we did it...

well, that is if I can make it through tonight without getting that cheeseburger I've craved. 31 days, about 14 lbs, 2 belt holes and the annoyance of reading every label and asking every waitress... I am done. It was insightful. I do not want to be a vegan. I see things differently. I learned a lot and I will pay more attention to what goes into my body, but I do not mind using a few animals. It would be hypocritical for me to be vegan. I am not an activist, and if I were, I don't see where you draw the line. The ultimate outcome would be to sell off everything and go to darfur, afghanistan or haiti or some crazy-ass 3rd world place and dedicate yourself to helping those who really need it and never consume, purchase, or use anything. But no, I am not - and I feel, for me, cutting out dairy and the occasional chicken sandwich would just be silly in the grand scheme of things. I applaud anyone who does this (good job), but it is not for me. Thank you to my vegetarian and vegan friends for all the encouragement, recipes and support.

I do recommend you try this. It's a good way to kick-start a healthy diet, lifestyle or just make you aware of what you put in your body. I actually don't crave meat as much as I did and will probably cut back, maybe meat four or five times a week (very little red meat) - not to save the animals, but to save my cholesterol and fat ass from dying. One of the best things that came out of it was I had to cook a bunch and Angie and I spent a lot of time together in the kitchen. (she needs all the practice she can get ;))

Month 2 - I have revamped month 2 into *WELLNESS* there are hand motions and like a little musical intro that goes with that... *WELLNESS* it needs to be said with a light airiness whhellnessss, anyway it's about overall health and well-being. A regiment of a few things... rising at 6 a.m., morning meditation followed by light exercise and breakfast, sensible meals and in bed no later than 10. Sounds normal enough. The focus is on meditation, of course, but I felt a need for the other to make it a routine. I doubt this will have the drama or mood swings the vegan diet had, but one can only hope and hey, it's only 28 days this time.

ted video on living to 100.

Plant based diets (interesting). Not that I want to live to 100- but healthier longer would be nice. 6 days till meditation and some cheese.

3 weeks

Classes started today and my inbox at work filled up, posting about my little vegan jaunt may have to wait. I am 3 weeks in and feeling pretty good. Dropped a total of 10lbs, skin looks good, stomach is not always in knots (just sometimes) and I no longer want to stab anyone in the face for a pork chop (well, maybe).

On to next month - I have been trying to sell meditation to people and it must have worked. I have a busy stressful month and meditation will do me good. Art making, albeit one I will enjoy, needs to be in the summer and in a month with more than 28 days.

Also saw Food Inc. this week... worth the watch, it will help me through the next 10 days not that my awesome wife doesn't keep me focused.  (I think she actually enjoys this diet)

Next.

Not that veganism is not the greatest thing ever but I do look forward to eating a little meat, at least some fish... fish are assholes anyways. Pescetarianism? Well I'm done with isms for a few months. To help me move on to the next month I enlist the 7 people that read this to cast your vote for next month. On your right over there in that poll, it's anonymous so do it. If you have other ideas pass them on to me (insert winky emoticon).

I have had a couple of glasses of wine or I would regale you with a witty anecdote or story ( I almost typed antidote). One good thing about veganism 2 glasses of wine = 4.?

Math. 

true story

So, I am gobbling down this organic-granola-cardboard-animal free cereal the other day (in soy milk). It was particularly cold outside, so I let my still-carnivorous dog in - where she took her place on the rug beside me. I stood up to wander around and fish the last bits of "food" from the bowl. Having felt confident in the eradication of the cereal, I tipped the bowl back to drink the "milk". I looked down at my beautiful majestic dog in repose on the rug and thought "what a great dog." At that moment, I realized I had missed a piece of the "cereal" and it was now lodged in my esophagus just enough as to completely restrict airflow. I sat my bowl down and tried coughing... no luck... after what seemed an eternity (and zero help from the dog), I thought to myself, "this is it: veganism killed me". Simultaneously, the morsel jostled loose and with a violent cough went flying across the room - landing just inches from my dog's nose. Without missing a beat, without lifting her head, she stuck out her tongue and ate it.

11 days down. I am contemplating the move after this in regards to meat. I am thinking about meat free days or only consuming meat once or twice a week. I don't know yet 20 days to go.     

one weak (a pun)

10 things I know of veganism 7 days in:
1. No matter how you cook a brussell sprout it will never taste like bacon.
2. One must read all labels. Animals are sneaky.
3. Albeit unhealthy oreos and diet coke are vegan.
4. Eating out at a restaurant is almost impossible; however, entertaining.
5. Even vegans argue if honey is vegan? Bees eat sugar and throw up with or without people?
6. I have lost 6lbs.
7. If no consequences: I would punch the closest of friends in the neck for a candy bar or a slice of cheese.
8. There is animal "product" in some toothpastes?
9. My shoes are not vegan but I bought them a long time ago.
10. A plant-based diet causes a significant amount of flatulence... which leads me to think that this could be the cause of global warming..?

24 days to go, I  look forward to doing something a little more fun next month. IDEAS!!?

Vegetables

Animal free for 4 full days. I can't say that I have gone without meat for more than a couple of days? I have a fantastic memory of my (at the time) 70+ year old tiny grandmother hunched over from osteoporosis chasing down a chicken with lightning speed and decapitating it with an axe: All in some sort of surrealistic, kung-fu ballet. I must have been around 5, I see it all; her pale bluish dress; the slow-motion, headless, flopping, stark white bird; the backdrop of deep green pine trees. It all sounds barbaric, but at the same time wonderful - a house full of people... the smell of fried chicken... everyone smiling - all because of that chicken.

This is a hard question: Why do we eat meat? We evolved because we ate meat. Omnivores - that's what we are. There are good arguments on both sides. I don't have the answer. Commercial farms are sad, tofu is dumb.

This is just as hard as I thought it would be. Roasted Vegetable Soup for dinner.

 

Project 1 of 12

I will be trying something new each month suggestions are welcome.

Month 1 Vegan.
I am a life long carnivore, I have fond memories of setting at a table with my mother and father and devouring massive amounts of animal flesh. This will not be a diatribe on the woes of eating meat or the sins of animal cruelty. Just me not eating meat or consuming animal products for a month. Just curiosity, people do it all the time, people I know. Why? I want to know what they go through and how I feel doing it.

I'm on day 2... my body is showing signs of confusion already.

not resolutions.

I did 2 weird things last year:
I avoided shopping at wal-mart for a year.
Also left town maybe 10 times all of those under a 100 miles.
This was kind of hard.

1. wal-mart.
December 2008 I stood in wal-mart with a sick feeling... walls of cheap plastic crap surrounding me, mouth breathers, screaming children, and the slow drone of thousand florescent bulbs killing me from the inside out. I decided to avoid it, if I needed a coat hanger at 3 a.m. it would just have to wait. I will skip all the self righteous wal-mart is the devil crap. I just thought it was a giant ugly beast and wanted it out of my life. I went back last week, me not going there really didn't slow things down.

2. homebody.
I don't know if the world is getting hotter. I don't know about polar bears. I could care less if the ice caps move to Tahiti. I just felt minimalism was what I needed and still need. So I decided no travel in 09, I missed peru, chicago, ireland and some other place that escapes me. I am a big clumsy human and I wanted to avoid making anything worse.

That leads me to here: a new decade a new year and a small art/life project.
This is me documenting it.