The very first thing you must do about credit card or I.D. theft is to do everything possible to prevent it from ever happening in the first place. Study up on security information from your credit card company and look for credit card protection suggestion from experts on the internet.

When you’re traveling, keep your credit card in a secure pocket of your purse or wallet, preferably one with a zipper or velcro-closing tape. If you have any suspicions about your credit card number or other I.D. possibly being stolen when paying in a store, restaurant or other retail situation, pay in cash, report it immediately.

It's never a good idea to give your credit card to a friend and allow him or her to use it to buy anything. Keep a copy of your credit card number or a Xerox of all I.D. cards in a secure place at home. Keep handy in your wallet or purse a copy of the emergency 800 number of your credit card company. One more suggestion is to keep a low max limit of your allowable credit card purchase total; for instance $1,000 to $2,000.

All of that said, there are at least five important steps to take when your credit card is accidentally lost, or when it or its number has been stolen.

There was a recent story on our local TV news programs about two dogs that were gored to death by javelinas (pronounced hah-veleenas). In another case, a woman tourist filed a law suit against Saguaro National Forest because she was severely bitten while playing golf on a local course by a mother javelina.

Not many people outside of Mexico and the U.S. Southwest know about these desert animals. They closely resemble hairy, wild pigs, but are actually a rodent species. And they can be very bad-tempered when aroused.

Airport check-in processes are inconvenient even on the rare occasions when they go smoothly. We can’t help being angry about it, because the tight security was totally unnecessary when we flew in earlier years.

It started in the 1970s when a bunch of freaks decided hijacking, killing innocent people, blowing up their own insane butts and destroying commercial aircraft would advance their crazy causes.

Particularly since 9/11/01, the security agony continues for every flight to anywhere. That said, there are ways to make your own check-in process easier. While you can’t do anything to change the security system, you can take personal steps to help get through it with a minimum of &%$#§ (choose your own curse word) frustration. Here are some suggestions: