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

Top Chef, Fail.

Last night I nearly burned down my apartment. Ok that is a stretch because the smoke detector didn't even go off, but I'm almost positive it would have if I had not opened my balcony door.

My goal was to make squash cakes… little fried patties of grated squash and onion. I knew in my head the basic concept of making them, and had a recipe, but didn't follow either and ended up with a giant mess on my hands.

It went like this:

I started by grating the squash. Those things have a ton of water in them too. So I tried to drain as much off as I could and went through 37 paper towels. Then I added some grated onion and garlic too. I was getting fancy and felt good at this point. Then I got the assembly line ready with a plate of Panko bread crumbs and flour. I also tossed some flour in the grated veggies. That was something my mama did to her potato cakes last weekend at the beach. I felt like a real pro remembering that.

Anyway, this is where things get messy, literally. The grated veggies did not want to stick together and they were still pretty water-filled. Imagine wetness, and flour and bread crumbs all over my kitchen. Then I would turn from one side of the kitchen with the crumbling mess and throw it into the hot grease. With the mess still all over my hands I would grab the spatula to move the cake around to pick up the stray piece in the grease. Then it was whip back around and try to assemble the next one quickly to get it in the grease within the same time frame as the one already in the grease, thus the flipping of the cakes could be coordinated. I got about three in and then start the flipping. Then I waited and took them out when they were done. Now lots of pieces were floating in the grease despite my efforts to get those all on the frying cakes. The oil was very hot too. So about half way through my second batch of three the oil and stray pieces began to burn and the smoke was engulfing my whole place. I took the pan off the burner and opened the balcony door as the vent on high was not enough to get rid of the smoke.

Batch three was basically it. I did a few more after that but they were not successful. All in all I made about 10 before giving up and of those probably 5 were nice looking and/or edible.

As those cooled I warmed up some already cooked turkey meatballs and had those with the 5 cakes worth eating. Together it was yummy but independently the cakes were not the greatest things I've ever made. And in the end after eating the squash cakes I realized they were way too greasy. Next time I will bake them and I think things will be a lot more successful and certainly cleaner in the kitchen.

Until then...

xoxo Sara Marie

Sean is Available!

Sure hope you didn't DVR Bachelorette because I just spoiled it if you did! Here are my thoughts on last night's second to last Bachelorette episode:

It was time for fantasy dates or overnight dates, whatever they have been called in the past. And I will start by saying there is so much "fluff" in these episodes it is ridiculous. They could makes these 30 minute episodes if they took out all of the "Emily staring into the ocean," "Emily walking along the beach," "Emily riding in a boat," and "recap" segments. It is shocking to notice how little time is given to the actual dates and time with Emily and her guys vs. all the other stuff.

Moving along, the first date was Sean. And hello Emily's boobies. Goodness! I am not sure if I just have not paid any attention previously or what, but those things were massive and in your face last night.

Ok ok so on to the date... Sean is adorable. He seems like a really nice guy. Probably not someone I would ever date, but I know a bunch of nice girls (ahem, Dirty E) who would love to be taken care of by this guy. One reason I could never date him, he showed up to his date in Toms. You know the shoes that look like wash cloths wrapped around your feet... yah the guy version. Gross. I get that a pair is sent to Africa or something for some kid who needs shoes, but honestly I bet that kid could use food or clean water more than those flimsy zapatos. Getting back to the date, Emily basically begged for him to say "I love you," and he finally did toward the end. They look cute together, he is very genuine, and I think she was afraid it was too good to be true. I think she sent him packing because he is too good and too perfect. Interesting, and I think it might just bite her in the ass.

However, the next date was pretty good for her too. Jef was second and they seem to have a really great time together. At first it was a little bit awkward, Jef was almost fake. For instance Emily told them what they were doing, going on a sailboat and his response in a very fake voice was something like, "oh goodie, that is neat." Ok it wasn't that lame, but it just wasn't as raw as I think it should have been. While Jef and Emily definitely look cute and mesh well, I think the whole Ricki thing is going to be the obstacle here. Three different times Jef asked Emily if he would be a good dad. He seems terrified of the idea. The other guys sort of assumed the role and told Emily how they would handle it where Jef was asking Emily for those answers more than giving them. I certainly don't know much about parenting first hand, but I'd imagine if you have to ask if you will be a good parent, you probably are not ready for it. I think that comes from within...or should.

Emily on this date was hot. Her dress at dinner was super fun and I'd love to know where it was designed. She says "like" more than a high school sophomore though, and I wanted to rip my ears off.

Anyway this date ends the same way Sean's did, in the fantasy suite but not staying the night. Cool, I get that whole "I don't want my daughter seeing my stay the night with three different guys" bit. Classy.

Then comes the Arie date. As stated by my guest blogger here, Arie is lame... lame but I think genuine. I use that word a lot but that is because there were so many fake guys in the beginning, and guys you know are just saying shit to be on TV. I think Arie is being Arie. I can imagine him off the show just as lovey-dovey and sometimes goofy as he appears on the show. He does lick his lips too often though. That is kind of weird.

One thing I noticed is that Emily said something about how she would be fine moving to Scottsdale to live with Arie, but she told Jef something different. She told him she had never been to Seattle and would rather live elsewhere. Interesting and I think that could contribute to her final decision. She didn't give Arie the chance to go to the fantasy suite but said it was because she didn't trust herself to send him home at the end of the night. I thought that was hilarious.

