Since Iowa City last weekend I’ve driven 2500 miles. I’m not sure how that occurred exactly, but it’s a fact. Bromont, dog, is a true road warrior. He can sleep a day away in the car without blinking. He has gotten into the habit of always being on a lap in the car, so if me, the driver, is the only person there, then what choice does he have? Gets alittle heavy on the legs after a few hours.

The East coast in the spring is great. The mountains of West Virginia/Virginia are beautiful. The traffic there doesn’t do much for me, but that is life. One thing that I didn’t know was that the dandelion population is out of control there. Below is a picture I took of a field of only dandelions. And they are dandelions from the land of the giants. I saw one that was over a foot across. I tried to pull one and the root was nearly an inch across. Makes the midwest dandelions look like pygmies.

Mike Wiess called and asked if I would do a autograph appearance thing for the Tour of Missouri, but it was really for the MS Society Bicycle event in Chesterfield, Missouri. I got there a little early and was amazed the equipment that people were riding. I am not an elitist concerning sports. Especially cycling equipment. I just haven’t been around so many people with such basic bicycles. And clothing. I ski in jeans. For hours. I guess it’s no different. But, it seems different for some reason. These people had so much enthusiasm it was contagious. I wish they could experience the unbelievable feel of a 15 lb. carbon frame with sewups. They all deserve it. It might of been the longest time I’ve spent on a bicycle for a 35 mile ride since I was riding a bike just like theirs.

OK. Joe Martin Stage Race starts the middle of the week and I have no idea how I’m riding. I’m exhausted. I’ve got a couple days I guess. I’ll know better by then.

Lap dog in current favorite lazy position.

One of 10000 dandelion fields.

MS ride in Chesterfield Missouri.

OK. This has nothing to do with bicycle racing. Except, bicyclists eat a ton. I went and ate breakfast at a Cracker Barrel Sunday. It is an amazing place. I haven’t been to one in a long, long time. I think I’d just forgotten what they are all about.

If you’ve never been to a Cracker Barrel, it’s a chain restaurant that serves American “home cooked food”. The ambiance is that of a country store. Stuff everywhere. It has a big porch with rocking chairs for sale. There was a porch sale going on when I was there. Something like a garage sale I guess. The lobby has a strange collection of stuff. Old advertising signs, farm equipment, early kitchen appliances, tools, toys, etc. Plus they sell country store type food- Beef jerky, pickels, hard candy, etc. It might be one of the only places you can buy horehounds.

Breakfast is served all day. In my opinion, a mandate. I could eat breakfast 3 meals a day. I do sometimes. And this isn’t the typical bike racing breakfast. It is biscuits and gravy, grits, fried whatever. And a good selection of pancakes. I hadn’t indulged in a breakfast like this since I can remember. I ordered the Oldtimers breakfast. Two eggs, grits, hashbrown casserole, thick bacon, biscuits, gravy. It is pure fat. But, if you’re gonna consume pure fat, it is almost impossible to find a better way to do it. I have a conscience about eating right, but after I left that at the door, I can’t remember recently enjoying a breakfast more.

So, I guess to tie this into riding somehow-next time you go out and kill yourself on the bike, feel free to reward yourself and go to Cracker Barrel and eat like the rest of the 300,000,000 Americans do.

Game at every table. Best I could do was leaving 2.