life

Freshman's Late Night Tryst Angers Her Chaste Roommate

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | March 25th, 2009 | Letter 1 of 2

DEAR ABBY: I'm a freshman at a Catholic university. I was awakened last night at 3 a.m. because my bunk bed -- I'm on top -- was shaking. Then I heard my roommate moaning. She had snuck a boy into our dorm room, and they were doing "it."

I am so upset at her disregard for my personal space that I don't know how to talk to her. I'm big on chastity, but I don't want her to think I'm speaking up because I'm a prude. I found it so upsetting that it was difficult to get back to sleep.

My roommate is nice, and we get along well. How do I tell her this behavior is unacceptable? If I tell our resident assistant, she will get in trouble and hate me for it. If I had been forewarned, I would have slept out in the lounge. Please help me. -- RELUCTANT WITNESS IN PENNSYLVANIA

DEAR RELUCTANT WITNESS: Silence implies approval. It is important that you talk to your roommate NOW because if you don't, it is sure to happen again. All you have to say is that when you were awakened, at first you were frightened. Then, when you realized what was going on, it made you extremely uncomfortable, and in the future you would prefer she make other arrangements for "that kind of thing."

It's the truth, you are within your rights to draw the line and you won't come off looking like a prude. What they did was out of line.

life

Dear Abby for March 25, 2009

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | March 25th, 2009 | Letter 2 of 2

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, "Dirk," and I have been dating nearly three years, and we recently moved in together. Before we met, he briefly dated a woman I'll call "Lola," who has bipolar disorder.

Although she was the one to end the relationship, Lola became jealous when she heard Dirk was dating me and started following us around. Dirk is a musician, and Lola would dance provocatively at his shows, hang on him and hug him, and we would sometimes be kept up all night by her calls and texts.

Dirk has told Lola many times that she's crossing the line. Eventually, she began seeing someone else and stopped tormenting us. But now that she has learned we're living together, her crazy behavior has started up again.

I went to pick Dirk up from his show last night and heard that Lola had told half the people in the club that he had "always loved her," that they were "soul mates," and that she would be going home with him! While I don't doubt the stability of my relationship with Dirk, I find Lola's behavior irritating and blatantly disrespectful.

Dirk tells me any confrontation would be counterproductive, and that the woman would be "overjoyed" to find out she's causing me distress. He thinks she's so unstable she might react violently. I'm fed up. What should we do? -- HAD IT IN MANHATTAN

DEAR HAD IT: You have my sympathy. This is the downside of having a relationship with a charismatic performer. Although Lola's behavior is irritating, I'm casting my vote with your boyfriend. If you show her she is getting to you, her antics will only increase.

It won't take long for the regulars at the club to recognize her for the poor, deluded fan she is. The other club-goers really don't count. However, should Lola's actions escalate to violence, the police should be called and a restraining order taken out.

life

Dad Says Visits to Prison Are No Place for 6 Year Old

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | March 24th, 2009 | Letter 1 of 3

DEAR ABBY: My ex-wife has been spending every weekend visiting her fiance, who is in prison. It is a five-hour round trip from where she lives, so she stays the night in a hotel due to the long drive. If she has our 6-year-old daughter, "Emma," on the weekend, the child goes with her. My ex knows I don't want Emma in a prison.

The only way I have to prevent my little girl from having to go is to keep her with me every weekend. My wife is supportive, but she is concerned because we never have a night to ourselves. She says we are enabling my ex's poor choices by taking Emma every time my ex wants to shirk her parental responsibility.

Is my wife right? Are we enabling my ex? Is it more important to keep my daughter away from the prison or take my wife out on a date once a month? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. -- DAD IN GEORGIA

DEAR DAD: This is a subject you should discuss with the lawyer who handled your divorce. I seriously doubt that when custody was awarded the judge would have agreed that accompanying her mother to a prison every weekend to visit her fiance is "quality time."

If you and your wife would like to go out on a date, your daughter's presence shouldn't prevent it. Hire a sitter.

life

Dear Abby for March 24, 2009

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | March 24th, 2009 | Letter 2 of 3

DEAR ABBY: Last night, I went to the movies and took an aisle seat in the back row. Two different couples came in late, and each one asked me to move over so they could sit together. I said, "I got here early, and I like this seat." I did not go on to explain that I have a torn tendon in my knee and needed the seat in order to stretch my leg.

