listening and learning...

i went to a seminar the other day on e-audiobooks... i got to learn a bit more about the provider the library's gone with - so i thought i may as well start using the resource - i quite enjoy a talking book and these can be downloaded ("One-Click transfer to portable devices") to mp3 players, windows media player or ipods - so i downloaded the netlibrary media centre and at the moment i'm listening to sarah waters' "the little stranger" in the background while blogging...

i think this might be highly utilised... i can download up to 10 talking books at a time (for a 20-hour 'book' it takes around 20 mins) - the borrowing period is 3 weeks... there are 593 titles to choose from - almost half of those are mystery, a popular genre and one i like - so it'll take me a while to get through the titles i might want to listen to - doesn't seem like too bad a selection - and hopefully it'll grow... so if you're into audiobooks just join the library and start listening...

the seminar was in the city - a place i get to very rarely these days - there was no lunch being provided (which is often fortunate for a vegan) so with an hour to ourselves, i was looking forward to a bit of quiet down time after listening all morning - i headed off into the city to check out 'lord of the fries' and grab one of their vegan burgers - i'd checked online the night before to see if there was anywhere i'd be able to get something i could eat - and according to their website:

"WE USE HIGH QUALITY VEGETARIAN INGREDIENTS

• Our fries = vegan, gluten fre

• Our patties = vegan, gluten free, do not contain garlic, onion

• Our nuggets = vegan, gluten free

• Our sour cream = no gelatine, gluten free

• Our cheese = rennet free, vegan (by request)

• Our buns = vegan, gluten free (by request)

• Our oil = we recycle & use as biodiesel in our delivery vans"

their claim to be wildlife victoria's largest cash contributor was an added reason to check them out - and should you be thinking of joining the sea shepard at some stage you'll get to eat at any lord of the fries for free... so i could at least get something quick and vegan to eat while walking around town - and my money was supporting a business that appears to have some ethics!!!! but of course it is fast food - now if only restaurants would 'take a leaf out of their book' and start catering to vegans, life would be a treat...

and now i'm off to make a mushroom pasta and maybe watch the last episode of the first series of true blood - if you don't know it's based on the southern vampire mysteries series featuring sookie stackhouse, written by charlaine harris ... and still i'm not sure what i think of it - yes, i'll watch series 2 when the library gets it but i'm reserving my judgement until then... i'm still working the characters out... i haven't read any of the books though so i don't know how true to the novels the tv series is...

by the way, i didn't really hear the first few chapters of the audiobook i was listening to... can't concentrate on listening while thinking and writing... will just have to listen to it from the start again sometime... but what i did catch sounded good - should entice me back to it...

a costly addiction...

but then, aren't they all!!!!

i do wonder why the government chose cigarettes over alcohol to recoup some of their losses from 'failed schemes' such as the insulation debacle - of course alcohol would have been my preference knowing its impact on my life (and on the lives of countless others who have dealt with an alcoholic) - these days it's a very rare purchase for me!!!

but unfortunately it was ciggies that went up yesterday – a 25% price hike - i paid $16.15 for a pack of 25s… that was in 7/11 (not my usual 'haunt') – 'only' $14.75 in iga today… smoking a pack of 25s a day has finally become way too expensive … now’s the time to go back to the cheaper option of rollies… so it'll be the occasional pack of 20s (i do prefer tailor-mades in a mull!), with drum menthol my preferred tobacco (yep, strange preference when i don't smoke menthol cigs!!)... i actually preferred rollies for a number of years - champion ruby originally, then drum - but neither came with such a wonderful graphic on the pouch like this 'vintage' chewing and smoking tobacco...

and no, i'm not ready to give up at the moment - that would just add more stress to dealing with me old 'girls' and their needs, life in general with its ups and downs, work and it's physical and mental stresses and strains (it's been another frenetic working week after a public holiday) and dealing with some of the idiosyncratic public isn't always easy!! nope, it's not the right time yet - and i don't want to, so therefore i don't have the right mind-set...

nah, my best solution is to just carry my tobacco in future and save me ready-rolleds for home - now that should save me some money (sorry to those street people that used to 'benefit' - i would give away 2 per day (but that was my limit) - that won't be happening now - blame the government please, don't abuse me)!!!! i'll share my tobacco with anybody, but the reaction used to be "oh, tobacco - you smoke menthol?! um, nah, ahh, no thanks, it's ok..." guess the drop-off in people 'botting' was one of the influencing factors years back to smoking menthol tobacco... i mainly drifted back to tailor-mades because when working and 'on-the-move' they're just easier!!

