Three days and counting

Only three days left until Nano gets into full swing. Do you have your outlines? Your notebooks? Extra ribbons? A backup drive?

I've been woefully lax in my typewriter repairs. I've set the Woodstock aside for the moment, since I don't plan on using it as my primary machine. Mostly I'll be using the laptop since I type faster on it than anything else, but the Sterling is still on my desk ready for drafting and problem solving and outlines. It's my goal that before Nov. 1 I'll pull out the Skyriter and finally wrestle that draw band into place, since I'd love to take it to Nano meetups and it's slightly easier to carry around than the Sterling (though Carffrey may still get a field trip or two if the Skyriter doesn't behave) And no, the Woodstock and the Royal aren't going anywhere. My back will not allow it, and carrying a 40lb behemoth into Panera is slightly ridiculous.

Besides, Henry is very touchy when it comes to being moved.

How Modern Knitters Fix Old Tech

So I finally sat down with the steampunk-typewriter-to-be over the weekend. Can you believe, I'd actually forgotten about it? I couldn't even remember what kind it was, other than a brown portable with green keys. Yeah, that's really helpful when looking up information. It doesn't help that nowhere on the machine or the case is the model name.

It's a Skywriter, just for the record. From 1951, going by the serial number.

It's mostly metal, with a plastic cover plate. This was sent to me by a very kind typospherian whose name I tragically cannot remember at the moment because when I deleted my Yahoo account, I also deleted all of his emails.

Yes. All of them.

Yes, I did sift through my inbox to see if there was anything important. I went back a couple of months, but this exchange took place in April and May, and it didn't occur to me that I should go through EVERYTHING, and that older emails might still be relevant.

Why am I going on about this? Well, you see, the typewriter had a little snaffu in shipping. A couple things got bent, and a few snapped--namely the draw band. At first, it looked like the carriage was completely out, wouldn't move at all and one piece was loose and crooked.

Eventually, the carriage started moving again. I was able to wriggle the loose piece back into place.

...And then the typewriter sat in it's case in a corner of the living room for about three months.

When I finally got the urge to work on it, I sat down, opened the case, and had an "Oh, s$^&@" moment.

So I went to Twitter.

:headdesk: Just realized when I deleted my yahoo account, I also deleted the repair instructions for the skywriter. #blondemoment

 Damn, I love social media. Within minutes, @mpclemens and @anabstar had swooped in to the rescue.

Which is how I found myself replacing a draw band at midnight via tweet.

I had to improvise a little. And L.C. Smith and better be glad he's dead because if he'd been around that evening I would have choked him to death with my broken draw band. Do you know how hard those things are to replace?

Somewhere in there, there is a tiny hole. It is not visible, however, even when I tightened the spring wheel as tight as I possibly could. Eventually, though, the old draw band could be removed.

This was followed quickly by an "Oh, shit," moment when I realized that I'd removed the old draw band without having a replacement handy. Add to that the fact that pulling on the draw band was 75% of what was keeping the spring wheel in place, and my fingers were going numb from fighting the spring, and I quickly managed to stuff it back it by some stroke of luck.

Since I'd sat down to work on this on a whim, the extent of my preparation was to gather up some screwdrivers and a pair of tweezers. Since I'd forgotten about the broken draw band, I hadn't bought any hemp or other replacement material in advance. But, I'd been wondering for a while about the merits of...alternative draw band materials. Would they work? Would they hold up? I'm also considering this for my spinning wheel, since the elastic band it came with keeps overstretching, and the hemp bands keep wearing out.

This is a ball of crochet cotton:

This is a tea light (yes, I know. Beeswax is better, but we didn't have any and it was midnight. I'm going to pick some up this week, but I'm impatient).

This is about 14" of slip knot chain coated in wax. It has a little bit of stretch and flexibility, and is roughly the same diameter as the original hemp band.\:

I won't tell you what I said while I was rewinding the spring wheel and trying to get the end of the chain in there. It involved German, French, and Japanese, and none of it is printable here.

