Hoppy Easter

My daughter is very excited about Easter which is natural at her age (6), but her excitement was dampened by a case of strep throat recently.  Hopefully, she will be all better by Easter and, since she is in Catholic school, she has the week after Easter off and should definitely be recovered by then.  I'm planning our annual Easter Egg hunt where I hide eggs filled with toys and candy around the house on Easter morning (I won't hide any real eggs, although we will color them.  The plastic eggs are safer to hide in case some are not discovered (when real ones go bad, they tend to smell).  We will also be spending time with family, and she will not doubt get lots of baskets, candy, and small Easter toys. 

Dulcie in her bunny outfit at Rainbow Gardens

In Second Life, I've already hosted two Easter parties -- one for my Rainbow Gardens Pet Memorial Center and one for my neighbors on Seahorse Isle.  It was nice to interchange decorations and dance balls, althoughI had enough room to set up an egg hunt on Seahorse and enough prims for a 10-person bunny hunt line dance.  Most people came with ears and tails, and we even had one avatar bunny.  It was a lot of fun. 

Dulcie in the SING party bunny  hop line

Throughout the month, I've also participated in SL egg hunts sponsored by some shops and enjoyed visiting Easter Town where I  had the chance to race on the back of a Peep and float in an Easter eggshell (where else but in SL could you do that?) and also hunt eggs and bunny hop.

Dulcie in an Easter eggshell at Easter Town

Whatever you do in rl or sl to celebrate Easter, have a "Hoppy" one!

First Travelogue Tour

I recently joined the CVL (Community Virtual Library) Travelogue group, a new group that will offer tours of a variety of Second Life places on a quarterly basis.  Our first tour's theme was "Places to Play."  We visited 3 locations: Chelsea's Diner and Bowling Alley; http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vitae/127/162/1503, and the Celestial Game Tower. 



Chelsea's diner and bowling alley
1st stop on Travelogue Tour

 At Chelsea's Diner and Bowling Alley, our guide, Aiyden Crystal, showed us around the diner and bowling alley that also featured a nice game room.  The bowling alley has three lanes that can accomodate groups of 4 per team.  He also showed us a bit of the Butterfly Kisses sim which is PG-rated.  We saw the ice cream shop, and he pointed out some of the clothing and other stores that are on the sim, as well as a mini golf course.  Everyone agreed this is a great place to go with friends.



Bumper Cars next to the Movies @ Vitae
2nd stop on Travelogue Tour

 The next stop on the Travelogue tour was the Movies and bumper cars @ Vitae where I showed the group the theater that features a concession stand with popcorn and other goodies and shows full-length films.  By clicking on the box in front of the screen and adjusting your media settings, you have your choice of shows.  All directions are on a notecard, and you can even sync the movies for your friends to watch the same shows with you.  Next to the theater is the bumper cars which temporarily rez at your command and disappear when you vacate them.  Groups can have a lot of fun playing on these, and our group enjoyed a hands-on demonstration.



Celestial Game Tower
Final stop on Travelogue Tour

 The last location visite was the Celestial Game Tower where owner, Sorina Garrigus, showed us an amazing collection of all types of SL games that can be purchased or played on-site.  She said there are over 300 games on display! 

The next set of tours will be of historical places, and I am looking forward to attending, if not leading the group this time.  There are so many places to see in SL, so a group like the CVL Travelogue is one that can help introduce residents to those they have never visited before and may definitely want to explore further on their own.

My Rockin Rez Day

I just turned 4 in Second Life yesterday, and I celebrated with some friends.  We went to a bowling alley and then to a fifties-themed sim.  We all dressed up in 50's clothes.  It was a real blast. 



Chelsea's Bowling Alley and Diner

The Chelsea's diner and bowling alley is on the Butterfly Kisses sim.  Besides bowling, there are several other things to do both indoors and outdoors including a movie theater and mini golf course.  The building that houses the bowling alley also has an arcade room and diner.  The bowling alley has 3 lanes, and 4 people can be on a team.  It's a little tricky to learn how to maneauver the ball in mouselook, but my friends seemed to catch on pretty quickly.  I still need to practice, but I'd definitely recommend it as a fun night out.


