Hotel Adventures of Lola: Magazines Rule!

Lola reads all kind of tabloid magazines while at work. The hotel subscribes to the top three women’s magazines. The guests steal them like the little shampoo bottles in the bathrooms. The tasteless covers repulse her, yet articles that show 769 ways to please a man intrigue her. She wonders, if these magazines hold the answers to women's satisfaction, why are the majority of their readers still hopelessly lost? Are there magazines that offer men advice for a better sex life?

Recently, Lola learned that a well-known woman's magazine on housekeeping is the most reliable source of information for all women, regardless of marital status or income. It occurs to her that women spend as much time worrying about keeping their house clean as they do about pleasing a man. With that kind of obsession, these magazines will hold the mirror to women's angst for generations

The Adventures of Lola: Finagle by RedGoddess

I can't believe it's Sunday! Guess what? The unthinkable happened. I'm a little under the weather and recuperating so I can start writing again. In spite of this pesky bug, I'm having a great Second Life weekend full of events. Between cough syrups, ginger teas and saline sprays, I designed a new poster (the one above) to promote all the SL events at various venues.
We kicked off the weekend with Musician MrMulti Writer at Gallery Rouge. He joins us on the 2nd Friday at 5pm for one of the most energetic shows in SL. He started the show on top of the piano. I'm not kidding. He eventually landed on the ground and danced the week away.
On Saturday, Writer Zill read a selection of short stories at Red Art Four Bridges. He's a master storyteller with a range a fabulous accents. I hope he will continue joining us monthly with more stories from more authors we rarely hear about. Today, I started my day displaying some artwork and a new elephant at Four Bridges. Sevi joined me for a bit as I attempted to place the elephant somewhere prominent for visitors to enjoy. With a cup of coffee in hand, I then headed over to Angeljade's poetry event at 10:00a slt. She's a breath of Caribbean fresh air. Next stop, our weekly open mic poetry reading and Singer/Songwriter Shannon Oherhily performed at Four Bridges SpeakEasy for the public. She has three shows coming up in the US. One of these days, I hope she gets booked in Boston/Cambridge in the near future. She hinted Club Passim in Cambridge, a cool spot for performers. Our last event for today is The Seated Scribes (Every Sunday) on the deck at Four Bridges, 2p slt. A group of writers come together to read and edit our drafts or work we feel need some feedback. This is the place to be if you have a work in progress or a piece of writing that's just not where it should be yet. That's quite a full day for a sick Goddess! Here's a Lola story to keep you entertained till the next one. Happy Reading!


Kahn is what one would call a social drinker. He's on every socialite's invite list for parties and fundraisers. He is handsome with all the trappings of old money and success. He has two weaknesses: women and booze. He can't resist neither even though he's in rehab for the third time.
Both his wife and mistress left him after he was caught with a dead male escort at Lola's hotel. With all of his powerful friends and wealth, he was finally caught in a dead end situation. Lola wonders,  how will he finagle out of this mess?

Lola's Adventures: Pork By RedGoddess

Lola revels in the chaos before work. There is a level of traffic that's cosmopolitan, and the usual early birds are all in the streets. The toothless man who empties out the burned cigarettes from the public astray, every few seconds, he lets out a disturbing laugh and mumbles "who's fault is it, anyway?" 
An older Black woman, head wrapped in a colorful scarf, sweeping the front of the university theater. She always stares towards the marquee as if thinking, "What if?"
Lola walks by the pan handler sitting on a rusty bus bench, tapping both hands on her starved thighs, humming to herself. Lola smiles and hands her a crumpled dollar bill.
In the distance, Lola can smell the tiny shops, she sometimes stops by the meat market to buy pork for her grandmother to make a spicy stew. She can taste the stew in her mind.
As she approaches the hotel, she notices Tom, a proud grandfather of twins doing his morning stretches before his daughter drops off the kids. There are runners, cyclists, dog walkers, parents waiting for school buses and restless children chasing pigeons. She peers inside her favorite wine cellar with a fat golden cat in the display window. Lola inhales the sweet smell of fresh bread and coffee brewing from the hotel kitchen. On a day like this, she's exactly where she belongs.

The Adventures of Lola: Urban Renaissance by RedGoddess

On her bus commute to work, Lola imagines leaving her neighborhood behind. For the past 10 years, neighbors have been fighting for an urban renaissance. Politicians promise jobs, safety and better schools but with each election, less get done. She's fed up with all the lip service and being treated like an idiot for votes. Even the condition of the bus is a symbol of decay.
The passenger next to her smells like booze, piss and peanuts. The old lady in the front with her two grandchildren, cursing at the bus driver. The teenager in the back shouting on her cell phone. It's all taking a toll on her. It's time to take control of her destiny.

