Thursday
Arrived at the con in the evening to look around, see who was already there, and to get my badge since I had pre-registered.
I had some misgivings right off the bat. There weren't nearly as many furs at the hotel on Thursday as there were at RMFC on a Thursday. I took this as a sign that might not many folks would show up. Boy was I wrong, as I would discover later ^^

Recognized a lot of the con staff right away as former RMFC staff. I had heard that DenFur had vowed to have all new staff so I wasn't sure how to feel about this. But things did work out pretty well, likely thanks to con staff veterans being on the floor.

However, the lady that took my name and gave me my badge was certainly very new. She totally butchered my badge. The first hole she punched it was crooked so she put another in it which broke through into the first one. The third hole she punched broke through into the other two when I went to clip my badge to its rope, leaving a gaping hole in the badge. Had to go back and have them punch a fourth hole on the other end of the poor thing.
And when I asked about a con book, event schedule, etc I was told that at regular registration level all I could have was my badge. Nothing else at all. I found that strange since every other con I had gone to, not just RMFC, always had con bags they would give out that had one's name and badge number on them. The bags would hold a con book, schedule, various flyers advertising tables in the Dealer's Den, etc.
Not DenFur. It wasn't until I returned the next day and asked about it at registration that I was told by someone else that I could get a con book and a few other items from the tables near the registration area. I totally didn't see those tables on Thursday and well, after being told all I could have was my badge, I wouldn't have picked up anything from the tables anyway.

Foxler and his boyfriend Kody managed to get kicked out of the con on Thursday night, before the con had officially even started. I don't know what happened but knowing Foxler as I do, I imagine he posted something online or said something that someone deemed to be inappropriate. I have met both he and Kody in person and I know they are decent folks. Foxler just doesn't know when to stop pushing the envelope. There is more I could say about that matter but it would require opening a whole can of worms that I don't wanna touch right now.

Friday
I started reaching out on Telegram to furries I knew from previous RMFCs to see if they were gonna be at DenFur. Most everyone I texted said they weren't able to make it for various reasons. This deepened my worries that the con wouldn't have large numbers. But it seemed that for every fur that couldn't make it, there were five new folks that were going to a con for the first time. And I did meet up with ShadowCheetah, LavaWolf, Elaki, Savi, and several other friends that I had made over the years at RMFC.

Then in a stroke of luck, my friend Alynna got to run the game room. She had just asked at con-ops if she could volunteer for the game room so someone walked her down to it to see what the room needed.
No one was there. Absolutely nobody had been selected to manage the game room. So Alynna got it by default. And she did a great job running it from all that I have heard from others and from what I saw in the room myself.

As for me on Friday, I spent some time browsing the dealer's den before fursuitng for a while. Given that it was the first day of the con and that I hadn't suited in a couple years, it took me some time to get into character. And I was amused by how many people mistook me for a opossum or a rat. I started asking folks "Did you just assume my species?!" xD

As has become tradition for me, I spent most of the evening in the karaoke room. I just love to sing along on songs that in some cases I hadn't heard in years. The atmosphere of that even is always great. And it helps that I usually get a bit drunk after a few trips to the bar ^^;

Saturday
A fire alarm was set off at around 6:30 in the morning. Apparently one of the hotel staff accidentally set it off. With that occurrence, DenFur was halfway to being an official fur con! :D

Later in the day it was time for a lot more fursuiting. Though I didn't get involved in the fursuit parade this year, I did spend a good deal of time as "Angry Nodd": eyebrows down, ears perked forward, and carrying my harmless, plastic "anti-cat bat". More than a few cats got bopped with it xD

In between bouts of suiting I went to a few panels. One of them was about writing and it was supposed to have three panelists. Only one of them showed up and he only had stuff prepared for the last part of the panel, so the poor guy was at a loss about what to do. No idea what happened with the other two panelists.

At some point in the afternoon one of the elevators in the hotel broke down. And with that the other half of the requirements were met. DenFur became an official furry convention!

Later that night I managed to get drunk enough to finally get up on the stage and sing at karaoke. Gawd I hope nobody took video of that xD
I sang Laura Branigan's "Gloria", one of several songs of hers that I know by heart, cause Laura will live forever IN my heart ;.;

Sunday
With the end of the con looming, it felt like a rush to get in last fursuit pictures and hugs and last moments with friends both new and old.

I wasn't sure what I would do for most of the evening since karaoke wasn't on the schedule. But then surprise! Enough furs apparently raised a fuss at con ops about it that some strings were pulled and karaoke was slotted for a few hours that evening.
I guess that since I had worked up the courage to sing on the previous night, the floodgates were opened. For better or for worse, I belted out three more songs that night.

Afterward, Alynna and I had a party in our room. Alynna announced it on the official DenFur Telegram chat but even so, I didn't think many folks would show up. She wanted to start the party at 8:30pm and I figured that was too early for furs who were still going to the dance and other last hour con events. But the room ended up getting pretty full. Our friend Megan showed up and started mixing drinks for folks, something she is damn good at doing. Had some enlightening conversations with some furs regarding the whole Foxler and Deo situation and other elements that led to the demise of RMFC.
We ran the party till almost 2am before it was time to shoo everyone out and get some sleep.

The next day it was time to pack up and move out. There was one last meet up with some friends for lunch, and that was it. DenFur 2018 was over. Post con depression didn't set in too badly but I do feel like I am already coming down with some con crud @.@

Snippets of a conversations throughout the con:
Lava: "I don't do that very well. Can only do it in spurts at a time."
Me: "Ohhhh my...."
Lava: "I didn't mean it like that! Get your mind out of the gutter!"
Me: "I'm a furry! What did you expect?!"

Alynna: "Its hard to plant roots in California."
Me: "Because its always shaking?"

Someone singing ~If you're happy and you know it clap your hands. If you're happy and you know it stomp your feet. If you're happy and you know it do all four~
Me: "All four means something different in furry."

Other memorable con moments:
Some "normal" folks leaving a restaurant just because they noticed I was wearing a tail. On the one hand it is always amusing to make the normals uncomfortable. On the other it is a reminder that the rest of the world often thinks we're freaks. So its important that we find common ground, stop the in-fighting, and drop all the politics and other normal world crap outside the doors of the furry fandom.

Reminding ShadowCheetah how much I value our friendship. He was the first fursuiter to hug me at my first RMFC back in 2012. Without him I might not have ever gotten a fursuit, myself. I only get to see this amazing cheetah one or two times a year. He is so often full of smiles and such a good natured guy. Anytime I am having a rough time of it I can just think of him and things are a little better. I will think the world of him for the rest of my days.

Watching the antics of Johnny Mouse and chatting with him for a while in the game room. I'm hoping I have made a new friend with him ^^

Getting tired of writing now, and anyone that has gotten this far is likely tired of reading =)
That's all folks! Here's hoping DenFur 2019 is even better!