The Trenches of Your Mind

By Bob Cox

Shortly after watching the conclusion of the third presidential debate, I was particularly struck by an impassioned exchange between two Trump surrogates and two Clinton surrogates. When one of Clinton’s supporters, Patty Solis Doyle said she felt offended when Donald Trump referred to the illegal aliens from Mexico that have committed crimes in our country as bad hombres, my eyes rolled right along with the Trump supporters. Why? Because our society has seemingly become so hypersensitive to anything that we say and that no matter how benign it may be, it has the potential to offend somebody somewhere.

Just as I was about to dig that trench a little deeper in my mind, the voice of reason came to me like a message in a bottle that had been dropped from the sky when Van Jones stood up for Doyle by saying “You don’t get to determine what offends me..I don’t get to determine what offends you.” In other words, as long as the offending party fails to acknowledge that what they’ve said was offensive; then real understanding can never take place. Just like trench warfare during WWI, both sides dig in deep with no man’s land in the middle.

A few weeks ago, my wife Diana and I invited my son Bobby out to dinner to celebrate his birthday but the evening quickly unraveled when the topic of an upcoming speech he was about to give in school came up and he told us that he really didn’t want to hear any feedback from either of us. Those words felt just like a dagger in a very lopsided gift exchange: A nice meal out and a bag of thoughtful gifts for a punch in the gut. Diana and I were deeply hurt, offended and angry by his insensitive remark.

As he went on to explain his reasons, the trench only got deeper as he said that we frequently injected our unsolicited and unwelcomed advice on other family members. After the initial impact of that unexpected message was delivered, I told him how offensive his remark was, especially in light of the fact that he knows how much Diana and I treasure the exchange of deep, meaningful and soul searching ideas. We were both looking forward to hearing what he had to say on the fresh topic of lucid dreaming, something he’s very passionate about, but once he made that comment, I told him I wasn’t open to hearing his speech under those conditions.

During the uncomfortably quiet drive home, I had more time to process the dysfunctional exchange from the restaurant. I told him going forward, if he wanted to share something with us, he would need to be open to our feedback because we both have strong opinions on a number of subjects. If he didn’t want our opinions, he would be wise to not bring up the subject.

I explained that whenever I feel inspired to share anything I’ve written with Diana, I have to be emotionally prepared to handle whatever comes out of her mouth. Sometimes I’m not and on those rare occasions, I resist the urge to share with her and everyone stays in their happy place. On the other hand, when I do have the courage to speak and the tolerance to listen, we usually have a powerful and dynamic exchange of thoughts, feelings and ideas and I am exponentially richer for it.

As far as being the giver of unsolicited advice, I could double down by saying that’s his problem and then grab the nearest metaphorical shovel. Instead, I think I’ll work on that character flaw by asking for permission to provide feedback upfront so that I have the freedom to express my thoughts openly and honestly with the goal of having a truly authentic dialogue.    

Discovering the Lost Language of Flowers

By Bob Cox

Shortly after finishing a riveting novel about a little girl who practiced magic by using flowers that contained secret messages, Miquila Alejandre’s fascination evolved into an insatiable curiosity. She wanted to know if this was something that had actually occurred or if the author had just made it all up, so she did some research on the subject and was blown away when she discovered that the use of flowers to send specific messages was a hugely popular practice from the late 1700’s on into the early 1800’s here in the United States.

The more research Miquila did, the more excited she became as she accumulated a vast understanding of the lost language of flowers and decoded these findings in a revolutionary new website. “Everybody back in those days knew that if you got a bouquet, it was a puzzle to a code and there was a special meaning behind it and I just loved that idea,” said Miquila.

During this process, Miquila eagerly shared what she had discovered with family and friends, and they were genuinely intrigued. So much so, Miquila began to get more and more requests from friends and then referrals from friends who wanted her to create unique arrangements for a variety of special occasions.

That’s when the idea of parlaying her lifelong passion for flowers, mathematics and poetry blossomed into a business as naturally as a field of wildflowers. “At Bloom Equation, we use the lost language of flowers to send messages with flowers in the form of bouquets, necklaces, messages in bottles, cards and flower crowns. On our website, I recorded the meaning of each flower and numbered it, so that the sender and receiver would understand the exact meaning of their bouquet. We can even add an equation with an arrangement, which makes it like a puzzle for people to solve and figure out what their bouquet means,” explained Miquila.

Editor’s notes: With the holidays just ahead, if you want to send a truly unique gift with a special message to someone you love, contact Bloom Equation today. Their website is bloomequation.com. and their phone number is (415) 484-9884. 

