A Visit To Rock-It-Man

Many times over the last three years going to Flagstaff has been a disappointment. When I found Hastings there it did help a lot. They have a decent assortment of music and many, many other things.

A week ago I learned that Saturday April 17 was Record Store Day and through it I found that there was an independent record store in Flagstaff. When I was off on Friday we headed to Flagstaff and I paid my first visit to Rock-It-Man.

I must confess that finding the store was not hard but finding a parking space was. The store is located in the historical area of Flag. I ended up parking a few blocks away. It was a short brisk walk from my parking spot to the store. Not knowing much about the store and not knowing what it was like, I was concerned that I would be disappointed.

I did not see the store right away. The store is slightly hidden by a canopy. The dead give away was the flyers and posters on the door and in the window.

I walked in and all I saw was rows and rows of music. Oh man! Any apprehension disappeared as I began to roam through the store and browse through the selection of music.

For a town the size of Flagstaff I was really surprised how much music this store had. What also surprised me was the amount of business this store had coming through the door!
The picture above is of the manager (?) or owner (?). I did not get his name or "title" but he was very helpful to not just me but also every person that came through the door.

My first visit to Rock-It-Man will not be my last. Lots of good music both on cd and on vinyl. Next time you are in Flagstaff AZ, make sure you visit Rock-It-Man. Going to Flagstaff has just gotten better.

Driving the Albright Special

From time to time I get to drive something that is a little different than my normal route. I get to drive the Albright Training Special.

On a specific Tuesday morning I go to the bus yard and take a bus to a specific location and drive a selected group of people through the park and ultimately onto the Hermit Road.
Yes, there really is more to it than that.
The Albright Training Center is located on Albright Street here in the park (clever name for the road isn't it). It trains National Park Service employees from around the country. They come here for a two week training class and part of their training is going through the Village (so they will know where things are located like food, the grocery store, and the clinic) and also where certain important landmarks are located (Park Headquarters, historical spots and of course the canyon itself).
The Albright Training Center also houses the new NPS employees in dorm style housing. From what I can tell these guys really enjoy their training. They have a lot of fun and get to spend two weeks in a place where many from them have never been before.
This is Richard. Richard is one of the trainers at Albright and many times when I drive these guys he does a talk and explains where we are and what they need to know. Richard is a good guy and a lot of fun to work with.

So, did I mention to you these is one of the easiest aspects of my job? What do I have to do? Drive the bus. That I can handle!