Tag Archives: furcon

300 Seconds, ANIME, CONS, CREATIVE, Eduardo Soliz, Fiesta Equestria, FURRY, Furry 101, FURRY FIESTA, JUST SAYING, PANELS, Podcasting, PODCASTS, RANDOMIZER9.COM, SAN JAPAN, WORDS

300 Seconds Episode #112: “A Furry Thing Happened on the Way to the Convention”

NOTE: This is a transcript of a podcast for those with hearing difficulties, those that prefer to read, and those who would prefer to not hear the sound of my voice. 😉

Click here to listen to this episode!

You are listening to ‘300 Seconds with Eduardo Soliz,’ and this is episode number one hundred and 112, “A Furry Thing Happened on the Way to the Convention,” so let the 300 Seconds begin!

For the last eight years and change, I have been a member of the furry community.  I have gone to furry conventions, written furry stories, published furry story collections, given furry presentations, taken lots of pictures of fursuiters, and made many new furry friends.  While my furry experience has been wonderful so far, like so many things in my life, it sometimes gets a little weird.  Okay, make that weirdER…

While not my first furry convention; Furry Fiesta 2013 was significant for me, because unlike the previous year, which was my first furcon, I now had a number of friends that were also going also to be there.  Just like everything else in life, having friends around makes conventions a lot more fun.

One evening during the convention, I went with some friends to eat at a restaurant.  The food was good, the company was pleasant, and we all enjoyed a nice meal.  While waiting to receive our checks, the manager approached our table and asked us how everything was.  We let her know that we were happy with the food and service.  She noticed that some of us were wearing our convention badges, so she asked if we were in town for a convention.  We answered that yes, we were, but nobody had an answer for the obvious follow-up question:

“What kind of convention is it?”

Everybody at the table, including myself, instantly froze up.  I have never before, in my entire life, seen seven grown adults go totally deer-in-headlights.  Everybody looked back and forth at each other, expecting somebody else to say something.  Finally, after about ten seconds of awkward silence, somebody said: “It’s an ART convention!”  That answer immediately snapped everybody out of their daze and the rest of the evening went on as expected.

For what it’s worth, I came up with a five-word explanation of furry that tends to satisfy most folk’s curiosity, and those five words are: “Nerds who like cartoon animals.”

For the last few years, I have presented educational panels at various conventions in Texas including RealmsCon, Comicpalooza, Fiesta Equestria, and San Japan.  I’ve talked about publishing e-books, recording audio, and of course, furries, in a panel called Furry 101.  The point of Furry 101 is to give outsiders the low-down on what furries are all about.  In the interest of full disclosure, I do also include some of the weird stuff, but since the panel is for an all-ages audience, I can’t go too far.

A few years ago at San Japan, I was presenting Furry 101 to an audience of about two hundred people, my largest audience ever.  As I’m doing so, I’m looking over my audience, making sure that I have their attention and looking to see that I don’t have too many people walking out.  One person that stuck out was a gentleman that looked to be a bit older.  Not super-old, mind you, but in an anime convention, if you’re over 40, you’re going to stick out a little bit.  I figured he was there with his child.  Much to my delight, he looked to be engaged in the presentation, but the expression on his face became, shall we say, less happy once I got to the weird stuff.  Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t that weird, but the presentation slide that mentions adult art certainly got his attention.  I felt terrible after the fact, thinking: “Oh my God. I have totally ruined furry for his kid.  They’re going to be locked away in their home forever and never be allowed to associate with those ‘animal people weirdos’ ever again.”

Fast forward a few months. Come to my surprise, I bumped into the gentleman and his child at Furry Fiesta.  If I remember correctly, his name was Kevin.  He thanked me for the presentation, much to my relief.  I’ve spoken with a few more parents after Furry 101 since then and have even come across a few folks that have joined the fandom after attending my panel.  Granted, the panel is not supposed to be a recruiting tool, but if folks want to join the club after the fact, who am I to argue?

