Being Yordie Sands

My e-Books

2012-02-03T09:32:00.000-08:00

Just a note and link. I'm adding the stories related to my novel, Repubblica (a working title), in an e-book on issuu.com. My plan is to continue to serialize the stories in the blog for now.

Taking A Look At Victorian Era

2012-02-02T09:40:00.000-08:00

In my other blog I wanted to illustrate my story with a photo of lead character Annabella. Seeing as the story is set in the Victorian Era, I scrambled around looking for inexpensive Victorian dresses.

I found several in the L$200 price range. And seeing as all I wanted was one pic for the story, I jumped in and bought one, but it got stuck in delivery so I bought another. Anyway, I ended up with two inexpensive dresses and used one for the story, and that was that. Btw, I spent an hour or so fiddling around with Annbella's avi, so if you look carefully you'll see that she's not me (check it).

Somewhere along the way, I fell in love with the elegance of the Victorian era. I know those could be very uncomfortable clothes beneath the surface, but wow are they pretty. I took a few extra photos and put together a little composite of two of them. That's all, just that these are pretty.

These photos are me, however.

This is my only steampunk
outfit, but I love it.
There be a gun under my skirt.

When people in Second Life talk about Victorian Era, there's almost an automatic connection with Steampunk.

And I too am very fascinated with Steampunk. In fact, I've been making some fly-bye's over at Caledon lately.

I'm not sure if I have the drive to hurl myself into the whole Steampunk roleplay scene, but it seems like something that would fit into my second life.

I learned a lot about role play during the writing of my story about samurai and geisha. Some of the lessons were very painful and for this reason I'm not sure how far I can go. As Leanna would say though, time will tell.

Above The Clouds

2012-02-01T06:15:00.000-08:00

I had that desire to get out on the Blake Sea last night. I love the way this new boat just glides across the sea and wanted to see what she'd do on the vast expanse of Blake. So, I started out and got some cool pics along the way. Then something happened.

Yeah, just a normal day with me and my speedboat.
/me smiling from ear to ear
I really love this racing across the water and all.

I was keeping an eye of the waters, heading to Tromp Island,
when I saw a discoloration below, so I slowed.
Below there seemed to be some type of structure.

I used my Dad's glass bottom bucket to look below the surface,
and sure enough there were ruins and
an amazing region to go scuba diving and exploring.

I made a note that it was off the western coast of Nautilus,
then, to use another of my Dad's expressions,
"poured the coal to her." *giggles*

I saw a video interview of Strawberry Singh the other day. She's a totally cool girl and in the interview she was asked about where she found the time to do all the amazing things she does in Second Life. Her remarks were encouraging to anyone who is feeling like they are addicted, she says SL is her only hobby and she enjoys it very much. Period. This is the kind of thing I've come to like about Berry, she really knows what she wants out of Second Life.

I mention Berry's POV because I look at myself in the photos, zooming across a virtual sea and equating it in my mind with experiences from my past, racing across real seas. I find myself thinking, geez, I'm so simple minded thinking that I'm feeling that real life sensation. Of course, it's not real life but it does evoke that whole immersive experience.

Anyway, I continued my cruise as the night came down.
I headed for the moon lighting the way.
I had the throttle down, wind in my hair,
engines making those cool macho sounds.

When you cross sims at high speeds you are always at risk.
Usually, if you just ride it out your boat will right itself,
but last night we were headed into the sky.
I rode it out till we reached 80,000 meters then
I tried to bail but I couldn't.

Sailing and boating in Second Life is so cool, but no one is clever enough or lucky enough to just keep zooming around forever. This was a particularly long journey at high speeds, all the way from Martha's Vineyard to deep in the western Blake Sea. I did this because I'm trying to find out more about what the limitations are. I had several bad sim crossings but his was maybe the 8th one and it was terminal. Still, I had a great time.

If you don't know the fun of zooming across the virtual sea, don't wait. Get one of these sweet little Street Dancer class 35' boats at Marketplace, search for "MM SD35", only L$0.

DJ Tabasco Sauce @ Junkyard Blues

2012-01-30T11:17:00.000-08:00

Saturday night Dina Petty asked me to host on Sunday. DJ JC was off and she arranged for DJ Tabasco Sauce to spin from noon till 3:00pm. Well, hey! I've still got some hosting blood in my veins. And I'm a DG. And yo, I want to support Junkyard Blues. So, sure I was honored to host. And I did.

I'd never heard Tabasco Sauce spin before, but he is a real deal Cajun and when I read that he plays blues and Cajun and, my favorite of all, Zydeco, I was amped. So, Tabasco and I met up at the JY before the show and got all sync'd and ready to roll. He was surprised to see that I'd dressed sorta in his Cajun biker style, so we hit it off great. And once Tabasco opened the show I had a blast listening to that deep voice of his and the great set he put together. Yay Mr. Sauce!

DJ Tabasco Sauce is a big Cajun dude
with a big voice and a cool howl:
AAAAAAAAA.... EEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

There was between 30 and 50 peeps in the Yard
for the full three hours of our show.
That's me lower center in black.

I was a little nervous. I haven't hosted in over a year and didn't know if I'd be able to keep up with all the goings on. Fortunately there were some Dreamgirls in the crowd and that made me feel a little more confident. Anyway, the tunes were great, the place was hoppin' and I was thrilled to help Tabasco get rolling at the Junkyard.

Unfortunately, I didn't get many photos.

The Stories Have Begun

2012-01-30T06:51:00.000-08:00

I'm ready to begin telling stories related to my novel in my blog Yordie Sands Notebook. The stories introduce background material for the novel. I hope you'll take a look at the first story, The Penniless Man (told in 3 parts). I'm really not sure about breaking the story into three episodes, so please let me know what you think. Yay, the novel has begun (after 10 years of research).

"Followers List" Broken

2012-01-30T01:50:00.000-08:00

I've learned that my "Followers List" is broken for some people using Google to "Join" or use options. It is also broken for me, but not my backup author. And I've found you can Join this site by using Twitter.

I have reported this problem to Google but so far there's no interest. I like my new blog alot better, but I'm stuck with Google & Blogger for this blog. I'm sorry for inconvenience, believe me I've tried to resolve this.

The Sea Girl

2012-01-27T15:33:00.000-08:00

Ok, I love The Biscuit, but it's so big I feel like a pixie sitting in the cockpit. Also, it's brown and I'm more of a color kinda girl. Otoh, I love those big 500hp A.E. engines sitting on the stearn. And the A.E. rounabout will let me carry up to 5 passengers. Yay, Seabiscuit.

So, I was looking for something a little less macho. The tradition of naming boats and ships after women doesn't mean the boat itself has a feminine look and feel, but some boats are just the right size and have just the right look to be a little bit girly.

Anyway, I was looking at really expensive boats. I used SL Marketplace and just started at the top and worked my way down. I got through maybe 50 pages of boats, then decided to try the other end. I started with the freebies. And after only a couple pages I found this really nice looking inboard runabout (search for "MM SD35").

This is me gunning those big inboard engines of
The Sea Girl.

The Girl has a really nice feel to it
and will fly across the water, but
I don't know how many passengers she'll carry.

When I got back to the dock
I gave The Girl a paint job.
I think this girl is the red kind.

This boat is a "Street Dancer" design by Michie Yokosuka. And you cannot beat the price @ L$0. I'm half expecting some kind of expiration date to kick in and poof away she goes forever. There are some things missing, a skipper's HUD with speed gauge and such, so I was going to head over to Michie's store today and see if there's a more advanced version of the boat for sale there.

Sadly, I discovered that the creator's store was no longer open. I checked her profile and discovered it had been closed since 1/12/2011. I rechecked her Marketplace store and discovered she is apparently giving away all of her products for L$0. When I realized this, I had that sinking feeling that there might be another very sad story there.

I've got some great boats and love all of them, Somebody's Baby, Seabiscuit and now, The Sea Girl. I'm still mulling the name, btw. I love the Seattle Seahawks and their cheerleaders are The Sea Gals. I'm thinking maybe The Sea Gal would be hawt. Ah! So much to think about. /me smiles

I Found The Blue Crystal

2012-01-26T11:41:00.000-08:00

There was no shoot'em up. There were monsters trying to kill me, but I didn't have to blast them with an RPG. There were quests and they were simple enough for me to figure them out. It took me about two hours (I know, I'm kinda lame as a gamer) to finish my final quest, "Find the Blue Crystal." Also, I made about L$20 for my effort. Yessie, last night I played Linden Realms -- I think the particular game was Summoning Circle -- and I had fun! Yay!

I forgot the name of the dude who was sending me on my quests,
but this is his workshop. /me smiles

That's me in relative safety, getting a map check.
I ran around for two hours jumping over monsters.
I think I went through portal "III" to here.

I want to testify here. This is something Linden Lab did really well. I was sooo skeptical, but once I got into the swing of things I got swept away. I stopped several times to just observe, but mostly I ran around and jumped and grabbed all the crystals I could find. Hardcore gamers would fall asleep in LR, but this little game has a purpose. I had to use all my basic skills to avoid getting killed over and over again, as I scurried around the six or eight sims (lost count).

Oh, this is funny, once when I stopped a newbie girl said outloud, I'm so tired and I haven't found any money yet. So, I gave her L$4 (my earnings at that point). She was amazed. hehehehe. I suppose she could have been panhandling, and now she'll be back there every night trying her line out. But maybe she was just tired and a little kindess of strangers helped.

Bravo LL!

A Course To SS Galaxy

2012-01-25T11:09:00.000-08:00

I keep saying this, but it's something I like saying, I'm a girl of the sea. (I know, what am I doing in Idaho!) Anyway, my human's dad used to let her hold his boats on compass course while he plotted our next waypoint on the charts. I suppose this is where my fascination with maps came from. So, here's why I mention this, I'm plotting a course to SS Galaxy on the southern seas.

Plotting a course from
Marblehead to SS Galaxy
(click map for full view)

Today I took a dry run on this course. I tp'd into Marblehead, rezzed my speedboat Seabiscuit, then wended my way along the winding path across 18 sims to SS Galaxy.

I made the trip at an average speed of ~7knots and it took about a half hour. Yay! Don't scoff, an outing like this can be a demanding experience.

Why did I go so slow?

The Biscuit can fly across sims in seconds when the turbos are on max; it can push past 85knots even.

But, again and again I'm discovering that the SL seas can be very unpredictable at any speed, and predictably disastrous at high speeds. Sim crossings are bad when just walking but when it seems the additional load of boats, cars and airplanes creates extra challenges.

So, if you wish to experience the joys of boating, you have to adapt your behavior.

Yordie skippering Seabiscuit out of Marblehead

Seabiscuit approaches the massive SS Galaxy

I'm planning to try the course again soon at a time of day with higher traffic, then again during a weekend day. I'd like to take one or two passengers on the next trip, and ideally a full load (me and five passengers) on the next. So if you are reading this and you'd like to join me, let me know and I'll arrange a trip. I plan to use voice though, so you need to at least be able to hear voice.

The reason for all these test runs is secret. /me blushes with a serious look.

Out On The Grid

2012-01-23T09:53:00.000-08:00

Maps and globes fascinate me. And the map of the Grid is especially interesting to me. When I look at the Grid I see a vast ocean with thousands of islands. And when I see that ocean my thoughts turn to boating and exploring. But the reality is, most of those open blue areas aren't passable ocean; very few areas on the grid are inter-connected.

Look how small even the mainland continents are.
That circle is the Blake Sea area and
I believe the JY sims are to the west in the vastness.
(click picture for larger view)

The Grid was on my mind a couple weeks ago when I decided to go boating around the Junkyard Blues sims. The Junkyard is a well designed community of twelves sims with 10 outer sims forming it's own little sea and helping make this area a wonderland by most SL standards. But as I struggled with sim crossings (sim crossings are a chronic problem everywhere), I thought about how cool it would be to turn the boat to northeasterly course, and make my way home to the New England islands.

Boating around the Junkyard sims in The Biscuit.

For people who want private little islands, the lack of inter-island connection is a good thing. But for those of us who seek the openness of the seas, it means the vast world of the Grid is so much smaller than it could be. Still, when you look ahead of you, it doesn't take much to imagine what might lay just up ahead.

Heading to the southern end of the JY,
I was tempted to push the throttle up to full,
but instead thought about heading home by sea.

Heading Down The Road

2012-01-22T19:43:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks have pulled me into very trying situations. The things I value about Second Life have been challenged. The second life I've lived is laid out on a cold examination table. I've felt my entire identity under stress. A friend of mine has the following ominous comment in her profile:

"The trust of the innocent is the liar’s most useful tool." ~~Stephen King

I've found myself in a cycle of trust and mistrust. I've found myself piecing together a puzzle. Many parts are missing and I know it will never be complete, but I've learned to trust my point of view. I've relearned the power of a very simple idea:

"Don't invalidate the power of your own observations." ~~Unknown

Considering that Second Life is a "game", it's hard to acknowledge the emotional toll it can take on you. And when you are in the middle of those emotions, it's hard to see closure. But it is possible to find closure, even here. Some leave SL forever, some become cynical, some learn life lessons and continue on.

In all that has gone one, I've been surprised at the strength I've found within myself. I've realize that I can find the things I want in SL. I am happy with the person I am. I like the roles I've chosen to live. And the call of the open road is strong in my spirit again.

DJ Frog Spinnin'

2012-01-20T10:23:00.000-08:00

DJ Frog Levasseur is one of those old friends I caught up with lately. Frog and I go way back and I suppose it's fair to say we've had a tempestuous friendship /me blushes.

Anyway, in the Summer of 2010, Frog had the idea he'd like to learn how to be a disc jockey. And he needed a place to experiment with the tools, so, since I had a little cafe that was usually empty, that's where he started practicing.

This past week I went to several of Frog's shows at well known blues clubs and I was so impressed at how far he's come in such a short period of time. The night Frog debutted a lot of people said, "He's a natural." In fact, I doubt anyone has ever been more suited to a job than Frog is being DJ. DJ need to have expert knowledge of the music genres they play, but also they need a special charm to weaving magic spells.

DJ Frog has got it all. You go Frogster! (I still prefer "Froggie".)

I caught up with Froggie one afternoon
performing for a very large crowd (he draws'em in)
@ Junkyard Blues

And there he was, looking good,
talking sexy in that seductive voice of his.
Lawdy, lawdy the ladies love him. hehe

A few days later, I tracked DJ Frog down again,
spinning for a bluesy biker crowd
@ The Crossroads.

DJ Frog Levasseur
Spinning tunes, spinning yarns,
charming the socks off the guests.
/me giggles

It was great catching up with Froggie. The funny thing is, we haven't spoken in a long time and I was so happy to learn how much enjoyment he has found in this profession. Yeah, it's really a Second Life profession isn't it? You can't explain this kind of thing to people who've never lived in SL. But if you talk to Frog, about the work he's put into this profession, I think anyone would be impressed. I sure am.

Great show Frog! Supa'sta'!

Here's a little trip down memory land with the DJ Frog posts.

Yordie Sands Notebook

2012-01-19T20:05:00.000-08:00

I have begun. The blog Yordie Sands Notebook has been inaugurated. I feel good about focusing on the basic idea behind this blog, it's the story of my life as an avatar. I think this new approach will be cool. It can also be a lifeboat if I continue to have new problems with Blogger.

Btw, I've been told that some people have had problems posting comments. I too have had this problem and haven't been able to reply to a couple of them. It's just weird.

Taking To People

2012-01-19T12:02:00.000-08:00

I've spent a lot of time talking to people lately. I've been renewing old friendships, repairing broken ones, and learning about some new friends too. I've spoken with more bloggers and writers than in the past, and that has been especially stimulating. And I've been reminded blogging is something I want to do better.

I had an email exchange with blogger Crap Mariner a couple months ago. I'd been reading his 100 Word Stories and we chatted about his basic theme, "keep it brief." My takeaway was, in the world driven by multitasking to the nth degree, people look for stories to fit the pace they live. And I've been giving this a lot more thought (yes, I think... sometimes *silly smile*).

Then there's my inventory of unpublished posts, I have dozens. I haven't published because they just don't fit the theme and format of this blog. I tried to define the content of this blog in my Content Twists... post. However, in the past few days I've decided to go a step further and split the content of this blog with my other blog Yordie Sands Stories.

Going forward, Being Yordie Sands will continue to focus on exploring, entertainment, fashion and special people & special events but with a theme of discovery and entertainment. And Yordie Sands Stories (I'll prolly rename this) will be further repurposed to include a wide range of indepth stories and articles. Articles about blogging, writing, Linden Lab observations, viewers, real life issues and maybe some surprises will be featured.

I know what this blog should be.

I'll have to discover what the other blog should be. I might even talk about adult stuff there. /me smiles. Hope you enjoy.

SOPA Protest Continues

2012-01-18T17:59:00.000-08:00

The more I learn about SOPA and other things in the works in Congress, the more I feel inclined to add my voice to the outcry. I've changed my blog heading graphic. I'm not sure how long I'll keep it up, but at least a week. I am for publishers of intellectual property to be able to protect the things they own, but not with draconian measures which create laws that can be abused. Years can pass before a mistake can be rectified, so let's tread softly here, Congress!

Dra-co-ni-an
Adjective: (of laws or their application)
Excessively harsh and severe.
jus sayin

More LModels Photos

2012-01-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

I had a great time shooting pics of the LModels. I've uploaded about a dozen and a half photos on Flickr in a Fashion 2012 set. Hope you enjoy.

Here's some peeps in the audience.
Of course, that's me on the right --
I'm such a shameless showoff.

