Sum41 Pool Party

Still riding on some luck from the Smashing Pumpkins, I randomly signed up to see if I would win tickets to an exclusive Sum41 Pool Party. I just stumbled upon it while perusing the station's website, and this was the day before the party.

This email was sent at 7:08pm, but I didn't read it until close to 10pm:

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Your Name Will Be On The Guest List.

Congratulations! You have won two (2) passes to Elliot in the Morning's Rooftop Pool Party. Live performance by SUM 41
Thursday, August 16th (Tomorrow Evening) 6 - 8 PM

Hilton Embassy Row
Rooftop Pool
2015 Massachusetts Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20036

You and your guest must be 21+
There will be a cash bar. Feel free to bring a swim suit and enjoy the pool. Please do not arrive before 6 PM as the rooftop pool will not be open. See you in the Pool.

Dave Hennessy
DC101
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Pretty sweet. I emailed some friends soon thereafter, but no one was available to go with such short notice, so I ended up going solo.

Thursday, August 16th 2007

some shots from the DC101 website:

Pre-Season Football

Monday, August 13th 2007:

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Baltimore Ravens pre-season game at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore - my very first pro-football game

Brian and I had quite a difficult time getting to the stadium as we tried to avoid traffic going into the city. We actually ended up pulling a Little Miss Sunshine where we are so close to our destination, yet drive by it with no direct way to get to it. We essentially circled the stadium once, ended up on the highway driving back to DC, and made a u-turn before finding the right road to get to some cheap and close parking.

We walked in in the middle of the second quarter. Doh!!

Brian's dad got seats in the lower end zone, section 109, row 35, seats 13-18. They got to the stadium nice and early. I was donning my long curly hair, but in the rush of everything and it was hot, I had to tie my locks up.

All the seats in the stadium were purple, which looked kinda cool.


They were great seats, but they would have actually been better if the Eagles' drives would have lasted longer than just a few minutes each time they ran towards us.

View from the front of our section, and Andy Reid amongst his team:


Donovan McNabb sits out this game.

The team essentially has to cut its roster in half, weedling out the worst players before the season starts, so we, or more specifically Cliff and Brian, pretty much yelled at the players whenever they played badly, which was quite often, and say stuff like, "You're cut!" or "See ya!" It was very entertaining and sad at the same time. Wish we had moments to stand up and cheer rather than jeer, since we were surrounded with Ravens fans. It was nice to see we weren't the only Eagles fans there, as there were spots of green and white here and there.

Sarah and Mike carrying our large drinks, chicken fingers/popcorn shrimp and hot dogs, while the Raven cheerleaders do their thing.

Sack anyone?

This is essentially what the whole night was like, with just a couple promising plays.

The final score: 29-3
Ravens crush the Eagles

It was rather amusing whenever the Ravens got a first down. There was a Native American type chant/sound that Brian and Cliff ragged on since it didn't seem to make any sense, but in actuallity, it was the sound of the chain link of the 10-yard tape measure moving. Still, with the sound and arms gestures, it still looked ridiculous.

Great couples think alike, or at least are consistent...

Weekend in Philly

August 4th-5th, 2007

A weekend for some repairing and fixing and celebrating:

Sarah's new ride:


an unfortunate accident:



Reminiscing and dropping an important item in the process


Birthday wishes

Mark & Jess's Wedding

Friday, July 13th 2007:

Off we go to Mark & Jess's wedding weekend in St. Ignace, Michigan. A rather smooth, yet very expensive flight from Baltimore to Detroit to the Pellston Regional Airport, we arrive in the area on Friday around 1:30pm where we get picked up by the Top of the Hill taxi company to head to our hotel, the Kewadin Shores Casino & Hotel, as recommended by Bill, Mark's best man. The weather was beautiful, with blue, sunny skies, and the area was rather scenic.

We arrive at the casino and become members of their Northern Rewards Players Club to get a special discount on the room rate as well as get some tokens to play in their casino before actually checking in. The rooms were nice having a small balcony to walk out on. We were hoping to get a room with a view of Lake Huron, but we had a lovely view of the parking lot instead. We got there when housekeeping was cleaning up the rooms, and I snuck in one of the lake-view ones for a quick peek...definitely better than the parking lot.

We grab something to eat at the Horseshoe Bay Restaurant on the first floor, which was serving a buffet, before doing a bit more exploring around.

This is an unfinished walkway/backyard behind the hotel, with Lake Huron in view:


Lots of space for a casino:

but where are all the tables and slot machines?

With Diebold and the rest en route, driving from Detroit, we head off to the rehearsal picnic

where the gang comes together



After getting attacked by mosquitoes on our way to Geoff's car, we get back to the hotel to make some moolah off our free tokens. Brian, Geoff and Diebold "class it up" with suit coats even though the casino was in an oversized tent.




Some slots and shots, blackjack and quarters, belligerent behavior and free expression...



Saturday, July 14th 2007: Wedding Day

The sky was threatening showers, and it had already rained overnight/early morning, but the clouds occasionally parted and the sun shone through during key parts of the ceremony. It was amazing. Wish it could have been warmer though. Being by the lake almost guarantees a cool breeze.





So cute! The photo below was taken from their guest book which contained both old and recent photos of them with friends and family. We signed their book by a photo taken at Loren & Jason's wedding. There was also another photo from Halloween with Geoff and Brian dressed as Spiderman and Peter La Fleur (Dodgeball).

Each table had a cute cake that acted as the centerpiece.



The breeze did start kicking in, so we were rather grateful for the "walls with windows" that were placed during dinner.


We had a vanilla and strawberry cake, while the table next to us had a chocolate cake which we swapped. Brian was just dying to cut into it. The photo on the right shows both cakes. The icing was yummy and sweet, if not just a bit too much.

Mark and Jess's first dance:





Some dancing and handstands to warm up.



We watched the beautiful sunset over the horizon.





As we returned to the reception area, there were a bunch of other guests coming towards us, just missing the sun set. A lot of awww's were heard.

We shot some hoops - essentially horseshoe from whatever position we picked. Never thought I would play b-ball with heels on.


The band came up from Detroit and they played lots of Motown. We put in some requests for some Rick James - "Super Freak" (they did play "Give It to Me Baby"), "Twist and Shout", and "Shout" but unfortunately, none of them got played. Their encore was a song that nobody heard of. Oh well. But it was fun dancing nonetheless.








Brian gearing up for another night of slots back at the casino...

Diebold with a friend.

Just after this photo was taken, we literally had to run after the trolley which was leaving for the casino.

Back at the Northern Pines Lounge for more music and revelry



A defeated Diebold.

Sunday, July 15th 2007:

With Geoff and Brie doing a tour of Michigan, Geoff's home state, for the following week, they drove us across the bridge to Mackinaw City for some sights and treats as well as back to the tiny town of Pellston.

A Michigan staple, Superman flavor ice cream, although a bit wacky visually, was actually pretty tasty.



The Pellston Regional Airport, with the smallest conveyor belt I've ever seen, looks more like a lodge than and airport.

A little video on the Detroit-Wayne County International Airport (DTW) in Michigan: