Hail to the Redskins

Remember being a little kid and going somewhere really special? I went back in time this past weekend and it was a blast.

A lot you you know that I am a native D.C. girl. Born and bred in the Maryland/DC 'burbs and I love my city.

I am also a die hard Redskins fan. Mr. Clean however, is not. He is a die hard Miami Dolphins fan. Despite this, I married him anyway.

Now normally I have no problem whatsoever with the Dolphins. Mr. Clean likes them, so I will cheer them on when we watch a Dolphins game. With one HUGE exception. When they play the 'Skins. We were in attendance in the stands this weekend to see my boys wallop Miami. They "skinned the fins".

I wish I would have had the foresight to bring a camera. When going to major sporting events however, I like to travel light and only take necessities, license, cash, lipstick, etc. So I missed the many sights that could help describe the feeling of sheer nostalgia I felt.

The kids hung out with my parents for the day, so the hubby and I could enjoy a stress free day. On the way down we passed our old stomping grounds on the Capital Beltway. The best place on the planet to learn to drive is the Capital Beltway. If you can drive here, you can drive anywhere.

I learned here and have driven the entire 64 miles in one fail swoop while learning to maneuver the behemoth.

By Kenilworth Avenue I was giddy with sheer joy as we made our way to the stadium. We got into our assigned area of the parking lot and in true Redskins style were met by a traffic jam of cars vs. tailgaters. Guess who won?

Fortunately for us a really nice tailgater squeezed our truck in next to theirs (close enough that I had to jump out first, lest I be forever wedged in the vehicle) and we spent the next hour hanging out with them. Thankfully they were a "mixed group" as well to compliment our "inter-team" marriage. A married couple (Redskins fans) had invited their friends who were Dolphin fans.

Skins fans really get into tailgating, but I must admit I was very disappointed to see an off-duty Prince George's County police officer (the county in which the stadium is located) in his cruiser drinking a beer. Fans kept asking to take pictures by the car and use his radio microphone to taunt the nearby Dolphin fans. He obliged while his female companion sat behind the wheel enjoying the air conditioning. Tax dollars hard at work!

Anyway, after our tailgate lunch we got into the stadium where I went from a mild mannered homeschooler to a full on fan. Our seats were 11 rows back from the end field and we were right on the aisle. Plenty of room to whoop and hollar. I wanted to maintain a sense of decorum for Mr. Clean's sake, but the child in me won out and I was cheering for every 1st down and holding my breath at every pass. And of course, politely applauding each time the defense crushed, I, uh, mean, "stopped", Miami. ;-)

The day could have not gone any better. And I got to spend it with the love of my life. Even if he is a Dolphins fan.