Dear Cr-Abby from Happy in the Mid-West

ONE WOMAN'S REJECT TURNS OUT TO BE ANOTHER WOMAN'S PRIZE

DEAR CR-ABBY:

My friend dated someone I'll call "Joel" a few times. She said he was nice, but she couldn't get past the fact that he's 27 and still lives at home with his mom. He is also rather shy.I ran into Joel a couple of months ago. We started chatting and I ended up asking him out. Cr-Abby, he's a great guy. He's good-looking, has a steady job, drives a new truck and has money in the bank. He calls when he says he will and never "forgets" his wallet at home. He always insists on paying for dates, and he's a good cook. And to top it off -- his mom is amazing!I have never been happier, but now my so-called friend is angry with me. Now she is telling people that I "took" Joel away from her. (She had already told him she wasn't interested in him when I asked him out.) I'm losing a friend, but there is no way I'm giving him up. Maybe this will serve as a warning to other women. Don't count a man out because one or two things bother you. Look carefully at the whole picture before you judge someone. -- HAPPY IN THE MIDWEST

Dear Gay in a Cornfield,

Darling, you don't need to worry about your girlfriend and her feelings, but you'd better take this "Joel" for a long test drive after he leaves mommy's nest (assuming that plan is even on his radar).

It is very easy to be generous, unstressed, keep a nice "pick'em up truck", and a few shekels in the bank (or mattress given current trends) when Mommy has those other little things like mortgage, electric, food, taxes etc. handled.My 18 year old son has more money in the bank than me, but then again he isn't shilling out $3K a month to the Dewey-Cheatem & Howe Lending Institution.

You haven't met Joel yet, you have only met his representative under ideal conditions.Call me 6 months after he has snapped off that 27 year old umbilical cord.

Cr-Abby