Friday, November 6, 2009

CertoPro Painters...5 STAR SERVICE

When was the last time you truly had 5 Star Service, and shouldn't you always receive 5 Star Service? We think you should and that is why we highly recommend Jerry and Deb Baker with CertaPro Painters of Plano. The Bakers understand what it takes to be the best, and they offer quality service and value at prices you can afford.

As Deb stated, "We offer free estimates for any interior or exterior residential, and small commercial jobs servicing the Plano zip codes. Our detailed estimates cover all aspects of the project so there are no surprises or hidden charges for our customers (much like Chapman!). Jerry brings his laptop to every estimate. The program and estimating process is pretty scientific, so the estimates are always consistent and fair. Proposals are delivered on the spot!


The CertaPro reputation is based on Certainty – your certainty of a job well done. We take pride in all our painting projects, and ensure you get a professional experience and a quality paint job. We strive for 5 out of 5 on our customer service ratings, and we do what it takes to earn it! A big part of our value proposition includes working with our customers to determine their 'living' needs. Our painters are respectful of the property and also the family routine, so if there is a better time to paint other than 8 - 5, we will do our best to accommodate. We're not the cheapest outfit out there, but we’re not the highest-priced either. We differentiate on quality, value, and service. We get great prices at Sherwin Williams because CertaPro is their biggest buyer nationwide!"


Something that is very impressive is the fact Jerry and Deb work around hectic schedules. As homeowners, they know what’s important when it comes to quality contracting. What a bonus!

For all your painting projects, call Jerry and Deb Baker/CertaPro Painters of Plano at 972.841.0245 or email jbaker@certapro.com

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

WHEN QUALITY IS A MUST...CALL THE BEST...FORGET THE REST

Having known Brent Taylor for almost 15 years, I can tell you first hand of what an excellent job he does cleaning carpets and floors. He has worked magic on our carpets when we just knew they were beyond cleaning. Brent had the carpet looking better than new.

Trust is vital when having people work in your home and we trust Brent and most importantly, our little Westie, Norman trusts him. He is honest, hard-working, dedicated and very affordable for the quality of work he does.  His customer's satisfaction is top priority.

So, when quality is a must, call QUALITY A MUST FLOOR RESTORATION.  Brent can be reached at 469.766.8150 or email btaylor194@verizon.net

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

SPARKLING POOLS

SPARKLING POOLS...KEEP YOURS THE ENVY OF YOUR NEIGHBORS!

Chapman Air and Heat is often asked by our customers if we know a good plumber, electrician, carpet cleaner, pool cleaner, pet sitter and the list goes on. When we get the opportunity to refer someone, you can rest assuredly we will only recommend the best.

The folks at Mirror Image Pool & Spa have been keeping pools pristine for many years. Having known the Owners for years, Chapman can attest to their honest reputation and quality of work. The excellent service they provide fits well within any budget.

Visit their website http://www.mirrorimagepools.com/ or call Amanda at 214.718.8123.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Profit or Non-Profit

Is Business for Profit Immoral??
Some folks from the left believe that capitalism and for profit businesses are immoral in nature. With the President encouraging public service, many of our college professors are voting for the leftist candidates and many of our youth are seeking not for profit jobs. At first glance, working for the government or non profits seems like a noble cause but could there be a more cynical political agenda at work here? Are community organizations the missionaries for the new Church of Government?

Executive Pay at Non-Profits in Question (UPI.com) Sept. 1, 09
A nonprofit organization (NPO) is an organization that does not distribute its’ surplus funds to owners or shareholders, but instead uses them to help pursue its’ meaningful goals. The amount of money a lot of these NPO executives are paid is in conflict with what most of us believe an NPO should stand for. For example: Sol Pelavin, Chief Executive Officer of AIR was paid $1.1 million and Stephen Moseley, President of AED, said his salary was $879,530. Both of these NPOs received taxpayer’s money from USAID… which is the United States Federal Government organization responsible for most non-military foreign aid with a budget of $39.5 billion dollars.

