im still here. also still vegan.

hey there. been on a little mini-break from work, and decided a mini-break from blogging was probably an ok idea too. (that decision was also based on the fact that im visiting my aunt jean, who is sans internet – i have, however, found my way over to a little coffee place in byron, il, which unlike starbucks, has FREE internet).

the vegan thing always is hardest when im with my family, because food is such a strong part of our social interactions. last night they ate a family favorite – tuna pizza, while i sat to the side with noodles and spaghetti sauce mixed with corn. and today for breakfast i ordered a pb&J while they ate melty cheese sandwiches.

i will point out though that this is the easiest first week of veganism ive ever had. the first time i did this, the only food i really knew was safe was rice, steamed vegetables and vegan chik’n. however, the world has greatly opened up since then, and my family also has learned a thing or too. my aunt even bought me veggie dogs today, and made sure to look for the little vegan symbol on the back.

and they have grown much less likely to call me crazy (at least in person) about the whole thing.

i have high hopes for this effort, and my commitment to the cause i think is best illustrated by my recent year-long subscription to VegNews, a vegan magazine. that way, if im tempted to quit, i’ll get a regular reminder in my mailbox.

and who knows, maybe, hopefully, one day, i myself will stop thinking vegans are weird, and i’ll instead start to think of the whole thing like i currently think of vegetariansm — just another normal thing i do. 🙂

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my understanding is that this hair color will result in “more fun”

bring on the blond jokes
bring on the blond jokes

Editor’s note: This post was updated below.

yesterday i was all, “hmm. i NEED a hair cut and if i don’t get one soon i will promptly die some sort of horrible internal-organ-related death and have to lay in an open-casket with split ends and bangs at the awful  “in-between” stage.

so i went to my local hair cuttery. but i forgot it was a saturday. and they were all “ya. the wait is five hours.” and i was all “really?! that’s crap.” and i left.

i was planning to give up and instead spend my day at old navy, but i happened to wonder past an ulta. i had only ever been inside one once when i was 17, and all i remembered about the experience was the everything on every shelf in every aisle was WAY TOO EXPENSIVE.

turns out others have noticed though, because they had absolutely zero wait at their salon. and there seemed to be a bored stylist strolling around with pretty hair, so i figured, i’d ask the question on everybody’s mind:

“how much do you guys charge for a hair cut?”

ive discovered over the years that’s it best to just throw it all out there when dealing with stylists and prices because otherwise they trick you into things. i.e. do you want me to blow dry your hair? me: yes. them when they finish: that’ll be $15 extra dollars. me: what the frick?! for a blow dry?

basically this means i just ask “how much does that cost?” any time they ask me any sort of questions. stylist: do you want me do layers? me: how much does that cost? stylist: do you extra conditioner? me: how much does that cost? stylist: do you want a magazine to read under the blow dryer? me: how much does that cost?

long story short, i was convinced not only to get face-framing layers, but also TONS ‘O BLOND!

a. it’s summer. b. my friend bronson, who’d only ever seen me as a blond recently lamented that i used to have pretty blond hair in such a way that made me think that i probably looked better with blond hair. and c. it’s summer.

however, my bill for this procedure made me feel pretty freaking guilty, so in other news i have also decided to give my full efforts to the whole vegan thing again. and you know. the blond hair (which im sure was done with MANY, MANY products tested on animals) will impose guilt that will remind me to stick with it.

also, i was praying about it and im pretty sure that recent events including, but not limited to: a. TLC airing the episode of “What not to wear” where stacy and clinton make over a vegan last night while i was watching tlc and B. this article about vegan was on newsweek’s homepage, means that the almighty is on board with this.

im hoping the fact that i have been taken a super vegan vitamin with both iron AND b12 for a few months will help combat that whole dizzy thing i dealt with last time. the plan is to take it not “one day at a time,” but “one meal at a time.”

thoughts on breakfast?

UPDATE: I don’t want this post to be interrupted to mean that I’m just trying the vegan thing out of guilt. I really, really  believe in veganism. I believe that our bodies weren’t meant to process dairy. I believe that farming and ranching industry is gosh awful to the living creatures it raises. And I believe that it’s just all around better for me. I just also know that it’s not going to be easy, so I need to have some additional motivation to get through the first 30 days.

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say it with me, to-furky

hot d*mn am I excited!

so, I asked the woman behind the counter at the local health-food store what her thoughts were on Tofurky today. She told me they had a roast in the freezer, but that’s all.

“hmm,” i said. “have you ever considered carrying the tofurky lunch meat?”

and just like that, she marked down the product code from her little book, and took my phone number.

that’s right folks. I shall soon be able to buy my precious tofurky without driving an HOUR away to the closest Whole Foods.

and by soon, i mean Wednesday – or at least that’s what I’m told.

the whole thing has made me seriously consider the possibility of going vegan again.

i mean for cripe’s sake, the store ALREADY carries vegenaise.

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