Christmas is coming up quickly! I hope everyone's ready. I'm not, haha. I'm staying up way late to get some art done, here. An old friend offered to commission me to draw a cool-looking character, which is really convenient; money's been tight. I was hoping to do something artsy as a gift for a few family members as well, although I may not have time. So much to draw, so little time!

This update of Awesome Christmas Time is short at a glance, although it might actually take a while, depending on your skill and interest. That's because, this time, I want to draw your attention to Tukky's Christmas! It's geeky, festive, and furry! Intense!

Tukky's Christmas is a charming platform Flash game by Duncan Fenn, inspired by Hudson Soft's Adventure Island/Escape's Wonderboy. Take the reigns of Tukky the mouse, grab an armful of Christmas gifts, and hurry home to your family! Don't be lackadaisical about it, because the timer's ticking! On the way, you'll have to fend off ferocious felines, bypass buzzing bees, and outskill outrageous octopi! Run, jump, bounce, and drive your way across three radical levels, to be the best father and husband you can be this holiday!

Tukky's Christmas poses one intense challenge! It took me about a half-hour to beat it the first time around, but with practice, you should be able to whittle the time down under ten minutes. It's pretty fun, and the music's very catchy! I wish it were longer, haha.

If you missed the earlier hyperlink, click here to play!

Awesome Christmas Time: Part One! Part Two! Part Three! Part Four! Part Five! Part Seven!

I just got home from my last day of work before the Christmas break. Now I've got until the 27th to max chillax to the max! Time to get this place all suited for festivities and mad gaming.

Dudes and dudettes, I hope some of you enjoyed the playlist I posted a couple of days back. It took a while to filter through OCR and find the coolest tracks, but if it made anyone feel more festive or more nostalgic, then it was worth it!

Maybe you noticed a pattern in these postings. We're back to Awesome Video Games! Yes, they made a lot of Christmas episodes. Those dudes love Santa almost as much as they love video games that are specifically awesome! This one's just a short bout of silliness, though—a teaser before the festivities get underway!

https://youtu.be/5kNgkrq9zxk
This year, Dad and the boys get musical! Ace and Chet are still hoping for a Super Nintendo. What's Dad got to say about that? Wicka-wicka-remix!

https://youtu.be/yjvFZofhNnE
Ace and Chet are grounded for being two bad dudes and not taking out the trash! Bogus! Meanwhile, Dad is crazy-enthusiastic about his mysteriously-awesome mystery gift—or maybe just crazy. Time sure does fly when you're singing Boxmas carols!

https://youtu.be/jBXPAGorXKc
Looks like it's time for another Awesome Video Games T-T-T-TURBO … Sticks? Guess it's gonna be one very merry Stickmas! This one's complete with one radical reenactment in case you forgot what happened on the last episode.

Will Ace and Chet ever get their officially-licenced awesome video games back, or are they doomed to a winter of Turbo Sticks? Stay tuned, dudes and dudettes!

Awesome Christmas Time: Part One! Part Two! Part Three! Part Four! Part Six! Part Seven!

Ladies and gents, if you've been following along with these Awesome Christmas Time journals, it's pretty obvious that I've got a geek streak to me. Most of them are video game-related. It's partially because gaming was a big part of my childhood, and I'm trying to relive a touch of that nostalgia and child-like excitement for the holidays—and it's partially just because video games are awesome!

This time, we're going musical! One of my long-time favourite websites is OverClocked ReMix, the music community that reimagines video game soundtracks. I've got a pretty good knowledge of their library, so I went through and nabbed twenty-six wintry tracks to get you in the holiday mood! I stuck 'em all together in one cool-as-ice playlist for your convenience and festive enjoyment.

https://youtu.be/OSsZD5rq7M0

That's just a sample. Click here for the full playlist!

Brew up some hot chocolate, toss another log on the fire, and take a listen to the holiday geekery! Also note that if you like any of these songs, they can all be downloaded from OCR! Just follow the link in the comments of each video for that specific song.

