Monday 31 October 2011

No No No NaNoWriMo

Best of luck to all those brave souls who will participate in this year's NaNoWriMo. I won't be joining you. I've simply got too much else on my plate during November to worry about getting 1,667 words down on paper every single day, or, more likely, saving it all up for the weekends. To be honest, writing a blog sometimes seems like too much work.

It's not that I don't want to write a novel; indeed I once did, back when I was a student and I had a lot more spare time. In fact I have an idea for a novel which would make a fine subject for a crack at the coveted title. But not this year.

Are any readers here about to take the plunge?

Sunday 30 October 2011

Palomino Blackwing 602





Postscript: I forgot to mention in this review that due to the softness of the lead, the pink eraser on this review pencil worked very well. Mike sent me a second Blackwing, this time with the black eraser, but I've not used that one.

Saturday 29 October 2011

Stationery Archeology 8


Next in this increasingly infrequent series is this, a bullet pencil kindly sent by my correspondent in Georgia, USA, Richard. Bullet pencils are largely unknown here in England - although I have found some examples on the interweb - so it was a lovely surprise to receive one in the post. I understand from reading about them that they were often given as promotional items by small businesses - this one being a fine example.


This one has clearly been used a lot, for the pencil component is now little more than a stub. The eraser end has hardened to a rubber bullet in its own right. It is probably about four inches long in total.

Thank you Richard.