Usually, I log into Second Life right after my first cup of coffee. This morning, being the Monday after the New Year's Eve holiday, I knew most of my friends had returned to work, so I wasn't in a big hurry to log in. Besides, I had a huge job ahead of me, on I had been putting off for too long. What better time to dive into my 50k inventory than a new year.

Not really being in the mood for that, I decided to walk my Chou/Border Collie mix up, Molly. It was a gorgeous day outside. As we walked, I wondered would be the best way to organize my inventory. So much was in there after 4 years of retail therapy! I remembered then that I even had a Chou doggie in there somewhere. Glancing down at Molly, I wondered how she would feel if she knew I had tried to duplicate her in a virtual way.

Back home, after taking off all the layers of clothing I had worn to keep warm - tshirt, long-sleeved tank, hoodie, fleece jacket, gloves, hat - I plopped down at my lappy and logged into SL. I rezzed into my home the same place I always do which is in my skybox. I then tp'd down to my home. This has been my ritual since forever ago. I spend very little time in my skybox, and yet I always log in there. Rituals are an important part of any life.

Once on the ground, I clicked the Inventory button and just stared for a bit at the entirety of my existence there. Contained within each folder were all the decisions I had ever made. No, not just the clothing, althought that is massive. I am the consummate consumer. But also all the notecards ever written to friends, the decision to try this or that "identity" and all the ecoutrements that accompany those decisions. Silly things, serious things, sexy things. LMs to bright shiny places and to dark, forboding ones. Objects that have memories attached to them.

I did what any good, self-respecting person would do. I closed that Inventory window and went shopping.