A World Series Parade

Certainly there was more to my weekend than just the World Series Parade but it was the highlight of the weekend and between all the pictures I took and the pictures my Dad also took - I just decided that it would be enough for a weekend review.

We had dinner on Friday night at Regions 117 and it was nothing but delicious - I had one of the new items for Autumn, a warm grain bowl with corn salsa, peppers, avocados, tomatoes, Mexican rice and grilled chicken with a Ranch style dressing. It was divine and I'd eat it again in a heartbeat. I took pictures of all my food... I'll share it at some point, ha-ha! 

Saturday morning we were up and out the door by 8:45 - we stopped and got breakfast on the way and my Dad was sure that we'd be hopping on an empty Metro train when we arrived at Vienna Fairfax but I wasn't so sure... When we arrived at the Metro, we joined the crowd of people waiting to reload their fare cards and my Dad said "well I would have never...."

I should mention - we all loaded onto one Metro train and then they made an announcement that the train coming into the station on the opposite platform would leave the station before the train we were currently on. I've never seen so many people rush to vacate a train in all my life - and we were right at the front, ha-ha! We rode into the city and my Mom and I were endlessly amused by my Dad chatting about the Nationals season with each new person that boarded the train. We emerged into the sunshine in DC and joined the waves of people wearing red toward Constitution Avenue... surrounded by "my people".

The Metro was handing out signs for the Parade emblazoned with "Fight Finished" and I happily accepted one for myself and waved it around as we made our way toward the parade area. I also discovered that there were signs that said "And Now We Dance" as well as "Congrats Champs" and I collected one of each of those as we chose our spots along the parade route. 

The National Gallery celebrating!

I also spent money to purchase a pennant announcing the Nationals as the World Series Champions that I could wave around jubilantly once the parade started. We staked out our spots around 12:30 and settled in to wait for the parade to begin at 2:00. I think we had really good spots but man - as with any situation like this, there were plenty of people who kept shoving their way into our long held spot as if they had some sort of dominance over that square of DC pavement - whatever. Rude people could NOT get me down because I was at a World Series parade!

Shortly after 2:00, the first of the double decker buses filled with Nationals players began to arrive on the scene and I attempted to take the best pictures possible - pennant sat to the wayside in an effort to not take crappy pictures. I should mention - the pictures below were not taken with my cell phone - they were shot by my Dad's very expensive camera and that's why they're infinitely better than what I captured with an iPhone!

Matt Adams & Patrick Corbin

Gerrardo Parra & Adam Eaton... and of course, Baby Shark!

Matt Adams... his beer... and Patrick in his glasses!

Anthony Rendon!

Juan Soto (22), Fernando Rodney (56) & Victor Robles!

Howie Kendrick!

Trea Turner!

Kurt Suzuki... & little Zuk looking unimpressed!

When the bus carrying Max Scherzer appeared on the scene - the crowd went pretty crazy! He was brandishing the WWE belt and waving it around... apparently we missed the point in the parade where he was literally on the roof of the bus. He was - in a word - wild. I think there may have been some alcohol involved in his level of wildness but then again, he's pretty intense all on his own - so who knows? 

Max Scherzer & the belt.

See what I mean? Wild.

Living his best life.

Andrew Stevenson & Yan Gomes... and baby Gomes!

Daniel Hudson!

Brian Dozier - the man can't keep a shirt on...

Wilmer Difo!

The final buses held Mr. National himself - Ryan Zimmerman, alongside manager Davey Martinez and the Commissioner's Trophy - which is a beautiful sight to behold. The World Series MVP Stephen Strasburg was also along for the ride and waved to the crowd as everyone cheered, snapped pictures and screamed "MVP" as he passed!

Ryan Zimmerman, the NL Champion Trophy & Davey Martinez.

The Commissioner's Trophy!

Stephen Strasburg & MASN Dan Kolko!

Davey Martinez! We love you Coach!

Waving to the Crowd!

The parade was honestly something I never thought I'd experience and maybe that sounds like I don't have much faith in my team - but that's not what it was. The World Series just seems like some kind of abstract idea to me... even now, having seen the parade and watched that shining Commissioner's Trophy lofted above the streets of DC - it still seems amazing and unbelievable. Don't get me wrong - I believe it - the Nationals won the World Series. There is no doubt in my mind about that and I could not be more thrilled. 

I think when Saturday was all said and done - even with the chilly temperatures, the crazy crowds, the pushy people, the travel required to get into DC - when it was all said and done, I weirdly felt blessed. I felt so happy to know I live this close to DC, that I have this awesome team to follow; a team made up of men who seem to be genuinely good men that played hard and didn't give up and that I got to join the celebration with at least a million or so other people. 

The rest of the weekend passed so quickly - the whole weekend passed so quickly, honestly - but Sunday was a haze of coffee, church and leftover pizza for lunch. I had a headache and it didn't fully go away until around 3:00. After that, I had more coffee, went grocery shopping, had cereal for dinner, took that ever important bubble bath and did my nails... and all too soon, it was time to start another week!