Kharisma's Second Thoughts

Ghosts

2010-10-25T17:27:00.001-07:00

Just a ghost from the past popping in to say hello and I'm sorry.

October is a good time for ghosts, amiright?

It's been over a year since I last logged into SL, when my old computer died a slow and horrible death, and other things in life took me in many different directions.

Since then I've seen more than a new computer...

This past spring I lost my job at the hospital and have begun travelling for work. This made life a little difficult for my niece and I, whom I've raised as my own for years. She's now living with her grandmother, which has been incredibly hard to adjust to. But we're getting by, she's doing wonderfully and I'm loving my new work. I'm currently in northern California, right in the middle of wine country! Gotta love that!

But I do miss Colorado and when the job here ends in December I'll be back home for a white Christmas with my niece and the wonderful man I became engaged to this summer.

Even though it's been well over a year, I feel the need to apologize to the friends I left when my computer fried. I wish I'd had a way to contact many of the people I'd met and created such a friendship with.

Whether or not I'm returning to SL (haven't decided if I want to take it up again or not, or what I'll do if I choose to go back in) I want my friends, Nikki, Claudia, Alicia, Sehra, Emerald, Sophia, CeNedra, Quaintly, Landon, and so many more... to know that they are loved and they are missed.

Moved!!

2009-02-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

I'm almost finished decorating the new place at Bluebonnet!

This is the house I ended up picking when I decided against the victorian-- the Solstice from Brennan Homes. I love it!! It's sort of a mountain home, so not only does it appeal to my inner Coloradoan but it works really well on the side of the hill. Just below is the garden I'm still working on.

I have most of the furniture in, though I still need some more wall hangings and rugs and knick-knacks and all those homey things, and I'd also like to put in a piano.

I finally settled on a living room set after much debating. I picked the Saxon sofa set in cranberry from Ingrid Ingersoll's HOMESTORE, and I'm very happy with it.

Yes, that is the class photo from the Ch'Know Academy for Deliquent Girls above the couch.

The house is textured in lovely natural wood and and stone, so I've been decorating in warm, sophisticated reds and golds (also two of my favorite colors.) So when I found these chairs at The Loft that go so perfectly with my table, I couldn't contain my excitement.

I think a new house is a good excuse for new furniture (translation: any excuse is a good excuse for new furniture) but I'm still hedging on if I want a new bedroom set or not. I did find one I really like at Instinct, but in the meantime I put my Cushy Artsy Bedset from Mudhoney in.

Not sure what I was thinking with this shot. Uhm...thank god for glitch pants.

\o/

On the Fly

2009-01-29T12:52:00.000-08:00

You know how I wrote last week about how I had found a house I loved, was going to get, was DEAD SET on? Um, yea....so the day before I was actually going to buy the damn thing I flipped out and went on a house hunt again and ended up getting something entirely different. Now granted, there were reasons I had second thoughts about the first house (the land I'm getting was a bit bigger in person than it seemed in pictures, and the little victorian would have looked like a doll house.) And I did find something I really love which I hadn't even seen before. So I guess it works out...but from now on maybe I should just do things on the fly and save myself the time and stress, since I obviously don't know what I really want.

However, I officially move into Bluebonnet tomorrow!! So I'll share pictures of the pretty house once I have it set up.

\o/

Ass-shakin' Fun

2009-01-27T14:55:00.000-08:00

I had a day off of work since the roads around me are in drive-at-your-own-risk conditions, so when the Ch'Know girls notified me that Prad Prathivi was opening his new club today, so I decided to drop in for the grand kick-off of C2P with the girls. I must say-- the place was rocking!! Very tastefully designed and I loved the lights, though the enormous poofer in the middle certainly wasn't helping any lag issues and I saw purple chunks flying at me for the first 10 minutes I was there.

Unfortunately SL was not at it's kindest today and with my poor old computer's struggles to keep up with SL graphics, I only managed to stick around for about half an hour and only managed to get one blurry, half-rezzed picture.

The place did have a fair crowd of very fun people, so this might be a club I wouldn't mind going to now and again. I'll certainly have to go back later and take a better look around when SL is nicer.

Moving!!

2009-01-23T15:41:00.000-08:00

Sometime next week, I will be bidding farewell to my little rented skybox. You will be missed, little rented skybox.

But I am moving on to bigger and better things, namely a nice spacious lot in Bluebonnet!! Alicia fired off a message in Plurk about the available parcel a couple days ago, and after hemming and hawwing over my SL budget for a bit I decided to make the dive. So I'll start renting after payday next week. =)

I spent most of yesterday looking for a house. Well, at least trying to look for a house. At one point I got distracted and was staring at trees. (no, I am NOT an alt of Wrath Paine!) But in my wandering I did find a place with nifty stuff for a vegetable garden, which I totally want.