Awesome Christmas Time: Part One! Part Two! Part Three! Part Five! Part Six! Part Seven!

I've had a great week here so far. Been working hard to turn this place around in time for the holidays. I've got a little tree up in my room, sitting on my drafting table. Feels really good to stay productive.

Round three! You might have noticed that the last two posts have been a bit geeky. Well, that doesn't stop here! Like the first one, we're going back to the early nineties for the new Awesome Video Games! It's a year later, and Ace and Chet have since upgraded their set, and are looking to upgrade their gaming experience too! Get ready for some Christmas awesomeness!

https://youtu.be/NfVewtWjVc4
Today on Awesome Video Games, video games are haunted?

https://youtu.be/9KLI4OSa87U
Well dudes and dudettes, Santa's back! And for some reason, Dad is nowhere to be found. Despite that, Ace and Chet ponder what they want for Christmas this year, and are faced with mondo deliberation!

https://youtu.be/NfVewtWjVc4
Santa takes off, and Dad returns, to the suspicion of Ace and Chet. Also, the boys pen an awesome letter to Santa in hopes of getting one superior gift, and get another totally radical surprise visitor!

https://youtu.be/uae7VNrkOlQ
It's Christmas eve, and the boys can't stop thinking about a way cool Super Nintendo. Bored with the NES, they even dream about being the biggest and baddest rap star thousandaires with the brand new, officially-licenced, sixteen bit system!

https://youtu.be/eitAnQBcGC8
Today on Awesome Video Games, it's Christmas! Dad gives Ace and Chet one intense wake-up call, and the boys get one super duper gift from their father!

https://youtu.be/sUUIWL3Y_5s
Ace and Chet try out their new gift, and it's a total bummer! That's when they remember the true meaning of Nintendo. Meanwhile, Dad, the old so-and-so, tries to take credit for Santa's gifts. It's a totally awesome Christmas after all! :D

Awesome Christmas Time: Part One! Part Two! Part Four! Part Five! Part Six! Part Seven!

Just got back from the field last night, and I faceplanted into my bed as soon as I got inside. My back feels pretty sore from a combination of heavy rucking, sleeping on the ground, and clearing trenches. It's nice to catch a long sleep indoors where it's warm, on a soft bed.

So hey! Let's keep this Christmas cheer going. Told ya I'd keep posting these throughout the month!

You guys remember Blow Me Up, Willy!, right? It was  chicago-lollie's entry for Inflatable Wolfi's Super Amazing Contest! If you haven't seen it, take a few minutes to watch, because it's just... super amazing.

That's not particularly Christmasy, but y'know what is? The sequel/holiday special, A Very Inflatable Christmas. In this episode, Wolfi is in this the Christmas of spirit. Helium comments.

Enjoy. c:

Awesome Christmas Time: Part One! Part Three! Part Four! Part Five! Part Six! Part Seven!

EVERYONE GET IN HERE

 corbinbusker just dropped a new extended play: Skitter!

Some of you who attended Anthrocon 2010 might remember the table in Artist Alley that was selling an album called Thank You, with a matching poster. That was the work of the notorious bird, Corbin. After premiering his album at AC2010, he became the #1 ranked musician from his home state of Minnesota on Bandcamp. Now, he's back.

Give it a listen and, if it's to your liking, a download. It's catchy! And while you're at it, check out the dude's gallery, 'cause he's got talent out the wazoo.

