a different kind of pick up line

Having met Rick, I've been so happy to think about all of the bad dates I'm avoiding now that I'm out of the dating scene, hopefully forever. So it never occured to me that when he bought the Harley, we may be involved in a "different" kind of matchmaking.

I think women and men operate differently when it comes to friendships. My girlfriends are exposed to all facets of my personal life, and Rick has his friends, but he also has a need for hobby friends. Friends who golf, friends who enjoy music, and now...friends who ride Harleys.

We've been out on the bike and keep coming up with grandiose plans for all sorts of touring road trips. A serious pack-n-ride around Banff and Jaspar National Parks in Canada. Touring the 101 down the coast. Watching the leaves turn on the Cascade Loop Highway. We both agree it would be fun to have other friends to do these trips with, but I've not been able to convert any of our existing friends over to the Harley side. And so that means finding opportunities to expand the "friendship circle" -- a responsibility that Rick really bears as the sole driver.

So yesterday when we stopped by the Harley Dealership to check out some highway pegs, the last thing we intended to do was seek out "fellow Harley rider, between ages of 27-47, preferably FLHX model, must be Eastsider."

As we were getting into Rick's car to leave, a younger-looking (not part of the baby boomer/Vet stereotype) pulls up on his nearly identical Harley FLHX. I was almost to the car when I looked to see Rick was striking up a conversation with the guy, asking questions about the bike, how long he's had it, how does he like it. I cringed when I realized the conversation eventually turned to the line -- "do you ride with anyone?" The guy had just bought his bike in May and didn't really ride with anyone. Rick responded that he was looking for riding friends. And so there it was. Out in the open.

And to my surprise in the minutes that followed, we were making plans for a "blind date" of sorts. Meeting the new friend, AG, back at the Harley Dealership in an hour with our bike and we would go for a quick ride and get some coffee.

After we left the dealership, I couldn't contain my laughter. I can't believe we just scheduled a Harley date. Good thing I was with Rick, otherwise AG may have thought Rick was hitting on him. :)

So we returned to the dealer on the motorcycle. AG was installing a sissy bar (for the passenger seat rest). We sat in the parking lot while AG tinkered with the bike, all the while other riders were in the parking lot mingling and checking out each other's bikes.

AG finally finished and we followed him for a quick ride around Bridal Trails. What a beautiful ride, especially when you're out in the open and taking it all in. We ended up at a coffee shop to sit and chat. We talked about jobs, interests, restaurants. There seemed to be a good camaraderie and before we left to meet some other friends for dinner, he and Rick exchanged information and made tentative plans to meet up for the Oyster run and some other rides. AG has a girlfriend, but apparently she's not as enthused about the Harley, so he may find some other folks to come ride with us.

Rick meets all sorts of people when he's golfing, and I've even done Internet dating thing in my past, but seriously, meeting other couples who share the same interest in Harleys...this like the Twilight Zone.