Silence

[davidn]

Just in case anyone is unaware of the situation just now, I woke up to find several messages asking if I was all right and one company-wide email saying "DO NOT GO INTO THE OFFICE" in all-caps. Last night, the two Boston Marathon bombers were chased from the city into Watertown, where we happen to live, and I managed to sleep through a high-speed gunfight with explosives being thrown out of a car window.

One of them is still on the loose, and the entire city of Boston has been advised to stay indoors, causing the streets to become frighteningly still and empty. And it turns out that being on a shelter-in-place order with a bomber running around your town is much more cripplingly boring than you would expect. It's strange, because left to my own devices, I could keep myself entertained by the Internet and remain in the house for about six million years - but when you know that your only options are waiting for news or becoming collateral damage, every consecutive hour stretches out even longer.

The police are outside just now on their door to door search, and there have been a couple of helicopters flying low overhead. We live out in a corner of the town and I don't think we're in any real danger, but I am certainly worried about sleeping here tonight. If they start allowing cars out of the city again by tonight, I think we may go off and take a short holiday.

Comments

[xaq.livejournal.com]

Well, it looks like they finally lifted that "stay inside" order, so I think that holiday might be a good idea.

In any case, man, stay safe.

[davidn]

They did - and then they put it back again twenty minutes later! But we took off and got out during that short window of opportunity, listening to the radio as we escaped... it looks like the worst of it really is over now, but I'll be glad to be away from it for a day or so while everything returns to normal.

[premchaia_pre4]

Huff!

Well, let me know if I need to TALONS anything/anyone for you.

[crassadon.livejournal.com]

haha~! Awesome!!

[crassadon.livejournal.com]

omigosh~!! Is that where Boston is???? I always thought it was closer to the middle of the country :P I can see your house from here :D

Also, do people really call themselves Bostonians there? I know it's sort of a typical thing amongst cities, but if you live in a small town, that sort of thing just seems ridiculous; and it always sounds ridiculous, no matter what.

[premchaia_pre4]

People call themselves “Austinites” here!

[crassadon.livejournal.com]

Right? It seems like every large town does it. Yet, it always sounds completely rediculus to me. I wonder if people in other places in the world do the same thing: Parisians. . . do they get confused with Persians? Istanbulites? . . .Toky-os? :P Does Godzilla have a bowl full of Toky-os for breakfest :P :P :P

[budgiebin.livejournal.com]

My BF and I refer to people here as New Bedfordites. Across the bridge in Fairhaven, they are Fairhavenites.

Usually we privately just call them Mud People and Townies. It's literally Ankh-Morpork over here.

[budgiebin.livejournal.com]

Yes! They're Bostonians, or alternatively statewide we sometimes refer to ourselves as Massholes. (though I'm not sure how widespread that actually IS - use at your own risk)

[budgiebin.livejournal.com]

Glad you survived :P Take that holiday~

[tamakun.livejournal.com]

I -- I had no idea you were so close to the situation. My apologies in not saying anything sooner, but I'm glad to see that you're alright.