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Wednesday, October 26, 2011 – Daily News 5A FEATURES Provocative past presents Dear Annie: My eldest brother has a secret. Before he met his wife, he was married and had two children in a country that does not have divorce. This was 25 years ago. The first mar- riage was very rocky, and my brother left his wife while she was preg- nant with their sec- ping with sweat, and every inch of his clothing is soaked. I have asked him nicely to please Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar ond child. He then met his current wife and moved to the U.S. His cur- rent wife doesn't know anything about the previous marriage. The eldest son from his first wife, who was 6 when my brother aban- doned him, has contacted me. He wants to meet his father. He also is an emotional wreck because of my brother's behavior. He says he wants to get to know his father and have clo- sure. I don't know what to do. — Worried Sister Dear Sister: Tell your brother immediately about the contact with his son, and encourage him to make this right. While it is not your place to inform his current wife (and possibly destroy his marriage), your brother must realize that his son could easily contact another person in the family. He should come clean before some- one else does it for him. Dear Annie: My husband insists on lounging on our corduroy sofa after he exercises. He is literally drip- shower first, but he gets angry and says he doesn't need to. He insists I am overreacting. I hate to be a nag, but I am tired of damp, smelly furni- ture. How do I deal with this? — Stinky's Wife Dear Wife: How lovely. While your husband obviously should not place his sweaty self on your fabric furniture, he doesn't seem inclined to stop. That means you will have to make the necessary adjustments. The simplest solution is covering the cor- duroy sofa with sheets or towels or a washable sofa cover. But you also might consider giving him a gym membership so he can work out (and hopefully shower) elsewhere. If he works out at home, place the tread- mill or other equipment in another area of the house so he is more likely to lounge on something that won't absorb so much moisture. Dear Annie: ''Young at Heart'' couldn't find employment at the age of 62. You said most employers drop older workers for economic reasons. I think the biggest single obstacle in finding a job for an older person is the question of insurability. Also, many older people feel they are worth more than the job pays. But pay is based on what that job is worth to the company, not what the applicant deems himself to be worth. There is also a reluctance to hire people who are significantly overqualified, so applicants should focus only on the requirements for the specific job opening and stress their ability to handle it. Also, an older applicant must be prepared for the inevitable question, no matter how it is worded: If you were such an asset to your last company, why did they let you go? My suggestion for older persons would be to sign up with an agency that supplies temporary help. The advantage for the employer is that there is no obligation for insurance or other benefits, and it allows a compa- ny to evaluate a person and make a job offer if they wish. A less attractive alternative is to market yourself as an independent contractor. Companies seldom release a per- son who is doing an essential job for which a replacement would be diffi- cult to find. Sadly, 22 years of doing the same thing does not equate to a job level of 22 years experience — nor does it provide an edge over a younger person doing the same job for the past 10 years. In most instances, a person over age 56 would do well to understand that, odds are, if your job is lost, you have just involuntarily retired. — Retired in Florida Annie's Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie's Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Still time, but act fast for Bus Tour The Tehama County Farm Bureau is getting ready for their annual Farm ˆ City Week Cele- bration. The annual "Bus Tour of Agriculture" will begin the festivities on Thursday, October 27. "There are four great presenters scheduled for the tour, covering a wide variety of Tehama Coun- ty agriculture, from fruit and nuts, to beef and water," said Farm Bureau Manager Kari Dodd. "We will learn about some of the top commodities in Tehama County and how they are produced." The tour will show how farmers and ranch- ers in the County ensure that they are utilizing the most efficient means for their production. The tour begins with James W. Tysinger, Jr. M.D. Eye Physician & Surgeon Fellow American Academy of Ophtalmology We accept Medical, Medicare & most Insurances Office Hours: Tues-Wed-Thurs 8am-4:30pm Mon & Fri 1pm-5pm For Emergencies, After Hours, Week-ends, Call 530-567-5001 345 Hickory St. Red Bluff Tel: (530) 529-4733 Fax: (530) 