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!

Finding Your Special Place in SL

My real birthday is May 9 which falls on Mother's Day this year. In second Life, the day my avatar, Dulcie, was "born" or what residents refer to as a Rez Day is March 6. I like to celebrate both days, as many people do. I don't always do anything big, although I've had a few Rez day parties. For my real birthday, I also like to do something in SL. It's always nice to have an excuse for a party or celebration, and there are so many places to dance, explore, or just have a good time with friends.

When trying to plan a place to go, I wanted to try some place different than the old standby, the Jazz Cat on Info Island International, although I always enjoy going there, as do many of my fellow SL librarian colleagues and friends. I asked for some recommendations but, of course, just like asking for a book recommendation, everyone's taste is different. I also checked SL blogs and the Destination Guide. I didn't really know exactly what I was looking for, but I thought I'd know it when I saw it. The problem was that there were too many choices, and I really wanted to visit each one to see what they were like.

I saw a play advertised, Alice in WonderSland, and thought that might be fun to try, but it wasn't performed on the day that worked best for me. I also considered a SL cruise that one of my friends had tried aboard the SS Galaxy or even a more daring voyage on the HRS Titanic. But when I visited Foxxie's Ballroom and Jazz Club in Shadowfox, I felt that I'd found the place where I wanted to celebrate. In addition to a really breathtaking ballroom of gold, silver, and black, the grounds of the Shadowfox sim feature lovely gardens scattered with dance balls, a gazebo, and a pretty lake with swans. You can take a hot air balloon or horsedrawn carriage tour of the area, have a free photo taken, row a rowboat on the lake, and, of course, shop. As far as dancing, the Ballroom has a strict formal dress code, but it is a classy place and worth the effort. Besides most ladies love to take out their gowns from inventory every once in awhile or buy a new one for the occasion, and men can always find a tuxedo tucked away in their inventories.

So next year, I may celebrate my Rez Day or birthday by seeing a play or taking a Second Life cruise or maybe I'll find another nice place or even just stay home, but, this year, I will enjoy a special night at Foxxies. I am looking forward to it.

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.