It's probably not surprising for The UML Guy, but I love maps. I love how they
tell me about a place before I get there. I love how they tell me what the
mapmaker thinks is important about an area.
And I love making maps! I've been mapping places real and imaginary all of
my life. Maps for stories, maps for games, maps just for fun. I suspect that's
why UML appeals to me so much: a problem or a proposed system is like a place in
my head or in our aollective heads, a place that we can only dimly see; and with
UML, I draw maps of this previously uncharted territory.
So when I was struggling to find a name for my UML comic strip, and
Curtis Gray suggested
that "Lounge" should be in the name, it was only natural that I started building
a mental map. At first, it was simple: a Lounge had to have a bar, of course. (I
don't drink, but my friends who do
would never forgive me if I forgot the bar!) But as I mentally faced the bar,
somehow I "felt" a circular room behind me and to my left, a room with a big
fireplace. I knew I had to have round tables where people could sit and model.
Episode 2
showed a wall with a diagram drawn on it. And an episode that I planned but
later changed required a stage. Slowly, I started to "see" the Lounge, and see
the various episodes within it. Inevitably, I had to draw the map. I was going
to use the map as a "filler" episode if I ever got in a crunch; but Editor Bill
nixed that. He said episodes should have real UML content, and the map doen't.
But as I started cleaning up these new digs, I decided it was time to share the
map with those who are curious.
The main entrance is on the north, so that all three Circle Rooms get southern
exposure. The main bar and kitchen are in the entry, along with restrooms, a
cloak alcove, and some tables. The Firepit is a circular room lined with booth
and tables. A very large circular fireplace dominates the room. The Theatre can
be curtained off for performances, including Revues by The Dancing Stickettes;
or it can be opened up to accommodate larger crowds in the entry area. The Event
Room has its own kitchen, bar, and restrooms, and can be set up with tables in
different arrangements for private parties. Both The Firepit and The Event Room
can be closed for parties or opened for large crowds; and both have emergency
exits.