Month: August 2016

The Bobblehead is the Important Thing

Well…this will be my last baseball game until October…it’s sad but true. So, if you love the baseball game recaps then I’m sorry for you…and if you can’t stand reading about a baseball game…well then you probably never read the recaps anyway, right?
 This past Friday my Dad and I made our way into DC and navigated some crazy almost 5 o’clock DC traffic so that we could arrive at Nationals Park in time to scoop up two Max Scherzer bobbleheads pre-game. They were only giving away 20,000…that means that half the people at Friday night’s game wouldn’t get one and honestly; I don’t want to live in a world where I don’t have my Max Scherzer No-Hitter Bobblehead. Granted; I have two Max Scherzer No-Hitter bobbleheads, but that’s because he pitched two no-hitters during the 2015 season. 
So excited about the bobblehead(s) that I can’t keep my eyes open…

So early they weren’t even preparing the field yet….

My Dad is very fond of making the rounds of the park before a game – he likes to get in a certain amount of step and if he makes the loop around the park once, it gets him 8/10 a mile. And that’s without counting the walkways that curve behind the stadium winding a person back and forth as they go up the side of the building. It was safe to say we had some time to spare since we arrived to the park at 4:30 and the game didn’t start until 7:05. We waited just a bit for a food vendor to open…and then when they seemed to have some real issues with getting things going at the appointed 5:30 opening time…we moved onward and upward.

After the slight disappointment over not getting to eat BBQ, we got ourselves a bucket of chicken tenders and french fries and stood overlooking the field, watching the Quick Pitch game recaps in the breeze off the Anacostia river. All in all, not a bad way to have supper on a Friday night… And while some ballparks might not have the best food, I’ve never eaten anything at Nationals Park that wasn’t tasty! They have some pretty delightful chicken tenders!

The evening view from the Gallery level.
Chicken bucket for the win!
Watching Quick Pitch on the big screen…& enjoying the view…

The game got under way after Frank “Hondo” Howard was inducted into the Nationals Ring of Honor. Hondo played for the Washington Senators and was nicknamed “The Capital Punisher” and the “Washington Monument” and led the Senators in hitting for most of his career. At 80 years old, Hondo is still very feisty and made sure to give Dusty Baker an economics lesson: depending on where along the bat you hit the ball…well, you’ll either make a lot of money or you’ll be let go.” Ha! He’s definitely a spitfire and a wonderful name to be added to the Nationals Ring of Honor.

Gio Gonzalez was pitching for the Nationals and looking for his 100th career win as a pitcher; which the Nationals would deliver before the night was over…and while Gio pitched fine; as always, his style always leaves me a little nervous. Case in point – in the bottom of the first inning, Jayson Werth absolutely crushed a homerun and put the Nationals on top 1-0. I’m convinced that Gio usually feels bad for the opposing team because he almost always makes it up to them in the consecutive inning…and after giving up back to back, one out singles and a pop fly…well, the Rockies came right back and it was 1-1. *sigh*

A spectacular Friday night view.
And the view from our seats…spectacular in a different way…

An important factor in Friday night’s game was Trea Turner and his speed…you know what they say, speed kills. After reaching on an error, Trea raced toward first and his speed caused the Rockies player(s) to overthrow…allowing Trea to easily reach second. When attempting to throw Trea out at second a batter later…the Rockies overthrew again and Trea raced to third base. They don’t call him “the Jet” for nothing. His position on third base made it easy to score when Daniel Murphy hit a single and Trea scooted home and made the score 2-1. Gio; feeling generous as always, allowed two back to back doubles in the top of the fourth and the Rockies were able to even out the score to 2-2.

The Nationals struck back in the bottom of the fourth; Anthony Rendon doubled to start the inning and then moved to third on Ryan Zimmerman’s single. Jose Lobaton hit into a double play that easily brought Anthony home and made the score 3-2 Nationals..even if it did leave us with no runners on base and two outs. Not to deter Daniel Murphy, he came up to bat and murdered a baseball, sending it flying and making the score 4-2 Nationals; his 25th home run of this season and his 500th career RBI.

