Motoring Down the Road | Peaches Prattlings

{May 23, 2021} It’s Sunday…let’s go for a ride!

Sunday came and it was a nice day even with the possibility of rain, let’s ride Clyde!

We headed out for Hermann, MO. PSM is the Ride Captain for our mini biker group, of two! He plans the routes, usually avoiding the highways, and he never disappoints! It was about an hour and a half there, which I knew. It was a beautiful ride, a bunch of bikes were out. We stopped at the same gas station we always stop at when we’re in that area. Even though it was more than an hour’s ride, which was fine, as he said, it’s tradition now! We also both knew it would be time for me to fill up anyway. We chatted with a Harley rider, our bikes were about the same color blue. He gave us some ideas for different rides. Bikers really are some of the nicest people!

We went into Hermann looking for brunch, it was about 1203p at this point, so we were on the fence…breakfast, lunch, brunch? It was actually harder than we thought to find a place for breakfast. The nice thing, it wasn’t as crowded in Hermann as it was the last time we were there. We stopped at Stomp ‘N Grounds for breakfast. It was a cute little place, we sat at a bar by the window and chatted while we waited for our food and drinks.

PSM had decaf coffee, hot, it was supposed to be iced, I had a chai latte with almond milk with a mountain of foam that I didn’t ask for, and we got one of the two pastries we were going to munch on while we waited for our food, not a great sign. The funny part about getting the drinks was when they called our names, the guy said ‘decaf coffee and…the other drink’ really? The pastries were ok, a slice of cinnamon swirl bread and a brown sugar cinnamon chip scone, I would have enjoyed the scone warmed up, but I guess it wasn’t an option. PSM had bagel, lox, and cream cheese and I had a fried egg sandwich. I have to say, I have really been missing the East Coast, why can’t anyone have other choices beside PLAIN BAGELS?!

After brunch, we walked around Hermann, it’s a cute town, not much to it, but cute. I could see going back, or stopping there, with the bike group for drinks, like we did a few weeks ago, but I don’t see us going back on our own. What was crazy was how hot it was! There were a lot of bikes in town and I can tell you…the only people wearing pants…bikers! WOW! We were sweatin’! One thing we couldn’t find was anything that said Hermann! A hat, t-shirt, nothin’! I have started getting magnets wherever we go, as a memento, it’s small, easy to carry, and…our back door is magnetic! I’ve used it to display all the places we’ve been! I love it! Bummer on not finding anything!

We left Hermann and rode to Washington, MO, which we’ve been to before. It was about an hour’s ride, which was a good distance, we thought we’d check out the town a little, maybe get a drink. We stopped in two places that were shutting down in a few, really? It wasn’t even 2pm! Oh, that was the same thing happening in Hermann, for some reason, things were shutting down early! We stopped in a bar for a few drinks, enjoyed chatting with the bartender and decided to tip! It’s funny, we haven’t actually seen Washington, only the street down by the river, one of these days, we need to check it out!

Next, we headed to Defiance, MO. We drive through it all the time and talk about stopping, but never do. And when we were there, I think we found all the bikers in the state of Missouri! They were at these two bars across the street from each other. I think I saw maybe four or five bikes, not including ours that weren’t Harleys! I even saw two Indians, that weren’t ours! and that was about it! We hung out at both bars for a bit, long enough for a few drinks each, listened to some music and headed down the road to my main thought in Defiance, Good News Brewing Company. We had been to the first location and knew about this one, which actually has Alpha & Omega Coffee located inside as well.

It was a nice open space, garage doors all around, inside and outside seating, everything is a rough wood, barn-like, the way I like it! I remember going to the first one wanting to turn our lanai into that type of space, I don’t think it’s reasonable, but I would love it! Their menu is very limited, we ordered a cheese bread and a small pizza, not going to be good for either of us, but we were willing to take a chance. We sat, ate, drank, talked, laughed. Wash, rinse, repeat. It was so nice!

Eventually, after last call, which was about 6pm, it’s Sunday, after all, it was time to head out. We rode home, about an hour, got gas somewhere in there, greeted the pups, walks, dinner, relax!

I will say…it was a nice day and we both wore short sleeves…no jackets, didn’t need them, I only wore my vest because it keeps my t-shirt from riding up my back! Well…since we wore short sleeves and no arm sleeves, which we do wear in the summer, most of the time, it protects our arms from the harsh rays of the sun, and no sunblock to prevent what ended up happening…SUN BURN! OUCH! Well, now I have my base layer, which I usually get from driving the convertible, but I haven’t been going many places lately. We learned our lesson! It will be fine, but…I can also tell I am getting my biker’s tan, you can see where the hole in the back of my riding gloves are!

What a Sunday! What’s our next adventure?! Want to join us?!

{May 22, 2021} Just another average Saturday…

Yeah right! Who am I kidding?!

Got up, hot yoga, you know how we roll…it was tough! It’s getting hotter out and more humid, so hot yoga gets even hotter. Today there were quite a few people in class, different for a Saturday, I’m wondering if it’s because of the no mask on the mat policy, this particular studio, on a Saturday morning, it’s us and maybe one or two other people…this class had at least six people!

