FA+
Shop
Vado in Italia (Going to Italy), and Birthday
General | Posted 13 years agoAs the title says, I'm going to Italy. Read on for more details!
As I mentioned in my last journal, today (June 25th) is my 33rd birthday. I have to say, I'm really quite stunned at the huge outpouring of birthday wishes, to say nothing of the wonderful gifts I've already received; I honestly didn't expect very much and I'm more than a little embarrassed by all the attention. Having said that, I'm very grateful, and I've tried to thank everyone individually for already doing a lot to make my day special. I spent my 32nd birthday at Anthrocon in the company of many friends, and I expected this one to be a bit lonely. Once again, I have been proven wrong, and I feel privileged to have so many people remember me.
Now, after much ado, here is a recap of the recent past, an update on the present, and a look into my future plans.
I didn't really announce this at the time, but for reasons that are still unknown, I had some rather serious health problems during the early Spring. In addition to fainting spells, nausea, overwhelming fatigue, and severe dizziness that confined me to bed for nearly 3 solid days, and then sporadically for an additional 3 weeks, I went through an extended bout of nightmares, which is profoundly unusual, as I virtually never have bad dreams of any kind. These were so disturbing and vivid that I was apprehensive about even going to bed, and I'm sure the accompanying exhaustion did little to improve my health. I went for over a week during which I subsisted almost totally on plain rice, crackers, and carbonated water, as I was simply unable to eat anything else. I finally began to feel much better around late April.
I have been studying Italian during this academic year, and my illnesses caused me to miss nearly a month of class. I have not had to deal with this kind of absence since I contracted mononucleosis during graduate school in 2003. I worked dedicatedly and by some miracle was able to catch up, and my professor still gave me a perfect grade in the course. No one was more surprised than I was.
The extended span of illness on the heels of a chaotic move to this apartment in the late autumn and early winter prevented me from exercising during the most stressful period I have experienced in over a decade. So, during a time when I most needed exercise, my daily routine was almost totally devoid of it. Unfortunately, that resulted in my gaining nearly 20 pounds of fat and losing nearly all of the strength I had worked so hard to gain during my exercise program that I started early in 2011. More than one person commented at Anthrocon last week that I had lost a lot of weight and looked wiry (the irony being that I'd actually gained weight; it was merely the wrong type…). I stopped going on horseback rides because I had become so decrepit, and I was afraid that if I were to be thrown from my horse (a rare occurrence that has only happened once, but is always a possibility), I more than likely would've broken bones or otherwise been seriously hurt. I've been exercising fairly steadily again since early May, but I am essentially starting from scratch. It will take quite a while to regain all that I lost and get back to the point of feeling healthier. Just yesterday I visited my dad, a retired physician, and he is not very confident of my overall health, so things are still a little shaky.
Despite all of this, I am getting by, and I have hope for the future.
Early in 2011, after I left my position at the museum, I sat down with a large pad of paper in front of me and wrote down every idea I had for forging ahead with a new career. While the long-term is still murky, what I decided a year and a half ago was to pursue work abroad. Those here who have known me for a very long time may remember that I was a hair's breadth away from joining the JET Programme for teaching English in Japan back in 2002, but I ultimately decided to stay close to home because of my grandma's advancing age and some concerns about the program as a whole. Having studied in Japan for several months as a university student, I was fascinated by the prospect of gaining more experience outside of my home country - and indeed, I gave serious thought to remaining in Japan semi-permanently at the time - so being unable to pursue this had left me with a sizable regret in my life that I wanted to address before I grew too old to have the kind of flexibility I needed to bring it about. It's not that I am unhappy in the United States, as I really do love my home, but foreign language study has always ignited a fire of excitement within me and it seems utterly silly not to explore this further, to have more life-changing experiences, and to build a truly impressive work history that would catch the eye of even the most jaded reviewer.
Despite my prior experience in Japan, I felt that I wanted to pursue something different, and simultaneously address another minor regret I'd had for some time. My family came from southern Italy in the early 20th century (my father's side in 1903, and my mother's after World War I) and I have always wanted to learn the language, as the only Italian spoken at home was profanity! So, starting in August of 2011, I enrolled in an introductory Italian language course at a local university and spent the entire academic year studying that.
Why? Because unless something changes radically, I'm most likely moving to Italy.
When I set out on this course, I did not anticipate that Europe would be facing such profoundly serious structural problems now, but that doesn't frighten me very much. It may turn out that there is more opportunity than ever to be found there, and I need but to look in the right places. And indeed, this may turn out to be the best learning experience of my life.
My plans are still vague, and assuming I can find work there, I do not anticipate moving before 2013. At this point, I am planning several visits to find an area of the country that suits me best, to strengthen my language skills, and to explore all of the possibilities. I no longer have any family there whatsoever, but I do have a number of friends scattered about the peninsula (to say nothing of the European continent at large), and I am really looking forward to seeing them all in the future, in most cases meeting them for the first time.
My first trip there will be in August, 6 weeks from now. I am going to spend some time in Florence, Pisa, Siena, and the Tuscan region at large. Also, I will be meeting
danandnite there, which I'm sure will be colorful, to say the least. I expect that the two of us will eat lots of pasta, sample plenty of desserts, and overall get into a bundle of trouble. Quite a lot to look forward to with great anticipation, though I hope my language skills will not be embarrassingly bad; one year of a language is really not very much.
Precisely what happens after August is as-yet unknown, but with my rather diverse list of skills, I'm quite sure I can find worthwhile work somewhere in the country shaped like a boot. Teaching English seems most promising to start out, but I'm sure other doors will open in the future.
Beyond the August trip, none of this is definite, and there is always the possibility that things will fall apart - but I will keep everyone apprised of my plans as they coalesce.
Thanks for reading, and for being here to encourage me. It really means a lot.
As I mentioned in my last journal, today (June 25th) is my 33rd birthday. I have to say, I'm really quite stunned at the huge outpouring of birthday wishes, to say nothing of the wonderful gifts I've already received; I honestly didn't expect very much and I'm more than a little embarrassed by all the attention. Having said that, I'm very grateful, and I've tried to thank everyone individually for already doing a lot to make my day special. I spent my 32nd birthday at Anthrocon in the company of many friends, and I expected this one to be a bit lonely. Once again, I have been proven wrong, and I feel privileged to have so many people remember me.
Now, after much ado, here is a recap of the recent past, an update on the present, and a look into my future plans.
I didn't really announce this at the time, but for reasons that are still unknown, I had some rather serious health problems during the early Spring. In addition to fainting spells, nausea, overwhelming fatigue, and severe dizziness that confined me to bed for nearly 3 solid days, and then sporadically for an additional 3 weeks, I went through an extended bout of nightmares, which is profoundly unusual, as I virtually never have bad dreams of any kind. These were so disturbing and vivid that I was apprehensive about even going to bed, and I'm sure the accompanying exhaustion did little to improve my health. I went for over a week during which I subsisted almost totally on plain rice, crackers, and carbonated water, as I was simply unable to eat anything else. I finally began to feel much better around late April.
I have been studying Italian during this academic year, and my illnesses caused me to miss nearly a month of class. I have not had to deal with this kind of absence since I contracted mononucleosis during graduate school in 2003. I worked dedicatedly and by some miracle was able to catch up, and my professor still gave me a perfect grade in the course. No one was more surprised than I was.
The extended span of illness on the heels of a chaotic move to this apartment in the late autumn and early winter prevented me from exercising during the most stressful period I have experienced in over a decade. So, during a time when I most needed exercise, my daily routine was almost totally devoid of it. Unfortunately, that resulted in my gaining nearly 20 pounds of fat and losing nearly all of the strength I had worked so hard to gain during my exercise program that I started early in 2011. More than one person commented at Anthrocon last week that I had lost a lot of weight and looked wiry (the irony being that I'd actually gained weight; it was merely the wrong type…). I stopped going on horseback rides because I had become so decrepit, and I was afraid that if I were to be thrown from my horse (a rare occurrence that has only happened once, but is always a possibility), I more than likely would've broken bones or otherwise been seriously hurt. I've been exercising fairly steadily again since early May, but I am essentially starting from scratch. It will take quite a while to regain all that I lost and get back to the point of feeling healthier. Just yesterday I visited my dad, a retired physician, and he is not very confident of my overall health, so things are still a little shaky.
Despite all of this, I am getting by, and I have hope for the future.
Early in 2011, after I left my position at the museum, I sat down with a large pad of paper in front of me and wrote down every idea I had for forging ahead with a new career. While the long-term is still murky, what I decided a year and a half ago was to pursue work abroad. Those here who have known me for a very long time may remember that I was a hair's breadth away from joining the JET Programme for teaching English in Japan back in 2002, but I ultimately decided to stay close to home because of my grandma's advancing age and some concerns about the program as a whole. Having studied in Japan for several months as a university student, I was fascinated by the prospect of gaining more experience outside of my home country - and indeed, I gave serious thought to remaining in Japan semi-permanently at the time - so being unable to pursue this had left me with a sizable regret in my life that I wanted to address before I grew too old to have the kind of flexibility I needed to bring it about. It's not that I am unhappy in the United States, as I really do love my home, but foreign language study has always ignited a fire of excitement within me and it seems utterly silly not to explore this further, to have more life-changing experiences, and to build a truly impressive work history that would catch the eye of even the most jaded reviewer.
Despite my prior experience in Japan, I felt that I wanted to pursue something different, and simultaneously address another minor regret I'd had for some time. My family came from southern Italy in the early 20th century (my father's side in 1903, and my mother's after World War I) and I have always wanted to learn the language, as the only Italian spoken at home was profanity! So, starting in August of 2011, I enrolled in an introductory Italian language course at a local university and spent the entire academic year studying that.
