The first time I walked my AV into the Shelter I heard KISS music, then Aerosmith….and I was like, “OMG! OMG!”  I was blown away when I first realized that Real Life music (what other kind is there?) could be streamed into Second Life!!  Listening to some of my favorite music while I danced and laughed with others who were listening to the same music very quickly became a favorite pasttime for me. It ranked much higher in personal enjoyment than watching TV at nights. Like countless others, I became totally addicted to Second Life. 

Beach and I still visit the Shelter every once in a while. We made a lot of friends there – many of whom we still chat with from time to time. The Shelter is the place that we have warm feelings towards because of sentimental reasons. Because Beach & I by chance happened to meet at the Shelter, our Real Lives were totally changed – we decided to meet in Real Life.  The result of that meeting was my moving from my home state and the City I had lived in all of my adult life, and moving 2 states away to be with Beach. 14 months after that first RL meeting, we got married in RL!  AWWWW. lol.  And we have sentimental regards also because the Shelter impacted our Second Lives as well.  We “grew up” at the Shelter. We experienced joy, awe, drama, pain and disappointment there. We found our feet and our place in SL. It was during those old days, that we struggled with what exactly SL meant to us, and how to answer questions like, “Can I separate SL from RL?”  “How much do I share with others about my personal life?”  “Do I want this to be a place of fantasy? To be something/someone I am not in RL?”  “Just how exactly, am I supposed to interact in here, and what is everyone else’s points of view concerning all of these questions?” Oh how I remember those questions I had, and my struggle, yes struggle, figuring out exactly what Second Life was, and how I was supposed to/wanted to interact in it!

Ah, the life of a noobie -  (smiling) - such fascination with all of SL! Some of that fascination has turned to cynicism…another topic for another day…but overall, I LOVE SL and I am still totally addicted to it.

I was running around exploring SL one day with my friend Kistrel…when we found ourselves at a club for vampires. We figured we would sit for a while and check out the scene – after all the music was great! We walked over towards the bar area and I couldn’t believe my eyes! There! In SL! I found one of my brother’s monsters!  Take a look:

I should have taken a seat on the bar next to the ghoul (or whatever it is) but you get the picture.

These 2 ghouls, or whatever they are, also enjoyed the drive from VA to SC. I'm sure that peeps beside me on the highways didn't know what to think about me!

The red devil (there is a pic of it in yesterday’s post) rode shotgun. The skeleton pictured above took one of the back seats and the other ghoul, I guess it is, had to ride in the floorboard. As I drove, I remember thinking that I was giving my brother’s monsters a nice, scenic ride to their new home where they would be loved and cared for.

Hehe, I started this post in August 2008 – I had been to VA to collect some of my deceased brother’s belongings and had driven back home with a car full of his monsters as my road trip companions.  Once you see the pics, you can imagine some of the strange stares I got from fellow travellers along the way! I was driving my brother’s Jaguar (which he left to me in his will) and Beach was accompanying me in his car.  We stopped to fill up on gasoline somewhere in SC – or was it NC? – and drew this comment from a man who was gassing up his vehicle one aisle over:  “Which side of the family are they on?”  Of course Beach assured the fellow that the monsters were MY family relatives.  lol!

I just arrived home today after transporting some of my brother’s monsters! I’ll go into more detail about what that was all about , but for now, let me try to upload pictures. LOL

I danced around my brother's living room one day with this demon, saying repeatedly, "the devil made me do it".

Ah, just great! I can’t find the pics of the actual drive home – I’m afraid I may have lost them when my last PC burned up. (  And now it seems I can’t get the pic uploaded?) Oh hooray, I got it right!

Beach has been working his heart out on the new Fairy Caverns.  He’s working his brain too – contemplating what to do and how to do it.  I sometimes sit and watch him when he doesn’t know it . I enjoy “watching” the wheels turn inside his head. LOL. It’s been great seeing our old friends and meeting new friends as we work on the place. We have yet to break her in with a good game of Stoner Tag!

I had a blast just the other night, when Kenning and Jordan stopped by to hang out for a bit with Beach and me.  We thought that the trivia game was broken and was doling out money every 15 seconds or so – but turned out it wasn’t broken or doling out the money. Anyway, Jordan stated that he figured if he had received all that money then I would have chased after him, beaten him up and taken the money away from him.  I was laughing and thought it all very funny until he said that I remind him of his mother. What???? His MOTHER??????!!!!!! Beach said “yikes” and started to slink away just as I charged Jordan. I was going to make him pay for that comment! Then Kenning advised Jordan to “Throw some clothes at her, that’ll slow her down.” I had to stop in my tracks, lmao! Then Jordan said that he dropped his credit card on the ground for me.  Beach then advised Jordan to just take the beating instead. He’d come out ahead!  LOL.  The guys were so witty and funny! I never know what kind of fun I may get into when I’m in-world; what scenario I may find myself in. I guess its one of the reasons that I love SL so much.  I really felt pretty good when I logged out that night!

