Unfortunately it seems that another RP sim that a couple of my alts play in is becoming yet another case of Too Much Serious.

One of the fun things about playing as Petal is that I get to do a lot of the fun things that I either didn’t get to do as a kid, or can’t get away with doing as an adult. And, that school is a fun, social place; rather than a mandatory, stifling place where you’re required to do the necessary work or your life is DOOMED FOR ETERNITY.

Role-play school isn’t like RL school. In RP school, if you don’t do your homework, oh well. You can pretend you did. There are no real grades, no permanent record, no parent-teacher conferences, none of that stressful stuff. Just the good parts. And when I do have time to log on and play as Petal, if RP school is in session, I gladly go.

But imagine my disappointment when an announcement went around recently reminding students that they are required to go to school. Required? Excuse me? First off, RL always comes first. That’s why it’s called Second Life. And when I am on SL, Mistletoe and/or Clover (both are pretty much tied for “main” status these days) and their businesses and commitments come next. Then, if I feel like playing as Petal, I will; if I don’t wish to or don’t have time to, I won’t. I won’t have a group announcement telling me that 3 times a week for 2 hours, I have to drop everything to participate in RP. Remember what the P stands for, people. You want to kick Petal out of your group for that? You go right on ahead.

And if that were not enough, another announcement went out to the group stating that due to drama (their words not mine), no new people are allowed to move into town until further notice (i.e. when the admin calms the hell down I suppose). Now, if you have a shop in a town and you get an announcement like that, it tells you a few things. First, that there is drama going on. The admin chose to make private drama public, and I think most if not all of the populace would have been just fine with being none the wiser. Secondly, to a merchant, it says, “Hope you weren’t planning on any revenue!” Having fresh new faces to show your product to is an important part of keeping shop in SL. Finally, it has an overall tone of “some people are allowed here, others aren’t” that I want no part of.

So removing Clover’s branch shop was an easy decision to make, and a quick one to execute. I’d rather pay rent for a branch location where I feel wanted and welcomed than have free shop space in a place where I don’t.

So yes, another victim of Too Much Serious. When that starts to infect a RP area, in my opinion, it’s the Kiss of Death. Too bad really.

I wish I could be half the “mover and shaker” in RL that I seem to be in SL.

Today is just not my day and I’m sure a large part of it is that I’m overtired.

This is the first time I’ve seen WP’s iPhone-friendly reformat since it’s happened. LOVE IT. Thanks guys!

Looking over the past week or so in my blog, it appears I’ve been pretty negative about things lately. So, I’d like instead to mention something awesome instead.

Today the lovely folks of The Faery Crossing had me over to present a show of fireworks. It was a huge success, greatly appreciated by all, greatly enjoyed by me. I love being able to do something that really makes people go “ooh” and “ahh”. And, I must say it, the folks at the Faery Crossing are some of the most generous you’ll meet as well. That CERTAINLY doesn’t hurt either!

In fact, today’s show was such a success, I’ve been asked to return on Thursday night for Guy Fawkes Night. It will be a pleasure and an honor!

As someone with a bit of event planning experience under her belt, I can appreciate what a monumental undertaking something like a grid-wide hunt must be. I can also appreciate that since so much of it depends on what other people–and not what you–do, there are tons of unpredictable factors involved.

That said, there are a few things you could have done to prevent today’s hunt from being a total clusterfuck.

Don’t make the morning of the hunt the time you check the stops. Ever heard a group chat full of impatient child avatars? It ain’t pretty. The stops should have been checked the night before, and those merchants who can’t wrap their heads around “set contents for sale $0L” (which in itself baffles me) contacted before today.

If there is a delay, say so in an announcement. Rather than exhausting your time telling us to stop asking you over and over again why the hunt hasn’t started yet and when it finally will, make a group announcement. Then you can spend less time repeating yourself and more time fixing.

