Archive

Monthly Archives: August 2023

Some re-inks

August 27, 2023
art, photos

I’ve got a little small-bottle set of those iroshizuku inks. I love the tsuki-yo, which is a nice blue-black, so I reloaded the Vanishing Point with it. I use that pen a lot at the office.

The Metropolitan doesn’t get as much use, so I swapped in the kon-peki, which is a nice medium blue. I’ll find a way to get more use out of it. I love the way it looks.

Of the three pens, the Lamy Safari was the one I didn’t write out of ink. The cartridge just dried out. It’s a drag, but I have more pens than I have writing time. I still have a few of these sweet purple Lamy cartridges, so I just swapped one in.

The fountain pen fire I had at the turn of the year has cooled a good bit. I like the pens I’ve got and I use them often. I’m definitely not hot to grab more of them right now.

Plenty leafy

August 21, 2023
photos

Seems my worrying was for naught. This looks like a happy and healthy azalea.

I still don’t have a vision for the shape of the bonsai to come, but there is plenty of time for that. This is the growing phase. The development phase will be in a year or two.

I really do, though.

August 10, 2023
computers, fun

I have a group chat with some friends where we share phone game scores and results. They’re technically Youngs, and they give me juuuuust the right amount of ribbing for my advanced age.

Rose and Ground?

August 7, 2023
fun, photos

Long-time readers may remember when I was an enthusiastic strength sport athlete. I’ve taken a turn to playing more tennis over the last 18 months and my time at the gym has been sporadic, at best.

Over the last month or so, I’ve started dabbling back with the Iron Arts, in an early a.m. window. I don’t love getting up early, but I really love lifting weights.

Trimmed stickers

August 4, 2023
photos

Waaaay back in 2007, or so, I grew my first big beard. It was a fun exercise and I took advantage of a sticker sale to have these printed up.

They come as 3” squares, but I try to trim them up before I give them to people. And I’ve given a lot of them away.

Man, it really used to be a dark beard.

Busch Gardens

August 3, 2023
fun, photos

I am not in this photo, but I took it. There wasn’t any way in hell I was getting at all involved in this damn thing.

We had a park day through work and my youngest is in this photo. She’s nuts.

I did ride a couple of coasters. I hadn’t been on one in probably 15 years, but I was feeling spry and got bullied into it by my kid. It was a mistake.

I didn’t barf, but I was definitely wobbly after a couple of them. I am going back into Roller Coaster Retirement.

Budding Bonsai

August 2, 2023
fun, photos

I’m relieved to see some signs of life after chopping this azalea down a couple of weeks ago. I was worried I waited too long after the spring bloom and it wouldn’t react well in the heat of the summer.

This smells suspiciously like a lesson in patience. Hmmmm.

Golf Outing

August 1, 2023
photos, sports

Lucked my way into a work-related golf outing last week during the previously-mentioned heat wave. It was foolishly hot outside, which is what I’m blaming my back 9 struggles on.

I couldn’t make a putt. It was awful.

And, as always, I hit enough good shots to go again. Hopefully soon, but not so soon that it’s still summer-hot out.