[Writer Post] Countdown to Introvertedness
Oh, Wednesday… hi. How are you. Let’s talk about how my brain is totally in “SQUIRREL!” mode (for a number of reasons but it just is).
Saturday is my last event thing in my three months of constant motion. I have a panel about 1:15 pm at ArlingCon (a one day comic con event) on the UTA campus but sponsored by the Arlington Library. I have built a PowerPoint presentation and everything. Here’s hoping someone comes, considering the ArlingCon Facebook page has only featured costuming/costumers and vendors. We will have another discussion after this over about how writers and writing panels are NOT after thoughts, we are value-adds and maybe you should try advertising us as such. You’d think an even co-sponsored by a LIBRARY SYSTEM would not have to have this conversation. I just hope someone shows up for the panel.
Then I have three weeks (with TWO WHOLE WEEKENDS) with nothing planned before ArmadilloCon. And though I’m totally looking forward to ArmadilloCon, and will give it 110%, will need the time between July 16 and August 3 to have NOTHING ON MY CALENDAR (except church and maybe a haircut). Please don’t be offended if you invite us to something and we respectfully decline. I have no energy left. I need to recharge my Extrovert Batteries by letting the Introvert out for a while. It’s really for the Greater Good.
But the reason this is coming together a bit late today is because I had a monthly lunch meeting that helped tickle Ye Olde Brain Squirrels. There’s a lot about my Day Job that does feed the Plot Bunnies and my creative brain. This was one of those days. I was in a meeting with Law Enforcement that gave me all kinds of insight into a certain type of investigation.
It was also at the Federal Reserve Bank that 1) triggers 12 kinds of spy movie thoughts; 2) has a freakin’ museum and GIFT SHOP. I totally went to a meeting and played serious tourist. I totally bought stuff in the gift shop. And dang, folks, that building is NIIIIICCCCCEEEEEE! It really pays to print money. 
(Kidding). Kinda wish now I’d gotten the job I applied for there like two years ago. Don’t get me wrong, I do love my current job, but I work in a cave – they have GARDENS.
And now to head out for the evening. So many plans. Just have to get through a few more days then blessed … NOTHING SPECIAL. Rest is important. I haven’t been a huge proponent of “self care” but starting to see the need, benefits, etc. Planning some time off later – maybe even a couple of mental health days. The viral article has me thinking about that more and more. And now that I’m in a place with decent leave time, I should really get out of the “but I have to save this for…” and use at least SOME OF IT for something other than conventions. We’ll see how that goes.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Vintage BIC Gold & Silver Metallic
A few months ago I mentioned our trip to Killen to meet George Fox of My Supply Room. I came home with this lovely selection of BIC pens – mostly vintage. Several of them had either no ink or ink so old that the pens didn’t work. But that’s okay. I took some notes, and voila, today’s post.
I’ve been starting with the gold and silver classic hex body BICs. Mostly because they remind me of C3PO and R2D2. And also, gold and silver goes with everything. I had some 0.8mm blue and black BIC Round Stick Grip pens that you can buy in bulk at like Staples. I “harvested” a blue and a black refill from those and gave new life to these vintage bodies.
So, the high points… this is a 0.8mm point, they run 5.75″ capped and 6.5″ with the cap posted. The ink is actually dark for the fine line. The tungsten ballpoint does allow ink to flow easily. Both the blue and black are nice and rich. Though, if you don’t rotate the pen in your hand as you write, there is some ink clumping that can smear. But for the most part it’s a quick dry time. I hope it’s the tungsten design now that keeps the ink consistent. In the past I’ve felt that the ink started out dark and rich and then fade (like the ball stopped picking up ink or something) as you went down the page, but I don’t have that impression with this pen.
There’s nothing fancy about these pens except that they’re shiny. It’s simple, plastic, with no bells or whistles. The gold and silver hexagonal barrels have no padding or ergonomic grip – which does lead to fatigue if you’re do a tight grip on pens like I do. But for a simple pen, it’s quite handy and nice. I would like to have a few boxes of each color on hand to have backups. I only have the one of each and I don’t want to use them up before I can find replacements.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 0.5 It’s decent. No frills. No padding. Ink can be a bit clumpy and will smear if you’re not careful (and/or left handed).
