ArticlesIn mid-winter, two years ago, I drove down to Canberra to see some friends perform outside in a street mall.
Canberra is considerably colder than Sydney, and the instant I got out of my car, I realised I wasn’t wasn’t dressed warmly enough. I made a bee-line for a store and bought a woollen beanie. (Localisation alert: “Beanies” have different names in different countries. I mean a woollen cap.)
Sitting still in the audience on a cold Canberra morning, I realised I still wasn’t warm enough. I snuck away and bought a scarf, and came back to watch the show feeling a lot better.
I was invited by a friend to go to a party that night in Canberra. I turned up at a house, and the first person I met was dressed rather warmly for indoors, but I didn’t think anything of it, until I noticed that a few people were dressed that way. I inquired of the host, and she explained “Oh? Didn’t anyone tell you? This is a Hat-and-Scarf Party!”
“A what?” I asked.
“A Hat-and-Scarf Party. A party in which you wear your favourite hat-and-scarf.”
“Oh.. err… of course. I’ve always loved a good Hat-and-Scarf party. Excuse me a moment, I just need to nip out to my car.”
The following winter, I was in Sydney, when I bumped into the host of the Hat-And-Scarf Party.
“Oh, I remember you!” she said, “I still have your scarf. You left it behind a year ago.”
“Um… No, I didn’t. I was wearing it just last week.”
“Oh, I wonder who that scarf belongs to, then.”
Now, here’s the weird thing. I haven’t seen that scarf since! It’s a shame. Apparently it was my favourite.
Comment by Cassie on June 21, 2006
I’m new to this blog culture, so I don’t know whether to feel privileged/flattered that I heard this story before the general blog-reading public, or disappointed that I’m just an unwitting guinea pig.
Comment by Alan Green on June 21, 2006
Cassie, if you were my friend then in all likelihood you’d have been a guinea pig. One of the reasons that I blog is so that my friends don’t have to sit through all the stories that I feel compelled to tell. And aren’t they all much relieved? On the other hand, I still need guinea pigs for testing out new stories while I figure out the best way to tell them.
However, Julian’s *much* better at stories than I am, so I think you can consider yourself both flattered and privileged.
Comment by Chris on June 21, 2006
I was going to deny being Julian’s guinea pig, but then I read this:
Which pretty accurately describes me and my colleagues.
Comment by Julian on June 22, 2006
Mmmmm… Alfalfa
Comment by Chris on June 22, 2006
Oh no, not the explosive scattering again.
Comment by Cassie on June 23, 2006
Alan (and Julian and, well, any other bloggers),
So how do you decide who gets to/is subjected to listening to a practice blog? Is it random, or are there certain people that make up your test group, and if so, why do you choose them over others?