__________________________________
Oscar Wilde said:
"Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man, or a nation"
As always, I'm writing to you tonight in real time. And I'm fully aware of the swirling events and upheavals going on in this world -- especially the clashes between brutal oppressors and their citizens!
And I'm also quite aware of the current class warfare going on in many countries, including right here in America.
You would think, as Butler for a billionaire, I might have some insight into this miserable mess.
And I do.
But this is not a political site.
All I'm reporting in this web log is about how rich people live, how they conduct their lives, and what they do with all their free time and money. In June I did bring up the topic of class warfare in an article entitled "On Hating the Rich: From My Point of View".
But to present my own political views or opinions isn't appropriate to the subject here, and in any case would require an entirely separate blog! Ha!
So thank you for the email comments requesting my opinion. And I'm flattered you would do so.
But this is is not the right forum. I hope you understand!
Thank you so much for reading!
And good night,
Andrew
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Sunday, October 23, 2011
A Cocktail Party Disaster! (This could even make Sally Quinn laugh!)
_____________________________________________
In the same week we had the Champagne Lunch for a childrens' charity, there was another event triple the size! Ouch!
A fund raiser for a Congressman (long-time friend of my employer) for roughly three-hundred of their rich-old buzzard friends!
But it was beautifully planned: a cocktail buffet from 6:00 to 7:30pm, with fifty tables set up in the gardens to accommodate six people each. (The Missus thinks it's so much nicer to be able to sit down during these politicians' mind-numbing speeches!)
The catered buffet included salads, four entrees, pasta-and-potato side dishes, and of course a dessert table. And there were stacks of small saucers and forks.
The entrees included:
- Braised Beef Short-Rib Turnovers, with Serrano and scallion yogurt. (Awesome!)
- Rosemary and Fleur de Sel Chicken Spiedini on Rosemary Skewers. (Now I know what to do with dried-up Rosemary stems!)
- House-smoked salmon with Gribiche on Pumpernickel Toast. (Rich people always, always have salmon in some form or other! Ha!)
- Roasted Butternut Squash Panini with Mozzarella and Basil. (So-so!)
So, mid afternoon the rental people arrived on time with the fifty tables and chairs.
Right?
But OMG! They got the order wrong -- and delivered fifty stand-up cocktail tables instead!!! (Who's fault is this? Certainly not mine! Ha!)
Instant panic from the Missus! Not enough time to correct it! (And I went from stage-one to stage-three hypertension in two seconds flat!)
But do you remember back in May I told you about about Sally Quinn, the famous Washington hostess and her book "The Party" ? Her advice on how to laugh your way through disasters came instantly to mind!
Having lent this book to the Missus when first hired here three years ago, I said to her, "What would Sally Quinn do?" (And that was one of those rare moments when we looked at each other eye to eye, and had a good laugh!)
We immediately got to work! Our caterers are wonderful and very flexible, as all caterers must be! And we instantly changed this from a sit-down buffet to a "passed hors d'oeuvres" event -- meaning waiters walk around with "finger foods" on silver trays.
(The side dishes and salads were abandoned, but the dessert table was left intact. And if you look at the menu again, you can easily see how it could be turned into a "passed hors d'oeuvres" event!)
And while we were all functioning in a state of panic (ha!), the guests didn't seem to know the difference! They apparently thought they were expected to stand around (in their high heels and four-inch stilettos) with drinks and food in hand, waiting for the Congressman's speech.
So thank you once again, Sally Quinn, for saving the day!
The event was a success, and the Missus has seemingly recovered. But as you might imagine, I'm researching a new rental company as we speak! Ha!
Thanks for visiting!
And good night,
Andrew
In the same week we had the Champagne Lunch for a childrens' charity, there was another event triple the size! Ouch!
A fund raiser for a Congressman (long-time friend of my employer) for roughly three-hundred of their rich-old buzzard friends!
But it was beautifully planned: a cocktail buffet from 6:00 to 7:30pm, with fifty tables set up in the gardens to accommodate six people each. (The Missus thinks it's so much nicer to be able to sit down during these politicians' mind-numbing speeches!)
