Grand Prize

Hello World, Happy April! I don't know about where you are, but around here, the calendar seems to know something that the weather doesn't, as it continues to be colder than normal, even on the sunniest days. You can't help but notice bunches of sunny yellow daffodils, but if you look in the corners of parking lots everywhere, you'll still see bedraggled remnants of snow that the plows pushed into piles from storms that were many long weeks ago and still haven't melted away, so that tells you something right there. One bright clear day this week, I happened to bump into one of the neighbors out walking her dogs, and she smiled and waved while calling out cheerfully, "It's finally spring!" Mind you, at the time she was wearing her quilted winter coat, hat, scarf and gloves - and even the dogs were wearing sweaters and doggie boots, for heaven's sake. If this is anyone's idea of spring, I say the heck with it. In the local area, the month started off with a bang, as Opening Day saw the Mets clobber the Padres - although there was no such luck for their cross-town rivals, who lost to the dratted Red Sox in spite of Kevin Youklis in pinstripes for the first time, thanks not. Of course, there's no need to worry about the mighty Yankees of lore and legend, who are always the team to beat in the AL East, while the jury is still out on the woeful Mets, who can usually be counted on to be either a .500 team all season, or just as easily wind up at the bottom of the standings, looking up from the cellar at what might have been. Meanwhile in other sports news, the Rangers traded away their lone legitimate superstar from seasons past, Marian Gaborik, whose significant numbers on a so-so team need no apology. On the other hand, the club has been flirting with 8th place all through the lockout-shortened season, and more out of the playoff picture than in, so the owners probably figured if they're going to miss the playoffs anyway, they may as well do it with a smaller payroll, and sent their top scorer packing. Suddenly, Gaborik bears an uncanny resemblance to legendary slugger Ralph Kiner, and somewhere Branch Rickey is having a great big laugh. Alert readers will be glad to hear that the time finally came, and in fact it was long since past due, that we had our very special 30th anniversary celebration after all, and don't spare the party hats and confetti. We decided to take a page out of guitar great John Pizzarelli's book, and "Meet me at Foxwoods!" So we packed up to spend the weekend exploring "the wonder of it all" at Foxwoods, where we had never been before, and expected it would be fun and different, and hopefully memorable in a good way. We were up bright and early on Saturday to open presents, which is probably my favorite way to start any day, and had no trouble reaching our destination at the majestic MGM Grand Hotel, where we found our room very well appointed, although we were surprised that there was no microwave, as they usually do nowadays. Our 18th floor room had a lovely view of the rolling countryside, which was nice enough, although lacking anything else to look at. The massive lobby not only boasts a jackpot of slot machines, but also shops and restaurants, so you never have to leave the hotel if you don't want to. But wait, folks, that's not all! You can take the escalators up to the next level, where you will find not only more gaming options, but the walkway that connects the entire complex together - including 3 hotels and 4 casinos, and more shops, bars, bakeries, bistros, theaters, restaurants, ice cream parlors, statues and fountains than you can shake a stick at. First we stopped at the Gelato Cafe for a snack, and Bill was of the opinion that their bagel did not represent the epitome of the genre from its roots on the lower east side of New York City, but I said let's face it, that was about all that could be expected from the wilds of Connecticut anyway. After that we headed off to see the sights, and there's plenty to see along the walkway, and crowds of people just bouncing right off of you like a pinball machine. Our plan, such as it was, involved finding a likely spot for dinner, and in our travels, we also made the unwelcome discovery that our hotel had no pool or hot tub for us to enjoy in the evening, although there is an outdoor pool for the warmer weather. There were also limited choices for shows in the theaters, so we gave up on that idea too, and then realized that we would have to find something else to do after dinner, and not just laze around watching television in our room, or we may as well have stayed home. We stumbled across The G Spa in our hotel, and although you have to pay to go in, it had the advantage of not only having both a pool and several hot tubs, but also the quietest place in the entire complex - which I can tell you was a very big selling point to us after being buffeted for hours by waves of people and walls of sound on every side. I signed up for a foot massage, while Bill opted for a back massage, and away we went. They have separate areas for men and women, with rooms for sauna, steam, whirlpool and meditation, as well as a large common room with pool and hot tub, and plenty of comfortable lounge chairs and tables where they will bring you food and drinks while you relax. When we met up at the pool later, Bill was rhapsodic about his back massage, and I can assure you that my foot massage felt like I had died and gone to heaven, and that's no exaggeration, by all the saints. I said to Bill that we would obviously have to take Amanda home with us, although the spa seemed to take a dim view of this idea for some reason. We went in the pool and soaked in the hot tub in peace and quiet, which was just what we needed after a long and busy day, until we were ready to once again face the huddled masses yearning to breathe free, with a fresh and revived spirit. We had dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen, and although it's a chain, they have very good food, and I thought their creamy garlic fettuccine was out of this world. Then it was back on the walkway for more sight-seeing, and we also picked up some trinkets along the way, and even tossed coins in the fountains. Finally we shuffled our weary feet back to our room, where we were ready to settle down and see what Uncasville offered in the way of television choices for our viewing pleasure. Not so fast! We discovered that the TV was not working, but fortunately the repairman was right down the hall, and he hurried over to get us all squared away in a jiffy. I will say this is no commentary on the programming, but it wasn't long before we were sound asleep, and although people gamble in the casinos all night long, they were going to have to do it without us, and let the chips fall where they may. In the morning, we did something we have never done before in our entire lives, which is order room service, and I'm happy to report that the pancakes did not disappoint. Then we packed up and checked out, brought our assorted satchels and valises out to the car. and promptly headed back to The G Spa for another day of pampering and relaxing in their welcoming environs. This time around, Bill went for the longer version of back massage, while I elected to try a facial instead, and it was every bit as delightful as I might have hoped. After that we splashed in the pool and luxuriated in the hot tub some more, and it was like having our own private villa, with the whole place entirely to ourselves for the most part, or only 2 or 3 other people there at any given time. I admit that it lacked the heart-pounding excitement of clanging jackpots or blaring live music, but for us it was a wonderful change of pace from our usual hectic vacations, and that made it extra special in a different way. But wait, folks, there's more! Late in the afternoon, we got ourselves on the road for home, and as luck would have it, our helpful GPS lady informed us that we would be driving right past a Denny's restaurant in West Haven, handily located right off the highway, and she wasn't kidding. The exit ramp basically dumps you right into Denny's parking lot, so we hurried in for a special meal that put the proverbial cherry on top of our anniversary festivities weekend, and it was all that we could have wished for. So "better late than never" turned out to be the celebration we could not have had earlier, and it was certainly worth waiting for, as it blossomed into a veritable grand union of treats and treasures from beginning to end, not to mention, the wonder of it all. Branch Rickey may have had the last laugh, but sure enough, John Pizzarelli was right after all. Elle