Wednesday, January 23, 2008

A Whole Year....

January 27th and January 28th. I remember those dates.......


First a little backstory......


November of 2006, Darien Mason, then Sheriff of Steelhead, called the first of our weekly town meetings. During that time, Steelhead City was.....well......it was empty. Just me in my, then, little home, Lumina in her skybox, and Katt in her home on Lighthouse Island. Darien felt that it was time to turn things around and make Steelhead a popular place to visit. Before that meeting, he had heard me DJ for the first time (after weeks of fighting for a chance to DJ in different places). One of his ideas was to have a night for me to DJ, figuring it would be one of the things to get people to visit. Of course, there was the management that was around then.......and led to more weeks of me fighting for a chance to DJ.


I'm not sure what to say about previous management. Seemed that every idea we tried to give to help Steelhead had been shot down. One time, Lunar and Tensai were told that they couldn't build on the lot they were renting without management's permission. Previous management tried to weasel out of an argument by giving some cock and bull story about being able to showcase their builds. I thought it was bullshit, Lunar thought it was bullshit. So, in the end.....it was bullshit. As for other ideas, turned down with no reasons, or reason being money needed to spend for it to happen.....again, more bullshit.


Everyone was aggravated. Everyone wanted to make Steelhead a place that was special. During this time, Caledon had alot of respect for Steelhead and what it could become. Amazing, when you consider that this was during what I referred to as "The Dark Times" (majority of which I will not discuss, it deals with dishonesty and a broken heart. Those involved would rather leave it in the past). The aggravation, the stress, the lack of communication....unfortunately, it all led to Darien being removed from the sheriff's position. Dark Times....in the past.


The night it all came down, Steelwolf Pascal and I were standing in the old town hall. He was in several IM's with the parties involved, I waited, figuring someone had to stand in for the townfolks. It was then that everything was brought into light (remember the lack of communication? There were things that we citizens didn't know until I found out what was what). The way things are running now, pretty much is how it was set up then.....only now, it's more organized and run better. Hardest thing for me that night was knowing that Darien had stepped on too many toes, and hearing Steelwolf say that he had to tell Darien to turn in his badge.


January 27th of last year. I come onto The Grid, and there's an IM waiting for me from previous management. The position of Sheriff was open and Katt, Steelwolf, and management wanted me for that position. A friend that I had known long before coming to Steelhead had been fired as sheriff, and it was being offered to me. It was a hard decision to make, seriously, it was. But, I did accept it. But, that day, I was very uncomfortable with it. Even after Darien came and spoke with me, letting me know it was ok and he had to accept his fate, I was uncomfortable. Truth be told, I had a sneaking suspicion that previous management was going to look over my shoulder at everything I did and keep me on a tight leash. It never came to that. The next day, the Dark Times started to come to a close....


January 28th of last year. I receive word that previous management had resigned. "One less thing for me to worry about" I thought. About....oh, I'd say, thirty minutes later (actually, I think it was less), word came that TotalLunar Eclipse and Tensai Hilra had been appointed the position of Steelhead managers. From there things started to change.


With Katt's permission, Lunar began changing the look of the town. The new hotel/ballroom. Silver Rose's new store. My home. Town hall. We were getting a unique look. There were two bubble brained pea headed residents who were complete doody heads, but they were gone soon after (one left on her own accord, the other Tensai told to leave and never come back.....I'll tell those stories another time, looooove talking about stupid people). Katt had started walking around Steelhead more often, talking to the citizens who enjoyed visiting her town. There was better communication between the citizens and Steelhead officials. Steelhead town meetings are the highlight of a lot of people's weeks.


We went from "Weird Wild West" to "Gaslamp Fantasy". 1850's to 1890. More Caledonians came to visit more often. The Steelhead/Caledon Harvest Festival. Steelhead Harborside came open. On Real Life Calender Date of January 28, 2007, The Dark Times ended, and Steelhead's new age began.


On a side note, Darien returned to medicine. He became a Steelhead councilor at my request. He tried to start on what we succeeded in accomplishing (who knows, if Lunar and Tensai were managers when he was still sheriff.....he might still be sheriff). In a way, I felt.....and still feel....that Steelhead's new age was due in part to that first meeting he called in November of 2006. The man loves Steelhead and he deserves some recognition for that.


It's been an amazing year. And this coming year should be fruitful, too. Steelhead will continue to grow with Steelhead Boomtown. We've got more events with Caledon. Good Lord, I have no idea what's comin', but it's gonna be good.


I hope you're proud of what we've done our first year, Katt.

7 comments:

Eladrienne Laval said...

Steelhead has good reason to be proud. It's a lovely sim, with wonderful residents.

I will always say that I became a citizen thanks to Darien. He invited me to a town meeting and I enjoyed myself and the warmth of the folks there so much that I got a shop space that night. Before I knew it, by the 3rd meeting I was the Anvil's editor. Steelhead has that kind of effect.

I wish my new home much success in its future and here's to many more great things in store for it!

itsdavidvc said...

Thank you for the kind words, Sheriff, and for your words as well, Elle. I'm...speechless.

It's really the past and current owners...Steelwolf and Katt...who deserve the praise, otherwise none of this would have ever been.

And the current Management, Lunar and Tensai...I never cease to be amazed by their artistry and their level of devotion to this town.

As for the previous management...I know some of us are still hurt by how she handled things. I can never repeat the things she told me during the collapse that almost made me quit SL entirely. But she and I have reconciled. She is still a friend of the Foundation.

Management was not her forte', but afterwards she found her true calling in the Arts. Several of her works...depictions of my daughter Qli...hang in my den. For those not offended by the exploration of carnality and the darkest sorts of trauma, I suggest a visit to Xanthas. Perhaps even have a talk with her. Closure is a healing balm for the soul.

-Dr. Mason

Fuzzball Ortega said...

Now you know, as well as I do, that Katt has always owned Steelhead. Her name's on the bill of sale. Pascal merely ran things on her behalf, seeing as how she had other personal duties that she had to deal with.

Told to us, by you, at that first town meeting. Confirmed by Steelwolf Pascal, himself, the day it all hit the fan. Continually said by current management whenever someone from the old days comes around and say how they liked it when Steelwolf and Xia ran the place.

Pascal built the old Steelhead for Katt, though. If not for that, then none of what we accomplished wouldn't have happened.

Fuzzball Ortega said...

Bah...damn not wording crap right.

What I meant was that if not for Pascal building Steelhead for Katt, all that we accomplished since then would never have happened.

(Fuzz needs rest)

itsdavidvc said...

And one more thing...you *still* the best damned Sheriff Steelhead's ever had. I'm gonna miss that old coat of yours..

HeadBurro Antfarm said...

Hi Fuzz - what a great find this post was. As a newbie in Steelhead, albeit one who visited when it was brand new, to read a little more about the history of my new home is very interesting indeed.

And althought I have grown to realise that Darien was involved in forming what we have today, I had no idea quite how much until I read this.

I hereby propose that Steelhead sets up a Dr Darien Mason Good Citizenary Award - a plaque given to Steelheadians who have outdone themselves to make the City a better place for all :)

HeadBurro Antfarm said...

Maybe a medal too :-D