Yeah, that's right. I'll tell you about my weekend in a minute.
But first: I'm meeting Adam's mom tonight. I'm good with parents - I play the good-girl card extremely well - but it always makes me nervous. Especially right now, I'm still in partial wilderness mode because I haven't had time to cut my nails or do laundry or catch up on my sleep since getting back from the AGA yesterday. So let's hope she doesn't judge me on my appearance!
Anyway, over the weekend I went to the Sierra Club of Canada Atlantic Canada Chapter/Nova Scotia Environmental Network's AGA at this beautiful property in Yarmouth County. Imagine camping, vegetarian food and treehuggers all weekend, and then just try to imagine me not loving it. I'm not going to go into ridiculous detail right now, although I promise that the aprts that stood out for me will come up as I act on them. It was such a neat experience, as a rookie environmental activist, to go in and learn about the diverse efforts and where my talents are needed, and to figure out how I can plug into those networks. And people who are like me!
Huge step outside my comfort zone, what with the sitting in circles and sharing our "passions" plus the fact that just about everybody knew more than I did about the movement...but it was such an exciting start.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Cookies
A cookie for anyone who can tell me why I'm so insatiably hungry today. Then again, maybe I'll just eat it myself...
Walking around in glasses is like watching a 3D movie: ordinary things like chairs and tree branches pop out at you, looking abnormally well-defined and just a little fake. I've been playing this pointless little game where I look at things and see just how pronounced the difference is with the glasses and without. With, without. with, without. And so on, until headache ensues.
Walking around in glasses is like watching a 3D movie: ordinary things like chairs and tree branches pop out at you, looking abnormally well-defined and just a little fake. I've been playing this pointless little game where I look at things and see just how pronounced the difference is with the glasses and without. With, without. with, without. And so on, until headache ensues.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Dolphin-friendly tuna is all well and good, if you're not a tuna.
Pointless post. Blame BTFF, because he's bored and complained about not having any fun weblogs to read.
The store is as full as ever of zany madness...the people who sold us our freezer just over a year ago now want to charge us $750 to fix it because it's defective. Let me tell you the story of the freezer. See, for about a week it would blow its circuit every single day. The university electricians got sick of fixing it, because it was the only appliance on that particular circuit and shouldn't have been tripping the breaker, so they told us we were on our own. After almost a month the freezer company finally stopped dicking around and sent somebody in to look at it (today). The dude tinkered with it for a while and, trying to make conversation, I asked him if he'd figured out what was wrong with it. "It keeps blowing the circuit," he replied, as though that weren't (a) blatantly obvious and (b)the very reason we had called him in.
So an hour and a half later he leaves us with a partially-fixed freezer that I still don't trust, a wholly incomplete explanation of the further work that we need done, and a bill for $90. The general consensus around here is: I want that job.
The store is as full as ever of zany madness...the people who sold us our freezer just over a year ago now want to charge us $750 to fix it because it's defective. Let me tell you the story of the freezer. See, for about a week it would blow its circuit every single day. The university electricians got sick of fixing it, because it was the only appliance on that particular circuit and shouldn't have been tripping the breaker, so they told us we were on our own. After almost a month the freezer company finally stopped dicking around and sent somebody in to look at it (today). The dude tinkered with it for a while and, trying to make conversation, I asked him if he'd figured out what was wrong with it. "It keeps blowing the circuit," he replied, as though that weren't (a) blatantly obvious and (b)the very reason we had called him in.
So an hour and a half later he leaves us with a partially-fixed freezer that I still don't trust, a wholly incomplete explanation of the further work that we need done, and a bill for $90. The general consensus around here is: I want that job.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Rainy weekend rising
(Sorry, I was listening to CCR at work today)
I hope it's sunny for the parade tomorrow...my "gay boyfriend" Matt is going to be in it and I'm going after the market to cheer for him.
Anyway, I've been cleansing for almost a week now and it's interesting to say the least...if anything I feel slightly worse than usual but apparently that's normal - the awesomeness comes after. I probably have less to detoxify than the average bear, what with the locally-, organically- and plant-based diet, the no coffee and the hippie soaps etc., but I'm sure there's lots of crap in me that wants to get out.
