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Overthepasttwode- cades since founding Debt-Proof Living, I've logged more than 1.5 million miles on book tours, speak- ing events and televi- sion and ra- dio shows. It's been — and continues to be — great fun. I have mostly loved every mo- ment. As you might imag- ine, lots of funny things have happened to me on my travels. But nothing can top what happened in San Francisco, California. The year was 1998. I was in San Francisco to appear on a local televi- sion show. The producer had asked me to bring props for visual interest, as I would be demonstrat- ing some of the great tips that were published in my newsletter. I arrived the evening before and checked into one of San Francisco's fin- est historic downtown hotels. I then took a cab to a grocery store to pick up props for the show. I wanted to find the big- gest possible sizes of in- gredients like baking soda, white vinegar, salt and ammonia. Knowing I only needed the containers and not the contents, I decided to empty the contents out of all of the containers to lighten my load and make my trip to the studio a bit more manageable. Plus, I figured that dumping the ingredients would be eas- ier than trying to check all of those containers on the plane. Despite the fact that I would be wasting a lot of perfectly good ingredi- ents, I flushed all of the baking soda and a gallon of vinegar down the toilet. I emptied the salt into a plastic bag, tied it up and placed it in the wastebas- ket. Lastly, I poured the quart of rubbing alcohol down the sink. Done. Sim- ple, easy and quite smart, I told myself. I packed the empty props for the next day and left the room to get some dinner. Several hours later I was watching TV when the most unusual thing happened. I thought that Yellowstone National Park's Old Faithful visited my room! I heard this terrify- ingly loud sound of rush- ing water and ran to the bathroom just in time to see an eruption of wa- ter shoot straight into the air. It stopped just shy of the ceiling. And it scared me to death. All I could do was stand there and stare. Once it calmed down and gurgled to a stop, this horrible odor be- gan to fill the room. It was as if all of the sewer gases from under the city poured into my room. I ran out into the hallway and was greeted by other guests on my floor. The stench was filling their rooms as well. By now it was getting late. What a sight to see dozens of people in the hall wearing every kind of robe and nightwear imag- inable and gasping for air while covering their faces with whatever they could. The hotel engineer was summoned to assess the problem. All he could do was laugh as he explained that whatever had been clogging the hotel drains had finally let loose. Thankfully there was no lingering damage. In fact, I like to think I did them a huge (I cannot tell you how huge) favor. Oh, what a night it was. I single-handedly ac- complished what nobody else could with just bak- ing soda and white vine- gar. Never underestimate the power of a really great household tip: KEEP THE DRAINS CLEAR To clear a sluggish drain and keep it running well, pour 1 cup of baking soda into the drain (push it down into the drain as best you can) followed by 1 cup of white vinegar. It will bubble, fizz and gur- gle but is not harmful. Let it sit for a couple of hours — overnight is even better. Flush it out with a large kettle or pot of boiling wa- ter the next morning. If you're dealing with very old pipesandplumbing,cutthe quantities of baking soda and vinegar in half just to be on the safe side. Wouldyouliketosend a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE When I saw old faithful in San Francisco Mary Hunt Whittenberg Country School will have an infor- mational meeting 6-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 5, at the main branch of the Tehama County Library, 645 Madi- son St. Interested families are invited to drop in at any point during the info meet- ing. The meeting will in- clude a special presenta- tion on the kindergarten program. The regular en- rollment period is open for K-8 students for the fall and students are enrolled on a first-come, first-served ba- sis while space is available. The school is a small, pri- vate, K-8 school just west of Red Bluff. With a kinder- garten class and two multi- grade elementary classes, it provides a unique option for local families, including art and music classes and regular field days and field trips. Elementary classes are limited to 20 students and the kindergarten class to 12. For more information, visit whittenbergcoun- tryschool.org, write to whit- tenbergcountryschool@ gmail.com or call 526-7649. EDUCATION CONTRIBUTED Whittenberg Country School students in a skating class at Ridgeway Park. WhittenbergCountrySchooltohold informational meeting at library Like many cancers, early detection of lung cancer can save thousands of lives each year. According to the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force, early detection through screenings alone can save up to 20,000 lives per year. The lung cancer screen- ing program at Saint Eliz- abeth Community Hospi- tal offers those with a high risk of developing lung can- cer the opportunity to be screened and receive their diagnosis at an early stage, even before symptoms de- velop. Smoking puts you at a much higher risk for lung cancer. Anyone 