As I might have mentioned in the past, when I have more formal correspondence to write (for example, some of the change-of-name requests, letters to MPs and MPPs, etc.), I have taken to doing so on a typewriter, specifically Kathleen's Olympia SM-8 from the latter half of the 1960s.
I quite like the sensory experience of using a typewriter and the resulting letter reminds me of my time working on research in various archives. I also figure that when an organization either requires written correspondence or if it's generally understood to be a more effective approach, then I'm happy to oblige in a similarly analog way!
I'm also a colossal dork.
One thing that occurred to me while reminiscing about my archives time is that the basic white 20lb copy paper I've been using to this point really misses the mark. Not only is it cheap and flimsy, but also communicates an incomplete picture.
I like, welcome, and cherish the anachronistic aspect to typing up correspondence in the same way that I prefer the experience and results of making my photos using film.
To fix this, Kathleen and I went out for a walk yesterday so that we could pay visit to The Papery, a lovely paper shop on the corner of Bank and Fifth in the Glebe. My goal was to find some nicer paper that I could use for these letters to sort of round out the "product" (insofar that it looks, smells, and feels like a typewritten letter).
In the end, as a stepping-stone, I chose a very pretty set of A5-sized stationery in a sort of pale blue with a floral motif. While it is mainly intended for handwritten letters, I know that it will feed through the typewriter well, that I don't intend to write extensive and meandering letters, and that it was relatively inexpensive. That it's very cute and came with matching envelopes was a selling point too.
Dysphoria's a Big Meanie
I though the bad brain earlier this week was bad enough and not a harbinger for worse.
Unfortunately, things have only stepped up as I wait on surgery, face the post-holiday realities of winter becoming Winter, chest congestion making my voice sound worse, and slow down a bit on the natural exercise that comes with being an always-pedestrian thanks to that winter weather. It also doesn't help that electro was cancelled this week due to illness. Another part of the season.
It's all adding up to some pretty intense bad feelings that I would like to go away. They're quite rude and disruptive.
January 11, 2026