I did eventually decide on a house though, and I'm glad I found it!! It's a lovely little two-story classic Victorian with a wrap around porch, and I think it's perfect. (It's a bit pricy, but Kharisma is willing to pay for perfection.)

Isn't it cute? I love Victorians!!

In my last post I promised a pic from our adventure with the schoolgirl outfits from Sweetest Goodbye. Alicia already has it up on her blog, but here it is anyway:

I agree with Alicia, we look like we belong in reform school.

Making the Grade

2009-01-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

With us, there is no such thing as a normal shopping spree.

Last night I settled in to sort some inventory while I chatted with the girls in IMs. I got about halfway through my hair folder when I realized I had two stamp cards from the from the CSR stamp rally that I'd never finished. Since I get bored with sorting very easily and was mostly just playing dress-up at that point, I decided to jet off and gather up the last of my stamps. 10 minutes later I was standing at Sweetest Goodbye, staring hard at an adorable little schoolgirl uniform.

My mind honestly works in mysterious way. Why can't I ever get shopping lust over normal things? What do I need a schoolgirl outfit for? Nothing. So I sent off a quick plea to the Ch'Know girls to talk some sense into me.

That backfired, as it usually does. =) Instead of talking me out of the plaid skirted cuteness, I managed to talk them into it. Within a few minutes Sophia, Emerald (both of whom I've only recently met but already adore), Sehra and Alicia descended on the store. We stood around in the store for a bit, fiddling with our newly acquired prims and twirling our new skirts when Sophia announced that her very awesome photographer husband Skyhawke could take a group shot or two for us. So half an hour later we popped over to his studio for a bit of poseball standing.

Unfortunately I was lagging horridly enough throughout that I didn't get any snapshots worth sharing, but I'll share the photo Sky took when we get them if that's do-able. I assure you the cuteness was overwhelming. Though we did look kind of like a bunch of delinquents in detention. Our sometimes lewd, sometimes catty and always hilarious conversation might have helped that image along. =)

And I did discover what I needed a schoolgirl outfit for-- photo-ops and memories.

\o/

16 things you don't really need to know about me

2009-01-15T00:48:00.000-08:00

Alicia of Ch'Know passed on this meme, so I must write 16 things about myself. =)

1. I talk to my cats and my dog, a LOT. Sometimes I fancy the idea that they understand me better than people think.

2. I sing a lot, constantly, and used to do so competitively. However, I hate the sound of my own voice.

3. I can watch sad movies and laugh at them, and crime shows like City Confidential or Cold Case with nothing but morbid curiosity, but APSCA commercials make me bawl.

4. When I finished high school, I wanted to major in journalism. But I didn't have the money for a 4-year university so I got my 2-year degree in radiology from the local state college. I'm glad for that decision.

5. I love summer and warm weather and constantly gripe about wanting to move somewhere warmer. However, what place have I always dreamed of living? Holland.

6. I love watching the BBC! I think in some odd way it makes me feel cultured.

7. One of my favorite pasttimes is to go to expensive car dealerships, like Jaguar or BMW, and "test-drive" their high-end cars.

8. I've never been out of the country, even though I lived less than a hundred miles from Canada most of my childhood.

9. I hate fish, but I love sushi. Try to figure that one out. =P

10. I have a distinct interest in Indian and Middle Eastern culture, clothes, food and art. One of my favorite movies is a Bollywood film called Veer-Zaara.

11. My favorite food in the whole world is Cheerios. It's a big-time comfort food.

12. I'm a charity-case. If you have a cause, I'll support it if I can. But I consciously avoid all the pink junk for the breast cancer foundation, just because they try to shove it down our throats so much. There's other causes that need support just as much.

13. I have a natural green-thumb. I've always been good with plants, and I take a lot of pride in my African Violets. (They were nearly dead when I rescued them from my friend's house, and they are notoriously tetchy plants.)

14. I'm a huge fan of George Carlin and miss him as if I knew him, even though I didn't.

15. I drink tea constantly. I probably have 5 to 8 cups a day. My favorite is Tetley British Blend.

16. I love card tricks!! But I suck at them.

\o/

Zaara!!

2009-01-13T00:03:00.000-08:00

Sooo. You know that whole saving the pennies bit I raved about in my last post? Yes, well, that will officially resume tomorrow. =P

However, I simply had to drop by and check out the new Zaara sim! Which, by the way, is simply amazing and I recommend going there post-haste. Zaara creates beautiful, Indian inspired clothes in vibrant colors and rich patterns. So as an admirer of Indian culture and avid bollywood fan to begin with, Zaara is one of my favorite stores in SL. I'm quite proud of myself for leaving with only one new sari. =)

Iz purty.

2009-01-06T11:43:00.000-08:00

If only I were as good at keeping the RL family photos as up to date as my profile picture.

