With autumn leaves and gasoline.....says John-something-or-other from Spirit of the West.
Their album Open Heart Symphony is most excellent and is currently spinning with the hopes that their full and celtic sound with cure the head spins and stomach ache that is currently haunting my body.
Dating a psych PhD student in my own grad year lead me down a very seriously incorrect path - he told me that studies reveal humans to have deep affection and like for symmetrical faces, and that babies are considered more ugly if they have one eye larger or smaller then the other (imagine my discontent when considering my bodies tendency to produce a significant proportion of my many freckles on the right side of my body. Oh my!) However, spending the last five days with a one eyed cat has righted in me the falsehood that had kept me up nights on end dreading the day when I gave birth to a doomed to be unloved one legged girl named cynthia. This little fellow (who, like me, will be permanently a little fellow) has a side of his face in a perpetual squint. His left eye was born a little too early - premature I suppose for it was ever too small and needed to be closed for good. A loving human mother who also happens to be a loving vet removed the forever-infant eye and closed the lid with a stich or two.
I have loved many a kitten, but none this well. His cuddles and eye crusties have been equally as endearing and I will just hate to leave his side.
I think my mission of finding a location in the C-dot is closer then my worried stomach frets. I have had three really great contacts today and I feel much closer then I did this time a couple of days ago. It will all work out for this little cow poke and her wonderkat.

But for vegan fare fellows I have some wonderful news - though it isn't of the western canada variety. Rather, it is guelph ontario that satisfied my buds this afternoon (after a wonderful run). Oh, and I don't think that it is the food that has turned my head to the world of nausea - I think it is more from drinking only tomato juice yesterday.....
So, Wild Organic Way, is located on carton Street, just a ways up from the Carden Street Cafe and next to the old Aquarius Cafe (me thinks they are the same owners). WOW as it is otherwise and almost a bit too kitchily (is that a word) known is a small cafe, with an even smaller patio (two tables with a total of six chairs) and a cute little bar inside. The menu is inconveniently located on the wall, written in the hideously 80's style neon wipe off marker that is just as difficult to see when looking at it straight on as when trying to cran one's neck around to see it from any of the second hand tables scattered in the small space. Despite the menu and the decor this restaurant is redeemed by the most important elements of any dining experience - the wait staff and the food itself.
For dinner and lunch options patrons can choose from a raw/organic/vegan menu of about 6 options plus a daily special (which they didn't have available today). I enjoyed a combo platter of one falafel ball, 1/2 of a quesdilla and a lovely garden salad. I was amazed with the raw falafel -wonderful. The cashew inspired 'cheese' in the quesadilla wasn't really my cup of tea, but overall this was a great lunch (if not a bit too much moooola...but hey, its raw and vegan and organic..can't complain for all that health can i ?) But, the wonderball of the meal was the 'cheese cake' that I had for desert. The almond paste and oatmeal crust was awesome!!! and the raspberry culle that topped the cake was so organically-tasty that I licked the plate!! yes, I licked the plate....but what can I say? raspberries are THE worst for retaining the taste of pesty-pesticides and the like...so organic really makes a difference when it comes to raspberries. wow. Great meal, great service (the chef came out to say hey and ask about the lunch). It cost me about 20 dollars with tip.
I must mention that yesterday I enjoyed the banana-date-almond milk smoothie from WOW and it was WOOOOOOOOW. Great, not too much date, just enough nanner.

By the way - Spirit of the West is playing August 12th in Calgary....need to check that out!