WEEK IN REVIEW

As a kid a great deal of time was spent at the library. Visions of being a writer, as well as cowboy, explorer, and archeologist, dominated my thoughts and plans for the future.
After trying my hand as a cowboy, flirting with archeology, and a fair share of exploration the harsh reality of needing to make a living took over. So as I earned my pay on the working end of a shovel and jack leg far underground in a silver mine, at the controls of a dredge in New Mexico, under a variety of cars, stringing wire across the plains, polishing saddles with my back side, and behind the desk filling a number of positions on car lots the dream of being a writer simmered.
Almost twenty years ago, with the encouragement of my dear wife who said I could talk about old cars for hours in a room all alone and still enjoy myself, I decided to take the plunge. It appears success is drawing closer though it is still elusive and I now earn our sustenance managing a Penske truck leasing operation.
The moral of the story is this. Never give up on dreams. My dream is that when I grow up I will be a writer.
In the mean time I continue to work towards being an overnight success twenty years in the making with feature pieces for Cars & Parts and other publications, several books such as the forthcoming Route 66 Backroads, and original features on this blog.
With that reflection dominating my thoughts this last week was rather mundane. The post on the mystery steam Packard proved to be of interest to many as evidenced by nearly 100 hits per day. More importantly the car may have been identified. I will post the information this week.
Two writing projects in the next two weeks have my interest. I will write a feature for Cars & Parts profiling Walter Christie, a pioneer in front wheel drive development, and another on steam cars, including the Packard, for Old Cars Weekly.
In a move that surprised even me I accepted a request to cover for a friend who pastors a church in Peach Springs on the Hualapai Reservation. So I will preach my first service on February 1st.
This next weekend I close another chapter. I will be taking a Penske truck to California and helping a dear friend load for his move to Nebraska. So next weeks review may be delayed by a day or so but I promise a laugh or two.
Until then –