Dear Queenie,
My wife’s sister never calls us just to talk, but she is always calling us to ask for money to help with her bills or her kids’ school expenses. We told her to ask the kids’ father for help with their school expenses but she won’t do it.
Queenie, should we go on helping her?—Fed-up uncle
Dear Uncle,
Fathers have a legal obligation to support their children. The next time your sister-in-law asks for financial help, offer to introduce her to an attorney who will help her get the assistance to which she is entitled.
Dear Queenie,
I’m pregnant and my doctor told me to stop drinking alcohol because it’s bad for the baby. However, my husband still drinks like he always did and it makes me jealous to see him having fun while I can’t.
Queenie, can I ask him to stop drinking until the baby comes?—Expectant mother on the wagon
Dear Expectant mother,
If you think you cannot have fun without drinking alcohol, you may have a problem that could get worse. Ask your husband to stop drinking until the baby comes. If he cannot do so, he may also have the same problem. Ask your obstetrician for advice, and you (both) might also want to consult Alcoholics Anonymous.
Dear Queenie,
I’ve been divorced for almost 15 years and I never know what to put on a form that asks for my marital status.
Queenie, should I still say “divorced” or can I start to say “single” again?—Questionnaire Etty Ket
Dear Etty Ket,
No matter how long you have been divorced, you are still a divorcee – a person who used to be married. Calling yourself “single” is no longer accurate.
Dear Queenie,
A person I work with never gives a short answer to a question. They waste time going on and on about it and I can’t remember most of what they say.
Queenie, how do I get them to keep it short?—Sorry I asked
Dear Sorry,
When you ask them anything, also ask them to keep the answer brief because if they don’t you will not be able to remember a lot of what they say. Or, you can ask them to put the answer in writing. That way either they will be motivated to give a short answer or you will have their long answer in writing to refer to when you forget any of it.
Dear Queenie,
The other day I nearly got hit by a car pulling out of a parking space because I was talking on my cell phone while I was walking behind it and the driver was talking on his phone at the same time.
Queenie, I will be more careful in the future. I just hope that driver will be more careful too! Maybe if you tell them … .—Better safe than sorry
Dear Better safe,
Here it is.
Especially when driving a car, DO NOT use your cell phone. You are driving a potentially lethal weapon, so keep all your attention on what you are doing and on your surroundings. Put your cell phone where you cannot reach it while you are driving so you will not be tempted to make or answer a call.
However, pedestrians also have a responsibility to pay attention to what is going on around them and not walk into danger, which means putting your cell phone away until you reach your destination, or stopping and standing or sitting in a safe place to make or answer a call.
