Hiya all Guess what happened to my mate and I today.... ??? ??: ??: ??: Today I took my mate to the place of our first date, Red Robin, and we ate their together, then we went to the Books a Million that we went to after our first date. There I gave my camera to one of the clerks and asked her to watch the coffee lounge for us and take a picture when I proposed. I then let my mate look for books while I found one of wildlife and put the ring in the book on the skunk page and had her open it to it. She took a bit to realize it was there and then I asked her to marry me And she said:





















YES

Anthrocon Report:



Tuesday:



I started my trip to AC with an all-nighter to finish my feet for my fursuit, finishing my feet an hour before my ride to the airport arrived to pick me up. In that hour I hastily packed up my stuff, printed off my reference sheets for my and my mate’s fursonas, and packed up my laptop. My ride (a local furr and friend named Blaze) arrived at 3am and I made breakfast for the both of us, then we loaded my stuff into his truck and headed to the airport for my 5:35am flight. The guy at the airport that checked me in was about as thrilled to be at the airport for work at 4am as I was to be flying at 4am . I was excited to be on my way to AC and to meeting my best friend, Crashheart, for the first time. We had met online 2 years ago and became quick friends. I arrived in Pittsburgh at 9:45am and let Crash know that I had landed, then met him at the luggage carousel where his stuff was.

The luggage hadn’t arrived yet and so I went to get my luggage and he joined me when he found his luggage. We took a taxi to the Westin and checked into our room and then the Otter gave me a conbadge themed to Star Trek that matched one he made for himself . We also scotchguarded the otter’s tail and ran out to get Chinese food for lunch. After lunch we went back to the hotel and I tried to show the otter the conference center, but instead we got locked in the stairwell to the conference center and had to find our way out, which turned out to door at the bottom that was set with an alarm… Afterwards we snoozed for a bit, then went to the pool for a swim. We swam for a bit there and met three furrs at the pool named Ender, Turlo, and Wolfshangs. We chatted with them and, upon finding out that the Otter was an artist, commissioned a conbadge from him. After a bit, we headed back to the room as we were expecting our third roommate, Dante, to arrive. After his arrival we chatted for a bit and then grabbed pizza for dinner from Pizza Parma and went back to the room to watch Eddie Izzard and MacGyver while I worked on my fursuit head. Eddie Izzard was pretty amusing, though it had a bit too much profanity for my taste. We fell asleep during MacGyver…



([link])



Wednesday:



We all went to the Steel City Diner for breakfast. That place, if you haven’t ate there is a place you have to try next year at AC. Afterwards Dante and Crash went back to the room and I went to find a toothbrush at CVS. I then met them back at the room and we went on our quest to find the elusive “500” bus, which would take us to the Pittsburgh Zoo. It took us ages to find the bus as everyone had a different idea where the bus stop for it was. The ride to the zoo was kinda long, but on the way there we met two teenagers who found our tails to be fascinating.

The zoo was amazing, though the only downside to the zoo was that they didn’t have any wolves or foxes there. I took some amazing pictures there of the animals in the exhibits, getting some awesome shots of the bears, which made Dante a very happy bear. We also got to hear what an otter scream sounds like one of the otters was in the shelter and would scream every time the two otter cubs and it’s mate tried to enter the shelter. It was a shrill shriek that I didn’t know that an otter could make. Many of the guests at the zoo were amused by our tails and asked to take pictures of them. In fact, at the giraffe exhibit I turned around and a guest asked me to turn away again so that she could get a picture of my tail. The aquarium in the zoo was pretty cool also. ([link]) The rain started coming down on us after going into the aquarium so we had to scamper to shelter, with the otter and I trying to keep our tails dry. I tucked my tail into my jacket and we ran to the gift shop at the front of the zoo, which was where Dante found his Andean Bear plushie, which made him ecstatic. We then took the bus back to the hotel and went back to the room and worked on my fursuit head after grabbing Chinese for dinner. Crusader Cat arrived while we were eating dinner and so we met up with him in the room and I finished up my fursuit head. ([link])

After finishing the head, Crusader Cat and I suited up and he, the Otter, Dante, and I went down to the Zoo to suit. It was great as it was my first time ever as Firekeeper. We interacted with the people in the Zoo, stealing hats, hugging other fursuiters, etc. Dante even found some businessmen who were at the hotel for a conference and thought they’d watch the people in the Zoo so we sat down with them and had some fun playing around with them and taking lots of pictures before heading back up to the room for the night.



