Hello! I had met the woman before, but just didn't remember seeing quite that much of her, otherwise I would not have given the ride. I'm not sure how common the PITA phrase is down here, but my wife and I are both transplanted Pennsylvanians where it is commonly used.
What did you decide about the hippo hands? Originals or knockoffs? My $20 cheapies work just fine. My bike is 100% stock, so the seats are not that great. My wife can only handle about an hour on the pillion so we stay pretty close to home.