Eventually, I laid the knotted end over the diamond shaped opening pictured above, and jammed it in there with the tip of a flat head screwdriver. I'm pretty sure that isn't the recommended method, but it worked.

At the other end, I had a little bit of the string before it started the chain. I was able to use that to thread through the hook at the other end and attach the draw band.

In the end, I was able to get it working again....sort of. I think I threaded the draw band through (under? around?) the carriage wrong because it stops about halfway across the page and I suspect that the drawband isn't supposed to be visible out the back end of the machine. I suspect that it's getting caught on the bell, and that is preventing further movement, but I haven't finageled a tool yet that will fit in the tight space where I think it's supposed to go. All of my wire is either too thick to fit there, or too thin to hold it's shape, and it's so close in there that I can't thread whatever tool I try to use and see where it's going at the same time.

I will fight with try fixing it again later this week.

20's Week Part III: Typewriters!

The 1920s and 30s are my favorite decades for typewriters, aesthetically speaking. I love the candy colors of the 20s, and the lines of the 30s. This was also a great time for portable typewriters, as they became more solid and reliable. 1924 even saw the introduction of the first electric typewriter (okay it was the second, but the first was something of a flop), which eventually became the IBM Selectric.

I love portable typewriters, even though my track record with them hasn't been the best. Here are my top 5 from the 1920s. Since there's nothing I can really tell you about the history that isn't already available on the typosphere, I've just linked to various pages with more details, mostly Machines of Loving Grace:

Image borrowed from the internet. All of my pic of Remy
are still in computer limbo.

1. Corona folding 
Who doesn't love a machine that folds up to be travel size? 


2. Remington #3 (left)
I didn't have much luck with my #3, but I'd love to get my hands on one that works, since they seem like the perfect portable machine.

3. Royal Portable
You know I love my Royals!

4. Underwood #5
 For me, this is the iconic typewriter. I guess I'm not the only one who feels this way! I remember seeing pictures of them as a kid, and they are what initially sparked my interest in antique typewriters.

5. Underwood portable (4 bank)
I love the different variations over in the Machines of Loving Grace gallery.

Long Time, No See

I took a break from my writing break and have been working on a couple of stories that have been running through my head. The first is a sequel to "Birds of a Feather." I had another sequel written, but was very unhappy with it. We'll see if try number two is any better, or if seconds in a series are doomed to be the poorest.

The second is also a sequel, but due to where it falls in the timeline, it reads as a stand alone. I think I mentioned it before--Part Deux of the Nanowrimo story I did last November, only rather than taking place in Victorian England, this one is set in 1925 in New York. I suppose it's not so much a sequel as a book set in the same world, but about 30 years later.

This story has got all kinds of fun stuff going on in my brain, so I declare next week to be 1920s week! If you want to join me, feel free to blog about all things 1920s related. Yes, I'll be throwing in a typewriter or three, but I'm saving those for Friday. Fashion, movies, music, art--whatever inspires you, feel free to post about it.

I'm still focusing on my designing--more on that coming soon--but sometimes it's good to take a break. Keeps the creative juices flowing.

I was working in the lab, late one night...

Thanks to everyone who commented last week with suggestions on how to remove the platen on the Remington. I spent part of last week finishing with the cleaning of the type bars, and then pulled out my tool kit to take off the platen.

Once I had an idea of what I was doing, it sounded easy enough. Loosen/take out a couple of screws, make sure you know where they go, easy peasy, right?

Except I never actually made it that far. Five screwdrivers, a putty knife, and a can of WD-40 later, all I had to show for my efforts was a nice big divot in the platen knob where my screwdriver repeatedly skipped out of what is apparently the narrowest screw slot in the history of man. Two of them wouldn't even fit into the groove, one was too narrow to get any torque, and the other two just weren't up to the challenge. Even after greasing and leaving it, that screw is in there.

