So I'm now back from Furry Weekend Atlanta for a few days, and it's time to write up mah reports!

Thursday:
The trip there went smoothly, and boring as ever. Over 12 hours travel, but at least the airport in Atlanta was marginally less stressful this time round. :D Got to the Sheraton Gateway Hotel, this year's venue, and it was very impressive. The room was really comfortable with great facilities! Banrai and Kasan were my roomies again this year, and it was ace seeing them again. That evening was the fursuiters dinner at a BBQ restaurant, which was cheap and decent, then we did a bit of suiting. It was the first time I'd had a chance to wear my Korrok partial suit from Rose Quoll, which was meant to be ready for EF last summer...what a disappointment. Within 5 minutes the soles of the footpaws came off - yes, literally that fast with normal wear! - and the sizing was crappy...too big. I gave up on it. -_- Anyways, Beowulf didn't have a room for the night and 'Rai knew him, so he crashed on our floor for the night too. His arts were awesome.

Friday:
Got up at 8am and got down to the Artists Alley to get some cash! :O Well, actually, it was dead quiet on Friday. But regardless, I got to meet loads of lovely peoples again...commissioners and artists from last year. The lovely Teej gave me a WoW loot card to get a Tabard of Flame! :D I managed to commission Onyxwolf for a badge, traded with Animecat, commissioned sketches from Lizardbeth and Xian Jaguar. Chatted with Skulldog again, said hello to Ahkahna, met Jase again(lots of huggles! He is such a sweetheart!) and met the fabulous Badkittyamy...who called me sexy repeatedly. o_O She fangirled all over me and made me all happy-embarassed! ^^;;

Major highlight was running into LatinVixen and Lacy. LV had my new fursuit head finished! \o/ I had the bodysuit and everything with me anyway, but there was no preparing me for how wonderful the head looked. The new suit is an Ethiopian Wolf called Desta. Just...wow. The craftmanship on it is amazing. I cannot stress enough how great Mixed Candy are and LV was fab! I regret not being able to take more time to chat with her and Lacy this con, but I didn't seem to run across them much.

That evening we headed out to a place in Atlanta called the Cheesecake Factory. It was pretty upmarket. We did this magic thing that'd become a habit of the con and invited so many people that it turned into a huge dinner! :D I got to chat with Zim Gekko and met Tak, Growly, The Dragon Girl, Artslave and a load of others. The food was brilliant! I had chicken and biscuits, which amused the arse off of me for no apparent reason! :D There was a bit of room drama when we got back, and we sat in the hallway outside the room for a while. I met Crowe Basalt and ZOMG Westly, who was a couple of rooms down! \o/ It was awesome meeting him in real life. For all the (vast) amounts of drama we had, he was ace. Evol was also in the room across from us and she came out and handed me booze. :P I met Fishy Boner there, and she was lovely. Anjel dropped by to say hello as she arrived late. Other stuff probably happened but I recall little of it! I crashed quite early I think. Oh, and there was a broken vending machine down the hall which was giving us double drinks, we exploited the crap out of it.

Saturday:
Back to the Artist's Alley by 9am, and business was booming. Filled up my commission queue very fast. Room drama continued...but was fixed out. Hurray. The fursuit parade was at noon and I got to wear Desta for the first time: the reaction was fabulous. Saw loads of the lovely suiters from last year! <3 I couldn't possibly name them all, it'd take all day. There was much hugging though. ^^ It was good to be able to wear a really cute fursuit for a change, gave me more chance to be playful. There was an excellent turnout at the parade and afterwards I got some photos taken with LV and others outside. Got to snuggle with Oz Roo, he made me sit on him! :P All in all some fabulous suiting and it just makes me want to go over to more US cons!

Rest of the afternoon was occupied with furious artings and also we planned a dinner and invited lots of people. We went to a place me, Ravell Banrai and Kasan had visited last year - The Happy Buddah Chinese restaurant, across from the old con hotel. Super tasty food at super tasty prices! :D I think there were 20 of us and they seemed happy for the business. It took 7 of us crushing into Kasan's car to get there too. Westly, Crowe, Evol, Anjel, Lacrimas, Puppy, Exodite Dragon, Rikkanis were there...and lots more. It's 6am and namedropping is getting hard, hehe. Got to chat with Wes more which was cool and also Exo was a very nice guy in real life (not that I knew him particularly well online, right enough). Rikkanis was fab and hyperactive, and so remeniscent of Hammy from Over The Hedge it was insane.

Night times we got back and it was time to get OMFGWASTED. Went to Anjel's room party where there were loooaaaddss of peoples. I got vodka. The bed I was sitting on broke out into lesbian actions and Evol took a photo of her boobs on Banrai's camera. We got Rikkanis rat-arsed on Malibu, I saw murloc porn in Fishy's sketchbook, Anjel was doing lap dances...uhh...depraved? Us? Nevar! Anjel made me go fursuit for a while, but I had to call it a night after 40 minutes or something because I was a bit too drunk. After getting out of suit I went downstairs to find Banrai and Rikkanis. Rikkanis kept falling down in the elevator and we had to pick him up several times before dragging him back to Anjel's room. I gave him vodka to perk him up, and that was probably a bad idea, but eh! I would soon get angsty and have drunken conversations with Anjel and Seven before heading down to sleep in my room.

Sunday:
Up at 8am and down to the Artists' Alley where I worked my ass off all day. I got all but one of my commissions done! Got to sit with Westly most of the day and talk, he's great. Traded with Kamilya. Banrai had vanished as she wasn't feeling like being a slave to the wage. That night we headed off after extended goodbyes, Kasan's car broke down in a really bad area of Atlanta and we were being eyed up by so many cars full of gangstaz while we waited for AAA. A big scary southern guy was the truck driver and he insisted me and Banrai sit in the cab with him while the car was towed. Luckily my accent was too strong for him to understand me but he was asking if we liked Country music... >_> We got back fine anyway. Met Banrai's cats and fell in lurve with them. I could have left with a suitcase full! Crash time. Zzz.

