I Brought My Pencil!

“Give me somethin’ towrite on, man!” 

Apropos that a frozen puddle at Blick Art Materials should be art.

Actually, I found that, too, but passed it by. A black spiral notebook lay frosted on the lawn outside Blick Art Materials, or maybe it was Galesburg Sign Co. I figured it would be too defiled by moisture to be of any use, though curiosity had me wondering if it might contain some titillating secrets, the personal confessions of some heartbroken diarist.

But I already had a pencil sticking out of my right glove and a package of wrapping paper in the same hand; I really didn’t need anything else encumbering me. After all, I didn’t take a bag along Wednesday because I had no intention of stopping to pick up stuff – too much of a drain on my pace (thank you, Nike+ watch).

The pencil came early, when I turned west off Seminary to Fifth Street. I’ve scavenged other pencils, just because they are useful. But, hell, I don’t even use pencils much. I’m a pen man. The recipients of my letters can tell you I should use a pencil and eraser instead, but I like the feel of a pen, the ease of its stroke. Yet, it’s hard to pass up a useful object, even if it’s not exactly useful to me.

As soon as I picked it up, noted the traditional No. 2 on its shaft, and stuck it into my glove, I began to ponder the point of the No. 2. First, I pondered the possibility that said point might puncture my flesh should I stumble and throw my hands out to catch my fall. Surely that would have happened. I thought to reverse the position of the pencil, but, frankly, the point slid in easier than the eraser would have – or so I assumed. So I left it.

After carrying the wrapping paper a few
blocks, I decided to stuff it under my jacket.

So my pondering progressed to the specificity of the No. 2. Why are students advised, nay, required, to use No. 2 pencils when filling in the bubbles on standardized tests? Let us explore that.

“What makes #2pencils so special?” The question was posed by Mentalfloss.com, the source of the daily trivia question on WKAY-FM radio locally.

The site responds to its own question: “Most of us pick up pencils and lose them without giving it a second thought. Pencils are a bit more interesting than you might, think, though.”

We then learn that the American No. 2 – HB elsewhere – is not too light, not too dark, not too hard, not too soft. Fucking Goldilocks of the writing implement world.

Here’s the full story: What Makes #2 Pencils So Special?

My favorite bit from that is this:

Ack! I used a #3 pencil on the SAT! Is my life over?

No, but you're probably destined for a life of hard labor rather than college. Just kidding. It's hard to get a straight answer on this question, but there are quite a few reports from people online who messed up by using the wrong grade of pencil and still did just fine on their SAT. The general consensus seems to be that the SAT's scanners will read a #3 pencil's mark just the same as it would read one from a #2 pencil.

Read the full text here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/24832/what-makes-2-pencils-so-special#ixzz2lulTs53A
--brought to you by mental_floss!

Consider yourselves forewarned…

Today’s Stats (Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013)

Temp: 15 degrees F

Distance: 4.68 miles

Weekly Total: 8.18 miles

Treasure: 1 No. 2 pencil (Target); 1 pack Hallmark All Occasion Wrapping Paper (2 sheets, 20x30”)

iPod Playlist (Shuffle)

The Better Life – Trampled Under Foot

Save A Prayer – Duran Duran

Come Go With Me – Expose

I Hope You Dance – Lee Ann Womack

American Honey – Lady Antebellum

Notorious – Duran Duran

Outro – Ryan Adams live in the XM Studios

Two Steps Behind(Acoustic Version) – Def Leppard

Perfect Blue Buildings – Counting Crows

The Grand Illusion – Styx

Comfortable (live) – John Mayer

Because I cans, cans, cans

Today was a mix of cans, some pop, some beer and some trash.

Today's Stats (Monday, Nov. 25, 2013)

Temp: 31 degrees F

Distance: 3.5 miles

Weekly Total: 3.5 miles

Treasure: 7 cans; removed three trash cans from the street.

iPod Playlist (Shuffle):

She’s Got A Way (live) – Billy Joel

All Night Long – Billy Squier

Stranger Here … Than Over There – Robert Plant

Father Figure – George Michael

Armageddon It – Def Leppard

My Favorite Mistake – Sheryl Crow

Every Day Is A Winding Road – Sheryl Crow

A Last Request (I Want Your Sex Part III) – George Michael