No Shirt, No Shoes, No Problem

...hypothetically speaking. Bobby and I spent the last 6 days in Ocean City, Maryland for a little Memorial "weekend" get-a-way! After not having been there in a year or so, it was comforting to see that it hadn't changed much. So before I begin, let me start by saying the following: remember that same rash I got on my honeymoon? Well, it returned a few days into our trip. Oh yes, people, large, red, SWOLLEN rash spread like wildfire all over...except where my bathing suit was. The culprit? Sunscreen. Turns out me and Coppertone don't get along so well. Despite my swollen neck and itchy ankles during most of our trip, we had the most relaxing time!

Ok, so it doesn't look that bad in the picture, but let me assure you, it was not fun!

For those of you who may not know, I love the beach. Actually, I just loving being by the water. As a kid, I can remember arriving to the beach at night, but being able to hear the waves as we pulled in. That distinct ocean smell... the smell of a special "brew" of ocean water (we went to Rehoboth Beach, when I was a kid) would pour through the windows as I tried to sleep that night. It was a new smell, but it's always been constant each time I return. Going to OC was so fun for me because it's our first vacation since our honeymoon last year. It's so exciting because we get to make memories from "scratch" that we will remember for the rest of our lives "back when we were just newlyweds." So a brief synopsis of our trip: we didn't wake up before sunrise and I had no idea what time we went to bed each night. We spent most of the day on the beach or on our bikes, cooked out for a few dinners, ate out for more dinners, and walked - everywhere. A little rule we've established for ourselves: don't look at the clock while you're on vacation. Much to my father and sister's dismay, it is a beautiful thing (I highly recommend it).

So to further illustrate what a BEAUTIFUL weekend it was, here are some pictures!


Bobby in his element at the grill.

Before a night out to The Angler - our favorite place in OC (Talbot St).

On my cruiser (playing with the settings on our new camera).
Jumping over the pools on the beach. All the little kids were swimming in these because they were so fun! (and much warmer than the ocean)

Happy Memorial Day! ...at breakfast on the boardwalk.

Snappy!!

...yes that's me, and to be quite frank, I think Bobby's a little annoyed with having a camera in his face all evening. So I got a new camera to support the requirements of a photojournalism class I will be taking this summer as an elective for school. They had some odd requirements which many of the cute, little ones did not meet, so I was "forced" to get one that did meet those requirements! And yes, I even got it a cute little case to sit in when it's not being used...and no, it's not pink!

Granted, I have hardly any idea how to use all the new settings (manual exposure settings - I can take pictures of fireworks!) on my new Canon Rebel, but I look forward to spending all 4 hours in the car to Ocean City tomorrow figuring them out. So far, here's what this baby can do:

Cruisin' Together

So, Bobby comes through the door the other night after "mountain" biking with a friend. Noticing a strong limp in his walk, I start the following conversation:

Me: "What happened to you?!" [With a horrified look on my face]
Bobby: "Oh my brakes stopped working on my mountain bike down the big hill, so I put my leg down to stop myself a few times."
Me: (Great, a broken husband) I think to myself "But there's blood, and..."
Bobby: "Well, my foot was strapped into the pedals, so I had to improvise."

Needless to say, we were at the bike shop the next day getting him a SAFE, fully-working bike AND a bike helmet.
For several weeks, I had been looking at pink cruiser's with the wide seat and big handlebars! Well, we found one similar, but it's not pink... and it's a hybrid (no idea what that means) so it's even better than a cruiser (at least that's what they told me at the store)! So that was my birthday gift. Of course, I haven't been riding it in my leopard-print flats like I am in the picture. So, while I ride safely on the sidewalk provided by our fine community, Bobby rides alongside on the grass, jumping off the hills and doing all sorts of funny bike tricks. If only I had a basket and a bell...

Meanwhile, this past weekend when I was taking final exams, my cat was enjoying the weather (I think) enough for the both of us. I came home to find him sunbathing...