USA! USA! USA!

Mexican Diver 1: Listo?

Mexican Diver 2: Listo.

Mexican Diver 1: Uno, Dos, Tres, Va!


American Diver 1: Ready?

American Diver 2: Yep

American Diver 1: One, Two, Three, Go!


This was my favorite part of the Olympics last night. I was watching the synchronized diving and each team said the same thing on the platform before they took off flipping and twisting into the water. I'm pretty sure the Chinese were saying it too, but then I definitely do not know any Mandarin; so really it could have been anything.

None the less it just fascinates me how similar all the athletes are. The same looks of disappointment plagues those who falter and the same tears of joy fall from those who don't.

I cried too. It is the second time this Olympics I have cried. You may think the first time was when Phelps lost, or Lochte lost last night, but nope. The first time was when Dana Torres didn't qualify. I wasn't affected by it at all until she said her biggest disappointment came when her daughter asked, "So we aren't going to London?" Yah, I lost it.

Last night it was seeing the American diver's mama cry. It's so sweet... and I know how proud my mama and Dado were when I broke a few silly, little records at my tiny University in Bronx, so I can't imagine the enormous amount of pride the mamas have over in London. The American diver's mom had me choked up as she watched her son win a medal in diving for the US for the first time since 2000.

Right now as it stands the US is tied with the Chinese for the most medals. It actually sounds a little bit crazy to me because it seems there has been more disappointment that triumph for the Americans.

That could change tonight though. Phelps is going for another medal... or two and for the title of the most decorated Olympian in history. No big deal. USA! USA! USA!

I've been cheering for the Brits a little bit too. I mean, come on, they are our biggest ally in the world so why not? The cycling road race was exhilarating in both the men's and women's events. A young Brit won the Silver for the women and her male teammate had the same fortune.

Yet this is an example of how they can differ so much as opposed to the synchronized divers I mentioned.

See the male British rider was expected to win and in the last 500 meters a feisty, little guy from Kazakhstan took advantage of the Brit rider looking back on the pack and broke away for Gold. The British rider was pissed, and almost seemed embarrassed to wear the Silver medal. I didn't feel bad for him though, the Kazakhstani rider beat him fair and square.

However, the female Brit was elated with her finish. She was quoted after saying it was "the best moment of her life." She fought a hard battle too in the last meters and just came up short. It was no embarrassment to her though, she was incredibly proud and I bet somewhere her mama was crying tears of joy.

All of the competition is fantastic. Competition breeds excellence. But there have been a few moments to complain about...

Opening Ceremonies were a mess...well the first half was. They did a tribute to times past or something and included the Industrial Revolution. I get that it was a major time for the Brits, but little kids jumping on beds that lit up, just seemed weird.

The Queen's entrance was a little bit corny and her unwillingness to crack a smile as the entire world watched her country on display seemed odd to me too.

With that said the ending when all the gold pieces each team brought in were used to light the ginormous torch in the center of the stadium, I was in awe. What a great representation of countries uniting in competition. If the entire presentation had been the countries walking in and that final torch lighting, it would have been spectacular. That first part really put a damper on the ceremony as a whole. I hope people hung around to see the end because like I said it was incredible.

Now the only other complaint I've seen is apparently the coverage on NBC is spotty. I have not tried to stream anything live yet, but from what I hear, and read on Twitter, it is a miracle if you actually get the feed.

To that I will say, this is the first time a network has attempted to provide this type viewing. People, chill out. There were times when we couldn't watch the competitions at all, much less in real time. Maybe NBC will falter some, but I think having the opportunity to read about the different sports as they happen is pretty awesome. Following the athletes on Twitter is unreal. I knew that the Men's 400 relay won a medal about 15 minutes after it actually happened several time zones away. THAT IS AWESOME. And I got to watch the race that night in primetime. I'd say that is pretty good coverage.

Now I am about to try and stream the Fab 5 in their attempt to bring home Gold in the Women's Team Final. If it fails, then I will jump on the bandwagon of criticizing NBC.

