Dear Abby | Man keeps coming up short with online dating

DEAR ABBY: I am a man in my late 40s who has been looking for love all my life. One factor that has made it difficult is my height. I’m 4 foot, 11 inches. What makes finding someone nearly impossible is that the online dating site profiles always ask for my height. Unfortunately, being extremely short in stature isn’t a characteristic women are looking for, so even though I can spend upward of an hour filling out all that profile information, the system invariably returns a no-match for me. Do you think I should lie about my height, and when I meet the person, hopefully she can give me a chance? Or am I destined to spend my life alone?

— SHORTY IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR SHORTY: Lying would be neither helpful nor appropriate, because the person you meet would then be inclined to wonder what else you were lying about. My dear late mother once told me, “Smart women measure their men from the eyebrows up, not the hairline down,” and it’s true. Some of the most brilliant and charming men I know are short, and it doesn’t make them less attractive. You may have better luck if you are introduced to women by people who know you — relatives, friends, friends of friends, etc. You can also do a search online to see which sites have better results for shorter people. Some dating sites and apps even cater to shorter people.

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DEAR ABBY: I am the grandmother of eight wonderful grandchildren, whom I love dearly. There is, however, one aspect that I loathe: sleepovers. It doesn’t bother my husband that I’m stuck with endless loads of extra laundry: towels, wash cloths, sheets, blankets, comforters, etc. He works; I am disabled. When I tell him I can’t manage all the extra laundry, he asks, “Want to trade places?” Am I wrong in thinking he doesn’t care about me when he encourages these dreaded sleepovers?

— OVERWORKED IN THE WEST

DEAR OVERWORKED: Your husband appears to prioritize his entertainment over the effect it has on your body and your stress level. Draw the line. This isn’t about “trading places.” Tell him you need a hand! If he wants the kiddies over, he will have to shoulder more of the laundry duty because you can no longer manage all of it. The older grandchildren should also help with it before they leave. Stick to your guns, because stress has been known to make fragile people sick.

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DEAR ABBY: I recently attended my first rodeo, and during the singing of the national anthem, I realized I was getting the “stink eye” from a pair of teenage boys. I hadn’t removed my straw sun hat because I was taught that a woman’s hat is considered part of her outfit and need not be taken off on such occasions. I’m the wife and daughter of veterans, and this is their understanding as well. Have the rules changed?

— “HATTY” IN THE MIDWEST

DEAR “HATTY”: According to EmilyPost.com, fashionable hats can be left on when the national anthem is played and when the flag of the United States is paraded by. However, if the person is wearing a baseball-style cap, members of both genders should respectfully remove it.