In a send-off of good old desk graffiti, it looks as though there is some confusion about the bike to work day.
Gina and I volunteered Saturday night at the U.S. Women's soccer team's game against Canada at RFK. I didn't think I'd make it back to RFK many times since the last Nationals game there last year, so this was a nice surprise. We were running a booth for her hotel, which was sponsoring the event, so I got to practice my soccer skills while letting kids try to kick a goal to allow their parents to enter to win a three-night stay. I should note that I've never actually played soccer, but I continue to believe that it would be my sport if we'd ever had it growing up. As it stood, some people were skeptical of marketing ploys and avoided our booth altogether. We bookended the night by handing out free Doubletree cookies to everyone at the end of the game, which were much better received than the contest. It was an experiment in sociology. I could see people walking past me with their usual gut reactions to street peddlers: a quick shake of the head and a "no thanks." Then, when my message of "free Doubletree cookies!" sank in, they would give a quick doubletake and a "wait, what did you say?" Finally, the reality of a free cookie would overtake them, and they would take a few steps back to grab one (or two or three) from me.
Some, of course, simply said "oh heck yes" and took the proffered cookies without hesitation.
Watching the game was fun, by the way. Our free tickets were close to the field. It was my first live soccer match other than intramurals, and I was impressed by how quickly the 90 minutes goes by when you're there. Of course, the fact that the US women outscored the Canucks by 6-0 probably meant that there were many more goals than is typical, but I still enjoyed it. I could probably go see a DC United game sometime soon.
Maybe this still wasn't my last time at the old warhorse of RFK.
Only five more days until my finals are done and the semester ends! Blue skies! Barfy burgers! Girls! Freedom! I probably won't post anything until then! Exclamation point!
Hey, in case you haven't had enough stories about life aboard an aircraft carrier (or maybe there's the outside chance that my story made you interested in more), check out the PBS mini-series "Carrier." The film crew went aboard the USS Nimitz for a while and documented the sailors' lives, warts and all. I've heard both good and bad reviews, but I will say that, according to some e-mails circulated at work, the Navy was interested in more than just a 10-hour recruitment video. Much like my visit to the Reagan, the Navy wants people to know the kinds of lives these people lead, their thoughts and hopes and fears and doubts, all in the name of protecting us. Pretty heavy stuff. Check it out; our DVR is set so I can watch when my semester is finally over.