Category: Photography

  • Megaplex 2025

    Megaplex 2025

    Megaplex was quite a con this year! Not always in the best way, but I’m going to avoid going too explicitly into everything because frankly the negatives reflect more upon myself and minor issues than anything to do with the con itself.

    The main con days ran from Saturday to Monday this year, which seemed to throw people off far more than anticipated, myself included. My partner and I arrived on Thursday. This was my first year trying out being on staff for the con, and I wanted to be rested and already in place, unpacked, and not worrying about all of that for setup on Friday.

    Friday itself was a bit frustrating, and I think that a good portion of that was a buildup of things that took place prior to the con. There was a lack of communication about key information, which I personally have ideas as to why it happened, and how it could be addressed in the future. I admit, I spent a bit more time than I wanted that day dwelling on negative feelings, especially personal feelings.

    Saturday was simply too busy to think too hard, which was probably a good thing. I had a staffing shift, and ended up helping earlier and later than my shift as well, as there was a need for hands. The registration team was working hard, and doing everything that could be done, but a record breaking 10k+ attendance make the line to check in go long on Friday and Saturday.

    Sunday was to be my busiest day of the con. I had the Crafter Meetup to run first thing in the morning. After that, I had my Artist Alley slot, which I had to wait a bit to get into. Finally, I had a staffing shift on Sunday night, which would have gone well past my normal bed time.

    It was on Sunday night, around 10pm, that I made a seemingly unimportant decision. While I was doing some room checking/counting (to ensure that folks showed govt IDs to get in, and ensured that the rooms didn’t hit capacity), I was asked by someone if I wanted a hug. I said sure, as the furry fandom is very physically affectionate, and hugs are the main currency.

    Unfortunately, this person chose to lift me up and squeeze me as well. I was not prepared for this, and he is incredibly strong. After five or six pops on my spine, which normally would be helpful, I felt and heard a pop on my lower right ribs. He set me down, and I had trouble catching my breath. I immediately went to a private room that I thankfully had access to as staff and sat down. I then laid on the floor, trying to calm down and catch my breath past the pain.

    When trying to express the seriousness later, and that I wasn’t simply trying to skip out on work, I mentioned that this was the first time that I can remember in quite a long time that I cried due to physical pain. It simply hurt and while I could tell I would be fine, I did not know how serious it was.

    I still don’t know, as I’m awaiting X-ray results this week. There is a chance that there is a rib fracture, but my doctor thinks that it could likely be a cartilage tear, in addition to obvious muscle strain in the area. I’m still in pain, but thankfully not as much as a week ago.

    Monday was comparably quiet. I actually was fine sitting at my Artist Alley table, which was basically the only thing that I had that day. After that closed, I went home with my friends, skipping the closing ceremony and final night dances, not that they were on my list prior anyway 😅

    I am still a bit “on” with visitors in town for the con and theme parks. I’m mainly glad that the months of stress prior to the con are behind me. They’ll come again, but next time I hope to be more ready.

    As usual, here’s a big photo dump! As not usual, I’m gonna start just putting all pictures together, regardless of ratio or subject matter.

  • Nordic Fuzzcon 2025

    Nordic Fuzzcon 2025

    This year I am likely not traveling to many furry cons. I have a lot to catch up on in my personal life, and I will probably just be doing Megaplex later this year (I’m staff now!) in addition to Nordic Fuzzcon.

    Honestly, there was a chance that I was going to cancel this trip. Between major repairs to both of our vehicles, as well as an expensive set of vet visits for my single-brain-cell husky, my savings were very depleted. I didn’t want to let my partner down, and I’m very happy that I was able to finally see her in person in Sweden!

    We both arrived to Malmö on the first day of the con, thankfully when there wasn’t much going on beyond registration. Over the next few days we spent time with a lot of our online furry friends, I got to meet lots of fediverse folks, and I made some new connections.

    After the con we spent a few more days in the city, just exploring, eating some amazing food, going to some museums, and enjoying each others’ company.

    While I’m glad to be home in my comfortable space, I really enjoyed spending time with my partner, meeting her friends, and having my first trip to Europe in a long long while!

    Enjoy a variety of pictures from my trip, starting with fursuits, random stuff from the con, then pictures of my travels after the con.

