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2012 was...
Posted 13 years ago2012 was a pretty good year.
*For the first time I attended three cons in one year - Confuzzled in England, Eurofurence in Germany, & Midwest Furfest in the USA. This is a new record for me as up until now the most cons I’d ever done in a single year was two. Yeah, I know three cons in a year is small fry in comparison with some of you guys who manage to squeeze in six or seven, but still
*Furs I met face to face for the first time in 2012 included ( but are by no means limited to ):
Ant, 
midori8, 
baccala30, 
kittrel 
melody_boat, 
thabo, 
runt, 
arlowryarda, 
keenora, 
snugglebunnyfursuit, 
haal ( I’d already met him back at FC ‘10 but only for about 2 mins so that doesn’t count ) and many, many others.
In addition I also met the enigmatic
mysteryotter and got to see the wonderful 
manukoa, plus during EF I finally sat down and had a chat with Uncle Kage.
I was also lucky enough to meet many familiar faces from previous years - Jbadger, Skippyfox, Scooter Squirrel, White Paw, Murray Mouse, Dario Mouse, Begger Bear, Pepper, Norfox, Yippee, KJ Roo, Neouka, Emejn, Jaggers, Pacerfox and many, many others.
Hope to meet a lot of new faces in 2013, too.
*During August I spent a couple of weeks with
AndyFox on the east coast of the US, spending some time in NYC, Albany, Washington DC and Philadelphia, plus hanging out for a few days with Scooter Squirrel & White Paw at Scooter’s place in Maryland. Many nice furs were met during this time.
*I travelled across Europe by sea and rail, spending time in both Paris & Berlin prior to Eurofurence.
*During the above trip I visited Disneyland Paris, which means I’ve now been in all 5 Disneylands worldwide. Still haven’t met Rabbit, though.
*My working patterns changed for the first time in 6 years ( same job, just different locations ), which has so far been a positive experience. It does mean I now need to get up earlier, though, and can’t chat as much as I used to over AIM.
*I attempted and failed to bike across Ireland ( pack was too heavy ), but I did spend a few days up in the Dartry Mountains in Co. Sligo, which was nice.
*I survived the end of the world yet again ( that’s a lot of times now ) so I’m obviously the toughest, strongest guy in the universe. Or else the whole apocalypse thing was a load of junk.
*There was a major health scare with my Gran after it was suspected she had pancreatic cancer. She spent a few weeks in hospital and all the signs were bad… until, the day before I was due to go on my EF trip, she got the all clear. It seemed strange ( in a good way ) to have her back to her usual self at Christmas, even though a few months before we’d all been wondering if she’d even still be here by Christmas.
*My plans for next year?
As regards cons, the only one I know for sure I’ll be at is Confuzzled in May. As regards EF, MFF or RF, I’m not sure yet. I hope to get to at least one con in the US, but we’ll see.
There’s also the strong possibility that I might be making a trip to Texas in June, with stops in Houston, San Antonio & Dallas. As to how exactly that pans out we’ll also have to see.
Roll on 2013...
*For the first time I attended three cons in one year - Confuzzled in England, Eurofurence in Germany, & Midwest Furfest in the USA. This is a new record for me as up until now the most cons I’d ever done in a single year was two. Yeah, I know three cons in a year is small fry in comparison with some of you guys who manage to squeeze in six or seven, but still
*Furs I met face to face for the first time in 2012 included ( but are by no means limited to ):
Ant, 
midori8, 
baccala30, 
kittrel 
melody_boat, 
thabo, 
runt, 
arlowryarda, 
keenora, 
snugglebunnyfursuit, 
haal ( I’d already met him back at FC ‘10 but only for about 2 mins so that doesn’t count ) and many, many others. In addition I also met the enigmatic
mysteryotter and got to see the wonderful 
manukoa, plus during EF I finally sat down and had a chat with Uncle Kage.I was also lucky enough to meet many familiar faces from previous years - Jbadger, Skippyfox, Scooter Squirrel, White Paw, Murray Mouse, Dario Mouse, Begger Bear, Pepper, Norfox, Yippee, KJ Roo, Neouka, Emejn, Jaggers, Pacerfox and many, many others.
Hope to meet a lot of new faces in 2013, too.
*During August I spent a couple of weeks with
AndyFox on the east coast of the US, spending some time in NYC, Albany, Washington DC and Philadelphia, plus hanging out for a few days with Scooter Squirrel & White Paw at Scooter’s place in Maryland. Many nice furs were met during this time. *I travelled across Europe by sea and rail, spending time in both Paris & Berlin prior to Eurofurence.
*During the above trip I visited Disneyland Paris, which means I’ve now been in all 5 Disneylands worldwide. Still haven’t met Rabbit, though.
*My working patterns changed for the first time in 6 years ( same job, just different locations ), which has so far been a positive experience. It does mean I now need to get up earlier, though, and can’t chat as much as I used to over AIM.
*I attempted and failed to bike across Ireland ( pack was too heavy ), but I did spend a few days up in the Dartry Mountains in Co. Sligo, which was nice.
