Author: ‘Game of Thrones’ finale was ending, also beginning

DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS: I ran into an old boyfriend I used to curl on a team with, and we went for drinks. We’ve been almost eight years apart, and I couldn’t remember why we broke up, as we always had such a great time together.

It wasn’t until the second date — this time on a weekend — that it came back to me, with a jolt. Pee-yew! I remembered he doesn’t use deodorant on weekends. Why? He enjoys his own body odour. I recalled that a bit too late, and it was just as awful as ever! I went home early.

Tonight, he called and I refused him another date. I said, “Think back. You remember why we broke up?” Then he said, “Oh yeah, you hated my no-deodorant weekend policy. Well, guess what? Some women don’t mind!” I said I really doubted that, and that ended the conversation. Miss L., wouldn’t any women find stinky underarms offensive?

— Sensitive Nose, Fort Richmond

Advance voting for civic and school board elections begins next week.

Voters can cast early ballots for the Oct. 28 election in certain locations from Monday through Oct. 23.

Eligible voters can use their address to search for a convenient location.

Early votes can be cast at the council building at city hall (510 Main St.) every day, except weekends and Thanksgiving, from Monday to Oct. 23.

We all seek certainty in our daily lives. We expect if we make a decision, the outcome will be just as we planned: a direct correlation between the decision and result.

You, as a business leader, seek the same certainty from the decisions you make. And sometimes, the result is what was expected. Sometimes, it isn’t.

The big question is: why is it so difficult to achieve the business results you expect when you carefully craft your plans and seemingly make good decisions?

The truth is we cannot predict the future. This means we almost never know precisely how customers will respond to a sales quote, what competitors are planning, and a myriad of other external variables at play.