I heart swimming...

Since I managed to chase my cold away with giant amounts of Vit C, giant amounts of sleeping and miso soup... I decided to work out today, but rather then kill myself on the elliptical I decided to go swimming. Since we got our gym memberships I've only been swimming twice (our gym membership is at a local hotel) so it's usually packed with kids playing. Today the pool was empty and I was stoked.

I tried to swim like I used to when I was a kid. I'd put on my goggles, swim along the bottom of the pool and pretend I was a mermaid.

Well holy Jesus... it's so hard to do now that I'm a grown-ass woman. Gerry says it's because I'm more "buoyant" ... I'm like... are you saying I'm fat? *laugh*

Last time my niece was in town I also learned that I can't do summersalts anymore. WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME??

Thanks

Thanks to everyone who came out tonight and especially thank you to The Pacific Rim College for hosting!!

By the way... I managed to chase my cold away and not get sick. WOO HOO!

Don't forget about tonight!!

Hey Victoria Peeps!
I'm going to be doing a cooking demo/lecture at the Pacific Rim College on March 28th.

INFORM, the integrative Health Forum, is a free weekly lecture
Series designed to assist the public in making informed health care decisions.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 28
7 – 8 PM
PACIFIC RIM COLLEGE
Suite 229 Market Square

Jane Show!

Tonight Jane tries to take on managing Iggy's band and finds herself a bit too "rock 'n roll" while Cary takes on a carrot cleanse and finds himself a bit too ... orange.

Check it out 10pm on Global!

Can anyone tell me what's going on with Cary's teeth? Does he suddenly have braces?? In the last couple of episodes they look black. Check out Video # 4 at The Jane Show.com and tell me what you think...

AND WHEN IS WALTON COMING BACK?? I miss him...

Hungry for Cheesecake?

YO! Here's your chance to check out The Cheesecakes! They are coming to a town near you!

KELOWNA!

VANCOUVER!

VICTORIA!!

RIP

RIP Satya Magazine... :(

Oh crap

I think I'm getting a cold.
Back to bed for me...

As per

As per your request... here is a photo of me and Ger when we renewed our wedding vows a few years later when we were back in Vegas for a scooter rally.
And yes. It was a drive-thru wedding chapel.

Happy Anniversary Big Bear!

Yes. This is a photo of us...

The Forum

Something hinkey is going on with the GoVegan.net forum. If the page asks you to download something... DON'T! Just check back later this afternoon and see if it's fixed.

Should be fixed soon. Cross your fingers.

The Hole

The SHAC 7 are having a bad go of it over the past few days and need to hear from you!

Lauren Gazzola and Andrew Stepanian have been barred from using the phone for 6 months. This drastically reduces their ability to communicate with both their support committees and their family and loves one as stamps are limited. Losing their phone "privileges," means that their only means of hearing what's happening outside the prison walls is via mail. Please write, send photos (no polaroids), etc.

Also, some bad news for Jake & Josh as well.

Jake Conroy's prison is on lockdown (meaning he can't leave his cell 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for the indefinite future--probably 2 weeks or more) due to a major fight at the prison (Jake wasn't involved and is ok.) and Josh Harper informed his support committee yesterday that he was removed from his cell and taken to the hole. No reasons have been given, but there's really nothing Josh can do right now but bide his time and hope he gets let out of there soon.

Prison is bad enough, but the hole means being locked into a cell all day long, losing a lot (if not all) of your possessions (including letters he'd recently received, and a dispatch and response letters he'd just written), down to one 15-min. phone call per week, and losing access to what few vegan options he'd had.

All the SHAC 7 really need your support to help them get thorough these hard times. Please take a few minutes to write all of them.

Questions about Fergus

Carol and a few others wanted to know if Fergus was affected by the pet food recall. He's doing fine and he doesn't eat commercial dog food (like the brands in the re-call). We feed him Urban Carnovire.

Here is a list of all the brands that have been recalled.

Thank you Beth

Got a lovely e-mail from Beth, who shared a link to some of her easy Raw recipes. I'm gonna give some of them a go!!

