Shoes

    Did you know that the average woman has 40 pairs of shoes?  As you can probably guess, I had some difficulties fitting all of my shoes into my new closet.  Of course, this meant I couldn't buy anymore shoes...quite a change in lifestyle!  As you can also probably guess, I only went a little over a month without buying more shoes...
    It seems like every time I return to my hometown and visit my parents, we have to go shopping, yes, such a bother.  Yesterday, my parents, my niece, and I drove the hour to the nearest mall toting along our coupons and store rewards cards (we know how to shop; professionals, if you ask me).  The best news of the entire day, my niece (KD-Did) can finally wear women's shoes, my size at that.  I, therefore, had to teach her how to shoe shop, which is an art if you ask me.

She held on for dear life in these...

    I must inform you that department stores always display their smallest sizes, which is perfect for small-footed people like KD-Did and myself.  You never have to ask for a size to try on...makes shopping go much quicker!  These were the types of things I was teaching my niece the novice.  After treating my feet to many shoes, my loving Daddy bought me a new pair in exchange for some work for him (4 hours worth...boo!).  I informed PDub of this, and his immediate and silly response was questioning where I would put my new purchase.  I answered that I would put them on my feet....duh.
    After shopping, we headed home where KD-Did proceeded to fall even more in love with shoes.  She tried on all of my heels, and I taught her how to walk in them.  Maya followed us around as we strutted like supermodels.  I am so happy that I got to share a bit of my shoe fetish with family.

Work it...

Phoebe

    Hello corn!  Hello Illinois!  Yesterday, I got in the car, got lost in my new hometown (go figure), drove through the mountains of West Virginia, said hello (or nay...a horse hello, duh) to the ranches in Kentucky, trekked through the forests of Indiana, and somehow ended in the corn fields of Illinois.  No worries, it was planned.  PDub is headed back to France (said with a somewhat French accent...could be more English), so I packed up my dog and her best friend for the journey to Salem, IL.  Salem is where I grew up and where my and PDub's family still live.

    Salem, IL is for a different day at a different time; today, I would like to introduce you to Maya's best friend, Phoebe.  I did spend 12 hours in a car with only them, so they deserve a little spotlight (but only a little).

The Phoebster

Phoebe, like Maya, is a mini dachshund, only she's really mini.  She may look younger than Maya, but she is actually 1 year older.  AAAnd, they do everything together.  By that, I mean sleep, eat, play, excrete, and clean.

Lounging

Cleaning

Since Doubles Shark-Whisperer is a travel nurse, Phoebe has traveled the country living in Florida, California, Illinois, and now Maryland.  Of course, Maya has gone to visit her on some occasions.

Bag Ladies

Beach Babes

Road tripping

Cheese (and the ol' switch-a-maroo)

    On our 12 hour voyage across 5 states, Maya slept the entire time, and Phoebe slept, cleaned, and basked in the sun belly-up, no doubt.  After one gas-up, I entered back into the cabin of the vehicle (we should all call it this), and Phoebe was growling at Maya, obviously ticked off at something, while Maya barked back at her in a high-pitched tone, basically asking her what was wrong and what she needed to do about it.  I calmed them down, and we hit the road.  Add fighting to the do-everything-together list.  They are your typical best friends! 

SUN!

Wine Festival

    Saturday was the annual Wine Festival held at Bull Run Regional Park.  Wine plus a gorgeous day...of course, we were there!  I packed up the cheese ball, brownies, and bottled water, and we headed to Bull Run with AJacks and KielMac.  I was most excited that we would be heading to Bull Run, which, for those history buffs, was the place where the first major land battle during the Civil War occurred (also known as First Manassas).  Although we didn't see any reenactments or memorials, we did toast to our nation's unity over a glass (or several) of "wine tastings."
    Little did I know that Virginia is the 5th largest wine producer nationwide with more than 200 wineries.  Many of these were represented at the festival, each offering tastings of their unique wines.  PDub and I have been to Napa and Sonoma twice now, visiting and tasting at a few wineries.  These trips do not compare to what I experienced on Saturday.  No, you didn't get the picturesque winery in the background, but yes, you did get tents and tents within frolicking distance to try new wines and and see live bands and jugglers.  From the Chardonnays to the Cabernets, our glasses nearly never emptied.  I must share with you a description because these amuse me every time:


"This Chardonnay was steel fermented at cool temperatures, eliciting robust fruit notes, a medium body, and refreshing acidity.  Flavors such as banana, pineapple, and red pear shine through on this wine that pairs fine with food, but stands alone as a Fall-sipper just as well."


