Happy Holidays 2019

As editor in chief of Bock in SecondLife it is my duty - and indeed my great pleasure - to wish all our readers, friends, family and supporters, a very Happy Holiday* on behalf of the blog, the creative director, all the lazy princes and princesses on the staff and myself.

*) Bock in SecondLife is proud to be a participant in the alleged "War Against Christmas" spouted by right-wing media in the U.S.A.

P.S. The picture will also be the new Winter 2019 blog header.

This Year We Were First...

Last year Tomais and I almost missed sending out our Holiday greetings to friends and family, so this year Tomais started early and we had the card ready to send out in the middle of November, or close enough...

"Holiday Card 2018" by Tomais Ashdene

Tomais informed me, with a stern voice, that we were sending the card out either when we received our first card or December 1^st, whichever happened first.

We wish all our family and friends a 

wonderful and happy holiday season!

A Suitable Headstone

Yesterday I got an email from Dejerrity's first life family where they shared this picture of his headstone with me.

I believe my brother would have loved it! It's a loving and fitting celebration to his geekish interests, sci-fi/fantasy, and SecondLife. 

Fuck You!

So yesterday and today I received this threatening email from someone claiming to be a member of an International group of hackers. They tell me that they have been recording my web-based activity in emails, social media, and messenger (which they have wrongly translated to Swedish with "budbärare"). They also claim to have recorded my activities on porn websites and tell me that I have weird tastes...

Most importantly, or so they claim, they have recorded me with "my own web-camera" (I don't have a web-camera) when I visited porn-websites and will expose it all to my "friends, relatives, and my intimates..." if I don't pay $600 to their Bitcoin Wallet within 48 hours of receiving the email.

---
The message:

"Hallå!

Som du kanske kunde gissat, var ditt konto (comhem.se) hackat, därför att Jag skickade dig ett mail därifrån.

Jag är medlem i en internationell hackergrupp.Inom en period från 29 juli 2018 till 18 september 2018 smittades du av det virus vi skapat via en vuxenwebbplats som du har besökt.Hittills har vi tillgång till dina meddelanden, sociala medier och budbärare.Dessutom har vi sparat alla dessa data.

Vi är medvetna om dina små och stora hemligheter...ja, du har dem. Vi såg och spelade in dina aktiviteter på porrwebbplatser. Din smak är så konstig, du vet ..

Men det viktigaste är att vi ibland spelade in dig med din webbkamera, synkronisera inspelningarna med det du såg på!Jag tror att du inte är intresserad visa den här videon till dina vänner, släktingar och din intima ...

Överför $600 till min Bitcoin Plånbok: 144CDUeBhcwoEUmA2B1cL5p5PqZrhJWCCt
Jag garanterar att efter det kommer vi radera alla dina "data": D

En timer startar när du läser detta meddelande. Du har 48 timmar att betala ovan nämnda belopp.

Dina uppgifter kommer att raderas när pengarna överförs. Om de inte är det kommer alla dina meddelanden och videoklipp automatiskt att skickas till alla dina kontakter som finns på dina enheter vid infektionstillfället.

Du bör alltid tänka på din säkerhet. Vi hoppas att det här fallet kommer att lära dig att hålla hemligheter.Ta hand om dig själv."

---

I would like to warn my dear friends, family, relatives, and "intimates...", that they may soon see my extremely weird and illicit behavior exposed in some form. My sincere apologies for that!

My response to this International group of hackers that have studied and recorded my web-activity is, you will get no money from me not now and not when I am an International porn superstar that will get payed USD130.000 for keeping quiet about my personal and intimate relationship with world leaders.

Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!
I bloody well hope you bastards 
recorded me from my best angles!

P.S. I have now reported the attempted blackmail to my ISP and the police.

Response to [Julie]

Dear [Julie],

Thank you very much for your email. It was much appreciated, and I was particularly touched by you having shared my words to Dej at his first life service. That way he got to hear it twice and cannot deny it.

Families are messy. We know each other so well and for such a long time. We know exactly how to hurt one another most and - in some cases - we use that knowledge. It is always sad when it happens, and I can understand how one feels helpless to alter the situation. So many cogs that must click into each other and balance each other at the same time for the relationships to improve.

