Its a slow night, and I am haven't put anything up here in years so have an RF meme!

Stolen from  Temperance

Where are you staying?
The Hilton (YES)

What day are you getting there?
Thursday Evening

How are you traveling?
Hitching a ride with  Koders and  Zoeriko

Who will you be rooming with?
 Koders,  Zoeriko,  Sumanitu, and  SqueakerFox

How is the best way to find you?
Look for a tall skinny wolf with a red bird on his head. Probably wearing a cloak and shield because I am a big nerd with themes :p

Are there any panels you might be attending?
None planned, but I might drop in on one or two!

What do you look like?
Tall and skinny with a goatee and probably sporting a shirt with a bird on it. :>

Will you be suiting?
What a silly question. I live for the chance to suit like this at cons :D

Do you do free art?
I do, but I'm by no means a good artist.

Do you do trades?
I trade hugs for hugs!

Do you do badges?
See the previous comment about my artwork :p

What is your gender?
I'm a guy, sometimes a dude when the situation calls for it.

How tall are you?
6'2" I have the head injuries to prove it!

Can I talk to you?
Of coarse! I am hard of hearing though, so if it feels like I am ignoring you than I probably didn't hear you.

Can I touch you?
Why does this need to be a question? C'mon. If you're unsure about this one, you should probably be asking first :)

Can I visit your room?
Not unless I invite you.

Can I buy you drinks?
I don't drink anymore, but I will accept energy drink instead! :D

Can I give you stuff?
I do like presents :3

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Hugs yes, always yes. Snuggles? Ask first there please!

Are you nice?
That's what they say.

Do you have a dealers table?
Unfortunately, the market for hugs has gone downhill with all these "Free Hug" types rolling about the place. So with that in mind, I will not be selling my hugs for money this time around.

Will you be going to parties?
I don't have any planned, but it is a convention so we will see!

Will you be performing?
No. I do like dancing in fursuit, but I can't come close to the competitive level.

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Shout my name, say hello, or if I am in suit "Jera!" works too. I am hard of hearing, so no offense if I don't respond. I'm not ignoring you, just try again :)

Where will you be most of the time during the day/s?
Suiting, hanging out. Not staffing, volunteering, or otherwise working. This is my vacation con :D

What/where will you be eating?
Most likely Denny's or Subway as they are relatively cheap and aren't all that bad food.

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
Sure! I love meeting people! All I say is you ask first, and not be offended if I am not available because of prior engagements. Cons tend to be a bit busy for me, but I am willing to schedule something in advance if you're the type for that!

Can I look in your sketchbook?
I have one around here somewhere, Its completely blank though.

Can I draw in your sketchbook?
If I find it, and remember to bring it then by all means, sketch away!

Can I take your picture?
Sure!

What're your goals for the con this year?
Have fun, relax, and be a fuzzy animal as much as possible before school starts!

Whelp, its only a matter before one posts these sort of journals, so here is mine:

An artist is looking to hone their skills in the avian field and needs some help! Hit up https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4395428/ for more information, and squawk about it to any feather friends you lovely people may have :>

I don't update this very often. :V

Life is good. I've been meaning to update this for some time, but but my attachment to the internet has been somewhat less solid these days. Through a combination of lacking connection and simply being social I've kinda been less attentive about things happening here. That isn't to say I've been ignoring you folks either though :)

Work at the raptor center has been good. I've seen injured birds, vulture vomit, and have been covered in more bird crap than I could even fathom one bird can physically produce. And yet, its been a total blast. I've been so close to these birds I could touch them, I've had a bird plop down on my head and chirp for me while i cleaned his cage. Its amazing.

When I finally stop forgetting I will bring my camera in with me one of these days so I can introduce you folks to our residents. Offer up something more than just a few blocks of text and whatnot :p

Otherwise, I am living with a good bunch of folks in Portland now, and making connections with all the furs around our area. Its nice having a real community and lots of good people around for company, support, and shenanigans. Life is finally moving forward, and I really couldn't have done it without the friends and furries I've met in the recent months.

Anyway, before I get to sappy here I will stop things here. And offer more up as things transpire, along with more photos as time passes. In the meantime, have a collection of photos from our most recent bowling meet down in Corvallis, because I am far to lazy to post these individually - http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v.....ng%2011-05-11/

So, I have some truly fantastic news.

