Day	What	How Much	Pen	Ink
2 December 3 December 4 December 5 December	Second draft of “Grand Finale”. First Draft of “Uncle Bert’s Best Friend”.	Complete at 1935 words 10 manuscript pages	Sheaffer Imperial Triumph OMAS Arte Italiana Parker Senior Duofold Lamy Studio	Skrip black Pelikan Brilliant Brown Waterman blue (vintage) Herbin Violet Pensée

 

Advertisement

Well, that was a week. I was otherwise engaged yesterday; let me hint at it:

Day	What	How Much	Pen	Ink
25 November 26 November 27 November 28 November 29 November	Second draft of “Grand Finale” Assisting a fallen father My wife’s day surgery (two days) Catching up on the Progress report	690 words Lifted So much waiting You’re soaking in it!	OMAS Arte Italiana Parker Senior Duofold Wing Sung 3013 Lamy Studio Sheaffer Imperial Triumph	Pelikan Brilliant Brown Waterman blue (vintage) Edelstein Topaz Herbin Violet Pensée Skrip black

I had thought to have been here yesterday, probably finishing up on that second draft. Oh, well. For those who are concerned– a long-awaited gall bladder removal was the wife’s lot, and the extension of her hospital stay was an excess of caution on the part of the hospital as she reacted with unusual (lack of) vigour to the morphine. And since we’re in Canada, this all cost a grand total of $2 for parking and $9 for the post-op Tylenol III I picked up from our neighbourhood pharmacy after bringing her home at last†.

And my Dad’s tippiness did him no actual harm. He needed more encouragement than hoisting.

Oh, but look, it’s not only Friday, but Friday right next to my birthday! Let me indulge myself a little–

Ideally, next week will be more normally arranged. My lightness of tone here belies the stress felt, which I’m rather more conscious of now that I’m an official owner of An Depression, and I’d like rather less of that stuff, thanks.

† Full disclosure: The opioid-laced pills would have cost more but for some insurance provided by The Regular Job. Something like $20. So, for those in the US concerned about the insurance industry, take heart– it still has some function in a setting of socialized medicine.

Day	What	How Much	Pen	Ink
18 November 19 November 20 November 21 November	First draft of “Vacation Slides”. Some necessary correspondence	11 manuscript pages. Done and sent.	Lamy Studio Sheaffer Imperial Triumph Waterman L’Étalon Parker Senior Duofold	Herbin Violet Pensée Skrip black Diamine Bilberry Waterman blue (vintage)

 

Day	What	How Much	Pen	Ink
11 November 12 November 13 November 14 November	The Yearly Remembrance Weep First draft of “Grand Finale” First draft of “Vacation Slides” More health care stuff	Copious Six manuscript pages. Four manuscript pages. A prescription!	Mabie, Todd & Co Blackbird Wing Sung 3013 Lamy Studio Sheaffer Imperial Triumph	Jentle blue-black Edelstein Topaz Herbin Violet Pensée Skrip black

 

Red Planet Venus… wait, what?

I don’t know what I’m doing to be treated so well by the Youtube algorithm, but I hope it persists. I’ve read about this film, and been curious to see it, and all of a sudden, there it is in the suggestions panel– an East German/Polish co-production from 1960 (and thus very very much under communist influence), in which space travelers check out a mysterious message from Venus in the dazzlingly distant year of 1985!

It’s not exactly an edge-of-the-seat thrill-ride, but I think it has some real advantages over… Queen of Outer Space, let’s say. I have no interest in driving a Trabant or standing in a long line for a strictly limited ration of vodka, but I may very well try to chase down some more Soviet-bloc sci-fi.

Today’s pen OF THE UNSPEAKABLY DISTANT FUTURE: Lamy Studio
Today’s DECADENT IMPERIALIST ink: Herbin Violet Pensée

Day	What	How Much	Duration	Pen	Ink
3 October 4 October 5 October 6 October	First draft of “Tale of the One-Handed Engineer.” A quick vacation in Migrainia First draft completed Second draft of “Engineer”.	Six pages. All I could take Four pages. 748 words.	45 min. Seeming eternities 40 min. 50 min.	Sheaffer “TM” Triumph Pelikan P488* Parker 45 Lamy Studio**	Herbin Lie de Thé Waterman Florida Blue* Noodler’s Dumas Tulipe Noire Lamy Studio

* Not that they saw much use.

** Last Sunday, on a whim, I swapped the F point the pen came with for a 1.1mm italic that I keep around specifically to feed whimsy.  The fact that this pen suddenly has line variation has been startling me all day.

Childhood’s Bend

I’ve had a couple of unusually stinging rejections this week, and was beginning a mental retreat into the safety of childhood when I realized that, as far as mental geography goes, childhood is the most shifting ground possible.  Observe, if you will:

By comparison, a Martian invasion seems sane and welcome.

Today’s pen: Lamy Studio
Today’s ink: Lamy Black

Day	What	How Much	Duration	Pen	Ink
19 September 20 September 21 September 22 September	Second draft of “Rearranging the Deck Chairs”. More second drafting. Oh, it’s fighting hard today. Second draft complete (despite the anti-histamines).	729  words typed. 631 words. 403 words (plus ½ pint of sweat). A total of 3,849 words.	50 min. 45 min. 55 min. 60 min.	Pelikan P488 Parker Super 21 Sheaffer “TM” Triumph Lamy Studio	Waterman Florida Blue Pelikan Violet Herbin Lie de Thé Lamy Black

Guess What’s For Lunch?

Here’s a fun little film which should get you smiling.

My response to this film might be coloured by the fact that I’m a fan of Tom Noonan; have been since 1986 (and I’ll let you churn the internet to figure out why, if you’re interested).  And because I’m also a fan of writers being recognized for what they do, I will provide a link to the original story.

Today’s non-meat pen: Lamy Studio
Today’s ink (contents unknown): Lamy Black

Oh, before we get going– new story up on my other enterprise.  I’d say “get it while it’s hot!” but that implies it won’t be good later.  It will be.

Day	What	How Much	Duration	Pen	Ink
5 September 6 September 7 September 8 September	Ironing some kinks out of a Pilot MYU’s point.* First draft of “Rearranging the Deck Chairs” and the climax is imminent. …and now I’m right in the middle of it! AND IT WAS WRONG!†	Much labour! Six manuscript pages. Six pages. Seven pages.	All day. 40 min. 45 min. 50 min.	Pilot 78G Lamy Studio Parker Super 21 Pelikan P488	Diamine Midnight Lamy Black** Pelikan Violet Waterman Florida Blue

* Yes, I am still working on pens.  And thanks to this one, I now have to work up a new page for my site.

** This is the last of that particular packet of cartridges– the campaign to use these things up is producing results!

† I was about to do some very stupid show/explain-the-monster stuff. so three of the previous day’s pages become recycling fodder.  Such is life, eh?