*I survived the end of the world yet again ( that’s a lot of times now ) so I’m obviously the toughest, strongest guy in the universe. Or else the whole apocalypse thing was a load of junk.
*There was a major health scare with my Gran after it was suspected she had pancreatic cancer. She spent a few weeks in hospital and all the signs were bad… until, the day before I was due to go on my EF trip, she got the all clear. It seemed strange ( in a good way ) to have her back to her usual self at Christmas, even though a few months before we’d all been wondering if she’d even still be here by Christmas.
*My plans for next year?
As regards cons, the only one I know for sure I’ll be at is Confuzzled in May. As regards EF, MFF or RF, I’m not sure yet. I hope to get to at least one con in the US, but we’ll see.
There’s also the strong possibility that I might be making a trip to Texas in June, with stops in Houston, San Antonio & Dallas. As to how exactly that pans out we’ll also have to see.
Roll on 2013...
Confuzzled - anyone want to share a room?
Posted 13 years agoI'll be attending Confuzzled next May and will be needing a room partner. I've picked the 2 beds/2 people option and have chosen early arrival & late departure ( arriving Wednesday, leaving Tuesday ).
I'm a non drinker/non smoker and although I'm likely to be up until 2am or so most nights, I'm usually pretty quiet. I'm not a room party type. Also, there will be a goat in the room.
Any takers?
I'm a non drinker/non smoker and although I'm likely to be up until 2am or so most nights, I'm usually pretty quiet. I'm not a room party type. Also, there will be a goat in the room.
Any takers?
And that's a wrap!
Posted 13 years agoYay!
No more work for me until Jan 2nd.
I'm going to totally become a vegetable for the next week & a half.
No more work for me until Jan 2nd.
I'm going to totally become a vegetable for the next week & a half.
So Anthrocon is moving to Gotham City?
Posted 13 years agoWas watching 'The Dark Knight Rises' earlier, which was filmed in Pittsburgh last year.
Towards the end, during a high speed chase through the streets of Gotham City, we get a brief view of The Westin hotel and that seafood restaurant next to it.
Took me right out of the movie. All I could think of was "Hey! It's the AC hotel!"
I didn't notice any furry critters on the sidewalk
Towards the end, during a high speed chase through the streets of Gotham City, we get a brief view of The Westin hotel and that seafood restaurant next to it.
Took me right out of the movie. All I could think of was "Hey! It's the AC hotel!"
I didn't notice any furry critters on the sidewalk
Mystery Otter
Posted 13 years ago"Yippee aye oh
Yippee aye ay
Mystery Otters in the sky"
Was Johnny Cash trying to give us a hint about something? :-P
**just a silly post to clear that long MFF report off my main page**
Yippee aye ay
Mystery Otters in the sky"
Was Johnny Cash trying to give us a hint about something? :-P
**just a silly post to clear that long MFF report off my main page**
MFF con report
Posted 13 years agoAt one point during the con somebody pointed a camera towards me and asked if I could say a few words. I told them that MFF was the best con in America, the main reason being that I genuinely think it is. Okay, so there's lots of cons in the US and other than MFF I've only got AC and FC to compare it to, but my trips to MFF have been my most enjoyable con experiences to date. The crowd is great, there's quite a few people I know, and the hotel is bloody excellent.
And MFF '12 certainly didn't disappoint.
There WAS something missing, though - AndyFox, who has been a great room partner and friend through 9 previous cons, couldn't be there this year. However, despite this ( very large ) fox shaped hole, there were plenty of other cute critters to keep me company. Squirrels and otters and mice and bears and badgers, amongst others.
I left Ireland early Tuesday afternoon and arrived in Chicago just after 3pm local time, making my way downtown by cab. It was an expensive ride - $35 - but I really didn't want to be hauling my fursuit about on the bus or train. I stayed in a hotel in 'The Loop' for two nights, pretty much just wandering about the city during that time. Didn't go up in the Willis Tower as I did that last time I was in Chicago, but seeing that a couple of fursuiters subsequently got permission to suit on the skydeck makes me regret that now! I probably would have been too chicken to ask, anyway.
I took another cab to the Hyatt on Thursday afternoon ( yeah, another $35 ) and despite being a couple of hours before the offical check in time, my room was already available. I was in one of the circular sections of the building - a room with an enormous window but one which got very narrow towards the door. A bit like a slice of pie, actually.
Dropped off my bags and quickly went downstairs to see who was about. Ran into
norfox, but aside from him I didn't see anyone I knew ( it was still only 1pm ) and I decided to go get some dinner. Walked down to Gibson's steakhouse and got myself a nice meal of filet medallions and mashed potato. A great restaurant but pretty expensive.
When I got back to the hotel about an hour later I quickly ran into
scooter_squirrel & 
white-paw, who were easy to find as Scooter was wearing his enormous Fluff the bunny plushiesuit.
Then I ran into several more familiar faces, the con coming alive very quickly.
I was a sponsor this year, which meant I could register at 4:30pm. Fastest registration line ever - I think I was only in it for less than 5 mins.
