[Write the Story] Blast from the Past
Prompt: Blast from the Past
Words: shrew, happy-go-lucky, esophagus, handkerchief, shred, clause, scone, biscuit, necklace
Story
“OMG! Biscuit? Is that you?â€
I wanted to freeze but that would be worse. Before turning, I wrapped the antique pewter necklace in my handkerchief and tucked it in my jacket pocket. Plastering a smile on my face, I turned. “Can I help…?†My esophagus clenched, cutting off my ability to finish.
“Darling! It’s been so long. It’s so good to see you, Biscuit.â€
“You know I hate that nickname, LIzze.â€
“Oh, come on, it’s cute.â€
“For you. What brings you here?â€
Lizzie tucked her arm through mine. “Oh, Bis…Andy…you know why I’m here. Let’s get a scone and catch up.â€
The next thing I knew we were cozy over tea and crumpets. The conversation painfully polite. Lizzie picked at her pastry instead of eating it, leaving the shreds on her plate. “We have business, Andy.â€
“Our contract was completed eons ago, Lizzie.â€
“Oh, but it’s not.†Her teeth gleamed in the artistic lighting. “Did you not read…?â€
“I read every clause and codicil.â€
“Apparently not.†And just like that, her happy-go-lucky cheerleader demeanor shifted to her true nature. She was a shrew of the highest order. “Give me the necklace. That power is mine.â€
I did. Never sign a contract with a Fairy.
Word Count: 204
Written: 9/11/2020
[Pen/Pencil Review] The Pilot G2 Target Exclusive Dark Set
I do love Pilot G2s. They were my first gel pen love, and I keep coming back to them. This set I found in the back to school sales at Target this week. They’re a Target exclusive set with some deep colors. So let’s get to it.
These are the classic G2 with a clear casing with the retractable mechanism, clip, and the grip matching the color of the ink. It runs just short of 5.75″. The rubber grip is pretty comfortable for an inexpensive, every day pen. One of the things I like about it is the clear barrel that allows you to see how much ink you have left. These are the traditional fine point for Pilot G2s – the 0.7mm.
The ink is as awesome as always, the roller is smooth for a 0.7mm. These pens have good ink reservoirs with rich tints to the ink. The conical tips are smooth and lay down a solid line. The feel is good. The ink dries quickly. These colors are the classic purple and black – but then have a dark teal, a forest green, and a blue/black that are gorgeous. The forest green was a bit scratchy getting started, but has eased into a good flow
These are only available at Target. They were on sale last week, but even full price, they’re relatively inexpensive, about $7 for a 4 pack, which is less than $2 a piece. I love the dark colors and hope they come out with other tip sizes for them without having to buy like a 24-color set (which I would do).
To the numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 The ink is strong and comes in the typical 0.7mm. The retraction mechanism is solid.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s fairly basic retractable pen with a decent drip that hasn’t changed much over time, but it still gives a comfortable feel for long-term use.
3. Material – 1 – It’s rubberized and translucent plastic pen. It’s solid for what it is.
4. Overall Design – 1 – These are a standard. They’ve not changed much over time, which is good. It’s never been broken, so there’s nothing really to fix. The pen is colorful, comfortable, and solid.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – These run just under $2 a pop which is about on par. But only available at Target.
4.5 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Personal] Quick Update
There were no posts this week because it’s August in Texas…
Day Job had a Hurricane Activation.
I may be back next week, but it may be another week or two before full operation.
[Write The Story] A Single Parent Solves a Problem
Prompt: A Single Parent Solves a Problem
Words: adoption, grotesque, cove, snail, olive, navel, rivulet, hollow, ambrosia, pale
Story
What do you do when your kid won’t stop asking for a pet? Seriously, I’m asking because I am at my wits end on this one. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great kid. Strong, smart, mostly responsible for a kid his age, but…he’s a kid and his dad’s not in the picture. So, I tried a sort of compromise – an olive branch. I let him start with something small.
I hated that grotesque, pale snail with its rivulet of slime. But I had to admit, he took care of it. Built it a little cove house all set up in the fairy hollow. Figured out what it ate, and , six months in what ate it. He was so heartbroken. I couldn’t do anything to jolly him out of his melancholy navel gazing.
Once more, wits end. This was bigger than me. So, I did what I had to do. I braced myself with ambrosia and went to face his father. No that Zeus could be bothered. Oh, he was all “Alcmene! Sweetie! It’s been so long…†But when it came down to it, Hera had him on a short leash. But in the end, he sent Good Old Uncle Hades.
Hades took my son to some kind of pet adoption event. And that’s how we ended up with a three-headed hellpuppy. We made a deal though. Hades had to help with training and my son, oh Hercules, my boy, had to take care of him in the Underworld. Because, yeah, I was not explaining that to the neighbors.
