DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter came home from college to visit for spring break. I was so glad she came to be with me, but she slept almost the whole time. She would get up after 1 p.m. and soon after would go to hang out with her friends. I ended up spending only a few precious hours being able to sit and talk with her. I know she’s gaining her independence, but it was hard for me to have so little time with her.
Washing your clothes in cold water does more than save energy and money on your utility bill: It also preserves your clothes. The fibers of your clothing last longer when they’re washed in cold water; they actually deteriorate when washed in hot water. The only time you really need to wash in hot water is if you need to remove stubborn stains that are oilbased, or to disinfect items like hand towels and bedding. Otherwise, 9 out of 10 washes on average should be done in cold water.
There’s a good reason why you can’t place a bet on WWE professional wrestling, even in Las Vegas. It’s because everybody smart enough to come in out of the rain understands the matches are make-believe – not merely fixed, but scripted. That’s also why sports pages don’t report the results.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m in a bit of an uncomfortable situation. I told a few friends that I am thinking of getting a divorce. I have been going through it with my husband for a long time, but I am now tired of the fussing and fighting and don’t have energy for it anymore. While that is true, I haven’t done anything yet. Whenever I try to talk to my husband about our issues, he brushes me off and refuses to engage. Out in public is another matter. We went to an event recently, and many of my close friends were there.
ASK THE DOCTORS
South Carolina is likely the fourth stop in the 2024 Republican presidential nomination fight. Will any of the candidates actually end their campaigns after the primary here?
DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been struggling with nicotine addiction for a long time. I recently moved back in with my family and thought that now would be an excellent opportunity to quit, as I know they would not approve of my habit anyway. However, I am really struggling with my withdrawal symptoms, and they have begun to question me on some of my behaviors that they don’t understand. I’m scared to tell them what’s really going on with me. What should I do? — Recovering DEAR RECOVERING: The best thing you can do is admit to your family what you are dealing with and ask them for help. Nicotine addiction is real and, as you are experiencing, extremely difficult to break.
Anxiety likes numbers. I only recently realized that a lot of my anxiety fixates on meaningless numbers. I like to know how many there are of a particular thing and then attach meanings — usually sinister, sometimes hopeful, always unreasonable — to these numbers.
Is Ron DeSantis qualified to be president? A small but growing number of Republicans are starting to express their doubts.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a father trying to repair my relationships with my grown children. While the kids were growing up, I was never as present as I wanted to be in their lives, and I regret that.