LModels Present Modero & Shey

2012-01-14T15:28:00.000-08:00

Here's the entrance to the Vero Modera & Shey Pose Fashion Show
presented by the amazing LModels Agency.

I was truly a fish out of water at a European style fashion show. Well, I'm pretty much a fish out of water at any fashion show. I've been to a total of three fashion shows, this being the third, the entire time I've been in Second Life. I'd have been to more but half of them were so bogged in lag I never saw anything.

The show was presented by the LModels Fashion Academy, Owner Lurdes Marville, Manager Diza Kira. When I arrived, lag was minimal and there were about 40 peeps on the sim, including SL fashion superstar Frolic Mills. Shortly after I arrived, the show began and I shot a huge number of pics but due to space limitations, here are a few photos that capture the essence of the show. Oh, one other thing, all the fashions were from Vero Modera or Shey Pose, but I didn't have time to get notes on each outfit.

Early up, Airesu Felix caught my eye.
I mean, wow, what a hot look for any guy!

And there were great women's fashions!
Here's Locuala Madruga (right) in an outfit I would die for.
The pants have a great look and flow.

And here is -- yes, she's really walking with her arms wide open --
Natzuka Miliandrovic and she's amazing.
And the dress! Omg, I adore this dress!!
((somebody please buy me this dress and take me dancing!))

The grand promanade
with the gorgeous Lurdes Marville in chocolate elegance.

This fashion show was an unexpected delight. I'm sure if I was a fashionista or attended more shows I could be more critical, but whad'd be the fun in that? And OMG, I have got to find that gorgeous red dress & boots worn by Natzuka Miliandrovic! I wish you could have seen this girl strut her stuff, I could watch her all night. You go girl!! A wonderful group of people enjoying a wonderful activity, what could be better than that? Just when you think SL doesn't have any surprises, find yourself a fashion show.

If you want to graduate in LModels, please feel free to contact Lurdes Marville or Diza Kira for more info.

ps: thanks for the invite Mik.

Phoenix 1.6.0.1600 Note

2012-01-13T16:09:00.001-08:00

Just a quick note about my experiences with Phoenix 1.6.0.1600 viewer.

First, I installed this version back when it became available (I didn't install the previous version, btw), and shortly after I began having some suprise crashes. So, I uninstalled and reverted to previous version.

Then a few days ago, I tried the 1.6 release again. Why? Well, I've found that somehow it can make a difference. I can't imagine why, but sometimes it's works if you give it another try. And that's how it was for me and my reinstall of 1.6, things have gone well so far. Yay! I've been in some high traffic areas and I've had no problems with crashing. I mention this because I've met several peeps who had similar problems to mine, and if you have too then I'd suggest trying 1.6 again.

Then there's this: blogger extraordinare Daniel Voyager reported that the first signs of an end to SL Viewer 1.23 are in motion. So, you may be ok with one of the Viewer 1 (e.g. Phoenix 1.6) clones for the near term, but the future is not clear going forward.

Assuming Viewer 1 will be phased out, I'm going to be exploring a variety of other third party viewers that use the V2/3 code base. I will probably start with Firestorm. I know, it's Viewer 2 interface but I want to see how much I can customize it, trying for something Viewer 1 friendly but don't have much hope for actual compatiblility.

About A Week

2012-01-11T20:25:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that a little over a week ago this blog seemed to be drangling from a cliff, infested with so many bugs and issues that were seemingly unresolveableable. Most of those issues remain unresolved, but the critical one, the ability to actually use Blogger is fixed.

So, I plan to continue blogging into 2012.

I have literally dozens of blog posts that are in draft or idea form. Unfortunately, several drafts are about events I should have written about right after the events occurred, like weddings, parties and so forth. It's that whole "over commit" thing again I fall into so fast. So, I'm sorry to say I have to stick most of those posts in the Not-Gonna-Do folder. And I appologize to friends who are waiting on those posts.

I need to creat time for true friends.

Showing Off My Digits

2012-01-09T11:01:00.000-08:00

The most amazing Strawberry Singh, call her Berry, has a most amazing blog and wonderful ideas.

I missed her post back in April, but she opened up a discussion about one of each SL girl's closely guarded secrets: her digits.

Berry's idea was to compare her Shapes digits to others willing to share. She was curious about how her avatar's shape compared to other women. She also has a men's avatar.

I was wildly curious, so I dropped my own numbers in to a table along side Berry's.

I created my own shape, btw and I'm on the 74th version.

If you check my shape, I'm sure you'll notice I'm majorly tall with majorly long legs. Yes, I know, it's outrageous but I just love it! The comparison to Berry did reveal that my head is much smaller than hers and I'm going to check into that right away. Maybe when I grew my long legs I lost some proportions.

A lot of women participated in this comparison but apparently some women didn't want to reveal these rather basic stats. One reader, Vanessa Blaylock, put it all in perspective:

"Here's her comment in full, "For those who encourage against sharing either on the grounds of individuality or copyright, I’d remind them that there are 100e78 possible female shapes in SL, or writing that out longhand, 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 possible female shapes."

Try it out yourselves, girlfriends! Dudes too!

Dragons in the Rice Fields

2012-01-08T16:07:00.000-08:00

Today was the 2nd performance of the Yume No Ukihashi Okiya, celebrating Japanese New Year. The show was billed as "When Dragons Ruled the Skies", performed in the rice fields of Japan Chubu, under the presence of the great Matsumoto Castle. And it was another unique production, with geisha hovering above and zooming over the rice fields in elaborate costumes, including bright glowing lights representing dragons fire.

I arrived early and moved aside as the ladies setup for the show. I have to say I was surprised that there was no seating for the audience. Also, as guests arrived they were dropped right in the middle of the show, in front of the audience. Unfortunately I was having some connectivity problems and crashed while trying to set my Sun. So when I returned, I had to wait to rerezzed, then tried to catchup with the story. I didn't get many photos but here are a couple I believe capture the essence of the show.

The geisha performed just above the rice fields.

The geisha danced as they flew around in a circle
with dragon heads and tails and wings.

Maiko Toshimaru (casiopia.marenwolf) directed the show, with minarai Mizuki (myeongwol), senior maiko Toshisono (jade.sharkfin), junior maiko Tamiko (rouge.lavendel), geico Toshiki (josiane.llewellyn), Toshikane (mikuru.baily) on shamisen, and okaasan Mizuko (kai.serapis).

Green Acres Lives!

2012-01-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

If you missed it, back in November 2011, the owners of Green Acres Golf Course were planning to shut the golf course down. During the holidays, I kinda lost track of a lot of goings on, but yesterday as I was cleaning out old landmarks, I noticed that Green Acres seemed to be open. So, I asked Morton what's what and and sure enough, he confirmed Green Acres is still open for business. That is a major YAY!

If you've never been there, or if you think SL golfing sounds silly, I suggest you give it a try. Yes, learning how to do everything on that first hole can be confusing, but after the first hole I promise you'll get the hang of it. And once you get the hang of it, I promise you'll discover the meaning of "immersion" in Second Life.

That's me when I first discovered the joys of
Green Acres Golf Course.
It was the 4th hole and I was immersed!

Need more information? Checkout Morton's blog. And if you fall in love with the experience at Green Acres, be sure to look for a discrete little sign on the 9th hole, it's a tip sign. Do as I do, show a little Linden Love to Morton & Kae. And see you at Green Acres!

Story Published As eBook

2012-01-08T03:49:00.000-08:00

This morning I published the role play story I wrote, The Samurai & the Geisha, as an ebook. I haven't done extensive editing or added any chapters, but it is now in an easy to read format for anyone so inclined to read it. I'm a bit nervous about the whole thing. Also, I'll be taking down the "A Story" tab now.

The Hosoi Empire of Edo Japan

Now I wish to invoke my rights as a novice at this and assure you I have no idea what I've done, only that I think this will work if you try it. And I will add a proper cover and stuff like that, just not today. /me rolls her eyes and wonders what the future holds.

Year of the Dragon!

2012-01-07T15:01:00.000-08:00

Night fills the world, as Okaasan Mizuko hovers in the sky, and
maiko's Toshisono (jade sharkfin) and Toshiharu (akiko omizu) dance.

It was the start of The Rising Sun Performance by the Yume No Ukihashi Okiya and directed by the exquisite Okaasan Mizuko 水子 (Kai Serapis). This was the first of the Japanese New Year's Celebration, or shōgatsu, a time of renewal. The performance was being staged at the great Kabuki Theater on the Kansai region of Hosoi Ichiba.

Each year I've attended the Hosoi Ichiba New Year celebrations, and each year it brought new delights. This year the program said, "Every year, the Japanese celebrate in many ways: by closing up shop, spending time with their loved ones and of course giving thanks to the special people who had guided them the year before. The image of the Rising sun represents the start of something new, something more spectacular then the day before. As we watched the sun rise on January 1st, we know this is yet another year for better beginnings." So, I closed up shop, so to speak, and went in search of my own new beginning.

Before the performance, my friend Jr. Maiko Akiko Omizu told me this was a very complicated performance, and I puzzled at her comment. But once the show began I saw what she meant. I hope my photos will convey some of the magic of this show.

Geiko Toshiki and Sr. Maiko Toshisono
brought lamplight and more dance into the night.

As dawn earliest morning rays peeked through the night sky,
Okaasan Mizuko made and onstage costume transition (wow!),
and continued the dance of renewal.

The Dragon can be seen and light pierces the into the morning haze
and the full troupe, joined by Toshimaru, danced in the new dawn.

In the final seen, the lovely performers of the Okiya danced in the sunshine
of a new year of better beginnings.

Okaasan ends show
and starts a new year

I wish somehow I could have captured the amazing dance stylings which when coupled with a wonderful musical selection created this magical, immersive performance. Much congratulations to this outstanding okiya which includes: senior maiko Toshisono (jade sharkfin), junior maiko Toshiharu (akiko omizu), geiko Toshiki (josiane llewellyn) and junior maiko Toshimaru (casiopia marenwolf). What a truly wonderful group of ladies and an amazing okaasan (mother), Mizuko (kai serapis)!

NOTICE: Celebrations continue...

The Rice fields of Japan Chubu
Sunday, January 8th @ 1 pm SLT
Japan Chubu sim, Hosoi Ichiba

Second Life Socialite Fizzles Out

2012-01-01T12:40:00.000-08:00

A lot of New Years Celebrations began on Friday. And by Friday night I was thinking this was gonna be a partay, partay weekend. In fact, by Saturday morning I had grand plans to go on a party rampage. After all, a Second Life Socialite has to really do her job. /me giggles.

I got all dressed up in my rampage clothes. I checked the maps for over a dozen clubs I like. I got myself psyched way up. Then dang, I got way too over-psyched.

So, instead of racing to dozens of places, I slowed down and kinda limped on home to the finish line. My big plan was to do my first West coast new years celebration, but I fizzled after sometime after East coast new years, fizzled and fizzled out. That's how my New Years ended, but wow, when I looked to all the photos from the two days I apparently had a lot more than I remembered. hehe. Check it.

I hadn't been to Key West Marina in awhile, so on Friday,
I returned and dropped into a huge Maxamillion Kleen crowd.
Max is one of my favorite live SL performers!

Also on Friday, I atteneded Jewels Osterham and Zachh Cale performances
at the Christmas Pavilion 2011, it's final show for the year.
Now, Truck & Ty plans for next year.

On Saturday night, Leanna and I headed over to a new club
called Tumbleweeds. Bluesy-rocker Straton Tigerpaw was spinning,
and a lot of familiar bluesy friends where there.

And how could I miss New Years at Junkyard Blues
with Miss Luci & The Posse!
My plan was to catch East Coast New Years at Ambrosia,
then return to the JY for West Coast New Years.

I arrived at Ambrosia just a little before East coast New Years.
There were 85 peeps on the sim but they wanted more, more, more.
Apparently, just after midnight, we reached the magic number
and brought the sim down in flames.

After the East coast New Years and Ambrosia sim crash, I beamed back into Second Life but by that time I was feeling the effects of way too much sake. I'd been drinking all evening and I was prolly drunk, I don't remember. Anyway, I ran out of steam and just poofed a short time later.

Nonetheless, all the carrying on and partying was a good way to move past a difficult year, 2011. Now, onward into 2012 and the end of the world (at least for the an extinct Mayan civilization). hehe

One Last Time...
HAPPY NEW YEARS!
Hugs & Luv

Skating in the New Year @ Cape Poge

2012-01-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

I got the invitation through group notice, skating party 1:00pm @ Cape Poge. I'd seen the island as I was motoring through the waters quite early one morning, but I didn't get a chance to explore it yet. And Sommer Sheperd told me about this area a couple weeks ago, so it was time to clean off my ice skates and head over for some fun.

What a gorgeous Winter sim.
Congrats to Sommer Sheperd!

That is me, of course, exquisite in my skating stylings,
although I definitely need a skating outfit
(more on this soon).

I even took my Calas cross country skiis and headed up the mountain.

And I posed in front of the big 2012 monument.
Isn't this the year the world ends or something?

HEY HEY HEY! PARTY CONTINUES, TODAY @2:00PM SLT

Getting Ready for New Years!

2011-12-31T15:39:00.000-08:00

Ok, I've been going through my closest all day, looking for something really hot for celebrating New Years.

Anyway, I got a feeling that sassy black would be my color to end this years.

Lawdy, lawdy, I hope I can make it till midnight cuz I've got a whole lot of running around I plan to do.

If I'm not able to crawl back to this blog anytime soon, just let me finish by saying:

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 2012 BABY!!

Hosoi Ichiba Warning

2011-12-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

Last night I received a group notice from Hosoi Ichiba, "To all ppl involved in Hosoi Estates. From now on I ask you to remove any face lights when on our estates. Also, warn every visitor only once. If the do not want to listen, eject and ban them. ...face lights are ruining our scenery and environment..." That is strong wording, so if someone at Hosoi asks you to turn off your face light, you need to listen or you'll be banned.

One Last Look at Christmas 2011

2011-12-29T12:35:00.000-08:00

It was a good Christmas. It was different than last year, but I was very happy. I got to spend more time with friends than ever before. I went to some great parties. And I did way too much shopping!

Oh, wow I loved winterizing the house for the seasons! And decorating the house for Christmas (I had to buy more prims even) was fantastic. And seeing friends homes all decorated with presents under the tree! I even took the Biscuit out for a run through the sims that make up New England Islands on Christmas morning.

Of course, I gave some gifts, got a few gifts and drank way too much wine. And I'm still making batches of sweet potato mini-pies. I didn't get pictures of everything, but here's one last look at my Christmas in pictures.

Leanna came over to deliver a gift and chat and drink wine. That's me wearing one of those beautiful and silly hats from GizzA.

I visited the homes of several friends. Here's a photo of me helping Marley make Christmas dinner. Checkout Marley's amazing kitchen! Luv it!

Naturally, I caught the Christmas party at the Junkyard. That's me on the left and Thunder on the right (yes, the right, that's him in drag... lawdy lawdy).

And here's Santa getting some of Fiery's sugar before that long haul around the world.

Here's Reed and me on Christmas day. Thank you baby for making this a great Christmas. Christmas is pretty cool in Second Life, no? Warmest wishes to you in the New Year.

Ok, I was out in my boat early, early on Christmas morning. And I caught this pic as morning was breaking over Marblehead. Yeah, that's Santa zooming out, trying to outrace the Sun.

During my first and second Christmases in SL, I used to chat with Aynnie as our Christmastime stress levels rose. I recall dreading the whole thing, but in the past couple years I've found something in Second Life Christmas that has helped wipe that stress out of SL and RL. Seriously! Go figure. If you don't know what Christmastime stress is, never mind. hehe

SL® - Looking Back, Looking Forward

2011-12-29T09:57:00.000-08:00

I've been seeing some really great year end reviews of Second Life® and the Lab. I particularly like Tateru Nino's analysis in her post, "A Good Year." Again and again, Tateru seems to have the pulse of what's going on at the Lab and her insights are a must read.

Looking Back at 2011
So, me being me, I want to say a few things and I promise not to blow my top about Viewer 2/3. I'm just focusing on three things that are especially significant to me.

1) Viewer 3 Is A Step In The Right Direction. Yes, I know, I went medieval on the product a couple weeks ago, but the turth is Viewer 3 is much better than Viewer 2. The problem is, it isn't enough, the product hasn't devolved enough.

2) LL Destinations Team Continues to Create Valuable Tools. I've been impressed with the work done by the Destinations team for several years now. And whether it belongs in this category or not, I'm also impressed with the new Realms destinations. Realms make so much sense to me as a tool for making new users familiar with our world and it's capabilities.

3) CEO Rod Humble has The Right Stuff. When you look for hope for Second Life's future, you have to look to the leadership. So far, I'm very impressed with Lab management changes. I beleive it really is time for someone to look beyond the era of Phillip Linden-Rosedale. Phillip will always be a heartbeat, but he's the guy you broke up with who never looks back. And btw, Will Wright is major homerun for the Lab's Board. I believe he's a true technology visionary. Don't know who he is? Check him out, yo.

Looking Forward to 2012
I'm not a visionary and don't do predictions. However, there's a few things things I hope the Lab will do in the coming year.

1) I Hope The Lab Will Create Facebook Gateway To SL. Personally, I have no use for this, but I've seen that it can be done; check SpotON3D has done created a FB interface to it's grid. And I hope the Lab will acquire that technology to provide a logical hook from FB into our world. If a deal like that can be orchestrated, even if only marginally successful, it could bring a lot of new peeps to SL. And, oh, if something like this were to happen, I think it might be all it takes for SL & the Lab to be acquired by a bigger fish -- well, hopefully not a fish. (Yes, I'm sliding this prediction in here where no one will notice.)

