To begin with I think we all need to stop for a few seconds and contemplate the fact I have been to not one but TWO major sporting events in a seven day period. I can now put on four fingers the number of sporting events I’ve attended in the last decade. Is this a sign of the impending apocalypse in December?

It was the perfect day for a ballgame, too. Actually, it was the perfect day for anything: seventy degrees, a little bit of wind and the sun was out. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PARK. We were sitting on the shady side of the park where it was windy and about fifty degrees. The crowd pictures on the giant unreadable scoreboard were a hoot: the news outlets only showed the sunny side: people in tank tops, rubbing their arms and faces with sun screen. The network didn’t bother to show those of us on the OTHER side bundled up in our jackets and hats. At least it wasn’t snowing.

But the weather didn’t derail my fun, because I literally really was just there for the beer. In fact, I didn’t even know who we were playing until we were on our way downtown. When she told me “The Giants” I asked her–I swear–if they were the team from New York. She was very kind and told me they were from San Francisco and the Giants were in New York 80 years ago. I wish I could blame my gaff on my vast store of baseball history.

Why yes, I do live under a rock when it comes to sports. But I could give you directions to the closest Nordstroms in my sleep. I think this is a valuable skill don’t you? But I do know how to have fun, even if it’s windy, cold, and the home team can’t get it together to make a touchdown goal home run. So what’s a girl to do?

Find a place for dinner and then a cocktail is what. Hey if this baseball thing is about dinner and a cocktail. Count me in! Here we go Rockies!! Here we go! Let’s paint this town purple!

Here’s some pictures from opening day:

I saw this guy while we were waiting to get into the park. Of course I mocked him for his devotion to the other sports team. But later, I saw him with five of his BFF’s wearing the same shirts and because I am a bold girl I had to ask him: “So let me guess your Storm Trooper costume is at the cleaners?” (To his credit he got the joke and high fived me) (There is always one Sci Fi geek at the midnight opening of any Sci Fi/heavy on the CGI effects blockbuster wearing a Storm Trooper costume because Star Wars just won’t die)

Isn’t this a pretty ball park? I actually watched the ballgame and even though I asked some ignorant questions, I did bandy about phrases like “pop fly” “grounder” and “foul ball”. Did I mention The Rockies played like Hell?

LoDo (Lower Downtown Denver) felt like a mellow version of Mardi Gras or SXSW. The bars and cafes were packed and there was music happening everywhere. Such a party I stumbled onto! We ended up at a tiny neighborhood bar:  Herb’s Hideaway. Apparently this is a very popular bar and my spouse had been there on many occasions in her speckled past while I was busy at home raising children, teaching Sunday School and quietly losing my mind. I had never been there before and I was immediately smitten; it reminded me of the places I landed last summer in Minneapolis: a diverse crowd and a really great jukebox. It was hopelessly decadent to be dancing in a bar at five pm on a Monday. I believe Herb’s will be a return engagement for us. But probably not on a Monday at five pm. That would be decadent.