Where Have All The Morals Gone?

I have noticed a growing number of things in our society that have been troubling me, as well as many other people my own age.  We have so few morals anymore, so much lack of respect, not just for people older than us - which is actually an opposite issue - but just for other people.  Our government is TERRIBLE, full of people that are out for nothing more than themselves and re-election.  It's sickening to me.  People of higher stature, instead of helping others out and using their positions for good, they push nothing more than their own agenda - hardly listening to the people and what they really want, and walking on others to get to the top.  Where we are going as a country isn't even a road paved with good intentions, we can't even disguise it as that anymore.

I remember within the last 20 years that when something happened to your neighbor or colleage, that you would visit them, send them your condolences, make a covered dish for their family, do SOMETHING that showed that you cared or were concerned... I can't remember the last time I saw a kind gesture like that out of someone.  We don't even THINK to do it, just send them a card or some flowers and call your duty done.

What happened to the times when people would be taken under the wing of another, when people were willing to fight for others out of moral obligation rather than run away b/c they're worried about getting caught in the cross-fire?  What happened to mentoring people as a social obligation instead of being something that's for young kids in troubled neighborhoods or church groups?  When people could take constructive criticism, or when people had some freaking tact in what they said or did so as not to offend others...

The selfishness of our society now adays astounds me.  I cant even begin to explain how I feel about relationships, marriages, siblings, friends...this is just about society in general.  IDK, maybe I'm just a dreamer, but I don't understand when people are mean for no reason, or for personal and selfish gain.  There is no greater happiness than knowing you have given happiness to another.  There is nothing more fufilling than knowing that anothers happiness began with a nice thing that you did or a compliment that you gave.  For some reason, people now seem to think that their happiness starts and ends with "self".   MySELF, yourSELF.... it's all about self.  Why can't we just think of others?

Good Intentions & Blogging

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions."

Funny how true that is, however, this is not about a trip that I'm making to a warm place, lol! 

It seems as tho that every time that I come up with a cool idea, instead of putting it into my blog, I just think it would be best to make a new blog, haha!  I currently have 4 blogs, only 3 of them are kept up on a semi-constant basis.  In order to be a real blogger tho, I"m gonna have to step up my game!!  LOL!

2 of my blog are about food.  WHO WOULD COMPLAIN ABOUT THAT?!?!  I'm not, but considering that I want to write about something I currently cant really do (cook, etc.), it makes keeping that blog updated more difficult.  HOWEVER!  I have aquired for myself a pumpkin, or which I am going to make seasoned pumpkin seeds from an article in the newest version of "Food Network Magazine".  CAN'T WAIT! 

I miss cooking from scratch tho... a lot.  Living in the military dorms is KILLING ME, slowly.  I mean, seriously.  I doubt these carpets have been shampooed in YEARS, maybe decades, the internet provided for us through first generation internet wiring (AWFUL connection), I don't think I've ever NOT sneezed in a building here, and when I first got to this base, there was a sign on the wall above my bed that said "Do Not Touch Ceiling.  Asbestos."  W.T.F. - YUCK.  I don't blame the people that work for the military, I just blame the military.  That's all.  Yay for 3 1/2 more years left on my contract!!!..... *whince*

Anyways!  I plan on deleting one of my blogs, not that anyone REALLY reads my posts, haha!  But someday... they might!  I should have a kitchen of my own again in the next year *praying* and I will be cooking up a STORM then! 

**HURRAY!!!**

What Do YOU Love?

My most recent "Deep Thought" was on love, and I would really like to share it with everyone.

If you think about it, every great crime in history, can stem back to love.  Maybe not the romantic love that everyone wants to associate the word with, but sometimes a type of devotion that supercedes what a romantic love would be in such a case.  Hitler loved the Aryan race, so much so that he would have left entire ethnic groups as nothing more than pages in a history book. Some African countries have left their own tribes on the verge of genocide for the love of a certain particular group. Women have killed for love.  Men have killed for women.  Love of power, love of money, love of freedom, love of drugs, love of greed, love of self.... in the end, love really is what makes the world go round, what turns the pages and what drives us mad.

