Happy Birthday To Me!

Everybody sing!

Today is my day of birth plus 24 years.  Congratulations, Mama, you've kept me in the world this long!  And what a wonderful birthday it has been already!  And it's only 3 in the afternoon. Whew!
I mean, look at the weather:

And there was a full moon out this morning!  Holy cow! Blue sky and a full moon.  Too perfect.  So far Allison graced me with a wonderful bottle of Robert Mondavi Merlot (yum!), DMsS gave me a gift card to Kaladi Brothers, my coffee place of obsessionchoice, and look at what my coworkers did!

Fudge Cake on the left, Carrot Cake on the right.  Neither are vegan, so my samplings were quite small.  Both are super yummy though!  I share a birthday with another coworker, so it's double the celebration!

And MEH took me to lunch at Organic Oasis, where I got a soup and salad of Vegan Corn Chowder and Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing.  We also go chips and salsa to start.  MEH ordered an Elk Burger with salad.

Verdict:  Meh.  Not as in MEH, but meh, it was alright.  Well, I  loved my food.  The chowder was perfect:  Not heavy, well spiced, and well portioned.  The salad had a lot of diverse textures and the dressing was tahinilicious!  I really liked the salsa because it was less spicy, more like a good pico.  MEH, though, didn't care for the salsa at all and the Elk Burger he got was not at all something he'd eat again.  He didn't like the bun (I loved it), the tomato, pickles, or cheese, and ended up pulling the meat (plus turkey bacon) out of the bun and just eating that with a fork and knife.  Even then, he said, the elk was dry.  So, he was not impressed at all and I enjoyed my food completely.  We both agreed that they could do better to spice a lot of their food, with an exception to their soups, and might attract us more.  We both do like, though, that they have an entirely organic and world-free restaurant in a place where it's not so easy to pull off.  And that they educate you about their food and offer supplements in their shop.

I came back to work to flowers and a super awesome gift card to Snow City Cafe!

I love flowers and Snow City!  Great food, awesome service, and a totally funky vibe.  I've never had a complaint about them.

I'm getting a whole birthday week this year:  Tonight MEH and I are having dinner with VeggieMama, tomorrow dinner with MEH's family, and then on Saturday I'm going out with all the friendfolk! 

Mantra of the Day:  Om.  Considering that today is the day of my creation, why not bow to what started it all?!  Yay Om!  Say a couple and put out some more positive energy in the world that you started your day out with!

Question of Gratitude, Who, or what, are you thankful for?:  I am super thankful for VeggieMama and all of my wonderful friends and family who have been wishing me well on this day!  You are all amazing beings and I am so lucky to have you!  Thank you!  Namaste!

Wedding, Food, Dancing, Fun!

Happy Baked Good Tuesday, friends!

I have every other Monday off, so my Monday posts won't be all that regular.  Plus, I was out enjoying the 70+ degree weather we've been getting for the last several days.  Clear blue sky, warm weather, and long days; that's what Alaska in the summer is supposed to be, right? 

So it was another busy weekend in my house.  Friday night we had our friends' wedding and it was beautiful!  My dear friend Michelle designed much of it on her own with her fabulous new husband acting as caterer/chef.  The carrot cake was divine, the food spread was amazing, and the wine/champagne was delish!

My all-Vegan plate of artisan French bread, watermelon, antipasti salads, melons, and a jalapeno.  Yum!  Oh, and don't forget the Barefoot wine!

Michelle was my first friend when I moved to a new elementary school in the 6th grade.  Needless to say, we've been friends for awhile.  So I was surprised a bit when my pansie-ness came out and a cried through the whole ceremony - her walking out, vows, and all!  I am so excited for her and her man!  And get this, they are going to my favorite place in the whole world for part of their honeymoon. WOO!

After the wedding and the fanfare, some of us went to SubZero Micro Lounge in Anchorage for some drinks and celebration.  I took MEH's car and exercised my right to car dance. 

Cue blurry picture of me getting down with my bad self (while seat belted in!) through downtown ANC.

Of course, I was spotted by more than one person and met with encouragement by several bikers on the sidewalk.  What to do when caught by people on the street?  Dance back.  And give them thumbs up.  Because really, to be a poor sport when caught being a total dork, is just kind of silly.  They enjoyed it, thoroughly. 

Do you car dance?

