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sorcyressSo, to start, Magus linked me to this essay near the end of January. It's been lurking in the edges of my mind since then, in reference both to myself and other peopl --the gist of it is discussing geek "caves" (I use the term "nest"), the area immediately surrounding a geeks computer where they have their caffeine of choice, music, little toys, solitude, etc.
One of the things that bothers me about not having a home proper is that I can't have a nest right now. When I was still living in Maryland, my nest was pretty clearly the six foot square immediately surrounding Dmitri, however, he's been mostly taken over by Aly, and even if he hadn't, Vera is such a functional computer that I really wouldn't be using Dimi much anyways.
Here in Boston, my nests are impermanent and variable. They always center around Vera, and I have a set of things that I need to make the nest feel complete, but the most important aspect --the solitude-- is currently impossible for me to achieve.
Obviously, when Grace is out of the room, my dorm functions quite well. Because of the heinous set up (zohmygods, my room is so tiny) I've stopped using my desk, instead placing Vera, water, books, pens and notebooks, etc at the foot of my bed, and pulling a chair up. (The height of my bed makes this incredibly practical) Unfortunately, I really can't kick Grace out of the room (both because I legally can't do that and because it's a shitty enough thing to do that my brain shuts down at the thought) meaning that, when she's in, my nest is compromised --I have to put headphones in to hear my music, I can't vidchat/voicechat as easily, and I tend to condense slightly, both not to be rude and because I'm self concious enough to naturally condense when there are other people in the room.
So, the logical thing to do is to toss all my nest components into my backpack, find some secret place within Lesley's wireless, and make a new nest w'er1 I go. The trick, however, is finding a secret place that I can get to, that's easily accessible both in winter and summer, and that is unlikely to have very many people around.
The best times for me to go searching for this mythical place is late at night, when my slight nocturnal tendencies are likely to have pushed me into more of a nesting mood anyways, and when it's easier to find places without other people. My recent penchant for spontaneously not sleeping for 20+ hours has aided greatly in these searches, and has led me to two potential hideaways.
The first is in the student center, in a little corner affectionately called the 'make-out corner' by a good deal of the student population. It's built to be a little room almost, with only a narrow gap into the rest of the area. It's got couches to sit on, a table to put stuff on or your feet up, and wall outlets, and, being in the student center, it's just downstairs from me. It would be perfect, were it not open to all the noise of the student center (lots!) and if it didn't have so many people curling up back there to study or whatever.
The second place is one I'm loathe to turn into an actual nest. It's a nice little computer lab in the building across the quad from mine, and pretty much epitomizes the setting of the lines "You could be sitting in the computer lab / four AM before the final paper's due / cursing the world 'cause you didn't start sooner / and seeing the rest of the class there too" ('I wish I could go back to college', Avenue Q) And indeed, twice now I *have* been sitting there until all hours, pulling an all nighter to get a Very Important project done.
(That's okay, I am willing to accept the fact that I don't get motivated until the eleventh hour, analyzing the problem and how to fix it will have to come in a different essay)
The trick is that I very much want to keep that place sacred for schoolwork. If I spend time in there frivolously, the room won't have the same feeling of getting stuff done that it currently does. So, as a general nest, it does not work well.
There is a third place that I keep considering, namely, the roof and/or stairwells of Porter Exchange. Unfortunately, they do close the building (ten? eleven at night?), and I've not yet been in a position to learn how thoroughly they make sure the place is empty before they lock the doors. When nesting, I'm rather not in a mood to get kicked out for trespassing, and the idea of accidentally locking myself in2 a building overnight, while *awesome* goes against my overriding theme of searching for freedom.
Also, the roof of Porter Exchange, while having a great view of Cambridge/Somerville/Medford(maybe)/Boston, is a roof. It's open to the elements, and, not having taller buildings around to block the wind, gets drafty and cold. In addition, it's not the most comfortable of places, being as it's covered in gravel. No thank you.
The only other Lesley-based nest I've found is a daytime use nest only, and is located in the basement of the library. There's some sort of magical portal there that steals hours from me, generally found in a tome from the sixties analyzing dirty jokes (it's *so awesome*). Conceivably, I could bring my computer to that corner as well, but I would not be allowed to play music, and would get kicked out when the library closes at...what, eleven? Yeah. Eleven.
So, you can see my predicament. I am an introverted geek, and therefore prone to withdrawing from the rest of the world to be by myself for hours at a time every so often. I just don't have a convenient location to do that in. I am, however, looking for suggestions, in addition to planning to keep my eyes peeled for nooks and crannies of my world to curl up in. With luck, I will find something (either in some part of the LC campus or somehow based off a friends house-and-wireless), without...well, I'll be back in Maryland in two months, and at that point I have a room of my own and a tree. Life will be fine.
~Sor
MOOP!
1: I think I meant to say 'where'er', but my Bawlmorian accent dropped a few more letters, just for kicks.
2: I'm not sure this is possible, from the way the main staircase works and where it lets out. I'm pretty sure I could always escape.
PostScript: For reference, I'm pretty sure I need five things outside of physical comforts to be happy --computer with an internet connection, scrap paper and a pen to write on (I do this constantly, yes, even having a computer to take quick notes on), my jug of water and possibly munchies, solitude, and my music.
