September 30th, 2010: Scarlot Verrazzano

I am sure you have them, everyone does. I’m talking about a date that you’ll always remember. September 30th is one of mine. It’s not a birthday, anniversary or any other joyous occasion. Today , in 2008, my Mother lost her battle with Cancer.

When I woke this morning, I remembered the last thing my Mother had said to me. She was in the ICU, I was going home to get some rest. I kissed & hugged her, told her I loved her and I would see her in the morning. Just as I was leaving , she called me back, just to do it all over again. She said that she just wanted to make sure that I knew she loved me very much! I laughed and told her I loved her too. I did see her, but those were the last words she ever said to me. She died that afternoon.

Losing her has been really hard. Just a few months ago, My Mom gave me something to hold on to..she came to me in a dream.

It was a normal dream. I was in a house, much like the one I grew up in, with a man (whom I don’t know). She was there, always in the background. She was either folding laundry, or drying dishes. I would talk to her. One day I told her, “I really need to stop talking to you.” She looked puzzled and said, “Why, cuz I am dead?” I laughed, “Uhm, yes–they are going to lock me away.” She then turned to me really serious and said, “Cindy, I will be here for as long as you need me. I am not going anywhere!” I call that dream a gift. Like always, She knew what I needed, and gave it to me.

So, now… I sit on our land, in that special place I made just for her. Thinking about her and how she had touched my life . She is smiling down on me because she knows I still need her, and she is willing to wait. Mom, if you’re listening, I miss you so much!

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Scarlot Verrazzano was born and raised in the Chicagoland area. She currently shares ownership of Thorndale Gallery with her partner, Pat Keenan. She is a writer for the Art & Entertainment Section of the Icon Lifestyle Magazine. She would like all of you to call your parents today… just to tell them you LOVE them! She wishes she could do that to hers.

September 29th, 2010: Redsoledrea Gossipgirl

It is official!  I am old. Today is my 26th birthday. But on the bright side of things I am the youngest out of all my RL friends and family so they are even older! I still win, bitches. I came to Second Life just a little over 2 years ago. I found this little happy place through the Gossipgirl website. I can not tell you how long it actually took me to leave the Gossipgirl sims and venture out to Second Life. The whole time I thought it was a Virtual chat/game only for GG’s. I know, I know, shame. Second Life has helped me discover myself and discover talents I never knew I had. When I sit behind my computer and create things, I do it for me. I do it because doodling, texture making, and the whole process makes me happy. The end result I get excited about because I made this item to the best of my abilities. I am an untrained clothing /accessory/ whatever I feel like making designer, and I basically taught myself everything I know. Actually, Second Life helped me see that I love graphic design and I plan on attending school next fall.

Now, one question I get a lot is about my name. Why I chose it and what it means… it’s simple, really. When I signed on I used my email name which I use for everything, and I created that email after I met my favorite shoe designer Christian Louboutin. I met him 4 years ago at Neiman Marcus in downtown Dallas. He came and had a little cocktail party and had a shoe signing event. I waited around 3 hours in a line of 20 people. He sat with everyone and made each one a personalized drawing of the shoe you had and also signed the soles of them (the high part of the heel where you do not walk on). So in short; redsole (louboutin’s soles) + Drea (RL nickname)… pretty simple.

My Second Life would be nothing without my friends I have met along the way. I have met a handful of gorgeous souls behind the computer screen. I love you all and you make me happy.

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Redsoledrea Gossipgirl is the designer/Owner of Boho; a Second Life clothing/accessory store for females. Once in a blue moon she blogs on Fashioncracked.com. She was involved in the brands (OMFG) I love it, Total Betty, and Dekade/Kira Ahn Designs.  She is a 26-year-old Wifey, Mommy, and a happy person with the love of fashion, designer heels, and 5.00 cupcakes.  I love to be loved.

September 28th, 2010: Audra Graves – Cont’d

Today has been many things.

Today has been better than yesterday. Today is my 1 month with my wonderful Girlfriend. Today is 1 month til my 23rd Birthday. Today I remembered my nana who has been gone for 5 months and 4 days today. Today I didn’t get to get my Permit. Today I took both my dogs for a walk in the wonderful weather. Today I did Laundry. Today I haven’t been hired yet.

