Yesterday was sure a busy day wire-to-wire. We woke up and went to our Nation's capital. We spent a couple of hours walking from the U.S. Capital Building to the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial before we headed over to National's stadium for our tour. We toured the stadium which was really cool. We got to see all of the suites and the press areas... My favorite parts were the locker room, the dugout, on the field and the bull pen. It was really nice because we only had 8 people on our tour because the Nationals were on the road and most of the others were from Wisconsin so everyone behaved themselves like we MIDDLES usually do. Whoever wanted to got to throw a pitch in the bullpen. Of course, Randy and I both wanted to. Randy went first and threw it right down the middle for a strike. I was next and I smoked one right down the pipe. Next was a lady who didn't quite make it all the way to the plate and then came the Mr. Know-It-All from the tour. His ball was low and away for a ball. Then he told a story how he coached baseball and no one would play catch with him because he threw so hard or some nonsense. No, they don't play catch with you because you're an a-hole and they don't want to stand 90 feet away from you listening to your constant blabbing.

After we finished we screamed from Nationals Park to Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore) for our 2:00 stadium tour. We got there on time and this group was much larger. This tour group had 28 people in it. Most of the people were from the East Coast and quite a few from New York. MIDDLEwesterners and East Coasters sure are different. Many of these people were quite rude compared to the other tour. It seems they don't teach manners and common courtesy out East. Maybe I was just getting tired and cranky; we were so busy we didn't eat hardly at all and I have had a bad blister on my right foot due to the curse of Edgar Allen Poe so maybe I was a little over-sensitive. Anyway, the Oriole's tour was pretty cool too but the Orioles had a game so we didn't get to go into the clubhouse. I wish I had paid more attention to Lieutenant Dan when he bugged me constantly about taking better care of my feet.

After the tour we jumped in the car and headed to Philadelphia...another of our country's previous nation's capitals to see the Philadelphia Phillies. It was a great game; we saw 5 home runs and the Phillies beat the Brewers. The home fans are always in better moods when their team wins. Three stadiums in one day...America's past time in America's birthplace (Philly and D.C.). I had Crabfries...they were basically just french fries with some kind of crab salt seasoning. They are all the rage at the Phillies; games but I am not a big fan. after the game we went to South Philly, where every house looks like the house Rocky lived in when he was packing meat, to go get a Cheese steak at Pat's - birthplace of the cheese steak. I had the fish cake since I don't eat met anymore. I had the fish cake, which they yelled "shark" when I ordered. It was just deep fired fish fillets...I missed meat this time but I did not cave.

I will blog more about these experiences within the next week and will post photos but this is just a short blog to let you know that I am still alive and I am still thinking of you. I wish you were all here with me. I have 4 pillows so that wouldn't be an issue.

Today we have a day-game two blocks away from here at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Tampa Bay Ray are in town. I think we might go to the poor house (oh, I mean Poe house) and hopefully Babe Ruth's birth home and museum this morning before the game. (We saw ravens flying around a lot yesterday - Poe) I think after the game today we are going to go to our Nation's capital, again, and meet the President, again. D.C. is a pretty cool city.

Have a nice Sunday...remember you don't have to work tomorrow...holiday. I will get some photos up Tuesday or Wednesday and probably bore you with my trip stories. Blog you again tomorrow. Stay classy MIDDLERS...TA