Off To The Races

That's where we were all last week, the Royal Ascot racetrack, providing impeccable service to VIP private boxes. That was actually the easy bit, it was the travel to get there that was the burden. Up at 5am - yes, that's right - each morning. Luckily in this part of the hemisphere the sun is already up at that time, so it eased the transition. Got down to Waterloo station by 6:30am to take an hour-long train trip out to Ascot. We had some great friends to share the trip with, so we were happy AND bleary-eyed, a grand combination.



The boxes were fully stocked for bar needs, with a commanding view of the track, plus a flatscreen TV to get the full race results. The hosts of my box were a very friendly Irish couple, rather well off and great racing enthusiasts. They and their guests placed many wagers, won some and lost some, and were very gracious the whole week. It's no secret that we servers take on the Ascot gig in hopes of getting generous tippers, and I was not disappointed in this regard. The only drawback was that the hosts and their guests seemed to pride themselves on being the last to leave each night, so it was a bit of a rush to clean up, sign out and catch the train home. We'd get home around 11pm each night. LOOOooonnnggg days. Rewarding and fun, but long.


This was how the box looked, with my trusty sidekick James in full uniform. Below is a view of the track.


After a celebratory drink with our AYS friends on the final night of the Races, we took Sunday and Monday to recuperate a bit. On Monday we went out to see the sights of Covent Garden, and witnessed the following hilarious juggler from New Zealand. Covent Garden is chock full of buskers, ecclectic shops, flea markets, and good restaurants.

To cap off the night, we attended a performance of Avenue Q, a gut-bustingly funny Tony Award-winning musical that is best described as a bawdy adult version of Sesame Street, with live performers and Jim Henson-style puppets as the main characters. The show contains such classic tunes as "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist," "If You Were Gay," and "Schadenfreude." If you ever get a chance, go see this show, it's hysterical, intelligent, and in some points quite touching. Made me appreciate just what an impact Henson had on the world.