A Day in the Life of Molly, The Shop Dog

Hi I’m Molly! Be sure to check out my video below!!

I’m an 8 year old Black Lab- German Shorthaired Pointer- Plott Hound Mix and was rescued as a puppy by Rosie. I was found with my brothers and sisters in a box on the side of the freeway, and was brought to a local rescue! Rosie didn’t pick me; I picked her by sitting in her lap, and the rest is history!

I love to play ball, go swimming, hike and play with my human little brother, dig and splash in my kiddie pool, and I LOVE going to work with my mom and dad. I used to have to stay home or go to doggy daycare when they would work, but now that they have their own automotive repair shop, every day is bring your (doggy) kid to work day! I hear that there are a few of us shop dogs in the area, it’s a big job!

I have very important work to do during the day too!

I help check in deliveries from the parts vendors (some even give me treats to thank me)

I hang out with my dad and remind him its important to take a little break from time to time and play ball to de-stress

I keep watch from behind the gate to make sure there are no stranger-dangers

I watch the shop from my comfy couch while Dad checks in clients and handles the office tasks

I go get lunch with Mom and sometimes she sneaks me some of Dad’s to-go food before we get back.

I take a long nap in the afternoon in my own room to make sure i have lots of energy to play ball later after-hours

Sometimes I hear people ask about me and want to meet me while they are waiting for their service, so I make sure to smile and wag my tail a lot and show off my latest bandanas.

And after work Dad and I rest on my couch and I get lots of love!

Here at Buck Family Automotive, we love the bond we have with each other, our dog included. Molly keeps the morale high around here, and enjoys her days as a shop dog. We keep her away from all Client areas, but we are always happy to bring you to her to say hi if you want! Enjoy our short video below (make sure your sound is ON) to see a day in the life of Molly!

6 Steps to Survive Working From Home… With Your Spouse… 24/7!

Words of wisdom (and a lot of trial and error) from your friendly “mom and pop” auto shop.

With the current state of the world with COVID-19, and the new norm of social isolation, many of you are entering the work-from-home lifestyle WITH your spouse/partner having to do the same thing. Whether you have 600 sqft of space to share or 3,000 sqft of space, these are some great tips to try to make the coming days or months bearable and maaaaybe enjoyable!

A little about us: we are a local modern “mom and pop” auto repair facility (meaning it’s just myself and my husband that work here) and we had to dive in head first from having no workplace overlap to spending literally all day every day together. By no means should this be an easy transition for you, so don’t get frustrated if you are on the beginning days of isolation and ready to pull your hair out. 

Step 1:

Designate Separate Work Areas/ Offices

When we first sat down today to write this article we brainstormed what we do that “works” and this was the first one we said in unison. You may be tempted to run to the communal kitchen table or fold out the spare card table in your existing home office, but we believe it is important to designate separate rooms/ areas to conduct business. When we first opened doors, we shared a 10ft x 10 ft area with his computer and my laptop, and within a week we were arguing. With the intimate nature of social isolation, embrace some continued independence. Keep your home office as it is and have one of you head to the kitchen, or set up the card table in the living room. 

Step 2:

Allow each other to keep their workspace how you each see fit.

Like most gals, I enjoy my trips to Target and buy the cute notepads and binders, and try my best to keep my desk orderly and organized. And like most guys, my husband tries to find every cord possible and just lay them out for the world to see, and has a desk full of crumbled stickie notes that don’t even make sense, and his latest freebie knick knacks. Now, I could easily tell him his dust collectors are indeed dust collectors, and that his notes looks like garbage and by the way shouldn’t you write a bit neater? And he could tell me that my notepads are a waste of money and try and *help* me with my charging cables by adding extension cord number 3 across the room because its “practical.” See where I’m going with this? Let each other maintain their “workspace normalcy” during this very abnormal time. 

Step 3:

Learn each other’s Workplace Mode and Social Interaction Style.

