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Wrap It Up
January 02, 2007
Another year has passed, and it seems like a blur. Curve balls were thrown, major improvements were made, and I must say, the year ended on a high note. One thing is certain; I didn't travel nearly enough. I hope to take advantage of as many travel opportunities as possible in the coming year. I want to do bigger and better things in life, but haven't quite figured out how or what. Having my career take up too much of my time has left me feeling Pretty Vacant. Such is life, I suppose. I intend to get that balance figured out sooner rather than later. I enjoy what I do, but I'm not satisfied with what I've done. Chasing that almighty dollar makes me feel like a schmuck for the most part.
I spent the last week of 2006 taking a road trip back home to San Diego. Just me, my dog, and 2,400 miles of choked interstate. Visiting my home town is always difficult. Time spent with family and friends never seems adequate. The question of whether or not I plan to move back is inevitably raised. The thought is bitter sweet. Such a different vibe, mentality, and way of life in that region of the country. There are a lot of things I appreciate, but the blatant disregard for preserving those beautiful surroundings is pretty tough to swallow. It seems to be the furthest thing from people's minds, or maybe that's just what I experienced. The morning I left, I was in the costal town of Encinitas. I stopped on Highway 101 and got a bagel and coffee. It was a perfect sunny day, and it made hitting the road back to Seattle a little difficult. Funny how your perspective can change when you're in these little pockets of the world, and how quickly you forget what lies just beyond the city limits.
Both family and friends were really open-minded about the vegetarian thing. Mom had the fridge stocked with all sorts of good stuff to eat, from a block of tofu to Gardenburgers. Incidentally, it's funny how people tend to get stuck on one food item, like tofu, and think it's all a vegetarian eats (though I do love the stuff). Friends that I shared meals with were genuinely curious about my decision to stop eating meat. It was really refreshing to have intelligent conversations on the topic, instead of being called a name or having someone who has never done any research on the topic argue their point of view. It is, after all, my diet, and it's a little weird when people get up in arms about it. I guess I do get a little freaked out when people say that they hate tomatoes. What's wrong with you people?! While I was down there, I picked up a copy of VegNews because they had an article (PDF link) on places to eat around town. I managed to try one of the restaurants they recommended; a veg-friendly Mexican restaurant called Rancho's. YUM.
I came home Saturday, bleary eyed and feeling scuzzy. Kim had prepared a Celebration Roast Pasty with cranberry chutney, vegetables, mashed potatoes, and Tofurkey gravy. Damn that girl can cook a mean supper.
In case you haven't noticed, I've fallen way behind on my monthly music round up. November was pretty slow for new releases, but I grabbed some good music in the month of December. I'll try and get a few of these gems written up when I feel inspired to do so.
Posted by Aaron on January 2, 2007 03:02 PM| Permalink