2) I Hope The Lab Will Look For Portents & Signs. I don't care who you are, oldtimer, newbie, educator, business exec, whatever -- you are not SL. Second Life is a moveable feast made of precisely the number of people who are online at any given point in time. Allowing any authoritative, noisey, group of know-it-alls to have too much voice in deciding the future is a really bad idea. SL is a vast numbers of communities who've created their own realities, and they are the secret sauce. I'm hoping the Lab will find a way to listen for the portens and signs of those who aren't so vocal, those who are investing their time and money into making SL the amazing virtual world it is.

3) And I Hope The Lab Will Resolve The Viewer 1 vs Viewer 2/3 Dilema. I've said way too much about this recently, but if you didn't catch my flow, here it is.

Now, do I think the Lab will make the right choices in 2012? That is, choices I approve of. hehe. Yes, I think they will. Every instinct I have is telling me this is a group with a wholely new point of view, from the Board level on down.

But as Leanna would say, time will tell.

p.s. 01-07, fixed some grammatical errors

Blog Repairs In Process

2011-12-28T09:45:00.000-08:00

Please note that I'll be attempting to resolve various problems with Google Blogger and Picassa for the next few days.

One problem has been ongoing and persistent for over a year, but others have apparently been introduced with recently changes to Picassa and Google+.

The blog will remain open, but some items will disappear from the right column temporarily.

New Year's Resolutions 2012

2011-12-27T12:15:00.000-08:00

I've already humiliated myself by looking back at my failures in last year's resolutions. So, there's a part of me that wants to play it safe and do only things I know I can achieve. Afterall, Second Life is just a game, right? Why should I even bother making resolutions for a second life, anyway!

Here's the thing, I'm convinced that each person has different reasons for being in SL and a different point of view about what SL is. But regardless, if you do nothing to make your second life be what you want it to be, then you'll be someone sitting in front of a computer doing the same ole thing, over and over. This is different than real life of course, because in real life if you do nothing to change, you'll just be someone sitting in front of a television* muttering.

1) Explore the Grid
In the past, I've believed myself to be many different things, from geisha to hostess to landscaper to whatever. But one thing marks every year of my second life, exploring. In Second Life, a woman can explore anywhere she chooses with virtual safety, from darkest forests to dingiest nightclubs to loftiest heights to whatever else. Exploring has drawn me in, again and again. It's my wanderlust that leads me to explore, and I want exploring to be part of SL in the coming year.

2) Organize Adventure Parties
In the past, I've organized some little adventures. I've also held some parties, especially last year's Winter Celebration. But I've got some new ideas I want to reveal in the coming year. I don't want to start boxing myself in by promising things, but I plan to organize at least two events, events that delight and involve friends, in the coming year.

3) Improve Blogging Initiatives
This blog has documented my second life for almost four years. This blog has also helped define my identity, and given me a sense of self-expression I've never known before. I also write for Blues for Autism and a couple other blogs. In the past year, this blog has improved in measurable ways and I want to work to continue with that progress. Also in the past year, I've poked my way into the whole social networking thing, but I'm finding it's mostly about real life. So, I'm not sure how much that contributes to my second life.

4) Support Blues for Autism
When I look back on each year in SL, I can reflect on my participation in the BFA fundraiser as something I did that transcends Second Life. In fact, I feel our fundraiser and SL fundraisers in general are activities that contribute to Life. I became involved in this initiative because of my friend Magi McBride, but over the years this has become a cause that is dear to my heart as well. If Magi says go for 2012, I'm ready to do what I can to help for another year.

5) Stop Spreading Myself Too Thin
For me, Second Life is a fantasy, an adventure, an entertainment, and when it stops being those things, I should know I've spread myself too thin. I like people and I'm always looking for friends who share the same interests I do. The problem with that is, I have way too many interests and I tend to over commit. And then there's this, I want to feel that I'm not addicted to SL. So, I intend to limit my time inworld to ~24 hours a week (~15% of week) and limit my days to five days a week. Past experience has shown me I should start around 4-5pm SLT each day, and limit time to 4-5 hours a day. "4-5 for 4-5!"

So, till about this same time next year, I'll be trying to keep my second life headed into adventure and fantasy. That means you'll be hearing a lot about the things I discover while exploring. Hope to see you there!

Yordie in the Biscuit, exploring Gloucester in New England Island sims.
Check that white thing at bottom center.

Using underwater cam, I scanned and saw
that 'white thing' turned out to be...a white whale.
How cool is that!

*Btw, I've done my share sitting in front of the television in the past couple months. Yay Tom Brady (he's still the hawtest of all) & the Pats! Yay Aaron Rodgers & the Pack! Yay Drew Brees & the A'ints! And Yay Tarvaris Jackson & the Hawks for next year!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T17:19:00.000-08:00

To the readers of Being Yordie Sands, regardless of your faith, please accept this Merry Christmas with the spirit of joy and giving. These last few days of the year are a festive holiday both in real life and Second Life. I can now say that this is my 2nd really wonderful Christmastime in SL! Hugs & Luv!!

My Wonderful Fantasy - 2011

2011-12-22T13:06:00.000-08:00

Second Life makes it easy to capture some of the moments that make a second life a wonderful fantasy. 2011 was by far the wildest roller coaster ride of my nearly five years as an avatar. At New Years, the future seemed to be an adventure with no end, but by Summer the adventure had ended terribly. Then I began again, started anew and here we are at Christmas.

The thing is, Second Life has it's own kind of reality and for many of us, maybe most of us, each year is a roller coaster ride. I have girlfriends I love who've been through their own ups and downs and ups in the past year. I've seen some friends who just can't take the emotional swings and leave forever. But for those of us who remain, no matter how crazy the ride is, we stay because there are some great memories. So, here are some favorite memories from my 2011 fantasy.

Yordie's Geisha Show @ Winter Celebration

In January, Taka had brought snow to Yordie's Zen Garden for the first time. Then I had this crazy idea that I'd stage a short geisha show for our Winter Celebration.

This party was one of the highlights of my second life. Friends filled the makeshift stage at the tea house, and Magi and LeLe danced while I performed, telling the story of the Rabbit Who Crossed the Sea. To make things truly amazing, my former onesan, Masumi Manamiko, was there and give me high marks for the performance. But this was just the first half hour, then as guests began dancing to DJ Javier's tunes, Taka and I staged a martial arts exhibition. How cool was that! But we weren't through, at the end of the evening, Thor staged a firework display! So, this event is a moment I'll never forget.

Blues Fest 2011 for Blues for Autism

How could I not include Blues for Autism 2011? This was our fourth year of raising funds for autism awareness and we set an all time record of over L$1.5 million! Magi McBride once again showed how she could manage her way through great challenges and it is once again an honor to be part of her team.

Yordie & Matsumoto the Monkey @ Hosoi Ichiba

Here I am inside the Matsumoto Castle at Hosoi Ichiba with my favorite friend Mr. Matsumoto. This is where I wrote my first roleplay story, the Samurai & Geisha. Wow, it was such an amazing adventure for me (even though I died in the end; maybe an allegory of things to come). My story was not great literature, but it was an expedition into creativity for me. Btw, I'm in the process of porting the story to an ebook to make it easier to read.

Then came the dark period. Things went wrong across a broad front. Taka and I broke up. My work at Yordie's Zen Garden came to an end. There were many things that happened which I'm trying to just forget and, in fact, have forgotten. But time heals wounds and after leaving SL for a short time, I returned with a renewed interest in our fantasy world. I can't say that the memories since my return have been as spectacular as they were in those days when illusion reined supreme, but slowly I've restarted my life.

Halloween Party at Oz Nightclub @ Calas Galadhon

There was Halloween! And here was Oz and what a party that was! Truck & Ty & Magi sure do know how to throw a party and the part at Oz really filled my cup with joy. If you are down and troubled, there's nothing quite like Halloween to turn your life around and so it was this year. All the costumes, all the parties and seeing friends you haven't seen in awhile.

That's little tiny me in that big ole boat with 500hp engines! Oh yes! That's the Seabiscuit and that's the Blake Sea. This is where my sense of wanderlust was switched on again, in the late Summer. My human and I have a strong connection with the sea and that applies to Second Life as well. When I think about hundreds of sims along the Blake Sea, my mind dreams of adventure.

And of course, Junkyard Blues! It's hard to explain but after breaking up, I found it hard to be near old friends and the places I used to call home. For several months I was on the run, trying to shake off all that had gone wrong. But when this amazing, generous group of people get together to support a cause, there's a wonderful sense of community and continuity.

There are so many great memories! Wow, what an adventure. But that's what this blog has been about, capturing all those moments. For this reason more than any, I recommend to anyone out there who is considering writing a blog to begin today. You'll be so glad you did.

I started out saying that 2011 was by far the wildest roller coaster ride of my life as an avatar. And it was, but as the lyric from The Fantasticks goes, "without a hurt, the heart is hollow."

So with a full heart, I look forward to 2012. Next up on my list of todo's for this year, some New Years Resolutions. Note to self: stop trying to do so much.

Christmas Is Comin'

2011-12-21T10:47:00.000-08:00

((Ok, after my rant about Viewer 2/3, I'm finished. I will torment myself one more time when I take Firestorm for a test drive, but that will be after New Years. For now, the world is back to normal, I ran Phoenix 1.6 last night and it felt really nice.))

It's Christmastime and it's approaching quickly, sooo much left to do. And when I'm not being a snarky technology critic, I'm still a Second Life socialite.

Last night, Reed and I went to the last show at the Christmas Pavilion @ Calas Gladhon. It was an elegant event as usual, featuring two of SL's finest performers, Sultry Sonata and Anthony Galloway. Naturally, the creators of the Christmas Pavilion, Truck Meredith & Tymus Tenk were there, as was their gorgeous manager, Magi McBride.

The gorgeous Sultry Sonata filled the night with her warm and wonderful holiday music. (sorry we were late, Sultry)

Booming baritone, Anthony Galloway, pulled out all of his range of Christmas stylings, from the cherished to the funny.

The ballroom was filled with the many supporters of Calas Galadhon, as Magi, Truck and Ty host the party.

Reed and I danced in a sea of festive Christmas red. (As I post this photo I know I've soooo overworked my green and red dresses from GizzA.)

This is what Second Life should be about, enjoying the virtual world, dancing & prancing, supporting groups you care about. Well, having a handsome boyfriend and dressing in beautiful clothes. /me giggles. There's a lot more, of course, but right now it's the special time, full of hope for a new year.

I appreciate the work that goes on behind the scenes at Linden Lab; I understand the pressures. But, a great deal more work goes on, on the Grid, inside those SL servers, that creates the "secret sauce" that makes this a second life. I believe, in the final analysis, it's the people who create this "secret sauce" who will determine the Lab's fate. Not the men who own the software and hardware.

Mad As Hell

2011-12-21T01:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, while I was still committed to learning how to use Viewer 3, I missed this little note on the Phoenix site, about the anticipated end of support for Viewer 1. I didn't see it till tonight, and it said, "LL informed us on an unofficial basis that they intend to turn off server side functionality which V1 viewers rely on. Originally the time line was by the end of this year, that has obviously changed however the reality is still the same."

Jessica Lyons states, "LL is in an awkward position in regards to V1 viewers, at the moment they can't afford to kill it and they can't afford not too. But ultimately we know LL will deprecate V1 viewers because it is not economically viable to remain profitable while V1's are still around. Financially LL can't afford to continue to maintain server side support and protocols for a viewer which is unable to adopt new and innovative features in a timely fashion."

Before some smarty pants tells me, oh, didn't you know that? Yes, I've known this, it's one reason I've attempted to fall in love with Viewer 3. But like other V1 and Phoenix users, I couldn't imagine LL would be so thoughtless as to shove V2/3 down our throats. I'm sorry to say, I now believe they will because they can.

So, after investing thousands of hours and thousands of dollars into my second life, I'm feeling ripped off. Linden Lab has created a viewer -- the window into my virtual world, btw -- that is, nothing but a frustration despite product manager assertions that I'll "love all the new features."

BTW, There is a solution to this dilemma. I've read the rationale for why the Lab needs to drop sever support for V1's serverside functionality, and ok. So, if keeping V1 alive isn't an option, then there is still an alternative solution to this problem.

YES, there is a solution. It is possible to re-engineer that Viewer 2/3 user interface to something V1 users could live with. Please do not even suggest this can't be done. The people who told me V1 couldn't support mesh need to come to grips with the fact that software engineer, Henri Beauchamp, ported mesh technology into Phoenix V1. So, amazing things can be done when there is determination and hard work. And this is a user interface we are talking about! It's the fricking UI layer of the application.

YES, it will be a lot of work to re-engineer this UI. In fact, it's even more work if the software architecture wasn't written with a clear UI layer. However, I don't need to know the V2/3 code base to know how to begin. If I had the tools and worked full time, I could draft a functional specifications to reorganize that V3 UI into something that will not be an afront to V1 UI users {added} in a week. And I'm certain there are plenty of people at LL who could do this faster in a room with some wall space to post up the pieces. They could use phrases like, "This is the old 'File' menu, what are the things we need to map back to this menu." Oh, and don't forget this one: make sure there's a switch somewhere, "V1 Interface" or "V3 Interface."

YES, I'm really pissed off.

My 3 Days of Viewer 3

2011-12-20T14:39:00.000-08:00

This is my third day of using Viewer 3. I can honestly say there are some nice features in Viewer 3. But my original statement stands, the ghost of Viewer 2 lives in Viewer 3, starting with the first pull down menu, "Me".

I'm sorry to say I just can't deal with anymore of the frustration of the mish-mash of features & functions. In the words of a guy I once new, I'm declaring "No Joy." I'm not really sure what that means in military speak, but it sounds cool.

I'll make some more comments about Viewer 3 after I take a spin on Firestorm, but I don't want to confront anymore of this genre of Viewer for awhile. I'm heading back to Phoenix 1.6.0.1600.

Home Finally Finished

2011-12-18T16:57:00.000-08:00

I made a quick start, getting my house in at Martha's Vineyard. I had some good furniture but no kitchen, so I found a great kitchen set (although very small, but modifiable) at What's Next and some great snow for the roof and such too. I've worked on this for days and days but today I've declared it complete, finished for the season. My home is furnished. Winter has come. I have neighbors visiting even, so it's now time to just enjoy till Spring. I love the way this New England islands region moves through the seasons. /me is happy.

Outside, the Winter winds blow, the thermometer drops and the snow falls.
There's a moon out tonight and shadows on the snow.

Inside, it's cozy and warm and Christmasie. In the kitchen, I've got my Dreamgirl Cookbook open to my famous sweet potato mini-pies with whipped cream cheese recipe. The first visitors gobbled up all the first batch so I'm cooking another.

Y'all come! That's Southern for, hey everybody, come on over! You are wondering, huh? What's a Southerner doing in New England?

Trial Converion to Viewer 3

2011-12-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

I've decided to switch to Second Life Viewer 3 today. My mood is now irritable. I started the day with Phoenix's new mesh enabled viewer version 1.6.0.1600 and I was fine with it, despite warnings that it hadn't received the rigorous testing because the Phoenix Project crew is focusing on Firestorm.

First, I don't dislike Linden Lab's Viewer 3.

However, I still think the Viewer 2 designers did one of the worst jobs of designing in user interface history. Speaking from experience in software development, I've been in product design meetings when product designers were headed over the cliff. Fortunately, our adults helped the designers back across space and time to rational thought.

Here is the crux of my dislike of Viewer 2: what in the name of humanity would cause designers to think it's cool to put literally every function and feature somewhere else? Seriously: Imagine one day, your auto dealer says, we've given you a new model automobile. Yay! So, you get in and the steering wheel is in the back seat, switches are in the glove compartment, gas peddle is where the emergency break was, brake is gas peddle was, and the drivers seat is in the center of that car. But that was Viewer 2 and even though the ghost of Viewer 2 still lives inside Viewer 3, I'm ready to try one last time.

VIEWER 3 IS OK

Hey, I like the latest changes made to Viewer 3. Bravo to the designers! It seems to me that Linden Lab is systematically re-engineering the viewer interface. Thank you for improved screen landscape. And I really like the bottom tool bar; got it just the way I like. I'm ready to try this thing.

Here's a full screen of my Viewer 3 configuration. Those who see SL as a chat room with pictures won't get what I mean about the screen space landscape, but for me it helps transport me into the virtual world. Dialogs all over the place remind me I'm just a person sitting at a computer*.

My plan is to stay on this new interface through the end of this year. If I'm not able to adapt to some of the frustrations (I especially dislike the lack of persistence of many dialogs), then I may try Firestorm. I assume some of my frustrations can be eliminated as I discover how this thing works, but till then I'll just keep trying.

However, if I can't adapt to Viewer 3, I'll prolly just return to Phoenix 1.6. I know the Phoenix team is working hard on Firestorm, so I might give it a try first. Otoh, if Phoenix team were to focus on the mesh capable Phoenix, I'd just head there for the remainder of my time in SL. Jus Sayin

* you either get this or you don't

Looking Back on 2011

2011-12-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

Each year I indulge myself in a public self-examination; I look back on my New Year's Resolutions. This practice began when this was a little private blog, and while it still is a relatively little blog, it is now very public. I mention this because I've looked at my 2011 Resolutions and shuddered at how pitifully I failed. Ntl, one goal of this blog has always been to document my virtual life, so I'm going to continue this embarrassment one more time. /me shakes her head.

1) Continue tradition of parties at Yordie's Zen Garden.
Succeeded: Technically, I can claim marginal success because in January, we (my ex and me) held a Winter Celebration at the Nishijima garden. Otoh, there was no Summer party because there was no longer a garden, just an ex.

