TS and I leave for our California trip on Friday. We are not even kidding ourselves into thinking this is going to be a relaxing vacation by any means. No way. We are cramming in everything we can into 9 days, then taking a red-eye back Saturday/Sunday and heading back into work the next day. We're going to be exhausted.

And it is totally going to be worth it. I cannot wait.

Friday, we get up balls early at 4:30 a.m. and have a 6:50 flight out to San Diego. We'll be visiting Sarah and Rob while in San Diego... I love that we'll have local tour guides! I'm pretty much doing no work in planning that leg of the trip (aside from making plans for a baseball game). I'm leaving my itinerary in the trusty hands of Sarah. I am sure they will involve yummy Mexican food and margaritas somewhere along the way.

Monday, we head up to L.A. to visit Ben. Ben has somewhat recently moved out to L.A. (and by "recently," I mean months ago, already), so he allegedly hasn't been around town enough yet to gives us ideas on what to do. TS and I have Venice boardwalk, the Farmers Market, and Runyon Canyon on our list. And hopefully some ice cream sandwiches if we can work them in.

Wednesday, we're going the trip along the coast from L.A. to Monterey, then staying with some friends about an hour from Monterey. Friday we head out to San Francisco for the last part of our trip, where we'll see Alcatraz, a baseball game, and work on making our butts look fabulous by trekking up and down all those hills. We fly out late Saturday, so we'll have about two full days in San Francisco.

And then we get home Sunday morning, I go off to book club, then come home and unpack, do laundry, and go to bed. Monday is back to work.

I kind of need a nap just thinking about it all.

After seeing Zoot's and Ashley's lists, I knew I wanted to do the "101 Things in 1001 Days" project myself. This past week was the SIXTH anniversary of my first post on this website... my sixth "blogiversary." I wanted to do something to mark the occasion so I figured it was the perfect time to do my 101 in 1001 list. Unfortunately, creating the list took much longer than I expected... even though I blatantly stole many ideas from other 101 in 1001 lists I've found.

Here are the project guidelines:

The Mission: Complete 101 preset tasks in a period of 1001 days.
The Criteria: Tasks must be specific (i.e. no ambiguity in the wording) with a result that is either measurable, or clearly defined. Tasks must also be realistic and stretching (i.e. represent some amount of effort on your part.)

Start date: June 27, 2009
End date: March 24, 2012 (shortly after my 32nd birthday... wow!)

I've posted my list below and will keep coming back to update...

1. Outdoor movie nights!
2. A weekend free to do whatever I want.
3. Still staying on track with my 10-miler training. (Up to 3.5 miles with no leg pain!)
4. Going on a 20 mile bike ride and not falling... when it's been about 15 years since I've really ridden a bike.
5. Getting lots of great ideas from friends for our California trip.

(Grace in Small Things is a daily reminder to take notice of the positive things we tend to overlook.)

TS discovered this website for the first time the other day.

Actually "discovered" isn't really an accurate term. Somebody sent him a link to it.

Now, to be fair, TS has known about this website for years. I've asked him several times if he had any interest in seeing it or reading it and he doesn't. According to him, I tell him everything anyway, why does he need to read it too? (Valid point.) I asked him if he's going to read it now that he actually has a link to it, but his response was the same.

But I impressed him with my mad website designing skillz. (Hee.) And he thought my anniversary post was pretty darn cute. He's even helping me come up with a "cast of characters" page, which I will hopefully reveal shortly.

I'm thinking I should get him to do a guest post, but I doubt I can convince him to. He'll probably just talk about the Yankees or hamburgers anyway.

My friend Dan raised some interesting points in his comment on my link to Zoot's post on gay marriage. I sent him an email in response, then realized that it would probably make sense to put it here too. I will admit that I kind of wrote in on the fly, so there may be some errors here and there in my logic. Please feel free to poke holes in my argument (although, I may try to fill them/justify myself). I encourage people to present their take on the issue, just PLAY NICE and remember that everyone is entitled to their own opinion -- even if you don't like it, even if you think it's wrong.

And now, my response:

As far as the religious/legal definitions of marriage, I think they should just be two distinct things. (Edited to add: This is not really how "marriage contracts" currently work; consider it my reform proposal.) A "religious" marriage means you are married in the eyes of your church and any other church that chooses to recognize it (so polygamous religions could still go ahead with that practice no problem), and then a "legal" marriage is just the two people getting a marriage license and taking the necessary steps to enter into the legal contract of marriage as required by the state.

(Edited to add: A better explanation of this distinction is a system with both state civil unions (which cannot discriminate between heterosexual and homosexual unions) and religious/spiritual marriages (which can do pretty much whatever they fancy but have no legal effect).)

