So...it's been a while.

Ten months ago, I was talking about being excited to check out TFF for the first time, and eventually post the recap and get ready for the next con. But we all know what happened not too long afterwards, a reality check in the form of a Pandemic amongst many, -many- other things.

I'm happy to report that I've been hanging in there, getting through day by day and looking forward to what tomorrow brings.

As for that TFF report, you can find that right here!

https://twitter.com/Tobiaswulf/stat.....98569846091776

Long story short, I truly enjoyed my first time there. It's a big, but very chill convention that has a lot going for it. It was just the con I needed...good thing since that's the last convention I've gone to for the time being. Once things are back to a relative normal, I wholeheartedly recommend checking TFF out.

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So that brings us to New Year's Eve, it's been quite a year and there's a lot to look forward to and hope for the next one. I hope that everyone has a more favorable year, and we can eventually return to doing all the things we love. An I can't wait to show all of you some of the fun things in store that I've been planning!

Treat each other the way you wanna' be treated, and Be Excellent to Each Other.
Happy New Year, everyone!
-also- JUMANJI!!!

First off, WHOOPS! It's been quite a while and I totally forgot to post my report of FWA 2019 PLUS a surprise lil trip to FC 2020!

To make it easy, here's a thread I made on twitter of my FWA 2019 recap (Loved it, and I finally made it into the Dance Comp after a long journey just to make it in.)

https://twitter.com/Tobiaswulf/stat.....73218283659266

Also, here's a link to my FWA 2019 dance comp performance!

https://twitter.com/Tobiaswulf/stat.....69262394818565

Now 2020 started off with a surprise as I went to Further Confusion for the first time since 2014! It was an absolute blast, and honestly it was my favorite FC so far. This con has legitimately bounced back in wonderful ways.

https://twitter.com/Tobiaswulf/stat.....43296163860480

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Now then, 2020 is gonna' be a big year for me. FC was a surprise lil trip, though now we're less than a week away from my next con, Texas Furry Fiesta!

Arrival/Departure

I'll be arriving Thursday afternoon, and departing Monday afternoon.

Hotel

The Hyatt Regency Dallas

Other Stuff

For the first time in a while, I'm not auditioning for the dance comp or any other performance-related things. While I did have something in mind for the dance comp, I got double-whammy'd by my left shoulder acting up and some health issues, so I haven't been able to practice my routine as I'd like. I'd rather rest up, enjoy the con and be raring to go for the next one. (FWA).

Now as usual, I don't smoke, but I do drink now and then. Also hugs are fine as long as you're not a creeper, and pictures and videos are most certainly encouraged and allowed.

I'm pretty excited to finally check TFF out, it's been bouncing on my radar for a while, so I'm glad everything fell into place so I can finally attend. Get ready Lone Star State, cuz here I come!

It's said that time flies when you're having fun, though I've discovered that time also flies when you're busy as heck with work. X3

None the less, in a couple weeks I'll be time for Furry Weekend Atlanta 2019!

Arrival/Departure

Unlike last year, I'm able to be here for the whole weekend. I'm arriving nice and early on Thursday, and departing Monday afternoon.

Hotel

The Marriot Marquis Atlanta

Dance Comp

Like with previous years, I'll be auditioning for the for the Fursuit Dance Competition. I won't lie that I'm still nervous for this one, it's a doozy of a comp. While my audition last year was fun to do, it did have it's snafu's which I felt hurt my chances of getting in. But I've learned from my mistakes and I've applied what I learned to this new routine. I really do wanna' perform it in front of everyone, but right now I'm focused on giving those at the auditions a good show. :)

Other Stuff

As usual, I don't smoke, but I do drink now and then. Also hugs are fine as long as you're not a creeper, and pictures and videos are most certainly encouraged and allowed.

Also, this is going to be my -only- fur con this year. I'm a little limited on vacations right now, and I had to be real pick and choosy on what I'm hitting up this year. While this is a little anomaly, I'm really looking forward to FWA as it's one of my personal favorites. This convention loves to surprise me in many ways, and I'm eager to see what surprises are in store for this year!

Wow, where did this year go? This one flew like a blur far more then any other year that I can recall!
So 2018 is history, and now we've rung in 2019! Now before we look towards the future, it's time to look back recently on my trip to MFF 2018.

So MFF 2018 was my fourth MFF, it's one of my personal favorite conventions and this one was certainly the biggest of them all so far. It's insane that when I first attended back in 2012, it was the 3rd largest furry con at 3,216 attendees. An flash-forward to now where it's the biggest furry con at 10,989!!!

While the con has grown quite a bit, for me it didn't feel overwhelming. I was able to see a ton of my friends that I wanted to see, and with the way the main hotel is set up, it was easy to socialize with people for a good while instead of quick passing in other directions which can happen at other big cons.

As for the dance comp, I did try out and while I didn't make it, I was happy with what I was able to throw down as the past several months were super busy for me. (Admittedly leading to not much time to practice.) An as usual hanging out with my dancer family helped recharge my inspiration and drive for dancing, so I'm really excited for what lies ahead for this year! When it came to the comp itself, honestly it was the best dance comp I've seen from MFF. Everyone brought it that year and it was a blast to watch from start to finish!

Other than that, the con was a enjoyable blur of friends, fun, laughter and some wonderfully naughty times in the appropriate places. I look forward to the 20 year birthday bash it'll be holding later this year!

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So with it being 2019, what can I look forward to? Well last year was rather special since I finally landed a fulltime job, which is going to blow the doors wide open on what fun adventures I can get into. Now I'll have to keep this year rather simple since I'm limited on vacation (2020 is a far different story...), but I know I'll be having plenty of fun this year.

My next convention will be a return to Furry Weekend Atlanta! It'll be my fourth time there, and I've got plenty of surprises planned for that one. Until then, have a Happy New Year!

It's that time again, in about a week I'll be off to Midwest FurFest 2018!

Arrival/Departure

Just like last year, I'll be arriving nice and early on Thursday, and leaving in the evening on Monday.

Hotel

Also like last year, I'll be staying across the street at the Hilton Rosemont/Chicago O'Hare.

Dance Comp?

I'll be trying out for the dance competition this year, but I'll admit the past couple months have been super busy for me, so I haven't been able to get much practice in. I'll give it a shot, but I'm not gonna' lose sleep if I don't make it in.

Other Stuff

Per usual, I don't smoke, but I do drink now and then. Also hugs are fine as long as you're not a creeper, and pictures and videos are most certainly encouraged and allowed.

With that said, I'm really looking forward to this! MFF is always the big end of the Year con, and this one could very well be bigger and better then ever! Safe travels to everyone that's going, and I'll see you in a week!

Whoops, I would've had this report posted earlier but things got busy for me. X3
Anyways, so last month I hit up Furry Weekend Atlanta last month. This was my third FWA and the con once again proved to be one of my favorites. I'm going to try and keep this report simple, by sectioning it off into multiple sections of various highlights/topics.

Theming

I figured I'd start with a aspect that set's FWA apart from other cons, and that's theming. When it comes to a theme for a con, for the most part it's only shown on the conventions website, the conbook and the reg badges/swag. You may also get a themed sign here and there, but that's about it. Now there are cons which would love to do more then that to play with the theme, but I've noticed most run into one or two issues. One issue is the hotel/venue doesn't allow them to do what they want with the theming. The other issue is simply the con doesn't have the budget for extra bits of theming, since even themed signs/banners can be on the expensive side.

But then on the flipside, you have a handful of cons which either don't have those issues, or work around them to still theme things up. A great example is Biggest Little Fur Con, they're able to heavily theme their con because the hotel clearly established to them that they can do whatever they wish in any of the rooms they bought for the con.

As for FWA, they're willing to put the money into theming and experiences for the con. So you not only get some nice theming, but also some cool extras which'll I'll get into. Theming-wise, they not only had neat cardboard cutouts which fit the theme, but also special sign/wraps for the hotel elevators, the wristbands for the three different bounty hunter factions (which tied into the theme and a special scavenger hunt game during the con), unique swag such as the Phuntanium soda which was part of the story for the con. They also did a nice set of videos introducing the story of the con, plus a special video for the registration line which explained the new elements of reg and whatnot. When you add up all these things, it makes for a stronger theme and it's something notice people really appreciate.

