Tales of Li'l Foot

I have an addiction.  I just need to come clean about it.  I LOVE Sharpies!  Okay, there I said it!  And it goes deeper than just saying those words, I know.  Really it’s a fetish!  I must be near a Sharpie at all times.  Any other markers just do not cut it.  If it’s a marker and it’s not a Sharpie, it was a waste for whatever company produced it, because it’s just not the same!  If you’re not using a Sharpie then well, you’re just wasting your time.  I use Sharpies for everything.  If I’m writing on a Post-It (which is another obsession for another post) note I’m writing with a Sharpie.  If I’m writing in my daily planner, I’m writing with a Sharpie!  If I’m writing anything, chances are I’m writing with a Sharpie.  Sure I use pens, but only if they’re blue, not black…EVER!!!  And I’ll use special pens, for example these awesome PaperMate Liquid Expresso pens I found that are just that awesome I had to buy them in every color!  Sure there are exceptions to the Sharpie rules, but for the most part, my Sharpies are my obsession of choice when it comes to pen and paper.

Let’s break this down for you, shall we!  I have 3 containers on my desk full of writing impliments.  The first one has miscellaneous pens (only approved ones though, none that I would not use), pencils (yuck), (a straw and a pair of scissors).  I know the whole straw and scissors thing throw me for a loop as well, but the closest drawer at my desk is on the other side of my cubicle and I just can’t live without my scissors close at hand…and I’m not really sure about the straw…all I can say is maybe I subconsciously keep it there so that at any given moment I can unwrap it, roll up the two ends of it forming an airtight bubble in the middle portion of the straw about an inch or so long and then flick it causing it to burst and making a popping noise like I did when I was a teenager.  I just don’t know.  But whatever, that’s one container.  The next container holds all my Fine Point Sharpies, my eraser board markers for my calendar hanging on my cubicle wall and my hi-liters (also another obsession for another post – don’t even get me started on the hi-liter with Post-Its inside it combo!).  In a perfect world, yes these would have all separate containers to contain each, but I keep forgetting to bring something in from home to hold them.  Remind me, okay?  And the third container I have is a set…a store bought true set of Ultra Fine Sharpies.  If you’d like a tally of all of them…

Fine point: 1 of each of the following colors – green, light green, lavendar, periwinkle blue, light pink, black, purple, aqua, teal, lime green, orange, red and blue

In addition I have 2 metalic silver Sharpies and 2 dual point black Sharpies which are hybrids of Fine Point and Ultra Fine Points…one on either end!

My set of Ultra Fine Points consists of red, orange, tangerine, peach, yellow, lime green, light green, army green, green, teal, aqua, periwinkle blue, blue, navy blue, pink, bright pink, fuscia, lilac, purple, eggplant, gold, brown, burgundy and 5 black.

And this does not count the ones I have in my drawer at the ready in case one of my active duty Sharpies on my desk craps out at any given moment.  I am a junkie.  I admit this.  It is very important that I choose the right color Sharpie when I determine the kind of message I want to convey in the Post-It I am writing as a note for someone else on any of the jobs I put into flow.  Subliminally I’d like to convey the importance of something if I’ve taken the time to write a note to someone in Red Sherpie!  If I’ve written in purple, I’d like someone to know that there’s no rush, just get it back to me when they can.  If I’ve used black it usually means I’m saying something important because black Sharpies are like me writing in BOLD!!!  There’s a message with each color, even if it’s my own subliminal message that no one understand except me!!!  I haven’t gone so far as to write up a cheat sheet of what each color’s “message” is yet, but I’m thinking I should definitely do that!

If I’ve learned nothing from this post it is that I really do need to separate the Sharpies from the hi-liters and the eraser board markers!  They just should not coexist together…they don’t even serve the same purpose, why are they cohabitating?!?!?!

Along the same lines, I was in Staples a few weeks ago and as I was checking out, you know those displays-placed-right-next-to-the-register-to-tantilize-your-inner-child-to-cry-and-whine-until-you-annoy-the-crap-out-of-yourself-enough-to-buy whatever it is on the rack?  Well on this rack was Sharpie PENS!!!  Not markers…PENS!!!  My brain nearly exploded into tiny bits right there.  I was so baffled by the thought of Sharpie pens…I had to put them down!  I fear them!  I don’t like them!  i’ve never used them, and I don’t know if I can handle even TRYING them!!!  I am so afraid of hating them because I want a Sharpie marker not a pen type writing implement.  I am afraid by trying them, my markers will all dry up out of spite!   I just don’t feel right about buying them at all!  Yes, there’s the curiousity factor, but I’m just not willing to go there yet!  See, I said “yet”…not “never”!!!  Perhaps I’ll come around…I don’t know how, but maybe!  Maybe one of you can try them for me and tell me how it goes!!!  I’d give you a prize!!!  Maybe!  If you do, or if you have tried them, can you tell me how it goes?  Please?  (you know what comes next, right moonshine?)  kthanxbai!!!

Please note: I have clicky Sharpies…they reside at home…I leave them at home because they are my absolute favorites and I would hate for someone to steal them from my desk.  You want to see WWIII…it would be so on, if someone stole my clicky Sharpies!

Oh, and, what are your office supply obsessions?  I need to know I’m not the only one obsessed!!!  I know a bunch of you are totally Post-It freaks!!!