Monday-Tuesday:
I was running out of cash so didn't do all that much. :P I went for a shopping spree at Hot Topic and spent all my con earnings (this is what made money run low!) on new trousers, 2 Panic At The Disco shirts, a new Horde shirt, some socks and stuff. Happy happy Korrok! Went to Cracker Barrel again (zomg love that place!) and got a plush opossum on the way out. Wandered the Asheville mall. Went out to dinner at a place called the Bier Garden in Asheville with Banrai's bro. Missed WoW and so bought Kasan a copy of the Burning Crusade so I could log in and check on my guild friends. Went to the Huddle House for greasy, greasy foods. :P And I slept, because I had begun to get a sore throat at the con and felt a bit dodgy.

Trip home:
Got to the airport again at around 1am on Wednesday, though my flight didn't leave till 5.50pm...unfortunately Kasan had his shifts changed suddenly on Tuesday and this was the time we had to leave. So that was a *fun* 17 hours sitting around the airport. Flight back to Amsterdam was 8 hours, and by this time my sore throat had become a chest cough and obvious chest infection. Got to Amsterdam, had a 2 hour wait, then got on the flight to Glasgow...only for it to be grounded within 10 minutes due to technical problems with the plane. O_o Another 2 hours in the airport that seemed to pass in a total haze as I was really ill by this time. But got home, got my doggies and now everything is cool. Except my chest infection. Breathing hurts a lot and I keep coughing, but I have antibiotics to treat it, hopefully that will help.

Randoms:
Now for the random stuffs that fits nowhere else!
- There were really scary things in the art show with what I dubbed "Scroteginas". You couldn't tell if they were scrotums or vaginas. No, really.
- Some dude threw himself down a flight of stairs after being kicked from Anjel's room party. This was apparently a suicide attempt, but seemed more like some stupid effort to draw attention to himself and punish people for not giving him more attention. He was very drunk. He has now become an internet furry legend dubbed "Tumbles the Stairdragon".
- I'm rather sad that a necklace of mine, which means a lot to me, went missing from our room during the con. It didn't come up in the lost and found. :/
- Someone (Grrrowly) actually said my voice was sexy! ^^ This has been a topic for a while about how my accent is, y'know, interesting or amusing, but never sexy. Now someone said it is I feel less crappy about it, hehe.

So happy to have met everyone and you were all fabulicious. I had a great time at FWA again this year. Hopefully I can arrange to get to another US con before next year, because I miss you all loads already. :)

I'll post the badges and sketches I received in the next few days. Maybe a few photos too. Keep an eye out for those.

Well, I hope you all had a great Christmas. :) And got presents! And foods! ^_^

Among other things, I got a 7ft long plush crocodile, a plush wolverine and plush American ringtail, a 19" LCD monitor, Lush goodies, books, Over The Hedge on DVD, and the usual assortment of socks and slippers and clothes. Dinner at my parents didn't go too badly, and I spent Boxing Day sleeping off all the social interaction. ;)

For New Year, I will be doing nothing special. Invites have been extended, but I can't really be bothered with it this year. I think I shall happily sit and home and ignore this one passing. It's just a date, after all. And the plans for what I'll do in the new year...well, they're more special. That's more where I want to put my focus mentally.

I'm finding myself confused by people all the time, but sometimes it's in such an interesting way. Somehow I get the feeling that what I'm learning all the time is an important life experience. And what's more, the end of this year has really shown the end of an era: the matters from the past couple of years are over. The past being left behind. People who hurt me, people who seemed to be important, now forgotten. It's strange to look back and consider how much things have changed!

And in a more trivial and physical sense, things have changed since my favourite clothes from the past two years no longer fit me, it's back into the jeans I never thought I'd see myself in ever again. ;)

So that's the last journal you'll read from me in 2006. Signing off, a different person from the one you knew at the start of the year.

"There are no...
Raindrops on roses and girls in white dresses,
It's sleeping with roaches and taking best guesses,
Shade of the sheets and before all the stains,
And a few more of your least favorite things..."
- Build God, Then We'll Talk (Panic! At The Disco)

1. What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before?
- Loads! Went to America.  Went to Germany.  Did furry cons.  Started playing a monthly subscription MMORPG. :P

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
- Resolved to lose weight.  And I have, though only in the last 3 months of the year.  Next year, I don't know.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
- Thankfully no.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
- Thankfully no.

5. What countries did you visit?
- The USA, Holland, Belgium, France, England, Germany.  Think that's it.

6. What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006?
- Self-confidence? That's a cop-out answer I guess.

7. What date from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
- No specific date, but the weekend of Furry Weekend Atlanta will always be special.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
- Artistic success at conventions I suppose, that's the tangible one.  Other less tangible things too.

9. What was your biggest failure?
- Let's not talk about that one.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
- Nothing major.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
- My Creative Zen

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
- Haha! No idea.

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
- Certain former friends of mine.

14. Where did most of your money go?
- Living costs, travelling & holidays, random shinies

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
- Going to the USA...going to meet friends from WoW...

16. What song will always remind you of 2006?
- "Good Enough" - Evanescence, and "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" by Panic! At The Disco

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
- i. happier or sadder? Sadder.
- ii. richer or poorer? About the same.

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
- Artwork, in the latter half of the year.  I gots lazy.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
- Wasting time dwelling on drama and situations that I now realise matter absolutely nothing.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
- For the first time since leaving home, I will brave the horrors of visiting my parents, rather than the other way around.

22. Did you fall in love in 2006?
- Yes.

23. How many one-night stands?
- None.

24. What was your favourite TV program?
- Little Britain, surely :) Oh! Or Hell's Kitchen.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
- Nope.

26. What was the best book you read?
- Probably the His Dark Materials trilogy.

27.What was your greatest musical discovery?
- Panic! At The Disco, go and listen to their album "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out".  First time I've really gotten excited about a new band in a lonnnggg time.

28. What did you want and get?
- An end to stupid furry internet dramas.

29. What did you want and not get?
- To meet up with a certain person I know from WoW.  Other stuff that I won't go into. 

30. What was your favourite film of this year?
- Silent Hill

30a. What was your favourite theatrical production of this year?
- Didn't go to any.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
- I was 22.  I went out for dinner and I raided with my guild. ^^

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
- *whince* Movingswiftlyon....

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?
- The usual Hot Topic stuff.

34. What kept you sane?
- I'm not sane! O_o I suppose World of Warcraft comes closest though.  My wonderful friends in my guild.