    Fursuits of Fluffiness

    Random NFC Views

    Much More Malmö

  • Take a Walk, De-Stress

    Take a Walk, De-Stress

    I’m not the most patient person, and I get stressed easily. These are things that I’m well aware of, and have myself to remind me of often, but still get plenty of external reminders as well.

    There are some days that I don’t even get five seconds out of bed before I start to feel my blood pressure raising. Today happened to be one of those days. Coupling that with a heel injury that I’m still working on resting, and I had the urge to get out of the house for a bit, but unable to do my usual morning jog. A walk was in order.

    Thanks to the wonders of modern technology, my camera is built into the same device as my MP3 player, IM sender, Dropbox storage and impulse Twitter checker. Without having to plan for it, I have all of the tools necessary to do a bit of nature photography. As some of you may know, after I moved out of Downtown Orlando last year, I moved into a house within viewing distance of a nice nature biking/jogging trail. Coupled together, I had the recipe for a pleasant walk to clear my mind a bit, and in turn give me a few photos and an idea for an inspirational blog post.

    Take a walk. De-Stress. Contemplate a few minutes on what you are doing before jumping back into the fray and doing it. Don’t let your work and life consume you to the point where you don’t want to be living. Take a moment to breathe, clear your mind, and just be.

    I’m trying to do a bit of that consciously every day, until it can become an unconscious, autonomic reflex. My heart, health and mind will thank me, and so will yours.

  • The Best Theme Park for Kids and Me: LegoLand

    The Best Theme Park for Kids and Me: LegoLand

    Yes, that title is grammatically correct.

    While I don’t have the creation prowess of some people (even if that video includes instructions), I still love legos, and have since I was a child. The best part of any birthday or Christmas was the new model to put together.

    When Lego Mindstorms came out I was lucky enough to get that and some of the expansions, furthering my creativity as well as gaining some valuable early lessons in programming logic through their simple drag-and-drop programming interface. This was also my first experience with Java, when I found an entire homebrew community online that used the IR reader that attached to the computer’s serial port to control their smartbricks. (more…)

  • Washington DC and Charlotesville, Time to Return

    Washington DC and Charlotesville, Time to Return

    With every trip to DC, I find something new to take in. There is so much to see in the city, it is difficult to do a fair amount of any of it in any one trip. Even over five full days as we took over Thanksgiving weekend, plenty of important sights and sites have been left out. We visited a mass of memorials and monuments and museums, saw an assortment of art, partook in eclectic eateries, and visited a sampling of shops. A Jonathan Coulton and They Might Be Giants concert was part of our vacation, as well as a two hour drive to Charlotesville, VA to visit Thomas Jefferson’s home of Monticello. A few trips per day and plenty of relaxation time kept the trip from becoming stressful, and we were never at a lack of things to do. The weather was generally pleasant as well, and overall I would rate it as our best trip to the nation’s capitol.

     

  • Orlando Calling

    Daniel is a lucky guy it seems. Both he and I won preshow passes to see The Killers on Friday, at a local club that I’d not been to before. Though we spent about three times as long waiting as the show was, it was an excellent experience. The same day, Daniel won two tickets to day two of Orlando Calling, which we already had day one passes to. We opted not to go to the second day, having plans already, but We did spend the majority of the day at the Citrus Bowl, which probably has no other events coming up there all year. The variety of bands was pretty good, and we got to see sets from several bands that I like, including The Killers again, O.A.R. before that, and Iron & Wine earlier in the afternoon. All in all, it was enjoyable, and I look forward to the return next year.

  • Welcoming Ginger to the Family

    Welcoming Ginger to the Family

    Just a quick post to say that yesterday we brought a beautiful Australian Shepard home from the pound. Her name is Ginger, and she’s about a year old. She is still pretty skittish and gives off that vibe that she may have been mistreated a bit at her previous home, but does not run from us and allows contact. We’re hoping that she’ll get comfortable and more active soon, but we’re patient and will take the time that it requires.

     

    I’ll update, but in the meantime enjoy this adorable picture of her.

    Ginger on the couch
    Soft and cuddly!

