[Pen/Pencil Review] A Lovely Trip to Graphite Pencil + Paper
Apologies for the late date – it’s been a weird week. This weekend we took a fully masked and socially distanced trip to McKinny to see our friends at Carpe Diem Comics and to make the trek over to Graphic Pencil + Paper. The Summer subscription box is in the mail – and apparently taking the slow route. So hopefully there will be an unboxing video next week.
I picked up two notebooks, two more of the highlighter pencils from Caran D’Ache in yellow and green plus one each in silver and gold from the metallics collection. There’s also a wooden pencil from the Musgrave Pencil Company in Tennessee. These run $1.50 – $3.00
The soft cover is a hand-bound book from Tim “the Captain” Black of Stardrake Books — a good friend and excellent artisan. This one can $10, but he has all ranges of prices and designs. I love his stuff.
The other journal is an old repurposed book. The cool thing about these, is the person who makes them (and I didn’t get his name) leaves part of the original book incorporated in the journal – and doesn’t just use the covers. There were several the that I wanted, but the “Storybook for Girls” jumped out at me. These are more expensive – $32 for this one. But so cool.
I’m not going to do the bronze pencils on this one – because it’s an overview of what’s been picked up. We’ll see how they get used and then maybe we’ll see. The books can only be bought in the store – I don’t see them on line. So if you’re in North Dallas and masked up, go see them!
[Write the Story] An EMT Jinxes Him/Herself by Hoping for a Quiet Shift
Prompt: An EMT Jinxes His/Herself by Hoping for a Quiet Shift
Words: ambulance, hamster, schooner, cane, whiz, outdoors, euphoria, cylindrical crisp, painting
Story
Lindy leaned back in her seat and propped her feet on the gurney while slowly nibbling her way through a Whiz Pop. She savored every bit of the cylindrical, cherry-flavored Popsicle.
“You know we’re still on duty, right?â€
“Oh, pooh, Zeke, we’re having the best day. Just like I hoped for before we came on shift.â€
“Oh, Lindy, you didn’t? You didn’t…â€
Lindy waved her Popsicle. “A quiet shift!â€
And with that, the radio blared, and they were off on a call, flashing lights and siren wailing.
First it was the hamster in an…unpleasant place. Then it was the naked guy at the festival outdoors with drug-induced euphoria. Those cases were followed by the teenager drowning in the schooner of beer, and the elderly guy who knocked himself out with a crisp salute with his cane.
“The next time you wish for a quiet shift, do it with another partner,†Zeke said as they disinfected the ambulance after the last kid ended up painting it with her stomach contents.
“You don’t really believe in all of this?â€
“That’ you’re a jinx? We’ve had the worst day ever because you wished for a quiet day. WHO DOES THAT?†Zeke shouted and waved the cleaning wipes. “Every rookie knows that!â€
“Well, excuse me for being optimistic.â€
“Wishing for a quiet night is not optimistic it’s suicidal. Thanks so much.â€
Word Count: 227
Written: 7/23/2020
[Pen/Pencil Review] iPenStore Subscription Box – July 2020
I am still working out YouTube closed captions. So forgive me if that’s broken. Working on it.
This is the summer Subscription Box from iPenStore.com
[Write The Story] An Amateur Film Competition
Prompt: An Amateur Film Competition
Words: asteroid, multitude, bobsled, rodent, boysenberry, gut, reel, showtime, busy, spider
Story
“If you drip boysenberry jelly on my laptop, I will kill you.â€
“I have never dripped, Spider. Relax. We’ll get it ready before the competition tomorrow.â€
Spider glared at me. “We need to get busy. We have 24 hours until showtime, and we have a multitude of competition. I really want to win this.â€
“With rodents on a bobsled? Really?†I asked.
“Don’t forget the asteroid.â€
“Of course, how could I forget that?â€
By two a.m., I was giddy with exhaustion and too much caffeine, but we were making progress on the reel.
We made to the deadline. The film was to the judges. It was only a matter of time before the screenings and the results. The anticipation was a buoy to my flagging energy.