I thought of this after watching several "sappy chick flicks" that reminded me of how much love really matters, and after suffering from a break up (and reunion) of the most wonderful man I could choose to spend the rest of my life with (tho it hasn't been officially talked about yet, lol) i got to thinking about love.  In the movie, a grandfather is giving his grandson advice on love.  In the end, what the grandfather said that mattered most was not beauty or intelligence, but companionship.  The quote from the movie stated "There are only 2 ways to know if she is your real companion.  You either know it when you meet her, or know it when you lose her."  I suppose the same thing goes with women, you either know that he is your "Penguin" - that special someone that you don't want to live without, when you meet him, or when he's no longer there.  Through my break up, I realized something.  I always knew that he was "the one" since that first full night that we spent getting to know eachother.  It took him "losing me" (or breaking up with me) to realize that he didn't want to be without me.  It doesn't matter to me that he broke up with me now, only that he realized that he doesn't want to be without me.  He's my companion.  When we broke up, I felt alone - literally, like I had lost my companion.  I never want to be without him, he means that much to me.

But the topic of love got me thinking.  I genuinely believe that everyone is born good.  Everyone wants to be loved.  Everyone wants to give love.  It is through our life experiences and circumstances that cause us to misconstrue what love is, take advantage of it, abuse it, mistreat it, and sometimes kill for it, lie for it, steal for it and die for it. 

Hate groups are centered around an external aspect.  But what is the core of it all?  Do people who are homophobic really HATE homosexuals?  I would say that isn't where their intentions lie.  I think that they are so blinded by their love of a "typical" or "normal" or "heterosexual" relationship, maybe their religion even, to accept what is considered "love" to someone of a same-sex relationship or sexual orientation.  Do racial hate groups like the KKK the Black Panthers (tho originally not intended to be a Hate group, was classifyed as an "internal security risk" by the government) or other such groups really HATE other races?  Perhaps.  Or is it a fear of the downfall of their race, or racial oppression, or a sincere love (of the devotion kind) of the people they share a kinship with that causes them to fear and press for crimes against others?

Some people say they "love love".  Some people say they "need love" and some say they are "devoted" to you if they love you.  According to Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs, love and a sense of belonging are needs, just after air, food, water, shelter, clothing and safety.  It is that next step that must take place before all of the rest of a persons psychological foundations can be built, a foundation for the next steps of development and personality.  Following that need come the things that literally make a person who they are, such as self-esteem, respect, confidence, morality, creativity, and lack of prejudice.  If you lack love of something, anything really, you can not progress.  Depending upon what that love is based, is what will shape the rest of a persons existence.

What if that love is based in a street gang?  To those that belong to a street gang, they would call it their family, they are those that they love.  The gang is the code that they live by, if they don't have parents they could be close to, or siblings, the next best thing is a gang.  It is by their morals that you are raised, their morals that you live, and die.  If the gang can provide you with your basic needs, food, water, clothing, shelter, and give you security, it is with them that you will love.  So based upon that love, it is from there that you will pull your self esteem, your confidence, and your respect, which is the 4th step in the Heirarchy, your Esteem.  Following that step a person will find their self-actualization, or the 5th step, being morality, creativity, problem solving, and acceptance of the facts.  If the fact is that the gang is all you have, then that is what your entire pyramid is based upon.

Of course, this model doesn't work for every situation.  This is only one point that I would like to make - "Love is where your allegiance lies" - or maybe even, "Where your allegiance lies is where you have found love".  It is where you have found something, according to your circumstances, that you can devote yourself to.

What about killing?  What about death?  What about wars?  Could America say that our "War on Terror" is based upon the desire to eradicate terrorists in order to preserve freedom - but could we also just base it upon a love for freedom?  We in America live our entire lives based upon the first amendment rights to all types of "God Given Freedoms".  Is it really a hate for terrorism, or does that hate stem from nothing more than a love of freedom and our desire to share that and ensure that others have that opportunity?

Love of freedom.  Some people exercise that right everyday.  How many times have you  heard "Freedom of speech" or "it's a free country" as an exuse for someone to be rude or tactless.  Do they really love freedom of speech?  Or really, do they love the power that they have to speak freely to others, no holding back, no reason for tact, no regards.  Do they love freedom of speech, or do they really just love themselves more than they love others, so therefore they don't care who they offend?  And after that, do they "love themselves" too much to hold their tounge and demand they speak their minds?  Or do they love the power that "freedom of speech" gives them?

