Getting back in shape

As I may have mentioned, oh, about a hundred times already, I lost most of my inventory.  That includes the shape and skin files that make me me. That was perhaps the most devestating part of the loss.

Those who use SL for any amount of time are aware that the avatar comes to represent you in the world, and many users feel a kinship with it.  You look at it on the screen and think, "that's me."  It may not look like your physical body, but it is nonetheless "you" because it is your direct representation in-world.

Anyway, I was very sad to have lost those particular files.  I tried to recreate my shape from memory and from the few remaining snapshots I have, I tried to find similar skins, but it still didn't feel right.

Tonight I remembered something very sneaky.  Before I became Junie, I went by a different name.  There was another avatar out there with my shape and my skin.  I even remembered the password.

I was able to transfer the shape, but the skin didn't have the right permissions.  Still, I was lucky and found that the skin designer is still in-world, and is selling the same skin under a different name.  (Maybe this is the reason why it's sometimes worthwhile to purchase quality goods instead of using freebies - they're likely to still be around in four years!)

So now, I present a comparison of my rebuilt "new" Junie alongside my revived "classic" Junie, with my original shape and repurchased skin:

I was surprised that my "new" Junie wasn't too far off!  Be that as it may, I'm quite glad to be back to my old self.