What I’m Using This Week

For Journaling

My favorite pen and ink combination for journaling this week is the Diplomat Aero (Stripes Black) inked with J. Herbin Stormy Grey, a grey ink with heavy gold shimmer. The broad nib on the Aero lays down a juicy line that handles the ink’s fine gold flake without clogging. It’s a tough ink to photograph, but I think you can catch a glimpse of the brightness the shimmer adds to the dark grey ink. (This ink was in the Week #12 bundle and I’ve been enjoying it in this pen since I unwrapped it.) I’m finding this to be a particularly nice pen and ink combination to wake up to. (Yes, I do wake up with pens in my head!) The page twinkles with gold flecks for a subtle glow that brightens up even the darkest morning.

For List and Notes

Rotring 600 mechanical pencil, ACME Optikal, Hatch, and #2 ballpoint and rollerball pens

In an effort to lighten my daily carry, I’ve decided to pull one pen case at random from my collection of filled cases, then use the pens in that case for the week. A “luck of the draw” kind of thing. This strategy significantly reduces the number of pens I’m carrying at one time, while also re-introducing me to goods in my collection that I might have forgotten about. This week’s pull featured the now-discontinued Nock Co. Hightower loaded with four favorites from ACME Studio, and a Rotring pencil—a great selection for the week.

The Optikal and Hatch pens both hold Pilot G2 0.5 mm refills, while the #2 rollerball refill is an ACME-branded Schmidt P8126. I guess I was mostly in a gel pen mood as the ballpoint is the only one that didn’t get as much much play, even though I’m a big fan of its EasyFlow 9000 refill. I often switched pens throughout the day just to give them all some use. I have 2B leads loaded in the 0.7 mm Rotring for a dark and smooth pencil experience.

And look what I found tucked inside the limited edition Kickstarter Hightower! An unused Nock Co. top-staple notebook and some of their excellent index cards! A sweet find!!

For Inspiration

I saw the book Good Morning, Friends: Gentle Suggestions For the Start of Your Day (by Jessica Kantrowitz) mentioned in someone’s Twitter feed and after a bit of pondering (do I need another book?), bought the Kindle version (Yes I DO need another book). I love, love, love the daily “scavenger hunt” that’s right in the beginning of the book. Jessica suggests that you look for these things amidst the busyness of your days:

• A moment of peace
• A moment of joy
• A moment of connection
• A regrouping after a (small or large) crisis
• A lovely, cool glass of water
• Birdsong

There have been a few trials in the week (in the month, in the year), as there always will be, and this new daily exercise of opening up my radar to look for these six simple but special things has been a calming and inspiring practice—the perfect reset for my mood in the midst of life’s snarls. Maybe you need a mental reset, too?

On balance, this was a good week thanks to little discoveries, time with friends, and the simple joy of putting pen to paper.

It’s OK if it were a tie or joke,
try saying, “I had something good today, too.”
And then, close your eyes.
Something as good as a tiny stone,
is rolling here and there,
more often than you think.

(A bit of wisdom, from the packaging of my hardcover Hobonichi Techo)

EDCC: My Everyday Covid-19 Carry

I’m not really a hardcore EDC type of person. Except for the mini Leatherman tool and Write Notepads Pocket Flip Book that are always with me, what else I carry varies with my mood. Pocket pens have become a big thing with me lately so there’s usually one of those tucked away, but that’s a topic for another post.

That said, because of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, I’m now religiously carrying my own little Covid-19 kit. Starting on March 26—once I came out of my initial pandemic paralysis—I started recording county, state, country, and world case and death counts in a pocket notebook. I use the first few pages in each log to jot down noteworthy “news”—mostly personal things like when my dad’s nursing home closed to visitors (March 13th) and when my workplace went to “minimal operating status” (March 21st). The pandemic continues as one big blur of days, months, and even seasons, so I find it helpful to mark down meaningful dates in the ongoing saga.