Saturday was my dear friend DMsS's birthday (yay!) party and we celebrated with Apples to Apples, wine, and song.  No pictures here, but know that when we all get together, it's a shit show a party to behold! 

Do you have any favorite party games?

On Sunday MEH and I decided to give Bear Tooth Grill's brunch menu a third-time's-a-charm chance.  Verdict:  Excellent. 
MEH and I split some Garlic Cilantro Fries (he got the half with the cheese):

Garlic Cilantro Fries are a staple whenever we go to Bear Tooth.

MEH got Biscuits and Gravy (blech, I can't stand the look of them, though apparently they are quite tasty!) and I got the Potato Burrito with ala carte Black Beans and Cilantro Jasmine Rice:

The Potato Burrito usually has cheese in it, but the server was so wonderful that he asked if I'd like to note no dairy period in the meal just to be safe.  Yes.  I so appreciate it when servers help out vegan diners.  It's really a rarity here.

OH! And we got the French Press:

We love good coffee.  And Bear Tooth, I must say, had quite a good French Press.  Enough for 2 people and the cups are so cute!

We were very happy this time around.  The service was helpful and attentive to the needs/requests of us, the food was well prepared and timely, and the wait was non-existent (another rarity for this place).  I can definitely see us trying it out again and hoping for good service.  If we don't get it, though, I will nix this place from our "where to go for Sunday Brunch" options. 

Yesterday we took the pooches hiking up Arctic Valley.  I love Arctic Valley; it's close to us, nice and away from the city rush, and has lots of different trails you can go off to.

Credit to Douglas Gates with Greatland of Alaska
http://www.greatlandofalaska.com/pictures/mountains/Chugach/index.html

KayKay had a bit of a brush in with her brother, though, and bit her tongue in a high-speed collide.  She lost absolutely no steam, though, and kept running, spattering blood all over her face.  I insisted that she needed to be washed off before we even thought about taking her to the car, though, because really, what would you think if you saw this dog coming at you in a parking lot?

She looked terrible! My poor sweetheart!  But after washing off, she was good to go, and seems to be feeling no pain because she has all the energy you could imagine!  Running up and down a mountain and all!

Where are some of your favorite places to go hiking/ get away from the rush?

Mantra of the Day: OM. Tryambakam yajamahe


Sugandhim pushti-vardhanam

Urvarukamiva bandhanan

Mrityor mukshiya mamritat

This is known as a death-conquering mantra.  Happy Birthday to me, right?!  There are many translations, none particularly accurate, from what I was reading, but it is incredibly powerful and deeply rooted in meditation and a search for vitality.   Considering that tomorrow is my birthday, this is my gift to myself and to you.  It is not a mantra for immortality, but more one to increase the value of your life here now, and to celebrate it.  Go! Celebrate life!

Question of Gratitude Who, or what, are you thankful for?:  I am still thankful for this sunshine!  It's been incredible to have a whole weekend and then some of absolutely beautiful weather and greatness!  And it's so appreciated!  Thank you, Mama!  And thank you to all of the wonderful people in this state/city who have enjoyed and shown their love for it, too! Yay Sun!

Love & Sunshine!

Hip Happy Fun Friday!

Today is the wedding of two good friends of mine, so MEH and I are taking off early today for some fun festivities in the beautiful sunshine!  For those not in the area, we've had around 40 straight days of precipitation and just in the last two days it's become beautiful with blue skies and wispy clouds.  A balmy 72 degrees, even!  Woo!

So many of us (women) know that the attendance of a wedding requires solicits the purchasing of a too cute dress.  This week, with this in mind, I set off shopping for said too cute dress, and my sense of cheap sent me straight to Kohl's.  I was reminded by Ms. Averie that many places are doing Back to School sales, so many items are heavily marked down.  Kohl's had this dress for 70% off!!!  And guess who bought it?  Yep, yours truly! I love it!  And of course, because it's Alaska in August and, due to time constraints, I am wearing this to work, I just had to find a jacket to go with it. 

Do you find reasons to get something new, or are you a just-cuz shopper?

