Sex, Sermons, and Baking
That's right, I'm actually posting on a Monday, try and hold your excitement.
Anyway, this has been a long, pretty intriguing week for me in IV. It started last Monday which included me seeing a hidden, all-female boxing club while biking on DP. It saw last Sunday on which I was again riding my bike on DP at night and I saw some girl standing, holding a giant stick-like appendage, standing as still as a statue. Those are just some off the oddities that occur while biking throughout IV. For me, this week was characterized by sex, sermons, and baking. The baking was probably the most delicious, yet the least integral part. I baked some orange, blackberry scones, and also some kentucky derby pie and brownies at various points in the week, something I want to start doing more of, baking. It's a new hobbie that I have I have picked up and had a chance to practice quite a bit this week. Another hobbie I picked up this week is sermon watching. I have watched several sermons in just a few days and have greatly enjoyed it. Most of them have been on Manhood and Marriage and it has really helped to learn more what it means to become a man and it has been so good to hear and experience. God used it to teach me so much about what it means to lead a wife and be a man of God. It is so much more than I thought it was, and I feel like I am much better prepared and view many things quite differently after God talked to me through sermons and through other people this week. I would encourage others to do the same thing because it will definitely help anyone to learn more and gain more desire for God.
Like I said, many of the sermons were on marriage and with sermons on marriage inevitable come sermons on sex. I have heard much about sex within marriage this past week and I also attended UCSB's veritas forum, a speaker talking on sex, in relation to Jesus. It wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it was still quite the talk, and an uncannily appropriate adjunct to the week. All in all, it was a strange yet illuminatingly growthful week. Just another helping of Isla Vista Chocolate.
Restaurant(s) of the week: I tried two new restaurants this week, Chino's Rock and Tacos on Pardall which has some great deals during the week on Mexican food, and it was utterly packed when I went there. The other was South Coast Deli in Goleta, which had exceptional, high-quality sandwhiches. Certainly not the biggest portions, but the food is very good and the ambiance was also very unique.
As always, good Luck, and Good Eats
~Cody
Monday, February 14, 2011
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
443 Dollars and an Electronic Failure
I know, I'm not posting this until Tuesday again, but my Mondays keep getting busy, and I don't think anyone is waiting in anticipation, so whatever.
Anyways, two major events this week while living in IV (I'm not counting the underground women's boxing club I stumbled upon while riding my bike at night, maybe more to come on that next week). First off, my laptop, which had Windows XP on it, just decided to stop allowing me to log on to the internet this week. Turns out I had a virus, so frustrating. Thankfully, IV (And UCSB) is full of extremely unique people. It seems like each person is quite different from the others with their own distinct stories. One such person is my dear friend Punya who worked for Intel for a good deal in his life. The man knows his way around a computer like Oscar Robertson a basketball. Not only did he fix up my computer, he gave me Win7, so advanced it feels like I'm in the future. The imperfection of my computer was transformed into something so much more beautiful and precious.
The other interesting event that took place this week was that while browsing the financial aid website I discovered I got an ACG grant for an additional 443 dollars this quarter, extremely unexpected, but oh so nice. It's interesting because ordinarily I do not look at my financial aid mumbo-jumbo during quarters, only at the beginning and end, and yet, there it was. It was just God's way of telling me that despite my lack of trust in Him, instead of disciplining me He instead blessed me and taught me a lesson that way. He took my imperfections and turned them into something beautiful and precious, just the way Punya did with my computer. So nice to know that God does this, and that IV is so unique that I can count on more adventures to come. Just more Isla Vista Chocolate.
Restaurant of the week: The Habit Grill. Great burgers, a little pricy for combos, but overall very good food.
~Good Luck and Good Eats
Anyways, two major events this week while living in IV (I'm not counting the underground women's boxing club I stumbled upon while riding my bike at night, maybe more to come on that next week). First off, my laptop, which had Windows XP on it, just decided to stop allowing me to log on to the internet this week. Turns out I had a virus, so frustrating. Thankfully, IV (And UCSB) is full of extremely unique people. It seems like each person is quite different from the others with their own distinct stories. One such person is my dear friend Punya who worked for Intel for a good deal in his life. The man knows his way around a computer like Oscar Robertson a basketball. Not only did he fix up my computer, he gave me Win7, so advanced it feels like I'm in the future. The imperfection of my computer was transformed into something so much more beautiful and precious.
