Scribe

Hello and welcome to The Erasable Podcast. This is episode 239, and I am Tim Bothy. Wasem on hosting duties tonight. Um, this is the one in which we're all here actually to talk about something because we haven't, uh, crossed paths in a while. And last time Johnny and I talked, and we were talking about all the wonderful things that were going on for Andy, and we're looking forward to talking to him. So Andy, welcome back.

Yeah, welcome back.

Natural.

Yeah, you got this. Um, so yeah, tonight we're just gonna be talking about some updates of things that are going on in the in our little corner of the internet and our pencil world. So yeah, but before that, just how are you guys doing? It's good to be back together.

Nice.

I have a hat on. Ooh. That's why I'm looking fresh, which I guess I usually do, but my hair—

Yeah. Yeah. I've been going after it with the scissors like a little bit every day just cuz I was looking pretty scraggly. So it's like, wait for something to pop outta line and then I'm like, you're outta here. Get out of here.

But yeah. So Andy Welfle.

Congratulations.

Talk to you on this call.

Nice wedding. Yeah, it was.

Beautiful.

Even better.

Um, that's a good way to work through a stash of Field Notes.

That's super cool.

Yeah.

Does it have paper in it? Yes.

Let's use that one.

actually, hold on a second here.

I'll tell you this.

Oh, that's cool.

Aw, that's cool.

Super cool.

Aw, cool.

Yay.

It's worth it.

Yes. Totally worth it. Nice.

If only we'd done video early on, like that would be really interesting.

Yeah. That was the— remember it took us like a couple years. Yeah.

It was my earbuds. Yeah. Yeah. I, I actually thought it took longer than 5 episodes to figure that out. It's like, it was like a year or something. I'm like, oh, that's what that was.

But it would be interesting to take those old episodes and run 'em through like an AI, like, uh, audio improving technology or something. Oh, make 'em sound better.

Wonder how, wonder if that would work. Just like they have in Riverside. Digitally remastered, like, yeah, yeah, digital remaster, Dolby surround sound. Nobody needs to hear that. Yeah, that'd be cool. Um, all right, well, yeah, we were just gonna go over and catch up on some stuff, but we'll do Tools of the Trade first. And, uh, Andy? Yeah, you want to start it out?

Pencil of the Week. I feel like they are, but they got like all sucked up into the weird like branding divisions of—

I still have like 100 of them.

If you remember when I bought a gross when I was teaching.

I was like, I'm going to buy them and give them to my students. And then I didn't because I was like, these are all mine. Oh, I'll give them something else to break.

I feel like when I bought that gross of ForestChoice, I think I wanna say it was like under $50.

I mean, it was so cheap. I bet. I mean, that was even cheaper back then. I mean, it was just like, it was wild.

But that's really good.

Cool.

Okay.

Okay.

But it's been good. I bought it that day when we were recording because it was on sale for like 60% off, but I haven't started it yet. But that's on my list for vacation next week.

I couldn't unmute fast enough. I was like, come on, unmute, unmute, unmute.

A little bit is also the name of my favorite pickup for guitars.

I love—

I'm still doing Triple H yoga over here.

It's like haunted.

Those are cool. Yeah, right up there.

But how long has it been since you've bought a notebook like that?

So yeah, um, so the color is Peacock, is that what you said it's called?

Yeah. Well, I was kind of like Andy. I was like, what if I actually managed to consume? Because, and it felt like I hadn't done anything, but I was like, I know I've been watching stuff. And that's because all I'd been watching for weeks is World Cup soccer. And now I'm like, in withdrawal because it's been a whole 48 hours since there was a match. I'm like, what's going on? Like, why is, why is my life so meaningless? Because there's no soccer to watch. Uh, so we've watched so much of that, which has been a lot of fun.

That's funny.

They, they deserved it. That was That was some of the ugliest soccer I've ever seen. Um, but yeah, that's been a lot of fun. Of course, my, you know, I've talked about my son loves soccer. My wife loves, like, we, we all like love watching it together except for my daughter. But she said before the, before the last match, she's like, if you get some cheese dip from El Charly, I'll watch the game with you, which is our favorite Mexican place.

Be smart. Deal.

