Celebration of Kiss-A-Swede Day

Photo by Ziggy Starsmith

The International community - well, select parts of it - have celebrated the third annual International Kiss-A-Swede Day in SecondLife even without my presence.

Read more about the celebrations in SecondLife on Ziggy And Guyke On The Edge Of Second Life: Kiss-A-Swede Day (url).

Thanks Guykechen and Ziggchen, it was a wonderful surprise and I laughed so hard that I almost peed. 

The Tag Crisis

My sweet friend Butch seems to create and dissolve a fan-group in SecondLife every third month or so. Recently he created a more general fan-group that - hopefully - could encompass all his future ventures and/or clubs, Butch Diavolo | Info Group.

I was of course invited to join, as I am one of his biggest fans. All would have bee good and well, if it had not been for his unfortunate choice of group tags. Butch tagged himself as "The Weird One" and the rest of the group members as "Party Weirdo". Can you believe it? One would really have expected more of this otherwise pleasant, intelligent man with exquisite taste.

The situation was, as you can imagine, completely unacceptable and unsatisfactory for my station in life, so I started a rebellion in the group chat. Here is a slightly edited (mostly only shortened) extract of the group chat.

Bock McMillan: Party Weirdo, huh? I think a laird deserves a much classier tag than that! Pfffffffft
Aisha Ceawlin: LMAO
Harli (harliquin.taurus): I like party weirdo tag
Amanda269 Allen: I complained also
Aisha Ceawlin: I complained too
Bock McMillan: I feel so belittled - almost as if I was walking in the middle of a street at high-noon in only nappies
Amanda269 Allen: I mean....Party Weirdo??
TἶTἶ Lυςαѕ   (titianna.omizu): Fits us
Amanda269 Allen: Pfff
Amanda269 Allen: No comment
Harli (harliquin.taurus): I love the tag, wear it all the time  lol
TἶTἶ Lυςαѕ   (titianna.omizu): Could have been worse
Butch Diavolo: Hmm... the plebs are revolting?
Aisha Ceawlin: O.M.G. it speaks :P
Bock McMillan: Well, Harli, I am sure it could be suitable for some people - but after all I am a laird, mind you
Butch Diavolo: Y'all are weirdos, so the tag fits
Bock McMillan: Pffft if only I was tagged "The much Honored Weirdo" or something similar I would not complain
Harli (harliquin.taurus): A laird of x?
Butch Diavolo: In your case, that title is implied, Bock ;)
Bock McMillan: I am Bock McMillan, laird of Southern Charm, prince of Cascade Falls and sovereign ruler of the Southern Enchantment region with all its outer territories etc., etc.
Kiri Dasmijn (kiri.cisse): The Outer Territories being the rest of SL?
Bock McMillan: Nahhh, Solace Island, Mount Whitney and a few more unknown places...
Butch Diavolo: SL and RL
Kiri Dasmijn (kiri.cisse): What about the Moon?
Bock McMillan: The supreme ruler of this group is trying to admonish me in IM
Spanki Moulliez: I've got a feeling Bock's title is not going to fit on the tag :P
TἶTἶ Lυςαѕ   (titianna.omizu): lol
Butch Diavolo: Since you cancelled the Kiss-a-Swede day, you will stay a party weirdo <--- admonishment="" i="">
Spanki Moulliez: Every day should be kiss a Swede day! perhaps that can be your title
Bock McMillan: The Moon is only a U.N. Protectorate in my realm, Kiri
Bock McMillan: That day is cancelled due to bad weather
Kiri Dasmijn (kiri.cisse): Yeah it's a protectorate til we run low on cheese, then it's every nation for itself.
Butch Diavolo: ( Lairdy Weirdo? )
Bock McMillan: The Right Honorable Weirdo would be sufficient even though I would feel common 
Butch Diavolo: That won't fit
Butch Diavolo: Or better yet... A Right Weirdo
Bock McMillan: The Honorable Weirdo then if it must be shortened

A few days later I got an offline message from The Weird One informing me that my tag had been changed.

I find the new tag satisfactory and appropriately respectful! Thank you so much for your responsiveness to my needs, Butch!

Sweden's National Day

June 6 is Sweden's National Day, the Swedish Flag's Day and the International Kiss-A-Swede Day in SecondLife.

The two first will be celebrated in a slightly self-conscious manner all over Sweden (Unlike many other nationalities we Swedes always feel a bit apprehensive with overt displays of patriotism or nationalism - except when it comes to sport.) As you have already been informed, the laird has capriciously decided to cancel the celebration of the third International Kiss-A-Swede Day in SecondLife due to "bad weather".

All please stand up for what should rightfully be made the Swedish National Anthem if the world was a just and righteous place.

