Kansas City: GREAT town, sure not the "dust bowl" this Yankee had envisioned. I actually can see myself living there! Nice airport, too; very easy to get to and navigate in. Ticketing/ check-in/ security set an all-time land-speed record in getting me through!

The Rally: there aren't enough words. I can't remember the last time I had that much fun (don't tell the boss, as this was supposed to be a "business" trip...)! For a first-time effort, I'm absolutely amazed at what FTE pulled off in those 2 days. This will grow exponentially, year after year. Ken, Peggy, Jason and the Kansas Chapter will see to that. All of us there will proudly recall that we were lucky enough to attend the inaugural FTE Rally.

The Kansas Chapter: again, the right words fail me. These are some of the finest people I've ever met, and as I told them so many times, they could not have been better hosts. I had my reservations when it was stated that KC would be the annual home of the FTE rally, but after this weekend, I can tell you that there is NO OTHER PLACE to hold it. The Kansas Chapter gave 110%, and they did it for a bunch of out-of-town strangers they had never met in person till this weekend.

The future: I'm not afraid to predict that, in 5-10 years, this will become one of the largest truck events in the country. I feel confident that everything is in place to make that happen, save one: volunteers. As this grows, we WILL need more people to pull this off successfully. I have some experience in this area, and what makes the difference is having enough people in place for all the little jobs that need to be done. For a Rally that we can ALL be truly proud of, please offer your help. The person directing traffic out in the lot, or answering basic questions at the information booth can make all the difference in the world.

Fearing I might leave someone out, I just want to thank EVERYONE for an incredible effort, and a really great time. I could not be prouder to be a part of this group, and I look forward to our annual get-togethers. As I said to Peggy before I left, I only wish that we encounter one problem in the future: that we run out of room at The Woodlands 1,000-car parking lot, and need to find a bigger venue!