This has been 300 Seconds, the next episode will be posted after I insert more subliminal messages into my Furry 101 panel slides.  I am Eduardo Soliz, if you’d like to hear more 300 seconds subscribe via your favorite podcast app and check out my website at Eduardo Soliz dot com.  Thank you for listening!  Be good, take care, and God bless.

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300 Seconds, CONS, Eduardo Soliz, FURRY, Furry 101, Furry Invasion, PANELS, Podcasting, PODCASTS

300 Seconds Episode 90: “A few words before Furry Invasion 2018”

Listen to the podcast here!

I was recently a guest on Tommy Kovacs Splat from the Past podcast. Join us as we discuss our convention experiences in California and Texas.  That’s Splat from the Past, episode number 215, on YouTube. And now, on with the show…

You are listening to ‘300 Seconds with Eduardo Soliz,’ and this is episode number 90:  A few words before Furry Invasion: The Road to Furdition, so let the 300 Seconds begin!

Furry Invasion will be happening at the El Tropicano Riverwalk hotel in San Antonio this weekend, October 5-7 with badge pickup happening tomorrow night.  Because life has been getting in the way of my fun lately, I will only be at Furry Invasion Saturday and Sunday afternoon.  I’ll be presenting my Furry 101 panel on Saturday afternoon at 5PM in the Bolivar C room.  If you or someone you know would like to know more about the fandom, then come on down.

This is the second year for Furry Invasion; last year’s show was a solid first effort that had a few hiccups here and there, including a few that affected me personally, so just a heads up, this is going to get just a little bitey.

The biggest issues that I had last year were the slow registration line and the panel schedule being disorganized.  The problem with registration last year was that attendees were required to print their registration sheets at the convention which slowed down the process considerably.  At other conventions, attendees are allowed to print out their preregistrations beforehand, allowing them to be processed much more quickly.  I’m happy to report that I was allowed to print out my registration paperwork after paying, so that should make things more efficient.  While that problem appears to have been solved, a new one has been introduced by the convention’s choice to put registration in the hotel’s ballroom, which is in the back of the hotel and on the third floor.  This is going to make signage VERY important and staff should also be aware of how to get to registration so they can direct people there.

My second beef last year was with the panel scheduling; the schedule that was printed in the conbook ended up being different than the actual schedule, due to some changes being made after the original schedule was made.  This led to some confusion among attendees and presenters, including myself.  Fortunately, the Powers That Be decided to make the schedule digital this year, which means that last minute-changes can be made without fear of ending up with an outdated print schedule, so good on them.  What I’m hoping happens is that they print out each panel room’s schedule and post it outside so folks can see what is happening.

While Furry Invasion has made efforts to fix their registration and panel scheduling issues from last year, one thing that was sadly not addressed, was the weather.  Now, you may be asking yourself: What can the convention do about the weather?  Well, they can try to push the con ahead a week or two in the hopes that the weather cools down.  Cooler weather makes it easier for fursuiters to go outside and have fun, puts less strain on the venue’s air conditioning and is just nicer.  Should there be a third go-round, Furry Invasion really needs to look at pushing their date forward a week or two.

I openly admit that yes, I am harping on the convention a bit, but that’s mainly because the first two issues I mentioned were really touchy issues for me personally.  As I mentioned at the top, the first Furry Invasion went well; if the registration and panel problems weren’t there it likely would have been a great show instead of a good one.  Year two should be better since steps have been taken to address most of the issues from last year and the staff will have a year of experience under their belt to build on.

This has been 300 Seconds, the next episode will be posted after the convention.  I am Eduardo Soliz, if you’d like to hear more 300 seconds subscribe to this podcast or check out my website at Eduardo Soliz dot com for more podcasts and short stories.  Thank you for listening!

