DEAR ABBY: I recently exchanged pleasantries via email and text messaging with a lady I met on a website. One day later, I received a message from her stating she'd prefer our method of communication be kept to email and texting because she wasn't much of a phone talker.

Over the past few months, I have been out a number of times with other women who also expressed their preference to keep communication limited to email and texting. Is this becoming common?

I may be old-fashioned because I feel interpersonal relationships -- especially initially -- should include the element of voice inflection. I think it's more effective than a guessing game that only a full page of text can provide. Am I wrong? -- WANTS TO TALK IN RENO

DEAR WANTS TO TALK: I don't think you are wrong, and I happen to agree with you. I, too, usually learn more from a spoken conversation than from an email or text because I can distinguish whether the person is joking or being serious. But you and I are becoming the minority. Today many younger people feel more comfortable communicating online -- at least initially.

DEAR ABBY: My husband recently returned to the family business to become the general manager. He is in control of hiring new employees, and he recently told me they need to hire more people. I have mentioned several times my interest in working there as an administrative assistant. However, my husband either changes the subject or gets angry when I ask about it.

It hurts my feelings that I am the person raising his children, but am not good enough to work in the family business! I also know it's not because of lack of experience. This makes me question the strength and value of our marriage. -- HURT FEELINGS IN OREGON

DEAR HURT FEELINGS: While I can see that you might be disappointed, what I regard as your problem may be the lack of honest communication between you and your husband. He may have reasons for preferring you not work in the family business that have nothing to do with the strength or value of your marriage. It might be that he is new in his position as general manager, that working in ANY family business can be stressful, that he'd prefer separation between his working life and his family life, or that other family members might object.

Let the subject rest for a while, and when you do raise it again, try to do it in a non-confrontational manner. If you do, he may be more open and less defensive with you about what his reasons are. And if you would prefer to work outside the home in addition to raising the children, consider submitting your resumes to other companies.

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are approaching our 25th anniversary. We don't have a lot of money to spend on a large party (our sons are 14 and 17). Are there inexpensive solutions? I'd prefer not to have it at our house. -- STUMPED IN GEORGIA

DEAR STUMPED: Because you don't want to entertain at your home, consider holding the celebration at a park, limiting the guest list and making it a potluck.

DEAR ABBY: I'm in a tricky situation. My boyfriend of four years, "Ian," and I took a break from our relationship for two months because he was scared he'd miss out on the single life. We started hanging out again soon after, and everything fell into place.

We were talking recently, and he mentioned that he's planning to move across the country to San Francisco to be near his family. He made it plain he wants to live on the West Coast "forever." I am close to my family -- closer than Ian is to his.

We're both 24, and while we're not going to get engaged anytime soon, I'm not sure what to do. We love each other, but the geography is causing so many issues. Please advise. -- NEW YORK GIRL

DEAR N.Y. GIRL: It's good that you and Ian aren't planning on becoming engaged anytime soon, because you have some serious thinking to do. If you plan on having a family and want your parents to be close to their grandchildren, it would be better for you to find another boyfriend. I'm advising you and Ian to take another break -- this time for YOUR benefit -- to see which is more important to you: the man or the location.

DEAR ABBY: This "issue" with my wife may seem trivial, but it's making me crazy. I like to cook; she doesn't. When I cook it's an expression of love, and our family sits down together to enjoy the meal. We don't watch TV and we don't answer the phone. Sounds ideal, wouldn't you say?

The problem is, after I put the food on the table, my wife gets up and starts pulling other food from the fridge to microwave. Or she'll start making a salad.

These last-minute additions make me furious. She knows it, but won't stop. Either she "doesn't want the leftover to go bad" or she thinks something is "missing" from the table.

I say she should prepare these additions while I'm making dinner so everything will be on the table at the same time, or else forget it. What do you think? -- STEAMING IN THE KITCHEN IN TEXAS

DEAR STEAMING: Is the layout of your kitchen conducive to tandem cooking? If it's not, that may be why your wife goes in there after you're no longer using it. Do you tell your wife what you will be preparing for dinner and ask if there is anything else she wants included? That may prompt her to think ahead so she wouldn't have to get up and leave the table.

If the answer to my questions is yes, then there may be something going on in your relationship for which she's trying to punish you.

DEAR ABBY: My daughter goes to a preschool in a church where we are not members. Pastor "Joe" is very involved with the classes, often chatting with the parents and calling them by their first names.

I have seen him around town various times, but I'm never sure how to address him. I feel strange calling him "Pastor" since he isn't my minister. On the other hand, calling him "Joe" doesn't quite seem right either.

How should a man of the cloth be greeted on the street? -- FEELING AWKWARD IN JAMESTOWN, N.Y.

DEAR FEELING AWKWARD: I think you're asking the wrong person. Why not ask HIM how he'd like to be addressed? I remember a delightful priest in Chicago, who when meeting people would immediately say, "Call me John." I used to refer to him as Father Call-Me-John.

DEAR ABBY: I use a service dog, and I'm constantly barraged with requests to pet him. Other people who use service dogs warned me this would happen. Although the ADA does not require him to wear a vest, I bought one for him that reads, "Do Not Pet," which he wears in public. They ask me anyway!

They also ask what I use the dog for. Sometimes I'm tempted to say, "First, tell me about your medical history and then I'll tell you mine." I don't mind quietly and discreetly discussing with a store owner what my dog does, but for a stranger to walk up and expect me to share personal information is rude.

As excited as I am about how my dog has expanded my life, I do not want to spend my time answering strangers' questions or hearing about every dog they've ever owned.

Obviously, I'm still learning what it means to live with a service dog. Would you kindly share with your readers proper etiquette with service dogs and their owners? -- LIVING LARGER IN WASHINGTON STATE

DEAR LIVING LARGER: I'm happy to. But you must be realistic. If you have a service dog, you must accept that people will be curious. However, what many people fail to understand is that when a service dog is out in public, the animal is WORKING, and should not be distracted from its task -- which is ensuring the well-being of the owner.

The basics for interacting with service dogs are:

1. Always speak to the person first. Do not try to distract the dog.

2. Never touch the service dog -- or ANY dog, for that matter -- without first asking for and receiving permission.

3. Do not offer food to the animal.

4. Do not ask personal questions about the handler's disability or otherwise intrude on his or her privacy.

5. Do not be offended if the handler refuses to chat about the service dog.

DEAR ABBY: My son "John" and daughter-in-law "Bree" recently announced their second pregnancy via email, and asked that we keep the news in the immediate family for now.

I was so happy and excited that I notified my sister. She is my best friend and lives in another state. As it turns out, my sister shared the news with her daughter, who is good friends with Bree. My niece then texted congratulations to her.

At the end of the day, I received a nasty, dramatic phone call from Bree. She was furious that I had revealed her secret. My heart sank. It wasn't my intention to hurt her in any way. I apologized profusely, but now I'm afraid that this may have solidified the wedge between us because our relationship was never very close to begin with.

I realize I was wrong and apologized. What more can I do to make this the joyful occasion it should be? -- NOW WHAT? IN NORTH CAROLINA

DEAR NOW WHAT?: Now you pay the penalty for leaking the news, and gracefully accept that you will be relegated to the second tier when it comes to announcements from your son and daughter-in-law. Perhaps you can eventually get back in their good graces by respecting their wishes in the future.