If anyone can lend a paw, a friend could use some help. Draconis is the legend behind CoyoteVille, an online comic I have been following for a long long time.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-sav.....avoid-eviction

Back home from DenFur.
Never helped with parties like the ones we had every evening in the hotel suite I was staying in.
They went from 8pm till 3am. Had a DJ two of the three nights, played video games, and generally just hung out with other like minded folks.
There were a couple of times when the place was so crowded that it was standing room only.
When I wasn't helping with the party I was roaming the convention and just enjoying the atmosphere, or singing at karaoke when I was sufficiently drunk enough to do so- which was most of the time.
If someone had told me 12 years ago that I would be going to conventions, living the party life, and making a fool of myself singing in front of crowds, I would have thought they were crazy.
And while I may be getting a late start on the party scene, I met a 66 year old guy that was partying like a 20-something. He certainly gave me some hope for what my later years could be like!

Will be leaving for DenFur today. My birthday is tomorrow, the first official day of the convention. Gonna be rooming with another fuzzy whose birthday is the last day of the con. We and a couple other furs are renting an executive suite and will be having room parties every evening. It will be interesting to see how much of this convention I actually remember come Monday xD

Mouse caught covid. Had the Moderna 1st and 2nd doses, hadn't gotten around to any boosters yet.
First started feeling sick on the 16th with a head cold and now its down in my chest. Shortness of breath started a few days ago but its been fairly mild. Tonight it feels like its getting worse so I'll probably go see my doctor tomorrow. I am likely past the point where I'm contagious anyway which is one of the main reasons I didn't go see the doc earlier. Didn't want to risk spreading this crap any further.

Not much going on here today other than a day off from work.
Happy Holidays though ^.^ New Years is usually the big one for me. One of the few times of the year when I get super drunk xD

Met this really cute  alandragonwolf when I was at DenFur. We got along very well and kept in touch via Telegram after the con.

He had made plans to go on a cruise with a friend at Halloween. But said friend now can't make it. So, Alan asked me if I wanted to go. The cruise is all paid for, all I have to do is get a flight to Miami.

Going on a cruise isn't exactly how I planned to spend Halloween but I'm damn sure gonna go! :D

Where are you staying?
The main hotel

When will you be there?
Thursday

How are you traveling?
Via minivan with friends and roommate

Who will you be rooming with?
Me, myself and I. First year I can afford my own room!

What is the best way to find you?
Look for a mouse smacking cat furries over the head with his "anti-cat bat"

What do you look like?
Grey furred mouse that often looks irritated or grouchy. I'm on the bottom of the food chain, I have good reason to be huffy!

Will you be suiting?
Yep

What is your gender?
Male

How tall are you?
5'9"

Are you taken?
Nope, and not looking.

Can I talk to you?
Sure

Can I touch you?
If you ask first? Unexpected touches are a recipe for nerd rage :P

Can I visit your room?
If I know you and invite you first. Wow these past two questions were creepy.

Can I buy you drinks?
Now we're talking. I only get drunk a few times a year but DenFur is one of those times!

Can I give you stuff?
Depends on the kind of stuff o.O

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
If I'm in suit, sure. If not, ask first.

Are you nice?
Depends on who you ask :P

Will you be going to parties?
Probably!

Will you be performing?
If I get drunk enough I will probably sing at furaoke. Don't listen to me sing unless you don't mind your ears bleeding.

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Yell "Nodd!"

Where will you be most of the time during the day/s?
Wandering about, hanging out with old and hopefully new friends.

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
If I know you and/or we hit it off really well.

Can I take your picture?
If in suit yes. If not, ask.

Who will you be hanging out with/seeing this year?
Probably  Phican since I live with the guy. Maybe  AridWolf and hopefully  The_Hambone I'd really like to get to know that hippo better ^^;

What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Get drunk, sing horribly, play games (especially Cards Against Humanity), go to parties, and have various kinds of other fun ;)

Blank copy at https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/9952250/

So, anyone that has followed me for a long time knows I have had and always will have a big crush on a certain cartoon chipmunk.
He's not on my mind every day like he was years ago but sometimes a song will come on the radio or I'll see something that reminds me of him. And just like that, I'm swooning over him again and daydreaming about him once more.

Heard a song for the first time a few days ago and there I went again, thinking about Dale.
Here the song is, slightly rewritten to make it furry and for us small rodents.