The other interesting event that took place this week was that while browsing the financial aid website I discovered I got an ACG grant for an additional 443 dollars this quarter, extremely unexpected, but oh so nice. It's interesting because ordinarily I do not look at my financial aid mumbo-jumbo during quarters, only at the beginning and end, and yet, there it was. It was just God's way of telling me that despite my lack of trust in Him, instead of disciplining me He instead blessed me and taught me a lesson that way. He took my imperfections and turned them into something beautiful and precious, just the way Punya did with my computer. So nice to know that God does this, and that IV is so unique that I can count on more adventures to come. Just more Isla Vista Chocolate.
Restaurant of the week: The Habit Grill. Great burgers, a little pricy for combos, but overall very good food.
~Good Luck and Good Eats
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Night Fog
I'm one day late on this post, oh well.
Of all the places I've lived in my short life (only about two or three), Santa Barbara is the only one that has ever had night fog. I've always known fog to be in the morning, burn off by 10, 11 at the latest, but here, fog starts at approximately 7PM! It lasts the night and still burns off at around 10 or 11 at the latest. It's a strange phenomena, more than likely on account of the proximity of Santa Barbara to the Ocean. The night fog is strange because it is so unexpected-everyone is taken aback by it the first time they experience it. And speaking of which, that pretty much classifies this past week for me.
Many times this past week something fairly unexpected happened that lead to a first in my life. It's interesting the way God often arranges things. On Thursday, I was considering not going to Real Life-I was exhausted, basketball was on, and I wanted to eat a big dinner. I thankfully ended up going, something I didn't think that I was going to which lead to me experiencing many firsts. It was the first time I ever prayed for people at Real Life, an event that ultimately equated to me being very joyful, the first time my friend Ed ever came to Real Life, which also made me very happy, seeing him, and the first time I have ever been told that I am the perfect height for hugging, one of the best compliments I have ever been told. All these things combined just gave me so much joy and peace internally, an event that would definitely not have happened had I not gone to Real Life and stayed home and watched yet another basketball game.
Another event was the pancake night that my bible study hosted in the dorms. That was not the unexpected part; the unexpected part was when I ran to the office to get napkins, something I didn't think was going to happen. It made me see pictures of classes past, for the first time, and reminded me how blessed I am to go to school here.
This past week was filled with things unexpected that lead to firsts, very analogous to the night fog so easily felt in Isla Vista. Whereas too much time spent in the night fog makes my eyes water, too much Isla Vista Chocolate makes my eyes water with joy. Thank you, Jesus.
Restaurant of the week: Not a restaurant, but a website: foodporndaily.com-exactly what it sounds like it.
~Good Luck and Good Eats
Cody
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Week 1-Hope
So, I've decided to revamp this blog, and start chronicling my experiences of living in a very unique place-Isla Vista. It'll look differently every week, just based on whatever happens during the week, and if you're interested, it'll usually be updated on Mondays.
I decided to title this week's entry 'Hope'. My firs few months living in IV has had many, many ups, but has not been without its downs. Recently (about two weeks ago), during a prayer and worship session we sang a song that I had never heard before entitled "Song of Hope". Now, despite the sinusoidal nature of living in IV, I have realized that there is never no hope. One of the downs has been that I really have not much to no home to go back to where I grew up, unlike most people. It makes the future really uncertain and it is, at times, a bit stressful when housing comes up, especially in regards to the future, and that past next quarter.
Compared with most people here, I lead a relatively humble lift, but compared with most people globally, I am unbelievably blessed. I've come to realize that it is all about perspective. I was in Vietnam War class earlier and ultimately the message of the speaker was Hope, saying that no matter what we have been through, Hope is always still available.
I think that it is a message Isla Vista need remember and keep in mind. With all of the partying and the hurt and the pride that is so prevalent in IV, Hope needs to prevail, Hope in the One who created Hope. It is my desire that Hope should be the driving force in IV, that all of the hurt in IV would be replaced by Hope, that Isla Vista would be as exposed to Hope as I have in the past week or so. Those with Hope survive, those with Hurt fade. Pray for IV, Pray for Hope.
`IV Restaurant of the week: McMaster's Steak and Hoagie-Great service, great food, ok prices (decent for IV).
~Good Luck and Good Eats
Cody
I decided to title this week's entry 'Hope'. My firs few months living in IV has had many, many ups, but has not been without its downs. Recently (about two weeks ago), during a prayer and worship session we sang a song that I had never heard before entitled "Song of Hope". Now, despite the sinusoidal nature of living in IV, I have realized that there is never no hope. One of the downs has been that I really have not much to no home to go back to where I grew up, unlike most people. It makes the future really uncertain and it is, at times, a bit stressful when housing comes up, especially in regards to the future, and that past next quarter.