Anyway I've been doing pretty well...chocolate cravings haven't killed me like I thought they would, although I did cave and have a Clif bar at one point. I also got some process-y Italian-style veggie sausages which were SO GOOD. I've been waiting around for so long for decent veggie sausages. Aside from hot dogs (and possibly macaroni loaf), sausages probably have the lowest meat content of the meat products...so why has it taken so long for soembody to make a decent veggie substitution? Anyway, I commend Yves for their achievement. I'm not usually one for veggie meats, but sausages are the one flesh product I actually miss. I can't wait to try the Bavarian style, with some Oktoberfest mustard, maybe a little sauerkraut...mmmmm awesome.
I've also been drinking loads of water, with milk thistle and dandelion extract, which leave a very slight (but not unpleasant) flavour. It's kicked my liver into overdrive. Because of that I think I'll allow myself a beer tomorrow night - Matthew's visiting from Ottawa and a bunch of us are gonna kick it Griffin-style.
Anyway I promised information about some delicious ...I'll post the recipe soon, but for now let me say that they were fudgy and delicious, despite being made with carob powder, 100% whole wheat flour and no refined sugar. it's simply that I am a genius. Actually Jia Patton is a genius and I just adapted one of her cookie recipes from John Robbins' May All Be Fed. The genius on my part is knowing that in general (Dreena Burton's "More-ish Brownies" notwithstanding), if a vegan cookbook has a recipe for cookies then the dough will be better suited for brownies or blondies, while "brownie" recipes make better cake than brownies. See? genuis.
I hope it's sunny for the parade tomorrow...my "gay boyfriend" Matt is going to be in it and I'm going after the market to cheer for him.
Anyway, I've been cleansing for almost a week now and it's interesting to say the least...if anything I feel slightly worse than usual but apparently that's normal - the awesomeness comes after. I probably have less to detoxify than the average bear, what with the locally-, organically- and plant-based diet, the no coffee and the hippie soaps etc., but I'm sure there's lots of crap in me that wants to get out.
Anyway I've been doing pretty well...chocolate cravings haven't killed me like I thought they would, although I did cave and have a Clif bar at one point. I also got some process-y Italian-style veggie sausages which were SO GOOD. I've been waiting around for so long for decent veggie sausages. Aside from hot dogs (and possibly macaroni loaf), sausages probably have the lowest meat content of the meat products...so why has it taken so long for soembody to make a decent veggie substitution? Anyway, I commend Yves for their achievement. I'm not usually one for veggie meats, but sausages are the one flesh product I actually miss. I can't wait to try the Bavarian style, with some Oktoberfest mustard, maybe a little sauerkraut...mmmmm awesome.
I've also been drinking loads of water, with milk thistle and dandelion extract, which leave a very slight (but not unpleasant) flavour. It's kicked my liver into overdrive. Because of that I think I'll allow myself a beer tomorrow night - Matthew's visiting from Ottawa and a bunch of us are gonna kick it Griffin-style.
Anyway I promised information about some delicious ...I'll post the recipe soon, but for now let me say that they were fudgy and delicious, despite being made with carob powder, 100% whole wheat flour and no refined sugar. it's simply that I am a genius. Actually Jia Patton is a genius and I just adapted one of her cookie recipes from John Robbins' May All Be Fed. The genius on my part is knowing that in general (Dreena Burton's "More-ish Brownies" notwithstanding), if a vegan cookbook has a recipe for cookies then the dough will be better suited for brownies or blondies, while "brownie" recipes make better cake than brownies. See? genuis.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Quizzy love
You scored as Faerie. Faerie: Aren't you a cute little flying person? Faeries are earth spirits. They live among each element completely hidden. They have cousins called Pixies. Pixies however, are very mischevious. They enjoy tormenting other creatures for fun. Little pranksters.. I hope you never meet one. Pixies have a bad reputation for finding a creature and clinging to them until death. Faeries can be somewhat close to a Pixie, but mostly they are loving, playful, and carry with them a child-like enthusiasm for life. Hide among the pedals of a Daisy, you are a Faerie.
What Mythological Creature are you? (Cool Pics!)
created with QuizFarm.com
Coincidentally, this is the picture that, after some softening and curvifying, became my tattoo.
Also, if anybody can help me resize this so that my sidebar isn't all wonky, i'd 'preciate it. Thanks!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Have you hugged a tree today?
Having lapsed in my environmental activism while I was busy with school and Women in House,I was really excited yesterday to get back into it. I went to my first EAC meeting in months, and registered for the Sierra Club Atlantic Canada conference and AGM (now to convince my boss to give me the Friday afternoon off, even though I'm the only staff on for the summer), and I'm going to be helping to organize a Sierra Club nature outing for early August. Anybody interested in coming on that, let me know.
