chanur2000

Life in the....ACK!!!!

2008-11-10T22:16:45Z

Well now more medical procedures for the resident Hani.

Went through a Stress Test last week, after I'd had some minor chest pains. Basicly what they do is take a reading of your heart and EKG while resting and then have you run on a treadmill after injecting you with something that comes from the "Nuclear Medicine" department, and then stick you in what looks like an oversize clothes dryer for 30 minutes.

Now, is it just me, or am I alone in thinking that the words nuclear and medicine don't belong next to each other in the same sentence? "Oh, we're going to inject you with this Radioactive dye, so we can get a better look at the reaction when we wave what looks like an oversize Geiger counter over your midsection"

Needless to say I was not impressed. Turns out the total bill for this whole thing was $3600 for basically a chest shaving and a 10 minute run on a treadmill.

And then the results came back.

I have a blockage in my heart.

Oh, not a huge one. And they aren't even calling it a full blockage.... just an "area of reduced blood flow."

Sounds like a George Bush press release.

So next week Monday I get to go to Madison and undergo a Cardiac catheterization. Basically, they're going to run a tube from the vein in my leg and inject more dye into my heart, and if necessary, insert a stent. It's either going to be 3 hours if they find nothing, overnight if they have to insert the stent, of forever if i grop dead on the operating table.

Thank God the problem wasn't my brain or they'd probably have to in through my asshole.

Wish me luck.
(scared shitless)

Chanur.

warning guys this is an emo post.....

2008-09-30T04:27:24Z

Gods I hate that phrase. Emo. It get applied to damn near every post by someone who needs some emotional help. Have we ever stopped to think that perhaps some attention is what this person needs before they go off and do something stupid? Like it or not folks, for some of us, the Internet may be one of the few connections that a person may have with other people.

It just seems like I'm the one expected to keep it all together. When there's a problem, or someone needs to be bailed out, go to Chanur. Trouble is, I don't have that capability anymore. When you're hurting so bad, and feeling so alone that you're ready to take in anyone, anywhere, just so there's someone else that needs you, so that you feel worth something, things aren't going well.

I've been feeling very alone for the past couple of weeks and have no real idea of how to break this before I go and do something stupid. I no longer feel involved in my own life, I'm just getting up and going to work and functioning simply out of habit. It seems like there's just no reason or happiness where I am anymore. I know what clinical depression is and know I suffer from a low grade case of it, having the low feelings and wishing it would end, but having the same apathy when it comes to a suicide attempt, that I'd be laughed and and ridiculed either way.

I'll admit, I'm sitting here at this computer and staring at the monitor wondering just what it would be like if I wasn't here. I'm also smart enough to realize that the world would little note, nor long remember, my existence. So yeah, suicide is out. I have some pride, and what was left of it would go if I just became the next internet laughingstock.

Somehow though, that makes it worse. When even suicide isn't even a way out, it leaves me to wonder just what purpose we serve here. I was brought up Roman Catholic, which teaches that suicide is an unforgivable sin, that to commit suicide is to deny God's will. Well, what if it WAS God's will for you to commit suicide? I'm not saying that God is wrong, just what if what we've been taught is wrong? If God is indeed omnipotent and omnipresent wouldn't He KNOW that you're going to commit suicide? If so, wouldn't this then be part of his "Grand Design"? What if you were actually going against God's will by trying to put your life together again?

Just a thought.

Chanur.

as if I didn't have enough already....

2007-10-11T11:14:06Z

The hani here again, and I have news.

For those of you that know me, I deal in a casino for a living, and now have finally been accepted for Craps training. For those of you that don't know what this game is, it's where a bunch of people stand around a table, throw a pair of dice, and then scream at the dealers when we take the money.

I can't wait.

The trouble is, the training runs from the 22nd of October through November 16th. Yep, the first day of Midwest Fur Fest. Now here's the rub, I've been told I can't have the Friday and Saturday of the convention off. But that's because all the spaces for days off for the main floor dealers are full. But if I'm in training, I'm not on the main floor. AND the trainer has informed me that I can take the last day of training off PROVIDED I can pass my Craps audition.

Christ.

Jesus H. Christ.

Jesus H. Jumping Jack Twiddlewinks Christ.

There's nothing like pressure now is there? As if trying to learn the toughest game on the floor wasn't tough enough now I CAN'T fail this otherwise I end up disappointing a lot of people, two of which are my roommates. In fact, if the Wolf doesn't go to the con, something might happen to me in the middle of the night that I won't enjoy.

Life sucks people. Get used to it I suppose.

Next week, week One of training. I'm sure I'll have some great stories.

Chanur.

well well wel.....

2007-10-02T10:12:54Z

I know it's been a while boys and girls, but I don't tend to blather in these things unless I actually have something to say.

Until now.

I'm going to try something new here, in an effort to develop my comic abilities, and that's to start a weekly post here, of my take on the events of the past week.

So here goes.

What the #$@%%!!!! is going on in Madison?

That's right all you Madtown furs, I hold you personally responsible for the mess our state government is in. For the last THREE, that's right I said THREE MONTHS we can't get the state budget passed. For the Christ's sake, you should be out there holding up signs in fursuit, marching around the capitol, yelling for all to see just how crazy our legislators are. Compared to the circus going on inside those walls, the circus of twenty or so fursuiters marching around the building would be sane in comparison. For once I agree with Doyle, that perhaps our state government SHOULD shut down if we can't figure out how much money should go to roads, schools, health care and how much should go to the Lodi National Cheese Museum.

In other furry news, the Anthrocon Board of Directors are weighing over an issue that has come to light in the past year. The issue is that people are making reservations for hotel space and then canceling the day before the convention, leaving HUGE numbers of empty rooms. Come on people, you make a reservation, you HONOR it. Now, I understand that sometimes things come up, but somehow I have a hard time believing that one hundred Great Aunt Matildas DIED two days before the convention. What is there, some old person's virus sweeping though the country popping out of prune juice and Viagra bottles? Did Al-Qaeda bomb a freaking bingo hall somewhere? Get on the ball people, we have enough trouble getting hotel rooms in the con hotel as it is, you KNOW if you're not going, so cancel the reservation THIRTY days in advance so the rest of us have a shot ok?

I received a first aid kit in the mail today. Apparently, paying your car insurance on time entitles me to a few benefits. Not the ones I'd actually like, perhaps lower payments, but you get the drift. So I open this thing and its got some of the standard items in there, gauze, medical tape, band-aids, etc. Then I come to some of the more exotic items in there. Like a butterfly bandage. Jesus H. Christ, the last time I saw one of those things was back in the boy scouts. And I didn't know how to use one of them then either. A splint. A freaking splint in an Automobile emergency first aid kit. That's for when you get into an accident and the airbag blows so suddenly that is sprains your wrist, right? I'd like to think that in the event of that happening there's going to be someone a bit more qualified then myself to help bandage up the dead and dying. Instructions on how to preform the Heimlich maneuver. That's helpful, while someone is dying in front of me here I am wishing I'd taken that speed reading course from Franklin Wood.

And then MY personal favorite: two highway flares packed in the same compartment as a can of emergency tire sealer and inflater. One can of a highly flammable substance packed directly next to two items designed to create flames. If that wasn't bad enough, the instructions on the flares themselves appears to be written in Mandarin or something. All I can make out are some pictures of Mr. Danger Stick Figure Guy doing something horribly bad to himself on some desert road while reaching for the flat tire inflater.

At least something good came of it though. I used the two aspirin that came with the kit to kill the headache it had given me.

More next week.

Chanur.

anthrocon trip report: day one... the drive.....

2007-08-01T10:43:19Z

Well now it's about time that I started this thing off with the drive.

Day One, Quit the part time job and drive out to Pittsburgh all in one 24 hour period.

Like I said in the header, it was just one of those days. After being told that I was the only person working the bowling center on the freaking 4th of July, I made the decison that perhaps this was not the right job for me. After all, it's tough enough doing a 40 hour a week job in the hospitality industry when you DO have the right support, much less when the boss is looking to cut costs in the middle of the busy season.

Long story short, i quit the job and went right home to pack. Which my roommates were ready to go with 20 minutes before I got there. Always a good idea to pack everything while you're rushed right?

Among other things i was brining out there this year was a brand new pair of contact lenses. I figured this was a great idea, now at least I can see out of the fursuit head, right?

That was before I realized that the way to put in contact lenses is to POKE YOUR FREAKING EYE OUT.

Life has it's little ups and downs. Or in my case its OW OW OW JESUS THAT HURTS! Then when you DO get the damn thing in you can't rub your eye, even though it's burning so bad poking your eye out is approaching the realm of a GOOD idea. I'm considering driving INTO the bridge abutment just to relieve the pain. If I'm burning to death in the wreckage of a Scion b it's likely to take my attention off of any eye pain I might be having. Or, most likely, be saved by the airbags, stumble out of the wreckage, stager onto the highway, blinded by my new contacts, and get run over by an 18 wheeler.

So, we depart, with a minor stop at the oasis to refuel, and pick up Steel and Roxis from down at their place. Also on the way out we're stopping in Akron to pick up Swan. After all, how hard can that be? According to Mapquest, he's just a little out of the way.

Rule Number One: NEVER TRUST MAPQUEST.

After braving the Chicago expressways and the nightmare of construction on the Dan Ryan, we make our second fueling stop in western Ohio. Which was a good thing seeing the price of gas in Indiana for some reason kept going up the further east we got, toping out at $3.39 a gallon at the last oasis before the Indiana/Ohio state line. We regrouped there with Leadfoot fox...errr Ian Kitsune leading in the first car, me and the rest of the dells furry gang in the second, and the Mouse and Raccoon bringing up the rear. The all night McDonald's there was a nice touch with me just getting a large diet coke and (against my better judgment)a "stay awake" package from the Leopard containing (or so it claimed) an "All natural blend of ginseng and other herbal extracts formulated to assist in metal activities."

Ahem.