  • Gone Cruisin’

    This weekend I returned from a cruise to Central America, which was a blast. Cozumel, Mexico; Belize City, Belize; Roatan Island, Honduras; and Costa Maya, Mexico were all stops. I have nothing amazingly enthralling to say other than it was an enjoyable trip, and realistically anyone reading would probably just check out pictures, so here they are:

     

    Daniel was nuts for the water slides

     

    Carnival Dream Atrium
    The Atrium was amazing, and the ship was huge

     

    Carnival Dream Golf Course
    Large enough to fit in a mini-golf course

     

    Carnival Dream Chess Set
    Or a chess set for Daniel to abuse

     

    Luchador Masks
    I had a strong urge to become a Luchador in Cozumel

     

    The shops in Belize knew their target markets well

     

    Black Forest Cake Dessert
    Which was going to be me after all of the desserts on board

     

    White Chocolate Cake Dessert
    Seriously, having cravings just posting this.

     

    Crab Shell at Roatan Island
    Roatan Island had a lot of coastal wildlife to keep me entertained

     

    Blue Team Carnival Dream Dance
    As well as the embarrassing yet fun dance lessons for Team Night

     

    Costa Maya Port
    Costa Maya was not alone in having beautiful, clear water.

     

    A wonderful trip over, and now my sights are set on next year’s excursion. No decisions made, but there’s plenty more on my bucket list!

  • DC, Day 2 & Fin

    The second day in DC was much more about relaxation.  The trip had been running around and catching trains and walking to and fro, so this was a chance to unwind and relax a bit.  It included a trip to the gym, some TV, and lunch at an awesome Italian place.  It’s a regional franchise thing, and I can see why; the cost of starting a franchise is about $1 million.  Still, the food was delicious, cooked right in front of us, and definitely fresh (the plants in the pictures are grow boxes of the herbs that would be used on the food).  You were given an RFID card when you entered, and it would be waved over a reader when you ordered, with the food being added to your account that you paid upon leaving.  We pigged out on breads and pasta and a delicious goat cheese and tomato pizza, as well as cappuccinos and dessert.

    The interior was pretty swanky too
    The interior was pretty swanky too

     

     

    Fancy places loves them some red
    Fancy places loves them some red

     

     

    Chinatown is much more in your face and touristy in DC as compared to Chinatown in NYC or Little Saigon in Orlando
    Chinatown is much more in your face and touristy in DC as compared to Chinatown in NYC or Little Saigon in Orlando

     

     

    I just like the layout and color of this storefront
    I just like the layout and color of this storefront

     

     

    It was also the day of the Bon Jovi concert.  We got down there pretty early, but had plenty of time to kill waiting in the long lines of every restaurant in the area.  The nice thing about the bigger cities at least is that things like venues for shows are actually right next door to other things that people use, not just in some tourist area or set to themselves with nothing for blocks away (Amway Arena) or more (House of Blues, Hard Rock).  We still got in with plenty of time, as of course they started late.  Even so, with no opening band, it was a rather short show, as they only played for about two hours, which is much less than I was expecting for such a big band and the price of tickets.  Still, it was fun, and I snagged some pics and even a video, which is really big so isn’t going to get linked in this post until it’s done loading.

    Easy to tell that it was sold out though
    Easy to tell that it was sold out though

     

     

    And there you have it.  We got in late today, but still plenty of time to get groceries and do laundry and get various chores done.  Tomorrow is back to work, so I should probably take advantage of returning to a normal sleep schedule.

  • New York, Day 3 & DC, Day 1

    Got busy and figured it was better to enjoy the sites rather than spend the time here.  Now I was up late and accidentally slept in, thinking that it was really early and going back to bed, only to look at a clock that had read past eight.  Our room faces the interior of the hotel with no light, due to a protest at the Madison hotel next door.

    The last full day in NYC involved a trip to the MoMA where my camera battery died and I’d foolishly left my spare in my bag… which is totally what I bought it for.  We also visited my Aunt in Brooklyn, where it started to drizzle, then turned into a full on downpour with strong winds about two blocks from her place.

     

    OMG LEGOS!
    OMG LEGOS!

     

     

    YES!
    YES!

     

     

    YESSS!
    YESSS!

    The size and scope of some of the paintings in the MoMA is amazing

     

    If I had a bit less willpower and a bit more bag space, all of these would be coming home with me.
    If I had a bit less willpower and a bit more bag space, all of these would be coming home with me.

