To old friends lost, and new friends gained

Greetings, Fearless Readers. I apologize for this self-indulgent post. But, I did warn you this would happen. I just didn't think it would be so soon.

I had a previous post about Paperblanks Journals, and said my next one would probably be on fountain pens. I love fountain pens. I became obsessed with them after seeing Finding Neverland, doing a little research on the internet and purchasing my first one on EBay for, like, two cents. 

Please meet my favorite pen ever. Or what was my favorite pen.

It is a Cross ATX Victoria Purple fountain pen. Purchased with a portion of my tax return money one year. Cross is one of the best pen manufacturers on the very face of the planet Earth.** Their warranty is legendary. I had this lovely for several years. Smooth, beautiful flow. Nary a clog nor a skip. Our time together was special. However, upon cleaning the pen, as you occasionally do, I left its pieces out to dry. Along comes Cricket. My cat and nemesis. I heard the skittering of something over the linoleum at night, but did not get up to investigate. How I rue that fateful decision. Upon waking the next morning, I found that the barrel of the pen was gone. I never found it. I do not have the words to express to you my sense of despondency and ennui. The self-blame.

If you google this pen, you will find that it is discontinued. Thus, the remaining pens on the market are pretty expensive. I don't exactly have those kinda bux to lay down for a pen. So I resolved myself to being Victoria-less. To accept the loss and treasure the memories.

However, it just so happens that a friend of mine works in the office supply business. I thinks it's much more glamorous than she does, but I digress. Her 5 year anniversary at her job has arrived and a colleague gave her... a purple Cross fountain pen.

Meet Beverly. The Beverly Deep Purple Cross fountain pen. My friend, who is less impressed with this fabulous gift than I, is giving it to me. For a very, very, tiny, itty bit of photographic manipulation for her website. (I have teh Photoshop skillz.) And I would have done this for free, it just so happens the exchange of the pen and Photoshoppery is occurring at the same time. I will not put out her name or job location to protect the innocent. And the douchebag that re-gifted this pen. (He gave it to her in a bag that still had the card with his name on it, fer Chrissakes. If you're going to re-gift, keep it classy, people.) But you know. The office supply industry. Where they throw around $35 pens like it ain't no thang. Sigh. 

I can't wait to get this lovely in my hand. She's got to come across the country. But when she arrives I'm sure we'll start making new memories, writing up manuscript notes, either on a freshly printed manuscript or in one of my story journals. Oh the places we'll go.

Good times.

**Just like last time, I want to make it clear that my pimpage of the Cross pen is soley my own personal experience after many years as a satisfied customer, and not as a result of any money being handed under the proverbial table. Keepin' it real, people.