At the Rose Ceremony Emily's outfit is awful. The skirt is elaborate and pretty, but paired with the tank top, it seems out of place. Sean goes home and he handled it like a freaking champ. Most guys cry and ask what they did wrong like they are middle school girls, but Sean said "Thanks, I'll miss ya and goodbye." Don't get me wrong you could tell he was hurt, maybe even a little bit pissed off, but he took it like a man, and that made him even more attractive to viewers, I'm sure.

So next week is the guy’s show where they all come back. Stupid, I won't watch it, but the next week is the finale. Sunday the 22nd. Luckily it is before the Olympics start. I would not be missing some track and field or swimming for this show!

I will make my prediction that she chooses Jef, but does not get engaged. How could she agree to marry someone who has never met her daughter? Bogus. A crappy ending to a show I probably won't watch again because the season is so long and getting a little ridiculous.

17 days until the Olympics!

xoxo Sara Marie

Guest Post!!!

Ok when I started watching Bachelorette, I mentioned I may have a guy guest blogger on it. Well, after realizing how impossible it would be to have a guy watch one episode, let alone the entire season, I let that idea go.

But what I have come to notice is the extreme difference in gals that watch it. One girl can take something completely different away from the same episode another girl watched. I realized this as my sisterpants, mema and I were discussing it last weekend. We all liked the same guys, but still have such different perceptions of the guys and their intentions.

Obviously if you are reading this you have probably already read at least one or two of my previous Bachelorette posts. (Here is one, and another, and another, etc) Well here is a response email from another viewer to me after my last post on the show:

No way....you CANNOT like Arie.  He is a complete TOOLBAG.  He is sappier than Sean (who by the way is the only one who hasn't confessed an undying love for Emily, which I find more respectable than the rest who have probably gushed prematurely for show purposes only...except for Jef)...Arie is always trying to gaze into Emily's eyes and does dumb stuff like lick his lips before going in for the kiss as if it is planned.  I just do not think Arie is attractive at all, and his family is so 'different' than the way she has been living with Rickie for the past 6 years....

I do, however, agree with you that Jef is pretty cool and I would be totally excited if he ends up the winner....I am just a little weary since his parents weren't there and wonder if that will cause Emily to be weary too.

Chris is just too immature...end of story.  Nice guy, but not ready.

Sean...LOVE HIM.  He seems to be more genuine than the others and doesn't just say stuff to say it.  I am also a tad biased because he is Texan....but I feel like his lifestyle would be the easiest to merge with...both Emily and Rickie...but I just wonder if Sean being from Texas (the same state Brad was from) will cause hesitation for Emily....

So, who knows what will happen....I'm rooting for Sean and Jef. :)

 So there ya have it, a different perspective than mine! Happy Thursday!

xoxo Sara Marie

Real Americans

Yesterday, on our nation's birthday, I was what you would call a "Real American." What I mean by that is...

I started out the day shopping for a theme party. First stop was the all-American Memorial City Mall. If driving out almost to the suburbs to one-stop-shop is not American, I'm not sure what is...

But then it got even more American when the BF and I decided to outsource our shopping. Yep, we headed over to the ghetto... the Chinese ghetto. Harwin, as it's called in Houston is home to some very diverse people and places. We got EXACTLY what we were looking for and then some by the time we headed to our American lunch.

And that my friends, was this:

Bubba's Texas Burger Shack, under Hwy 59 South just about a block from my condo! Bubba serves up the best Buffalo burger in the city and it was the perfect, and very American, lunch for the 4th of July. The flag was a bonus.

From there it was time to hit up the pool and after that it was over to a neighborhood bar for a few drinks and rounds of Connect Four. Booze and yards games are almost as American as bison and purchasing Chinese goods.

The day ended with none other than an Italian meal. Meatballs and Rotini (with zucchini from my Dad's garden!) and it too was fantastic.

All in all we did a few things true to the US and a few things copied or barrowed from countries that make up our melting-pot nation... And I can't think of anything more American than that.

Happy Birthday America!

xoxo Sara Marie

Third to Last Bachelorette Post, Horray!

Chris went home. And it is a good thing too. His hometown was super cute complete with a Polka band and dancing, but he was definitely more into it than Emily. She kept using her standard "I'm so excited to be here..." lines and it was simply awkward.

Jef was next and his hometown was awesome. It was St George, Utah and they were at his family's ranch that was massive. His parents were not there. I found that to be a little bit strange. He said they were doing charity work in South Carolina. Good excuse, but just seemed weird. Anyway, his brothers and sisters all loved Emily, and when this particular date ended Jef was my new favorite for Emily. They seem to have less forced conversations and more genuine interactions than the others.

Then she went to Arizona and met Arie's family. They are European and very different, at least that is what Arie said. I didn't see it. The dad was most concerned with his son's happiness and the mother was a little bit protective. Aside from their accents, they were pretty much exactly like most parents. The interesting thing about this date was if you look at Arie's parents... a tall, dark dad and a thin, pretty blonde; and then you look at Arie and Emily, they are very similar. It was almost eerie they were so alike in looks.

