La Rose Nui... (My Professional Home)

These days, I am working at a brand new club called La Rose Nui. It is so new, in fact, that our grand opening is this Saturday night, May 26, 2007. Please stop by and check it out. I normally work from 9 pm SLT to 11 pm SLT, or later if the crowd stays on.

I haven’t been in a huge number of classic “gentleman’s clubs” in SL, but the ones I’ve seen, cannot compare to this one. I am so proud to be working here, and it is truly one of the most beautiful clubs I’ve been in. The owners and managers are totally professional and have become my new SL family. I learn something new from them every day, and it is a joy to be a part of such a sharp, smart group of people. Everything in the club is first rate.

You won’t be slumming when you come to La Rose, so dress accordingly. Hope to see you there. Don’t forget to say hello, and if you get there by reading this, be sure and let me know you saw it on the blog.

More of Lorelei’s adventures in Second Life coming soon. Until then.

A Brand New Boog

From the first time I met Boog, and continuing as our relationship developed, he was wearing different shapes and skins… and his skin was never quite human. His gender changed back and forth and I never knew what to expect from one meeting to the next. This changed suddenly when his collar was removed and he was no longer under the control of a dominant. He then became a dark-skinned neko with crazy hair.

I can honestly say that I fell in love with Boog’s mind, his words, his personality.

The look he was sporting never had anything to do with the way I felt about him, I grew to love him as I got to know him and my feelings would have been the same had he turned himself into a little dinosaur (another avatar I recently saw). My only request, ever, was that when we were being intimate, he take on his true male form, which he always did.

Boog now looks as good and traditionally appealing on the outside as he has always been to me on the inside. I am amazed at how successful the transformation has been.

This is a perfect example of how good a person’s avatar in SL can look, if you give it planning, thought and patience. I think in all, including the hair and tattoos, he spent under 3000L achieving this HAWT look. And it was worth every penny. Once again, he and I can’t seem to keep our hands off each other. Well, come to think of it, we never could keep our hands off each other, but that is just the way we are.

And now, I can’t keep my eyes off him. I am such a lucky girl.

The Skinny on Skins, Shapes and Getting your Look

I'm feeling terribly embarrassed right now, as I have been so busy doing this and learning that, I forgot to take pictures. Undaunted, I am proceeding with this blog post, and may or may not add pictures to accompany it at a later time. Lately I've been busy helping my SL love, Boog, get his look together. He has been exploring all forms of avatars since he first came to SL, you can see a history of this by skimming through the pictures here in my blog. Recenly he surprised me by announcing that he was getting a new shape and skin, and he wanted a sexy human skin look with the ears and tail of a neko added. (Wait till you see him, he is damn hot now, but that will wait for another blog post.) This has put me once again, back into the rather complicated world of shapes and skins in SL.

I did not have anyone to help me understand the relationship between shapes and skins, and I learned the hard way. I wasted a lot of money in the process, even up until very recently. I'm writing this post in order to pass along what I've learned and hopefully to help others avoid some of the trouble and financial frustration the learning process caused me.

Getting this part of SL is critical to your success or failure, for as in RL, there is great emphasis placed on what you look like. Now, you can get creative, like Boog did, and explore what it is like to walk around in a furry skin. A lot of people, or I should say BEINGS in SL have chosen this route and are quite happy.

I have seen several hot and sexy cyborg creatures walking around. My neighbor/landlady is a cute little brunette most of the time, but she also flies around as a dragon occasionally, and also has an "old hag" skin that is quite unsettling, all a part of her experience in SL. Just yesterday while shopping for tattoos, Boog and I encountered a lovely mermaid floating around nearby, complete with tail and sparklies. If you want to go the fantasy route in SL, terrific. However, the following information will be geared toward those who are trying to put together an attractive human look.

First, you must understand the difference between SHAPE and SKIN. There are certain stores, namely Alady, that are passing along erroneous information. They say that the shape is the most important decision, and the skin fairly irrelevant. They are doing this because they sell non-modifyable shapes, and it is simply their approach to sell more shapes, it is not accurate. The shape and the skin combine to create a unique combination, and are equally important.

