I suppose an Introduction is in order.
My name is Robert Krause. I operate the auto repair shop that hosts this little commentary. My parents and their families are from Washington State. My lovely wife Karen is a native Texan going back several generations (this is important to her). We have 4 children (a boy and 3 girls) that entered the scene 1978, 1979, 1982 and 1983. They are all married and at the moment have supplied us with 4 wonderful grandchildren. We are big fans of the good puppy and are well stocked with a Shih-Tzu (seen on this site), a Standard Poodle and a Giant Schnauzer. I guess I could be categorized as a middle aged, middle class, conservative, Christian dude. I am not a big fan of such categorization but perhaps it may provide some background for my perspective on things as this dialogue moves forward.
I have spent most of my life problem solving in some form or fashion. I always had a knack for repairing things and I get much satisfaction from that. I love people and would not enjoy work that didn’t include interaction with many of them. My jobs have included: operating heavy equipment, maintaining & repairing heavy equipment, cars and light trucks, dishwashing, fast food service, jewelry sales, computer software & hardware sales and support, auto repair shop management and consulting, landscaping, farming, tire sales and light bookkeeping. I am certain I have forgotten something, but oh well. I have been in the Auto Repair industry since 1979. I currently hold ASE Certifications as a Master Automobile Technician, Advanced Level Technician, Under Car Specialist, Parts Specialist and Service Advisor. I am a proud member of ASA, iATN, LMV info system , Bimmer Tech Group, Minitech Group, MBCA , BMWCCA , BIMRS, BBB and The Automotive Management Network . That’s a lot of alphabet soup, but it basically means I know how to take care of your car.
My hope for this Blog is to discuss perspectives from the point of view of this Auto Tech’s little corner of the world. By necessity I will cover automotive topics but may delve off into anything that pops into my mind. Those who know me understand that I am an over-explainer so I tend to ramble some and for this I will apologize in advance. I hope the reader will be informed, amused, challenged, uplifted and otherwise entertained although perhaps not all at once or in that order as I share bits of myself.
Thank you letting me take the wheel for a moment….
Robert