I've done the compressed air routine repeatedly, but there's what feels like 2-3 larger pieces of corroded metal that have fallen off of something else, and fallen under the platen. At first I thought it might be easier to take off the carriage than the platen (since that's the case with my Oliver, and that's the only machine I've been daring enough to attempt such a feat on), and at this point it looks like I might be right--not because that's the way it was designed, but because this machine is just so damn stubborn.

I'm starting to get really frustrated with my typewriters. I think I got spoiled by having my first machine be a KMM in near-perfect condition. But in every case, the machine is just this close from working: The Oliver just needs a new draw band, which I can fix as soon as I get that little clippy-thingy reattached to the carriage (I guess I'm not dexterous enough for that; I've tried a few times and it keeps falling off). The Royalite was mostly functional, I just couldn't stand it--my problem, not the machine.

And then there's the Remington. Which, admittedly, has a laundry list of problems, but most of them are pretty minor. I know there's something off on it, since the capital letters ghost when I'm writing in lowercase and often don't print at all when I shift (Hm. Wonder if that's related to any of the other problems?) I think I'm going to have to break down and take it to a repair shop, if I can find one that works on antiques around here. I found one that appears to be out of a nearby private home, but I will have to call first.

You know, right after I get my laptop fixed, since really, I need that more.

Arg. I give up.

At least for today.

Although, I did find a temporary solution to the laptop problem. Did you know that G4 laptop batteries have dropped from $70+ to less than $20? I just found out. So I ordered one and resisted the urge to order a spare. My old Powerbook has Word and a working internet connection, which is really all I need to write, and with the new battery it solves the "OMG, MUST SAVE EVERY THIRTY SECONDS BECAUSE I COULD LOSE EVERYTHING IF ANYONE TOUCHES MY POWER CORD!!" panic. Because when you're really in the groove, you might not remember to save for ten pages. Or twenty.

Ask me how I know this.

Ahem.

So while one of my writing machines insists on merely limping long when I know it could sing if it wanted to (mixed metaphores, I know. Sue me, I'm writing this pretty late), I have brought another back from the grave. Zombie computers!

Okay, I'm done now.

Enjoy your Halloween.

The Black Gunge of DEWM

While I still have serious doubts about my ability to compete in this year's NaNoWriMos, I am doing my best to prepare. I'll probably do most of my writing long hand, since I do not have a good computer set up for long writing sessions (goal #1: obtain a desk), and none of my typewriters are especially functional--or if they are, portable.

To that end, I have decided to bite the bullet and attempt a full cleaning of the Remington Portable #3, since it is my only semi-working portable.

I got this typer in spring of last year. According to the serial number, it is from late 1930. My great aunt and uncle had it collecting dust in their garage, and handed it off to me. It still has the original decals poorly attached, but in one piece.

I have a few complaints about this machine which have kept me from using it on a regular basis:

1. There's debris in the carriage, under the platen. I've used it anyway, just for short typecasts, but I don't want to use it for long periods for fear of damaging it.

2. It doesn't have a bar that comes down to hold the paper in place. From the pictures I've seen, that seems to be a characteristics of the #3s, but it means that the slugs are really loud when they hit the paper, because the page bounces with ever strike. It's a minor thing, but while I like the sound of the slugs hitting the page, I don't like the sound the paper itself makes when it shifts.

3. When I reach the end of a line, I have to hit the carriage return bar, then very carefully turn the platen knob to go to the next line. The uneven line spacing that results drives me batty, and I'm not sure if this is once again a characteristic of the machine or if something is actually broken.

4. The ribbon spools are smaller than average.

5. The ribbon doesn't always advance on it's own.

6. There doesn't appear to be a way to set the margins, and this one will happily type both before the page begins and after it ends.

I've learned to deal with numbers 2, 3, and 6 for the most part. My solution for #4 (which I will tackle later this morning) is to cut the ribbon I'm using in half so that I'll have 2 lengths of 1/2" ribbon, and to store the second half in a ziplock bag for later use. I might also trim 1/8" or so off the width of the ribbon, because it is just slightly too thick, or it appears to be. Trimming the length might help just by allowing it to sit more evenly on the spool. Since it peeps over the edge of one or the other of the spools, this might be causing problem #5, and if I can kill two birds with one stone, all the better.