The catered buffet included salads, four entrees, pasta-and-potato side dishes, and of course a dessert table. And there were stacks of small saucers and forks.
The entrees included:
- Braised Beef Short-Rib Turnovers, with Serrano and scallion yogurt. (Awesome!)
- Rosemary and Fleur de Sel Chicken Spiedini on Rosemary Skewers. (Now I know what to do with dried-up Rosemary stems!)
- House-smoked salmon with Gribiche on Pumpernickel Toast. (Rich people always, always have salmon in some form or other! Ha!)
- Roasted Butternut Squash Panini with Mozzarella and Basil. (So-so!)
So, mid afternoon the rental people arrived on time with the fifty tables and chairs.
Right?
But OMG! They got the order wrong -- and delivered fifty stand-up cocktail tables instead!!! (Who's fault is this? Certainly not mine! Ha!)
Instant panic from the Missus! Not enough time to correct it! (And I went from stage-one to stage-three hypertension in two seconds flat!)
But do you remember back in May I told you about about Sally Quinn, the famous Washington hostess and her book "The Party" ? Her advice on how to laugh your way through disasters came instantly to mind!
Having lent this book to the Missus when first hired here three years ago, I said to her, "What would Sally Quinn do?" (And that was one of those rare moments when we looked at each other eye to eye, and had a good laugh!)
We immediately got to work! Our caterers are wonderful and very flexible, as all caterers must be! And we instantly changed this from a sit-down buffet to a "passed hors d'oeuvres" event -- meaning waiters walk around with "finger foods" on silver trays.
(The side dishes and salads were abandoned, but the dessert table was left intact. And if you look at the menu again, you can easily see how it could be turned into a "passed hors d'oeuvres" event!)
And while we were all functioning in a state of panic (ha!), the guests didn't seem to know the difference! They apparently thought they were expected to stand around (in their high heels and four-inch stilettos) with drinks and food in hand, waiting for the Congressman's speech.
So thank you once again, Sally Quinn, for saving the day!
The event was a success, and the Missus has seemingly recovered. But as you might imagine, I'm researching a new rental company as we speak! Ha!
Thanks for visiting!
And good night,
Andrew
Friday, October 21, 2011
A Champagne Lunch Menu!
________________________________________
Last night I told you about a "Our Champagne Lunch" here at the Residence, but failed to mention anything about the menu.
Several visitors to this site have let me know how disappointing that was, both in comments on the post, and in emails.
It was very late last night when I posted, and there was a considerable amount of left-over champagne. (Ha! I'm sure you understand!)
But you've made me aware (even through my pounding headache today) of how dumb it was to write about a champagne lunch without mentioning the fare!
So allow me, please, to elaborate!
First off, it's called a Champagne Lunch (or Luncheon, or Brunch) simply because champagne is the wine being served. (Nothing more mysterious or exotic than that.)
And as the weather is so wonderful this time of year, we had the opportunity to have a garden party -- all tables set up outside.
The style of service was a Buffet, with waiters floating all around to replenish water glasses and Champagne Flutes.
And the fare offered was exquisite, and befitting the situation. It was a fund raiser, after all. You've got to give a little, to get a little. N'est-ce pas?
So here's what was served:
To Start:
- Local Mixed Greens with a "secret" Vinaigrette
- Roma tomatoes with Fresh Basil and Garlic Feta Cheese
- Fresh Fruit and Marinated Berries
The Main Course: (This is lunch, after all.)
-Curried Chicken Salad
-Egg Salad with sliced black olives
-Shrimp and Avocado Salad
-Grilled Salmon on Rye Toast
And for Dessert:
-Chocolate Truffles
-French Macarons (French Spelling -- in English we usually say Macaroons)
-Chocolate-covered Strawberries with White Chocolate drizzles
Rich people love this kind of stuff. And being always conscious about health and figure, they likely will take about a tablespoon-full of each item and call it "lunch". And the dessert trays are very often never touched. Ha!
They go on and on about how "delicious", or "interesting" or "unique" this and that was.
Whether or not this is true or just good manners, I haven't a clue.
But from the amount of champagne served, I know for sure they enjoyed something! Ha!
Thanks for visiting!
