LA TIMES CROSSWORD

ACROSS

1 Baldelli who was AL Manager of the Year in 2019 6 Leave the dishes

for tomorrow, say 10 Fistful of dollars 13 Nook purchases 15 Subject

17 Spa brand 18 Plays a trick on Miami’s basketball team? 20 Molecular

messenger 21 Dump, as stock 22 Breakdown

helpers 23 Monarch 25 Spring occasion when people get really emotional? 30 Cuban dance 33 Comforts

34 Rita on Avicii’s

“Lonely Together” 35 UFC fighting style 38 Prefix with gender 39 Some UPenn

degs.

42 Orange rinds of

epic proportions? 46 Hands together

time

47 Not awesome 48 Big fuss

49 Writer Joe Hill, to

Stephen King 50 Amends last year’s tax return, say

53 The Chi-__: R&B

quartet

55 Wagers about how many ingredients are in a bottle of shampoo? 59 Titan, once 60 Prefix in some

genre names 61 __ Rios, Jamaica 65 School opening? 66 Tennis match with teams of men and women, or what 18- and 25-Across and 42- and 55-Across literally have

71 Wall St. regulator 72 Cutting

73 Writes to

74 D.C. hrs. 75 African antelopes 76 Teaser

DOWN

1 Bowl game

officials

2 Cor anglais kin 3 Awesome

4 Work together

briefly?

5 Allows

6 Gets home, in

a way

7 __ and aah 8 Imitate

9 Telluride maker 10 Advertising exaggeration, perhaps

11 CPAP target 12 Log with a lock 14 Guest __

16 Copy shortcut 19 Japanese “yes” 24 “I can help!” 26 Pageantry 27 Areas of interest 28 “Hamilton” role

for Phillipa Soo 29 Made less harsh 30 Eclipse participant 31 “Hope” singer

Parks

32 City executiveto-be

36 Imitate

37 Amtrak choice 40 Healing plant 2/9/24 Thursday’s Puzzle Solved 41 Bank acct.

application digits 43 Greek muse of

memory 44 “Where the Sidewalk Ends” poet Silverstein 45 Straw __

51 Gels

52 Some kings and

queens 54 Weather map line 55 Grove 56 Brings on

57 Far from current 58 Chiwere

speakers

62 Advertiser’s

honor

63 Big wheel at sea 64 __ buco 67 Dutch bank 68 Mark, as a box 69 Part of a prof’s

address

70 Plate official

Dear Abby: I love my fiance, but his mother says, “Over my dead body will he move away from me.” She has cancer and we have both been praying that she goes peacefully, but it seems all she wants to do is create as much strife as possible between my fiance and me. I am now ignoring calls and texts from her. Any advice as to how to deal with my fiance? He gets mean after three days at her house, fetching water, coffee and food (she IS capable). Please help me reframe this so I can be nicer to a hateful woman.

– Trying Hard in the South

Dear Trying Hard: What is your fiance’s mother’s prognosis? Not everyone being treated for cancer dies of the disease. Does SHE think she’s terminal? If that’s the case, she may have said what she did because she’s frightened and in pain. You state that she is “capable” of taking care of herself, but some of the treatments she may be receiving have been known to leave patients feeling tired and weak. Because helping his mother leaves your fiance on edge (“mean”), have you considered sharing the responsibility and giving him a break? And one final thought: If he’s mean now, what does that bode for your own future with him?

Dear Abby: A dear friend of many years has developed a cellphone addiction that’s driving me crazy – insisting on showing me funny videos, memes or camera filters when we visit. I respond either with disinterest or a polite “I’m here to visit with you, not look at your phone.” Some of her other behaviors are downright rude. She often shows up late, and I can clearly see she’s been making frivolous social media posts while I’m waiting. On a group road trip, she will silently play a phone game, excluding herself from the fun. I know this affects her job, too, and I have tried advising her along that vein, but nothing changes. Is this a sign of a friendship growing apart or moving toward different interests? Or am I just a cranky Luddite who needs to accept the new reality?

– Low-priority Friend

Dear Friend: The person you are describing isn’t so much hooked on her phone as she appears to be hooked on herself. Keeping people waiting while posting to social media is rude, and recognizing it as such isn’t being “cranky.” I agree with you that the behaviors she’s exhibiting are symptoms of diverging interests.

Dear Abby: Is it ever too late to report abuse? I’ve spent years dealing with the emotional pain my now ex-husband caused me, but I never made a formal report. Lately he has been trying to get in touch, and I’m afraid. Last time, he almost caused me to lose my life. Should I file a police report or not?

– Afraid in Oregon

Dear Afraid: If you feel your ex-husband is a danger to you, contact the police and tell them you are afraid and why. Put the local authorities on notice.

Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com.