In which some cases could be that when one genuinely stops at "love of freedom", another would progress to "love of self", and yet another to "love of power".  This in itself is why some people would call America's campaign against terrorism as a "Love of Freedom" and others as a "Power Trip".  Does America love freedom?  Or Does America love power?

Is it clear yet what I am getting at?  Love is not just a one way track.  Love is more like a maze.  There is one way in, and one way out.  But depending on the direction that you turn, you will either make it to the other side with a real, wholesome love, or hit a wall and never find your way out.  Who is to say that one love is better than another?  Who is to say that love of power is less than an agape love of another person.  It is each according to ones perspective.

What I am finally trying to get at is that love is not just a deep, romantic, emotional attachment to someone, but it can have other meanings as well.  Love is devotion. Love is a need, and Love is truly blind.

Integrity

Who can say that they are person of integrity?

It turns out that not everyone has the same idea of what integrity is, so I would like to share my views of this, if I may...

in·teg·ri·ty

   /ɪnˈtɛgrɪti/ Show Spelled[in-teg-ri-tee]

noun

1. adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty.

 

2. the state of being whole, entire, or undiminished: to preserve the integrity of the empire.

 

3. a sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition: the integrity of a ship's hull.

Integrity simply means that you hold yourself to a moral standard.  ADHERENCE to it.  Lets check to see what that means, shall we?

ad·her·ence

   /ædˈhɪərəns, -ˈhɛr-/  Show Spelled[ad-heer-uhns, -her-] 

noun

1. the quality of adhering; steady devotion, support, allegiance, or attachment: adherence to a party; rigid adherence to rules.

If you're devoted to something, that means that no one is forcing you to do it.  Devotion is an act of selflessness, you can be devoted to your husband or wife, your kids, your job, your God, your boyfriend or girlfriend.  You could be devoted to your love of cooking!  All this means is that if you are devoted to something, you would put that thing first.  In this case, if adhering to something is a matter or devotion or selfless giving, and integrity is an adherence to a moral code and honesty, that means that if you were to be a person of integrity, that you would willingly devote yourself to a moral code and stick with it (that's why it's called ADHE-sive - it sticks ;)  (OH how I love languages....sometimes).

Integrity, it seems, is then an act of self.  Integrity is keeping yourself in check.  Integrity is knowing the wrong thing, and not doing it - or even REALIZING that you're doing the wrong thing, and ending your actions of it.  Integrity is - lets say - not underage drinking because you know it's wrong.  It doesn't matter if you get caught or not - because Integrity is KNOWING the wrong thing - and not doing it, regardless of if you are going to be rewarded or not.

I'm not saying that I am a virtuous, pious, or perfect human being that is worth of worship and praise.  I am, however, saying that I try as often as I can, to have Integrity, ESPECIALLY where it counts.  If it is LITERALLY against the law, do not expect to find me doing it.  If it means that someone is going to get hurt, emotionally or physically, because of actions that I do or don't take, I will try my damnedest to keep someone from suffering.  I've come to a better realization of what this means since I've joined the Air Force, and the longer I stay at DLI, the more I come to appreciate what Integrity is, and how I now portray that image.  I don't drink and drive, I don't do drugs, I don't buy for people underage, because doing one, or all, of those things will end up hurting someone, if not me, then my family, or my friends.

That's what Integrity means to me.  I hold MYSELF to a standard.  My Integrity is not dependent on others, what others do or how much better I am than them.  There have been times in my life when I have been without Integrity, and I'm sure in the future there will be times when it slips.  But in the end....

It takes 20 years to build a reputation, and 5 minutes to tear it to pieces.

Chew on that thought for a bit....

 

 

Cute Couples Make Me Sick

OK, I myself am guilty of being a "cute couple".  When my boyfriend and I are together, we are adorable enough to make people want to puke.  We talk in Dinosaur to eachother, we cuddle and kiss, we have pet names, we say "I Love You" all the time - we're nearly as perfect as a couple can be.  We next to never fight, and if we argue then it lasts about 20 min before we come apologizing to eachother.  We are the epitome of "cute".

Well, being in the military is a bitch, and my boyfriend isn't here anymore.