Since I haven't been able to make my mind up (and keep it made) about which skin I want to wear, my profile shot was about 3 skins out of date. So I went off to my usual studio and snapped a few shots. Then tinkered around in photoshop for a while, and this is what came out.

It kinda turned out way too pale, but otherwise I think it looks okay. =) And I had to edit my arm back in at one point where my boob was eating it so the tattoo is a little garbled. Shhhh.

OKAY. So Sai and Merrick told me last night about these in-world sculpty creators that would be much handier than Blender. And only costs L$4999. Yikes! But of course, as with most things...new toy, I WANT it. So I'm going to try and save my pennies for a bit. So starting now, no more hair shopping, impromtu ETD stops, Armidi sprees. I don't need anything more than what's in my inventory.

Riiiiight, we'll see how long this lasts.

OMG, shoes

2009-01-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

I have a new goal.

As I mentioned, I've been considering my purpose in SecondLife. Since I left the RP circuit I have spent most of my time shopping, exploring, playing around with photography, and mostly, sitting around talking in IMs. Which is fine with me. It probably sounds a bit boring and a waste of my time, but it's very stress relieving, which is how I like it after a day of chasing down doctors and working with sick people. Having a chance to veg and talk about nothing with the girls, hang out with Landon, or help out in Fashion Emergency is something I kind of cherish.

Still, I've decided to embark on a new project in SL. I want to learn how to make stuff. Shoes, in particular.

(Not my creations! Obviously.)

Now, don't expect anything from me soon. The last thing I tried to build was a sofa...or maybe it was a Buick. It doesn't really matter, since it didn't look like either. But this'll be a good chance to learn, on my own terms and at my own pace.

Randomness

2009-01-03T22:33:00.000-08:00

There's one thing I can always count on my friends from the Ch'Know group for. They can make anything amusing. And they always find the most amusing people, as well.

Last night was destined to be another night of sitting at home sorting inventory (or working on a new project, which I will discuss in my next post) until the girls informed me they were at this new club talking to the most interesting of characters. So I headed over to see what the comotion was, and that's when I met Bill.

The first thing I noticed upon meeting Bill was his shoes... pointy like pizza slices, and blinging to high heaven. Billy buddy proudly informed us that his pizza shoes were real snakeskin (which led to the question of how he got real snakeskin into SL) and the conversation didn't improve from there. It was like talking to a brick wall... a horny brick wall. He was alternatingly nonsensical and arrogant. He was bald. And he uttered such gems as "my weapon is....my ballsack."

Which just goes to show...you will never meet weirdos like the ones you do in SL.

After Ballsack-of-doom Bill went on his way, Ali, Tristan, Nikki and I stalked Sehra back to her place, where we proceeded to run around in circles like a bunch of nuts for an hour. I swear, every outing with those girls is like Monty Python...the absurdly sublime. And I love them for it.

2009!!!

2009-01-01T04:27:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!!!!!

It's about 4am and I just got in from a night out in RL, with friends and champagne and games and more champagne and a lot of laughing and champagne. You know when you're just sloshed enough to know you're sloshed? That's about where I am right now.

Anyone got some resolutions? Here's mine...

For real life, I resolve to do the best I can for my niece, and to get to the gym more often. Like, at least a couple times a week!

I resolve to get more involved in politics and maybe sit in for some City Council meeting or something.

I resolve to volunteer at the animal shelter!

And for SL, I resolve to get my inventory cleaned up, stop buying shoes and hair whenever I get the whim, and to blog more consistently--instead of putting it off for 5 days and then making 5 posts at the end of the week!

Anyway, I hope everyone had a wonderful time tonight and even more, that you all have a wonderful year!!!

*smooches* =)

Fugging It

2008-12-31T14:13:00.000-08:00

As always, nights out with Alicia and the girls leads to much oddness and fun! And last night's jollies started with a pair of barely-there bootay shorts from Sn@tch.

Turns out most of the girls had nabbed the awesome gift from Ivey Deschanel, so we decided a group picture was in order. But first we had to skank it up a bit. Sehra brought out the fishnets, Alicia brought out the body oil, and I ventured off to ETD for some cheap shooz.

Then Alicia and I went out to a trashy freebie place where I was landed on by no less than three naked people. That place was scary! But we did decide Alicia would never have to go anywhere else for ugly people to blog about.

(it's an alien!!)

Afterwards, Meara invited us back to her place to show us her playroom. The place is marvelous! Sehra and I felt like queens. Very naked queens, but queens.

Meara is a fabulous hostess, so the three of us settled into her couch while she provided some smashing entertainment.

After a while Alicia started to get worn out, and tried to fall asleep on me. About that time we figured we ought to head home.

(we're a cozy bunch like that!!)

Meara's place is the shizz!! We'll definitely have to go back and hang out some more later. =)

What's in your bag?