Until then... USA! USA! USA!

xoxo Sara Marie

So Long Emily!

The Bachelorette is finally over. She chose Jef... One "F" Jef. I think it was a lame choice. I think it is a lame show. The whole finale she went on and on about how she was not sure if she would end up engaged, and low and behold, he asked and after a made-for-TV pause, she said "yes." Duh.

I will say I think these two might actually get married. Which is not something at least 90% of the other Bachelors and Bachelorettes can say. With that, I guess I can't say the show is a sham, but it definitely seemed rather scripted and there has got to be a ridiculous amount they do not show.

Which brings me to this... why not show more? That would make it more "real" and isn't that what a reality show is supposed to be? There are obviously a ton of commercials. Fine I get that, I mean someone has to pay for the guys suites at the Curacao resort and Emily's House and Emily's parents’ house and the crew and and and... To all stay...in style... in this tropical paradise. But why all the recaps, and conversations between Emily and Chris? Why not show more of the guys with Emily? Maybe it’s because then there would be no suspense? Maybe because it was obvious and real with One-F-Jef and the viewer would have no reason to watch so many episodes? I don't know their reasoning for 7 recaps an episode and at least 2 segments solely Chris and Emily talking.

One of my favorite parts of the whole thing was the bloopers during the guy's show. It was raw and hilarious. Show more of that ABC.

Jef said last night that one of the things he loves most and Emily is how witty and funny she is. Well a random viewer of this show would NEVER say those two things. I saw her witty maybe once (when she went back and forth with Kalon) and funny... uh...rarely.

Anyway to cut this ramble short, I'll just say that I would be more inclined to watch another season of this show if it included more of the actual dates and guys/girls, and less talking about stuff we obviously didn't even see a lot of... whatever. I'm done, so is the show... on to the OLYMPICS!!!

xoxo Sara Marie

The 5%

Here is the bottom line with Ted Cruz or David Dewhurst folks...

95% of the votes they would cast in the United States Senate would be EXACTLY the same. There is going to be a very, very small amount of votes that they would probably differ on and those are where you need to look.

In those occurrences David Dewhurst will play the political game. It sounds awful, the game that is. Politicians should not play games, but that is the way the system works---and has ALWAYS worked. Really the political games are nothing more than the media's way of characterizing compromise.

Sometimes we win, sometimes we don't but regardless, the game is played.
David Dewhurst has run the Texas Senate for 10 years. That is what a Lieutenant Governor in the State of Texas does. They are President of the Senate. So who better to go up to Washington and smack around those liberal, Federal-Government loving guys than one who is so familiar with how their game is played?

Well certainly not a man who has never cast a single vote in either house of the legislature.

Ted Cruz is a champion of conservative crusades. That is true. He is a litigator, he fights for a living. So when there is gridlock in Washington why would we send someone who will only add to that?

The 5% of votes that would differentiate Dewhurst and Cruz are important. They are things that would break the Senate free of gridlock or add to it. Dewhurst could use his knowledge of negotiation to compromise conservatively, or Cruz can go and kick and scream and refuse to let go despite the need for solutions.

I'm going with Dewhurst on this one. And if I'm wrong, hey, we still will have a really great US Senator, 95% of the time.

Sounds like a win- win for Texas!

Don't forget to Vote. Early Voting (at any location) July 23rd through July 27th and Run-Off Electioon Day is July 31st. Do it, or don't complain.

xoxo Sara Marie

Give Yourself a Chance...

Go get your Concealed Handgun License. I know that if I had been in that theatre there would have been at least a chance at retaliation in a proportional response. Maybe he was prepared and had a bullet proof vest on, but maybe I would have shot that coward in the leg and given a few of the victims a better chance at getting away or hiding or whatever. Or maybe not, maybe I would have frozen up and not been able to pull my own trigger in defense, but I would have had the chance to change the outcome.

There will be the argument that the availability of guns is why this man opened fire on an innocent crowd at the Dark Knight premiere in Colorado, but I disagree. Spoons don't make you fat. It’s not the scissors fault when you don't like your new haircut.

