The Gleny MAGAZINE page 4

Battle of the Local Tacos

by -Ursula

Finns is a great place to eat. You can't miss the bright yellow storefront while driving down Main Street in Bradley. They even set up tables outside on the walkway to enjoy the breeze on sunny days and warm nights. There are always interesting people or car passing by while you eat your meal. The service is always fast and friendly at Finns. They are ready to serve you when you walk in the door. And if you feel adventurous, after your meal you can walk down 2 doors to the quaint Bradley Cinema to catch a cheap movie if you can stand the smell of old people. hehe

I think one of the only advantages, regarding the food, Finns has over ST is the fact that they use more cheese. I don’t like their salsa - it has too much cilantro it in making it strangely tangy and its chunkier than STs. Never tastes as fresh - almost like its out of a can. Their chips are less greasy but if you don’t have good salsa to drip them in, who cares! I have tried many things off the Finns menu. This evening I had a Green Room. Creamy beans and sour cream and cheese with your choice of chicken, steak or just veggies in a green tortilla. I think I might have had one too many because this one didn’t impress me. The burrito was poorly made and fell apart with my first bite. This has happened the last few times I’ve ordered the green room. Maybe I'm not an expert burrito handler, but nevertheless, it fell apart. My sister ordered the Hawaii 5-oh. Awesome. We wanted to get a few different burritos and I wish I had hers. Crispy chips crushed in with the chicken smothered in Caesar dressing, wrapped in lettuce and a white tortilla. It’s always tightly made and never falls apart on you, add a little Cholula sauce in there and you are set. This is an awesome burrito and is highly recommended. Amy had the Mexicali Blues which I haven't had in a while but her reviews were also high. (fill in what’s it in)

As great as Finns is, my heart still lies with Surf Taco. I feel comfortable walking in and the service is always fast and friendly because I usually know the kids behind the counter because they are friends with my sister. At ST, they give you a number and your food is brought to you. I like that about Surf Taco. You can get all of the awesome salsas they have, fill up your drink, get yourself comfortable and *bam* food is there. Surf Taco's salsa always is so fresh and tasty. You also get a choice of 4 fresh salsas - Mild, Verde, Baja and Hot and of course the Cholula sauce that you just can't eat tacos without! I have pretty much tried everyone once on the ST menu. Everything is amazing and excellent. This fine visit I had the Chicken Tender Taco that has been introduced to me by my sister. Crispy chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, rice wrapped in a small taco. The best part of this taco is the ranch dressing. I have come to get an extra side of ranch, mix it with the Cholula sauce and dip my chips in it. Its fantastic! Another one of my favorites is the Sunset Burrito, which is basically the chix tender taco burrito style to the max. During the visit, Gleny got a special taco which combined cheesesteak and your basic taco that he did enjoy and Amy got the nachos. Can’t go wrong with nachos. I also have to mention the old classic – the Maverick’s burrito. This is one massive burrito. Rice, beans, chicken, (fill in more ingredients) Also, one of the greatest things are Surf Taco, although they lack in cheese in general, you can make anything you order “wet.” Now boys, calm down there. Haha Making your taco or burrito “wet” is adding melted cheese over the top. It is an amazing addition to any burrito.

After having a great excuse to go to 2 great mexi-cali restaurants, my heart and taste buds still lay with Surf Taco. They are the best, laid-back, lets grab something GOOD and healthy to eat place around.

NEW SURE TACOS opening in seaside, Dover/Toms River, Jackson, and I think the last one was Lacey.

NEW FINS opening in Brick as well

Fins

Surf Taco

Life Gone Kra-Z 1.4

"I believe you can do this, Gary"
"Why? What reason do you have to believe?"
"Sometimes, believing is all we have." -Team America: World Police

I wasn't entirely sure I was going to make it through the last week of my life to be able to say to you: Greetings and Salutations my freaky darlings. I wasn't entirely sure of ANYTHING this past week, my Faith tested to the point of tear-soaked agony. My Faith restored only yesterday, I'm typing furiously to meet my deadline. The good news is that after last month's Dixie Debacle, I promised myself this month would be personal, not politics. And it seems Life has handed me inspiration. On a big flaming platter.

