i have a small problem.
not a problem, really.
just a blank space.
a few days that draw a big blank space.
and if you've been around me long enough,
you know i hate big blank spaces.
big blank spaces give me an urge
to paint, to sketch, to draw idle doodles,
play the piano, or dance to gong music.
so here's my problem.
or rather, my blank space.
i'll be literally alone from dec. 23 to 27.
probably even to new year's day.
no, no, don't get me wrong.
i'm not moping and sniffing
like some wet dog lost in the rain.
i had expected this.
i had reserved those days for the twins.
but it turned out their social calendar
is fully booked already for the holidays.
and i will be stranded in this other place
that is both strange and familiar.
but as i said, no problem.
i plan to be reading and writing
stuff that i really wanted to read and write.
and finally do some really serious painting.
and maybe wage a movie marathon
of jet li and zhang ziyi films
like i nearly did last christmas.
so where's the blank space?
whereas,
the blank space would be in the evenings.
especially christmas eve.
which is a full moon.
whereas,
who in his right mind would want
to turn into a werewolf on christmas eve?
i don't want to.
my mind doesn't want to.
but whereas,
my body and part of my mind will do everything
to follow its primal, tribal urges.
i will therefore need all of my energies to distract myself
from this terrible condition, this horrible curse.
whereas, also,
i notice that a number of other sc bloggers
are in a similar predicament.
i call them the xmas online orphans and lonely hearts.
i would like to offer them a gathering place.
so they could be lonely together.
(easier hunting for the werewolf too...
but that's the risk you have to take...lol)
now, therefore, i, moonriver,
while i am still in my normal mind,
invite everyone
within the ambit of soulcast
to a double midnight madness
of online chat
from 1200 GMT dec 24
(that's 12 noon london time... dorks)
to 1200 GMT dec 26.
i will have three chat windows open during those 48 hours.
one will be the old moonriver fireside chat
that i opened last year.
it's still open to anyone, anytime.
i don't even need to be there at all for others to use it.
you only need to have java installed on your system
to run the chat applet.
the second one will be thru my old ym
username moonriverine
which, for those using ym,
should enable us to go into conference chat.
the third one is reserved
for those who know my gmail address.
of course.
let me make this very clear.
even if i don't go into werewolf mode,
i'll remain your crappy peripheral guy.
i might not be very sociable.
i will occasionally join the chat,
drink a few mugs of maotai,
but just lurk at other times
especially when there's
zhang ziyi on my dvd.
there will be hours when i'll be offline
when the internet gods strike thunderbolts into the cold wintry air
and zap my ip packets into the limitless ether.
so there.
if you're interested in joining the chat
at any time during those two days,
just drop by and say hi.
and hope you don't hear me howl and growl.
moonriver posted on Dec 20, 2007
| views: 397
Comments
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phoeby said on Dec 20, 2007....
Hi Moonriver,i just read that and my heart went out to you. I know you'll get through it and that's great you have given your chat details. I'm sure lots of people will chat with you during that time.You never know, it might end up to be a really valuable time for you in some way. Do you have lots of people around you where you live? Neighbours etc? I really hope you end up having the best xmas ever.Phoeby -
moonriver said on Dec 20, 2007....
phoeby -- i'm in travel mode these days, and during the holidays i'll be in a place that i won't exactly call home. semi-rural setting, houses far apart. but i know the people. (that's why i wrote, "this other place that is both strange and familiar.")
actually, it's perfect for me. i'll probably spend a few hours each day visiting neighbor folk, bringing in firewood, exploring a nearby forest and some caves, taking pics.
thanks, phoeby. i'm sure it will probably rank among my best xmases, spent in happy solitude. i hope there are no other werewolves in the vicinity, though. hahaha.
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phoeby said on Dec 20, 2007....
Oh sorry moonriver, i missed that line. Well those things you mentioned sound like fun. Forests can be nice places, are there any waterfalls there?yes, werewolves would be scary !!enjoy your time over xmas.Phoeby -
moonriver said on Dec 20, 2007....
yup, i think it will be fun. and who knows... maybe (just maybe) the twins can still make it in time for the new year.
waterfalls aplenty, yes! the best ones are at least two hours' hike from the nearest roads. but i'm tired of waterfalls. i think this xmas i'll spend more time with jet li and zhang ziyi...lol.
