Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/49185
Friday, December 2, 2011 – Daily News 5A FEATURES Dear Annie: I work for a major corporation, and I like my job. However, my boss has betrayed me. She is single, and I want- ed to set her up with a friend of my boyfriend. She sent me her picture, and my boyfriend asked me to send the pic to his phone so he could send it to his friend. Instead of doing that, how- ever, he texted my boss all night long. He asked her to be discreet and not tell me. She showed me all of his text messages, and I broke up with him. A few months later, he apologized and said he was drunk when it hap- pened, and we got back together. While we were apart, he washed the clothes I'd left there and packed them in a canvas bag. When he gave me the bag, I noticed it had my boss's name on it in her own hand- writing. That means she was at his place with an overnight bag. I confronted her with this infor- mation, and she wouldn't even make eye contact. She said I was crazy. My boyfriend said the same thing. I need to know what to do. — Hurt and Confused in Torrance, Calif. Dear Torrance: So, worst-case scenario, your boss and your boyfriend slept together. Do you believe it won't happen again? Can you forgive them? If so, tell them that and put this behind you. If not, decide whether you want to keep Text, tentative tryst test trust present minimal risk Airport scanners your job and your boyfriend, because you won't be able to trust either of them. Dear Annie: I am a nurse Annie's Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar at a walk-in clinic. When did it become OK for parents to help themselves to exam gloves and tongue depres- sors for the purpose of enter- taining their children? It is not unusual to walk into the exam room and find several gloves that have been blown up and are being bat- ted around and children run- ning around the room with tongue depressors in their hands. These medical supplies cost the facility money and are meant for medical use, not party favors. It also is not safe to hand a 3-year-old a tongue depressor. We have stickers that are more appropriate. When my children were little, I would never dream of opening con- tainers in the doctor's office. Is this appropriate behavior? Do people believe they are entitled to these supplies because of the cost of med- ical care? Or are they simply igno- rant? — Baffled Nurse in Indiana Dear Indiana: We've seen doc- tors and nurses give these gloves and tongue depressors to children to keep them occupied, so it's not a big stretch for parents to think it's OK to do the same. Those folks who are caught depressor-red-handed should be told not to do that in the future. Also, try posting a sign ask- ing patients not to take these items. Otherwise, the best you can do is store them in a locked drawer or cabinet. Dear Annie: Thank you for your wonderful advice to ''Maine Hus- band'' concerning his family's demands while he cares for his dis- abled wife. There are 3,500,000 current spousal caregivers in America. We lose our best friend, our lover, our future — half the team that supports income, raises the kids and runs the home. We often sublimate our own health and needs to care for our spouse. The nonprofit Well Spouse Asso- ciation is the only national peer-to- peer support group dedicated solely to partners providing long-term care, regardless of the underlying illness. Only someone who has been there can truly understand what it takes to maintain your own self when caring for a spouse. Please share with your readers that at www.wellspouse.org we understand and can help. You are not alone. — Lawrence Bocchiere III, President Well Spouse(tm) Association 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. The public is invited to the 2nd Annual Win- ter Holiday Fine Artisan & Gift Fundraising Sale opening reception from 4-8 p.m. tonight at the Patrick Ranch Museum in Pats Barn. Fundraising sale at Patrick Ranch tonight This year there will be Patrick Ranch Museum volunteers to provide a fine arts gift exhibit and sale and a historic view of Christmas at the ranch. There will be works of art and music by Robert and Sharon Karch along with entic- ing hors d'oeuvres, wine and samples of the eat- able gifts for sale. The holiday spirit continues 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 3 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 4. The Patrick Ranch Museum has partnered with Amber Palmer Fine Arts Consulting, their own registered artists, and the many talented The following artists: Chris Cantello (Jewel- ry), Dave Dragoman (Turned Wood Art), Jeff & Claudia Howell (Cop- per & Gourds), Mike Shaw (Blown Glass), Mick Schwartz (pottery,) Malinda Vasquez (Jewel- ry) Sally Dimas (Holi- day wreaths and floral arrangements), Amber Palmer, and Carol Pre- ble-Miles (Painting), photography by the Tehama County Photo Club and more will be presenting their works of art. many holiday delights in Pat's Barn with an abun- dance of yummy edible jams, jellies and teas by Sweet Cottage, Cham- ber's Harvest Nuts, Shu- bert's Candy, Olive Oil, beautiful one of