Good night,
Andrew
Last night I told you about a "Our Champagne Lunch" here at the Residence, but failed to mention anything about the menu.
Several visitors to this site have let me know how disappointing that was, both in comments on the post, and in emails.
It was very late last night when I posted, and there was a considerable amount of left-over champagne. (Ha! I'm sure you understand!)
But you've made me aware (even through my pounding headache today) of how dumb it was to write about a champagne lunch without mentioning the fare!
So allow me, please, to elaborate!
First off, it's called a Champagne Lunch (or Luncheon, or Brunch) simply because champagne is the wine being served. (Nothing more mysterious or exotic than that.)
And as the weather is so wonderful this time of year, we had the opportunity to have a garden party -- all tables set up outside.
The style of service was a Buffet, with waiters floating all around to replenish water glasses and Champagne Flutes.
And the fare offered was exquisite, and befitting the situation. It was a fund raiser, after all. You've got to give a little, to get a little. N'est-ce pas?
So here's what was served:
To Start:
- Local Mixed Greens with a "secret" Vinaigrette
- Roma tomatoes with Fresh Basil and Garlic Feta Cheese
- Fresh Fruit and Marinated Berries
The Main Course: (This is lunch, after all.)
-Curried Chicken Salad
-Egg Salad with sliced black olives
-Shrimp and Avocado Salad
-Grilled Salmon on Rye Toast
And for Dessert:
-Chocolate Truffles
-French Macarons (French Spelling -- in English we usually say Macaroons)
-Chocolate-covered Strawberries with White Chocolate drizzles
Rich people love this kind of stuff. And being always conscious about health and figure, they likely will take about a tablespoon-full of each item and call it "lunch". And the dessert trays are very often never touched. Ha!
They go on and on about how "delicious", or "interesting" or "unique" this and that was.
Whether or not this is true or just good manners, I haven't a clue.
But from the amount of champagne served, I know for sure they enjoyed something! Ha!
Thanks for visiting!
Good night,
Andrew
Our Champagne Lunch!
______________________________________
As Butler in this billionaire's residence, I've recently been telling you about all the parties we have scheduled during this Social Season of 2011.
Today there was a Champagne Lunch (a fund raiser for a children's charity) for a hundred-and- twenty ladies! Yikes!
If you've been reading along, you know how much I enjoy all the fuss and hub-bub of an evening cocktail party or dinner -- one of the big reasons being that we have all day long to prepare for it!
But lunches are another story!
At best, we have three or three-and-a-half hours maximum to get everything set up and ready! Damn! And something always goes wrong! (Just expect it, and be ready for all kinds of disasters!)
Having said that -- things today went off without a hitch! And I am absolutely stunned!
Let me say that again -- I'm absolutely stunned! Ha! No glitches whatsoever!
Here's how it all went:
8:30am: Maurizio unlocked all the gates and the dog sitter arrived to take the Danes away for the day. (Their wagging tails hurt, and we don't want to send our guests home with bruises. Ha!)
9:00am: The rental company arrived with all the tables, chairs, tablecloths and tabel ware (including stemware for the champagne.)
9:45am: Our florist arrived and put an arrangement on each table, then filled all the household vases with roses, and placed a five-foot arrangement on the Entry Hall table. Absolutely beautiful!
10:15am Twelve Waiters and two Bartenders arrived.
10:30am: The Valet Parkers arrived and set up their station at the front entry.
10:45am: Caterers arrived with all the prepared foods and began to set it all out.
11:00am: Run to my apartment, shave, pop an aspirin and jump into Butler attire! Ha!
11:30am: The Guests begin to arrive!
Amazing! This all went so smoothly I still can't get over it! (You just can't imagine all the variables that can mess things up really badly -- anything from a wrong date to a flat tire or traffic jam!) The Mrs was equally surprised and delighted (ha!), and in a great mood to receive her Guests.
At $1,250 a plate (and with 109 ladies showing up) we managed to raise a little over $136,000 today for the charity at hand. And this topped last year's event by $14,000. A successful event by any standards!
You may recall I've mentioned before about how prompt rich people are. They show up on time, they do their thing, and then they all clear out -- but fast! Thank God!
