We Are Halfway Into Febewary, Febrewary or February? How Do You Pronounce It?

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I'll admit. Out of convenience I've pretty much always pronounced February as Feb-ew-air-ee. Pretty much most people I know pronounce it that way. But technically it should be pronounced Feb-rew-air-ee.

This discrepancy between pronunciation and how the word is spelled has always bothered me, but since everyone else says Feb-ew-air-ee too like me (except for a few really anal retentive friends), I've ignored that nagging feeling.

But today is a new day. We are living and breathing February right now and I am committing to saying it correctly from this day forward, no matter how obnoxious I sound to others and how difficult it is to say.

One of the problems I think people have with pronouncing Feb-rew-air-ee is that they place a 3rd "r" in there, making it sound almost like the Scooby Doo "ruh roh" sound "Feb-ru-rare-ree" which of course is incorrect. It's actually not that hard to pronounce Feb-rew-air-ee if you make a mental note not to sound like Scooby Doo.

According to Charles Harrington Elster in his The Big Book of Beastly Mispronunciations. "The traditional and cultivated pronunciation, FEB-roo-ER-ee, is hard to say, and so most people say FEB-yoo-ER-ee because it is easier and because so many others do, not because it is right." and "As far as this book is concerned, however, the -yoo- variant may now be standard, but it is still beastly."

OUCH! I guess we better pronounce it right so as not be considered beastly! And the following should help us all in our quest for proper pronunciation of our favorite short month, FEBRUARY! (No, this is not me. I still screw it up.)

Resolving to Say "NO" by Gail Small

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A vignette by Gail Small, co-author of "Joyful Volunteering: Making a Difference." This one is called "NO" and is timely as we approach yet another new year!

NO by Gail Small

It was a warm winter day and I remember wearing a short-sleeved red checkered blouse with my favorite blue skirt. Suddenly though, I felt a chill and I froze.

It was at a community meeting of women. I was comfortable as we visited and shared stories. And then, it happened. The hostess handed us each a paper and pencil and asked us to write down our New Year's resolution.

My pencil wouldn't write. Those around me smiled and wrote non-stop. I knew my friend to my left was writing about the new diet she was going to go on the first of the year. My friend to the right had to be writing about making more money in her job, as that was always her primary focus. Someone across the room was chuckling out loud as she described the man of her dreams who she was determined to find in the coming year.

I was blank. Blank and confused. I thought about my everyday life. I am content. Sometimes I am really tired and often wish there were more minutes in a day. But, don't most of us think those things? I am happy in my relationships. I love my job and my family and friends. I work out and feel fit. I volunteer in the schools, in the community and for many organizations. I am always there when someone needs me for carpool, an emergency, or to run an errand. Wow! What to do?

Others were folding their resolutions in half once and then again. The crackly sound of the paper folding annoyed me as my page was still empty. Everyone smiled as they placed their well-chosen words into a

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Holiday Season Safety Tips from the Thousand Oaks Police Department

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From the Thousand Oaks Police Department Crime Prevention Bureau (www.vcsd.org)

It is that time of year again where criminals will begin looking for opportunities to make their holiday season more enjoyable. Here are some tips to help you have a happier holiday.

Holiday Tips At Home

  • Be extra cautious about locking doors and windows when you leave the house, even for a few minutes.
  • When leaving home for an extended time, have a neighbor or family member watch your house and pick up your newspapers and mail.
  • Indoor and outdoor lights should be on an automatic timer.
  • Leave a radio or television on so the house looks and sounds occupied.
  • Large displays of holiday gifts should not be visible through the windows and doors of your home.
  • When setting up a Christmas tree or other holiday display, make sure doors and passageways are clear inside your home.
  • Be sure your Christmas tree is mounted on a sturdy base so children, elderly persons or family pets cannot pull it over on themselves.
  • If you use lights on your Christmas tree ensure the wiring is not damaged or frayed. Frayed or damaged wiring can cause a fire.
  • Place your Christmas tree in water or wet sand to keep it green.
  • Never place wrapping paper in your fireplace.

Strangers at Your Door

  • Be aware that criminals sometimes pose as couriers delivering gifts.
  • It is not uncommon for criminals to take advantage of the generosity of people during the holiday season by soliciting donations door-to-door for charitable causes although no charity is involved.
  • Ask for their identification, and find out how the donated funds will be used. If you are not satisfied, do not donate.
  • Donate to a recognized charitable organization.

Hosting a Party

  • Have non-alcoholic beverages available for party guests.
  • Find alternative transportation for intoxicated guests.
  • Arrange for an official designated driver for your party who will not drink at all.

Attending a Party

  • Have something to eat before consuming alcoholic beverages.
  • Eat high protein foods that will stay in your stomach longer and slow the
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Protect Yourself During an Earthquake: Drop, Cover and Hold On!

