My Life In Notebooks

I started my third Field Notes Storage box this week. That’s a picture of a portion of the first two boxes, crammed with as many completed pocket notebooks as I could jam in there. I keep a “personal” and “work” notebook running all the time, and enjoy using not just Field Notes, but also Nock Co., Story Supply, Write Notepad & Co., and Log & Jotter notebooks. It takes me about a month to fill a work notebook, and a little longer, on average, to fill my personal notebook, depending on what’s going on. I’m dealing with some complicated stuff lately and nothing makes me feel better than to sit down and carefully write out my notes as a way to clear my head and organize my thoughts. Once I do that, I can exhale and let go.

This is where the value in pocket notebooks lies. In capturing the daily tasks and appointments, joys and frustrations, accomplishments and works-in-progress, one tiny check box at a time.

Here are my notebooks. They are both nothing and everything.

Here is my life.

 

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.

 

 

 

The Write Tools

Back in November I sang the praises of the newly released pocket notebooks from Write Notepads & Co. I’ve been a fan of their products and aesthetic from the company’s infancy, when I first met Chris and Mark Rothe, and saw their spiral notebooks, at the 2013 DC Pen Show. The pocket notebooks are so good (durable binding, fountain pen friendly paper) that I’ve decided to let my Field Notes subscription lapse, in favor of a Write Notepads pocket notebook subscription. Field Notes are fun and cool, but I have plenty on hand (HUGE understatement) and feel like spreading my notebook wings. (Okay, there isn’t any such thing as “notebook wings,” but still.)

Their first quarterly offering—  the Lenore pocket notebooks and pencils you see above— blew me away. As subscriber #16, I look forward to seeing what Chris dreams up for the next release. The bar has been set very high right out of the gate.

I’m so drawn to their notebooks and pencils when I’m browsing on their site, that I didn’t immediately notice the perfect little accessories that they offer alongside their notebooks. But once I saw the “made in the USA” Pocket Linear Measuring Device ($7.99) and Folding Pocket Scissors ($9.99), I had to order both.

The Pocket Linear Measuring Device is made about 40 miles from my house, in East Syracuse, NY, by Gaebel. It’s stainless steel, features a sliding pocket clip, and includes four units of measure—pica, inches, points, and metric. I’m a compulsive underliner (yet another quirk), and I like my underlines to be straight, so I use this tool every single day in my daily personal and work pocket notebooks, and even on the index cards where I compose my grocery lists. I keep this perfectly sized ruler in my Nock Co. Sinclair, so it’s always at hand.

Tucked inside a 3-3/4″ vinyl carrying case, the Pocket Folding Scissors measure just 3-1/4″ when completely folded. To deploy the surgical stainless steel blades, just pull the handles apart…

then press the handles down until they meet. Voila— sturdy and adorable scissors are at the ready.

Made and hand-assembled in Sweet Home, Oregon, these small but mighty scissors have become a favorite pocket carry. Once you start carrying scissors, you realize how often they come in handy. I receive and open a LOT of packages in my job, and while I use a box cutter to do the heavy cutting, these are the perfect tool to cut into the inner packaging. I’ve use them to clip coupons, to cut sign up forms out of the church bulletin, and to trim a pulled thread. They even made an appearance at a recent baby shower, where I lent them to the mother-to-be to snip a particularly stubborn ribbon on a gift. Carry scissors and save the day! Amaze people with your preparedness! Who wants to walk all over the house or office looking for the full-size (and often misplaced) scissors when you can have this cute little pair tucked away in your pocket?!

The Pocket Linear Measuring Device and Folding Pocket Scissors, available from Write Notepads & Co., are quality, USA-made, everyday carry accessories. They are the Write tools.

All Write Notepad & Co. products shown and discussed in this review were purchased with my own funds. Chris did not twist my arm to write a review, and I haven’t been compensated in any way. I just love his products and can’t wait for the next pocket notebook subscription installment.

