How Sweet It Is

So for the past couple of years, I’ve been working on a computer that is painfully outdated. The video card was decent enough and all but it was just too old and patched together with bits and pieces of extra parts. Heck, I was still working with Windows XP despite the fact that everyone was scaring me by saying I NEEDED to get at least Windows 7 immediately. But I made it run and I made it work for me because unfortunately, the budget just didn’t allow for a new computer. At least, not a new computer that would run Second Life any better.

The past few months have been rough. Any thing I’ve done with the family has been done with a lot of crashing, or I have to derender EVERYTHING around me to just stay with them. All the pictures I’ve shown that I didn’t take from someone else’s Flickr have been done with my computer grunting and wheezing next to me. But I kept going because I love SL, I love taking pictures, and what else could I do? SL helps me more than any drug when my anxiety gets really bad, especially since my anxiety attacks usually happen at night when I can’t go out for a walk or anything. I love it.

But even with my love for SL and my family, I’ve been getting more and more discouraged. All the decorating I did in our house was done slowly and with a LOT of freezing and crashing and I couldn’t really be in the house anyway. It was easier to be out on the beach, but not that much easier. I couldn’t visit my girls’ rooms or go see the Oleanders or go shopping at any events until almost the last day. Staying up on my platform was basically becoming my SLife. I started to just not want to log in at all.

I’ve been hoping for the past few months that maybe for my birthday this month, I could talk to my RL partner about a new computer. But a few weeks ago, we had to have work done to our house that put pretty much everything out of the budget for a while. The joys of home ownership, am I right? *laughs* So I put the thought of a new computer out of my head and tried to figure out how to make mine chug along a little longer.

However, I forget that my RL partner pays more attention to me than I realize sometimes.

This morning I was getting myself ready to head out to see my parents for the day when a very normal-for-us thing happened. I heard a THUMP! Then a DINGDONG as the doorbell rang. Then VROOM as a truck drove away. My RL guy is kind of an Amazon freak so we get packages delivered almost daily. [these packages almost never end up anywhere except in the living room, unopened. I dunno.] On my way out the door, I noticed the big box on the porch said DELL. It’s not too uncommon for computer equipment to end up on our doorstep due to his job. For the briefest moment I thought, “Wouldn’t that be nice if it was a new computer for me?” But I put it out of my mind because I knew it couldn’t be for me.

But guess what? IT WAS!!!!

When I got home this evening, he came out of his office and handed me a box. “This is a power supply. You need to open up this big box, then open up your computer and pull out your video card and hard drive. Then pull out the power supply in this computer and install the rest. Good luck.”

Well. *laughs* I’m not the most technical girl in the world, which he well knows, so he DID most of it because I was unscrewing things that didn’t need to be and obviously I don’t know where everything goes. But I did help!

After installing a few things and then going to get dinner, I was ready to get into Second Life.

Holy… I’d forgotten how FUN it can be! My sister pulled me over with them and for the first time, I didn’t have to immediately start derendering her landscaping. I could cam all over their land! I could run around with the kids! We went shopping and I was able to chase Riley all over the sim! We went to look at hair and I was able to do Gyazo gifs for the first time ever! We went to try out dances and I had no problems! After I said goodnight to them, I was able to go shopping, then do to a blog post with shadows! I could run around our house and then sit and enjoy it.

I’m so so happy right now. And so dang grateful that I’m as loved as I am – in both worlds.

Day 288 – So Beloved

My friend Aisuru is pretty awesome. She has a great store called Beloved and she’s been busy like a little bee revamping her location lately. I popped over tonight to see her work and she definitely outdid herself this time. The place is amazing! It’s not a large location at all, but she managed to get it to look huge and like you’d walked into a small city. Amazing. I didn’t get pics of the whole thing, but go check it out. It’s incredible and a wonderful backdrop for photos. Plus, Aisuru sells brilliant items, especially if you’re into whimsical landscaping. And she has some of the prettiest eyes on the grid for sale. But just go check it out for yourself. It’s awesome!

I’ll never be a social butterfly

I’ve been having a big ol’ case of winter blues lately, so I’ve been a hermit in my skybox a lot the past couple of weeks. But yesterday I actually went out to a few things, so because this blog has been terribly dull lately, let me show you pics. 🙂

I first made my way to Mexico to take pictures of a dress. Then I realized later that I was wearing the dress wrong. *sighs* Well, not WRONG, but there was one extra thing I should have been wearing, so I’ll have to go back later to reshoot the pics. But while I was there, I had an audience.

