So Day Two and the con proper starts, and I started off proceedings with  blue getting me hooked on another board game, 7 Wonders, which I found most enjoyable and pretty easy to understand once I got the hang of it. It's a peculiar turnaround of my interests lately; while my interest in videogames is waning (to cut a long story short, the new generation of consoles is the first time I've approached a new generation with a sense of foreboding and I want no part of it), my interest in board and card games has gradually risen. The only problem there is that I don't know anyone locally who I could play such games with!

Even though I was a sponsor I saw no sense in queuing early for the Dealer's Den; I never seem to buy a lot when I'm in there. I mostly use the Dealer's Den as a sort of scouting exercise, see if I like any artist's styles and whether they'd suit any pics I have in mind. This year I was mainly using it to see if there were any artists with styles I thought would suit songs from The Wall (yes, that project will still be going ahead, as soon as I can get the cash to pay the artists in question); when I looked at certain artists I found myself humming the tunes that I thought would fit their work. Also had a quick natter with  foxamoore and bought one of his CDs (I would have bought the whole set, but I figured food had to come first! :P).

I also noticed just how hot it was. The weather had done a massive 180 turn since the previous day, and it remained glorious over the course of the weekend. So on top of an iPad I'm now adding a hat and some after-sun to my shopping list for next year.

After that there was the sponsor's buffet, which marked the first time I'd ever stayed all the way through the event and ended up watching some Fursuit Charades. I noticed a lot of  emberkomodog's suggestions were used! After that there was more time for goofing around with suiters, with  lizard-guy even using an old pair of paws so he could have Damian Tanuki playing the mandolin! That I have to say was an awesome sight.

After a quick stop in the fursuit lounge to cool off (Ember wasn't kidding about the new suit cooling system; it was bloody massive!), I sat in the audience at the Fursuit Games with  soshimojunai, who I suspect didn't believe me at first when I told him that the only rule to the games is that there are no rules. With Brok about, there was even more chaos than usual! Ember was on form as the host of the event; I get the feeling this is where his heart really lies at conventions, and it shows in just how enthusiastic and quick-witted he is when he's got a mic in his hand and an event to oversee. I'll just stop right there before I end up sounding like a complete crawler (too late!).

Not much else to say about the day aside from the usual fooling around taking place (I seem to have taken fewer notes this year than I did last year, though my continued use of a pen and paper in this digital age brought much amusement to some people). That was until the Fur-e-oke, where I got a chance to perform I Am The Walrus, which I'd been practicing for two weeks beforehand. Even at karaoke events I find it better to learn the lyrics so your body's freed up a bit to let you give more of a performance to the audience. I had a ton of fun performing this song about pure nonsense, though I'm not sure it was much fun for everybody else in the bar! It reminded me of just how much I used to love performing and putting on a show for others, and if I ever get a shot at fursuiting I hope I can recapture that feeling again.

Other highlights of the evening included seeing Damian Tanuki perform Hey You in-suit, getting up again to perform Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds, the guy who sang I Need A Hero at Bonnie Tyler's proper pitch (guess we know who got their bits caught in their trouser zipper then!) and rounding off the evening with Bohemian Rhapsody. Overall, a night of hilarity indeed, and I apologise to anyone whose eardrums I burst with my performances! Still, you've gotta be able to have a laugh at yourself, haven't you?

I'm thinking that next year I'll end up bringing my whole mattress to the hotel; I just can't seem to rest easily in a bed that's not my own. In spite of me going to bed reasonably early it still took forever to drift off to sleep. Things continued like that pretty much all the way through the con, so I didn't get as much sleep as I really should have. This wasn't helped by the fact that I was in a room that was right next door to the Rotunda, and whenever someone decided to have a rave in the middle of it that really knackered up my chances of getting some sleep. Even though it ticked me off, I can't really complain as that sort of thing's to be expected at a con. Still wish someone had thought to close the fire doors before any parties started, though...

Anyway, after breakfast (I ended up having a fried breakfast every morning while I was there and it'll take a while for my stomach to adjust to anything different again),  lazerus101 had a new party game for a group of us to try out; Telestrations, a cross between Pictionary and Chinese Whispers (that's Telephone, to put it in PC terms). This game resulted in a lot of laughs, and resulted in all sorts of oddities rising up including gingerbread popes, bears with Tourette's, deranged flying sea serpents and pregnant nuns. It was absolutely hilarious, even though it did show why I usually commission others to do art for me! This may well rank up there with Cards Against Humanity as my favourite game to play with this lot!

After a bit of a natter with the group (there was a particularly amusing story  emberkomodog told me that was a classic example of people forgetting about Occam's Razor) I dossed around taking my photographs in the not-much-improved weather. Something I noticed was that the amount of really professional-looking cameras being used at the con this year was really high; it made my little Kodak feel very inadequate. My camera was created before HD became commonplace, so smartphone cameras are probably better than mine (though honestly I'm one of those types that prefers a device to be a master of its trade rather than a jack-of-all).

Speaking of which, another thing I noticed was the amount of people that had their faces buried in smartphones and 3DSes. Now I didn't bring my 3DS with me this time, and I regret it a bit (particularly as there was one obstacle in Streetpass Quest that  frosttwolf could have passed if I'd brought mine!), and of course my phone's a dumbphone so I couldn't check Twitter or anything like that. After the amount of messages I've had to look through upon coming back I'm seriously thinking of investing in an iPad or something before next year.

So with people having their faces buried in gadgets, there was no change as far as furry socialising goes! Ha ha ha, raucous laughter.

Lunchtime comes with a buffet meal, then a bit more goofing around with the fursuiters. I'm always trying to improve my interactions and improv with them, especially as I hope to get a suit of my own one of these days (though the way things are going I'm doubting that the suit thing will ever be more than a pipe dream). I hope I didn't come across as creepy or anything like that.

So after some amusement at watching a Face Raiders game which showed Ember with a highly amusing afro, the opening ceremony was over surprisingly quickly, and I got fed nice and early at the BBQ. Then things were quiet for a while. I did plan on going to  godzuki's Gods and Monsters party, but I got diverted by a game of Cosmic Encounter, a game that seems really complex but does get easier to understand as you go along. I ended up pretty much getting hammered; I would be one lousy galactic ruler.

I did eventually make it to the party (the game went on for somewhat longer than I think Laz anticipated), just in time to catch the tail-end of an amusing variant on Werewolves. I wish I'd got there sooner, as there was a great horror theme to the whole thing. People should probably know that Halloween is my favourite time of year and I have a real love of horror-themed stuff (probably comes from being raised in a town connected to one of the most famous horror novels ever, I suppose), so I had a great time chilling out and socialising with folk. The evening also involved 18-rated gingerbread men, a ravenous octopus and some of the most awesome and bloody (heh, bloody) gross scenes from movies such as Braindead (that's Dead/Alive to my American readers), Hellraiser and Tokyo Gore Police.

There was also an episode from a Z-movie spoof series called Danger 5, which played out like something Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes might come up with. Also, signing the Book of Pazuzu is a decision that I'm sure will come back to bite me on the arse one of these days!

Anyway, ended up staying up 'til nearly 2 in the morning, the only real late night I had at the con. Every other night I was in bed at a much more reasonable hour. Yeah, I know, that means I'm doing the whole con thing wrong, but that's the way the cookie crumbles (no Brok-related jokes intended).

