Man, this last week has been pretty trying. Last night I realized that my Honda Elite Scooter was not in my driveway. I thought about it for a while and am surprised it took me at least 5 minutes to actually believe that the scooter was stolen. I thought, “Maybe I left it somewhere?” But, it didn’t take much to dis guard that optimistic thought.

I spent an hour last night riding through the park, down by the creek looking for it. I’m going to do it again this morning. Someone must had to wheel it away. I have the only key.

I have no idea what you could do with a stolen scooter. I assume that you can’t get a license plate for it once I report it to the police. I called the Honda dealer and left my number if someone tries to order a new ignition switch for a 1986 Honda Elite. And put a posting on Craigslist. I’m not sure what else I can do.

I had big plans on motor pacing the next few months. I guess I have to get another one up and running. That is going to take a bit of work. I was just thinking yesterday how nice it is that I can drive either a full size diesel van, a Honda elite scooter or Honda Insight Hybrid. Pretty diverse choices. Guess one is gone.

I feel kind of silly getting my scooter stolen. I used park it inside my garage, but it’s been outside for the past year. I never really though much about it getting taken. I must be naive. I did get 3 cars stolen already this year. That seems more than should happen to one in a life type. It must be the economy or something.

On a more happier note, I forgot to mention that Tuesday, right after I buried Marti, Lilly, the walk about cat, came back home. I have been looking for Lilly pretty much every night for the past couple months. I assumed he was gone. But, there he was. I thought it was kind of spooky that he’d come back right when Marti was gone. He went into our room and fell asleep on the bed. I went for a ride and he was gone when I got home. It was very nice of him to come back and visit.

There are lots of choices of races to do this weekend. The Joules Cross is happening outside Lawrence. Two races, both at the same venue, but on different courses. There is a nighttime cross race up in Des Moines at 10pm on Saturday night. I sort of kicked around flying out to the East coast for the UCI races in Delaware this weekend, but failed to enter by Wednesday. I really don’t know the procedure for entering after registration closes, so I’m probably just here. It is beautiful weather right now, so it could be worse.

Anyone see this guy scooting around Topeka, let me know.

Lilly was pretty at home on the bed.

Photo from above the Joules Cross course.

Custom awards for the race too.

That is how, according to google, you pronounce quandary. The definition is – perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation. I seem to get into lots of quandaries. But, maybe I use the word too loosely. The way I use, I’d have to take difficult out of the definition . I suppose we all go through quandaries on a daily basis then.

Today I’m trying to decide if I’m going to race one or two cyclcrosses. I don’t think that I can really answer the question until after the first one is over. That is probably not a good time to decide whether you want to drive 300 miles and race again in 5 hours. I’m not quite sure, right now, how that is going to affect the decision, but it will for sure.

Yesterday I went down to the police station to report my scooter stolen. I don’t really like being in a place where nearly everyone else has guns. Handguns at that. It just makes you feel inherently less safe. I doubt I’d feel better if I had a gun too. I thought it was funny because on the door, when you walk in, there is a no firearms sign. I can understand their desire to be the only ones with firearms, but it seems weird.

It got pretty cold last night. Mid 30’s. That is probably closer to the normal lows than it has been in the 60’s. It is October. Our tomatoes pretty much did nothing all summer, but have gotten reinvigorated this fall. Probably just in time to freeze. It is supposed to be nearly 80 this afternoon. Too warm for cross, in my opinion. I doubt that I’ll be complaining about that too many more times this season.

I usually always ride in the morning before racing a cross race, criteriums too. It gives me a chance to figure out what I need to do a few hours later to be going good. Sometimes it backfires some, when I feel really shitty in the morning, it’s hard getting motivated for later. Today it is going to be tough, with it below 40 still and it’s going to be in the upper 70’s in just a few hours. Life.

Okay, Lombardy is on live. The race is getting interesting. Better watch it.