By Peter Savodnik, Bloomberg

The first time Ben Jenkins met Billy Gibbons, the guitarist and lead singer for the rock band ZZ Top, they sat in Jenkins’ 1958 Airstream trailer in the parking lot of the Four Seasons Hotel outside Dallas.

“The meeting was supposed to be at the hotel bar, but once he heard I had the trailer in tow, he commandeered a hotel golf cart and we went out to do the meeting at the trailer,” says Jenkins, the 39-year-old owner of the Texas design company OneFastBuffalo, whom Gibbons had hired to help launch an online store. Jenkins bought the renovated trailer four years ago. It serves as a mobile office and, occasionally, his second home.

For adventurous entrepreneurs, architects, graphic designers, engineers, and salespeople, the office is wherever they choose to park. These professionals are “location independent,” in the words of Airstream owner Sharon Pieniak, a 41-year-old designer and photographer.

Pieniak doubts she’ll ever go back to working in a regular office. “I’m a freedom junkie,” she says, “though I might decide to have a home base to return to every now and then, where I can keep things I collect from traveling.” Pieniak plans to spend the fall working with clients in Napa.

Much of the mobile office buzz stems from the weakened economy. Airstreams cost from $50,000 to $60,000; for an independent contractor on a budget with a demanding travel schedule, that makes them a tantalizing alternative to renting expensive office space by the square foot, says Wally Hofmann, co-owner of Hofmann Architecture in Santa Barbara, which specializes in the renovation of Airstream interiors. With 12 trailers in production, Hofmann says he’s operating at peak capacity and receives more than 50 calls a month.

Sales of brand-new Airstreams are up, too. Over the past 12 to 18 months, says Airstream Chief Executive Officer Bob Wheeler, “we have seen a significant increase in the amount of people who are utilizing their Airstream for both professional and recreational use.”

An artifact from the Depression era, the Airstream maintains a cult-like following for its distinctive, Deco design. The sizable interiors easily convert into modern work spaces. With Hofmann’s upgrades, such amenities as air conditioning, security, and track lighting can be controlled with an iPad. Even the color scheme has been rethought to be more office-friendly. “The original Airstream did a lot of dark brown, vinyl-covered surfaces,” Hofmann says. “That really stops your eye. Light colors tend to open it up and let the person decorate the space to their personality.”

The redesigned trailers are especially popular among women. Because 75 percent of his customers are female, says Hofmann, he’s nicknamed the Airstream the “Mom cave.” He says the trailers are ideal for a working mother running a boutique consulting shop while also juggling responsibilities at home. When not using her work space to conduct business on the road, she commutes to the driveway.

By Rebecca Phillipsen

Everyone needs a witness or someone to hear their story of loss and the feelings that accompany that experience. Someone who understands and can provide presence and guidance as one navigates the landscape of grief and mourning. Healing your soul and renewing your spirit occurs when using creative activities to work through your grief.

“Art conveys love in a different way than talking or writing,” South Lake Tahoe artist Eileen Brilliant said. “When working with objects and pictures that represent the deceased loved one and creating collages or memory boxes, you gain a more profound way of knowing them that begins to heal your soul and renew your spirit.”

Eileen attended the group as a participant and continues to contribute to the group as a facilitator and provides assistance with the creative expression of grief through the use of collage, memory boxes, and other forms of art.

On Oct. 3, Barton Hospice will begin a free, nine-session grief support series titled Understanding Your Grief. This group is for people who have experienced the death of a loved one. During this time we will share our stories, explore the process of grieving, use creative endeavors to express our grief and receive tools to aid in our healing, all in a safe, secure and confidential setting.

Sessions will be held from 5:30 to 7pm every other week at Barton Hospice, 2092 Lake Tahoe Blvd., Ste. 500, South Lake Tahoe.

Pre-registration is required as the group is limited to 10 people. Registration closes after the second session. For information and/or to register, call me at (530) 543.5581 or (775) 220.0342.

Rebecca Phillipsen works for Barton Home Health & Hospice as a social worker and bereavement counselor.

The Lake Tahoe Community College music department is offering a performance of the greatest hits of “Les Misérables” and “Miss Saigon” on Oct. 6 at 8pm in the Duke Theatre.

This one-night engagement is a fundraiser for a concert grand piano for the music department.

Tickets are $15 at the door.

“Les Miz Saigon” will feature music instructor Mark Williams and friends singing classics from both Broadway musicals.

The college is located off Al Tahoe Boulevard at One College Drive in South Lake Tahoe.

By Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times

More people than ever before will get their spooky on for Halloween this year, even though most said they’ll be watching what they spend on decorations, costumes and candy.

About 170 million Americans will celebrate the creepy holiday, according to the National Retail Federation. That’s 71.5 percent of the population, up from 68.6 percent last year, the most in the survey’s decade-long history.

Together, they’ll shell out $8 billion for things like Gangnam Style costumes, bowls of goodies, fake cobwebs and tombstones. So the average person will spend $70.82 on the holiday compared with $72.31 last year.

Of the 83.5 percent of respondents who said they’ll be spending less on Halloween, a fourth blame the state of the economy. Though more than half of respondents said they’ll decorate their home or yard, many said they’ll use last year’s decorations instead of buying new ones.

Nearly two in 10 said they’ll make their costume instead of buying it, though overall, Americans will each spend $28.65 each on costumes compared with $26.52 last year.

More than a third plan to buy less candy for roving kids. Roughly the same amount said they’ll take their children out trick-or-treating.

Another option for cutting back: Not visiting as many Halloween-themed amusement parks or haunted houses.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently provided a directive to county health departments regarding administration of immunizations. The CDC’s mandate stipulates that effective Oct. 1, health departments can no longer utilize federally-provided vaccines for people who have private health insurance.

Due to these changes, the El Dorado County Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health Division will begin a new screening process on Oct. 1 for individuals seeking immunizations.

“While we don’t see a large number of private pay clients, we know this may be an adjustment for some people, and we want to make the transition as smooth as possible,” Lynnan Svensson, supervising public health nurse, said in a statement.

According to Svensson, the Public Health Division will continue to provide free and low-cost immunizations, including all recommended childhood immunizations and some adult vaccines, to individuals who do not have health insurance and those who are underinsured (such as individuals whose insurance does not pay for immunizations). Public Health will also continue to offer community flu vaccination clinics at low-cost to the general public; the influenza vaccine has been exempted from the new CDC mandate.

For additional information, call (530) 573.3155 in South Lake Tahoe or (530) 621.6100 in the Placerville area.

The Tahoe Regional Planning Agency gave out four Lake Spirit Awards at the second annual Community Appreciation Day on Sept. 27.

They were honored for going above and beyond the call of duty to protect the beauty and clarity of Lake Tahoe and the Basin environment.

Jacquie Chandler was the Lake Spirit Award winner in the citizen category from the North Shore. She was nominated for her tireless work as the volunteer executive director of Sustainable Tahoe, and the Tahoe Expo, a Geo-Tourism event designed to link prosperity with lake clarity.

John Dayberry was the Lake Spirit Award winner in the citizen category from the South Shore. He was honored for his leadership role in the World Canoe Project, which has been uniting native tribes to work together to educate and revitalize the water culture of peoples around the world.

Heather Segale was the Lake Spirit Award winner in the agency representative/environmental scientist category from the North Shore. She is the education and outreach director for UC Davis, Tahoe Environmental Research Center.

The final Lake Spirit Award winner in the agency representative/environmental scientist category was Alan Tolhurst, who passed away in July after a long battle with leukemia. Tolhurst was a leader on the El Dorado County Planning Commission for 15 years and was also a long-standing member and chair of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Advisory Planning Commission.

The Douglas County Public Library in Minden presents An Evening with Local Authors on Oct. 3 from 4:30 to 6:30pm.

This free event will feature an appearance by local authors Todd Borg, Elizabeth Leiknes and William Hill. Other authors participating include: Conrad Buedel and Steve Achard; Dave Anderson; Kaine Andrews; Maggy Anthony; Megan Avila; Victor Brodt; Sue Cauhape; Catherine M. Cavanaugh; Bob Chambers; Linda Chambers; Jim Darrough; George E. Gruell; Lewis Horton; Sandie La Nae; Janice Oberding; Skip Pardee; Elizabeth Patterson; Ben Rogers; and Cindy Southerland.

The authors will sell their books, meet readers, and sign autographs.

The Douglas County Public Library is located at 1625 Library Lane in Minden. For more information, call (775) 782.9841.

Tahoe Arts Project kicks off its 26th season with Presidio Brass performing on Oct. 5 at the South Tahoe High School theater at 7pm.

Special guest will be the South Tahoe High School Brass Ensemble.

Presidio Brass is a dynamic force in American brass chamber music. With a unique and exciting repertoire written specifically for the ensemble, Presidio Brass is committed to providing engaging musical programs as well as developing close ties to their audiences.

Presidio Brass will be performing for more than 5,000 K-12 students Oct.1-5 as part of Tahoe Arts Project’s annual performing arts in the schools program.

