Monthly Archives: November 2008

Vegan Zucchini Bread

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Oh boy! Now the holidays are really here! My brother’s coming over and we’re going to make vegan zucchini bread. Oh boy oh boy oh boy!

This is a new recipe. I’ve never tried it, but it looks fine. It’s pretty hard to fuck up zucchini bread. Originally, I thought I’d locate my mom’s recipe, but couldn’t find it. I just assumed it came from my Mom’s vintage Betty Crocker recipe book that was handed down to me, but it wasn’t. Oh well, it’s good to try new things.

VEGAN ZUCCHINI BREAD

A classic recipe for vegan zucchini bread that freezes well. I love zucchini bread with a sprinkle of sugar and a dollop of margarine, though for a healthier breakfast, you’ll probably want to omit those extras! This recipe uses egg replacer, so make sure you have some on hand.

Ingredients:

* 2 cups grated zucchini, about 6 zucchini
* Egg replacer for 3 eggs
* 1 cup oil
* 2 cups sugar
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 3 cups flour
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tbsp baking soda
* 1 tbsp cinnamon
* 2 tsp nutmeg
* 1 tsp baking powder

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 bread pans.

Stir together the zucchini, egg replacer, oil, sugar and vanilla. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Pour the batter in to the pans and bake for 50-60 minutes. Enjoy!

source: http://vegetarian.about.com/od/breakfastrecipe1/r/zucchinibread.htm

After the bread is done, I have to pack for Chicago. Do I own warm clothes? Not much.

Baby Pictures

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My baby brother sent pictures of his newborn son today. Cute kid. I can’t help but notice he looks more like his mother.

These pictures were taken by my brother’s girlfriend’s mom, who apparently doesn’t know how to take pictures. Ah, whatever. Most babies are cute anyway and even though I can’t be there (and despite this recent sendage of images) I still feel like it’s happening to someone I don’t know. And only two pictures? Wow. If it were my kid, I’d have about a billion images just from the first day. Apparently more are on the way. We’ll see. And yeah, that’s what you’ve want after you’ve spent x-amount of hours being pushed through a slimy hole, getting all worked up about it, having a quick/painful snip of your gentleman’s equipment…what you really want is a BRIGHT flash in your face.

Le sigh. I love that baby. I have not one bad feeling about that baby, even if it doesn’t look like my family or my brother. I’m hoping that once he gets a little older, he’ll look more like my handsome brother, but it will probably never know it’s half Mexican. I’m interested to see how this little life progresses and grows. I cross my fingers in hoping that his parents don’t fuck him up and that he has all the chances he’ll need to succeed in life; despite his geographic location. If I could do it, so can he. Good luck Michael. You’re gonna need it. And hopefully, when you’re a little older, you can visit your cool Aunt Kristen in California and I can show you a wonderful world beyond Elkhorn, Nebraska. Just remember, when life is tough and you feel like you can’t stand it anymore, give me a call and I’ll send you a plane ticket. You’ll always have a place to runaway to.

If only it were that easy…

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If only we had machines to stop time and get more done with our day. I suppose, if everyone had one that would screw with the space time continuum and all of a sudden, we’d realize that a billion years had passed, the stars were extinguished and the universe had expanded immeasurably.

My brother in Omaha called. He had a short break while the baby and his girlfriend were sleeping. We talked for a few minutes and shot the shit, but once the baby woke up, he had to go. That was nice. It feels so weird talking to him while he’s holding his new born son. How odd.

Well, here we are. Life has changed. Life is changing. No where near where is was just a year ago. Everything’s different. I like to stop at these moments, reflect and say a few “whoas” and “wows”. I think what amazes me most is that life seems to take you to places you never thought you’d end up. Think about when you were a kid and think about where you are now. For those lucky few who managed to see the future and are now doing the things they set out to, I applaud you. Did you see any of this coming? I guess I did, to some extent. I always knew I’d be a photographer. While I took many side roads to get here, I’m here. If 5 years ago you’d have told me that I would be living in a big house with a goofy theme park nerd who has 3 kids, that I’d be working from home as a freelance photographer, my baby brother would have a baby, my Dad, my grandparents, and Woobie would be done, that I’d be seeing Japan, China, New York, Italy, England, and many places in between….well, I’d probably be pretty perplexed. Funny how my life has worked out to be a healthy portion of good and a matching batch of bad. Even Steven good and bad. I guess that’s pretty fucking great, if you ask me. I suppose I’d prefer all good, but it seems like the bad makes like interesting.

