To Feesh or not to Feesh

This MLK Holiday Weekend I've got some "test Fishing contests" planned.  By then everything will have been set up and ready.  Even now the customs box is at Hydrangea; the fishing server's already been there going on 2 years this spring, so the fishing area is up for all your Dalek-catching needs.  Seating for those who want, music's usually KONAstream by default.

Have to test the jackpot thingie.  At first the secondary display board wouldn't work in the lot in back of the diner.  Suddenly last night it worked fine.   If things pan out, I'll be able to hold impromptu contests anytime I want, perhaps DJ during those times.

Trophies...  I got plans for those.  Top five, an arbitrary standing, a bounty, and a level up.

I think being a diner you can imagine the type of trophies I have planned.  Think I'll display them on a menu.

I wonder if it's overkill to bring out The Dog n Hog Snackbar to house trophy and customs displays?  Hmmm of course it is.

Someone recommended an inworld sculpting tool which could come in handy.  Eventually.  Right now I'm desperately in need of RL funds to catch up with maintenance.  It's been one step forward and two steps back for some time.  I did say twoish years ago that I'd auction off some Burning Life art, but that interest is gone and not likely anyone would buy my art at this stage in the game.

The snows have melted on SkyBeam and spring looks just great. I take everything back. It's a great look, with blossoming groundcover all over.

...if you can call this normal...

She's put banlines around her building and I'm gonna ask her for a refund? Yeah right. Over 2 weeks left on the Clockhaven meter, almost a month since I said good riddance. That's a lot of rent lost. On the bright side: good riddance. To hipocrisy, false politeness, and juvenile behavior not attributed to urchins. The only thing I'll miss there are Edward Pearse's events at The Clarendon for Radio Riel and Blackberry Harvey's DJing in Sweetwater Square.

I got this nice piece of furniture built for the shop.  Guess I could put it up in The Marketplace.  I just use my old SLEX box.  But what if I need another box?  Will I get an SLEX box or one with the Second Life logo on it?

I really should put more stuff on the marketplace, like the silly noses and inner tube... The classic deco gallery building... Yeah I'm just all over the place, aren't I?

First *OFFICIAL* DJ gig at Bacchus on the Beach worked out well last week, except that putting the music on random lumped the newer material together.  No more random. Second DJ gig at New Albert Hall in TARDIS was a hit on Saturday.  Just shifted my repertoire up by a decade for them. Filled in last night at Bacchus when thunderstorms grounded Dat in RL. Madhu's regrettably will be on hiatus for the next couple of weeks (also another grounding in RL of a sort; come back soon Carter!), freeing me up to DJ at Bacchus more, so for the next two weeks I'll be providing their music on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The Starship Diner event last Friday was... quiet.  My usual time for events is Saturday after Livingtree fishing but because of the weekly summer fireworks I moved my parties to Friday evenings. Everyone's usually doing something else on Fridays, including myself.  There were birthdays and rezdays I inadvertently scheduled against - one which I would have liked to attend if I could be in two places at once.  Ah well. At least I got to see an old friend from the VRML days; we pummeled him with information in a frantic effort to get him up to speed.

Made the Taco Supreme Dalek finally.  Debut it at Show n Tell.  He's a new Super Ultrarare at Retro Metro in Sistiana.  The Purple Relay Dalek remains available for a donation until all Relay for Life vendors self destrict sometime next month. After that: no more purple Dalek.  Unless someone copies him of course.  Hey, it's their soul.

The heatwave hit a dangerous high for my medical category and I remained sequestered from Thursday through Saturday at home. Got credit for working remotely.  I hate working from home; it's like tainting my computer. But there was plenty to do. Caught up on some DVDs at the same time, half-listening to them from the side.

Today back into the real world, hitting the office following a doctor's appointment. 

Going to see what I can do with my backyard in Hydrangea. Moved my sandbox beneath the diner.  I think I'd like to put my conservatory in the backyard.  Yes, I have a conservatory. Doesn't everyone? 

It's nice that other than that and the matter of an intrusive tree I have to bring up to the "treehouse estate," there are no real points of concern.

