Slow Week

Written 16 February, 2007

Slow Week

It’s been a slow week in my second life.

Even though I was home all week and on Second Life a lot.

I suppose it was slow partly because my avatar is just as I like her and my property is likewise, so I had time on my hands. I mean, when you have all the clothes you want and all the hair and shoes you want, and every gadget you could possibly have and way more land than makes sense, and aren’t inspired to build something at that moment, what else is there to do?.

And I suppose it was slow partly because Dodgeguy has relocated to another sim.

And I suppose it’s partly because I was in mourning and my friends didn’t want to press. Although the ones who read my blog did check in with me about the death of my mom, and several gave me presents on Valentine’s day. I’m afraid I was so scattered I didn’t properly reciprocate.

Thanks, Kal, and Leaf, and Wulf, and Mordecai. You’re great friends. Your gifts meant a lot to me.

And a lot of the time, my Sweetie was on the road and off the grid.

Thanksgiving with Sweetie was wonderful. I recreated the tower of Sweetiness and we had a nice time riding around on my Valentine’s Day gift to her, which is a giant rotating hollow heart of ruby glass, pierced by an arrow and equipped with snuggle cushions. Later, we retreated to the House of 1000 Pleasures and got so frisky we decided we needed a code word for “time to stop.”

Sweetie gave me a beautiful textured bowl of oranges she made herself. The metal bowl looks almost like carnival glass, and the oranges are luminous.

Guess what the code word is?

I spent most of the week on Pele, where I’ve begun construction of a replica of my real-life house, and have been working on a big waterfall in the East Beach area. Film at eleven.

Blog Reboots

Written 22 February, 2007

Blog Reboots

Having observed a respectful period of silence on this blog to honor the woman who bore and raised me, and having survived a breakdown on the interstate on my way home from the funeral I’m ready to resume this blog.

Thank you, everyone, for your support.

My Mom

Written 12 February, 2007

My Mom

Yesterday I tore myself away from Second Life and drove an hour-and-a-half through a warm and sunny Georgia day to visit my mom, who has been in a nursing home for the past month with congestive heart failure. My sister and her husband were there. Mom was lucid, and we had a good visit.

This morning my sister phoned me in tears to tell me Mom had passed away.

I realize the traditional thing to do is cry, but I cried yesterday while holding my mom's hand and talking to her, for I knew her time had come and it was only a matter of days. She had a full life and consistently maintained that she was ready to go, so I consider her passing a transition rather than an ending. She is with my father now.

SL-- and specifically, my friends here, and especially Sweetie, have been a great consolation to me. Thank you all.

Ugly Design

Written 11 February, 2007

Life is Too Short for Ugly Design

In my meanderings around Second Life, I've seen some mighty tacky and pitifuly ugly things.

Life is too short for ugly design.

Other Volcanoes

Written 11 February, 2007

Other Volcanoes

In my travels around the grid, I'm stumbled across the occasional volcano-- and I must admit, I tend to search them out as well. My friends Melissa Yeuxdoux and Broske Delgado have pointed me to some, too.

For your viewing pleasure...

Volcanoes.

Dead Sweetie, Dead Chey

Written 11 February, 2007

Dead Sweetie, Dead Chey

A recent Icarus Society adventure found some of us playing dead.

The animation is "die," and it causes you to fall dead-- after emitting a most unfeminine final gasp. And you stay dead, unless and until you find and stop the animation.

For your viewing pleasure, pictures of Dead Xubi and Dead Chey.

Don't I look rather like the Wicked Witch of the East after Dorothy's house fell on her?

Wish I had taken the time to put on my ruby slippers!

Foolish Papery II, Why Do I Care?

Written 7 February, 2007

Foolish Papery

II: Why Do I Care?

Why have I taken the time and made the effort to blog about an abusive situation that never really developed? Why do I bother? Why do I care?

Because of the Relationship

I cherish my relationship with Sweetie above all things, and will not allow it to be demeaned, insulted, and assaulted. This thing between me and Sweetie is rare and beautiful, and it’s sad Steph Li won’t allow herself to see that.

Because of Sweetie

I worship Sweetie and I don’t want her subjected to needless pain.

Because of Me

I think highly enough of myself that I won’t be criticized or rebuked or suffer the abuse of fools.

Because of Others

I bother because I know of and am horrified by the ridicule, bullying, and discrimination visited upon millions of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people around the work.

I’ve never considered myself a lesbian, but I’ll wear the name proudly if it affronts Steph Li and her ilk.

I care because I care.

Foolish Papery I, Nunsense

Little Pengi

Written 7 February, 2007

Foolish Papery

I. Nunsense

Last night I was standing on East Beach, looking at photos of Buddhist temples Sweetie was rezzing on a screen-shaped prim.

Suddenly, a black-and-white something obscured my zoomed-in vision.

It wasn’t Little Pengi looking for a fish. Would that it were.

No, it was a female avatar dressed in the habit of a nun—not the modern uniform, but the old black-and-white Flying Nun costume.

Her name was Steph Li.

I said, “Hi, Steph. Welcome to Pele.”

To which she responded, “My name is Sister Steph.”

No it wasn’t. There her name was, hanging over her head. Steph, no sister about it.

I kept my calm, saying only— by way of defense, I suppose— “I’m not Catholic.”

Sweetie chimed in, “Welcome, Sister Steph.”

Steph replied, “Thank you, the one who is known as Sweetie.”

Thank you, the one who is known as Sweetie?

Okay, so it was to be a game. And it was irritating me. But I would play it.

Seeing that Steph was holding a ruler marked “The Golden Rule,” I said, “Look, Sweetie, that’s the ruler they rap your knuckles with.”

Steph didn’t rise to the bait. Instead she said, “I’ve been sent here to discuss with you your lesbian relationship.”

The word “inappropriate” wasn’t uttered, but it hung in the air like rusty sheet metal.

And so I typed “/1 ban Steph Li,” and my trusty Mystitool derezzed her instantly.

Sweetie, less offended than I, said, “It would have been interesting to hear what she had to say.”

No, it wouldn’t have been interesting, for I knew exactly what she was about to say. I knew full well the trip she was about to lay on us.

I did the right thing by banning her.

And I did the right thing by reporting the incident to the Lindens as homophobic abuse.

Of Prims and Sims, II

Written 6 February, 2007

Of Prims and Sims

Part II

Crap

Crap.

Missed another window of opportunity.

My friend Wulf Stewart told me this morning that on the mainland, property can now be linked across sims and the prims shared.

There goes my idea of a sim exchange!

:(

I wonder if one can do that in Dreamland?