For the few of you that keep an eye on me, I recently ran across an interesting bit from WGN. While I didn't watch it with the sound on, it llooked like it treated furries (and especially 'suiters) well.

http://wgntv.com/2016/02/17/wgn-spo.....ry-convention/

Stolen from  bering....

1: Full name.
Adrian Nunenkamp (Not giving my middle, thank you.)

2: Zodiac sign.
Virgo (Aug 25th)

3: 3 fears.
Heights, undersea wrecks, loss of family. (Had to face that one several times so far.)

4: 3 things I love.
Geology, History, Sci-Fi/Fantasy reading.

5: 4 turn on's.
Erf.... Intelligence, wit, honest communication, and red hair.

6: 4 turn off's.
Vapidness, evasiveness, bad hygeine... can't think of a fourth right now.

7: My best friend(s) ?
Up until last September, I would have said my (now) Ex....

8: Sexual orientation ?
Straight

9: My best first date ?
Doing something we both enjoy. I'd cook (unless she wanted to).

10: How tall am I ?
6'2" and shrinking.

11: What do I miss ?
Living in a rural setting, enjoying places like Yellowstone National Park.

12: What time was I born ?
2-something AM.

13: Favorite color ?
Black and/or blood red.

14: Do I have a crush ?
Eh... sorta. Not one that's a real person though. I do get attached to characters in stories though.

15: Favorite quote ?
I have too many favorites to pick just one.

16: Favorite place ?
Yellowstone National Park, the Upper Geyser Basin at night.

17: Favorite food ?
Anything I cook. ;)

18: Do I use sarcasm ?
Uhm, duh.

19: What am I listening to right now ?
My fan droning in the background.

20: First thing I notice in new person ?
Manner of dress.

21: Shoe size ?
11.5 EEEE

22: Eye color ?
**** brown.

23: Hair color ?
Blondish brown.

24: Favorite style of clothing ?
Shirt and cargo pants. Work shirt if in the field, unadorned colored t-shirt otherwise.

25: Ever done a prank call ?
Nope.

26: What color of underwear I'm wearing now ?
White

27: Meaning behind my username ?
Part of my heritage and my favorite animal. Add to that my online persona of Faolan MacFaoltiarna and, well....

28: Favorite movie ?
Gladiator, with Russel Crowe

29: Favorite song ?
Cosich a' Ruin

30: Favorite band ?
Capercaille

31: How I feel right now ?
Bored, tired....

32: Someone I love.
No romantic entanglements right now, otherwise it'd be my mom.

33: My current relationship status.
Single.

34: My relationship with my parents.
Great with my mom, kinda hard with my dad seeing as he's dead....

35: Favorite holiday.
Halloween, hands down.

36: Tattoos and piercing I have.
Haven't gotten a tat, and the only piercings I have ever had is when I've accidentally stabbed or hooked myself.

37: Tattoos and piercing I want.
Might get a tat in the future, not sure what though if I do do it.

38: The reason I joined FA.
VCL wasn't doing that good, and the other free options went the way of the dodo... so FA.

39: Do I and my last ex hate each other ?
I feel a bit betrayed, but I don't hate her and I know she doesn't hate me. Long distance can suck sometimes.

40: Do I ever get "good morning" or "good night" texts ?
I used to....

41: Have I ever kissed the last person I texted ?
My mom, so yes... but not in *that* way, sickos.

42: When did I last hold hands ?
Many, many moons ago.

43: How long does it take me to get ready in the morning ?
20 minutes at the outside.

44: Have I shaved my legs in the past three days ?
I don't shave them legs.

45: Where am I right now ?
At my computer, in my bedroom.

46: If I were drunk & can't stand, who's taking care of me ?
I don't get drunk.

47: Do I like my music loud or at a reasonable level ?
Depends... most of the time I'd say reasonable level, but sometimes you just have to blast a piece of music. Never do it when it'll disturb someone though.

48: Do I live with my Mom and Dad ?
Yes, but that's due to mom being close to 70 and needing help.

49: Am I excited for anything ?
Field school in September.

50: Do I have someone of the opposite sex I can tell everything to ?
Nope, that would have been my Ex.

51: How often do I wear a fake smile ?
Rarely, mostly I just smirk in those situations.

52: When was the last time I hugged someone ?
Couple days ago. My mom of course.

53: What if the last person I kissed was kissing someone else right in front of me ?
It was my mother, so I wouldn't mind.

54: Is there anyone I trust even though I should not ?
Can't say that there is, not right now.

55: What is something I disliked about today ?
Too danged hot for a son of the Pacific NorthWest.

56: If I could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be ?
Neil DeGrasse Tyson

57: What do I think about most ?
Rocks.

58: What's my strangest talent ?
My ability to take a complex subject and explain it so that lay people can understand... or politicians can understand, which is an even simpler way of explaining. ;)

59: Do I have any strange phobias ?
Fear of underwater wrecks, I would say. I'm not afraid of large machinery, just there's something *wrong* about a ship or other device on the ocean/lake/river floor.

60: Do I prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it ?
Behind, I love to play with photography.

