Take me out to the ball game

Last night was HHS (Health and Human Services) night at the Nationals game (Ben works for HHS).  So I met up with Ben and a bunch of his co-workers to watch my Atlanta Braves take on the Washington Nationals.  Gooo Braves!

I was so excited to go to the game and cheer on my hometown team (they are #1 right now) and show off my team pride with my Atlanta Braves hat. 

                                      

We got to watch the first pitch and it was thrown by the Assistant Secretary for HHS.

He made it across the plate.

When I got to the game it was 94 degrees and 6:45pm. The temperature dropped to a measly 91 degrees by 10pm.  I enjoyed the game, and I know everyone enjoyed me cheering so loudly for the Braves.  In the end, I consumed 72 ounces of water and enjoyed every last drop.   Go Braves!  We won 3-1.

Golfing

Ben got me golf clubs in February for Valentine's Day.  Before you send him nasty e-mails you must first know that I a) asked for golf clubs and b) picked them out.  So basically that means my husband is wonderful because he got me what I wanted.  :)

Anywho - we have been working on our golf game and this Sunday we went to our new favorite course and played 9 holes.  Not only did I work on my tan (it was 100 on the green), but I burned over 800 calories playing golf!

We were paired up with these two guys that started playing in February and together the four of us tackled some crazy heat, sand traps, and helicopters (military helicopters kept flying overhead).

On 4th hole I scored par!

On the 5th and 6th holes I scored a bogey and on holes 8 and 9 I scored double bogey.  Not too bad for someone that has only played golf a handful of times.

This is me teeing off on the 8th hole.

This is me after I hit the ball down the green.

Ben is a very serious golfer.  :)

Southern Style

So last night I wanted to try Ray's Hell Burger.  When we got to Ray's there was a line down the sidewalk, around the corner of the building, and through the woods.  So... we left and went on a search for food elsewhere.  We came upon another restaurant called Red Hot & Blue.  This was another place I had been wanting to try so we pulled in.

As soon as we walked in my mouth began to water for all things delicious, southern, and covered in sauce.  We were escorted to a table in the middle of the restaurant near a private room.  The private room was exploding with people everywhere enjoying themselves in some good ole southern style hospitality.  I immediately put odds on a rehearsal dinner.

Our waitress came over and took our drink orders.  I ordered a diet coke. 

This is my diet coke.

After a starter of sweet potato fries covered in brown sugar, I enjoyed pulled pork with baked beans.  My husband enjoyed a plate of ribs.

While we were waiting for our check the private party (which was full of people with shirts that said "TEXAS" and "Don't Mess with Texas") got a little more rowdy when they called their minister in to "give a blessin' for the grub".  The bride and groom stepped out after the blessin' (I won the bet) and stood next to our table to discuss why grandma wasn't wearing a bra.

Once our bill arrived, we finished our drinks and headed home.

Mine.

 

                                                                              My husband's.              

Sights in the City

So moving to DC has a few benefits.  First, there are several FREE museums to visit and they are constantly being updated.  Second, there are several FREE monuments to visits and they are packed with historical information!

One of my favorite monuments is the Washington Monument.  It is on the National Mall between the Lincoln Memorial and The Capitol.

The Washington Monument was built to commemorate the first President, George Washington. 

The monument is 555 feet 5⅛ inches

The actual construction of the monument began in 1848 but was not completed until 1884.  It took so much time to complete because of co-option by the Know Nothing party, a lack of funds, and the intervention of the American Civil War.

A difference in shading of the marble, visible approximately 150 feet up, shows where construction stopped and started again.
I also love going to the Lincoln Memorial (and I am happy to take visitors anytime!)

The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated on May 30, 1922 and was built to honor our 16th President, Abraham Lincoln. 

The Lincoln Memorial measures 189.7 by 118.5 feet and is 99 feet tall. It is surrounded by 36 columns, one for each of the 36 states in the Union at the time of Lincoln's death. The columns are 44 feet tall with a base diameter of 7.5 feet. 
The Cherry Blossom Festival in the spring was so beautiful!  The trees lined the river and all you could see were pink and white flowers everywhere.  I am looking forward to going next year and taking a picnic to enjoy down by the water.  The festival takes place along the Potomac River and all along the mall.