Thursday



The day started off with devotionals as a group and prayed together. We left the room late and so we decided to skip breakfast and head back to the hotel to chill for a bit before going to registration. We met up with John, a furr I know from home and introduced him to Dr. Horrible’s Sing along Blog. After lunch at Furnandos we found out that registration was starting early so we went down to register and then went up to the room to get our fursuits on so that we could get our fursuit badges. Crash Otter wore my Firekeeper partial suit and I went as Hotwings, the fursuit I wear for the kids show I’m in at my church. We ran through the Zoo for a bit and then went down to the registration lines to see Dante, who had not pre-registered and thus was still in line after 2 hours of waiting. We waved at him and then played around with the people that were in line, had our picture taken with Uncle Kage, and a few other things ([link]) . It was then back to the room where we listened to music and watched DVDs while I worked on a bear tail for Dante. It came out pretty well I must say. That evening Crusader Cat and I suited up and the Otter and Dante came with us to meet up with Wally Wolf and HugeWolf to fursuit together. HugeWolf and Jasper took pictures while we wandered about the lobby of the hotel, around town, up to the train depot, and then down to the waterfront. Fun was had by all and I learned there that there is still much I have to learn to be an energetic and playful fursuiter, but Wally and the Otter gave me some good advice on that ([link]) .

After fursuiting we went up to the room to change, then went down to the zoo to meet up with HugeWolf, Wally, and ReccaWolf. That night we chilled in the Zoo some more and ran into Dave and Ross, two furrs that I hadn’t seen in a while. John met up with us in the zoo also and we decided, as the Steel City Diner was too crowded, to head to Spimanti’s which is a local restaurant that John recommended. It took us a while to find the place, but it was worth it as the food was amazing. They make their sandwiches there with coleslaw and fries on them, which was different. While we were there, Dante received a surprise in the arrival of his girlfriend, Kim, who had told him that she wouldn’t be able to make it to the convention at all. We were eating dinner and Dante looked out the window, stood up, and dashed out the door without a word.

When he came back in with her he gladly introduced us to her and she joined us for dinner. After dinner we went to the PNC square where there was this really big fountain that you could run through and took some pictures in front of that. Dante also ran into the center of it and then had to wait till the water went down to run back out, which was hilarious ([link]) .



Friday ([link])



Jasper and Dante went to the opening ceremonies while I went to stand in line for the opening of the Dealer’s Den. I ran into Buckerfox, a furr I met from CA, and we chatted while sitting in line. I also met a Christian furr who was in line right in front of me and we got to talk for a bit. Jasper arrived right before the opening of the Dealer’s Den and we both went in. I picked up a commission from Michelle Light as well as one from Tani da Real. I also tried to pick up a conbook for AJ, a furr from home who wasn’t able to make it to the convention.

We met up with Calliope, who was helping with the fursuit story hour, then met up with Heavy Horse. I went to help Heavy Horse move some stuff for the magic show from his car to the room that the show would be in while Dante and Jasper went to the Dealer’s Den to look at more art. I watched the magic show and then went to meet up with Jasper and Dante in the Dealer’s Den, afterwards which they, myself, John, and Dante’s girlfriend went to grab dinner at the Steel City Diner.

