Do you need a ride home?

We had dinner with our friends Bill and Colleen last night.  (former owners of the whale watch company where we work)  They have graciously invited us into their home many times this summer.  Colleen cooks, Bill makes smart ass comments about the cooking, the three of them drink wine, and we all enjoy the spirited conversation.  There are some people you can just be very open with, and we have that with them.

We drove a scooter to their place last night.  Yes, that was singular.  As in: Joan rode behind me.  If all you've ever done is ride as a passenger, you don't know the "downgrade" in sitting behind.  Surprisingly, the PCX handles the two of us just fine.  Oh, the passenger complained about the accommodations, but she is used to her own bike.  There are some steep hills to climb to get out of Friday Harbor, and "Little Red" ran right up them like a champ.

I mentioned "the three of them drank wine"... we have a hard/fast rule: we don't drink and ride.  Not even a little.  Our friends wanted to know why we came to their house on the scooter?  (We usually take the truck)  We generally bring dessert, wine, and soda (for those of us who don't drink wine), and Joan doesn't have to fuss with "helmet hair" when we take the truck.

I have a great parking spot with our truck: close to the motorcycle/scooter parking, so I can put the covers in the truck and grab a jacket out of there.  Very handy.  There is a sign post right at the front of the parking spot, so the vehicle on the other side can't whack into you.  The truck is our "resupply vessel" - it is a close parking spot.  Move it, you lose it.  I ain't moving it - not until we're ready to leave this island.  THIS is part of the reason we brought the scooters... well, that and the fact that they are a blast!

So, that's how we wound up at our friends' place on one scooter.  Hey, if you look at the Honda website, it shows several photos of a couple on the PCX... of course, they are young, skinny people... add 'em both together and I probably still have 'em by a pound or twelve.  But, I digress - when it was time for us to leave, Bill and Colleen came out to give us a hug good-bye... and Bill asked, "Do you want me to drive you home?"  Colleen asked, "Are you sure you're going to be OK on that... that... that?"

Apparently, they thought our scooter was afraid of the dark.  ;-)  The PCX brought us home just fine.  The headlight does a fine job (we rarely ride at night, though).  I could see that deer on the side of the road just fine... standing like a (cliche') deer-in-the-headlights.

Is it more fun to ride one-up?  Well, there is a short "butt-stop" on the seat that divides the rider's part from the passenger... and the rider definitely gets more seat real estate.  The passenger has to hold on, with a bag strapped on her shoulder, and doesn't get to twist the throttle when she wants.  Pretty sure Joan would say it is more fun to ride one-up.  I kinda liked the snuggling, even if it was forced.  ;-)