I was like, just wander off in your room. And, um, so yeah, so watching a lot of, uh, of World Cup, and it's been, it's been, it's been really fun. Was, uh, Erling Haaland. Like, everybody love— has been talking about this big, you know, dude from Norway. Um, he's one of my favorite players, so I was like rooting for them to go far, and they went far. So that was really fun to watch everybody realize how awesome he is. Um, but yeah, lots of World Cup and lots of, uh, James Corden has like a after soccer, the like after the match kind of like live show that he's been doing that we've been watching on Tubi. And it's hilarious. It's just like him, this comedian, former, and a former soccer player. And it's like totally live and it's silly and it's been really entertaining. So if you're in, if anybody's listening and you've been into the World Cup and haven't watched that yet. Should go on Tubi. It's free. Um, watch it. And then the only thing I've been reading, and I've got it right here, is really— I mean, I'm always listening to a bunch of audiobooks, but it's this little book that I stumbled across. It's called The Art of Simple Living. Hmm. That's always like a topic that I'm like obsessed with, is just like, you know, simplifying getting focused on that. It's written by a Zen Buddhist monk, and it's like 100 different daily practices. And so it reads almost like— it's just like 2 pages a day kind of thing. And so everyone has a title and a little subtitle and then like 1 to 2 pages of just description, but it's all pulling things from habits that Zen Buddhist monks use on a day-to-day basis. And then he just kind of makes the quick case about like why this is good and what this— what benefit this has and how, you know, it helps you focus. And some of them are like very little, like it's like where you put your shoes when you come into the house. And, uh, there's one that's just about once a day make sure that you speak really loudly. And then it was just like— because which for me, I'm a mumbler and I'm a low talker. My family's always like, what? I'm like, why can't you listen to me? Why can't you hear me? That's because I'm mumbling. But, um, But like things like that where it's like, yeah, talk really loud once a day and monks do it all the time when they're singing and it's like showing joy and it, and also, you know, I like how Buddhism and like science have a lot of crossover, like, but they're, they're very open to like explaining. So like when they talk about talking loud, it's like, well, there's a lot of science out there that shows that speaking loudly releases this and that in your brain and it's good. So I've really enjoyed it. It's a great just thing to pick up here and there. Um, especially at the beginning of the day, just something to think about. Uh, and I'm writing with pencil from Concord, Massachusetts. I'm showing right here is a Thoreau and Sons novelty pencil from the Walden gift shop that my brother-in-law, uh, sent to me.

Yeah. It was only like $42,000 for this one. Nice. They had a second one, obviously, but that one's—

Yeah. What'd you say, Johnny?

No, no, I'd have to sell the house. But, well, no, this is— yeah, this is just a cheap one, but it's a really— it's a really nice pencil. And he was like making the case because he loves this stuff too. And he's like, no, but really, like, have you used it yet? Because it's, you know, they send it to you in that little sleeve, like, and it's like, no, no, not yet. I haven't used this. You got to use it. And it's a solid pencil, so it's, you know, it's nothing miraculous, but I've been enjoying it. And I have been using this notebook a lot recently. This is mostly what I use for like songwriting and like poetry kind of creative writing stuff, but it's from Moleskine. Moleskine.

These big K here notebooks, and they sell them at Walmart for $9.99. And it's just like lined pages. They're huge. Um, yeah, they're $10, I think, at Walmart. I got a bumper sticker on the front that says Mavis for President for Mavis Staples. I got that at the concert. Uh, Staples Singers. So yeah, but it's a great, great notebook. It hates fountain pens, but if I'm writing in pencil or in a ballpoint, it's fantastic. So, uh, it's just a good size format for the kind of writing that I was— that I'm doing in there.

Yeah. Yeah, that's true. Um, I'm not sitting next to 300 of them. Yeah, but they sell them in, yeah, $10 and there's like a red one, a dark green one, and a black one, I think.

At the top? That? Yeah, that's part of it.

Yeah.

I, I, I had this before if you didn't know. Yeah. Um, but yeah, it's nice. I like that. That's, that's a good price. And, uh, that's it.

They could be like, uh, what do you call it? Running mates.

Mavis.

