Day 4: Controversy & Celebration

As Jody mentioned, today was not without conflict. For almost an hour I was out of the competition on a technicality, which was just as I had feared. Thus far, my resolve to not eat meet has been strong (minus those painful minutes at Arbys). The only way I see myself exiting the competition is by eating something thinking its safe, only to find out later that it contained a banned substance. Today around 1 PM, it looked as though my fears were realized. The most frustrating part was that I knew the meal in question was safe. As Jody mentioned in the initial post, my girlfriend is a "non-dairy consumer," as her allergies prevent her from consuming even the most trace amount of milk (including even the smallest element of whey). The fact that we've eaten the General Tso's Surprise on numerous occasions with no trips to the emergency ward, made me think that Jody and Mike were full of compost (ugh...I reached too far for that vegan joke). I like to think of my girlfriend as the proverbial "canary in the mine shaft" - the fact that she is still alive, meant that I was still alive in the competition (and people say I'm not sensitive and caring). After an hour of strife, my vegan status was confirmed, and I was back in the competition.

To be honest, my anger and disappointment during that hour was not soley aimed at being knocked out of the competition on a technicality, but rather at having to give up my vegan ways. I'm actually getting into this crazy vegan thing. Maybe I'm just bored and in need of a change, but I'm really looking forward to my next meal. Tonight, for example, my brother came over and made a huge batch of vegan tacos. He went 100% vegan for six months a couple of years ago, and was eager to show of his cooking skills (which worked out nicely, as I was eager to show off my eating skills). This weekend, my girlfriend plans on making a batch of vegan chili and a vegan lasagna (then again, after that "canary in the mine shaft" quip, I might be fending for myself). The thought of passing up these new experiences and returning to the boring meat world really got me down. Sure, you're probably thinking "but golly, Matt, you could still eat those things even if you were out of the competition," and that's very true. Except that, if I didn't like it, I could always just order a pizza. There's something exciting about eating without a meat safety net.

Day 4
9:00 am - Cup of Coffee (yada yada)
10:45 am - apple
12:15 pm - apple
1:30 pm - Cup of Coffee and a small pack of chips (not the most healthy lunch, but there was a heated debate raging)
3:00 pm - apple (I keep forgetting to bring in my snacks, and the only things at my desk are apples)
7:00 pm - some chips and a trail mix bar (a little amuse bouche before the taco feast)
8:00 pm - Taco Feast! We used "Smart Ground (original)" (validated Here), El Passo Taco season (confirmed by the PETA website), a plethrora of beans and some of Amy's Organic salsa (which was mixed with some black beans to produce a very nice dip for our blue corn chips).

Also, there were a couple of Margarita pitchers consumed. Jose Cuervo is vegan friendly and the world is a good place again.

~Saps