THE LEFT LANE
Pointers for painting

Advertiser Staff and News Services

First, protect everything you don't want painted (floors, carpeting, furniture, the dog). Next, patch any holes and damaged areas with spackling and a putty knife. If walls are textured, use texture touchup in a spray can. When it's time to paint, start with the ceiling; use a brush first, to cut in edges, and a roller to finish the rest; then do the same with walls. Do the same around trims. Then, get out rollers and pans, and shift into high gear in the open areas.

Tip: If you can't get the job done in a day, cover rollers and brushes with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator overnight.

Eldercare workshop

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the number of Americans ages 65 and older will double to more than 70 million in the next 30 years. And baby boomers are increasingly the demographic caring for aging parents as they prepare for their own years as seniors.

A series of workshops at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa's Outreach College focuses on the latest information in the areas of eldercare, medical topics and legal issues.

The first features Deborah Jackson, founder of Eldercare Hawai'i, leading a two-session workshop on basic training for those caring for an older adult, 9 a.m. to noon June 5 and 12. Register: 956-8400. Information: www.outreach.hawaii.edu.

Off with the marks

If you were a Miss Universe contestant with a telltale tattoo of your wilder days, you might take these removal tips, from the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and Times:

• Select an experienced doctor.
• Pick an appropriate medical setting (laser clinic, doctor's office).
• Is the laser system right for your skin type and kind of tattoo? How many lasers?

Oh, and the Miss Universe pageant airs at 8 tonight on KHNL, if you're looking for a way to fill your "Idol" fix.