This one is a big one and the biggest source of our arguments. As a couple, you hear every day all day that communication is crucial to the success of your relationship. How you socially interact at work may be far different than how your partner interacts. AND it may be very different to how you both interact with each other outside of work. I believe we all have a work mode and play mode and a work self and play self.

 As an example: Jeff, my husband, loves aimless chatter while he works on repairing vehicles so he can stay focused on work while also not feeling isolated. I took his chatter as we can have discussions while he works as well. Nope. There is a difference. Once I learned he appreciated more lighthearted quick conversations during work and to keep the bigger discussions to when he could devote more attention it lead to better outcomes. I am the multi-tasking type where I would rather keep working and be answering phone calls while checking inventory while also making a to-do list… and I like to work fast. Before Jeff realized this is just his wife in work mode, he misunderstood my working fast for being stressed and frantic and my multi-tasking for being overwhelmed. 

Maybe you are very serious at work, and your spouse may interpret that as you are angry with them. Or maybe your spouse seems like they are tuning you out, but they just can’t handle distractions. Learn and observe each other’s work mode and don’t be afraid to let each other know how you like to socialize during work hours. 

Step 4:

Implement Work Hours with a Grace Period.

Working from home has its many advantages but the biggest disadvantage is how time passes too quickly due to interruptions. Many people who start to work from home seem to say, “Gosh I was going to finish that client report, but then the mail lady came by earlier so i had to run my letter out to her and then my child decided he didn’t want to nap for a half hour and then my dog threw up, and now I’m an hour behind.” This is your new reality so adjust your schedule accordingly. This prevents tempers from flaring too or blaming each other for falling behind. 

Because it’s just us two running our repair facility we do not have extra hands to step in when distractions happen and they do, so we learned to schedule our day to give us the advantage to NOT fall behind. If you think a task or project takes  you 40 minutes to complete, give yourself the full hour on your daily schedule. Or give yourself an extra break in the day that you can use up if needed if you fall behind, so you are always capable of finishing your day strong. 

It is crucial to create a schedule for yourself. I see all over the internet parents trying to figure out how to give your kids a schedule to keep them stimulated if they are stuck at home, but don’t forget yourself. Try your best to not wing each day, but give yourself time slots to balance work, play, chores, and relaxation. And maybe its best if possible to stagger your work schedules so you can divide and conquer. Jeff is in the shop while I’m in the office, and I do my shop chores while Jeff is catching up on paperwork in the office. This not only helps with separate work spaces listed above, it also keeps us from interrupting or distracting each other. 

Step 5

Take Breaks Together

One area I suggest you align is your break schedule. Take breaks together, whether its the two of you or your pet or your children. Allow each other to just enjoy relaxation together and be a family and be the couple you were before you had responsibility. It seems like life is slowing down for the current time and take the extra time we all have to get some fresh air, laugh, and play. Don’t discuss work during this time unless you want to, but try to leave work at your “workplace.”

Step 6:

Hug it out!

Don’t roll your eyes yet! It works. Jeff was the one to suggest this addition to our list and I rolled my eyes, but he’s right. It does work. We all love our partner right? Sometimes after a day of trial and error and bickering all day, you just need to let out a big sigh, shake it off, and embrace each other. Exchange those feel good hormones and give each other a big hug after a hard day. Things are hard. And stressful. And it’s okay. We all need a hug right now, so don’t forget your partner. One last thing that fits here: apologize. Pick your battles, and during this stressful time, just allow yourself to apologize when needed. 

Extra Credit:

Learn Your Love Language Together!

Have you heard about the 5 Love Languages? In the most basic explanation of the theory: Gifts (“Here is a surprise gift”), Words of Affirmation (“Thank you for taking good care of us”), Acts of Service (“ I cooked your favorite meal tonight”), Quality Time (Going for a walk together), and Physical Touch (Hugging it out!) are all primary “languages” we all speak and enjoy the most in relationships, and we generally favor one over another. If you haven’t considered looking into this, we suggest you do! If anything, it's a fun activity since we are all cooped up these days. We had learned our love languages (Jeff’s is Quality Time and mine is Words of Affirmation) years ago, but when we started working alongside each other it was important to reevaluate our love languages and brush up on ways to “speak” each other’s language. To learn more about this head to the 5 Love Languages website here, or order the book online. 

