Rocky Mountain Fur Con was incredible!!! While this was not my first convention, it was my first FURRY convention. Kupok tells me that a startup furry con can be considered a success if it gets 100+ people. I have been told that official numbers state that we had 236 in attendance. Even with that, the area we had was so large that it didn’t seem like that many people. We definitely have plenty of room for growth next year! Anyway, following is a day-by-day accounting of my thoughts & experiences. Afterwards I will write a bit more about a few other important things.
PRE-CON:
Several months ago, I offered to pay Borni’s entrance to the con if he would come and join us. I had even spoke to the con chair about special recognition for him (the guests of honor were already selected). Unfortunately, due to his health and his monetary situation (even with me paying his admittance), Borni declined. I was saddened, but life went on.
Unfortunately, this old mutt failed to pre-register and when the convention came around I was in a state of financial disaster. My general-use credit card is currently maxed out and my checking/savings accounts are depleted. Still, I had promised Kupok that he would get to go no matter what. Then it hit me: I have been denying myself many things to help get out of debt so that I can enjoy life. It is foolish to be worried so much about being able to enjoy life in the future to let something like Colorado’s very first furry convention pass me by. I decided that I would make sure that I could go as well. Unfortunately, I did not have the resources to do the same for Kit and Frynge. Fortunately for them, they had someone else pay their way for Saturday attendance.
DAY 1:
Kupok and I left work early on Friday and got ourselves registered and oriented to the convention lay out. We saw two local artists who were offering con badges for $5 each so Kupok and I each had one artist do a badge. Kupok has his DS, which was very fortunate as we were able to show the artists a recent image Soro did for us so that they could use it as a reference.
I went to the internet lounge, created an empty RDP file so that I could remote to my server (as the RDP menu item was removed form the internet lounge computers). I then found the images I wanted, copied them to my server, changed IIS to allow directory browsing for the directory I put them in, then from the local computer I used their browser to download the images I needed. They were then transferred to Kupok’s USB adapter and then to his DS.
I found myself frequently returning to the artists and hanging out near them, feeding on their creativity and thinking about my writing. Finally, I decided that the next day would see me take a laptop to the convention. Around 9 or so, Kupok and I went home.
DAY 2:
Before even leaving the house there was a bit of minor drama involving Kit and Frynge and their finances, but I came up with the solution to everyone’s woes. We drove two vehicles to the Alameda park-and-ride, then everyone got in the Blazer and I dropped Frynge, Kit, and Kupok off at the hotel and then drove back to the park-and-ride where I took the light rail back to the convention. Problem solved!
Kupok and I decided to have the opposite of the two artists do our badges, so we each ended up with a badge from each of the two artists. It was great! I also spoke with one of them (Flynn) about a special commission for me. I am very excited about it and I will share more about it in the future.
The 4 of us attended the “meet the guests” event and then we pretty much went our separate ways. Kupok ended up spending most of his time in the gaming room and after spending most of the day basking in the creativity in the dealer’s room, I setup my laptop upstairs and set about working on my novel.
I ended up calling Borni at home and we probably chatted for about ½ hour before my phone batteries died. That was all it took. For the rest of the convention I was primed to continue working on my novel, but I did more than just work on my novel!
A somewhat famous fursonality known as Uncle Kage was the first person to register for the convention. I had heard his name mentioned so often and had been told several things about him by Frynge and Kupok, so I finally mustered up the nerve and I approached him and introduced myself to him and told him that I had been told he was a person I should get to know. He seemed delighted, asked if I was a drinking man and when I answered in the affirmative, he handed me a small bottle of wine and said that he hated to drink alone.
We then sat there for nearly 30 minutes drinking wine and having a wonderful conversation. I honestly had no idea what he was famous for and he seemed to find that refreshing or at the very least amusing. I was quite impressed when I learned he was the “owner” of Anthrocon. Near the end of our conversation we were told that alcohol was not allowed in the area we were in. Fortunately there was no trouble beyond that and we quickly finished our drinks. However, he did tell me some things that got me worrying about the future of the convention and even though I was not an organizer or even a volunteer, I spent the rest of the day and most of Sunday with his warnings and tales of convention woe running through my head. Fortunately when I spoke with Kahuki about my fears on Sunday, he informed me the convention was already prepared to deal with the possibility. That was a relief!
