Sweet Dreams - SL Style

One of my mantras since I began logging into SL and finding myself there later than I would ever stay up normally, was to say "Goodnight - it is my SL bedtime." People who knew me from the spank pack (aka Blissie Boucher - not to mention any names) would start to ask me if it was past my SL bedtime as the clock crept past 9 or 9:30 pm SLT (yes, pre-SL days used to find me snoozing in bed with me missing half of the shows I would start to watch - pretty much anything after 8:30 was hit or miss - sad huh?).

So - as the clock ticked later and later - I said my usual round of goodnights and headed back to my little sleepbag seaside. Nothing better than the sound of surf to lull you to sleep. In my goodnight checklist, I decided to share some pleasantries with my next door mountaintop neighbor. The red arrows below show our locations. It is important for those who don't know SL to realize you must use a "shout" setting to be heard at that distance - and that "shout" allows others around you to also "hear" the conversation.


Please note it all began with a simple comment - I can see you walking around up there Bigd. From that, here is what happened:

[21:55] bigd Flanagan shouts: Good Night Big Brother!!!
[21:55] You shout: HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
[21:56] bigd Flanagan shouts: poor aeryn that misguided chick with a dick
[21:56] You shout: OMG
[21:56] You shout: You sicko!
[21:56] You shout: I love you Bigd :) you sexy SL hunk!
[21:56] You shout: Sleep well in that Sexy Sexy Moxie Bed of yours! Hoooo!
[21:57] bigd Flanagan shouts: Tis late and I've banned you from my property
[21:57] You: It's such a shame you can't see what finger I'm holding up!
[21:58] bigd Flanagan shouts: I'll never touch you again HA Ha
[21:58] Kimala Kohime sobs and sobs
bigd Flanagan: I'm donating my poseballs to help island!!!
[21:59] You: Is it wrong that I was TOTALLY aroused by that?
[22:00] bigd Flanagan shouts: Put it in your blog! I'm an open book baby!! Front and back
[22:00] You shout: God I want you! Hoooo!
[22:01] bigd Flanagan shouts: Searching for protective devices now you psycho!!
[22:02] You shout: I'm losing my voice Bigd - I must say goodnight
[22:03] bigd Flanagan shouts: I'm in love with this aeryn chick, sure shje has no hoo, but she has great hygiene and she likes baseball This is goodbye!!
[22:03] bigd Flanagan shouts: I no longer wish to correspond with you!!
[22:04] You: It's such a shame you can't see what finger I'm holding up!
[22:04] Kimala Kohime sighs and heads out to bed
[22:04] Kimala Kohime sweet dreams Bigd - i'll correspond with you again someday I just know it
[22:05] bigd Flanagan shouts: Never I say never It's all over now!!!
[22:05] Kimala Kohime inserts evil laugh here
[22:06] bigd Flanagan shouts: Damn her hide
[22:09] bigd Flanagan shouts: Goodnight you dangerous woman

EEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKK

Ok. I was chastised for not being brave enough yesterday. Late at work. Only one left in the office. Out in the hall... Outside my office door... was a bug. Not just a bug - but a bug-like-spider-like-scorpion thing.

This, frankly, haunts me at night.

I saw one about a year ago or more in our building and was horrified then. The post traumatic stress has not yet left me. At the time though, I was rescued by a brave colleague of mine, of the male variety, who promptly rescued me from my terror and smushed it.

But I digress (although it does give you a good historical perspective on my fear based reaction)...

I killed it. I smushed it with my shoe. My high heeled brown closed toe shoes. It stuck to the bottom. I had a hard time getting it off. I had my face scrunched up the entire time and was internally screaming with all my might.

Please keep in mind - I am fairly brave when it comes to spiders and bugs and mice - but my strategy is to vacuum them up. Then, no part of my body, or thing touching my body has to in anyway be a part of the smushing process. Unfortunately a vacuum was NOT an option.

So - I personally refuse to post a picture - but I will refer you to the picture online - a cross between a spider and a scorpion. Please feel free to be terrified along with me. I would welcome reassurance that I am not alone in my terror. I would also welcome your praise of my personal battle with this bug/spider/whatever.

They say with all the rain we had in Arizona this past winter (note "all the rain" really isn't THAT much) that we can expect a higher than normal scorpion and mosquito season. I look forward with great fear in my heart to that and all it brings.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!

Some Days Are Harder Than Others...

I found this in my email today - or it found me really. Sorting through old email can be a good thing. I love it when the order of the universe hands you exactly what you need sometimes to make it through - for me it is God, for others it is a higher power, call it what you want, I don't want to scare anyone away.