“We’re going to win this.†Spider was wired. “I know it. I feel it in my gut.â€
“I hope you innards are right, Spider. I know some of the other teams. They’re good.â€
“We’re better. They’re going to go pedestrian or artsy. NO one else is going summer blockbuster. We’re going to kill.â€
“I hope you don’t meant that literally.†When Spider snorted, I wasn’t sure how to take it. He was a wizard with 3D effects, but wasn’t sure if he’d made the leap to reality yet. We had lasers in our film. What could go wrong?
Word Count: 224
Written: 7/16/2020
[Pen/Pencil Review] Rotring 600 Drafting Pencil 0.5mm
One of the things that I love about my marriage is that Jimmy lets me know about interesting pencils. This time it’s the new line of Rotring 600 drafting pencils. He was debating between the Madder Red and the Iron Blue – and showed me the dark Camouflage Green…and it had to be done.
Rotring is a German company that’s been making drafting pencils for decades. The 600s are full brass bodies with a hex body and a machined knurled grip. The pencil is just over 5.5†long. It has a 4 mm fixed sleeve for a tip. It has a top cap push lead advancer that also holds the white eraser.
This is the 0.5mm – our favorite. There’s lead indicator right under the lead advance cap. It’s also knurled and you can twist it around for whatever hardness of lead you’re using. It comes with a solid HB lead. The clip is solid metal and fits snugly.
It’s a heavy but well-balanced pencil. It feels comfortable in the hand and has smooth advancement action on the lead. It’s a traditional mechanical pencil. You have to manually advance the lead – it’s not a knock or a shaker. It’s a workhorse pencil that can go a distance. But Rotring is not cheap. These run in the $30 range.
We got these on JetPens.com.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 It’s decent. Has a good length and solid mechanism with good lead
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – The knurled grip prevents edges from digging in and some semblance of ergonomics, but it’s still a metal pencil.
3. Material – 1 It’s solid. A well-made metal pencil.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s classic and pretty and functional.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s not a cheap back to school pencil – this is a professional drafting pencil and brass. So it’s not cheap. It runs about $30 on JetPens. It’s probably that on other sites as well. This is an investment pencil.
4.0 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Personal] Story Time
TL:DR — There are not blogs this week. Next week is a bit iffy. I’m having a medical procedure scheduled on Tuesday, the 14th, if the COVID test comes back negative.
The Longer Version:
In the realm of TMI, I (like 50% of American Women) have benign uterine fibroid tumors. I have 2 that are stable – I call them Bert and Ernie. One is largish with a smaller one growing off it inside my uterus that has to come out. It’s not causing a great deal of pain, but it does have a random series of other symptoms that have freaked me out from time to time, but has also been the impetus for getting off my duff and being an adult and going to doctors again. I have a great doctor who’s been with me the whole time and has chosen the safest procedure for me (because I have a gene that makes me more susceptible to blood clots) that isn’t a hysterectomy. I am confirmed menopausal so that wouldn’t have been a huge loss, but still don’t want to lose something unnecessarily.
HOWEVER… I have never had a medical procedure before, so I’m kinda freaked out by the whole idea. The pre-op procedure comes with a COVID test which is a Dang Schroedinger’s Cat of diseases. Until the test comes back you either do or you don’t have it. And this has been a bad allergy season for me along with hot flashes – so I have been playing a daily game of Pollen or Plague for the past month.
I’ll find out either tomorrow or Monday if we’re still a go for oh-dark thirty on Tuesday. I am on medical leave from work until the 20th so I have time to heal up and de-stress from the day job. Just hoping the labs they took – which included a chest x-ray and an EKG doesn’t show anything other than pollen-related allergy congestion and we can do this thing as scheduled. My brain could handle the delay for all the logical reasons, but my emotions couldn’t take it.
I’m a definite worrier. Health issues are one of my anxiety triggers. I am a professional creative – I am a World Freakin’ Class “What If-er”. And NO ONE wins the What If Game. My Day Job had already turned me into a stress ball, and add this on top of it. There’s been freaking out to the point my therapist told me to call my PCP and get a prescription for a few Xanax or Buspar because I “have been wigging out over my procedure”. I did that. I haven’t taken any yet because I am still hesitant, but it’s nice to know it’s an option.
