Hey all.

I've been inexcusably lax about, you know...this board.

Been busy. Tell you what, next week I'll post what I've been up to on YouTube. If anyone's interested.

ooh intriguing.

Good to see your pixels.

Miracleman!

In big yay news, my leave request got approved!

YAY!

I lived in Berkeley for years so I actually was exposed to vegans that were every bit as sanctimonious and annoying as hardcore meat-pushers. As others have said, I think it's best if it's left to the individual to choose. When I held my big St. Patrick's Dinner Party, I tried to make a vegetarian version of the stew as well (the rest of everything else was vegetarian if not vegan).

I agree with ita that omnivores have got to come to grips with killing their own meat. I haven't done it myself yet except with fish. I used to go fishing with my dad. I don't do that anymore because while I like fishing, I don't like most seafood. And while there was always someone around happy to eat what I caught, I didn't feel it was right for me to not be eating my own catch. At least until my family's in a subsistence situation...

I went to Denmark as an exchange student when I was 16. To a farm. When I first arrived there, one of the first things I saw was the stump with the blood and feathers. I knew I'd have to deal with that some time. The farm raised pigs, chickens and rabbits. And crops. One night we had chicken. I eat drumsticks while everyone else loves the white meat. I looked for the drumsticks and couldn't see any. And that's when I realized we were eating bunny.

My brother flaked on helping me with the raised beds today. I struggled to get a tarp over them tonight because rain is predicted. I hope he can help me tomorrow because I don't want to ask my dad for help, I'd have a hard time affording hiring a workman, and if I did it myself, I'd be doing it by tablespoonfuls and it would probably take a month.

Was exhausted from nearly a week's worth of pushing the boundaries of my disability so after I did my internet catching up this morning, instead of getting dressed and getting productive, I crashed. Did my chores as well as I could right when I woke up again because I knew I'd need all the strength & energy I had for that.

Found my dad had thrown out my perfectly good working Lello ice cream maker. Had to rescue that from the Goodwill pile, put my name all over it, and find another place to stash it.

Luckily, my mom has a great margarita-maker and let me know she was making drinks. So after she did her thing, I made strawberry daiquiris. I came back to a really nice tweet about my album from a major animation industry account.

So who's got exciting plans for this weekend?

I was once up a mountain with some strangers whose dinner in a bag from market was a very placid live rabbit. I asked to be able to kill it, but they said I didn't know how, and it would be inhumane.

Not compared to the way they did it, big manly men. It took them forever. At least I'd have taken my mother's lead and broken its neck first. Then do the cutting bits.

I got them back when I asked which serving the testicles had gone into. They both stopped eating. Halloo! Food prep!

I have to go back to work. Meh. And we have new rules going into effect about breaks which promises endless kvetching. I shall steel myself against the whingeing, for i have internet research to catch up on.

I'm fairly certin i couldn't kill much other than a fish. Interestingly, I've been thinking I need to change my food choices at least partly based on that idea. I may never give up meat, but I've been thinking that is a good reason to eat less.

I got them back when I asked which serving the testicles had gone into.

• cackle*

I admire people who give up meat for environmental impact reasons. That's what some friends of mine did. It would be hard for me to do because I'm already so damned picky about what I'll eat. Taking out an entire category of stuff I like would really make things hard. But I am trying to use meat more like a "seasoning" on cheaper foods than as a course in itself.

I am often vegetarian somewhat accidentally (she says, as she eats the hot dog she grabbed at a stand on the way home). I don't like to cook raw meat, and I actually quite like tofu in many things. So, there's that. But vegan I can't do, I eat wayyyy too much cheese.

But vegan I can't do, I eat wayyyy too much cheese.

Seriously.

Cheese and I have a committed relationship.