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Cozy Newsletter
Cozy Newsletter
DECEMBER 2013 CORCORANHEATING.COM
12-1: World Aids Awareness Day
BEARS @ MINNESOTA 12:00
12-2: BULLS VS PELICANS 7:00
12-3: National Roof over Your Head Day
HAWKS VS STARS 7:00
12-5: Repeal Day - Ending Prohibition
HAWKS @ WILD 7:00
BULLS VS HEAT 8:30
12-6: HAWKS VS DUCKS 7:00
12-7: Letter Writing Day
Pearl Harbor Day
BULLS VS PISTONS 7:00
12-8: HAWKS VS PANTHERS 6:00
12-9: BEARS VS COWBOYS 7:30
12-10: Human Rights Day
HAWKS @ STARS 7:30
BULLS VS BUCKS 7:00
12-11: HAWKS VS FLYERS 7:00
BULLS @ KNICKS 7:00
12-13: BULLS @ BUCKS 7:00
12-14: HAWKS @ MAPLE LEAFS 6:00
BULLS VS RAPTORS 7:00
12-15: Bill of Rights Day
BEARS @ BROWNS 12:00
HAWKS VS KINGS 6:00
12-16: BULLS VS MAGIC 7:00
12-17: HAWKS @ PREDATORS 7:00
12-18: BULLS @ ROCKETS 8:30
12-19: BULLS @ THUNDER 7:00
12-20: HAWKS VS CANUCKS 7:00
12-21: Forefathers Day
BULLS VS CAVALIERS 7:00
12-22: BEARS @ EAGLES 12:00
12-22: HAWKS VS DEVILS 7:00
12-25: Christmas Day
BULLS @ NETS 11:00
12-27: HAWKS VS AVALANCHE 7:00
12-28: HAWKS @ BLUES 7:00
BULLS VS MAVERICKS 7:00
12-29: BEARS VS PACKERS 12:00
12-30: HAWKS VS KINGS 7:00
BULLS @ GRIZZLIES 7:00
12-31: New Years Eve
BULLS VS RAPTORS 7:00
Doing Good This Holiday Season:
MONTHLY NOTES:
Not trying to sound too remedial here, but
wasnt Thanksgiving supposed to be about
THANKS and GIVING? Unfortunately, it
seemed this years was being maneuvered
towards goods, gadgets and deals. Retail
stores bucked the norm by opening
their doors for the holiday, a day before
Black Friday. If the advertising was to be
believed, the most important question for
Thanksgiving was not which relative was
hosting dinner, or what side dish we were
bringing, but mapping out the route wed
take between the strip malls depending
upon which stores opened earliest or
promised the biggest bargains.
For me, it soured one of the holidays we
can all share one beyond any religious
borders and one traditionally unfocused
on the almighty buck. Before the next
round of festivities, no matter which
upcoming holiday you celebrate at your
house, it seems important to remember the
simple THANKS and GIVING elements ad
campaigns and commercialism tried to steer
us away from last month.
Even if times are tough in your own house
right now, chances are that others are going
through an even rougher spell. If your
situation permits, here are some quick ideas,
causes and gifts to think about this holiday
season.
The frst one is close to home the victims
in Washington Illinois and other areas
directly impacted by recent severe weather.
The up front response to our neighbors
downstate has been phenomenal, and
it would be great to see a continuation.
The Red Cross and Salvation Army are still
in need of goods and donations. Here is
where stuf like widgets, gadgets and apps
we have really come in handy. Monetary
donations can be made easily via most
major cell phone providers. Donations are,
of course, still accepted over the phone,
the internet, or through the mail. As cold
weather is now upon the area, goods such
as warm clothing and blankets should be
appreciated, as well as non-perishable food
items. To learn more, contact https://donate.
salvationarmyusa,org/ or 773-725-1100
and http://www.redcross.org/ or 1-800-
REDCROSS.
Other always great and worthy causes:
St. Judes Childrens Hospital
Local shelters,
Local food depositories and
Local hospitals
Soup kitchens
Churches and temples
Animal shelters
Goodwill Industries
Veterans Associations
Many, many, many more!