Celebrating my Rerz Day with  Friends at Runaround Sue's

 Runaround Sue's is a great 50's themed sim with a full calendar of DJ music playing terrific oldies.  The dance floor itself has some incredible dances from the twist to line dancing to just great Rock and Roll moves.  There is even dancing inside the ice cream shop/diner that also sells some fifties clothes and hair.  The rest of the sim is quite attractive with a lighthouse, lover's lane, and shops selling a variety of 50's items -- all with a laid-back summer feel.  Posters of popular fifties personalities decorate the main walkway.  It's the kind of place that's fun to visit anytime and is especially fun to go to with friends. 

I enjoyed my rockin rez day and hope to go back to both places again.

My SL Horses!



Dulcie with Star, a white female Palomino Amaretto

I don't ride horses in real life, but I thought it would be fun to buy some horses in Second Life.  I had no idea the marketplace for them is so big.  Not only can you buy a horses to ride, you can buy ones that breed, too!  It seems horses is a big SL business.  They are sold, auctioned, and housed.  The most popular are the Amarettos. 

I began to shop for just the right horse, but I didn't realize how much was involved.  These horses have stats, information about parentage, eye color, need to be fed, kept happy by riding, and age.  A horse has to be at least 7 days to breed but no older than 120 days.  Afater 120 days, the horse will no longer breed, but you can keep it as a pet. Along with a male and female horse, unless you buy a bundle which looks like a hay bale but turns into a horse in 3 days after it is "born," you also need to buy food and  a barn or stable to keep the horse. Optional purchases include snacks, a salt lick to make it happy, aphrodesiacs if your horses aren't mating as quickly as you'd like, saddles and bridles, etc.  It can be quite costly to keep them.  Male horses are a bit more expensive to buy because there are fewer of them born. 

Now if you really want to get into horsing, there are sims you can ride them, groups you can join, and lots of cowgirl outfits and other western clothing for you to wear.  I took a few shots of myself with one of my horses wearing some of my new cowgirl outfits.  Yeere Hah!

Snowbound Makes for SL Decorating Fun



 Well, the East got hit again with another snowstorm, and I'm off from work today.  I had some time to play around with my SL house (yes, I know I should've spent that time cleaning my rl house, but this is way more fun).  In any case, I decided to decorate for Valentine's Day, and one thing led to another.  As you can see, I added a beautiful silk-upholstered red couch, chair, and love seat to my living room with gold accent pillows and a heart rug.  The whole set came from ETC., including the vases of roses, candles and endtables.  Actually, there was much more to this set, but I didn't want to use too many prims (although most items in it are quite reasonable).

What you may not notice in my photo is the grouping of Valentine cards on my fireplace mantle shelf.  A low-prim fireplace also comes with this deal, but I decided to keep my own.  If you want to add some pretty boxes of gift-wrapped presents, those are in the set, as well. 

Although this furniture is intended for Valentine's Day, it can be used at other times of the year, too.  I'll probably do something lighter for the spring, but the cost was very reasonable, and so many of the pieces can be interchaged. 

There are some other decorations I added independent from this set, and I haven't included the Valentine gazebo I put on my property either, but let's just say I'm set for February 14.  Decorating in SL can be time consuming, but it's a lot of  fun.  I wish I could buy a living room set like that for $1.13 including delivery.

Winter Wonderings

Snow, Snow, go away. Lately, that's been my refrain. We've had a bad winter so far in the NorthEast, as have other parts of the country. Our first big storm, only a day after Christmas, brought 20 inches to our area. We got about 8 more inches last week, and they are predicting more this weekend, although the last few days have seen rain with warmer temps. I can stand the winter when it's sunny and at least 40 degrees outside, but, otherwise, I can do without it. I know I complain when it's too hot and humid in the summer, but I really love wearing less clothes and enjoying longer days.

So, I wonder, if I'm not a fan of winter in real life, why do I enjoy it so much in Second Life? Why do I find the beauty of our new snow-laden sim so breathtaking? Why have I made friends with penguins and polar bears? Why did I even buy a winter igloo and snowy gazebo for my property? Am I crazy? Well, in SL, you really can't feel the cold. But tell that to all the clothes designers who are selling sweaters and winter coats for the season. The new layer options are really helpful, too. I have to admit I'm dressing warmer in SL myself. In real life, I don't often go ice skating, but I have an ice skating rink right outside my door in Second Life. I also recently found a really fun sled that seats up to 4 people. It can get a little hairy going over mountains at top speed, but it is rather fun. I still have to master SL snowball throwing, but my boots are keeping my feet dry as I walk through prim snow.

