Valleydoge

So I am aware I've been neglecting Valleydog  and Project CanisVulpes as of late, so I figured I'd give a bit of low down of  what has been going on behind the scenes:

• So yeah, I obviously did not meet the Rainfurrest deadline (which has in turn caused some depression, but I digress). 
• I did work on two scripts and performed two read-throughs. Said scripts have and are undergoing rewriting. 
• So far after some brainstorming and conceptualization, I have at least 6 episodes lined up. Now to convert into scripts
• I am working on character models slowly, as well as redoing the existing cast. Some subtle, others drastic. 
• I am hoping to have significant progress come the new year. 

Thank you for your patience, the seven of you who pay attention to this. This is seriously a major dream of mine and am willing to persue as much as I possibly can and then some.

Hasta Marfle!

Headed For the Hills

Spent the weekend up in Sacramento. Family time, but much needed vacation you might say?

Scenery porn be abound, so do enjoy the pictures, which will say a thousand words.

Side note: I tried a Starbucks secret menu item - "White Cinnamon Chai" - the other day. $5.50 for what can be best described as drinking a liquified cinnamon roll, frosting and all. Delectable diabetic dessert in a cup.

Departed San Jose Diridon one early Friday morning in what may be the quickest wake up process I've done for a vacation - up off the bed and out the door in roughly 30 minutes, meal and all, not leaving a thing behind (okay, maybe deodorant).

Met up with a fox upon arriving in Sacramento around noon time, and had some fun through the afternoon with him before taking the SacRT's Light Rail to Folsom around four.

and waiting...

and waiting...

for a good half hour past 5pm before the train arrived (which apparently had tech issues). I'd make a comment on the service, but that's another topic. tl;dr I'm spoiled by San Jose's more reliable and frequent VTA in comparison.

A good hour later I had arrived at Folsom proper to some trick-or-treating event, had what may be the best sushi dinner before spending time with family.

 Woke up on Saturday around 6.. no 8 am (seriously, these shorter days are getting to me). I snoozed, having surreal dreams until 10 am to some hearty take-out diner breakfast while bonding and catching up on Doctor Who (those 2D people... freaky).

Went out for hiking by Folsom's old powerhouse around noon.

That thing is a work of beauty. For something of a prototype, that they delivered a fraction of what now the dry Folsom lake delivers but then was surplus is quite impressive.

Plus, I have a thing for early 20th century architecture.

 

May have still been fresh from Doctor Whoathon, 

but why do I feel like an alien is just around the corner here?

Charmingly quaint.

Also  did some hiking to the water of Lake Natoma/American river. For being  in an urban area (okay, suburban, but still, sprawl), it's a nice little break of nature. 

Given the current drought, I'm surprised that said lake still has water (then again being directly below the dry lake kinda helps).

 Almost like something out of a Thomas Kinkade painting... 

...only less houses engulfed in flames

Later went up the foothills to El Dorado, for, like, fancy shopping. Got a fairly a good view of the expanse of sprawl. Living in the Bay Area for a couple of years can make you forget that open spaces are actually a thing.

Got lunch and groceries at Nugget, a fancy market chain in Sacramento area (that I dearly miss when living here) that can be best described as a Whole Food's decor and selection with small town service and reasonable prices.

You pretty much get a wide variety of foods and brands... like, say, this: 

The rest of the day was fairly casual and low-key, and nothing to write home about beyond further Elevations brainstorming. This lead to me pondering my own morals, feeling for the characters, with a lack of trust amongst friends followed by ambiguity thereof, and lying/bending truths to maintain a friendship. 

But it's fiction, mostly. Well, no explosions, reality-bending coyotes, and walking antennas... we hope.

Woke up on Sunday to a lazy start at 8am again and homecooked breakfast. Watched over a hyperactive sister (and wanted to show her Sailor Moon, given her love of pretending to fight monsters, but the dubs were since removed from Hulu, boo) before rest of family arrived to homecooked Filipino-style lunch. After that, it was off to Apple hill, for apple stuff of appleness. 

A good hour of travel to just past Placerville, on the foothills of the Sierras (and I swear I could see a bit of snow, too). Through winding roads until reaching these groups of stands and stores on the hill. Charming little spot, with apples and apple accessories for your fruity indulgence (and corndogs, if you desire). Chilly as hell, but, like Lake Natoma, also pleasant break into the rural wilderness.

Fun little gathering, went back to the house in Sactown, getting voicemail on phone again (yay), and then was on my way back to San Jose into the evening.

I honestly didn't expect to enjoy my time (and frankly wondering if I'm getting Stockholm syndrome for Sacramento area), but it was pleasant to say the least, and much needed. Something to look forward to in later visits; I do love a good travel.

Hasta Marfle!

Collegiate Marflebarks

It is surprisingly easy to fall off track.

