Had a blast! Glad I got to hang out with those I did; hoping to get to hang out with those I didn't in the future! I'm already looking forward to next year. I may enter the talent show if I can get a band together, given the theme fits a few songs I like to play. I may even write a new song entirely! Also hoping I'll have a full-time job by then so I can start saving up for a fursuit! The folks that had theirs looked like they had tons of fun - I'd like to join in on that. :>

Planning on hitting up Fangcon in November, then FWA again next year! I doubt I'll be able to do AnthroCon, but if I do get a full-time job before July and I can get the appropriate plans made, it may happen. ^_^

SO glad I went. Was beginning to slide away from furry a bit due to lack of participation, but being surrounded by happy fuzzy animal people brought me right back in. :D

Well, Merry Christmas and a blessed holiday season to all. I hope you all have a good one and get to spend it doing whatever you want. Maybe you'll get something you want out of it to, as will your loved ones.

As for me, I admit, I just haven't gotten into the "holiday spirit" this year. It's December 25th, that's all today feels like to me. It's just a date on a calendar. I'm flat broke and 1000 miles away from my closest family member. There's just no sense of connectedness, no sense of family or belonging. I have no job, no money, tens of thousands of dollars in student loan debt, no sense of self-reliance and the weight of the real world feels like it's crushing me like a ten-ton stone. Like I don't belong anywhere, my job search is going nowhere, I'm not wanted and everything going on in the world today is making it a worse and more oppressive place in which to live. Yeah, there's political feelings in there too and I'm sure I'll get yelled at for stating them (oppressive forced government medical taxes "for our own good" being the bitter flavor of the month right now) because my opinions are usually unpopular and I see government oppression for what it really is. With all the shit going wrong right now I find it difficult to be either merry or thankful for anything. The world is cruel, corrupt and pitiless, and nothing about today (or this month, for that matter) has been able to change that for me.

Maybe things will get better. Maybe they won't. But today is probably ruined for me all the same. I can't sleep, but I wonder if I even want to get up in the morning. I hope you guys are able to have a better day than I am though, and that life isn't such a Debbie Downer for you as it is for me.

Barring any extreme circumstances, I'm not moving over to Weasyl. I like FA as it is and can deal with the downtime that occurs now and then. I don't get my panties in a wad every hour I can't look at new art. It's not worth the trouble to move, and I really don't feel like managing multiple accounts or watch lists. I may set up a Weasyl account at some point out of curiosity, but it won't have anything to do with the status of FA, and definitely won't be my primary. I like what we have here - it's not perfect, but it is the site that's helped to make the furry fandom the prospering artistic community it is today.

I can kind of understand the folks who draw furry art for a living wanting to get a Weasyl account for the sake of a backup means of advertising your commissions and communicating with commissioners, but even that reasoning is dodgy. Leave some sort of way to communicate with you on your FA page (email, instant messengers, etc) and keep your price list/commission status up, and if someone wants to commission you bad enough they'll take the equal amount of time it takes to message you directly. Just do your part as a salesperson and be available for your customers. Outside of Adoptables and YCH auctions (which, by the way, we have a site for already - Furbuy), that'll do everything you need it to 99 times out of 100, given it only happens a few times a year.

So to all of those jumping ship: Adios! Farewell! Adieu! Sad to see you go, but I have no interest in following if I don't have to.

Hey guys. Opinion time. I'm contemplating writing up that my fursona is permanently pregnant to some degree. The desire to be a mother is a BIG part of who I am. It's something I can safely say I want more than anything else. At least half of the art of my character (even including the fat fetish stuff, I believe) is of her heavily pregnant. It's the one thing in my gallery that's weird, but I can say is not *just* a fetish for me. In fact, this desire is nearly solely personal - I promise.

I got a good friend of mine who knows me really well to say what she thinks, since she doesn't have the sexual attraction to pregnant women the way many folks I know do. Unbiasedly, she told me that having a fursona that's permanently pregnant is reasonable because it demonstrates a heartfelt desire without being overly sexualized. If it's a representation of how you feel inside, then it makes sense for my fursona to be in the family way.