Dudes and dudettes, it's December 1st! Christmas isn't too far off now, so y'know what? It's time to get psyched! I'm gonna post a few of these throughout the month to keep that Christmas cheer coming. Gonna start off with the first Awesome Video Games Christmas special! Awesome Video Games stars Ace and Chet, two young brothers who bring you all the tips and tricks for the brand new, officially-licenced Nintendo Entertainment System! Yeeeeeaaaah!

https://youtu.be/5Gte4zCz1mw
Ace and Chet get a surprise guest: the Kringle of Kriss, the checker of lists: Santa Claus!

https://youtu.be/N5brpQCkwME
Ace and Chet get their arbor de celebration! Meanwhile, Dad reveals a huge plot twist.

https://youtu.be/EvrWNjN5iLY
Ace and Chet give you tips on how to drop subtle hints to parental figures to get you the awesome games you want! Stay tuned to learn how to unravel a mysteriously-awesome mystery and guess some gifts!

https://youtu.be/G9D1FKgrK1s
Looks like it's time for another Awesome Video Games Quick Tip! Ace and Chet show you how you can deal with the long wait before Christmas morning. Follow these tips, and Christmas will be here before you know it!

https://youtu.be/KJUZTLVRTTI
The wait is finally over, dudes and dudettes! Ace, Chet, and Dad finally get to beat some presents! Christmas time is awesome!

I love Awesome Video Games. I hope you can enjoy the ridiculous late-eighties/early-nineties cheesiness as much as I do. Now, I gotta get back to cleaning up my basement. I want to get my Christmas tree up today!

Awesome Christmas Time: Part Two! Part Three! Part Four! Part Five! Part Six! Part Seven!

[Current Music|The Queenstons - Figurehead Remastered]

My brother came into my room this morning and commented, "It smells like root beer in here."

Yessssss~

Root beer candle, you're doing a bang-up job! B3 When I was searching through the Yankee Candle store, a girl who worked there asked if she could help me.

"Yeah, do you have any candles that smell like a brand new Nintendo?"

Unfortunately, they do not. That is the smell of nostalgia. But hey, this thing also smells awesome. Next time I'm visiting  corbinbusker, I'm gonna bring back, like, eleven of them, and light them all at once. I wonder if I can find a Dr. Pepper one for my brother.

I burn that candle while I hang out in here, wearing headphones and drawing throughout all hours of the night. I've been doing that a lot lately. I've even been drawing at work, when I can get a moment of downtime, by carrying a sketchbook with me. It's been pretty productive, I think! I'm much happier with my drawings and character designs than I was even a week ago.  Kittiara—who is one wicked kick-ass chick, in my awesome opinion—pointed me to a couple of good resources for art practice and study.

If I keep on grinding my skill, I'm sure I can produce some amazing art again in no time. I just gotta work on my weaknesses—anatomy, folds, traditional media, and many moar—and capitalize on my strengths—graphic design, foreshortening, colour theory, et cetera.

Maybe I should dedicate a number of nights to different media, like pen ink, brush ink, charcoal, coloured pencils, and watercolour paint. Since all I have to work on now is a very old, very slow computer, digital art is a pain in the ass. I've wanted to improve my traditional work anyway. My weapon of choice has long been the stylus, but specialization breeds weakness. C.R. Avery said that he hopes his own body of work will one day be as diverse as the entirety of your local used records store. I have a similar line of thought about my visual media.

Plus, there's just something really satisfying about having a unique, physical piece of completed art, whether an illustration on paper, painting on canvas, or a magazine fresh off the press. You can't hold pixels in your hand.

Well, that's enough rambling. I should get back to work.

It's about a month until Christmas. I'm not particularly religious, but I love Christmas! It beats out Halloween and Thanksgiving for the gold in favourite holidays. It's got all the deliciousness of Thanksgiving paired with gift-giving. It's wonderful.

I wanted to do a little art thing this year for the holidays, so I'm curious: does anyone here not celebrate Christmas, but celebrate something else, like Hanukkah or something? Or is there anyone who just doesn't celebrate anything at all around this time of year? I just wanted to know what other people got going on this winter.

Guess who I just saw perform live.

https://youtu.be/LsbGvhE-4gc

https://youtu.be/lcnpn-wxyUQ

https://youtu.be/dXr58YXYVQg

It was fuckin' brilliant!

