Adriana's is an Italian place and will seat somewhere around 50 folks... We bring more than that, so I knew we had to be there early if I wanted to be in the first group of people...
Here is the map... We live at the point marked with the A, and Adrian is at point B.. The blue line is exactly the route that I took to get there..
It took a little more than an hour, and I was at speeds up to 75, but most of the time I did 65 to 70...
Once we arrived, I found that I was the first one there.... Well I guess that would be early anyway...
The reason that this place was chosen, was to honor a member of the group that could no longer ride a bike and was on his last few days in life.... We learned as the morning progressed that he had not made the night passing at about 1:30.. His name was Mel... The original plan was that after the lunch, we were all going to ride over to his house and surround the place with motor cycles.. He was on oxygen and would be sitting just inside his front door to watch this parade...
During lunch, and with a few phone calls to his wife, we decided to go thru with the plan in his honor even thou he was now with his God... We set up a procession thru the little town of about 70 bikes and a few cars, driving around his circular driveway up to the garage and then back out into the street...
His wife had the video camera out and was very moved by this outpouring of sympathy and support. But he rode with the group for most of the years that it has been around...
There were a few tears in the restaurant as the news of his passing was communicated from table to table... My friend Al that originally invited me into the group told me that it was a rumor and not to spread it.... I suggested that he go talk to one of the leaders that knew of the story... He came back almost in tears....
After the business was done in town, a group of us rode together coming home. The group had individual riders that broke away as we passed where they needed to turn off headed for home....
Eventually I turned and headed to Olathe from a country road headed for Spring Hill.... And watched as Bob, the leader of the Ruratan Ride last spring headed off by himself as the last rider in our group headed for his home..
I went to my son's house in Olathe and by that time it was 96 outside... Not hot by Arizona standards but it was a lot more humid, and the 70 mile an hour wind had zapped my hydration...
Chris had a big pot of Iced Tea that he had made in the coffee pot.... I had about three tall glasses over big cubes... Ah, !!
Later tonight, I was over at Home Depot with the Scooter looking for another fresh tube of Liquid Nails, to again try and cement that pesky back splash to the wall next to our RV cook top range... Remember I have done this before and it promptly fell back down, once the coach went down the road.....
This time I purchased bathtub and shower surround adhesive designed to hold the walls of your shower stall up.. It is tolerant of hot water and is not supposed to release under this heat... Time will tell on this decision, but that project will be for another day....
Retired Rod
A wonderful tribute for one of your riders. He was definitely smiling.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the loss of one of your companions. I'm sure his wife appreciated the ride-by.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the 'stick-em' project.