I did a little fursuiting after registration, finding a few more familiar faces in the process. Or to be more truthful, they found me. One thing I tend to be pretty bad at is identifying faces, unless they happen to be people I've met quite a few times. So sometimes someone would come up and say 'hi' and it would take me a few seconds to figure out who they were. So if I passed you by without saying hello, many apologies for that. Maybe I need to study mugshots before each con.
Anyway... rather than go through the con day by day, here's the highlights:
* A certain fursuiter dragging me and Norfox around the parking lot, then taking a drag from a bong and squeaking "This is some good shit!" as smoke billowed from his mouth.
* Snuggling up with Twilight Bunny on a sofa for a few minutes. Also got to meet
yippee out of suit for the first time.
* Getting lots of time to hang out with furs I only met briefly before such as
dariomouse, haal & 
begger, plus having a couple of nice chats with 
skippyfoxcub and a few new people.
* Seeing
Jbadger's new suit... although what it is I'm not saying.
* Seeing manukoa's suit for the first time ( superb! )
* Meeting mysteryotter for the first time. I know who you are, otter! Maybe.
* Doing fursuit charades for the first time, which was quite fun. I somehow managed to convey 'Eiffel Tower' pretty quickly, although as to how 'Chthulu' ended up in the mix is anyone's guess.
* Getting to meet lots of furs I'd met at both CF and EF earlier in the year. It was kind of surreal seeing the same people thousands of miles away from where we met before. Us furries get around.
*
zachhart12 and a few others totally cracking up when I tried to deal with a lack of cups in the headless lounge by placing my hand under the water dispenser and catching some drops.
* Attending a goat/boat photoshoot with several other hoofers.
Negatives?
Only one real one I can think of.
I intended to take part in the fursuit games but during the first round I split a seam in my knee. Had to go back to the room to do a patch up job on it and ended up missing most of the games. Oh well...
Will I be there again next year? No idea. I'd like to be, but 12 months is a long time. We'll see what happens.
And MFF '12 certainly didn't disappoint.
There WAS something missing, though -
AndyFox, who has been a great room partner and friend through 9 previous cons, couldn't be there this year. However, despite this ( very large ) fox shaped hole, there were plenty of other cute critters to keep me company. Squirrels and otters and mice and bears and badgers, amongst others.I left Ireland early Tuesday afternoon and arrived in Chicago just after 3pm local time, making my way downtown by cab. It was an expensive ride - $35 - but I really didn't want to be hauling my fursuit about on the bus or train. I stayed in a hotel in 'The Loop' for two nights, pretty much just wandering about the city during that time. Didn't go up in the Willis Tower as I did that last time I was in Chicago, but seeing that a couple of fursuiters subsequently got permission to suit on the skydeck makes me regret that now! I probably would have been too chicken to ask, anyway.
I took another cab to the Hyatt on Thursday afternoon ( yeah, another $35 ) and despite being a couple of hours before the offical check in time, my room was already available. I was in one of the circular sections of the building - a room with an enormous window but one which got very narrow towards the door. A bit like a slice of pie, actually.
Dropped off my bags and quickly went downstairs to see who was about. Ran into
norfox, but aside from him I didn't see anyone I knew ( it was still only 1pm ) and I decided to go get some dinner. Walked down to Gibson's steakhouse and got myself a nice meal of filet medallions and mashed potato. A great restaurant but pretty expensive. When I got back to the hotel about an hour later I quickly ran into
scooter_squirrel & 
white-paw, who were easy to find as Scooter was wearing his enormous Fluff the bunny plushiesuit.Then I ran into several more familiar faces, the con coming alive very quickly.
I was a sponsor this year, which meant I could register at 4:30pm. Fastest registration line ever - I think I was only in it for less than 5 mins.
I did a little fursuiting after registration, finding a few more familiar faces in the process. Or to be more truthful, they found me. One thing I tend to be pretty bad at is identifying faces, unless they happen to be people I've met quite a few times. So sometimes someone would come up and say 'hi' and it would take me a few seconds to figure out who they were. So if I passed you by without saying hello, many apologies for that. Maybe I need to study mugshots before each con.
Anyway... rather than go through the con day by day, here's the highlights:
* A certain fursuiter dragging me and Norfox around the parking lot, then taking a drag from a bong and squeaking "This is some good shit!" as smoke billowed from his mouth.
* Snuggling up with Twilight Bunny on a sofa for a few minutes. Also got to meet
yippee out of suit for the first time.* Getting lots of time to hang out with furs I only met briefly before such as
dariomouse, haal & 
begger, plus having a couple of nice chats with 
skippyfoxcub and a few new people. * Seeing
Jbadger's new suit... although what it is I'm not saying. * Seeing
manukoa's suit for the first time ( superb! )* Meeting
mysteryotter for the first time. I know who you are, otter! Maybe.* Doing fursuit charades for the first time, which was quite fun. I somehow managed to convey 'Eiffel Tower' pretty quickly, although as to how 'Chthulu' ended up in the mix is anyone's guess.
* Getting to meet lots of furs I'd met at both CF and EF earlier in the year. It was kind of surreal seeing the same people thousands of miles away from where we met before. Us furries get around.
