last year i got a call from my best friend in the world. like so many conversations we have had it in the past, this one started w/ the drunken proclamation, "you will NOT believe what i just STOLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". but this wasnt your everyday 'snatch and sprint' adventure. she went on to tell me that she had persuaded an innocent bystander to load this amazing piece of treasure into her car...without telling me exactly what the object of her obsession was, she promised that i would receive it for my birthday when i came up to see her. nothing says i love you like stolen swag! flash forward several months. i wake up on her futon the morning after my birthday, blurry eyed, hungover, and stunned into silence by what was proudly displayed on the coffee table before me. the picture does not do it justice - smoke wafts from the dragon's nostrils and a crystal ball magically changes colors as water cascades down a tiny stream, past miniature pagodas and water wheels. it is truly a thing of beauty and a joy to behold. you can see a photo on the pictures from my profile page (i'm not sure how to post one here). i'll let the thief herself explain how she obtained the best birthday present a gal could hope for...