Silent Disco

Speaking of experiences the con is willing to put money into, one of the new things they debuted this year was a Silent Disco. Outside of the main ballroom was a lit up corral where you could get a pair of wireless headphones and switch between three different DJ's playing at the same time. The channels for the headphones were color coded, Red, Blue and Green, and the headphones were lit up to whatever color you were listening to.

This turned out to be a really fun surprise of the con, since there were multiple layers to this experience. For anyone passing by/watching, they see the different colored headphones and people dancing, often wondering what are they listening to. (Especially when some people were doing synchronized dance moves!) An' when you're actually in the Silent Disco, it's surprisingly intimate. You might be listening to one channel and chill out/get in the zone right there, or you look over to people suddenly going wild on a different channel and you switch over to hear what they are. I initially popped in to just check it out for a little, but I ended up staying in there till it was over for the day. It's a really fun experience that I hope comes back and get's expanded for next year!

Food

I've said it before and I'll say it again, FWA is top-tier when it comes to food. With the con being nestled in downtown Atlanta, and with the hotel being connected to the local mall's food court via skybridge, there's a ton of options for just about any budget within easy walking distance. An' it feels like there's always new stuff to try every single year. Case in point, I tried three new places for me.

Amalfi Pizza - Nestled right across the street from the mall (where Tin Lizzy's and the Metro Diner is), this place may seem unassuming, until you walk through the doors and find yourself in a little Italian alley with fountains and a stairway which leads to a very nice Neapolitan Pizzeria. I had their house pizza which came with hand crushed San Marzano sauce, spicy sausage, peppadew peppers, caramelized onions, house-made bacon jam and fior di latte mozzarella. This was the first time I had a decent sized pizza and I demolished it like nobodies business. :9

Pacific Rim Bistro - Literally right across the street up north from the entrance of the hotel (Notice a pattern here?), we have a really nice Pan-Asian restaurant which has a killer weekday lunch option, Bento Boxes! For a decent price, you get your pick of entrée with rice, salad, spring roll and Miso Soup. Definitely a nice little bit of everything to fuel you up for a busy day of fun.

Gus's Fried Chicken - Smack dab in the mall, I finally was able to try out this place after hearing friends rave about it, and it honestly delivered. Gus's specialty is a spicy fried chicken, and they do it just right as there's enough spice for you to notice it's there...but it doesn't overwhelm the taste of everything so it's just plain delicious. I also had the sweet potato pie which was also really good.

Three great meals, and this isn't even a sliver of what's to offer food-wise. That's why FWA is top tier with food.

The Fursuit Dance Comp / The Dances

FWA is the originator of the Fursuit Dance Comp, and each year it feels like FWA still has one of (if not the) best dance comps around. Everyone brings it for this dance comp, and with the way it's setup with it's prelims, it really does ensure one heck of a competition is about to go down. I tried out once again, and while I didn't make it, I know what I can improve for next year. (Admittedly I did have some prop issues, but I know how to fix that.) Those who did see my prelim routine were pleasantly surprised on what I did, and I felt good for surprising even the judges. ^^

I know I'm going to make it in some year, but even though I didn't this year, I was really happy for a lot of my dancer fam who did make it in and downright killed it. This was really one of the best dance comps to go down, cuz' every performance was just solid. An' it was all capped off with Play, Paws Rewind just bringing the house down with a beautiful group routine. I know they put a whole lot of time, blood, sweat and tears into that performance, so it was all worth it seeing them take 1st in the group category and get the praise they got. <3

As for the regular dances, FWA really threw down the gauntlet for this years A/V setup, as it was quite possibly the best one I've seen for a larger con. From the giant "Illuminati" triangle with chaser lights, to the lasers, to the C02 cannons on the stage which went off for dramatic visual effect. An' the festival quality sound system which had the bass going so good it made every hair on my arm stand on end. (That hasn't happened since BLFC 2015's giant bass cannon speaker setup.) This was a fantastic setup which made the dances really memorable. From Skroy playing another beautiful performance, to F3NN throwing down a straight-up hard and nasty set with a packed house!

Other Highlights

As usual, FWA's video game room (or as they call it, Arcade) is always a highlight. The room was expanded for this year, and much to my delight they had a Iron Man Pinball machine which I spent plenty of time on. (From what I was told, they had even more pinball machines the year before!)

Probably the biggest highlight for me was being able to approach and talk with a suiter who's honestly my biggest fursuit crush, this was huge for me considering while I'm usually not shy whatsoever...approaching this guy was the lone exception since I would usually turn timid on a dime if I saw him. I don't know why that kept happening, but thanks to friends who consistently relayed this guy is a sweetheart, I finally approached him and it went totally fine. He is really nice, and the bigger surprise was he not only recognized my suit when I showed him a pic, but he also recognized my badges which I did not expect he would!

Closing Thoughts

Overall, FWA was a total blast once again. Even with having to wait three and a half hours in the reg line on Thursday, that did not put a single damper on the con, so that's a good indicative the con is doing something right. An' now that I have a stable income, I really look forward to returning next year, especially with the theme of Pirates! which is a theme that many people really get into.

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So what's next? Just one more con for me this year, and considering I already have both a backup room -and- roundtrip plane tickets already bought for it...I can say I am returning to MFF once again! Until then, take care!

So a lot has happened since my last journal, namely I finally landed a job! Now while that suddenly makes things like returning to MFF a bit up in the air as I gain my vacation time, however thanks to something called a "Pre-Scheduled Vacation"...I now find myself announcing I'll be at Furry Weekend Atlanta in two weeks!

Arrival/Departure

I'll be arriving Thursday afternoon, and I'll be departing super early Sunday morning. (Around 3am)

Hotel

The Marriott Marquis Atlanta

Dance Comp

Once again, I'll be auditioning for the dance competition. I feel like I came really close to making it in last time two years ago, so I'm pushing harder then ever to make it in this time. An' if I do, hold onto your butts because you are NOT ready for this.

Other Stuff

Per usual, I don't smoke, but I do drink now and then. Also hugs are fine as long as you're not a creeper, and pictures and videos are most certainly encouraged and allowed.

Other then that, I'm very excited to return to FWA as it's one of my favorites. An' since I'm leaving early on Sunday, I'm sure as heck gonna' make the most of it!

I may be a tad delayed in giving my report of MFF 2017, but here it is and I'm gonna' keep it short and simple.

After missing MFF for three years straight, it was a very welcome return to the con this year! MFF is one of my favorites, and this year helped cement that thought as I had another great time. It had some nice changes in the form of moving the dealers den, artist alley and art show into the convention center, which was very much needed since it's outgrown the basement of the Hyatt.

While the con is now the biggest, I had no trouble finding all my friends and those who I wanted to see, the compact nature of the Hyatt helps immensely with that.

Speaking of the con now being the biggest, I have to say it's very well deserved. MFF is a awesome end of the year con, one which it's staff and volunteers work their tails off to run. This year was especially challenging not only due to the growth, but also suffering several losses this year. It's not a easy task, but they pulled it off in style and I couldn't be happier for their success.

Overall I had a great time, and I look forward to returning soon without another three year hiatus. X3

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Now then, 2018 is almost upon us. It's been quite a year, and as for what's to come in the next, it's a wait and see situation. I do know however, that my next con is looking to be MFF 2018. Other then that, thanks for the memories and I wish everyone a Happy New Year!

So at the end of my BLFC trip report this year, I mentioned that might not be my only convention this year, and there's a con in the midwest which I've missed for three years, but I don't think I'll be missing it for a fourth.

Well with it being two weeks away, I can happily say I'm finally returning to Midwest FurFest!

Arrival/Departure

I'll be arriving Thursday morning (Not as early as I did in 2013, but still early for most), and departing Monday evening.

Hotel

This time I will be right across the street at the Hilton Rosemont/Chicago O'Hare.

Dance Comp?

I will be trying out for the dance competition, MFF is one of the harder ones to get into, but I hope to make it in.

