HI! challenge, day 14

I confess to almighty God, and to you my brothers and sisters, that I was NOT into doing the challenge last night. But get done it did, thanks to the pushiness of my friends! PT, Wai, Cyrus, and Ariel were riding around the Home Sim on a giant chipmunk whilst doing chicken dances and/or armpit farting. This log is heavily edited, but probably still confusing:

[09:23 PM]  Owly Indigo: oh, btw, I have met no strangers today ;-(
[09:23 PM]  Owly Indigo: I tried
[09:23 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: oh no
[09:23 PM]  Owly Indigo: but it just wasn't happening
[09:23 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: did you meet anyone on plurk?
[09:23 PM]  Cyrus000 Vollmar: why are you trying to meet strangers?
[09:24 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: owly is trying to meet strangers cy
[09:24 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: because i challenged her to blog about it for 30 days
[09:24 PM]  Owly Indigo: and failing today!
[09:24 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: cause she was all excited one night
[09:24 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: about being friendly
[09:24 PM]  PT Beardmore: noooo, you must meet a stranger!
[09:25 PM]  Cyrus000 Vollmar: like in sl?
[09:25 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: yeah
[09:25 PM]  Cyrus000 Vollmar: lol
[09:25 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: maybe tonight
[09:25 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: your lesson can be
[09:25 PM]  Cyrus000 Vollmar: i meet strangers all the time
[09:25 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: SOMETIMES you just need to hang out
[09:25 PM]  Cyrus000 Vollmar: go to space park
[09:25 PM]  Owly Indigo: yesss god I don't want to talk to RL pepole
[09:25 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: with old friends and fly around on giant rodents
[09:25 PM]  Owly Indigo: yessss I like that
[09:25 PM]  PT Beardmore: no, she needs to meet a stranger
[09:25 PM]  PT Beardmore: we can all go
[09:25 PM]  Owly Indigo: I will try harder anothter night
[09:25 PM]  PT Beardmore: could be marvelously creepy
[09:25 PM]  Owly Indigo: srsly I am racing against the clock here
[09:26 PM]  Owly Indigo: not gonna make it
[09:26 PM]  Long Range: Foxie Moxie [68m]
[09:26 PM]  Owly Indigo: so
[09:26 PM]  Owly Indigo: let's just arm fart and wing flap hahaha
[09:26 PM]  PT Beardmore: don't make me bring a stranger to you!

[09:26 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: we could
[09:26 PM]  Owly Indigo: oh foxie's here, he's strange
[09:26 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: take the chicken dance on tour
[09:26 PM]  PT Beardmore: yep
[09:26 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: YES
[09:26 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: lets
[09:26 PM]  PT Beardmore: let's do it
[09:26 PM]  Owly Indigo shouts: FOXIE
[09:26 PM]  PT Beardmore: ok, where can we find a stranger?
[09:26 PM]  Chat Range: Foxie Moxie [2m]
[09:26 PM]  Owly Indigo shouts: SCREAMS!

But of course, Foxie didn't count. I mean ... I've met him in RL!

[09:27 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: FOXIE check out my awesome arm farting skills
[09:28 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: space parkkkkkkk
[09:28 PM]  Owly Indigo: nooooooo space park?
[09:28 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: that is a good place to explore
[09:28 PM]  Owly Indigo: it's like
[09:28 PM]  Foxie Moxie: I was already being inflicte--- checking them out
[09:28 PM]  Owly Indigo: spacey
[09:28 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: i have princess bun head hair
[09:28 PM]  PT Beardmore: I'm good for where ever

 

As you can see, we went to space park. There are tai chi balls there. Have you ever done tai chi in RL? I have. It's bores the living hell out of me.

[09:34 PM]  PT Beardmore: this is very relaxing indeed
[09:34 PM]  Foxie Moxie: I am totally breaking somebody's neck in slow motion!

[09:34 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: i don't see owly or foxie yet

[09:35 PM]  Owly Indigo: I am here
[09:35 PM]  Owly Indigo: are you gonna make me tai chi too!?
[09:35 PM]  PT Beardmore: yep
[09:35 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: do tai chi
[09:35 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: take a walk on the wild side

Appropos of nothing: [09:37 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: am i still farting?

[09:42 PM]  Cyrus000 Vollmar: space park is really quiet tonight
[09:42 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: probably because i turned off my farter

Ok, sorry, I got carried away with all that. I did talk to a stranger at space park after all. Granted, he IM'd me first, but there were way too many distractions for me to be the initiator, so I'm gonna say it counts anyway! Oh, but first ...

