Recap

What I've been up to lately... a story told in hazy, poor quality food porn photos...

I'm trying the Paleo diet! And discovering that local sage sausage, with sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes, and poached eggs are too much flavor on one plate...

Oh wait....sushi isn't Paleo because they don't consume soy or rice...? Well shit, screw that, I want my salmon & avocado rolls...addicted.

Also not Paleo....but it's the holiday's so it's allowed. Delicious vegan pumpkin cheesecake and the best coffee in town, thank you Sticky Fingers. You are my non-dairy mecca.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! Home with the fam and very thankful that due to some awesome drugs, I can consume dairy in a moderate amount....so of course my plate is 90% dairy infused. Exempting the turkey, cranberry sauce and the pickle....I think.

And since I'm at home, must indulge in Dinosaur BBQ...1/4 rack of ribs and you're just fat, 1/2 rack of ribs and you are the VICTOR. Also...I almost cried over their sweet potato and bacon mash.

Not quite the end of my holiday weekend but capping my night off with a copy of the BBC America Holiday Shopping Guide ("and Mom, I want this, and this, and THIS!") some icebox cookies (ALL DAIRY BABY) and some wine. Good times.

I never really understood the word "diet".

Happy Thanksgiving! xo

Crazy Times

Life is such a crazy mix. I've had such a good time tonight, after opening night of the first play of my season at work. And I'm in a mood of appreciation. Appreciating the friends I have surrounding me, of the creative people I encounter in my work (check out Anthony Cochrane IMMEDIATELY....seriously in love with his music and composing style...and I am now proud owner of two CD's of music from plays he's worked on at my theatre) and just happy about a lot of things (can I just say....went to a GI doctor today and turns out I'm NOT lactose intolerant...just going through a rough digestive patch...someday I WILL eat cheese again :)...

......but at the same time, last week still sits on my shoulders and it's hard to be too comfortable. When I'm alone, I remember "hey, Ben died on Wednesday.....you know, he'd love this play..." and it just tears me up. I've never had anybody close to me die and I don't know how to think, feel or deal with it. But he comes up in my thoughts almost every day, and I've developed a new kind of perspective. One that has me less stressed at work and about certain relationships because, ya know, in the end....the little things don't matter. It's family, friends and the path you pursue that's important.

....And that's your deep, philosophical thought of the morning...you're welcome!

Cheers!

Pictures from Home

Just a few pictures from the weekend so far:

As soon as I got home from the 6 hour drive from DC on Wednesday night, this is what I was greeted with....

Salmon Run Riesling and their Chardonnay Riesling...nobody does better Riesling than the Finger Lake Region. NOBODY. Not even Germany.

While I was enjoying the wine with my parents, it soon became apparent that the crazies felt comfortable coming out of the wood work and making their appearance. Or as I like to call it...stalking.

This is Maurice. He is my sister's cat. He wants whatever you are consuming. Even if it's wine. Especially if it's wine. This is definitely a wine household. And more proof of that....

Having some red wine at my favorite Irish Pub in alllllll of New York State. O'Lacy's Irish Pub in Batavia, NY. I love them so much I threw caution to the wind and ate dairy. Because you can't go to O'Lacy's and not have their honey mustard chip dip. Oh and there is definitely dairy in that. But I was already kind of drunk off of two glasses (ahem, I mean goblets) of red wine, so the impending doom surrounding my ill fated choices was no match for my appetite. I had their beef stew for my dinner and it was sooooooo creamy, so delicious, I could only eat a few bites of it. (Then again that may be because I had started the meal with dairy and the bloat may have set in...though again, I was kind of tipsy at that point so it didn't matter much :P)

Today I'm just chillaxin' with the mountain dogs. Oh you haven't heard of them, have you? Yes we have wanna-be mountain dogs in the house. They practice climbing and protecting their castle on an hourly basis....

Outside of screeching at them to get down, I've got nothing planned but relaxing....oh and visiting the best wine shop ever and stocking up. And drinking apple cider made by local farms. And reading. It's good to be home. Now I need to go distract my mother, who is sorely disappointed that there is no police blotter in this weeks Pennysaver....she reads it every week so she regal me with stories later about which one of my high school classes mates has been arrested and what stupid thing they did to get themselves incarcerated.

Ahhh home. Not much changes.

xx

Home At Rest

For the first time in months, I can sit and think and just be still. Don't ever underestimate the restorative powers of just being still.

I've managed to sneak away from work to home for the weekend. Was originally supposed to only spend two days here, but it's turned into four because my car is getting worked on and therefore I can't make a wedding I had originally intended on going to today.

I'm not sure when I'll be able to make it back to home again since the theatre season is just about to get underway. Lots of changes happening all over the place so it's nice to be able to come home where things change at a completely different pace and I can always find comfort and a good cup of coffee.