2) Continue hosting at Junkyard Blues
Failed: Let's just say, events lead me away.

3) Continue exploring The Grid.
Succeeded: My sense of wanderlust keeps me exploring, regardless of other considerations. My biggest exploration this year: The Blake Sea & environs.

4) Expand my roleplay experience.
Failed: Let's just say, events took a turn a sad turn.

5) Upgrade Yordie's Zen Garden.
Failed: Oh my, did this go badly! My Resolution said, "No, no, no, I'm not going to tear the garden down... I [just] want to upgrade into the garden." Then I took the garden down four times, but rebuilt it only three times.

6) Improve Being Yordie Sands blog.
Succeeded: I feel that the additions and changes made through the year helps explain the increase in readers (up from 30%-50%). Of course, in the final analysis, only readers know.

7) Be part of Blues for Autism 2011.
Succeeded: As I said last year, "I'm so proud to say that I have somehow managed to help the Blues for Autism fundraiser", now for four straight years! This was another challenging year.

8) Manage my inworld time better.
Failed: Let's just say, events pulled me hither and yon, far too often.

In short, I achieved only half of my 2011 Resolutions. But, I did learn a lot. I've been able to identify activities that remain important to me from year to year. I can see that each year I made commitments to my garden, blogging, writing, exploring, and charities. I've also involved myself in hosting and roleplay. Plus, I've made commitments to several diverse communities.

And I've learned that my friendships revolve around the activities I'm most involved in (kind of a duh). Even as I write this I can feel the weight of my commitments. And lest I forget, I was committed to a partnership for over half the past year. Oh, then there's my commitment to shopping!

I guess I try to do too much, huh? (Kind of another duh.)

Feels A Lot Like Christmas

2011-12-15T11:56:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas. Between Christmastime coming to my home in Martha's Vineyard, seeing friends from Christmas past at the Junkyard, and finding new friends at Calas Galadhon, this year's Christmas is feeling so wonderful.

I made a few changes to the house at Martha's Vineyard since moving in. The main change is adding a kitchen where the bedroom had been, but I've also added more Christmas decorations. Btw, those gorgeous Xmas boxes are only 1-prim each (Antique Artistry)!

I've caught a couple shows at the new concert area over at Fort Sewell on Marblehead. If you click on the photo you can see singer/musician Bu Drucot on stage. You can join The Islands of New England group to get notices of concerts or check the Islands calendar.

I'm here at the Christmas Angels benefit @ Junkyard Blues. If you look real close you see me in the bright red dress on the left. Dreamgirls filled the Yard that night and I was proud to wear my Dreamgirl tag.

Although Reed isn't usually on till later in the evening, we've even been getting some dancing and prancing in. Well, I do the prancing. hehe. Here we are at Christmas Pavilion.

And last night I caught Duncan Bagby's wonderful show at Truck & Ty's Christmas Pavilion. Duncan performed many wonderful Christmas songs with his charming voice and instrumental stylings. I've "Been Bagged" since I caught my first Duncan performance a few months ago.

As you may have noticed, I've been getting a lot of mileage out of my pretty green Christmas outfit. So, I need to get out today and get something new for the parties this weekend.

The concerns I had that this might not be a good Christmas, as it rolled up on the calendar, have been slowly replaced by some wonderful and unexpected seasonal joys. Even though I believe Halloween is the Second Life National Holiday, I am finding that Christmas is equally special with it's own experiences.

Copyrights

2011-12-14T13:16:00.000-08:00

Please note that all of my words, pictures and creations published in this blog are copyrighted by me, Yordie Sands.

Return to Kansai

2011-12-13T11:19:00.000-08:00

((A Prelude to a new Story))

It had been many months since I had been fallen at the Ramenshop in Kansai. There is much I could say about the events that followed, but that is a story for another day. On this day, I just wanted to come and see this place I had loved. Nonetheless, the memories of my confrontation with the yakuza instilled in me a sense of deep insecurity. And those many, mixed feelings were with me as I crossed the bridge to Kansai. It was Autumn, it was cold and I was very unsure of myself.

I stood outside the Hanami Fan Shop owned by my former Onesan, Masumi san. The city looked so familiar and at peace to me.

I went over to the docks near the home I knew in those early days of discovery. The brightness of the day fell upon the beauty I had fallen in love with a lifetime ago.

I spent many hours walking through the streets of the town. I visited the Nakanoshima Okiya but couldn't find any of my old friends. I had heard about the new okiya, Arashiyama Okiya, on the other side of town and visited there too. I visited the docks where I filled my lungs with the breezes from the sea, and I even climbed the hill to the dojo to see a lovely view of the city. I found the city to be at peace. I found no signs of the yakuza that had cast such a dark cloud over the city.

As I walked through the town, I made my way to the street leading to the Ramenshop. Standing there, the town turned dark and my blood ran cold.

I hurried away from town center, back across the bridge to the great market of Hosoi. There I waited for my ride back to my home. As I left I looked back on the path leading to Kansai and I wondered what the future would hold for me.

The days following my injury at the Ramenshop were only known to my dear sister, Koniki. And the days of my recovery were tainted by great pain and loss. This visit to Kansai left me with the determination to fully record the story of what happened into my personal journal.

by Yordie, former geisha and former wife of a great samurai.

((I am rewriting the story of The Samurai & The Geisha in ebook form and will use Issuu.com to publish it. The book will be based on the original roleplay story, but will become more fictionalzied. Also, it will include important events that preceded the original story, some plot changes & character changes, and events that followed Yordie's fight with the yakuza. It is planned for completion by Spring 2012. When published, the "A Story" tab will be removed.))

Christmas Angels @ Junkyard Blues

2011-12-12T13:05:00.000-08:00

Junkyard Blues does a lot of things that make me proud to be associated with this group of people. One of the things I love most about the JY is the sense of community that is created with each of the charitable causes it supports, because Junkyard Dawgs always contribute generously.

Saturday night was singer Arora Chadborne's 4th Annual Christmas Angels fundraiser. Arora is the first live performer I saw when I came to the JY in 2007. Arora was and is an amazing singer, and she has been generous in supporting other JYB fundraisers. But Saturday night was a charity that is dear to her heart, raising money to buy presents for children who would otherwise have no Christmas. Also, the event is a memorial to her own daughter.

Arora Chadborne sang songs from her vast repertoire, but also spoke about how the monies raised went to buy Christmas for children who need it most.

A large crowd in formal Christmas attire was there to show support and contribute generously. In the foreground, right are Dina & Kiff leading the dancing.

Junkyard Blues is a great community -- all twelve sims of it -- which happens to have a blues club at the center of it. Arora has been a supporter of Blues for Autism, so it is a special pleasure to show her support for her charitable work. Congratulations to Arora for another successful Christmas Angels fundraiser.

I'll be posting more photos on Flickr later this week.

Viewer 3

2011-12-10T13:52:00.001-08:00

I keep saying to myself, this is the weekend I'll make the switch to Viewer 3 or Firestorm. I've messed around with them and could do it, so why can't I just do it. Marlena has been on Viewer 2 since like the dawn of mankind. /me giggles. I've written about it, convinced myself I am ready. So why can't I just do this? I've only seen a couple peeps wearing mesh boxes and balls so far, so I'm not compelled by the ooogliness of avies wearing mesh. Maybe when I see some outfits that I absolutely must have, then I'll make the leap.

Yordie Sands International - Update

2011-12-09T12:15:00.001-08:00

I checked both of my global visit/pageview meters (Cluster Map & FlagCounter) and discovered that they show that readers from the U.S.A. represent 56.4% and 54.1%. And Google Blogger reports U.S.A. pageviews of 52.0%, plus they report strong growth from Russia. Net, net: U.S.A. readers are the majority but other readers come from over 125 different countries.

So, first, all caveats mentioned in the past (hits driven by search engines, search results) account for a lot of hits. Nonetheless, thank you to the international readers who've found their way here. And wow I continue to be astonished at the global reach.

Bloggers: Here's a note of interest, it seems Alexa has changed how it calculates it's ratings for certain classes of websites (seemingly personal blogs). Overnight I saw my rating increase (that's not good) by almost 50%. I checked some other popular SL blogs and most have experienced the same hit. However, the high traffic blogs, especially ones with high news reporting, seem unaffected.

I haven't found out why the Alexa ratings have changed, but surmise it has something to do avatars as authors. If you've never checked your Alexa rating, you can use this link and drop in your own like for a quick look up.

Jus' Sayin'

The Artistry of Junkyard Blues, Part 3

2011-12-09T08:32:00.001-08:00

When Junkyard Blues South was added to the Junkyard sim group, a distinctive curving canal was dredged right through the center of the sim. Along the bank of the canal are docks on both sides, and along this board walk you find some great stores.

In fact, more stores have been added in the past year as some new channels have been dredged into the main canal. Several of well known stores are part of the Junkyard shopping district, but the really delightful part is the many shops by owned by individual proprietors. In fact, you can rent shops relatively inexpensively.

I like to shop at malls in Second Life. I like the feeling of walking around and discovering things. I shop at Xstreet when I'm in a rush, but when I'm out to enjoy Shopping I like to just walk around. If you're shopping is anything like mine, get on over to the JY. And btw, the stuff in the shops is definitely not junk.

This is the northern end of the shopping area, and at the southern end is the Junkyard U.

There are well know brands like Earthstones and there's even a little Green Acres golf shop.

There are small stores too and many varied products are available.

And yes, there's even a pawn shop right across from the Junkyard U.

The shopping area of Junkyard Blues is one of those pieces that fit together to form the entire JY experience. I have Junkyard Blues in my Wonders of Second Life because it is a complete community and in this three part series I've featured some of the elements of this Junkyard region that make it so popular, but also make it truly a wonder of Second Life.

I plan to post two more parts in this series where I'll focus on the housing (houseboats, cottages, motel and island homes) and the Junkyard Blues nightclub itself. So, stay tuned.

A Taste of Japanese Style

2011-12-08T10:56:00.001-08:00

My first Second Life building project was the 1st Yordie's Zen Garden. And when I dismantled the 7th garden a few months ago, it felt like that would be the last of my Zen gardens. Nonetheless, there's a part of me that just loves Zen and Japanese style in general.

My new home in Martha's Vineyard is a total joy, but I've been thinking a lot about those bamboo forests of the past and have wanted a taste of Japanese style back in my life. So, seeing as I have a space problem in my new home (only 2 rooms), I conceived of a little sky platform where I could place a Japanese style bedroom.

It was a pretty simple project. I just took some of my bamboo out of inventory, redesigned the old Harvest Moon Cafe hut then furnished it with a couple things from one of my old Japanese houses. Oh, and I put up a wonderful rain cloud. Like, what is better than rain on the roof while you sleep! Anyway, I didn't have a lot of prims to work with, but I think the result is cozy and functional.

Yeah, that's rain! A little "sun shower" as evening settles in. And how could I not put up a photo of the harvest moon in the old Harvest Moon Cafe. Got my taste of Japanese style and I'm happy.

I, Sweatergirl

2011-12-07T12:26:00.001-08:00

If I lived in olden times, I think I'd be a "sweatergirl." My human read a book called Women's Dress for Success by John T. Malloy back when she started working; it said something like, a sweater is the most sexual, seductive article of clothing. It also said a sweater shouldn't be worn in the workplace. geeshhh!

Fortunately, I don't go to that kind of workplace every day and I love sweaters. Unfortunately, in the early days of Second Life sweaters weren't as good as t-shirts. Fortunately, in the past couple years, some designers have gotten a whole lot better at creating sweaters sytles and textures. In fact, after I finish this post I'm going shopping for some more sweaters. Following is a composite of one of my favorite sweaters of this year.

This style is by Dela and obviously come in many colors.

Gawk! (formerly Inimtably) v-neck (left);
GothiCatz cardigan (right).

Here are a couple sweaters from past years. I think they both go all the way back to maybe 2009, and these were like ahead of their time in quality and great looks.

Anyway, my human always loved sweaters and found that Malloy downright irritating. Nonetheless, my human made a practice of not wearing sweaters, especially those made of angora or mohair.

Note: This is not a fashion blog, so please don't tell me that this post isn't like fashion posts in real fashion blogs. hehe

Whachatink?

My Pretty Green Christmas Outfit

2011-12-05T07:12:00.001-08:00

Whacha think?

I've never worn much green clothing of any style. I like all shades of green when it comes to trees of course, but I have only 2 dresses in my entire wardrobe. Then there was the Christmas party at Calas Galadhon and I noticed a how pretty green could be on a dress or a jacket.

And then there's the fact that the red dress I wore to the party wasn't really a Christmasie red (oh, and I don't have a lot of red clothing either).

Ok, so, when I got my monthly allowance of Lindens (yes, I put myself on a budget each month), I went in search of a green or red dress.

I did quite a bit of shopping before I finally found this amazing outfit, my pretty green Christmas outfit.

The dress really isn't a dress of course, the jacket and skirt are sold separately at GizzA.

The outfit comes in six different scrumptious colors, all really pretty like this one. And checkout the untied bow tie. I love that look. It doesn't come with a top, so I selected this studded bra-top from another outfit. I tried other tops but the jacket base is a shirt (I guess the designer wants you to wear the jacket bare chested), so if you need a little bit more cover, you'll need a top made from undershirt base.

I like shopping at malls like LeLook! or Ambrosia inworld, but GizzA has become my favorite store recently. That's where I got the baggy sportpants. Also, GizzA merchandise is Transferable (please note this other retailers), so when you see something you'd like to give as a gift (they have mens stuff too), you can just buy it. Geez, what is the deal with no-Transfer; hasn't this issue be resolved yet?

I'm looking forward to wearing this dress to a party soon, and I'm toying with the idea of going bare chested. /me blushes

Christmas Pavilion @ Calas Galadhon

2011-12-04T08:50:00.001-08:00

Friday night, was the Grand Opening of the Christmas Pavilion at Calas Galadhon. Truck Meredith and Tymus Tenk have been working on this beautiful Christmas wonderland for months, and this was the evening for the formal opening. And, as with all of their events, it was spectacular. Ty asked me to shoot some photos so I shot a large collection which I've posted on Flickr for all who are interested.

Magi McBride was the event manager and there were two performers who brought their best Christmastime music for a large group of guests. First up was the gorgeous and talented Jewells Osterham, followed by the handsome singer, musician Zachh Cale. I can't help but believe that this event was everything Ty, Truck and Magi had hoped it would be. Following are a couple of the 22 photos I shot.

There it is, nestled in amid the snow and mountain ranges,
The Christmas Pavilion.

Inside, the great room was filled with life and joyfulness. I counted more than 50 guests all evening. Many, more photos on Flickr.

It was a beautiful event and if you didn't make it on Friday night, the Christmas Pavilion is open all season (Please search "SL Events, Live Music", type in "Calas"). In addition to special entertainment, there is also a delightful gifts waiting for you under the Christmas trees and a fabulous ice skating pond. This is a must for your inworld holiday plans.

Hugs to Truck, Ty and Magi.

More Lab Criticism?

2011-12-02T12:00:00.000-08:00

These are the blogs I follow
for news & views about
Second Life & LL.

Is it just me or is there a lot more criticism of Linden Lab lately? I've been reading a number of recent articles in top ranked Second Life news & views blogs, and I'm noticing a lot of criticism being aimed at the Lab. Also, friends have spoken to me about SL being in decline, and I admit I'm feeling a growing sense of loss each time a great sim closes or a friend leaves.

Some posts I've read are disturbing, like Will Linden Lab Ever Do Anything Right? by Metacam Oh. Others are humorous and reflective, like The Second Life Diaries, a lighthearted post about some of LLs struggles in the past, by Tateru Nino. Nonetheless, each of these posts has helped me fit a couple new pieces into my own mosaic of who and what the Lab is.

Frankly, in my SL lifetime I thought the Mark Kingdon era was a disaster, so I became relatively hopeful with his departure. Although I knew nothing about Rod Humble, I was very impressed with his keynote speech at SLCC this past Summer. I feel that Humble has a unique perspective, so I'm on board with his leadership.

But my own inworld experiences and the many recent published criticisms has left me wondering if LL is really aware of what's going on.

So, last night I was lucky to find a Linden who had a few moments to chat with me. And I asked if there was an awareness of the recent Lab criticism out on the SL news network?

To my surprise, my contact was somewhat surprised. In fact, my contact felt it was odd and cited some of the positive developments, such as LL meeting development rollout targets, focusing on issues we peeps have wanted fixed, plus positive Economy stats (recent growth of land and users). That was it, just a brief chat and it was late, so I went to bed still mulling all this.

Conclusion:
This morning, I woke with this question of "what is going on" still making my organic multi-tasker buzzy. Are recent criticisms uncalled for? Is Linden Lab just not listening?

I find many criticisms I've read to be valid; however, some criticisms seem overly harsh. I find Linden's focus on moving forward to be valid; although I think it's a mistake to have no view into the criticisms. (Do I sound like a Gemini yet?)

The reason I mentioned Tateru's post is that she created a snapshot of the Lab inventing the future, and that's what Linden Lab is doing, btw. Going from a -- Yo' dude "snakes roaming the servers are awesome" -- virtual playground to today's vast virtual world has been a journey of invention. Tateru's humor resonated with me because I come from a tech startup background (yes, little ole me). So, I'm now tending to see that the Lab is in a race to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving gaming & social networking land rush. In short, I've gone kinda neutral on the harsh criticism thing.

For those of us who just want to enjoy a relatively seamless virtual world, the negativity, problems & criticisms take their toll. Ntl, I'm personally pretty happy right now. I know some great places to go and events to attend. I have a great new home. I have a lot of hot clothes and fab hairstyles. I'm also loving the Wintry, Christmastime season. And hey, most of my good friends are still here and making new ones every day.

