Q: I am extremely bored and have no social life. You know, a social life where you go to a friend's house for drinks and have conversations with other people, maybe play Scattergories, eat and have fun? At this point I'm starting to think that it will never happen again. I'm 33 and it's been five years since my last girlfriend and I broke up. I'm a humble and mellow guy and my girlfriend was always my best friend, but this is ridiculous, five years of nothing - come on! I've tried parks, cafes, bars, different online dating sites . . . you name it, I've struck out there. In the past I've had DJ nights and even made some of my very own short films that played in bars and film festivals. But still, none of that was able to provide me with any new friends. Can you give me suggestions on how to fix this? Is it possible you could introduce me to people? In movies the loveless saps seem to get help from all sorts of people, but coming from two local columnists, that's just a great plot for a romantic comedy.

Steve: If Steve and Mia tried to fix you up with someone it would be a comedy that ended in a tragedy. Finding friends or girl friends is no different than making sales calls. The more you make, the better your odds. However, you may be knocking on the wrong doors. Instead of parks, bars and cafes, how about joining groups of people with like interests: A book club, political group, bowling, skiing, movie club, anything that interests you, etc. Also, try a couple of those 10-minute dating meet-and-greets. The main thing is to keep busy with as many activities as you can find. Don't like one, drop it and find another. Keep doing this and you're sure to pick up a few friends - and women - along the way.

Mia: I think Steve is right that you have to keep joining clubs and meeting people. But also, you have to take a few risks - mostly risks of embarrassment - if you want to make some friends. For example, if you strike up a conversation with guy in a coffee shop and you click, you have to ask for his number or e-mail and suggest you go for a beer sometime. I know for men this can be kind of awkward, but that's the mindset you need to have if you want to build relationships.

Q: My significant other and I (of 12 years) will both turn 80 before the end of this year and we're still having sex three to four times a week. My problem is that I cannot get her to climax. I have tried everything. Is there anything I can do?

Steve: Step one is to talk to your lady friend about it. It could be physical, it could be mental, it could be medical. Once you isolate the cause, you can set about finding solutions.

Mia: Have you tried a vibrator?

Q: My boyfriend and I have been together for almost four years. Recently he started talking about buying a house together. I told him I didn't want to buy property until we were married. He says I'm being old-fashioned and that we should buy a house now, while prices are low, and get married later on. But I just think buying a house is a big deal, and we shouldn't do it until we're fully committed to each other. Who's right?

Mia: There's no right or wrong here. But your boyfriend needs to respect where you're coming from. If getting married first is important to you, then you shouldn't apologize for it. Also, the reality is that both buying a home and planning a wedding can be emotionally and financially overwhelming. So I suggest you space them out.

Steve: Get thee to a lawyer. You need to make sure you are protected if things go south with your boyfriend. The last thing you need is to be left holding the bag and facing payments you can't make alone. *