Editing The Pen Addict 226/transcript (section)

== DC Pen Show Experience ==


'''Brad Dowdy:''' So Michelle, we first met in person at the 2015 DC PEN show. Was that the first time you've gotten out of town to go to a PEN show?

'''Michelle Leung:''' Yeah, definitely. I had heard online that the biggest and the best was DC and you know I don't settle. So I had to talk to my husband. Talk to my husband, saved up money. And before you know it, it was August. So it was a really great time and I'm so glad I went and I do plan on continuing to go as long as finances allow.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah, so what did you, what did you think about that as a first time DC PEN show experience? I mean, that was my first experience too and it was still kind of, the whole thing is mind-blowing even after the second year when you think you're like, so experienced, the DC show is still like, wow, it's kind of crazy.

'''Michelle Leung:''' Yeah, the first year was definitely mind-blowing, overwhelming, my senses overload. And I remember even from the first hour, I was like, I've never seen so many pens in my life and I don't know what to think of this.

'''Michelle Leung:''' But it was really fun and the second year, you know, you learn a lot, right? So you're less overwhelmed. So I think by, you know, 2017, I would have gotten it in the bag.

'''Myke Hurley:''' I'm hoping Atlanta will be my training wheels for DC.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah, I think, I think, you know, you'll be able to handle it. I think you've, I think you've got it. But even, it's still a different, different animal and Michelle's right. Like the second time, it's great, as much fun as you have the first time, the second time's always better because you're a little bit more comfortable just walking around. You know, you've been to the hotel before, you know, you've met probably half the people that are standing around this room or you recognize them. There's a, you get that little bit of added comfort that's that second time around. So the second, second time to any show, I think is always a better experience, even though the first experience is always amazing because that, that first time is, is just that. It's great. So, so we, the first, the first show, the 2015 show, we got caught up in an after event, if you will, that has become one of like my favorite pictures ever on the internet. And that's with our good friend, Susan Worth. So to, to set this up, people were at, who were at the 2015 DC pin show, came to our little pin addict meetup and we had a bit of an air conditioning issue in the small room that we were in and, you know, it was not good. It was hot. It was humid. I was sweating. Other people were leaving because it was uncomfortable and I don't blame them. So, you know, we're hanging out and, and that kind of ends and we're like, phew, we can get out of here, go get in the air conditioning. And then you and I and a couple other people got to talking to my good friend, Susan Worth, who everyone, if you've been to a pin show, you probably know Susan Worth. She's just this fantastic, fantastic personality at all these shows. So we got to talking. I don't even know about what, Michelle. The next thing you know, we're at a table and there's pens and paper.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' How long do you think we sat there that night?

'''Michelle Leung:''' I feel like we were there probably at least an hour.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah, that's what I'm thinking too.

'''Michelle Leung:''' Yeah.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Which, like the pen addict thing ended probably at like nine o'clock and we're exhausted and we're hot and we're miserable and with a little conversation with Susie ends up turning into this epic thing and you and I ended up having to like kind of sneak out but we got these great pictures of you and I. I don't even know who took the pictures. You maybe took the one of me. Did I take the one of you? I don't, I can't even remember how that worked.

'''Michelle Leung:''' I can't remember if you took one of me or if it was another one of our mutual pen friends but yeah and then people were asking me on Instagram like why was I making that face and as much as I remember I think it was because she told me in that conversation that I was never to fill cartridges with the syringe because the flow is just not going to be good. Like it's not good for your pen and I was like, okay.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah, this kickback look like okay and then I have I have this look on my face like I'm about to pass out and it's not from her. It's because I've just been so hot in this room and I'm just want to die right now but I'm giving her this look that is just

'''Michelle Leung:''' I'm like, okay mom.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah, it's like, it's like stuck with me to this day. Like, you know, people bring up that picture all that, all this time. So, in an effort in 2016, I knew you were coming and you knew I was coming and you had hit me up like before the show it's like, you know what, when we get there we're getting our Susie pick. We're going to get it early this time so we maybe look better than we did it at 10 o'clock at night so we did that and you put that in another picture and it's a much better picture of us and of Susie as well and she was super kind to do that for us but I love Susie and we could tell Susan Susan Worth stories all day long but, you know, I just wanted to mention that because that original picture just lives on in infamy to this day and I thank you for that I think.

'''Michelle Leung:''' Yeah, it was funny. I'm looking forward to the third year 2017 picture. I'll have to come up with something something different in Wilds because last year this past year was Susie's Sandwich, right? So 2017 we're going to have to really turn it up.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' We'll figure something out. We'll plan ahead this time and see what we can do. So speaking of planning ahead, you really planned ahead for this DC pin show so why don't you why don't you tell the story why?

'''Michelle Leung:''' I had decided, you know, earlier this year that I was going to do it. I was going to get my Grail pen which a lot of people that know me know that my favorite pens are Japanese. You know, I love Pilot. I love Platinum Sailor but definitely, you know, the Holy Grail was my Nakaya Dorsal Fin version 2 and when the first time I saw this I saw it last year as part of our mutual friend Le Reis' beautiful collection. I saw it and I had never seen a more beautiful pen. I thought the simplicity, the craftsmanship, it just stuck with me and I had been thinking about it all year but as we all know it's super expensive but I got the opportunity to buy a very lightly used one that was coming, you know, from, you know, one of Le's mutual friends from the Philippines. She had told me that she would bring it to me in D.C. but of course I had to pay for it so I had months. Yeah, they held it for me. They were very nice and the color was perfect. You know, my two favorite colors are pink or purple. This one is a purple finish. It was perfect. You know, I knew the nib was good. It was in really good condition and I said to myself, okay, well, the only way I'm going to be able to afford this is if I just offload a bunch of pens and as painful as that was, I have absolutely no regrets. You know, the Nakaya Dorsal Fin 2 has been inked since D.C. and I love it each time I look at it. I have absolutely no regrets and yeah, you actually helped me with that because you bought one of my pink pens. It was an Edison Menlo.

'''Myke Hurley:''' What a great color you've got on that Nakaya. Whoa.

'''Brad Dowdy:''' Yeah. What are the, do you know the name of that color because it's a stunner? I,