After dinner I went to the CVS to get sodas for the U&G room party and the others went to find out information about the parking garage that Dante was going to move his car to. I met them back at the room that the party was in and we hung out there for about an hour before going to Uncle Kage’s Story Hour, which rocked. I left a few minutes before then end to go and get some things for the fursuit story hour that was the next day, then went to meet Dante and the Otter to watch “Who’s Lion is it Anyways?”. It was pretty amusing and I went up to do “rops”. I had a giant foam “U” so I picked it up and pretended I was trying to make a call, then said “I should have used a different cell foam”, which didn’t get too much laughter. We left when the humour started to go a bit south and went back to the room where I finished up some stuff for the fursuit story hour and Jasper got things together to work in the Artist’s Alley on Saturday. (BTW on a side note I forgot to take something very important in small 100 mg Setraline Hydrochoride form and thus had anxiety issues much to the angst of my compadres who forced me to put to put this in the journal)



Saturday



Jasper woke up early (at 8 am) to go down to register for the Artist’s Alley and then Dante, Crusader Cat, and I went down in fursuits to the room where the fursuit story hour would be to get ready for that. Hugewolf was there and brought a motorized toy mouse with him that Crusader chased after some. It was hilarious to watch as he toyed with the toy mouse. The story hour went well, though we only had one child there, but had some other furrs there that were around our age as well as a walrus fursuiter, which was pretty cool. We acted out the Three Little Pigs, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and Little Red Riding Hood. We were short one fursuit so we volunteered the Walrus fursuiter to participate, who happily obliged. He filled the roles of Papa Bear in Goldilocks and the Three Bears and the Hunter in Little Red Riding Hood. Crusader Cat, of course, was Baby Bear and Little Red Riding Hood, as his fursuit was by far one of the cutest I have ever seen ([link]) .



After the fursuit story hour Dante, Calliope and I went to the adjacent room to do the arts and crafts panel for kids. We had two children and their parents come to it and they made masks and picture frames. The mother there told me that this was her second convention with her children and that her son was going to be running a panel the next day. She had been at the magic show the previous day and I had invited her to the U&G room party, but I accidentally had told her the wrong room, which I felt bad for. Dante and I went down to the Dealer’s Den to meet up with the Otter and see how his commission work was going (btw he made $110 in 4 hours), to pick up some art from the Dealer’s Den, and then to head up to the room to get suited up for the fursuit parade. I wore my Firekeeper fursuit, the Otter wore my Hotwings suit, and then Crusader Cat came in his fursuit as well. We had to race to the line up spot and thus had to hazard the stairs in suit (not an easy task particularly for Crash who was new to suiting). The Otter was amazing in the bird suit and I was thrilled to be in the parade as me. This year there were 640 some fursuiters in the parade, which broke last year’s record and made a new Guinness World Record. ([link])



We went back up to the room to shower, then the Otter went to work on his commissions while I went back to the Dealer’s Den one more time before finding my way to the Ballroom where Uncle Kage was closing up Open Mic Time. It was like Uncle Kage’s Story Hour Part 2. ([link]) He told a few very humorous stories, one of them being my favourite, which was his parent’s first trip to Furfright by themselves. Dante met me up there also and then he, the Otter, and I went to dinner at Furnandos. Dante and I also went to the Masquerade while Jasper worked on commissions again. Afterwards I went to catch the fireworks while the Otter and Dante watched 2’s Rant.



I watched the fireworks show with Zervon and Calliope. It was amazing and had quite a few “false ends” to it. I haven’t seen that good a show in ages ([link]) . Afterwards, I went to the zoo with the Otter to work on things for the worship service that would be the next morning and then hit the hay.



Sunday



I got up to find a note from the hotel under the door letting us know that we were supposed to check out of our room at noon, the catch… we weren’t leaving until Monday morning so I had to go downstairs to fix that. It didn’t take too long to fix. Also, I got down to the room that the worship service was supposed to be in, but found that the room was locked. I got the room opened up and then Bucktown Tiger arrived with his piano for us to use in the worship service. We didn’t have a projector either, so I ended up being the human slide projector again this year lol.