    Doesn't it just make your taste buds water?  Dee-Light!  I think I am becoming a wine connoisseur because at the beginning I truly tasted all of these flavors.  However, as the day went on, they kind of all ran together...I guess it was expected.

Bull Run Regional Park with all of the wine tents

No, we didn't carry this around with us...

Best corn dog EVER!

AJacks and me

Our loot...or bootie...whichever you prefer...

Landmarks

    Since I can remember, I have been playing the St. Louis Arch game.  When entering the city, the first person to see the arch and declare it wins the game.  In addition to playing it with my friends on the way to the city, PDub used to send me a text every time he passed it on the way to school stating: "I see the arch; I win."  This let me know where he was in his journey.  From time to time, I still receive a text from his mom saying the same thing.  We obviously haven't been able to play this as often as we used to seeing that Houston does not have any major landmarks; however, we hit the jackpot in D.C.

    Over the past week, PDub and I have travelled the 8 miles into the city for dinner, drinks, and errands (yes, we have made more friends...I'll introduce you to them later).  Each time, PDub decides to play the arch game only with the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, White House, Capitol Building, Kennedy Center, Jefferson Memorial, and any other landmark that we should pass.  If you ask me, he has a case of the cheating...

Lincoln Memorial

White House (our new neighbor)  

Washington Monument

    I am amazed at this new home we have made in our nation's capitol!  I am no longer a tourist in this city, but I will always love driving past these landmarks knowing that I get to see them as often as I want.  As for the game, it's time for some ground rules!

Fanny Packs

    "A fanny pack (US, Canada), belt pack (US), belly bag (US), Buffalo pouch (US), hip sack (US), waist bag (US), hip pack (UK), bum bag (UK, Oceania, Ireland), cangurera (Mexico), koala (Venezuela), banano (South America), riñonera (Argentina), pochete (Brazil) or moon bag (South Africa), is a small fabric pouch secured with a zipper and worn by use of a strap around the hips or waist" (Wikipedia).  Fanny packs received their name for their original placing, which was right above the boomcherattum aka buttocks.  Now you may be wondering why in the world I am writing about fanny packs.  Well, you see, I'm trying to awaken their existence...the fanny pack comeback!
    Fanny packs are the perfect accessory for a hiker, biker, and garage saler.  It's the optimal place to store important items such as identification, cell phones, and snacks.  Additionally, the fanny pack does not hinder your shoulder and arm movement like a purse or a satchel.  If only Indiana Jones would have had this information!  It has easy accessibility unlike a backpack.  You whip it around your waist, and bam, you have your stuff.  It also does not restrict your biking or hiking, and it's the perfect place for money storage when pick pockets are present.  Bonus!  They are still for sale at many department stores!
    When we were downsizing our house back in Texas for the big move, I came across my fanny pack and reached a dilemma.  To store, to take, or to sell?  That was the question.  My decision, a fanny pack would be perfect for our touristy activities in D.C.  When I busted it out for our first time for our dog park trip (no worries, we took Maya), PDub informed me that we would never make friends with me sporting such an item.  I guess he really didn't take me seriously until I exited the car with it on.  I had my cell phone, identification, and dog treats in it.  What more could you want?  PDub proceeded to ask me if I had remembered to bring Maya's frisbee...TA DAH...in the fanny pack.
    We may not have made friends (they probably were all jealous that they had rid themselves of such a coolness a long time ago), but every dog at the park was interested in such an accessory (could have been the treats).  Either way, I will still bust out my fanny pack from time to time and point out every individual wearing one.  You really shouldn't pass people up like that.  I might even have to bedazzle mine...bring more attention to it, you know.  So, in ending, I ask that you dig out that fanny pack, bum bag, banano, etc. and consider taking it for a spin!

