I had a BLAST. A full-tilt, ass-kicking, brain-tickling, alcohol-infused spectacular of a 'con, thank you very much. I got to meet old friends again and hang out with new-found peoples of awesomeness. I spent an entire con in wonderful company. I am, capital-A AM hitting this 'con again next year, and I'm going to see about hitting a couple more while I'm planning 2013.

Furrydom has changed in many ways since I took to the fandom in 1992. Twenty years. Hell, it's been sixteen years since I came up with his Berbness; I was all ready to rock that boy and BAM, my career took fandom out of the picture for more than a decade. I wanted what my work could give me. Fandom felt too restricting at the time. Rainfurrest is the first furry 'con I've hit since '96. Wow. So many changes and all for the better. The fandom is far more diverse now by every conceivable standard of measurement.

Notable differences were on display the moment  chromatophore and I walked into the hotel lobby. Fursuiters were everywhere. Fantastical creatures were striding all over the place. I haven't seen anything remotely kin to such a sight outside of Dragon Con. It only got more amazing as the 'con went on. Ears and tails are fine, but full suits? That takes dedication. And it was the Fursuiters who gave me the most memorable sight of the entire event.

It was after Friday night's dinner. We'd entered the lobby around the time a large group of middle-aged, regular-normal-types were on their way home from some soirre, the women dressed to the nines, most of their dates looking like they'd stumbled off an Eddie Bauer photo shoot. Two Fursuiters, a pair of dog-types, were playing around the central table. The punch line is where I get to sound OLD here. Bear with me. In them days, before the fandom was so big (and before the invention of the wheel, shoes and cheese), the fandom-folks and their normal kin didn't mix so very well. I was all prepared to see smirks and hear jibes from the diners leaving the Hilton as they were forced to pass through this exotic crowd. Instead--and this happened so quickly, so easily, you'd think such confluences of subcultures happen every day--for the next twenty minutes the women took turns posing with the canid-ians. Then the men got their turn. The 'suiters went on their way, their good deed done, and the diners spent another five minutes or more laughing while they looked at each other's photos. Not a snide remark to be heard.

I was inside the circle of some ordinary magic. People of entirely separate worlds laughed and goofed like children for a half-hour or more, all because of two people in fuzzy outfits. I think that's pretty goddamn cool. I could go on and on about all the things that excite me, the dramatic impact women are having on the art scene, the wild clothing, the music, but I won't. Two dudes in doggie drag, playing with a gaggle of middle-aged jet-setters smack in the middle of a hotel lobby--that's going to be with me as long as the little grey cells can keep bouncing about in my thick skull.

Shout-outs to  skadjer,  syrinoth,  electric-talia,  tryst-entangled and her boy Austin, for giving me many hours of fine company. I finally got to meet Peggy after a whole summer of aborted attempts and that was completely smashing. It led to a dinner with  ladyfoxglove,  dingbat,  skulldog and the super-talented Rah-Bop (not sure if she's on FA or not, but it was a hoot finally meeting someone Vantid's raved about for so long).  vantid hugtackled me in the dealer's room. Love you too, sweetbean, and I've missed you fierce.  turbinedivinity gave me beer and ranted politics with me until the wee hours, introducing me to his very cool friend Aaron and to  oCe, someone I've wanted to meet for a million years (since days of Yerf and before), and her boy Josh? Man I hope I got the name right but I remember faces first. I'll have to buy him a beer if I fucked that up.

I got to meet  onnanoko at long last!! She gave me a great big hug and showed me a WIP of a badge that had me grinning like a fox in a chicken coop. What a dearheart. I swear I will find a way to be worthy of such a gift! I also got to meet the incredible, unsinkable  mitti and damn if I didn't get spoiled with another huge hug. Meeting  sigil was another pleasure. Jesus Christ, spontaneous hug number three!

My buddy  chromatophore and I were united again under a convention's roof. Just like old times, except with aching backs and the notably strange sensation that we were old enough to be parents to half the 'con's attendees. I wouldn't have it any other way, my friend. Thank you for your company and most of all, your friendship. Big thanks to Gene Breshears of the Tai-Pan Project for making Rainfurrest an option for us in the first place. Our little corner of the Dealer's Den was so chill everyone around us were in parkas.

Sleep sweet, you peeps.