January 24, 2009 Saturday - 18 members met at CMS on what was a sunny, cool morning for the breakfast ride, followed by the city of Largo's Touch a Truck event at Largo Park. Uncle Al had set things up at the Farmer's Kitchen on East Bay Dr. so that when we arrived our tables and servers would be waiting in ready for us. Coffee and menus were on the tables. Our orders were taken and delivered quickly. After eating we went to Largo Park which was just up the road from the restaurant, there was a large paved section reserved for us on the parking lot. We parked the bikes and set up our tent and table and got ready to meet the public. We had many kids come over to sit and touch our bikes, it looked like they were having fun (I think we were too by letting them do it). The City gave us, as participants, envelopes with free lunch tickets showing their appreciation for us being there. We stayed to the end, broke down our site and headed home. Til next time---

January 10, 2009 Saturday - 21 members met at CMS on what started as a cool but sunny morning for the breakfast ride. After the morning tire kicking and photo shoot it was decided by the group to do a recon trip to Tampa and the IHOP on W. Spruce St. We took a nice ride through Safety Harbor and Clearwater along and over the bay to Tampa. When we arrived our room and servers were waiting for us. Coffee was served and orders were taken immediately. The food, which was very good, was served quickly. As usual as we ate, we told some lies and stories. After breakfast most everyone left to do their own thing. A couple of us made the trip to the post office with Gary and then went to Jim's HD for the chili cook-off, and after we had our fill of chili, home. Til next time---

January 4, 2009 Sunday - Fred’s Market - 19 of us met at BK for the first Sunday ride of 2009. We gathered in the parking lot and discussed the beautiful Florida weather and to quote Perry, “Another day in paradise!” We commented on how cold it was across the USA, and how bad we felt to watch the Weather Channel and see the people shoveling snow. Roland said that he remembered being out directing traffic in the cold and snow and his face being FROZEN and having to thaw out after he would go inside. Our new guy Steve commented on our yellow eyelashes on our motorcycle and asked what type of mascara we used! To his surprise, I pulled out my BRIGHT YELLOW MASCARA out of my YELLOW fanny pack! He was stunned! (Did you know yellow was my favorite color?) Roland said to him, “She is always one step ahead!” We checked out Jimmy’s “flat cat” on the back of his bike rack! This “flat cat” literally has tire tracks on his back! A perfect mascot for Jimmy’s bike! We had fun riding the back roads and Jimmy S and Don shared the leading, both doing a fantastic job of moving the pack around! The rest followed, comfortably looking around and taking in all the cool scenery! There were comments made about different things along the way (most not suitable for print) and when they teased Joe E about his comments, he stated that he was very comfortable with his conscience! Jimmy S told him that from the looks of some of those emails he forwarded, he should have a guilty conscience! We all laughed because we love and appreciate Joe E’s good sense of humor which is constant! As we drove through some shady parts of town, we kept getting behind a bright blue Slurpee truck. It was funny, because we would lose him, and then, lo and behold, he would there again. It seemed he was leading the ride! Jimmy was ready to jump on the back and start serving Slurpee’s, but Paula encouraged him not to. As we passed a High School, Jimmy S commented that was his school, where he got his High School Diploma! We commented that we didn’t know that was a Special Ed school! Jimmy started reminiscing about being in High School and when he used to do this, that and the other. He pointed to a pond and said they used to cut class (I mean, forget to go to school) and would hang out there, swinging on ropes into the water. Sounded like something out of a Tom Sawyer book! Bruce asked him if he wore a bathing suit, or if he skinny dipped. It was said that he must have worn a suit, because he didn’t know Cory back when he was in high school, as Cory was still in Elementary School (or diapers?) We noticed some funny things on our adventure. As we headed down the road, Jimmy S brought to our attention that the traffic was being held back by a 15 foot mobile home that was going down the 12 foot road. Jimmy said it gave a whole new meaning to, “Home Delivery!” Joe E who was in the rear, asked if it was ½ a mobile home, or the whole thing. Don said it was just ½, perhaps it was a divorce split up. He said that the man probably woke up in the morning and said, “I want a divorce and I’m taking ½ the house!” We all laughed! We were traveling when Joe realized he had forgotten to take a group photo at BK before we left. He asked if we wanted to head back and get the photo (of course that was about 75 miles away from the starting point!) The leaders of the ride tried hard to find a BK at another location knowing that we could take a photo with the BK sign in the back of us and no-one would know we weren’t at our regular start up location. We didn’t find one, being that we were out in the boonies, so we took a picture when we got to our destination, Fred’s Market. Steve, the new guy, offered to take the photo, because he said that if he were in the photo, people would wonder who he was anyways; thinking he was an innocent bystander who just jumped in for a photo opportunity! As innocent as it was, but didn’t appear as such, when we got inside the restaurant, we all sat down and Steve, the new guy, didn’t have a seat. We were one short! He said that was okay, that he handled rejection well. Bruce at the other end of the table said, “What did he say about an erection?” It is SO much fun hanging out with people that are ½ blind and hard of hearing, myself included! It makes for a much more interesting conversation, to say the least! We had a very enjoyable Southern Style buffet with all the trimmings! Gary sat and waited for his food to arrive; knowing that he usually eats last anyways, when someone reminded him that it was a self-serve buffet! Way to go Gary! We left from there to head home and Don offered to lead, but he was taking I-4. He asked our fearless leader, Gary, if that was okay with him to go on I-4 and Gary responded, “That was okay with me! I have no idea where we are!” We had a nice ride back and a fun filled, tummy filled day with our BK family members. Until we eat again, Karen Lumpkin Ride Reporter