So what do you all think? Do you agree? Disagree? Is it too weird for the common person to see? I know of a few other women whose fursonas are permanently pregnant as well, so I don't feel like I'm doing anything too strange. I'm not talking about unrealistic oh god I can't move because my belly's dragging on the ground big. I'm thinking more like in this picture: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10567137/ where it's clearly full term, but still tasteful and can get along in contemporary society relatively fine. And if someone is genuinely uncomfortable drawing pregnant women then they don't HAVE to make her full term. Also, any weight gain/blueberry/other stuff would take place in "a pocket dimension before this decision was ever made" so no cute babies would be harmed in the making of those pictures. But I do want to make this canon, even if it's unusual.

Hm! Weird. I never thought that would happen. I never thought I would do something that upset someone that much. It really makes me wonder what I did! Where I went wrong, or how I offended them, I don't know. All I can say is that if you ever have a problem with me or something I do or say, I'd like to know about it! I do my best to make as many people happy as possible, and I believe part of that is talking through our disagreements rather than just shutting one another out. I don't hate you, and odds are we don't actually disagree. I'm not in high school anymore... I'm a big girl, I can talk about big girl problems without getting upset. I only hope that my friends can too.

Thanks guys! Have a wonderful day! ^_^

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4667922/

This wonderful lady is offering to draw for people to celebrate her birthday. How sweet.

Hey guys! One of the major things I'm into outside of furry is the Pathfinder roleplaying game. You can read about it here! http://www.paizo.com/pathfinder

I was wondering: do any of you guys play? I participate in Pathfinder Society locally, as well as a biweekly home game with a few non-furry friends. ^^

Well, things went sour at 's workplace, so it's looking like he won't be able to go to FWA this year. I wouldn't feel right going and leaving him behind, and it seems like a lot of my friends can't go either. Combine that with the fact that truthfully I can't afford it right now and I've got a lot on my plate this semester in college, and it's just not really feasible to begin with. However, I will be graduating here soon, and hopefully I'll get a reasonable amount of money from my tax return (banking mostly on getting money back from school payments), leaving me open this summer. So hopefully we'll be able to make AnthroCon a thing this year instead.

If anyone I know is going to be going, please let me know! If you're going too I'd love to see you there.

Where are you staying?
The Westin, thankfully

What day are you getting there?
Friday morning, hopefully

Departure?
Sunday night, or afternoon if there's nothing going on

Transportation?
I'll be driving up in my car with and her friend.

Who will you be rooming with?
, , and , as well as one of 's friends, and possibly , according to

Who will you hang out with during the convention?
People I know, and new friends that I make.

Will you be suiting?
One day, but not this time around

What is your gender?
Female

How tall are you?
5'5"

Are you taken? Are you looking for a 'mate'?
Yes, I am taken.

Can I talk to you?
Of course you can. In fact I'd love it if you did.

Can I touch you?
Just don't be annoying about it, okay?

How can I find you?
Just walking around the con, for the most part. Look for someone looking like this: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6521636/. I'll probably be wearing a deer or purple fox tail, too.

Can I visit your room?
Probably. Depends on what's going on.

Will you be going to parties?
Hopefully! If you've got one going on, I'd love to hear about it.

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
"Hey Dixie, good to see you! My name is _____, from ______ (FA, Second Life, etc). How have you been?"

What/where will you be eating?
Well, I *won't* be eating at the Metro Cafe Diner, that's for sure. After Red's bout with food poisoning from there last year, I don't trust it. I'll probably just be eating at the mall/food court to save money. However, if I can get enough friends together to go with me, I'd absolutely *love* to go to the Hard Rock Cafe again one night.

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
I'd love that.

Can I take your picture?
I guess you can.

What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Goals? Hang out with more of my online friends, mostly. I always go and end up just hanging out with folks I know locally, lol. As much as I love my RL friends, cons are the chance for me to see the online folks I know in person, and I'd really like to take advantage of that.

