you know, i wish i hadn't thrown out that collection of miniature useless plastic figureines that come in happy meals. lillian and i between us had a huge one, because besides being your average spoilt american kids, lillian adored cartoons, so she'd always buy old ones second hand at sf conventions.

i could take them in my pencil case, and then just calmly set them all out in a row.

in fact, i used to do that when i was 14. i had a handful of little sand-filled turtles, frogs and lizards, plus two rubber galapagos tortoises (aristurtle and baby turtle), and a sea turtle (marina), and they always had to be around the edges of my desk for good luck. i wish i knew where they were. ("dear mom, could you get my box of stuffed animals out of the attic and mail me the following as soon as possible?")