Greetings from Alabama…
It’s a long way from Kansas… and an even longer way from New York City… but it’s been quite a ball. Right now I am watching “Rock of Love” with my cousin (who is in love with Brett Michaels) and her battered boyfriend who was bull riding this afternoon. I don’t know what horrifies me more: the bull riding, my cousin’s crush, or the trash on the TV. Probably the latter two. This really, really troubles me. But “Girls Next Door” is starting… I am saved.
Yesterday my cousin and her boyfriend took me trail riding. I am not into riding horses because I don’t think animals should be ridden or killed (all that leather!). Oh yeah, I’m terrified, too. But horses are central to my cousin’s life (she’s a fantastic rider and a vet to-be) and I do love my cousin very much. So she and her boyfriend put me on old Duke, the oldest, slowest horse they could get. Her boyfriend was very patient (they don’t make boys like this up North) and showed me how Josie Wales would do it, since ya’ll know I am in love with Clint. It was actually quite beautiful, especially as the sun went down on the perfect 70-degree day.
I posted a bunch of pictures on the website. They don’t want to load here right now and I want to go to bed.
If you watched the video you might have noticed that I’m looking a bit road-weary… the lack of sleep and malnutrition are taking a toll. Although the Winn Dixie in Alburn is pretty sweet – they had Bob’s Red Mill vital wheat gluten so I was able to cook a large batch of seitan* last night!!! They also have a decent organic produce selection, and after being able to cook for the first time in nearly two months, I was in sweet potato heaven. There’s nothing like a home-cooked meal. Nothing.
NPR is keeping my morale afloat, too. From Says You! to Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me to All Things Considered, NPR has kept me driving for many miles when I would rather be doing anything else… (although I’ve also been listening to an awful lot of Bible radio, too – fascinating stuff). When I was driving through Atlanta on Friday night I heard an interview with Naomi Wolf on her new book, “The End of America” on NPR’s “Between the Lines” (90.1). She’s a brilliant speaker – to read about her work, to defend the Constitution, and to join the American Freedom Pledge you can click here. There’s also a great show called “Your Own Health and Fitness” with Lana Berman and Jeff Faucet PhD that I picked up in CA around the awful stench of cattle-slaughter off of I-5. Ironically enough, the show was all about eating sustainably.
Tomorrow I head to Georgia for a few days, and then on to New Orleans. I am sad to leave my cousin 
But I’ll be back in a couple months. Speaking of which – if you haven’t “demanded” me, please click the link that is prominently posted on MySpace and Facebook. I am booking my summer tour, and if I get enough demands in your city I’ll be sure to make it a stop!
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR VOTING! We’ve been maintaining a steady lead, which is really exciting for me because I’ve never won anything. I got two lottery cards a couple days ago in Soddy Daisy, TN and I lost, but I didn’t mind so much because I thought that, in terms of probability and odds, maybe that would increase my chance of winning this… or something like that… but I guess this is different because it’s a vote and not a luck thing. Though I sure feel lucky to have you 
Thanks for reading and check back in a few days for more pictures after I get some much-needed SLEEP!
Goodnight!
* If you’re wondering how to make seitan: take two cups of vital wheat gluten (don’t be frightened – you eat it all the time in bread). Mix a teaspoon or so (each) of ginger and garlic powder into the flour. Then mix about a quarter cup of Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (you could use soy sauce, but Bragg’s is better) with a cup and a half of water. Combine wet and dry and knead that puppy! After a minute or two, portion it out into “cutlets”, if you will, and flatten. Then put your seitan into a pot of boiling water to simmer along with whatever spices you fancy. I generally add whatever vegetable scraps are lying around, cumin and coriander seeds, a knob of ginger, more Bragg’s, black cumin, turmeric, hingvastak, perhaps some fennel seeds or star anise because it is so pretty. Black pepper. Maybe some seaweed. It can be as simple or as jazzy as you like – use your nose. After the seitan has simmered softly for an hour or more (you don’t have to stand there – why not watch a good ol’ Clint movie while it cooks?), remove it from the pot and it is ready for your enjoyment. I like to slice it up with vegetables for stir-fry. Also good in a sandwich or soup… with 23 grams of protein per quarter cup (dry) it’s a wonderful meat-alternative. Mmm…
