Filling the void

I tend not to spend much time at home when Patrice is away. It's not that it's such a big house. It's quite cozy. And there's the veranda, the beach, the diving board, and the lovely teahouse. But I feel her absence.

So I spend more time at my office. It's about the same size, but I guess because I'm used to being there alone, or with a client, it feels more normal and less lonely to me. When I'm there, I still miss Patrice, but a skyhouse, especially with a loft, is a good place for gazing out at nothing (except some too-close neighbours) and thinking.

It is nice to have time to catch up with friends. When I left work last night, I met up with Emma at the Velvet. Emma is a fairly new friend who was an acquaintance for a long time (from all the way back in the Wet Kitty days). Now we are getting to know each other better. I was also in IM with my friend Envy, whom I don't see often enough but who loves to tease me by sending sexy pictures of herself. Today, I IMed an old friend named 3corner and got him to drop by my studio so he could finally have a picture to put in his profile. He returned the favour by taking me to see his friend Angela's "fire jewellery," simple pieces that glow rather than bling (in the photo, I'm wearing a choker I bought there).

My beloved Second Life sister tree has been busy with Raul and their new home, but she is always willing to give me time. I'm hoping to go golfing with Looky on Saturday, since her sweetie will be busy in First Life. Looky tells me SL golf is way more fun than golfing in FL—we shall see! I haven't seen Tatsuko in a while, but she's been busy with a new love, and it always makes me happy when she is happy. Tethys (another beautiful name for a beautiful girl) has also been rather preoccupied, but again, that's a good thing.

I have great neighbours as well. Mischief leases the second house on our land. A while ago, she gave me a terrific present—a drawing she made of me as Lucy Van Pelt (from the Peanuts cartoon) in her psychiatrist booth being jawed at endlessly by a client. In the other direction live Bjerkel and Karin, whose wedding I wrote about several weeks back. Illya, who's kind of my boss right now at Activ8 but still a friend, has a skybox high above the land nearby, and of course flopsie surveys all from her castle on top of the mountain. And I meet and chat with so many other people at the Velvet across the island—Push, Lolo, Barely, too many to list.

Speaking of a psychiatrist booth, Cala gave me a 3-D booth she made a while back. I'm serious about my counselling work so I haven't set it up, but it's very funny. You can even click on the little sign to make is say that the doctor is in or out.

I can't forget Kiera, who first caught my attention with a wicked flirt at the Wet Kitty. Or Davika, one of my oldest friends (a male, despite the name—OMG, he took my SL maidenhead!), who has recently moved into a former dungeon. I need to see what's up with that! Or Athena, whose birthday party I attended recently. Or Anwen and Merik, two wonderful and generous women with whom Patrice and I sometimes go dancing. Or ComradeX, who told me how DJing is done. Or Bailey and Sorcha, my fellow bloggers. Or Charles and Cahide, my former bosses who are wonderful and charming people. Or Cell, another DJ and musician, who turned me on to Kin hair, and with whom I must catch up soon. Or our old neighbour Bella. Or Leticia, with whom I have deep conversations. Or Wendy, who invites me to cool parties. And I'm sure I've missed someone. I beg your forgiveness in advance!

Even though I am missing my darling, I am still a fortunate little avatar in Second Life.