My Spanish is minimal at best when writing, so I didn’t have much to say to them.

Later, I headed over to the Mensweek Fashion Show, because it was the Musashi-Do show and I wanted to show my support. It was laggy, as most fashion shows are, and the funniest thing was that one chair was shooting people out of the sim. At least 3 of us ended up like this!

Lag is really hell when you’re doing a show because a lot of the time, you get that crazy “I’ma just keep walking” thing. C’mon, we’ve all been there. It’s like sim crossing, but not since you’re not crossing a sim. lol

And of course, the sim crashed during the show. [Hey, that’s a sign of a good show, right?!] But that was ok because at least when we came back, things were a little better and faster to rez. And if I’d missed seeing guys this cute in these hot suits…I think I would have cried.

Seriously…put a suit on a guy and I get weak.

Speaking of cute guys, here is Rob and Shiryu sitting for the show. I had to wait forever to get this pic. Rob’s pants just did NOT want to rez!

Oh, and here’s a picture of this guy who kept telling me inappropriate blowjob stories during the show. I dunno who he is. :-p

Later that night [much much later, it was probably near 3am for me], Mr. New World Notes Hamlet IMed me and asked if I wanted to come dance at a small party for RMB City, because it was the one year anniversary party, and the inauguration of a new mayor for the city. Then he really clinched it by saying he needed a celebrity type there. Oh Hamlet, how you stroke my ego. LOL! I think I wasn’t so much a celebrity type as I was someone who was simply online at the time. But either way, I wasn’t doing anything else, so off I went.

RMB City is actually a pretty cool, if crazy looking, kind of place. If you like exploring, I would highly suggest it, just because it evolves over time so there’s usually something new to see.

I’ll never be a social butterfly that goes to a bunch of events in a day, but once in a while, I can kind of fake it. 🙂

Day 62 – Viz’tin

It’s freezing in my area. I hate it. LOL But if I had a really pretty purple coat, I’d probably enjoy the cold weather more.

Btw, you can own that coat on January 8th by going to Musashi-Do for the SL Daily Deal. It’s only available in purple on the 8th, so be sure you get it then!! It’s also almost half price from the regular December Warmth coats, and only 250 will be available. You know you want it!

So the best ideas from my friends always come out of a random comment. My group is doing home tours. It’s not that we can’t just go over to each others’ houses whenever. But it’s more like… well, this might be a old southern thing, I don’t know, but ladies used to have “At Home” days. People would come over during a certain time and hang out and stuff. That’s kind of what these remind me of, except that basically we’re just coming over to snoop in houses and chat.

Last night, we went over to check out Eva Bonner’s place. Her house is so pretty, this picture really doesn’t do it justice.

She was sweet enough to let those of us who couldn’t make it during her home hours come over afterwards.

Tonight, we’ll be heading over to Heidi’s & Black’s home.

Whether he’ll be holding a kitty or not, I have no idea.

I haven’t yet signed up to show off my house. It’s still semi-decorated for Christmas, so I need to finish getting things back to normal.

Oh, speaking of home tours, it’s almost time to go viz’tin!

Day 56 & how I spent my New Year’s Eve

So when Codie asked me if I’d be interested in DJing at Rouge for New Year’s Eve, I jumped at the chance! I hadn’t planned on going out because I have a cold and because I don’t like to take my chances out on the roads anymore during NYE just because of all the drunks. I am so so glad that she asked me to DJ because I had an absolute BLAST last night!!! And now, of course, you all get to see pictures. :-p

Me, on top of the DJ booth.

Such a fun crowd!

I had probably my first real fangirl moment in ages when Phaylen Fairchild showed up. I’ve been such a fan of hers for so long. 🙂 It was also her 7th rezday!

Of course, Linden Lab was doing rolling restarts, and wouldn’t you know it, Rouge got hit during the party. Everyone scattered and some of us ended up on neighboring Leek Island.

But, all was well and the party picked up just as big as it was before.

Another crowd shot.

This pic makes me laugh because it looks like Gabby had a little too much to drink!

After my set, DJ Dancien took over the air and I hopped down to dance with Moggs. I never get to party with her, our time zones are just too different!

I also hopped up on the pole with Dan, because hey, why not?

Then we all decided to hit up Madame Maracas’s party! Party bus, forward!

I don’t know why he has his own pole…but considering I think I’m the only person I know without my own, I’m not really going to question it. That’s the great Madame dancing near!

