Pale and Weak

Spoke to dad on Sunday. He said that if I felt weak or faint, I need to eat some meat. He said it's ok to eat fish and I should do so regularly. If I have stomach or belly troubles or pain, I should eat some meat. "It's great you are eating more vegetables, but it's ok to eat meat too." I need to come up with some crazy response that is totally outrageous that he will think I need a mental hospital. :) "The government wants us to eat meat because that's they way they track us. They feed secret dyes to animals that show up in our bodies and can be viewed with classified tracking devices." Or maybe "I hear animals crying, Dad! Every time I even see meat, I hear this awful wailing in my head!" hahaha

I finished piglet's argyle vest. The yarn dye lots were the same, but the front and back seem to be different shades. Still need to block SIL's scarf. I went through one ball of Big Wool for my scarf and decided to rip it all out. Stockinette tends to curl and against my better judgment, I proceeded with it anyway. I now have a nice scarf in garter stitch that is divinely soft. Next projects: a cabled hat for my brother or a bunting for piglet. I'll finish both in November, so it's just a matter of which I want to do first. I think I will start and possibly finish a scarf for my bro too and save a baby blanket for the flight.

FINALLY get to order a turkey tomorrow. Whole Foods hasn't updated their site to say they are taking orders, so I might order from My Organic Market instead. Thanksgiving is three weeks away! Why isn't anyone planning yet??? I'm a smidge disappointed we're not having tofurkey this year, but it's more curiosity than anything else.

November also marks our 5th anniversary with Davis. I think we will roast him a chicken or maybe just some chicken breasts. We have lots of meat in our freezer that shouldn't go to waste. Ooh! Maybe I should cook up extra and share it with those less fortunate, like the poor, skinny kitties I see running around our neighborhood. This cat love karma I have is really interesting actually. On the day we moved into our house, a cat was sitting in our driveway, as if to welcome us to the neighborhood and our new home. See, cat love goes both ways. They love me too. puuurrrrrr

What you talkin' about Willis?

I have always been skeptical of "organic" since it doesn't mean humane or cruelty-free. It just means no hormones, pesticides, or chemical fertilizers were used in producing the plant or animal. "Cage free" eggs doesn't mean the chickens had plenty of room to move around or could go outside. It just means the chicken wasn't confined to a cage. Most people would think that "cage free" means a chicken got to breathe fresh air and see the blue skies. It makes sense, but never occurred to me, that baby boy chicks are killed for being the wrong gender. Only HENS lay eggs. Since these chickens are bred to lay eggs, the boys are destroyed. Polyface recently sent out an email to their buying clubs about product availability. As part of the normal seasonal cycle, most chickens slow in egg production. As a result, Polyface will have fewer eggs available between now and February. What I find interesting is that this is probably when egg demand increases with all the baking going on for the holidays. What's a normal egg producer do? Keep the chickens in the dark and starve them for a few days, of course. By force molting them, the chickens will produce one final batch of eggs before they are killed.

Not Eating Good in the Hood

We shun microwave restaurants like Chili's, Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, TGIFridays, etc. Why pay $10 for food we can microwave ourselves? This unofficial ban has been in place for a good 3-5 years. Tonight, we decided to give these CAFOs a second chance. I mean, they know competition is fierce and have been trying to differentiate themselves from the pack, so they deserved a second chance. We chose Applebees and wished we didn't. The menu looked fine for a meat lover, but there was not a single vegetarian dish. Not even a token hockey puck veggie burger to be found. QE got a panko crusted shrimp that looked more like chicken-fried shrimp. I ordered the cajun tilapia from the Weight Watchers menu. I figured tilapia is farm raised, but vegetarian, so at least the fish didn't eat fish meal and byproduct. Tilapia is also less harmful to the environment than farm-raised Atlantic salmon. The fish was quite good, actually. We were just surprised that a restaurant that tries for universal appeal would totally ignore vegetarians. I mean, what if a group of friends wanted to meet up and one was a vegetarian? Most likely (if the group were considerate, good friends), they would pick another place in hopes the vegetarian would be able to find something to eat. So, despite having what looks like a decent menu, Applebees lost two customers for not having anything that remotely resembled vegetarian fare.

. . .