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
- I didn't.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?
- It was all depressing. 

37. Who did you miss?
- I miss the friends I met back in February.  Can't wait to see you all again.

38. Who was the best new person you met?
- I met LOADS of great new people in RL.  If we're talking people I didn't know at all before this year, I'd say Sharphorn and Rashgeito.

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.
- There were loads...not sure they'll stop me making mistakes in future though.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
- "Good Enough" - Evanescence. Doesn't sum it up so much as they're the most relevant.

I know it's very geeky and I'm somewhat doubting anyone will want to watch it, but.....

Unspeakable Villainy Down Rajaxx!

A video of my guild taking down Rajaxx, the second boss in AQ20! We only had 19 people again, and we're not that well kitted out on the whole,so it's a big achievement for us to do these things. :) That's the second time we've managed to do it, and hopefully there will be many more.

(It's worth loading at least for the Teamspeak soundbite at the start. You'll have no trouble picking me out of the voices...)

A very touching video, by Steve Irwin, about how he himself wanted to be remembered.

http://www.filecabi.net/video/steve-irwin14.html

I cried a bit at the end. The world has lost a truly *good* man.

I Am A: Chaotic Evil Human Ranger Thief


Alignment:
Chaotic Evil characters are the most 'evil' people out there. They are willing to do anything to get ahead, and will kill anyone who stands in their way. A chaotic evil person sees no value in order and governments, and believes to the utmost in the tenant that 'Might Makes Right'.


Race:
Humans are the 'average' race. They have the shortest life spans, and because of this, they tend to avoid the racial prejudices that other races are known for. They are also very curious and tend to live 'for the moment'.


Primary Class:
Rangers are the defenders of nature and the elements. They are in tune with the Earth, and work to keep it safe and healthy.


Secondary Class:
Thieves are the most roguish of the classes. They are sneaky and nimble-fingered, and have skills with traps and locks. While not all use these skills for burglary, that is a common occupation of this class.


Deity:
Talos is the Chaotic Evil god of storms, forest fires, earthquakes, tornadoes, and destruction in general. He is also known as the Destroyer. His followers fear him more than worship him, and they revel in the destructive fury of nature - while praying to be spared from its wrath. Talos's symbol is three lightning bolts, of different colors, coming from a central point.


Find out What D&D Character Are You?, courtesy ofNeppyMan (e-mail)





I usually come up as a half-elf ranger druid, and Neutral Evil. Bah! XD

For my RSS feed readers, go and look at all the smexy art people did for me, it's sitting here: http://korrok.greatestjournal.com/11052.html

Again, because I didn't want to kill your friends pages. But really, seriously worth a look. The artists are awesome.

Now! All the lovely, LOVELY arts which were done for me at Eurofurence! :)

( 10 Images - Sketches & Badges )

And that's it! I'm really glad I was able to do trades. I'm generally wayyy too shy to ask people for them, or I'd have done more (I desperately wanted to ask Khaosdog, for example). But thanks to all the people who drew for me, it's all awesome!

Auctioning off this piece of artwork. It will only be listed a maximum of 3 times, so if you're interested, go check it out now!

http://www.furbid.ws/cgi-bin/auction/item.pl?item=20966

Thanks!

I finally posted a con report, and you can see it here: http://www.greatestjournal.com/users/korrok/10102.html

I backdated it so it shouldn't kill your friends pages, as LJ cuts don't work with feeds. If it *is* killing your page, let me know so I can do something about it.

The big ol' EF con report! Let's get started. Though an advance warning: I'll not have scans of my badges and art just yet. Another couple of days for those, so I can make sure I have them all.



( Cut for your Viewing Pleasure )

Right, that's us off! See you next week. No answers to emails till then. ;)

Well, it's almost Eurofurence time! So, I thought I'd write up a little list of do and don'ts for encountering me, so as to avoid any misunderstanding or embarassment. And because these are fun.

Do -

- Come up to me and say hi, introduce yourself and chat a while. I'll be in the Dealer's Den, or you can spot me in fursuit as my green hyena fursona or Mightyena, possibly even Tagora the purple jackal.
- Talk to me about art, ask me about my art, discuss art. I'm always happy to speak with people about these things.
- Ask to hang out with me or ask me to come hang out. I'm always happy to get involved. Or if I'm busy, I'll tell you so, and it's not to be offensive.
- Come up and hug me in fursuit. Get pictures of me in fursuit. Get pics together in fursuit. Play with me in fursuit. When in suit, I'm interactive. :D
- Address me as Korrok or if you really prefer, Sarah. Korrok is better because it's unique and this is always good in groups! But if you want to, Sarah is fine, I just might look at you funny for a second as I realise you mean me.
- Ask me to repeat myself if you don't understand what I said. I have a strong Scottish (Glasgow) accent and talk a bit fast at times.
- Ask to art trade. I might not have time, but ask anyway!
- Get to know me. It doesn't matter what you've heard or what you think in advance, come and talk to me and make up your own mind (to whatever ends! :P)

Don't -

- Ask me for free art. I won't have the time, and it makes me uncomfortable.
- Harp on about any internet "drama" to me. Real people, real interactions please.
- Ask me to rate your art or critique it. I've had a lot of this recently. I don't like doing it, I'm no good at it, don't ask please.
- Take photos of me out of fursuit without asking. If you ask, I will rarely refuse (unless I'm just out of suit and red faced...or messy...lol).
- Get touchy-feely with me when I'm out of fursuit. It puts me on edge. I will hug or shake hands, but overall I'm somewhat standoffish physically.
- Stare at me blankly if you don't understand me! Ask! Please?
- Borrow, use, touch my stuff without asking. I'm possessive. I'm happy to share with good friends but otherwise...ask.
- Come on to Ravell, my fiance. I will get very angry very fast. Be warned!

And that's it! I'll want to meet everyone, talk to you, and generally be friends with everyone. Let's have fun. :) Lastly...a photograph, so you can recognise us. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0803/korrok/meandravell.jpg

See you there!

Korrok

I got accepted into Artvark! Yay!