Other Stuff

I don't smoke, but I do drink now and then. As usual hugs are fine as long as you're not a creeper, and pictures and videos are most certainly encouraged and allowed.

Another important thing to mention is until further notice, this'll be my last convention for a while. (Don't worry, I'm just getting a couple RL things in order so I can not only return to cons, but more of them each year.)

Either way, I'm really excited to finally return to MFF. Considering how it's usually a big year-end party, this is a good one to do before a hiatus. I'm looking forward to hanging out with good friends, catching up with ones I haven't seen for years, and finishing my convention year on wonderful high at what could very well be the new largest furcon in the world. Let's do this!

Well this took a little longer then expected, but it's time for my report of Biggest Little Fur Con 2017!

This was my second BLFC, and let me tell you this con has quickly jumped in the ranks as one of my favorite conventions. I honestly have so much fun at this convention, and while there's so much I can talk about, I'll try and keep this report simple.

The Blessing of Size

While I've gone into great detail in my previous BLFC report about the Grand Sierra Resort, I feel there's one aspect that has to be mentioned again. The way the GSR is big-but-compact, for this is a advantage that not many other conventions have.

As we know, BLFC is the most rapidly growing fur con around. They're just shattering attendance records left, right and center. This year is no exception as they've broken the 5,000 mark in just it's -fifth- year. Now as con's get bigger, they can run into similar issues. Be it the con spaces getting too crowded, lines for elevators getting too long, and probably the most common issue being it can be tricky finding everyone you want to see/meet.

However BLFC didn't run into those issues, a factor being the GSR was built to handle these kinds of crowds. The con spaces are huge so everyone can fit inside, and said con spaces are pretty much right next to each other in easy walking distance so you don't have to take a hike to get around. For me I was easily able to see and meet everyone that I wanted to, and I know a lot of friends who felt the same way. This is a con where you can make a quick loop around the resort/convention space to see who's there.

Even with the con rapidly growing, the GSR is definitely a resort it can still grow into. If I recall, the con still isn't using all the available rooms in the hotel, so believe it or not there's still space to grow!

The Food

Another nice advantage to the resort is all the food options smack dab inside, with a couple being open 24/7. I hit up my usual places, the Grand Cafe (with their always tasty chicken and waffles), RIM (had some yummy Pad Thai this time.), Johnny Rockets and Port of Subs. (Where the staff has been quite open they had as much fun as we did.)

New for me this year I decided to try out the Italian resturant, Briscola. Which was quite worth it as I had the Short Rib Ravioli with a Veal demi glaze. :9

The Dances and Fursuit Dance Competition

BLFC can throw some great dances, and this year was no exception! New for this year the main stage moved into a huge room which allowed A/V to put in a killer setup with two suspended trusses (A circle and a square), and a amazing dual LED screen/wall right up on stage. This was legit one of the best Main Stage setups I've seen, and it really enhanced anything that was there.

There were a lot of fun dance sets that were played over the weekend, Recca, DJ Sparkles, Brenda Banks, Chomper/Trent, Croc, Toby Dingo w/S0lardog...all of them I had a great time dancing to and most certainly if they're playing at a con I'm attending, I'm most certainly going to be there!

Now as for that Fursuit Dance Comp, well I'm very happy to say I made it in this year! For this routine I wanted to do something a little different, something slower and more emotionial, and I've been wanting to do this for a while since I actually planned most of this routine for FWA 2016. An' since I didn't make it into that comp, I carried it over to this con, and extended the routine a bit since the time limit is a little longer then FWA's.

Here's a video of the routine. (Filmed by  Allred )



Overall I'm fairly happy with the routine, of course there's always room for improvement, but I know a lot of people enjoyed it. I was also happy that a lot of people loved the song choice of Let Go by Frou Frou, since that's honestly one of my favorite songs. (An' for those wondering what remix of Let Go was playing during the second half, that's the Iaborg Bootleg remix)

Also, remember that dual LED screen I mentioned? That honestly helped make BLFC's stage the best "On Stage" dance comp since that added a wonderful effect to everyone's performances. A big factor that helped with that was the A/V crew, since before any of us went up on stage, front of house was relaying to the back on what the colours of our suits were, and what the color of any accessories were. That way they knew what kind of visuals to put up on screen so it wouldn't make the suiter blend in with the screen.

As for the rest of the dance comp, this was a pretty stellar dance comp. It's always fun seeing what everyone else has brought, and how well many of them have improved. An' of course it's always a blast going nuts with everyone backstage as we're watching the others perform up on stage.

Other Thoughts and Highlights

- I definitely noticed the video game room got a upgrade since I last attended, since on top of the DDR and Beatmania cabinets, they added a Sniper Scope cabinet, and three more Japanese Rhythm games such as Music GunGun 2 (A rhythm shooting game), Dance Maniax (Similar to Beatmania/DDR, but your passing your hands and legs over and under sensors), and what became my personal favorite, ParaParaParadise. You're essentially standing in a octogon with multiple sensors set up inside it, and you're passing the sensors with your arms. I really enjoyed this game since it was perfect for fursuiters as you're only waving your arms. I also found it amusing I seemed to do slightly better at the game in suit then out of it. XD

- Once again, BLFC is showing how you do a con theme. With the theme of giant monsters and those that battle them, the con decorated the rooms with giant banners, and provided plenty of cardboard box buildings for us to wreck havoc with. (Case in point, me and another suiter picked up a building each and started bapping each other with them.) An' as for con swag, they gave Sponsers and Patrons one of the best damn con shirts I've seen with a full print t-shirt which not only looks great, but it's a nice high quality material to boot! Not surprisingly I did see a good chunk of people lament they didn't pre-reg those higher tiers, so word to the wise. If you want the great swag, you gotta' pre-reg!

- When it comes to the large tricycles in the dealers den, I am clearly unhinged on those things. In one go I charged Mary Mouse's table, did a drive-by building kick, and totally rammed into a stack of cardboard buildings. To which someone replied. "I just put those up!".

Closing Thoughts

As I've said before, BLFC really has jumped in the ranks as one of my favorite cons. An' I'm not the only one who feels this way since a con like this doesn't break attendance records for nothing. It really has become the con of the west, and it'll be exciting to see where it goes from here. I know next year should be fun with them having a theme of a Musical...and once again they're taking things to a new level as they're having Fox Amoore & Pepper Coyote write a legit musical that'll be performed at the con! (Also, I gotta' love A/V for sending little hints about the theme during the con. Since before main events were starting, they were playing the whole soundtrack to "SING".)

As always, I've gotta' give a big shout out to not only all the staff and volunteers that make this con possible, but all the friends who I got to hang and share it with. You're all a bunch of creative and fuzzy nutballs, but I wouldn't want it any other way.

Now if anyone has any pictures or videos of me, feel free to send them my way!

An' one more thing, is this going to be my only convention this year? We'll have to wait and see, but there is a particular con in the midwest which I've missed for three years straight...but barring any RL changes I don't think it's going to be missed for a fourth. ;)

Well then, it's been a little over a year since my last con (FWA 2016), though in a couple weeks from now I'll be hitting up my next one at Biggest Little Fur Con!

Arrival/Departure

I'll be arriving Thursday morning, and departing Monday afternoon.

Hotel

The Grand Sierra Resort

Stage Performance

Once again I'll be trying out for the Dance Competition, and I hope to make it in since I've got a fun routine planned.

Other Stuff

I don't smoke, but I do drink now and then. As usual hugs are fine as long as you're not a creeper, and pictures and videos are most certainly encouraged and allowed. I'll definitely be at the dances for sure, and reguarding Fursuit Go-Karting...if the weathers nice I may actually give that a shot! (It helps I have contact lenses this time so I can actually see where I'm going!)

This'll be my second time at BLFC, and I've been hype for this con ever since I got plane tickets for it back in -September-. I'm really excited to return, especially with a good chunk of friends from the midwest and east dropping by for their first time. If there's a con I could accurately describe as "lit", this is the one. Let's go!

