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DEAR ANNIE: Your first job doesn’t have to be your last job

DEAR ANNIE: I’m a recent college grad, and I’ve always wanted to be a writer like you. I’ve applied to more jobs than I can count at newspapers and magazines but haven’t landed a single offer. Everyone keeps saying “the job market is tough right now,” but knowing that doesn’t pay rent. I still live with my parents, and I’m dying to get my own place. I don’t want to give up on writing, but it’s been six months with no offer, and I need to start making some money. What do I do? —Unpublished DEAR UNPUBLISHED: Writing skills aren’t limited to bylines — ...

HINTS FROM HELOISE: How you can keep your skin healthy

DEAR HELOISE: Every skin care company claims to have the perfect solution to staying young, but the truth is that lines and wrinkles are going to show up sooner or later. For many people, plastic surgery, skin peels and $200 creams are out of reach and might not do anything to remove the lines on your face. The best thing you can do for yourself is to prevent these lines in the first place. Wear sunblock during the summer and winter; moisturize your skin (don’t forget your neck); never sleep in your makeup; and eat a healthy, balanced diet. Add to this a little exercise and try to ...

TO YOUR GOOD HEALTH: Man, 76, scared over high CAC score

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a 76-year-old Caucasian male who’s in excellent health. (Or so I thought.) Recently, my cardiologist suggested a coronary artery calcium (CAC) test, and my score was a frightening 1,241! I’m now extremely concerned about my heart health. I’ve been extremely active all my life, and I routinely work out — about 10 hours per week. My resting heart rate is about 50 bpm, and my blood pressure has long been about 110/70 mm Hg. Once or twice a week, I’ll raise my heart rate to a measured 162 bpm during a HIIT (high-intensity interval training) workout and feel ...

Annie Lane: Daughter resentful over flight not taken

DEAR ANNIE: My mom and I have always been close. I’m 35 now, but we talk almost every day, even though she’s in Virginia, where I grew up, and I moved to Washington state after college. We make an effort to see each other as much as possible, but of course, it’s never enough. Recently, a work trip brought her to San Francisco, but I didn’t find out until she was already boarding the plane. San Francisco is a lot closer to me than Virginia is. I couldn’t help but think that if the situation were reversed, I would have found a way to tack on a few days and see her. She ...

Hints from Heloise: Reader writes with ‘thank you’

DEAR HELOISE: As I think about the things that I appreciate when contemplating our country’s 250th birthday, I wanted you to know how much you mean to us. Heloise, you and your mom have given us a place to share ideas, support one another, and find solutions for real-life issues. You’re a breath of fresh air instead of a wet blanket of despair. Thank you for being the epitome of American culture. — With Love and Respect, Karen B., in Warren, Ohio Karen, thank you so much for your kind words and being a loyal reader of both my and mother’s columns. — Heloise DEAR ...