Monday, February 05, 2007

Super Bowl Ho`olaule`a

My sister and her husband are off to Hawaii. They flew out of OIA (Orlando International) this morning. Since they live on the east coast of Florida, they stayed at the Airport Marriott last night and invited me down to watch the Super Bowl. Now, I'm not one to hang out during the big game. Those days have been pretty much over for many years and I prefer lounging on the couch at home, just in case I need to nod off, which I've been known to do. I have no desire to hang around a hotel bar (or any bar, for that matter) where crowd noise is at a maximum, people walk in front of the TVs and arguments may break out among strangers. Besides, because of diabetes, my drinking days just ain't what they used to be and bar food isn't part of my diet plan any longer.

Well, I haven't seen them in a while and I won't see them again for a few weeks, so I decided to go. I didn't know what to expect and I don't think they did, either, but when I spoke with her on the phone, I suggested that we watch the first half at the bar if that's what we agree on and the second half in the quiet confines of the room. I told her I can't stay up and party anymore. She agreed, saying they have a long day ahead of them tomorrow, flying and all.

When I got to their room on the 9th floor, I looked out the window at the airport, which was very near. What struck me was the fact that you can't hear the jets at all as they roar overhead. Not one peep. That was amazing. They are Platinum Members of Marriott and it does come with perks. For one thing, they asked for a refrigerator for food they were sending home with me. They asked for a cot for me to sleep on. These were brought up and there is no added charge. The best part of the membership was the concierge room down the hall. We decided to watch the game there. Good plan. We walked in and saw a nice spread of assorted cheeses, crackers and other appetizer type items, including pot stickers, miniature crab cakes, spinach ravioli and other tidbits. The room had two wide screen plasma TVs and only a handful of people to keep the noise level to a minimum. Except for this one lady who screamed in ecstasy at everything the Colts did. She was really a Panthers fan, she said. One in every crowd. There was an honor bar where you fill out a chit sheet to be added to your room bill. Mostly, it was stuff I can't eat, but I did anyway. I milked a Bacardi & Diet for all it was worth and sucked bottled water the rest of the night. I asked the professionally attired attendant how do you keep tabs on who fills out those sheets and who doesn't? He didn't care, he said. I just keep replenishing food and drinks as we need them. Nothing is counted. Some guests are honest, some aren't. Then, he brought out cheesecake, right around halftime. We went down to the bar and ordered something a little more substantial. I needed something more than high class junk food and gluttonous cheesecake. Seared tuna worked just fine. We finished the game back upstairs and retired to the room. What a game!

My brother-in-law said that I will really like the concierge room breakfast. Good stuff. He was right. I ate oatmeal, smoked salmon with capers, onions and sliced hard boiled eggs, and lots of fresh fruit, like blackberries, raspberries, cantaloupe and pineapple. I washed it all down with orange juice and coffee. Boy, I haven't had a breakfast like that in years. Nor do I want to again. When I got home this morning, my glucose level was a whopping 220.

Oh well, it was a very nice night away from home. It was a good game and many of the commercials lived up to expectations. I was happy to see the Colts win. I got to see my sister and brother-in-law off and I'm eating the homemade lentil soup she made as I'm typing this. You know, the food she sent home with me. Now, that woman knows how to cook.

Mahalo nui loa. A hui hou kakou, aloha Kakou!

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