I got accepted as a volunteer at Cascade Raptor Center. (http://www.eraptors.org/index.htm) This sort of thing is an amazing opportunity for me. Sure, I may be a bird furry and may be just a total fanboy getting to oggle all the pretty predators there. And truthfully, that is a good part of it. They have a gorgeous Ferruginous Hawk there, Eowyn. Utterly stunning in person, from her profile to her coloration, or even that I nearly squee'd when she fluttered up to us when we walked up. Getting to see your fur animal in person for the first time is truly magical.

But its not just that! Its also a chance to put my chronic workaholism towards something more fulfilling. These are good folks, and getting to help out like that is one of the most rewarding things out there. Plus, what I am doing is going to be seeing to the well being and of the raptors that live there. I don't know really. Its going to be great, and something I need to do.

And many, many endless thanks to for prodding me to do this, I wouldn't have even considered it without you!

Also, A facebook snippet on some after thoughts from this evening:

So, to work as a volunteer for the cascade raptor center, I must be prepared for potential attacks from the residents and their food plus any diseases they may carry. I will likely be cleaning cages, picking weeds, and raking leaves. I will also be driving nearly 180 miles round trip every week, and working without pay. This will hurt my social life, and I will be obligating myself to a minimum of at least six months of this, rain or shine.

Conversely, I will get to help a great group of folks, and help the raptors they look after. I will get to work with a wide range of people, young and old. I may even get the opportunity to come within inches of some the most impressive birds I've ever seen - and look them in the eye. (And not squee)

Is it worth it? Fuck yeah.

Good night folks. Keep chasing your dreams, you may one day just get the chance to grab onto them eventually.

Settling back into the same old groove of life after CFT has been a slow going. Having to work immediately after getting back really threw the whole unwinding and relaxing phase out of whack. But its work that isn't stalling me right now, its something much different. Happiness.

I'm told that the emotional high that one picks up from these sort of things throws you into Post-Con Depression, or PCD when one gets home and has to adjust to back to their mundane life again. For me its only been getting stronger, and better. This almost alien level of euphoria has super charged me in an amazing way. (Especially after last night <3)

What caused it? For the first time in a very long time I'm connecting with furries out here. Its almost blinding, from having nearly no social interaction with the community to suddenly having people to talk to and interact with. I almost don't know what to do with it all, besides be happy.

Its true, this feeling probably isn't going to last forever. But when it comes down to it, I know this is a positive turning point for me, and whether or not I can ride this buzz through it all, PCD won't get me. I won't let it touch me. Life is good, and its going to stay that way god dammit.

So, for those of you that don't know, I recently attended Campfire Tails or CFT as its called. Its an outdoor fur con out in the middle of the deserts of eastern Oregon. I found this one evening on a FA banner, and in a surge of impulse and excitement I registered and signed up for the event just a few hours shy of the registration closure. At the time I knew nobody in attendance, or even much an inkling as to what I was getting into at the time but ended up doing it anyway.

Over the time between then and when CFT started I went an met  Sl8 and a couple of his friends, got my credit card stolen, and completely died of anticipation. Though this anticipation did decay into apprehension as that month passed, and after a few events compounded into each other the night before I panicked and nearly backed out of it all. And truthfully, if it weren't for the support of my friends I would never have had the guts to pick myself up off the floor and get in the car with feverish determination.

And after a somewhat rough drive of stomach knots and traffic, I finally arrive to a nearly empty campsite. I eventually run into somebody,  xpanther who greats me warmly and directs me to set up camp and report back. From there, its a tide of work, and awkward introductions as things go together and setup begins.

Afterwards, we all gather up and have few drinks around the fire and toss a few jokes around with some introductions here and there. Thats where I meet  starthehusky,  heirofiend,  crazyjoe1952,  12inchFallacy Chrome_Kitsune and others. I was a bit unprepared about how kind and friendly they were having never seen me, short of a few stray posts on the CFT forums. Its an odd feeling, being accepted out of the blue like that, just for simply being there, and we all just clicked together so nicely.

The days that followed involved pot scrubbing, bonding, sunburn, dam building, and some very, very, crude jokes, I learn some things about furs:

We come from all sorts of places, familiar and far away. We come from all walks of life, eccentric and plain. Regardless of whether or not we were DJ corgis, bubbly huskies, down to earth dingoes, or even hawks that scrub pots for hours on end - we are all one and the same. Furries. A term held with a particular social stigma, banished completely by this last week. This community, and the bonds we built in the dust and heat of the desert that week are irreplaceable. If it wasn't a cute song thats better than beiber, making wonderful food, or having a crowd of people all squawking at me until I squawked back, it was knowing that I belonged where I was.