So I'm back now from my third time at ConFuzzled. How was it? Well, brace yourself for another series of journals while I sort through about 300-odd photos and pick out the ones I wouldn't mind you seeing. So let's start with the early arrival, shall we?

Well, I wish the weather had been more promising at the start! Not only was there proper fog around my home area (seriously, riding along the road painfully reminded me of the Fog course from Lotus Turbo Challenge 2 - let's see how many people remember that game), but it slashed it down as I got further and further south. So by the time I got to the hotel I had to dry myself off before I could do any socialising!

Hung out with the usual crowd, though this year most of them were either on-staff or volunteering, so I didn't get that many opportunities to hang out with them over the course of the con. It's weird being in that situation, when most of the people you feel most comfortable hanging out with end up having to go work elsewhere, seeing them running about from one room to another, pushing and carrying stuff with no time to stop for a chat. It made me feel somewhat out-of-the-loop, moreso than usual.

Ugh, that sentence made me sound incredibly needy. I apologise, and I don't mean to belittle the work you guys did over the course of the con.

Anyway, there was a bunch of silliness while I hung out with the likes of  shez and  lizard-guy, including puzzling over why there were power sockets in the ceiling and seeing how much an air bubble on Shez's iPhone irritated him. The furry insanity promptly began at 6, with the fursuiters seeming all too eager to get out and about. Damian and I ended up giving an impromptu performance of Another Brick in the Wall, which is becoming something of a party piece for us two whenever someone happens to have a guitar. Things got a little bit more mad after registration when  emberkomodog found time to unleash Roswita on the con-goers, and that coupled with other madness by  evilsquirrel and  sieo, and a gigantic fursuit conga line.

It's that kind of silliness that always makes the early arrival always worth signing up for, not just because it takes me about six hours to get to ConFuzzled.

So this Wednesday I'll be heading off to ConFuzzled at a stupidly early hour, and since I don't own a super-de-duper smartphone or tablet or anything like that my online presence will be greatly diminished until Monday night. Most of tomorrow will be spent running some last-minute errands and making sure I've got everything, so I thought I'd better stick this up now.

Hope to get plenty of photos and stuff to write about!

So today marks my 29th successful orbit around the sun... and people still persist on buying me bloody clothes. I've got no room to put any new clothes anywhere; people should know by now that my idea of needing to replace my clothes is when they've got holes in them you could steer an aircraft carrier through. Mind you, I did also get a couple of books that I might like to read, so there's that.

Nothing else to say here, except that things are suddenly getting very busy between now and ConFuzzled. I'm starting to wonder if I'll have enough time to pack!

A great chill-out song, but also the distance it feels I have to cover before I get to any meet.

So, in spite of feeling spectacularly crappy after a series of unfortunate events yesterday, I made myself go to the York meet. Can't say I managed to get many words in edgeways; good Lord, I suck at small-talk. Even with everyone socialising all around me all I tend to do is people-watch, then I end up getting anxious that I may be creeping people out.

Anxiety like mine does not operate on a rational level.

Spent a lot of the time hanging out near the petrol-heads, motorfurs, whatever you want to call them, pretending I knew what they were talking about, and wondering aloud whether or not one of our number was a form of Nyarlathotep (wonder how many Lovecraft nerds are reading this now). Then grabbed my camera and went out on the fursuit walk. I've probably said it before, but I'll say it again; I love York and I find the York fursuit walks to be among the best. I love seeing the suiters goofing around with the public and other street performers (still pretty rusty on improvising with them, myself), and we were lucky it was a really nice day. Too bad we had some tossrags throwing Custard Creams at the suiters from an upstairs window at one point; I never said York was perfect.

After the walk I just hung around in the venue with the others until they headed off for a pub dinner, while I made my way back across the universe and back home, feeling much more chilled out and very grateful to everybody at the meet for making it such a good day. I may not be very good at showing it, but I love you guys, and I hope to see you again after CFz (if I don't see any of you there, of course!).

One last thing, in reference to the title above. I found that listening to that tune, while looking out from the top deck of a double-decker bus and watching the countryside roll by while the sun began to set to be pretty relaxing. Probably would have been more so had I not been on a bus at all and thus not had to put up with a pair of cackling ninnies (aka teenage girls), but all the same it helped me chill a bit. Today just served to remind me that, even though there are plenty of times where I think my life has turned to complete shit, there are still things that are worth hanging in there for.

Well, yesterday marked the first time in months I'd been to a meet, and good Lord, have I missed it. Various disasters and other financial commitments have stopped me from going to any meet, be it Manchester or York, before now, so I was dead-set on making the most of this meet. Did I succeed? Well...

Met up quickly with the Usual Suspects -  emberkomodog,  lazerus101,  blue,  bungle_bear,  flintgf and  lizard-guy - and hung out for a bit, trying to just chill out and chat to any others I might recognise as well. Except I didn't do as well at that as I thought I would. I don't know whether it's just that I haven't been to a meet for a while, the fact that for some reason I was feeling as tight as a tourniquet, or whether it was my own nature, but I spent most of the meet being silent and hanging around near folk I knew reasonably well like a bad smell. Any attempts at conversation I did try were just embarrassing. I think part of the problem is that I just don't know how to jump into a conversation; when I see people I'd like to have a chat with but they're already deep in conversation, I'd feel rude for butting in.

Gods, I suck at small talk. I absolutely dread the thought of what it's going to be like at ConFuzzled, where most of the people I happen to know and like are on staff, and those I would like to get to know better I've not spoken to at length, so not many opportunities to just hang out there. Believe it or not, I am incredibly paranoid about what others - even those I call friends - think of me or what they might be saying about me behind my back; the roots of that anxiety run pretty deep and don't operate on any rational level.

Ugh, enough of my self-loathing. A bunch of us headed out to this Eastern eatery where I didn't anticipate just how filling ramen actually is and had to re-learn how to use chopsticks properly. Then the nice weather we'd had earlier suddenly turned to rain, so not much in the way of fursuiting by the time we got back (after a diversion to a store dedicated to Lego; I didn't know such things existed!); that's completely understandable, for only the most foolhardy would suit while it's chucking it down and the bar's too crowded. Then, before I even knew what hit me, it was time to go.

So in spite of the fact that I'm a total social spaz, it felt good to see the guys again at least once before the chaos of ConFuzzled.

Oh, and apologies for all the bitching and self-loathing in this journal entry. If you managed to read it without vomiting, I applaud you.

Well, it's only a couple of months away, so it seems appropriate. Nicked from  evilsquirrel's journal:

What is your gender?
Meat popsicle (seriously, male)

How old are you?
Will be 29 by the time the convention rolls around.

How tall are you?
6'5", last time I checked. Why's this important?

Are you in a relationship?
No.

Where are you staying?
At the hotel.

What day are you getting there?
Sometime the day before.

Who will you be with?
Probably spend most of my time hanging out with the "Usual Suspects" (they know who they are by this point), though as some of them are on staff that probably won't be as often as before. Otherwise just chilling with other Northernfurs I happen to know and stumble across.

Do you have art in the art show?
Nope; I'm a terrible artist.

What suit(s) will you have?
None, sadly.

Can I dance with you?
I'm not one for attending the dances, so that's pretty much an automatic no.

Can I touch you?
You do without consent, and I won't be responsible for the consequences.

Can I talk to you?
By all means, provided I'm not too distracted with anything else.

Can I hug you?
That's restricted to people I happen to know and like; otherwise no. A handshake will do, thanks.