Hot yoga done, home, shower, work on the basement for a bit, it’s getting so much better! Then…go to Mungenast to pick up PSM’s bike, he was getting a new back tire put on. Pack the pups and PSM in the car and away we go! Top down, of course! And something we learned, Ruby has an issue with overpasses! I didn’t think much of it when we went under one a few weeks ago, she barked at it, but it turns out the change in pressure makes her bark and…jump! Not out of the car, but just enough to make us nervous! I don’t want to have to strap her down in the car! Hmmm…

After we got home, hung out with the pups for a bit, didn’t want to put them right in the crate after being out, and then we headed out to get some grub, bub. We went to a new place that I found, Olivette Diner and O M G! We are in luv!!! If you weren’t specifically looking for it, you would miss it. It’s a non-descript looking place from the outside. It’s in a strip mall, above the door Diner, that’s descriptive! The windows did say Olivette Diner, but honestly, if you weren’t looking for it…

We walked in and were very pleasantly surprised. They did have a few tables and chairs outside, we wanted inside and we weren’t disappointed! The place had a great retro feel, counter service with retro vinyl covered stools, facing the cook space, and a few retro booths, along with the retro signage on the walls. Let’s just say, a little retro. They had a surprisingly big menu for a small place, but we got right down to it.

We ordered a scramble with brie, spinache, and tomatoes, it came with a side of hash browns, and toast. I asked for the scramble to be done well, the hash browns dun…[note the emphasis on done] and when I asked which type of toast was better, our server couldn’t decide between the wheat or sour dough, both of which are made by a local bakery. Could I get one of each? Why, yes I could! Then… we ordered the Amazing Banana Waffle. It was a malted waffle topped with a hot and fresh banana, brown sugar, and cinnamon sauce. How could we not, it said it was amazing!

No sooner had we ordered and I got back from washing my hands, the food arrived. Did they actually cook it? It was sooo fast! Not that I’m complaining at all! I have to tell you, this was one of the best breakfasts we’ve had in a long time! We love the places we go and sometimes something new doesn’t always work out, but wowweee did this ever! It’s going on our favorites list! The scramble wasn’t overpowering with any one flavor and the brie was melted and blended in just right. The hash browns, ahhhhh, almost no one gets it right, this was…crispy and crunchy and just y u m! The toast, you know, I don’t know which slice was better…I ate one, then the other. Then…for the second set, I ate one bite of one, then one bite of the other, didn’t help! They were both so good, and just the right amount of butter! And the waffle…they were right…AMAZING! Wow! It was fluffy and light. The banana was hot and gooey, and the brown sugar and cinnamon sauce, who needs syrup. It really was fabulous! I would order this again and again and again!

I was disappointed, no room for pie and they had the list up and they have…strawberry-rhubarb pie, my favorite! Not to worry, we will be going back! Yessss! A true treat, if you’re in the area, or looking for a good place to go for breakfast or lunch! They are only open until 2pm, so get there early! Also…we were told the food came out so fast because that’s how they have to do it, normally the place is packed! Even at 1pm! Graduations are happening all around the state, that’s probably where most people were. Can’t wait to go back and bring people with us!

Now, back home, after we stop to get a graduation present. One of those graduations this weekend, we were invited to a graduation party, a son of one of PSM’s co-workers. After a brief sit down and hang with the pups, we head back out on the bikes to the graduation party. We saw a few people I actually knew and I met some of PSM’s co-workers, that was fun! Now I have faces to go with the names! It was a nice party, I enjoyed chatting with people and there were cupcakes, what more could you want!

After a while, we said our goodbyes and headed out to Nine Mile Garden for an Adult Prom! We’ve talked about Nine Mile Garden, it’s great. There is a micro-brewery and then there are always food trucks with plenty to offer, unfortunately, limited for me, but not for most. And the trucks are definitely varied! Something for almost everyone! And if you’re lucky, at least one of the trucks has dessert!

We didn’t really read the invite closely, so it was a lot of people watching…everyone was dressed in some form of 80’s attire, it was great! There were some prom dresses, suspenders, bow ties, big hair, wrestlers impersonators, rock star impersonators, 80’s music, lights, some decorations and music videos from the 80’s on the big screen. We ate, loaded spuds!, we drank, we people watched, it was so much fun!

What a Saturday, told ya…just another average Saturday. Well, for us it was!

{May 1, 2021} A perfect day for a fabulous ride!

Today was the group ride, based on the pre-ride I told you about last weekend, did that make sense?! It was predicted to be a gorgeous day! Let’s go!

The day started early, a little before 7a, got the pups up, walked, and fed, and played, and snuggled. We were out the door by 8am, we needed to be at Mungenast by 8/8:30am, we were heading out for a 3 hour ride. No, I am not going to sing again or make you think about Gilligan’s Island, except for that reference! We got to Mungenast in plenty of time to hang, greet each other, catch up, chat, look at each other’s bikes and the changes or improvements we’ve made. Well, not me, but I could ooh and ah and admire like the rest of them!

When everyone had assembeled, we gathered for a talk from the ride captain, rules of the road and all that. We always have those at the beginning of a group ride, it’s most important when there are a lot of bikes and we had quite a few! It was decided that we would break into two groups to make it easier at stop signs, lights, etc. We were with the second group because PSM was going to block traffic as we were leaving, it’s easier if you have someone who stops the cars and you can leave as one unit. The analogy is that when we’re all together, we act as an 18-wheeler, a really big truck. I hope that made sense!

We headed out, our group was about 5-10 minutes behind the first group. There was some highway riding, but the best part was to get to the back roads, the winding roads, off the beaten path so to speak. We rode for about an hour to Washington, MO, stopped for gas, stretch the legs, grab a snack. It was interesting, sometime before we got to the first stop, we caught up with the first group, then we rode together to the gas station. And it was much needed!