 

New Tricks: Write Notepads & Co. Pocket Notebooks

The pen, pencil, and paper world seems to be awash in pocket notebooks. Very nice pocket notebooks made by very nice people and interesting companies. Cool notebooks. Coveted notebooks. You know the players—Field Notes, Doane Paper, Story, Baron Fig, Word notebooks—all with their own personal style. I’m a daily user of Field Notes and dabbler in some of the other ones. I enjoy a pocket notebook because it doesn’t seem as precious as larger journals. I can hit the page running without that stupid worry of my words and ideas being unworthy. I can fill them up and file them away. I can pull them out later to find a scribbled down quote, the details of a doctor’s appointment, some notes from a meeting at work, the particulars of a day’s to-do list. They get filled up and worn out. They’re both insignificant and significant at the same time.

So many notebooks. So many players. You might think that there’s not any room for anything new. You might think that, but you’d be mistaken.

Chris and Mark Rothe, of Write Notepads & Co., recently released their own version of the pocket notebook. Being a fan of both Mark and Chris, and their aesthetic, I knew I had to pick up a couple of boxes. And what cool boxes they are. Rather than being wrapped in plastic like most other brands, the Write Notepad & Co. pocket notebooks come, three to a pack, in the box pictured above. With the silver foil stamping, it’s got that Write Notepads vibe—vintage, but still very fresh.

The old-school look continues on the notebooks themselves. Simple. Unadorned. In classic colors. They’re refreshing in their lack of gimmicks. The covers are letter pressed with “Property Of” and a line for your name, paying homage to the notebooks of my early school days. Nostalgic. But still cool.

Rather than being assembled with staples, the Write Notepads notebooks are bound with glue. I know what you’re thinking. The glue will give way and the pages will fall out. But again, you’d be mistaken. If you follow Write Notepads & Co. on Instagram (@writepads), you may have seen a video post where Chris is bending the heck out of the red pocket notebook, bending it back and forth in sort of an “S” formation that is undoubtedly more extreme than any sort of daily wear and tear. The spine shows some wear, but when he opens the notebook, the pages are perfectly secure. I haven’t put my notebooks to that kind of stress test, but I have cracked one wide open, and have found the same—the pages remain intact. So the absence of staples is not a cause for concern.

Each boxed set of the 3-3/4″ x 5-1/2″ notebooks comes with one blank, one lined, and one graph version.  I’m a bigger fan of graph paper than I am the other two, but can certainly find uses for all three versions. At some point, though, it might be nice to be able to buy a set with just one style of paper. I’d go all in on the graph version, for sure. The notebook covers are made from 100-pound stock, while the inner pages are made from 70-pound paper stock—really great stuff.  Each notebook contains 64 pages, rather than the typical 48.

I used a variety of inks (gel, fountain pen, ballpoint), along with one pencil, to test out the performance of the paper, and came away very impressed. My Visconti Opera Elements is definitely a wet medium, and I was hard pressed to see any feathering with that pen and the SBREBrown ink it’s filled with. Even up close, the lines look quite clear and crisp.

A look at the other side shows how well this paper handles my ink test samples. There’s very little show-through, and no bleed-through.

100% American Made in Baltimore, MD, these pocket notebooks can handle your day and your ink, but they also perform community service. Or rather, YOU perform community service when you buy them. For each pack purchased, the guys at Write Notepads donate a student notebook to one of Baltimore’s inner city schools. Each pack come with a 5-digit code that allows you, the purchaser, to log onto the Write Notepads & Co. site to see which specific school your purchase has benefited. I think this is the coolest thing ever, and says a lot about this company and the guys behind it.

When I entered my code, I see that Write Notepads will donate a student notebook to Eutaw-Marshburn Elementary thanks to my purchase and the guys’ generosity. Chris remarked, during my 2014 visit to their company, that he wasn’t sure what to expect from the students in this age of digital everything. Would a notebook get a reaction from a school child? Chris reports that, yes, the students get visibly excited when they receive their own notebooks and pencils. These seemingly simple gifts are very much appreciated and well-used.

