The Last Word

People disagree on many issues. It’s human nature to want your opinions heard, be it right or wrong.  Some people politely listen to your point of view and may offer theirs. Others are unwilling to hear what you have to say and feel like theirs is the only opinion that matters. And the debate will rage on, be it face to face, on social media, phone calls or texts.

And there are the people that feel that if they get the last word in, their opinion must have been the right one. I’ve dealt with that situation lately. I stated my position clearly and without any emotional passion that comes from a heated debate. I stated that this is my opinion, I had made my position clear on the matter and didn’t want or need any further response on the matter. It wasn’t long before the next text comes through. After reading the first two lines, I knew that what I had to say wasn’t taken into context and that no matter what I said, it wouldn’t matter. I hit the delete button, not reading the rest…   The last word left unread.

After much thought, I realized I had spent far too much time and energy trying to get my ideas and thoughts across to someone that, for whatever reason, was unwilling to step back and take a nonbiased, unemotional look at what I was trying to convey. There was simply no point in trying to further deal with the issue. It wasn’t worth the effort and stress to continue further. It is too bad when friends disagree so badly that the only way to get the last word is to simply say …

Goodbye.

Carson is wearing…

Mesh Body: ADAM -Mesh Body v2
Mesh Head: Catwa – Daniel v3.0
Head Applier: Labyrinth – Tylar
Beard Applier: Nivaro – Jawline
Eyes: IKON Triumph Eyes – Evening
Hair: ARGRACE – GAKU
Pants: Giz Seorn – GizzA – Pierre Buttoned Jean [Black]
Jacket – Giz Seorn – GizzA – Pierre Trenchcoat [NavyBlue]
Shoes: A&D Clothing – Boston

Pose – Wrong  – W1     Group Gift  FREE 0L/0L to join

Sim: The Last Forever

∽ fini∽

It Sounded Like a Good Idea at the Time

I received a text from a former colleague asking how work was going. After a few exchanges, we decided to grab dinner and catch up. I headed to her place, just a short 20-minute drive away and she took me to a pub she has been wanting me to experience.

We ordered drinks and appetizers and started telling each other about our respective beginning of the year trials and tribulations. The beer was cold and the food was good. As we just finished our meal and was thinking about calling it a night, we heard an announcement over the speakers “Trivia will begin in 20 minutes.” She looked at me, eyes wide open and said with a huge smile, “Dude, we have to do this!”  When we worked together, during staff meetings there would be the occasional trivia contest as team building exercises. We were so good and won so often it was determined we could no longer be on the same team. We have this one in the bag.

We signed up and was ready for the first question. As the first question was asked, I stared at her with blank eyes. They didn’t say this was going to hard trivia. We fumbled through the first half of the contest and ended up 8th out of 10 places. I made the excuse that it was the beer that was causing me to draw a blank on these questions, but in truth, the questions were tough.

As we started the second half of the contest, we started to gain momentum. The occasional question we couldn’t answer, we’d put a silly answer down to amuse ourselves and the guy running the game.  For instance, “What is another name for a double eagle in golf? I could not, for the life of me, come up with albatross, the correct answer. So we put down as our response, velociraptor. The drinks were making us silly and we might as well have fun if we weren’t going to win the grand prize of the $10 gift card, right?

As we headed into the final question, we were at the bottom of the standings. The question was asked, I knew the answer and bet the maximum amount of points allowed and turned it in. We ended up in 7th place. Not bad for two people that were going up against groups as many as ten. We finished our drinks and headed out, back to her place for one more drink on her patio before heading home to bed.

I got home and looked at the time. “Holy CRAP!” I have to work tomorrow. I crawled into bed and the next thing I know I hear the sound of my annoying new alarm ringtone waking me up. I can’t believe it was morning already. And, to be honest, I wasn’t feeling the best. It’s been a long time since I felt this bad after a night of drinking, heck, it’s been a long time since I had a night of drinking. I stumbled around, got a shower, walked the dog and made coffee. Yeah, no, that wasn’t going to help. I needed more sleep, but that wasn’t going to happen. I managed through the day, coworkers giving me knowing smiles as we apparently were having such a good time, we were taking Snap Chat photos and selfies for FaceBook.

So tonight, here I sit, contemplating an early bedtime and keeping the dog happy. She was a mad little thing when I finally rolled in the night before.  I think to myself, never again …

until every other Monday when its dinner and trivia night.