All in all, it was a fantastic way to usher in 2010! I hope to get out a see people a whole lot more now, because I just had an absolute ball!

And yeah…I dragged myself home at the crack of dawn.

Day 55 – Happy New Year!!

The last day of 2009. Wow. 🙂

It’s really been kind of an amazing year for me. There has been bad, of course, but that just seems to make the good so so much better. I am blessed and grateful that I’m ending the year with my parents doing better, knowing that my nephew is safe and taken care of, and with many good friends that I simply cannot imagine my life without now.

I have goals for the new year, but I’ll probably save those to talk about tomorrow.

Today…this is my New Year’s wish for my friends and readers of this blog. I wish you a new year of peace. I wish that whatever hurts you, or upsets you, you can learn to find a way to if not fix the issue, then to at least come to peace with it and let it go. I wish a year of laughter, of friendship, of success. I wish you a year of bright dreams, creativity, and goals realized. I wish you a year of beauty and love.

Please please be careful if you’re going out tonight. I just can’t imagine my 2010 without you guys in it. 🙂

I am starting out 2010 with a great gift. Adric sent me… the M Linden bear!!

AND? Veronica Kanya made a video from the party last night! Awesome!

Also? This is the 2 year anniversary of my blog. 🙂 1193 posts written, 1113 [including this one] posted, and about a billion memories made all because I decided to start writing one night. 🙂

My favorite party of 2009!!

I can’t even begin to describe how much fun tonight’s New Year’s Eve Eve party was!!! So…here’s some pics!

Me, right before the party started.

When did all these people get here?!

Uh, hello? Could I be any luckier dancing near Fricker Fraker, Shiryu Musashi, and Gahum Riptide, three of the most awesome men on the grid? I think not!

Also, could I be more up on Gahum? LMAO! That’s Sehra’s hand poking out there, btw.

Eva & Nikki looking super hot. I thought Eva had come in with a longer dress. I guess she lost it. Oh! Like on the Buffy movie when Pike stepped on her dress and ripped half of it off!

Fricker, dancing with Gorgeous Yongho and Wilma Delgado. Wilma made her way straight to the bar!

Everyone crowding around the big sign. Oh hiiiii, Shelly & Dazz on top!

By the end of the party, which had gone on an hour longer than I thought it would, I was looking rough. And I lost my shoes.

Did you ever wonder what I was like in my early 20s? Here ya go.

There are many more pictures, including some of the new year kisses under the sign that I caught, over here in this Flickr set. I have more pics, actually, but I need to sort through and crop and all that so I’ll probably get to those tomorrow.

I think my caffeine and party energy has FINALLY worn off, so I’m going to go crash into bed. If I’m up before noon, it will be a MIRACLE!

Day 53 – It was a good day :)

It was one of those days where there were just lots of photo opportunities. 🙂

Hanging with Sophia and Prad on Soph’s new platform. I don’t know WHAT Prad’s wearing. But he’s a tall drink of water when he’s in heels.

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/aliciachenaux/4226768605/&quot; title="Crazies <img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2735/4226768605_39dbef65eb.jpg&quot; width="500" height="296" alt="Crazies

Later, Soph and I went bouncing around the island on our cupcakes again. Emerald, thank you so much for giving those to us. Seriously, we have so much fun on them! We stumbled into Aisuru‘s house and made butt prints on her custards.

Man On The Grid, Fricker Fraker [say his name, it’s fun!], invited me and the group out to listen to Kyle Beltran’s performance. Kyle does lounge/jazz type music on the piano. Most awesome!!

You can see Eva’s hands and eye poking out from behind her dance partner. 🙂

All in all…it was a good day. 🙂

Fabulous Fashion – Winterstock!

As I mentioned yesterday, I got to model for SySy for the Fabulous Fashion show. Here it is, if you’d like to see! And if you just want to skip to me, My little part takes place at 16:30. 🙂

http://api.treet.tv/ttvplayer/release/ttvplayer-generic.swf

Day 37 & Fabulous Fashion

Day 37’s photo is not my usual carefully posed, prettily photoshopped photo. In fact, it wasn’t even taken by me. 🙂

Today I modeled for SySy on the Fabulous Fashion show! SySy took that picture when the show was over and all the guests & models posed with host Angie Mornington. It was a pretty darn cool experience and I’m really happy I got to do it. 🙂

The show should be up tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll be able to post it here when it is.