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Dear Annie: Sick of the silent treatment

Dear Annie: I have been married to my husband for 18 years, and I love him deeply. He is kind, hardworking and devoted to our family. He will fix anything that breaks, drive across town if one of the kids needs something and make me coffee every morning without being asked. In so many ways, he shows up. But emotionally, I often feel completely alone. Any time I try to talk about something difficult, he shuts down. It could be a concern about money, something one of the kids is going through, a decision we need to make together or simply something he said that hurt my feelings. The ...

Woman experiences an extreme case of constipation

DEAR DR. ROACH: I’m a healthy, active 69-year-old female. I’ve had problems with constipation for several years, and it’s recently worsened. When I had my first colonoscopy, the doctor at the time, who’d been doing colonoscopies for 50 years, told me that I had the longest colon he’d ever seen. When I had my second (and most recent) colonoscopy, which was postponed for two days because I needed a stronger laxative to clear my colon, he told me my colon was so convoluted that I probably shouldn’t have another colonoscopy. Over the past few months, I have gone for up to ...

A botched execution shakes our attitudes toward the death penalty

Almost a week after receiving a double shot of a lethal execution drug, Christa Pike woke up in a Nashville, Tennessee, hospital, handcuffed to a bed and, according to one of her lawyers, “angry and confused.” Indeed, anger and confusion is pretty much where this horrifying episode leaves most of the rest of us, regardless of where we stand on the volatile issue of capital punishment. The details of the execution attempt and its aftermath are appalling, compounded by the fact that Pike’s lawyers had warned that she suffered from a blood-clotting condition that makes any ...

The beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?

I’m allowing myself to believe that sane people may be in charge of Congress starting next Jan. 20. I know, I know: Polls have gotten our hopes up before only to have them dashed on the rocky shores of political reality. But this time it does seem as if congressional Republicans will finally get their comeuppance for their blind loyalty to Trump. The sense of relief in the land is palpable. We may soon witness the beginning of the end of this daymare — unless Trump goes full-throttled dictator and prevents votes for Democrats in the Senate and House from being ...

Let them eat cake — and candy, too

I fell into a net loop watching old commercials the other day, reminiscing with videos of escapist Calgon bubble baths, roving dog food chuck wagons and smiling folks settling into bed with “The Clapper.” At one point, I stumbled on an ad more anachronistic than any of its contemporaries: a commercial for Kool-Aid. Kids playing hard — dribbling basketballs, roller skating and swimming — needed something icy cold to drink. In burst the Kool-Aid Man to save the day, breaking down the walls between thirst and refreshment. It’s a commercial ostensibly for kids, but ...

Dear Annie: Can’t keep everyone happy for the holidays

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married for six years, and every holiday now feels less like a celebration and more like a negotiation. My family lives about an hour away. My parents host a big Thanksgiving and Christmas every year with my siblings, nieces, nephews and all the traditions I grew up with. My mother starts planning weeks in advance, and she takes it very personally if we are not there. She will say things like, “It just does not feel like Christmas without everyone together,” which makes me feel guilty before we have even made a decision. My husband’s ...