Can I take photos of you/with you?
No; I look awful on camera.

Can I buy you lots of drinks?
Not much of a drinker, but I won't turn down one if you're offering!

Do you drink Alcohol/Smoke?
I don't smoke. As for booze, I'm not a big boozehound, but I won't say no to a pint of Kronenberg or San Miguel.

Can I give you lots of money?
Depends on what I have to do to get it. :P

Can we hang out?
Expect a lot of silence from me if you do; I'm a bloody terrible conversationalist.

Where will you be most of the time during the con?
Most likely just in the halls, trying to improve improv with the suiters and seeing what kind of odd stuff they get up to. Might drop by the games room though for a spot of Rock Band.

Who are you rooming with?
Nobody; I like my privacy.

Attending any events?
Only as an audience member at the fursuit games. Don't know if I'll end up getting dragged up for the karaoke again (though seriously contemplating attempting I Am The Walrus for it :P)

How can I find you at the con?
Again, most likely just from randomly bumping into each other around the con.

Are you doing anything in line with the theme?
Probably hiding in a cave somewhere; dragons and knights aren't well known for getting along. Okay, fursona-related joke aside, nothing, really.

So here we are, the beginning of a new year. While it's still 1st January I may as well try to reflect on the previous year, however briefly.

2012 was kind of a sucky year for me, in all honesty. My course was highly stressful, I've been depressed for most of it which interfered with both my work and any attempts to have fun (I haven't been officially diagnosed with depression, but I certainly feel like that's what I have; I'm thinking of booking an appointment with the doctor), and with the way the remainder of the year went it's looking like all that stress and heartache was for nothing. I graduated, I got the degree, but I don't feel like I've accomplished anything. Everything's back to the same sucky status quo that I was stuck in for five years previously. I shouldn't complain, as I know things could be worse, but I feel like I've reached a dead-end in my life, with no idea how to get around it. My confidence is shot to hell and my brain seems to have gone for a permanent holiday. Honestly, I don't see how 2013 will be any different.

In terms of entertainment things were pretty disappointing too. Mass Effect 3 let me down enormously, not just for what is a truly wretched ending but just a general feeling of being unfinished, sloppy, self-indulgent and half-arsed. XCOM was another one that disappointed me; it's a game I want to love so much, but its difficulty curve and the fact that there's too much randomness that leads to far too many moments of utter bullshit ruined what would otherwise have been a very fine game indeed. Then of course I suffered through Resident Evil 6... The less said about that, the better.

The days of last year kind of blended into a blur, but furry-wise ConFuzzled 2012 was a huge bright spot, and going to meets was always enjoyable, though I suspect that with the crowd I regularly hang out with we could be doing just about anything and I'd be having just as much fun. Still, CF was great fun, and I can't wait to go back this year. Sadly this year may be the last time I can go, unless I can get a regular source of income; I don't want to have to dig into my scarce savings every time I want to go on a trip.

I don't know what I can do this year to raise my chances of doing everything I want to do with my life, and anything I can think of I don't feel brave enough to try it. That thought makes me feel so down-in-the-dumps.

Sorry for all the emo in this entry. Right now all I can think to do is to take things one day at a time and see how they go.

May as well do this journal now in case I'm too busy to do so tomorrow.

Have a very Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays, guys! Hope it all goes well for you; I myself intend to consume roughly my weight in chocolate and crash on the sofa for a few hours. :P

Ho ho etc., we have a topical title due to a certain film's general release tomorrow.

Well, I didn't expect to ever do this, but I ended up going through to York for an very hastily-organised fursuit walk with Medosai ( crazywolfgirl), Sval and others (Christ, I really should make an effort to gather names). It was bitterly cold, my nose looked like Rudolph's and my hands were almost as red as Medosai's (I would have worn my gloves, but I needed to take them off to operate the camera; I can highly recommend having a suiter wrap your hand in their paws if you lose the feeling in it!), but it was worth the trip for the fun I had on the walk.

The trip also reminded me of a couple of things; firstly that I love York and want to move there as soon as is feasible, and of how much I love seeing the public react to fursuiting. I have so much respect for these guys who are able to come up with stuff on-the-fly when dealing with anyone, especially with an unpredictable public. Seeing them interact at a convention is one thing, but - in my opinion, at least - that really doesn't compare to encountering a member of the public who's a good sport.

Still trying to get more confident with interacting with suiters and making a futile attempt to capture that spontaniety myself, but if nothing else I learned to watch what you say around suiters, lest you end up as the target of any number of sight gags! :P

Nicked from  dragomike. Haven't done one of these in a while.

THREE NAMES YOU GO BY:

1) Seagoon
2) Alborke
3) N/A

THREE SCREEN NAMES YOU HAVE HAD:
1) Alborke
2) Badly-Drawn Manchild
3) Seagoon

THREE THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1) I like to think I'm a good judge of character
2) I read books quickly
3) I'm careful almost to a fault.

THREE THINGS YOU DON'T LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF:
1) I tend to get frustrated easily when things don't go to plan.
2) I'm as socially-skilled as a comatose llama.
3) I'm almost perpetually nervous and paranoid.

THREE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU:
1) The thought of accidentally hurting someone close.
2) The fact I've been unemployed so long that I might have rendered myself unemployable.
3) Tech breakdowns.

THREE OF YOUR EVERYDAY ESSENTIALS:
1) Tea
2) Music Player
3) Games consoles

THREE THINGS YOU ARE WEARING RIGHT NOW:
1) Thick grey sweater
2) Blue jeans
3) Striped shirt

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE BANDS/SINGERS:
1) Pink Floyd
2) Dream Theater
3) Elbow

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE SONGS AT PRESENT:
1) Dream Theater - Breaking All Illusions
2) Pink Floyd - Welcome to the Machine
3) Elbow - The Birds

THREE NEW THINGS YOU WANT TO TRY IN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS
1) Try fursuiting
2) Try broadening my music collection
3) Try getting a job in a field I might be interested in

THREE THINGS YOU WANT IN A RELATIONSHIP:
1) Honesty
2) Humour
3) Mutual respect

TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE IN NO ORDER
1) An X-ray that I had done when I was a kid was displayed in public at the hospital.
2) I once played a minor role in an opera staged by a Russian company.
3) I once got stung by a scorpion while on holiday in Malaysia.


THREE PHYSICAL THINGS ABOUT THE OPPOSITE/SAME SEX THAT APPEAL TO YOU:
1) Body shape
2) Hair style
3) Eyes

THREE THINGS YOU JUST CAN'T DO:
1) Fix computers
2) Cook
3) Flirt

THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO:
1) Write fiction and non-fiction
2) Edit short films
3) Sing (sort-of)

THREE OF YOUR FAVORITE HOBBIES:
1) Writing
2) Playing video games
3) Playing music

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO REALLY BADLY RIGHT NOW:
1) Hang out with friends
2) Write
3) Eat (hey, it's nearly tea-time here, after all!)

THREE PLACES YOU WANT TO GO ON VACATION:
1) Egypt (once things have calmed down over there)
2) Australia
3) The USA

THREE KID'S NAMES:
1) Lily
2) Alan
3) Chris

THREE THINGS YOU WANT TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE:
1) Get a book published
2) Get a fursuit
3) Get my own place

Blimey, is it meet report time again?

