To pack up and hit the open road...you certainly deserve a vacation!  Going on a trip can be a lot of fun, IF you remember that safety begins when you pack.  Here are a few safety tips:

• Don’t pack expensive or expensive looking jewelry, clothes, etc.  You don’t want to give the impression that you are an affluent tourist.  On the same hand, don’t pack anything that you don’t want to loose...like your grandmother’s diamond broach.
• Make 2 photocopies of your driver’s license, identification page of your pass port, air line tickets, credit card, and serial numbers of your traveler’s checks.
  Keep the copy away from the originals, leave the other copy with a friend or family member.  All so provide them with a copy of your itinerary with phone numbers in case they need to reach you in am emergency.
• Purchase a purse with a strong strap that you can wear across your chest while sight seeing.  This might not be the fashion statement you are looking for, but it will make it all most impossible for a snatch thief to get your bag.
  (if that should happen, don’t fight him..your bag and contents can be replaced...you can not.)
• If you are taking prescription medication, keep it in the original container.  If that medication contains a narcotic, get a letter from  your doctor attesting to your need for the medication.
• Check to make sure that the hotel you are staying in is “women friendly”  There is no concern with the larger chains, but if you are planning on staying in a smaller one, find out if they have female attendants in the spa, do they have a security system in place? What type of neighborhood is it in.
•  Put your name and contact information inside your suit case.  Place a bright ribbon on the handle to make it easier to spot in baggage claim.
• To be extra safe, put an expired  credit card and only a dollar or two in your billfold.  If you should be the victim of a thief, the bad guy will get a useless piece of plastic and a couple dollars.  Tuck the real card and money in an inside pocket or a purchase a money belt worn under your clothes,  By the way you should only carry a few dollars any way.
  Speaking of your credit card, check your balance.  It could really ruin your trip to get to your destination and find out you have no credit!
   If you are traveling out of the USA, take time to learn the customs and laws of the destination countries. You can find what you need to know at the library, your travel agent, or tourist bureau of that country.  

Have fun this summer and enjoy your trip

Have you ever been in a hotel room, restroom, or dressing room looked at the mirror and wondered it was real or was there someone on the other side watching?  Well, ladies...wonder no more.  Place the tip of your fingernail against the reflective surface and if there is a gap between your fingernail and the image of the nail, then  it is a REAL mirror.  HOWEVER, if your fingernail DIRECTLY TOUCHES the image of your nail...guess what?  It is a two way mirror.  So remember this..NO SPACE, LEAVE THE PLACE.

Every one today is talking about the various stimulus money that is available...this opens a whole world of possibility for thieves.  The latest is simple says Brian Hale, spokesman for the FBI:
Criminals send you an email with an official looking trademarked logo such as that of the IRS.  The recipient is told that stimulus payments are being offered through the US government.  To get their money, all they have to do is click on the link provided and follow simple instructions.  Once they have clicked the link they are leg to a site that is virtually identical to those used by the IRS. The victim is directed to provide their Social Security number, name and address, and their bank account information (including the three digit security code on the back of the card.)  The victim truly believes they will receive their stimulus money via direct deposit from the IRS.  Not so.  Not only does the victim not get any  money, but their identity is stolen and quite possibly their bank account will soon be cleaned out. What can you do?
1.  NEVER give out any personal information on the Internet.  Your bank obviously has your account information and the IRS has your Social Security Number.
2.  If it sounds like a scam...it probably is...no body just gives out money.
3.  Do not open any emails that can possibly be a scam.  Many of these are infected with Spyware.  Just hit the delete key.
4.  Government web sites and emails always end with “.gov”
If it ends with “.com” or “.net” it is not from the US government.

Be smart on the Internet and protect what is you yours.

Recently a friend of mine made me aware of the way some women were falling victim to robbery and rape:
The victim leaves a store or walks away from the ATM machine.  As she is getting into her vehicle, a nicely dressed well groomed man holds out a $5.00 or $10.00 bill and says, “I think you dropped this”  The victim thinks, “How nice, an honest man!” She walks to the man to get “Her money” as she reaches for the money, he grabs her and drags her behind the building, a bush, or into a waiting car.  You can imagine the rest.