Cases in our county (pop. 230,000) continue to increase—usually by 20 or so a day—as do the deaths, which, though relatively low, still make my heart sink every time I record the numbers. It’s interesting to see how the statistics change with time, and though things are generally looking a little more optimistic, I suspect I’ll be filling up pages and notebooks for months to come.

I write down these statistics—remembering that each number represents a person—not only to track the data, but to remind myself of the lives altered and the lives lost. It’s a very, very simple remembrance of the Covid-19 patients, victims, and their families, as well as all of the healthcare workers on the front lines. I’ll keep recording the numbers as long as there are cases. Maybe I’m just trying to make myself feel less helpless by doing something, as insignificant as this is.

I recently added another pocket notebook to the same Nock Co. case—a homemade Covid-19 Location Log. Ever since the cases in New York State started ratcheting up, I made it a practice to jot down where we went and when we went there. But my jotting was pretty haphazard. Sometimes it was in my to-do list notebook, sometimes it was in my Hobonichi, and sometimes it was in my Write Notepads Weekly Planner. Sometimes I just forgot.

A couple of weeks ago, I took the free Contact Tracing course offered by Johns Hopkins. Though I may never work as a contact tracer, the information presented was eye-opening and made me realize that I needed to revamp my casual and disorganized documentation. If I ever contract the virus, I want to be able to tell the contract tracer where I’ve been, when I was there, and who I was with with complete certainty. Though I might have been able to piece some of that information together prior to starting this log, carrying this notebook all the time—so that I can make entries in one place, on the fly—has made all the difference. I’m also able to check our whereabouts when those “local exposures” lists pop up on the news. All of this to say that—NEWSFLASH!—my memory is unreliable and needs constant assistance. A pocket notebook and a $1.50 Muji pen was all I needed to fix this problem.

The 70% copper Careful Key

Do you now eye all doors and surfaces with suspicion? Do you try to open doors by touching the part of the door handle that your nervous brain judges to be the least handled part? (As if there is a least-handled part.) Do you pull your hand up into your sleeve and use that as a barrier between a handle and your hand? Me? Yes, yes, and yes.

I recently found a better solution to the door handle dilemma in the Careful Key which is made from 260 brass (70% copper). Using this tool, I can now hook door handles and pull them open, or push open the lid on a trash container—two things that I did several times today. I can also use this tool to type in my passcode on an ATM or punch an elevator button—things that I wouldn’t have given a second thought to before the pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 virus remains viable on copper for only about four hours versus days on other surfaces, so the Careful key disinfects itself naturally. I have one tucked into a back pocket at all times, but it’s quite slim and could easily slip into the Nock Case holding my notebooks.

What about masks? Gotta have those, too. I have masks stashed all over the place, but my favorite is the one pictured above—made by a friend and fellow scientist—for obvious reasons. It makes me smile and think of her whenever I wear it.

Smiles and friendship. Maybe they’re the most important things to carry with us every day.

Note: There are no affiliate links in this post. All items shown and mentioned were purchased with my own funds.

A Week Away

I spent last week at a conference in Spokane, WA. I learned, laughed, and networked. We rarely got out of the hotel until evening, but that was fine as the sights were still spectacular. I love walking in new places with old friends.

Since the conference was scientific in nature, my Baron Fig Experiment made the trip with me, and got considerable use. The green ink pops so I used it to write down those things that I want to come back to—issues, questions, things to think about.

My roommate and I were often the first ones at breakfast so I’d sprawl a bit—coffee, water, Nock Co. case wide open, Hobonichi ready for updating. I took a pared down selection of pens, but enough to keep things interesting. The pens that got the most use were my Lamy Aion (black, fine) and my clipless Karas Kustoms INK (tumbled aluminum with a wonderful titanium medium nib), both filled with Colorverse Cat. I took notes in a Nock Co. A5 DotDash notebook which was the perfect choice in both size and performance. I almost filled it with my conference notes and will use the remaining space to flesh out thoughts and ideas that popped up during the week’s sessions and conversations.

