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2007-04-16 - 8:00 p.m.

The Realism in the Virtual

I was racing around trying to organize my work space and finish up my taxes this afternoon, frustrated to hell because I couldn't get my printer to work, then I realized they're not due till tomorrow. Oh. Cool.

I think I've got the printer issue fixed now, and my federal taxes are almost done. One more review of my figures and I'll print the (editable) PDF. I discovered I have one less form to fill out than I thought, so that is additional awesomeness. Still have to scribble in my state forms and I'll be done and will get everything in the mail tomorrow. Whew.

I should also bop out tomorrow to turn in my lease renewal. As hoped, I was able to secure the rate I wanted with a 2 year lease. It's only $6 more a month than I pay now. And that's the only rent increase I've had since moving here in 2004! Cool rockin' beans, as it were.

And since I have extra money in the bank since cashing out my CD, I can run over to the vet and get some more flea/tick/worm meds (Revolution) for the dogs. At some point this week I'd like to run to Best Buy for a new mouse pad (I tossed my old one before I got this new PC and can't find the other one I thought I had), and some kick-ass speakers for this system. At the moment I'm just using my headphones and the music service on my laptop.

I can't stop listening to "My Band" by D-12 (Eminem and his crew, as the youngsters say) and "The Sweet Escape" by Gwen Stefani. Both songs are perfect when I dance in this hip-hop club I found in SL. You can let the dance ball animate your avatar and the moves are quite cool. I invited some friends over (via teleport) Friday night and at certain times, everyone dances in synch. There's also a big screen TV on the stage and music videos stream in. I'll have to take a snapshot and post it.

I've racked up more Lindens on dance pads (especially since a new friend gave me an anti-idler object, which let's me dance without getting kicked off SL for inactivity after 30 minutes). Basically, I can earn money while I sleep, or out doing errands. Of course, if SL crashes or the region you're in goes down, you get bumped off. But if you happen to be up at weird hours, unable to sleep and you notice you were bumped off, you can scramble back and get on the top level pad with the highest pay -- while everyone else is sleeping and their avatars are still logged off. HEH!

The new friend mentioned above is from Holland and plays an elf character along with her hubby in real life. Anyhoo, she has two accounts. On one computer, she logs in as her "work" elf and sets her on a dance pad to rake in money, and on the other computer, she logs in as her "play" elf and has fun. Not a bad idea, eh? If I had two computers that could run SL, I'd certainly do it.

And don't think I haven't considered buying another machine. If I get a business running on SL at some point, I might consider the investment. (Am I a fuckin' industrious geek or WHAT?)

I finally have enough Lindens to comfortably go shopping, but there are so many things to choose from, it's hard to decide. I still need to buy flexible ("flexi") hair, some nicer clothes and shoes than the freebie stuff I've found...and girly parts. I have a good shape, but underneath my clothes, I look like a Barbie doll. No anatomical parts. And we can't have that now, can we? Plus, boys like girly parts. *smirk*

Aside from the writing I want to do, I've been considering getting a part-time gig as a greeter or dancer (clothed!) at a club for better money. Something where I'd show up at a certain time/day for a few hours to entertain folks, a couple times a week. But you have to have pretty good looks (not newbie-ish) and fancier gestures/animations to be considered for the job. And yes, you have to fill out an application in SL and do an interview, just like in RL!

The strippers and escorts make the really nice cha-ching though. Don't think I'm ready for something like that.

Yet.

There are also modeling gigs, event hosting, DJ jobs, etc. Basically the more skills you have, the more money you can make, just like in the real world. Combining real life skills (nice/charming/sexy personality, excellent typing skills, reliability, etc) plus SL knowledge and great wardrobe/looks can open a lot of doors.

But the people who make the BIG money in SL are the land barons, or folks who have top-notch building and scripting skills. All stuff I'd like to dabble in at some point. I certainly doubt I'll ever make enough from SL to not have to get a RL job again (few people do)... but if I can find some ways to have enough money to play around in SL, and also exchange some into a bit of real money ($10 or $20 a week perhaps?) certainly would be nice. Now, I would LOVE to be able to pull in a $100+ a week to my bank account to help pay bills, and I believe it's quite do-able, considering I don't have the RL work/family commitments most folks do.