The Mavi president. Yeah, I'm here for it.

Um, all right, let's do some, uh, Fresh Points, catch up on some stuff. So yeah, Andy, what, what do you got?

So I'm going to be Googling it all night.

Which now we know why you weren't reading any books.

Yeah, so whatever.

come in the back door.

I got it on right now.

I, you can see it. Oh yeah.

Yeah. You can see it at Walmart. I love this thing.

I've never—

chest plate.

Oh, that's cool.

I would say even Timex is like, I mean, some of them. Yeah, some of them up into like $200, $300.

Yeah.

Like when you were telling me, cuz I've been thinking about that so much for almost like, gosh, I hate this. I hate wearing this thing cuz it's like all the, it was just, yeah, beeping and buzzing and all this stuff.

Oh, that's a little bit of the best of both worlds. I was thinking about that.

Yeah, I like that. That's cool.

So, because I do miss that. That's like the only thing.

Yeah.

That's a good idea.

I did not think you said transit stamps right there.

That sounded— I thought you were referring to a lower back tattoo.

I was like, what? Is that all your design ideas? For your dress.

Like, yeah, there you go.

Um, nice.

Yeah, no, so I have like no notifications on my phone. Mm-hmm. Pretty much like all the elective stuff, but for work I did, I, I set mine up so that all the notifications for the apps that are related to work stop showing up on my phone after a certain point in the day. Um, so they just like, so it's like after 5 o'clock Google Chat or whatever isn't going to start pinging me. I used to have none of it, like, on there, but— and it just because I work around the house and sometimes I'm like literally like, you know, going upstairs, downstairs or walking outside to check something. It is just me. It turned out to feel like peace of mind for me to at least like have it during the workday to be like, not miss something because I'm not literally in front of my computer. But if I was working in an office, yeah, I mean, I would also just, you know, I wouldn't put them on there at all.

Come find me if you want to talk to me.

It's like, you come to me. Yeah. I mean, you tell your coworkers, like, come find me. If you need me, you know where to find me.

So that's for your stamp collection. Oh yeah, for your postage stamp.

Yeah, yeah.

Like, if you're a— I don't know why I thought of that. I was just like, that is like the size of a big toe. It's so tiny.

Even—

Probably.

Saw people referencing the White House and saying that it looks like a Thai restaurant now because it has all like the— it's like all like, like ornate gold stuff above all the doors and like pictures like all along the walls. Yeah, it's the best.

They sold out. I wonder how many they make. 3 of them? Like, how many do they make?

Only— they only made 50 sets of the 250 box. Oh, they're all sold out.

No?

Nice.

I thought you said 48 binders. I was like, no, no, no, honey. I was like, holy shit, man.

You'd like buy a car if you got rid of— yeah.

Um, okay.

Yeah. It's disappeared. Yeah. Yeah.

I'm crap.

There are.

Nice.

Yeah, well, I've got one main like, uh, stationery thing, but is, I don't know if we haven't talked about it yet, but the, uh, back to school sections are starting to materialize at, at, uh, Target and places like that. And I, uh, found this one yesterday and I'm pretty sure, I don't know if it's Cedar or not, but they're this, the worst named brand of all time, but Pen Plus Gear. Or Pen Gear. It's the stupidest name, but they have round black pencils that are out that I've never seen before. They're almost completely blank, but they're really nice.

It's a little off-center. Yeah, it does. But they're, yeah, they're really, they're really nice. Like, I bought 2 dozen of them. They're like $1.50. So I bought 2 dozen of them as our, uh, our fridge pencils. So we have like our refrigerator, there's like a pencil cup on the side and we just always keep that like full because the kids will take them and— Where are they made? Um, let me hear— here's the packaging, which is so ugly. And their website, by the way, for Pen+Gear, all Comic Sans, the entire website.

Um, they're made in India.

Number 2, unsharpened black wood pencils.

Yeah, but they're solid. So I like went through and got two of 'em that were like pretty aligned and they're nice pencils. Um, and then sort of stationary adjacent thing that is also related to the World Cup is, I don't know if you guys are familiar with this, but, um, every time they do the World Cup, and I think they also in Europe more, they'll do it for like big tournaments, like, like, uh, the Euro Cup and things like that, but they make the sticker books.