Had to get cat food, so poor me, QE took me to Knit Happens since we were in the hood. I used my Insatiable Knitter Card and saved $27! Let's not talk about how much I spent, eh? :) I got five skeins of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in a violet blue color, four balls of Rowan Pure Wool in baby blue, two balls of Rowan Big Wool in beige, a pair of size 5 Addi Natura, and Lantern Moon rosewood straights in size 17 for the Big Wool. The Natura are pretty darn cool. The bamboo is so smooth and slick--I like it much more than Clover, but my Clovers are still nice. The LMs are my first pair of rosewood. They feel delish. I can't wait to use them.

I am almost done with the argyle vest for piglet. Next project might be my Big Wool scarf for myself. I also ordered a baby bunting and a set of four baby blanket patterns from Morehouse Farm.

QE and I decided (actually it was his idea) that if his peeps decide not to come for Thanksgiving, we'll have a Tofurkey. I'm now hoping they all decline our invitation. In addition to not eating meat, it will mean a lot less work for me. Yes, Thanksgiving is all about me. Plus, the kid is allergic to cats. His eyes swelled up when he played with the neighbor's cat.

Spanx Me

Spanx rocks. Why didn't anyone tell me about this for my wedding? Or just share their secret, period??? Now I know why even chunky girls had smooth asses while I avoided pants for the last 5 years. I've only tried the footless pantyhose and I love it. The legs are stretchy without being constricting. The "control top" works its magic without constricting or creating muffies. I forgot I was wearing it. I am dying to try the camisole ($38!!!) and power panties but dang! must it be so darn expensive?

I am officially un-vegetarian today. I had a wild Alaskan salmon salad from Cosi. It was delish, but my stomach feels heavy. It was very good though. This is downright hilarious considering what happened last night.

QE and I were at Harris Teeter stocking up on vegetarian frozen meals for this workweek's lunches. Dad had called earlier in the day inviting us to dim sum today. We accepted until QE realized there wasn't much we could eat. I called dad back to decline the invite and explained I was so used to being vegetarian that I forgot dim sum wasn't veggie-friendly. I had told dad a few weeks ago we were going veggie and he replied, "It's good you're eating less meat. More veggies is good for you." hahaha This time, dad was still fully supportive of our vegetarianism but said "how long are you doing this for?" and "you can have fish. Fish isn't meat." BWAH! We've gone no red meat and vegetarian for Lent before, so dad thought we were in another one of our "phases". What's hilarious is that dad was trying to convince me fish wasn't meat and vegetarians eat fish. He wasn't argumentative about it at all. He just didn't see fish as meat, so it was ok to eat in his mind. Gotta love dear old dad.

Polar Bears are Drowning!!

QE hates it when I respond to weather comments with that. "Wow, it's nice out today. 75 degrees in October" --Polar bears are drowning!!!

I've been getting these intense stress headaches lately. It sometimes feel as if I'm about to black out. What's weird is that I only get them when I see, hear, or read something very troubling about animal cruelty and such. I care about many issues other than animals, but this is the only one that causes these headaches.

I know I can't become vegan, but I think I might sway that way in some aspects of my life. I think I should be aware of what I consume (food or otherwise) that may affect animals in some way. Tea and I have been on a virtual shopping binge lately where we talk a good game but don't buy. Cosmetics and skincare has been a focus and until I looked at Smashbox, I forgot about animal testing. This was a big thing about 10 years ago. Although I've always known that many of our cosmetics, shampoo, etc are tested on animals, I guess I became less aware of it. In this day and age of super technologies, is it really necessary to test products and drugs on animals? I can't tell if only brands identified with "cruelty free" or "no animal testing" are doing it or if mainstream brands that don't market this point are also not testing. Is my desire for a wrinkle-free face really worth it if animals were used in the development process? I think I would accept my raisin face to save an animal or two. Or fifty.

In knitting news, I'm almost done with my chevron scarf. I think I will give it to the SIL. My brother will get a cabled scarf. I will need a pair of mittens to match my new coat. QE wants a hat I think. I'm also working on a baby blanket for piglet. He's due November 11 and the papa pig is beyond excited.

Bees Knees

What did the girl mushroom say to the boy mushroom?

You are a fun-gi. Yep, that's still my favorite G-rated joke. :)

The flaky skin around my mouth for the past 18 months is a fungus/yeast. It's now under the control and I have no idea the cause. Burt's Bees lip balm has been a soothing salve for my lips and I have a tube stashed everywhere. I have become a Burt's Bees hoarder of sorts. Tip: Ulta has a three-tube and one tin pack for $9.99. SCORE!

