Bockman's Auto Care - August 2021

Bockman's Auto Care - August 2021

What’s The BUZZ? Meet Lily and Misha The Bockman Pups Teach Us Why Dogs Are More Than Pets AUG 2021 When Liz and I were first married, we decided to adopt a Newfoundland puppy. If you know anything about Newfies, then you will recognize them as huge working

Misha, meanwhile, keeps the energy high! She’s our “little” guard dog who doesn’t let Liz leave her sight. Liz and Misha seem to have a very tight bond, and I think Misha connected with Liz right away because she was anxious after leaving her first family. Liz was someone in Misha’s new home who was comforting to her, and Misha latched onto that. We adopted Misha, who is half Newfoundland — we finally got our Newfie! — and half golden retriever, from another family. This couple had adopted her because they believed they couldn’t

dogs with giant masses of fur, slobber, and love. To this day, that puppy (Riley) has been the best dog we have ever owned. She was the sweetest, kindest pup.

Unfortunately, she also had a very rough life. During her first year, she was diagnosed with

hip dysplasia and required surgery. The next year, she needed knee surgery, and when she was 3 years old, she was diagnosed with cancer. Sadly, we had to say goodbye to our puppy and put her down to end her

get pregnant and move to a smaller apartment in Chicago. Turns out, life had other plans. When they discovered they were going to be parents, they knew they couldn’t give Misha the life she deserved. Instead, they found our family.

misery. My entire heart broke at that moment. I swore I would never get another dog; I didn’t want to experience that pain again.

It was a great match, and to this day, we

still send the family updates on how Misha is doing. It really was a great situation for both families. They were able to enjoy the excitement of becoming new parents without having to worry about a high-energy pup. Meanwhile, our boys and Lily got a new playmate! (And Liz got a shadow.) Lily and Misha are getting older — they are 11 and 9 years old, respectively — and it’s hard to imagine our home without them. I always enjoy watching how excited they get when one of our boys comes home from school. They have grown up in our family alongside these boys, and that bond is special.

Thankfully, Liz and the boys convinced me otherwise — and that’s how we found Lily.

Lily came to our local rescue from a kill shelter near Chicago. She was a puppy who was labeled as part Newfoundland, and I was sold immediately. We would discover years later that Lily has no Newfoundland in her! Today, we think she’s mostly a mutt, but she probably has some Labrador in her, too. Those early days with Lily were full of energy! She loved to run and play with the boys, and it wasn’t until we adopted our second dog, Misha, when Lily was 4 years old, that she finally grew up a little bit. These days, Lily is more like a cat than a dog. She loves to nap in the sun, eat whenever she wants, and hang out with her family when it’s convenient for her. She’s our old soul.

Our dogs may just be pets to some, but they are our family. We become their whole worlds,

and they become part of some of our greatest memories. And for that, I’ll forever be grateful that Liz and the boys convinced me to get another dog all those years ago. — Jon Bockman

Sycamore 815.756.7413 • DeKalb 815.754.4200

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Double Your Vegetables in Days!

Send Them to Scho 3 Vehicle Maintenance Tips All Teens Should Know As teens and young adults head back to school this year, they are doing so with fresh driving experience, and while this rite of passage can be exciting, it’s not without its responsibilities. This fall, when you send your teen or young adult to school, make sure they know these car maintenance tips. How to Change a Tire This is one of the simplest fixes that too many people don’t know how to do! Teach your child how to change a flat tire, should they ever become stranded. Then, take this a step further. Make sure your teen understands that a spare tire is not an adequate replacement for a real tire. If they want to protect their vehicle from further damage, they

If you usually toss your vegetable scraps straight into the trash can or compost bin, stop now! Bok choy, green onion, celery, romaine lettuce, and many other vegetables are easy to regrow right in your kitchen with a bit of water and sunlight. This trick will save you money on produce and prevent extra trips to the grocery store. What can I regrow? The list of vegetables you can regrow is almost endless: basil, romaine

should drive on that spare tire all the way to a mechanic’s shop for repair and replacement! What Fluids Are Needed and Where The common driver doesn’t need to be an expert on their engine, but it’s important to know what