Yeah. So they look like a, it looks like a magazine, but you buy these little paper packs and you open 'em and they're full of these little stickers. So there's like team cards and you stick 'em into the book. Of course there are a bunch of, you know, whatever D-bags out there who are trying to like sell 'em online and stuff. But like we've, Henry and I have been doing it and like they're like $2 a pack. So we just buy 'em every once in a while and have been filling out the book and like you build out the rosters of all the teams. There's like like Player Ones, and they even have like— and they're all cool stickers. I put some of them on notebooks and stuff, just like ones that are extra. So there's like foil ones that have like the team logos.

And they'll also have like— and there's like weird pages that have like old retro, like this is the German team from 1954 when they won or whatever. And so it's like their team picture. So there's like special pages that have like oddball, designs and history stuff about the World Cup. And it's just been a lot of fun, uh, collecting these. They're pretty cheap. And for some reason this time around they're just everywhere. So I guess they're just pushing it harder this year since it's in America, but they're in gas stations and grocery stores. And yeah, like I said, they're cheap.

If you what?

Yeah, I got it right here.

Unless someone calls— they should be— I don't know why, but it's, it should just be red.

They should have just a red card sticker. That'd be funny. Um, but yeah, so I've already got like ideas of, uh, you know, what to do with them. There's Norway. There's that guy I was talking about earlier. Big man. Um, but that's just been fun collecting stickers and opening these packs and like all these players that we're like learning about that we didn't know about who are from countries that we never think about. You know, it's, it's pretty neat. So that's been fun. Been a good thing for me and I to do and like sort of, you know, sorting through them and making stacks of all like 40 countries that they have in there. And so you're organizing them all and then sticking them in one by one, which takes forever. There's like 450 stickers in there. I mean, it's so many. Um, but it's a fun process. Just been doing it for like a month and a half now. It's almost over. Oh, um, But yeah, but that's all I got. Just those two. Yeah, those two good, two good finds. Been enjoying that. I was using— I was thinking of you when I was using this the other day.

it's like fall. I was— almost didn't show it because Johnny's always like all tuned to the seasons with his stationery choices, but just made me think of Canada. It's not a maple leaf, but it's the red, this red color with the leaf on the front. But yeah, this is the one I've been carrying around in my, my little, uh Those were great.

Should we do it next?

Next time on The Erasable Podcast. Um, next episode. I'm not gonna say it. Nevermind. Uh, we're gonna talk about woods on the next pencil, on the next Erasable Podcast.

Like, mm-hmm.

Yeah, picture of us with just like—

With a pencil dust like all over our face and like huffing shaving cream.

Goes down smooth. Um, but yeah, but we'll do that next time. We'll, we'll, uh, we'll get back to it. So it's been fun, guys. Um, but you guys ready to call it a night?

You what?

Oh, gotcha. All right.

Yeah, I'm supposed to watch some Andor, so I gotta go too. Oh, nice. Henry's wanting— we're finally watching Andor with him. Just me. Oh, awesome.

Um, but, uh, thank you for those of you who are listening. If you want to support us on Patreon and see the video versions of the podcast, and then occasional bonus stuff that we'll make. And if you support us at the $10 a month level, we send you a gift, um, every now and then. We try to do that once a year. We've sent out some cool bags. We've made hats. So you can find that at patreon.com/erasable. And these are some of our producer level patrons: Chris Berry, John Schroeder, Ellen, Dana Morris, Liz Rotundo, Melissa Miller, Angie, Aaron Bollinger, David Johnson, Phil Munson, TK_UK, Andre Torres, Paul Moorhead, John Cappelluti, Stephen Frank Solly, Aaron Willard. Every single time. Sorry, Stephen.

Or Frank Solly. That's what I always want to say. No, I got it right that time. No, I just put the R in there. Jeez, never mind. Okay. Michael Dialosa, Mary Kallis, Hans Nudelman, PDXJ Morris, Reiko Henning, Ida Umfers, Millie Blackwell, Kathleen Rogers, and John Wood. Thank you all for listening, and we will talk to you soon with another Pencil Primer episode. There, since I said it, we have to do it.