12 February 2008

shiny bits of life

The problem, bloggy people, is that I bought a lovely little notebook at an independent bookstore. This does not bode well for posting on the blog, because I have the little notebook in which to write. I would like to point out that the notebook is made of recycled paper and it has shiny gold bits on the front. I do not know why this is, but I am exponentially more likely to write in a little notebook if it has shiny on it. I am like a raven. I am attracted to shiny. I'm also attracted to texture, and I am most likely to buy a notebook if it has shiny and texture and preferably looks like a tapestry. I am also most likely to fill this notebook while others get discarded and replaced along the way.

Here is another thing about me: I am attracted to textiles. I went to the Art Institute in Chicago and while the others were off looking at, I don't know, art, I was looking for the textiles department, because I have an unexplored obsession with tapestries, in particular. Unfortunately, the textiles department was closed for renovations. It seemed awfully cruel that it happened to be closed just when I visited. Have I mentioned that I like texture? And shiny?

(At the Art Institute, I'm also fascinated by the paperweights. And the furniture. You can't take me anywhere. I ignore a good painting in favor of the daily living objects.)

Regarding recycling, I have a dilemma. I bought 100% recycled, ehem, toilet tissue. It is 80% post-consumer, which seems good. I like this planet. I want to keep it around. Recycling = good. The problem is that it's actually less soft than the Kenyan newspapers that we resorted to using during the toilet tissue scarcity in Tiny Little Town in Sudan. I suspect this is because the paper that consumers recycle is, in fact, stiff writing paper, not soft toilet paper. I am forced to determine whether I am more committed to the planet or to a pleasant toilet experience. I remain undecided, thus far, but I am still using the recycled stuff, because it's what I have.

I realized today that I have to trade in my MI driver's license for a New State one if I want to vote this year, which has thrown me into an identity crisis. I have never had, nor thought of having, a non-Michigan driver's license. And I like New State (particularly when I can call my parents, who are expecting temperatures of 0 degrees F with windchills of -15 and tell them about how it's 55 degrees out and sunny and I had to take off my sweatshirt because I was too warm while walking). But I don't know if I like it enough to give up my MI identity!

Not that I have a choice. I live here now.

All I can say is that they'd better let me keep the old license.

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