Well it’s now been four or five days since I decided to become a, not picky, vegetarian. I have to say I have really enjoyed the food. I feel that for the first time in my life I am actually trying new and unique recipes and not just trying to figure out what to make to accompany my delicious meat. Being Easter weekend it was not easy to stick to my new eating. I was invited to a couple of dinners and so I did eat Salmon and some Lobster as well I am sure there was some dairy and eggs in the food I was served. I did however tell myself that I was going to graciously accept any food that I was served when invited over to someone’s house. I did however have some great meals at home.
My partner made for us a great recipe from the China Study Cookbook made of white beans, red onions and a lot of other deliciousness. Anyway check out the recipe it was so good. Let’s see how the rest of the week goes. I promise I’ll do better.
So today was my first day of trying to become a Vegetarian, or something along those lines. Like a lot of things I do I was suckered in by a documentary that I was watching on Netflix called The China Study. Being suckered in by a documentary might not be the right way to put it, but I do feel that I always get really inspired after watching a documentary. I love the D’s what can I say.
Well I did not start the day as a vegetarian I did end it as one. I wanted to begin my Journey into the world of Vegan cooking with the best meal of the day Dinner. I made this awesome dish called African Vegetables from the China Study cookbook, and let me tell you it was an absolutely delicious way to start. If you want to check out the recipe I found a copy of it here.
Not my Picture, I forgot to take one of my own but this is pretty much what the African Vegetables Looked like
I have to say that right now I have no intention of being one of those, nose-up-in-the-air, Vegetarians. I will not refuse food at peoples homes because it has meat in it. I will graciously eat it because well damn it meat is delicious. I still love food and want to be able to enjoy it to it’s fullest. I love the adventure of trying new dishes and become a vegetarian/vegan/sometimes meat eater will certainly help me expand my pallet.
So Join me on my adventure as I step into the well known but sometimes shunned world of Vegan/Vegetarian eating.
“Oh Captain my Captain” was a quote I came to know from the movie Dead Poets Society. Robin Williams you truly were a captain for so many.
I was blown away today when I, like so many, heard the news of the passing of Robin Williams. Every movie I watched of his since I was a kid came rushing back in to my head. I was one of the lucky people that was born in to a world with Robin Williams on the big screen. He was a part of my life at so many moments.
I remember as a kid watching the movie Good Morning Vietnam over and over and over. He brought such a enthusiasm to the screen! He was so full of life his character was exactly who I wanted to be when I was a grown-up.
Good Morning Vietnam Robin Williams
I really thought that Robin Williams was like he was in the movies in real life. It was easier to imagine him as this happy go lucky guy who never had a problem or care in the world, a person who lived to make us laugh till we peed our pants. Then I started to see myself what people like him and I were really like. I would go to school and be the class clown, make everyone laugh and just really act the fool. No one would have ever guessed that I was hurting so bad on the inside. When I left school I went home to an abusive house hold everyday. Getting hit for the littlest thing, always being scared, on top of that I was just starting to realize that I was gay and worst of all the feeling of being unloved. School was an outlet to feel like I was someone else. I became an actor in a sense and I have really kept it up my entire life.
I think Robin Williams suicide has affected me so much because I am so much like him. Making people laugh and be happy and even when I am feeling really down I never tell anyone I mask it with a smile I make it seem like nothing is wrong.
Comedian and friend Kathleen McGee put it perfect in her latest face book post:
“I found myself crying on the skytrain when I heard the news. A little shocked that this affected me so much. I, like pretty much everyone I knew grew up loving Robin Williams. He had a career that any comedian would dream of. I feel like his career is what many of us are striving for. Robin was loved by so many people and it still didn’t stop his depression from taking over. That scares me. I’ve struggled my whole life with depression and the feeling that no one loves, cares or even likes me (even though I know that’s not true.) I keep thinking if I get more work and things that I’ve wanted out of this career that it will make everything better. When something like this happens to someone like him it just makes you realize that this disease is ruthless. That sometimes you can be so strong on the outside but so scared on the inside. That you can have everything you ever dreamed of but still feel alone. If you feel sad don’t just brush it under the table. Talk to someone, get help. Never be ashamed.” – Kathleen McGee
When will we finally start talking about depression and other forms of mental illness. We have lost so many wonderful people to depression both famous as well as our friends and family. We have all been touched by depression in one way or another. We need to start talking to each other when we hurt, we need to show empathy to others so that they feel worth and loved. We need to Validate one another so we all feel our importance in life.
I am on a pill that is used to help with depression and mood swings. I wish I would have gone on it years ago it has changed my life for the better that is for sure. I used to think like so many others that I don’t need to take something to make me feel good I can deal with it on my own, if that was true then why was I like that for so long? Sometimes we just need a little help. If you had cancer would you pass up on radiation and say you could do it yourself? If you had schizophrenia you would need to take pills to keep it at bay. Be honest with yourself you sometimes you can’t just wish something away, sometimes we just need help.
When people like Robin Williams Die from something like addiction and depression it gives us all a chance to talk, so lets talk. If you have been through depression help someone going through it now. If you are going through depression now reach out to someone for help.
Well guess what we are headed out on a road trip and guess what happens the day before we are going to leave? That’s right the car went haywire.
Last Saturday we took the car in for a oil change and check up so it would be good for the trip. Of coarse like usual when you bring the car in to the shop there is always more on the list of things to do than you brought it in for. So we forked out the $700 for the Oil Change, Tire Switch over, new AC Belt, and left side axle. Obviously we wanted the car to be in good condition for the trip so as much as it hurt to fork out the cash we knew that it was for a good cause.
Yesterday the Heat was unbearable here in Edmonton. Around 5pm it was almost 40C with the humidity. I was driving the car down Fort Road going past Century Casino when all of a sudden my temperature light turned on, then I could see the temperature gauge climbing rather fast till it reached the top. When it reached the top I was luckily able to pull over to the Canadian Tire and have them look at it. So another $500 later and a new thermostat and a coolant flush I think the car might actually this time be ready for the trip (fingers Crossed)
Anyway Can’t wait to share pictures and stories from the trip with you.
Thank you for stopping by my blog. I guess you are wondering what this blog is going to be all about. Well in an effort not to sound to vain this blog will be about, well, me. I feel that life is such an amazing journey that has it’s fair share of ups and downs. So many of these ups and these downs are shared experiences, even though sometimes when we are in them we may feel alone. I believe that life is a series of choices that we each have to decide upon and each of those little choices creates the beautiful, or not so beautiful, life that we have around us.
So I guess I will just be sharing my experiences with you from the past to the present and even my dreams for the future.
Well let me tell you a little about myself. I was born in Edmonton, AB Canada an oil city with a population of under 1 million people. I have lived in B.C a few times and spent a big portion of my childhood living in Edmonton with weekends and holidays spent on our acreage near Dapp, AB which is a small farming community of about 100 people. I guess we should get something out of the way now. I am a Gay Man. Anyway now that we are past that, I spent a lot of my young adult life Drinking partying and smoking weed. I loved a lot of men and had many “long-term” relationships which I am sure you are going to hear all about. Since then I have grown up a bit I now own my own business, I am in a loving relationship with an incredible man we have 2 cats and we just bought a house together.
Well I don’t want to tell you too much about myself yet because that is what the blog is for. I hope you will enjoy my little space here on the internet and please feel free to take part and discuss what I have to talk about.
My life has been up and it has been down but all of it amazing
suchalifetolive 