Ever seen a completely wired hani driving? I suppose adding 64 oz of caffeinated soda to the mix was not the brightest of ideas I've ever had. Though we did get through to Akron rather quickly, only missing one exit, and then discovering that the batteries in the radio chose that particular moment to go dead.

Ever seen a completely wired and now panicked hani driving? Any more fun and my new car would have had a sunroof. And what's the first thing that goes when a new driver gets worried and wired and panicked? Yep, my ability to drive a stickshift.

I manage to limp into a Walgreen's parking lot there and let the steam vent from my head. So far this trip had been going well as I look for something to break while the others go into the store to grab more batteries. And on pulling out, oh joy of joys, we get to test another one of my driving abilities in a new stickshift vehicle, the traffic circle.

Add to the fact that Mapquest routed us through the middle of downtown Akron to Swan's place it was a miracle we got out of there alive. And a miracle I didn't kill one of my riders by just pulling over the car and strangling someone at random just to release stress.

We get to Swan's place and i get the wonderful activity of not only parking on a hill in his driveway, but also starting from a dead stop after shifting out of reverse AND in traffic on a hill.

Amtrack food has never looked so good.

We arrive in Pennsylvania just in time to start coming down the minor mountains in Pittsburgh in the middle of a driving rainstorm. My wipers are going full blast and still not keeping up with the water coursing down my windshield. All the while the wolf in my back seat is complaining that could I change the track on the stereo because he's bored with the songs. In the middle of this downpour, I suddenly notice the sign above my lane now says "New York City Via Turnpike" and the lane next to me reads "Pittsburgh And Points South."

Ahhh,....shit.. SWERVE!!!!

"Chanur, turn on the Ipod!"

Sure, right after I'm finished making sure we're not going to DIE.

We arrive at the Westin, I park the car and go looking for the liquor store 2 and Grandma Kage were hanging out in.

More later,

Chanur.

Back from the dead......

2007-07-19T03:12:26Z

Well now i suppose it's overdue that I said something in this thing.

Anthrocon was interesting to say the least. For the fist time I decided to DRIVE the distance from Chez Hani. I'm going to list this one under the heading of, "Well, it seamed like a good idea at the time." As those of you remember from my post of three months ago, I'm driving a brand new Scion xB. Nice car now that I've stopped grinding the gears in the manual transmission. But i have noticed that even with very good gas mileage the thing has the aerodynamics of a brick.

Moths come from miles around to die on the windshield of this thing. Driving it is like watching the big view screen on "Star Trek" only the stars go SPLAT right in the middle of your vision. I've gone through 3 gallons of windshield wash since I bought it. I spent 20 minutes today scrubbing bug residue off my bumpers and the backs of my mirrors. I have bats circling this thing when I get home just to eat what's left of what I've driven through.

The trip out to AC was alright other then the fact that I've given Ian a new Fursona. I'm calling him "Leadfoot Fox" from now on considering he was no more then a dot on the horizon for most of the trip out there. I'd like to think that in my advanced years I'd know something about driving but I can honestly say I've never done zero to LIGHT FREAKING SPEED quite like the way the Kitsune does. I'm trying to keep Steel in my rear view mirror while still keeping in radio communication with the fox and Tony in the car ahead of me.

And in other news, I've had a couch surfer arrive and depart, and have picked up a new roommate. The wolf's mate, Ash, moved in with us after an unexpected event down in Janesville. Namely, Ash's old roommate died. I found out that Ash was moving up here from Ash's own Livejournal entry.

Hmmmm.

This is news......

Having said this of course he's welcome up here and has settled in nicely. Next time though a little warning would be nice, cause after all I live here too...and...er....

(Remembers how I sprung Ian and Kalahari on the wolf when they needed a place to stay.)

Um.... alright then. Moving on....

Sadly enough I've also taken on another new interest.

Golf.

For those of you that know me and my temperament, you're no doubt wondering if I'm TRYING to give myself a heart attack by age 35. After all, I'm wondering myself if it would just be cheaper to set fire to a stack of $5 bills. I'm going through golf balls like meatballs. My divots fly further then half of my drives. The wolf and fox spend more time laughing at my whiffs then they do playing. When in the course of 18 holes you manage to hit the golf cart not once, but TWICE, AND nail a yardage and hole marker square in the face, you know it's going to be a tough round. The two things said the most after I actually DO hit a golf ball are, "Look out!" and "Where the hell is THAT one going?".

I might have to take up an easier hobby. Like Bomb defusing.

I'll update sooner then last time I promise. After all I'm hosting the Furry BBQ after Noah's Ark on August 4th again this year. And if 30+ sunburned furs gathered around a faming grill doesn't create a few stories for this thing I'll eat my con badge.

Chanur.

Just how many gears came with this thing anyway?????

2007-04-02T23:54:22Z

So.

I went out and bought myself a new car. As much as I'd liked the Sentra, it was time. Like before I had to replace the engine or the transmission.

And I got lucky enough to find what i wanted, a 2006 Scion b with only 6800 miles on it. It was a dealer's demo car. Trouble is, it's a standard.

Well.... this can't be TOO hard, right? After all plenty of people I consider mental morons can drive stick, right?

We went to pick it up last Friday with Ian coming along so we could at least get it out of the dealer's lot. After all, we didn't want me to pull out, pop the clutch, stall out and be flattened by a 18 wheeler on Highway 12, right?

Just because you have brand new insurance doesn't mean you have to use it, Hani.

Needless to say it's been an interesting week, I've lost a little weight because I don't dare go through the drive through at the local McDonalds. They call it a drive through, not a stall through.

I now live in fear of traffic lights.

On top of hills.

With left turn lanes.

Not that THAT isn't an adventure in itself. It's amazing just how much room the guy in back of you will give after watching you stall out three times trying to make that left turn on the top of the hill.

Enough interior room though. I swear, the windshield on it reminds me of driving a bus. Flat and wide.

Then again that describes the entire car. Psycho claims I should get a special license plate.

"CAT BOX"

Remind me to kill him later.

So..... who's up for a road trip now that I can trust my car more then 500 miles from home?

Chanur.

God Help us all.......

2007-03-24T22:00:16Z

I GOT MY SCION! THE Xb!

Trouble is, it's a stick shift.

Stay tuned for all the details.

That is all.

Random crap happening to a random feline.....

2007-02-07T21:28:10Z

Damn it's cold out there. As I sit in my computer chair I'm watching ice build up on the INSIDE of my living room window.

My roommate's car won't start cause the gas froze in the freaking lines.

The penguin living in my freezer is now DDRing on my front lawn. (Go Mumble!)

So let's see what's been going on around here: I drove down to Bearland to pick up my cobalt Flux dance pads, they work well once I get used to the idea that I can no longer cheat by just dragging my paw across the sensor to trigger it. I may have to start moving my feet to play.

Got my hotel reservation in for Anthrocon of course, we're going to drive out in my new Scion B and staying Thursday through Tuesday. (A lesson learned after trying to wake myself and roommates up after the Dead Dog parties at MFF this year. Noon is WAY too early to have to get up the day after one of those.)

Work has been the usual ups and downs, though i think it's gotten abit better sense the Christmas holidays. Less stress, more time to sleep and the Hani isn't nearly as grouchy with the Noob player in seat 3 that's never been in a casino before in his life. The Fox that I helped get a job there seems to be fitting in really well in spite of the fact that he's set off every set of Gaydar in a 20 mile radius. (Grin)

As far as really funny and or painful adventures in the upcoming weeks I'm considering going Skiing and/or snowtubing. In any case I'm sure there will be a funny story upcoming. I mean, the emergency room hasn't seen me in like 6 months, I'm pretty sure they miss me.

Or...... I could take up that invite to go paintball.

(Imagines the words coming out of my mouth the first time I get shot in the ass.)

Or maybe not.

Chanur.

random rant at television...

2007-01-10T15:47:47Z

Okay... just what the heck is up with the new Sesame Street?

I made the mistake the other day of flipping through the channels here on local cable. Discovered the local PBS outlet and saw Big Bird on the screen for a few seconds. Oh what the hell, why not..... AND THIS IS WHY!!!!!

FIRST OFF, what happened to all the muppets I grew up watching? Don't get me wrong, I know change happens, but just when the hopped up, dick-swinging clusterfuck did Kermit and Ernie and Bert get replaced with Prarrie Dawn, little bear and, god help us freaking all, the HALF A FREAKING HOUR LONG LOOK AT THE FURRY RED MESS OF RED PROTOPLASM CALLED ELMO????

I mean, I grew up watching Sesame Street and can remember vividly the day that they told us that Mr Hooper died. No bullshit, no hiding, no "oh, he went on a trip" the man DIED.

And the show had the balls, the respect, and the guts to tell us the truth. As tough as it was to explain to a group of children that the person that came into their homes every day, was nice to all the kids on the street, and always had penny candy in his pockets was no longer going to be coming by.

And we were sad.

Now if the same thing would happen we'd NEVER HEAR FROM THE CHARACTER AGAIN.

Just more time for that freaking red sock puppet.

I'm sorry but Jesus Christ not everything in life is going to be solved by Elmo yelling YAY! and Mr Noodle (and just what the fuck is he supposed to be ladies and gentleman?) dancing with the goldfish bowl and the chest of drawers.

Maybe I'm just nastalgic here, but I can remember as a kid the Sesame Street stuff was only available as a couple of stuffed toys, the Grrranimals line of clothing from Sears and of course The Rubber Ducky. (Tm)

I went to Wal-Mart the next day and there was, I shit you not, the asile of Sesame Street, the area of Sesame Street, the entire seperate Sesame Street department of Elmo toys. I see one more swatch of red felt and I'm going to set fire to it.

Jim Henson must be spinning in his grave now. And Frank Oz... i know you're still there with the show, DO SOMETHING MAN!!!

Look at how well Fred Rodgers did. There was a man of respect. No matter what you may have thought of the man he was a no bullshit, tell it straight, no condencending, host.

Fred Rodgers was a FUCKINE MARINE. An Honest to God, Marine.

Those are the kinds of people we need teacing our children again. Honest, stand up, no bullshit people. We're here to talk to ya kids, straight dope here it is, not trying to sell you anything, bullshit.

