DEAR ABBY: I am a 27-year-old woman who can't seem to find a man to call her own. Every time I search on websites or at gyms, I can't find anyone decent who lives nearby.

I met someone who took me to his house in Wisconsin for the holidays, but I live in Illinois. Ever since I slept with him (on the fifth date), he has come here less often -- and when he does, it's never just to see me. He also texts less often than he did and has hinted that I should see other people here in town and keep him as a backup.

I'm desperate to find someone who will be there for me. I want to be married before my 30th birthday. I have tried everything, but all the decent men nowadays are already taken or not serious about forming a relationship. Hope you can help. -- CAN'T FIND A MAN

DEAR CAN'T: Your problem may be your desperation. When people are desperate, their anxiety can drive people away. The idea that you must be married by the time you are 30 is setting an artificial -- and possibly unrealistic -- goal for yourself.

It may be time to stop looking and begin concentrating on building a satisfying life for yourself without help from a partner. Once you accomplish that, you may find that both men and women find you more attractive to be around. I can't guarantee that it will help you to find a husband, but even if you don't, you will have a happier life. Not everyone needs to be married.

DEAR ABBY: I have twin grandsons. One is kind, mannerly and thoughtful. The other is rude, ungrateful and has a chip on his shoulder.

Every Christmas and birthday, my husband and I are generous with our gifts to them. One grandson thanks us, while the other does not even acknowledge the gift. I no longer want to continue giving the rude twin gifts, but I don't know if this is the way to deal with the problem. They will be 18 on their next birthday.

My daughter has never corrected the problem, and I know she will accuse me of favoring the kind twin. What to do? -- GRAN IN SOUTH CAROLINA

DEAR GRAN: If it were me, I'd give the grateful twin gifts worth the usual amount of money and the ungrateful one a token present. And when your daughter accuses you of favoritism, tell her she's absolutely right and also why you no longer felt inclined to shell out to someone who didn't think your generosity was worth acknowledging. It's the truth.

DEAR ABBY: I am 53 and constantly worry about the future. Because my husband has had to change jobs for various reasons, we have no money fund for retirement, and it isn't offered at his current job. I worry so much about the future that it's keeping me from enjoying the present. How can I stop worrying like this so I can enjoy the present? Talking to a doctor is not an option as money is very tight. -- WORRYING TOO MUCH

DEAR WORRYING: You didn't mention whether you are currently employed. If you aren't, a way to fix your problem might be to start thinking about your own earning capacity and find a job so you can build a retirement fund. It's never too late to start.

DEAR ABBY: Six months ago, I asked a close female friend to help me prepare a gift for my husband for our fifth wedding anniversary. I wanted to create a photo album of sexy nude photos of myself. Her excellent camerawork provided me with a wonderful collection, and my husband loved it.

I recently found out on social media that my girlfriend's husband viewed and copied my private photos, and shared them online with mutual male friends of ours. I'm devastated. My girlfriend is sorry to the max.

My husband isn't yet aware of my exposure to others. I don't want to tell him, but at the same time, I don't want some guy spilling the beans. My girlfriend is helping to stop the sharing of my pictures. Should I hope for the best or tell my husband? -- ASHAMED IN THE U.S.A.

DEAR ASHAMED: Inform your husband immediately about what happened because he needs to hear it from you.

Your friend's carelessness in allowing her husband to see -- and share -- the photos was deplorable. It is nearly impossible now that those images have been posted online to stop their proliferation. That your friend's husband would display such immaturity and poor judgment by showing them around is shocking.

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I are at opposite ends of the political spectrum: I am conservative; she is liberal. We do our best not to argue about our strongly held views, but sometimes we are unsuccessful.

My problem is, she'll have three TVs going, all tuned to her favorite political channel, while doing housework. I find it annoying. I usually leave the room when she's going to do prolonged work in our home office and informs me that she will be listening to her channel. It's the three-TV thing that I would like stopped. What do you suggest? -- INUNDATED IN WASHINGTON

DEAR INUNDATED: Your wife should show you the same consideration that you show to her. In this case, she does not have to have three TVs blaring "her" channel throughout your home while she does housecleaning. She should have one television set on in the room she is in.

DEAR ABBY: My husband had not seen a dentist in 18 years. I come from a family of dentists, and dental health is very important to me. When I finally convinced my husband to go to the dentist because he'd broken a front tooth, he ended up needing eight extractions!

I'm happy he finally saw a dentist, but he rarely wears the bridges the dentist made for him. He looks like a jack-o'-lantern, and I'm embarrassed to be with him in public. I am having such a hard time with this that I no longer know if I can stay in this marriage.

He is a good man and a great husband and father, but his lack of teeth is almost more than I can handle. Any advice on how I can get him to wear his dentures daily? -- EMBARRASSED IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

DEAR EMBARRASSED: Your husband may not be wearing the bridges the dentist made because they are uncomfortable. You may be able to convince him to wear them by encouraging him to return to the dentist who made them and have them adjusted until they fit properly.

DEAR ABBY: I have been with my boyfriend for two years. When I'm with him, I often find him annoying and think we have nothing in common. But when we are apart, I miss him a lot -- especially when one of us travels for work.

When we're apart and talk on the phone, we have amazing conversations and discuss a future together. But when we're together, we don't talk as much, and he never mentions a future together.

I'm confused. Is this normal for relationships? I don't want to stay in a relationship that isn't going anywhere, and it has been like this since pretty early on. How can I know if I should invest more of my time or if I should end it and move on? -- PERPLEXED IN VIRGINIA

DEAR PERPLEXED: If neither of you is particularly talkative and there are a lot of distractions when you are together, then it's normal. When you are apart, it's possible that you miss -- and idealize -- each other, which is why those conversations about a future happen. The way to determine whether you should invest more time in this relationship would be to ask him, and just as plainly as you addressed that question to me.

DEAR ABBY: Could you please print this on behalf of delivery people everywhere? Folks: Please make sure your address is visible from the street.

I can't tell you how many times I have had to drive up and down a street trying to figure out which house I'm supposed to deliver to. Sometimes, I can see the number on the curb. But many times, it's impossible to spot -- and I deliver during the day. I can only begin to imagine how hard it is for couriers who deliver at night. So do us a favor. Make sure your house number is visible from the street. -- WENDY IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR WENDY: I'm glad you wrote. People in your profession are not the only ones who struggle with this problem. I have also heard from fire and emergency personnel complaining about the same issue when the situation wasn't just inconvenient, but life-threatening. Readers, please take a moment to walk to the curb and see if your street address is visible. Fixing the problem could be as simple as trimming some bushes.

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been arguing over whether food must be covered while it's being heated in the microwave. I always cover it because it takes little effort and prevents splatters. He refuses, unless the food is very saucy or greasy. When I ask why he won't do it, he has no answer.

It would be one thing if he routinely cleaned the microwave, but he never does, leaving me to do it. This has caused shouting matches between us. How can we settle this, short of throwing away the microwave? -- UNCOVERED OUT WEST

DEAR UNCOVERED: Do not toss out a perfectly good microwave over this issue. Praise your husband when he covers the saucy/greasy foods, and remember to throw a paper towel over his dinner when he "forgets."