I’m rambling. I have so much to do. AJB, the kids, and I are flying out to Chicago to see AJB’s mom. We’re flying in Thanksgiving afternoon (cheaper flights). Until then, I have work I’m putting off, errands to run, and clothes to wash. I feel tired. My allergies have been off the hook and I have a lot on my mind. It’s almost the end of the year and I’m starting to think about *2008 at large. What a crazy year it’s been. As usual, I’ll do the usual 2008 in retrospect post, but I’ve already got it on my brain. The holidays do that to me. They fill me with thoughts of the past and what’s to come.

*I first wrote 2007 and fixed it. Dude, what year is it?

Babies are Born, Life Goes On

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Just got home from Orlando. Oh my, it’s good to be home. In retrospect, this was a very strange trip. I spent most of the time in the hotel and when I did get out, I was escorted around to my boyfriend’s industry parties, most of which were like a thick fog of friendly faces and people I’ve met before, but don’t remember. A good portion of the trip was spent battling a headache that finally went away with a glass of Jack and Coke. We stayed in the very nice Peabody Hotel, but because of the convention, were forced to stay in a non-smoking room. To AJB’s dismay I smoked anyway, but managed to dodge the arbitrary “clean up fee” with a Glade scented candle and some heavy duty Febreze. I never actually made it to the convention even though I had a ticket that AJB paid for. Wasted money.

Today, our last day, we darted around Universal Studios Orlando and AJB showed me some of the attractions he worked on including Jaws, Terminator 2-3D, Spiderman, and Jurassic Park – all of which retain varying levels of his influence. I’d never actually seen anything he’s done in our 4 years together, so it was pretty amazing to see what he does for a living first hand and close up. Most of all, I was impressed with the Terminator show which is far cooler than I thought it would be.

And during all of that, I got the call: My brother’s baby had been born. I have both excitement and various degrees of reservation towards the event. Those of you who’ve read my blog at all in the last 4 years, know that I don’t exactly get along with my brother’s baby mama. It’s not just me. Feelings of confusion and resentment span the entire family and just about everyone questions his choices. It’s quite a long story, but in this case, the ends don’t necessarily justify the means when he’s never looked or acted as happy as he claims to be.

While I’m pleased about this new life that has come to my family, I can’t help but feel left out. Because no one really likes my brother’s baby mama, a gigantic rift has been generated. Before I get all Jerry Springer on your ass, let me just say, I haven’t really talked to my brother since he moved to Omaha. Even less when he announced his girlfriend was pregnant. Despite my efforts to put the past behind, make up, move on, and attempt a solid relationship with my brother, regardless, I have been shut out. It’s a long painful story and no matter what I do, I can’t help but feel he just doesn’t want me in his life anymore. It’s hard for me to understand that even with misunderstandings, arguments, and knowing that we can’t (and won’t) always agree, it’s come to this. I’m not a part of his life and he’s not a part of mine.

I really can’t get into it because when I do, it becomes a long, drawn out tale of deceit, manipulation, heartbreak, and blame. Truth is, I don’t care what it’s about anymore. I’ve tried to make amends, but without any real outside input, my brother has no option but to listen to the voices closest at hand. As more time passes, we become less and less the friends we were and more like strangers. I’m happy about the baby, but in the last 9 months, I haven’t been a part of it. It’s more like hearing an old friend from high school had a baby. That’s nice. Good. Great. Whatever. It’s hard to be joyful when I’ve been shut out. I received the obligatory text-message this morning and that was it. You’d think, the first of my sibling’s children has been born. My parent’s first grandchild. How wonderful! But it doesn’t feel like it. I feel sad. I feel like a dog left out in the rain, whimpering at the door for some scraps. We used to be friends and now he doesn’t return my calls. It’s not in my nature to clamor for attention, but I have and I feel like an idiot for doing so. I’ve written letters, I made a video that he never watched, I’ve texted him, sent postcards, and bought an expensive baby gift he thanked me for two months later. I know. Get the hint. I keep thinking that if I continue to try, eventually he’ll see how much I care for him, that blood is thicker than water, and that my Father’s words were true. He taught us to stick together. He used to say that if we only had one slice of bread left, we should split it four ways. That was meaningful to me. It helped build the bond I have with my siblings because I believed it. One slice of bread, split it four ways…cause that’s what you do. You take care of your family and no one gets left out.