The SHAPE is equivalent to the skeleton and muscle in RL. This is where the basic framework is laid out. The height, the thickness of the body, the muscle mass, also the facial structure.. the shape of the face, the size and shape of the jaw, cheeks, forhead, ears, nose and lips, all these things are determined by the shape you choose.

There are several approaches you can take. Some people like to make their avatar a virtual mirror image of their RL selves. Others want an idealized image of themselves in RL. Others leave their RL selves behind completely and make themselves look the way they fantasize about looking. One question to ask yourself is: How unique do you want to be?

There are some people who buy shapes that have been designed to look like some celebrity. You will notice that in order to achieve the exact representation of the look, you not only have to buy the proper shape, but also the skin that the creator of the vision used for their photos. In order to exactly recreate a look on a photo, you will have to use the exact same shape and skin used for the photo. Just the shape or the skin alone (more specifically, combined with some other shape or skin) will not achieve the look.

There are people who take the basic SL shape, given to them from the beginning of the game, and make it their own. They turn their face and body into their own unique creation, using a careful combination of slider controls available in the "edit appearance" mode. There are certain limitations to this approach as well. I was very happy with this solution for myself until my recent upgrade to a Hyperfusion skin. I still love my body's shape, but the details of the face, particularly around the nose, are not as smooth and natural as I'd like them to be. I am therefore trying to find a solution to this problem.

The balance, in my opinion, can be reached by searching (and believe me, it will take some time and effort, this search) for the best shape you can possibly find for you. If you want the ability to slightly alter that shape, in order to achieve a humanlike degree of uniqueness, here is the tough part, the shape you buy MUST BE MODIFYABLE. And finding that combination is a challenge. The reason you want it to be mod is so that you can tweak it and customize it to make it your own individual unique look. That makes the difference between just good and fantastic.

(Once you see Boog's new look, you will understand what greatness can be achieved by following this approach.)

The shape decision should be made first, for this reason. You cannot DEMO shapes. Once you buy a shape, you own it. There is no try before you buy. And yet, the shape you have on underneath a skin will dramatically affect the appearance of that skin. SO, get your shape first, then try on demo skins until you find the perfect combination.

Now, to the skin. (As an aside, I have wasted SO much money on skins in this game.) It is VERY important that you not invest in a skin until you have done your research. If you are first starting out, then get the best freebie or cheap skin you can find and make do while you save your Lindens and do your research.

You cannot skimp on skins. But keep in mind a high price does not guarantee good quality. There are many lousy, but expensive skins out there masquerading as good ones, so beware making hasty skin decisions. Also, the less money you spend on your skin, the more likely you will be seeing a lot of people who look a lot like you as you wander around in SL. So do your reasearch well, be patient, and be willing to spend a MINIMUM of $1000L for your skin, possibly two to five times that if you plan to make a career out of your looks in SL (as a dancer, model, escort, etc.).

Skins are exactly that, skin: the covering of the underlying skeletal and muscular framework. Here you define the color, the texture and tone, freckles and moles, the definition of the muscles (achieved by carefully applied shading), the color and placement of nipples and bits, including pubic hair. Also defined by the skin, and worth scrutinizing carefully, are the ears, the hands and feet, the finer points of the nose, lips and brows. For men, one of the most important considerations is the facial and body hair. Keep in mind too, that male skins do not come fully equipped. Because of the fact that a penis is basically attached to the body, the skin cannot incorporate the penis. The penis will need to be bought separately. That is outside the focus of this post, but there are many options and choices there as well.

The best approach, while skin shopping, is to collect demos of skins you like. Demos are free or $1L generally. Each will come in a folder with the demo skin and a LM (landmark) to the store. Collect these as you find skins you like, as you shop and decide on your shape, or as you make the choice to create and refine your own shape. Once your shape has been perfected and put into use, when you've looked and researched and learned and collected your stash of demo skins, it is time to make a decision. Find a private place, preferably with a good friend who will give an honest opinion, force the light in the world to NOON to give yourself very good light, and start trying on demos. The advantage to this method is you are not going to get distracted by the price, and you can see different skins from different designers one after another.

