Blue for Bluegrass

Starting a new Field Notes this weekend for my daily doings log. This will be an important one, since Wintergrass, the big indoor bluegrass/acoustic music festival in Bellevue, WA, is starting Thursday, and I imagine I'll have much to remember! I decided to keep with the "winter" theme, and grabbed one of the Cold Horizon notebooks. Seemed fitting. And I'll be bringing mechanical pencil, since it's easier on-the-go.

So excited!

Horses for Courses

I've tended to cycle back and forth on writing instrument preferences. For a while I'll swing more or less totally pencil or completely fountain pen, and then back again. Lately I've been using fountain pen for work notes again--enjoying the brighter colors, greater contrast, and lack of smearing once dry.

So last night when I jumped back in to working on my NaNoWriMo story, I thought I'd switch to pen there, too. I sat down with my notebook and wrote about three words before panic set in.

Aw, heck no.

I guess I need a certain amount of impermanence to feel comfortable when fiction writing. For now, at least, with this particular story. So I dropped the fountain pen like a hot potato (not literally--you fountain pen lovers can get off my back) and went back to pencil. Whew. Much better.

How about you? Do you use different tools for different purposes? Switch from one to another over time based on mood? Or is it all or nothing?

Today's Scribblers and Scribblin's

Brandy new (lonnnnng) Forest Choice HB, blue Pilot Custom 74 (with Iroshizuku Kon-Peki ink), Noodler's Ebonite (with Noodler's Zhivago ink), assorted Field Notes (the one on top is India Pale Ale from their "Drink Local" series) and a mini Moleskine.

UJTU: Walk, Run, Snow, Play

Our Saturday to Sunday snow storm left me a bit buried...

The walking project continues apace (har har). I will need to fit in a few short evening walks or longer weekend jaunts in order to make up for a few slack days, but otherwise, I'm on track.

I *am*, however, thinking of once again attempting to get into running. Nothing fancy: it would just be nice to be able to handle 3-5 miles of slow jogging. Even at a slow pace, it'd be quicker than walking the same distance, thus freeing up some time for my next resolution-to-tackle, "Write More."

I actually planned to start this weekend by jogging the last half mile or mile of my usual walk. This may seem counter-intuitive, leaving it to the end, but I don't usually find my rhythm even for walking until I'm a couple miles in, so I think waiting a bit until my legs become my own is best.

However, Saturday afternoon a snow storm blew through. Nothing like what some of the east coast has seen, or what we used to get in Vermont, but six inches of heavy, wet snow put a damper on my plans all the same. I did go out and walk in it yesterday (three miles of laps between two half-mile markers), which was HARD WORK, but probably burned as many calories as my usual longer walk...but there was no way I was going to try running in the stuff, especially over uneven, footprint pocked trail.

But sometime this week, I hope. May have to wait until my legs recover...my calves are awfully tired and sore from that snow workout.

In the meantime, I got a good start on my "Play More" resolution. I've had the tenor banjo out pretty much every day, working on triplets and trebles and tunes. Currently I'm trying to polish up Humours of Tulla and The Clumsy Lover and learn Garrett Barry's and Pinch of Snuff, to name a few. Also continuing to practice Gravel Walk in the vain hope that someday I'll be able to keep up with the insanely fast pace they play it at the local session.

I need to change strings before Wintergrass. Especially mandolin strings. But changing mandolin strings is something I tend to put off as long as humanly possible....