This presents a problem.  Although I will see him sometime within the next 6 months...I will not see him whenever the hell I want.  I wont get to text him when I want or go out to dinner when I want, or blah blah blah.  On top of that, I QUIT SMOKING - which is making me pissy sometimes!!!  I haven't told my parents yet b/c every day sucks when I'm bored and have nothing to do and just wanna go out and have one - and I can't tell them and end up failing at it.  Boyfriend and I quit together tho - which means by going back on my word, i'm not only disappointing myself, but also him - which is also making me more accountable to NOT doing it.  I know the guilt that I would have for even smoking one and either...

[[a) having to lie about it so he doesn't give up
or
b) having to tell him b/c I sucked at life and couldn't say no to tobacco]]

...would consume me - so therefore, knowing how bad the guild would be - even if I wanted one so bad I could club baby seals - I just can't start smoking again.  Today is Day 5.  *sigh*

It's also Day 5 w/o my boyfriend.  Altho, I was plesantly surprised when he called me this morning and woke me up to talk to me while he was driving - it made me super happy b/c I was kinda feeling like I was the only one that wanted to call him and talk to eachother. (Having had issues with long distance relationships in the past - through no fault of my own - you could understand why I would be worried if my "other 1/2" seems to be faultering on the "lines of communication")  But he has surprised me several times in the last few days - reminding me that even tho he's far away, he still cares A LOT about me and loves me just as much :)

So to all the cute couples out there - who I am jealous of b/c you are so cute and my boyfriend and I aren't together right now to ONE UP YOUR ASSES!!! - please be mindful that I miss "boyfriend" like crazy and can't wait to see him again.  RAWR ON YOU ALL!!!!

A Woman for President?...

As of recent times, in the last 10 years, we have seen a change in our society.  Women's roles in positions that require strong leadership qualities have increased more and more, not only in business, but also in national and international politics.  Strong women have shown the world what we as females can be, what we can do, and how our input into society can strengthen us as a whole.

Condolezza Rice, Hillary Clinton, Angelina Jolie, Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, Nancy Reagan - all strong women that represent a variety of difficult positions that women have filled - UN Ambassadors, First Lady, Secretary of State.  These are women that not only hold their homes together, take care of children AND handle major roles that not only aid in the welfare of our country (or even the world), but also push the glass ceiling a little higher.  There's that LAST frontier for American women tho - the Vice/Presidency.

Several women have attempted and dropped out early on, but the question remains, when will a woman occupy one of the top 2 positions in the country?  My answer - when a deserving candidate can stand up and earn the spot.

I felt that in the last election the only reason that Sarah Palin was chosen for the Vice President candidacy was that the Republican party was trying to pick up the "Women's Vote" - ie. - the people that were only going to be voting for Hillary because she was a woman.  Since Hillary was knocked out of the race by Obama, the then most deserving, endearing woman that they could find was Mrs. Palin - the mother of a handicapped son, pregnant daughter and who ran the state of Alaska.  (This is in NO WAY slamming on her family, but the facts are the facts)  Not only is she endearing - being a mother, wife and strong female figure in government, but she does it with flare and a style all her own.  It was obvious that she would be a front lines activist for the rights of handicapped people, against abortion, pro-sex education, and support strong family values, as well as gun rights because these are all things that have made a personal impact in her life.



However, I would like to make the point that

"Law is reason free from passion" - Aristotle

That does not mean that you can should not have a passion for law, that it should be only the boring and mundane people of the world that practice law.  You should have a passion for the work that you do, the people that you work for, the lives that you change.  However, your passion should not have an effect on the outcome of the legal process.  If it is written in stone, it is written in stone.  No amount of tantrum throwing should change the outcome.

At times, I feel like that is what Sarah Palin is doing.  Personally, I would call her "Tea Party" nothing more than a radical form of Republican. Whereas a traditional Republican represents conservative values - a "Tea Party Activist" displays Republican values in a radical way.  We're not talking book burnings or violent rallies, but a theoretical "table flipping" - making a scene with words instead of actions - pointing out flaws in a manner that attempts to correct an individual publicly, at times using degrading words in an unprofessional quality. 

I personally wouldn't vote for Sarah Palin because I'm not interested in "getting a woman to the White House."  I want a competent individual with a strong AND sensible head on their shoulders, but not a person that appears to just want to walk in and turn the government upside-down.  I want a person in office that is willing to work across party lines in order to accomplish the goals of everyone, not just the ruling party.  I want flexibility in people stances, and the realization that an individuals emotional preferences should not be held as the main influencing factor to development of policy.  People who want to outlaw abortion because it's against their religious values, or people that want to outlaw gay marriage because they aren't comfortable with it - need to stand on the other side of the fence and consider what that means for the people who's lives they are affecting.  This is the type of passion that should NOT influence the law.  Women more than men have an issue with this concept.