#1 is the real problem, obviously. I haven't a clue how to remove the carriage, and generally speaking, I'm hesitant to remove anything if I can't see exactly how to put it back before doing so.

While I can't move forward with that aspect, I've begun doing as thorough a cleaning as I can manage on the rest of it. The outside I cleaned upon receipt, but there were a few areas on the interior that were still quite grungy.  The worst offenders, however, were the type bars, which were covered in an oily black gunge of unknown origin. Soap, hot water, and a toothbrush won't touch it. If I were a more daring or knowledgeable person (or perhaps just much dumber) I would take apart the type basket and try cleaning each piece with a mild poultice of vinegar and baking soda, since the slightly pitted metal will likely never be entirely clean by mechanical methods. Instead, however, I am doing the only thing that seems to work, which is carefully scraping each slug with dental picks. It makes me nostalgic for my archaeological conservation work in Italy, when we spent hours scraping dirt and mystery substances from 2,000 year old ceramics and 300 year old paintings. Is it weird that I find this sort of thing enjoyable?

Cleaned up

Still very dirty. I'm about 1/3 of the way through.

Once I get 1-5 sorted out, there are a couple of other things I would like to do--there's some old adhesive residue on one side that I can't get off. I'm not sure what solvent to try without damaging the paint. I'd also like to reattach the decals, but again, I'm not quite sure what to use. And I want to replace the felt under the type bars, because it's absolutely disgusting. Those are all rather minor things, however, and I can live with those a little longer than I can the others.

Are your machines in ship shape yet, or are you as behind as I am?

___
P.S. The witching Hour comes out on Wednesday!

P.P.S. Were you paying attention, or did you miss it like I did? Saturday was my 5 year blogiversary. Kudos to anyone who as put up with my nonsense for that long. And for the rest of you, I hope you stick around for another five!

Retro Laptop

 

I'm a bit late this time around. Yesterday was insane, and today left me exhausted even before unexpected (though still welcome) visitors arrived. Now that the typecast is up, I think it's time for bed.

Remy

I brought the Remington 3 portable back from my parent's today with the intention of fixing it up. I've been searching youtube hoping to find some videos to help out, but so far nothing of use has popped up. I did, however, find this, which is quite interesting:



Judging by the close up at the very end, I would guess that the language is Czech, but honestly I have no idea. The animation of the assembly at the end is particularly interesting, though it doesn't help me with my current plight of figuring out how to remove the platen so I can clear out all of the debris stuck in it.

There are several problems with this machine, though I haven't let any of them stop me from using it:

1. The carriage return does not advance the platen, so I have to go to the next line by turning the knob every time.

2. The tension of the ribbon is off and the spools don't advance properly or consistently. Sometimes they feel like it, but most of the time not so much.

3. There are no margins to speak of and I can't figure out how to set them.

4. The capital letters leave ghostly images on the page when I type. If I type really, really slowly (trying to figure out WHY they're printing) they they don't do it. But when I'm going along at speed I end up with everything printed twice.

5. There is a mystery button on the upper left. It is silver, and unmarked. It is connected to some mechanism on the back of the machine that goes in and out, but doesn't actually seem to actually do anything useful. Perhaps this is the mystery margin button? If so, it doesn't appear to work.

6. The machine itself no longer fits comfortably inside the case. I'm not sure if this is because something is out of alignment and sticking out at the wrong angle, or if it's just age and changes to the wood/metal.

Once again, it strikes me that it would be most useful if I actually saw a working version of this machine before I tried to fix it, but alas, none are at hand.

Aside from that, I did pick up some stationary while I was at Walmart this morning. Eventually it will work it's way into the typecasts, and for $1 each for 3 packs of 25 sheets, I couldn't really say no. Perhaps I'll type out a sample tomorrow so that you can see the ghosting on the page, though if you travel back far enough I'm sure I have a few typecasts here on the blog that exemplify it.

