After a year and a half with this burning desire for Millennium, and being the victim of shit-getting from vegan friends across the nation for living so close and never having gone there, I finally went last night with my good buddy Abe. Wow. I could punch myself for not having gone sooner! We started off with cocktails, a pineapple margarita and a "French 38", which was a delightful combination of some special gin, vanilla agave, champagne, and lemon. They brought out the bread with a lovely spread made of chickpeas and cumin. We decided to sacrifice appetizers in order to save room for dessert, but I realize now it would have been worth stuffing myself to near sickness because it was all so damn tasty. (Next time!) Abe had a poblano chile stuffed with potatoes over some kind of corn thingy with pomegranate reduction. Honestly I enjoyed his more than mine, however my heirloom carrot and eggplant tagine with lentil and wild rice cakes over couscous was pretty damn good too. Dessert made me want to cry. Abe had a pumpkin creme tart with gingerbread crust and praline ice cream, and I had the "chocolate almond midnight" - "almond cashew crust, mocha chocolate filling, raspberry sauce, white chocolate mousse".


Holy sweet god damn.

The biggest pain in the ass about my vegan lifestyle is the lack of good breakfast joints. One of my favorite things to do is get up on a fresh, crisp morning and have a lovely restaurant breakfast and a cup of strong, fair-trade, organic black coffee. Of course there are a ton of places to get vegan breakfasts in the Bay Area, but I don't live quite near enough to justify a 30 mile trip, when I can make pancakes and tofu scramble at home and not feel bad about Chloe being lonely. However, there are places that offer a "cholesterol-free" tofu scramble around my hood. For example, there is a small restaurant chain called "Hobee's" that I always seem to end up at before the weekly farmer's market jaunt. They're certainly not vegan, but the scramble is pretty damn delicious and it's served with country style (my fave) hash browns. It normally comes with "blend of seasonings (including cumin), fresh spinach, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes", but I switch out the shrooms for green peppers. Another good thing about this place is that they have raw brown sugar and will bring you soymilk instead of creamer. I finally got around to snapping a photo:



I am still constantly in search of vegan breakfast selections around the Southern Peninsula / South Bay, so please please please if you know of any, hook a sista up.

Tuesday 10.28.08

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I saw something on TV last night that horrified me so much I wanted to kill myself. And I ain't talking about one of those retarded Prop 2 commercials. I hate how they show the animals confined and miserable and then show them all happy and free. What a fucking joke. (Please see my previous rant below.)

Besides wanting to die, I suppose everything is going just peachy keen. Chloe had a successful day at the dog park last weekend. She was very good with 2 dogs! My Woobs has issues with other dogs, which I know is 100% the direct result of how spoiled she is at home. And yeah, I could train her, but that would require me to stop letting her jump on the couch whenever she feels like it, and that is bullshit. She's part of the family, and if she wants to sit on the couch, then god damn it, she can sit on the motherfuckin' couch. Sometimes, like last weekend, she is good with dogs. And she is such a wonderful delightful little mutt that I think she should be able to do whatever she wants. She never does anything bad, she just gets a little snooty sometimes. But how could you not love this monster?



She owns me.

Wednesday 10.22.08

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Maybe I should stop smoking so much weed.

Friday 10.17.08 (b)

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I hate it when this happens. I had something on my mind, but by the time I got here and HTML'd, it disappeared. I'm gonna have to start pulling a Dale Cooper and "Diane" my shit.

Friday 10.17.08

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This is going to be an interesting election. Put the presidential stuff aside, there are a bunch of good (and bad) propositions on the ballot. Prop 1A - holy shit yes!! The supertrain will get me from my house to Anaheim in like 2.5 hours. TWO & A HALF HOURS!!! And $56!!!! Hook me the fuck up. (Oh yeah, and there's all that stuff about it creating a million jobs and fighting global warming.) Check it out and vote YES on Prop 1.

Prop 8 blows my fucking mind. I keep waiting for a "yes" commercial to come on TV so I can see how these people can manipulate it to not sound completely hateful and prejudiced. I read through the official ballot last night, and the only arguement for it is that they don't want to make it okay for teachers to tell children that marriage between 2 people of the same sex is okay. Seriously? Isn't that something people should be striving for - to teach children about equality amoungst all human beings? The counterpoint reminded everyone that even if you are a parent trying to raise hateful, unaccepting, intolerant children just like yourselves, CA law prohibits schools from teaching your children anything about health or families without your consent. So Prop 8 has no impact on what is taught in schools whatsoever. It's just bullshit. And I love the statement about fiscal impact... that pretty much the only effect will be less revenue for the state from taxes on wedding expenses.

