Columnist Muriel Stevens: Traversing the peaks and valets

Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2001 | 8:28 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' shopping and travel columns appear Wednesday. Her dining column appears Friday. Reach her at 259-4080 or muriel@lasvegassun.com.

The call back from Boulevard mall Director of Operations Jeff Kurtz arrived too late to be included in last week's column about malls charging for valet parking. Kurtz didn't hesitate to answer my questions, and he couldn't fathom why everyone else I spoke to wouldn't tell me that valet parking at Boulevard mall is $3.

The charge was neccessary, Kurtz said, to assure that the valet service, an outside contractor, would be able to pay its employees. Unlike other malls, Boulevard shoppers did not generally tip for the service. Kurtz also assured me that the current service is fully insured and so was the previous service. Why were his people so defensive? Who knows? So far, Kurtz continued, no one has complained about the $3 charge. Case closed.

Fall clothes: I don't know about you, but I'm not ready for fall clothes. The season, yes, but not the changeover from lightweight to mediumweight garb. It's still too darned hot to think about it. Summer sales are in full swing, but I've not been tempted by the less-than-wonderful selection. I've not bought one thing. Very unusual.

I'm not the only one suffering from shopping ennui. The current issue of In Style magazine talks about what to wear when the weather is still hot, but the calendar says autumn. The East Coast has had more than its share of hot, humid weather this summer.

Basic summer pieces can work long after Labor Day, says the trendy fashion and social scene mag. Layer sweaters and jackets over sleeveless tops and dresses and you can weather both warm days and cool nights. Cool nights? I'd love a few.

When you see it, buy it: I'm still seeking the perfect florescent bulb. My quest to reduce my power bill by replacing incandescent bulbs with florescent hasn't been fruitful so far, but there have been some benefits.

I finally found 15-watt florescents to replace the makeup bulbs that surround my bathroom mirrors. These little frosted bulbs throw off a great deal of heat. Mine uses six bulbs and no matter how small the wattage, the heat is greater. This was the first time I'd found such a small florescent. I only bought four thinking that I'd need to mix them with the regular bulbs to have enough light. Instead these small bulbs lit up my bathroom so well that I could see better than ever before. These funny little bulbs made the incandescent bulbs look dingy even though the incandescents' wattage was higher. And the difference in the heat the bulbs emit is less than half of what it was before, even with the two remaining incandescents.

Of course I had to have more so I could replace all of the bathroom bulbs. I'd found them at Wal-Mart, but when I returned a few days later there were no more. The brand was one I'd never before seen and to make matters worse I'd accidentally discarded the packaging. Since these bulbs are guaranteed to last for years I've been dating the packages and storing them with the sales slips just in case one conks out before the warranty expires.

All florescents are not created equal. Each brand gives off a different kind of glow. The new bathroom bulbs are bright white. GE's bulbs give off a mellow glow. Some others are in between. Meanwhile the search continues as my power bills continue to soar.