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Dear Aunty Pam,
What do you say to a man who just forgot our wedding anniversary for the second year in a row?? We’ve only been married 8 years!!
Sad Sue

Dear Sad Sue,
I say the hubs had better hope for global warming to kick in with a big, fat, ozone hole right over your house because it’s about to rival the arctic for the next few days!
Cheers, dear!
Aunty Pam

Dear Aunty Pam,
I’m writing to you publicly in the hopes that my wife will see this letter and your response.
Now that hair salons have been reopened in NC, my wife insists on going to get her hair cut and colored as she hasn’t done either since the pandemic lock down. I am in my mid 50s, am about 30 lbs overweight, have diabetes, and my hair looks awful, too, but if she comes into contact with that virus and brings it home, she could very well make me very sick, or even die. When I pointed this out to her, she said she’s wearing a mask and so is the woman cutting her hair. I said that is no guarantee if someone just came in before her and coughed, or had it on their clothing, etc. She thinks I’m being paranoid, and I think she’s being very uncaring and selfish. Your thoughts?
Phil

Dear Phil,
Seeing that the fact is that cases of Covid-19 infection are continuing to rise in the Carolinas despite businesses being reopened, and considering you are at real risk should you become infected, babe, Aunty Pam’s thoughts are that you have every right to feel paranoid. And hurt, frankly.
I realize most businesses are being very careful indeed, wiping down with disinfectant, wearing masks, gloves, but we also have to realize that unless gloves are removed after touching any unsanitized surface, they can become contaminated immediately. Are the doors being wiped down before and after each customer enters/leaves? Are employers washing/sanitizing their hands after touching money, a customer’s debit card, etc? We know that our chance of infection rises dramatically the longer we remain in an area that has those scary droplets in the air. A cut and color in a salon requires a good hour, at least. And if there’s air conditioning running, blowing that air around…
You might just want to try what a friend of mine just insisted with his husband (yes, as a matter of fact, they are). Upon observing with horror his husband gas up the car and then chew his fingernail after having handled the gas pump without a glove or sanitizer, my friend put his foot down and said they would be living quarantined on 2 separate ends of the house for 2 weeks. And you know what? They did, and it was a rather pleasant break for both of them, I might add, because let’s face it, I don’t care how much you love your spouse—when you’ve been locked down together for a couple of months, it’s liberating to have your own space 24 hours a day for 14 days. Their story had a happy ending, no one became ill, and it was a far better solution then living together with brewing resentment and freaking out each time you hear the other person blow their nose or cough.
Best of luck to you and stay safe! It’s sad to say but you may have to be your own advocate for your health.
Cheers, dear!

Aunty Pam