[09:44 PM]  PT Beardmore: I am waiting for Owly to meet someone new
[09:45 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: i love how PT is the enforcer
[09:45 PM]  Cyrus000 Vollmar: work your magic
[09:45 PM]  Owly Indigo: I told you I did already! lol
[09:45 PM]  PT Beardmore: lol
[09:45 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: he's like a trainer
[09:45 PM]  Owly Indigo: he totally is
[09:45 PM]  PT Beardmore: who?
[09:45 PM]  PT Beardmore: who did you meet?
[09:45 PM]  Owly Indigo: he's like ... a lot of things
[09:45 PM]  Owly Indigo: Mr. Asbrink over there ...
[09:46 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: kewl
[09:46 PM]  PT Beardmore: did he respond?
[09:46 PM]  Owly Indigo: yes! 

[09:46 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: oh
[09:46 PM]  PT Beardmore: did you learn anything?
[09:46 PM]  Owly Indigo: LOL
[09:46 PM]  Owly Indigo: I always do!
[09:46 PM]  Ariel Wingtips: hahaha
[09:46 PM]  PT Beardmore: ok, I suppose it is good...you know...if you want to skate by on this one.
[09:47 PM]  PT Beardmore: *dies laughing

I did not skate by! Allow me to introduce Mr. Blackout Asbrink ...

 

Sadly, I totally screwed up when I went to save our IMs! GAAAAHHHHHH! So the details of our conversation are gone. As I recall, he opened with some compliments, which is his way, from what I read in his profile. We discovered we are just a few days apart in SL age. He enjoys entering random words in search and then visiting whatever LM comes up - which sounds fun to me too! When he cammed on me, he thought something was wrong with his viewer, but then realized no, dang, she really is that pale! Ummmm ... there was other stuff I forget, as I was distracted by Foxie's tentacles. (Dang, that doesn't sound right, does it?) He was very kind and granted permission for a photo and the use of his name ... I just wish I had saved the conversation like I had meant to. I did enjoy talking with him. :-)

Here's what I learned: My friends are insane. OH wait, I knew that already. But also ... going to a populated and popular place like space park is a good way to meet people, whether or not you initiate the IM. And reading profiles can help break the ice.

Critters on the Home Sim - the Dance Floor has gone to the dogs

this stuff just happens...it can never be planned - i showed up at the Albatross and found PT & Owly dancing...Owly was wearing some scare hare and a bird cage and they were working on perfecting some dance moves that I THINK they learned by watching many episodes of The Brady Bunch.

Reminds me of this..."Sunshine Day" Dance
So I joined in and worked on some salsa moves with my dog buddy.

Then Niko showed up as a foxy fox!  he has skills...

Begging Skills...

Looking CUTE and CURIOUS skills...

Shake a Paw Skills

Scratch the itch Skills

magical..."awwwwe" cute thing skills

hehehehehe

HI! challenge, day 13

FYI: Ariel challenged me to say hi and attempt conversation with one stranger a day in SL for 30 days and blog about it. Today is day 13. This fyi will appear at the top of each post. All photos and names of strangers are used with permission - except this time, I don't think the conversation we had in local warrants a "May I?" this time. Names of established friends are used willy nilly!!! :-D

Today I got a notecard from Perky that was titled, "Brian shouts OWLY!" On the card it said, "I can't help myself! I see these things and my brain goes OWLY! OWLY! OWLY! I thought you might get a kick out of this..." and included an ad for a recent release from Donna Flora and a LM. That cracked me up, and what I saw in that ad made me just completely freak out. I think the word "omgomgomgomgomgomogmogmoogogmogogmoomog" was involved somehow in my response to Perky. I tp'd the hell on over and found ...

Yeah this! CAGE dress! There have been cage dresses in SL before, and there will be more again, but this one just sang to me. As did pretty much everything else in the store. There were soooo many gorgeous vintagey outfits, I kept wondering where I could find an firt-half-of-the-twentieth-century sim where I could RP ... or at least hang out on. The CAGE dress comes with an alpha layer thingy to hide one's thighs and pelvis (Marian? Are you paying attention? This is certainly an interesting crotch!) And then there is this beautifully made cage skirt with birdies floating all around inside! And? Also? Furthermore? Comes with the crazy poofy hair and some rather amazing shoes!

Here, more photos for you:

What has this got to do with my challenge? I was standing around in the courtyard of the store, when the designer, Squinternet Larnia, tp'd in. Somewhat to my embarassment, the following happened:

[05:04 PM]  Owly Indigo: oh hello there!
[05:05 PM]  Squinternet Larnia: hello
[05:05 PM]  Owly Indigo: I just got "cage" - I love it!
[05:05 PM]  Squinternet Larnia: eheh thanks
[05:06 PM]  Perky Button is Online
[05:06 PM]  Owly Indigo: a friend of mine sent me here ... and ... wow I am fangirling haha - just wanted to say thank you - your work is gorgeous ! ;-)
[05:06 PM]  Squinternet Larnia: im glad you like it

She then proceeded to fiddle around with her subscribo or something, I'm not sure exactly what device she was working on, but she had definitely moved on. I recognize I was being kind of goofy, but I was still in the throes of the bird dress excitement. I mean look at it! I cannot help but squee. Squee! See? Sigh. Oh yeah, I was wearing it at the time, too. Perky tp'd over (she'd been with me before) and proceeded to show me where the freebs are located omg they rule everyone needs the pumpkin hair so go get it! *ahem* Got a little excited again.

