My afternoon ... plus a shout-out to you guys in Japan

[telophase]

My afternoon was just lovely, thankyou. Left work an hour early to take the cat to the vet and managed to shove her into the carrier and get her the without any actual blood being drawn. Had a long wait because I overestimated the amount of time it would take me to en-carrier her and drive to the new location, but she's more-or-less healthy. Mentioned that she'd been throwing up more often than usual recently, so the vet gave her a shot to control nausea and prescribed a special food for sensitive stomachs for a week or two.

And then as I was just starting to back out of my parking space, I noticed a note under the windshield wiper. It informed me that the writer had backed into my car. He gave me his name, address, and phone number and asked me to call to get his insurance info. I checked the car - looks like just a dent in the rear bumper. I called him when I got home, and he sounded like a nice grandfatherly person who was really shaken by this. I think it may have been his first accident from the way he sounded. :) Anyway, got it and called *my* insurance people, and they'll take it from there. Sometime in the next few days I'll get a call from the adjuster, and we'll get an estimate and put in the claim and get it fixed. All very nice and civilized.

Although part of me is annoyed that he was so nice and so worried about it, because it means I can't justify a really good, loud bitch at him. XD Ah well. Comfort food time (sausage and baked potato), then to write a column.

And the cat is alternating between wanting to sit beside me and be reassured that everything's OK and being cranky and attacking my feet. XD

ETA: GAH forgot the Japan bit. vom_marlowe is desperate to try the brand of ink that a lot of Japanese manga artists use, and I must confess I'm quite curious about it, too. It's Pilot Drawing Ink, not the fountain pen stuff, and Pilot Pens is apparently insane in their distribution and East is East and West is West and rarely the twain shall meet.

This is the stuff of manga-inking dreams. And we're not even sure how much it costs. :D So ... is it possible that one of you over in the Land of the Rising Manga could drop by an art store and get a couple of bottles and ship 'em to us? You will be reimbursed however you want - Paypal, cash, hard to find in Japan American goods, or cookies, or BPAL imps, or whatever. *makes puppy-dog eyes at you*

Comments

[riofriotex.livejournal.com]

Be glad the guy let you know he hit the car. Sounds like you might not have even noticed if he had not left the note. Honest folk like that are rare. Bitching at him would just mean one less of those.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I am - it probably would have been several days before I noticed it, since my car is black and it was just a bit past sunset when I got out of the vet's. And once I finally noticed it, I'd have assumed it was caused by one of the students at work, and I wouldn't have bothered to get it fixed because the deductible would probably have been more than I really wanted to pay right now.

I mostly just want to complain loud and long about someone out of generic annoyance and frustration, and by all rights I can't complain about him. :D I did tell him that I respected him for leaving his info and thanked him for it.

[m00nface.livejournal.com]

That stuff is 525yen? That's less than $5.25 for that 30ml, if that's what you meant by not knowing how much it costs. I don't know of any art shops around here, but the local department store has a section with art supplies, I'll have a look there and hope for the best?

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Woo, thankyou! :D So inexpensive .. if it turns out to be as godly as hoped for, that's affordable to import, I think.

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

Yay!!!!!! Yay!!!! You have the best ideas, telophase!

[homasse.livejournal.com]

I'm heading to a stationary store in a few days to pick up more Christmas cards, so I can also see if they have it, since, yeah, it's cheap. If it's not there, I know I've seen that in a stationary store in Takasaki, so next time I'm up for Starbucks, I can go get it, since it's the same building.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Cool, thanks. :D

Gosh, it's nice having friends in Japan. XD

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

Squee!

[flyingpeachbun.livejournal.com]

I've heard of that ink too and I tried to find it... but it's only in Japan :p
I dunno how great it is though... hmmm
I just finally solved one of my ink problems though.. I wanted to ink with dip pens and had a problem with coloring over with copic....the ink would bleed no matter what I did.... but now I got some Yasumoto Sumi ink - made in Japan... and I can put copic over it almost immediately without a bit of bleeding.
It was like 4 something for a 2oz. bottle.. but if you go to Hobby Lobby and use the 40% off coupon you can get it for cheaper :3

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

I will have to try that one, thanks. (Says the ink addict) Deleter #6, my current favorite, does not bleed with the Copic markers but does with water. I find it has excellent short stroke control with dip pens, it's not as good with the very long lines.

[flyingpeachbun.livejournal.com]

Its great for with copics, but not water... it'll bleed :P
Deleter #6 eh... hmm Akadot says it's $4.60 for 30ml... so if you wanna save money, try the Yasumoto sumi.. get twice as much for the same price ( 2oz = about 60ml )
Is Pilot a magical ink that doesn't bleed with copic or water??? *_*
I've read that Holbein ink is used by some manga artists... but that is also sold in Japan only it seems...

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

If you're looking for an ink that doesn't bleed at all, you might try IC Comic Super Black or Deleter #2, #3 or #4. All are very waterproof. I have an obsessive, extensive ink review series here: http://vom-marlowe.livejournal.com/tag/ink+review

I will have to pick up some of the Sumi ink and give it a try. Mmmmm, ink. The Pilot drawing ink is not waterproof, IIRC. Their document ink (similar animal) is, though. I talked to another inker who does a lot of color work and she said that she generally inks with whatever ink makes her happy, then xeroxes or scans and prints onto watercolor paper. She said it is very freeing, and I plan to try that.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Markers on watercolor paper ... *twitch* That was a not-successful experiment. :)

I also know that my printer's ink is not good with markers. I shall have to try photocopying onto my marker paper and see if that works.

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

I loved the photocopying idea--I can color something as many ways as I want, mwuahahahaha. My current printer ink isn't waterproof at all, but I'm looking into new printers and that's gonna be a new requirement. Hee.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I can get cartridges of archival black ink for mine ... wonder if it's waterproof?

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

Hmm, dunno. Is it an inkjet? Wonder if I could convince my boss to let me try some archival ink in our inkjet printers for experimental archival purposes.

My old laser printer was waterproof, but it didn't play nice with the new operating system, which was Windows ME at the time. I've a XP machine now, so I plan to rehook it up and see whether it'll work now.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

Yup. An HP Deskjet 9650. I never bother with archival ink because, frankly, fanart isn't worth preserving for the ages and I doubt that most of the purchasers are keepign them in controlled-climate circumstances. :) They'll last long enough. If I were doing lots of photography or fine art prints, I'd go archival.

[herchuckness.livejournal.com]

Not completely sure, but I want to say I've seen that brand of ink in the San Francisco Kinokuniya stationary store. Which, uh, doesn't really help unless you have friends in SF. XD

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I have at least one friend in the Bay area, although I'm not sure how much chance she has to go by Kinokuniya. :D

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

Ah, but they have a website. Hmmm, wanders off to try them.

[vom-marlowe.livejournal.com]

Well, I heard back from the Namiki people. They were very nice but said they can't send me anything that isn't on Pilot's US website, please check the internet. I don't get their weirdo distribution system, but let's hear it for telophase's awesomeness.

[telophase.livejournal.com]

I love that sales strategy: let's refuse our merchandise to the person who wants to SEND us MONEY! We're sure to make a profit that way!