Ask Amy: Is there monkey business going on next door?

Dear Amy: My next-door neighbor "Sharon" and her husband "Stan" have been married for over 30 years and have two grown children. During the pandemic, Stan has been working mostly from home. His office is an hour away.

"Jocelyn," his business partner of 25 years, lives quite a distance away. Sharon tells me that she occasionally spends the night at their house when there is an upcoming business meeting in our area. They all seem to enjoy one another's company.

We live in narrow, connected townhouses with adjacent front doors and porches, so we often see each other's comings and goings.

A few times each year, Sharon goes out of town for the weekend. Several times, when Sharon has left town, Jocelyn shows up within minutes of her departure.

Three or four hours later, she will emerge from the house and drive away. Stan walks her to her car and makes some kind of loud pronouncement, like, "Well, now I have to get ready for my next meeting." He sounds awkward, as if the declaration is for others' benefit.

Today my husband was sitting on our porch, so he witnessed this theater. We then discussed whether or not they might be having an affair. My husband said that maybe Stan realizes that this looks incriminating, and he's overcompensating for our sake.

I've lived long enough to know that sometimes things are just the way they seem. I have kept my mouth shut for a few years now, but I would feel terrible if my suspicions turned out to be true.

Amy says: Sharon already has told you that Jocelyn is an occasional presence in their home. You might assume that if suspicions were to be had, Sharon already would have had them.

The next time Jocelyn comes around and Stan makes his overly loud pronouncement, you and/or your husband should give a hearty wave, introduce yourselves to Jocelyn (if you haven't already), and put Stan out of his awkward misery.

Dear Amy: Many coffee shops and other small businesses have non-gender-specific bathrooms these days.

Assuming that half of the customers are men and half are women, should occupants put the toilet seat up or down after using it because they don't know the gender of the next occupant?

I get yelled at when I'm at home if I leave the toilet seat up, because I'm the only man in the house. Please advise.

Men as well as women sit on the toilet. It seems wisest to always leave the seat down when you exit.

Dear Amy: Every time I see someone in your column claiming that damage that will be done to someone who sleeps with their stuffed animal or blanket into adulthood, I chuckle.

I was given a stuffed puppy for my first birthday, and that puppy went to Vietnam with me 17 years later. When it finally wore out 20 years ago, I replaced it with a similar puppy that is still with me.

Yes, I am happily married, and my wife understands and supports the attachment I have to needing something tucked under my arm at night. I was a successful businessman, now retired, and at 68, I can tell you, it never caused me any problems.

Amy says: Real men love lovies!