Creative Linda

The Balance Beam that I scripted needed some finishing touches, so as part of her weekly assignment I had my girl Linda design, develop, and implement two items that would complete the system. I gave her  a general idea of the purpose of the items, and she immediately got to work Monday on both.

The function of the first item is to give out a wearable prim that riders would need to wear when doing the ride. This first item would also double as a registration and start signaller.

Item Giver and Start Signaller

When I came in later during the day, Linda had already completed the first item, and I was literally floored when I first saw it.

She had created a pile of tires, with one tire bearing a colorful picture of a girl and a bike, and the words "Balance Beam" and "Live to Ride" emblazoned on the image. Above the pile of tires, two checkered black and white flags waved in the breeze, and she also gave me textures for red and green checkered flags. The entire ensemble was seriously awesome looking!

Administrator HUD

The second item I needed was a HUD that an administrator of the Balance Beam would need in order to reset the system and clean up any stray cones. I had been using a really nasty looking thing that I had concocted awhile back that was composed of simple blocks of prims in three different colors.

Linda worked on it today and later sent me a a cleverly fashioned HUD that not only gelled with the look and feel of the other components of the system, but was clean and simple and easy to use.

I have to admit, I could never in a million years have designed and built the two. I'm creative in some things, but mama never accused this cold and logical science geek of being artistic! :-(

Back to scripting

I have to admit it. I haven't been scripting in SL for awhile...other than a nyotaimori table which I had to make poses for in December, but which didn't need any scripting at all.

I mean, it wasn't a biggie...there was no devil on my shoulder urging me to put source code to viewer, or bemoaning my lack of drive when it came to making new items for the store. I had many other things to occupy my mind, most of which gave me just as much pleasure.

But I have to admit there is a certain satisfaction that I get deep inside when I wave my virtual hands and presto changeo I make something come alive in Second Life - something that just moments before was a simple inanimate object, but which now can actually do things.

When my girl Linda mentioned last week that her new motorcycle club the Savage Saints needed some games for a rally that they would be holding next month, I took it as a challenge and dived immediately into the coding for two items that Linda and Ron (ronron57)/Papi (Papillon Chatnoir) Casson created.

The first is a circular covered torus called by the ominous name "The Cage of Death", which is hollow inside and made of gridwork. A bike rider would go in and start zooming around the cage, hitting a red bar with each revolution. The biker who hit the red bar most within 60 seconds would be the winner. A large scoreboard would show the top 5 riders during the game.

The second item is a long steel beam only a few centimeters across, bounded on its two ends by ramps. The goal for a rider is to make it from one end of the beam to the other without falling off. I scripted the beam in such a way that cones with the rider's name highlighted on top are rezzed where each rider falls off the beam, in order for the judges of the contest to see how far each person had managed to ride. The rare few who will manage to get to the other side are timed and the top five riders will be listed on a large scoreboard.

I finished both in about 2-3 days. I worked hard at it, and I was happy with the results. I created something that I knew people would use and derive happiness from, and I learned a lot in the doing of it. You can't ask for anything more than that.

Bikers and Babes Dance at Alanis Gallery in Xaara

It's no secret that Linda is a real biker in SL and RL, while I'm a kinda biker in SL, and a totally pretend one in RL...but that didn't stop me from stopping by Alanis Gallery for a cool Bikers and Babes Dance which was hosted by Laura Audebarn (Laura Demonista).

The set was very imaginative! The dancers seemed to be partying inside a long tunnel, with the road stretching into the distance on both ends of the tunnel. Photos by Laura were for sale along one wall, and someone even drove in a real (well, SL real) bike. I could almost smell the exhaust in the air....which brought back fond memories of when I lived in countries with no emissions standards. Darn EPA and their crusade to keep us healthy!

Unfortunately, due to RL we could not stay for long, though this may have been positive in a way. Given enough time Linda would almost surely rez her bike and start zooming in and out of the dancing party-goers, and I don't remember putting liability on that vehicle. As it was, we had fun looking (and drooling?) at all the macho guys and delicious babes who crowded into the cavernous room, and I also took the time to buy one cool looking photo showing two biker babes making out on their bike - hubba hubba! ;-)

MK and Linda

Juko Tempel and Michiel Seetan

MK looking lost without Linda

Mk and Linda

Parked Bike

Valentines Week at Cafe O in Second Life

My beautiful girl Linda and I managed to attend a couple of exciting Valentines dances at Cafe LaPe'rouse @ Austin.

The first was a live performance by Ichie Kamachi that was held in  a gorgeous setting and hosted by Jen Umaga on February 11.

The second was a Valentine's Dance held at the Cabaret, with Arie (Arie Sewell) DJing and Letty (SkarletteRose Resident) hosting, where I danced with both Linda and Melinda.

Bagus the Boogar

Linda adopted a cute little lemur a week or so back, which she named Bagus, and the little cutie now spends most of his time either roaming our comfy home in the Blake Seas, or snoring away in his little white pillow.

To pay for his rent, he'll sit and stand and do some tricks, and might even consent to being petted by you if he's in the mood for it. Be warned however that the little boogar has a propensity to mark his territory with armpit scent, so if he starts eyeing you with a proprietary glint in his beady little eyes, all I can say is....

Run, Forest, Run!!!!!!

Uh oh, Bagus sees something he wants!

Mrs. Linda Burnstein-King

The bright orange girl in the Chamber

Almost seven months after she said "I do!" in the Chamber, Linda finally added my name to hers. I suppose this means I should practice saying "Yes Dear!" in a bored resigned exasperated tone.

Six Year Rez Day party for Billy Avedon at Cafe O

Billy and his lovely Sage

Sage (Sagewisdom) threw a surprise rez day party for her Master, Billy Avedon (billyeagle avedon) at Cafe LaPe'rouse @ Austin, with the theme being 18th century European, and the DJ being Paint (painthorse.graysmark).

I showed up in a mixed and matched Sultan outfit, while my Linda came in a beautiful billowing pearl gown that to my eyes seemed to be created out of feathers, and matched well with the similarly colored feathers that emerged out of my own costume.

Dancing with Linda

She also had a matching fan, with which she whacked me several times while we whirled around the gorgeously furnished and decorated dance room. Fortunately, I was so entranced by her that I barely noticed the repeated assaults on my person ;-)

Dancing with Melinda Nyn

In the end, the setting was amazing, the dancers all beautifully attired and coiffed, and the music fantastic. Thanks to Sage for the great time and many laughs we had at the dance, and Happy Rez Day again to Billy!

New Daintree Home

We moved to a new home on 26-1-2015 in order to have direct access to open waters for the Linda Lou. We found a 1800 sqm, 740 prim parcel in Sailor's Cove South, smack dab in the middle of island rainforest.

It's a beautiful area, and Linda terraformed and decorated the parcel until it was as comfy as can be. She also upgraded her sandbox so as to make it almost like some beautiful sim, with tropical vegetation all around, and even flowing water!

When I compare the new place to my previous home, I have to admit, a woman's touch definitely makes a very big difference for the better!

A sandbox or a beautiful garden?

To the northwest of the new home is Sirens Isles, and almost directly north is the Galaxy cruise ship. Unfortunately, neither is easy to get to due to blank areas in between, and one must circle around to the northeast for a long distance, and thence head west in order to reach them.

SL or RL, she gotta have horses

I should reiterate...it's a beautiful area, much more so than Lorena Chung, at least in terms of exploring the surroundings using water transport. I've even rezzed a public jetski by the dock for any friends who may want to visit in future and tour the waterways that surround the island parcels.