And the bad guys will always be bad guys. Well maybe not, people can change, but what I mean is that there will always be bad. There will always be crazy in the world. If you enact tougher guns laws it only makes it harder for people to protect themselves. The bad guys will get the guns. They obviously do not care about the law if they are plotting to kill anyway. Thus, tougher laws only hurt those who are wanting to arm themselves in defense.

So protect yourself if you can. I'm not sure what the laws are in Colorado specifically, but if you cannot have a CHL; elect some law makers who will consider it.

This isn't the first time this has happened, and it won't be the last. Say a prayer for those present in tragedy today, yesterday and the future. And then prepare yourself, in the event you’re in a similar situation one day... God forbid.

xoxo Sara Marie

To Answer Your Question, Jimmy Buffet...

Do you like Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain?

Everyone knows this song, and until yesterday my unequivocal answer to both was simple "nope."

And you might think this post is going to be about Happy Hour or some summer drink with a little umbrella, but nope!

Yesterday, despite some mounting clouds in the area, the BF and I decided to hop on our bikes for a nice, long bike ride along a bayou on the West side of town. We started out with a nice warm up for the first few miles. We got to the turnaround point at about 6 and a half miles. The air was thick, the clouds were plenty, but there was also still a ton of sunshine.

Now because it was so humid I went for the ride back in just my sports bra and little bike shorts...sexy, I know. Anyway just after embarking on our trip to the truck, just over 6 miles, the Heavens opened and for the next 10 minutes, maybe 15 it was a torrential downpour.

At one point it was painful, the little pellets of fire (as I wrote about here) were stinging my body. I do have to say though; being sweaty, and then getting soaked makes the temperature and rain seem much less steamy.

And then it lightened up a bit. Don't get me wrong it was still a steady shower, but at least I wasn't saying "Omg ouch," over and over to myself.

So we get about 3 miles into this journey through an afternoon rain storm and there is a place in the trail that is under construction. In order to continue one must do a relatively easy off-roading stint.

On the way out it was fun and a little sandy, but now it was a slippery mud slide essentially. I got off Sasha D and walked up the hill and across the way. I slipped twice and almost ate the mud. The BF was more of a trooper and stayed on his bike. Well, until he slipped too and sat his butt in the mud for a second.

After crossing the street to get to the other side of the open trail we took a short break to discuss how adventurous biking in the rain is! Then we were back on our bikes and ready for the last few miles. That is when the rain was so light it was more like a nice mist to keep us from suffocating in the 175% humidity.

It was nice for a mile or so. I literally thought to myself, "I'm 10 or 11 miles in and this is wonderful!"

Then the rain stopped and it was a legit sauna… a sauna with a slick path. Every turn and hill was like riding on ice almost....an iced path full of mud puddles.

By the time it was over I was itchy mess from the mud stuck to my body. My sneakers were soaked through to the point that my socks squished as I walked.

It was a crazy bike ride but overall pretty awesome. Today I am a little sore and that means I did my body some good. It was fun; I felt a little bit like I was in the Tour de France and I love the Tour… or did when Lance was riding.

Anyway this point of this whole story is, yes, I do (now) enjoy "getting caught in the rain."

Maybe tonight at Happy Hour I'll try a Pina Colada.

xoxo Sara Marie

Damn the Rain

It's raining in Houston. It has been for at least the last few days, maybe as many as 5 or 6 and will continue to do so for that many more. Hurricane season? El Nino? Whatever the reason, it sucks.
Well if I was watching movies all day in my bed with popcorn and soda, it would be perfect… But despite the cuddle-up-in-the-sheets weather this morning, when I awoke, I climbed out of bed and hydroplaned twice on the way to work. Luckily it was not across a major freeway like I did back in 2010 when I just about totaled my car, but still... The point is excessive rain.

So that got me thinking about rain and depending on what it is your day entails it can be very welcomed or very disruptive. Beyond that, generally speaking, it can be so comfortable or really inconvenient.

