Los Toros and Gangs

On this rainy MLK Day, I headed to Arthur’s house until the rest of the guys got there. Soon, we were playing Mario Kart on the Wii, but we all got hungry. After a short discussion, we agreed on my suggestion: Los Toros. I personally had never gone, nobody in our group did, but people at my school raved about the place, so I thought it was a good candidate. The place is located on Devonshire and Topanga Canyon, in Chatsworth. When we got there, the place looked pretty big on the outside, and the inside was dimly lit with the usual Mexican decor. The A La Carta menu was comprised of burritos, enchiladas, and tostadas, all for around $5-6. The chips, bean dip, and salsa they offered as a service were good, and they gave me high hopes for the service and entrees. We went with a group total of 9 people. 4 people ordered the beef and bean burrito, 3 people ordered the pork and bean burrito, 1 person ordered the chicken burrito, and 1 person ordered the enchilada plate. The first thing I, and I’m sure the others did too, was that my burrito was LITERALLY a beef and bean burrito. It was tortilla, beef, and bean; no joke. The beef was very tender, which is a good thing, but after the first couple of bites, I got sick of it. The other beef-and-bean people agreed with me. I think the pork burrito may have been better because it at least had a green sauce, but the chicken burrito person, Sam, said that it was horrible and was a pain to consume. Now, at first, the waiters seemed nice, prompt, and knowledgeable, but as the meal progressed, they weren’t so nice or prompt. Another pro is that the burritos came out within 5 minutes, but the other service was disrespectful and slow. When we asked for hot sauce, the first waiter didn’t bring it, so we had to ask a second time. And when we asked for another batch of chips and dip, the waiter did so with a great amount of attitude. So overall, I’d say I was disappointed. Overall rating: 6/10. The best part was the bean dip; it’s said, I know.

Los Toros’ main entrance is in the rear, so the only way in or out is through an alley way. After our meal, our group headed towards the cars. And this is what happened:

A black Honda CRV pulls up.

Passenger opens the window, and says: Excuse me.

We all turn around.

Passenger: Hey, you guys bang?

Us: Uh, no.

“Gangster”: Mutters some inaudible threats and claims to be part of some gang.

Car drives off.

Needless to say, we were all confused about what had just taken place. But after reality kicked in, some of us got a bit flustered, while the rest of us joked at the stupidity of the series of events. I know I don’t know what it’s like to be in a gang and I am in no way a professional on these matters, but I find it extremely annoying and stupid that these people would randomly ask us that, with the intentions of fighting. What a way to ruin a perfectly good night. With that, I will close this entry. Thanks for reading guys [even though I really have no way of telling if anybody did or didn’t].

Girls, Barbecue, and Senioritis

First topic: girls.

So, yes, girls have been, are, and always will be very perplexing, confusing, vexing, unfathomable, unpredictable, frustrating individuals. Just when you think you have them figured out, you come across another wall that they set up. Can’t live with them, but can’t live without them. I know I only have 5 or so months left in the valley, and I’m going to go off to college. And of course it is impractical to say that I want to get in a long-term relationship, for as naive as I am, I know that it wouldn’t last. But I can’t get over the, giggly, warm-and-fuzzy, tingly, can’t help but smile sensation that she makes me feel. Be strong Jon, don’t get your hopes up, and heed the advice of your peers.

Second Topic: barbecue.

If you have read my previous posts, you will know that I’ve recently developed a mini-obsession for good BBQ. I’ve tried Outdoor Grill [not as great as expected], and I took a look at Bear Pit’s menu and it was too expensive for my unemployed budget. So, that being said, I guess the next best option is to do it myself. I’ve always attempted, and enjoyed, cooking. And I hosted a barbecue for my friends before, it was a good time of hanging out, but I must say, I was a bit disappointed with how my burgers and steaks turned out [it’s pretty hard to mess up a hot dog]. So, I’ve decided to host another one to redeem myself, don’t know when, but yeah. And if you’ve hung out with me a lot, you’ll know that I make up puns [hopefully they’re not unbearably lame] at the spur of the moment, and I just thought of one right now.

What did the boy rib say to the girl rib he met at the grill?

Hey babe, you’re barbeCUTE.

Lame, yes, but I pride myself in my jokes, no matter how un-funny they are.

Third topic: senioritis.