Jus' Sayin'

PS: My "News & Views" sources have relatively large audiences, also I read LL blogs, Is Full of Crap, Mal Burn's Metaverse Newswatch and other news aggregators.

Winter Night @ Martha's Vineyard

2011-12-01T08:08:00.001-08:00

Winter weather has been moving into the New England islands over the past couple weeks. But last night I took a look around and was surprised at just how much the region had changed. I mean, it's only been a couple weeks since I bought my land there. So, I shot a few photos to capture the moment.

Yeah, that's my little cottage, the winter weather really changed the look of things quick. I added a little greenhouse on the left (you can barely see it). The greenhouse was part of a gardening kit (L$25) by Minnie Tunwarm. Minnie creates high quality products but she's shy about charging for them. She's also a great photographer. /me hugs Minnie.

This is neighbors Chad & Atlantis's home. They even have an ice skating pond out there. /me waves to Chad & Atlantis.

This is a neighbor's home on the other side of the island. I haven't met them yet, maybe they moved to Florida for the season. hehe

These photos are all from Martha's Vineyard, but all the islands in the region have been taken by winter's snows and ice. It's really amazing and you should visit this region soon. Btw, I've been catching some of the concerts over at the Fort Sewell theater (more on this soon).

To Russia With Love

2011-11-30T10:57:00.001-08:00

My human is sitting in front of her trade station watching the market go up and down. So I stole some bandwidth and used Alexa to track back to see the sources of international sites linking to this site. I was just curious about all the international visitors. Anyway, I found a link from Russia. In fact, the site is SecondLife.ru. Then, I did a search no my name and found the following result:

"Daniel Voyager предлагает вашему вниманию топ лучших SL блогов этого года. Он уверяет, что их стоит занести в Избранное и отслеживать обновления на них."

And sure enough, it listed Being Yordie Sands as one of the blogs. Oh, don't read Russian? Here's the interpretation:

"Daniel Voyager offers a top of the best SL blogs this year. He says that they should be put in the browser and track updates on them."

I find that totally fascinating. Soooo... Для России с любовью! And a big mwah (kiss) to Russian readers! And thank you, Daniel.

Winter @ Calas Galadhon, Part 2

2011-11-30T08:43:00.001-08:00

Ok, I'm gonna break one of my new rules, just this one time. I'm gonna talk about a guy I've been seeing. I'm not gonna say much, but since I moved to Martha's Vineyard things have taken a very positive change in my second life. /me smiles

Last night Reed and I were both tired and needed a nice relaxing activity. I suggested we go ballooning over Calas Galadhon and before we even thought to put on warm clothes we were there. In yesterday's post I forgot to mention the amazing ballooning over the winter landscape at Calas, but wow. Here are a few photos of our trip.

See that orange & yellow & red & green ball in the center of the pic? That's Reed and me ballooning through the amazing Calas Galadhon and environs.

Like I said, we didn't really dress for the weather, well, I didn't. So, Reed wrapped himself around me and that seemed to do the trick. And yeah, he is really, really handsome. (hugs baby)

I've been wondering if this Christmas would be a disappointment compared to last year, but looking ahead things look very good. I'm starting to get that Christmas buzz going and I have a feeling that Christmas in New England will be a wonderful new experience.

Winter @ Calas Galadhon, Yay!

2011-11-29T08:15:00.001-08:00

You know I love Calas Galadhon. And I know you love Calas Galadhon. And if you don't know it already, Truck & Ty have brought Winter to this amazing region of Second Life.

Winter at Calas Galadhon is a whole lot more than just snow on the ground and in the trees, it's cross country skiing, ice skating, a wonderful Christmas wonderland (more on this soon) and a hundred little details, like free kittens to wear on your shoulder. It is also a lot of fun people.

That's me on my red hot wonder skis, racing effortlessly (literally) through the amazing winter landscape. Naturally, the skis are free and even modifiable. I should have made them pink but I will next time.

And there's ice skating galore with all kinds of frozen pathways that can lead you into the front yards of some new friends. Skates are free too.

I've been a supporter of Calas Galadhon from the moment I first visited. I've tried to encourage everyone I meet to make the visit. And I know that some of you readers got your introduction to Calas right here on my blog (I know this because you've told me so). But here's something you might not know about Calas, Tymus & Truck spend countless hours planning and working on these seasonal changes, imagineering the wonderful experiences we all enjoy. And they do it for all of us because they enjoy making people happy; pretty cool, no? I encourage you to come and play during this Christmastime.

This is the photo I used to create the new blog title graphic.

It's Winter at Being Yordie Sands.

Dahlia & Yordie Ballooning Across New England

2011-11-27T11:18:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was an amazing day for me on many levels, but the most unique part of the day was when expert balloonist Dahlia "Sweet" Jayaram dropped by my new house for a look-see. Dahlia is very familiar with the entire New England region including the period when Nantucket sank into oblivion (check her comments in earlier blog post).

Anyway, after showing her the house and dock and such, she asked if I'd seen Sudane Erato's sim. Sudane is the owner of this entire sim group, and although I'd had a couple IM exchanges with her, I hadn't met her or seen her sim. It turns out though, Dahlia is a good friend of Sudane and suggested we go take a look at her sim. I assumed she meant teleport but in a matter of seconds she had rezzed her famous balloon and said, "Hop in."

We slowly rose over my plot and before I could get my camera focused we were on our way. First stop was to be the town at Marblehead.

I had immediately lost all sense of direction, but I think we were headed northerly. That's Dahlia (I think Dahlia lives in Costa Rica... I'll have to ask) in her tropical attire and me shivering in my sweater. hehe.

Is that not a spectacular view or what? For those who don't already know, Dahlia has flown her balloon across all of the Second Life continents on the grid. She has also written ebooks about each continent and has like an encyclopedic knowledge of the Grid.

Our first stop on the journey was at the port at Marblehead.

With the same precision she showed the day she landed in my Zen garden, she effortlessly landed in the shopping center. Btw, there's even a TenderLove store there (upper left).

We travelled across many lovely islands and then approached our destination, Sudane's sim. We actually approached from the other side where I shot some pics of Sudane's estuary (I'll include in next Flickr upload). The thing that I loved most as we approached is the long sand bar extending off Sudane's home.

Here's where we landed, right out on the tip of the sandbar at Land's End. We sat here soaking up the beauty for I don't know how long. This wasn't the end of our adventure, Dahlia took me home across one more amazing sky passageway, but this place truly immersed me in the special feel of this region.

I don't think you have to be a gung ho explorer to appreciate a large sim group like New England. And I've been thinking a lot about large sim groups lately; I mean, knowing that there's more just over the next sim is a wonderful feeling. And here there is a network of sims beautifully terraformed and landscaped, and there is that southerly passage all the way to the heart of the Blake Sea. This is what it takes to truly be a Wonder of Second Life.

Thank you Dahlia for a wonderful adventure.

PIER's Magic Night

2011-11-23T10:03:00.001-08:00

A few nights ago, PIER, a nightclub that has been closed but not gone for over two years, came back to life for one night. It started like this, Carys Doolittle (the owner) sent out a single word over the PIER group and it went something like this, "Wow." And as luck would have it, I was the first person to respond with my own, "Wow" and then others joined in and then we started showing up at the old club still the same as it was years ago.

As people began to arrive, JustOneMore Loon took the stream and began spinning a great set of tunes reminiscent of the old days at PIER.

That's me in my PIER t-shirt and Magi (new to PIER), dancing and prancing as the sun set out on the sea.

It was a small crowd, 15 to 20 peeps, coming and going to take a peek as they heard the place was open. Magi and I were there for a couple hours, but it stayed open much later. LeLe (another old PIER peep) said when she went it was large group.

And there was Carys, now married to a Texan and living in USA, mulling what was happening and whether she would open the PIER for real.

PIER is the first nightclub I went to in Second Life, back in 2007, where I felt really welcome. In fact, the peeps at PIER taught me the meaning of Second Life hospitality, a lesson I carried with me as I became a hostess.

Things weren't always great, there was a period where DJ's moved further and further away from rock. And then began digging deeper and deeper into hip hop, especially the brand I refer to as filth-mouthed hip hop (that's the polite term).

But PIER always that special feel, out there over the sea and if you had enough sense to set your Sun to sunset or night, there was magic. I'm not sure what the future holds for PIER, but I think it would great to come back here.

A New Life @ Martha's Vineyard

2011-11-21T06:10:00.001-08:00

My friends know I've been struggling for a few months; meaning, I haven't been very happy. But I've also been spending some of my time sailing and motoring out on the Blake Sea.

Anyway, on a recent boating journey into the far eastern regions I noticed there's a northeasterly passage to the New England region. In fact, the entire northeastern region is a network of amazing islands and open water sims. There are also several sims with businesses and entertainment, but most of those islands are residences.

The brilliancy of this region is that it is governed by strong covenants and rules. The result is one of the most beautiful themed regions in Second Life. As I was looked at my charts (sailor talk for maps... hehe), I noticed there were no sims available, but I couldn't afford a sim anyway, so I didn't expect to ever live there. Then I notice a new development on a sim called Martha's Vineyard.

Without gushing with Wows and whoas and way cools (oops, guess I just did gush), I saw at once that this was where I could really start a new second life. So, I bought a plot and am modifying a little cottage right away. And I was also totally surprised to learn that Dreamgirl (the Junkyard girls' secret society... hehe) Sommer Sheperd was a member of the management team there. Here are some pics of my new home.

Yay! That's my little cottage and yeah, there's the Baby tied to my little dock. I pulled the Baby out of the slip at the Junkyard, and now I've got the Seabiscuit docked there.

LeLe said I seemed very happy, so here's a pic of me smiling in front of the cottage. And yeah, I am happy for the first time in a long time. Feels great.

Here's a pic from inside. This is some furniture I had in storage, but seems to be a good fit for this little cottage. Also, got my Christmas tree up already.

Here's a pic from the love seat looking out those great wooden doors. What a view, no? Magi said this whole thing is soooo me.

And wow, what a fantastic view out onto the sea! And double wow a hundred times, I can take my boats out and sail away to freedom and adventure.

Much of my past second life has revolved around my Zen garden. And I've done a lot of soul searching in these difficult months, asking myself, can I build a new Zen garden? The answer is, I just don't know but for now, all of my resources are going into my place at Martha's Vineyard. I also learned that it isn't smart to make any long term decisions here in Second Life; things just change so much each day.

For now, this is the start of a new life for Yordie Sands. And btw, can you imagine a cooler address, Martha's Vineyard in Second Life! Is that not cool or what?

Naturally, this isn't the last I'll be posting about the New England region. This is a whole new world for me to explore and my sense of wanderlust is calling me to the sea.

Green Acres - Closing

2011-11-19T11:19:00.001-08:00

It's true. Green Acres Golf Course is closing up in a couple weeks. It's been almost two years and Morton & Kae have made it the premier golf course in Second Life. When I learned the news I contacted Morton and he basically said it's been a good run, but it's time to move on to other things.

Remember your first time at that 1st hole? Trying to figure out how the whole thing worked, trying to figure out what that danged white arrow was? Hey, this is a place of memories for me and a whole lot of friends.

Anyone who has played at Green Acres has been immersed in the beauty and enjoyment of the game. It is a fascinating game, inworld golf. It's a social game too. It is really a perfect activity for a virtual world. And I spoke with Morton about perhaps finding an entrepreneur to pickup where he & Kae are leaving off. Morton is open to this, but not actively seeking a deal.

Here are some ideas I floated by Morton: 1) a golf club with member fees, afterall there are almost 3,000 members of the Green Acres group; 2) a rim of sims (similar to Junkyard Blues) where owners open onto the golf course and also agree to pay for membership in the club.

I'm sure there are other ideas that a real entrepreneur could come up with, but here is the main fact: it takes about L$1,200 a day to keep the club going. Morton tells me that Kae wants to keep the club open through December, but he simply wants to move onto other things. I can't help thinking this is a golden opportunity for the right kind of Second Life businessman or business group.

I'll be taking friends over for some golf before the club closes, partly for the fun of the game and also as a tribute to the couple who made all this happen. Hope to see you there.

Marley Despres @ REZ

2011-11-19T07:54:00.001-08:00

One of the things that makes Second Life amazing is discovering the talents of your friends. I first heard Marley Despres spinning tunes at Javier Dulce's Sixth Rez Day party. Javier & Marley are partners, three years, and I was surprised to learn that Marley was also DJ'ing. I was also knocked out by her easy way of spinning and filling the place with life.

Luv this pic: Marley "Red" Despres!

There are many things I like about Marley, but a couple things come to mind at once, she has one of the cutest voices and appealing styles of any DJ in Second Life, she's just darling. And btw, her man is crazy about her.

Aside from being so much fun, Marley can spin with the best of them from rock to classic rock, techno to hip hop and many other genres.

About a month ago though, the girl revealed her hand when she did an "I Luv the 80s" show @ REZ Dance Club. Here are some pics from that show and a couple other recent shows.

The girl spinnin' tunes and digging up memories!

The party just getting going at Rez Dance Club, that's me on the right. Der beamed in for some dancin & prancin and somehow made it through a couple hip hop tunes, even. hehe

Marley Despres rockin'! chYo! Check this girl's flow!

If you haven't caught DJ Marley before, head over to REZ on Monday, Tuesday and Friday afternoons from 4:00-6:00pm SLT. And if you haven't caught her husband, Javier "The Candyman" Dulce, he's at Ambrosia on Wednesday and Friday nights. Marley & Javier, a totally hot couple and great people.

Btw, REZ is the second jewel in Phil Kearney's triple crown business empire.

The Artistry of Junkyard Blues, Part 2

2011-11-16T07:56:00.001-08:00

I learned a lot of Second Life sailing recently. I've learned that some problems I had ascribed to my own poor seamanship were, erm, mostly due to problems crossing sim (what did I expect, right?). Ntl, I've switched to motor boating for now -- and I'm loving it -- and so I decided to swap out my sloop at Junkyard Blues marina with my monster speedboat.

Here's The Biscuit in her new home at the marina near Junkyard beach. I've had a boat slip here for ages and this reminds me of my human's real life boatslip at the old shipyard.

As I was paying my rent there, I looked around a bit and once again was in awe of the work of Kiff & Dina. This area is particularly enchanting to me and evokes the most vivid images from my childhood on the Gulf coast. Like Steinbeck said about Cannery Row, "Cannery Row in Monterey in California is a poem, a stink, a grating noise, a quality of light, a tone, a habit, a nostalgia, a dream." Well, the same thing can be said about the Gulf coast, except for the "grating noise" and with a special "stink" down in the mangrove swamps (/me giggles).

This is the Junkyard Blues beach where so many great parties where thrown in the past. This is where I hosted for Miss Luci on Junkyard Blues 4th Anniversary. This is one of those "nostalgia" thangs, one of those "dreams", I'm sure Steinbeck had in mind.

Further north along the west coast, there's an entire marina complex, plus stilt houses, plus sooo many rusty things. I'll include all of these thing in my photo collection, due out this weekend.

More to come.

The Artistry of Junkyard Blues, Part 1

2011-11-15T13:11:00.000-08:00

I haven't spent a lot of quality time at Junkyard Blues lately, but I have been around. I've caught some shows and done some wandering around.

I felt like a stranger, but I caught the Stratman (DJ Straton Tigerpaw) taking the lead for the first hour of the Miss Luci Show on Saturday night. I enjoyed Strats' show but I also noticed something in the distance that I planned to explore in the morning.

Even though I haven't been the old me, dancing & prancing on the tiles, I've been checking things out. I've been looking at the JY thought my explore's eyes, looking for Kiff & Dina's changes, but also taking a fresh look at some of the outter sims. In fact, I've been putting together a new photo collection focused on the whole region. I call it, "The Artistry at Junkyard Blues."

You might snicker at the notion of "artistry" referring to a junkyard, but this Junkyard isn't just some place where junk was piled up. Junkyard Blues is a large group of well thoughtout, well managed sims. And the sims are woven into the theme of laid back Gulf Coast life and play.

Anyway, starting today, I'm doing a series of posts that I beleive will prove my assertion. And to kick things off, I'm going to start with one of the outter sims. Yeah, where "others" have been at work, adding to the overall Gulf coast theme. And my first discovery was a wildlife sanctuary open to the public, and owned by Salena Sideways. Following are a couple pics from the collection.

When I landed, there was a sign saying that the area was open to the public, but visitors need to realize that all of the outter sims are owned by private individuals and not just Kiff & Dina.

If you've ever been in swampy, wetland area, you'll feel at home immediately. Salena is an excellent landscaper and combined authentic flora and fawna, that creates instant immersion and enchantment. Just don't fall in the water because there are some critters with big teeth in there too.

Salena owns the Pompano sim and the entrance to the sanctuary is just off the eastern docks of Junkyard Blues South sim.

Next, the JY beach and marina.

Nantucket - GONE

2011-11-14T16:32:00.001-08:00

Yesterday, while exploring the eastern regions of the Blake Sea, I was looking for the Nantucket sim. You know, that's one of the places to go for concerts and sailing and shopping and art. It's a really well done sim and certainly part of my first great memories of Second Life.

I looked and looked, then finally saw something that looked like a town on the map, so I headed over there thinking it might be Nantucket. It was actually a new area that is in development (I'll post about soon), but that is where I learned the awful truth that Nantucket is gone.

Nantucket, one more beautiful part of Second Life is gone.

There is some good news though. The owners of the New England sims are working on a new town and it will be ready soon. Here's a quickie photo from a region called Marblehead @ Fort Sewall.

