The year in haiku

Dear loyal readers

your questions gave me such joy

My favorites below 

 * * *

istock photoDear Haikusue:

I've tried everything but I can't seem to get my husband to pick up his

dirty socks. And his dirty underwear. And jeans and shirts. His dirty

laundry is pretty much thrown all over the house. I've tried everything,

from simply asking him to aim for the hamper to more passive aggressive

techniques (i.e. sabotaging his underwear drawer etc.) Nothing has worked

and my back is killing me! What should I do?

Signed,

Alison  (ed note: this advice was originally requested for an interview which appeared on Alison's website Haiku by Two)

Dear Alison:

shame him to action

refuse to pick up laundry,

invite HIS friends 'round

istock photoDear Haikusue:

My HR department would probably deny it, but my office is gossip-crazed.  Between people dishing in the breakroom, and instant messages flying around the office I feel like I am trapped in a seventh grade girl's world. I try to stay out of the fray, but my reluctance to take part in the office whispering has made me a target of constant questions about my personal life.  I don't want everyone to dislike me, but at the same time I don't feel like I should have to pour my heart out to everyone in the building. How do I politely let them know I am not into "sharing".

Signed,

Standoffish in San Francisco

Dear Standoffish:

Be non comittal

I'm well, not much, oh you know

smile, and walk away

istock photo

Dear Haikusue:

A few years ago my husband and I made the decision not to have children. Since then we have been very happy with our decision and feel it was 100% the right thing to do. Unfortunately, many of our friends have trouble understand that this was our choice and are constantly questioning us about our decision. How do we tell them to stop their badgering and let us live our lives?

Signed,

Kid-free (and loving it)on Clement Street

Dear Kid Free:

Concise Language

decision happily made

smile and change subject

istock photoDear Haikusue:

My boyfriend works for a social media company, and he is a total tech junkie.  If I want to communicate with him, even just to make plans, I have to log in to a zillion different websites just to get his attention, and then once we go out he is constantly tweeting, foursquaring etc.  I am getting super fed up with his inability to communicate in person. I want more facetime, less facebook.  Help!

Signed,

Low-tech in the Tenderloin

Dear Low- Tech:

This interaction

hints at a deeper problem

time to un-friend him

istock photo

Dear Haikusue:

Do dudes ever ask you questions? Seems like everything on you site is chicks complaining about guys that don't want to commit, or what they should do about their bitchy friends. What about the guys, can you help us with our problems?  I know a guy who needs to find the balls to ask this woman he sees every day on BART but never talks to, to hang out. Would that be creepy, because they never spoke?  Help my friend out with a little advice .

Signed,

The Dude in Oakland

Dear Dude:

Practice the approach

Say hello, grab nearby seat

Offer her your card

 ***

Twenty-eleven

Happiness and joy to all

Love from Haikusue