Compared with most people here, I lead a relatively humble lift, but compared with most people globally, I am unbelievably blessed. I've come to realize that it is all about perspective. I was in Vietnam War class earlier and ultimately the message of the speaker was Hope, saying that no matter what we have been through, Hope is always still available.
I think that it is a message Isla Vista need remember and keep in mind. With all of the partying and the hurt and the pride that is so prevalent in IV, Hope needs to prevail, Hope in the One who created Hope. It is my desire that Hope should be the driving force in IV, that all of the hurt in IV would be replaced by Hope, that Isla Vista would be as exposed to Hope as I have in the past week or so. Those with Hope survive, those with Hurt fade. Pray for IV, Pray for Hope.
`IV Restaurant of the week: McMaster's Steak and Hoagie-Great service, great food, ok prices (decent for IV).
~Good Luck and Good Eats
Cody
Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Spring Break Food Blog
Spring Break Food Stuffs
It’s been a while since I have food blogged so I made sure to include stuff for everyone (franchises, Glendora area restaurants and even a Goleta eatery). So let’s get to it.
Sonics:
I finally had the chance to try Sonics after watching their semi-humorous commercials for years. They built one near my house, so I went with a few friends. Our first impression was nothing short of confusion: with no inside area, we were at a loss for how to order. They literally had the little stations where you would order and the servers would skate out and bring you your food. Kind of cool, as long as the food is still good. I know that this place is also relatively renowned for its wide selection of drinks of many kinds. So I knew as a food blogger that I had to try this place. I ordered a jr. breakfast burrito, a grilled cheese, a chicken strip sandwich, and a small iced tea-all off their not-too-shabby value menu. Let’s start with my drink. The iced tea itself was pretty good, but in the cup, which was already pretty small, I got about 70-75% ice and 25-30% tea. If it is a ploy by Sonics to earn more profit, it’s an underhanded one. They took the iced part of iced tea a bit overboard, and they did the same for my friend’s iced tea, and my other friend’s limeade, one of the things that they are very famous for. The drinks were good, but ultimately the cup size is deceiving and you just don’t get what’s advertized. The food wasn’t too bad, as most people claim. The grilled cheese was good for the price, better than Jack-in-the-Box, and the breakfast burrito was small but tasty. The chicken sandwich could use some work, they should take notes on some of the other 99 cent fast food chicken sandwiches as it was quite bland. And my compadres’ burgers were quite the same-bland. The food is not good enough to go here over somewhere else, and the drinks disappointed me considering the reputation. This restaurant chain can best be summed up by what Alex said to me: “This is place is really quirky.” And that’s exactly right-by relying on their unorthodox ordering style and wide selection of drinks, their food suffers, and this is a food blog. I give Sonics 2 out of 6 durantulas. Save your money, but still have a supersonic night.
Tommy’s:
Also over spring break, I tried Tommy’s for the first time. This chili-burger joint originated in LA, but has since expanded, and I went to one near my house. I got a chili-cheese burger and chili cheese fries, a Tommy’s classic. The chili was actually pretty high-quality and the burger was very good, even among chili cheese burger standards. And what was cool is that they didn’t use too much Chili on the burger, which is important. The drink that I got was large compared with modern-day fast food drinks, which was good, so for me, the deciding factor was the chili-cheese fries. I didn’t really like the fries that they used, but the Chili that they used was again good. However, the chili got tiring after my burger and the fries and I would advise getting regular fries and a chili cheese burger. The price wasn’t terrible for the amount of food that we got, but it wasn’t like it was super cheap either. I think whether or not you go here just pretty much depends on its proximity towards you and how much you love chili. Like I said, the Chili is pretty high-quality and the price is at least competitive. I give Tommy’s 4 chili beans out of 5.5.
Domingo’s:
I had the chance recently to try out Domingo’s café in Goleta. My first impression was that it was just an average, run-of-the-mill café with nothing extremely special about it. And as they say, first impressions are usually correct. At first it seemed like this particular café was fairly cheap, but for the amount of food that each of us got, it seemed to be about right. I got blueberry pancakes, which were good but ultimately left me unsatisfied. I like that the café offered Mexican and traditional café food, but in today’s society, that’s no longer rare. They did offer party packages which aren’t usually seen in cafes today, but nobody who goes to a café in a group orders the same thing, so ultimately it is unnecessary. I liked my blueberry pancakes, but I wouldn’t advise going there over somewhere else. I give this place a 3 out of 6 blueberry pancakes and say to all you SBers that if you want to go somewhere good, there are plenty of places and Domingo’s is not in the upper echelon.
