last weekend

Pictures!

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=623876&highlight=group+photo

Hit up that forum topic. The first page has a lot of cheerleaders, but it gets more about the fans and the game after the first page. I was directly next to the fire extinguisher.

I will post more pictures of

The weekend as I remember it:

1. Wake up ass early to drive to Houston in the freezing morning.
2. Get to Houston.
3. Drive for an hour through Houston.
4. Get on a plane with a ton of other Dynamo fans.
5. Get to Baltimore and ride a train with a cool woman from Oslo to the city. Oslo is where they have the Viking ship museum. We talked at length about living in America vs. living in Europe. She came over here for a summer and ended up staying for 37 years.
6. Found Max and Brian and dropped off my stuff.
7. Went to a bar near U street. I like that area. I was talking to Sarah and we were setting up the surprise for Erin. Got slightly drunk. The rest of the night involves us singing and going to a few different bars. We ended up at a sweet dance party at the top of the stairs of a bar called DC9. I’ve been there before, but it was just Max and I. I really like that place. Now that I know they rock some sweet Daft Punk after hours, I like it a lot more.
8. I ended up sleeping on Erin’s couch. That was nice, Max’s house was gonna be cold and crowded. And it was nice to hang out with Erin, Sarah, Natalie, and Katie. They are four of the coolest girls in the city.
9. Woke up at about 12 to a message from Max saying that they were playing in the MLS supporters cup and were really really fucking wasted. The message was left at about 9:30. I was so proud. I knew they were kicking the shit out of those pussy NE fans. Or whoever. As it turns out, they were getting stomped. I’m glad I didn’t play, I would have further hurt my knee. Anyway- they were getting beat so hard that they found Chris Armas, former US national team player, and got him to play. Holy shit. I’ve decided that it was the 67^th cap of his career. The first that mattered. I met up with them as they got back from the games. They stole 114 beers from the DC fan club. I say stole, but I don’t think you can steal anything when the person who owns it just watches you take it. I mean- not standing up for your beer is just as bad as giving it away. Gandhi said something like that.
10. After showers all around we decided to get some grub. Well, a few hours later we were still sitting there. So some people went to eat and goto museums and shit. Max and I went to get Curry and then to the group photo at the Lincoln Memorial. We took like a million pictures with everyone’s camera. I hate that. Just take one and post it up somewhere. Oh well.
11. Max, Curry and I went to the WWII memorial. I was under whelmed. It could have been much cooler. But I think they were going for low key. And really, in this era of flashy, hi-tech and slick looking everything, for older generation, the target audience of this monument, simpler was probably better.
12. Then we went to eat some kick ass kabobs. So good.
13. After eating my weight in Iranian food, I was ready to get my drink on again. This time we went to the awesome Adams-Morgan area. It is like a mini-sixth street. Only more rich fucks. The beers were outrageous (remember that here in Nac beers are $1.35, not $6). We were up at a place called The Angry Itch. Or Inch. I don’t know. Max, Curry and I were the first ones there and we got to watch part of a basketball game. We are all passionate about bball and fantasy bball, so that was maybe the best part of the night, if I can get a little girly on you.
14. Random Dynamo fans were everywhere in the city, and everyone recognized my beard and jumpsuit. This bar was no exception. Some drunk English guys were drunk and started singing random songs and chants. That was cool.
15. Then our other Houston people came. I think there were about 40 of us in a bar about the size of my living room. I loved it. We drank, and sang and talked at length at how many dozens of points the Dynamo would score the next morning. Someone allegedly tried to punch Max. I’m glad they didn’t get into a scuffle, b/c I would have gone to jail.
16. Erin, Brad, Natalie and Sarah came. They had fun and at one point I realized that everyone was leaving and I was with Erin, Brad and Sarah. We ended up at a famous place called Ben’s Chili Bowl. I inhaled some sausage thing after a long wait and then we left. I remember Brad was talking jibber jabber. That was funny.
17. I went back to Erin’s and again slept on the couch. This time though I had to get up at 8am for the biggest game of the year.
18. Numbers 18 to ?? will come tomorrow. Those events deserve to be in their own post. A special post that will take all day to write.

I had a great time in DC. I could live there for sure. In Houston or Dallas, you can go days without seeing people. Even if you go to work and do everything you normally do, you could go forever without seeing a single person. In DC you have to see tens of thousands of people every time you leave the house. I really like that. Not to mention the amazingly simple and reliable subway system. How amazing to be wasted with your brothers and sisters and not have to worry about someone driving drunk!