tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88541002708375807762012-01-28T22:16:37.546-05:00K's NotebookThis is indeed, where the fish livesKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.comBlogger1871100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-64387850645223870652012-01-28T22:16:00.000-05:002012-01-28T22:16:37.554-05:00Cheap PensMaybe this is just my own neuroses at play but I go through periods of using a pen (or group of pens) and using only that pen(s) for days, weeks, or even months at a time. For instance, I am all about my inexpensive pens right this second. Tomorrow or next week? It could very well be my Edison Pearl again. Or a Pelikan. Or my "new" Waterman No. 12 PSF (a pen so old that it was likely around when Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-66247039174087611082012-01-15T14:31:00.000-05:002012-01-15T14:31:39.339-05:00Pens, pens, and more pens!Guess what's coming up next week? What the-- no, not Take Your Dumb Kid* to Work Day. I'm talking about the 2012 Philadelphia Pen Show. This year, I'm manning the table for the Philadelphia Pen Collectors Group for some of the show. Whee! I can't promise that I won't try to drink some of the ink but that's what happens when you start naming inks after wine and coffee and such.
(Note: I'm not Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-1471143782767788622012-01-08T19:14:00.000-05:002012-01-08T19:14:29.022-05:00SchoolsMy grade school is being merged with another and then both schools will be moved to a third location. So for all intents and purposes, my grade school will no longer exist. My mother's high school will close. My sister-in-law's school was spared but it will receive the students of two other local schools that didn't make the cut.
I am a sad panda today :-(Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-18816865534979556942011-12-29T22:44:00.000-05:002011-12-29T22:44:49.430-05:00Goddamn I love teaThe blog title might not have anything to do with the subject of the blog entry. I just really like tea right now. Irish Breakfast black tea, where have you been all my life?
You know, I thought I would use the Christmas break to do some more writing but somehow that didn't happen. Now 2011 is coming to a quick end and I'm spending it watching Lord of the Rings: Return of the King special Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-19065114096894291082011-12-24T23:03:00.000-05:002011-12-24T23:03:12.341-05:00And to all a good night!It's Christmas Eve (around here at least) which puts me in the mood for my favorite Muppets/Christmas Carol adaptation/Michael Caine movie ever: Muppet Christmas Carol.
You know you want to watch it.
It's been a crazy 2011. I'm happy to see it go. So in the words of Robin the Frog as "Tiny" Tim Cratchitt:
"God bless us, everyone!"
Happy holidays!Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-80739989700323208522011-12-20T19:54:00.001-05:002011-12-20T19:55:01.161-05:00Writing!I would just like to point out how very, very, very envious of Shari I am right now. Because her edits are done while I've only just started mine. Also, my manuscript is still technically unfinished. And sucky, unlike hers. Seriously, Shari's going to have a book in the bookstores by the end of 2012, you all just watch :-)
Happy upcoming holidays, everybody! May 2012 bring you peace, love, joy, Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-44814984442975535632011-12-11T12:19:00.001-05:002011-12-11T12:36:55.999-05:00Alphasmart-y Pants Another year, another NaNoWriMo over. I skipped it last year because of school but this year, I wanted to make it a challenge because I enjoy making things difficult for myself. So November 2011 found me writing:
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mso-font-signature:1 Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-3215704872049580152011-11-25T09:59:00.000-05:002011-11-25T09:59:11.833-05:00Black Friday y'all!HOLY BLEEP IT'S BLACK FRIDAY WE GOT STORES AND SHOPPING AND BLEEP AND MALLS YEAH BLACK FRIDAY BLEEP YEAH!
Happy belated Thanksgiving everyone! Try not to stab too many people while chasing down those $200 3D HDTVs or whatever the hell you kids are buying these days.Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-57308025765163478322011-10-23T19:05:00.000-04:002011-10-23T19:05:45.429-04:00Bright lights in PhiladelphiaI spent Friday night in Center City (aka "downtown" for those non-Philly denizens) with some friends. It was a decidedly low-key evening-- dinner and drinks at the Fieldhouse on Filbert Street, followed by dessert and drinks (and dinner and drinks for some latecomers) at a Szechuan place in Chinatown. For as much as I rant and rave against Philly-- working in Philly, living in Philly, living Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-1987400875004596642011-10-13T22:14:00.000-04:002011-10-13T22:14:13.420-04:00What's in a nameI have multiple nicknames. Untangling why I am the way I am would kill an entire afternoon and I have better things to do, like reading back issues of Star Wars Insider or trying to figure out the whole River Song storyline on Doctor Who.
(You've established your geekiness, Kate. Move on--Kate)
I've been toying with the idea of going back to my grade-school nickname of "Katy." In a weird twist ofKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-54697437464249021472011-10-05T21:17:00.000-04:002011-10-05T21:17:32.759-04:00A not-funny entrySteve Jobs died today at age 56.
I'm in shock.
Whenever I followed Apple-related news, I got used to predictions about what might happen to Apple once Steve Jobs was no longer actively at the helm. I tended to skim over dire predictions because it's not like the company wouldn't have a clear plan in place for how things would proceed once the current CEO leaves (for whatever reason) and the next Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-58812292241995462552011-09-24T18:24:00.000-04:002011-09-24T18:24:25.451-04:00Break from homeworkIf you should ever find yourself in the year 2002 and in possession of a spiral-bound handbook on the MLA format, for God's sake, don't get rid of it. Even if, after graduating college three years later, you swear up and down that you're not going to graduate school, you're not going to need MLA format anymore, you're not even sure you want to pursue a career in writing now so why should you holdKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-72188558100790613602011-09-17T15:03:00.000-04:002011-09-17T15:03:21.710-04:00Back to the MoleskineSo I'd stopped using Moleskine notebooks once Rhodia and Quo Vadis threw their hats into the ring. But after reading a thread about them, I was compelled to dive into the Moleskine pool again (without sunblock this time so we'll see how that turns out).