Bob Keshen. There's another. Captain Kangaroo. God bless you man. Thank you for being there while I was growing up. I can only stare in horror at the idea of current childrens television being what I watch during my early years.

Mr Hooper, Mr Rodgers, Captain Kangaroo, may you rest in peace.

Thank you for spending your lives teaching children..... and here's one that will remember your work for a long time to come.

Chanur.

midwest furfest, con report, part one. A hani in his natural element....

2006-11-21T12:17:46Z

Wow, it's been a long time sence I've written one of these again. I kinda went a little slack last time with my Anthrocon '06 report because I put it off for so long my memory failed. (I'm not an elephant, remember.) So here I sit, on the floor, with a glass of orange juice at my side, hoping to ward off another case of con crud.

Pre con: Just when does the mailman arrive in my neighborhod anyway???

The setup was simple enough I suppose. Hindpaws was shipping me my new partial for the convention this year via UPS. Three weeks is long enough for a simple box to arrive here in the Dells from New York, right? After all, UPS runs the tightest ship in the shipping biz, right?

Long story short, with two worried felines, the suit ends up being drop shipped to the convention hotel and I was able to pick it up at the front desk. Special thanks go out to the staff of the Hyatt Regency Woodfield, without who's help I would have been walking in the fursuit parade naked. I have enough trouble with the pictures out here of me on the net already, thank you very much.

Thursday morning: Packing the car full of fur, fun, and what's that grinding noise coming from your axle, Wolf?

This year's players include Psycho Wolf and Yiggi Lyater. (also known by the name No, No, Bad Kitty. I swear, I'm not making this up , and was supried all of that fit on a con badge) We had thought that Koebi from last year was going to make the trip, but at the 1 month mark the poor guy had to miss out so I was in search for a roomate. I personaly like to fill the room so we spilt the cost 4 ways and was happy to find our fourth in the form of Austinwolfclaw.

(Insert dramatic pause here.)

The trip down there was pretty uneventful, other then me stomping on the passenger side brake pedal the entire way down there. You see, we were taking Psycho's car down there, and, well....let's just say he fits in well with all you screwball Chicago drivers. Add in the fact that his car is a Dodge Intreped with a racing wing and spoiler bolted to the rear deck AND has camo duct tape racing stripes running over the hood. This guy drives like we're playing Need for Speed on the Playstation2.

So if you saw me shaking and trembeling in the lobby on Thursday afternoon, it wasn't just cause I was glad to be at the con.

I was also glad to be alive.

Check in was a 3 minute affair, as was securing a luggage cart. We'd packed lightly this trip, (Or lightly for me anyway, we still had space for Yiggi in the back seat when we got to his place.) Got everything up to the room and a quick jump into my BRAND NEW FURSUIT.

Last time at Anthrocon, I'd bought a gift for myself at the charity auction, namely, a wolf's head cane from the Franklin Mint. Within 30 minutes of ownership, along with a dinner across the street from the AC hotel, aided by Yiggy, Hindpaws, and his mate, Spike, (and a couple of pints of the local brew) I'd come up with a new fursona to fit the cane.

Enter Pimp Lion.

This was a lion partial suit, done for me by Hindpaws, with Yiggi doing a purple zoot suit for the body, complete with pinstripes and leopard print lappels. A bit over te top you might say?

Well, those of you that know me also know I'm a bit of an over the top fur myself.

The crowd downstairs loved it, along with a group of drunken office workers hanging out in the sports bar off the lobby. In addition to all the con goers snapping pictures with their digital cameras, I can't count the number of regular hotel guests who at one point were standing in line to snap pictures with their cell phones.

I'm going to LOVE this suit. (yeah, I'm an attention whore.)

Sadly we also had a bit of trouble on Thursday night as well. I'd agreed to work with Chouette Thursday night setting up and working the midway area for our "County Fair" theame at the convention. sadly, her and Bear were not able to make Thursday evening due to a family emergency. So if you're wondering why the midway wasn't set up till later in the convention, now you know.

Regestration for this year went VERY smoothly as well. (Koudos to Duncan da Husky again this year for continuing to make what for many conventions is one of the longest ordeals we go though a simple straightforeward process. YOU ROCK DUDE!) The interesting this was, I got through the line MUCH faster then all those responsible furs that pre-regestered. The line for the pre-regs was out the door... but on site? Walk right up.....(heh heh heh) I also saw something else unusual. Standing behind me in the walk up line was none other then 2 the Ranting Gryphon. I had to do a double take, thinking to myself, "You got to be kidding me, you mean they don't at least comp HIS membership?"
Nope, right behind me, standing there with his $40 in hand chatting with the line of furs all waiting for their pre reg packets. That's what I like about both 2 and Kage. they both seem to have time in slower moments to just chat with people, and have a normal conversation.

I'm yawning here again so I'm going to cut this short. next up:

Our Fourth Roomate Arrives and

You Can't Have a Carnival Without the Carnies..... Or can you?

Chanur.

costume day in the Dells, or how to piss off a hani without really trying....

2006-11-02T20:09:27Z

Halloween is one of those holidays you're either really into or not. It's a little weird living out here in the Dells to actualy see kide out at night, Trick or treating. You see, i grew up in Milwaukee, where Trick or Treating was always held the Sunday afternoon BEFORE Halloween. You know, just so the parents can make sure we're not either A) sticking needles into the mini Snickers bars or B) Running over the little costumed creapys with a city bus.

So I did the whole fursuiting thing outside the apartment building, greatfull for once that it was in fact a cold evening. A local kitsune had decided to join me, to make sure i didn't step on/crush and of the kids and we were on our way.

Rule one of passing out Candy: DO NOT let the Kitsube eat any. I swear, he was more hyper then the kids. At one point, he's running around in circles and all I'm hearing is "Bark! Bark! Bark!" running around my fur encased head.

That ended quickly when I clotheslined him. Foxes bounce when they hit concrete, did you know that?

Rule two of passing out Candy: Damn near impossable to do, while wearing claws. I spent 2 minutes trying to pick up a Jawbreaker with 2 inch talons. This might make an effective diet plan someday, becase if i can only eat what I can pick up with the claws, I'm going to be a much slimmer feline in a month. Add that to limited vision and depth perception in a fursuit head and you do what I did, aiming to toss candy into bags and instead nailing kids in the forehead.

Not that THAT wasn't fun too.

But not as much fun as waving at cars and watching a total of 6 near traffic misses on the street in front of the place. You'd think on Halloween people would be more prepared to see a 6 foot 6 inch digigrade white wolf standing on the corner handing out candy.

Lotta fun and I'm counting the days to MFF guys. Look for me working the Midway. I figure I'm pretty good at making people play dumb games they have no real chance of winning.

See ya there.

Chanur.

A $120 bag of Skittles later........

2006-10-20T13:28:08Z

So, this time I'm going in for the full, soup to nuts Physical. After all it only took three weeks to arrange it, seeing that my clinic so so buzy with not seeing all the employees and natives that won't go there.

This thing starts off well, with the notation on the charts that they're going to take a fasting Blood-sugar level. The apointment is for 10am, meaning I can't have anything to eat for the 12 hours prior.

I'm in trouble already.

And this would of course be the night that the snack bar is frying doughnuts. Yep, less then 20 feet from table 14, where yours truely is tring to deal cards without biting the heads off my players from low blood sugar. Just little ole me, turning into a CLASS "A" BITCH KITTY.

Player: "Is this table open? what happened? did you take all their money?"
Me: "No Sir, I killed them with a baseball bat and it took us this long to clean up the blood....."

And I wonder why I get called into the office to sign things.....

So, the next moring I get called into the clinic for the lab work before I go to see my Doctor. Of course, we start by drawing a sample of my blood. I don't mind the procedure, though I will admit I was getting a bit nervous when I noted the she'd attached the end of the drawing needle to what looked like A FREAKING 2 LITER BOTTLE!!! WTF? Is Dracula back there waiting or something? I'm feeling lightheaded just looking at the damn thing. At least the Red Cross 'll give you a cookie afterward!!!

After that, I'm shown to a tiny little room and told to put on the robe. Yeah, THAT one. The one where everyone gets a good look at your ass except you. So, here I am, in a room that's somehow gone for 73 degrees to -20 in 30 seconds, my ass getting goosebumps on my goosebumps, and my balls have crawled back into my scrotum for survival. Then the nurse comes in, takes my blood pressure and comments that it's a little low.

Well NO SHIT! There's none left in me after the Bloodsucker filled up her coke bottle.....

So she does the usual thing with the blood preasure cuff, the hearing check etc, while I sit on the edge of this steel bench/table/cold storage device, with the hope that the doc comes in soon.

The he walks in. With the pattented, "Well, I've got good news and bad news" look. He's holding my lab reports, and 5 different pamphlets on new and interesting drugs that I will now be taking.

Turns out, I'm pre-diabetic, have high blood presure, and my Triglicerides are way off the charts. As in, "We're going to use your blood to butter our toast" off the charts.

So, while he's going through the treatment options, I'm reading through these wonderful brocures and paying careful note to what interesting side effects these drugs have been known to produce.

Here's one "May cause dizzyness during the trial peroid with sudden movements."

Okay.......

"Blurred vision for the furst few days is a common result of beginning this course of drug therapy. Contact your Doctor if condition continues more then 3 days, or is accompanyed by fainting spells."

Allright......

"Constipation and/or loose stools are a common side effect..."

Now wait a MINUTE! Both Constipation AND Loose stools?.....

"Penal shrinkage is a possable side....."

I'M OUTTA HERE!

After being dragged back into the room, I calmly listen to what the possable end results are if I DON'T choose to go on the drug therapy. Death being one of them. And that would really fuck up my AC 07 plans.

So I pick up my perscriptions, (Yeah $120 for the CO-Pays! Thank God I have insurance) and sit down with Dr. Dubay to work out which has to be taken and when. I do win a small consession from the man though. I don't have to start the pills till Sunday morning at the start of my weekend. If I'm going to be undignified, then at least let me do it in the privacy of my own home.