Anyway - I was bombarded by various tales of stressful things as I began my work day - some more societal in nature, and some more work related. Either way - it immediately wore me down. I had to make a conscious decision to clear my mind and focus on all the good things and blessings in my life, and the lives of my family and friends.

So... here is what the email said -

The Beauty of Confusion

Mathematicians sometimes speak of a proof as beautiful or elegant. Many solutions to everyday problems feel the same way when they first reveal themselves. But prior to most new solutions comes a period of confusion.

For me, confusion, "not knowing," is uncomfortable. I wish I could avoid it.

Then I remember the 4 room apartment - a model of change by Claus Janssen:

1. Contentment. No one changes in contentment, why should they?

2. Denial. I can't change in Denial. I am not aware that I need to change!

3. Confusion. Ahh, here is where people change.

4. Renewal. What a great feeling. Energy returns. Good news.

So, I need to remind myself in times of confusion that it is okay to "not know." Confusion makes me stop and think, reconsider my options. Not a bad thing usually.

So, why do I judge myself so negatively when I get confused? Why do I feel I have to "know" all the answers already? Is it because confusion causes anxiety and anxiety is uncomfortable? Well, yeah. So why is that good?


Because it forces me into action: Confused and anxious I have to seek relief. I am forced to stop flying solo, to reach out and ask for help, to talk to others, to check reality with a colleague, to exercise until I can breathe easy again.

Perhaps I am wired backwards but I usually have to get into action when I am anxious as opposed to waiting until I can figure it all out. I used to joke that I am like Robert Redford's character, the Sundance Kid - "I'm better when I move."

By making me anxious and forcing me into motion, confusion pushes me toward clarity - and that is a beautiful thing.

~ Mark Bryan, The Artists' Way At Work

I feel right now I'm facing a number 3 moving into a number 4. But, the beauty of this model, in my humble opinion, is its simplicity and its nature that is so circular. I find hope that it is a process not simply a means to an end.

Onward into Wednesday with those deep thoughts of clarity safely tucked in my pocket.

Mondays...

Monday Morning in NYC, 1907

So - after seeing all this laundry and figuring that those items were scrubbed by hand I felt:

1. Glad that I had a washing machine
2. Thankful that I only had 4 kids and my laundry didn't have to hang out the window in front of God and everyone
3. Relieved I could finally head to the office and find serenity at work
   

Ok - did I just say "find serenity at work?" As a matter of fact I did! I tell you - a week off with 4 flu-sick kids is not the spa vacation package I had hoped for - although my hands are extra extra sparkly clean from scrubbing.

It is a relief to be back in the land of grownups and realize that I can still form complete sentences when people ask me questions and no one is needing me to hand them a bucket to puke in or wipe their poopy bottom. (I know, I know, TMI).

How's your Monday? Any Hoooing at the water cooler today? And most importantly - are you loving your job or what?

Your Job Satisfaction Level: 94%

Your job is nearly perfect - you've totally lucked out! You like what you do, who you work for, and the people you work with. And it seems like the job you have will eventually get you the job you want. So enjoy what you've got. You've landed the ideal job!

Should You Get a New Job?

Earning My Stripes

aka... diary of the banal details of our RL week
(with a hint of sarcasm)

So this week... I jinxed us. Our lazy Sunday was simply a calm before the storm. I knew it would be a horribly busy RL week. Kids had statewide standardized testing -oh the joys; D has his usual round of parenting battles with students he case manages, and I had 2 grants due before I went out of town for work. Even under the best set of circumstances, it was going to be a challenge.

Sunday afternoon our youngest began complaining of stomach pains. It went downhill quickly from there. By Monday in the wee hours we had our youngest two throwing up and our middle one complaining of similar stomach cramps.

Busy week? Busy in new ways. Gotta love how life hands it to you sometimes.

three toilents - no waiting - sums it up simply

So... from what started as hour by hour survival has gotten me to Thursday afternoon. I'm mentally preparing to hike the mountain of clean laundry that D has so diligently kept up with. My hands are raw from antibacterial soap washings (yeah I know - that's a whole 'nother debate). And, the clutter lays as best it can with us in survival mode.

SL offered a welcome diversion for adult conversation, shopping, dancing, rezzing caves, and even sailing this week. "My tummy hurts" wails can still be tended to with back rubs and tummy rubs. AFK means I am most likely accompanying someone to the bathroom or attempting to get gatorade or chicken noodle soup into someone's tummy.

As for the RL work? Well some of it is still there :) Most of it got done in the nick of time before deadlines with the collaboration and amazing teamwork I share with my colleagues. Gotta love Instant Message and email. Where in the world would we be without it? Phone was kept to a minimum because of wailing. I tell you - nothing like I have ever experienced as a parent dealing with viruses and kids - with this wailing aspect. And yes, 5 hours before take-off the business trip was cancelled.

