DAY ONE
This tour is a delayed trip for my wife and I had hope to go to New Orleans a few years back and Katrina hit. Now I am at the beginning of a new tour which starts in Pittsburgh and will take me down through Knoxville to explore the Smoky Mtns which are on the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. After that exploration, I ride south to my dreamed of New Orleans to connect up with the "boss." From there, we ride together again, up thru Jackson, to Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis to arrive in Kansas City where we will spend some time with our American condo partners from Puerto Vallarta. It will be fun doing that with my best riding partner. But then she flies home from KC and road it again, through Indianapolis, Columbus, Cleveland and home. A long trip again...I think I am really getting my money's worth out of my beemer.
Today I road Toronto to Pittsburgh, 60% of the journey deluged by torrential downpours that no sane biker would continue to ride it. I am determined man and just wont stop once I get rolling on my bike. Part of it comes from the very rational thought of each mile is a mile closer to a hot shower, a good meal and and cozy bed. Today was a real test...but again, I passed.
I am grateful for being curious when I am among strangers. I will quiz and query to probe for political views, community attitudes, and the opinions individual Americans hold. I will talk to the hotel receptionist, or the bartendar or anyone willing to talk to me in a local bar. Mind you, a local bar in the US has a hell of lot more character than any "character" bar has in Toronto. It isnt a matter of the grass being greener, Americans are just more open, more opinionated and more will to sermonize that their way is the right way.
Tonight I "dined" in a local Italian eatery, Alexanders Bistro, in the heart of Pittsburgh's little Italy. The food was ok though it came very highly rated. There is one thing that Americans should acknowledge about themselves, they dont know about good food. They mistake quantity for quality and I am still overstuff from my so so meal. Maybe I should have gone to Lidias but I changed my mind and wanted to save that experience for Kansas City with my wife who has exceptional taste. She is discerning in her use of spices and herbs though I boast that I am the more creative cook...and I underline the word COOK, for I am not a chef.
The more important thing is that my after dinner cognac turned out to be a meeting of the city fathers, locals who have resided in Pittsburgh for years, if not all their lives, a male, a female and the bartender. Very interesting opinions.
OBAMA
A pseudo intellectual who falsely claims American birth but who really was born outside of the US. I dont know how they know these things but they point out, maybe legitimately, that he has bootlicked the banking authorities and now pretends to chastise them for the exorbitant bonuses they continue to receive. All the bar patrons agreed that is doing it on "their" buck and not doing anything legit. They claim he is a supporter of foreign labourers and that he wants them to receive funding support equal to any native American. Wow, if this is true, than it is easy to see how they hate his guts. There was more, but I didnt hear everything.
SARAH PALIN
A pea brain in designer togs ! Hasnt got a prayer of winning the GOP ticket but has great illusions that she has a chance. When I underlined that George Bush was no rocket scientist and all agreed, stupidity happens...TWICE???
BEN ROSCHLISBURGER (?) quarterback for Pittsburgh Steelers in the news lately for his misogynistic violence. Some defended him with newspaper medical articles talking about personality disorders which occur to people who have had numerous head traumas. Evidently he has had 5 concussions, including a major one in a helmetless motorcycle crash. One man said, Ben is a jerk...PERIOD...the concussions just made him even jerkier! The woman said his half sister hates his guts because he so anti women and always has been.
IRISH vs ITALIANS.
Did you know what the Irish think of the Italians...that they are simply blacks who have been turned inside out! And that is serious ! Then, they explained how there has always been a great animosity between Irish and Italians...and whoever got to a particular city first, dominated its politics at the expense of the other group. New York, Boston and Pittsburgh were given as examples.
Then, do you know why blacks are so hated by the Irish...even today...it isnt racism...it is historically based on the Civil War era. Evidently blacks were not used for menial labour for they cost money as they were property. But the Irish were used instead for they would work for peanuts and did not have to be purchased as they were white. Man, I am learning new history all the time but I think it may be revisionist and slanted to favour the speakers.
HOTEL SERVICE...bravo
Cost the same as a cab but the Priory, the B & B at which I am staying, has a limo service that drove me over to my restaurant for the cost of cab fare, a bit less in fact. But I did have a ways to go and the ceaseless rainfall precluded more bike riding. Already, I have stuff drying out all over the room like a Chinese laundry with broken down driers. The shoes and gloves took the brunt of my rain riding and I did not want to don all my rain gear again. The bike seems safe in the hotels parking across the street hidden between two vehicles...that could be a double edged sword but at least the GPS unit cant be stolen...hahaha...lets hope they cant steal the bike. The ZUMO GPS unit has been disconnected and brought inside for safe keeping. I could never get around as easily as I do without it.
It was an educational evening but tomorrows should be even better as I am planning on going Jerome Bettis Grill 36. He was a NFL running back for the Pitts Steelers and his bar is well known for having decent bar grub. Judgement is withheld till I taste it first hand tomorrow night when I go over to watch Montreal play the Pitts Penguins. Tickets for the game are impossible to get...scalpers are asking upwards of $2000 a pair...and likely finding clientele...just not Polish clientele ! So I am relegated to loud vocal support in a pub...and hope I am not shot for cheering for the Habs ... this is the US...maybe I should tone down my cheering...especially here in Steel town...It actually was the steel making capital of the world ...once ...long ago according to the bar people tonight.
An interesting day...maybe the my theme should be Americans I have met, or Americans are unique, or quirky American opinions. Got to watch how I say it...but there must be a way to hold the mirror up for them to view themselves and to get it published in Road Runner Motorcycle magazine as a Canadians view of Americans but not patronizing about it all.
Visit back again !
No comments:
Post a Comment