MFF '05

[vakkotaur]

Or at least a significant part of MFF '05 for me.

First, I'll get the negatives out of the way. The trip to MFF was nicely uneventful and duncandahusky's suggestion worked well with the exception of the automated toll on the exit to IL 59 being greedy. That 30 cent toll wound up costing 85 cents. This was minor and still far better than my experience with the tollways last year. When unloading the car, once side of the heavy cloth handle of my sleeping back ripped from the bag. This was another annoyance and it can be sewn back on. Checking into to MFF itself was the big problem. I had pre-registered and sprung for the sponsorship, but I hadn't received a confirmation postcard as I had last year. I had to register at the door (a regular registration, for more than that would have cost me had I done it earlier, and I'm out the sponsorship stuff.. which isn't entirely bad, but is annoying). I have found the receipt for the money order I used (I was nearly out of checks for the account I used, so went with a postal money order) and went to the post office. The registration must've gotten lost in the mail (or mangled in a sorting machine) as the money order had not been cashed. So now I've paid a few more dollars to get that $100 back and use it for something. One of the fursuit construction panels started late and then didn't seem to say much. I ducked out about halfway. I suspect I'll be informed I missed some really useful information once things got going. I didn't go to part 2 of that panel, either as part 1 failed to impress me. I lost track of time on Sunday and missed altivo's panel. I also goofed and didn't leave my cloak until last when loading the car and a suitcase wheel rode on it long enough to wear a hole in it. Fortunately the hole is in the mantle so it's not worst case, but it is very annoying. And a certain misguided someone that delights in being a irritation online was there, but our encounters were almost nonexistent so it was almost as good as this person not being there. And there is also the Olive Garden, which has very good food, has some very nice waitstaff and has some lying bozos up front. I went there last year and had some problems. I went there this year and had some problems. It will take some convincing to let them have a chance for a third strike next year.

The actual travel to and from MFF was nicely uneventful, rooming with kinkyturtle and mycroftb worked out fairly well, though I can't really imagine having more than three to a room unless folks are more than just friends. It was good to see various folks Thursday night, and I tried to stay up a bit later than I normally do so as to deal with the screwy late schedule MFF uses (Memo to MFF: You are not DuckOn, nor obligated to copy DuckOn's mistakes, you can fix that lousy schedule!).

I saw opening ceremonies, which others enjoyed more than I did. Starting off by threatening and murdering the guests of honor doesn't appeal to me. I saw a good chunk of Kage's story hour, coming in on a part I'd heard before though perhaps with some different details. I wonder what I missed. I left as 2 came in, and I don't believe I missed much. Wandering through the dealer's area when it was open was interesting, seeing some of the same folks as last year but not all. I didn't get Artist's Alley until Saturday but I spent a fair amount of time there wondering about and looking. There are a few more sketches in the sketchbooks now.

I missed the start of the fursuit parade and I suppose with a little planning I might have even have been able to have been in it, now that I think about it. While I don't (yet) have a 'suit, there were a couple folks I know with more than one and, well, too late to worry about that now. Hopefully next time I'm at a con, I'll have something of my own. Not being in it, I did get some pictures of it.

The panel on basic fursuit head construction was pretty good and I saw a few things I've been thinking about, but it looks like the best thing for me to do is take the basic approach to things. It was good to see altivo and talk with him. I wound up talking to him while the variety show was going on and not being disappointed at all at the idea of missing the show. Most of the film has been dropped off to be developed and hopefully I'll have some good pictures in about a week.

I went out with a couple groups of folks. One was various RCFM folks, in a fairly small group that worked out well. jugularjaguar (or at least Draconis) and alexanderkatz and I think chakawolf were amongst those there. I certainly don't recall everyone. This time, I paid for Draconis' meal, which was reasonable as he's paid for mine at least twice now at RCFM. The other group included babsbunny, kinkyturtle, mycroftb, nefaria, sqrlly and a cast of thousands a whole bunch of other folks. I like the company, but between my dislike of crowds and waiting and the initial (dis)service at Olive Garden, I think from now on I'll bail out when groups get bigger than 8 or 10 people. Really, once something gets that size, it's no longer a single group, but a group of groups and coordination hassles go up significantly. Exceptions will be made for sponsor's meals and such, but those are planned well in advance.

One of the upsides to a downside is that I didn't get the MFF t-shirt. I saw it in the dealer's area and found I really didn't like it. I think it was the cigarette. The lady selling various shirts said she thought that was a big miscalculation by the con. However, I did get a different shirt. Draconis had found a shirt he thought would be good for tilt_longtail, but Tilt said it wasn't his size, and... I got an unexpected Animaniacs shirt of a design I'd not seen before.

I'm debating if I want to spring for a sponsorship for MFF for next year as I had a good time as a regular attendee this year. If I do spring for it, it'll be before the price goes up 20% and it'll be sent registered, so it won't get lost and it'll be so very traceable. I have, however, already signed up for RCFM 2006, at the top level. I was at the RCFM room party Sunday night and that got taken care of. I have a receipt, and used my last two larger bills for that. I didn't do that this past year as the top level stuff didn't quite interest me. However, I had the money (MFF's loss is RCFM's gain) and I am curious. Also, RCFM strikes me much as Siouxland does, so I have no problem supporting it.

I know I've left quite a bit out, so if we met and I failed to mention it, do not be offended. (Egad, I haven't even mentioned the Rocking Foxes and Calamity Cougar... that's for another post, I think). I'll likely need a (gentle, please) reminder if we met or if I took a photo and you'd like a copy or such.