Carson is wearing…

Mesh Body: ADAM -Mesh Body v2
Mesh Head: Catwa – Daniel v3.0
Head Applier: Labyrinth – Tylar
Beard Applier: Nivaro – Jawline
Eyes: IKON Triumph Eyes – Evening
Hair: ARGRACE – GAKU
Outfit: Emerald Couture –Wow Wally Set – @ The Menstuff Lounge (Free to members / 50L to join)

Daniel-San

Nothing much to say, just me playing on the beach reenacting a scene from The Karate Kid and enjoying the last days of summer…

Carson is wearing…

Mesh Body: ADAM -Mesh Body v2
Mesh Head: Catwa – Daniel v3.0
Head Applier: Labyrinth – Tylar
Beard Applier: Nivaro – Jawline
Eyes: IKON Triumph Eyes – Evening
Hair: ARGRACE – GAKU
Swimwear: @AdReNaLiZeD@ – Buck Tropical Blue @ The Menstuff Lounge 0L/50L to join

Pose: pose-S – Daniel-San – Redeux Event FREE 0L/ 0L Group Join

Sim: Alethia Island Public Sandbox

The Best of Friends

I have been looking back over the past few days and counting the number of random acts of kindness that I have been the recipient of. I am very blessed by the people around me.

It started on Friday morning, which was going to be a very busy day for me. As I was driving to work, the trusty ol’ truck started misbehaving and I pulled over to take a peek at the possible issue. A coworker pulled up behind me and asked if I needed a ride. I thought that I could limp it the rest of the way to work and she was kind enough to follow me the last few miles.

Now this alone would mess up anyone’s day, but I was too focused on the tasks I knew I had to do to let it bother me. I asked a friend if he could possibly take a look and confirm my suspicions if he had a chance. In no time he was back, broken part in hand. He set it on my desk then handed me a slip of paper with the part number and where to purchase it. He said that when I got the part he would replace it for me. WOW! I’m feeling like a very lucky guy. Not only because the part was not that expensive, but he was taking the time out of his busy schedule to help a friend out. A coworker offered me a lift home and my neighbor offered to run me to the parts store. I reflected on the day and realized how lucky I was to have friends like this.

Bright and early the next morning my friend messaged me and said he was heading out to fix my truck and wanted to know if I wanted to go with him. In just a few minutes, the truck was once again in working order. He also inspected the rest of the front end and suggested I replace another part as I was able. I thanked him several times and I was on the road once again, grateful to everyone that helped me.

Sunday morning as I was on my way to church, my neighbor that gave me the lift asked if I was stopping by the pharmacy. I told him I could as it was on the way home and asked if I could stop and pick up his medications as his wife had forgotten to do so. Not a problem, I told him, thinking back to how he helped me out just a little more than a day ago. I made my stops and as I took him his meds, I glanced over to my yard. He had cut my grass, a chore I was dreading this afternoon.

I’ve learned that friends help friends as we can. Sometimes a small act of kindness on one’s part is a huge relief to the other. I appreciate every single one of my friends, real and pixilated.

Now, I can kick back and relax on this sunny afternoon and know I am very lucky to have the friends that I do.

Carson is wearing…

Mesh Body: ADAM -Mesh Body v2
Mesh Head: Catwa – Daniel v3.0
Head Applier: Labyrinth – Tylar
Beard Applier: Nivaro – Jawline
Eyes: IKON Triumph Eyes – Evening
Hair: ARGRACE – GAKU
Denim Jacket w/ Hoodie – Complex – FREE Gift

Sim- The Last Forever

Back in the Stacks

I’d like to say that I had a relaxing uninterrupted three months off from the grind, but that just isn’t the case.  While I had heard rumors and speculation for several months prior to summer break, it wasn’t until three days before my summer began that I was told the news. My workspace was getting renovated with new carpet and paint. (I couldn’t talk them into new shelving). And I needed everything moved out ASAP. So how does one move over 10,000 books as quickly as possible and the bigger question was where was I going to store them?

With my usual quick thinking, I had a plan in place, made sure the space I wanted to use was available and away I went. As soon as the building was cleared on the last day I began the move. I was offered help but decided it would be easier for me to do it myself than have to babysit a couple of teenagers making sure everything was done in the right order.

After four long days, I had everything removed. It was time for the maintenance staff to move out the fixtures. My hands were swollen from the constant picking up and moving all those books, but the job was done, or at least half done. I was still going to have to move them back once the room was ready. I left the empty room and I was able to enjoy a few weeks of R&R.