Then…we rode to Hermann, MO, we didn’t stop in Hermann, just drove through, lots of people and bikers out, and very cool, there was Harley Davidson rider who was out for a stroll, so to speak and super cool, turned his bike to block the oncoming cars, so we could ride as one unit, aces! We actually stopped a few miles outisde of Hermann for anyone to gas up, bio break, snacks, you name it. This was the last stop until we got to our destination, just about an hour to go and we were all together, nice.

We headed out, and off we go. It was mostly back roads, some beautiful scenery. I did have a bit of deja vu, as we just did this ride last weekend. We kept a steady pace and I know we were a sight to see. Even when I’m looking at us, it’s quite the site! I can tell you we made quite the sight, there were people waving at us and some even taking videos as we went by, it’s pretty cool.

The weather was perfect, started out about 60 in the morning and went up to 80+, but the wind was something! There were quite a few of us who felt it on the ride, especially on the highway. By the time we got to Head Motor Company in Columbia, MO, we were all ready to get off the bikes. All I wanted to do was stand or sit, and not move!

They had tents set up, demo bikes, food, sales on merchandise, it was quite the site. We were also there to meet the Indian Motorcycle Riders Group Kansas City Chapter, something we do when there are events or rides that are going to meet somewhere in the middle, or close to the middle, which this was.

We had some grub, everyone enjoyed the bbq, it looked good, I improvised! I had a cole slaw sandwich! It was actually quite tasty! And an oatmeal raisin cookie, I was happy! While we ate, we chatted, caught up, got to know some new members, met and talked to the KC riders/members. It’s nice meeting new people, fellow biker enthusiasts. We were on an official group ride, so there was a meeting, had to be.

Then it was time to head out. A few of us decided to go to Hermann for a drink, maybe some food for me! We started at the gas station for a fill-up, then we were off. Since the official ride was over, we were able to go a little faster on the way back, the roads were great, lots of curves, I am trusting the bike more and more, it felt great! We got to Hermann, found a place to park the bikes, but finding a place for beverages, not as easy, but we finally found a place!

We settled in, orderd drinks, I got a vegan weisswurst, it’s a sausage, and mighty tasty, hit the spot. We chatted some more, with less people, more intimate. It was fun, drinks, laughter, stories, what more could you want? After that, we headed out and after a while, some folks split off and PSM and I, with two other guys went to another bar for one more drink, conversation, and fun. Then it was home to take care of the pups.

Speaking of the pups…we asked JS to come and hang with them mid-day so they wouldn’t be in the crate all day, she wasn’t available, but her mom was. I set up the hammock and they all had a great time!

What a day! We had amazing weather, great company, a plethora of bikes, a fabulous route, and the wind at our backs. What more could you want?!

{April 25, 2021} Another pre-ride, a thing of beauty!

Today started early, about 620am, which is unfortunate for a Sunday, but a necessary evil.

We had a motorcycle ride planned and we had to meet the guys at 930am, we had quite a ride ahead of us. I didn’t intend to get up quite so early but someone invaded my dream and I wanted them out. No, not the wasband, someone else, but I knew I was dreaming and decided if they were not leaving, I was. Go me!

I got up, started piddling around, I knew we had to get up soon to walk the dogs, give them breakfast, and chill with them for a few before we had to put them back in the crate for the day. I will tell you, I am going to see if I can get JS, who stayed with them last weekend, to come and let them out, take them for a walk, maybe hang with them for a bit, when we have these long rides. We were gone about 10 hours today, which is a normal work day, if we went into the office. Not fair to the pups, but they were fine! Here’s hoping! I will need to do the same for the week of the annual motorcycle ride in New Hampshire, but more about then when it happens.

It was supposed to be much warmer than that other ride we took a few weeks ago. Our ride captain said he put in a special request for very little wind, thank you! We got dressed, put on our riding gear and headed out about 9am. We met three of the guys, our ride captain’s wife was going to join us later down the road.

I don’t know if you remember me telling you what a pre-ride is. It is a ride to test the route for an official group ride. This tests the route, for all levels of rider, the distance, and how it will be with a larger group. I think we’re supposed to have about 30-35 bikes next week, that means about 40, maybe 50 people on the ride, since there are some people who are paired up on their bikes. It’s much easier, as you might imagine, with less people, but it will definitely be fun. There are lots of logistics, like stop lights and stop signs. You want to try to ride as if you’re ‘one vehicle’, someone blocks traffic, if possible, you stay on the highway together, on the streets, signals, newer riders in the back, and you always ride in a group for the slowest rider, that way people stay together, as much as they can.

The ride we did today was great, it was about a 3 hour ride, and it’s three hours because we are taking back roads, very little highway. We also stop about every hour, which can be 100 miles, and we stop at gas stations, that allows bikes with smaller tanks, like mine to fill up. I fill up no matter what, since you never know if you will run out before the next stop. It’s also a great opportunity to stretch your legs, have a bio break, and catch up with folks for a few minutes, before the next stretch.

We are heading to, pun intended, now that I write this! Head Motor Company in Columbia, MO, the home of the University of Missouri or Mizzou, as it is affectionally referred to. We are heading there to meet the Kansas City Chapter of the IMRG, Indian Motorcycle Riders Group. While there, Head Motor Company is hosting a BBQ, there might be music, not sure, we will see some new rides, maybe get some new swag, who knows. It’s going to be a good time!

After we got to Head Motor Company, which happened to be closed on Sunday, most Indian Dealerships are, we headed out in search of food. We went to Flat Branch Pub & Brewing, and since I was able to find it on my GPS, after our ride captain got us back to the highway, I took over and led us there. Unfortunately, there was a 40 minute wait, we walked over to the Broadway Diner, which happened to be close, but…right across the street, the Shiloh Bar & Grill with plenty of seating, no wait, food, and alcohol! That last one I don’t care about, but everyone who did was happy.