So...this year was a thing. X3 Definitely on the wonky side, but there were bright spots here and there. While I only went to one convention this year, I most certainly had a blast at FWA and made the most of it. Made a lot of great memories there so I'm quite thankful for that. ^^

Now what's in store for next year con-wise? Well it's already confirmed I'll be returning to Biggest Little Fur Con! I was really impressed with it last year, so I'm excited to return next year. (Especially since I know a bunch of friends from the midwest/east that are attending for the first time.)

After BLFC, I'm looking at returning to MFF. I've been wanting to return for a while, and if I do it'll make for a nice two convention year.

Other then that, thanks to all my friends for this year's memories. An' have a Happy New Year!

Well another con and come and gone, so it's time for me to talk about my experience at Furry Weekend Atlanta 2016.

This is my second FWA and the first time where it's actually been a couple years since I've been to a con. The last time I was at FWA was 2013, which was the first year at the Westin. That year was pretty infamous due to the challenges that hotel provided, and that was the first time I had a emotional breakdown. (More on that later) But even with that said, I really enjoyed the con and was wanting to return sometime, especially with the rumors the con would be moving into the Marriott Marquis.

Flash forward to now, where the con is now currently in the Marriott Marquis and my budget fell into place to return. So how was this year? Let's start with a major difference...

The Hotel

The Atlanta Marriott Marquis, a hotel with a jaw-dropping atrium and wide open floors which you can look down into to see who's roaming about. This hotel is soooo much better then the Westin, it's great for pictures, it's easy to see where people are and there's no russian roulette on trying to figure out what lobby floor to try to get onto the elevators. As a added bonus the hotel is connected to the Peachtree Center food court via a skybridge, so a whole smorgasborg of food options are within easy walking distance. An' considering the Marta station is connected to the mall, getting to and from the hotel to the airport is easy as well.

When the con was back in the Westin, something that me and others discussed was if FWA had a hotel like the Hyatt Regency O'Hare like MFF has, they'd be set. Amusingly enough, both the Marriott Marquis and the Hyatt Regency O'Hare were designed by the same person. So to be blunt, they're all set hotel-wise!

The Food

Out of all the cons I've been to, FWA is top tier in terms of food. What I look for is variety, a abundance of cheap eats (After all, not everyone can or wants to have a sitdown meal for every meal), and close proximity to the hotel. The Peachtree Center mall alone which is only a couple minutes away and connected to the hotel via skybridge meets those three requirements right off the bat. Walk a little bit farther and you're going to run into even more options. When it comes to food, Atlanta has you covered.

While there's a vast abundance of options, there's three I want to highlight.

Aviva by Kameel - This Mediterranean resturant is actually the first place you'll see when you walk into the food court from the skybridge. I've heard really good things about it, and I can confirm this place is a winner. I had the chicken shawarma sandwhich and the Falafel wrap, and they were both fresh and flavorful as all heck. An' the food isn't the only special thing at this place, but also the owner himself, Kameel. This guy does his best to make you feel welcome, like you're eating at his house. He's absolutely a wonderful character and when I told him I had to eat there one more time before I left, I swear if he wasn't holding a couple plates of food he was gonna' hug me. Though he did pull out a big tray of his vegan Baklava for me to try and that was downright delicious as well. Either way next time you're at this con, give this place a try. It's now my favorite spot to eat at the mall.

Tin Lizzy's - Since this place opened last august, it's brand new for the con. This is a Mexican Cantina which specializes in unique taco's that you can mix and match. I saw the menu before I went, and me and my roomies gave it a try. We all agreed this is a welcome new addition that's not only good, but also quite cheap as well. Case in point I had one of the specials which gave me three big tacos of my choice, rice & beans for $9.99. My favorite taco from there was the Southern Comfort, which had grilled chicken, grilled onions, fried pickles, goat chees and a honey chipotle BBQ sauce.

The Vortex Bar & Grill - Anytime I'm in Atlanta, I will always go here as this is one of my personal favorite food places anywhere. This is the bad-ass adults only bar that serves up killer burgers and drinks with a "The Customer is NOT always right" mindset. (The staff are not rude, far from it actually. But if you give them shit, they're not gonna' take it that's for sure.) I'm so glad my roomies got to check this place out since this is a twisted Atlanta institution. This time I tried the Fat Elvis burger which had bacon, fried plantains and smooth peanut butter. (Don't knock it til you try it, it's quite good.) I also had myself some funnel cake fries which were also quite tasty. If you're ever in town, take a Uber over since it's totally worth it.

The Dances and Fursuit Dance Competition

FWA is a con that delievers on dance events, and this year was no expection. First off the nightly dances, I gotta' congradulate  rahne for his first time as the dance cordinator. An' second I gotta' give HUGE kudos to each and every DJ who rocked the house the whole weekend. I enjoyed every single one of them and I'm quite happy a lot of you uploaded your mixes shortly after.

Now as for the Fursuit Dance Competition, I won't lie in the weeks coming up I was pretty nervous. For back when I auditioned for it a couple years ago I honestly felt like I screwed up my audition and it hit me hard. As in after that I went to the back of the room and cried till auditions were long over. I've never had a emotional breakdown like that at a con, and it's always lingered in the back of my head as I worked on this years routine. Hell about a week before the con I had a bad dream about trying out this year and fucking it up AGAIN, that's how much that affected me. All I really wanted to do at this point was just do a audition I was happy with.

So for this year I picked the first audition timeslot with my roomies, and there was only a handful of people in the room besides the judges. However they were all my dancer family, we've all seen each other dance and for me this was like a fun little intimate show between friends. As it turned out, I was the very first to kick it off. I did the routine, may have bobbled one little thing but I quickly recovered and you know?...I was happy with it! I was a lot more prepared for this, and it showed. You have no idea how much weight fell off my back after that happened, the monkey was off my back and I could enjoy the rest of the con with no worries.

While I didn't make it into the dance comp, I'm not letting it bring me down. Heck, it sounded like I was just on the edge of getting in. I got some really good feedback and hearing that I improved a lot just drives me even more. An' I'm not throwing the routine away either, I had a lot of fun putting it together and you guys WILL see this in a future dance comp. <3

As for the Dance Comp finals, everybody knows how to bring it to this comp since honestly, this was the best dance comp I've seen so far. The amount of A-Game's that were brought were just insane, I was really proud of the dancer fam for sure, and I look forward to seing what's brought next year!

Shout Outs

To , thank you for being awesome roomies for this con! It was fun going to dinner with you guys, chill and share stories, and keep me constantly amused with "beans" and other shinanigens.

To the whole big dancer family, thank you so much for the laughs, the creative drive and the inspirations. You've always made me feel welcome ever since I've started this way back in 2009/2010/2011. It's always great hanging out with you, and thanks to & for the inspirational talks.

An' of course, to all my friends (including all the new ones I met). You all make this fandom, and it's always a pleasure hanging out for a weekend where the surrounding area goes surreal and you never know what kind of amazing thing you'll see around every corner. Stay awesome you big, crazy fluffballs. <3

Closing Thoughts

All in all, FWA 2016 was a fantastic con for me. I was really happy to return after a couple year hiatus, and hopefully I don't have to wait another couple years to return.

As always, if you got any pics or videos of me be sure to send them my way. Finally, I end this with one of the more amusing ideas that came to fruitition during the dance comp. and I came up with the idea to make a couple signs for the dance comp. So amongst the insanity we added a couple lines to add to it.

"<3 ATSU <3 IS 'HOT'SU!" & "LOOK AT THAT BOOTY!!!"

Once again time has flown by, and in a couple weeks it's Furry Weekend Atlanta!

Arrival/Departure

I'll be arriving Thursday morning, and leaving Monday evening.

Hotel

The Marriott Marquis Atlanta

Stage Performance

I have something planned for the dance comp so I will be auditioning for that, though to be honest my main goal is to do an audition I'm happy with.

Other Stuff

I don't smoke, but I do drink sometimes. Hugs are fine as long as you're not a creeper. Pictures and video are most certainly fine and naturally I'll be at the dances, perhaps up on stage if they allow it.

I won't lie, I'm pretty hyped for this con. (Hell, I've been hyped since it was confirmed for me back in September!) It's been a couple years since I've been, and this time it's held at the Marriott Marquis which I've been wanting to check out for a while. Also, this *may* be my only con for 2016. But even if it is or isn't, I'll be making the most of this one for sure!

