Dear Queenie,

I work in an office where we all have name plates on our desks as well as on the office doors for those who have private offices. However, there’s this one person who spells my name wrong whenever he leaves me a note or sends me an e-mail.

I find this very annoying. It’s not as if he can’t see for himself how my name is spelled.

Queenie, how would you handle this?—Mis-spelled

Dear Mis-spelled,

I work in a journalistic setting where the very first professional rule is “GET THE NAMES RIGHT!!!” and yet this same thing has happened to me.

My solution: Return any communication with your name mis-spelled to the sender with a note: “Nobody here by that name. My name is … (spelled correctly).” And ignore the content until your name is spelled correctly (unless it is urgent, will affect the quality of your own work, or comes from your boss).

Dear Queenie,

My young adult daughter can’t seems to get it right with men. Her choices for the last three years have been almost destructive. This current relationship, just eight months old, if you ask me he is controlling, psychotic and abusive. Every time she tries to leave, he charms her right back to him.

To add insult to injury she just found out she is pregnant and that is his passport to her. Last month there was a falling out and he brought all her clothes by me only to want her back the next day. He went on a rampage destroying things in the house, wrecking his two vehicles because he could not find her. He put a tracking device on her phone and appears everywhere – doctor’s appointment, SZV, police station, you name it, he is there.

He is unemployed since last December for fighting on the job and can’t seem to find his way back on the job wagon.

My advice to her was: Child or no child, let this be your escape. As much as I hate it, I cannot stop you from speaking to him but please do not go back to live with him. Take time and phase out the relationship.

Queenie, do you think I am right or should I just stay out as he claimed?—Suffocating Mom

Dear Suffocating Mom,

I think you are exactly right, but you cannot force your adult daughter to take your advice.

If she is afraid to leave this man, or to stay away from him, refer her to Safe Haven (office tel. 9277, 24-hour hotline number 9333, or (721) 523-6400; e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Facebook: SafeHavenSt.Maarten) for assistance.

And be sure she knows you will be there to support her when she needs you, whatever decision she makes.

Dear Queenie,

This woman where I work talks all the time about her boyfriend and his children that she lives with, but it turns out that my husband knows the boyfriend and he still lives with his wife and their children.

Queenie, should I tell everyone what a liar she is?—I know the truth

Dear Know the truth,

No, do not say anything to your colleagues.

However, the next time this woman starts telling her stories, you might tell her that your husband knows her boyfriend. And your husband might mention to the man in question that you work with this woman who claims to be his girlfriend

Dear Queenie,

I have a friend who always asks me what I think she should wear to an event and then tells me not to wear something she thinks is too much like what she is going to wear.

Queenie, I don’t mind giving advice, but I don’t like being told what I should or shouldn’t wear. What do you say?—Fed up

Dear Fed up,

By all means give your friend advice when she asks for it. However, feel free to simply ignore her instructions as to what you should or should not wear.