Megaplex 2025 came with the promise a lot of firsts: It would be my first time at that con, my first time passing through South Carolina, and my first time in Florida, among others. I've been trying to get away to different cons than I normally attend, so this was certainly going to be a departure from the normal.

I calculated out the distances and times to determine how far I could realistically travel in a day, and figured I could make it from Columbus to Savannah before it got too late at night; that would leave me with a decent but not killer drive to Orlando the following morning. As it turned out, the drive was very much manageable in terms of time, but I didn't consider how much being behind the wheel for 12 hours would tire me out. By the time I reached my hotel in Richmond Hill, GA it was almost midnight and I was dead. I got enough energy back to finish the drive the following morning, but with a rainy drive between the hotel and Jacksonville and some treacherous traffic around Daytona, I still needed a power nap once I got unloaded at the Hyatt in Orlando.

Speaking of which, the Hyatt is an absolutely gorgeous hotel--and man oh man is it huge. There were 5(!) restaurants scattered throughout it; a diner, a bar, a sit down restaurant, a fancy restaurant, and a grab-and-go style shop. I mostly ate at the grab-and-go, which had a Cuban sandwich for not too much money that really hit the spot, but I did stop by the bar a couple of times to have a plateful of honey garlic wings (on the house thanks to a coupon from  sylox's Hyatt points). Our hotel room was comfortable and spacious; the bathroom mirror had a clock in it, which was a neat touch I'd never seen before. The con space was big, and while the layout was a little odd, it didn't take too long to get the hang of it. Props to the hotel for keeping it COLD in the con space too; it was actually a little uncomfortable to walk around in a short sleeve shirt and shorts at times, but in suit it was perfect.

The con itself got off to kind of a slow start. The schedule, which ran from Saturday-Monday instead of the usual Friday-Sunday, threw me off and left me constantly unsure of what day it was. The other contributor to the slow start was registration; the line literally wrapped around the convention space all day Friday and the majority of Saturday as well. It wasn't until around dinnertime Saturday that I was finally able to get my badge. Still, I managed to take some time on Saturday to slip out to a sports bar with Ty Timberwolf, Buddy Shepsky,  lukehusky and  itchavi to watch Ohio State beat Texas to open the college football season while waiting for the line to die down.

Things picked up con-wise on Sunday, starting with the fursuit parade in the morning. I opted to stay in suit after the parade and goof around in the con space for a few hours before heading to the fox meet and greet, where I got to say hi to  alrickyznetsov, among others. Sunday night was also the Night Market; I got to dance around a bit and hang out in less clothing than I'd normally wear at a con, which was pretty fun too. I spent most of Monday afternoon at the pool; Shade and Rai reserved a cabana and were kind enough to let me stash my things with them and have a spot to slip out of the occasional sprinkle of rain that was passing through. After the pool and dinner, I suited up to give it one last go, spending those last precious hours of con as a fox before retiring to my room to rest up for the long trek home Tuesday.

Though the con was over, my furry adventures were not; I stopped in Savannah to grab lunch with  zackloup and his partner, and then slipped out to Tybee Island to set foot in the Atlantic Ocean for the very first time. The rest of Tuesday was spent on the road; I spent the night in Wytheville, VA and continued on to the New River Gorge in West Virginia; my maternal grandparents grew up in the area, so I visited a few family sites and cemeteries before heading home in the afternoon.

Overall, Megaplex was a fun con. I was able to catch up with some old friends (folks I hadn't seen in years, in some cases), and made a few new friends in the process too. I don't think I'd want to make that drive solo again, and I didn't get as much time in suit as I would have liked due to the rocky start, but Sunday and Monday more than made up for any shortcomings. It's definitely a con I'd recommend and encourage others to check out in future years.

I'll mostly be hanging around local meets this fall while my wallet recovers, but I'll heading to MFF this December to finish out the year. See you all around!

Not only my first time at Megaplex, but actually my first time going to Florida!

Where are you staying? The Hyatt! That's where everyone's staying, isn't it?

How are you traveling? I will be driving! Gonna split it up into two days to give myself a little more lead time and rest while I'm on the way.

What day are you getting there? If all goes according to plan I will be there Thursday afternoon.

Who will you be rooming with?  Sylox,  blunosereindeer, and Lexi.

Are you taken? Nope! You should take me somewhere.

Are there any panels you might be attending? Gonna try and hit up the Vulpine meet on Sunday, and the dances of course, but otherwise I'm mostly gonna play it by ear.

What do you look like? White guy in a button down shirt and shorts/Bright orange fox with blue earses

Will you be suiting? It's gonna be a warm one, but I'm gonna try!

What is your gender? Cisgender Male

How tall are you? 6 feet. Ish.

Can I talk to you? Absolutely, let's talk!

Can I touch you? If you ask first.

Can I visit your room? Upon invitation.

Can I buy you drinks? As long as they're non-alcoholic, sure!

Can I give you stuff? Free art: Yes. Illnesses: Please no.

Can I hug or snuggle with you? Ask! The worst i can say is no.

Are you nice? Nicely nicely.

Will you be going to parties? I'm... not sure. Do you know anyone throwing one?

Will you be performing? All the world's a stage when you're in suit. As for actual stage activity... no.

If I see you, how should I get your attention? Blue! BlueStreak! Fops! Fox!

What/where will you be eating? I have genuinely no idea. If you have suggestions, I'm all ears!