My own family was on the opposite end of the spectra, possibly because both my parents came from dysfunctional family backgrounds and had sworn their children would never have to go through the same. Instead we were lovingly overprotected and had to fight ourselves free of their need to control our lives, still, there was always love and help when one needed it.

I, of course, knew that Dej had a very tense relationship with his family, although he never told me why. I didn't pry either. We shared the information we wished to share and nothing more was asked. For a while, after your father passed away, I thought he might be relenting but then it seemed to stop.

SecondLife is not "a game" per se, not for most of its users. There are no points to be won or anything of the sort. We build, socialize, party, make friends and families. You can be as outgoing as you wish or as withdrawn as you like. I'll send you a picture of my SecondLife avatar right now. Don't whistle too loudly, please, you may wake your neighbors!

Dej absolutely loved Jeff Buckley's rendition of "Hallelujah". He would have been extremely pleased to know you remembered that and played it for him at his service. Of that I am certain.

The fact that Dej and I got along so famously for eight years is a miracle, we both had a temper, although he was without a doubt the most volcanic. I used to tell him - repeatedly that I must be "The Most Patient and Humble Man in SecondLife" to still be friends with him. He would sing me a line from some silly musical and we would laugh at each other. (That is to explain the name of the picture I am sending you.)

As I believe I already told Andy, I had been badgering and begging Dej to go see a doctor the last two years, as his cough seemed to get continuously worse. He did not budge, and it is difficult to make a grown man listen and follow your advice if he doesn't want to. I was so angry with Dej when I heard from Andy that the cause of his death was untreated pneumonia. If he had still been alive I would have clobbered him over the head until he passed out.

Still, neither you, the rest of his first life family or I should feel guilty. None of us could have made him see a doctor if he didn't wish to. It would have been a case of finding him when he was passed out and still savable for that to work. And how would any of us now that when he did not reach out and tell us? No guilt, [Julie], no guilt. Dej was a grown man and made poor choices that in the end cost him his life. Although I will always love him and remember him, I refuse to feel guilty, neither should you!

Swedes hug a lot and all the time, so I am sending you a hug. Just deal with it 😉

Hugs,

[Bock]

Message from Dej's Sister

Today I received this very touching email from Dej's first life sister.

Dear [Bock],

I am [Dej]'s sister, [Julie], and I had the honor of reading aloud your lovely tribute to him at the memorial service we held [Saturday] at the cemetery, where his remains will lie with our mother's.

We've had horribly hot and humid weather here the past month or so, but today was cool, rainy, and very overcast. Kind of like [Dej], in a way.

[Dej] and I did not communicate much in the past 14 years; that was really his choice and, since we had had a troubled relationship [...], that was okay with me. But the last few years, after I moved in with our mom to take care of her and as she slowly but surely declined, he seemed to soften somewhat. He wouldn't visit often (generally only at Christmas), but he always at least answered e-mails when I found it necessary to send out a family alert. When we saw him at her funeral last December, we were all aghast at his appearance--so thin, stooped, fully white-haired, coughing and wheezing.

He told me about his "Swedish friend" perhaps six or so years ago, as he tried to explain his Second Life existence. There is no doubt he thought the world of you, and his enthusiasm for his second life was unmistakable. It was clear he preferred that to his first life, and I wonder sometimes how blurred the lines between the two became. I don't play games online with other people; I am too timid. But Michael was cautious, too, and I am sort of amazed at how well you ended up knowing him, even though largely "virtually." 

At his service, we played Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" as performed by Jeff Buckley. He sent this to me right after our mom died, so I know it meant a lot to him. I hope he enjoyed it. 

I wanted to thank you, and the other friends I know he's made through Second Life, for caring and sharing your memories of a [Dej] who was largely closed off to us. Our particular family dynamic was never what you would call "loving," but believe me when I say that we are all quite devastated by his death, and will no doubt spend much time wondering whether there was anything else we could have done to prevent it.

Live long and prosper, [Bock].

Very best regards, [Julie]

News From Dej's Family

Today I received an email from Dej's first life brother Andy.