Anyway, I figured Miss Squinternet counted as a stranger, and I could therefore report on the interaction for my challenge. Also, I figure I can cross-post this with the bird blog, yes? Yes.

Here's what I learned: Or rather, what I knew and was reminded of: People who make and sell stuff in SL have to talk to a lot of lunatics, like me, and while they probably like hearing how great their stuff is, they are busy. So if you see a SL creator that you don't really know but would like say hi to and to compliment, do it briefly and sincerely, without expectation of an extensive conversation. They might have time to talk, but they might not, and in general it's a good policy to respect people's time in SL.

HI! challenge, day 12

FYI: Ariel challenged me to say hi and attempt conversation with one stranger a day in SL for 30 days and blog about it. Today is day 12. This fyi will appear at the top of each post. All photos and names of strangers are used with permission. Names of established friends are used willy nilly!!! :-D

 

Opportunities to talk with new people come when you least expect them. Today I had seen this on the feeds. Do I need a cute little tree avatar? Hell yes I do! So I wandered over to Fallen Gods to hunt for the little blue star. I don't know if it was me, or SL, or FG, or what ... but it was super laggy there. Lots of people were around. I decided to hang out by the lucky chairs to wait for things to rez, hoping for my letter to be called in the meantime.

There is also a lucky fortune teller thingy there. You know, where two people sit down and the fortune teller thingy gives one of you a "fortune" and then "tests" your "compatibility." Wow, lotsa quotation marks in that previous sentence. Anyhoot, if you get 100%, you get the prize in the machine. Otherwise, try again with another person. Or with the same person. Because, you know, it's not really compatibility but the statistical stuff in the machine.

Rez rez rez ... there is a man standing next to me, facing the fortune teller thingy.

[15:14]  Jaysen Silvercloud: wanna try Owly?
[15:14]  Owly Indigo: sure ;-D

Normally I would have been overcome with shyness and tp'd the hell out. But I thought, why not? I didn't know what the prize was, but if it helps someone out, well, sure.


[15:14]  Lucky Fortune Teller whispers: But wait! The spirits wish to test for an astral connection!
[15:14]  Lucky Fortune Teller whispers: Jaysen Silvercloud and Owly Indigo have a mystic connection of 100%
[15:14]  Owly Indigo: no
[15:14]  Owly Indigo: way
[15:14]  Owly Indigo: hahahahaha
[15:15]  Lucky Fortune Teller whispers: Congratulations, the prize is yours!
[15:15]  Jaysen Silvercloud: OMG
[15:15]  Lucky Fortune Teller owned by Alia Baroque gave you 'ARBOREAL fortunes +Fallen Gods Inc.+ (boxed)'  ( http://slurl.com/secondlife/Selidor/194/115/24 ).
[15:15]  Owly Indigo: YAY!!!!
[15:15]  Jaysen Silvercloud: dang
[15:15]  Jaysen Silvercloud: lol
[15:15]  Owly Indigo: that NEVER works for me!
[15:15]  Jaysen Silvercloud: lol crazy
[15:15]  Owly Indigo: wow ... what did we get!?

Dude. DUDE. WE GOT TREE AVS!!!

Amazing, yeah? Also, please note he said "dang" which automatically makes him superawsum. We were marvelling over our surprising luck when his brother came by, and he asked me to try the mystic connection with him too, but ...

[15:16]  Fallen Gods Inc. Fate Chair: This prize wasn't claimed... so let's try a new magic letter.
[15:16]  Fallen Gods Inc. Fate Chair: Next Prize: +Fallen Gods Inc.+ Elemental Choker and Necklace
[15:16]  Fallen Gods Inc. Fate Chair: Looking for a winner whose name begins with.... O.