Why? Because unless something changes radically, I'm most likely moving to Italy.
When I set out on this course, I did not anticipate that Europe would be facing such profoundly serious structural problems now, but that doesn't frighten me very much. It may turn out that there is more opportunity than ever to be found there, and I need but to look in the right places. And indeed, this may turn out to be the best learning experience of my life.
My plans are still vague, and assuming I can find work there, I do not anticipate moving before 2013. At this point, I am planning several visits to find an area of the country that suits me best, to strengthen my language skills, and to explore all of the possibilities. I no longer have any family there whatsoever, but I do have a number of friends scattered about the peninsula (to say nothing of the European continent at large), and I am really looking forward to seeing them all in the future, in most cases meeting them for the first time.
My first trip there will be in August, 6 weeks from now. I am going to spend some time in Florence, Pisa, Siena, and the Tuscan region at large. Also, I will be meeting
danandnite there, which I'm sure will be colorful, to say the least. I expect that the two of us will eat lots of pasta, sample plenty of desserts, and overall get into a bundle of trouble. Quite a lot to look forward to with great anticipation, though I hope my language skills will not be embarrassingly bad; one year of a language is really not very much.Precisely what happens after August is as-yet unknown, but with my rather diverse list of skills, I'm quite sure I can find worthwhile work somewhere in the country shaped like a boot. Teaching English seems most promising to start out, but I'm sure other doors will open in the future.
Beyond the August trip, none of this is definite, and there is always the possibility that things will fall apart - but I will keep everyone apprised of my plans as they coalesce.
Thanks for reading, and for being here to encourage me. It really means a lot.
Back from Anthrocon - and Birthday
General | Posted 13 years agoI am home from Anthrocon, and I had a wonderful time!
Attending the convention was a financial stretch for me, but I had an amazingly good time and am very glad that I was able to go. This was one of my best cons in quite a while! I spent most of my time tracking down friends and socializing, and I can't possibly name everyone whom I met there, so I don't want to list names and risk leaving anyone out. I was honestly rather stunned at the number of people who knew me and stopped me at random points during the convention, and it was so nice to be able to talk with everyone. It really lifted my spirits.
Despite trying to meet with everyone I knew there at least for a little while, I managed to completely miss a few friends who were there. I hope I can make it up to them!
I also got to see
mkaz again after 5 years. We met back in 2007 when he was the guest of honor at Megaplex in Florida. Dev Madan, the creator of Sly Cooper, had such a good time that he said he wants to come back next year. Andy Runton (of Owly renown) also made a repeat appearance this year and had a wonderful time, himself.
There was a huge group of Japanese attendees at the convention this year, along with a Japanese guest of honor
mighty-creation, and even some Japanese news media, and most of them could not speak much English. I was really happy that I could talk to them, though I am afraid my Japanese is growing a bit rusty and less fluid, and that is not a good thing. Had I known so many Japanese would be there, I would have practiced a bit more prior to going just to warm up! My recent Italian studies have crowded Japanese out of my head a bit, so it seems that a review would do me a world of good. It's been 9 years since I took a Japanese course, so I'm sure that doesn't help matters.
On that note, I'm giving some thought to posting my journals in languages other than just English - that is, a single journal entry with sections in English, Italian, and Japanese. I definitely need the practice, and since I have a lot of friends and watchers for whom English is not their first language, it would make it easier for them (I hope!) to keep tabs on what I am doing that way. It will take me quite a bit longer to write each entry and translate it, but I post so infrequently that I think I can manage it.
Looking ahead, my 33rd birthday is on Monday. I will post a large journal on that day (or close to it) talking about my future plans, as it seems apropos to do so then. As I've said before, big changes are coming.
Onward and upward!
Attending the convention was a financial stretch for me, but I had an amazingly good time and am very glad that I was able to go. This was one of my best cons in quite a while! I spent most of my time tracking down friends and socializing, and I can't possibly name everyone whom I met there, so I don't want to list names and risk leaving anyone out. I was honestly rather stunned at the number of people who knew me and stopped me at random points during the convention, and it was so nice to be able to talk with everyone. It really lifted my spirits.
Despite trying to meet with everyone I knew there at least for a little while, I managed to completely miss a few friends who were there. I hope I can make it up to them!
I also got to see
mkaz again after 5 years. We met back in 2007 when he was the guest of honor at Megaplex in Florida. Dev Madan, the creator of Sly Cooper, had such a good time that he said he wants to come back next year. Andy Runton (of Owly renown) also made a repeat appearance this year and had a wonderful time, himself.There was a huge group of Japanese attendees at the convention this year, along with a Japanese guest of honor
mighty-creation, and even some Japanese news media, and most of them could not speak much English. I was really happy that I could talk to them, though I am afraid my Japanese is growing a bit rusty and less fluid, and that is not a good thing. Had I known so many Japanese would be there, I would have practiced a bit more prior to going just to warm up! My recent Italian studies have crowded Japanese out of my head a bit, so it seems that a review would do me a world of good. It's been 9 years since I took a Japanese course, so I'm sure that doesn't help matters.On that note, I'm giving some thought to posting my journals in languages other than just English - that is, a single journal entry with sections in English, Italian, and Japanese. I definitely need the practice, and since I have a lot of friends and watchers for whom English is not their first language, it would make it easier for them (I hope!) to keep tabs on what I am doing that way. It will take me quite a bit longer to write each entry and translate it, but I post so infrequently that I think I can manage it.
Looking ahead, my 33rd birthday is on Monday. I will post a large journal on that day (or close to it) talking about my future plans, as it seems apropos to do so then. As I've said before, big changes are coming.
Onward and upward!
Going to Anthrocon
General | Posted 13 years agoThings were looking doubtful there for a while, but I will be attending Anthrocon in two weeks.
Money is rather tight at the moment so I will be doing this convention on a shoestring budget, but all should work out just fine in the end. Please be sure to leave a comment if you're going to the convention so I know to look for you!
I am once again advertising locally for IT consulting customers in order to make some money. I really had no desire to do this, as I am reminded of the definition of insanity that describes doing the same thing over and over again and somehow expecting a different result. But if I can generate some income from IT work, then I will do it and hopefully not end up with deadbeat customers who decide they don't feel like paying me.
A big update is coming in mid-June, so stay tuned. In the meantime, onward and upward!
Money is rather tight at the moment so I will be doing this convention on a shoestring budget, but all should work out just fine in the end. Please be sure to leave a comment if you're going to the convention so I know to look for you!
I am once again advertising locally for IT consulting customers in order to make some money. I really had no desire to do this, as I am reminded of the definition of insanity that describes doing the same thing over and over again and somehow expecting a different result. But if I can generate some income from IT work, then I will do it and hopefully not end up with deadbeat customers who decide they don't feel like paying me.
A big update is coming in mid-June, so stay tuned. In the meantime, onward and upward!
Elliott's Spring Gathering is a No Go
General | Posted 13 years agoUnfortunately, due to a very shaky financial position combined with poor timing (I have a final exam in Italian on May 8th), I am not going to make it to Elliott's Spring Gathering this year as I'd planned. I've not been able to keep strong enough cash flow recently, so it became obvious that I really couldn't afford a room, and it became too late to make reasonably priced travel arrangements in any case, so I need to sit this year out. I hope to return in 2013, as I've had a great time on both occasions when I was able to go.
On the plus side, I am going to try to visit a couple of friends in neighboring states this weekend, so hopefully it won't be a total loss! I am looking forward to getting a little time away from home, as despite the weak budget, I really think I could use at least a short change of scenery!
Anthrocon is still on for June, and I am very much looking forward to it, as crazy as it can get sometimes!
More details on my situation to come soon. (I seem to keep saying that...)
On the plus side, I am going to try to visit a couple of friends in neighboring states this weekend, so hopefully it won't be a total loss! I am looking forward to getting a little time away from home, as despite the weak budget, I really think I could use at least a short change of scenery!
Anthrocon is still on for June, and I am very much looking forward to it, as crazy as it can get sometimes!
More details on my situation to come soon. (I seem to keep saying that...)
Small Update and Furnal Equinox
General | Posted 14 years agoA brief journal entry to let everyone know that I will be at Furnal Equinox this coming weekend. I'm not exactly rolling in money right now, but the convention is in Toronto, which is rather close by, and it's an inexpensive convention to attend. I'm looking forward to seeing all my friends who are north of the border.
A small life update, which I will supplement with an additional entry at some point in the near future when I have some firmer plans in place. I have a preliminary job interview Wednesday morning for a position here locally. If that does not bear fruit, I am very likely going to need to move, again. I'm sure doing another move will be a barrel of laughs, but I don't see an alternative; I need to start getting plans in place now before I land myself in a very difficult position. More details to come.
Overall I'm fine, but I have grown a bit weary of things just not working out as I expect. April showers bring May flowers, but this year, May can keep her flowers; I'm more interested in a paycheck!
I hope everyone is doing well.
A small life update, which I will supplement with an additional entry at some point in the near future when I have some firmer plans in place. I have a preliminary job interview Wednesday morning for a position here locally. If that does not bear fruit, I am very likely going to need to move, again. I'm sure doing another move will be a barrel of laughs, but I don't see an alternative; I need to start getting plans in place now before I land myself in a very difficult position. More details to come.
Overall I'm fine, but I have grown a bit weary of things just not working out as I expect. April showers bring May flowers, but this year, May can keep her flowers; I'm more interested in a paycheck!
I hope everyone is doing well.
So Long, 2011 - and Good Riddance. On to 2012!
General | Posted 14 years agoI hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Mine was fairly quiet, but very nice and I was glad to spend some pleasant time with my family.