"Hi [Bock],

I heard from the medical examiner and it turns out that [Dej] had bacterial pneumonia. It was a very bad infection that he probably had for some time and it went untreated. We are all very surprised that he didn't reach out to anyone including a doctor or hospital since antibiotics would probably have saved his life. We shall never know why he chose this path. I am so very glad he had a good friend in you for all those years. He struggled to get along with people so you must have been very special to him. Thanks for your friendship with my brother [Dej].

Andy"

This is my response to Andy.

"Hello Andy,

Thank you so much for the update!

Mike had an ugly cough for a long time, but for some reason, he refused to see a doctor about it - despite much nagging from me. It is sad to realize that something so simple as a cure of antibiotics most likely would have saved his life.

I am sending you the words I shared at the memorial we had for [Dej] and two of the many hundreds of pictures [Dej] has shared with me over the years. Both the pictures are several years old (SL avatars look much better these days). The one called “Mother of the Bride” is one [Dej] sent me when I was getting partnered, while the one called “Dej at his downfall” shows him standing at a place on the sim were I used to accuse him of ditching his husbands and “all” his lovers (I put lots of skeletons in the waters below to represent the “tons, and tons of men laying there” – a gross exaggeration, but we had fun about it anyway.)

As long as I remain in SecondLife and have the sim, Dej’s downfall will always remain. Dej will also share a memorial on the sim with my former partner Ars, who like his brother [Dej] also died of - untreated - double pneumonia in 2010. (What is it with Americans and health care?) 

Dej was very dear to me and it was a pleasure to have been a part of his life.

Thanks again for the information, Andy.

All my best wishes to you and the rest of Mike’s family in [first] life,[Bock]"

The pictures I attached to the response were these two.

"Mother of the Bride" (March 8, 2014)

"Dej at his downfall"

An Exceptionally Wonderful Man

Butch Diavolo has been a good friend of mine for many years now.

Butch is also a squatter on my homesim and is appointed as the Royal Gardener of the sim. (Although truthfully he hasn't been building or beautifying much (except his own plot) the last year, but he has been busy having a love life and taking care of himself.)

I know Butch as a kind, intelligent, warm hearted, level headed, everso faithful, amusing and highly sarcastic man, who always tries to help out if he is able. The only thing I have found lacking is his lovelife and his - sometimes - worrying choices where men and partners are concerned.

Yesterday I decided to adopt him as a son, and he agreed (Let's see how long that will last...) to defer to me before entering into any future partnerships. Any prospective partner will first be vetted by me - and my swarms of spies all over the Internet and in SecondLife - before being partnered. Linden Lab has been notified of this requirement and have agreed to assist in any way possible.

Fun thing though, through other familial ties of both my sons Butch and Pook, Butch will now be both Pook's brother and his grandmother. SecondLife families are a seriously messed up thing. However, as Pook's "pappa" I shall now be humming this tune to myself:

"For your brother is your grandma,
but your daddy don't know.
Woe, is me, shame and scandal in the family
Woe, is me, shame and scandal in the family"

(For clues to this musical reference please listen to Shawn Elliott in "Shame and Scandal in the Family")

Memorial For Dano

A week ago we all learned that the man behind the SecondLife avatar DanR Raymaker, in first life known as Scott Spencer, had passed away after struggling with a painful disease for a long time.

DanR Raymaker-Mirabella
(a.k.a. Scott Spencer)
★ March 19, 2007  † June 30, 2017

I knew him as Dano and first met him at Boots Gay Beach in 2007 (when he looked as his profile picture above).

Dano was one of the most charming, kindest and caring men I have ever met, with a weird sense of humor and a contagious joy of life. Being around Dano, meant you had fun, whatever mood you were in when you got there.

Even his last post on Facebook bears witness of his amazing sense of humor despite the pain and adversities he was struggling with in first life.

Dano was also one of a handful of non-Swedish avatars who dared take part in my blog-series "Naked Avatars in SL" in 2010. You can see his beautiful contribution in this post from May 21, 2010.

Yesterday I was invited to, and took part in, the memorial service for him and the celebration of his life. We were about 20-22 assembled, under the guidance of Evan Greymyst and Ezzie Mirabella. I am sure we would have been many more if people didn't have first life responsibilities to contend with during a weekday, but I am happy I could be there.

