Dear Queenie,
I’ve finished school and have to start supporting myself but I don’t know what kind of job I want to get.
Queenie, how do I figure out what I want to do with my life?—Undecided
Dear Undecided,
Does your school have a career guidance counsellor? If so, he (or she) might be able to help you figure this out.
If not, take any job you can get and see how you like it. If it suits you, fine. If not, do your best work while you look for another job, so that you will have a good résumé to show prospective employers.
Eventually you will find a line of work that pleases you – although you also may find that advanced education is needed, in which case you will have to support yourself while going back to school.
I wish you good luck in your search.
Dear Queenie,
With a name like Queenie, I know you can help me. I just came home from being in Anguilla and attending Moonsplash, It was phenomenal!
Connis Vanderpool was there and I know your publication had done a story about him and the new CD. Could you please tell me of a store or website where I can purchase this CD?
Queenie, thank you so much in advance.—A.K.
Dear A.K.,
I am sorry, but I cannot help you. This is an advice column, not a shopping guide. Furthermore, I do not let my column be used to advertise any product or business.
Therefore, I have referred your request to this newspaper’s Advertising Department. I hope they will be able to help you.
Dear Queenie,
I’m a recovering alcoholic in AA and everybody I work with knows it because that’s what I tell them when they ask me why I don’t drink anything alcoholic. But there’s one guy who thinks it’s a big joke to give me candy dipped in liquor.
As soon as I taste the alcohol I spit it out and wash my mouth out. He laughs and laughs, but it isn’t funny to me.
Queenie, how do you deal with a jerk like this?—2 years sober
Dear Sober,
You do not ever accept anything edible from him. If he wants to know why, tell him, as often as it takes to get the message across (if ever).
Also, report him to his boss. This comes under the heading of workplace harassment and his superiors should be made aware of his offensive behaviour.
Dear Queenie,
After my husband died I had vases installed on the sides of his gravestone for the flowers I bring every time I visit his grave. But the next time I go, I see that someone else (I think it’s his mother) has put some other flowers in the vases along with mine and spoiled the whole arrangement, or simply dumped my flowers out and replaced them with their own.
Queenie, why do they do this and how can I get them to stop?—Grieving widow
Dear Queenie,
My mother-in-law has never liked me and criticises everything about me – my hair, my weight, my choice of clothes, how I take care of our children – you name it, she doesn’t like it. I try to put up with it for his sake, but sometimes it’s really a bit too much.
We’re planning to visit them on our vacation, but my birthday will be during the visit and I really don’t want to spend such a happy day listening to her bitching at me. I told my husband I want spend at least that day away from his parents and now he’s vexed with me for not wanting to share it with them.
Queenie, do I really have to put up with that s**t on my birthday?—Fed up with her
Dear Fed up,
Is your husband not aware of how his mother treats you? If not, you should have made it clear to him long ago. Do so now. If he does know and still insists on including his mother on your special day, grit your teeth and suffer in silence, and make plans to celebrate the occasion – exactly how you want to – on another day after the visit with the in-laws is over.