Until I see a woman run for office that is obviously able to put aside emotions and focus on the law and how it affects Americans as a whole, not just a group of them, I will vote for a man every time.  I do not vote along party lines and I don't vote for people based on sex, religion, race, etc.  I vote for someone because I see them as a representative of American values as a whole and an open minded person.  When I see a woman that can be open minded, seperate emotions from politics, and not mudsling their way to the top - I'll vote for them.

2 years & counting...

As of yesterday, I have been at my job for 2 years.  Time flies by but I still can't seem to get anywhere.  Not that this is a dead end job, just feels like I'm getting nowhere quick.

And on a similar note - has anyone ever had one of those "shut up and let me get on with my day" type of moments in your meetings at work?  It seems that during meetings with my colleages, one of my bosses will get off on a tangent at the end of the meeting for about 10 min about NOTHING pertaining to my job.  If I didn't have things to do, then I would be OK with that, but seriously.  I don't care about how your favorite hockey team did.  Not in the slightest bit.  If you're done with everything that you have to say, please, lets just end the meeting and let me get on with my work.  I have deadlines.  I have things to do unlike you apparently...and you wonder why "morale" is low...?  WASTED TIME and pointless meetings.  *sigh*.  I love my job, but SERIOUSLY.  Time well wasted.

Well, I thought that my boyfriend and I were going to go out and celebrate my 2 year Anniversary at my job... but he suggested drinking with friends.  EH.  I'll go.  He said we'll see a movie tonight too - I assume that will probably depend on how drunk he is tho.  I'm not going to drink, just don't feel like it - and where we're going isn't really the atmosphere that I like to drink in.  I like the "lets kick back and have a few beers" environment.  Usually - the place that we're going has the "LETS GET WASTED!!" environment.  I'll pass on the beer, thanx.

Other than that - I have an event that I'm going to on Saturday, and then Sunday is free.  Wonder what I'm gonna get into this weekend...?

What's In a Name?

Lemme just say that I love my parents.

I decided recently that I want my old name back.  I feel like it's really my final step away from the terrible memories that belong to my past, my hellacious marriage, loss of friends, and the whole reason I'm here today.  I want to start living for me again, me and my family - and I don't want to hear his name ever again.

That being said.... I'm going to have to cough up $395....
WTF.

Turns out a name change isn't as cheap as I thought...
Although I'm filing for a waiver from the fees, it's not "for sure" getting approved.

So as I was filling out my paperwork, I was forced to have to call my mother (who holds a bank account for me) to find out the amount in that account - to which I was greeted with questions about my court papers [mom is naturally curious].  I told her that I had wanted to surprise them, but I was filing for my name change and was trying to get the $400 fee waived.  Long story short, she talked to my dad [tho I DID NOT CALL to ask for their help, or their money - and I made this very clear] and Dad offered to buy my car from me for $500 - giving me a little money left over to pay some bills :)

I had to tell my boyfriend - I was so happy I decided that I needed to tell him in person so I could hug him when I told him :)  Divorced for a year - and I'm FINALLY getting my name back :)

Congrats Mavericks!!! ---- Lebron "King" James- Try again!

I need to say this. Quit talking smack about how Lebron James is the new Michael Jordon. Until Lebron can win 7 championships & still keep his head on straight and not act a fool - then I'll say he's the best. Until he can beat out the #2 Athlete of the 20th century, (#1 being Babe Ruth, #2 being of course, MJ).... lets just not make Lebrons head bigger.  

Aside from numberous steal & scoring titles - MJ played on 2 Olympic Basketball teams that won Gold Medals and was awarded more MVP's than I can count on 2 hands - AND never forsoke the team that gave him his chance at the pros - leaving th...em only after his SECOND retirement. In my book - Lebron may be a pretty good basketball player - but he's a lousy person. He has great abilities, but no tact on the court. Although I applaud him for making a "business decision" - when you're making multi-million dollars - why not BUILD the team that gave you the chance, rather than leaving them for a might-as-well-be AllStar team thinking you're going to win a championship. Poor taste if you ask me.

Personally, I think that anyone that nicknames themselves after a version of the Bible is a little more than arrogant.