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc? If we're hungry at the same time, sure!

Can I take your picture? Absolutely!

What's your goal(s) for the con this year? Try some new experiences and new faces in a new place. See you in Orlando!

As you've probably noticed by now, I've been uploading my backlog of con photos from the past 6-8 months. I'm spacing them out to avoid burying everyone in pictures, but my goal is to get caught up to current by the time I go to Megaplex. Enjoy!

I've now been to twenty, count them, TWENTY cons! Wild that it's only been six years since I first went to Anthrocon, it feels like a lifetime ago. Anyway, here's the recap:

The drive into town was smooth and easy, and I arrived around lunchtime on Wednesday and immediately went to check in. This was my first time staying at the Drury; it's a neat hotel located in a former Federal Reserve building. The room was kind of small; there were five of us and five fursuits in the room, and that made for some VERY tight quarters at times, but we made it work. The free food was not all it was hyped up to be, but it was a pleasant enough stay otherwise, with responsive staff and comfortable beds. I also happened to run into  quinnauer and  kelixmalachite just as they were walking into the Westin, so I helped them carry stuff upstairs and get their room set up as well.

Much like past years at MFF, apprehension about catastrophically long lines at registration became a self-fulfilling prophecy; everyone got in line as soon as it opened. If I had known better, I would have waited until 3 or 4 in the afternoon to try it, by which point the lines were dying down, but with the same concerns as everyone else I ended up going right after lunch. The line moved fairly well, but the sheer number of folks trying to get through it meant that I waited about two hours anyway. Still, I manged to pick up my badge at a reasonable hour and had plenty of time to get dinner and catch up with  zackloup and  artbyhornbuckle before suiting up for the Sports Furs meetup that evening.

Friday was the  paciulofursuits family meet; got a lot of neat photos with my suit siblings (that I still need to track down). I also got to hang out with  strobes for a bit, which was great fun as always. Some evening plans got hit by speed bumps when dinner didn't agree with me; I think it was an allergic reaction. Still, I felt well enough by the time fireworks were getting started to head down to the waterfront and hang out with folks. After the fireworks, I popped up to the dance to catch Avichi's set, which absolutely blew the doors off the place.

After considerable debate and back and forth, I made the decision to skip the fursuit parade on Saturday. I was still feeling a little bit off from dinner the night before, and I hadn't really had a chance to go through the Dealer's Den yet, so I decided to take the time to do that instead of spending (what I expected would be) 3-4 hours going through the process of the parade. However, I was shocked to look out at about 3PM and see that the parade was already finished. I'm not sure what all the con did differently this year to keep traffic moving, but whatever it was, it worked. Still, I'm glad I took the time in the Dealer's Den; I got to pick up a daki from  shinigamigirl, reconnect with  commandercross, and chat with  toonfx, among others. After finishing up there, I headed back to my room and suited up for the block party, where I finally had a chance to meet up with  tofte. We ended up grabbing dinner together; he was really awesome to talk to and hang out with, and loves talking about furry history as much as I do.

I ended up suiting up fairly early on Sunday in order to make the Ohio Furs meet, which had a great turnout. I ended up staying in suit until dinnertime, mostly just running around, getting photos with folks, and generally being a foxy nuisance. After de-suiting, I made a trip on the shuttles with  shutterbear and friends out to Burgatory, which I'd somehow never been to before. I had an elk burger that was utterly fantastic. I just caught the end of  riroh's set and hung around the dance for a bit, before heading down to the riverfront to spend the rest of my evening. I hit up Primanti Brothers on my way out of town on Monday, and stopped for a couple of photos on Mount Washington before heading back to Columbus.

In addition to the folks I mentioned above (and so many more I can't even list/name), I also had a couple of brief interactions with two folks whose work I've adored since I first found the fandom:  foxer421 and  teiran. Though it was only in passing, it was really awesome to get to say hi to them and tell them how much their work has meant to me. I also got to talk for a while with Buddy Shepsky, which really meant a lot to me.

Despite the fact that my con crud turned out to be Covid, I had a blast at Anthrocon. There were a few minor hiccups here and there, but overall it was great getting to catch up with old friends and connect with new ones. I'd rank it as the 4th best con I've been to so far, and the second best Anthrocon. Special thanks to  sylox for setting up our hotel room, and to  Dialuca01,  JescoChee, and Xavier for being great roommates.

I have two more cons planned this year: In addition to the traditional year-ender at MFF, I'm also going to Megaplex for the first time! If I don't see you there, I'll be at plenty of local meets around town.

Where are you staying? This will be my first time staying at the Drury! Looking forward to seeing how it is.

How are you traveling? Behind the wheel of a blue automobile.

What day are you getting there? Wednesday! Probably sometime between lunch and mid-afternoon.

Who will you be rooming with?  Sylox,  Dialuca01,  JescoChee, and Xavier. Gonna be a cozy room!

Are you taken? I am not.

Are there any panels you might be attending? I'll be stopping by the Sports Furries meet, as well as the unofficial Ohio Furs meetup. You'll definitely see me in the dances at some point too!

What do you look like? White guy in a button down shirt and shorts/Bright orange fox with blue earses

Will you be suiting? You bet your tail I will.

What is your gender? Cis Male

How tall are you? 6 feet.

Can I talk to you? I love to chat!

Can I touch you? With permission.

Can I visit your room? Upon invitation.

