Ranting for Health

April 20, 2011 ~ JodiLea ~ 1 Comment

Topic #98: Write a rant about the pointlessness of ranting.

WHAT???

Sorry, but ranting not only HAS A POINT, but it’s good for you. [Scott’s turn to say WHAT??? here] I’m not talking about bitching or whining, which are often pointless, but the true & righteous ranting that comes from your soul.

Ranting is not for wishy-washy types. Rants are passionate expressions of the ranter’s response to frustration, anger, adversity, fear, jealousies – caused by something or someone else. We don’t rant about positive emotions, we “proclaim” and “announce” those things. Rants are about the darker side of life. Not that a good rant is depressing. Often the best rants are humorous ones because most of us can relate to them.

How are rants healthy? They benefit both the ranter and the rantee. The ranter vents off steam, decreasing stress. By listening and relating, the rantee is a participant – a co-ranter, if you will. They rant vicariously and laugh at the things that annoy them. This causes those happy endorphins to appear.

Everyone knows that Laughter is the Best Medicine. So rant away! Rant to your friends, your family, readers of your blog. Go ahead – make someones day. 🙂

¿Se Habla?

March 31, 2011 ~ JodiLea ~ 1 Comment

Topic #84: If you could master any skill instantly, what would it be? The first thing I thought of is something I’ve been wanting to do, but haven’t had the time to pursue.

Se Habla

I want to speak, read, and write in Spanish. This would be a handy skill to have since I live in California and there are many people here that speak Spanish fluently. I want to communicate. I want to know what they are talking about, and if it involves me in any way.

Occasionally I dream that I speak and understand Spanish. I even think to myself in the dream, “Hey! I can speak Spanish!” Is this weird? Do other people dream in foreign languages from time to time? I think I know the answer to those questions already…

I remember a lot of words and phrases from my 7th grade Spanish class. I know the pronunciation fairly well. When I habla to a Spanish-speaking person they understand me. But knowing a tiny amount of the language is useless because I can’t understand what they say back. And that could be critical.

I am also tired of pressing “1” all the time.

Restaurant Review: Chelas

March 30, 2011 ~ JodiLea

Chelas Logo

A new restaurant opened just down the hill from my mom’s house in Laguna Niguel. Sis and I have waited for them to open since August. We saw a sign on the vacant space last summer saying “Coming Soon! Chelas Mexican Grill” Yum! We love Mexican food.

When we walked in the door a heavenly aroma enveloped us. Our first impression was a mixture of “this is a fast food place!” and “OMG, it smells incredible!” Chelas menu is posted on the wall and you place your order at the counter. The interior walls are painted a light drab, and the vinyl flooring is black. They have chairs and tables available, and you can order food to go.

This was not what we expected.

The menu was far different from the Mexican restaurants we usually went to. No Enchiladas, Chili Rellaños, Soups, or Salads listed. What was on the menu seemed weird to me. I never had a taco made with shredded cabbage instead of lettuce. Their burritos also had cabbage. My sister wanted a Chimichanga and I wanted a Chili Rellaño, so we felt disappointed. We settled for a ‘La Gringa Taco’ – recommended by Edward, who waited on us. I also ordered a Quesadilla and sis ordered a Chili Verde Burrito.

While waiting for our order, we were a captive audience for Chelas lively background music. It was as jarring as it was unconventional. The volume was too much to suit me – no surprises there. If asked to describe the genre, I would say it was ‘Mexican Polka’. The tempo was crazy fast and the lyrics were in Spanish. I’m embarrassed to admit that I caught myself bobbing my head and dancing my shoulders along with it at times.

So why am I giving Chelas ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ (4 hearts out of 5)?

The food is that yummy. Period.

I think we will order it to go next time. Unless of course we’re in one of our Mexican Polka moods.