When I am sick of outdoor winter activities in SL, I can cozy up in my snow-covered cabin by my fireplace with my kitty cat and drink some hot cocoa that is one of the choices from my bar dispenser. Or, if I am daring, I can teleport to a tropical beach and soak in the sun.

When not in SL, I don't participate in too many winter activities, and I can't take a Florida vacation to escape the cold either. So I spend most of my indoor time when I'm not at work playing board games and, yes, computer games with my daughter, reading; and, when I get especially bored, even cleaning and housework. Recently, I've also started some writing again, not novels or short stories, but blog articles. I joined a blog of two good friends, Verde and Pie, and am now writing for "Eye on the Grind" as well as "Rainbow Notes." It's another way to spend the cold months but something I can do year round, too.

Making Plans, not Resolutions

I'm not really one for going out on New Year's Eve or for making resolutions that are too easily broken, but this year I thought about some things I'd really like to do and a few things I really need to do next year. On the "Like to Do" list for 2011 is taking my daughter to Disney World, reading a few good novels and maybe writing one (if I can get my energy back into that), and generally just having more fun whether it be in real life, Second Life, or both.

On my 20ll's "Need to Do" list are lose weight and exercise, organize my stuff better (both in rl and SL. I can't tell which is in poorer shape my SL inventory or my rl closets), and find time to relax more and stress less (which maybe should be the first one on this list because it's such a big one for me).

I don't know how my list compares to others, but it really doesn't matter. My goals are flexible, and I may not achieve them this year, but they are something to aim at. Taking my daughter to Disney will take some planning, not to mention a lot of money, but it will be worth it, something she will remember for years to come. The same is true of my other "wants" and "needs." There will be time and effort involved to do or get them, but it will be worth it. By dieting and exercising, I'll feel a lot better. If I organize my stuff better, it will also ease my stress because it will make things easier to find (and isn't that a skill I should have as a librarian?). If I learn to relax and have fun and stress less, it will be a big plus for my health.

So those are my two lists for 2011, not resolutions but more like wishes, or maybe plans would be a better term for them. Happy New Year and good luck with your own plans in 2011.

Tis the Season to be Busy

I'm writing this on December 1. Although I started my holiday shopping over a month ago when I was doing my daughter's birthday shopping, too, I am still getting a bit panicky. I've ordered most of my gifts online through Amazon, Ebay, or other online sellers. What's getting me nervous is the thought of wrapping all those gifts that I did not realize were as many as I had originally planned to buy. The thought of my credit card bill in January is daunting, too.


But my major concern is finding the time to do everything and have some seasonal fun, too, both in rl and SL. As most Second Life residents know, it is a tough act to balance both real life and Second Life activities. When a very good friend decided to have her wedding in mid-December and asked me to be her bridesmaid, I was very happy and looking forward to the occasion. Now, after planning an engagement and two holiday parties in SL, as well as preparing for my rl holidays, I'm getting a little jittery. That's not to say I won't enjoy it. I will immensely. It's just that time goes so fast when you're older and, when you're a kid, you don't have to worry about buying and wrapping gifts, writing out Christmas cards, and fitting everything in between work and your regular daily activities. Add Second Life into that equation and things get even more hectic, even though they are lots of fun.

The winter season is actually one of the most enjoyable in SL, and you don't even have to worry about getting cold, although some of the ice and snow on winter sims can give you a little chill. Just turn your heat or fire up while you log on, and you're all set. Lots of holiday cheer abound throughout SL if you have the time to check them out or hold your own party. I guess the hectic pace is just part of the fun. No time to chill until the New Year.

Celebrations, Real and Virtual

I just realized I didn't post my usual monthly blog. Part of the reason for that is I had a very busy October. Besides planning three birthday parties for my daughter who just turned 6, one of which was on Halloween, I have also been busy in my Second Life helping to plan an upcoming engagement party for my friend who is getting married in December. A few of the wedding party members, friends, and neighbors got together the end of October and visited each other's islands to look at the decorations that were put up. Some were spooky; others funny, but all were creative. They ranged from halloween/fall rides such as a haywagon and haunted carousel, to piles of virtual leaves on which to jump or recline; a haunted house and graveyard where blood rained; and a cute pumpkin house complete with comfy living room and seasonal decor.

