We Are Getting Prepared!
The Zaitz were already hard at work when the Liles' and Kuhn's rolled in to help with setup. Donna was moving so fast she sounded like a buzz saw with a clipboard, slicing through the to-do list and leaving no tablecloth unstraightened.
The room was decked out in full motorcycle and Route 66 glory — enough leather, chrome, road signs, and biker vibes to make you wonder if dinner was being served or if everyone was about to ride off into the sunset.
Jim made amazing centerpieces out of folded paper. Since Bob's birthday theme is "Highway 66," Jim reproduced the oldest continually operating gas station on Highway 66. I
It opened in 1933 and operated as a gas station until 1999 — about 66 years of continuous service. It is also known as the Ambler-Becker Texaco Station or Becker's Marathon, and today it serves as a restored Route 66 landmark and visitor stop.
The real thing alive and well almost 100 years old!
Did You Know?
- Founded: Texaco began in 1902 as The Texas Company in Beaumont, Texas.
- Name origin: "Texaco" came from the company's telegraphic address and became the official brand name.
- Famous logo: The red star with a green "T" became one of the most recognizable gas station symbols in the U.S.
- Slogan: One of its best-known slogans was "You can trust your car to the man who wears the star."
- Havoline oil: Texaco became strongly associated with Havoline motor oil.
- Radio fame: Texaco sponsored The Texaco Star Theater, famously associated with Milton Berle.
- Nationwide reach: Texaco was one of the first oil companies to market gasoline across all 50 U.S. states.
- Merger: In 2001, Texaco merged with Chevron, forming ChevronTexaco, later renamed Chevron Corporation.
- Still around: The Texaco brand still exists in many places under Chevron ownership.
- Pop culture: Vintage Texaco signs, pumps, maps, and uniforms are popular collectibles today.
The centerpieces were in place and the table awaiting special
place mats for the occasion.
Bob, being the genius he is, put a cardboard cutout of himself on the bike so the rest of us wouldn't drah him into every photo people were taking all night long.
Honestly, it was a brilliant move: fake Bob handled the paparazzi, while real Bob got to relax in peace.
The backdrop was augmented with Bob at the "wheel" of his bike!
Donna and Bob have worked for weeks going through old photos. We had to look up the first photographic process which was called heliography, developed by Nicéphore Niépce. The first widely used/publicly announced photographic process was the daguerreotype, introduced by Louis Daguerre in 1839. That was around the time Bob was born!
The photos were careful classified into groups.
Bob has been with Taco Bell for 25 years!
Each knickknack has its own story to tell!
Did You Know? - The word "knickknack" comes from the older reduplicated form "knick-knack", meaning a small trick, toy, or decorative object.
Its exact roots are uncertain, but it likely developed from:
- "knack" — an old word meaning a trick, clever device, or skill
- "knick" — added as a playful rhyming echo
This kind of playful word formation is common in English, as seen in words like zigzag, flip-flop, and pitter-patter.
By the late 1600s, "knick-knack" was being used to describe small curiosities, toys, or trifles. Over time, it came to mean a small decorative object, usually of little practical value.
Did You Know? - Taco Bell was founded by a guy named Glen Bell — so yes, it's literally "Bell's tacos."
- Before Taco Bell, Glen Bell ran a hot dog stand. Imagine an alternate universe where we're all craving the "Crunchwrap Dog."
- The first Taco Bell opened in 1962 in Downey, California.
- The original menu had items for 19 cents. Today, 19 cents might get you… eye contact with the drive-thru speaker.
- Taco Bell once bought ads saying it had purchased the Liberty Bell and renamed it the "Taco Liberty Bell." It was an April Fools' joke, but people got genuinely mad.
- In 2001, Taco Bell promised a free taco to everyone in America if part of a Russian space station hit a floating target in the ocean. Sadly, no space taco jackpot.
- The Doritos Locos Taco was so popular it basically became the Avengers: Endgame of fast food.
- Taco Bell has tested wild items like waffle tacos, chicken shell tacos, and even a Kit Kat quesadilla in some countries.
- The Taco Bell chihuahua's catchphrase, "Yo quiero Taco Bell," became more famous than some menu items.
- Taco Bell is often treated less like dinner and more like a 3 a.m. life decision with cheese sauce.
Oh my! Eighty years of history!
Dr. Mary did a watercolor of Bob on his bike as a surprise gift!
The group headcount approached eighty people so a roadmap and seating chart was needed. Everything was organized very well with a lot of help from Bob's daughter Cyndy!
Speaking of Cyndy, she flew in all the way from Oregon to help run today's program, and with the help of her son Harper, did an outstanding job. Everything went off without an observable hitch—which, in event-planning terms, is basically a miracle verified by science.
"Hi, you all! You can tie up your hog right outside the front door!"
Place mats and programs are now in place, we are ready for the arrival of guests!
Bob worked on the electronics getting the video running.
Someone had to try out the backdrop with the lighting in place and running!
The cutout was perfectly placed!
The room was set up with bag toss but we are looking for the person who put a black mustache on Bob, we are guess it was someone from the Taco Bell group!
Too funny!!
Bob's picture (watercolor) met all the guests!
Let's Go To Page Three To await Arrival Of The Guests!