Q: Does your city have councils and school boards? Some do, and joining is a great way to get politically active in your local community. Neighborhood councils usually meet regularly and may get funds for things like crime prevention, roads, streets, sidewalks, and the creation of safe play spaces. School boards manage the local school system. Talk to people in your area to see if you are served by a neighborhood council. If you don't know, call the city offices and ask about such bodies, how they operate, and how you can join one. Consider putting your name up for a school board position. Often representatives are chosen in local elections for a number of years. Another way to get politically active in your community is to petition the government. Start a petition drive on an issue that speaks to you. Do you think that the community needs a park? Maybe you are sick of dangerous speeding on your street and want speed bumps installed? Petitions are a way to bring your concerns forward. Pick an issue that you care about. Then, start putting together a formal petition. Usually, a petition will start with words like, "We the undersigned..." You can find many templates online. For example, a petition on speed bumps could start, "We the undersigned are very concerned with unregulated speeding on X Avenue and advocate speed-bumps to protect pedestrians." Take your petition around the neighborhood and knock on doors to collect signatures. Even if some neighbors don't sign, you will have the chance to inform them on the issue. If your issue is of wider importance, you can also put the petition online on a site like Change.org and reach a larger, regional audience. There are other ways you can advocate on issues in your community besides petitions. Do you have a special interest in a topic like traffic control, community schools, or parks? Think about writing an opinion-editorial piece for a local website or newspaper, or even giving a talk at a community meeting. Take your issue to the local paper. Call the editorial office and say that you would be interested in writing a short op-ed piece on X issue, which is important to the community. Do you have expert knowledge on a community topic? You might be able to get an audience to listen. Ask to speak at a city council meeting, at the school board, the PTA, or at a community center. Some people who get politically active in the community take the next step: they make involvement a part-time or full-time career and stand for local office. You could run for positions like school board representative, city council member, roads commissioner, or perhaps even mayor. To get these jobs, you'll usually have to run in an election and win. Pick a job that you find important. If education is your passion, start with the school board. If you are sick and tired of poor roads, perhaps the roads commission is for you. Prepare yourself. Standing for election requires a lot of work, so read up on the requirements. You will probably have to file an affidavit of candidacy by a specific date to run, and there may be filing fees and other paper work. Run a campaign. Local elections are generally small affairs. You likely won't have a "campaign team," but still consider doing some publicity. Canvass door-to-door to get your name out, invest in yard signs, or try, again, to write an op-ed in the local paper.
A: Join your neighborhood council or school board. Start a petition. Speak out in the community. Stand for local election.

Q: Of course, you might not be able to take a shower right before you visit the massage parlor, but it is nice to take one at least within a couple of hours of your appointment. If you're coming after work or rushing from somewhere, though, your therapist will understand. However, you don't need to worry about shaving your legs or getting a pretty pedicure. Just come as you are! Also, skip any perfumes, colognes, or aftershaves, which can be strong in a small room. While you don't necessarily need to drink extra water, you should drink enough that you're hydrated. Staying hydrated before and after the process can only help. Men should drink 15.5 cups (3.7L) of water per day, while women should drink 11.5 cups (2.7L) a day. However, if you drink when you're thirsty, you should be fine. If your stomach is full, you're not going to be comfortable for your massage. Let your body have time to digest, and you'll have a much better time. However, it's a good idea not to go to your appointment ravenous, as that will make you uncomfortable, too. Just like most areas of the service industry, it's customary to give your therapist a tip. In high-end spas, tips can even be as much as 30-40%. Keep in mind that therapists don't work a steady 40 hours a week, so any extra is helpful. You may be able to fill in these forms online ahead of time, but if you can't, you'll need to fill them out when you get there. Write in any medical conditions, along with problem areas you'd like to see addressed. Also, if you don't want any areas touched, you can note that on this form, too. For problem areas, you might suggest you're having problems with your shoulders or you're having lower back pain, both of which the therapist can help address. You'll also be asked about your pain levels and what makes it better or worse. Have a list of the medications you're on, too.
A: Take a shower before you visit. Drink enough water to be hydrated before and after the massage. Wait at least an hour after eating to get a massage. Carry enough money for at least a 20% tip. Bring information on your medical history so you can fill in the clinic's forms.

Q: When it comes to bigger holes that cannot be mended with a single seam, your best bet is to look into getting a patch-- an extra piece of fabric you can integrate into your jeans to cover the hole. You can find patches at a local arts and crafts or clothing specialty outlet. Buy a patch that matches the colour of your jeans as closely as possible. You'll want to get a patch that's slightly bigger than the hole you're covering; that way, you'll have some extra room to make errors. While denim patches are the safest bet if you're looking to really repair your jeans, you can take the damage as an opportunity to stylize your jeans with brightly coloured or flannel patches. Adding a patch that will clearly stand out from the rest of the clothing will give it a down-to-earth flair. While denim (or 'masked' alterations) are best sewn in on the inside of the jeans, patching different fabrics to the outside of your jeans will make them more prominent and eye-catching. If you're feeling thrifty, you can harvest your own patches from jeans you don't use anymore. If you have a bigger hole that will require a patch, you should still cut off the frayed edges. Even if it sounds like you are consciously losing material, the frayed edges won't be any help in mending it, so it's best to get rid of them, leaving a clean hole. Take some scissors and cut excess threads around the hole. By the end, there shouldn't be any threads significantly sticking out. With patches in particular, it's recommended you turn your jeans inside out while you're patching them. That way, the most visible seams won't be externally visible. It'll also give you a bit of extra room to make sewing mistakes. It's typically better to sew a denim patch in from the inside. This will make the patch look less evident, as well as cover up the most visible stitch lines. Once you've got your jeans turned inside out, take a sewing needle and thread and sew the patch. Try to keep your sewing as close as possible; you want to integrate the fabric into your jeans as closely as closely as possible. Ironing your jeans following a patch is significantly more important than ironing a small tear. This will help even out and seal the patch.
A:
Get a patch that suits the style of your jeans and size of the hole. Cut frayed edges. Turn your pants inside out. Sew the patch with close-knit seams. Iron your patch out.