So here's how the rest of the day went:
1:30pm: After only a couple of hours, the guests had finished their lunch, signed all their checks, and hit the road! Then immediately the clean-up began! (The Caterers do most of the work, by the way, and the rental company takes away all the dirty dishes and flatware -- which really just leaves us with fluffing up the cushions and vacuuming/mopping all the floors.)
2:15pm: The rental people arrived and took everything away.
2:45pm: I disappeared to my apartment for a two-hour nap. Ha!
4:45pm: Off to the gym, and the much-needed hot tub!
Wish I had time to tell you about today's menu, but it's very late and I've kept you too long already.
So I'll just say thanks for reading and following along!
Good night,
Andrew
As Butler in this billionaire's residence, I've recently been telling you about all the parties we have scheduled during this Social Season of 2011.
Today there was a Champagne Lunch (a fund raiser for a children's charity) for a hundred-and- twenty ladies! Yikes!
If you've been reading along, you know how much I enjoy all the fuss and hub-bub of an evening cocktail party or dinner -- one of the big reasons being that we have all day long to prepare for it!
But lunches are another story!
At best, we have three or three-and-a-half hours maximum to get everything set up and ready! Damn! And something always goes wrong! (Just expect it, and be ready for all kinds of disasters!)
Having said that -- things today went off without a hitch! And I am absolutely stunned!
Let me say that again -- I'm absolutely stunned! Ha! No glitches whatsoever!
Here's how it all went:
8:30am: Maurizio unlocked all the gates and the dog sitter arrived to take the Danes away for the day. (Their wagging tails hurt, and we don't want to send our guests home with bruises. Ha!)
9:00am: The rental company arrived with all the tables, chairs, tablecloths and tabel ware (including stemware for the champagne.)
9:45am: Our florist arrived and put an arrangement on each table, then filled all the household vases with roses, and placed a five-foot arrangement on the Entry Hall table. Absolutely beautiful!
10:15am Twelve Waiters and two Bartenders arrived.
10:30am: The Valet Parkers arrived and set up their station at the front entry.
10:45am: Caterers arrived with all the prepared foods and began to set it all out.
11:00am: Run to my apartment, shave, pop an aspirin and jump into Butler attire! Ha!
11:30am: The Guests begin to arrive!
Amazing! This all went so smoothly I still can't get over it! (You just can't imagine all the variables that can mess things up really badly -- anything from a wrong date to a flat tire or traffic jam!) The Mrs was equally surprised and delighted (ha!), and in a great mood to receive her Guests.
At $1,250 a plate (and with 109 ladies showing up) we managed to raise a little over $136,000 today for the charity at hand. And this topped last year's event by $14,000. A successful event by any standards!
You may recall I've mentioned before about how prompt rich people are. They show up on time, they do their thing, and then they all clear out -- but fast! Thank God!
So here's how the rest of the day went:
1:30pm: After only a couple of hours, the guests had finished their lunch, signed all their checks, and hit the road! Then immediately the clean-up began! (The Caterers do most of the work, by the way, and the rental company takes away all the dirty dishes and flatware -- which really just leaves us with fluffing up the cushions and vacuuming/mopping all the floors.)
2:15pm: The rental people arrived and took everything away.
2:45pm: I disappeared to my apartment for a two-hour nap. Ha!
4:45pm: Off to the gym, and the much-needed hot tub!
Wish I had time to tell you about today's menu, but it's very late and I've kept you too long already.
So I'll just say thanks for reading and following along!
Good night,
Andrew
Sunday, October 16, 2011
A Barbra Streisand Sunday!
__________________________________________
There's an onslaught of parties coming up this week!
Big splashy affairs, all important in their own way.
Requiring sobriety, focus and every ounce of energy we can rally.
But today is Sunday! Tranquil. Quiet.
Time to reflect.
And Barbra Streisand's version of Schubert's "Ave Maria" is the perfect meditation for the day! (Not that I have a life-long crush on her or anything. Ha!)
But it oddly combines reverence with glamour -- and somehow seems appropriate in this billionaire's world I find myself in.
Hope you'll listen, too. Here's the YouTube link.
Thanks for visiting!
Please wish me luck this week!
