this is all of me
Sigh. My back took a turn for the worse and I spent most of today trying to find a comfortable position to spend more than five minutes in.
I did go out this morning, after the snow had stopped, and wow, it is always weird and kind of awesome to see the city shut down because of snow - there was a line up of cars on my block because someone had stopped to dig themselves out for some reason (I don't know what happened; I just came home in time to see six cars backed up and the drivers hanging out their doors yelling at the two guys who were digging out an SUV). fleurdeleo is home in Atlanta, so we didn't get to keep up our tradition of going to the bar during extreme weather. Given the way this winter is likely to go, I'm sure we'll have other opportunities. Sigh.
Speaking of New York, I meant to link to this and got distracted:
dragojustine on the appeal of living in New York City: Nobody just happens to be in New York. As far as I can tell, basically everyone is here because 1) They were raised here and are deeply contemptuous of anyplace else, 2) They have dreamed about living here and worked and sweated and prayed to make it happen, or 3) They are trying like hell to get out. People have Opinions about New York; their relationship to the city is important. It's not just something they write on the address line when they fill out forms.
One of the reasons I have been so reluctant to let go of my landline, even though I don't actually ever use it (and it costs me money I could use elsewhere), is because it gives me a phone number with a 212 area code. *hands* Sometimes I walk up my block and I still can't believe I'm living where I live, and I grew up here. Maybe because I grew up here, and most people who grew up where I did moved out to the island or to Jersey or up to Westchester or away completely (in other neighborhoods, most people who grow up there, stay. Me, I always wanted to live in Manhattan, and the neighborhood I grew up in, well, it's not making anybody's top ten lists for good living). Not many move into the city (which to locals means Manhattan, even though of course the outer boroughs are part of the city), and even fewer stay for longer than a year or two.
The thought of having to live elsewhere keeps me up nights sometimes, when I worry about how I'm going to afford the next rent increase, and I feel nauseous and panicked when I think about how my parents may someday need me to move back in with them - I can feel pieces of my soul die when I contemplate having to live on Long Island (which isn't to say that people don't love it, and more power to 'em; it's just not a place I have ever wanted to live).
So, yeah. The city was a mess today because of snow, and that is yet another amazing thing about living here (though I'm glad I wasn't one of those people stuck on the A train, because eek!).
*
Since it seems to be the topic du jour, I thought I would just let you know that I really like the new kudos system on AO3. No, it doesn't take the place of comments, and you all know how much I adore receiving comments, but it does allow for people who would normally not comment to let authors know they've read and enjoyed a story, it allows for people who don't really have anything substantive to say to leave a "good job!" notification without feeling like they have to say more, it allows for people to respond when the server is overloaded and comments aren't going through, and from the writing side, it allows me at least to not feel awful when the hit count rises to double (or even triple!) digits but the comment count remains steadfastly at 0 or 1. At least a couple other people liked my story enough to click a button to let me know. That means a lot to me. And lastly, kudos don't require any response from me.
While I don't have any trouble at all leaving comments for people I don't know, my social anxiety kicks in during the answering fb comments stage - I always feel like a tool - which is one reason it takes me so long to do it. And while of course I'm greedy and want as many comments as possible, even if I have to answer them all (and I know that technically, I don't, but my neuroses being what they are, I kind of do, actually), I'm also happy to hear from people who don't really have anything to say, but want to let me know with a quick wave and a smile that they liked my story. If I have to choose between kudos and nothing, I will take the kudos every time.
*
This entry at DW: http://musesfool.dreamwidth.org/263569.html.
people have commented there.
I did go out this morning, after the snow had stopped, and wow, it is always weird and kind of awesome to see the city shut down because of snow - there was a line up of cars on my block because someone had stopped to dig themselves out for some reason (I don't know what happened; I just came home in time to see six cars backed up and the drivers hanging out their doors yelling at the two guys who were digging out an SUV). fleurdeleo is home in Atlanta, so we didn't get to keep up our tradition of going to the bar during extreme weather. Given the way this winter is likely to go, I'm sure we'll have other opportunities. Sigh.
Speaking of New York, I meant to link to this and got distracted:
dragojustine on the appeal of living in New York City: Nobody just happens to be in New York. As far as I can tell, basically everyone is here because 1) They were raised here and are deeply contemptuous of anyplace else, 2) They have dreamed about living here and worked and sweated and prayed to make it happen, or 3) They are trying like hell to get out. People have Opinions about New York; their relationship to the city is important. It's not just something they write on the address line when they fill out forms.
One of the reasons I have been so reluctant to let go of my landline, even though I don't actually ever use it (and it costs me money I could use elsewhere), is because it gives me a phone number with a 212 area code. *hands* Sometimes I walk up my block and I still can't believe I'm living where I live, and I grew up here. Maybe because I grew up here, and most people who grew up where I did moved out to the island or to Jersey or up to Westchester or away completely (in other neighborhoods, most people who grow up there, stay. Me, I always wanted to live in Manhattan, and the neighborhood I grew up in, well, it's not making anybody's top ten lists for good living). Not many move into the city (which to locals means Manhattan, even though of course the outer boroughs are part of the city), and even fewer stay for longer than a year or two.
The thought of having to live elsewhere keeps me up nights sometimes, when I worry about how I'm going to afford the next rent increase, and I feel nauseous and panicked when I think about how my parents may someday need me to move back in with them - I can feel pieces of my soul die when I contemplate having to live on Long Island (which isn't to say that people don't love it, and more power to 'em; it's just not a place I have ever wanted to live).
So, yeah. The city was a mess today because of snow, and that is yet another amazing thing about living here (though I'm glad I wasn't one of those people stuck on the A train, because eek!).
*
Since it seems to be the topic du jour, I thought I would just let you know that I really like the new kudos system on AO3. No, it doesn't take the place of comments, and you all know how much I adore receiving comments, but it does allow for people who would normally not comment to let authors know they've read and enjoyed a story, it allows for people who don't really have anything substantive to say to leave a "good job!" notification without feeling like they have to say more, it allows for people to respond when the server is overloaded and comments aren't going through, and from the writing side, it allows me at least to not feel awful when the hit count rises to double (or even triple!) digits but the comment count remains steadfastly at 0 or 1. At least a couple other people liked my story enough to click a button to let me know. That means a lot to me. And lastly, kudos don't require any response from me.
While I don't have any trouble at all leaving comments for people I don't know, my social anxiety kicks in during the answering fb comments stage - I always feel like a tool - which is one reason it takes me so long to do it. And while of course I'm greedy and want as many comments as possible, even if I have to answer them all (and I know that technically, I don't, but my neuroses being what they are, I kind of do, actually), I'm also happy to hear from people who don't really have anything to say, but want to let me know with a quick wave and a smile that they liked my story. If I have to choose between kudos and nothing, I will take the kudos every time.
*
This entry at DW: http://musesfool.dreamwidth.org/263569.html.
people have commented there.