55 to 74 years of age with a cigarette smoking history of at least 30 packs per year and who would be a good candidate for follow-up cancer treat- ment should call a nurse li- aison for eligibility in the lung screening program. Others who should check for screening eligibility in- clude anyone age 50 or older with a smoking history of 20 or more packs per year with additional risk factors of a history of cancer, doc- umented radon exposure or occupational exposure to soot, silica, cadmium, as- bestos, arsenic, beryllium, chromium, diesel fuels, nickel or coal smoke. The most important thing you can do to reduce your risk of developing lung cancer is to stop smoking or to never start smoking in the first place. Following a healthy diet, regular check- ups and getting adequate exercise are beneficial. Patients meeting the suggested guidelines may call Dignity Health Saint Elizabeth Community Hos- pital Lung Screening Pro- gram at 529-8247. A nurse navigator will determine lung cancer screening eli- gibility and guide patients through the next steps. Every patient referred for a lung cancer screen- ing CT scan will receive a referral to a free smoking cessation program, if de- sired. HEALTH Lu ng c an ce r sc re en in g off er ed The Sierra Club, Yahi Group, is hosting the fol- lowing events for April. Unless otherwise noted, trips are free and open to the public and begin at the trail head. For more informa- tion, call Wayland Augur at 519-4724 or write to wba@acm.org. Saturday, April 9 — Iron Canyon Trail A five mile loop hike with great views of the Sacramento River, nearby bluffs and the Coast Range. Well-behaved dogs allowed, but must be kept on leash at all times. Broadleaf blue oak, lava rock outcroppings, otters, eagles, deer. Meet for self-organized carpool at Chico Park and Ride 9 a.m. or with leader at trail head at 10 a.m. Trailhead is 5 miles east of Red Bluff on State Route 36E at marked park- ing turnout on left. Bring lunch, appro- priate clothing, car- pool money for drivers and boots. Rain cancels. Leader: Barbara, 258- 3905 for more informa- tion. Saturday, April 16 — Deer Creek Hike Experience the full spring beauty of the Deer Creek trail in a 5- to 6-mile round-trip hike. Deer Creek in spring of- fers several small water- falls as we pass through the newly green buds of Douglas fir, ponderosa pine and incense cedar. Bring lunch, water, car- pool money and a camera. Rain cancels. Meet at 9 a.m. at Chico Park & Ride. Leader: Julian, 893-1994. Saturday, April 30 — Feather Falls Hike Come enjoy the 6th highest waterfall in the U.S. and the beautifully flowered and shaded, 8- 9-mile round trip trail to it. The group will take the lower trail to the overlook, then go above the falls for lunch by the creek and re- turn via the upper trail. Wear boots or sturdy hiking shoes and bring lunch, water and carpool money. Rain cancels. Meet at 8 a.m. at Chico Park & Ride or at 8:35 a.m. at the NW corner of the Oro- ville Walmart parking lot. Leader: Julian, 893-1994. TO DO April activities planned for Sierra Club Yahi Group The IRS urges you to file on time even if you can't pay what you owe. This saves you from potentially paying a penalty for a late filed re- turn. Here is what to do if you can't pay all your taxes by the due date. 1. File on time and pay as much as you can. Visit IRS. gov for electronic payment options. 2.Getaloanoruseacredit card to pay your tax. The in- terest and fees charged by a bankorcreditcardcompany maybelessthanIRSinterest and penalties. 3. Use the Online Pay- ment Agreement tool. You don't need to wait for IRS to send you a bill before you ask for a payment plan. The best way is to use the Online Payment Agreement tool on IRS.gov. 4. Don't ignore a tax bill. The IRS may take collection action if you ignore the bill. Contact the IRS right away to talk about your options. If you are suffering financial hardship, the IRS will work with you. 5. File to reconcile Ad- vance Payments of the Pre- mium Tax Credit. You must file a tax return and sub- mit Form 8962 to reconcile advance payments of the premium tax credit with the actualpremium taxcreditto which you are entitled. You will need Form 1095-A from the Marketplace to complete Form 8962. Pay as much as you can by the tax deadline and pay the rest as soon as you can. Find out more about the IRS col- lection process on IRS.gov. Also check out IRSVideos. gov/OweTaxes. FINANCE Can't pay your taxes on time? Here are five tips Tues,April5 th Judging begins at 8 am, April 5th Decorate your business to interpret the Round-Up theme "Irons in the Fire" Weinviteyoutovisitourlocalstoresand businesses to see the displays we have created around Round-Up spirit. Enjoy our hometown hospitality and unique merchandise. Thank you for shopping locally. Red Bluff Round-Up BUSINESS DECORATING CONTEST TH 95 2016 804 Main Street • Red Bluff CA LIC #0455992 (530) 527-1616 604MainSt.,RedBluff (530) 529-5154 www.redblufflosmariachis.com Join Us For Our Daily Breakfast Special Breakfast: 9am-11am 7 days a week M-F11am-6pm•Sat.11am-3pm•ClosedSunday 592AntelopeBlvd.RedBluff ( In the old Pronto Market) (530) 528-0799 BBQ PORK★ BEEF ★ CHICKEN Onequestionweall love to hate WHAT'S FOR DINNER? Seeusforyour dinner needs, lunch too! 2 Bud's BBQ LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Tuesday, April 5, 2016 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A5