I refuse to be associated with typography that horrendous.

[Current Music|Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger]

Last night, I danced my spotlight dances! I performed for a crowd and a judge. I did not one, not two, but three performances: a rumba, cha-cha-cha, and east coast swing. Truthfully, I only cared about the choreographed cha-cha, but I improvised the others for a challenge. I did alright, I think. I'm pretty sure I heard some wild applause at a few moments; I was so focused on my own performance, I'd tuned everything out. The judge told me I did well, but I know I can do better! It's back to practice for me.

By the way, that song listed up there? That was my cha-cha-cha music.

Now, I'm like ten days in with a cold. It's taking a long-ass time to go away. I think it's on its way out, though, which is damn good. I can barely do crossfit with full strength, nevermind when I'm hacking up a lung.

Oh, on another positive note, after taking that branch in the eye, my vision returned to normal after a few days. So, no, to much disappointment, I haven't been walking around like a pirate this whole time.

Lastly, I redid my room and got my drafting table up and running again. Yes, running like a machine. It's a machine. A machine of art. It's good to have a secluded place to draw.

Crossfit's still kicking my butt, while I'm kicking dance floor butt in return. Had a little mishap the other day, though.

On Thursday evening, while out jogging with some army buddies, I had a run-in with nature—by which I mean, I took a tree branch in the face. It smoked me right in my right eye. Hurt like hell, but I sucked it up and put in another three kilometres after that. Once the runner's high subsided, my eye was irritated as fuck. Felt like I had something sharp stuck in it, even though, like, seven separate inspections in the mirror came up empty. I'm nearsighted, so I didn't notice until I sat down to my computer, but I started seeing ghost images in my right eye.

I tried to sleep it off, but my vision is still distorted. The light is refracting in an odd way, which kinda makes me see double. Also, it was really sensitive to sunlight. I wasn't freaking out, 'cause my vision is already messed up, but I was curious as to what damage I did. I managed to see my optometrist on short notice, thankfully, and she told me that I scratched my cornea. She prescribed some eye drops, and said it will probably heal by next week, although it might scar. So, I guess we'll wait and see! Possibly double!

In the mean time, because my eye is sensitive to sunlight, I've been wearing an eye patch during day time, which makes me feel like Big Boss. B3

On a more positive note, tomorrow night is my regiment's annual dinner and dance. I don't have a date, so hopefully I can find someone there to dance with! I don't want all this practice to go to waste, haha.

[Current Music|Seether - Careless Whisper]

November looks like it's going to be a good month for me! Starting this evening, I'm going to be doing crossfit training. I don't know a whole lot about it, other than it's supposedly pretty intense. Dudes pay pretty hefty fees for it, and my base is offering it to soldiers for free! I've been eager to get in better shape, so I'd be foolish to pass on this.

I'd been thinking about it, and it turns out that the majority of the stress I have during training is because of physical challenges. I mentioned before that I'm one of the thinner guys in the unit. Other than catching some shit from ignorant pricks for it, it hasn't been a problem. So far, I've managed to keep up with everyone else, and even excel at a few things, but I've got this worry that eventually we're gonna hit some challenge that'll be too much. I don't want to look like I can't pull my own weight, and more importantly, can't pull my buddy's. The time might come where I'll have to hoist a friend on my back and run him god-knows-how-far, while we're both wearing a full load. I've seen one of my friends do it. I want to be sure that I can too, no matter how much more he weighs than me.

So, kicking myself into even better shape will make me more competent, and thus more confident, compounding to help shape me into an excellent soldier.

Civie-side, things are looking to be productive as well! For the last month-and-a-half, I've been taking dance lessons. I haven't told a whole lot of people. In fact, none of my army buddies know, haha. I've been waiting to surprise them, if I get the opportunity to dance with a cute infantrywoman, at our regimental dinner and dance.