As I understand it, Dano had in length discussed with Evan Greymyst how he wished his memorial to be conducted. It was a memorable service.

Evan Greymyst conducting the memorial

Dano's husband Nibz and their two sons

Rest in peace, Dano, you will be sorely missed!

#TasteTheFeeling

(via J.M.G.)

Ahhh this is the effect a hot and bothered pool boy can have on a traditional family's values.

#Bock3000DaysInSL

There is reason to celebrate today, because it's my 3,000th day in SecondLife!

Bock on May 12, 2007, dancing alone at Bad Boy's Plaza

Who would've thought that fateful Monday more than eight years ago that I would still be here so very many years later?

I came out of inquisitiveness, only intending to check out what all the rave was about and why Sweden was opening it's first virtual embassy here. I spent my first weeks on Arrival Island, or whatever the place was called, trying to get my ugly noob avatar to look better so that I was fit to be seen. I'm gay after all, you have to at least try to look your best at any given moment...

As this was back in the day before Linden Lab provided us with the beautiful starter avatars and I lacked the necessary talent I finally gave up and ventured out into the world.

The first thing I looked for when I decided to venture away from Arrival Island, was anything related to Sweden, the second thing was anything to do with sex, preferably the gay variety. The Swedes ignored me completely, while the gays used me for mutual sexual gratification. Within an hour of leaving Arrival Island I was equipped with 10-15 dicks of various sorts, one of which took me far into the skies when I attached it.

After having used SecondLife for quick satisfaction and pixel-sex for a month or so I actually started talking to people before, during and/or after the quickies. My visits started to get longer and I started to make acquaintances, well more like fuck buddies but anyway...

Someone took pity on me and showed me where and how I could get my avatar to look better and where I could meet people for more than sex. I was introduced to Boots Gay Beach and the Devil Inside club (the "only" gay club to be for a while before it was destroyed by drama). I met good people, kind people and of course my share of assholes. I fell in love with Ars, we moved in together and built a life and family together at Southern Charm. Ars died and I seriously considered dropping out of SL, but then there was Southern Charm. I just couldn't leave it, everything there was a reminder of him and I did not want to lose it.

A little before Ars passed away I had reached out to the Swedish community again, with better luck this time. My countrymen and my SecondLife family were extremely supportive throughout my whole grieving process and involved me with community events, with parties and with people etc, etc. And my saga continues from there with a new love, new friends and new involvements and obligations.

So I came to SecondLife out of curiosity, I returned for the sex and continued for the the people, all the wonderful people I have met here.

All in all, it has been an amazing experience and I don't regret it for a second. I now know I'm going to stay here until Linden Lab pulls the plug in San Francisco, hopefully with a new and improved world waiting for me, my love, my family and my friends.

Happy #Bock3000DaysInSL to you all - and may we have many, many more!

A Piece of My Family History

"It has to be done today! He is coming home next week, I might as well do it right now before I return home." she told herself. The young woman stepped out of the maternity ward at the hospital in Lund on a warm summer morning on the first day of September 1930.

Her name was Nelly. She was a small woman, fit with sturdy legs, clear blue eyes and a determined look on her face. She was dressed in a light summer dress and had a small hat on her light blond hair, as every decent married woman had in those days when they went outside. On one arm she carried her newborn child and in the other hand she held the small suitcase with essentials that had been packed for the trip to the hospital a week earlier.

Nelly walked the short distance from the hospital area to the town center in a steady pace. It was a market day at Saint Martins Square and there were many people about. The square was filled with market stalls where the farmers from the surrounding countryside were selling off their goods.

She found a place to leave her suitcase and then she looked around to see whom she could approach with her offer.

Onlookers could see her approach young women or young couples, one after the other, speak to them shortly and see them shake their heads and back away from her with eyes filled with pity, disgust or unbelief at her unusual request. Nelly did this for several hours until she met a couple that did not instinctively shun her. 

The couple listened quietly as Nelly told them that her husband, who was a sea captain, was coming home in the immediate future after more than a year at sea. She had had an extramarital affair during his absence and had given birth to a son only seven days earlier. Nelly told them that she could not keep the child, because her husband would never accept a bastard son. The couple, who were in their late thirties, looked at each other. Tage and Ragnhild had been married for several years and had tried - unsuccessfully - to get children. Finally Tage nodded and smiled at his wife and they both turned to Nelly and told her that they would accepted her offer and would take the boy into their care. 

