be under-
standing with a family member.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Steer clear of arguments with others, especially daily contacts, because
this will not further your cause. you might be passionate about your beliefs
and want to persuade others to agree with you. This is understandable. But
don’t coerce people. Tonight: Stay positive.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Social plans might change today; ditto for sports events and playful
times with kids. Keep an eye on your money and your possessions, because
something could impact them. Think before you act if you’re making finan-
cial decisions or purchases. Tonight: Stay practical.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
This is the classic day for an argument with a boss, parent or someone
in authority (especially a female). you are quite driven now with Mars in your
sign. Fortunately, fair Venus is also in your sign, which will ameliorate your
aggressive energy. Tonight: Go gently.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
With Mercury in your sign now, you can talk yourself out of any
difficulties that might arise today when dealing with others regarding travel
changes, philosophical or religious beliefs or something nasty going on be-
hind the scenes. Keep your wits about you, and you’ll do fine. Tonight: avoid
accidents.
TODAY
IN HISTORY
By The Associated Press
Today is Monday, March 21, the
80th day of 2022. There are 285
days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
on March 21, 1965, civil rights
demonstrators led by the rev.
Martin luther King Jr. began
their third, successful march from
Selma to Montgomery, alabama.
in 1685, composer Johann Sebas-
tian Bach was born in eisenach,
Germany.
in 1945, during World War ii, al-
lied bombers began four days of
raids over Germany.
in 1972, the Supreme court, in
dunn v. Blumstein, ruled that
states may not require at least a
year’s residency for voting eligi-
bility.
in 1990, namibia became an in-
dependent nation as the former
colony marked the end of 75 years
of South african rule.
in 1997, President Bill clinton and
russian President Boris yeltsin
wrapped up their summit in hel-
sinki, Finland, still deadlocked
over naTo expansion, but able to
agree on slashing nuclear weap-
ons arsenals.
in 2006, the social media website
Twitter was established with the
sending of the first “tweet” by co-
founder Jack dorsey, who wrote:
“just setting up my twttr.”
in 2007, former Vice President al
Gore made an emotional return
to congress as he pleaded with
house and Senate committees to
fight global warming; skeptical re-
publicans questioned the science
behind his climate-change docu-
mentary, “an inconvenient Truth.”
in 2016, laying bare a half-cen-
tury of tensions, President Barack
obama and cuban President
raul castro prodded each other
over human rights and the long-
standing u.S. economic embargo
during an unprecedented joint
news conference in havana.
in 2019, President donald Trump
declared that the u.S. would rec-
ognize israel’s sovereignty over
the disputed Golan heights, a ma-
jor shift in american policy.
in 2020, during a White house
briefing, President donald Trump
doubled down on his support for
the malaria drug hydroxychloro-
quine as a possible treatment for
the coronavirus, while dr. anthony
Fauci said the evidence was “an-
ecdotal.”
Ten years ago: a previously di-
vided u.n. Security council sent a
strong and united message to the
Syrian government and its oppo-
sition, telling both sides to imme-
diately implement proposals by
international envoy Kofi annan to
end Syria’s yearlong bloodshed.
Meting out unprecedented pun-
ishment for a bounty system that
targeted key opposing players,
the nFl suspended new orleans
Saints head coach Sean Payton
without pay for the coming sea-
son and indefinitely banned the
team’s former defensive coordina-
tor; commissioner roger Goodell
fined the Saints $500,000 and
took away two draft picks.
Five years ago: u.S. and British
officials announced they were
barring laptops and tablets from
the cabins of some international
flights because of longstanding
concerns about terrorists target-
ing jetliners. on the second day
of his Senate confirmation hear-
ing, Supreme court nominee neil
Gorsuch declared he’d made no
promises to President donald
Trump or anyone else about how
he would vote on abortion or
other issues.
One year ago: officials in Miami
Beach extended an emergency
8 p.m. curfew for at least another
week after fights, gunfire, prop-
erty destruction and dangerous
stampedes broke out among
huge crowds of people during the
spring break season.
Today’s Birthdays: actor Kath-
leen Widdoes is 83. Songwriter
chip Taylor (“Wild Thing”) is 82.
Folk-pop singer-musician Keith
Potger (The Seekers) is 81. actor
Marie-christine Barrault is 78.