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CONS, FURRY, FURRY FIESTA, RANDOM REVIEW

66 Things I Noticed During Furry Fiesta 2016

fuzzies

#19 Taking a ‘fuzz-ie’

    1. BEFORE-Starting on this list two weeks before the con. Good Lord, do I need this vacation.
    2. The mobile scheduling website thingie works much better on my iPhone, but come on guys, no app?
    3. Even though I now have an iPhone 6, I’m debating using my iPad mini to record the fursuit parade.
    4. Note to self: Free up iPhone storage before event for ALL THE PICTURES
    5. I’ll be staying at the overflow hotel a block away this year and praying for no rain.
    6. BY MYSELF. BECAUSE REASONS.
    7. Debating getting a haircut, my bear earses look better when I have some fuzz up top, but carrying the Edfro around does get a bit warm.
    8. /looks at forecast Guess I’ll have to invest in an umbrella
    9. Got over 10,000 steps in the two days before the con 😀
    10. THURSDAY/DRIVING THERE – It says something when the tech support nerd is the ‘normal guy’ in the car.
    11. That is to say: I’m the only one that doesn’t have a fursuit
    12. Okay, so I might be just a little jealous
    13. YES MARY I HAVE THE AIR MATTRESS
    14. Missed one turn in Dallas and getting un-lost was an adventure, as well as costing me a few bucks in extra tolls >.<
    15. People are worried about the rain but the humidity is going to kick my pants
    16. Overflow hotel is nice!
    17. Forgot to bring registration email. Thank you business center!
    18. Must take pictures of all the fuzzies!
    19. PROTIP: Hold your camera horizontally to get selfies with fuzzy peoples!
    20. Hotel WiFi is dog slow, whatever happened to having an Ethernet connection in the room?
    21. I like the motivational hotel key card: REST UP AND GET BACK OUT THERE
    22. FRIDAY-Waking up at the same time you normally get up for work when you’re on vacation = BLARGH
    23. Two Waffle House trips in a row? Yes, please!
    24. Weather has been slightly uncooperative, but I’m dealing with it.
    25. WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVEN’T SEEN ZOOTOPIA YET?! *head asplodes*
    26. Did we HAVE to put the furry smut peddlers just inside the Dealers Den entrance?
    27. Seeing my cover art on paper (twice no less) made me squee!
    28. No more throwback ashtrays in the men’s room stalls. I’m just a little sad.

      lot

      #29 Uh-oh

    29. Looking at the getting-muddy annex parking on Friday afternoon made me VERY happy that I am staying in the overflow.
    30. Friends with cameras, PLEASE STAHP TAKING PICTURES OF ME!
    31. Two panels so far, one meh and one bad, no wonder they’re asking for feedback
    32. Can I give a panel on how to give panels?
    33. I probably should, especially considering how many people have been asking me ARE YOU DOING A PANEL HERE?
    34. About to go get some gel inserts because my feet are KILLING ME
    35. SATURDAY-There’s something appropriate about starting the day with a bowl of Lucky Charms
    36. Had homework to do too, the annual Furry Survey
    37. Some interesting questions this year, looking forward to seeing the results
    38. Went to voice acting panel even though my voice is shot, just couldn’t resist
    39. Voice acting presenter handed out shinies to participants! YAY SHINIES!
    40. Okay, so they were ribbons, but still! YAY RIBBONS!
    41. They don’t seem to have people monitoring the panel room entrances and checking times, are they short on volunteers?
    42. Finally got to see Furry Psychology all the way through. I will openly admit to internally squeeing when I saw the little shout-out.

      20160315_132346248_iOS

      #40 YAY RIBBONS!