Can I buy you drinks? As long as they're non-alcoholic, sure!

Can I give you stuff? Free art: Yes. Illnesses: Please no.

Can I hug or snuggle with you? Ask! The worst i can say is no.

Are you nice? That's my intention.

Will you be going to parties? Probably one or two.

Will you be performing? Haven't decided yet if I want to bother with the hassle that is the parade, but I'll be suiting around all over all weekend. Nothing on a stage, though.

If I see you, how should I get your attention? Blue! BlueStreak! Fops! Fox!

What/where will you be eating? Pizza Parma will probably be my lunch most days, but dinner plans are more wide open.

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc? If we're hungry at the same time, sure!

Can I take your picture? I encourage it!

What's your goal(s) for the con this year? Relax and have fun with friends from all over. See you next week!

Been a long time since I've done anything like this, but what the heck.

Ever since getting the new refsheet for Jennifer earlier this week, I've had yotes on the brain. I've been lorebuilding a bit with her anyway, so I figured I'd try this out as a way to share it all (and talk about her without totally annoying my friends). So you can ask her anything! Any question, SFW or NSFW, doesn't matter. She will provide an honest answer to the best of her ability. You can ask in the comments below, on the accompanying Bluesky post, or in my DMs.

A few weeks late to this, but whatever.

AO got to try out a new venue this year, and goodness was it an upgrade! The Hilton was a gorgeous venue, with tons of room to expand going forward and lots of food and entertainment options just steps away. My expectations were met, and that's saying something. It was more expensive than the old location, but it was so egregiously cheap before that the upgrade honestly just puts it in line with most other cons out there.  20eagle13 and OnyxDerg were great roommates, and we had plenty of space and a great view out of our 10th floor room.

The History panel was a rousing success; I was joined on stage by two former con chairs, as well as  jaru, to tell stories and guide attendees through the con's many years as Morphicon and later AnthrOhio. I also got a special treat at the end: A flash drive full of photos from the con's early years in the 2000s, which I have had an absolute blast digging through over the past few weeks. I'll eventually need some help recognizing some unfamiliar faces, but we'll cross that bridge when we find it.

I did a LOT of suiting; I probably logged about 20 hours over the weekend. On at least one occasion I ended up getting caught up in other activities and never got the chance to take my suit off, but I managed to stay fairly comfortable throughout the weekend nevertheless. The weather cooperated for the parade, too, and we were able to hold it outdoors (in public!) on Saturday afternoon.

Got to hang out with a bunch of cool furs over the weekend, including (but not limited to)  samsonthefoxcat,  dh117439,  ma200,  campion1,  aerofox-, and so many more that I could never hope to list everyone. The only thing I really didn't get to do over the weekend was party; I may not be drinking anymore, but that doesn't mean I don't still like to hang out and vibe with folks. Still, with all the public hangouts and suiting I did, I more than made up for it in other places.

I did end up with some delayed-onset con crud that mixed in with my usual springtime allergies, but aside from that everything at AO was great this year. I skipped FWA this past weekend, but I hope to see you all at Anthrocon this summer!

Where are you staying? I'll be at the Hilton, which is the main hotel!

How are you traveling? It's almost close enough to walk, but not with stuff, so I'll be driving down.

What day are you getting there? Planning to be there when check-in opens Thursday afternoon.

Who will you be rooming with?  20Eagle13 and OnyxDerg!

Are you taken? Single, footloose and fancy free.

Are there any panels you might be attending? I'll be hosting the History of AnthrOhio panel on Saturday, so I'll definitely be at that one. Might check out the obscure music one and the retro tech panels too!

What do you look like? White guy in a button down shirt and jeans/Blue-eared orange fox

Will you be suiting? Lots!

What is your gender? Cis Male

How tall are you? 6 feet.

Can I talk to you? Absolutely, I love to chat!

Can I touch you? Ask first!

Can I visit your room? Upon invitation only.

Can I buy you drinks? It's gotta be non-alcoholic, but sure!

Can I give you stuff? Free art: Yes. Illnesses: Please no.

Can I hug or snuggle with you? Ask me first and you just might get to.

Are you nice? I always try to be.

Will you be going to parties? No set plans at this point, but if you're aware of one, I'm interested.

Will you be performing? Hosting the History of AnthrOhio panel Saturday afternoon, and I'll be in the parade earlier that day too.

If I see you, how should I get your attention? Blue! BlueStreak! Fops! Fox!

What/where will you be eating? Gonna definitely hit up Barley's and Late Night Slice over the course of the weekend.

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc? If we're hungry at the same time, why not?

Can I take your picture? Absolutely, the more the better!

What's your goal(s) for the con this year? Help AnthrOhio christen its new venue. See you next week!

MCFC was a con of firsts: My first time attending the con, my first time in Ypsilanti, and the first con I had to go through while battling fatigue. I started dragging Thursday evening and never really entirely got back to full strength, so if I didn't seem quite as energetic and/or chaotic as I usually am, that's largely why. Still, I managed to have a good time! Got to hang out a good bit with  gonifox, as well as Maes,  samsonthefoxcat,  lwr, and so many more. The weather wasn't very cooperative for suiting, but I did manage to get in a couple of hours on Friday and participated in the parade on Saturday as well. Seems to be a slow trickle of photos on Furtrack coming in, so I'll probably get around to posting those at some point (after I get to the MFF photos I've never posted... oops).