Maybe it was seeing the happiness, mischief, and even budding romance out there, but I just can't imagine myself not being apart of this anymore. The events were all a blast, from cooking eggs with a tin can, to mad libs, or even the glow in the dark Phoenix dance, even just seeing people all the food we slaved to serve happy and full. Everything was perfect, even the sun burn. (The lotion rubbing made me melt a bit :p)

There are people in this world that have known be as Brian. Some people might even still know me as Vincent. And now, people know me as Hawkfeather. I've waited my whole life for this, and I now know that these people are who I belong with. I am a furry, no doubt, no regrets. And if anybody says otherwise, they can kiss my cloaca.

I will give a more solid con report this weekend when the dust settles. Until then, keep doing what you do you strange and lovely critters.

Can't sleep right now, but I will start on my con report as soon as I get the time. Until that time comes, know that it was so much better than any hotel con could ever dream of.

>This contains some spoilers from the pilot<

So for those of you that follow such things, you might be aware that there is a new version of Thundercats that recently premiered this Friday on Cartoon Network. Its a pretty heavy revamp of the classic cartoon from the 80's that I grew up on, but still holds true to that same flavor of cartoon that tickled my mind back in the wee years of my life.

Before I get to far with this, I figure its worth mentioning the significance of this particular cartoon for me. It was quite possibly the very first thing in my life that got me attached to furs, if they even really existed as a social niche at that point in time. It was one of the first cartoons that I followed religiously as it aired, bought all the toys with every penny of my meager allowance, and played with my brother when on those slow summer afternoons on our old house in the forest. (I would always be Tigra, he would be Lion-O)

It was that staple opened my eye, and kept that sort of thing floating around in the core of my mind. Coupled with our native american segments in boy scouts (particularly the spirit animal portion), and some internet adventures in the chat rooms of werewolf.com and shadowsden.org truly developed Hawkfeather into something I can call a part of myself. Not to mention getting to meet all the people, furs and all others alike, that I can call friends.

I digress, AS I WAS SAYING.

Here is the old version summed up with a little bit of sarcasm - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brDmyExbORA
It was corny, and has a few bits that were just plain weird and unexplained. But hey, when you're young you don't care about the small details. Its about the good guys overcoming evil and adversity. I really enjoyed it and no sour memories or negative connotations attached to this show. The Thundercats were crashed refugees looking to survive in an often hostile world. Lion-O and the Sword of Omens. Tigra and his tricks and bola whip (Mee-yow). Cheetara with staff and speed. Panthro and his muscle and nun chucks, Wilycat and Kit with their cunning and agility. And most importantly, Snarf and his cowardice and very rare usefulness. (Snarf)

Now we come to a newer version, a revival from cartoon network. Here is the trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrBmWKAyPk8 (Low quality, but effort, meh.)
This version is fundamentally different. The Tundercats, or Empire of the Cat People it seems are an entire culture well established in walled city-state. Their society is strongly based on medieval standards - swords, shields, bows, etc - with an established level of mysticism, or magic. Nothing major like flying carpets or the like however. Technology to them is a foreign myth, a great and vastly unknown power lost to the wastes.

A key point to mention about the wastes - this is where the other races live with an implied level of squalor. This being primarily the reptiles, but looking into the way the story goes, that includes dogs and likely a number of other anthro creatures. They are treated as being filthy and unlcean races not fit for much more than slaves or punching bags. I have a feeling this will be better explained and explored as the series develops.

Lion-O is the Prince of this Empire, a plucky and headstrong hero with a knack for bad decisions and technical wonder. (Accompanied by his maybe sentient pet, Snarf in an adorable incarnation) He seems somewhat less generically heroic as his 80's Lion-O, but I get the impression it will be something he grows into as time goes. Another key thing to note about his, is his appearance. He is certainly at least ten years younger this time around, and has much leaner and more cat-like build. He is much, much easier on the eyes. <3 *ahem* Otherwise, he is essentially the same.

