School supplies I

(Yeah, I decided to try to put together a few embargoed posts, after realizing I did have some ideas of what to write about).

Back to school time. Some of the local stores have had stuff out since the beginning of July, which just seems way too early (and I know if I were a kid, I'd feel like it was too early). But I have to admit, as an adult, I like the time when the back to school stuff is out (and often on sale).

I know that many districts now have extremely specific lists, even down to brand in some cases. When I was a kid, it was much more general - a certain number of pencils, a certain count of crayons (it was usually not the biggest box, and specifying the "32 count box" or whatever may have been to avoid crayons serving as a marker of status).

One of the big things I remember from junior high was Trapper Keepers. I had a plain red one but now I can't remember for the life of me if I chose that one (on the grounds that kittens or Lisa Frank designs were "babyish") or if the plain ones were cheaper and that was what my parents were willing to buy. But I do remember people being somewhat stereotyped by what was on their Trapper Keeper (that may have been why I chose a plain one; I figured it was better to be stereotyped as businesslike and a little boring rather than childish or horse-crazy or something).

We also had plain folders. I favored the relatively inexpensive matte-finish ones over the shiny ones. Because you could draw with a pencil on the matte-finish ones and it wouldn't rub off. (And okay, maybe this was where I got marked as babyish, at least in the slightly earlier grades: I had various animal "characters" that I made up stories about - Mimi the rabbit, Fifi the poodle - and I drew them in various outfits (yes, they were like animal paper dolls) on my folders). I liked decorating my own folders; it seemed more distinctive to me.

I also remember the great pen vs. pencil divide, and how you had to be in a particular grade (fifth, maybe?) in order to be allowed to use pens. And even then they recommended the "erasable" pens, which, back then at least, were just pants. They smeared all over the place, the ink had a weird smell (almost like artificial blueberry scent), and often the tips got gloppy well before the pen ran out. But they were "grown up" so you used them.

The same thing with "wide rule" vs. "college rule" paper. Ah, the mysterious "college ruled" paper....how it beckoned of adulthood and sophistication, and how we were not allowed to use it until 7th grade or so. (And like a lot of the other trappings of adulthood: a massive disappointment, leading to early expressions of "Is this all there is?")

Art supplies were more fun. There were the aforementioned crayons but I also remember one year having to buy charcoal pencils and a sketchpad and bring an old shirt of my dad's to school, and get colored pencils, and all that impedimentia. I still kind of love art supplies like those even though I don't really do much drawing at all (and really no drawing not in the service of my work, which is sad and which I really should rectify - I should get myself a sketch pad and some colored pencils and just let myself draw, and not worry too much about "not being any good")

As an adult, though, I get to buy the supplies I want. Currently, I favor legal pads (not the legal-length ones, which fit badly in a backpack or totebag but the standard  8 1/2" by 11" ones. And I generally prefer white paper, though if I can find the pink and blue ones, I will buy them). And I always like to keep pencils on hand because they are necessary for a lot of labwork, and also, if you're doing fieldwork in the rain, a pencil is a lot less likely to get smeary and nasty than a pen. And for pens, definitely gel pens. (I tend to buy Pilot G-2 if I can find them, and not in the finest width, in a medium width).  And I still like 3 x 5 cards for lots of things - taking reading notes, keeping track of budgets, writing out recipes for people. Even somewhere I have a few OC Ponies sketched out on 3 x 5 cards that I did one day when I was bored in the office. But those are really the only school supply type things I buy any more.