Word Count: 260
Written: 8/20/2020
[Pen/Pencil Review] Jinhao 993 Shark Fountain Pen – 2020 Additions
Two years ago, I bought a couple of shark-themed pens from Goulet Pen Company. They were fun, and each year, Goulet has a special for Shark Week. Last week was no exception – the Jinhao 993 Shark Fountain pen with an extra fine nib on a buy one get one free sale. This time around, I got the indigo blue and the lime green, because they’re two of the better colors. And sooner or later, I will have a whole school of shark pens.
Jinhao is decent and economical fountain pen line from China. Because it was so ridiculously inexpensive, I didn’t have any major expectations of these pens, but was amazingly surprised by how well the extra fine nib worked considering it’s a SHARK THEMED FOUNTAIN PEN. Seriously. Adorable shark themed fountain pens – the blue shark nib writes a bit wider than the green, but that’s the vagaries of nibs. They’re still a good, fine line for the size and the price point.
These pens are just under 5.0″ long capped and 6.0″ with the cap posted. The lime green barrel is plastic with a viewing window to show ink levels. The blue is full color translucent – more like a demonstrator. The grip is smooth plastic but with triangular cuts that make it ergonomic. The grip design does help to hold the pen “correctly” and comfortably. The cap does post firmly, and though it’s light plastic, it’s got a good feel for the tapered body. There’s no clip to the cap, but it has a FIN!
The nib is “extra fine” stainless steel which makes it a nice line with little scratching and has some flexibility to it. The pens came with a converter, so I started the blue with Noodler’s Ink Texas Navy made for the 2018 Dallas Pen Show. The lime green was inked with Private Reserve Ebony Green.
It was a good deal with a better than expected grip and a fun shark shape that just makes me happy. Goulet still has these for sale – regularly $3.95. Shark Week had them on sale, but that’s still a great price for a really decent pen.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – It works like it’s supposed to. The nib is smooth and solid. The barrel is light but well-balanced with a good feel. The nib feels strong, like it won’t bend if you’re heavy-handed writer.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – They make an effort for ergonomics. Though there’s not an “grippy” parts, it’s all smooth plastic, the grip is designed to fit comfortably in the hand.
3. Material – 1 – It is what it is, a plastic shark-shaped pen. It’s light but comfortable. The nib has a black plastic sleeve that helps moderate drips. There is no clip to the cap, but that’s okay.
4. Overall Design – 1 – I love these silly little pens. They’re a touch long, but good for the price. Converter challenges are on me – I get inks on me. But they’re so much fun!
5. Price Point – 1 – It’s $4 full price. That’s super cheap, but only available online. But it comes with a nice little note from the person who lovingly packs your box. Mine was done by Christopher. It was very well done.
That’s 5 of 5 bronze pencils.
[Write The Story] The Crew of a Commercial Fishing Boat
Prompt: The Crew of a Commercial Fishing Boat
Words: battleship, whoosh, colossal, vertebrae, salmon, mahogany, paddle, breakfast, gathering, wheel
Story
“You sank my battleship!â€
Captain Ogden shook her head as she stood at the wheel of her salmon boat. Her crew spent long hours in all conditions on board, she never understood why they loved the children’s strategy game about sinking boats so much.
“Because it allows them to conquer their fears of sinking.†The voice came on a whoosh of air audible only to her.
Ogden kept her hands tight on the smooth mahogany of the wheel, feeling the hairs on her neck quiver on her vertebrae. “Why are you here?â€
“It could be because your crew serves the best breakfast in the Northern seas. “The spirit drifted through Ogden’s bridge, ghostly hands brushing the instruments longingly. “Or I could be here to warn you of the colossal storm gathering in your path.
Ogden’s eyes went wide. She slammed her hand down on a klaxon. “Weather Stations! Weather Stations! All hands to emergency stations. Lifeboat crews, lash paddles and keep them close. We may need them.â€
She heard the pounding feet of her crew moving to stations. Her bridge crew came in and snapped to. “Orders, Captain?â€
“You can’t avoid the storm,†the ghost said.
“Into the eye, gentlemen. Into the eye. And may all that’s holy have mercy on us. We will survive this.â€
Word Count: 216
Written: 8/9/2020
[Pen/Pencil Review] Kaweco Frosted Sport – Lime – Medium Nib
As part of the iPenStore subscription, there was a Kaweco Frosted Sport fountain pen with a medium nib. I’ve always been interested these stubby little guys and always meant to get one SOMEDAY. Well, some day was with the subscription box. I hadn’t realized Kaweco was a German company, but that was a cool surprise.