Consider this: I've been on Second Life for 8 days now. I started with $250 Lindens (a bonus for registering with a credit card, although I don't pay a monthly fee and haven't used it. But it's easier to get people to plunk down RL money into SL if a card's on file, so Linden Lab provides the bonus to entice folks). Anyhoo, I started with L$250 and I have over L$2200 now. All of it from earnings made by dancing or camping, picking money trees, and random money ball payouts. I've only spent a few Lindens here and there (discounted skin for newbies that I haven't figured out how to wear yet, a mini horse-race game), given small money gifts to friends, and donated some back to money trees or as tips to good vendors or musicians playing on street corners.

And considering that I wasn't able use SL until I was only a week away from becoming a non-newbie (i.e. an account over 30 days old), I really didn't get to take part in the money tree dash for days on end like most folks. Also, that friend who gifted me a big sum out of the blue? I gave it back to him the other night. We were having a nice chat by a campfire on a beach, then we both got bumped off. I wound up back on a dance area and he wound up back in his home area, but I IM'd him and we continued to talk. Something I said apparently set him off (still not sure what) and he turned on me. He said I talk too much, dance too much, should find a hobby, get outside and breathe some air and maybe I'd find a real guy. Talk about out of the blue! Instead of getting upset, I laughed it off ("Anything else?..."Pissy much?"). He continued to be a jerk and when I tried to smooth things over, he refused to respond to me. Suddenly that gift he'd given me days before made me feel icky. I told him as much, said "please take this", and sent the money back. This is the second dispute I've had with him in a week and I realized it wasn't worth my time to even make an effort with him anymore. I went to remove him from my friends list, but his name was already gone. The last thing I wrote him was "Thanks for removing me from your friends list, you beat me to the punch". And that was that.

I'm learning that friendships are as complicated in a virtual world as they are in real life.

Sheesh. I wish him no ill will, but what a GIANO. (Inside joke, but your guess about what it means is probably right on the mark).

I suppose I would be less concerned with his behavior had he not given me his spiel the first day I met him about not judging others in SL and showing kindness, blah blah.

Funny, it's always the folks who get on their high horse about some moral code who are actually the first ones to break it. Reminds me of my college boyfriend who told me that he was the most faithful guy I'd ever meet. Later, I found out he was still screwing around with his ex through our entire relationship. Nice, huh? I need to make sure to apply lessons learned in real life to Second Life.

But whatever. No sense in dwelling on it.

In other news, I helped another male friend go shopping for a penis last night. You can bet your sweet ass I never thought I'd live to see the day where I would say those words.

Technology. Gotta love it.

He wanted me to help him choose one I'd like. He's a horny devil. Gets all excited when he sees me dancing. Nice guy, but he's much younger than I am, and his girlfriend just dumped him. (But he was horny with me before she dumped him). I'm flattered that he likes my avatar, but I have kept him at bay. He wants to buy me lingerie in SL and do virtual/cyber/phone sex. I keep telling him I don't have lady bits for virtual yet (he's offered to buy those too). And I may be an idiot at times, but there's no way I'd give my number out to some stranger I'd just met online. That's what my 20's were for.

Anyway, after helping him select a male shape, skin and penis (the "Woody Volume 2," no lie! Let's just say it DOES everything), I was really tired since it was after 1 am, and I wasn't feeling well, so I left him in the store to finish shopping. Haven't heard from him since. I suppose he found a receptacle for his virtual "shame gravy." I do so love Smash's lingo (we hang out a lot on SL).

I now call the Woody v2 the "shame gravy delivery system." I'm sure somewhere a virtual escort is wiping off her virtual pearl necklace right now, thanks to my horny young friend.

Smash and I thought of new names for a penis store: Wangout Hangout, Cock Rock, etc. Although...come (cum) to think of it "Penis Envy" or "Blow Hole" would also be good names.

Look how crude I've become! Dear God.

*Raising eyebrow*

I can't wait to see the Google hits!

Alright, folks. I'm off to play in SL. I've been earning money (L$36!) dancing in a cage at the Skye Club the whole time I've been writing this. Smash finally let me use it before he went to sleep. Isn't he gracious? I'm trying to talk him into buying his own shame gravy delivery system on SL. Do help out by bugging the shite out of 'em and telling him he MUST. But if he blows all his, um...money, on hookers, I am NOT giving him any more donations to help him out. Stupid fooker keeps gambling his dough away.

He'll probably wind up as a male escort on SL. Or a dungeon master.

Sweeeeet!