I thought I start an"I'm going a little mad thread".....

[LezLee]

I use an ink pen (but have trouble finding cartridges...I know there must be some left somewhere) and scribble at least thrice daily in my pretentious moleskine.

No allotment, but muddy dog and as much Common as we can cope with.

Not much in the way of dreams or poems, which is unusual for me. And the notebook will run out next week.

I suppose you’ve tried places like Hobbycraft?

[Jonathan]

Do you need to keep strict 'office hours'? I ask because if you could arrange to spend some more time at the allotment - extended lunch hour perhaps? - it might help. Not necessarily to complete any specific task but just to get away from the laptop into fresh air and proximity to what is a glorious time of year, and wildlife making the most of reduced human interference. There might be other people to exchange greetings with - social distancing often happens by default on allotments anyway as plotholders call across to neighbours. Take a notebook and pen in case the writing urge resurfaces?

Unfortunately, oddoneout, yes - 9 till 5 so extending lunch isn't an option. As for the writing, I write for MusicWeb and until this started, I was writing about one review a week. Thanks for the suggestions though. ☺

[Joseph K]

The level of fear and anxiety you can pick up from Supermarket shoppers in these times is horrible. When I was parked in town recently, a very tense driver had three goes at parking behind me, then drove gently into my towbar; he was so concerned about getting his plastic gloves on, to go into the bank, that he didn't notice the bump.
Logically, the anxiety does not help anyone, but the emotions like fear are running quite strongly, and are more difficult to avoid.

I don't think clenching fists will help much here (but it probably would with performance anxiety). Singing softly (All Things Must Pass) or chanting may help, but I haven't yet found a reliable way of fending off the anxiety of other shoppers.

Yes - for the first few weeks from when this all started, I hated going to the supermarket, because of the collective sense of anxiety. Now, I think, things are a bit better since people have acclimated themselves to the situation - or it may just be me.

I find myself chanting 'Om' to stave off my own anxiety at times.

[eighthobstruction]

Same here, helped by the fine weather. It's often been cold thanks to the wind, but dry, and often sunny. I suspect that goodwill might have been in shorter supply if getting the shopping meant standing in the rain for prolonged periods.

....my thoughts exactly....

....I'm wondering slightly off topic /but in fact right on button ref OP....has anyone heard of eating fermented veg soup (parsnip, nut and carrot ) causing psychotic events....I seem to remember in history C16/cC17 whole villages going temperamentally mentally ill due fermented grains....Anyway this is one of the explainations I have for the origin of this thread....a funny 4 hours rather than 5 minutes....another is that I was slowly; without blue light, 999ed to Hosp with heart scare the night before....just bad angina, but if you live alone you cannot 999 after you have passed out LOL....i'm fine....

....What is it with supermarkets that they schedule OAP/Vulnerablepeople slots really early in the morning....1100hrs would do me better....snigger....my pills to stop saying ¬</[ don't kick in till then....

Yes Joseph K or "Let go, let it go..."

[Joseph K]

....my thoughts exactly....

....I'm wondering slightly off topic /but in fact right on button ref OP....has anyone heard of eating fermented veg soup (parsnip, nut and carrot ) causing psychotic events....I seem to remember in history C16/cC17 whole villages going temperamentally mentally ill due fermented grains....Anyway this is one of the explainations I have for the origin of this thread....a funny 4 hours rather than 5 minutes....another is that I was slowly; without blue light, 999ed to Hosp with heart scare the night before....just bad angina, but if you live alone you cannot 999 after you have passed out LOL....i'm fine....

....What is it with supermarkets that they schedule OAP/Vulnerablepeople slots really early in the morning....1100hrs would do me better....snigger....my pills to stop saying ¬</[ don't kick in till then....

Yes Joseph K or "Let go, let it go..."

Sorry to hear this, 8th. I had never heard that fermented veg could do that.

[Bryn]

Sorry to hear this, 8th. I had never heard that fermented veg could do that.

No, indeed. The recalled reference seems likely to refer to the problem of Claviceps purpurea contamination of rye.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergot

[eighthobstruction]

....yes Ergot that's it Bryn....

