Chocolate and Auctions

Today I want to talk about two totally different and unrelated things, but I can't help it, because for me they somehow mixed. I got confronted today with land-auctions in Second Life. A close friend of me, wanted to get the abandoned land next to my place, so we can be neighbors again.She informed Linden Labs and LL said thank you and set it up for auction. Since she had a late shift today, I was the one who had to deal with the actual bidding war. My nerves are blank now and totally raw. I was shaking like a leaf and so freaking nervous, that I had troubles to manage my mouse, since these things are online, like eBay. And I HATE eBay and would never use it, if it weren't for the immediately-buy-button.

After four long hours of sweating, shivering and being a nervous wrack, I managed to get her the land with a super high bid in the last second. So YAY!

As amazing this moment was, as depressing it is, when you realise with whom you wanna share it, and that this someone doesn't seem to want to talk with you or to spent time with you. It is a rather dull realisation, when you see, that the one you are dating, the one you haven't seen in a couple of days, that this one, does rather something else, then to spent his time with you. My solution was chocolate. It is always there for me, and it never lets me wait!

Waiting Time

What is it about time? We feel we have not enough. It goes by slowly or super fast, sometimes it is as if it stands still. Time is a construct we made up, to measure the circles the earth makes around the sun. The weird thing is, that time is endless even though sometimes it is short.

This week, for me, it was both at the same time. All day long, time was slow, standing still, and when the time came, to meet someone, it was over, and more than ones, before it even begun.

People often say, the anticipation is half the pleasure, but what, if there is no pleasure at all in the end, and everything you get, is anticipation and waiting. In that constellation waiting is probably the worst part. One fills their time with nonsense, to not be just waiting, and also to be able to drop whatever one is doing immediately.

So what is it with people, who make you wait for them? And I don't mean to wait for something special to happen, I mean to simply spent time with each other! I think, Coco Chanel was the one who said “Don't spend time beating on a wall, hoping to transform it into a door. ” And I think, with people who make you wait, it is the same thing.

For me, it ended in going to bed alone, and now, enjoying my afternoon tea, while I blog for you, and watch a movie with my brother. Because, HE doesn't makes me wait.

Datenight

How to start, I always hates that part with texts. The middle is easy, beginning and ending.. my personal horror show. I could start tho, with the bees and the flowers... but that would be a bit too far streched out. So I will start with, girl meets boy. Girl likes boy, and boy seems to like girl. It felt like a hundred cups of coffee later, that boy, takes girl out on the first date.

So we did a little tour, all through the Sailors Cove South, starting at Mount Cooper, ending at Cooper Creek. We didn't wanted it to end premature, so we took a hike. I was not so fond of a hike with flipflips, but he was a gentleman and helped out whenever it was neccessary.

The first way took us to the dock in the north, where we grabbed a duo-kayak to paddle all through the small streams. At one point, we switched into a pedal boat, and had a great laugh, just until an aligator slided into the water just a few meters next to our little swan-boat.

Working hard to get my fill

Everybody wants a thrill

Payin' anything to roll the dice

Just one more time

Some will win, some will lose

Some were born to sing the blues

Oh, the movie never ends

It goes on and on and on and on

~Don't stop believing - Journey

Finally the swan boat was passé and one of the walkways let us up to the butterfly house, to relax and have some cuddle time. But just a short while, because a zipline took us almost all the way down back to his Destino, to take us back home, where I stayed the night. Tell me, shall I keep him?

Decisions...

This last week was hard, since I had to make some hard calls for me own peace. I found myself in a situation, in wich keep on going would have made me more sad and unhappy, as ending things for good, no matter how hard it is. It was one of those weeks, where I had to turn to myself, and search for my own feelings, and not keep on trying to make someone else happy.
Some would say how egoistic, but sometimes, being egoistic is the only thing that keeps us alive, or at least sane.. or better sane ish.

I love sailing, wind sailing or using a motor boat, it can be both fun, and amazes me always. It makes me forget about all the stress, I just leave it at the shore, and don't look back. Let the wind do the work, and not just freshening up my sails, but also my mood. I haven't had that much lately, so I so have to change that!

We do have some nice institutions in SL, made by players for other players. We have several Coast Guards, taking care of lost vehicles, lost persons on high sea, or simply to help out if someone has a question. Some do a lot more, some don't but they are there for us. I was part of one of these Coast Guards for over 2,5 years, and always loyal. Even after the latest hick up, when most of the members left, Jasp and I stayed, wanted to help out, to get the party started, or in that case, to keep it going.

