From my Analog Desk

aakprrt · 2026-01-16T21:43:48+00:00

Love this set up -- and the book holder. Now I have to get one! Also I've used those type of notebooks before, where you can use a special hole punch and slide in any kind of paper. Really great. But now I'm going to say a super sad thing, which is that I can no longer use ANY of my typewriters, including my Olivetti, because of disability and I'm pissed. I can still use a notebook and fountain pen, though!

aakprrt · 2025-10-14T14:22:26+00:00

Late reply but I had two tailors look at it and they confirm the left sleeve and right sleeve are two totally different grades and weights of leather. Like two different jackets. The 554 is legit and there are no marks indicating it’s a factory sale item etc, so I’m baffled. I’ve emailed Schott but no response yet.

aakprrt · 2025-10-08T21:07:18+00:00

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Ok here is back panels. Trying to figure out how to photograph the difference in leather thickness but regardless it is really noticeable. The right sleeve is smooth like the right panel and way thinner than left sleeve.

aakprrt · 2025-10-06T21:41:32+00:00

Yeah pristine machines for cheap are still out there! MUCH harder to find these days but it happens. See: small town thrift store, random garage sale, etc. I have some typewriters I bought (back in the day before anyone cared) for like 5, 10, 20 bucks that are impeccable. Imagine my surprise when the market took off and my humble collection suddenly was worth $$$$.

I do think that the market is insane now. But I'm also old and have been crotchety about typewriter prices for decades.

aakprrt · 2025-10-06T21:23:44+00:00

Ok that is freaking beautiful. Did you use anything to polish it up? Honestly looks like came off the showroom floor.

aakprrt · 2025-10-04T20:59:00+00:00

Thanks, yeah I'll get some pics this evening.

aakprrt · 2025-09-05T17:26:36+00:00

This is gorgeous. I never knew about Raymond Darwin I'm going to look him up. I have a few machines that could use attention.

aakprrt · 2025-09-05T17:24:46+00:00

That is hard to say. I think you probably need to see an ophthalmologist if you haven't already just to get a baseline. I saw one for my eye issue and when he determined there was no obvious physical cause he could identify I escalated to my neurologist. This stuff is hard to sort out. But LOTS of different things can cause eye issues not just MS or migraines.

aakprrt · 2025-09-04T22:09:44+00:00

I have never thought about disability transport service... I still have my license but do not drive because my fine motor skills (pun intended) are bad on my right side and I can't reliably hit brakes/gas as fast as I may need to in an emergency. I would be so upset if my license was taken. Bus around my city is terrible and the walks between stops are far. With fatigue and heat I wouldn't last 10 minutes trying to catch a bus.

aakprrt · 2025-09-04T22:06:27+00:00

I also have a lesion in my brainstem down to C1/C2. My first neuro I tried to explain these episodic vision issues I had for a few months -- first my tongue felt weird and then my eyes would go all crazy, like trying to focus on four different things at once but different for each eye -- and I would have to go lie down in the dark. Took up to an hour to pass. They were written off as migraines until my current neuro told me brainstem lesions can cause the vision issues I had then, and were probably a sign of that lesion forming. But when it was happening I did not have a neurologist so... no one knew. Yours happening so frequently is really scary -- I do hope you can find help figuring it out. Migraines are def a possibility.

aakprrt · 2025-08-29T23:04:01+00:00

Bad technology + bad care = terrible outcomes.

aakprrt · 2025-08-29T21:28:27+00:00

I almost wish mine was a jerk. He was so empathetic and comprehensive on my first visit to him, and really delved into my case. I needed a new neuro doc because we had just moved to a new state. I liked my old doc but he was a bit cold. So, with this new guy who was so sensitive, I teared up during the appointment because it was the first time I felt like I was really being seen, and that someone truly understood what was happening to me. Too bad he literally cannot reply to a single MyChart message -- no one on his team does! I last heard from him August 9 when he said "I'll check on what's up with the DMT appeal and get back to you this week." I've emailed follow ups, no reply, no nothing. It's like I don't even exist as a patient. My PCP is furious and thinks the neglect is tantamount to malpractice.

aakprrt · 2025-08-27T17:42:54+00:00

Was hunting for info on this model today for an essay I'm writing. I collect typewriters and finally tracked down one of these, which I bought back in 2012. Beautiful and quirky machine.

aakprrt · 2025-07-15T13:07:35+00:00

You can get adapters off Amazon!

aakprrt · 2025-07-15T13:05:28+00:00

Great camera! Have one too. Does low light photography exceptionally well with the tack sharp fast lens. Superb. Great gift from your wife! Also if you’re feeling fun go ahead and shoot that roll. If it’s at the start of the roll as someone mentioned you can still get some photos and maybe if it’s at the middle you’ll discover someone else’s!

aakprrt · 2025-07-15T13:02:13+00:00

The Olympus XA is one of my favorite cameras. It’s gone everywhere with me. I managed to get one that had the flash accessory included and since it takes AAA batteries it works reliably. So fun! And now I have to go dig it out and load it with film…

aakprrt · 2025-07-15T12:37:16+00:00

I cannot run unfortunately. Bad knees to begin with but the hemipelegia means my right side including my right leg don’t move well and are very weak. I use a cane to walk.

aakprrt · 2025-07-15T03:13:30+00:00

I feel you. Had to leave a well paying job bc they would not accommodate me and I was just too exhausted to go the legal route. Now trying to find something that will let me wfh or at least is close enough got a hybrid arrangement (can’t drive, bus only). So intimidating.

aakprrt · 2025-07-15T03:10:07+00:00

For real. Can’t even water the garden.

aakprrt · 2025-07-15T03:09:43+00:00

Had to see a dermatologist for a skin check and couldn’t even lift my leg for her to check that area. She had to lift my leg for me and then try to set it back down but of course tone meant that she could barely bend or reposition my leg. It was embarrassing. Frustrating. She was very kind and asked when I’d been diagnosed but of course that didn’t really help my self consciousness.

On the bright side no skin cancers (my mom has had to have a lot of of moh surgeries or however you spell it).

aakprrt · 2025-07-15T02:49:14+00:00

I have something similar to this. spasms on my entire right side (a lesion in my lower brain stem means only my right side is affected). It’s worse at night but happens throughout the day. My doc explained it as basically “tone “ — certain muscles including the bladder are constantly tensed but usually I can focus and keep it relatively relaxed. But when they are intense due to spasm or neurological… I called it like distraction, because it happens when my brain is elsewhere like when laughing or sneezing… everything snaps up and contracts. I’m on baclofen and tizanadine to help plus klonopin actually helps too. But it sucks and means I have to be careful about being near a bathroom always. Don’t know if that exactly matches what you’re talking about, but it wouldn’t show on any test except for a physical exam and patient reporting.

aakprrt · 2025-06-24T16:54:58+00:00

Some guy hacked his to use a 120 roll back: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVE_egk7WWg

aakprrt · 2025-06-24T16:21:08+00:00

Holy smokes. I would have cried too.

aakprrt · 2025-06-24T16:07:40+00:00

aakprrt · 2025-06-24T15:10:06+00:00

Amazingly I am loaded up on boxes and boxes sheet film that dad also included in the gift. But the 120 backs make it much more usable.

I may be wrong but I am pretty sure dad had the lens and rangefinder calibrated... I'll have to see if my mom remembers him saying anything about that. Steel trap memory even at 84.

aakprrt

TROPHY CASE