I've been learning a variety of ballroom and Latin styles, and it's a hell of a lot of fun! I've taken a real liking to the energetic and syncopated cha-cha-cha lately, and I'm intrigued with getting to learn the slow and sensual bolero. Dancing seems to me like one of those skills a gentleman ought to know. I was inspired to get to it after that Friday night in Pittsburgh, with Seel, Bowrll, and Kazui at Protocollie's rave. While the styles are different, the premise is the same: tearing up the dance floor with gorgeous girls. In fact, I gotta do it in front of a judge in a few weeks! Should be wild.

So, seems like this is going to be a good month for me!

Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving is my second-favourite holiday, only behind Christmas. Loads of food, and time with the family—I love it!

Hope the rest of you Canadians are having a good one. And for you foreigners, bust out some fine dining anyway. You can't go wrong with fooding up with friends and family. :3

[Current Music|Casey LaLonde - The Field]

I'm heading out to the field again. This time, we're doing live fire and movement, both solo and in pairs. It's not my first time firing on the move, but it will be the first time with the grenade launcher attached. The CO promised, the people who complete this training, he will take to the Arctic. I think he means Yellowknife, which is about 400 kilometres south of the Arctic circle, but close enough. It'll be cold as fuck there in February, regardless.

Here's hoping I don't get shot!

That last journal confirmed my suspicion: micro characters are few and far between! Sizeshifters are all over the place though. Not that I dislike size-changing furries, but I do find something interesting about the ones who are stuck at an unusual scale, and have to live with it. That way, they can't just be whatever is most convenient for the situation, but have to adapt. Oh well.

I gotta take off for the weekend. Going to the firing range. Should be a fun time! See ya on Monday, furries.

I know I got a lot of macro/micro fans watching me; I've been curious. Who here has a micro character, or micro fursona? I've got Zen, the itty-bitty bird. I don't see a lot of travel-sized furries though. They're vastly outnumbered by the giant characters.

So, pocket-sized furries, where you at? o3o

https://youtu.be/m0aVka8zmFw

Moving on.

https://youtu.be/CljldVFRk6o

An accurate depiction of Tuesday night.


Best birthday I've had since I was a kid. Thank you all for the well-wishes. <3

https://youtu.be/84aRTri8AAk

It's International Cat Day, also known as my happy birthday! As of 6:01 a.m., I'm twenty-five. I still look like a teenager though, haha. I didn't ask for any gifts this year, so I'm curious as to what, if anything, I'll get.

I'm gonna go drinking with the boys tonight. Should be wild! A year ago, I didn't have buddies like this, nor was I much of a drinker. How a year in the military can change things, haha.

https://youtu.be/AAeHwhCqmkA

I got promoted!

Holy fuck, yes, I made it! I got promoted a few hours ago! I am now a Rifleman, which is my regiment's fancy title for a trained private. I think that's roughly the equivalent of an American Private First Class. I also finally got my unit cap badge, so I no longer look like a noob.

Man, I am in such a good mood. I feel like a member of the boys club. Things got really rowdy in the mess tonight. My tab came to, like, $76, which isn't too bad! It's tradition to buy a round when you get promoted, you see. I had a few, myself. I'm feeling no pain tonight, haha.

It was a long, difficult path leading up to tonight, but I made it. I'm so happy!

Also, my birthday is next Tuesday! Things are probably gonna get pretty rowdy in the mess then all over again, haha.

https://youtu.be/e9xHOWHjYKc

I've returned from my bout of training. I'm back in Winnipeg—home sweet home.

That last exercise was a surprisingly good go. Maybe it's because I just came straight off a ball-busting course, but despite fatigue, I was way switched-on. I made all my timings and accomplished all my objectives without much difficulty. I got to lead two raids as the point man, not just for my section, or for my platoon, but for the whole company! My sergeant either really trusted me or really hated me, haha. I did a good job, though. During the final raid, I sprinted out of a smoke screen and encountered a previously unseen roll of concertina wire, so I threw myself on it so the company could run past without losing momentum. I got scratched and my uniform got a few new tears, haha. But I got a lot of praise for taking one for the team.