Adventures of Lola 100 words: FUNK by RedGoddess

Happy holidays! The year is almost over. I've written another Lola installation for this week's 100 word challenge. The hotel is full of festive events, including a food drive. Sadly, Lola is in a funk. Check out the story and let me know what you think:)


Hunger is not seasonal, and suffering is not a trend. Yet every Christmas, there is a surge about feeding the poor. The same working poor and homeless who are visible year round suddenly present a fantastic opportunity. Lola got in a funk when the hotel Manager launched a food drive. This is the same woman who treats her staff like slaves. The same woman who smiles when she calls the cops to remove homeless saying ‘come fast, they have drugs.’ Lola watches as wealthy clients place cans into boxes and thank her manager for caring so much. What a fraud!

The Adventures of Lola in 100 Words: Mine

When Lola was 17, her mother threw her out of the house. Weeks later, her younger sister ran away too and moved in with her. They grew a backbone, while struggling to stay in high school, and care for one another. There is no mine. They worked retail jobs and often ate at shelters, and sometimes dated drug dealers that bought them groceries.

Lola would sometimes see her so called mother at weddings and funerals. They would barely exchange a few words. On mother's day, Lola's sister gives her sunflowers. Lola is the only mother she'll ever have or need.

The Adventure of Lola in 100 Words: Circle

Hellene, a wannabe cougar, comes from old money. Many of her socialite friends gossip behind her back. She's part of the big charity circle in town, fancy galas for the poor and overprized dinners at political fundraisers. She tries hard to do good with her money by supporting public causes.

At the hotel she treats the immigrant maids like trash. Recently, she accused a valet of attempting to steal her car. All the workers avoid her except for Lola. Lola handles all of the Hellene’s.  One big circle of white Helene’s Lola can’t even tell one from another any longer.

Adventures of Lola in 100 Words: Cube

This summer has been the hottest since Lola started at the hotel. She got in the habit of drinking an iced mocha topped with whipped cream at her old job when stressed. Now, her budget allows for iced water. Her mind wanders to him. Their last date was a welcoming surprise offsetting her madness. Staring at her iced water, Lola daydreams about their shared champagne.  What she would like to do with each ice cube. She becomes lost in her fantasy  when his gentle voice interrupts her. "Penny for your thoughts" She turns and sees him,"I'd rather show you."

The Adventures of Lola in 100 Words: Space

After an exhausting week, I managed to pout out another Lola story in the series. The word challenge is space. I wasn't sure what I would explore this week but by Saturday night (more like midnight), I was somewhat happy with my rewrite.  I quickly sent it to crap before I crash and lose the whole plot in Second Life. Now, you get to read here:) Are you enjoying the stories? Let me know by leaving a comment for me...

###
Lola wakes up to wild rain knocking on her bedroom window. She sleep walks through her overcrowded apartment, looking for her cell phone. It was too quiet. "I guess I'm all alone," She thought. On the kitchen table is an upside down pineapple cake with a fork in the middle. This is not a good sign given the history of avoidance in her family. Every time her grandmother has bad news, she bakes Lola's favorite dessert. Lola takes a mouthful bite and hurries back under the bed comforter. She wishes she run away to space and scream her worries away

Red is the word!

A few days ago, I heard through the grapevines that "Red" is the chosen word for this week's challenge. Actually, Crap told in Second life. I just love saying "through the gravevines" lol. I am excited and hope that will motivate me to write my story or stories a little early. Will I make history this week by sending crap my entry before 11:59p on Saturday. Time will tell...Stay tune for more story ideas before the deadline.

The Adventures of Lola in 100 Words: Card

The word this week is: Card. It was literally a challenge for me as I tried to develop a story that was authentic to Lola's days at work. I wanted her to take a break from the mystery and yet shows that she still prioritizes work over building a live outside of her job. Then again, she doesn't have the luxury to take a personal day solely for self-indugence. Hope you enjoy this week's story in the Lola series.

Card 100 word challenge by RedGoddess

The rainstorm hits the coast harder than locals expected. Rain or shine Lola has to work. At the hotel, the wind slaps the front gate open, dragging debris in from the main street. A queen of heart card flies in and lands on Lola's desk. She looks up and notices the light for the "no vacancy" sign is flickering. Lola wishes she had taken a personal day off to spend time with the mystery guy. She's reluctant to open her heart and deal with another disappointment. She could still hear his last words while saying good night, "you intrigue me."

The Adventures of Lola in 100 Words: Feather

It happens again! Lola decided to take a time out from her stressful job at the hotel to meet a new mystery date. Everything is going well so far. Lola is certainly cautious but enjoying herself. Check out this week's 100 word story with the word "feather." Hope you enjoy it:)

#

Work monopolizes Lola's time. Even on her days off, she can't stop worrying about unfinished projects. "What happened to the adventurous Lola?" She wondered. To loosen up, she accepts another invitation from the mystery guy. Tonight, they're dining at the waterfront sky lounge. Their conversation about food, travels, and work flows seamlessly.  He even laughs at her silly jokes. Before finishing her last bite of dessert, he asks playfully, "for our next date, choose one thing I can bring: a scrabble board, feather or ice cream." Intrigued, she leans toward him, whispers in his right ear, "how about all three."