WHAAAAA? Yeah, it was my lucky day! I got a feather necklace! Wheeeeee! The brother had to wait while I got my lucky chair thing, lol. I did not have a mystic connection with the brother however. Nor with any of the other people I sat on the fortune thing with, alas. We talked a bit more about the avs, he pointed out my shoes were still on, we exclaimed over the flower-filled holes in the chest. He bemoaned the lack of elf ear availability, and I noted that although there are many twig/vine attachments, there appeared to be one missing for his av. *ahem* He predicted FG would come out with one eventually! I found the perfect hair to go with my av too ... the Miasnow Partridge in a Hair Tree one. Then I told him about this challenge, and he was very gracious about taking the photo, cycling through a number of hairs to find his perfect one! Eventually something came up for me so I tp'd away, but not without thanking him for his kind invitation to test our mystical connection.

lol


Here's what I learned: Talking with strangers can be lucky! ;-)

HI! challenge, day 11

FYI: Ariel challenged me to say hi and attempt conversation with one stranger a day in SL for 30 days and blog about it. Today is day 11. This fyi will appear at the top of each post. All photos and names of strangers are used with permission. Names of established friends are used willy nilly!!! :-D

 

It is late. I have been offline most of the day, and I didn't think I would be able to complete the challenge for day 11. I was kind of moping about this to PT, and he said something along the lines of noooooooooooooooo let's go meet someone right now! LOL. I was tired and unwilling, but he was encouraging.

[22:33]  PT Beardmore: can you try?
[22:33]  Owly Indigo: someone is on the sim
[22:33]  Owly Indigo: we could try that person?
[22:34]  PT Beardmore: ok!
[22:34]  PT Beardmore: you gotta say hi first for it to count

He meant he couldn't say hi first, I had to be the initiator. I agreed! We found there was someone floating over by Sweet Antidote. She was either a shopper or a hunter, but either way, I was going to attempt contact. She appeared to be some sort of dark fairy, with all sorts of things strapped to her legs and arms. Her AO was adorable; she was floating and cycling through cute poses. Anyway, I said hello to her, and PT did too. I commented on her AO. PT said some stuff. I said more stuff. And uhhhhhh ... she didn't say anything.

lol

Ok, so I didn't get permission for this photo, but her face is not really visible, and I wanted to show you the heart attached to her arm. She is wearing her heart on her sleeve! Or arm. Or something. Awwwwww ... creepy!

Here's what I learned: Sometimes people are just afk. Also, good friends are good motivators when you are ready to just go to bed instead of staying committed to a challenge. :-)

HI! challenge, day 10

FYI: Ariel challenged me to say hi and attempt conversation with one stranger a day in SL for 30 days and blog about it. Today is day 10. This fyi will appear at the top of each post. All photos and names of strangers are used with permission. Names of established friends are used willy nilly!!! :-D

 

So who did Owly meet today!? PT and I were standing around the Home Sim market, just cracking each other up, when Spock Jupiter tp'd in. He had rented an office on our sim a while back, and we hadn't seen him in a while. It was nice to catch up! He mentioned he had a new girlfriend whom he had brought to the sim earlier, and lo, she came online and he tp'd her over.

We were having a lovely conversation when PT reminded me ...

[10:55]  PT Beardmore: Natalie counts as a new person!

HA! Of course! I nearly forgot! So I asked her if she would be my stranger of the day, and she agreed. We friended each other, we chit chatted some more, I found out she works in a club, and hopefully she and Spock will be regulars around the Home Sim as well. ;-)

Here's what I learned: Friends of friends are a great way to meet new people.

HI! challenge, day 09

FYI: Ariel challenged me to say hi and attempt conversation with one stranger a day in SL for 30 days and blog about it. Today is day 09. This fyi will appear at the top of each post. All photos and names of strangers are used with permission. Names of established friends are used willy nilly!!! :-D

 

I am coming to terms with the idea that not all of these interactions are going to be winners, no matter how well-meaning my approach. I was at the Project Donate sim, methodically flying through every single aisle. I am organized that way. There was a guy in a suit standing at the end of one of the aisle. When I got to where he was, I noticed he was editing appearance. I said, "hi there ;-)." He stopped editing and tp'd away. I looked at his profile. It was empty except for his name and rez date, which was 9/9/2010. 

Some newbs just aren't ready to talk, I guess? Maybe he just wanted to work on adjusting his avatar in peace. Maybe he was an already-jaded alt who didn't feel the need to respond to a random stranger. I'm trying to remember what being a newb was like, those first few chats and IMs. I must've been nervous, scared, unsure of what to say. I didn't want to be clingy, and I didn't want to be standoffish. I had no idea how to be graceful in my interactions ... not that I think I've mastered it now! But I suppose one's comfort level grows with each conversation. Also ... I need to bear in mind, some people just aren't here to make friends. That's ok too.

In RL, I'm one of those people "not here to make friends." I actively avoid people I know, and I discourage new people from getting too close. Yet, here I am in SL, doing my best to be friendly and welcoming, actively seeking out new people. Pardon my language, but what the fuck is up with that? I sometimes joke that I RP a friendly person in SL, but that isn't so far from the truth. Ok, that's all the introspection I feel like for now. I wonder if I need to replay some form of this challenge in RL.

Once again I don't have any pictures sooo ... you get to see this one of me in the 99L OMG Mynerva skin. I like it, but it makes me look too sad! I wonder if I goofed around with my eyebrows it would help ...