ANNIE'S MAILBOX She can't get any peace

Dear Annie: My husband and I did not live together before we were married. Therefore, I was completely unaware that "Walter" is incapable of being comfortable with silence. If he's not talking, whistling, singing or humming, he must have the radio or TV on. I knew he slept with a loud floor fan but was misled into believing he would limit it to four nights per week. Wrong! It's on every day, summer and winter. When we go to the movies, he isn't allowed to talk or hum, so he bounces his knees uncontrollably, which is just as annoying.
Walter flat-out refuses to allow me any peace no matter how much I plead. He says I'm not letting him be himself. I thought marriage was give and take. Any suggestions other than heading to the library for some quiet? Louisville, Ky.
Dear Louisville: Walter actually may have some sort of neurological problem or obsessive-compulsive disorder that makes him incapable of being still. Has he been examined by a doctor lately? Tell Walter, as a favor to you, to make an appointment and inform the doctor of the problem in advance. In the meantime, invest in some earplugs and make sure your library dues are paid up.
Dear Annie: My daughter has 15 children in her class, many with younger siblings. Some parents seem to think it is perfectly OK to bring the younger brothers and sisters to classmates' birthday parties. Since most parties are held outside of the home, this creates an added expense.
These places have a set fee per child. At my daughter's last party, we had 10 extra children, resulting in an additional $80. And then the parents expect these extra siblings to receive party favors as well. Last year, I bought only enough for the children who were actually invited, and several parents had the nerve to complain rather loudly. Any ideas? Waco, Texas
Dear Waco: Just because these parents are loud does not make them right. Before the party, inform the likely perpetrators that you cannot accommodate siblings. If they show up with an extra child, stop them at the door and say, "I'm so sorry, but we did not reserve space for more than the invited guests." If necessary, tell the management that these additional kids were not invited and you will not pay for them. If the parents become angry, too bad. They are taking advantage of you.
Dear Annie: My co-workers and I were recently invited to dinner at a fine restaurant as part of an office get-together. The office administrator issued the invitation and made all the arrangements for the evening.
Unfortunately, when the bill came, the administrator informed us that we would each have to pay anything over $10, as that was the amount that had been budgeted for each meal. Annie, the restaurant was rather pricey and all of the meals were over $10. None of us was prepared to pay the additional cost. Some simply could not afford it, and others were embarrassed because they left their cash at home.
Several of my co-workers insisted they never would have attended had they known they were required to pay. We don't want to hurt the administrator's feelings, but is there a way to make sure it doesn't happen again? Frustrated Dinner Partners
Dear Frustrated: You were ambushed. You should have been notified in advance that you would be responsible for any amount over $10 and given the opportunity to decline the invitation. You do not have to address this now, but if you are invited to another such get-together, ask if there is a limit to the amount spent on the staff and what you will be responsible for paying.
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