Okay, So our friends are renovating a house they just bought, and they were kind enough to inite hubby and myself over for dinner tonight. This works out perfect, since 
we have a 5K race tomorrow that is closer to their house than ours. (I honestly wasn’t thrilled at the idea of waking up at 5am to run at 7am) AND they have a pool. This is good. I like pools. So I asked what’s for dinner. They know I’m “vegetarian” but somehow don’t understand the definition of the term. On the menu tonight: CRAWFISH. Admittedly, in my pre-vegan days I would have cracked those poor little guys open right there with them. They seem to remember this before they remember that I am vegetarian. “But you eat crawfish, right?” (this is sounding vaguely familiar…) No, actually, I don’t eat crawfish, or any kind of animal for that matter. OR, if you want to take it a little bit farther, any animal product (I figured that while I was explaining it I should key them into my obsessive label-reading behavior). They still didn’t seem phased, and will probably be shocked when I show up with my awesome vegan food. I’m not about to starve, and I honestly don’t think that they’re going to care. They already think I’m weird…what’s bringing my own dinner, breakfast and lunch for tomorrow gonna do? Convince them I’m MORE weird? I honestly don’t think that’s possible. I am a little bit disturbed by the fact that hubby will be chowing down with them, after lunch at Arby’s (uh. seriously!? *picture me shaking my fist in frustration at the factory-farmed monstrosity* Okay, I promised him I wouldn’t criticize his diet…and he promised not to be critical of mine. We’ll leave that alone for now…. Besides, that’s a WHOLE other blog for a WHOLE OTHER day.) So, back to my point: I’m bringing my very own vegan picnic. And I couldn’t be MORE EXCITED! I have a girlfriend who is thinking of going veg…so she’s going to share my grub. I’m sure that Isa’s Salad Sammies (check out the recipe!), some quinoa with tofu, mushrooms, peas and veggie topping (fake parmesan), some green beans, a romaine salad and some canteloupe for desert will have her singing with joy! I know it’s got my mouth watering and my tummy grumbling already! I wish it were dinner time…
So my point is this: it is possible to be vegan in a non-vegan world. You just have to get creative and stop caring what everyone else thinks. I know this is probably a no-brainer, but seriously. If I can do it, so can you.