Tigra is a bit of a mystery right now. He calls Lion-O his younger brother, but grumbles about how he isn't allowed to take the throne because he isn't of royal blood. I can assume that since he still has a place next to the king, and and exudes that arrogant royal personality he is his half brother or adoptive brother. It really hasn't been explained yet, its my best guess at this point. One thing I gathered from the commercials and the latter half of the pilot which I REALLY hope they don't change about him is his weapon of choice. His previous self used a bola whip, which he does for the first half of the pilot. That however changes when he picks up a laser pistol, and says "Hey, I like the way this thing works!". I will admit that in this day and age, a whip is a fairly unimpressive weapon and has certain... *situations* tied to it that our rather soundly corrupted youth could pick up on, but it was his weapon. To see him using a blaster seems improper.

Cheetara is for the most part the same. A spirited, strong woman. Lightning fast and more than capable of kicking an inordinate amount of ass with a bo staff. Her change comes from her background. She is part of and order, (potentially religious, disciplined, or even imperial servants) that were called The Clerics of Jaga. (I will get to him) Its not clear whether or not they get their speed through some sort of magic, or if it some disciplined monastic training of some sort, but the bright yellow bolt of light she leaves in her wake makes me assume it is the more mystical end of thing that gives her that boost.

Panthro? A General in the army of the Empire. Status? Dead. Likely slain by Grune, one of our Antagonists. He gets a small cameo in a portrait, (Still bald, but apparently sporting some fierce mutton chops some unknown reason) and has his token nunchakus handed to the king upon the announcement of his death while exploring the wastes. I'm sad that they cut him out of the picture, he will be missed.

Wilycat and kit are apparently street urchins. They were little more than side characters in the pilot, but I imagine the two will hook up with the main cast in the long run. They didn't do any fighting, so I don't know if they still have their obnoxious smoke bombs and tricks they used to pull, all we get to see so far from them is Cat playing a flute that seemed to charm a bystander while kit picked his pocket. Note, this charm stopped him mid sentence, so this has a good chance be more of that mystical stuff at work. That aside, they seem to be after a legendary city of gold and endless wonder whose name is very reminiscent of El Dorado. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Dorado) Their appearance now makes them more fluffy and infectiously adorable, want to see more of these two. (And not for that reason you perverts.)

Jaga, while he still dies in the first episode, he also still seems to be the mystical keeper the sword of omens. This time around, he leads his order of clerics, which seem to be the keepers of the sword, as well as some decently formidable fighting force. He seems to be more of an old wizened wizard than he was before, but I don't know if he still haunts Lion-O and guides him as he goes. This is yet another thing to be seen...

My general impression? It has good promise. Its epic, well animated, and has some very redeemable aspects. I know this isn't the same cartoon I grew up on, and not all the familiar faces are so familiar to me. It'll take some getting used to, but I will bear through it.

I think I will stop rambling there before I throw out another dozen paragraphs on this show... But if you can catch this show, give it a watch its worth a gander.

Scored myself a new camera, and I've been working on this snazzy summer hiking project as well! Gonna toss a few pictures from the hikes here to hopefully turn up some of the dust in this gallery and get things going again around here.

More to follow soon!

Going through my morning run with FA of hitting the updates and journal entries for my watches, I happened to catch this little banner ad. Truthfully, it went ignored until I caught something that pulled my eyes to it - "Oregon". I let it cycle a few times before it sat in, and I clicked on it. It was a for Campfire Tails, (http://campfiretails.org/2011/) what seems to be the ONLY fur event in the state.

Truth be told, i would normally just sat in my chair and thought "Damn, wish I could go to that, Oh well." With a combined craving for camping and the recent success with 's epic AC adventure, something was different this time around. I had an inner conflict - my social cowardice was being fought by a massive streak of inspiration and excitement.

Then the phone rang, I had to go and put in 8 hours on a day off to fill in >.<

All day it was all that was on my mind, and the second I got home I sat right back down and continued to look at everything there. I am naturally wary of going places that I am unfamiliar with, especially alone for a couple days. That instinct has been hardwired into this birds brain since birth as a natural caution for the unfamiliar. I haven't met another fur in person before, and even then my presence in the fur community is nearly nonexistent at best. This brings me fear, not knowing anyone or having a person to travel with me for personal security.

But no, not this time. I Am not, DID not, fold over this time. This is going to be an adventure for me, and goddammit if I come out beaten and broken or happy and fulfilled, it will live with me and change me. After pulling out that credit card that I keep for serious emergencies I fill out my registry information at the last moment to nab myself a spot.

