Nicholas Martin

1 week ago | adn.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have been taking time off work to help care for my father, who has incurable cancer. To clients I don’t know well, I’ve said, “I’ll be out of town to help my dad, who is sick.”They almost invariably reply, “I hope he feels better soon.” I know they mean well, and I usually manage to take it that way. But that doesn’t stop it from feeling like a gut punch, because I know he is only going to feel worse over the few months he has left.

1 week ago | adn.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What exactly are the rules for saving seats at an informal event where seats are not assigned? When I was invited to my nephew’s martial arts presentation, I arrived half an hour early to save seats for my family of five (three of us were present) because the others were coming from work and couldn’t arrive early. A woman came and sat in one of the saved seats, even though my jacket was on the seat, and I politely told her that it was reserved.

2 weeks ago | adn.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin

DEAR MISS MANNERS: If my neighbor has a yard sale, should I feel obligated to purchase something, even if I have no use for it? Conversely, if I have a yard sale and a neighbor wants to purchase something, should I tell them to just take it, no charge? GENTLE READER: Unless your residential area has an unusual outside draw, most of your customers are going to be neighbors. If you give things away to them, it will be a Yard Donation, not a Sale.

3 weeks ago | adn.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin

DEAR MISS MANNERS: There are many examples of technology and bad behavior merging, and I ask for your opinion regarding one that bothers me: people locking their vehicles by pressing the key fob twice, which causes the vehicle to omit a loud chirp. All one has to do to lock a car is push the button inside the door, or at most, push the fob once, which doesn’t cause a loud noise.

4 weeks ago | adn.com | Judith Martin |Nicholas Martin |Jacobina Martin

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Should I warn particularly conservative guests that an annual party they attended last year has grown in size and will include a more eclectic group of people? My husband and I hosted a last-minute holiday open house last year. Many of the attendees were generally conservative, reflecting the nature of my immediate neighborhood. This year, we planned the party well in advance, and it has doubled in size.