*
zachhart12 and a few others totally cracking up when I tried to deal with a lack of cups in the headless lounge by placing my hand under the water dispenser and catching some drops. * Attending a goat/boat photoshoot with several other hoofers.
Negatives?
Only one real one I can think of.
I intended to take part in the fursuit games but during the first round I split a seam in my knee. Had to go back to the room to do a patch up job on it and ended up missing most of the games. Oh well...
Will I be there again next year? No idea. I'd like to be, but 12 months is a long time. We'll see what happens.
MFF photos now online
Posted 13 years agoOver 500 photos from the con now available here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/finbar.....7632056451125/
As ever, if you see yourself in any of these photos then feel free to crosspost the pic.
Over the next few days I'll pick a few of my favorites and crosspost them here, too.
As ever, MFF was a total blast. Loved every minute of it and can't quite believe that it's already all over.
I'm not going to name names because I'll forget someone, but many thanks to everyone I met for making this another great con to remember. I'm going to miss you all.
I might post a more comprehensive con report tomorrow when my brain has started working again...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/finbar.....7632056451125/
As ever, if you see yourself in any of these photos then feel free to crosspost the pic.
Over the next few days I'll pick a few of my favorites and crosspost them here, too.
As ever, MFF was a total blast. Loved every minute of it and can't quite believe that it's already all over.
I'm not going to name names because I'll forget someone, but many thanks to everyone I met for making this another great con to remember. I'm going to miss you all.
I might post a more comprehensive con report tomorrow when my brain has started working again...
Off to America
Posted 13 years agoI'll be leaving for Chicago tomorrow morning - due to arrive about 3:30pm local time. Will be staying in a hotel downtown for the first two nights.
For those who are attending MFF, hope to see a lot of you there! I should be arriving at the Hyatt sometime early Thursday afternoon.
Will be back home on Tuesday 20th.
For those who are attending MFF, hope to see a lot of you there! I should be arriving at the Hyatt sometime early Thursday afternoon.
Will be back home on Tuesday 20th.
Birthday today
Posted 13 years agoWell, I hit 35 today.
It's not 'old' by a long shot, but in furry terms it certainly feels old. So many furs seem to be 25 and under, and I see them bouncing around with a youthful energy that I just don't have anymore. Sometimes it feels like furs over 30 are in pretty short supply!
I've met one guy who's not yet 20 but is already a superb, talented suiter, and when you encounter people that young who are already deeply into the fandom then you can't help but feel a bit creaky around the edges
I've great respect for the younger furs - they're the next generation, after all - and I think their enthusiasm shows that the future of the fandom is in pretty safe hands.
I wish I'd been suiting and going to cons back then, but I was already 25 when I attended my first con and 33 when I got a fursuit. So I'll never be a 20something suiter. Let's see how long I last
It's not 'old' by a long shot, but in furry terms it certainly feels old. So many furs seem to be 25 and under, and I see them bouncing around with a youthful energy that I just don't have anymore. Sometimes it feels like furs over 30 are in pretty short supply!
I've met one guy who's not yet 20 but is already a superb, talented suiter, and when you encounter people that young who are already deeply into the fandom then you can't help but feel a bit creaky around the edges
I've great respect for the younger furs - they're the next generation, after all - and I think their enthusiasm shows that the future of the fandom is in pretty safe hands.
I wish I'd been suiting and going to cons back then, but I was already 25 when I attended my first con and 33 when I got a fursuit. So I'll never be a 20something suiter. Let's see how long I last
500 Watchers!
Posted 13 years ago
pandaTMI Tuesday
Posted 13 years agoAll the cool kids are doing it...
So... Midwest Furfest
Posted 13 years agoRemember about a year ago when I posted a journal saying I was taking a break from US cons for a while?
Well, I totally failed.
Hotel reserved, flights booked... so yep, I'll be there
So, let's get this meme out of the way...
****************
Stolen mostly from
spark-wolf, with additional questions taken from last year's meme.
Arrival and Departure:
I'll be arriving in Chicago on the Tuesday before the con. Will probably stay somewhere downtown for the first two nights before going to the MFF hotel on Thursday afternoon. Will be leaving late Monday evening.
Staying at:
Main hotel.
How are you traveling?
Flying direct from Dublin to Chicago.
Who are you rooming with?
I'll have a room to myself this time.
Where will you be? How best to find me?
Big orange and cream goat. Can't miss me.
Out of suit - short, balding, glasses and probably wearing a checked shirt.
Who will you be with?
There's several people I know who are going, so there's going to be plenty of folk for me to hang with.
Which suit(s) will you be bringing?
Peaches, of course. Only suit I've got.
Do you do free art?
Me? Art? I scribble.
What is your gender?
One of those male things.
How old are you?
I'll be 35 by the time of the con. That's grey muzzle territory.
Are you mated/in a relationship?
No.
How tall are you?
About 5'7.
Can I talk to you?
Of course you can. In fact, please do.
Can I hug and/or snuggle you
Hugs, yes. Snuggles... depends on who you are.
Are you nice?
I dunno. I try to be.
Are you cliquey?
