INSIDE THIS ISSUE Funniest Newspaper Headlines Of 2004 Traveling To Mexico For Spring Break March Events Wash Your Shower Curtain Planting Early Spring Vegetables Pros & Cons Of Shopping At Warehouse Retailers Eating In Front Of The Television: A Bad Idea Win a vacation! Wrong E-Mail Address Raednig Cmporhesinon 10 Ways To Tell A Redneck Has Been Working On Your Computer

Spring Break Cautions

If your student is bound for spring break in Mexico, the State Department recommends reminding them of laws in such party destinations as the Bahamas and Mexico. In many places conduct that might not result in an arrest in the U.S. constitutes a violation of local law.

In Cancun, disturbing the peace, littering, drinking on public transportation, or making obscene or insulting remarks are considered criminal activities. More than 100,000 American teenagers and young adults travel to Cancun during spring break each year. Alcohol is involved in the vast majority of tourist crime and accidents.

Safety issues are also a concern. Young travelers have died in car crashes, falls from balconies, and water sports mishaps. For more tips, visit travel.state.gov.

Do You Have A Question About Car Maintenance That You Want Answered?

We love to hear from all of our good friends and clients who enjoy reading our monthly newsletter. If you have a question about anything related to your vehicle, feel free to give us a call at 510-235-6000 or email Marty at .

Best Newspaper Headlines Of 2004

Something Went Wrong In Jet Crash, Expert Says

Police Begin Campaign To Run Down Jaywalkers

anda Mating Fails; Veterinarian Takes Over

Miners Refuse To Work After Death

Juvenile Court To Try Shooting Defendant

War Dims Hope For Peace

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last A While

Cold Wave Linked To Temperatures

Enfield (London) Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges

Man Struck By Lightning Faces Battery Charge

New Study Of Obesity Looks For Larger Test Group

Astronaut Takes Blame For Gas In Spacecraft

Kids Make NutritiousSnacks

Local High School Dropouts Cut In Half

Hospitals Are Sued By Seven Foot Doctors

And The Winner Is....:
Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead
(Can you believe it?)

March Events

March 1-31         Red Cross Month
March 10             125th Anniversary of the Salvation Army
March 17             St. Patrick's Day
March 20             First Day of Spring
March 20-26      Spring Cleaning Week
March 27             Easter Sunday
March 30             Doctor's Day (Red carnations-official flower)

Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!

Special thanks go out to all of our clients and friends who graciously referred our shop to their friends and neighbors last month! Our business is built based on the positive comments and referrals from people just like you. We just couldn’t do it without you.

Katerina Lewis & Lisa Stadelhoffer

Some Weight-Gain Culprits

If you are trying to lose weight or are plagued by weight loss attempts that fail, you should consider some the following information:

• Low-carb or carb-free liquor labeling can be misleading. Beer and wine contain sugar and that means calories.
• Alcohol consumption can affect weight and liver health. The liver secretes bile and bile breaks down fat molecules. That’s why alcohol consumption can add up to abdominal weight gain.
• Some forms of birth control can cause weight gain. Depo-Provera includes a high dose of progesterone, and that can increase appetite.
• Low-fat food labeling can cause problems. Again, labels can be deceiving, so make sure you check the calorie content. Another problem with low-fat foods is they tend to be less filling and so people eat more—and even then they are not satisfied.
• Drinking a smoothie with your meal. Smoothies can contain a high number of calories.
• Eating out/pigging out. Portions in restaurants can be out of control. Eat at restaurants that serve smaller portions or put half your order in a to-go container before you start eating.
• Settling in for a meal or snack in front of the tube. Research has found that television distracts a person from feeling full, which can lead to overeating.

Maintaining Shower Curtains

A recent study by Norman Pace, professor of molecular biology at the University of Colorado, revealed that the soap scum on shower curtains contains billions of disease-causing microbes. Pace said that healthy individuals are not likely to become ill from shower curtain bacteria, but those with open wounds or weak immune systems could be at risk. He recommends washing shower curtains weekly; most can be tossed in the washing machine and dryer.

The Pros & Cons Of Shopping At Warehouse Retailer

Memberships at warehouse retailers such as Costco, Sam's Club, and BJ's have tripled in the past 10 years. But consumer experts say there are both pros and cons to shopping at warehouses:

Pros

• If you throw one or two parties a year for 20 people or more, you'll likely recoup your membership fee of $35 to $50 in savings on deli trays, desserts, beverages, paper products, and flowers.
• Buying in bulk makes the most sense for non-perishable items, such as canned goods, detergents and toiletries; at many warehouses, you can save 30 to 50 percent on these items.

Cons

• Many of the best deals at warehouses are on perishable items like dairy products, produce, and meats. But unless you plan to use them right away or freeze them, you may be wasting your money by buying large amounts because you may not be able to use all that you bought before it spoils.
• Increasingly, warehouses are selling high-end luxury items, such as flat-screen televisions or cashmere sweaters. While these items may be available at big discounts, many shoppers feel pressured to snap them up because of allegedly limited quantities. Thus they can spend huge amounts on non-necessities without taking the time to fully consider the budget implications of these purchases.

Prepare For Spring Gardening

The first day of spring may be too early to plant. But when you see the tips of flowers coming up, you can do this:

• Uncover roses and remove protective mulch from around perennials, strawberries, and other plants.
• Clean up flower beds and gardens.
• Prune grapevines and remove damaged canes from raspberry plants.
• Clean out birdhouses so they're ready when the birds come back.
• Pick up sticks from the yard so you're ready to mow in April.
• Plant early spring vegetables (peas, radishes, lettuce and spinach) by St. Patrick's Day, according to Irish legend. If there's snow on the ground, wait.
• Start tomato plants inside now.

Wrong E-Mail Address

An Illinois man left the snow-filled streets of Chicago for a vacation in Florida. His wife was on a business trip and was planning to meet him there the next day.

When he reached his hotel, he decided to send his wife a quick e-mail. Unable to find her e-mail address, he did his best to type it in from memory.

Unfortunately, he missed one letter, and his note was directed instead to an elderly preacher's wife, whose husband had passed away only the day before.

When the grieving widow checked her e-mail, she let out a piercing scream and fell to the floor in a dead faint. Her family rushed into the room and saw this note on the screen:

"Dearest Wife: Just got checked in. Everything prepared for your arrival tomorrow. Sure is hot down here."

10 Ways To Tell A Redneck Has Been Working On A Computer...

1. The monitor is up on blocks.
2. Outgoing faxes have tobacco stains on them.
3. The six front keys have rotted out.
4. The extra RAM slots have Dodge truck parts installed in them.
5. The numeric keypad only goes up to six.
6. The password is "Bubba."
7. The CPU has a gun rack mount.
8. There is a Skoal can in the CD-ROM drive.
9. The keyboard is camouflaged.
10. The mouse is referred to as a "critter."

Do You Want To Win A Free 3-day / 2-night Mini-Vacation?

Take the trivia challenge and you just might win!

Each month we’ll give you a new trivia question. The first 10 people to call with the correct answer will be eligible to win. At the end of the month we’ll draw one lucky name. That winner will receive a certificate good for 3 fun-filled days and 2 exciting nights of deluxe hotel accommodations at one of 18 fantastic locations. Here is this month’s trivia question:

"In what U.S. city was one of the first St. Patrick’s Day celebrations held?"

• a) Boston
• b) Cincinnati
• c) Cleveland
• d) Syracuse

Call right now with your answer!

Tset Yuor Raednig Cmporhesinon

Aaoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.

last update 12/02/04
Inkyslay Productions