And Now a Word from our Sponsors

I have reached a decision. I have been trying for months to refurbish the Royalite, and I really wanted to use it. However, every time I try to use it I want to throw it out a window. I don't think there's really anything WRONG or broken (except the tab key), it just doesn't work for me. I find the action frustrating and slow, and I dislike the typeface.

I did start to repaint it, but all of the decals are intact. It does need new feet. It types fine, but it's not great. I like my pre-war machines better.

I paid $10 for it plus shipping, and I am asking the same if anyone is interested. I would also be interested if anyone wants to do a straight up trade for a portable from the 1920s-40s, or possibly one of these Underwoods (the full wishlist can be found here). If you are interested, please send me an email at [knot magick AT yahoo DOT com]. Of course, that should be all one word with the proper symbols inserted.

ETA: The links have been fixed.

Costume p0rn and Typewriters IV

The Mummy
I know I've talked about The Mummy and The Mummy Returns on this blog before, way back when. Why do I love these movies so much? I don't know. They aren't even remotely historically accurate, the mythology is way off base, the plots are so-so, and I have to cover my eyes any time there's a scarab on the screen. But nonetheless, something about them resonates with me.

I'm combining both movies here, since the characters generally wear the same costumes for the duration of the films (I'm pretending that Return of the Dragon Emperor or whatever it is doesn't exist, and I'm not much of a Scorpion King fan. Besides, you can hardly call the scraps of cloth and large pieces of jewelry used in that film to be "clothing.").

I think that the easiest answer to the above question is that once again, I'm drawn to the female lead. Unlike the characters I've mentioned previously, however, Evy is bookish. She's a nerd who loves a good library and isn't necessarily out for adventure, just the next great discovery. Adventure just kind of lands in her path and she can't avoid it. Of course, it doesn't hurt that she likes it.

With a backdrop of Egypt in 1923 (then ruled by the British), the Mummy not only has great costumes, but also great sets. Check out some of the wood work:



One of my favorite costumes of all time is Evy's librarian outfit. I love the bookish, nerdy look, and I have serious case of shoe lust for those Oxford Mary Jane pumps. I couldn't find a full body shot of the outfit, but you see them briefly in this clip (when I watched it, the audio syncing was off, but that might be my computer. Even if you hit mute, the scene is still very funny):



Here's a still from the same scene:


I love women in ties. Especially when worn with a long skirt.


But of course, this is an action movie. We can't have a dowdy, bookish librarian for the hero's love interest! So about five minutes into the movie, Evy promptly loses all of her clothes in a shipwreck, and must "go native":



In this scene, we also see Rick O'Connell's costume. It's pretty basic: Shirt. Trousers. Boots. Nothing really out of the ordinary, except those holsters. Which for me, really make the outfit. In his case, it's not so much what he's wearing, as how he's wearing it (okay, you caught me; Brendan Fraser fan).

Part of the reason I like this look is that while it is a period piece, and while it does involve British influences and have all the manners and niceties of the early 20th century, he's not wearing a suit. It's a nice departure.

Speaking of suites and departures, when the first board the boat (the one that sinks) he is wearing something a little fancier. Sadly, since it's shown for all of five seconds, I can't find a picture. But it's one of those light colored suits like the ones Jonathan wears throughout the film (minus the pith helmet and dorky expression).


You can see that Evy appreciates the change.

Oh, and of course there's the British Army uniform Rick wears in his opening scene. Uniforms are always a plus:


In the second movie, both Evy and Rick wear variations on their costumes from the first movie. Set ten years (or thereabouts) in the future, around 1933, Rick looks much the same only...cleaner. Well, he would have to since he and Evy are both key members of London society. The suits switch from tan and white to black (yawn) (though everyone looks very snappy in them), and Evy shows up in this:


...While I love the outfit, I can't help but think that the costume designer forgot what decade it was supposed to be. In fact, very few of her costumes from this film (mostly black dresses/skirts that harken back to her "native" costume from the previous movie) really look like something from the 30s. In fact her nemesis, Meela, dresses more to period (though her costumes are entirely inappropriate for traipsing around in the desert, at least until she gets ready for a show down and then she, too, forgets all references to time period.