Oh, my other goal is to win that talent show! Got a good act together for you guys if my bandmates and I can find the time to practice, and hold it together. ^_^

Who will I be seeing there?!
Whoever reads this meme, hopefully. ;D

Every time I see that as a title for a picture, especially with all the fat deer everyone's drawing because of who I watch, I'm like "oh hey is that giftart for me? :D" and then I open it and I'm like "oh, nope. ;_;"

Seriously though, happy new year to everyone. Hope this one was good for you, and the next one will be better. My new year's resolution is to finish college by the middle of summer and start applying for good jobs. Hopefully it'll give me a bonus to diplomacy checks to influence possible employers. :P

Also, 30,000 pageviews! Thanks everyone! ^__^

Do any of you play? Anybody interested in teaming up to Platoon together? Tell me your screen name and I'll add you on there.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1/

See this? I am very happy about this. The first picture on Furaffinity is a fatfur picture. What does this mean? It is we, the fatfurs, that really run FA. :D

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4003294/

is offering free sketches in an effort to improve the consistency of their art style. You should help them out.

Hey y'all! I've been thinking about something for a while now - about how I don't talk to folks as much as I used to. Which is kind of funny considering I seem to always be typing a message to somebody or another. :x I wanted to say that I've never intentionally ignored someone - I always try to respond on messengers, chats, games and other social media when I see a message made to me. I'm sorry if I've ever not gotten back to you - I simply either didn't see it, was afk, or was simply too busy with schoolwork or other real life circumstances to respond.

I also wanted to say I'm sorry I haven't made as much of an effort to reach out and actively communicate as I guess I should have. There are a lot of people I still consider friends that may have all but forgotten me or at least distanced themselves from me because I failed to keep communication up the way a friend should. I'm sorry about that, and I hope that I haven't come across as not caring about you or the things going on in your lives. I do care, and would love to hear about them! I want to be there for you, I've just been so busy with life I haven't gotten the chance to. :x

I'm also sorry to those who have been waiting to roleplay with me for a long while now and still haven't been rewarded with quality time. Once again, I've just been so caught up in daily life that I haven't been able to set aside time to get around to it. X.x It's not that I'm not interested, I promise.



In the end, I guess we all get busy sometimes. For some that period of business is longer than others. Mine has been practically my entire time at college, hoping to finally graduate. I love all you guys, and don't want to lose the valuable relationships I've made in the fandom over the years. The worst thing I could possibly do is alienate someone.

IT MADE MY EYES BLEED!!!
IT MADE MY EYES BLEED!!!
IT MADE MY EYES BLEED!!!
IT MADE MY EYES BLEED!!!

http://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphot.....06907507_n.jpg

I know that I repost a lot more art than I post original art, but I do actually draw. My art may not be as good as others', but it is there in my gallery. X.x

I couldn't do it because I simply don't have time and am not a good enough artist for this... but I have what I feel is a really good idea for an artist. A furry beauty contest!

An artist opens for a batch of commissions - between five and ten fully-colored images at their normal price. Basic pinup, single-character, something that shows the characters in their best light. Maybe in a pretty outfit, but nothing that obscures too much of the body.

When the pictures are all done, they're put up to a vote for who everyone likes the most, based on personal flavor, species, markings, body type, attitude, etc. Afterward, the votes are tallied up, and the winner ends up getting their picture for free, via being refunded! If there's a tie, the tying winners receive 1/2, 1/3 or however many are tied back off the price.

In the end, it'd be a great way to get (possibly free) art from a good artist, get furs involved in a fun process, and in general remind us that we're all beautiful. :D

FWA 2012 was super fun. :3 I just wish it could have gone on for like three more days, lol. I had a total blast.

-Hanging out with and her friend at the Hard Rock Cafe Friday was a real treat. You guys are so fun. <3 That was probably one of my top favorite moments this weekend. :D

-The talent show thing didn't go quite as I expected, but you know, sometimes that happens. I'll be back next year to try again! Especially since next year's theme is going to be "Still in Love"... seriously, like 90% of all music is about love, wanting to be loved, and some derivative of that. I've got the best selection of songs to play to choose from as I'm ever going to get for a con performance. Though I have something in mind already, if I can get brave enough to sing. :3

Speaking of the talent show...