I'm too old for that kind of thing.
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Just call 'Peaches!'.
My hearing & vision isn't great in suit, though, so if I don't respond just poke me.
Are you fursuiting?
Yes indeed.
Can I ask ya to dance with me during the dances?
My big hooves don't dance so well. I clomp.
Can I buy you drinks?
I don't drink alcohol, but soft drinks - sure, why not?
Do you attend parties?
Not really a party animal, but if I'm invited I might pop by to say hello.
Can I take your picture?
Oh yeah, I demand lots and lots of photos.
What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Same as it is for every con. Meet friends. Meet new people. Have fun. Get depressed when it's all over.
Other cons you may go to?
I'm already registered for Confuzzled 2013. Besides that, not sure. FWA is a possibility, though. AC is unlikely.
Well, I totally failed.
Hotel reserved, flights booked... so yep, I'll be there
So, let's get this meme out of the way...
****************
Stolen mostly from
spark-wolf, with additional questions taken from last year's meme.Arrival and Departure:
I'll be arriving in Chicago on the Tuesday before the con. Will probably stay somewhere downtown for the first two nights before going to the MFF hotel on Thursday afternoon. Will be leaving late Monday evening.
Staying at:
Main hotel.
How are you traveling?
Flying direct from Dublin to Chicago.
Who are you rooming with?
I'll have a room to myself this time.
Where will you be? How best to find me?
Big orange and cream goat. Can't miss me.
Out of suit - short, balding, glasses and probably wearing a checked shirt.
Who will you be with?
There's several people I know who are going, so there's going to be plenty of folk for me to hang with.
Which suit(s) will you be bringing?
Peaches, of course. Only suit I've got.
Do you do free art?
Me? Art? I scribble.
What is your gender?
One of those male things.
How old are you?
I'll be 35 by the time of the con. That's grey muzzle territory.
Are you mated/in a relationship?
No.
How tall are you?
About 5'7.
Can I talk to you?
Of course you can. In fact, please do.
Can I hug and/or snuggle you
Hugs, yes. Snuggles... depends on who you are.
Are you nice?
I dunno. I try to be.
Are you cliquey?
I'm too old for that kind of thing.
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Just call 'Peaches!'.
My hearing & vision isn't great in suit, though, so if I don't respond just poke me.
Are you fursuiting?
Yes indeed.
Can I ask ya to dance with me during the dances?
My big hooves don't dance so well. I clomp.
Can I buy you drinks?
I don't drink alcohol, but soft drinks - sure, why not?
Do you attend parties?
Not really a party animal, but if I'm invited I might pop by to say hello.
Can I take your picture?
Oh yeah, I demand lots and lots of photos.
What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Same as it is for every con. Meet friends. Meet new people. Have fun. Get depressed when it's all over.
Other cons you may go to?
I'm already registered for Confuzzled 2013. Besides that, not sure. FWA is a possibility, though. AC is unlikely.
Bike Trip attempt 2
Posted 13 years agoOkay, so tomorrow morning I depart on a much simplified remount of my bike trip.
Essentially, I'm taking my bike on the train to County Sligo, where I'll be staying at a B&B not too far from Benbulben mountain:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/debs_best/4890639531/
I'll be staying in the area for three nights and just exploring the county on bike by day. Having the B&B as a base means I won't need to haul the backpack around with me everywhere, which should make things consdiderably easier than last week.
Back Friday night.
Essentially, I'm taking my bike on the train to County Sligo, where I'll be staying at a B&B not too far from Benbulben mountain:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/debs_best/4890639531/
I'll be staying in the area for three nights and just exploring the county on bike by day. Having the B&B as a base means I won't need to haul the backpack around with me everywhere, which should make things consdiderably easier than last week.
Back Friday night.
A few videos from EF
Posted 13 years agoI uploaded these videos from EF earlier in the week:
Plushie dog fursuit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9blh.....p;feature=plcp
Documentary filming in progress:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jxio.....p;feature=plcp
Fursuit antics in the lobby:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUTl.....p;feature=plcp
Vin Weasel hands out some candy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpK-.....p;feature=plcp
Fursuit conga line:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvyT.....p;feature=plcp
An impressive jump by Ticer the tiger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIl8.....feature=relmfu
Plushie dog fursuit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9blh.....p;feature=plcp
Documentary filming in progress:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jxio.....p;feature=plcp
Fursuit antics in the lobby:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUTl.....p;feature=plcp
Vin Weasel hands out some candy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpK-.....p;feature=plcp
Fursuit conga line:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvyT.....p;feature=plcp
An impressive jump by Ticer the tiger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIl8.....feature=relmfu
Trip Failure
Posted 13 years agoWas supposed to be away for about a week or more on a cycling trip - had AndyFox put up a journal and everything to let people know.
