Yay! We’re Dooomed!

So a week ago Thursday night Dino says “Oh, BTW, there’s this Florida SuperCon thing up in Fort Lauderdale.” And I’m like “Meh.” And he mentions that Rikki Simons, the voice of the greatest cartoon character ever created, GIR from Invader Zim, will be there. So yeah, I had to go.

Anyways, I get to work that Friday and my MacBook arrives! Yay, new toy! So I spend the day playing with my new toy, learning the ins and outs of the new tools I’ll be working with. Leave work, go to dinner at random Italian restaurant (meh). Went to the convention after work. Wow! $25 for the weekend. Lan room. Anime room. Huge dealer’s floor. Geeky music. Up until 2:30 AM consuming all sorts of caffeine and sugar. Not wanting to pay for a room, and not wanting to drive home, I slept in the van. Got up around 8:00 and got breakfast (they had vegan stuff at the hotel buffet and I didn’t go broke. I stuffed myself silly not knowing when I’d eat again.

Later that day I’m standing in the celebrity signing room. To my left in Cindy Morgan. To my right is Rikki Simons. I had a total fanboy moment. I got both their autographs. At that point I was like, I got what I came for; if I stay any longer I’ll see other things I don’t need and get more stuff and spend more moneys. I somehow managed to resist the urge of getting the Sulu action figure, as much as I wanted it (what queer trekkie wouldn’t?).

Sunday morning, I wake up and try to get some work done.  Things don’t go well at all, and I’m feeling stressed and for some reason randomly sad and missing my mother.  I go to church, and the ladies there did a good job of cheering me up.  I’ve described my church as where all the cool grandmothers go.  I was usually the youngest person there, but there was a new family attending.  It was very nice to see.

That afternoon Dino and I went to the Stonewall festival. The temperature was in the 90’s, it was very humid, and people were dancing and drinking!  There was a fantastic turnout given the crazy hot Florida Summer weather.  We did some shopping and had a lovely time.

In Memoriam: Mom – July 12, 1945 – June 4, 2007

One week ago today, I had just arrived home from church.  Dino was in the kitchen, baking apple pie.  It was reminiscent of many other Sundays when I lived back in Lockport and the whole family would all get together after church, Mom would be slaving away in the kitchen, and we would all gather for an early dinner (really lunch, but there was so much food we called it dinner).

Mom hadn’t been well.  I got a message from Dad, and I called him the moment I got home.  After talking with him, I held Dino and cried.  We knew she wasn’t going to be with us much longer.  I booked a flight for first thing the next morning.  I tried to sleep that night, but spent most of the time crying in Dino’s arms.I got out of bed at 3:00 AM and got ready to leave.  I was going to stay until Wednesday night.  There was a layover in Philadelphia.  I learned my flight was going to be delayed, so I called my brother who was going to pick me up at the airport.  He asked if anyone had managed to get in touch with me, and told me Mom had passed away that morning, while I was in the air.

That was the longest layover I had ever experienced.  I passed the time calling as many people as I could think to call.  Of course the first person I called was Dino, who immediately booked a flight for that evening.  The week was filled with planning, reminiscing, and lots of hugs and crying.

The wake was Wednesday from 2:00 PM – 8:00 PM.  From when we opened the doors until about 8:30 there was a constant stream of people lining up to offer condolences and pay their last respects.  It was estimated that about 700 people showed.  The funeral mass was held the following morning at 11:00 AM.  About 400 people attended.  It was a weekday morning, and the church was so filled it looked like a Christmas or Easter celebration.  Twenty-one priests and deacons co-celebrated mass.  She was a mother, teacher, and friend to many, and a lifelong resident of Lockport, and a lifelong member of St. Dennis Church.  The outpouring of love and support from the community was overwhelming, but not surprising.  She deserved nothing less.

Farewell, Mom.  Rest in peace.  We all will miss you terribly.  You did a good job raising us.  It won’t be the same without you, but we’ll be alright.

Ethical Veganism, Health, and Subversive Activism

As far as I am concerned, the only reason to be a vegan is ethics.  If you are a vegan for your own health, then why avoid leather or other animal products?  And if you use animal products, then you’re not a vegan.  Being vegan has nothing to do with one’s own health; it’s about refusing to participate in the use and exploitation of animals.

That said, in our society vegans have a moral obligation to take care of themselves and be healthy.   Most people think it is not possible to be healthy on a vegan diet, that we cannot get enough iron or protein or calcium.  They read biased articles about how “vegan diets” have killed children.  We are representatives to the rest of the world, and we need to show them that we are happy and healthy.  We need to show them the happy, healthy vegan kids who love animals and wouldn’t dream of touching ice cream because it hurts the cows.

Being healthy, bringing good vegan treats to the office, and sharing recipes with people, are all forms of subversive activism.  When people realize that being vegan is not a form of deprivation, but a liberating decision, they’re more likely to think that they can do it and stop participating in the cruelty that they already know deep down to be wrong.

Vegans, go out there and represent!  Make more vegans!