A thimble cup holds two gulps
A small tree's got maybe ten to twenty rooms
You only get so much until it's gone
Ladders made out of zip ties
A needle sword and a thumbtack knife
Are the kind of things that only last so long
When the new wears off, and they get to getting old
Sooner or later, time's gonna take its toll

They say nothing lasts forever
But they ain't seen us together
Or the way the moonlight dances in your eyes
Just a t-shirt in the kitchen
Fur messed up and a million
Other things that I could look at my whole life
A love like that makes a mouse have second thoughts
Maybe some things last forever after all

FM station on the outskirts
Overalls after years of shop work
All fading out like I always knew they would
Chairs that came from toy cars
Tables from Lego parts
Those things are gonna break after the getting's good
'Cause the new wears off, and they get to getting old
Yeah, sooner or later, time's gonna take its toll

They say nothing lasts forever
But they ain't seen us together
Or the way the moonlight dances in your eyes
Just a t-shirt in the kitchen
Fur messed up and a million
Other things that I could look at my whole life
A love like that makes a mouse have second thoughts
Maybe some things last forever after all

They say nothing lasts forever
But they ain't seen us together
Or the way the moonlight dances in your eyes
And I know there'll be that moment
One of us won't get to come home and
One won't have the other by their side
But Heaven knows that that won't last too long
Maybe some things last forever after all
After all

Got my second dose of the vaccine on Wednesday. It wiped me out the rest of the day and most of Thursday but at least its done now. Even the usual soreness in my arm from a shot has already faded away.

I have to say, everyone at the Umbrella Corporation was very friendly. I was in and out of there in less than half an hour.

Anyhow, gotta go. Have a pizza delivery soon, third one today. Been really hungry the past couple days for some reason.

I was shocked and saddened today to hear that a furry friend of many years had passed away.

Chaos_Coyote was a silly yote that I had RPed with on the old school mucks on and off for at least a decade. I did not know him too well OOC, but IC he and I would often toon a room up with the usual antics: lit matches between toes, anvils, and numerous gadgets and items pulled from hammer space in an effort to outdo one another.

I'll see you again in Toon Town some day, my friend.

Can't believe I am just three more trips away from the big 50. Mentally I do not feel as old as I am but physically I am starting to feel it. Can't sit at the computer for hours on end like I used to. Have to get up and stretch my legs after a couple hours. Putting on socks is annoying cause my knees don't like bending that far no more. Other than that and some high cholesterol that I am taking meds for, I consider myself to be pretty healthy.

Been in Colorado almost a decade now and am getting sick of the 8 months of winter. Should a move to somewhere greener and warmer be in the cards in the next few years I am going for it.

I still and forever more will miss Saturday morning cartoons and the Disney weekday afternoon cartoon lineup.

Been working a ton of overtime lately which is great for the extra income but really bites into my free time. If I can manage to learn day trading though I could be working from home within the next year or so.

There are furry friends all over the country I would like to visit someday should time and finances allow. People I wanna do, places I wanna see.

My roommate  Phican told  PacoPanda that it was my birthday and Paco messaged me on Telegram! Eee, I'm so happy! I'm a big fan of Paco's art. This just made my day!

Now I will spend the rest of the day eating a lot of unhealthy stuff. Already had some Dunkin', Culver's and Pizza Hut. Once everyone in the household is awake I am going to crank up the 80s music and get stupid-drunk xD I only cut loose a few times a year so time to live it up!

Backyard Memories

Back home, the backyard was a magical place to me when I was little. It was a place of lightning bugs gliding on the summer breezes. A place where I could sit and look up into the mountains instead of down and away from them.

It was a world of make believe and laughter with my best friend Vivian. A place where I could be by myself in the quiet, or lose myself to the sound of rain on the tin of the back porch roof.

It was a time when the coal trains had stopped but the coal trucks had not yet started. Four wheelers hadn't really caught on yet and few people owned motorcycles. So other than the occasional car going by, the backyard was often my place of tranquility.

The front yard just wasn't the same. That was where all the vehicles came in when we had company, where all the work was done in the garage, and where friends and family would sit and talk on the front porch.

I believe another thing that made the backyard different was that the only ways into it were through the house or around the side of it. I didn't have to worry about unexpected company pulling in because there was no driveway back there. There was a car gate but it had long since become overgrown from being used only once a decade or so.