2008-12-29T14:33:00.000-08:00

I logged into SL last night to find Alicia and Elora talking about their purses, which is how I found out about this Bloggers' Challenge from ShoppingCartDisco. So since I still needed to let everyone know I survived the drive back from Coeur'D Alene anyway, I thought "okay, I'll bite."

Here's the deal:

Dump out your bag (no cleaning!) and post a pic of it. Men with messenger bags, this applies to you, too. Bullet-point the contents with amusing commentary.

Hoo-boy. Those of you who know me are laughing already. I carry my life in my purse, along with everything else. So the explosion that happened when I dumped the thing on my bed is a bit expected.

In that jumbled pile I found--

My wallet, with no cards in it;

All the cards that should be in my wallet but haven't been since I used them in the store and promptly tossed it into my purse;

A cell phone, because as soon as I go somewhere without it, without fail a dozen people will call me;

An iPod. I love portable music-- great for blocking out annoying people and noisy children! Thankfully there are no talking tummies to worry about in the real world;

Two small notepads and a pen, because I need to write EVERYTHING down. I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached;

A powder compact, lipstick, mascara (under one of the receipts) and an eyeshadow set. I admit, I don't go anywhere without painting my face on;

The adorably cute mirror Liv gave me last year. (It's that yellow thing that looks like a button) I love the picture on it-- it's a strawBEARy. I know, I'm far too easily amused.

Two lotions. I don't use either of them THAT much, but it's a nice thing to have, and people are ALWAYS asking me if I have any lotion. That might be because I have a purse big enough to hide an Avon Lady, though;

Blistex, because I live in the mountains and it's friggin' cold here. And chapped lips are no fun and totally unkissable;

Air freshener and a bottle of perfume, because I have a sensitive sniffer and like to be able to vanquish stinky things. Including myself.

Hairbrush and 3 ponytail holders. And absolute must for me, since I have long, wavy hair that fluffs and frizzes itself to impossible heights at the first sign of humidity;

Visine. I wear contacts most of the time, and having one of those things fall out, or getting something in them, without any eyedrops on hand is a royal pain;

A watch that I never wear and probably has a dead battery by now. That's not going back in with the rest, I think.

A flash drive. I use it a lot, but never for anything all that important. It's always at the very bottom of my purse buried in the loose change when I need it most;

My keys, with a teddy bear keychain, a little card for a radio station in Seattle (107.7 The End) that I got at a concert forever ago, and a PETCO card.

And if the Petco card didn't cue you in that I'm an animal lover, I bet the little pink mouse cat toy did. Sybil, my younger cat, love to hide things in bags and shoes.

Two tea bags. One is an earl grey and the other is a chai. I drink tea by the gallon; I swear I should have been born British. I watch BBC all the time too.

And lastly, a wine cork. Your guess is as good as mine.

If you spot anything I missed, let me know!!

P.S. What's missing from my bag:

Post-its! I'm a post-it queen. My house is covered with them, my workplace is covered with them and there's probably a few in my car too. Now I need to go see who stole my post-its. >P

Back from the hols

2008-12-29T14:09:00.000-08:00

It's one day after Christmas

I'm crabby and I'm broke.

I'm so full of ham and fruitcake

I think I'm gonna croak.

So I'm a few days late--I think the sentiment is still apt. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!! I for one am totally pooped and don't want to drive anywhere past my driveway (we got two more feet of snow since I left for Idaho!) but I had a blast nonetheless. And apparently so did this guy.

This is why you don't trust Kharisma to decorate. =)

Blank

2008-12-10T02:15:00.000-08:00

And it's all right, it's all right. You can't be forever blessed...
(Paul Simon)

Ever see that show The 4400, where all these people get abducted by aliens....and return years later to find everything they knew has moved on and changed?

That's kind of what returning to Second Life after 6 months is like.

I think it's about time Kharisma makes some new friends or finds some new hobbies or something. I'm seriously lacking...purpose in SL these days. Purpose, and a niche.

I mean, I have been in touch with a few friends in world and they've been fantastic, but I feel like I'm pestering the same poor souls on my friends list constantly. I try to be less bothering, but that largely results in me puttering around the grid aimlessly. And that gets damn boring, and a bit lonely.

'Tis the season, at least, so there is a good amount of busy work to do these days. I've been chipping away at the Peace On Earth hunt (and compiling a list of guy-approved places to hit up for the fellows on my friend list) and I'm up to 220-something. There's some amazing things out there!! My favorite find so far has to be the Dernier Cri skins. Love. <3

Well, methinks I just needed to whine a little bit. I'll be back later with something interesting to write about. =P

New Name?

2008-12-08T23:27:00.000-08:00

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss...
(Pete Townshend)

I've decided to do something different with my blog. What exactly it will be, I've not yet decided.

