Muley
Cruisin' Guzzisti
I met Bill at the Arkansas Rally last month. He walked up to me, looked at my HD&M EV and said "that's the best looking color combination on any Guzzi". I knew right away that either 1) He was being sarcastic or maybe had been around Wayne Orwig too much, or 2) He owned another HD&M. The latter turned out to be correct, so it was only fitting that Bill and I decided to sample some of the great Ozark roads together. We rode a roughly 150 mile, clockwise route from Eureka Springs over to Harrison, then south to Fallsville, west to Hwy. 23 (which I think is called the pig trail or maybe pig path) and then north to Huntsville and back to the POB. The roads and scenery were great except for a stretch of fresh pavement with tar and (loose) gravel. Huntsville seemed like a good place to stop and find some food and relax for a while. We stopped at a local cafe and went inside to the welcome cool air and protection from the sun.
I ordered the lunch special as did Bill, and I asked for sweet iced tea. Normally, in Georgia, I just ask for tea and it's a given that it will be sweet. In fact, if one wants unsweetened tea, then it usually must be asked for specifically. Now I realize that much of the USA is unenlightened and does not have pre-sweetened, iced tea. How many times have I heard a waitress say (with a somewhat annoyed look) "there's sugar on the table, and you can sweeten it" ? Folks, it simply is not the same ! Proper iced tea must be sweetened while it's warm so the sugar will all dissolve and not just swirl around in the glass and settle to the bottom, and it's always best if served right after brewing. In fact, I prefer to have my iced tea served hot off the stove top and poured over ice to cool it and dilute it just the right amount for maximum enjoyment. Left over iced tea, after being stored in the refrigerator for hours, or even longer, is far inferior to that which is fresh brewed.
To my amazement, Bill had never partaken of real sweet tea ! Let me digress just a bit. You see, he lives in St. Joseph, Missouri, which is apparently outside the "sweet iced tea zone". When the waitress took my drink order, she asked Bill if he would also like sweet tea. His reaction was much the same as if she had asked him if he also wanted mountain oysters, hog brains, or livermush. He said something like "oh no, I don't think I want to try that". By this time, I was intently studying his face to see if he was kidding, but he was genuinely afraid to drink it. I convinced him to give it a try and even put a lemon slice in for good measure. It actually took a little convincing, but he finally sucked it up and bravely said yes.
After three or four glasses, he was a convert.
I just hope he (or his wife) doesn't screw it up and make some undrinkable concoction. After all, preparation of proper sweet iced tea, like grits, is more art than science, and it's not as easy as it seems.
I ordered the lunch special as did Bill, and I asked for sweet iced tea. Normally, in Georgia, I just ask for tea and it's a given that it will be sweet. In fact, if one wants unsweetened tea, then it usually must be asked for specifically. Now I realize that much of the USA is unenlightened and does not have pre-sweetened, iced tea. How many times have I heard a waitress say (with a somewhat annoyed look) "there's sugar on the table, and you can sweeten it" ? Folks, it simply is not the same ! Proper iced tea must be sweetened while it's warm so the sugar will all dissolve and not just swirl around in the glass and settle to the bottom, and it's always best if served right after brewing. In fact, I prefer to have my iced tea served hot off the stove top and poured over ice to cool it and dilute it just the right amount for maximum enjoyment. Left over iced tea, after being stored in the refrigerator for hours, or even longer, is far inferior to that which is fresh brewed.
To my amazement, Bill had never partaken of real sweet tea ! Let me digress just a bit. You see, he lives in St. Joseph, Missouri, which is apparently outside the "sweet iced tea zone". When the waitress took my drink order, she asked Bill if he would also like sweet tea. His reaction was much the same as if she had asked him if he also wanted mountain oysters, hog brains, or livermush. He said something like "oh no, I don't think I want to try that". By this time, I was intently studying his face to see if he was kidding, but he was genuinely afraid to drink it. I convinced him to give it a try and even put a lemon slice in for good measure. It actually took a little convincing, but he finally sucked it up and bravely said yes.
After three or four glasses, he was a convert.
I just hope he (or his wife) doesn't screw it up and make some undrinkable concoction. After all, preparation of proper sweet iced tea, like grits, is more art than science, and it's not as easy as it seems.