Corinda has done it again.

   For all of you doubters, that do not understand us "inworld" people, and for those of you that might be questioning your own sanity/addiction levels...... read this.  Comment on it.  It sums up many thoughts/feelings that I've had, and I think is a perfectly valid base to start an ongoing discussion.  Corinda,  thank you for taking the time to put this into words.  Brava!  (I think this is perhaps one of the most insightful posts on the subject that I've read... and coming from a "lay person", yet one that shares some of my own "disabilities"... perhaps that is why.  DAMN good post!)

*peace*
   Tel


On a purely personal note.... my "personal addiction" and use of SL has led to some of the greatest joys, greatest heartaches, and greatest friendships that I've ever had, in ANY world.  As Cor pointed out... there IS a form of isolationism, whether self imposed, or, as in my case, living in the middle of nowhere, with the closest venues for entertainment of a gay sort being an hour away, and being "transportationally challenged", that SL can help with.  There are no gay bars here where I live.  The gay community, while fairly large here, considering the size of our town, consists of partnered couples, "river ho's" that cruise all night long looking for sex, and closet cases.  There ARE no places for us to meet nice single men, who don't have hidden agendas.  I refuse to troll the state park toilets.  I will not drive up and down the river bank, just to get laid.  Being on SL has provided me with a chance to interact with other gay men, in meaningful ways.  Yes, I've had my heart broken, but yes, I HAVE met some of the best friends/family that I've ever known.  Some of you read this blog openly.  Many of you follow it quietly and IM or NC me inworld.  I just want you to know that ALL of you have brightened my life in so many, many ways.  Thank you ALL!!!!

Now this was unexpected!

   My friend, Nessa, introduced me to a buddy of hers yesterday.  His name's Tim.  Interesting fella.  He owns a nightclub on SL, is a DJ, and is simply fun to chat with.  He actually got me to Fur up for a dance at his club yesterday evening!  LOL!  Drug my old wolf out for the first time in months.  After the dance there, we went to a place that he was supposed to DJ at, but they had been playing romantic music all night, already,  with a live singer...(caught his last song.... no names here, but DON'T bother!)... and decided that his rave/club stuff was not what they wanted to finish the evening, but paid him anyway.  Don't work/get paid... hmmmmm.... where do I sign up?  LOL!
   Anyway, earlier in the evening, we had gone to Tainted Boys, as Tim had never been there.  Met Spanki and his new friend, Erin there.  Man, Spanks, you were right.... let's tie him up and steal his wardrobe!  That man can DRESSS!!!!!!  Hee Hee!
   But, I DO have to say, that the rest of us look FAB as usual.  As did all the patrons at that wonderful club!
Not much else, really...... After his gig fell through, Tim and I took advantage of his "free evening" and went to Hotlanta.  After all this time, that is STILL one of my fave nightspots on all of SL.   Great people, Great tunage.... just a GREAT evening!   Tim and I sat in the hammock back at Kitteh's Kastle, and talked until the wee hours, when we logged off. 
   All in all, just a GREAT all around day!

*peace*
   Tel

Heehee... "Now WHERE did I leave that full moon?"

Erin and Spanki..... *Papi is GRINNING!!!!*

Tim and Tel.... RAWKIN' out some Gothicatz outfits.... LOVE their stuff!

(wonder if they have a store in RL?  LOL!)

Happy Familiversary, Clan!

     Well, I don't know what else to call it.  It was one year ago this week, that I set up the beginnings of Macaniva Keep.  For those of you who were there in the old days, I thank you for the long friendships.  For those of you that are recent new members, thank you for coming into my life!
     Through failed relationships, love, (all of ours!), happiness, sim changes, and yes, even the destruction of the Keep itsself, physically, we have all stuck together, and become a true family!  Yes, some of you have moved on, but others have moved in, just as in RL families.  The Clan Mac is still a strong, loving, supportive entity of it's own.  Blessed Be ALL of you!

*Peace out*
Teleny Macarthur, Lord of Macaniva, Ruler of the Kitteh's Kastle Domain, Father and Friend!

Not a hell of a lot going on right now!