So in conclusion, congratulation to the Dallas Mavericks for a truly outstanding season.  You deserve the title, you fought hard - through injuries, illness and personal trials, and you proved that you have what it takes.  You didn't expect a hand out, but you wanted it, not just as a showcase of a one particular persons talents, but as a whole team.  I will admit that, being a Cavs fan, I was originally just rooting for the Mavs in hopes that "King James" would go down in smoke.  But watching you play, with the heart that I've always admired in professional sports, I can now say that I am a Mavs fan too :)  So congrats again - you fought hard, and you won!

Birthday Surprises?!?

I think I might have a birthday surprise coming up from my boyfriend! - maybe....

I don't want to get my hopes up too high tho, even tho I know that he would do everything in his power to make this one of the most memorable birthdays I have ever had.  I can think of a million things that he would consider doing.... but!  I will say that I kinda hope we do another weekend away, maybe in San Fran?!?!  I haven't gotten to "tour" SF, just the "touristy" things - like Pier 39 and the Golden Gate Bridge.  But!  I will say that it doesn't matter what we do, as long as I"m with him, then I'll be happy :)

I'll keep updates on whether I get updates or not :)


Update: Boyfriend and I ate lunch together - and I was trying to pry about what he may do for my birthday....with no results.  He apparently has several ideas and is planning almost the entire July 4th weekend... I just wont get my hopes up tho, b/c IDK if he'll still be in the area by then... gotta go where the job tells you to go I guess...  ANYWAY!  Hoping everything goes according to his plans!

Considering Creating New Blogs...

I haven't really decided yet, but I'm considering creating a new blog.  It seems to me, after blogging for about 3 days now, that most blogs are dedicated to one particular thing; scrapbooking, photography, art, food, daily life....etc.  Considering, that I plan to incorporate all of these things into a single blog - I have decided that this is not the best of ideas.  So within the next week, I will probably be working to make a new blog, or 2, and will gradually be moving things to those blogs.  It all depends on the amount of time that I have. 

Man, I wish I had time for all of the things that I love.  I don't have enough space in my room for scrapbooking or sewing, I don't have my own kitchen to cook in... *sigh* At least I can buy clothes and go out to eat! :)

So here is the plan...I want to create a "food" blog as well as a "Style" blog and a Photography blog.  Any suggestions on some titles?  The food blog for now will be restaurant reviews, and the style blog will be of my own wearing.  Thoughts?



Update 13 June 11: I have started another new blog, this one dedicated to my love of cooking & cooking magazines.  Please check it out! http://duchessofdinner.blogspot.com/

Lazy Sunday

Ah, Lazy Sundays....

I'm honestly not sure what I'm gonna do today, OK, so I know what 2 hours of it will be...

I woke up around 10:30 - uploaded some pictures to my facebook (finally)... And wrote my Blog for Maha's Lebanese Cuisine - which was SOOOooo much fun!  Then I had a general breakfast with my boyfriend and one of our friends, and now I'm sitting here, again.  I'm going to my boyfriends Softball practice in an hour, and that will take up the next 2 hours after that til nearly 5 (he has a game tomorrow, I'm hella excited to watch him play!!) and then.... probably will clean my room and maybe play some WoW {we got ourselves to lvl 60 two nights ago, and I think I'm STILL catching up on sleep...hehe}

Last night we went to the Bridge, which was fine except I was exausted from my lack of sleep, I kinda just sat on the couches and dozed in and out of sleep after I drank my Blue Moon (<3).  I had a super cute outfit on that I totally forgot to have my boyfriend take a picture for me - for some reason I feel funny having HIM take pictures of ME for MY blog, haha!  I know he doesn't mind tho, he's happy when I'm happy :)

Shall update later after the softball practice - I think I might work on reading some "Lord of the Rings" (<3)

Maha's Lebanese Cuisine - Monterey, CA

Everytime I walked by Maha's I would always wonder what the food was like there.  And then!....My friend Bethany came into town last night and said that it was her favorite place and she missed it like crazy, so my boyfriend and I went and had dinner with her there!  So finally - I get to write my first "Food Review Blog" - So excited!
(All areas will be scored on a 1-10 basis, 10 being the best rating)

Categories include:
Decor - (Based on environment of the place.  Did it add to the mood? Was it too much?)
Food - (Obvious.  Was there a decent selection? Variety? Mostly taste of my personal entree.)
Drinks - (Based on the drink that I had, and depending on the place, on the array of drinks available)
Entertainment - (Points will not be given or taken if there is a lack of entertainment.)
Service - (Did the waiter/ess come visit often enough?  Did I see some sort of supervisor? Was I waited on timely?)
Final Price (based on a beer budget - I like to eat nice but not too expensive.  Also based on quality.)

