I remember when my oldest child was taking driver's education, eagerly anticipating the day she’d have that license in her hand. To her, it meant freedom. To me, it meant additional worrying. She excitedly drove us everywhere so she could accumulate the needed hours behind the wheel. She drove in the city, including downtown Chicago, in the country with lots of 2 and 4-way stops and everywhere in between. I was a lot more relaxed with the next two children getting their licenses. As a mom, I understand when someone has their vehicle checked over to make sure it’s safe and reliable because they have a new driver in the house. I understand that feeling of apprehension. You're handing the keys of a 2000 pound piece of metal with an engine to a 16 year old. There's not much scarier than that. You hope that your child remembers all the things you told them about good decisions. Don't text and drive; don't have too many friends in your car; don’t speed; don’t drink and drive; and don’t ride ... read more

Working in the world of auto repair changes your perspective. If you’re a car person, you may know all the working parts of the car. You may even know how to do some repairs yourself. In the past, it wasn’t unusual to have people in their garage giving their vehicle a tuneup or changing the brake pads. With the advanced technology in today’s vehicles, it is becoming more difficult to do your own work. If you work on cars every day, train on the new technology you’ll be repairing, and invest in the tools needed, you recognize the cost of repairs is increasing. You also recognize with all the new fun technology; the cost will keep increasing. When I had my Ford Aerostar when my children were young, I had one sliding door. It slid when I pulled the handle and yanked the door open. No buttons to push. No gently gliding, light-weight door. Opening that door while holding a toddler was just part of being a mom in the 80’s and 90’s. The thing is, that was the only option to have a van door op ... read more