While I enjoy hibachi, it’s a crap shoot for vegetarians.

If you don’t know what hibachi is, it’s where they cook your food in front of you. You have choices, such as chicken, steak, shrimp, scallops and this time tofu, yeah me!

I have enjoyed hibachi for a long time and when I go, it’s a test for a vegetarian because they cook everything on the same surface, the test comes in when you don’t know if they cook the veggies or meats first.

A lot of times I’ll check but tonight I didn’t, so I got to have the veggies and tofu cooked on the grill after they cooked the chicken, steak and seafood, even using the same spatula and knife, interesting flavoring.

I’m going to chalk this one up to stupidity on my part, but no I’ll effects so we are doing alright!

There are so many people I am finding out went to college at University of Michigan and have great memories of their time there and recommendations for where to go and what to eat.

Case in point, RSK got all excited about the Pizza House, http://www.pizzahouse.com, and the Chipati, what? The Chipati, it’s a ginormous pita pocket filled with stuff, I kid you not! Check out the site.
http://annarbor.pizzahouse.com/zgrid/proc/site/sitemnup.jsp?nls_sf=tm5216&nls_st=tm1270421&id=4103317810560&ctx=ct156772812&mnuid_it=129281&vnmi_it=1754

I went earlier in the week with KS and TS in Ann Arbor and had a lunch sized Chipati, it was manageable, but still too much food, so I ate half that night and then the other half with a veggie burger the next night.

It just so happened that RSK was going to pick me up from the airport, so I asked if she wanted me to bring her a Chipati, she was so excited, she said and I quote…”I’m so excited I could pee!”

Then GES decided she needed one after all the hype, then ES asked for one and I decided to bring one for ACS, I’m glad I cancelled the one for me because there was no way I was getting five on my flight, these things are huge! Look at this picture!

The refrigerator is full, with just these four boxes and tomorrow will be the test, everyone is coming over for a party and will partake of the chipatis, I may have to bring more with me the next visit!

Interesting.

Before you ask, I know you know I’ve been a vegetarian for a long time, and if you didn’t know this, I’ve been lactose intolerant for almost as long. A few weeks ago was the last straw and I have gone full on vegan, well ovo-vegan. I’ve never had a problem with eggs and I think they’re yummy, when I’m in the mood, hence the ovo-vegan.

If you didn’t know there are different levels; a pescatarian is someone who only eats fish, a vegetarian eats no meats (poultry, beef, pork, etc, fish, animal byproducts) but might eat eggs and dairy, that’s where the expression ovo-lacto comes from.

So, I gave up meat and poultry when I was a kid, then about nine years ago, gave up fish, this was tough, but I got used to it. Once in a while, if I am in the mood, I might eat fish, but it’s very rare.

I’ve continued to eat some dairy, but with complications. I found Lactaid milk, wow! After a few years, can’t have that, then I tried soy milk and eventually became allergic, so I’ve moved on to almond and rice milk. I’ve taken the Lactaid pills so that I can eat dairy and they worked for a while, but unfortunately, no more.

As I mentioned, a few weeks ago I became full on vegan, well, ovo-vegan. There are a few things I can still eat because it doesn’t bother me. I can have butter and a little Parmesan cheese, so far so good, who knows what will happen in the future, but for now, give me at least that!

All about the same time, I cut out dairy, cut down my carb intake and started working out regularly. It’s all working together and I think I’m starting to see results, might be too soon to tell and I think I feel better not eating dairy, still too soon to tell, I’ll keep you posted.

It is a bit tough finding a happy medium and I know vegans throughout time have figured it out, I just have to get there. I have found it tough to find things to eat at some places, so many restaurants offer dishes with cheese, some have vegan cheese, but not many. I don’t always want a salad and if there is no veggie burger or spicy black bean burger doesn’t help.

I feel bad for my friends who have to listen to me worry about this new venture, so to speak. They are very nice and try to help me find things, but it’s frustrating. I’m usually pretty good about finding things, but now that I’ve cut out dairy, it’s getting more difficult. I’ll get there. When I’m home or at the grocery store, no problem, it’s restaurants that are a little trickier, but being in a college town helps.
So, thank you to my friends.

My new slogan “Vegetarian by choice, vegan by force”. Makes me smile.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarian
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veganism

So, when you watch a movie on TV, if there is bad language, they dub it.

It’s either with a new word, muffled or blank/mute the word and we are supposed to fall for it, right? They even do it for some songs. A I sit here writing to you, I am watching Burlesque and I was inspired to write this post because they were muting out the drinks, really? You can’t mention alcohol brand names? Are we that big of a prude?

But admit it, it’s just not the same. Some movies call for bad words and it works. Think about it, how hard is it to watch some of those movies without the bad words, almost makes you not want to watch the movie at all.

A Few Good Men, Jack Nicholson screaming at Tom Cruise in the courtroom? Harlem Nights, with Eddie Murphy, Richard Pryor and Red Foxx, those guys not cussing? I don’t even think they know how not to! Pulp Fiction with, well, everybody, a Quentin Tarantino movie without cussing? Not a chance!

Sometimes being bad is just good.

I had a funny thing happen on they way to the forum tonight…

On my flight from Denver to Detroit, before we took off, the entire flight crew, minus the pilots, came walking by talking about looking for a container , didn’t really say what they were looking for, but all of a sudden stopped at my row, there were five of them, all of a sudden staring at the container at my feet.

They are looking very intently and I look up and see them looking and trying not to ask. I hold up the container and ask if this is what they want. They asked what it was.

KALE CHIPS people! Oh my goodness! If you knew me, you’d know how ridiculous this was!

One of the flight attendants said, well, what’s legal in Colorado isn’t legal in Michigan. Really? And, you never can tell. Oh brother! I kept thinking, who would be dumb enough to have it just sitting there?

As soon as I told them what it was, everyone for about five rows was laughing hysterically! I did offer to share! Tasty treat, to eat, haven’t tried to smoke it!

Is there an unwritten, or maybe written, rule somewhere that says you have to wear a robe when you answer the door?

Have you ever noticed in movies and TV when people get out of bed, they automatically put on a robe to answer the door or just leave the bedroom. Traditionally, I only wear a robe when I get out of the bath and it’s terry cloth.

I got DCM a robe of sweatshirt material, it’s long, long sleeve, has a hood and a batman logo. We put the hood on, laugh and say in that perfect Christian Bale voice “I’m Batman!”. I got it for him for when he goes on the deck, so he doesn’t always have to wear a jacket, it’s warm and toasty. So of course, I have to borrow it from time to time, I put it on like a sweater.

I understand an honest to goodness terry cloth robe to dry off or just getting out of the tub, flannel to keep warm, what I don’t get is people wearing a silk or silky robe, just to cover their jammies, a fashion statement.

Totally random, huh?