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Fish-sitting favor ends in dead pets and guilt

DEAR ANNIE: I am 22 and working at my first job out of college. My salary is low and just covers my rent, car payments and basic living expenses. I have no savings yet. Recently, my neighbor, whom I know only to wave at, asked me to feed her fish while she went out of town. I agreed, and she took me into her apartment where she showed me her aquarium. She switched on the tank light and demonstrated how to sprinkle fish food on the water. She didn’t give me her phone number. When I went into her apartment the next day to feed the fish, it was pitch dark, with all her curtains ...

Remembering the use-by date

DEAR HELOISE: When I buy a dozen eggs, I transfer them to an egg tray in my refrigerator once I get home. Before I throw away the cardboard carton that they came in, I cut out the “use by” date and put it with the eggs in the refrigerator. I never have to try to remember when I purchased the eggs or how long they’ve been there, just in case I don’t use all of them up quick enough. — Pat, in Ewing, New Jersey DEAR HELOISE: Years ago, after having major back surgery, I had to use a walker for several months. My husband cut a piece of plywood out of a laminated particle board ...

Protecting babies from whooping cough during pregnancy

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’ve read that there’s a big increase in whooping cough. I am pregnant and want to know the best way to protect my baby. Is it exclusive breastfeeding? Getting the vaccine? Making sure that visitors are vaccinated or wear masks? — D.G. ANSWER: Whooping cough is caused by a species of bacteria called Bordetella pertussis. This causes a respiratory infection that can be very serious in infants, with over 80% of the youngest babies needing hospitalization. You are right that there have been massive increases in the risk of this infection during the past two years. ...

Bridge by Steve Becker

Bidding is a vocal exercise in which partners exchange messages verbally about their respective holdings in an effort to arrive at the best contract. Defensive play, by contrast, is a silent exercise wherein the defenders try to portray their holdings to each other through the play of their cards in order to score all the tricks to which they are entitled. Consider this deal, which features good defense. South reached four spades as shown, and West led the five of hearts. When dummy came down, East realized that the contract would almost certainly be made unless West held the doubleton ...

DEAR ANNIE: She’s feeling forgotten by one flaky friend

DEAR ANNIE: My best friend has become impossible to make plans with. She says yes to everything, then cancels at the last minute with a vague excuse. Sometimes she says she is “too tired,” other times she says work got crazy, and once she forgot completely until I texted from the restaurant asking if she was on her way. The worst was when I saw on social media that she had gone out with another group the same night she canceled on me because she “needed a quiet night.” I know people are busy, and I do not want to be needy. But after the third canceled dinner, the second missed ...

Grill vegetables and toss them in bacon vinaigrette

Want to make your vegetables taste better and have your friends love you? Char the hell out of some on the grill and then toss them in a bacon vinaigrette, using this recipe from my cookbook “Chasing the Gator: Isaac Toups and the New Cajun Cooking.” These are vegetables so unhealthy a ...