Today is the day to put on a ski suit.

Dear Mrs. Zulkey.com,

I have a friend who I'll describe as "charmingly arrogant." He and I used to be fairly close friends, but moved out of town a few years ago and understandably we've stopped speaking as frequently. Now, he only contacts me to either brag about himself or ask favors from me. I find this irritating me more and more each time he asks me to help him or lets me know how great his job is. Do I say anything or just quit talking to this guy? Or do I just start sending him unsolicited updates about how great my life is?

Dear Put Upon,

If your goal is to end this, you're going to have to take a different route. You'll never win the bragging contest with him, so go the other way. Next time he unloads on you tell him how lucky he is, congratulate him on his success. You're so happy for him. That won't be easy, but here's the tougher part, since it involves a little ego smothering. You hint that you're having trouble making ends meet and could use a little "help" sometime soon. You suggest that you might be finding yourself between jobs in the near future and will perhaps need a place to stay while you pull yourself together. A change of scenery, perhaps, maybe in his town. You speculate aloud just how he could find a position for you in his firm - wouldn't that be great?! You two together again, just like old times.

If you don't want to end it you should reconcile yourself to the idea that you and he are no longer friends, but contacts. You'll feel much better about that if you ask him for reciprocate favors occasionally.

Either way, sooner or later, this relationship will resolve itself.

Mrs. Zulkey

Mrs. Zulkey.com is my Mom, who really enjoys trying to help solve your problems, whatever they may be, for some reason. Email her directly here. I promise I can't even see the question. But if you send her something stupid I can't control what she'll write back.