I know that i told a few of you out there that i wasn’t going to go to the AMC due to lack of funds, but my friends Joe and Sparky over at Microcosm Publishing informed me that they are kidnapping me and taking me away to the Allied Squeakers Conference (yes, we know the conference is no longer in Bowling Green, but we still stop at Squeakers on our way to Detroit and our way back). I’m looking forward to hanging out with some fellow bloggers (mala, if you are reading, did i read that you are going? if so, we need to hang out).

speaking of blogging, things in the world of the vegan have changed over the past couple months. I’m getting back to my posi-kid self and i just got high-speed internet at home (yup, you can finally get high-speed internet in the middle of nowhere). I’ve been secretly talking with others (not anyone that reads this blog, and not using this pseudonym) about whether or not it makes since for me to continue blogging. I decided it does. A few things are going to change, though. For example, i’m giving up the half-assed anonymity. I’m going to be blogging using my for real name. That means i’m going to be moving away from this blog. Its time for vegankid to grow up. Don’t worry, i’ll always be a kid at heart. In fact, i even started a new blog a few days ago. I’m not going to reveal anything about it until i have a few more posts up and get some of the details finished, but it is a blog dedicated solely to my illustrations… mostly by daily sketch journal. That blog will always remain separate from my other, yet to be announced, blog that will be far more overtly political. That’s all i’m going to share for now. If you have any ideas for either blog, i would love to hear them.

And, of course, i’ve been blogging along using my for real name over at the Deep Roots: Animal Rights Blog. But, admittedly, i haven’t been putting as much into that blog as i would like to. We just got a second blogger over there, though, and she also wants to start blogging about the interconnections of struggle and getting more into the bigger picture things (instead of lazy updates and second-hand blogging).

Ok, that’s it for now. Stay tuned for more updates.

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone that has left a comment or sent me an email. They’ve all meant a lot to me. Seriously. I had some major progress this past week so I thought I’d share.

For the first solid week in seven months, I felt good. Sure, I had moments of sadness or frustration, but those are average emotions that one goes through in the course of the day. For a whole week I’ve been able to function and it feels great. I thought I’d share some of the things that have helped me in the process in case anyone else needs to get out of a serious rut.

1. I quite coffee. Yup, cold. Its been three weeks now and it has made a huge difference. For those that don’t know, coffee fucks with your brain and your seratonin levels, which are what keep you sane.
2. I cut out most sugar. I gave it up for a week and then I had some vegan ice cream at my housemate’s celebration party. She made the roller derby all-star team… its a big deal and worth eating ice cream. Since then I’ve seriously minimized my sugar intake. In fact, most days I still don’t eat any at all.
3. Replaced coffee and sugar with lots of fruit, lots of herbal tea, and four meals a day
4. I go outside for at least 30 minutes a day. Its been warm enough to go out, so I’m taking advantage.
5. I have at least one cup of nettle and gotu kola tea a day.
6. I started taking a multivitamin and a chromium supplement. I don’t remember what the chromium was for, but probably something to do with helping seratonin levels.
7. I watched The Science of Sleep for the first time. I know that it can be awkward at times, but the main character, Gael Garc&iacutea Bernal, helped me remember that I’m not the only crazy one… and there is genius in the lack of sanity. Plus I got to watch two hotties doing cute stuff.
8. I spend at least 30 minutes a day reading Watership Down.

That’s about it. I keep telling myself I’m going to start getting more exercise again (living in the middle of nowhere I do a lot more driving than I’m used to), but that will probably come once the weather is consistently above 50.

In other news… I won’t go into details, but the love of my life, Osil (pictured left), is recovering from a skin disorder (and some as yet unknown cause) which caused her to bleed a lot. Wish her well in her recovery.