Martien Pontecorvo cops criticism over his gallery in Alpha Centauri, and seeks solace in a sandbox — not to mention quasi-steampunk polysyllables.

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I got my computer back today. This means…

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Much to my surprise, whilst digging through an unwieldy mass of snaps collected quite some time ago, I found a couple of very nice ones indeed…

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We were looking out the kitchen window this afternoon and the snow on the tops there took us by surprise.

And this is in the early afternoon, after yet another week of crappy weather. Still, compared to Queenstown and Dunedin, we got off lightly, although you had to feel for the poor old rugbyheads down in Wellington last night.

I’ve already made my own Oblivion home mod – a humble basement in the burnt-out shell of the Main Ingredient near the turnoff to Cheydinhal. No, I won’t release it.

However, I’m thinking that when I get my computer repaired, that I might turn my foot to trying something more ambitious… like dungeons.

In particular, making some more Oblivion worlds to knock around in. Currently I’m playing Ob’ again to try out Kvatch Rebuilt, and I’m finding the inevitable yomping through Oblivion gates something of a bore. So why not invent a change of scenery?

Actually, it could be fun. No doubt some norg’s invented a mod like this already, but it’s worth having a go.

I’m well overdue to add new stock to my gallery in Alpha Centauri, and at the same time I’m aware that my building, while an improvement on the not-so-dear old box, could do with improvement.

One means of improvement would be to buy out the vampire club down the road (515 prims, yum!) but spending NZD$400 to do so… I can’t afford it right now. I have an overdraft to pay off first.

What I can do is remodel the existing gallery. Right now it’s too inefficient, boring and needs more walls to hang piccies on.

By ‘inefficient’, I’m talking about the hallway down the side — I need to encourage people to wander the halls, not go straight through. Also, the building’s prim-heavy; what I need is some sort of interesting frontage.

I have an idea that’s more or less inspired by one of the Art Deco buildings — basically a stylish frontage on an otherwise boring box — but that’s better than nothing. To attract custom from Vega, I could put the garden out the back and gradually extend floors out over it. Looking at the neighbouring building, I can add a third floor without impinging on their upstairs view.

This would reduce the number of frontages from three to two. Huh? Well, there is one main frontage looking east onto the main drag in Alpha Centauri, and there’s one looking westward into Vega. Anyone swanning around in Vega, I want to entice in, and also offer those inside the opportunity to look out onto Vega (better than the main drag!)

The trick is making the interior interesting as well. Generally, in the interests of navigability for hordes, shops are more or less walled voids with the produce scattered about the walls. I want a range of different sized chambers which also give a sense of space and adventure. Since avatars can fly and “cam” around, I don’t really need stairs, except out of a perverse sense of expectation (buildings always incorporate a means of vertical movement, it’s common sense.)

Another option would be to lower the ground and build downward — a basement gallery space would add _four_floors and additional wall space.

At the same time, I need to prepare new art for upload and consider textures for the building… not to mention carefully count my prims.

Precipitate Flood, alt and part-time alien hobo, is surprised by bots and annoyed by an evangelist.

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One of my co-workers just sent me a chain email claiming that a) the Holocaust had been removed from the UK curriculum in the face of “Muslims” declaring that event was a myth, b) that this waste of my time and company electrons was some sort of memorial, and c) that it was to reach 40 million people worldwide.

I’m skeptical, obviously. XKCD has a good comic to this effect.

Well, today was an epic and no mistake. Roughly eight hours from Punga Cove to Torea Saddle and the Portage. My dogs ain’t barkin… they’re whinin’ with at least three blisters, one right on my heel. I think tomorrow’s going to be that retro-70s thang of socks ‘n’ sandals just so I can walk!

Now, I’m doing the Freedom Walk 4 days, which costs about NZD$560.00 per person share twin (obviously more if you’re going alone like I am, duh.) Either way, be warned that you should budget at least NZD$70.00 – $100.00 for breakfasts, dinners, bandages etc. Especially if you’re a beer nut like me; tap beer’s about NZD$6.00 and bottled (i.e. Founders or Moa) is NZD$10.00 — about standard for an upmarket Wellington joint or the Malthouse. Traipsing about the scenic bits of New Zealand isn’t cheap.

Anyway, I have some great scenery shots, including the makings of some panoramas and the hilarious scene of someone trying to pilot a rowboat and getting it so very, very wrong.

Tomorrow I walk the last 20km from Portage to Anakiwa, which I’ve walked before. However, it’s always been as part of a tramping club’s “Easy” trip which took two days to reach Torea Saddle from Anakiwa, stopping at somewhere like Mistletoe Bay or some such overnight. As such I’m going to take it easy on the grog and get an early night — I want to be packed and ready to move out by 8:00am in order to get to Anakiwa on time. If I’m early, no biggie. But the water taxi departs Anakiwa about 4:30pm and I can’t afford to be late.

Then again, I’ve made it trekking about eight hours today through some pretty up-n-down terrain. That’s something.

This weekend I’ll be home stitching panoramas and soothing sore muscles and wondering how in hell I’m going to pay all this back.

And the real nuisance? Now my next leave will require going on the Abel Tasman or something for comparison purposes…

To cut a long prologue short: Xtra ate the email confirming everything on walking the Queen Charlotte Walkway. My printer went strange, and the olds’ ran out of colour ink so it couldn’t print in black and white (eh?) resulting in me getting a new all-in-one jobbie for $49.

Now that’s something. My first DeskJet cost $400, the second $200, and now this thing for $50! It’s a pity, really, since I was looking at duplex laser printers for $600.

Anyway, Friday was an orgy of preparatory packing and booking accommodation. As I write this, I’m at Sequoia Lodge, a backpackers in Picton preparing to head down to the waterfront about 10 minutes away. I had to have a dorm room last night, so sleep wasn’t so hot. Thin mattresses and snoring.

The ferry across on the Aratere was relieved by buying a pass into the Club Class Lounge. That ferry more or less crams you onto a single deck if you want to stay inside. Club Class is a godsend if like me you can’t bear screaming kids.

Anyway, all seems OK, and apart from some late-night shopping for brekky, combs and hankies I seem to be on track for the track.

En route I’ll steal some soaps for when I come back here for two nights in one of the queen rooms.

Also, I hope to do some creative writing and drawing along the way, and re-evaluate what I’m doing with my life at the moment, what I could be doing, and what I can do.

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