   Wow, not much going on.  It's actually kinda nice for a change.  Out looking for a RL job, which is NOT fun, but necessary, as I'm down to about six weeks worth of insurance money.  I haven't spent ANY of the unemployment, and it's a little over 4 thousand USD now.  Saving THAT to buy a good late model used car.  Been makin' a few trips to Louisville, saw a very dear friend, had a GREAT lunch, and a  BLAST of an evening.  Inworld, been partying my ass off, mostly.  LOL!  Been spendin' time at Tainted Boys, where my son Spanki hosts and sometimes dances, seein' all my old buddies there.  LOVE that club!
    My dear Tonio has introduced me to a new RP sim.... futuristic, grunge, post-apocolyptic.... I'm still reading the background stories of the players there on their website, and working on my own. Anal as I am, I want it all perfected before I make my first appearance.  Imagine that. Tel a perfectionist?~?~?~?  LOL!
   I've REALLY been hittin' the photoshop lately.  SL is getting increasingly more expensive for me, especially now that the "hidden alt" has taken on a life of his own, with his own friends, his own clubs to go to, and so on.  That means clothes! (and toys, and "bits" and... well, you know the drill!)   In less than 2 weeks, he's gone from an inventory of 95, (since I eliminated those damned SL files!), to over 800!  Again.... imagine that... one of MY critters having shopping problems?!?!?!  NO WAY!  HA!
   Anywhooooooo..... here's my latest foray into PS.  I'm still gonna tweak it a bit, but I think it's my new profile shot to be.  LOL! Also, a sweet little friend of mine, who is NOT Neko, but an Asian demigod type of being (the name of which I can't remember to save my soul!), commissioned a pic for himself.  He wanted a nude, but wanted to try and capture that "Garden of Eden" type of innocence.  I think he was pleased with the results!  Sweet!
      I'm wanting to start making some of my own clothes, have been investigating sculpties, and such.  There are not NEARLY enough good, sexy, open front shirts that are well made for men out there on SL.  And jeans... let's face it, you pay out the ASS for the really highest quality ones, except for Aso's and Photos' stuff.  They at least keep their prices realistic! (There are a few more out there, but they are few and far between!)  Since my nerves have calmed down, and life is less hectic emotionally and physically these days, I can kinda put the OCD on the back burner, and build/design/sculpt/whatever again.  And, yes, Corinda,  SOMEDAY, I'll make you that perfect chiton with the boob shadows in the right places!  :-P  We'll see how this all works out... whether the Scorpio stubborness will make it pay off, or whether the... O.o.   shiny .... never mind... gotta go!

*Peace out!*
Tel

Calling all designers!

     I follow several fashion blogs, some openly, some silently, and one that I follow very much in the open is that of Photos Nikolaidis, who owns/designs the clothing for A:S:S.  In the genre, there are few equals, and none better.  However, this is not about his high quality clothing, but about his generosity as a designer.  He has just released a "Newb Pack" for AV's that are under 30 days old.  My dear friend Asoniel Komachi, over at AKC, also provides a few freebies in his shop.  High quality, low price wear is his specialty, and the freebies he provides are very good as well.  What a thoughtful and delightful idea!
     Yes, it is fun for us older AV's to get the occassional freebie by surprise, and yes, there are many freebie places out there, where the average noob can pick up anything from junk to the occassional quality item, from clothing to furniture, but for those that REALLY want to "fix up" their AV, and come to those of us that help with that for a living, it's GREAT to have a designer like Photos provide REALLY good stuff for them free, or at a reduced cost.  It not only helps them out, but, like my business motto says, is "Making SL a more beautiful place, one Avatar at a time!".  This ALSO provides GREAT free advertising for the merchants involved.  I wonder, if any of you with lots of merchant connections, or who ARE designers, or just wanna help your noob friends/clients out, would be interested in organizing a "Circle" of participating merchants just for this purpose?  This could include clothing, housing, furniture, landscaping, toys, really... anything of quality......or, if such a "ring" already exists, does anyone have contact information that I might get?  Thanx in advance for any responses.
      OK, COMPLETELY on a different subject........well, perhaps not, as this has some truly MAGNIFICENT design work in it!  This video has been posted ALL over YouTube, Facebook, Myspace, etc.   I just saw it this morning again on my friend Justyn's blog.  My turn to jump on the Gaga/Beyonce band wagon! Warning, though..... it's addictive! (And I THINK I might just have a few ideas for next Halloween... me and 85% of the OTHER gay men in the world that only do drag for fun, and for that special holiday!  LOL!)   And on a very personal note.... I'm kinda thinkin' that Lady GaGa is to this decade, what Madonna was to the 80's/early 90's.... creativity and originality personified!
(Yes, I've gotten the "Spring Bug"...  and now have spring colors all OVER my blog! HAHAHAH!)