Bring Your Gaming System Back to Life!

By Alika Salazar

Has your gaming system suffered a sudden and unexpected demise? If you’ve thought about burying it in the backyard or throwing it in the trash and starting over with a brand new system, think twice about that option because the odds are very good that you can fix what you have, save several hundred dollars and help reduce our landfills!

At all three of our stores, we repair all types of gaming systems. Many of our customers have said they prefer to fix what they have because they want to continue to enjoy their favorite games. They also enjoy the familiarity of their current system over the complexities of learning how a new system will function.

The most common systems we’ve worked on include the Xbox 360’s, the Xbox Ones, PlayStation 3’s, PlayStation 4’s and Wii’s. Surprisingly, a lot of people are still fixing those systems. The most common problem with the Wii’s involve disk drives that stop reading. Sadly, many people have told me how they bought another used unit only to have the exact same problem!

For the other popular systems, the most common problem involves HDMI cords. If a gaming system falls off a shelf, the cord will often remain attached and cause damage to the port. This is a problem that’s a lot more common than you might think and we see this all the time.

With the holidays around the corner, give yourself the gift of avoiding the crowds and chaos of the malls and let us repair that gaming system for that special gamer in your life. The retail cost of a new gaming system like the Xbox One or PlayStation 4 ranges from $300-$500. Our average repair cost out the door is usually around $100-$150, so the savings on a new system is likely to be significant. Just imagine how you can use the money you’ve saved on repairs: Perhaps several cool new games or something else your heart desires!

Can You Possibly Get Your Home Ready for the Holidays?

By Chris Barr

So, it's your turn to have Thanksgiving, Christmas and/or New Years celebrated at your home this year. This should be a joyous opportunity to celebrate a special time of year with family and friends, but every time you look at your kitchen, you can only cringe while having another 80's flashback of big hair, parachute pants, new wave music and tile grout with 50 shades of dingy gray.

If you’re ready to replace those old kitchen counters and add a beautiful backsplash, is there really enough time to go through such a major kitchen remodel? Probably not, especially if you’re planning to do it the conventional way by tearing out your old countertops and starting over. That old fashioned method would likely push you past the New Year in a noisy and chaotic cloud of filthy debris, which is probably not the way you would like to ring in the holidays.

Fortunately, there is another way to tackle a major kitchen renovation with minimal noise, mess and downtime. We at Granite Transformations can completely enhance the look and function of your kitchen in just one day! Your beautiful new countertop and backsplash, made of quartz and recycled glass will be manufactured here in the USA and fabricated in our facility in Rancho Cordova. That means that we limit the noise, mess and downtime in your home to just one day instead of several weeks.

The engineered surfaces of Granite Transformations are completely non-porous, which means there aren’t any creepy crevices to collect bacteria or mold like that terrible old grout that you wanted out 30 years ago. The beautifully engineered surfaces from Granite Transformations are state-of-the-art, which means they are functional, zero maintenance and gorgeous.  When you add in a beautiful backsplash, you will have taken your kitchen boldly into the 21^st century!

If you’re thinking about transforming the look and function of your kitchen in time for the holidays, call us at (916) 851-9745 for a free no obligation design consultation.  

Whiplash

By Bob Cox

Tony Shannon was waiting in traffic in his car on another hot summer day in Sacramento this past August when out of nowhere, a car from behind slammed violently into his at about 40 miles per hour. The sudden and unexpected impact caused his head to violently lunge forward and then back while the rest of his torso remained protected by the seat belt he was wearing. According to Tony, it was a young kid who was texting while he was driving.

It didn’t take long for him to suffer the excruciatingly painful symptoms of severe whiplash, so he followed up on a referral from a friend, who recommended that he visit Dr. Beth Blakely in Carmichael.  From the moment he met Dr. Blakely, Tony knew he was in excellent hands. “She’s the most competent chiropractor that I’ve ever experienced. She educates you as she practices on you. She teaches you about everything she is doing as she works on you and that’s what makes her incredible. I’ve learned so much about my cervical and lumbar vertebrae and I’ve also learned a lot about my atlas, so I’ll always go back to her”, explained Tony.

Tony has also experienced all the special devices Dr. Blakely uses to help her patients get better, which includes an inclining table, a hand held vibrating massager and special tools that help realign the spine and atlas, as well as an amazing hot waterbed massage table that sends me into dreamland just thinking about it. It is truly that relaxing! “After I leave her office, I always walk away feeling 100 times better than when I walked in. So, I’m really grateful for that. I now only have some discomfort in my neck of course, but it’s not nearly as bad as when I first walked into her office”, said Tony.