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phoeby said on Dec 20, 2007....
That would be nice for you.Ahhh, waterfalls are beautiful. tired of them? you must see lots of them.phoeby -
Actorguy said on Dec 20, 2007....
Hi moon. I'm off over Christmas and I'm a night owl so, if I can figure out the chat thing, I will probably drop by. Believe it or not, I have never been in a chat room before, but maybe my 17 YO daughter will show me LOL.Do you have a keyboard with really big keys so that, if you do slip into werewolf mode, you can still type with your paws? Or will you be too busy eating the neighbours? I'm looking forward to my very first chat! -
the_infernal_optimist said on Dec 20, 2007....
You'll probably see me around during those two days, since DH will be working 12 hours or so of each of them.
Hmm...I have Gmail... ;-)
~Infernal
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Alyss said on Dec 20, 2007....
I remember the fun we had with your fireside chats last year so I will try to stop by if I get the chance.
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Battycat said on Dec 20, 2007....
I'll have spells over xmas and new year when i'm home alone and not working, so i may pop in for a chat. -
destinydiva said on Dec 20, 2007....
I will defo be there :-) except, my midnight comes ages before yours!! :-) xx
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skald said on Dec 20, 2007....
That is so good of you I am sure there are some who are alone at Christmas and will like this. You are so talented I remember seeing pictures by you. I know you will do a lot of other things. Enjoy your self on Christmas and if I don't see you Merry Christmas. -
CreativeWoman said on Dec 20, 2007....
I'm one of those dorks that needed an explanation of the time. :-) I'll stop by the chat if my feeble mind can remember. Then again, I might be easy pickings for a werewolf.
CW
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Twylarants said on Dec 20, 2007....
Just another dork appreciating the time explanation and the invite since my husband will most likely fall asleep after dinner. Thanks Moon. -
kruuyai said on Dec 22, 2007....
muundoggie: I'll be in travel mode during Christmas too. I'll be with people part of the time... more or less strangers, but somewhat known as well, but I've also been looking forward to some quiet time to do some reading and watch some movies and get geared up for a hectic year to come. I don't know if I'll have internet access during those "critical hours" but if I do, I'll chat you up... let's howl together under the full moon!
Merry Christmas!
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MissMimi said on Dec 23, 2007....
What a good idea! Count me in.
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moonriver said on Dec 23, 2007....
good evening (this side of the world), everyone. i'm now all set for my one-man christmas celebration. it's cold and windy in this highlands place where i am, but i've stacked up on wood for the fireplace.
i've been testing all three chat channels -- the old fireside chat c/o parachat, the yahoo messenger chat, and the gmail chat. i think all three are working fine, although of course we can't be sure until people start trying to drop by and chat.
so i decided to push the sked 24 hrs earlier, so that early birds can try at least the first two (fireside chat, ym chat). that means at this very moment... 8 pm in my time zone (gmt+8), 12 noon in gmt (london time) dec 23.
i will create a new gmail address just for this xmas chat, and post it here later tonight, so that others who are on gmail can immediately test it. gmail has recently implemented a multi-user chat function but i haven't seen yet how it works. we will see if it turns out ok.
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moonriver said on Dec 23, 2007....
phoeby -- after four months of monsoon rains, the least i want to see right now is pouring water...lol. i've started my movie marathon with star wars 1-6. tomorrow it will be zhang ziyi and jet li.
actorguy -- we won't really go into a pre-established yahoo chatroom. maybe you could try my fireside chat first, and we'll see if it works out fine for you.
infernal -- ok, i'm setting up a gmail address for multi-user chat later tonight. we'll see how it turns out.
alyss -- do peek in if you have some free time... :-)
batty -- i'd be glad to show you how this fireside chat thingie works. as for new year, we'll see... my social calendar is somewhat filling up around those dates ;-)
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moonriver said on Dec 23, 2007....
destiny -- thanks for the support, my friend. take note of the changed sked... i made it 24 hrs earlier, so 2 out of 3 chat windows are open now.
skald -- thanks for the kind words, and merry christmas to you too :-)
cw -- if you do peek in, just dash out a line or two. don't worry about the werewolf, i'll make sure he's all soused up in wine so that he can't do any naughty hanky panky :-)
twyla -- maybe you should whisper something in your husband's ear, something like "dear, at this moment i'm chatting with a sexy werewolf who wants to know where i live..." that should zap him up into full wakefulness hahaha.
kruu -- find a few hours, my friend. i've started it. i mean, the howling under the full moon. ahrrrrwoooooooo....! merry christmas to you too.
miss mimi -- i'm so glad you could escape from pod 4. hope you enjoy the holidays to the fullest :-)
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moonriver said on Dec 23, 2007....
the third chat window is ready for use now, for gmail users only.