And that takes me back to New York City circa 2007-2008. That was the year I spent, after four years in the Bronx, on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Just off Broadway I had a tiny apartment I shared with a friend from back home. Each day we braved the streets of NYC and went about our dramatic first year out of the safety net of college.
The summer time in NYC is hot. 90 degrees in that concrete jungle is the Texan equivalent to 110 degrees… at least. They are experiencing this now and my heart sweats, aches for them.

But when it rained in the city... oh it was so lovely. It was as though, if only for a few minutes, at the start of a soft summer rain the city would slow down. It would relax its noise and calm the day.

Don't get me wrong, there is a fearless battle fought on the sidewalks of NYC between those with umbrellas and those without. Those without shamelessly losing that said battle when eye pokes and water running onto their head plague their routine walk to and from work. But none the less it takes a hot, heat-trapped summer day and makes it bearable if not little bit tranquil.

See the rain in New York in the summer is cold. In Houston it is a steamy, sauna feeling when it rains. (And when it doesn't for that matter.) The ground here is so hot I guess that even 10 degrees cooler won't make much of a difference. And the rain, the actual drops are warm, if not hot. They are little pellets of fire really that only add to the sweat of a normal July afternoon.

In New York the water falling from the Heavens is cool and almost sweet. It seems to freshen the day. It is like working out then taking a cold shower. The City heats up from the outrageous summer temperatures, and then a summer storm rolls in and cleans it of the salty mess it had become.

Maybe I'm just bitter today and missing my old stomping grounds. Maybe tomorrow I'll get out of work a little early and snuggle up on the couch with the BF to watch a movie… And then the flooding around the city will seem further away and less of a headache, but until then I'm going to remind myself of this: The rain in NYC may just be the ideal sweet, summer refreshment, but those nasty winter storms sure make up for Mother Nature's consideration during these summer months. And it’s at that time I will be very thankful for my current location in the warm wintered Houston, TX.

Stay dry my friends.

xoxo Sara Marie

The Return of the Squash.

My Dado has a garden. He has a huge garden that mammoth veggies come out of each year. And to me it seems like each year a different veggie takes over the whole thing. For instance I can remember in years past when his corn was taller than me. Now I am only 5'4, but a corn stalk that is almost 6 feet tall is pretty impressive. Then there were years when it would take hours to pick all the green beans he had.

This year it is squash and zucchini. He has some zucchinis that are the size of a t-baller's bat. They are small weapons! So after visiting last weekend I brought a bunch home with me.

The first attempt to whip some up for dinner was the below par squash cakes incident I wrote about here. I wouldn't let a little of smoke and crumbly cakes get me down though, I bounced back yesterday with an awesome breakfast and lunch.

Up first was an idea for a veggie omelet at 7am. I knocked this out of the park. There was only one complaint. It went like this:

Chop up some yellow squash and green bell pepper and red jalapeno. I left the seeds in the jalapeno because I had this idea that homegrown jalapenos were not as spicy as the ones you get at the store.

Anyway, next get that mix cooking in a sauce pan. When the veggies are almost cooked add in two beaten eggs and black pepper. After a few minutes fold the mix in half and sprinkle with cheese. Remove and enjoy!

And enjoy I did, after I set my mouth on fire. Not because it was hot from the stove, but rather spicy from that red jalapeno! Insanely spicy. Note to self: Homegrown jalapenos are just as hot, if not hotter than the ones you buy at the store. Lesson learned.

And that heat was my only complaint. Other than that my omelet was delicious. I made another and threw it in the fridge to wait for lunch time.

And when lunch time rolled around, maybe it was that spice from the morning but I was feelin' like mixing it up a little. So, I grilled up some chicken, sliced and avocado and threw it in with my egg mix! It was even better than breakfast!

So after having a not so great start to my week of summer squash recipes, I ended on a hot, high note!

And all this squash cooking has kept me right on track for my July New Year's Resolution (in my attempt at one resolution per month) to cook three times a week. Two weeks in and at least 6 meals have been prepared at home. #winning

Happy Thursday!

xoxo Sara Marie