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DEAR ANNIE: Mother won’t listen to request for space

DEAR ANNIE: My mom and I have always had a weird relationship. Throughout my childhood, I always considered us close, even when she moved hours away to the other side of the state when I was in middle school. We would talk regularly, and I would go see her for summer and winter breaks. When I graduated high school, I happily made the move to live with her. Throughout the years of living with her, I started to see her true colors coming out. I learned my mom is a habitual liar, is manipulative, has cheated on everyone she’s been with and gaslights when she has been caught in a lie or ...

Dear Annie: Faux pas during crisis costs him a friendship

DEAR ANNIE: Recently, I had a major social misstep that has essentially pushed one of my best friends out of my life. During the week of my birthday, I had a mid-30s crisis; a string of bad memories from dating and bad luck with women hit me and put me in a very emotionally weakened state of mind. In front of this friend, I was reduced to what felt like a whimpering fool, complaining about my bad luck with dating and women. Two days later, I was back to my normal self and saw her at my birthday dinner with friends. During the dinner, she was distant from me, which was fine, and I gave ...

Hints from Heloise: Baking soda can clean toys

DEAR HELOISE: I use baking soda to absorb odors in my refrigerator. I replace the box about every four months, but instead of tossing out a perfectly good box, I use the remaining contents to scrub plastic toys that my young son chews on. He’s cutting teeth right now. It doesn’t kill bacteria, but it does a great job of removing dirt, dust and saliva from his toys. I have to scrub his toys nearly every day. The leftover baking soda also does a great job on my pots and pans, in the laundry on my husband’s work clothes, and on washable rugs. What a great product! It has so many ...

To Your Good Health: Meclizine doesn’t ease her vertigo

DEAR DR. ROACH: I got vertigo for the first time; not knowing what was happening, I went to the hospital fearing that it could be an aneurysm or a stroke. The hospital told me it’s “just” vertigo, showed me the Epley maneuver, and prescribed meclizine for me to take for three days. A follow-up visit to my primary care doctor a couple days later confirmed the hospital’s diagnosis and treatment. Since the hospital visit a month ago, I’ve had vertigo two or three times a week. Some episodes are so severe that I get nauseated and vomit, and it often takes me out for a full day ...