As always, another year has come and gone. 2015 was a fairly nice year for me, it had a couple new experiences such as me attending Biggest Little Fur Con for the first time, as well as me finally recieving contact lenses so I can now see where the heck I'm going when I'm suiting. X3

2016 is already looking to be a exciting year for me, since con-wise I'll be returning to Furry Weekend Atlanta after a couple years hiatus. I'm really looking forward to going back to that con, not only due to it now being in the Marriott Marquis, but it's also been a while since I've been to a convention not on the Western side of the states. After that, due to my usual limited budget it'll be a while since I can hit up another con. (Normally I'd hit up RF since that's a local con, however considering the events that have recently happened it looks like it'll be no-so-local for me next year. However, I do wish them the very best with whatever happens.)

So the best chances for my next con after FWA will probably be something after October, MFF has a good shot since just like with FWA it's been a couple years since I've last attended it. Though there's a kicker, if I miss MFF of 2016 then there's a good shot I can return to BLFC in 2017. The joys of having a limited budget, I have to be pick and choosey on what cons I hit up and I gotta' decide between my top two conventions. Thankfully I don't have to make that choice now, since at the moment it's quite a ways away.

Until then, thanks for the memories, 2015. An' a Happy New Year to all!

Normally I have quite a lot to say in any of my con trip reports, but this one is quite different considering this was the shortest time I've been at a Fur Con. None the less, here it is!

Due to low con budget, I was only able to be at RF from Friday evening to Saturday evening. Since this was my fourth time at the con this was mainly a nice time to chill with friends and enjoy both Friday nights dance as well as the dance competition on Saturday.

When it came to the dances, as usual  terkwolf and the A/V team put on one heck of a show. An' to this day RF holds one of the best dances around. The lightshow is great, and the DJ's pull out all the stops. As is what's becoming a tradition of mine, I hit up  tekfox 's set. Last year he performed a hard hitting set, so hard the belt that held my fursuit tail snapped right off. This year was no exception as he put on a very intense set, one I feel was even more bangin' then last year! What's even more crazy is this year I was dancing up on stage during the entire set, I've never done that before with Tek's set and it was one hell of a rush.

As for the Fursuit Dance Competition, it was honestly a damn fine competition this year. Every dancer was giving it their all and with Phor hosting and a judging panel of Brenda Banks, Daquiri, Sally and Toxxik it was probably the closest thing to watching a live RuPaul's Drag Race at a Fur Con. XD (There was so much wonderful sass, reading and probably a bit of shade thrown about between Phor and the judges.)

Now while I would've loved to have been in the dance comp myself, unfortunately this wasn't my month. I was really busy with RL-work and that unfortunately cut into a lot of practice time for a dance comp routine, so much so that admittedly I didn't have a routine I was comfortable with by the con came around. Hopefully next year I'll be able to squeeze more time into a rountine for this con. Either way, I still helped out setting the comp up and I had a blast watching my friends perform. ^^

Overall, I did enjoy the con during the little time I had there. I wish I could've stayed the whole weekend, but RL comes first.

Finally, this was my last con for 2015. Yes, I'll be missing MFF again which is a bummer, but I do have wonderful news regaurding next year...I know exactly what my first con for 2016 will be. I'm very happy to announce that next year I'll be returning to Furry Weekend Atlanta!

(As usual, if anyone has pics or videos of me in suit I'd love to see them. (I was only in suit during Tekfox's set.))

Considering RF is happening next weekend, it's probably a good time to do a meme for the con. Now this year is a bit different for me, so the usually short meme is going to be shorter the normal.

Arrival/Departure

Here's the big difference, I'll be arriving Friday evening and departing either late Saturday or possibly Sunday morning/afternoon.

Stage Performance

I do have something in mind for the Dance Competition, however several RL things have been butting in so I'm not entirely confident about this performance. If I am in the dance comp, great! Though if not, don't be surprised since things haven't been going according to plan around this time. X3

Other Stuff

The usual I do drink but I don't smoke, hugs are fine if you're not a creeper, and pics and vids are most certainly welcome. An' no matter what I'll definitely be up on stage during the dances.

This is going to be a fairly interesting con considering I'll only be here for a short time, that and I can confirm this will also be my last con for this year as well. Little bit of a bummer I'm missing MFF for another year, however on the flip side I know exactly what my first con for 2016 will be. ^^ (More on that later)

Back in 2012, I heard about this brand new convention showing up in Reno for 2013. It was to be held in this big casino resort with all sorts of food options and attractions right in the hotel, plus the con itself was to be held in one big room instead of it being spread out amongst the hotel. At the time this was being promoted, it sounded great!...though I was a little hesitant since no con like this has ever happened before. I decided to hold back and see how it does it's first year.

The event came and went, and by all reports it was a great success. An' for next year it was to have a 80's theme, admittedly I was really contemplating on going but money was tight. Thankfully there was a very thorough livestream of the con where I could watch a lot of it happening, and as I was watching I said to myself that I would be here next year in 2015. Admittedly when I said that I wasn't 100% sure it would actually happen, but all the right things fell into place so here I am with my report on Biggest Little Fur Con 2015!

With this being a compleately new convention for me there's a lot of things to talk about, so let's get to it.

The Hotel

The Grand Sierra Resort is a big casino resort that's easy to get around in, and has a lot of things to check out. A 50-lane bowling center that's open 24 hours? Check. Mini golf, go-karts and a giant skycoaster attraction outside? Check. A outdoor and indoor virtual driving range, plus various table games like pool, ping pong shuffelboard? Check. A cinema showing movies that came out a while ago for $4? Check. A large arcade that also happens to have lazer tag, a Battlefield simulation game and freakin' bumper cars?! Check, check and check!

There's a lot to do besides gambling which is great, and with the hotel being big-but-not-too-big, it's very easy getting around to everything.

The Convention

BLFC is set up in a interesting way, instead of everything being spread out all over the hotel, everything is situated in two big rooms. You have the massive Nevada room which holds the main stage, headless lounge, all the panel rooms, video game room, table top game room, photoshoot andMarketplace. Plus on top of that there's plenty of hangout space and various things to keep one occupied like giant dice and boxes, legos, a whiteboard and also a giant Lite Brite which is friggin' awesome...and this is just the main room!

The second room is the Silver State Pavilion, which is just down the hall from the Nevada Room. This space holds the dealers den, another headless lounge and the art show. Smack dab in the middle of it all is more things to play with. A volleyball net, more giant dice, inflatable tires and tricycles big enough to easily ride on. To put size in perspective, this dealers den/zoo is bigger then Anthrocon's Main Ballroom! It's impressive to say the least.

With the way the con is set up, it's very easy finding people anywhere. Be it in either of the con spaces or along the hall they share. An' thanks to all the main elevators in the hotel being right across from the main con space, it's incredibly easy going from your room to the con and back. Even more so with the elevators being nicely seperated amongst the floors. Case in point for the con I stayed on the 5th floor, and the elevators I took serviced only the Con Space floor, the casino floor...and floors 2-7. Since it only services 6 floors with rooms in them, elevator waits are very short. It's pretty much all the same for other banks of elevators too, they only service a small number of floors with rooms so it's easy getting around.

The Theme

Normally I don't talk about a conventions theme in a report, but with the way BLFC and the con goers handled this I gotta' talk about it. I've never seen a con go so gung-ho with a theme before, the theme was "Utopia"...though technically it was a Dystopia with BLFCorp, a Big Brother type of orginization that wants us all to be happy and well, but nothing is what it seems.

The theme was clear as they truly posted a oppressive amount of propaganda posters EVERYWHERE in both con spaces, if that wasn't enough they also put up security cameras and piped in PSA announcements telling us what to do, what not to do and to hail Brometheus Bear.

Everyone I've talked with loved how the theme was carried out, and it got even better thanks to the Resistance. As with any good Dystopian movie/novel etc, there's usually a Resistance. An' there most certainly was one here, with special parties and members of the Resistance defacing many posters to try and warn people BLFCorp is not what they seem.