Today I had a little leaders meeting at Oceanside Elementary school. Today I played with my sister and her friends and my momma and daddy. Today I went hair Shopping, worked on my pose store, and even helped my best friends look for a horse!

Slowly but surely my life is changing and without SL I wouldn’t be where I was. I made the most wonderful friends and family who taught me and pointed things out to help me!

Today was day one in becoming a better me.

I’ll cross my fingers!

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Audra Graves continues to play a 5-year-old girl with a wild imagination in SL. She spends most of her time with her family and friends and working on her Pose Store SMALL Poses. In RL she is 22 going on 23 and living in the east coast with her family hoping someone will hire her so she can move to the west coast.

Audra’s previous post was on June 11th, 2010.

September 27th, 2010: Suti Capalini – Cont’d

Today was an ordinary day, therefore, this will be an ordinary post. I woke up late, and got to my World Literature class two minutes late. I made a 94 on the paper I wrote about life and death theories of Gilgamesh and Sumerian culture. The only thing I didn’t like about it was that my professor underlined a sentence in my paper and wrote “awkward” next to it. What’s awkward is that I got an ‘A’ on a paper that took me an hour to write.

I went home, had lunch at an Asian restaurant with my brother, then fantasized about my role in a silent movie my friend will be directing this weekend. Then I went to work at a place that I’ve started to detest because of its contribution to obesity in this world. Chili’s. I’m pulling some strings to see if I can get hired at Whole Foods.
My SL work is a lot more fun than my RL one at the moment. I started building houses recently, and I’ve been itching to build a fourth, but school, work, and parties have taken a big chunk of my free time recently. It’s a lot of fun. I think I like the name of it most, though. Set Home To Here. I love shit like that.

I wish this post had some more sentimental meat to it. Truth is, I’ve already met the people that matter to me most in both worlds, so I can’t talk about how good it feels to finally be loved. I’m not depressed, either, so I can’t really talk about how I’m only a thread away from losing my mind.

I’m a struggling college student that wastes all his money on coffee, clothes and organic food, and appreciates the people he’s had by his side all along. My clothes tend to walk away when I drink, and I tell my boyfriend Nezha how much I love him far too often than I thought I would ever.

I think my professor should have just underlined my name and wrote “awkward” next to it and left it at that.

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Suti Capalini is the owner of Glitterati Gay Poses and Set Home To Here. He is a photographer, builder, and a Go-Go at Club Nine. He is a  twenty years old college student with Advertising as his major, and a brother among four boys. He came from deep southern Texas. He still has a semi unhealthy obsession for Heidi Montag.

Suti’s previous post was on August 14th, 2010.

September 26th, 2010: Lily Grantham

I’ve written this twice now… because I can’t really decide whether I want to share why this day’s so important to me or not. Today I wake up like any other day, crawl out of my bed, dress and sit down to switch on my laptop ready to check my emails, Flickr, etc. Today is Sunday for me so I’m kinda grumpy knowing that tomorrow is Monday and I have a whole week ahead of me before I can just chill again. I always get kinda crabby on a Sunday. It’s funny because as I sit here and do my normal everyday “internet duties” I guess you could call them… I wonder whether I should even log into SL. I’ve been wondering this a lot lately.. I’ve made some mistakes in the past couple of months and hurt those I was close to so I really only log in to take pics or wander around on my own. Some might call me a rude, some might call me a snob but I just enjoy being a loner. Sometimes I feel like it’s easier that way… don’t get close to anyone it saves both me hurting someone or being hurt myself.

I guess you could say I’m one of those people who wears her heart on her sleeve and lays it out on the table only to be messed around with. Lately it’s happened to me a lot.

Today will just be like any other Sunday for me… but 4 years ago today was the day we buried my father and I don’t think I’ve ever gotten past it. I saw him go from such a strong loving father to being so small and fragile lying in a hospital bed. That’s one image I’ll never get out of my mind. I suffered and probably still do suffer from depression.. the thing is I don’t want sympathy I just always wanted understanding and I’m finding that in SL… no one can truly understand.

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Lily Grantham does a bit of everything in SL, from taking pictures to making clothes, blogging when she feels inspired and basically just wandering around. In RL she resides in Adelaide, Australia working a normal job and living in a normal house… with dreams of soon being able to travel the world.

September 25th, 2010: Emarose Starflare

Today is my day!

