Saturday 29th October, 2005
The boys checked out of their room this morning and transferred their stuff through to ours. My mission in life this morning was to try and offload a whole pile of really heavy books most of which Bob Webb had given me. The hotel offers a free shuttle service to within three miles of the place – useful but all the same I enquired “Shall we take the car down or are you free to run us to the post office and wait to bring us back?” “Sure , no problem, Sir” which you take at face value and off we went.
So Anne and I took the hotel shuttle down to Scottsdale Post Office. $50 later (by the time we’d bought a box, some wrapping and insured postage). …
We hadn’t been one minute in the post office before the driver was inside asking how we were getting on as the hotel was busy. Well, he had to wait about 10 and there was nothing much we could do about it what with queues packing etc etc. Anyway the driver was clearly getting himself into a state of some excitement. I didn’t have a lot of sympathy; anyway he had to stop off at the Mall to collect someone and we jumped ship at that point to meet the boys … who were still in ‘ranging’ mode.
We wandered back the two blocks from the mall and went to cool off in the pool and have a snack lunch. There was time for another hour or so of lazing and then at 3 it was time to leave for the various flights. Harry was due out at about 5 bound for Denver and the Ben and Nick at about 7 for Heathrow.
Harry’s flight was posted as being delayed by a half hour when we arrived so we hung around briefly and then bid farewell and moved round to T2, the International terminal where we parked the car and lugged everything down.
We had a really good couple of weeks and were sorry to see them all go.
This evening we dined in the restaurant in their dining room, called The Baleen.
I knew it was going to be an epic as soon as our waiter, Drew appeared. He was quite a young lad, who spoke in sonorous (probably Bronx) tones and in his suit had the slightly younger appearance of the butler from the Adams Family.
I sat back faintly amazed while he felt the need to explain to Anne what Pommes Frites were and she sat there equally as dumbstruck.
Anyway, better was to come, it was dark and it was cold (due to the air conditioning) and I went and put another layer on, Anne sat wrapped in a shawl.
Along comes Drew this time with an assistant to proffer Caesar’s salad with a side of asparagus and rosti potatoes … except somewhere along the line, the potatoes had transformed in to a fish dish of some description. He realised his mistake and withdrew the fish and shambled off.
I nearly burned myself on the salad plate, it was so hot, but on we went.
We started.
We finished ... And at this point, the bold boy returned apologising profusely and slipped a plate of completely blackened rosti, sitting square as you like in the middle of a pristine white porcelain plate. We’d already decided it was superfluous ... but boy, it was worth a look. So off it went with Drew promising to ask the manager if it would be alright to deduct the cost from the bill. (Oh, Pleeeeeease say its not alright!!!!!!)
Back he came with more apologies … it WOULD be alright; there was no charge for the rosti, thank you very much for coming in and here was the bill.
“Errrr? Any chance of pudding?” (bill hastily stuffed in apron, out with notebook …)
“Of course Sir, here’s me getting ahead of myself “ (Wry smile from the booth, as its probably the first time he ever been ahead of the game).
Very nice bread and butter pudding provided, with two spoons; just what was required and as he was withdrawing … thank you very much for coming in tonight and here was the bill .. thank you very much.
“Errrr, are you needing this booth for something?
"Excuse me, Sir?"
“A lie down perhaps ...”
"I’m sorry?"
“Oh, forget it, we wondered whether you had coffee?"
Oh ... the day is dawning and curtains were being pulled to let light in all over the city of Drew.
“Coffee!! I’ll get you some right away”
“Thank you. One decaf, one regular and both with milk, please”
In came the coffee (exactly as specified) and off went Drew.
By this time it was too much effort to go for the option of sugar which wasn’t profferred so we sat back and watched the performance some more, sipping our coffee.
At the next pass …. “Helllll-ooo, Can we have the bill please? .… expecting a flurry of apron and immediate provision … No. “Sure Sir, I’ll go and have it prepared” and about five minutes later it arrived with the hopeful space left for a gratuity (Ha Ha)