Anyone who has been with me through this year already knows that it was a very trying time for me. On the plus side, I started learning yet another language (Italian) and cleared my plate of some very old baggage. I'm looking forward to making 2012 an infinitely better year and finding some measurable success.
Thank you all for being here to give me some support when I needed it. May you all have a happy and prosperous new year! I look forward to spending many more happy times with you.
And as always, onward and upward.
Anyone who has been with me through this year already knows that it was a very trying time for me. On the plus side, I started learning yet another language (Italian) and cleared my plate of some very old baggage. I'm looking forward to making 2012 an infinitely better year and finding some measurable success.
Thank you all for being here to give me some support when I needed it. May you all have a happy and prosperous new year! I look forward to spending many more happy times with you.
And as always, onward and upward.
Would you (Yes, YOU!) like a Christmas / New Year's Card?
General | Posted 14 years agoI had a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving with my family, and I hope that everyone here who celebrates Thanksgiving enjoyed their holiday, as well. I think I ate enough dessert for all of us combined, so I'm going to spend some extra time at the gym next week!
Moving on to the meat of this journal:
Would you like to receive a Christmas or New Year's card from me?
I very much enjoy sending out Christmas cards to my friends all over the world. Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, I would be glad to send you one marking the new year, Hanukkah, or whatever occasion you happen to celebrate (or even if you celebrate nothing at all at this time of year). The point is just to let people know that I'm thinking of them.
If you would like a card - and please do not be shy about asking, even if we don't know each other very well, because I would love to send one to anyone who reads this - then please be sure to send me a note with your mailing address.
I am moving to my newly rented apartment in the next few days, so my cards might be a little bit delayed this year, but hopefully I can get them to everyone by the 25th of December.
I wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday season!
Moving on to the meat of this journal:
Would you like to receive a Christmas or New Year's card from me?
I very much enjoy sending out Christmas cards to my friends all over the world. Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, I would be glad to send you one marking the new year, Hanukkah, or whatever occasion you happen to celebrate (or even if you celebrate nothing at all at this time of year). The point is just to let people know that I'm thinking of them.
If you would like a card - and please do not be shy about asking, even if we don't know each other very well, because I would love to send one to anyone who reads this - then please be sure to send me a note with your mailing address.
I am moving to my newly rented apartment in the next few days, so my cards might be a little bit delayed this year, but hopefully I can get them to everyone by the 25th of December.
I wish everyone a very safe and happy holiday season!
Moving House
General | Posted 14 years agoMere days after saying in my last journal that I didn't foresee moving anytime soon, the house received a full-price offer and has now been sold. Go figure. I need to move out before December 1st and I still have no idea as to where. This should be fun.
On another topic, something interesting happened to me this afternoon. After arriving to my Italian class almost 15 minutes late (I'm never tardy for class), I stayed afterwards to apologize to my professor and explained that my job had held me up. She immediately became interested in what I was doing because the last she knew, I was unemployed. After I explained, she told me that I did not strike her at all as a computer person, I was definitely more a "man of letters" and I should think seriously about changing to something else while I'm still young.
She's known me for exactly 50 days and has already caught on to the fact that I dislike what I do with no prompting from me. Is it really that obvious? :P
We spoke for nearly thirty minutes afterwards and she encouraged me to apply my "methodical" and "logical" mind to something that I'm more interested in. I'm not sure exactly what that would be, but perhaps I'll come up with some answers eventually.
Right after I come up with two months' rent money. Eek.
I was hoping to finish a painting before the end of the year, but no promises. We'll see how the move goes.
Onward and upward.
On another topic, something interesting happened to me this afternoon. After arriving to my Italian class almost 15 minutes late (I'm never tardy for class), I stayed afterwards to apologize to my professor and explained that my job had held me up. She immediately became interested in what I was doing because the last she knew, I was unemployed. After I explained, she told me that I did not strike her at all as a computer person, I was definitely more a "man of letters" and I should think seriously about changing to something else while I'm still young.
She's known me for exactly 50 days and has already caught on to the fact that I dislike what I do with no prompting from me. Is it really that obvious? :P
We spoke for nearly thirty minutes afterwards and she encouraged me to apply my "methodical" and "logical" mind to something that I'm more interested in. I'm not sure exactly what that would be, but perhaps I'll come up with some answers eventually.
Right after I come up with two months' rent money. Eek.
I was hoping to finish a painting before the end of the year, but no promises. We'll see how the move goes.
Onward and upward.
Autumn Update
General | Posted 14 years agoWith the arrival of Autumn, I figured it would be a good idea to provide an update on how things are going in my life. Thankfully, I've been making some progress recently, though I don't think things could possibly have worsened considering the gravity of the emotional black hole I was trying to escape in the winter.
But things are actually beginning to look up! I still have some challenges ahead of me, but I'm certainly feeling more positive.
I gave up looking for full-time work for the time being, but as of this week, I am employed again. I have a steady part-time IT job plus one ongoing consulting customer, and I am still looking for more. It's not full-time work, but my hourly wage is good enough that I should be able to pay my bills going forward and start socking away some reserves. (Though getting through the second week of October is going to be an adventure to say the least...)
I am a part-time student again, and I'm now learning Italian (my 5th language). For one, it was much cheaper to purchase health insurance for the year as a student, and two, I needed to add some structure to my days. I spent much of the first half of this year sitting on my fanny at home searching fruitlessly for work, and that did wonders for destroying just about all of my self confidence and for making me withdraw into my shell far too much. It's good to be back in a classroom 5 days a week where I get so much interaction. I have not taken a language class since 2003 and it's great to be back in my element. Working part-time has made this much easier, so perhaps I've found the balance that I need right now.
I am still living in my parents' old house, but I don't think I'm going to need to move anytime soon. It's actually worked out for all concerned. At first, my parents were rather displeased that I was camped out here, as they were expecting a reasonably quick sale on the house. Well, there has been virtually no interest in this place even after several price drops, and leaving the house vacant for months would have been fraught with a multitude of problems. So, I'm here keeping an eye on the house until a buyer comes along.
Dad's health continues to deteriorate. On the plus side, he has decided not to go for the life-threatening surgery in which he expressed some interest in the winter and is pursuing some other, much safer treatment options. That caused all of us to breathe quite a bit more easily. Hopefully he'll be with us for a good while longer - even if he does drive us all to drink, sometimes!
After a financial disaster and canceled trip abroad in July, I have tentatively rescheduled my trip to Europe for summer of 2012. Every penny is going into the sugar bowl in order to bring that about.
Unfortunately, finances being what they are, I will not be at Furfright or Midwest Furfest this year. I might be able to visit Furnal Equinox in March, as it costs hardly anything to make such a short trip, but beyond that I do not plan to be at any cons until Anthrocon in June. Sorry, everyone. Please have an extra helping of fun on my behalf!
And finally, while this might sound sappy, I want to thank you for caring about me. I know a lot of people can relate when I say that it has been an extremely difficult year. There have been many times when I felt I had no one I could speak with and it was just not possible to be cheered up. You proved me wrong.
Onward and upward.
But things are actually beginning to look up! I still have some challenges ahead of me, but I'm certainly feeling more positive.
I gave up looking for full-time work for the time being, but as of this week, I am employed again. I have a steady part-time IT job plus one ongoing consulting customer, and I am still looking for more. It's not full-time work, but my hourly wage is good enough that I should be able to pay my bills going forward and start socking away some reserves. (Though getting through the second week of October is going to be an adventure to say the least...)
I am a part-time student again, and I'm now learning Italian (my 5th language). For one, it was much cheaper to purchase health insurance for the year as a student, and two, I needed to add some structure to my days. I spent much of the first half of this year sitting on my fanny at home searching fruitlessly for work, and that did wonders for destroying just about all of my self confidence and for making me withdraw into my shell far too much. It's good to be back in a classroom 5 days a week where I get so much interaction. I have not taken a language class since 2003 and it's great to be back in my element. Working part-time has made this much easier, so perhaps I've found the balance that I need right now.
I am still living in my parents' old house, but I don't think I'm going to need to move anytime soon. It's actually worked out for all concerned. At first, my parents were rather displeased that I was camped out here, as they were expecting a reasonably quick sale on the house. Well, there has been virtually no interest in this place even after several price drops, and leaving the house vacant for months would have been fraught with a multitude of problems. So, I'm here keeping an eye on the house until a buyer comes along.
Dad's health continues to deteriorate. On the plus side, he has decided not to go for the life-threatening surgery in which he expressed some interest in the winter and is pursuing some other, much safer treatment options. That caused all of us to breathe quite a bit more easily. Hopefully he'll be with us for a good while longer - even if he does drive us all to drink, sometimes!
After a financial disaster and canceled trip abroad in July, I have tentatively rescheduled my trip to Europe for summer of 2012. Every penny is going into the sugar bowl in order to bring that about.
Unfortunately, finances being what they are, I will not be at Furfright or Midwest Furfest this year. I might be able to visit Furnal Equinox in March, as it costs hardly anything to make such a short trip, but beyond that I do not plan to be at any cons until Anthrocon in June. Sorry, everyone. Please have an extra helping of fun on my behalf!
And finally, while this might sound sappy, I want to thank you for caring about me. I know a lot of people can relate when I say that it has been an extremely difficult year. There have been many times when I felt I had no one I could speak with and it was just not possible to be cheered up. You proved me wrong.
Onward and upward.
Anthrocon - I shall be there!
General | Posted 14 years agoShort and sweet: I will be at Anthrocon!
I will most likely arrive midday Wednesday and depart sometime late in the day on Monday. I've had a lot of travel plans fall through in the last 6 months, so I am definitely looking forward to getting away and seeing a lot of old friends, again.
