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A Reason to Smile
If you’re new to the area or have ever experienced an incomplete dental evaluation in the past, then today is the day to make a positive change. Trust your smile to the experienced care at Carmichael Oaks Dental Care! Our community is fortunate to have two exceptional dentists (Dr. Angel Soto and Dr. Carla Gutierrez) dedicated to providing the best that dentistry has to offer. Dr. Soto, Dr. Gutierrez and their friendly staff will provide you with a comfortable and relaxing dental experience. Many of their patients are referred by other happy patients, so they have every reason to be confident that you will be in good hands. If you’ve had a history of severe dental problems, Carmichael Oaks Dental Care can help. They have all the skill, experience and advanced technology to turn your smile into a masterpiece. Their services include beautiful crowns, natural colored fillings, cosmetic bondings, porcelain veneers, dentures, bridges, dental implants, CEREC® CAD/CAM restorations, teeth whitening and much more. The staff at Carmichael Oaks Dental not only cares about their patients, they also are doing their part for our planet and future generations by going green. They’ve made an investment to reduce their carbon footprint by purchasing digital x-rays and operating a paperless office. If you’re looking for a dental practice devoted to restoring and enhancing the natural beauty of your smile using conservative, state-of-the-art procedures that will result in a beautiful, healthy and long lasting smile that you will be proud of, as well as a dental office that is sensitive and understanding to your needs, then Carmichael Oaks Dental is the place for you! November December December2013 2013 GO GO FOR FOR IT IT 3
The Pursuit of Prosperity By Bob Cox My wife Diana is a very busy massage therapist, which is a blessing and a curse. The blessing is her client’s walk away feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. The curse is the additional work long after the thrill is gone; namely: laundry, laundry and more laundry! Every Saturday morning, strange as this may sound, I look forward to the challenge of rising early, bagging up all our laundry from work and home and heading to the clean and quiet laundry facility in our park. I receive immense satisfaction whenever I get a large amount of work done in a short period of time. On top of that, I enjoy the simple solitude of this morning ritual, from the time I haul in the hefty bags of dirty laundry until I leave two hours later with several new 33 gallon bags filled with fresh and clean folded sheets, towels, blankets and clothing. Last Saturday, as I was setting down my supply of clean bags, dryer sheets, laundry soap and quarters, I noticed three crisp white flyers spread out strategically on the long folding counter. Generally, I don’t allow any distractions to slow me down as I enjoy the spirit of competing against the clock. This time; however, curiosity won out as I quickly glanced at the contents. The flyer was announcing an upcoming prosperity seminar in the park with the promise of no selling during the event. My inner skeptic chimed in as I went about my business, dropping garments and popping quarters into one machine after another like a one man assembly line. I had serious doubts about that claim, believing that those presenters of prosperity would likely slip in a softer and more subtle approach to sales by building curiosity in the audience while slowly revealing their product or service through their questions.
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As I was doing this, I kept thinking about how elusive prosperity has been during certain points throughout my life, especially those times I’ve chase after it as if my life depended on it. A few moments later, when I began to transfer the wet clothing from the washing machines to the dryers, a question and answer came to me: “Want more prosperity? Make more sales calls.” This certainly wasn’t new advice. After 22 years in outside advertising sales, I’ve heard those words of wisdom thousands of times, but this time it really hit home as I reviewed the past year’s strategy of making fewer calls and the financial rewards that eluded me. As I reviewed this strategy over and over in my mind, I became swept up with excitement and my spirit soared when I accepted the challenge to increase my sales calls from 20 to 50 per day! This strategy shift will require plenty of sacrifices, which includes no more late morning starts, no long lunches at home and no coming home early, no matter how drained I might feel on any given day. A few hours later, my son Bobby came by the house for a short visit and shared a conversation with a friend who was having a tough time getting out of the house and off to work the previous week. What’s his occupation? Sales of course! Ah, the magic of synchronistic events. Bobby urged his friend to follow my advice, to stop focusing on the bottom line results (sales), which he could not control and set a goal that he could control by knocking on a specific number of doors each day. When you choose do that, better results will more than likely come; however, the immediate payoff may be even greater, which is gaining the internal peace, joy and satisfaction of knowing that you’re making a positive and proactive change today to create a better life tomorrow. You don’t have to be in sales or own your own business to benefit from this suggestion. If you are like most other Americans who would love to have more financial prosperity, avoid the pitfalls of dwelling on matters that are out of your control and focus on just one thing you can do that will make the biggest impact on your bottom line. Sometimes, for guys like me, that means getting off my bottom so I can see the line! The sacrifices you will need to make as you raise your game will likely pale in comparison to the thrill and excitement your new direction will bring you. By the way, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Bob Cox is the founder and publisher of Go For It Magazine. He can be reached by phone at (916) 266-3115. His email address is coxrobert@comcast. net. Go For It Magazine is owned and operated in Rancho Cordova, CA. Copyright © 2013.
