Road trip! I did it. I survived, now we are mere hours away from a grand adventure, another epic odyssey along America’s most famous highway.
This time the destination is Joplin and the Route 66 International Festival. Even though the schedule is tight (2.5 days each way)I am quite confident we will have ample time to visit with a few friends along the way, time to savor some pie and coffee, and time to simply enjoy the journey.
As often happens on the day before vacation begins, chaos reigned supreme at the office, and the schedule was figured almost to the minute with a military precision time table, a recipe for disaster and frustration. From zero-five hundred hours to zero-seven hundred hours it was breakfast, correspondence, packing, shower, shave, finalizing arrangements with the caretaker (our son), and a planning session with my dearest friend.
Last Friday we picked up the Jeep after having a MAP sensor replaced that was tripping a check engine light, and a rear bearing replaced for the second time in less than two years. The joy of defective and shoddy parts (insert rant here, I have worked on fifty year old trucks with original bearings).
This morning I took the Jeep back to the shop before work as the check engine light was on. The code tripped indicated a faulty MAP sensor. So, the shop owner, a friend of mine, replaced it. Same problem. At three o’clock he called to inform me that both sensors tested as good, never a good sign.
At the office the customer with a four o’clock reservation was waiting for me when I arrived. As it turned out this was fins as the customer with an eight o’clock reservation showed up ten minutes before closing time, and had me make alterations to the contract (void and start over) three times.
In between I met with Dale Butel’s tour group, signed books, talked on the history of Kingman and Route 66, and answered questions. I also squeezed out to pick up a rental car for the trip, a Hyundai Sonata.
Now, all that stands between us and adventure is the need to unwind for just a bit (a cold beer and the last installment in the Band of Brothers series)and about six hours of good sleep. If all goes as planned, tomorrow night at this time we should be unwinding in Santa Rosa after a wonderful dinner at Joseph’s.
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