Brunettes Have More Fun

That's right. I am a brunette now. This is so silly and superficial that I can't even believe I posted it, but now you know.

I have been reading TERRORISTS or FREEDOM FIGHTERS, edited by Steven Best and Anthony Nocella. If you keep up with my blog (and bless you if you do) you know that I have tried to read this in the past. The problem that I have with reading (in general) is that I have zero attention span. Couple this with the academic nature of ToFF and render me a vegetable. It is a very good book and makes points for both sides of the ALF struggle. The main question of the book is do direct action tactics (arson, freeing animals, protests, etc) have a place in animal liberation?

In order to keep "on track" with my reading schedule, I plan on posting a chapter critique when I have completed each chapter. Hopefully, you will have the first installment tomorrow. I planning on finishing the first chapter today. Unless Guitar Hero III takes over my day.

Next on the agenda, Howard Zinn. If any one has any ideas on which of his many, many works I should start with, please let me know.

And just my last friendly reminder. Please check the "Things You Should Read" box on the right side of my blog. When I post an article there, I really think it deserves to be shared. So please read!

Year End

I thought I would sit down on this Merry Giftmas and compose a few profound thoughts that I have had over the past year. I am not really sure that I can be profound, but I will try.

Anarchism
I truly plan on expanding my depth of knowledge in the area of anarchism over the next year. I will keep you posted on that!

Arbonne
I might actually make this work! I know, I know. I need to stop talking like that. I WILL make this work. I am excited because hopefully someday DH and I can just stay home and play with the dogs.

Cooking
I actually love it. Yesterday I was in the kitchen in my new apron (thanks to Sara Kramer) and cooking up a storm. I love to experiment and left every one saying "That was delicious".

Blogging
I am going to try and blog at least three times a week from here on out. I actually have a little calendar set up to remind me. I think this is important for a number of reasons. Is cathartic and helps me sort through things. I like to voice my opinion and what better way to do so? I also think that it helps to keep me involved in issues that I find important. I need to have something to write about, right?

Veganism
It hasn't been quite a year yet, but I will still say that this is the best decision I have ever made. It hasn't been hard, per se, but it has been challenging. For me, I have an awareness now that I didn't before. It's tough, because you believe that if people knew the truth, they'd go vegan too. Any one who has been vegan for more than a nanosecond knows this doesn't necessarily happen. Veganism has also increased my awareness of the dichotomy people are able to make between "pets" and "food" and brought it to the forefront. I am confronted with this almost daily.

He's Just an Old Man

Well, after I posted last night, Sir Spotula decided that he was going to immediately bounce out of what ever funk he was in.

When I woke up this morning (2 hours late, meaning an hour into my shift) I couldn't even justify taking him to the vet. They would have just looked at me like I was nuts. They do this on a regular basis. So when I went in to pick up the de-wormer for Elmer Fudd, I talked for a while with the tech. Essentially, he is just getting old. He will have good days and bad, but I can't bring him in every time he has a bad day. Now if we had two bad days in a row, that would be another story.

I am going to take him soon to have a water deprivation test. This tests for kidney failure. I was going to try and schedule some time after the holidays.

Happy Thoughts

Spot is not doing well. I am not sure what is wrong with him, and I am pretty sure that I am going to take him to the vet tomorrow.

He has been drinking water like crazy and thus having accidents in his crate. Which as most dog owners know, isn't normal or good. Last night he threw up. A. Lot. It looked like about four days worth of food. He wouldn't get up to eat. He didn't wag his tail, and I could hardly get him up to go outside. I did and he seemed better and less lethargic than he did in the morning.

As my good friend Alabaster Mom pointed out this morning, we have absolutely no idea how old Spot is. His estimated age is between 7 and 9, but for all we know he could be 14.

I just hope he is going to be okay. I am not ready to let go yet.

Here comes Peter Cottonta....RUN PETER RUN!

The past week in my household has been the week of the rabbit.

On Wednesday night I had to transport a dog from Seymour to Rosendale. (It's about an hour and a half drive, one way). Dog was very sweet and the transport went off with out a hitch. But by the time I got home it was around 10:45 and I was exhausted. (And special thanks to K for coming with me! I know you were tired too)

So I get home and the herd is quite happy to see me. I let every one out. I notice that Cosmo and Razz are standing at the top of the hill dead silent, each with one end of something in their mouth. This is not good. What is it? Is it a toy? A sock? Hmm. I call Cosmo and for once, the fact that he is a mommas boy comes in handy. He comes running down the hill and I put him in the house. Spot's in the house. Now for Razz.

I still don't know what she has in her mouth, so I put on a big pair of boots and go tromping through the snow. As the title suggests, it was a rabbit. And it was dead. Peter didn't quite make it. I can't get any where near Razz and she is circling the perimeter of our yard with her prize.

I also need to point out, that this is the third animal she has murdered in our back yard. She's good. And why does this happen to the vegan? What the fuck am I going to do with it?

