Runaway

Have been reading the BOLG, a name which makes no sense but makes me laugh.

Spent my weekend getting schwasted with the Moores and Luke, my ostensible brother-in-law. Friday evening after getting seriously bored scrubbing the fruit freezer at work, I spent a few crucial hours painting my toenails and shaving my armpits. Biked downtown and met some fellow GS girlz for a beer and a snort or three of my Jim Beam (swaddled appropriately in a bandanna) and some bluegrass at the last Downtown After Five music fest. I don't know how many people have gotten to this point in their relationship with various cheaper whiskeys, but they basically taste like apple juice that burns all through your chest.

So the inevitable drinking of whiskey like it's apple juice began and I, with some help from the bravest of the bunch, finished my pint in a matter of a couple of hours just in time for dinner at Bouchon with the Moores. Actually we ended up having to wait for about 2 hours for our table, which only gave us time to get drunker and towards the end of our wait I could be found sitting in a storefront singing Patsy Cline. Loudly. We also went to a couple of head shops so that Luke could browse for a tobacco pipe and I could buy some hemp papers. Upon leaving the Octopus's Garden on Lexington, Connor in a moment of pure hilarity said that he didn't have any idea that there were entire shops dedicated to smoking weed.

Dinner was, to be expected, a miniature shit show considering our levels of drunkenness. Ashley actually doesn't remember dinner at all, though her lamb was to die for. She convinced me how much fun we would have if I came back to Waynesville with them so I drunkenly biked home and was scooped up by Luke, the only one sober enough to be driving other than Connor. Ashley was asleep in the backseat. I can't say I was surprised.

Spent Saturday cooking lunch, doing laundry and preparing a huge salad that I knew would remain untouched through a dinner of smoked ribs and chicken. Both were truly delicious, but my beets and jicama were too. Don't talk to me about trying to lose weight with a plate full of meat and potatoes. Jus' sayin'.

On that note, I have been eating 80-90% raw for the past week or so. Trying to get rid of my persistent headaches and bad skin, not to mention the quarts of toxins built up in my body from eating processed foods, fast food and unabashed chemicals. For the unfamiliar: a raw diet is a vegan diet of nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits, grains (prepared by soaking and/or sprouting them), etc. Nothing is heated above 116-118 degree Fahrenheit since heat kills essential probiotics and enzymes extremely beneficial to biological existence and well-being. Maintaining a raw diet is very very difficult since it is pretty much impossible to eat anything not prepared in your kitchen. Almost everything is cooked except for raw fruits and veggies and hummus. Even veggie sushi has white rice, but depending upon your flexibility is still pretty feasible as a meal to eat out. My meals basically consist of salads, usually organic baby greens or romaine, with tomatoes, beets, carrots, cucumber, almonds, dried fruits (raisins or apricots), avocados and hummus. Add some Annie's organic dressing or some homemade garlic vinaigrette, maybe some sprouts and lentils, some minced garlic. Put on a huge plate and eat. Follow with an organic apple of kiwi or pear and some raw honey. It's delicious and I feel really healthy during and after. No more food coma! I'm also trying to do more yoga, bike, walk, stretch, drink water. A true raw foodist wouldn't drink beer, although some wine is raw (consult your local wine and raw food merchant, ask for organic wine without sulfites), but to eat raw in Asheville doesn't mean it's ok to drink raw when you're surrounded by organic beer breweries and blends.

All in all I'm feeling pretty good. I should probably do a lot more but one step at a time seems to be the best strategy for me doing anything. No one will probably read this anymore anyway. It's fun for me, I like to try new things like foods, which is why I maintain my freegan-ness into this adventure. ;)

Cheers.