Another very interesting update

I believe the above title is now what is commonly called “click bait”.

Though some of what I am going to ramble on about may, very well, be of interest to some, it will not, probably be very interesting to everyone.

For example, I have restarted my fermentation processes for both the kombucha, and the sourdough. Ok, you’ve already read about both of those.

What you don’t know, is that I started an actual physical journaling of both of those endeavors several years ago, using a very stylish leather-bound diary, if you will, and a handsome, though practical fountain pen!

Honestly, I have not seen, nor used either one since the end of April, 2021. What a shame.

I decided that since I’m getting back into fermentation, I need to document what goes well, and what doesn’t, in kombucha, as well as sourdough.

I got up in the cabinet in the bedroom, found the journal, opened it up, and there was my fountain pen. (I have 5, or 6 beautiful fountain pens now, 2 are antiques, the others are well named, and beautiful. Too bad I don’t use them.)

Now, having been dormant for 3 years, the pen was dry. Duh! So, what did I do? I figured that if I dipped it in a bit of hot water, Bingo!, it would be fluid again.

Not so much!!!

The metal part of the nib fell off; the ink was still dry in the pen, but what little was dried on the nib leaked all over my hands, the granite countertop, well, you get the image.

Starting at the beginning of the reparation, I dried everything off with paper towels, put a touch of Gorilla glue on the metal nib, and reattached it to the tip of the pen. I really do some dumb things, don’t I?! (More a statement there than a question).

I had already spiked a new cartridge at this point, having found the pen I thought adding the new cartridge might reactivate the pen. Nope.

So, now I have the “just glued” nib, drying on my “desk”, and an open cartridge in the body of the pen, open to air, and hoping nothing tips it over. (It spent the night in one of my candle come glasses, upright. You’ll see what that’s all about in an upcoming post.)

The next morning, ready to take on the world, or in this case, the dreaded fountain pen debacle, I put the nib onto the body of the pen, thinking it would seat itself into the cartridge, but alas, it hadn’t gotten the memo.

Can you guess what happened next?

Of course, it leaked all over. I had to start all over again with cleaning the pen, blah, blah, blah.

After about 20 minutes of cleaning the ink off of my hands, and the pen, everything is back to rights. I was able to, once again, document what was happening in my kitchen to both ferments, and have placed the pen back in the spine of the journal.

Thought you might get a kick out of what happens when you least expect it. Until next time, stay happy, healthy, and safe. Wash, cover, and protect yourselves.