Black is back

Black is Back or at least... according to those people involved in fashion who supposedly know what they're talking about...it's back.

But was black ever really out?
Has anyone in the last few years been into a shop and NOT been able to find anything in black?
do they come out wringing their hands lamenting, "if only they had it in black... i just can't find it anywhere."
Does anyone follow the fashion trends that closely that their garage has just been filled with bags of clothes in the last few seasons paisley colours, wild patterns and those REVOLTING SKINNY LEG JEANS???? **

I, myself, almost always wear black. Now, I know what you're thinking, and no, I'm not a goth; the black is usually restricted to clothing: not hair, fingernails or huge amounts of make-up.
Sometimes I get a little depressed when i open my closet and pull out my one pink t-shirt and one green t-shirt (both entirely unsuitable as work attire), and wish that each time i went shopping (and we all know it happens alot) i would find the courage to buy something bright...

But, time and time again, i go into a shop, they can have a top in every colour of the rainbow, and i will always choose black, or just occasionally, dark blue. WHY DAMMIT WHY?????

I have had this conversation many times with one of my very good friends who also favours black... it's not that i don't LIKE other colours, i even know that some of them look good on me... i just prefer black. If you know me, you might well be surprised to find that, when it comes to clothes, i prefer to blend in, colour-wise at least. I like clothes that are sometimes a little different and a bit funky (the word funk and it's meaning are a staple of my vocabularic diet), but they are almost without exception, black or grey.

Dont' I WANT people to notice me? Don't I WANT to have a little fun with my clothes? Don't I WANT to have more than one colour in my wardrobe? Don't I WANT to occasionally have to choose between colours of tops to wear with my black pants?

I guess the answer is no. I don't.

I like black. It always works. You're never under-dressed, rarely over-dressed... and it goes with EVERYTHING!

So if, like me, don't care that black is back in fashion again this winter, and won't care if it's in fashion in any season to follow, wear what you like, and just nod quietly and smile, because you know the truth.... black was never out.

**please note that the author sincerely hopes the skinny leg jeans are not only in a bag in a garage, but that a ritual sacrifice involving burning is performed.

packing

OK. so i'm going to Japan. On Friday. That's 4 days away (or 5 if you count friday... well... today's monday, and i'm going on Friday... count for yourself!).

Everyone who knows says to me, "Oh my gosh you're going to Japan on Friday... you must be so excited."

And I am excited... i really am. I am just not excited in the usual over-the-top-Tam way...

For example:

- i haven't been mentioning it to every single person i meet for the first time
- i haven't been day-dreaming about it every single minute of every single day
- i haven't been constantly annoying everyone i know with little facts about japan, the people, the culture, the current snow depth (4.6m...) and a detailed minute by minute plan of everything i'm going to do while i'm there.

I'm not sure if it's because i've just got so much work to do before i go, or if it's just one of those things I won't be completely thrilled about because i won't be sure it's actually happening until i get on the plane (ooooohhhh i get to go on a plane. i LOVE planes!).

Or maybe it's because i'm so unusually hyper-organised. For example, i've packed. I packed yesterday. It wasn't the usual Tam-style "last-minute-throw-everything-i-might-ever-possibly-need-and-many-things-i-would-never-even-conceivably-have-a-need-for-but-will-put-in-just-in-case" packing... it was more an orderly "lay-out-everything-i'm-thinking-of-taking-and-make-sure-i-don't-have-too-much" type packing. I was happy i'd packed, but it was more relief than excitement: one less thing to do before i go. *note to self: remember to buy some more socks*

So. for better or worse, excitement or not, i'm going to japan on Friday. And i am happy about it. That place i did a 40-page project on in Grade 5 (for which I, somewhat disappointingly, only received 99 out of 100) will become real to me.
I'm looking forward to experiencing a place so different than Australia, and yet still first-world and civilised.
I'm looking forward to testing out my VERY limited language skills, and improving them considerably.
I'm looking forward to skiing for 12 days (OH how i've missed the snow).
I'm looking forward to seeing places i've only ever heard about and seen pictures of in books (mount Fuji).
I'm looking forward to two weeks off work.
I'm looking forward to travelling on the Bullet Train, at the time of my grade 5 project, the fastest train in the world, but has since been superceded. It still has a cool name though.
I'm looking forward to wearing my new puffy jacket. heh heh.
I'm looking forward to having another stamp added to the very limited collection in my passport.

ok. so maybe i am excited.

summary execution by light sabre.