The back of the package details the main features of the notebooks:

• 3 pocket notebooks
• 1-Plain, 1-Lined, 1-Graph
• 64 pages
• 70-pound white offset
• 3-3/4 inches by 5-3/4 inches
• 100% American Made

You’ll find the word “Write” on the packaging in several places, obviously a reference to the full company name, but also an important reminder that notebooks are meant to be written in. Not collected. Not stashed away for “someday.” “Write,” the box says. Mark them up. Fill them up. Make them yours.

With their superb paper, a glued binding, and stylish packaging, this Write Notepads & Co. offering brings a number of new tricks to the world of pocket notebooks. But maybe the best trick is the one that makes it possible for Baltimore city school students to have their own notebooks.

Who knows where that simple gift may lead.

The notebooks reviewed here were purchased with my own funds. I was not asked for a review, nor was I compensated in any way. Available for $9.99 per 3-pack, these are pocket notebooks that you can feel good about buying and using. And using. And using.

Perfect Pair: The Write Notepads & Co. Jumbo Pencils and the Classroom Friendly Large-Hole Sharpener

Right before Christmas, I ordered the full slate of pencils from Write Notepads & Co., as well as a couple of notebooks. After my visit to their headquarters last summer, I’ve become an even bigger fan than I already was. The jumbo pencils really intrigued me, but there was a problem—how to sharpen them?

So while I sharpened and used the other pencils—the maroon hex and the natural round—the jumbo pencils sat unused. Then, about a month ago, I noticed someone mention a large-hole sharpener available from Classroom Friendly Supplies. WHAT??!! Since I’ve yet to tackle “artisanal pencil sharpening” (by hand, via knife + bandaids), I knew that I’d have to get my hands on this sharpener. I should also add that I have the regular version of the Classroom Friendly Sharpener and use it almost daily. (Actually, I have THREE—one for home, one for work, and one for back-up.)

Where the regular sharpeners are metal and available in handful of colors, the large-hole sharpener is plastic and available only in a black and white version. No worries, though, it sharpens like a champ, and doesn’t leave “bite marks” on the pencils like the regular sharpener does.

Most importantly, it sharpens the Write Notepads & Co. jumbo pencils perfectly. These beefy, smooth, dark, and “made in America” pencils are now right up there among my favorites—the Palomino Blackwing Pearl and the Musgrave Test Scoring pencil.

I should mention that all of the Write Notepads & Co. pencils are “left-handed” pencils. When I first heard this I thought, “What?? How can a pencil be right or left handed?” Well, here’s the thing—branding on the pencils is printed in such a way that it appears right side up when held in the left hand, and upside down when held in the right. I’d never considered this before, undoubtedly because I’m right handed so the issue just never occurred to me. Chris Rothe—one of the founding brothers— is left handed, so this bit of whimsy makes perfect sense. Why shouldn’t left handed writers have pencil branding oriented for them?

When I hold one of these over-sized pencils, memories of elementary school, hot lunch, hissing radiators, recess, and learning to read and write all come flooding back to me. They conjure up thoughts of simpler times and simpler tools. They are the “comfort food” of pencils.

Wonderfully smooth, thickly painted, and perfectly branded, this is the pencil that I’m reaching for when I’m making lists, balancing my checkbook, and jotting down groceries. How can you resist a pencil that says, “THIS IS A GENUINE WRITE NOTEPADS & CO PRODUCT-TO COUNTERFEIT IS DEATH.” The cores are centered and sharpen without issue. Point retention is very good. I rotate my pencil a bit as I write and find that I can go for quite awhile without re-sharpening (and that’s one of my quirks—the need for a pretty decent point at all times.)

The gold ferrules are gorgeous and do a fantastic job anchoring the equally girthy erasers. When erasing, the bits left behind are strand-like, not “crumby,” and erasing is quite clean with just a faint ghost of the erased word visible.

Long point from regular sharpener (top) vs. short point from Long-Hole sharpener (bottom)

The Classroom Friendly Large-Hole Sharpener can also be used to sharpen regular size pencils, but the resulting point is shorter and more conical than the long point you get from the regular sharpener, as you can see in the photo above. But if you want a Classroom Friendly Sharpener that doesn’t put bite-marks on your pencils, the Large-Hole Sharpener is the one to go with, despite the somewhat stunted point.

