Porch Sitting

Post-Script: I love my front patio, which seems to function as another room of the house, sans roof.

Typecast via Olivetti Underwood 21, photo via Lumix G5. More practice with touch-typing on the manual typewriter, of which I'm getting more adept.

Filled With Wonder

Post-Script: I've always favored autumn, it's a time when I suddenly feel alive and refreshed after the long heat of summer, a time when I'm more likely to be creatively inspired.

This piece was written via Lamy Safari fountain pen onto green engineer's paper, then edited down to a one pager while transcribing. I also tried my hand at touch-typing, at which I'm pretty adept on a computer keyboard but am slower on a manual typewriter due to my minor fingers lacking sufficient strength, through lack of practice. I think if I keep at it, more speed will come. I seem to have made less typographic errors on this piece; perhaps touch-typing positions my fingers more accurately than hunt-and-peck. Typecast via Olivetti Underwood 21, photo via Lumix G5.

Oh, Deer!"

Post-Script: We are unfortunate in not knowing the fate of the animal we struck on that dark, narrow road, but are indeed glad that our passengers entrusted to our care were not at all injured. We are leaving the fate of the poor creature up to God/Marx/Darwin (depending on the reader's persuasion of choice).

We received good word from the Subaru dealership in Colorado Springs that our vehicle was indeed road-worthy, and made it back home to Albuquerque this afternoon uneventfully, staying at a conservative velocity in the far right lane, with a stop for brunch in Trinidad, and a stop for gas, over the mountain pass, in Raton.

I've been out of Internet/TV range these last few days, while staying at my aunt's house, and so had to catch up on the doings of the Typosphere once I returned home this afternoon. I also missed this week's episode of Breaking Bad, so will have to catch up next Sunday.

The piece was typed in my aunt's living room, so I had the opportunity to do a little typewriter evangelism. Actually, Aunt is an old-time typer herself, having an ancient upright Underwood in her office, which she hasn't used in several years. I'm hoping to persuade her to bash out a letter or two.

As you might be able to tell from the corrections, my Olivetti Lettera 22 skips spaces, mainly when the carriage is near the left side of the paper. If I elevate the left side of the machine up slightly, the problem is greatly reduced. Perhaps someone out there in the Typosphere can lend some repair advice to Yours Truly.

Typecast via Lettera 22, picture (of my cousin at the graveside of his dad) via Lumix G5.

So, I Have That Going For Me...

(Three Slices of Pi)



Post-Script: I suppose if a person lives long enough, one's assemblage of things in life begins to resemble a collection, of sorts, which is distinguished from a mere pile of junk by some semblance of organization and valuation. And when one passes on to their reward, it is left up to their heirs to decide what's of value and what's best left for others to sort through.

Typecast via Remington Ten Forty, photos via Lumix G5.

Edit: Here's a link to the online HP Calculator Museum.

Errata: The HP11C and 15C are part of the Voyager series, not Pioneer as I indicated in the piece.

Near and Far, Together

View through the eyepiece, both near and far, together.

Post-Script: I've seen samples of the See and Draw Copier online in much better condition, but none would have the quality of memories as this one particular specimen. As for grandpa's mechanical calculators, I'll have to ask my oldest brother if he has any in his possession, and will post an article accordingly.

Here's a wikipedia article about the Camera Lucida.

Typecast via Remington Ten Forty (whose ribbon vibrator has taken on a decidedly clanky mechanical sound this week), photos via Lumix G5.