Off and Away: See You Later!

I will not be here in SL with everyone until Sept. 3. as I (and my typist) will be going overseas for a while...to do...some things...

I will see you all when I get back!

Try to stay out of trouble. Those folks who that statement applies to know who they are!


Off to adventure!

Dancing a Jig

I was showing Marcell my home, and we were trying on different costumes...we both ended up in tartans. He tapped his foot to the beat as he played his bagpipes and I danced a jig:

Maiko Presentation Ceremony

I put on one of my best kimono and joined Marcell at the Amatsu Okiya's fourth minarai to maiko ceremony for Amaterasu Demina and Veritas Veloce. Minarai are in a stage of learning about the geisha arts from their older sister (oneesan, like theirs--Cesti Dagostino) before becoming maiko, who are apprentice geisha. Minarai>Maiko>Geisha.Veloce-san told a story about Prince Yamato Take, and then they both performed a dance as Okasan Suzanne Logan accompanied them on the koto.
Marcell introduced me to the Okasan, and everyone enjoyed a champagne reception to congratulate the new maiko...
I was given a tour of the lovely grounds by minarai Emeriselle Theas-san...And here I am sitting in the courtyard of the Blue Lotus Okiya...

American Cancer Society Island

I've posted before about my involvement in the SL Relay for Life and what it meant to me. I received a LM to the American Cancer Society's Island and thought I would visit it. One of the first things I found upon my arrival was this large Tree of Hope... Taking a moment to leave a wish in the book...
So many have been touched by this disease and have lost loved ones and friends...
I went into the main welcome center where you can find more information. There is also info about a survivors group that meets there (all are welcome to attend). I walked around the grounds and thought it was a beautiful and peaceful place.
I hope that more of you visit, whether to take solace or learn how you can help to make a difference.

SL Bloggers Party: Superheroes Kick...You Know...

As if Caledon hasn't been keeping me running enough all weekend, I headed over to the SL Bloggers party hosted by JellyBean Madison and her husband, HawksRock Gunawan (as Super Girl and "V" in the center). Everyone looked great in their superhero (and villain!)costumes as we grooved away in the "Hall of Justice." Wish I could've stayed longer, but I had to hop to the next party! You can check out Tiana Meriman's video of it here.

(Like I needed an excuse to wear my skimpy Wonder Woman costume...How does she kick butt practically half-naked like that???)

WTF LL for the Day: 8/18

WHERE ARE MY WALLS? Hey, where is my SKIRT? This was not just a matter of waiting for things to rez. Today was pretty bad. I hope it'll be fine by the time of the big ball tonight. Arrrgh!

Blue Lotus Okiya

My friend Marcel invited me to come see the Blue Lotus Okiya (geisha house), where his SL sister is a jr. geisha. I thought the okiya was stunning, and on the water when you arrive there were little floating paper lanterns as part of a festival. Marcell was dressed as a samurai in kamishimo and hakama trousers, with double swords and a naginata. He told me that his friend FerrettHerder Kitsune created the very well-made shaved topknot hair. I thought he looked fantastic in both that and his armor later.We walked through the grounds looking at the performance stage, tea room, bath house, and meditation areas. We had the place to ourselves as the geisha and their okasan (female head of the okiya) were not present. I would love to see a performance there one day. We talked about our love of Akira Kurosawa films (Rashomon, Seven Samurai, Sanjuro, Yojimbo, Ran...).
He teased me about my high heels, asking me if I wanted to change them. My vanity got the best of me as I got caught in some lag and flipped over the edge of a cliff into the water and needed to be tp'd out. Such is SL. Here is Marcell in his armor...
"You just can't leave without buying a kimono!" he said, so I bought this beautiful furisode. I think he was right...He explained that the okasan tries to be as traditional as possible, in that her geisha are not escorts, it is not a club and nothing "funny" is allowed between geisha and guests. I find the concept of keeping the geisha tradition alive and well here in SL to be a good thing, as it is dying as an art form in Japan itself...Kyoto being one of the last places to find them. It's a shame really as so many, such as master kimono makers and wigmakers, are affected by it. I hope it is being documented or passed down...
I had a wonderful time.

Return to Vista del Mar

I went to my home Vista del Mar for the first time in a week or so since the "troubles" began.

There is something nice about having a home to go to in SL. I realized I had missed seeing it and its familiarity had a comforting feeling to it. I've been bouncing around in Caledon, using the carriage house in Mayfair as my temporary home as Vista's sim had been horrible to come into and start off from lately. When I switched my home location to Caledon, I didn't have as many problems for some reason.