"BE A MAN
We must be swift as a coursing river!
BE A MAN
With all the force of a great typhoo-oon!
BE A MAN
With all the strength of a raging fire!
Mysterious as the DARK SIDE OF, THE MOOOOOOOON!!!!!"

Seriously, looking back, the fursuiter who sang that song did an AWESOME job. He totally deserved 1st place. I wish I knew his name/FA so I could say so directly to him! I totally have the tune stuck in my head now, and probably will for days, haha.

-The fursuiting events were awesome fun to watch. I really want a fursuit now. I may commission just a head within the year if I can afford it, and just wear full-length clothing, shoes and gloves to make up for not having any other part. If I do though... no other furry arts for like the next year. @.@

-Speaking of furry art, I got a lot of it! Perhaps more than I should have. But it's okay - I used my tax return to afford it all, and I consider it money well spent. You guys will get to see it all in my gallery as it gets done! :D

-The panels were great. The anthro anatomy one really helped me out a lot. I'm going to do my best to apply what I learned to drawing fuzzies over time. Thanks to Rukis for putting that on!

-Two's show was as awesome as ever. I'm seriously happy we have a professional comedian in the fandom. So few have that luxury. And it helps that he's good at it to boot! XD I loved the bit about not being able to get beer on Sundays. I got the CD he produced for the performance that night too! Which is apparently pretty awesome since it was only available to get at the con. <3

Funny story. When I went to pick up a copy in the dealer's den. I ask to check out the back of the CD case since you know, there might have been stuff on it. There wasn't, but Two opened the case to check out the CD and show me the writing on the disk. Well, when he does so, the disk pops out and behind it is the master copy... the one from which all the sold disks were made. If I hadn't have done that, I or someone else would have ended up with it, haha. So there's the story where a simple question helped somebody out.

-I made a huge effort to actually hang out with my mate and our friends this weekend, since last year I only really did anything with one person. I had a blast hanging out with each and every one of you. Red, Miku, Goldfox, Enki, Marbles, Ruko, Alsair, Sandtiger, Chezne, Zazelle, Honeypup, Liztail, Rose, MercGryph, Sarah (because I can't remember your furname sorry!), Scribbles, Mayday, SilentWulf, Roxie, Mikey, Casey, Heidi, Aysu, Acme, and everyone else (though I did my best to remember everyone!) - regardless of how much or how little time I spent with you, I cherished every moment, and am glad to have done so. <3 you guys. <3

-And as for the folks outside my geographic area, it was great to see you too! Though I didn't get to see as many of you as I would have liked (guess it's just because I didn't really make good plans), those I did run into it was great to have done so with.

-The convention was so much better organized this year. The artists' alley and dealers' den were in much nicer locations, the fursuit parade was much less strenuous on the suiters (no going outside and the photoshoot was before the parade, so no deathmarch yay!), and all in all everything just felt more centralized. Great job FWA staff.

-I really appreciated the free coffee, snacks and coffee mugs down by the pool. The coffee was really good, the snack bar was beautifully decorated and plentiful (kept a fatfur like me satisfied! That's gotta say something), and it was a great opportunity to relax and chat with friends in the cool atmosphere near the water.

-the theme for this year, Moulin Rouge, was great! It's by far my favorite furry convention theme that's been made to date. The decorations were beautiful (I loved the big windmill), and everyone looked quite lovely (sexy even!) dressed up as showgirls from the film. I so wish we could use it again. Oh! And the poster we got is beautiful, too. <3 I got a few extras since they were available. :3



As far as I know, that's all I have to say about the con. It was a big weekend that I'm sad to see pass, but at least I know what to look forward to next year! I'm super excited for it... I can't wait. ^^

Am I going to FWA?
Yes

Hotel:
The Sheraton Atlanta Hotel

Arrival/Departure:
around 3 or 4 am on Friday morning, getting there between 10 AM and noon

Staying in the main hotel:
Think so

Means of transporation?
I think I'm driving

Sharing a room with?
So basically my real life buddies. :) A few others may join us too, I don't know

Who do you hang out with:
Lots! I'm quite friendly, and will at least talk to just about anyone. I'd love to hang out with , , and a few of my other online friends, but I'm going to make a better effort to hang out with my real life friends more too. I hung out all of last year with an old friend and didn't see them much.

