Time Zones

     My family has lost all sense of time.  For the past 19 days, Maya has been trained to stay up into the wee hours of the night and sleep throughout the day, and PDub and I have been jumping time zones like they are going out of style.  Hence, why I fell asleep last night at 7pm and woke up this morning at 4am.  While PDub still sleeps and Maya follows me around our apartment with the heaviest of lids, I decide to relax on my little love seat, watch some music videos on CMT, and finally recover from my time hopping.
     You are probably wondering where PDub and I were, as well as our little pup.  Maya headed to Doubles Shark-Whisperer's home to hang out with her best bud, Phoebe.  Shark-Whisperer works nights; therefore, Maya had to alter to her schedule.

BFFs....We should probably get them friendship collars.

"Do you realize that it is 4am, and we are still not in bed? C'mon guys.....it's time."

It may appear to be a turd in the picture; however, that poop impostor is really Moose's arm that Maya amputated and left to suffer.  She loves toys and must have all of Phoebe's out. 

Snuggle time!!

Heading to the airport to reunite with the rest of the Dubs.

     PDub and I traveled from DC to Paris to Finland to Russia and then back to Paris and finally DC, over four different time zones.  Note: I can hardly handle daylight savings time, let alone large time changes.  We used planes, trains, buses, cars, metros, ferries, and most often our feet to get around.  From twin to queen to twin-shoved-together beds, from extremely small to extra large to public showers, from 5-star hotels to hostels to rented apartments, we barreled our way through Europe and created many memories along the way.  Over the next week or more, I hope to share some of these adventures and of course show you some pictures!

AAPL 2013 and My Parents' Visit

     My mom works as a landman for Shakespeare Oil Company based out of Salem, Illinois. Growing up, I had no clue what she actually did and was quite frankly upset that she had a man's job; come on, "man" is in the title.  Little did I know that it was not just a man's job; that's just a title, and although there are very few women in the field, there are land(wo)man.  My mom, in particular, has become a prominent individual in the field, and I envy the career she has made.  Sometimes I wonder if I will ever have what she has when I am her age.  I only hope that I will.
     So, what is a landman?  In general, a landman is an individual who usually works for an oil company, determines ownership of land and minerals, and then negotiates a lease to be able to explore and/or drill on a particular piece of land.  If it weren't for people like my mom, drilling on American soil would never happen.  Every year, her national organization, AAPL, holds its annual meeting, and typically (if I am good), I get to join my parents and enjoy the perks of this conference (city touring, food, booze, and fun company).  This year's meeting was held in Washington D.C., a short metro ride away.  Here are some pictures of the Opening Reception, after-party, and the President's Ball.

My mom and some of her colleagues.

My family headed to the Opening Reception.

My favs for the week.

The midwesterners....gotta love Illinois and Indiana!

At the Hotel Washington rooftop bar that overlooks the White House (bright building in background).

I felt like a proud parent taking pictures before prom (President's Ball).

My parents at the President's Ball. 

PDub and I in front of the dance floor.

How many drinks do I really need....rum and coke, water, tea, and wine.  I would say that's a drinking problem!

Enjoying our evening!

     After the conference was over, my parents stayed a day longer to spend time with PDub, Maya, and me.  One of the highlights during this time was our trip to Great Falls National Park.  We even brought Maya along.

My parents at Great Falls.  It had rained quite a bit, so the water looked really dirty. 

Adorable: Pops asked for Maya's leash several times, so he could be the one walking her.  They inevitably got tangled each time.

Cameras

     I received my first camera at an age when taking photographs of my Barbies and dolls was more important than capturing those special moments in life.  It was a Polaroid, which instantly printed the picture (no film!).  However, the image required a shaking and flapping dance to develop.  This particular Polaroid also used a flashbar, meaning each picture used up one entire flash resulting in instant disposal, definitely wouldn't last in today's Go Green mentality.  Instant picture, instant money-down-the-drain. 

Glamour shots were always big with me as well.  Work it Dad!

I guess my parents wanted more than just the set-up I had of Barbies and My Little Ponies in the picture.  Here with who I called "The Man," Uncle C. 

Yes, I still own and wear this Tina Turner shirt.

     My next cameras consisted of a series of the disposable ones and finally ended with, yet another, series of digital ones.  I tend to have bad luck with cameras...especially digital ones (one might still be riding around in a shuttle bus in Mexico, one had water invade the battery area even though the rest of the camera was waterproof, and another we luckily found back at the pub in Ireland where I had left it), and still PDub and I stepped out on a limb one weekend by purchasing Sir Richard Parker, a Canon Rebel.  Luckily, PDub's dad is a professional photographer, so he helped us pick out the the most user friendly camera we could learn in just a short week (before we truly put it to the test).  Here are some pictures we took with it as soon as the battery was charged:

   
     Bring on the memories because I am ready to capture them!

Preakness 2013

     The Preakness Stakes is the second of the U.S. Triple Crown races (Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes are the others) and is held at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, MD (just a hop, skip, and a cartwheel away).  Of course, we decided that we couldn't pass up seeing this race when we lived so close, so PDub and I woke up early this past Saturday to board a completely full charter bus at 8:15am to head north.  We were loaded down with lawn chairs, blankets, food, and "pineapple orange juice" prepared for at least a 12-hour day.

     Being the woman that I am, I had to consult with several friends who had attended the race in years past to see what to wear.  The general consensus for this particular race was....anything goes.  Therefore, PDub dressed in his normal t-shirt, khaki shorts (cargo for extra storage), and tennis shoes while I wore my traveling hat, a cotton dress, and of course, my cowboy boots.  We saw a bit of everything though.

Suspenders and bow ties.

Ridiculous hats.

More hats.

Cut-off sleeves and A'merca bandanas

Even a fanny pack sighting.

     You can't go to a horse race with out betting, which we did.  In addition to the horse racing, there were two stages where bands performed, and of course, you can never forget about the food!

Betting.

More betting :)

Winning some cash!

Where we set-up shop...right next to the track along the fence (we were in the infield). 

Florida Georgia Line.

Some good-lookin' ladies.

Macklemore....hip-hop fans are crazy!

Fancy food in a fancy glass with a fancy flower...This Asian loves his fancy grub.

Evidently stealing toilet paper out of the port-a-potties is a requirement.

It rained...

But we were prepared....

And it didn't stop us....

From having fun.

Gearing up for the big race of the day.

"The Race"

Some extras....

We met the Biebs (cardboard form)! 

The guy in the middle must be a hip-hop fan (I spotted him second row at Macklemore and Pitbull).

Some of the group.

Thousands of port-a-potties in the background...We make anything look fabulous!