Celebrating in SL is fun and, while not as much work as in real life because the cleanup is so easy, it can still be time consuming. What sometimes takes the longest is shopping for items or trying to locate them in your inventory. And, of course, the big challenge is finding the room and prims to fit everything and coping with the lag once you do. But, even if you choose not to decorate your own place or are currently homeless, no matter what time zone you are in or what holidays or events you celebrate, it isn't difficult to find places that are selling decorations, holding dances or other events, or just looking festive. A quick check of the Destination Guide usually includes special seasonal sims to visit.

So when you trick or treat, eat your turkey, wrap gifts, go to a birthday party or wedding, remember that you can do all these things virtually, too. Friends will add to the fun. One of the most popular activities in Second Life beyond shopping is partying. Have fun. Immerse yourself. Celebrate!

The Best Laid Plans

I'm a planner, even though I'm a bit disorganized. This trait has carried over to my Second Life and, while it has its good points, it also has some bad ones. Usually everything turns out okay, but not always exactly as I've planned. And, like real life, Second Life, has its own unique challenges which can get in the way of best laid plans.

Take for instance two recent SL experiences of mine. The first was when I was working on an article for the Simseeing section of the fall issue of RezLibris Magazine. My collaborator and I had discussed covering a certain story but, as certain real life circumstances prevented us from working on it sooner, when we were close to deadline, we learned that the person we needed to interview would be unavailable. As time was very short for the deadline, we had to find another place to cover and completely revised our theme. I then could not get in touch with the owner of the sim for an interview, so my collaborator came up with the idea of my writing a poem to illustrate the machinima he would be shooting. The result was "Alirium: a Sim for All Seasons."

The second example of when my plans didn't turn out the way I had envisioned but still worked out well was when I recently threw a party that included a treasure hunt. The hunt was pirate-themed and included several keys and a treasure chest. I followed the directions on the notecard, hid all the keys, and added the prize to the treasure chest. The object was for each player to search for a key and then find the treasure chest. The person who did both first would open the chest and find the prize. Each time a key was found and a person took it, a copy would go into that person's inventory. That was how it was supposed to work, but it didn't. My treasure hunters found the keys, but the keys were not copied into their inventories. To make it even more difficult, the group chat that I had hoped to use during the game to keep in touch with the players who were all part of a group I'd created, wasn't working. Despite these problems, and my dashed expectations, all worked out well when someone found the treasure chest, told me where she'd found a key, and I simply transferred the prize to her. It wasn't exactly what I had planned, but it worked, and everyone enjoyed the hunt and party even though it wasn't perfect which just goes to show that you should never plan anything in too much detail in real life and especially Second Life.

I know I will still continue to plan, but I will also now be aware that those plans are just tentative, subject to last minute changes and improvisations. Isn't that what life is all about, after all?

Only in a Virtual World

My co-worker at the library recently joined Second Life and is enjoying it immensely. She's experienced some things she could never dream of doing in real life, and I have had a good time (and have also learned) along with her, even though I've been living the virtual life for the past three years. In a virtual world, you never stop learning which is why so many librarians and educators have become involved. We now share a house on my island, although I recently put up a treehouse for her so she could have her own private space. She attended the barbecue at my house at which I introduced her to some friends and neighbors and also had a good time at the Ice Cream Social I had at Rainbow Gardens for the pet book exhibit opening for the Community Virtual Library's summer book fair. One of the highlights was spinning around on an ice cream cone merry go round. Where in real life can you do that?

I've also shown my new SL cohort, Twilight, the pleasures of freebie shopping and introduced her to midnight manias and lucky chairs. Where in real life can you sit in a chair with the letter of your first name on it and win a prize or click on a board and have a prize delivered to you if a certain number of other people have done so, too?

And where in real life can you create a memorial center for pets where people can add photos of their deceased pets to a pet viewer and view exhibits or attend events related to pets? Where in real life can you fly on a book to various spots that feature children's books with links to the works and the authors? Where in real life can you see or set off beautiful fireworks without the fear of any dangers or breaking any laws? Where can you buy a gown for $2 or a house for $5 or even get some for free? Where can you find events going on 24 hours a day? Where do you get to celebrate two birthdays, your real one and the date you joined SL (your rez day)? Where can you dress formal, casual, or even as a bunny or mermaid and always fit in? Where can you immerse yourself in your dreams and see them come to life? Where can you meet people from all over the world who can become real friends even though you only know them online?

