LA TIMES CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Way to play
music that’s a hit? 9 Words after a
deep breath 15 Where the action
is?
16 The __ Brothers: “Black Water” band
17 Egg option 18 Position 19 Mulligans 20 Lavender brew 22 Jacob’s twin
23 Unagi roll fish
24 “Food’s getting
cold!”
27 “The Namesake”
actor Penn
28 Big Mac rivals? 31 Four-part cooking series starring Samin Nosrat
37 “How’s about this
instead!?”
38 Election system that gets the press involved? 39 Alums-to-be 40 Big bird 41 Shortish releases 42 Instrument once plucked with a quill
44 “Who’s this
under?”
48 Hot pockets? 53 Sunny?
54 Friendly gesture 55 Ulaanbaatar’s
country
57 “You’re making
me blush!” 58 Oktoberfest
snacks
59 Pushes
boundaries?
60 Be reasonable
DOWN
1 Food contraction
that omits “ome” 2 Melts for
3 Estée Lauder
subsidiary
4 Spin on a classic ballet performance?
5 Some queens 6 “Hugo” actor
Butterfield
7 Brief meeting?
8 Eye annoyance 9 “We Shall Overcome” phrase 10 Principled
11 Tesla stock?
12 Help with a heist 13 “I forgot what to
say!”
14 Threads owner 21 Posts a GIF,
perhaps
25 Miles away 26 Some Apple Design Award winners 27 Breaded cutlet
dish
28 Mani-__ 29 William the Conqueror’s burial place 30 Single party
election?
31 Small suctions
on cups?
32 Vegan gelatin
substitute 33 Cuts (off) 34 Overflowed
Friday’s 4/13/24 Puzzle Solved 35 Release 36 Prepare to go out
again?
42 Chai __
43 Labor group
45 “It’s Not Me, It’s
You” singer Lily 46 Sends flying,
perhaps
47 Rub off
48 Site with step-bystep guides 49 Fish tacos
choice, on menus 50 Condition that may respond to CBT or LSD 51 Boomers at a
concert?
52 Sensitive 53 NCOs who know
the drill 56 Jennifer Affleck,
__ Lopez
NORTH
♠ A 7 6 2 None
J 10 6 5 2 ♣ 9543
WEST
♠ 5
A K J 10 6 2 874
♣ K 10 6
EAST
♠ Q J 8 Q 9 5 4 93
♣ Q J 8 2
SOUTH
♠ K 10 9 4 3 873 AKQ
♣ A 7
Opening lead — K
Dear Abby: My boyfriend and I have dated for seven months. We have a good relationship in terms of compatibility. We are both Christian and educated, and we have good professions. We are fun-loving and both of us like to invest and travel. He enjoys my company and says I am the girl with the best qualities he’s ever dated.
But I do have one issue: He stays in close contact with his former on-andoff girlfriend of 10 years and other women he dated. When I asked him about it, he said he cares about other people and likes to keep in touch with them.
An example: Last year when he was single, he wanted to take his long-term ex-girlfriend out for a day trip, dinner and a musical so she could get away from her apartment. Her daughter and grandkids, who were living with her, made her life very tough. My boyfriend and this ex also text each other often to keep up with each other’s family and life.
I feel uneasy about this. Wouldn’t most women? To me, if you don’t think a relationship is working, you should stop seeing each other so you don’t cause more confusion or stir up more emotion. How should I deal with this? I like this guy a lot and really think we have something going. Sharing Him in Texas
Dear Sharing Him: When people end long-term relationships, they don’t all do it in the same way. Some of them have a dramatic blowup and never speak to the person again. Others remain friends for many years.
If your boyfriend’s former flame has an adult daughter and grandkids, none of you are inexperienced kids yourselves. If you really want a future with him, you may have to accept that he won’t be happy if you try to curtail his social contacts. If you can’t summon up enough self-confidence to manage that, perhaps you should find someone else.
Dear Abby: I’m a 68-year-old married man with no close friends. I worked for 35 years in my family-owned bar and restaurant, until they lost it. After that, I worked as an assistant manager in a few fast-food places, then as an assistant manager in a major pharmacy.
At 65, after three knee surgeries and a foot fusion, I retired from working full time. I now work part time for a physical therapy center, mostly to keep busy and make a few bucks. I have no hobbies or major interests. I have a few health issues, which are under control.
I feel lonely most of the time. I know a lot of people and get along with people – I just FEEL lonely. I have two sons I’m very proud of who have families of their own, but they’re busy with their lives. I have no one to talk to who won’t judge me for feeling the way I do. Can you give me any direction of where to turn?
A Bit Lonely in the East
Dear Lonely: You say you are married. Is it a happy marriage? You also have parttime employment. These are things to be grateful for. Your persistent loneliness may be something to mention to your doctors. The problem could be emotional, spiritual, existential or physical, or it may simply be boredom. But the place to start would be a doctor or a spiritual adviser to help you get to the bottom of this.
Contact Abby at www.DearAbby.com.