2012.03.28 13:00 - The AWOLs are not what they seem.

The Guardian for this meeting was Aphrodite Macbain, that kindly and spontaneously replaced Fefonz. Fefonz have posted the log.

Raffila Millgrove: wow Bruce, those are some antlers!
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Raffila!
Bruce Mowbray: Congrats on your becoming a new guardian!
Raffila Millgrove: hey. notice i gain 80 pounds overnight? lol
Raffila Millgrove: oh ty
Bruce Mowbray: and, yes, I just bought them and this is the first time I've worn them.
Raffila Millgrove: oh they change color. nice.
Bruce Mowbray: I was just trying out the various colors.
Bruce Mowbray: I think I prefer the ligher colors, actually.
Bruce Mowbray: not quite as intimidating.
Raffila Millgrove: kinda dangerous looking too. i think maybe it's spring and you will have to go to forest and fight with the other bucks with those.
--BELL--
Bruce Mowbray: ha ha!
Bruce Mowbray: rather non-typical for moi, actually.
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Storm!
Raffila Millgrove: hb
Bruce Mowbray: kk.
Raffila Millgrove: oh the white are nice
Raffila Millgrove: that's really good looking .. that color
Bruce Mowbray: These aqre white with black tips.
Raffila Millgrove: yes
Bruce Mowbray: are*
Bruce Mowbray: There are black with white tips.
Raffila Millgrove: gosh so many variety.
Raffila Millgrove: it's so different for you... to wear those.
Bruce Mowbray: let me count the ways....
Wol Euler: hello raffi, bruce
Bruce Mowbray: 12 different ways.
Raffila Millgrove: hi Wol. look at bruce.. he is showing all the color ways of his antlers. very impressive.
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Wol!
Wol Euler: hiya
Wol Euler: what's today? wednesday?
Raffila Millgrove: i would not have the nerve to wear them i think.. that takes a very powerful personality to carry off. it look good on you Bruce.
Bruce Mowbray: yeppers, all day long, Wol.
Wol Euler: so not for much longer :)
Wol Euler: Fef is late again :)
Bruce Mowbray: I will go to my alternative pair.
Raffila Millgrove: i love those.
Raffila Millgrove: those are so good
Bruce Mowbray: Less intimidating, now?
Raffila Millgrove: oh the little ones now... not very impressive by comparison.
Raffila Millgrove: i like the big ones!
Bruce Mowbray: kk.
Wol Euler smiles.
Bruce Mowbray: Back to the big ones!
Bruce Mowbray: Whose session is this, Wol?
Wol Euler: fefonz
Bruce Mowbray: ahhhh!
Bruce Mowbray wonders how things are in Israel these days.
Wol Euler: tense, I guess

Well, not so tense I would say. It's a very nice spring coming on with beautiful sunshine and wheather.

Bruce Mowbray: Hmmmm.
Wol Euler: but that's pretty much business as usual there
Bruce Mowbray: yeppers.
Raffila Millgrove: i think that the bell .. it's not telling us to be qiet.
Bruce Mowbray: rings only on the quarter hours, Raff.
Wol Euler: the :00 bell doesn't, only the others
Raffila Millgrove: oh .. i didn't realize.
Raffila Millgrove: well that solves that mystery.
Bruce Mowbray: yeah. . . although it's possible to be individuall quite on the top of the hour, also...
Bruce Mowbray: ;-)
Bruce Mowbray: individual choice, of course.
Wol Euler: otherwise there'd be a pause right in the first official minute of the session
Raffila Millgrove: ah
Raffila Millgrove: makes sense.
Bruce Mowbray: yeah, just the quarter hours. . . and a green message will appear in the chat box,
Raffila Millgrove: right.
Raffila Millgrove is always a few minutes late.. got here early today.
Bruce Mowbray: and the fountain will fall... unless someone has already lowered it with /9low
Bruce Mowbray: I'm glad you did, Raff! Hey, Aph!
Raffila Millgrove: yes worth it to see all the colors of your antlers, Bruce.
Aphrodite Macbain: graciously waves
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi waves
Raffila Millgrove: hi Aphro
Wol Euler: hello aph
Raffila Millgrove: did she get the Queen wave gesture, now?