Happy Birthday little Michael. I wonder if we’ll ever know each other.

If Only For Myself…

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I was clearing out some files on my laptop when I came across two short movies AJB and I made on a plane. I looked at the date and couldn’t remember where we’d gone October 2007. I looked back in the October 2007 blog entries and found one: New York. I was there two days and only wrote one short entry. On that trip, I remember AJB and I went to the big Park Ave. Apple Store and strolled Central Park on a brisk Autumn day. It was a beautiful day. I even took lots of pictures. We also went to the Empire State Building and stayed in a lovely hotel overlooking lower Park Ave. Why didn’t I write about any of that?

Perhaps because I’m constantly thinking about cataloging my life in this blog, sometimes I think I do, but don’t. Which bothers me.

So why am I obsessed with cataloging my life? It’s not that I have to mark down every insignificant detail, but I love looking back and remembering where I was at a certain time, who I was with, and what I was doing…especially my travels; which I’ve done a lot of in the last four years. It’s all mostly for me. While I enjoy sharing it all with my friends, loved ones, and the occasional random passersby, the major reason behind it all is that I do it for myself. I know that there will come a day, when I’m old and gray…I’ll put on my 3-inch thick glasses (or maybe by then, they’ll have eye replacement surgery perfected), read through the archives, smile, and think to myself, “I had a pretty great life.”

Yesterday: Still in Florida. I woke up with the same headache I’ve been fighting for three days. I lounged around most of the morning, but eventually got ready and went down to the hotel restaurant for lunch. AJB met me and at first, we thought about going to the convention, but we were both tired and opted for an afternoon nap. AJB and I went to another industry event and ate finger foods. I had a Jack and Coke, which miraculously cured my 3 day headache. AJB chit chatted with colleagues and caught up with old friends. I did what I do best in these situations: I smiled, laughed at everyone’s jokes, and made the occasional witty comment. I later watched on as Dave Cobb once again evoked the magical magics of technology and won an iPhone from the company raffle. Don’t ask me how he does it. He has powers. We ended the night with NBC’s Thursday night Must See TV lineup and went to bed.

Today: In the morning, I was a whole bushel of sour apples. I was in a foul mood; one to rival the foulest of moods and one for the books. AJB went to the convention one last time and left me to sleep-in well passed noon. When he came back, ashamed of my rancid behavior, I apologized profusely and we went downstairs for lunch. We’d had the ambition of visiting Universal Studios for a few hours, but found out the park was closing early. We opted for Downtown Disney and took in a movie. We saw Bolt, which was as delightful as I thought it would be. A languid walk about the shops in the cold Florida night air, and dinner at Wolfgang Pucks; for lack of a better option. AJB showed me around (as he does) and reminisced about the days he spent working on some of the area’s finer amusements. Waxing nostalgic like Doc Brown who said, “Things have certainly changed around here. I remember when this was all farmland as far the eye could see. Old man Peabody owned all of this. He had this crazy idea about breeding pine trees. Back to the hotel and packing early – which is a new experience for us. Since we didn’t get out to Universal today, we’re gonna try and hit it before we fly home tomorrow. 4 years with AJB and I have yet to see anything he’s worked on. We’ll see how it goes.

I’m glad to be going home. I miss my kitties. On Thursday, we’re flying out to Chicago for Thanksgiving. This is a crazy month. I’m loving it.

In Florida for IAAPA

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I’m currently in Florida at the Peabody Hotel next to the Orlando Convention Center. My boyfriend invited me along to see the annual International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA). I haven’t actually been to the convention yet, but last night we attended 4 industry parties, one of which was at Universal Studio Orlando. I got to ride the new Simpsons ride and it almost made me puke.

The Simpsons ride took the place of the old Back to the Future ride (which I’ve never been on) and makes use of some new technology that involves lenses or something or other. Eh, I was tired when they explained it to me. It’s actually a pretty cute ride that takes you and the Simpson family around Krustyland and Springfield crashing through things, falling twisting, bumping, jarring, flying. It’s pretty intense and you get jostled around a lot. I’ve never seen so many health warnings on a ride before; including claustrophobia. The best way I can describe it is: Star Tours on crack. If you like Star Tours, you’ll like The Simpsons Ride. I do actually like Star Tours, but I don’t like roller coasters. I get motion sickness pretty easy, but not to the point of actually vomiting. I can handle Star Tours, but always end up feeling a little light headed afterward. The Simpsons, on the other hand, really threw me for a loop and I had to close my eyes quite a bit. Not because it was scary, but because the motion was fucking with my head.