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‘Tis the Season What a GREAT TIME of year! Here are just a few things we wanted to invite you to that will make your Holidays merry & bright! Friday, Dec. 13, Reindeer Games Cordova Luncheon, Rancho Cordova City Hall, 11:30 am to 1 pm. A FUN Holiday community event: If you live, work or play in Rancho, you’ll want to be there! Saturday, Dec. 14, Arts & Craft Show at the Sacramento Fine Arts Center, Carmichael, 11 am to 8 pm. Select hand-crafted gifts from local artisans. BeMoneySmartUSA Farmers Markets, Saturdays 8 am to 1 pm, Sunrise Mall; Sundays, 9 am to 2 pm Carmichael Park; other locations as well. Fresh, seasonal produce for your table. Many specialty hand made gift items available as well! And please consider giving what you can to non-profits in your community such as Project 680 whose mission is to “fil the gaps” for homeless kids. Check out our Holiday-Cheer video and more details on all the above at BobsPocket.com. Happy Holidays and Make Great Things in 2014! Bob and Friends
* Visit BobsPocket.com for Bob’s bio, past blogs, and to learn more about events & organizations.
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Destroying Our Economic Environment The ecosystem has been a hot topic as of late due to global warming concerns, but there is another ecosystem that is in danger, local economies. And they are just as fragile and interconnected as any ecosystem found in nature. In recent years, there has been a systemic growth of internet based companies, such as Amazon, selling at a discount direct to the public. On the surface, this seems like a great way to save a few dollars. But as local economies begin to feel the effects, it is far more costly in the long run. Economies are extremely interconnected and interdependent much like our environment. When you begin to remove links from the chain, it all starts to unravel and in many cases this can not be reversed. Every business depends on other businesses even if they have no direct link or obvious connection. Ten years ago, large box stores were wreaking havoc on small business by under-selling them and driving them into bankruptcy. The justification for this was that they provided jobs and cheap commodities to the public. However, even they are in danger now, and the new predator is not creating jobs and is destroying local economies. Thriving stores such as Best Buy did run mom and pop stores out of town but they did employ people and created what has come to be known as anchor stores. These are popular retailers that draw crowds to them and smaller stores and shops formed “mini malls” around them, feeding off their foot traffic. Online stores do not have this effect, and as anchor stores like Best Buy begin to close, so do the smaller shops that counted on them to bring in customers. Many large retailers are complaining that their former customers are now coming in to look at products in person, then going home and ordering online to save a few dollars. The ramification of this is staggering. When a large box store closes its doors, three or four smaller shops fail, due to a sudden slump in business. Then, where there was once a thriving mini mall, there is now abandoned buildings that are only growing weeds and inviting vandalism. As these mini malls collapse, so does the local economy. Everyone who provides goods and services depends on their local customers to be employed in order for a healthy economy to flow. As stores close and people lose their jobs, a domino effect begins. Doughnut shops that do not directly compete with online stores fail because the employees of local businesses that have closed their doors no longer stop for a bagel and coffee. Property values drop due to the dilapidated appearance of a main street devoid of business. Where there were once shops and stores, there are now vacant buildings. Local municipalities that depend heavily on taxes collected from local businesses as well as licensing fees paid by businesses are no longer being collected, so the local infrastructure suffers as well. Soon the area becomes further depressed driving down property values and insuring no new business will open in these neighborhoods. The quality of life is indeed impacted, and in some ways that were not even considered. I have a family member who during a conversation brought up how much they missed going to
Blockbuster video with the kids on a Friday night and picking out a movie. She complained about how Red Box did not have nearly the selection Blockbuster did and that new movies were not available for weeks on Red Box. She also said how much she missed walking down all the aisles, looking at the movie covers and finding an old movie she enjoyed as a kid and renting it for her children. I asked her if she used Red Box when Blockbuster was still in business. She said yes, but not all the time, only half the time! I asked if she thought she could live on half her income. The answer was obviously no, but she never considered if everyone used Red Box half the time how Blockbuster could survive on half their sales. The result was, Blockbuster’s employees lost their jobs, customers lost an enjoyable experience, the landlord lost the income from