Tuscan Potato

Red and I worked pretty hard today, me on a ski patrol class I'm to teach and she in the yard, so afterwards we booted up and rode "Great White"up to Roslyn, Wa for dinner...but everything was closed. I guess they do that on Tuesdays up there. So we turned around and stopped at the iconic, traditional, Sunset Cafe in Cle Elum, Wa. Not exactly overcome with excitement, I ordered the "Endless Soup and Salad." "What soup," asked the friendly waitress. I almost ordered my regular Minestrone, but, on an impulse, I asked what other kind she had. "Tuscan Potato," she replied. I smirked and said, "I guess I'll have any soup with the gall to call itself 'Tuscan Potato!'" She grinned and moved off...but then she brought it, and then I tasted it, and then I gasped...... huge chunks of potato and Italian Sausage in a rich, thick, creamy soup that was absolutely, incredibly, unbelievably even...delicious. Best soup I've ever tasted.  I couldn't get enough. Ate two whole bowls with Italian bread.....considered a third bowl, but my wife's eyebrows were already disappearing with alarm up into her eyebrows, so...... blimpo.....

 Now, trust me.... if someone in the Sunset Cafe in Cle Elum, Wa., USA,  offers you a bowl of "Tuscan Potato" soup....take it! Another good thing.... looking out the window, barely able to breathe, I saw a massive, very old man with a stability cane stop and stare at our Goldwing.... he walked very laboriously and deliberately completely around it staring at the seat, the dash, the fenders, the tires, the brakes....all the while talking loudly and gesturing to his tiny old wife, who stood there patiently waiting, motionless..... after awhile they finally entered the restaurant. We had our helmets on our table, and when he saw them, he made a steady but laborious beeline directly toward me. When he arrived, finally, with his eyes barely able to peer out of his beetling brows, his good will shining from every wrinkle, he put two huge brown spotted hands down on our table, and said, "I am .....enthralled....absolutely enthralled...with your Goldwing! What year is it?" I grinned at him, couldn't help it. "It's a 2005, sir, Silver Anniversary Model......" "Well," he thundered. "It looks brand new!" I kept grinning at him, couldn't help it. "Yeah, it was pretty much a garage ornament.....want a ride?" "No," he thundered again. "If I did that, I'd try 'n buy it!" I laughed. "Yup, I'm the same way, can't keep off the thing!" He turned to me, and the unmistakable yearning and hurt was there, deep, deep down in his ancient eyes.... "Well, do it while you can, son, do it while you can....." And he moved off, painfully, a huge, good man, I think, shuffling like some old and huge bison bull toward his table... and his oblivion, very soon, I fear.   "Yes, sir," I whispered. "I shall."