We grabbed a table, ordered drinks and food, talked about the ride from St Louis, what did people think of it, opinions about next week’s ride, bikes, of course, future trips, raffles, kids, and everyone’s dogs, go figure. There were only 6 of us, so it was nice to sit and chat, and be heard, definitely more intimate than what’s going to happen next weekend!

After food and drink, we headed back to the bikes, rode a short way, stopped for gas, always stop for gas at the start of the ride and the start of the ride home, even though you’ve stopped along the way. Drove an hour, got gas, chatted, shook the legs, drove on. We did this until everyone started going their own way and then it was just PSM and I and we were out like a shot!

Back home the pups were very happy to see us, I would be too, after 10 hours! Walked, fed, loved on, zzzzzzz, that was funny! It’s tough sleeping all day, getting excited for 20 minutes, walk, eat, get loved on…zzzzz

What…a…day! What…a…weekend! Wow! Tomorrow is Monday, it’s a new day and a new week, what adventures does it have in store for us? I know it starts with 6am hot yoga, gotta go!

{April 10, 2021} It’s Saturday, what new adventures await us?!

It is Saturday, and it’s a rainy day, what should we do?! It started off liesurely, get up, take the dogs for a walk, then…special treat after they eat, jump in bed with me! They absolutely love it and it really is a treat for them because they’re not allowed on the furniture, except the bed, and only when we let them. Now, Ruby can jump on the bed just fine, Bee needs a little help, so it’s not a guarantee they get on there at all! We have done it a few times and stopped Ruby enough that she knows she needs permission.

I was sitting on the bed, Ruby came into the room, and what she usually does is come to the side of the bed for attention, then…for that treat every so often, I ask “Do you want to come onto the bed?”, I pat the bed and she knows she can jump up. At that point, she usually goes back to the foot of the bed and guages how to jump on! As she settles in, here comes Bee…I grabbed Bee and put her on the bed and after they settled in, we snuggled watching tv until it was time for PSM and I to head out. It was a very nice Saturday morning.

We got dressed, headed out for St Louis and went down to the Dome at America’s Center for the Auto Show 2021. PSM has never been to an auto show and he was curious about it. I’ve been to a few and I love cars, so I was game! And hoping they would have some classic cars, which I really love, and I was right!

As we were looking for a place to park, we could see smoke, hear the tires squealing and screeching, and smell burning rubber…we found it! We headed towards the crowd and could see, smell, and hear much better! The street was blocked off and it was the Drifting with Vaughn Gittin Jr., Chelsea DeNofa & Mystery Driver. I honestly don’t know who we saw, it was loud and I missed what the announcer said. It was a lot of fun to watch, the smell was awful, who likes the smell of burning rubber?! but the action was great! I sent this video to my dad with the subject: “This was not me!” For anyone that knows me, I have always had a lead foot and I have gotten so much better, but I knew my dad would appreciate it!

We headed around the block, it felt like many around the blocks, but we made it! The city was a kind of crowded, the Auto Show, a St Louis Cardinal’s game and FEMA had opened a Covid-19 vaccination site at the Dome. The line for vaccinations was crazy long and we went through the same door, but we went to the right, they went to the left. Very glad the line was not as long to get into the auto show!

We walked in and it was not crowded at all. There were signs posted for social distancing, people walking around with signs and instructing people to wear their masks, and people cleaning each car at all times. They were constantly cleaning the outside and as soon as someone got out of a car, they went in to clean, it was very well run. Not to mention hand sanitizer stations everywhere!

We walked in, and if you have never been to an auto show, they are set up my car manufacturer. Some cars you could get into and get a feel how it would feel to own and drive one, some cars were locked, and others were behind ropes, no entry or touching! I lost track of all the brands on display. They had Alfa Romeos, Chevy, Dodge, Ford, Toyota, Jeep, and so much more, and…my favorite emblem…the Volksvagen! They don’t make Beetles any longer, but it was fun to look and drool over a lot of the cars. Some of my favorites were the muscle cars, especially the Mustangs, I told you, I’m a car girl. They even had a SHELBY truck and a Mustang truck, and the Mustang Mach-E, all electric! If you haven’t seen Ford vs Ferrari with Matt Damon and Christian Bale, what are you waiting for?!

There were some classic cars in the same area from the Horseless Carriage Club, founded in 1944 with 150+ members and one of the oldest surviving car clubs in the world. They had a Cadillac from 1937, one from 1941, and 1950 Buick, 1973 Plymouth, and a 1977 Corvette, those were some beauts! That’s when cars were individuals, had character. I’m not saying that today’s cars don’t have character, hey, Annie has a personality, but there was something about those classics! whew…

We walked through the arena by some vendors towards the Million Dollar Mile, these are some of the highest dollar cars. My focus was on the Corvettes presented by The Original Corvette Club of St Louis and oh boy did they deliver! My two favorites were a black Stingray, I think it was a ’67 or ’68 and a 73 Corvette that had about 80k miles on it! That’s the way to own a classic car, drive it!

Nearby was a custom shop, oh boy, what they can do to a car!

Then…mecca! After VWs, my favorite car, one that I can identify the headlights at 40 paces…Porsche. I can’t explain it, there is something wonderful about a Porsche. I’ll be honest, there are quite a few models that I don’t care for, but a 1985 red 911 is one of my dream cars, but…it MUST have a whale tail! I used to own a 1985 gold 944, that thing cornered like it was on rails! wow!