Jealous?

How about now?

Bedazzled!

Stylish!

Public Transportation

    As you can probably guess, PDub and I are not accustomed to public transportation.  We grew up in a town where public transportation was non-existent.  In Houston, although public transportation was present, it was easier to drive everywhere.  Our new home in Arlington is three blocks from two different metro stops, so it was necessary that we become acclimated to public transportation.

 
    My first experience with the metro in D.C. took place approximately two years ago with two of my close friends.  We descended into the tunnel where you could buy your pass (a card that you put money onto), walk through the gates, and (hopefully) choose your correct train.  The three of us purchased our passes and proceeded to the gate.  The kicker: only one of us had ever used this system before, and of course, that person shot right through the gate and out of vision.  The other two of us inserted our tickets, surveyed the unopened gate, and helplessly looked at each other.  Luckily, a not-so-polite business woman (that I still picture as twice my size) said, "You gotta take your ticket."  We took our ticket, and go figure, the gates opened.

 
    Now PDub's first experience was a little different than mine, as his always are.  PDub first visited D.C. with his family when he was in the fourth grade, and his sister was in the seventh grade.  Their problem wasn't getting through the gates, but instead, determining which train to get on.  Being the confident young woman she was (and is), Doubles Shark-Whisperer quickly found the correct train, grabbed PDub's hand, and jumped on it leaving their parents behind.  To this day, I still picture the kids staring out the train window waving goodbye as their parents still debate over the accurate train.  As you can probably guess, PDub and his sister were located and rejoined with their parents.

    I recently took the metro for the first time by myself.  Destination: Reagan National Airport.  Time: Rush Hour.  After my first lesson with tickets and carefully planning out my trip, I breezed right through the gates and found my train.  However, this train was packed full, but this did not stop me from getting on it (I had a flight to make).  I had to stand, hold onto my carry-on (preventing it from falling on people's feet), and grip onto the bar above.  All while every portion of my body touched something/somebody else (I'd rather not think about it), and at each stop, even more people joined.  I probably should have stretched before this trip because I am a little too short to reach the bar above and my luggage was a bit heavy.  I most likely pulled something in my back after the ride, seeing that it hurt for a couple of days after.  This experience has confirmed that I'm a bit of a germaphobe and a little claustrophobic.  The metro is very convenient; however, avoiding it at rush hour is best...Lesson learned.

Our Little Wiener

    I must introduce you to our little wiener....Maya.  She is our 2 year old, mini dachshund who has given us a glimpse into parenthood.  Maya is your typical dachshund; she sits, shakes, rolls, fetches, barks at nothing, and eats everything, and we can't get enough of her.

    Our country girl wasn't made for the city, and therefore, moving has been pretty stressful.  She has gone from a huge house with a large back yard to a tiny apartment with no yard at all.  We have basically had to potty train the girl again.  She has already graced two hallways and one crosswalk with a little bit of herself.  The crosswalk wasn't too pretty, seeing we were trying to dodge Virginia drivers (another story).  Also, Maya has had to get used to seeing other dogs and people, nearly all the time.  The girl shivers with anxiety when met with another dog.  Let's just say the dog park wasn't as exciting for her as we wanted it to be.

A country dog bathroom...

A city dog bathroom...    

    Other parts of Maya have remained the same.  She still has three stages of sleep (increasing with the depth of sleep).  She also still barks at anything, already getting us one noise complaint.  No worries though, she's told every time that she begins to bark that the whole family gets in trouble for it.  After a couple of weeks, she began her daily run around the apartment ("I just felt like runnin'"-Forrest Gump).  Eventually, Maya will become a city girl; it's just going to have to take some adjusting...and most likely more treats.

Sleep Stage I - Legs extended, on belly

Sleep Stage II - On her side...usually occurring with a "tree falling" sound

Sleep Stage III - Belly up...very proper, Momma taught her well

Gotta look cool when moving to a new place