The sunset over the ballpark & the capital city…
Tom wins the Geico Presidents Race!
Home Run – Daniel Murphy!

Gio was done after six innings and Koda Glover stepped in for the Nationals and shut it down in just fourteen pitches that included two strikeouts. Trea Turner singled to start the seventh inning for the Nationals…stole second base and then took third on an error…again making it easy for him to cruise home when Jayson Werth doubled just a moment later, 5-2 Nationals. Werth moved to third base on a passed ball and Daniel Murphy was walked…so that when Bryce Harper tripled, they both raced home and made the score 7-2 Nationals! Harper would hustle home on Anthony Rendon’s sacrifice fly and make the score 8-2 before the seventh inning came to a close.

Koda Glover got a strikeout in the top of the eighth before Dusty Baker replaced him with the Nationals newest relief pitching acquisition – Marc Rzepczynski – say that five times fast. Or better yet…spell it, ha-ha! For the record it’s pronounced “ZEP-CHIN-SKI” but apparently he also simply answers to Scrabble. Scrabble retired one batter and hit another (oops…) before Shawn Kelley came in to close the eighth. Kelley came back in the ninth and gave up a three run homer, making the score 8-5…and so Mark Melancon popped into the game long enough to shut it down and make the final score 8-5 Nationals.

Way to go Daniel!
A triple for Bryce Harper – yes please!
Say that name five times fast…

At the conclusion of this game, the Nationals season stood at 75-53 and they had an eight game lead on the Marlins in the National League Eastern Division. This win allowed them to move to the second best record in all of baseball behind only the Chicago Cubs…who I think anyone watching baseball knows are an absolute force this year. Whoosh! 

As of writing this article today, there are 31 games left in the regular season and the Nationals magic number is 23. It’s almost September and the Nationals are eyeing the post-season. I can’t wait to put my October Nattitude on display this year!

Mid-game discussion at the pitcher’s mound…
Marc on the mound…

Short on Words

I’ll be honest here – I don’t have a lot of words today. At least, it doesn’t seem like I do. I feel like as sure as I write that, I’ll end up typing up this post and rambling on for days…

I guess we’ll see – won’t we?

Blue Skies & Moon Rise…
My smallest office mate.

The past few weeks have felt largely unremarkable – I’m not sure why that is – since I’ve been up to all kind of wonderful things. Perhaps what I’m saying is the weekdays themselves have been largely “calm” and so it seems like August has just flown past so very quickly… The weekends have been wonderful and filled with new experiences, baseball games and wonderful open ended free time…and the weekdays have been filled with work and the routine of day to day life. Remarkably unremarkable!

I’m afraid Watson has poor manners when it comes to cats…
Thus – this precious little creature ended up spending some of Tuesday night in a tree.
Wednesday sunshine.

 A lot of time recently has been spent packing…packing…packing. The move is coming up in just a few weeks and so everything must be sorted through, put in a box or bag or crate or really whatever seems best for the approximately five mile journey to the new house. I think where moving is concerned, that’s one of those times in life that I’d love to be able to do some magic – ala Harry Potter – and just wave a wand and have everything moved. Wishful thinking much?

Household Progress – Coming Right Along
The silliest little face(s)…I do love them.

I started my weekend at Nationals Park – I’m fairly convinced there is really no better place to start a weekend than at a baseball game. Granted, I think if you’ve read this blog more than one time you know that I’d be perfectly pleased to be at Nationals Park any day of the week. My Dad and I ate a bucket of chicken while overlooking the park, watched the Nationals get a win and I tried not to have a panic attack riding in DC traffic with him…ha-ha! I’m kidding Dad…maybe…

Bobbleheads Obtained. Victory! I’m so excited…I closed my eyes…ha!
This is essentially the perfect Friday night view.

The rest of the weekend was sort of a bust for me…I know, how sad…right? I took Watson to the vet on Saturday morning and he had a grand time, even if the picture below makes it seem like he was absolutely miserable. He is always just so happy to see everyone and never minds being at the vet. A headache left me feeling pretty crummy for the rest of Saturday and by the time I got it sidelined, I just did have enough of the afternoon left to run out to Hobby Lobby and Walgreens for some crafting supplies and photos. I closed out my Saturday evening putting together some shadow boxes and watching season two of Outlander.

