One Year "Back in Babbage" Anniversary

It's hard to believe it's been a year, today, since I first stepped foot back in New Babbage.  I was completely disoriented, both from being back inworld and coming back to a city that was positively podunk by comparison back in 2007.

So what has changed in the last year?

• I've made some amazing friends. On one hand I want to mention my best friends here, but I just realized that the list is getting pretty long.  One person I will always call out though is Jedburgh Dagger, who has been my best friend since we first started talking last summer.

• I fell head over heels for one Mr. Emerson Lighthouse.  How could I not?  He's amazingly creative, smart, funny, compassionate and dead sexy.  (Come to think of it, today is exactly 7 months since our first dance.)  Correction:  Our first dance was October 21st 2011, not the 27th.  Tsk.  Shame on me.

• I now own 3 parcels in the Academy of Industry sim; a house, a workshop, and a cemetery.

• I am now part-owner of the historic Gangplank pub in Clockhaven, which I run with Emerson.

All in all?

I'm a New Babbager.  What more is there to say?

Snow!

New Babbage has snow!

(The incongruity of a post about belly dancing in the desert followed by a post about snow in a northern industrial town isn't lost on me.  In fact, I love it.)

So as I was saying, New Babbage has snow!   I spent the evening tonight winterizing my properties in Academy of Industry.  It took some work, but I think I figured it out without going totally overboard.  I hope.  (Maybe I should pull out the igloo. And the zamboni...though Emerson might be able to use that.)

Kenna and Kaylee showed up, we talked winter coats for awhile, and then proceeded outdoors for a snowball fight.  First one of the season for me!  I'm afraid I didn't pose much of a challenge for them, however.

"[23:34] Snowball: Junie Ginsburg has hit Junie Ginsburg with a snowball!"

"Snowball?  What snowball?"

Something amazing

Since I came back to New Babbage in May, folks have been asking if I have any old pictures of the city.  Because all of my SL pics from 2006-2007 were on  a hard drive that failed, my answer was always "no."

Tonight, I was pawing through a stack of CDRs in an effort to find something.

I didn't find the something I was looking for, but on one disk without a label, I found a folder called "SL."

All of my pics from back when I was on the grid before.  From the very first pic I ever took up until I stopped logging in.  Not only that, but a lot of my original textures, Photoshop files, clothing templates and even LSL scripts.  A veritable treasure trove.  (Of outdated stuff, but still...)

I was disappointed that I don't have more pictures of New Babbage, but honestly, it wasn't much to see in those days. ;-)  But I do have some pretty good ones, especially a series of aerial snapshots of the sim.  I also have a snapshot of myself standing on the parcel map, in the middle of a very empty Babbage Square, after paying for my plot.  January 2007.  I can't identify all of the builds in the other pics anymore, but I'm hoping to kidnap Edward and Shaunathan sometime and see if we can't piece it all together.

I'm thinking that eventually I'll put all of the good pics into an exhibit. 

It was really difficult to find an old pic to include in this post, simply because I'm loving so many of them. But, since I've heard that these kinds of sightings are rare now, I decided to make this one suffice:  my husband, Intolerable Ginsburg, and me at a Kurt Vonnegut talk (for The Infinite Mind), with Philip Linden in the row in front of us.  (I'm the one with the orange system hair, looking at Phil.  My husband was next to me. The LL goons made everyone remove all attachments - only system clothes and hair were allowed!)

Thursday!

Thursdays are my favorite regularly-scheduled SL days.

I try to always attend the Radio Riel Theater at the Clarendon Observatory at 7:00pm (New Babbage sim), and aside from that it seems I'm usually able to find some adventure or other afterward.  Not sure why it works out that way, but it's become something I look forward to very much.

There are always one-off events, or events that occur less frequently, but I can't make them with such regularity.  Wednesday and Thursday nights are very good for me though, I'm almost always available, so this is something I've begun to plan for.

So.....yay for Thursdays!

"So, Junie...what did you do tonight?"

The answer to that question just keeps getting stranger and stranger. 

And I love that!

One of the things I adore about SL is that you can be serious, reproduce real life in some way, play it by the rules of the real world, but you can also toss all of that out the window and shoot squid at people.  The more random, the more fun it is sometimes.

