I call it “car carnage,” all of the things that happen to a vehicle and damage the working parts. Fire, heat, water, operator error, mice. I remember the first time I saw a vehicle come in with intermittent electrical problems. After some investigation, it was diagnosed as mouse damage. I was shocked, I had no idea that happened. Then we got the full story. The vehicle owner had a dog. The dog's food was kept in the garage and so was the car. The winter was cold. A certain mouse was too. Then, he found the perfect place, the engine compartment of a warm car located seconds from an endless supply of kibble. The mouse settled into the engine compartment and did what all mice do, chew on wires. A lot of very important wires. The story ended sadly. The mouse perished and the car had electrical issues – not to mention an engine compartment littered with dog food. Not all carnage features a tragic end for a furry creature. Some damage comes simply from driving with worn parts. The worn part ... read more

One of our quotes for this week seemed like a good one for this time of year. “Do more things that make you forget your phone.” It’s summer in Michigan. It’s a time we should be enjoying the summer weather, walking on the beach, eating at one of the locally owned restaurants, hiking and enjoying nature, and spending time with the people that make us happy. I’m as guilty as the next person of having my phone with me all the time, taking photos of whatever catches my eye, checking out social media, and responding to emails that don’t need to be responded to right away. It’s easy as a business owner to believe you need to be reachable 24/7. Being ‘connected’ is what it’s all about now. With Facebook and Instagram (and I admittedly love Instagram) it’s almost a matter of ‘if it isn’t posted, did it happen?’ If a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it… The real question should be; if you were busy taking a picture of a moment and finding the perfect filter to post the photo, did you re ... read more