It is sad, if you don't feel welcome anymore after all these years, and in the end, I jumped through all the hoops they tossed at me, I had to ask myself, do I really want this? I was in it for the RP, but there was no roleplay left, and on my last day, the Admiral told me, it was no RP group anymore. As sad as it was, as much as it hurts, I had to make a decision. So I left. An era is over, but I feel relieved.

Jasp, to take my mind off of things, took me for a coffee afterwards, to the Brook Hill Airfield. It is an amazing nice place, with a very pretty Airport Cafe and Bar. So far the most prettiest airport I ever visited! So to everyone how loves flying in SL, go ahead and check it out. I for once will now go to my beach, stack my VCG uniforms and give them a nice burn. :-)

“It's not hard to decide what you want your life to be about. What's hard, she said, is figuring out what you're willing to give up in order to do the things you really care about.”
― Shauna Niequist, Bittersweet: Thoughts on Change, Grace, and Learning the Hard Way

Relaxing...

For several reasons I was pretty worked up today, but a friend of mine knew it somehow and invited me to see her new winter retreat. The place is warm and beachy, and I got to wear my bikini in winter.

Even better, I got a hug out of it, and an amazing, very relaxing time. Thank you Rita.

Friends...

Like in every other world, if virtual or real, friends it what makes like worth living. But what do we do without them? We do stuff alone, or just sit at home. For years, that is how my SL was. If my two closest friends weren't online, I felt alone, bored and usually did nothing, except watching TV shows on the second screen. I can't say what changed, maybe I did, or situations...

I decided to go back to the Virtual Coast Guard, of course with Jaspar Recreant, my best friend. That helped to meet new people, whom I hope will become friends with time. One... is on the best way, and i thought you my enjoy the view.

In virtual worlds, roleplay is essentual, well at least if you ask me, and having so much nice stuff, to do things, should make us want to use it, and not just to show it off.

But also one old friend came back into my life, in a very surprising way. I even got him to join me on my IF, even tho he seems to be afraid of sailing himself.

Ode To Friendships

They're the few people who accept silence over conversation

A relationship like this denies silly promises and persuasion

You don't feel the need to second guess thoughts or measure words

Their love comes in wholes, not halves, not thirds

by  Kayla Rae Pich

Thank you Bill, for spending all this time with me, and giving me back some hope again.

The big sail of the Sweetpeas...

After a huge breakfast and some sugar for me, Jaspar woke up, and made his SweetPea ready for the huge leg, we would do today. The goal was the west-Nautilus passage up to Corsica, with the last stop for today at Fungbluf. Jeffrey, he has a really nice place up there, with a marina, invited us, and came along on the ride.

So we started with a bit delay at the TrYC further north. A very nice route, with sweet wind from the south, making things a lot easier. It was very pleasant that it turned early that day, after all the eastern land-wind.

The west-Nautilus passage is at some points really narrow, but if the Ushuaia can make it, it was no problem at all with the SweetPeas. Jasp knew the way, and thanks to the USB and a very good route, we made it in a pretty nice time.

We left the narrow waters, to more open water, big channels up north, and the scenery got better and better. If you think the Blake Sea is nice, you want to see these areas! Almost no “Mainland” to see, just very nice coastal areas. Perfect spot to start a journey into this part of the world would be the Gateway Marina. We saw islands, castles and so much more, it was mind blowing. Marty and I were both amazed by this area, and also were Jaspar and Jeff. We stayed in contact using the RainbowSails YC – Synapse (it's a radio).

After a very long tour, we finally arrived at Fungbulf. Even though it is a bit hidden, is is a wonderful place. Jeff invited us for some Mimosas and we enjoyed some time together after we tuck up and in the boats nicely behind one another. The perfect place for spending some days of vacation, before we take on the next leg.

View all pictures on Flickr.

Two Peas in a Pot...

Jasper started early the other day, and Marty and I took some days just for us. Next to some quality time with my man, I also used the moment to repaint and finally name our SweetPea. Now she is called “Little Fireman”.

On this morning, due to some conversations on the mobile with Jaspar, I decided to start the next leg, very pleasing I have to say with southern wind. Marty was still, snug as a bug in a rug, sleeping in the cabin, as the first breeze filled the sails and took us up north again.

The sun just came up, and painted the scenery into nice purple shades of light.