Cause I'll be damned if I walk out to my table on a Saturday night, sneeze, cough, get dizzy, tremble, have my nose explode, fart, shit my pants and faint in the same instant while the pit boss is watching.

Though it would bring up a hell of an arguement for some sick leave. :)

Chanur.

my muse has left me..... and other assorted drama....

2006-10-14T12:15:33Z

Well, it's about time I updated this damn thing again, seeing as though some of you think I dropped off the planet or something. (And no, you're not that lucky. I'm still here, coughing up hairballs and pissed off at whoever brought the flu back into work AGAIN.)

Sadly enough Woody, you win the "He's never going to finish his 06 AC report." Award. (Smacks the wolf with a live trout.) I can't remeber enough to put together a true comprensive report anymore. If you're reading this and are pissed about it, show up at MFF 06 next month and punish me there. (Please, oh, please....(wink)

It's been an interesting couple of weeks up here at Casa Hani. About two weeks ago I was contacted to see if I could help out a friend in the Milwaukee area with housing and a job. To make a long story short, Wisconsin Dells had gained a new Fur and I've struck out again in the QUEST FOR A MATE. "Insert dramatic music here." I swear, this goes on much longer, the knothole in the walnut tree off my front balcony is going to start looking better and better. Though I'm pretty sure that would break something in my apartment lease. (Though a good arguement could be made for "wear and tear" I suppose......)

Starting the diet again, and Psycho might have to suffer for it. He's a great roommate, but there's something to be said for a roommate who's entire culanary skills seems to consist of macaroni and cheese. And McDonalds. Poor guy is going to walk in here in a week with a bag of Big Macs and get pummeled to death by a feline who's eaten so many salads that his nose has started to twitch. Oh sure, McDonalds has salads now too. Except who's going to pay $5 for about 50 cents worth of food? Damn it, if I'm going to starve, at least I'm going do do it with money in my pocket.

On other fronts, got my new fursuit done, Hindpaws is shipping it within a couple of days, this one's a lion partial, look for me in at (when I'm not gophering) at Midwest Fur Fest this year. Just look for the lion in a purple zoot suit. (I'll tell you all about it there guys, and how a single Charity Auction purchace at AC 06 is costing me nearly $1000. Damn you Kage, one of these days....)

Off for now, to earn enough money so this cat can make MFF. I hope to start updating this thing a little more often!

Chanur.

The Hani back from limbo-land!

2006-09-02T19:40:01Z

Well, here we are again, this time from my own apartment, from the Dells! No more long drives to Milwaukee, no more huge gas bills, just me with a high speed connection out here, sitting on the floor typing this because I spent the money I was going to use for a computer hutch on Digital cable to go with my new high speed internet and phone service.

Ya got to have your priorities straight, right?

Anyway, on to the interesting events of this summer up here in Vacationland. (don't worry for those of you hooked on the trip reports, those will continue, on a much faster pace now that I'm online daily again.)

Spent some time hanging around with Dlorn and Dana this summer. One of the great things about working up here is that we get the chance to buy an entertainment card for $15, allowing admission to nearly all the major attractions out here. helps keep the entertainment budget in line.

Well one of those items was a free admission to Timber Falls, a local amusement park/ mini golf place out here. While there Dlorn expressed an intrest in going on the Skyscraper, the one HUGE thrill ride the place has. Basicly,imagine a 20 story airplane prop that they tie you to the end of and start spinning.

Of course the rabbit wants to go on it. Dana won't go near the thing and I'm looking at him like he's got some kind of death wish. Then the guy running it says that it's only $10 to ride it because we already had the wristband for the rest of the park, compared to the normal price of $25.

Damn it, he knew my weakness. I'm a cheap bastard and telling me that I get a huge discount to do something is like throwing gas on an open flame.

For $25 now way. But for $10.......

So here I am, being tied into the basket on the end of this metal contraption, Dlorn grinning and whooping it up, myself paying an extra $5 tip to the ride attendent to make sure the restraints are DAMN tight.

How the hell do I get myself into these damn things?

(Simple, there was no way i was going to let a RABBIT show up the big bad Hani.)

So this damn ting starts up and I am now a rock at the end of a string, holding onto the edge of the basket for deal life while the moron next to me is screaming his fool head off in fun.

Me? I'm just screaming.

Then I realised that greasy, chain resturant mexican food is not the best thing to have eaten just before getting on this ride.

What can I say, I went for distance.

More later the week provided I can wrestle the computer away from my roomate. Not that THAT won't be fun too.....

Chanur.

AC 06 day one, thursday

2006-08-16T03:45:08Z

Day two, continued…..

With the bags dropped off in the room, the leopard informs me, he’s going to be the first to shower. Well, who am I to argue? After all, at this point we all could use one, so I’m fine with it if he goes first, and uses the other facilities as well.

Twenty minutes later, he emerges from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, and it’s my turn. I run in and close the door.

Boy it stinks in here….. Jeeze, what the hell did he eat??? Okay, between that and the humidity in the room, it was like standing next to a sewerage treatment plant in Florida. Alright, just find the switch for the fan…..

Huh…… doesn’t seem to be one. Well, it must be wired to the main light cause I can see the fan vent in the ceiling right above the tub. Well, I’ll call the desk after my shower.

Provided I can hold my breath for that long.

After a VERY fast shower, I made a polite call down to the desk for maintenance to come up and take a look at the bathroom fan.

Turns out there IS no fan in the bathrooms here at the Pittsburgh convention center hotel.

I’m sitting in a room that is rapidly becoming a sauna while my other roommates shower as well, and I have to keep a ROOM KEY in the damn air conditioning unit to make sure that my fursuit isn’t steam cleaned. You see, this was another of those wonderful ideas that the auditors and freaking been counters down in the hotel management offices had come up with to save money. After all, why pay to cool a room when there’s no one actually in it right? As I watch, the steam from the shower is rapidly forming INDOOR RAIN in our room and the paint is starting to blister.

All for $110 a night plus 14% state, local, and convention tax.

The Motel 6 up the road is starting to look a bit better. Hell, at least there we can leave the air conditioning on and not gas the rest of our traveling party after eating at the local Taco bell.

About this time my cell phone rings. Turns out our fourth fur has arrived from the airport, and the Cabbit wants to know what room we’re in. I give him the room number and we all rush out to the elevator lobby and pounce on him the moment the doors opened, having great and thunderous furry sex the moment he arrived,

Boy, were the others guests on the elevator pissed.

(I’m kidding of course. We waited till the doors closed.)

Well, now that I was freshly showered and shaved, I figured what better time to jump into my fursuit and go bouncing around the lobby. Or in my case, with the vision in mine, it’s more like, stumbling, tripping , falling, and walking into walls. I still haven’t quite gotten used to the limits of my vision in those damn things.

As a particular mouse named Steel the Warrior was about to demonstrate. Steel had gone another route with fursuiting, choosing to sacrifice a bit of realism for the ability to actually be able to SEE and MOVE in his suit.

Meanwhile in mine, I’m the equivalent of a furry doorstop. Yep, just prop good ole Chanur up there by the registration tables so he can have his picture taken and can wave at everyone. Nope, no need to worry about it, he’s not going anywhere, leave him there and we’ll pick him up in an hour or so.

Trouble is, Steel also decided to be FUNNY.

He had a toy lightsabor with him and his idea of funny was to take said toy and STICK IT BETWEEN MY LEGS. Of course, I’ve got so much padding on that I’ve got NO idea what the hell he was doing until 10,000 freaking flashbulbs went off in my face from apparently everyone within a 500 foot radius.

Steel, I’ve seen those pictures now….and you’re ONE DEAD MOUSE.

So after those adventures I went back up to the room to clean up for one of my favorite events of the con, the annual Registration Line Panel. This is, in my humble opinion, where the real networking of the event takes place, where all the furs present are united in a single cause, in brothership, with a single thought in mind.

“CAN’T THIS LINE MOVE ANY FREAKING FASTER????”

I think at one point we were actually moving backwards. Not that I minded, because while waiting in line, Hindpaws and his mate, Spike, showed up.

Hindpaws, as those of you who read these not so frequent convention reports may recall, is the person who designed my first fursuit. A hell of a nice guy, a gifted designer, but apparently has species dyslexia. You’ve seen me in suit guys….. I contracted for a Hani….A FELINE.

That suit is a very gorgeous rendition of a digigrade WOLF.

(Fortunately, he’s gotten better. As I write this, he’s making me a partial costume for MFF06 and he’s gotten his felines down much better. He’s done an adolescent lion suit called Dakota that is MUCH more lionesque. Course his padding could stand some work. For an young lion, he sure had a package on him.)

So after much whining, pleading, and at least one potty break, we arrived at the computers and registered for Anthrocon. Again, while most people say why don’t you pre-reg, I say screw ‘em. You just can’t make up material like this sitting around in the hotel room, cause you saved 2 hours by picking your badge up at 3pm like some over privileged, rat bastard, beer swilling, gutless, warthog snouted,,,

Ahem. Let’s move on…..

So with badge in hand we now were free to roam the convention grounds. Actually for Thursday night, there wasn’t a whole lot of official activities planned, It was either the fursuit meet and greet dance over at the Spirit of Pittsburgh Ballroom, or Filksongs with our guest of honor.

Hindpaws, (As Dakota), Nip, Spike and myself suited up and went to the dance. Well, actually Hindpaws and myself did and Nip and Spike went with us as our spotters. I had chosen to do this one in a partial suit, using my head and front paws to round out a pair of jeans and sweatshirt as a impromptu partial suit.

Hindpaws was busy as well. Every one of the hotel towels in our room was being stuffed into the crotch of Dakota. At one point that suit had what looked like a pair of bowling balls hanging out in front of it.

So down the elevator, and across the skywalk to the convention center. Now, just a word on the design of the building. Don’t get me wrong, I liked the overall building itself, but it was pretty plain to see the skywalk from the hotel was an afterthought. It went straight across the street, down a VERY plain hallway to dead-end at a pair of elevators and a fire stairwell. With a large sign that the elevators were for the fursuiter and that everyone else should take the stairs up to the ballroom.