When I decided to write Moonstruck I was very heavily into my RP-ing and wanted to chronicle it, but by the time I actually got around to starting the blog I was starting to get into different things. And after by extended absence I think I've pretty much finished my werewolf days in SL. That's not to say I won't dive back into it, but I doubt I'll want to do the same thing over again.

Which leaves me with the blog. I do want to continue it, but how do you blog about something you're not involved in?

For that reason, Moonstruck has recieved a facelift. A new layout, a new theme, and a new name. This is an in-progress transition if you can't tell. I still don't know exactly what I'm doing in SL at this point.

So in the meantime until I find something to focus my attentions on, that is exactly what I'll write about: everything, nothing, the meaning of life....whatever.

So there you have it -- Second Thoughts. ^^

A long long time ago...

2008-12-07T14:20:00.000-08:00

I can still remember how the music used to make me smile.....
(Don McLean)

So it's been 5 month since I've posted, and almost as long since I've been in SL. For this I apologize.

This summer began what has turned out to be a rather harrowing experience for my family. As some of you know, I have been raising my niece Liv for the past 5 years. I'm far from parenting material-- physically in my late twenties but emotionally still in college--but somehow we've managed to carve out some semblance of a family life for ourselves.

In July, Liv went to the doctor with a fever that refused to go away, and again a couple weeks later when her weight started to drop like a rock. A few blood tests later and we learned the diagnosis--an agressive form of non-Hodgkins lymphoma, in late stage II. The cancer was advanced enough that she was almost immediately put on chemotherapy.

I won't go into a great many details, but the following months were filled with trips back and forth from our home in western Colorado to Denver for her treatments, blood tests and bone marrow biopsies to monitor the cancer, and an emotional roller coaster that has left both of us exhausted. Liv handled it all better than I did. I took a time out from life for a while, focusing on work and Liv. I almost logged in to SL a few times, or went out for drinks with some girlfriends, thinking it would be good to veg for a little while and pull my head out of the chaos. But in the end I usually ended up reading or singing or playing with Liv. I'm sure that is something most of you would understand.

Liv is still undergoing treatment, but she is recovering quite well. Both of us are back on track, going out, visiting friends, persuing hobbies and preparing for the upcoming holidays. And last week I logged in with a renewed vigor to take on everything SL has to offer.

I'll most likely be popping in and out of SL as Liv's treatment progresses, but in the meantime Kate is back and with her, so is Kharisma. So see you all in-world.

Oops!

2008-06-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

I'm so sorry guys. I totally wrote up a post explaining I'd be away for a few days, and then forgot to publish it. *sighs*

Anyway, I took an extended weekend to visit my dad in northern Idaho for Father's Day. It was great to see my parents, and the trip was quite relaxing.

Well, save for driving there and back. There seemed to be more idiots on the road than usual.

Well anyway, I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend and I'll see you in world. =]

Another day without SL...

2008-06-14T01:34:00.000-07:00

Well, not entirely. I managed to log in for about ten minutes before my doorbell rang. My brother and his wife decided to pay a visit! It was a really nice surprise, but that's the reason I don't have much to discuss today.

I've finally managed to get my hair folder sorted and organized. It's about half the size it was before, so I was pleased. I'm still going to avoid buying any more for a while!! Especially since I'm currently on a hunt for some new jeans. I know, there's tons of jeans in SL, and I actually have a good number of pants. But it occurred to me I only wear a couple of them very regularly, and I wear them enough that they'd have holes in real life. So I want to find some others that I really like.

Well, since tomorrow will be the first time I've logged in in two days, I ought to have something worth talking about. So 'til then. ^^

Just a bit of common sense...or so I thought

2008-06-12T23:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I was going to log in today but first life--namely work-- had other plans. And real life has to come first, always, unfortunately. *laughs*

So since I don't have any new adventures to discuss today I'll write a post that's been on the backburner for a bit, about my mildly harrowing recent experience with SL jobs.

SL is --for the most part-- strictly a game to me. That's not to say that the relationships I've forged and friends I've made are less than real, but that I use SL simply for enjoyment with no other motives. I've never invested real money into it and don't intend to, nor do I plan on gaining anything of monetary value from it; I'm not even really that concerned about having a job in-game, besides for a bit of extra shopping money. I have had jobs in SL, but they were just as much for the fun of it as anything else I do in world.

I left my last position, a hostess in a club, a few months ago when I started to not enjoy it, and SL in general. For a while after, I focused on exploring and RP-ing. But eventually my interests drifted, my RP friends began gathering less and less, and things went into a bit of a lull.

Around that time two things happened. The first being that I got back into blogging, which I had put on an extended hiatus some time ago. In that I discovered the Ch'know? blog and eventually met Alicia and CeNedra, and through them many of my new aquaintances that have brightened my SL in the past few weeks.

Secondly, a place that has been a long time hangout for myself and my friends underwent a massive expansion, and when they announced they would be hiring everything from floor models to bartenders and DJs for the myriad of new establishments, I decided it was a good time to re-enter the SL workforce.

