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No Phones On First Dates

Today’s Sound Off: Put down your cellphone: Dear Heloise: This evening I had a date with a young man who is up and coming in his profession. But this first date is also the last date I’ll have with him. So what’s wrong? Every few minutes his phone would ring, and none of the calls were business-related or emergencies. He’d chat away as if I weren’t there, and by the end of the evening I realized he never actually had a conversation with me. You might tell your readers that whether male or female, when you’re on a date, put your cellphone away. Your date is not impressed, ...

Man Lets Special Anniversary Pass Without Any Celebration

DEAR ABBY: I have been married to my husband 25 years as of today. (We’ve been a couple for 32 years.) He has done absolutely nothing to commemorate this. I reminded him months ago to save for something because it was very important to me. My friends would have happily helped him do something. Every year it’s the same old nothing. He asked me to remind him and I did, but it made no difference. Same with my birthday. Yes, we have been in better positions financially than now. But if something was important to him, he always saved for it. I have money put away we could have used, ...

Dark Meat Vs. Light Meat

Dear Heloise: I enjoy reading your column every week. Always find hints. Well, I have one question I hope you can help me with. Do you know why almost every chicken recipe uses dark meat? I don’t like dark meat. Do I just substitute white for dark and not cook as long? — Lynda R., Oxnard, Calif. Lynda, there are many recipes using the light meat of chicken, but if you want to substitute the white meat for the dark, please remember that dark meat has more connective tissue, which requires a longer cooking time. Other than that, I see no reason why you shouldn’t use a white meat ...

Man Wonders If Larger House Could Signal Bigger Problem

DEAR ABBY: My fiancee, “Diane,” and her two sons live in a nice home. I also have a nice home, newly constructed. It’s located 1,200 miles away, near my parents, my son and my job. Diane currently has no job nor family within 500 miles of her town. Her boys’ father (whom she shares custody with) lives within 50 miles of me. My job and the custody arrangement for my son preclude me from living where Diane does. Together, she and I would have three sons. The spacious five-bedroom house I own is more than adequate. Diane has made clear that if I sell my home and buy my ...

Join Me For a ‘Cold One’?

As we turn the calendar page on the last month of 2020, the New Year can’t arrive too soon. Although life appears to pass at “warp speed” and most recognize there aren’t enough minutes left in our short stay on earth, I believe all would agree 2020 deserves to be seen in the rear view mirror. In the past 10 months all of our lives have been turned upside down by a pesky RNA genome, a coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 causing a disease COVID-19 that none of us is likely to forget. Counting our blessings on Thanksgiving is an American tradition, yet other counts were and continue to reach ...

It’s Best to Have Shingrix Vaccine And Flu Shot on Different Days

DEAR DR. ROACH: Is it advisable to get the Shingrix vaccine at the same time as the annual influenza vaccine? — T.H. ANSWER: It can be done, but whenever possible, you should get the new Shingrix vaccine by itself. The side effects of this vaccine are more pronounced than with most approved vaccines, and more people may not feel well and will have low grade fever, muscle aches and fatigue that can last a day or two. Anecdotally, it seems that getting multiple vaccines the same day may worsen that reaction. I advise patients to get the Shingrix vaccine on a day where they have nothing ...