    43. It seems that Twitter is becoming a preferred way for furs to communicate.  I’m @randomizer9, by the way!
    44. Two times you don’t see many fursuiters during a furcon: early in the morning and just before the fursuit parade
    45. Lucky for me the parade wasn’t longer, my iPad almost ran out of memory!
    46. Not sure if having a coffee at 10PM was a good idea, guess I’ll find out
    47. I don’t dance and I don’t drink, so there ain’t much for me to do Saturday night.
    48. Hmm, use crappy hotel WiFi to slowly upload my video, pay for ‘faster’ and hopefully not crappy WiFi, or ‘borrow’ the business center’s printer’s network cable? 😉
    49. SUNDAY-Three trips to Waffle House? Why the hell not?
    50. FYI: We don’t have Waffle House in San Antonio, hence the slight obsession.
    51. It’s kind of nice to be sitting in Artist’s Alley, I can take pictures of fursuiters as they come by 😀
    52. A wiseenheimer told me I was going to leave with one book left, and he was right. /shrug
    53. If you want to be a ‘planner’ you have to plan EVERYTHING
    54. Checking my pictures for duplicates and realizing half of them are photobombs.
    55. 620PM and the sun is still out? What order of madness is th…oh, that’s right. Daylight savings time >.<
    56. At the Scritch n B*ch, slightly disappointed at a lack of taking ownership of the issue and not presenting the obvious solution to #41
    57. That is to say: WHY DON’T YOU VOLUNTEER SMART GUY
    58. I think I will next year, there are a few gaps of time when I’m not doing much, like on Saturday night.
    59. If you feel a need to prefix your feedback by saying ‘I am not whining,’ YOU ARE WHINING

      burd

      #64 Early bird!

    60. We’ve put a non cute fursuiter into a cute fursuit…let’s see when happens
    61. What happens is he sobs: “I DON’T KNOW HOW TO BE CUTE”
    62. Didn’t have the heart to tell the gal handing out shot glasses that I don’t drink, oh well.
    63. Realized I forgot to take my Vitamin C on Sunday OH NOES CON FUNK
    64. MONDAY/AFTERWARDS – Saw one last fursuiter in the lobby Monday morning, he said he was in “power saving mode.”  I think we all were by then!
    65. Final picture count: 339 WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME IPHONE
    66. Already have my lab coat ready for “Mad Science” next year!
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CONS, FURRY, Wild Nights

49 Things I Noticed During Wild Nights 2015

Snazzy!

#18: Snazzy!

Unlike last year where I was accompanied by a cacophony of friends, Wild Nights 2015 was a solo affair.  Work and life has been a bit stressful lately so I wanted some alone time.

