YOUR PROBLEMS SOLVED
Dear Mary. . .
Q. I live in London but spend at least one weekend a month with my parents-in-law in the country. Each visit I make is preceded by a request from my mother-in-law to carry out commissions for her — collecting material, sourdough bread and Innes goat's cheese, etc. I have a busy enough life of my OWN, but I do these favours anyway as it would seem churlish to refuse. Now, how- ever, she has offered to 'help' a cousin who is writing a history of my husband's family for private printing and has rung me with a list of references in newspapers and maga- zines to be looked up and photocopied. I spent days trekking up to the Colindale newspaper library and lugging volumes of Country Life around the London Library, but there is plenty more research to be done. I cannot think how to get out of doing more, especially as she has offered to Pay any expenses. L.L., London SWIG 4, Since your mother-in-law has offered to pay expenses, I suggest you explain that cir- cumstances made it impossible for you to do the work yourself so you asked the effi- cient secretary of a friend to oblige. The Work was so time-consuming that she had to spend all weekend catching up on her
boss's business, and as a result you have had to pay her overtime bill, which has amounted to 000, for which you would be most grateful for reimbursement.
Q. I write in strict confidence and would not under any circumstances wish my name or address to be revealed. My son, with whom I have always enjoyed an excellent relationship, has recently got married. Whenever I telephone him at home (it is not practical to do so at his office) his wife whom, unbeknown to him, I find very try- ing, invariably picks up an extension in the house and I end up with her as part of the conversation. This makes it quite impossi- ble to have the sort of talk I have enjoyed with my son for ages. How can I keep her off the line? Name and address withheld A. I suggest you set up a radio or television tuned to 'static' near to your telephone before making your next call to your son. Depress the 'off button. If your daughter- in-law picks up the extension, allow the static to be heard in your background. Say, 'Oh, that noise again! I've had the phone- men round and they can't seem to fix it — it happens every time someone picks up a second extension when I am telephoning.' When your daughter-in-law hangs up `to see if that makes any difference', you can turn the static off. Carry on with this till she learns not to try to listen in again.
Q. I am extremely nosey and like to snoop through colleagues' diaries when they are away from their desks at work. What should I say if I am caught? B.E, Kilburn A. Make a point of writing your name in next to your birthdate in the diary you are snooping through. Then, if you are caught, you can pretend you were just writing it in because you are planning to hold a party on that date and want to invite the unfortunate person you have been spying on.
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