Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/702126
DILBERT ScottAdams PEARLSBEFORESWINE StephanPastis PICKLES BrianCrane BABYBLUES JerryScott&RickKirkman THEDUPLEX GlennMcCoy ZITS JerryScott&JimBorgman SHERMAN'SLAGOON JimToomey ARGYLESWEATER ScottHilburn BIZARRO DanPiraro DEARAMY»Ihaveasister who is much younger than I am. I'm now in my late 30s, she's in her early 20s, and we live on opposite sides of the country. Because of the dif- ference in age, we never really connected much as we were growing up. It has only been recently that we began exchanging emails or connect- ing on social media. She casually men- tioned that she'd like to come visit, so I offered to pay for her airfare and hotel, and then sent her the money. She gladly accepted, and then a few days later sent me an email asking if she could bring a friend along with her, because her friend had never been to this part of the country before. I was bothered by this, and told her no, that I'd prefer it if it was just her, and that I wanted the two of us to spend some time together for once in our lives. I got a surprisingly angry response, where she told me that she's no longer planning on visiting, because I was clearly not welcoming to her friend, and she didn't want to be around my "negativity." She made no men- tion of the money that I sent her, and has not responded to any subse- quent emails, calls or text messages since. I told our mother about this, and her response was that she would reimburse me for the money herself, and to basically "drop it" to preserve the peace. Even after declining her offer, she seems to w an t me t o fo r g et this entire thing. This bothers me on so many levels. Any suggestions on how to respond? —Frustratedwith Family DEAR FRUSTRATED » My instinct is that one reason your sister responded the way she did is because your mother would rather clean up her mess than dive in to mediate and correct her. I think you should consider conveying to your sister (you might wan t to "cc " y our mother): "Mom offered to reimburse me for the money I sent you. I was too embarrassed by your behavior to accept this from mom, but you should consider the con- sequence of your choices. I hope you'll be brave enough to visit another time." DEAR AMY » I'm respond- ing to the question from "Probab ly Overpr otec- tive Mom," who was concerned if her son had fathered a child with his unstable ex. This woman needs to better parent her son! She shouldn't be instruct- ing him how to get out of this responsibility, she should be guiding him through it. He seems like a real winner and maybe his ex is better off without him. — Upset DEAR UPSET » Many read- ers agree with you. Distantsistersfeudoverthe payment for a plane ticket 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 Cancer(June21-July22) — Change what isn't working for you. Take the opportunity to make your life better. Put a plan together that will help you fit in the things you love doing most. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Step outside your comfort zone if it will help you bring about positive change in your community or to your personal direction. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Take a moment to figure out what will help you the most, and put your mind and body to the test. What you do will impress someone very special. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — A turn of events will leave you in a position that will require you to take action. Now is not the time to procrastinate. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — Take a daytrip or get together with people you find stimulat- ing. A romantic evening or un- usual activity with a loved one will bring about positive change in your life. Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Your love of adventure can lead to trouble. Be cau- tious, and look before you leap. Emotional problems will surface if you make assumptions or fail to get your facts straight. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Use your experience to make the right decision. Getting to- gether with people you haven't seen for some time will spark memories that could lead to an interesting reunion. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Question the way you feel about the work you do. It's time for a change if you feel dissatisfied. Personal altera- tions will lead to professional decisions. Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20) — Focus on what you want to achieve. Partnerships look promising. Love, romance and a fun-filled day will lead to a posi- tive lifestyle change. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Don't let negativity bring you down. If you look beyond recent setbacks, you will see a clear picture of what you should pur- sue next. Prepare to bring about positive changes. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Spending time with someone you love or making family plans will bring you closer together. Making home improvements or hosting an event is favored. Put your energy into something worthwhile. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Progress comes from hard work, not loose talk. If you get things up and running, you'll get a good response from those you are trying to impress. Horoscope By Eugenia Last SATURDAY, JULY 9 SATURDAY, JULY 9, 2016 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |YOURDAILYBREAK | 5 B