I did confirm with the FBI that this is the way some rapist get their victims.  SO always know how much money you have and what denomination.  If you are approached in this manner: get into you car, start the car, lock the door, and count your money.  If you did drop something, crack the window and ask him to slip it through the VERY small crack.  Thank him and leave.  If you were to become his next victim, you aren’t now.  Contact your local police and tell them a crime was NOT committed, you just want to make them aware of what had just happened.  Be sure to give them an accurate description of the man.

In case not all of your family and friends have not joined Fabulous 40, pass this on to them.

I was going though some old files and found this segment of “60 Minuets” that was aired ages ago. So, just in case you misses it:  WOMEN OVER 40:

A woman over 40 will never wake you in the middle of he night as ask, “What are you thinking?”  She doesn’t care what you think.  If a woman over 40 doesn’t want to watch the game, she doesn’t sit around whining about it.  She does something she wants to do, an it’s usually more interesting.  Women over 40 are dignified.  They seldom have a fight with you at the opera or in the middle of an expensive restaurant.  Of course, if you deserve it, they won’t hesitate to shoot you if they think they can get away with it.  Older women are generous with praise, often undeserved.  They know what it’s like to be unappreciated.  Women get psychic as they age.  You never have to confess your sins to a women over 40....she knows.  Once you get past a wrinkle or two, a woman over 40 is far sexier than her younger counterpart.  Older women are forthright and honest.  They’ll tell you right off you are a jerk if your are acting like one.  You don’t ever have to wonder where you stand with her.  Yes, we praise women over 40 for a multitude of reasons.  Unfortunately, it’s not reciprocal.  For every stunning, smart, well-coiffed,  hot woman over 40, there is a bald, paunchy relic in yellow pants making a fool of himself with some 22 year old waitress.

For all those men who say, “Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?  Here is an update for you.  Now a days, 80% of women over 40 are against marriage...why?  because a woman over 40 realize it’s not worth buying an entire pig just to get a little sausage.

The motto:  Celebrate every year...we are like fine wine.

It does not matter if you are on a 757 or on the bow of a cruise ship with a man who thinks he is “King of the World” you are a traveler...someone who is in a strange environment, and because you are in a strange environment your are, in a sense, vulnerable. Allow me to give you a few tips to make yourself less vulnerable.  First, safety begins when you pack:

*Don’t pack expensive or expensive looking jewelry or clothes.  That is like saying’ “Hey, I’m rich, rob me.”

*Don’t pack anything that you would really hate to loose...like your great grandmother’s broach.

*Make a  photo copy of passport, you itinerary,airline tickets, credit cards and list of traveler’s check.  Keep one copy in a safe place AWAY from the orginal and leave a copy with a friend or family member at home.

*Buy a purse with a strong strap that you can wear across your chest, not a fashion statement I know, but a good way to deter a snatch thief.

*Only pack one credit card and make sure that you are well below your credit limit. Americans have been arrested for not paying for dinner because they are over their credit limit.
If you are on any medications, make sure you pack enough for the entire trip and they are in the *original  container with the original  label.  If a medication is unusual or contains narcotics, carry a letter from your doctor attesting to your need for the medication.    

Precautions to take while traveling over seas:
When you leave the United States, you are subject to the laws and customs of the country you are visiting.  Before you leave home research  your destination, a good source is the library, your travel agent, the embassy or tourist bureau of countries you plan to visit.
Keep track of the news in the region you will be visiting.  The Department of State Country Specific Information is available for every country in the world that will list countries where travel for Americans in NOT recommended.

*When you arrive at your hotel, locate the nearest American Consult or Embassy, just in case of an emergency.  The hotel concierge is a virtual encyclopedia of local attractions and yummy places to eat.

*Avoid public disturbance or demonstrations, they may just be anti-American.
Your valuables are best kept in the hotel safe, only carry what you need, American's are often victims of pick pockets and snatch thieves.  Gentlemen are well advised to carry their billfold or money clip in an inside pocket.
Even if you are lost...don't act like it.  

*Always travel in pairs..if is more fun and much safer.

Travel is fun and can be safe if you use your good common sense and follow these few simple rules...Bye bye