I like stuf too; still plan on exchanging
gifts with family but plan to make a real
efort to step outside of the box. Maybe I
will look for some things that dont come
with power cords or on/of switches, and
engage my family to join me in exploring
some unique options for charitable
contributions we can add to our traditional
causes.
Theres a rather neat site that helps show
the power of putting the right tools in the
right hands in an efort to end hunger and
poverty. Ive been looking at www.heifer.
org. Through them, important gifts can be
made: like irrigation pumps to villages or
stoves for families to cook with; providing
clean water and basic nutritional needs. This
site also allows providing a gift of animals
and livestock to needy communities.
Recognizing these needs provides US with
a unique gift, too. Perhaps the site can act
as an interesting tool to use as a teaching
moment to our children who may not
understand charity, or could beneft in a
look at how thrilled an entire community
can be with the simple addition of a cow.
Use these sites, fnd your own, be thankful
for what you have and open your hearts to
others by your words, deeds, prayers, and
charity this season. Merry Christmas! Happy
Holidays!
Monthly Awareness
BINGO MONTH
WRITE A FRIEND MONTH
heifer.org
24/7 EMERGENCY HOTLINE: (847) 397- 5888
CORCORANHEATING.COM 2
This round of contest coupons are already ying out the
door! Everyone who sends us their raving fan testimonial or refers
us to friends and family are already being entered into the next
drawing. To enter, simply refer us to a friend/relative/neighbor. Be
sure that anyone you pass along to
us communicates that YOU were
involved in the referral. For further
assurance of your entry, send us a
note with the name of the referred.
You can also enter the drawing by
submitting a testimonial of how
happy you are with our work. Either
way, it takes only a few minutes to
enter. You can just drop us a line at:
info@corcoranheating.com. One
ticket is given for each testimonial or
referral; ten tickets for every raving
fan video. You determine your odds
of winning, as there is no limit to
entry tickets - plus - every referral
nets YOU a gift as well!
How to solve:
To solve a Sudoku, you only need logic and patience. No math is required.
Simply make sure that each 3x3 square region has a number between 1-9
with only one occurrence of each number. Each column and row of the
large grid may only have one instance of 1-9.
CONTEST CORNER:
Sudoku Break:
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h only one occurrence of each number. Each column and row of the
e grid may only have one instance of 1-9.
How
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On On On On On Onn Oneeeeeeeee
or or orr or or or orr
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ds ds dss ds dssss dss
Nov.s Answers
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Green Your Holiday Gatherings
Green your bubbly!
Article courtesy: Earthshare.org
Hosting a Hanukkah, Christmas, or
New Years Eve party can be a daunting
undertaking for you - it can also be hard on
the environment. If youre playing host this
year consider these tips to help make your
festivities earth-friendly.
Party prep.
We all go a little crazy with the
housecleaning when were anticipating a
crowd of guests in our home. Keep in mind
that using certain household cleaners can
greatly increase the air pollution in your
house or apartment, making the air you
breathe irritating and even unsafe for your
family and guests. Consider using safe, non-
toxic cleaning methods and products. Make
sure to also properly ventilate with fans and
open windows if its not too cold outside.
Serving food? Of course you are. Use
your regular dishes and fatware instead
of buying paper or plastic. This can
dramatically reduce your waste. If you have
to use disposables, try biodegradable paper
plates and compost them along with your
leaves, produce scraps, and cofee grounds.
As youre planning the menu, consider
basing it around local and seasonally-
available food. Foods that travel across
states or around the globe to get to you
have high carbon footprints. When youre
sprucing up your home with decorations,
reuse last years if you still have them.
Want to keep it simple and natural? Just as
gourds and pumpkins made excellent and
colorful Fall accents, gather or purchase
similar winter greenery, berries or fruits for
your upcoming holiday festivities. They can
usually be purchased at almost any store,
including your local farmers market. Plus,
theyre decorations that can be composted
and sometimes eaten once youre done
with them.
During the party.
Saving energy on home lighting isnt just for
regular use overhead lights and foor lamps
anymore. Theres even environmentally-
friendly holiday lighting! LEDs, or Light
Emitting Diodes, are available for both
indoor and outdoor decorative lighting.