Behold: a large, lined Moleskine with a black cover from Barnes and Noble (they were having a sale). I'm not going to lie though; these special Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-35440184774324657602011-09-11T15:34:00.000-04:002011-09-11T15:34:43.350-04:00Ten years onI feel like a fake, commenting on today. I was lucky enough to have not lost anyone in Manhattan, Shanksville, or at the Pentagon that day. I wasn't anywhere near any of the crash sites. I could watch the tragedy unfold from the safety of Arcadia's campus. Class had only started a few days before, because back then, Arcadia was still waiting until after Labor Day to start the Fall semester.
I'd Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-18747106185613765962011-09-08T13:48:00.001-04:002011-09-08T13:48:29.029-04:00Post-OpperyI passed the four-week mark for my lens implants so I can stop all prescription eye drops, go swimming, etc. I celebrated by dying my hair dark brown. (I've always wanted jet-black hair but logic and my hairstylist are like, "no. Let it go, hon. Let it go").
The grooves behind my ears from wearing glasses since 1992 (and on a daily basis since 2004ish?). Those grooves are slowly fading. I still Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-67094800145037266962011-09-06T17:01:00.000-04:002011-09-06T17:01:56.515-04:00Warning: strong opinions aheadHa ha ha ha.
Maybe I'll feel differently if I have a kid someday and that kid goes to school, and his or her teachers go on strike but right now, the news that Philadelphia archdiocesan teachers voted to strike just fills me with giddy glee. I don't know why. Maybe it's because I started high school during the strike of 1997. Maybe it's because I started 12th grade during the strike of 2000. Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-41461194908339945862011-09-04T20:18:00.000-04:002011-09-04T20:18:22.162-04:00Pens 'n Stuff: The Pelikan M415 Brown Tortoise fountain penYes, it's an entry about fountain pens so you just need to deal with that on your own.
In keeping with a theme of sorts (okay, not at all), today's entry is about a pen I've used for over two years: the Pelikan M415 brown tortoise. The pen is a slightly updated reissue (or homage or whatever) of Pelikan's M4xx tortoiseshell fountain pens of yesteryear (circa the 1930s to the 1950s). The key Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-73342195694509608462011-08-28T23:44:00.000-04:002011-08-28T23:44:55.669-04:00Sunday nightI haven't used my fountain pens a lot this summer. It's not that I was bored or anything-- I just started writing with gel pens more often. But I randomly resumed writing with fountain pens a few weeks ago. Cleaning out pens, refilling them, writing gibberish on any available paper...it's all a time to sit down, pause, and reflect.
And look like I murdered a Smurf with my bare hands, apparently. Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-29974998283537303822011-08-27T19:30:00.005-04:002011-08-27T19:30:01.195-04:00Good grief, people(Note: I'd planned to post this entry earlier this week but then there was an earthquake and now there's a hurricane or something...but make no mistake, this is stupid--KGM)
Let's get it out right now: there is no goddamn good reason for why the milk in a McDonald's Happy Meal should be one-percent, low-fat milk. I call "shenanigans." See, at some point, McDonald's started offering fruit and Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-3153523542383153362011-08-16T10:47:00.000-04:002011-08-16T10:47:10.206-04:00Beach!I've noticed that I'm not obsessively checking my day planner every 15 minutes since being down the Shore. I suppose that's a good thing. On the other hand, at any given time down here, I have no idea what day or time it is. It is August 16th today, right? iCal's not lying to me again? Because sometimes it does that. I know the purpose of being on vacation is to not care about what day it is but Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-48706122256111654562011-08-15T21:45:00.000-04:002011-08-15T21:45:06.410-04:00Down the ShoreIt was Mom who pointed out that this is the 20th summer we've been coming to Ocean City, Maryland. I still haven't figured out a way to live here full-time without taking a tourist-related job. While walking along the surf, a seagull kept hanging out near me but eyeing me suspiciously because he was eating something. It turned out to be a cherry. The seagull would hop along for a few steps, pick Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-50622536138351425252011-08-13T11:54:00.000-04:002011-08-13T11:54:00.108-04:00I can quit anytime I want!If you think I can't keep talking about day planners...well, you've got some nerve, mister.
I spent about a week using the "Week on 2 Pages" format. At the end of the week, every single block was covered in my cramped, psycho handwriting and white-out.
So I'm back to the "2 Pages Per Day" format, at least until the end of 2011. Then it's anyone's guess!
And the sticky notes really are the Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-7727969159033929662011-08-11T20:40:00.003-04:002011-08-11T20:40:01.037-04:00Potential TopicsTopics I'm thinking about writing about (provided I actually sit down and write them):
1. The Stock Market Fell 600 Points!! Wait, That's a Bad Thing, Right? (Subtitle: Why I have to remember to look concerned when people freak out about stock market seizures because I stopped caring about that part of math class over 12 years ago and I'm never going to have money invested in the market anyway)
Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-47828714229266400942011-08-07T12:17:00.000-04:002011-08-07T12:17:55.001-04:00Around the House: A Short Play[It is a lovely Sunday in August. Kate and her mother are sitting on the deck, talking about whether a distant ancestor was arrested for failure to pay back taxes, or for dressing up like Guy Fawkes one too many times].
MomKate: Well, they never formally charged him but after the house was seized, his wife and children boarded the MayFlower and—oh, for God's sake!
Kate: What?!
