DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Before breaking up with her boyfriend, my roommate was hardly ever around. Now that they’re done, she barely leaves the apartment, not even to go for a jog, which was always her second favorite thing to do after spending time with her boyfriend.

They were together for a long time, and I get how sad she is, but sometimes it feels like she’s using me to keep her entertained and distracted, regardless of what else I need to be doing. We’re both still working at least half-time from home, and that means even though we’re in different rooms during work hours, we’re still often together. In the evenings, she expects I’ll keep her company binging shows or playing cards, or basically being with her every waking minute. She even always wants me to go to the food store or on any other errands she needs to run.

It’s driving me a little crazy. I get she’s hurting and wants to be distracted and all that, but I’ve always been more of a loner, which is one reason our sharing a place has worked so well for as long as it has.

How do I get the message to her that I need to have some time off from her without it seeming like another rejection, like the one she just suffered from her ex? --- SLIGHTLY SMOTHERED

DEAR SLIGHTLY SMOTHERED: It sounds like you’ve been a good and supportive companion to your broken-hearted roommate. Although she may not usually be this clingy, it might be part of her recovery process.

You mentioned she used to jog. Perhaps with the weather improving, you could encourage her to get back on track with that. If the solitary nature of running doesn’t appeal to her right now, you might suggest she investigate local running clubs. Depending on where you live, organizations such as Road Runners Club of America and departments of recreation are finding ways to keep people connected and moving, which could provide both your roommate with safe socialization and much needed exercise — and some equally much needed time off for you.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My mother has always been bad at names, and I just thought that’s the way she is. Now, I am not always sure it’s because she really can’t get the names of my friends straight, or she just doesn’t give enough of a s__t to try.

Why doesn’t she even seem to make an effort? --- IT’S NOT THAT HARD

DEAR IT’S NOT THAT HARD: As someone who, like your mother, is not good at remembering names, I ask you to please consider cutting her a little slack, especially if she hasn’t met some of the people you’re talking about.

I get your frustration, but unless you have any reason to believe she is purposely getting names wrong out of malice or simply to annoy you, maybe you could try slipping in small hints about your friends to help her keep them in context, which might result in their names sticking a bit better. For instance, “Jay, my friend from work,” or “Stacy from my hiking group” might be worth a try.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: We bought our house from an elderly couple who rarely used their back yard, and certainly were not at all noisy.

Here we come with a teen and two tweens. One set of our new neighbors treats us like invaders. First they put up opaque side panels on their back deck, just on the side of our house. Next came the 6 foot stockade fence right behind the existing chain link one, also facing our property.

The latest attempt to pretend we don’t exist was the painting — yes, painting — of all the windows on the side of the house that faces ours.

It isn’t like we have young children screaming around the yard. We moved in late last summer, right before school started, and we have not had so much as an extended family cookout. It’s just our three kids, my husband and me, and we’re barely outside, especially since the weather turned cold.

I haven’t done more than attempt to exchange brief, cordial greetings with these people, who appear to be roughly the same age as my husband and me, yet we’re made to feel like we’re sleeper agents or lepers or something else that’s as unwanted as can be.

We’ve done nothing to these people, so why should we be treated like this? --- DON’T LIKE THE TREATMENT

DEAR DON’T LIKE THE TREATMENT: The neighbor-proofing is all the information you need to know you’re not living next-door to the friendly, outgoing type. I find the window-painting weird and over-the-top, but if it makes them happy, so be it.

These people are clearly not revving up the welcome wagon, so I’d stop taking it personally and chalk it up to their strange preferences, not anything your family brought to the block.