GoVegan.net

Got a nice mention over at Writer in The Night blog.

In other news … I’ll be closing Animal Advocacy Camp (Vancouver’s Animal Rights UnConference) on Sunday Feb 26th. I hope to see you there!! 🙂

More info HERE.

Have you checked out The PPK 100?

The list is is 100 most inspiring recipes, chefs, restaurant, tips, cookbooks, tools and websites that made us swoon all year.

I want to extend a big thank-you to The PPK for generously including my new Go Vegan! w/Sarah Kramer app on the list. I’m honoured! 🙂

Ended up in the hospital yesterday. 🙁

I got to work at Sarah’s Place and by around 12:30 I started to feel really sick … my period had arrived a few days ago but this month my period took a turn for the worse. I started sweat like crazy and then felt really sick and I realized that I was about to enter into “THE CRAMP ZONE”.

I’ve ended up in the hospital before with these kinds of monster cramps but my last bout was in 2009 and I thought my naturopath and I eradicated them …

These cramps are excruciating. Not regular every-day period cramps but the kind of cramps that are debilitating. I called Gerry and he whisked me to the hospital… On our way to the hospital the cramps were so painful that Gerry had to stop the car so I could throw up at the side of the road. Sexy.

We got to the ER and the admin nurse recognized me from the news story I was interviewed for last week. She wanted to chat about that and as I was doubled over the desk in pain I thought … “is she chatting with me about this because she’s clueless or because she’s trying to assess how much pain I’m in?”

They told me I could walk into the waiting area but I couldn’t even stand up … they fast-tracked me to a gurney in the hallway. I have no idea how long I lay in the hallway writhing in pain but at one point I had to throw up in a garbage can. 🙁

Luckily Gerry was there with me to hold my hand and tell me I was still cute even with puke breath. I really wish we hadn’t watched the movie Contagion the night before. *gag*

By the time the doctor got to me the worst of the pain was over and he had me do a pee test to see if I’m pregnant (can you have your period and be pregnant?) and sent me home. It was a total waste of time … but I’d rather be at the hospital in that much pain because who knows what could happen. Better safe then sorry.

The doctor had me do a mid-stream pee test to see if I was pregnant and it came with the craziest instructions …

#1. Wash hand thoroughly. Hand? Just ONE hand??

#2. Wash meatal? MEATAL? What kind of word is that? I looked it up and the only word I could find that’s similar is Meatus which means “an opening or passageway”

Meatus. That’s a terrible sounding word.

So … I guess it’s time to go back to the doctor and figure out what is going on. Anyone in Victoria have a good open-minded doctor (preferably in the downtown core) who is taking new patients?

BTW. I’m ok now. I came home. Lay around on the couch and watched bad tv and I’m back at work today feeling a little tired but fine. 🙂

HAPPY NUDE YEAR!!

I just realized that the last page on the 2011 Go Vegan! calendar is of Jan 2012!! Sadly this will be my last blog about the calendar photos as there won’t be a 2012 Calendar. 🙁 My publishers decided not to go ahead with another one. It’s a bummer … I had so many good ideas for the 2012. Oh well. I’ll have to save my ideas for something else.

Jan 2012 is a homage to Nirvana’s Nevermind.

The photo of me swimming was an outtake from a shoot we did for La Dolce Vegan …  I was going through some CDR’s and found the outtakes and thought this photo would be perfect to spoof Nirvana.

Gerry and I went to the pool with a underwater disposable camera and found a secluded corner in the pool and shot photos … it was so much fun.

I love swimming … but sadly I don’t do it enough. It’s because Gerry doesn’t like going to the pool (not sure why) and I hate going swimming alone. Plus I have a thing about people seeing me in a bathing suit. Everyone wants to come talk to me about tattoos … and while I don’t mind talking about my tattoos – I don’t want to do it while I’m dripping wet with just a thin layer of swimsuit between me and the curious stranger. 🙂

The recipe for this month is for Big Ben’s Lentil Burgers. This is my Mum’s recipe from the 70’s and when I included it in the Go Vegan! w/Sarah Kramer app – I didn’t change a single ingredient. They are perfect just they way they are. 🙂

Here’s a sneak peek at one of the videos that are included in the Go Vegan! w/Sarah Kramer App. It talks about the burgers and about my favourite kitchen tool. To see more videos and to try this recipe you can download the app HERE.

I learned an important lesson the other day …

I went into a woman’s clothing store with Fergus to inquire about some store fixtures they had for sale. The woman behind the counter looked at me and then Fergus and made a bitchy face that immediately put me in a bad mood.

The conversation inside my head went something like this “What’s that bitch’s problem? I’m holding Fergus. He’s not getting in the way. She must hate animals… I don’t like anyone who doesn’t like dogs.”

I stood and waited for her help me and I noticed she kept glaring at Fergus so I smiled a passive aggressive smile and asked about the store fixtures that were for sale.

She shook her head and said “I’m sorry. I’m very distracted by your dog. He looks just like my dog and I had to put him to sleep yesterday.”

Wow…

She started weeping. I started weeping. I handed Fergus to her and they shared a heartfelt snuggle together. My heart filled to the brim with compassion for her …

My new years resolution is to not jump to conclusions … but rather when I feel myself making up a crazy story in my head about what the other person may be doing or thinking – I will instead wait things out and find out what’s really going on.