I wanted to post something because NaNoWriMo is coming up soon and I am DETERMINED to blog every day in November. National Novel Writing Month is one of my favorite activities, even though I've never actually managed to complete the challenge. I feel that this year, with all the craziness that's been going on, I need a little stability and the crazed, cracked-out obsession with meeting a number of words challenge, is just the kind of stable I need in my life. If you're interested in checking this out, it's a world wide crazy that takes hold and everyone is together in the trenches. All the crazies in one place. Find your local support group now! www.nanowrimo.org

xx

DC Earthquake Aftermath

Just a video to show I'm okay! My apartment....not so much....f* you DC Earthquake!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmPEy03YChI

BIRTHDAY!!

Yes. It is that infamous time of year again. It just keeps coming round and I am grateful for it. It's my BIRTHDAY! July 28th could, quite possibly be, my most favorite day of the year. A day when I only get a slight eyebrow raise over the fact that I make everything about me, instead of the usual scoff and under-breath comments about being an egotistical, self-involved brat. (Actually, no one has actually said that, but I've seen the thought play out on my brothers' face on several occasions.)

I'd like to think that with each year that passes I grow and mature into an intelligent, compassionate, graceful, beautiful, amazing young woman......

But really, the facts are this....I really haven't changed that much over the years. You can clearly see from the following photos that I really haven't changed that much at all.

I still have an affinity for spoons.

I am still aware that if something is really, really, ridiculously delicious and made of chocolate...then playa, shit bout to get REAL...nom nom nom....

I will ALWAYS be a pretty, pretty princess.....uhhhh I mean, a small child who dresses in the colors of the rainbow, possesses magical powers, and has the ability to ride a majestic white horse off into the sunset. So in other words, deep down inside, I am a gay man. Thanks Rainbow Brite for showing me the way....to excellent fashion taste and an attitude that says "YES I am wearing all the colors of the rainbow and I don't match. I have cute hair, damnit, and you will RESPECT me."

And finally....I still make good hair choices that will invite people to come talk to me, therefore creating an opportunity to make new friends.

What? You don't do that with your hair??

Yes. I feel "25 and change" will be a good year for me. Getting older means I can rationalize champagne for breakfast (IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!)...as well as being full aware that I'll need a Prilosec later, after the champagne and the full English breakfast I decided to make myself. I'm an adult. This is how it goes.

Finally...I would like to thank my parents on this momentous occasion....

thanks Mom and Dad for giving the world 27 years of AWESOME. I come from good stock, people.

Having Fun Sans Cheese or Ice Cream

So I have just come to terms with the fact that I just might be......lactose intolerant. Oh the horror. Apparently, I consume a hell of a lot of dairy. Or dairy is in just about everything I eat. I'm not sure which it is yet. Will let you know once I discover a world free of bloating and swearing. (Side note: Never ask a woman if she's pregnant. She might be lactose intolerant and making bad choices that day. Things may get violent. This has been your Public Service Announcement brought to you by GoFuckYourselfCheeseEaters.)

One thing I do know, the day I thought I came to terms with lactose intolerance is the day God decided to fuck with me. Ben & Jerry's came to my work to give away free ice cream. Sonofabitch. For a second there, I thought they might be stalking me. Like maybe they had some kind of honing system where they pick up the lactose challenged individuals on radar .

No seriously. I didn't get the email about free ice cream till after I saw the truck. Sometimes I get paranoid and, of course, the world revolves around me. And of course Ben & Jerry's would stalk me. Duh.

It's times like these that I'm glad I spent the $12.99 on this beauty:

You'd be surprised at how often I need to look at this at work.......wait.....this is me we're talking about. There should be no surprise there, just look at the damn blog address.

My parents love me and tell me I'm special.

In other somewhat related news....I can still have fun sans cheese. And this fun makes me glad to be an adult. Especially when being an adult means going to adult playgrounds. No, not what you're thinking, get your mind out of the gutter....why do my blog readers have such dirty minds?

Adult playground = table taps! Hallelujah! God does love me!

Say hello to Redline. (Say hello to my non-dairy meal of beer!, beef and grilled veg! on a stick! with potatoes!...which I did not eat...they may have fried it in butter.)

Now, don't let the term "gastrolounge" frighten and/or excite you. It is not a place, as I may have previously thought, where you can eat to your tummy's content then stretch out and take a nap. Lounge = nap to me. But c'est la vie. I can pour my own beer and eat at a slight recline in their booth. ALWAYS CHOOSE A BOOTH. Anywhere. If your belly gets too full, you can lean back and it does not appear that you are carrying a food baby. You're welcome for that Lady-Like Tip Of The Day. Also it means I can sit with my feet crossed under me.

This joint is right next to the Chinatown Metro and has happy hour specials. Which make me happy inside. (Side note: I just thought to myself "I'm so happy I could vomit." If you've ever thought this, you too may have Crohn's Disease or IBS. Welcome to the club, your membership card is in the mail and I can tell you where all the best public bathrooms are in DC --or--- that was just an incredible overshare on my part and in fact you just think crazy thoughts like that...in which case, welcome to my blog. Where crazy thoughts occur at random...or when there's wine involved. Or whiskey.) No Mom....I am not drinking and blogging at the same time. One Corona does not count....okay now it's two, but still.

I do believe that's my cue to exit.

Love!