It's been fun but sometimes a challenge explaining to Twilight how to change clothes (the importance of underwear if you're wearing a dress or skirt and are flying); how to eat and drink; how to join groups; how to open boxes, and how to flirt with handsome avatars (the last I think she picked up all on her own).

So now, Twilight is on a crusade to persuade other library staff to join us in the virtual world. One of my neighbors and a good friend in SL suggested we might get our own library island one day. I kind've doubt that. There's a lot of resistance and kidding when the topic comes up. If naysayers tried it, though, they might change their mind. Twilight even hesitated at the beginning, as did I. Now she is sharing a jetski with one of our neighbors, rope climbing on mountains, dancing by clicking on ice cream sundaes, riding boats down rivers, diving in my inground pool, relaxing on her bear rug in her treehouse -- all just the beginning of the virtual experience. And all it takes is an open mind and a computer.

Having Fun in the SL Sun

I recently hosted a pool party which was also a surprise real life birthday party for a friend in Second Life.

One of the reasons I rented land in SL, besides having a private place to change, was to also have a place where I could invite friends for get togethers. While these parties take a bit of planning and some work, they usually turn out well worth it because they are lots of fun. Add a nice music stream, decorations, and games for a group, and you have the makings of a good SL time. In this case, I asked a DJ friend to stream the music and my friend who happens to live across from my island to host part of it at his place where he had a great idea to do a fireworks show, too.

One of the highlights of the party aside from the swimming, dancing, bouncing on the bouncer, soaking in the hot tub, playing a beach ball game which didn't quite work but, hey, this is SL we're talking about, and watching the fireworks, most people enjoyed the Truthball game where we took turns answering questions about ourselves. Some of the answers were funny; some serious, but they were all a good way to learn about one another -- something that isn't always easy to do in chat or at regular SL meetings. One of the interesting things I noticed was how similar the answers were to the question about what brought people to SL and what keeps them here were. Almost all of us, and keep in mind we are a group of librarians, came here for professional reasons and are staying because of the friends we made here.

There really doesn't have to be a reason for a party in Second Life. Any excuse will do for a virtual good time.

Friends Never Leave You

I lost a friend last week and nearly lost another. The one who passed away was not a close friend, but I knew and admired her. The one who had a sudden emergency is one of my best friends. Both of them I met in the virtual world, Second Life. As I've written in this column before, that makes no difference to me. A friend is a friend no matter where you meet them, and when you find one, you are very lucky. It is not easy to find or keep friends in today's world with all our time limits, pressures, and other obligations. But friends are so important. They make a big difference in our lives.

Daisyblue Hefferman was a sweet and very talented lady who touched many lives. Her family knew what her virtual friends meant to her and contacted them when Daisy was taken ill with a serious stroke. When Daisy passed away, the community of librarians in Second Life mourned her with a special memorial service while her real life funeral was taking place, and many memorials were created to honor her in the place she contributed to with many innovative projects and which she loved so very much.

During the time Daisyblue was in the hospital and people were sending her get well messages and posting photos and videos of her work in Second Life to her Facebook page, Verde Otaared suffered a heart attack and had to have cardiac surgery to put stints in one of her arteries. Messages about her also appeared on Facebook. Fortunately, to everyone's relief, Verde pulled through and is currently making her recovery.

I learned a few lessons from this and also from my hospitalization last year for sudden severe asthma attacks. First, I saw the strength of the library community in Second Life, and this was far from a surprise. As someone commented during Daisy's ordeal, librarians are great people, but the librarians in Second Life are especially so. I also learned that things we take for granted such as our health and sometimes our friends, often our family, need to be our priorities in life. So many of us worry about such little things, although at the time they seem of major importance. When things like this happen, it opens your eyes. Lastly, I learned that friends never leave you even if they pass away. They stay with you as the fond memories you shared and live in your heart the rest of your life. That's the power of friendship, the miracle of the bond people can share whether it's for a short or long time, whether it's purely online, in a virtual world, or in real life. It's something you can't ever lose and something that needs to be treasured.

I was very touched when I attended Daisyblue's memorial and visited Heartsease Gardens where Daisy's plaque was added to those members of the SL library community who have also passed on. What a wonderful way to keep these friends close to us, as if they would ever leave.

