Breakfast Ride

Few weeks ago, Mario reached out an asked me if I wanted to join him and Dutch for breakfast on 2 May.  He had a VA appointment out our way. Quick look at my schedule; looks good.  Then late last week I reached out with a “did we have a breakfast coming up?”  Duh …   he confirms and I ask “mind if Rocky and / or Chief show up?”   Of course not ... but … I’m scheming a lil.  Always looking for an excuse to ride?   Chief is in as was Rocky, but turns out Rocky has a conflicting doc’ appointment so he bails a few days out.  Then the storms rolled in Sunday night so I’m thinking I’ll be caging.  Chief is thinking the same thing.  Earlier in the week I’d sort of forgot about the whole thing to be honest. Exactly a week prior, I was dealing with a medical issue of mine when I got zapped with my ICD (wrote about it here in JOLTED). So, I’m thinking the fact that I’m even going to breakfast is a positive. I skipped an event on Saturday because I’m all focused about getting 100% for the upcoming weekend. Hell, wasn’t even sure I was REALLY going to ride on this day until I threw my leg over the bike.

It's Monday morning and I’ve been up for a while (like … 0300 up for a while).  Storms have been active, no TV Signal (DISH) and I’m just getting through the morning watching some NEWSMAX recorded episodes. Out internet has been and still is down for a few days due to a bad DSL Modem/Gateway.  Anyways…   not my normal kind of morning… but I see the guys at 1000 hrs for breakfast!  Well, around 0700 the storm breaks and I get outside on the porch to fetch my Internet updates so to speak. Out in the country my cell barely works here with crappy reception, but out at my gate… perfect. On the front or back porch … 'one bar' in and out.  I do a weather check and ….   damned…   looks like the rain is moving away, and the day looks ‘dry’; cloudy and warm.  So, I reach out to the Chief.  He just washed his Bike and Trike and has zero desire to get them dirty again for a breakfast ride just twelve miles down the road.  I tell him I understand, but my bike is dirty (as always) and ... I’m riding.  Then I add that I might take the ‘long way home.’   Now, I’ve got his attention!  I say the same thing to Dutch and he was planning on caging due to the weather as well ... but ... I’ve got his attention as well!  Come 0900 hrs the sun is actually out; the roads are quickly drying up so …   motorcycles it is!  Just prior to that I tried to put it out on Groups.io for DRP purposes but I’ve barely got a signal and that app/site is touchy on internet connectivity.  Finally give up and say F’it and put it out on FB Messenger to the chapter.  I’m 99% sure nobody else will take me up on it... buy hey ... would be kind of’ cool if a few others jumped into the fray?  Par for the course, not to happen. Out to the building, load up with just a tee shirt under the vest on this beautiful Spring Day and down at the end of my road the Chief is waiting for me…. fifteen minutes later we’re pulling up at Glenda’s Café in Greenville.

Glenda's Cafe

This place is awesome small town, old school.  This morning Swamprat, Dutch and a buddy of Swamprat’ s (Matt) is seated waiting for us.  At the table next to them is Friendlee, a Greenville Staple!  He’s in his 70’s, has his own radio show/channel, and is looking great and smiling as we walk in.  After a few minutes of BSing, I’m seated and hanging with the rest of the boys.  I’m doing some KETO bs, so I grab the ‘Biker breakfast’ but skip all the crazy good carbs (pancakes and hashbrowns).  God, I love those… but …  well... enough of that.  After about two hours of BSing it’s time to go, but our check on the table is missing.  Dutch thought I’d paid. I thought the Chief had. Turns out a folks at the table next to us, a nice elderly couple took care of it. At some point he or an accomplice had snagged our check, literally off the table. The gent waved at me when he was leaving telling us “Thank you for your Service” but I hadn’t connected the dots as I waved back.  Always puts a smile on my face when we are surrounded by fellow Patriots, paying it forward.  Just wish I could have thanked him along with a handshake for breakfast……

After ten minutes or so of wondering where we were going to ride to and whom was going to lead it, I reminded Dutch of an awesome route he’d taken the chapter on about two years prior.  He refreshed his memory of the route thanks to an old post on FB from back then, and we’re off.  Over the next few hours, we’ll roll over a hundred miles through NE Texas on nothing but two lanes.  PERFECT!  It’s just the three of us so we’re scooting through small towns, some that I’ve never been through before.  We pop out on Hwy 34 only to grab an adjoining Farm Road.  Then Hwy 11, but quickly off to another Farm Road.  Hwy 24, same.  I’m digging this.  I’ve got my GPS/Nav screen up and I see the maze of roads all around us and Dutch navigates through it all mostly by memory having been raised in this area and living here most of his life.  As we roll through towns Chief keeps lagging back, while we take off.  Multiple times we slow to a crawl and the Chief catches back up then … off again! At a gas stop, Chief is busting Dutch’s balls for hauling ass through the towns at a high rate, but Dutch is sticking to his guns and never waivers from his story of “I’m doing the speed limit”.  Both look at me for validation as to whom is correct, but my story is “I’m here for the fun!  I’m just following Dutch”.  Well, I didn’t think we really going ‘too fast’ but … Chief had a point.  Still, I’m of the mindset I follow the leader of the pack short of shooting off a cliff.  If they want to do 100 on a 55mph country road, I’m in.  Want to bust through a town with a 45mph at 60 or 65… I’m your man.  Helps that I haven’t had a speeding ticket on a motorcycle since 1986, so I guess I feel ‘immune’ at some point. Like I said, Chief was probably correct but I don’t like being the ‘anchor’ that puts a gap in there, especially if there are bikes behind me (which wasn’t the case of yesterday ... he was simply trying to insert common sense).  We had none of it …… LOL. Towards the end, we’re headed to 513 for some final twisties when Dutch smiles at a stop and asks if we want to pull off at his place down the road for a few cold ones.  Twist my arm!  Five minutes later we’re parked with his dogs everywhere (he’s got a LOT of them!) and we’re sipping some Ultra’s pool side on a mid 80s sunny day.  Living the Dream!   After a single one for each of us, back on the bikes and headed to Lone Oak.  I’m in the lead now in my backyard leaning into the curves and smiling.  Too soon, I’m turning off onto my final road and they head to the Chiefs.  Turns out they’ll stop there for another cold one or two, then Dutch peels off back to Campbell.   Damned I love days like this….   Makes me feel like I’m retired.  They both are .... I’m sort of ‘semi-retired’ …. close enough for government work? 

As I type this on this Tuesday morning at 0300, it’s raining again though not quite as bad as 24 hrs. previously.  I’d normally be scheming for another ride today but … gotz work and personal shit that has to be done.  And, need to get the bike prepped for a CVMA weekend coming up.  I’ve got some miles to put on KRUSH …… Now just need my Internet connectivity so I can upload this

 

Cold ones at Dutch's

 

The RIDE - 130.5 mi