61: What was the last lie I told ?
REDACTED

62: Do I prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online ?
I haven't done the video chat, so....

63: Do I believe in ghosts ? How about aliens ?
Yes to both, while I am a scientist I do know we don't know and can't explain everything.

64: Do I believe in magic ?
Fireball type? No. Sympathetic, yes as (to me) it's an expansion of quantum theory.

65: Do I believe in luck ?
Sometimes, but I don't believe it can be influenced.

66: What's the weather like right now ?
Clear and hot.

67: What was the last book I've read ?
Taoism: An Essential Guide

68: Do I like the smell of gasoline ?
Yes.

69: Do I have any nicknames ?
Not to my knowledge.

70: What was the worst injury I've ever had ?
Concussion.

71: Do I spend money or save it ?
I'm a bit of a free spender... unfortunately.

72: Can I touch my nose with my tongue ?
With some effort.

73: Is there anything pink in 10 feet from me ?
Sticky notes.

74: Favorite animal ?
Wolves

75: What was I doing last night at 12 AM ?
Sleeping

76: What do I think Satan's last name is ?
Who cares?

77: What's a song that always makes me happy when I hear it ?
Sharp Dressed Man by ZZ Top.

78: How can you win my heart ?
Be honest with me. Take the time to get to know me and to let me know you.

79: What would I want to be written on my tombstone ?
I can't think of anything snarky.

80: What is my favorite word ?
I don't have a favorite word.

81: My top 5 blogs on tumblr ?
No real favorites here either.

82: If the whole world were listening to me right now, what would I say ?
Quit it.

83: Do I have any relatives in jail ?
Cousin-in-law, for embezzlement. (And good riddance.)

84: I accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what's even cooler is that they endow me with the super-power of my choice! What is that power ?
It would never happen. I avoid vegetables. ;)

85: What would be a question I'd be afraid to tell the truth on ?
Can't think of one.

86: What is my current desktop picture ?
A picture from Banf.

87: Had sex ?
Many, many moons ago.

88: Bought condoms ?
Yup.

89: Gotten pregnant ?
That'd be a neat trick.

90: Failed a class ?
Yup.

91: Kissed a boy ?
Nope.

92: Kissed a girl ?
Uhm, duh.

93: Have I ever kissed somebody in the rain ?
Yes.

94: Had job ?
Ya think?

95: Left the house without my wallet/purse?
Yup.

96: Bullied someone on the Internet ?
Nope.

97: Had sex in public ?
Nope.

98: Played on a sports team ?
Yup. Rugby and American Armored Wankball.

99: Smoked weed ?
Hell no.

100: Did drugs ?
See #99.

101: Smoked cigarettes ?
Nope, did smoke a pipe (tobacco) at one time.

102: Drank alcohol ?
Yup, brew my own beer too.

103: Am I a vegetarian/vegan ?
Carnivore.

104: Been overweight ?
Am, not been.

105: Been underweight ?
Nope.

106: Been to a wedding ?
Yup.

107: Been on the computer for 5 hours straight ?
Yup.

108: Watched TV for 5 hours straight ?
Nope.

109: Been outside my home country ?
Mexico, Canada, Puerto Rico, Crete, Scicily, Gibraltar, St. Maartin

110: Gotten my heart broken ?
Fairly recently (third time was not a charm).

111: Been to a professional sports game ?
Yup.

112: Broken a bone ?
Nope.

113: Cut myself ?
Yes, I had a suicidal period in my 20s.

114: Been to prom ?
Yup.

115: Been in airplane ?
Several times, and am a part of the US Civil Air Patrol.

116: Fly by helicopter ?
Haven't yet.

117: What concerts have I been to ?
The Kingston Trio, and a few others when I was much younger.

118: Had a crush on someone of the same sex ?
Nope.

119: Learned another language ?
Chinese, Spanish, Japanese... and forgot it all.

120: Wore make up ?
Nope.

121: Lost my virginity before I was 18 ?
Nope.

122: Had oral sex ?
Yup.

123: Dyed my hair ?
Yup.

124: Voted in a presidential election ?
Since I was 18.

125: Rode in an ambulance ?
Yup.

126: Had a surgery ?
Minor surgery.

127: Met someone famous ?
Not to my knowledge.

128: Stalked someone on a social network ?
Nope.

129: Peed outside ?
Yup.

130: Been fishing ?
Yup.

131: Helped with charity ?
Yes.

132: Been rejected by a crush ?
Of course.

133: Broken a mirror ?
Not that I'm aware of.

134: What do I want for birthday ?
To still be alive.

135: How many kids do I want and what will be their names ?
As many as I and a spouse can support comfortably. If we have a son, the only requirement will be that his middle name be David (my family has a tradition that the son's middle name is the same as the grandfather's first name).

136: Was I named after anyone ?
My middle name is my grandfather's first name.

137: Do I like my handwriting ?
Can you say 'block print'?

138: What was my favorite toy as a child ?
Anything Star Wars related.

139: Favorite TV Show ?
Don't watch much TV, so....

140: Where do I want to live when older ?
Montana, or overseas.