Listening to Look Left's Transitions. Particularly fond of I'm Not Giving Up, Let it Follow, and Inspiration.
That dude is good for a one-man band.

College isn't working best for me. Okay, hasn't been working at all. I can't find myself to concentrate in lecture halls, and prefer to do more engaging tasks like Project CanisVulpes instead of actual homework (which I tend to put off due to the relative easiness of the tasks themselves).

In a fit of desperation, I took the familial suggestion of checking out Carrington college for a 9 month Medical Billing and coding course. While my family has a long line of being in the medical field, my aunt and I are the only two who have no interest in such, but at the very least I won't be working with patients, and it's bread/butter at very least. As long as I can work on project I shall be fine.

I tried out a commute and tour. "Campus" is in a south corner of San Jose, a wealthy suburb of Blossom hill, just off the Santa Teresa Light Rail (which, yay better direct convenience than Cogswell!). Bit skeptical, but fairly doable. Just one frequent bus ride to a frequent Light Rail train, and I could fall asleep on the latter.

Thoughts on tour and plan: I could feel myself dying inside, but whatever keeps the loans at bay while I work on my true plan, works.

Spaced Out

So NASA Ames had their open house the other day. Given such a rare opportunity (and free one at that), plus chance to finally do a rare family outing, how could I resist?

For frame of reference, NASA Ames over in Mountain View opened up their campus for the first time since the 90s, so obviously major event. What was witnessed left a lot to be desired.

Given large crowds, knowing sleep habits (and expecting an actual tour), I booked in advance tickets set for 10am.  Needless to say, we still needed to wake early, but at least not at a ridiculous hour.

Ended up waking up around 7 am, planning to leave at 8 to drive to closest Light rail station between us and NASA (because, y'know, traffic). Ended up leave a little past 9 because Filipino time, and apparently everyone else had the same idea of not parking onsite.


Such crowd

Very wait

• 30 minute LRT to NASA/Bayshore
• Another 30-45 minutes of waiting in a zigzag line to enter the facility and board busses. 

To say the least, not quite the best coordination, but we made it in. Passing by the empty hangar shell (which I was absolutely surprised to find it was, indeed, a barebones skeleton), we arrived at the campus proper, which, in itself, is quite pretty.

Plaaaaanes

After a lunch at the food truck zone (yay 30 minute wait for sushi burrito), we were off to the biggest tease of the day - the walking tour of the NASA campus proper('s exterior walkways).

No entry.

 

So you get what you pay for. In this case, if you wanted to see the actual workings of the base, you needed to reserve for an extra fee well in advance. As for rest of us, well... we got stands. 

The future of space travel.

 

That's not to say the place was pretty (seriously, all those trees). Some of the architecture was cool, though. Like that wind tunnel. 

Seriously

 This thing is huge!

 

Plus, exercise is always good, think I walked off that sushiritto after a good hour. Scenery porn aside, the place was underwhelming, but glad to have tried it out at very least, with knowledge of the next time this place does open up.

Now I have heard of other NASA sites being more exciting and open year round. May have been in past, or this is just one of the more... formal sites, closed off for the sole reason of nothing much in public eye. 

It was a good day. Tiring yes, but experience. You get what you pay for. 

Hasta marfle!

Reaching Elevations

Instant Coffee is by no means a suitable substitute for regular coffee.

I've been doing some on and off work regarding Elevations as I recover from a Rainfurrest burnout, and frankly, act of desperation. I've done some external research to better help in forming story. What I had planned to be a simple "Valleydog in the Bay Area" in similar slice-of-life fashion is starting to transform into something more... serial.

The more I think about it, and combined with my own personal experiences of actually living in the Bay, the more I feel the story be more concrete than just a college dog rooming with a bear and having wild adventures. Like, there needs to be a true sense of conflict. An antagonist.

It'll come to me.

Likewise, the initial setting, San Francisco, proved to be a challenge to work with without stepping onto stereotypes due to my own lack of, well, actual experience in the city beyond quick visits and whatever SF Gate posts. Looking elsewhere, eliminating the obvious (Santa Clara/San Jose is, frankly, a giant suburb and nothing to write home about), I tried to get as close to the city without actually being in city proper.

The solution? A fictitious town along the Peninsula, Santa Alta.

^Really cruddy phonepic of a quickly drawn map.

Partly based on various Peninsula towns (cities?), chiefly South San Francisco and San Bruno.

Okay, so South San Francisco only without 101 right next to the main street.

With that came the main setting, an old apartment above a crepe shop, just by the train station.