MomKate: The %#@Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-81126298724104333012011-07-30T21:39:00.001-04:002011-07-30T21:40:21.855-04:00More Filofax!Because I can't just shut up already. I've been using Franklin Covey planners for a while but randomly discovered Filofax day planners when I stumbled through one of the planning blogs. Thus began a journey of diary refills, special inserts, and a freaking pink day planner! PINK! :-)(I admit that I may have a problem).
Filofax Metropol Personal in Raspberry Pink
I bought and then returned a Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-29824246268801896032011-07-29T19:08:00.000-04:002011-07-29T19:08:10.161-04:00Vision!No more glasses for me, suckas! It may be crazy to willingly pay some doctor to inject an implantable collamer lens into my eyes but I did and now I can see perfectly without glasses or contact lenses, so yay me! The website FAQ fails to address this issue: if you default on your financing, does Kremer take back your eyes?
Hey, it's a valid question.Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-48632750621568014002011-07-15T21:27:00.001-04:002011-07-15T21:57:34.040-04:00Random thingsMan, Ren and Stimpy was a demented show.
Since I was 12, the movie Empire Records has been a guilty pleasure. Actually, it's not even a guilty pleasure—it's just awesome. The music, the characters, even the set design...I've seen this movie countless times but if it's on TV, I will gladly sit down and watch it again. Reasons I love it include:
The songs. Gin Blossom's "'Till I Hear It From You"Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-74304454239665988882011-07-09T20:35:00.000-04:002011-07-09T20:35:06.070-04:00Filofax!I'm experimenting with day planners again—this time, it's Filofax! And when I say I'm in the middle of switching, I mean, I am literally in the middle of switching day planners. I'm swapping inserts and planner covers while I write ("dude, that's f****d up." "I know.")
I've been using Frankin Covey planners for several months now (compact, two pages per day, ring-bound) but saw a few things aboutKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-79896957426798117872011-07-04T00:05:00.001-04:002011-07-04T00:05:00.497-04:00Summer!Since the 4th of July holiday is coming up, I decided to kill some time by getting out my "red, white, and blue" pens. I used to have a few different white and off-white pens: a white Pelikan M205 (sold 2011), an ivory Sailor Sapporo (sold 2011), an ivory Sailor Profesional Gear (MIA since 2009), etc. But now the closest I have is my clear Pelikan M205. Luckily, I still have my red Pelikan M205 Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-872203669789295912011-07-03T10:53:00.000-04:002011-07-03T10:53:24.301-04:00Mine eyes!So wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute. If I get PRK refractive surgery or a Phakik lens implant, then I could read in the bathtub without having to wear my glasses? Or just pop down to the beach without worrying about the sand scratching up my eyeglasses? Or like, I'd wake up in the morning and as soon as I open my eyes, I can just see? Without any extra effort on my part? Is that how Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-23311931563147698662011-06-27T21:00:00.000-04:002011-06-27T21:00:02.364-04:00Being an adult is boring. Tonight, I:
1. downgraded my cell phone plan from a voice/data/text plan for an AT&T iPhone, to a voice/text plan for a basic, no-frills dumb phone
2. made arrangements to sell my two-year old iPhone (32GB; 3GS model) 3. purchased a refurbished iPod nano to store my music since it's more exercise-friendly. 4. debated also purchasing a refurbished iPod touch since I do Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-40887351940147594402011-06-26T12:04:00.000-04:002011-06-26T12:04:34.974-04:00Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!Differences between being an adult and being a child: Spending a Saturday at the library for non-academic purposes
child: expects to be mocked by peers if they found out that s/he spent a Saturday at the library for non-academic purposes
adult: is probably there with several like-minded friends. Peers are too busy with mowing their lawns or doing children's science fair projects to notice AdultKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-23746052835227221052011-06-13T18:40:00.002-04:002011-06-13T20:36:50.493-04:00I'm surprised more people aren't naming their kids MirenaThe newest Mirena commercial ticks me off. It shows a youngish mother having an internal monologue about whether or not she should have a second child, while her existing kid (I guess he's somewhere between 3-5 years old?) goes about smearing paint on his arms, drawing on walls, playing in the mud, etc. I try to remember that I don't have kids of my own so I shouldn't judge but: maybe the Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-53535572047033111392011-06-12T15:53:00.000-04:002011-06-12T15:53:15.707-04:00Review: Edison Pearl in an insanely-pink colorThere's just no accounting in taste, okay? So sometimes you decide to get a pen made out of "bikini pink" acrylic because for God's sake, it's pink and red swirled together with a pearlescent finish. I mean, how could I resist?! I'm not made of stone. So how this works is, you peruse the Edison Pen website and then contact proprietor Brian Gray about pen materials, nib type, filling method, Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-68739921215957361622011-06-12T10:13:00.001-04:002011-06-12T10:13:20.081-04:00A message about AOLJesus, I didn't even remember that I still had an AOL account. But apparently I do and apparently it's sending spam messages out to everyone and apparently, I can't even get into my old AOL account now. If you see an AOL email from me, just delete it forever. Sorry. Oh, and go to hell, AOL, you incompetent bastards.Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-73440704219658173662011-06-08T20:58:00.000-04:002011-06-08T20:58:33.526-04:00ArchivesHere's a freewrite I did for class back in October because I'm lazy like that.
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10/14/2010Some of the freewrites are in my QV Habana journal (brown cover)... Raining outside. So we’ve been in class since 9/16/2010. Since then, there has only been one Thursday night where it hasn’t poured rain. This will not be one of those nights. It would bother me less Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-56933141610956736562011-06-04T23:38:00.000-04:002011-06-04T23:38:24.946-04:0010 long yearsIt occurred to me that 10 years ago today, I graduated from high school.
Hot damn.
