DAWN OF A NEW ERA ON ROUTE 66
I had a brief meeting this morning with Joshua Noble, the local tourism director, that was quite interesting and exciting. It would seem that we are on the cusp of a new era along Route 66 in Arizona.
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| Chadwick Drive (Route 66) in Kingman |
Modern technology is adding a new dimension to the Route 66 adventure in the form of geocahing. As a state centennial project Mr. Noble has been spearheading the creation of a linear geocache program that will follow Route 66 from border to border. His enthusiasm for the project was almost enough to inspire me to take another step into the 21st century.
My new side job (research followed by the writing of catalog entries for Auctions America kicked into high gear last night. To be honest I was unsure what exactly to expect from this assignment but my uneducated guess was a touch of boredom.
In actuality it is rather interesting. Before writing the catalog entry I must first decipher vehicle identification numbers, paint codes, and decide what are correct factory options and what has been added after the fact.
It is also rather fast paced, which may be a bit of a problem. Yesterday afternoon I received ten assignments with a deadline of Wednesday morning (as in this morning)!
Another deadline looming on the horizon is the one for 66 The Mother Road. For this issue I am writing a brief history of the Kingman Army Airfield, the auxiliary field at Yucca that later became the Ford proving ground where the 1955 Thunderbird was tested, and what visitors on site today.
I have been chomping at the bit for a show of spring flowers that will serve as the catalyst for the next little adventure, a road trip east along Route 66 to gather photos for the forthcoming exhibit at the Powerhouse Visitor Center and to clock some mileages for the guide book that is in the works. An exciting aspect of this is an invitation from John McNulty at Grand Canyon Caverns to explore an early alignment with bridge east of the caverns.
To date the new year has been sort of like riding on the Ferris Wheel without pants – there have been ups, downs, and a whole lot of trying to cover my …. Of course in my world this is situation normal.
April is shaping up to be the big one, at least until May. Until further notice I am on a six day work schedule at the day job, I now have a night job, there is the federal jury duty selection that was postponed from February that could necessitate my being in Prescott for several days, a hearing on my mothers estate, taxes, a badly needed bathroom remodel to complete (as soon as I start on it), an eagerly anticipated lunch meeting with Dale Butel of Route 66 Tours headquartered in Australia, and, if by chance I get bored, continuation of the negotiations for the next book contract.
I am always fascinated to hear people talk of killing time or being bored. The concept intrigues me. Perhaps it is because the last time I was bored Jimmy Carter was in the White House, or was it Gerald Ford –