I love it when my friends in SL invite me to private parties. And I love to throw parties myself. As I have said before in this columns, I really believe the bone marrow of this virtual game resides in relationships. Otherwise it’s just an empty shell where we become cartoon characters with very week storylines. So… a month ago, when I got a very special invitation to a very special party… I made sure to stick a post-it on my screen. I wasn’t going to miss that, no matter what.I got home from work ten minutes before the SL party time. I hadn’t had lunch and it was late in the RL afternoon, so I made myself a ham sandwich with a lot of mayonnaise, poured a large iced Coke, kicked off my shoes, put on my glasses, and sat in from of my Mac. As I turned it on, I pulled the post-it off, and… OMG! There was another one underneath reminding me of a RL wedding, that same day… two hours later!!!
I had completely forgotten about that. And believe me… I HAD TO BE THERE. But I had to be in the SL party too, both because I cared a lot for the ones who were hosting the party… and because, even if it’s true, RL always reeks of excuse.Not to mention that I could never have excused myself from the RL wedding blaming SL. A lot of people would have been ready to have me committed.
So, before I started breathing in a paper bag… I tried to pull myself together. I browsed through my virtual wardrobe and choose an outfit I had worn to a party a few days before. It looked nice. Pity RL wasn’t going to be so easy.I TP to the party, shouted “HELLO EVERYONE”, typed greetings, a lot of “:)))))))))))))))s”, hit a dance ball, run to the bathroom and turned on the shower while I managed to put on a few rollers on my head.
I run back to the den, looked at the local chat log, typed a few “HAHAHAHAs” and some more :))))). Run to the RL wardrobe and pulled out a few dresses. In RL, they never fit properly, and they are always wrinkled.I ran back to the den. I looked at the log again… Someone, apparently, had made a joke. “LOL” I typed, and run off to the shower. If someone had timed me, I’d probably belong in the Guinness record book.Came back to the screen. There were a few IMs, the “for your eyes only” kind of messages, so much difficult to ignore.
A third one from the hostess…. Which got yet another “WOW, lovely party, and some more :)))))))” and then I wrote another quick “WOOT” for the local chat and rushed off to fetch the ironing board and the iron. (I had to stay close to the screen, just in case.)
I had to find a free socket under the desk, which it wasn’t easy because I have two computers side by side and all kinds of accessories. (BTW: have you ever counted the wires and plugs that multiply themselves around and under your desk?).
Then I glimpsed at the screen, and saw that the hostess had decided to give a speech in voice. So I run off to get the dress, the make up, the nail polish and the tweezers. And a mirror that I managed to duck tape to the other computer. I put on the earphones struggling with the rollers just in time to hear all the things the hostess and other guests had to say. But I also switched on my voice. And I forgot.
“AUCH, DAMN IT” I said. (I was plucking a few stray hairs from my eyebrows.) I also said a few four letter words out loud, because I hadn’t checked on the iron and It was smoking hot. I heard people laugh and I realized they were able to hear… so I wrote a few “OMG SORRY” and some more “:)))” and took a bite of my sandwich, because I was really starving and dinner at weddings are always delayed.
Of course, the inevitable happened. I dropped mayonnaise between the “W”, the “E”, the “A” and the “S”. “WSAWWWSSWSEESWAASWQWDESWW”, I wrote, trying to clean the mess. People thought it was a new , rather complicated acronym. They asked. No, I said. “HEH”. The cat walked all over the keyboard. (Which it also often happens).
Another “ROLF’ (What the heck was I “rolf'ing” about???”), and I got up, keeping an eye on the screen, and managed to iron some large wrinkles off the dress.
Then I realized I had to wear sandals, so I had to paint my toe nails first. I placed one foot on top of the desk , then the other, somehow I got the toe nails to look red, not without kicking the Coke glass to the floor, where it broke, and I stepped on a glass splinter while jumping on my other foot.
“WOOT” “LOL” “YES I’M HERE”, “SORRY, PHONE”, I rushed to get a Band-Aid, and then started with my fingernails… The “Shift” key is now red forever.
People at the SL party seemed to be having a great time.While the polish dried, I put some make up on. So I had to take off my glasses and didn’t get so see the IMs very well. And yes… I got the windows mixed… but that’s another story.
“WOOOOO”. I got my dress on. “LOL”, one sandal. “ROFL”, the other. “GREAT PARTY”, “I HAD SUCH A GREAT TIME”, “IT WAS SO NICE TO SEE YOU ALL”.
I brushed my hair, wrote a few more “:))))”, “THANKS”, “HUGS”, “SORRY, BUT I REALLY HAVE TO GO”, “CYA SOON”, and logged off.
When I got to the wedding, I realized I had left the iron on. Too bad I couldn’t click on it and “take”. Besides I hated the dress. Too bad I couldn’t “replace outfit”. And I hated that boring wedding. Too bad I couldn’t log off. Or just vanish and say I crashed.
Bottom line?
I love both worlds. But I hate it when they collide.
LOL
:))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Covadonga Writer.