Spreading the Word about Virtual Librarianship

I was among five librarians recently asked to say a few words about my experience as a librarian in Second Life for a convention of the Portuguese Librarians, Archivists and Documentalists Association (B.A.D) Congress 2010.





The person who asked me, Clark Abismo (Miguel Correia in real life) is a friend of mine who I met and worked with in Second Life. I was honored to have been asked to make this presentation, although a bit nervous, because I felt it was a good opportunity not only to help a friend and colleague and introduce fellow librarians from Portugal to virtual librarianship but also to review for myself what I and other librarians, most from the Community Virtual Library, have done in Second Life.

If you'd asked me three years ago, before I'd joined SL if I'd ever make a testimony about virtual librarianship, I'd probably say you were crazy. There are still many in the library field who feel that environments or worlds such as Second Life, actually they refer to them as "games," are inhabited by people with too much time on their hands or nothing better to do than play. This couldn't be further from the truth. Most SL librarians that I know have regular full-time jobs and, although they do like to have fun in SL once in awhile such as going to dances, this helps them to network as it does in real life. And as far as the type of librarians who join SL, they come from all over the world and bring with them experience and knowledge from their own academic, public, or special libraries, and the person who started it all, Lorelei Junot (Lori Bell in real life) of Alliance Library Systems is definitely not a person you would say plays games. She is a professional in every sense of the word and has brought that professionalism to the group that continues on the Info Archipelago now as the Community Virtual Library.

So speaking to groups like B.A.D. from Portugal or other countries or even locally, we can spread the word about virtual librarianship. And maybe those who hear us might join SL or bring their libraries here. Wouldn't that be great?

The Trials of Home Ownership in SL

For those of you who have been following this blog or those who are reading this for the first time or missed the last entry, I had been looking for a new place to live in Second Life. I had some offers from some friends who were very kind, but I finally settled on a brand new island or what is actually one parcel of an island that has been divided into four. These Isles, two of which I believe are still unoccupied as of this writing, are known as Seahorse Isle and are being rented by Sonja Morgwain and Jarhead Euler, two really great landlords. In fact, I know Sonja quite well. She is also the Estate Manager over on Cybrary City where the RezLibris magazine Office is located. I was thrilled when she contacted me about the availability of these rentals. She also mentioned some skyboxes, too, but since I had already spent some time in one, I wanted to try land this time.

The next step after moving onto Seahorse 3 was selecting a house. I wanted to use a different one than I had in my skybox even though I did like that one which was built by a friend, but since I had more prims to play with now, I wanted to upgrade a bit. It so happened that I had a house in my inventory that I'd never used from when I first joined SL 3 years ago. I'd never had enough land to put it out on and was eager to look at it, so I rezzed it, but even though it was a beautiful house and had some great features including a kitchen and bath, many of the scripts weren't working and, for some reason, I couldn't access the house's main control panel even though I was listed as the owner. I considered finding another house, but I really liked it otherwise, so I looked up the builder who was still in SL and sent her a IM. She responded quite quickly. Unfortunately, she told me the house was old and that she really couldn't do much to fix the scripts. She offered to refund my money, but, before she did so, it turned out that she found a newer version of the house in her inventory and that version had all the scripts corrected. I was thrilled. The sinks in my kitchen and bath now worked and so did my shower. I could control my whole house from the main control panel which included opening and closing my windows, adding ambience, etc. I couldn't thank the builder enough. She left, and I was happy and began putting out some furnishings. Well, for those who know me, even after three years in SL, I am still having trouble manipulating things. I went to take an object back, clicked in the wrong spot, and you know the rest. I took up a wall. Now I wasn't sure I could just put it back because it was a big deal with the original set up, and I wasn't about to mess with anything now, so I IM'd the builder, but she had already logged off. I left everything and waited until I heard back from her.

The next day, the builder returned and helped me put the wall back. In addition, she taught me how to lock the walls and floor of the house but strongly suggested I take some buildng classes. She also told me I shouldn't lock everything, especially the windows, because then I wouldn't be able to open and close them from the control panel. I was very glad to have my house back together again and promised her I'd be very careful and would definitely find some time to check out some building classes.

So everything was perfect until I started playing with my new kitchen. All I did was open the oven. I swear I only went to close it again. I can't even remember clicking "take," but the next thing I knew, the whole kitchen was in my inventory. Now it wouldn't have been too bad to move it back into place. It was only one piece. But it came with the scripted sink. And because I couldn't align it back with the water, it wasn't working. I didn't know what to do. I felt so terrible about sending the poor builder another IM, but I had no choice. I was so guilty that I only said in my message that the sink wasn't working. I was too embarrassed to tell her what I'd done, but I knew she'd probably figure it out. Well, of course, she did, but she was very nice about it. She'd done some of those very same things she told me and even worse but only in the first week she's been in SL, not after 3 years. But she was actually very understanding, and I thanked her profusely.

So now I have my house on my island, and I am looking forward to decorating and furnishing it. I am a bit hesitant about touching it too much. I am just too dangerous when it comes to houses. SL really needs to add an "undo" function to its options. For now, I will keep the builder's card handy and also my friends who build. And I will also look into those classes, but I do have a feeling my aptitude does not lie in that area. Not everyone is skilled in SL building. And, of course, my story is not yet over. Even as I try to end this, I had one last incident at the house. While putting out a table to prepare for a dinner party, I was changing its texture to darken the wood to match the rest of my decor when somehow I also changed the texture on two of my walls. Now I wait to hear back from the builder yet again. I am thinking to myself that while I always imagined moving into a home in SL would be so much simpler than moving into one in real life, that is not necessarily true, at least not for the SL skill challenged like me. But I will keep trying because practice is supposed to make perfect and even in the virtual world, that is probably true.

Moving Out - SL Style

Circumstances just turned out that I will have to give up my skybox in Second Life shortly and find a new home. I have moved several times since I've started SL, but for some reason, this feels like it will be the hardest relocation for me. Maybe because I was the most attached to this place. I'm sure I will find something new and possibly even better, although I may have to spend more than I'd planned. I actually have been very lucky in that I've had free office and home space for so long thanks to the AVL/CVL. And it's not that I mind paying so much. It's just hard to start over again, but I'm sure it will also be fun and a nice new start. I just tend to dislike change and take things a bit seriously, two traits that are really not compatible with SL which is a very changeable and non-serious place. What's nice is that I've already had offers from some good friends about rentals and even places to stay for free while I'm land hunting. I did rent a space already but am not too sure it will be permanent.

My real life friends and husband both think I'm crazy to spend so much time and express so much angst over this situation, but some of my SL friends understand. It's almost like I'm losing my real life home. And anyone who has moved in real life, can understand how disruptive it can be.

I can remember sitting on my gazebo last summer as the sun set looking over at my pond as my swan swam across it and thinking how peaceful it was. It made me feel nice just to have a spot away from the craziness and stresses of real life just for a few moments to myself. And then when I hung my Christmas stockings over my fireplace mantle this Christmas and put up my virtual tree, it was nice to decorate in SL and it added to my holiday cheer. I was looking forward to spring planting soon and I know I can still do it elsewhere, but I will have to say goodbye to this particular place. And I am reminded once again that life is full of goodbyes to people . . to places . . . in SL and RL. I'll get over it, but I'm still sad ):

No Resolutions This Year

Every year on New Year's Eve I make a list of resolutions that I end up breaking within the first few days of the New Year, so I decided not to bother this year. Yes, there are things I'd like to accomplish and it's true it always helps to have goals. Yet resolutions should be ongoing and not just once a year plans.


2009 was not a very good year for me. I was sick quite often and developed asthma for which I was hospitalized this past summer for a week. Although I published my first novel, "Cloudy Rainbow" in 2008, sales were not wonderful, and I have not been motivated to either promote it or complete a follow-up book. Due to my health issues and needing more time for myself, I also made the decision to resign from my position as publisher of the online magazine, RezLibris, which was aimed at librarians in the virtual world of Second Life. I don't regret that decision, but there's always a little sadness when you give up something that's been important in your life especially when it is hard to find someone to take over your position.

So other than trying to find ways to relax more, take better care of myself, and stay healthier in 2010, I'd also like to enjoy my five year old daughter more (she's hinted at a trip to Disney World for her 6th birthday next fall which I think will do us all good), find more time for friends, and maybe I'll be inspired at some point to start writing again or, if not, that can always be my resolution for another year. For this year, being healthy and happy is my priority, and I wish that for all of you, as well.

