Miss Manners on Envious Co-workers, Nosy Friends and an Ex Who Keeps Pestering You

Dear Miss Manners:

I am unsure of how to react to my co-workers' spiteful comments whenever I choose to spend my paid/personal time off (PTO). I am a single male, under 25 and don't have children.

The most common comment that I hear is an extremely sarcastic "Must be nice!" -- as if I am the sole person upon this planet to earn PTO.

These comments have only come from co-workers who have children. What is the proper response to these immature comments?

It is not my fault that someone chose to have a child. When these people receive their tax returns, I certainly do not make rude comments about how it "must be nice" to receive an $8,000 tax refund simply for having children (the individuals I am referring to also have no qualms about openly discussing how they spend these funds on material items such as cars, televisions, etc.). Frankly, I have too much class than to behave in such a way.

I am extremely respectful and conservative in most situations, but hypocrisy will make my blood boil. I obviously cannot obliterate their faulty logic with a brutal one-liner, since I'm at work. What should I do?

Spiteful hypocrisy that makes your blood boil? Miss Manners is afraid that you have a very low boiling point. This is what passes as office humor. Please do not escalate it to brutal. There is enough unemployment as it is.

However, if you will settle for being merely annoying in return, you need only agree with your tormentors -- oops, colleagues. As you leave, just call out, "Ah, yes, the life of the carefree bachelor! Have fun working!"

Dear Miss Manners:

I'm very young, in college, have a major that I really enjoy, and like filling my schedule up with hobbies and activities that make me happy. For some reason, though, people have taken a huge interest in my (lack of) love life.