No phones on first dates

Today’s Sound Off: Put down your cellphone:

DEAR HELOISE » This evening I had a date with a young man who is up and coming in his profession. But this first date is also the last date I’ll have with him. So what’s wrong? Every few minutes his phone would ring, and none of the calls were business-related or emergencies. He’d chat away as if I weren’t there, and by the end of the evening I realized he never actually had a conversation with me.

You might tell your readers that whether male or female, when you’re on a date, put your cellphone away. Your date is not impressed, and you don’t look important when you’re arranging a tennis date with your buddies. However, you do look self-absorbed and uninterested in the person you’re with at the moment. Wearing a thousand- dollar suit does not give you the right to be rude to your date or spouse (and you needn’t announce what you paid for everything you own).

— Lisa E., Dallas, Texas Lisa, I get a fair number of letters and emails from men and women who say the same thing. Checking the stock market every two minutes and taking or making frivolous calls shows a lack of manners when you’re on a date.

Heloise

Fast facts

New uses for old shutters:

* Two shutters nail together with a mirror in the middle and a small table, and you have a hall tree.

* Hang on a wall, and use clips to hang notes from the shutter slots.

* Hang next to indoor window for decoration.

* Hinge together six to eight shutters as a folding screen.

Employees

DEAR HELOISE » One of the worst expenses in a business is employee turnover. You can keep employees happy and loyal to your company with just a few simple things that make them feel valued. Flexibility is one. Let your employee come in a little late or leave a little early. Many parents appreciate this when they have to pick up their children. Have an employee of the week, and give them a small token such as a cake or a small gift card. Have some fun and celebrate silly things, such as Cookie Monster’s birthday (1½), when everyone brings different cookies to work. You’ll find more days to celebrate at “www.brownielocks

Yes and no calls

DEAR HELOISE » Someone may call and ask you if you want to be on the DO NOT CALL list and you say ... nothing. Hang up immediately. This is just another version of the “can you hear me” scam. — T.R., New York, N.Y.