Query: My mom's always on my back about putting on a coat or jacket when I leave the house. I don't need one because I don't care about the cold. Plus I keep warm doing stuff on my board and bike and playing ball. What can I tell her to get her to lay off?

–Warm Enough on Westmoreland

Carrie: Plus, God forbid, the other kids will think you're dorky if you wear a jacket and it's all of 38 degrees out. And what if someone wore a scarf and gloves? You'd probably have to stop talking to that person.

Humor your mother. When you go off to college or move out after high school, you can choose what you're going to wear. Right now, your parent has more say-so than you do concerning the maintenance of your body.

With your help, your mom could be better educated about tolerable levels of "cool" outerwear, but that will mean opening lines of communication and establishing an inclusive line of dialogue (i.e. talk to her about your life and experiences every day, year round).

Maybe you could start a new fad for hip (not to forget hip-hop) jackets, sweaters, stadium coats or whatever you happen to have the personal style and guts to wear. If you act like a leader, others will follow. At your age, your peers are more like sheep now than they've ever been, and are only looking for someone to take charge.

Query: My partner's in a lot of trouble at work. He's pretty moody, but I think he's not wrong when he says the boss is out to get him. It's been like this for years. But he won't change jobs, because of the "economy" and all the changing skill-sets people need that he doesn't think he has. I want to be supportive of him because he's really under the gun at the office. But I think he should be looking for another job. His boss isn't scheduled to retire for more than 10 years. A war of attrition isn't practical here.

–Concerned on Cleveland

Carrie: Some people hate job-hunting more than they hate going to the dentist. It's a pretty common phobia. You might want to work with your partner towards the goal of preparing to job-hunt. This could include: taking classes to improve certain ranges of skills (software operations, accounting, writing, speaking–whatever), visiting a professional résumé writer, undergoing aptitudes assessment tests, meeting with a life-coach, getting a wardrobe makeover, seeing a therapist to counteract the inevitable depression that accompanies persecution at the workplace, etc.

All of these may ready your partner for the nasty (though not necessarily monumental) task of finding a different, and likely better, situation of employment. Since he still has his job, you don't even have to be in a panic about your timeline.

In further preparation for a career transition, you might also want to re-budget finances so that you're putting extra by in the eventuality of a paycheck gap. Six months worth of liquid capital is the recommended goal. In addition, paying down your debt load aggressively now could relieve any number of tensions between you as well as reducing your fixed overhead.

Query: Ever since I painted my house my neighbors can't seem to talk about anything else–with me or even behind my back. Yes, the house is extremely vivid, and the trim enhances the effect of the main color with bold contrast. I don't assume that everyone would want to paint their house this way, but I don't assume that I should have to ask permission of the entire block before I alter my property in whatever way I see fit. Is there something I can do or say to settle them down?

–Aesthete on Ethan Allen

Carrie: I'm afraid there isn't very much to be said that has any possibility of speeding up their acceptance of your choices. Right now, your house is the proverbial seven-day wonder. Enjoy your 15 minutes of notoriety, because it won't last long. Sooner or later there will be a spate of domestic disturbances on the corner, or someone with five dead cars parked on the front lawn, or a perfectly hideous carport/addition/back porch installed. Any one of these will draw the fire of your neighborhoods busiest bodies, and soon the rest will follow.

In fact, given the nature of the human spirit, once everyone becomes accustomed to the challenging visual statement your home makes, they'll be showing it off proudly to all their friends, relations, and out-of-town guests. Take the long view regarding your home's position in the eyes of your neighbors. You've already paid the painter, now you only have to pay the piper as it were, and you'll soon be on the unofficial tour of the city.