Gender:
Female

Preference:
Bisexual

Relationship Status:
Taken

Open:
I'm open for art commissions if that's what you want. Trades if you want that, but I'd have to accept.

How old are you:
23 (by the time of the con. My birthday's on March 1st)

Are you an Artist:
Yep! Believe it or not, I don't *just* commission art.

Are you a Fursuiter:
No, but I will be one day! Got some great ideas, just need money.

How many Fursuits are you going to bring/wear:
None, don't have one.

Which Characters:
Myself, so I can dance with myself

Any new suits or characters Debuting:
'Fraid not. I tell y'all about my characters well in advance

Attending parties:
If any of my friends end up throwing one, I'll try to be there.

Do you drink:
Yep! Not very much, but I do. I don't really drink fast enough to get drunk.

Do you smoke:
No. Just no.

Can I buy you a drink:
Of course. I would greatly appreciate that. :) I'd rather I knew you first though, and could trust there was nothing wrong.

Can I give you lots of money:
Sure, that would be great. I'd pay you back with art.

Are you attending any panels:
I sure am! I'd like to go to the Whose Line show and Two's show, but those aren't really panels. Once I get a list of what panels there actually are, I'll be able to give a more certain answer.

Stage or public performance:
I intend to enter the talent show and the Rock Band tournament. I'll be playing a song that always reminds me of being furry. And not to toot my own horn or anything, but I'm a pretty good fake-plastic-guitar-player.

How do I identify my self to you:
Say "Hi Dixie, I know you from ____," where _____ can be anywhere from the fatfur community, pregfur community, Second Life, Furaffinity, etc. Tell me a bit about yourself, like your name and some of our common interests, and that should be enough to get me talking. I'm just noting that "hi!" is a greeting, not a conversation starter. I'm gonna need more than that to work with you dear. ;)

Rules of engagement (physical Contact out of Suit):
I love hugs! Though I appreciate people who bathe. If you smell like the devil's armpits, my nose will instinctively curl up. Outside of that, general conversation is great. Do not poke me, it's so annoying. Unless it's once to get my attention, and then only once.

Personality Type:
Truthfully I'm fairly quiet in-person. I speak very softly (think Fluttershy, all you bronies out there), and tend to get talked over. I do best in one-on-one or small group settings while with people with common interests. I'm not much of a partygoer, and while sickeningly sweet and fairly smart I'm not exactly very animated. ^^

How do I know if you're not looking to socialize (angry, busy or upset):
Well hm... good question. Pretty much I'll let you know. I can handle anger, frustration or being upset pretty well, and I hardly ever lash out at people. If I don't want to talk I'll tell you calmly and politely, and hope that's enough. Truthfully though, when I'm at a convention I'm there to have fun and hang out with people. I want to socialize, and I want to avoid drama.

What's the best way to find you:
Look for the buffet. :p Other than that though, just look for the short heavyset girl with terribly frizzy brown hair (I should really get my hair cut and styled before the con) wearing a purple fox tail and Dixie conbadges.

Do you do trades:
Sure, though I'm even pickier about trades than I am about commissions.

Can I touch you:
Depends entirely on the context. I always hug my friends - it's my greeting. But I'd appreciate if poking, flying pounce-tackles, and being all up in my personal space were kept to a discrete minimum.

Can I hug or snuggle with you:
You can hug me! As much as I love snuggles though, I have to decline. I don't think my mate would be happy about that.

How tall are you:
5'5"

Are you nice:
Well sure, I do my best. ^^

Are you cliquey:
I want to say I'm not, but we all are to some degree. We all tend to stick to who and what we already know, and trying new things can be tough. I'm going to try to be around my friends a lot of the time, but I'm always welcoming of new people. I will say, though, that people who are interesting to talk to, well-spoken, well-educated, confident and polite will tend to get a much better response from me than someone who is meek, awkward, and callous.

Can I stalk you:
Please no. That's a crime.

