Dear Annie: Ronald making friends grimace

Dear Annie: My family moved from Shanghai four years ago and have settled in a lovely home in California. I very much enjoy our family lifestyle here and wouldn’t trade it for the world.

During the move, however, there was something very unsettling that we brought with us that still plays a role in my nightmares. We have a life-size Ronald McDonald statue sitting on a bench sitting in the middle of our backyard. My dad used to work for McDonalds and took home two statues as a gift from the company. Luckily, we sold one of them before we moved. However, the other one was shipped across the Pacific, despite the effort required to bring it here, and it now scares all of my friends as well as myself.

My parents are very nostalgic people and I have tolerated the 4-foot-tall Kipling monkey statue, the kneeling terra-cotta soldier next to the fireplace and the fake flowers littered on our tables. This Ronald McDonald statue has increasingly become an issue though, and is no longer just a “quirky” thing I want to accept about my family.

My friends don’t want to come to the house, and they will frequently lie about their plans for the day so we don’t hang out. How do I approach this with my family? I don’t want to hurt their feelings but I want to be able to bring my friends over as well. – Not Lovin’ It

Dear Not Lovin’ It: Aside from contracting the Hamburglar for a kidnapping job, you have a few options.

First, you can – and should – talk to your parents. If you politely let them know how much he’s bothering you, perhaps they’ll find him a new, less-visible home.

Second, you can spend time with your friends outside of the house.

Third – and this one is my personal favorite – just own it. Turn your parents’ mad menagerie into a selling point. Heck, build Ronald his own Instagram account and make him a selfie destination. If you have fun with it, everyone else will. Confidence works wonders.

Dear Annie: Perhaps you can answer a question that my sister has raised since becoming disabled from a stroke: Why are the handicapped stalls in restrooms invariably placed farthest from the door, thereby requiring those with walking impairments to walk the farthest? – Struggling with a Walker

Dear Struggling: Great question. After looking into, it seems that it’s safer to install support rails into an actual wall, rather than a stall divider.