talking of 'mull' (i 'fleetingly' mentioned it in the second paragraph) - this is a strain of dope that'd make a stunning colour display in the backyard - it's called purple haze - ohhh for the decriminalisation of dope - i could even contemplate growing this beautiful plant in my courtyard then - and i'd save so much money!







but of course, it's more likely to end up being legalised and then monopolised and patented by the big tobacco companies and possibly look something like this...

there's been a lot of activity in the stairwell here today... someone movin' out... so i thought i'd check online and see which flat was being vacated - and couldn't believe how much they're asking for it... $330 per week!!! that's $80 a week more than my place... granted, it does look a tad more modern inside so it's been renovated at some stage - but it's only a 1 bedroom flat with a balcony... at least i've got a courtyard... and with me old girl still ploddin' on i was offered another lease here with no rent rise (or property inspection apparently) so i've decided to stay here a bit longer... the land's been put into the hands of agents now but even if it sells quickly it'll take a few months to get the paperwork in order and my 'retreat' built... so hopefully summer/autumn of 2011 will see me in malmsbury... sad isn't it that $20,000 would do what i need, but due to life's 'hurdles' (don't think i need to expand on those!) it's way out of my financial league...

changing topics altogether, i've been wanting to try agave syrup (used in numerous sweet vegan recipes i've come across) so when i 'happened upon' some while shopping i just had to buy a bottle (and immediately make some vegan pancakes!!)... it's been compared to maple syrup and honey - it's a similar consistency with a flavour (i think) somewhere between maple, golden syrup and treacle... it's definitely yummy and can be used in baking or just poured over pancakes and waffles... it's cheaper than maple syrup - but then it is somewhat quicker to produce - the plants are harvested at around 8-10 years compared to the maple tree, which isn't mature enough to 'tap' until 40-70 years of age!!!!

ohhh, did i mention it comes from the same plant as tequila??? "... agave nectar is juice from the Mexican agave plant grown in the volcanic soil around Guadalajara —the same juice that, when fermented, becomes tequila. The nectar is extracted by heating up the plant’s pineapple-shaped core, then pressing it. When the juice drips out, it can be either filtered—to make agave syrup—or fermented to make tequila..." from an article "nectar of the tequila gods"

actually the nectar can be extracted from most varieties of agave - but tequila only comes from "agave tequilana", commonly called blue agave, tequila agave, mezcal or maguey... it's also being used in cocktails these days - apparently it goes well in - surprise, surprise - tequila based cocktails!!

and yes, the pancakes and syrup were deeeelicious!!!!!!!

incidentally, it's may day today...  i've written about it before so if you're interested you can read my previous post may day...pagan and political...

i hope to start mapping steph and pete's travels in my next post - they've been to malta and have 'hit' rome now so i might make a start on that tomorrow... but you know how it goes - the best laid plans and all of that... we'll see...

life goes on...

i caught up with friends (Sailor Lil, Curvy Kitty, Kirsty and Alistair) on Saturday... what an enjoyable, vibrant, eclectic group of people to spend time with (it was a pity about the weather though - we couldn't sit out in the courtyard - next time maybe) - we shared a delicious feast of food and wine that everyone 'brought to the table'... we got the work 'gossip and angst' out of the way, chatted and laughed about everything and anything, and shared interesting snippets of each other's lives - we listened to music and danced (sorry Lil, you missed that) - everybody's so different - different ages, different lifestyles, different lives - but oh so interesting and amusing... such a pleasant way to 'while away' a saturday afternoon...

it was a bit of an introspective evening after everyone had gone though (no doubt thanks in part to the wine, the reminiscences and the music) - loneliness is a constant companion, but my babes help me through that - but depression was vying for attention and won for a while...

i had to shake off it's shackles on sunday before it dragged me down again...

it was such a bleak day outside - windy and wet - so i snuggled up on the couch with 'the gang' and spent some time on the computer learning how to use Audacity - a free, open source audio editor and recorder - perfect for podcasting - i so wish we (we in the work context) could use some of the open source stuff that's available!!! - i thought as one of the IT people that it would be handy to know what it's all about and how to actually make a podcast, because it makes sense to me that at some stage we should surely have our author talks available to those who can't make it into the library - we really need to start using the technology that's out there to reach a much wider audience... so much potential the mind boggles... but i'll be ready (sort of)!!!!