What made the Resistance interesting, is none of the stuff they did were by staff of the con. It was all done by con-goers, so this really was a theme that got the attendee's involved in fun ways. What made it even better was the con staff played off of them too, for after a good chunk of the posters were defaced there was a BLFCorp cleanup crew going around and amusingly trying to fix the posters. That just added to the theme even more and I've never seen a con go that far in pulling it off.

Best of all, it doesn't stop there. For with next years theme being the Resistance taking over, shortly after closing cerimonies people were posting messages of "Brometheus Lives" amongst the con space. This ain't over, and I can't wait to see what they do next year!

The Food

Adding to the convenience of things, the hotel has plenty of food options right inside. Even better, many of the places are resonably priced and not "hotel priced". There's even two places open 24 hours so you're not going to be hungry late at night and all the food options are closed. Here's a little sampling of what I had.

Yogurt Beach - Might as well start off with the first place I ate at, this frozen yogurt place is brand new at the hotel and it's a great froyo place with plenty of toppings to choose from. Myself over the con I had the salted carmel, cake batter and cookies n' cream flavors and those were all quite nice. Even better was con-goers got a discount so I essentially ate here for less then $4!

The Grand Cafe - This cafe is open 24 hours, and serves up plenty of breakfast and homestyle favorites. I had dinner here sometime after Midnight/1pm and the food of choice was one of their more popular items, the Chicken and Waffels. What I didn't realize is you get this little tower of chicken and waffels since they stack the waffels and chicken right on top of each other. (The chicken is a thin pan fried chicken which works really well.) It's pretty much several waffel wedges on the bottom, then chicken, then another wedge of waffel, then another chicken, and they top it all off with several big strips of bacon. Damn good late night food.

Port of Subs - This sub shop which started off not too far from Reno in Sparks Nevada serves up great subs with the meats and cheeses sliced fresh. Definitely good eats and I know a lot of people took advantage of it's Coke Freestyle machine, especially those Patrons and Sponsers who had the water bottle which got them free refills throughout the con.

The Cantina - Over here I was able to have a nice mexican meal for under ten bucks, I went with the pork tostada's which come three to an' order and a nice portion of rice along with it. On top of all of that, you get a nice thing of chips and a trip to the salsa bar which has plenty of options to choose from. Be it multiple kinds of salsa or Queso, they got you've covered.

Johnny Rockets - Those who've been to Further Confusion might know a thing or two about this burger joint, though I give quite the edge to this one considering it has a full menu. (The one in San Jose only has a limited menu.) I was able to try the #12 Burger, a cheeseburger which has their "Red Red" sauce which is a chili ketchup. It was a good burger which was perfect to have after the fursuit dance comp.

RIM - Rim is the hotels Pan-Asian Bistro, and I went here for my last dinner for the con. I went with the Bulgogi Beef and that was downright delicious. Got a really big portion too with Brown Rice and various things to mix in with the beef like bean sprouts, kimchi, carrots and radish etc.

This was just a sampling of what the hotel has food wise, all of it good. The only hard part is figuring out where you want to eat due to all the good options.

The Fursuit Dance Competition

As with other cons, I tried out for the Fursuit Dance Competition. This was the first time I had at least a full month to practice my routine, so I was pretty much ready once the auditions came along. I tried out for the Veteran catagory and I'll admit I still was a little nerveous since sometimes you really never know how things will turn out.

The results of the auditions were later posted and holy crap I made it in, I came pretty close to tears since all that hard work paid off and I was going to be able to perform this routine.

The dance comp came the next day and I gotta' say this one was really fun! There was a lot of great new talent as well as familiar faces pulling off new moves. As for my routine, I'd say it went off fairly well. Several friends told me how much I improved, and for me that's one of the best things to hear after all the hard work I did. Also, I ended up breaking one of my right hand claws during the performance. X3 Thankfully it was retrieved so I could get it fixed.





(Thanks to  kijani_lion and RAW Furtography for the videos!)

This was the 5th dance comp I've compeated in, and it was memorable for sure. I also gotta' give shout outs to two particular people.

First is  yonoa , who ended up winning 1st Place in the Novice catagory, I'm incredibly proud of him not only for his performance, but also due to the sheer fact he had to essentially get it down in about a week or less. I saw his audition and it blew me away, and I really hoped he would make it in. Thankfully he did, and him winning the Novice catagory is icing on the cake. Also, he helped fix the claw I broke so I'm thankful for that as well!

The second one is  its-me , who did a very emotional piece dedicated to her little sister who was diagonsed with cancer. I'm rediculously proud of her since doing that kind of performance is never easy, and I always have respect for anyone that does it. It was a beautiful performance, certainly one to be very, very proud of!

The Dances

The dances at BLFC were a lot of fun, and thanks to Smashwolf they have a pretty powerful sound system. These speakers had plenty of Bass, and once they were really set off it was impressive to say the least. This is also the only US fur con which I know does a Dance Til Dawn, and that went off succussfully once again. Major props to the A/V team and all the DJ's who spun some great tunes all weekend long!

Random Highlights and Closing Thoughts

There's a metric ton of highlights to choose from, but several which come to mind are...

- Eating a late night dinner at the Grand Cafe and literally feeling the bass from the dances on the floor and in my seat.

- Drama Llama's and Buddy's performance at the end of the dance comp, JFK that was funny as hell.

Naturally, a big highlight is always meeting back up with friends and meeting new ones.

In closing, Biggest Little Fur Con was honestly one of my favorite cons. From the hotel to the staff, it was a unique con that was a lot of fun from start to finish. I really do want to return next year and I will be really blunt that if I have to skip certain cons to return, I will. It really was that much fun!

As usual, if anyone has any pictures or videos of me I'd love for those links to be sent my way. An' finally, now that it's over I can say this was my 13th con, and you know? This really was Lucky #13.

After a nice Fall and a mostly nonexistent Winter (Seriously, up here in the Northwest we really didn't have a Winter whatsoever), Spring is in the air and in the horizon is Biggest Little Fur Con!

Arrival/Departure

I'll be arriving Thursday morning, and departing Monday afternoon.

Hotel

The Grand Sierra Resort

Stage Performance

I'll be trying out for the Dance Competition and I hope to make it in, the routine I have planned has a good amount of surprises in it.

Other Stuff

I don't smoke, but I do drink. Hugs are fine as long as you're not a creeper. Pictures and video are most certainly fine and naturally I'll be at the dances, perhaps up on stage if they allow it. Now as for fursuit go-karting, probably not since considering I can't wear my glasses while wearing my suit...driving around in a go-kart might not be the best idea. X3 However there's certainly the possibilty of riding that skycoaster, that I know I can do with no problem.

This'll be my first time to BLFC, and I'm pretty excited to say the least since this con has been on my radar since it was first promoted.

Once again another year has come and gone, and with all the ups and downs I think I can speak for a lot of people that we're looking forward to the New Year.

For me I'm thankful of the new experiences I got to have, as well as all my friends and the new ones I've made. While I only hit up two cons this year, I had a blast at both. From creating "Flashlight Con" at FC, to literally dancing my tail off at RF.

So what's comming up next year? Well con-wise it's a whole new schedule for me, and I can firmly say that I'll unfortunately be missing FC. Due to a limited budget I do have to be pick and choosy on what cons I hit up, and around this time I'm aiming for conventions I've never hit up before, or ones I haven't been to in a while.

Speaking of which, it does look like my first con of the year will be one I've never been to before! I'm really excited considering this one has been on my radar ever since it was first promoted. I won't say what it is just yet, but it's a convention in the Spring.

Until then, Happy New Year everyone!

RF 2014 has come and gone, and unlike MFF the past two years this con is my last one of the year due to budget. Beforehand I've been telling everyone this is my last con for the year, and I want to make the most of it.

Well truth be told, I honestly don't think I could've predicted how awesome this weekend turned out. :) This weekend truly ended my con season with a bang, and I couldn't be happier!

Breaking things down by day, Thursday was pretty chill with getting back in the groove of things and catching up with many people. An' Friday is where things took off and never looked back...

Torq - "DO I LOOK LIKE A FOX?!"