And good night,
Andrew
There's an onslaught of parties coming up this week!
Big splashy affairs, all important in their own way.
Requiring sobriety, focus and every ounce of energy we can rally.
But today is Sunday! Tranquil. Quiet.
Time to reflect.
And Barbra Streisand's version of Schubert's "Ave Maria" is the perfect meditation for the day! (Not that I have a life-long crush on her or anything. Ha!)
But it oddly combines reverence with glamour -- and somehow seems appropriate in this billionaire's world I find myself in.
Hope you'll listen, too. Here's the YouTube link.
Thanks for visiting!
Please wish me luck this week!
And good night,
Andrew
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Private Railway Cars for the Rich!
____________________________________________
As the Butler here in this billionaire's residence, I recently told you my employers have purchased tickets for a journey on the world-famous "Orient Express" -- from Paris to Istanbul! Wow!
But did you know that some rich people have their own private railway cars?
It's true!
If you have around half-a-million dollars to spare, you can purchase a private railway coach (also called a "Private Varnish") that includes a Sitting Parlor, a full Kitchen, a Dining Room, Bedrooms (called Staterooms on a train or ship), an Observation Platform on the back of the train, and even Servants Quarters! (For someone like me. Ha!)
And the luxury of a Private Varnish is limited only by the imagination! You want a baby-grand piano in the Sitting Parlor? Tiffany stemware in the Bar? Pratesi sheets in the Staterooms? Whatever you wish!
Now in addition to the purchase price, it'll cost you another $10,000 - $25,000 a year for storage, insurance, and maintaining the car to Amtrak standards. And then, it costs anywhere from $500 to $1,500 to have it pulled from storage and added to the make-up of any scheduled train or locomotive.*
As of this writing (2011) Amtrack charges about $2.10 per mile to pull a private coach! That would be roughly $6,000 just for mileage from New York to Los Angeles. (But double that amount if you want to get back home! Ha! ) Then, there are other charges, such as over-night parking on Amtrak property, septic services, coach washing and cleaning, crew charges, and so on.**
But you don't actually have to purchase your own Private Varnish to enjoy the luxury and leisure of private-car travel.
There are companies out there that will rent private cars -- for family reunions, for business meetings, and for eager politicians going on the stump (trying to recreate Lincoln and FDR's famous cross country "whistle stops"), giving speeches from the Observation Platform at the back of the train.
(And renting a private coach will cost you an easy ten-thousand a day, and up! Ha!)
Now, having said all the above about owning a private coach and attaching it to a scheduled train -- there is always one step above in the world of the rich!
Get this -- there are some rich people in this world (a few at best) who own not only a private car -- but also their own Locomotive!!! Ha!
Mercifully, as I mentioned in a post entitled "What Some Billionaire's Do Not Have", my employers do not have their own private coach! And thank God! I would hate -- hate, hate, hate -- being trapped with them for days on end in such close quarters. Ha!
I'm sure you understand!
Thanks for reading!
And good night,
Andrew
* Source: Washington Post
** Source: Amtrak
As the Butler here in this billionaire's residence, I recently told you my employers have purchased tickets for a journey on the world-famous "Orient Express" -- from Paris to Istanbul! Wow!
But did you know that some rich people have their own private railway cars?
It's true!
If you have around half-a-million dollars to spare, you can purchase a private railway coach (also called a "Private Varnish") that includes a Sitting Parlor, a full Kitchen, a Dining Room, Bedrooms (called Staterooms on a train or ship), an Observation Platform on the back of the train, and even Servants Quarters! (For someone like me. Ha!)
And the luxury of a Private Varnish is limited only by the imagination! You want a baby-grand piano in the Sitting Parlor? Tiffany stemware in the Bar? Pratesi sheets in the Staterooms? Whatever you wish!
Now in addition to the purchase price, it'll cost you another $10,000 - $25,000 a year for storage, insurance, and maintaining the car to Amtrak standards. And then, it costs anywhere from $500 to $1,500 to have it pulled from storage and added to the make-up of any scheduled train or locomotive.*
As of this writing (2011) Amtrack charges about $2.10 per mile to pull a private coach! That would be roughly $6,000 just for mileage from New York to Los Angeles. (But double that amount if you want to get back home! Ha! ) Then, there are other charges, such as over-night parking on Amtrak property, septic services, coach washing and cleaning, crew charges, and so on.**
But you don't actually have to purchase your own Private Varnish to enjoy the luxury and leisure of private-car travel.
