sleep – Ahuva’s Blog

Taking Another Step Away

I treated myself and bought a new computer. It arrived yesterday – a Lenovo Yoga 730. I got the active pen as well, about which I know nothing. 🙂 I gather it lets me draw on the screen. How can someone be so ignorant about their new computer? I don’t pick my own computers. I (like Blanche DuBois) often depend on the kindness of others, in this case coworkers, not strangers.

Way back at the end of the summer I asked a former coworker for advice on a new computer. He’d given me great advice when I was searching for a hard-core gaming computer to handle Second Life and Open Sim. That was all the way back in 2010 and I got an Alienware. I still have that Alienware and it is still going, but I can’t upgrade it and USB ports are a bit different now, and so are operating systems.

Somewhere between then and now I bought myself another computer that could handle gaming and virtual realities. That one was the same machine that we’d bought our son, with a few enhancements added. I never got a chance to use it. First my son broke his, so I gave him mine. Once it returned to me, my sister’s computer ceased to run her programs so I lent her mine. Permanently. 🙂 I love my sister. So here I am, without a modern functioning computer. I back up all my iThings to the Alienware, but I’ve discovered that I cannot write from it to the iThings. I had to do my last phone update by using my work Mac. It’s time already for a new machine.

I took the list of suggestions from the first coworker and showed it to my former teammates, whose opinions I have ALWAYS sought and trusted. I told them all that the only thing I do anymore is read mail, blog, social media, and process photos. They all agreed on the Yoga 730 and they all told me “buy the pen, you’ll like it”. Okay, I did. I haven’t even opened the box yet, *grin*, but I’m sure one of these days I’ll figure it out.

So why “another step away”? Because I suspect this machine will NOT run Second Life. I loved my time in SL. I’ve written about how much fun I had, how it challenged me, changed me, shaped me. I’ve written about the friendships I made that exist today and moved from virtual reality to RL reality. I still, foolishly, maintain my premium membership, although I have surrendered all my land. I want to go back, but there is no “back” – we have all moved on. Some of my friends are virtually dead, others have passed away in physical reality. Buying a non-gaming computer is yet another step away from the past.

You can take the woman out of SL, but you cannot take the SL out of the woman. No matter WHICH computer she buys.

Must be Getting Cold Outside

with apologies to Neil Sedaka 🙂

Don’t take the dark away from me
Don’t leave my room bright sunny
If you do then I’ll be blue
‘Cause waking up is hard to do

Remember when we went to sleep,
Got refreshed in slumbers deep?
Think of all that I’ve been through
Waking up is hard to do

You know that waking up is hard to do
And I know, I know that it’s true
Don’t say time to rise and shine
Instead of waking up I wish it were still sleeping time

I beg of you, don’t wake me up
Unless there’s coffee in the cup
Come on now another hour or two
‘Cause waking up is hard to do

Sleep Means Energy

Sleep seems to be back
Several hours at a stretch
My energy soars!

What a relief. For whatever reason, the pain seems to have ebbed. Either I’m used to it, I’ve figured out a “comfortable” position or it has eased with the knowledge that yes, finally, I’m going under the knife. Whatever it is, oh my, I am soooooo happy to be getting some real refreshing sleep. REM and all that. So I went down to the basement and rearranged furniture (appropriated son’s dresser) and cleaned up. I’m REALLY hopeful that tomorrow I can go and do battle with the weeds. For a reward – hit the boardwalk at night. *grin* MORE stuffed animals. *laughing* Actually, for the last many years, whenever we win, we find some little child looking wistful and hand over our winnings. SO much MORE fun that way.

So Now What do I Do???

So the conference is over. The all-consuming all-out effort of preparing and attending – it’s done. Suddenly I have all this time. I don’t remember what I used to do. I feel somewhat bereft, to tell the truth. What do I do now that I am not searching the world high and low for trees? What do I do now that I am not endlessly planting. And ripping out my plants. Will I ever see my ducks again???? Looking on the bright side, however, I added several friends to my contacts list. I hope I get to see them again now that the conference is over. It will be fun to see other parts of the world and meet new people.

Speaking of which…. I’ve followed my friend Bailey to her pub, the Crown and Pearl. What a blast! I have taken to going there after work to unwind and have fun. The conversation ranges from light-hearted to serious. You can tell that these are good friends who enjoy hanging out together, teasing each other, supporting each other. The music is good, the DJ’ing superb and I always come away in good spirit. And they throw fun parties as well. Had just finished listening to Noma live when a group chat opened up. Lingerie party in progress. It did take me awhile to believe that they were all in lingerie. You have to understand – I don’t know them all that well, but I know enough to realize that they would definitely tease by all being there completely dressed and convincing me to tp there in my undies. 🙂 But after being reassured by a trustworthy group member, I changed my clothes and joined the party. Definitely lingerie. 🙂 Amazing how far you can get with a well placed sock. 🙂

And I have my first friends also. After the lingerie party I ended up back at Shengri La. Shenlei and Michele were modelling some beautiful new outfits available at the Vintage Marketplace. Then Calli tp’d in, fresh from the honor of being inducted into the SL Photography Hall of Fame! Way to go, Calli!!!! Shen modeled another outfit for us all. It really was simply beyond words. So I am relying on Calli’s photography to show you what I can not describe. 🙂 You have to click this to see it at full size. You must!!!

So here I am. Another chapter finished, time to move on. Maybe I’ll even remember what it is to sleep. 🙂 Because it IS after 2am. Oh wait! Forget sleep…. I see a new friend has just logged on. /me waves – Hi T!

The Silver Lining

I was looking forward to hearing Grace McDunnough last night. I had an appointment earlier in the evening but I would be home in time to log on. Well, as the old saying goes “Man plans, God laughs”. If we substitute “Ahuva” for “man” and “Linden Labs” for “God” (oooo – that seems INCREDIBLY blasphemous, doesn’t it???? /me looks up nervously for lightening), that would describe last night. 🙂 Tried to login, and failed. 2nd try – same result. 3rd time – same result. Finally it occurred to me to check the grid status. Oh what a surprise – not. SL was offline for maintenance. I tried for 20 minutes before deciding that maybe I wasn’t going to do what I planned. For some reason, this all made me think of my grandmother, who always had an aphorism handy. The one I remember most I can’t find anywhere, despite Google: God sends the remedy before He sends the plague. I’m probably remembering it wrong, but I smile when I think of her saying it. She also taught me “It’s an ill wind that blows no good” and “Every cloud has a silver lining”. So here’s the silver lining: I desperately needed sleep. I have been burning the candle at both ends, staying inworld way past when I should be asleep and waking up before dawn for RL. So I missed you all. There were many people I wanted to talk to last night. But oh, wow, do I feel soooooo much better this morning. Sleep, blessed sleep. 🙂 Thanks to those who raised me to value the liberal arts, so that I can offer this as well: “Sleep that knits up the ravell’d sleeve of care” (yes Mom, that would be you! 🙂 )