So the Manchester mini-meet has once again come and gone, and I spent it hanging out mainly with  emberkomodog,  lazerus101 and  lizard-guy, along with others throughout the day such as  evilsquirrel and  blastdav. Had a few games of Cards Against Humanity again, where I actually learned a few new terms and had whatever innocence I have left shattered just that little bit more; I even came close to winning in the first round.

Headed over to Rice, where the food is mostly... well... the clue's in the name. I ended up being surprisingly boring for a Manc meet and got a tikka masala, but I don't think I've ever had a tikka masala where the chicken is served on skewers.

After that we stopped by Fanboy 3 to see Laz spend most of his time stopping just short of fondling the board games, then headed back to the bar for the fursuit stuff. Had a blast trying to improv with Damian, Evil and Ári; I know I'm rusty at it and am not that sharp-witted, but I find every bit of practice helps.

Sorry if this is really brief, but I'm knackered and can't think of a hundred different ways to describe the same old thing. A meet's always worth going to though, especially with these guys around, and overall it was a good day. Will have to see what state my bank balance is in though before I even think about going to the main meet...

By the way, every meet seems to fall on a match day of some kind, and I often end up sharing the train with football fans who bring their own booze. Do you have to be at least tipsy before they'll even let you into a football stadium?

Once again it was mini-meet time, the first one since finishing my course. Hung out with  emberkomodog,  lazerus101,  blue,  bungle_bear,  flintgf,  lizard-guy,  frosttwolf and Exiled Wolf (does he have an FA?), and kicked off the day with a game of Cards Against Humanity, probably the most twisted and yet flat-out hilarious game I've played. I proved to be hopeless at it; I must have been the only person who didn't win at least one round. Guess I'm just not horrible enough (either that or I had really naff cards). XD

Anyway, went to this burger place that had to be Hipster Heaven, though not exactly my idea of Heaven. The only exception to this were the burgers, which were enormous and extremely filling. That's to say nothing of the bowl of chips, made from both potatoes and sweet potatoes, with mounds of chili stuff piled on top. Then there was the fact that they serve their drinks in jam jars, which was just odd. I left feeling like I wouldn't need to eat again for... well, a few hours. :P

After that there was just the fursuiting stuff. Didn't get many photos, as the suiting didn't start until shortly before I had to leave. I'm trying to practice goofing around with the suiters, actually giving them some improv and material to work with, though I have to say I'm still somewhat rusty at it. God help me if I ever get a suit of my own; I want to have the nerves to do something other than plod around like I'm waiting in line at the airport.

So all in all I'm exhausted but happy; can't wait until the next time I run into the guys. Shine on, you crazy diamonds.

Or rather, do somebody else an enormous favour. Okay, another shameless advert here, but it's all for a good cause... right?

So  phraggle has entered a Fraggle Rock contest which closes in two days. He really needs support and the guy does terrific work, so check out the link below to help him succeed:

http://www.talenthouse.com/creative.....40ca159fb9/595

Click that link, then use your Twitter or Facebook (or even both; every vote counts) to cast your vote. While you're here, check out his gallery!

Reposting this to help out  dragomike however I can:

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3768301/

Basically a bunch of artists are donating money raised from commissions to help him get back on his feet to some degree. Please take the time to check out the link.

So, in spite of feeling utterly down in the dumps on the morning, I did manage to drag my arse over to Manchester for the mini-meet again. It's late as I type this so forgive me if I'm scarce with the details.

Basically same as usual, really. Hung out with  lizard-guy,  flintgf and  shez, and spoke to various others throughout the day including  blastdav,  elysiathewolf,  evilsquirrel, Dark Overord,  crome and various others that I really ought to learn the names of, and went to get lunch at this Mexican place that does proper burritos; you know, the actual meal-inside-a-tortilla type. I've been quite surprised by the increased security measures with regard to the fursuiters at these meets, though after the activities of certain creepers I honestly don't blame them for the tighter measures.

Got to see a bit of the fursuiting before I left, which was still a ton of fun to see. I just wish I could think of more ways to interact with fursuiters, though I believe that's a topic I've already discussed before.

That's pretty much it. Considering I was feeling depressed and thought I wouldn't muster the energy for it, I had a good time overall. I only wish I didn't live so damn far away; I feel like, whenever I go see a friend, I have to make it a weekend trip.

A quick tweet that  emberkomodog made reminded me of how much I love great character design. When I started out in the furry fandom I found good, well-designed characters to be a decent ice-breaker; it's a topic that I found helped to ease me into a conversation. I got to thinking just now of what I considered to be a good, memorable design that catches the eye and gets people interested. They say that first impressions count for a lot, and if a character can stay in someone's memory long after they first see them, then that's a good start.

So I thought I'd compile a list of six characters in this fandom I find have really memorable designs and try to justify why I think that's the case. They're not in order of preference or anything, and I could probably think of more examples, but for now here are some of the ones that come off the top of my head. Note that I'm going purely by aesthetics, the ones who have a great first impact just from looking at them, how well they hold up if you picture them as just a sillhouette, and whether they're still recognisable from a distance or in a crowd:

1. Selkies ( emberkomodog) - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8209593/
A simple, striking colour scheme and an easily-recognisable sillhouette, he's definitely one of the most unique entries I've seen in a fandom, and in a good way. The fact that he resembles some kind of rejected McDonald's mascot with the colours and the french-fry dreadlocks helps too. :P I suppose I'd better include Roswita here too, since her design is basically the same just with a green and black headscarf, but that simple addition alone, with the way it ties the dreadlocks back, still gives her a distinct look.

2. Blue ( blue) - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8133534/ (the one on the left)
Again, the simple colour scheme gives him a really striking look. The spiky mohawk-like crest on his head also really helps him pass the "recognisable in sillhouette" test. Plus the guy's just friggin' cute!

3. Keel ( eligecos) - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7949839/
Starting to notice a pattern here? Again, simple and effective colour scheme. I like how both his colour scheme and the simple addition of two antennae hint at his outer space origins, with the antennae also helping with the sillhouette test.

4. Sophie ( sophiecabra) - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/977765/
I understand Sophie hasn't used this character for a while (usually it's either Waji or whatever pony OC she's made), but it was her original goat character that first caught my eye. A bright colour scheme that's endearingly cartoonish and effective. There are a fair few similar goat characters these days, so perhaps not quite as successful at the sillhouette test now, but at the time she would have passed no problem, and she's still easily recognisable in a crowd. The yellow spots are a bit superfluous, but nothing that detracts from the overall simple consistency of the design. That's the key word with many of these designs; consistency.

5. Duncan ( duncan) - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7762950/
Another classic example of less being more; he's basically a kangaroo painted green, but that in itself latches onto your memory. This guy doesn't need any superfluous bells and whistles to stand out; it's like he's confident that his design alone will be remembered so he doesn't need to bring anything else to the table.

6. Zing ( djzing) - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4774486/
Firstly, the fact that he's a hedgehog character that isn't based on the Sonic template is a bonus. :P Secondly (and probably repetitively by now!) the colour scheme is simple and effective, with a very distinct sillhouette given to him, though he may not hold up so well viewed from a distance as then he starts to resemble a blue bush. I like how his quills make him resemble a glam rocker, which is a neat (though probably not intentional) indicator of his music interests (even though the music he usually plays is anything but glam rock!).

That's all that I can come up with for now. Maybe in the future I'll take a looksie at some other characters and how they hold up to my half-arsed scrutiny. :P

Fillerjournal time!

