Richard's accounts of our ROMEO lunches are so comprohensive and entertaining that I thought I would just publish the latest one here.
Guys - This seems to be the year of uncertainty when it comes to scheduling these rides. It's going to be even dicier when I have to do these several weeks out anticipating being gone on the wednesday being scheduled, but again, i'm sure we'll live through it.
The weather folks just add to the apprehension. They cry doom so often anymore they have become almost a laughing stock. But what would we do without 'em?
I can appreciate their predicament, but like today, it looked nasty but it was really quite pleasant out. Some of us got the tips of our pantleg damp but that was about all. Me, I took the scoot with floorboards and was as dry as a new sponge. The roads were sloppy though and everyone that attended will be washing the usual crud off of their bike and reshining all the sparkly sections.
Evan led the procession from my house down to Moundridge by the backroads and we went by Gary Blake's new place for all the guys to see. Gary, for those of you in the area around here, had Victory Motorsports in Moundridge until the Co-op cancelled his lease to use the building for themselves. Gary has now set up shop in a Morton type building behind his house and it looks sharp. Clean as a whistle and ready to repair your bike or install your tire. Give Gary a call. His cell phone is 620-242-6851 and his home phone is 620-345-3107. Tell him the ROMEOs have recommended him.
I've used Gary for a number of different things and i've ALWAYS been pleased. I recommend him highly! (this has been an unsolicited advertisement).
Eighteen of us showed up to experience a bit of culture at this new place in Moundridge and we were all quite impressed with the place. You can never make everyone happy however and this time it was my wife. She thought I had 'sold out' the little ma and pa places we frequent to go here. In hindsight, maybe I did! It certainly didn't appear they needed our business and some of the policies I observed and attitude I experienced said maybe she was right. But, they were new and just getting started. So, they have 'bugs' (pardon the expression) to work out. I guess i'm just a bit jaded by the true affection felt by the little places rather than the arrogance of oppulance we were all exposed to here.
I can pretty well live and put up with anything in a cafe or restaurant but paying at your table isn't one of them. To me, it's just a policy that condones customer theft..... pure stealing. When you are presented with your bill, is it unreasonable to expect the waiter or whomever to return with your change? Does it have to take fifteen minutes, or longer? I consider the motive for this type of system to be one of waiting out the customer 'till he finally leaves in disgust or too embarrased to ask for his change back. I'm just stubborn enough to wait for my six dollars back out of a twenty dollar bill. Did this type system endear me to return anytime soon? Not on your life, and this little place will find it out sooner rather than later, i'm sure. Pardon the rant!
As fifteen bikes were lined up at the curb 'prior to' on time we visited streetside all the while eyeballing the lovely outdoor patio of the cafe. Unfortunately, the dark rolling clouds made that area too tenuous so we elected to dine inside. One feature of immense delight was the Kansas designed tableware. The KNORK brand was used exclusively and was a source of great pride to everyone 'till someone noticed the word 'china' on the back in really small letters. Oh well, they were designed in Newton, Kansas i'm told. Square china (there's that country popping up again) coffee cups were also quite unusual. Real cloth table napkins wrapped the silverware and I provided all those present at my table with an oragami lesson using the napkin. Everyone was well impressed, i'm sure, with this table culture at such a fine facility and quickly disavowed any knowledge of me. Joyce got up and left having been embarrased by this trick before. I explain it only by saying I owe it all to Neil. Remember to have Neil tell you the whole story sometime about how it came to be to fully appreciate it.
Denny Sexon gets the (drumroll, please) 'BOW' (bike of the week) and photos of his ride are attached below. Lee Hunt on his BMW rode in from Olathe showing a fresh 193 miles on his odometer and only got wet for a little while he said.
A new rider, Scott Burns riding a 1200 Sportster from Lindsborg came today and wondered about us, i'm sure, but he offered me his email so I guess we didn't scare him off.
And, a brang spanking new bike rolled in with a paper tag and we couldn't figure out who it belonged to 'till he took off his helmet......Bob Lundquist on his 'just bought yesterday DR650 Suzuki in Black. Congrats, Bob. That makes......let me see......
Don Typer and his wife rode in on his Mercury saying it was raining when he left....only 8 miles away, how wet could you get. Don? And, the infamous, 'Man on Two Legs' replete with shorts and sandals rode all the way there in his Toyota pick-um-up-truck! Joyce captured his order on photo and although I wouldn't be caught eating it, he seemed well satisfied.
Most riders today were on what Is termed mid sized bikes. Out of pure curiosity I sorted the bikes over or under 1000cc's and here's what I found today. Out of fourteen bikes present,
11 were under 1000cc and only
3 were over that engine size.
Curious huh! Again, I ask the question, has the world has gone superficially nuts over size!
Here's what was parked on the street..(in alphabetical order)
Aprilia 2
BMW 2
Harley 1
Honda 1
Kawasaki 1
Royal Enfield 1
Yamaha 1
Suzuki 5
other.......Mercury 1
Toyota p/u 1
Following lunch and being as close as we were to the locally famous 'SCOOPS' in Hesston, of course we headed there to once again solve the mysteries of the universe and ponder the question 'why isn't anyone listening'?.............Richard
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