Things I Think People Think: Phoenix Arizona 2024

This post is a little different than the normal post. I wanted to jot down a few thoughts about my recent trip to Phoenix, Arizona.

My college friends and I have been going down to Phoenix for several years for a Guy's Spring Training. The last few years, we've discussed a second trip to some random place to bring the wives along. Several of the wives also went to school with us, so we've mostly all known one another for going on 30 years.

Last year, on top of baseball, Top Golf, and casino visits, we hit the Innings Festival to see The Offspring, Weezer and Green Day. Green Day was an incredible headliner and I would definitely see them again. So this year, we decided to do the Extra Innings Festival and bring the Mrs's (not sure how to make that plural...).

I'm kind of a go-go-goer when I vacation and this trip was no exception. If it seems like an intense trip, it was. That's how I roll.

Meeting an Old/New Friend For the First Time

When I started getting into pens and meeting people in the pen community, I started developing relationships via pen pals. This one person, WoodlandSprite, put out the brave call to get some new pen pals. There were probably several that responded to her, but a small group of us started exchanging letters with each other.

I tried last year to meet up with WoodlandSprite when I was in AZ, but it didn't work out. This year, we got it on the calendar for Thursday night. My flight was delayed, which is always frustrating. However, it was more so since I knew I was going to be having dinner with her (and my wife Jenn).

We finally arrived and were able to sit down for a late dinner with WoodlandSprite. I had been up since 5:30am that day and we were eating dinner at 9pm. Hopefully she didn't think my already mouthy way of communicating was too much. My east-coast-ness comes out a little more when I'm tired...

Tempe is a college town (ASU) and I figured the college kid walking by could take a decent picture. He couldn't, but after doctoring it, I got this picture. L-R: Jenn, Mark, WoodlandSprite

Getting a Private Tour and Totally Geeking Out

Early 2023, I purchased a Karas Kustoms Bolt Pen. It was supposed to be my lucky Celtics pen that I got for the home stretch of the NBA season. Although the Celtics unfortunately lost in the Eastern Conference Finals, my second favorite (and hometown) team, the Denver Nuggets, went on to win it all. I get to see the Celtics play the Nuggets this coming Thursday. So excited.

Karas Kustoms Bolt (and my custom cup that my wonderful sister-in-law made for me!)

At the Colorado Pen Show this fall, I purchased my second Karas Kustoms Pen. I believe it's the EDK model.

Later in the fall, I decided to buy my first titanium nibbed fountain pen. Karas was trying out a new pen/new grip limited edition called the Ink Ultra Red Frag V2. I love the grip on this pen and the feedback the titanium nib provides.

Through the process of buying the Red Frag, I wound up having to send back the first nib. It wasn't cut right. I worked with Gee at Karas and she got me all fixed up. I believe I had met Gee a few times in San Francisco and in Denver at the pen shows.

I had lent my Karas Bolt to a friend a week before I left on my trip. He was enamored with it. I showed him my other two Karas pens. I should have remembered, but didn't, when I was talking with him about where Karas was based. Later that day, I received a marketing email. At the bottom of it was Karas' address in Mesa, AZ. The universe was giving me a sign, so I reached out to Gee to see if we could get together.

Karas is closed on Fridays, but Gee generously agreed to meet me. We spent about two hours going through the history of the company and she gave me a tour that was more than I could have ever asked for. It was incredible.

I did get permission to share these photos.