As for the antagonist, I did some research, and brainstormed a dingo, Edward Kiln. Suave, but flaky. A con man who had a habit of betraying those who took him in, easily manipulating others, and runs a posse of rats and coyotes, spies so to speak, keeping track of happenings and interactions with an Ethiopian Wolf named Elliot King - a silent recluse - or is one at beginning of story. I won't reveal much further beyond things go berserk when Max, the main character, a husky, finds himself under the care of Elliot for the night.

The only issue I do have so far is figuring out the relationships to the characters, like, how the marf are they all connected. I guess I could use Henry Montague's baking service as a connection, but it's a stretch.

Anywho, rambling I be. Thanks for reading, and hasta marfles!

Tsukini Kawatte, Oshoki yo!

Had a dream the other night, while I cannot recall bulk of it, I can attest to it containing the following:

    Something about the Moon Princess and Sailor V in Seattle.
    LA's Metro Blue line being expanded hap-hazardly through desert hills to get to Santa Monica via the OC

 Feel free to analyze the above however you wish.

Okay, so I have been watching a fair bit of Sailor Moon and I am hooked! It may be a simple story, and frankly a girly bit of childhood nostalgia, but coming from not paying much attention to it as a kid and watching it now (combined with low standards courtesy Nostalgia Critic), the storyline is surprisingly captivating. Plus all the narm kinda has a charm to it. Like it doesn't take itself seriously, which is cute!

That and the music. Such groove, very 60s.

So, Yeah, Rainfurrest

 

Writing under a dose of concrud and extreme PCD so things may be muddy...

Rainfurrest was definitely a unique experience. Different from BLFC and FC. Definitely a lot cozier, and felt a lot more like a vacation than a convention. Though, think this had more to do with my lost sense of time...and oddly awakening at 10am opposed to usual 8am. Anywho, quick rundown of things that involved, per usual of these reviews...

Tuesday+Wednesday (Travel time):

Arrive at San Jose Diridon Station around 7, checked my bags in, and await patiently for a train delayed by roughly one hour, and took a walk about the area to pass the time before led to platform and walked aboard a rather crowded coach car, unpacked my fox pillow and attempted snooze (having pulled allnighter prior for reasons, this and fixing sleep schedule included), I learned the hard way that despite acquiring sleep debt, I could only catch zzzs when the train was in motion. Needless to say, that night was filled with:

*A 30-minute stop just north of Santa Clara to let a local Capitol train pass by.
*One hour stationary at Oakland (later revealed to be due to toilet repair); ended up passing time via Doctor Who (Time Heist braindrain... scary)
*Undiscernable time somepoint in Benicia/Suisun Wetlands
*Extended stop with the bright Sacramento lights
*Smooth sailing from thereon out, but at the point of roughly 2am, I soon understood why that one particular line was known as the 'Coast Starlate'.

Somehow I managed to get enough sleep, or refreshed enough... Sun started to rise around the dry Shasta lake, and grabbed some breakfast (yay free coffee), and more/less any and all grudges from the night before disappeared upon full daylight and the journey became a rather relaxing and scenic pilgrimage all the way up to Seattle.

Seriously

Such beauty

I arrived at King Street downtown Roughly 9:40pm (miraculously 1 hour behind schedule) to one of the most gorgeous stations possible, walked across to the Link train, and glided down to SeaTac airport, where I met   fraddas and walked with him towards the Hilton, rested for a bit with excess coffee power, met up with @PathHyena and, for lack of better words... crashed shortly after.

Thursday -

Seattle day. Woke up around 10am very slowly, with then roomies putting up fursuits in posessed situations. After impulse persuasion, and quick running into with   keenyfox I hurried to the Hotel's main hall and waited in line... to wait in line... for registration. Pushed back a bit behind schedule, but no complaints. I got my badge, putting on my trenchcoat (for predicted rain, and misplacing my normal jacket at the time, and headed for the Emerald city via Link...

Now this is riding in style!

...and arriving at Westlake a bit past noon, grabbing a bite at a group of food trucks parked on the park (yay balsamic italian... surprisingly good), and begin tourist stages of the journey... via monorail!

...and suddenly gaining a fear of heights at the Space Needle (seriously, those elevators gave me sudden vertigo, and I swear the uneven concrete made me uneasy on the deck)... didn't stay long beyond a quick, obligatory panoramic lookaround

 and a good hour and $20 later found myself back on terra firma, marching towards the EMP museum which was a surprisingly fun experience compared to seven years ago.

Entering to see a giant concert hall of music videos, props of Sci-fi and Fantasy, and interactive instruments. I think I spent roughly a good couple of hours in that tourist trap (which, in hindsight, now sounds sad, but pleasant fun).

Around this time, my mistake in using a trenchcoat caught up to me as the clouds gave way to sunny skies (I swear I brought California with me). Things started to warm up. Nevertheless, I checked out one last thing - Pike's Place Market - explored the many layers... which, I seriously wish I explored more of; that old-fashioned place just goes on and on! Nevertheless, I felt the need to return, stopped by the first Starbucks , grabbed a reserve, and boarded the link back...