A few weeks later, I was back at it, moving everything back in reverse order. With the janitorial staff constantly asking when I was going to be done because that just HAD to get into the rooms I was using to wax the floors. It took another four long days, but I finally put the last book in place and was pleased with the results. I had the summer staff put the shelves into a new configuration (if we are going to make it look new, then things had to be different, right?) With the job completed, I was able to rest the last few weeks of vacation.

So now I’m back at work. Where did the summer go?

Carson is wearing…

Mesh Body: ADAM -Mesh Body v2
Mesh Head: Catwa – Daniel v3.0
Head Applier: Labyrinth – Tylar
Beard Applier: Nivaro – Jawline
Eyes: IKON Triumph Eyes – Evening
Hair: ARGRACE – GAKU
Top: Resun Fashion – James Jacket and Shirt – August Group Gift (Free to members / 100L to join)
Pants: Resoun Fashion –  Leonard Pants – July Group Gift  (Free to members / 100L to join)

Life’s a Beach

Now that the storm has passed, it’s time to enjoy the sunshine. I never thought the rain was going to end. The thunder was loud, the lightning sharp and the clouds seem to fill the entire sky. But the rains washed away the heaviness in the air and everything now smells fresh and new. Looking about, it feels like the world has been reborn. The rain nourishing the seeds that will begin to grow into new life. It’s time to enjoy the sun, knowing full well another storm will arise at some point and begin the cycle again. I hope the next one is just a brief shower.

Carson is wearing…

Mesh Body: ADAM -Mesh Body v2
Mesh Head: Catwa – Daniel v3.0
Head Applier: Labyrinth – Tylar
Beard Applier: Nivaro – Jawline
Eyes: IKON Triumph Eyes – Evening
Hair: ARGRACE – GAKU
Furtacor: Carlos Shorts
::K::   Swimming Towel MOH  Free/ 0L
Ohemo: Bjorn Sunglasses   MOH  Free/ 0L
(Since 1975) : Revolver Pipe  MOH  Free/ 0L

Riddle Me This, Vorlon

During my hiatus, I spent a lot of time trying to rediscover who the man behind Carson’s devilishly good looks really is. I spent most of the winter months cuddled up with my ever-faithful puppy girl, Netflix on the screen and my brain in self-reflection mode. “Who am I? What do I want?  Why am I here?” (Ok, I also binge-watched Babylon 5 on Prime as well) You would think such simple questions would be easy to answer… NOPE!

“What Do I Want?”

Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t live the life of a hermit, I went to work, hung out with friends, etc. But the winter months lend to more solitude than the other seasons of the year. It’s cold AF and gets dark way too early, and most definitely my least favorite season of the year. But as the winter snows finally subsided (the neighbor kids built a snow bunny for Easter this year) I found I could answer at least one of those questions. What do I want? Sure, a million bucks would be nice, but the answer is much simpler and more self-satisfying than that. I want to be happy. If I can go through the day being happy, I was certain other good things would follow. I was recently told that I have a positive energy about me and that stems from working daily to be a happy person, even when I don’t feel like I want to. It took a long time and a lot of practice, but I now try to look for the positive in the day and not the negative.

“Who Am I?”

This question was a tough one. It hadn’t been the best year for the real Carson. It was a little more than a year ago I had a major health crisis. I recovered slower than I wanted, but I did recover fully. Then major personal issues hit me in the face and I had to redefine who I was. And honestly, I wasn’t sure myself. Most people define themselves by their roles… profession, sibling, spouse, friend, the things they own… But I went deeper.  And finally, the answer came to me. I am myself. I am unique to this world because there is no one else exactly like me. I have my own likes and dislikes, my own thoughts and fears, desires and dreams. These are the things that can never be taken away from me. The car, the house, the job, my favorite POP! Vinyl (Supergirl) are all just material objects that can be replaced. But no one can ever take away the internal things that define who I am.

“Why Am I Here?”

I know why I am here in the real world. I have a job that serves the community and our youth. I hope that the children I interact with on a daily basis will someday appreciate the effort I put into their lives each and every day. The question haunting me now is why am I here in Second Life? I’m not lonely, seeking friends from faraway places. I have a good circle of friends in my real life. I used to use SL as an escape, a way of not having to deal with some of the daily issues of real life. Yeah, I was broken. But that isn’t the case anymore. I could start a blog under my real name and write about whatever I chose to write about. What is the draw of this realm? While I don’t have all the answers yet, I do know this. I keep getting drawn back to the connections I’ve made. Some friends are long gone, some of whom I still talk with through text or email. Others, I just miss seeing their pixilated faces and learning about their day. It isn’t about the things that you can do here, It’s about the lives that you touch and are touched by on a daily basis.

