i have always liked marie deniet in connie palmen's the laws, because in the second chapter she says that she only uses expensive pens, and then she reluctantly lends a lamy to her neighbour in her lecture. i know that feeling. every so often i decide i want a lamy (a few in fact), and then i stare for ages at one and sigh and go off to the bookstore and buy another lousy old parker vector. actually that's very unfair i really do like the parker vectors they've got sleek, clean lines, are not too heavy nor thick, and they're very affordable. it's just that our bookstore only stocks ugly plastic ones in red black or blue. i would fill my pencilcase with them if only i could get hold of the metallic, translucent and iridiscent ones. i saw a lamy al-star on ebay for $30 earlier this evening and my heart gave a lurch - but i sat on my hands and thought that i'll wait. i'll wait till the day i get a grad school letter of acceptance, and then, boys and girls, i shall go out and buy myself a lamy.