Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Sugar & Spice

Hello there,

You may wonder why I've been so silent lately, well there you have it :


My friend Ollalla and I are getting partnered !


Oh I know, I know, "it's about freakin' time", I heard that a lot lately :) It's been three years after all !

Now, if you've read my blog since the beginning you might have an idea of who Ollalla Sugarbeet is. If you don't, well let me introduce her. Again.


Sugar (that's her nickname, she doesn't really like to be called "Ollalla") is a very sweet and cunning person, who has been living with me since we were noobs. She has helped me with every single project of mine, not technically but socially, to understand the long-term impacts of my decisions. I can say that almost all the good significant decisions I took were taken after discussing with her, while almost all the bad decisions were taken by me alone. On every project. RR, RLV, Banishment Program, Maze, SLBI Computers, SLBI Greylist, SLBI Trackers and so on and so forth. In a way, she is the element of rationality and stability in my crazy race for perfection.

This is because she has the eyes of the hawk. And she knows a lot of people, how they think, how they feel, chances are she even knows you ! All this knowledge allows her to anticipate whatever would happen if a change was implemented to whatever system, at the social level. In our couple (I almost said in our team) she is the social element while I am the technical one. Both equally important in regards to the projects we do together. And God knows we have accomplished a lot, together and separately.

She has also always been there when I was feeling down. Always ready to drop everything when she felt I needed to be cheered up, and she has, several times. Always ready for some action when things were looking blah. And always ready to turn the tables when able !

Our friends tell us that we are an exemplary couple in SL. Given how fast things change in this virtual world, 3 years almost feel like 30 ! And given how many temptations SL offers, how easy it is to stray from a promise, and how easy it is to finally get burnt out and quit, leaving the other party alone and sad, it is a wonder we went that far. Or is it ?

I think not. Sure we have changed. Grown up from noobish status to less-noobish status. Got our share of drama. Felt let down by people sometimes. Lost ourselves into careless fun with strangers (and we still do it and it is still as fun). Got little carried away when having fun together. But we never ever lost faith in each other, or grew bored of each other. After three years, it is still as refreshing to be together, so no, it is not a wonder at all that we went that far.

Oh of course, partnering in SL may mean as little as a name on a profile, or as much as an actual RL wedding. To me, it is a way to say "Thank you for being there and believing in me". And "I enjoy every minute I spend with you". And above everything else, "I always had and will always have your best interests at heart".

Because you're my priority in SL, Sugar. Now take my hand and let's keep walking, shall we ?

Marine