One pack of balms have developed a crumbly, gunky texture. I contacted Burt to ask if it's ok to use, possible cause, etc. They asked for my address and said they would send replacements. How nice! I wasn't expecting that. I received my replacements last night. In addition to three glorious tubes of my treasures, they sent me a Head-to-Toe Essentials kit. Oh wow. What a nice surprise!!! Because of their generosity, I felt the need to give a shout out and spread the good love from Burt's Bees.

Sunday in the ER

The day started normal enough--Davis headbutting my hand hanging over the bed and Angel mountain climbing the mounds of blanket. Realizing I will not be permitted to sleep in, I gave up and greeted the day. Walnut bourbon pie washed down with coffee for breakfast (joys of not having kids! Irresponsible meals!) while reading the paper. I finally went upstairs to get dressed and noticed blood spots on our bathroom floor. That's weird...my toes don't hurt, how could I be bleeding? Nope, no bloody toes. Double and triple checking still didn't lead to any bloody toes. But my pinkie toe is clearly making bloody prints! It's everywhere I've stepped! Blood on QE's vanity. Hm. My hand? Nope. My arm? Nah. Looking around, I noticed blood on the tub's ledge. Ok, I can be ditzy and dumb, but I KNOW I have not touched the ledge! It's not me. But then who? Davis.

Our Buddy cut his paw pad. Ew. It looked bad. He wasn't dripping blood, but he was leaving bloody prints all over the floors. We confined him into our bathroom as we tried to assess the situation. In his efforts to leave, Davis stood on his hind legs and painted our walls too. It appears our boy cut his paw on a shaving razor left out. By now, QE is getting upset at the sight of all the blood in our bathroom. We quickly cleaned up all visible blood, got dressed, and took Buddy to the ER.

Our lean machine weighs in at 10 pounds 11 ounces. He weighs less than Cara, who is about 2/3 his height and length. His wound was a superficial cut that scraped his skin off. The vet took him to the back for a betadine soak. Ok, anyone who has ever met Davis knows that he does not like to be touched on his head, back, or tail. And heaven forbid we try to touch his paw! That's just asking to be bitten. So how did the vet manage to get our boy to soak his paw in a solution for 5 minutes?? The technician reported that Davis just sat there with his paw soaking. No protests, no growling, no attempts to take it out. NOT FAIR!!!

He's doing ok given the circumstances. Antibiotics for the next 10 days. Skin should start healing in 3 days and fully recovery in about 2 weeks. Angel is keeping him company in their bedroom. We thought Cara's relentless stalking would cause Davis to walk more than necessary, so it's best for him to stay in his room. My poor little boy.

Jive Turkey

The weather is finally turning cold...Angel decided I needed my head warmed last night and slept on my pillow. I must say, it did feel very nice to have a warm, furry purring machine next to my ear as I dozed off.

I know it's early, but I believe early planner gets the turkey. In reviewing where to acquire our Thanksgiving turkey, I came across one farm that is selling heritage, organic, free-roaming turkeys for $135. Is that the true cost of eating responsibly? Probably. So...if that's the case, what about all those frozen bowling balls at the local grocery store? How do stores manage to sell those for $.49 or $.99 per pound? Maybe the cost is truly lower because those turkeys were raised in a CAFO eating feed consisting of questionable byproducts, hormones, and antibiotics? I can only speculate. What I do know is that our "happy" turkey last year (from Whole Foods) did taste better and was juicier. And it didn't stink when raw. It was our first happy turkey and what a difference!

I've been vegetarian for over a month now, with one break for dad's bday (sushi). I'm quite happy with my food choices. I think I might just remain primarily vegetarian with necessary breaks for Thanksgiving and such. I don't feel any different, good or bad, as a result of my changed diet. I've lost 10 pounds since my doctor visit last year, but I feel about the same. As someone ever so kindly pointed out to me, I probably lost muscle and not fat.

Davis outright rejected the rabbit I fed him and chose to go on a hunger strike for three days. He won and I am thrilled my darling boy isn't going to make me feed him rabbit. Long live the bunny! I put the remainder of the rabbit outside for our homeless neighbors. Maybe they will remember that our plot of land is a safe haven and they are always welcome to drop by.

