Vegan weekend in Jacksonville...

Last weekend Shirley and I popped up to Jacksonville to take in the VegFest,see some friends who were working up there for a while, catch a pre-release screening of Forks Over Knives (opening in March 2011), and spend a little time spacing out looking at the ocean.

We've been vegan for about a year and a half, so were eager to check out the VegFest on Saturday. It was apparently about half the size of Tampa's VegFest, but considering it was the first year for the event, it was still rather nice (Shirley had gone to the Tampa event, but I'd been working that Saturday). There were several booths serving free samples of vegan food (all gone when we showed up), booths selling vegan snacks and meals, various demonstrations of vegan cooking, info about animal rescue, vegan cosmetics (not made from animals, nor tested on animals), and various other displays. I got to meet Robert Cheeke (vegan bodybuilder, author, and all-round nice guy), which was quite nice.

Saturday evening, we attended a screening of Forks Over Knives. This is an extremely well-done film documenting some of the work of Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, who met only after each had arrived at the same conclusion after decades of research (Campbell) and clinical work (Esselstyn): that a plant-based diet is the only logical choice for optimal health.

The other thing we did (aside from enjoying being by the ocean) was to work on the website for Shirley's new business VerteJust. The site is quite basic at the moment, but it is to a state that will allow chiropractors to purchase the anterior adjustment aid that Shirley has started making. I was not surprised to note that it is much more pleasant working on the computer when the sound and scent of the ocean is just out the open door, and I can look at the waves from time to time for the tranquil feeling that only the ocean can bring.

And finally, on way back home on Sunday, we stopped in Orlando to enjoy a fantastic vegan brunch at Ethos (completely vegan restaurant with amazing ambiance to go with the delicious vegan food).