Once you have narrowed your decision down to two or three, look for tiny problems. One of the most common issues you will see on skins is the matching of the colors at the "seams". Look carefully and make sure all transitions are smooth. Also make sure it has not been overly shaded. Some men skins in particular have way too much "six pack" shading in the abdomen area, and they wind up looking ridiculous. Check over every point, using a very critical eye. If you find too many flaws, then keep shopping. This is not a time to get in a hurry. Finally once you find the perfect demo, grab the landmark out of the folder and go buy it. Now you can get on with your SLife, knowing that you are the hot and sexy avatar you always wanted to be.

Pictures and more on the adventures of Lorelei (and Boog) in SecondLifeLand coming soon. Until then.

Life Goes On

Settling into a routine, domestic life with Boog has to this point been as close to bliss as it gets. We have both been busy and breathlessly snatching what time we can together, whenever we can steal a moment. We shoot around as we can afford it and buy beautiful things for our home.
As in RL, there is always more of what you want than there are lindens to buy with.

I am currently working as a dancer at a club in the sim Calvados. The club is called Dreamworld... I am a Dreamworld Dreamgirl. I love working at Dreamworld, but when you are newly in love, as in RL, it is often a grind to have to spend time working, when you'd rather spend it luxuriating in the arms of a loved one. Fortunately my sweet Boog can and does come to watch me work, which is always a joy for me.

Here are a couple of shots of Boog and I enjoying the newly animated dance floor in our house. We are filling our house with music and dancing. Boog has set up a complete DJ booth and we are putting together a kicking dance area. Ahh, bliss, indeed.

The only other hiccup to all this bliss has been an almost continuous stream of accidental and purposeful griefers landing in our house during the precious few hours we are together there. Fortunately, most of the uninvited guests have been kind and have quickly left of their own accord.

One very funny situation occured when a stray and totally non-english speaking Frenchman arrived on our veranda and made himself a home in the cuddle bed out there. We could not get him to leave. He was either away or having computer problems, nothing would get his attention. On the advice of a good friend and his gun-toting lady, we moved the bed out from under the stranger, and finally, after being shot at, yelled at, prodded and poked, the uninvited guest finally came to his senses. Our friend Kali was the hero of the day, and though she was sporting some seriously danger looking guns, she was able to convince our intruder to leave peacefully, always the best possible solution. Thank you R. and K., you guys are good friends to have, especially in a crisis.

It does seem, however, that I am still having a problem with stalkers. There have been a couple of situations when the intruder seems to know inside information about me, and has verbally attacked me personally, which is a very upsetting situation. After the most recent occasion of this, our hitherto missing landlord answered an IM call for help. We were ecstatic, he came right over.

It was a real pleasure to get to meet our new landlord, the builder of the amazing house we live in, and the owner of the entire property, including the imposing castle that oversees our home. We had met his very nice lady, Francis, but he had not been around, until the very moment we needed him most. He turned out to be warm, friendly, personable, and he fixed us up with the ability to freeze and eject intruders. He also gave Boog and me great tags to wear, as the residents of Tales of Desire. When at home now, my guy and me are Lord and Lady of Desire! Now it just doesn't get much better than that, does it.

On the advice of our friend Kali, and even with the new powers granted us by our landlord, we are likely still going to invest in a security system. Our home is just so cool looking it draws people like a magnet. That would be great if it were a club, but when we are at home, Boog and I don't enjoy having to spend what little time we have together trying to peacefully get intruders to leave. Here is a shot of Boog and me shopping for security systems. I had met him at the gadget shop after working a night when the theme was "Teacher's Pet" and it makes a hilarious contrast to Boog, wearing the same sexy red fox skin he wore the first time I ever met him. I think he was planning on taking me back to his den and eating me. This is why I love SL, where else can grownups have so much fun playing?

More on the adventures of Lorelei very soon. Until then....

This is Bliss

Here I’ll stop with all the romance and drama for a moment to pause and share with you an amazing place in Second Life. I found it long ago, while exploring garden centers. Bliss Garden Center seems like a normal, everyday garden center. The typical offerings: waterfalls, garden sculpture, plants, lots of water plants particularly, textures galore. Everything is laid out like a beautiful rl garden center, a nice broad plank walkway connecting huge beds of plants and items for sale.

The fun starts when you notice a sign, telling you about the Futureperfect Stage, and an arrow points down into a pool.

