Miss Hot Pants should cool it with her flirting



Dear Annie: My 50-year-old husband has fallen victim to a flirt. "Georgia" is 20 years younger and a member of our wine-tasting group. She follows my husband's every move and glues herself to his side, laughing, touching and hugging him. I once caught her showing him a picture of the two of them that she keeps in her wallet. (It was a group shot, and she cut out all the others.)
Georgia often tells my husband that he's good-looking and what a cute couple they'd make. She is friendly to me, but it's only to get personal information about my husband. Surprisingly, she is engaged to another member of our group, but there is no wedding in sight.
My husband is flattered, of course, but insists that Georgia sees him as a father figure. Well, she already has a father, thank you. Her behavior really bothers me, and she seems oblivious to my comments that her attentions are not welcome. I trust my dear husband, but I don't trust her. He thinks Georgia's flirting is harmless and that I am jealous for no reason. To his credit, he tries to avoid Georgia, so as not to upset me. I no longer enjoy these gatherings, but cannot stop attending because we are officers of the group. How do I deal with Miss Hot Pants? No Name, Please
Dear No Name: Your husband is the one who should tell Georgia to back off. His tolerance of her flirting is the same as encouragement, and he needs to be more forceful about telling her to leave him alone. If Georgia continues stalking your husband, you might consider quitting the group, regardless of your status there.
Dear Annie: Every year, my company gives its employees donation cards to a charity, and we're instructed to turn the cards in with our donations. The trouble is, if employees do not choose to contribute, our department heads lean on us. They want to claim 100 percent participation. Each year I have given a small donation.
I have co-workers who have been upbraided for not giving enough. We've been told to give one hour's pay per month. This may not sound like much, but there have been times when money was so tight around my house that the extra few dollars meant having gas money for the week.
I give when I can, to my church and to the charities of my choice. I resent that my company tries to intimidate me into giving what I cannot afford to a charity I do not support. What should I tell my boss if he attempts to lean on me? Do I have any legal recourse? Please help. Not Feeling Charitable
Dear No Charitable: Being "leaned on" is not illegal unless your job is threatened if you don't contribute. Simply give what you can and say "sorry" when you can't. If you feel unduly pressured, however, it might help to talk to your supervisor and say so. In fact, if several employees do this together, perhaps the boss will tone down the demands.
Dear Annie: Our daughter, "Jennifer," is 7 years old and obsessed with her hair. Every couple of hours, she goes into the bathroom, squirts her hair with water and begins to comb. She does not come out until she feels it is perfect.
Jennifer is an only child. She is very well behaved and energetic, but we're afraid her hair obsession might get a lot worse. Is this something we should try and stop? Unsure in California
Dear Unsure: We wouldn't worry too much about this yet, although you should gently discourage it. Explain that too much fussing can damage the hair, and excessive primping makes her seem vain. If Jennifer becomes worse, or adds additional obsessive behaviors to her daily routine, it's time to contact the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation (ocfoundation.org) at 676 State St., New Haven, Conn. 06511.
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