LA TIMES CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 “Golly!” 5 Infuriated with
10 Light on one’s feet 14 “It’s __ you”: “You
decide”
15 Justice Kagan of the Supreme Court
16 Metals from a
mine 17 “Jeopardy!”
creator Griffin 18 Piccata ingredient 19 Christmas song 20 “Focus on the
future now” 23 Top-notch
24 “__ you listening?” 25 “Never in a million
years!”
31 Barely lit
34 Makes cursed
35 Some clip-on
accessories
36 Game with Skip and Reverse cards
37 “Need You
Tonight” band
38 Cover story 40 Pakistani
language
41 Theater sign on a
busy night
42 Shortly
43 “Delta of Venus”
author Nin 44 Family
45 Easy to set up, as
a computer 48 Deg. for an exec 50 Went by bike
51 Equestrian transport vehicles, and what the last words of 20-, 25-, and 45-Across can be
57 Desert in southern
Mongolia
58 Clueless gamers 59 Go first
61 Surrounded by 62 Connecticut Ivy
Leaguer
63 Spanish “she” 64 Brazilian soccer
legend
65 Book of maps
66 Like purple hair
DOWN
1 Bubble blower’s
mouthful 2 Go first
3 Houston MLBer 4 Rush-hour traffic
conveniences 5 Christopher of “Law & Order: SVU”
6 Pub barrel
7 “Cool for the Summer” singer Lovato
8 “We don’t know who wrote this” abbreviation 9 Cranberry juice
quality
10 Sunken ship finder 11 Many a TV crime
drama
12 Assault the nose 13 Fashion
monogram 21 Unwelcome word
from a barber
22 Large coastal
inlets
25 Batter blender
26 “Three Bathers”
painter Matisse 27 S&P 100 company that’s a descendant of Standard Oil 28 On-the-job risk
for a beekeeper 2/26/24 Saturday’s Puzzle Solved 29 White lie
30 Sweet-smelling
garland
32 Nepal neighbor 33 Hardly assertive 38 Email pioneer
39 Baseball Hall of
Famer Gehrig 40 Still having a rind 42 Health resorts
43 Not incl.
46 Saudi __ 47 Beeps and peeps 49 Wedding bouquet
tosser
51 Base runner’s
goal
52 Irish New Age
singer 53 Precisely 54 Tootsie __
55 Depend (on) 56 Cyber Monday
event
57 Generation __
60 Family guy
Dear Abby: My husband and I have been together almost 20 years. I used to be happy in our relationship, but over the last year or two, he has changed. He gives me no physical affection and constantly showers love on his new dog. When I ask for more affection, he accuses me of being jealous of the dog. I’m not! I love the dog, too. I’m just sick of asking for more from him and not getting it.
I used to feel hurt. Now I feel like maybe I should end our marriage. His lack of affection or compliments has turned me cold to him. What should I do?
– Craving Human Affection
Dear Craving: SOMEthing has changed. Your husband appears to be using the dog to stay away from you. If you can, try to get him to agree to a session with a licensed marriage and family therapist to discuss your issues. If he refuses, schedule some appointments for yourself, to help you rationally decide whether you want to remain married under these circumstances.
If the answer to that question turns out to be no, gather as much information about the assets you and your husband share after almost 20 years of marriage, and contact an attorney.
Dear Abby: I was widowed 10 years ago and have been with my boyfriend (a friend of my late husband’s) for nine years. We live together. He’s legally married but lives his life as if he is not. I do not want a commitment, but I do feel his being legally married is interfering with furthering a true relationship. What are your thoughts regarding continuing this relationship?
– Complicated in New York
Dear Complicated: Your boyfriend (of nine years!) may be separated, but he’s legally married. Although you say you don’t want a commitment, you deserve a partner who is not attached to someone else. You should have moved on as soon as you knew it wasn’t in his game plan.
Dear Abby: I understand sometimes people need time and space. I have a friend who, for the second time, has pushed our friendship aside, claiming he needs “time and space.” I haven’t heard from him in several months. The issue I’m having is, I don’t feel like HE should get to decide when it’s OK to come back into my life at HIS convenience. I’m not a hotel to check in and out of whenever he feels like it.
If/when he decides to contact me again, like he did the last time, is it OK for ME to be upset with him this time? I don’t want him to think I am available at his convenience.
– Back And Forth in Massachusetts Dear Back And Forth: Not only should it be OK for you to express that you’re upset, but it would also be OK for you to tell this person you are not a yoyo and SEVER THE STRING. That way YOU get to decide whether you even want him back and not vice versa.
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren. Contact Dear Abby at DearAbby.com.