Spin Cycle

I hate vertigo. This one is the worst since the first, I believe. Try about 10 foot waves in a canoe, that's what the world feels like when I move my head too much. I didn't trust myself to walk (non-drunk-stumbling) to the bus stop without falling down this morning, so I stayed home. I certainly don't trust myself to drive. I'd end up killing someone. Plus, I've got a headache from concentrating so hard on remaining upright. 

On an unrelated note, I hate the buying and selling of debt. There. I said it. Call me un-American if you must. My mortgage was sold before I'd even made the first payment. After nearly ten years, my student loan "servicing" got moved from the US Department of Education to somewhere else, too. I managed to screw up the online student loan site enough that my loan somehow got put into forbearance (not something I authorized, near as I can tell). The girl on the phone tonight sounded more competent than the last one who promised me she'd fixed what I'd messed up. Keeping my fingers crossed, but not holding my breath. 

A Very Vegan Thanksgiving (sort of)

I plan to make way, way too much food for two people on Thursday. Since abandoning typical American meat eating ways over 20 years ago, I've come to appreciate Thanksgiving dishes that don't involve a bird. Plus, there's always something new to experiment with.

This year, I've got chanterelle mushrooms, baby portobellos, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, chestnuts, wild rice, brown rice, cherry sage sausage (yep, it's vegan), pumpkin, sweet potatoes, a Quorn roast (not vegan or gluten free, but I can't taste the eggs so it's still tasty) and a 3 lb bag of cranberries. So far I have the following planned:

Corn bread
Wild rice-chestnut-sausage stuffing
Roasted Brussels sprouts
Roasted sweet potatoes
Garlic mashed potatoes
Mushroom gravy
Cranberry chutney
Pumpkin pie with pecan gingerbread cookie crust
Pumpkin gelato or ginger ice cream (haven't decided)

I'm not entirely sure what to do with the chanterelles yet, but it will likely involve frying them up with some garlic and a little wine. I made the sausage on Sunday, brown rice last night and the wild rice will be done when I get home from work today. I might roast and peel chestnuts after flyball tonight. Hmm... cranberry gelato. I might have some more research to do.

Since I have way too much food on the menu, I invited a couple of guests. My guests are bringing a turkey. GF is pleased.

Late Fall Vacation

November is one of those times you should really get out of Minnesota. Really. It's usually in the 40s and rainy or windy (and the wind is seriously cutting and ferocious). Not a lot of sunshine, mostly grey, no snow yet.

So where do GF & I head? San Francisco. We had awesome luck with the weather: only one day of rain, the rest sunny & 60s. We walked our feet off, ate some great vegan food, saw some of GF's old friends from when she lived there, caught a Stanford women's bball game with my uncle and gawked at the ocean.

Snacks @ SFO. We were hungry!

Occupy Soup?

Lots of hills here

Maybe the scariest thing ever

Just a normal day in Chinatown

Dragons!

Palm trees freak me out a little

Lion guarding Lands End

Larger than it appears

Smallish waves

Cave with waves

More rocks & waves

Sneaky photo of GF

The sun was very bright

Golden Gate Bridge peeking out

More bridge