Reality Can be the Perfect Fantasy

My daughter just celebrated her fifth birthday at the end of October. Her party was at a farm because she loves horses. It wasn't the best day weather-wise, but she and her little friends all got to take pony rides, feed baby animals, and listen to animated chickens sing the birthday song (she even got up and did a chicken dance). Just a week earlier, she had been thrilled to lose her first baby tooth and receive a dollar bill from the tooth fairy (inflation has caused the TF to increase her allowances). She was also busy this week with a Halloween party in her Kindergarten class where she dressed up as, what else, a horse. She also went back one day to her pre-school for a Halloween parade and then ended the week with trick-or-treating in the horse costume for yet another time. It was fun seeing her get all excited, although I do have to admit it was a bit exhausting for me.

Besides her birthday party at the farm, my daughter also went on a field trip with her school the day before to another farm where she said the kids got to pick pumpkins and even milk cows. She told me her cow didn't give her any milk, but she still enjoyed trying to get some. My daughter has a way with words already, but I guess it's in the genes. I showed her my farm in Farmville on Facebook, and she was so excited when one of my friends gave us a horse. But then she wanted to ride it, and I had to explain that, while you could do that in Second Life and some other games you can't do that in all games.

Next year, my daughter informed me, after she'd asked if there were anymore new gifts that I hadn't shown her, that she wants her sixth birthday party in Disney World. Will it cost too much, she wants to know, to fly her whole class there? And can we just please look at their party room?

Well, I have to say, I am tempted by the idea. I've taken out some books from the library and even showed Holly around a replica of Disney World in Second Life. She wanted to go in Cinderella's castle but was disappointed when all that she saw there were shops. She got bored, so I told her to wait for the real thing. Sometimes reality is more interesting than fantasy, but often a mixture of both can be the best combination. I can't wait until next year.

Exhibiting at a Virtual Writer's Expo

Although my book , Cloudy Rainbow, was published late last fall, I missed the spring writer's exibition in Second Life. I visited it, though, and was impressed by what I saw -- the number of authors who participated and the many opportunities for promotion. I vowed I would get involved when another event was planned. So when I heard that the Autumn Writer's Exhibition (AWE) was open, I applied for an exhibit space and was given a free tent to put up my work. I already had a poster of the cover of my book with links to my website, http://debbiedelouise.com/ and a few note cards that I had used when I'd done some virtual book talks for book groups in Second Life, so I used that as the focal point of the exhibit. Then, since rainbows is a big part of my book and one of the words in its title, I added a rainbow above a comfortable book seat where visitors could sit while visiting the tent.

While this is my first time exhibiting at a virtual writer's expo, I am hopeful that it won't be the last. I don't expect to sell a lot of books through this promotion, but you never know. It also helps to network with other writers, attend the numerous events that are also offered, and just have fun. Where else can you have this type of opportunity for free?

For more information on the Autumn Writer's Exposition, see http://www.writtenword.org.uk/

Home Sweet Virtual Home

There are many people who never have homes in Second Life or any other virtual world and, I have to admit, I did question the importance of having one when I first joined over two years ago. It seemed strange to want to have a place when you wouldn't spend much time there (or, at least I didn't expect to spend too much time there when I joined). But I guess the same reason people buy real homes are the same ones that persuade virtual residents to create their own cozy virtual nests -- to have a place to call "home" (especially useful to change clothes in SL); to have a place to invite friends (and hold those wild SL parties if you're so inclined); to have a spot to display your art, hobbies, or other interests as long as they don't take up too many of those precious prims that we are all so short of and that in real life are equivalent to space; and, in some cases, to have a place to share with a SL partner as one would a husband, wife, or family in real life.

I've had several virtual homes so far. Since I've moved a few times, I've changed homes with each move. I've also accidentally taken up my homes and decided to replace them with new places rather than having to bother putting them out again and figuring out where everything goes (a good excuse to redecorate). Currently, I have a new home that was built for me by a friend who heard of my plight when I took up my last home while changing clothes. He told me there was a way to lock my prims so I wouldn't keep having these accidents, so I might just be stuck with this place for awhile. I actually don't mind because it's rather cozy and fits well in my skybox.

It's really amazing to see what people do with their virtual homes. Virtual interior and exterior decorating is really a unique art form. And virtual builders also do an incredible design with so many house styles. Virtual gardening and landscaping is also a major pasttime, as is decorating one's home for the holidays. So put out those welcome mats, fresh prim flowers, and glasses of wine, it's time to toast your virtual home sweet home even if it's only on your computer screen.