Aphrodite Macbain: yes, I'm practicing
Raffila Millgrove: nice!
Wol Euler grins.
Aphrodite Macbain: practising
Aphrodite Macbain: where's my coach?
Raffila Millgrove: now she has a coach too? wonder what's next? lol
Aphrodite Macbain: 6 horsement
Bruce Mowbray: I was wondering where my sounds wre. . . then realized I had my headphones plugged in . . . sincew I can do voice now.
Aphrodite Macbain: and a glass slipper
Bruce Mowbray: ahhh!
Raffila Millgrove: you must come on Friday Bruce at noon so we can all talk voice with each other.
Aphrodite Macbain: can't find the other one
Bruce Mowbray imagines Aph in glass slippers....
Bruce Mowbray: !!!
Aphrodite Macbain: ouch
Bruce Mowbray: Stormy seems to like riding the train. . .
Bruce Mowbray: Perhaps that's because happiness runs in a circular motion.
Aphrodite Macbain: Yes. Seems he's fine tuning it
Aphrodite Macbain: does itBrce?
Bruce Mowbray: I will definitely be at the Friday session, Raff.
Raffila Millgrove: super. i will likely forget. i forget a lot.
Bruce Mowbray: but will likely be too shy to talk. . . much.
Raffila Millgrove: ar eyou kidding?
Raffila Millgrove: you are shy to talk?
Aphrodite Macbain: we will all get to hear Bruce speak. Maybe you shold practise a little speach
Bruce Mowbray: I find it useful to keep a RL calendar right beside my keyboard..
Aphrodite Macbain: hehem hem hem
Bruce Mowbray: and this year the cvalendar I am using was given to me by . . .
Raffila Millgrove: hehe. Bruce. say what everone says.. who is nervous on it, "Can you hear me?"
Bruce Mowbray: (pregnant pause.....)
Raffila Millgrove: that's standard and classic. lol
Bruce Mowbray: APH!!!!!
Aphrodite Macbain: lol
Wol Euler applauds!
Aphrodite Macbain: Bruce seems to love the paintings by Bougereau
Raffila Millgrove: whoa. is that a gesture?
Aphrodite Macbain: so I gave him a calendar
Raffila Millgrove: he was singing a little speech.
Aphrodite Macbain: speeech
Wol Euler: oh I missed it :)
Bruce Mowbray: Ahh yes! Bourguereau. . . (if I can even spell that!)
Aphrodite Macbain: remove one of the"rs"
Wol Euler: I got so fed up with those baby-voice "sowwy" type gestures, that I turned off gesture sound
Aphrodite Macbain: sowwwy?
Raffila Millgrove: it's cute .. the one he used.
Bruce Mowbray: My very favorite 19th Century artist. . . who Aph suspects was a pornographer on the side.
Raffila Millgrove: if it was a gesture.
Wol Euler: yep
--BELL--
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Stormy!
Wol Euler: hello storm
Aphrodite Macbain: He was a pornographer on the front
Storm Nordwind: Hi!
Aphrodite Macbain: waves
Raffila Millgrove: what i like about train are the sounds when you are coming and leaving station.. and the doors opening.. on the railway carriage etc. it's low prim/well crafted but it has great sounds.
Wol Euler nods.
Bruce Mowbray suddenly realizes that it wasn't a good idea to attach his anters to his left eyeball.
Aphrodite Macbain: Nice T-shirt storm
Wol Euler: great t-shirt, storm :) I love the graphics
Wol Euler: snap
Aphrodite Macbain: snip
Bruce Mowbray: excellent t-shirt.
Aphrodite Macbain: I love the colour too
Storm Nordwind: Thank you. Nice comments.
Storm Nordwind: The T shirt is from Zen :)
Aphrodite Macbain: may I have a copy. I will wear it when I ride on the train
Wol Euler: ah :)
Storm Nordwind: I'll see if I have the perms
Bruce Mowbray: Tell us, Storm, since you've been riding the train so much ;;;;; Is it true that happiness runs in a circular motion?