  1. THURSDAY-DRIVE UP-If I’m going to be away for more than two days, I always make sure the house is relatively clean.
  2. Rain in the forecast, oh boy.
  3. Left my university ring at home and my right hand feels naked.
  4. Going to try to save my recyclables this trip, see how that goes.
  5. I think a place called Slovacek’s (in West) has nearly duplicated Buc-ees.
  6. The new Buc-ees north of Temple is now open though, so it seems redundant.
  7. Just north of Dallas, I got passed up by a truck from “Hakuna Matata Plumbing.” Huh?
  8. Took only 360 miles to get to the Texas border from San Antonio…sheesh.
  9. Saw a restaurant advertising Tex-Mex…in Oklahoma?  Get a rope.
  10. Sign on highway: “Do not follow construction vehicles” THIS IS A PROBLEM?
  11. Took a short cut in Oklahoma because it looked good on the map.  HOLY CATS NEVER AGAIN. The last time I was on a road that scary I was in Mexico.
  12. Got delayed because of an accident on that back road, hope everyone ended up okay 😦
  13. Thing I forgot: small tripod-stool thing for sitting in my tent.
  14. I semi-jokingly refer to it as ‘The Nutbuster’ so perhaps it was just as well.
  15. FRIDAY Going to have to unlearn reaching for my phone because of no signal.
  16. That is, except for updating this list. 🙂
  17. Attended a crafting panel and made a pouch with more than a little help from the presenter. YAY I SORT OF MADE A THING!
  18. At the same panel the hyena plush above got a full wardrobe!
  19. Armbands that say ‘Staff’ Interesting.
  20. Constant showers during the day were annoying but not much else.
  21. I thought about buying a flashlight that clips to a ball cap but didn’t. I wish I had now, because it would be great for reading and writing at night.
  22. I keep looking at my phone to check the time, need to invest in a cheap watch.
  23. FRIDAY-There’s just something about starting the day with a nice hot chocolate, glad I bought my mini-stove.
  24. Feeling a little stuffy, whatever crap they have here (as opposed to the crap we have in Texas) must be affecting me.
  25. Saw a guy in the mess hall playing Fallout 3 on a laptop. Really, dude?
  26. Someone said “wolf spider” and I got the oddest mental image…stupid hybrids.
  27. I need to write a story with a wolf spider in it now.
  28. Saw an angel dragon, guess they’re required at every furcon.
  29. Wrote a scene in that wolf-spider story where someone is eating popcorn and now I want some.
  30. Doesn’t help that the character eating popcorn is based on myself
  31. SATURDAY-Obligatory job-related item: My legs should not be this sore, I need a new job where I’m on my feet more.
  32. I think I’ve finally cured myself of my ‘reaching for the phone’ reflex.
  33. Took a hike to the cave area and got lost again. Note to self for next year: Start on the right side.
  34. After the grey wet Friday, the weather today is beautiful.
  35. Maybe too beautiful, it got pretty warm in the afternoon.
  36. There needs to be a DON’T MESS WITH THE FIRE sign by the campfire, saw a few people admonished for tampering.
  37. A saxophonist performed in the Furry Drama Show, had to resist the urge to ask if he knew Yakety Sax.
  38. Forgot my new car insurance card, hope I don’t get pulled over on the drive home.
  39. A fellow attendee complained about his three hour drive. Try seven, pal.
  40. Broke a tent pole with my head. D’OH!
  41. Once again some of the local yokels infiltrated the camp and started some shenanigans. Oy.
  42. SUNDAY-DRIVE HOME Vehicle hesitated to start in the morning, might be time for a new battery.
  43. Most clever small town business name: ‘Carey-out’ for a restaurant.
  44. Concrete barriers in the middle of the highway for construction means a lot of dead critters 😦
  45. Took off my Green Lantern ring before entering the casino. Gotta set a good example, you know
  46. Noticed some interesting slot machines: KISS, ZZ Top, House of the Dead, Shinobi.
  47. Note to self: If you’re in an unfamiliar area and you see cheap gas, STOP AND GET THE CHEAP GAS.
  48. Some gas stations in OK charge extra for gas without ethanol…oh-kaay.
  49. Was delighted to finally photograph the ‘FUDGE CHEESE BUTTER’ sign that entertained WolfBoy and I so much since last Wild Nights 😀

    Oh, you wacky Amish

    #49: Oh, you wacky Amish

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FURRY, Oklacon, RANDOM STOPS, TECH, WHATS GOING ON, Wild Nights

34 Things I Noticed During Wild Nights 2014

robinhood

Robin Hood!

I spent the weekend at Oklahoma’s other outdoor furry convention, Wild Nights, and as is always the case, I noticed a few things…

