By Uriah A. Kiser

Published: April 9, 2008

Dear Emily,
My girlfriend loves to play poker and lately she’s been doing it online. I’ve noticed she’s been using the online chat function and I’m concerned that she’s conversing with other players. Don’t get me wrong. A “nice move buddy” is harmless, but her poker playing could clearly lead to romance. Emily, are my worries warranted or is this silly? Please settle this. After
all, Internet romance blossoms all the time, doesn’t it? — Five-card Love

Dear Five-card Love: Internet romances do happen all the time, but your concerns seem to be bordering on paranoia. After all, using the chat function isn’t exactly catching your girlfriend red handed in an affair. If she starts breaking plans with you to play poker, or talks frequently about guys she meets online, then I’d start to worry. But if she is merely making conversation and making friends, let her have her fun.

Dear Emily,
My husband and I have been married for 25 years. I must have cooked him 25,000 meals at this point in his life and he’s probably only liked three of them. I am tired of cooking my husband’s three favorite meals and sick of listening to him complain about the other recipes that “stink” “reek” and “don’t measure up,” according to my ungrateful spouse. What should I do to set him straight, other than stop cooking?
— Disgruntled Chef

Dear Disgruntled Chef: Personally, I’d tell your husband to make dinner himself (and not very nicely, either). But if you insist on cooking for your louse, I mean spouse, go to a meal preparation place like Meal Makers or Super Suppers. Here you can make a variety of delicious meals in bulk from an assembly line of food, then bring them home and cook for dinner. The best part is that you and your husband can pick the recipes you’d like to try together, so he can’t complain.

Dear Emily,
My wife and I love movies, but we have very different taste in them. I love the shoot-em-up action adventures or documentaries while she likes the romances, light comedies and chick-flicks. We want to find a way to enjoy this hobby together but we have trouble doing so because our taste is so separate. How can we figure this out with out spending time in separate theaters?
—Dueling Critics

Dear Dueling Critics: You don’t see Sylvester Stallone and Hugh Grant making a lot of movies together, so you both are going to have to learn to compromise. There are movies that may appeal to you both (like the newest James Bond movie), but probably not many. So come up with a system that lets you both get what you want, at least part of the time. Alternate who gets to
choose the movie every time you go to the theater.