Baltimore's infamous Preakness Stakes. Photo by Boboroshi

In Baltimore, on the third Saturday of May, you can usually find a huge conglomerate of preps gathered at the infield of Pimlico, home of the Preakness Stakes. The Preakness is the second leg of the Triple Crown, with horses running 1 3/16 miles, or 9½ furlongs, competing for prize money and a replica of the gorgeous Woodlawn Vase. The original Woodlawn Vase, created by Tiffany, is on display at the Baltimore Museum of Art and is valued at over 4 million dollars. I like to visit it on a regular basis : )

The Woodlawn Vase

Preps convene to watch the races, get a sun tan, and drink some beer. No longer a big BYOB bash, and now, horrors of horrors a bikini contest to boot, the appeal of Preakness has waned for many. This year, the Kegasus, half man, half horse, may scare away the few remaining infield goers. But even without the preptastic party, Preakness has a long tradition in Baltimore, stretching back to 1873. Away from the noisy infield, you can still find ladies in gorgeous hats  and the horsey set sipping more respectable beverages.

and now Penny…
I always have a hard time watching horse racing or any other type of animal racing, being the proud owner of  a small “horse,” Pencil a.k.a. Penny. Most recently, Barbaro, a beautiful thoroughbred, shattered his leg racing the  heartbreaking 2006 Preakness. Pimlico renamed one of the Preakness Day races the Barbaro Stakes in honor of the beautiful horse. So please keep your fingers crossed, hopefully no horses will be hurt racing the Triple Crown this year.

Who Me? Penny checking out the scene at the AVAM kinetic sculpture race.

Last night, I flipped on the tv to watch yet another recap of the Royal Wedding. Instead, I could not believe my eyes as I saw celebrations in front of the White House. After 9 and a half years, Bin Laden is dead. It took a moment to sink in.

With much sadness, I remember that cloudless day in September, when evil flew in from above. Nine and a half years feels like an eternity to me, in a land before before terror threat levels, Al Qaeda, and pat downs to board planes.

My heart goes out to the families of the victims of September 11, I hope they have found peace in their hearts. Many thanks as well to the military for protecting our great country.

Celebrations at the White House. Photo by: theqspeaks

Celebrations at Ground Zero Photo by: Dan Nguyen

The dress, the ceremony, the kisses, such a magical day full of tradition and celebration. A fairy tale wedding for Kate and Princess Diana’s oldest son. Who thought this day would ever come. The Queen, looking splendid in yellow, bestowed the couple the titles: William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge.

A Royal Kiss - Footage from NBC

A beautiful ceremony at Westminster Abbey, the church was filled with flowers. The Duchess looked simply regal wearing a classic 1950s-inspired gown designed by Sarah Burton, sure to be copied for years to come. And as always William looked dashing in his red military jacket. After the ceremony, the newlyweds proceeded to Buckingham Palace to say hello to their adoring fans and attend a reception hosted by the Queen.

Though just watching from my 2 TVs ( DVRed coverage on TLC, BBC, and NBC) it was wonderful to see the festivities taking place around London today. I wish I could have been there! I must commend NBC and Matt, Meredith, and Anne for the great coverage.

Wedding Day Message. Photo by Garry Knight

Royal Celebrations in London. Photo by Belkus

I hope the royal couple has a long marriage with much happiness in their future.

Buckingham Palace

Unable to fly to London for William and Kate’s big day, I decided to host my own Royal Wedding Gala in Preppyland. I’m setting my DVRs and polishing the tea set, coverage starts at 4am (EST) on April 29, with BBC America promising full coverage of the wedding.

What to Wear:
PJs and tiaras. Break out your pearls and heirloom jewelry

Decorations:
Fresh Flowers- English Rose, Lavender
White Linen Table Clothes
English Ivy and candles
Silver Tea Set

What to Serve:
Champagne to toast the royal couple
English Breakfast Tea
Strawberries and Cream
Eggs Benedict with Asparagus
Scalloped Potatoes
Wedding Cake

Be sure to download the NBC William and Kate Wedding App. Not only does it feature a store with a replica of the Lady Di engagement ring, but countless photos, and memoriabilla about the wedding.

Westminster Abbey

Normally, I am out celebrating St. Patrick’s Day…all month long. But this year Miss Penny put a crimp in my plans. She was off socializing at a Sunday playdate, when she hurt herself, so off to the emergency room we went. A few stitches and a couple hundred dollars later, we were back on our feet.

...well, almost

Miss Penny didn’t even mind her new punk haircut. But in a brief moment of rock n’ roll anarchy, she ripped out her stitches on Wednesday. Back to the emergency room we went…

I keep telling her how much we love her new necklace and t-shirt.

Penny's Brand New Cruisewear

Mr. Ranger has had enough