  1. After two false starts trying to go to this convention, itlooks like the third time’s a charm!
  2. Introduced my co-pilot to slot machines at a gas station casino; many apologies in advance if he becomes a gambling addict!
  3. Cell service is zip at the park, luckily I saved the camp maps to my tablet.
  4. At first, I listened in horror as the only FM stations my radio picked up played country music and then luckily stumbled upon a classic rock station…whew
  5. Looks like they got off to a late start with dinner, I hope everyone had a big lunch.
  6. The park is awesome, and even has real trees!
  7. Feels odd to not be wearing my rings, I keep reaching to take them off before I walk to the restroom…TMI, maybe?
  8. Old tech is better #1: LED lights have come a long way, but I’ll take my trusty 2-mantle Coleman lantern for lighting up camp any day.
  9. I thought I was going to be attached to my backpack for the weekend but I surprisingly did okay without it.
  10. Thing I forgot: a handkerchief, its driving me nuts because I keep reaching for it when I cough, but it isn’t there!
  11. Last year, I wrote a story at Oklacon about my own withdrawal from the Internet.  This year, I may scribe a similar story about a friend descending into madness.
  12. The blooping noise the tap makes when getting water is the COOLEST THING EVAR.
  13. I didn’t go to the hat-making panel and spent the rest of the con wishing that I had one!
  14. Idea: Glow in the dark zippers for tents.
  15. Temps were in the fifties outside on Thursday night, WHY were the a/c units on at the cabins?
  16. Robber’s Cave State Park took a little looking for, didn’t help that I took the scenic route.  Stupid Apple Maps
  17. The cave itself took some hunting to find, too, but then again, we went off the beaten path.
  18. Apparently the NOAA weather computer saying ‘shitstorm’ on the radio is the funniest thing ever.
  19. Crepes for breakfast, potato soup for lunch; seems like someone in the kitchen knows what they’re doing!
  20. Didn’t bring the car key for passenger, came to regret it after being asked ‘is it locked?’ every hour or so.
  21. We got caught by the grocery stores in the nearby town being closed early twice, once at 9 and then at 8. I wanted to ask if dancing was also forbidden and that’s because I’m from a small town in Texas.
  22. Nothing like hearing a gust of wind come from the trees then seeing a cloud of pollen descend. Crap.
  23. Scheduling seems to be an issue for Wild Nights, and registration also took a little while. Don’t forget to bring some patience along!
  24. Comparing the two OK outdoor cons: Wild Nights has the better venue, but Oklacon seems to be better organized. Balance of the universe and all that.
  25. Also: At Oklacon, I took home red dirt in the Excelsior as a souvenir. This time, it’s POLLEN. POLLEN EVERYWHERE. *cough cough*
  26. Saturday afternoon turned into siesta time at the con, there was very little going on. Works for me.
  27. Wore my bear ears into town for no good reason. Oh yeah, because I felt like it. That’s a good reason.
  28. Had my first s’more ever, yum!
  29. Once the weather forecast started mentioning thunderstorms, hail, and tornadoes, it quickly lost its comedy value.
  30. Old tech is better #2: While most smartphones were useless, my radio worked just fine.
  31. There appeared to be an exodus of people Saturday as word got around about the impending weather. We hung around, but put everything away just in case we had to make a quick exit.
  32. I don’t think I have ever slept in a top bunk, and after spending a restless night in one, I still haven’t.
  33. This felt more like a camping trip at a furry convention than a convention that involved camping.
  34. Drove into some hail after leaving the event, apparently we just missed the bad weather.  There but for the grace of God we go.
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BUSINESS, CONS, CREATIVE, FURRY, JUST SAYING, Oklacon, RANDOMIZER9.COM, WORDS

Faith In Humanity -1

It would appear that I may have been ripped off again by an artist at Oklacon this year.  😦  Last year I paid for a commission that I never received, and this year I ordered a print that has not yet arrived in the mail even though the seller said they would be sent out ‘as soon as we get home.’  I am holding out hope that it will appear in my mailbox any day now, but my optimism is fading  now that its 2-1/2 weeks after the fact.

Part of it is my fault, I suppose: I’m often told that I have too much faith in people, and I don’t deny that’s probably true.  I like to think that most people are honest, particularly if they are conducting business,  so I didn’t bother getting the names of the folks involved.  After all, they have my contact information and they can let me know if something comes up.  Unfortunately, that also leaves me no recourse should the seller fail to deliver. (ba-doom tish)  I hold out hope that the sellers weren’t being dishonest: maybe life got in the way, or they lost my address or USPS lost the package or their computer crashed or house burned down or something else happened to explain why I didn’t receive that which I paid for.

Like I said, too much faith in humanity.

It sucks that some less-than-honest (or perhaps incompetent) characters that were in the Dealer’s Den have to cast a cloud on what was otherwise an fun time.  I plan to going back to Oklacon next year, but I’ll be holding onto my cash a little more tightly.

Naturally, the optimist in me still expects to find that print in the mailbox tomorrow, but he’ll eventually give up after another week…maybe.

