Dear Ann Lan new one for you. First, let me say I am divorced and the father of three wonderful chil- dren. I love them very much, and I try to spend as much time with them as possible. At pre- sent, I'am with them about three days a week. Recently, my ex-wife asked that my present wife, “Babette,” watch the children every day after school while she works. This means until 6:30 in the evening. It seemed like a great idea to me since the children get along very well with Babette, and our home is a pleasant and familiar place to them. The problem is that Babette believes that she should be paid the same as any other child-care provider, since she is performing a service for which my former wife has paid others in the past. My former wife feels that Babette is obligated to watch the children for free since they are, after all, my children and she is now my wife. Babette says it’s not so much the money but the idea that my ex-wife is just trying to take advantage of her. I love my children and am in the middle of a battle between these two women who are not crazy about each other to begin with. Do you have a solution? - Between a Rock and a Boul- der in Colorado. Dear Rock or Boulder. wi.chever seems more comfort- able: I can understand Babette's resentment because she feels you ex-wife is taking advantage of her. However, in my opinion, she should be willing to take care of the children without being paid. After all, they are you kids, and she is their step- mother, not just a person sent by an employment agency. I suspect this may be Babette's way of sticking it to your first wife, Not only is her behaviour Canadian Criss Cross by Walter D. Feener 4 6 1 72 1 15 Melick around oat it SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE OUR LIFE HAS GOTTEN TOO COMPLI: CATED... THAT WEVE ACCUMULATED More THAN WE REALLY NEED. TWAT WEVE ACCEPTED TOO MANY (wen, TWORERY 0 SANS, ‘SIMPLIFY, SIMPLIFY.” MAYBE WE NEED by Bill Watterson T WATE \T WHEN THEY LOOK AT ME THAT Wi WAT ACROSS DOWN : Maree Indian oe . Engage in espionage Malt beverage Beginner Reputation Previously owned . Seize legally ify . Naval officers a 's warning call . Foot operated lever . ___ Angeles . Exclamation of Of puni impersonate Moved with difficulty Manana . Priest © PNM BREN . Company: Fr. . Not him . Flickering . Chinese junk . English queen 23. Twitching 25. Rock fragment 27; Unbreakable, ~as a rule 28. Worthless imitation Ninja Turtles” . Emerged from a siesta ; Swedish isiand . __. Testament . 45 inches . Type of lens . Roman hall . Cotton cloth for sheets . Sheen . Went by jet . Turkish title . Attract . Vaulted roofs . Formerly . Finnish poem ” Skating site ” Mr. Sparks Wednesday, February 1, Heating Finding-the Leaks Think of your house as a boat or hot air balloon. Any leaks you detect should be stopped and the gaps filled. Before you ‘ start, think about how heat | wants to move in your house. \ The minute heat is generated, ‘ it tries to escape into the cold- | er air outside. It vanishes | through walls, roofs, cracks, } crevices and through conduc- | tors like glass. Don't think that } hot air only rises and moves | up. Heat moves in any direc- tion, as long as it’s moving from a warm spot to a colder one. We need some fresh air, ! but not as much as most leaky : houses allow in. Here's what $ you can do about it * Check for air leaks using the 1995 The Castlegar Sun + When to stop? Keep sealing, weatherstripping and caulking until, in cold weather, a light but not excessive fog or mist develops occasionally on win- dows on the downwind side, suggest Energy, Mines and Resources Canada. But'remem- ber — never make a natural gas or oil furnace room air tight and never seal the air supply to combustion appliances! CAULKING (used where two materials meet but do not move relative to each other) + Caulk cracks and Koes around windows, pipe and wire entrances, vents (bath, dryer, kitchen), baseboards, interior and extérior light fixtures, electrical outlets, and attic hatches. This is best done in warmer weath- er, especially if you're using polymeric foam fillers. One. study showed the four wors areas for ait infiltration in frame con- struction were: the sole plate, electrical outlets, the heating duct system and exterior windows. + Choose the right type of caulking for the job: liquid, semi-liquid, solid or spray foam. Cheaper brands may need replacing more often. Be sure to use a heat-resistant Your DreEAM HOME oe Aywhere you want it sanity } feather test on a windy day. ¥ Using a down feather (lighted ee THERE'S NOTHING AS NDERFUL AND AMAZING AS. Ae PeELINe Yok BaASy Kick! HERE IT 1S... THAT SPECIAL. DSHES ARE DONE ZOE Time fs EVENING, THED: IS ASLEEP, AND WE CAN HANE SOME QUALITY TIME, by Rick Kirkman and Jerry Scott T MEANT THE BABY WHO HASN'T BEEN Born Yer, a ; incense also works), run the } feather along the inside edges of doors and windows to detect draughts. Make sure your furnace is turned off as its operation can affect the tests. Check along your interior walls, too. Caulk, weatherstrip or seal any leaks you detect. * Check for draughts, cracks and holes in unusual plaes. Winter's cold can seep through: milk or mail chutes, laundry chutes, pet doors, firewood chutes (block them up com- pletely if you don't use them), recessed lights and-fans.in insu- ‘lated ceilings, dropped-eilings abéVe“buthroonis, and bulk- heads over kitchen cabinets.