Thankful

This Thanksgiving marks a new tradition for me. It will be the first time in my life that I won't feel the drowsy effects of tryptophan after gorging on turkey. I am pretty sure that my mouth will water when I enter the house smelling of roasting meat and sizzling gravy. However, this Thanksgiving, I am going to be thankful that I had to opportunity to visit the beautiful haven that is Farm Sanctuary in upstate New York. I avoided learning the facts about this country's meat production for years. I knew, simply, that if I exposed myself to the truth, I would never be able to eat meat again. And, well...I love(d) meat! But, in the end, I couldn't hold out anymore and I am thankful that I finally got the guts to open my mind and listen to the horrors that we call "factory farming".

I am not going to sit and spout out all the reasons why eating meat isn't healthy; can be quite dangerous; and frankly, is a very cruel way of living. However, if someone asks me, I will certainly share what I know. This thanksgiving, I am thankful to have a mind and the ability to choose what I eat. So many are not as fortunate and are grateful to have rice, a piece of bread (or perhaps a chicken nugget made of processed chicken parts).

When I see Mr. Tom Turkey laying on my family's table glistening with a fresh basting of his own juice, I will be thankful that my family can afford to buy a turkey and can sit down together for a feast. Thanksgiving shouldn't be a time to pass judgments or ridicule those who like eating flesh; it should be a time of togetherness; of wine and good food; of story sharing; of laughter; and most of all, it should be about being thankful.

Thanks, Mr. Turkey

You are absolutely beautiful and grand.

FB and Rain

It's been an interesting week not having a computer to come home to. I don't know about you, but I do find that my relationship with my laptop is like having a boyfriend. It's all nice, shiny, new and hardworking in the beginning...but after awhile you start to notice the glitches, the scratches, the dust, and you crave an upgrade. BUT, even so, you can come home to him and plug in.

Anyway, after dealing with the initial shock and anger that came with having my home broken into; realizing that my entire photo history of living a decade in NYC is gone; and knowing that some jerk paid a few lousy bucks on the street to buy my MacBook...I am finding that my mind is moving on to more important things. Like farming on Facebook's Farmville. After all, if given proper time and a good internet connection, I can harvest some serious crop! Who wouldn't want to virtually grow cranberries, corn and wheat? But, I digress. The rain isn't helping matters. When it's cold and wet out, all I want to do is curl up on the couch and mindlessly facebook away. There is none of that right now. When did I become so reliant on surfing away at home? I spent 7+ hours a day staring at a computer screen and then I go home and do more. Certainly this can't be good for the eyes.

Oh well. I must head home now. I guess I'll just plug into the TV instead...

Dayzed and Confused

You know those days when you can't keep your eyes open? When you can't stop stuffing food in your mouth (particularly gummy candy)? When no matter how hard you try, your body temperature just won't stay even? Heater on...heater off...window open...scarf on and heater on...EVERYTHING OFF.

Today is one of those days. I started my morning with a kickass skeleton hand filled with Halloween candy. I made myself wait to eat any of it. After a nice lunch of spicy crab rolls and asparagus however, the candy was pleading with me to be eaten. And now I'm sugar crashing. Sometimes I wish we still had mandatory nap time on a tiny square of rug. Sometimes I wish that? Who am I kidding. I ALWAYS wish for nap time.

And a new year begins

I just finished a long weekend of celebrating 33 years of living. There was much eating, drinking, laughing and dancing involved.

A few good memories, if you will:

• Friday night battle with an oversized flower power bday balloon. Walking through nyc streets with the wind gusting me this way and that. I think my balloon molested more people than Michael Jackson. I particularly enjoyed the nasty looks which quickly turned to smiles on the subway every time someone got bonked in the back of the head with Mr. Flower.
• Saturday evening torrential downpours. Watching the rain come down in buckets while seated at Paddy Maguire's bar, shooting tequila and talking smack with coworkers.
• Saturday evening, post-torrential rain, dancing in my pjs to Bruce Springsteen and shooting more tequila. I had to use my salt grinder and drink lime juice from a plastic "Real Lime" bottle. Class act all the way. I was soon joined by my roommate. Garlic pizza, singing loudly, dancing like a Wild Thing and drinking the bottle dry.
• Walking to our Sunday birthday brunch at Fada, we were wished a "happy burrrzday" by a strange frenchman. Joined by friends and loved ones. Gifts of wine, books and bath soaps. Kind of perfect.
  
• Free "dragonfly cocktails" at The Abbey bar while "2001: A Space Odyssey" played in the background. Marble pound cake with bday candles; stuffing all 6 of us into the photo booth; free noodles.
• Lovely fall evening walk to Lodge while the sun was setting over the city. Meeting Scooby, the uber-cute miniature schnauzer who was eating street pepperoni. Settling in to munch on the best veggie burger in the city; ordering red sparkling wine and being served champagne instead; bitching about the bad waitress until she brought us free chocolate-pecan pie/cake with candles. Helping my roommate walk home semi-straight and taking photos of her 1/2 in normal dress, 1/2 in Halloween dress and birthday crown.