Which might have worked if the doors at the top of the stairs were unlocked. I watched as 200 people tried turning around in a fire exit and came back down the way they came.

Meanwhile I just waved at them as the elevator doors closed. (yeah, I can be an asshole….)

On arrival on the fourth floor and the lobby waiting area outside the ballroom I discovered something else that is hazardous to a fursuiter . Backlit. Glass. Doors.

You see, this was the smaller of the two heads I was wearing, so I didn’t have the glasses on underneath. Add on the fact that I have no field of vision in that head either and the end result is a wolf walking straight into a backlit frosted plate glass panel.

Twice.

Fortunately, Nip and Spike arrived before I could go three for three on not finding the entrance to the ballroom and we went in.

AGGGGHHHH!!!! (Thump!)

Unlike the dances last year, this event was held in a UNION facility. Which means that while the Ballroom was like 4 times the size of the one last year at the Wyndam they also had four times the chairs.

Which were still set up in rows surrounding the dance floor.

In a darkened room.

So after my seeing eye rabbit guided me out to the floor we got the chance to dance a little. Now, I’m not by any stretch of the imagination a gifted dancer. In fact, if it wasn’t for the fact of DDR I most likely wouldn’t have gone out there at all.

But in fursuit EVERYBODY sucks at dancing. PLUS, no one there could actually see who I was. (Or so I was telling myself.) This was like a license to act like a dancing fool.

Besides with Nip to lead this is going to be fun, right?

Found out rather quickly that as bad as I thought I was, Nip was worse. I discovered this when in the middle of a swing number I tried doing a simple four step and cross with him, linked my arms with his wrists, and promptly pulled him straight into my chest.

Long story short, a hell of a lot of fun, danced with both Nip and Spike for a bit and then went back to the hotel room at about 11pm with the intent to meet up with Spike, Hindpaws, Nip, the Leopard and myself the next morning for the Chinese buffet down the street.

More later!

Chanur

AC! Finaly part one, day one-two

2006-07-11T14:29:39Z

Alright. I suppose I’ve put this off long enough….

Arthrocon! A new city, a new adventure, and new media to impress and stupefy!

Day One: Travel and Amtrak impresses……NOT!

Early start to the day, with the Rabbit staying with me the night before so we could get an early start. This year’s cast of characters include The Leopard, the Rabbit and a Cabbit from Florida. Interesting group, and we’ll get together shortly.

So after waking up and getting the rest of the car packed for the trip first to Janesville and then to Milwaukee, Nip (the Rabbit) stopped quick at the casino so I could drop my name into the drum at the employee summer party. (worked out pretty good and I won a $50 Wal-Mart gift card.) Filled up the tank and made a rather uneventful drive down to pick up the Leopard. We got there early enough to stop at the mall and for me to get in a little pre trip DDR. Overall response? The Nip watches for a moment and the Leopard fell asleep. I think I my have to come up with a new hobby to impress that one….

So anyway, we make the trip in to Milwaukee uneventfully. (for once!) and then down to the train station. Now, say what you will about the idea of taking a 14 hour-plus trip by train, but there IS one huge advantage for a fursuiter. Amtrak will take up to THREE 50lb suitcases per passenger PLUS 2 carryons. I checked the suit and another bag, choosing to carry the heads onboard. That got a few looks, but by now I don’t give them any real thought

Train to Chicago was on time, but as usual, the boarding lounge in Chicago Union Station was a zoo. Spotted a few other furs in the waiting area but didn’t really get a chance to talk. Also, Nip got this idea in his head that he wanted a picture of one of the train stations somewhere on the trip. Well, Milwaukee is a dive and Pittsburgh’s is even worse, so we schlepped our bags up to the second level of the great hall there in Chicago so he could get his shot. (Though I will say the waiting hall in Union IS pretty damn spectacular.)

So we join the cattle run down to the train trying to get three seats together. We got lucky that way, finding 3 seats right against the bulkhead with the extra legroom and space for the fursuit heads. Nip and Wyrd sat across from me and I chose the window across from them where worst case, I could lean against it to sleep.
(the fact that the inside seat didn’t recline at all also helped me make my choice.) We were five minutes from departing and I breathed a sigh of relief. We were already an hour late and while we had plenty of time, I was still hoping to get to Pittsburgh sometime before the end of the convention.

Then she arrived.

The woman from hell. I guess she had been on one of the delayed trains that they held our train up for. I was alerted to her arrival by the anguished screams of the car attendant from the car in front of us.

Well, not really. Poor guy didn’t have much of a voice left after dealing with the mouth of the south.

For the next 2-½ hours I was regaled with the tale of how Amtrak couldn’t get anything right, because she missed the train she was supposed to catch, so now she had to take this train to, in her words, “the middle of nowhere” where she THEN had to endure a 2 hour bus ride to her actual destination…..

And here I am, with my legs crossed over the mesh bag with both my fursuit heads hoping and praying she didn’t look to see what I was resting my feet on. Even I, the furry who has no trouble talking the mundane, didn’t want to open that can of worms.

A little later the three of us had a meal in the dinning car. Trust me, this was the last meal I’m eating from a dinning car aboard Amtrak. Not that anything was that bad, but when the service can’t remember condiments for the two of us that ordered burgers, and completely forgot my side item, was then reminded of it, and then forgot it again….. Well, next time I’m just going to grab something from the snack car.

Fortunately, the woman from hell got off shortly after that, and Dash got aboard in Toledo. Glad to see him, cause then I has someone to sit with that wasn’t going to bitch his head off. Some light petting occurred but nothing too serious I’m not a fan of that sort of thing in public.

So, we arrive in Pittsburgh about 2 hours late, no big deal about what I expected and walked everything over to the hotel. The train station in Pittsburgh is a pit, an absolute pit, and here I was going to venture out into the city.

Got to the hotel, no chance in hell of checking in at 6am, was told to check back at about 10am. Okay we can do that, and with hunger in our bellies, the bags checked with the Bell captain, and the sun at our backs we set out to explore downtown Pittsburgh.

Much cleaner then I expected actually. Everything I’d heard about this city was that it was a dirty, smelly armpit on the body of Pennsylvania. We walked across the river to check out the Andy Warhal museum for Monday afternoon after the convention.

Found out it’s closed on Mondays.

Crap.

Well, we did some further wandering, checked out the river district, and the new baseball park for the local team, and then back across the river to Three Rivers park. Nice enough place, but it looked like something else was going on there as well. There were workers putting up tents, food booths, stages, you name it. I was thinking to myself. “Well we could always check out what was going on down here later.” Then I saw a sign.

Turns out we weren’t the only interesting group in Pittsburgh that weekend for the Media to focus on. We were wandering through the grounds of “Pittsburgh Gay Pride Fest.” running the same weekend as Anthrocon.

Hey Kage, was this PLANNED?

Found a bagel shop and grabbed some breakfast close to the hotel, and with the magic hour of 10 am arriving, I wanted to go get checked in. I was tired, and admittedly, a little ripe after being in the same clothing for the past 30 hours. All I wanted was a shower, and a chance to grab a quick nap, hopefully in that order.

Walking into the hotel, I notice the LARGE amount of furs sitting around in the lobby, suitcases piled around them…..hmmmm….

Then Wyrd comes up to me with the news that the hotel isn’t letting anyone check in until 3pm.

Double crap.

Alright, I say to myself, we’ll just see about that I though as I approached the desk. Remember, getting irate and making a scene is the last thing you want…. Though if I don’t get a change of clothing soon, I’m going to …..okay calm down… you’re next…

“Good morning sir, can I help you?”

“Yes, I arrived early this morning to check in and checked my bags with the bell desk, with the instruction to inquire about checking in at 10 am.”

“Your name sir?”

I gave it to her, in a very polite manor and she typed it into her computer, as I stood there, doing my best to look at the same time, polite, calm and reasonable, and attempting to remain upwind.

“I’m sorry sir, but your room isn’t available quite yet….”

Shit!

“but if you’ll inquire back in one hour, we would appreciate it.”

YES! “Of course I can, Mary. Thank you for checking for us.”

“Of course sir.”

I then walk back, collect the Leopard and Bunny, and whisper to them we come back in an hour and we’ll have a room. I whisper this because the number of disgruntled furs in the lobby seems to be growing by the second and the last thing I want to do is start a riot.

We run down the street and do a little more exploring, till Wyrd tells me he has to get inside. As usual, I have forgotten that the Leopard has light sensitive eyes, and walking around in the glare of downtown Pittsburgh has done nothing to help this. So we stop in a little place called Tom and Jerry’s sandwich shop.

I sit Nip and Wyrd down in back and go up to grab some soda for myself and the cat, and a water for the bunny when I notice the sandwich board. Well… it’s been 2 hours, I could eat again….(I AM a growing feline, after all)

So I order a Cheese Steak… after all this can’t be bad, we’re close enough to Philly that some of that skill had to have rubbed off, right?

OMG!!!!!

This thing was God on a bun! The grease, mixed with the mayo, with the seasoning……uhhhhhh…..I’m drooling right now just thinking about it. This thing was better then…then……sex.

I was ready to go back there and French kiss the grill.

Fortunately Wyrd dragged me out of there before an ambulance had to be called, and Kage got a call from the local news about a furry that burned himself doing something kinky to a local kitchen appliance.

On return to the hotel I approached the desk, noting that if anything the number of people in the lobby had increased…. Along with the towers of luggage. I approach the desk.

“Hi, I was told to inquire at 11 about room availability?”

“Your name, sir?”

Again the 15 seconds of typing…….

“And how will you be paying, sir?”

YES!!!! O sweet Gods of mercy YES!!!!

Long story short, I run back to the rest of our group sitting on the couches holding our keycards over my head like the Olympic torch.

“Let’s go, guys! We got our room!”

I have NEVER seen that many looks of pure hatred directed at me at once. I actually heard my ego pop as I realized that I had just tortured these poor furs stuck waiting on the couches.

I Loved every moment of it.

