lifestyle

While watching some pregame get-you-in-the-mood programming on TV, I saw a segment where a number of athletes talked about how they would visualize the game before it started, imagining how well they would perform. Though I first studied the practice decades ago, I don't think I've ever heard it discussed so casually.

I've retold some stories of infidelity in this space: Namely, there's Casey, a woman involved with a married man whose affair ended when, after his divorce, he cheated on her. Then there's the unrelated story of "Denise," whose marriage is in the process of healing from an affair that her husband had.

For several years now, millions of us have been announcing new jobs, engagements, breakups (Larry King is single!) and other milestones on Facebook. Now you can tell friends that you have died -- after the fact.

A free new Facebook app called "If I Die" allows users to pass along a written post, a video or both after their physical bodies have slipped the bonds of Earth.

Q: My father is paying for the wedding, and he won't let us have alcohol at the cocktail hour. He's also just serving wine during dinner and opening a cash bar afterward. What can I do?

A: Your father isn't necessarily committing a faux pas. I hate to say it, but he who holds the checkbook has the power to dictate the alcohol policy.

It's interesting, isn't it, what interests us? Of all the people I've written about, no one has sparked the curiosity of readers as much as my brother Joe.

There may be plenty of fish in the sea, but that's a big fishing hole if you're looking for something in particular. What are the chances of finding love online, for example, if you want only an environmentally conscious raw vegan Taoist?

Apparently a lot better than they used to be.

I'm increasingly convinced that today when it comes to matters of the heart, too many women ask for too much and settle for too little.

Some think Valentine's Day should be a national holiday while others would like to see it banned from the calendar. Others, who are alone, would rather ignore the whole thing. But that's almost impossible to do. You can't even go into a pet store without seeing something with Cupid on it. Wherever you are in life, Feb. 14 conjures up all kinds of feelings.

Q: After getting a hair-and-makeup trial, I think I'd be happier doing the makeup myself. The problem is, I still want the salon to do my hair. Is it rude to not schedule wedding-day makeup, too?

I'm not sure how it happened. It's not like we planned it.

Between my husband and me, our collective five children and their significant others, most of the birthdays in our immediate family fall within four short weeks, January to February.

Yes, just after Christmas, when we've all pretty much exhausted our credit limits, not to mention any clever ideas for cheap gifts.