Needless to say, I was a happy camper when we left!

Food, need food! A new place that I had on my list and wanted to try and…vegan options! Mayo Ketchup by Plantain Girl. Fast, casual Puertorican, Dominican, and Cuban food. Plantains…y u m! This is one of my favorite fruits/foods, and what they did with it, wow!

We ordered and hung out waiting for the food while we explored restaurant. The decor was inviting, some color here and there, brick walls, a boogie boarding Santa, some flamingos, and quite a bit of Star Wars kitch. It was a lot of fun.

We started with Tostones con Aguacate, twice fried plantain, smashed avocado, pickled onion, cilantro, lime, SO good! Then I ordered Vegan Jibarito, which is smashed avocado, lettuce, tomato, pickled red onion, potato sticks, vegan garlic mayo layered between twice fried green plantains. Oh wow, this was fabulous! PSM had El Cubano, a roasted pork, ham, swiss-american cheese, dill pickles, mustard on pressed cuban bread, he said it was yummy!

Back home to take care of the pups and chill for the evening. They were a bit happy to see us, ha ha. What a fabulous day…a car show, classic cars, and a new place to eat. Two more want to do Missouri, check! What’s next?! Cannot wait for tomorrow!

{April 9, 2021} I know it’s Friday, but it felt like a Saturday!

Not complaining! Yup, it’s Fri-yayyyy! I finished most of what I needed to do for the week yesterday, so I worked until about noon and then I was done for the weekend, go us!

We did some stuff around the house, then headed out on the bikes to the Shaw Nature Reserve, they had signs for the daffodils in bloom which I had seen when we passed it on other rides. I love daffodils, you saw them in our backyard, what could make you smile in the Spring bigger than a sea of daffodils?! I remember back in Georgia, I went with TS to Gibbs Gardens for their daffodils, wow! Thousands! in diffferent colors, shades, shapes, and sizes! I

We got to the Shaw Nature Reserve, went in and parked. We saw daffodils, but I think we missed the explosion by a minute. It was hot out and I think they were fuller in bloom a week ago, but what we saw were beautiful! Next year, we’re going at the start of the season! The nice thing, it got is there and when we walked around the grounds, it was beautiful. I know that when the trees are at their fullest it is going to be amazing! For me, I loved the state of the trees as they were because some were still barren, which I think is so stunning, and some were just starting to bloom and bud and to see new life beginning, wow! We didn’t stay too long because we were both wearing jeans and it was getting up to about 80 degrees. We’ll be back for sure!

Back on the bikes, it was time for sustenance. We had passed a sign for Point Labaddie Brewery a few times on this road, so we decided to head there, who knew what was in store for us, but it was a new place for PSM to try some local goodness. If you go…pay attention because the only sign on the road is a blue directional sign that is not very big, you can miss it.

We pulled it, it’s a big barn-type building, lots of property around it, some picnic tables, the kind that have the benches attached, spread out and a tent frame, and lights strung across it and along the tables, I wondered if they had events there, seemed like it, or muic, let’s find out!

We went in and it’s a big open space, you can see right into the back where they brew the beer, the beer and wine list are on the wall above the register and there is a bar and a few of the same tables inside. They had snack bags of chips and cookies, but no food.

We sat at the bar and started talking to the man behind it, the owner’s dad, and J, the guy at the end who is up there a bit, knows the lay of the land. We talked to him about beer, traveling, food, and cars. He was wearing a Mustang hat, figured he was a car guy, yup…three Mustangs, wow! They had low mileage, didn’t drive them enough in my opinion! He does love them though!

Turns out, they do have events! Live music some nights, trivia other nights and on those nights, they have food trucks, which is exactly what I said they needed! We stayed for a while, people came and went, actually, most of them came, got drinks and sat outside. Again, a little toasty in our jeans, I was good inside.

When we talked about food, J and our bartender gave us some great food options in the area, good thing, because we were getting hungry! Snack bags of chips, pretzels, and animal crackers wasn’t cutting it for sustenance! Off we went to one of his recommendations, Letty Lou’s Cafe for Breakfast, Burgers, and Booze. How can you beat that?!

It was only a few miles down the road, away we went! The nice thing… it started cooling off, not as blistering! We found Letty Lou’s, walked in and we were pleasantly surprised! It was a 50s style diner with all retro dinnette tables and vinyl chairs, LOVE! It made me smile, like I was back in my grandmother’s kitchen! I’ve always dreamed of having that type of kitchen!

Our waitress was fun, very chatty, we liked that. We got down to business and ordered food. I had a veggie burger, although, I was torn between that and avocado toast, good thing we can always go back! PSM had what he saw on the menu…a T.V. Dinner! Although it did not come out on a t.v. tray, it looked just like one out of the box, but better! Meatloaf, string beans, and mashed potatos! I had mentioned it when we were looking at the menu back at Point Labbadie’s and he knew what he wanted!

We had fun eating, laughing, talking to the waitresss, looking at the decorations and being together. Another date! Am I a lucky girl or what?! Wait…two nights in a row? Oh yeah! And we’re just getting the weekend started! Seriously, it really did feel like Saturday, we had done so much! What’s next? You’ll just have to wait for tomorrow to see!

{April 3, 2021} What…a day! Sun’s out…Top’s Down!

Just another typical Saturday, not much happening…except…

Up early…hot yoga…without PSM! What?! Yeah, on Thursday, we took hot yoga together and he told the instructor he wouldn’t be there, but I would…to represent us. What?! So…set the alarm for 645am and hot yoga, here I come. It was in the high 30s when I left the house…brrr, but about 45 when I came out of yoga, and I was sweating, so…top down on the car, ahhh…smoothie on the way home, what could be better?!