Aphrodite Macbain: kk or I'll ask Zen. The red will match my eyes
Wol Euler smiles.
Storm Nordwind: Anyone else?
Aphrodite Macbain: Thanks!
Wol Euler: yes please
Wol Euler: ty :)
Bruce Mowbray: anyone else?
Aphrodite Macbain: oops - Storm gave away his last t shirt
Bruce Mowbray thinks: Bourguereau should be here.
Aphrodite Macbain: hahah
Storm Nordwind: "happiness runs in a circular motion"? Hmm... I don't understand the question, sorry!
Aphrodite Macbain: me neither
Bruce Mowbray: well, doesn't the train run in a circular motion?
Bruce Mowbray: and when you ride it?
Aphrodite Macbain: mine kind of peters out
Storm Nordwind: When anyone rides it
Bruce Mowbray: doesn't that make happiness run in a circular motion?
Bruce Mowbray: Ahh!!!
Aphrodite Macbain: even if you are sad
Bruce Mowbray: Yes!!
Storm Nordwind: happiness stays right HERE :)
Aphrodite Macbain: nods. :0
Bruce Mowbray: It certain seems that happiness was running in a circular motion when I rode it!
Aphrodite Macbain: I wonder if that means that we will all be happy when riding it.
Aphrodite Macbain: and it will stop when we get off?
Bruce Mowbray suspects that happiness is inescapable when riding Stormy's train.
Storm Nordwind: I am am happy riding it. I am happy not riding it. :)
Bruce Mowbray: cool.
Aphrodite Macbain: I am detached from it
Bruce Mowbray: You've got it made, Storm.
Bruce Mowbray: Where is Fefonz?
Wol Euler: AWOL
Aphrodite Macbain: Should he be here now?
Storm Nordwind: Should I install a restaurant car on the train, serving up food made from my recipe for happiness?
Wol Euler: probably reading nursery rhymes to his kid
Bruce Mowbray: yeppers, his session.
Aphrodite Macbain: Yes absolutely - a dining car with white table napkins
Storm Nordwind: Waiter service too?
Wol Euler: of course!
Wol Euler grins.
Wol Euler: no half measures where circular happiness is concerned!
Storm Nordwind is old enough to remember the UK Pullman service
Aphrodite Macbain wonders whether we can re-write Murder on the Orient Express to fit PaB country
Aphrodite Macbain: and turn it into a play
Aphrodite Macbain: in situ - on the train
Wol Euler: !
Storm Nordwind: If you eat a square meal from a round plate, is your happiness circular or not?
Aphrodite Macbain: we can charge 10cents and extra for lemonade
Aphrodite Macbain: I'll send this to Fefonz later
Bruce Mowbray checks his food pyramid. . .
Aphrodite Macbain thinks about other forms of entertainment that could be provided on the train
Storm Nordwind: Well I keep adding zero prim stuff to it. But, frankly, it's probably almost done :)
Aphrodite Macbain: No one has fallen off yet?
Aphrodite Macbain: Maybe you need a cow-catcher
Storm Nordwind: No one worth speaking of
Aphrodite Macbain: ha
Aphrodite Macbain: How many peeps can it hold storm?
Storm Nordwind: It survived the sim restart this morning too. Just as well as I've put 5 different safeguards in it now
--BELL--
Bruce Mowbray: brb
Storm Nordwind: It has eight seats
Storm Nordwind: But it will work (very bumpily) if people stand
Wol Euler: huh
Wol Euler: why bumpy?
Aphrodite Macbain: You mean you can fit more people if they stand?
Storm Nordwind: Because you're not part of the vehicle if you stand.
Wol Euler: oh, the people have a bumpy ride, the train doesn't alter its motion
Storm Nordwind: That means it tries to push you out of the way, but ends up taking you with it
Wol Euler: right
Bruce Mowbray: in which case,happiness might be compromised. . . circular motion or not.
Aphrodite Macbain ponders this physical concept
Bruce Mowbray ponders the physics.
Aphrodite Macbain: as well as the ethics
Storm Nordwind: It tries not to alter its motion, but it's an SL physic object so it's also bumed by each collision
Storm Nordwind: *bumped
Aphrodite Macbain: probably also bumed
Raffila Millgrove notices calvino in the distance.