It went through, and I am giddy. I have little time to plan, and a PTO request to put through, Got to dust off my camping gear and replace the stuff lost to time. Not to mention SO MUCH MORE. (including a camera, I REALLY need a camera)

And of these thousands of thoughts and plans I need to work on, one point stirs up. I regard myself as a furry, and past myself it feels like I have nearly no actual identity or Fursona as the term would be. I... Don't know how to develop that really. I am who I am, and thats all I am. Its hard to express the feathered side of myself to others, you know?

Well, worse comes to worse it'll just have to grow on its own during this event, and hopefully I can start getting the ball rolling so I am not just another bird on the wire.

Hey there FA. 'Member me? Yeah, Probably not.

I 'm Hawk, its been a while. I am going to try and be a little more on the ball this time around and not let work drag me through the mud. I promise!

Research is a bust, or at least on hold until I can drudge something more on my own. There unfortunately not much going on here myself, been tinkering around with a few things were and there, but things are in a slow period for the time being. Apologies for the slow streak here, hopefully things will pick up soon!

Those that follow Twitter might have caught the curiosity over the Fursuit end of the furry fandom. While I may have improperly labeled it as being the core of the who Furry scene, It is certainly the facet that has the most media attention. (Thanks again CSI!)

http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Furry#Fursuiting

For a couple years I saw the furry scene from an outsiders view as somebody who followed Therianthropy. I only knew one or two furries, and I would occasionally cruise through art sites such as these and drool over the artwork and whatnot. And now that I have joined FA I haven't really networked or communicated with nearly as many people involved with furry scene as much as I had intended, Ive still been doing a bit of reading in recent days.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fursui.....for_fursuiting

According to Wikipedia's entry on the matter, it seems to be a form of roleplay. From what I've read of FA users it seems to be some extent of a projected identity or escapism, which as a retired LARPer I can respect. And while there is a definite and well established sexual trend tied to furry-ness, the sexual end of fursuiting seems to be a much smaller fetish than popular media would want to imply.It simply could the type of roleplay that doesn't make sense to me really. What I was involved with was all armor and medieval/fantasy garb and this is well, quite different.

So bearing this in mind, I would like input from you the reader about Fursuiting.

What is it about it that you enjoy? What got you started? Do you make your own, or do commission designers? I'm a curious bird here, so feel free to tell me anything and everything you want to share about the fursuit scene. I strongly doubt there is that you all have to say I don't want to hear.

Even those of you that aren't fursuiters, feel free to share your opinions on what you think about it from an observers view. Naturally, I would ask that if you are somebody that has a negative view on the matter, I would ask that you answer in a mature fashion and don't go picking fights or what have you. :p

Also, Don't be afraid to share this with other people. I want as much input as possible! If I have to spend 12 hours catching up with all this, I would be a happy lil' hawk. So, tell your friends, and direct them here if they want to share their thoughts and experiences!

Lastly, as the title implies this is part one. I came across a few other things along the way as I was studying things that could use some public input. So when I am satisfied with the results of this topic, I will move onto the next, and so on until my curiosity has been sated. :)

Hope to hear from you all soon!

Soooooo. Money is a bit short, and once again here comes something to make me seem slightly less dead in between commissions. This time it comes in the form of an interesting meme stolen from  sawblade5.

All that you do for this one is hit up urbandictionary.com and plug your name into the search field and share some of the results. This can yield some particularly colorful results since all the entries at the website are generated by users...

Anyhoo. Here is what Brian turned up:

1. Brian
1. A guy who's heart is captured by the same girl always yet lives his life as if she didn't exist when she's not around.
2. Term for the best guy friend conversationalist. Someone you can vent to an actually get feedback and opinions.
3. A reliable "lean on me" kinda friend
1. "God, he's really in denial about that girl---he's acting like a Brian."
2. She thanked him for listening and named him her Brian.
3. "You've been such a Brian to me since I met you. Thanks for always being there for me."