Take last night for example.  What did I do?  Well, first I went to the Radio Riel Theater and listened to George Carlin on the Jon Stewart show for half an hour.  Then I wandered around The Gut and noticed a new tree made of gears that were falling to the ground like leaves.  Naturally, I tried to climb it, but failed miserably.  Some time later I ended up laying on the ground in my cemetery trying to decide which decorations to put up for October, before Jed showed up and the conversation turned to the most effective manner with which to dispatch a zombie. We stood in the graveyard shooting at the crow with increasingly powerful firearms until Kaylee showed up walking on her hands and dressed as a jester. I put on my Harley Quinn costume and we did backflips around the cemetery for awhile.

Tonight?  Put on a dirndl dress and dragged Jed over to the Oktoberfest party Edward was DJ'ing in Bay City.  All total we didn't stay more than 15 minutes before heading over to Muirsheen Durkin at the Brunel Hotel back in New Babbage for the Foot Tappin Friday party.  Afterward a bunch of us sat around in the bar chatting when Leia put on a bunny costume in an attempt to convince Vic to teach another language class.  I put on my pink bunny jammies, and before you knew it, everyone in the bar (except Vic) was dressed as a rabbit and we were dancing again.  Eventually we had rabbit tinies, rabbit furries, rabbit jammies, a demon bunny and two very LARGE rabbits occupying the bar.

Did I mention that the trolleys picked tonight to stage a minor revolt? (As if THAT'S unusual...but still.)

I was the last to leave the bar tonight.  Goodbye, Muirsheen Durkin.  Sleep well, bunnehs.

Pictures!

The construction site on my new parcel.  It's going to be a workshop of sorts.

The workshop in progress.  It's about 75% complete.

My cemetery!  The only thing I've added is the crow.  A cemetery needs a crow.  You can see him flying in the first pic, and perched on a headstone in the second.

An aerial snapshot with my parcels outlined.  I like the fact that they're all very close to each other, but not adjacent.  I have to walk a little bit to get to each one.

My new hair.  :-)   When my brain got too fuzzy for building and texturing, I went shopping.  I ended up with three new hairstyles, but this is the one I decided to keep wearing.

And finally, a new modeling portrait by Bianca.  She is still working on her portfolio, and I'm happy to get some fun portraits.  And I adore this outfit - the roses make me so happy!  (I still need to make a separate post about Bianca's studio now that she has rates available.  Coming soon!)

Another face from the past

Last night, of all people, I ran into Shaunathan Sprocket, founder and former mayor of New Babbage.  We spent a little bit of time catching up and I found out that he has actually been off-grid for quite a long time as well, having only recently returned.

I'm glad I'm not the only one.

:-)

In honor of reconnecting with an old friend, I give you my favorite Shaunathan quote, from a town hall meeting in 2007.

"Wait, hold on..."

(pause...we wait)

"I have an announcement to make."

(pause...we wait some more, anticipating the announcement)

"Chocolate Altoids are flash."

Time to call it a night

Tonight was Blackberry Harvey's grand re-opening party at the Gangplank.  It had a pirate theme, and I spent several hours there making merry and enjoying the company of friends.  As will sometimes happen after spending a night drinking and dancing though, there comes a slow, creeping melancholy.

Feeling a kind of maudlin restlessness, I stood on the city wall behind my house to watch the stars.  Afterward, I went for a walk around the Academy.

Only one other person was stirring in the neighborhood, but I didn't think I'd make good company so I went to the CocoaJava for a change of scenery.

It was warm and welcoming by the fire, but ultimately I decided that it was time for all good Babbagers to go to sleep.

Pleasant dreams, pirates.

A grand adventure! (Part 2)

I wasn't sure we would be able to continue our exploration of Wheatstone Waterways tonight, but Matthieu had time so we wandered around a bit more.  My impression of Wheatstone Waterways?  Some of the best steampunk builds in the city. 