I go in the house, get two garbage bags, put my boots back on (in reality, they are hubby's boots so they are way too big) and go back outside. I grab a pooper scooper. I am not touching a dead rabbit. I still can't get any where near her. I try, I fall down the hill, I slip all over and generally get pissed.

By now it is around 11:30 and I WANT TO SLEEP. And it's cold. I called a friend of mine that does rescue with me because I knew she would be awake. She laughed heartily at my expense and said "Just go in the house and get a hot dog".

...

I let that sit in the air. She realized I didn't have hot dogs. I had canned food so I got that. In the meantime, Razz has begun to bury the rabbit. Dig dig dig. Fuck. I take my canned food over by her and she comes back to the house. She is free of blood and fur so I took that as a good sign. I clomp over to where she was burying the rabbit, and of course I can't find it. It's dark, cold, and I am pissed. I go to bed. I will get the rabbit tomorrow and this ordeal will be over.

The next morning when I let the dogs out, Razz came out on leash to avoid incidence before I went to work. I fed everyone and went outside to proceed with the unearthing of the rabbit. And fuck if I can't find it. I am looking everywhere in the vicinity of where she buried it. I blindly assume that another predator has taken her prize and I won't have to worry about it.

Until 10:30 on Thursday night. Apparently hunted prey tastes better in the dark. I was chatting with some freaks that evening and I tend to be a little bit of a drama queen. So I thank the freaks for their humor and support. I went outside with my tools (boots, garbage bags, and pooper scooper) to attempt the seizure one more time. Finally, I have her cornered. She went in between the garage and the fence, and if I stand at the gate, she has no way out. Then I heard a...

CRUNCH.

It was decided then and there that Razz earned her spoils and she could just eat the fucking rabbit. It was bad enough that I possibly had to throw away a dead rabbit, I was not throwing away a dead half eaten one.

I tried to talk to Razz about veganism and animal rights, but I think it was falling on deaf ears. She gets her de-wormer on Monday. From now on, I let Spot out first as a "warning dog" so the rabbits can get a head start.

The end.

Stink Rag...

I almost forgot to tell the story of the stink rag. This one will go down in history. Preface to this story, Spot (the dog in the title of this blog) is having some pee issues. We are working on it, but meanwhile, his crate can get stinky.

The other day, I fed the herd, and then Cosmo went running through the hallway. Cosmo running through the hallway is always an indication he has something he shouldn't. This time is no different, he has a paper towel. I take it from him and realize that it smells like mouth wash. I have no idea why, but I have too much going on to care so I throw it away and move on with the rest of my evening.

DH comes up later on and asks "Where is the stink rag I put in Spots crate?" I know now, that this is the paper towel that Cosmo had. I informed him that Cosmo took it and I threw it away. DH informs me that he got this idea researching stink on the Internet. Apparently at crime scenes, when there is a cadaver present, they soak towels in mouth wash an strategically place them so the whole scene doesn't stink.

There are two frightening things about this. 1. What the hell was my husband searching under? And 2. It worked.

Venn Pongal

I wanted to write a poem about it, but I am not a poet. I can't screw it up. I added too much ginger last night. It was still delicious. I have burnt it. Still works. I have added too much assholefaetida and it still works.

I am not sure how I survived as a vegan prior to making this delicious recipe. I would post it here, but if you want to make it you should go get Alternative Vegan, by Dino Sarma. He rules. And I said so. That's why you should buy it.

It snowed again here. I am tired of being cold and wet. This is probably why my nose has been stuffed up as long as I can remember. I shouldn't bitch. This is the first good sinus-y thing I have had since going vegan. I mean I have had a couple colds and one infection, but nothing that has lasted this long.

I am tired and cranky.

I thought you should know. I just got the first of my H-U-G-E Arbonne orders. I know I shouldn't complain, because this is going to work out very well for me in the end, but man it is a lot of work. I am essentially working two jobs right now. I still haven't eaten dinner, I am pretty exhausted and I am whining and don't really care.

In other news, the husband recently purchased this lovely infomercial item.

It came with a mini hand steam cleaner. He steam cleans everything. I'd like it better if he did laundry. By my rules.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....

This is the beginning of my insanity. Some people like snow. They love snow. They like to do things in the snow such as ski, hike, snowmobile, etc. When it snows, I like to crawl in bed under my blankets and read a book.

Cosmo likes the snow. Which is odd, because he is always freezing. He comes in with all his hairs standing up looking all pathetic. He has a coat that I sometimes put on him. But I am not going to do it every time that he goes out to pee. He is very adorable. He runs around in the snow like a bunny and pounces on things I do not see. It's funny because he comes in with snow all over his nose. He also chases the snow that flies in front of him that lands and then he can't find it. I wish I had a video blog so I could show you all this. For now you will have to use your imagination.

I thought we were going to put our tree up tonight, but I don't believe that is happening. I am not going to push it, because really if it was up to me, we wouldn't have a tree. I suck, I know.