But ya gotta have some fun, too.

Atticus Coffee & Gifts (222 N Howard St, Spokane, WA) was definitely my happy place. I could’ve spent all of my free time there happily browsing through their selection of books, mugs, t-shirts, unique cards, stickers, pencils (Blackwings!), pens, and journals, or settled at a cozy table with some cold brew coffee or huckleberry tea. What a cool and comfortable place.

A “must buy” sticker. (I also bought the t-shirt. HAD TO.)

Saturday morning, I made one last visit a few hours before my flight back east, and walked away with a nice little bag of souvenirs (t-shirt, novelty pen, tea, travel mug, stickers), as well as a much needed caffeine boost.

Flights went well, the weekend went fast, and Monday arrived as it always does. A friend on Facebook said, “The Monday after a week away is the Mondayest Monday ever.” She’s so right—re-entry is hard.

Well, I thought, if I have to work, I’m using my new pen. Which is exactly what I did.

And you know what? It kind of helped.

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Are YOU having a Monday? Do you need a rubber feather pen? Atticus Coffee & Gifts doesn’t appear to have an online presence, but I see the pen is available HERE. There’s also a grass pen that I should’ve bought, too. You know, for those pesky Tuesdays.

 

 

 

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Pens In Real Life: Taking the Gross Out Of Grocery Shopping

Grocery shopping is a necessary evil. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it, either. We go once a week, usually on Friday evening, to avoid the dawdling hordes that descend on Saturday. We like to get in and out as efficiently and quickly as possible. But then, who doesn’t?

Oops…I wrote cherries twice. I must really want them.

I use a program called MacGourmet to digitally organize recipes on my desktop iMac. What’s really great is that I can export the recipes from MacGourmet to DropBox as .txt files so that they’re easily accessible via my phone. So even if we’re eating out, as we often are on a Friday evening, I can quickly pull together a grocery list for the coming week. As we brainstorm our needs and wants, I record the list on a Nock Co. DotDash 3×5 card, while also sketching out a tentative menu plan on the back of the same card. We do this every single week. And if we can’t, because of a Friday night event, we feel off-kilter. Creatures of habit, is what we are.

The pen I use to write out the list, and to make my OCD checkboxes, varies from week to week, but it’s often selected from the stash of pens I have stored in my goes-everywhere-with-me Nock Co. Sinclair. I have a lot of stuff packed in there because I like to cover a lot of pen bases for whatever pen need or mood comes my way. Gel ink, liquid ink, fountain pen, and ballpoint options are all represented. It’s a clown car of a pen case. The Nock Co. DotDash card easily handles whatever type of ink I throw at it. Plus the grid is the perfect guide for drawing the checkboxes. I find them comforting. (Is that weird?)

The pen I chose to write out my list this Friday was the INK rollerball by Karas Kustoms. (Huh. I’m not seeing the rollerball version on their site at the moment.) The Schmidt P8126 liquid ink refill is bold and smooth. The INK rollerball is a great writer that’s as fun to look at as it is to hold and use. All of this pen goodness distracts you from the fact that you’re preparing for a chore. The INK glides. Your mind goes to a happy place. I’m pretty sure endorphins are released. This is a good thing.

The list is made. We head to the store. Time to get down to business.

As we pick up each item on the list, I color in the little checkbox with red or orange ink. Yes, I could just check the box. I suppose. But the completely filled in boxes appeal to me, AND I get to use yet another pen. This week it was my Uni Style Fit 3 Color Multi Pen outfitted with brown, green, and red 0.38mm gel refills…a super sweet and customizable pen that I’ll write about in more detail before too long. (Thomas Hall got me hooked on these. Thomas, Master Enabler.) The Uni Style Fit refill colors are strong, and the ultra-fine point is wickedly smooth. The colored boxes make it abundantly clear what we’ve loaded into our cart and what we’re still trying to track down. Plus it’s fun to color, even if it is just a little box.