When I asked Tony if he had anything else he wanted to add, he exclaimed: “Anyone who wants to be practiced on by a knowledgeable and competent chiropractor that educates you as she practices on you, Dr. Beth Blakely is the one to go to, she’s incredible”!

The Gift of a Clean Car

By Bob Cox

Before bringing my car to Carmichael Car Wash, I had been extremely satisfied with the folks that washed my car back in the stone ages we’ll call BCC (Before Carmichael Car Wash). I had never been to a car wash that exceeded their high quality work, speed and affordable prices. However, the only negative thing that caught my eye was a growing number of hitch-hikers better known as grimy smudges that had grown in numbers on my door panels since I first purchased my car two years ago. I guess that’s bound to happen when you deliver 10,000 magazines covered in ink every month! 

I had thought about breaking out the simple green for the past few months and eliminate those pesky little critters that I could’ve given names to, like Greasy Rider, Marky Mark and Dirty Harry, but staying seated in my recliner seemed like a much better idea. Then, after I entered the modern era of civilization and brought my car to Carmichael Car Wash, we’ll call this period ACC (After Carmichael Car Wash), I was completely awestruck by how clean my car looked; both inside and out after I got my first full service wash.

My car hadn’t been that clean since I drove it off the lot, but I couldn’t exactly put my finger on why it felt so much cleaner until I looked down and to the left. That’s when I first realized that all my doors panels had been thoroughly wiped clean. When I mentioned this to General Manager Claudia Lopez and Detail Manager Gama Pedroza, they both nodded and smiled because that’s the way they roll out every car at Carmichael Car Wash.

Dirt doesn’t stand a chance at Carmichael Car Wash as not one; not two but several friendly and detail oriented workers attack each car with mass quantities of towels, cleaning solutions and elbow grease. I sat down with Claudia and Gama to find out why they love cleaning cars cleaner so much.

Q: Do you think it’s worth sacrificing some speed to spend more time on delivering a higher quality service? 

A: Yes, we take a few extra minutes and clean areas of the car that other car washes ignore. We offer four different full service car wash packages, but with every full service package, we vacuum out the interior, wipe down the dash, console and door panels and clean the windows, inside and out. We go around each car, inside and out, several times to make sure it’s thoroughly clean and dry.

Q: What have been the biggest changes since Carmichael Car Wash took over this location this past summer?

A: The previous owners only offered drive through express washes and self service interior cleaning options. We have continued to offer that service but are now offering full service car washes and a variety of detail services as well.

Q: What else makes Carmichael Car Wash different and unique?

A: We love exceeding our customer’s expectations and watching them drive away happy. We’re very friendly and we try to remember all of our customers by name.

Q: Can you tell us about your detailing services here at Carmichael Car Wash?

A: We offer a variety of detailing packages, including interior and exterior detailing, headlight restoration and hard water spot removal. We work on all cars, SUV’s, trucks, RV’s and boats.

Q: You’re now offering gift certificates at discounted rates. Can you tell us what options you have available?

A: Yes, we now have three different car wash gift card packages. You can purchase a $50 gift card for just $40, a $100 gift card for just $75 and a $200 gift card for just $150! These gift cards will make great Christmas gifts, especially during the wet and dirty winter months with all the rain, mud, leaves, wind and even snow for those travelling down from the mountains.  

Q: Do you wash cars covered in snow any differently than other car washes?

A: Yes, because when snow dries, it becomes very abrasive like sandpaper and it can scratch the paint if you try to wipe it off by hand. At other washes, many employees will send their cars through the wash without spraying them down first, and we’ve heard from several of our customers about the terrible damage this has caused to their paint. When a car comes here covered in snow, we always spray the car down first to make sure all the dried up snow has been removed. This not only protects the vehicle with the snow, but also the cars that go into the wash after the snow covered car, as the snow tends to get stuck in the automated wash and transferred to the next vehicles.

 Q: Can you give us an update on your waiting area?

A: Yes, we’re in the process of remodeling our waiting area. We currently have lots of comfortable seating, a big screen TV and massage chairs. Hopefully in the near future we will have a wide variety of merchandise and refreshments available for sale.

        

Editor’s notes: For more information about Carmichael Car Wash, visit their facility at 6505 Fair Oaks Bl. in Carmichael, CA (Just north of Marconi Ave.). Their phone number is (916) 488-3274 and their website is www.yourcleanride.com.