Finally there was Sean. His family played a few jokes, which was cool although the jokes were kind of lame. But then Sean is kind of lame. What I mean is that he is sappy. He is a little too emotional for me. When their date was over Emily got in the car and was leaving and Sean ran after her to get one more kiss. That was romantic and cute, but some of the things he says are just too much for this gal.

In the end Chris went home like I said. And as the episode progressed any viewer knew that was coming. So next week they are off to Curacao and that is where this journey... and subsequent blog posts... will end. Like I said yesterday, it is beginning to wear on me so this will be a much welcomed ending. I am pulling for either Jef or Arie. And if I remember correctly Arie was one of my favorites from the very first night! I obviously know how to pick'em!

xoxo Sara Marie

Just Stupid

This weekend in Port Aransas my BF and I saw this...

A 99% sticker (and Obama 2012) on a new BMW. Really? 99% in a luxury car? If that is not an oxy-moron, I'm not sure what is... Let's not let these folks make the big decision in November. Clearly they don't quite understand...

xoxo Sara Marie

Fotografias

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then this blog post will be around five or 6 thousand words.

Blackberry picture dump:

This is my sister at Minute Maid Park with her favorite Astro, Biggio (who went to her colligate alma matar, Seton Hall!)

My Dado and his buddy fixing my tire (in the rain) after I had a nice little blowout on I35 in Dallas. I love this car, but in 2 years she has required two new tires. I think next time I will make sure to purchase the tire warranty too! Lesson learned!

My girl, Dirty E and I made some delicious pasta dishes during our Monday night Bachelorette watching parties. This one was pasta shells with squash, spinach, mushrooms and a lemon sause (on the right) and a butternut squash pasta (left) Top Chef here we come!

My sister and her law firm in the Texas Lawyer Magazine. Her boss, and the signer of the message written, is on the cover. NO BIG DEAL. Sisterpants is on the far left!

That is my brother in law jumping massive waves out on the Gulf in Port Aransas inbetween storms this weekend. It was insane!

Dirty E at the Top Shot gun range on our office's 9mm Friday. The boss treated us to about 700 rounds of his 9mm and that masked man target was destroyed! Don't mess with the B&A gals!

Happy Summer!

xoxo Sara Marie

Presidential Post

About a year ago this was essentially a political blog with a few recipes thrown in there. Now-a-days I sometimes forget there is even a Presidential race occurring. I think it is funny how personal interest in something can really determine how important something seems in the world. A year ago there was nothing else except politics. I was on Twitter and Politico and Drudge and Real Clear Politics constantly all day. Now in my spare time it is Pinterest and the pool.

And it is not because the race ended or it became any less (or more) important in the world, I just shifted my focus. The race will go on whether I am involved or not.

So let's discuss that race as it stands now...

Romney will win. If the race were today, Mitt Romney would be the President of the United States come January 2013.

The economy is still sucking. Bailouts, President Obama's plan after plan, did not work… And this Obamacare that is not a tax; is now a tax so says the Supreme Court.

And while we are on that... everyone is pretty pissed-off at Chief Justice Roberts, but come on, he handed the election to Romney. You declare this--at the highest court in the land-- exactly what Obama said it was not, and you've made the President a liar… A liar and responsible for the largest tax increase on the middle class in the history of the United States. The conservatives should be thanking Roberts.

Romney needs help...or needed help. And he got it in the form of a Supreme Court decision. Couple that with higher gas prices and/or a few more bad jobs report and this thing, the Presidency, is the Republican’s to lose.

To think that the one guy, Romney, who is going to beat Obama(care) is the one Republican that tried the same concept and was responsible for the framework of the very issue that will allow him the win, is beyond me. But it is what it is... and that is a Republican victory on Nov. 6, 2012.

Here's to us not screwing this up...again.

xoxo Sara Marie

My Shows

Ok so I missed Bachelorette last week. I do know that Doug and Wolf went home…no shocker there. I called that last week, but whatever. So we are down to our last 4 guys and my top two are still Sean and Chris. With that said, apparently in the episode I missed Chris was a total douche bag. So maybe I'll just have a top guy, Sean.

Now, I did hear about a spoiler that said something about Jef being spotted at a Virginia airport recently over a weekend, and during that weekend Emily and Jeff were silent on Twitter; while Sean and Arie were both Twitter-active. That could be a stretch, I've flown through VA airports before, but it could also mean he was with Emily. We will see...

Now I have to be honest and say that I am getting bored with Bachelorette. I think it is a lot like American Idol. I love the beginning of the show with all the auditions, but when it gets down to the top 10 or so I lose interest. I think I am more of an entertainment type viewer, not an invested viewer. What I mean is I watch for entertainment value, not to be invested in any of the participants.

And guess what perfect timing I have in my television ADHD?!?! Well, WEEDS is back.

Now if you have never seen an episode of WEEDS, I suggest you start at the beginning. Almost two years ago, ok about a year and a half I bought the first 4 seasons or so for my BF after he went through knee surgery. Talk about getting invested in the show, I was flat addicted. After blowing through the first four seasons it was back to Target to get Season 5. Then I watched Season 6 via YouTube, and finally the 7th season aired last year, of which I did not miss an episode.

Now during the 7th season it was said that it was the final season. It ended with a MAJOR cliffhanger and what do ya know? They're back.