I will most likely arrive midday Wednesday and depart sometime late in the day on Monday. I've had a lot of travel plans fall through in the last 6 months, so I am definitely looking forward to getting away and seeing a lot of old friends, again.
Memorial Day
General | Posted 14 years agoWhile celebrating the unofficial beginning of summer, I hope that everyone remembers the servicemen and women who gave their lives so that we are able to enjoy peaceful days here at home.
I have lost two friends in recent years, and especially today, I am profoundly grateful to them.
Navy Boatswain's Mate 1st Class, Michael Pernaselli
http://militarytimes.com/valor/navy.....aselli/257230/
Army Staff Sergeant, Steve Butcher, Jr.
http://militarytimes.com/valor/army.....her-jr/2793024
While I did not know Mike exceptionally well, Steve was a good-humored friend during a difficult period of my life, as I had just changed schools and had very few people to lean on. I visited his gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery in 2009.
The rain was coming down in buckets that day, but I closed my umbrella and thought back on all the ways he had helped to keep me going. I stood in silent contemplation for about 5 minutes, by which point I was soaked to the skin (though I didn't really notice at the time, nor did I care; he took shrapnel for me, so I wasn't going to complain about a little water). I would have remained there longer, but a middle-aged woman approached a neighboring headstone, and after greeting her with a nod and a subdued smile, I chose to give her some privacy.
I had hoped to return this year, but that trip did not come to fruition. Sometime soon, I shall go back.
I wish everyone a beautiful and happy day, but please remember exactly why it is so.
I have lost two friends in recent years, and especially today, I am profoundly grateful to them.
Navy Boatswain's Mate 1st Class, Michael Pernaselli
http://militarytimes.com/valor/navy.....aselli/257230/
Army Staff Sergeant, Steve Butcher, Jr.
http://militarytimes.com/valor/army.....her-jr/2793024
While I did not know Mike exceptionally well, Steve was a good-humored friend during a difficult period of my life, as I had just changed schools and had very few people to lean on. I visited his gravesite in Arlington National Cemetery in 2009.
The rain was coming down in buckets that day, but I closed my umbrella and thought back on all the ways he had helped to keep me going. I stood in silent contemplation for about 5 minutes, by which point I was soaked to the skin (though I didn't really notice at the time, nor did I care; he took shrapnel for me, so I wasn't going to complain about a little water). I would have remained there longer, but a middle-aged woman approached a neighboring headstone, and after greeting her with a nod and a subdued smile, I chose to give her some privacy.
I had hoped to return this year, but that trip did not come to fruition. Sometime soon, I shall go back.
I wish everyone a beautiful and happy day, but please remember exactly why it is so.
10 Things Meme
General | Posted 14 years agoI pretty much never do memes, but 
stagor55 tagged me and I was just begging for an excuse to get the profoundly depressing journal off of my front page, so here we go!
1) The character "Soba" was (very loosely) inspired by a character named "Noodles" in issue #1 of the current Dark Horse Comics Usagi Yojimbo series back in early 1996. (Unfortunately, Noodles ended up being crucified in very grisly fashion in issue #2. :< )
2) Soba was never intended to be a fursona, and I still don't really think of him in that way. He began purely as a character I used for roleplay on SPR MUCK (real, story-based roleplay; not cybersex), but as people began calling me Soba, it just stuck.
3) The fact Soba is not exactly a fursona is the main reason there is very little suggestive/mature/adult art of him around; I am very far from being a prude, but the issue is more that it's not "correct" for the character and I have trouble getting my arms around the concept.
4) I have other characters, which I really should dust off. One rat, one hedgehog (both kids, both orphans, the latter being female; they fit into the old school Saturday AM Sonic universe), 2 fully anthropomorphic dragons, one quadrupedal dragon capable of cognition and speech, a crocodile cabbie from Brooklyn (No, I am not making this up), and probably a couple of others that I am forgetting at the moment.
5) I already speak 4 languages, but that's really not enough for me. I intend for Italian to be my 5th. Spanish and Latin will likely be numbers 6 and 7.
6) I love cooking and baking and I am quite the gourmet. I tend to avoid eating in chain restaurants because the food is almost universally over-seasoned, inconsistently prepared, and very overpriced for the quality. Having said that, when I do eat at a chain restaurant, I usually have a list of special requests (no salt on this, no seasoning on that, hold the butter, and so on), which probably makes the waiters and waitresses think I'm a weirdo. Corollary: I'm super polite and a BIG tipper in restaurants.
7) I'm now a reasonably dedicated fitness buff. I had a serious weight problem for a good portion of my life and now workout 4 or 5 days a week. 135 lbs lost from my high weight of 310, and as of this morning, 11.8% body fat. Whoo!
8) Corollary to #7: This is why I dislike fatty art unless it's cartoony or meant as a gag. Having spent most of my school days with a belly and a butt the size of the Yukon, having reached the point where it was not possible to buy clothing off the rack, and having to endure frequent mockery, it's hard to find such characters appealing.
And no offense meant to those who like such art! Just my own opinion, and this in no way applies to people who are overweight in real life (which I still am, believe it or not); fat people are jolly! :)
I'll also mention this as a side note so no one thinks I was an emo "no one likes me" high schooler: I ended up befriending just about everyone in my graduating class, including people who had made fun of me at one point, because I followed the Golden Rule and tried to be kind to everyone, including those who may not have especially deserved it. It works! Sometimes you just need to make a little effort to showcase your personality and you'd be amazed what results you can draw out of others.
9) I tap dance. Not very well, but it's fun and great exercise. More in a rhythm style with an emphasis on good beat and variety of tones, not flashy Broadway style.
10) I love riding horses on the coldest wintry days. The best rides I have ever had were when it was 10 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, with wind blowing over the snow. If you try this, I'll warn you right now that you will never be colder in your life (wear Carhartt's!), but it is worth it.
And I'm out of numbers! I'm not tagging anyone, but feel free to ask questions if you wish. :)
stagor55 tagged me and I was just begging for an excuse to get the profoundly depressing journal off of my front page, so here we go!1) The character "Soba" was (very loosely) inspired by a character named "Noodles" in issue #1 of the current Dark Horse Comics Usagi Yojimbo series back in early 1996. (Unfortunately, Noodles ended up being crucified in very grisly fashion in issue #2. :< )
2) Soba was never intended to be a fursona, and I still don't really think of him in that way. He began purely as a character I used for roleplay on SPR MUCK (real, story-based roleplay; not cybersex), but as people began calling me Soba, it just stuck.
3) The fact Soba is not exactly a fursona is the main reason there is very little suggestive/mature/adult art of him around; I am very far from being a prude, but the issue is more that it's not "correct" for the character and I have trouble getting my arms around the concept.
4) I have other characters, which I really should dust off. One rat, one hedgehog (both kids, both orphans, the latter being female; they fit into the old school Saturday AM Sonic universe), 2 fully anthropomorphic dragons, one quadrupedal dragon capable of cognition and speech, a crocodile cabbie from Brooklyn (No, I am not making this up), and probably a couple of others that I am forgetting at the moment.
5) I already speak 4 languages, but that's really not enough for me. I intend for Italian to be my 5th. Spanish and Latin will likely be numbers 6 and 7.
6) I love cooking and baking and I am quite the gourmet. I tend to avoid eating in chain restaurants because the food is almost universally over-seasoned, inconsistently prepared, and very overpriced for the quality. Having said that, when I do eat at a chain restaurant, I usually have a list of special requests (no salt on this, no seasoning on that, hold the butter, and so on), which probably makes the waiters and waitresses think I'm a weirdo. Corollary: I'm super polite and a BIG tipper in restaurants.
7) I'm now a reasonably dedicated fitness buff. I had a serious weight problem for a good portion of my life and now workout 4 or 5 days a week. 135 lbs lost from my high weight of 310, and as of this morning, 11.8% body fat. Whoo!
8) Corollary to #7: This is why I dislike fatty art unless it's cartoony or meant as a gag. Having spent most of my school days with a belly and a butt the size of the Yukon, having reached the point where it was not possible to buy clothing off the rack, and having to endure frequent mockery, it's hard to find such characters appealing.
And no offense meant to those who like such art! Just my own opinion, and this in no way applies to people who are overweight in real life (which I still am, believe it or not); fat people are jolly! :)
I'll also mention this as a side note so no one thinks I was an emo "no one likes me" high schooler: I ended up befriending just about everyone in my graduating class, including people who had made fun of me at one point, because I followed the Golden Rule and tried to be kind to everyone, including those who may not have especially deserved it. It works! Sometimes you just need to make a little effort to showcase your personality and you'd be amazed what results you can draw out of others.
9) I tap dance. Not very well, but it's fun and great exercise. More in a rhythm style with an emphasis on good beat and variety of tones, not flashy Broadway style.
10) I love riding horses on the coldest wintry days. The best rides I have ever had were when it was 10 degrees Fahrenheit or colder, with wind blowing over the snow. If you try this, I'll warn you right now that you will never be colder in your life (wear Carhartt's!), but it is worth it.
And I'm out of numbers! I'm not tagging anyone, but feel free to ask questions if you wish. :)
An Update - What's Been Going on in My Life?
General | Posted 14 years agoI thought it would be a good idea to post an update here to fill everyone in on what has been happening with me, as this has been a period of my life marked by serious upheaval.
First, let me say that I'm doing all right for the time being.
Second, let me point out that for most of the winter, I really was not all right.
Anyone who has known me for a long time knows that I seldom complain about what's bothering me. But at the risk of sounding overly melodramatic, this has been an extremely difficult time for me. I have gone through worse, but previous troubles have not lasted for so long, nor had such far-reaching effects.