Bruce Mowbray: in which case, happiness would definitely be compromised.
Bruce Mowbray: (not referring to Cal, of course!)
Storm Nordwind: Can happiness ever be compromised other than by one's self?
Aphrodite Macbain: Cal is trying to decide what to hang on the tree
Raffila Millgrove: yeah i think.. you get your acts of god.. like fires and very bad accidents.. seriuos illness.. this can compromise happiness pretty fast.
Bruce Mowbray: I feel that it can. . . especially in cases of empathy and compassion.
Aphrodite Macbain: I suppose not but something outside oneself can act as a trigger if we let it
Raffila Millgrove: if you stand about "happy" as you watch people drown in a tsumani.. well isn't that a bit.. "off".
Storm Nordwind: I disagree. If it can be compromised by external circumstances, it is a pretty flaky sort of happiness.
Aphrodite Macbain ponders flaky
Bruce Mowbray admits that his happiness is father flakey. and also flaky.
Bruce Mowbray: many notes on my emotional piano. . .
Aphrodite Macbain: Then most of my happiness is flakey
Storm Nordwind: Better than flacky. Or fracky.
Aphrodite Macbain: or even tacky
Raffila Millgrove: my happiness comes when i wake up.. and realize it's a new day.. and i am internally happy, but events that happen outside .. like the tsunmai or 9/11. i dont' maintain any happy feeling while seeing something so awesomely awful happen.
Aphrodite Macbain: It takes something less than a tsunami or 9/11 to make me unhappy
Storm Nordwind: Happiness doesn't mean any lack of deep compassion or empathy, or feeling someone's pain. QUite the reverse: it can persist through that
Bruce Mowbray: I had to stop watching the news. . .
Aphrodite Macbain: Having no lunch for instance or not getting enough sleep
Raffila Millgrove: ok. well Bruce. i wonder if you define happiness differently.
Aphrodite Macbain: There are many forms of happiness
Raffila Millgrove: that was STorm.. i mean.
Bruce Mowbray: Perhaps I do, Raff. . . .
Raffila Millgrove: maybe you are defining different.
Storm Nordwind: Possibly.
Raffila Millgrove: well maybe we all are.
Raffila Millgrove: thinking of it in different ways.
Bruce Mowbray: for me, happiness is what emerges when I am engaged in things that I enjoy., . . .
Aphrodite Macbain: yes- happiness can come as bursts, or it can be deep and sustained
Wol Euler nods to raffi
Bruce Mowbray: sometimes, that is being involved with projects that involve much sadness, actually.
Bruce Mowbray: but I am happy in the midst of that....
Bruce Mowbray: engaged in ways that I enjoy... that seem to evoke the emergence of happiness.
Aphrodite Macbain: Some days I feel it is all chemicals
Bruce Mowbray ponders it all.
Raffila Millgrove: we had that happness exhibit, which i didn't enter being a friend only.. but i notice that there were a lot of similiarities in it.. not differences. same idea expressed slightly different.
Storm Nordwind: I have eventually found it possible to be happy in the midst of suffering, my own and others. It is very deep and now sustains through all.
Aphrodite Macbain: Why do you think that is so Storm?
Storm Nordwind: There are four spaces for a late entry :)
Storm Nordwind: I susect it is so, Aph, because I have increasingly cultivated deep compassion over the years.
Storm Nordwind: *suspect
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, San!
Storm Nordwind: Hi San!
Wol Euler: hello san
Aphrodite Macbain: Makes sense
Santoshima Resident: hey and hello
Aphrodite Macbain: Hi San
Raffila Millgrove: strange how our paths take us.. i moved away from deep compassion. it sapped my energy. i went microcosm, doing small things in small arena. not global.
--BELL--
Aphrodite Macbain: Raff- I'm curious how deep compassion sapped your energy. Did it make you feel sad or helpless or frustrated?
Storm Nordwind: Deep compassion includes compassion for yourself. So could it be that pulling back from such sapping of energy for a while was such an act? :)
Aphrodite Macbain: It's a form of burnout
Bruce Mowbray: I made my maiden voyage with my new wheelchair today -- shopping . . . and was very pleasantly surprised how kind folks were to me . . .