This will be the final season, and I am distraught over not having picked up Showtime yet. Thus I did miss the first episode of this new season last night, but have plans to watch it On Demand tomorrow. Don't worry; I will obviously let yall know exactly what I think of it!

Until then...

xoxo Sara Marie

Neon Lights!

This past Monday I was lucky enough to wind up with some tickets to the Coldplay concert at the Toyota Center here in Houston. Now, I will say that I am not a huge Coldplay fan. I loved the song, "Yellow," but other than that one and maybe a few other Top 40 hits they have, I'm not some diehard fan. But I like concerts, and I had not yet been to the Toyota Center.

So we rolled up a little early and enjoyed some food and the opening acts. Well one of the opening acts anyway. The first up was Wolfgang, a British band who was a lot like Coldplay. They were younger, but had that same sound to their songs. They were having a great time on stage and that made it impossible to not enjoy the performance.

Wolfgang

Then came, Robyn. Now Dirty E was with me and she said something before this gal took stage like, "oh she was on Gossip Girl recently and was really good, I'm excited." Boy was she wrong. Apparently the appearance on the very popular show was much different from her opening act at this concert.

This girl was wearing a grandmother's sports bra with a see-through shirt over it. From the bottom she had a June Cleaver style blue skirt with blue tights and bright green spandex under the skirt that she repeatedly lifted up. To round out the ridiculous outfit she had white tights on with lime green, platform Doc Martin boots. Oh and did I mention her hair? She had two really long pieces on the sides of her face and the rest was a bowl cut.

This girl is...interesting.

Her look matched her performance. She went from bogus, drunk-girl style dancing to some pretty impressive hip-hop moves while shouting awful rap type lyrics. When she finally did sing a few ballads, mixed to club style beats, she had a good voice, but the overall performance was just mind- blowing terrible.

Then came the real show of the night. I'll start by backing up a minute. When we walked in the lady taking our tickets urged us to take and put on a Coldplay wristband. Then as we walked to our seats we saw signs that instructed concert goers to "Be sure to wear their wristband." When we arrived to our seats there were again signs and even announcements to put the wristbands on. We got the message and wore the wristbands.

So when Coldplay was taking the stage the place obviously went dark. The first thing to light up was the highlighter, neon graffiti all over the stage. Then neon lights went shooting across the arena. And finally as the band rushed the stage, all at once everyone's wristbands lit up different neon colors. The place was electric.

Thousands of little blinking neon lights!

About halfway through the kick-off song cannons of confetti shot into the air and covered the place in little neon pieces of paper. And by the time that first song was done I think everyone in the Toyota Center had a new favorite band. 

Confetti cannons!!!

The next few songs were a little bit lower keys but still very impressive. And right when things seem to be slowing down, BOOOM, confetti cannon and blinking wristbands again! This time they added even more when huge balloons fell from the rafters! Everyone was bouncing them into the air and tons ended up on stage. It was awesome chaos with a really great soundtrack playing.

PaRtY!!

The roller coaster then slowed down for a few songs and song extremely well played guitar solos before one final neon drenched finale. We got out of there before the encore but if it was anything like the rest of the concert, I'm sure it was spectacular.

My favorite Coldplay song, Yellow.

All in all it was a great decision to accept the tickets. I have a new respect for the band Coldplay and I would recommend to anyone seeing one of their concerts. Especially since you get to keep that fun little wristband!

xoxo Sara Marie

On to July!

Ok folks, New Year’s Resolution update. In a word, failure. Here's what's up...

My goal was to attend church more often. I had this whole plan to make going to this new church close by my condo each Sunday. Well Sundays are difficult because when I am out of town on the weekend, I miss it. So then I thought I could drop in and do a weekday Mass or two...and it just didn't happen.

Now in my defense I will say this, I like going to church and I don't want that to change. When we are kids I think we dread going to church because we have to wake up early and we are forced to do it. Well, as an adult, we make the decision to attend or not. And when I go to church, I love it. I always come away with a nice perspective and it feels good.

Now with my set goal of attending three times this month it was almost as though I was forcing myself to attend again. And while on Sundays I can go to the 530pm Mass, on the weekdays, it is 7am. So here I am being forced and waking up early to reach my goal.

So I didn't succeed. But I don't feel awful about it because I have found a new church, and I do still enjoy going. I know you shouldn't just give thanks to the Lord when you have time for it, but my relationship with God is just fine. I have a great life, I have him to thank, and I do that daily. I also think I do a pretty good job of being a pretty good person. I certainly am not perfect, and so I do attend church when I can. I always will.

So instead of dwelling on this particular monthly New Year's Resolution, I am going to cut my losses now and look ahead to next month.

And next up... Cook three nights a week! Now this may be really easy for some, but I have this really good habit of buying a bunch of stuff to cook in a week, then all of it spoiling because I work late, or have evening meetings. Not this month though. In the month of July I will succeed!!!

Stay tuned to find out if I do...

xoxo Sara Marie

Love Affair with Water

Ok so if you don't know, the title is from a country song... Brad Paisley's "Water." It's a fun summer song and probably should have been the theme song of my weekend.


It was Father's Day weekend, so the BF and I packed up and headed home where our fathers live within the same neighborhood.


The first stop was my Dado's pool. See both of our dads have pools, and both of our dads spend a lot of time and money making sure their pools are in top condition. However, both dads also don't have children at home anymore to enjoy those fancy lookin' pools. So the BF and I decided to show a little love to the pools and make our afternoon center around them.



