The Bay City Parade Float Fiasco | Events & Announcements | New Locations
05/25/2024
THE BAY CITY PARADE FLOAT FIASCO
"I can help."
Why do I keep saying that? It's my catchphrase and once again landed me in a situation where I had to juggle creativity, time, and sanity. This time, it was all thanks to Bel the BBB CEO, who mentioned that the deadline for our float in the Bay City parade was fast approaching. By "fast approaching", she meant three days away and we had... nothing. No plan, no float, not even an idea.
I'd stumbled into the conversation oblivious to our participation in the parade. Without a second thought, I volunteered to build the float. We met with BBB founder Boo Rojyo to brainstorm, but soon I was alone in my workshop asking myself, "What have you gotten yourself into?" Luckily my friend Dylan Fairelander happened to be loitering there. He didn't know it but he was about to become my partner in chaos.
Our first task: swipe The Gazette's van to use as the centrepiece. For legal reasons I can't share the details of how this was accomplished, but once smuggled back to the workshop, Dylan took the job seriously and spent every spare minute there. Hour after hour passed with details emerging, fading away, being replaced with better ideas, until we had something to make the BBB proud. I tested our “finished” product (I use that term loosely because no project of mine is ever truly finished until I run out of time) by attaching it to myself and driving it around. In an hilarious moment, I accidentally ran over Dylan. Okay, Dylan says "hilarious" is not the term he'd use, but he's not writing this article, so...
If I was going to drive this rig, I wasn't going to sit there like a bump on a pickle. I needed a new plan. So I sat there like a bump on a pickle until I suddenly imagined myself as a cheerleader for the BBB. This was going to be EPIC! But now I needed more help. Enter my friend Dreamy Fairelander, who was hiding somewhere, probably sensing that I was about to drag her into another of my projects. Armed with cupcakes, I lured her out. "Aha! There you are! I need your help," I declared triumphantly.
Dreamy eyed me suspiciously. She knows me well. I explained my grand vision: the BBB ladies would dress as cheerleaders and lead the float, with the BBB men walking and cheering alongside. Dreamy, a member of the SL Cheerleading Squad, was all in.
I whipped up cheerleader dresses while Dreamy crafted matching shoes and pom poms. Dylan, Dreamy, and I worked tirelessly, and it was actually fun. We kept each other company, shared a lot of laughs, and before we knew it, the float was ready for its grand unveiling.
Boo came by to inspect our masterpiece. While impressed, he pointed out a tiny problem: its complexity was a staggering 240,000+. This was a problem because, you know, we wanted people to actually see our float, not just hear about it!
With only 24 hours left, we had to reduce complexity drastically without compromising the look. We reworked textures, consolidating dozens into one by using offsets on prim faces, and simplified numerous other elements. By some miracle, we lowered the complexity by about 100,000 without changing the appearance. Our float looked exactly the same, but was now parade-ready and visible to all. I'm grateful Boo caught that issue.
Finally, the big day arrived and we all donned our gear and headed to the parade staging area. After herding all our bureau-cats for photos, it was time to start down the parade route. I drove the float while our cheerleaders marched in front. I had the best seat in the house because I got to watch all of them as I tried hard not to run them over. People cheered, flags were waved. The crowd was very friendly. It was a great atmosphere and we all had such a great time!
So, next time you hear me say, "I can help," feel free to remind me of the great Parade Float Fiasco. It might save me from another self-inflicted whirlwind of creative chaos. But just know that when you do, I will probably grin and say, "Yeah, that was so much fun!"
Article and photos by Liberty Fairelander | Additional photos by Bebe Crannock, Amandat Tamatzui and Gazette staff
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
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Zoo-Palooza 5: Hamanji
Adventurers beware: Come and experience the awe and wonder that is Hamanji. A place for those who seek a way to leave their world behind. But remember do not begin unless you intend to finish!! Hamanji is governed by these five rules:
- There are magical orbs hidden in the land of Hamanji.
- Some take you to places low.
- Some take you to places high.
- Wild and dangerous animals guard the orbs.
- Save Hamanji by finding the dragons eyes and win the game.
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CDS Photo Competition 2024
Show your vision of the CDS (Confederation of Democratic Simulators) and win cash prizes! All SL photographers of any level are welcome to participate.
Theme: Capture the essence of the CDS! The CDS - cdsdemocracy.org/ is the oldest Democracy in Second Life and consists of six beautiful sims with lots of countryside, two cities and two villages. CDS regularly holds different art, music and cultural events and has many small art galleries.
Bonus: Additional prizes will be awarded for the best photos in the categories "Landscapes", "Urban Environment" and "People and Events."
DEADLINE: June 16, 2024 at 11:59 PM SLT
PRIZES:
First Place: L$1,500
Second Place: L$1,000
Third Place: L$500
Full details and rules here.
NEW LOCATIONS
The Bellisseria Animal Sanctuary has established an event that is already a tradition in Bellisseria. This year's Zoo-Palooza opens on 25th May at the fairgrounds and continues until 22nd June. The theme is Hamanji and we're eagerly waiting to see what the Hammies have in store!
Every year, the Liberty Fire Department honors those who have made the ultimate sacrifice on Memorial Day. 2024 is no different. There will be a display honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice by the station, as well as a guest book for visitors to sign. The stamp won't be in place until the day itself.
Come and enjoy the DJ's at Loving Kitties Club, established on March 1, 2024. This is an LGBTQ+ supporting location.
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Event: 25 May - 22 June 2024 |
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Liberty FD Memorial Day 2024 ST Event: Monday, May 27 (stamp not in place until the day) |
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| Loving Kitties Club JE |
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It was a fun event, Liberty! And you did a good job! :)
AmandaT
Posted by: Amanda | 05/25/2024 at 07:26 AM