Bruce Mowbray: and I think that caused me to have more compassion for myself....
Aphrodite Macbain: smiles
Wol Euler smiles.
Storm Nordwind nods
Raffila Millgrove: will answer very specific. in Storm's meditation. the particpants are suggested to focus on the sufferings of those close to them.. a family member or friend. that is in opening phase.. that alone.. that takes me down so low.. i don't want to go there.
Bruce Mowbray: because I was actually afraid to go out with the new chair..
Bruce Mowbray: for several days....
Bruce Mowbray: but now...
Bruce Mowbray: I don't know... something has changed.
Aphrodite Macbain: listens to Raffi
Bruce Mowbray thinks he might have been afraid to be identified as an "invalid."
Bruce Mowbray also listens.
Raffila Millgrove: oh Bruce. that is so common to those who must change to a mobile device to get around. almost everyone experiences that feeling.. of not wanting to be seen as invalid. not wanting any pity. not wanting to be "different".
Bruce Mowbray: yes... thanks, Raff.
Wol Euler: hello matjaz, nice to see you again
Matjaz Rives: Hi y'all
Bruce Mowbray: Hey, Matjaz!
Raffila Millgrove: it's just normal in our society. in some other one.. you might see like white hair.. sign of elder--sign that you are one to be listened to.. etc.
Aphrodite Macbain: not wanting to be labelled or be an object of pity
Bruce Mowbray: yes, especially that, Aph.
Aphrodite Macbain: It's an interesting experience being in a wheelchair; you get a whole new perspective on life
Raffila Millgrove: exactly. but Bruce.. maybe you can pretend you live somewhere.. where those signs of infirmity are seen as your age.. gaining of wisdom. lol. i would cheat that way.. pretend i was somewhere they valued my wheelchair. lol
Aphrodite Macbain: smiles
Aphrodite Macbain: I think you should practice the royal wave Bruce
Raffila Millgrove: that's my plan in case happen to me. as i saw my granny have same unwillingness to be seen as invalid.. wouldn't get in her chair so we could push her around if we went out.
Aphrodite Macbain: and wave to people as you roll by
Storm Nordwind wonders about possibly building a Mexican Wave animation...
Raffila Millgrove: totally. that is exactly it. Aphro.. do the wave.. beleive it. you'll actually feel like a king after a bit.
Raffila Millgrove: and people will wave back at you and smile.. this strange stuff works..
Aphrodite Macbain: yes. Back straight, head held high. big smile
Bruce Mowbray: Actualloy, what seemed to work best was just being a regular customer. . . doing everything the way I have always done it.. .
Aphrodite Macbain: waves and waves
Bruce Mowbray: being completely "normal"
Wol Euler: remember that hte inner you hasn't changed :)
Storm Nordwind: A little smiling goes a long way
Aphrodite Macbain: nods
Raffila Millgrove waves at the elder sage King Bruce.
Wol Euler: and show that too
Bruce Mowbray: Yeah, I have not changed at all, actually. . . except for dropping the self-consciousness part.
Aphrodite Macbain: We have busses that accommodate wheen chairs- they are amazing. Everybody smiles when someone uses the teachnology
Aphrodite Macbain: wheel
Bruce Mowbray: Maybe next time I will wear my antlers. . .
Raffila Millgrove: you know they don't really feel pity anymore.. most people think.. if they think anything--oh good.. that person is geting out and about.. glad they could come.
Aphrodite Macbain ponders a horny wheelchair rider
Storm Nordwind chuckles
Bruce Mowbray: A couple of folks offered to help me reach things. . . and that was nice.... but not needed. . . and I thanked them for their offers.
Aphrodite Macbain: I aam off to the art gallery now. See you all soon dear pabbers
Storm Nordwind waves
Aphrodite Macbain: byee
Bruce Mowbray: kk. Bye for now, Aph!
Raffila Millgrove: bye Aph
Wol Euler: bye aph, take care
Santoshima Resident: ciao, bella
Matjaz Rives: Italian?
