@the That used to be the base of a lamp. It’s probably 20 years old. When the lamp went the way of the world, my wife suggested I use the base as a coaster—hence the stains. The hole where the lamp base used to go in also happens to be the right size for my pen. (Which is the only fancy pen I own. My father bought it for me after we reconnected after 10 years of not talking. He has no idea what to make of who I am as a writer, and we’re almost back to not talking, but it feels good to use the pen nonetheless.)