Marblehead @ Fort Sewall is still under construction, but there's a town with shopping in there plus a concert area, houses for rent, and even boat docks. Development seems to be progressing very fast. More on this in the coming days.

Hanging With LeLe @ Tromp

2011-11-14T10:48:00.001-08:00

I didn't have any plans. I didn't have any invitations to anything. Many friends seem to be online less and less these days, so I didn't see a lot of peeps I normally see. There were all the usual things to do, but the problem with that is... duh, they are all the usual things.

I had this need, something that I can't explain (no, dudes, not that need, something else). I played around with my look a lot, posed for some photos which I posted. But wanderlust is a powerful thing. Not everyone feels wanderlust, but I have had it my entire life. I needed to see new things.

The Blake Sea seemed to be calling me, but after a few times at being tossed out of my boat, I was feeling a little apprehensive about getting out on those tricky waters. Ntl, I couldn't resist and on Saturday, Leanna and I decided to do some exploring together.

Leanna joined me at my usual launch site, then we motored due west through the Bingo Straight. We were having some good times, so I hit the turbos on those big engines and gave LeLe a taste of Seabiscuit's power. It was bitchin! After the thrill ride we were getting into the vicinity of a little island I'd seen on an early expedition.

Slowly I motored into the little cove on Tromp Island. I could tell LeLe was happy, so we hopped out and made a fire. It was like old times, sitting and talking and taking in all the Blake Sea had.

We hungout at the fire as the sun went down.

I can't remember what we talked about, but it was great. Just like old times.

This was the start of my weekend on The Blake Sea. It seemed that no matter what my intentions were, I kept coming back to this vast region. There is just so much to see her.

That Kinda Girl

2011-11-13T10:24:00.000-08:00

Ok, I was taking a pic of my favorite "Little Black Dress" (yanno, every girl has one) for my Yordie Style photo collection and it only took a couple shots and it got something I liked. So, I zoomed in for a head shot. Normally, I've been a dark brown kinda girl; I mean, that is me in my heart and soul. But lately, I've been looking for a change in my look.

So, this is how I've seen myself and is how I've felt for so long, dark brown kinda girl. This is EMO-TIONS hair, btw.

Then I just tried on a different shade, still officially "dark brown" but I think there's a striking difference.

Different, no? I'm really liking this sorta new look. I think I'll give it a spin for a few days and see if it sticks.

There is sooo much great hair in SL now. I know some girls change up a lot and you can't blame them. It's very seductive to change your look, but I've always been pretty comfortable with a certain style. Hey, I'm brunette to the bone!

Three Things

2011-11-11T10:53:00.000-08:00

I'm feeling a need to make some breakout changes to my look. Even though I've had this basic look for several years, I'm feeling the need to make some kinda new statement. Anyway, I've uploaded more stuff on Flickr (just click the photo).

I think girls like this hair more than guys.

I know it must look like I'm drifting, but that's not really true. I'm really doing three things: 1) drifting, 2) wandering and 3)... I can't remember the third thing.

Uploaded Yordie's Zen Garden

2011-11-10T12:20:00.000-08:00

No, I haven't brought Yordie's Zen Garden back yet, but I just finished uploading a photo collection to Flickr. This is a photo study done in the morning and it includes the landscaping changes for the Harvest Moon Hamlet & Cafe. This is my favorite collection of the Yemple lands and includes many photos never posted on this blog. I'm enjoying filling out the Flickr site and hope to have the full history of the gardens up soon. Hope you enjoy.

The Heavenly Falls runs into The Meandering Pond

Nautilus Island & Land Prices

2011-11-09T09:49:00.000-08:00

I've been out on the Blake Sea a lot recently and I'm very interested in Nautilus. Nautilus is an island located just north of Satori continent, in the heart of the Blake Sea. There are a lot of ways I could approach exploring Nautilus, but the first thing that really struck me when I looked at the map was the high prices of the land.

This is a map view of the westerly regions of the Blake Sea. And of course, the island of Nautilus is circled. It's not too clear in this view, but there's a canal that runs right up the center of the island.

Peepin' at Prices
Last week I pulled into the area known as the Western Cape and began to learn about this island. Here I took a look at some specific lots and my first impression is that land prices are off the charts! I've seen 1024sqm plots as low as L$70,000 (for inland areas) but others run over L$100,000+ (US$400+). And for OTW (on the water), prices were much higher. I saw one plot with an asking price of L$500,000 (this had to be someone's ego trip). So, I thought, this is a region where people with a lot of discretionary income live, right?

Doin' da' Math
Then I got to thinking about the economics. Let's say you buy a 1024sqm property for L$100,000 or about US$400. And btw, you need a premium account; however, net/net can be as low as US$1.20 a month. Then you pay additional tier US$5.00/mo.

Comparing to Homesteads
Ok, a Homestead is an entirely different thing; I know this. But there's some interesting things to compare. First, the setup fee for a homestead is US$400. So, right off the bat, the comparative cost of purchase is off the scale (boo lot!). And land is too, homestead has 64k sqm vs the lot 1k sqm (geez, 1/64th). But Homestead is US$125/mo tier vs 1k lot @ US$6.20/mo net (yay, lot!). And your homestead gives you 3750 prims but little 1k lot has 468 (~1/7th, yay lot!). Then there's this, if you poke around, you can find 1k mainland lots to rent, even near this region, for like L$4,000 a month (US$10). If you were to buy a Nautilus inland plot, that purchace could pay your rent for over three years! Jus sayin'

Comparing Open Space
There's another comparison. If you have already own a Full sim (or have a friend who owns one and will let you attach on to theirs), you can buy an Open Space sim for US$250 setup fee and $75mo tier. Prims are 750 vs 468 for lot; available land, still 1/64th.

The Point
In a way, Nautilus and the communities opening onto the Blake Sea are like comparing property purchasing an apartment in Manhattan vs purchasing a home with land in a city in the heartland.

Sooooo, the question is, is Nautilus and environs worth the premium?

I hope to answer this question in the coming weeks as I explore the Blake Sea, but I think the big question is whether or nor you are a true lover of the sea. If you aren't, then there's no way this region makes any sense.

Ambrosia's Mastermind

2011-11-06T15:59:00.000-08:00

I've been going to Ambrosia for over a year now. And right off the bat I have to say I've enjoyed the club's DJs, variety of music genres (rock, classic rock, techno, hiphop, much more), great hostesses, awesome peeps and it's inimitable owner, Phil ™ Kearney.

In the early days I didn't know Phil was also a DJ, didn't even know he was the owner. I mean, he tags himself as "Club Manager", but one night earlier this year he took the stage and not only did some great spinning but also he had me ROF,LOL with his endless stream of whit and occassional bawdy remarks (I won't repeat what he said here on this PG blog... but you can ask me inworld).

The scene at Ambrosia on any given night.

A couple weeks ago I had a chat with him when things were slow and got to know why Ambrosia and his other ventures are so successful. It wasn't like an interview, but I learned that Phil is intent on running his ventures like businesses. And dispite his clowning around at times, he's got a clear sense of where the lines should be drawn on behavior at his clubs.

I'm pretty sure that anyone whose been to a Phil Kearney show has plenty of memorable Phil remarks and incidents to carry away with them. Like I'll never forget the night that there was a guy giving Phil griefer, so Phil quietly began opening a hole in the botton of the floor, under the guy till the guy fell through and tumbled to his death thousands of feet below. hehe. But Kearney isn't like a mean guy, when the guy came back he welcomed him back. The thing is, the guy learned his lesson. hahahaha.

So, in honor of Phil Kearney and his amazing clubs and malls, I'm profiling him tonight here and giving notice to all who haven't heard yet, he's opened a new club, Grind - romantic dance club. Grind is a club for millionaire and such. "It caters to an upscale clientele who arrive by Helicopter or yacht." It's only 7 days old and I haven't seen it yet, so as soon as I can get an "upscale" date, I'll be heading over there for some dancing and prancing.

Phil Kearney spinning tunes at his flagship nightclub, Ambrosia. And the girls threw their panties at him all night long. All night long! hahahahaha

Ok, something new with more to come...

HOT Grid* Rating: √ √ √ √ √

*that's my "Heard On The Grid" rating

Full Throttle, 86knots

2011-11-06T12:35:00.000-08:00

I just have one thing to say, I love my speedboat. Here I am with the throttles full out and those big 500hp engines screaming. This thing will go straight up to 85knots before you can cross a sim. Lawdy, lawdy those sim crossings can take your breath away and toss your butt out of the danged boat. I got tossed out of the boat a couple times but was able to catch up to The Biscuit by tp'ing toward beacons I'd set. It's hard to jump back in a boat still running at 85kn, btw.

That's The Biscuit wide open and wow does it feel amazing from within the cockpit. Look at that thang hydroplane!

Marley came along with me on one run and as we hit about 80+kn we where both tossed. It was wild. She reminded me that there were two of us in the boat and that makes sim crossings even harder. Oh, and I found an amazing little island deep in the Sea where there's picnic facilities and even scuba diving. cool stuff out there on that Blake Sea! More photos on Flickr.

Checkout Man vs Second Life

2011-11-04T10:43:00.000-07:00

The other day I saw a post on New World Notes about a new vid by Sean "Hugity" Krueger, he's the guy who created "Man vs Second Life". Anyway, while watching the newest video I discoverd I'd missed "Man vs Second Life 2". It was a hoot and I "Like'd" on FB and got a couple of cute responses. Kerry says, "...for a minute i thought the title was Man vs. Second Life Viewer 2." Which is a very funny idea in itself. So, if you missed this or the first Man vs SL, then here they are, starting with the vid that started it all.

Actually, Hugity has several great vids, checkout his Youtube site.

Seabiscuit On The Blake Sea

2011-11-03T22:26:00.000-07:00

I had a car I named Seabiscuit once, so when I was looking for a name for my new speedboat -- oh yeah, forgot to mention I got a speedboat -- that's the first name to pop into my mind. I still have my sailboat, The Baby (Somebody's Baby), but I've had so many problems navigating the Blake Sea I wanted to see how things go with just a straight power boat. And so tonight I did.

I launched Seabiscuit from a rez area at the SE tip of Nautilus Island. My plan was to circumnavigate the island and see how the boating was without the special effects of SL sailing. Before getting going, I stripped down to my bare bare minimum seagoing outfit (ok, I had to keep one bracelet but not shoes even, not even prim feet) and got a 424 ARC. Yay.

With The Biscuit in the water, I hopped into the cockpit and wow did I feel small. I was itsy-bitsy even and I'm a tall girl in Second Life. Anyway, I fiddled around with the HUD, beeped the horn, then flipped on the engines (a pair monster outboards that had to have like 1000s of horsepower). I loved that purrrrr of those big engines, so I put it in gear and tapped the throttle. Surprisingly, it moved out smooth and easy. Yeah!

That little tiny face in the cockpit, that's me. But wow, this boat will let me take four passengers along with me, so let me know when you are ready to do some speedboatin' with me.

Check this rocket out! Twin E.A. Worx 500hp outboards and yeah, that's little tiny me sitting at the cockpit fiddling with the controls.

I headed east then turned north the made the westerly turn along the northern side of Nautilus. The sun was already kinda low in the sky, so I kept the speed up. There was a place I wanted to get to before sundown.

I saw many things along the way, but this was just a shakedown cruise, so I didn't stop much. I liked the way The Biscuit handled in crossing the sims. And during the entire trip I only had one monster crossing where I got tossed out of the boat while it sailed off. It was such a bad crossing I had to relog but when I got back, I was able to find the boat still running but crashed into the docks at The Harbor. And surprisingly, I was able to just hop back in and pilot myself out and continue the cruise. The thing is, I made it to my first destination.

This was the enchanting harbor I discovered on one of my first trips out on The Blake Sea. Today, I was able to motor in and discovered that this is de Grasse at the Western Cape.

The decision to try motoring was a good one. I think if you are sailing across any sim you will confront the normal issues of sim crossings, but also the special challenges of winds increasing the adverse sim crossing effects. For now, I'll be motoring but I plan to master this deep water sailing before I'm finished on the sea.

There will be more expeditions in the coming days, but for now I've started a folder called The Blake Sea on Flickr. There you find some more pics and comments and as my adventures continue, it should grow and grow. That's all for now.

Photo Albums

2011-10-31T20:26:00.000-07:00

I've been working on my Flickr account in the past week. A few weeks ago I realized that I have been overloading this blog with photos, and even with all those, I still didn't feel like I had enough photos. So, I began considering loading Flickr with photos I don't use here on the blog and using the description fields to further detail the story I'm telling.

I've started uploading some of my great older photos from my computer archives, but I'm also organizing this content into photo albums using the Collections feature. I've got a lot of work to do still, but I think this will be a great extension to my blog. Checkout the boxes on the right side of the Flickr page, these are collections of Sets of photos. The sets will be different topics and they'll be part of annual collection Photo Albums.

I chose Flickr over Google's Picassa because I'd had some trouble managing my Picassa sets, mainly because I write for three separate Google blogs. It got to be a kinda cluster... mess. I hope you'll find the additional photos enjoyable.

Halloween Rages On

2011-10-30T15:09:00.000-07:00

Oh yes, it was another night of creepy crawlers, creeps, fiends, freaks, monsters and little Bo' Peeps. (No, not just the usual SL crowd, I mean really weird!)

Halloween rages on in Second Life with no end in sight.

The only question is, where will I find my next costume?

Last night, I was forced to pirate a great find by Magi in order to stay up with the ghoulish fashion times.

Yes, that's me (right) in my full on Voodoo Queen gear.

Following are some pics from the most recent parties and goings on.

What would Halloween be without a Saturday night party at Junkyard Blues, with Miss Luci and her band of sheep herders (lawdy, lawdy that was skeery). More picks posted on Flickr Halloween set.

As evening rolled in, Liz Gaelach's Halloween bash began to rock. We are all in there somewhere, you'll have to check Flickr for more pics.

And of course, what Halloween would be complete without me falling into Thor's latest death trap!

Oh yes, Ghouls are in the air, dat-dat, dat, dah, duh, dah-dah... (played to the tune of Love Is In The Air... without the love, well, there's love too... /me smiles). If you aren't part of all this, then you are an old fuddy duddy. hehe... pfft. More to come.

Second Life National Holiday

2011-10-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

It really begins weeks before Halloween and there are some who carry Halloween forward even after Official day of ghouls and witches. But regardless of when it begins or ends, Halloween is the Second Life National Holiday. Forget the SL birthday and everything else, this is the one event that engages more people out of their routines and turns their thoughts to eery, spooky stuff and to costumes! And let's face it, you just can't make costumes like we make here in Second Life.

Halloween isn't until Monday but for the parties began this past week, so I'll be writing about the goings on for the next few days. For me, I'm off to a slow start this year because I've only bought one new costume. Here are some photos of events I went to through Friday.

Here's a scene from Dest & Gracee's 2nd annual Halloween party, with a wild group of other worldly, bluesy creatures.

That's me and my date (lower right); we're the translucent, ghostly duo.

More photos posted on my upgraded Flickr site

After Dest & Gracee's, it was on to the Spring Glass Pavilion @ Calas Galadhon. That's a photo of Magi & Alth, but you'll have to click on my Flickr "Halloween" set to see more, including Ty & Truck as Batman & Robin. hehe, lawdy, lawdy.

Then it was Thursday night and there was no question what the theme would be at Oz! Oz featured two hours of live entertainment and this was a night for Dorothys, Totos, Wicked Witches, Scarecrows, even a Emerald City guard and much more. Again, check the photo collection at Flickr!

So, the parties have begun and I still need one or two new costumes. I just checked and I don't really have a Wicked Witch costume in my closet... hmmmmmmmmm. /me slips into her shopping shoes

Dahlia Sweet's Blake Sea eBook

2011-10-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

Photo of Dahlia Sweet
from her blog.

I've been a fan of Dahlia "Sweet" Jayaram ever since I discovered her blog a couple years ago.

We became friends when she landed her balloon at my garden on the Satori continent, on one of her ballooning adventures.

So, it was a delightful surprise yesterday when I discovered she had checked in to read my posts about the Blake Sea.

Her comments reminded me that she had ballooned over the Blake Sea, but I didn't realize she'd completed her ebook, Blake Sea & Island Communities.

Also, Dahlia wrote a couple sailing adventure books too!! I haven't read them yet, but I will be soon. And if you like her work, she has a whole library of adventure books, a must read for all SL adventurers.

Hey! Bored in Second Life? In a rut? Don't tell me there aren't places to discover and people to meet!

p.s. these ebooks are a great way to tell SL stories and I'm considering turning my first story, The Samurai & the Geisha, into an ebook.

Tales Of The Blake Sea, Introduction

2011-10-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

The Blake Sea looks calm and the sailing is good, but it can be a violent sea and waters you must learn to navigate. I don't know how many sims there are yet, but there must be hundreds when you measure all the coastal and island waters around the open sea. It seems that every crossing is a different sim server, so bizarre things happen at crossings.

I've been out on the Blake Sea in different sailboats several times in the past few weeks. Each time I've struggled with the quirkiness of my boats and Second Life sailing. I could ramble on and on about my learning experience. And I could ramble on and on about those bizarre happenings at the crossings. But the thing is, no matter the perils on that sea, I've found the adventure to lead to places of discovery and wonder. Here are a few random photos that set the stage for my adventures.

The sea is vast and beautiful and that's me sailing the Baby. At first I thought the problems I was having sailing were related to my boat, so I tried different boats but I discovered the pecuilar things that were happening were most often the sims themselves.

