Life is a Highway...

Spring break is officially upon us!  According to the news and probably because of the current state of our economy, many of you are planning road trips to accommodate your travel needs.  What is the most important aspect to consider when planning a roadtrip?  Music, of course.  With the help of www.jetpack.com, we've compiled a list of songs that will make your road trip fly by!

25. Livin’ on a Prayer – Bon Jovi (4:11)
24. Runnin’ Down a Dream – Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers (4:23)
23. Already Gone – Eagles (4:18)
22. Drive My Car – Drive My Car (2:25)
21. Free Ride – Edgar Winter Group (3:17)
20. Magic Carpet Ride – Steppenwolf (4:27)
19. Here I Go Again – Whitesnake (4:36)
18. Holiday Road – Lindsey Buckingham (3:11)
17. Hit the Road Jack – Ray Charles (1:57)
16. Up Around the Bend – Creedence Clearwater Revival (2:41)
15. Start Me Up – The Rolling Stones (3:33)
14. Everyday Is a Winding Road – Sheryl Crow (4:16)
13. I Can’t Drive 55 – Sammy Hagar (4:12)
12. Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen (4:29)
11. Take the Long Way Home – Supertramp (5:08)
10. Roam – The B-52′s (4:57)
9. Go Your Own Way – Fleetwood Mac (3:38)
8. Baba O’Riley – The Who (5:08)
7. Free Bird – Lynyrd Skynyrd (9:09)
6. Highway to Hell – AC/DC (3:28)
5. I’ve Been Everywhere – Johnny Cash (3:19)
4. On the Road Again – Willie Nelson (2:32)
3. Born to Be Wild – Steppenwolf (3:30)
2. I Get Around – The Beach Boys (2:14)
1. Life Is a Highway – Rascal Flatts (4:37)

We have also gathered some helpful tips we've found online for you as you prepare to make some fun road memories this spring break:

·        Get your car checked before you go: Make sure that your car is in the best shape to handle all elements that come along with travel. By getting your car looked at before you go, you can save time, money and ensure the safety of all your travelers. Take the time to do this and you won’t regret it.

·        First aid/Car kit:  Make sure that you have an auto first aid kit made for readily available in your car. Regardless if your fellow road warriors are accident prone or not, it’s a good idea to have one.  From Band-Aids to motion sickness medicine to light sticks, these kits make you ready and able for any situation that may arise while you are on the road!  They are fairly inexpensive and won’t take up much room.

·        Hungry hippos: Even if you’re taking a short trip, it’s a good idea to pack some snacks: both perishable and non-perishable items. Even with smart phones and GPS systems, it's best to be prepared.

·        Don’t advertise your travels: With the popularity of facebook and other social media outlets, people are becoming increasing more likely and comfortable announcing their travel plans than ever before. Avoid doing this; when seemingly harmless information is put into the wrong hands, it’s no longer harmless.  Instead, wait to share the news of your travels when you get back and show off pictures and tell any memories you might have made.  This is the kind of information people want and should know about your travels.

Happy roadtripping!

Home Sweet Home:

This past weekend Lawrence Hall Abilene once again participated in the Abilene Home Builders “Home and Garden Expo” at the Abilene Civic Center!  We wanted to do things a bit differently this year and decided to have an overall theme for our booth and help people think about cars a little differently!  Here is how we go their attention: 

Yep, that’s right!  If you are lucky enough to retire at 65, you will finish your working years logging over 70,000 hours in a car.  Most people don’t realize how much time is actually spent in their car; it’s so important to find one that works for your lifestyle.  And THAT is what our sales staff is trained to do: find the best vehicle for your lifestyle, budget and future.   We feel strongly that people no longer view cars as a means to take them from point A to point B; there are now real personal needs that we must try and meet for our customers.  We don’t sell them a car; we provide them with a home away from home!

People appreciated our unique view this year and rewarded us with first place in the “Multiple Booth Space” category!  We wanted to give a big thanks to Mankin & Sons for provided our “garden bed” and other lovely plants for our space.  Visit their greenhouse and specialty shop at 4002 Nth First and their website at www.mankinandsons.com.