Working from home isn’t a death sentence and being alongside with your partner can be an enjoyable bonding experience if done right. We don’t claim to know it all and we definitely have our days where all of this goes out the window, but we have survived 24/7 togetherness thus far and hope to continue to do so.

Want to learn more about our “mom and pop” auto repair facility and support our small family?

Explore our website and schedule an appointment for your vehicle!

Call or text us anytime for an appointment or if you need to vent about working from home with your spouse, we can try and help with that too! 

916-767-4120

Buck Family Automotive

7637 Fair Oaks Boulevard 

Suite 1

Carmichael, CA 95608

Open Monday- Friday 8:00am-6:00pm

Saturdays 10:00-6:00

Sundays 12:00-4:00pm

9 Ways to Make your Vehicle a Flu-Free Zone

With cold and flu season upon us, and the current Coronavirus State of Emergency, we are very aware of the germs that are coming at us from all directions, but have you thought about your vehicle? We have to be vigilant when it comes to eliminating germs, and your vehicle is one of the most frequently-touched surfaces in our day-to-day life. In fact, if you were to put bathroom germ samples next to car samples, they’d probably look very similar. In a recent study in the U.K., microbiologists randomly tested 25 cars. They checked both the interiors and the trunks, and found that the average vehicle contained around 285 types of bacteria in every square inch of the interior. 

Now that we have grossed you out, here are 9 ways you can make your vehicle a flu-free zone. 

1. Car Keys

Becoming germ-free starts with your keys. Car keys get placed on many different surfaces, are held every day, and if you have a toddler like we do, they are chewed on from time to time. Make sure to wipe down your keys with a disinfectant wipe and allow them to fully dry before using them in your vehicle. We also suggest limiting your key chain to only what is necessary; the less surface space, the less germs your keys can carry. 

2. Steering Wheel

Common sense dictates that the highest concentration of germs would be on the items you touch most frequently, and we hope you are keeping both hands on your steering wheel when you drive! A steering wheel is actually the breeding ground for over 11 times more bacteria than a public toilet! Research has proved that a typical steering wheel had an average of 700 kinds of bacteria compared to the 60 types found on a public toilet seat. Yikes! So, what can we do? For leather steering wheels, make sure you are using a leather-safe cleaning product. A mild disinfecting wipe or baby wipe should do the trick, make sure you spot-check first. 

3. Everywhere else you touch

Consider your center consoles, dashboards, arm rests and instruments faces (including the speedometer, stereo, and climate control areas, where many people cough and directly sneeze into), all handles, power switches and door storage areas, windows, mirrors, cup holders, etc. Seeing the surfaces of the interior of your vehicle in list form starts to make you realize why your vehicle is a hub for germs! Here are the steps we recommend when disinfecting these surfaces:

1. Remove any objects like drinks, spare coins, etc before cleaning 

2. Wipe down all non-fabric surfaces with a disinfectant wipe. We recommend wipes over watery-sprays so you don’t have excess liquid pooling into cracks and possibly damaging your electrical system. If you do need to use a liquid, please spray into a microfiber cloth directly and then use the cloth to wipe down the surfaces

3. Aerosol disinfectants mists are a way to disinfect interior spaces because they kill germs that you might miss during your wipe-down from the previous step. Aerosol mists can disinfect all the hard-to-reach spots in your car, like the nooks and crannies around the seats and center console that you can’t reach with disinfecting wipes. So, do a spray down of your surfaces (without over spraying) and the wipe dry with a micro-fiber cloth. 