The Write Notepads & Co. Jumbo pencils and the Classroom Friendly Large-Hole Sharpener really are the perfect pair. They go together like gin and tonic, bacon and eggs, Thelma and Louise. If you have one, you gotta have the other.

2014 Wrap-Up: The Feelings

Simple tree

I had planned to get a post up last week, but then I caught a cold (unexpected) and Christmas arrived (expected). One thing was fun, the other not so much. Slowly coming out of my sinus miseries and low-key Christmas celebrations to think about getting things back to normal. Well, normalish.

Baking molasses cookies. Or as I call them, mole asses cookies.

I’m off from work for most of the week— just have to pop in on Friday for a little while— so every day feels like Saturday lately. Which is what I imagine heaven feels like.

My festive Retro 51s

A couple of feelings routinely kick in this time of year, as one year ends and the other begins. The first is gratitude. Thanks for all of the good stuff and good people that I’ve encountered in the last year, much of it related to pens (and paper and ink and pencils) and the pen/pencil communities. These are the places where I feel most comfortable, where my introverted tendencies vanish, where I have a blast.

Karas Kustoms Retrakt

Though not a complete list by any means, these are just some of the people and places who made 2014 a memorable year:

Podcasts/Videocasts
The Pen Addict with Brad and Myke (responsible for oh so many pen purchases and for an always entertaining commute)
The Erasable Podcast with Andy, Johnny, and Tim (Who would’ve thought I’d listen to a show about pencils? I do, and I love it.)
Anderson Pens (Oh, that chat! It’s like meeting with friends every time I tune in.)
SBREBrown & Gourmet Pens & the “I won’t be ignored” kitty (Great information with great humor. You guys rock.)

Pen, pencil, ink, notebook, and storage vendors
Anderson Pens
Dudek Modern Goods
Edison Pen Co.
Field Notes
Fontoplumo
The Goulet Pen Co.
JetPens
Karas Kustoms
Levenger
Nock Co.
Pen Chalet
The Pen Company
Retro 1951
Write Notepads & Co.

Thanks to some for supplying review items, to others for great customer service, and to all for great products and that extra-special personal touch.

My nib guy
Dan Smith @fpgeeks

Thanks for making less than stellar pens remarkable, quickly and affordably. Great work!

Penpals
Tracy Lee
Michelle

Thank you for understanding when I TAKE SO LONG TO REPLY. Your letters and cool envelopes are a source of delight in my mailbox. So glad we’re getting to know each other better while using our pens and inks.

Bloggers, Tweeters, Facebookers
I won’t name names because I’ll leave someone out then feel bad, but you all entertain and educate me, amuse and enlighten. This is the BEST community.

Best hotel
The Sheraton at Tysons Corner for returning my “left behind” Akkerman ink after the DC Pen Show. Amazing customer service. So grateful.

Pencil line-up

The other feeling that kicks in this time of year is “fresh start.” Old year out, new year in. Time to purge, reorganize, and start with a blank(ish) slate. Fred and I regularly purge and straighten out our pantry during our break between Christmas and New Year’s. Annual ritual. Afterwards, we vow to use what we have on hand before adding more stuff to the cupboards.

Conklin Stylograph (to be reviewed)

In that same vein, I plan to make 2015 a year where I buckle down and USE my pens, pencils, papers, and inks— switching my focus from acquisition to using. When you have a Staples Printer Paper box full of empty notebooks, it might be time to stop buying notebooks and start writing in them. Like every day. Don’t get me wrong, I use my stuff but I need to REALLY use my stuff. There’s plenty here to be written in and written with, plenty to be reviewed, plenty to have fun with. Plenty.

Machined favorites

So I’m closing out 2014 and starting 2015 feeling grateful and blessed. And you— all of you— are the reason.

Peace and good health to you all.

Write Notepads & Co. loot

Giveaway Winner: Write Notepads & Co.