The sights, the sounds, even the smell of the air was different in the backyard. Somehow everything there was just... better. And it remained that way for many years.

Now the front and back yards are both overgrown, the house that separated them gone. But I will always have my memories of my special sanctuary made from angel bug and dandelion seed wishes.

Those of you who have read this far: did you have a special place you called your own when you were little? What made it yours, made it different from other places?

I'm still a kicking.

Recently had laparoscopic hernia surgery. It was minimally invasive but I was still in a lot of pain the day of and for about three days afterward. I was amazed at how quickly the pain dropped off after that though. At about five days I was still having trouble sleeping through the night cause I would go to hurting if I laid in one position for too long. But after eight days even that nuisance was gone, and I just had a really bruised up looking belly that wasn't really hurting at all.
I'll have three small scars on my left side, just above my belly button and on my right side. Worth it to no longer have to worry about the possibility of some intestines going somewhere they shouldn't and then getting trapped there.

In other news, someone I have been RPing and chatting with online for quite a while now will be coming to visit me in person the last week of October. If I go out fursuiting on Halloween he can be my handler ^.^
We don't have anything specific planned other than to get him out of Nowhere, Alabama for a week and show him around parts of Colorado.
MIGHT go into the mountains but it has already snowed down here in Denver :p So the mountain roads are probably starting to get dangerous.

Other than all that, not a lot going on. Have been reading up more on magick, getting some ideas that I may incorporate into my daily practice- which isn't much yet. I'm far too distracted by doing stuff online to really sit down and write out intricate spells or rituals :P

But I'll close out this journal with a little spell I wrote up when wanting to get a good restful sleep and/or pleasant dreams:

Dream of butterflies, flowers and rainbows
Of unicorns, eternal sunrises and doves
Dream of candy, cake and root beer floats
And of joyful meetings on the yellow brick road

Had a lot of fun at DenFur this year. The theme was a sci-fi based one which is right up my alley. Have always loved pre-JJ Trek so I packed up my old Starfleet uniform to wear in conjunction with my fursuit. Pics of which I have already uploaded to my gallery ^.^

But while the convention itself was fun the hotel was sorely lacking. The hallways were set to desert heat and the elevators were ovens.
The ac didn't work in many rooms, including ours. The toilet barely flushed in the room I shared with ShadowCheetah and the sink didn't want to drain.
Other furries were posting pictures of the conditions in their rooms. One walked in to find holes had been ripped in their curtains. Another had the front of their ac unit laying in the floor. There was a plastic chair left sitting on the floor in front of the toilet in another room, for reasons I won't even hazard a guess at @.@

There was a wet spot in the ceiling of the game room, with water dripping from discolored ceiling tiles. That area was blocked off with chairs, and someone wrote up a sign about it being a hull breach and to stand clear until structural integrity could be restored xD

All of these concerns: the water leak, broken air conditioning, etc were brought up with hotel staff. And all such concerns were never addressed. I don't know if it was a matter of the staff not knowing what they were doing, or if the hotel chain was trying to do the Walmart thing and cut cost on everything by not repairing anything, or if the hotel just doesn't want DenFur there next year and this was their way of showing it.

Whatever the case, all the hotel issues aside, the con itself was very fun. I fursuited a good amount, sang at furaoke, and got drunk more than once ^^; Conventions, my birthday, and New Years Eve are really the only times I cut loose in terms of drinking, so I'm not ashamed one bit.

I didn't really visit any panels. There was one about Wicca that I was interested in but I couldn't find which room it was in till it was more than half over. Some events were moved, and some closed their doors which made them harder to spot.

It's the atmosphere of the convention that draws me the most. Being around folks who I can geek out with, who always get my obscure movie references, and I always get theirs. Most of the friends I have at conventions are folks I only get to see during the con so time spent with them is precious.

There were lots of fun moments during the convention but the funniest thing (at least to me) happened during Monday afternoon brunch with friends, after the convention was over and groups of furries were slowly, reluctantly parting ways. So having something humorous happen then helped stave off PCD for a while longer.