***********

Carson is wearing…

Mesh Body: ADAM -Mesh Body v2
Mesh Head: Catwa – Daniel v3.0
Head Applier: Labyrinth – Tylar
Beard Applier: Nivaro – Jawline
Eyes: IKON Triumph Eyes – Evening
Hair: ARGRACE – GAKU
Shirt: A&D Clothing – Vivian Coral – Men’s Only Hunt   FREE /0L

 

 

 

Hello. Yeah, It’s Been a While…

Come On and Let Me Know…

If you’re reading this, thank you. I’ve been on an extended hiatus from Second Life to deal with some personal issues in that dreaded thing called the Real World *shudders* So now that they are nearly resolved, I now turn my attention to the next big question that confronts me… Do I return, or just look back on my Second Life experience and remember the good and not so good times and move on to other endeavors?

Should I Stay…

Seven months in the real world is like years in the virtual world. Friends no longer present… relationships that you held dear and thought would last, dissolved… I guess the question is, do I have the desire to start over once again?  Find new friends, try to reconnect with old friends where our dynamics have changed, or just throw up my hands and walk away. Heavy decisions for someone that has had much heavier things to deal with as of late.

Blogging has always been a big part of my SL existence.  It takes so much time, not only finding the items to blog but then photographing the items, writing the posts while trying to be witty or telling a funny story, formatting the post and publishing. And most bloggers do this with no monetary gain or even acknowledgment of a job well done. I find myself asking the question, Is it worth it?

…or Should I Go

Right now, I’m struggling with the merit of continuing. I enjoy the crap out of writing and have missed it dearly since I’ve been absent. So, I’m thinking my mental roadblock comes more from the social aspect of Second Life.  Do I put out the effort to make new connections and redefine the old ones? While being very full of himself when writing, in truth, in a crowded sim, Carson tends to be quite the introvert. Which making new connections difficult at best. Do I accept the change in relationship dynamics of my old friends and hope we can reconnect on some level or just walk away with fond memories of the land of make-believe…

Like I said… heavy decisions…

************************

Carson is wearing….

Mesh Body: ADAM -Mesh Body v2
Mesh Head: Catwa – Daniel v3.0
Head Applier: Labyrinth – Tylar
Beard Applier: Nivaro – Jawline
Eyes: IKON Triumph Eyes – Evening
Hair: ARGRACE – GAKU
Jacket: Gabriel –  Asymmetric jacket / maroon   L’Homme  Magazine Anniversary        Group  Gift  FREE/ 0L to join Group

It’s Five O’clock Somewhere

FabFree - Fabulously Free in SL

It was one of those nights…

I got home from work and ditched the work clothes and put on something more comfortable and headed straight for the bar. It doesn’t happen very often, but every once in a while, after a very long and trying day, I need a beer or two to wash away the day’s worries and just relax, even if it is just for that little bit of time.

Pour me somethin’ tall and strong…

Today’s look comes straight from The Free Dove. There are several new gifts in the men’s section and I picked up a few to try on myself.  My shirt, the George Tank, a gift provided by *Serendipity* and the BHBShorts both come in the following sizes:

• ADAM
• Aesthetic
• Jake
• Signature
• Slink
• TMP
• Classic Sizes XS-XL

The George Tank also comes in two styles, tucked and untucked. It’s best to be comfortable…

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January Thaw

FabFree - Fabulously Free in SL

If you don’t like the weather…

..it will change tomorrow, at least that’s what they say in my part of the world. The temperatures have gone from sub-zero to mid-fifties in a matter of days. The snow has melted and the ground is soft… so soft that I’ve gotten my truck stuck in the mud. Ah, the joys of country living…

It’s not zero, but close…

I found today’s outfit on the Marketplace for just 1L. The Justin Complete Outfit by ::PCF:: is an all-in-one outfit (jacket, pants, and shoes) and comes in five fitmesh sizes S-XL. It’s a nice casual look for mudding or whatever else you may be up to for fun.

*******

Carson is wearing…

Mesh Body: ADAM -Mesh Body v2
Mesh Head: Catwa – Daniel v3.0
Head Applier: Labyrinth – Tylar
Beard Applier: Nivaro – Jawline
Eyes: IKON Triumph Eyes – Evening
Hair: ARGRACE – GAKU
Glasses: 

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The Dawn of Man

FabFree - Fabulously Free in SL

And then there was Man…

He came into this world as a perfect creation, no possessions or clothes… just as it still is today.