Dante spoke at the service and another furr named Matthias played the piano for us. We had 12 people at the service and I think that the message hit home for many there. Afterwards, we all went down to the Dealer’s Den yet again to pick up our commissions from the Dealer’s Den before it closed. We then grabbed lunch at Furnando’s again before I went up to Bucktown Tiger’s concert ([link]) . It is amazing that he plays like he does in suit. I met up with Jasper in the Dealer’s Den one more time before heading to the zoo to work on art stuff. Dinner was at the Chinese restaurant for one more time, which was great, though I don’t think I’ll be eating that again for a while. After that Jasper, Crusader Cat, and myself suited one last time and went to the last fursuit dance of the convention. The Otter is insane in a fursuit when he dances and I wish I could have gotten it on video as it rocked. Afterwards we met up with Kyote back at the room to watch Dr. Horrible one more time and to see the commission the Otter and I had purchased from her. She also gave us Pathfinder’s decks, which was cool ([link]) .



Monday



We got up early and got on the road, stopping for breakfast at Bob Evans. Dante, the Otter and I said our goodbyes at the airport and then the Otter and I headed into the airport. We sat and chatted for a bit while I waited for my flight and then said our goodbyes at my gate. Also, as we found out later, $100 worth of prismacolor markers were lost on the return trip home.

So life has taken a little bit of an unpleasant turn for me today. My car died and it turns out my alternator is bad, requiring me to put $300 into my car. Add to this the fact that I was let go from my second job today (the one that gave me money to do things like fix my car) so now I have not the funds to pay for my car's repairs. I had offered commissions previously to try to help get to AC, but now more important things have come up (paying to get my car fixed, pay utilities, etc.). I don't want a hand out and so I'm wanting to try to do some commissions to help cover my monthly expenses and now my car repairs so please consider me for a commission

Commissions:

I'm offering several types of commissions so there are a few to choose from.

Musical Art ($15): [link]

For this, I'd take a line of your choice from a song that you have selected and place the lyrics, the musical score for that line, and some decorative work around the music that you feel best fits the lyrics and song. It would be on 5x11 inch cardstock.

Sports Team Emblems ($15): [link]

A traditional media colored ink drawing of your sport teams icon on 7x9 inch cardstock. I will do digital versions also if you would prefer.

Conbadges ($15): [link]
[link]
[link]

The badges are colored and inked on 5x7 cardstock and are either portrait or full bodied drawings of your fursona. What I need is a description or preferably a reference picture of your fursona as well as some ideas about what you would like them doing, items to be drawn with them, etc.

Inked Drawings ($15): [link]
[link]
[link]

Inked drawing of your fursona with a simple background on standard size cardstock. I can do more complex background, but it please let me know before hand what you are looking for and we'll discuss that prior to starting the commission. I will also do multiple characters for an additional $5. I also can do color using traditional media if you are interested.

All the prices are excluding shipping. I'll be sending your commission to you via priority mail unless you specify otherwise.

Auction:

Would anyone be interested in participating in an auction on an item, such as a inked, colored commission if I did an auction on say furbid?

So Anthrocon is coming up and I am helping organize a trip to there with the organization I help lead, Furrs for Christ. We will be doing several activities there for kids and parents such as a fursuit story hour, arts and crafts, and a movie night. We will also be doing a worship service for anyone who would be so inclined to attend. I'm helping organize some of the activities and so I'm really needing to be there to help lead some of our events, such as the worship service and the fursuit story hour. I have about half the money that I need to go this year, but living in a tourist driven economy has affected my finances a bit so I'm hoping to raise some money to help cover my trip by offering commissions again and maybe doing an auction. It'd be wonderful if you'd consider a commission from me as it'd help me a lot.

Commissions:

I'm offering several types of commissions so there are a few to choose from.

Musical Art ($20): [link]

For this, I'd take a line of your choice from a song that you have selected and place the lyrics, the musical score for that line, and some decorative work around the music that you feel best fits the lyrics and song. It would be on 5x11 inch cardstock.

Sports Team Emblems ($15): [link]

A traditional media colored ink drawing of your sport teams icon on 7x9 inch cardstock. I will do digital versions also if you would prefer.