That is all.Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-49458497923169885772011-05-30T12:00:00.001-04:002011-05-30T12:00:57.515-04:00Memorial Day 2011I do not understand the process of receiving Communion at my hometown parish. I have been going to this church for 26 years (excluding the times I lived in other parts of the country or world), and I've received Communion there for 20 years (...good Lord, that's a long time). But I still cannot figure out how this church does it because you have people processing from the back, and you've got Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-5118413364072170452011-05-28T22:39:00.001-04:002011-05-28T22:39:44.169-04:00Adventures in packingI drove away from the apartment, feeling sad. It had already been a long morning and an even longer day was still ahead of me. I was already missing my first "grown up" place.
Then I got a text from one of my sisters—she was sending me moving-appropriate lyrics to Rebecca Black's song about Friday:
Parody lyrics:
It's friday friday
gotta move [bleep] on friday!
Everyone's looking forward to theKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-65136624083038448092011-05-23T17:21:00.001-04:002011-05-23T18:47:21.639-04:00Moving houseThe nice thing about moving is that it forces me to go through all my possessions (aka, junk) and take a hard look at what I should keep and what I shouldn't. I've been gradually moving stuff over to my new location for a while now so I'm sort of living out of suitcases in both places. It's forcing me to realize just what is absolutely essential and what's not. I also rediscovered a Wacom tablet Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-59646673477401153892011-05-21T13:23:00.000-04:002011-05-21T13:23:24.496-04:00This week's pen(s): Pelikan M205(s)I go through phases (usually lasting a week or more) where I only use one particular (or pens) and that's it. Recently it was Lamy and Pilot pens. Right now, it's my two Pelikan M205 pens: one in red and a special edition demonstrator from 2006. I've had the clear Pelikan for almost five years now-- it was a Christmas gift from my mom. The fine nib on it now isn't the original nib. In fact, I Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-21095286337765064202011-05-16T22:02:00.000-04:002011-05-16T22:02:00.588-04:00Wedding-y kind of dayThe great thing about "MED" getting married is that I get to come up with all kinds of opinions and ideas for my own (nonexistent) wedding. So far, here are my top picks for a wedding playlist:
1. Someone Like You by Van Morrison
2. Hard by Grey Eye Glances (this song reminds me of my brother's wedding because it's his favorite band and it just seemed very appropriate
3. All Because of You by Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-78779716045693947782011-05-15T22:01:00.000-04:002011-05-15T22:01:21.732-04:00Pilot Preras: A mystery on my partI generally hear good things about the Pilot Prera fountain pens but my experience with them has been mixed. Some of Preras I've tried have been incredibly smooth while others were fussy hard starters who bitched more than me on Student Loan Bill due-day. And it's always the "vivid pink" Prera that was problematic. Whether in a medium or a fine nib, I often had problems with skipping and Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-28650309665421832952011-05-13T15:39:00.001-04:002011-05-13T15:59:30.669-04:00Wedding weekendNo, not mine. One of my friends is getting married tomorrow.
Cue the stress dreams about trying to get to the church by Pony Express with my dress on backwards and made out of twelve singing cats.
And yes, my bridesmaid dress is pink. Duh :-)
I'm getting myself in the mood by watching Father of the Bride because it was the only wedding-themed movie on my Netflix Instant Queue.
And I think I Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-83718722438044438102011-05-02T21:33:00.000-04:002011-05-02T21:33:03.790-04:00Rhodia DriveJust a note that I have a small piece at Rhodia Drive about stickering Webbies.
Whoo hoo.Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-58492072611780359532011-04-28T22:44:00.000-04:002011-04-28T22:44:36.073-04:00HousekeepingSo I deactivated my Facebook account today. If you're a Facebook friend of mine, no, I did not un-friend you or block you or anything. I just got tired of Facebook.
So...there we are then.Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-76973432796912192902011-04-24T10:43:00.000-04:002011-04-24T10:43:09.117-04:00Easter 2011Happy Easter! (to me. I don't care about you lot). I have some reviews planned, where I go through my current pen, ink and paper collection, pick something at random and then review it.
The biggest Easter miracle today is that instead of the miserable, rainy weather that was predicted all week, it is currently sunny, cheery and about 68 degrees Farenheit (20 degrees Celsius) right now. Yay, Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-43824275356099046452011-04-16T14:42:00.000-04:002011-04-16T14:42:26.776-04:00Spring in PennsylvaniaThings I dislike about spring in Pennsylvania (at least until mid-May):
For the first half (or more) of spring, it's actually still winter and fall. Spring hates you. Spring teases you with the promise that winter is over but then it yanks you back to reality with a slew of 40-degree, windy days.
Seasonal allergies. I think I've been choking on my own phlegm since mid-March
Sometimes the BenadrylKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-21819930159785670832011-04-12T18:35:00.000-04:002011-04-12T18:35:00.176-04:00Indeed, I can count to sixSo why was I digging out my old diaries, you may ask? For an entry about nostalgia over at the Quo Vadis blog. Whoo hoo!
I've been trying to figure out what would be the "nice paper" equivalent of those old composition books and I guess it would be these Clairefontaine clothbound notebooks. I have a three-year old staplebound version, having recently unearthed it while packing things up. See, Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-77352512236097352682011-04-09T14:16:00.002-04:002011-04-09T22:31:28.511-04:00Posterity is overrated [WITH UPDATE]These are my first two diaries:
(Oh excuse me: not "diaries" but rather journals if we're using the Mallory Pike definition).
Anyhow. I've held onto every paper journal I've had since 1993. Recently, I re-read some of the earliest entries, for a side project. And in the words of Cordelia Chase, I just look back on that and cringe. I mean, wow. I know that I'm an insecure ball of crazy but Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-24215527875648259542011-03-13T09:57:00.000-04:002011-03-13T09:57:38.576-04:00Things I Need to RememberYou don't live there always when you write. Mostly it's a long hard walk. Sometimes it's a trudge through fog and you're scared you've lost your way and can't remember why you set out in the first place.