The winner of the Write Notepad Co. notebook and pencils is LIZ N. Fred picked Liz’s name from my pink John Deere baseball cap. (I can’t think of a cap that’s less “me,” but it was free!) Liz, I’ll email you for your address then get the goodies sent off!

I loved hearing how you all are making a difference. Liz’s comment said: I really enjoy helping kids stay active so they can have a lifetime of healthy bodies. I volunteered at my daughter’s school for their annual walk-a-thon fundraiser by helping count laps and cheering the kids on. I don’t feel like this is a big deal (compared to some of the comments posted so far!), but I’m passionate about preventing childhood obesity and making PE/play time/exercise fun again!

Your comments prove once again that pen people are good people!

 

Heart & Soul: A Visit to Write Notepads & Co.

One of our last stops at the DC Pen Show was at the table of Chris and Mark Rothe, founders of Write Notepads & Co. I was familiar with their notebooks having purchased a selection after meeting them at last year’s pen show, where they were JUST ABOUT ready to launch their made-in-Baltimore products into the world. We chatted a little last year, and I remembered them being super-friendly and fun to talk to.

Same goes for this year. But they had an added attraction…NICO!

Now I love notebooks so I’d be drawn to their table anyway, but a table of notebooks with an adorable dog? I’m a goner.

Nico napped and let me pet her (best dog ever!) while Fred yakked about baseball with Chris and Mark. Fred mentioned that we were heading into Baltimore on Monday to see a game, and that lead to a very cool invitation from the guys to stop at the business for a look around.

So we did. What a blast!

The Rothe family business is a binding company and when we got there Monday morning, the binding machines and employees were in full swing, pallets of work were being moved around the floor, and Mark was solving some binding related problems. Monday, Monday. Nico trotted around making sure that everything was going smoothly.

Tucked into a few back rooms of the binding business is where the Write Notepads are born. Chris generously took time out of his busy morning to show us around.

I can’t pretend to understand how they do what they do, but it was great to see where and how the notebooks are made. Chris taught himself how to use the presses which appears to be on the tricky side. Big understatement there. To me, they look baffling. You could stick me in that room for 100 years and I’d never be able to turn out one single notebook cover. To Chris, no big deal.

It sure isn’t.

Their workspace is on the small side, but is full of life and all kinds of notebook goodness. You can feel their passion for quality goods, their belief in outreach, and their love of laughter. It’s a happy place.

Notebook covers. Very sturdy. Finely letterpressed.

“Willie” the Heidelberg

The walls are painted entirely with chalkboard paint so why not plan a barbecue on the door? “Oink, yo.” HAH!

So the visit was awesome— truly a highlight of our vacation. You can’t meet nicer guys or a friendlier dog. And their products? Love them.

And their mission. As stated on the Write Notepad & Co. website, “So with each note pad purchased, another will go to a Baltimore City student.” Yup, every time you buy a notebook, a student in Baltimore receives their own student notebook. Chris spoke about going into a school with notebooks and pencils, figuring that kids in this digital age would be blasé about receiving the analog tools. But they were THRILLED, and he was thrilled because they were. And I’m thrilled because I think this is the best thing ever.

As I said, I have a collection of some of their products, and will always be a customer because of the quality AND because of their outreach model. Here’s a quick look at some of the Write Notepad & Co. goods:

There are notebooks in two sizes— the large measures 5.5″ x 8.5″ while the small measures 3.5″ x 5.5″. All feature thick, letterpressed covers, and 120 pages of premium paper. The pages are available blank or lined. There’s even a left-handed version with the spiral on the other side. They’ve thought of just about everything!

Large notebooks: Regular and DC edition

Large and small notebooks

Plain and lined pages

Thick covers

Rugged spiral binding

Durable closure band

There’s even a notebook with a chalkboard cover, reminiscent of their pressroom, so that YOU can write “PRINT ISN’T DEAD” on your own notebook with the provided chalk pencil!

The paper is very good, maybe not the best for ALL nibs sizes and inks, but for gel, ballpoint, liquid ink, and most fine to medium fountain pens, the writing experience is a good one. I use one at work for meeting notes and bounce around from a Kaweco medium nib to a Retro 51 rollerball with good results.