Anyway, I haven’t seen or done much while in Orlando. Mostly we’re here for IAAPA and I haven’t even seen that. I think my role here is “arm candy” and I’m actually pretty good at it. Kidding. I like supporting AJB and I especially like seeing him schmooze with his colleagues. He’s really great with the people skills and has this miraculous ability to remember people he hasn’t seen in 30 years; first and last names and where he first met them. I don’t know how he does it. In fact, people who haven’t seen him in 30 years remember him too. Don’t know how that works seeing as I can’t remember people I met last year. Mnemonics? I must learn.

Today, I think I’m going to see the show floor and we’ve got another party to attend. I dig the free food and drinks. I’ve also been battling a headache since we got here day before yesterday, since when my allergies have also been giving me grief. It’s cold here in Florida, but the air is clear and the sky is real blue.

I’m sorta out of it. I guess I’ll take a shower and start my day.

Mod Night Out

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Last night after Udon with AJB and the twins, a quick stop at the Apple Store, and several internal arguments with myself, I decided to go out. I’d been planning on going to a 60′s dance club called “The Blackeyed Soul Club“. No one was available to go with me. At my age, not everyone is footloose and fancy free anymore. We all have our responsibilities. Seriously. Once you hit your 30′s, things just aren’t as easy as they used to be. Suddenly, your friends have kids, important jobs, or are too tired. Those of us that are still able to get up the nerve to go out, end up going, but realizing why we don’t go out anymore.

I arrived at about 10:45pm. In my day, that was late. Apparently, that’s really early in this scene. People didn’t really start showing up until after 11:30pm and more and more after that. I went in, grabbed a Newcastle and stood in a corner people watching. About half an hour into it, I was wondering if I should just leave. A stout man decked in pretty great Mod garb waved at me, lead me around introducing me to people I’d probably never see again; and who’s names I wouldn’t remember 5 minutes after hearing them. I thought the Mod guy’s name was Jack, but then found out it was Zach. Not as good. How come nobody is named Jack anymore? He was nice enough, but after a few too many was a little too flirty and huggy. He kept trying to get me over to his house for an after party. Would this be an after party of two? LOL. No thanks.

I escaped for a smoke and got cornered into a conversation with an African soccer player by way of London via Pasadena. I felt bad, it was the kind of conversation you can’t get out of unless you’re a total douche-bag. He asked me to dance and I felt bad saying no, so I danced one song and escaped to the bathroom. We girls have it easy. The powder-room continues to be an excellent escape plan; as if guys think we must have bladders the size of a pea; or that powdering our noses is of the utmost importance. I guess it is, except the bathroom didn’t have a mirror. I lost him. He was a nice guy, but I’m off the market and even I wasn’t, he wasn’t my type. At all.

I left shortly after that. I wasn’t feeling the music and even though the crowd was generally nice and cool, I didn’t feel like staying. I stopped off at the 7-11, bought a water and super vitamin pack. Yes, this is how you avoid a hangover in the morning. Seeing as I’m a lightweight, I’ll end up with a hangover after just one drink. Or at least a nagging headache. I drove home to the tunes of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. Damn, I was hoping this club would have played more mainstream 60′s like The Hollies, The Kinks, The Troggs, anything from the Manchester 60′s, or soul. Nothing like that. It was mostly psychedelic garage rock and French Ye-Ye music; which is fine, but I just wasn’t into it last night. And frankly, you have to be on something to dance to those beats. It’s a little fast. Good, but fast. I would have more fun if AJB had been there or I’d had some friend with me.

Generally, I can go out and feel better just for going out and getting hit on…even if it’s by mutants or trolls. You know, it’s a pick me up. It’s nice to get complimented, you know what I mean? A little ego booster? But last night, all I could think was that AJB wasn’t there and I was bummed out.

The strange thing is, now that I’m in a stable relationship, I realize how easy dating is. It’s all about contact, communication, and paying attention to body language. It’s ironic that I figure it all out when I’m off the market. Now yes, that’s irony. As they say, if I knew then what I know now…well, perhaps I wouldn’t have taken it all so seriously and I would have enjoyed being single instead of being depressed all the time. Funny how things change and you really do get wiser with age.

