After my last post, I went to the night before party, which was great. Apparently I am popular with the Hartford chapter because of Twitter. A girl from NJ was there, and people kept thinking she was me! She said, "SO many people have come to me to ask if I'm from Houston!" I thought it was funny, especially since I never think of myself as someone that's popular.
The long islands from the first bartender at City Steam were delicious, the pizza hit the spot, and the chapter had a 50/50 raffle. Basically, 50% of the raffle money goes to the chapter, and the other 50% goes to the winner. Not a bad idea! I also met Grant Wahl again, and I met Ives (from Soccer by Ives) for the first time. I met people from Brooklyn, Central Jersey, and Cape Cod (MA).
I will say this chapter did quite well in terms of preparation. Anytime someone posted a question on their Facebook event or tweeted, they responded quickly and efficiently. Kudos to the guys there!
The next day, we slept in and even missed breakfast, oops! We stayed at a Homewood Suites again (just like Salt Lake City), so it was free breakfast, free wifi, and free dinner M-Th. We did have to pay a $16 parking fee/night, but the room was free thanks to using points. Our room had a kitchen, huge living room, and 1.5 bathrooms, which means we had two toilets, yay (the little things matter)!
We decided to do something free, nearby, and easy, so we went to the state capitol. We learned a lot about CT. I didn't know people like Katherine Hepburn came from CT. There is so much history in that state. The Hall of Flags contained flags dating back to the civil war, and it was amazing. I should note we rented a car so we could get around (don't think there's public transportation from the airport). It cost less than $11 for the trip thanks to car rental points.
Afterwards, we did some light grocery shopping. You cannot buy alcohol at WalMart - only a liquor store - so that's something to keep in mind for the future. It's interesting how different states have different laws. In contrast, Californian grocery stores sell hard liquor (along with beer and wine). In Denver, the alcohol percentage differs between a liquor store and grocery store, so it's best to buy from a liquor store. It's always a good idea to know before going to a new state/city, so make sure you ask!
From the liquor store, we headed to the tailgate and primarily hung out with a couple of guys from Brooklyn and a guy from Cape Cod (met in Seattle). It was a good time and a good turnout. The local NBC media interviewed me but primarily asked about the heat and whether or not it affected my decision to wear my scarf. I found this question strange considering I'm from Texas!
The game itself was crazy. We made it a general admission section, and aside from one family who didn't want to be there (was moved by AO national, not security, thank goodness), the atmosphere was electric. Full of drunkards and excited north easterners (who could blame them?!?!), the section was rocking! The capos of AO Hartford did a good job coordinating quickly, and they are certainly to be commended.
The lone drummer was a gal who's a New England Revolution supporter. I forgot her name already (drat!!! she's SOOOOO nice too!!!), but she is an awesome person. I met her when she and her husband came down to Houston for a regular MLS season game. They tailgated with us, and to this day, her husband raves about the local craft beer we serve (St. Arnold's) at the Texian Army tailgates. We had a good time back then, and we had a good time again last night. We looked at each other, did a double take, and squealed like little school girls when we realized we knew each other. What are the chances that we would meet again and be RIGHT next to each other in a section, supporting the same team? It was a moment that is somewhat indescribable, and a great reason why following footy is classy.
Towards the end of the second half, some random guy (AO Hartford didn't claim him, so I don't think he's part of their chapter) came up to her and said, "You have zero rhythm." I can't even imagine what she was going through. We're hot, we're sweaty, we're dehydrated, we're surrounded by guys who seemingly are going to puke on you at any moment, she's doing a damn good job of drumming, and then this asshole says this. The main capo went after him to tell him off, but the damage was done. She didn't feel like dealing with more assholes, and so she handed me the drumsticks for the second half.
I have to admit I had a blast drumming, and I always do. I feel like I'm really contributing to the section when I do. Music was one of my undergraduate majors, so it's easy for me to adapt to crowds when they suddenly decide to sing another chant in the middle of doing another chant (happens frequently). I like the bass drum because all you have to do is keep time. That sounds like a no-brainer, but it's actually harder than it seems especially when you're in an outdoor setting. Sound travels at different wavelengths, reverberation occurs if you're near a canopy, etc. I think people think that all you have to do is beat the drum, but it really takes a lot of stamina and coordination. Also as a drummer, you kind of end up being a capo. When the main capo understandably becomes tired or runs out of ideas, it's the drummer's job to keep the section going.
Drummers WHO KNOW AO CHANTS (this is KEY!!!) are severely needed at the games. The AO chants are different than most club chants because they often change beats, meter signature, and tempo within the same chant. Frankly I can't stand drummers who drum the Latin beats for the USA games. Not only is it a cop-out in that there is unoriginality, but I am here for the USA, not a Latin country. I am also here for a country game, not club. I have drummed for Dynamo games, and I am very careful not to mix up the two.
My only regret is that for this trip, I should've brought my drumming gloves. I've now drummed 1.5 games so far of this tournament (including the related friendly). I honestly didn't expect to do any drumming, but I suppose it's fallen into my lap. I can't complain though because I enjoy it.
After the game, I checked on the revs girl (really bothers me I can't remember her name-Alice? Alison? Alyssa? ???). She seemed to be ok after taking a break the second half. "Tonight just wasn't the night I wanted to deal with that," and I totally understand as a female. I think Hartford for me was the first time for either club or country when I didn't have some guy (and yes, it is always a male) come up to me and say, "If you get tired, I'll take over," or "You're not doing a good job," or "You suck!" I felt so sorry for the revs girl because she brought the only drum, and to have some guy dis-respect that is quite unnecessary. Nevertheless by the end of the post-game tailgate she seemed fine, which I am glad.
This morning I left on a US airways flight to DC. A one-way ticket only cost $88, which is not bad at all! David took the Amtrak because he loves trains. It costs about the same amount, but the train left at 6:45AM, and my flight left at 11:55AM (no-brainer for me!). We arrived about the same time in DC, which I find funny. We walked around DC for about seven hours (Dupont Circle, Lincoln Memorial, Korean War and World War II memorials, White House, etc), so we're pooped. Have a great night!
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