For example, Steamweaver Aeroworks, Ltd., where enormous airships are constructed.  One great thing about this build (and there are many) is that you can go up to the assembly line and initiate the creation of an airship, which is constructed right in front of your eyes.  My favorite part of the process was the inflation of the great balloons to keep the ship aloft.  The pictures below of the machinery outside of the hangar don't do justice to how magnificent it all looks in motion.

The Great Obolensky Metal Steampunk Treehouse

Professor Ewing's Emporium has a lot going on, but somehow it all works.  Unfortunately, it works much better in person than in snapshots.  I found it very difficult to get a good angle that would capture the grandeur of the place, so I had to take a few.  A garden on the roof, sunbeams, a pulsing electrical generator, a flying machine...what's not to love?

After exploring what remained of the sim, at least most of it, we stopped in at Red's Revenge Pub for some rum (which appears to be in plentiful supply in Wheatstone).  Captain Red, whom I've not yet had the good fortune to meet, seems to have a great sense of humor.  Her build is chalk full of lighthearted and whimsical elements, which made it all the more enjoyable.

Matthieu served as my navigator as we attempted again to make it back to the Oldbridge area by boat.  We had significantly better luck this time, and were able to dock at the Barrel House under the bridge.  After some coffee, I left again in the boat, determined to make it as close to home as possible by water.  I successfully navigated my way down the canals to the Vernian, then across the sea to Clockhaven.  I docked right outside of the Clockhaven Aquarium and walked home from there.

I took a few shots of the boat docked there because I love the area, and honestly, I love my little boat. :-)

It's very satisfying to be learning my way around the city!

The Poles of My World

Tonight, I attended the regular Thursday evening Radio Riel Theater listening party at The Clarendon Conservatory in New Babbage.  There were only a few of us there, but an enjoyable time was had by all.

In contrast to the tranquility of the above scene, I offer a picture of the Sunday Night Sock-Out, a boxing match that took place in a new venue called The Pit.  In this snapshot, Edward "The Duke" Pearse prepares to give Dr. Watson a sound thrashing.  Also fighting that night were Mr. Mornington and Mr. Holmes (who managed to win!)

I feel that these two images give a fair representation of life in New Babbage.  It is every bit as rough as it is refined, but perhaps there is a bit more of the former than the latter. 

Just the way I like it.

(Me, decompressing at 'Cuffs after the boxing match)

Radio Shows, Burlesque, and Motorbikes

When I went inworld tonight, I had nothing to do.  It wasn't long, however, before I found a remedy. Then I had things to do all evening.

First, Radio Riel Theater at the Clarendon Conservatory in New Babbage.  Besides Edward Pearse, I was the only one to show up in person, but it was a fantastic show.  We listened to a couple episodes of Red Panda Adventures, and now I'm hooked.  I really want to listen to more now.

Afterward I bumped into Ms. Bianca Namori, Mr. Victor1st Mornington, and Ms. Gabrielle Antara as I walked through the Gut.  They were obviously up to no good, so I had to join them immediately.  We chatted for awhile, Vic left, and at some point we noticed an intrepid group of explorers wandering through the sim.  Quite suddenly we were all under attack and the voyagers were taking cover near us. 

Apparently an unseen assailant started lobbing bombs (of all things) at them, and then at us, and panic ensued.  I have to admit that I pulled out my pistol and gave the bugger a fistful of whatfor.  Or at least, ther person who I assumed was the bugger....there is a remote possibility that I opened fire on the wrong person. 

See why I'm against guns in RL?

Anyway, that was an exciting diversion, but eventually the explorers flew off in their airship, the bomber apparently lost interest and we were left to our chat.  Ms. Bianca dances at a burlesque club in Seraph City and had to leave for a show, so I tagged along.  I've never been to a burlesque show. It was.....enlightening!  Really great fun.

While I was there watching the last dancer, Ms. Jedburgh30 Dagger (another New Babbager) came in for the last part of the show.  We visited for awhile and she gave me a ride on her motorcycle to see the garage she owns in Seraph City.  The whole dieselpunk concept is quite new to me, but the builds in Seraph City are just beautiful.  From talking with Jed I think it's another case of me having loved dieselpunk all along and just not realizing there was a name for it, very much the way I developed an interest in steampunk.  "Oh, that's what they call that? Okay..."