After I got home, Adam and I went for a walk to escape the oppressive heat in my apartment. I'm comfortable when everybody else is dying of the humidity, so if I'm uncomfortable then you know it's REALLY sticky and gross. There's a chance of thundershowers tonight, so hopefully that will break up some of the humidity...even though this summer's rain is already affecting harvests and driving up the price of Nova Scotia produce, which is no good.
Anyway, I should get back to work. I'll post later about the fabulous carob brownies I made on Sunday, the sassy new glasses I'm getting this week, the progress of my cleansing routine and various other hipster-related issues.
After I got home, Adam and I went for a walk to escape the oppressive heat in my apartment. I'm comfortable when everybody else is dying of the humidity, so if I'm uncomfortable then you know it's REALLY sticky and gross. There's a chance of thundershowers tonight, so hopefully that will break up some of the humidity...even though this summer's rain is already affecting harvests and driving up the price of Nova Scotia produce, which is no good.
Anyway, I should get back to work. I'll post later about the fabulous carob brownies I made on Sunday, the sassy new glasses I'm getting this week, the progress of my cleansing routine and various other hipster-related issues.
Friday, July 14, 2006
Friday!
It has been a long week of sitting indoors doing data entry. Oh well, I'm developing Excel skills that will help me get a new job...right? I've been doing up some applications and waiting to hear back about one that I sent off on Tuesday. The idea of having a Real Job (Capital-R, Capital-J) is at once scary and wickedawesome. Change is one of the best things in life, and when you add a challenge to that, it gets so much better. Now I just need to find somebody interesting to hire me.
The cleansing officially starts next week, so I'm going to the market and getting lots of healthy foods which I will cook tomorrow night in order to get me through the week. This past week I've been testing for a soy allergy, because when I first went tofu-head I suspected that I had one. It was probably just my body adapting, though, because I haven't felt different this week. That said, I cheated every step of the way. Don't judge: I work 35 hours a week in a convenience store. I make minimum wage. It's been too muggy to cook. Everything contains soy and if you don't believe me, just go into a convenience store and read a few ingredient labels. We even have a pile of soy-laden energy bars here in the store, which have expired and thus are free.
Actually, I've felt pretty fantastic lately due to being more mindful of my health. I start the day with an apple - I heard it was better at getting you going in the morning than a cup of coffee, and surprise! it's so true. Plus none of that crummy feeling that coffee causes in your stomach. I walk to and from work whenever the weather's nice, and Jenn and I have started doing Pilates or yoga together three nights a week. And this morning we had smoothies made with rice milk, frozen bananas, frozen peaches, fresh blueberries and this "natural flavour" Vega stuff that I found at the Superstore and had to try (what? It was endorsed by Bif Naked!). This very green powder, mixed with water like it suggests on the package, tastes (as my mother would say) "healthy". Meaning yucky. However, blended into the smoothie it was pretty good and I could say "whee! I just drank a synergistic collection of plant-based superfoods!"
We also smudged our apartment this week. I waved the smoke from burning herbs into all the rooms and Jenn used her pendulum to find spots of negative energy that we needed to neutralize ("Hey Alex, there's a lot of positive energy over your bed!"). I'm a skeptical little pagan but at the very least I find it psychologically beneficial to go through a physical act of expelling old energies and feelings so that a fresh start is possible.
Speaking of a fresh start - I now need to go work on some unfinished projects at my unskilled, minimum wage job. Sigh.
The cleansing officially starts next week, so I'm going to the market and getting lots of healthy foods which I will cook tomorrow night in order to get me through the week. This past week I've been testing for a soy allergy, because when I first went tofu-head I suspected that I had one. It was probably just my body adapting, though, because I haven't felt different this week. That said, I cheated every step of the way. Don't judge: I work 35 hours a week in a convenience store. I make minimum wage. It's been too muggy to cook. Everything contains soy and if you don't believe me, just go into a convenience store and read a few ingredient labels. We even have a pile of soy-laden energy bars here in the store, which have expired and thus are free.
Actually, I've felt pretty fantastic lately due to being more mindful of my health. I start the day with an apple - I heard it was better at getting you going in the morning than a cup of coffee, and surprise! it's so true. Plus none of that crummy feeling that coffee causes in your stomach. I walk to and from work whenever the weather's nice, and Jenn and I have started doing Pilates or yoga together three nights a week. And this morning we had smoothies made with rice milk, frozen bananas, frozen peaches, fresh blueberries and this "natural flavour" Vega stuff that I found at the Superstore and had to try (what? It was endorsed by Bif Naked!). This very green powder, mixed with water like it suggests on the package, tastes (as my mother would say) "healthy". Meaning yucky. However, blended into the smoothie it was pretty good and I could say "whee! I just drank a synergistic collection of plant-based superfoods!"