141: Play any musical instrument ?
Piano, trying to learn guitar.

142: One of my scars, how did I get it ?
A former friend faked a stab at me with an X-acto knife. I moved to block it, and managed to get a nice j-shaped scar for my troubles.

143: Favorite pizza topping ?
Pepperoni, Italian sausage, and pineapple.

144: Am I afraid of the dark ?
Used to be, not any more... indeed I prefer true dark for sleeping.

145: Am I afraid of heights ?
Yes... I've gotten better over the years, but I still have problems. Doesn't affect me in buildings or aircraft, except for buildings that have those damned plexiglass floors. *shudder*

146: Have I ever got caught sneaking out or doing anything bad ?
Nope.

147: Have I ever tried my hardest and then gotten disappointed in the end ?
Nope, mostly because I believe in the whole 'Expect the best, plan for the worst' philosophy.

148: What I'm really bad at.
Reading people.

149: What my greatest achievements are.
I haven't done anything I would consider 'great'.

150: The meanest thing somebody has ever said to me.
I honestly can't remember.

151: What I'd do if I won in a lottery.
Likely die from shock. If I survive, probably set up two funds... one for myself and one for my mother so that we could live off of the proceeds.

152: What do I like about myself ?
My thirst for knowledge.

153: My closest FA friend.
 katalina, though we've not met in person.

154: Something I fantasize about.
Many, many things... world building is a hobby of mine.

155: Tag people!!
Who wants the 'Wash in cold water' tag...?

Today we lost one of my cousins. Cancer has taken another member of my family, this time one of the people that I could almost call a sister, rather than a cousin.

...that means it's National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo! Yes, I'm participating this year (again). I'm working on a fantasy book that will include furs in it. I might post a chapter peek or two here towards the end of the month. Of course, that is if I manage to get the amount of writing done I hope to do (50k words in 30 days, for those that don't know).

Wish me luck!

Today, my stepfather, Joseph Armentano, passed from this mortal coil. He died from stage 4, non-small cell lung cancer. I'm not sure of his exact age, but I do know he was in his 70's. He and I did not always see eye to eye. Hell, for several years he thought of me as 'that little shit'... and he was right, I was. Fortunately, he and I were able to reconcile, and we even enjoyed a last Christmas together last year.

This man was more of a father to me than my biological father, and I tried to make sure he knew that. He had a hard life, did Joe. Old-fashioned Italian parents, multiple ex-wives, a biological son (who did nothing but use him), a daughter that flitted in and out of his life as it suited her. He had a hard time truly understanding how a family worked due to these experiences, and was very jealous of the time he had with my mother. Yes, even to the point of resenting me from time to time.

All of that said, he did his best to instill in me the hard-working, hard-playing ethic that made him who he was. We found out in July about the cancer when he went in due to having pneumonia. It was already stage 4 (that's non-operable) at that point. It had metastisised (sp?) from his lungs to his ribs, cervical vertibrae, and brain. He was undergoing radiation and it was helping... but a new tumor emerged on his leg. Two days ago, he fell and broke said leg. That, ultimately was his undoing.

I'm glad we had a chance to reconcile before he passed. There was so much I was looking forward to sharing with him. My college graduation, my wedding, a grandchild that he would be able to hold... all of that stolen from us.

As a better author than I once put it, "There is a hole in my heart where a giant once stood."

Gods, I miss him.

Well, I'm back in college (at 38yrs of age), and I can tell you that it can really really suck if you haven't been in standard academia for over 17 years. I've got a fairly full load: Political Science, Geology (my major), Chinese, and Calculus. It's that last that's really kicking my ass. Somehow I'm just not picking up the concepts. The worst of it is, I'm on academic probation already (left the college way back when with a 1.73 GPA), so if I can't haul my score up by the boot straps, I'm sunk. Lovely thought, that.

Anywho, this means that I've started working on my writing again. Nothing to put up yet, but hopefully I should have a few things up soon. What I do have are three images I did yesterday. They're only full-on headshots, but that's the only examples I've found to copy/learn from. As I gain more confidence in them, I'll start moving to other views and the rest of the body. Of course, I'm also going to have to learn how to try to feminize the images a bit too... they are all 'male' style heads, again since that was the only reference I found.

Well, onwards and... onwards.

Jay Naylor had an interesting comment in one of his Better Days comics, something about being polyamourous makes it hard to be jealous. It also makes it hard to let go when someone leaves. This might be slightly emo, so forgive me and skip this if you don't want to read it.

My writing has been really slow for the past few years, small driblets from time to time but nothing major. It came to a complete halt about 2 weeks ago when one of my ladies decided that she was going to marry someone she had met just before Christmas. Out of the blue, no warning, nothing to me. What could I do? I wished her well and let her know I was here if she needed to talk.

Well, no contact for those two weeks, and now she sends me a text message asking how I'm doing. That hit me pretty hard as I was just starting to get over the whole thing. I sent back a short, but nice, reply. It still hurts though. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't think that her 'marriage' will work out, and I'll still be here for her.

Who knows... this might actually spur some decent stories.