What happened was this:
My friend Alynna had ordered waffles with whipped cream and strawberries. She covered the strawberries with the cream but nudged one off to the edge of the plate with her fork.
Her boyfriend Kupo saw this and thought that Alynna was offering him a strawberry. He spooned it up and popped it into his mouth.
But... it wasn't a strawberry.
It was a huge gob of butter that Alynna hadn't wanted on her waffles to begin with xD
Kupo spit the butter out into a napkin which he tossed onto the table. A few moments later and Alynna was done with her waffles and wanted to clean up some whipped cream that had fallen off her plate. So she grabbed a napkin and went to wiping down the table.
It was the same napkin that Kupo had spit the butter into.
So butter oozed out into Alynna's hand and all over the table around her plate before she realized what was going on.
I thought I was gonna die laughing. I still giggle fit every so often when remembering it now.
A lot of comedy doesn't do much for me. But I could watch physical comedy like The Three Stooges or Tom & Jerry all day long, and laugh my tail off the entire time. xD

Favorite highlights of the con:
The awesome job that Frynge, Kupo, Alynna and other game room staff did despite the ceiling leaking and such.
The USS Tiburon display in the art show, complete with mock transporter pads and cardboard cutouts of Star Trek crew for posing with in pictures.
The furoake room which sadly only went one night. But it went from 11:30pm till 4:30 in the morning and I was there for every second of it. Thanks so much to Wolfguardian and  The_Hambone for their work in getting a last minute furaoake event scheduled.

Till next year everyone!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWgcizAgxOs I grew up watching reruns of a LOT of these cartoons. Hanna Barbera was awesome back in the day.

Got a bit teary eyed while watching this video, but I learned a lot too.

In the theory of the multiverse it is postulated that there are an infinite number of other realities. This means that there are quadrillions of different Earths: many of them exactly the same for all intents and purposes. One could explore an alternate Earth their entire life and never find what makes it different from the others. And then there are Earths that are so vastly different that nothing resembling life as we know it could exist on those worlds.

This means that on every Earth that is very similar to our own, there is a good possibility that there are other versions of ourselves. It has been said that everyone in the United States is President OF the United States, on one Earth or another. Anyone is a billionaire, and anyone is homeless. It all depends on the reality and how it shaped the life experiences of the people living in it.
Of course, there are Earths where some people were never born. Their parents never met, or they split up before having any kids. There are countless different things that, if changed just very slightly, would result in any one of us simply never having existed.
However, this doesn't mean that something of us doesn't exist even on such worlds where our physical bodies were never born. This is where the soul itself comes in.

I think of the soul as a being in the center of a vast gemstone. This gem has billions upon billions of facets through which the soul experiences the world around it. Some facets may be the life of an insect or even a bacteria. Others may be the life of a human, an elf, or an alien being the likes of which a human mind cannot comprehend. Each of these facets, these lives, take place on another Earth.

Keeping in mind that time is meaningless in the grand scheme of things, it is entirely possible for millions of facets to be alive at once. For example, one version of me could exist on an Earth where time is slower, or where civilization has advanced more rapidly than in this world, or where electricity was never discovered thus setting society back.

In one reality I may be running my own company. In another reality I was never born as a human, and instead I live the life of a mouse in a forest. In yet another reality talents such as telepathy, far-seeing, and telekinesis are common, and I use such an ability to become a power in the world.

So then, how can any of these realities communicate with one another? How can we know what is happening on another Earth? The answer is that we already get glimpses of these other worlds, all the time. It is what we call imagination.

Every book ever written, every short story, every movie script: it is someone using their imagination to get a look at another Earth. Thus, every book, every movie, every TV show, has a basis in an alternate reality. It is as though our minds have a radio dial in them, through which we can search for a signal.
Some great, prolific writers such as Stephen King or Brian Lumley can hone in on specific realities with unerring precision. Others get a hodgepodge of mixed signals that can lead to a mess when they try to turn it into a book or a movie. But if you can get a team of writers all honed in on the same "signal", then you can get some very impressive stories.

And finally my proof that connects all this and lends it more credence. Think for a moment about some movie that you could watch over and over again, seemingly unable to get enough of it. Think of a book or a series of books that you couldn't stop reading. If you have never been nearly obsessed in such a way then you are lucky... or perhaps unlucky.
For I believe the reason that we are drawn into a movie's world, the reason we can't put that book down is that we have BEEN there. Or we ARE there... or will be in the future. Remember, time is meaningless in situations such as alternate realities and soul facets.