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Books, BUSINESS, CAMPING, CONS, COOKING, CREATIVE, FOOD, FURRY, JUST SAYING, Oklacon, RANDOM STOPS, RANDOMIZER9.COM, TECH, WHATS GOING ON, WORDS, Writing

51 Things I Noticed at Oklacon 11

oklaconlogoThis year marked my second Oklacon, and I did a much better job of keeping up my usual list despite, or maybe because I kept it on old-fashioned paper!

  1. Fursuit parts are apparently very good for keeping yourself warm.
  2. This is a great con for attention whores: Just yell or talk very loudly and EVERYONE on the campsite can hear you.
  3. Anyone playing the guitar at 7AM should be shot or at least kicked in the nards.
  4. I’m thinking that its about time to retire my old Sears Hillary tent. 😦
  5. I was happy I could get a signal on my Verizon iPad in nearby Watonga, OK, but then I got to the campsite annnd its gone!
  6. Even instant cappuccino tastes great when you’ve been sleeping in 30-degree weather.
  7. I’m not sure which is bothering me more: not wearing my university ring or not having a comb in my pocket.
  8. Someday Dr. Nuka will tire of my ‘What’s up Doc?’ greeting and get all sciencey on my tail.
  9. Somehow ‘All My Exes Live In Texas’ got stuck in my head.
  10. They should probably make sure the participants are able to play volleyball out of suit first.
  11. Plastic hammer + heavy metal stakes = FAIL
  12. I was a bit overdue for a shave on Thursday but the cold is keeping me from doing so.
  13. Good idea: Putting QR codes on my dealer’s table sign. Almost Good Idea: Putting QR codes on my dealer’s table sign at a con where cell reception sucks.
  14. Maybe its just me, other folks seem to be doing just fine. Just what I need: another reason to dump Sprint.
  15. I learned today that Canada apparently has its own version of Texas called Alberta. The thought that each country in the world may have its own ‘Texas’ might explain a lot…and fills me with fear.
  16. One of the researchers was having problems with her camera and was getting frustrated, I had to quip: “This is the part where they usually call me at work.”
  17. Even though I’m not at work, my tail was still dragging at about 4PM…should have had that second cup of coffee!
  18. The collective rolling of eyes could almost be heard whenever someone insisted they were the only one in the furry fandom whose fursona was an X.
  19. Best money I’ve spent recently: $15 for a small stool for sitting in the tent; its a little snug in the forbidden zone, but otherwise worked well.
  20. Its funny how the lack of data turned my smartphone into a glorified watch…and a phone.
  21. I only posted once to social media all weekend and haven’t missed it. It feels good to be talking to people that are actually sane.
  22. The rain snuck up on us Friday night but surprisingly nothing got into the tent…there but for the grace of God go I.
  23. Unlike last year, the bathrooms were kept up and I even contributed by plunging a few times and even fixing a toilet, nice to put that homeowner skill to use.
  24. I should have been annoyed by Reville being played at 9am, but instead I found it amusing…because I was already awake.
  25. My writing panel went well, four people showed up!
  26. Hot dogs? At a furry con? Say it ain’t so!
  27. My laptop is a battery…a big, frakking, heavy battery.
  28. The zipper on my tent was misbehaving and the first thing that came to mind was ‘MY KINGDOM FOR SOME DUCT TAPE!’
  29. Things I forgot to bring: wet naps, duct tape, mayonnaise and once again, a roll of toilet paper.
  30. I could only not shave for so long, Saturday night the face fuzz was gone.
  31. I might need to switch to Mountain Dew from coffee, the Dew seemed to keep Nuka going.
  32. He graciously gave me one of his, and I gave him some of my cough drops, balance of the universe and all that.
  33. Yeah, it was great to hear my dealer-neighbors bicker back and forth like an old married couple…which they probably were.
  34. Furries apparently really hate sports, which is yet another way I stick out in that club in addition to being straight and over 30.
  35. From the ‘clever idea’ department: Previous year’s con shirts: $12 for 1 or $10 for 2
  36. Hearing the rules for ‘Predator and Prey’ made me think of ‘Calvinball.’
  37. When in Rome: I got mustard on my camera’s strap during lunch and my first instinct was to try to suck/gnaw it off.
  38. Part of me want to either stay in a tent alone or get an A-frame bunk next year…hmm.
  39. f I had known coffee cups/mugs were going to be sold at the auction I would have been there in a shot.
  40. I wonder what the organizer thought when I gave him my tax form that said “Sales: $4”
  41. A guy nearby needed help tearing down his ‘insta-tent.’ I knew there was a reason I didn’t like those things.
  42. Well, that and they cost twice as frakking much.
  43. Very thankful to have a second person in the car on the drive home, I probably would have had to stop for sleep otherwise.
  44. Saw so many Braum’s burger/ice cream/grocery joints on the drive up/back that we had to stop at one on the way home. Quite good!  Still haven’t been to Waffle House.
  45. Put over 1,100 miles on the Excelsior the whole trip and used up just over two and a half tankfuls of gas.
  46. Flying J has REALLY good coffee.  That, or drinking instant coffee at work for so long has ruined my taste buds.
  47. We encountered absolutely zero traffic problems on I-35 from Oklahoma City all the way down UNTIL we hit San Antonio and spent 25 frakking minutes going the last 5 miles home…REALLY, SAN ANTONIO?
  48. Good Idea: Empty fridge beforehand so no food goes bad during the drip. Problem: No food in fridge to eat upon return.
  49. While I only sold 2 storybooks during the weekend, it was still 2 more than I sold during Furry Fiesta. *shrug*
  50. Thank you, Sharon.
  51. I can’t wait to do it again!
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CAMPING, CONS, FURRY, JUST SAYING, Oklacon, RANDOM STOPS, RANDOMIZER9.COM, WORDS