We also smudged our apartment this week. I waved the smoke from burning herbs into all the rooms and Jenn used her pendulum to find spots of negative energy that we needed to neutralize ("Hey Alex, there's a lot of positive energy over your bed!"). I'm a skeptical little pagan but at the very least I find it psychologically beneficial to go through a physical act of expelling old energies and feelings so that a fresh start is possible.
Speaking of a fresh start - I now need to go work on some unfinished projects at my unskilled, minimum wage job. Sigh.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Oral fixation
I have a problem: I really like food. When I'm bored, I snack. When I'm overstimulated, I snack. I snack when I'm alone and in social situations of any description. Then, when I feel icky from all the overconsumption, I eat some more. One day my metabolism will forsake me and I will balloon out to approximately the size of a house.
This gluten-free week is a challenge (a fun one), especially given that I live next to a largely useless grocery store and lack the time or funds to do a really great job of this. So far I've noticed no change and it makes me want to just give up because I highly doubt that I have a gluten allergy. But, I have four days left and I'll stick them out.
I've had a lot of great stir-fries, rice noodles, tofu omelets and trail mix. Lots of extra protein in my diet this week because I would normally fill up on breads, etc but I haven't been able to do that.
Yesterday, being desperate in the morning, I grabbed some leftover rice and beans, and a can of tomato soup. As I was mixing them together at work I happened to glance at the soup's ingredients. ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR. Effing effdiddly eff. However, I would not, could not waste food so I had about two tablespoons of what-laden tomato soup concentrate. Bad girl.
Today I have spiced lentils (yummy) with some pickle stuff that Jenn got from somebody. And gads of water, with which I hope to drown the tapeworm.
This gluten-free week is a challenge (a fun one), especially given that I live next to a largely useless grocery store and lack the time or funds to do a really great job of this. So far I've noticed no change and it makes me want to just give up because I highly doubt that I have a gluten allergy. But, I have four days left and I'll stick them out.
I've had a lot of great stir-fries, rice noodles, tofu omelets and trail mix. Lots of extra protein in my diet this week because I would normally fill up on breads, etc but I haven't been able to do that.
Yesterday, being desperate in the morning, I grabbed some leftover rice and beans, and a can of tomato soup. As I was mixing them together at work I happened to glance at the soup's ingredients. ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR. Effing effdiddly eff. However, I would not, could not waste food so I had about two tablespoons of what-laden tomato soup concentrate. Bad girl.
Today I have spiced lentils (yummy) with some pickle stuff that Jenn got from somebody. And gads of water, with which I hope to drown the tapeworm.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Ahhhh
(Please excuse the horrendous coloring...I tried to change some things and realized too late that I have no idea what I'm doing. I need Tainee - immediately!)
Finally moved in, finally settled, finally getting on with my life.
Today I'm taking a personal day, which is boring for anyone other than the person taking it.
Anyway my Mom got me this fun cookbook at Winners: The Artful Vegan and it's daunting but I can't wait to try it. Expect hard-to-pronounce dishes like huitlacoche-polenta roulades with chocolate mole and carrot-habanero sauce. Yes, that's huitlacoche of Steve, don't eat it!, volume 7 fame. Any volunteers to be my guinea pig? But seriously, there are some yummy-looking recipes, from seitan satay skewers to hard apple cider sorbet. Mmmmm.
Also, if you'll recall the ever-wise quizzy website telling me that Andy Warhol should paint my picture...well, I'm happy to say that he obliged. Sort of.
Finally moved in, finally settled, finally getting on with my life.
Today I'm taking a personal day, which is boring for anyone other than the person taking it.
Anyway my Mom got me this fun cookbook at Winners: The Artful Vegan and it's daunting but I can't wait to try it. Expect hard-to-pronounce dishes like huitlacoche-polenta roulades with chocolate mole and carrot-habanero sauce. Yes, that's huitlacoche of Steve, don't eat it!, volume 7 fame. Any volunteers to be my guinea pig? But seriously, there are some yummy-looking recipes, from seitan satay skewers to hard apple cider sorbet. Mmmmm.
Also, if you'll recall the ever-wise quizzy website telling me that Andy Warhol should paint my picture...well, I'm happy to say that he obliged. Sort of.
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