Flight 167

Weeee.
I love payday. Ran down to Flight 167 to visit with my friend Joanne (hi Joanne) and to buy myself a little something-something. I purchased these earrings.
And this beautiful candle holder (both made by the same artist).
Flight 167 is wicked, it showcases local independent artists & designers and they have one-of-a-kind clothing, jewelery & art work etc. If you're in the area, you should really visit.

I also forgot to tell you about my latest score. I FINALLY found a vintage print of Vladimir Tretchikoff's Chinese Girl. As well as Lady from Orient.
I just about fainted when I saw them... if you're a collector of kitch, you'll know why. The Chinese Girl has been one of those objects that has always eluded me until now. Yippee!

Contest

They're having a little contest over at Abe Books to win an autographed copy of LDV. You just have to answer a skill testing question.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN

Happy Birthday BRIAN!!
Thanks for the fun dinner party!

Rawvolution!

Made the Pesto pasta from the book RAWvolution the other night. Didn't have a cleaver, so Gerry drilled a hole into the young coconut so I could get the water out. There was about 3/4 of a cup in there. Pretty impressive. *laugh*

This is the pasta (made from zuchinni)
coconut!
pesto!
Meh... I couldn't finish it.
The recipe was "ok". Wasn't great...
But I'm not giving up until I try a few more recipes...

Kids

Just updated the Kids section over at Sarah Kramer Photography.com

poo

When you take your dog for a walk at night and he poos in the tall grass and you stand there for what feels like hours staring at the poo spot trying to find the poo but you can't find it... do you bend down and pretend to pick it up so if anyone is watching they think you're picking up the poo and being a good dog person? Or do you just walk away...

Oooh I be

I be a busy girl.
Shot Miss Dollipop this last Sunday and Kitten Kaboodle the weekend before that. I've been such a photoshop fool for the last 2 weeks that my eyeballs are square.




I also updated Sarah Kramer Photography.com with some other cheesecake pics ... so enjoy. :)

Abe Books

Scott Laming over at Abe Books recently did an interview with me.
Head on over there to read the interview...

weeeeeeeee!

Had a wicked pedicure over at Tonic Spa-tique the other day.

I now have red toe-nails with polka dots. I'm a pedicure-a-holic.

my hair...

So my hair wasn't long enough to send to Locks of Love this time... but I did bring my hair home in a bag for Gerry. *laugh*

So yesterday before my haircut I went down to the shop to pick up garbage to take to the dump, and as I left I said to Gerry "Take a long look at me, I'm leaving now." When I came back 2 hours later and walked in with my new hairdo, you should have seen his face when I walked in. *laugh* I love surprising him!!

I brought my hair home so I could weigh it (3/4 of a pound - yikes) and then decided to leave it outside for the birds. Last night as we walked the dog, I left little piles of my hair in trees and bushes so they can use it for their nests. Is that weird? They'll use it right? It's bio friendly... :)

A breath of fresh hair...

Thanks Margo!!
I lost 3/4 of a pound of hair today... :)

Need a job?

We are looking for a part-time receptionist to start in mid-April. We are looking for a fun, motivated hard working person with some previous receptionist experience.

Please drop your resumes off at Tattoo Zoo (1215 Wharf Street).
Thank you.

Dehydrator

Does anyone in Victoria have a dehydrator I can borrow for a few weeks?

And another raw question ... where do I find coconut water? Do I really have to crack open my own coconuts? Isn't there an easier way??

Pecker

Went for a big hike around Thetis Lake yesterday... it felt good to do something super physical after all the traveling I've been doing. Gotta get back into the gym on a regular basis. Tomorrow...will start tomorrow.

We saw a woodpecker at the lake. Man was it ever cool to watch him/her get crazy on that tree. They use so much force behind each peck. It sounds like it hurts!

Today I did lots of errands. Drop the dog off at doggie daycare, and went to visit with my friend Joanne who runs a great store here in Victoria called Flight 167. Had a little visit with Gerry at the shop and talked about a few renos wer'e going to do before summer hits. Went to Munro's Books and looked at Raw Food cookbooks... They all seem so complicated. Anyone recommend a raw cookbook for lazy vegans? I did some shoe shopping and got a new pair of flats from The Shoe Warehouse. It stinks like Barbies in there... probably cause all their shoes are made out of plastic. Went to Chinatown and looked products. Love Chinatown...I also went to Sirens. DON'T MAKE FUN OF ME!! I love Sirens. I also went and had a massage ... man did I ever need it. Gail pounded my muscles into a pulp. I feel good.