So I think both D and I have earned new stripes for our roles as parents this week. Not sure whether they are colored chartreuse or puke yellow ;) Either way - they were hard earned. D figured puking in front of the class could provide a healthy new form of classroom management. You know, high school kids are a tough crowd - it is best to keep them guessing, and revolted, if necessary. :)

Ok... off to conquer the mountain. Clean laundry awaits. Yes kids, you do have underwear it just hasn't been put away. Yes, D you can wear matching socks tomorrow, not tube socks to work LOL. Yes, oldest, your sheets are back on your bed and no that wasn't water on your comforter... puke has an unmistakable smell that permeates the nose. (sorry TMI I know - but didn't you need a little more imagery with this post?)

As a reward for sticking with me through this painfully banal post... here's a little more to waste your time and make you smile. Let me know what kind of parent you are.. or might be :) And... OK, I admit it, I am relieved my results ended up being what they were. My state of mind at this point in the day, at this point in the week, might say otherwise.

You Will Be a Cool Parent

You seem to naturally know a lot about parenting, and you know what kids need. You can tell when it's time to let kids off the hook, and when it's time to lay down the law. While your parenting is modern and hip, it's not over the top. You know that there's nothing cool about a parent who acts like a teenager... or a drill sergeant!

Would You Be a Cool Parent?

Lazy Sunday... After Being Back in the Saddle Again

Nothing better on a Sunday than laying in a hammock at the ocean's edge and deeply breathing in the salty sea air. My body is tired but I'm not sleepy. It feels good to just be. Six days of work make me so grateful for the serenity that is just being.

Yesterday was a statewide kickoff of a new program we are doing for PBS resources in Arizona classrooms. After months of waiting and reinventing ourselves, it felt so good to be back. Being with teachers who were excited about bags of PBS giveaways like stickers and mousepads and teletubbies headbands. Sharing preview reels of upcoming programs like Carrier. Delving into all the resources for educators, families and kids on all the PBS sites. It was invigorating. It was exciting to have educators who are willing to give of their time on a Saturday, without pay or mileage/travel reimbursement, and open their schools and classrooms to the resources we have to offer them.

PBS is so much more than just Lawrence Welk and This Old House and Antique Roadshow. PBS Kids is more than just Big Bird, Elmo, and Teletubbies. Have you taken the time to explore the resources that build literacy skills for children who are even too young to read words on a page? Have you seen the resources they have about the developing brain or the teenage brain? Have you participated with interactives in science that allow you to divide a cell? Have you helped Word Girl solve the mysteries of the dastardly Butcher (butcher-er of the English language)? Make sure you click on the link to Heros, Villians, and Mere Mortals :). Logins are free. Experience is priceless, as MasterCard and Visa would say.

I have been pleasantly surprised to encounter PBS friends inworld in Second Life. It seems to be universally human to now be able to identify a PBS character you remember from your childhood. Big Bird and other Sesame Street characters have traveled worldwide. It makes sense that eventually they would sneak their way into Second Life as well. Better yet, when it ends up really being my friends Carly and Josh inside Elmo and Cookie, we are all able to have a quick dance together. Who would have thought Cookie Monster was so light on his feet?

I must admit though - this wasn't the first time I encounterd PBS characters inworld. In my early SL newb days, I had a dance with an Italian friend, Kemi. Kemi was always bold in his avitar looks. Is it a shame to admit there is something captivating about having a quick ballroom dance with Baby Bop. I was a bit shy about asking him for a dance - but he was quite willing and surprisingly also light on his feet!

Bottom line - and ultimate purpose of this post? Hmmmm. Enjoy a lazy Sunday on SL. Relax knowing yesterday was a success in RL on so many levels. And recall how fun PBS can be - for everyone - in RL and SL. Now... back to the beach!

In Honor of a Great Man

For those of you who teach - take time to check out Coretta Scott King's amazing foundation for education - Teaching Tolerance. Even if you don't teach, there might be new things to think about there.

For those of you who love music - take time to enjoy a song written for the man that was reluctant to take the limelight but stepped in and stepped up when he knew it was the right thing to do.

Thank you Dr. Martin Luther King for being an amazing revolutionary in thought, word and deed. We don't do enough to honor you! Rest in Peace... may there be an end to all the Bloody Sundays... someday.

**Addendum: The History Channel is having a very cool 2 hour event this Sunday, April 6, I just saw advertised this morning on television. King looks like EVEN though it will compete with my Sunday night favorites (Desperate Housewives anyone?) is totally worth watching!