If we have to hit more than one store, as we almost always have to do, I jot the alternative store name next to the item. You know, for fun.

Despite this post’s name, I don’t really find grocery shopping all that gross. Unless it’s on the Saturday of a holiday weekend. Then, ick. But it is a chore that will always be there, week after week. The trick is to make it as palatable and efficient as possible. Using my pens and favorite 3×5 cards, I’ve nailed down a system that works for me, while injecting some fun into the process.

Now to find those elusive cherries.

 

 

 

Everywhere Carry: Nock Co. Sinclair and Karas Kustoms Bolts

On a recent episode of The Pen Addict podcast, Ana Reinert (of The Well-Appointed Desk) mentioned how she picked up a Karas Kustoms Bolt in olive green, because it matches her vintage Vespa scooter. That kind of logic works for me! I have a brown Vespa so of course I must have a Bolt in the new brown color. (It’s like these people hypnotize me.) Fred got into the act and prodded me to order the olive green version as well. Well, twist my arm.

I did as commanded and placed my order for an olive green standard Bolt and a brown Pilot G2 Bolt.

In the meantime, the guys at Nock Co. finally released their long-anticipated zippered Sinclair pen case. I saw Brad’s multi-colored prototype at the DC Pen Show, and knew it’d be a no-brainer purchase. Despite owning one or more of every Nock Co. pen case, this one looked extra-special. On launch day, I ordered the Forest/Sunshine and Camo/Raven versions since the Barn Red/Midnight colorway wasn’t available. I’m no camo fan, but I wanted two different colors, so camo it was.

In a cool bit of shipping coincidence, both orders arrived on the same day, and THAT’S when the lightbulb switched on! (I’m kind of spent lately so my brain is not firing on all cylinders.) The lovely muted olive green and brown Bolts are a perfect match for the camo colored Sinclair. Duh.

I quickly loaded the Sinclair with the Bolts and have been carrying the case everywhere. Everywhere. Except to bed. And the shower. But other than that, it all goes where I go. So much for being ambivalent to camouflage.

The Sinclair is handier than handy. I’ve loaded it up with the pens, a Rotring pencil, Nock Co. DotDash 3×5 cards, a Field Notes notebook, the Write Notepads & Co. Linear Measuring Device, and my folded up Christmas shopping spreadsheet. When I’m out shopping, I store the gift cards I’ve purchased in the Sinclair to keep them secure. I can carry all of this in the case with room for more.

This is the first zippered case by Nock Co. which is what makes it so handy. No worries about anything accidentally slipping out in your travels. The zipper is sturdy and substantial. It’s as top-notch as the workmanship on the case.

I obviously love the case, but what about the pens?

The standard Bolt takes any Parker-style refill while the Pilot G2 version takes the, you guessed it, Pilot G2 refill. I’ve been interested in the Pilot G2 Bolt since it was released, but held off until now as I was concerned that, at 6.125″, it might be a little too long. (The regular Bolt measures a very comfortable 5.625″.) There definitely is a different feel between the two pens, but I’m very happy with both. The longer G2 Bolt is a bit more top-heavy because of the added length, but is not at all unwieldy, probably because aluminum is pretty lightweight. In a heavier material, the added length might become an issue.

I love the design of the bolt mechanism on these Karas Kustoms pens because it’s flush with the pen body, rather than protruding like on most bolt-action pens. The mechanism works very smoothly so I’m able to deploy and retract the refill with one hand. It’s both cool and easy to use.