And after jumping around in my Dado's pool and scaring my parent's doggies a little, we headed over to the BF's dad's pool. We hung out there for the rest of the afternoon and sufficiently tanned and pruned in the fingers we went to dinner and finished our Friday night. (at Cafe Blue in the Galleria, my Dado is an investor and it is more than delicious!)


Saturday my family headed out to the lake for some boating and jet skis. I don't think I have to describe anything as the pictures can speak for themselves...

Me and the BF in the background

That's me and Dado, he's nuts on the jet ski and it's awesome!

Dado and his gals

Sisterpants and my brother in law and me and the bf, yes I know my hair is awesome, back off.

My BF is a badass.

I forgot my shoes in Dado's truck. Sisterpants to the rescue. (Note that BF carried my up some insanly steep stairs and at this point we were just being goofy.)

And guess what we did on Sunday? Yep. Back to the pool. This time it was water volleyball. The last time I played water volleyball I took a spike in the nose and yah, it wasn't pretty. Now because that was 13 years ago, I decided to let it go and join in the fun. Unfortunately my team did not do so well, but if having a great time was the prize, we did win that! Lots of laughter and sun and we ended with banana pudding served poolside, no in the pool! It was awesome.

Champ

Banana Pudding, my favorite, literally while still in the pool!

being funny, or weird. haha

Happy Summer!



xoxo Sara

Back to Back!

Back to back Bachelorette posts! Really that just means I haven't posted in a week. Well, sorry I was busy having a fantastic weekend with the family down in Austin. More on that later...

But here we are... another Monday. So of course my girlfriend Dirty E came over again and we whipped up (read: "we" as "mostly she") a delicious pasta dish with veggies and watched good'ol Emily try and find her a hubby.

I took two pages of notes, here they go...

Ryan is flat creepy. He has the voice of a pedophile. Yep, he does. The wife-beater shirt he had on early in the episode did not help that image either.

Now Travis, this guy is a sweetheart. He was a big manly-man that I thought Emily would really be into, but alas, no rose for him on the one on one date. I felt so bad for him when he said something like, "my heart is this big..." and held his hands far apart. He will make some gal happy one day.

The group date was interesting. I get the whole movie thing, the plot matching Emily's life, her liking stupid movies because she has a young daughter, but despite all that; I thought it was a dumb date. Until the games began! Then the boys put on some tight fitting tops showing their biceps quite well and.... KILTS, gross. And then they had to ride donkeys! My goodness this girl is really going for that whole, "if you can handle me at my worst, then you get me at my best..." mentality huh?

Anyway the games were fun to watch because, really, what girl doesn't love a little competition? Sean dominated and that was great because he is cute. Minus the bleached hair the guy is put together well.

TIME OUT: Why were they wearing kilts and playing Scottish games when they were in Croatia? I never figured that out. Additionally I'll take this aside to say that the jacket Emily was wearing (while the guys were obviously freezing to death in the sleeveless/kilt combo) was pretty fabulous.

Back to the group date...Chris, poor Chris. That man sucks at sports. But I will give him credit for not making excuses and handling it very well. A guy who can laugh at himself is a very secure guy. Arie is cute. He has good hands and seems pretty confident. These are also good things.

The next thing I noted was when Arie and Emily were walking around on their date... when he put her against that wall to kiss her both Dirty E and I gasped. Fantasy land! Tall, dark and handsome man leans you against a wall in a foreign city to kiss you? Yah that is what dreams are made of...

Oh then we go back to Ryan. This guy is the definition of a tool bag guy... also known as a douche bag... also known as a loser who, spoiler alert, GOES HOME.

His facial hair is atrocious. The delicate design that is obviously manicured into it is just ridiculous. His bright blue suede shoes were a joke at best and this guy thinks higher of himself than men twice as good as him should.

With that said, I'll move on to Jef.

Now Jef I'm starting to feel sorry for because I just don't think he has what it takes. And I think he knew that coming in and played this goofy, fun guy. But now after a few rounds, I think he is thinking things might work out for him and Emily. And he is great, the perfect little brother type, or best guy friend kind of person, but I just don't think there are sparks flying in Emily's eyes when they are together. I do like him though.

Chris and Emily walk in at one point together and I just made the comment that they look good together. I don’t know if it is their heights or faces or what but they would look great on a Christmas card together!

The best part of the group date was when Emily gave the rose to Chris and the camera shot was of Arie and one of the other guys watching on. Their expressions were priceless and made that moment of Reality TV not seem as scripted as usual.

OMG. Then we go back to Ryan again. I have so had enough of this guy at this point, but there he was, shaving again. I swear that guy has got to have the smoothest skin on the planet. I think in one episode it showed him shaving three times!

So Ryan and Emily go through their date and while Emily does seem to have a great time she is blatantly annoyed with the revealing of his 12 point check list for his future bride. And when "encouraging and lifts me up" was #3 on the list, before "faithfulness," I think every girl in America was equally as annoyed. So Ryan gets sent home. Even after begging a little he is declared the loser of the evening and makes his exit. At which point he immediately starts in on the taxi cab camera about his biggest hope is that he doesn't appear to be an asshole. Well Ryan, too bad.