My comments and critiques are here: http://artvark.us/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2214

I think they're very fair. I do have an issue with being too...erm...gentle with my contrast and shading, overall. I suppose timid. I'm always afraid of making it too deep, but I think I'm improving on that front, albeit gradually! As is my anatomy, although again...gradually. I don't think I picked the best pieces for my application but then I'm not that great at choosing for portfolios or the like. For example - a fair comment was about the expression on the first picture, and I really agree...but the serene smile was what the commissioner wanted. So in that respect, choosing something where I had the full input (and was fully to blame!) would have been a better idea I reckon.

All the same! I got in. It's made me really happy and it's a confidence boost, as well as really inciting me to work for better.

When it's up in the next few days, you'll be able to see my gallery here: http://artvark.us/Gallery/Korrok

In other news, I will definitely be posting off some stuff this week to the poor people who have been waiting for ages for it.

I'm stressed about my fursuit from Rose Quoll. I really, really need it in time for Eurofurence. I'm sure she'll pull through - she's experienced, after all - but it doesn't make it any easier to stop worrying frantically.

Well, people seemed really keen on the Shiba Inu sketch I uploaded yesterday. So, I'm doing a full coloured version of it!

Look out for it coming soon. ;)

Time for an update, methinks.

So, for the last 3 weeks Jon (King Parliament, Sixarmedwerewolf) had been staying with us. Although he's a friend, me and Ravell are somewhat disfunctional individuals and found it extremely stressful. That, combined with our lack of funds to go do "fun" things, meant that we agreed with Jon that he should spend the rest of his time in a hotel in Glasgow. It's definitely been for the best. :) I'm feeling more relaxed already.

So that was yesterday night. I can safely say that already I'm over 50% back on track with my art commissions. Sketches are being done! Inking has occured! Huzzah!

So the plans for the next couple of weeks are catch up for me and Ravell on work that needed done, from gardening to housework to arts to Ravell's college work. And not going out much, because money must be saved for Eurofurence. On the subject of which, I'm having an immensely hard time contacting Eisbaer, the person in charge of the dealer's room at EF. I have been trying to get confirmation of my dealer's table booking for over a month...I don't want to keep emailing and emailing, but I get the read receipts. What am I to do?

After my current lot of commissions, EF art will take priority anyway. There will be a hiatus (omgilovethatword) of a few weeks where all I do is EF arts...where I find the inspiration I don't know, but I'll need to!

And to wrap up, I have the best pajamas ever. They're a t-shirt and shorts set, the shorts have loads of realistic looking wolf cubs printed on with lavendar and "leader of the pack" scrolled, and the t-shirt has three cute wolf cubs and "leader of the pack" printed under them. Love them to bits!

I've tried to make it so that a picture post doesn't spam your RSS feeds. So click here to go and see!

http://www.greatestjournal.com/users/korrok/8070.html

And if it doesn't work, and you get spammed anyway...I tried. ;P

So where have I been for the past while?

BUSY, ohso BUSY.

But one of the nice parts that's happened was the visit of Simon - siserval - from London to see me, Ravell, and Jon (who is staying here for the month of July from California). The plan was for fursuiting, and fursuiting we did. The night before we also had delicious Indian foods with Kelpie and Dask, too.

But yeah, I figured I should post some of our pictures. We originally planned to go suiting at Stirling Castle, but when we arrived it was heaving busy, so instead we thought to try the monument to William Wallace which has a view of the castle anyway. Over to the Wallace Monument...and it's up a great hill, which in the heat would have meant death to fursuiters. Instead, we headed back down towards Glasgow via the scenic route - in other words, back towards my home town of Lennoxtown, oh the nostalgia! We stopped at the Carron Valley and hiked out to the water for some pictures, taken masterfully by Jon. It was slightly creepy that as I was climbing into my fursuit (from vest and shorts) an MPV containing a large Indian family stopped by the side of the road to watch through the trees. Ahem. Ravell, Simon and Jon had already done a runner by this point, and I was left blushing as they gave me a round of applause once the head was on. >_> Eventually they passed their youngest kid over to get photos taken, and asked when it'd be on TV....Mmmyes.

After the Carron photoshoot, we went into Glasgow where we met up with Padfoot and Kat, and did a bit of suiting on Glasgow Green. Entertaining, till the park ranger fella came by to tell us it was a breach of the data protection act to take photographs in a park. Fucktard! Mainly because of his stupidity, I felt the need to make life a bit difficult for him by doing the old "asking for the name and a phone number to complain" thingie. Yes, from my fursuit. He got flustered because he didn't have an argument as to why we should leave - or have any grounds in which it was actually legally enforcable, I must add. But he was a tool, so I don't feel bad in making his job just that little bit more difficult. So yes...we left, which was okay since we needed to emerge from the sweltering heat of the fursuits anyway. Happily, we got all our good photos anyway - score. ;P

That night, there was dinner and laughs at China Buffet King. And the next day, Simon departed us. But I think a good time was had by all.

( And so, here are a few of the pictures for you to peruse, featuring Mightyena, Pup and Ravell )

Thanks so much to Simon for bringing Pup to visit us, and Jon for taking the photos! :)

Soon I should have my completed suit by Rose Quoll too - so keep an eye out for photos of that coming soon!

To the RSS feed people - you won't see this, because I didn't want to spam your pages. So there.

Yay!

Yesterday, Ravell bought me a Nintendo DS Lite with Phoenix Wright: Ace Attoerny and Trauma Center: Under the Knife (I've also subsequently ordered Tetris DS). I had been pricing one up, but he insisted I got one. :) Sweet wolfcakes.

We also met up with Alistair, Ross, Ian, Sioban and Scott in Glasgow yesterday. We had a wander around, and I ran into Stuart Kane (old friend) for the first time in a couple of years. We chatted and exchanged numbers, turns out he's moving to Hamilton too. It was great meeting the others too, after knowing Alistair and Sioban (therealeggman and Little Blue Wolf) online for some time. Hopefully we'll get to meet up again at some point.

I'm finally moving on arts again, slowly but surely. I should manage to clear my list off before too long. Fingers and knees crossed, ladies and gents.

(Click here to post your own answers for this meme.)

✓ I miss somebody right now.  (I miss the friends I've not seen in too long)	× I don't watch much TV these days.	✓ I own lots of books.
× I wear glasses or contact lenses.	✓ I love to play video games.	× I've tried marijuana.
✓ I've watched porn movies.	× I have been the psycho-ex in a past relationship.	✓ I believe honesty is usually the best policy.
✓ I curse sometimes.  (Alltimes)	✓ I have changed a lot mentally over the last year.	× I carry my knife/razor everywhere with me.  (Umm...that's illegal here in the UK?)