This isn't to say that your obsession with The Avengers movies means that you are Bruce Banner or Tony Stark in some other reality. It is far more likely that you simply exist IN that reality, in some form or another. So when you see it on the big screen something in the back of your mind recognizes it, and wants more. Even if you don't remember, your soul does.

For me, I am called to the movie Red Sonja (yes, I know it was a bad movie :p), The Necroscope series of books by Mr. Lumley, and perhaps most of all, I am obsessed with The Rescue Rangers, and Dale in particular ^^; If you have read my story "Nimnul's Nemesis" then you already know what I mean =)

As to where souls themselves reside, my guess is inner space. The space between spaces. That shadowy realm when you aren't quite asleep but not awake either. It is a place I hope to learn to explore someday, before this one of countless of facets grows dim.

And that is my view on the nature of life. As to where souls come from in the first place, that is above my pay grade for knowing. Perhaps souls are eternal. Perhaps the nature of time is such that questions of origins are meaningless.

Call this my personal religion, or call me crazy. If you read this far, thanks. If all this just gave you a laugh, well good. At least I know I am entertaining. If it got you to thinking and wondering, all the better.
In the eternal words of Mr. Ripley: "Believe it... or not!"

Anyone that has ever been to a con and wants to go get food with a group of friends knows how this is!

Feeding Time at the Fur Con

Earlier in the day Wolf1 created a small Telegram group of friends and roommates for coordinating food plans. The following events are what will take place "on camera" in the comic:

1:00pm:
Wolves 1, 2 and 3 are standing around chatting near con-ops.
Wolf1 sends a message to the group saying he's gonna go get lunch and would anyone like to join and if so, where to? Plan is to meet near con-ops, where three of them already are.
Wolf1 is open to suggestions.
Wolf2 and Wolf3 (likely mates) are wanting Subway.
Wolf4 replies with a vote for McDs. He's on his way to con-ops from the Dealer's Den.
Wolf5 answers that she has just left a panel, and would like AppleBees.
Wolf6 is fine with whatever, and arrives at con-ops in less than five mintues (thinking this one will be a cheetah).

1:05pm:
Wolf4 gets sidetracked in the Dealer's Den, will be another 10 minutes.

1:10pm:
Wolf5 joins the group at con-ops.

1:15pm:
Wolf7 replies that he's hungry NOW, and is going to go to lunch with some other friends that are about ready to leave.
Wolf8 is on the other side of the con, but votes for somewhere that has good fish. May be a little while before he makes it to con-ops.
Wolf2 has disappeared. They were there a moment ago, but now they're gone.
Wolf3 goes to find Wolf2.

1:20pm:
Wolf2 returns and asks where Wolf3 went.

1:30pm:
Wolf9 just arrives. No one invited him, no one wants to tell him to go away. He just stands there staring at the group.

1:35pm:
Wolf3 returns from looking for Wolf2. Wolves 2 and 3 get into a playful spat which ends in hugs. Aww!
Wolf10 answers the invite. He wants to go but also wants to combine the group with his other group of friends that are going out to eat.
Wolf10's group (most of which will remain off camera) includes Wolf7 who was already irritable cause he was hungry.
Wolf7 arrives and begins trying to eat his own tail.
Wolf8 arrives, but realizes they have no money. They really, really wants to go but can't pay. Gives puppy dog eyes to anyone glancing at them.

1:40pm:
Wolf4 has stopped replying to texts on any platform. Last known location: still in the Dealer's Den.

At this point everyone just puts it to a vote OR the group splinters into smaller groups and loners that go where ever for food, like they would have likley done to begin with xD

2:00pm:
Wolf4 arrives near con-ops and wonders where everyone is.

The End

A few guidelines/rules/thoughts:
1) Anyone who contributes an idea that makes it into the final comic will be fully acknowledged once/if it the comic is commissioned and finished.
2) No idea yet on who I might approach to have this done. It will likely be a sketchy comic with small-ish panels. The next tier above that would be a more detailed comic but still black and white, just with cleaner and sharper lines.
I will only consider a full colored comic if I get some help in paying for it.
3) There will of course be more than wolves in the comic. "Wolf#" is just being used as a place holder in lieu of names at this early stage of development.
4) The comic will remain g-rated. No vore or the like just cause someone is hungry :p
5) If anyone wants their fursona to be in the comic, contribution toward the final cost would be much appreciated.
6) If anyone has suggestions about who might want to take on this comic, lemme know.
7) And finally, if this comic remains just a pipe dream that is fine. I will still consider an amusing exercise in writing ^.^

Wolf8 suggested by Elaki.
Wolf9 suggested by Kupo.
Wolf10 suggested by Elaki.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DenFur 2018:

Convention Name:
DenFur

Website:
https://www.denfur.org/

Transportation type:
Roommate's car

Hotel you're staying at:
Main hotel for part of the con, likely the rest with friends who live nearby.