Next level creeping on me…
When you know you have to get a shot at the vet…

I slept absolutely terribly on Saturday night – I’m not sure what was up with that – but by about 11:00 on Sunday, I was feeling dog tired. I yawned through lunch and tried to take something resembling a nap on Sunday afternoon but couldn’t quite get to sleep. No clue what is going on there! Blegh.

I drank some afternoon coffee and went to a friend’s house for a little get together before closing out my evening with some rice krispies on the back deck, watching the sunset. Not a bad weekend by any means – just a little bit different that I expected it to be.

My California shadowbox…
My DisneyLand shadow box…

As predicted – this week’s Monday post is short on words. I’m not exactly feeling “the flow” today…in so much where words are concerned. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll feel more like a wordsmith and less like I’m falling asleep at my desk, ha-ha!

Five on Friday

Friday has arrived once more and that means it’s time for another edition of Five on Friday! Join me, won’t you?

One. National Dog Day – Did you know that today; August 26th, is National Dog Day? I’m sure if you’ve read this blog even once you’ll know that I absolutely love my sweet little Jack Russell terrier, Watson. Watson has been a part of my little family since March of 2010 and I’m oh so very thankful that the little guy wandered up and “chose” me to be his family. He has certainly made my life better and I hope I’ve done the same for him. Sweet pup!

The many faces of my sweet W.
Two. Nationals Baseball – This week has not been the best week for Nationals baseball…a road trip in Atlanta ended on a loss Sunday afternoon and then the Orioles beat us up a bit both in Baltimore and at home. However; last night in DC, Max Scherzer was bringing the heat: he threw ten strike-outs, holding the Orioles hitters at bay and allowing the offense to bring a 4-0 Curly W to finally end the series and the losing streak. Eek.

Katie LeDecky threw out the first pitch at Wednesday’s game (and it was a strike) and on Thursday night, Helen Maroulis was also in the house. It would seem gold medal Olympians like the Nationals. I’ll be at Nationals Park tonight for the first of a three game set against the Colorado Rockies – here’s hoping we get some more wins…although; we do still sit atop the National League East standings with an 8 game lead, so that’s comforting. And if it’s not comforting enough…then yea…just do as this article suggests…ha-ha!

The Nationals & Katie LeDecky = gold medal combination!
Three. Furniture Disaster – Remember just a few weeks ago when I purchased my lovely couch and shared the photo with you? Well…the couch arrived on Thursday the 11th…and I refused delivery because the bottom was ripped. I think we can all agree that there is no reason to accept a damaged couch, right? I contacted the company and they assured me I’d receive a brand new couch at no cost to me as soon as possible. Fast forward to this past Wednesday; the new couch was set to be delivered, but my most recent experience had me feeling pretty anxious about this delivery.

Unfortunately my anxiety was well founded because the delivery company called me and then sent me pictures…and somehow the couch was even more damaged this time! I refused delivery again and after getting a bit spicy with World Market (that would be the company….sigh…) they agreed to process my refund just a bit more quickly than I’d initially been told. So – we are now about two weeks away from moving day and I have no couch. *sigh* Back to square one…

Are you kidding me?!?

Four. House Update(s) – The house is nearing completion; moving day will be upon us soon and while I can’t wait to have my own space again, let’s be honest and admit that moving is never really that much fun! I haven’t been able to hit the “purchase” button on the desk I think I want just yet…I really want to make sure that I’ve explored all my options. And of course; as the above mentions, I’m back to step one of searching for a couch again. The clock is ticking! Eek!

The countdown is almost into the single digits…
Five. Fitness – I have really embraced the elliptical in the past few weeks…I know; I’m as shocked as you are, especially since I spoke out against it so strongly before! However; if I can turn on some HGTV or a Nationals game, I’m good to go on that bad boy!