I spoke with the sim's proprietor, who I've over the time of my patronage become rather well aquainted with. She was, by all appearances, quite interested in hiring me. After a brief discussion and interview, the owner (whom I will refer to in this post as The Boss) had arranged for me to work as a floor model (for the sake of trying something new, as I'd already worked the club circuit) for a skins shop that would be moving in. We quickly set up a schedule, hashed out wages, and everything was set. The Boss would keep in contact and let me know when the new store opened and I was to begin work.

For a while she kept me updated. I was helping her set up for events at the club (voluntarily) in the meantime, and she informed me of anything new in the sim or with the opening shop. And then, abruptly and without a word, she ended all communication.

I gave it about two weeks before I started attempting to get in touch. That was more than enough time for a shop to set up, wasn't it? However, notecards went unresponded, and IMs were ignored even if we were in the same room. I wasn't about to be as unprofessional as to bring our discussion into open chat, but apparently she was willing to be unprofessional enough to give me the silent treatment.

I shrugged and went about my merry way, not overly concerned and not really inclined to work for someone who doesn't communicate with her employees anyway. I probably wouldn't even have mentioned it, until I spoke with a friend of mine, another patron of the establishment, and learned that practically the same thing had happened to them. Apparently, this is how The Boss handles their business?

I'm not sure why the thought of this sort of behavior occurring with multiple people irritated me more than it simply happening with me, but it did. My interest has flitted off elsewhere, currently into learning how to DJ. But what bothered me is the simple fact that people are simply that unethical. I'm just the sort that follows through when they agree to something, or at least offers a reason for backing out. Though I suppose I shouldn't impose my own ethics upon others... I just find it a shame that The Boss can throw away the respect of her patrons over something as unsubstantial as this.

So business owners, I understand perhaps better than many that SL is just a game. But do try to run your business with a bit of professionalism, yea? Communicating with your employees --good or bad-- is important. Doing otherwise only causes unnecessary grief, and there are a lot of people less happy-go-lucky about their job prospects than myself.

All I really have to say is...

2008-06-12T00:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday CeNedra!!

Tonight's pajama party was fantastic, albeit a bit laggy. I didn't get too many pictures because I was having a hard time camming around. It was worth a little lag though, because the place was packed with so many new people to meet.

So many awesome outfits too. I'd have to say the cutest--am I allowed to pick favorites? I'm going to anyway-- was Queenkellee Kuu's. Tres adorable!!

However, the guys were seriously slacking tonight-- at least in the losing-their-clothes department. I mean sure, all you have on in the first place is your boxers. But this is tradition!! There was such a lack of manass in the room that Tymmerie Thorne felt the need to pick up some of the slack.

And of course, in the glowy-dance-ball of honor, there was the birthday girl herself, rocking in her elmo pajamas and sexy new skin (a gift from Tuli Asturias herself..lucky girl!!)

And that's this week's recap. Next week, disco...or fetish. I'm not sure anymore.

Derailings in my train of thought

2008-06-10T18:16:00.000-07:00

You know those days where you just don't really need to do anything? Yesterday was one of those days. My friend Landon wanted to take a new profile photo so I showed him around a public studio I'm used to. After a few shots my lag started acting up, so we decided to just kick it in the topiaries.

CeNedra recently had a post concerning alternative characters in SL that had me thinking.

I make no secret of the fact that I have alts. I have two, to be exact; a male alt who originally was as a minor character for my rp; these days his only purpose is dinking around and trying on men's clothes. And then there's Nightingale.

Nightingale is what you might call my secondary account. She exists for many of the reason CeNedra mentioned, to provide a respite from our buddy list and our groups and the usual drama and cacaphony of our main second lives.

But when I thought about it, it occurred to me that all of that is a minor part. Night simply exists as a contrast to Kharisma. I use her to do and try things that wouldn't be in Kharisma's character to do. Nightingale is literally a different personality from my main. I've always loved acting, and Night is my chance to play a role other than my own.

Which probably makes little sense; I could do all of that with just one account. After all, a person can do anything in SL. With just a folder in my inventory with a new shape and skin, Kharisma could become someone else entirely. But I just can't. In a way, I've internalized Kharisma as a reflection of myself. But at the same time I've given her a persona of her own. Kharisma is her own entity now. Acting out of her character just feels awkward.

Upon reading CeNedra's post, I was aghast that this person, J, was abusing her kindness and trust under the guise of an alt. But then I started thinking. While I've never intentionally and maliciously used Nightingale to mislead someone, am I not doing the same thing when I don her role and pretend to be someone else? Whatever my intentions, I'm still essentially lying about who I am. Am I doing the exact same thing as J?

You tell me.