Wardroom became smaller and smaller behind the Little Fireman, and Triumphal was the goal to reach. The morningly wind freshened up a bit, and the water spray kept me awake. The waves and sounds of the sails and the mast, woke up my private fire fighter, so he crawled out of the sleeping bag and jumped into something not Adams costume like. Still yawning we sailed together the last part of this leg of the “around the World Tour”.

Triumphal was close, and I could feel his urge for a morning tea, and some real breakfast, just as my body craved something like that.

We set the boat ashore on the beach in Triumphal at the yacht club, and enjoyed our time together, waiting for Jaspar, because that was just the beginning today.

View all pictures on Flickr.

Two Peas in a Pot

But in our case more like three peas in two pots. Jaspar, my best friend got a great idea. Sailing around the known world with the Bandit Sweetpea. We weren't with him on his first tour, but we caught up with him at Tunbuckle, so he would have company on his trip. When we finally could start sailing, the night came over, and we sailed most of the tine in moonlight.

We, was not just Jaspar and I, but Jaspar, Marty and me together. Our little cruise took us along the wonderful scenery of the southern coast of Nautilus Island, more far to the east and south. Kings Port was our destination, and with the soft and steady wind blowing from north-east we made nice 5 to 7 knots. The perfect speed to enjoy the view.

When we arrived at Kings Port, the sun was risen and gave us the most beautiful blue heaven, and sparkling water. After all that sailing, we enjoyed some zip lining at that little pirates outpost, before we sailed back  north to Wardroom, to stay for the day and the night.

View all pictures on Flickr.

Fight, Sail, Love ...

Fight...

I use my blog to express myself, and also to cope with things that happen in my life. Some of you may have already read, that there is a new man in my life. But this special man is not just part of my SecondLife but also of my Real-life. Since we have long distance relationship, some things are taken more hard than they are for real, and we are still figuring everything out, getting used to each other, without getting used to each other.

Yesterday we had such a day, a tough nut, after some more tough weeks, and it was hard, but we managed, and we are in a really good place again. So far the excuse in my private real life.

Sail...

Today, to refill our batteries, we decided on a small sailing tour in the SweetPea. It is a nice and slow boat, for a lazy but amazing sailing experience. Marty was wearing most of the time his uniform, but that happens when your job is your calling I guess.

Our little cruise started in Vindar, at the RS Yacht Club, down to the south. In the middle of the way, Marty and I met my best friend Jaspar, at Snug Sea. He just came back from the test run for the new rainbowsails cruise, so we had a small but cheeky chat, before we parted, and sailed our ways.

So Marty's and my way took us down to St.Martin, to the Rainbow Sails Power Boat Charter, where we had a nice time at their cute little beach, before we kept on sailing.

The end was getting down to the Butterfly Island, and to grab there a kayak for a nice and slow ride, along the rainforest together.

Love...

That plan, sailing together, spending all this time together worked, and in the end, we needed some snuggle time on the SweetPea. We talked about making it look like a fire-boat, a really old one, we will see what I can make out of it.

And about the love-part of this post, just imagine what happened after that snuggling ...

VCG - We help you, if we are online...

Some of you might know, that the VCG is the Virtual Coast Guard, helping with sea-emergencies on several SL continents. I am a member for three years now, even tho I wasn't very active the last two years.

I decided to become a bit more involved again. So I grabbed my partner in crime, and my VCG-partner Jaspar, to have some more tours around the Blake Sea again. Here we are in his D-109 (I hope i am not mixing up Choppers) doing the rounds.

Little boat ride

Not much to say here, but after the last update of the Ushuaia, I needed a texture pack, hence I was too lazy to open the texture pack included in the box ... in the end all turned out great, plus Jaspar and I had an amazing day on the Blake Sea sailing.

Serious Coupeling

  

Shall I compare thee to a summers day? (Sonnet XIII)

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,

And summer's lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;

And every fair from fair sometime declines,

By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;

But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;

Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou grow'st;

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

by William Shakespeare

I know I do sound like a lovesick fool, but William S. really knows his way around words. And I don't see a reason for inventing the wheel, when there are people, so much better in using them.

I could write down all the things I tell him right now, but this is something, that should stay between him and me. But this is my way, of spreading nice and fuzzy feelings, hoping, all of you are feeling the same way, or will feel like that soon.

And now, you are free to shoot me (metaphorically speaking!) for being in love and cheesy all over the place!