Oh yes, Burn2.  If I get a campsite, I win. It always comes down to the best ham. Some endorsed darling will get them over me (although "endorsed" SHOULD mean that their spot was already paid for via their benefactor, right?  Endorsed means covering materials and venue, the means to make and exhibit their art).  I'll design some vehicles for the DMV. They think I'm going to script them. They've never seen my résumé.

Relay for Life Weekend

What an inspiration Relay For Life weekend was.  I wore the tag for Giant Snail Relay team, seeing how clammy the other tag had become and how I was told I wasn't needed.  Tindy had done practically all the work on the Snails' campsite, so I had a feeling no one would be relaying for them.  Racer suggested I put out my Snail shirts and Whoish vendors to bring in more donations; the team went gold level on Saturday. Total raised at this writing for the American Cancer Society by Second Life: US$373,098.

At first there were others participating.  We rooted for the first lap passersby, waving flags.  Survivors and Caregivers.  I knew so many people running and walking by us, and they appreciated our cheers.  It seemed I was wrong about the track and the impression that it was this long road which took 24 hours to complete.  More like 45min-hour, with special theme laps where we put on silly things or changed form (like the animal lap). Running by interesting builds and people cheering you on...  Proud I managed to raise 10,000 Lindens before the weekend festivities began and another few thousand during the relay from the roadside donations.  By the end of the event most of the luminaria lining the road were lit.  I'd been reunited with so many people I hadn't connected with in ages:  folks from past SL events, other causes, show n tell, previous neighbors, 7Seas fishers, Office Hours, Whovians, and so on.


It was clear that I would be the only one to run for the team.  As I've said, there were others who like me claimed more than one team tag, but they ALL represented the other.  After the first half a day, no one rooted from the campsite.  It was deserted for most of the weekend.

But the major thing is I got to run. And run. And run for all I did.  I've helped raise over 12k, about 5k of it for Giant Snail Relay's tally, maybe more; vendor sales sporadically continue.  I got to cheer people who did all they did without any personal agendas save success.  That's the spirit!

As expected, New London had been omitted again from inclusion by the Dr Who Fans Relay team, so they were unaware of the Relay weekend (Victor continues to be oblivious of an ever growing conflict between two concepts: being in charge and community obligation). When I invited Laredo Lowtide to check out the luminaria and how fans could light them in Elisabeth Sladen's name as well as for family and friends, I could tell the very setting of people running past and the luminaria - with their dedications to loved ones struggling or long gone - was something they would want to become a part of one way or another next year.  The management is so busy - maintaining TARDIS sim is a fulltime job. Maybe they need some sort of public events coordinator or something. They certainly have enough group members if not active events participants to make their own team.  Hell if the Snail Races can do it with no one on the campsite for most of the weekend, I think a good gaggle of Whovians could maintain a team presence on the track as well as put something fantastic together for a campsite. The Doctor after all is the mother of all humanitarians.

I'm sure next year will be different. It always is after the first time.  I know more people involved, am involved with more people who are involved, and Who knows what happens in 2012? :)

Remember I have a year-round kiosk in Hydrangea near the diner sign. While RFL is a seasonal campaign, cancer hits whenever it hits.

Time Out For Fun

I wasn't feeling very holidayish this year until I came across Divvivity in my hoverboard travels on Snow Day. Suddenly I remembered that I had a party just about every other week when I had the diner in Turtle Dove last year.  What happened? 

Well, it's time to make up for things with a Party!

The annual East Coast Countdown will be held this year at the Starship Diner in Hydrangea from 8:30pm SLT on New Year's Eve.  GoSpeed Racer is tentatively scheduled to spin the tunes (when plans are firmed, this part of the post will be edited) as we ring in the new year in Times Square.  A URL to some webcam will be provided for offgrid viewing while yours truly enjoys a local tradition of cable channel New York 1 covering the event without interference from 11:55est onward.

I got decorations & food for the event, and I'll be dusting off the bunny ball. Free hats will be available as well.

The Dalek will not be present unless someone insists on a snowball fight.

I plan to update the video in time for the party to possibly a classic cartoon.  Today is the last day you can catch the stars of Doctor Who sing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by clicking the mural of a cheeseburger deluxe.

Better realign my matrix for this event.

Friends and o-matic subscribers will get an invite; I'll also post the SLURL on Twitter when we start.