But maybe one of the coolest, most important features is right inside the front cover. It’s there that you’ll find a unique code. When you enter that code on the Write Notepads & Co. website, you can see exactly where the notebook you helped to donate is making a student happy.

As I said, the notebooks are great, but the Rothe brothers dedication to the schools in Baltimore is even greater. How cool that we can help them with their outreach by buying their quality-crafted products.

Did I mention that they sell pencils, too?

100% American Cedar, #2, Made in the USA

Should you make a mistake

Ready for sharpening

Our unplanned field trip to the Write Notepad & Co. home base was a very cool experience. I’m so thankful that they took time out of a busy Monday morning to show us around, and to share their love of quality paper products and mission. I walked away very grateful and very impressed, with a deep understanding that behind all of the Write Notepad & Co. products are two brothers who truly care.

And one exceptional dog. (Hi, Nico!!) BEST. DOG. EVER. (Nico is Mark’s dog, and she was a rescue. They make an absolutely perfect pair.)

What a fun day.

——————–

Leave a comment on this post telling me about something you’ve done lately to make a difference. It can be a tiny thing or a big thing. When you do so, I’ll enter your name in a drawing for a small Write Notepads & Co. notebook as well as a 5-pack of their pencils. Enter by Sunday October 12th 11:59 PM EST. I’ll pull the winning name out of a hat (yes, a real hat) on Monday October 13th.

Note: There are no affiliate links in this post. The post reflects my personal experiences and opinions, and involves no compensation.

——————–

EDITED TO ADD: Check out this cool video showing how the notebooks are made!

An Introvert Goes to the Pen Show

[Akkerman inks at the ink testing table]

It’s raining, and I’m wearing fleece in August, so it must be my vacation week. Ah, no worries— it’s still nice to have a break from work, to sleep a little later, and to take a few field trips. Today we’re heading to the closest Cheesecake Factory (which is about an hour away) because we have a gift card burning a hole in our pockets. Yum.

Over the weekend we took a BIG field trip to the DC Supershow—reportedly the biggest pen show in the world. I’ve only ever been to this show— last year was my first time—so I don’t have anything to compare it to. Even though I’m definitely an introvert, and sometimes get overwhelmed by people, I had a BLAST! This is my element. THESE are my people. If I could live at a pen show forever, I would.

[The show is buzzing!]

I was feeling a little anxious about just going for Sunday but we did so because we wanted to minimize the time our four dogs were boarded, with Boo being fragile and Flapjack being a young pup. My brain kept screaming “ALL THE GOOD PENS WILL BE GONE!!” but of course that was not the case.

I won’t go into details in this post (the husband and the cheesecake are calling me!), but I’m happy to report that this introvert loved every moment of the day, loved seeing old friends and making new ones, loved letting the pens that were meant for me find me. I haven’t had a day this fun in a long time.

My husband isn’t into pens as a user, but he’s a talker and has enough interest that he’s actually a great pen show ally. A couple of the pens I purchased were the direct result of Fred’s chats with the sellers. Thanks to Fred, we uncovered a very cool connection with the folks who are the US distributors for Diplomat Pens, had a long and lovely talk with Syd Saperstein of Wahl-Eversharp, and had a great visit with Chris and Marc of Write Notepads & Co. And because we were missing our pups, we bonded immediately with Marc’s dog, Nico, who happily napped on their display table. She is a DREAM dog.

[Nico, the Write Notepad & Co. Ambassador]

On Monday, we spent time in Baltimore prior to the Orioles-Yankee game, and took up Chris and Marc on their invitation to see where and how Write Notepads are born. They were wonderful hosts, as was Nico, and that visit was a definite high point of our trip.

This post is short, and slim on details, cuz I gotta run. I’ll write all about our trip and my pens in upcoming posts, but I wanted to let you know that this introvert had the best time ever! The pens are great, but the people made the show, and our trip, extraordinary.

It can rain on my vacation. I don’t even care.