I love the smell of dugout in the morning

You know when people tell you to go to your happy place?  (I'll be going here next time I have a kidney stone ripping through my urethra.  Sorry, TMI)  Well I recently had such a fantastic time at a Washington Nationals baseball game that I'm pretty sure that its become my new "happy place".  The only thing that could've made that night better would've been a W-I-N, but that wasn't in the cards apparently.  Oh, and if it had been the Twins at Target Field, although they're not really winning either so it's tit for tat.

B got tickets from his boss, the big wig who's airplane hangar fell in the D.C. snow storms in 2009....must be rough to be rich.  The tickets come with rockstar parking in a private lot right across the street from the field.  Suh-weet!  This guy's season tickets are in the first row behind the National's dugout. That's right, the FIRST ROW.  The section is right next to the Diamond Club (Read: Diamond Club: where the cushioned, pleather seats have the Lexus emblem embroidered on them and a complimentary waiter/waitress comes by every 10 minutes) and where the team's owner and the player's beefs (don't ask) watch the game.  Yes, it's amazing.

Look Ma, It's Mr. Lerner!

We (B and I, plus 2) arrived early with buzzing excitement.  There was a ridiculously long line to get in, who were all anticipating being one of the 15,000 to receive a Danny Espinosa bobblehead.  We slipped in the season ticket holder entrance in under 15 seconds, and collected our Dannys.....damn, it feels good to be a gangsta.

After getting our 21+ wristbands, and dropping stuff off at our ridiculous seats, we headed up to partake in the complimentary Diamond Club food and beverages.  That's right, free beer and wine.  Much to my surprise, there was something even more exciting waiting for me in that club.....a dessert table!  Holla!  (I think you're starting to understand why this is my new happy place)

We stuffed our faces, like, Thanksgiving style, double fisted the booze and rolled ourselves back down to our seats.  The game was.....well, a baseball game.....with a little extra fun here and there:

Right next to the "Let's Play Ball" kid

So close you could smell them

Right after Zimmerman threw B a ball!!!

Pudge!  Yeah, I dont' know who that is either.

P-I-M-P style

The new Nationals cheerleaders!  God help us.

The boy and me

After several trips up to the club for more food and drinks, one caught baseball, endless laughs, 4 aching stomachs and a twinkle in our eyes, I stand behind my decision that this is my new happy place.  Makes sitting further back, where the losers sit, SO unappealing ;)  Special thanks to B's rich boss who owns tickets that he never uses.  What do I have to do to get a job working for him???

PS- I sold my Danny bobblhead on Ebay two days later for $27!!  Hell yeah!

PSS- This experience was a close 3rd in my ranking of all time best sporting experiences.  #1 being my birthday last year when my neighbor and I went to a Twins game, drank in excess, hung out with some great Aussies, and the Twinkies won the game to become the 2010 Central Division Champs.  #2 was sitting in the 3rd row at a Wild game with my cousin, where I was so excited I was literally shaking.  Special thanks to all the individuals involved with these moments :)