One of the arguements against Prop 2: "Prop 2 would force chickens to spend most of their days outdoors".... as if that's a bad thing? There wasn't a single arguement against prop 2 that mentioned pigs or cows. They're trying to say that it will be unhealthy because now everyone will get their eggs from Mexico, and then they will all get bird flu and die. Wow. Prop 2 is tricky with me. I'm voting yes, I guess, because if *some* of the animals get enough room to lay down in their cages, that's a couple more than before. But it's still fucked up because that "improvement" (effective in 2015) really doesn't improve jack shit. A couple pigs and cows here and there can lay down in their tiny ass cages, but they're still chained, tortured, and used as meat machines. SOME chickens may have a couple more inches to stretch, but people will still be allowed to slice their beaks and feet off and scald them alive, or throw live baby chicks into a trash pile. Yes on Prop 2 for the people who don't give a shit that the only way to make a real difference is to go vegan. P.S. A good way to avoid bird flu is to not fucking eat birds!!!!

But while I'm on the subject of violence, am I the only person who is highly offended by any advertisement or poster art or DVD cover for the "Saw" movies? They scare me and make me sad. Why is it okay to show people with sliced off faces and fingers, but it's completely not okay to show nudity? I would so much rather walk down the DVD aisle and see some boobies than some bloody limbs and corpses. That kind of thing should be in a hidden aisle off to the side, because those images can give little children nightmares. I'm not saying don't make the movies... make the movies... people love that shit. But if you're gonna stick a piece of paper over a magazine cover, why would you prioritize covering up boobs but leave the sliced up human bodies for all to see?

Tuesday 10.14.08

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New Kids On The Block. When I was a wee lass, I was quite a fan. But of course, then Pearl Jam and Nirvana came along and NKOTB was tucked away into the "fond memories" section of my obsession chamber. When I heard they were having a reunion tour, 19 years after the first time I saw them in concert, I thought it would be goofy and nostalgic to go. So me, my sis, and 2 of our friends from way back all put on our Electric Youth perfume and headed out to the San Jose Arena on Friday. I had *a little to drink* because if I was really gonna get into this, I needed it to get over the embarrassment. It was clear that the audience was made up of the exact same people from 1990. Not the same kind of people - the same people. Everyone aged 8-16, now 26 - 34, many of whom busted out their old NKOTB shirts and tour jackets.
As soon as the lights went out, it was like a time warp. Girls were screaming their heads off from start to finish. They sang a bunch of their classic songs, and we remembered all the words. We sang along and rocked the fuck out. I thought it was going to be silly and funny, and it ended up being one of the funnest concerts I have ever been to. I was thrown right back into the happiest days of my childhood. And the very next day, I went to Rasputin and picked up one of their old CD's. They guy who rang me up laughed at me, and just like in elementary school, I told him I went to the concert, I had an awesome time, and I don't give a fuck what he thinks. So there. New Kids are back, fuckers!

Monday 10.13.08

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I went to Target the other day in need of an Ace bandage and a Sirius satellite radio, and it got me thinking... you can really go to the extreme with non-matching objects at that store. How about vacation fish feeder and hemmoroid cream? Boca chicken patties and a bra? Lighter fluid and a family tree CD rom?

How many can YOU come up with?

Friday 10.10.08

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So my leg, my knee, and my ankle have been bothering me lately, and I finaly got my arse to the doctor yesterday. Apparently the knee is "tendonitis". Well that's fucked. There are some knee excercises I can do to help it, but if nothing improves I suppose I could get a cortisone shot. Poo. The ankle issue is probably a couple of bones that are touching but shouldn't be, and I think I can pinpoint the source of this madness to me kicking the shit out of the vending machine here at work. Hey kids, don't do that. My leg keeps tensing up, and she's testing my blood for causes of that. So between all this shit and the TMJD, I'm all broken. And it's not like anything could have been prevented (well, except the vending machine), it's just that I'm getting OLD, and shit's not as sturdy as it used to be. Ugh. I swear I eat really healthy! But my doctor insists that spinach and lentils ain't gonna help my joints... particularly when joint disorders run in my family. Horray. I'll find out more about this ankle after the x-ray. Fuckin' x-rays. I have been told you get more radiation from an airplane, which only makes me hate airplanes even more.

