Bockman's Auto Care - July 2021

Bockman's Auto Care - July 2021

What’s The BUZZ? Coming Together The Beauty of the Olympics JULY 2021 After a yearlong postponement, the Summer Olympics are set to begin this July in Tokyo. Whenever the Olympics roll around, I can’t help but feel a sense of pride and

excitement. I’m glad we get to watch some form of the Olympics every two years, rather than wait an entire four years! I first started showing an interest in the Olympics in 1984, when Los Angeles hosted the summer games. Before that, I remember athletes like Caitlyn Jenner — then known as Bruce Jenner — and Mark Spitz inspiring everyone back home. But my all-time favorite Olympic games to watch had to be when Michael Jordan and the Team USA basketball dream team crushed their opponents on the way to the gold. As a lifelong Chicago sports fan, I’ve always been a huge fan of Jordan, but the dream team was just incredible. You knew they were going to win, yet you had to tune in every night just to see the domination. Today, I enjoy watching the swimming events. As a dad of two swimmers, I know just how much hard work and determination go into getting to the Olympics. Gold Medalist and record-setter Michael Phelps even admitted as much. To prepare for the games, he made sure he would swim 80,000 meters a week. He trained two times a day, for 5–6 hours. Now that’s commitment! One time, our family had a chance to watch one of Austin’s teammates compete at the Olympic time trials. We went to show our support because we knew how hard he had worked, practiced, and competed to get to that point. But when you’re trying out for or competing in the Olympics, you’re not the only one who has worked hard to be there. Everyone else you compete against is consistently logging thousands of yards worth of practice in the pool every day. It’s intense competition. The Olympics aren’t something you just wake up one day and decide to do. You have to put in time and effort if you want to have your name called on the victory podium.

That’s what makes the Olympics so great. It’s the best of the best, duking it out on the world’s biggest stage for honor, pride, and country. For us back home, it’s an exciting time. Every two years, the world comes together to cheer for their home country — relishing in the amazing feats of athleticism and rooting for our athletes to bring home the gold. As we celebrate America’s 245th birthday this July, it’s only fitting that we all come together and root for our athletes. The U.S. may have its problems and divisions, but all of that is washed away when we are focused on one common goal together. When the parade of athletes opens the Olympics every year and Team USA comes walking out of that tunnel amid the pomp and circumstance, it’s hard not to get a little choked up. That’s our country on the world stage, and back home, millions of supporters, all with different ethnicities, backgrounds, and opinions, are ready to cheer on our team together.

Good luck to your favorite athletes!

— Jon Bockman

Sycamore 815.756.7413 • DeKalb 815.754.4200

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3 Ingredients That Are a Waste of Time, Money, and Taste Buds!

Never Leave a Chil

What the Science Says

Trigger warning: This article contains warnings to prevent child death.

We often hear from experts after heartbreaking news stories, warning us to never leave a child or pet in a hot vehicle because the consequences could be deadly. But what makes a vehicle so dangerous in the sun? Consumer Reports breaks down why you should always heed this important warning — and not just during summer. Let’s start with why vehicles can get so hot. Cars, trucks, and vans are often made with materials that “radiate heat into the air,” Consumer Reports writes. Because the vehicle is an enclosed, small space, that heat continues to multiply. Cracking your windows can help, but it’s not enough to dissipate dangerous heat levels.

There are several foods in just about every supermarket that aren’t what they seem. These are foods that may appear perfectly fine at a glance, but they are actually a waste of time, money, and pantry space. Here are three of those foods and their better alternatives! Beef Broth When you buy beef broth, you buy it with the expectation that it

