Auto-Insights - Keeping you on the road to better living

607 E. Los Angeles Ave Simi Valley, CA 93065 805-581-2340 April 2012

April 2012 Holidays and Events

Car Care Month Jazz Appreciation Month National Humor Month School Library Month 1-7 Laugh at Work Week 8-14 Bat Appreciation Week 14-22 National Park Week 15-21 National Karaoke Week 23-29 Spring Astronomy Week 24-30 National Scoop the Poop Week 1 April Fools Day 1 National Fun Day 4 National Day of Hope 5 National Fun at Work Day 6 Drowsy Driver Awareness Day 7 International Beaver Day 7 National Beer Day 7 No Housework Day 12 Walk on Your Wild Side Day 15 National Take a Wild Guess Day 17 Blah Blah Blah Day 17 National Stress Awareness Day 19 National High Five Day 21 National Bulldogs are Beautiful Day 22 Earth Day 22 National Jelly Bean Day 26 Hug an Australian Day 26 Poem in Your Pocket Day 26 Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day 27 National Arbor Day 27 National Hairball Awareness Day 30 National Honesty Day

DID YOU KNOW...?

More than 1 billion Easter eggs are hunted in the United States each year in parks, back yards and on the White House lawn. Americans spend 2 billion dollars on Easter candy, and eat 7.1 billion pounds of Easter candy each year! Most children (74%) eat the ears of their chocolate bunny first. 13% eat the feet first, and 10% eat the tails first. 60 million chocolate bunnies are sold each Easter. The most popular Easter candy is chocolate eggs. The most popular Easter candy, after chocolate, is marshmallow peeps. 600 million are sold each year! The most favorite jellybean flavor is cherry (20%), followed by strawberry (12%), grape (10%), lime (7%), and blueberry (6%). 70% of kids aged 611 say they prefer to eat Easter jellybeans one at a time, while 23% say they eat several at once. More boys (29%) eat a handful than girls (18%). 118 million Easter cards will be exchanged this year. Easter eggs are the most popular symbol on Hallmark Easter cards.

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Easy Carrot Cake

Peeps
In 1953, the Just Born candy company bought the Rodda Candy Company. Rodda produced a handmade candy marshmallow chick and Bob Born of Just Born loved the way the marshmallow chick looked. A year later in 1954, Bob Born had a machine made that would mass-produce marshmallow chicks, which he trademarked Peeps. Just Born soon became the largest Marshmallow candy manufacturer in the world. In the 1960s, Just Born started manufacturing seasonally shaped Marshmallow Peeps. In the early 1980s, Just Born released the Marshmallow Peeps Bunny. Until 1995, Marshmallow Peeps were only produced in pink, white, and yellow colors. In 1995, lavender colored Peeps were introduced; and in 1998, blue Peeps were introduced for Easter. In 1999, vanilla flavored Peeps were produced and a year later, a strawberry flavor was added. In 2002, a chocolate Peep was introduced.

Ingredients For the cake: 2 cups all purpose flour 2 cups sugar 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt 4 eggs 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil 3 cups grated carrots (approx. one pound) Icing: 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese (room temp.) 1 stick of butter (room temp.) 1 box 4X powdered sugar* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract Pecans, chopped (for garnish) Preparation Begin by heating your oven to 350-F and preparing two 9" round cake pans by lining the bottom with wax paper, (do not grease or flour). In a large mixing bowl sift together the flour, sugar, soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to that the eggs, vegetable oil and grated carrots, mixing until well combined. Divide batter evenly between the two cake pans and bake for 30 minutes. (When finished baking be sure and let cakes cool completely before frosting, as the icing will easily melt if cake is the slightest bit warm.) To make icing, place the cream cheese and butter in a medium-sized mixing bowl and cream until both are well incorporated. To that slowly add the powdered sugar in small increments until all gone and then the vanilla. Chill until ready to frost cake. When frosting cake, if you'd like, add chopped pecans to the middle layer after frosting and also to the top and sides for a beautiful presentation. Enjoy!

Fish Story
A man was being audited by the IRS. The agent took a look at his paperwork and asked, How have you been able to buy such a luxurious villa when your income is so low? Well, answered the taxpayer, last summer I caught a magical golden fish. When I took it off the hook, it said, I am a magical fish. Throw me back and you can have anything you wish for. So I unhooked him, wished for a beautiful villa, and threw him back. Now wait a minute, said the auditor. How can you prove this crazy story? Well, you can see the villa, cant you? replied the taxpayer.