So then Arie shows up at Emily's and while as first I thought it was a little bit too much, in the end she seemed to really enjoy it and they looked adorable hanging out in her bed. They seemed much more normal and the conversation again seemed less staged.

So we come to the Rose Ceremony and Emily's dress is awful. She looked like a confetti cupcake, but her earrings were beyond awesome.

Wolf gets a few minutes with Emily and immediately cries after discussing some funeral cards he keeps in his wallet. Now I'm not trying to be insensitive here, but come on. If I was a guy trying to impress a girl, crying would not be my first move, but strangely enough, it seemed to work.

Emily ends up only cutting the guys on the dates. Travis, the nice guy and Ryan the douche.

I don't think I mentioned Doug, who despite his best effort could not ever put a complete sentence together when he was talking to Emily. That guy literally made me feel uncomfortable and I was a world away from the actual conversation.

So she keeps Sean, Arie, Jef, Doug, John (Wolf) and Chris and they are headed to Prague. And it is here that the Arie drama, which has been blowing up the internet, is revealed! Apparently he dated a producer of the show and Emily gets PISSED. Drama drama drama!

Here's to all of that!

xoxo Sara Marie

Bachelorette is backkkk...

Oh that's right, it never went anywhere I just missed two weeks. Whatever. I watched it last night is what I mean…

I like Jef and Shaun. The whole Kalon thing was insane, and while I think the other guys were a little dramatic about the things he said; I did LOVE the way Emily got pissed and said she'd "go West Virginia on his ass..." That was awesome.

So let's see, I didn't take notes, but this is what I remember starting after the first 8 minutes when I turned it on...

The double-decker bus date with Shaun was so cute. They look like a couple. They act like a couple. And a few times I noticed her nervously twirling her hair when he was asking her something. The pictures they kept stopping and taking were adorable too.

The group date I don't remember a ton of... oh right the play. That was weird but my friend who was watching with me did mention that it is cool that Emily doesn't choose off the charts dates every single time.

With that said Jef's date was pretty off the charts. The whole dessert (of which I don’t think they had a bite) alone on top of the London ferris wheel thing was insanity. Their date bordered on awkward but fell to the side of really great I think. It was almost as if they both wanted to say certain things or wanted the other person to say certain things and they weren't and then all of a sudden they both did. Anyway it ended well with their much anticipated kiss. Like I said the last time I post about Emily and her suitors, I like Jef more and more.

Now Ryan I feel like I have to talk about because he sort of tries really hard. I don't like him. It is as if he thinks he is extra cool and makes it a point to show Emily just how extra cool he is. It is cute at times, I guess, but it is getting old. What was that stupid vest he was wearing too?

So that is all I really remember. Oh, Emily chill out. I hated the way after the Kalon thing she grilled every single guy for "not having her back." In the grand scheme of things they each have had maybe two dates with this girl, who are they to go tattle on one of the other guys? If this was significantly later in the process, I would understand that mentality. It seems like Emily wants the guys to all be madly in love with her right now, so she can just pick which one to love back. It doesn't work like that girlfriend. They too are figuring out if they want a relationship with you.

Anyway, those are my thoughts. Next week looks good, as do the scenes from the upcoming weeks, so standby for more of my '"expert" opinions, ha.

xoxo Sara Marie

RPT Convention 2012

The Texas Republican Party State Convention was this past week in Ft. Worth. It was quite the week.

First and fore most my mama was elected by Senate District 25 to be their Committeewoman for the State Republican Executive Committee. Congrats to Mama, I know she will do a great job for those counties.

Next I will offer a few complaints.

1. IT WAS SO COLD EVERYWHERE. I am not complaining about the weather. Inside the convention center and arena it was the Arctic Blast Zone. Seriously, I get that there were 10,000 people running around so you have to keep the air pumping, but it was so cold it was painful in some meetings. Turn the air up a little folks!

2. The arena seating was kind of insane. While it looked fantastic in photos and press shots, it was really scary watching little old ladies climb stairs, steep stairs, up to their designated seating. I'm not sure how to fix this problem and keep the really awesome arena feel, but I literally sat in my seat and cringed when I saw wobbly seniors struggling to get to their seats.

3. The schedule was great, and I know it takes a lot to build such intense time lines, but every year I have attended one of these things we go over the time allotted. The General Sessions run long...every year. So maybe next time, let's schedule a bit more time for these sessions and then nothing backs up and we don't have to return to the freezing cold, dangerous arena for a "finish up session" from 9 to midnight on the Friday night! Just a thought... constructive criticism.

Now for the good stuff...

The speeches were amazing. The good Governor kicked things off by giving a kick ass speech Thursday morning. I am obviously biased, but this may have been one of the greatest speeches I have ever seen him give. It was well balanced, exciting, emotional, just very well done. At one point the Ted Cruz folks booed him for giving his governing partner David Dewhurst an endorsement shout-out, and I think that was sick... flat disrespectful, and I don't want anything to do with people like that. Luckily the SAME FOLKS were back on their feet applauding Governor Perry when he finished giving his remarks.

The other speakers included the mentioned David Dewhurst, Attorney General Greg Abbott, and other statewide officials. I think pretty much everyone exceeded my expectations with their General Assembly addresses. And that is great for firing up the party before a monumental General Election this fall.