The infant boy and his birth certificate (where Nelly's husband the sea captain was noted as father) were passed to the couple. They made their goodbyes and parted ways.

---

My father would not meet his birth mother again until in 1948, when he was eighteen. He was sent to Nelly by the military when he was going to start his military service to require information on which of four alternatives his correct surname was. They supplied him with the address of his mother and told him not to return until he had the answer. 

My father took my mother along to the meeting with Nelly, At this time Nelly had divorced the sea captain and had shortly afterwards remarried the man with whom she had strayed in her marriage. Nelly and her new husband by then had five more children together. Both of them, my paternal grandparents, told my father that his true surname should be (McMillan) after Nelly's new husband.

---

I have pieced together the information above from our family mythology and the Swedish population records.

My first life family never really had a close relationship with my paternal grandparents although we would meet them occasionally, with very long intervals. There was no affection wasted on us by my grand mother, although my grandfather was a kind and caring man who tried - unsuccessfully - to make up for her lacking social skills.

True or False

I was just reached by a message that my relations with my son and heir are being discussed by people whom it shouldn't concern, so I think it best to clarify.

It is true, that I and my son and heir have a strained relationship at the moment. However, it is completely false to believe that this estrangement is anything of a permanent nature. We have handled worse things in the past and I am certain we will also straighten this out given time.

We are family and nothing can change that, nothing and no one. Love conquers all!

Celebration of Avacar Bluestar's Life

A celebration of Avacar Bluestar's life event to be held Saturday at the Rose Garden at Greymyst Estates II beginning at 1:00 PM SLT.

Avacar's and his widower Rico's Second Life family are looking forward to seeing you at the event.

My friend Eddi Haskell has promised to post a landmark to the event on his blog Eddi & Ryce's Second Life later today (Thursday February 5).

Family Feuds

It is said that there are two kinds of family. There's the family of your flesh and blood and the one of your heart, the one you choose out of love.

I am prone to organizing my closest friends in SecondLife into a family unit, sometimes - unfortunately - whether the like it or not or whether they like each other or not.

Every family has its differences from time to time, siblings squabble, children argue with parents and the rest of the family gets dragged into it. Sometimes I am asked to take sides. But how do I do that, when I love the people who are involved and see them as family? 

I find such a request totally unfair and adamantly refuse to choose between one family member or another. That in turn enrages them even more. 

It makes me feel like one of those (usually) women who get knifes thrown at them in circus acts.

Swimming, Submarining & More

Just a couple of pictures with captions from late last night and early this morning.

 After sending Guyke to bed Tom and I enjoyed some alone-time at his home.

I played "Submarine", Tomais is waiting for the periscope to come up

Later on we were joined at Tom's party beach by his family members Rylan Sirnah and Nikolai Warden and my brother Dej for an impromptu party.

Ry's music was great except when he briefly played a song by Army of Lovers, I never could stand them. So sorry for my outburst Ry!

I want to thank Nikolai and Ry for the warm welcome they gave me and Dej into their extended family and Ry for his many kind words about me, which I dare not repeat for fear of being called conceited.

Nikolai, Rylan, I, Tom and Dej

We had a wonderful time at the beach until I discovered that it was 5AM my local time and I suddenly realized how tired I was. I hope the guys kept going a while longer!

An Impromptu Christmas Dinner

´Twas the day before, the day before, the day before, the day before Christmas (that would be Saturday December 21, 2013, for those who have difficulty with counting) that the picture below was taken.

Butch, Guyke, Tomais, I and Dej at the table in Tom's kitchen.

My men and I had started talking about when we were going to celebrate the holiday together before we each went off to spend some time with our first life families and/or friends, but had not decided on a date yet.

I was hailed by Dej when I logged into my SecondLife earlier than usual on Saturday. My brother was in an exceptionally jolly mood and invited me to come over to hear him play some music on the grand piano he has in his conservatory. I happily accepted the invitation.