And speaking of age, the great thing about Mod clubs is that the crowd is generally older, so I wasn’t the oldest person there. That’s nice. Zach filled me on some L.A. Mod club history and how back in the day, greasy rocker dudes would have gotten their asses kicked by the Mods just for showing up. He also told me about how Mods would keep razor blades under their lapels in case a brawl broke out. It’s the Mod equivalent to Cholas keeping razor blades in their huge hair. How things have changed. Yeah, nothing’s as good as it used to be. It’s the same sad story everyone over 30 talks about. The times? They are a’changin’.

BTW, I got lots of compliments on my black and white, 50′s, daisy dress. Thank you Enid and Edgar!

CreativeJobsCentral.com and The Cure suck

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A few months after I was released from my obligation with Hot Topic, I found an interesting job site. I’d already made the decision to freelance, but figured it couldn’t hurt to use job sites – what if a really great job popped up? A really good one? I’d take it. Someone told me about CreativeJobsCentral.com and as a matter of happenstance, they had a section especially for photographers. Low on cash, I thought I’d sign up for a few months to see if I liked it. Accidentally, I signed up for 6 months which cost about $78.00. After a few months, I realized the site wasn’t worth the HTML it was written with, so I canceled my subscription. I didn’t hear from them again until last week a mysterious charge appeared on my bank statement. CreativeJobsCentral.com had charged me another $78.00.

I called my bank immediately and they recommended I call CreativeJobsCentral.com and ask for a reimbursement. I did and CreativeJobsCentral.com said they’d refund my money in about 10 business days. In the meantime, I’m accruing NSF fees at the rate of $32.00 per day. I am currently in a deficit. Once CreativeJobsCentral.com refunds my money, I have to submit a claim to my bank asking for the NSF charges back. Meanwhile, I can’t deposit money into my account because it’ll get eaten by the NSFs. I asked CreativeJobsCentral.com to pay for the NSFs and they won’t do it. They’re mistake, my suffering.

That said, CreativeJobsCentral.com is a total waste of time. In all the time I was subscribed, not one job jumped out and screamed at me. In fact, I did better finding work at free sites.

And now for something new…um, old?

The Cure released yet another new album this week. Is this number 57? I lost track. I stopped listening to The Cure after Wish (1992), which I didn’t really like, but bought anyway because I was hoping it would be good. It was alright. Everything after that has been, what one reviewer called “phoned in” and I have to agree. Nothing Robert and the gang have released in the last 10 years has been worthy of the memories I associate with The Cure…and not even close. I sampled the new album on iTunes, you know, just in case I might want to download it from a disreputable source…but nah, I’ll pass. Just as I’ve passed on every other Cure album since Wish.

And this, my friends, makes me a sad Cure fan. I mean, you know, sadder than most Cure fans. I used to love The Cure. Love, like the poets talk about. I’d stare at my Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me poster and dream of kissing him, kissing him, kissing him. Everything they did was art and I knew, undoubtedly, that I would love The Cure forever. I was a teenager at the time. We tend to make promises we can’t keep when we’re young and love is fleeting.

The Cure is a classic example of the failure of the “quit while you’re ahead” saying. Take your chips and cash out before you lose it all! It’s the law of Vegas and should be the law of the music industry. I don’t know who to blame, Geffen Records or Robert Smith? I can’t help but think that this is all Robert’s doing. You’d think that after 30 years on the field and 12 successful albums later, you’d be able to write your own meal ticket. You’re on top of the world, you’re selling out stadiums…so why make a new album that sounds exactly like the last one? And the one before that? I don’t get it. What I love about David Bowie so much is that he is constantly altering himself. Every new album, we get a new Bowie and the songs may not be Top of the Pops, but it’s different and most of it is actually quite good. It’s different, anyway. The thing is, he tries to reinvent himself and reflect his life at that current stage. His last release, Reality (2003) felt more like a swan song, but somehow seemed like a fitting end. You feel like he’s constantly challenging himself rather than rehashing the hits. Now, The Cure? They’re a bunch of rehashers.

4:13 Dream is getting good reviews. NME is saying it’s a call-back to old Cure. Eh, I don’t think so. That is, unless you consider Bloodflowers “old Cure”. I don’t trust reviewers. Having been one myself, I know how much flak you receive for giving a bad review or (heaven forbid) saying what you really think. Official reviews are often laced with pressure to perform and the necessity to keep one’s job. User reviews on random sites? Actually, a little more trustworthy.

