Friday

This is coming to you from the road in Cedar Rapids. Sitting in a Starbuck's shop with as busy of a drive-through as I have seen this side of our favorite SB in Scottsdale. (I've also got line-of-sight to an infamous Days Inn that failed to recover certain precious personal items belonging to 4 on that Hawkeye FFF weekend a few years back. Not staying there this trip, of course!)

For the record, the Over bet paid on the Buick repairs.

2's ACL diagnosis means that she will go through the same surgery that I had in 1988 or 89. They've made progress in shortening the rehab for this injury, but it is still is a 6-8 month journey. (Viking running back Adrian Petersen blazed a trail last year with a very quick off-season recovery which launched an incredible come-back year for him.) She will have to get pretty regimented in her physical therapy progression to be ready for Tahoe 2014.

Enjoyed watching the Cardinals win last night after getting back from my meetings and dinner. The Red Sox made a couple of mistakes that led to the Redbird victory, just like the Cards had done the night before. It's down to a 5-game series. StL absolutely MUST take 2 of the 3 games at home to have a chance. If they do, it will put Wacha on the hill in Boston in game 6 for the series win. For a Cardinals fan, that wouldn't be the worst scenario.

They really need to establish some limits on phone use in small environs. Two guys would have been kicked out of this place this morning if there were any rules at all. #extremelyannoying.

ND is in Colorado Springs this weekend for a game at the USAF Academy. I went to one game there, many years ago, and it's worth the trip. Postcard scenery, that special feel of honor/service/discipline of a military academy, and connections to both schools. Kind of a no-lose game for me. This time, the USAF might be a bit over-matched. Look for the Irish to cover the 20 points...if Rees plays. If he doesn't, I doubt if ND can score three times against a junior high team.

They released the route for the 2014 Tour this week. It was already announced that the race would start with three stages in England, and then do a clockwise route in France. They presented the rest of the route Wednesday. After England, they get back on French soil and do some varied days in Northeast France before hitting the Alps, and then down to the Pyrenees. Two of the hills that I have ridden are on the 2014 route, the Col de Lauteret in the Alps, and the Tourmalet that 4 and I rode in the Pyrenees. One of those days in the Pyrenees also goes through the town that 4 and I used as our Base Camp, Bagneres de Bigorre. Good memories of that place.

I'm guessing that parts of France are unhappy with the Tour organizers for the route-design this time. Western France basically has no part of the route in 2014. This is the same kind of debate that goes on in Iowa year-after-year for the RAGBRAI route. Cities see RAGBRAI as an economic boom, and most town are glad to see the bikers come through For a one-day visit. (There are exceptions. Public urination rubs some folks the wrong way. Shock!).

And as I have mentioned here previously, a TdF stage-end town may only see the riders cross the finish line...and then have them immediately head out of town for the start of the next stage which may be 50 or more miles away. So getting a spot on the route is not necessarily a home run.

All for now. I'm headed North to Harvest Path for the weekend. More from there later today.

Have a good weekend in your neighborhood.

BCOT

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