Unrelated PostScript: Magus, in a fit of whimsy, I decided that I am going to start calling your house This Land, because, as I believe I've whined about before, it needed a name.
One of the things that bothers me about not having a home proper is that I can't have a nest right now. When I was still living in Maryland, my nest was pretty clearly the six foot square immediately surrounding Dmitri, however, he's been mostly taken over by Aly, and even if he hadn't, Vera is such a functional computer that I really wouldn't be using Dimi much anyways.
Here in Boston, my nests are impermanent and variable. They always center around Vera, and I have a set of things that I need to make the nest feel complete, but the most important aspect --the solitude-- is currently impossible for me to achieve.
Obviously, when Grace is out of the room, my dorm functions quite well. Because of the heinous set up (zohmygods, my room is so tiny) I've stopped using my desk, instead placing Vera, water, books, pens and notebooks, etc at the foot of my bed, and pulling a chair up. (The height of my bed makes this incredibly practical) Unfortunately, I really can't kick Grace out of the room (both because I legally can't do that and because it's a shitty enough thing to do that my brain shuts down at the thought) meaning that, when she's in, my nest is compromised --I have to put headphones in to hear my music, I can't vidchat/voicechat as easily, and I tend to condense slightly, both not to be rude and because I'm self concious enough to naturally condense when there are other people in the room.
So, the logical thing to do is to toss all my nest components into my backpack, find some secret place within Lesley's wireless, and make a new nest w'er1 I go. The trick, however, is finding a secret place that I can get to, that's easily accessible both in winter and summer, and that is unlikely to have very many people around.
The best times for me to go searching for this mythical place is late at night, when my slight nocturnal tendencies are likely to have pushed me into more of a nesting mood anyways, and when it's easier to find places without other people. My recent penchant for spontaneously not sleeping for 20+ hours has aided greatly in these searches, and has led me to two potential hideaways.
The first is in the student center, in a little corner affectionately called the 'make-out corner' by a good deal of the student population. It's built to be a little room almost, with only a narrow gap into the rest of the area. It's got couches to sit on, a table to put stuff on or your feet up, and wall outlets, and, being in the student center, it's just downstairs from me. It would be perfect, were it not open to all the noise of the student center (lots!) and if it didn't have so many people curling up back there to study or whatever.
The second place is one I'm loathe to turn into an actual nest. It's a nice little computer lab in the building across the quad from mine, and pretty much epitomizes the setting of the lines "You could be sitting in the computer lab / four AM before the final paper's due / cursing the world 'cause you didn't start sooner / and seeing the rest of the class there too" ('I wish I could go back to college', Avenue Q) And indeed, twice now I *have* been sitting there until all hours, pulling an all nighter to get a Very Important project done.
(That's okay, I am willing to accept the fact that I don't get motivated until the eleventh hour, analyzing the problem and how to fix it will have to come in a different essay)
The trick is that I very much want to keep that place sacred for schoolwork. If I spend time in there frivolously, the room won't have the same feeling of getting stuff done that it currently does. So, as a general nest, it does not work well.
There is a third place that I keep considering, namely, the roof and/or stairwells of Porter Exchange. Unfortunately, they do close the building (ten? eleven at night?), and I've not yet been in a position to learn how thoroughly they make sure the place is empty before they lock the doors. When nesting, I'm rather not in a mood to get kicked out for trespassing, and the idea of accidentally locking myself in2 a building overnight, while *awesome* goes against my overriding theme of searching for freedom.
Also, the roof of Porter Exchange, while having a great view of Cambridge/Somerville/Medford(maybe)/Boston, is a roof. It's open to the elements, and, not having taller buildings around to block the wind, gets drafty and cold. In addition, it's not the most comfortable of places, being as it's covered in gravel. No thank you.
The only other Lesley-based nest I've found is a daytime use nest only, and is located in the basement of the library. There's some sort of magical portal there that steals hours from me, generally found in a tome from the sixties analyzing dirty jokes (it's *so awesome*). Conceivably, I could bring my computer to that corner as well, but I would not be allowed to play music, and would get kicked out when the library closes at...what, eleven? Yeah. Eleven.
So, you can see my predicament. I am an introverted geek, and therefore prone to withdrawing from the rest of the world to be by myself for hours at a time every so often. I just don't have a convenient location to do that in. I am, however, looking for suggestions, in addition to planning to keep my eyes peeled for nooks and crannies of my world to curl up in. With luck, I will find something (either in some part of the LC campus or somehow based off a friends house-and-wireless), without...well, I'll be back in Maryland in two months, and at that point I have a room of my own and a tree. Life will be fine.
~Sor
MOOP!
1: I think I meant to say 'where'er', but my Bawlmorian accent dropped a few more letters, just for kicks.
2: I'm not sure this is possible, from the way the main staircase works and where it lets out. I'm pretty sure I could always escape.
PostScript: For reference, I'm pretty sure I need five things outside of physical comforts to be happy --computer with an internet connection, scrap paper and a pen to write on (I do this constantly, yes, even having a computer to take quick notes on), my jug of water and possibly munchies, solitude, and my music.
Unrelated PostScript: Magus, in a fit of whimsy, I decided that I am going to start calling your house This Land, because, as I believe I've whined about before, it needed a name.