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Wednesday, August 7, 2013 – Daily News 3B FEATURES Woman torn between kids and hometown Clinics no substitute are under no obligation to Dear Annie: I left my remain in your current hometown when I was 19 home. You have spent 27 and have lived in a nearby years taking care of your state for the past 27 years. kids, and now you are quite Two of my children are unselfishly going to take grown and on their own, care of your mother. You and my youngest currently deserve to also take care of lives with my ex-husband yourself. overseas. Dear Annie: I recently My mother is now in her Annie's invited some friends to my 70s and has many medical home for an informal Sunproblems, lives alone and rarely leaves the house. I by Kathy Mitchell day supper. We've known am also in a long-distance and Marcy Sugar one another for 10 years and usually go out to restaurants. relationship with a man from my childhood who lives near This is the first time we've had them over to our home. my mother. Since then, I have not received I am planning to move back to my home state to help my mother any kind of invitation from them. and also pursue this relationship. Worse, one of them recently said However, I am torn between mov- they had such a good time that we ing back there and being able to see should do it again. But no one volmy children, who live in various unteered to use their home. Someplaces. It breaks my heart for my one suggested I do it. I have done a lot of entertaining mother to be all alone, and I know I am running out of time to have her in the past, and going over my guest in my life. I also feel this man is lists, I realize that very few people "the one," and I want to be with have returned the favor. Before my husband died last year, he said flat him. Annie, I spent nearly 30 years out that he was tired of entertaining caring for my kids. I plan to see people who do nothing for us in them every few months and create a return. One of our neighbors was visitation schedule for my son to be invited twice to our home, and I with me. Am I being selfish to move have yet to be inside her house. Is away? — Torn Between Kids, Par- reciprocity some old social rule that no longer exists? — Still Waiting ents and Boyfriend Dear Still: No, but many people Dear Torn: Absolutely not. You aren't abandoning young children. no longer feel obligated to follow Your kids no longer live with you, any social rules at all. We think your so you are free to go where you particular problem is home enterwish. As long as you can visit your tainment. Too many people are children and work out a time for embarrassed by the condition of your youngest to be with you, you their houses or by their cooking Mailbox skills. They don't realize that their friends aren't interested in comparing furniture and appetizers. They simply want to enjoy the company. The solution for you is to entertain in your home only those who will reciprocate, and socialize with the rest in neutral settings such as restaurants. Dear Annie: "Too Good of a Cook" complained that her eight grown children and grandchildren visited often but never offered to help with the groceries or cooking. My parents owned a vacation home, and each year, the family gathered for one long holiday weekend. It was not fair for our parents to host all of the families and feed them, as well. To ensure that everyone had a nice vacation and still contributed their fair share, each family was responsible for one day of meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner. That meant they also had to shop, prepare, cook, serve and clean up. This worked well for many years. Our parents have passed, but those were great years with warm memories — and tasty meals. — Colorado River Family Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please email your questions to anniesmailbox@comcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. Expert answers to common DMV questions By the California Department of Motor Vehicles SACRAMENTO – Do you have questions about general driving related requirements like registration or insurance? Are you unclear about laws and restrictions related to driving? The California Department of Motor Vehicles has answers. "Save Time, Go Online," at www.dmv.ca.gov. You can submit any DMV-related questions at AskDMV@dmv.ca.gov 1. Q. I am visiting California on holiday from Europe. Can I use my disabled permit when I park my rental car? A. If you have a disabled placard or permit that has the international symbol on it; you can use it in California. For information visit: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/p ubs/brochures/fast_facts/ff vr07.htm# 2. Q. I noticed that the number on the license plates I received today does not match the license plate number that is shown on my registration card. What should I do? A. Good catch! It's really important to make sure the information on the registration card matches the vehicle description; including the license plate number you were issued. Please make an appointment with your local DMV office and take in the set of license plates and registration card. A new set of license plates can be issued. Save Time, Go Online! For faster service call 1-800-777-0133 to make an appointment or go online www.dmv.ca.gov to our Appointment System. You can also make an appointment directly from your iPhone or Android DMV Now smartphone app. 3. Q. I would like to go to a DMV investigations office to formally file a complaint on a used car dealership that sold me a car six months ago and never completed the transfer of registration. Where can I find one of these offices? A. You can find one of these offices online at www.DMV.ca.gov. On the home page, click the Offices tab, and then click Investigation Offices. Click the nearest city name for the list of office locations and hours of operation. It would be best to call and schedule an appointment first and, please note, these offices do not provide basic driver licensing or vehicle registration services and exist solely for consumer protection issues including complaints against car dealer; victims of identity theft, or other consumer protection issues involving the purchase of a vehicle or identity theft. 