Sugarplums & Car Crashes

By Dave Trux

On the one hand, the holidays are a time of great joy as we celebrate the season with close friends and family. On the other hand, there’s that other thing called shopping that not everyone was born to do. So, what do far too many of our fellow American’s do, especially the ones that prefer to not shop until they drop? We procrastinate by putting off this unsavory task until the final days before Christmas.

Once the fateful day arrives and we’ve run out of excuses and time, we enter our cars like they’re chariots of battle. From there, we hit the wet and wild roads heading towards the nearest coliseum, I mean shopping mall. Our hearts race and our blood pressure rises from the relentless gridlock of other impatient drivers that swerve, merge and brake suddenly though a sea of aggravating obstacles.

When the rubber meets the road

By Dave Trux

Now that you’ve just read the title, you may have already correcting me by thinking “Dave, you got the old idiom all wrong. It’s not “When the rubber meets the road, it’s “Where the rubber meets the road”! This old saying of course defines the most crucial point of any event, the real moment of truth. For example, let’s say you have the most beautiful vintage car in the world but kept it in the garage all summer and then finally decide to take it up to Lake Tahoe during the holiday season for a joyful weekend adventure. That event would refer to where the rubber meets the road.

At the same time, especially in this example, it’s also important to note when the event actually happens, because there’s also another important old saying to pay attention to: Timing is everything! As we fall back into autumn, the leaves on the trees aren’t the only things that are changing. The weather overall can change in an instant in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada’s. It can go from sunny and pleasant one minute to wet and wild the next.

With that being said, whether you’re taking your classic vintage vehicle or the family sedan up into the mountains for a well deserved weekend retreat, be sure that you’re ready for anything and everything that old man winter throws at you. We encourage you to check the condition of your wiper blades, belts, hoses and all fluids, especially your coolant.

Coolant condition is critical, which is why we strongly recommend regular coolant flushes. Under freezing conditions, expansion occurs and that expansion creates pressure, which can blow any number of coolant pipes or hoses. The engine block also has freeze plugs and under expansion, those plugs are designed to pop off to prevent catastrophic engine damage. If this happens, then all the fluid will drain out, along with your dreams of the perfect getaway as you wait along the side of the highway in a freezing blizzard for AAA to come save the day!

Of course, this article wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the actual rubber that separates your family from the wet, icy or snow covered asphalt that’s also known as Highway 50. With that said, be sure to carefully inspect the condition of your tires and don’t forget to pack your tire chains. While you’re at it, you might want to test fit them in your driveway at home before you go up. If you wait until the highway signs read “Snow chains required” and the men in the ski coats wave you to side of the road, you may end up getting soaked in more ways than you could imagine!   

Turn Your Phone Into A Water Resistant Beast!

By Alika Salazar

For those of you that have been the unfortunate victims of water damaged phones, I bring you good news! We recently invested in a new machine that makes mobile phones water resistant. This machine applies a thin layer called a nano-coating over the whole phone and it protects the entire device. This does not mean you can make your phone your new scuba buddy but it can help you protect it from water damage.

With this technology, if you accidentally drop your phone in water and get it out quickly enough, there’s a very good chance that your phone will not be damaged. With untreated phones, those kinds of incidents almost always result in water damage, which can lead to costly repairs or replacement.

This technology is now available for all mobile phones and down the road we plan to do ipads too. The nano-coating of each little ball that’s applied to the phone is about ten times smaller than the width of a human hair. It’s so small it doesn’t affect anything, so you can still charge your phone and do everything else as you normally would, except of course dial it (I’m kidding)!

It takes about 5 minutes to apply the nano-coating protective seal and around 30 minutes to dry. So, you could drop it off at the start of your lunch break, enjoy a tasty meal and then pick it up on your way back to work. The price to do all this is just $59, which is a lot less expensive and way more convenient than a repair and roughly 10% of the cost of buying a new phone!

I’m Not Losing My Hair I’m Gaining a Bald Spot

By Bob Cox

Growing up, my dad was my hero. He was a marine during WWII and he bravely fought the bad guys to ensure our freedom. He stood up for me more times than I could ever count and he was always there when I needed him most, which was all the time. One time when my best friend Vince and I got into another one of our infamously heated debates, I had to finally shut him down by saying that my dad even agreed with what I was saying. When he countered back by saying “Your dad isn’t always right”, I could only shake my head in disbelief and then reply, “Of course he’s always right, he’s my dad”!

