To Atlanta and Back
Sam and I went to Furry Weekend Atlanta this weekend. We initally weren't going to go because our three planned roommates were complete flakes and bailed on us. We managed to find room space about two weeks ago, so we were able to go. The two of us left home at 6:30am on Thursday and more or less drove straight down to Atlanta, stopping for food and gas of course. I think we go there at 8:30-ish at night.
The convetion itself was okay, I guess. I remember it being a lot better the last time I went. The hotel's convention space was pretty nice, but I didn't like the hotel itself. The rooms were small, the bathrooms were tiny and you had to pay $13 a day for internet, so I went web-less for the weekend.
I spent most of my time in Artist's Alley selling inked cartoon sketches. I sold $70-worth, which was nice, but I didn't break even with the cost of going down there. Most people seemed to be more interested in fursuiting and/or getting drunk at that convention than actuall buying things, and I got that same feelign from a few artists/dealers that I talked to. I still had a decent time and don't regret going, but that part did kind of suck.
I don't think I'll be going to furry cons terribly often anymore. The pretending-to-be-an-animal-person aspect of the fandom doens't interest me anymore. I even made a Toon Jess badge to wear there! So other than the raves and selling art and maybe playing a couple of video games, there's nothing at cons that I want to do. If I can't make a decent amount of money while I'm there I feel it's not worth my money to go. I might try Anthrocon next year and see what happens. I've had good luck with their art show the past two years.
Sam and I left Atlanta at 12pm on Sunday. I had to make it to Santee, South Carolina before the sun went down. You can't visit a cemetery at night. I said hi to my grandad (my dad's dad) and my dad's sister and Sam and I poked around the small graveyard looking at some of the other headstone's dates. Three people were buried this year. A man and a woman with the same last name were in fairly fresh graves next to each other. I imagine they were a husband and wife who died in a car accident together. I also saw a baby's grave. It only lived for three months. I kind of imagine losing a baby is a bit easier as there are less memories of their life. But I could be wrong. I tied a friendship bracelet that someone at FWA to one of the handles of his grave cover, told him it hopefully won't take me 8 years to visit him again this time, and I left. I miss him.
Following that we went less than a mile up the street to where my grandad lived. He used to own a nursery (with plants), but I was sad to see that it's nothing more than a plot of overgrown gras with a broken-down gate. It's kind of what I expected. I could remember exactly where everything used to be. It looked a lot smaller than I remembered it. On that same road is a house my dad inherited from his grandad. He wanted me to check it out and take pictures to make sure it was doing okay. No one's lived there for over two years now (and I didn't have keys), so I didn't go inside.
After that Sam and I went to the Santee General Store and bought all sort of things. Firecrackers, boild peanuts (delicious!), a really strong ginger ale and some specialty hto sauce. Wwe had dinenr at Waffle House before hopping back on I-95 North. That town hasn't changed since the last time I've been there, for better or for worse. Lots of childhood memories there.
Speaking of which, Sam and I both relived horrendously corny childhood memoreis at South of the Border, that kitschy campy roadside abomination that everyone who has ever traveled down I-95 down there knows about. It was just as terrible and nonsensical as Sam and I remember. We bought dumb souvenirs, Sam took a photo of me riding a giant fiberglass jackalope, and we left for a Pilot truck stop where we slept.
At 4:30 am we ate a small breakfast and left there to head to the Manassas, VA area to pick up a bear costume from rapidtrabbit's sister's house. Then we came back to DE where I picked up a finished shirt printing job before coming home and sleeping and eating and showering. It's good to be back.
The next week and a half will be something of a planning period for me. I need to find a balance between MicroMascots and artwork and my Etsy shop, as well as the new business that I'm kind of putting together. And I also have another trip coming up in just under a month. Lots and lots and lots to do. But right now I'm going to make some rice pudding and relax for a bit. I'm still tired.
The convetion itself was okay, I guess. I remember it being a lot better the last time I went. The hotel's convention space was pretty nice, but I didn't like the hotel itself. The rooms were small, the bathrooms were tiny and you had to pay $13 a day for internet, so I went web-less for the weekend.
I spent most of my time in Artist's Alley selling inked cartoon sketches. I sold $70-worth, which was nice, but I didn't break even with the cost of going down there. Most people seemed to be more interested in fursuiting and/or getting drunk at that convention than actuall buying things, and I got that same feelign from a few artists/dealers that I talked to. I still had a decent time and don't regret going, but that part did kind of suck.
I don't think I'll be going to furry cons terribly often anymore. The pretending-to-be-an-animal-person aspect of the fandom doens't interest me anymore. I even made a Toon Jess badge to wear there! So other than the raves and selling art and maybe playing a couple of video games, there's nothing at cons that I want to do. If I can't make a decent amount of money while I'm there I feel it's not worth my money to go. I might try Anthrocon next year and see what happens. I've had good luck with their art show the past two years.
Sam and I left Atlanta at 12pm on Sunday. I had to make it to Santee, South Carolina before the sun went down. You can't visit a cemetery at night. I said hi to my grandad (my dad's dad) and my dad's sister and Sam and I poked around the small graveyard looking at some of the other headstone's dates. Three people were buried this year. A man and a woman with the same last name were in fairly fresh graves next to each other. I imagine they were a husband and wife who died in a car accident together. I also saw a baby's grave. It only lived for three months. I kind of imagine losing a baby is a bit easier as there are less memories of their life. But I could be wrong. I tied a friendship bracelet that someone at FWA to one of the handles of his grave cover, told him it hopefully won't take me 8 years to visit him again this time, and I left. I miss him.
Following that we went less than a mile up the street to where my grandad lived. He used to own a nursery (with plants), but I was sad to see that it's nothing more than a plot of overgrown gras with a broken-down gate. It's kind of what I expected. I could remember exactly where everything used to be. It looked a lot smaller than I remembered it. On that same road is a house my dad inherited from his grandad. He wanted me to check it out and take pictures to make sure it was doing okay. No one's lived there for over two years now (and I didn't have keys), so I didn't go inside.
After that Sam and I went to the Santee General Store and bought all sort of things. Firecrackers, boild peanuts (delicious!), a really strong ginger ale and some specialty hto sauce. Wwe had dinenr at Waffle House before hopping back on I-95 North. That town hasn't changed since the last time I've been there, for better or for worse. Lots of childhood memories there.
Speaking of which, Sam and I both relived horrendously corny childhood memoreis at South of the Border, that kitschy campy roadside abomination that everyone who has ever traveled down I-95 down there knows about. It was just as terrible and nonsensical as Sam and I remember. We bought dumb souvenirs, Sam took a photo of me riding a giant fiberglass jackalope, and we left for a Pilot truck stop where we slept.
At 4:30 am we ate a small breakfast and left there to head to the Manassas, VA area to pick up a bear costume from rapidtrabbit's sister's house. Then we came back to DE where I picked up a finished shirt printing job before coming home and sleeping and eating and showering. It's good to be back.
The next week and a half will be something of a planning period for me. I need to find a balance between MicroMascots and artwork and my Etsy shop, as well as the new business that I'm kind of putting together. And I also have another trip coming up in just under a month. Lots and lots and lots to do. But right now I'm going to make some rice pudding and relax for a bit. I'm still tired.