As the end of my 23rd consecutive year on this planet approaches, it's time for the year that was and a review on my time of feeling 22 (I don't know about you, But I'm feeling 22!)

Brief patch notes from the year:
-Upgraded Job function. Now carries more responsibility, however the reward for completing it is higher.
-Upgraded Fursuit item to the new design, and added an alternate skin for the design.
-Added a new Fursuit item, completely different to the existing design. Both are able to be owned simultaneously.
-Added FurDU event. This event will likely become an annual event, not a one time arrangement as originally planned.
-Added MattFest event. This event will also become an annual event.
-Added several abilities to the Social skill tree, and tweaked several of the abilities that already existed.
-Added Road Trip event sequence for both solo play and co-op mode.
-Added more slots to the Friends bar.
-Increased the cap on the Confidence ability.
-Fixed an issue where the characters legs were breaking down and losing function randomly by removing Football event. At this stage it is unknown if the event, or an alternate event, will be re-inserted.
-Added a Laptop and Playstation to permanent inventory.

Upcoming Patch Notes:
-Hoping to implement Significant Other compatibility in the future
-Hoping to again upgrade Job function to enable higher weekly rewards
-Planning to add a third Fursuit item, separate from the two that currently exist.
-Hoping to continue support for Canine Companion.
-Will be adding RivFur event, likely as a one off special event.
-Mattfest, Midfur and FurDU event support will continue.
-Hoping to add Amazing Race event in the future, however the complications in arranging the event have made this unlikely.
-Hoping to add Wrestling Training as a playable sidequest, to be completed weekly.
-Hoping to add abilities to the Physical skill tree, and continue to make improvements to the abilities that currently exist.


Now to the more long winded part
It's just 10 days now until I turn 23, and much like last year I've found that time has sped up again. I can remember being a lot younger and it seemingly taking forever for the days and weeks to go by, but now that I'm in the workforce and going full time they just seem to blur together into bigger chunks, bookmarked by what it is outside of work that I'm getting up to. Some might say that I've had a very exciting and fruitful year, but I still find myself wanting more from life. At this time I wouldn't say I am happy, but I would say I'm satisfied.

In terms of the big things I've been to, in the last 12 months I went to/co-founded the Gaint Dildo World Tour (Armidale Edition, now known as Mattfest), MidFur 2012 and FurDU 2013. I also had a road trip to Adelaide which, while fun, only made my curiosity about why people would willingly live in Adelaide even stronger.

The GDWT was an absolute blast. The 20 hour drive (made possible by  thelionkingscarr getting sick deep in the mountains of Fuck Knows Where) didn't even feel like a chore because I had my best mate by my side the whole time. Even though it was hellish in parts, we still came out of it feeling pretty positive.

The event itself was great fun, but made me wish that  Inkfire and Mancub (GET A FUCKING FURAFFINITY ACCOUNT ALREADY!) lived closer to us so we could see them more often. They're great people and I hope that one day we can all be in a position where we can see each other more regularly (And bother Ink for her awesome art in person.) So much silliness and random fun (Fuck physics!) that I couldn't possibly remember everything we came up with on that trip, but who could possibly forget the Double Dildo/TV Ornament/Keyboard Stand/Vaccuum Cleaner that did the rounds and ended up making everyone's hands smell and feel like sticky baby powder.

Midfur was great fun, as usual. I'll enjoy any event where my interstate friends come down and I get to see them. The talent shows were really fun as usual, and I think I performed really well in both the Talent and No-Talent sections. There were compliments all around about my stage presence, which is always good. Probably the best decision of the con was blowing off the Super Sponsor dinner to go see Skyfall with my friends. Worst decision? Letting Skooma borrow my suit, for no reason other than people STILL THINK I AM HIM! (Repeat at Confurgence? I think so!) Vyxsin also made her one and likely only appearance as a suit. I've got a great deal of love for that character and she was so much fun to run around as, being a bitch to everybody.

FurDU- I wasn't even really planning on going to this one to begin with, but after hearing some good press about it from my friends, I decided to pull the pin and head on up to the sunny skies of Queensland. I'm really glad I did that, just about the entire convention was amazing, even if I was asleep when the fursuit walk was on. I came third in the dance contest, which I'm really proud of given that I still don't think I can dance. If Melbourne wasn't such a fantastic place, I would probably want to live up there. SPORTS TOP WEEKEND!

