Mistletoe Got a Webcam

Recovering: Petal on the Road, Day 8

It’s time to check in with our intrepid young adventurers, Petal and Joline, as they explore the roads of Sansara on their bikes. No flying, no TPing unless stuck, photographing and blogging as they go.

When last we left off, Joline had gotten a bad cold while they were staying in the Chamonix City sims, so they stayed a while longer while Joline recouperated. Petal’s mom Clover shipped some of her famous chicken soup to the Chamonix City Post Office. And sure enough, Joline was feeling better after a good, warm night’s sleep.

In the Warming Hut by the fishing pond, we sat by the fire and planned out our route. We got out our maps and our phones and decided we'd go back out of Chamonix City, pick up our bikes where we left them at Off Sides, then get back on the main road in Braggiani. From there, we'd follow the Amundsen Road, which went south and looped back up north on the other side of the mountain.

The Best Day Ever: Petal On the Road: Day 7, Part 1

Time to spill the beans: Petal made a BFF on Night 6! Say hello to Joline, age 11. Joline is now a Junior Doe Cadet, like Petal, and they’ve begun to continue their Mainland road adventure together. They packed up all their gear and departed from the Hanson Infohub together. Let’s see where the road takes them as we start Petal’s seventh day on the road!

Sim 75: Eldora

Joline and I rode north, through Arosa Village (and the sims of Boreal and Kendall). We took a left, and headed west.

Warmth Amid the Cold: Petal On the Road, Day 6

Yes, once again, it’s time to check in with our intrepid nine-year-old explorer, Petal, as she makes her way along the Mainland roads on her bike. When last we left off, Petal had left her bike in Belmondo, got carried away in a sleigh ride to Moritz, climbed a mountain, and snowboarded all the way to the Infohub in Anzere. Let’s see if she can find her way back to the road and her bike.

Deep in the mountains, in the Snowlands, is the Anzere Infohub. I had hot cocoa and a good night's rest, but now it was time to get back to Belmondo and my bike. I hoped it wasn't towed while I was away, because with only a couple Ls to my name, I'll have a hard time getting a new one!

Sleighbells and Yak Butter: Petal on the Road, Day 5

One Kid, One Bike, and Hundreds of Sims: it’s day 5 of Petal’s bicycle trip along the roads of the Mainland continent of Sansara. When we last left off, our intrepid nine-year-old explorer had made camp at the Isabel Infohub. Let’s see what she discovers on Day 5!

When I woke up in Isabel, near the Infohub, there were 51 avatars sharing the sim with me! There was also an intersection; I decided to go straight (south-west), further away from the crowds. OMG LAGGGGG. I thought I'd never cross that bridge.

Petal on the Road – Part 4

One kid, one bike, and hundreds of sims: it’s Petal On the Road, the adventures of Petal as she explores the main road on the Mainland. No flying, no TPing (except to get unstuck), no money from home. Of course you have to suspend disbelief in thinking that any mom in her right mind would let a nine-year-old do something like this. But here we are, on Day 4 of her adventure, where she begins at a campsite in Alice. Let’s see where the road takes her today.

Day 4: departing from Alice and the delicious BBQ food. The weather is clear.

Petal on the Road – Part 1

Here's where it starts: Coniston.

So here’s the plan. One kid, one bike, exploring the Mainland, without TPing or Flying (unless I get really stuck). I’ll stick to the main road (sometimes referred to as the Linden Road), except every now and then if I need to take a break.

OK? Here we go!

Our Oahu Vacation (Day 1)

The past couple of years, around about this time of year, I’ve spontaneously rounded up a couple of friends and taken them surfing.

Well this year, I thought I’d try something different, and actually plan a vacation.

I booked a room for a week at the incredibly beautiful Oahu Resort, and today, the family arrived.

Clover says, "I pick this bed!"

An elf only turns 315 once!

Happy 315th birthday to me! Incidentally, I had a look, and had he lived, philosopher Hermann Samuel Reimarus would be exactly the same age as me today. Also born in the same year were Voltaire and Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Köthen (I’m about a month younger than both). Leopold was best known for hiring Johann Sebastian Bach as his Kappelmeister, and was in fact godfather to one of Bach’s sons.

So, wow, 315. The 300s in elf years are roughly equal to the 30s in human years, and I’ve got to say I’m really enjoying them so far. There’s a sense of “figuring things out” that comes in this century– not like where you think you have them figured out, when you turn 200– but at the same time there’s still a feeling of it not being too late to do whatever it is I want to do. But with that I also feel like I should know what that is now, and I don’t. I keep thinking I do, but then it changes.

Well anyways. YAY!

Saturday in Northfarthing

Yesterday DonPaul stopped by the fairegrounds to get the stream changer squared away, so that come the day of the festival he won’t have to be the one to change the stream at the top of each hour for each new performer. That was when he mentioned that he wouldn’t be about much that day, in large part because the 21st is his birthday and he plans to spend it with his family. After the stream changer got taken care of, we shot 6 rounds of archery and just caught up a bit. It was some long overdue time spent with one of my best friends.