For this, my cheap sense took me to The Clothesline, a store I have claimed to love before, but rarely ever shopped in.  It's a consignment shop in midtown Anchorage with a funky feel, great organization, good service, and awesome selection.  They are one of the few consignment places I've been to here that don't only care "standard" size ranges of 0-10.  They do have clothes for our full figured gals and the skinny minnies alike!  They also have amazing deals on stuff and are always putting out new clothes.  I found this Betsy Johnson dress in the dress section and just guess how much this baby was?:

This baby was $48.00!!  Even Betsy's cheapest on sale dresses are around $150.00 each, and brand new go for $500.00. 

I know some would say "well, it's used, it should only be $48!"  And that's fine, but it sure doesn't look used, and for that price, I'll take it.  Well, I wanted to take it, but it really didn't look great:

And I only buy things that look great.  I don't buy clothes that look okay, or that feel okay, but great.  It improves how I feel about myself and I don't end up self-conscious of myself halfway through the evening.  So no to the Betsy Johnson, but yes to the white jacket I got from Paris Blues!

The jacket was priced at $24.00 and worked perfectly for the dress.  So I went on downstairs to pay for it and was asked if I had an account with them.  Now, I donated/brought in a bunch of clothes when I moved to Kauai about 3 years ago.  I'd never heard from them, so figured nothing came of what I gave them.  I told the girl this, and she said she'd check anyway, and get this, I had $18.00 credit!  My jacket was 6 bucks! Yowza!
Are you a consignment shopper?  Ever been?  Love it?  Hate it?

I've made the decision to not buy anything new for a year (not hard for me, I don't shop all that often).  I'm handing my business over to local shops with an eye on the customer and recycling.  Clothing swaps aren't bad either :)  So I have the dress, the jacket, and here are the accessories:

Hand-carved bracelet from a friend of MEH's, and chocolate boots from Kohl's (had both already).

Coconut shell earrings, also from MEH's friend.

What are some of your favorite accessories?

I'm all set!  And totally stoked.  As I said yesterday, I love weddings!  I love celebrations.  They are full of gratitude, love, and much much fun. 

Are you a wedding person?

Mantra of the Day:  Nothing's Gonna Rain on My Parade.  I'm sending my friends good vibes for continued sunshine on their big day!  Give it a shot!  If there are rain dances, surely, there are sun dances!  And I also believe that if we pursue life in this manner, even when things may not go how you thought they might, you will see how they still turned out to give you something good or something you needed. 

Question of Gratitude: Who, or what, are you thankful for?  I am thankful for the sunshine!  It couldn't have come at a better time!  How serendipitous!  Thank you Mama for all the Vitamin D!

Crabbage

Hello dear friends!  Happy Thirsty Thursday!  I say this from behind my bottle of Nantucket Nectars apple juice.  I'm a juice girl :)
Up on today's post:  Self-Righteous Eaters (let's stay away from the generalization of plain old self-righteous people); My new creation in the kitchen, and one of my favorite topics:  My pooches!

Numero Uno:
     This post comes after an in-work encounter.  It's a typical thing for me in office environments to have The Vegan Talk with every employee.  How they find out is always different, and this came from a new employee in the office.  Situation:
Baked Goods Tuesday!  I brought in vegan baked goods from Middle Way Cafe.

Middle Way Cafe!  My favorite local vegan friendly joint!

    I brought in a Blueberry Muffin, Chocolate Chip Cookie, and GF Banana Bread to share between the 6 of us in the office.  Everyone partakes; some things are more popular than others.  The new employee came in and I let him know to help himself, that they are for everyone.  He noted that he doesn't need anymore junk food.  I replied:
   "That's the great part!  They are vegan!  Practically health food!" 
To which he replied, patting his large stomach:
  "Do I look like a vegan kinda' guy?"
No, sir, you don't, but that certainly doesn't mean that it won't taste good.  And if you don't want them, just say no thank you.  But he continued:
  "Oh, you're a vegan, huh?  Are you a vegan because of health reasons or because you don't like hurting sweet little animals?"
   "Both plus one."  (Actually, I should have said plus some because my own reasons are bountiful, and really, it's none of your business, but I will humor you.)
  "Oh, what is that?"
  "I don't like BigAg or having hormones and pesticides pumped into my food.  I don't like GMO, either.
  He then went on to say he'd listened to some NPR talk about how scientists have concluded that without the consumption of meat, the human race never would have evolved.  And apparently, for this reason, the entire population subsisting off of only or primarily produce is entirely unsustainable.

