QUESTION: My brother has been emailing me daily updates on coronavirus for months. He’s a great guy, and I appreciate the thought. But jeepers, I see so many stories on the news about the virus doom and gloom. I don’t want to insult him, but I want him to stop sending me stuff that I’m sick of hearing about.
—Matty
MARY’S ADVICE:
I’d say that your brother is stressed with the difficulties of this virus and just may need his sister to share his concerns with. I think you should call him, letting him know you love him, but gently suggest to him that all the information is just too difficult and overwhelming for you. Good luck, Matty.
JIMMY’S ADVICE:
Do we all have someone like this in our lives? I do. Solution? I’ve tagged my COVID “informer” friend as “junk mail” . . . and I’ll never ever see it again.
QUESTION: My husband is depressed. The overbearing issue for him? The Patriots. He says he had been in “7th Heaven” for 20 years, and now he is in football “hell.” How can I cheer him up, especially as Brady just keeps on winning in Florida?
—Lori
MARY’S ADVICE:
Your husband misses his weekly joy of his team always winning. Possibly you could encourage him to watch some of the new players trying to succeed. You could also encourage him to be grateful for all the wins he was able to experience in his life of being a Pats fan. And he could switch some part of his allegiance to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, out of loyalty to Tom Brady.
JIMMY’S ADVICE:
As a Pats fan, I’ve been listening to the “Is it the coach or the QB?” debate for years. This year, I got the answer.
QUESTION: If I had to choose the best cook on earth, I’d pick my wife. The dinners she dreams up are nothing short of spectacular. We eat together, and then every evening she feels sick with stomach pain. I hate that, so what can I do? Suggest she switch us both to vegan or non-wheat foods? That might insult her, and rob me of so many delicious feasts!
MARY’S ADVICE:
How very nice you care for your wife’s troubles. Maybe you could learn some gourmet cooking . . . using foods that would be kind to her digestion? You might also urge her to see her doctor, to get a definitive answer on what exactly is causing the distress.
JIMMY’S ADVICE:
Split the difference! She can cook one night, and the next night you can order out . . . so you can feel less guilty. Yes?
QUESTION: Thin pizza . . . thick and juicy pizza . . . oh, and even VERY thin pizza. What’s your vote?
—Rolo
MARY’S ADVICE:
I adore thin crust pizza. It is so delicious!
JIMMY’S ADVICE:
Thick pizza . . . thin pizza . . . VERY thin pizza? Spare me the details. Just bring on the pie!