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Last night around 8:30 pm there was a short 3.9 magnitude earthquake centered near Point Mugu that was felt around Ventura County. I was with my young kids upstairs when the loud but short quake hit. Intuitively I grabbed my 4 year old and crouched under a door jamb***. It reminded me that we should all do some homework on how to protect yourself during a quake (courtesy of www.earthquakecountry.info).

DURING an earthquake, if you are:

Indoors: Drop, cover, and hold on. Drop to the floor, take cover under a sturdy desk or table, and hold on to it firmly. Be prepared to move with it until the shaking stops. If you are not near a desk or table, drop to the floor against the interior wall and protect your head and neck with your arms. Avoid exterior walls, windows, hanging objects, mirrors, tall furniture, large appliances, and kitchen cabinets with heavy objects or glass. Do not go outside!

In bed: If you are in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting your head with a pillow. You are less likely to be injured staying where you are. Broken glass on the floor has caused injury to those who have

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Don't Get Ripped Off! 5 Helpful Travel Tips From Our Recent Trip to Tahoe

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During Spring Break we decided to take a 3 day excursion to Lake Tahoe to play and ski in the snow.  We stayed and played at Northstar in North Lake Tahoe and had a blast!

There were four of us; 2 adults, 2 kids. We decided to fly from LAX to Reno as a test to see how our 4 year old would behave on his first flight.  Overall, it went o.k. (though don't ask the guy who sat in front of him). We learned a lot on this very first trip involving more than just driving our car somewhere.  Let me summarize what we learned:

Don't Stuff Too Much Into a Big Suitcase

We have two BIG suitcases and the rest are small enough to be carry-ons. My wife refused to use the 2nd big suitcase because it was "dirty." I said no problem, I'll take MY stuff out of the big suitcase and repack it into the allegedly dirty bag. She refused and instead made me stuff everyone's ski clothes into the one big bag...I had sit on the suitcase to zip it up.

Sure enough...the bag weighed 56 lbs and Southwest charged us an extra $50 EACH WAY for the bag because it weighed more than 50 lbs. It made no difference that the 4 other bags weighed 10 to 20 lbs.  They don't take an average as I so begged them to do. I was pissed. But...cha ching...had no choice but to fork over the $$.

Don't Buy Auto Rental Insurance if You Don't Need It

I did not make the mistake of purchasing the $10/day Loss Damage Waiver from Hertz as I'm covered by my own personal auto insurance AND my American Express card offers this coverage for free. So don't waste money on this insurance if you don't need it.  Do your homework and don't throw away $$.

Don't Wait to Fill Up the Gas Tank on Your Rental Car

So we checked out of our hotel and drove back to Reno. I thought it would be fun to stop by the Circus Circus so the kids could play some games in

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Education Tax Credits are Hard to Figure Out, But Worth Taking a Look At!

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What prompted me to write this article is that I helped an employee save $1,900 on her 2009 taxes. Why? Because she wasn't aware of the American Opportunity Credit for the money she spent on college education last year.

There are 3 Federal education credits in 2009, the new American Opportunity Credit, the Hope Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit.  Of course, you can also claim a tax deduction for education costs (in lieu of credit), but most people will benefit more from a tax credit (particularly a refundable tax credit) than a tax deduction.

American Opportunity Credit ("AOC")

  • AOC is a new tax credit applicable to years 2009 and 2010 that modifies the Hope Credit (we'll touch on later).  However, at this point it is temporary....will be gone in 2011.
  • The AOC is a tax credit of up to $2,500 per eligible student. Up to 40% of the credit can be REFUNDABLE and the remainder is limited to taxes due (nonrefundable).
  • The credit is based on 100% of the first $2,000 and 25% of the next $2,500 spent on qualified education expenses.
  • "Qualified" expenses include tuition, enrollment fees and course-related books, supplies and
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Swine Flu Outbreak Information and Updates

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We have been reporting daily H1N1 (Swine) Flu tallies and updates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and World Health Organization since 4/27/09 and will continue to do so until they stop reporting the stats.  On 7/24/09, the CDC announced it will no longer report individual H1N1 flu cases by state but will continue reporting hospitalizations and deaths. But we will continue reporting tidbits of information as we obtain it.

The Ventura County Health Care Agency H1N1 Hotline is 805.981.5390 and operates Mon-Fri 8am to 5pm. Visit the VC Public Health website at www.vchca.org/ph/swineflu for more information.  H1N1 and seasonal flu shots are now widely available to all individuals in Ventura County.

Update 4/30/10: WHO H1N1 update 98 on 4/30/10 reports at least 17,919 deaths as of 4/25/10 (66 in latest week).

Update 4/23/10: CDC finally realized last week no one cares anymore about H1N1 flu stats. But the WHO is still reporting. Its H1N1 update 97 on 4/23/10 reports at least 17,853 deat

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