Having one child makes you a parent; Powdered sugar (also called confectioners sugar and icing sugar) is granulated sugar that has been ground having two makes you a referee. to a fine powder. A small amount of cornstarch is usually added to prevent clumping. The X designation refers to the fineness of the particles, with 10X being the finest, and 4X being the coarsest. They can be used interchangeably. Schneiders Automotive 805-581-2340 www.SchneidersAuto.net

* Sugar By Any Number Is Just As Sweet

Are You a Loser?

Not a loser as in also-ran, or defeated, but someone who constantly loses things. Everyone loses their keys or glasses once in a while, but for you, its become a lifestyle. Mail never seems to be where you left it, the directions for a meeting or party, your dentists phone number (or any phone number, for that matter.) It often takes you ten minutes just to find a pen, then another ten to find a scrap of paper to write ona scrap of paper that later will mysteriously disappear. Below are a few tips that can save you time and money. And lastlyperhaps most important of allstress. Think of the following exercise as fun, not a test. It wont take as long as you think and you should also find it interesting to focus on yourself, determine the things

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you lose most often, then make a determined effort to create a solution. Remember, any change takes time to become a habit, even the simple things in life. Take the time to write down your typical daily routinefrom the moment you get up, to the moment you go to bed. Even if you think that nothing is typical in your life. Are your slippers and robe by the bed, or do you have to hunt them down? Is the toilet paper roll empty, and if so, is there a back-up roll within arms reach? When you open your drawer for tooth paste, or a comb or hair brush, why is it all you can find are safety pins, buttons, an empty tube of expired ointment and an assortment of yellow and red Legos? Now continue through your basic daily routine, write down everything, no matter how small. When you are done, give each item continued on page 6

The Leonardo You Never Knew

1. How many paintings of Leonardo da Vinci survive today? 2. Leonardo was one of the first artists in Italy to use oil paints. What was in use before that? 3. How many times was Leonardo married? 4. What type of food did Leonardo not eat? 5. What part of Leonardos body did anthropologists piece together? 6. The man who commissioned the Mona Lisa never received his painting. Why not? 7. Where is the Mona Lisa now? 8. What is unique about the way Leonardo wrote notes in his notebook? 9. What did Leonardo do so that he could understand human anatomy better to create more life-like works? 10. Leonardo died in 1519 while being held in whose arms? Answers 1. Only 15. 2. Egg tempura. 3. He was never married. 4. Meat. 5. His fingerprint. 6. Leonardo took it with him wherever he went. 7. In the Louvre in Paris. 8. They are written backwards in gnitirw rorrim (mirror writing). 9. He dissected bodies. 10. The King of France.

Leonardo finds someone to test his helicopter

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Marcello & Ligia Bromberg

We go through the process every month deciding who will be highlighted here in Auto-Insights. Our ideal client is someone who recognizes the value of high-quality, personal service and appreciates our role in keeping them safe and on the road; someone who values the importance of delivering security and confidence, along with automotive products and services. This month, I want to highlight Marcello and Ligia Bromberg and their family. They were referred--something that's critically important to the future of Schneider's Automotive-- by long-time clients, Fred & Leslie Ritz. And, Marcelo left a lovely testimonial on our email this month: Mitch & Frank, Quite frankly I was pretty stressed thinking about the bill waiting for me to repair my son's Subaru Impreza. Much to my surprise and delight you guys not only identified the problems that others could never find but also charged me an honest and reasonable price to boot. I really appreciate your expertise and integrity - you have yourselves a lifelong customer. Please don't change! Best regards, Marcelo Bromberg So, thank you, Leslie and Fred for pointing the Brombergs our way. And thank you, Marcelo and Ligia, for becoming a part of our growing "Family of Families..." Service
Tire Nitrogen Conversion

The Client Spotlight

And a Special Welcome to Jackie Stekman

Jackie was referred to us by her friends to help her deal with car problems she was having. She had been a "regular" at another auto service company, but didn't like the way she was being treated and thought it might be time for a change. She came in with a number of questions, all of which we answered honestly and as completely as we possibly could. When all was said and done, Jackie decided to give us a try. She was so happy with our service, the next day she brought us a big box of donuts for the crew and told us she had several more vehicles for us to work on and that she had "found a home..." and that we had a customer for life. Welcome Jackie to Schneider's family of families. % Improvement 6%-23% 6% 40% 6%-8% 10%

Effect on Fuel Mileage

Replace the air in your tires with Nitrogen. The single easiest way to increase mileage & tire life.
Source: Clemson University , Dept of Mechanical Engineering, Nader Jahili, Ph.D. 2007

Correct tire pressure increases safety and can add to your gas mileage Tire Condition and Inflation over under-inflated tires.
Source: Federal Trade Commission, ftc.gov

Computer Diagnostic Scan Air Induction Fuel Injection Service Engine Air Filter

Diagnosing & fixing a serious maintenance problem such as a faulty oxygen sensor can improve your mileage by as much as 40%.
Source: fueleconomy.gov

