Easy Rider Part Deux

That was a busy weekend for me, but didn’t really provide much fodder for an update because I spent the whole time on a motorcycle trip.  I could cover our “week in dining” experiences I guess, just for the sake of typing.  We’ve been trying several more of the local restaurants since the smoking ban took effect, and have hit on a few winners.  Last week we tried The Gaff and a new Mexican place at the corner of 75th & Wornall.  The name of the Mexican place escapes me at the moment…  Cantina Del Rey maybe?  It got high marks in my book at any rate, it might even bear a few repeat visits.  The Gaff was good too, but the atmosphere was a bit boisterous for old folks like us.  This was mostly due to one particular patron though;  Maybe she won’t be there next time, or maybe if she is Munkirs will lend me his tranquilizer darts.  Or who knows, maybe she’ll find her “indoor voice” over the next few weeks.  Or perhaps, equally more unlikely, noisy people will cease to bother me, you just never know.

Anyway, my weekend was spent riding my motorcycle up to Des Moines for my Uncle Roy’s 60th birthday party.  After carefully watching the weather forecasts all morning, I finally took off Saturday afternoon.  The map I printed out estimated my travel time at 3 hours;  Some how or another it took me 5 1/2 hours.  Man I know I don’t exactly break the sound barrier, but I didn’t think I was going that slow.  I did dawdle in Indianola for a while I guess.  That’s where Mom is from, so I drove by my Grandparent’s house (I think) and a few other local “landmarks of my youth.”  It was a fine day for riding, that’s for sure, so I enjoyed it no matter how long.  Not too often you get an August afternoon in the low 80’s around here.  I’d made a few key equipment upgrades since last year’s ride to Hermann too, all of which helped out in varying degrees.  Probably the biggest improvement was my new seat, followed by the mesh jacket, and then the much-maligned tank bag.  The tank bag served no purpose other than to carry my map in a readable position, but that helped immensely.  Oh I also got some new headphones for my Ipod recently, and they performed just famously.  They are the kind that mash in your ears with the silicone pieces, so they fit very nicely under my helmet and effectively seal out most of the wind and traffic noise.  That way I can hear my tunes at a decent volume, without having to crank it up to an ear-drum damaging level.  Plus, I’ll never even hear the semi coming just before it turns me into a grease spot, which should cut down on my anxiety.  I think the only thing left on the “upgrade” list is a windshield, but I’m just not sure I’m ready to turn that corner yet.

I made it to my Uncle’s house around 5:30, just in time for the party.  Roy is something of a gourmet, so he had quite the assortment of feed out all evening.  There were several artisan cheeses, prociutto-wrapped figs, a walnut/parsley salad, tuna, pepper relish (big hit,) and even some anchovies, which I ate way too many of.  In addition to the birthday celebration, the fiesta also marked the unveiling of his new patio, which had been completed a few weeks ago.  It was quite an impressive structure;  I would have taken pictures to share but I don’t want Donette seeing it.  She’d have a contractor on the phone in minutes.

I spent the night at their house, then after a solid base of biscuits and gravy at the local diner and a driving tour of Des Moines, I headed back south.  They directed me to a large four-lane structure near their house called an “Interstate,” and this seemed to make a considerable difference in my travel time on the way home.  It was another fine day out so I still didn’t get in too much of a hurry, sort of alternating between I-35 and 69 hwy, depending on how I felt at the moment.  This new route shaved a rather remarkable hour and a half off my total trip time though.  Good grief there were a lot of bugs out yesterday though.  My formerly solid grey helmet is now a rather mottled pattern of varying color.  Might want to add “windshield wiper” to the upgrade list too, if they make such a thing for helmets.  I pulled into the house around 4:00, and we promptly headed down to the Brooksider for a travel-recap and a little dinner, then I went back home and wiped out on the couch about 7:00.  That motorcycling will take it out of you I guess.

6 thoughts on “Easy Rider Part Deux

  1. Nice weekend trip for you Phil. Did your mom go to the party? If you post the pictures when you get back from the wedding this weekend maybe Donette will not pay to much attention. Because she will be viewing the wedding pics. Something to think about. Is Gabe feeling better since last weeks update?

  2. Nope I headed up there all by myself. She is going to his house for another party in a few weeks though; I can’t make it to that one.

    Well Gabe just got back from the Vet; A few hundred bills later, he’s got the same diagnosis as ever and the same medications as ever. I don’t know why we always wait and “see if clears up on it’s own.” He did it say it “might” be giardia though, so they did take some blood and the results of that come back tomorrow.

  3. You might bring some of that medicine to float trip next year Phil, there are a few people down there that could use it. Not saying who, I’m just saying.

  4. Ohhhhh good idea. We should crush it up in the Mountain Man breakfast so everybody gets some. The world (and the camper) will be a better place.

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