Ran up to the room, shooed out the maid vacuuming it and called the bell desk for our luggage.

More later.

Chanur.

and yet another delay.....

2006-07-08T12:55:21Z

okay No, i didn't drop off the face of the planet, but between a MONSTER couple of workweeks and some time spent at home, a computer at the local internet cafe is the closest I've gotten to a comp sense AC.

NO, I haven't forgotten my report, I'm writting it now, up to sunday as well, expect it when i get a chance to get down to Milwaukee and actualy punch it into the danm comp.

(remind me to replace my comp and actualy get internet access out here in the middle of bungcluck nowhere.)

Anyway, glad to see everyone is alright again and BTW for those of you on the LAFF list YES I am doing the BBQ again after Noah's Ark on the 29th, you're invited same place as last year, watch for the second big announcement for it on the laff list. Or just follow the rest of us out of the park that day and up to the raging fireball that will be the grill in the park.

Oh, and I will say this about Anthrocon... it seems that a few more people are actualy reading and or spreading my trip reports arround then I thought. I had at least 3 new furs approach me at AC, and after hanging out with me for a while make the comment that I'm EXACTLY the person that I sound like in my LiveJournal.

I'm not sure that's a compliment.....

Happy hunting until next time,

Chanur.

Hani at AC... quickie

2006-06-19T03:21:52Z

Alright guys, I'm writting this again at the convention itself, so ignore the spellchecks and the typos.
It's been a hell of a convention so far, and as i said before I owe the city of Pittsburgh a large apology. The train station may suck, (and I still say that cause I have to go back through there in the morning) But from what I have seen so far Pittsburgh beats Philly hands down. Even with the longer walks, just the idea of attending a con where there's enough room to shift your feet while waiting in lane is a new idea. The convention center is huge and most of the resturants in the area are very reasionably priced. (Ask Frostcat about his fish sandwitch!)

Commisioned another fursuit while here from both Hindpaws and Yiggi, based on a single purchace from the Chairity auction. Want details? read the con reports next week.

Got to go to bed soon, checkout is 12noon and I have to be up all day for a late departure. Glad to talk with you later!

Chanur.

(and yes, the laughs are comming...... once the rugburns heal.)

Anthrocon HO!!!!! We're here.....

2006-06-16T04:30:44Z

Alright, just a quick update form Thursday night at the convention, with a waning about the spelling, I'm a clutz without spellcheck.

We got here safe and sound on the Amtrak from Milwaukee, a little tired and beat up after arriving in town at 6 am and not being able to check in until 11. Well, life does these things to try us.

Initial impression of Pittsburg is actualy fairly positive, with perhaps an apology to this city after the bashing I gave it last year. Plus the discovery of a little sandwich shop right down Liberty avenue from the con hotel had a lot to do with it. For $3.50 they served me a sandwitch the belongs at the fight hand of freaking GOD. They're open again on Friday and closed for the weekend..... I'm going to starve. Rarely have I discovered the equivelent of food Vallhara.... Next time I'm going for the footlong.... and am going to cream my jeans with the first bite.

Anyway, did a little fursuiting, and hung out with Hindpaws for a while,he's done a few new suits, and I'm considering another one.

Look for the full con report and the comedy that ensues as always...

Hani HO!

(and beware the three armed turtle.....)

Chanur.

always use protection.......

2006-03-15T19:08:19Z

Just a few thoughts that have been bouncing around in this thick skull of mine.

I’m tired of being alone.

I’ve reached that point in my life where the idea of stumbling back into my apartment drunk at 2:30 in the morning and not having to listen to someone bitch where have I been is no longer quite as appealing as it used to be.

So this feline is out mate hunting. And I’m having all the luck of Elmer Fudd going after a certain rabbit.

You see, I entered the fandom a Greymuzzle. Perhaps a bit older, and/or a bit wiser then the average fur in the fandom. (Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself.)

The trouble with that though is damn near everyone I meet that isn’t attached seems like he’s half my age and I can’t get over this slightly creepy feeling of being the dirty old man any time I meet up with someone.

The problem is that anyone near my age in the fandom is already mated, married, or the REALLY weird ones.

“Hi, I’m REALLY into horses.”

I’ll bet you are. NEXT!

“Hi! I’m 42, balding, and live with my parents!”

NEXT!

“Hi, I’m Sam Conway…”

YIKES! (With apologies to Uncle Kage.)

You get the idea.

In other news, I did my first private Fursuiting gig. I was invited to do a Polar Plunge for one of the local schools out here. For the three of you out there that don’t know what that is, it’s a fundraising event where people get others to donate money if the first person will go jump in a lake.

In the middle of February.

In WISCONSIN

So the big day arrives. We‘d gone into a bit of a cold snap again that weekend and the current temperature when I‘d arrived was a wonderful 10 degrees. I‘m covered in 20 pounds of fake fur. Needless to say, I was the only comfortable person outside of the warming tent. Now as much fun as this must be, I was NOT gong to jump in myself. After all, I may be a fur, but I‘m not CRAZY.

So, I’m there working the crowd with my handler, playing around with the kids, posing for photos and such when THAT kid arrives.

We all know who that kid is. The one that the moment he pops out of the minivan has THE LOOK. That kid that you can see the thought running through his mind….” I wonder…. What would happen if I were to….. Walk up and punch that guy between the legs…..”

Fortunately, I come prepared. I had an experienced suiter suggest to me that when you do a public gig, to wear a protective cup, for just such a reason. Conventions are another thing entirely. (I’ll let you draw your own conclusions here.)

So this kid walks up, he’s about twelve or so, winds up, and before I know it nearly breaks his hand on the STEEL PROTECTIVE HOCKEY CUP I’m wearing over the boxers under the suit. For those of you who had little brothers or sisters, remember that look they had, you know, just before they’re about to burst into tears? In scrunched up face, the redness, the sharp intake of breath just before the wailing starts?

Damn, I wish I’d had a camera at that particular moment.

Meanwhile, my handler has completely lost it. In his words, it was like when the kid’s fist hit me, it was like all motion stopped, like he’d just punched a brick wall.

And the great thing is, even after the kid’s parents came up to us pissed off, one of the event organizers saw the entire thing. Goodbye annoying brat, and we got invited back to the after party, where I got to tell the story multiple times over bottles of beer, the outcome becoming funnier with the more beer we drank.

Sometimes, there IS a God.

More later.

Anybody got some snow.......?

2006-02-15T16:34:30Z

Ok….. What the heck is up with the weather in this state?

I was driving back from Milwaukee back to my place in the dells, not too much going on, just kinda half in and half out of it on the way when a Moth hit my windshield. You know one of those big ones that leaves a 3 inch smear across it. No biggie, I reach down and hit the wash button, clean it off, and go on my way.

Then it hits me.

I just hit a moth.

In the middle of FREAKING JANUARY. WTF is wrong with this picture?

I mean, do we need any more signs that we, as humans, have finally accomplished something REALLY bad when it comes to our environment?

We haven’t had a decent snow year sense I was in high school, the ski hills are making the artificial crap every night at every opportunity and Bush claims there’s no such thing a global warming?

You’re right, Mr. President. It’s no longer Global Warming, It’s global COOKING. During the last month I saw trees beginning to bud again and ice fishing in January had to be called off. As I speak, the Wisconsin River is completely clear of ice and I saw someone out there with a boat under the Dells dam.

I was never a huge believer in Global Warming before, but I also thought that you just can’t keep pumping all this crap into the air without expecting something to happen eventually. And now that something is here.

Gas prices at $3.50 a gallon every time there’s another hurricane in the gulf.

No snow anymore in southern Wisconsin.

Get used to it folks, more hurricanes. Longer summers, shorter winters, and New Orleans as the new Atlantis.

The new world order folks.

Stop the world, I want to get off.

More later.

The hani.

The great outdoors.....

2005-12-22T20:06:49Z

Or, why the hani doesn’t go camping.

You see, I have this thing about the outdoors. It just doesn’t like me. My idea of “roughing it” is a hotel where room service closes after 10 Pm.

But I do remember the last time I was dragged out of my nice warm apartment to go freeze my balls off in the middle of nowhere, with bugs and bats and things that go hump in the night.

A group of friends of mine had rented a cabin up near Ladysmith, Wisconsin for a week and invited me to go along. Now normaly, my response would have been, “Call me when you get back, I’ll have the beer waiting.”

But they insisted and I found myself in the back of a van, off to somewhere that was so remote even Freddy Kruger couldn‘t find the place. A place so remote, you had to “Go to town” to get your mail. Yep an entire week in a cabin on a lake, with no electricity, no phone, and more importantly, no running water. Yep, time to “Get back to Nature.”

My idea of getting back to nature is the salad bar at my local Pick and Save.

These guys were pumped about it. An entire week of fishing and boating . All the “Manly” outdoor activities they could cram into the 24 hours of every freaking day.

So, we arrived at our little slice of paradise, and of course after a 5 hour van ride I nearly flatten friends on my mad dash for the cabin bathroom. After 2 minutes of frantic searching, my bladder the entire time swelling to Chris Farley proportions, I determine that there ISN’T one.

“Where the HELL is the bathroom?” I scream out the door of the cabin, my feet auditioning for ‘Riverdance”.

Rich points at a small outbuilding just around the back, and I break the land speed record in getting to it.

Oh, God help us all, it’s a pit toilet.

Now, I’ll give credit where credit is due, it was very clean. For a pit toilet. I mean, it was clear that it was being taken care of, that someone was making sure that this was not an affront to anyone’s dignity.

But it’s still a freaking PIT TOILET.

I ended up peeing in the woods.

Now let’s fast forward 3 days. I’ve actually not had that bad of a time, only having fallen out of a canoe once, and lost only 4 of Rich’s fishing lures going for the elusive “Land trout”.

I can no longer deny myself the experience of using this damn thing.

It’s either that, or I die of fecal poisoning.

So, I creep up to this thing, my nose trying to avoid going into convulsions. Now they were doing what they could about it. The pit had been limed, Lysol was available, real toilet paper. Someone from the early 1800’s would have seen this thing and been pretty impressed.