A Classic…

Today I come to you in all my glory to show off a FREE male pose from the Marketplace.  The Classic Male Pose 2 is a FREE gift by Clever Language Poses. I’m never one to turn down a free pose. And this one is worth the effort of clicking a few buttons.

You can quit looking now, my clothes are just off camera and I’d really like to put them back on…

*******

Carson is wearing…

Mesh Body: ADAM -Mesh Body v2
Mesh Head: Catwa – Daniel v3.0
Head Applier: Labyrinth – Tylar
Beard Applier: Nivaro – Jawline
Eyes: IKON Triumph Eyes – Evening
Hair: tram  –  G1207 male Hair

Pose: Clever Language Poses – Classic Male Pose 2 – (

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Alter Your Senses

FabFree - Fabulously Free in SL

The city is full of sights, sounds, and smells (“ew”) to bring your senses to life.  All you have to do is allow your mind to see, hear, and smell (“ew”) them.

Sense the gifts…

My FREE gift today is one of the many gifts you can find at the Sense Event. By joining the MTA group,  you can receive the Roy Black Jacket provided by ALTER. This jacket comes in just one fitmesh size, but fit me perfectly. Find this gift and many others for both him and her at the Sense Event

Carson is wearing…

Mesh Body: ADAM -Mesh Body v2
Mesh Head: Catwa – Daniel v3.0
Head Applier: Labyrinth – Tylar
Beard Applier: Nivaro – Jawline
Eyes: IKON Triumph Eyes – Evening
Hair: ARGRACE – GAKU
Glasses: Rebellion – Savant Specs w/ HUD (5L)
Outerwear: ALTER -Roy Black Jacket  (MTA Group Gift atSense EventFREE…

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Suit Up

FabFree - Fabulously Free in SL

Free as a bird …

As Love mentioned [HERE], there are so many free items at Free Dove. There is also a hunt for group members. Locate the golden heart to find the Blue Christian Suit, one of the hunt prizes by Marquesse. This one-piece suit includes shoes and comes in classic sizes XS-XL. It’s FREE to join the group so why not hunt for this fabulous prize.

no.carson

She actually says that a lot, but also told me about the latest group gift from no.match. She also said that I would most certainly like it. And she was right. The no.vault hair comes with a color change HUD to match your choice of color. The gift is FREE to members but the group does have a 50L join fee. Now I have another choice of hairstyle to put in my rotation.

*************

Carson is wearing…

Mesh Body: 

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Sleepless Nights

FabFree - Fabulously Free in SL

Hello 3AM…

Everyone goes through this eventually. Waking up in the middle of the night wide awake and no matter how hard you try, there is just no getting back to sleep. So I got dressed and decided to walk the lonely streets of Second Life to burn off this wide awake feeling.

An eye opener…

I saw a free group gift shirt on the feeds at Lupus Femina and when I arrived and joined the group for FREE, I noticed there was also a FREE complete outfit for a group gift. The Aiden Outfit comes with a jacket in two fitmesh sizes and classic sizes small, medium, and large. The pants come fitted for the following body types:

• ADAM
• Aesthetic
• Jake
• Signature
• Slink
• TMP
• Classic Sizes XS-XL

Also in the gift are sneakers, which is a good thing with all the walking I’m doing tonight. I guess I should wander home…

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Lookin’ out my Backdoor

FabFree - Fabulously Free in SL

♫Just got home from Illinois lock the front door oh boy!
Got to sit down take a rest on the porch.
Imagination sets in pretty soon I’m singin’ ♫

Take a rest on the porch…

…isn’t going to happen anytime soon, but I’m dreaming of when I can relax outside and watch nature run wild. My look today is one of the group gifts from Spazio. The AUG 44 Outfit includes a shirt, pants, shoes and a scarf in classic XS-XL sizes. The scarf is resizable for the perfect look. The Hipnose-Spazio group is FREE to join and gifts are FREE to group members.

♫ Bother me tomorrow, today, I’ll buy no sorrows.

Doo doo doo lookin’ out my back door. ♫

*******

Carson is wearing…

Mesh Body: ADAM -Mesh Body v2
Mesh Head: Catwa – Daniel v3.0
Head Applier: Labyrinth – Tylar
Beard Applier: Nivaro – Jawline
Eyes: IKON

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