Right now, a lot of people have the combination of the two -- they get married in/by their church, but they also take whatever steps necessary to become legally married in their state. But some people aren't religious, so they don't have the religious ceremony, but just go to a justice of the peace or town hall or whatever and end up legally married. Or, they are like my grandparents, who were both widowed and wanted to keep the benefits tied to that, so only had a religious ceremony to get "married" but never made it legal.

While marriage itself is not a constitutional or civil right, freedom from gender/sex discrimination by the state is. So, if a state decides to allow individuals to enter into a legal contract of marriage with each other, it must do so regardless of their gender. But a state could also say, we won't allow anyone, whether it is a man and a woman or a man and a man to get married, and that's just fine too, because as you say, the right to marry is not guaranteed by the Constitution. And really, from the state's perspective, "marriage" is only defined by the implications of two people entering that contract (taxes, benefits, etc.) But a state saying it allows a man and a woman to marry, but not two people of the same sex -- I just can't see any way that isn't prohibited sex discrimination.

As far as the adults marrying children or their cow or whatever other bullshit arguments people come up with, COME ON. A cow cannot fucking enter into a legal contract. And neither can a minor, in most instances -- that has been long established. As far as the polygamy argument, there is nothing inherently discriminatory (at least, in a way that is barred by the Constitutional protections) in a state limiting the number of parties able to enter into a contract for marriage or prohibiting an individual from entering into more than one marriage contract; nor is there anything that prohibits a state from allowing legal polygamous marriages if it chose to do so. Same goes for incest.

Now, given my belief that, when a state allows people to enter a legal contract of marriage it must do so regardless of their gender or else it runs afoul of the Constitution, the whole "federal mandate" thing doesn't really come into play, does it? If a state chooses not to recognize the legal contract of marriage at all, then that is its prerogative and there cannot be a federal mandate requiring it to recognize the contract as entered into in another state. But if a state does choose to recognize the legal contract of marriage, it must allow individuals of the same sex to enter into that contract or else it is engaging in prohibited sex discrimination.

As for gun control, marijuana legalization, gambling, etc, etc. -- I agree with you that the federal government generally shouldn't be involved. Assisted suicide is a closer call for me, just because it may invoke the question of an individual's "right to privacy," which the Supreme Court currently recognizes as being protected by the Constitution.

Please read this post by Zoot. As I said in the comments to that post, I couldn't have said it better myself so I'm not even going to try.

(You can catch up on what my Reading Challenge is all about here.)

Book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows.

Verdict: Amazing. Just, amazing. I got into this book on, oh, about page two. It is just so charming. The entire book is written in letters between the various characters, and it feels just like you stumbled upon your grandmother's old letters, tied up with ribbon and tucked away in a box for safekeeping. It is so different, yet so classic at the same time. It is so hard to believe that the characters in this book weren't real people.

The book takes place in England and the channel island of Guernsey just after World War II. It tells the story of the German occupation of the channel islands and what life was like during and shortly after the war for all of England. My grandmother is from England and was a child in this era, so it was really interesting to learn more about England during that time. I remember hearing that my great-grandmother used to trade clothing rations for sugar rations because she loved her sweets so much. I wonder if she has kept her letters from that time somewhere. I'd really love to read them now.

In fact, this book makes me want to start writing letters to my friends. Letter-writing really is a lost art form. At book club, we discussed how much more was conveyed in letters, how colorful and descriptive they were... now we just dash off an email with little or no thought at all. My grandmother still writes letters to so many people she's met over the years (even though she also uses email); I wish I'd kept all the ones she's sent me over the years. Maybe I'll invest in some stationery and stamps.

I cannot recommend this book enough. I'm going to mail my copy to my mom soon, who will pass it onto my grandmother when she's done.

Next up on the Reading Challenge: Our book club is going to be reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It comes highly recommended from the English-teacher husband of one of my fellow book club members. It's actually a young adult book and he was actually given the book by a student of his.

Three years ago today, this goofball and I started dating.

Photo by NickGB

You might even say he swept me off my feet. (Or maybe he just picked me up and took off running...)

Photo by NickGB

It would be a flat out lie if I said that his ability to literally pick me up and take off running doesn't make me swoon a little. I mean, get a load of these arms...

Photo by NickGB

Yum. (And he plays the REAL guitar too. Hotness.)

I think I'll keep him.

(Bonus points to anyone who can identify the source of this title.)

No, really, this is a post about chickpeas. The garbanzo. The ceci bean. Sounds boring, but trust me, you'll want to keep reading... and then get into the kitchen and begin eating.

I was always sort of ambivalent about chickpeas. I mean, sure, I love hummus and falafel, but plain? They were just a bland, mushy item I'd skip over on the salad bar. I never really bothered cooking with them either. (My one attempt at falafel was less than impressive.)