I would like to suggest that neither businesses nor profits are immoral. It is people and people without accountability which are more likely to become corrupt. With the non-profits becoming the fastest growing lobbyist in Washington receiving your donations through taxation, would you have chosen these charitable organizations? Is it moral that these non-profits and public service jobs be 8-20 times greater than the median annual household income of $50,233?

What’s your take on all this?

Thursday, September 3, 2009

All Work and No Play Makes...Charlie!

My dad will celebrate his 80th birthday next month. I would say he is not your typical senior citizen. He has always been an a/c technician by trade. He started way back when most folks didn’t even have central a/c and heat in their homes. Some have called him a master at his trade. He is, in general a very handy guy who can do a little bit of everything. He’s one of those guys whose children will proclaim “my dad can fix anything.”


He was never into sports or hobbies. No golf, no fishing, no NASCAR, nothing like that. His leisure activities consisted of work, work, and more work. He was always working on something. If you wanted to have a conversation with him you would speak to his back or sometimes his backside; as he usually had his head stuck inside some piece of equipment, like a furnace or something. Mind you, I am not complaining. As I was raising my son as a single mom I could always count on him for any and all household emergencies; plumbing backups, and broken windows, whatever. Whenever anything went awry, I called Dad.

One spring, I got the idea to relocate my water heater to make more space in my kitchen. I had only to mention the idea to Dad and the next thing you know, he shows up with his tools, ready to go. Of course, I was thrilled, but I had no idea what I was asking him to do. I knew that the crawl space was somewhat confining; but as I watched my dad disappear below floor level I stuck my head in the opening and watched as he inched his way toward the other side of the house I realized this was not going to be a walk in the park for him. I watched as his work light got smaller and smaller and when I could no longer see him, I began to panic. I thought “what if he gets stuck down there, what if a gas line explodes, what if a snake bites him.” So I called out to him “Dad, are you ok?” no answer, “Dad, are you ok?” louder this time, no answer, “DAD!!” Even though his reply “yeah” sounded very muffled and far away, his tone implied “why are you yelling?” Still, being the worrier that I am, I felt it necessary to walk around knocking on the floor to locate exactly where he was under the floor “just in case.”

When he finally emerged hours later declaring that the hard part was done, I was relieved. I told myself I would never ask my dad to put himself in such peril again! I told him as much and he just kind of chuckled and said there was no danger, but he admitted it did make his back kind of sore and he might be a little too old to work like that anymore.

He didn’t mean it. That was about ten years ago and he’s still working. He loves it; it’s how he’s made. Charlie, that’s what I call him at work, still reports to Chapman Air & Heat every morning, where he worked as a commercial service technician until last year. Nowadays, he takes care of maintenance around our shop, picks up parts and equipment. When asked if he is ever going to retire, he says he believes if stops working, he stops living. Look for him around the shop on any given day and you may find yourself addressing his backside as he stands on a ladder with his head stuck in the ceiling working on ductwork or re-wiring something. As I said, he’s not your typical senior citizen.

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Canning and Family Mealtime...A Dying Art

I grew up watching my Mom and other female family members can. We had a big garden in our back yard, full of fresh vegetables and fruits. I loved picking the vegetables and helping my Mom prepare the veggies for canning and watching her can tomatoes, okra, green beans, pickles, corn, potatoes, turnip greens, beets, squash and most of all, sand plum jelly. In some areas, they are referred to as wild plums. Regardless, there is no better jelly and this was the only jelly served in our house and...is still the only jelly made and served to my family. My children grew up eating it and my grandchildren are eating it. Makes the very best peanut butter and jelly sandwiches!

When canning, Mom was in rare form. Every tool needed was sterilized, in place and ready to go. She reminded me of an artist carefully painting on canvas. She loved growing, canning and preparing the food. She grew up on a farm with a big garden, chickens, cattle and pigs and all their food was home grown.  She helped her Mom can, her grandmother canned and canning was part of their everyday life and they loved it!