When you land in the stage area… pick yourself up, dust yourself off and poke around there for a few minutes. Check out the upcoming concert schedule. They have live music here, you know. Then, over to the side and up the mountain you will see a wooden plank staircase, leading you up and out of the little green grotto. Following this will lead to the treasures of Bliss.

There is little to be said about this amazing area of SL except grandiose and wildly complimentary adjectives. It is amazing, beautiful, awe inspiring. The scale is huge. Giant mountains, spilling over with waterfalls, grottos curving behind the falling waters into the mountains behind. Meters and meters of boardwalk planking for walking. The whole experience is a sedative for jangled nerves. As you float, fly or walk around Bliss, you feel the stress of RL and SL begin to disappear as you lose yourself in its otherworldly beauty. And though it is otherworldly, it is grounded firmly in what is best and beautiful of the sweet green earth that is still, for now, our RL home.

They have residential areas available for rent in Bliss, and how fortunate the people who live there are. The tree houses are amazing, and just the scenery alone would be enough to sooth the soul.

The size of the place is hard to grasp. I’m not sure how long it took to develop this place, but it is truly the most amazing and impressive feat of human imagination and accomplishment that I have seen in SL.

There are several tours to take in Bliss. I have yet to experience all of them. These shots were taken when I introduced my old and dear friend Brainchild to this spectacular place.

The hang glider in Bliss is either just a fun way to fly around and explore, or you can let it guide you on a tour. My personal favorite tour is the balloon ride. I have been on this tour several times now, and always look forward to the opportunity to go back and do it again. There are also several walking tours. While in the air, look for the pink and blue balls that look like pose balls. Turns out they just take you on a little walk through the beauty that is Bliss.

This is, for me, the pinnacle of Second Life. I have not yet seen anything in this world that can top it. I will continue to explore and see what else is out there and let you know what I find. Until then, take a trip to Bliss, and feel your soul expand and renew in the process.

Our House is a Very, Very, Very, Fine House

I finally given up my status as either a homeless person or longterm house guest in SL, and have rented a lovely house with a lovely name…. Tales of Desire. What better name could a home for me have?

It is all façade, hanging on the side of a mountain, overshadowed and protected from above by a massive, intimidating stone castle.

The verandas overlook a lovely cold river, at the bottom of steep snowy banks… and across the river, lovely waterfalls and homes.

Completing this perfect picture of SL domestic bliss is the fact that I am sharing this lovely home with my love, Boog. He is now completely mine, I am no longer sharing him with anyone else. He is no longer under anyone else’s domination; no more collar for Boog. He is now fully and completely the master of my heart, and the King of our castle.

Below is a shot of Boog and me the day we went to the rental agency to seek and find the perfect home for us. Boog just got out of bed, and is, as you can see, still collared. It took a few days, but soon after moving in, we determined that the collar on Boog's neck was a little too constricting.

For a couple of drama queens like us, the house is perfect. The massive curving staircases are our drama zone, and we have already had lots of drama there. It was here that the decision was made that Boog was to become a free and unfettered individual in SL, for the first time since his first few days here.

Like a couple of newlyweds, it seems that lately all Boog and I have been able to do is kiss and cuddle where ever we go. It is almost embarrassing, really for a cynic like myself, but Boog does seem to bring out the warm and fuzzy in me… and we do keep ourselves warm and fuzzy whenever we are together in our perfect paradise, the world we’ve created in Second Life.

Wookie Love and the tie-in to the post “Had to Share This”

This goes back a long, long time…. I have a wookie fetish. Since I was a little girl, I have been intrigued by the Wookie, (for all you people from other planets, a character from the movie "Star Wars"). For me, the best thing about the original movies was Han Solo’s sidekick, the “walking carpet”.

I got VERY excited when, in the most recent addition to the Star Wars lineage, "Revenge of the Sith", we got the opportunity to visit the Wookie planet, Kashyyk. I was sorely disappointed at the fleeting nature of the scenes, having hoped that we’d spend the bulk of the movie in and around the wookie culture. Now THERE is a movie that someone should make… WOOKIES!!!

So imagine my surprise and downright thrill, when my sweet Boog showed up on one of our dates in a sexy Wookie skin…. Complete with sound effects! Wookie love, in wookie heaven...

Thank you Boog, you made my wookie dreams come true.

