26/11/20 20:57

So, another new fountain pen.  This time it’s a green forest Hongdian from China.  It’s the same as the blue one but, well, in green.  And it’s gorgeous.  Anyway, why am I writing today?  Firstly, it’s national non-Munching Mars Day.  A day originating back in 1992 and has been observed every year since.  By me, at least. Probably because it was me that originated it.

It’s also the day that I found out London is in Tier 2 from December 2^nd and that France has started to unveil her plans for the following few months following the loosening of their lockdown.

Not only that, but I’ve been looking for a new pad to use once this gets full up.  I’ve done a lot of looking – not simply Amazon – and I think that unless I decide to use an existing one, I’ll be either getting one personalised on the cover and spine or I shall be waiting for March and upon my return to Paris, hunting an appropriate one down.  I’ll also be having a few more fountains pens by then (there is one more due to arrive in a few days and I’m going to order more of these Forest fountain pens in different colours).  I also have syringe adaptors in place – this is a pretty cool converter over and above the regular adaptors.

Tomorrow sees the first Black Friday event that I will have been paid for.  It’s an amazing feeling and, even though we had Amazon Prime day followed by pre-Black Friday sales and the Black Friday week, I will still be making a handful of purchases in the morning.  The first will be, deal dependant, a Freewrite Traveler.

No, there aren’t any mechanical keys but the portability of such a machine means that I’ll be able to leave distractions, laptops, keyboards, notebooks and pens behind whilst I create.  This makes me happy.  It also means that the typewriters, numerous tablets, keyboards, notebook, fountain pens and extra inks that I have and carry around may become redundant.  I assure you, I shall try and make sure that never fully occurs.  I wrote a single note t’other day to the missus.  I then typed it up, snapped a photo and sent it to her.  I enjoyed doing that.  It brought back some nostalgic romantic magic.

My study is fully behind at the minute but that’s because I’m trying to level up my youngest son’s Fortnite account.  Knowing I shall be available for quite a few nights of December means I can relax a little now and smash out a whole heap of study and assignments later on.  Hopefully – as long as we don’t get lumbered with more lockdowns and restrictions.

I haven’t decided much more on the approach of the book and I think that by itself is the direction I shall take for now.  When everything is back to normal, even if it’s going to be the new normal, I’ll have myself some proper mindspace to focus on different bits.  I’ll be able to escape to the coffee shops.  Or the libraries.  Or the pubs.  I’ll need a new environment to regain mental and creative focus.  There’s so much I need to do in order for my big assignment, I’m beginning to forget the smaller assignments.  Which is not good, I assure you.  December will be kind to me, Though.  It has to be.

So, talking of being kind, I managed to book a Monday stay at Hôtel des Grands Hommes for the other half’s 40^th in March.  It’ll be a quick stay unfortunately but, as said previously, hopefully long enough to get plenty of photos, notes and inspiration.  I need her to go back in August at some point, deals dependant.  She has made it very clear I’m not to go to Paris without her being there.  At some point I would love to surprise her on a visit and simply rock up – if I’ve managed to get some time in myself beforehand, that would be ace, but beggars can’t be choosers.

And this takes me to another purchase I may be making.  I seriously want to learn conversational French.  But with work, study and all the rest of it, time, like money is nowhere to be found.  But there’s a course called French Together that I’ve had my eye on that could certainly be the start of something.  The chap who runs it, along with similar folk of his thought processes say it’s essential to practice in real life.  Can you imagine if I strike up a penfriend for the next 30-40 years?  Exchanging cultures, language, friendships.  These days, it’s all Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram.  They’re all okay but the handwritten snail mail and exchange of physical photographs simply will never be beaten or replicated.

Unless I type it on my Freewrite, edit it on the laptop, type it out on the typewriter and sign it by hand with my fountain pen.

But it’s still quicker if I fire off a text…