News-Press from Fort Myers, Florida • D5

SATURDAY, JANUARY 12, 2019 5D Best friend want relationship with woman Dear Abby: I have been best friends with for about five years. We spend every day together and go out to events, etc. He sleeps over at my house, and I cook for him almost every night. When our friendship started we were intimate a couple of times but have been strictly platonic ever since. The problem is, in love with him.

He knows how I feel, and although he claims he love me, he con- tinues to spend every waking moment with me and is al- ways trying to better me. We do pretty much everything a couple would do, minus the physical contact. Everybody assumes a couple. I think I should also men- tion that Mickey is somewhat of a sex addict. I want to lose him.

I value the bond we share, but constantly thinking about how much I love him and want to be with him. I know he me, but he attracted to me. afraid if one of us starts dat- ing someone else, our friend- ship will take a hit. Please give me some advice. Girl In Love In Connecticut Dear Girl In Love: As long as you have Mickey as your major preoccupation, you will not start dating anyone else.

Although it will be pain- ful to call a halt to going on so you can meet someone who CAN give you what you need, what you should do. The relation- ship in is masochistic. You are being used, and not fair to you. Dear Abby WWW.DEARABBY.COM HI AND LOIS Brian Greg Walker Chance Browne BEETLE BAILEY Mort, Greg Brian Walker GARFIELD Jim Davis MARVIN Tom Armstrong HAGAR THE HORRIBLE Chris Browne GET FUZZY Darby Conley FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE Lynn Johnston Sudoku Complete the grid so that every row, column and 3x3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9 (No repeats) ADVICE Horoscopes Today in History Aries (March 21-April 19). In order to take care of other people, you have to first take care of yourself, which is what be doing with a healthy swath of your day.

If something makes you feel cared for, then do it. really nothing too frivolous. Taurus (April 20-May 20). When your heart and brain are out of sync, a jagged energy pattern represented in your day. So unify your mental and emotional states and make a conscious choice to come from love to smooth out your own way.

Gemini (May 21-June 21). Those who bring out your playful, light- hearted, creative side are people you need in your life for the long term. strengthen your resilience. be healthier for knowing them. Cancer (June 22-July 22).

power in anger and a practical use for fear, so you want to eradicate those feelings from your life. But a little goes a long way. The antidote for fear and anger is gratitude. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22).

When you think about the great art of the world, much of it is focused on small details sunflowers, animals, the sky, food on a table and the like. If all you get excited about is the big things, going to miss most of life. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22).

Your men- tal, emotional and spiritual muscles need a workout just like the muscles in your body do. Once you fix your- self to a purpose and live it boldly, these faculties will engage and begin to get the exercise they need. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23).

Just as mov- ies are better when the casting direc- tor gets things right, and companies run better with skilled workers in jobs that utilize those talents, your personal life improves with the right people in the right roles. Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Is what asking of yourself reason- able? Would it be polite to require it of a family member? Is it more than ask of your best friend? Be kind to yourself.

Be fair. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). A smile can mean a lot of different things.

It can mean the interaction is over. It can be an invitation or a dare. get a wide variety of smiles to read today, to the point where you might consider yourself a connoisseur. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan.

19). Because so much private information is made public through social media, people feel like they know one another when they Public image is never the whole person. Avoid mistaking the person for their homepage. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb.

18). Before you can hunker down and get to work, certain things have to be in place. You need a full tummy, a rest- ed body and a mind not racing to solve some personal problem. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20).

You have to be religious to recognize that a power in love. Rituals that center around love will channel that power very effectively today, re- gardless of individual belief systems. Birthday (Jan. 12). In the past, you both failed at and succeed in doing very difficult things, which made you resilient and prepared you for the next three months nary an external challenge! You must therefore ambitiously create your own, a most satisfying pursuit, though not at all easy.

But worry; the fortunes will lavish you in their favor. Libra and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 10, 8, 6, 18 and 37. Today is Saturday, Jan. 12, the 12th day of 2019.

There are 353 days left in the year. On this date in: 1828: the United States and Mexico signed a Treaty of Limits defining the boundary between the two countries to be the same as the one established by an 1819 treaty between the U.S. and Spain. 1915: the U.S. House of Repre- sentatives rejected, 204-174, a proposed constitutional amend- ment to give women nationwide the right to vote.

1932: Hattie W. Caraway became the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate after initially be- ing appointed to serve out the remainder of the term of her late husband, Thaddeus. 1945: during World War II, Soviet forces began a major, successful offensive against the Germans in Eastern Europe. Aircraft from U.S.

Task Force 38 sank about 40 Japanese ships off Indochina. 1948: the U.S. Supreme Court, in Sipuel v. Board of Regents of Uni- versity of Oklahoma, unanimous- ly ruled that state law schools could not discriminate against applicants on the basis of race. 1959: Berry Gordy Jr.

founded Motown Records (originally Tamla Records) in Detroit. 1965: the music variety show premiered on NBC-TV with host-of-the-week Jack Jones; guests included Joey Heatherton, the New Christy Min- strels and Woody Allen. Intense grief can cause Dear Dr. Fox: Recently, you wrote about love for their animals. It reminded me of an article once read about syn- I was wondering if you have any insights on this topic.

M.M.B., Palm Beach, Florida Dear M.M.B.: Last month, my wife and I had to euthanize one of our beloved cats, Pinto Bean, whom we rescued in June 2010. He was first seen in the snow in January of that year. Possibly because of food- deprivation anxiety, he loved to eat. His palpable post-trau- matic stress disorder quickly dissipated when he was with us and our other rescued cat, Mark Twain, but we could nev- er control his food addiction. The dye of self-survival and semi-starvation had been cast with serious metabolic and other health consequences.

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, more commonly known as broken-heart syndrome, is a sudden heart condition typi- cally brought on by intense stress, such as grief, and can even cause death. With Pinto passing, I feel close to that condition right now and can empathize with all who have suffered the loss of a loved one. Intense grief can also kill dogs, elephants and other animals, as the effects of broken-heart syndrome are not exclusive to humans. This condition does need to be more widely recognized; and whatever emotional support can be given to those who are grieving, the better. I recall Pinto deep affection and his absolute trust, which I feel I somehow betrayed in having to end his life.

But I celebrate the memo- ries of the good life he had in our home and all he gave to us. ANIMAL DOCTOR Dr. Michael Fox.