McGILVEREY’S PUB AND EATERY
By Duncan
THE MEAN YELLOW 2007 PONTIAC SOLSTICE SUPERCHARGED GXP CONVERTIBLE
Let me tell you about three people I know. By the end, you will know them better. This story starts with an email.
I have a friend who I met at a motorcycle gathering. Remember, a “gathering” can be as simple as a couple of guys meeting for lunch or dinner. Then, it’s time to ride a motorcycle. Most of the time, it is a group of at least a half dozen having lunch together. I was riding a motorcycle, too.
JIM “MOOSEFA” MORSE - HE LOVES A BURNOUT OF MOTORCYCLE TIRES.
Jim “Moosefa” Morse
The first person I want to introduce you to is Jim Morse, also nicked-named “Moosefa.” No, I don’t know why he was called “Moosefa.” When you ride a motorcycle, other people may give you your nickname. It’s a mystery.
Jim “Mossefa” Morse
Over time, I got to know Jim and discovered he was a dentist. This wild and crazy guy wore a “Do-Rag” on his head and had chains on his vest. Is he a professional? A dentist? I was unhappy with my current dentist and asked if he was taking new clients. His office was located in Crawfordsville. (About an hour away.)
“Are you willing to come to my office in Crawfordsville?”
“Jim, my current dentist, is banging his dental hygienist, and she is not cleaning my teeth. I keep complaining that I want someone else. The dentist ignores me because I think he knows, I know!”
“Duncan, I’m banging my dental hygienist too. She’s my wife of 50-plus years. Do you have a problem with that?“
“You mean you have a mom-and-pop dental office? Can she clean my teeth? Can she make me bleed so I know I have had a get-down and dirty dental cleaning?”
“I’ll explain your situation to her, and you will walk out of the office, you will be unable to talk for a week.”
His wife, Diana, could hardly wait for me to enter the office. She looked at me and said,
“I’m told I’m supposed to rough you up. Come into my office and sit your ass down in my chair and let me see how bad I’m going to hurt you.
Man or man, did she dig-deep. Damn, I thought she was going to find oil.
Over the years, I had a wonderful relationship with Jim and his wife, Diana. She was just the best. I used to kid Jim while his wife had her finger in my mouth, and Jim was in the next room. I would make noises, and Diana would laugh. Jim would come to the door and say, “What’s going on here?”
CELEBRATION OF LIFE FOR DIANA MORSE - WIFE OF JIM MORSE.
Jim and Diana decided to retire; they sold the dental office and bought a home in Florida.
With a sad heart, Jim told me Diana passed on March 1st, 2023. He returned to Indianapolis for a celebration of Diana's life. It was with mixed emotions that I attended the event. She was so full of life so much fun. And now she is gone. I knew Jim would have major adjustments in his life without his life partner. I told Jim we needed to get together for lunch this year. (2003) Let’s have lunch before you head back to Florida.
I kept after Jim about lunch, and it took seven months. Then, one day, Jim emailed me and suggested we meet at McGilvery’s. He remembered being at the restaurant when we rode motorcycles together. “Can you ask Jim Tsareff if he can join us?”
JIM MORSE AND HIS LATEST WHEELS (ALL FOUR OF THEM)
Jim Morse arrived at McGilvery’s in his current set of wheels (Chrysler 2022 touring minivan.)
I placed an email to Jim Tsareff, asking if he would join Moosefa and me for lunch on Friday the 13th. “Moosefa wants to have lunch with you.” Jim gave me the green light; it was set. Three crusty motorcycle badasses will meet at McGilvery's Pub again.
Jim Tsareff and I also met twenty-plus years ago at a motorcycle gathering. It was a bar that hosted motorcycle types on the northeast side of Indianapolis. Each Thursday night, the bar encouraged the motorcycle demographic. Lots of motorcycles. I was just starting to ride.
DUNCAN - 1998 HONDA 1500 GOLDWING
I had purchased a used 1998, Wineberry colored, 1500 Honda GoldWing touring bike. I was very proud of myself.
I didn’t know what to expect at the bar. As it turned out it was a “Harley Davidson Motorcycle Gathering.” Very rough, and tough looking men with lots of facial hair, dark sunglasses and tattoos. Lots of very expensive bikes with very expensive additional chrome gadgets. And here I was with my used Honda that sounded like a Singer sewing machine. I was out of my element for sure.
Somehow, Jim and I bumped into each other and began to talk. We agreed that the “Harley Davidson Motorcycle types” like to ride to a bar, drink beer, and look at their chrome in the parking lot, then go home. Our idea of a good time on a bike was riding to an eatery or a bar in Key West, Mount Rushmore, or the Grand Canyon. We exchanged phone numbers and agreed to get together later.