Maha's Lebanese Cuisine - Alvarado St, Monterey, CA
Decor - (6/10)
The first thing I always notice about a place is the decor.  The sign on the outside of it is one of the most interesting on the street and I feel like it's always kind of drawn me into it - especially advertizing specifically "Lebanese" foods - not just generally Middle Eastern. Tho outside, on the window, there is a painting of a belly dancer, inviting you to come join them for the entertainment on Friday and Saturday nights. The inside of the restaurant is painted in a dark dandelion yellow color with a few pictures placed neatly on the walls - honestly, not really much to talk about.  The food however...

Food - (9/10)
Of course this is always the reason that people go to restaurants - who cares about the decor!!?!? And the food is DEF a reason to go to Maha's. 
For starters we had some hummus.  The hummus probably wasnt worth the price.  Altho, I know for a fact that the way that it was made is very authentic - the way a Lebanese family would make their hummus, not too many spices or frills, it's just hummus, so for the price, IDK...I felt like for $5 they could have served home made flat bread with it and not just wedge sliced tortillas. - $4 would probably have been a better price - sure it's only a dollar, but when you're considering a full bill - a dollar here & a dollar there is quite a bit! - regardless, final verdict - I could probably make that hummus at home - I would have liked to see a few more spices in it - kinda bland.
The dish that I got was the Chicken Shawarma with Tabouli Salad.  The Chicken Sawarma felt like a very intricate dish - there were so many flavors that I felt a little overwhelmed, in a GOOD way :)  Everytime I took a bite, I was wondering what I would discover next!  You'll see a picture below of the Shawarma and Tabouli - I really enjoyed how they shaped the Shawarma. In layers, you find yellow rice, sauteed onions and tomatoes, chicken with spices, lettuce, torshi (middle eastern "pickles", or rather, "pickled things") and some sour cream.  Every bite that I took was different!  When I got a piece of the torshi in my bite, there was a sour taste to the whole food - kinda of like having a dill pickle on your hamburger.  When I got a tomato or an onion, I could taste the savory flavor of the "grill" with my food.  Sour cream made everything smoothe, and the lettuce added a "crunch" effect.  I will say tho, I felt like the rice was a little oily, not TOO incredibly much, just a tiny bit.

The Tabouli was probably some of the best Tabouli I've ever had.  The mint wasn't over-powering at all, and there wasn't so much lemon that it made my mouth pucker.  The parsley was finely chopped so I didn't feel like I was eating leaves of it, and there was just enough cracked wheat in it to add to the texture.  As for the tomatoes, I personally like a lot of tomatos in my Tabouli, but there were just enough in there that it was tasty!

Drinks - (10/10)
Ah!  Drinks.  I'm always curious when it comes to drinks, especially foreign ones.  All three of us decided to try the Lebanese beer that was suggested by the Owner - and I'm SO glad I did.  Almaza - as told to us by the Owner - is the most favored beer in Lebanon, and I can see why.  To be perfectly honest, I'm not a beer conosouir and I have read absolutely no literature on beer flavor and ingredients. If it tastes good to me, I like it - which may play to the "everyday person" b/c I doubt everyone knows a lot more about beer than I do - and if you do, AWESOME! Please, teach me!

Regardless - it was a very light beer.  That's what I can tell you.  I could enjoy the "beer-y" taste without having to cringe at the overwhelming taste of beer.  Delicious, I will def. be drinking that again :)

Entertainment - (reserved for future review)
So, I"m not exactly sure how I felt about the belly dancer.  I will say that she was very talented and I would LOVE to be able to dance like that.  However, while sitting there with my boyfriend, I felt SLIGHTLY uncomfortable, even tho he paid her no mind.  Im not sure, I think if I was there under another situation I would feel differently about it, perhaps without the boyfriend, or maybe by myself.  I felt that it was inappropriate to watch her while she danced, idk why, perhaps just a social stigma or the way I grew up, maybe it was because she was wearing a traditional belly dancer outfit and the scantily clad clothing made me uncomfortable.  I will say tho, that I plan on going back w/o my boyfriend and I will make a proper review at that time, if I ever have time to go back.

