Dear Heloise: Here is some information for the
hospitality industry. Hotel managers need to tell housekeeping to make
sure that rooms are completely ready for occupancy. That means not only
the obvious things, like changing the bed linens and cleaning the
bathroom, but also that:

A spare roll of toilet paper is available in the bathroom.

The bathtub drain flows freely, and water does not rise in the tub when a guest is showering.

Every light fixture works and has light bulbs that work.

There are working batteries in the television remote control.

The
bedside clock is set to the correct time, and the alarm function is not
currently engaged to set the alarm ringing in the middle of the night.

Thanks, Heloise! — L.T.S., Omaha, Neb.

Valid
hints! Most hotels do a good job most of the time. However, there are
times when things are overlooked. I check the points you mentioned
before unpacking so I can call housekeeping or the front desk and move
to another room if need be. — Heloise

Dear Heloise: Here are some clothespin uses:

Hold rose stems when pruning plants.

Hold poster board or paper when applying spray adhesive.

Hold hems (especially pant legs) while basting.

Use painted ones for rewards (bronze, silver, gold) or warnings (green, yellow, red) with toddlers.

A friend glued one to the inside of her gate, where she leaves notes for others. — Ella in Texas

Dear
Heloise: At work, we usually go to a fast-food restaurant for a quick
lunch or to order takeout. I found a few hints for eating healthy. I
try to avoid high-fat foods like fried chicken, fried fish, french
fries and double burgers. A good choice for me is a regular-size
hamburger (no fries), a garden salad with low-calorie dressing or lemon
juice and a glass of iced tea. I bypass the milkshakes and pies.

These hints help me to be health-conscious and still enjoy lunch out with the girls. — V.R., Colorado Springs, Colo.

Isn't
it nice that most people can visit a fast-food restaurant and usually
find something to eat? Here's an e-mail from Carol about visiting a
fast-food restaurant: "Here is my hint to prevent an aggravating
dilemma when getting food from a fast-food restaurant. Park the car and
go inside to order. Go through the bag contents at the counter without
annoying other drivers who are behind you in the drive-through."

— Heloise

Send a great hint to: Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000 or e-mail: Heloise@Heloise.com