I wanted to be so much like my dad, I even wished for a brief moment that I could have hair just like his. Fast forward three decades later and the diabolical jeannie that eavesdropped on those weird little thoughts granted that terrible wish! As my head of thick wavy brown hair gave way to the dreaded bald spot taking over the back of my skull, I had far too many moments of feeling distraught over such a plight.

Then, I got lucky and met a woman named Diana and she would change my life forever. A few years later, I married that woman, who also was my best friend and soul-mate. Every time I brought up my concerns over going bald, she emphasized that she didn’t care about that and loved me unconditionally. Each time I saw the love in her eyes and knew for certain she meant it. Over time, I realized that while I was losing hair in all the wrong places, I had actually gained something far more valuable than a humongous bald spot that would’ve made my dad proud: freedom from an unhealthy level of vanity.

Today, I have less hair than I did since I partied in a soggy diaper during my first birthday but I’ve never been happier. I think that’s because I’ve learned to take a lot more time to celebrate all the good things I’ve gained and a lot less time mourning the things I’ve lost. Maybe the wish I had all those years ago wasn’t such a terrible thing after all.

Transforming points of pain to pleasure

By Chris Barr

In its simplest terms, the decision to proceed with a kitchen or bath remodel is always made when the things you just can’t live with anymore outweigh the things you like about your existing home. Granite Transformations specializes in turning those points of pain (or fear) into points of pleasure! Things like this:

I hate the grout. Of course you do. It’s hard to keep clean and you worry about it being unsanitary. If you look at grout through a jeweler’s loupe, you can actually see the little creatures squirming around in there! The engineered surfaces of Granite Transformations are completely non-porous, so you can erase this one from your list of things to worry about. There simply aren’t any pores to collect bacteria or mold.

I hate looking like I still live in the Eighties. Yes, it’s probably time to change centuries – for your own happiness, and for the statement you’re making to your family and friends. The beautiful engineered surfaces from Granite Transformations are state-of-the-art: functional and gorgeous. Add in a backsplash or accent stripe from one of our exclusive artisan glass collections and suddenly you’ve got a highly functional work of art!

I’m tired of all the maintenance and mess. Your new Granite Transformations surfaces are basically zero-maintenance. You’ll never need to seal them or treat them with anything special, and they clean easily with just soap and water. And while we’re talking about mess, because we’re going to use your existing surface as the sub-top, you won’t have to live through several days of dusty demolition and strangers wandering in and out of your house. We do all the messy work and fabrication at our shop here in Rancho Cordova, rather than inside your home. As we say, done in a day and beautiful for life!

I don’t want to buy a product that’s made overseas. While it’s true that many of the advanced surfaces are manufactured in other parts of the world (including the most well-known quartz brands), the Granite Transformations surfaces are produced at our own factory in Sebring, Florida. In fact, all the Granite Transformations franchises around the world are supplied from right here in the USA.

And that’s just a quick taste of the many reasons you should consider having Granite Transformations help you update your home. To learn more, get your questions answered and see color samples right in the rooms you’re thinking about working on, call (916) 851-9745 for a completely free Design Consultation.

Health Epidemic: Chronic Inflimation

By Dr. Beth Blakely

Chronic inflammation is now a mass epidemic. I should know, as it’s one of the things that I’m seeing that’s impacting the lives of more and more of my patients.  A number of factors are driving this growing trend, including aging, diet, environment and stress. Chronic inflammation is nothing to be trifled with as it can lead to a number of serious health consequences down the road. It’s bad for our digestive system, our joints, our heart and our arteries, just to name a few.

What are the most common symptoms of chronic inflammation? Oftentimes, people have no idea that they are experiencing chronic inflammatory issues. Some people will have pain, which may be a sign that they have inflammation but many people have digestive inflammation for years and never know it.

In other cases, people have digestive issues that they’re aware of and some may perceive inflammation as joint pain or back pain. Why? Because an inflamed gut can cause a variety of neurological problems. Over 20 plus years of medical research bears this out. Dr. David Pernutter, an M.D. and Neurologist document’s this in his recent book Brain Maker.

There are just so many things that can set off chronic inflammation but a common culprit is a diet that’s high in inflammation. Inflammatory foods can cause serious problems, especially when consumed frequently over a number of years. The foods that cause the highest levels of inflammation include dairy products, beef, foods high in trans-fats, fried foods and sugar.

