Decided I needed to make a new journal to get that old one off the front.

About that issue, though. On the shop's final day, someone came by and decided to buy it from Don's son. The money he got on the offer was more than enough to pay for the rent payments Don was behind with. So, in the end, everything worked out. The shop stays open with a new owner, and life goes on. As for the new owner, I don't care much for him, but hey!

Whatever! XD


Since last time, Disney was awesome! School started up. Graphic design classes started. I must say, the illustration class I'm taking is a blast! I've done a couple of things I've really enjoyed. Maybe I'll post some soon (non-furry though). As for the other classes, Typography is kinda difficult. I mean, I just got done with an assignment that had us find 12 different ways to use alignment to design a paragraph. Let's not talk about that... DX

But yeah. As far as drawing goes, I'm getting back into the gear of all things fuzzy and cute. I've been doing little sketches here and there every day. I've gotten so rusty lately, haha. There are a few sketches I'm wanting to finish really badly too...but it's really about finding the time to devote to getting those done. But yeah, expect from me soon, guys~ ^^


So, how're you all doing? Did you miss me? D=

Oh! And a Happy Valentine's Day to everyone~ <3

I'll just let everyone know ahead of time, this journal isn't much of a happy one.

As many of you know, one of my biggest hobbies is collecting die-cast Nascar models. It's a fun activity I've done for years...10+ years to be an estimate. Along the way, I've bought from many dealers, met many great people. Nothing was more fun than hanging out at a merchandise store to talk about Nascar and all racing to the owner and his customers. I made friends.

Six years ago, I met a shop owner named Don. His Nascar shop sits smack in the front of Georgia's largest flea market. Over the years I bought things from him, I got to know him more and more. He wasn't just the guy I bought cars from, but he became a friend to me and my family as well. And the people that came in, we got to know them too. The group of regulars at his place was a pack of four: Randy, Mike, me, and Don himself. I can't begin to recall the hours the four of us spent there talking and laughing up a storm. We all took care of each other, through good and bad. It was like a second home...a second family. Randy always told me that Don thought very highly of me, treating me like his son.

Don had a great deal of respect for me. It was two years ago that he took me as somewhat of a partner in the business. He trusted me to run the place for him when he was out, to sell the product, to use my own sense of sale. Heh, it was kinda annoying sometimes...having to fill in for him between school and whatnot, but I loved it.


Well, today, I got a call from Randy.
Don was found dead this morning.


I'm...at a complete loss here. It's hard to believe that just the other day he was here talking to me about Chistmas orders. And now, he's gone. Just like that. His poor son too. I need to help him sort through Don's inventory, help him figure out his orders, what to do with all the stuff. I don't know what will happen to the store...


I'm trying so hard not to cry right now. He was special. He was my Nascar buddy, my racing friend. He always got the cars I wanted, and outside of business, he took care of me like family. If I was his second son, he was my second farher. I'm going to miss him so much.

I'll never forget Don.
He was a great friend.

I'm set to spend the first week of the new year at Disney World. I'll be thinking of him the whole time. If they have a funeral for him, I might not be able to attend.

I know there's gotta be a flood of these journals in your inboxes, but I would be a total humbug if I didn't say something.

So, to all my watchers and friends here on FA, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy holiday season. I hope you're spending it with family, friends, and loved ones near and dear.

Then I must also thank you all for being there for me. Watchers as you may be, but without you, I wouldn't want to be here. You give me feedback and the drive and inspiration to work. Whether you just poke your nose in every once in a while, or are a raging fan that flips out when I post something...I thank you all.

Take care, everyone. And enjoy this very special time of the year. ^^

That's right! XD

And what would you expect on that shopping list other than Adobe programs? Maybe a MacBook?
If you guessed MacBook, you are definitely correct!

Up until this point, I've only ever owned a PC. So, since the program required I get a MacBook, I ran out and got one at the Apple store last week. I got the 15inch MacBook Pro, 4GB of RAM, 500GB Hard drive, Intel Core i7, yadda yadda. The price tag was far from pretty, considering I bought my PC at half the cost and it can still out-perform this thing.

While, I admit the computer is really pretty, I think it's pretty much useless to me otherwise. I mean, you guys know I don't use Photoshop for my own artwork. Paint Shop Pro doesn't seem to exist for the Macs. SAI Painter can't run on a Mac without reliability or tablet problems. I've been doing my research...and it seems like a no-go as far as converting this into my main computer. So, a computer for Graphic Design for school only.

But that's fine. I've kinda had a strong disliking for Mac products since I've had my iPhone anyways. I'll dual boot this thing in the future, but for now, I'll stick to learning Max OS. =3



SO!!!
How's everyone doing? ^^

Well, maybe not the "best" day ever. But pretty goshdarn close! XD

Okay, sorry I've been quiet for so long guys, but this semester has been STRESSFUUUULL!!! For those who have been chatting with me online recently, you all know exactly how stressed out and crazy I was. So many late nights, so many worries! But I'm here to tell you that all my hard work has paid off!

OFFICIALLY!!! As of today...
I have been accepted into the Graphic Design BFA program at the University of Georgia. One of 14 people accepted this semester.

Heck yeah! I'm so excited, so proud of myself! You have no idea how amazing of a day this is!!! <3

I'll talk to you guys later. I got some lame work to get done for tomorrow!
Bye~

So, looks like I didn't get to see my cop friend in court today. What a shame...

For those of you who didn't see that other journal, a silly motorcycle cop gave me a ticket for running a stop sign on my bicycle on the first week of school.

So, of course, I went to my court date (which was today), and decided to plea "not guilty." The cop was a no-show, so they dismissed the ticket. That's $125 I get to keep.

