Wake Up to Find Out...

Its been an interesting week - back to work and back in my usual routine: work, school, carpools, errands, life...it's good. I've been spending more time with my kids. That has been really refreshing. The time goes so quickly. I can't believe I've got a 4th grader and a 1st grader. Where did the time go?
I've been back on my bike - my RL butterfly wings. I can fly on my bike and I get to watch the world flutter by. Now I'm training for my century ride at the end of the month. We'll see how I do... Graeme is a great friend and has been coaching me all along. I want to make him proud.
Balancing between my RL and my SL has been an interesting endeavor. On the one hand, I am really enjoying RL, but on the other, I miss the time I spend with my friends online. I suppose that is what life is about though - juggling and keeping as many balls in the air as you can. I might have too many up there, but i'm trying to keep them from crashing down on me. I am grateful to all the people in my life who cheer me on and believe in me even when I am not sure if I can do all this. They keep me balanced. And honestly, I'm just too damn stubborn to give up anyway ;-)

The Wheel is Turning

And I can't slow down...actually - its time to speed up again. After my end of the year breakdown in June, I have had a nice summer (ok, at times tumultuous) resting, playing, and bonding with friends. Alas...its that time of the year again. Labor day means the start of another school year and here I go.
I've been dreading the start of the year, but I think its time for an attitude adjustment. I've got really cool classes - and small (BONUS!!). I'm teaching algebra II, computer applications, intro to computer science, and AP computer science. I'm also working on my doctoral dissertation and a school project to develop a SL platform on the teen grid for our students. Oh, and lets not forget my own kids and their school work.
So if you see less of me, please understand - I'm really going to try to balance better this year...and if you see me on too much - give me a boot off! Muahh!

Circle of Friends

My very first post talked about the wonderful friends I met here in SL.
Last night was very special. Kitzie asked me, as we sat in a circle of our closest friends, if I would be her SL sister. I am so flattered and honored to have her as a friend.
Good friends are hard to come by - in RL and SL - and I am grateful for the friendships I've made in SL with people I never would have otherwise met.
We had a wonderful bonding experience last night in the lot; Kitzie, Starling, Moondance, JeffGlen, Ceemore, Goonigoogoo, and myself. As JeffGlen said, " it was one of those moments of real cameraderie". I couldn't agree more.

Setting My Hippie Self Free

Some things in life are just to perfect and too beautiful not to share. I had a wonderful opportunity to spend a few days up in Bethel, New York at Yasgur's Farm - Woodstock.
Yasgur's Farm - the farm house is in the background.

The hill on the farm where the original Woodstock festival took place. The stage was at the bottom of the hill.

Bob Weir and Rat Dog and The Allman Brothers played at the magnificent open air amphitheater built on the farm. About 10 minutes before the show a quick rain began (would it be a show at Woodstock without rain?). As Bobby opened the set with Here Comes The Sunshine, the sun came out and with it was the most spectacular double rainbow.



While we were there we visited the recently opened Woodstock Museum. If you have the opportunity to be in New York, this is really a must see. There are artifacts, interviews, and footage never seen before. A world of 1960's history leading up to the event is presented and stories from local residents are shared. The atmosphere is bright and cheerful, the music invigorating, but the museum visitors are somber taking it all in, remembering another time's forgotten space.
So as not to infringe on copyright laws, I do not have original pictures of the museum to share with you...please check out their website: http://www.bethelwoodscenter.org/museum.aspx

The next day we continued our journey with the bands to see them play again at Jones Beach. Although not a surreal surrounding like Woodstock, this show made the first one look like a rehearsal. An amazing week. And in RL - go figure!

Now where are those wings...

Lets Talk Pose Balls

Got your attention - didn't I? Good.
Now, lets talk about the pink and the blue. After all, thats what makes life interesting between the music - if you know what I mean. I had an enlightening (and hillarious) experience today - which i will get to in a moment - that seems to have tied a few recent issues together.

The Olympics in Beijing have brought gender to the headlines of most major newspapers and TV news shows. Testing the athletes for gender honesty has proven more of a challenge than the Chinese government would like to admit. The gender lines have become so fuzzy. Defining gender by a simple genetic test is unreliable. Women can have a Y chromosome making them potentially men. Men who have had sex changes and hormone replacement for two years are officially women. And then there is the issue of how you live you life, and whether that makes you a man or a woman. Interesting concepts to ponder.

