Date Night!

My wife and I were granted a date night sans children yesterday thanks to my Dad. She decided that we should take the FJR, so we donned our protective gear and sped off into the night. There is something magical about a motorcycle as choice of date night vehicle: you can't take kids; it isn't even an option.

Parking at the restaurant (despite it being St. Patrick's Day) was a breeze. I had emptied the side bags so we were both able to store our helmets and gloves on the bike. Like most things with motorcycles, planning ahead is everything. It was a rather warm evening -- ~80F -- and we were glad to be given a larger booth so our jackets would have a place to sit too. I wore my Rev'It Cayenne Pro, and she wore her Vanson Cobra III.

After dinner we decided to hit a local bookstore. Again parking was trivial, but the jackets became a hinderance. We didn't feel comfortable leaving them on the bike, they were too cumbersome to carry, and wearing them in the heated store became stifling in very short order. As I am sure that this issue will only increase in frequency as we approach Summer, I would like to figure out a better solution.

Our final stop of the evening was at a local game store. We both like to play games, and are fortunate to have a local store that reserves half of its floorspace for open gaming tables. It was very relaxing to sit in the store, socialize with the other customers, and play.

The ride home was markedly different from the earlier departure. When we left I rode fairly aggressively -- urging the bike away and into the night. The return trip was relaxed and calm. Motorcycles make terrific date night transport.