Singer-musician rose Stone (Sly
and the Family Stone) is 77. actor
Timothy dalton is 76. Singer ray
dorset (Mungo Jerry) is 76. rock
singer-musician roger hodgson
(Supertramp) is 72. rock musician
conrad lozano (los lobos) is 71.
r&B singer russell Thompkins Jr. is
71. comedy writer-performer Brad
hall is 64. actor Sabrina leBeauf
is 64. actor Gary oldman is 64.
actor Kassie depaiva is 61. actor
Matthew Broderick is 60. come-
dian-actor rosie o’donnell is 60.
actor cynthia Geary is 57. hip-hop
dJ Premier (Gang Starr) is 56. rock
musician Jonas “Joker” Berggren
(ace of Base) is 55. rock Mc Maxim
(Prodigy) is 55. rock musician an-
drew copeland (Sister hazel) is 54.
actor laura allen is 48. rapper-TV
personality Kevin Federline is 44.
actor Sonequa Martin-Green (TV:
“The Walking dead”) is 37. ac-
tor Scott eastwood is 36. Tennis
player Karolina Pliskova is 30. ac-
tor Jasmin Savoy Brown is 28. ac-
tor Forrest Wheeler is 18.
OREGON | WILDFIRE AND AGRICULTURE
Smoke affects wine
grapes, but not equally
BY MATEUSZ PERKOWSKI
capital Press
PORTLAND — Smoke isn’t
an equal opportunity offender
for wine grapes, with flavor im-
pacts depending on the varietal
as well as the fire’s proximity,
experts say.
Reverse osmosis filtration
and other processes can miti-
gate the smoke’s effects, though
they come with their own costs
for the finished wine, accord-
ing to speakers at the Oregon
Wine Symposium in Portland
on March 8.
“We took a wine that would
not be usable and made it us-
able,” said winemaker Brian
Gruber. “The biggest drawback
is we made a wine that would
not stand on its own.”
Gruber worked at a custom
crush wine facility in 2020,
when more than 1 million
acres of Oregon forestland
were consumed by fire and
smoke blanketed the state’s
Willamette Valley.
The consequences of smoke
exposure were immediately
noticeable in the grapes, Gru-
ber said. “This tasted like
cherry barbecue sauce in the
bin, before we even started fer-
menting.”
Pinot noir, Cabernet franc
and Grenache appear to suffer
from the most noticeable ef-
fects of smoke taint, though it
can affect any varietal, he said.
Smoke that recently orig-
inated from a nearby fire is
more damaging than older
smoke from a more distant
blaze, he said.
It’s also more likely to harm
flavors in grapes that are near-
ing harvest than those that are
immature, he said.
Through the reverse osmo-
sis process, Gruber separated
the water and alcohol from the
George Plaven/capital Press file
Smoky skies raised concerns about the impacts on wine flavor at Meridian
Estate Vineyard in Silverton in September 2020.
other elements that impart fla-
vor, texture and aroma to wine.
That water and alcohol was
then run through a carbon
filter to reduce the effects of
smoke taint, he said.
“It’s a gentle way of splitting
your wine and just treating the
part that’s a problem,” he said.
“You’re breaking it apart, so
you’re trying not to touch the
good stuff.”
During the process, some of
the tannins and other positive
elements are lost, resulting in
a less robust wine that tasted
“thinner,” Gruber said.
However, the when blended
at a rate of 5% with wine that
wasn’t harmed by smoke, the
treated wine was successfully
salvaged, he said.
“Wildfires aren’t going away,
so it’s just how we’re going to
deal with them in the future,”
said Brandon Moss, a wine-
maker in the Walla Walla re-
gion of Washington.
Moss said he encountered
grapes in 2020 that didn’t come
into contact with smoke as
dense as that in Oregon.
The impacts from smoke
taint didn’t become apparent
until near the end of fermen-
tation, he said. “It was pretty
promising at first and went
downhill quickly from there.”
That wine was also filtered
with reverse osmosis, resulting
in an “innocuous” red wine
that had lost some of its char-
acter, Moss said.
“Some people are more sen-
sitive than others and I err on
the side of making the wine
clean,” though as a blender, the
treated wine “100% works,” he
said.
While all smoke contains
compounds that are harmful
to wine, the fumes from cars
and buildings are particularly
“gross,” said Elizabeth Toma-
sino, associate professor and
sensory analyst who studies
wine at Oregon State Univer-
sity.
Isolating which types of
smoke are especially damag-
ing is under study at OSU, she
said. “We’re looking to track
which compounds are really
the problem.”