You know how it is with your place of work. The rush to get somewhere booked for Christmas becomes ever more hectic, and you end up having the ‘staff Christmas party’ in early December, maybe even late November. So it is with my place of work, holding our Christmas ‘do’ three weeks ahead of Christmas.

I’m not enthused by these events. I work with these people; I don’t feel any need to socialise with them, but there does seem to be a little bit of pressure to attend them. Am I just being a scrooge?

In honour of ‘SL Naturist Phase 2’, publisher Howie decided to double up with a series of soirees that acted as SL Naturist Christmas party and, as he’s just demolished his house and rebuilt it on the Eden Naturist Estate, a bit of a housewarming. Due to the global nature of Second Life, this was held over several days, at different times, to allow as many of his SL friends as possible to drop in and share a glass of champagne, or a slice of pizza, with us. I didn’t get to attend all (some were set for the benefit of north America, away past my bedtime), but I got to attend a couple over last weekend and on European evening time this past week.

Trine, former SL Naturist photographer Hugh & Diane by the drinks trolley.

Trine, Howie and Abigail

Trine, Howie and Abigail pose in front of a sign announcing our presence at Eden Eagle

Former editor Ella and her husband Jim popped in, and here they’re speaking with Trine

Sometimes if it gets too crowded, you’ll find me looking for space on the stairs. Here I am talking to Italian avatar Paolo

Howie and Abigail

Yes. Diane and I at the drinks trolley again! 🙂

I settle down to make some notes at SL Naturist’s Eden Eagle office presence while Howie searches his library for some text to show me

Oh look! Diane and I have dragged ourselves away from the drinks trolley!

It was a pleasure to speak with former editor Ella, who has adjusted her avatar (see above) to reflect her real life pregnancy. I gathered that there are times when she misses blogging, and an offer to work in a ‘roving reporter’ capacity for SL Naturist was made, to be taken up any time she wishes. I also gathered that, with two children of school age and a third on the way, life is hectic enough to warrant that Second Life time is limited.

I wasn’t there when former SL Naturist assistant editor Pookes (left) turned up. I’d have loved to have spoken with her.

Hank & Hanna dance to Slade’s Merry Christmas Everybody. A perennial Christmas favourite in the UK, perhaps not so well known in America.

Debs at the Christmas party (photograph: Diane Toxx)

Doksie (photograph: Diane Toxx)

The party spills out of the house and into the pool.

Just some of the food laid on for the party. Someone’s going to have to clean up tomorrow!

As well as the pool, the party also heads in the direction of the roof terrace.

I’ve made a couple of new SL friends (naturist, naturally) at the party, and I’m delighted to say that we party on next week, with Howie’s New Year’s Eve bash (this  one is held in ‘real time’) so photos will surely follow from that too.

Trine