Erin Go Braugh!

    Today, I celebrate my Irish ancestry and heritage.  I am proud of it all the year, but this particular day, with Corned Beef in the crock, cabbage nestling it gently as it slowly simmers, potatoes on the stove, boiling with traditional seasoning, carrots in the waiting stage.... ah, 'tis a proud scion of Caledonia that I am!  My family, on both sides, arrived here in the US from Ireland, some to settle in the Deep South pre-Civil war to become land owners, and southern "aristocracy" in Alabama, (Mom's side)...... some to settle in New England, and Nova Scotia, and down into the northern Appalachian Mountain regions, to be poor farmers, and share croppers on others' lands (Dad's side.) 
    Yes, like most Americans, I am a mutt.  Native American on both sides, Dutch and English on Dad's, French on Mom's..... but, unlike my Mother and Sister, who identify, both physically and emotionally with the Native American ancestry, I "look" Dutch...short, stocky, steady.... but "identify" most emotionally with my Irish ancestors.  Perhaps this is due to my status as a Pagan, somewhat, but I really think that my following the "old religion" is perhaps something that stems in converse, and based on this strong identification with that heritage. 
     Even my RL name, which many of you know from Facebook and such already, "Kerry", is from the the old Irish tongue, from a word, "ciarda", which meant "dark eyes".  (Not true, as mine are green now, but they WERE a dark violet when I was young!)  It is also the county in Ireland that at one time held my families ancestral "seat", being descendants of ancient Irish kings (basically, strong chieftains and warriors strong enough to hold on to the lands that they owned).  County Kerry Ireland has been called in some tourist guides as the "quintessential slice of Ireland that the world expects".  I quite agree.  I've included some pics of that beautiful place that I've had the priviledge to visit twice, many years ago, with my beloved David's family (Irish on his mother's side),  and would love to go "home" to to be buried at the end of my days on this Earth, this time around. 
     In closing, I raise a cup of meade to all my friends, worldwide, on this day when MOST of you are Irish at heart too.

"Slainte!"

The Hidden Alt......

This pic REALLY is just for me, but I wanted to share it, because some of you will understand.  Hope you like it. (This is my "working" alt, who feels very lonely at times, as he is frequently neglected.  Poor fella!)

Meh......

It's allergy season here in the beautiful Ohio River Valley region.  Word of the day...."Meh!"  End of post.
 :-P 
No, seriously, my new BF has been teaching me some of the subtleties of Photoshop.  He's VERY good with it, having grown up with puters, and not having to learn them afresh after having a background in ancient programming.  LOL!  I dunno, it's SO damned similar to Gimp, but has so many more features.  Kinda hard to wrap the old noggin' around it, but giving it a shot.  Gimp, btw, will not run on the new "super puter", as it's a 32 bit program, and the new system is 64 bit.  At least that's what the support team for Gimp told me. Who knows?  All I know is that is runs once, after download and install, then "loses" a .dll file EVERY time you try to open it again.  NOT worth the trouble.

Here's my "first real PS'd pic"..... not that good, but kinda think it's ok.  Or maybe it's just the subject matter.  *smiles*
*Peace#
    Tel

Hmmmmmmm.........