I also started using a tracker app about a month ago – it’s called My Fitness Pal and it’s by Under Armour. I have to say; this app has been so helpful for me. You input how much weight you’d like to lose a week and the app lays out a daily calorie goal for you; you then input the things you eat and any exercise that you might do throughout the day…and of course, you can also track your weight and how much water you drink. I’ve enjoyed using it and being able to keep track of what I’m eating really causes me to pay attention to what I’m putting in my body…

Image result for my fitness pal
Maybe sometimes I jump in the air like that…ha-ha!
And that’s all I’ve got for this Friday! I’m just counting down the hours and minutes until some Friday night baseball and the weekend. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend – I plan to!

National Parks: 100 Years of Awe Inspiring Natural Beauty

Did you know that today is the 100th birthday of the National Parks? Not to be confused with Nationals Park – although on this blog, I can see where the confusion would come into play.
On August 25, 1916 President Woodrow Wilson signed the act that created the National Park Service and established a new federal bureau within the Department of the Interior that was responsible for the care and maintenance of the 35 parks and monuments already in place…as well as those that were yet to be established. The purpose of these national parks was simple: “to conserve the scenery and the national and historic objects and wildlife therein and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner as will leave them unimpaired for the future generations…” 
The National Park system now covers some 400 different parks, monuments and areas that make up 84 million acres in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico Saipan and the US Virgin Islands. I thought I’d celebrate the National Parks 100th Birthday by sharing some (okay – probably a lot) pictures from my travels to various monuments and memorials run by the National Park Service…as well as the National Parks!
Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Tennessee & North Carolina
The Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, New York Harbor
Ellis Island Immigration Museum, Ellis Island, New York
Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Colorado
Manitou Cliff Dwellings, Colorado
Pikes Peak, Colorado
The Summit of Mt. LeConte, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Tennessee
Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Tennessee
In case you haven’t noticed…my family has a special spot in our hearts for the mountains; specifically the Appalachians. Growing up, we spent at least one week a year; if not more, in the foothills of the Smokey Mountains in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Long before I moved to Virginia, my family had also made a point to travel farther into the chain of mountains that make up the Appalachians and visited Shenandoah National Park. Now that I live in Virginia, the entrance to Shenandoah National Park is within a few short miles from my front door!
Yorktown, Virginia
The Washington Monument, Washington DC
Mission Concepcion, Texas
The Alamo, Texas
Hoover Dam, Nevada
Hen Wallow Falls, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Tennessee
The Summit of Pikes Peak, Colorado
I’ve visited 36 states in my 31 (almost 32) years and have been able to see numerous National Parks, monuments and memorial in that time. I credit my well-traveled lifestyle to my parents – who have always thought it was important that my younger sister and I see the world around us and take in the history that made the United States what it is today. We’ve been as far South as the Everglades, to glimpse alligators while we were being feasted on by mosquitoes and I have (so far) been as far North and West as the great state of Washington to take in the dramatic sea stacks and pebble strewn beaches.
Elkmont, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Tennessee
Jewel Cave National Monument, South Dakota
Mount Rushmore, South Dakota
Badlands National Park, South Dakota
Cades Cove, Great Smokey Mountains National Park, Tennessee
The US Sculpture Garden, Washington DC
Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument, Colorado
First Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington
Second Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington
As I mentioned – I now live mere miles from the entrance to one of the United States’ National Parks…and just a short drive up the interstate is a city that contains the motherlode of monuments, memorials and markers to the history of the United States. Living in Virginia; one of the original thirteen colonies, I am ensconced in a land that is steeped in history. The land has been witness to some of the most defining moments in our nation’s history. Moments that have been preserved for the world to see. To recognize. And to remember.
Antietam National Battlefield, Maryland
Great Smokey Mountains National Park – Tennessee
Harpers Ferry, West Virginia
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Fort McHenry, Maryland
Rapidan Camp, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
The US Capitol, Washington DC
The National Mall, Washington DC
The Tulip Library, Washington DC
Cherry Blossom Memorial, Washington DC
Luray Caverns, Virginia
Do you have a favorite National Park? Perhaps there is a park you’re looking forward to visiting? Myself, I’d like to see Yellowstone National Park. It is; after all, the very first National Park! 
Happy 100th Birthday to the National Parks!
United States National Arboretum, Washington DC
World War II Memorial, Washington DC
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia
Antietam National Battlefield, Maryland

