Can you be a meat eating Vegan?

A few years ago while drinking milk it hurt my stomach.  Needless to say I only drank it when my stomach was full.  I know you thought I would cut it out--nope. not I. I, worked around it...and had some tricks to avoid the hurt and mostly they worked--until a day in New York City.  Eating a comfort plate of food including mashed potatoes and meatloaf I continued on my way walking down a NYC street.  Then, just like in the movie, Sex in the City when Charlotte drank the water---Iran for a bathroom. 

Since that day I have taken pills to never have an accident again.  Oh, but even though the pills work very well---for some reason my milk allergy-yogurt/cheese/chocolate/ice cream has returned.

Most times when I go out now I'm that person again where I list the things I can't eat. Sometimes I'mscared there will be butter somewhere near my food.  That is so irrational a thought I make myself laugh when I think it---because if it happens--I'll be okay. And I know that I can have peanut butter and a banana and find it most places-well, most places I go.

I'm a vegan now--but I still eat bacon, hot dogs, steak, lobster, pork, hamburger, turkey and chicken .  When I tell the server do I say I'm a meat eating vegan or just say I'm allergic to dairy?

Photo by Krasyuk/iStock / Getty Images

I'm a Dog Person, in case you were wondering.

Sasha spent Thanksgiving week keeping me company while my neighbors went south. Do you see that smile on her face?  What could she be thinking of? Answer below and the best one will receive a prize.

The ONLY reason Trump was elected

He is a Celebrity. In this country any major celebrity can and will be elected.

Do you remember when the Republicans made fun of Obama calling him a celebrity?  Do you remember the commercial with Brittany Spears and other celebrities?  The Republicans were making fun of Obama for "being like a celebrity, instead of presidential."

Yep the Republicans are Hippocrates---but we knew that -right? 

My 57 birthday was the best one yet!

I am truly blessed as I enter my 57th year.  My friends and family have out done themselves this year. Presents and dinners and gift certificates were plentiful - but the best present by far was the painting of the dining room and it looks fabulous.

For three days, as I sat in the living room being ill, Audrey painted and painted and painted her little heart out.  She also did this with NO TAPE, and it's perfect.  She truly is an amazing woman and I'm so grateful to call her my friend as well as my neighbor.

Thank you.  Thank you. Thank you.

Gratitude

Everyone I know talks about being grateful, staying grateful or just having a grateful heart.  Well for the past year Ive been writing down 10 things I am grateful for. Here are some of them for today:

Thank you for the home I live in and can afford.

Thank you for the great neighbors I have.

Thank you for the dog Otto I dog sit for and get paid to do it. Thank you!

Target, your not!

I loved Target. That is I loved Target-- until yesterday.  I loved the anticipation of shopping there—I never knew what I would buy extra from my list of targeted items.  Sometimes it was a new flavor of coffee (archer farms Vanilla Crème Brule) or a new nail polish (OPI), but it was always something. 

I would hear tales of people walking in for one item and walking out with 11 more items.  Or, people walking in to find the exact thing they were looking for and they found it on sale.  Or just seeing a friend or family member walking the isles, but I loved going to Target. I have spent thousands of dollars on everything from glasses to prescriptions. I even moved my percriptions from CVS to target one summer to save a few hundred. (yeah I have no life).

Then yesterday it happened.  I had just stopped in for coffee—(they got rid of all of their archer farms coffee and haven’t restocked the shelves.  (I was there last Wednesday and went back on Monday. ) Still no coffee---and a lovely man even went into the back to see if there were any.  Nothing. So, I picked up a few things---and walked over to the cash registers.  There were three lines open. People coming out of all of them and three people standing next to purses/clothing just  talking.  These three were Target employees. 

What are you all standing there for—open a register…why should all these people wait while you three are just talking. I said.

The guy said he hadn’t clocked in yet (why is he on the floor then?)

The young woman didn’t say anything—and the older woman said she just called for people.  I asked to speak to a manager and she told me to calm down. I am the manager.

 Then what are you doing?

She told me she had called for people to come and were waiting for them and to please calm down.  She also said they were hiring people. Shouldn't you do that on a daily basis?

It was then that I looked at my items, realized I didn’t need them and could buy them at Stop n shop where they do open lines when a customer asks ---

And I walked out of Target.

Usually I love Target, but if this manager is running things—I'll stay away ---I can always shop on amazon.com.

What should have happened at Target; the manager should have said—I’m opening one here, I know it’s upsetting to have to wait—and we are doing our best. 

Instead—you have lost a customer.  There are a million places to buy what you are selling—and I will now find them.

Aniston and I have been fat shamed

Dear Jen:

I’ve been a fan ever since I saw you in that wedding dress a hundred years ago.  I stuck up when you and your co-starts got 1 million an episode and took your side in almost every argument, but this time it’s different.  You are complaining Jen—from where I sit your life is pretty perfect to me… you are employed, stunningly beautiful (maybe I should buy some Aveno) and travel first class whenever and where ever you want to do and most important you are loved.

But you complain about a story about you that is not true.  So what? They are printed in the rags—not real newspapers. These rags are not staffed by real journalists like I, or others who have blogs and/0r work for actual newspapers.  Yes, they do have freedom of speech –but please don’t think they are journalists.  Journalists are hard workers who believe in the truth, and use facts to craft the story. Journalists have degrees from credible instutions of higher learning. We have written for newspapers and paid less than you at your Dairy Queen Job---but still we journalists write the truth.

The story is you are a very lucky woman who has had a few bad things happen like lots of us.  If you are embarrassed by this story—I can imagine you are---I’m sorry—but Jen if this is your biggest problem—you are so ahead of the game…Just kiss your husband and be glad you are rich and can afford to live.

You are being fat shamed Jen and it stinks for us all. It’s all about sticking people in a hole so others can “figure you out.” Instead of taking the time over many dinners and shopping trips and drinking coffee, people will see one thing about you and then say—Okay you are fat. If you are fat, then you are lazy!

But every fat person I know is not lazy and we do a lot more than most men.

In fact, I think you are not fat, not pregnant and thrilled you are happy.

(I on the other hand have 3,000 dollars and need to buy a car.  But, who really wants to own a 3,000 dollar car? Yuck. I’d like to own a 10,000 dollar car---and if you go back on this blog and read about Bank of America—you will see why I don’t have the 10,000 dollars.) 

So, instead of complaining about this problem Jen--- Sue them---and then donate the money to a wonderful cause. Or keep the money and buy an island. I hear Hawaii is a great place to live—and your friend Oprah has a home there.

Be Well Jen

Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment / Getty Images