Day two of judging is done. We listened to more than 600 commercials each. Many of them I listened to twice, especially the ones about cricket, a sport which I don’t expect to understand in my lifetime. Every hour or so I took a break. I would take the headphones off and stare into the …
Dinner at La Cote (artfully arranged mushrooms, fish and a dessert that could properly be called a “confection”) was noisy and cheerful. Terry Savage welcomed us with a quick speech, promising a relaxing evening before we disappeared into dark rooms for four or five days of judging. I sat in between Carolyn Lowery, Festival Director …
I arrived at Gray d’Albion, where all the judges stay, last night. I’m getting used to subtracting six hours from the time on my phone. Part of my welcome kit was a Clock of Kindness. It’s meant to be set on Cannes time and on home time; a sweet gesture, but the clock itself is …
I’ll be offline for the next day or so. Packing light, mostly black, with tiny shock blocks of color to keep me amused. I am taking Nano with me. He’s in a zebra bag sewn by Gabie for the trip. I took only one change of clothing for Nano, as I have bully-thick fingers. Me: …
I bought a yoyo in the same week I read Daniel Pink’s A Whole New Mind. I bought the book two years ago but my sister took it away, to the Hinterlands, which shares the space-time continuum her dorm room and the planet of misplaced ballpens occupy. It returned from the journey with age spots, …
Another dragon joins the collection. This time it’s Italian. Claudio Mazzi is best known for his airbrushed Zippos. This was his first collaboration with Visconti. His style reminds me of Heavy Metal covers and 80’s posters beloved of teenage fanboys. The pen’s clip is the classic Visconti arc. The capband is inscribed with “Visconti” and …
Today I am the High Priestess of Glum and Sulk, because my new phone was stolen last night. We went to the PAGCOR Theater to catch the Wanders – which is like a Chinese acrobat and Filipino noontime variety show rolled into one – and the security people made us turn off our phones before …
This is a happy Friday. I was able to replace a sac, all by myself.
So now I have two pens by Hironobu Okazaki. (The first one has a tree frog; my pet name for it is Froggi-e Maki-e.) This one I keep calling Platinum Wave, but it’s actually Silver Wave based on Kevin’s original sales post: “Platinum powders (Hirame, flat foil) used on the wave crest with Taka Maki-e …
It has finally arrived, my fourth Nakaya – and my first direct order from Japan. Ishi means stone. The Nakaya craftsmen layered silver over a brown body. The result is a deep gray with light gray highlights that will become lighter. I expect the pen will look worn over time, like rocks in a river. …