Yep. It takes longer, but the thaw does come. Interesting that Seattle is so similar to the Northeast in that way.

Heh. Well, I HAVE noticed how crazy polite everyone is here, especially when driving.

But also, after the ice skating several people came back to my house for cookies and cocoa, and we realized that all five of us were DC transplants. :)

It's also possible that, being me, I just haven't noticed the freeze, because people are polite and nice but reserved and I just barrel ahead and say "So you should come to this event and that thing and we should get together on Saturday and you'll come ice skating, and have you met so and so, she's alos very cool...." Heh.

Nicole, you have to stick with the series to the very end to get to the part you are asking about.

Now I'm at OKCupid. I can't decide how I feel about this. I think I might not be able to do on line dating anymore. I took the "how jaded are you by online dating?" test and scored a 75. Laughing like a freak the whole time. And crying a little. God people suck. Why don't they like me?

Maybe it's the latitude!

Though, of the four places I've lived for a year or more, Philadelphia was the most social and easy to make friends in, even when I leave out freshman year of college when EVERYONE was a stranger and desperate to make friends. My small-town Alabama hometown was a bit harder to break into if you were new or were trying to move between circles, but it's also the kind of talky, gossipy place where everyone knows everyone else's bid'ness. And I had an easy time making friends when I was in Bristol, though I think part of that was that as an American I got a sort of "honored guest" treatment--people were anxious to take me sightseeing, explain cultural nuances, and so on.

given the choice between Seattle and LA, Seattle seems like the better bet. I'd rather have to earn a friendship over time than to get handed one and have to figure out over time the level of sincerity.

OK crikey. I just sent email to a 25 year old. Someone ought to take the keys to the internet away from me.

Laga, if you're drunk as you said earlier, maybe just bookmark people's profiles rather than emailing them tonight? And don't be silly; of course people like you. You are extremely likable. I'm sorry you're feeling sad and cynical about this all tonight. Hugs.

Oatmeal:

I think I've been pretty lucky in LA since most of the people I see on a regular basis are either teachers, backstage theater types, or friends of friends. I have mostly been able to avoid the faux friendship thing. I just don't have any interest in the type of people who pull that crap, and I know you don't either. But one of the great things about living in LA is that there are so very many cool people (like you and Gloomcookie & GF and omnis and many others I could name) hidden in among the annoying ones.