Well, I'm back after just two days. Turns out the backpack I took with me was far too heavy. I didn't notice this at first as it initially felt okay and comfortable ( all that was in it was several changes of clothes ) but with about 20 miles behind me and when I was well out of Dublin and up into the Wicklow Hills it started to feel like a sack of bricks. Anytime I met anything other than a gentle upwards slope I had to dismount and walk. As I was travelling through one of the hilliest parts of Ireland this was obviously more than a slight bother. I just about made it to the guesthouse I had pre-booked on the first night, having to walk the last couple of miles as the place was ( typically ) on top of a hill. Lot of sheep and cows staring at me as I struggled upwards. Woke up this morning with many aches and pains and unsure what to do. I tried to bike up a few more country lanes but found it incredibly difficult. So, reluctantly, I turned around and made the long 20 mile ride home.
Will probably make up for it by taking a few daytrips to the countryside next week. By train.
AndyFox put up a journal and everything to let people know.Well, I'm back after just two days. Turns out the backpack I took with me was far too heavy. I didn't notice this at first as it initially felt okay and comfortable ( all that was in it was several changes of clothes ) but with about 20 miles behind me and when I was well out of Dublin and up into the Wicklow Hills it started to feel like a sack of bricks. Anytime I met anything other than a gentle upwards slope I had to dismount and walk. As I was travelling through one of the hilliest parts of Ireland this was obviously more than a slight bother. I just about made it to the guesthouse I had pre-booked on the first night, having to walk the last couple of miles as the place was ( typically ) on top of a hill. Lot of sheep and cows staring at me as I struggled upwards. Woke up this morning with many aches and pains and unsure what to do. I tried to bike up a few more country lanes but found it incredibly difficult. So, reluctantly, I turned around and made the long 20 mile ride home.
Will probably make up for it by taking a few daytrips to the countryside next week. By train.
Eurofurence Trip Report!
Posted 13 years agoSo, it was a long, long trip
The sea crossing was pretty calm ( my cabin was bigger than a hotel room I had in New York last month ) and there was plenty to do on the ship. Lots of places to eat and miles of corridors to explore. Got a bit seasick early in the voyage, but my stomach soon adjusted after I got some fresh air up on deck. Briefly thought about fursuiting on the ship but reckoned the crew wouldn't like that!
Spent two nights in Paris, including a day at Disneyland. It was pretty jammed, so I didn't get to go on many rides. Still, I've now been in all 5 Disneylands worldwide, so maybe that makes me part of some exclusive club or something. Heh.
Then there was a long overnight train journey to Berlin, where I spent three nights before travelling onward to Magdeburg, home of Eurofurence.
At 6 nights, EF was the longest amount of time I've ever spent at a con. As a result, I also did more suiting than I've done at any other con, clocking up about 24 hours total. Probably too much, actually!
I mostly hung around with ant & ArlowRyarda, plus I got to meet some great, fun folks like 
Flamedramonuk, Electrowolf ( not sure of his FA ), 
sera, thabo, 
Leeuw1981, 
aoi-kitsune, 
arbuzan, & 
shadowulf
I also had brief but nice chats with
pacerfox & 
emejn, amongst others.
Actually, I met many, many more folks, but I better stop naming names or I'll end up forgetting people
I'll simply say you were all great.
The con itself was quite fun and had a vibe that reminded me of MFF in the 06 to 08 period. Still small in a relative sense at about 1.4k attendees, but getting ready to grow much, much larger.
Some of the events were on at odd times, the fursuit games being a good example ( almost midnight ) and I had to leave the dance competition early to go get ready for the fursuit parade, but these are minor issues.
The parade itself was quite fun if a little exhausting. We walked about a mile through the streets of Magdeburg, passing through a park and a shopping mall along the way, and we had a huge audience of curious onlookers all reaching for their cell phones. More taxing than any other parade I've been in but very, very good.
There was another, mini parade on Sunday that I accidently ended up in because I just happened to be in suit at the hotel entrance when it started. Not as long as the main one, but it also involved walking the streets as far as a local park.
All in all, it was more of a suiting & socialising con for me than an event filled one. A few bad things happened - an assualt on the first night, and a friend of mine had a bad experience in the headless lounge, but I guess you can't get a 6 day perfect streak.
Other than that it was a nice, fun con. While I may not go every year, I'll certainly make an effort to go again at some point in the future.
The sea crossing was pretty calm ( my cabin was bigger than a hotel room I had in New York last month ) and there was plenty to do on the ship. Lots of places to eat and miles of corridors to explore. Got a bit seasick early in the voyage, but my stomach soon adjusted after I got some fresh air up on deck. Briefly thought about fursuiting on the ship but reckoned the crew wouldn't like that!
Spent two nights in Paris, including a day at Disneyland. It was pretty jammed, so I didn't get to go on many rides. Still, I've now been in all 5 Disneylands worldwide, so maybe that makes me part of some exclusive club or something. Heh.
Then there was a long overnight train journey to Berlin, where I spent three nights before travelling onward to Magdeburg, home of Eurofurence.
At 6 nights, EF was the longest amount of time I've ever spent at a con. As a result, I also did more suiting than I've done at any other con, clocking up about 24 hours total. Probably too much, actually!
