arbieandchubbs

taste_buds
Holidays provide a built-in excuse for indulgent entertaining. This all-purpose foodie community covers everything from homemade hangover cures to dinner party menus. Need quick advice? Get five-minute snack suggestions, low-fat ingredient substitutes, and even measurement conversions. Delicious recipes garnished with humorous advice. Yum.

naturesbeauty
Always on the lookout for compelling images, we were delighted to discover this flourishing community of artists who share a love of nature. Honoring the subject with photographs, paintings, sketches, prose, poetry, and other creative works, you'll be simultaneously riveted to your monitor and inspired to run helter skelter towards the nearest wooded dale.

I had a harrowing dream that the fate of the world depended on my love for the boy I lost my virginity to. He was depicted as some elusive God. All the odds were set against us because of my inability to communicate. I haven’t spoken to him in almost two years.

I want to know everything you know.
I want to go everywhere you've gone.
I want to hear your stories because I love hearing about your life and your grandmother and the applesauce you used to eat when you were a child.
I know the permanent marker I wrote upon your hand with will wash away but for now you know and you can remember.
You can think back on your memories that you store away in twine of that want-to-be musician who wrote, "I love you," on your hand in blue ink.
You can look back and think of me.

You can think of how you smiled when you read it and how you kissed me from across the bed, on your knees to reach.
You can think of waking up that Saturday morning to me playing guitar on the edge of the bed and you joining me in a made-up song.

And I think I'll feel better if you ever leave because I know that something will evoke this memory of me.

Dear portland,

For five years I have been here, trying to get to know you, trying to see inside you. Five years I have stood here down the map waiting for you to let me in. Let me be close to you, let me be your friend. I ask you one question, the only one that really matters, are you ready yet?

I have never had a reason to stand by you over time, other than I love you. I care about you genuinely. So here I am, standing at your doorstep. I don't have anything to offer you, I stand with empty hands. The only thing I can say is that I believe in you. I have always believed in you, and in our friendship, in these tired letters.

I want to know it all. I want to be the person you can count on thru the years to come. I want to show you that there is a reason why were both still standing here.

And so I ask, are you ready?
I have been here all along.

And no matter what I will still be here. And I hope to always have the promise of an empty page. The promise of whirling manic words. And I believe in those promises, because I know that these promises of pages are for you. And I believe in the steadfastness of our friendship.

Please let me in love,
Haverhill

backpacking
Want to embrace your wanderlust on the cheap? If you're tall on adventurous spirit, but short on funds, this community can help you plan a trip to anywhere. Offering plentiful tips on how to travel light, you can post about bargain hotels and hostels if you're into urban exploration or discuss camping gear and mosquito netting for the great outdoors. Hitch your backpack, pitch your tent, and carpe diem!

Dear Mairead,

There will always be a reason for me to never leave your side, as long as there is air to breathe. As Long as I live, I Love You...

**FINAL EDIT Thu Dec 10 02:15:47 UTC 2009**

So there is the final update... Over the past day we have processed around 11 million jobs out of the 12 million that were in queue at that time. Please bear in mind that over this past day, more jobs for notifications are also created. So while the queue has been dropping, we are still not fully caught up at this point, due to backlog and new jobs. We have roughly 3 million jobs still pending that involve the notification system in some manner. We had hoped we could have fully cleared the queue in a day, but unfortunately we can't clear it too quickly, since we need the rest of the site to operate normally. From our current perspective on the amount of jobs that are left in queue, and how many it has processed thus far, we believe it will take around another 8 - 12 hours to process everything.

And finally some answers to some questions:

( Read More and Get Some Answers... )

freeskiers
While some of us long to escape the cold, dark stretch of winter for hot tropical beaches, for others, there's nothing quite like whoooooshing down those shimmering sugar alps. If you're fond of freestyle skiing, get ready to slide down the slippery slopes in good company. This passionate, international community shares travel/gear tips, anecdotes, photos, and videos for those who can't get enough of the sweet stuff.

seasonal_icons
Need some extra twinkle to decorate your place? Check out these dazzling holiday-themed icons. If you're an artist, you can post your own creations, provided you abide by the simple rules (which is to say, all cheer and no politicking). Be sure to comment and give credit if you wish to borrow a little spirit (no direct links, please). If you're feeling a touch of humbug this season, this is an instant shot of festivity.

handmade_gifts
High on creativity, but low on cash? You'll find tons of brilliant suggestions for do-it-yourself crafts sure to please everyone on your holiday gift list. Offering detailed instructions, photos, budgets, timelines, and active support, you'll soon turn spare remnants of fabric and time into cherished keepsakes. Be sure to search entries and read user guidelines before you post for help!