In one of my early voyages, I tried a different boat. I saw a large city in the distance and was compelled to sail to it. What is the city? I don't know, I never landed, but some day I will.

As you sail these seas you will discover many elaborate ports and it's clear that the people who live by the sea have their roots in the sea.

And there are wonders! What is this place? What goes on here? Who are these people? I don't know yet, but I want to.

Then out of nowhere you discover a deserted island, standing tall on the ocean and apparently a place where pirates use as a lookout point.

I have seem many things out there on that sea. My curiosity and wanderlust is running wild. The sheer vastness of the sea and the lands that touch it demand further exploration. I've decided I need a bigger boat and Marlena has told me of some new boats that can hold a party of six. I wonder how such a ship and it's guests would hold up though in the perils of The Blake Sea.

(More to come...)

Content Twists, Plot Thickens

2011-10-08T13:47:00.000-07:00

Ok! I'm ready to explain the way this blog will flow, going forward. I recognize I need to focus. And I'll need to be more disciplined. I want to make this blog more of a general interest Second Life blog, tales of inworld discovery. Many of my themes remain but hopefully all with some amusing twists. And while my mind is still swirling around trying to find just the right point of view, you may notice me in the process of reinventing myself, getting my new flow going. So, here's what I've come up with:

A Format Change
In olden times, I've told stories with an emphasis on pictures. Let's face it, pictures still tell a thousand words and nowadays even more. I'll continue to use pictures here, for sure, but I'm going to upgrade my Flickr account to include many new sets. Each set will include pictures that expand on certain blog posts, and pics will include more of the story in the descriptions. So, you won't have to confront any more stories with like 8 or 10 pics all in one post, and for posts that need a lot more pics there will be a lot more pics.

Entertainers & Venues

Anek Fuchs @ Key West Marina

I'll continue to seek out new entertainment, especially live performers at hot venues. I like music that covers a wide range of genres, including rock, classic rock, blues, Cajun, Zydeco, techno, industrial, alt, new age, jazz, c&w, blue grass, musical theater, instrumental, classical, even some opera, even hip hop even, metal-lite sometimes, and others I can't think of atm.

Then there's this, I luv hanging out with friends at shows. So, I setup a group. I'm thinking, maybe it's a pack of solo females. Anyway, I'll notify girlfriends (their friends too) about this or that show. Hopefully, they'll saddle up and join me. Tp'ing g/fs in has worked on like an informal basis in the past.

So, I hope the girlfriend thing will work with a formal group (geezus, methinks, who is going to join one more group?). Anyway, I just set it up, so no members yet. Regardless of whether I go alone or with a group, I'll seek new Second Life entertainment inside and outside the my old comfort zones. I'll revisit favs from the past too.

Special Events
As before, I'll continue to write about special events, especially fundraisers I'm involved in. However, in the case of Blues for Autism, I'll continue to spotlight events here with links to BFA blog for full story. Also, I'll continue to post about weddings, special anniversaries and rez days (not gonna do real life birthdays though).

Fashion & Style
Yes, fashion! And style! And no, I cannot possibly compete with real fashion blogs. But hey, I luv SL fashion and just like music, my taste is broad and deep. In fact, in recent months (now that I have all my tier money to spend on new clothes) my taste has expanded to the absurd. Wait till you check my baggy ass'd pants outfit; so far, I'm ashamed to wear it in public. hehe

Linden Lab Observations
I'm going to continue with my Linden Lab Observations, and along a related track, I'm planning to continue to studying building, scripting and animation, and writing about discoveries that may be of interest.

Exploring The Grid
And of course, if you know me at all, you know I must continue to explore and write about my adventures. Afterall, I know that several peeps found my discovery (actually, it was Dahlia Sweet who gave me the top though) of Calas Galadhon to be a fantastic experience. At times, there's nothing that makes me happier than setting out on the next expedition, alone.

The majestic Calas Galadhon

Another Story
There'll probably be another story in the future. If so, it'll probably be presented in the same way as my first story. Nuff said on that for now.

The Big Thing
There's one last thing. There's a big change in how I write about relationships. I can't help noting the people I'm hanging with as I write my posts, but I'm going keep my romantic connections off the table and out of this blog. That story has been written and has a great ending; it stands as it's own thing in my past.

Coming soon, discoveries on The Blake Sea.

A Giant

2011-10-05T18:43:00.000-07:00

A Giant

A couple hours ago I learned that Steve Jobs passed away.

I rarely feel compelled to comment on things that happen in the real world, but he wasn't really part of the real world, was he.

Steve Jobs was a giant who created his own world. He was a truly a dreamers of dreams, a doer of mighty deeds.

And more than anyone in this era, he is a man who lived by the credo, "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."*

I am deeply saddened at his loss. There is a great ripple in The Force tonight.

God bless this amazing man. God bless the family he loved so dearly.

* quote Alan Kay, Apple Fellow

The Blake Sea

2011-10-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

I found a spot to launch the Baby (that's the name of my sloop, Somebody's Baby) onto the Blake Sea. I started motoring out of port and just kept on motoring; didn't raise the sails. I passed many land formations and saw many things, but I'll have to explore them in the future. On this day I was just following my instincts. Then I went into the deep water, and ran out of gas.

I guess this is one of those "red sky at night, sailors' delight" kind of things. Cool, no? Anyway, I just sat there and "let the Sun go down/ and let the ..."
(thoughts of Leon Russel)

The End... sorta

2011-09-30T14:07:00.000-07:00

Yordie: Ok, I wrote an ending for my story, a final post for this blog. I liked what I had written and felt it was even a graceful exit. Then I began mulling. I started considering comments that friends had made about closing this blog. Also, I considered that some friends didn't understand why I was ending everything. And then I struggled with what the purpose of this blog had been. There was a lot to mull.

When I first started blogging, one of the first blogs I followed was Joonie Jatho's story. Joonie was very open about her feelings. She searched for meaning in her second life. In fact, I think most Second Lifers find themselves searching for meaning and purpose here, most just don't write about it. Anyway, Joonie felt she needed to close that first blog and I was sorry to see it go. Fortunately, a short while later, she created a new blog. I took that to mean she enjoys the self-expression her blog gave her.

The point is, I think I'm at a pivot point similar to Joonie. I need to create an ending to my story, but I've reconsidered shutting down this blog.

So, no, I won't close this blog.

The thing I kept realizing there are many topics I enjoy writing about. And I resolved that my sense of vulnerability could be eliminated by simply eliminating my ramblings about my romantic life. I've said that in the past, but going forward I'll focus on exploring new lands, shout outs for great inworld performers, messing around with new fashions, reporting on fundraisers and other events, and many other topics. I may even write another story, but it will have a different point of view.

I still need to end my story, this is a personal thing, but this blog can continue to exist. Below is the story's end, written by my human, with love and... well, I left out the squalor.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Yordie's Human: When I realized it was time for an ending to this story of Yordie Sands, I thought that would require a reaching back in time and pulling together the many people and places and tales. But I came to realize this story could ending something like the story of The Samurai & The Geisha, on a bright sunny day.

When I created Yordie Sands she meant nothing to me. She was just another in the endless stream of female avatars in purple t-shirts & jeans being generated every day in 2007. Her purpose had nothing to do with SL romance. And I was just another human exploring what was a very buggy virtual world.

It wasn't until an inworld girlfriend explained SL romance, that I realized such things were even going on here. Inworld romance seemed odd and very impractical to me. So, I just continued to explore, looking for a purpose.

Yordie in her "Marilyn Dress"
dancing with her first boyfriend.

Yordie explored, but there was a point in time when Yordie began to mean something to me.

There was a night when I tp'd Yordie to our first nightclub discovery. The club was called PIER and that's where she learned to poseball dancing. hehe. PIER was a wonderful, friendly club sitting out over the virtual sea. On my first visit I just listened to music and watched all the goings on.

But on that special night, PIER and its' peeps made me feel especially at ease. The moon was hanging in the sky. The DJ was spinning the perfect tunes. I was immersed in everything I saw, then magic happened. I felt myself one with my avatar.

On that special night, I didn't need to be me, the real life person. I realized that this girl I was creating, this avatar, was a representation of me. She was a representation of my sense of beauty. And I discovered that I was able to be Yordie Sands.

People who don't feel that sense of connection to their avatar aren't likely to understand me at all. Yes, it's like playing Barbies and pretend. But for me, the alternative is to remain an observer, a person sitting in a chair at a computer, texting and tapping off mouse clicks in a "glorified chat room." I chose to immerse myself in the life of my avatar.

Yordie Sands and I are very similar in many ways. Yordie is someone I wanted to be better than myself. I wanted her to be kinder and more considerate. And I wanted her to encourage others to be whoever they want to be. I wanted to experience my second life as Yordie, as the heroine of my virtual fantasy life.

I'm happy to say, Yordie has had a good life. She has explored vast regions and participated in amazing events. She has played roles as a geisha amd hostess at a blues club. She even created a popular Zen garden. Yes, she danced and pranced and romanced way too much. But most importantly, she's found good friends. Yordie has experience many highs and lows, but the truth is, she wouldn't be who she is without those experiences.

Taka & Yordie being given vows
by Dillon

The best day of Yordie Sands' life is unquestionably the day she married Takamatsu, the wedding.

It was a bright sunny day.

The dearest people in Yordie & Taka's second lives came to honor them as a couple.

Yordie has never been so in love, and never felt so loved.

How could there possibly be a happier ending than that?

Unfortunately, I didn't know I should have ended the story on that day. If I had, many wonderful things would never have happened. But if I had it would be a perfect ending for my story.

Taka and Yordie have gone their separate ways, but the joyfulness of that day wasn't destroyed by the hurt and sadness that followed. Yordie Sands lived that day and if she were to die tommorrow, that day would always be the happiest moment of her life.

And that's why, this is how the saga of Yordie Sands should end.

The End

Just so you know, I'm very hopeful about Yordie's future. Yordie is reinventing herself and she'll be back writing about the things she loves soon.

Working On An Ending

2011-09-25T06:57:00.000-07:00

I was working at my studio last night. I was trying to write the ending for this story of mine. I think I have it just about right, but might need another day or so. The problem is, I think my human is going to actually write it. Yeah, I know that's confusing; I'm confused just saying it.

I turned my LL freebie house into like a writing and photography studio.

I guess that doesn't make much sense if I'm going to stop writing the blog.

Anyway, my new friend, Gost, came by and we talked about some things. He felt I shouldn't end the journal. I explained one thing is that any guy in the world could read all about my life, and that's one of the reasons. He said, "It's your journal and people can either accept it or move on." He made a lot of sense, but the thing is my human wants to simplify her life too.

That's Gost and me just hanging and talking.
We met at Ambrosia a few days ago.

I know I'll miss this blog. It is something that distinguishes me inworld, but I don't really want to be distinguished that way anymore.

Stories Need Endings

2011-09-22T17:08:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking; yes, thinking.

First, I must say I'm happy I began this blog. This blog has been everything I never imagined. I'm serious, when I started I never imagined how far this blog would come or what it would become. And in an important way, this blog has been part of my inworld identity.

All these gadgets and badges
are at bottom of right hand column.

I've worked to improve this blog over the years. I've diversified the content, joined social networks, measured traffic and added features.

In measurable terms, traffic has increased. Based on Alexa ratings, this blog rates in the upper 4% (est.) of all websites on Earth (~156,000,000). That's a 30% improvement this year (but top SL sites are upper 1%).

Otoh, this is a Personal Blog, a quirky category, but even outranks many fashion blogs.

So, all things considered, it's nice to even show up in Alexa ratings at all (many don't).

Another thing, this blog has regular readers from all over the world! Many readers end up here through random searches or from social networks, but there are consistent returnees from many nations & regions.

Before you think I'm overly impressed with myself, let me say I've checked out many blogs in the past year and know the real top SL blogs.

SL is a relatively small universe, but most top SL blogs have hundreds, even thousands, of regular daily readers. All have a constant stream of reader comments. Also, most of the top bloggers are very prolific on social networks. Some top bloggers are professional writers or software developers in real life. In short, top SL blogs deserve their top ratings because their authors work hard.

Nonetheless, while this is not a "top blog", I'm happy with what I've achieved. I marvel that a Google search of "Yordie Sands" returns many pages of links (18 pages this morning). I have worked hard on my blog, but not too hard, and it has been mostly fun. Thank yous to readers who've actually put me on the map.

So, why am I saying all this?

For over a month I've been fiddling with the content of this blog, taking personal material out, trying new concepts. But in the final analysis, this is a Personal Journal. Then there's this, I've always thought of this blog as a living story; a story about an avatar who stars as the heroine in her own second life. And I've wondered if this story would just go on forever, or have an ending.

When I wrote the story The Samurai & The Geisha, I struggled to engineer an ending. It was a role play story and when I began I didn't know what I'd discover. At a certain point, I realized that the story must have an ending. I envisioned there could be a follow-on story, but that never materialized. In fact, the ending of The Samurai story planted the seed for an ending for this blog's story, my story.

I've decided to begin working on a story that draws on the life I've lived in public, in this journal. It will draw from the pages of this journal, but also from events I've never discussed before. I'll try to bring the many loose threads that comprise this blog together into a story. Once again, I'll abandon blogging and try to write. I'll write from deep in my heart, with love and squalor*. The story should take between three to five chapters, and I don't know how this will end. I'm expecting the writing of the story itself to reveal the ending, when it's needed.

Question: does the ending of my story mean I'll be leaving SL?
Answer: No, I don't think so, but the blog will be closed.

Note to friends, as always I'll be discrete (no hurt is intended). Also, some names will be changed.

*J.D. Salinger "For Esme..."

Samm Qendra @ Spring Glass Pavilion

2011-09-20T08:58:00.000-07:00

When I first came to Second Life I attended a lot of live shows and concerts. I used the Events calendar and hopped around looking for any singer who could actually sing in tune. I'm serious, deadly serious. There were performers with followings who literally couldn't sing in tune. But today, inworld entertainment has come a long way and there is real talent in Second Life, talent like Samm Qendra.

On Sunday, Samm was scheduled to performed at Calas Galadhon's Spring Glass Pavilion for the second time. And that just happened to be the perfect opportunity for me to take my new friend (The-Guy-Next-To-Me, I know he's laughing about that moniker as he reads this) to one of my favorite places and see one of my favorite singers.

Samm was beautiful and seductive and demonstrated a vocal range I hadn't fully realized the first time I saw her. From the very first moments of her performance, my friend was very impressed, which made me happy because his musical tastes are quite refined.

Samm's performance drew a very large Sunday afternoon audience, an audience who responds to her music with love and appreciation.

I was particularly impressed with Samm's ability to sing songs on request. It's not like a DJ pulling out a tune from a terabyte of song inventory, this is a live performer responding to random requests. I noticed that she has command of many of the classic popular song and that reminded me of my own experiences when I studied singing. My teacher gave me a "fake book" which contained hundreds of the most requested songs and told me I should learn them all. That is work and takes dedication and also requires an investment in the music. So, I especially admire performers who have large repertoires of songs.

For those who haven't heard Samm Qendra yet, join her group and catch the very next performance. And for those who haven't figured this out yet, Truck, Ty and Magi have created three of the most wonderful live entertainment clubs on The Grid. In addition to The Spring Glass Pavilion, there is The Dolphin Cafe and of course, the inimitable Oz.

And by the way, if you haven't visited the 10-sim complex at Calas Galadhon yet, you are missing one of the wonders of Second Life. (more on this soon)

Out Of Nowhere

2011-09-19T10:27:00.000-07:00

What an amazing weekend! It started badly fur shure. Friday night was rough and I was in an agitated state. But on Saturday morning my human returned us home from the lake house and the weekend started to turn for the better.

It happened like this. Dillon IM'd me. He says, "I need a favor." I said, sure. He said, "Can you put on an evening gown and tp over here? We need people for this event." I had no idea what the event was, but since I just happened to be wearing an evening gown from an aborted Friday night, it was easy to oblige. So, I tp'd across space and time to the Phantom Rose theater, hooked up with Tippy and we made our way inside.

The concert began and while the music was lovely, the conductor had his sound system set wrong and every time he spoke it sounded like he was mumbling. But this isn't a story about a concert.

What happened next is the stuff of legends; at least, in my second life.

As the concert played on, I was camming all over the place, checking out the stage, checking out the peeps, checking out the surroundings and I didn't notice that someone had sat down beside me. Then almost simultaneously, I got an IM from Tippy and an IM from someone I didn't know. Tippy says, "Checkout the guy sitting next to you. I think he might be your kinda guy." And the guy sitting next to me introduced himself, just like that. I swear. (/me giggles)

That's the-guy-next-to-me, me and Tippy. (photo by Tippy)
Oh yeah, that's Dillon & Isobel, back left.

So, I'm trying to chat with this guy and Tippy, while reading his Profile. Meanwhile, Tippy is analyzing his profile, looking for signs that he's a good match for me (Tippy is actually very good at this! hehe). And as Tippy is nudging me closer and closer to him, I'm talking to him. I'm discovering that he is a very interesting guy with a gentle nature. He is also an explorer, but the most amazing thing was a comment in his 1st Life tab:

"Happiness is a butterfly, a papillon, which when pursued is always beyond your grasp, but when you sit down quietly, may light upon you."

What an absolutely captivating notion and how totally true. In fact, I reread it a couple times as we chatted.

Ok, you might be wondering why I haven't named him by now, but I'll leave that for another day. The thing is we had so much in common our conversation flowed just right. It also helped that Tippy kept encouraging me to get to know him. But regardless of all influances, I couldn't have been happier getting to know anyone.

So, we made a date.