2. Brian
The name Brian is of Celtic origin and means; Strength and Honor. He is a very intelligent guy, who keeps his priorities straight and is extremely well rounded. Not only is he smart, but he is athletic, handsome, sexy, funny, and a great guy to hang out around. Trust me his somewhat klutzy personality can be funny when he plays the role/ He can often be very dramatic, in the good way. He is one of those guys that you can just share about anything with. He instantly just gains your trust. He is very reliable. Brian will always be there for a friend, no matter what the conditions. Brian is very creative and loves to contribute ideas. He has dreams of changing the world, and making it a better place for all to live. He is always true to who he is. He is a natural born leader, who can lead a group of people yet still have time for each individual. Only the lucky girls will get to be in a relationship with this guy, but anyone can be his friend.
"Man isn't he dreamy. He is such a Brian."

"That's my best bud right there. He is the greatest Brian ever."

"Everyone bow down to the Brian."

"Only a Brian can save all of humanity".

"He just pulled a Brian."

3. Brian
A highly intelligent guy who is handsome, funny, sexy, a great kisser, and is hung like a horse. Basically the TOTAL PACKAGE! A guy that every woman wants to be with, but only the hot ones get the privilege of having him.
Woman: I’m the luckiest woman in the world…

Her Girlfriend: Why is that?

Woman: Because… I have a Brian!

Her Girlfriend: Damn girl… You are lucky… Can we share him?

Woman: Sure!! Sounds like fun… He’s hung like a horse, so there’s plenty to go around!!

Her Girlfriend: Great!! Let’s go get started then…

4. Brian
someone who is usually always irish with intreguing blue eyes. As with most irish people, he is almost always easier to figure out while heavily induced with alcohol. You're never sure if you want to date this person, or aviod them at all costs. Brian generally has no enemies, but at times is intensely disliked by his friends. He is great at making you feel big emotions, while using small words, and half ass'd glances.
That Brian is like great sex with your husbands best friend: highly addictive, and usually brings guilty feelings later.

And its break up into smaller and more redundant entries after that...

Apparently being a Brian means that I am an Irish Super-model with super charm powers that have the ladies throwing themselves at my feet. (for all the good that does >.>) All that is accurate there really is that I'm Irish though :p

Now all I need to do is change my name to something a little less aimed at wooing the ladies...

So, First I should probably warn you this probably going to be a touch wordy and long, so you all have warned...

So this weekend was the annual Winter Bash event with a group used to hang with back in the day called Amtgard. They are an old LARP group that I ran with several years back that I still help from time, usually through cooking and whatnot for their bigger events and campouts when requested. Winter Bash, as the name implies is their big winter seasonal event to round of the quarter with fighting, camping, and lots and lots of drinking.

This time around my long time friend Josh, and yours truly were going in to cook a very small meal for a cooking competition, and a larger dinner for roughly 100 cold starving geeks.

The cooking competition went rather well. Most of the participants ended up flaking out because of the weather and lack of facilities, but luckily one of them decided to stick it out. Josh decided that we were going to be servingHazelnut Risotto, served with some Ratatoullie on top of thin-cut apple wood smoked steak. While we aren't sure how we scored, I have a looming suspicion we won that round quite nicely despite of a few small snafus.

Afterward, we visited with some old friends and poured a few beers down our gullets. I turned in a little early, and from what I gathered Josh stayed up rather late and drank himself silly, I know this because he tripped over me when he made his way to bed. :p

The next morning, I woke up after a nice long deep sleep at about 10AM after some of the other people bunking with us in our yurt stirred and woke us up.

When we were all up and ready to go, we hopped in the car and went to town for some last minute supplies for the nights meal. Josh, still being rather hung over after the evening before, thinks a good lunch will help him get over the pain and grogginess of it all, so we stop off at a pancake house out in the next town over. We sit and chat there for a while, eat our lunch and whatnot... Then its suddenly two o'clock and we are late!

We zip back, throw the veggies in the pot, cook em, reheat the meat, drain the broth, and started feeding folks just a couple minutes behind schedule. People were cold and wet from the rain, and a warm hearty roast beef sandwich with piping hot broth and veggies on the side seemed to really win them over.

Shortly after we finished serving them everyone, court came to order. (Court being the term for regional level holding announcements, awards, and political nonsense.) Unexpectedly enough, both Josh and me ended up receiving service awards for our work that weekend.

Naturally once that broke down, it was off for drinking for the masses while I cleaned up the mess from all the food and whatnot. And Once all was cleaned up and packed away, It was off to say goodnight and goodbye to everyone. There was plenty of drunken shenanigans that ensued in the following hour while we went about chatting and saying our farewells, which I won't go into...

...Though having a drunk guy sit in my lap and put his arm around me to tell me how much he enjoyed my meat was... Simply wonderful...