Today, I know very few baby boomers, besides myself, who can and lots of us grew up with canning in the family. Recently a vistor at my house noticed all the canned jelly, jellin' and curiously asked what that was. He was from the Northeast and said he had never seen homemade jelly or tasted it. He was curious as to how I made it. I gave him a jar and he asked me the best way to eat it! The only jelly he was familiar with was Welch's Grape. That is NOT jelly!

In the day, canning was truly a family affair. The flavorful results kept family members together at mealtime. The family actully looked forward to mealtime and every bite was savored. Perhaps family mealtime today can be considered a dying "art" as well. In today's hurry up and get me fed society, we are really missing the mark on how enjoyable sitting down with the family for dinner can be. When's the last time you heard, "what's for supper"?

Give canning a try...you don't have to have a bountiful garden, just go you your local Farmer's Market, buy the fresh veggies and fruits and let the canning begin!

Beloved Family Dog Dies While Being Groomed

Daisy, my little 6 year old "niece dog" died tragically at the hands of the groomer last month. She walked in a happy healthy little Bichon and within a few hours was dead. The groomer called my S-I-L and told her to meet her at the vet's but no explanation as to why. When SIL arrived, Daisy was dead and the groomer was not answering any questions. The vet said Daisy was overheated by the dryer.

All questions asked as to what happened have gone unanswered but will soon be answered when the groomer has to go to court. Since Daisy can't "bark" for herself, she will have her day in court. Our beloved pets are not property, they are precious family members. My SIL and family are heartbroken. For those who have lost a beloved pet, you know the sadness experienced. It is horrible...in this case, how long did Daisy suffer before she died.

The groomer never called my SIL stating she was sorry, absolutely nothing. Groomers need to be held accountable. If it was a true accident, she should have said that the minute Daisy fell ill. Her cold silence has said plenty. 

Please check out your groomer even if you have been using the same one for years. Do they have a medical emergency plan? Are cameras installed so you can see how your pet is being handled?  Have you ever had reason to think your dog was mistreated by the way he/she acted when you picked them up OR how do they acted when you drop them off?  Some of the best advise I was given when reading up on tragic stories like this and there were numerous stories around the country about deaths such as Daisy's, is to check to see if your vet offers grooming and if so, take your special friend there.

Think of Daisy next time you take your dog to the groomer. If they are not willing to show you around, explain exactly how your dog is groomed, dryed, etc. LEAVE!

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

When does a hobby become work?

When does a hobby become work?  When does a game become a sport?  When do parents lose the ability to enjoy watching their children at play and become obsessed with winning?  If players play, and coaches coach, what are parents responsible for?  I say it is the encouragement of all!  I have coached peewee football on and off for years now and I tell you that it’s getting worse.  Because a child is talented in a sport at the age of 10 does that make him a star or merely athletically talented?  Parents today have convinced their young children that excelling at a sport makes them uniquely talented, above discipline, and above the rules.   Time and again, I hear that as long as little Johnny shows up on game a day, that is all that matters.  As a coach and parent I say, “NO!” I started playing football 25 years ago and the first thing I heard from a coach was “Exhaustion breeds discipline. Get used to being tired”. 

As a star athlete in my youth I can tell you that I didn’t know I was a star until years later. This was due to the fact that no one singled me out.  I worked as hard and ran as much as anyone else on the team and talking back was not an option!  As the years go by parents are worried less about the life lessons that can be taught through sports and more about does my child get to be the star.  Less than 1% of children that play sports will go on to become professional.  I say to the parents, “Relax and enjoy”.  Your children will be done with sports soon enough.  Encourage the life lessons, stop the complaining, and let kids be kids.  Remember, your children will learn more from the way YOU act then they ever will from a coach.  So the next time you start to complain ask yourself, “Is this how I want little Johnny to act?”