Friday afternoon I started my rounds of suiting as a big fuzzy animal, and it seems like I'm starting a tradition at RF where the first suit I wear is not my own. X3 Last year I was a bunny named Pachinko thanks to Yippee, and this year thanks to  GroggyFox I was able to suit as Torq this year. So who's Torq? Well he's a big sabretooth tiger with glorious legs and looks quite dashing in bright neon colors. Also, he's a grump and a dick.

Here's how I looked in Torq that Friday (Credit and Thanks to Light Wave Media for the pic!) http://tinyurl.com/kz5u9dr

Torq was the first mean character I got to play, and while he may have gotten thinner and taller thanks to me...I also made up for the size change with having Torq be quite vocal. Thanks to a bit of a change in my voice, he was definitely a rude toof'. (With varying degree's of rudeness depending on if I knew someone or not.)

It was honestly a ton of fun suiting around as Torq, I was taking and eating friend's hats, I went over to table and tried eating anything off her table. (Especially anything mice related). I was picking friends up, including some I never thought I could. An' I had some amusing sassy conversations with several people. Finally, I also got into a amusing biting fight with  Nevermint Ravenholm character which ended with us rolling on the floor. While Torq didn't win that fight, it was a great spontanious moment.

It was also great how I fooled several friends multiple times on that it was me in that suit, and I was really happy to hear how well recieved I was in the suit. Amusingly enough, some friends honestly thought this was a new suit of mine! I got a feeling I may be stomping around as this guy again in the future. ;3

The Tekfox Tail Incident

Friday night/Saturday morning I decided to finally suit up in my own suit for the 2am set  tekfox was going to play. He always put's out great set's, and I had a feeling this would be no exception. After all when you're set is from 2-3am, things are gonna' get dirty in the best way possible. I put on a new pair of undies/booty shorts I got and hit the stage.

So the set is downright banging and filthy, and I'm going hard on stage. At one point I reach back to pull my tail to the side and strangely feel nothing back there, I also suddendly realize it feels a lot lighter too. I frantically look around the stage and find my tail right there on it, along with my belt which was snapped in two.

I though this was usually a figure of speech but I literally danced my tail off. Thankfully it was just the belt that snapped and not the loop for the tail, but there was no point in trying to fix that now so I just set both to the side on the stage and continued dancing. It actually worked just fine with nothing obstructing the shorts I was wearing. At several points in the set I played with my tail in amusing ways for certain songs, and the sheer insanity of this fit with how crazy the day was. It also gave me ideas for later in the day....

Saturday - How the Hell did I function?!

So Saturday Morning and Afternoon went like this...
- Got a few hours of sleep after Tek's awesome set. Woke up and ate a few Pop Tarts.
- Got into suit and headed off to the dance comp auditions.
- Watched the Parade
- Got back in suit and performed in the dance comp.
- Finally, I had lunch/dinner.

I honestly have no clue how I was able to do that with both little sleep and food. X3

The Fursuit Dance Competition

Considering I had to miss FC's Dance Competition this year due to a derpy injury to my legs, I did everything I could to make it into this one. This was the first year RF did prelim tryouts, and I knew it wasn't going to be easy. While the prelims were like FC's and FWA's where you're trying out with the song and performance you're doing, I was still a little nerveous considering the last time I actually tried out in that format was FWA of 2013 and that ended on the depressing side for me.

Thankfully, when I did audition I was fairly happy with how it turned out. I didn't feel like I did any major screw-ups, so even if I didn't make it in it wouldn't bring me down. In fact, I had a gut feeling there was a good chance I made it in.

My gut feeling was right as I did make it in, and even crazier from what I heard there was a lot of great talent that tried out. (Around 50 tried out) It wasn't easy either since several friends I know who normally make it into dance comps didn't make it into this one. So to be one of the 20 that made it in, that's definitely a boost to the spirits.



(Thanks to  sitku for the video!)

For this performance I wanted to dance to RuPaul, and I had a lot of fun with this since I was doing a lot of things I've never done before. You'll also notice I'm not wearing a tail and I got a pair of undies/bootyshorts on. I decided to not try getting a belt to wear the tail since moves like the Death Drop at the end is a lot easier without it, that and with how the performance was it was fitting to wear the shorts. ;3

As for the rest of the Dance Comp, everyone brought their A Game and definitely brought it to the next level. Talent out of the wazoo from both returning competitiors and new ones. It's really fun looking towards the future with what everyone brought to this one. :D

(Now yes, there was a bit of drama on the ballroom getting closed off due to supposed maximum capacity and whatnot. It was definitely a bummer, but stuff like that will be addressed by and to the proper people.)

The Dances

Every year RF put's on great dances, and this year was no exception!  terkwolf definitely stepped the lighting up from last year, and it looked downright fantastic. All the DJ's did a great job as well, bringing plenty of awesome beats for everyone to dance to. Huge, HUGE props to everyone involved with the stage and dance events. An' the same goes for everyone who attended the dances, after all it wouldn't be a dance without people dancing and having fun on the dance floor.

Closing Thoughts

Overall, RF 2014 closed out my con season with a bang far bigger then I thought it would. A big thanks to all my friends who helped give plenty of great memories, it was great seeing you all, including the many that made their way over for the first time. Con-wise, see you guys and gals next year!

Oh yes, as always. If you have any pictures and videos of me, feel free to send them over. That also includes pictures of me in Torq, I was only in Torq Friday afternoon and I was wearing the black harness on the suit, so it's fairly easy to know when I was wearing him.

It's been quite a hectic Summer, and I'm happy Fall is rolling in. With RF only three weeks away, it's time to do another short meme!

Arrival/Departure

I'll be arriving Thursday, sometime in the morning or afternoon. An' I'll be leaving Monday morning/afternoon.

Hotel

The Hilton

Stage Performance

Once again I'm planning for the dance competition, and with there being preliminary tryouts I do hope to make it through to the finals. What I have planned is really fun, so I hope I'll be able to perform it in the comp for you guys.

Other Stuff

I don't smoke, but I do drink. Hugs are fine as long as you're not a creeper. Pictures and video are most certainly fine, and just like last year my fuzzy butt will be at the dances and up on stage.

This will be my last con for this year, so I'll be making the most of it. I'm eager to catch back up with all of you, and I'm also excited to see a bunch of East Coast friends who are making their way over for the first time.

While it's been a fun Summer so far, I figure I might give a little update convention-wise.

Initially I planned to do both RF and MFF this year as I've done the past two years, though unfortunately I have to say it looks like I will miss MFF this year. A couple things have come up which has thrown a wrench or two into my plans, such as the water heater to the house breaking compleately last Thursday. I'm looking at all the possible options, and it doesn't look like MFF is going to be in any of them. The options pretty much end in "I could go, but it could be a bit too tight money-wise for my liking.", or they end in "I have plenty of money, but I have no available time to go.".

Since I have both RF and a wedding in Minnesota to look forward to in September, it's best I focus on those two events. It's a bummer I have to miss MFF, but it happens. Also, it's best to take the responsible route since that can help open up fun opportunities in the future.

Next Year

So while RF looks to be my last con for this year, what's in store for next year? I can say right off the bat FC is not likely. Due to it being just a month after MFF, it'll pretty much fall under the same reasons I can't go to MFF. I'll either be a bit too tight money-wise, or I won't have the available time.

With the options I have, the cons that would be doable would be ones in April and onward. So both RF and MFF will be planned next year, and to kick things off I'm seriously looking at returning to FWA. I really enjoyed the con last year, and it looks like things will be even better with the move into the Marriott Marquis...a hotel which a lot of people have already stated it's much better then the previous. Heck, just looking at the floorplans I can tell it's way better laid out.

So a quick recap.

- I unfortunately have to miss MFF this year, but I will be attending RF.
- For next year I'm seriously looking to return to FWA, and I'm planning to return to RF and MFF.

If anything comes up, I'll be sure to let you guys know. ^^ Until then, have a good Summer!

It's a New Year, and I started things off with returning to FC...this years version of "I didn't think I was going, but I did anyway!". Seriously, at MFF I honestly thought I didn't have enough money to go, so I was telling everyone there I wasn't going. Shortly after MFF, Southwest had a sale, a friend had roomspace...so everything fell into place for my budget and ended up going.