...I was only blowing air into sky as usual ref...soup....but it was the last thing I ate....and the explaination is more likely in previous days, and tiredness....AND I would say the layering of internet pages, the use of many tabs and its bizarre nature, + longer hours using computer [for me, obviously whole nation is on social media etc much longer, and they are not all having psyche episodes] ((Or are they))....

[oddoneout]

No, indeed. The recalled reference seems likely to refer to the problem of Claviceps purpurea contamination of rye.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ergot

That was my first thought also.
Fermented veg - as opposed to gone-off veg - is rather a thing at present and can have side effects but not of the kind you describe. I am wary of such items as I have enough gut problems already, but also I discovered that they can contain histamines which aren't good news for me either. It's a pity as I rather liked the kimchi that I tried on a couple of occasions.

[teamsaint]

I use an ink pen (but have trouble finding cartridges...I know there must be some left somewhere) and scribble at least thrice daily in my pretentious moleskine.

No allotment, but muddy dog and as much Common as we can cope with.

Not much in the way of dreams or poems, which is unusual for me. And the notebook will run out next week.

WH Smith in town should be open , Greenie. I think all th branches with post offices are still open.

[greenilex]

I will ask my angelic neighbour to go to Rymans.

But I don’t think the Osmiroid cartridges are still made...

[cloughie]

I will ask my angelic neighbour to go to Rymans.

But I don’t think the Osmiroid cartridges are still made...

Now there’s a name that conjours up memories the Osmiroid 65 - the first proper pen I had, vastly superior to the Platignum and more affordable than the Parker 51 that I aspired to. By ‘eck the threat of Covid 19 seems to be bringing out the nostalgia!

[Serial_Apologist]

Now there’s a name that conjours up memories the Osmiroid 65 - the first proper pen I had, vastly superior to the Platignum and more affordable than the Parker 51 that I aspired to. By ‘eck the threat of Covid 19 seems to be bringing out the nostalgia!

My experience too - I had a green Osmiroid, the one with the mottled patterning, and removable nib. I could never make up my mind which of the two nibs I preferred: that was the only period of my life when my handwriting was anything like presentable; writing in turquoise Quink I loved the slightly scratchy sensation of pen on quality writing paper, the way the action seemed to proceed naturally and effortlessly. I only now seem able to write with style in pencil - biro has played havoc with the control fountain pen offered, and it has got worse with the amount of time spent using the computer keyboard.

[cloughie]

My experience too - I had a green Osmiroid, the one with the mottled patterning, and removable nib. I could never make up my mind which of the two nibs I preferred: that was the only period of my life when my handwriting was anything like presentable; writing in turquoise Quink I loved the slightly scratchy sensation of pen on quality writing paper, the way the action seemed to proceed naturally and effortlessly. I only now seem able to write with style in pencil - biro has played havoc with the control fountain pen offered, and it has got worse with the amount of time spent using the computer keyboard.

I think also writing with a fountain pen requires better paper than is often the norm nowadays and writing Greetings cards the card and whatever it is coated with make it nigh on impossible. Biros are a bit like sliced bread - good convenient invention but a poor substitute for the real thing.

[Old Grumpy]

I think also writing with a fountain pen requires better paper than is often the norm nowadays and writing Greetings cards the card and whatever it is coated with make it nigh on impossible. Biros are a bit like sliced bread - good convenient invention but a poor substitute for the real thing.

Biros are generally very good...

however, budget ball point pens on the other hand...

OG

[Pulcinella]

I will ask my angelic neighbour to go to Rymans.

But I don’t think the Osmiroid cartridges are still made...

You could perhaps gamble on a so-called universal converter and a bottle of ink: plenty of converters listed here.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=universal+fountain+pen+ink+converter&crid=2252HTXDPIURT&sprefix=Fountain+pen+universal+converter%2Caps%2C141&ref=nb_sb_ss_i_4_32

Rymans certainly sell packs of generic cartridges, but are their shops open at present?
You might find some in the stationery aisle of a large supermarket.