Okay.  Let me say that I don't have any intentions of ever again consuming meat, and my dairy/egg consumption will be kept to a minimum more than likely for the rest of my life.  I just don't care for it anymore.  I have many reasons, and have no problems telling them when asked sincerely.  I also do not believe that a vegan diet is for everyone for many reasons.  It can be that some people just don't want it, that it can be more expensive when not done wisely, that it's just not made for some bodies, whatever.  I don't care if you are vegan or not.  I do care, however, if you are healthy or unhealthy and I am the one who either eats or doesn't eat around you.  I also care if you harass me about what I eat; I certainly don't go around telling people "do you know how many hormones are pumped into your food every day?"  Or, "when was the last time you knew all of the ingredients in your food for the day?"  Why?  Because it's none of my business.  If you are vegan or vegetarian, great; If not, whatever.  Don't get on my case, I won't get on yours.  Ugh.  I could go on and on.  Self-righteous eaters just drive me nuts.  It's one of the reasons I didn't go vegan for a long time and it's one of the reasons that I don't tout that I am vegan all that much anymore, either.  I'm tired of defending, explaining away, and feeling chastised for a lifestyle that clearly works well for me. 
What are you thoughts?  Any suggestions in handling situations like this?  Have you ever been bullied because of your eating habits?

Numero Due:
      Middle Way Cafe has this wonderful vegan brunch dish called the Colour's Tofu Stack.  It's a delicious mix of flax, beets, potatoes, tofu and ranchero sauce (maybe more ingredients) similar in texture to hashbrowns.  I wanted some, but clearly, at 7pm, it wasn't going to happen. So I decided to make my own with a bit of a twist depending on my home ingredients. 

Happy Aly's Vegan Hashbrown Twist
2 shredded ruby gold potatoes
2 shredded beets
1/2 small cabbage, shredded and diced
1/2 cup tomato sauce
basil, pepper
1 tablespoon(ish) of Hippie Dust (Nutritional Yeast)
Cook in coconut oil

I shredded the potatoes and beets and a corner of my left thumb (don't do that, by the way), and put them in a small saute pan with the coconut oil.  Stir around, making sure everything is evenly cooked.
I shredded and diced the cabbage while the potatoes and beets were cooking, and then stirred them in.  Sprinkled basil and pepper on top to taste.
Add the tomato sauce in after everything is near done cooking, along with the Hippie Dust.

These are not your typical hashbrowns in a patty.  I'm sure they could be, but I didn't make them that way.  Here they are, in all their not so beautiful, but very tasty glory:

Verdict:  Yuum! Yum yum yum!! It was almost spot on to the flavor of MWay's stack, though the cabbage changed the flavor a bit.  The tomato sauce was a good sub for the ranchero salsa type sauce they use, and the Hippie Dust gave it some extra texture and cheesiness.  Definitely a good one in my book!  The downside:  The cabbage and I did not agree.  We are still disagreeing, actually.  Next time I make this I may omit it or use much less than I did.  Tasty, but with consequences for me!

Numero Tre:  POOCHES!
   Last night I took Roners for a run around our neighborhood (about 3 miles).  My sweet baby boy (okay, he's not a baby, he's 3 now) has never gone on runs with me, and has trouble staying focused when there are other dogs around.  So MEH and I are trying to get this out of him a bit; MEH by stronger discipline and more walks, me by taking him for runs so he's more leash friendly.  He was wonderful!  He is such a Mama's boy and is so protective of me, but he definitely enjoyed himself.  And was tuckered out afterward, because he crashed. 
   My pooches are my children.  I treat them as such, baby them as such, and discipline them the same.  I adore them in every way and love coming home to their sweet faces:

Roni, KayKay, and Bob playing with MEH.  Their favorite game? Rope.  Hands down.

He's a 13 year old mutt wonder who is crankier than a 90 year old man the sweetest thing in the world.  His little poofy tail gets me every time.  I like to dance around him and say "His name is Harwosh, Hawosh santinas" to the tune of "Her name is Lola" or at least I think that's the name of the song.

I also love my family dog, our tried and true old boy, Harley, pictured above.  He was supposed to be a Springer Spaniel mix.  Do you see Springer in there?  I think not.  But he is sweet as the days are long, old, mostly blind and deaf, can't walk all that great, but just wants to keep you company.  And he's furry!

They all make me do this:

I LOVE MY POOCHEROOS!