I posted some months ago how I felt compelled to quit my job at the end of December. I learned from a couple of former coworkers at the Game Developers Conference that my supervisor (a Vice President, no less) was fired immediately afterwards. I was not trying to get anyone fired, but that did not come as a huge surprise considering all of the bombshells I dropped during my exit interview. While I feel somewhat vindicated, it does not get me my job back, which they had already filled. My short tenure there has left me with a very gaping hole in my work history, and I am still unemployed after almost 4 months, but I'll explain more about my job hunt in a moment.
I am currently living alone in my parents' old house, which is now for sale, necessitating that I pack up or otherwise get rid of most of what I own. It's served as a great opportunity to simplify my life and discard a lot of old junk, but as anyone who has ever moved knows, moving is "the pits," and that is made worse when you do not have an exact idea about where you are moving or when. Compounding this was the fact family members started moving things for me in direct contravention of my instructions. My dad is OCD, and anyone who has ever experienced that knows exactly how unnerving it can be. Fortunately, the packing and storage phase has come to an end, so things have settled down (at least until I figure out where I'm moving to).
One of the most jarring events happened in mid-February when there was an incident with my mom. In the middle of what I thought was a normal conversation, she uncharacteristically lost her temper, said something to me that I will never forget (and that should never have been said under any circumstances), and stormed out while I stood there slack-jawed. I tried to address the situation and things are all right now. I think my brother's divorce has taken a serious toll on my parents, and I'm sure it did not help my mom's emotional state when my father announced in early February that he is going for surgery in the autumn that will very likely end up killing him.
The situation also shed some new light on a number of things that have been going on for a while between my parents and me that I had previously been able to explain away, but there's really no denying the facts any longer. I just do not feel that I have the emotional/moral support of my family, and it is now obvious that I have not for a very long time. I have made several big decisions over the years that were intended to preserve family harmony, which I now see as serious errors in judgment on my part. While there is no rift or feud going on, I have come to feel very uncomfortable and have started to dread spending time with them. I think it's time to put some distance between me and "home," because home just doesn't feel very homey anymore.
As of April 10th, I expanded my job search outside of the local area and I am job hunting all over the midwestern, northeastern, and southeastern US. I'm hoping to find work that does not involve so much overtime that I can't go to school in my off hours and retrain in something new, but at this point, I cannot afford to be too choosy. If anyone gets wind of any work suitable for a mid-career systems administrator, I would appreciate it if you would pass it along to me.
While a number of people have helped me the last few months, I am especially grateful to two friends who have been kind enough to listen to my nearly endless lamentations (some would call it whining) and who have done their utmost to offer sound advice. I will not name them here, as they already know who they are, but it is not an exaggeration to say that I do not know what I would've done without them; the month of March, especially, was one of the most depressing periods of my entire life, punctuated with a very serious emotional breakdown. But they helped me through it, never once so much as hinting that I was being burdensome to them (which, at times, I am quite sure I was).
Thanks for sticking with me.
Onward and upward.
First, let me say that I'm doing all right for the time being.
Second, let me point out that for most of the winter, I really was not all right.
Anyone who has known me for a long time knows that I seldom complain about what's bothering me. But at the risk of sounding overly melodramatic, this has been an extremely difficult time for me. I have gone through worse, but previous troubles have not lasted for so long, nor had such far-reaching effects.
I posted some months ago how I felt compelled to quit my job at the end of December. I learned from a couple of former coworkers at the Game Developers Conference that my supervisor (a Vice President, no less) was fired immediately afterwards. I was not trying to get anyone fired, but that did not come as a huge surprise considering all of the bombshells I dropped during my exit interview. While I feel somewhat vindicated, it does not get me my job back, which they had already filled. My short tenure there has left me with a very gaping hole in my work history, and I am still unemployed after almost 4 months, but I'll explain more about my job hunt in a moment.
I am currently living alone in my parents' old house, which is now for sale, necessitating that I pack up or otherwise get rid of most of what I own. It's served as a great opportunity to simplify my life and discard a lot of old junk, but as anyone who has ever moved knows, moving is "the pits," and that is made worse when you do not have an exact idea about where you are moving or when. Compounding this was the fact family members started moving things for me in direct contravention of my instructions. My dad is OCD, and anyone who has ever experienced that knows exactly how unnerving it can be. Fortunately, the packing and storage phase has come to an end, so things have settled down (at least until I figure out where I'm moving to).
One of the most jarring events happened in mid-February when there was an incident with my mom. In the middle of what I thought was a normal conversation, she uncharacteristically lost her temper, said something to me that I will never forget (and that should never have been said under any circumstances), and stormed out while I stood there slack-jawed. I tried to address the situation and things are all right now. I think my brother's divorce has taken a serious toll on my parents, and I'm sure it did not help my mom's emotional state when my father announced in early February that he is going for surgery in the autumn that will very likely end up killing him.
The situation also shed some new light on a number of things that have been going on for a while between my parents and me that I had previously been able to explain away, but there's really no denying the facts any longer. I just do not feel that I have the emotional/moral support of my family, and it is now obvious that I have not for a very long time. I have made several big decisions over the years that were intended to preserve family harmony, which I now see as serious errors in judgment on my part. While there is no rift or feud going on, I have come to feel very uncomfortable and have started to dread spending time with them. I think it's time to put some distance between me and "home," because home just doesn't feel very homey anymore.
As of April 10th, I expanded my job search outside of the local area and I am job hunting all over the midwestern, northeastern, and southeastern US. I'm hoping to find work that does not involve so much overtime that I can't go to school in my off hours and retrain in something new, but at this point, I cannot afford to be too choosy. If anyone gets wind of any work suitable for a mid-career systems administrator, I would appreciate it if you would pass it along to me.
While a number of people have helped me the last few months, I am especially grateful to two friends who have been kind enough to listen to my nearly endless lamentations (some would call it whining) and who have done their utmost to offer sound advice. I will not name them here, as they already know who they are, but it is not an exaggeration to say that I do not know what I would've done without them; the month of March, especially, was one of the most depressing periods of my entire life, punctuated with a very serious emotional breakdown. But they helped me through it, never once so much as hinting that I was being burdensome to them (which, at times, I am quite sure I was).
Thanks for sticking with me.
Onward and upward.
Well, so Much for Going to Furnal Equinox!
General | Posted 15 years agoAs anyone at FE has noticed, I was not able to make it to the convention this weekend. I came down with a nasty cold immediately after returning from California, then had to deal with some unexpected problems here at home that required a lot of physical labor, which of course ended up making me sicker. I had hoped to break away and drive into Canada for today only, but I was simply exhausted and not in good enough condition to do so. While Toronto is not that far, I was still looking at a 7-hour round trip in the car and I just did not feel up to it today.
My biggest regret is not being able to see a large handful of friends whom I was very much looking forward to spending some time with.
catmonkshiro goes to the trouble of organizing a big dinner out for all of us and I am deeply disappointed that I could not join in, especially after having such a great time last year.
There's always next year, so while I'm disappointed, it's certainly not the end of the world. On the plus side, I got some important work done here at home, albeit while fighting off germs, under duress, and on a much earlier timetable than I expected. :P
My biggest regret is not being able to see a large handful of friends whom I was very much looking forward to spending some time with.
catmonkshiro goes to the trouble of organizing a big dinner out for all of us and I am deeply disappointed that I could not join in, especially after having such a great time last year.There's always next year, so while I'm disappointed, it's certainly not the end of the world. On the plus side, I got some important work done here at home, albeit while fighting off germs, under duress, and on a much earlier timetable than I expected. :P
Game Developers' Conference and Furnal Equinox
General | Posted 15 years agoIn the midst of a lot of things I am tackling here at home, I am traveling to San Francisco on Sunday February 27th for the Game Developers' Conference, and I'll be returning in the wee hours on Monday March 7th. I'm never thrilled about commercial air travel, but I'm quite sure that making the trip will be worthwhile. I won't have much time to sightsee - perhaps next Saturday, only - as I'll mostly have my nose buried in meetings, roundtable discussions, and product demos, though I'm sure I'll have more than a little bit of fun, regardless!
The following weekend (barring a serious problem), I will be in Toronto for Furnal Equinox. As conventions go, this one is practically in my backyard. Thankfully, it's very inexpensive for me to attend, and I had a great time there in 2010, so I am very much looking forward to seeing all of my friends again.
I'd also very much like to finish my watercolor! (And do a few thousand more of them, as time permits. ;)
Is anyone else headed to either GDC or FE?
The following weekend (barring a serious problem), I will be in Toronto for Furnal Equinox. As conventions go, this one is practically in my backyard. Thankfully, it's very inexpensive for me to attend, and I had a great time there in 2010, so I am very much looking forward to seeing all of my friends again.
I'd also very much like to finish my watercolor! (And do a few thousand more of them, as time permits. ;)
Is anyone else headed to either GDC or FE?
Chocolate Day?
General | Posted 15 years agoAs some of you might know, Valentine's Day in Japan is marked by women giving chocolate not just to their boyfriends, but to most (if not all) of their male acquaintances and coworkers. I think the Japanese have the right idea! Anyone who wants to send me chocolate is most welcome to do so, regardless of gender. I'm not picky! :)
In all seriousness, it seems everyone has a strong opinion about Valentine's Day - and indeed, prior to joining FA, I had no idea such a minor holiday could be so polarizing.
All I will say here is, let your friends and significant others know just how much you care about them, year round. Make sure they understand that they are wanted every day of the year - not just through your words, but also through your actions - and do your best to dispel those feelings of loneliness and despair that creep up on all of us from time to time.
Now go give someone a hug! Those are always among the best possible gifts, Valentine's Day or not. :)
In all seriousness, it seems everyone has a strong opinion about Valentine's Day - and indeed, prior to joining FA, I had no idea such a minor holiday could be so polarizing.