Santoshima Resident: friendship
Santoshima Resident: aph studies italian
Santoshima Resident: that is the extent of mine
Bruce Mowbray: Yes, Aph is an Italiano-ophile.
Santoshima Resident: extept to ask for capucino or gelato
Matjaz Rives: ah
Matjaz Rives: I love next to Italy
Breezer Tomsen: hello all
Matjaz Rives: live rather
Wol Euler: hello breezer
Wol Euler: have you been here before?
Matjaz Rives: hello breezer
Bruce Mowbray: live next to Italy, Mt?
Breezer Tomsen: can i join
Matjaz Rives: yah
Wol Euler: yes, I remember now
Bruce Mowbray: Please do join us, Breezer.
Wol Euler: a long time back :)
Breezer Tomsen: yeah it's been a while
Bruce Mowbray: welcome back!
Breezer Tomsen: I see Bruce had some raindeer food?
Bruce Mowbray: yeppers!
Storm Nordwind: What do reindeer eat?
Santoshima Resident: lichen?
Bruce Mowbray: when they have antlers like these, they eat ANYTHING they want to eat!
Storm Nordwind: As long as it's not avatars, we're ok
Bruce Mowbray: ha ha!
Storm Nordwind gets a safe distance
Bruce Mowbray: just continue to be happy, Storm....
Raffila Millgrove: is April 1 on Sunday?
Storm Nordwind: Aye aye cap'n
Wol Euler: yes
Wol Euler: in three days
Bruce Mowbray: Actually, folks, it is din din time for moi. . . so I will make a smooth exit.
Wol Euler: four actually
--BELL--
Wol Euler: bye bruce, bon appetit
Bruce Mowbray: thanks, May you each and all be well and happy.
Santoshima Resident: by bruce
Santoshima Resident: e
Matjaz Rives: be well folks
Wol Euler: bye mat
Raffila Millgrove: is that chair a temp thing for Bruce's recovery or is it.. perm?
Santoshima Resident: hmm didn't have a chance to ask him ...
Wol Euler: I don't know, raffi
Raffila Millgrove: well we find out .. i suppose.. in a bit.
Wol Euler: I hesitated to ask
Storm Nordwind: Sorry. I'm not sure either.
Wol Euler: because he certainly didn't need a chair to get around when we met in Halifax last summer
Raffila Millgrove: yes i didn't want to ask right then either. that is very tough thing to face.
Wol Euler nods.
Raffila Millgrove: well a tp comes from me. i depart you. Enjoy all. hugs.
Raffila Millgrove: for me. tp. bye now.
Santoshima Resident: bye
Breezer Tomsen: bye bye raffila
Storm Nordwind: In keeping with not making a big deal of it for him, I let him say what he wanted and no more
Wol Euler: bye raffi, take care
Raffila Millgrove: please don't notice how i gained 80 pounds over nite.. this is definately a dress tht makes you look Really Fat. lol
Wol Euler nods.
Wol Euler: :)
Storm Nordwind laughs
Wol Euler: system skirts do that
Wol Euler: I think that was the right way to handle it, storm
Santoshima Resident: yes
Wol Euler loves San's "clever geeky girl" look
Wol Euler: even folded up like that :)
Santoshima Resident: oh, thank you, wol
Santoshima Resident: it's yogi nidrasana
Wol Euler: :)
Santoshima Resident: small things like this crack me up
Santoshima Resident: fyi, there is a new japanese garden in my plot
Storm Nordwind: I noticed
Santoshima Resident: please enjoy at your leasure
Wol Euler: ah :) I'll have a look
Storm Nordwind: Nice. Thank you. :))
Santoshima Resident: ok, a window of time for errends ... good to see you all, peaceful day ~
Wol Euler: bye san, take care
Storm Nordwind: Bye for now :)
Breezer Tomsen: bye bye san
Wol Euler: I should move on too, I have things to do before I sleep
Wol Euler: though fortunately not miles to go :)
Wol Euler: goodnight all, take care
Storm Nordwind: I shall wait for the next train.
Storm Nordwind: Bye all!
Breezer Tomsen: goodnight wol/sanb
Breezer Tomsen: to late