The con reminds me a lot of IFC and past years of AnthrOhio; a midsize, midwestern con in a suburban setting at a somewhat dated hotel. I will say that the Marriott Ypsilanti is better than the old hotels for either of those two cons, and it's in a better location, so it's got that going for it, even if exploring the area was limited by the generally wet, gross weather. The sponsors lounge is a neat touch, and well worth it (even if you don't drink). The rooms are up to date, and  aetherwuff was a fine roommate. Not a lot of places to hang a suit, though, so that took some improvising. Overall, though, it was a con that I'd definitely make a return trip to in a future year.

Now it's just a matter of getting enough rest to knock out the remaining fatigue cobwebs and get back on track for AnthrOhio in just two weeks!

Where are you staying? I'll be in the main hotel.

How are you traveling? Driving solo.

What day are you getting there? Should be there Thursday late afternoon/early evening.

Who will you be rooming with?  aetherwuff

Are you taken? I am not.

Are there any panels you might be attending? Might check out the musicians meet and greet, but otherwise I'm mostly going to play it by ear (pun intended)

What do you look like? White guy in a button down shirt and jeans/Blue-eared orange fox

Will you be suiting? You betcha.

What is your gender? I'm a guy.

How tall are you? 6 feet.

Can I talk to you? You definitely should!

Can I touch you? Ask first!

Can I visit your room? If you get invited.

Can I buy you drinks? No booze for me, but if you wanna buy me something else, let's talk about it.

Can I give you stuff? Free art: Yes. Illnesses: Absolutely not.

Can I hug or snuggle with you? Perhaps, if you ask first.

Are you nice? Depends on who you ask, but I try to be.

Will you be going to parties? No set plans at this point, but if you're aware of one, I'm interested.

Will you be performing? Nothing as part of the con, but suiting is its own form of performance, no?

If I see you, how should I get your attention? Blue! BlueStreak! Fops! Fox!

What/where will you be eating? Haven't the foggiest idea. Hotel restaurant, I guess...?

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc? That's certainly possible.

Can I take your picture? Absolutely, the more the better!

What's your goal(s) for the con this year? Get to relax and have a good time for a change. See you in Ypsilanti!

This was posted in thread form on Bluesky, but i figured it would be good to post here as well.

I've come to realize I have issues with alcohol consumption, and I don't need to be putting myself in a situation where I could make more poor decisions with it. On multiple occasions (including one recently) I have done foolish things while drinking that hurt people I care about. It's unacceptable. It's embarrassing. I've lost friends over it. There are no excuses, and I take responsibility for my actions. But that means preventing it from happening again.

In the past I'd brushed it off as caused by other extenuating circumstances, or insisted I could keep things in moderation. I don't know if I was just lying to myself or thought I could do it, but the result was the same; even if I did keep in control sometimes, I still strayed and caused problems. I don't like being a person who has to apologize to people he cares about for stupid things he did, and that I am horribly upset with myself for being that person. It's really been weighing on me these past couple weeks, and how (or if) I should say something about it publicly. But I feel I should.

So it's going to be a dry January for me, and February and March too. I may not be as visible locally for a while either, though I intend to remain active here. I also intend to keep my commitments to cons, but there will be no rum in my glass of Coke. I don't need alcohol to have fun.

In conclusion, I'd like to offer my deepest and sincerest apologies to the people I've hurt. Words only go so far, but they're all I have. I hope that down the road I can regain some of the trust I threw away through my stupidity, but being a better person is my ultimate goal.

-BlueStreak

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year. Hope it's a fun one.

Where are you staying? I'll be in the DoubleTree! Struck out in the lottery, but I had a backup plan.

How are you traveling? Driving; at this point it's looking like a solo journey.

What day are you getting there? My target arrival time is 3:00PM CST on Thursday afternoon.

Who will you be rooming with? Jagerhusky and their partner, Rivers, who I don't believe have never been to MFF before. Looking forward to showing them around!

Are you taken? I am single and interested.

Are there any panels you might be attending? Not hosting anything this year, but there are a few I'd like to check out! I just wish all the ones I was interested in weren't so early in the day...

What do you look like? White guy in a button down shirt and jeans/Blue-eared orange fox

Will you be suiting? Lots and lots!

What is your gender? I'm a boyfox

How tall are you? 6 feet.

Can I talk to you? You definitely should!

Can I touch you? Only with permission.

Can I visit your room? If you get invited.

Can I buy you drinks? I'd like that!

Can I give you stuff? Free art: Yes. Illnesses: Absolutely not.

Can I hug or snuggle with you? With consent, anything is possible.

Are you nice? Nauseatingly so.

Will you be going to parties? I have a few on my calendar already, but if you want me to come to yours, talk to me!

Will you be performing? I'll be performing as a large fox running around the Hyatt lobby like a maniac. This is not a scheduled con event.

If I see you, how should I get your attention? Blue! BlueStreak! Fops! Fox!

What/where will you be eating? I expect to make a lot of use out of the pop up lobby grab and go, but I'll probably stop in the restaurants a couple of times here and there. I will NOT be going to Fogo de Chao.

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc? Say hi and we'll see where things lead.

Can I take your picture? Absolutely, the more the better!

What's your goal(s) for the con this year? Hang out with more people I don't get to see very often. See you next week!

Well, I ain't getting any younger.