Tickets for the STHS performance are $15 for adults, $5 for children and $10 for seniors. They may be purchased in advance at the California or Nevada visitors center. To charge tickets by phone, call (530) 542.3632. Tickets will also be available at the door.

By Mandy Kendall

I have been staying with a girlfriend recently and, like many families, they have certain routines that help with the day-to-day flow of things, and help make sure my friend doesn’t lose her mind in the process of running a busy household.

The evening routine is particularly regimented to ensure that books and clothes are ready for school, homework is finished and dishes are all cleared away before anyone gets to watch TV. All of this seems to happen easily and without fuss, that is until it’s time to brush teeth. What is it about cleaning teeth when we are young that causes such stubbornness? I remember causing my poor mother so much trouble about teeth cleaning.

Mandy Kendall

None of us particularly likes going to the dentist, so you’d think we would do all we could to make sure we had to make as few visits as possible.

Now research and studies are also showing that cleaning your teeth is not just about reducing cavities and having fresh breath.

A recent study from the University of California showed a correlation between daily brushing and a reduced risk of developing dementia later in life. Also, the Journal of American Geriatrics Society conducted a long-term study of elderly subjects and concluded that the female subjects who didn’t practice daily brushing had a 65 percent greater chance of developing dementia.

A study by the American Journal of Medicine found that adults who had regular thorough dental cleanings have a lowered risk of heart attacks compared to those adults who pay less attention to their oral health. The same study also found a link between regular scaling (having your teeth scraped) and a reduced incidence of strokes.

The Journal of Periodontology published a study that showed that oral infections could raise the risk of respiratory diseases, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and pneumonia, due to bacteria getting into the respiratory tract and infecting the lungs. The same journal also published another study showing a link between poor dental health and pre-term and low birth weight amongst pregnant women.

So it seems that cleaning your teeth is not just about having a dazzling smile and reducing the number of visits to the dentist.

So here are a few Qwik-e tips about how to make the best job of keeping your pearly whites, well, pearly white and keeping the rest of you healthy at the same time.

After every meal — If it’s not possible or practical to clean your teeth after every meal, try to at least rinse your mouth vigorously with warm water to shift food particles in between your teeth that otherwise will encourage bacteria growth. Brushing is also a great indicator to your brain that mealtime is over and will also make you less likely to reach for something sweet too. Brushing should happen at least every morning and evening.

Floss — I know, everyone knows they should floss but how many of us do? Tie a piece of floss around your toothbrush to remind you of what you should be doing. Ask your dentist whether you should be using floss or interdental brushes and what thickness and type would be best for your teeth. It doesn’t take long and you can even do it watching the TV.

Brush your tongue — Why do a great job on your teeth only to have your tongue wipe bacteria all over them again?

Mouthwash — Can be very effective for dislodging any small bits of food or bacteria you may have missed with your toothbrush. Just be aware that a lot of mouthwashes contain alcohol so these are not suitable for children and may also make your mouth and lips dry out, too. There are alcohol free mouthwashes available.

Change your toothbrush regularly — Most brushes have a color on the bristles that indicates, when the color has faded, that you need to get a new one.

Manual or powered? — Studies show that one is not necessarily better than the other, but people tend not to spend as long as they should cleaning their teeth so they have a better chance with a powered toothbrush that works faster (and also will usually have a timer inbuilt to let you know how long to brush for).

Until next time.

Mandy Kendall operates Health Connective in South Lake Tahoe, which aligns wellness seekers with their ideal wellness provider. If you have questions, would like some advice, or would like to request some Qwik-e tips on any health and well-being topic, drop her an email at connect@healthconnective.com or keep an eye out on Lake Tahoe News for regular Qwik-e tips on how to make healthy changes one Quick and Easy step at a time.

There will be a free outdoor concert Sept. 30 as a means to raise funds for Adam Rose.

On Aug. 21, Rose was riding his bicycle and was struck by an alleged drunken driver at 12th Street and Emerald Bay Road. His arms and legs were broken and he is currently confined to a wheelchair. He faces more than six months of rehabilitation.

Rose will be present at the 1-5pm event.

Bob Hart is the musical director for the event. Acts will include Daughters in Arm, Full Watt Hi-Fi, Bond Collins, Michael Kessler, Ashleigh Minshall and the AR38 Band.

The event is at the Hempen’ Inn — 1184 Emerald Bay Road, South Lake Tahoe.

Bring picnic blankets, lawn chairs and snacks. Beverages will be available.