Real Special Cargo

[hppants]

Got up at 7:00  to ride about 20 miles to Cafe Des Amis in Breaux Bridge for a Cajun breakfast.



The special part is SOQS decided to go with me!!!



We had a great time.  SOQS ordered a Biscuit topped with Crawfish Etoufee' (roux based sauce) and an egg.



I opted for a cheese omelet with onions, peppers, and Tasso (Cajun smoked pork).  My grits are seasoned with Andoulie (another variety of smoked meat).



We also shared with neighboring tables an order of Beignets - donuts with powdered sugar.



Why wait until nighfall to start the party!!!  Here's a video I took at 8:30 in the morning.



We enjoyed the ride.  At first, SOQS had a death grip on me, but just a short while down the road, she eased up and relaxed.  A great trip.

[hockeyhawk]

Wow, a lot of energy that early in the morn. Looks like a good time. 

[popo303]

looks delicous and well worth the ride and the early rising

[Hangster]

Hppants , you need thicker frames for your glasses  ....Damn fine looking good time there , i only see a good time like that at weddings over here (and i haven't been at a wedding in years) .
  Now you got me thinking of moving to LA  

 Love the incorporation of the vid in the RR  

BTW , i saw you checking out that chicks trunk  

[happycommuter]

Wife looks like she's not exactly touching both heels to the ground at stops, so I get the early apprehension.

Half the food looks delicious, and half of it is what I consider inedible slop.

I would be suicidal having to hear that music blaring before noon.  Glad you enjoyed it.

[luckylindy]

Looks like a good time & good eats.  Is SOQS scared of riding?
My SOQS has rarely ridden with me.

[fishmeister]

Buy her a bike Pants....Very cool little outing, keep 'em comming! 

[Cherry Bomber]

Looks like you had a great time and some good food to go along with it. Next time I take a road trip I think I am gonna head east and check out the cajun country. Glad that you were able to get SOQS to ride with you, riding solo is not as much fun as having someone to share the ride experence with.
Ride Safe
Peace
Spike

[cmyers]

Buy her a bike Pants....Very cool little outing, keep 'em comming! 

I know a great Ninja 500 for sale excellent learning bike. 

glad to see yall had a great time, thanks for sharing the photos

[bajakirch]

Great report pants. Nice to see you got Mrs. Pants out with you. Perhaps there's hope for my SOQS yet.

I got on a zydeco kick for a while back in college. Bought some albums (remember albums?), saw a few bands, even kicked around the idea of a trip to NO.

After I graduated, I bought an open-ended plane ticket and headed to London, England. Worked/lived at a traditional English pub and basically did the Brit thing for a few months.

On my final night before returning home, some friends were torn between buying me some good-bye pints and attending a wedding reception they'd been invited to. They made a couple of phone calls and got the go-ahead for me to join them.

We were there about an hour or so when the band started setting up. They played their first song, and I thought, "No way this can be...they're playing zydeco." At first I thought it was just a warm up for them, but it turned out their entire playlist was Cajun music.

I figured they had to be Americans doing a little tour of England/Europe. But during a break I started talking to one of the players. It turns out they were all English and had never been to the States, much less Louisiana. They had been a band for a while, and were playing traditional English/Irish party music. Then one of them heard some zydeco  and that was all she wrote. They all got really into the music and changed their format to all-Cajun. He said they were booked solid for the foreseeable future. People just really loved the energy of their music.

Man, we danced that night until our legs nearly fell off. I've never been much of a dancer, but my grandmother taught me how to dance polkas at an early age. Not too hard to make adapt the Polish 3-step to a Cajun 2-step.

Great memory -- thanks for sparking it.

[hppants]

Now you got me thinking of moving to LA

Hangster - start with a visit.  Let Loki, N5tbu, Nathawk, and I show you our culture.  Free place to stay and I'll feed you like a King.  Heck, do it this winter to get away from the snow.

Wife looks like she's not exactly touching both heels to the ground at stops, so I get the early apprehension.

Half the food looks delicious, and half of it is what I consider inedible slop.

Definitely not touching - 5'-0".  She said it brought back some great memories of when we used to ride together before kids (20 years ago).  I'm going to shop jacket and gloves for her.  She put a pic on her facebook and found out a few of her friends ride on their Hubby's bike.  They are planning similar dinner rides for us.   :

Looks like a good time & good eats.  Is SOQS scared of riding?