"Never let them see that they get to you."
-Nick Wilde, Zootopia (2016).

Today has been tough for a lot of folks. In the aftermath of yesterday's election I completely understand being nervous, apprehensive, or even scared. And it's important to express those emotions and seek comfort in the company of friends.

But also realize that's what they want; they want you to be scared. Refuse to give them that satisfaction. I may brood among friends, but in public I will be defiant and unwavering.

Let's take care of each other out there.

I never really knew Dragoneer, but I've been a regular FA user since I first found this fandom back in 2007. In an ever-shifting world of social media and messenger apps, from MySpace to Twitter to Bluesky, from MSN and AIM and Yahoo to Skype to Telegram and Discord, FurAffinity has proven to be an evergreen constant, a place you could always fall back on. Attempts to compete with it have come and gone, but it still stands alone atop the heap, and Dragoneer's leadership is a big part of why. His contributions will be sorely missed.

Where are you staying? I will be in the Westin! I loved the Omni last year but I'm pumped to be back in main.

How are you traveling? By land, in a car. Miiiight be carpooling but not sure yet.

What day are you getting there? My plan is to be in Pittsburgh by lunchtime on Wednesday.

Who will you be rooming with? Khaki Koyote, Ty Timberwolf, and Buddy Shepsky!

Are you taken? Singlefox. Availablefox. Bedfox?

Are there any panels you might be attending? I will be hosting the Ohio Furs Meet in DLCC rooms 408-410 on Sunday at noon! Will probably be dropping into a few other panels too.

What do you look like? White guy in a button down shirt/Blue-eared orange fox

Will you be suiting? Lots and lots, I hope!

What is your gender? Cis Male.

How tall are you? 6 feet.

Can I talk to you? Please do!

Can I touch you? If you ask first!

Can I visit your room? You may, upon invitation.

Can I buy you drinks? I like Iron City beer.

Can I give you stuff? Free art: Yes. Illnesses: No.

Can I hug or snuggle with you? With consent, anything is possible.

Are you nice? Aggressively nice.

Will you be going to parties? Probably going to be co-hosting something one evening, but aside from that I'm just going to be playing it by ear.

Will you be performing? All the world is a stage, is it not?

If I see you, how should I get your attention? Blue! BlueStreak! Fops! Fox!

What/where will you be eating? I'm gunning to get Primanti Brothers for lunch on Wednesday, and I'll inevitably be eating a lot of Pizza Parma, but aside from that I'm just going to see what I'm around when I get hungry.

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc? Say hi and we'll see where things lead.

Can I take your picture? Take as many as you want! Always need more suiting pics.

What's your goal(s) for the con this year? Walk in the fursuit parade. See you next week!

A bit delayed in getting to this, but here goes!

AO 2024 has come and gone, and Ohio's only full-fledged furry convention has certainly grown. With 1950 attendees, we demolished the previous record mark of 1261, and did so remarkably peacefully. From the con opening until after closing ceremonies there were no ambulance calls, no police calls, no fire trucks, and no reported thefts. Unfortunately, the massive growth did also mean there was briefly no parking on Saturday, which created problems of its own, but it's a small price to pay for a con well done.

The History of Anthrohio panel that I hosted on Friday went great. I was NOT expecting multiple former con chairs to be in attendance, and I'll admit it was a little nerve-wracking to detail the history of a convention I did not attend to the people who ran it, but everyone seemed to enjoy it and we got a lot of great feedback.

Adding to the feeling of being on the Hot Seat was the ambient temperature in the hotel. While the HVAC system did just fine in Main Events and the Dealers' Den, it was seriously struggling in the common areas, with temps getting well into the 80s on a weekend that was both hotter and more humid than Georgia had been during FWA. As such, my fursuit never left the tote all weekend; I partialed around plenty, though, so keep an eye on submissions as I keep rolling out more photos.

One of the biggest benefits of AO is always the number of locals I get to spend time with, and this year was no exception. I co-hosted a lovely (somewhat lewd) room party on Friday night, and ran it back Saturday evening for good measure. Got to spend some time with friends in the pool early in the weekend too (before it got too grody) and even helped a certain Badger make some vodka disappear late Friday night. A good party is always a good warm up for the dance, too, and the Saturday night rave knocked it out of the park; K9INE's set blew the doors off the place, and was but one of several great sets over the course of the weekend.

Despite the shortcomings of the venue, this was by far the best Anthrohio I've attended, and more than made up for a somewhat lackluster experience at FWA. The significant growth of the con was taken in stride by all the staff, and it went off largely without a hitch as a result. I can't wait to see what (and where) 2025 will bring us! In the meantime, it's less than a month until Anthrocon, so stay tuned!

Where are you staying? I'll mostly be staying at home since I only live a few minutes away, but I will be sharing a room in main with a couple folks for hangouts/parties/fursuit changes!

How are you traveling? Driving; it's like 10 minutes away.

What day are you getting there? I'll be there by Thursday evening at the latest.

Who will you be rooming with? Khaki Koyote,  dh117439, and  auntbumblebee will be co-hosting the room.

Are you taken? Single/pringle/mingle?

Are there any panels you might be attending? I will be hosting a panel on the history of Anthrohio on Friday afternoon! Check out Secondary Events at 3:30!

What do you look like? White guy in a button down shirt/Blue-eared orange fox

Will you be suiting? I sure plan to.

What is your gender? Cis Male.

