Happy Thursday - RL into SL

Happy Thursday late again. If you don't like to read about RL, stop right here.

What makes me happy? Second Life makes me happy.

In many ways really, but this post is about the break from real life, the relaxation and autoimmunity it offers.

One of my co-workers looked at me yesterday and said "I'm not under the stress you are" It surprised me to hear that from a man with a young child, a not great heart, and a wife with that brings home more money than he does and pressures him to go to college so he can get out of what he enjoys and make more money. However he was talking about our responsibilities at work. He's the buyer for the home decor department and consults on fashion fabric purchases.

I'm the manager and buyer for the largest, most active department. I control about 1/3 of the shop which contains oh, 6 or 7 departments, most of which have sub-categories. As buyer I work with ten fabric reps handling 40 manufacturers.

What attracted his attention? I was involved in my detailed analytical approach to buying which is accompanied by some gut reactions. Trying to decide which pieces of fabric from which lines from a particular manufacturer to buy for the shop. Which would my customers want? which were groups likely to be featured in magazines or regional classes/workshops, and if they were, which prints would be used in the project? And if they weren't, which groups or prints in the group would sell/be in demand regardless?

I have a regional reputation in a small vertical market. my guess is about 3,000-4,000 people in the immediate area; not that all of them know me or know of me. But enough walk in the door with my name on their lips. He calls them Cas's Groupies. During the one of the big national shows each year, I hear a little song "It's Casie's time, it's Casie's time" and believe me when I say the other managers get burnt out with it being "all about Cas". I am always deep down grateful when it's over and work settles down again.

I could go on in this vein for a while such as a round of applause just because I went to a birthday bash for an instructor last week. Weeoou what did I do?? I'm just me, nothing special. I'm so glad I'm in a nitch market. I don't know how regional TV personalities handle it.

This is one post I probably should delete, because I don't want to give the wrong impression. This really isn't a swelled head trying for attention even though it may sound that way. This is RL background to show you why when I get home I enjoy escaping into a world where no one knows my name. No one looks me up and down and says "So you're the famous Cas".

Maybe that's why I've never managed to do anything worthwhile in SL. No designing, no art, nothing creative, not even a fashion blog. Time away from work is not all time in SL - I do projects, I visit friends weekly, I exercise almost every day. However SL is my escape, my freedom, my social outlet when my work schedule prohibits me from attending activities with the RL groups I'm in.


I'm nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there's a pair of us — don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody!
How public, like a frog
To tell your name the livelong day
To an admiring bog

- Emily Dickinson

I've had this poem memorized since high school.

Happy Thursday

One of the things I love about SL is the happy surprises. Someone asks you to blog something, gives you a gift, bestows upon you wonderful words that make you feel warm inside, the new build/view/person around the corner that you didn't expect.

A few days ago, I had one of those surprises.

I met Stanislav (named for a "widely read" Polish Science Fiction/philosophical writer - Stanislav/Stanislaw Lem) in May 2008 at an animation shop! He asked a question, I was the one who answered. We started talking and he took me sailing in SL (my first time). We hung around some (I remember a tour of a museum), IM'd a fair amount and then in August real life took over. He was offered a new position that involved a change of employers, a move to a new city, different responsibilities. My friend disappeared off the face of Second Life.

Fast forward to Christmas. I sent him Greetings via an IM in SL. He replied via email.

Low and behold a few days ago, I was totally surprised to see a chat window pop open with his name on it!!!!! Stani !!!! One of the best surprises - an old friend that pops up again unexpectedly!

He joined me for a while. We began to get caught up on what has been happening in our lives. I'm sure I surprised him when I told him that I consider him a friend, we just don't know each other in Real Life.

I'm keeping an eye on him, so he can't disappear again immediately!

I was at a themed night dancing with the Funky Feats....our attentive audience! No not really, they are far too busy chatting and dancing to pay any attention to us.

Post Script ~ ~ ~
A year has pasted since this post. We are a couple in SL and spend quite a bit of time together in live chat talking about stuff and junk and getting to know each other that much better. We have a very solid relationship, and a true friendship that goes beyond SL.

Happy Thursday on a Friday

It's Friday again? And I haven't posted my Happy Thursday; how did that happen? Oh yes, role play class last night. As it happens RP pertains to my post this week.

