I occasionally eat meatless meals like pinto beans, collard greens and cornbread, or a meatless frozen burrito or cheese ravioli. I am having a meal tonight that is flavored cous cous (never tried it), black beans (for protein), green beans, and probably wheat rolls. I don't know if this is a nutritious or balanced meal. It is my first foray into vegetarian cooking. I need to get the hang of this. I think I want to make it my New Years' resolution to become a vegetarian, which would mean eliminating poultry and seafood. My husband will not be happy about this. We love to go to Red Lobster, but what would I eat? Salad and biscuits? (Mmmmm...cheddar biscuits.) Holiday meals will be different, too. I usually go to my Dad's where my stepmom cooks, or Jeff's Grandma's where his mom cooks. We also have a potluck at work. It's going to be hard with all these homemade dishes. Will they think I'm rude to ask what's in the stuff? For example, I love collard greens, but lots of people season them with fatback.

Leigh must go through this all the time. She's vegan, which is even harder. There are only a few vegan or vegetarian restaurants in town, none of which are all that convenient. And then there's our favorite restaurants, which we have to interrogate before eating. Like, Olive Garden. We have to find out if their pasta is vegan. I can picture their eyes rolling. Just like my family will when I ask what's in something.

I think Jeff may feel bad about his gut reaction to my decision. He's been very sweet since then. Not that he's not sweet to me anyway, but I can tell a difference. I think he has thought about it and seen it from my perspective, and not as an inconvenience to him. I can commisserate with Leigh now. She always apologizes for being "a bother", but I never thought she was. On the one hand I feel that way, but on the other I'm thinking, "Fuck you! This is my decision, not yours."

What a great time for me to start a diary. Venting and putting my thoughts down on "paper" has helped. My horoscopes continue to mention new philosophies and new ways of life and other vague things like that. But I have to wonder. My Dad is also a Gemini (well, closer to Taurus, but still within Gemini). Does he have a new philosophy? I know I have not been able to find him a shirt for christmas that is made in the USA, which he insists on. I did find one made in Pakistan. I think his head would explode if I got that for him.