Chili’s Chicken Enchilada Soup (The Wannabe Version)

I think I’ve probably mentioned this somewhere along the way…somewhere in the midst of the seven hundred and one posts that I’ve done so far…I love soup. I don’t care if it’s January or July – I love to eat soup! 
One of my favorite soups is Chili’s Chicken Enchilada soup; sometimes I just get an intense craving for the stuff. I love the slightly spicy broth and chunks of white meat chicken with some tortilla chips and cheese sprinkled across the top. I’m going to make myself hungry just typing this out…ha-ha!
Ages ago I stumbled onto a recipe on Pintrest for the copycat version of Chili’s Chicken Enchilada soup…and as with anything on Pintrest, I was a little hesitant to try it out. Pintrest can be something of a minefield as far as food is concerned: everything looks delicious and the directions assure you that it’s easy to make and you’re completely safe giving it a try…and then it blows up in your face and tastes terrible.
Okay – maybe that’s a touch dramatic. This weekend though, I gave the recipe a try. Nothing blew up in my face, it was really easy and it was also seriously tasty! One of the best parts? This recipe cooks in the crock pot!
All the onions…

What You Need

– 2 tbsp. olive oil
– 2 medium onions; diced
– 4 cloves garlic; minced OR 4 1/8 tsp. dashes of garlic powder (I’m not good with the maths…)
– 1 quart chicken stock
– 1 tbsp. chicken soup base OR 1 chicken bouillon cube
– 2 tsp. ground cumin
– 2 tsp. chili powder
– 1/2 tsp. black pepper
– 1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
– 2 10 ounces cans of red enchilada sauce
– 6 small corn tortillas; minced
– 16. ounces Velveeta; cubed
– 1 cup Colby Jack cheese
– 22 ounces white meat chicken; diced

Crockpot cooking = the best cooking!

What You Do

– Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and saute the onions until they are tender. Add in the minced garlic/garlic powder and cook for another minute or two.
-Scrape the onions and garlic into the crock pot. Add all the other ingredients, except the chicken and cook on high heat for two hours or low heat for four hours; occasionally stirring the soup to allow it to mix.
– Add the chicken and cook on low for approximately thirty minutes.
– Garnish your soup with tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream. cilantro…whatever you prefer…and enjoy!

Easy. Tasty. That is all.

Seven Hundred

My blogging website tells me this post will be number seven hundred – I can’t believe I’ve posted that many times! I can’t believe this little blog that I started way back in 2010 after I graduated from college has lasted this long…
I often question why I blog and who I do it for. There are days when I get bogged down by the fact that it seems like very few people care what I have to say…no one comments on my posts…I wonder if people think my life is perhaps too small to care. However, when I look back on the posts that I’ve written and I’m able to see how my life has changed…how I’ve changed…it reminds me that I blog mostly for me. 
Writing is an outlet and even if there are days when I feel like what I post are just bemused ramblings and oh so many pictures of my dog – I like my bemused ramblings. I love my pictures of my dog. Maybe you do too and I just don’t know it. Either way – it’s fine by me. Seven hundred posts worth of fine.
My long-legged, much loved dog.
Raindrops on…roses?

Would you be surprised if I told you that I didn’t do much last week? Listen – you’ve seen ALL the things I did the weekend prior. If a weekend in DC, exploring National Harbor, (slowly) walking a 5K in blistering heat, attending two Nationals games (yes!) and touring around DC on a motorized car thingy….isn’t an excuse to have a lazy week, I don’t know what is. I’m kidding. Kind of. I could spend all the weekends in DC and probably be perfectly content – but that’s just me.

Storm clouds banking on the drive home on Tuesday…
Wednesday evening thunderclouds.

Watson and I were on our own from Thursday on – and we often like that. Well, I like it…sometimes I think Watson is like “why am I stuck with only you to amuse me?” That and the fact that my Dad is pretty much his favorite person on the planet (followed in short succession by my Mom and my sister…I might be fourth, ha!) and he gets despondent when they are gone. I try to vary his days when they are gone so he doesn’t just end up at the house, hanging out in this crate. That meant, this past week that he went to work with me on Thursday and Friday. He quite enjoys being the office mascot and enjoys even more that he gets to beggar bites of food from not just one but four people… My dog – he has priorities.