Mantra of the Day:  Walk in Beauty.  Now, I don't mean that you should walk around thinking you are the greatest damn thing ever put on the earth.  Because, while you may be, that's not the point;  the point is to increase your love of your self, your spirit, and this body that you inhabit.  You are worthy of everything that comes your way, good and not so great.  So embrace it, see the good, and give thanks.

Question of Gratitude: Who, or what, are you thankful for?:  I am thankful for, guess what, the pooches in my life.  I'm a dog person.  I love them, they, I think, love me, and provide an endless amount of joy to my life.  Whether they are cuddling with me on the couch or in bed, or just wagging their tail when I say their name, they make my day every day.  Thank you, my loving pooches, for just being you. 

I Like to Eat, Eat, Eat [apples and bananas]!

Happy Baked Good Tuesday, everyone!

Another crazy, wonderful busy weekend in the recently rainy booming metropolis of Anchorace.  We recently broke a record!  Guess what it's for?
Precipifreakingtation.  Last I checked, I did not live in the Tongass National Forest (a rainforest), nor in Seattle, nor any other place that is supposed to have, get this, 40 days of straight precipitation.  WTF?  I mean, don't get me wrong, I love myself some lush green trees and bushes to look at, but would it kill MamaWeather to give us like, half a day of sunshine?  Maybe?  Like, 3 days out of the week?  Anyway.  despite the recent rainy bits, it was a wonderful weekend.

Saturday was WiggaBrother's last day in town before going off to University of Hawaii, Manoa! Woo! VeggieMama and I are so proud of him.  And in honor of this proudness, and our appetites, we went to FireTap, a fairly new restaurant in Anchorage. I've been here before, with MEH, but was not impressed for two reasons:
   1)  The food was mediocre; I could have made the same thing at home and saved myself 15 plus dollars.
   2)  The busser hit on my husband.  WTF? Really?  Who walks by, shaking their thang, flipping their hair, and making eyes at a man visibly at dinner with another woman with a ring on her finger?   Oooo.  Let's just say, we won't be going there again.

However, VeggieMama loves their baked pretzel appetizer, they serve beer (specifically Moose's Tooth Apple Ale, the holy grail of cider/beer/happiness in my belly), and have the nicest damn bathrooms I've ever been in.  The soap even smelled delightful.  So, onward!  To the appetizers:

Baked Mozzarella.  Clearly, this was eaten by WB and VeggieMama.  The mozz looked quite delicious, and the bread on the size was softly baked pita.  Verdict from WB & Veggie Mama:  DOUBLE YUM!

The Baked Pretzel.  My side is the one with the mustard dip, VeggieMama, in true VeggieMama form, had the cheese.  Verdict:  YUM!

The Apple Ale was enjoyed by WB and I in the nice, tall, iced glasses. No pictures.  But tasty!

And then the main courses came!

From left to right:  Meaty pizza, baked mac & cheese, Firetap fet (basil, sundried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil).
Everyone wanted their food to be featured. Yay!

Verdict on the Food:

            WB said his pizza was the best he'd ever eaten.  Awesome crust, great flavors. 

            VeggieMama:  The "baked mac & cheese" is actually Kraft mac ith Ruffle chips sprinkled on top.  What a rip?!  It was flavorless and cheap, though the price wouldn't indicate so.  Big thumbs down from VeggieMama.

            HappyAly:  I could have made better at home.  The pasta wasn't flavorful, and while the basil was great, the pasta didn't retain any of the flavors of what was in it, making me think that everything was cooked separate and then just added together.  For 16 bucks a plate, I could have made some bangin' pasta at home and called it a night.  Big thumbs down for me.

Yet, it was wonderful spending the evening with my loved ones.  You can't beat good company, and when the food is less than great, they make for even more entertainment!

One of the pooches also took me for a run up Flat Top. I also took one of the pooches for a run up Flat Top that morning.  Me oh my, talk about a humbling experience!  Down and back in just over an hour! Wow!  She was movin'!  Thankfully, I got her pretty tired on our run down, and my knees are still feeling it. 

Kayderbutt and I kayaking in Cook Inlet!

She's a wonderful hiking buddy.  Super curious, lots of energy, and friendly to everyone! 

I also made lots of food last week and weekend.  Last night I made MEH and I Peanut Stirfy with Udon for dinner. 