But sometimes you fly, and that pays for everything.Why Write by Neil Gaiman, 2007
When I was in high school, I went on a retreat called Encounter—it was one of those spiritual retreats. I Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-18707961871103623682011-03-12T08:24:00.008-05:002011-03-12T08:29:50.614-05:00Farewell, Darth Vader the MacBookI'm about to attempt posting an entry from my smartphone. It's been one of those weeks. Now you know I love my computer, right? "Darth Vader" the MacBook, which I've had since December 2006? He was actually a replacement from Apple for a faulty PowerBook 12-inch that had like, a tumor by its AC port. Anyway, I loved Darth Vader the MacBook. Even after his warranty ran out last year, I had no Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-76419676423834705942011-03-05T15:45:00.000-05:002011-03-05T15:45:03.370-05:00Well this is just sadHow self-conscious am I? I'm trying to learn yoga, in my bedroom, and I still feel stupid. WTF. There is clearly no one watching me right now (assuming some shadowy, secret government agency hasn't set up secret cameras in my room) but I still feel like a major idiot who looks stupid. And I only got halfway through the second pose before my heel started to hurt and since it was a standing pose, IKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-44389857854776313652011-03-02T22:20:00.000-05:002011-03-02T22:20:39.456-05:00Step 1 to being a writer: avoid actual writingTonight's activities:
Wish I took cheerleading in high school because it would help when writing a story about a cheerleader
Wish I knew how to do a cartwheel because that probably would have helped with the whole cheerleading thing
Watch SouthPark
Eat chips
Success!
Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-86515852102635400612011-02-19T14:55:00.000-05:002011-02-19T14:55:24.083-05:00A little taste of spring during winterAfter weeks of cold temperatures, snow, ice, even colder temperatures, etc. it actually went up to 69 degrees Farenheit on Friday. I know! I couldn't believe it either. And it's not even Smarch yet! (Which as you know, is the 13th day of the 13th month of the 13th year). Today it's about 45 degrees and quite windy. I keep expecting the apartment to come down around my head. But now it feels like Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-23620012833797600142011-02-08T19:43:00.000-05:002011-02-08T19:43:50.649-05:00He got 99 problems but a padawan ain't oneOnly 20 or so minutes into Attack of the Clones and Obi-Wan has already shot like, three different "Bitch, please" looks at Anakin.
Old Obi-Wan: The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It's an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us. It binds the galaxy together.
Ghost of Qui-Gon: That, and getting toasted. Nicely toasted.
Padme: Ani? My goodness, Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-67173508533627430772011-02-06T17:15:00.000-05:002011-02-06T17:15:56.992-05:00Pen Show HaulA few weekends ago, I stopped by the 2011 Philadelphia Pen Show for a quick visit. I thought about not going at all this year but changed my mind at the last minute. I'm glad I went because I wound up with a new Pelikan nib, a new bottle of ink, and a new pen!
Ink and nib:
Whenever I go to the Philly pen show, I stop by Richard Binder's table. I almost always wind up getting something—a new pen,Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-71880729315031257832011-01-17T23:28:00.000-05:002011-01-17T23:28:29.724-05:00Like a bad rom-comMovie quote time!
Eddie: It's over. Why can't you just let it go? Jane: I can't. Eddie: Why? Jane: Because I was happy. Because if this theory is wrong, men don't leave all women, Eddie. They leave me. Eddie: I know it hurts. I know. It's so hard to believe that something that wonderful can ever happen to us again, but it can. Someone Like You.Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-35356264692948194102010-12-31T15:27:00.001-05:002010-12-31T15:32:19.545-05:00Goodbye 2010When I was graduating high school, that song “Here’s to the Night” was all over the radio and at every school dance. I wish the radio were playing it now. I’ve long since graduated from mix tapes in the van’s tape deck to a 500-song Smart Playlist on my iPod, which is plugged into an FM transmitter, which broadcasts the iPod’s music through an empty FM station in Blue Bandit’s radio. But for someKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-23917409528326967592010-12-27T07:34:00.000-05:002010-12-27T07:34:00.956-05:00Even more g.d. snowBecause you know, last year's just wasn't enough. It started snowing after midnight on Sunday and finally stopped sometime after midnight Monday morning. The wind is still blowing though. Oh my, how the wind is still blowing. I'm pretty sure Philadelphia is still in a snow emergency.
What's annoying about this storm is that throughout the weekend, the general consensus was, "oh, we're not going Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-67614166827027790102010-12-26T20:26:00.003-05:002010-12-26T20:59:27.426-05:00A journey of HabanasThis past week, I've read the word "Habana" so many times that when I hear "Havana" (the capital of Cuba), it's lost all meaning. Poor capital got upstaged by a brand of notebooks, at least in my little part of the online world.
FULL DISCLOSURE TIME: Since I occasionally write for the Quo Vadis company blog, they "pay" me in things like Habana notebooks instead of real money. However, I've also Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-56358099183993457972010-12-19T15:13:00.000-05:002010-12-19T15:13:34.403-05:00Three good things about todayBecause lord knows I do enough whining around here.
1. I made two pans of fudge for an office potluck, from my mother's recipe. And they turned out perfectly! (Easier said than done when dealing with fudge).
