A break in the routine...

It turned out that Olga did not have a telecon this morning, which meant my shift ended on time, at 7:30 am. Shortly after getting home, I returned to a thought that had been floating around as something of a wandering generality: where to get some fountain pen ink for the portable collection that I brought with me to Houston.

I suppose I could have stopped by an Office Depot somewhere and picked up a bottle of black Mont Blanc or Parker ink, but I have had my fill of black ink for a while (yes, I am a weirdo... shoot me). So I went on the web and happened to run into a page devoted to "great" pen stores, which pointed me at an establishment that goes by the moniker of "Dromgoole's," over by Rice University.

Egged on by an indirect recommendation from LJ friend curmudgeon regarding Private Reserve inks, I picked up a bottle of "Blue Suede" (which was right next to the brighter "Naples Blue" that I intended to buy). It didn't matter, really, as the bottle contained a somewhat dark green ink that I think is the company's "Spearmint" color. Go figure.

I don't know what to make of it. After having written a page of scribble with it, I am both attracted by the color ("It makes a statement!") and repulsed by it at the same time ("The statement is... puerile? not serious? unbusinesslike? effeminate?... I don't know). I'll probably scribble some more tonight during the shift, maybe the color will start to look better after a bit.

Getting back to the day's exploits, since Dromgoole's was in the area, I decided to finally visit a place that bills itself as a science fiction bookshop, which sits tantalizingly on the service road of Highway 59, just short of the Buffalo Speedway as one hightails it out of Houston town. The shop is housed in a loudly turquoise building with parking in the back, and as I walked to the front of the building, I solemnly swore to restrain myself from emptying my wallet in exchange for what would surely be an overdose of sci-fi. My concern, as it turned out, was for naught.

In fact, the place was a grand disappointment to me, since there were hardly any science fiction books for sale in the place (and those that were there seemed to be mostly of the used variety, and I don't mean "valuable-used"). On the other hand, there were plenty of sci-fi action figures and lunch boxes (a whole wall, it seemed), gobs of comics, a so-so collection of print and DVD anime/manga, and a healthy collection of costume gear for sale. (Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against such stuff, but inventory-wise, this was IMAO hardly a science fiction bookshop...)

* * *So here I am, ready for another exciting night of work in the Moscow Support Room. I shall have to bring in my camera to photograph my work place, which is below a sign that says ЗДОРОВО, МУЖИКИ!!! (WELL DONE, GUYS!!!) and is signed by Krikalev and Gidzenko (from Expedition 1) and below and just to the left of a full-color poster of the guy who started it all, Yuri Gagarin. Fortunately, the photo shows Yuri looking at someone who seems to be standing far behind me and to my right, and not at the camera lens (which would produce the "follows you with his eyes wherever you are in the room" effect).

Time to get some coffee.

Cheers...