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magnetic_poleWhoops! I somehow missed a week there. How have you all been?
* I'm just back from a long weekend in Denver, where my partner had some work meetings and I was able to catch up with my college roommate, whom I hadn't seen for an extended length of time since the 90s. I'd been thinking about her a lot recently because she was the one who convinced me to do a semester in London with her when we were in college and then pushed me to travel with her once we were there. We did so much on a modest budget: dozens of places in London, maybe six or eight overnight trips to locations in England, Scotland, and Ireland. I've often explained our slightly Odd Couple relationship by saying that she's both a homebody and a traveler like me, but before her I was really just a homebody; she's the one who showed me I could travel. We were both in London for a few days earlier this summer, and it was so good to share our love of the city and remember how we got started on this path.
* I've just finished my first babysitting gig with the sweet little
we've been walking at noon on weekdays. His humans have arranged for housekeepers to come clean the apartment occasionally and wanted to know if we could take care of him in the apartment for an hour or so while the housekeepers were working. No problem! I said. But he really was a bit anxious, even after introducing him to our apartment several times last week. (We live two doors down, on the same hallway.) Pet aunt-ing is difficult! But he seemed to be fine in the end, after a lot of treats and lot of petting. Dogs aren't so different: new situations are stressful, and positive reinforcement, food, and lots of attention go a long way for both of us.
* I might buy a used Ikea Hemnes wardrobe from a neighbor tomorrow. Would this be too big in a medium-sized room? We have so few closets in this apartment I'm inclined to get it. Surely more storage space will help make the apartment more tidy?
* I have the end-of-the-summer blues. Only two more weeks before classes. I'm treasuring every last moment and writing like a madwoman. If any of you have ever lived on an academic schedule, you'll appreciate this cartoon:
1. Do you like to reply to every comment in your journal?
I try to!
2. What type of post gets the most/least responses in your journal?
Hm. I'm not sure. You folks really come out for vacation photos and get seem to get excited about electric teapots, tea, and general fandom talk. Hm. That's suspiciously similar to what I like chatting about.
3. What do you do when a new person first comments in your journal?
Comment back! And then check out theirs to see who they are and to cement their user name in my mind. As much as I love communicating in writing/comments, it's oddly hard for me to distinguish different people when I first get to know them, and I have a terrible memory for names. A few comments or conversations in, we're good.
4. When you're reading someone else's journal, do you read every comment before adding your own?
I do. Is that nosy? I love the conversational style of LJ/DW.
5. When is "too late" to reply to an entry?
When the author seems to have signed off LJ/DW. Otherwise, it's all fair game. Doesn't everyone like getting comments on older stuff?
* Last but not least: A very happy birthday to fandomer extraordinaire (and RL superwoman)alisanne! Here's a 
to celebrate the day. (Source.)
* I'm just back from a long weekend in Denver, where my partner had some work meetings and I was able to catch up with my college roommate, whom I hadn't seen for an extended length of time since the 90s. I'd been thinking about her a lot recently because she was the one who convinced me to do a semester in London with her when we were in college and then pushed me to travel with her once we were there. We did so much on a modest budget: dozens of places in London, maybe six or eight overnight trips to locations in England, Scotland, and Ireland. I've often explained our slightly Odd Couple relationship by saying that she's both a homebody and a traveler like me, but before her I was really just a homebody; she's the one who showed me I could travel. We were both in London for a few days earlier this summer, and it was so good to share our love of the city and remember how we got started on this path.
* I've just finished my first babysitting gig with the sweet little
we've been walking at noon on weekdays. His humans have arranged for housekeepers to come clean the apartment occasionally and wanted to know if we could take care of him in the apartment for an hour or so while the housekeepers were working. No problem! I said. But he really was a bit anxious, even after introducing him to our apartment several times last week. (We live two doors down, on the same hallway.) Pet aunt-ing is difficult! But he seemed to be fine in the end, after a lot of treats and lot of petting. Dogs aren't so different: new situations are stressful, and positive reinforcement, food, and lots of attention go a long way for both of us. * I might buy a used Ikea Hemnes wardrobe from a neighbor tomorrow. Would this be too big in a medium-sized room? We have so few closets in this apartment I'm inclined to get it. Surely more storage space will help make the apartment more tidy?
* I have the end-of-the-summer blues. Only two more weeks before classes. I'm treasuring every last moment and writing like a madwoman. If any of you have ever lived on an academic schedule, you'll appreciate this cartoon:
1. Do you like to reply to every comment in your journal?
I try to!
2. What type of post gets the most/least responses in your journal?
Hm. I'm not sure. You folks really come out for vacation photos and get seem to get excited about electric teapots, tea, and general fandom talk. Hm. That's suspiciously similar to what I like chatting about.
3. What do you do when a new person first comments in your journal?
Comment back! And then check out theirs to see who they are and to cement their user name in my mind. As much as I love communicating in writing/comments, it's oddly hard for me to distinguish different people when I first get to know them, and I have a terrible memory for names. A few comments or conversations in, we're good.
4. When you're reading someone else's journal, do you read every comment before adding your own?
I do. Is that nosy? I love the conversational style of LJ/DW.
5. When is "too late" to reply to an entry?
When the author seems to have signed off LJ/DW. Otherwise, it's all fair game. Doesn't everyone like getting comments on older stuff?
* Last but not least: A very happy birthday to fandomer extraordinaire (and RL superwoman)
alisanne! Here's a to celebrate the day. (Source.)
no subject
Date: 2018-08-11 01:42 pm (UTC)That wardrobe is really nice; I like that it has sliding doors too, less space to take up. I'm laughing at the comment above about flat spaces being turned into a midden. Oh how I relate to that! And once again, let me take this opportunity to cry about how much I miss Ikea. I MISS IKEA.
That dog has the sweetest face!
I like to read comments before posting too. Being the first one to comment on a post can be intimidating sometimes.
no subject
Date: 2018-08-11 04:17 pm (UTC)I wish Ikea were closer to you, too! I remember when I lived in Cambridge, way back in the early 2000s before I'd bought anything from them or even needed bookshelves*, folks would tell me that they were planning on driving down to New Haven to get things and I'd just be so puzzled. Now I understand completely.
Dog R (hee! as opposed to my partner R, or Cat R downstairs) is very sweet, but he was definitely disturbed when the little field trip to our apartment didn't quickly turn into his usual walk outside. He barked at me a couple times--not in an aggressive way, but more like, "Hey! Did you forget about the next step? Hey? What's going on?" Hopefully I'll figure out how to make the stay an easier one.
Thanks for commenting, W! As they used to say here in the old days, comments are love. :) M.
* I actually bought my first bookshelf at the used bookstore where I bought some of my first post-college academic books, and R and I carried it back to our apartment, about a mile along Mass Ave. Craziness! Good thing nothing bothers you in your twenties.