Day 287/365 - Rockin' the Red Loft

Our office, including our summer interns, headed out to Nationals Park tonight to catch the game against the Mets. We got there about 90 minutes before first pitch and hung out in the Red Loft bar drinking and gabbing. It was a fun night out and it got even better when the Nats beat the Mets 3-1!

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 67/365 - Pub-A-Dub-Grub

There's a sports pub a few blocks away from my apartment and it serves as my neighborhood hang-out. I go there at least once a week, usually on the weekends. I go to watch the Nats or Broncos games, and if there isn't a game on that I want to see then I just take my most recent issue of Entertainment Weekly with me and read that while I eat. Then when I'm done I always leave my magazine behind on the table and the waitresses take it and read it when things are slow.

Today it was a Broncos game. They were playing the Panthers and getting whupped. As usual, the defense sucked. They were down 27-10 midway through the third quarter when I gave up and went home. Oh well, at least I got to scarf down an order of crab dip and some buffalo chicken tenders with cole slaw, all washed down with Backdraft Brown on tap. On Sundays here they put sheets of plywood over the pool tables and turn them into communal dining tables. That's generally where I sit to watch the game. I pretty much have to go here to watch the Broncos play seeing as how all we get on tv in this area are the games of crappy east coast teams like the Jets, Dolphins, and Ravens. Bleaahh.

Given that I was born and raised in Missouri, I'm not sure how I wound up being a Broncos fan. I suspect I might have started rooting for them just to aggravate my big brother, who is a diehard Chiefs fan. Every season when the Broncos came to town he and I would go to the game and I'd cheer for Denver and he'd cheer for KC. Denver usually won back then so he'd threaten to make me move and sit somewhere else in the stadium or threaten to drive off and leave me stranded in the parking lot. Even now, if my team loses on Sunday he calls me to rub it in and if his team loses I do likewise.

Ahhh, there's nothing quite like brotherly love.

(Taken with my Nikon Coolpix S200)

Day 41/365 - Pub Crawl

Tonight I went on a pub crawl to some bars and restaurants in the Columbia Heights and U Street areas of DC that are hosting the Pix Tour showcasing the work of local photographers as part of a big photography expo known as Foto Week. Some of the Pix Tour featured artists, like Angela and Marie, came along on the pub crawl.

We started out at RedRocks Pizzeria, site of Marie's show, to see her photos and load up on pizza to absorb the alcohol we were preparing to consume in the name of art. This shot is of the backbar at the second stop of the evening, the Wonderland Ballroom. From there, we wandered on to the Velvet Lounge (scene of Angela's show), Nellie's Sports Bar, and DC9.

The only one of these venues I'd been to previously was DC9, so this was a good chance for me to check out some new watering holes -- not to mention getting to see some really good photos and hang out with some cool fellow camera dorks. The photo exhibits on the Pix Tour are definitely worth seeing, so brace up your liver and go make your own pub crawl to check them out.

(Taken with my Nikon D80)