Good morning.  By the time I finish writing this blog though it may well be into next week.  I travel quite a lot and I don’t necessarily collect normal souvenirs.  Sometimes I simply take the pens and pencils from hotels that I stay at or the restaurants I eat at and toss them into my suitcase. Consequently over the years, I have probably 300 pens/pencils in containers everywhere in my studio. I’ve been cleaning out a lot of of my acquired trinkets and the pens have definitely got to go. This blog will therefore begin the process of helping me to both clean out these items and remember the places that I have been. It will therefore be a totally disorganized travel log which I will refer to as my “Pen Time Memories.”

CLUSTER 1 (scientifically referred to as a “grab sample):

1. A Pinocchio pencil with a bobbing head on a spring.  That was in the village of Collodi, Italy near Florence.
2. An “I Love New York” pencil.  I live in upstate New York and love the beautiful mountains and valleys up here and enjoy going to the city for their museums and plays once in awhile, mostly when I have company from another part of the globe and they want to venture into the city.
3. Ah…The Inn at Mayo Clinic.  It’s a Marriott operated Inn, located and adjoined to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.  It is incredibly convenient for early morning lab work and MRI’s, etc.  Once parked and checked in, one never has to leave the building, rain or shine.  On site restaurants and in room kitchenettes.
4. This one reads, “My Lucky Pen” from the Barona Casino in Lakeside, California.  I do not recall ever being lucky there but their food is excellent, accommodations very comfortable, and I love it when their casino employees form a line and sing, dancing their way through the casino and giving out lots of $5 and $10 dollar bills…which you promptly put back into the slot machine that you just lost $100 in!  Fun!!
5. The Hampton Inn.  Always a safe bet when I’m on a road trip.  The beds are super comfy and their coffee is great!  If you’re not happy for some reason, the management always makes it right.
6. Capital Region Upright MRI.  Located in Latham, NY, this is definitely an easier option for MRI’s.
7. Lexington Vacuum Cleaners.  Haven’t a clue where this came from!
8. Homewood Suites.  Also by Hilton.  Beds are not as comfy as the Hampton Inn but it’s a great place to stop on a long road trip to do your laundry and if you have children with you, usually you can get a 2 bedroom suite with a kitchenette.  There are also nightly dinners held in the common area of the hotel at their restaurant.
9. TD Bank.  Always pleasant and helpful.  Located on the northeastern side of the USA with a few branches in Florida.
10. Esplanade Zagreb.  A luxury hotel in Zagreb, Croatia.  Their breakfasts were exquisite.  The rooms beautiful.  The bed very very firm.  Location wonderful.

Was that painful?  It’s amazing that I grabbed only 10 writing implements!  I think that going forward I will always do only 10.  So now, I will choose to keep only the Pinocchio pencil to give to a child and the Zagreb pen to keep.  It’s quite heavy and writes well.  I’m sure I paid dearly for it!