Now that I'm back, I finally have an opportunity to catch up with my friends properly. I also have over a thousand new submissions on here to browse through, haha. Thankfully, I have some time, finally, to just relax.

https://youtu.be/4avVRwimfsU

Music related.

I did it! I escaped training with a new cap badge and a certificate of completion. My ending reports said that I was able to overcome stress, stayed dedicated and alert in the field, and that I'm an excellent shot with the grenade launcher. Overall, not a bad deal at all.

I didn't get a chance to say goodbye, so on my way back to Winnipeg, I sent a text to my sergeant thanking him for his training. I told him that I appreciated his patience and support throughout course, and that he was exactly the sort of section commander that I needed. The dude got all sappy about it, haha. He's such a cool dude though. The well-being of the troops was really important to him. He really felt like the sort of sergeant that was looking out for the boys—not just some dick instructor who wants to make life hell for candidates. I know I'm not the only dude who sent him a thank-you text either.

So yeah. It was a severe pain in the ass, but I did it! A lot of dudes and dudettes on my courses, from my first day of basic until now, dropped out. They hated it or they just couldn't hack it, but I made it. I pulled through. And man, am I proud of myself.

Man, it's really good to be home, if only briefly. Turns out my flight to the next exercise is in about twelve hours, so I get to spend one night in bed here.

Hey there, dudes and dudettes!

We're down to our last week, and really, last challenge. I've gotta hit the field for a few days of patrolling and defensive operations, then ruck all the way back to base.

I'm actually in a good mood. I'm getting a bit tougher every day, both physically mentally, and I think I've hit that point where I'm just good to go.

We had a fitness competition yesterday called the PT 400. It's where we ran two miles, then maxed out our pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups. I scored first place in the sit-ups, busting out a hundred in a row, beating the rest of the platoon! It feels pretty good to be the best at something here. Abs of steel, baby. B3

Oh, remember how I mentioned that I'd have to do platoon attacks with a grenade launcher, but at least I wasn't carrying a machine gun? Guess who they put on the C6 machine gun team. Not only did I have my rifle with the M203, I had to run uphill carrying a backpack with over 700 rounds of 7.62, haha. I'm one of the lightest guys in the platoon, but I pulled it off just fine, so it's all good.

Oh, I also got to cam up for the first time earlier this week. Seems like a strange thing to be a year into the infantry and only paint my face with camo now, but all of my other training has been in the winter, so it hasn't been necessary. A lot of guys complain about the camo, but I gotta say, I felt really bad ass putting that stuff on. It does suck when it sweats into my eyes though.

We did that assault boat training too, like I'd mentioned. It actually was a lot of fun, paddling and swimming around in our combats. Not a bad day at all.

This weekend is pretty slack. We've pretty much got all of our stuff ready for the field, so there's not much to do. I actually got to sleep for, like, ten hours, which is unheard of around here. Oh, and I finally got my cap badge! I've been waiting for my regimental badge for my beret for months. One of my buddies from my unit who's working out here gave me one today. I'm going to reshape my beret for it tonight while watching the Pacific or something.

When this is all over, I'll be heading straight out of here to another training exercise. I got confirmed for an exercise in Wainwright, Alberta. It's probably gonna be retarded like the one I did out here a few months back, but with the field and travel bonuses, it will pay well. Plus a bunch of dudes from my unit and this course are going, so it shouldn't be all bad. I guess we'll be having our course grad party in the airport bar, haha.

So yeah, things are going well. I'll be out of here soon, and when I get back home, I'm gonna use the money I earn from the next exercise to build a bad ass beast of a computer to use for art, music, and gaming. It's gonna be sweet.