Is this time change thing weirding anyone out besides me? It's almost 7pm and it feels like 4...

E.K. Wimmer

My pal (and artist extraordinaire) E.K.Wimmer (otherwise known as man of a thousand myspace pages) and I did a photo trade back before x-mas. I traded him my Nectarine Bum photo... for his dangling feet photo.
So my photo arrived to him almost right away... but his photo to me never showed up. We thought maybe it was because of the awful snow storm that hit Denver. So a month or more had gone by and I had received nothing, so he sent me another copy of the photo.

I went into the P.O. Box to pick it up and I had two packages waiting for me. The lost photo and the new photo had arrived on the SAME day!! It was crazy. The first photo was stuck at customs (probably because it's obviously a terrorist)... anyway... long story long. I now have 2 of the same photo, so E.K. told me to give the extra one away.

Congrats to NAT for winning the photo!

Visit E.K.'s myspace page HERE.
Visit the IandI website HERE.
Visit the IandI myspace page HERE.

Tofu Haiku contest

My friends over at TVA have asked me to be a judge for their Tofu Haiku contest.

So get your creative juices flowing and enter the contest!!

The End of Mr Y

My least favourite part of traveling is the schlepping. The hurry up and waiting... but what I do enjoy is the uninterrupted time to read. I make sure I don't buy any saucy gossip rags, no matter how enticing they are with photos of bald Britney or the real daddy of Anna Nicole's baby.

So this trip I finally was able to rip into The End of Mr Y, Scarlett Thomas new book. I've had it on my bedside table for quite a while and would read a few pages every night before I went to bed, but that's not really reading.

What a great book. I can't explain it other then it is a mind trip. *laugh* Literally... you'll understand what I mean if you read it. I had more fun reading Pop-Co, but that doesn't mean I didn't relish every page of Mr.Y. It was wonderful... and again the main character is veggie. It's nice to be able to relate to your main character. :)

Next up is Jpod by Douglas Coupland.

Fast Food Nation

We watched Fast Food Nation tonight. What a disappointment.

Linklater had a real opportunity there to make a fantastic movie and instead he shit the bed.

Have you seen it? What did you think of it?

Smart Monkey

While I did a little shopping at The Organza Market in Winnipeg I bought a bunch of Smart Monkey bars ... Boy Howdy are they ever good! My fav is the Ginger Snap.

Ooooh

I had a dream last night about flirting with and then totally making out with Henry Rollins in the back seat of a beat up old 50's car. Gerry says I have "a thing" for guys with thick necks... too bad I married a scrawny vegan. Ha ha.

I guess he's right, I have had a lifelong crush on Hulk Hogan.

Good to be home...

Wow.
It is good to be home. What a whirlwind month of traveling I've had. Toronto was awesome. How crazy is it that I go to TO to see my friend Sho (cause I really wanted to see her preggers) and the day before the baby shower she goes into labour? I am the luckiest girl alive!!

The night before the baby came I made Coconut Cupcakes from Isa and Terry's new book Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. They were supposed to be for the baby shower, but instead filled the birthing team with energy to push push push! Needless to say I didn't do much in TO, except help with the baby, hang out with the baby, take photos of the baby and make a lot of food for the new parents... and the cupcakes were FANTASTIC!!I did have a great visit with my friend Jen and her kids and I managed to make it to H&M, but I didn't get a chance to get to Left Feet. I really wanted to stock up on some new shoes... oh well... next time.

After Toronto I stopped in Winnipeg to visit my family. My niece and nephew had no idea I was coming into town, so when I walked into the basement and said "wassup" the kids were in total shock. It was hilarious.

I also got to meet their new puppy Lilly... or Lilly Loo as I like to call her. She's only 4 months old, but she is so well behaved and smart. I think she'd give Fergus a run for his money.I also finally got to visit The Dandelion Eatery (my brothers restaurant) and boy howdy is it ever fabu. Lots of veggie/vegan choices on the menu.