I think I first started off with junioritis, as my grades in the eleventh grade dropped, in comparison to previous years. But boy, they weren’t kidding when they said senioritis hits hard. Even though first semester still counts, I totally DGAF’ed and did no homework or any intense studying. Once second semester rolled around, I think I got into the final and worst stages of it. I absolutely have no concern with school whatsoever. And now, I find myself at home after school with nothing to do and oodles [yes, oodles] of free time at my disposal. So, I am declaring on the internet so that you, my readers, may keep me accountable, that I will begin exercising and lifting. Also, I will apply to the following places for a part time job:

Toys ‘R Us

CVS Pharmacy

Subway

Whole Foods Market

Donut Shop

Target

Hallmark

So yes, my plan is to apply by the end of next week, and see who calls me back and what not.

I know this has been a long post, I’m sorry, but I guess this is a result of topic #3.

Outdoor Grill

As you may, or may not, know, there is a show on the Food Network called Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. It is a great show where Guy Fieri, a Food Network chef, travels all around the States, looking for great diners, drive-ins, and drives [which is the shows namesake]. Many of these are small, family owned joints, that offer homemade meals. They are definitely far from the 5 star restaurants of Hollywood, but the made-from-scratch meals definitely are worth more for your buck. The places shown offer a lot of different types of foods, from Italian to Mexican to Chinese and of course, good ole American food. The majority of these places offer great barbecue, and after watching 3 straight hours of it on Saturday night, I had a great craving for some barbecue. Now, being on the west coast, the valley nonetheless, there aren’t many barbecue joints. So, I resorted to KFC. Sure it was alright, but it didn’t satisfy me. So today, I decided to finally try Outdoor Grill, next to LA Fitness. I had high hopes, as many people have testified to its taste. When my tri-tip plate came out, I was disappointed. They gave me 3, slim slices of the meat, with dry mac and cheese, and average mashed potatoes. Not only was it lacking in taste and consistency, the quantity left my hunger unsatiated. I give it a 6, maybe 7, out of 10.

If you guys like Outdoor Grill, that’s good for you. But personally, it was a fail. Besides that, my life is pretty good. School’s chill, although I’m always tired. Take care y’all.

Bleh

For a while, I couldn't wait to blog, and I wrote prolifically. Now, I don't really feel like it. I need a date for winter formal. What to do.

TGIF

So, today marks the end of my first week back, and my first week of second semester. So far, it's been pretty fun and relaxing, but nonetheless, I am looking forward to this weekend.

Oh by the way, Happy Birthday Jane Ryu! I highly doubt you'll read this, but like you said, it's the thought that counts right? Okay well, I just wanted to post a brief entry before the weekend officially kicks off. Have a good weekend guys!

Dear Life,

I know we've had our ups and downs. You've slapped me across the face many times, and I can admit that I've had very strong feelings of animosity towards you in the past. You wouldn't just give me lemons, you would chuck them in my face, one after another, not giving me enough time to recover from the previous barrage. I've cursed you out, claimed to have hated you, and wished I could exchange you for another. But, let's put all that behind us, because I love you. Honestly, you do suck at times, but when we work things out, it feels great. I love you, life.

Jeez, I'm posting these entries everyday. Yikes, I really don't have a life. Oh well.

so naive!

Hm... So, I started my final semester of high school yesterday. And now that I don't really care too much about school, and don't have to worry about SAT's or applications, I have a lot of free time on my hands. So why not blog a little bit more? I mean, I like putting my thoughts and feelings somewhere tangible, somewhere I can come back and re-read and re-think my thoughts. And shout out to Andy Otis and Joanne Choi, two people who motivated me to write more often. [Andy doesn't even blog, but he told me that he enjoys reading them, and Joanne says I inspire her]

After a week or so of hearing girls rave about Justin Bieber, I finally decided to check him out. I watched/listened to his songs "One Time," and "One Less Lonely Girl." Now, I heard that he was like 15 years old, but wow, the kid looks like he's still in junior high. Sure his songs are catchy, but they're pretty cliche. His voice hasn't matured and it's strange to know that a little CHILD is saying all that stuff. I mean, how silly does it sound for him to offer a girl everything in the name of his "love."

This brings me to my adolescent escapades. Yes, I can admit I genuinely had feelings of infatuation and attraction. And even though I wish I would have done things differently, I can't say I regret anything. But, I think it was pretty naive of me to think that I would marry a high school sweetheart, let alone a junior high fling.

And the way I was dealing with this one girl was completely wrong. But now that I realized, I know that we will be good friends, and I am completely fine with that.

So far, I am enjoying my economics class greatly. Since business is what I might want to major in, my interest and knowledge in the class grows more and more. I sound like a nerd.

Life is good to me, and I in turn am trying to be good back. There are of course minor setbacks and annoyances here and there, but for the most part, I am content. Stay tuned for another post soon!