There are many things I could say about the two days we spent together, but all that is for another day as well. There is one exception. On Sunday it was my turn to pick a spot for us to enjoy and I chose to introduced my mystery man to The Spring Glass Pavilion and another performance by Samm Qendra (more on this in another post).

The really funny part about this weekend is, on Friday night I told LeLe that I was about ready to end the story of Being Yordie Sands. I felt it was time, that the story needed an ending. And maybe it is time; I'm still thinking about this. But regardless of what happens with my new friend, or what the future of this blog is, I have rediscovered how amazing things can happen from out of nowhere.

Fashion Blogs & Xstreet

2011-09-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

In the past few days I've been checking out a lot of Second Life fashion blogs, websites and Xstreet. Yes, I've been shopping but also I've been looking for blogs to add to My Fav Fashion Blogs list (right column). First, I need to say, Wow. There are sooo many fashion blogs. And many of them are really cool and very hawt. In fact, there are so many cool fashion blogs it's just too much to cope with unless you are a real committed fashionista.

I love this look, but haven't been out
dancing in it yet.
Red Glitterpants by Leezu!

So, let me just get clear on why I've been dropping some fashion posts into this blog, this is just an occasional feature of this blog. These fashion posts have been fun, but I haven't created the type of fashion posts I've got formulating in my mind. One thing I am doing tho, I'm adding some of my fashion photos to a Flickr set called Yordie Style. There's not much in it yet, but I'm so enjoying setting up outfits, I'm sure I'll keep adding to this. Flickr also has a slide show features, so just turn it on, tune in and... watch the show.

Then there's Xstreet. I'm one of those people who'd rather visit stores inworld. In fact, recently I've shopped for hours at LE LOOK, Ambrosia, GOL/Element. I'm a big fan of other stores and malls as well, but I enjoy the malls most. Then there's Xstreet which is definitely cool. It's very useful too, especially when you need something fast.

But then there's this, it would be a great tool but some vendors are just disgraceful in the way they publish with unrelated keywords for their crappy products. I know LL is aware of this problem and aware of deficiencies in the search engine, but this tool needs to get better.

The problems with Xstreet are problematic and improvements promised in SL Marketplace seem to be on hold. Here's a probing post by Darrius Gothly I linked to from Tateru Nino's site. OOPS.. late breaking news, Darrius Gothly says SL Marketplace "put back to right."

All I'm saying is, this never has been and won't be a fashion blog. But I want to share some fun stuff I find and you can see some of my fav styles on Flickr. And checkout the fashion blogs I add to my list in the coming days (let me know if you have some suggestions).

So What...

2011-09-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

"Nah, nunah, nuh, nah, NAH/ nah, nunah, nuh, naahhh... /So what! I'm still a rock star/ I got my rock moves/ And I don't need you... "

~~ (lyrics from P!nk song, So What)

I'm a fan of P!NK and when I found a dress that is just so, So What, I had to go all the way with it. Last night I previewed my new So-Not-Yordie-Sands hairstyle and I'm sure there are some peeps who thought I'd gone over the edge. But checkout this outfit and tell me, is the hairstyle not hawt or what? Checkout the gold streaks in my hair and the gold belt and all that. No? So what!

Oops... a lil' bit of bra showing

Shopping Notes:

*Chiffon Dress: AOHARU
*Bloom Boots: Maitreya
*Wanderer Jewelry: League
*Crimson Drive Hair: "FA" (Find Ash)

Changing My Everything

2011-09-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

Anyone who remembers me back to 2007 may remember that I was one of the first avies to discover Damselfly hair and I kept it a secret, except for a couple friends, for over a year. I had this one hairstyle that was in relative terms very realistic at a time when flexihair was just getting going. I stayed loyal to Dameselfly during 2008 and 2009.

By 2010 it was obvious that more and more hair vendors were getting better and better, creating really exciting new styles. Today, I can't seem to go shopping for new outfits without finding some a new hairstyle as well. And in my recent shopping craze, I've been adding new styles to my inventory each week. In fact, I feel good wearing styles from more vendors than in all the previous years combined.

Some of my girlfriends have been more at ease trying out new styles than I've ever been, but now I've gone over the precipice that held me back. For one thing, I have been spending all my monthly tiers on new clothes, but also I'm finding a lot of fun using "Paste as Link" feature to create new outfits with more and more detail and customization.

Yeah, it's me.

Anyway, I'll be writing more about my style changes, but tonight I want to show off a new hairstyle I'm enjoying.

Amazing what a hairstyle can do to change your look, no? And no, I haven't abandoned my traditional style, but I have a feeling like I'm changing my everything.

Dancin' In My Sportpants

2011-09-12T19:25:00.000-07:00

I highlighted a pair of khaki sportpants about a week ago, but I loved them so much I had to have more. They come in five colors but I chose black and brown to go with the khaki's. Here's a look at three outfits I created around the sportpants look.

Like I said before, I just love this look.

Anyway, on Sunday evening I really needed to give one of these outfits a test drive, and I was lucky that Duncan was able to login from his vacation home via a 4G cell. So, we tp'd into Ambrosia for some 1980s classic hits and great dancing.

It was a relatively light crowd, but DJ Sofia turned out a great set.

Duncan and I danced & talked and just took in an easygoing Sunday evening.

Is it really the beginning of my 2nd week back in Second Life? Everything that once seemed familiar feels like I'm discovering it again, and that's not a bad thing. I'm not sure what my new second life will include, but it seems to include some of my favorite places from before the breakup. Still, I'm having difficulty feeling connected.

Second Life -- It's A Movie...

2011-09-11T14:14:00.000-07:00

Me, LeLe, Magi & Naz @ Black Horse

... or maybe an episode in a television series?

I had an interesting chat with Leanna last night. We had saddled up in our cowgirl threads and joined Magi & Naz over at Black Horse for some country & western dancing.

We started talking about our second lives and she was questioning if it is really worth spending so much time here. Considering I had recently taken a Second Life timeout, I knew exactly what she meant and had put a lot of thought into this question.

I told Leanna that I keep coming back to SL because I still find it entertaining, although that doesn't necessarily mean it's always fun. I explained an idea I've had from all the way back to my first year in SL; that is, I see my second life as something like a movie. The difference is, each of us is the star of our own movie.

Leanna picked up on this quickly and we even considered that our second lives were more like a television series. And that idea evolved to look at each logon as a new episode in the series. I think both of us found this point of view brings some clarity to all the drama that goes on here.

When you sit down in a movie theater or in front of your television, you watch a story that you cannot control and which you have no idea how it will end. If you choose to suspend disbelief, you can go to incredible places of imagery and drama. And if you are like most people, you can be completely engaged in the adventure and drama.

In Second Life, it's like being in a movie but you do have some control over the story because you are interacting with others. You can't control what others will do, but you can control what you will do. And if you choose, just like in the movies -- to suspend disbelief -- you can experience some amazing adventure and drama. And if you are lucky, you can have some wonderful romance too. However, the problem with being the hero or heroine of your own movie is, it hurts a lot when there's an unhappy ending.

And so our chat went. This morning I've had some time to consider this idea some more and I've decided to write more posts about this in the coming days. I'll connect the different posts with the Label "My Show" (see Labels below or right column, near bottom).

Ten Years Ago Today

2011-09-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

I'm watching NBC's rebroadcast of the morning of 9/11. I'm very choked up and can't shake my feelings from that morning.

I was on vacation and sleeping late when I got a call for my best friend. She was very terse, "Turn on the t.v. Planes have crashed into the World Trade Center and Pentagon. All planes in the United States have been grounded. The nation is under attack." I instantly was wide awake and all I could think about was getting to the television. I said, "OMG! I'll call you back later."

When I turned the t.v. on there was still one tower standing. I thought, "Thank god, one towers is still standing." Yes, I know that was a stupid thought, but that's what I thought. I was aware there must have been over 10,000 people in that tower, but the full impact hadn't hit me yet. Then only a few minutes later the second tower went down. I stood in front of the t.v. I couldn't sit. When I finally sat down, I watched television all that day and all that night.

I've never been so shocked in my life. It was ten years ago today. God damn those fanatics who perpetrated those acts. God bless all those innocent people who were terrorized that morning. And God bless America.

...just my own reflection.

Rumblings About Mesh

2011-09-09T12:37:00.000-07:00

I think this New World Notes post with it's associated link to a post on I Derryth is an interesting insight into issues related to mesh and clothing. I've been planning to spend a lot of Lindens on mesh clothing, but I may be putting those plans on pause for awhile, till creators find technques for mastering the new technology. Ntl, I'm still very interested in things mesh.

A Very Grand Opening at Oz

2011-09-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

The grand foyer of the nightclub Oz. Yes! An instant immersive experience!

I arrived early at Oz, somewhere over the rainbow and way above the chimney tops, in the Calas sim group. The beauty was staggering and I was instantly transported. As you can see in the photo above, Oz is an Art Deco nightclub out of the 1930s and the dress was 1930s era formal. The colors and decor were truly breathtaking and I got out my camera and began shooting and continued deep into the evening.

Inside the club, guests began to arrive. The stage was every bit as stunning as it appears in this photo!

The lovely Sultry Sonata opened the show with her beautiful, moving songs. Her performance filled night with liveliness and joy.

Sultry was gorgeous, her costume was spectacular and her singing was seductive and truly sultry.

Oz filled with guests and virtually everyone had taken the time to find appropriate attire, further increasing the sense of being immersed in a special place and time.

I was seated at a most delightful private table. And immediately I began shooting photos and taking notice of all that was going on. That's my new magical hat and dress (right). Oh my how that hat makes me feel... like a celebrity! I sat there with my special mystique, sipping the fine champagne recommended to me by the ever gracious club owner Ty Tenk.

(It was Tuesday night and I was not in Idaho... or Kansas.)

There was a brief intermission and then Antonio Galloway appeared on stage and began singing with his finely polished voice. I'd seen Antonio perform before but wasn't prepared for what followed.

After a wonderful selection of song, Antonio began a medley of songs from "The Wizard of Oz" and it was a show stopper. It was clear that he had seen Wiz more than once because when he got to Munchkin song, he had the audience rolling on the floor with laughter with his vocal impersonations.
It was a brilliantly thought out and executed performance.

The club was packed with an average of more than fifty peeps all night.

Toward the end of the evening, even owners Ty & Truck took a few moments to enjoy their creation and danced. When you consider all that these two men do for Second Life, I hope you'll contribute to the charities they support
(just tp to the entrance of Calas for kiosks).

As always, club manager Magi McBride saw to the details to make the event a success. I'm not sure how often the club will be open, but after last nights show I plan to visit as often as possible. Thanks you Truck Meredith & Ty Tenk, for all you do!

Oh, there's one other thing; while I was leaving I notice this -->

Jus' sayin'

Desert Fox... erm, Me

2011-09-06T23:18:00.000-07:00

I've been shopping and shopping and shopping now that I'm back inworld. Yanno, those quick outfit change setups are great for really getting your hair and skin & makeup and jewelry and everything else coordinated for each outfit you have. Every outfit can have total customization and accessorizaion.

Today I went out shopping for some things, namely more jewelry, a 1930s dress for the opening of Oz, and I've been on the lookout for some hot big pants. I found more jewelry and I found my dress for the opening, and I found some nice sports pants (but no big pants). Oh, and I found some new hair.

After the party at Oz tonight, I raced home to get to work on some new outfits. I had an idea for the pants but when I started adding the new hair, an old top from somewhere and some grungy boots that never went with anything, I was surprised.

I think I created a cute little outfit, no? I really love to dress like this. I could do anything in clothes like these. Is there anything more comfortable?

Ok, I know I'm not a fashion model and I'm not a fancy photographer, but this is fun. /me giggles

I'm offline atm, so I'll have to add the shopping info tomorrow night. Oh, I'm heading off to The Lake House for a week while my friends move to Florida.

Second Sunday

2011-09-06T11:24:00.000-07:00

It was Labor Day but it felt more like a second Sunday to me. All I knew was that my human didn't have to get out of bed at 5:30am to go to work (well, it feels like work). It was a slow, easy, late breakfast kinda morning and a generally lazy day, all day.

When I got inworld I had a chance to chat with my new friend, Duncan Bagley. Duncan performed at Calas Galadhon on Saturday night and since we met, we've squeezed in time to get to know each other during the weekend. So, on Monday morning when it turned out that Duncan was performing at The Dolphin again, I decided to head over there and catch his show.

There was a nice crowd at the Cafe. Miss Magi made her way through the Texas fires and Dillion was there to make sure Magi was ok (whatta guy!). I arrived just as Duncan started his set.

Duncan began singing in those deep, mellow tones that have made him a popular performer at The Cafe. He has a broad and deep repertoire of folk music and it was perfect for a Sunday morning.

Again, I enjoyed Duncan's music and was really glad he and I were getting to know each other. But when the show was over, I had to return to real life.

It was a much needed three day weekend. My human had been trading the wild stock market swings for several weeks, and despite the excitement of the swings, she was exhausted. So for most of the weekend she spent our time unwinding and resting. Ntl, in the afternoon she let me returned to SL (ok, yes, I know we are the same person... ok? /me giggles).

When I got back inworld, I knew it was time to hookup with more of my old friends, and my old life. I especially wanted to get back into some great bluesy music, and that meant it was time to head over to Junkyard Blues. In fact, it had been a month since I caught a show, and I wondered if anyone would even remember me. Fortunately, Leanna joined me and together we made our appearence.

Miss Luci was spinning for a great holiday crowd. Gracee and Gala were there and Luci remarked to me that she had her Posse back together. For those who don't remember, I was one of Luci's original Posse members.

LeLe tp'd in Tippy and Tippy tp'd in Q, then I saw Duncan come back from dinner and I asked if he'd like to join us and he did (that's him in the center). And I was delighted to introduce my new folksy friend to my old bluesy friends.

Our group danced for a couple hours. More and more Junkyard friends poured in for Luci's great bluesy tunes. I could tell she was very happy with the holiday turnout. And I was thrilled that Duncan really got into the blues. Then DJ Sasha took over the reins from Miss Luci at 6pm and the party continued. It's hard to believe I had been gone from the JY for so long. It was hard to believe I was thinking that I was finished with SL, that there was nothing new to capture my imagination. I think the planets must have been aligned just right and I'm very happy to be back.

A Treasure

2011-09-04T18:23:00.000-07:00

I've been to many live shows in Second Life, but this evening I attended a concert by Samm Qendra and she delivered a performance I'll remember for a long time. Samm sang at The Spring Glass Pavilion at Calas Galadhon to a packed house. And from the opening song to the very end, this lady filled the night with her fresh, lovely and even darling music.

I am writing this post only moments after the show ended because I'm very enthusiastic about this lady. Her singing touched my heart with her renditions of "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face", "I Will Always Love You" and re-opened a world of wonder with "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." Here are some photos that caught a few moments of her performing.

It was Sunday evening, the attire was formal, and the Pavilion was packed.

Samm began to sing with a delicate, soulful and deeply moving voice that at once caught the full attention of the crowd.

Her avatar was so perfectly in tune with the singing and the personality coming through the speakers, I felt as if I knew this young girl. And I'm told she is relatively young, although in Second Life we shouldn't care about anyone's "real" age.

Here's some comments from Samm's Profile: "I'm just a simple, ordinary girl who loves to sing. I've always believed that everything that comes from the heart touches hearts, with that said I sing songs that I can connect to most of the times."

Sometimes, excellent singers don't come across well in Second Life because of sound system or studio or other technical issues. But when a fine singer has it all going right, you know! And this lady had it right. Samm is a wonderful performer and a delight with her occasional giggles as she responds to streaming chat. I feel at a loss for not having found her sooner. She is a Second Life treasure and I look forward to her coming concerts.

Second Life video producers Geo Meek, Faya Angel and Robert Little have recorded several concerts and I think you should take a moment to listen to at least one of the following links.

Robert Little production:
Samm Qendra Performing at Cheers "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face"

Faya Angel productions
Samm Qendra Performing at The Rose Theatre

Geo Meeks productions:
Samm Qendra Performing at Chez Roz 1
Samm Qendra Performing at Chez Roz 2

Once again, Magi McBride has brought amazing talent to Truck Meredith & Ty Tenk's wonderful Spring Glass Pavilion. Thank you for these gifts to Second Life.

Runnin' Wi'd d'Girls

2011-09-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

Maybe it was LeLe's email yesterday or maybe it was just that I wanted to wear some of the new clothes I'd bought on my shopping spree. I kept thinking about how cute those little glitterpants are (although as Magi pointed out, they show a lot of butt *giggles*). So, I headed inworld and made some plans with LeLe & Magi. I tried on all three of my glitterpants outfits and decided on the black one. The plan was for LeLe & me to hit Ambrosia till 7pm then head over to The Dolphin Cafe to see the latest performer that Magi had arranged. After the show the three of us planned to head out for more dancing. So, here's the story in pictures...

Leanna & me at Ambrosia. I insisted on getting LeLe a pair of the hawt boots; they look great, no? And no, my boobies aren't hanging out; it's just a low cut tank top.

LeLe & I joined Magi (center) at The Dolphin Cafe for Duncan Bagley's show. Checkout the seat of my glitterpants, what there is of it (/me blushes).

I really liked Duncan's performance and btw, the Grid is a small world. Out of nowhere he asked me what had happened to Yordie's Zen Garden (YZG is gone now, in case you didn't get the memo); apparently, he used to go there to hangout and write.

After Duncan's show, we saddled up and beamed into Wood's for some very Woodsey music. It was great to hang with the girls again. It was great just to be out dancin' & prancin'.

I'm not sure what my second life will hold for me in the future, but as I've learned again and again, it sure is nice to be able to go out dancing at night. And it's great to have some girlfriends to share it with.