They became upset and were very rude. If the seats were so important, they could have arrived early or on time.

Abby, my husband died in an airplane crash many years ago. I would give anything to have my husband in the same theater, the same city, the same planet! Couldn't those people spend two hours separated by one seat from their spouse? -- MARSHA IN SAUSALITO, CALIF.

DEAR MARSHA: Please accept my sympathy for the tragic loss of your husband. Sometimes it isn't what you say to people, but the tone in which it is said. Perhaps if you had been less terse in your reply to the couples who asked you to move over, they would not have become hostile.

life

Dear Abby for March 24, 2009

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | March 24th, 2009 | Letter 3 of 3

DEAR ABBY: The oldest of the cousins in our family is being married in July. My aunt told me over the holidays that because I am now an adult (I will graduate from college in June), I would be receiving my own invitation rather than be included with my parents.

My invitation arrived today and enclosed with it was a personal note from my cousin encouraging the attendance of my boyfriend, who she says would be welcome as well. I believe that because I received my own invitation and will be bringing a guest, I should arrive with my own gift rather than sign my name to the gift my parents bring. My mother, however, says I am being "silly" and that it's not necessary. What do you think? -- JENNIFER IN SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF.

DEAR JENNIFER: I think your cousin is thoughtful and gracious, that you are an equally courteous guest and that you should follow your instincts.

life

Diabetes Alert Day Forewarns Public of Silent Killer's Risks

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | March 23rd, 2009 | Letter 1 of 2

DEAR ABBY: Some risks are worth taking. Ignoring signs of diabetes isn't one of them. Several years ago, you played a critical role on American Diabetes Alert Day by informing your readers about the importance of type 2 diabetes prevention and detection.

Diabetes is a "silent" killer that slowly takes away people's health, their money, their time and their dreams. It's called a silent killer because people can have it for years and not know it. This disease affects many of your readers -- nearly 24 million children and adults in the U.S. are diabetic, and another 57 million Americans have pre-diabetes. (Their blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be diagnosed with the disease.)

Diabetes affects more than just the person who has it -- it also affects the parent who is caring for a diabetic child, the spouse who plays the role of caretaker, and the adult whose parent is struggling with this illness. Unfortunately, the number of people developing diabetes continues to grow at an alarming rate.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009, is the 21st annual American Diabetes Alert Day -- a one-day call to action, encouraging all Americans to find out if they are at risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, there is a great deal your readers can do once they know their risk.

With your help, Abby, we can motivate millions to start taking the necessary steps to protect themselves and their families from this life-threatening disease. Thanks for lending a hand. -- R. PAUL ROBERTSON, M.D., PRESIDENT, AMERICAN DIABETES ASSOCIATION

DEAR DR. ROBERTSON: I'm pleased to help because once diagnosed, type 2 diabetes is an illness that can be successfully managed. However, if it is ignored, it can eventually destroy the organs of the body.

Readers, please help yourselves and your families by taking the diabetes risk test at � HYPERLINK "http://www.diabetes.org/alert or by calling 1-800-342-2382" ��www.diabetes.org/alert or by calling (800) 342-238�3 tomorrow. Don't put it off -- I care about you.

life

Dear Abby for March 23, 2009

Dear Abby by by Abigail Van Buren
by Abigail Van Buren
Dear Abby | March 23rd, 2009 | Letter 2 of 2

DEAR ABBY: My husband "John" and I are in our 60s. We were friends with a couple we loved being with -- sharing many dinners and vacations together. A few years ago they said we could no longer socialize together because they couldn't stand John, and they dumped us. I was hurt and blamed my husband.

They recently showed up at our doorstep and invited us to go out with them. I thought everything was going great, but it seems that everything my husband does is wrong in their eyes. They have dumped us -- again.

This couple certainly wasn't perfect, but my husband and I overlooked a lot because we were friends. John may have his faults, but what they did is wrong. What do you think we should do? -- FAIR WEATHER FRIENDS IN NEW YORK

DEAR F.W.F.: Allow me to be direct. I think it's time you and John crossed this couple off your list once and for all, don't you? What they did to your husband was insulting the first time and should not have been allowed to happen twice.

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