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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»I've stepped away from my column for a week while I put the finishing touches on my new book, which will be published in the fall. Please enjoy these "Best Of" columns in my absence. I'll be back with your fresh questions and answers next week. DEAR AMY » The other night my large fam- ily (seven children, plus my wife and I) went to dinner at a local restaurant. We made reservations f or a f am il y o f ni ne . Up on our arrival, we had to wait for the table to be set up. As we were waiting, my children were eager to be seated. As the waiter came to seat us, I overheard a patron saying to the hostess, "Please don't seat them by us," meaning my children! I went back to the waiting area and con- fronted this man. I asked him if there was a prob- lem with my children that he didn't want to sit by them? When the hostess saw me confront this man, she ushered me to the table, say- ing that everything was OK. Amy, everything was not OK. I wanted to leave, but my wife didn't want to make a scene. Was I wrong to react as I did? —ProudN.Y.Dad DEAR PROUD » I have a confession to make. I don't want to be seated next to your children, either. Much of the time, I don't want to be seated with my own. Your children are lovely, I'm sure. But picture this: I've just hired a sitter, leaving my own kids at home to have a rare intimate dinner with my spouse. I don't want to sit next to your children. Or I've just scored a meeting with my client who's passing through town. I don't want to sit next to your children. Or I've got my elderly mother with me and she doesn't hear so well. Yup. No kids for me, please. You say you overheard this gentleman speaking to the hostess. I assume he didn't deliberately direct his comment to you. You shouldn't have confronted him. I would even say that, in this instance, you set a poor example for your chil- dren. If I had been your dinner partner, I would have suggested that you might want to simmer down and let the restau- rant hostess do her job, in order to enjoy your own evening out. — May 2007 You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@tribpub. com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or "like" her on Facebook. Amy Dickinson's memoir, "The Mighty Queens of Freeville: A Mother, a Daughter and the Town that Raised Them" (Hyperion), is available in bookstores. Three reasons why no one wants to dine with your kids 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 Taurus(April20-May20)— Keep your feelings tucked away until you feel safe sharing them. Offer physical assurance to de- ter an emotional confrontation. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Stay on top of your plans. Don't let anyone convince you to veer off in a direction you know little about. Stick to trustworthy people. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Concentrate on what's impor- tant to you. Romance is on the rise, and following your intuition will bring good results. Home improvements will pay off. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Emotions will be difficult to control. Don't let the words or actions of others upset you. Put your energy into being and doing your best. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — You can offer help, sugges- tions and solutions if you rely on experience to navigate your way through challenges and dilem- mas. Romance is in the stars. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Your fundraising abilities will help boost your profile. Some- one's insecurities will surface due to your accomplishments. Include everyone in your victory to avoid discord. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — Don't let an emotional situation cause you to miss out on an opportunity. Discuss your strategy and put your plans in motion. An unexpected alterna- tive will give you more leverage to negotiate. Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Face facts and deal with issues quickly. Don't let others' actions tempt you to take a back seat when you should be promoting what you have to offer. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — An unstable partner will give you an out to do your own thing. Take this opportunity to work on the plans you haven't been able to tackle in the past. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Head in a direction that promises a lucrative position. An enjoyable activity or profes- sional task will inspire you to try harder and make your dreams come true. Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20) — Someone will take advantage of your kindness or current vulnerability. Look at the big picture and size up your situa- tion before agreeing to some- thing that isn't in your best interest. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Participate in events that offer knowledge and allow you to connect with influential people. A positive financial change will result if you discuss your ideas. Horoscope By Eugenia Last THURSDAY, MAY 12 THURSDAY,MAY12,2016 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |YOURDAILYBREAK | 3 B