If you are thinking something like, “woopee” or “who cares?” right about now, I guess you had to be there to really enjoy it! LOL.

I just had a very pleasant, and then strange experience.  Maybe strange isn’t the word – let’s just say that as I was needing something, someone answered.

I went out on a mission today. I took all our plastics, cans & paper to the recycling center and then set out for a definite purpose: to find charms for my bracelet, specifically a dragon and a fairy, which symbolize Beach and me. I chose a jewelry store on a whim as I was driving by. I had to turn around and go back in the other direction and cross on-coming traffic which is a nightmare when beach tourists are in town.  Anyway, I met two very interesting women who work in this jewelry store. The first lady (her name is WENDY) pored through their catalogs with me to help me find a fairy charm.  We weren’t successful.    We found plenty of angels, mermaids, even the Grim Reaper(!!!) but no fairy. We found a dragon but I wasn’t happy with the detail. The second lady, Margaret, became involved and the two decided to make it THEIR afternoon mission to find a fairy and a dragon for me! And get this – Wendy told me that Margaret is especially interested in fairies because she has seen them. Yes, really seen them. Wendy suggested that the two of us get together sometime with a glass of wine and talk about the fairies. Margaret didn’t say no, but it wasn’t pursued either.

 I talked with these two ladies for approximately one hour. We talked about the ocean and how spiritual an experience it can be to be on the beach absorbing the beauty and wonder of the ocean; how it makes people get a sense of the larger “real” world, not the “fake” world as one lady put it. Then I told them about Second Life! That my name in the virtual world is Fairy, that I met a guy there who likes to wear dragon AVs, that we decided to meet in RL and that because we met first in SL I am living where I am today and that we are engaged. BLEW THEIR MINDS!!! They then decide to have a mission during lunch – to go to SL’s website and register new accounts! lol

I was driving back home after this pleasant experience, and I was feeling pretty good. Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” came on the radio and I cranked it up and felt even better. I was thinking about how much I enjoy life, how much I love life, pondering the amazing fact that Beach and I found each other in SL, how we want to make RL as wonderful as we can with each other…and my thoughts took a sharp turn and I began thinking about Mike, my deceased brother, about how he had so much pain in his life. Suddenly I was overcome with grief. As I pulled my car into our driveway, I was suppressing tears and trying to stuff those feelings back inside, telling myself that I love life and I deserve to be happy - even with him gone now. I parked and turned off the car. Then my cell phone rang, I heard Ozzy belting out “All aboard….hahahahaha” as ”Crazy Train” is my ring tone! I thought that was so…hmmm, I’m not sure what the word is. Its like the incoming call (with Ozzy singing) was a reminder to me, and an A-OK for me to enjoy my life.  Turns out, the caller was Mike’s son and I told him I was so glad to hear from him. (Very good timing).  We had a very nice talk, caught up on some things and made tentative plans for us to get together next time I’m in town.

 Now I’m logging off to wrap some birthday presents for a very lovable dragon.  

Fairy

Hi there! If you have an account with Second Life, come meet me and my fiance at Fairy Caverns! Just do a search for “Fairy Caverns” when you are in-world. We’re listed!!

I look forward to meeting you!

Fairy

Sudden, unexpected circumstances in life can be quite disorienting, especially when those circumstances are tragic ones. I have been coping with the death of my brother, who died in April this year, and I have been processing the confusing variety of emotions that have been sweeping through me. This difficult time in my life has squashed my desire and creativity to write/post.

I am however, through the most difficult part of the process of grieving – I think. I am ready to begin writing/posting on a somewhat regular basis now. I am ready to continue with what I intended this blog to be in its conception, with the addition of writing about my brother – who I loved and still love very dearly.  I miss you Mike. 

I do not wish my blogs about my brother to be depressing to any readers that I may have. I only want to celebrate our reationship that we had and to tell his story – which is quite unique I think. I also wish to express my reflections and questions regarding life, and the process of life.  Okay, I admit it – I think I also want to somehow keep my brother alive and remembered through the use of the Internet. Mike, I dedicate these blogs about you TO you, and will use the greatest care in posting about you and your life with respect, honor and dignity. Did I mention that I still love you?

I am smiling now, and I think I have accepted his death. I can’t wait to share with all you Star Trek fans the magnificent collection that Mike had. I will even be able to share some pictures of his collection with you! I think folks should know about and see his collection. It was VERY important to him – this collection.

Talk to you later,

Fairy

Hmmm…okay, so, pages are permanent links on the sidebar. I think I understand how this works now. I’ve been away from writing since I created my blog due to unforeseen life circumstances. I plan on getting back to writing VERY soon. I have sooooooo much that I want to say and write about.

See you later,

Fairy