~TwistedWarrior

As always I wait a few days before making a statement. I typically have to digest some information and calm down from the hype that are events. Such that this year is nothing different. MFF was and is always a ton of fun for me. Despite all the events I attend and work, FurFest is my relax convention where I really just don't want to care about drama or responsibilities. Unfortunately that never seems to be the case.

Days before the convention I was striving to get some special assignments at work done, in fact prior to Thanksgiving. I work for a medical software vendor and one of our big shows was coming up, myself and my teammate needed to push ourselves to get a project done in time and unfortunately we didn't get where I wanted it to be. So I was striving to finish it up before leaving on vacation. We didn't get that either so the entire convention I was dreading my return to work and how everyone would react to our status. I was afraid as hell I'd come back to some sort of lecture or worse about it.

Then the flight to Chicago on Thursday came, where I was to for the first time EVER take public transit from my home to the airport. I hated it and never want to do it again, for $3.00 and 2 hours I admit the Bus and Light Rail did their job efficiently. Money was a big influence on this one. The flight to Chicago was uneventful and by 11AM Thursday morning I was checked into my room and wandering the hotel. I got to spend the day greeting people I knew as they came in as well as help the convention with little tasks when nothing else was going on.

Half my roommates didn't arrive until Friday morning (see 8AM knock on hotel door wake up.. and 8:30 room service knock when trying to fall back asleep).. and the other half works in Operations so needless to say I didn't feel like I was in a room full of "con party". Friday and Saturday both had the way of.. I don't have a show or panel to do so I am bored, I am wandering, I am going to just greet everyone I see. I got to spend time with my roommates occasionally but they were people I see ALL THE TIME. All I wanted to do was be a part of a larger group.

I don't remember much of the panels honestly, for some reason I couldn't sit still long enough to absorb an entire event. Even Gryphon, Kage, and their combined show.. the who's lion show.. too much light.. none of it I was able to just stay attached to. I just had to keep moving around. It was very odd year for me. I also happened to make amends with one friend only to piss off a different one. (to which note I say... I fucked up. And Boop.)

But then there was the chlorine incident. We've ALL talked about this to death and let me just cap what I was going though: My roommates and I was just laying down for bed, they had to leave early to fly back home. My head hits the pillow as the alarms go off. The whole time I'm watching, listening, trying to assist in any indirect fashion I can. My friends are my family and when the attack happened all I could do was signal out to EVERYONE and make sure people were safe, warm, sane, and in some lucky cases.. in the hotel next door getting some sleep.

Eventually we all got inside and everyone was so dead tired that the party was over. 5AM we all got to sleep. Sunday was as I think everyone felt it.. different. Most were waking up late or running on zero sleep what so ever. The con was over and everyone was trying to be in high spirits. My friends made it to their flights on time and home safely. Only a couple colleagues at work did the math about Chicago. My parents haven't. I'm okay with this.

Monday was a nice and amazingly relaxing day. Late checkout and let the mad rush of people leave, while I was calm and enjoying the company of locals departing. My flight departure wasn't until 5 so I ordered pizza with Bluefire (her flight was around 7) and sat around the lobby.

If I learned anything from this convention, is that I need to focus on who I'm rooming with. Half the convention I couldn't interact with them and the other half i didn't have a driving force to do so anyway. I was way too bored and while flying is an AMAZING stress relief, driving with a group of friends is what I think I prefer. I hope they identify the person(s) responsible for the chlorine incident and I sincerely hope they are not regular convention folk. I want to look back on our furry family and feel that it wasn't one of our own.

.. and the sneeze I just heard reminds me, I AM NOT SICK! While everyone else getting con crud I'm not! *hugs to everyone who is*...

All in all I look forward to next years MFF, and I hope that I can own up to whatever problems I have caused. Next Stop: Fur Squared? Hard to tell.. I want to but very busy time for work. They might be dragging me to Chicago instead.