FWA Con Report
Tuesday, March 15: 6:45PM
Boarded Greyhound for the 30hr trip from Denver to Atlanta, trip was smooth and w/o problems which is a rarity for Greyhound. It was uncrowded the whole way and I didn't have to have anyone sit next to me the whole trip which was very nice. The 3rd leg of the trip we got one of the new buses with WiFi and outlets which was a pleasant surprise.
Thursday, March 17: 4:00AM
Got off the bus and waited 1hr until the Marta (Metropolitan Area Regional Transit Authority) train started running so I could take it to the Peachtree Center Mall which is a couple blocks from the convention. Having been to Atlanta a few times before, I had to deal with something I expected but didn't want to, panhandlers. They even have it down to a science. They offer help finding a place or figuring out how to use the ticket machine, etc, and then hit you with "btw, care to help a guy out?" I'm like, fuck no, now get lost.
6:00AM
Got off the train and arrived at the Sheratan Atlanta hotel, the venue for the con. Since the guy who had the room registration wasn't due to arrive until 4PM I checked my bags and headed down to the convention floor to look around. Despite being sleep deprived I couldn't exactly sleep on one of the couches in the lobby and I was bored out of my mind so i offered to help with convention set up to busy myself.
7:00AM
I got assigned to help with the art show panel setup. This entailed taking custom designed lighting rigs and wiring them together as well as setting up pegboards to hang the art on.
9:00AM
The conventions volunteer coordinator had me officially sign papers. I wasn't really planning on volunteering past setup but I ended up doing so anyways.
10:00AM
I was assigned to security for the rest of the con. Basically doing badge checks and crowd control. I was stationed at the end of what came to be known as the hall of doom. It was called such because, if you imagine a U shape, with most of the active convention space at the left and bottom of the U, then not a whole lot of foot traffic on the right side. I was checking people getting off the elevator and making sure anyone who didn't belong was sent back upstairs.
I spent most of the day doing badge checks and around 4 went up to my room, unpacked, and then went back down to do badge checks for opening ceremonies. I was free the rest of the evening and went to the dances to spin poi.
Friday, March 18:
I spent the day mingling. I met the rest of the room mates that arrived and 3 of them were into a few of the kinks I'm into. One guy who slept in the room but was officially in another room was a cute foxy lad and he had the hots for me. I really wanted to play but other than cuddling and heavy petting I refuse to do things involving penetration with someone I barely know. Spent the night at the dances of course, being a graver (goth/raver) how could I not?
Saturday, March 19:
Did badge checks for the hall of doom in the morning & main events in the afternoon/evening. I had requested it so I could see the main programming stuff while working. Went to the dances, DUH!:P
Sunday, March 20:
Spent most of the day doing badge checks and then went to closing ceremonies. After closing ceremonies I did some pre-packing stuff. Some of the most epic stuff of the con happened between closing ceremonies and the dead-dog dance. First there was the massive furpile of exhausted fursuiters just lounging around. Then there was this there's 3 parts to it. At some point during the dead dog dance I bumped into a friend I made last year, Tzup When he saw my husky slippers he got on all 4's & started spazzing out and barking, silly Tzup, he's fun like that.
Monday, March 21:
Packed my bags in the morning and hung out in the room after check out until house keeping came. Headed down to the lobby and hung out with other furries until 4 when I had to leave to catch the train back to Greyhound.
7:30PM
I boarded the bus, it again was not crowded and we got a new bus again NICE!!! We switched buses and got a new driver at some point 12 hrs later. Tuesday night as we were driving through an unlit parking lot 15mi out of Omaha, Nebraska for a smoke/stretch break stop the driver side swiped a pole just to the front of the left front wheel. Fortunately it was only cosmetic damage and after half an hour of Jerry rigging the wheel baffle & side panel we were on out way again. The trip for the most part was uneventful and w/o complaint. I only had to sit next to someone once, and only for 3hrs.
Summary:
The bus trip both ways went quite smooth and w/o issue which is a rarity for Greyhound. I volunteered and put in enough hours for free admission to next FWA. I enjoyed volunteering and plan to do so again. I also made some new friends in the process.