Do you like parties:
Of course I do! Though to quite "as long as there aint any awkward, greasy dorks trying to fuck at it."

If I see you, how should i get your attention:
Say "Hi Dixie, I know you from ____," where _____ can be anywhere from the fatfur community, pregfur community, Second Life, Furaffinity, etc. Tell me a bit about yourself, like your name and some of our common interests, and that should be enough to get me talking. I'm just noting that "hi!" is a greeting, not a conversation starter. I'm gonna need more than that to work with you dear. ;)
(This was copy/pasted from a previous answer)

Can I ask ya to dance with me during the dances:
Sure! I have two left feet though. Playing music has always been more fun to me than dancing to it.

Can I buy breakfast, lunch, or dinner sometime:
I would love that. :)

Can I take a picture of ya:
I'm actually very camera shy. I'll probably let you... but I won't really like it.

Can I kidnap you for *censored*
Please no. You'd have to be the kind of person that wouldn't do something like that for me to be interested in you in the first place. And even then, I'm not available for that kind of behavior.

Are you going to commission art at the con:
I might. I probably shouldn't though. I really need to reduce the amount of money I spend on art. However, one thing I'm doing for certain is taking out to dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe on Friday night, and in exchange she's going to draw art for me. Other than her though, if I run into artists I know or that I discover that are good at drawing fatfurs, pregfurs or blueberries, I might, just might, commission them.

Anything to add:
I had a lot of fun last year with my best friend Sylver, and I know FWA is a great con. I hope this year will be even better though, because I intend to be a lot more active, eat at fancy off-site restaurants less, and not sleep through the important stuff. I don't want to miss out on a whole bunch of stuff like I did last time.

As a last note, if you're going to FWA, comment here so I know! Maybe we'll run into each other then. ^__^

I'm really surprised by the number of fat female deer characters that have been popping up in the furry community as of late. :x I try to keep an open mind because I know it's not like I own the copyright to fat female deer characters, but nonetheless it's surprising. It feels like a floodgate has been opened or something. I can't tell if I should feel copied from or not. O.o

Oh well, in the end more power to folks to explore different species and forms of creativity. It's not my right to tell someone not to have the character they want, or discourage people from picking a species just so I can feel like more of a special snowflake. I'm just surprised by the sudden resurgence of popularity of deer furries lately, when for the longest time I've been able to count the number of fatfur does on one hand. :x

I hate it when people say that. Not every piece of furry art has to be a dragon. Or a Lucario. Or whatever else you find yourself inexplicably only able to fap to. That's so rude. It has the potential to bring the artist down, and it shows you have no empathy for the desires and interests of others. Some people like diversity in their species. Some folks have a certain set of species they just plain like to draw. They don't have to drop everything they're doing to suit someone else's needs. So stop it. Just stop it. If you only like looking at dragon art, go commission it yourself, or go to Browse > Species > Dragon, and don't comment on a picture of a cat girl that she would be hot if she were a dragon. Oh my f***ing god. >.<

1. What did you do in 2011 that you'd never done before?
Changed complicated pieces of computers out! I never went on a multiple day motorcycle ride through the mountains before. I met a famous celebrity (Karl from Corrosion of Conformity/Leadfoot).

2. Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Sure, I guess. "Do the best I can" is a pretty good general resolution.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Actually yes! My friend Steve from the store I play Pathfinder at, his wife bore him their first child. :)

4. Did anyone close to you die?
YES. D': My mom died in April. That alone made this year suck. :(

5. What countries did you visit?
the fantasy world of Skyrim! And lots of different regions in Pathfinder. In real life though, none. Just traveled through the US a lot (seriously, a lot. All over the place). So maybe Texas counts as another country?

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011?
a good school research job, in-state residency tuition rates for college

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
04/19/2011 - my mom died.
late summer - I rode the whole Blue Ridge Parkway by myself. I felt what it was like to live on the road for a few days, and really let loose and explored the small bit of biker culture that I could.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Dunno yet. Probably making the decision that a fetish shouldn't run my life. That it's okay to indulge in the pleasures of a fetish, but to base one's life around it is as dangerous to one's psyche as it is unhealthy.

