I was born in May, 1967. I joined the Pentrace snail list in March, 2001. I used fountain pens during the years 1982-1985, then stopped. I blame the UniBall 0.5 mm ball pen.
Last year, I was given an Aurora "Ipsilon" Metallic fountain pen as a Christmas gift. That pen and a co-worker's fountain-pen enthusiasm got me started again, using my old pens and buying a few new ones. I wouldn't say I'm a serious collector; I don't specialize in a brand, type, or era. I just buy what I like and what I can afford. My two favorites are a Shaeffer purse pen from the '50's and some kind of Shaeffer (see? I don't even know enough terminology at this point to describe it) from the '40's that are on (ahem) "extended loan" from my mom and dad, respectively. The other day I realized I am about as old now as my father was when he got the Shaeffer; it's interesting to use an artifact that ties me to him across 50-something years. The purse pen carries the same significance and is also simply lovely.
I grew up in Santa Fe but now live in Albuquerque (New Mexico). In between I lived in Indiana, Southern California, Southern Arizona, and Central Texas. I'm a mechanical engineer who does mostly experimental work, primarily in the areas of fluid and heat flow. Outside work, I have more interests than time. For fun I race cars (at the local/regional club level). I collect things: music (LP's & CD's), USDA Agriculture yearbooks, and Tom McGuane first editions. I read books (favorites: Tom McGuane, Ivan Turgenev; my interest in Richard Dawkins is waning) and watch movies (all sorts, avoiding modern blockbuster types). I hike and camp and bike, and have spent several hundred man-hours hunting the wily trout. I cook, and plan our household meals to reflect the regional cooking of the current locale for the Formula 1 auto racing circuit throughout the year (Typically 16-18 countries, shifting every two weeks. Results vary. Sometimes ingredients are hard to track down in New Mexico [e.g., Malaysian], and sometimes it is difficult to strongly define a national cuisine [e.g., "American food"]). I carefully nest parentheses, brackets, and braces.
Thanks for the opportunity to join this community.
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