Help your volunteers help you. If someone is actually gracious enough to offer a hand to help get this thing organized and moving in the right direction, please offer full information in return, including the locations of the boxes or at VERY least hints, and what if anything the problem is with various stops. And then, stay online and answer questions. If you give a volunteer a notecard listing little more than which merchants are at which stop and then LOG OUT, you can’t honestly expect the volunteer to hold it together for you. I understand you’re overwhelmed and need to unplug. We’re here to help you out. But help us help you, please.

And merchants: guys. Come on. You put the shit in the box which has the LM, you set the contents of the box for sale for 0L. Why is this so difficult for 40% of you? WHY?!

As for hunters, please, I know you’re champing at the bit for your haul of free goodies. But do remember that the hunt organizer(s) are only human. If there’s a problem, try to help solve it. If you’re lost or confused, don’t just sit there and pee your pants and wait for someone to do it for you. Make an effort to find information on your own. For example, you’re in the hunt group, there was probably an announcement with the information you’re repeatedly asking about now (yes, I “heard” you the first five times), including the hunt start point and the basic instructions for the hunt. Check the group’s back announcements.

And if you’re trucking along just fine, maybe see if you can help out. I’m not saying hold people’s hands for them, but offer a good hint when they ask for one, maybe linger where the box is until some other people find it, pass along information, stuff like that. I know it’s not up to you to make the hunt work, but if we help each other out it can go much smoother than it has so far.

I think I need to figure out how to make drinks you can throw in other avatars’ faces. I think there’d be a market for them.

Little tip for guys, in SL and RL both: if you’re going to relentlessly hit on anything in a skirt, have something to offer. Honestly. Too many guys seem to think that “being nice” (ie, not being completely offensive) is enough. Let me clear that up: non-assholishness in a guy is a bit like wheels on a car; it should be standard, not a feature. So, great, the car has wheels. What else ya got?

I, for one, am old enough to not be blown away by “You look nice this evening.” Also? I’ve heard every stupid joke about my ears there is. Twice over. The one you’re thinking right now? Heard it. One of these days I’m really going to reply, “The better to hear inane bullshit with.”

Additionally, most women with more than two brain cells to rub together to make a spark do NOT appreciate being called “dear” or “honey” or “sweetie” right off the bat. Unless you’re a middle-aged waitress in a diner, it’s not cute. It’s creepy. It’s condescending. And my name is literally right over my head, so you have no excuse for not using it.

But, so, really, what do you have to offer a woman when you start hitting on her at the club? Did you read her profile? Do you have an opinion on anything? Do you have interests, hobbies, things you like to do? Talk about that. Say something like, “So, I see you don’t like talking tummies. I don’t either.” Something. In SL you’re not even just a machine that converts food to crap. This may shock some of you, but women actually are people. We have thoughts and ideas and feelings and opinions. Maybe if you talk to us like you’re remotely interested in said, rather than just “getting” a woman (like we’re some kind of wild game to “bag”), you’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover that there may be some that you enjoy being around because you enjoy them really as a person. Wouldn’t that be a hell of a thing?

So, to the one lounge lizard who was doing such a horrible job hitting on everyone in the bar that night, I will say, you do have something to offer. You gave me a topic for a blog post. What else ya got?

I want soooo badly to not do any SL today, with the possible exception of design work on Photoshop which can be uploaded tomorrow. I want a day off from the drama, from the obligations, from having to do or be anything for anybody but myself.

But that is not to be, not today.

Clover has rent and ad money due (although I could just as easily wait until Monday morning to pay that). And Mistletoe’s been scheduled to set off fireworks today at 4 SLT. Yesterday Mistletoe had fireworks at the same time as an alt had a gig, so I was literally in two places at once. I don’t blame those who scheduled me; I blame myself for not saying “no”.

I really wish that the employees of the pub could orient/train themselves, and not have any technical difficulties ever. Of course that’s a ridiculously unrealistic thing to expect. I don’t expect it. I just wish is all.