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s an inexpensive, plastic, no frills pen. The grip and feel is hard plastic. But you’re not buying this pen for the grip, let’s be honest.
3. Material – 1 For an inexpensive plastic pen, it’s solidly built. The cap and barrel are secure. The logo doesn’t wear off easily.
4. Overall Design – 1 -It’s a classic BIC pen that hasn’t changed in decades. It is what it is.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – These are going to be more expensive than they should be because they’re vintage and you have to find them.
4 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Write the Story] Students Take on a Challenge
Prompt: Students Take on a Challenge
Words: masquerade, gang, allege, double, lucky, tea, personality, parasite, class
Story
Kim Carver rubbed her temples because whacking herself in the head until she saw double wasn’t an option. Somehow, she drew the short straw and was “elected” class sponsor of prom. Yay.
“Ms. Carver! Ms. Carver! We’ve decided on a Masquerade Ball! ” The gang of unruly teenagers bounced up and down before her desk, almost inducing a hairspray and blonde blur of vertigo.
Kim took a deep pull off the tea mug that some might allege contained more than the custom blend she purchased from a local business, but she wasn’t that lucky. “Are you sure this time? It’s the fourth theme you’ve presented. Do you really want to take this one to the principal?”
Let them! It will make it so much easier.
Shut up Kim smiled tightly. “If you really want to do a masquerade, we’ll do that.”
So began months of wrangling, meetings, contracts, and introduction after introduction of one insane idea after another. It’ll all be over. It’ll all be fine. It’ll be glorious!
By May, Kim wanted to strangle all the “personality” out of the prom committee, but she kept the urge contained. The masquerade concept went over better than anticipated despite fears of identity and safety issues. The energy of the room even seemed…subdued as Kim wandered the dance with a touch to an arm here and there.
Ah, that’s better. The parasite riding her brain manifested and feasted young energy with none the wiser. Just part of the costume.
Word Count: 247
Written: 6/20/17
[Writer Post] Is it Wednesday or Monday (Again)?
Days are confusing this week with the holiday being on Tuesday. It’s kinda like there are two Mondays – but it’s not a pen review day (though it did get me looking up something to help organize pens, though it’ll never be on the same level ever to Jimmy. He has a blog binder for his pencil collection). But that’s not what Wednesdays are for (and darn it, it’s WEDNESDAY – not Monday, Part 2).
So, what’s going on with me? Well… first I had too much Day Job Brain, and not enough Creative Brain. Then there was a minor resurgence of Creative Brain with not enough Day Job Brain. Now, I’m trying to get to some kind of brain balance. I’m between deadlines EVERYWHERE – so there’s that (not really helping but now I can play with some projects, still be productive, and get that equilibrium back). It’s definitely a mark that the chaos of the last couple of months may be finally, finally coming to an end. Focus is a real thing, darn it!
Celebrated “Gotcha Days” for Loki and Freya. We adopted Loki seven years ago on July 4th and Freya two years ago on July 2nd. Main reasons are 1) long weekend (ish) to integrate into family; 2) it was about three months after the passing of elder pets; and 4) it’s kinda cool to give the freedom of a forever home to a critter on Independence Day (ish).
Saw Despicable Me 3 on Sunday. Those goofy movies make me happier than they probably should, but I do love them. Steve Carrell is one of the few “modern” SNL actors that I actually appreciate his work overall. He’s crazy talented in a variety of ways. I don’t necessarily LIKE Angie Tribeca but I appreciate what they’re doing with it and how they’re doing it. And Gru is an awesome character with growth and depth. It’s more than Minions (though they’re awesome, too). It’s a cute movie, go see it.
So now we continue to move forward. To commit words on paper – even if it’s editing what I already have and trying to make new words. Or, as in what happened yesterday – typing stuff into the computer. It’s all part of the process. This weekend is going to be busy, but it’s all around home. No more travel until the first week in August. YAY!!!! I was never happier than when the suitcases got put away.