I hardly know you but of what I do know I can only conclude that I could truly love you if we were only given the luxury of time. It infuriates me that we are separated by such a vast distance. However, even though the frustration caused by such a separation drives me to the brink of rebellion, I am also humbled and great full for the great divide. If it were not for the simple truth of my own doubt I would of foolishly come to join you long ago. Would ever we have become such great friends if not for this geographic wedge between us. If we had not been separated would we have taken the time to learn of the others origins, stories or personality. At what point would licentious behavior taken control. And would friendship be aloud to blossom in the shade of lust. Would it have cost us our friendship, the foundation that all my previous relationships have completely and utterly lacked. Is our division a blessing in disguise. Is it a chance to allow our affection to grow the way it was intended to, over time. I immensely enjoy every conversation that we have. At night as I slip softly into the realm of unconscious surrender, it is to the fantasies and dreams of what it would be like to interact with you in person that invades my mind. Oh how wonderful in would be to converse with a flesh and blood being instead of this plastic piece of technology with it's limited forums offered by an electronic social medium. What it would be like to simultaneously embrace each other in our arms. The feeling of our skin as it brushes against one another. My exuberance at the repetitive motion of tracing a path through your hair with my figure tips as I slowly, softly caress you with my touch starting just above the top of the ear, continuing to the side of the neck and then ending my migration at the edge of your shoulder just to do and about-face and repeat the path in reverse. The sight of our breath as it lingers in the cold winter air. No longer strangers split apart by thousands of miles but a single being sharing a moment of rapture. In these fantasies I think of what could be and what is yet to come. Oh how I yearn for the day that I will wake from these torturous dreams and you will be there next to me. So then I wait patiently to help me believe that this is the real me and not some fool hearty child that longs blindly for embrace and an end to solidarity. Who clings to the first distributor of loving affection regardless of their sincerity or authenticity. I will not be a patron on a ship of fools. So this will be my reason, my hope to believe in. Even if I am alone where I dwell I am not alone in the world. And the cold emptiness of my isolation will no longer penetrate deep into my heart, it will not touch me for this is my proving ground and I will not fail at the task. Even though you can't be here next to me, know that I still take you every were I go.

dear chris,
so i try to make it painfully obvious that i like you. what dont you understand about that? everytime im around you i want to be in your arms or attached to your lips. being with you makes me feel so happy and like a little kid again. i just dont get why things are weird. the last few days between us were amazing and a lot of fun. but now...things are weird..and i feel that everything i do just is making things worse. i know you wanna hookup and what not..i mean i dont even know if im ready for a relationship or anything..but i just want to kiss you without feeling awkward..like whether or not i should ..i just constantly feel weird..like, why cant you be a guy and actually be sweet and come to see how i am when you know im upset..last night was amazing until you really decided you needed to go to sleep..but i dont get why we cant do anything today without me feeling like you;re getting the wrong impression..which you probably are with all the stupid things that i say..but i just cant figure out a way to show or even tell you what im thinking without sounding weird or making you feel awkward. i want to be in bed with you..cos i love the fact that you love to cuddle and are super awesome and give good kisses and hugs. and i love them. i just wish you wouldnt be so quiet and all into yourself.

okay?
-thanks
--brittany

why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why?

**EDIT Thu Dec 3 23:24:15 UTC 2009 **

Hey Everyone, we are about to run the last alter job that we need to on our database servers. This will effect userpics / scrapbook / vgift images for the next few hours. Have no fear, your images aren't lost, there is just a really intensive process running on the servers which store the information for mogilefs. Thank you for your understanding and all the LJ love...

Hey LJers,

I just wanted to let you all know that we are going to be performing some mogilefs maintenance over the next few days. We will be upgrading our current version to latest stable as well as changing some db config information to better handle the amount of files we are currently hosting. This shouldn't cause a big impact on site stability, but you may see some minor delays with userpic / scrapbook images appearing or other requests associated with our mogilefs. We would love to not have that happen, but unfortunately with some of the steps we need to take we have to cause a delay with images. I figured this was a better solution than taking down all of LiveJournal because well lets face it, we all need our daily LJ fix ;)

Thanks,

I met you a few times when we were kids, now I am 27 and your doing a tour in the big A.. are we getting in over head or might there be something there... you call me babe and tell me you miss me.. even thought we decided not to go further then friends.. are we kidding our selves?

backpacking
Want to embrace your wanderlust on the cheap? If you're high on adventurous spirit, but low on funds, this community can help you plan a trip to anywhere. Offering plentiful tips on how to travel light, you can post about inexpensive hotels and youth hostels if you're into urban exploration or discuss camping gear and mosquito netting for the great outdoors. Hitch your backpack, pitch your tent, and carpe diem!

new,
i don't know why but you've got a spell on me. i haven't felt these chills in a long time just from thinking about someone. you make me excited and insecure, i hope this breath of fresh air lasts at least a while longer.

old,
i guess i shouldn't be phased by anything after all the crazy shit you have done but it amazes me how much you trust me. i know that i'm the only person you tell the truth to i just don't know if i can let you be my best friend, too.