A clean fuel system will insure peak performance and fuel economy. Recommended every 30K miles.
Source: How to Improve MPG With Clean Fuel Injectors, eHow.com

Ensures a proper flow of clean filtered air to combustion chamber. A clogged air filter can lower gas mileage by up to 10%. Recommended every 15K miles.
Source: The Car Care Council, CarCare.org

Oil Change Fuel Filter Factory Recommended Maintenance

Not all oil is created equal. The oil we use has been shown to have energy conserving properties leading to fuel savings over oil without the Energy Conserving designation.
Source: The American Petroleum Institute, api.org

2% 5%-10% 10%-20%

Recommended every 2 years.

Source: The Car Care Council, CarCare.org

Studies have shown that a poorly tuned engine can decrease fuel economy by as much as 10 to 20% depending on a cars condition. Follow the recommended maintenance schedule in your owners manual; youll save fuel and your car will run better and last longer.
Source: Federal Trade Commission, ftc.gov

Schneiders Automotive 805-581-2340 www.SchneidersAuto.net

Whats New With Mitch?

Creative Tension

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They call the strain that manifests itself when youre trying to reconcile your Current Reality where you find yourself at any given moment with your vision for the future Creative Tension. Tension, because of the pressure leaving your comfort zone to do new and different things brings with it: creative, because of the new and different things you generally have to do in order to transcend that current reality. Most of us have experienced creative tension at one time or another in our lives, we just didnt know it had a name. Its that uneasy, uncomfortable feeling that washes over you every time you challenge yourself with something new, something more. My entire professional life has been filled with creative tension. Its an integral part of the changing technology that is the automotive service aftermarket and its become a natural element of remaining successful in an infinitely changing economic environment. A natural element of my creative tension is leaving the shop. I say that like leaving is a bad thing. Its not Not if youre leaving for training, education or to expose yourself to new and different ideas all focused on creating a better experience for everyone involved in your business: clients, associates, vendors everyone. OK It isnt such a bad thing to leave for vacation every once in a while either! But, leaving still involves not being here and not being here is still stressful. Being someplace else, doing something else regardless of what that something else might be still involves a loss of connection and a fair amount of discomfort. The stress isnt due to lack of confidence in our people Nothing could be further from the truth. We have a great crew and as different as our backgrounds and experience might be we all have one thing in common. We all have a profound and very personal sense of what it is to serve. Were all proud of the profession weve chosen as well, and approach what we do deliberately and with a real understanding of the responsibility weve accepted when it comes to the service, maintenance and repair of your vehicles. We also understand how important it is for you to have the freedom to go wherever you want to go with the security and confidence of knowing you will be able to return home safely. This is what you think about at 35,000 feet on the way home from two meetings focused almost excluWin A $20 Yolandas Mexican sively on Best In Class automotive service delivery. Its what you think about after almost a full week Restaurant spent discovering new and different ways to improve Gift Certificate and enhance the relationship we share improve and (590 East Los Angeles Ave.) enhance it from your perspective. Something else you think about is how you are going Be one of the first 20 callers with the correct answer to balance the creative tension you know will acto the Readers Quiz and youll be entered into our company integrating these new concepts into your monthly free prize drawing. Someone has to win. service mix with the same high quality customer care Why not you? you have come to expect from us. Heres this months difficult question: The spots on the dice are called... The good news is the kind of creative tension Im a) pits feeling as I consider everything Ive experienced b) pips over the past ten days: everything Ive listened to and c) dots learned, is every bit as exciting as it may be stressful. Call us at 805-581-2340 with your answer. Last As far as I can see it is exciting enough to drive us months answer was the #1 kitchen threat wasnt an into a shared and mutually beneficial future. open bag of cookies, but is a sponge. Share your issue with a friend or call us at 805-581-2340 for extra copies

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Pet Sitter Checklist

continued from Loser page 3 a rating from 1 to 5; 1 being the area of your life that is the biggest time waster looking for things, to 5, the area you feel you are most organized. For example, your sock drawer might be a 5every sock has a mate, is neatly rolled, and arranged by color. But your list of 800 unanswered e-mails might be a 1. If the above tip is too daunting, then just look around your home, office, garage, etc.(this means every closet, cupboard and drawer) and visualize where you spend the greatest amount of time looking for something and write that object down. Now that you have a better understanding of your problem areas (maybe its the fifteen minutes you spend looking for the right size plastic lid to fit a matching bowl, a recipe or a phone number.) Start with the areas that annoy you the most, then take a second piece of paper, write those areas down and create a solution to improve your most common and most annoying problem areas. BINS ARE YOUR BEST FRIEND! Clear, see-through bins with side clamps are the best. Keep contents with like items (holiday decorations, sewing items, office supplies, etc.) There are different sizes to meet most of your needs and every size divider for drawers. When necessary, it also helps to label. Baskets on counters not only look nice, they can also serve as a holder for mail or other paper work. Larger baskets are great for rooms where you store DVDs, an extra blanket or video games A small, nice-looking bowl (always kept in the same spot) is a good place for keysjust dont fall into the bad habit of dumping other doo-dads in there! Small change can be kept in a decorative jar someplace convenient. Dont give up! Keep telling yourself there is a place for everything and everything in its place. Once youve developed this habit, just think of all the fun things you can do with your extra time!
This article was submitted by Barbara McCauley, an award-winning author whose novels have appeared on USA Today and Borders Best Seller Lists.