Lawrence Hall Difference.

I've already spoken on this blog about how happy I am to work at a place like Lawrence Hall and how impressed I am that everyone truly works together to make each customers experience the best it can be.  Apparently I am not the only one who has noticed...

"Dear Mr. Hall,

You are to be complimented for having the most customer friendly business in Abilene.  Over the past 20 years I've had the pleasure of purchasing 4 vehicles from your new and used car departments.  Each time I was treated with the utmost respect and yours sales staff and finance staff went out of their way to make my experience pleasant and satisfying.

Today I had the pleasure of dealing again with your parts and service department.  My clicker had died on my 2004 Chevrolet Trailblazer I purchased at the end of June, 2010.  I wish I had the names of your staff that assisted me that day, but I don't.  They all went out of their way to be sure the clicker was dead before selling me a new one and programming it to my car.

Having had two careers in the customer service field and having taught customer service skills, I appreciate good service when it is given.  Whatever your philosophy has been for your employees is evident with every experience I have with your company.  Thank you.

Sincerely,
Colette McCloskey"

Special thanks to Colette for taking the time to write to us on her experience and allowing us to post her letter, in its entirety.   Visit http://www.lawrencehall.com/ to see our service department information and check out our facebook page at www.facebook.com/lawrencehallabilene

Winter-not so-Wonderland.

Abilene and our surrounding communities have not had too much bad and wintery weather these past few months.  Here in West Texas we just haven’t had much to complain about!  But tomorrow's winter weather advisory will leave a lot to be desired when we're driving all around Abilene.  Check out these helpful tips for driving in the snow:

• Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids. Don't try to get moving in a hurry. And take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
• Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, turning - nothing happens as quickly as on dry pavement. Give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly.
• The normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
• Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, the best way to stop is threshold breaking. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
• Don't stop if you can avoid it. There's a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.
• Don't power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads just starts your wheels spinning. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed downhill as slowly as possible.
• Don't stop going up a hill. There's nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.
• Stay home. If you really don't have to go out, don't. Even if you can drive well in the snow, not everyone else can. Don't tempt fate: If you don't have somewhere you have to be, watch the snow from indoors.

With this weather, school closings and late starts are inevitable.  Check websites like www.KTXS.com or www.bigcountryhomepage.com  for information.  If you have a smart phone, Big Country Homepage has an app for easier and faster updates, right to your phone.  Check it out here:  http://bit.ly/hrcYyd 

As always, drive carefully and be safe! 

January Events for Lawrence Hall Abilene

This past January, Lawrence Hall Abilene had some fun community opportunities.  Several of our employees worked the phones for the West Texas Rehab Center Telethon.  Calling people for 3 hours in the middle of the week can seem daunting to just about everyone, but our employees agreed across the board that it was very rewarding.  The telethon was an outstanding success and we are happy to have been a part of it!  For more info, click here:  http://bit.ly/gxMf4x   

"Working the West Texas Rehab Telethon really reaffirmed to me that there are people out there who are willing to provide hope and encouragement for others.  It was such a great experience.” 

--Mika, Service Department, Lawrence Hall Abilene

We also supported one of our Lawrence Hall family members as she competed in the Hendrick Home for Children’s “Dancing with the Abilene Stars” at the Civic Center.  Our own Shea Woodard took home the biggest prize of the night, raising the most amount of money out of all contestants to bring home the trophy.  We are so proud of our Shea Shea! 

Check out our facebook page for more pictures:  www.facebook.com/lawrencehallabilene 

As a sponsor of the "Best of Broadway Series," Lawrence Hall Abilene was able to mingle with audience members before "The Aluminum Show" and show off the all new Cadillac SRX.

  

"The Abilene Cultural Affairs Council is thrilled to have the support of Lawrence Hall Abilene as a sponsor for the 2010-2011 Abilene Broadway Series.  Our community always benefits when progress through partnerships, such as this one, happen. It's a win-win."

--Kaysha Kosman, Marketing Director, Abilene Cultural Affairs Council 

Lawrence Hall Abilene is excited for the upcoming events in February!  Follow this blog for upcoming events and “like” us on Facebook for more information.