LED lights are cooler to the touch, last 10
times longer (some come with a guaranteed
50,000 hour bulb life or a lifetime warranty),
and they use 80% less energy than your
standard string lights. Consider LED
fickering lights to inspire a cozier feel.
Help your guests contribute to the green
efort by providing clearly marked trash
receptacles for diferent types of party
waste paper, plastic, glass, aluminum, food
scraps, liquids, etc.
Clean up.
Relax you dont have to worry about hand
washing your dishes! Using a dishwasher is
actually more environmentally-friendly than
washing each dish by hand. Youll use much
less soap and about 80% less water. Visit
Earthshare.org for more tips
O CHRISTMAS TREE
REAL TREES OR FAKE TREES THIS
HOLIDAY SEASON?
PROS & CONS: ARTIFICIAL
Fake trees can be reused
annually making them seem
more cost efective
Most come prelit, meaning no additional
lighting costs
No need to water or maintenance to keep
the tree living
Made of mostly metal and PVC, however,
they are typically non-recyclable
The vast majority of artifcial trees are
imported from China
They may contain harmful materials and
chemicals
PROS & CONS: REAL
Every tree cut down in a tree farm is
replanted
Most trees are composted or treecycled
to ensure they are not wasted
The Christmas Tree industry employs
about 100,000 people annually.
Some tree farms are not following proper
regulations and requirements
Some areas require heavy chemicals and
pesticides to ensure trees stay growing
They may contain harmful materials and
chemicals
THE VERDICT: POTTED TREES
Replantable after the holidays
Lasts indoors roughly 10 days with
proper care and attention
They may shed needles, but have a much
greener holiday footprint
EARTH911.COM
24/7 EMERGENCY HOTLINE: (847) 397- 5888
3 INFO@CORCORANHEATING.COM
A Dogs World: I wanted out of the box, and up on the tree.
The shinier and better they t in my mouth, the
better.
Once the tree comes out and gets put
up, I know that means boxes and paper on the
oor to rip apart are in my near future. I am
happy to help open anyones boxes if they need
help, or would like their warping paper shredded
and dragged throughout the house. It makes
a fun game of chase for adults or kids, so just
keep that in mind if your pet likes to play this
same game. We really just want you to work off all
those holiday cocktails and cookies.
Speaking of delicious human food
we like to enjoy, I must say I love me some
Thanksgiving leftovers. What is not to like about
left over deep fried turkey? I am easy to please
too, since I am just as happy without gravy on my
turkey.
As for this weather turning to colder,
I am over all the complaints about it. If you
had the allergies like I did making me itch all
fall you would be happy too. The cold weather
means the allergens driving my skin crazy are gone
for the next few months. A little relief for me,
and a big relief for my parents not hearing me
lick all the time.
In other news as you can tell by our
picture, I am getting the hang of this big
brother thing no problem. I am happy to double
as a dog, as a pillow, or as a blanket. I even
offer my grooming skills, but those do not seem
to be appreciated as much as I had hoped. Oh
well, as long as I am getting attention, and dont
have to get up, I am good to go.
I hope that everyone has a great
holiday season, stays safe, warm, and gets to spend
some much deserved time with those they love. I
will be happy to spend as much time as possible on
the couch this holiday season!
Talk soon, Frank
The Merry Irishman:
The Poinsettia:
Santas Surprise:
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
1/2 ounce Triple Sec orange liqueur
3 ounces cranberry juice
Champagne
Orange Garnish
1.5 oz Flor de Caa 7 Year Rum
0.5 oz Lemon Juice
0.5 oz Cranberry Juice
0.75 oz Vanilla Syrup
2 Dashes Orange Biters
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice.
Strain into a martini glass and garnish with
a lemon, strawberry, and sprig of mint.
2 parts Irish Whiskey
1 part Kahlua
1/2 part mint schnapps
1 candy cane for garnish
HOLIDAY REFRESHMENTS
Christmas time is here around the Corcoran
household which means plenty for me to get
into around the house. The tree gets brought
out of the crawlspace and covered with shinny,
distracting, toys. Which were obviously put out
for me to enjoy. Anyway, like always I was happy
to help in decorating and pick which ornaments
Random Humor:
Where to set the humidifer?