I mostly hung around with
ant & ArlowRyarda, plus I got to meet some great, fun folks like 
Flamedramonuk, Electrowolf ( not sure of his FA ), 
sera, thabo, 
Leeuw1981, 
aoi-kitsune, 
arbuzan, & 
shadowulfI also had brief but nice chats with
pacerfox & 
emejn, amongst others.Actually, I met many, many more folks, but I better stop naming names or I'll end up forgetting people
I'll simply say you were all great.
The con itself was quite fun and had a vibe that reminded me of MFF in the 06 to 08 period. Still small in a relative sense at about 1.4k attendees, but getting ready to grow much, much larger.
Some of the events were on at odd times, the fursuit games being a good example ( almost midnight ) and I had to leave the dance competition early to go get ready for the fursuit parade, but these are minor issues.
The parade itself was quite fun if a little exhausting. We walked about a mile through the streets of Magdeburg, passing through a park and a shopping mall along the way, and we had a huge audience of curious onlookers all reaching for their cell phones. More taxing than any other parade I've been in but very, very good.
There was another, mini parade on Sunday that I accidently ended up in because I just happened to be in suit at the hotel entrance when it started. Not as long as the main one, but it also involved walking the streets as far as a local park.
All in all, it was more of a suiting & socialising con for me than an event filled one. A few bad things happened - an assualt on the first night, and a friend of mine had a bad experience in the headless lounge, but I guess you can't get a 6 day perfect streak.
Other than that it was a nice, fun con. While I may not go every year, I'll certainly make an effort to go again at some point in the future.
Eurofurence Photos!
Posted 13 years agoI'll post a full trip report tomorrow, but for the moment here's my EF photo gallery:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/finbar.....7631440109916/
Over 580 pics from the con.
As ever, if you see your suit in any of these shots, feel free to repost on your FA, LJ or whatever site you use.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/finbar.....7631440109916/
Over 580 pics from the con.
As ever, if you see your suit in any of these shots, feel free to repost on your FA, LJ or whatever site you use.
Off to Eurofurence
Posted 13 years agoSeems I've only been home from my last trip for just a few minutes but here I go again.
I'll be heading off to Eurofurence tomorrow morning via the Oscar Wilde ferry from Rosslare. About 22 hours to France, then a train to Paris and onwards until, about a week from now, I'll finally arrive at the con hotel in Magdeburg.
Hope to see some of you there!
I'll be heading off to Eurofurence tomorrow morning via the Oscar Wilde ferry from Rosslare. About 22 hours to France, then a train to Paris and onwards until, about a week from now, I'll finally arrive at the con hotel in Magdeburg.
Hope to see some of you there!
Squirrels. Otters. Foxes. Inflatable things!!!
Posted 13 years ago59 fursuiting pics from my recent stay at scooter_squirrel's place now up on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/finbarzapek/
scooter_squirrel's place now up on Flickr:http://www.flickr.com/photos/finbarzapek/
Home again - and some sincere thanks are in order.
Posted 13 years agoI arrived home from the US this morning after a fantastic trip to see some awesome folks. My journey took in New York City, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington DC & Albany, and along the way I met up with as many fine furs as I could.
Many, many thanks to...
AndyFox - for putting up with me for almost two weeks.
Jbadger - I really appreciate that you found the time to meet up with us on two different days and showed us around Chinatown, particularly scoping out interesting places to eat. Hope to see you again soon.
skippyfoxcub - I'm really, really glad you came, and the fact that you had a long drive to get there makes me appreciate it even more. Also, thanks for bringing kittrel along, too. Always great to meet new people. Pity we never got to see that musical and I hope you weren't too disappointed. Maybe next time.
baccala30 - thanks for meeting up in Philadelphia. We didn't get much time, but it doesn't matter. It was a good afternoon. Appreciate it.
KJ_Roo - Another brief meeting, but thanks for sharing a lunch with us. Was great to meet you in person, given that I've seen you in suit so often.
rapidtrabbit for showing us around Central Park and keeping Andy busy for a while on the Pier 62 carousel.
scooterpiety for a great day in Albany.
However, extreme thanks must be given to scooter_squirrel & White-paw for putting up with us for three days straight. Scooter - thank you so much for letting us stay at your place, for driving us around ( especially all the way to Philadelphia ), for cooking dinner, for bringing us to see midori8 & 
denimwizard and for letting me try on the Scooter fursuit. You're the best.
And White Paw - great to finally get some serious hang out time and a chance to play around in suit. Our meetings back at AC '11 were all too brief.
Hope to see you both again soon.
So, all in all, a trip made great by the people listed above.
Thanks everyone - I really appreciated it!
Many, many thanks to...
AndyFox - for putting up with me for almost two weeks. Jbadger - I really appreciate that you found the time to meet up with us on two different days and showed us around Chinatown, particularly scoping out interesting places to eat. Hope to see you again soon. skippyfoxcub - I'm really, really glad you came, and the fact that you had a long drive to get there makes me appreciate it even more. Also, thanks for bringing kittrel along, too. Always great to meet new people. Pity we never got to see that musical and I hope you weren't too disappointed. Maybe next time. baccala30 - thanks for meeting up in Philadelphia. We didn't get much time, but it doesn't matter. It was a good afternoon. Appreciate it.