lettuce, carrots (although you’ll only create more tops), green onions, green garlic, celery, cilantro, bok choy, lemongrass, ginger, sweet potatoes, onions, leeks, rosemary, and lemon balm (to name a few). Some people even regrow fruit by planting pineapple stalks, kiwi seeds, or lemon seeds. Visit EmpressofDirt.net for a list of 39 fruits and vegetables to start with and tips for which part of each plant to use. How do I get started? To regrow most vegetables, all you need is a small glass container, water, sunlight, and time. To regrow bok choy, for example, place the end of the bunch cut side-up in an inch or two of water and set it in a sunny spot. Soon, new leaves will start to poke out of the chopped end! You can continue growing the vegetable until you have enough for your next recipe. Then, keep snipping off pieces to enjoy as long as you’d like. Once the roots are a few inches long, you can plant your re-grown vegetables in soil or compost them knowing they’ve done double duty. If you want a more detailed guide to the regrowing process, pick up “Regrow Your Veggies: Growing Vegetables from Roots, Cuttings, and Scraps” by Melissa Raupach and Felix Lill. Can I do this forever? The short answer is yes and no. Most vegetables can’t thrive forever on water and sunlight alone, so unless you turn your little regrowing operation into a full garden, you’ll still have to visit the farmers market after one or two regrowings. That said, regrowing food can become a lifelong habit that saves you money and helps prevent excess waste. It’s a win-win!

The Roo 3 Oldest Rooki

Have you ever felt that fate meant for you to take a different path than the one you took? In some fields, making that change is possible, or even common — as any law student can tell you, where the “average” age of students is in their 30s. But other worlds, like the world of professional sports, are less welcoming to those over 25.

Which only makes for a better story when it does happen, of course.

That’s what Jim Morris discovered when he signed with a Major League Baseball team in 1999 after his 35th birthday. Morris’ life became the subject of the Dennis Quaid movie “The Rookie,” filmed just after Morris’ major league career had ended. You might think that two years is a short time in the majors, but hey, you try throwing 98-mph fastballs for hours a week, 104 weeks in a row! Besides, the careers of pro athletes aren’t nearly as long as icons like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning would have you believe. The average MLB career may be a few years longer than Morris stuck it out, but in the NFL? Most players make it less than three years and quit, depending on the position. While you’re

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fluids help it run smoothly and where they go. Walk your teen through coolant, oil, and transmission fluid usage. Explain why these compounds matter and how your young driver should go about replacing them. For example, coolant replacements are very simple, but oil replacements may take extra care and require a

ADAMS, RANDY BECKMAN, FRED BOSTIC, RYAN BOWMAN, DOUG BRENNAN, PATRICK CANTOR, ESPIRIDION COLE, DESTINY COLLINS, BRENDA COX, BOBBY DEMAIO, BONNIE DOTY, MARC DOWDEN, CHERYL DUNBAR, EDDIE FLETCHER, MEGHAN FORD, CINDY HAMILTON, KIM

VELAZQUEZZ, SALVATOR VIRTUE, ROBERT WESTFALL, DARYL YBARRA, JACKIE ALLEN, AMELIA BOLANDER FARMS BRADT, COLTON BURNS, BETH CAVA, RON CHANEY, MATT COPELAND, KYLE CORSON, DOUGLAS DALLESASSE, ROBIN EDER, DENNIS FRENCH, BILL GOODRICH, MARTIN HAYES, NYERA HOLDER, ALLAN HUBBARD, ARCHIE IRACHETA, RITCHARD JOHNSON, SEAN KEDSCH, JASON KLOSTER, NATE LUNA, EFRAIN MAKI, JENNIFER MARSHALL, JOHN & DAWN

professional’s hand. Help your teen find their comfort level before they take off. How to Use the Brakes Brakes can easily wear down if not used properly. Teach your child not to “ride their brakes,” or lightly hold

the brake down as the vehicle moves, or to slam on them frequently. This can cause progressive damage and wear the brakes down faster. These repairs can be common, but they can get spendy. Bonus Tip: Keep it clean! A clean vehicle is a safe vehicle. Teach your young driver to keep the exterior of their vehicle clear of debris for proper visibility and safety for other drivers. The interior of the vehicle should also be clean to avoid hazards.