There are companies out there that will rent private cars -- for family reunions, for business meetings, and for eager politicians going on the stump (trying to recreate Lincoln and FDR's famous cross country "whistle stops"), giving speeches from the Observation Platform at the back of the train.
(And renting a private coach will cost you an easy ten-thousand a day, and up! Ha!)
Now, having said all the above about owning a private coach and attaching it to a scheduled train -- there is always one step above in the world of the rich!
Get this -- there are some rich people in this world (a few at best) who own not only a private car -- but also their own Locomotive!!! Ha!
Mercifully, as I mentioned in a post entitled "What Some Billionaire's Do Not Have", my employers do not have their own private coach! And thank God! I would hate -- hate, hate, hate -- being trapped with them for days on end in such close quarters. Ha!
I'm sure you understand!
Thanks for reading!
And good night,
Andrew
* Source: Washington Post
** Source: Amtrak
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Tickets on the "Orient Express"!
____________________________________________
This morning Ester (the Upstairs Maid) told us she'd seen a fax in the Missus' office confirming reservations on the world-renowned luxury train, the Orient Express!
(omg!)
My mind went into fantasy overdrive!
Some years back (just before attending Butler School) I was living in Italy, and survived there as an English tutor.
And while there in Milan, I encountered a rich family from Istanbul who took me home with them for a half-year to help their children change their English accents from British to American -- this being my specialty! (And no offense intended whatsoever to my British readers, ha!)
They lived in the historic central part of Istanbul, not far from Topkapi Palace. And the closest Post Office I always went to was inside the train station.
Having an affection for trains since childhood, I would always wander out onto the tracks to see the Departure Board to mysterious cities in Asia Minor, and all the trains involved.
And then one afternoon, there it was -- the Orient Express! Just sitting there, waiting for its return trip to Paris!
Honest to God, my heart almost stopped! And I walked the entire length of the train -- the Engine, the Baggage Car, the Cabin Cars, the world-famous Bar Car and the equally famous Dining Car! All with the famous emblem on each and every car!
But to be clear, the closest I've ever come to seeing the interior of this train is in the lush and beautiful film "Murder on the Orient Express"!
(It's a wonderful Agatha Christie mystery -- and they dragged out every Hollywood star they could find to make an appearance! Just take a look at the stunning cast on International Movie Database. )
And now my very own employers are going to spend six days and five nights aboard this luxury train, traveling from Paris to Istanbul! Just awesome! I can't wait to see the photos!
You and I could go along too, of course, but we'll have to book years in advance!
Understand that I'm writing this in 2011 -- and cabins on this train for 2012 are already sold out! (Makes you wonder how many rich people there are in this world! Ha!)
But for 2013, we could book a cabin for two people for this five-night journey for a mere $20,680. (That's only about four-thousand a night, which is reasonable in rich peoples' way of thinking.)
I know this has been way too long, but all my instincts and love for travel came alive today, just seeing this confirmation on this amazing train!
But before you go tonight, I hope you'll please hit this YouTube link to the soundtrack music of the Orient Express departing the station in Istanbul! (We get to see the train itself, and the faithful-recreation of the station I've been talking about! So very exciting and beautiful! But do listen to it all the way through.)
I better stop here and say good night.
And thanks for reading!
Andrew
This morning Ester (the Upstairs Maid) told us she'd seen a fax in the Missus' office confirming reservations on the world-renowned luxury train, the Orient Express!
(omg!)
My mind went into fantasy overdrive!
Some years back (just before attending Butler School) I was living in Italy, and survived there as an English tutor.
And while there in Milan, I encountered a rich family from Istanbul who took me home with them for a half-year to help their children change their English accents from British to American -- this being my specialty! (And no offense intended whatsoever to my British readers, ha!)
They lived in the historic central part of Istanbul, not far from Topkapi Palace. And the closest Post Office I always went to was inside the train station.
