Yesterday, I took the family on our first trip to the beautiful new Washington Nationals ballpark, simply named for now, Nationals Park. More on just how great of a ballpark this is in a moment...

I don't know about you, but as a Recruiter, I can spot a recruiting-related ad from a mile away. So when I enter the men's restroom after we get inside the ballpark, what's the first thing I see, you guessed it. You know the nice reading material the place on the walls in public restrooms these days, usually the day's Sports section or some sort of advertisement? Nestled between ads for Harris Teeter and RE-MAX, was a recruitment ad for the Scottsdale, AZ Police Department. That's right, an ad in the mens room at a baseball stadium in Washington, DC to go work for a municipal police department in the southwest US.

When I thought about it though, it kind of made sense, and the desert scenery in the ad looked a bit appealing on a cool, drizzly, overcast 60 degree day in DC. The ballpark is bound to get alot of tourists this summer too, so it isn't there just for us DC locals. Was the ad just for men? I can't say if the ladies room had the same ad, I'd ask my wife, but she probably wouldn't of noticed anyway. Is the Scottsdale Police Dept. advertising in mens rooms in ballparks around the country? If you have seen an ad like this at your local sporting venue, please let us know here.

So, yes, it was a bit odd I think to see that ad in that location, but kudos to Scottsdale's finest for their efforts to attract candidates from around the country.

As for the ballpark, if you live and the DC area and haven't been, or will be visiting our Nations Capital this summer, I strongly encourage you to take in a ball game at our fine new stadium. Get there early so you can play Guitar Hero III or MLB: The Show at the Strike Zone; watch your kids play at the playground' grab beer at the Red Porch and watch batting practice; grab a Half Smoke at Ben's Chili Bowl or a Cheeseburger at Five Guys; Get seats in the upper deck on the first base side for great views of the Capitol, Washington Monument, and the monster-sized scoreboard; don't miss the President's Race during the middle of the fourth inning; and if you have kids and go on Sundays, be sure to stick around after the game so the kids can run the bases. Oh, and even though they say take Metro, we drove in and got a great spot in a garage four blocks away. Once the neighborhood gets develpped, going to a Nats game will truly be a spectacular experience.

We had a great time at the ballpark yesterday. Hey, and we beat the Cubbies too! You know what, I wonder what it would be like to be a cop in Scottsdale? Pretty hot I would have to guess. Guess I'll stay here in DC. Check out a couple pictures from yesterday below: