Moving Pictures: Peanut Racing

I can't really explain this. It makes me laugh. I love them. This is us, and that is it.

Saving the World One Piece of Cheese at a Time... Maybe

I made these vegan cupcakes for my friend's birthday. They didn't look too bad, but they didn't taste too good. Oh well, it was an early vegan baking experiment.



A year ago I decided I wanted to become vegetarian. I didn't really know that much about it, but I had never been a big meat eater. At school I got grossed out by the mystery meat they used, and I did kind of considered the ethics of killing another animal to eat it. To be honest though I wasn't that passionate about it. I just knew that it wouldn't be too hard for me to give up meat and I wanted to try it.

I told myself after one year, I would decide if I wanted to stick with it. At times I seriously thought that I wouldn't. It's been a year and all of the sudden - I'm not really sure why or how - I started researching it more. Now I think I want to be mostly vegan.

I am really grateful for the support of my family and most of my friends, but still people tell me I'm crazy (probably true) and ask me over and over again why I would even consider it.

Here are some of my reasons:

• Farming is a HUGE industry in the US, and much of it is done with factory farming type methods. Animals are mass produced, pumped with chemicals, raised in tiny crates, subjected to pain and then brutally killed all so that we can eat them, when in most cases we would not starve if we didn't eat them.
• Mama cows are baby and milk machines. They are bred for the sole purpose of getting pregnant only to have their babies immediately taken away - how can anyone say that any mother creature doesn't mind having her baby ripped away from her? ... Well maybe like sea horses or something are an exception. Plus the cows are made to produce way more whey than natural, which causes pain. Then they are not milked by nice farmers but by big machines that cause painful sores that get infected and bleed/puss into the milk.
• Egg laying chickens are a whole other story that is equally, if not more, depressing.
  

• Then such large scale farming has an incredible environmental impact. Raising all these animals uses SO much fresh water. According to ChooseVeg.com, over half of all water used in the United States goes to livestock production.
• A Cornell University study estimated that the US could feed 800 million people with all of the grain used to feed livestock
• And then if you do it all right, there are health benefits to not eating meat.

I'm not saying that meat is a useless source of food. A lot of people do depend on it. I don't even think I have an issue with meat and animal products from 'free range' animals, but when I have vegan alternatives available why support farming that causes animals so much pain?

I'm not preaching veganism like a born again religious fanatic. This is a purely personal decision. I'm trying it, and we'll see what happens. I'm not trying to sway other people and I don't care if my friends want to sleep on piles of pork but I'm writing all of this because so many people have been asking me why I'm doing it.

After all this, I'm still not promising I can be 100% vegan. I figure if I'm mostly vegan I can make a contribution without being too much of a burden on friends and family. If I go to someone's house I'm not going to demand that their parents make me a vegan meal. I won't eat meat, but I think I can make an exception for a piece of bread once in a while that has an egg and some milk in it.

I know regular farming has a big, often negative impact on the environment, so I have to consider that too. There is so much to consider it's kind of overwhelming, but I'm going to try this.

Amesbubble Under the Sea, Something Special

(sorry my camera is dead and the charger is at school)

Last night was Annie Fish's birthday so we threw an 'Under the Sea' themed party. We go all out on our theme parties, thanks mostly to Ben. Normally the parties are small and everyone who comes is basically who we always hang out with. Last night though the front door was like the mystery door.



Every time you opened it there was no telling who was going to be standing there. At one point I opened the door wrapped in seaweed (green streamers) with like drag makeup on to find four guys, only one of which I've talked to since high school and who were always too cool for everyone, standing there. I don't think they were ready for our bubble machine, strobe lights, and streamer covered walls/ceiling, and some of them couldn't handle it.

The ones who did stay ended up being a lot of fun. We danced around and played a ton of good music. I even made a new best friend just for playing Home by Edward Sharpe.

It's weird to think about how high school is definitely behind us now. I don't know. It was kind of a random, towny night but it was fun. I'm ready to go back to school but I know that when I come home I have towny, Amesbubble to fall back on.

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike

The beautiful bicycle I got for Christmas! It's a Raleigh and it is PERFECT.

If I could find it online, I would post Snow Aorta by Javelin. If you can find Javelin I recommend them.

I had originally wanted just like a crummy city bike so I wouldn't have to worry about it, but this bicycle is my glorious. We think it's from the late 70s - early 80s, and it looks like it was hardly ever ridden. It is brown with sparkly paint! It has the cutest seat and little bag. I love the frame, and it has little details that make it super classy. This is far from crummy, and I'll definitely worry about it, but it is beautiful and I can't wait to ride it in the city!

Memory Tapes - Bicycle

Memory Tapes was supposed to play in Philly on 1/10/10 but had to reschedule the show. The date hasn't been settled on yet, but check http://www.r5productions.com/ for more info.

2010!

I don't know what it means, but I like it - life and this song


Hello 2010! I have a pretty optimistic outlook for you. 2009 will be a hard year to live up to. I made amazing friends, had crazy adventures that I couldn't have even imagined, and made some awesome memories that I will always treasure. I also really feel like I grew as a person. I'm excited for all the possibilities 2010 holds!

It's also crazy because it's a new decade. It seems that people are overlooking that. 2000-2010 was only ten years but it was my entire adolescence. Now 2010-2020 will be my 20s. That's terrifying, but incredibly exciting!

Pretty Music, Deer and Shit

I wasn't sold on the Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago album at first, but then I found this a cappella video they did spontaneously before a house show, and I fell in love (a cappella does that)

I've been thinking about it a lot and talking with my parents, and I've decided to apply to go to London in the fall next year. I had been considering Buenos Aires, but overall I do think London would be a much better decision. Now that I've got my sights set there, I am soooo excited for the possibilities! Living in London, TRAVELING, exploring, hopefully interning with a cool company, taking DP abroad, oh and learning stuff I guess... so exciting!

Bon Iver plays all around Europe. Maybe I'll be able to catch up with them somewhere...

For now though, I'm wintering in the woods. Pictures from our "family walk" in the fields:

Dad: Do you know what this is? A deer feeding station!

Dad: Do you know what that is? A deer snacking station!

Me: Hey Dad, do you know what that is? A deer pooping station!

Clearly they didn't care I was being attacked, but I know they care about the important stuff. I appreciate their help in making this London decision and in everything else... even when I do get a little sick of them.

The Music: Overall the For Emma, Forever Ago album is very pretty, but the songs are very similar. In some cases that isn't bad but these are slow, heartsick ballads. Sometimes I just want a confident, fuck-you-world, I'm gonna dance song, and there aren't really any on this (Skinny Love comes closest). Also the lyrics are on crack. I get that they are poetic and all, but you really have to pay attention to get any meaning - okay I guess paying attention isn't always bad, but you have to be in the right mood to really enjoy this. And if you're in such a mood, I would definitely recommend this.

A Tall Man Once Said

Some pretty confusing, but hilarious things...

1. Of course I like yogurt, I'm Irish and German!
2. Haha oh Cait, I can't wait for you to hulk out so I can call child services and have your children taken away
3. Julie I want you to go to France like today so you can talk and they'll throw tomatoes at you... What? It's the first produce that came to mind.
4. (my personal favorite) oh KrizzyDear Jimmy,
Sorry we give you a hard time about sleeping all the time and about being a little confusing haha. As such a good friend and blog enthusiast (haha I sound so old), I thought I'd dedicate this post to you. I'm sure you're creeped out by it... your face might even be starting to bruise because of it, but it's all yours anyway : )
Love,
Krizzy

This is also dedicated to you because you can single ladies like no other