The last time I went to FC was 2012, which was my first time for this con. I had a lot of fun, though it wasn't as high as other con experiences. A factor was the growing pains of moving into a new hotel(s), convention center etc...which I did expect. I wanted to return in 2013, but my budget didn't allow for it.

So how does this year compare to 2012? I can happily say I enjoyed this year a lot more then 2012! :D Everything ran a lot smoother and little nitpicks I had in 2012 were taken care of. Two big improvements were the Hilton and pre-reg/registration. The Hilton definitely turned things around after everything got better explained and cleared up after 2012. I noticed things were a lot friendlier, and there was some nice surprises as well such as the floor decals the hotel made on their own of the con's new logo.

As for pre-reg/registration, it was a whole lot smoother then 2012's with just having to show ID for pre-reg. I was also happy that my payment visably went through this time, in 2012 it was marked that I didn't pay. Good thing I had the reciept and transaction number otherwise that would've been a bigger mess!

Now then, the various con experiences....

The Fursuit Dance Competition

As with all other cons, I planned to audition for the fursuit dance comp. I'll admit this was the toughest to prepare for since I had a tough time trying to figure out what song (or songs) to dance to. By the time I did figure out what I wanted to dance to, I unfortunately didn't have much time to practice. I decided to skip the first audition to get back in the groove of things and also hammer down a routine to do, thankfully the second floor of the Hilton had a nice quiet spot to work in. I got routine down, and I was ready for tomorrow's audition.

But there was one big problem, my legs wern't ready. For when I woke up they were sore as hell, and I had trouble squatting, dipping and kneeling down, as well as getting back up. This threw a really nasty wrench in my plans, as the second auditions were only a few hours away and my legs were not going to heal that fast. This was just the beginning of the weekend, so I played it safe and decided not to audition for the dance comp.

I know this was a bummer for myself and a lot of people who wanted to see me perform, but I wanted to let my legs heal so I can have fun dancing for the whole con...rather then do something as intense as a dance comp and risk pulling something which would make for a really crappy weekend. I felt I made the right choice since my legs gradually healed up over the weekend and I had a lot of fun. Besides, there's always the next con, and missing a dance comp due to an' injury is not going to kill me. (Had to do it for RF in 2012 as well.)

As for the dance comp itself, I took my usual spot with the dancer family backstage and enjoyed watching it from there. It was a lot of fun and major props to all that performed! <3

The Dances

Now while I didn't perform in the dance comp, I sure as hell was at the dances going hard at my own pace so I didn't kill my legs. The dances were great, and I certainly was up on stage as much as I could be. Big kudos to and all the other DJ's for bringing the beats. I also gotta' give a shout to for running the dances and being the wrangler for how many people are safely up on stage.

I also gotta' give a shout to for giving us a crazy video game set with probably the first keytar performance I've seen from anyone. I was screaming both internally and externally for that!

Random Highlights

Someone had to do it! - While waiting for the fursuit parade, I noticed I was positioned nearby the door it would start at. Since I've never been near the front of the parade I lined up to it. While I wanted to be one of the first, they called all the horse fursuiters to the front of the line since it's the Year of the Horse. With a whole bunch of horses in front of me and me being a wolf...I had to do it. I channeled my inner spirit of  tibolf and got giddy over horses and started talking like Mickey Mouse. With Tibolf's absence of the con, I had to do it. XD

What do you get with two couples, myself, a gryphon and Pizza My Heart? - Good pizza, a comfortably cramped booth and a lot of laughs. Thanks  vahnfox and !

Psycho Donuts - Because they're awesome. <3

SUDDENLY TOBIAS! - Both and know what this experience is. XD

Butt Scootin' Boogie - It's been a while since I've rode a scooter, so I figured the best way to ride without killing myself would be riding one while sitting. Surprisingly it worked!

The Whisper Tree - So the San Jose Convention Center replaced their fountains with this neat art installation called the Whisper Tree. It plays this dreamy/spacy music and if you get under a sensor in the middle of it it'll play a quote. Nearby the tree is a little booth which you can say something that might be eventually said under the tree. It's a really cool piece that was fun to spin poi under or just hang out under with friends. One night I was there with several dancer friends and I moved my hand into the sensor and it literally said a inspiring dance-related quote. I don't think it could've gotten any better then that. <3

Derp Moment!

Act First, Think Later! - Near the end of the fursuit parade, I noticed there was a large enough gap where I could do something for the people watching. I decided to slide on my side into a pose, but what I didn't know was the suiter behind me,  bowtie was a lot closer then I thought. Also, he didn't know I did the slide until he saw my feet on the ground, which led to this moment that you can see in the background at 1:08. (Video by )



On that note, fursuit parades would be a lot more interesting with unexpected slides onto the floor! XD

An' now, one more big highlight...

FC:Unleashed! - Customer DISservice

Back in 2012, I performed in FC:Unleashed! with a skit called "Deathly Departed". It was a skit that had me working for a company where you could request how you died, the requested deaths were amusing, and it ended with me screwing up a VIP sheet...leading to the previous Pope getting a hilarious but very, very wrong death. It went over well, and I had fun doing it. An' with me returning to FC I wanted to do another skit, and raise the bar over what I did in 2012.

The skit I made is "Customer DISservice", a skit which has me doing customer service for the convention center, and losing my mind from dealing with calls from Stoners, Furries and Volleyball Mothers. The end result from having to deal with all of that? Amusingly disasterous. (Thanks to RAW Furtography for the video)



I had a lot of fun doing this skit, and this was recieved even better then Deathly Departed as "Flashlight Con" took off far more then I expected! Seriously, when the ballroom was dark as another act was being set up, people were shouting "Flashlight Con"! and waving their phones around. XD When the mention of next years theme came up, what did I hear the crowd yelling while backstage? "FLASHLIGHT CON!!!" I'm downright humbled how quickly the crowd made that a thing, you're all insane in the best way possible!

Also, I was amused by how many people said they'll bring a flashlight to next years con. An' finally, it was really great hearing from those who have worked in customer service that I pretty much said what they've always wanted to about working customer service!

Overall, I had a blast doing it and entertaining all that watched it. I also have to give a huge shout to the A/V crew since my act was the most complex out of the show due to all the sound and visual cues, it all worked well and noone died. Great success! Also, I gotta' give another huge shout to Sprout, Kai, the judges and all the fellow FC:U performers. It's definitely a big group effort to pull this off, and it was great working and performing with you all! <3

Also, here's a link to the livestream which shows off the whole event.
http://new.livestream.com/furcon/FC2014

Closing Thoughts

So in a big nutshell, that was FC 2014 for me. I had a fantastic time and got a whole lot of fun memories with friends, it was a great way to start the beginning of the New Year, and I look forward to see what the rest of the year brings! Finally, a big shout out to all my friends who make this all possible. You know who you are and it would take forever to write all of you down. <3

PS. If you have any pictures or videos of me, feel free to send them over!

It's a New Year, and I'm kicking it off with a nice surprise of returning to FC. A couple months ago I honestly thought I wasn't going to be able to attend, but all the right things fell into place so I'm glad I was proven wrong in this case!

Arrival/Departure

I'll be arriving Wednesday morning, and leaving very early morning on Tuesday.

Hotel

The Hilton

Stage Performances

As usual, I'll be trying out for the dance competition. If I do make it, it'll be very interesting since I'll be doing some things which I'd only do for this con or maybe one other. ;)

Also, I'll be doing FC: Unleashed! once again. I'll be doing another original skit, and it's a doozy with what'll happen.

Other Stuff

I don't smoke, but I do drink. Hugs are fine as long as you're not a creeper. Pictures and video are most certainly fine, and just like last year my fuzzy butt will be at the dances and possibly up on stage if they allow it.

I had to miss this con last year, so it's great to be returning. It'll also be great seeing people I don't normally see at other cons.

The Food

I had to give this a seperate little catagory, because it's no secret that I love the food here. Seriously, when I attended for the first time two years ago, I went to TEN different places...and I still didn't hit up all the places I wanted to! This year I'll be hitting up plenty of my favorite joints, as well as hitting up the places I didn't last time...as well as some brand new places which recently opened up!