Cara had a vet visit on Monday and weighed in at 12 pounds. She was just under 10 pounds when we adopted her seven months ago. How could she possibly gain so much weight when she is so active? I feed all the kids at the 10 lb level, so this baffles me. We no longer serve kibble with dinner and the protesters are rioting.

Sweet Bitterness

I am almost finished with the cat pattern I bought off Etsy. I need to give it a nose and mouth. It's kind of cute, but it was painful to knit. I used a plain, inexpensive cream cotton this time and forced myself to complete the project. I'm not sure why I found it so dull, but I still have the brown wool one was a WIP. So unmotivated. Currently on needles: the chevron scarf from Last Minute Knitted Gifts in a mohair blend using Whispers; and the baby blanket/shawl from Special Knits in a white cotton. I'm dying to work with my Manos del Uruguay, but I have no idea what to make. I have enough for a shawl or throw, but it seems so wasteful. I also have Lorna's Laces Fisherman (500 yards per hank!) and have no idea how to wind it into a skein.

In an effort to be a better mom, I bought my kids raw rabbit meat. Poor bunnies! Yes, I know those cute little bunnies were raised for food, but I still feel guilty. It totally creeps me out, but I know it's part of a cat's natural diet. Overcoming my own selfish beliefs, I took the plunge and bought a pound of it on Friday. Luckily, Angel and Davis do not seem fond of it. Maybe it's the l-lysine I've been sneaking into their food (for their sneezing) they dislike. I will try to omit the med and see if they will eat the rabbit blended with their usual food tomorrow. If they don't like rabbit, then at least I know I've done my part to be a good mom. And then I will rejoice.

I don't usually talk politics and I try to continue in that vein. However, QE received a call from The Washington Post polling the "youngest male over 18 in the household". The survey was about the political candidates from both parties as well as his views on various topics. The fact that QE's opinions were recorded is hilarious because he is about as anti-politics as anyone could possibly be. Myself, I don't identify with either party. I sway differently depending on the topic/issue. That said, I saw an interview on 60 Minutes with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. I found his story interesting enough that I wanted to read his memoirs.

I went to Borders looking for Justice Thomas' book. It was not on the table situated front and center of the store as you walk in. I could not find it in New Arrivals. It was not with New Non-Fiction, nor Biographies & Memoirs, Best-Selling, or any of the other prominent displays. The online system said it could be found in the History & Politics section. Fine. I went to the section and the book was nowhere to be found. Peeved and growing ever-impatient, I asked a Borders staff member for assistance. He had no idea who Clarence Thomas was. Two reasons why the name should have been at least vaguely familiar: he's a member of the Supreme Court (helloooo!!!) and he has a newly released book out. How does a bookstore employee not know which books came out during the week? Not only that, but it's received enough buzz to warrant some sort of attention.

I finally found the book. On the bottom shelf of African-American Interest. ARE YOU FREAKIN KIDDING ME?! Yes, Justice Thomas is black. But does his book belong with the black fiction, novels and other non-fiction? Not really, in my opinion. Ted Kennedy's book (a bio, I think) was displayed prominently on one of the "important" shelves. I am fairly certain his book has been out for a while. Was Thomas' book pushed aside for racial reasons? Political reasons? Am I overly sensitive? For kicks, I looked for his book again at a different Borders. This time, it was under Non-Fiction but still on a lower shelf. It certainly took some effort to find his book. Would a memoir from a white Justice have been displayed front and center? Not sure. I just found it interesting that Justice Thomas' book was somewhat buried, as if Borders wasn't interested in selling copies. And I should probably mention that I took the only copy displayed. Why do I care? Because I hate Borders for other reasons already and this is just one more reason for me to boycott the place.

I like Barnes & Noble so much more, but it's farther from my house. Borders also lures me with their weekly coupons. So I guess my loyalty can be bought with a lower price. Ugh. I'm no better than those Wal-Mart shoppers. My saving grace is that B&N stocks so many more titles and magazines that I usually end up buying there anyway since ghetto Borders doesn't have my books in stock. When I ordered Debbie Bliss' newest book last month, I was told to expect a postcard in the mail notifying me when it arrived. I never got the notice. I did find a copy of the book on the shelf last week, though. B&N had at least four copies of the book at the two stores I checked, the same week it was released. None of the FOUR Borders I visited had any.