You want to stick to a natural diet that’s mostly based on fruits and vegetables, lean meats like chicken and fish, healthy fats, olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds. These foods are easier to digest and they don’t trigger the inflammatory response in our body the way unhealthy foods do. Our body reacts to it by creating this inflammation and can trigger an immune response.

If you go to the doctor with complaints, chances are good that your doctor will either issue you a prescription or an over-the-counter anti inflammatory medicine for inflammation. If this happens to you and you’re not content to merely cover up your symptoms, stop in and see us. I’ve researched the market extensively and have found a few extremely effective and affordable supplements that treat the root cause, without all the nasty side effects.

The Details of Detailing

By Bob Cox

Why is it that most businesses look so easy to operate on the customer’s side of the counter and then so difficult when you take just a few steps over to the other side? At least that’s been my experience, from all the part time jobs I held in school, along with a large number of interviews I’ve had with various business owners. Surely there has to be a business out there that’s as simple as it looks, like say car washing and detailing, right? Wrong again!

Here’s what I learned about the intricate details of detailing during a recent conversation with Gama Pedroza, Detail Manager for Carmichael Car Wash.

Q: Can you tell us about your detailing services here at Carmichael Car Wash?

A: Sure. We offer a variety of detailing packages, including headlight restoration, interior and exterior detailing and hard water spot removal. We even buff out most superficial scratches on your car. We work on all cars, SUV’s, trucks, RV’s and boats.

Q: Are you able to help some of your customers avoid the high cost of repainting their vehicles?

A: Yes, a lot of times people think they will need to repaint their car when it becomes extremely dull and oxidized. As long as the clear coat on the outside isn’t chipping or flaking off, we can usually restore the paint back to its original shape.

Q: Do the expensive clear coat protective packages offered by new car dealers really last for several years?

A: No. Right now they’re selling a gel coating for about $3,000 that’s supposed to prevent scratches and rock chips, but usually that’s not the case. Scratches and rock chips are going to happen, regardless of what product you apply to your car’s exterior.

Q: What do you do to insure the highest quality detail service possible?

A: I’m really picky with our detail jobs. Many cars, vans and SUV’s have little hidden areas, so I always start by blowing everything out with a high powered air compressor. The next step is shampooing the carpet and I’m really picky with that as well, because I want to get every little stain out. I use a variety of different products to get out specific spills, like coffee and soda but it usually takes more than one try to remove them. When it comes to cleaning the seats, the cleaners I use depend on the fabric. Leather seats are very tricky because leather is really sensitive and easy to damage.

Q: How long have you been detailing?

A: I’ve been detailing professionally for seven years. I learned several new tricks along the way by watching a number of different detailers. I’ve also earned several certificates from Meguiar’s Detail Training Courses. At first I was a little skeptical about detailing because it was a lot of work and studying, but I really love it now. I’ve even studied videos and have practiced on my car at home with all the products we use here at the shop.

Q: Are some cars more difficult to detail than others?

A: Yes, black cars are the toughest to detail. If you don’t buff them right, you will leave swirl marks around the car. It took me about a year and a half to learn how to professionally buff a black car. With all cars, you have to hold the buffer steady to avoid burning the paint or leaving swirl marks.

Q: What’s your most popular detailing package?

A: Our most popular is the interior detail package, because people like to thoroughly clean their cars after a number of outdoor summer activities. Another popular package is our headlight restoration, which is guaranteed for life by the manufacturer. We sand each lens down and apply a resin, which hardens and prevents oxidation from coming back. Not everyone can apply it though, because if you spray too much, you will leave permanent drip marks and if you sand too hard, you will leave scratch marks. There are lots of other headlight restoration products on the market, but they only last about three months. Our headlight restoration package is just $69.99 for both headlights and includes a free full service car wash. That’s about the same price as a do-it-yourself headlight kit.

Q: Do you have any other popular services?

A: Yes, we offer complete hard water spot removal. Once the sun bakes excess water into the paint, they harden and become nasty spots that will stay there for years, no matter how hard you wash or wax your car. We apply a special acid, which removes spots from every surface, including the windows, chrome and paint. I received training for this as well, because if you put too much on, it will damage the paint. After that, you will need to get the car waxed to provide a new protective coating. We charge $79.99 for hard water spot removal and then $25 more for a complete wax. Along with all of these detailing services, we offer a number of full service car washes in addition to our express drive through wash service.

Editor’s notes: For more information about Carmichael Car Wash, visit their facility at 6505 Fair Oaks Bl. in Carmichael, CA (Just north of Marconi Ave.). Their phone number is (916) 488-3274 and their website is www.yourcleanride.com