Picture used to solve computer problem

Dear Readers: Recently, I had a problem with my computer. An error message came up, and I couldn’t get it off. You know what that’s like!

I took a photo of the screen and message, then sent it to our computer guru, Ryan. He was able to tell me exactly what the problem was from the photo. Here’s a hint from Heloise and Ryan: Take a snapshot with your camera cell phone or digital camera and e-mail it, if you can. Heloise

Dear Heloise: My mother was living in Alaska and had routine testing, which she never followed up on. We never thought anything was wrong — it was just routine blood work. She got ill after she moved, and she died.

In contacting the doctor’s office, they said they had left a message on her answering machine. My mother didn’t have an answering machine.

Whenever I get an incorrect message on our machine and a phone number is left, I call to let the person know the message was left at the incorrect phone number. I wouldn’t want to be part of the same scenario and have someone die because of a message left incorrectly on my answering machine. Linda H. in Virginia

My condolences on the loss of your mother. It’s important to take charge of your health matters. Heloise

Dear Heloise: Refill water bottles with water — stopping where the neck starts — recap and freeze. When frozen, carefully use an ice pick to poke several holes in a vertical line. Put bottle, holes down, in a flowerpot. As the ice melts, the plant will be watered. You also can fill, poke holes, then lay in the freezer carefully so the holes are on top. Melanie G., Houston

Dear Heloise: Spare change might not seem like much, but a penny here and a penny there really adds up. We have been saving change we found for the past few months, and we have more than $4. It might not sound like a lot, but that is $4 that would still be lying in a parking lot if we hadn’t bent over to pick it up. Susan and David, Arlington, Va.

Dear Heloise: In response to the reader who wrote in with a reminder to check pockets when doing laundry to avoid having a missed tissue shred in the washing machine: If this does happen and they are clothing items that you can put in the dryer, just dry them as usual. The vast majority of the shredded tissue will collect in the lint trap, saving you from having to pick off the bits of tissue. I accidentally let a tissue go through the wash just a few hours before I read the hint, so I had to write! Lisa S., Carlisle, Pa.

Be sure to clean out the lint trap and filter, as this could be an extreme fire hazard! Heloise

King Features Syndicate