23:53 CDT

Last night I remembered how’d I’d been monitoring regularly when The Iron Butt Rally Website got a 2007 entry. It did a couple of weeks ago, but I just realized I hadn’t checked in 4 or 5 days. So when I visited I found out all sort of useful and interesting information.

First and foremost was the question who would try and fill the big shoes of long-time scribe, Bob Higdon. With the first official IBR dispatch it seems the task has been taken up by Tom Austin (the guy I mentioned in an earlier post and know well from being denied 7,000 points for not having 4 limbs in 4 states last year). Tom is a technical guy and although his style will be different I’m sure…..I think you all are going to get a thorough play-by-play of this rally.

Other good stuff in there that Tom has set up a phone message system for us to call in and give updates and relay stories. A very-engineer-oriented solution. Kudos Tom for utilizing a piece of technology to learn and share information to the smallish audience of folks watching us wander North America!

You’d think being here at the hotel in St. Louis that I’d already know all about this, but the first I’ve heard of this is by reading the website. Tom is probably only 100 feet away from me in some room, but information dissemination occurs more quickly on the Internet.

It boggles the mind…..and more importantly reading through Tom’s sobering first post……I’m in it deep!

I’m getting up at 7:30 in the morning. Tech. inspection opens at 8:00 a.m. and I know they’re gunning to get me. They’re going to find something I’m sure…..and I’m going to stress.

That’s OK. It’s pre-ordained. Like a good thriller movie I paid good money to be scared by Warchild, Austin, Landry, and others….and they’re undoubtedly going to give me my money’s worth.

All I can say is, “Bring it on.” I’m about as ready as I can really be….except for rerouting a couple wires on my audio system and snapping a grommet through my wallet…which I’ll talk about tomorrow. I may have to go park in a corner of the parking lot to hide.

Regardless, I’m ready for the challenge. Tomorrow it gets interesting.