Got home, added a thin sweatshirt under my favorite heavy Keystone sweatshirt, got the pups out of the crate and to the park we went. It’s Spring, the flowers are blooming and people are going outdoors, nice! The park wasn’t too crowded, we did a few doggie greetings, and a kid even stopped us and asked if he could pet the dogs, especially Bee, beagles are his favorite dog breed. At the park, we walked through a Bald Eagle breeding ground, someone we passed told me there was a nest and there were 2 eagles in a tree, I couldn’t find them, bummer. There was even a sign “Bald Eagle Breeding Site, Don’t Linger and Be Quiet”. I really wanted to see them, maybe next time!

Back home, breakfast for all and to relax! While we dined, I watched the first episode of season 7 of Brokenwood, a mystery series based in New Zealand I’ll tell you about another time. It was great, I called my dad right after to talk about it since he had watched it the other day and was waiting for me to talk about it.

I showerd, got dressed, threw in a load of laundry, and loaded the pups in the car, top down, we were going to the bank, problem was…bank was closed, oh well. Drove around for a bit with the dogs then headed home. Ruby was happy to be out and in the car, Bee just didn’t want to get left behind! She’s up and happy and looking out the window when we’re stopped, but while the car is in motion, she is hunkered so far down into the seat, I think she’s hoping it will swallow her up! ha ha

We got home and the guy is doing amazing things fixing up our yard was there, we caught up for a bit, talked about Spring Break, plants, yards, forsythia, which he calls forcynthia, which I love! and then, into the crate with the pups, into my new black suede Indian Motorcycle jacket, I had to take it for a spin! It was about 75 degrees out at this point and even though it was warm, it was still a little windy, so I was very happy to have the jacket on.

I rode out to Castlewood State Park, not a far ride, rode through the park, there was a road that you can normally drive on, but it was closed, so I drove out of the park, down this fabulous winding and winding road, ended up on a main drag and kept going, it was great. I eventually turned around and headed back towards home, stopping at a Starbucks to enjoy a tasty beverage and a break, then headed home again.

Pups out of the crate, walk around the neighborhood, dinner for them, dinner for me. I tried something new, I roasted an artichoke and wow! It was fabulous! I can still smell the garlic in the house! y u m! I will be making that again! Then it was relaxing time! I finished an episode of Endeavour, I’ve been trying to finish the episode for about 3 weeks! It was good! Then it was RuPaul’s Drag Race and after the pups went to bed…I headed to the basement and made some really good progress with the stuff I brought back from Colorado. Grabbed the laundry and headed upstairs.

And now…I sit here talking to you, I moved the laundry basket to the floor so I can’t see it, I’ll take care of it tomorrow! So…there you have it, typical Saturday, not much happening, ha ha!

{March 28, 2021} Start with a Ride…End with a Seder

Sounds like the perfect Sunday to me, right?! It’s the second night of Passover, but the seder isn’t until the evening, so we planned a motorcycle ride with some of the guys from our group and another group.

It was supposed to get warm, up to about 57 today, sounds good. I layered up, had my Cuddl Duds on under my jeans, high-top sneaker knee socks, a long sleeve Indian Motorcycle shirt, my Looney Bin zip up sweatshirt, it’s not a thick sweatshirt, but it fits under my Indian Motorcycle Jacket. I wore leather gloves and covered my face with the neck gaiter I got at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. You’d think I was warm enough! Think again! O M G!

The wind, which was not supposed to come in, came in, and oh my word, it was frrreeezzzing! My legs, arms, and chest were fine. My feet and hands…let’s just say when I got off the bike at our first stop, I had trouble walking my feet were so cold and I stayed in the bathroom a few extra minutes, under the warm air dryer! PSM had even given me glove liners, didn’t help after the first 20 minutes!

We had met two of the guys at the usual starting point, then we rode into Illinois, it was about a 25 minute ride, met the rest of the folks that were riding, everyone one geared up, leather chaps, heavy winter coats, face coverings, the works. Mother Nature was trying to beat the tar out of us! She was succeeding. We left from the parking lot and rode to Grafton, only about a 30 minute ride from where we were.

At that point, after I came back from the hand dryer, which I considered taking with me! PSM and I decided we couldn’t keep going with them, they had about another 60 or 70 mile ride. On any other day, I would have been with them, I just couldn’t do it. I was also feeling the weight or in this case, the lack there of, of my bike. It’s a heavy bike, it weighs just under 600 pounds, but what this wind was doing, I was fighting some times to keep her straight, I was never in danger of falling, it just took a little more to keep her upright.

So…we bid everyone a fond farewell and headed back into town in search of breakfast. I will tell you, PSM was texting with one of the guys, they all felt like they had gotten the you-know-what beaten out of them! I think we made the right decision. Before I do another ride like that, much warmer gear!

We rode into Grafton, IL and looked for a place to eat. Google Maps listed a place that said “Great Weekend Breakfast”, perfect! We parked and went in. Guess what they didn’t have. Really? We looked for a few options and settled on the Alton Village Inn Pancake House, sorry, I could only find their menu online, the other links wouldn’t help you if you were interested! It was warm! They had hot tea and decaf coffee, we were happy! The service was pretty good and we were feasting on a veggie omelet and hash browns in no time. Ahhhh.