Hi. Could you please put that book down & amuse me?
Thursday night skies…

On Friday we were able to get out of the office two hours earlier than usual and it wasn’t even 3:30 when I got home… This made me feel really industrious about my exercise skills and so instead of being on the elliptical thirty minutes, I went for the full hour. My legs felt a little bit like jelly when I was done but I had a pretty strong feeling of accomplishment! There was also something really grand about having gotten in an hour of exercise, taken a shower and being ready to just “chill out” on a Friday night…all by about 6:30. Not a thing wrong with that at all. I mostly watched Nationals baseball on Friday night; the end of the game gave me a bit of heart failure but they went on to win the game and after reading some, I went on to bed. Ha!

Beast Mode – Party of Natalie
I can’t see where to drive this thing…

Saturday’s main theme was packing – what a thrill, right? I actually started the morning in bum mode; which I think is a fine way to start any Saturday, and I just sat in the recliner drinking coffee and watching Outlander. I had something of an Outlander marathon for myself this weekend…on Saturday it was interspersed with a Target run, some time on the elliptical, packing, walking the dog here, there and everywhere, and of course…cooking up some lovely supper! 

The Target run was a spur of the moment thing. I realized that the things I had left that needed to be packed would probably be better served in a storage container and with one of those, I could use it again and again…long after this (and other) move(s). Target pulled me into it’s web a bit though; as it always does, they had so many things on sale for buy one/get one 50% off. My Autumn loving self couldn’t help but snag a really cute patterned fall cardigan…and I grabbed a more lightweight one in black and white…since they were buy one/get one. The main purpose though…was the storage container. And I made it out of the store with just the cardigans and the storage container. On Saturday at least. Ha!

When you don’t want to eat your treat…but you don’t want to leave it behind…
Please share your food with me…please….

I woke up on Sunday feeling not my grandest…so I snuggled down in the recliner and after some coffee and medicine, shortly after lunch I started to feel less crummy. I got in a little more packing and a wee bit more shopping…you see…I’d found a pair of booties at Target on Saturday that I kind of loved. The shoes were also buy one/get one…but I just couldn’t justify buying two pair of shoes. My Mom would (will…maybe…) tell you I don’t need shoes. But they were the perfect suede booties in a camel color that laced up and I could picture the outfits I’d wear them with in my head…

I went back to Target later in the afternoon and while the shoes weren’t buy one/get one anymore…I did grab the shoes. They are comfortable, provide me with some height, will go so great with jeans and well…I mean; like I said…I can see all the outfits in my head! After the Target run, I popped back into the house and picked up my pup for a trip over the the Virginia State Arboretum. I’d have to say it’s one of Watson’s favorite places in all the world.

Sunday afternoon skies….
Rain drops on the branches…
The perfect shade of pink!

After spending about an hour wandering the grounds of the Arboretum and sniffing every nook and cranny of each tree, shrub, rock and bloom…we headed back home for supper and some (more) relaxation before another week started in full. I finished my Outlander marathon, Watson and I walked around outside and watched some squirrels on the deck…and before long, the weekend had come to a close once more.

So…this is number seven hundred.. I wonder how long it will take me to write another seven hundred?
Taking in life from every angle…

Five on Friday – Grazing

It’s Friday! Another work week (almost) complete and the weekend looming happily on the horizon! I wanted to take this week’s Five on Friday in a little bit of a different direction – so I want to share with you my experience with Graze.*
Have you heard of Graze? I know before I signed up, I’d seen commercials and we’d even gotten a couple flyers at my office…always inside a Staples order or something along those lines. I’ll admit I’d been tempted before but never tried it out. Well – my little sister decided to take the plunge and shared a code that would allow me to get my 1st and 5th boxes free – so I decided to finally give Graze a try!
Graze has over 100 different snack options to choose from and you can go in and rate each choice based on your likes and dislikes. The Graze team will put together your box based on how you marked the snacks: trash it/try it/like it/love it…and with each box you receive, you get to try and rate new and different snacks! The snacking options are healthy and for the most part – low calorie. I got a four snack sampler pack and three of the four snacks had 150 calories or less; the highest snack in calorie was only 230! So – on to the snacks!
Good stuff in the mail! 
Snacking – Done Right!