[Pen/Pencil Review] Pentel EnerGel RTX American Flag Pen – Black Ink
This week’s pen review goes back to Pentel and another version of the Ener-Gel. This one is a 0.7mm retractable a holiday specific Amercian Flag Pattern for the 4th of July that I picked up as an “impulse” buy at the checkout at Office Depot because 4th of July…
I’ve been pleasantly surprised by this pen, I’ve mentioned my tendency for retractables on the work desk. This is one. This one is also part of the Recycology line – so, about 80% recycled materials go into making this pen. It’s a good size – 5.75″ retracted, and 6″ with the point out. The diameter is wide enough to be comfortable, but not overly wide and has some ergonomic cushioned on the barrel.
The barrel is white plastic base with the flag pattern for a fun, patriotic feel. The ink is basic black. The Ener-Gel ink is a does dry quickly, but it is a gel based ink, so there’s a drying factor on slicker paper. The 0.7mm metal tip gives a decent line – it’s not as fine as I typically love, but it’s not broad and gloppy. It’s easily legible and quick drying. The barrel has a blue panel with enough transparency to see ink level. It’s also refillable.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 0.5 It’s decent. No frills. The ink is bold and the roller smooth. There can be some smearing, but it’s liquid ink. It happens, especially on slick paper. It does dry quickly, but needs drying time.
2. Grip and feel – 1 – It’s an inexpensive, plastic, no frills pen. It has a grip that’s pretty comfortable. The length and balance are good.
3. Material – 1 It’s recycled plastic, but it has a good mechanism and good ink. If you’re ecology conscious or just want to help keep plastic out of landfills, this is a good thing.
4. Overall Design – 1 -It’s a basic retractable liquid gel ink pen. It’s refillable or disposable. It is what it is.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – I got this at the Office Depot checkout. It lists on the Office Deport site for $3. I don’t think I paid that? I think it was $1.99 at the cash register. But it’s one of the more expensive ones
4.0 out of 5 Bronze Pencils
[Write the Story] A Scientist Makes an Unexpected Discovery
Prompt: A Scientist Makes an Unexpected Discovery
Words: parallel, informal, crude, expand, popular, unlikely, analyst, replacement, cell, chest
Story:
“Eureka!”
“Seriously, Dylan? Every time?”
Dylan grinned. “Only when we make a discovery, Rain.”
“And…what exactly have we discovered, Dylan? The perfect amount of cream and sugar in your coffee? Because as popular as that would make us, I don’t think it’s eureka worthy. And it’s unlikely we can use it as a replacement for rent.”
Dylan waved Rain off with a nonchalant salute. “You worry too much. We are on the path to a major breakthrough. Take a look in the microscope. You’ll see.”
Rain gave him a side eye as she sidled past to the scope in the informal lab. She adjusted the dials to study the cell structure and pulled back. “That’s…are you…?”
Dylan’s grin widened, and he puffed out a breath. “It’s crude for now, but with some work and a good analyst…”
“Hey! I’m your analyst and don’t you forget it.” She poked him in the chest. “We have to expand the sample size, run parallel experiments. We have a long way to go.”
“But think about the implications! If Kryptonite is really real? We will go down in history books!”
“Just because we watched the degradation, doesn’t mean it’s Kryptonite.” Rain stared at Dylan.
“Oh, yes. It does.”
“Dylan, where did you get that blood?”
“It’s mine.”
Word Count: 213
Written: 5/30/17
[Writing Post] SoonerCon 26 The Overview
Welcome to Wednesday! Woo! Wednesday means this week is chugging right along. I’m about to do a webinar/conference call about a Day Job Project. I’ve hit almost all of my deadlines at work for the moment. There’s been some progress in the fiction side of life. Looks like things are coming together – at least for now. (SHHHHH….don’t scare it!)
Star Wars ARE Strong Women Panel with Timothy Zahn.
SoonerCon is in the rear view. I seriously <3 this convention – and they seem to love me and Jimmy (he helps with the Art Show). I've extolled their virtues before you can read about them in past blogs (type in SoonerCon in the search bar, and since I said search bar it's time for listener mail... oh, wait that's not me that's Stuff You Should Know). This year's SoonerCon was no exception.
The Guests of Honor and the Special Guests were fantastic. Only one of my panels was hijacked by the “Moderator with An Agenda (MwaA)” who apparently didn’t care that a GOH (and easily recognizable Person of Authority on the topic) was not only ON the panel but directly to the right of the MwaA. The agenda seemed to be in almost polar opposition to the panel title (yes, programming was made aware after the fact). It was still a good panel, but not what most of the panelists or the audience thought it was going to be.