A study conducted by the Healthy House Institute tested 11 areas inside 100 vehicles across the U.S. The number one site for bacteria? Food spills. Numbers two and three on the list were the dashboard and cup holders. Not surprisingly, family vans had the highest germ count.

4. Deep Clean your vehicle

After disinfecting all of your vehicle interior surfaces, we recommend having the interior of your car cleaned. Vacuuming the carpets, the floors, the seats will help eliminate germs that have been tracked in from shoes, purses, objects, etc. Another great option to make cleaning easier is to invest in machine-washable seat covers. This allows you to throw the covers in the washing machine frequently and have clean seats.

5. Throw the children away

Okay, we joke! But really; one study found that children’s car seats contain more germs than toilet seats. They found an astounding 100 bacteria per square centimeter on car seats; toilets only had 10 – 50 bacteria per square centimeter. Make sure you are frequently cleaning and disinfecting car seats, sip cups, washing vehicle blankets, toys, etc. Being parents of a toddler, we know its so easy to let kids have their “car toys” and keep their tablets in the car, but make sure you clean them frequently! Even if you can’t clean all of the items all the time, any cleaning is better than none. 

6. Keep your car stocked with disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer.

If you are like most people that tend to forget to clean the car (or don’t have time), it will help you to keep cleaning items on hand. If you do a quick wipe down of frequently used surfaces at the end of each day, it will help the spread of germs. Also, before you drive or use your vehicle, make sure you have clean hands. Anything helps!

7. Clean your Air Vents

Germs love to hide in small, dark, hard-to-reach spaces like car vents. Our next step discusses cabin air filters, but it is important to clean your air vent openings. We recommend to spray a high-quality disinfectant spray/mist directly into the vents for a couple of seconds and, before you drive your vehicle, allow it to dry and run your air system for a couple of minutes to allow the spray to circulate and dissipate. 

8. Replace your Cabin Air Filter

A closed circuit of air allows germs and spores to contaminate your vehicle and the dark, warm environment within the plenums of the ventilation system is the perfect  breeding ground for germs and bacteria. It is important that you have a clean cabin air filter while you are using your AC system because while it doesn’t explicitly filter out viruses or bacteria that can get you sick, keeping the air in your car’s AC clean is always a good idea. We recommend changing your cabin air filter every 15-30k miles, but we also inspect your cabin air filters during your routine oil changes. 

9. Let Nature Help!

We don’t know about you guys, but we love to play music while we drive, and tend to keep our windows up to not bother other drivers. That being said, stale, stagnant air can be a breeding grounds for viruses and bacteria, so make sure you detox the air in your vehicle frequently. A simple thing like rolling down your windows can make a big difference in the air quality within your car. We recommend the next time you are going on a long drive during nice weather, roll the windows down, and allow the natural air to circulate through your car. Also, the next time you are hanging out in front of your home, open all the car doors and let some air through. 

It is really impossible to make anything “germ free,” but we assure you that these steps will help reduce the germs in your vehicle. We not only want to keep your vehicles in good health, but our clients as well! If you need assistance with replacing your cabin air filter, or have any other vehicle maintenance, repairs, or services needed please call or text us today for an appointment at (916) 767-4120 . 

We are so proud to be Sacramento’s Asian vehicle specialists for Auto Repair and Service and are an honest, family-run shop, giving you quality service with family values. We can be found at 7637 Fair Oaks Boulevard, Suite 1, Carmichael, CA 95608. You can find out more information about us at www.BuckFamilyAutomotive.com or on facebook at www.Facebook.com/BuckFamilyAutomotive 

Cited:

https://science.howstuffworks.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/how-can-your-cars-air-conditioner-reduce-germs.htm

https://www.marthastewart.com/1527456/clean-car-interior-like-a-pro

http://www.fosteringconnections.co.uk/fostering-manchester/child-car-seats-germs-toilet-seat/

https://abcnews.go.com/Health/ColdandFluNews/story?id=5892245

https://blog.getspiffy.com/keeping-the-flu-out-of-your-car