Coach Croom

Monday, August 24, 2009

A "Fishy Story" by Tom Hasselschwert



It is 4:23 AM—the alarm was set for 5:00 AM—I can’t wait for the morning to get here—I turn off the clock alarm, I peak out the window to see how strong the wind is blowing the trees around-----just a hint of a breeze----perfect---this should be a great morning on the water---I rub the sleep out of my eyes and brew a pot of coffee, I’m ready! The boat is already hitched to the truck from the night before—I load up my rods and my thermos of coffee and I leave the house at 4:52, proud that I was able to pull away before the original 5:00 AM wake up time.

The streets are quiet and empty—just he way I like ‘em—I head straight to the boat ramp and slowly back down the ramp. I ease the boat trailer into the water, being extra careful not to make a big splash. That slight breeze a minute ago has faded to barely a whisper and the water in the cove appears to be glass in the pale, fading moonlight. I slowly motor the boat to the dock and tie it off and allow it top idle and warm up as I park the truck and empty trailer.

As I start back toward the dock and my idling boat, my walk seems to slow and I find myself fast walking, almost a run to get in the boat, I settle in and push off the dock. At just idle speed, I head away from the dock and cross back over the ramp, at this time I start to survey where my first cast should be. Then I hear a familiar sound, my bilge pump has turned on and has started pumping out water! In my haste I forgot one important step; the drain plug for the bottom of the boat. I throw the throttle into neutral and grab a flashlight. I find the loose plug and the hole it should be in; reunite the two and we are in business again.

As the moon fades away the sun starts to slowly glow in the distance. This a great time to catch fish; especially bass---bass love eating breakfast and I love serving them.

See bass are the fish that eat other fish. They like to hide out and wait for smaller fish and other swimming prey to venture close enough to make it worth their effort. The larger the bass the less chasing it will be willing to do! In my short years of battling with these elusive creatures, I’ve noticed the largest catches I’ve made have been very close to “cover”. In the bass business, “cover” is anything that the fish can hide in, around, under or near. I look for cover-----------

To be Continued next week....


Tom is our Residential Sales Expert here at Chapman Air & Heat. Besides being an excellent fisherman, he is also a darn good writer. So, we asked Tom to write us a couple of "fishy" stories which we will be publishing over the coming weeks. Little did we know that he was going to go out and start a full fledged series. Ahh well, there again is that over-achieving spirit we have come to expert here a Chapman Air & Heat. If you have your own fishy stories, please let us know, or write a comment on this article.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Family Pet Friendly Company-Pets Need to be Comfortable, too!

Don't let you beloved pet suffer during the hot Texas days. Chapman provides priority service for our very important family members. Call (214) 340-4999 to find out how we can keep your ENTIRE family comfortable.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Facebook, Twitter and youTube

Chapman Air and Heat can now be found almost anywhere on the internet. We are now on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. This is all in an effort to bring you the most up-to-date information about the services we offer. Chapman Air and Heat has been servicing the Dallas and surrounding area since 1981, and we have a reputation of being friendly, couteous and professional.
Try us out, and see if we will not surpass your expectations.

YouTube
Facebook
Twitter

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

EPA to Phase out R-22 Refrigerant

EPA to Phase out R-22 Refrigerant

Are you ready for the phase-out of freon (R-22) for your home’s air conditioner?
If not and you are thinking about replacing your equipment, here is some helpful information:

Most existing air conditioners that are 5 years old or older use R-22, which was commonplace. As of January 2010, equipment manufacturer’s can no longer make air conditioning units that require R-22. There will be a supply of R-22 to use for servicing existing equipment until 2020. The newer environmentally friendly freon, 410A, has been used for several years but now it is government mandated this will be the freon used for residential air conditioning units.

As a consumer, you will be limited on what type of equipment you can use in your home if you are not aware of the guidelines. For important information, please go to the EPA website or visit our website www.chapmanair.com