In any case, it was a lively evening.

Sheik and Sari Ball

Tonight Ms. Bianca Namori held a Sheik and Sari ball in honor of her former home, Cala Mondrago.  I never had the good fortune to visit the sim when it was online, but I understand it had a desert steampunk theme.  I wish I had been able to see it!

The event was held in the sky over Caledon Kittiwickshire, strangely enough, so I knew I had to attend! (Also, I had just purchased a sari to wear to a different upcoming event, so I was happy to have a reason to wear it already.)

Me, trying out my belly dancing skillz:

Back in New Babbage, I didn't have much going on, so when Mr. Manamiko asked what I was up to, I was eager to go exploring again.  We started elsewhere on the grid taking a drive in his car, but sims started going down left and right in a griefing attack, so we made our way back to the (relative) safety of NB.  Neither of us had checked out the The Palaeozoic Museum and Library, so we spent some time seeing what there was to see there.  I was much more impressed than I thought I would be!

The museum library:

At some point we decided to see the Melnik Sky Tower (I believe that's what it's called).  We had some difficulty with the elevator initially, but after that it was only our attempts to increase our draw distance that resulted in problems.  I think Matthieu was able to get a snapshot of my house all the way over in Academy, but I crashed before I could even make an attempt.

The moon over the airship dock:

I just have to say that I'm having an incredible time being back in-world.  The level of creativity and ingenuity demonstrated by the builds never ceases to amaze me, both inside of New Babbage and elsewhere, and I really value the friendships I've made (and renewed).  And I'm starting my own New Babbage story on the Reader!  *happy bounce*

Relay for Life

I have a number of things going on in-world, all of them pretty inconsequential compared to what I'm doing right now.  I'm standing outside the New Babbage RFL build tonight, where our team constructed a factory to manufacture hope.  It's brilliant.  All I can do at this point is stand outside with other citizens of New Babbage, and wave my flag.  I'm supporting the city, I'm supporting the cause.  I dedicated a luminary in the name of my aunt, who passed away of breast cancer a number of years ago.

The media stream is too sobering for me to listen to.  It consists of a very sad song, and a man reading off dedications to loved ones who passed away from cancer.  I listened to it as I walked through the build, and I almost had to TP out.  I was choked up.  The Merrimen, little clockwork men running the factory, that were created by a New Babbager who passed away last year, were almost too much to bear in their poignancy.

So.  This is where I am tonight.  Standing reverently with my fellow Babbagers.

New Babbage goings on

Because I've not seen the SL "steamlands" outside of New Babbage and Caledon, I've decided to take some walking tours.  I posted on the City of New Babbage Reader about my upcoming excursions, which I decided to call "whistle-stop tours," and extended an open invitation to anyone who'd like to join me.  I got a great response, and am planning to go on my first walk tonight. Since New Toulouse is based on turn-of-the-century New Orleans French Quarter, and since today is Bastille Day, I thought it would be a good place to start.

On the thread about touring New Toulouse, Edward Pearse mentioned that I should watch out for zombies, since they are known to haunt some areas of the city. I joked that I would bring some sort of repellent, something with two barrels, which led to further discussion about how it's mandatory for redheads in New Babbage to be armed.

I don't have much experience with roleplay, but the stories being told in New Babbage are fantastic, and I have been wanting to get involved. It's a minor thing, but I decided to start by buying a gun.

In RL I'm very against firearms, but in New Babbage RP, it's great fun. I think I look rather badass, if I do say so. I was aiming (heh) for a "Dirty Harry" kind of picture.

Last night I saw an opportunity to squeeze into the periphery of an ongoing RP; it was in a rather unpleasant way, but hopefully I provided a bit of comedic relief on the thread.  I've found that I am much more comfortable with self-deprecating humor than with serious drama, and so I feel it was a good way to bring my character...er...myself into the story.

Put a fork in me. I'm done.

Ruthorford House is complete.  Fini.  Built and furnished.  Following is a virtual tour.  Please excuse me while I go to sleep...

From the front walk:

Entrance:

 Parlour:

Parlour:

Sitting room:

Sitting room:

Study:

Bedroom:

Good-night...