A Birthday Tale in Four Parts

One.

My birthday is coming up. This particular birthday is a difficult one, by far the most difficult I've had so far, for various reasons. I tell myself that it is only a day, like the day before, there is nothing special about the day in the cosmic sense...

And still, I struggle.

Two.

We have a rule in my family, and by "my family" I mean "all the incarnations of my family," that you don't buy anything for yourself in the month before your birthday, nor do you buy anything for yourself after Halloween. You can express desire for items, but the purchase is left to your loved ones to gift to you on the oh-so-auspicious holiday.

Three.

My favorite pen is the Papermate Write Bros. medium point (1mm) stick pen with blue ink. I have been using this pen for a quarter century now. It has been slowly disappearing from shelves, with Amazon being the only location I can find them these days.

I buy them in bulk. I use them up. I lament my diminishing supply.

Four.

"Your birthday present is in two parts."

I looked over at Jonathan with a smile on my face. His birthday present this year was also in two parts. They were also one of my more spectacular Homer gifts.

"Do you want them now, or actually on your birthday?"

Anticipation is part of the delight of gifts, birthday and Christmas. You don't known what the gift is, it could be anything. The hope, the excitement, the thoughts that this could be the gift, the moment, that COULD CHANGE MY LIFE.

"Um.... right now?"

The first part of the gift was A BOX OF THE PERFECT PENS.

I squee'd with delight. Pen desert postponed for another year or so, or until I lose all of these pens, too.

But the second part?

My squee with the second part dwarfed my first squee!

A Baron Fig Squire Rollerball pen!

Jonathan may have found the replacement for my perfect pen.

The pen is nicely weighted and has a similar feel as the iPhone SE, which is to say, a strokable surface that keeps my hands busy enough that I don't pick or pull or pop or twist other things that really shouldn't be picked or pulled or popped or twisted.

Imagine that, a pen and fidget device in one!

Way SQUEE-worthy!

Thank you, Jonathan!

The pen is mightier than the sword.