How tall are you? 6 feet.

Can I talk to you? I encourage it!

Can I touch you? Only with permission.

Can I visit your room? Sure, if I invite you.

Can I buy you drinks? As many as you want to.

Can I give you stuff? Free art: Yes. Illnesses: Absolutely not.

Can I hug or snuggle with you? With consent, anything is possible.

Are you nice? Nicely nicely.

Will you be going to parties? Hosting a shindig on Friday (friends inquire within), but otherwise I'm just going to see what pops up.

Will you be performing? In my own way, yes.

If I see you, how should I get your attention? Blue! BlueStreak! Fops! Fox!

What/where will you be eating? Probably going to get a lot of stuff from the food trucks, but I need to satisfy my desire to bring a White Castle Crave Case to a con at some point...

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc? Say hi and we'll see where things lead.

Can I take your picture? Yes please! I wanna see more pics of me in suit.

What's your goal(s) for the con this year? Have the best AO possible. See you this weekend!

Another trip south of the Mason-Dixon line is in the books, this time to a con that is now (at least temporarily) the second biggest in the world. And while the theme may have been "Furry University," it could have very easily been "Growing Pains." Between the intransigence of hotel management to con requests and the staff struggling to keep up with a con that's more than doubled in size over the past two years, there were a lot of logistical issues across the board, from the less-than-ideal Dealers Den/Artists Alley setup, to ongoing elevator problems, to even simple things like keeping the Headless Lounges stocked with water. The end result was a lot of waiting in lines and a lot of frustration from congoers and staff alike. Hopefully this is something the con can work on next year, but there's only so much they can do if the hotels won't play ball.

Venue/size issues aside, I did still have a lot of fun. Over the course of the weekend I got in about 11 hours of suiting, plus another 4-5 partialing around the con space. My plan to drive down to Chattanooga on Wednesday and finish the drive Thursday morning was a resounding success. I got to visit with Iron Horse in the morning before completing a short hop to Atlanta, where I was able to get settled in my room, pick up my wristband, and eat lunch all within quick succession. Our 40th floor room also meant we didn't have nearly as many issues getting up and down as many did, or as I did in my room last year, which was a big help now that I'm a suiter. I attended the impromptu car show Thursday, where I met a couple Discord friends face to face for the first time, and saw a couple of rare Alfa Romeo sedans to boot. The Hoppy Hour Friday was crowded, but was a nice afternoon warmup for a few more hours of suiting before Riroh and Koda Stormpaw's party that night. I suited early on Saturday; I somehow missed the fursuit mingle, which seemed to have been bumped from the schedule, but did get to the  paciulofursuits photoshoot where I got to take my place among my suit siblings. Later on, I had a visit from my stepbrother and a friend he brought along, who was full of questions that I was happy to answer, and a nice long talk with Moms of Furries, who also will be the Guests of Honor at Anthrohio in only a little over a week. The Night Market Saturday was so crowded that getting in was nearly impossible, so I ended up hanging out with Khalifa and friends instead. Sunday was by far my favorite day; I actually got to visit the pool at a con for the first time, where I spent several hours hanging out with friends. I got a little sunburnt, which meant no more full suiting, but it was well worth it. I got to catch up with  rumwolf at dinner and shortly thereafter, and finished out my night with some mingling with friends and strangers alike before crashing out far too late for Khaki's alarm Monday morning.

Overall, I'm glad I went to FWA this year; I got to meet a couple of great new people that I really hope to see again, got to catch up with folks I haven't seen in far too long, and get some great new con experiences under my belt, but this is the second year in a row where the background issues have cast a bit of a shadow over the whole thing. I can't say for sure what my plans for next year will be, but my focus now shifts to Anthrohio and Anthrocon for the summer. Stay tuned!

Where are you staying? The Marriott! hoping to get a high floor so the elevator lines are shorter.

How are you traveling? Driving solo; gonna spend the night in Chattanooga on the way down.

What day are you getting there? Thursday at lunchtime is the plan.

Who will you be rooming with? Khaki Koyote and Adel.

Are you taken? Single and free to obtain some fuk

Are there any panels you might be attending? I've put several on my calendar but who knows which ones if any I'll actually end up attending.

What do you look like? White guy in a button down shirt/Blue-eared orange fox

Will you be suiting? Yup! Really looking forward to it too; it's way easier to get good pictures in Atlanta than it is in Rosemont.

What is your gender? Cis Male.

How tall are you? 6 feet.

Can I talk to you? Of course you can!

Can I touch you? If you ask first.

Can I visit your room? Sure, if I invite you.

Can I buy you drinks? As many as you want to.

Can I give you stuff? Free art: Yes. Illnesses: No.

Can I hug or snuggle with you? With permission, anything is possible.

Are you nice? Dangerously nice.

Will you be going to parties? I have one planned on Friday, but if you know of any others that could use an extra fox...

Will you be performing? Not on stage, but that won't stop me.

If I see you, how should I get your attention? Blue! BlueStreak! Fops! Fox!

What/where will you be eating? The food court should satisfy most of my lunch plans, and I am fond of Velocity in the Marriott, but I might make a trip out to Gus's, Gibney's or Metro Diner at some point too.

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc? Say hi and we'll see where things lead.

Can I take your picture? Please do! I need more suiting pictures to share with the world.

What's your goal(s) for the con this year? Fursuit--a LOT! Hope to see you in Hotlanta!