Service (8/10) -
I gave the service an 8/10 because the owner was wandering around, asking how things were, he personally took our drink order, and also told us some interesting "tid-bits" about the food that my friend Bethany was eating.  Had it not been for him, I would have probably given the service a 6.5 - we saw our waitress maybe 5 times, once to give us drinks, once to take our order, once to give us our food, once to check on us, and once to give us our bill.  She never asked if we wanted more beer or something else to drink, and I'm not sure if it was her or someone else, but my boyfriends card was charged twice, once for my friends meal and once for ours.  They did correct this tho by giving my boyfriend cash back for the accidental charge.  The owner was very nice and it was obvious that he was very interested in the experience his guests were having, which made for a really nice experience.  He was the one that suggested the delicious beer :)

FINAL PRICE (8/10):
 for myself and my boyfriend= approx $35 (2 beers, 1 appetizer, 2 meals)

Decor - 6
Food - 9
Drinks - 10
Entertainment - reserved
Service - 8
Final Price - 8

Final Score = 41/50 or 82%

I very much enjoyed my experience at Maha's and hope to go back in the near future - I will say that the food and the drinks (as with any restaurant) were my favorite part, but I feel like it takes the whole essence of the experience to make it a 100% restaurant.





So there you have it!  My very first "food blog" - and I think it turned out rather well!  If you have any suggestions on how I could make this better (please only constructive criticism) - I would welcome you to make suggestions!  Although I will say - next time, I think I"ll take a picture of the sign outside....

Weekend is slOOOOOwly Approaching........

One of those "feels like it will never get here" moments (the weekend I mean).  Altho I'm glad I have my blog to play with for a while :)

I have no clue what I'm getting into this weekend.  My boyfriend and I talked about possibly going to the Beer Fest in town at the Fairgrounds, but after consideration, we decided that we didn't want to spend the day around random drunken people, although the beer tasting would be fun, we can go to Safeway or SaveMart and get the "Build-Your-Own" 6-packs and try out new beers that way, lol!  And it's cheaper too - if we both would have went, we would have spend $70 bucks for tickets.  Ouch...and we just got back from a vaca over Memorial Day weekend - so kinda broke right now, lol!

So what to do? 
Option #1: Go out to one of our Favourite local bars for a beer and a little food with friends - The Brit, The Bridge or Duffys...HM.....
Option #2: Rent a movie to cuddle up and watch together
Option #3: Play WoW til the sun comes up (which could be accomplished after either options 1 or 2....)

However, until he gets off work and is ready to run our errands.... I'll probably take a shower then run around and kill things on my new Priest...OK, so I'm a nerd/geek/WoWHead... I get it, but it doesn't consume my life, just the time I have when I have not much else to do.  I've watched it consume lives before....including my own. 
NEVER doing that again. 
EVER.

My First Blog!

I'm so excited to get this blog started!  I've been trying to start one for a while, and couldn't decide if I wanted to start an anonymous one or not, but in the end, I decided that I want to be me when I talk about these things, whether it be politics, or the new restaurant that I went to, or my new outfit.  I want my friends and family to know about my experiences, if they so choose.

A little about me I suppose.  Im about to turn 24.  I enjoy living outside the box.  Growing up where I'm from, everyone fits into the "mould" - you wear jeans and hoodies and t-shirts with flipflops all year, no matter the weather.  Just about everything is damn good downhome cooking and a large majority of the people don't go far from the local area.  I've always wanted to live outloud.  I don't need to be "noticed" nessesarily, but I want to enjoy and truly experience life.  Sometimes that comes from tasting strange foods, sometimes its from getting strange looks from people about my makeup, sometimes it's b/c I'm wearing something that people don't normally wear.  But that's all OK.

This blog is going to be  filled with food and restaurant critiques, pictures of my outfits and makeup, my opinions on tough questions (subject to change of course - the opinion of course - if in fact new information comes to light that requires to to re-think my position), my favorite websites that I have stumbled upon, dieting updates, and general thoughts on life.  I refuse to bring my work into this blog, and will rarely talk about my past.  This is about new beginnings and the future, not the lessons of the past.