But oh, how that's changed. Now, I am obsessed with the chickpea. There are two recipes that have changed my view of them entirely: Orangette's Chickpea Salad with Lemon and Parmesan and 101 Cookbook's Ultimate Veggie Burger (it has a different name in her Super Natural Cooking cookbook, which is where we first found the recipe, but this one appears to be exactly the same). There are so many other recipes based on the chickpea on 101 Cookbooks... I can't wait to try them!

The chickpea salad with lemon and parmesan has become a lunchtime staple. It is so easy (5 ingredients!), requires no cooking, and is SO fresh and flavorful. I have to be careful not to steal too many forkfuls when I make a batch or I won't have enough left for lunch. I use Trader Joe's organic chickpeas, which is one of the ones Molly suggests in her recipe, and they are perfect. Not at all mealy and mushy... I can eat them straight from the can (after a quick drain and rinse, of course). Perhaps it is actually finally finding a good brand of canned chickpea that has made all the difference in my opinion.

The veggie burgers are just as delicious as the salad, if not more so. It's a bit more work than the salad, of course, but well worth it. The first time we made them, we ate them as suggested -- cut in half with the fillings stuck inside. We ended up freezing and reheating the leftovers, which left them less firm than when they were freshly cooked, so we just topped those patties with the fillings instead and it worked just fine. Our toppings of choice were pea shoots, avocado, havarti and sriracha, but I can imagine a variety of toppings would go well with this burger. I think they'd also be delicious tucked into a pita with some cucumber yogurt sauce and sliced tomatoes, like falafel.

By the way, I would highly, HIGHLY recommend buying Super Natural Cooking, or at least checking it out of your local library. It is currently my favorite cookbook. It makes healthy, whole-food cooking very accessible.

Let me know if you try out either of these recipes or check out the cookbook!

Via Monkey in a Suit...

1. What color is your toothbrush?
orange and white

2. Name one person who made you smile today:
TS

3. What were you doing at 8am this morning?
Probably drying my hair.

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
Perusing the internet.

5. What is your favorite candy bar?
A fancy dark chocolate bar.

6. Have you ever been to a strip club?
I've been in a bar when it turned into a strip club.

7. What is the last thing you said aloud?
Good. (Responding to TS asking how my protein shake tasted.)

8. What is your favorite ice cream?
That's like asking a parent to choose a favorite child. I typically go for coffee-based flavors, but am also partial to mint chocolate chip and chocolate peanut butter cup.

9. What was the last thing you had to drink?
Protein shake.

10. Do you like your wallet?
Yes.

11. What was the last thing you ate?
A lick of peanut butter from a spoon (while making the shake).

12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?
Yes, a new black work skirt and a pair of running shorts.

13. The last sporting event you watched?
Currently watching the Mets blow a 5-0 lead.

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?
Kettle corn.

15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to?
TS

16. Ever go camping?
Yes. Many times as a child. We camped instead of staying at hotels... even at Disney World.

17. Do you take vitamins daily?
No... I'm terrible about remembering to do it.

18. Do you go to church every Sunday?
No.

19. Do you have a tan?
No, but I have some freckles.

20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza?
Generally, yes.

21. Do you drink your soda with a straw?
Only if it is in a glass with ice.

22. What did your last text message say?
"At bar of Bangkok Joes"

23. What are you doing tomorrow?
Going down to Richmond for work.

25. Look to your left, what do you see?
My closet.

26. What color is your watch?
Gold and silver.

27. What do you think of when you hear Australia?
Hugh Jackman.

29. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?
I don't really eat fast food. I guess I go inside?

30. What is your favorite number?
13

31. Who's the last person you talked to on the phone?
Probably a co-worker, if inter-office calls count.

(Hey, what happened to #32?)

33. How many states have you lived in?
Three, and a district.

34. Biggest annoyance right now?
The Mets' bullpen.

35. Last song listened to?
Probably a commercial jingle of some sort.

36. Can you say the alphabet backwards?
Yes, and quickly.

37. Do you have a maid service clean your house?
No.

38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time?
Reef sandals.

39. Are you jealous of anyone?
Not that I can think of.

40. Is anyone jealous of you?
Who knows?

41. Do you love anyone?
Yes.

42. Do any of your friends have children?
Yes... and it's starting to become an epidemic. :-)

43. What do you usually do during the day?
Research, writing, meetings, internet surfing.

44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now?
Nope.

45. Do you use the word "hello" daily?
Yes.

46. What color is your car?
Silver.

47. Do you like cats?
Yes, but I've never owned one.

48. Are you thinking about someone right now?
No, I'm thinking about my answers to these questions.

49. Have you ever been to Six Flags?
Yes (Great Adventure).

50. How did you get your worst scar?
Tripping over my own feet on a sidewalk. Took a HUGE chunk out of my knee. The scar is actually kind of awesome.