the fig and flower

28 November 2007

quarters

I remember when the state quarters started in 1999. I was living in New York at the time and even though all the New England states were first in line, New York came out pretty soon. I didn't collect them, but I liked seeing how many different states I could get. When we moved to Arizona I remember finding out it would be seven years until its day of glory. And now it's 2007 and Arizona's design is done!

I think it's the prettiest of the last five, I'm not going to lie. There's too much blank space in the other four. I'm impressed that Alaska's bear can grab that fish without getting at all wet. Is there really nothing in New Mexico? What about the famous ruins? Hmmmm, I guess showing ruins that a native people can't use because the whites ran them out of their lands isn't the best image to project. I think there should be a volcano, or at least a palm tree and some waves, on Hawaii's, but I bet that was nixed for being too stereotypical and acultural. But can anyone tell me who that Roman-looking guy is? 'Cause he sure isn't supposed to be a Roman. Oklahoma's is boring, so boring. They're the Sooner state, right? I think it'd be cool to have a picture of thousands of people running to the center of the quarter to claim their five acres of land. Isn't that what happened in Oklahoma? Arizona's has a really nice visual presentation with the cactus framing the design on the right and the slightly curvy banner, and the cute little sun popping up from the horizon. I approve! [Edit: I shouldn't complain about these boring designs... the US Mint's website has all the designs up, and there are some pretty interesting ones: check out Nevada (nice!) South Dakota (scary), Florida (what?), Virginia (sweet), Connecticut (in a weird way, it works), Alabama (there must be something better), Mississippi (gorgeous), Tennessee (love it!), and Texas (LAME). They must have like three designers... one who likes sets of three, one who likes plants, and one who is actually sensitive to aesthetics.]

The state quarters were everywhere a few years ago, but I don't see them much anymore. Maybe I'm just not looking. Despite kinda forgetting about the project, I'm sad it's over! Now we should do something else, like a dollar bill design for each. All that space to show off a state's riches! Or state stamps! But they're even smaller than quarters, and people don't buy stamps too often these days. What item does every single person in this country have to use on a daily basis, that is federally-controlled and able to be decorated? I can't think of much else.

21 November 2007

salvation

Wahooooooooooo I'm home. Got in around 12:30am last night, although the drive was nothing to worry about, just long and very neon. I woke up this morning in that "where the hell am I?" state of not recognizing my surroundings for a second, and then smiled and realized hahahahaha I am home!!! Nothing to do - well, today anyway - a widescreen television to watch, delicious Thanksgiving dinners (yes, plural) to eat tonight and tomorrow... could things get any better?

I just feel like giggling some more - heheheheheheheeeeeee.

19 November 2007

dream

I was picking up a prescription at the pharmacy. I love that they fold the top of the paper bag over and staple it twice. I paid and started walking home. Then I noticed in the parking lot there was a bicycle stand and a container of very, very long baguettes. I went over and saw that on good honor, one could take a bicycle and use it to sell the baguettes, promising to return with the profits and the bicycle. It wasn't very far of a walk, but I was tired and wanted to get home quickly, so my conscience toggled with the idea of stealing a bicycle. I'd then forever be known as a criminal and would always have to worry that the police were coming to get me. I decided to take the risk and grabbed a baguette to eat on the way. Suddenly I was biking over a huge bridge, so high up that I was surrounded by clouds, and I was in a huge group. I had been biking forever and was really tired, but there was nowhere to stop. I realized that all of us were biking over Japan and trying to get to the ocean. Finally, when I thought I might die from exhaustion, we were deposited onto the beach, hopped off the bikes and dove into the water like seals. All I could remember was how wonderful it was to be in the water, and how happy I was; it was the happiest I'd ever been.

18 November 2007

irritable

I can't wait for Thanksgiving. I can't wait for my Chopin paper to be done. I've worked on it all weekend, in between long shifts of doing-nothing-on-the-internet. It's currently ten pages double-spaced, and tomorrow I just need to tie up loose ends, write the intro and conclusion, and edit it once or twice. Then finally I won't have the dread of this thing hanging over me anymore.