kind gifts and other creative delights will be available for those hard to find people. The Country Store will have many museum gifts to add to your stocking stuffing bounty. Plan on touring the Historic Glenwood House located at the cen- ter of the ranch. The house is being renovat- ed. But even with all the many changes in the house the Patrick Ranch, the volunteers have cre- ated a unique view of Christmas past. The four main rooms will have a beautiful decorated tree and Christmas decor each geared to a differ- ent theme. The cost is a donation of $2 per per- son for the guided tour. The Patrick Ranch Museum is under the stewardship of the Far West Heritage Associa- tion. For more informa- tion contact the Patrick Ranch Museum at 342- 4359 or www.patrick- ranchmuseum.com. For more information on the fine arts program contact Amber Palmer at 570- 7343 or amberpmft@sbcglobal.n et. DEAR DOC- TOR K: I travel a lot for business. Every time I go through an airport security scanner, I wonder how it might be affecting my health. Are these scanners harmful? Should I avoid them? DEAR READ- ER: There are currently two types of airport scan- ners in use. Some use non- ionizing radiation; the others use ionizing radia- tion. Most of the concern about scanners focuses on those that use ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is the more dangerous kind and is definitely something to worry about. This type of radiation can damage your cells and can also affect a damaged cell's ability to repair itself. Ionizing radiation can cause genetic changes that impair your cells' ability to control their own growth. If the cells start dividing when they shouldn't, a cancer starts. Lastly, ionizing radiation can damage the DNA in your sperm or eggs. This can cause mutations that could affect your future children. Exposure to very high levels of ionizing radiation can cause radia- tion poisoning and even death. After reading this, you may well ask, "Why would I allow myself to be exposed to ionizing radia- tion?" My answer is, like most bad things, what matters is how much of it you're exposed to. So how much radiation is there in an airport scanner, com- pared to regular X-rays, for example? It would take more than 50 scans at the airport to equal the radiation expo- sure from a single dental X-ray. And it would take 1,000 scans to equal the exposure from a chest X- ray. Suppose you made a back-and-forth trip by air- Dr. K by Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D. plane once every month. At that rate, it would take you two years to accumulate as much radiation as you get from just one dental X-ray, and 40 years to accumulate as much radiation as from just one chest X-ray. Does that put it in perspective? Here's another perspec- tive. You actually can't avoid radiation exposure. Just living on Earth expos- es us to low levels of ion- izing radiation. There are radioactive substances in soil and cosmic rays from outer space. And about those cos- mic rays: When you're in an airplane, 30,000 feet above the Earth, you are exposed to more of them than on the ground. In fact, you are exposed to 100 times more radiation from traveling in an air- plane than from the airport scanner. So if the scanner worries you, why are you flying in the first place? My point is not that fly- ing is dangerous. My fam- ily and I fly all the time. I'm just trying to put the risk of airport scanners in perspective. So what should you do? I'll tell you what I do. I don't worry about airport scanners. I have a hip replacement, so I often set off the alarm. For that reason, I'm always disappointed when I arrive at an airport security area and don't see a scanner. I much pre- fer a scanner to a pat- down, in terms of my time and my dignity. In a world full of things to worry about, airport scanners are not on my list. 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. Safety tips to keep your home safe during holidays The holiday season is not only a time for celebra- tion with family, but also a time to take the right steps to protect your home and family from holiday haz- ards. There are many dan- gers that homeowners face during the winter season, many of which relate to fire incidents. While fire prevention is the most common risk during the holidays, many families also face bodily injuries and other accident-prone events during this time of year. As homeowners pre- pare their homes for the holiday season with deco- rations, there are precau- tions they can take to pro- tect their homes from com- mon fire accidents. The Home Depot offers safety products and tips, all of which homeowners can use to have a safe and worry-free winter holiday. Did you know? • According to The Electrical Safety Founda- tion International (ESFI), 30 percent of all home fires and 38 percent of all home fire deaths occur during the winter months. • According to reports between the years of 2005- 2009 from ESFI, an aver- age of 373,900 home fires occurred and resulted in an Oak Street Barber Shop Holiday Savings Jr. High & High School Students New Winter Hours 8:30-5:00 Mon.