Well, recently, I seem to have got back into werewolves in a big way, so I eventually ended up making a werewolf character of my own; a Victorian-era chimney sweep by day named Bill, to be exact. I originally created him more as a bit of fun to appear in a pic alongside  tato's werewolf character, Edmund Lockwood (who I still say should go around wearing a top hat), but I ended up growing rather attached to the fella. I do actually have ideas in my mind for a murder mystery story involving the character, which willl probably never see the light of day as right now I have other things I need to focus on.

Anyway, in a fit of boredom I hijacked - er, "borrowed" a template Tato had used to develop Edmund and tried doing the same for Bill. Here are the results, if you wish to peruse them.

Reference pic: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7790380/

Basic Statistics

Name: William Tyreman
Nickname: Bill
Meaning of Name: ‘Will, Desire’
Origin of Name: German
Age: 31
Sex: Male
Nationality: English
Socioeconomic level as a child: Poor/Working class
Socioeconomic level as an adult: Poor/Working class
Birth Date: May 22nd
Birth Place: London, England
Current Residence: London, England
Occupation: Chimney sweep
Hobbies/Pastimes: drawing (mostly with chalk), playing the harmonica
Talents/Skills/Powers: Nothing special, unless you count his lycanthropy.
Birth Order: N/A
Family: None living.
Relationship Skills: Moderate/good

Past History

Hometown: London (more specifically Whitechapel), England
Type of Childhood: Bill lived a harsh childhood, but a happy one because of his family. Skipped school and got his first job at 11 years old to help support his family.
First Memory: Seeing St. Paul’s Cathedral for the first time.
Most important childhood event that still affects him/her: Seeing his dad come home covered in soot and mistaking him for a monster.
Why? He finds that rather funny now considering his occupation and his current ‘condition’.
Other memories/events that still affect him/her: The one time he lost his temper and tried to exact revenge on a rude wealthy customer.
Why? That customer turned out to be a werewolf, which led to his current predicament.
Why? He’s learned not to be so hot-tempered, though that’s difficult when he’s changed.
Biggest role model: His father.
Why? An honest working man who always tried to look on the bright side in spite of rough conditions. His attempts to emulate his father’s behaviour are now keeping him sane.
Biggest disillusions from childhood: Wishing for a good life is not going to get him anywhere.
Why? Learned that from a very early age; his dad always told him to keep his feet on the ground and not expect the fantastic.

Physical Characteristics

Height: 5’ 4”
Weight: Light
Posture: Upright, lithe
Build: Slim
Race: Werewolf
Skin: Pale white
Eyes: Large, brown, give impressions of kindness and warmth.
Hair: Brown, mid-length and quite shaggy. Often covered in soot from his line of work, though he does attempt to clean himself up after work.
Expressions: Friendly and optimistic, but has been known to turn sour.
Face: Long, full cheeks, rounded chin, mid-sized mouth and lips, big ears, button nose on the end of a long bridge, short but thick eyebrows
Tattoos/Scars? One small scar on his left arm that he got on his first chimney-sweeping job.
Glasses/Contacts? N/A
Distinguishing features: N/A
How does s/he dress: Always rough, in a coal-grey jacket, trousers and flat cap. White shirt and black shoes that have seen better days. Often wears a brown neckerchief.
Jewelry: N/A
Other accessories: Nothing, unless you count his brushes.
Weapons: N/A
Mannerisms/Poses: Usually stands tall but relaxes easily. When moving, he tends to be quite light and graceful, like a dancer.
Habits (smoking, drinking, obsessive compulsive disorders): Sometimes wrings his neckerchief when he’s nervous. Is also quite a heavy drinker.
Health: Good
Favorite Sayings: None in-particular
Speech Patterns: Accent betrays his working-class Whitechapel roots.
Style (Elegant, shabby, etc): Shabby
Physical Disabilities: Not that strong physically
Physical Qualities: Is quite agile as a human, moreso in full wolf form and is also much stronger.
Greatest Physical Flaw: He’s a werewolf, and as a result gets an allergic reaction to silver. There are three stages of his transformation:
Stage 1: A human-like wolf, still conscious of his actions and good control of his emotions. This is his base transformation during a full moon, and can also be instigated by extreme emotion (anger, stress, embarrassment, etc.)
Stage 2: More feral, brought on by both the full moon and extreme emotion. Stands on two legs, but runs on all fours. Has less self-control in this stage and gives in to his bestial id more easily. Though he remembers his actions, he forgets some details about his human life; he’ll remember the significance of something, but not exactly why it’s significant.
Stage 3: Extremely rare phase that Bill has not experienced yet. Honestly, no-one really knows what causes it; it might only be reached when his biochemistry is off-balance, when the phases of the moon are just right or some kind of celestial alignment. He’s unconscious of what he’s doing, completely lacks self-control and has no memory of his human self, succumbing completely to carnal instincts and lust. Violent, destructive and powerful, this phase only ends at daybreak, leaving Bill weakened throughout the next day.
Best Physical Quality: Is apparently now immortal, but has not lived long enough to test that. He heals quicker in moonlight.

Intellectual/Mental/Personality Attributes and Attitudes

Intelligence Level: Intelligent, but it’s more street-smarts than anything academic. Barely literate.
Known Languages: English
Character's long-term goals in life: Find a cure for his condition.
Character's short-term goals in life: Get payback on the werewolf that bit him.
How does Character see him/herself? With a mix of pride and the feelings of an outcast; he refuses to let his condition change the person he is, but maintains a nagging doubt that he’ll never really fit in now.
How does Character believe s/he is perceived by others? As just a regular person, at least that’s what he hopes they perceive him as.
How is s/he perceived by:
Strangers? Like a normal guy, hard-working, cheerful, perhaps a bit loud and corny if they happen to see him drunk.
Friends? Friendly, a good listener and source of comfort.
Wife/Husband/Lover? N/A
How does s/he view people and society? As far as individual people go, he tries to see the best in others, but doesn’t blind himself to a person’s faults. As far as society goes, he harbours a resentment of the class system, specifically those people he regards as being of higher class than he. He regards activities such as visiting the opera, meals at fancy restaurants, etc. to be outmoded and unfair class distinctions, and particularly hates fox hunting.
How self-confident is the character? Very self-assured, full of energy and confidence in his job and himself. This can be to the point of delusion, as he keeps telling himself that he’ll never lose control in his wolf form.
Patience level: Is generally pretty patient, but has no tolerance for those he feels have slighted him or his background.
Does the character seem ruled by emotion or logic or some combination thereof? Emotion
Most at ease when: he’s at the pub with friends.
Ill at ease when: he’s around upper-class folk.
If granted one wish, what would it be? To simply live a long and healthy life.
Why? He has simple needs.
Character/Personality/Mental/Social Strengths: Strong-willed, optimistic, socialises well.
Character/Personality/Mental/Social Flaws: Has a tendency to be blunt and tactless, mostly by accident but often on purpose when around the upper classes.
Biggest Vulnerability (non physical): When he gets too drunk and rather vulgar.
Optimist or Pessimist: Optimist
Introvert or extrovert: Extrovert
Greatest Fear: That someone will discover his condition and try to either kill him or put him on display in a freakshow. This fear is even more compounded if that someone turned out to be a friend.
Other Fears: That he may end up indebted to the werewolf that bit him, someone much more experienced than him in these matters and who he has had to begrudgingly go to for advice on his condition.
Peculiarities: N/A
Biggest regret: Pulling a prank on a certain rude customer.
Biggest accomplishment: So far, he has not lost complete control as a wolf.
Minor accomplishments: The first time he successfully cleaned out a chimney without injury.
Secret desires: Has a major crush on his friend Lesley, and would want a relationship if the whole werewolf thing wasn’t getting in the way.
Character's darkest secret: He’s a werewolf, as if that wasn’t apparent already.
Minor Secrets: Used to go to opium dens as a teenager, still drinks quite habitually.