/me stands and sweeps her hand in an arc to encompass all she sees "Greetings, I am Casandra, Banrion na Fae for the Kingdom of Aglarond."

One of the things that I like about Aglarond is that it is home to many races. It still amazes me that I am the queen of fae for the top ranked role play environment in SL! (b-places)

I enjoy role playing a sidhe, or fairy. One of the advantages of being fae is that I do not need to trudge the paths and climb the rocky slopes. I can flit and fly wherever I like, which brings me to my topic - Wings!

Wings are a necessity. Although I don't show any in this post, I have a pack of Seven Selection wings that are pretty. I wear them to match certain garments or when I want bright, simple wings that express my femininity.

One of my constants is my top choice for wings. My absolute favorite wing creator is Violaine Villota. I don't have a fat pack. Oh no, but I have eight, count them eight pairs of wings (I believe it's six designs) from Fancy Fairy.

The shading is complex; good highlights and shadows that create much more depth than most wings.

Read the poster carefully before purchasing - available are both flexi wings, and script based animated wings that open, drop, close, and different speeds of flutter.

The poses are by my friend Sai of Imperial Elegance. The gown in the second photo is an example of the clothing at Fancy Fairy. Info for other apparel, jewelry and hair happily supplied upon request.

Happy Thursday on a Friday

Here it is again - Friday, and I'm just now doing my Happy Thursday post. Thursdays are just way busy for me.

I want to talk about friends, casual male friends in particular. I really appreciate them. I am so glad that they think of me, and stay in touch.

Yesterday I dressed up and went to the Funky Feats couples dance that Hevy choreographs. There are a few couples, and singles that pair up for the evening.

A frog dancing along with the music next to Emalee and Hevy.

There were no available men when I arrived, so I started swaying to the music and enjoying the silly conversation. A few minutes later, Hevy rezzed a dance ball in front of me, stepped on it and held out his hand to me while RedRider "Red" was typing "cas would you like to dance" I managed to tap my chim (on the third try) and stop dancing. As I hopped on the ball, Hevy stood up (he saw Red's invitation). Red stepped on the ball and Hevy asked another lady. All within seconds! It looked like a sitcom!

Then Red joined me for Emy's Romantic Couples dance at Swoon. Being Red, he did not remove his trademark hat or cigar. That's Skippy on his shoulder, he's a great pet.

I'm obviously kicking my up my heels and having a great time. I majorly LOVE ballroom dancing, the music and the opportunity to dress in a gown and be twirled around the floor creates an enjoyable evening.

Another friend is Falasslond. A couple of days ago Fal invited me over to his home to see his new baby girl! Her name is Celeste.

A very light fae looks very much out of place in a dark role play land complete with vampires. Daddy gave his sweet girl a pacifier so she couldn't accidentally bite me.

You really have to trust someone in SL to let them hold your baby! They are no copy, and you absolutely must give them back, or the proud parents will lose their precious little one.

This post "Dancing the Night Away" features Hevy and another of my friends, Tulsa.

If I weren't on a borrowed computer so that my folders of photos are unavailable, I would spotlight several male friends that enrich my SL by thinking of me from time to time and including me in their world. A big thank you to each and every one of them!

Happy Thursday ... on a Friday

I love this idea! Strawberry Singh reintroduced blogging about something that makes you happy in SL or RL each Thursday. I was busy yesterday and didn't see it until this morning, so here goes.

Here is a little of what she plurked. Click on both her first and last name above to read it and to look at her blog.

... I'd like to encourage everyone to take a pic of something they love, can be your favorite shoes, your fav sim, your fav person, etc.... SL or RL, just do it! Lets get some love on our streams.

One of the things that I love and never blog about is spending time with Korbin. Here are some random pictures.

We are both true to our RL shape, height, eyes and hair. So although he is clean-shaven in RL, this is pretty much us. Yes, we have exchanged a few pics.


We met in August 2007. This is a rare, and early exploration - Midnight Reflections. I think the lily pad is still there :)

Falling asleep on my shoulder while he is afk.

With his change of jobs a little over a year ago, he's working long, long hours and on rarely. We are so busy playing catch up, We frequently don't take the time to hop on a pose ball. We usually just stand around and talk.