is, in fact, beef-based. However, many products that call themselves “beef broth” are actually yeast -based. All of their flavor comes from yeast and various spices, not beef, thanks to lax U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations on beef broth. The product may have just enough actual beef broth for it to be on the ingredient list and label. The next time you need beef broth for a recipe, replace it with the same amount of chicken or vegetable broth, both of which have more stringent USDA regulations. Cooking Wine This is one of the biggest scams in the culinary world. First, most products called “cooking wine” on their label are low-quality wines. Second, many manufacturers add salt to cooking wine. If you encounter a recipe that calls for cooking wine, in general, stick to regular wine that you would serve on its own. Use white wine for lighter-in-color dishes, such as risotto, and red wine for dark, richer dishes, including sauces and gravies. Ground Black Pepper Many spices can actually fall under this category, but ground black pepper tends to be the most popular — and the most problematic. When spices, like pepper, are ground, they come into contact with air and begin to oxidize and lose flavor. Ground spices stored in sealed containers in a cool, dry place will lose flavor slowly, but ground pepper tends to be left out, which means it loses flavor faster. Instead, invest in a pepper mill and fill it with whole peppercorns. The flavor difference in your dishes will be noticeable!

In testing, Consumer Reports found that a light-colored vehicle that

Keep Your Ho With a DIY Box

As we write this, fire season is in full swing across the United States. Smoke from those wildfires drifts through thousands

of cities and millions of homes each summer, aggravating asthma and causing coughing fits. If your

house is in an affected area — or you’d just like to ensure that your family is breathing the cleanest, healthiest air possible — this cheap, easy, DIY air filter has your back. What You Need Making a DIY air filter is incredibly simple. All you need is a box fan, a HEPA filter (cheap pleated filters from Winix or FilterBuy work perfectly), and something to attach the filter to the fan, like duct tape, canvas straps, sturdy ribbon, zip ties, or clamps. Use whatever attachment material you have on hand! A screwdriver and four screws are optional. You should be able to find all of the necessary materials at your local hardware store for $25–$50. Build Your Box Fan Filter You’ve probably guessed how this project will come together! First, lay your fan intake side up and cover the front grate with the HEPA filter. Then, use

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Sycamore 815.756.7413 • DeKalb 815.754.4200

SUDOKU

ld or Pet in a Hot Car

sat in the sun on a 78 degree F day reached a boiling 104 degrees F within one hour. On that same day in the same amount of time, a dark-colored vehicle hit 109 degrees F. And that doesn’t change when the outside temperature drops by more than 15 degrees. Even on a 61 degree F day, Consumer Reports found that a vehicle can heat up to more than 105 degrees F after just one hour.

These temperatures are deadly with prolonged exposure, especially for children. The American Academy of Pediatrics reports that children’s bodies heat up 3–5 times faster than adult bodies. As they grow, children’s bodies are still learning how to control temperature. (Now, imagine what it must be like for a pet covered in fur on those hot summer days.) Some vehicle manufacturers have equipped their newer vehicles with reminder features, but you can’t always rely on this. Placing a purse or other important object, like your shoes, in the back of the vehicle with your children can serve as an important reminder. Furthermore, Consumer Reports found that 38% of the 24 hot car deaths among children in 2020 happened as a result of children climbing into the vehicle without a parent or guardian noticing. To prevent this, always keep your vehicle locked and keep your keys out of the reach of your children.

Vehicles can be dangerous, but you can take steps to prevent injury or death this summer. Learn more by visiting ConsumerReports.org.

Meet Our Loyal Clients!

American Veteran Landscape Astling, Dave Bend, Justin Briant, Bradley Brown, Adriana Cadwalladder, Glen Caldwell, Shawna Culton, Kyle Dembinski, Ray Franklin, Heather Gettemy, Griff Giardini, Emilie Graff, Braden Grzywa, Theresa Hannon, Dan Hubik, Ian Ibew Local 196/Neca Irelan, Dean Janko, Alex Manis, Chrissie Masterangeli, Brian Mmj Cargo Porra, Griselda Simpkins, Charles Stojan, Christopher

Vp Enterprises Ii Inc Watson, Roberta Windham, Tytrice

Moynihan, Renee Olin, Jodi Oller, Suzete Popenhagen, Berna Quinn, Colin Reed, Rick Rodriguez, Oscar & Nicole Rose, Ken Schairer, Darrin Schmitt, Hannah

ome’s Air Clean on the Cheap

Andrus, Brian Arnold, Patsy Bowman, Micah Cano, Jaryn Cioni, Vincent Cole, Jim

x Fan Filter!