Relationships with others

Lover(s): N/A
Best Friends: Fellow chimney sweep Jack, and Lesley, the daughter of the landlord at his local pub.
Hates: Too strong a word, but the werewolf that bit him comes pretty close.
Friends: Lots of acquaintances, but he only really considers Jack and Lesley to be friends.
Rivals: The upper-class werewolf that bit him.
Sexuality: Straight
Crushes: None he makes obvious.
Secret Crushes: Lesley
Sexual fetishes: N/A
How does character relate to others? He’s amiable and friendly to those who know him, polite to most others, though mostly only to those of the working classes unless he’s on a job. He’s respectful to those who show a practical ability, such as scientists and engineers, but he views most in the upper classes with disdain, unable to see them as anything other than good-for-nothing ninnies.
What type of first impression does this character present: Comes off as outgoing, perhaps loud, vulgar and corny if they happen to catch him drunk.
What happens to change this perception if at all? Once they get to know him, they find out that he’s kind, empathetic and a man of honest character.
What do family/friends like most about character? His loyalty to a friendship once he makes it.
What do family/friends like least about character? His alcoholism and inferiority complex about the upper classes. None of them know about his lycanthropy yet.

Likes/Dislikes

Likes: Cold beer, chalk drawings, most music, engineering (he used to want to drive steam trains)
Dislikes: upper-class activities (especially fox hunting), warm beer, getting soot in his mouth, riding horses.
Favorite:
Color: Orange
Clothing: His flat cap
Food: Anything strong tasting
Music: Folk
Animal: Foxes
Sayings: N/A
Motto: N/A
Least Favorite:
Color: Purple
Clothing: Anything made of fur
Food: Bitter foods
Music: Opera
Animal: Spiders
Simple Pleasures: His hobbies
Greater Pleasures: Being with friends.
Mode of transportation: Mostly walking, sometimes hires a horse and cart if he has to make a long journey to a job.
Most prized possession: His harmonica
Why? Helps soothe him when he plays, good way to entertain folk.

Emotional Characteristics

Describe character's sense of morals: Harsh but fair; knows when to let things slide and when to call someone out on their bad behaviour.
Describe character's etiquette: Lacks societal refinement, but does have a very loose sense of manners.
How does this character act in public? Cheerful
How does this character act at home? Calm and reflective.
How has this character most changed from childhood? Has become more of a realist, not so much of a dreamer.
How have they remained the same? He still maintains a positive outlook.
How does this character deal with or react to:
Anger? Tries to turn the other cheek; very rarely does he get angry to the point of verbally exploding or getting physically violent.
Sadness? Will mourn in an appropriate manner, but tries to move on.
Danger? Is a brave soul, something born out of necessity given his occupation.
Change? Likes to think of himself as adaptable, but sudden changes can still throw him off a little.
Loss? Tries to bury grief, but can get quite emotional in private.
Sex? Used to be quite promiscuous, but now daren’t pursue sexual activity in case the heightened emotion sets off a transformation.
Homosexuality? Doesn’t know and doesn’t care.
Pain? Grits his teeth and carries on best he can. Won’t admit defeat unless the injury is very serious.
Stress? Can transform if it gets bad enough, otherwise gets noticeably more tight-lipped.
Guilt? Tries to make up for his mistakes quickly, so he can move on sooner.
Pressure? Same as with stress
Love? Has a crush on Lesley, but has never been open about it, especially not now as he doesn’t want to risk her finding out about his lycanthropy and getting hurt by it.
Friendship? Believes firmly in keeping his friends close; treasures friendships forever.
Drugs? Cleaned up his opium habit when it nearly destroyed him, but if you count alcohol then he’s been known to forget his limits.
Public Humiliation? Will try to deflect it by turning the other cheek.
What does the character want out of life? Just to be happy and at peace.
What would the character like to change in his/her life? Sometimes longs to see more of the world outside London.
What motivates this character? Nothing much; he’s just glad to be alive day-to-day.
Why? He has simple tastes which some attribute to a lack of ambition.
What discourages this character? Having to deal with upper-class customers.
Why? He half-expects them to be all high-and-mighty with him. Would find it difficult to bite his tongue if that happened.
What makes this character happy? Being with his friends.
Why? They remind him of his essential humanity and keep him sane.
What makes this character sad? The thought that he might forget himself and the people he cares about.
Why? He was warned about it, and while he didn’t pay much attention at the time he’s had that nagging doubt.
What makes this character angry? When his friends get insulted, or worse attacked.
Why? He’s very protective of them.
Is the character judgmental of others and how so? He’s very judgmental of those he feels don’t make a practical contribution, particularly with regards to the upper classes. He definitely has something of an inferiority complex.
What most describes this character's personality? He can seem crass and corny, but he always means well and his heart’s in the right place.

Spiritual Characteristics

Religion: Protestant, but not particularly pious.
Does the character believe in a god or goddess? God
What are the character's spiritual beliefs? Does have a vague Christian faith, but it’s more about his own personal relationship with God and isn’t interested in any form of church scripture.
Is religion or spirituality a part of this character's life? Faith is personal and private to him; it has a part, but not a large one.
If so, what role does it play? A means of comfort in dark moments, gives him something to ponder on about the afterlife (if there is one for creatures like himself).
Chinese Zodiac: Unknown
Astrological Zodiac: Gemini
Element: Unknown

So to get rid of that bit of unpleasantness that was in my previous journal entry, here's a meet report!

Spent pretty much all of the Manchester meet today hanging out with  emberkomodog,  lizard-guy,  flintgf and  shez (with Ember's attire reminding me of that reviewer, Paw, over on That Guy with the Glasses, especially when he's wearing his big headphones). Chilled out at the bar for a bit while Damian entertained us with his mandolin, with the two of us probably startling the bar patrons with our rendition of Another Brick in the Wall Part 2. After a while we wandered the town and I got very spicy Thai food.

Then we headed to Dawson's, that big music store (after seeing how  evilsquirrel had got his body graffiti'ed, with ponies, of all things) mostly for Ember to look at drum kits. I wonder if he and Damian are even remotely serious about the idea of starting a band; if I lived closer to them, I'd have more reason to get back into fine-tuning my singing voice. You wouldn't know it if you listened to me now (especially if you've heard me caterwaul on Rock Band; Damian and Evil probably have a good idea of what I mean), but I used to be a pretty good singer.

So, really, most of my time at the meet was not actually spent at it. Sometimes that's more than enough for me though; it just feels good to get to know the guys better outside of the whole furry thing. That's the way I tend to judge people in the fandom; if I think I'd have got on with them if we'd met outside the fandom then I feel a whole lot more comfortable. Even if I still have all the conversational ability of a comatose llama, but oh well.

Anyway, it felt great to be at a meet again; it was good times with good friends, and I'm more than content with that.

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3573735/

I think this journal speaks for itself.

Honestly, you get great times in this furry fandom from the likes of ConFuzzled. It's opened up my social circle, given me a lot of laughs and introduced me to good people who I likely would not have met any other way...