Boarded Greyhound for the 30hr trip from Denver to Atlanta, trip was smooth and w/o problems which is a rarity for Greyhound. It was uncrowded the whole way and I didn't have to have anyone sit next to me the whole trip which was very nice. The 3rd leg of the trip we got one of the new buses with WiFi and outlets which was a pleasant surprise.
Thursday, March 17: 4:00AM
Got off the bus and waited 1hr until the Marta (Metropolitan Area Regional Transit Authority) train started running so I could take it to the Peachtree Center Mall which is a couple blocks from the convention. Having been to Atlanta a few times before, I had to deal with something I expected but didn't want to, panhandlers. They even have it down to a science. They offer help finding a place or figuring out how to use the ticket machine, etc, and then hit you with "btw, care to help a guy out?" I'm like, fuck no, now get lost.
6:00AM
Got off the train and arrived at the Sheratan Atlanta hotel, the venue for the con. Since the guy who had the room registration wasn't due to arrive until 4PM I checked my bags and headed down to the convention floor to look around. Despite being sleep deprived I couldn't exactly sleep on one of the couches in the lobby and I was bored out of my mind so i offered to help with convention set up to busy myself.
7:00AM
I got assigned to help with the art show panel setup. This entailed taking custom designed lighting rigs and wiring them together as well as setting up pegboards to hang the art on.
9:00AM
The conventions volunteer coordinator had me officially sign papers. I wasn't really planning on volunteering past setup but I ended up doing so anyways.
10:00AM
I was assigned to security for the rest of the con. Basically doing badge checks and crowd control. I was stationed at the end of what came to be known as the hall of doom. It was called such because, if you imagine a U shape, with most of the active convention space at the left and bottom of the U, then not a whole lot of foot traffic on the right side. I was checking people getting off the elevator and making sure anyone who didn't belong was sent back upstairs.
I spent most of the day doing badge checks and around 4 went up to my room, unpacked, and then went back down to do badge checks for opening ceremonies. I was free the rest of the evening and went to the dances to spin poi.
Friday, March 18:
I spent the day mingling. I met the rest of the room mates that arrived and 3 of them were into a few of the kinks I'm into. One guy who slept in the room but was officially in another room was a cute foxy lad and he had the hots for me. I really wanted to play but other than cuddling and heavy petting I refuse to do things involving penetration with someone I barely know. Spent the night at the dances of course, being a graver (goth/raver) how could I not?
Saturday, March 19:
Did badge checks for the hall of doom in the morning & main events in the afternoon/evening. I had requested it so I could see the main programming stuff while working. Went to the dances, DUH!:P
Sunday, March 20:
Spent most of the day doing badge checks and then went to closing ceremonies. After closing ceremonies I did some pre-packing stuff. Some of the most epic stuff of the con happened between closing ceremonies and the dead-dog dance. First there was the massive furpile of exhausted fursuiters just lounging around. Then there was this there's 3 parts to it. At some point during the dead dog dance I bumped into a friend I made last year, Tzup When he saw my husky slippers he got on all 4's & started spazzing out and barking, silly Tzup, he's fun like that.
Click to viewMonday, March 21:
Packed my bags in the morning and hung out in the room after check out until house keeping came. Headed down to the lobby and hung out with other furries until 4 when I had to leave to catch the train back to Greyhound.
7:30PM
I boarded the bus, it again was not crowded and we got a new bus again NICE!!! We switched buses and got a new driver at some point 12 hrs later. Tuesday night as we were driving through an unlit parking lot 15mi out of Omaha, Nebraska for a smoke/stretch break stop the driver side swiped a pole just to the front of the left front wheel. Fortunately it was only cosmetic damage and after half an hour of Jerry rigging the wheel baffle & side panel we were on out way again. The trip for the most part was uneventful and w/o complaint. I only had to sit next to someone once, and only for 3hrs.
Summary:
The bus trip both ways went quite smooth and w/o issue which is a rarity for Greyhound. I volunteered and put in enough hours for free admission to next FWA. I enjoyed volunteering and plan to do so again. I also made some new friends in the process.