My Costco find of the week!  Organic Udon packed in individual servings!

I took baby bak choy, cabbage, & broccoli, chopped them up, added to the sauteing Udon, and let it sit for a few minutes.  Then added some Szechuan stir fry sauce, a tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter, and some garlic.  Sauteed some beef strips for MEH on the side, and then voila!  Dinner served!
 
Verdict: MEH could go without.  It was too spicy for him, and he said "I'm not used to eating lettuce like this."  When I told him it's cabbage, he still had the same feelings about it.  Too spicy, doesn't like the consistency of the Udon, and doesn't like the cabbage.  In other words, he ate 6 bites and made himself a salad.   
           HappyAly:  LOVE!  It took maybe 10 minutes since the Udon are precooked and the veggies I used didn't need/require much cooking.  The spiciness was just right for me, but I know some people, MEH included, don't like the spice.  Oops.  The peanut butter calmed down the spice and thickened things up.  I loved it, and it's lunch today.

Walnuty BrownSugar Choco Oats!  Name says it all - just add hemp milk!

LococCocoaBlue Oats!  Agave, vanilla, blueberries, and cocout oats! Yarm!

In other cooking:  LOTS OF OATS! Oh, and bananas too!

Vegan Blueberry Banana SoftServ!  3 frozen bananas, half a cup of unsweetened hemp milk, and a cup of bananas! WOW! Crazy delish!

Such has been my life.  On the plate this week:
Michelle's wedding! Yay!!!!!!  I love weddings.  I'm a total weenie and a big sap and they make me happy for several reasons:
1) My friends are happy. 
2)  I get to dress up
         2.2 - I get to dress MEH up, which usually only happens once a year.
3)  FOOD!
4) Catching up with old friends, potentially
5) BEER!
6) Dancing (and hopefully coercing MEH into some of it).

I'm a social person.  I enjoy these things, they enjoy me, and always create fun, new memories.

Are you a wedding fan?

Mantra of the Day:  Om Shrim Mahalakshmiyei Swaha. Translation: Om and salutations to that feminine energy (Lakshmi) which bestows all manner of wealth.  This is a mantra for prosperity, made to the Deity Lakshmi.  A popular mantra of Amma, the hugging saint, it's a great mantra when you feel like you need a little bit of good fortune to come your way!

Question of Gratitude:  Who, or what, are you grateful for?  I am grateful for sincerity.  I've found I'm an increasingly sensitive person, one who makes many attempts to be sincere in all I do and aware of how my actions and words effect others.  I appreciate and am thankful for those who do the same, or acknowledge and appreciate it in others.  It's a hard trait to maintain, I feel, especially with the society in which we live today or mass-socialization and the production of "friends" you make online and solely online.

My LifeTrack

There are memories that I revisit often and always with fondness.  I refer to them as life lifetrack.  Things, images, short experiences, that I figure will flash before me when it's dead time.  The are not particularly grand experiences or ones that have been life-changing.  They are just moments that I have strong sensory memories of, ones that cause a major personal and physical reaction. 
Some are triggered by song:
    Mary J. Blige Can't Be Without You (remix). It's May of 2006 in Firenze.  My flatmate, Heather, and I are dancing at Yab, a nightclub near Piazza de Repubblica. We have drinks in hand, filled with something I don't recall.   Floor lit from underneath, lights flashing in reds, blues, and whites above us.  She's in jeans and a black tank top:  A perfect Southern belle.  I'm wearing a red dress from Renascimento, a name I only remember because it reminds me of Renaissance, and because I bought it in Rome.  It has a "tattered" skirt, small straps, and at this time is easily the most revealing thing I own.  White heels.  And we are singing to each other, dancing, sweating, and laughing.  My first night club. 

 

   That's Cool by Blue Country:  I'm running, again in the summer of 2006 in Firenze.  And the drums have reached a stride in the song, timed for when I turn the corner to hit Ponte Vecchio.  And the sunrise is all rainbow sherbet and cornettos.  Cobblestones meet sneakers meet heavy breath.  Eyes meet the Gucci dress in the window:  all white with beads of topaz.  Now that's cool. 

The Tide by Spill Canvas:  Headphones and sand and coconut soy lattes from Small Town Coffee.  Danny is swimming at Kealia Beach at sunrise, the water a cold steely color. The sky is all purple and you can't quite tell where it meets the ocean on the horizon.  I'm spinning circles in the sand and Robert taps me on the shoulder.  "I thought that was you." 

