The Vine: November 9, 2012
A book (of course): young-adult, I was probably 12 or 13 when I read it (late ’80s, early ’90s), though the book may have been older than that. It was a ghost story; a young girl’s father or mother just gets married and they are meeting her stepsister for the first time. They meet at a vacation house by a lake. One of the girls’ names is Anne, I think. The girls don’t like each other at first, but then they discover a couple of ghosts who were sisters and fought over a boy. There were some letters involved. The girls go out onto the lake at some point.
It feels like it should be a Mary Downing Hahn book, but I can’t find anything of hers like it. So I think it’s a similar author. I think the book cover at the time was brownish, with a picture of the lake. I’m pretty sure the title had the word “Ghost” in it, but can’t be positive.
Google is failing me, alas.
Anlyn
*****
Years ago (late ’90s), I had two Papermate ballpoint pens that I LOVED: a Papermate Profile Slim in all chrome, and a Dynagrip RT in chrome and black. Papermate definitely discontinued the Profile Slim in 2004 or so. Their current Designs line is an okay substitute. I’ve been trying to find good refills for it though. According to Papermate, their Lubriglide short metal refills will fill the Design pens but I can’t find those suckers anywhere, even the places Papermate told me to look (and they don’t sell directly to consumers).
So my question is actually 3-fold (sorry):
1. Good grief, do these Lubriglide short metal refills actually exist? According to Papermate, it’s the Lubriglide Retractable Refill (in medium, 1.0mm point). The item number for the black refill is #5640736PP and for the blue refill the item # is 5640336PP.
2. Does anyone know where I might even be able to buy the old Profile Slim pens (although the ones pictured are in different colors)? Or should I just consign myself to the eBay gods? If I remember correctly, those pens also took Lubriglide refills but I have no idea what size or such.
3. Hell, does anyone know if there are any random GEL (or non-Papermate ballpoint) refills available today that would fit the Papermate Designs pens instead?
I’ve even tried my friends at the Fountain Pen Network and we’re scratching our heads. I just really, really liked this pen and it got me all through high school. I’m on a nostalgia kick lately (stupid being 29).
Thanks either way!
Kate
Tags: Ask The Readers popcult retail workplace
For Kate…
You’d have to get an account with them, but The Supply Room Companies has the refills you wanted, at least in black. http://www.thesupplyroom.com
You look at their catalog through iteminfo.com – link to your refills: http://www.iteminfo.com/SearchResults.aspx?search=Lubriglide+Retractable+Refill
They might have other things you want. Hope this isn’t one of the vendors you already tried.
The first one is almost certainly Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing Hahn. Or possibly a conflation of Wait Till Helen Comes and something else? There’s only one ghost, no one’s named Anne, and they weren’t fighting over a boy, but all the other details (step-siblings, the house by the lake) match.
Is this the fastest Vine question settling ever?
Kate: Here are the black refills for $.89 for a 2-pack, and in-stock:
http://www.officesupersavers.com/products/Paper-Mate-Lubriglide-Pen-Refill-102399.asp
Based on the description given, I’m near-positive the book *isn’t* Wait Till Helen Comes, myself, although MY GOD that one was awesome and scary and remains so 15+ years later.
Nicki,
Nope, it’s not that one, already bought it on Kindle…that’s why I think it’s either a different book by Mary Downing Hahn, or by a very similar author. Letters played a big part in the plot.
C’mon, I can’t be the only one who finds the product name Lubriglide hilarious.
Georgia S. no, you are not. I snerked out loud.
@ GeorgiaS & Beth C.
I did too!
Yep, me four. Dirty minds here in the nation. :D
Oh yea!! I know the answer: Footsteps on the Stairs by C.S. Adler. I loved this book and read it over and over and over–I probably even ripped it off in a juvenile short story attempt in jr high.
http://www.amazon.com/Footsteps-Stairs-C-S-Adler/dp/0440726549
Amy!!! You rock! That’s it! I totally forgot the brother in the story, ha. The Nation is awesome!
Hi peoples! Thank you for the quick responses. I’ll check out the suggestions.
And yes, “Lubriglide” does make me snicker. I don’t think Papermate even calls their refills that anymore (apparently, they were bought out by …Gillette…? several years ago).
Man, I love Ask the Readers.
Way to go, Nation… when I look that book up on Amazon, the 5th book in the “Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed” section is “Blood Brothers: The Inside Story of the Menendez Murders.”
I’m running a classy joint up in here.