More Small Stuff

I stopped by the bank Friday on my way to do laundry and picked up a roll of quarters… coz those machines ain’t free. Far from it, as a s’matter of fact. The big industrial-strength washing machines…which I prefer… now cost $4.50 per load. And putting two loads in those machines nearly wipes out that roll of quarters…right from the git-go. This, of course, is the requisite digression to most any post here at EIP, and far be it from me to change anything in this space. But…back to the subject at hand… I was mildly surprised… and pleased… to find I’d picked up a roll consisting of nothing but New Mexico state quarters, all shiny and new as only fresh-from-the-mint coins can be. Here’s what they look like, just in case you haven’t seen one yet:

The second commemorative quarter-dollar coin released in 2008 honors New Mexico, and is the 47th coin in the United States Mint’s 50 State Quarters® Program. New Mexico, nicknamed the "Land of Enchantment," was admitted into the Union on January 6, 1912, becoming our Nation’s 47th state. The reverse of New Mexico’s quarter features a Zia sun symbol over a topographical outline of the State with the inscription "Land of Enchantment." The coin also bears the inscriptions "New Mexico" and "1912."

[…]

The New Mexico Coin Commission, appointed by Governor Bill Richardson, solicited and reviewed approximately 1,000 concept submissions from state citizens. The Commission then constructed four narrative concepts that represented the most popular elements submitted by the public and forwarded them to the United States Mint for consideration. The final artistic renderings developed by United States Mint Sculptor-Engravers and artists participating in the United States Mint’s Artistic Infusion Program were then proposed to New Mexico for a final selection process. On April 24, 2007, Governor Richardson announced his recommendation of the "Zia Symbol over Topographical State Outline" design.

Pretty cool, eh? I’m not collecting the entire set of state quarters, like some people. But I AM saving quarters from every state I’ve lived in; the New Mexico quarter completes my lil mini-collection.

―:☺:―

One of the bennies of being in the “A” rank of professional athletes… you get the BEST girls. Two cases in point, from the Red Wings… the first being Henrik Zetterberg’s girlfriend (the beautiful and [I suspect] highly talented Emma Andersson, a Swedish TV celebrity):

Teammate Jiri Hudler ain’t one to be outdone, either (Simona Krainova, a Czech supermodel):

It’s not even debatable…it’s obvious: Hockey players have better taste in women than some NFL stars.

(h/t: Kukla's Korner)