(Note to new professionals – it’s okay to have a differing point of view, but don’t hijack and remember this gem of advice… IF a GOH is on your panel? Participate in said panel sparingly because majority of the time? The audience is there for the GOH, NOT you. True Fact.)
Reading with A Lee Martinez
But everything else was awesome and polite and agenda free. Raised money for charity. Got in quite a number of steps. Sold some books – not sure how many, which is motivation to write more. Reconnected with fellow professionals (mostly because we’re the only ones up for the Koffeeklatches). Conducted wildly successful (if totally lacking a some joie de vie without Lys and Shado) LobbyCons.
Jody Lynn Nye on the “Are You Funny?” Panel
Got to tell the story of how a Vincent Price movie messed me up for life to Victoria Price, his daughter who deemed the story “A great story (but not) but yes, a great story”. I’ve told it before and it’s too long for this particular post. But it made me a happy fan girl.
SoonerCon was a step in the total recharge I needed. DFWCon was a good jumpstart, but then all the travel hit. This was the last thing in the marathon Spring. I don’t have anywhere to be (except for the one panel on July 15th literally like 5 miles from home) until August. The suitcases are back in the closet for a month. Now I can start focusing on the Day to Day without part of the brain focusing on the NEXT THING AWAY FROM HOME. YAY!!!!!
[Pen/Pencil Review] Rerun of a SoonerCon Pen/Flashlight Combo
This was a post I wrote in 2014 coming back from SoonerCon. Today I’m exhausted – I have herded all the cats I can herd today. There’s a bunch of moving parts plans happening this evening — however, I’m trying to be better about pretty much everything, so I’m going to keep on schedule even if it is this “Flash from the Past”. New content soon. But SoonerCon was AWESOME (as always). You should go if you haven’t been or if you’ve been away for a while. I meant to get their SoonerCon “office pack” thingie (notebook, pen, tote, and hand sanitizer) but I just didn’t pull the pin on that plan. Maybe next year…
————–
In order to help keep Jimmy company when we were both exhausted yesterday, I pretty much “live Facebooked” the drive home from Oklahoma City to Dallas/Fort Worth from SoonerCon. Sorry, Feed. I pretty much said that this week’s blogs would be all about SoonerCon… well, you’ve been warned…even the pen blog is SoonerCon related. This year, in the packet with our schedules and name tents and program book was a nifty (and not-inexpensive) promotional pen from SoonerCon, and I’m going to tell you about it.
This pen is both adorable and functional, if a bit on the short side. These pens are the kind companies and people like me buy, get some kind of personalization engraved on them, and hand out to unsuspecting passersby. But this one is pretty cool. It’s a bit on the short side if you have a larger hand. It’s 5″ long with the point retracted and about 5.25″ long with the point extended. Though a bit top heavy to accommodate the flashlight, it’s actually comfortable.
The pen barrel is slightly tapered for a nod to ergonomics. It’s that sweet spot between too wide a barrel diameter and… well, not. The mechanisms for both the pen retraction and the flashlight are on the side of the barrel parallel to each other to give room for the personalization. The tip and the barrel transitioning to the flashlight are translucent colored (in this case blue) plastic accenting the bright white. The sliders are textured for a good grip and work well.
Yes, I know I’m a horrible photographer. Leave me alone.
The pen has black ballpoint ink. The flow is smooth with little to no clumps or skips – there’s a bit of smearing on good paper, but minimal. I’m not sure what the point is, but it feels kinda like a 0.7mm or slightly bigger – it could be a 1.0mm but without feeling big and gloppy – which I like. It’s a “mini” ball point refill that looks pretty standard, so you could probably refill it. The LED flashlight is bright but not blinding. Unfortunately, it’s all glued together, so once those batteries run dead, that part of the pen is done. But those should last a goodly while.
Why I like this design? My day job has me examining and describing jewelry. Sometimes I need more light on the stones than my lamp gives me to determine color. And (shocking, I know) I occasionally drop stuff on the brown carpet under my desk where the lamp does not reach. This will let me find stuff faster and easier… and let’s be honest, sometimes we just wanna play with flashlights and laser pointers.