All I will say here is, let your friends and significant others know just how much you care about them, year round. Make sure they understand that they are wanted every day of the year - not just through your words, but also through your actions - and do your best to dispel those feelings of loneliness and despair that creep up on all of us from time to time.
Now go give someone a hug! Those are always among the best possible gifts, Valentine's Day or not. :)
Artist Achievements
General | Posted 15 years agoI saw this in a journal by 
Nelena, who borrowed it from 
BloodhoundOmega, who apparently borrowed it from Dredddlokk and Drachenmagier on DeviantArt. A lot of these sound like fine (and fun!) ideas, so I decided to borrow it, too! I've adapted and cleaned this up slightly.
Some of these are quite easy, and some will quite certainly not happen. (E.g., I do not foresee getting 101,000 page views this year...) But getting there is half the fun, so let's see how well I do.
IGUAZZO IGUAZZO(10G)
Do an artwork with gouache - LOCKED
ACRYLIC POLYMER EMULSION(10G)
Do an artwork with acrylic colors – LOCKED
MONA LISA'S SMILE(15G)
Do an artwork with oils - LOCKED
Z-AXIS(10G)
Do a concept art for a 3D-object - LOCKED
EXPLORE NEW LIFE FORMS (10G)
Do an artwork with animal/furry race you never did before – LOCKED
SHADES OF GREY(15G)
Do an artwork with pencils only - LOCKED
'TIL THE BITTER END(100G)
Finish a personal project - LOCKED
OVER THE RAINBOW(10G)
Do a drawing without using either black nor gray - LOCKED
IN TODAY'S LESSON(20G)
Do an artwork including historic thematic - LOCKED
LET THE SUNSHINE IN(10G)
Draw a piece that focuses on light - LOCKED
COPYCAT(20G)
Imitate the style of one of your favourite artists – LOCKED
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE(10G)
Do an artwork including a realistic animal. - LOCKED
I CAN SEE YOU(10G)
Do an artwork including mirrors or objects with mirror surface - LOCKED
WHAT LURKS IN THE DARKNESS(10G)
Draw a picture that focuses on shadow - LOCKED
FIRETRIBUTE(5G)
Do a fan art of something you never drew fan art before - LOCKED
MONTERIGGIONI(20G)
Do an artwork including architecture with correct perspective – LOCKED
THE SOUND OF MUSIC(5G)
Do an artwork illustrating a song - LOCKED
DO YOU PLAY?(5G)
Do an artwork including instruments - LOCKED
MACHIN(A)E SUPREMACY (30G)
Draw a picture that focuses on something mechanical - LOCKED
PARADISE CITY(20G)
Do an artwork including a city with vanishing point - LOCKED
FIRESTARTER(5G)
Upload a deviation on the first of a month. - LOCKED
SPAGHETTIMONSTER(10G)
Do an artwork including religious thematic - LOCKED
THE BURNE HOGARTH KARMA ACHIEVEMENT(25G)
Do an artwork including realistic human beings - LOCKED
THROUGH THE FIRE AND FLAMES!(20G)
Get flamed. - LOCKED
GRAPHIC NOVEL(10G)
Do an illustration to a text – LOCKED
75 K!!(50G)
Reach 75 000+ PVs. - LOCKED
101 K!!(50G)
Reach 101 000+ PVs. - LOCKED
APPLEPIE(10G)
Suggest 10 deviations for Daily Deviations - LOCKED
WORKAHOLIC(40G)
Upload 3 pictures in one week - LOCKED
FEELING THE BLUES(10G)
Do a drawing without using the color blue - LOCKED
HIGH NOON(10G)
Upload a deviation at midday (Eastern Time) - LOCKED
HIGH MOON(20G)
Upload a deviation at midnight (Eastern Time) - LOCKED
OLD AGE OF WONDERS(10G)
Redo an old drawing - LOCKED
TIMETRAVELER(10G)
Forget time over a drawing and arrive late - LOCKED
COLLAB-COLLAPS(20G)
Finish 5 collaborations - LOCKED
20 HIT(5G)
Finish 10 drawings. - LOCKED
50 HIT(10G)
Finish 20 drawings! - LOCKED
100 HIT(20G)
Finish 50 drawings!! - LOCKED
TOOLS OF THE TRADE(10G)
Replace old and broken things of the drawing equipment of 2010 - LOCKED
MONEY MONEY MONEY(70G)
Sell your most expensive commission yet - LOCKED
PAPERCUTTER(5G)
Get paper cuts - LOCKED
COLOR YOURSELF HAPPY(10G)
Ruin a shirt with waterproof colors without noticing it - LOCKED
THE ROAD TO THE SKY(100G)
In the top 10 of the frontpage in the last 24 h - LOCKED
C-C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER!(5G)
Have an art block – LOCKED
YOU GOT SOME DEMON FLESH ON YOUR BUMPERS(10G)
Write 10 critiques - LOCKED
YOU CAN'T STOP ME!(5G)
Get rid of the art block - LOCKED
NAIL SALON(20G)
Do an artwork including nail polish - LOCKED
15 MINUTES OF FAME(100G)
In the top 10 of the frontpage in the last 8 h - LOCKED
OENOPHILIST(10G)
Do an artwork with wine - LOCKED
CARD BATTLE(50G)
Do at least 10 ACEO-Trades – LOCKED
TRADE WAR (50G)
Do at least 3 art trade, ACEO's not included - LOCKED
HALL OF FAME(40G)
Get a Daily Deviation - LOCKED
SURVIVOR(50G)
Awarded on December 31, 2011 – LOCKED
*PUPPEHDOGEYES*(10G)
Draw something insanely cute – LOCKED
IT'S ALIIIIIVEEE!!!! MUAHAHAHA... (70G)
Do a figurine - LOCKED
SOULSTEALER(20G)
Do an artwork including cookies LOCKED
SOULEATER!(20G)
Do an artwork ON A cookie LOCKED
ON TIME(80G)
Stick to the deadlines! (this achievement will not be unlocked 'til 31 December 2011) - LOCKED
I DON'T HAVE A LIFE!(5G)
Awarded when all other achievements are obtained – LOCKED
Current Progress: 000/1420
Nelena, who borrowed it from 
BloodhoundOmega, who apparently borrowed it from Dredddlokk and Drachenmagier on DeviantArt. A lot of these sound like fine (and fun!) ideas, so I decided to borrow it, too! I've adapted and cleaned this up slightly.Some of these are quite easy, and some will quite certainly not happen. (E.g., I do not foresee getting 101,000 page views this year...) But getting there is half the fun, so let's see how well I do.
IGUAZZO IGUAZZO(10G)
Do an artwork with gouache - LOCKED
ACRYLIC POLYMER EMULSION(10G)
Do an artwork with acrylic colors – LOCKED
MONA LISA'S SMILE(15G)
Do an artwork with oils - LOCKED
Z-AXIS(10G)
Do a concept art for a 3D-object - LOCKED
EXPLORE NEW LIFE FORMS (10G)
Do an artwork with animal/furry race you never did before – LOCKED
SHADES OF GREY(15G)
Do an artwork with pencils only - LOCKED
'TIL THE BITTER END(100G)
Finish a personal project - LOCKED
OVER THE RAINBOW(10G)
Do a drawing without using either black nor gray - LOCKED
IN TODAY'S LESSON(20G)
Do an artwork including historic thematic - LOCKED
LET THE SUNSHINE IN(10G)
Draw a piece that focuses on light - LOCKED
COPYCAT(20G)
Imitate the style of one of your favourite artists – LOCKED
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE(10G)
Do an artwork including a realistic animal. - LOCKED
I CAN SEE YOU(10G)
Do an artwork including mirrors or objects with mirror surface - LOCKED
WHAT LURKS IN THE DARKNESS(10G)
Draw a picture that focuses on shadow - LOCKED
FIRETRIBUTE(5G)
Do a fan art of something you never drew fan art before - LOCKED
MONTERIGGIONI(20G)
Do an artwork including architecture with correct perspective – LOCKED
THE SOUND OF MUSIC(5G)
Do an artwork illustrating a song - LOCKED
DO YOU PLAY?(5G)
Do an artwork including instruments - LOCKED
MACHIN(A)E SUPREMACY (30G)
Draw a picture that focuses on something mechanical - LOCKED
PARADISE CITY(20G)
Do an artwork including a city with vanishing point - LOCKED
FIRESTARTER(5G)
Upload a deviation on the first of a month. - LOCKED
SPAGHETTIMONSTER(10G)
Do an artwork including religious thematic - LOCKED
THE BURNE HOGARTH KARMA ACHIEVEMENT(25G)
Do an artwork including realistic human beings - LOCKED
THROUGH THE FIRE AND FLAMES!(20G)
Get flamed. - LOCKED
GRAPHIC NOVEL(10G)
Do an illustration to a text – LOCKED
75 K!!(50G)
Reach 75 000+ PVs. - LOCKED
101 K!!(50G)
Reach 101 000+ PVs. - LOCKED
APPLEPIE(10G)
Suggest 10 deviations for Daily Deviations - LOCKED
WORKAHOLIC(40G)
Upload 3 pictures in one week - LOCKED
FEELING THE BLUES(10G)
Do a drawing without using the color blue - LOCKED
HIGH NOON(10G)
Upload a deviation at midday (Eastern Time) - LOCKED
HIGH MOON(20G)
Upload a deviation at midnight (Eastern Time) - LOCKED
OLD AGE OF WONDERS(10G)
Redo an old drawing - LOCKED
TIMETRAVELER(10G)
Forget time over a drawing and arrive late - LOCKED
COLLAB-COLLAPS(20G)
Finish 5 collaborations - LOCKED
20 HIT(5G)
Finish 10 drawings. - LOCKED
50 HIT(10G)
Finish 20 drawings! - LOCKED
100 HIT(20G)
Finish 50 drawings!! - LOCKED
TOOLS OF THE TRADE(10G)
Replace old and broken things of the drawing equipment of 2010 - LOCKED
MONEY MONEY MONEY(70G)
Sell your most expensive commission yet - LOCKED
PAPERCUTTER(5G)
Get paper cuts - LOCKED
COLOR YOURSELF HAPPY(10G)
Ruin a shirt with waterproof colors without noticing it - LOCKED
THE ROAD TO THE SKY(100G)
In the top 10 of the frontpage in the last 24 h - LOCKED
C-C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER!(5G)
Have an art block – LOCKED
YOU GOT SOME DEMON FLESH ON YOUR BUMPERS(10G)
Write 10 critiques - LOCKED
YOU CAN'T STOP ME!(5G)
Get rid of the art block - LOCKED
NAIL SALON(20G)
Do an artwork including nail polish - LOCKED
15 MINUTES OF FAME(100G)
In the top 10 of the frontpage in the last 8 h - LOCKED
OENOPHILIST(10G)
Do an artwork with wine - LOCKED
CARD BATTLE(50G)
Do at least 10 ACEO-Trades – LOCKED
TRADE WAR (50G)
Do at least 3 art trade, ACEO's not included - LOCKED
HALL OF FAME(40G)
Get a Daily Deviation - LOCKED
SURVIVOR(50G)
Awarded on December 31, 2011 – LOCKED
*PUPPEHDOGEYES*(10G)
Draw something insanely cute – LOCKED
IT'S ALIIIIIVEEE!!!! MUAHAHAHA... (70G)
Do a figurine - LOCKED
SOULSTEALER(20G)
Do an artwork including cookies LOCKED
SOULEATER!(20G)
Do an artwork ON A cookie LOCKED
ON TIME(80G)
Stick to the deadlines! (this achievement will not be unlocked 'til 31 December 2011) - LOCKED
I DON'T HAVE A LIFE!(5G)
Awarded when all other achievements are obtained – LOCKED
Current Progress: 000/1420
A New Year and a New Beginning
General | Posted 15 years agoFirst of all, thank you to everyone who left comments on my previous journal. I apologize for not responding to them quickly enough, as now they are lost due to the database restore problem. We are often reminded that this site is free and we should be satisfied with whatever we get. My response to that is, this site has to be free, as almost no one would ever want to pay for such a level of service. :P
Moving on to other things, 2011 is going to bring a lot of changes right off the bat.