It was nice to see my bunny Lag again, the artwork on the wall, my shields and Spartan helm, the teahouse, and all of my souvenirs from my explorations within SL. I forgot that I had hung a great photo that Gryffin had taken of me ("Madame Electricidad") for the Steampunk contest.

Ahhh...it's good to be home again.

Also, um, I hate the new comm window set-up. Arrgh. *smacks forehead*

An Ode to SL

I composed this little poem...

An Ode to Second Life

Oh, SL, what shall we do?
LL what is wrong with you?
When our sims just crash and burn
And we're ruthed at ev'ry turn?
Our items gone,
Our projects lost.
It's a price we pay
But at what cost?
Lagging, glitchy, missing, awry...
Our problems we can not deny
Patience thin
Expletives hurled
Despite it all...
See you in-world!

TWO SL Blogs? Are Ya Crazy?

Someone once asked me, "Why two SL blogs?" Easy...This one was actually the first, older one that I've been keeping since I started SL and I really like to write. Doing a posting doesn't take forever, you know. In this blog, elinsl, it's a more general one. Relaxed rules. I cuss. I wear jeans and show more skin. Sometimes I have photos that just aren't right for the other. I work out and through things in this one. It's the equivalent of my true SL diary and I'm not as...polite.

In my Caledon one...I am Miss Eladrienne Laval. Still me personality-wise, but more polite. While Caledon isn't necessarily RP, certain "rules" do apply more or less and the "voice" of that blog is different. You won't find a photo of me laid out on the ground with a shot of whisky in my hand on that one (maybe). I spend a lot of time there and found that I wanted the split so that it was very clear.

So, ta-da, that's it and that's why.

WTF LL for the Day

I don't even have a picture for this one. I was crashy. TPs wouldn't work at all. I spun in circles in one place for quite awhile (although I could send and receive IMs go fig), and when I logged back in, let's just say that I didn't quite look like myself. The main SL site said the grid had been taken offline for maintenance.

Oh..my?

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

I called it off with a very close friend that I've known and cared about ever since I was a noob here in SL. I realized I just couldn't be what we had contemplated for our future.

It really hurt how it went down and I know I hurt him. It sucked and was really ugly...

Theory
Into love, and out again,
Thus I went, and thus I go.
Spare your voice, and hold your pen--
Well and bitterly I know
All the songs were ever sung,
All the words were ever said;
Could it be, when I was young,
Some one dropped me on my head?
--Dorothy Parker

I'll never forget your falling off the deck of my first little house by the water and wish you well in life, both real & Second...this really really hurts...

Another Venture Into Gor

I'm sorry I don't have pics this time, as it's very rare that I go into Gorean sims, but I went with Tele to look at weapons for Caledon's fighting academy. We switched locations from the Cay (we were worried about taking out ferry passengers while trying to test our new longbows), and ran into a problem with them (that had an embarassingly simple solution). I had a chance to meet their creator, Tharkis Olafson--who was very nice--and I will tell you that he makes fantastic weapons!

I tested out my new longbow later and this one is quite different from the others that I own. Your arrows are not unlimited--forcing you to reload, and your distance is determined by how long you draw it back. To me, you can feel its resistance as you do. It also has really great sound effects to accompany it. Definitely for a skilled archer. While a bit slower and not made to run with due to its size, I think it is a more accurate and realistic weapon. Really nice actually.

The fighting arena and practice area at Loch Avie are even closer to being ready. VERY exciting!

SLNN Article: AVIX Bought Out BY JT Financial

My most recent SLNN article:

JT Financial Buys Out AVIX Stock Exchange

A Lovely Pic

I just thought I'd post this pretty photo of me with my friend Hy admiring the sunset yesterday...

Zen's Silent Hill Project

My friend Zen invited me to see a scripting project he had been working on for someone--a haunted house...more specifically, Silent Hill's Brookhaven Hospital. As you wander the bloodspattered hallways, you get to explore the different rooms, some with puzzles.

Nothing like fishing around in a pool of blood while in a fancy dress!

See it for yourself here.

WTF LL for the Day

Downloaded the latest update complete w/viewer.

Yup.

My Menswear Shop

I realized I didn't announce my shop here in elinsl...

I sell really luxurious vests and clothing for men made with RL vintage and bespoke fabrics. They are "considered" Victorian/1800s, but would work well on a modern guy too. I've been seen around out in the world wearing them with jeans and boots, no shirt or a cami underneath, so they look really great on us women too!

I'll be opening a second one in Caledon Regency soon, and will also sell women's dresses, etc., next door there.