I guess it's getting to be around that time again; I've scheduled time off and locked down lodging plans, so here's where you can expect to find a fox in 2024:

Furry Weekend Atlanta (May 9-13): Returning to the Marriott Marquis for another year in the heart of the South. Hopefully last year's elevator issues will be resolved; it's looking like this one is going to be bigger than ever.

Anthrohio (May 24-26): Two cons in a short span of time, but this one is my hometown con so it's a must. Plus, I'm happy to share that I am the official convention Archivist for AO, so I'll be there in an official capacity as well! Stay tuned for info about a possible panel on con history.

Anthrocon (July 3-8): Heading back to the granddaddy of them all for another summer in the Pittsburgh heat; just locked down a room in the Westin, too. This will be my first AC with a suit, which by extension means this will be my first time being in the fursuit parade. I absolutely cannot wait!

Midwest Furfest (December 5-8): Heading into last year's trip to Rosemont I was skeptical if I was going to bother with trying to attend this year, but I had so much fun that I just have to go again. Hoping for some good luck in the lottery this year, but we'll see about that once it opens up.

I'd considered trying to hit up Motor City Furry Con in March, but rooms booked up before I could get in on the action, so unless someone has some space in their room that one will have to wait until next year. There's a possibility of another smaller con like IndyFurCon getting added to this list down the road, but that is still to be determined. If there are any other cons you think I should check out, feel free to throw your suggestions in the comments. Hope to see you all out there!

Man, I haven't done one of these in years. Swiping it from  marjani

01. The phone rings. Who do you want it to be?
Ideally, my grandmother or one of my parents. Anyone else and it's probably going to be a drag.

02. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart?
99% of the time. There have been a couple of occasions when I've left it marooned with a couple other carts when I was in a big hurry, but I usually park next to a corral anyway.

03. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener?
I try to be a mix of both. I prefer to contribute rather than run the conversation, but I'm not shy about sharing what I think.

04. Do you take compliments well?
I don't like it when people try to deny compliments, so I don't do that, but there are times when I don't know what to do with myself when I get them.

05. Do you play Sudoku?
Nah. I'm not gonna do math for fun.

06. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive?
I like to think I'd do better than that guy up in Alaska did, but realistically I wouldn't for very long.

07. What song are you listening to right now?


08. Did you ever go to camp as a kid?
I went to a couple as part of school trips, but never to a summer camp.

09. What was your favorite game as a kid?
Video game? Medal Of Honor: Allied Assault. Still one of my favorites.

10. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you?
If you're super religious, we're probably not gonna get along, but if you're cool with me *not* going to church with you, maybe.

11. Do you like to pursue or be pursued?
I'm uncomfortable pursuing; I hate coming off as pushy. On the other hand, I'm terrible at being able to tell when I'm being pursued and have fallen ass-backward into every relationship I've been in, so I guess the latter?

12. Use three words to describe yourself.
Thoughtful, wry, consistent.

13. Do any songs make you cry?
There are definitely a few that have, though it's not an every time thing.

14. Are you continuing your education?
Even the thought of going back to school raises my heart rate. I'm happy just working for now.

15. Do you know how to shoot a gun?
It's been a few years since I've shot anything, but I'm decent with a pistol.

16. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you'd grab?
Backup hard drive and important documents (passport/birth certificate/etc.)

17. How often do you read books?
I used to be a voracious reader before school tortured the love of it out of me. I'll still sit and read articles for hours on end, but I've got a stack of half-finished books I need to get through.

18. Do you think more about the past, present or future?
Present. I can't change the past, but what I do in the present can make the future a better place.

19. What is your favorite children's book?
Goodnight Moon was my bedtime story for years. I was a big fan of the Bunnicula series, Catwings... pretty much anything with talking animals in it.

20. What color are your eyes?
Hazel--though my sona's eyes are blue!

21. How tall are you?
Right around 6 feet tall.

22. Where is your dream house located?
It's not really a house, but it's been my dream since I was a kid to live in a condo in the John Hancock Center in Chicago.

23. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth?
Once or twice on dates, years ago. Do they even still have those things in the mall?

24. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden?
I think it was pre-Covid. I went with my grandmother.

25. Where was the furthest place you traveled today?
A doctor's office about 10 minutes from my apartment.

26. Do you like mustard?
In small doses. If I have too much of it in a short period of time, I'll get sores in my mouth.

27. Do you prefer to sleep or eat?
Honestly, if I didn't HAVE to sleep to survive, I would never sleep. Let me plug into a charger 8 hours a night, and give me food.

28. Do you look like your mom or dad?
I am my father's child to the point that people say we even act the same.

29. How long does it take you in the shower?
10-15 minutes usually.

30. Can you do the splits?
HAH!

31. What movie do you want to see right now?
...honestly, I can't think of one. Not much of a movie person.

32. What did you do for New Year's?
Hung out with a few local furs at their place of residence. Was a good evening.

33. Do you think The Grudge was scary?
I don't even know what that is.

34. Do you own a camera phone?
Boy, these last two questions really give away how old this meme is. Of course I do, and it's not on Cingular Wireless, either.

35. Was your mom a cheerleader?
My mom was pretty much the opposite of a cheerleader.

36. What's the last letter of your middle name?
R.

37. How many hours of sleep do you get at night?
More than four.

38. Do you like care bears?
I used to watch the Care Bears Countdown when I was a little kid. I don't think I've seen Care Bears anything in at least 25 years.

