Thanksgivegan

Although I don’t agree with how Thanksgiving first came about with all the murdering and pillaging of the natives and I think that should foremost be acknowledged- I do agree with what it’s turned into; the coming together of family/friends over a nice meal. This will be my first vegan Thanksgiving so I want to give thanks to all the foods I’ll be missing this year- 

Thank you Turkey- dark meat only

Thank you green bean casserole

Thank you marshmallows with sweet potatoes

Thank you gravy

Thank you buttery, milky, delicious breads and potatoes and pies!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHH!

So what exactly am I going to eat for Thanksgiving this year you ask? My boyfriend, sister and her boyfriend are all attending a Vegan Thanksgiving hosted by the Triangle Vegetarian Society of North Carolina!  This is a buffet of all Vegan dishes that you can gorge yourself on for hours!  The menu isn’t what I’m used to in regard to Thanksgiving past, but my mouth is already watering looking at what will be filling my plate(s).

WARNING- Fat Pants Required!!!!!!

On top of all this deliciousness and the fact that we don’t have to clean 1 goddamn dish, I’m going to now boast what we are doing for Black Friday. Although it does deal with over consumption (a no-no in the Albini/Whitmore realm), it’s ALL local and, more importantly, necessary. 

7th Annual Black Friday Cask Festival

Sorry to put my awesome weekend on blast, but I’m completely excited about this weekend, not only to see my sister, but to do some new amazing things with the people I love most. T-12hours until take off 


To close, a picture of the lovely Tulip the Turkey of whom my bestie Christy adopted this Thanksgiving

OreNO!

A week or so ago I went to the grocery store during lunch and I thought- I want something really bad for me. A comfort food that is still Vegan, most likely made out of chemicals that my body will reject eventually. Something sugary sweet. I settled on Oreos.

People have been stopping at my desk all week to ask for a couple. Thing is, these Oreos are addicting. I can’t just have one, I have to have 4 or 5 every time I open the pack. I know they are bad for me, but I can’t stop!!

A co-worker of mine comes over, knowing I’m Vegan, and says he’s surprised I’m even eating them! “Do you even know what’s in those?!”. I do actually, I've made this horrible decision to eat them all on my own...I think. I want to see what others have to say about it so I googled, “What are in Oreos”.  By some WEIRD alignment of the universe, this article pop’s up at the top- This Cocaine Tastes Like Oreos posted just last night!! 

It's a great article that speaks not only about the horrible ingredients in Oreos, but how corporations design them to be addicting chemically and THEN a step further in saying corporations/media make you think, not only do they have some mysterious power over you, but that you are in fact weaker than whatever it is you are addicted to. Essentially it's a cop out for you- "I can't quit eating/smoking/drinking because the media told me that these are addicting and addictions are hard to break". You agree with this because you can’t seem to stop and unfortunately, most of us seek sources outside of ourselves to pin the blame on.

Turns out, YOU ARE NOT WEAK! You have a brain that can outsmart a corporations campaign to make you think you are addicted to something. You’re not being chained down and forced to do whatever it is you do. Really, you’ve been essentially brainwashed. 

LOVE YOURSELF! BREAK YOUR ADDICTIONS! 

 I'm not going to feel bad for falling prey to this- everything in moderation- but I am going to toss the rest of these in the trash.

Tarred Mexican-Cowboy Fresh Out of the River

Bob wanted to go pan for gold Saturday morning so I decided to take my own adventure. I made some camp coffee, threw on my poncho and cowboy hat, and walked until I came upon some railroad tracks. I walked and walked and walked down the railroad tracks until I came to a gorgeous metal bridge with a view up and down the river. I sat down on the tracks in the sun looking upon the mountain and river before me, so beautiful in all of it's fall weather magnificence. I sat there for 45 minutes or so until I decided to go back to camp when I realized I was STUCK to the tracks!!! There was tar gluing my ass to the railroad! After a few firm rips, I became unattached, but streaks of tar were still sealed to my yoga pants. It was, at the time, a good idea to go down to the river and wash my pants.

I walked down the hillside, and underneath the bridge, took off my shoes, socks and yoga pants and squatted next to the river to pick and wash the tar out. I figured I could hang out and let them dry because they were made of quick drying fabric. There I stood, pant-less in a poncho, when the train whistle blew. I scrambled to get out from underneath the bridge as the tracks were open and conducive to spitting stones down below. I quickly threw on my clothes- sandy feet in the socks, sandy socks in the dripping wet yoga pants and finally into my unlaced boots. I awkwardly run-trotted down the rocky river bed, not secure in my apparel, until I was sure I was safe from unidentified flying objects when I finally turned around to see, in all it's glory, the "Concord Scenic Train" FULL of people hanging out of their windowless box cars taking pictures of the beautiful fall foliage, mountain, river and me... standing there like some tarred mexican-cowboy fresh out of the river.

You best believe I tipped my hat.

Stretching out my arms and legs and toes and YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWN.

Wow. I’ve been gone for WAY too long. Perhaps it was my lack of executing my affirmations that caused me to disappear from  sheer embarrassment.

Brain: What are you going to do?
Me: Life goes on.
Gut: You say things you are going to do and don’t do them. Who’s judging? 
Me: Most likely myself.  
Heart: But, perhaps your failures were so you would end up where you are now.
Me: The path is winding, not narrowed.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, I feel like blogging again.