ASK AMY

Your cousin sounds like a gifted mechanic. But unless he has an arrangement with your family to exchange mechanical work for food and rent, any attention he pays to your cars is purely out of the goodness of his heart.

You should definitely send your car to the garage where your cousin works, especially if the price is right. You'll have to be like every other valued customer, however. Don't expect him to fix your car on his own time.

Oh, and you'll have to pay your bill.

Dear Amy:

Regarding a recent letter from "Anonymous," I too wanted to ask out my child's pediatrician.

One day during a checkup, I simply handed him my business card and told him if he ever wanted to get together, after work for coffee or a drink, to call me.

He said, simply, "Thank you, I am flattered."

I never heard from him -- he wasn't interested. But he is still a great doctor, and he is still my children's doctor.

Nothing has changed, and we have never brought up the issue of getting together again.

I say, don't miss out on something that could be great. The doctor is not allowed to ask a patient out, or even his patient's mom. She should make the first step.

Not Afraid to Ask