How exhilarating that sounds!  Twenty-four hours that belong to me, to turn my thoughts into a semi-cohesive diary to share with the metaverse.  As great as that sounds, it’s also scary.  I think as I was growing up I flunked social interaction 101 so writing today is going to take me outside my comfort zone and that scares me a lot.

I woke up this morning to the warm autumn sunshine streaming in my skylight. I love early autumn.  Crisp, cool nights and warm, sunny days.

I got myself out of bed, put the coffee on, and flipped on the laptop to read my SL fashion blogs before logging in. With my first cup of coffee in hand, I brought up SL and woke my virtual self up as well.  Once I got out of my PJs and bunny slippers, I TP’d over to a friend’s to have coffee and figure out what to do today.  I decided maybe today I would get some actual RL housework done… yeah right. Today turned out to be just what it always turns out to be, a day to hang out. It always amazes me what beauty can come from the way someone looks at something not so special and sees the possibilities that exist within it.  That’s what keeps me coming back to SL… possibilities.  Today if I want I can wiggle my nose and go to a Disney-like sim to play, go swimming with the dolphins or hang out in my garden smelling flowers. Tomorrow is soon enough for chores.

I did get a little housework done.  Dishes got washed, the living room got picked up and I fixed my spiral staircase in my virtual home for the hundredth time.  I went to a fashion show, played some backgammon, danced my patootie off and had a wonderful day.

Hmm, did I avoid talking about myself?  Yeah, I think this looks good.  I didn’t have to share myself too much this time.  I’m working on that, and every now and again a piece of me slips out into the metaverse, making my Second Life a little more entwined with my first life.

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Emarose Starflare lives in the northeastern part of the US with her fabulous daughter and her furry dog friend.  She doesn’t own any virtual businesses and she doesn’t write any fabulous blogs.  What she does do is hang out with friends and has fun whether it’s in RL or SL.  She’s quiet and reserved but once you break through her shell, she has a wicked sense of humor and makes a wonderful friend.

September 24th, 2010: Glamouramama Boa – Cont’d

I cried a little today. I was driving, and then I was crying.  I saw a movie that was not supposed to make me cry, so why was I crying?  It wasn’t the movie I was crying about, or the dead cat that lay lifeless aside the road as I drove home.  I was crying about me.

I am in social limbo.  I spend my days with young 20 something college students who I adore, and who I have more in common with than the outwardly miserable old bags who work beside me.  I at least keep my misery buried way down deep beneath the tons of carbs and other delicious morsels I use to help mask the taste as I eat my feelings.  My job is not challenging, it’s busy, but not where I use many more than one or two fired up synapses.   But, working at a college helps delude myself into thinking there is no way I’m going to be 32 tomorrow.  There is no way that I am this alone at this point in my life, two years after a heart wrenching break up.  I tell myself it’s ok to be alone, it’s ok to have two cats because any more would definitely put me on the crazy cat lady list.  I tell myself lots of things to try and make the loneliness just a little less loud.

I like Second Life.   It keeps my creative juices flowing, my online and offline friendships blooming, and my tete-a-tete vocabulary sharp.  New doors open with things to learn, and if I’m sadface, no one can see it and it’s ok.   These are the reasons I keep coming back.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my home, I love my family, I love my friends.  I love all animals and a million other things worth loving…but loving myself is so damn difficult.  And recognizing the struggle makes my life at the moment just that much more confusing.

So, sometimes, you just have to cry.  And then you feel just a little bit better to get you through the next day.  And my next day just happens to be my birthday.

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Glamouramama Boa went to e-mail this and got a knock on her front door from 3 of her student worker alumni who brought her over a birthday cupcake and some sexy booze with vodka and cognac as pictured above, talk about timing.  So, she guesses stuff happens for a reason and her birthday is starting off pretty damn great.

Glamouramama’s previous post was on August 28th, 2010.

September 23rd, 2010: Asthenia Pinazzo

I’ve been stressing for days now, what to write here. I signed up for this because I enjoyed the posts of others and thought to myself: “Hey I want to do that too!” It’s only after I signed up that I realised I’m not much of a writer, nor a very open person. Oopsie… So writing about me and my day was going to be hard. But then inspiration hit me. Almost literally.