20 Things I Noticed While Driving to Oklacon

Smiles?  What? Oh, its FIVE MILES, derp

My trip to Oklacon 2012 is now over and I had a fun time.  Due to a lack of access to the tubes while I was there, everything is going up late, so ‘bear’ with me as I get caught up. 🙂

  1. I have to start off with the oddball store names I saw on US 281: “Aristacats,” “City Drug,” “Mr. Cut Rate,” “Stop-n-fetchum,” and “Feedlot Restaurant.” Best one? “Scooter’s Adult Bookstore.”
  2. If you are in a small town, isn’t it presumptuous to call yourself a National Bank?
  3. Taking the scenic route was a good idea, lots of beautiful country to see.
  4. “Mountaintop Land Bargains” – not sure if company name or actually selling land on mountain tops.
  5. If the speed limit sign outside of a town has a red border around it, it means they ain’t fooling around!
  6. Best thing ever: “Pie happy hour”
  7. I was so happy to finally see a “Speed Limit 75MPH” sign.
  8. I think my heart skipped a beat when I first realized my cell phone signal was gone and it wasn’t coming back for 3 days.
  9. Passed by a store called “The Store.” And I thought the HEB marketing department was lazy.
  10. I’ve seen town names on water towers, but a silo?  I guess you have to work with what you have.
  11. Stuck behind a slow pickup after about two hours, surprised it took that long.
  12. A restaurant named “Hamburger Hill?” REALLY?
  13. I saw a bunch of classic cars pass by at a stop light in a small town.  It must have been Homecoming Night.
  14. Cutting horses?  Its a cry for help, methinks.
  15. Dear Dairy Queen, please make all of your restaurants like the nice one south of Mineral Wells. Thanks.
  16. “Keep Mineral Wells crazy?” Maybe they should have a furcon. NOTE: The next few are after I entered OK.
  17. “Bridge ices before road?” Thanks for the science lesson, roadsign.
  18. A lot of casinos here, hmm.
  19. Dafuq are ‘jake brakes’ and ‘engine brake?’
  20. When I first saw a 25MPH speed limit in a little town, I expected to see a horse-drawn buggy somewhere. I never did so I concluded that they were just being jerks.
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