And the typewriters in all of this? While there might be one lurking in the background at the beginning of the second movie, the only one I found in the first was a very abused portable machine that shows up for just a few seconds as Rick tries to get Evy out of Egypt as fast as he can. Sadly, I cannot find the clip or a still with the typewriter. You'll just have to see the movie and cringe for yourself.

---
I have two more blogs planned for this series, unless I think of another period film I want to add (which is possible. Originally, this one wasn't on the list). There are two others that MIGHT make it...it depends on how far I decide to go.

Other than the typewriters, what draw you to period films?

Typecast #9

Clockwork Couture

The only thing I dislike about the site? The authentic typewriter key bracelets.

Nepotism Fail

The review of the Royalite. Click it to make it bigger.


So, overall, the Royalite is a disappointment, except as a craft project. I will get back to the painting and revamping here soon, but first I need to finish my Christmas knitting (so behind!!) and knock a couple of sewing projects off my list (like curtains. We need curtains).

Hey! Look over there!

In an attempt to distract you from the fact that it has been over a month since my last post, and the typewriter revamp STILL isn't done, I present you with this:



That would be one small part of the Christmas presents I received from my aunt. She got me a whole box of dresses and skirts from the 1950s. None of them fit, since most of them have a 24-30 inch waist and I....don't, but most of them are lovely and I'm enjoying converting them into something closer to my size. This example was once a dress that almost fit, but was far too tight in the shoulders to be practical. I also made a crinoline slip to go underneath, though that still needs some work, I think.

---

Though the revamp isn't complete, I can offer this teaser image of the Royalite. What you see in the platen is a review I will be posting soon.



More to come. Stay tuned.

Watch This Space

Currently Reading: The Fire's Stone
Currently Watching: Once Upon a Time

Points of Inspiration

Currently Reading: The Type-Writer Girl
Currently Watching: Misfits

I've been feeling a little out of it lately. This morning when I left for the parent's house to do laundry, I managed to leave behind the book I was reading, my knitting, and the notes for the scenese I'm supposed to be working on for my November goal, the one I'm trying to reach in place of doing NaNo.


This is probably due in part to the fact that I spent half an hour on the phone with the electric company this morning, trying to figure out why they are charging us $70 for 2 weeks of service in a tiny apartment that we are seldom in. I've come up with a few ways we can cut our usage (not many, since we already use energy efficient bulbs, turn off lights when we leave the room, and keep the heat on the lowest setting we can stand), and a few reasons why those first two weeks might be higher (like the bazillion loads of dishes we had to do, since everything was in storage right next to my dad's sandblasting shop), so we'll see how things go next month. In the mean time, I'm trying to find some freelance writing jobs online to earn a little extra cash. Too bad the majority of my skillset (knitting, spinning, sewing) are not terribly marketable in today's economy, unless I want to bill them as "art" and charge exhorbitantly, which I'm not willing to do. Partially because I don't think anyone would pay the fees I have in mind). (Business is not my strong suit, if you haven't noticed.)


In the mean time, I've been obsessively tracking my ebay typewriter, which after five days has only managed to from Aimes, Iowa to Des Moines. *grumble* I still don't quite know how I'm going to mod it. I know that I want to do a style that I call Jazzpunk (steampunk + Roaring 20s), which takes inspiration from things like this:





And this:



To make things like these:













Just for reference, the typewriter is actually an early 60s-ish Royal Royalite, so it has some curves that fit nicely with the feel I'm going for. Now if only I could figure out what to do with them...

A Moment of Weakness...

...has resulted in the purchase of a typewriter. It's not here yet, but I'm thinking...this model is very common. It's not really to my liking aesthetically (wrong decade, though I like the general shape, and the wrong color most assuredly), so I'm wondering: How do you in the typosphere feel about modified typewriters? Do you prefer them "stock", just cleaned and oiled, or are you secretly jonesing for something more unique and artistic looking? Is it okay for more common machines? Not at all? What kind of modifications would you make, were to you make them?