rent, the local government lost revenue in taxes and licensing fees, venders that provided candy, sodas and popcorn lost a customer and the adjacent stores lost the foot traffic business which in some cases caused them to fail. A savings of $2 in rental fees by the public is the only thing that was gained. When you weigh the cost- to- benefit, it really was a losing proposition for the local economic environment. The message here is a grass roots approach to the local economic environment. Citizens must be aware of their actions and understand how it directly impacts them when they send their money out of the local economy to some online retailer. It is imperative that we do not pollute the air we breathe or contaminate the water we drink. We know we can’t survive in an unhealthy environment. We also should be aware that we cannot flourish in a community in decay and we have control over this as well. Buy local! The job you save may be your own and the neighborhood you impoverish is the one you raise your children in. If it cost you an extra $2 to buy a baseball at the corner store remember, that $2 will make its way back to you as money in a community that changes hands every day. If you spend it online, it is gone from your local community and it’s never coming back. — By Nor Cal Scooters
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Aerospace Museum of California: This is an aviation museum located in North Highlands, California on the grounds of the former McClellan Air Force Base. It features displays of authentic military and civilian aircraft as well as space vehicle replicas. The museum has over 40 aircraft in its collection from the fully restored, one-of-a-kind 1932 Curtiss Wright B-14B Speedwing to one of the last Grumman F-14D Tomcats retired from U.S. Navy service in 2006. Contact information: www.aerospaceca.org. 3200 Freedom Park Dr. McClellan, CA 95652. (916) 643-3192. Black Chasm Cavern: This cavern was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1976 and is considered a “nationally significant natural area.” Visitors to the cave are enchanted by the beauty of a wide variety of formations including stalactites, stalagmites, flowstones and the vast arrays of rare helictite crystals, for which Black Chasm Cavern is justly famous. Above ground, kids love the gemstone mining at the mining flumes right outside the Visitors Center. Everyone is guaranteed to find some real gemstones; the perfect start to a rock collec-
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Go For It
tion! Try their new incredibly popular geode cracking too! Contact information: www.caverntours.com. 15701 Pioneer Volcano Road, Volcano, CA 95689. (866) 762-2837. Codfish Creek Trail: Codfish Creek Trail is a 3.4 mile out and back trail that features a waterfall and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for camping, hiking, scenic driving & walking and is accessible from December until May. Dogs are also able to use this trail. Contact information: www.alltrails.com. Weimar, CA 95736. (530) 885-4527. Hagan Community Park: This is the largest park within the Cordova Recreation and Park District. Nearly 80 acres, the park offers multiple baseball and soccer fields, tennis courts, aquatic center, community center, dog park, youth playground, fishing lagoon, restroom, and various family and group picnic locations. Additionally, adjacent to the American River Parkway Hagan Community Park provides quick access to natural walking and biking trails and eco-friendly commuter routes to downtown Sacramento. Contact information: www.crpd.com. 2197 Chase Dr. Rancho Cordova, CA 95670. (916) 362-1841. Theatre of Lights: Old Sacramento’s Theatre of Lights blends a symphony of lights, sounds and visual effects that transport the audience back in time with a reading of the famous poem The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore. The narrated reading of the powerful and nostalgic poem is brought to life through theatrical elements and visually-exciting lighting choreography that takes place on the balconies and rooftops of Old Sacramento’s historic buildings. Contact information: Old Sacramento Business Association. info@ oldsacramento.com. 980 9th Street, Suite 400 Sacramento, CA 95814. (916) 442-8575.
Fun Guide
Nevada City: Nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, Nevada City is a wonderful way to get away for a few hours, relax and recharge. The drive is quiet and beautiful and the shops are quaint and inviting. The City of Nevada City is dedicated to preserving and enhancing its small town character and historical architecture while providing quality public service for their current and future residents, businesses and visitors. Contact information: www.nevadacitychamber.com. Visitors Center 132 Main Street Nevada City, CA 95959. (530) 265-2692. Phoenix Dog Park: The Phoenix Dog Park is situated in the southwest corner of Phoenix Park in Fair Oaks, CA, formerly occupied by the Jim David T-ball Fields. There are three fenced in areas: one for small dogs and puppies, one for large dogs and another for small to medium dogs that are less sociable. Contact information: www.fairoakspark.org. 9050 Sunset Ave. Fair Oaks, CA 95628. (916) 966-1036.