Adelaide is a very strange place. It seems like they have a state wide conspiracy to all drive under the speed limit, which really threw me given that Melbourne is a lot more hustle and bustle. I had good fun up there seeing people, but seriously- Fuck the drain system, I'm never going in there again.

PEOPLE
 thelionkingscarr
I don't know what I can say about this kid that I haven't said already at some point. It's now been two and a half years since sexy lion dancing, and I don't think there's anything that you could offer me that would make me want to not be friends with him. You'd think our giant egos would clash and spark a war for the ages, but somehow with us it just works. In the last year he's joined me on just about all of my most memorable shenanigans. He's even turned the most ordinary day into some of the things that stick out in my mind as the most fun I've ever had. (Whipped cream man, anyone?) Don't tell him I said this, but he's actually really good at Zombies. Way better than me.

 Paskhowl
My go-to guy for sports chatter, it's great to finally find a friend in the fandom who loves their sport like I do. We've got a good balance going, since his football team sucks, while my soccer team sucks. I'm pretty sure the amount of drinks that have gone back and forth between us as a result of those games must have averaged out to about even. An all around great bloke that you should definitely buy a drink next time you see him. (Tell him I sent you.)

 Naira
Naira has just been amazing throughout the last twelve months, and I've lost count of how much money I've thrown at her to draw things for me. She's my go-to artist for Vyxsin pieces for a damn good reason, and the job she did on The Pride of Australia (while injured) was fantastic. It's probably a good thing she doesn't do explicit material, otherwise I'd probably be completely broke because of her, instead of just a little broke because of her.

 Inkfire and Mancub (GET A FUCKING FURAFFINITY ACCOUNT ALREADY!)
The two lions from up north that I wish I could get to see more often than I do, even if Mancub takes more than half an hour to notice a double ended dildo sitting under his keyboard. Ink has done me so many huge favours, including building my Vyxsin head and doing the entire Amazing Race picture series, not even getting angry when I made all my late changes to the cast. If I win the lottery, I'll probably buy her a housekeeper as a way of saying thanks for all her playing denmother to our idiocy, and picking up after us for most of Mattfest. Scarr might not be sorry that he shot you at Paintball, Ink, but I still feel awful about it.

ME, MYSELF AND I
So here we are approaching the end of another year, and I'm satisfied with how I've gone. I've definitely broken out a lot more as a person in the last 12 months and explored new horizons. I've broadened my social circles, and trimmed out those that I've felt were holding me back. I'm yet to reach the point yet where I can proudly say that I'm beyond games for popularity and wanting to be the most liked guy in the world, but I am definitely getting to a stage where it is becoming less important what everyone thinks of me, and more important what certain key people think of me.

Physically, I've remained about the same. I've put on maybe a kilogram or two of weight, but I'm remaining active with my basketball, and planning to start a second sport around September. I've yet to decide what sport exactly, but I would love to be able to take up Pro Wrestling, which would also have gym work and muscle building packaged into it. I feel like I'm getting stronger and my body is filling out a bit better, but we're not quite at the top of the mountain yet.

Sexually, (You can get as uncomfortable as you want, we're doing this) things have improved a lot. I'm getting much more comfortable with what I like and who I like, and I'm much happier as a result.

My job is coming along well. It's now officially the job I've held for the longest, and the first job I've stayed at for over a year. I also got my first ever payrise earlier this year, which I feel great about. While it's not the most fun job in the world, or not a dream job by any stretch, It's not like other jobs I've had where I hate getting up in the morning, which is wonderful.

At the moment it feels like the only thing that needs to fall into place is finding a significant other to share my life with, but I'm confident that will come in time as long as I keep a positive attitude. (If anyone starts with the "stop looking" bullshit, I'm going to hit you. You don't get Tim Tams unless you're trying to find Tim Tams.)

The Next Twelve Months
Over the next 12 months, I'll be heading to a few conventions, and continuing the goal to save and buy myself a house. There's a web series I want to start with Scarr, and I'll also be getting a fursuit modelled after my dog. (Keep an eye on  Laddie for that.) He's just turned 13, so sadly his time will start running out soon, but he is still very healthy, and hopefully he will be around for a few more years, at least. I've stated that I never wear collars, but the suit will have one made for it, again modelled after the one he has worn all his life, and when he dies I will take his to wear as a bracelet.


That's it for the Coutzy 2.2 review! Here's to the next 12 months and hopefully I come out of them bigger and better than ever, with new experiences to share and new lessons that I've learned.

MAAAAAARK NUUUUUUUTTT!