new perspectives and seeing red

every day i look at the calendar like a little kid who just can't wait for christmas. glowing like a set of blinking x-mas lights are the following words in red on friday, august 26th: vida vegan con . this is just a few weeks away, and i can't believe i'm going. i really thank my loving spouse, friends, and online community for encouraging me to not give up and to keep entering contests so i could go. mr. j. told me if i won a ticket, he would make sure i had plane fare. he worked REALLY hard-(overtime!) and made it happen for me and i'm so grateful for that. it is going to be amazing to see my fellow bloggers in the flesh, learn a thing or two from some role models, and eat super amazing food! i'm planning on bringing a video camera to catch some of the sights and do some video diary stuff while i'm there!

i also look at my tomato plants a few times a week. i want to see red. but i see lots of green fruits that are not red and i pout. i also see blossom end rot (photo above) which is the result of Ca/Mg deficiencies, erratic watering, and THE HEAT, which also makes me frowny. since i'm pretty good about feeding and watering my babies, i know that the heat is shutting my plants down and making them incapable of absorbing the needed nutrients which makes that ugly burnt mark at the bottom of those 'maters.
i have been seeing red. red on my head. nope, not a dr. seuss reference. i'm pretty much sold on light mountain red henna for my hair. just look at your sexy author busily blogging with that wrap on the noggin. this brand is pretty cheap-$6.49 retail, and a little goes a long way. the color is solid and lasts a while. that shot was taken almost 9 weeks ago.

my only complaint about the henna is the time involved. you have to heat water in a non metal container, mix the henna in and let it cure for at least a couple of hours. it looks like poo when it is done curing, and then you have to slather it on and let it sit a couple of hours with some plastic on to keep the heat on the hair. so don't do henna and think you'll be done in 30 minutes, it ain't gonna happen.

back to VVC. this IS a blogging conference, so i have been severely meditating about my blog and have come up with some goals i'd like to accomplish while i'm in PDX. these are in no particular order:

• give out some sort of memorable thing with thatpainintheassvegan.blogspot.com on it. probably a funny post card.
  
• nom the hell out of some voodoo doughnuts.
• have a nosh at a really good taco food cart. i wanna look like i was mauled by a giant plate of nachos.
  
• buy a copy of kittee's new ethiopian GF 'zine and have her autograph it for me. i'll probably obtain an extra copy to give away once i return!
  
• meet some of my best bloggin' buddies and fellow ppk comrades, specifically bianca, mo, and tofumom.
• admire vegan cookbook celebrities from a distance. i'm pretty outgoing online, but i'm pretty sure i'll be reserved in person. i don't anyone to know how crazy i really am.
  
• do something about my photography skills. my food porn pics suck! i want to learn how to take prettier photos.
• i want to get more people to read this blog and make enough money from foodbuzz to make monthly sizable donations to my local food bank or animal shelter. i know this involves more giveaways, video blogging, and possibly a podcast.
• network with people about private chef services or food writing. momma needs to think about her future. i'm happy as a gardening nerd, but i know i have talents that can be used elsewhere.
  
• sleep in past 7am, something i have not done in at least a year.

for the last bit of red: behold the red avocado. whuuuuut? yes, i scored these at the food bank with some amount of suspicion. i figured if they didn't turn out to be good enough to eat, i could always use them for a facial masque. well, they were pretty good. not your typical avocado--a little more watery, slightly sweet, and a tad gelatinous. would probably make a mean popsicle. i used some for guac, and put the rest in the freezer. look at the size of that thing! i put my kitchen shears next to it to show scale. i would say 1 fruit yields almost 2 cups of gnawsome avocado flesh.
i'm also having a bake easy on the 13th to expose some peeps to the world of vegan baked goods and try to scrape together some last minute money for the trip.