The breakout sessions were not just well done, but really well attended. The first I chose to attend was Chairman Smitherman's conversation on the over-intrusive EPA. Now I didn't expect a ton of delegates to be in this meeting because Ron Paul was speaking at the exact same time, but well over 500 people PACKED the room until there was standing room only. The Chairman did an exceptional job and for the millionth time blew my mind at his level of understanding and general knowledge of such a wide array of topics that the Railroad Commission encompasses.

The second breakout session I attended was the one led by Senator Dan Patrick with other panel guests including Representative Jason Isaac. Now I will admit here for full disclosure, and if you know me you have already figured this out, I merely attended sessions with elected officials I already admire greatly.

Senator Patrick and Representative Isaac did not disappoint. In a room of well over 500 again, and maybe closer to 1,000 delegates, alternates and guests the panel did a great presentation. I especially liked Representative Isaac's overview of the Election's Committee in the last Legislative Session. I was with the Secretary of State's office then and sat through many of those hearings. He did a great job and I hope for the people of Texas' future that Representative Isaac returns to the Election's Committee in the 2013 session.

As for the caucus meetings my Senate District meetings went well. I think most of them did. I was really impressed with my Congressional District meeting. Paul Bettencourt is a caucus champion. It was so well organized and ran smoothly. He allowed candidates to speak and stayed right on track the whole time. Kudos to him as I know that can be a very exhausting roll to play.

I think that is about it minus a few random thoughts:

1. The GIANT elephant painted as the Texas flag was spectacular. Would have been a great family Christmas card photo op, but alas my family was a ll over the place so it never happened.

2. Omni Ft. Worth is a great hotel. The valet kind of sucks, they lost my keys twice, but over all a great hotel.

3. Whiskey and Rye bar at the Omni is also pretty awesome. I only took part in one night of "meet up with all your old friends and staffers at the bar" night but it was fun and the drinks were served up quickly!

4. Ft. Worth is a cool town and handled the convention nicely. The surrounding restaurants were prepared to handle the influx of patrons and almost all offered a special deal like a free margarita with your convention credentials! Bonus!

So that is about all for my convention recap. It was a busy 4ish days and I think the party accomplished a ton. Here's to our ticket, may November 2012 be the red wave that '08 was blue!

oh and as a side note: This summary does not include the blowout my little red Rosie Jetta had on the evening of day 1. That is another post to come...

xoxo Sara Marie

Batting .500

It's time for another monthly new year's resolution update. And I'm slacking. May's resolution was to send cards, or letters, via snail mail to friends and family. And while on literally the last day of the month I did think about it twice, I totally failed. I did not send one.
I will take this opportunity to blame the election. But really the idea is to make it a habit despite all the distractions to not do it. One thing to focus on and I couldn't do it.
I'll be ok though. I will eventually go buy a few cards and make it happen. It may not be a habit, but the drinking water and working out (and obviously the attention to this blog) is still going well.
I'd say for the year, accomplishing the monthly resolution and making it a little bit more of a habit, I'm sitting at about .500.
Next up is attending church 3 times in a calendar month. Now this one will be interesting for a few reasons. 1. I have found a new church in Houston that I like, so it will be nice to attend a little more regularly (not that I need an excuse to do so, but it will be nice to get into that routine of going). 2. Because of my schedule I don't think it will be the three consecutive Sundays we have left in this month, so that means I'll be hitting up a weekday Mass. All things considered I should be able to handle this one easily because obviously it should trump most distractions. It will be the making it a habit that takes a little bit more work. I'm focused.

Happy New Year (Resolutions)!

UPDATE: I actually typed this up early in the weekend and today I did not attend Mass. Thus now I will definitely go to the weekday Mass at some point, and I will have to a few times to be successful.

Additionally, I bought FIVE cards to mail out to address last month's resolution, so I'm catching up!
xoxo Sara Marie

Food and Drink

There was so much food on this trip and probably a few too many drinks too, but all of it was fantastic!

It actually started Wednesday night at a little place the BF and I found by my new condo still in Houston. Ragin Cajun is the name, and cajun food is obviously their game. And it is a game they win. The food is delicious, and both times we have gone  there we have been stuffed full and used a groupon! Awesome food and an even more awesome price. I think less than 30 bucks for...

BF:
Salmon with grilled veggies and potatoes
Cheesecake
Sara Marie:
Grilled Tallpia with grilled veggies and sausage and chicken jumbalya
Brownie with ice cream

I don't have pictures of this one but check out their website here. It is always packed, but they have great service and delicious cajun food.

Now Thursday we headed for the Golden State, and upon arrival we did what most tourists and locals alike do, drove directly to In N Out. I freaking love burgers of any kind, and this is seriously close to the jackpot of all burgers. I get a #3, a hamburger with pickles and ketchup only, an order of fries and a drink. The BF goes Double/Double Animal Style. If you are American, and have not had In N Out, your citizenship should be revoked at some point.

I don't have pictures of the burger heaven, but here is a sample of our meal, click here.

The next meal was at some place in the harbor in Santa Barbara. We have been here twice and for some reason I cannot remember the name. Oh well. We had crab pasta with crab cakes as appetizer. I also had a glass of a local Santa Barbara wine called Endless Summer Chardonnay. Everything was exceptional. And upon googling, I found it! Chuck's Waterfront Grill!