9. What was your biggest failure?
I didn't do very well in my classes in the spring semester. I passed all of them, but with a C/D average. Not good enough when most of my credits don't register in my GPA (transfer student). I have to make a move to do better in school before I ruin everything.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Not really.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Some nice furry art, components for my desktop computer, my super awesome gaming laptop

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
my dad. He really learned to chill out and be more understanding, and has proved more awesome than I ever thought possible.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Hm. That's a toughy. I know different people have made me feel depressed from time to time, ranging from close friends to bitter enemies to neutral parties, but I haven't been truly appalled by them. I'm pretty hard to upset

14. Where did most of your money go?
Utilities, gas, food, car insurance, coughfurryartcough

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
FWA, The possibility that mom was going to get better (before everything went to hell), riding the Blue Ridge Parkway, getting to upgrade my desktop computer and doing it myself

16. What song will always remind you of 2011?
A couple different Flogging Molly songs, because I've been all about them lately.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder? Dunno really. I try not to get too sad most of the time, but I do feel I have the right to be a little more morose than I was last year. I'm getting better though.

b) thinner or fatter? Fatter, obviously. I tried out real life weight gain. I loved it! I'd love to do it more. But scares of diabetes, heart attacks and strokes, combined with beginning to snore and constant berating of my family, friends and mate to consider a healthier lifestyle convinced me to stop.

c) richer or poorer? Broke as a joke. I need that job at the tree physiology lab, bad.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
drawing, played guitar, motorcycle riding, hiking,

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
Spending all afternoon on SL staring blankly at a screen

20. How did you/will you spend Christmas?
I spent Christmas with my family in Indiana. It was very nice!

21. Did you fall in love in 2011?
No. Was already in love with Red before then.

22. What was your favorite TV program?
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
I don't hate anybody. Well, except one guy. But I hated him before last year.

24. What was the best book you read?
The works of William Shakespeare! :D

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Flogging Molly! And getting more into Blind Guardian

26. What did you want and get?
Well, I got an awesome full tower case, big power supply, and water CPU cooler for my desktop. I still want a solid state hard drive and some more RAM. I got Skyrim. :D:D:D I also got Deus Ex: Human Revolution. I was also given my mom's telescope and some of her jewelry, which are both nice. I got a case for my bass guitar, and lots of awesome musical accessories. I also got this sweet Blu-Ray player that's loaded with options. I got my laptop, like I mentioned.

27. What did you want and not get?
Well, I didn't get the motorcycle cruise control or the highway bars I wanted, nor did I get the hard saddlebags. But seriously, I got enough stuff. I'm a spoiled brat, and I'm doing my best to get away from constantly wanting stuff.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Hm. Probably a tie between In Time and Apollo 18. They were both fascinating and involving movies.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 22. I can't really remember what we did though.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
My mom surviving the operation and coming out all right, then eventually being able to walk again.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011?
Casual - jeans and a t-shirt. Usually a black band t-shirt.

32. What kept you sane?
Friends, family, video games, going out and doing fun things with friends, my inherent ability to keep calm under any circumstance

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
None really.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
The fact that the media TOTALLY IGNORED Ron Paul in everything he participated in.

35. Who did you miss?
My mom. :< I also miss hanging out with the mate of one of our friends, who had a disagreement with another person and never came to a meet again. Also miss Goldfox! He's always busy now. ;_;

36. Who was the best new person you met?
Lots of folks. Probably the folks at Game Theory, and the Greensboro furs. :)

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011.
Don't let a fetish run your life. You don't know you're going to miss someone until they're gone. Try to understand that when someone offers advice, it's because they know what you're going through and have experienced that something themselves. Friends and a B-C average is better than no friends and an A average. You're never the expert on anything - you should always be humble enough to listen to the advice of others, whether or not you take it.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"If I ever leave this world alive
I'll thank ya for all the things you did in my life
If I ever leave this world alive
I'll come back down and sit beside your
feet tonight
Wherever I am you'll always be
More than just a memory
If I ever leave this world alive"
~If I Ever Leave This World Alive, by Flogging Molly

