Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/777354
DILBERT ScottAdams PEARLSBEFORESWINE StephanPastis PICKLES BrianCrane BABYBLUES JerryScott&RickKirkman THEDUPLEX GlennMcCoy ZITS JerryScott&JimBorgman SHERMAN'SLAGOON JimToomey ARGYLESWEATER ScottHilburn BIZARRO DanPiraro DEARAMY»Myfatheris going through a divorce with his second wife. They have been mar- ried for the last 20 years and the divorce is pretty messy. I have asked both of them to ke ep the de- tails of who said what and who did what to themselves. My stepmother, "Daisy," has agreed to this, but my father keeps trying to drag me in. I finally put my foot down and told him that I didn't care who did what, and that I wanted to keep both of them in my life and my children's lives. He responded by call- ing me horrible names. After that, he went a little crazy. Daisy now has a restraining order on him, and I have called 911, worried about sui- cidal postings on social media. When my sister went over to his house recently, he was drinking and do- ing drugs. I have not spoken to him in almost a month because I am done with his lifetime of manipula- tive behavior and emo- tional abuse to everyone around him. I realize he needs help, but I can't seem to help him. Now, out of nowhere, he's sending me texts about his new girlfriend, who he wants me to meet. It hasn't even been two weeks since he said he had nothing left to live for. His divorce isn't even finalized yet, which is his business, but I do not want to meet her. Am I right to make this decision to cut him off from me and my chil- dren? If I do this, could we mend things in the future? —PuttingMyFoot Down DEAR PUTTING » Your father is at a crisis point, as he veers from one extreme to another. You have chosen not to get sucked into his current drama, and this seems like the wisest course for you and your children. You should always respond to him calmly and honestly: "Dad, I'm worried about you. Your behavior has been so extreme lately. You need to see a doctor. I'm happy if you're happy, but I need to wait a while and let things calm down before meeting the new person in your life. I'll let you know when I'm ready." You are absolutely ri g ht t o c a ll 9 11 wh en ev e r you become aware of him expressing suicidal thoughts. DEAR AMY» You were much too kind in your response to "Confused Coward," the man who has two girlfriends, neither of which know of the other. If he doesn't do something soon, one or both of them are going to find out and then he could end up with NO girlfriends. I am curious how he has managed to keep them apart. He is a two-timing jerk. — Disgusted DEAR DISGUSTED » He's definitely lying to both women. Divorcingdadlashingoutand wreaking havoc on his family You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@amydickinson. 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) — You must live up to your promises. Make an effort to participate in things. Offer sug- gestions, solutions and insight. Step into the spotlight. Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20) — Getting involved in functions going on in your community or reconnecting with people you have worked with in the past will lead to interesting offers. Aries (March 21-April 19) — Don't leave anything to chance. Take care of your responsibili- ties and finish what you start. Living up to what's expected of you will help you avoid criticism. Taurus (April 20-May 20) — Taking a short trip will be informative. Focus on generat- ing ideas that will allow you to use your skills to help yourself. Gemini (May 21-June 20) — Keep your distance from anyone trying to use or take advantage of you. Do the research required to ensure that you aren't signing up for something that offers little in return. Cancer (June 21-July 22) — Spend time working out any problems you face with personal or business partners. Com- munication will stabilize your situation and encourage a fast success. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) — Take the initiative and learn what you need to know in order to improve your life. You'll gain stability and improve your reputation and status if you are forthright and goal-oriented. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) — Getting together with peers will give you greater insight and confidence to move forward with plans. Put your energy be- hind your ideas instead of work- ing on someone else's plans. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Keep an open mind, but don't let anyone pressure you into some- thing that isn't in your best interest. A change in a relation- ship due to excessive behavior can be expected. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — Extra income is attainable if you expand one of your interests to create a marketable service. Don't sell yourself short. You've got plenty to offer. Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Look for a way to recon- nect with people you have worked or played with in the past. When in doubt, you are best off relying on tried-and- true methods. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Delays while traveling or dealing with institutions or government agencies can be expected. Make sure you have all your papers in order. Ro- mance and personal gains look promising. Horoscope By Eugenia Last WEDNESDAY, JAN. 25 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017 REDBLUFFDAILYNEWS.COM |YOURDAILYBREAK | 3 B