( it goes on... )

It'sa it'sa it'san entry about my weekend.

On Friday, Jon, aka Six Armed Werewolf, aka King Parliament, arrived for his holiday chez HyenaWolf. Since he'd had a long flight - and I had a drive over to the airport to pick him up with my parents, which felt like an eternity of wee goblins beating the crap out of my brain - we vegged out for most of the day before heading off to see the new Pirates of the Carribbean at the Hamilton cinema. It was good, somehow not as lovable as the first film though, and it's kinda annoying that it's only the first of two parts. Wish I'd known that before going to see it.

Saturday, we were meeting up with Padfoot in Glasgow in the early afternoon, but as there wasn't much to do, I had the bright idea that we should go to the pub and get pissed in the afternoon, simply because I'd never done it before. So after a bit of Japanese food at Ichiban, we took a walk up to our official local, The Phoenix. Formerly Glasgow's only non-smoking pub, but since the smoking ban, it's just a pub. But they still get our luffs. Oh yes. So we plopped ourselves down in a booth and took to the vodka, and for the first time in literally years, I got properly smashed. Pad and me are utter lightweights, but that just means it's cheaper for us. ;P We were on the vodka and orange with delicious flavoured vodka shooters on the side. By 4pm, we were fabulously pissed. Jon took slightly longer, but he got pissed too. We managed to scare a big table o' normal people away, mostly because of Jon shouting "I'm an American! I'm an American! Bomb 'em! Bomb 'em! It's fur mah FREEDOM! Bomb 'em! I'm an American!" to which Pad and I were in drunken hysterics. There were hats, and hats were worn. Generally, there was merriment. And when we knew Ravell was arriving soon to pick us up and whisk us home (around...9pm?) we took a stagger to George Square where we lay on the wet grass in the rain, laughing at nothing. Pad communed with the trees, and told us how they felt. Then she tried to show Jon history. :D There was a hat though, an army hat for the hyena. Then Ravell appeared from nowhere and after saying our goodbyes back in the Phoenix, Pad headed onto the bus and Ravell took us back to Hamilton to relax from our day of hilarity. So...can you tell it was absolutely fantastic? It's the best time I've had in ages. And despite the stigma, I have realised that afternoon boozing is good - for people like us who barely ever drink, that is. There's none of the danger of being out at night (harassment by other...less merry...drunks, difficult transport), the pub is quieter which is nice for we socially phobic buggers, and we can have a good time with less of the worry. So there. We must do it again.

Sunday = recovery from the not much of a hangover (I guess it does pay not to mix your drinks, I usually go with something different every time, but conciously stuck to just 2 this time) and laziness. To celebrate the end of the Formula Student project that Ravell's been working on for the past year, we went out for food at Nando's Piri-Piri. It was interesting, tasty and cheap. And also empty because of the World Cup finals...

So this week, we have a bunch of activities to partake in, foremost in my mind right now is getting some shopping in, though. I think we are supposed to meet up with Pad again at the weekend. I hope so! :D I miss Kelpie, though. I want to see he and Dask again.

Fears Meme

If you get more than 30 you're paranoid. (Or so the meme says)

I fear...23 things on this list

[x] the dark
[ ] staying single forever (I've never been single since I was 15...)
[x] being a parent
[ ] being myself in front of others
[ ] open spaces
[ ] closed spaces
[x] heights
[ ] cats
[ ] dogs
[ ] birds
[x] spiders and/or other insects
[ ] driving or being in cars
[ ] flying
[ ] flowers or other plants
[ ] being touched
[x] fire
[ ] deep water
[ ] the ocean
[x] failure
[ ] success
[ ] germs
[ ] thunder/lightning
[ ] frogs/toads
[ ] mice/rats
[x] jumping from high places
[ ] snow
[ ] rain
[ ] wind
[ ] cotton balls
[ ] cemeteries
[x] clowns
[x] large crowds
[ ] crossing bridges
[x] death
[ ] Heaven
[x] being robbed
[ ] men
[ ] women
[ ] having great responsibility
[x] Doctors including dentists
[x] tornadoes
[x] hurricanes
[x] diseases
[ ] snakes
[ ] sharks
[ ] Friday the 13th
[x] poverty
[ ] ghosts
[ ] Halloween
[x] school
[ ] trains or railroads
[ ] odd numbers
[ ] even numbers
[x] being alone
[x] being blind
[x] being deaf
[ ] growing up
[ ] monsters under my bed
[x] creepy noises in the night
[x] bee stings
[ ] not accomplishing my dreams/goals
[x] needles
[ ] blood

Re post saying: "I FEAR ___ ... out of 66 things

RULES: List 10 things about your art and post it in your journal.

1.) I used to draw a LOT when I was a child, up till the age of about 10, though never anything like seriously or learning anything.  I drew mostly wolves and foxes, and lots of gore.  It really disturbs me when I remember some of the sick and twisted things I used to draw back then.

2.) I started drawing again in very late 2003, because I was going to a were meet in Glasgow and there was an art exchange going on.  I continued drawing after that exchange because I wanted to fit in. XD

3.) When I first started drawing, I absolutely *idolised* my friend Padfoot.  It's because of her that I've gotten this far.

4.) I don't do digital art.  It gives me a headache.

5.) My fursona is a hyena, but I find hyenas really bloody difficult to draw and get right.  I'm better at so many things than hyenas.

6.) Background composition is the scariest thing for me.

7.) I have no idea how to improve my human body anatomy.  I just use lots of reference photographs and pose myself as well to help.

8.) When I'm drawing an expression, I always end up pulling the same face in real life.  Like a snarl, or a big grin.  I must look like a total twat!

9.) I know that I'm much better at just animal art than anthro art.  But the reason I keep going with anthro stuff is that it's fun and challenging in so many ways, where animal realism gets repetitive and boring.

10.) I'll never be happy with my art.  The happiest I can get is if I can keep improving.  But I'd be happy if I could draw like as Kaji or Kyoht or something! =P

I found out who is assessing my application for ArtVark - Xian Jaguar.