Conbadges ($15): [link]
[link]
[link]

The badges are colored and inked on 5x7 cardstock and are either portrait or full bodied drawings of your fursona. What I need is a description or preferably a reference picture of your fursona as well as some ideas about what you would like them doing, items to be drawn with them, etc.

Inked Drawings ($20): [link]
[link]
[link]

Inked drawing of your fursona with a simple background on standard size cardstock. I can do more complex background, but it please let me know before hand what you are looking for and we'll discuss that prior to starting the commission. I will also do multiple characters for an additional $5. I also can do color using traditional media if you are interested.

All the prices are excluding shipping. I'll be sending your commission to you via priority mail unless you specify otherwise.

Auction:

Would anyone be interested in participating in an auction on an item, such as a inked, colored commission if I did an auction on say furbid?

Christmas:

This year was the first year in a while where I took a leisurely trip home for the holidays. I left Saturday night before Christmas to go to my mate's, ,home where we watched A Christmas Story and Elf while cuddling. I gave her a framed picture from the last trip that she had made to visit me and we also spent some time together. Also, she found out I was ticklish.

The next day I got up and drove to Richmond to meet up with another furr that I know that lives up there, Lynne Hassell. They had a house full of dogs and we all took them for a walk in a park near their house. Man, it was cold that day and I had forgotten to bring cold weather clothes so I was a bit frozen by the end of the walk. I stayed with her and her husband that night and picked up a fursuit skull to work, a hat with ears for my best friend , and had my sleeping pants altered so I can wear my tail with them at night . We also talked a good bit about alot of things. It was great to get to spend some time with Lynn as she'll be moving out of the country potentially soon so it might be the last time I get to catch her before then.

The next day I met up with and we then met up at the Maymont Foundation with a friend of mine that I used to work with at a place called Camp Piankatank. It was great to finally get to meet Dante and much fun was had by all. We wandered around the zoo looking at otters, bears, foxes, etc. while being goofy and silly. It was also good to meet up with my friend Powell, found out that he has a wedding approaching in May that I look forward to attending. I headed onward to my parents house that afternoon.

I spent the next week with my family, which was nice as it has been a year since my grandmother passed away and so we all had a good time of remembering together. My first night back involved going to the chorus concert that my little brother was in. It was a Christmas benefit concert the chorus, band, and orchestra did together to raise money for CHKD. The performance was great, but being a musician myself I did notice a few places where they were off lol. My grandmother was in town, which was nice but also stressful as she tends to be a little overbearing at times and knows nothing about my personal life as she'd find offense in most of it (the furry part, the online friendships part, my decision to go to seminary in the fall) so I have to remember around her what I can and can't talk about. On December 23, which was the day my grandmother died, I made a nice dinner for the family to cheer my mother up of baked ham, stuffing, and mashed potatoes.

Christmas was very nice. My family and I went to the candlelight service together and then I went to my best friend's house for his family's Christmas party. I hung out with them for the night, had good food, good conversation, and finally got to see all of "It's a Wonderful Life". Christmas Day was wonderful. It wasn't so much because I got what I asked for, but because of the sentiment behind it all. I was given a giant frame with my grandfathers sweatshirt in it that we had given him ages ago that said "Pap-pap's helpers" on it and had all of our names on it around a giant toolbox. He used to always wear that and my parents figured I should have it. Also, they found my old blanket that I had as a child and framed that. I had forgotten completely about it actually, and had to be reminded that it was in fact mine. My sister also gave me a book, The Christmas Sweater, which was an amazing read. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a book that will really challenge you to rethink what Christmas is all about and how you view true giving. That night we went to see Marley and Me, but it was sold out so we saw Bedtime Stories instead. That movie rocked and you should go see it, granted it's a kid's movie, but it has many laughs and such that make it worth your time and money. The next day I headed back to SC.

So the folf now has no subscription... bleah, but really made this journal to see what a non-CSS journal looks like