The California Museum: The museum opened in June of 1998 through a unique partnership with the State of California as a private non-profit institution focused on California history and culture. In 2003, former First Lady Maria Shriver began working with the museum to expand its vision and mission. Since then, the museum’s exhibitions have continued to emphasize stories not presented to reflect all aspects of California’s diverse population and culture, with an emphasis on the contributions of women and under-represented groups. Contact information: www.californiamuseum.org. 1020 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. (916) 653-7524. The Discovery Museum Science & Space Center: This museum was originally founded in 1951 as The California Junior Museum. The center was designed as a space where children could experience science and nature through interactive programs and exhibits. Today, the Discovery Museum is one of Northern California’s premier institutions with an emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education and hands-on learning. Contact information: 3615 Auburn Bl. Sacramento, CA 95821. (916) 808-3942. Velocabs: Velocabs are zero emission, human-powered vehicles - the latest evolution in pedicab design. They operate in the downtown/ midtown grid, around the Capitol, Convention Center, Old Sacramento, Raley Field and midtown. If you see one empty, flag it down and catch a ride. Contact information: www.ridevelocab.com. (916) 498-9980.
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Advances in Dentistry By Dr. Andrade & Dr. Montalvo Our never ending thirst for knowledge and the ability to offer our patients the best possible range of treatments continues here at Dynamic Dental. From the day we entered dental school, 11 years ago we learned two things in great depth. First, we learned how to gently use a needle to administer local anesthetic. Second, we studied facial muscles, nerves, and arteries. We quickly became familiar with such muscle names as frontalis, temporalis, masseter and levator labii superioris alaque nasi. Wow, try saying that fast three times! What we were studying and learning intimately were the muscles that caused our jaw to move and our lips to rise as we smiled. Now, in our never ending efforts to widen our services, keep up with technological changes and perform particular procedures as well as if not better than any other health care provider, we at Dynamic Dental are offering therapeutic uses to Botox and dermal fillers. What you are witnessing now is one of the fastest growing trends in dentistry and medicine. Who better knows and understands how a properly balanced and healthy smile should look? Where does a smile end? With the teeth? With the
can safely and effectively treat those conditions with dermal fillers. Treatments can last up to 9-12 months. These procedures are safe, fast, easy and virtually painless and both curative and preventative when properly administered by a well trained dentist/ MD who is a member of the American Academy of Facial Esthetics. We can even combine these appointments with your dental cleanings and fillings. Please visit us today at www.dynamicdentist.com, to learn more, or call us at (916) 368-2500 to schedule a complimentary consultation!
lips? With the “smile lines” around the mouth? Do you have tension headaches and or pain in your jaw from grinding during the day when you can’t wear your night guard appliance? Do you wish you did not have that big gummy smile or wrinkles around your lips when you pucker? We can safely and effectively treat these conditions with Botox. Treatments will last up to 4-6 months. How about those open black triangles at your gum line where age has caused loss of gum tissue and food gets stuck there every time you eat? We
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Car Tech Talk
Safety First for our Newest Drivers! By Walter Ford With kids now back in school, parents have good reason to be concerned with safety. Safety is especially important for our new drivers, so now is a good time to have an overall safety check of your vehicle before you hand over the keys. First of all, a teenage driver is a new driver, so they are inexperienced. They tend to be more inattentive when compared to more seasoned drivers. You want to make sure that your car is in good overall health. Kids have enough challenges operating a car on a public highway, so you don’t want to throw them any curveballs. A good place to start is to make sure that the brakes and tires are in really good condition. When inspecting your brakes, be sure to have plenty of life on your brake pads and the rotors are in good shape. You really want to check the rotors to make sure they don’t have any ridges, even though the pad doesn’t run across the whole face of the rotor. You want to look at the edge of the rotor, because that’s a clear indication of how much has been taken off. With most cars nowadays, the old rotors are tossed out and new ones are put on. They are relatively inexpensive now compared to what they used to be. As for the brake pad itself, you probably want 3/32 of an inch or more. The issue with the brake
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pads is the more material it has, the more heat can dissipate, so the less likely it will stay under pad in stopping conditions. When you inspect your tires, make sure you have a decent amount of tread on them, especially now that the rainy season is here. In the old days, people used a penny as a guide and measure to the top of Lincoln’s head, which is 2/32 of an inch. In the state of California, you’re allowed to have a minimum of 2/32 of an inch on your front steer axle. The rear axle must be a minimum of 1/32 of an inch of tread. A word of caution is that these are minimums. Most new cars now tend to be a little sportier, with tires that are more of a summer tire. So, I would take my car to someone who really knows what they’re doing and ask if the tires will be good for the wintertime. If you’re driving a vehicle with a sports package, you’ll likely have a tire that is a performance summer tire. If you only have 2/32 of an inch, it’s pretty useless in the rain. So, be sure to examine not only the trend depth but also the tred design. Editor’s notes: Walter Ford is the owner of Valley Motorwerks. He can be reached at his shop, which is located at 11401 White Rock Road in Rancho Cordova, CA. His phone number is (916) 636-9526 and his website is www.vmwerks.com.