your canvas straps, clamps, or duct tape to attach the filter to the fan! If you have a screwdriver handy, unscrew the front grating of the box fan before adding the filter, then replace it with the HEPA filter and strap the two together. For a super-study method, screw the filter in place with or without removing the grid. There you have it! You’ve created a filter that will remove dust, smoke, lint, pet dander, and pollen from your home. Tips and Tricks If you’re a visual learner, YouTube is a great resource for this hack! Just search “DIY Air Filter,” and you’ll get dozens of results. One video, “DIY Air Filter | Box Fan Modification | Cleaner Air for Your Home!” even reveals how to use J-channel to make it easy to change out the HEPA filter over time.

Dalby, Diane Dalby, Kylie

Shaver, Hayley Stewart, Alicia Stuckert, Mike

Doering, Austin Dolewski, Alfred Fearing, Ray Flemming, Teanna Forgue, Patrick Gonda, Kris Grzywa, Theresa Harwick, Nick Kessler, Jennifer King, Jonathan Le, Dan Liaw, Chi Lobrillo, Jamie Martin, Tony Mauch, Andrew Mcallister, Joe & Sara Mcdevitt, Nathan

Svartoien, Weston Thompson, Lissa Tserendorj,

Narantsatsralt Unger, Robert Vandermyde, Christina

Vogel, Robert Wang, Tewei Warner, Jake

This DIY box fan filter isn’t as sturdy or effective as a fancy purifier, but it’s a great option if you’re on a budget.

Whitfield, Cornelous Williams, Randolph Zhang, Rui

Strahl, Becky Torres, Aaron

Sycamore 815.756.7413 • DeKalb 815.754.4200

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Bockman’s Auto Care 2158 Oakland Dr. Sycamore, IL 60178 815.756.7413 Bockman’s Truck & Fleet 815.754.4200

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

Bockmans.com

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Why I Love the Olympics

Avoid These Ingredients in Your Cooking! An Important Reminder About Vehicle Safety This Summer Make a Cheap, Easy DIY Box Fan Filter

Clients of the Month

What’s Included in Our Customer Care Program? Find Out!

6 Big Perks The Value of Our Customer Care Program

Nearly every service has a customer loyalty program. You may be a few punches away from a free sandwich, or maybe you are anticipating some money off your next purchase, thanks to the rewards dollars you earned by shopping at your favorite store. Those are nice tokens and all, but we believe your loyal patronage deserves more. That’s why we created the Customer Care Program and included not one, not two, not three … but six perks! This is so much more than a loyalty or rewards card program. Here’s why! Reminders: From oil changes to fluid replenishment, there are multiple reasons why your vehicle needs to be serviced on a regular basis. As a member of our Customer Care Program, you won’t have to remember when to do this. We remind you!

of your bill goes back into your account here at Bockman’s. You can use those dollars to fund other repairs, and who knows? You may get a free service with the dollars you stock up. Referral Programs: You can earn more rewards dollars when you refer a friend to Bockman’s. Just hand out your referral cards to friends and family, and when they use the card at the shop, we reward you! Charitable Giving: There’s another way to use your rewards dollars, too. We love to give back, and if you would like us to donate your dollars to a local or national charity, just let us know! Free Oil Changes: As a member of the program, every fifth oil change you receive at Bockman’s is free! How great is it that something your vehicle requires can be free?

24-Hour Roadside Assistance: We’re here to help, whether that’s at the shop or on the side of the road. Program members can call our 24-hour hotline if they need a tow, extra fuel, a jump start, help fixing a flat, or to unlock their vehicle. We’ll send our partners out to you immediately! You can learn more about our Customer Care Program, including additional details about our 24-hour roadside assistance program, online at BockmansAuthoCare. com/Customer-Care-Program/.

Rewards Dollars: Like the purchases you make at your favorite store, a percentage

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Sycamore 815.756.7413 • DeKalb 815.754.4200