My Love Does it Good

Once upon a time, a pretty redhead ave was wandering around the sex holes of SL, wearing little more than a full body tattoo and a mood for adventure. Bored and frustrated by her SL relationships, she was becoming equally bored and frustrated by the awkward doughy noob aves and their equally awkward come-ons.

Almost ready to give up and take a lousy offer just to have something to relieve the boredom, a very interesting IM suddenly rang in my tray. Looking around, I connected to the source, and saw before me a furry. A large, male red fox furry, ready for some fun, leering sweetly at me. That was enough to get my interest, because no one in SL had ever managed to leer sweetly.

I suddenly realized that a furry was exactly what I was in the mood for. But there I was in an unfamiliar and somewhat threatening BDSM dungeon, suddenly intrigued by this furry that had fingers of silk, smart, smooth and saying things unlike anything anyone had ever typed to me before.

Checking his profile, I was even more impressed. This was a noob, less than a week old, and yet here was a personality with presence and a smoothness that made even me feel a little awkward, and I was no longer a noob. This sexy furry looked at me, looked around at our surroundings and suggested we go somewhere he knew that was a little kinder and gentler. I quickly agreed. He introduced me that night to a place called Intimate Desires, which has ever since been at the top of my list of favorite places.

The red fox and I enjoyed our time together, and I was quite smitten by his lovely handle on the language of love and roleplay. I had take my leave, and was going away for a week from SL, but asked him, very sincerely to IM me when he saw that I was back.

He did, and through IM and the occasional meeting, a very close and positive friendship began to form. Here was someone that I was clicking with on a very deep level.

Again, he introduced me to a new favorite place, Midsomer Isle, even better than the last place he'd taken me to. Imagine my surprise then, when on a date to go dancing, my sexy male red fox showed up with furry boobs and dancing silks, and a She-male tag over his head. Here was someone that was going to stretch my sense of normality a bit. And I liked that. For isn't that what SL should be?
The relationship between this person, Boog Nishi, and I became more and more intense. It wasn't long before my sweet Boog, as I now thought of him, became a neko, or a catperson in SL. Spending most of his inworld time as a female neko, Boog always changed into a male ave to be with me. He was the kindest, most gentle, most eloquent, and also one of the most insanely fun people I had ever met in SL. I was smitten.

So here I will begin a new chapter in the story of Lorelei Larsson. When I gave part of myself to Boog, suddenly everything changed for the better. Life in SL became a grand new adventure, all over again. We will hear more about the adventures of Lorelei and Boog very soon. Until then....

Good-bye Good-bye

Since we are on the subject of goodbyes, I need to share another goodbye that I never got to post here, as I didn't want Gnosis to know.

Long ago, as a noob in SL, after meeting Gnosis, but before getting comfy inworld, I was strutting my stuff into the "xcite" store, to buy myself some parts. You see, I had decided, at that point, to do a little work as an escort and had been told that I needed xcite parts to do it. (Part of my goal with Second Life was and is to make my way without spending any of my own RL money, that is an important element in the challenge of it for me).

As I neared the door, I was accosted, literally, by a handsome blond avatar, who was very forward as to what he wanted to do with me. I had some free time and was in an adventurous mood, so after perusing the offerings at "xcite" I accepted Ferd's invitation to his island.

Ferd lives on and island that could be the subject of its own blog, what with all the romance and drama that goes on there. What started as a one-time event in a pirate ship skybox turned into an occasional IM chat and visit. Ferd and I got along well.

Eventually, Ferd asked me to come to his island to make a girlfriend there jealous. I accepted the invitation again, and went with expectations of high drama. This never materialized, but launched a more intense relationship between us.

The thing about me in Second Life is that I have a very dark line drawn between RL and SL. I have no intention of mixing the two. I do not want to bring any relationships from SL into the RL. My life in SL is purely a virtual experience.

Ferd, lovely as he was, and amazing as he was, and rich as he was, couldn't leave my RL out. He constantly wanted more than I was willing to give him. He sent me pics, and I knew all about him. None of this decreased my interest or enjoyment of him. He however, always seemed dissatisfied by my refusal to disclose rl information about myself.