Others are just moments:

Jazzy looks into a window of the door to our old Japanese room in high school.  A wave, a big smile.  And she walks away.

Papa walking in the surf after scattering my grandmother's ashes at her favorite beach.

Blowing out the candles of my 8th birthday cake:  5 layers and a roller coaster on top. 

VeggieMama holding me, even as  a big girl, and dancing to Tennessee Christmas in the living room. 

The smell of UNLV campus in the morning; fresh.  I'd say brisk.  And unlike the rest of Vegas, still.

My first experience of olive oil and basil:  a beach side restaurant in Tuscany. 

A morning in the winter of 2008, February, walking out of a building on campus at University of Alaska, Anchorage, and the whole sky looks like bubble gum and cotton candy.  About 10:30 in the morning. 


MEH, in a blue shirt he can't find anymore, walking out of a bathroom on one of our first dates. 

As a writer, these are moments that I have either crafted so carefully that the memory is half memory and half craft.  I have to be careful.  To share these moments, capture them in all of the smell, sound, texture they own, can turn them from memory into creation.  It's the gift of writing and one of the greatest things it can take away from you. 

What are your moments?

Mantra of the Day:  I am loved and I am safe.  I've done this one before.  But the memory of it is strong.  It is just before full moonrise and the wind on the beach is stinging.  And we are all thinking the same thing.  And I am no longer afraid to go home now, on the Kalalau Trail.    It is a powerful mantra for me because of that and also because it affirms that I know I am loved.  I trust the Mama (no, not VeggieMama, but the "ultimate" Mama, the Earth).  I trust the Valley.  And I trust myself. 

Question of Gratitude:Who, or what, are you thankful for today?:  I am thankful for Wigga Brother (WB).  He leaves soon for college.  He is leaving the nest.  And I couldn't really be more excited for him.  He has been a thorn in my side wonderful sibling and a good friend, especially as we have grown up.  I'm thankful for his presence, his sense of humor, and his hugs.  Thank you, WB. :)

Aly's Back, Alright!

(Insert cheesy dance move here).

My dear friends, readers, super folk, I have been so terribly busy with work that I have neglected blogging upkeep!  My apologies! Let's just say my world has been full full full, more than usual, and I haven't had a computer to boot, so I have been elsewhere.

What I have been up to:

Well.  We last saw me on the 23rd.  Since then, my work schedule has changed, so I'm no longer office-bound on some Mondays. WOOOO!  Except that it certainly makes that week's workload a bit more hectic.  The week of the 26th I can honestly say I didn't do anything other than eat, sleep, work, and yoga.  The order actually should be:  Work, eat, yoga, sleep.  It was a crazy hectic week!

And then last week was the week of the Return.  You know, the time period that everyone of college or just out of college age decides to come home?  The Return.  And all but one friend, who will be here this week, came home last week and last week only.  Or that was the only time I'd been able to swing in to meet up with them.  There were no lunch breaks or after work time periods free from Friendage. This was wonderful, but tiring.  And I missed my MEH time oh so much.  I spent Sunday sleeping (to a scary degree), watching Grey's Anatomy (Season 2), and various other movies.  I made soup.  That was the extent of my productivity. 

This week truthfully sees more of the same (of course) but I have a few free moments to update you on my comings and goings.  I really did prepare photos and rants for the last 2 weeks, I've just had no outlet.  My phone also went down the old hole last week, so I lost many pictures that I'd planned on sharing.  Of the ones I saved beforehand, here is what I was up to 2 weeks ago:

Celebrating Nate's Birthday. 

    Sweet Caroline and I went out for Nate Kampen's Golden Birthday.  Our dear friend died in a car accident our senior year of high school (9/11/03).  In his honor, we decided to make the event quite full of shenanigans.  Really, we were tame, and went to dinner at Orso's where I was a bad vegan.  Berate me if you will, but every now and then I remind myself of why I eat the way I do.  This was one of those nights.  We started off with a wine flight from France: 

All of them were delicious, but it seemed to both SC and I that the first one stood above the rest.

Orso also offered up some garlic hummus and EVOO with bread

Clearly, we did not wait for picture taking before dipping into the nom noms.  Delish!