After a while of we were joined by the topic of Dej's and my conversation, my lover Tomais.

At first Tom took a seat in the window, demurely listening as Dej and I continued playing duets on the piano, but then Dej  remembered that there was a third pose on the piano so he joined us there.

Tom got bolder as we kept on chatting away on Skype and changed to more daring outfits, cheered on by Dej and me.

Somewhere at this point we were joined by first Guyke and soon afterwards Butch and decided to go somewhere where we could all sit and talk comfortably. We first tried my kitchen table, but as I could not provide sustenance we moved on to Tom's kitchen where the table could provide us with a complete traditional Christmas dinner.

We sat there and talked together for hours and hours, all of us in high spirits and enjoying each others company to the fullest. 

When Butch had to leave us to set up his set at Q Lounge, the remaining four of us continued talking away and relaxing in Tom's sitting room, where we were served coffee, before joining Butch at his set.

Some hours later I noticed that Tom was getting a tired, he had been suffering from a bad cold for a few days and had had problems sleeping properly due to congestion. I decided to send Tom to bed and tucked him in properly.

It would not be an exaggeration to say that this had been a magical and wonderful day, one of the top five marvelous days in my entire SecondLife existence.

Oh, I almost forgot, we actually also had sort of a Christmas miracle. Dej and Guyke, who in the past have had some difficulty getting along, didn't even bicker at each other once. The two have instead since then joined forces to instruct Tom and me on how to go about things, sticking their noses into matters that are none of their concerns. The only reason I accept and forgive them for this is that they are family and that is what families do - as I know well having done so on more than one occasion when it comes to both their lives.

Bock in SecondLife and I, it's editor in chief, 

wishes all of you and your families in first and SecondLife 

an equally wonderful and magical Christmas holiday 

and we hope to see you all safely back with us soon!

"Gone Fishing"

Today at 4 pm I started my glorious three week vacations, but this year I have a hectic program lined up in both my lives.

First Life

1. Monday June 17, 2013, 10.30 AM local time - Eye-examination and possible laser surgery
2. Wednesday June/19, 2013, 1.30 PM local time - Doctors appointment for check up on my blood sugar and to get a referral to a dietitian.
3. "Rehabilitation program" to change my first life back to what it was and become a healthier, fitter, slimmer and more "old myself". Eat better! Sleep better! Exercize more! Socialize more! In short get back a first life worth calling "a life"!
4. Take care off and see more of my first life parents and hopefully friends also
5. Have sex...maybe, hopefully, perhaps...
6. ...and relax and have a lot of fun...

SecondLife

1. Second Pride Festival celebrations 
2. SL10B - the celebration of  SecondLife's tenth birthday
3. Take care of my SecondLife family and friends
4. ...and relax and have a lot of fun...

Ars, Guyke & I

When Ars and I got together late in 2007 he made it completely clear to me that he and his SecondLife son Guyke came as a package deal. If I wanted to be with Ars, I would have to accept Guyke as part of the family. Ars was careful to explain to me that the two had been lovers for a time, but that the relationship and love between them had - over time - grown into one of father and son instead.

However much I was in love with Ars his request was something I needed to think carefully about. I am not the kind of man who enters into commitments easily just to regret, renege or try to renegotiate at a later date. If I was going to enter into this relationship I wanted to think about it and know what I was agreeing to. I had to have some time to think and Ars would have some questions to answer. Ars patiently answered all my questions and gave me the space and time I needed.

When I had gotten all the answers and assurances I needed from Ars I told him that I was willing to accept Guyke as his son and a member of our family. Until this point in my SecondLife existence the concept of families in-world had been bewildering to me.

At first Guyke and I were quite cautious in our dealings with each other, but as we got the spoken or silent reassurances we needed from the other we grew to love each other. I actually at times feel like a stepfather to him. Guyke is extremely easy to love - when he wants to. He is an extremely charming and considerate man with a great capacity for love. Of course, like all children, he can also be a completely impossible and insolent brat, but that passes quickly and I have learned how to handle it.

Neither Ars nor Guyke ever gave me reason to regret my decision.

I do believe, as I told Guyke, that Ars would have been very happy and more than a little surprised to know that we still get along and are a family more than three years after he had left us and was not here to mediate between his pigheaded son - all inherited from his father - and me. In my opinion that's is the best proof of the love the two of us have for each other.