So WHY does somebody have to come along and fuck it all up?!

Nothing excuses behaviour like this. I think  roareyraccoon said it best; if you cannot do so responsibly then you should not be allowed to fuck.

EDIT: When I first posted this I suggested that the pair should be named and shamed. That was a heat-of-the-moment comment and could just end up making things worse if such a thing happened. I still hope they get prosecuted to the full extent of the law; at the very least I'm all in favour of them being permabanned from every furry event and convention in the future.

So, on the final day, I wake up to see a lot of dead-looking people around me. I think I could guess which ones stayed up all night for the Big Blue Dance!

In some ways I was thankful that today would be the last day I would hear the same four damn tunes being repeated on a constant loop in the bar. Seriously, if I hear those tunes one more time I think I'm going to hit somebody.

Anyway, had breakfast with the usual suspects, plus a few staff members who came by our table;  graafen,  jennavixen and  deezlberries.. After that there really wasn't much left to do except get checked out before the rush, and after we did that we just hung out with  hiro and  bloodoodles, with  emberkomodog doing more impressions. One was the one he'd been doing all through the convention, the "Who's your favourite pony?" one. I really should keep up with these odd Internet trends so that I know what people are talking about. Another impression was of  mrcullen, who I regret not speaking to more at ConFuzzled last year.

Something odd did happen though; a rather sweaty bloke approached me asking if I was Ember. I'm guessing he made that mistake because Seagoon also has dreadlocks like Selkies/Roswita does. When he went away I could see Ember visibly cringing; something tells me that I took a bullet for him!

So after the closing ceremony I grabbed lunch and said my goodbyes to everyone as they left. I myself wasn't due to leave until well into the afternoon, a decision I sort-of regret because there are so few people who I actually know and want to say farewell to. Anyway, I left and set off on what must have been the worst journey home I have ever experienced, with my train getting delayed by an hour because of (get this) animals on the line. Seriously, it was worse than any time I've got stuck in a snowstorm, and by the time I got home I was just about stir-crazy.

So concludes my long, rambling ConFuzzled 2012 report. Once again it was fantastic, even better than last year. Some issues on the Sunday still haven't changed the fact that I left with a lot of fond memories, and I'm missing all the guys already.

So many thanks to the con staff, the venue staff, the volunteers and (most of all) friends old and new for making ConFuzzled 2012 so damn special. Bring on ConFuzzled 2013, I say; I'm sure it's going to be an even bigger blast!

Gonna put this up a bit early as I'll be doing other things tomorrow. Don't know if I'll put the photos up too; let's just wait and see.

Anyway, spent most of that morning just chilling out, seeing a lot of hungover faces and meeting with the usual lot plus the likes of  avalanche,  panthras,  tzup,  shivon and so on. Things didn't really get moving until the fursuit parade. I wish I'd picked a better spot for taking photos, as I don't think many of them came out well. I should have gotten a photo when suiters were gathered about partway through outside...

Afterwards the guys went off to the pool again to cool off while I dossed around, even spending a moment to see the animals the charity had brought along. I've never seen a real-life fox so close, and I can't imagine how weird it must have felt to the poor mite to be surrounded by all these strange people!

Eventually  shez and I queued up for the Sponsor Buffet, and I'm glad we got there when we did; we actually managed to get some grub this time around (the downside being that the nachos tasted rather stale)! The music was all Disney songs and Internet memes; are those the only songs furries know? That said,  foxamoore is an amazing musician. I didn't stick around for the rest of the entertainment; I was there more for the grub.

That was when the shit hit the fan. While relaxing with the guys in the bar, I ended up getting a bad nosebleed. I don't know what set it off, but then it could have been anything; the heat (if that was the case then that rules out any idea of me fursuiting), the painkillers I'd had the day before, even blowing my nose or laughing too hard. Whatever set it off, I ended up having to spend half an hour in con ops waiting for it to die down, which thankfully it did. I've gotta say that the staff were bloody (no pun intended) fantastic throughout the affair.

I ended up feeling really lousy for the rest of the day, mind. I felt embarrassed that it had happened and that I had to be a creepy mouthbreather for several hours afterwards, and I felt terrible that I was sure I'd given the guys a bad scare. I did my best to keep going though, going along to the Just Play It Loud! event. I even managed to get Dream Theater playing on the sound equipment, though it was a toss-up between their On the Backs of Angels and Haken's Insomnia.

We then attended the Fursuit Dance Competition, and I have to say that I really don't know how those guys manage to do what they do. I certainly can't dance, let alone do so while wearing several pounds worth of foam and fake fur! It gave me a whole new level of appreciation for what these guys do, and the winners were well-deserved.

Afterwards we decided to have the Chinese buffet, sitting along with  frosttwolf, Exiled Wolf and  roareyraccoon. Then it was time for the auction... At least it was about an hour after it was due to start. All I could end up thinking throughout it was "these people must have more money than sense". It wouldn't be so bad if all of the money was going to the charity, but most of the items I saw either had a very small percentage or no money at all going there, and those were the items going for the highest prices. I know I shouldn't complain, but some of the bids were just ridiculous. Also, anybody who raises the bid by just £1 should be banned; it got to the point of being downright farcical.

I didn't stick around for the whole auction. By this point, both that and the nosebleed had left me feeling very sour. I hate saying such things as it may be taken to imply that it was the convention's fault when that was far from the case, but I figure I've got to be honest in these things. While some of the guys went off to socialise I ended up wandering the place by myself, feeling pretty down, as if post-con depression was setting in early. I've been having these slumps quite a lot over the past few years. I sat down by the lake, trying to get my head back together, and taking a moment to appreciate how beautiful it was there. If it hadn't been for being beside a main road and the techno music from the nightclub, I'd say they picked a really peaceful place for a convention.

When I felt sufficiently... well... less party-pooperish, I went back inside to watch  coyote_snack filming an inpromptu music video with the winning dance competition team, led by  kiyo_fursuit. I've gotta say it's impressive to watch the whole filmmaking process, and I was amazed at the quality of the footage you could get on those small cameras. Didn't stay up much longer after that, but all the events of the day made me wonder if I should go see a doctor (something I'm still debating doing).

The thing about conventions is that I always find it hard to plan what events to go to; a few may catch my interest, but they'll often be clashing with other events. This is why I usually just wing it and not make any specific plans each day. Besides, I often find that I have the most fun at conventions outside events; you never know what kind of random insanity will occur in the corridors or between fursuiters. Somehow I find that spontaneous performance more endearing than organised events.

Anyway, I felt pretty rough in the morning due to not getting a third meal the previous day, with  emberkomodog and  lazerus101 looking as rough as I felt! As a sponsor I got early access to the Dealer's Den, though half the time I don't know why I bother going in there; there isn't much that really catches my eye.

I tend to use it more to evaluate an artist and their style in case I want to commission them at a later date. This brought to mind the Wall Project, which I'd not commissioned anything for in a while because my money has had to go towards more important things all year. Obviously such pics would be too complex to do over the span of a convention weekend, though I did take a few notes for a couple of pieces (I know there's one scene in-particular I'd love to see  spiritraptor's take on). In the end, I got a little comedy sketch from  muzz which I thought Ember might find amusing, plus a Wall-related sketch from Kast ( rocketdog) which I may ask her to develop into a full-colour piece at a later date.