Eventually, begrudgingly, ha ha, we got back on the bikes and headed home. After getting the pups out of the crate, I headed in one direction…the hottest, steamiest, hottest, did I mention hottest? shower I could take! I took a few extra minutes in there, it was hot and steamy! And I finally started to get feelings back into my extremities again. Warm clothing on, we did stuff around the house and relaxed and eventually, it was time for second night seder with PSM’s family.

I was also able to sneak in a Zoom hello with my family, that was dad, LaLa, my sister, GES, my b-i-l ACS, and my nieces, EJS, and MGS. They were also zooming with extended family friend, I haven’t seen them all in a while, it was great! This was while we were on a break from PSM’s family. Tonight went a lot quicker than last night, less people so less technical difficulties, still a lot of fun, stories, laughter, and love, and food, always food. We went through the exodus out of Egypt, drank our four cups of wine, but…BTK, who wrote up the virtual haggadah added two extra blessings over the wine for PSM and I, hmmm…broke matzah, brought it together again, let in Elijah, and were blessed, what more could you want?!

We started with a ride and ended with a seder, life is good!

{March 20, 2021} Waiting…Waiting…Waiting…Now GO!

The day started like any other Saturday, up too early to go to yoga, par for the course, but then…it stalled, but turned out alright, what more could you want?!

We went to hot yoga, it was good, I think, to go back, I hadn’t been in almost two weeks due to busting my ankle, all good now, promise! It was my second class and just a twinge here and there and I modified what I was doing, I was careful. After yoga, headed home and while we were relaxing and waiting for the weather to warm up, we were going for a motorcycle ride…I told you, if it’s above 45, we’re on the bikes! Or the top is down on the car!

So…we’re sitting there waiting for the weather to warm up, we started watching The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, starring Anthony Mackie as The Falcon, and Sebastian Stan as the Winter Soldier on Disney+, a new offering from the MCU/Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase 4, which also include WandaVision, if you’re in the know. We’ll get to those later, I digress.

As we’re watching and getting into it, we hear and feel the boom, the dogs jumped a little, and at the same moment, total power out. We looked at each other and had the same thought…Squirrel Sacrifice or Squirrel Suicide, this is a common occurance, not only in our neighborhood, but across the country…these would be electrical distruptions caused by squirrel. This is a quote from September 2020: “The American Public Power Association says squirrels are No. 2 this year on its “Top Causes of Power Outages.” … According to the American Public Power Association, there were about 3,456 squirrel-related power outages that cut off the electricity of more than 193,873 customers in 2016.”

I honestly had no idea this was a major thing here in Missouri, but it seems to be, especially in our neighborhood. We met a neighbor when we first started taking walks through the neighborhood who told us that squirrels are a serious nusience in the neighborhood. Apparently, they like to get into the undercarriage of vehicles left outside of houses and unfortunately, into the transformer boxes. They are rampant here, torturing our dogs, and every dog in the neighborhood, but that part I don’t think is unusual. Last year, the power went out and we were talking to another neighbor who told us that they can get into the transformer cages and…

I checked with our nextdoor neighbor, same situation. I called the power company, they put in a ticket and assured me they would try to get someone out here within an hour, ok. So…we needed something to do, it was still early and too chilly for a ride.

Let’s call and combine our cell phone bills. We both have accounts with T-Mobile, we’re a family, why not a family plan. We had gone into a store and they told us they couldn’t do it in store, we would have to call, seems simple, right? Where’s the head banging emoji? After finally getting a person on the line…we talked to her for a while and the plan changed at least once, me going to PSMs account, then PSM going to my account. After talking to her for a while…we were transfered to another person…finally…and that took another forever.

The entire process, with no power and combining the phone lines took about two and a half hours. Ugh…so…waiting…waiting…waiting…now we’re free! Let’s go! It was about 1pm, so we didn’t want to be away from home for too long since the pooches need a walk and dinner some time, ha ha. We usually take them out about 5p, a little later is ok.

We headed out toward Washington, MO. We’ve been there before, on a ride with two of PSM’s co-workers, to Sugarfire Smokehouse, not my choice, of course, but killer cornbread! OMG! Anyhall, as my grandmother would say…we went to Washington, MO and PSM mapped a fun route that wouldn’t take us on the highway too much, which we both enjoyed, it took us about an hour, which was a good length of time, only because it was ch…ch…chilly, we needed to warm up.

We parked and found a place, right across the street with a great balcony called John G’s Bier Deck, which offered a great view of the Missouri River, score! We walked up the many, many, many steps, this city is on a hill, walked in and instantly warmed to the atmosphere. There were a lot of signs telling customers ‘Do not feed the dogs’, ok. One even above the very loveable looking golden shepard. Across from the bar was an area with tables, a fire pit, and blankets, and an audio set up, looked like for live music.

Outside, we walked down to the deck, half covered and half sitting in the sun, which was perfect, because it was still a bit chilly. We ordered some food and drinks and enjoyed soaking up the rays, trying to block out other coversations, watching the current move quickly, admiring some of the muscle cars and trucks go by and occassionaly, a cargo train would go by. This was the way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

After a bit, we walked down the street to see what it looked like, went into another bar for a drink and then it was time to head home. It took about an hour and a half, the sun finally started to warm things up, sort of, but it was a great ride. PSM, being our Ride Captain, he tries to find us routes that avoid the highways, which is nice, makes for a longer ride, and we get to see things we might not have seen before and…some of the roads, great curvy, leading to long stretches, sometimes the curvy ones are down tree lined roads, gorgeous!

We got home, took care of the pups and hung out. After the hiccup in the mid-morning, it turned out to be a really nice day. Can’t wait for our ride tomorrow!

{March 13, 2021} It’s chilly…but not too cold for a ride!