So, until at least Tuesday, Jimmy and I are hermits in at home. And I’m looking forward to my recovery time to also decompress from the job and procedure.
[Write the Story] A Comedy of Errors
Took some time off last weekend and totally forgot to do a story. So here we go…even on the holiday weekend.
Prompt: A Comedy of Errors
Words: undead, shrink, quarrelsome, harpy, rickshaw, limbo, dusk, cricket, sunshine, whoops
Story
“Whoops.â€
“That is not a word anyone wants to hear ever.†Angie rolled her eyes and settled back in the rickshaw.
“Come on, Sunshine, don’t be quarrelsome. We’re all just making a living here.†Murphy smirked. “And this was faster than walking.â€
“We could’ve taken a taxi cab instead of a pedicab.â€
“Did you see the harpy driving it? No thanks.â€
Angie shook her head. “I’m…I have nothing. We’re going to make it, right? It’s almost dusk.â€
As the words left her, one of the tires blew out , tumbling them out on the sidewalk. As they untangled themselves, Angie choked. “I think I swallowed a cricket.â€
“That’s good luck. And protein.â€
“Murphy! Stop. When are you going to learn?â€
“When are you going to learn who you’re talking to?†Murphy pulled her to her feet. “There. Come on. We can make it in time.â€
“You know I’m going to tell my shink about this.†Angie got two steps before her heel broke.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.â€
Angie ditched her shoes as they headed out on foot. “I really wanted to win the limbo contest this year. We’re not even going to make it.â€
“Oh, then I’m actually doing you a favor. An undead team entered. You didn’t have a prayer.â€
“Can we repeal your law there, Murphy?â€
“Where would the fun be in that?â€
Word Count: 228
Written: 6/25/2020s
[Pen/Pencil Review] BIC Gelocity Stick Pen – 10 count – 0.5mm
Today’s pen is something that caught my eye at Office Max (yes, I know) – the BIC Gelocity 0.5mm stick pens. It’s a fairly typical, disposable rollerball that came in a 10 pack with multiple colors. Since BIC tends toward the bolder point sizes, having a 0.5mm as an option meant I snatched it up.
The Gelocity stick pen is just over 5.5″ long capped and not quite 6.5″ with the cap posted. The cap does post securely but you do have to push. The length is comfortable and fairly well-balanced in the hand. The drop between the grip and the tip of the pen has rounded edges so there isn’t a lot of digging into the fingers if you tend to “choke down” on a pen. The grip is ribbed rubber that matches the ink color, so there’s some comfort. The barrels are clear plastic with topographical type designs on it. You can see the ink reservoir through the pen. The tip, grip, clips and end caps color match the ink.
I’ve only encountered the Gelocity’s in a retractable before. So these were new to me – and It’s a smooth line. I haven’t encountered much in the way of glops. If you run your hand over it immediately after writing, there will be minor smearing-which left-handers should be aware of-but it dries in less than a second. It’s actually called a “fine†(as a 0.5mm should be) point, the ink is rich and vibrant and dark. This pack came in black, blue, red, green, purple, orange, teal, and pink. With black and blue having two of each color.
If you’re looking for bulk/multiple pens per pack workhorse disposable pens, I would take a look at the these. They’re solid. I’ve only seen them in Office Max/Depot. They weren’t that expensive – about $5 – $7. I can’t seem to find the multi colors online – so this might be a Back to School offering.
Now to the numbers.
1. How does it work? – 1 – It works fine. Smooth flow. It smears in the first second then is dry. Water resistant. Good color. Works great on notebook paper or a coarser paper with no feathering.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s solid for a basic stick gel pen.
3. Material – 1 It’s plastic. It’s meant to be disposable. It is what it is.
4. Overall Design – 1 – It’s a decent body design. It’s decent ink. It’s a solid pen for what it is. And it’s kind of pretty while being functional
5. Price Point – 1 – These are about $5 for a 10 pack. $2 a piece for solid stick pens in fun colors. That’s not bad at all.