Now, it was designed with a lightweight plastic roof, tinted light green, transparent enough so it was actually pretty bright in there midday. (you don’t think I went in there after dark do you? I was desperate, not NUTS.) I slipped in there, dropped my pants and sat down, thinking to myself, (Okay, just get this over with… it won’t be that….”

Then I looked up

This outhouse was designed with a number of small wooden rafters crossing under the plastic roof in a series of A frame arches.

And on one of those arches sat a spider.

A WOLF spider.

For those of you that aren’t familiar with the arachnids of the Wisconsin Northwoods, allow me to explain. A wolf spider is a spider that lives in the northern reaches of my fair state. This is a rather large spider, the average leg span reaching approximately sis inches with a body the size of a racquetball. This spider is large enough that it doesn’t bother spinning webs, it just walks up to what it wants to eat and jumps on it.

It’s looking at me.

I’m looking at it.

It lifts a leg and, I shit you not, WAVES at me.

I suddenly no longer have to go to the bathroom.

This is because everything I’ve eaten in the last 3 days has left me in such a rush that even though the pit is 20 feet deep I got ass-splashed.

However I did not panic.

I was way, WAY, beyond panic.

From outside the outhouse, gathered around the campfire, all my friends hear is a giant high-pitched scream, followed be the sight of me, running from the outhouse, pants still around the ankles, streaking the camp.

I was doing everything I could to put some serious distance between me and that spider, and was doing pretty good at it too until I tried running across the gravel driveway.

Where I promptly tripped over my own pants and fell, face and *ahem* other areas first into the gravel.

And you though rubbing alcohol burns when you use it on your elbow?

Actually the abrasions were in some cases so severe that Rich wanted to take me into town to a walk in clinic, but I informed him there was no way in hell I was going to explain how I injured myself, down there, out in the middle of the woods. The movie “Deliverance” comes to mind.

I made DAMN sure I went on the supply run every day for the rest of the trip. Never before, nor again, has a gas station toilet ever looked so good.

And that’s why this feline doesn’t go camping.

Hani and cocktails.... MFF day 4 Sunday....

2005-12-15T15:58:51Z

I work up Sunday morning at about 7AM, surprising because I had gone to bed at about 3am the previous morning. I was trying to prevent the burnout of Anthrocon this time around but it seemed like my body just wanted to be up. This morning I had planned to spend the early part at a panel on basic fursuit head construction. Now that I owned a couple of fursuit heads, I wanted some idea of how they were built, so I could take care of them. I’d also picked up an idea or two from a couple of other suiter on how to improve the circulation system in one of the heads.

The panel was helpful, but I do think we got a little involved when it came to BASIC head constructions. When I asked a question about improving the capacity of the fans in mine, and the response I got from the electronics expert on the panel recommended that I build a circuit board to regulate the voltage to the fans.

Hooookay……..

(Not a shot at this guy at all, but I didn’t want to spend the equivalent of learning a 2 year electronics degree just to power the fans in my suit. I found out later from an electronics engineer at the con suite that it all depended on how the fans were wired as to if I could use a 12 volt remote control car battery to power them. After talking to Hindpaws, it looks like I can and I will modify the wiring before AC ‘06)

Went back to the room at about 10:30 and convinced the leopard to take some pics of me in suit for my own use. I’d been suiting around the convention for the last 3 days and had no idea of what I actually looked like in suit. We pulled out a disposable camera and spent the next hour or so goofing around the hotel lobby and by the front entrance, making sure I had some photos of my own. (Still got to get the damn things developed, though.) Went back upstairs and cleaned the suit, puttering around softly in an attempt not to wake any more of the sleepers still in the room. Becoming bored, I threw on the paws and the head with the articulated jaw and ran down to hang out in the con suite for a while.

I hadn’t planned on hanging out in the con suite for the remainder of the official convention, but a group of us got to telling convention horror stories and travel nightmares. I figured out that some of my adventures in furry con going WERE actually funny to people at large, not just a small group of friends that read my live journal. I got and received scritches for a few people there, which kind of surprised me. Scritching someone was never something I’d done before, unless they were a VERY close friend. Of course the fact that my paws included actual claws made me a favorite to scritch behind ears playfully. As much fun as we were having with the story telling 5 PM came WAY too fast and we were thrown out of the con suite and off to the closing Ceremonies.

After that, I hung out in the hallway and posed for some pictures, getting a few of myself with none other then Stalking Cat, and doing some screwball comedy with the flash on my camera. I’ve figured out that a partial suit is MUCH easier to fool around in, so I figure that for AC 06 I’m bringing the full suit for things like the parade and posing for pictures, and the head and paws for just walking around in, and playing off others with. Going to pick up some neat clothing to go with it, perhaps a set of footpaws that I can either fit around a pair of shoes. Real hoes are a must for any walking you’re going to be doing in suit, so if I commission another set of paws, I’m going to ask Hindpaws about molding or basing them off of a basic pair of running or tennis shoes. Much easier to dance in and whatever.

Ran back upstairs to drop off the head and camera to make a supply run. I was planning a party that night, the theme being “Father of the Pride.” I’d brought then entire series of the show with me. (One Double sided disc. How depressing is that when the ENTIRE run of one of the best furry shows to ever run on network television fits on ONE disc?” and between the PS2 and the theatre system, we had the ability to show it in the hotel room. Made the supply run to Dominic’s, Koebi made up a couple of table tents in the lobby, and at 8 pm we propped open the door to the room. I have one rule when it comes to a room party. It’s all free, for all the guests, everyone’s invited, but if you want to drink, you gotta show me an I.D. Keeps me, the drink provider, out of trouble. I was going to have fun that night if it killed me, and I figured something was going right when I went out for more ice, and a group in the hallway stopped me and asked if I knew where the “Father of the Pride” party was.

Then I starting drinking…..

After all, I’m a big feline, I can handle this…..

Word of warning to those of you serving mixed drinks at parties. DO NOT by 16oz. glasses. Here’s what happens: Add a normal amount of ice to one. Then of course, you add enough booze to cover the ice, right? Then you add the mixer. I figured out the next day that I was drinking the equivalent of quadruples.

Six of them.

On an empty stomach.

In my defense, I knew I was in a safe environment. I wasn’t driving anytime soon and figured I’d have plenty of time to sleep it off. I figured, what the hell, we’re all friends here, let’s go for it.

I also learned that the body has a separate survival mechanism from the brain. I know this because at one point during the party I remember speed mowing the snack table in a desperate attempt to stem the tide of rum flowing into my mouth from my hands. I don’t even LIKE Triskits, but here I am showing them into me like the Cookie Monster, box in one paw, the carton of French onion dip in the other.

I was even eating items on the VEGITABLE tray.

I must have had more to drink then I thought. Vegitables aren’t food, they’re what we use to attract the food. (Remind me of this when I have my first heart attack at 40.)

So at this point, I’m feeling NO pain.

In walks Stalking Cat and his housemate.

I’m drunk in front of one of the pillars of the fandom. Along with Kage and 2, this is probably the most famous fur in the country.

And recovering. (FACEPAW!)

Turns out, he’s a HUGE fan of Father of the Pride.

Okay Chanur, you are NOT, repeat NOT, going to embarrass yourself here. Focus on talking to the man, interact normaly, and above all….. STOP FUCKING DRINKING…

So I stopped drinking while Cat was there. Unfortunatly, I was also to the point where it really didn’t matter, simply because I’d aready drunk so much, so fast. I remember having a normal, decent conversation with the man.

I also remember having a five minute giggling fit on the bed as well.

(You see, when I get drunk, about twice a year, I’m not a loud drunk. I’m not a puking drunk. I’m the type of drunk you drive to the middle of somewhere, plant on a park bench and hide, watching for the comedy to ensue. Because while I’m not mean or something, it can be the height of hilarity to watch me spend 5 minutes trying to get a key into a lock. I know this because on a road trip one year, friends videotaped me in front of my hotel room door once. Even I was laughing at that tape.)

(I ran into Cat in the lobby the next day and apologized profusely. According to him, actually I was funny, and didn’t embarrass myself. I’m glad to hear that cause I have NO friggin clue as to when he left. Turns out he sat around with the rest of the group and laughed at the show from both the TV and the passed out feline on the bed.)
I woke up that morning at about 3am to find the room dark, and a few other people on the floor as well. I was no longer drunk, but I also realize that it was not a matter of me falling asleep the evening before. When you plan on going to bed, you undress, you take off your shoes, and get between the sheets.

I was fully clothed, sprawled across the sheets and bed, my shoes still on.

Not quite my definition of “Going to bed”.

Add to the fact that the configuration of the room had changed as well. The Werewolves were back, having decided to stay an extra night, and on top of that we picked up another Janesville fur, that would be riding back up with us the next morning. Add on the fact that there is a little less bed space because any attempt to move me the night before resulted in a horrible round of snoring, (or so I hear…) and we have bodies all over the floor in a dark room.

And my bladder just declared Yellow Alert.

I made it to the bathroom without anyone killing me.

You KNOW you’re still recovering from having too much to drink when, as a male, you have to sit down to pee.

I managed to make it back to the bed without waking anyone, and just kind of lay there for the next three hours. Not really sleeping, just content to feel the room slowly move around me. I have no experience with hangovers, but I will say that this one was relatively mild. Actually almost pleasant. I remember thinking, “Well, maybe it wasn’t that bad. After all everyone’s still here, you got some sleep, hell maybe you just fell asleep.”

Then I noticed I was still wearing my shoes.

Even I can’t deny that you had too much when you fall asleep in the bed with your shoes on. I’m creative, but even I can’t make THAT lie stick.

About 6:30 or so I reached over and nudged Kobie to get him moving, The wolf had an early flight and needed to be out the door by 8 am. So moving quietly, me managed to get him packed, only leaving behind a small amount of items that were his and I walked him down to the lobby. After seeing him off, I decided just to hang out in Cancer Corner for a while, the morning copy of USA Today in my lap. Yapped with a few furs that were up for a morning smoke, (Or still up from the night before, I understand.) and ran into Stalking Cat again, where I found out I hadn’t made as much of an ass of myself as I’d feared.

