Rude awakenings can lurk for unsuspecting hotel guests

Dear Heloise: When staying in a motel, check to make sure the alarm clock is not set to go off in the wee hours of the morning.

Recently, I was traveling and very tired, only to be awakened at 12:30 a.m. by a ringing alarm clock! I was unfamiliar with the clock, in a strange room, and it was very aggravating. K.M. in Texas

Yikes! This has happened to me many times, and it sure can ruin your sleep! I travel with two alarms and seldom use hotel clocks, since they are all different and many times unreliable. I’ve even unplugged the darn thing rather than worry about that outrageous a.m. buzz! Heloise

P.S.: Why do hotels put the alarm clock on a bedside table facing the opposite wall and pushed against the wall, where you can’t see the face?

Fast Facts

Dear Readers: Here are some other uses for old potato peelers:

•Make thin cheese slices.

•Shave chocolate into decorative curls.

•Sharpen pencils and crayons.

•Peel fruit and hull strawberries.

P.S.: Did you know manufacturers now make left-handed potato peelers? Heloise

Dear Heloise: I am a crossword- puzzle buff, but I don’t always get the right word in. I use an erasable pen so I can easily change it. Also, by using a pen instead of a pencil, I can read the letters better. Irene Fischer, via e-mail

Dear Heloise: I have found that vise grips work wonderfully for those of us who have difficulty opening bottle tops (especially household cleansers) that require squeezing both sides while simultaneously turning the top. Zoe, San Antonio

Dear Heloise: Here’s an easy way to hang pictures that have a floppy loop on the back and/or pictures that hang too close to the wall: Pass a piece of string or thread through the loop (or bar). Dangle the picture by holding the string and slide it slowly down the wall until the loop or bar falls onto the picture hook. Joan K., Orange Park, Fla.

Dear Heloise: Lately, I’ve noticed that the cost of face creams and body lotions are out of sight! Therefore, when it seems that the contents are used up, I simply store the container upside down. You will be surprised at how many more applications one gets. Florence Morris, Boynton Beach, Fla.

Sound Off

Dear Heloise: I want to add to the pet peeves (the reader is a customer-service representative — Heloise).

When you call me for a password to set up an account, have one in mind. We want to stay on the line with you to ensure that you can set a password that you can remember. Many times I have waited 10 minutes or more for the customer to come up with a new password. Candy, via e-mail

SBlt Send a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.

King Features Syndicate