One. Cranberry & Hazelnut Toasts with Rich Cocoa Dip – Oh my goodness! This snack had just 140 calories and so a part of me wondered just how delicious the “rich cocoa dip” would really be. Well, I’m not even ashamed to tell you that I licked every bit of that chocolate dip out of the container, ha-ha! The Cranberry Hazelnut toasts were so yummy and tasted wonderful with the cocoa dip. This snack will definitely be getting a “love it” tag on my Graze account! (140 calories)

Two. Raspberry & Coconut Muffin – A “deconstructed” version of a raspberry and coconut muffin; this snack had raspberry infused cranberries, almond slivers, coconut flakes and amaretti drops! It was yummy…although the texture of the coconut flakes was a little…tough? As long as I ate a coconut flake with one of the other pieces, the texture wasn’t too much. Granted – I can be a little weird about texture – so there’s that. I’ll probably be marking this one as a “like it”…definitely wouldn’t be sad if I received it again…but it was maybe my least favorite of the four! (140 calories)

Three. The Cheese Board – Okay, this one was so yummy! I am a huge cheese freak; I love the stuff, so I was thrilled when I saw this snack in my sampler! The cheese cashews, cheese croutons and herb crackers were all SO flavorful! This is another snack I’ll be marking as “love it” …and if you’re a cheese fan, I’m sure you’d love this too! (120 calories)
Four. Salted Fudge & Peanut Cookie – Another “deconstructed” style snack; this contained salted and redskin peanuts, vanilla fudge and mini chocolate cookies and was all so good! When I’d first seen some of the deconstructed snacks; I’d wondered if they’d really be my thing, but they are definitely tasty and provide a different – and healthier – way to have something so good! Another love it for me, no doubt about it! (230 calories)
Five. Your Turn – Do you want to try out Graze too? Well – guess what? You can! Graze so kindly included a code in my first box that allows me to share the awesomeness of Graze with four people! If you’d like to try out Graze and get your 1st and 5th boxes free, head on over to https://www.graze.com/us/home and use my code to give it a try. The price is right, the snacks are delicious…you’ll get your first and fifth boxes free and after that, if you’d rather not keep paying to get the weekly boxes – you can discontinue! What have you got to lose?
Get Your First & Fifth Graze Box Free: YZTKDPHFB
Alright – get over to Graze and get to snacking! 
*I wasn’t compensated for this post – I just really loved my first Graze box, can’t wait to get the second and wanted to share my experience!

I Want More Baseball

Less than 24 hours (actually…it was less than 12 hours…) after leaving Nationals Park on Saturday, I was walking back through the gates on Sunday. Dream weekend? It was certainly wonderful for me! A few hours before heading over to Nationals Park, we went to the top of the Hampton Inn we were staying at – that is literally right across the street from the Park – and took some photos of Nationals Park from the rooftop deck and bar.

Nationals Park from atop the Hampton Inn

It was almost just as hot on Sunday as it had been on Saturday – you know, as opposed to 110 the heat index was only about 109! HA! We hadn’t planned to go to the park too far ahead of the game’s 1:35 start time…but then the Nationals announced the Mystery Grab Bags and well…I couldn’t not get there at least a wee bit early. They were selling grab bags to benefit the Dream Foundation and each bag had a baseball signed by one of the Nationals players or Dusty Baker. 

I happily handed over my money and selected a bag…wondering who I’d get. I’d planned to wait until I got to my seat to investigate, but the girls selling them let me know that if I got a baseball signed by Jonathan Papelbon, I could trade. Ha-ha! I opened my bag to reveal a baseball signed by Yusmeiro Petit – one of the Nationals relief pitchers. Not who I was hoping for…but still a signed baseball, right? 
And then my Dad announced that he was going to buy a Mystery Grab Bag too…and that he’d just give me the ball in his…because what was he going to do with it? I; of course, encouraged this decision. After buying his bag he stepped away from me and opened it – prompting me to jump forward to try and peer into the bag and see who’d signed the baseball. He pulled back from my advance and grinned…making me ask “who signed it?!?” He smiled and announced “Scherzer” and I hopped up and down and hollered like I didn’t have any sense. At least the girls selling the baseballs liked my enthusiasm….

