Epilogue – Monday – Sleepy Birthday
Scenic view of neighboring hotels and dead trees
I used to have this odd habit of
waking up early while vacationing. Apparently I ended up sleeping in this
time...and because work messed with my sleep schedule... 8am was
"sleeping in".... or rather lazing in bed until 10am (or... I guess
if you factor in Pacific Time... I woke up in time for work).
I forgot that I had arranged to meet
up with a friend, Sketchy Wolf, for breakfast, and sprung up to do a quick as
marf wash, getting down to the lobby just in time to meet the lupine.
The Awesome soda machine from the con suite
It had been a few months since I
last spoke to Sketchy, and a lot had changed between then, so it was good to
get some time to reconnect along the lengthy skybridge. Turning down the hive
mind of furries waiting in line for the Hyatt buffet and opted for splitting a
surprisingly delightful cinnamon roll and burrito from the Perks Café.
Probably the most amazing thing was how
much we’ve developed in common since our last meeting, talking shop about technologies
and our own lives and mutual interactions. Sketchy is a cheerful fellow, I
revere his delightfulness and almost fun-loving disposition.
Breakfast and chatter came to pass
and we parted for the day. I partook in the sole panel for me at the con:
Travel furries. It was nice to see those sharing in this passion and the panel
itself was informative into what to look for in booking strategies and flying…
but omg… is it supposed to be a chore? I just wanna enjoy my travels and yet
this feels brutal… maybe I’m just naïve?
Also, am I the only one delighted by the aviation naming scheme of the
Hyatt rooms?
I socialized just a bit more some
surrounding animals, running into more familiar faces and checking out the
Dealers’ Den. Holy crap this was… unique. The “den” was more like a literal underground
mall with dealers all spread out in the little rooms. It was confusing at
worst, but interesting if not cramped at best. Taking only a quick window shop
look, I headed back to the Doubletree to do some work.
Yeah I brought my work stuff with me
and did some remote work on laptop. Yes, I paid for hotel wifi.
Don’t judge me.
I might have brewed some coffee at
this point, but this time set the overall mood of the con: a chill one. No rush
for anything. I think being a bit of distance from the con might have played a
part.
During this time, I briefly reconnected with Hornet, another good friend
of mine. Fun time with getting caught up as we took a leisurely walk back to
the Hyatt.
One of the prettier sections of the skybridge - going through the Convention Center
Did I mention how it was now roughly
4pm? I was invited to do some dinner with Sketchy and Vox. Initially planning
sushi, then Deep-dish… only to decide on hotel food… in the Doubletree... which
I didn’t realize until well after, thus prompting a fair walk back to that
hotel.
I don’t remember the name of the
grill, but I do recall walking in and seeing all the personal waiters in suits
and ties and kissing goodbye to my wallet. Thankfully, the only thing
outrageous were the steaks (freshly seasoned and all local for $60) and
everything else was a decent price. Vox and I got the burger, Sketchy a dish.
Totally worth it.
I had planned to do a party on the
Friday of the con for weeks. I was flying back on my birthday, so consider it a
semi-birthday thing? While we as a group had discussed the contents, we never
prepared until the last minute.
The one (and so far only) downside
to Midwest Furfest is its location lacks any convenient sevices within easy
walking distance. That is to say you’re pretty much limited to hotel food and
the closest Target is little over a way away.
I’m not the best person to do
shopping solo, so I recruited Lakota and Vox to help out in the shopping hunt.
Lakota helped a fair bit… so much so that I honestly felt bad for taking Vox
along given the time he could’ve otherwise spent.
Also, parties are expensive. We
returned, many bags in hand and cleaned up one hour until party time, preparing
for the inevitable crowd of 30 or so to come.
Okay maybe trickle.
So we only got a handful at most. My
guess is that the distance of the Doubletree combined with many other, more
convenient parties kinda reducing the crowd a fair bit.
No loss, though. As far as
first-time runs go, I’d say better to have it quiet than out of control.
The guests were fun and enjoyed the time, and thankfully got some return/consumption on the snacks and drinks. It went by well into the wee hours of 1am, socializing, playing a furry take on Cards Against Humanity (which is just as cringy as you’d expect), and more Jackbox games of Quiplash and Trivia Murder Party.
The guests were fun and enjoyed the time, and thankfully got some return/consumption on the snacks and drinks. It went by well into the wee hours of 1am, socializing, playing a furry take on Cards Against Humanity (which is just as cringy as you’d expect), and more Jackbox games of Quiplash and Trivia Murder Party.
One of these options became a running gag for us.
Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for
a better night here, and I do appreciate those that came. Second night ends on
a good note.
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