Dinner included a veryrather bland pasta with sauteed vegetables which I did not take a picture of, proving that really, Orso has depleted their vegan/vegetarian friendly entree options to nill without explicit request.

(I say this because there used to be several options, all tasty, that were vegan friendly).

And here, ladies and gents, is where I went totally south:  Dessert.

When it is your much-missed friend's Golden Birthday, and you celebrate in his honor, I think I will personally justify eating whatever the Hell I want, integrity be damned. 

Voila! Tiramisu!  Tiramisu to bloat you die for.  Oh me oh my.  Coupled with an after dinner coffee, and you couldn't ask for more!

Moving right along.  I also had dessert and beer with Lovely Writer Friend and Super Smart Psych Guy, heretofore known as SSPG.  Laughs and calories were had all around. 

It really is nice to meet up with friends who I haven't seen in years.  Really, years.  Others months, some days.  And yet.  I love them all in ways difficult to comprehend.  I've often thought that I form strong attachments to people very quickly.  I'm a lifer - fiercely and loyally so - and have a very difficult time, even after many, many years of lost contact, letting go of a friendship. 

 And it's taken me as many years to make that realization to realize one other big, key thing:  Most people aren't that way.  Most people are not lifers.  Most people may aspire to be lifers.  Or entirely accept that people come and go and don't take it personally and have no inclination to be lifers.  I take everything personally.  Well, not everything, but many things.  And there are few things that I do or commit to that are "phases."  Then again, I could just be a long term phase person.  And perhaps this is why I sucked at dating.  Or having "party friends."  Or many other things in life.  Commitmentphobe I am not!  Give me commitment! Habits!  Routines! I love them!  So it is no coincidence to me that people who I have sometimes spent little time with over my life still leave an indelible mark on my history and character.  Chances are if I haven't seen or heard from you for years, I still refer to you as my friend.  Either way, I love you (them) all the same. 

That was rant #1

Rant #2:  PEOPLE WHO USE PRODUCE BAGS LIKE THIS

I promise you, sir who was in front of me, that your lettuce, cucumbers, and cauliflower will not suffer if you do not bag them.  This is just plain wasteful.  And I do not use that word lightly.  The produce may or may not sit in that bag in your refrigerator or on your counter.  It may or may not be immediately thrown away after use.  But in any case, using those bags unless necessary (because I am certainly guilty of not yet converting to all reusable bags) for say, beans, but not for your bananas or onions.  Ugh.  My suggestion, while I ride this very high horse:

Here we have a a full head of broccoli, carrots, and a green pepper all not bagged and all equally healthy for you.  Bagged, we have raw sunflower seeds.  Yes, I should have my reusable bags handy, but I didn't.  still.  Whole produce has absolutely no need to be put in a silly, wasteful plastic bag.

Okay.  Hopping down now. . .

And an Alaskaism for any non-Alaskan readers and for those Alaskan readers who find it equally entertaining that the state has an apparent fondness for Subarus:

This is outside the Laughing Lotus Yoga studio.  I counted 5 out of 8 cars to be Subies.  That is in the picture alone.  There are several not in the photo that added themselves to the parking lot mix.  A stereotype of the NeoAlaska yoga outdoorswoman/man?  Most certainly.  But really, they/we prove ourselves quite easy to peg with this one.

But my dear friends, it is time for me to head back to the stocks.  I hope to fill you in on more comings and goings and perhaps some more creativity tomorrow or Friday.  I do apologize for the delay - it is not that I don't care, but I've had no time - and will fill you all in on more to come. 

In Closing:

Mantra of the Day: Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo.  Translation:  I call on Infinite Creative Consciousness.  I call on Divine Wisdom.  It's a repeated mantra for Kundalini yoga.  Very pretty.  And I did find it to be quite helpful in release through a Kundalini practice which, while it did not require a lot of exertion, certainly became difficult.  Kriyas, anyone?  I also like the mantra because it calls on the inner creativity of the self; it acknowledges that we are all full of creativity and that creativity is divine and breathing unity.  And it includes wisdom.  Inner wisdom - the inner guru. 

Question of Gratitude: Who, are what, are you thankful for today?  I am thankful for my friends/readers.  I've had several people as "where are you?" and that feels really great.  Knowing that people are actually reading this and following up is beautiful.  Thank you all! I have not forgotten about you.