DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: When we were dating, I used to think it was kind of cool that I had a girlfriend who was as into sports, especially football and basketball, as I am. Fast forward to two years into our marriage, and I now find it really annoying sometimes when my wife gets so nuts about her teams and their games, that if her favorite is playing mine, she won’t talk to me for at least two days if her guys lose to mine.

I don’t want to stop watching sports with my wife, but how do I get her to understand it’s only a game? --- MARRIED TO AN UBERFAN

DEAR MARRIED TO AN UBERFAN: Since your relationship was in part founded on a shared enjoyment of sports, it’s not surprising your wife has continued to embrace her passion. However, it may be time you openly share your feelings that her over-the-top reactions are taking the pleasure out of watching games with her, especially since it sounds like she’s holding you personally responsible for her teams’ defeats. She may not realize she’s doing that, and if she can take even a small step back to see how her behavior bothers you, maybe she can work on curbing her enthusiasm.

Hopefully, in addition to watching sports, you and your wife have other hobbies you can do together or separately. If not, it might be a good thing to develop some. Few marriages can thrive on only one common interest — especially one that naturally inspires competition.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Here I go, sounding like the old fart I used to think my father was when I was young, but I’m going to say it anyway.

Why is it so hard to find young people willing to work hard enough to earn their pay? I run a delivery service, and I’ve had to can at least half my new hires within a month because they’re either no-shows or late two out of five shifts in a row, or they do a sh

*y job of leaving packages or getting signatures when necessary.

There’s no reason I should have to spend as much time as I do trying to smooth things over with angry customers and clients.

What’s the trick to finding decent, conscientious people to work for me? --- BUMMED OUT BUSINESS OWNER

DEAR BUMMED OUT BUSINESS OWNER: I’ve heard this story before, both from frustrated bosses and those staff members who get stuck picking up the slack left by their less reliable coworkers. And although it may seem like the majority of complaints are aimed at younger hires, it’s sometimes those old enough to know better who are accused of not pulling their own weight.

While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, one thought that comes to mind is to encourage the better current or former employees to refer people to you who they know who are looking for a job, and who they believe to be competent, conscientious workers. Personal experience has proven more than once that birds of a feather do indeed flock together.

Another possibility is to contact a temp agency, if you haven’t already tried working with one. It may cost you extra up front, but at least the people they send over should’ve been screened before being referred to potential employers. If they work out on a temporary basis, they may also prove to be the right kind of longer-term staff you’re looking for.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: One of my closest friends is also probably my richest. She comes from money and inherited the add-to-it gene. Still, she dresses like she just refreshed her wardrobe at a thrift store bag-of-clothes-for-$2 bin. I have nothing against shopping smart and buying secondhand stuff, but I sometimes wonder if she’s being super cheap, or she just doesn’t care.

Normally, I don’t care either, but she was my plus-one at a formal wedding, and she showed up at the church looking like she was ready for a quick trip out for fast food. When I said something, she didn’t get upset or anything. She just shrugged it off and refused to change before the reception, where she was a real standout, and not in the best way.

I understand she doesn’t want to spend a lot of money on clothes, but shouldn’t she have some sense when it comes to special events requiring special effort? In this case, the bride is someone who, like me, has known my friend for a long time, and said she’d expected nothing else from my friend, but still. --- FRIEND OF A FRUMP

DEAR FRIEND OF A FRUMP: That the bride didn’t mind is a good thing, but I can understand your feelings as well. Even before recent events, dressing down was becoming the widely accepted daily standard for businesses, schools, and simply being out in public, and that seems to be spilling over into social events, regardless of their more traditional dress requirements.

It sounds like your friend is following the perpetually casual trend, while saving herself some money. Next time you invite her to a special occasion that calls for a fancier than normal outfit, perhaps you could offer to go shopping with her, or at least suggest she consider something more in keeping with the nature of the event. If you’re close to the same size, you might even offer to lend her something from your own wardrobe, which should appeal to her frugal side.