     

     

    We went to see where Tina Fey works
    We went to see where Tina Fey works

     

     

    It's odd to see how the old, like St. Patrick's Cathedral, is smooshed right between the new.
    It's odd to see how the old, like St. Patrick's Cathedral, is smooshed right between the new.

     

     

    Best bookstore around.
    Best bookstore around.

     

     

    It may be dark out, but Time's Square always seems like the middle of the day with the lights and activity.
    It may be dark out, but Time's Square always seems like the middle of the day with the lights and activity.

     

     

    As I already mentioned on Twitter, every visit to NYC has to be completed with a trip to my favorite New York pizza place.
    As I already mentioned on Twitter, every visit to NYC has to be completed with a trip to my favorite New York pizza place.

     

     

    We got up early yesterday to head to Penn Station to take the Amtrak to DC.  First we had the issue of weekend construction closing up all of the stations near us.  It sucks trekking a couple dozen extra blocks when breakfast places are closed that early and you’re lugging bags and it’s below freezing out.  Finally making it, we had enough time to grab some Tim Horton’s before boarding the train.  I would generally say that it’s a good way to travel, barring the length of time and cost.  Our plane tickets to NYC were cheaper than Amtrak and we didn’t want to kill a whole day traveling, but it was perfect for about three and a half hours to DC where we got to cross through a few states and had to arrive only a few minutes before it left with no security screening.

    Unfortunately, it was still cold out and we chose to sit near the back of a train car, where the door kept opening for people with cold air rushing in.  This was manageable until we stopped in Wellington and our train just lost power.  Being diesel, it could still drive, and we didn’t need power to use it, and I was not waiting 45 minutes for the next one out in the cold.  Still, it did drop the temperature in there quite a bit, and I arrived in DC numb.  Also, it’s not as scenic as you might picture.  Maybe it was because it is still winter that it was pretty blah out, or maybe it was the fact that everything was covered in trash and it seemed that every city that we passed through was directly in the crappiest, most run-down part of town.  Amtrak in Orlando runs right through scenic Winter Park.  Amtrak in Baltimore runs through an area where apparently every building was at one point on fire and never repaired.

     

    This was one of the more scenic vistas.
    This was one of the more scenic vistas.

     

     

    The National Art Gallery had some cool stuff, nice to see when not having to run through to find one picture this time.
    The National Art Gallery had some cool stuff, nice to see when not having to run through to find one picture this time.

     

     

    Uhh...
    Uhh…

     

     

    Seriously, that guy didn't deserve that.  If she didn't want to be seen naked, she would have put her top back on before traipsing around the woods naked.
    Seriously, that guy didn't deserve that. If she didn't want to be seen naked, she would have put her top back on before traipsing around the woods naked.

     

     

    Daniel is trying to look thoughtful
    Daniel is trying to look thoughtful

     

     

    "Fine, I'll skate, but I won't be happy about it."
    "Fine, I'll skate, but I won't be happy about it."

     

     

    I don't see the likeness...
    I don't see the likeness…

     

     

    This proves that most kids are more fearless than your average adult.  I heard plenty of shrieking from women my own age while walking around.
    This proves that most kids are more fearless than your average adult. I heard plenty of shrieking from women my own age while walking around.

     

    Of course I took a few obligatory shots of the monuments and buildings that we passed by, but I did that last time too, so I’ll stop before I crash anyone’s browser with this.

     

    Day 2 of DC ahoy!  More relaxing and random site-seeing, then Bon Jovi tonight

  • New York, Day 2

    Less photos today, spent more time walking around and doing stuff than cataloging it.  We hit up the Natural History Museum and Central Park, after riding on several different trains in the wrong direction.  Afterward we went to Brooklyn to get lunch (amazing pizza of course), dessert (no wonder people get NY cheesecake shipped to them), and to see “Cedar Rapids”, since we’ve still not got it down South.  We wandered around more doing more random touristy things, went to Chinatown for some good eats for dinner, then up to Times Square last minute to catch another show.

    Protip: buy tickets last minute.  We decided to see Addam’s Family on a whim, and bought tickets about 20 minutes before the show started.  After buying tickets, we were able to walk right in, rather than wait in the long line of people who’d purchased in advance.  We got fourth row seats for about a third the price of what they would have been if we’d bought online or in advance.  That meant maybe 20 feet from the stage, close enough to see all of Nathan Lane’s many facial expressions.  He really is a great stage actor, and the entire cast and show was hilarious.