monday was a 'family day' - i had me mum, aunt and brother around for lunch - i've been promising them deep fried vegies for ages (they're easily pleased!!!) so finally got around to fulfilling that commitment... it's nice to see them - it's also nice to see them go - to reclaim allie's (she's still coping - no more distressing episodes - but she does have very little bladder control) and shadow's and my space again... but me mum's frailty is becoming more and more glaring - (she was exhausted after the walk from the tram stop to my place and that's not a long walk - it's getting harder and harder for her to walk any distance these days)... luckily darrell could drive them home... he brought around a "live at the chapel" dvd for me to watch - looking forward to that!!!



and now it's time to do 'some domestics' before my away from my old girl working week starts all over again... but i'll leave you with this youtube clip - an interesting blend of musical styles - Robert Plant (rock) and Alison Krauss (bluegrass) - it's grouse....

political and pleasurable...

i had a work colleague around for dinner last night - she's vegan, around my age and an animal lover (which definitely went down well with Allie and Shadow - they loved being caressed by her!!!)... what an enjoyable evening - ideals, beliefs and experiences shared with someone with similar politics - not having to explain or justify ourselves, as vegans and vegetarians so often have to, because there was understanding... refreshing...

I love a good, positive political conversation - and a really deep conversation with someone who shares your views is always rewarding - an expansion and validation of your beliefs - really encouraging - and all too rare... it does the mind a wealth of good... you feel less like a "stranger in a strange land"... yes, it was a good night!!!!

i made a delicious ratatouille with rosemary baked potatoes and garlic - Den brought crusty rolls to sop up the yummy juices, and we shared a delightful organic semillon sauvignon blanc... she also brought a lovely bunch of daffodils and irises that complimented everything... very thoughtful - and the colours look great with the maroon venetians as their backdrop!!!


mind you, finding wine that vegetarians and vegans can drink can be a tiresome process... reading all of those labels - so many wines are 'fined' with non-vegetarian/vegan friendly substances - blood, egg whites, egg albumin, casein (milk protein), gelatin (derived from bones), isinglass (derived from fish), chitin/chitosan (derived from the shells of crabs or lobsters) and I must have read 20-odd labels yesterday before I found a suitable organic one.

like me, Den doesn't go out often these days - yeah, our age has something to do with that - but so does the still limited vegetarian restaurant choice - let alone vegetarian dish choices in 'standard' restuarants - and then there are the odors of rancid decaying cooking flesh that can be overpowering, nausea-causing even - and let's face it, once something dies it starts to decay immediately!!!

there's also the constant having to explain your vegetarianism to people who can't quite grasp the concept, and the graphic descriptions they give you of their carnivorous habits - 'we' really don't want to hear your favourite dead animal recipe or where you get the best cut of dead animal from!!!

from the blog "Provoked... by the way we use animals"

and then there's the wearing of 'leather' products - some vegetarians and vegans find this a hard thing to do away with - but how do they justify it to themselves - how is dead animal as food source different to dead animal as clothing source - the animals suffer and then die - it's all part and parcel of the same industry - the death industry... and then there's the other abusive, inhumane practices - the feed lots, the battery farms, the farms that provide no shelter or water (and there are so many - just take a drive in the country!!!), the transportation, the abattoirs, the pain, the suffering - and that's not even touching on animal experimentation - the list goes on...

there seems to be an inability to understand that 'our' vegetarianism is an integral element of us - who we are - our morality - our belief in the complementarity of nature - our respect and compassion for other species - our non-belief in human superiority!!!

it's a hard choice to make - to live on the outside of what's considered 'normal' takes determination and strength - always having to 'qualify and quantify' your beliefs can wear you out - so can the jokes and jibes about vegetarians - and the disrespect to animals - it also takes time, energy, and lots of research - you have to read everything - time-consuming and frustrating - it's a way of life...

so, like a lot of vegos, i find myself thinking - "what hope for animals, when humans don't even respect or have compassion for their own species"??!!

If slaughterhouses had glass walls, everyone would be a vegetarian. ~ Paul McCartney

Animals are my friends... and I don't eat my friends. ~ George Bernard Shaw

Nothing more strongly arouses our disgust than cannibalism, yet we make the same impression on Buddhists and vegetarians, for we feed on babies, though not our own. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Recognize meat for what it really is: the antibiotic- and pesticide-laden corpse of a tortured animal. ~ Ingrid Newkirk

We all love animals. Why do we call some "pets" and others "dinner?" ~ k.d. lang

Think of me tonite
For that which you savor
Did it give you something real,
or could you taste the pain of my death in its flavor?
~ Wayne K. Tolson, from "Food Forethought"


quotes from Quotegarden