KJ_Roo - Another brief meeting, but thanks for sharing a lunch with us. Was great to meet you in person, given that I've seen you in suit so often.
rapidtrabbit for showing us around Central Park and keeping Andy busy for a while on the Pier 62 carousel. 
scooterpiety for a great day in Albany.However, extreme thanks must be given to
scooter_squirrel & White-paw for putting up with us for three days straight. Scooter - thank you so much for letting us stay at your place, for driving us around ( especially all the way to Philadelphia ), for cooking dinner, for bringing us to see midori8 & 
denimwizard and for letting me try on the Scooter fursuit. You're the best.And White Paw - great to finally get some serious hang out time and a chance to play around in suit. Our meetings back at AC '11 were all too brief.
Hope to see you both again soon.
So, all in all, a trip made great by the people listed above.
Thanks everyone - I really appreciated it!
And I'm outta here...
Posted 13 years agoBack in two weeks!
And then I'm only back for four days before I'm gone again. :)
I usually don't check FA while I'm on vacation, so if there's any comments or notes in the meantime I'll get back to ya.
Until then... farewell.
And then I'm only back for four days before I'm gone again. :)
I usually don't check FA while I'm on vacation, so if there's any comments or notes in the meantime I'll get back to ya.
Until then... farewell.
Heading to the US this weekend - Furbash!
Posted 13 years agoI'll be flying to New York on Saturday morning for a little East Coast Furbash jerry-rigged by myself and Andyfox over the past few weeks.
Essentially, we'll be taking in NYC, Albany, Philadelphia, Baltimore and probably Washington DC, along the way meeting up with Jbadger, rapidTrabbit, scooterpiety, Scooter_Squirrel & white-paw ( Scooter has been very generous in offering to let us crash at his place for three nights ) and hopefully skippyfoxcub and baccala30 too.
Alas, I won't be bringing Peaches with me, but Andy has a cunning plan up his sleeve so that we'll be able to have some fursuiting fun during our time in Baltimore.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
I'll be staying in the US until August 15th, when I need to hastily return home to give myself a few days rest before my expedition to Eurofurence.
Andyfox over the past few weeks.Essentially, we'll be taking in NYC, Albany, Philadelphia, Baltimore and probably Washington DC, along the way meeting up with
Jbadger, rapidTrabbit, scooterpiety, Scooter_Squirrel & white-paw ( Scooter has been very generous in offering to let us crash at his place for three nights ) and hopefully skippyfoxcub and baccala30 too. Alas, I won't be bringing Peaches with me, but Andy has a cunning plan up his sleeve so that we'll be able to have some fursuiting fun during our time in Baltimore.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon!
I'll be staying in the US until August 15th, when I need to hastily return home to give myself a few days rest before my expedition to Eurofurence.
And that's a wrap...
Posted 13 years agoWell, I'm pretty much done with the con photos for now. I've got lots and lots more ( thousands, probably ) but I think I've dusted down the best of them for FA. If you want to see the rest, then I've got 'em all up here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/finbarzapek/sets/
Of course, by the end of next month I should have a lot of new ones from both Eurofurence and a little trip I'm planning to go see some friendly furs
Watch this space!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/finbarzapek/sets/
Of course, by the end of next month I should have a lot of new ones from both Eurofurence and a little trip I'm planning to go see some friendly furs
Watch this space!
The Further Confusion pics...
Posted 13 years agoThey look a bit odd because I ran them through the 'Time Machine' filter on Paint Shop Pro to give them a 1960s instant camera look.
Why did I do this?
For some reason the quality of my FC photos is pretty bad - very high noise levels in a lot of shots. Not sure why this happened. Maybe the camera was having issues or something. The filter jazzes them up a little, bringing out more color in spots. The noise is still there... it's just not the first thing you notice now.
It was my disappointment over these shots that finally inspired me to go invest in an SLR.
Why did I do this?
For some reason the quality of my FC photos is pretty bad - very high noise levels in a lot of shots. Not sure why this happened. Maybe the camera was having issues or something. The filter jazzes them up a little, bringing out more color in spots. The noise is still there... it's just not the first thing you notice now.
It was my disappointment over these shots that finally inspired me to go invest in an SLR.
So about all those fursuit photos...
Posted 13 years agoYou've probably noticed ever since I got home from Confuzzled that my FA page has kind of turned into a photo account. In the past I tended to simply post a link to my Flickr and say "If you want to see the photos then click here" but on returning from CF I decided to upload a ton of the con pics here as well.
They seemed to be pretty well received, so I decided to delve into the depths of my HD and start uploading pics from old cons, too. I've taken literally thousands of fursuit photos over the years and while I certainly won't be posting all of them, I'll be dusting down many of my favorites for a showing here. After all, a place like FA contains the prime audience for fursuit photos.
They seemed to be pretty well received, so I decided to delve into the depths of my HD and start uploading pics from old cons, too. I've taken literally thousands of fursuit photos over the years and while I certainly won't be posting all of them, I'll be dusting down many of my favorites for a showing here. After all, a place like FA contains the prime audience for fursuit photos.
