Performance Unlimited Blog

It’s beginning to feel as though this winter is here to stay forever? The cold just keeps on coming, wave after wave of arctic blasts that make the simplest outdoor tasks monumentally challenging: snow that follows the waves of cold and keeps folks almost perpetually with shovel in hand or lining up behind their snow blowers. As bad as this winter has been so far, and though there’s no guarantee that the Midwest and Northern Illinois won’t see more and even worse, take heart – winter will pass. One way to look at it is that this is the last day of January. Unless we’ve fallen into the midst of a new ice age, and the evidence isn’t available to support that contention yet, spring is only a stone’s throw away. Officially, it’s less than two months away. By that time, an unofficial spring could easily overtake the bitter winter blues of 2013-14. One way to make winter easier to stomach is to find enjoyable activities to do indoors. Maybe you’ll enjoy the Super Bowl this weekend? The...

There are aspects of winter that can be fun – snowmobiling, skiing, skating, snowball fights, building snowmen. Other aspects are less so.  So far, this is a tough winter in Northern Illinois.  Temperatures have dropped lower than is customary. Though the area hasn’t experienced one big blizzard yet, the accumulation of snow is still significant. And winter is still less than halfway through. Shoveling is one pain in the neck wrought by winter that is shared by most in the area, especially when the snow is deep and wet.  Even with a snowblower, clearing snow from driveways and walkways is a struggle. For older residents of the region, the strain has the potential to bring on heart attacks. Driving is another aspect of life that is affected by winter and all the more so with a winter such as this one. When it snows, drivers have to clear the snow off the vehicle before they drive. Some will merely clear the snow from the windows. It’s better, however, to clear the sn...

Days, such as today, are the kinds of days enjoyed by polar bears and penguins. They don’t seem to mind when the thermometer suddenly dips into the nether regions of zero. For the rest of us here in Northern Illinois, this is the kind of day where simply staying inside is not a bad idea at all. It’s not merely a matter of comfort, either. Temperatures this low are down-right dangerous. McHenry School District 15 officials came to that conclusion last night as they sent out e-mails to parents letting them know that the schools would be closed on Monday, Jan. 6, 2014. Temperatures last night were expected to hit 19-below zero. Today, the mercury is expected to rise as high as 12-below with a wind chill of 52 below. “Things freeze quickly at temperatures that low,” said Denny Norton, owner of Performance Unlimited auto repair shop in Ringwood. “It’s very hard on a car.” For those who do have to go out today, hopefully, they’ve maintained their vehicle and won’t have any trouble. C...