Dolores dice...How Friendly is too Friendly?

You gotta have friends

Dear Dolores:

My oldest sister is shy and doesn’t have many friends, so she calls me constantly because she has no one to talk to. It’s my mother’s fault. Growing up she insisted we stick with the family. Mami only talks to my aunt on the phone and has no friends of her own either. I’m the opposite and enjoy a good social life. I love my sister but she calls me a minimum of three times a day, at the office or on my cell. I’ve tried talking to her about it but to no avail. How do I shake her off?

—’Mana Bell in Florida

Dear ’Mana:

Your hermana needs a life, pronto. Having a more fulfilling job—or any job if she doesn’t have one— may help. Then introduce her to some potential amigas—plan happy hours or nights out with all of them. Meanwhile, some PCATs (Phone Conversation Avoidance Techniques) are called for: When she calls you at the office, say you have a call on the other line and put her on hold then forget about it. All cell phones have caller ID, so just hit the “ignore” or “dismiss” button when her name lights up (later you can say your forgot to recharge the battery) and go on with your life. Or, if you can, re-route all her calls to Mamá’s house. Your sister will get the message sooner or later.

—Good friends are a gift that keep on giving, D

If it walks like a duck…

Dear Dolores:

I have a coworker who I have always thought of as a well-respected married Catholic man. On Friday he e-mailed to let me know he’d be staying at a ritzy hotel nearby until Sunday and to invite me for a late dinner. Could I say I was propositioned for a booty call?

—Luisa in California

Dear Luisa:

Yes.

—Amen, D

To send in your questions for Dolores, email her at: dolores.dice@latina.com