Michelle

Happy Birthday!

I enjoyed that video. It's a refreshing change from the stereotypical "it must be raw and it must be 100% raw" attitude. Tonya Kay is just plain awesome, too.

That looks like a fun cruise! I cruised on Royal Caribbean just over a year ago, but I'll try to remember what I ate. I did not call to make any special accommodations ahead of time, but I still managed to find enough to eat most of the time. In the dining room, I think I remember pasta w/marinara being on the menu every night. If that's one of your favorite meals and you could eat it every day, you're all set. There was usually a soup, salad, or appetizer (but generally not more than one or two things) that just happened to be vegan, as well. I have no idea about their Indian meals, because I didn't discover until several months after the cruise that I absolutely love Indian food. Very very few of the desserts were vegan. (I think you can ask for a plate of fresh fruit, though.) The good news is, the menu is posted outside the dining room earlier in the day, so you can check to see what'll be offered and decide whether you want to eat there or elsewhere on the ship. And - everything in the dining room is also available from room service. In the buffet, there was always fresh spinach with olive oil and balsalmic vinegar and always fresh fruit. Some days, I remember there being a lot of vegan items to choose from, other days I ended up with a lot more fruit. One day, there's a build-your-own stir-fry deal, just be sure to specify that you want it cooked in a clean pan, or they'll stir-fry your veggies in the same pan they just stir-fried chicken and shrimp. Again, there will be many beautiful desserts, few or none of which are vegan. The snack bar where the pizza is has french fries, veggie burgers, and sometimes a salad bar. I don't remember whether they'll make cheeseless pizza, but they might. I never did ask them to, because I didn't want them to make an entire pizza just for me. Room service has a fresh fruit plate, if I remember correctly. (Can't remember if it was that ship, or the Norwegian Cruise Lines ship, or if both had it.) If you're on one of the bigger ships, you may have a few more dining options. My recommendation is to pack a few food bars, just in case. I know I was glad to have a few vega bars and builder bars. Also, pack some sweets. Looking at all the beautiful (but non-vegan) desserts at every meal is a lot easier to deal with if you know you have a Green & Black dark chocolate bar waiting in your cabin.

Wow, very nice work!

Someone sent me this article today: Drugs Offer Promise of Fitness Without Effort To me, this just seems like a bad idea. Obviously, everyone here is going to be against using mice in the research, so that doesn't even need to be discussed... but what do you think about an exercise pill?

Pauling had some very interesting ideas. I was doing a fair amount of vit. C daily, until I ran out. I thought I was mega dosing, but after looking at this thread and links, I wasn't even close. I was well beyond the RDA, but nowhere near 10grams. Still, I noticed a very positive effect. What kind of vitamin C are you using? What do you think of this stuff? http://www.healthforce.com/product-vitamin-c.html It's what I was using until I ran out, I'm wondering if that's my best choice or if there's something just as good that's not quite so pricey.

This is hilarious. My favorites so far are "testostertone" and "abdominatrix"

Wow, there are some good looking food pictures on that forum. Thanks for sharing the link!

I seriously laughed for about five minutes over this one. I don't even know the context... it's just hilarious. Gosh, I miss you guys.

This about sums it up. I think that the message is very important, but there's got to be a better way to deliver it.

My diet when I'm away from home depends on where I go. If I'm stuck in a hotel, I get apples, bananas, oranges, a couple handfuls of greens, chips & salsa, a few food bars, and lots of water. The salsa can be served in whatever cups are in the hotel room. If I can find them, I also get a few cans of "healthy" sodas (well, healthier than diet coke..) and some vegan treats, so I'm not tempted to hit the hotel vending machines when I get bored with the other stuff. If I'm lucky enough to find a vegetarian restaurant or a veg-friendly one, I'll make time to check that out too. If I'm travelling by car, it's a bit easier. I actually keep a knife, cutting board, plate, bowl, spoons, forks, and roll of paper towels in my trunk at all times. I can also bring my blender with me as well as some protein powder and stuff to make smoothies. If I can find a power outlet, I'm all set! Staying at a non-vegan's house is where I eat the worst. Sometimes, I'm just not able to take over their kitchen and cook for myself.. and sometimes the only vegan parts of whatever meal they've made just don't add up to much of a meal. Anyone who's ever been a house guest and feasted on a plain dry baked potato and some bread knows what I mean.

I got a new bicycle recently and have been doing a few short rides close to home. I prefer longer rides, but my butt just couldn't take it. So, I finally splurged and bought an actual pair of bike shorts with the padding in the seat. They felt funny, when I tried them on. Sort of had the sensation that it must look like a diaper or something from behind, which was weird. So, I bought the pair with the attached skirt, so nobody can see my butt. Wow, what a difference it made! I did a 20-mile ride yesterday afternoon and am less sore today than I was after the 5-mile rides I was doing before. My legs are actually feeling good, like I probably could have ridden quite a bit longer, but my butt feels like I hit my limit. So - questions for the cyclists here: I'm feeling the tenderness at the ischial tuberosities. Is that where I should be sore? Or does that mean I need to change the tilt of my seat? I admit I know nothing about seat adjustments, I just left it the way it was when I brought the bike home from the store. And - would one of those gel seat covers help? Or would they just shift around and become more of a nuisance than they're worth? Or is this just something that'll get better in time?

Welcome!!

Welcome!!

I don't mind if they have anything to say about it, as long as they don't make gagging sounds, derogatory remarks, or "the face." Very good list

When your significant other says (or does) something that makes you very uncomfortable, it's your responsibility to correct him on it and tell him how you prefer to be treated. The first time, it's OK to assume it was a mistake. We all do dumb things sometimes that we don't realize are dumb things. (Both sexes.) If you don't correct him, it is implied that you've given him consent to repeat the performance. And if he persists after you've corrected him, then it's abusive, definitely out of line, and time to re-evaluate the relationship.

There is a video of the durian cake incident, but I think there are also videos of "The Durian Fiasco" on youtube. I was there. It was awful. I wanted to try it, but only until we actually opened it. Then I just couldn't get past the smell and the slimy texture. I'm wondering something, though. The durian we had was a frozen/thawed one. How much different would a fresh one be?

LOL! Me too!

I have a Tribest Personal Blender and absolutely love it.

Welcome!

Welcome!

Nice work!

When I first tried tofu, I hated it. But now, I've found ways to prepare it and places to order it that I enjoy it. And I also figured out that firmer = better. My current favorite is to drain it, sprinkle it with cornstarch, fry it in a bit of coconut oil, then mix up a nice spicy peanut sauce for it. Or a ginger sauce. YUM! Same goes for tempeh. The first couple times I had it, I thought it was weird and kind of nasty. Then I made the tempeh bacon from "Vegan with a Vengeance" and found I liked it that way... and have since discovered it's awesome with BBQ sauce. Not weird anymore. I don't think most of us grew up eating either of those, so it's going to be weird and unfamiliar the first few times. Unless something totally makes me gag, I'll sample it two or three different ways before I claim to dislike it.

I just usually walk along the trail while talking loudly on the cell phone. Tee hee, just kidding. But I have seen people doing that. The last time I hiked was when I went camping a few weeks ago. Aside from focusing on avoiding things like snakes, spiders, and huge evil biting flying bugs, I was enjoying the scenery while daydreaming about what was for breakfast and how I might like to spend the rest of the day.

That's just adorable.