DEAR ABBY: My problem concerns people who are chronically late. I'm talking about my mother-in-law. When she's invited for dinner or a family outing, I can count on her being the last to arrive -- 30 to 45 minutes late.
Meanwhile, my side of the family gets tired of waiting for her while dinner gets cold on the table. My husband (her son) insists that we wait until she arrives to begin eating, while I think we should go ahead and start without her. My husband says I am rude.
Abby, who is most rude -- my mother-in-law for showing up late, my husband for sticking up for her, or me for insisting that dinner be served on time, with or without her? -- TIRED OF TARDINESS, HURON, S.D.
DEAR TIRED: Instead of wasting your time debating who is the rudest, deal with the problem proactively. Since you know your mother-in-law is always 30 to 45 minutes late, invite her to dinner an hour earlier than you want her to arrive. That should solve the dilemma.