i had the most wonderful dream in my daze of 15 hours of bronchitis ridden sleep. i was standing in line to get into a museum or a show of some sorts and a handsome guy and his autistic brother were standing in front of me. and i immediately connected to the autistic brother. his older brother was touched that i was totally okay with his sensory seeking brother. then later in the same dream, i was bonding with a guy's daughter or niece. we ended up cuddling during the show toward the end of the dream. it was telling, as if i will attract my guy through the kindness he sees me exhibit through others. i don't do this consciously. i just try to be a kind person because i think it's the right thing to do. it doesn't hurt if a wonderful guy a consequence of all this service for the greater good though.

.is me it you're looking for?. the more things change, the more things stay the same. kind reader, my heart hurts. i pray for healing, i pray for the strength and courage to allow the cure to happen. what if the remedy required me to give up what i have and move half way around the world? would i be able to do it? courage. you can't just pray for the answer, you have to have the courage to accept the answer.

.Gratitude.

everyone gets a lot more gracious once thanksgiving is around. i'm thankful too, even if i don't express it. i'm thankful every single day. even if i don't feel like it. sometimes i think people around me have so much more to be thankful for, that it's easy to be thankful when so much falls into your lap, but i'm sure it's all from your own unique perspective. i'm typing this from my parents' heated house on my macbook. seriously, i'm considered a princess compared to others. so i'd like to remember that, the next time i decide to complain. i should just really learn to say thank you.

.lows.

day 10: friday: i like fridays during lent because it's meat free for the catholics. friday was an all day symposium. i drank about 10 cups of coffee but didn't add cream once. getting used to drinking it with just sugar. cheated with a mozzarella and cheese wrap as well as 4 cookies. there was no way i was going to make it through the rest of the day without them. dinner was good for the most part, i had some pasta with veggies but i admit there was some parmesean cheese sprinkled throughout. thought i had survived but then had another cheat with margarheta pizza. it was dang good too.

day 11: saturday: breakfast/brunch: tofu scramble with veggies, coffee. lunch: hummus and lettuce wrap which i promptly threw up probably due to bad lettuce or this bug i caught. dinner: veggie gyoza, cucumber rolls, and clear soup. i was so proud even though the sushi looked amazing.

day 12: sunday: the ultimate fail day!!! so i was feeling really run down and ended up going to ac with my parents so i wouldn't drive and just tag along. after church decided to go eat buffet which i was fine with, until my parents discovered it was lobster fest. forget it. i haven't eaten seafood in 21 days. i celebrated this victory by eating lobster, fish, shrimp, cheese, dairy, the kitchen sink and more. it was worth it. i fully expect to be just as bad this weekend in new orleans.

and that is how the cookie crumbles.

.whoas.

day 6: monday: breakfast: oatmeal. gross. will this get any better? lunch: spicy chicken patty. dinner: thai food. so easy to be vegan. i love it. tofu with coconut curry, and veggie pad thai

day 7: tuesday: breakfast: skipped; lunch: stir fry with bean curd and veggies; dinner: uhhh... i don't know, maybe leftovers from lunch

day 8: wednesday: breakfast: coffee; lunch: veggie fried rice; dinner: gluten free wrap with hummus & veggie burger: snack: hummus with pita chips

day 9: thursday: breakfast: cereal with special K.; lunch: quesadillas (soy cheese with gluten free wrap tortilla) with trader joe's veggie burger and lettuce; snack: rita's blue raspberry italian ice; dinner: leftovers from lunch

i think i've had the most success this week because i really haven't gone out and socialized. i didn't mean to skip out on st. patty's festivities. i knocked out for some reason and took a 4 hour nap waking up at 8pm. i went to the gym because i had nothing else to do. lol.

in other news, i got my personal best time, completing my 5K in 30 min and 30 seconds. i wanted to throw up in the last 2 minutes but i stuck it out because all i kept telling myself was that it was only 2 minutes and then i could stop for the rest of the night. telling myself things like that truly helps.

in other news, i got my state license to practice as an OT. it only took 4 months for them to process everything. go NJ go. so more than likely, monday will be my first day of work. i'm excited and nervous and scared. we'll see how this transition affects the diet and exercise. it might get ugly. stay tuned. and stay classy. ;)

.day5.

It is that much harder to let what belongs to us be taken without asking for it back. But the moment we accept this, we feel how light [the burden] is.--St. Therese

in addition to my vegan journey, i've been taking the time to pray more and more fruitfully. while i was the shrine on thursday, i got a stations of the cross rosary from a woman who gave them to me with the promise that i would do them everyday in a church or at home if i couldn't get to one. i've never been a big stations of the cross kinda gal, so it's been interesting doing them everyday. i like it. i feel more compassion and gratefulness for the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. it helps me to fall in love with Him more and more each day.

so yeah, i had ice-cream cake sat night. i couldn't help it. it was coldstone. my body was so mad at me! my stomach was in total knots after that. even the tea i had could not soothe it. you would think i would learn my lesson today. not really. this morning i was starving and i did good with my coffee with 2 sugars only, but i HAD to have a muffin. i couldn't deal. then my friend threw a pampered chef party, and she demoed pizza. again, couldn't resist having a slice, nor did i fare any better by having some pasta that had mozzarella cheese in it. i did better later in the evening by having bruschetta and a salad. sadness. i've been awesome at staying away from the seafood (i now mourn the loss of sushi and have sympathy pains for pregnant women who cannot consume its beauty) but the dairy is a bugger to stay away from when i'm out among friends. at home i have a better grasp on it, but yuck, i am so lame when i'm out!!! i'm afraid that i'll have to start packing food to bring with me everywhere i go.

i love food so much. such a crazy love-hate relationship!