Kharisma and Nightingale

Fun with Campers

2008-06-09T08:45:00.000-07:00

I didn't post yesterday, shaaaame, shaaaame!!

It's all Cen and Alicia's fault, really. If they weren't so fun to party with I wouldn't have been at the Viper Pit for 3 hours last night.

The Ch'Know girls popped into group IM and announced they were having some fun with campers in the back of the Pit, now affectionately known as the Spiros. And this, my friends, is why you don't go AFK around us.

A quick peek into Spiro-on-the-right's profile showed a love of fake boobage, so Alicia was kind enough to give him a pair of his own. And yes, that is a blue-balled penis Alicia has seated herself on.

Then we decided our adventures with pornograpic prims ought to be immortalized with a group shot, so we piled onto Alicia and Cen's 6-person pose and cheesed it. I think we look good, don't you? Of course you do.

Pictured, from left: Kharisma, Aisuru, Sehra, Kellee, Alicia, and CeNedra.

Alas, our attention spans are not the greatest, and with the Spiros' unresponsiveness we eventually lost interest in piling prims on them. So instead we started piling prims on ourselves, donning our neko regalia, pets, poofers, and anything else lagtastic we could find.

Eventually we all wandered back off. Since I was still in photo-snappy mode I went to my favorite studio and snapped a few glamour shots, since my profile picture was so old I'm still blonde in it.

Now, off to get ready for Wednesday. Ciao!

Hair Hair Everywhere

2008-06-07T13:07:00.000-07:00

SL is down for the count today, whoopee!! The grid went offline around 12:45 when it couldn't take the weekend masses. So, I'll use the downtime for a bit of blogging.

I was on a hair mission last night. Since I got my new skin the other day, of course I had to get some new hair to go with it. Not that my old hair looks bad, it's just the way I do things. So I wandered off to my latest obsession, Deviant Kitties, and came back a few hours later with three new hairstyles, happy as a clam.

Then as I was sorting my new aquisitions into their respective folders, something occurred to me.

I have WAY too much hair.

You see, as I shifted the new hair into the organizing folders, where they fall into alphebetical order, I realized one of them had lined up with another folder with the exact same name. Somehow, I'd managed to purchase a hair that I'd forgotten I already owned. At least it was in a different color, but still...

So, my goal for June is to get my hair folder under control. I need to go through, sort everything out, figure out which ones I want and toss the ones I don't. This also means I'm forbidden to shop for hair until July.

Well, that's the plan anyway. We'll see how long it actually lasts.

The evening ended will though, thanks to a convenient crash when the sim I was in went down. It was still down when I got back, so where did it drop me off but the Viper Pit! Alicia and CeNedra had a few friends hanging out in the bar toying with a Truth or Dare machine, which prompted some hilarious conversations, which went from Princess Bride quotes to cake-humping to how the Duggars are hoarding all the kids.

Alicia: i mean, geez. leave the rest of us some baby vibes.
Sehra: she's birthing all the babies, save some for the rest of us!
Alicia: LMFAO
Alicia: I know! I'm gonna blame Michelle Duggar for why I can't get pregnant. LOL
Sehra: she stole your fetus-es
Alicia: Yew took mah bebes!!
Summerlynn: Steal one back
Alicia: I should. Would she notice?

Alicia promised to put it out again for the Hump Day slumber party, and I can't wait to see what it spawns with that crowd.

I was having so much fun I didn't log off until 2 in the morning. I should make impromptu stops by the Pit more often. =]

Finally!

2008-06-06T14:33:00.000-07:00

Alicia issued a Big Bad Blogger Challenge for everyone to post at least once a day for a week. That's why you're getting a two-for-one today.

After much deliberation I've decided on a new skin. Only took me a month and a half.

I went over to Stella Di Roccia in Pixeldolls and got one from their Under The Gun line. It's a refreshing change from the flawlessness and model-perfect make up of 99.9% of the skins in Secondlife. She's sunburnt, scarred and her lips are chapped. And I think it's perfect.

"If I Could Turn Back Time...."

2008-06-06T13:21:00.000-07:00

*sings cheesy Cher songs*

Actually, the title is for the fact that this post is about Alicia and Cen's fantastic Hump Day party Wednesday. Seeing as it's now Friday, you can tell I'm a bit behind in my blogging. Such is the life for distraction in action.

Anyhow, this week was a blast! The theme was "Ballroom Blitz" and everyone looked ab-fab. So many pretty dresses, I had a hard time fighting off a shopping urge afterward!

Claudia and Landon came with this week...I'm very grateful to them for that. I absolutely adore Ali and the others, but it's nice to have some familiar faces around for these things.

Naturally, it wouldn't be a proper party if it didn't descend into chaos at some point. Our formals party ended with everyone present after hours in bikinis. The after-party parties are becoming almost as much of an event as the parties themselves!!