So what does that have to do with the pink and blue pose balls? Well, how do you know which one to hop on? After all, do you really know if that hot hunkie avi is really a guy? Or that drop-dead gorgeous chick you met is really a chick? Many of know someone who found out too late. And what if you know you are both hunks or both chicks - who picks the color? Paper, scissor, rocks? Eenie-meenie-miney-mo? Or do you go by height? The taller one gets the blue ball. See, who's to say?

So these three hot chicks walk into Bits and Bobs to try out pose balls to use with their respective SL mates (I know, it sounds like the start of a bad joke). Who should hop on the blue?

Dancing in the Streets

I just wanted to share some fun photos I have collected of us all dancing in the lot :)
My humble thanks to my awesome friend Kitzie for helping me start many of these parties - WOOHOOO!!!!!
This first one is of Chaos' relay on 7-17-08. He played with Kitzie Lane, Goonigoogoo Gumbo, and Maximillian Kleene

The Music Never Stops

So my favorite activity in SL is dancing. I'll dance to anything - radio streams, streams from Dead shows, and "Rock Concerts". But by far, my favorite music to dance to are live performers. And there are sooo many awesome musicians in SL, I can't pick a favorite. So I want to share with you a few of my favorites. There are so many more (and if they agree, I'll add them in).


Interview with Monty:

1. How long have you been performing in RL? In SL? In RL, I played bar gigs in my hometown of Louisville for about 12 years, mostly as a solo, occasionally in bands. Then I moved away and quit playing for [unintelligible mumble] years, although I sang in a few a cappella groups (and still do - see www.soundworkschorus.org).

A couple of years ago I had the opportunity to play in a working band, which I enjoyed very much for about 6 months; but I decided I preferred the solo route where I get to pick the material and interpret it myself. For a little over a year, SL has provided me an opportunity to hone my skills and ease back into solo performing. I haven't started looking for RL solo gigs yet, but I'm about to; and if possible, I'll stream them live in SL.

2. What do you like about performing in SL? Besides the groupies, you mean? LOL, just kidding... I read somewhere that half of them are guys anyway. ;-)

I've always been one to bring my guitar with me to parties, and will sing for friends at the drop of a hat. Playing in SL is very much like playing at a party. You can "hear" the chitchat among the audience members, and join in the conversation to some extent (although that can get tricky because of the delay inherent in audio streaming). And even a fairly large SL audience is the size of a smallish to medium club audience. It all makes for a very intimate connection between performer and audience.

3. Is there anything else about your performances that you would like me to mention? I almost always have a prepared set list, but I'm also almost always willing to depart from it. I love getting requests from the audience - sometimes they remind me of songs I forgot I knew (and sometimes I try to play them and realize I've forgotten them after all, but screwing up and being forgiven is part of the fun of playing for friends). The important thing is that the audience enjoy the show, whether they're grooving to the music or laughing at the fool with the guitar. And I think they usually do a little of both!

My note: Monty has a group - Montavians... free to join, very low spam, just announcements of my performances... he plays Tuesdays at the Clam and Bean, Saturdays at 5 O'Clock Somewhere, and alternate Thursdays at the Lot.

Interview with Kitzie

1. How long have you been performing in RL? In SL? I don't perform currently in RL. I sang all thru school and some coffee houses in college. I have played the piano pretty much all my life, but never as well as I would like. I got my first guitar when I was about 12 and taught myself. I let my music go over the years.

2. What do you like about performing in SL? SL gave me the "bug" to pick up the guitar again. I love performing here. It is great to be able to sit in the comfort of your own home in jeans and a T-shirt and sing your favorite songs. It is really very relaxing and the audiences are wonderful - they love live music!

3. Is there anything else about your performances that you would like me to mention? I choose songs that I personally like and I just hope the audiences like them as well.

1. How long have you been performing in RL? Years lol :-)) I have my experience behind me and it is alot. In SL I’ve been performing since December of 2007 and loving every min of it. I got started singing at a wedding.

2. What do you like about performing in SL? I have more creativity here in SL. I really enjoy the audiences here - more appreciated. The people are so wonderful. . I love to hear noise when I sing. So the more you make the more I love it. So howl, holler, scream my name. I love it all...

3. Is there anything else about your performances that you would like me to mention? I like to think of my performances as a roller coaster ride. it has its highs and lows. and it keeps the audience wanting more. And they seem to love it all so far. So I keep working on that. . .