HARDING, SCOTT HOLLIDAY, JOHN HUANG, MIA

KALLAS, TIMOTHY KARASEWSKI, ERIN KEIERLEBER, BRADY LASCHOBER, OLIVIA LEWIS, SARAH LINDQUIST, ELIZABETH LONCAR, ZELIMIR LUKER, DALE MASON, TYLER MCKEE, LIZ MCKENNA, CHRIS MOORE, SUSAN MOTSINGER, LORI PARK, JENNIFER PERKINS, MATT PERSONETTE, BETHANY

If you or your teen run into maintenance issues this fall, or your vehicle needs a checkup, please give us a call!

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NOONCASTER, JIM OJEDA, EMMANUEL O’TOOLE, LISA PATINO, JAVIER POTTER, GANNON

ies in Sports History

ROYAL, GEORGE SCOTT TRUCKING SISSON’S TREE SERVICE SMITH, DANIEL SMITH, DON SMITH, SHEILA SPEARE, PHIL & LISA STOFFREGEN, RYAN SYSTEM SERVICES THE SUTER COMPANY VERTICAL DROP VILLAPANDO, BRENDA WEAVER, KATHY AND TINA

meditating on the ethics of chewing up football players for three years and spitting them out, all in the name of entertainment, consider the case of another similar story that was turned into a movie, that of Vince Papale — played by Mark Wahlberg in “Invincible.” Of course, Papale — whose flag football prowess in his late 20s overrode his lack of college ball experience — signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1970s. Modern football has come a long way, critics will argue. But there’s no denying the old-school toughness and tenacity Papale showed in making it to the NFL. NBA player Pablo Prigioni’s career was twice as long as either Morris’ or Papale’s was, with four years in the big leagues starting in 2012 at age 35. But basketball is arguably less demanding on the body than football and even baseball if we look at the potential damage major league pitchers can do to their throwing arm. Their careers may not have been the stuff of dreams, but these three men showed something we all like to see: tough players hanging on long past their “prime.” And they lived the dream — if only for a while. We all love that!

PIERCE, SUSAN REES, BRITTANY REX, RANDY ROBERTS, ALLEN ROMANO, KATE SHAIK, NISAR SMIT, KARISSA STUTTLE, MATT TATE, RANDY URSINI, NORA

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The Value of a Dog

Learn How to Double Your Vegetables 3 Vehicle Maintenance Tips All New Drivers Need to Know The Rookie: 3 Oldest Rookies in Sports History

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If Your Child Is Leaving the Nest, We Have Some Peace of Mind for You!

Send Your Kid to College With Bockman’s Customer Care Program!

Moving to college is an exciting time for many young adults, but for parents, it’s a bittersweet goodbye. This is what you prepared them for, but it’s hard to let your baby go out into the world, knowing you won’t be physically there if something happens. But what if there was a way you could add peace of mind to this adventure? What if you could be assured that your child would have a resource to help them?

The benefits start with our reminder perk . As a member of the program, your student will receive alerts when their vehicle is due for general maintenance or an oil change. This eliminates the pressure of having to manage a schedule on their own as they balance school and work all while adjusting to the new things in their lives. Plus, as a college student, money may be tight. Our program has a solution for that. Every fifth oil change is free for members, and a percentage of every bill our members pay can be used on other services. So, there is the potential for free oil changes or maintenance , which puts more money back in your student’s pocket (or back into their ramen noodle fund!). Finally, as a parent, you can rest easy knowing that our 24-hour roadside assistance is there whenever they need us. If they run out of gas, have a flat tire, or are

locked out of their vehicle, all they need to do is call our hotline, and we will connect them with the right roadside service. As a bonus, they will receive a local touch that makes the experience personal and safe. We know what it’s like to send your child away to college. (Our very own Jon Bockman has done it twice!) And we know anything that can make this transition easier is money well spent. But here’s the best part: Signing up for the program is free! Learn more and sign up your college student today at BockmansAutoCare.com/ customer-care-program .

At Bockman’s, we believe our Customer Care Program can be that resource.

Whether your child will only be a few miles down the road at Illinois State University or they plan to go farther, the gift of a Bockman’s Customer Care Program membership ensures they have a partner in their vehicle’s maintenance.

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Sycamore 815.756.7413 • DeKalb 815.754.4200