This one is the Frosted Lime Kaweco Sport, which means it looks like it SHOULD glow in the dark, but sadly, it doesn’t. The is one of the compact Kawecos. It’s 4.1†long capped and 5.2†with the cap posted. Which makes it just long enough to be comfortable when you write with it. The body is high quality plastic. The barrel is a smooth cylinder with a slight taper to the end to help the cap post. The cap is octagonal with a taper to the top metal Kaweco logo. The cap screws on. The brand is etched in silver in the cap.
I have no idea why this looks yellow in this light.
This pen come with a medium steel nib etched with the logo. I can go up to a medium in a good fountain pen nib, because many of them write finer than it would indicate. This is a smooth nib with little scratching or skipping. The pen comes with a blue short international ink cartridge included. And it’s a good, solid blue. Kaweco has their own inks, but it’s an international short cartridge. There’s a bit of a translucence to the frosted lime barrel that lets you see the cartridge but not enough to see the ink levels.
It’s relatively comfortable in the hand for being short. There is no clip so there’s no way to secure it to a pocket or notebook, so that’s a thing to think about. It needs to be in a pen sleeve or carrier. It’s small enough to be lost in a purse.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 It works really well for being short and stumpy. The nib is solid and smooth.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – This has a good feel. The barrel and grip are smooth plastic with little in the way of ergonomics but it’s still comfortable.
3. Material – 1 It’s a good quality plastic pen with refill options. The steel nib is
4. Overall Design – 0.5 – It works great for a stubby little pen, but it’s a stubby little pen, I do prefer something longer. There’s also some threading and how the cap sits that could dig into a hand.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s kind of expensive – these run the $25 range, which isn’t bad for a good quality pen (which this is) but it tends to be out of my every day price range. I would’ve waited for like a birthday pen shopping trip to ever buy one, so it was nice that it came in the box, and it’s infinitely refillable.
4.0 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Write the Story] A Creature Feature in Present Day
Prompt: A Creature Feature in Present Day
Words: werewolf, barge, caramel, housefly, awesome, simmer, analogy, gulf, femur, amber
Story
“Do we really have to…?
“Have candy with our popcorn? We absolutely are.†Mark handed the ticket taker the two tickets and ushered Cathy through the door. He took in a deep breath of the vintage theater. The smell of popcorn oil permeated through every molecule of the gilded wood interior. “So, butter or no butter?â€
“Caramel or nougat?†Cathy countered.
Mark let his joy simmer. He couldn’t believe the luck. They made their way into the single-screen theater and let the wide gulf of velvet seating spread out before them. They settled in with their amber yellow popcorn, drinks, and chocolate.
“So, tell me why this is so great,†Cathy said.
Mark leaned back and balanced the tub on his femur. “Come on! How can a movie about a werewolf versus a nuclear housefly not be awesome?â€
“There’s got to be more to it than that.â€
“It’s a puerile analogy of the simmering violence of our modern culture.
Mark blinked. It was his thought but not his voice. They both turned. A large, hairy man sat right behind them. “Sorry, didn’t mean to barge in on your conversation. I just really love this film.â€
“Why? Are you in it?â€
The man grinned in a, well, wolfish way. “It’s my story. And now it’s yours.â€
Word Count: 215
Written: 8/6/2020
Note: For Mark and Cathy
[Pen/Pencil Review] The Graphite Pencil + Paper Summer Subscription Box
This is the unboxing video (take 2 because I am NOT a videographer) of the Graphite Pencil + Paper Summer subscription box.
The Blackwing Volume 840 is for the 1902 surf icon Duke Kahanamoku.
[Write the Story] Last Call at a Bar in a Big City
Prompt: Last Call at a Bar in a Big City
Words: doppelganger, platypus, jazz, alienated, bikini, constitution, batter, temper, basin, rift
Story
Lois sat in the back corner table of the bar and watched the place empty out. She nursed her third drink as the jazz trio finished their set. There wasn’t much time. She pushed back form the table and headed to the ladies room and leaned against the basin, taking long, slow breaths. She just pushed back when the door flew open an a very drunk blonde stumbled in, giggling.
“Did you see the platypus in the bikini out there? Such a cute tail!â€
“Um, no…†Lois eased past the blonde. “but that sounds amazing. I’m going to go look.â€
Back in the bar, Lois heard the bell for last call. Any minutes now. A flash o flight behind the small stage. That would be the rift opening. She slipped closer. She could see her universe and her doppelganger on the other side. Was she covered in cake batter? Is it possible she alienated everyone in the day she was in Lois’s world?
“Come on. Let’s do this.†Lois held on to her temper. And with a nod to each other, they passed each other in the rift. Lois was home and it felt so good.
“Your mission? How’d it go?â€
Lois smiled as she pulled a tube out of her waistband. “The new Constitution. Right here, Clark. We can put everything right.â€
Word Count: 223
Written: 7/30/2020