*cough* And that is about it really. We packed up and left the site eventually and made it back in the wee hours of the morning.

Also, if this boring tidbit of my life was interesting enough for you, you can also follow me on Twitter with all the meaningless bits of text I put there. Though, if I don't know you, or you don't introduce yourself, don't expect me to follow you. :p

With that, its time to catch up on comments and submissions now...

Just finished packing for the weekend, And I will be heading out shortly here.

For those of you who haven't spotted it yet, I recently posted a sketch commission from  cbh's snappy 100 $3 commission blitz he is working on right now - http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/1165670/ Reserve your spot today!

Fun Fact:  cbh is attached to my last art victim,  copper-hare. Both of them are just oozing with talent and have some great prices available for their work. Go give em love and praise my friends! :)

That sounded like some scary preacher/salesman hybrid. *shudder*

And while I try to steer clear of Memes here's a quick one I nabbed from  nightphaser to let you folks know more about me by sharing my sins and flaws. :p

If you have 00-10 ... write [I'm a goody-goody]
If you have 11-20 ... write [I'm still a goody-goody]
If you have 21-30 ... write [I'm average]
If you have 31-40 ... write [I'm a bad kid]
If you have 41-50 ... write [I'm a very bad influence]
If you have 51-60 ... write [I'm a horrible person]
If you have 61-70 ... write [I should be in jail]
If you have 71-80 ... write [I should be dead]
If you have 81-90 ... write [I got a ticket to Hell]

HAVE YOU...

[x] smoked
[x] consumed alcohol
[ ] slept in the same bed with someone of the opposite sex
[ ] slept in the same bed with someone of the same sex
[ ] kissed someone of the same sex
[ ] had sex
[x] had someone in your room other than family
[x] watched porn
[ ] bought porn
[ ] tried drugs

TOTAL SO FAR: 4

[x] taken painkillers
[ ] taken someone else's prescription medicine
[x] lied to your parents
[x] lied to a friend
[x] snuck out of the house
[x] done something illegal
[x] felt hurt
[x] hurt someone
[x] wished someone to die
[ ] seen someone die

TOTAL SO FAR: 12

[x] missed curfew
[x] stayed out all night
[x] eaten a carton of ice cream by yourself
[x] been to a therapist
[ ] received a ticket
[ ] been to rehab
[ ] dyed your hair
[x] been in an accident
[ ] been to a club
[x] been to a bar

TOTAL SO FAR: 18

[ ] been to a wild party
[ ] been to a Mardi Gras parade
[x] drank more than three alcoholic beverages in a night
[ ] had a spring break in Florida
[ ] sniffed anything
[ ] wore black nail polish
[x] wore arm bands
[ ] wore t-shirts with band names
[x] listened to rap
[ ] owned a 50 Cent CD

TOTAL SO FAR: 21

[x] dressed gothic
[ ] dressed girly
[x] dressed punk
[x] dressed grunge
[x] stole something
[ ] been too drunk to remember anything
[ ] blacked out
[ ] fainted
[ ] had a crush on a neighbour

TOTAL SO FAR: 25

[x] had a crush on a friend
[ ] been to a concert
[ ] dry-humped someone; been dry humped
[ ] been called a slut
[x] called someone a slut
[ ] installed speakers in a car
[x] broken a mirror
[ ] showered at someone of the opposites sex's house
[ ] brushed your teeth with someone else's toothbrush

TOTAL SO FAR: 28

[ ] considered Ludacris your favorite rapper
[x] seen an R-rated movie
[x] cruised the mall
[x] skipped school
[x] had surgery
[x] had an injury
[ ] gone to court
[ ] walked out of a restaurant without paying/tipping
[x] caught something on fire
[x] lied about your age

TOTAL SO FAR: 35

[x] owned/rented an apartment/house
[ ] broke the law in the police's presence
[ ] made out with someone who had a GF/BF
[ ] got in trouble with the police
[x] talked to a stranger
[x] hugged a stranger
[ ] kissed a stranger
[x] rode in the car with a stranger
[x] been harassed
[ ] been verbally harassed

TOTAL SO FAR: 40

[x] met face-to-face with someone you met online
[x] stayed online for 5+ hours straight
[x] talked on the phone for more than 4 hours straight
[x] watched TV for 5 hours straight
[x] been to a fair
[x] been called a bad influence
[ ] drank and drove
[ ] prank-called someone
[ ] laid on a couch with someone of the opposite sex
[x] cheated on a test

TOTAL OVERALL: 48 (Edited for bad math skills. Feel free to double check that, Im rushed :p)
I'm a very bad influence.

