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DILBERT ScottAdams PEARLSBEFORESWINE StephanPastis PICKLES BrianCrane BABYBLUES JerryScott&RickKirkman THEDUPLEX GlennMcCoy ZITS JerryScott&JimBorgman SHERMAN'SLAGOON JimToomey ARGYLESWEATER ScottHilburn BIZARRO DanPiraro DEARREADERS»Please enjoy this topical "Best Of" column while I am away writing my next book, which is scheduled to be published in the fall. Today's topic is about boundaries. DEAR AMY » My husband and I are students, work part time and rent two spare bed- rooms in our home to students to supplement our incomes. We live comfortably but frugally and make ends meet by sharing one car, clipping cou- pons and eating at home. Three years ago I studied abroad for one year. I asked my friend to move in while I was gone to help with expenses. She had recently been kicked out of a friend's house for not paying rent. She moved in on the condition that she would move out upon my return. It has been two years since I came back and she has failed to leave! In addition, she rarely pays rent and hasn't paid anything in the past four months. My husband and I are having a difficult time kicking her out, not only because she is a friend and has nowhere to go but also because we remember how much she bad-mouthed the last friend who kicked her out. She spends her money on her own bills and on a new car she purchased. This is putting a lot of stress on us. What is the best way to ask her to leave without making the situation more awkward than it already is? —JustPlainBroke DEAR BROKE » This friend- ship is over. All that's left is for somebody to turn out the lights. I read your letter to Janet Portman, attorney and author of "Every Landlord's Legal Guide" (Nolo, 2006) — (new edi- tion published in 2014). If you can't manage to ask her to leave, then you should give her a written notice that her tenancy is over. Say that she hasn't paid the rent in months and that she must move on an exact date. You can add a line such as, "We are so sorry that your choice not to pay the rent we agreed upon has forced us to this decision. We wish you all the best in your next home." Let the bad-mouthing begin. If she won't leave on her own, you should do some legal research and consider going to court. Information and a variety of strategies can be found at www.nolo.com. Whatever you do, don't just put her stuff on the lawn and change the locks, no matter how tempting. Even the world's worst tenants have rights. You can download lease forms from the nolo.com website. If your tenants don't currently sign leases, you should have them do so. (May 2006) Amy Dickinson's mem- oir, "The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter and the Town that Raised Them" (Hyperion), is available in bookstores. Couple doesn't know how to ask friend to vacate home You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@tribpub.com and follow her on Twitter @askingamy. Amy Dickinson Ask Amy Sudoku Instructions:Theobjectistoplacethe numbers1to9intheemptysquaresso thateachrow,eachcolumnandeach 3x3boxcontainsthenumberonlyonce. AnswertoPreviousPuzzle CelebrityCipher ByLuisCampos Instructions:CelebrityCiphercryptogramsarecreatedfromquotationsbyfamouspeople, pastandpresent.Eachletterinthecipherstandsforanother. NEACrossword Aquarius(Jan.20-Feb. 19) — Simplicity, precision and experimentation will help you achieve balance and success. Your enthusiasm will be infec- tious and will promote change. Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20) — Don't share your secrets. Fo- cus on personal improvements and modify an old method of doing things with a trendy new twist. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Do what needs to be done without wasting your time try- ing to get others to take action. You will be far more effective if you work alone. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — You'll have to put more energy behind your plans if you want to see them come to fruition. Use emotional tactics to motivate. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Be honest about what you can accomplish. If you don't set unrealistic goals, others will see your vision and help you reach it. Love is in the stars. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Mull over your experiences and make a mental note of what not to do in the future. You can spare yourself grief if you elimi- nate problems before they have a chance to escalate. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Gather information, travel, attend a conference or have a conversation that will help you get a better handle on your current status. Think carefully about how to move forward. Taking stock will prove fruitful. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — If you express your feelings, you will find out exactly where you stand. Once you have your posi- tion quantified, you will know how to speed things up in order to get what you want. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Flirting and being playful with someone special will improve your relationship and help you come one step closer to positive changes to your current living arrangements. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — Participate and be ready to take action. Don't be afraid to do things on your own, rather than waste time arguing with someone who doesn't want to contribute to your plans. Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Connect with people who want to collaborate and share in your pursuits. New friendships will help you build a brighter future. A chatty encounter will spark your interest. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — You'll be reminded of some- one or something from your past that can help you handle a chal- lenge you face at home. Making an effort to be entertaining will be rewarded. Horoscope By Eugenia Last THURSDAY, FEB. 18 THURSDAY,FEBRUARY18,2016 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |YOURDAILYBREAK | 3 B