Attire arrivals were grand and green and very Vantaggio. Keck's green socks with rolled up pants. Joe's Vantaggio logo jacket, perfect for the cool weather. Like brothers with their white bandanas. Their hair spiking up, like tennis crowns almost. Visions of Pat Cash and Jim Courier in a late 80s battle, although the latter was mostly known as a pioneer of the tennis cap. The bandana brothers of Vantaggio. Matt The Bassist was there, a true Irishman with leprechaun characteristics. He has seen Galeway Bay with his own eyes, he has smelled the beers and bars of Ireland, he has walked the Irish dirt. He wore solid shoes. JD, a youth soccer and basketball coach, was geared up like a typical suburban walking generic commercial. The jacket, 3 stripes. The pants, 3 stripes. The shoes, 3 stripes. Whatever, 3 stripes. A victim of athletic apparel hypnosis syndrome. It is tough to overcome, JD is known to own multiple Vantaggio shirts and he mindlessly wore what he wore. Mark Ball, bicycle creator and maintainer, showed up right on time. A disciple of the checkered brand, his punk preppy look is completely unique. More action, less talk. My green suede kicks, classic Vantaggio grand slam rainbow shirt, and white Black Clover hat seemed a reasonable collection. Along with pragmatic selections like tapered tan chinos to prevent bike chain interference and a snap button jean shirt as a versatile garment, I dressed intentionally. We were all ready for the Vantaggio NanTuppket Green Ride of 2019. We were benefiting needy people. We were headed 3.2 miles across town to Tupps Brewery. My back tire was full of air after JD lent me his typical suburban brand portable air pump. Some sort of slow leak, probably left over from the rugged west Texas trails ridden weeks before. We took off from Bonnie Wenk Park in McKinney, Texas. We all wore shades.
In McKinney, bike trails are everywhere. The greatest creek of all creeks, Wilson Creek, snakes through the city. It was named for Pleasant Wilson, friend and hunting companion of former Texas Governor, James P. Throckmorton. It rises near Celina, Texas and runs southwest to the East Fork of the Trinity River. We passed the cricket fields, busy all day long, everyone in white. We crossed under the highway, where the floods drain out. We rode Towne Lake, we passed the ancient cemetery. Bones of old locals, souls gone long ago. Then finally up the ridge to the Cotten Mill. A cotten belt gold mine in the 1880s, a mattress factory in the 1980s, and now Tupps Brewery. A sign of the times.
The drinkers were there standing in lines for liquid, fermented grains. The light and golden, the bitter and full, the dark and delicious. The green. A festival was underway, we had no idea, guess the word got out. Our rides have been going on for awhile, benefiting needy people. It was cool that Tupps really stepped up to make our ride stand out. They had staffed up, organized the vendors, and done some fantastic marketing. What partners! It has become one of the featured events in this part of Texas. Like the King Of The Court Tournament Series, it has impacted broader culture positively. Like seeds that eventually grow into flowers, like ideas that take tangible form, like a call from the wilderness. Heard, but unattributed. Understood, but mysterious. Felt, but numb. It was great to get such a welcome when we arrived.
Mark was immediately out. Too many prospective crooks. His bike was too valuable, he carried no lock. He rode away without saying goodbye. Joe and Keck scattered, mingling, making contacts. They are still unaware of Vantaggio's true potential, of their own true potential. They are both limitless. "Second year of a five year plan, remember, second year of a five year plan." I am trying to help them. Mattie, JD, and me got 2 beers each after standing in line, first to get a wristband, then to get a beer. Our little ole ride, proposed and executed, years ago. This was our 10th official ride. Wristbands. Thanks for your partnership, Tupps. Glad we could help grow the business, so cool that the Vantaggio NanTuppket Rides are catching on. Look what's it's become. Wristbands. We drank and drank, we met friends, we took pictures, we looked around. We dug the art, we dug the music, we dug and dug. Eventually, we dug enough and all took off, Irish music faded in the background.