Motorcycles and Girl Scout Cookies (long)

So yesterday, it's 55, 15 degrees above normal and I went riding on my favorite twisty, Lookout Mt. I stopped at the supermarket on the way home and some young girl scouts asked if I wanted to buy cookies. I told one I'd stop by on the way back.

I got way too much groceries and headed out. Another girl asked if I wanted cookies, and I said OK. While the girl explained the different cookies to me, the other looked at me and said "He was the one who said he was going to stop by on the way out." And here I thought everyone used that line.

I had my helmet in one hand and was wearing a leather jacket and leather pants. With two bags of groceries, I told the girl that I only had room on my motorcycle for one box of cookies. "You have a motorcycle?" the girl said, "Will you drive it by?" I said OK and bought one box.

I packed everything into my tankbag and rode up to the girl scouts, even though it was out of my way. They laughed with delight as I pulled up and showed them that everything was packed on my bag on top of the gas tank. I heard one say "He said he would drive his motorcycle here." I don't think they had ever seen a motorcycle up close before.

Although the girls were enchanted with my motorcycle, the most awe-struck person was one of the girl's mother. She just stared at the bike. Instead of being black, noisy and menacing, my bike is mostly white, quiet, and non-threating. I thought she was admiring my bike until she asked "What are those things on the handlebars?"

"Hippo Hands" I told the mother, "they keep your hands warm." She touched the outside of it to see if it was hard. Then she asked if she could put her hand inside. I said yes and she did. She brushed the throttle and the engine reved up a little. She was startled and pulled her hand out. The girls were now squeeling with joy.

A crowd had formed and I felt it was time to go. I said goodbye, and reved the engine. It seems that most TV shows picture bike riders as villains or ogres, but I was gracious and friendly. When I got home, I told my wife the story, and ate a third of the cookies. Somoas. They were excellent.