Having an affection for trains since childhood, I would always wander out onto the tracks to see the Departure Board to mysterious cities in Asia Minor, and all the trains involved.
And then one afternoon, there it was -- the Orient Express! Just sitting there, waiting for its return trip to Paris!
Honest to God, my heart almost stopped! And I walked the entire length of the train -- the Engine, the Baggage Car, the Cabin Cars, the world-famous Bar Car and the equally famous Dining Car! All with the famous emblem on each and every car!
But to be clear, the closest I've ever come to seeing the interior of this train is in the lush and beautiful film "Murder on the Orient Express"!
(It's a wonderful Agatha Christie mystery -- and they dragged out every Hollywood star they could find to make an appearance! Just take a look at the stunning cast on International Movie Database. )
And now my very own employers are going to spend six days and five nights aboard this luxury train, traveling from Paris to Istanbul! Just awesome! I can't wait to see the photos!
You and I could go along too, of course, but we'll have to book years in advance!
Understand that I'm writing this in 2011 -- and cabins on this train for 2012 are already sold out! (Makes you wonder how many rich people there are in this world! Ha!)
But for 2013, we could book a cabin for two people for this five-night journey for a mere $20,680. (That's only about four-thousand a night, which is reasonable in rich peoples' way of thinking.)
I know this has been way too long, but all my instincts and love for travel came alive today, just seeing this confirmation on this amazing train!
But before you go tonight, I hope you'll please hit this YouTube link to the soundtrack music of the Orient Express departing the station in Istanbul! (We get to see the train itself, and the faithful-recreation of the station I've been talking about! So very exciting and beautiful! But do listen to it all the way through.)
I better stop here and say good night.
And thanks for reading!
Andrew
Monday, October 3, 2011
Fall Flowers for a Billionaire's Residence!
___________________________________________
I'm so angry I can't even think straight!
This is early October, right?
Two months ago in mid August, Dennis (our Landscaper) sent an email notifying us that it's time to order fall colors for all the flower beds around the house and along the driveways.
Two months ago!
He even sent photo attachments, and specifically marked the deer-resistant colors he knows the Missus likes. And for two months I've been trying to get her attention, pin her down, and make some decision!
But as usual around here, she waits until the last damned minute!
And now, with two major parties coming up in late October, she's suddenly all up in a panic to get fall colors put in -- growing and blooming by the time these events take place! Ha!
Dennis is a true professional, and he's accustomed to her erratic behaviour. And he and his team will get the five-thousand Cyclamens into the ground within the next week.
But these plants will not have time to flourish and grow before the events!
And it will be my fault! Trust me on that!
My fault because the fall colors are not in full bloom!
It's the same damned thing, year in and year out. And I'm getting exhausted! Ha!
Dear God, why can't I work for someone like Miss Havisham?
Sorry to assault you with my troubles tonight. I know tomorrow is Monday, and we all have our own stresses to deal with. But these rich people are absolutely nuts!
Thank you for reading!
And good night,
Andrew
,
I'm so angry I can't even think straight!
This is early October, right?
Two months ago in mid August, Dennis (our Landscaper) sent an email notifying us that it's time to order fall colors for all the flower beds around the house and along the driveways.
Two months ago!
He even sent photo attachments, and specifically marked the deer-resistant colors he knows the Missus likes. And for two months I've been trying to get her attention, pin her down, and make some decision!
But as usual around here, she waits until the last damned minute!
And now, with two major parties coming up in late October, she's suddenly all up in a panic to get fall colors put in -- growing and blooming by the time these events take place! Ha!
Dennis is a true professional, and he's accustomed to her erratic behaviour. And he and his team will get the five-thousand Cyclamens into the ground within the next week.
But these plants will not have time to flourish and grow before the events!
And it will be my fault! Trust me on that!
My fault because the fall colors are not in full bloom!
It's the same damned thing, year in and year out. And I'm getting exhausted! Ha!
Dear God, why can't I work for someone like Miss Havisham?
Sorry to assault you with my troubles tonight. I know tomorrow is Monday, and we all have our own stresses to deal with. But these rich people are absolutely nuts!
Thank you for reading!
And good night,
Andrew
,
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)