     Wow, well, what an interesting week this has been.  I've met a new fella!  Yes, it's very soon, and YES, it's very sudden.  We met on SL, but through mutual RL/SL friends. We are both scared shitless.  We are both VERY cautious.  We have BOTH been hurt in life, a lot, over the years, and are VERY wary of "sudden happiness", because it's VERY rare in RL.  We have plans.  We will see what happens, but things are off to a good start.  That's all that I'm gonna say on THAT subject for now, but I DID wanna acknowledge the relationship, and him.  We'll see.
     On the home front, my contractor hasn't showed up now for over three weeks to finish the electrical panel, move the dryer plug, work on the porch, etc.  I'm getting VERY frustrated, because he hasn't returned any of my calls, to either his cell phone, or his home phone.  I have just turned this over to my insurance company.  THEY are the ones that paid him in full up front, and THEY are the ones that can now just deal with the situation. 
     Let's see...... Spanki's video card crashed on him, and even though we don't talk daily, I miss seeing the little shit's name poppin' on and off my screen.  I did see him get on yesterday, but was not really on SL, having just parked Tel to listen to the music on the speakers while doing some more work in the bedroom. Isn't it funny how we get used to seeing our friends'/families' names on the screen, and don't NEED to always be in touch like that?  To just *see* the name gives you a good feeling, knowing that that person IS out there, when you need them or they need you, just like me and my best friend in RL.  Sometimes we don't get to communicate for months on end, but when we do, we pick up a conversation that's been going on for I think about 40 yrs. now, or so, right where we left off.   Hope that means all is well, now, Son!  Missed you!  Welcome Back! *Huggles and Kissles!*
     On the emotional front, other than the house situation, things are good.  I have peace back in my heart, soul and mind. I TOLD you all that I wasn't going bald and that that was just my "solar panel"!  LOL!  It's amazing what three days of sixty degree weather after the longest-feeling winter I can remember will do for you, right?  There are crocii blooming everywhere, the daffodils in the yard are budding, there are a few buds on the black cherry, ornamental plum, and crabapple trees in the yard.  About another week, and the redbud trees will be blooming their soft magenta haze.  I can't WAIT until the family lilac blooms, or the family roses.  We have one over at Mom's house that has been in the family for 7 generations, with SOMEONE taking it in each new generation.  It's a very old French double-tea perfume rose, that part of my family brought over with them during the French revolution.  They do NOT make roses that smell like this one anymore, trust me.  When it blooms, you can smell it a block away, though it sits in a hollow at the bottom of the back hill.  It's so nice to see people walking on the river walk a half block behind the yard stop, when the breeze is right in the Spring, when it's in full bloom.  They sniff, and smile.  Kinda makes all the work in the yard worthwhile.
     Within a week or so, I will begin working on the ponds, and flowerbeds, as soon as it dries up a bit.  It's mushy.  WAY too much snow melting this year, and the damp hurts the arthritis in my feet.  (Plus, if I just wait a week, I very well MAY have a new gardening buddy to help me with that.... heehee... we'll let HIM do the heavy work.... he's just a tad bit younger, and in better shape!  HeeHee!)  Spring is a GOOD thing!
     It's always been my favorite season. I HATE cold weather, and the heat in the summers, here along the mighty Ohio River, with the humidity, can be a BIT overwhelming.  Makes me sweat a bit too much, makes my joints ache, and makes my hair droop.  All four of them.  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
     I really HAVE always loved Spring.  It's a time of fresh beginnings, of new babies, of new flowers, of new love.  Almost anything planted in the Spring grows remarkably well.  Let's hope that this is true this year of all years.  The beds in the yard, and the one in the house have all been neglected for too long.  It's time to pull the weeds out, rake out the detritus of winter, pick up the broken pieces of deadwood, and reset for a brighter Summer ahead.  Life has returned.  Externally AND internally, and this is a good feeling.
    Wishing you ALL the inner  peace that I've found,
       Tel

(Here is a video that I SHAMELESSLY stole from JC's blogsite.... when I saw it, I cried.  Between the music and the visuals, it's a stunningly beautiful video.  Thankx JC, for bringing this to my attention!)

Together We Are Beautiful
by nonightfan

It's FINISHED!!!!!!!!!!

OMG... FINALLY!!!!  The front two rooms of the house are done!  Yes, I have a small amount of touchup painting to do, and perhaps some nice flowers for the mantle........ other than that, DONE!  It has been a heartwrenching/rewarding two and a half months, my friends!  First, the fire itsself.  Then the breakup. Losing my job.  Waiting on the slow ass contractor.   Work, HARD work, on my hands and knees on those damned floors... (SO glad I decided, on the advice of a few dear friends, NOT to paint them now!)... other than the major repairs, I did it myself.  Backpatting?  Perhaps, but dammit, I'm PROUD of what I've accomplished.  I hope you all don't mind the picture flood, but I LOVE having my house, and my life back!  Woot!
My house is long and narrow, and REALLY hard to take pics of, and get the full effect.  I created a sitting area in the now larger studio room, pushed the desk off to the side, in an alcove created by a built in closet, and the shelving units.  You can't see them, but there are two rocking chairs opposite that love seat in the window pic. LOVE my new house and the new layout!  Woot!

LOVE you all, and thx again for the support!

*Peace*

Tel