My red pen is running out of ink. Because I edit and proofread all my translations and other writing (except the writing for this site) on hard copy, the red pen is indispensable. I thought I had a spare, but it seems that the pen I've been using is the spare.
In order to not be caught out, I went to the office supply store to get another red pen (and a spare). And there I saw a pack of my favorite kind of pens with lots and lots of colors. Colors that I don't need: pink, sky blue, purple, green …
And I bought them. I'll get some use out of them next, oh, February or so, when I revise this novel that I'm going to start writing in two days. (At which point, blogging may become more sporadic unless it turns out to be an effective means of procrastination, in which case I may post more, but I doubt it.)
Then I got to thinking about how I'm running low on whiskey. I hadn't been planning on buying more because I'd just drink it up. While a wee dram in the evening is nice, it is not conducive to writing (no matter what you may have heard, shutting down the brain does not improve its performance). On the other hand, I told myself, it might be helpful to be able to shut off the brain after writing. So I went to the liquor store, all set to be more self-indulgent, and they were out of Laphroaig! Which is what I wanted. I was able to resist all the other single malts, even (or is that "especially"?) the one that comes with a whiskey tasting glass. I already have a great glass: a straight-sided, crystal old-fashioned glass in a princess cut (what else?) which lets me measure how much whiskey is going into the glass so I can't fool myself into mistaking a really-not-wee-at-all dram for a wee dram. No panty-waist snifters here, I tell you.
Anyway, where was I? Self-indulgence. Only not really, because I only came home with a pack of colored pens. I should maybe pull them out now and draw up an outline for this novel. In pink.
374 words | October 29, 2005 06:00 PM | Writer's blockNot wanting to be out of red (or black or green or whatever), I tend to stock up on such things at the big-box store when I am there. Strangely enough that 40 pack of blue+black+red is about twice the cost of the 5 pack at the staple store (which only has 2 blue, 2 black and one red). Luckily I have plenty of room down in the basement to store them--right next to four boxes on pencils (200 ea).
I wonder if the pens will still work by the time I get around to using them. Oh well, at least the pencils should still be good.
Posted by: Derek at October 30, 2005 12:34 AMPens last me so long that I don't need to stock up in bulk. I think the last box of 12 pens lasted over ten years. I get the Pilot Precise V5 kind, and they always work. The gel ink kind don't! If you leave them alone for six months or a year, then you can't get them going again. Infuriating!
Posted by: Nee-chama at October 30, 2005 12:49 PM