Ultimately, the passion between Ferd and me got heated enough that he gave me a choice: I leave off the rest of my SL relationships and be his full time island girl, or we would no longer have any contact with each other. Sadly, I chose to say goodbye to Ferd. I realized that there is no way I could accomplish the goals I had set for myself in SL while living exclusively on an inworld island with Ferd. I was very involved in my business venture and personal relationship with Gnosis. And I knew full-well how dangerous he was to my RL situation, with his attempts to cross that dark line between the two worlds. So, I said good bye. The power of the sadness I felt after doing this surprised me greatly. There were a couple of RL tears involved, and it took Lorelei days to recover. More learning and enlightenment about how powerful the emotional attachments in SL can become. Here is a shot of Ferd and me as we shared one last special and very sad dance. Goodbye Ferd. I still miss you. But I know we made the right decision. Hope you are doing well.

Gonna Leave This Brokedown Palace

Gnosis and I have had a wonderful time together. Learning and growing in SL, teaching each other things, sharing what we've learned. He and I have had terrific literary discussions, talking about books, inspirations, and the day to day process of writing for a living.

Living in the house that G built was a joy, but was also filled with little frustrations that never got resolved. When you can't set a place as home, and have to log in and out of SL from a public point, you never really get over the feeling of being homeless in that world. G never could or would get it set so I could make the palace he built for "us" my "home".

It also seemed that the communication was fizzling, and we never did anything but work. Yet, when it came to the work I was doing, there was always some obstacle, somethings that needed doing by G first. I resigned myself to this, and focused on my soon to be implemented plan for the park, collecting plants, textures, landscaping items and things to be used in the creation of it, waiting for the time when it was all ready for me to begin. And, all by myself, I created a lovely skybox, far up in the air, to call our own, as a surprise for Gnosis.


I worked with G, walking over the land over and over again, planning and scheming as to what we should turn it into. I explored all over SL searching for inspiration, and I took him to those places, showing him the things that could be done. Yet, after all this, when it finally got to the point that I could actually plant the park, which was to be my main job in the building of it, G wouldn't allow me to do it.

Instead of having a reasonable discussion as to the look he wanted to achieve, he chose to dismiss me with an offhanded remark about how it was to be done. Despite the fact that he SAID he respected my taste and eye for design and color, he suddenly withdrew his support for it. Without warning, he undid hours of my work, with no apology. He decided at the last that I was not going to plant the park, HE was, because he was not willing to relinquish that much control up to me.
That was more than I could take. Even though Gnosis had recently "loaned" me the money to buy a 4000L skin, (he got one too, here we are in our new looks, above) I do not feel indebted to him. I earned those Lindens and every other one he gave me, with the inspiration, the advice, the ideas and the support I gave him.

I am so glad that I ran into an old friend who needed dancers for his new club, because the earning potential that I discovered as a dancer made me realize; I don't need to subject myself to another just in order to survive in SL. I don't have to give up control, and restrain my fingers from typing the things I really want to say, just to keep the peace and my situation intact.

It was time to leave the brokedown palace that Gnosis built. I took what was mine, and I left everything else behind, including the lovely skybox I'd made for him. And still, days later, not a word from him. Not surprising really, I know him well enough to realize his distaste for confrontation and conflict. Some people live their lives, whether it be in the RL or the virtual one, in a totally different way than I can. I can never be as cool and detached as Gnosis seems to be. Nor do I have any desire to be.

I'm very sorry Gnosis, that our plans for the future are gone. I am devastated by the fact that you decided you could do it better without me. I am resigning as "VP" of your group, The Preserve, not because I want to, but because you left me with no other options. I have found that the things I can discover and learn in Second Life, I can do just as well, maybe better, without you. I will miss your dry sense of humor, your intelligence and your good advice on how to accumulate wealth in RL. I am sad that our relationship has to end this way, but there comes a point when the bad outweighs the good, and it has been that way for a while now.

I have enough sadness without having to live it in my virtual world... Second life is my place for happiness. I have found a taste of it and I'm going to go see where it leads me.

Be well Gnosis. I wish you all the best.

Had to Share This

I realize this seems off topic now, but it won't forever.
Watch, enjoy, and it will all tie together very soon.

http://buthedoesntroarthatway.ytmnd.com/

Ch..Ch..Ch..Ch..CHANGES!

