Friday, March 17, 2006

My Annual Guinness Ride

My Annual Guinness Ride
It’s St. Patrick’s day. Last few days the snow predictions were 1 - 3 inches, then up to 5 inches. Wow, looking pretty dicy.
Friday morning. Nice and sunny. Just a dusting of Snow. I can smell the Guinness, taste the corned beef and cabbage, hear the Irish music. Wx guy was out in left field. Good place for him. It’s a go. Get my cold riding clothes on and head for the Fiddlers Hearth in South Bend (60 miles) at about 11:30AM.
Beautiful sunny, scattered clouds, temp hovering right at 40 degrees, nice balmy northern Indiana March day. Take the back roads. Roads all free from winter salt etc., blown off by the high winds last week. Local 200/700, IN10, IN23, through Ober, Koontz Lake, Groverton, Walkerton, New Liberty, IN2 (in South Bend), Colfax Ave., Main street into the parking garage (Free Parking) right across the street from the Fiddler.
Ah it’s definitely St. Patrick’s day. The place is packed. Everyone on extended lunch hours. Penny Whistles, Celtic dancers. Work my way to the bar. Socialize with the neighbors. A nice glass of Guinness, and some Murphy’s and some corned beef and cabbage. Maybe overshoot my 1 beer per wheel rule slightly. A few glasses of water. Met Carol the ‘Lady of the House’. Several of us jovially bitching because we didn’t luck out and get a free Guinness T shirt. Spend a couple hours plus. Wished I could have heard the Bartender play his bag pipes but. Ah, it would be nice to stay longer . . . my bike is waiting in the garage across the street.
Say good-byes and thankyou’s, and head South, US31 IN14 and home.
Another successful ‘My Annual Guinness Ridge’ and a very nice St. Patrick’s day ride.
IN Tom
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From the Fiddlers Hearth-
Shamrocks are in and our ladies will be pinning them to lapels all day on March 17 (while supply lasts)!
Join us for a full Irish Breakfast from 6:30-10:30 am featuring bangers, rashers, black & white pudding, (bacon, ham & American sausage also available) eggs, potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, grilled tomatoes, beans, scones, soda bread, assorted juices, coffee & tea… all you can eat for $13.00 (including tax). A great way to start the Great Day!
Live Irish music & dance starts at 11am and runs until Midnight. Included in the line-up throughout the day are John Kennedy, Autumn Rhodes, the South Bend Metro Pipe Band, the Celtic Fire Irish Dancers, Michael Snyder, Soltre, & Kennedy’s Kitchen.
Bring your dancing shoes and celebrate the patron saint of Ireland with the Irish! (No reservations… we are open seating and sharing tables all day!)
Slainte!
Carol
Lady of the House
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----Winamac, IN-------41 deg 3 min N ------- 86 deg 36 min W------Tom, '85 K100RT, 186K, MOA, BMWMOCF, PRI, RBI, PRUNE, Rounder, IBMWR--It is good to have an END to journey toward, but it is the JOURNEY that matters in the end. / Ursula Le Guin--I feel no pain, dear mother, now; But, oh, I am so dry?O take me to a brewery, And leave me there to die.-Annon.; The Everything Beer Book---email in/out scanned by AVG Free 7.1.374 http://free.grisoft.com/-----------------------------------------