I also wish I would stop doing this shit to myself. I feel right now like I’m not only in over my own head, I’m dragging folks with me.

I’m coming up on 350 blog posts in this blog (that doesn’t count the Cat And Dog blog, Clover’s Kitchen, or any number of other blogs I keep). Most of what I write here (I like to think) includes Articles of Substance. Sure, I pop in the occasional one- or two-liner and call it a day, but for the most part I like to think that I put thought into what I have to say.

Looking at my stats, one post in particular gets far and away more attention than any other thing I’ve ever written here. Some days, in fact, I dare say it gets double and even triple the hits of any other post.

So, what is this amazing hit-getter? Is it one of my series of articles on RPing? Is it the humorous post about talking tummies? Is it one or more of the controversial posts on slavery, or on the business of music in SL, or child avatars? Could it be the useful guide on running a successful in-world business? Perhaps it’s a deeply emotional post, or a sarcasm-laden rant. Or maybe the article on faking death on the internet, written in the wake of Rheta Shan’s “passing”.

The answer is: none of the above. No, even more interesting than all of these is one blog post that people just can’t get enough of:

The fucking houppelandes.

Of the several things that I’ll live to be a thousand and still not get, this one is the biggest mystery of them all. What the hell is so interesting about these dresses? I’ve discontinued my entire XStreet stock (after something else I’ll rant about another time… growl…), including these. Hell, I don’t even really care for how they came out. Of my latter “flowy” garments, this is easily my least favorite (but then I’ve always prefered the earlier-period simplicity of kirtles to the conspicuous consumption era of the 15th Century). And yet…

Well, whether you’re here to read about commerce, or RPing, or me pissing and moaning again, or ugly 15th-century dresses, I’m glad you’re here to read and think and share your opinion. Enjoy.

It may be a spike. It may be another SL “bender” obsession. Whatever it is, I’m toying around with the idea of a small SL kids’ business. Skins, clothes, stuff like that. PJ came up with a brilliant name, and it led me to design a brilliant logo, and I’m not going to reveal either one yet. I want to ponder how I want to approach this.

Also, Clover may be expanding some more very soon. People love her rideable donkey cart and have been asking for one of their own; well, before very long, the very thing will be available. I should really put this in HER blog, lol, but be on the lookout soon for Clover Farms, a subdivision of Clover’s Kitchen.

Also also, my good friend ithi Teixeira has been working on getting her own enterprises started up and off the ground. This week will be the grand opening of the SP Super Bowl, a bowling alley with an arcade and snack bar, right next to her two shops: Ithi Arts (which is cool fractal artwork) and Wear Out Loud, which is clothing featuring her own artwork in its design.

So, here’s to virtual ships starting to come in. May their RL equivalent be close behind.

I wonder if I gave the impression that once I got my own parcel in SL, all my problems were solved. I sure hope not, because that certainly isn’t the truth.

My RL situation has been nothing shy of miserable lately. And the more that happens the more seductive the fantasy world becomes. But I can’t hide out all the time. Bit by bit I have to face the problems here in the far less interesting real world. Problems I don’t know how to solve.

Chances are, if you approach me in world and ask me how I’m doing, I’ll say something positive. Mainly it’s because while I’m in world, I don’t want to THINK about how I’m doing outside it, let alone talk about it. It’s not that I don’t trust you enough to want to be honest with you, it’s that I’m hurting too much to want to bring it up more.

Himself and I are both deeply depressed. We don’t know what to do. We’re at our wits’ end. I may end up in RL, as in SL, leaving behind my home: not because I wish to, but because I have to. I want so desperately to not think about it, to numb myself in a world where everything is possible and I’m doing so well I can help people who are less fortunate. A world where if I want something, god damn it, I can build it in an hours’ time myself and make it happen.

I don’t expect anyone to know what to say. I don’t expect anything. I just want to be honest and Real for a while, and then go back to my beautiful fantasy. It’s rapidly becoming all I got.