My life is very boring. I wake up, I go to the gym, I shower, eat, procrastinate, and then work. Later, I go to class, eat dinner, procrastinate, work, then sleep. I haven't really hung out with my friends in a while. I see them here and there, but I'm content being alone. Sometimes I just need to be alone for a while. I like being alone. I don't like people knocking on my door and interrupting me. I go to them when I'm ready. My friends have figured this out, I think, since I sometimes ignore door knocks or if I answer, I'm quite grumpy and unpleasant. It just feels so intrusive! I wouldn't invite myself over to someone's house without calling first. It's rude.

You can tell I'm cranky and stressed out by this paper. I'm glad I'm as far into it as I am; I anticipated frantically working on it through tomorrow night. Mind you, I didn't start writing anything meaningful until yesterday. But it's proven to be easier than I thought and he's an interesting man, that Chopin. I identify with parts of his personality quite a bit. I went for a walk just now to stretch my legs and relax, but it didn't work. I don't know why I feel so anxious.

Once Tuesday afternoon is over, I'll be a happy woman.

09 November 2007

fooood

I just had possibly the best breakfast ever, despite giving that title to the concoction of muesli+plain yogurt+apple a few months ago which I've been eating seven days a week ever since. I've now decided to eat more protein in the morning instead of sugar (lactose + fructose... natural, but still) so I've started scrambling eggs in the dorm kitchen. I'd make a two-egg scramble and eat it out of a coffee mug. By the fifth day I realized that I had eaten ten eggs that week and that's a lot. I've only recently discovered liquid egg whites sold in a container... and this is one of the best discoveries of my life. Pure protein, low in fat and calories, and DELICIOUS! Yes. So I bought a carton of Eggology egg whites from Sprouts yesterday and this morning beat together one egg with two egg whites. Scrambled with roasted veggies I made the other night, and a bit of salsa... wrapped up in a small whole wheat tortilla. Ahhhhhhhhhh! So good.

I'm also currently roasting broccoli, green beans and zucchini in curried coconut milk - #45 of this great list of quick vegan meals. (I would reduce the time by 15 minutes for a total of 45 min, tossing once halfway through... mine are a tad burnt at the full hour). But the dorm smells fabulous!

04 November 2007

birthday

Well, I'm finally twenty. This feels so late in coming that I'm pretty underwhelmed... I've felt twenty for ages! But I guess it's nice to finally say I'm not a teenager anymore, and that I stand at the threshold to a fabulous decade... the twenties (dun dun dun). I don't like a big fuss on my birthday and I have to spend the day reading Rousseau anyway, but tonight a bunch of friends and I are going out to dinner at a Thai restaurant. And my mom sent me a birthday package and now I have Planet Earth on DVD!

Thanks for all your facebook messages!

01 November 2007

crackup

I LOVE this. Written by a 21-year old college junior, swear to God (NOT at my school, bien sur). Especially one part near the end.

"For my whole life I never wanted to go to college, I wanted to be discovered as a model/actress before the time to apply for college ever happened: but of course that only happens to 1 in 5000000 people and of course I was not that one person! My luck is not THAT GOOD! In terms of other things though I am pretty lucky, but not in the fame department. I just want to be known and looked up to by EVERYONE in the world. I want admirers! Since being at college though I feel like I am getting NO WHERE in what I want to do. I am studying journalism because I thought becoming a broadcast journalist would be the closest thing to being an ACTUAL celebrity because I would be on TV...oh and I want to be a celebrity broadcast journalist...not a HARD news journalist: but if I had to be a HARD NEWS journalist I would report about the stalk market because I have always found that to be incredibly interesting too!
Ugh, I am just so stuck right now and I am confused and I am worried I am not going to get what I want out of life! I am scared of what the future might bring! I know I should live in the NOW but it is tough to do!!!"

I feel like this could be classic Go Fug Yourself, could it not? And yet, it's not!