A peanut says "Moo?"

One day last week, during my lunch break, there were three other people in the break room as I unpacked my lunch. The man sitting across from me said, "Well, that looks like grilled tofu! Is it grilled tofu?"
"Baked tofu," I said.
"Oh, it looks like it could be grilled. I love grilled tofu. Are you vegetarian?"
"Yes," I said, choosing not to launch into a big explanation of the word vegan. Another woman (probably in her late 20s) piped up and said, "Are you vegan?"
"Actually, yes," I said. "And I'm surprised you know what that means, since most people in town have never heard that word before!"
"Are you a true vegan?" she asked.
"Yeah..." I said. (What the hell other kind of vegan is there?!)
"No eggs, no peanuts?" she asked.
"Wait... no peanuts? Peanuts are vegan!"
"Oh, no they're not! A true vegan told me! My sister's boyfriend told me that true vegans don't eat peanuts because they're an animal protein." (At this point, the two other people and I dropped our jaws.)
"Peanuts... are a plant..." I explained slowly. "They come from the ground."
"Oh, I know that," the silly girl said. "But I was told that true vegans don't eat peanuts because they're like an animal protein. Seriously! My sister and I got into a huge argument with her boyfriend over this, but it's TRUE!"
The other two people and I tried to gently remind this woman that peanuts are in no way an animal source, and that peanut protein is an acceptable source of vegan protein. This girl just could not pull her head out of her rear. The discussion ended with me saying, "Well, I have never heard that before in my entire life." She said she'd talk to her sister's boyfriend and get a better explanation, but I really hope she doesn't bring it up again.

I've heard people insist that vegans can't eat peanut butter ("because there's butter in it! Duh!"), but NEVER has anyone tell me that I can't eat peanuts, let alone because it's an ANIMAL protein. It's amazing what little people know about food.

Missed the Boat/Train/Bus/Plane...

When I received an email from VegNews, offering an all-vegan tour of India in October, my heart jumped. I immediately forwarded the information to a vegan friend, asking, "Do you want to go to India with me this year?" Of course, she was interested, but we both needed a couple weeks before we could make the deposits and start making reservations. Sadly, before that time came, the tour sold out. It's probably just as well because I would have had to sell an organ or two to afford the $2,000+ travel expenses. It would have been worth it, though, as long as I had recovered fully.

Even though the trip is sold out, there is a waiting list, though I won't be adding my name to it. You should still check out the itinerary; it's drool-inducing.

Now that the rush from that has quickly died, my friend and I are going to plan a different, less expensive trip to take in the future, so that gives me something to dream about for now.