LL - the food was delicious.  Far cry from slop by any standard worldwide.  SOQS was just nervous.  I could feel it - about 5 miles into the ride, I told her to just relax and take it in.  I promised to be careful, and I went real (REAL) slow - ultra conservative... coasting to stops, 3-4 second following distance.... everything.  It was fun.

Buy her a bike Pants

I'd do it tomorrow if she would agree to take the MSF and ride it.  I'd buy her a NH250.  One step at a time.

Baja - I do remember albums, unfortunately.  Zydeco is not my favorite, but it's great to dance to.

I hope you noticed the diversity in the videos.  You would have to go far and wide to find a place where a couple in their 70's were dancing next to a couple in their 20's - asside from weddings of course.  We are not the 1/2 breeds many portray us to be.  Illiterate to some extent, yes.  Ignorant occasionally, sure.  But not dumb and there is a big difference.  Not suggesting that any of you feel that way, but perhaps a little education here can spread to a lot of education out there.

[n5tbu]

Way to pass a good time,Pants!

[Burgi]

Very cool report Pants.
I can't imagine all that heavy food in the morning but if everyone eats then dances I can see how it might work. 
I was going to reprimand you about SOQS not having an armoured jacket but I'll let it pass since you already said you are going shopping. Understanding women can't be replaced easily so you need to take good care of her!
Bring her out here and I'll let her ride my Burgman. If Suzuki paid me a commission for all the non-riders I have sold on riding with that scoot I could retire. 

[roadrunner]

Great video!  Terrific music and food.  And all this in the morning.... 
Thanks for sharing!

[fishmeister]

I predict a Goldwing in Pants garage in the near future.....

[Soupskin]

What a fantastic time!

SOQS out on the bike with you, delicious food and great music!

[hppants]

I was going to reprimand you about SOQS not having an armoured jacket but I'll let it pass since you already said you are going shopping. Understanding women can't be replaced easily so you need to take good care of her!

You would be right to reprimand.  I was so stoked she said yes, we went with my spare helmet (which fit perfectly, it was too small for me), her leather jacket, my smaller gloves, and a solomn prayer.

Ladies - which mesh jacket do you ride with?  Are you short?  Does it have a removable liner?  Can she go by the sizing chart (i.e. - size for a Street jacket corresponds to a size for the bike jacket)?  She's concerned about the chest area being too tight ( easy now).  Also, which gloves do you ride with?  My SOQS has small hands.

Understanding women can't be replaced easily so you need to take good care of her!

10-4.  She's a terrific woman.  I am blessed beyond my wildest dreams.

No G/W Fishy.... but maybe I got a 1/2 step closer to an FJR    Only 500 steps to go!! 

[Burgi]

Don't forget the sissy bar for the FJR. 
I admit I'm a gear junky but lets not go into all the jackets I've had or tried.. 
Women's gear is seriously lacking compared to what you guys get. A lot of it runs smaller than street sizes but that is a brand by brand thing. Add in a petite stature and things get real 
I would stay away from the First Gear Contour that NE has on clearance. It is short waist-ed but not for those with a chest.
Cortech jackets have a tendency to be on the generous size. I have tried some that I felt actually  ran larger than street size. Maybe this? http://www.newenough.com/street/jackets_and_vests/mesh_jackets/cortech_by_tour_master/ladies_lrx_air_mesh_motorcycle_jacket.html
Nice to have the two liners. I have friends with them and they can come off a little football playerish since there is no way to cinch in the waist.
PowerTrip used to have a mesh jacket that laced up in the back. I'd read some reviews from women that were really happy with them since they could accommodate their chest without loosing their waist. I think they have some version now that has Velcro or some sort of way to cinch in the waist? Don't confuse waist adjust with hip adjustment, completely different if you are large chested with a smaller waist.
If SOQS cares at all about her look shop carefully Pants.   

[ariwhiteboy]

Congrats Pantsman!    Small steps right?  I'm sure that if you keep taking her out on "dates" when you ride she will be more and more willing to go!

[hppants]

If SOQS cares at all about her look shop carefully Pants.

Thanks for all the suggestions, Burgi.  I think we are going to go to the Honda shop and Cycle Gear and try on a few so she can see what she likes.  Then I'll shop the closeouts and hopefully get a better deal.  When I asked her if she would mind if I bought her a riding jacket - she said "yeah, get me a pink one!!"     With my blue jacket on 'ole yella, that ought to make a statement.   

We talked about this Saturday night.  She said she understands a little more about why I'm obsessed with the bike.  It was nice.

http://houston.craigslist.org/mcy/1972930992.html

Oh Baby... what I wouldn't give!!