I was driving alone tonight through a little thunderstorm, and I think it was the first time ever for me driving through a storm like that. The lightning lit up the sky beautifully as I passed the open fields (Okay, maybe I was a teeeeeeeensy bit scared during the first two flashes of lightning, but after that it got pretty, really).

And that’s the beauty about life. A little, unexpected surprise like that can turn an ordinary day into a fabulous day. Don’t let any day be just ordinary. You don’t know if you’ll get a new chance tomorrow.

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Asthenia Pinazzo is just another SL resident, logging in from Belgium, pretty pretty Belgium. Never too serious, but always enjoying life.

September 22nd, 2010: Gwendolyn Weston

When I signed up to do this, I had a plan. I knew I would write about how much better I was feeling after taking the first steps towards a better treatment for my long-term illness.  Well, that didn’t quite work out as planned – I’m still on the same old treatment.  So then, I was thinking I’d write about how much of a struggle it is to change treatment and how I felt about the past 9 years of my life.  About how I use SL to experience all those things I have felt deprived of thanks to a diagnosis at a young age and sub-optimal treatment.

Then I realized that most people who will read this have no idea who I am. I am making a first, and probably ONLY, impression with this entry.  I don’t want you to hear me whine on about lost time – we all encounter that struggle at some point in our lives – I’d rather you meet me at the beginning of my journey to a new and improved life.  Meet me while I’m full of resolve and a sense of purpose.  While I am still convinced that I am going to feel better than I have in 10 years, and how I will rediscover (or discover for the very first time) the joy and love that I can have in my 1^st life.

I admit, SL has had a positive impact aside from just being a substitute for life events I haven’t been able to experience.  I will be attending my first ever music festival this weekend thanks to having fallen in love with the SL music scene.  I’ve made some fabulous friends, had some amazing laughs, and explored new directions of creativity in the past 3 years, while learning a lot about myself.

However, if you never hear of me again, then hopefully it’s because I’ve completed the steps toward my goal, and I no longer need SL to substitute for the life I wish I could’ve had these past years.

I can’t recapture the lost time, but I will be damn sure to live the hell out of the time I’ll be fighting so hard to reclaim.

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Gwendolyn Weston is approaching her 3^rd Rezday on 9/29 and has dabbled in everything from DJing, photography, fashion and building in SL.  By far, her biggest accomplishments have been to make some amazing friends and acquaintances while increasing her music collection exponentially.  In RL, she is a librarian, animal lover, travel nut, and single 26-year-old living in the same small, Ohio town she grew up in but dreaming of her next foreign trip.

September 21st, 2010: Bacchus Ireto

Driving home from student teaching today, I decided it was time for fall. It was 90 degrees in East Tennessee, but I still had the windows rolled down and was enjoying the breeze and the views of the mountains.

That’s what made me decide it was fall…you could actually see the Smokeys today, and the sky had that fall blue color I wait for every year.

Since it’s still a good month before the trees around Knoxville will be changing, I decided it was time for fall on my sims, since I could start enjoying the fall colors now.

Yes, sims, plural, I have a small residential estate of 5 sims in Second Life.   So many people talk about creating a community in Second Life, and I like to think I actually have.  I have neighbors I see every day, and if they do not log in I wonder where they are.

Besides the sims, I like to build, and the owner of the neighboring estate wanted to show me a staircase he built. His sims are Scottish themed (mine are the American Upper Midwest–think Wisconsin) and he has been working on a Scottish Baronial manor house for a while and I have been stopping by to inspect the progress.

We got to talking about where he grew up, which is a small town on the Orkney Islands, in the north of Scotland. That’s one of the most amazing things about Second Life, how you meet people from all over the world–my best SL friends  are from Greece, the UK,  Canada, and Australia,  as well as various places in the US.

I would have never met these incredibly interesting people had it not been for playing a game that no one in my real life (except my roommate, who thinks I am a freak) knows I play for 3 or 4 hours a day.  Have you ever had one of those moments where a RL buddy asks what has been going on, and you first have to filter out all of the Second Life news before you can respond?  I do, all the time.

Well, I need to finish planting some trees…..

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Bacchus Ireto is 22 years old and a senior at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Go Vols!).  When he is not redecorating his house or landscaping in Second Life he is the owner of Taliesin Farms Realty and Bacchitecture: Luxury Homes by Bacchus Ireto, and also manages and hosts at The Den on Hinterland.