Transitions

Timothy Cox, MD

A: Check your skin often. Be on the lookout for skin spots or moles that are changing in size, shape or color. Don’t forget the areas of your skin that are exposed to the sun the most like your scalp, face, lips and ears. Follow the ABCDE rule to know what signs to watch for.

• Asymmetry: Irregular shape

• Border: Blurry or irregularly shaped edges

• Color: More than one color

• Diameter: Larger than a pencil eraser (6 millimeters)

• Evolution: Enlarging or changes in shape, color or size

If you notice any unusual changes to your skin or have wounds that won’t heal, make an appointment with your Bronson primary care provider. They can help guide you through necessary testing and refer you, if needed, to a specialist. Don’t have a primary care provider? Visit bronsonhealth.com/find-a-doc.

bronsonhealth.com/cancer

Q: With all the recent stormy weather, should I have my roof repaired?

Chuck

Henrich

President & Owner

A: Everybody has different lifestyles that have different income requirements. To put a black and white number out there doesn’t cover all the potential volatility one can expect over their lifetime. Retirement planning should emphasize Income Planning. Income planning is how best to combine your income from social security and/or pensions with an additional monthly stream of income created from your nest egg. There are many financial tools and options to consider when creating this stream of income. If you would like to discuss these options, give us a call.

The Atriums • 4341 S. Westnedge #1201 269-323-7964

Diana Duncan Director of Sales and Marketing

A: Waiting lists assure you preferred access to the specific floor plans you desire, as they becomes available. Timing depends on the list program structure. You rise faster through the list when the community limits “strikes,” or opportunities to reject a unit, before you drop back to the bottom. Progression through an “open ended” list is slow, but you may maintain your positon at the top indefinitely, until you are ready to move in. Most lists require a deposit and some provide access to community amenities while you wait. Proactive planning increases your options, so sooner is generally better than later.

“Where Connections Matter”

1400 North Drake, Kalamazoo 269-381-0560 www.friendshipvillagemi.com

Justin Reynolds Manager

A: We recommend that roofs be inspected about once every five years if the roof is under 15 years old and then once every other year for roofs older than 15 years. These inspections can and should be done after the kind of stormy spring weather we have had this year. We have seen a little of everything since the first of the year including wind related damages and even hail damage on roofs that have been inspected so far this year. Inspecting a roof in this manner can often lead to minor repairs that can prolong the normal life expectancy of your existing shingles that are still in relatively good condition as this is confirmed more times than not during our inspections. For a free roof inspection, please give us a call at (269) 342-0153 or visit us at worryfreeroof.com

Sherriff-Goslin Roofing Co.

Since 1906

342-0153 800-950-1906

Member Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo

One of life’s most frustrating irritants has to be the endless “User Names” and “Passwords” needed for the simplest tasks on a computer.

Things were much simpler when I was a child. The only things I had to remember were my bike lock and school locker combinations.

However, even remembering a simple bike lock combination can be challenging. Several years ago, while camping with my kids in Manistee, I chained all of our bikes to a tree with a combination bike lock. I couldn’t for the life of me remember the password. An hour later, with the help of a crowbar, hammer and small saw, our bikes were freed. I saved that bike lock as a fun memory of the trip. Bolt cutters were the solution for forgotten locker combinations in school. Modern forgetfulness is much easier to solve, by simply clicking the box that says “Forgot Password?” Texts or email messages are sent with codes to enter to confirm it’s really you and voila you are assigned a new password and can resume life as usual.

However, something as simple as paying a garbage bill (who would want to steal my garbage account password or ID) involves setting up and answering several personal questions to verify it’s me.

In what city was your mother born?

I recently found out from my aunt that I had been wrong all along on the city my mom was born. it wasn’t even in the right state. However, the computer doesn’t really verify where my mother was born, just that my answer is consistent and the garbage company doesn’t know the difference.

Who was you best friend as a child?

It changed after Jeff started having some issues in third grade.

What was your school nickname?

I can never remember if is Corsair or Corsairs.

Most passwords require so many letters, at least one cap, a number or two and another symbol. This is not only challenging for hackers, but for myself as well. Often a site will generate a password for you like: Nq3$@rt6^7Lp% which is impossible to type correctly.

We are told not to use easy passwords like: spouse’s maiden names, kid’s middle names, anniversary dates, car license plates, etc. I have a hard enough time remembering passwords as it is without all of these guidelines.

The new thing now even after you type in user name and password and what was your first car is a set of 9 blurry squares,