Text 13350, 139 rader
Skriven 2011-07-14 00:45:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: minitrip report 567
===========================
So I got invited to this party for Tom Stuker, who has
the distinction of having flown more on commercial aircraft
than anyone else - 10 million miles. According to United, this
counts as 3.69 times around the Sun; 42 times to the moon; or
401 times around the equator. It represents 2.2 solid years
in the air. It also is approximately equal to the flying done
by a professional pilot in a career. (Other claimants have
come forward, but it seems that they have earned 10 million
frequent flyer points, but as little as 20% of that has been
through actual flying.) Tom is an expert on automotive
marketing; that accounts for part of his accrual, but he
also is an enthusiast and flies recreationally as well.

The event was at the Red Carpet Club in Chicago (the invitation
was extended on a get-yourself-there basis) this last Saturday.
The hundred-odd guests included senior United officials, agents
who regularly served the guy, friends and family, and a few
FOAFs who are well-traveled and well-connected. Such as myself.

I'd been in San Fran and was planning to return to Williamsport
via Chicago anyway, so I tried to get rerouted via Los Angeles
to connect with the party flight: well, according to the United
director of loyalty something or another, there were bunches of
people more important than I, and if I abandoned my bed seat
on the San Fran to Chicago nonstop, I could get first class to
LA but would have to stand by for coach, with hardly a chance
to sit up front. So I stuck with what I had, which was quite
satisfactory indeed. We boarded, took off, and landed with no
hitch, and during the 4 hour flight I got 2 hours' sleep and a
lunch that consisted of "southwest soup" and "southwest chicken
salad" - a menu that was united in its southwestness. The soup
was a very thick tomato concoction that might have been spiked
with tortillas; cumin was the main herb, cayenne the main
spice. Bits of chicken breast. The salad had supplementary
flavors - greens strewn with black beans and corn, a juicy if
salty chicken breast on top, garnished with olives, green
peppers, and grated cheese. Large servings, somewhat palatable
food, the soup hot, the salad cold. For afters, a chocolate
chip cookie and of course a Courvoisier.

I arrived about an hour before and hoped to be a member of the
greeting party at the gate at 5 - went to the club to see what
was what. A number of friends and acquaintances were at the
far end of the club, chatting away - chief among these were
frequent-flying legends Randy Petersen and Tommy Danielsen
(what is it about these Scandinavian types? perhaps the frequent
need to get far, far away from their frigid native climes). I
had a beer with these luminaries and then went in and checked
out the party room, which was decked out most festively.

The plan had been for Tom to step off his 10000000-mile flight
(he earned the distinction approximately over Des Moines,
on a flight from Los Angeles) and into this celebration,
and while he was being feted, this 747 with his name
painted on it was going to pull up to the window, and he
was supposed to blush and stammer and go speechless and all
that. Unfortunately, his flight was delayed an hour (good
job, United). So the rest of us were milling about the room
waiting, when the plane pulled up, which was cool enough,
but not quite as cool.

Tom's favorite wines are apparently the Mount Veeder
Cabernet Sauvignon and Stag's Leap Karia Chardonnay, so
that's what we had to drink. As well as many bottles of
Veuve Cliquot.

I was on my 2nd or 3rd glass of the Chardonnay, when the
guest of honor arrived, accompanied by his girlfriend (now
apparently wife) and various United brass, including Jeff
Smisek, the new CEO imported from Continental. Lots of
press. Speeches and toasts all round, and Tom was presented
with various gifts - a plastic 747 to go with the real one
that had been named in his honor, a fancy plaque, a special
bottling of Mount Veeder, and the world's only United
titanium card (like the American Airlines graphite card
given to the Ryan Bingham character (George Clooney) in
the movie Up in the Air, only real).

Lots of booze. Finally the buffet was opened, and in addition
to the usual grade C run of cheese cubes, crudites, and cold
cuts were some of the highest-quality catered fare that I
have ever encountered, no kidding or hyperbole. The invitation
had said something like drinks and appetizers, but I made a
nice meal of firm Dublin Bay prawns (I believe the real thing)
and slices of excellent, very rare coriander and black pepper
crusted filet. I am not a terrific fan of these particular
ingredients, but on this day the execution was remarkable,
the prawns being perfectly fresh and perfectly steamed and
in fact almost as nice as your Maine lobster; and the beef had
some of that almost livery intensity that the normal run of
filet generally lacks but the top of the line possesses.

They let people keep guzzling Veuve until closing time, 9:30,
but most of us had planes to catch or went to Tom's afterparty
at the Hyatt. I actually had things to do (not a tryst) and
couldn't extend my sybaritism by even a little.

There have been some news articles about this guy, see, e.g.
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8241712
- many of them are somewhat tongue-in-cheek and of the Odd
News persuasion; others try to throw in at least a trace
of some business-related message.

Beef Tongue With Raisin Sauce
categories: main, offal, Jewishish
servings: 8

1 beef tongue (4 lb)
2 onions
2 carrots, sliced
1 stick celery (with leaves), sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 Tb butter
1/3 c raisins
3 Tb almonds, chopped
1/3 c white wine vinegar
1 Tb tomato paste
1/3 c Madeira wine
2/3 c tongue cooking broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Simmer the tongue in water to cover with a coarsely
chopped onion, carrots, celery, and garlic until
tender. Remove from heat and leave the tongue in
the broth.

Saute the other onion (chopped) in butter, then add
raisins and almonds. When the almonds are golden
brown, stir in the vinegar and tomato paste, then
add the Madeira and stock. Simmer 3 min to reduce
slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Peel the tongue. Slice it and pour the sauce over.

New York Times

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