Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Table For Two

I'm starting to get used to the finger pointing. Everywhere I ride, people point. It's not me they're pointing at, it's the Piaggio MP3.

Last night Jenny and I decided to do two of our favorite things. One, have dinner at P.F. Chang's - where I think in time they will change the name of Sesame chicken to John's Chicken - and ride the new scooter. And that's where the pointing began.

Pulling in to the parking lot folks sitting on the outdoor porch started pointing. Then, they smile. They are smiling because WE are smiling and the whole place turns into a giant smile-fest. That's the best part of riding an MP3. It makes me smile, and makes everyone who sees it smile.

What's really fun about riding the MP3 is that Jenny seems quite content to be a passenger. To say that Jenny is independent is an understatement. She has never been the kind to be happy sitting behind me and just taking in the scenery. Something about the MP3, though, has changed her attitude.

In may be the whole pointing thing. Jenny sits back there waving at everyone like a Homecoming Queen. I can feel her moving around. She waves at kids in cars who press their faces against the windows trying to get a better look and she waves to other motorcyclists who do a double-take when they see us ride by.

After dinner we took the long way home. It was a beautiful evening and there's just something peaceful about riding the backroads on the MP3. There's plenty of power but it's unnecessary. The sense of not being in any hurry, of being satisfied with exactly what's going on, and of feeling like there's no need to be anxious to get to anywhere else is the perfect end to the day.

Turns out it's the perfect Penguin attitude.

Scooter on,

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