Coming around...

Hey all,

Well, with a lot of help from my wife, I've finally started getting back in the kitchen. I have to say, my culinary skills are a bit rusty, but they're coming around.

And... I have finally caught up with the times (well, sorta...) by springing for a new digital camera. It's a bit laughable, really... my digital camera was about 6 years old, with 2 megapixels and a capacity of 4 megabytes. It took AA batteries, for crying out pete's sakes!

Ok, I'm still learning how to use the new one. But I think you'll see some less crappy pics in the coming weeks. :-)

What else... Oh! I'm currently working on my fourth book, entitled The Vegetarian's Guide to Las Vegas. It features vegetarian and vegan options in all (well, most) of the restaurants along the Strip, in the Fremont Street/Downtown section, and in the off-Strip hotels.

It's been really great to talk to the chefs of these restaurants, and many of them have been quite willing to discuss off-menu vegetarian/vegan creations they can provide for guests.

Why the heck am I writing this book? Well, the first time my wife and I went to Vegas, I nearly starved! I mean, I had a great time, but the vegan options weren't well-featured. Vegas has a gazillion upscale restaurants, and unfortunately, the town equates "upscale" with "tons of meat".

When I first started writing the book, I wondered if I would have enough information to merit an entire book on the subject. Turns out, I have enough material for over 500 pages, so I'm going to have to narrow it down a bit.

The other thing that is slowing the process down is that I'm seeking a new publisher for this one. The company that published my first three books is strictly interested in "how-to" works, so this one really doesn't fit with their objectives. I'm negotiating with two publishers right now, but if any of you can think of one that would be a good fit, I'd love to hear about it.

Well, that's all for now... back to trying to figure out this camera. [curmudgeon] Danged electronical contraptions... [/curmudgeon]

Holy Mother of Tofu... It's been a long time

Well guys and gals, just wanted to let you all know that I am still among the living - more or less.

The surgery was mostly a success. By that, I mean it did what it was intended to do, which was to prevent further damage to my spinal cord. But nothing comes without a price.

Aside from the drugs I've had to take for pain, which have had effects ranging from moderate sleepiness to hellish hallucinations... I've completely lost the use of my right arm. It's still there, it just won't do anything. It's kinda like having a very large rubber chicken attached to my shoulder.

The doctors assure me that this is a temporary phenomenon, but right now it's a huge pain in the ass for three reasons:

• I'm a copywriter. I rely on the written word to make bank each month. Fortunately, voice recognition software solves much of the typing problem, except occassionally the medicine will kick in, and "disappointed" will come out on the screen as "This is Porn Ted". Toss in a beer, and it's all over.
• Ever tried to cook one handed? I've been living on veggie burgers and Veggie Shreds quesadillas for weeks.
• I can't drive. Well, not more than a couple of blocks. Even that's kinda scary. So when I get inspired to create some new vegan dish, I'm kinda up the river.

We're going to assume that this is indeed temporary, and that life will get back to normal in the coming weeks. I hope so, because I have a slew of new recipes to try out and (hopefully) post.

Anyway, hope all is well with each of you! I look forward to getting back to blogging full time very soon.