2. My awesome cousin found my camera, which has been missing since...a while. I had it last Christmas, I know that much. Turns out I left it at her house at some point so at least it was in Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-84399059025938880102010-12-05T22:27:00.000-05:002010-12-05T22:27:04.729-05:00A passportMy passport expires in 2012. I have to keep reminding myself but the expiration is still so far off that I worry I'll miss it. It's a sad, little book. There's one lonely departure stamp in March 2002 on one page and then a flurry of arrival and departure stamps a few pages later. March 2002 again, January 2004, April 2004—England, Australia, and America. There's also a tiny, blue round sticker Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-30737071911199219652010-11-28T12:23:00.002-05:002010-12-05T10:26:48.296-05:00FamilyFor the past several years (actually, ever since I first got a copy of iTunes and a Mac with a CD drive, so....since 2002?), I've been making up an annual playlist of "Christmas" music. Why yes, it is a lot like Andy Ihnatko's annual tradition! In fact, you could even say that some of my song selections are from his choices (you could, because they are good choices). The big differences are:
I Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-13796164991540318532010-11-25T11:31:00.000-05:002010-11-25T11:31:44.875-05:00ColorsFirst, the housekeeping. Rhodia Drive recently announced that Rhodia Webnotebooks in Rhodia's new dotPad pattern will arrive in 2011! Hurray for customer feedback! (Please note: I have often reviewed Rhodia products here, and I've also written for the Quo Vadis blog. Exaclair is the U.S. distributor of Rhodia, Quo Vadis, and other products).
Now onto random, unrelated stuff! Like...colors! And Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-40846740972159362782010-10-09T17:21:00.000-04:002010-10-09T17:21:35.110-04:00Shut up, denimDear jeans manufacturers and designers:
I hate to remind you but I actually have thighs. They're not huge but they're also not non-existent. Why do you discriminate against my thighs, jean designers? What did they ever do to you? I make no apologies for them and I don't plan to get rid of them anytime soon. One, I shouldn't have to and two, they would come in handy if I ever needed to try to Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-40426379098076513352010-09-29T19:38:00.000-04:002010-09-29T19:38:36.108-04:00Back to schoolI don't know why but I really like this photo I took about two years ago, of some J. Herbin bottles. It just turned out fairly well, considering it was a random shot with a point-and-shoot camera. I haven't written lately because I've been settling into the routine of school. It's only one class but suddenly, it feels like all my evenings are booked up with one thing or another. But in the Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-79563197239964187512010-09-03T18:59:00.000-04:002010-09-03T18:59:00.345-04:00Coming soon: another planner showdownBecause why not? It's a "back to school" thing. I've been out of school for five years but as the calendar turns over to September, I get into that "plan-do-plan-do-oh my god, I have to get school supplies!" mindset. And since my first graduate class is in six days, I get to do it for real this time. It's fun to enable one's obsessive-compulsive tendencies sometimes.Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-62119894471250269952010-08-27T18:23:00.000-04:002010-08-27T20:21:16.676-04:00DiariesSorry for the lack of recent updates. My heart’s being weird so I’ve been trying to figure that out and the lack of sleep is making me punchy (the “ooh, pretty colors!” kind of punchy). The benefit to having extra notebooks on hand is that I had a ready “heart palpitations” diary so...yay, I guess? And I rediscovered my favorite gel pens from school so hurray for having cheery pens to use at workKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-27534078111786633222010-08-21T14:02:00.000-04:002010-08-21T14:02:48.467-04:00Crackers and HummusOr, What I Eat While Watching Newly Discovered BBC shows of a sci-fi nature.
If it weren't for a Phillies game today, I think I would get sucked into watching the entire series for the rest of the weekend. Yes, I could clean the house instead but why the hell would I want to do that? It's just going to be get dirty again by next week. Like, I dusted my bedroom last Sunday and today, it's dusty Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-71867737572271554772010-08-16T23:58:00.005-04:002010-08-23T19:03:47.189-04:00UPDATED: WINNER ANNOUNCED: Rhodia giveaway here! Winner will be announced 8/23/20108/23/2010 UPDATE: And the winner is...Brian! Brian, please email me at kgmarshall at mac dot com to collect your Webnotebook. Thank you, everyone!--Kate
Important News:
I have a Rhodia Webnotebook and I'm giving it away, courtesy of Exaclair. The rules:
1. Leave a comment on this entry (no "anonymous" comments please) by 2 PM EST on Sunday, August 22, 2010. The comment can be anything you want Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-1442929739671945362010-08-13T12:29:00.001-04:002010-08-13T12:29:24.688-04:00And I'm back....sort of.Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-27503847890091158852010-07-31T09:58:00.000-04:002010-07-31T10:01:30.279-04:00Vacation! Whoo!I’m going on vacation on Monday! Beach, books, boardwalk...awesome. See you in a few weeks!Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-52141587737374866892010-07-24T07:41:00.001-04:002010-07-24T07:51:17.477-04:00Even in the TV show, everyone hates MalloryThank God for YouTube!
As seen in the last entry, I've had the Babysitters Club series (books and TV) on my mind lately. And this episode is the "classic" Christmas one where Stacy gets tired of being diabetic or something, sneaks cookies, effs up her diabetes, and winds up in the hospital. Which was also the plot of like, five different Stacy-themed BSC book so hurrah for book/TV continuity! Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-21276673477531151622010-07-20T19:49:00.000-04:002010-07-20T19:49:40.424-04:00Down the rabbit hole that is my childhoodBabysitters Club!
I was going to title this post, "Say hello to your friends!" but that really only refers to the TV show, which I didn't watch much because my family couldn't afford didn't get the Disney channel back then. (Yes, once upon a time, back in the early '90s, the Disney channel was part of the "premium" cable package along with HBO and Showtime and only the rich people on Victoria Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-56200199929822549192010-07-17T22:48:00.000-04:002010-07-17T22:48:00.497-04:00I like sparkly thingsSo I was at Kohl's today looking for practical stuff like clothing and what should I come upon but this ring?