I just read this article by Jim Shembri from The Age newspaper. Now, it's actually about queu-jumping... an issue about which i feel very strongly. However, he raises an interesting concept: Summary Execution by Lightsabre.

That got me thinking.

If light sabres were to exist (and please, if you're a Star Wars fan, don't try and tell me they actually do), what dearthly actions would merit a summary execution at the hands of such an instrument? Surely, for such mundane and everyday crimes as rape, murder and theft, only a ordinary method of punishment should be used. Only creative crimes deserve a creative punishment, and summary execution by light sabre is, if nothing else, at least creative. So without further ado, here is my list of "creative" crimes.

• Stealing your next door neighbour's dog and using it as bait to try and get your rhinocerous into the stable at bed-time. (please note, summary execution by lightsabre only to ensue should said dog be eaten by pet rhinocerous - losing a limb will merely mean the crime-committer loses his/her corresponding limb).
• Driving said next door neighbour's car off a cliff because you didnt' believe him when he said it couldn't fly.
• Making friends with a small child on a long flight, introducing it to your friend, and then promptly falling asleep, leaving your friend to deal with insistent small child who WILL NOT GO TO SLEEP!!!!!!!
• Going on holiday and taking the ONLY toothpaste in the house, leaving those poor sods who are not on holiday, slaving away at work every day and scaring off customers with furry teeth.
• Making fun of my dog.Don't do it. Consider yourself warned.

Hmm. i think my day's creativity is coming to an end here. More to come later, should i think of them.

Until tomorrow.

Or perhaps until Monday. I have some rather energetic festivities planned.

weather.

This is the current weather in Sapporo Japan... where i'll be a little over a week from now.

my first dilemma.

I tend to categorise people. Although i don't like to be categorised myself. No boxes for me thankyou very much.

I also tend to categorise shops... put them into little boxes in my mind. I tend to do that with lots of shops, even ones i have been into. for example, yesterday i went into Bob's Boards in Hawthorn. was going past, was in a big hurry, not enough time to get things done before i go etc, so i seized the opportunity to spend 10 minutes buying some new thermals (F(iretr)uck those things are expensive these days...). Now, here was i thinking... Bob's Boards, i know they're a shop that sells REALLY expensive jackets and stuff (not all, but mostly actually... that shop is ridiculously over-priced and nobody should ever set foot inside there when every other ski/board shop in Australia is having a sale) and some snowboards and those rubber boat thingies that the hot lifeguards use to rescue morons who can't swim. And that's about it.

HOWEVER....had a quick wander and LO AND BEHOLD... the skis that i thought i had called EVERY bloody ski shop in Melbourne about (none of whom had any in my length, and wouldn't have until May, but i could order them if i liked, very useful for going to Japow NEXT WEEK), were sitting innocently and unassumingly on their ski rack... the ski rack that i didn't even know existed, due to the fact i didn't know they SOLD SKIS!!!!

Now I, loathe to hurry a purchase so HUGEMONGOUS as a new pair of skis, looked, drooled, and left, but i shall be returning with vigour to check them out on Saturday afternoon. Now all that remains is for me to decide whether i really NEED a new pair of skis (absolutely not) or just DESPERATELY WANT a new pair of skis (far more likely) and whether i should fork out $800 for a new pair of skis (absolutely should not) or whether new boots are more important... (most probably) OR... here's my final offer... use the bloody gear i've got and save my money (unlikely... but much more sensible...).

What should i do people?

It is but 8 days until i leave to go to JaPowPow.