Okay, Marianne and I had looked over the Winterfest continent. For sentimental reasons she thought it would be neat to grab property which would utilize last year's Dasher landmark. What really caught her eye was the southeast corner of the continent on Turtle Dove, where the river emptied and created a kind of peninsula (1). Marianne bid on the peninsula for the heck of it and got it for a great price.
To the immediate northwest, on the northern shore of the river, was a great spot (2) I could use, and we could potentially consider some collaborative doings - or convenient alternative seating if she planned fireworks. At any rate we'd be neighbors and there was a guaranteed L-section of mirth.
The northern border of the dream parcel would be perfect for the entrance of the diner. My longtime plan of a diner would see fruition there and be a frequent spot for events. After last year's experience of running out of prims to make the Mardi Gras scene, I'd bid on a second parcel for prims.
I sold my Shermerville NW parcel. It wasn't working out for me. Too suburban for my urban sensibilities and too small to really get into. I would make the winterlands my getaway for the 2-1/2 months I'd have them and apply the land sale towards future tier and the auctions.
The backup parcel (3) was acquired easily - a piece on the northeast corner of Turtle Dove and two parcels north of the LivingTree Outpost.
Then came the Dream Parcel's time for a bid.
I was ready that day. I had one window up with the live JAVA countdown and another to hit the button to confirm a substantial bid and guarantee the land. It was a Saturday afternoon and the bids for it hadnt changed during the final ten minutes. It was in the 6000s...
14 seconds into it I hit the confirmation button, and with 12 seconds left to go the second window said bidding was closed.
CLOSED???
That couldnt be. I went to live chat. They couldnt call up the auction profile. They suggested I make a ticket. Meanwhile some common, dullsville shop building was placed on it.
The other possibility was a strip of land due west of LivingTree Outpost and serving as the other side of the river mouth (4). The current backup would become the primary piece and the strip would double up as a gingerbreadish thing with seating towards Marianne's place and a breathtaking sunrise, and prims. I took a shot of the sunrise and moonset there one quiet evening.
That wasnt to be. Some lunatic auctioned it up to over L$45k. Marianne and I thought they'd lost their mind whoever they were. On the last day I took a crummy small inland piece for the prims (5).
About a week after all this, I got a message from someone who works for Linden Estate Services. They wanted to do something for me for the trouble. The strip was unclaimed and they were willing to set it for me for the price the dream parcel sold for. He said it would take some reconfiguring to prepare it and he'd get back to me.
After some follow ups he admitted they saw I had gotten a second parcel already and was willing to set it for sale when *ahem* I was ready to grab it. They didnt exactly say this but I admire them for trying. I guess a compromise is a compromise.
It was a dramatic moment. I got the Email IM. I rezzed in Avaria 700 meters up. I aimed for the spot in Turtle Dove on the map. As I plummeted I made the sale with just enough time to hit Page Up and reverse my fall and land neatly on the ground.
The land was still for sale. It couldnt be bought. He came on in his tester avatar and the same thing happened. He checked. It would have to go back to auction, which it went that evening with about three other unfulfilled parcels.
I went in for the kill and overconfident as it had been below 5k. Someone beat me out and won it for 16001 Lindens and promptly put creepy cubes and laggifying temp rezzers on it.
The winner of the strip land had his objects returned after complaints of hogging resources and it appears my neighbors to the west of the diner have either left or had their things returned; an owner had walked around topless and they sported a sexgen bed on the top floor of a chalet, their third or fourth building there. It changed each time they were ARed for something. No grasp of the concept of PG or mixed company. They must get into a LOT of trouble in RL.
The Golden Yak has been doing well. My third dance party was last night. I'm thinking the next one in two weeks. I already have a theme ;)
I never got around to making the grill and bought a food replicator instead, with a smaller, all-purpose replicator for freebies. The place turned out great just the same. I love sitting at a booth and taking in the scenery. Sevhen and I chat there often. And I just keep adding more stuff to the replicator.
I keep wondering what would have happened if the Golden Yak Diner was where it was originally intended, with a back shoreline and a hop skip and jump to LivingTree Outpost. We could have had a joint fishing contest or something. Well, what's done is done, and as expected the continent has been deserted post-Christmas. There's a crater where the sexgen users used to be. Some skeletal remains on the strip land.
The Diner will continue to welcome folks for the next two months.
As for the Lindens, they went into hiding. They haven't made any further gestures to make up for the mess one borked auction created. I can think of a few things they could do, like guarantee a certain abandoned parcel would not be picked up by LDPW and would go to the dollar auction on an exact date which corresponds to my annual bonus (I hear I'm getting a nominal one this year, but it IS one). Or offer a trade which they claim they never make, except for the fact that they do for capital improvement purposes (if you own land they need to continue a road or railroad). If they wanted to do something they certainly could. But details on that's for another blog.
