Dear Abby: Visiting friends expected us to rearrange our entire lives with 2 hours' notice

AdviceDear AbbyDear Abby: My wife and I have some longtime friends who said they would be passing through our area. We invited them to have dinner with us and spend the night during their trip. They readily accepted and confirmed their afternoon arrival date and time a week in advance.Two hours before they were supposed to be here, we got a call from them saying, “Mix-up. We’re busy tonight, so push dinner back to 10:30 p.m., and then we’ll spend the entire next day visiting with you instead!” This was a huge imposition because we never eat dinner that late (bedtime for us is around 10), and we already had plans for the next day.We adapted and offered them some light appetizers and dessert when they arrived at nearly 11 p.m. We then excused ourselves to retire at midnight after setting them up in the guest room. We reminded them we had to be on our way by 10 the next morning for an existing commitment, but that we could visit over coffee and pastries here beforehand. They said they prefer to sleep late (until almost noon) and seemed genuinely miffed that we didn’t change our plans for them. How would you have handled this? — Mixed up in ArizonaDear Mixed up: I would have handled the situation the same way you did, and in the future, I would not agree to host that presumptuous couple again. Ever.Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.Jeanne Phillips, also known as Abigail Van Buren, has written the advice column “Dear Abby” since 2000, responding knowledgeably with the wit and compassion that earns her the loyalty of millions of fans. She’s...