The Cheers Alternate Ending: Sam and Diane Do Get Married

This day started out very well for me, then got progressively worse. I'll spare you my personal details (as it is, my latest blog entry came off as a long status update, oops). However, I will say that I am so saddened over Whitney Houston's death. Such a tragic loss. 

I did start out this blog this morning when all seemed so chipper, and it's a wonderful thing for me...so I will post what I had written earlier and finish it up. How's that?

So I was happy enough with my delectable cucumber sandwiches and vegan cajun potato chips that I had for a lunch/breakfast. Little did I expect my morning to get better than that. I logged online to read a few of my favorite blogs while I relaxed with my meal. To my absolute delight, there was a response to a request I had made on Ken Levine's blog regarding the alternate ending he had told us about in an earlier post. A very kind person named An, who has the most amazing Sam and Diane blog, gave me the link to see something I'd never seen before: the laternate ending when Sam and Diane get married!!! 

Here it is in all its wonder:

Wow! Just wow. Sam and Diane.

Happy to the Sun

"In this house, we have chocolate cake for breakfast!" That's one of the fun lines from one of my favorite movies, Practical Magic, and one that applies to me on occasion! For example, this morning. It's only a few weeks before my birthday, and we're experimenting with vegan cake recipes! My mom kindly found a recipe for an egg substitute online, and we made this delicious vegan chocolate cake. 

It has been a very busy week for me, chocolate pleasures aside. I've taken to writing poetry more often than usual in the rare moments when I'm not working. You see, aside from some very fun breaks, I've been working almost from when I wake up to when I go to bed. I've been rewarded with finally obtaining dental and health insurance that kicks in on April 1 (just felt the need to share that). Also, a great new writing client has come my way, which always fills me with glee. 

The highlight of the week has to be receiving an unpublished chapter of The Year of Learning Dangerously: Adventures in Homeschooling by Quinn Cummings as a thank you gift for pre-ordering the book. See her fun blog entry about her offer for readers who pre-order the book. The chapter itself is so hilarious that it's worth the price of the whole book in and of itself. I have to recommend what I genuinely love, and Quinn's writing is fantastic. It always cheers me up, oftentimes makes me laugh aloud, and sometimes makes me cry. It sometimes does all three simultaneously! Just read it; you'll love it.

The week started off with the Super Bowl. I don't enjoy football particularly (okay, at all), but I have adored Madonna's music since I was a kid so her performance was a big treat. I thought she was absolutely fierce. Also, Steve Tisch, one of the owners of the Giants, has been very kind to me (long story), so I was happy to see his team win. (And I love New York City, of course!)

Another big squee moment this week also involved Madonna: She has announced her new tour dates. After seeing her incredible Sticky & Sweet concert in both Los Angeles and Las Vegas, I never want to miss her tours again. I am determined to see her in October, and, since tickets go on sale a couple days before my birthday, I think that shall be a present to myself. What, you don't get yourself birthday presents? ;-)

I also seemed to have gained an addiction this week; I joined Pinterest. 

Also, I used to be one of those people who thought that having a "dream man" seemed sort of silly. Yeah, standards are fine and good, but, if you are looking for a "dream man," how can you actually love the person you do meet for who they are, not for aspiring to be a fictional character you've imagined? Well, forget that! I have discovered that I DO have a dream man. It's the man who will actually say and mean everything that's attributed to the fake version of Ryan Gosling at this hilarious and witty blog, Vegan Ryan Gosling. The bar has been raised! 

I usually don't follow a Monday to Friday schedule, but I am this week so can I just say I am so glad it's Friday! Happy Friday! 

P.S. The title of this blog comes from a song called "I'm Happy to the Sun" that was performed by Woody Harrelson on For Our Children: The Concert. It was released on VHS and CD in the 1990s, and I recommend getting a secondhand copy (the only way it's now available) because it rocks. I was listening to it this morning. 

The Morning Train, an Anapeat

This morning, on some down time, I learned a new form of poetry from an old issue of Writer's Digest. It's called an anapeat, and this style of poetry was created by Susan Budig. After learning it, I was inspired to write one...

"The Morning Train"

I didn't miss the morning train;
I made it there and unfolded my day,
Disgruntled like dirty laundry.
I do not wish that I had stayed.
I do not wish that I'd never been there.

I think you were taken by surprise how
I didn't miss the morning train.
But you didn't crumble; you briefly cried.
I don't know why you held on tight
That lonely morning we whimpered good-bye.

You once covered my mouth and nose.
I couldn't breathe, but that you knew.
I didn't miss the morning train
Because I like me more than you.
Is that true? I still don't know.

The news today said a man killed...
He killed his two little boys.
My father, too, threatened my life.
I didn't miss the morning train
Because I have to make everything alright.

You once poured sweet tea over my head
While I was driving you home from work.
You also said I was beautiful.
I went to court alone to end it.
I didn't miss the morning train.

Weightless Daydream Believer

So anybody who knows me for a day likely learns of my unabashed affinity for Olivia Newton-John. I'm even the national ONJ Examiner at Examiner.com; many more articles are coming there soon. I collect all her albums and am ordering her latest one, the soundtrack to A Few Best Men, this week as an import. If you want to buy the soundtrack it's available by mail: A Few Best Men soundtrack on CD Wow. Just FYI. I had a hard time finding out how to buy it in the US until I asked my fellow Livvy fans.

What was also really exciting is that Olivia recently performed live at the 2012 AACTA Awards in Sydney, Australia, as was reported on the fabulous blog, The Randy Report. Randy also shared this fabulous clip of Olivia's performance. She sings a great mix of "Daydream Believer" and her new song "Weightless." Fabulous! I had to share the video. Love, love, love. She's fierce. 

I am so going to keep repeating this most of the day as I write. Yes, I have a full day of writing ahead of me, but I love it. I'm lucky to have clients to keep happy and my own independent projects to enjoy. 

Taco Bell, Part Deux

So I went to Taco Bell again. As I wrote about previously, last time I did this I came across an adorable cat who I thought would enjoy my meal more than I could. This time, not long after I'd gotten my meal and was eating it on the go, I came across a beautiful cat. This one was all black. He also didn't look like he was in bad shape or like anything was wrong, but he was also all by his lonesome. So I gave him my lunch. I'm happy to do so. (I also once again forgot my camera. I swear I'm going to get in the habit of carrying it.)

I have so much food. I feel extremely lucky to have wonderful food in abundance. I have food in the fridge, freezer, and cabinets for whichever mood suits me. There is so much to eat as a vegan, and I am so lucky to be able to eat healthy meals each and every day. 

I have the awareness of my own fortune. I also have awareness of how short life is and how precious every second is. I also know that I am truly lucky and should enjoy the moment. Yet, often when sit down and eat yummy food, my mind often worries about those who are not so lucky. I worry for those who go hungry of all species. I can't help it.

My mind also searches for solutions. I have heard it often theorized...with seemingly credible sources backing up such theories...that we could wipe out world hunger for people if all humans would be vegan. Of course this would also depend on a fair distribution of food. But how incredible is that? And how much within our reach is that? Let's do it! Oh, to find a way to make my small actions and desperate words of truth peacefully heard.

On a lighter note, I thought I'd share this really fun video that one of my favorite actors and directors, Michael Damian, made. It's fun and features an adorable dog as well. Check it out. If you're so inspired by it, you could also follow him on Twitter: @michaeldamian1.