Again, the drama of SL stuns and startles. Some observations on this amazing virtual world: the speed at which human emotion can be stirred, and the intensity of it, is surprising and more than a little frightening. SL can be and often is a game of playing at love. Each person's definition of love varies from the next. On an emotional level, SL can be the proverbial playing with fire, and yet there is so much a person can learn here about themselves and others. The question is this; given that playing with fire often burns and leaves scars, is the pleasure of the emotion and the knowledge gained from the experience worth the sometimes ugly scar tissue left behind?

Love in RL can wane cold, but yet when combined with the tangible accoutrements of the physical world, those love relationships can hobble along for years... moving in slow, feeble, tangled, twisted patterns, but still moving within what constitutes the realm of love. Splinted, wrapped, bandaged and drugged, we persist in holding these ties that bind together long after the passion, the love and sometimes even the respect for the other is gone.

So then, what happens within a virtual world when the love grows cold? When there is no house to divide, no children to consider... what then?

In a world where a person can change their skin and be a different entity every hour of the day, what happens when a chance meeting results in a lightening bolt of recognition. When between two people a fire is lit which spontaneously forges a chain between the two souls. Wondering, what if this scars my soul beyond repair? What if this person is playing his own game with me? Where is this going to lead?

Dear readers, updates are coming soon, and many changes are afoot. Until then.

Laptop is Back Up and Running!

For those of you who know me in Second Life, you are probably aware of the fact that a little over a month ago, my personal writing assistant, an old HP laptop, was killed. It seems that my operator's RL husband is a bit of a Dr. Frankenstein when it comes to computers... and after finding a friend with a dead HP laptop in a similar model, a midnight grave robbery provided an opportunity for cannabalization of essential parts. The result?

Dear readers, I am writing this post on my pieced together HP, now lovingly dubbed Frank, in honor of its resurrection and second life.... Hmmm, second life, now where have I heard that before?

Thanks, Dr., without your brilliance and skill, I could not exist (and my operator would be a very lost soul indeed without your love and affection).

The best part? All the material on my hard drive is alive and well!!! I'm looking over the pics there to see if anything got left behind and needs to be posted. Update soon.

Live Music in Second Life

One of the best things I've found about Second Life is the variety and quality of live music to be heard. If you search for love music under events you will find live music shows being done all over SL. I try to go to live shows as much as I can, but this is a part of Second Life I would definitely like to explore and write about a lot more.

One especially nice venue I've found is the Hummingbird Cafe, pictured here, left. Onstage is my friend Groucho Marsh, a very good acoustic guitar player and singer. The Hummingbird has a great friendly atmosphere without a lot of lag, and a nice laid back group of people seem to be the regular crowd. Definitely a recommended destination for anyone wanting to have a listen to some good live music.

Here to the right is a great shot I took of Dexter Ihnen in concert at the Laguna Beach Club back on April 1. I really enjoyed his music, he had a great look. (But I really had to show off what is one of the first decent pictures I took in SL.) The downside was that the lag at the Laguna made it impossible to really enjoy a show, in my opinion. I haven't been back to see if this was a temporary or an ongoing problem at the Laguna.

The Journey to The Preserve

Here is a shot of me in one of my fav outfits and skins, floating over the land that is to become our park, The Preserve. In my view here is the sweet bunny house, the mystery tentacled thing, and the very beginnings, to my right, of what was to become the big 4 story BDSM club. Ah, neighbors. Doesn't it give you a warm, fuzzy feeling? Down on the ground, the circular watery object is a building project of G.'s. This was back when we were still in the very early planning stages.

And another, better shot of me having a friendly chat with the female half of the Bunny People. I include this not only so you can appreciate the loveliness of the rabbit house, but also so I can tell you a little about the hot skin I am wearing. Here I'm in another favorite outfit, jeans and a halter top. The skin is by Daeskins, which are, in my experience, some of the best skins in SL for the money. My friend G. discovered them, he has a nack for spotting quality. The faces on these skins are very beautiful, and adapt well to a variety of shapes, but are plenty unique, and you won't be meeting yourself if you head into a crowd of SL residents.

The skin I'm wearing in these two shots is the Bettie, and has the permanent tattoo on the back of a black panther grabbing a mouse. The best part, it really looks like a computer mouse! Love!