Following that meal, the BF and I headed to the beach. It was well after sunset, but we had a celebratory bottle of our, or my, favorite champagne, Freixenet. We found this particular Cava last time we were in SB, so what better way to kick off our vacation there than to have a bottle of it on the beach?

The next morning it was a homemade breakfast at the Eagle Inn. Individual egg quiches with asparagus and a bowl of fresh fruit was on the menu, and minus some not so great coffee there were no complaints.

For lunch the Original Freebirds (Aggies read here if you don't believe me) was planned, but given that we were all the way up in Pismo Beach area, we had to grab a snack. A roadside stand with fresh veggies and fruit was just the ticket. And as we drove down the PCH 1 to UCSB where that original Freebirds is, we enjoyed cherries and some guacamole sent from above!

When we made it to Freebirds it was just how I remembered last time except warm enough to sit outside and enjoy the weather too. Burritos and sunshine!

That evening is where things really take a turn for the out of control. While getting ready the BF thought a bottle of Andre would be fun, and he was right. We had a glass or two under a lemon tree at the hotel while we waited for our cab.

We headed to dinner...in a limo cab... and arrived at the very restaurant, Holdren's, that we discovered the Freixenet a year before, so natually we ordered up a glass. For dinner I had a Halibut steak with red peppers and grilled veggies after a salad with homemade balsamic vinegrette. BF had some peppered steak also with veggies and a salad. I will admit here, his steak was better than my halibut, but not by much.

Then came dessert. Now BF and I like to play the "its her/his birthday" game as often as possible to satisfy the fat kids in us. On this night it was my birthday, and before I ran to the ladies' room for a minute I told BF that he could choose one of three desserts I had narrowed my choice down to. It was either the Sampler with peanut butter pie, flourless chocolate cake and cheescake; the homemade cookie and ice cream sandwich; or the smores. Well as I returned from the restroom our waitress delivered the ice cream sandwich with HAPPY BIRTHDAY written on it. I was thrilled and laughed when they also put down the sampler in front of the BF. Then they also set on the table the smores!!! BF said he couldnt decide either so he got all three...which was really FIVE desserts because of that sampler plate. We had a good amount of the Sampler, probably half of the ice cream sandwich and one smore each. To say we were full and the dinner was an massive success would be quite the understandment!

The following morning, as if we could possibly eat anymore, we did just that. And this was one of the meals, much like the night before, I had literally been dreaming about... Cajun Kitchen on de la Vina in Santa Barbara. We sat at the counter, one of my favorite things to do, and both ordered up Chilaquiles. They were devine. They have some secret in keeping the chips crispy in them while still using some kind of spicy sause. It is a mouth watering combination.

After breakfast we hopped in the Jeep and headed to Santa Barbara Wine Country. Our first stop was Mosby Winery. This place had Italian wines that varried in taste. I loved two and didn't care for two. And then there were two I could live with or without. The Rosata was one I liked and it was really yummy.

From there it was down the road 4 miles to Alma Rosa Winery. This place looked like it could be in the Texas Hill Country and all 6 wines we tasted were fabulous. I am not a huge fan of fruity or reds of any kind, but the three whites and three reds were all exceptional. I even bought a bottle of the Chardonnay. The setting was beautiful and the wines were worth it, so if you are ever in Santa Barbara County, stop by Alma Rosa.

From there we hopped back in the Jeep and made our way all the way down to Manhattan Beach. We went to a local Brewrey for the Spurs game. Brewco was packed, but the Kings game was on so the 12 hockey fans in the LA area were out in force. I had fish tacos, of which I only ate one. Not because they were not good, but more because, well, the massive amount of food intake at this point I guess. We boxed up the half of the Club sandwich BF couldnt eat and headed out.

The next day we googled some breakfast spots and came up with two possibilities, Uncle Billy's or Ocen View Cafe. The reviews for both were great, but there was something about the wait time that kept popping up for Uncle Billy's. They were right next to one another so we decided to go and see for ourselves. And what do ya know? Uncle Billy's had a wait, and there was only one other person at Ocean View. We picked our own seat on the patio and got ready for what would end up my second favorite breakfast. (Come on you cant beat those chilaquiles) Anyway, I ordered the Ultimate Breakfast with a waffle, fruit, sausage and scrambled eggs, and the BF got a breakfast burrito and fruit. The whipped cream was homemade and everything was incredible.

For lunch on this final full day of vacation in California we went to Rock N Fish on Manahattan Beach. We were thinking of going light, but that in no way panned out.

We started with a lump crab sandwich and sweet potato fries. We split this delicious dish and were still a little hungry when we finished. So we ordered up the Mahi Mahi Sliders. They were out of this world, and I was finally getting full. That is when the table next to us had their dessert delivered. And because we were on vacation we ordered the crazy huge treat. It was chocolate, vanilla and coffee ice cream layered with butterfinger and oreo crumbs, topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. It was so filling, but wonderful.

Now because we were entering the 7th ring of hell as gluttons at this point, we took it easy on dinner and just split an order of truffle fries after enjoying that bottle of Chardonnay I got from the winery earlier in the day.

Our final food outing was on the way back to LAX and was none other than the glorious In N Out again! We had our normal order and headed for the plane. Another fantastic food and drink filled trip to the Golden State was under wraps. I cannot wait to go back... after I lose 10 lbs.

xoxo Sara Marie