     

    Natural History Museum
    Natural History Museum

     

     

    This place is made of science.  And ghost people.
    This place is made of science. And ghost people.

     

     

    Daniel standing next to one of his ancestors
    Daniel standing next to one of his ancestors

     

     

    Fun fact: The chip in the upper left is from where this Sun Calendar was excavated:  accidentally, via bulldozer.
    Fun fact: The chip in the upper left is from where this Sun Calendar was excavated: accidentally, via bulldozer.

     

     

    Daniel, sounding like every child within earshot:  "I wanna see the dinosaurs!"
    Daniel, sounding like every child within earshot: "I wanna see the dinosaurs!"

     

     

    Entering the creepy caves of Central Park
    Entering the creepy caves of Central Park

     

    Most snow we've seen on this trip
    Most snow we've seen on this trip

     

     

    Two Blocks from the hotel.  Should find out what's there tonight.
    Two Blocks from the hotel. Should find out what's there tonight.

     

    It’s a bit gloomier looking out today, and was raining last night, so we’ll probably spend most of the time indoors.  After breakfast we’re either going to hit the Museum of Modern Art, or save it for this evening (Target Free Fridays are good for those of us that forgot our student IDs at home, despite reminding myself a dozen times beforehand.)

     

  • New York, Day 1

    We left yesterday morning pretty darn early, just before 3 in the morning. That was the only time that our ride was able to take us, but I’d trade the hour or two of extra sleep for no parking fees. This was to almost be our downfall as the day wore on.

    After boarding our flight, we were informed that the pilot wanted maintenance to check out a problem that was repaired the night before, to confirm that it was still acceptably fixed. We sat for about an hour extra, which made the gentleman sitting across the aisle need to tell everyone within earshot that he had switched from a later flight to get on this one, and now it was wasted. Beyond that, it wasn’t bad and I got a short nap in. We also got to watch the in-flight movies free due to the delay, so the timing was perfect for what must have been my sixth viewing of “The Social Network”, with the credits rolling as we were touching down at JFK.

    The trip to the hotel was uneventful. Thanks to Heather’s friends and family discount, the Omni in Midtown cost about the same as the hotel a bit further away that I originally had booked. This put us smack dab in the fanciest part of town, right off the block of all of the tourist destinations, and the MoMA facing us in one direction, and 30 Rock in another. We didn’t make it out to Brooklyn to get a view of less touristy NYC, but today we will.

    Near everything that we ended up doing was in walking distance, so we boarded maybe two trains the whole day. Right by the hotel, so one of the first stops: Nintendo World!

    So many Pokemon!

    No seriously, so many pokemon!
    No seriously, so many pokemon!

     

    My systems have seen worse...
    My systems have seen worse…

     

    Cap'n Crunch Muffin!
    Cap'n Crunch Muffin!

     

    This guy just walked up and started playing with this dog for a few minutes before walking away
    This guy just walked up and started playing with this dog for a few minutes before walking away

     

    In a sea of tall buildings, they don't seem as impressive...
    In a sea of tall buildings, they don't seem as impressive…

     

    Never mind, still big
    Never mind, still big

     

    Penzey's is relegated to a stand at Grand Central Market
    Penzey's is relegated to a stand at Grand Central Market

     

    Looks like heaven!
    Looks like heaven!

     

    Seriously, who doesn't want to check this stuff out while looking down on the ?
    Seriously, who doesn't want to check this stuff out while looking down on the city?

     

    Finally, a way to invite kids to your van for candy without looking creepy
    Finally, a way to invite kids to your van for candy without looking creepy

     

    I was tasked with taking pictures of every UPS truck that I saw.  That become impossible pretty quickly.
    I was tasked with taking pictures of every UPS truck that I saw. That become impossible pretty quickly.

     

    We did plenty of touristy stuff, checked out the revamped Times Square, sampled some delicious food, and I got to see my first Broadway show, “The Lion King”. After that and a few days running on almost no sleep, we got back to the hotel and I basically crashed out.

    Just noticed that downloading, choosing, cropping and uploading all of the pictures has taken about 45 minutes out of my trip. Time to find some coffee and get on with Day 2!

🌙 ☀️