Recent food Embargos:
I am protesting Carl’s Jr’s new commercial with one of the Kardashians so I am temporarily boycotting Carl’s Jr., despite my desire to try their new Banana Chocolate Chip shake.
I am also boycotting Chili’s because the last day that I ate there I got violently ill and threw up all over myself. I hate Chili’s now.
~Good Luck and Good Eats.
It’s been a while since I have food blogged so I made sure to include stuff for everyone (franchises, Glendora area restaurants and even a Goleta eatery). So let’s get to it.
Sonics:
I finally had the chance to try Sonics after watching their semi-humorous commercials for years. They built one near my house, so I went with a few friends. Our first impression was nothing short of confusion: with no inside area, we were at a loss for how to order. They literally had the little stations where you would order and the servers would skate out and bring you your food. Kind of cool, as long as the food is still good. I know that this place is also relatively renowned for its wide selection of drinks of many kinds. So I knew as a food blogger that I had to try this place. I ordered a jr. breakfast burrito, a grilled cheese, a chicken strip sandwich, and a small iced tea-all off their not-too-shabby value menu. Let’s start with my drink. The iced tea itself was pretty good, but in the cup, which was already pretty small, I got about 70-75% ice and 25-30% tea. If it is a ploy by Sonics to earn more profit, it’s an underhanded one. They took the iced part of iced tea a bit overboard, and they did the same for my friend’s iced tea, and my other friend’s limeade, one of the things that they are very famous for. The drinks were good, but ultimately the cup size is deceiving and you just don’t get what’s advertized. The food wasn’t too bad, as most people claim. The grilled cheese was good for the price, better than Jack-in-the-Box, and the breakfast burrito was small but tasty. The chicken sandwich could use some work, they should take notes on some of the other 99 cent fast food chicken sandwiches as it was quite bland. And my compadres’ burgers were quite the same-bland. The food is not good enough to go here over somewhere else, and the drinks disappointed me considering the reputation. This restaurant chain can best be summed up by what Alex said to me: “This is place is really quirky.” And that’s exactly right-by relying on their unorthodox ordering style and wide selection of drinks, their food suffers, and this is a food blog. I give Sonics 2 out of 6 durantulas. Save your money, but still have a supersonic night.
Tommy’s:
Also over spring break, I tried Tommy’s for the first time. This chili-burger joint originated in LA, but has since expanded, and I went to one near my house. I got a chili-cheese burger and chili cheese fries, a Tommy’s classic. The chili was actually pretty high-quality and the burger was very good, even among chili cheese burger standards. And what was cool is that they didn’t use too much Chili on the burger, which is important. The drink that I got was large compared with modern-day fast food drinks, which was good, so for me, the deciding factor was the chili-cheese fries. I didn’t really like the fries that they used, but the Chili that they used was again good. However, the chili got tiring after my burger and the fries and I would advise getting regular fries and a chili cheese burger. The price wasn’t terrible for the amount of food that we got, but it wasn’t like it was super cheap either. I think whether or not you go here just pretty much depends on its proximity towards you and how much you love chili. Like I said, the Chili is pretty high-quality and the price is at least competitive. I give Tommy’s 4 chili beans out of 5.5.
Domingo’s:
I had the chance recently to try out Domingo’s café in Goleta. My first impression was that it was just an average, run-of-the-mill café with nothing extremely special about it. And as they say, first impressions are usually correct. At first it seemed like this particular café was fairly cheap, but for the amount of food that each of us got, it seemed to be about right. I got blueberry pancakes, which were good but ultimately left me unsatisfied. I like that the café offered Mexican and traditional café food, but in today’s society, that’s no longer rare. They did offer party packages which aren’t usually seen in cafes today, but nobody who goes to a café in a group orders the same thing, so ultimately it is unnecessary. I liked my blueberry pancakes, but I wouldn’t advise going there over somewhere else. I give this place a 3 out of 6 blueberry pancakes and say to all you SBers that if you want to go somewhere good, there are plenty of places and Domingo’s is not in the upper echelon.
Recent food Embargos:
I am protesting Carl’s Jr’s new commercial with one of the Kardashians so I am temporarily boycotting Carl’s Jr., despite my desire to try their new Banana Chocolate Chip shake.
I am also boycotting Chili’s because the last day that I ate there I got violently ill and threw up all over myself. I hate Chili’s now.
