Ask Emily: Better beach advice?
By Casey Gillis on Feb. 07, 2008
Dear Emily: Your advice to “No more beach buddy” just isn’t right. You told the girl she shouldn’t dismiss her traditional trip to the beach with her best friend, “Trina,” just because Trina wanted to bring her new husband this year. I say the girl should have been upfront with her friend and told her to leave the husband at home. Why can’t she spend just one long weekend away from her husband to be with her best friend? Married couples should keep their own identities; it’s healthy. Seriously - having the husband along would totally change the dynamic of the trip, and it isn’t fair to the one girl to be put in the awkward position of being a third wheel.
- Bad beach advice
Dear Bad beach advice: There are different schools of thought when it comes to married couples taking separate vacations. Some people would never dream of being separated from their significant other, even for a mere long weekend, while others look forward to taking recurring vacations apart. In the case of the irritated friend, you are right that she shouldn’t be made to feel like a third wheel. I’ll retract my earlier statement that she should just give the vacation a try this year and see how it goes. Rather, she should be upfront with Trina and voice her concerns. If, however, Trina falls into the category of married folks who can’t bear to be without their better half, I stand firm that the friend should give the beach a chance with the added guest, rather than dismiss it altogether.
Dear Emily: I went to a Super Bowl party on Sunday, and the host has a golden retriever. The dog was very badly behaved; he begged for food, drooled on my shoes and kept nudging me with his nose trying to get attention. What’s dog protocol when going to someone’s house? Would it have been wrong of me to ask the host to keep the dog away from me?
- Difficult dog
Dear Difficult dog: A good host would have kept the dog out of the way of his guests. But since that didn’t happen, you would have been perfectly justified in asking the host to keep the dog at a distance. Even dog lovers would agree that while a nudging, affectionate dog can be simply irresistible, it is quite annoying to have one invade your personal space and covet your food.
Dear Emily: My doctor told me I need to pick up a new hobby to try and relieve some stress in my life. Apparently paying bills and cleaning the house don’t count. I’m not into sports, and not really the arts and crafts type. Any suggestions?
- Finding fun
Dear Finding fun: How about reading? It’s relaxing and inexpensive if you utilize your local library. Then you can consider joining a book club, too. You could also try learning to play instrument or taking a cooking class. Other areas you may find interesting are gardening or photography. There are so many hobbies from which to choose, your best bet is to ask some friends what they do, and see if you can do it with them. This way you’ll be socializing and learning something new at the same time. Also try searching the Internet for some ideas.
Have a question on love, life, or etiquette? Don’t be shy - Ask Emily at or write in care of The Burg, P.O. Box 10129, Lynchburg, VA 24506. Then go to http://www.the-burg.com, where you can leave a comment.
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