1. send any email to moonriverine@gmail.com
2. once i take note of it, i will send you an invitation to chat; reply yes.
3. group chat can proceed as gmail users enter into chat mode with moonriverine.
take note that the gmail group chat function is enabled only if your browser is at least ie7 or firefox 2.
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quietone said on Dec 23, 2007....
hI moon ~ this all looks like fun, I hope I can find my way to at least one for a bit. The time change (duh) is a bit off for me, but I will try to figure it out. If I don't catch up to you over the days....merry christmas, and happy howling! :) -
phoeby said on Dec 25, 2007....
moonriver, i hope you're christmas so far has been ok. That's wonderful news that your kids might be on their way. how exciting. My fingers are crossed for you.phoeby. -
moonriver said on Dec 25, 2007....
i hope all of you who joined or tried to join any of the three chat windows -- not a big number, actually -- had a bit of fun. i immensely enjoyed chatting with you. but starting tomorrow i can't be as frequent online as these past few days.
reason: the twins are coming after all. they called again this morning. they are definitely coming. i tell myself not to believe it until they actually arrive. but i have to prepare... at least stock up on groceries, arrange some side trips, clean up the extra rooms. i wish, i hope, they'll be staying until the new year. hurray!
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moonriver said on Dec 25, 2007....
phoeby -- my christmas of solitude and quietude has been wonderful. thanks for the crossed fingers. i'm reading your recent blogs too, hope to comment later tonight after i finish with groceries...:-)
(btw, i had to repost my last comment so i can do some minor edits, such that your comment now precedes my update.)
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phoeby said on Dec 25, 2007....
oh no problems with my posts, just enjoy getting ready for your kids. I hope you have a spectacular time with them. I hope it all falls into place for you. What a nice end to the holidays!phoeby -
moonriver said on Dec 25, 2007....
phoeby -- yes indeed. i had similar hopes for xmas last year, but travel plans fell through. also a last-minute glitch. crossing my fingers, toes, etcetera, that this time everything goes well ....:-)
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destinydiva said on Dec 25, 2007....
have fun with the twins mr river!! merry christmas :-) xx -
moonriver said on Dec 25, 2007....
destiny -- i will try, i will try. the usual case is that they will have absolute fun at my expense. i think you visited my sweet torture blog one time, but you may want to re-read it. just to have some idea of what i expect, with resignation and terrible anticipation... ;-)
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phoeby said on Dec 26, 2007....
did the twins end up visiting you?Phoeby -
wakingharmony said on Dec 26, 2007....
How ever did I miss this!!! Ya'll are just gonna have to pm me so I dont miss all these wonderful post Merry Christmas I'll be back need to read all^^^^^ there after I check on Shell takin a nap. -
moonriver said on Dec 26, 2007....
phoeby -- ((whispering)) sssuuussshhhh! they're sleeping right now, all tired out from their long trip. and their skins were breaking into rashes when they arrived. guess what? chickenpox. which means, no mountain-climbing side-trip for now. tough luck comes in pairs too ... :-(
waking -- with all the hectic xmas goings-on around this place, you're naturally bound to miss a few posts, my friend. the window for chat time has literally closed up, though, and i've shifted to another mode... being father to two hurricane girls for the rest of the holidays. have i ever told you this cute story before? *wink*
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wakingharmony said on Dec 26, 2007....
not sure but "sure to check it out..... Girls are such fun Ive had 4!!! Boys are too but girls are so dramatic... and funny...ok going to read a story a "cute story"....
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phoeby said on Dec 27, 2007....
chicken pox! omg. How do you help heal that? I hope you have a chemist near by?phoeby