~Good Luck and Good Eats.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Nice Guys Finish Last
The Female Paradox
I have been waiting to write this note for some time, and finally, using my 5-day weekend I have finally decided to. Now, let me preface this note by saying that this note does not apply to EVERY female, this is just something that I find to be generally true. Guys are always curious on how to get females, and there are a variety of different personality guys out there ranging from complete D-Bag to Nice guy. Typically the only types of guys worth getting with, from the perspective of the females, are the ones on the ‘Nice Guy’ side of the scale. However, as everyone knows, nice guys finish last. But why is this? I set out to answer that question.
Females, as a nice guy myself, let me tell you what I have found. There is a paradox that exists within the female institution. That is this: girls prefer to date nicer guys, however they only pay attention to D-Bags/jerks. Nicer guys are typically the ones who have a harder time communicating with the girls that they find attractive/they are shy. And I will tell you the unfortunate truth that is at the heart of this paradox: girls do not understand this. They simply go on their way, paying and giving most of their attention to guys that treat them life they are not worth it. This is sad, from the perspective of an unbiased outside observer (of which I am not). If guys are indeed nice to girls, they will appreciate it, but they won’t really notice those guys, whereas if guys are meaner and less friendly to those same females then they won’t have any interest in those guys, but at least they will notice them.
So what does this mean? It simply means that all guys, but especially wholesome, quality guys, will always have to struggle more to get with females as long as this paradox exists. The fact is that Jerks have better ways to combat the female paradox, making themselves appear more of a catch, while the nice guys have to work within the system to accomplish the hard-as-nails task of trying to woo females.
I do not say all this to bag on females, or anything close to that, I just have some advice for females: stop complaining. Make up your mind-what kind of guy do you want, a jerk, or a nice guy. I am simply tired of hearing females complain that they cannot find the right guy or that all good guys are either gay or married. Females are not stupid or anything close, they are ignorant. If you really want a guy who will treat you with the respect that you deserve-then pay attention to the guys who treat you right! And for goodness’ sake, stop giving attention to guys who are jerks to you. Because if you do not, guys will have to continue to treat you bad just to get notice, or treat you well, and risk the very real possibility of being forgotten. Obviously this is not universal and does not apply to every guy or female and shouldn’t be read without a grain of salt but it is what it is, sadly.
~Good Luck and Good Eats
I have been waiting to write this note for some time, and finally, using my 5-day weekend I have finally decided to. Now, let me preface this note by saying that this note does not apply to EVERY female, this is just something that I find to be generally true. Guys are always curious on how to get females, and there are a variety of different personality guys out there ranging from complete D-Bag to Nice guy. Typically the only types of guys worth getting with, from the perspective of the females, are the ones on the ‘Nice Guy’ side of the scale. However, as everyone knows, nice guys finish last. But why is this? I set out to answer that question.
Females, as a nice guy myself, let me tell you what I have found. There is a paradox that exists within the female institution. That is this: girls prefer to date nicer guys, however they only pay attention to D-Bags/jerks. Nicer guys are typically the ones who have a harder time communicating with the girls that they find attractive/they are shy. And I will tell you the unfortunate truth that is at the heart of this paradox: girls do not understand this. They simply go on their way, paying and giving most of their attention to guys that treat them life they are not worth it. This is sad, from the perspective of an unbiased outside observer (of which I am not). If guys are indeed nice to girls, they will appreciate it, but they won’t really notice those guys, whereas if guys are meaner and less friendly to those same females then they won’t have any interest in those guys, but at least they will notice them.
So what does this mean? It simply means that all guys, but especially wholesome, quality guys, will always have to struggle more to get with females as long as this paradox exists. The fact is that Jerks have better ways to combat the female paradox, making themselves appear more of a catch, while the nice guys have to work within the system to accomplish the hard-as-nails task of trying to woo females.
I do not say all this to bag on females, or anything close to that, I just have some advice for females: stop complaining. Make up your mind-what kind of guy do you want, a jerk, or a nice guy. I am simply tired of hearing females complain that they cannot find the right guy or that all good guys are either gay or married. Females are not stupid or anything close, they are ignorant. If you really want a guy who will treat you with the respect that you deserve-then pay attention to the guys who treat you right! And for goodness’ sake, stop giving attention to guys who are jerks to you. Because if you do not, guys will have to continue to treat you bad just to get notice, or treat you well, and risk the very real possibility of being forgotten. Obviously this is not universal and does not apply to every guy or female and shouldn’t be read without a grain of salt but it is what it is, sadly.
~Good Luck and Good Eats
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