This week seems to be all about Kings. My wife likes to tease me by calling me “King Michael.” It’s her belief that I had a past-life experience as a King. I feel it’s her way of telling me that I’m lazy and have royal expectations at home. Or, maybe she just thinks of herself as a Queen! Nonetheless, I could never think of myself as “King…Me.”

As a boss, I once received a coffee mug as a gift inscribed with the words, “It’s Good to be the King.” I hope it wasn’t a reflection of my management style, but apparently my wife wasn’t the only one who noticed my kingly ways. However, I could never tolerate all the bowing and ring kissing formalities of an ancient ruler. In my court, everyone was treated royally. When I would travel to Las Vegas for business or pleasure, I was always impressed by the staff at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino who would always greet you with a smile and the words, “Have a Royal Day.”

This week started with a visit to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry where we hoped to see the King Tut Exhibit. Instead, we were treated like worthless peasants with long lines and no tickets. We at least secured admission for a week later and a prescribed entry time of 11 a.m. It should be a much more Royal experience when we return. We also went to see Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I at the Keller Auditorium last night. As a premiere season ticket holder, we were granted admission through the private entry so we did not have to endure the crowd of commoners herded like cattle through the main entrance. We also had Orchestra Level seats that should have been excellent. However, a seat is only as good as those around you and this proved to be a concern. The lady next to my wife had an annoying sniffle, the man in front of us was texting with his phone display light glaring, and the woman beside me should have bought two seats.

I endured the long rest room line at intermission, the uncomfortable temperature of the theater, and the marginal performance. There was only half of my seat left for me and consequently found myself leaning into my wife for comfort. At the end of the show, when we normally like to escape for the parking garage, we were trapped in the middle of the row so we didn’t get home until late. I wonder how things were in the Royal boxes?

.Our “Date Night” this week was not fit for a King, either. For the first time since I can remember, we were flatly turned away by the hostess at Din Tai Fung. She didn’t even ask us if we wanted to sit at the bar or wait for an hour. To make matters even less Majestic, my wife was misinformed on-line that they did not take reservations. We ended up at another restaurant nearby, The Portland Seafood Company, that was only average, but at least gave us a table.

The rest of the week, I’ve sat on my Royal Office Throne and watched Regnant cable programming like Game of Thrones, Vikings, Outlander, Curse of Oak Island, and Narcos Mexico. In each case, Kings have an impact on the outcome. Even in the search for buried treasure they seek the mysteries surrounding the King of Kings. There are wars started by greedy Kings and drug cartel “King Pins.” There are also bloody revolts coupled with treasonous acts against Kings to usurp their power and wealth. Maybe it isn’t so good to be the King?