My husband is upset that I find his new look mortifying
DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 33 years. A year ago my husband started wearing frilly girl socks and pink nail polish – the pinker the better. He thinks it’s great.
When we go out, he has to show his nails to everyone. It’s more than embarrassing.
I hate going anywhere with him now, and he blames me for it. Advice?
— MORTIFIED IN TEXAS
DEAR MORTIED: Some artists in the music industry wear nail polish, and no one thinks twice about it. (The frilly socks, I’m not so sure.)
Could it be a request for attention from your husband, or a way of announcing that he has a propensity for cross-dressing? If it’s the latter, please understand that doesn’t make him any different from the person you’ve known for 33 years.
If you haven’t talked (calmly) about it with him yet, do it now.
As a regular reader of Dear Abby, you can appreciate that on a scale of 1 to 10, this problem is not universal. However, such a sudden change in behavior deserves further investigation.
DEAR ABBY: I live in an area with a large number of dog owners who use the same walking trails as me. On several occasions I have encountered dogs off leash and running past their owners. Sometimes the owner is not even in sight.
Several times, dogs jumped on me, almost knocking me to the ground. I am in my late 60s, under 5 feet tall and weigh 105 lbs. I could easily be hurt. I was once attacked and bitten.
My question is, what’s the best thing to say to those dog owners when they finally show up? The last time it happened, the owner happily told his dog“I know you’re excited, but…” The rest I couldn’t hear because she had already passed me on the trail.
Abby, she saw her dog jump on me and never even recognized me. I don’t mean to respond angrily or sarcastic, but in a friendly but firm manner.
— WALKER IN WASHINGTON
DEAR WALKER: You are way too kind, lady.
Start carrying pepper spray as you walk the trail. If an off-leash dog starts jumping on you, use it. When the owner shows up, say his dog charged at you and take a picture of him. If they cause you trouble, file a police report.
When you were bitten, you should have involved the authorities and your lawyer.
DEAR ABBY: I met a real estate agent when I sold my house. He represented the buyer. After the sale, he represented me in a rental property. Then he said he wanted to partner with me in buying properties.
We also formed what I thought was a relationship.
After he borrowed $750 from me and didn’t pay it back, and I refused to lend him more, he ghosted me.
Should I take it to small claims court or blame it on a lesson learned?
– STILL WAITING IN NEW JERSEY
DEAR I STILL WAITING: If you have proof that you lent the real estate agent money that he did not repay, do not hesitate to take it to small claims court. (It’s definitely worth a try.) And when you’re done, report it to the state real estate board’s ethics committee.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or PO Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.
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