If You Put Anything Else In This Car, You'd Better Be Making Love To It!

So we're off...Off our rockers, off on vacation, out of our minds to think that a car, purchased in a spur of the moment whim on Craigslist for the princely sum of $495, would make it out of the owner's back yard, much less the 300 and some-odd-miles to Fredericksburg, VA.  Yet, here we are.

The cramped quarters in EZ bring to mind another infamous road trip, that of three newly minted college grads on a quest beyond their provincial upbringings.  That trip, my good friends, Q and David, piled into my 1983 Honda Civic for a cross-country expedition filled with adventure, skunks, spilled beans, an encounter with a small town constabulary and a short trip into the Twilight Zone.    Thing is, that small car, probably about the same size as EZ, didn't seem so small.    Close quarters for the poor soul in the back seat, sure, but not stuffed to the brim like some Dust Bowl refugee as our current vehicle seems to be.

Granted, we weren't carrying a a five gallon keg of homebrewed Belgian-style ale, enough electronics to place us on the NSA's "Persons Of Interest" list and the general ephemera one tends to collect and find necessary as the road of life winds on.   Naaaaaaaa....  It's probably just the spare tires that don't remain in the car when we exit that is enhancing the claustrophobic ambiance.  

Crowded or no, EZ seems to take no notice of the extra burden, humming right along at a few miles per hour above the posted limit.   Now this is the thing that gets me.   Here we are in 2009 and we still need the force of legislation to ensure that our motorized exoskeletons will achieve an average 35.5 MPG by....wait for it....2016!  EZ, in all her battered glory and carrying a wide (or is that "weird"?) load, managed 35 MPG on this first leg of our journey.  What did they know in 1988 that is so difficult to comprehend today?    Who knows, if the economy hasn't yet reached its nadir as we all so firmly hope, Wendy and I might find a Hummer on the cheap for next year's run.

Project EZ - Current Position

Click HERE For Current Position Of Project EZ In 2009 B.A.B.E. Rally

Project EZ Personnel Briefing #3: Ancillary Technical Staff

No endeavor of such scope as Project EZ could be undertaken without a cadre of unsung heroes. While Wendy and Scott may be the public faces of draftMaster Motorsports, it is the following individuals who really keep the wheels rolling.

Morris (a.k.a. Big Mean Cat): Navigational Systems Specialist

Morris is a cat on a mission. An Alpha among his peers. He brings an incredible sense of navigation, born of his frequent nightly neighborhood jaunts, to bear on the task of keeping Project EZ on course. Jealous, stubborn and frequently foul tempered, there is no getting in his way when he sets his sights on a goal. Be that goal an errant circuit or just dinner.

Mama (a.k.a. Fuzzy Butt): Quality Control Specialist

Every team needs someone to look after the bigger picture, lending a mother's touch, as it were. Mama Cat fills that role without fail. Her innate curiosity drives her deep into the workings of Project EZ. Frequently so deep that only her fuzzy tail is visible. Some have speculated that the appendage actually doubles as a long range communications device as it never veers from a directly vertical position. When not inspecting systems with a keen eye, she can be found occupying someone's lap.

Fred (a.k.a. Round): Ergonomics Specialist

People come in all shapes and sizes and mission planners must be ready to accommodate them. Who better to attend to creature comforts than a cat who symbolizes inclusion through her very shape...round. Fred goes about her tasks at draftMasters in the same delicate way she lives her life - quiet, unassuming, but friendly with all. She acts as the unofficial "Welcome Wagon" to visitors at Project HQ, greeting them with a demure smile before returning to her perch in the bucket seats of one of our test vehicles.