This is interesting since she's the only one of the potential reviewers that I know. I believe she'll be fair and impartial in her judgement, although I know that over the drama between me and Westly she was obviously a bit...erm...well, her opinion of me was "tarnished", shall we say? But I actually don't think it'll matter. I've seen enough of her presence online to make me think she'll do her job.

Do I think I'll get in? Erf. No comment. Hey, no one said confidence was a prerequisite! =P

This is just a quick note about the RSS feed here. I posted it before, but as things weren't working right then (I know why, boring story, but it's sorted!), it didn't load to your LJ friends' lists. So here we are:

"Firstly, thanks to those people who came along to watch this journal.Though I have to admit, since I don't know exactly *who* is watching it, it makes me paranoid that there are psycho stalkers. XD I don'tsuppose it matters, because they're only getting ze public stuff.

Now:a little explanation for you - if you want me to be able to reply tocomments, you have to click over to the actual entry and leave them there (you can do it anon if you want to sign the bottom, or you canuse OpenID with your LJ account - yays). I can't reply to the ones youmake on LJ - but I will read them. :)"

I actually can reply to LJ ones, but only if I use Ravell's account, which is of course ravellwolf, but I'd rather not do that as he disliikes having his email filled with my comments. ;P

Another quick thing I wanted to say was thanks for the support about ArtVark. I really, really appreciate it. *hugs*

I've had this crazy-cool idea for an aardwolf fursuit that I've set my mind on now. Add this to the fact I'm currently saving for the deposit on an Ethiopian wolf fursuit head which I want to have made by Mixed Candy! But it's a really fab design, I have it in my mind and will need to set it to paper later on.

Finally, Over The Hedge has been released here in the UK. Tonight Ravell and I will be off to the cinema to view cute animal goodness. :)

My contest on deviantArt ended today, and over the past week I took it upon myself to choose a winner (there have been no more recent entries anyway). I'm going to leave it till tomorrow to officially announce the contest "closed", so that any US-people who were wanting to submit something on the last day can have a chance to do so.

I feel the need to publicly add that my commissions are currently a bit delayed, probably by around 2 weeks. Current circumstances here are that I'm really very stressed out by Ravell's constant work on his university end of year project (Formula SAE, for those who know or care) and it's making it very difficult to concentrate on working. I've been tempted to just commit something to paper for those who are waiting, but I'm not going half-arsed, I can't stand it when people do it to me. I probably shouldn't stress myself out too much, because I still take far less time than almost any other artist I know of, but I pride myself on maintaining a high level of customer service and a professional timeframe. *sigh*

I'll be taking a bit of a break from commissions for some of the summer. But probably not as much of a break as I should, as you can guess by the first paragraph. XD

Well today I happened to look over at ArtVark and the applications were actually open for a change, which was a shocker. And so, I decided I'd apply. Now, those of you unfamiliar with ArtVark, it's an art gallery along the same lines as Yerf. All applications are stringently moderated and only the-best-of-the-best-of-the-best-SIR are allowed on. Or something along those lines. Basically, the idea is - dunno if it works in practice - that only "quality" art is allowed on. So yeah...this may be a really bad move for my self-esteem, but I'll worry about that later, mwahaha. I'm quite interested in what they'll say.

In other news, I encourage everyone I know to go and sign up to World of Warcrack. It rules all. It pees all over Guild Wars. And you need it like you need air, seriously.

I've reserved a dealer's table at Eurofurence this year. :D

I'm thinking of getting a few prints made, since I've had my first requests for them...

I got accepted on the Rockabilly Furs portfolio! I'm so proud! :D

You can see here for info: http://community.livejournal.com/rockabillyfur

Went out with Padfoot yesterday to see the Glasgow School of Art degree show and do some shopping in town. Bought World of Warcraft so that I could get full access to the game beyond the trial period. Got some food, overall had a great day.

I have a bunch of art to get done, but I'm procrastinating badly at the moment...

Firstly, thanks to those people who came along to watch this journal. Though I have to admit, since I don't know exactly *who* is watching it, it makes me paranoid that there are psycho stalkers. XD I don't suppose it matters, because they're only getting ze public stuff.

Now: a little explanation for you - if you want me to be able to reply to comments, you have to click over to the actual entry and leave them there (you can do it anon if you want to sign the bottom, or you can use OpenID with your LJ account - yays). I can't reply to the ones you make on LJ - but I will read them. :) Aaaand also sorry if you got spammed when you added the feed, I don't know exactly how it works, but I hear some people have had difficulties lately.

So yeah - what I'm actually updating about is that when I spoke to my dad yesterday, he told me that his best friend Gordon had been in a motorbike accident. Gordon had recently went and bought a brand new Triumph Rocket III since my dad got one last year (personally, I think the Valkyrie was much better) and a couple of days ago, managed to have a head-on collision with a Golf GTI. Apparently he was driving at the back of Bishopbriggs and thought he could see *just fine*, so swung onto the wrong side of the road to take a corner! In the process, he wrote off (US people: FUCKING MANGLED beyond repair) the Rocket III and the car he smashed into, as well as breaking his shoulders, ribs, arms, leg and a bunch more stuff I didn't see fit to remember. :P

But the thing is, why the hell was he driving like that? He's almost 50. I just feel incredulous that he did something so irresponsible, and endangering to himself and others. Admittedly mostly himself - the car driver wasn't hurt - but all the same, at that age, he should know better. Just goes to show how when you hear someone nag on about how they have "over 30 years of experience driving" (which Gordon had) it doesn't mean they're any good at it. I'm glad that Gordon is okay - he's out of hospital and in no *mortal* danger - but I hope he realises what an ass he was.

So! Yesh. Today I'm off out to meet up with Pad in Glasgow so we can go snob around at the Glasgow School of Art degree show, and have some luncheon. I have commissions to attack, and World of Warcraft is calling my name out very loudly indeed...

To my former LJ watchers!

You can now add this blog to your reading list:

http://syndicated.livejournal.com/spottygreenblog/

So do it! :D

So, what have I been up to recently? Three words, three words.

WORLD OF WARCRAFT.

Thanks to my friend Selene, I am consumed by the wonders of WoW. If you want my names/servers, just ask. :D I'm technically still on my trial but so so so subscribing. WoW is love, addictive, time consuming love.