When I met with Guyke in-world today it was the first time in a long time. Guyke has been busy with his first lime and the new love he has found there. I haven't been as regular in-world either so we have missed connecting accept for a few offline messages.

As Guyke tells me, "he doesn't do mails" except for extremely short messages or report

We met over by the barn at Southern Charm, as I was there setting up the the new furniture I bought at Post today. When I had finished doing that - and we had admired the result sufficiently - we sat down to talk while my bulldog Bilbo snoozed in his basket.

Before we could talk about more important stuff we had to get the question of our disagreement on the pressing subject of Ziggy's new blond hairdo out of the way. 

Guyke asked me if I honestly thought that Ziggy looked good in the new hairdo, because he did not like it one bit. I told Guyke that although I might think that Ziggy was more of a brunette personalty, I actually loved the new blond hair. Guyke then accused me of having lousy taste, to which I answered that I have impeccable taste but perhaps very personal. I also told him that I found it easy to accept and forgive the whims and caprices of my friends and that if Ziggy loved his new hair, then so did I.

After that was settled we could move on to other topics.

Guyke started out with asking if we could be serious. I assured him that I would be.

My son then reminded me that Ars had loved me dearly and would have wished me to be well. For this reason - if nothing else - I should focus on my real life and to make the necessary changes to get better. He wished me to promise him that I would really to that and that I would give priority to my real life..

I told Guyke that I would give him the same promise that I had given to my boss, that I would do my utmost to make the necessary changes in my life with the end goal of improving my physical health. I went on to say that I felt that I could make the necessary changes in my first life while keeping up my SecondLife.

Guyke then accused me of not listening - and told me I never listened to him - and wanted me to admit to having a real life and not a first life.

I told my son that I had actually listened very carefully to what he had said, but that did not mean that I had to accept his premise that SecondLife was in someway unreal. I went on to tell him that what mattered most to me in any of my lives were people and my relationships with them. In my opinion people were not less real in SecondLife than they were in first life, so I refused - and would continue to refuse - to use that expression because I believed it to be untrue for me.

My son got cross with me over this philosophical quibble and told me he was disappointed in me. He also refused to hug me when he had to leave for bed because he was so upset.

I was sorry that Guyke left in a bad mood and without our usual hug. I did not understand how we had ended up in that linguistic and philosophical debate on whether one of the lives is more real than the other. I love my stepson dearly, sometimes I do not think he fully understands to what extent, I also know that he loves me.

I do understand that Guyke is concerned about my health and that he wishes me all the best. Indeed I am grateful for him for expressing his worries and it makes me love him even more. I know we will get over this stupid argument and I want to assure him that I am going to do my very best to keep my promises to him, my boss and myself concerning the changes I need to make in my life to improve my health.

Clan McMillan and Hurricane Ziggy

So the hurricane Ziggy passed through the McMillan clan - officially yesterday - but unofficially some time earlier. When hurricane Ziggy hit landfall on Southern Charm it created havoc in the family tree.

The Much Honored Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm and prince of Cascade Falls, has finally caught up with all the changes now after an extremely long talk with his son prince Guyke Lundquist of Claddagh, who informed him of all the developments in very slow steps.

1. Guyke and prince Janttu Winkler of Claddagh have divorced in SecondLife (In first life they are still as lovey-dovey as ever before.)
2. Guyke and duke Ziggy Starsmith (kingdom as yet unknown) have partnered in SecondLife, which means that Ziggy is now my son in-law. (However, at this point in time I refuse to let go of Janttu as my son in-law so he still retains that title also.)
3. Janttu has formed a partnership with a beautiful man named Mr. Fabiano something, whom the laird has not yet had the pleasure of meeting. In the new partnership Janttu already has a grown son. (I forgot his name already, so sorry.)

I think thats it so far, further developments will be reported as they are revealed to the laird.

It´s all good. I get the added benefit of the charming Ziggy in the family while all the others remain. And the new additions will be excellent I am confident of that. The men of my clan have excellent taste in partners! My head is still spinning, but I am sure I will be happy when all the dust has settled.