Dates:
August 24th - the 26th

Rooming with:
Kupo and Alynna

Gender:
male

How tall are you:
5'9"

Description (out of suit):
A middle aged geek

Fursuit(s):
Nodd

Relationship Status:
Single

Who will you be with a majority of the time:
Kupo, Alynna, ShadowCheetah, whoever else I cross paths with that wants to hang out for a while ^.^ Hope to reconnect with some old friends and perhaps make some new ones as well.

Are you cliquey:
Nope

Main purpose for attending:
To be reminded of what a fur con can be like. After all that has happened in the fandom this will almost be like going to my first con all over again.

Parties:
Hopefully!

Daily activities:
Pretty random

Nightly Activities:
Scout about for room parties, hang out with friends.

What time I usually go to bed and get up:
Con sleep. A few hours a night most likely.

Do you talk out of suit:
Yes

Do you talk in suit:
Yes

Rules of engagement out of suit:
Hugs and chatting

Rules of engagements in suit:
Same as out of suit, unless you're a cat. Then you might get whacked with Nodd's harmless "anti-cat bat" xD

Can I talk to you:
Of course.

Can I tag along with you:
Maybe

Can I give you hugs or snuggles?
Sure ^^

Can I dance with you:
I don't dance very well at all so do so at your own risk :p

Can I take pictures with you:
Sure

Can I buy you a drink:
Sure

Can I buy you things:
If you want

Best communication medium to reach you:
Talk to me if you see me. Or look me up on Discord or Telegram.

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Not gonna say how old I am today because mice never reveal their age, specially not on their birthday.

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Only work half a day today so I'll probably head to the Green Solution after work (yay legal state), stock up on some edibles, then order a couple pizzas and just enjoy the rest of the day not doing anything.

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...I'm just gonna leave this here.

https://img.pr0gramm.com/2018/06/04.....c3380ff0bc.jpg

Test snagged from Ranek

== Results from bdsmtest.org ==
75% Pet
71% Ageplayer
65% Non-monogamist
63% Boy/Girl
58% Experimentalist
57% Voyeur
56% Owner
54% Primal (Hunter)
47% Master/Mistress
45% Daddy/Mommy
43% Slave
43% Submissive
43% Vanilla
38% Exhibitionist
31% Degrader
31% Switch
30% Rigger
25% Sadist
25% Dominant
18% Rope bunny
13% Primal (Prey)
13% Brat
6% Degradee
4% Brat tamer
4% Masochist

I saw "Frosted Flakes with Lucky Charms Marshmallows" for sale at the store today.

It occurred to me later that if such a pairing of cereals had been introduced in the 80s there were would have been this epic story arc of commercials leading up to it. Something like "Lucky the Leprechaun's powers are fizzling! Who or what is behind it?"

Around the same time other commercials would have debuted about "Tony the Tiger's strength is fading away! Who or what could be responsible for such a thing?"

It would have all led up to Lucky and Tony stumbling across each other while trying to solve their respective mysteries. They would have realized the same bad guy was responsible for both their problems and would have kicked his tail by combining their cereals into one.

I miss the 80s.

Today is the day that a man rose from the dead after three days before floating off into the sky.

April Fools!

For over a year Haal has been dealing with the onset of leukemia.
He recently had a bone marrow transplant but it more or less backfired on him, causing his immune system to attack his body.
He passed away last night, after all efforts to get his immune system in check had failed.

I had known Haal (aka Marko or Rattus) for several years. We had our ups and downs but I considered him to be a soulmate. I had gone to MFF with him a couple times, and I flew out to Australia to visit him last year.

I will miss him dearly. And I know he would want me to remain in the fandom and keep my spirit up. So I will try to do just that. I'll probably still be rather quiet but I was never much of a chatter here on FA to begin with.

In honor of my Marko, this mouse isn't going anywhere anytime soon.