Hiring a pet sitter is often the best option for your animal companions when you need to go out of town. Many pet owners choose in-home pet sitting instead of a kennel for the benefit of their pets. To ensure that your pet stays safe and well-cared for, you will need to give your pet sitter information about your home and pets. Use this checklist next time you are preparing for a get-away. Write down all the information and post it in an accessible spot. - Pets names - Emergency contact information - Veterinarian name and contact information - Nearest pet hospital - Local poison control - Instructions for feeding - Special health concerns - Special care instructions

Quick Tips: Safety Tip

Using an ATM can put you at risk for theft or personal injury. To stay safe, avoid use ATMs during night time hours or in low-traffic areas. Have your card out of your wallet before approaching the ATM. Never write your personal identification number on your card and shield your hands from view when entering the number. Finally, put your money away before leaving the ATM and always take your receipt.

The Lighter Side of An Election Year

"Mothers all want their sons to grow up to be president but they dont want them to become politicians in the process" John Fitzgerald Kennedy "Politicians are like diapers. They should both be changed frequently and for the same reason." Anonymous

Schneiders Automotive 805-581-2340 www.SchneidersAuto.net

The White House Easter Egg Roll

According to an undocumented tradition, Dolley Madison, the wife of President James Madison, began the Easter Egg Roll in 1814. (The event actually takes place on Easter Monday.) Hundreds of children brought their decorated eggs to the U.S. Capitol to join in on the Egg Roll, a race where children push an egg through the grass with a long-handled spoon. The Easter Egg Roll was such a tremendous success, it soon became an annual eventuntil 1877the year that nearly destroyed Easter. In 1877, a group of no-good gardeners decided that a beautiful lawn was more important than giving joy to hundreds of children. These unnamed seed sowers planted a new lawn on the Capitol grounds, not only canceling the Easter event, but imposing Congress to pass a law making it illegal to use the grounds for such poppycock. (They probably didnt use that exact word.) Enter our hero and heroine, Rutherford B. Hayes and Lucy Hayes, the U.S. President and his First Lady. When they caught wind of the nefarious scheme, they brought the event to the White House lawns, thus pulling the rug (or should we say lawn?) out from Congress and the conniving gardeners. President Hayes and his wife saved Easter, and for nearly every year since 1878, thousands and thousands of children and their families have enjoyed this funfilled event.

Wacky Warning Labels

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Every year, the Michigan Lawsuit Abuse Watch (M-LAW) organization holds a contest to find the wackiest warning labels on products, intended to highlight the potential for frivolous lawsuits. In recent years, companies have been coming up with more and more warnings on their products in the hopes of protecting themselves from lawsuits by consumers who have used their products in ridiculous ways. Since 1997, they've been collecting submissions for their Wacky Warning Label Contest, with submissions including the funniest warning labels around. Here is a sampling of some past winners: On a bottle of drain cleaner: "If you do not understand, or cannot read, all directions, cautions and warnings, do not use this product." On a snow sled: "Beware: sled may develop high speed under certain snow conditions." On a 12-inch-high compact disc storage rack: "Do not use as a ladder." On a carpenter's electric router: "This product not intended for use as a dental drill." On a baby stroller: "Remove child before folding." On a package of sleeping pills: "Warning: may cause drowsiness." On a public toilet: "Recycled flush water unsafe for drinking." On a snow blower: "Do not use snow blower on roof." On a dishwasher: "Do not allow children to play in the dishwasher." On a container of underarm deodorant: "Caution: do not spray in eyes." On a household iron: "Never iron clothes while they are being worn." On a wheelbarrow: "Not intended for highway use."

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Auto Insights

is a free monthly newsletter from Mitch & the Team at:

607 E. Los Angeles Ave Simi Valley, CA 93065 805-581-2340 or: mitchs@SchneidersAuto.net

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Labels For the Product-Challenged Have You Heard of 4X Sugar? Are You a Loser? Where Is the Mona Lisa Now?

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