Happy New Year 2014! (Penne Puttanesca with Charred Broccolini)

Penne Puttanesca with Charred Broccolini

I'm dating a new man (as of mid-July 2013), he's so great. I'd like to tell you more about him, but I want to get to our plan for 2014.
As I'm sure some of you know, I have many vegan cookbooks. I need to update my library list. There's even more because I have a sickness for buying vegan books on Amazon.ca. Besides that, I've begun to use 20-or-so recipes, rather than trying something else. Although I have eaten a lot of great vegan dishes that Carlos, my boyfriend, has cooked up. Amazing.

We decided on The Veggie-Lover's Sriracha Cookbook: 50 Vegan "Rooster Sauce" Recipes that Pack a Punch to start. It was his Christmas gift  from me. I bought a couple bottles of sriracha and a sriracha t-shirt from RedBubble.com to make him a themed gift. First up was Penne Puttanesca with Charred Broccolini.

Carlos made this while I was doing . . . something . . . I can't recall if I was napping or what. In fact, he went out and bought the few items we didn't have for the recipe, and he cooked. And washed the dishes.

Folks, this man is amazing.

Admittedly, I was a tad nervous it would be too spicy for me. But it wasn't. The charred broccolini was perfect, and so was the sauce. Olives are not my favourite, but they were great for this dish. Very flavourful. Excited for next week's dish.

New Project

I know. I know.

It's been a long time. A looooong time since I've last posted. Again, more apologies.
<insert nervous smile>

I am working on an exciting project, and I'm reluctant to post any details at all, because I'm nervous I'll jinx the whole thing. But please know that although I'll be neglecting this blog for the next few months, eventually, hopefully, you will see why I was so neglectful. It'll become clear just how important and huge this project will be for vegans, vegans with a disability, nonhuman animals, and hopefully will help to inspire others to help animals.

                             Lofty goals, yes. 
But if goals aren't at all lofty, why bother setting them. 

                               Am I right?

                                 Peace.

My Fierce Independence

I'm elated to say that I've regained much independence that I had lost in the car collision. 

That's not to say I can do it all on my own.
For example, I still need help with my budgeting from my sister, Mallory...would that be a conflict of interest because she's also my landlord...?...anyways!

Before the collision and coma, I was a feminist and often rallied against social ideas about being a woman and wife. I'm relieved to say that I had separate interests from Troy(my now-ex-husband), and separating my life from his wasn't quite as devastating as it could have been.
But it was harder with the brain injury recovery.

After the coma, I depended on a lot of help from a lot of different people. Besides people having to chop up my food(once the feeding tube up my nose was removed), walk me to the bathroom(once the catheter was gone and I was out of the wheelchair), I depended on both of my mom's(my own and Troy's) to help me clean my house for awhile. Family made meals for us. Troy drove me to appointments at Wascana Rehab and the hospital and to see the ophthalmologist about my diplopia(double vision).

Basically, what's taking me a long time to outline is that my independence was gone.
I was infantile for a period, and slowly relearned how to be an adult.
It was a lot of work.

What I'm really trying to get at, is that I never intended to depend so heavily on anyone. And even through the end of my union to Troy, of what I truly thought would be till we were simply atoms in the universe, I experience great happiness to be fiercely independent again.

Even if that fierce independence looks a bit different than it had before.

My Graduated Return To Work

I feel like I'm always apologizing for not blogging more regularly.

But I am sorry.

This return to working full time has taken a lot out of me.
I'm still just at four hours a day. Great-West Life was awesome, and agreed that I could start my shift a bit later in the morning so I could get in some exercise before work.

I kept changing when I was exercising to see what worked best for me and my fatigue.

***I did want to say that exercise is very important for cognitive brain function, turns out,  there have been studies***

Getting some exercise in has been very important to my ongoing recovery.

I tried getting to the YMCA before work, but I was getting up at 5:30am to get to work afterwards, and by the time I got home after my mere four hours of working, I could barely unlock the door to the house. Then I tried going right after my shift, I was only able to exercise for 15 to 20 minutes, and I'd just about pass out. Finally I was going after my afternoon nap, I was able to get there at 5:30 or 6, by the time I finally got home, and had supper, it was nearly time to sleep again, but I was wide awake. For far too long. It started to effect how I would do the next day. Not cool.
Then my counselor suggesting pushing back when I start my day.

Brilliant. 

I asked her if she had a degree or something. 

I never thought that was an option.

Great-West Life agreed to it, so I've been doing that this past few months. It's worked out really well. My water bill is lower with showering at the YMCA. Now that the snow has finally melted away, I've been able to take Chaos running outside in the morning(he's very happy to not have to bundle up), then come home and do the exercises my physiotherapist and exercise therapist gave me, shower at the Y(low water bill), work, walk home, and nap.

My doctor and therapist have both recommended that I stay at 4 hours a day for the next year. I'm still sleeping an incredible amount, and I'm having a hard time getting socializing in. My friends and blog have been neglected, I really want to get back into painting and visual art again(it's so zen), and I'm trying to learn ukulele.
I know, I'm slipping back into my crazy routine. The problem is that I love so much. I want to do it all.