Karas Kustoms now ships their pens with refills so you’re able to put pen to paper immediately. This wasn’t always the case. The lack of a refill wasn’t an issue for someone like me who has a shoebox stuffed with all kinds of refills, but for most people it may have been a bit of a stumbling block. My standard Bolt arrived with a black Schmidt EasyFlow 9000 refill installed, while the Pilot G2 Bolt came equipped with a 0.5 mm Pilot G2 gel refill, also in black. I’m a fan of both refills so I’ve had no reason to swap them for anything else. But if you’re so inclined, the standard Bolt takes any Parker-style refill, while there are other options and tip sizes available for the G2 Bolt (Pilot Juice refills, etc.).

I couldn’t be happier with this set-up. Both the Nock Co. Sinclair case and the  Karas Kustoms Bolts pens go with me everywhere. They’re not just my Everyday Carry, they’re my Everywhere Carry.

Use the code HAPPYHOLIDAYS to get 15% off of your Karas Kustoms order. (That’s what I did!)

I purchased everything shown and discussed in this review with my own funds. There are no affiliate links and I’ve received no compensation for this post. 

My Security Blanket: Traveling With Too Many Pens

I love the thought of going away. Seeing friends, having new experiences, taking in fresh scenery, enjoying a break from home and work routines. Finally a chance to exhale.

But travel itself, especially when flying, is fun and draining at the same time. The packing. The security rigamorole. Timing airplane bathroom breaks appropriately. Not losing any of your stuff. There’s always some point along the way where I kind of wish I was home. Just an inkling of homesickness creeps in along the way.

I miss my things–my husband (if he’s not with me, as on this current trip), our crazy pups, my own just-so pillows, a well-stocked refrigerator, ice on demand.

I swear, I have an easier time deciding what clothes to pack than picking out which pens to bring. I always miss the ones that aren’t with me. I stock my Nock Co. Brasstown with more pens than a sane person needs, then typically swap things in and out until zero hour. There’s so much mental chatter in my head about my pen selections that it makes me feel like I must be going off the deep end. But what a deep end it is!

Part of me wishes that I could embrace minimalism–pick ONE pen and use ONLY it for the entire trip. Maybe someday. Right now that thought gives me what is technically called the heebie jeebies.

So here I am in California, oh so far from home, with new and old pen favorites. For this trip (a conference), I brought along:

Pilot Metropolitan White Tiger fountain pen. Nice fine point for note taking. Replaceable should the unthinkable occur.

Karas Kustoms Two-Tone Retrakt outfitted with Pilot G2 0.5 mm black refill. Great pen in my favorite color.

Ti2 Techliner Red Alert and Orange Crush. The Red Alert is outfitted with a uni-ball Jetstream  0.7 mm black ballpoint refill while the Orange Crush holds a uni-ball Signo 207 0.7 mm gel refill…both excellent options.

Amy Grigg’s Apex Kickstarter pen with a Schneider Topball 850 rollerball refill. Great on the Levenger Circa Vivacious paper in my notebook. Smooth. Dark. Gorgeous wood.

 
Bigidesign’s Ti Post Raw Pen + Stylus, also with the Schneider Topball 850 rollerball refill. Do I need to carry two pens with the same refill? Nope. I never said any of this was reasonable.

Retro 1951 Lift-Off with a Schimdt P8126 refill. It’s my newest Retro so why shouldn’t it travel with me to California?

I also have my Lamy Scribble tucked into the Hightower, should I need to do pencily things. I have not tired of this mechanical pencil. It’s a gem.

There’s no need to carry this many pens across the country. Technically I could survive with a few of the Bic Stic Queen Mary pens the hotel provides. But these pens and pencil (and pen case) make me feel secure. They’re unique, well-made, and reliable–comfortable to hold and top-notch performers. They remind me of the connections I have with the folks who make and sell them. We’ve exchanged everything from brief messages to emails to long letters. Pens aren’t just pens. They’re the people behind the pens.

And that feels like home.

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This post was composed and photographed entirely with my iPhone, so excuse the lack of links (too cumbersome) and any formatting and lighting oddities. Fun fact– the photos were taken on the desk President Eisenhower used while aboard the Queen Mary. I’m sharing his suite with a friend. Pretty cool.