Alicia even rezzed a dance pole for us, which Claudia and I were enthralled to find worked with 2 dancers. The dance mostly involved a lot of spinning. I think it could have doubled for a Maypole if we had more clothes on.

I've been on a music-searching quest for a couple days, particularly a lot of 90's tracks I loved back in college. I've found a lot that will come in handy if I start DJ-ing eventually. Alicia's offered to let me test the waters in that at the Pit, and I think I might take her up on it.

Margaritas and Manass

2008-05-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

I finally made it over to the Viper Pit for CeNedra and Alicia's Hump Day event! I have to say, when those girls throw a party they go all out. Alicia rocked as DJ, and and did a gorgeous job decorating. CeNedra was a fantastic hostess. The company there was so much fun, I think I was giggling for 2 hours straight.

In all the chaos, I managed to catch a few pictures. Unfortunately I didn't get everyone, but I did manage a few shots of...

Alicia, in all her pink glory,

CeNedra with her day-glow hair, and Dyami,

and QueenKellee, whose cupcake backpack I spent half the night plotting to steal.

Levi Hoffman decided to be "that guy" at the party, and is that a man-thong I see in the background?

Indeed, Tymerrie's man Jerremy got a little overheated on the dancefloor and decided clothes should be optional. Tym didn't seem to mind, at least!

After a few margaritas, I managed to lose one of my prim pant legs. Oops! Luckily everyone was kind enough to help look for it. Claudia dropped by for a while; I think she was a bit overwhelmed, but she had enough fun to want to come back next week. =]

After the party I wandered off to one of my secret places to get to work on some inventory sorting, but I ended up spending most of the time in IMs. Ah well, perhaps tomorrow.

When cuteness attacks...

2008-05-27T16:45:00.000-07:00

A friend and I went out on a neko shopping spree the other night.

Landon (a good friend of mine who will probably be mentioned in this blog rather often) decided he wanted a set of cat ears and tail. As a werewolf who has needed to find such things before, I knew a few good places, so I went with. We ended up at Atomic Kitty. Landon went to check out the cat sets. I meanwhile, wandered over to see their wolf set and was immediately confronted with this......
Puuuuuuuppy. =o

L$200 worth of absolute adorableness. I almost bought the thing right then and there, but managed to hold off until I have more pressing expenses taken care of. I still needed to get some hair for Alicia's rave, but the addictively cute puppy ears just may be mine by the end of the week. =]

The Cat's Meoow

2008-05-23T23:07:00.000-07:00

(actual date of this post is 4/23/08, but I had some formatting issues and had to repost.)

A round of appurrs(applause) for the successful Grand Opening of The Cat's Meoow Nightclub in Inis Emaleigh! Adora's has been a long time hangout of mine, one of the first I encountered in SecondLife and one of the few not centered around the occult that I still frequent. A good majority of my non-RP friends, I met there at Adora's. So when Emaleigh decided to expand, including an entire new sim featuring such shops as Wrong and Charmed Skins and a brand new club, there were few as excited as myself. And today, the sim's main attraction, The Cat's Meoow, officially opened. And it opened with a bang.

Today involved upwards of 6 hours of loud music, lag, and long lost friends. I had a chance to see some people I had not seen in quite some time, which made the evening that much more memorable. And the entertainment was amazing, with Theodore and Sariah Gaffer DJ-ing and hosting the event. If you ever get a chance to see those two...take it. They're an unbeatable duo.

In my excitement I completely forgot to take any pictures, but I did have to laugh at this one of DJ Theo...

Sariah had to confiscate his whiskey bottle shortly thereafter. You can barely tell in the picture, but Theo showed up today with a humongous afro and Elton John glasses. When Sariah announced there was a notecard hidden somewhere in the club containing a prize, my friend Claudia and I thought it might have been hiding in all that hair.

If tonight was anything to judge by, the Cat's Meoow's friday events will definitely be worthwhile.

Kharisma encounters SecondLife(tm)

2008-05-20T22:43:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Moonstruck! I'm Kharisma Llewellyn; model, shopper, surfer, dancer, and werewolf.

So I have decided to join the world of blogging, because lord knows there aren't enough out there.

*grins*

Okay, in all honesty, I'm here because I like to write and I like to talk about myself. Vain, perhaps. But honest.

I've always been a fan of the occult. I played Lucy in my high school's performance of Bram Stoker's Dracula. I never missed an episode of Charmed, fell in love with Brad Pitt as Louis de Pointe du Lac in Interview with a Vampire, and still sometimes find myself crooning the 80's classic "awooooooo, werewolves of London...."

In recent years I've become an avid roleplayer and found a strong community based around Laurell K. Hamilton's fiction series, Anita Blake. So when I began my Second Life(tm), it was an easy decision to begin it as a werewolf.

There are many ways to experience SL. In this blog, we'll see the world through the eyes of a Lycanthrope....get ready for a wild ride.