Anyhoo folks, off to a long weekend of hard work and what have you. And since I live under the delusional facade that my life is interesting enough to share, I will probably blather about it in a write up of some sort afterward.

Have a good weekend FA!

Should've updated this a bit sooner, but its been a busy, busy week.

Though most of y'all know by now, I got another commission recently! This time by the talented Ms.  copper-hare. She has Lots of talent and some wonderful prices if you like her work. Not to mention the fact that she is willing to send the completed original to for some of that sexy dead tree artwork we all know and love.

In other news, Got a huge cooking event happening this weekend for some old friends with Amtgard. Its a bit smaller than usual since we only have a projected crowd of 100 bellies to fill. The plan is to serve some lovely beef sandwiches with some steaming hot beefstock to dip them in, (a la au jus) served some carrots, potatoes and onions stewed in the same stock on the side. Its going to be a good meal for people running around in the cold and rain.

But with only having one outlet and no facilities to work with for this event, it is taking a bit more planning and scheming to organize, and thus eating up lots of time to figure out how to make it work. So, hopefully we can figure it out.

And speaking of which, its off to go do a test cook and prep work the weekend...

Still a touch thin on the ol' funds here, but I may have a little kick of moolah headed my way here soon, so hopefully I can get something more here for your eyes to feast upon.

In the meantime, enjoy an old piece commissioned from Aja (http://true-magic.com/) a while back to fill in that gap between the next submission.

So, it looks like the holidays were less forgiving than intended. Didn't end up getting the money I needed (and requested >.>), so things are going to slow down quite a bit here in my corner until I can afford those awful bills that keep showing up.

It also seems as if the camera has some sort of spot on the lens I can't figure out. Managed to create a negative filter to offset the color distortion, but unfortunately it appears to be causing a slight blur too. So, until I get that all figured out most of the photos are going to be on hold as well.

Otherwise, its building favorites and watches for all you wonderful folks out there. Keep up the good work all! :D

So... I ran across an artist and set up a commission. Sure, It will make money a little tight, but I have what i need for the moment to cover the holidays so it works out.

And if I am lucky, this habit will develop more and I will be more impulsive with supporting our artists here. :)

Edit: Where are my manners?  boundbystars is the wonderfully talented person doing this piccie. Go there and give her some love.

Yep, Got a zoo trip planned next Wednesday to go to the zoo with an old friend of mine and take pictures of all the pretty beasties and birdies there. I will try and put some of the better ones up about the place here. Though, Its supposed to be windy and rainy the entire time, (Go Oregon) so who knows how they will turn out :p

Also been cruising about the place looking for the next commission victim. And while I will admit avians don't get *nearly* enough love here, Ive tracked down a few affordable artists that know their birds. Once the holidays get smoothed out, there will be much more to be seen from them once I get things rolling!

Pfft. The only problem here is that I have to wait, and thats the pits.

Updated our cow punching friend there a bit and gave him a touch bit more flavor. He tastes like chicken I hear... *cough*
(http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3155177)

In the future, I plan to get some more work done of this fine fellow at which point I will reveal a little more about him. Though, getting a few other players in my mind out in the open has a slight bit more priority at the moment.

Had been feeling kind of timid faving and commenting on the more adult content here. Its no real secret that I have fears of how folks judge me when it comes to certain matters - and its well justified to an extent. People generally don't tolerate things that are different to them, and its what makes me lie and hold back about particular matters.

But then, I look at the rest of FA here and realize, that all my odd tastes aren't really taboo about this place. Its real breath of fresh air finally starting to settle in here and having a more comfortable facets here. After all those years of watching all this from afar, its just damn wonderful to finally be a part of it, even if only a small part.

Why didn't I do this years ago? The very same reason. I was somewhat scared and guilty feeling; like I would be going in over my feathered little head. I really need to stop over thinking my decisions about things and just do them. Live and learn I guess, right?

Anyhoo, there are a few slices of pizza in the fridge that are calling my name...

And the first Commission is done!

Its a stylin' cowboy bird completed in record times by  thekyleishere. Go check out his work, Its good stuff.

Best nesting ever. :)