Typecast #7

Mabel

Currently reading: Proven Guilty
In the DVD player: Iron Jawed Angels

I've been going through my extensive film library, trying to compile a list of movies and tv shows that include typewriters, and the makes and models where possible. Last night I got to watch one of my favorites: Iron Jawed Angels. For starters, the story is fabulous and made more so that it is based on the plight of real women leading the suffragist movement. Add to that a wonderful cast and some of my favorite film costumes of all time, and you've really got a winner.

One of my favorite character in the film has always been Brooke Smith's character, Mabel Vernon. When we are first introduced to her in the film, she says that she became friends with Alice Paul when they played hockey together at school (one of my favorite sports in gym class). Her costume usually involves a necktie, which I'm rather fond of on women, particularly when combined with Victorian era dresses. In the film, Mabel is the one people go to to find out what is going on, what the latest news is. She also seems to spend a good deal of her screen time battling with various pieces of office equipment, most notably the typewriter in her introduction scene.

The movie has another point of interest in that there are some really nice pieces of knitwear in it. (I choose to ignore the hideous, fringed, mustard yellow sweater Mabel dons at one point. We're all allowed to have an off day, fashion wise, and most of her friends were in prison at the time. Though come to think of it, that looks more like macrame or something than it does knitting.)

There are two typewriters that are featured in the film. The first is an Underwood that lives on Alice Paul's desk and is used to type all of her memos and editorials. It looks like a portable to me, but I can't seem to identify it (I'm still not good at identifying typewriters by sight. Sigh). The second is a Royal. It's also small enough that it looks like a portable, but it's hard for me to be sure.

I will be adding a page to the sidebar to list movies/television shows and the typewriters they contain at some point in the future (but not today). I want to make a similar list for typewriters in literature at some point as well.

Typewriters at Bedtime

Reading: Treasure Island
Watching: Get Smart the Movie

Just to clarify: When I mentioned the podcast, I was intending to do it myself. The think is, with being so new to the hobby, I would like to see more listener participation than I have with the podcasts I've produced previously (writing in, comments/questions, things like that).

--------

I had an awesome dream last night and had to share.

In the dream, I was back in London, walking through St. James Park, and someone had created a huge typewriter display for the public. These weren't normal typewriters, though. According the posted historical information, they would be provided in airports or train stations for travelers to write letters, similar to the way they now provide wifi or internet cafes. Most of them were portables, only about eight inches wide, with a coin slot at the top over the type basket and another out in front where the keyboard should be. One would insert a dime, and a tiny disposable keyboard would pop out (I have no idea why they were disposable. I imagine it was for sanitation issues since hand sanitizer didn't exist in the 1950s and my brain was trying to compensate).

This bit of the dream was followed up by myself and two friends fighting a demon, and the only one powerful enough to banish it back to hell was the Queen. Which of course meant that we had to kidnap her (because she wouldn't be willing to defend her country on her own? I dunno). She was a lovely woman and quite feisty.

----------

Also: my cat has the hiccups. It is adorable. I didn't even know cats could GET hiccups, but he seems to regularly. He might not be amused, but I am. :)

Typespotting and shopping

I wasn't planning on blogging today, but I just got back from the bank. In their window display they had two typewriters--an Oliver 9 (much cleaner than my own), and an Underwood portable that wasn't fooling anyone about it's ability to actually type, since the type bars were sticking up at strange angles and the lid was cockeyed. Wanted to take a picture but I believe photography is frowned upon in banks so I resisted the urge (couldn't get a good shot from the front of the building, anyway).

On the way back from the bank, I had to stop at Walmart and picked up a CD for my mom. Found a Dean Martin disc for $5 and couldn't resist. She loves Dean Martin. And of course, my present to myself was 2 Fast and 2 Furious, so now I have the entire franchise on DVD, with the exception of the new one that just came out. I'm thinking there will be a marathon later tonight when my friends come over for dinner. :)