Other than that! I have a big ol' commission queue to work on, though it WILL be a little delayed (sorry) because I have a short period of artistic meditation to do. Well, it's not really meditation or soul searching, but that sounds better than "sitting around and considering hard". I want to improve my drawing of anatomy, and I'm going to. But how? I don't know. But I must, for me to be happy with anything else I draw in the near future. So...yeah. Answers on the back of a postcard to Korrok (at) The Internets (dot) Blah!

My hayfever kicked in today. Sucky.

Apart from arts, lately things have been quiet. I've been working on my commissions, which are facilitated by the fact I've now got a whole host of new Prisma markers to help with my work. I keep a queue on deviantArt if anyone's interested. All my uploads go to VCL, some to dA and FA. I think my art is still improving, I'm working on backgrounds more, and all that jazz. I'll be at EF selling my work and entered in the art show, which is going to be scary. I need to do a lot more work between now and then.

I'm seriously considering going to MFF as well - it's in November, which is mine and Ravell's birthday month and very affordable. I'd be able to see friends again, and meet new ones. I'm going to make a full decision by August/September. Is there any reason *not* to go, I wonder?

I was going to write more of an update here, but it feels so impersonal. Sigh. I reckon I'll just make this an art journal type thing. Unless a bunch of you are willing to convert, in which case, COME ON BOARD. :P

Oh, and last night we visited with Luwana and Paul, watched FFVII Advent Children again, and reignited my Reno-fetish. LUFF.

We got back from Holland on Sunday, and it was a really productive trip. Ravell's dad has helped us a lot with our finances by giving us money to buy a new car (Ravell's looking at a Nissan Primera, or my suggestion is another VW Golf) and also paying off my 2 credit cards completely. Plus some more things with helping with car MOTs, tax and servicing, it's all good and bright on the hyena-wolf money horizon.

More good news: Ravell had his pre-vasectomy appointment and we had no trouble getting him the op despite our age - because the nurse was also childfree. Wh00t!

Finally, I'm behind on arts because my period knocked me for six this month and made me a grumpy lethargic bitch, or at least more so than normal. XD I've not managed to get anything done this week. o__o Sorry commissioners, I'll be back in shape as of Monday, pwomise...

Well, in a few hours we're off to that old Land of Hol to see Ravell's parents. We've not seen them since November, and thus it was about time we actually organised something again. I don't thing Ravell exactly misses his parents that strongly...but there's still something there, obviously.

And so, we'll be over in Holland for two weeks, enjoying their hospitality, taking a break, and all that jazz.

I was hoping we might be able to go to Six Flags/Walibiworld again, but it's actually closed till mid-April. Which sucks. Instead we might go to the indoor ski place, or just hang out with Erik and go to our fave places (little Cafe in Papendrecht...ahh memories...). I dunno. Amersfoort Zoo again would be awesome...*hyenaluv*

Well I'm gonna head off, pack up the last of our junk and brace myself for the horrors of the airport. See you in 2 weeks! :P

Things are going so f'ing FABULOUS at the moment. Things are at their best in months for us, and all thanks to starting on those con badge commissions. Yes, really!

They seem to have upped the exposure of my art to no end. At FWA, they were really popular and I had loads of positive comments. More than that, ever since starting to do them, I've had a whole ton of other commission requests (including from people who got badges then went on to buy more). I'm turning people *away* now. Woah. Just woah.

I've paid 50% of my next fursuit commission (a partial, right enough, so just under $700 is the full price) from commissioned work alone, I bought our FWA registrations from commissions, and of course Ravell's Valentine's gifts from commissions. Plus other bits and pieces, like CDs off eBay.

I just need to find time to fit in original art amongst all this so that I can put it in the art show at my next con...:D Serenity is the first piece, and I have a graphite wolf, I may also sell one or two older arts. But I want another 2 watercolour/coloured pencil images also. I considered making other fox species to accompany Serenity (an arctic and a fennec, perhaps) but I'll need to see. More sketching needed to find something I'll be happy with.

Well, no time for teh internets then. Off to work! :P

My Personal Dna Report

FWA 06 - my very first furry convention! It's going to be difficult to update on everything. But I don't need to worry about cutting, BOOYAH!

Thursday:
Left for the airport at around 3am, Ravell having finished up his fursuit, oh, 5 minutes earlier? The flight to Amsterdam left at 6am, and then it was on to Atlanta. First half of the flight to Atlanta was really iffy as Ravell and I were sat at different ends of the plane, but in the second half we got to switch and were together for the rest. The food was good, but it was sore and cramped to be stuck on a plane for around 10 hours. The airport was really tiring though, it was huge and stressful though immigration could have been much worse. Oh, and there was no FBI waiting to drag me away in handcuffs, LAWLZ. Got to the hotel and after a bit of problem with front desk we got to go and flomp for the afternoon. BUT FIRST! Ravell picked up my Valentine's gift from front desk, where it had been delivered to save shipping internationally. :D And it was SO DAMN GORGEOUS I just need to show you all a photo that doesn't do it even slight justice.



It's made by FireEyes of Tailchaser Sushi, and I love it!

Later on, around 9pm, Banrai and Kasan arrived at the room. Our first meeting - and they are FAB. We would later find that the two of them are our scary American counterparts! Banrai = me, Kasan = Ravell. We bought in food from room service and it was all good, we got to meet Evol and hang a bit with BattyVitae. Did a badge for Vitae, and then got sleeps in time for the early start of Friday.

Friday:
We went to Waffle House for breakfast! TOO COOL! It was so...American. The food was ace, regardless of what others said, and we got to try grits. They are fabulous. NOMNOMNOM! Later on, I did some fursuiting in Mightyena then set up in the Artist's Alley, where I got to meet lots more cool people. It was all so new and squee-tastic. I couldn't believe how much fun it was! We went along to the fursuit dance for a while later on, did the opening ceremony and all that jazz. I commissioned a badge from Dark Natasha. At night, we went for food at the Happy Buddah Chinese restaurant, after which we were pretty much exhausted. Early night time. Snooooze.