I won’t pay for the new Cure album. I might find another way to procure it. I’ll do it because even though the samples sound disappointing, even after all these years, I’m still willing to give The Cure another chance. Although, at this stage of the game, I’m not sure why.

A user review from iTunes that I wholeheartedly agree with:

Yes We Can Has

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I started writing a post this morning about how I was in a bad mood, but then realized it was no better than a conversation with Buzz Killington. Then I stopped and started doing some real work. I do that a lot. Start blogs and don’t finish them. At the moment, I have over 40 unfinished blog entries.

Thanks to @tjcrowley for this which has made my day (or at least a small portion of it):

As you can see, it’s Obama in LOLspeak. Get it? No? Go here. It’s Funny. I would like to has one. Find and buy here.

Gingerbread Latte Time

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I was never a huge fan of Ginger-anything until I got older. Not Ginger Snaps, sushi ginger, gingerbread, ginger ale, nothing. Then all of a sudden, it was like this revelation: Ginger rules. I frickin’ love it! I can pretty much eat anything with ginger in it cause it’s so good.

One of my favorite times of the year is Starbucks’ Gingerbread Latte Time. While I make a minor effort to ignore the convenience of Starbucks and visit local coffee cafes, I find that since Starbucks has put most of them out of business, it’s just easier this way. Besides, as a global conglomerate, they’re not half bad. Along the lines of Apple Computers and Whole Foods. They’re not perfect, but they try and I do appreciate that they use free trade coffee and simply by their presence, make a neighborhood nicer. Yeah, yeah, they’re evil. I know. I also mustn’t forget that their so-called “free” Wi-Fi means buying a Starbucks giftcard which means it’s not really free and then, once you do go ahead and buy the card, you can’t get online anyway.

I digress. It’s Gingerbread Latte Time. On Saturday, while in Vegas, AJB and I walked into a Starbucks and lo, there it was! Gingerbread Lattes…wait…what? Ginger Snap Lattes? What the? Changed? Why? I asked the girl what the difference was and she explained that it’s exactly the same except that they now include crystallized ginger in the mix. Hurm. Lame. I’d try it anyway. Yeah, it’s exactly the same except with the crystallized ginger. *shrugs* However, at the end of your beverage drinking experience, you end up with these gummy little balls of ginger which are odd after a warm latte. Reminds one of Boba Tea with those tapioca balls that always catch you off guard.

I’ve been laying off the soy lattes for a while now. I was once heavily addicted to them and would partake in their comforting warmth at least 4 times per week. I’m now down to about one a month. I hadn’t anticipated Gingerbread Latte Time. I now face a serious predicament. I love Gingerbread Latte Time and it makes me happy, but I fear that my vegetarian addiction to soy might be actually harming me on a hormonal level – at least, that’s what they’re saying these days. It could all change next year.

As an added bonus, Coffee Mate releases a selection of holiday favorites including Gingerbread. My fave. I’ve also started laying off the Coffee Mate cause it’s fattening and full of all kinds of harmful sugar-free, fat-free, made-up foods. Yeah, but it’s so frickin’ delicious. And Gingerbread Coffee Mate always sells out, so I tend to stock up. No, I couldn’t resist. And you know what? I don’t feel bad about it. Well, no. I take it back. I do feel a little bad. I’ve been really trying to eat better and get healthy, so Coffee Mate sends me back a step or two. I’m not going to give up coffee and apparently, I’m also not going to give up Coffee Mate holiday faves.

All this means that the holidays are here. Yikes! Old Town Pasadena already has their effiminent holiday deers perched on buildings ready to strike holiday cheer into your still beating heart. “Hi guys,” it seems to say. “Thanks for shopping in Old Town Pasadena today! See you soon!” There it sits atop a gigantic red Christmas ball, waving merrily down at you, except you can’t hear the way his voice sounds in my head. Think Paul Lynde meets Carson Kressley with a dash of Ethel Merman. Oh, like you’re so special? Why? Cause you have gigantic Christmas balls? Oh deer, it’s not about you. It’s that your owners put you up two days after Halloween and totally ignore Thanksgiving. The crafts stores are already ablaze with holiday lights and Christmas music. *sigh* The holidays come much too quickly for my taste. I can’t seem to bring myself to shop anytime before December 1st. I also refuse to listen to Christmas music until that time. So there. Take that, merchants of the world!

MMM. Gingerbread lattes. It’s like a warm hug on a cold day.