I was a Teenage Fangirl.

[cherry]

Inspection of my user info reveals a rather startling fact -- I recently missed the five-year anniversary of this journal.

Five years. I'd be a fandom dino if I'd stuck around in any given fandom for any length of time. I've adjusted to my role as a perpetual neophyte, though looking back, I'd really thought I'd be well on my way to internet famous by now. Oh, the fancies of youth.

Looking back, I also find it rather remarkable that anyone flisted me at all. My first entry is rather representative of the blathering, internet-awkward entries I used to post, often daily, and sometimes multiple times per day. As for the writing -- well, let's just say that at that point, I fit in perfectly at ff.net.

Look, I was 16, okay?

I've made a number of amazing friends through this journal -- some of you, I feel like I've known forever; some of you have taught me an amazing amount about writing, about approaches to visual design, about vidding, about constructing logical arguments; some of you never fail to make my day brighter; some of you I now consider in the same breath as the people I see every day.

I'd just like to say thank you, for that. And to those of you who've been around since the start -- thank you for putting up with me when I was just another teenage fangirl.


The one thing I do regret: Choosing the pseudonym 'Cherry Ice.' This is not a name that engenders confidence. I mean, it's not 'Princess Scarlett Darquemist Elvenstar,' but it's pretty darn close.

Comments

[ex-thissuga.livejournal.com]

*grin* you could try and drop the 'ice' with people - Cherry's not bad. it's a cute nickname, but it's not too out there. one could say, "hey, I'm meeting Cherry after class" and it's not totally ridiculous sounding, y'know?

of course, you're talking to the girl who picked an online nick that's more normal than my actual name - which means it took me six months trying to train the people that now live four BLOCKS from me to call me by my name and not my nick, so.

[cherryice.livejournal.com]

Hee. I usually drop the 'ice' when I'm talking to people, but it's stuck on my LJ user name, and on a lot of old fic posts.

Of course, 'Cherry' is also in that grey area where it might be considered more normal than my real name as well. Sadly enough, I identify by it in my head, much as I do for said real name. I totally answer to it in real life.

Also! I totally usually think of you by your real name. If that helps?

[dreagoddess.livejournal.com]

Hey, many folks are stuck with embarrassing names. ;) Don't worry about it.

Has it really been five years? Wow, I remember when we were all starting to get into LJ...I guess my anniversary's coming up. March, I think. It's mind-boggling to think of.

[cherryice.livejournal.com]

I could always be Lady Darling xoxoOrlandoxoxo. Except for the part where he only became known after I was somewhat fandom active.

It doesn't seem like five years, does it? It's been probably three or four since I've been in #subcafe or #kjcorner.

Aww, now I am remembered the good old days. Back when LJ needed invite codes, and 15 icons was absolutely awe-inspiring. And none of this fancy C2 styling, either. *shakes cane, mumbles about kids these days*

[dreagoddess.livejournal.com]

I looked back and realized that my six-year anniversary is next month. I'm still boggling over that. And yes, the invite codes, and going months without any icon at all because I couldn't imagine the awesome feat of making one! *giggles*

[cherryice.livejournal.com]

I remember when they announced they were doing away with invite codes, and everyone was all: Now all the riffraff will have journals of their own! Nice going, LJ.

And oh, boy. In those days, I made icons with Power Point. And there wasn't really anything you could do, and you could only get the size right by approximation, and then pasting it into another program to check the size, but it always came out blurry and added one or two white pixels to a random number of sides.

I was so very, very proud of those icons.

*clings to Photoshop*

[ex-thissuga.livejournal.com]

hee. you could always buy a lj-rename token, and find something else that has cherry and not the ice - like cherryisdabomb or something. *G* also, I say 'Kira' and everyone here is like, 'who?' and I say 'the chick who should be coming to dexcon!' and they say 'oh, yeah!'

[cherryice.livejournal.com]

Hee. My site is currently titled 'Cherry Bombs,' and my hit counter tells me that I get a number of Google refers from some soon-to-be-very-confused amateur explosion enthusiasts.

That really has nothing to do with this conversation, but it makes me smile.

also, I say 'Kira' and everyone here is like, 'who?' and I say 'the chick who should be coming to dexcon!' and they say 'oh, yeah!'

Aww, it's so sweet of you to pretend like those other than yourself want me there. *G*

I will totally try to make it, but I just don't know where I'm going to be working, yet. The fact that I don't have a summer job lined up yet is driving me BONKERS.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bounce_/]

*pokes* Dude. I'm coming and I want there to be at least one person other than Dex and Rossi that I've ever spoken to there and I know you. Please come?

[cherryice.livejournal.com]

I am going to try, but I cannot promise anything. *is sad*

Why do I not have a job yet? *KERPLODES*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bounce_/]

Because job hunting is horrible and sucks giant monkey balls?

I completely understand if you can't come but I really hope you can make it, since it sounds fun.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bounce_/]

*laughs* That's going to confuse me like anything come dexcon, since I don't hear very clearly when I'm tired and it sounds very similar to my name and I get called 'Lise' a LOT by friends in Melbourne. Or at least that I'll keep answering things.

[ex-thissuga.livejournal.com]

my real name isn't going to help you any either because it rhymes with yours, baby. ;)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bounce_/]

I know. I'm probably going to end up answering to that, Lise and Lisa when I'm drunk.

[ex-thissuga.livejournal.com]

you know, in a way that works out well for me - I won't have to hold any conversations if I don't want to! I can just get you to sit near me and hold them for me! *grin*

[darkmark.livejournal.com]

Cherry Ice is just fine. And when you've been a fan half as long as I have, THEN you can call yourself a dino.

[cherryice.livejournal.com]

Hon, you've been a fan long than I've been alive. *G* Doesn't mean a five-year LJ anniversary isn't exciting.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bounce_/]

Shit, yeah. I can't belive it's been five years or that I've known you since we sixteen. I mean, it feels like I've known you forever but I still can't believe I've known you for that long.

(Also, looking at my one month off five years old journal, that I was THAT messed up back then.)

And believe me, I know you mean with the psuedonyms - Bounce sucks and I really wish I'd either run with Lisa or chosen something else. Possibly somethign witty. :)

[cherryice.livejournal.com]

You're my Bounce. You've just kind of always been there -- in the best way possible, of course.

Oh, goodness, my old entries. Seriously, why did anyone befriend me, ever? So cracktastic.

Honestly... I probably still couldn't come up with a better pseudonym. But I wouldn't add the 'ice' which makes me seem like a recipe, or something. Too late in the game to change it now, though. *G*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bounce_/]

*hugs* Thank you. And you're one of my good friends, even if our schedules mean we hardly ever get to really chat anymore.

Seriously, why did anyone befriend me, ever? So cracktastic.

Because you were cute and sweet?

You could just start leaving the 'Ice' off things, like Lise suggested.