39. What do you buy at the movies?
On the rare occasions I go, I usually get something to drink and mooch popcorn off everyone else who buys too much.

40. Do you know how to play poker?
Technically, but I've played so infrequently over the years that I'm not any good.

41. Do you wear your seatbelt?
Always.

42. What do you wear to sleep?
Socks, if anything. My feet get cold easily, but sleeping naked feels great.

43. Anything big ever happen in your hometown?
There was a big drug bust there when I was in high school. Otherwise, hell, we didn't even have an Applebees.

44. How many meals do you eat a day?
2-3. I like to sleep in, so if I sleep in late enough I'll just skip breakfast.

45. Do you like funny or serious people better?
It's gotta be a mix. If you never laugh, you're not gonna be much fun, but if you can never be serious, you're gonna annoy the ever loving fuck out of me.

46. Ever been to L.A.?
Never been west at all, really, but I'd love to go to a Dodgers game.

47. Did you eat a cookie today?
No cookies for fox, sadly. Come give me cookies.

48. Do you use cuss words in other languages?
Not usually, but I know a few.

49. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads?
I will support local/small time musicians financially.

50. Do you hate chocolate?
I don't have a big sweet tooth, but I do like some chocolate now and again.

51. What's your favorite flavor of cake?
Chocolate, duh.

52. Are you a gullible person?
Generally no. Never been one for conspiracy theories or wild speculation.

53. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy?
Nope! It'd be awesome to find someone to share my life with, but I'm perfectly happy flying solo in the meantime.

54. If you could have any job (assuming you have the skills) what would it be?
Design or architecture. I have a good eye for that kind of stuff, just no certifications to do it.

55. Are you easy to get along with?
I like to think so. I can be guarded at first until I get to know you better, but I try to be pretty easygoing for the most part. Few people have seen me truly mad, and I prefer it that way.

56. What is your favorite time of day?
Mid afternoon. Warmth and sunshine!

57. Are you easy to fall in love with?
Why the hell are you asking me?

...and a Happy New Year!

Hope your holidays are full of cheer and festivities.

Another con under my belt, and this one with some firsts and some big moments.

Adel drove up Wednesday night so that we could get an early start Thursday morning. Even with a stop for lunch and gas in West Lafayette along the way we still made good time, and we cruised into Rosemont just before 3PM. Unfortunately, our room wasn't yet ready, the second time this year I've had to wait for a room upon arriving at the hotel. It wasn't too long of a wait, though, and we were settled in alongside  huskywingspan and  dh117439 by about 4:30. From there, we had dinner at the food truck out behind the Hyatt (which was kinda disappointing this year), and then braved the reg line. Maybe next year I'll try it on Friday, but I'm always so hesitant to miss things waiting in line that I'd rather just take my lumps Thursday evening. The line moved pretty quickly, but still took over an hour and a half to get through. Thursday night also included a stop at the dance featuring Koda Stormpaw and Riroh Raccoon heating things up with the busiest dancefloor I've ever seen at a con on a Thursday.

My original plan for Friday included hitting up Dealer's Den and Artists' Alley, but it was not to be. The crowds were so big that the con actually closed off the Dealer's Den multiple times; I would eventually get to browse it on Saturday, but I never did make it into Artists' Alley all weekend. Instead, I wandered the Hyatt lobby for a bit, taking photos of suiters while the lighting was still good. Later in the afternoon, following  ma200's panel on historic preservation in the fandom, I would join the suiters, as I put on my own at a con for the first time ever. After a couple hours as a fox, I'd retreat back to my room to freshen up for an evening of partying. Unfortunately, both  rumwolf and Khalifa were hosting the same evening, so I had to split my time between them, but both parties were a LOT of fun.

I was up bright and early Saturday morning so I could get ready for my panel; I hosted Finding the Fandom in the Hyatt early in the afternoon; it was so fun listening to everybody's furry origin stories. A few hours in the Dealer's den was followed by more suiting, a little partying, and then the WILD Saturday night dance, which got so full that the con was actually restricting entry. More plans were made, but I ended up falling asleep in a pile on my bed with Pongo and  huskywingspan instead.

Sunday was another earlier-than-usual morning for me; I had to get up and get suited up for the Furries in Jerseys photoshoot at 11AM, where I got to meet  sylox in person for the first time. I opted to go back to the room to hydrate rather than try to continue suiting afterwards; Saturday night had been a long night. After a lunch at the quite-delicious restaurant in the Doubletree, I would spend a few more hours taking photos before finishing out my evening with some suiting with friends, getting dinner with others, and then wandering the con space with  aldohusky before retiring to prep for the long drive back to Columbus in the morning.

I had some apprehension heading into this con. With how cramped and crowded MFF 2022 felt, I was worried it was going to be ten times worse this year, but it turned out to be fine; I'm not sure if people just naturally spread out more or if other factors were at play, but aside from some elevator hiccups and the lines for the Dealer's Den/Artists' Alley everything seemed to flow smoothly. Getting to suit at a con for the first time was ridiculously fun, and I can't wait to get back out there for the next one. Everyone else seemed to be having a good time too; I think everyone really needed a relaxed, drama-free weekend, and the con delivered on that need. I definitely rate it as one of the best cons I've ever attended.

Onward to 2024!