The inspiration? I came home from work last Tuesday to find all my girlfriend's possessions gone from our apartment. Then I was told by her mother that she chose to leave me. The night I spent in tears and a drunken stupor at a friend's house, wondering Why, was only the beginning of the torment.

The next morning she called to tell me that her ex-fiancé had come and given her a choice, either she leave with him, or I'd be hurt.

Over the next few days, she told me more about the ordeal, but also that she wouldn't tell me certain facts, including her location. Even her farewell note she had hidden said "I have a new life to lead, please don't try to follow me." Her best friend was hiding the truth from me as well. Her mom refused to talk to me because she "didn't want to get involved."

And by now, you're starting to doubt the story too, aren't you? Over the course of last week, I heard every argument running through your minds. Most of my friends didn't know what to believe. My best friend and I got into screaming matches over it. Nothing she was telling me really added up to anything that made sense. So here it was: the ultimate showdown between Faith and Reason, between Heart and Mind, coming to you live from the Squared Circle that is my Life.

What would you have done? Would you wait for her, not knowing when, or IF, her plan to make him not want her anymore would work and she would come home? Would you believe in her story or her plan? Or would you turn-tail and run on a girlfriend of only 7 months who left town with her ex?

I chose to believe. I knew that if I gave up hope in Us, or stopped believing in her, she would never come home. She wouldn't fight his will if she had no reason to return to me. I had to believe in her plan.

I had written her an email towards the end of her captivity. I wanted to help her by giving her something to talk to him about relationships ending. See, I probably know more than anyone SHOULD know about that subject. I told her how my ex-wife used to say "just because two people love each other, doesn't mean they can, or should, be together," and how I never thought that would apply to us. And I realized that she was absolutely right.

She was right to divorce me. We weren't just "not good" for each other any more, we were actually BAD for each other. There are times that romanticism falls far short of reality; Times when you have to look at your promises to someone, and wonder if they're really worth keeping.

Everyone changes. All you can really hope for in a relationship is that you both change and grow in the same or compatible directions and rates. If one person grows and the other doesn't, if they change into people who want different things from life and each other, it's time to part paths. Love, sometimes ISN'T enough.

Sometimes Loving someone means sacrificing yourself far beyond compromise. Compromise is part of every relationship. But in relationships where you have to give so much of yourself that your own dreams are flushed away and go swirly, it's time to reconsider your relationship.

Sometimes Loving someone means Trusting someone beyond Honesty, beyond Truth. But there needs to be a Reason to Trust. You can trust your boyfriend who says he's never cheated on you, no matter how many times you've seen the credit card bill for the Asian Massage Parlor jump $40 over their normal hourly rate. And maybe you'd be right to trust. But you'd better have damn good reason to ignore a sign like that. And if you don't, it's time to Run Like Hell.

Now, for the first time in my life, I'm right about a woman. I was right to believe her and have faith in my beautiful angel. So what's the difference? How do you know? How did I know when EVERY OTHER TIME I believed, I was proven the fool? What is it about her that gave me the strength to not and let go of her?

I don't know.

Well fuck, kids, I don't know EVERYTHING. There are some things that you just KNOW, deep down in your soul. There are no words to describe those things, no way to ever convince anyone else. But when you find someone who is such a HUGE part of your soul, to doubt them would be to doubt yourself. You HAVE to Believe.

Times like I had this week, when you start to question everything you believe in, you find Truth. In the darkest times, you are forced to stare deep into the light of your soul. When you feel so lost, you find yourself. These are defining moments, when you understand what separates you from the rest of the world. This is when you decide EXACTLY what you want from Life and who (and what) Truly matters to you.

I did. And I'm so glad she's Home.

get.kra.z@gmail.com.

… Kra-Z is an Artist. 'Nuff said. He lives and plays in Las Vegas, but his heart is still on stage at the Jersey Shore. See his work @

artgonekra-z.com …