529-1114 breakfast at the Tehama County Farm Bureau office at 7:00 a.m. Jeff Sutton from the Tehama- Colusa Canal Authority will give a presentation to the group there. Then the bus will head north to Driscoll‚s Strawber- ries. Walnuts and prunes will be discussed at the next stop, Tom Bengard Ranches. Shasta Live- stock Auction and West- ern Video Market will talk about the current status of beef production and sales. A luncheon will be provided after the tour. Tickets are only $20. Dodd says there are only a few seats remaining on the tour, so anyone inter- ested should contact the Tehama County Farm Bureau office right away. Their number is 527-7882. K W I K K U T S Family Hair Salon $200 REGULAR HAIRCUT off with coupon Not good with other offers 1064 South Main St., Red Bluff • 529-3540 Reg. $13.95 Expires 10/31/11 Courtesy photo John Povey at Mt. Lassen Farm Trout. Counseling Center Giving Families Hope! Did you think we were just for children? • Individual & Family Counseling • Couple/Relationship Issues • Anger • Depression • Anxiety • Emotional Trauma • Family Relationships • Parenting Call our office for more info. 529-9454 Red Bluff 590 Antelope Blvd. Suite B-30 Corning Counseling Center 275 Solano Street #2 Lantino Outreach of Tehama County Effective treatments can relieve watery eyes DEAR DOCTOR K: I am 63 and have tears running down my face at odd times. What's going on, and what can I do about it? DEAR READER: Watery eyes are a com- mon problem for adults. And there's often an effective treat- ment. First, a little back- ground. Tiny lacrimal glands (tear glands) are located above your eyes at the edge of your eye sock- ets. These glands are con- tinually making small amounts of tears. Your tears keep your eyes from getting irritated by dust and dirt and help fend off infections. But once the fluid has served its purpose, or if there's too much of it, your eyes need to get rid of the excess. When you blink, tears are pumped away from the eye through tiny tear ducts. In my experience, watery eyes are usually caused by one of four problems. — Sometimes the openings to the tear ducts close up. If the duct open- ing is too small, your tears will have a hard time get- ting into the duct. That causes the tears to back up in the eye. — Often, though, the problem is a blockage far- ther down the tear duct. Unfortunately, the proce- dure to open blocked ducts isn't a minor one. Surgeons must create a lit- tle passageway around the blockage while you are under general anesthesia. — A third reason for watery eyes is, ironically, dry eyes. Dry eyes are caused by conditions that cause the tear glands to make less tears than are needed. Sometimes these glands just get old and tired, as we do. Certain diseases cause the immune system to attack the glands, reducing their ability to make tears. As a result, dry eyes can Dr. K by Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D. become irri- tated. If the irritation becomes too great, the tear glands can temporarily come to life. That causes a sudden gush of tears. Over-the- counter "arti- ficial tears" products often work quite well to relieve dry eyes. And relieving dry eyes can then elimi- nate the sudden gush of tears. When the dry eye is caused by an attack of your immune system on the gland, a powerful drug, cyclosporine, can work when other treat- ments don't. — Finally, you can develop a watery eye if your lower eyelid droops away from the eye. When this happens, tears accu- mulate on the surface of the eye. This condition is easily fixed by surgically tightening the eyelids. I just had a patient go through this minor surgery last month, and it fixed his problem. When eye surgery is needed, ask your doctor to recommend a special kind of eye doctor. Because medicine is becoming more and more special- ized, a general eye doctor (ophthalmologist) may not be enough. You may need a special type of ophthalmologist called an oculoplastic specialist, who has done additional training in eyelid and tear duct surgery. This doctor will determine what's causing your eyes to water and will help choose the right treatment for you. The chances are good that your watery eye problem can be fixed. Dr. Komaroff is a physician and professor at Harvard Medical School. Go to his website to send questions and get additional information: www.AskDoctorK.com. Local Businesses: You can sponsor a whole classroom of kids to design an ad for YOUR business! YOU choose the winning entry. Your kid-designed ad will be featured in Through a Child's Eyes • Published as a full section of The Daily News in November • Digital edition stays online for a full year Tuesday, November 1 D NEWSAILY Sponsor Deadline: RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY For details and sponsorship Reservations call your Daily News advertising Representative today! To volunteer please call or text 209-2644 (Bilinguals needed) 527-2151