I was on news last night … Skip to 2:10 to get to me.  🙂

Many years ago Gerry and I opted out of X-mas so we don’t celebrate anything this time of year but since the rest of the world takes a holiday – we do too.

X-mas Eve we watched Auntie Mame. It’s one of my favourite movies …

Rosalind Russell’s costumes and eyebrows are to DIE for!! I could watch this movie 1000 times and see something different every time. LOVE IT!

Our X-mas morning tradition is that we sleep in as late as possible and then have a pancake breakfast … I made gluten-free pancakes and gluten-free breakfast sausages from the GoVegan! w/Sarah Kramer app. Yum! I also made a quick apple sauce for the pancakes by blending an apple, 4 dates (for sweetness), some cinnamon and water in my BlendTec blender until smooth. Double yum! 🙂

The weather was frightful so we took Fergus for a quick walk around the block and then Gerry and I headed down to Sarah’s Place to put together my new Ikea desk. It only took us 2 hours … not bad.  🙂

Fergus approves…

Then we went to see The Muppet Movie! I highly recommend this movie!! So much fun!

Boxing Day was spent in an equally lazy fashion. I didn’t get out of my pajamas till noon! *woot*

Lately Fergus has been obsessed with getting into the bathtub after I’m done bathing and licking it out. *gross* Yesterday and I shared a bath with Gerry and Fergus was very impatient that Ger was taking so long to get out so he barked at him to hurry up and get out.

Gerry picked him up and put him in the water. I’m not sure that’s exactly what Fergus wanted… *laugh*

“What have I gotten myself into…”

Once everyone was dry and dressed … we went for a nice long walk and then we met Gerry’s parents for dinner at Milestones.

They have a GF/Vegan friendly tomato basil pasta! It’s pretty yum!

Aren’t Gerry’s parents the cutest?? 🙂

What a wonderful weekend we had … how was yours? What did you do? More importantly … what did you eat? 🙂

Wowzers. What a weekend I’ve had … Saturday night I got dressed up in my most sparkly outfit and headed down to the SOFA (Save on Foods Arena) to see Prince play again!

I hummed and hawed about going – wasn’t sure I was going to go but a few days before the concert my friend Kimmee texted me to let me know that she had an extra ticket and did I want to come? “Twist my rubber arm! YES!”

I met Kimmee in 2008 when I performed in The Vagina Monologues and during the process of the play we became fast friends. We are the same age. Have the same kind of crazy artistic family background, we are nuts for dogs and CRAZY 4 PRINCE!! I was so excited to go see Prince with someone who is as looney about Prince as I am!! 🙂

The concert was EPIC!! Another stellar show – and interestingly enough – completely different vibe the show I saw a few weeks ago in Toronto.

The first 1/3 of the show was a lot more jazz/funk infused and also included the incredible Maceo Parker on saxophone (who I don’t think played the Toronto show I saw – but I could be mistaken).

Our seats were awesome … I have a serious “hair crush” on Andy Allo who plays guitar in the NPG. 🙂

I danced my ASS OFF! So much so that the woman beside said “You really like Prince, don’t you?” Umm… yes? 🙂

He played for almost 3 hours and did several encores but the hardcore fans refused to leave.

We just stood there chanting, clapping and yelling …

Prince is like Tinkerbell! If you believe and keep clapping … he’ll come back! Right??

HE DID!! He came back a final time – but the stage was already being taken apart and there were no instruments so he came to the stage and gave us all a wave and a thank-u and then he left the building.

I think I broke my hand clapping … I’m not kidding. Like a dummy I wore the ring Gerry bought me for our 15th wedding anniversary.

I was clapping so much that I broke capillaries in my hand and it swelled up like a balloon! Yikes!!

I was sad that the show was over … but thanks to a tip from my friend Stuart – I had managed to score tickets to see Prince play at his after party at Sugar Nightclub! WHAT?? 🙂

Sugar Nightclub is a pretty good venue to see bands. I think the capacity is about 300 and I heard someone say that Prince only wanted 200 tickets sold so the crowd was small but mighty!! Everyone there was pumped to have a good time and boy-howdy did we ever.

I guess the club doesn’t have a bathroom in the dressing rooms because Prince had to be escorted several times to the bathroom by a bevy of bodyguards. I ran down and stood near the bathroom and waited for him to come out. I wanted to try and hand him a copy of Vegan A Go-Go! He walked right by me and was so close I could have reached out and touched him if I wanted to … I tried to get his attention and hand him a copy of the book but his bodyguard grabbed my arm and pushed me away. So I didn’t get a copy of my VAGG into his hands … but maybe next time.  🙂

Prince asked that no photos or videos be taken during the show and he had a crazy security team that were looking for people with cameras. They would spot the person shooting photos and remove them from the club immediately. No warning. You were just out!! I managed to sneak one photo from the show. I just HAD to do it.  🙂

That’s right … Prince made the club turn off the lights and he played for us in the dark. It was so much fun.

Prince’s band is uber talented and while they performed he wandered around stage playing various instruments, stage diving into the crowd and directing the band. At one point I felt like I was actually IN the movie Purple Rain and I started crying. *laugh* I wish my friend Shoshana could have been with me … she would have loved every minute of it. Prince played until 3:30am and then sadly it was time to go home … 🙁

Thanks for all the fun Prince! You must be exhausted … I know I am!  🙂

A little interview with me and Quill & Quire about my new iPhone/iPad app.

Read it HERE.