Looks so indie!

At the moment I boarded a crowded, rush-hour train, I realized that I forgot to check Pioneer square and underground.... my restraint from the door prompted me to consider "another time", melting in my roo upon my return, and beginning my con experience. Which pretty much involved (and more/less cycled thru this process for next few days) going to room to rest, wandering the halls and taking random pics of suiters, chatting with   calicoyote, and repeat...plus running into a whole bunch of Bay Area furries as if I never left.

Went to the main stage that evening and witnessed what may be the most entertaining opening ceremonies I have witnessed (which may or may not have to do with   peppercoyote's performance). This was followed by roamings, and also running into plus chatting with said coyote (very delightful, and elated with his enthusiasm and joy). This was proceeded to running into/hanging with   bigtig,   hornetv2 among others.. proceeded to join   alphapak, @Temporary_Yote, @PathHyena, and @DaDoberDog for dinner at (regrettably tasty) Thirteen coins. At this point I lost sense of time, as it was suddenly midnight. I ran into more furries and then called it a night.

Friday -

Did some shopping in the Dealers den, running into more local furs, acquiring Kyell Gold's latest book (per persuasion of corgi), and stocking up on caffeine soaps. Proceeded to do usual roaming, before attacked (patially eaten?) by a hyena, then sent on my merry way for dinner of Teriyaki, making it in time for Pepper's show which outright surprised (and amazed) me by how he's pretty much a one-man(yote?) band.

I just love the hotel gardens, 'kay?

After the show, I contemplated going into the hot tub (a decision I later regret not making due to events that happened the next day), but instead did the dance... holy marf RF's lighting... plus retro music... was a huge highlight personally. Compared to (BL)FC, it was marfin' mesmerizing. Just after, I went to   fraddas and   lakota_lander's party of cards and music. Feeling sleepy, I proceeded to head back to Hilton and crash past 1 am; thoughts filled with animal people... even when I close my eyes... for a con of this size, it felt very casual and it was that night that I realized why RF was very favorable in terms of West Coast cons.

Saturday -

Embarrassing moments ensue.

I woke up to finding out that I was both a loud snorer and heavy sleeper... begun usual rounds of noms and roamings, again attacked by a hyena (seriously, I'm like a gazelle at this point). The skies were unusually sunny, and lacking prior planning (or rather, losing said plans when traveling), lost track of all the writing events I had planned to attend.

I found a few more local furs (you know who you are, and I don't recall your FA names), walked along for a bit, and attended the Variety show of musical performances (again, props to the lighting, Pepper, and Alex... and other acts... you all did well!)... I did another dance (again, props on lighting), before calling it a night.

Sunday -

Well this day went by quickly... did breakfast at Denny's with Path Hyena and three coyotes (and a tiger?), checked in with my Virgin flight home in advance. By this point, it was mid-afternoon. I took a swim (they said it was heated!), got early onset PCD, witnessed the closing ceremonies (which was heartwarming, and ended the con on a high note), saying hellos and goodbyes to random furries, acquiring some candy, and checking out the dead doge dance before initiating packing for the final day, and sleeping for the night.

Monday -

Well, that was an adventure. Woke up around 6 to my flight being delayed. I washed up, did some final packing (followed by zipper mishaps.... gonna have to rid of this giant bag), and headed off to SeaTac airport. Around 11am (Roughly two hours later than planned), I entered my Virgin with two local furries, entering sun-dried California and SFO (first time actually finding my house from the air) around 1:30, and headed my way home on what could be best summed up as public transit trip from hell... with signs of con crud (felt tired, congested, and chilly... probably aggravated from plane. Upon my return in the evening, I just crashed in my bed... frankly, it felt as if the con never happened, being back so quickly.

Overall, looking back, the con was fun. Glad I went, and never at all did it feel like it was the 4th largest. More smaller.

However, I swear it also felt underwhelming. Like, despite all the lead up and excitement it was all done in the blink of an eye. Might also have been my own cause; perhaps given the saturation of furry events here as well as the past two cons, I may have been rather desensitized at this point, and felt moreso towards the end and then now. Like, it started high then dwindled.

FC's large size ironically made it pretty easy to run into folks personally, and the urban environment made the place feel more "warm", like taking over downtown for a resort... it felt like a destination, and major event.

For BLFC, the roommates were the highlight of the con, never a dull moment, and never missed an event due to the one-room space.

RF... it was cozy, but felt for like an escape vacation than a con.

Plus, save for one person, I never managed to talk about and further brainstorm my projects. Shame.

Nevertheless, it was a con. Back to normal human/marfle mode until January. Joy!

Nevertheless, lessons learned and taken account into for chance of next year.