Later Uncle Kage was back up in the area with a crowed gathered around him as he told stories in the campfire area. I was writing on my novel and listening to him at the same time. It was rather entertaining and enlightening. Around 10 PM I shut down my laptop and went up to a friend's room and borrowed his shower for the private party that was being hosted there.
TMI WARNING!!! The following paragraph is being posted in a black on black format to protect those who do not want to read explicit details. Highlight it to read it.
| While the turnout was smaller than I would have hoped, we had fun nonetheless. I ended up having someone unexpectedly urinate into my muzzle a bit while I was sucking him off, and to my great surprise and pleasure I was able to swallow it!!! It helped that we were in 69-position and that he was on top of me. Unfortunately both guys I played with were exhausted and each of them fell asleep cuddled up to me. Kupok had a mild friction burn from his activities so he could not yiff me, but right before bed I yiffed him! It was nothing like my birthday orgy, but it was fun. |
By the time the above-referenced event was over, the light rail system was no longer running and we were more or less stranded at the hotel. I had alternatives to get to my Blazer, but fortunately Kupok and I were allowed to use the bed and we actually got in nearly 6 hours sleep before Sunday started.
DAY 3:
Even with about 6 hours sleep, which is my normal amount, I was a zombie for a lot of Sunday. I did not have my depression & ADD medication with me and as they are both stimulants, without them I tend to be really low-energy. Regardless, I kept sitting near the campfire area working on my novel. By the end of the convention I had 69 pages of story content and a little over 40,000 words!
Later in the day I picked up my second badge and Kit’s badge. They were wonderful, as expected! Other than that, I didn’t share in any of Sunday’s few activities. Kupok again spent most of the day and the gaming room and seemed to have a great time. He was planning on attending an after-con room event, but it fizzled, so we took the light rail back to the park-and-ride, got the Blazer, and then came back so I could load out Kahuki’s monitors for him, as they had no arrangements made to get them home.
AFTER CON:
Unlike the Science Fiction and BDSM conventions I have attended, I left this convention sad, not wanting it to be over. There is so much energy and creativity in the furry fandom that I truly felt at home there. I now understand why so many people go form con to con no matter what the cost. If it were possible, I could imagine myself doing the same thing, but it will be at least this time next year, maybe even 2009 before I am able to vacation out of state again.
To explain the second half of the title of this entry, we must go back in time. Long before I knew I was a furry, I had a fascination with wolves. Sometime shortly after Hunky died, I was given a small wolf’s tail. For the rest of my high school years that tail hung on the wall. It went with me to college, again hanging on my wall. Throughout my life I always had that tail.
When I became pagan, I made the tail a ritual accessory. When I entered the furry fandom, I would wear the tail. Even in the BDSM world, I was known for wearing my tail (even if I was completely naked otherwise).
Not too long ago the tip of the tail fell off, and during this convention I noticed that it was starting to look more and more ratty. It was then that the cause dawned on me. I’ve had the tail since I was sixteen and I am 36. That means it is over 20 years old. The denim belt-loop that was made to prevent further damage to the tail caused by being worn has again separated form the leather. It is now time that I permanently retire my precious wolf tail from any and all use, save for hanging on the wall and being worn during rituals.
At least I bought a new tail a few years ago at Dragonfest, but this new tail does not have the personal history and bond that my old one did. After all, I knew the animal that my old tail came from. The new tail came from a vendor. Even though she is pagan and acquires her tails and bones from tribal hunters, it does not have the same spiritual connection.
For now, that is all, but maybe more soon.
P.S. I was hoping to post my con badges, but I do not current have access to a scanner and I want to get this message up, so I will try to scan them at home or perhaps tomorrow and post them in a separate entry.
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kupok I have averted the depression spiral that was threatening to take me places I did NOT want to go. Once the depression was back to a level my Welbutrin could handle, my creativity returned. I am even considering taking a laptop and going to sketch night and seeing if the creative energies there will inspire me to write more on my novel.