The numbers:
1. How does it work? – 1 – It works well. The flashlight works – it shines light, and though it might not be blinding light, it gets the job done. The pen writes smoothly and the mechanism is solid.
2. Grip and feel – 0.5 – I’m am knocking this a bit because it is short. If it were about a half-inch longer, I would be more comfortable with it. It’s also, as I mentioned, a bit top heavy . But still nice.
3. Material – 1 – It’s a “gimme” pen, so it is what it is. It’s plastic. But it’s decent plastic. It feels solid and sturdy.
4. Overall Design – 1 – I like this pen. It’s functional. It’s smooth, and though it’s a bit on the short side, it’s still very functional with the added bonus of making you giggle like a 10 year-old because it’s also a freakin’ TOY.
5. Price Point – 0.5 – It’s not cheap, but it is useful. I don’t know where SoonerCon ordered theirs, but I found them on the site where I buy all my promotional pens – Amsterdam Printing. These are the “higher end” promotional pens – but you do have the flashlight portion. They’re not outrageous but you have to budget for them, and there setup charges. But if you have the budget for them, you’ll get good response. THANK YOU SOONERCON!
That’s 4 of 5 bronze pencils.
[Write the Story] Big Time Deals in the Big City
Prompt: Big Time Deals in the Big City
Words: feud, philosophy, palace, finger, scandal, skyscraper, complacent, handle, crawl, challenge
Story
“Beware of any challenge, my mama always told me.”
“Would you please try not to embarrass us any further? Do you want everyone thinking we’ve need seen a skyscraper?” Mather wagged a finger at his fellow traveler. “You’re acting like this is a palace. It’s a city, and we’re just here to handle business.”
Bandur ignored his cousin as they made their way through the teeming streets at a crawl. He gawked and pointed at oddities with Mather slapping his arm at every turn. “Cousin, you are too complacent about the wonders around us! Enjoy the bounty! Open your mind!”
“Enough of your foolish philosophy. We’re here to trade for supplies. That’s it. Our families are depending on us.”
Such a simple, straightforward thought proved to be more difficult than Mather knew. The bars and inns around the market spoke little of business and much of the Mayor’s scandal sending the city into a fevered feud with a neighboring community. Mather despaired until Bandur dropped coin and keys in front of him.
“What did you do?” Mather demanded.
“Sometimes it does pay to be in a backwater. We are transporting goods and people away from a war zone. All for a few promises of clean air and honest work. And we’ve all the supplies we need.
Mather had nothing to say.
Word Count: 221
Written: 5/23-25/17
[Writer Post] SOONERCON 26!!!!! WHEEE!!!!!
SoonerCon starts in 48 hours (ish). This is an awesome show. You should come.
Here’s my schedule – this is subject to last minute changes. When I’m not in one of these places, I’ll either be eating or probably at the Yard Dog Press table in the dealer’s room. If you want something signed, or one of my independently produced projects, come find me. If I blow past you, it’s probably because I’m trying to get to one of those places or have to use the restroom. I don’t mean to be rude. Hope to see you there.
FRI-8PM-Ballroom D
YardDog Press Traveling Road Show
(watch me make a fool of myself in the name of interpretive dance or other hilarity)
SAT-9AM-10 FORWARD
KOFFEE KLATCH
(watch us all become slowly human through the consumption of caffeine)
SAT-11AM-Ballroom E
Strong Women are Star Wars
(watch me talk outside my major fandom – BUT TIMOTHY ZAHN!)
SAT-1PM-YardDog Table – Dealer’s Room
AUTOGRAPHING
(I will sign anything but a blank check!)
SAT-2PM-Rice
Reading
(not a psychic one)
SAT-4PM-Rice
Are You Funny?
(you be the judge – BUT JODY LYNN NYE!!!!)
SUN-11AM-Maynard
Star Trek’s Diplomatic All-Stars
(watch me talk about my major fandom!)
SUN-1PM-Maynard
Practical Benefits of the Zombie Apocalypse
(Just hilarity ensuing)
This show is the last of the six weeks or so of what seems to be marathon traveling and stuff. I’m getting back to committing word counts and stuff. Hopefully the giant thud you’ll hear about 2 pm on Sunday won’t necessarily being me falling down — but it could be. But I’m getting my butt back in gear and looking forward to seeing folks in Oklahoma.