I Feel Best In Open Landscapes
music and lyrics by Ulf Lundell (lyrics translated to English by Bock McMillan)

I feel best in open landscapes, close to the sea I want to live

A few months troughout the year, so I can get peace within

I feel best in open landscapes, where winds are blowing full

Where the larks fly free up to the sky, and singing wonderful

There I make my own aquavit, and flavor it with St. John´s Wort

And drink it with pleasure, with herring and homemade bread

I feel best in open landscapes, close to the sea I want to live.

I feel best in peace and freedom, for both body and soul

No one comes too close to me, who shuts in and steals

I feel best when the day is breaking, where fields are filled with light

When cocks crow far away, where it´s far to the closest house

But still so close, that one quiet silent night

When you're sitting under the stars, you can still hear the laughter

I feel best in peace and freedom, for both body and soul

I feel best when the sea is swelling, and gulls are crying high

When the beach is filled with seashells, with the oceans sound inside

When the clear and the simple, can exist the way it wants

Where yes is yes, and no is no, and doubt is lying low

Then I tie a ring of leafs, and lay it on the closest rock

Where runes were cut for our sake, once so long ago

I feel best when the sea is swelling, and the gulls are crying high

I feel best in open landscapes, close to the sea I want to live.

My Big Boy

Today I met my son Guyke at the gay SecondLife-bloggers group Rhino Writers meeting in preparation for our groups participation at the SL10B. Guykechen was there representing his husband Ziggy's blog "Ziggy On The Edge Of Second Life". (Well, not officially but I had brought him there in that capacity.)

Unfortunately we were not many who could make it to the meeting, so besides Guyke and myself there was Avacar Bluestar and his partner ricogenu and Jeff Ellsworth. It was soon apparent that Avacar and Teno Theriac had already had fruitful conversations on the matter and had come up with many good ideas.

Myself and Avacar Bluestar

Jeff Ellsworth

ricogenu and Guykechen

After the meeting Guyke and I returned to Southern Charm to catch up and say our goodbyes. On top of the list of topics was of course what was going on in our first lives and Guyke's fabulous SecondLife  makeover.

"I decided it was time to grow up", the boy told me, "so I needed a complete remake for a more manly and less boyish look." And what a stunning look it is!

To my great relief he has not grown to big for hugging, I will never allow that to happen of course, but still it is good to notice that the Swedish part of his upbringing is deeply rooted in him.

My "New" First Life (Updated)

According to the agreement I made with my boss, my new life starts today.

It's off to a bit of a rocky start because yesterday I went for a visit with friends, a now retired coworker and her husband. We had a great evening, eating, drinking and talking all through the mild early summer evening.

Before I arrived I had decided to drive home later in the the evening, but that plan flew out of the window when they enticed me with a gin and tonic. So we started with that then had wine during the delicious barbecue dinner and ended up with a glass of brandy followed by several single malt whiskeys (of Swedish and Japanese origin).

I didn't go to sleep until around 2 AM (local time) and slept deeply through the night, except for the two times I managed to roll of the edge of 90 centimeter bed and crash onto the floor. Luckily I did not wake up my hosts, I don't think so at least. This morning we had a full breakfast (I usually only drink coffee the first three hours after awaking.) while we chatted some more, so I did not start my drive home until around 11 AM.

Today we have had semi-lousy weather with showers all through the day. Besides I was a bit tired after last evening, so I decided not to start my new regimen until tomorrow.

As it also happens I have made a date "for coffee" ('hint, hint*) tomorrow with a man I have been chatting with on a Swedish cruising and gay news forum. We have been talking for about two years there and still haven't met, he has been uncommonly patient with me for someone you meet at such a place. I have been reluctant to meet for several reasons, some are known to you already, but another one is that he is already married to another man.

Today I decided it is not my concern or business to worry about their marriage, its his responsibility and his alone. Let's see what comes of it all, I am not sure that I have completely convinced myself...

Update
I just read a message from "the man" where he cancelled for tomorrow, because his brother and family have decided to pay him a visit and stay until Monday. He asked for a rain check and I said "Sure, lets do it when you have the time".

Rumors: New Recruit to Kedvesem Fan Club

Rumors (or information from an otherwise extremely trustworthy source) claim that The Kedvesem Fan Club has a new member. The  fan club maintains that Hungary with Kevesem by ByeAlex should rightfully have won the ESC2013 if there had been divine justice.

The fan club is happy to welcome the lairds Sergeant at Arms sirhc Desantis McMillan in our midst. sirhc is already well known to many for his impeccable taste and stunning - even if somewhat catlike - looks.

Samesies

(via J.M.G. +Joe Jervis)

I agree wholeheartedly with the speaker and am also "starting tomorrow", but tomorrow never seems to come...