Jim and I had lunch one Saturday on a motorcycle ride in a far-off mom-and-pop restaurant in a small Indiana town. He told me he was going on a trip with his close friend Ralph Bernard. They were heading south to Florida for Daytona Bike Week.
“Why don’t you join us at the Hogs Breath Saloon in Key West next Thursday at about 1:00 PM for lunch?”
I thought to myself, “Is this guy nuts?”
Is he suggesting, “I ride my motorcycle 1,350 miles from Indianapolis to Key West for lunch?”
The idea was totally preposterous. This would be totally out of my comfort zone. Travel on a motorcycle all the way to Key West for lunch? I kept thinking about the way he said “lunch, Key West” with an unrestrained and uninhibited casual flair. Is this normal in his world? Do people really follow their passion for adventure and “Just Do It?” Impossible!
I sat at home and kept thinking, I'm not going. It’s insane, it’s crazy. Then, I thought, “Why not go?” What are you waiting for? A door in my life has been opened to me, “Duncan, walk through the damn door.”
How would I pull this off? My mind kept telling me, You do it by traveling one mile at a time, much like putting one foot in front of the other. Then I thought, I’ve been reluctant to step outside the bounds of conventional wisdom all my life. It’s not safe; it’s not done. My mother, my first and second wives, would not approve. They would stop me. No one goes to Key West on a motorcycle to have lunch.
Then it hit me. I’m single, people travel all over the world. Yes, people do travel; they go places and experience life. When am I going to break out of my shell and live a little?
I found myself on Thursday at the end of Highway One in Key West. The GPS said I was only a mile from Hog’s Breath Saloon.
I pushed the kickstand down and turned off the engine. I had this funny feeling that I had accomplished something I would have normally been afraid to do alone. It gave me a sense of personal power. I walked into Hogs Breath Saloon and noticed Jim and Ralph sitting at a small table. With much swagger, I approached their table.
“May I join you for lunch?”
“Duncan, we were just sitting here wondering if you would come. Ralph, meet Duncan.”
Jim Tsareff - Ralph Barnard - Duncan - Hogs Breath Saloon, Key West, Florida.
Jim is an organizer. He likes to be in charge of motorcycle rides. I found that comforting; all I wanted to do at that stage of life was enjoy seeing America on the back of my GoldWing Sewing Machine.
Our rides across America included as many as a dozen other riders, but in most cases, it was four to six like-minded travelers. I’m pleased to say that I have seen a lot of America over the eight years of riding a motorcycle. I would have never been able to experience what I have experienced if I had not “Walked through that Jail Cell Door” when invited to Key West.
Jim Tsareff - Duncan - Someplace America.
Jim and I have continued our friendship all these years. Jim Tsareff, like Jim Moose, lost his wife (Marleen) three years ago. So, both of my riding buddies have lost their wives.
Celebration of Life for Marleen Tsareff - Jim Tsareff offering roses.
It’s been a journey for Jim. He has finally decided it’s okay for him to enjoy some of the finer things in life. He has given himself permission to do that. His latest toy is a 2023 Corvette.
JIM “MOOSEFA” MORSE - DUNCAN - JIM “SHOOTER” TSAREFF - @ McGILVERY’S.
A grand time was had by all. The one-hour lunch turned into three hours. We talked motorcycles; Jim and Jim talked about losing their wives. Moosefa talked about his home in Florida. “Shooter” talked about why he was wearing motorcycle gear.
We also talked about inviting another motorcyclist (Larry Beemer) to our next spring lunch when Moosefa returns to Indiana for the summer. So, we will be having this lunch again.
ANGELA HALSEY - OWNER OF MCGILVERY'S PUB AND EATERY.
I noticed the owner of McGilvery’s Anglea Halsey, who came over to our table, gave me a “Hello,” and thanked me for my story (THE BEST) on my blog. I asked Angela to tell my two buddies (Jim and Jim) about the challenges of running a small pub and eatery.
Getting financing to purchase MGilvery’s is a real problem for a woman. And the Pandemic didn’t help either. Angela has had some rough ups and downs. But things seem to have leveled off, and she is in a comfortable place right now.
I was impressed with her decision not to expand too much right now, for she is taking care of her aging mother. She focuses on keeping the place running smoothly and having the flexibility to care for her mom. That is her passion right now. She is a remarkable woman. It’s not hard to see she is focused and on-site to ensure things are going smoothly.
I asked Angela if she would allow a picture. She laughed, “I guess.”
Jim Morse - Jim Tsareff - Angela Halsey - Duncan
And before I go, may I say it’s been fun to get out of the house this week and meet face-to-face with friends and new people. The world is in turmoil right now, but I want to focus on having my friends know I care about them, and we need to get together, talk, break bread together, and let each other know we are important to each other. My friends have been a small part of my life and have made me a better person for knowing them.
Comments are in small letters below.