Here's my bro in his kitchen getting our food ready.

Diorama by my niece.

And here I am sitting with my Nephew enjoying a lovely meal. Diorama by my niece.

I had a wonderful Miso soup (probably the best miso soup I've ever had in my life (and I'm not just saying that cause my bro reads my blog).

And a really nice green salad with balsamic dressing. YUM!
As fun as my trip was, boy was I ever glad to step off the plane and breathe in the ocean air. I could feel my skin rehydrating.

After -20 in Toronto and -? in Winnipeg... Victoria feels like Hawaii. I wore jeans, a t-shirt and a light summer jacket today and I was over dressed. *WOOT*

The blossoms on the trees are out and the daffodils are all over the place. I love this town and I'm glad to be back!! Did you miss me?

Nora...

I have impeccable timing...

I came to town to visit with my oldest and dearest friend Shoshana before she gave birth... and guess who decided to arrive 2 weeks early?

May I present Mr. Henry.I am beyond thrilled for my friends... I've been weepy all day.

Review

New book review for LDV over at Blog Critics Magazine!!

pussy

Cuddle monster...

What a cuddly little monster Poupette is...

Poupette

Poupette is watching over me as I try and fall asleep...

I have a feeling this is going to be a long night.

Amanda...

Oh my god. Amanda. You're right.
I forgot. I always have food with me. Today I have a bag of salted roasted pumpkin seeds, an apple, a bunch of Vega bars, water, sushi, seaweed salad and a tub of leftover stirfry from last night.

Can't travel without food.

Stuck

I'm in Kelowna ... my flight to TO is delayed cause of weather. Only by an hour, so that's not so bad and it gives me some time to play solitaire. *laugh*

I bumped into my friend Tracy at the West Jet counter in Victoria. She's perfect for that job... so capable and smart. I love that girl.

Here we are in Vegas standing by The Go-Go's tour bus while we stalked them in Vegas.


So I realized this trip and my last trip to NY with Gerry that I have some rituals when I travel.

1. I never touch my face with my hands (I am convinced that it keeps me from getting sick).

2. I never touch the inside of my nose unless I'm using a kleenex. (again keeps me from getting sick).

3. I wash my hands every chance I get. Any chance I can pop into a bathroom and wash my hands, I do. I am Howard Hughes when I travel... I wash them and sing "The Alphabet Song" in my head. I don't rinse the soap song until that song is over... then I rinse. It's an old trick I used to do with my niece Heidi so that her hands were UBER clean. Kids are so dirty. She was convinced that soap didn't do anything so I explained that soap makes your hands clean and that water washes away the germs.

4. Rescue Remedy. I have a little bottle of RR that I spritz in my mouth before take-off and landing. Keeps me mellow. I also spray it before I go to bed.

5. In my carry-on bag I have wet-naps (to clean my hands before eating), Emergen-C, a couple of Echinacea tea bags, kleenex, stuff for upset tummies/diarrhea, heat therapy back patches (in case my back gets sore).

What do you always bring with you when you travel? What can't you live without?

Toronto

I'm leaving for Toronto tomorrow on personal business ... so I won't be doing any book signings or meet & greets. I also may not have access to the internet where I'm staying, so I want you to prepare yourself for a 7 day blogger drought.

Batten down the hatches.
Stock up on provisions.
I'll see you when I get back.

Meatloaf...

Had a busy day running errands yesterday, but I did manage to stop to visit Gerry at the shop for a few minutes and have a kick ass gluten free pizza at The Joint. They're making their own vegan cheese now and is it ever yum!!
Later that evening Wendy and I went to see Meatloaf.
It really was exactly what you would expect from a Meatloaf concert.

Wendy and I were there for about an hour and saw 5 songs. There were no breaks in between the songs... Meatloaf songs are loooong. I think Paradise is 8 minutes 30 seconds.

Meat or Loaf or Mr. Meatloaf sang an unbearably long and pointless ballad about Objects In The Rear View Mirror May Appear Closer Than They Are and then suddenly left the stage. The house lights came up and the band was gone.

Is the show over? No no. Our seat neighbor informed us that it was intermission. INTERMISSION?? Who has an intermission at a rock show.

We left.