charles and his mother graced tommy and me with a pair of tickets to the nats-brewers game last night, and i have a revelation: i love baseball! the night couldn't have been nicer - the grays have great season ticket seats, the metro to the game was quick and easy, the weather was pleasant, beers were consumed, i had an excellent (albeit pricey, at $5.50(!)) hot dog, and best of all - i didn't have to pay a lick of attention to what was going on! whenever i've attended other sporting events (besides tennis matches, which i enjoy because i am a spoiled waspy girl), i've felt as if all my concentration needs to be honed in on what's happening on the floor/field/court or on the madass, crazy yelling fans around me who act as if their very life depended on the outcome of the game.

not so in baseball! most of the time i zoned out, staring at the pretty green field or people-watching around me. everyone was relaxed, and the slow pace of the game ensured plenty of time for chatting. only drawback: the awesome-sounding open bar that mrs. gray had previously told me about had been closed after a man fell from the top level of the stadium and severely injured himself. so: because some (presumably) drunk guy fell, hard liquor and wine are banned, but they're happy to shove as much beer as possible down our throats?

anyway, i imagine that on weekends and during more high-profile games (as charles said, the milkwaukee brewers are a team that you have to remind yourself once in a while actually exists) the atmosphere might not be so inviting, but for a spring weeknight, i haven't spent a nicer one in recent memory than at RFK.

tonight: becca and i venture into the horrifying Cloud, to be repulsed by its all-whiteness and drink crappy flavored martinis. seeing as it's basically in my office building, i had to give it a shot. and the rest of the week is packed; i am an effin social butterfly! tomorrow is matt's birthday at local 16, then i'm meeting the delightful elana of the medill at polly's on thursday, and friday i'm headed off for what will NO DOUBT be a super-debacherous weekend in charlottesville with my hard-livin' parents and grandparents to celebrate my lil brother's graduation and eventual transformation into Real Live Navy Submarine Dude. i'm so proud of him! no doubt later this week, after stumbling home from one of the above-mentioned outings, i will write a weepy and overwrought entry on how awesome he is, and how much of that awesomeness is due to moi. (hint: almost ALL OF IT.)