This tops the list of frequent questions were
asked this time of year: where to set the
humidifer, how to know its on, and how are
the devices maintained?
Here are the simplest answers to those
questions:
The most common setting for
the humidifer is around 35%. As winter
begins you can start with a lower number
depending on your situation.
Instances where you would set
the humidifer lower include water forming
at the base of windows, mold or humidity
issues in basements or crawlspaces, or
strong musty and damp smells.
Instances where you would set the
humidifer higher include homes with large
amounts of hardwood foors or cabinets,
experiencing excessive static shock, chronic
dry noses or sinuses, or extreme indoor
dryness.
To ensure the humidifer is running
or determine the set point go to the
humidistat dial. Turn the dial up or down.
When you hear a click that is the humidity
level in the house. Any setting higher turns
the humidifer on. Typically you will hear a
fan running on it or water running through it
during a call for heat.
Maintenance can be as basic as
ensuring the humidifer panel (replaceable
flter) is fresh every year and the controller
is set to your desired humidity level. For a
good, thorough cleaning water lines and
valves are tested as well as drains checked
and /or cleared to allow proper drainage.
Humidifer maintenance is typically
performed during maintenance if you
choose.
There are mixed feelings about
humidifers, but we like them, can keep
them safe, and ensure they maintain your
desired set point. For more help, or to
discuss your situation, just give us a call.
QUICK WINTER
HVAC TIP:
d
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2137 Hammond Dr.,
Schaumburg, IL 60173
info@corcoranheating.com
CorcoranHeating.com
(847) 397-5888
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Cozy Newsletter
Cozy Newsletter
CORCORANHEATING.COM DECEMBER 2013
Johns Two Cents
PG.1
Do GOOD This Holiday Season
Sports Corner
Unique Holidays & Monthly Awareness
PG. 2
Green Your Holiday Gathers
Christmas Tree debate, real or fake?
Sudoku Break
Contest Corner
PG. 3
Cooking Corner: Adult Holiday
Refreshments
Dogs World: Quick note from Frank
In This Issue:
- John
Wait, its really December already? Oh
man, how the time has been fying by!
Everything is going great with the being
a new dad thing. Te little guy is days
from being six months old. Holy Cow.
He seems to be able to do a ton of new
tricks: almost sitting up, and rolling over.
Hes eating food, and chatting up a storm.
Not sure what hes trying to say yet, but he
sure has a lot on his mind.
December is always fun, and a very busy
time for us. We look forward to spending
time with our new addition. Jack will
be making the rounds as we spend time
with both sides of the family. It should be
hectic and exciting, and like past years,
will go by way too quickly.
I hope everyone is staying warm and
feeling OK. Our son had something nasty
that he was fghting for about a week,
nothing like learning how to care for a
sick baby on the fy. We made the best
of it, and he is back and better than ever.
Hes easily mesmerized by the Christmas
tree and getting all kinds of new holiday
books to enjoy.
As we wrap up another year here at the
of ce we cannot neglect to say thanks
to those who continue to stick with our
family. We work hard to provide the best
service and support each and every one of
us can. We know how rough things can
get. Hopefully, you can rest easy knowing
we keep your comfort a priority. Rest
assured we will have you covered as the
snow falls and temperatures drop.
Next year marks a bit year, not only for
the company, but for me, too. We will
both be celebrating the big 3-0 in 2014.
Now that I am seeing things from his
perspective, it is eye opening to think of
my dad starting a business and a family
simultaneously at about my age. Trough
it all, my parents stuck it out and saw the
business grow and prosper to what it is
today. Tey managed to do OK by me
and my sister, Kathy, too.
2014 will also commit us to our goal of
a new, more informative and interactive
website for the future of our company. It
will better inform, entertain, and answer
the most pressing questions facing the
ever changing HVAC landscape. We have
lots to share with current and potential
clients and will keep you posted as the site
goes live.
Well, December has come as fast as this
update. I hope you stay warm and healthy.
Call us if we can help. Best Holiday wishes
to you and yours from me and ours!
HAPPY
HOLIDAYS