Yes, it's a heart-shaped fake ruby ring surrounded by fake diamonds on a (probably fake) sterling band. And the setting has heart-shaped cutouts (not pictured)! And yes, I purchased it and am wearing it (my ring finger is a size 6, it turns out). Ignore how weird my hand looks in that Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-2017743448961064802010-07-15T22:32:00.000-04:002010-07-15T22:32:44.294-04:00My journey with MoleskinesThere is a type of bound notebook out there called a Moleskine. You may have heard of it. Writers Bruce Chatwin and Ernest Hemingway used similar-looking books (and don't think Moleskine srl doesn't milk that tenuous association for all its worth. More power to them, I say, but it does get tedious after a while).
Below is a picture of a typical Moleskine, enhanced by kick-ass ninja stickers I gotKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-58625155442561176932010-07-14T20:55:00.000-04:002010-07-14T20:55:04.979-04:00Writing and stuffI've been slowly transcribing my NaNoWriMo 2009 draft from my notebook to the computer. It's boring, even with fountain pens. (No, the fountain pens don't need to be there while I transcribe. It's just more fun that way).
Also, I've never seen The Room but thanks to the Nostalgia Critic review, I don't need to. Goddamn.Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-38164670254371158682010-07-11T18:07:00.001-04:002010-07-11T18:07:38.364-04:00Notebooks galoreThis isn't so much a review as just as photo-heavy, "lookit here!" entry. Fun. But anyway, I think I am sufficiently stocked up on journals for the near future :-)The journals pictured below include another Webnotebook (which I also reviewed here); and Quo Vadis Habana notebooks. All feature my favorite papers by Rhodia and Clairefontaine and have other interesting features, like an elastic Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-43461827380486966892010-07-05T13:20:00.000-04:002010-07-05T13:24:49.879-04:00One more Independence Day-themed postYou know, the video for “Apologize” is kind of begging for a literal video version on YouTube. But I found something even better! A “Declaration of Independence”-themed parody video!Yes, reallyIt came from these guys but I first found it on Epbot which is run by the Cakewrecks lady. See, history can be fun. Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-39521501581531544922010-07-04T18:22:00.002-04:002010-07-04T18:53:48.769-04:00Happy 4th of July!Okay, you know this post I did for Memorial Day? Just substitute the "Happy Memorial Day!" in the picture with "Happy 4th of July!" or "Happy Independence Day, USA!" or anything else like that. I could do another quick picture but I'm lacking a blue pen (shocking, I know) or red ink, etc. You know how it goes. I spent yesterday involved in burgers, beers, fireworks, cards, and Celebrity (aka "Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-63618004219548289832010-06-21T21:36:00.000-04:002010-06-21T21:36:44.130-04:00Review: Lamy Al Star violet fountain penSo awhile ago I said I would review the Lamy Al Star violet pen (apparently, it's also known as "black purple." Whatever). Then I never followed up on the review. I'm sorry.
Moving on then.
So, the Lamy Al Star. It's aluminum. It looks very much like its Vista and Safari counterparts* only in aluminum. I know, right?! The Al Star is a cartridge-converter pen (Lamy cartridges only) and comes in a Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-10619187385965551292010-06-19T11:22:00.000-04:002010-06-19T11:22:07.692-04:00Two awesome links: Comic Sans and baseballJust a very brief post to present two very awesome links:
Comic Sans defends itself
and
how to flirt if you're a bullpen catcher
When my family first got a computer (way back in the dark ages of 1999), I moved from keeping a journal in whatever random notebook I was using at the time to keeping a journal on the "new" (okay, second-hand) family computer. In MS Works because we couldn't afford theKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-59375305535448362342010-06-11T20:49:00.001-04:002010-06-11T20:55:46.676-04:00overview: Blank Rhodia WebnotebookLast year, I reviewed the second-generation Rhodia Webnotebooks (lined pages) on this blog. Rhodia has tweaked the Webnotebook again: it's now available with unlined pages and the Rhodia logo is no longer on every page (I didn't really care about that but whatever). More importantly, these even-more-improved Webnotebooks lay even flatter when open than the current Webnotebooks! Pictured below is Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-374690068277996492010-06-10T21:47:00.001-04:002010-06-10T21:51:25.091-04:00Review: Clairefontaine Life.Unplugged Notebooks
Today's review/overview/whatever is of a trio of cute-as-heck little notebooks from Clairefontaine, sent to me by Exaclair. They're also available at vendors like Goulet Pens, where I recently purchased some new journals to have on hand (What? Don't give me that look). So the notebooks pictured here are part of Clairefontaine's Life.Unplugged product line: the staplebound Duo notebooks (3.5-by-Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-661640388079189212010-05-30T00:05:00.003-04:002010-05-30T00:05:00.446-04:00Red, White, and Blue
It's Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. Being that I lack artistic skill, this was the best I could come up: a greeting in red and blue on white paper.
Inks: J. Herbin Eclat de Saphir and Rouge Bourgognepaper: large Quo Vadis Habana with ruled pages (blue cover)pens: Pelikan M205 red with medium nib and Pelikan M620 Piccadilly Circus with medium nibKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-2087152736694744462010-05-27T23:41:00.001-04:002010-05-28T23:28:56.622-04:00Ink review: J. Herbin Orange IndienSo the thing about fountain pen inks is that there are all sorts of colors out there. I often find myself thinking, “ooh, I wish I had some orange/red/green ink some right now” but not really liking those colors enough to go out and buy a whole bottle. But Exaclair recently held another ink giveaway so I decided to grab some orange ink and give it a fair shake. Exaclair’s Karen Doherty sent me a Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-17650639247245884812010-05-18T22:26:00.000-04:002010-05-18T22:26:06.328-04:00Does anyone else see the irony of a website about letters?Just curious, because my grad school course of study will basically be all about that type of dichotomy (ooh, big word!)