The rain was predicted, but held off! It held off for the day, it had been raining the few days before, but not today! So…what should we do?! Go for a ride! It’s chilly, but we’re in riding season!

Now…I’m not a hard core rider, I don’t ride when it’s below 48, I might put the top down on the Beetle-Bug when it’s in the high 30s/low 40s, but the bike, nope. I don’t have the fancy stuff on my bike to keep me toasty, like butt warmers in the car, you’re kind of exposed, so…bundle up. I was fine on the top, but from the thighs to the ankles, a little brrr. Next time, Cuddle Duds under the jeans. Such a chance from last weekend, when I could have gone out in a sweatshirt!

We decided to ride to Grafton, IL, I don’t think I’ve mentioned Grafton yet to you. Its a small town in Illinois on the Missisippi River, turns out it’s the oldest town in Jersey County, IL. It gets crazy crowded in the summer and it’s a known spot for bikes, motorcycles, that is. Someone told me about it as a nice ride and one of the biker bars, the Hawg Pit BBQ, it made it an easy destination to put in the GPS.

It’s about an hour ride from here, so not too bad, and a nice destination, as I mentioned. You can go by the highways, yesterday, PSM took us on some alternate roads and it was nice. We eventually connected with the main drag that takes us over the Clark Bridge to Alton, IL, the middle of the bridge is actually the state line, pretty cool. It really is a pretty bridge, I have yet to take a picture of it, we’re always on the bikes. Alton is a cute town, we haven’t explored much of the town, there is a cobblestone street where they have a few restaurants with tables set up outside, which we’ve eaten at, it’s charming.

It was a bit chilly on the ride, so we decided to stop in Alton, but inside, ha ha. We stopped at The Old Bakery Beer Company, as the name says they have beer, tee hee hee. It’s a certified organic craft brewery with food options. We were going to get lunch in Grafton, so I settled on a cup of tea. I would like to go back, they had a nice looking menu with vegetarian and vegan options. It’s a warehouse-like open space, exposed beams, streams of edison bulbs, with tables, spaced appropriately socially distant, mask mandates, hand sanitzier, just like most places. It had a nice open, welcoming feel. Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

After warming up a little inside, we walked outside to the bikes getting ready to head towards Grafton, it seemed to have warmed up a little, outside. One of the things we love about having Indian Motorcycles are the conversation starters. When we came out, a woman was in her car looking at the bikes and told us she was just sitting there admiring them, which was nice, and a guy came up to us to talk about our bikes, he’s thinking about joining the club! We would welcome him! He was wearing a great utilikilt, we’re getting near St Patrick’s Day, people were out celebrating. A utilikilt is a kilt made for every day work wear.

We got to Grafton and pulled in to the parking lot and walked into the Piasa Winery and Pub, we were there for the view, not the food. It was a seafood restaurant, they had some other things, but it was mostly seafood. PSM had a fried alligator, I tasted it, I was curious. I’ll just say, aside from the spicy batter, which I wasn’t crazy about, it still tastes like salty chicken, didn’t make me change my vegan ways, ha ha. For me, I had the grilled pear salad, it was quite tasty. A variety of greenery, grilled pears, glazed walnuts, and cranberries. We sat on the deck and there were heat lamps warming everything up, we needed it. Even the table was warm, I was happy!

After the winery, we went to the Gold Bar Saloon, there was a bar with a few stools, but the true gem was outside, well, sort of outside. There was a building next door with fire pits, that was fabulous. We took our drinks in, took off our jackets and sat on one of the sofas and just enjoyed ourselves. There were a few other people in there, but they were each at their own set of sofas and firepits, awesome! The music was country, but classic country that everyone seemed to know, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, and Boz Scaggs.

After a while, even though we had just eaten, we were slightly peckish and all I wanted was french fries. No idea why, I haven’t eaten or craved french fries in a long time, they just don’t agree with me, so I try to avoid them, but I was craving them, so off we went. We walked…next door, ha ha, to the Grafton Pub. We ordered fries, when I asked the cut, I was told they were somewhere in between steak fries and Burger King french fry. It was funny, when I asked what the cut was, she looked at me funny, so I explained the different cuts. We also ordered guacamole bites, which are a bit odd, but we were curious. We were told they were like wontons with guacamole in them, and fried. Ok…let’s just say, they were hot as all get out, to me anyway. We’ve had them before I realized, and let’s just say, not ordering them again, not everything tastes better fried…The french fries on the other hand, were tasty, if you could get past the coarse salt and pepper they put on them, seriously?! Just not my cup of tea honestly, I forgot to order them unseasoned, which would have meant fresh out of the frier, nothing extra, which would have made them perfect, they really were good fries, good size, perfect crunch on the outside, texture and taste of potato, I know that sounds weird to some, I’ll explain in a later post.

The Grafton Pub is also on the water, and Grafton itself it really is a pretty place in the Spring and Summer, especially with the trees in bloom and boats on the river.

After our snack, it was time to go. Interesting thing…until we sat at The Gold Bar Saloon, we didn’t see another motorcycle all day, then there were a few, it was nice to see some other cold weather riders like us. We got to the bikes, met another group of admirers, theses folks were slightly closer to inebriated, they were getting into the St Patricks Day mood, but still admirers of our bikes, which we definitely appreciate and welcome the conversation. After that, on the bikes and head back down by the river, over the bridge, on the highway this time and hello puppies.

The sun pretended to try to peek out, but aside from that, a great day overall. What could be bad, motorcycle ride, good company, laughter, the wind in your face, as I’ve told you…wind therapy! Wonder where the road takes us next…

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