things vegetarians love to hear

About a month ago, I decided to go vegetarian. I'm even almost-vegan, because drinking cow's milk has never really been something that made sense to me, and recently I started thinking about what you're eating when you're eating an egg and bleeeegh. I tried veggie-ism when I was in college but was not in the right mindset. I had that whole meat-brainwashed (brain-meatwashed?) thing going on, and giving up meat was a struggle. Fast-forward about 5 or 6 years and I started listening more to my body - I very seldomly ate red meat because of the havoc it wreaked on my intestines, so the hubs and I mostly ate chicken, pork, and fish. About the fish - when I was younger my parents took me to San Fransisco and I, having a sensitive sense of smell, barfed from one end of Fisherman's Wharf to another. It wasn't until I was 20 and working as a waitress for an amazing chef at a pub in London that I started liking more than fish & chips. So I guess I'm not totally vegan because I cannot, allergy-wise, do without local honey, and I'm so in love with fish right now I'd be pissed if I gave it up.

People have some very strong opinions regarding vegetarianism. I've also come to notice that American notions of "health" are completely jacked up. If you ever meet a vegetarian, never EVER ask, "So...how do you get your protein?" unless you want to get punched in the junk. I get this question just about as much as I get, "So....what exactly IS a music therapist, anyway?" The good news is that *gasp!* meat is not the only place to get protein. I mean, really. I don't want to be one of those vegetarians on a crusade to get everyone to give up meat. All I know is that it works for me and if you ask me why I'm going to tell you, but PLEASE don't ask for the sake of arguing.

blah

the MRI results came back and I have tendonitis in my right wrist.

I'll see a hand specialist in January. 'til then it's hand brace and anti-inflammatories for me!

I'm really bummed about this.

Pyrrhus at the top of the world

I went to the Ghost Bar the other night and it was...interesting. Here are some thoughts.

You.
Over there with the sunglasses on.
What is so bright that you're wearing those in here?
Tonight?
Is it the dazzling madness swirling around you?
The expensive drinks?
Maybe you're afraid of heights.
Or maybe you're famous.
In this place, anything is possible.

The bachelorette by the elevators,
struggling to get her footing as the world swirls madly around her.
The skinny girls and the fake lips and the
men with the important looks and important suits
with their girls who have equally important not-much-on
to go with their high heels
and their money and their drinks.

What are you looking for with those glasses on?
I can see the city stretch out before us and
still feel a void stretch out from all of us in here,
bouncing off the floor-to-ceiling windows
back to us to squeeze the life from us.

Can I borrow your sunglasses?
All I can see through the haze and the pulsing lights
is desperation.