January 3, 2009 Saturday - 20 members met for the breakfast ride at CMS on this first Saturday morning in January. We called a place named Castillo's (which was one of the first if not the first restaurants we went to in the beginning of the breakfast ride, 5 years ago, at that time it was known as Fritz's). Even though we were a large group the management said it would not be a problem to seat us. When we arrived our tables and servers were ready. Food for the most part came out quickly, was very good, and not overpriced. During breakfast we decided to go to Plant City for bike night tonight. After we were finished the group went their separate ways until the 6:30pm meeting for bike night. Til next time---

January 1, 2009 Thursday - High Noon Ride - 17 met at BK this morning for the annual New Year’s Day “High Noon Ride” sponsored by the Christian Motorcycle Association (CMA). Don and I got stuck in the Outback Bowl traffic near the stadium, but we managed to catch up with the group, just as they were pulling out of BK (that makes 19 for the ride!). Gary led the group and Bruce tailed, en-route to Lowry Park, the staging point for the ride. Many were donned in chaps (me included!) due to the cool morning, but it warmed up nicely as the sun came out. When we arrived at Lowry Park, Jimmy S presented our Goldwing with a pair of bright yellow eyelashes! (Did you know that yellow is my favorite color?) He and Paul attached them to the bike, above the headlights and it looked like the “eyes” of the bike came alive! (Note that Jimmy’s bike had a pair of bright blue ones and Gary, our fearless leader, had a set of white ones!) We registered for the ride, ate donuts and some were lucky enough to have coffee. That was in huge demand, it being New Years Day, the morning after the big falling of the ball in Times Square! The CMA group ran to get more coffee, but that was also gone in an instant. It was noticed that some were filling up their 44 oz. Butler Mugs (those who must have really stayed up late to partake in the New Years Eve festivities!). The BK members were anxious to start the ride, so we left before noon, maps in hand. It was nice, that each group stayed together and followed their own maps, making it their own personal ride. Don led the group, which made me the map reader. It was a nice scenic ride and fun on New Year’s Day whereas the traffic was less. We kept passing Crisis Centers (the neighborhood we were driving in) and each time we passed one, Cory would comment that he had the paperwork with him, in the event we needed to drop someone off! We tried to have Cory committed, but he wouldn’t go for that idea. We arrived back early at the food station, like a bunch of starving cattle lined up at the feeding trough. Peter D was first in line, plate in hand, drooling at the food being cooked on the grills. He kept telling the cooks that he didn’t eat much and that he was starving and could they please hurry up! They gave him one little baby hamburger and he was on his merry way. We all watched as they stirred the pulled pork, mixing more bar-b-q sauce in it, our mouths drooling and watering as we smelled it. They were like teasing us, to say the least. We felt like kids in a candy store with no money, eyes on the glass, looking in. When they finally gave us the okay, the line tightened up as everyone squeezed to be up front! There were so many choices, but they made it clear, we could pick ONE meat! ONE MEAT? However would we DECIDE? (Again, they were like teasing us!) Like the old Lays Potato Chip commercials, “You can only have one!” Ya right! TORTURE! We did enjoy our ONE meat, and our potato salad and cold beans. We had to remind ourselves that this wasn’t a buffet (sigh), but that it was a fundraiser for a good cause! We left there and headed straight to Cherry’s Restaurant. It was tricky to find something open on New Year’s Day, but we don’t give up too easy when we are talking about food, and just like Bruce’s patch reads, “No buffet too far!” We had a GREAT day and it was fun to begin the New Year with our dearest friends, our Blue Knights XVII family! Happy New Year and until we eat again, Karen Lumpkin Ride Reporter