There's a new website in town (no, not by me): Letters and Journals. Go check it out because it seems pretty awesome.
Okay, I'll admit: I fell in love with it solely because of the header graphics. I'm a sucker for artsy shots of writing ephemera.Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-72626449981941316042010-05-17T19:55:00.000-04:002010-05-17T19:55:19.862-04:00Notebooks and journalsIf I have one complaint about the Quo Vadis Habana journals, it's that the top margin is way too wide. I usually wind up drawing a horizontal line across it, because I'm a dork. Habanas with blank pages are now available state-side! One such vendor is GouletPens. The new blank-page Habana journals come in different colors too: raspberry and anis green. AND the Rhodia Webnotebooks will soon be Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-48863907330823366392010-05-02T18:50:00.000-04:002010-05-02T19:16:49.754-04:00Is it finally springtime?I mean, is the weather finally warming up? So after much hemming and hawing, progress has been made: I start graduate school in Fall 2010. Hells. Yes. Finally (like you weren’t all thinking that). The application process has been a longer journey than it should have, due to my own hesitation. First, I had to think about it endlessly. Then I had to take a random class “just to be sure.” Then I hadKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-32134328544078274762010-04-14T16:40:00.003-04:002010-04-17T09:14:21.546-04:00Just a brief note: auditionMy sister, Maggie, auditioned for Glee! Go here to watch it (you have to scroll down a bit, past the promo video).Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-33621894110843464732010-04-03T09:28:00.000-04:002010-04-03T09:45:22.205-04:00Easter weekendIt’s not so much a busy weekend ahead—the family and I are just doing Easter dinner at a restaurant. But today, Saturday, is busy. Easter egg hunts, I have to have to HAVE TO buy new stockings and I could use some warm-weather shoes too...that kind of thing. And with spring comes the need to de-clutter: closets, bedroom, house, and stationery supplies. And oh yeah—there's something about an iPad Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-20031596617188658672010-03-22T18:14:00.000-04:002010-03-22T18:14:20.505-04:00Brief business: waterproof inks at Quo VadisI did a short entry about waterproof inks for the Quo Vadis blog. If you're so inclined, you may read it here.Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-60417973904944441952010-03-21T20:30:00.003-04:002010-03-21T20:57:51.587-04:00Well, that's news to mePeople, I’m confused. I’m fairly certain that all this time, I was female. But according to an opinion piece in The Globe and Mail, I must be mistaken:
People often ask me why I don't start a blog. After all, it seems almost everyone else has. Thousands of new blogs spring up in cyberspace every day. All the mainstream media have added bloggers to their websites. Andrew Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-27820522205631184232010-03-18T21:57:00.000-04:002010-03-18T22:10:12.609-04:00Essay questions!So I’m working on my six essay questions for my graduate school application. Having applied to this school for my undergraduate degree back in 1999 (...shut up), I wasn’t surprised by the plethora of questions. That’s just how they do things. What did surprise me was how much I’m second-guessing myself and struggling to write answers that aren’t a jumble of incoherent babble. It wouldn’t surpriseKate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-90443453789520991242010-03-06T18:33:00.001-05:002010-03-06T18:44:39.943-05:00Around the house: a conversation that may or may not have happened"I'm watching Batman Returns for the first time in...oh, 18 years."
"Yeah?"
"This is one effed-up movie."
"Aren't you only three minutes into it?"
"Yes, and those three minutes feature PeeWee Herman as the Penguin's father" [SPOILER ALERT, TIME TRAVELERS FROM JUNE 18, 1992]
"Oh. Well, this is a Tim Burton movie, you know."
"Ah, yes. Carry on then, movie."
About five minutes later...
"Crap, the Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-53326010554037455752010-02-14T19:59:00.000-05:002010-02-14T19:59:32.444-05:00Olympiad!Watching the 2010 Winter Olympics—which always reminds me of "Queen of the Ice." Ah, 1994 Winter Olympics: memories!Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-35155230559110285432010-02-14T10:30:00.000-05:002010-02-14T10:30:28.536-05:00MORE snow?????So to recap: Last Saturday, the area had a blizzard that resulted in 26 inches of snow for Philadelphia. Tuesday (3 days after), we got another blizzard that dumped another 1-2 feet of snow on us. NOW, weather forecasters are predicting even more snow in the next few days. Maybe it'll just be 2 inches; maybe it'll be 6 inches; they can't say for sure.
I'm officially snowed out, as I have been Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-47068571168690992472010-02-08T20:31:00.000-05:002010-02-08T20:31:06.825-05:00ColdSo we got a blizzard this weekend: about 3 feet of snow was dumped on the Philadelphia area. Back in mid-December, we got about 2 feet of snow.
This coming Tuesday? Reports are predicting as much as another two feet of snow. I don't know why the prospect of more snow rattles me but it does. I feel like I can't put up with it anymore. I've been cold for most of the day. My cubicle and the Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8854100270837580776.post-63659278123937090772010-02-05T23:18:00.001-05:002010-02-05T23:19:01.634-05:00Fountain pens as an environmental statement?You know, fountain pens are actually quite green when you think about it: buy one pen and keep refilling it with bottled ink (or new cartridges if it takes them). When the bottle of ink is empty, you can recycle it because it's glass (a few ink companies use plastic bottles but I think they're number 1 or 2 plastic which is often recyclable). If you use cartridges, yes, you do have to toss Kate the Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01135612660261556811noreply@blogger.com0