After that it was the usual routine of chatting to folk, taking photos wherever I could. Ember spent a lot of time at the con doing very cruel but uncannily accurate and hilarious impressions of assorted creepers and other Internet "oddities" (usually centred around the whole "brony" thing). That's the kind of thing he could get away with as Roswita, but I'd be very surprised if he doesn't get himself punched one of these days!

As Ember went to help set up the Fursuit Fiasco I decided to queue early, which was a bad idea in hindsight. I should have remembered that things tend to operate on "con time", where it's best to add an extra 15 minutes at the very least to the time the schedule says! In the end, the games did go ahead and they were hilarious. The only rule that came to mind with these things when I talked to  nbowa about them afterwards is that "there are no rules".

I did attend Spirit's drawing panel for all of five minutes, just to see if I could improve my horrendous art, but in the end I figured it best to go grab dinner before the Fur-e-oke started. As it turned out we all ended up waiting a lot longer than we should have, for the equipment wasn't set up until well after it was due to start for some unknown reason. Still, I hung out with the regulars and got to say hi to  loui before the event began. I had a good laugh seeing people pick what have to be the gayest songs imaginable, and I actually ended up duetting Comfortably Numb with  krakenkritters for the second year running. Why do I get the feeling that will become our ConFuzzled "party piece"?

Afterwards we all made it to the Pawpet show, which turned out to be a spoof of Inception with references to hundreds of films and Internet memes. Like last year it was full of really silly and corny jokes wrapped up in a layer of cute (there were two bat characters in-particular who seemed determined to out-Carry On Carry On, if that makes any sense), but what actually surprised me about this year's show was that it had some real emotional depth to it. This came across mostly in the between-scene narrations, which were terrific stuff both art and narration-wise, touching on some genuinely dark subject matter and actually (and I know this may sound really silly saying this about a cute puppet show) making me reflect a lot on my own life and how eerily close to home the narration hits. The show was also very impressive on a technical level, especially towards the end where the video and on-stage fight sequences were timed perfectly.

Afterwards I did briefly attend  azrafox's room party, but I ended up leaving pretty quickly. I'm just not a party person and I didn't want to feel like I was just going to spend my time there propping up the wall. I just found a quiet corner and actually ended up reflecting on a lot of things. I vented most of it into my notebook, and ended up coming up with enough to fill up an entire pity-journal. Still, this isn't the place for that kind of thing, so I'll spare you from my whinging.

After I'd taken a moment to calm myself down and try to drag myself out of my funk, I went outside to goof around with the fursuiters a bit more before bed. Normally when it comes to suiter interaction I just indicate that I want a photo, snap the picture, give them a thumbs-up if it's turned out alright, then give my thanks and be on my way. I simply don't like the idea of taking up too much of their time. Sometimes though, that's not enough, and so I was trying to put into practice something Ember had said; give the suiter something to work with.

This turned out to not be as easy as it looks. With vocal characters like Roswita and Damian Tanuki it isn't so bad, provided you're quick-witted enough and they'll let you get a word in edgeways. It's the silent ones I have the most trouble interacting with, and I don't keep any props or anything like that handy. In the end, I did get to watch an inpromptu photoshoot (none of my own photos from it turned out okay, so I won't be sticking those up) and I did have some fun. There was one suiter in-particular - a black wolf in a black robe with glowing red eyes (I didn't catch his name, and the only photo I have of him is lousy; I wish I'd got a better one) - who was absolutely amazing, never breaking character even for a moment, and I only hope I didn't embarass him with my attempts at playing along with the act.

I have to say that, not only were the dinners a lot better this year, but so were the breakfasts. The fry-up no longer looked runny or greasy, and tasted okay too. Not sure about those odd teabags, though; no matter what I tried I just could not get a strong enough flavour out of them.

I didn't do much for most of the day aside from chat to folk and take photos of the suiters. I think most of the photos from the weekend actually came from this first day; the weather was beautiful, everyone was outside and it was prime photography conditions all round (even if I did get somewhat sunburnt; I must remember suntan lotion next time I come).

I probably spent the most time tailing Roswita ( emberkomodog) like a bad smell, acting as her unofficial photographer while she went around insulting everyone and generally being an all-round bitch. Seriously, while Roswita may be a horrible, despicable person, Ember himself is a bloody inspiration; I don't know how he's able to ad-lib the way he does, and I wish I had even half of that wit. Both Roswita and Selkies are now forever etched into my memory, which surely must be the mark of a great suiter.

Anyway, enough of me babbling on like an absolute crawler. We headed to the opening ceremony, which ended when the Guests of Honour arrived by helicopter! Now I know where my money went! I couldn't resist hanging back to take a few photos, but this meant I got stuck in the queue for the barbeque (I'm a poet and I didn't know it!) for ages. I did eventually manage to get some grub after about half an hour, but afterwards I didn't feel like I needed to eat anything else for the rest of the day (though on reflection I probably should have, given that I was starving by my late bed-time).

The rest of the guys went to lounge at the pool (I didn't bring any swimming trunks, and in any case I wouldn't want to expose anyone to my flesh which is officially a danger to shipping), so I dossed around the con, hung out with  evilsquirrel for a bit discussing the idea of setting up a fursuit bingo or some other fursuit-spotting game (seeing a fox fursuiter would have been worth the least amount of points, by the way!) and drew a rather cruel caricature of a creeper. It reminded me of my days at university when I'd do little in lectures except draw snotty cartoons.

A couple of things I noticed while wandering around:

1) A number of suiters walked around without bits of their suit on, usually the head. I understand that it gets hot in those things and you need to cool off, but I was under the impression that that's what the fursuit lounge was for (still my favourite room at the con due to all the fans in there, and I'm not even a suiter!). I can't tell you how odd it looks seeing a fuzzy body walking around with a comparatively small human head stuck on top. It looks like something Sid would do with his toys in Toy Story.

2) Everyone was fairly spread out for a while. I think  chriskitmyth may have a point with this; it was a new venue, so everyone was off exploring it. I know I had to do a few laps around the place before I got a feel for it, but I have to say I found it more intuitive than the last venue.

Anyway, met a few folks, including  lizard-guy and  shez and took more photos. Then went to hang out with Ember and Kast ( rocketdog) at the bar. It felt weird speaking to Kast again; I met her years back at a Manchester meet, back when I still went by the Alborke character, but I don't think she recognised me. We talked about various things relating to the fandom, with one topic in-particular coming up which I've actually got a lot I want to say about, but this journal really isn't the place to say it.

Ember decided to suit up again, this time as Selkies, where he proceeded to terrify a number of attendees with his mad gibberish and his hunt for "Dog". We briefly went to  graafen's rock set where there was a quick dance-off between Selkies and Evil, and then Roswita was unleashed again. Surprisingly all through the weekend I got off pretty lightly with the insults; I can't help but think that she's got a corker prepared for me the next time we meet. :P

After a while I decided to go to the game room and spend the rest of the night on Rock Band with Evil and a couple of others who decided to try playing in fursuit. I wonder if it's even possible to play the game using an entire band in fursuit, though I imagine keyboard would be very difficult! There were some problems with the Rock Band setup though; the "Dani California bug" (where the console declares that the disc couldn't be read if you try to play certain songs from Rock Band 1) hadn't been patched, most of the DLC songs didn't work, the Start button on the keyboard was broken, and the wireless mics that were used were absolutely useless (mine actually disconnected during Roundabout). I can only hope that ways are found to fix these problems for next time...