Baseballs signed by Max Scherzer & Yusmeiro Petit
Thankful for shade on another blistering day…

Now – I bought the tickets for this game months ago – at least back in June, I’m pretty sure. I guess I was delusional when I bought them because our seats were on Row Z, which just so happened to be in the blaring sun! Oops! The usher at the entrance to our section told us we could sit under the overhang as long as no one showed up to claim the seats. We settled into the seats located in the shade and prayed that no one would claim them. For the most part it worked out fine; on a day as hot as Sunday, a lot of people either bailed on tickets or just didn’t buy them at all. We managed to stay on the back row on the bottom level, comfortably under the shade – so that it only felt like it was about 99 as opposed to 109! 

Since we’d arrived almost a full hour and half before the game, we just stayed seated in the shade and watched the recaps of all the games from the day before being played out on the big screen. We also got pretty interested in watching the grounds crew prepare the field for the game…. However, I guess this wasn’t quite enough entertainment for my Dad because he decided to make some laps around the stadium. A short while after he disappeared, my cell phone rang and he said “hey – look over here – and then take my picture!” He’d gone up to the top deck and was waving at us wildly from the other side of the stadium!

My Dad – posing for a photo from across the stadium.
I like these seats. Perhaps a contender for next year’s games…
Getting in some stretches pre-game.

At long last Tanner Roark stepped onto the pitcher’s mound and the game was underway! The Braves thought they’d get some points on the board early with some singles, but good defense on the Nationals part got us out of the top of the first with no runs. The Nationals bats started their assault early and didn’t let up – Trea Turner doubled and then scooted home when Ben Revere’s pop fly turned into a single on the Braves errant throw – making the score 1-0 Nationals.

Ben scored from second on an opposite field RBI double courtesy of Bryce Harper; back in the line-up after a full five days off with neck stiffness – and upped the score to 2-0 Nationals. Bryce made it to third on Wilson Ramos’ ground out and then sped home to make it 3-0 Nationals after Anthony Rendon’s sacrifice fly. The score of 3-0 Nationals held through the top of the third; Enciarte doubled and then would later score to make it 3-1 Nationals – but that would be the only run the Braves would score all day, courtesy of some brilliant pitching by Tanner Roark and the excellent defense behind him.

The Nationals take the field!
Tanner Roark takes the mound against the Braves.
The Rowing Presidents…ha-ha!
George, Herbie & Tom won…no doubt George’s boating skills helped…
Abe, Teddy & Bill…finally crossing the finish line!
In honor of US Olympians competing in rowing…

Wilson Ramos stepped up to bat in the bottom of the fifth with the bases loaded and hit a sacrifice fly that scored Trea Turner and made the score 4-1 Nationals. Anthony Rendon came to bat next and smashed a three run home run, clearing the bases and making the score 7-1 Nationals – way to go Tony!

Tanner pitched through the seventh inning and Ben Revere added to the Nationals lead in the seventh when he scored from second on a pop fly by Wilson Ramos. After the seventh, it was 8-1 Nationals and Oliver Perez came in to pitch the eighth, getting three quick outs and taking us into the bottom of the eighth holding strong at 8-1. Chris Heisey padded the Nationals lead with a one run blast in the eighth and that would be the final score: 9-1 Nationals. Matt Belisle would close out the game in the top of the ninth and get Washington the series win over the Braves.

Seventh Inning Snacks from Fluffy Thoughts
The Buffalo – in sugar cookie form!
Tooling around with my camera during the eighth inning…
Neat shot – huh?

So – despite the blistering heat – it was a great weekend at the ballpark and I’d love to do an entire baseball weekend in the 2017 season. My younger sister and I are hoping to plan one of those; so here’s to future fun at the ballpark. Perhaps the Nationals can get a sweep?

Screech waves the flag – Nats Win!
Another Curly W in the books
Tony Two-Bags…talking about his three run homer!