4. Q. I haven't been to the DMV in a while and I just recently received a letter to renew my driver license and was told I can do it online. But I would actually like to take a new picture because I've decided to exercise and lost over 40 pounds and I look a lot different on my DMV picture. What will I need to do and how much will a new license cost me? A. Congratulations on achieving your goals. If you want to have a new picture taken, you will need to visit your nearest field office. Be sure to make an appointment for faster service by going online at www.dmv.ca.gov or calling 1–800–777–0133. Please, bring your driver license renewal letter with you. When at the field office you will be given a vision test, an electronic thumb print will be taken, and a new photograph. Since you are eligible to renew online a written test does not appear to be required. Depending on the class of driver license you possess the driver license renewal fees can vary. The renewal notice will have fees required to renewal your driver license on it. Check your address before you leave DMV and tell the DMV representative if your address is incorrect. You will be issued an interim license valid for 60 days until you receive your new driver license in the mail. 5. Q. My mother and my brother are coming to visit from New York next month for three weeks, but I'm worried that they won't be able to drive themselves around when I am at work. She has a valid New York driver license and my brother, who is 16, just obtained his New York license a few weeks ago. Will this be enough for them to drive in California? A. In your mother's case, visitors over age 18 with a valid driver license from their home state or country will be allowed to drive without getting a California driver license. However, since your brother is a provisional driver under age 18, he will only be allowed to drive for the first 10 days of his visit using his New York license. After the 10-day period, he will need to get either a California driver license or a Nonresident Minor's Certificate, which is issued by DMV to a minor who has provided proof of financial responsibility. Visit www.dmv.ca.gov and click on the Online Services tab to make an appointment. Save Time Go Online! 6. Q. My wife and I would like to obtain a California ID card for our daughter, who just turned 18 months. Can a baby or toddler apply for a California ID? Will you take her photograph or should I bring one? A. In order to obtain a California Identification card for a minor, you will first need to obtain the child's certified birth certificate. Check with your local county ClerkRecorder or office of vital records to obtain a birth certificate. You will also need to obtain the child's actual Social Security number. Once you have the required documents visit a local DMV office, but make sure to make an appointment for faster service by going online at www.dmv.ca.gov or calling 1–800–777–0133. The parent or guardian will need to fill out an Identification Card Application (DL 44) and check the "Original ID Card" box. Make sure you know the child's height and weight when filling out the application. You'll need to provide the child's Social Security number. Next, your child's thumb print will be captured electronically and your child's picture will be taken. You should receive your child's new California ID card within 30-60 days. 7. Q. I recently purchased a car from a local dealership, and I was told by the sales staff that I had a 3 year warranty. I went back to the dealer where I bought the car for repairs but they told me the warranty had already expired last year. The car is used and I was told the dealer's warranty started when the previous owner bought the car. My main issue is that the sales staff told me I had enough warranty until the end of the year but now I'm told the warranty actually expired last year. What should I do? A. We're sorry to hear you're having trouble with your vehicle purchase. Most manufacturer warranties are time and mileage based upon the original date of reported sale, or first date of operation in the case of Dealer Demo vehicles. Most are transferable, however, that varies amongst vehicle manufacturers. The DMV Investigations Division diligently enforces laws, rules, and regulations that apply to new and used vehicle dealers, brokers, dismantlers, registrations services, vehicle verifiers, driving schools or traffic violator schools, and other vehicle-related businesses. If you'd like to file a consumer complaint against any of the above-listed groups, please fill the Record of Complaint Form. Follow the directions for completing the form and then mail it to an Investigations office in your area-see address listing on form: http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/for ms/inv/inv172.pdf 8. Q. Is it