Though I did find out that I was so out of it that one of the wolves bounced on me for 30 seconds without waking me up. This was a cause for concern among the roommates, until the leopard pointed out that something snoring that loudly was in no danger of dying.

By 9:30 I called up to the room and got the pack moving, while I secured a luggage cart down in the lobby. After several false starts we managed to get everything packed up and onto the cart and out of the room by 11am. I checked us out and to my surprise got my full deposit back, figuring there’s ALWAYS something they charge you for when checking out. We loaded everything back into the cars, (Funny, it all fit on the way DOWN here.) Including 2 extra people back for the Janesville area and were off with only a quick stop at a Mobil to gas up and pick up supplies.

Final thoughts:

Thank you TechWolf, Kobie, Dracono, and Mr. and Mrs. Rhondil. Without you guys I never would have won the “2 and Uncle Kage” party.

Room overcrowding isn’t planned at a furry con. It just kind of happens.

NEVER by Cheap booze when entertaining 2 and Kage.

ALWAYS have spare batteries.

Contacts might be a good idea for Fursuiting by AC 06.

Spend more time hanging out in the Con suite next year. Don’t camp out down there, but go meet some other.

You can NEVER have enough spare change when traveling the Illinois Tollway

And for your wallet’s general health, AVOID THE CHARITY AUCTION.

Chanur.

AC 06 is 6 months away!

MFF is only 11 months…gotta start planning.

MFF 2005 Sat continues. A comand preformance.....

2005-12-01T01:39:13Z

After recovering from heatstroke backstage a few moments, I decided I would come out and at least get a look at who I’ll be sharing the evening with. Also decided to take off the wolf’s head and paws because there was NO way I wanted to try and count out money while wearing them. (Another advantage of the partial suit, because you’re wearing your regular clothes you CAN carry your wallet with you. This can be a good thing in a situation like this, or bad, when you realize you’ve been hugged by a raccoon…AND ROBBED.)

Kage and 2 come over, congratulate the group on our winning bid and go dashing off to dinner while the 7 of us figure out just how the hell we’re going to pull this off. After each respective stop to the paymaster, we gather there in the ballroom and match wits.

My room is out. We have FAR too many people in and out of there, and to be honest, the idea of walking in there and telling them, “You have to get out, cause 2 and Uncle Kage are coming here for a party. No, you Can’t come.”

Dracono’s room, (New guy) is out for the same reason.

Mr. Rhondil. (Mr. Married guy) suggests the possibility of using an empty conference suite here in the hotel, however after checking with convention staff we find that there’s just nothing available, plus the fact we’d be running into the whole “Drinking in convention space” thing. Okay. Rhondil then leads us up to the hotel front desk and inquires about the possibility of the group being able to rent space in the hotel that ISN’T being used by the convention. God Bless the Hyatt staff, they tried, but after about 20 minutes of searching, there turns out there was nothing available that wasn’t already in use.

TechWolf then comes up with a wonderful idea, that we use his room. Turns out it’s just him and his roommate, so they’d be able to stack the beds in one corner, with Kage and 2 sitting up against the window in chairs, the rest of us gathered around on the floor. We all agree on this and also set to meet Kage and 2 at 8 pm in the lobby. We shake hands and go our separate ways.

I was feeling pretty good about myself, and shared an elevator back up the 4th floor with Dracono, not too surprising because it looked like the entire room block for MFF was on 4 and 5 anyway. We shake hands again and go down separate hallways, expecting to see each other again in the lobby. I’m walking to my room, thinking I’m going to LOVE yelling out I got the ’Party with the comedy Gods” package when I arrive at my door, open my wallet and hear a sound off to my left. I turn….

There’s Dracono, ALSO with key card in hand standing at the door of #4147, one door down from us.

Small world, huh?

We have a quick laugh about it, and sense we’re both going out to pick up party supplies, why don’t we all ride in my car? It’s agreed, and five minutes later Dracono, Koebi, and myself are off in my car to Dominick’s for soda and booze. Once there, Dracono and Koebi spilt off for the deli department, while I head off for soda, glasses and ….. The liquor department.

Dracono said he’d get the bottle of Sake, while I figured I’d get a bottle of wine, selecting a bottle of Vin Rose. That way we figured we had Kage covered either way. As for 2 I wasn’t too worried. This is a man who has a 6 minute span in his show I could name. “The wonders of Everclear” so I figured a simple bottle of Vodka would be fine. It mixes well and everyone seems to be able to drink it. (The thought of picking up Gin, vermouth, and olives had NEVER crossed my mind or I’d have gone for that instead. That’s the trouble with hindsight. While it’s always 20/20, you’re always looking at a hind.)

We returned to the lobby and met back with the Cabal. The was a bit of confusion as to which lobby they were referring to, the convention lobby or the hotel lobby, so we dispatched groups to both areas, finding out he meant the CONVENTION LOBBY.

Kage: “I only said it three times!”

Me: “Well, yeah, but I had 3 inches of fur between your mouth and my ears.”

Kage: (Pointing at me.) “Okay, YOU have an excuse.”

After collecting our purchases, the group went up to TechWolf’s room to set up. While the others chatted with Kage, Dracono and I set out the bottles and glassware on the table, while someone ran for ice.

Now, remember how impressed I was with how classy 2 was earlier? This was Kage’s turn.

I’d always known Kage to be a classy man, and this incident sealed my opinion of the man. If I ever hear another story from one of the man’s detractors about him, my response will be, “Well, what did you say/do to the man?”

I saw Kage glance at the bottles Dracono and I were placing on the table. And the corner of his mouth gave a slight twitch. It was VERY slight and I don’t even think the man was aware of it. But I play poker.

I play poker well.

I play casino poker well enough that my brand new fursuit was paid for out of poker winnings.

The moment I saw that twitch, I realized the sin we had committed, the error of our ways.

We had bought cheap booze.

I have read Kage’s own trip reports, where he goes on with stories about being assaulted with bad wine on planes and such…

And now, unwittingly, I had gone and done the very same thing.

Again, if you know me, I’m very generous when it comes to entertaining. Over the course of the convention, I’d dropped over $300 on food, supplies, booze and whatnot for the room. And on this trip I had done the same, but committed the error of buying the booze as if it was for our own consumption, not for guests that KNEW what they were drinking.

At Least Dracono had an excuse. He’d purchased the best bottle of Sake that Dominick’s had.

It was also the ONLY bottle Dominick’s had.

I’m going to take a moment to guess at what MIGHT have been going through Dr. Samuel Conway’s head.

“Oh God, I hope they don’t expect me to DRINK that swill? I wouldn’t brush a lab rat’s teeth with that. Okay, smile. They’re furs, they probably blew everything they had just getting us up here. Drink half a glass, just enough to be polite, the pass it off to 2, he’ll drink anything. Besides, none of these guys look cheap enough to do this on purpose. Well, maybe that fat one with the glasses. Yeah, him with the wolf’s head, he looks like a cheap bastard…”

All of this went flying through my mind in the space of 3 seconds, before Rhondil saved our butts.

Now I know why Rhondil and his wife had been a little late in getting back. They had gone to Mitsuwa and brought back a REAL bottle of Sake. I know it was simple because of the look of recognition Kage gave it as it came out of the bag..

Now HERE’S how much class Kage has. Not a word was said about either Dracono or my purchases. They were simply set aside, on the drink table, unopened. There was a bottle of hard cider provided for out guests consumption by the convention and with Rhondil’s bottle of sake, it seemed like 2 and Kage were provided for. I breathed a sigh of relief and settled in to listen to what these two men had to say.

So we sat around at their feet, much like the picture that graces the front of Kage’s web page, all the furs gathered to hear the stories of both a Gryphon, and a Cockroach.

We got to hear the stories of conventions gone wrong, jokes that couldn’t be told onstage, in fact it almost wasn’t so much a party, as a small preformance for a group of 8 people who had never met each other before that moment in the main ballroom. I also got to hear from Kage his side of the “SA Kid” from Anthrocon ‘05. I’d always wondered about that….

We were just finishing up when the fire alarm went off.

We froze for a moment, the entire group all looking at each other before TechWolf opened the door, with me on his heals.

I smelled smoke.

“Oh, shit.” I called back over my shoulder into the room. “Guys, this one’s REAL.”

Kage immediately took charge, ushering us out of the room and down the fire stairs, pausing once we were outside to prevent a couple of people who were already out of the hotel from going back IN. I was out front with TechWolf when I saw something I have to talk about here, as a fursuiter myself. I saw fursuiters exiting the hotel with their heads still on. Guys, I’m one of you now so I think I can say this with out fear of reproach. When the fire alarm goes on, THE HEADS COME OFF!

You’re escaping a potentially burning building wearing 20 pounds of highly combustible fur. You need to have your FULL sight, sound and smell sense to make up for the fact that you may not be able to run. After, once you’re out of the building and away from it, fine, put the head back on. But the time to be worried about destroying the illusion is NOT while escaping with your life. Take off the head. Enough said.

After the all clear sounded, we returned to TechWolf’s room to clean up and pick up items we’d left behind. Koebi noticed that Kage hadn’t opened the bottle of wine and suggested we give it to him as a gift.

I blanched, then explained to him that, (Provided I’d read Kage’s actions right) he was helping me cover a minor mistake I’d committed. By not opening the bottle of wine, Kage had politely declined our gift, and the best thing to do about it was to let the matter lie there. By offering the bottle to him again, we would put him in an awkward position, of either having to decline it publicly, possibly embarrassing the purchaser, or accepting a LOUSY bottle of red wine, that he had no idea of what do with.

(The wine didn’t go to waste, however. We turned it into spritzers at the Sunday night room party.)

After the excitement of the fire alarm died down I went and watched the finals of the DDR tournament. I even got to participate in the final match. They needed someone of weight to sit in the chair to hold the bar in place for the final round.

Yep, that’s me. The hani with the fat butt.

After that, I went back up to the room and died till morning.

The tale continues next week,

Chanur.