Monday, March 3, 2008

The Queen

I'm watching this ABC news show on the Queen.Granted behind the scenes camera access for a year and it's fascinating. It brought to mind my "brushes" with the Royal Family.The first involves the 6th floor at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite.On that floor you need a key to get off the elevator.It consists of two bedrooms and two parlors that make it two suites if you wish.My brother on a few occasions with a friend and their wives and eventually kids had booked the 6th floor the week before XMas a few times and I came along and slept on the sofa bed in the winter parlor.When the Queen spent the night in Yosemite in 83 I think that is the floor she stayed on.Some years later we booked that floor again for my parents 40th anniv.My parents on this weekend had the bedroom the Queen had slept in.Coming up from Dinner one night I used my parents bathroom and realised I was using the same"throne" the Queen had.I sent out many postcards proclaiming that to friends.Now go back across the country to my hometown of Pittsford,N.Y.. There was a small hotel in town with a restaurant called"The Depot"It had a rail car parked on old tracks which you could book for small private dinners.One Xmas my brothers In-laws came east from L.A. and we booked it for a family dinner.It was really cool sitting in your private rail car.I was at two other rail car dinners over the years.So when the Ryder Cup came to Pittsford and Oak-Hill in 1995 a private dinner was held in the rail car for Prince Andrew.I'm surprised we don't exchange Xmas Cards.By the way I wasn't lucky enough to get back for the Ryder Cup but friends who were there said Andrew was a regular guy mingling with the crowd along the course.The Ahwahnee is still there and one of the most beautiful spots on earth but now pretty much out of my price range unless my brother is buying!.The Depot was torn down,the rail car is gone and a small luxury hotel called"The Del Monte" stands in it's place.I did an all nighter there for my 30th HS reunion in 2004 with some buddies whose wives wern't happy the next day but then I mentioned my friend"Andrew".

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