Saturday:
Off to the Artist's Alley! Much work was afoot! My commission queue filled up after just 3 hours of being open! I took a break for the fursuit parade, where I got to meet Lacy for the first time and of course romp around in suit for a bit. Lacy is such a lovely person, and it was great to see more of her work - her new suit Violet is just absolutely gorgeous. After the parade it was back to the grind of artness - and I had a short wangsty time where I felt all iffy and paranoid, but it passed. I met a whole bunch of people like Magpuppie (Narcissima), Wraith Dragon, Khir Moonclaw, Joecifur, and many more. I'm sure I'll forget to name people. :( Wraith Dragon commissioned an UBER con badge from me, the size of a sheet of A4 cardstock! It was tons of work, but it came out looking incredible (if I do say so myself). Considering that it was my first reptilian dragon. He was so nice about it, I was just on a total happy-high at his reaction and that of others! I couldn't believe how successful things went for the arts. It was definitely worth being tied to my table the whole day!

Later on, Anjel Kitty arrived at the con with her mate Puppy and two friends. We went to a Cajun restaurant that they chose, but Ravell and I were taken aback to find that most of the menu was alligator. I got really upset but tried not to show it - crocs and gators are some of my favourite animals and I felt really heartbroken. I stifled my little weepy fit and tried to keep my chin up and not show it. Anjel and her friends had ordered alligator bites. :( It was extremely awkward. I had pork chops and Ravell had a burger but we didn't have much of an appetite by that time. Ravell got to drive home from the restaurant though sadly he was very sick when he got back, vomiting a good bit. I managed to go down and see Anjel for about a half hour though before Ravell had to be taken care of, and she presented me with a king cake! It was extremely tasty-good, though unfortunately Ravell never got to try it. When he was feeling a bit better later on, Banrai and I got to go downstairs for a wander and we got a bit too drunk. We were going to do drunken sketches for $5 each but decided against it. :P

Sunday:
Ravell was feeling a bit better that morning, and he went out to the fursuit panels. I went down to the Artist's Alley for about an hour before I had to run off and vomit. The Cajun revenge! >.< I had to get Ravell out of the fursuit panel to come and take me to the room and tuck me into bed for a lot of rest. I was really ill for hours, and wayyy too pukey. Sadly I hadn't had time to get a photoshoot with Lacy of our Mightyenas by that point, and determined to have it done, sent Ravell to ask Lacy if she was still up for it. She was, and this perked me up to no end! An hour later we went and did the photoshoot, and Lacy stayed for a chat. I was over the moon and felt tons better - even if I'd to excuse myself to go and be sick in our room afterwards. I still needed a bit of rest though, and proceeded to recover fully before we headed off for dinner at Cracker Barrel! It was amazing, I got to try cornbread and stuff. Cornbread is a huge favourite though. The food was tasty although we were a bit late and they didn't have some things. Just means I need to go back next time without fail.

After dinner, we drove around for hours looking for a Wal-Mart, since Ravell and I hadn't been to one before. :P It took ages but we finally got one. It was shocking how much stuff they have, and I loved it, even though it disturbed me greatly that they had a guns, ammo and hunting section. I'm happier with the UK where hunting is massively politically incorrect. As it should be!

Monday:
Time to go hooooooooooome! >.< Nuuuu. It was so sad. The fact we won't see Banrai or Kasan again for....umm...christknowshowlong was just weird. The fact that they, and our other new pals, live on the other side of the world is so weird! u.u

The journey started again at 11am, and after a bit of shit in Atlanta airport from the woman at the check-in desk (she objected to our hand luggage, even though it was perfectly within limits, just cos it was the suit heads. Cow.) everything went smoothly as we went back home via Detroit and Amsterdam. Airports were stress incarnate, as is to be expected, but meh. At least the transatlantic flight was cool because we all had the business-class facilities with the personal video screens and a large selection of movies/games/albums at our disposal. Ravell just had to watch The Lion King on the way home...typical furriness.

Tuesday:
Buhhh....what? It was Monday, it's now Tuesday? WTFwheredidthedaygo?! Back in Glasgow, Kelpie was coming to collect us and Dask was of course with him - our first meeting. We went to have some drinks at Glasgow Fort but sadly it's all a bit blurry from there on in, I left my mobile phone in the coffee shop (got it back today luckily), I fell asleep, we picked up the dogs. Merf.

The internet pissed me off royally on our return home. I logged in and the amount of drama was appauling. I swiftly switched it off in disdain.

And so....much sleep and the rest is all blurry till very recently when I had a nice bath. And I've seen all the cool photos. Photo spammage is coming up, oh yes.

Random:
I have no idea where this fits in anymore, soooo, yeah...
- Envied Banrai's Mix t-shirt! He's apparently cool. I'll take 'Rai and Rav's words for it. :P
- Got con badges from Akhana, Vitae and Basalt!
- Decided I love penis!
- Gave a sound clip for a website I can't remember! Because they thought I had a cool accent!
- Ate food from Arby's! We need one of those here in the UK, they pwn McDonald's!
- Chatted with Animecat, who was lovely.
- Petted a huge Ball Python who was amazingly cute!
- Got a Scotland flag paw pin!
- Got the weird little plastic baby from the king cake!
- Fed Americans tablet and Irn Bru!
- Wielded glowsticks! But Kasan was the best at using them!
- Joined in a furpile! (not the unf unf unf type...)
- Didn't get to hug Banshee's fursuit. Damn. It's one of my favourites. *must go stalk bloo husky*

So now, the photo spammage. You want to see them. Oh yes you do.

( Con Badges! )

( Photos! )

Well, I think that's been pretty complete. To summarise - it was one of the most fun weekends of my life! And I want to go back. Thankyou to you ALL for making the weekend so special for me and Ravell, it's been amazing.

This thing I appear to be online - it just isn't me. I'm not what I seem to be. In a way, none of you know me. You think you do...but you don't.

I am grossly misrepresenting myself, and it has to change. But can the real me ever be expressed on the internet? That's the trouble. I don't know how to be myself in words alone. But then other people don't seem too good at that either.

I'm just exhibiting the worst of myself on a daily basis.

I just can't be fucked with people right now. I'm not interested on Livejournal, I don't want to read any of it, I just don't want to know.

I might make this deletion permenent. I don't know yet.

I'm feeling ill, weepy and depressed and I do not need any of this shit.