-Fri. 9:00-1:00 Sat. Call for after hour appts. call 527-8111 or 736-7462 335 Oak St. Home of the best haircuts for the best value! $10 w/student body card $11.00 Regular Cuts $9.00 Seniors 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Cedar & Madison Sts. Red Bluff Dec. 8, 9 & 10 Thu.-Fri.-Sat. High School Scholarships For Custom Wreaths & Designs Call 527-4578 or 526-4578 Former Holiday Market Proceeds go to annual average of $7.1 bil- lion in property damage. • Fire incidences caused by cooking, heating and open flame all increase during the winter holiday period. According to the United States Fire Admin- istration, winter holiday fires are more severe than the average fire during the year. • According to ESFI, several home fires occur due to neglect or lack of knowledge on the hazards of cooking, heating equip- ment and electrical sys- tems. Heating equipment is the second leading cause of home fires and home fire deaths. In one out of every five fire related deaths, the fire started when something that could catch fire was too close to a heat source. Space heaters and other similar heating equipment products cause 32 percent of home heating fires and 82 percent of home heating fire deaths, according to ESFI. Stay Safe this Holiday Season with Fire Safety Precautions The Holidays are a great time to spend with family and friends, but it's important to remember that if not planned safely, decorations and heated homes can be dangerous. Protect your family, guests and home with properly installed and maintained smoke alarms. • Choose alarms that bear the label of a national- ly recognized testing labo- ratory, such as UL or ETL. All alarms sold at The Home Depot have been tested and approved by UL such as the Kidde Battery Operated Combination Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Voice. • For best protection, smoke alarms should be mounted on a wall 6 to 12 inches below the ceiling. Smoke alarms should also be interconnected, so that they all sound if one sounds. • Fire alarms should be replaced every 10 years and carbon monoxide detectors every seven years. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), in one out of five homes that have smoke alarms, none of the units work, mainly due to dead, missing or disconnected batteries. Decorate for the Holi- days with these Electrical Safety Tips- Christmas Trees Christmas trees play an integral role in decorating for the holidays, but they also can be susceptible to many hazardous accidents. • When purchasing a tree, it's always important to plan your placement carefully by avoiding heat sources and drafts, which will prevent excessive dry- ing. • When purchasing a live tree, check for fresh- ness to minimize the fire hazard of dry needles. A fresh tree will stay green longer and be less of a fire hazard than a dry tree. • Because heated rooms dry out lives trees rapidly, be sure to keep the stand filled with water. Holiday Lights Adding holiday lighting is a great way to make a home festive for the holi- days. In order to create a safe and memorable deco- rating experience, there are a few simple guidelines that must be observed: • Be careful not to over string lighting strands together (LED lights allow for more light strings to be connected together than Red Bluff Garden Club CHRISTMAS BOUTIQUE ALL FRESH WREATHS, ARRANGEMENTS AND MORE incandescent lights) • Always unplug lights before leaving the house • Use only plastic or plastic coated fasteners and clips to hang electric lights Extension Cords Results from a new ESFI consumer survey indicate that more than 80 percent of Americans will decorate their homes this holiday year. However, 4,700 residential fires orig- inate from the extension cords used for those deco- rations every year. While decorating your home for the holidays, be sure to fol- low these tips to ensure that your decorations are operating safely with the appropriate extension cords. • Avoid overloading electrical outlets by check- ing outlets regularly for problems such as overheat- ing, loose connections and corrosion. • When working out- doors, keep all outdoor extension cords and light strands clear of snow and standing water. Protect extensions cords from the elements by only using weather-resistant, heavy gauge extension cords marked "for outdoor use." Cords such as the Work- force 50ft. 16/3 Extension Cord have added safe- guards designed to with- stand the outdoor environ- ment. • When purchasing extension cords, power strips and surge protectors, check to see that they have been approved by a nation- ally recognized testing lab- oratory like UL or ETL. All of these items sold at The Home Depot, like the Fire Shield 3ft. 6-Outlet Surge Protector, are UL tested and approved. 1705 Airport Blvd. Suite E, Red Bluff 530-528-1225 Under New Management Mon.-Thurs. 10am-5:30pm • Fri. 10am-6:30pm Open Saturdays Nov. 26th thru Dec. 17th 9am-3pm for your Holiday Shopping needs Serving Hot Dogs & Soft Drinks Saturdays 11am-1pm STOP BY AND ENTER OUR FREE DRAWING FOR A RUGER 10/22 RIFLE Over 100 new & used guns in stock Full line of ammo & accessories for your Shooting, Hunting & Reloading needs. We buy guns