Speaking of airplanes, I will be on one soon to visit my friends Laura and Char in Texas. I'm excited! We're having a vegan Halloween party. I couldn't think of a clever costume, but last night I decided to go as Meg Griffin. That's a costume I can piece together from the thrift store, and I already wear glasses and have short hair. It will be much comfier than my Tia Dalma dress. And of course, I love Family Guy. Way more than any woman should. I'm secretely in love with Seth Macfarlane... which, now that I've published it on the internet, is no longer a secret. So there.

Tuesday 10.7.08

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Right now I'm eating a salad with field greens, golden balsamic, chicken and BACOS. Okay, well it's not real chicken, it's those chicken-less strips from Trader Joe's. But the "Bacos", my friend, are "Bacos". Fuckin' Betty Crocker ass Baco brand bacon bit Bacos! http://www.bettycrocker.com/products/bacos/. But... but... I thought you were a vegan, Jenn. Oh, I am, and so are Bacos!!! I'm serious!! I actually learned this over a year ago, but I seldom find myself in grocery stores that sell Betty Crocker. However, I do visit Mollie Stones for my Whitewave seitan and Tofutti cheese needs, and they had them, so I picked up a jar. I made baked potatoes last night to devirginize them. Wow. It's totally weird. They're not necessary, but they add a nice little crunch. My favorite baked potato toppings are Earth Balance and jalapenos.

In addition to the potato, last night I grilled seitan for the first time ever. Usually I slice it thin and simmer in BBQ sauce, but this time I marinated it (in its original sized chunks) in teriyaki and stuck it on the cast iron grill pan. It was pretty good, and I am going to be doing some more seitan-experimenting in the future. Also, I'm pretty sure I have become the Garlic Bread Master. The garlic bread I made last night was mindblowingly delicious. So I made this beautiful dinner, arranged a lovely plate, got my camera, and my f'ing battery was not inside. Nor could I find one anywhere in the house. I've been slacking on my food photos lately, but I will step it back up! There is deliciousness to be shared.

Monday 10.6.08

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My friend and I had a discussion in Disneyland this past weekend, about when Disneyland was the absolute best it ever was, and how we would sell our souls to make it that way again. We decided 1995. It would still be the old blue & white Tomorrowland, complete with Peoplemover and very tall Rocket Jets. The Country Bears would still be there, and Indiana Jones would be brand spanking new. The Swiss Family Robinson would still inhabit the Treehouse. Fantasmic was already there, and I would be okay with sacrificing "Believe" for "Fantasy In The Sky". Let's keep it real. Captain E-O. Premiere Shop. Perfumarie. Dumbo's Toy Chest and the Monorail Cafe!! Toontown is already there, complete with working Jolly Trolley. There's no America Sings, but the characters are alive and kickin' at Splash. Come on now, Satan! Let's make a deal.

P.S. How does my work computer not have "monotype corsiva"? Ghetto!

Wednesday 10.1.08

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Obviously I couldn't wait to start changing. Please ignore anything on here that looks f'd up or totally random. I'm mostly just trying to remember how the hell I originally did the HTML. I am completely aware there are 2 link links and that most of them go to nowhere. But isn't it exciting that I still have the comments up from 4 years ago?

Tuesday 9.30.08 (b)

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I am pooped. Last weekend, some friends and I took a road trip to my favorite place and I think my body is still recovering. It was very highly concentrated, as it was Abe's first time and we wanted to make sure he got to see everything. We very nearly did! It was so much fun. I want to go back RIGHT NOW. I hate here.

I was looking at the archives of my old website, and I actually like it better. So I think I'm gonna do some switch-a-maroo's. I wanted to make something with a purpose, a site with info and tips and stuff for vegan-friendly people, but I realized I am far too lazy to get my shit together and do it. I do, however, have a livejournal with recipes and a Flickr account with photos galore, so I'll just find a way to tie them all together. My other problem, though, is that without the intended purpose of my site, who the hell cares? I am not interesting. Nobody gives a shit about my thoughts. However, again, I just kind of enjoy the act of writing... even if it's a bunch of pointless banter between me and me. So I'll keep something going, but I guess there will be some re-remodeling. Hoo-ah.

Photos from the awesome weekend here: look at me!

Tuesday 9.30.08

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Ramblings continued in the Archives