Yesterday when I was leaving Ned’s place I thought I’d go by Bread, on Florida, a bakery near Ned’s, and get some coffee and a muffin. I’d ate there the day before and it was awesome. So I bought a muffin, oatmeal cookie and a coffee and was just getting into my van to head back to Topeka, when Rob, the owner, came out and introduced himself.

And then it was close to an hour later that I was driving away with $100 worth of bread, sandwiches, water, juice, that Rob had packed for my trip. I almost need to add him to my jersey for sponsorship now.

It is kind of amazing to me that I haven’t run into Rob Kaeberry before this. He and I have run in the same circles for decades. I got a condensed version of some of his life story. I can’t come close to recalling how many different countries the guy has lived in. Not to mention Cambridge, Mass. for a decade. He knew my friend, Tom Leonard, a baker/cyclist from Lawrence Kansas. Plus, Wheatfields Bakery and FreeState Brewery in Lawrence. He was an aspiring triathlete, plus a local bike racer too.

Anyway, it was a pleasure taking to Rob. A place like Bread is what makes cities like Durango so special. It is amazing. Topeka does not have anything close. Most cities don’t. He gave me a killer turkey sandwich, which I ate for lunch up on Wolf Creek Pass and an amazing bacon (?) sandwich, which I had for dinner walking Bromont in the plains of Western Kansas. And I ate at least 5 of his oatmeal cookies, which are the best oatmeal cookies that I’ve ever eaten in my life. They must be close to 1000 calories a cookie. So, needless to say, I gained a ton of weight during the all day/night drive back to Topeka.

I’m thinking about going back to Durango in 3 weeks for the Road Apple Rally. I’m going to make sure I get to spend a night with Rob and try to figure out what makes that guy tick. It is going to be complicated for sure.

Rob Kaeberry, owner of Bread in Durango.

The contents of the goody bag that Rob packed for me for the trip back to Kansas.

Rolls to die for.

Rob and his daughter.

Floor pump in the bathroom. Perfect.

Rob is just a wee bit political.

I think the travel has caught up a little with me. But, there is no rest for the weary. Or something like that. I got back to Topeka way late on Friday night/Saturday morning, got a few hours sleep and headed over to Kansas City to help Adam Mills with a cyclo-X clinic. I have to admit, I wasn’t at my best, but I hope I was able to convey my thoughts coherently to the attendees.

I think there were close to 60 people gathered Saturday morning for the Source Endurance clinic. Adam did a great job of organizing the groups and keeping the flow going. It is was shock to my system getting on a cross bike and going through the motions. My left leg is pretty toast from dismounting. Even though I wrote over a month ago that we should all start getting ready for cross, I didn’t take my own advise and have done nearly nothing.

Wednesday after Chequamegon, which is 10 days from now, I plan to go to St. Louis to race the UCI race, The Gateway Cross Cup, there. I don’t think I’ll have to worry about finishing in the top 10 and getting UCI points (which would disqualify me from riding Master’s World in Louisville in January). I think a bunch of Euros that are racing CrossVegas are going to make a stop on their way to Madison the next weekend.

So, today I’m going to try to get my shit together to head up to Cable/Chequamegon tomorrow morning. I’m having a wheel issue, since I don’t seem to be locating MTB 29’r tubulars for the wheels I have hanging in my garage. I might have to call up Scott at Trek and beg once again.

I’m listening to the 9/11 broadcast on NPR right now. It was such a tragedy. But the disaster and the our nation’s response to it also have been costly in countless other ways, that has, and will continually, affect our lives and the lives of most of population of this planet for the foreseeable future. I can only hope, that sometime, something good will eventually morph from this series of horrible events.

Shad and Joseph, fellow instructors for the clinic.

Lunch.

I'm not sure bunny hopping is really important in cross, but it is something that all cyclists should be able to do just to ride their bikes.

I’ve often wondered how Muslims figure out when to pray. I guess you can go to the internet and get the specific time for where you’re at. This is the first time I can remember seeing this locally. Remember, I live in Kansas.