true that minors are never allowed to use cell phones when driving, even with a handsfree device? A. That is correct. It is against the law for a minor to use a cell phone while driving, even one that is equipped with a hands-free device. Drivers under age 18 are only to use their cell phones when the vehicle is safely stopped or parked. If a minor violates this law, they will be subject to fines. The only exceptions to this law are in the event that a minor must use a cell phone in an emergency situation to contact law enforcement, a health care provider, the fire department, or another emergency entity. for primary care reaches your priDEAR DOCmary care doctor, TOR K: What do and that often you think of the doesn't happen. walk-in health For more comclinics that are plicated or ongopopping up? Can I ing medical use them instead issues, health clinof going to my ics are not a subregular doctor? DEAR READDr. K stitute for a doctor's office. The ER: You ask a by Anthony L. nurse timely question. Komaroff, M.D. doctors, practitioners and More and more Americans are turning to physicians' assistants in retail health clinics — those clinics probably walk-in medical facilities won't have access to your located in pharmacies, records. They won't know grocery stores and retail- what medical conditions ers. My one-sentence you have, the results of answer to your question is your laboratory tests, the that it's a shame they have medicines you're on or become necessary. That's whether you have drug because I believe the best allergies. They need to answer is for every person know that information to to have a primary care give you good care. "What's the problem," physician who knows them, and to bring all you might ask? "I can health problems to that simply give them that information." Maybe. But doctor. So why are people ask yourself if you could, going to these walk-in right now off the top of clinics? The most obvious your head, list all of your reason is that we haven't medical conditions, the trained enough primary results of your most recent care doctors, and the ones laboratory tests, all of the we have are very busy. As medicines you are taking the number of primary (and the doses), and every care doctors shrinks, drug you have had an patients must wait longer allergic reaction to. Retail health clinics are to see a doctor for simple problems such as sinusitis often staffed by nurse or a urinary tract infec- practitioners, not doctors. Nurse practitioners are tion. No one likes to wait. required to follow specific You can walk into a retail care guidelines, and they health clinic without an must keep meticulous appointment, and many records on the care clinics are open nights and they've provided. Any time you visit a weekends. What's more, health insurance covers all health clinic, get a printed — or a percentage — of copy of your health the costs of services pro- record. Health clinics vided at these clinics, just keep excellent medical as it does for care deliv- records. But it's up to you to make sure they get to ered at a doctor's office. If you're hurting and your primary care doctor your own doctor is not so that all of your health available, retail health records are in one place. clinics have their place. Dr. Komaroff is a They are most appropriate physician and professor when you have a simple Harvard Medical health condition that at To send needs immediate medical School. go to attention — a respiratory questions, or or urinary tract infection, AskDoctorK.com, for example. But it's write: Ask Doctor K, 10 important that your med- Shattuck St., Second ical record from this visit Floor, Boston, MA 02115. After cuts, Fitch upgrades Calif. bond rating to A SACRAMENTO (AP) — Fitch Ratings boosted California's bond rating to an 'A' grade on Monday, revising the state's outlook to positive in another signal the financial industry approves of the state's efforts to trim spending and programs. In its announcement, the ratings agency said California has made notable progress on ''timely, more structurally sound budgets, spending restraint, and sizable reductions in budgetary debt,'' resulting in its upgrade from an 'A-,' which the state had held since 2010. Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat, signed a budget in June with a $96.3 billion general fund, the state's main account for paying ongoing expenses. The size of the general fund and a reserve account of $1.1 billion reflect the continuing recovering of California's economy and $6 billion in taxes approved by voters last November. It also reflected voter-approved changes allowing the state Legislature to pass a budget on a simple majority vote and withhold pay from lawmakers if the budget is not on time. Fitch's review said the state's economic growth has resumed, including in the battered housing market, but the state's finances remain subject to volatile swings and a shortage of reserves. The changes in budgeting will make the state better able to handle future financial downturns, Fitch said, but its credit rating is likely to remain below those of other states ''given the magnitude of the state's budgetary and financial challenges.'' It also noted that contributions to California's teacher pension fund are inadequate and said that voter initiatives partly limit the state's ability to manage its budgets. HELP WANTED AUTO ROUTES DRIVERS WANTED RED BLUFF & CORNING AREAS Must be 21 or older & bondable. Call or apply in person Circulation Dept. 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