Hey guys. I'm gonna work on losing weight IRL. It's odd coming from me I know, but through the pressuring of my mate and my family, it's come to my attention that it's time to put a fetish aside and be practical. I'm not gonna go skinny-bitch, but I'm gonna try to cut down to a more reasonable size (the 185-190 range, and wear a women's XL shirt comfortably). That's still chubby enough to add to the feminine figure without the dramatic health problems. My intentions are to start taking daily walks, cut down on snacks (especially sugary ones), limit myself to 24 ounces of soda per day (I'm not cutting it out entirely, I don't care what you say), and not go out to eat as much. And when I do go out to eat, I'll favor healthy options over fast food. Also, snacks at Wednesday art jams are going to stop cold turkey. No appetizers or desserts when I go to nicer restaurants. Limit getting a pizza to about once a month, and no "hey let's go get food!" while I'm over at friends' houses.

My dad has diabetes, which does run in the family. I snore when I didn't used to. My aunt is losing her eyesight due to her diabetes. My belly is getting too big compared to my breasts. I need to change what I'm doing so I can turn my health around. I'm sorry, honey *turns to her mate* that I didn't say this sooner. I'm sorry to all my friends, family and loved ones who I've scared because of my close-minded habits. I'm working on it guys, I promise.

Now, going back to Skyrim. It's late, and I feel like playing for a bit. :p

PS Fat is still where it's at. <3

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night. I hope your parties were fun, your loved ones were held dear, and that the food was as plentiful as it was good. ^^ Now I look forward to welcoming the new year with all my friends. ^__^

Aye, de booty! Got lotsa booty. Good booty!

A nice hardshell case for my bass guitar
DR Cool Blue strings for my bass guitar; heavy-bottom Ernie Ball strings for my guitar
New guitar picks, including the Steve Vai player's select picks (so nice :O)
Skyrim (long story!)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Really nice Blu-ray player
My mom's telescope
120GB iPod Classic
A set of minis for Pathfinder, as well as a set of dice
An awesome fuzzy hat and tye-dye t-shirt, and another funny shirt
a 12 pack of Sam Adams Winter Classics (has some of their nicer beers in it)
Pathfinder Ultimate Combat and Advanced Player's Guide books
Peanut brittle, lots of different types of cookies and candies
A total of $150 in Visa gift cards (holy ****! This is going towards a new computer power supply and fat-girl clothes from Torrid. :D)
A Coolermaster HAF 932 Advanced computer case
An adorable figurine of my character laying all sexy in a polka-dot bikini :D
Promises for art of my characters :D:D:D
Cute plushies :D
A calendar titled "Wild and Scenic Indiana" (with pictures that are, surprisingly, much more interesting than you'd think!)
A pendant/Christmas ornament with a picture of my mom inside ^^
Time to play games and hang out with my immediate and extended family

So yes, all is going well up here. I'll be in Indiana for four more days, during which I will be spending time with my family and catching up with individuals, then I come home and get drunk with my mate and friends! This is a truly happy holiday. ^__^

Hey guys! The massive art upload I mentioned yesterday should be finished. That should bring me up to speed on all the art I've commissioned over the past few years. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

__________

Also, I'm looking into getting a new graphics card, power supply and RAM for my desktop. Do y'all know anything about the following products?

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat.....amp;CatId=3669 - GIGABYTE GV-N550OC-1GI GeForce GTX 550 Ti Video Card - 1GB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.0 (x16), Mini HDMI, Dual DVI, DirectX 11, SLI Ready, Overclocked

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat.....p;Sku=C13-2814 - Corsair CMPSU-600CXV2 Builder Series™ CX600 Power Supply - 600W, 80 Plus, 120mm Fan, Single +12V Rail, Active PFC

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat.....p;Sku=C13-5720 - Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B Vengeance Desktop Memory Kit - 8GB (2x 4GB), PC3-12800, DDR3-1600MHz, 9-9-9-24 CAS Latency, Intel XMP Ready, Unbuffered

Those are all around the price range and performance ratings that I want. What do you guys think?