First, due to an extraordinarily difficult work environment, I have quit the job I got in late July and am going back to being semi-employed as of January 1st. I won't go into details here, but my supervisor has already had the IT department taken away from him starting next month. (Unfortunately, this was a very late decision and had I known it was going to happen, I would never have quit. Too late, now. :P ) After my exit interview on December 31st, he might be sanctioned further. I have never worked for anyone who was so destructive and oblivious - and this coming from someone who's had a couple of rather lousy supervisors in the past - and it is amazing to me that no one has called attention to his behavior and poor decision making sooner.
I am so tired of riding this merry-go-round that there are no words to describe my level of disgust with the way IT is treated in most organizations. I have worked for only one business in my career that really "got" IT and viewed it as a way to enable new ways of doing business and generate revenue rather than seeing it as a necessary evil; everything else is just par for the course.
I have a large amount of savings built up, so even with my very modest income from job #2 (a small software company), I should be okay for a good while. I'm hoping to bring in a little bit of consulting work here and there to supplement my income, keep me going, and help pay my part-time student tuition.
As disappointing as the failed job is - and it is not an exaggeration to say that it has been the biggest disappointment of my career - I can't help but feel that it was actually a good thing for me. This frees me up to devote a lot of time to my other employer and make it much more likely that we'll ship a high-quality product in Q1 of 2011. It also lets me get back into the studio and start drawing again, which has been almost completely off my plate for the last 6 months (much to my frustration).
If I ever want to go forward, I need to stop looking backwards and start building a new foundation. It's time to get off the carousel and start fresh.
Moving on to other things, 2011 is going to bring a lot of changes right off the bat.
First, due to an extraordinarily difficult work environment, I have quit the job I got in late July and am going back to being semi-employed as of January 1st. I won't go into details here, but my supervisor has already had the IT department taken away from him starting next month. (Unfortunately, this was a very late decision and had I known it was going to happen, I would never have quit. Too late, now. :P ) After my exit interview on December 31st, he might be sanctioned further. I have never worked for anyone who was so destructive and oblivious - and this coming from someone who's had a couple of rather lousy supervisors in the past - and it is amazing to me that no one has called attention to his behavior and poor decision making sooner.
I am so tired of riding this merry-go-round that there are no words to describe my level of disgust with the way IT is treated in most organizations. I have worked for only one business in my career that really "got" IT and viewed it as a way to enable new ways of doing business and generate revenue rather than seeing it as a necessary evil; everything else is just par for the course.
I have a large amount of savings built up, so even with my very modest income from job #2 (a small software company), I should be okay for a good while. I'm hoping to bring in a little bit of consulting work here and there to supplement my income, keep me going, and help pay my part-time student tuition.
As disappointing as the failed job is - and it is not an exaggeration to say that it has been the biggest disappointment of my career - I can't help but feel that it was actually a good thing for me. This frees me up to devote a lot of time to my other employer and make it much more likely that we'll ship a high-quality product in Q1 of 2011. It also lets me get back into the studio and start drawing again, which has been almost completely off my plate for the last 6 months (much to my frustration).
If I ever want to go forward, I need to stop looking backwards and start building a new foundation. It's time to get off the carousel and start fresh.
A Very Merry Christmas! メリークリスマス！
General | Posted 15 years agoTo join in the chorus (or should I say "cacophony?" :) of all those wishing their watchers a merry Christmas, I would like to extend heartfelt best wishes to everyone reading this. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas holiday, or if you do not celebrate Christmas, that you enjoyed a pleasant day and are in high spirits.
I had a really fun time with my family on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas Day. Santa left me a handful of drawing and art books that I've been lusting over for some time, and some of them were unexpected surprises, so I was excited to receive those!
If anyone out there is still interested in receiving a Christmas card from me, I would be very happy to send one to you. Just note me your address! I was very happy to send out a handful of cards to my friends here on FA, though I am sorry that some of them still have not arrived at their destinations. :( Hopefully they will all arrive this coming week!
I sent a lot of Christmas greetings out this year in the form of paper cards, eCards, and even FA page shouts, and I felt really happy about spreading some Christmas cheer. I hope everyone who received something from me had their heart warmed at least as much as mine was by sending it to you. Hearing from my old friends, online and off, always lifts my spirits considerably!
Looking ahead, I will have more to say about what's coming for me in 2011 in a separate journal. For now, all I will say is that I think this is going to get interesting...
Peace on earth.
I had a really fun time with my family on Christmas Eve and again on Christmas Day. Santa left me a handful of drawing and art books that I've been lusting over for some time, and some of them were unexpected surprises, so I was excited to receive those!
If anyone out there is still interested in receiving a Christmas card from me, I would be very happy to send one to you. Just note me your address! I was very happy to send out a handful of cards to my friends here on FA, though I am sorry that some of them still have not arrived at their destinations. :( Hopefully they will all arrive this coming week!
I sent a lot of Christmas greetings out this year in the form of paper cards, eCards, and even FA page shouts, and I felt really happy about spreading some Christmas cheer. I hope everyone who received something from me had their heart warmed at least as much as mine was by sending it to you. Hearing from my old friends, online and off, always lifts my spirits considerably!
Looking ahead, I will have more to say about what's coming for me in 2011 in a separate journal. For now, all I will say is that I think this is going to get interesting...
Peace on earth.
Would you (yes, you!) like a Christmas/New Year's Card?
General | Posted 15 years agoWith the holiday season upon us, I am now thinking about my annual Christmas card list. I started mailing cards to my friends about 7 or 8 years ago, and as I've gone to more conventions and made many more friends the world over, my list has only grown! Sending out cards makes me happy, and I hope that everyone who receives a card from me is made happier, as well, so I am trying something new this year by posting a journal.
If you would like to receive a Christmas card - or, if you do not celebrate Christmas, but would like to receive a card for New Year's or another holiday that you celebrate - please send me a note with your mailing address. If you have received a card from me previously, then don't worry; I already have you on the list (but please let me know if your address has changed). If you want me to address the card not just to you, but to your family/roommate/significant other as well, just let me know that and I would be happy to do so.
If you are reading this, then I really would like to send you a card. If you care enough to watch me or even to stop by my page to peek in, then I would be happy to send a card to you and wish you a Merry Christmas.
Everyone's mailing address will be kept absolutely secret and I will not use it for any other purpose. This journal will stay up for all of December and probably a little ways into January, so send me a message anytime and I'd be very happy to get a card out to you.
Season's Greetings, and let there be peace on earth!
If you would like to receive a Christmas card - or, if you do not celebrate Christmas, but would like to receive a card for New Year's or another holiday that you celebrate - please send me a note with your mailing address. If you have received a card from me previously, then don't worry; I already have you on the list (but please let me know if your address has changed). If you want me to address the card not just to you, but to your family/roommate/significant other as well, just let me know that and I would be happy to do so.
If you are reading this, then I really would like to send you a card. If you care enough to watch me or even to stop by my page to peek in, then I would be happy to send a card to you and wish you a Merry Christmas.
Everyone's mailing address will be kept absolutely secret and I will not use it for any other purpose. This journal will stay up for all of December and probably a little ways into January, so send me a message anytime and I'd be very happy to get a card out to you.