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Turn Your Life Around in 15 Weeks By John McCain When I first met a couple named Jerry and Elizabeth 15 weeks ago, they were battling a variety of physical and psychological challenges. Jerry started out with a weight of 352.6 and he suffered from low levels of self confidence. Elizabeth came in at 263.2 while dealing with chronic depression and stomach disorders. They came together, determined to reverse their unhealthy lifestyle. What has happened in these last few months in nothing short of miraculous. Jerry’s Story: I was Before After tired of people telling me that I was getting bigger, so I thought it was time to do something. The hardest part about getting started on the Premiere Nutrition Program was understanding what I could eat and learning how to read labels and looking for the 10 to 1 ratio of protein to fat. I used to eat fast food like hamburgers, French fries and pizza. Now, I feel more confident and people are noticing. A lot of people have said, “Wow, you’ve lost a lot of weight”, so that gives me the opportunity to tell them how we did it. I let them know that we don’t have to starve and it’s all about making the right choices. I tell them what we snack on and what we’re able to eat and show them that direction. Before, I felt almost like a buffalo walking around, but now I feel more confident. I feel like I look better and I just feel better all around. Elizabeth’s Story: I started on the program because I was upset with how people looked at me and how I looked at myself. I wanted a better career and I wanted to go to college but I didn’t feel good enough to do that. Since I’ve been on the program, it’s been difficult giving up certain foods I’ve associated with my depression or my boredom, like chips and chocolate, which I would eat every day. I’ve noticed that when I eat the food recommended
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on the program and drink Before After their shakes, I don’t get nauseated. Before I got on the program, I would get sick to my stomach, no matter what food I ate. Then I would feel tired and sad. Now, I don’t feel tired and I don’t feel sad. I feel good, I feel strong and I have more energy. Before Premiere Nutrition, I felt sluggish and sad and now I feel energetic and excited about life! Since Jerry started on the Premiere Nutrition Program, he’s lost a total of 44.6 pounds (352.6 to 308.0), 3% body fat, 5 visceral points and a combined size loss of 31.5 inches in just 15 weeks! Elizabeth came in at 263.2 and she’s now at 231.4 pounds. She’s down 31.8 pounds, 3% body fat, 4 points in visceral fat and a combined inch loss of 15 ¼ inches. They are both excited. They’ve become aware of their association with food and have made conscious decisions to make healthier choices. They now realize whenever they are tempted to make a bad food choice and why they feel the urge to do it. They are going through a life transforming process and I’m proud of them. They’re doing a great job! Jerry and Elizabeth still face challenges to make healthy choices every day, but they’re doing it and I’m proud of them. They come in every two weeks, get measured, weigh in on the iron man scale and track their progress. It’s fun to see people being committed to a healthy lifestyle and its fun to see the results for me personally. It motivates me when people are successful and they start to believe in themselves. Jerry and Elizabeth have a ways to go to reach their goals, but they didn’t get there overnight and they’re not going to change overnight. But in just 15 weeks, to see these results is inspiring. When I see those numbers and hear how positive and excited Jerry and Elizabeth are now, it gives me chill bumps. I think to myself, “Man, this is what it’s all about! We will update you on Jerry’s/Elizabeth’s progress in an upcoming edition!
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