LA TIMES CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 “You said it!” 5 2,000 pounds 11 Question marks 14 Vogue rival
15 __ press: small
appliance 16 Carnival locale
17 “Let’s pass on the
supersize” 19 “Parks and __” 20 [Wake me when
it’s over] 21 Summer hrs. in
St. Louis
22 Burkina __
23 Hot mess
26 “There just wasn’t
any alternative” 28 “The chef made this as the plat du jour, right?”
32 Fibs
33 Dethrone
34 Meadowland
35 __ of attrition 36 Loc. of the Met
and the Mets 37 Darts player’s
asset
39 A-one
42 Take to court 44 Fades away 46 Formally turn
over
47 “I don’t want my
latte to be a venti” 51 Trained
retrievers?
52 Itsy-bitsy
53 Blows away
54 [Snicker] 56 Channel that airs
floor debates 60 Score better than
a bogey
61 “We recommend
takeout” 64 Compost bin bit 65 “Door’s open!”
66 Made like
67 Bro kin
68 Rings mournfully 69 What’s more?
DOWN
1 Desires
2 North Carolina
college town 3 Palo __,
California 4 Publishing family 5 Maker of Infinite
Shine nail polish 6 Badger 7 Most-cooked
parts of a roast
8 Drew a
conclusion?
9 How reporters
might act
10 Nada
11 Exposed to ultraviolet light, say
12 Quinceañera, for
one
13 “Love it!”
18 Out of shape 22 Watch part
24 “Hey, sailor!” 25 Spigot
27 Bridge feature 28 Feeling green,
perhaps 29 “Chandelier”
singer
30 Some phone
messages
31 Where a groom may walk down the aisle
36 __ egg
38 Beachy spot
40 “__ to My Family”: 1994 hit for The Cranberries 4/4/24 Wednesday’s Puzzle Solved 41 Part of rpm
43 Four Corners
people
45 Body wash
option
46 Chandelier glass 47 Streaming
options
48 State with two
official languages 49 Actor Kutcher
50 Like most music,
once 55 Vampire played by Elizabeth Reaser in the “Twilight” films 57 The bishop of
Rome
58 Years and years 59 Gestures of
assent 61 “Gross!” 62 Sesame __
63 Switch
positions
Dear Abby: It seems I am a human landfill into which people dump their trauma. I’m not sure how this happened. It started three years ago, when an estranged friend called me and talked for more than an hour about what had led to him getting fired from his job. I was touched that he had reached out, and I expected us to resume our friendship, but he wasn’t interested in much more communication.
Later, a work acquaintance invited me to lunch and began unloading the awful trauma she had endured 40 years ago. It was a one-way conversation, with not even enough pause for me to politely reaffirm what was being said. We never spoke after that because I left the company.
Now, a new co-worker I haven’t made any personal connection with calls me a few times a week to “trauma dump.” I try to change the subject, but her stories of abuse and peril never stop. In fact, I can put her on speaker phone while I loudly go about my business at home, and she’ll continue talking. When she finally has had enough, she then abruptly ends the call.
I finally decided I’m done answering her calls. What can I do to ensure I am no longer seen as the trauma landfill? – Done With It In Pennsylvania
Dear Done: This keeps happening because you are a caring, empathetic and polite person who has the patience to allow these people to dump on you. The next time it starts to happen, say this: “This must have been terrible, but I am NOT EQUIPPED to advise you about it. This is something that should be addressed by talking to a therapist.” After that, be less available.
Dear Abby: Last year, a dear friend was attacked by dogs and killed. My family enjoys hiking on public trails. Lately, however, our walks have not been enjoyable. I become nervous and very upset whenever I encounter dogs off-leash. I usually end up expressing my fear and asking the owner to put their dogs on a leash.
My 16-year-old daughter is not comfortable when I do this. Her view is that the owners have trained their dogs well enough to be off leash. I disagree. I tell her that animals are unpredictable, and I am speaking out because my friend was killed by dogs. Please help us understand the best way to handle this situation which ends up in conflict.
– Walking Scared In Wisconsin
Dear Walking: Your daughter’s view is naive. Although the majority of dog owners are responsible and socialize and train their pets, not all of them do so, and the result can be tragic. Your friend’s death is an example.
When your daughter decides to hike, she should always have someone with her, and carry pepper spray or gel to ward off a attack not only by canines but also humans. As for you, you might be better off emotionally if, for the time being, you get your cardio exercise on a treadmill in a gym or at home.
Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com.