Season's Greetings, and let there be peace on earth!
Had a Great Time at Furfright!
General | Posted 15 years agoAs has always been the case, I had a blast at Furfright! This was my 4th time attending the con.
As usual,
louvelex and 
booboobunnygirl gave me a lot of guff about maiming and killing people. It's a difficult temptation for us bears to resist. ;) Seriously, we had a lot of laughs and hopefully they enjoyed my company as much as I enjoyed theirs.
I also won the pinball tournament! That was a pleasant surprise. Check out the photo in my gallery for a glimpse of my trophy. I also very surprisingly reconnected with
karyuu, whom I met at Megaplex in 2007 where we spent a number of hours cutting a rug at the rave (the only time I ever went to a dance at a furry con). Quite a surprise to see him at Furfright, and we were able to chat a bit at the bar during world series game 4 on Sunday night, where he very kindly bought a round of drinks for a bunch of us.
Overall, I had a wonderful time. Shout outs in no particular order to rabbi-tom, donryu, knuxlight, hbruton, artie, dmk, jenkiwi, indigoangelcat, yifferfox, gideon, solidasp, wfa, likeshine, dmk, iamthepilot, redcoatcat, auradeva, spunky, ganador, and a number of others to whom I apologize for not listing out! I can't wait for 2011.
As for Midwest Furfest, I am 99.9% sure that I will not be able to attend. My workplace is having a major event that weekend and I need to be available, so short of them firing me (which, thankfully, I don't anticipate), I need to be here at home.
More to come before too long! :)
As usual,
louvelex and 
booboobunnygirl gave me a lot of guff about maiming and killing people. It's a difficult temptation for us bears to resist. ;) Seriously, we had a lot of laughs and hopefully they enjoyed my company as much as I enjoyed theirs.I also won the pinball tournament! That was a pleasant surprise. Check out the photo in my gallery for a glimpse of my trophy. I also very surprisingly reconnected with
karyuu, whom I met at Megaplex in 2007 where we spent a number of hours cutting a rug at the rave (the only time I ever went to a dance at a furry con). Quite a surprise to see him at Furfright, and we were able to chat a bit at the bar during world series game 4 on Sunday night, where he very kindly bought a round of drinks for a bunch of us.Overall, I had a wonderful time. Shout outs in no particular order to rabbi-tom, donryu, knuxlight, hbruton, artie, dmk, jenkiwi, indigoangelcat, yifferfox, gideon, solidasp, wfa, likeshine, dmk, iamthepilot, redcoatcat, auradeva, spunky, ganador, and a number of others to whom I apologize for not listing out! I can't wait for 2011.
As for Midwest Furfest, I am 99.9% sure that I will not be able to attend. My workplace is having a major event that weekend and I need to be available, so short of them firing me (which, thankfully, I don't anticipate), I need to be here at home.
More to come before too long! :)
Heading to Furfright
General | Posted 15 years agoI was able to get some time off, so I will be at Furfright! Current plans are to arrive very late on Thursday evening (perhaps past midnight) and return home midday on Monday. I always enjoy Furfright and I'm looking forward to seeing a great many friends there!
Anyone else planning to go? :)
Anyone else planning to go? :)
Mid-Summer Update: Anthrocon & New Job!
General | Posted 15 years agoJust to bump off the rather old journal, I - unsurprisingly - had a spectacular time at Anthrocon! I only had a small handful of good friends there this year, but that forced me to go around and be more sociable with a lot of folks from FA that I only knew superficially, which was really rewarding. It was nice to spend so much time with a lot of new people and I can't wait for next year. This was my best convention in several years!
On the personal front, I recently got a new job. I was very fortunate to land this, as it is a very high-quality supervisory position and I did not expect to get it - especially not in this horrendous job market - but I managed to wow them during the interviews and I'm now gainfully employed. I can't say publicly where I work, but I will say it is an incredibly fun and festive atmosphere. It's an IT job, and while I thought that I had permanently left this line of work almost 4 years ago, I think this is what I need to do for now to figure out exactly how I want to go forward.
Overall, things are very positive. My convention plans for the autumn (Furfright, Midwest Furfest) are up in the air because I will not be able to officially take time off for them, but it may be possible to finagle something and still attend one or both of those cons. I hope so!
On the personal front, I recently got a new job. I was very fortunate to land this, as it is a very high-quality supervisory position and I did not expect to get it - especially not in this horrendous job market - but I managed to wow them during the interviews and I'm now gainfully employed. I can't say publicly where I work, but I will say it is an incredibly fun and festive atmosphere. It's an IT job, and while I thought that I had permanently left this line of work almost 4 years ago, I think this is what I need to do for now to figure out exactly how I want to go forward.
Overall, things are very positive. My convention plans for the autumn (Furfright, Midwest Furfest) are up in the air because I will not be able to officially take time off for them, but it may be possible to finagle something and still attend one or both of those cons. I hope so!
Anthrocon is a Go
General | Posted 15 years agoJust a short note to let everyone know that I will be at Anthrocon! A few small consulting jobs came through in the last month, so I have plenty of money saved up to go to the convention. Anthrocon is an extremely busy convention for just about everyone, so I will no doubt be wandering the floor like a crazed lunatic. Please say hi if you see me. :)
I had hoped to finally put some artwork in the AC art show, but I have been too busy to do much with art for the last 2 months, and canceled my art show space reservation a couple of weeks ago. While I can afford to go to AC, I am in dire need of steady, well-paying work, thus I have been devoting a lot of time to job hunting (and now my schoolwork on top of it). I'm a little disappointed, but I have some specific ideas about the kinds of pieces I'd like to do. I definitely want to take my time so that when I finally get work in the show, I can be proud of it. I may do some smaller pieces for Midwest Furfest in November.
Overall, things are going okay. I am taking two courses during the summer (neither of them related to art, unfortunately) and I seem to be on the right track with my education. I feel pretty positive about where I am, the fact money is rather tight notwithstanding, and I am hoping for some very good news before the summer is over.
If my financial picture improves, I may attend IndyFurCon in August, but that is a "big if" right now.
Thanks to everyone for your friendship and ongoing moral support. It really means a lot and is what keeps me going.
I had hoped to finally put some artwork in the AC art show, but I have been too busy to do much with art for the last 2 months, and canceled my art show space reservation a couple of weeks ago. While I can afford to go to AC, I am in dire need of steady, well-paying work, thus I have been devoting a lot of time to job hunting (and now my schoolwork on top of it). I'm a little disappointed, but I have some specific ideas about the kinds of pieces I'd like to do. I definitely want to take my time so that when I finally get work in the show, I can be proud of it. I may do some smaller pieces for Midwest Furfest in November.
Overall, things are going okay. I am taking two courses during the summer (neither of them related to art, unfortunately) and I seem to be on the right track with my education. I feel pretty positive about where I am, the fact money is rather tight notwithstanding, and I am hoping for some very good news before the summer is over.
If my financial picture improves, I may attend IndyFurCon in August, but that is a "big if" right now.
Thanks to everyone for your friendship and ongoing moral support. It really means a lot and is what keeps me going.
Elliott's Spring Gathering = Fun!
General | Posted 15 years ago(Edited slightly for cleanup and to add a few details. Typing this on a phone is a little bit cumbersome. :P )
As with last year, Elliott's Spring Gathering was a lot of fun! Much thanks to
wfa and 
solidasp for very graciously putting me up (and putting up with me). 
nimrais spent a lot of time with us and really made the weekend a lot more fun.
It was a little slow on Saturday, but I really enjoyed all the socializing and sightseeing that I was able to do during the weekend, including a visit to Gatorland. I spent quite a bit of time talking and hanging out with people I don't often get to see (
triggerfox, 
genesisw, 
apollowolfhusk, 
yamibliss, 
cooner, 
gideon and many others). I come all the way down here for this event because of the great people and it has not been a disappointment yet!
The surprise show of this year's event was Shrek Forever After at the Pleasure Island movie theater; His Majesty reserved an entire theater for us. Very good movie and a lot of fun! (And in 3-D!)
I'm still at the Radisson in Kissimmee, but everyone else is long gone. I had planned to go out earlier and shop at Downtown Disney, but a very nasty thunderstorm put the kibosh on that. 60mph winds and a torrential downpour made going outside a bad idea. The hotel pool was dull of deck chairs when the storm was over.
I'll be on my way back home Tuesday morning. I'm hoping to have a short visit with
wolfboy1 on Wednesday as I pass through Virginia.
While I've had a great time, I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again!
As with last year, Elliott's Spring Gathering was a lot of fun! Much thanks to
wfa and 
solidasp for very graciously putting me up (and putting up with me). 
nimrais spent a lot of time with us and really made the weekend a lot more fun.It was a little slow on Saturday, but I really enjoyed all the socializing and sightseeing that I was able to do during the weekend, including a visit to Gatorland. I spent quite a bit of time talking and hanging out with people I don't often get to see (
triggerfox, 
genesisw, 
apollowolfhusk, 
yamibliss, 
cooner, 
gideon and many others). I come all the way down here for this event because of the great people and it has not been a disappointment yet! The surprise show of this year's event was Shrek Forever After at the Pleasure Island movie theater; His Majesty reserved an entire theater for us. Very good movie and a lot of fun! (And in 3-D!)
I'm still at the Radisson in Kissimmee, but everyone else is long gone. I had planned to go out earlier and shop at Downtown Disney, but a very nasty thunderstorm put the kibosh on that. 60mph winds and a torrential downpour made going outside a bad idea. The hotel pool was dull of deck chairs when the storm was over.
I'll be on my way back home Tuesday morning. I'm hoping to have a short visit with
wolfboy1 on Wednesday as I pass through Virginia. While I've had a great time, I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed again!