5 out of 5 bronze pencils.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Missing SoonerCon
This is a rerun because we should’ve been about to go to SoonerCon and this has been a super weird week. I miss my SoonerCon family. I wish them all well, and we’ll all be together again next year (I hope). This was last year – last year was an amazing SoonerCon – next year will be more so.
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EDIT: THE ARTIST IS CRAIG GRISWOLD!
This is kind of a double review from some of the stuff I picked up at SoonerCon following a Day Job Conference. I could do the random collection of swag pens I picked up – or I could show you these two awesome pieces.
Since it’s a pen blog – let’s start with this amazingly fun mermaid tail pen. My friend, Lillian Butler – who also designs awesome jewelry – has found a vendor that does not only the weird tentacle pens (which I love) but also these mermaid tails. These pens are long but not obnoxious. It runs just under 7.5″ long. It’s a hard resin carved with scales but the grip is smooth and just on that edge of being too narrow but not quite.
The metal tip leads into the tail. There’s an edge, but I don’t think it’s going to be too uncomfortable. It is a (by US standards) a “fine point” so it’s a 0.7mm tip with decent feeling ballpoint. The black ink flows well and dark. It doesn’t smear much on a glossy page.
Which leads me to the page I did the sample on – it’s a black cover Field Notes 48-page notebook. These are nice 3.5″ x5.5″ pocket notebooks. But that’s not the coolest part. That notebook is inside a handmade leather by a Colorado artist who’s name completely escapes me – but pretty sure his initials are “CG” (Sorry, Peri). He does sturdy, beautiful leather work. This is the harder leather which gives a sturdy enough surface to make a note on without needing a table, and I couldn’t resist the quote from Princess Bride. There’s a beautiful scroll work on the back I’ve treated this cover with a waxed-based leather conditioner I got at Scarborough Renaissance Festival years ago to weatherproof it as well. The cover is completely refillable and I have a TON of similar sized notebooks to put in it.
I look forward to years of working with the notebook. The pen? I hope to get a goodly bit of use out of it.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 0.5 The pen is decent. It’s a bit on the long side and almost too narrow. Probably spent more on it than I needed to. The notebook is functional – kinda wished I’d picked up one of them that had a closure band.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s a mermaid pen. There’s nothing ergonomic about it. But it is what it is. A decent novelty pen. The notebook is just amazing. I love a good leather notebook.
3. Material – 1 The pen is carved resin. The notebooks is leather with a great brand of notebook inside
4. Overall Design – 1 -It’s a fun stick pen with the separate cap already gone. The notebook is my happy place
5. Price Point – 0.5 – I got these from friends at a convention – that means supporting local artists. The pen was $5 – which yes, you can get them in bulk on Amazon for WAY cheaper, but supporting artist with something fun. The notebook was $25 – but handmade and unique design? Totally worth it – not cheap, but a good investment. Especially since it helps an independent artist.
4.0 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Write the Story] Halloween Night in a Hospital
Prompt: Halloween Night in a Hospital
Words: centaur, interweave, placid, benefactor, peppermint, gondola, lambada, twilight, inlet, threw
Story
I don’t know if I’m a good person or a glutton for punishment. But I’m here and ready for anything.
Famous last words. Time to go to work. I girded my proverbial loins, popped a peppermint and threw myself into the fray that is the emergency room on Halloween. I gathered my terrified interns and tried for a pep talk. “Boo!†They squeaked and twitched as I pulled off the Twilight character mask. “All right. This is your first Hallowween. Time to throw you in the deep end. Lake Placid Community is counting on you to not fall apart.â€
Thus began the shift. A “benefactor†brought in a dancer dressed for the lambada with a wrenched hip and broken ankle. I had an intern send the poor dancer for scans. She wouldn’t be wiggling again soon. Then I did an interweave through the ward, making sure everyone was calm and professional. No one snickered when the gondola driver came in with a prop paddle in his…inlet. That never ceased to amaze.
Then deep night fell, and I sucked in a deep breath. Now we’d find out if the interns had what it took to work here. A deep chime tolled, and I exchanged a nod and knowing look with the charge nurse.
“Okay, folks, buckle up. Here we go.â€
Confusion played across several faces.
Then the centaurs came through the door.
Word Count: 231
Written: 9/19/2020