Morals of the story:
(1) It never hurts to go to court
(2) Campus police (and Athens/Clarke County Police) have nothing productive to do

Okay, guys! I got some news for you!

At long last, this Chicago-native might just be travelling to MFF. That's right! It seems I'll have both the ride and the funds to get there this year. Finally!

As most of you know, all of my extended family lives in the Chicago area, and several of my relatives live in the same area as the hotel that hosts MFF. Since my grandmother's death earlier the other month, we're still working things out with her house and whatnot. My parents have been wanting to take a trip up there. Since I get all of Thanksgiving week off, it was the perfect time to take a trip to Chicago...and the same time as MFF.

So, I got the totally free ride up there with my parents, then a whole weekend to spend at the con, then the rest of the week with family in Chicago. I don't know yet if I'll be staying at a nearby relative's place and renting a car for a couple days or staying at the con hotel. We'll see.

So, chances are very high that both me and will be heading to MFF this year. WHOO!

I'll let you all know how this plays out as the time grows closer.

Take care! ^^

...not quite exactly... XD

Nah, I started the week off with my computer spazzing the heck out. Turns out, the recent problems I've been having with it were exactly what I was suspecting: a hard drive issue.

So, on Tuesday, my laptop keeled over from a failed hard drive, and I spent a good while with HP on the phone diagnosing the problem according to their standards. After taking a few days to examine the receipt I had to send in, HP decided that indeed I did buy the computer less than a year ago, and I was still under warranty.

So, I got the parts shipped out, and I'll be receiving them in a few days! Whoo!

I know I can still get my stuff off it, but I'm not too worried. I made a backup a couple weeks back, so I didn't lose much other than a few images I may have pulled off of google and a few demo drawings for school. I had a WIP sketch coming along too, but it was still in the early stages.

Anyways! Back to other things!
Other than that, I've had an awesome week! School is going very well! ^^

Take care!

...when you start doing your job when you sleep. XD

Seriously! If I had a dollar for every time my mind drifted to taking drivethru orders while I was trying to go to bed, I'd be very very rich.

And y'know what really stinks about it? It keeps me from falling asleep!
Like...I'll start drifting into the light stages of sleeping, and then the order from hell comes in. I try taking it, then I realize it's a dream and tell the imaginary customer to go screw themselves. XD


Only one more day of this summer job, though. School starts up on the 15th, but I'll be done at work tomorrow. I want to give myself a week to say goodbye to summer and start gearing up for school. Whooo!

Anyways...yeah...that was on my mind. X3

Yeah, seriously! I could barely contain my excitement earlier today.
I just need to tell everyone how AWESOME today was! X3


Okay, first a little backstory...
Some of you know that I collect coins and some bank notes. I have some Morgan silver dollars, Peace dollars, Walking Liberty half-dollars, tons of old wheat pennies, bunch of old nickles, yadda yadda. Y'know...a little bit of everything. Needless to say, I have an appreciation for currency...just like my appreciation for cars. When I look at an old coin, I wonder the mysteries of its story: how many people have held it, what people and places it's seen.



So, the origins of today's awesomeness goes back around ten years ago...
My mother and each of her siblings received a gift from their aunt Mary, given to them around the time of their father's (my grandfather's) death. Each received a sum of money, a the sum of which I will reveal later on. My mom kept the gift, and over the years, she eventually misplaced it. It remained in the back of her mind, but she'd kinda given up on searching for it.

That brings us to today!
Earlier today, I was sifting through some of the coins in my collection. Since many of them were given to me, I didn't really have an idea of what I had or if some were rare or held any value, so I devoted my afternoon to looking up each coin I had.

In my box, I had an envelope that had delivered a set of Morgan silver dollar proofs many years ago. The address on the envelope listed a house I lived in back in 2002. I was looking through the envelope, looking at the certificates of authenticity when I noticed a Christmas card tucked behind them. I pulled out the card, opened it up, and what I saw took me completely by surprise. I found this...

http://i.imgur.com/Fq5gq.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/TViuu.jpg

It was a 1934, Five-Hundred Dollar note from the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago!
I ran downstairs and showed it to my mom. She identified it as the gift she'd gotten from her aunt Mary all those years back, the money she had set aside for them even decades before. She was completely blown away that I had finally found it. We spazzed out and were shouting in joy. Oh, I swear I've never been so surprised like that before.

To think...the note...from 1934? That's so cool! And as you can see from the pictures, it's in fantastic condition. A couple of folds here, but I've taken some notes to be looked at before...and it looks great! I looked up the collector value, and it could easily catch $1000 or more. I mean, we'd never consider selling it, but...WOW!



The story of this note...it's very special to me. And to finally find it for my mother...it was such an amazing thing. A stunning piece of American history, and an amazing find for an amazing day! ^^

Thanks for reading, everyone!

*points at my newest submission* Please, have a look!

I'll love you forever if you help me~ <3

Just as a warning, this journal's a little mellow.

So, today at work, with about an hour left in my shift, a little old lady came in. Sometimes, you can just tell when someone is genuine...those few gems you come across during your shift that just make your day because they're so humble. She must've been in her 70's; old, yeah, but she was still full of life. I gave my simple, excited greeting to her, "Hello! How're you doing?" She came up to the counter and ordered three cookies and a small coffee. Looking over, I noticed that our pot of coffee had been sitting since the evening. It had been really slow since then, so I decided to go ahead and ask her to wait while I made a new one. She said it would be wonderful to have a fresh pot and gave me a little wink and a smile before she sat down.

She waited patiently as the coffee was being made, getting up as I was pouring it for her. I handed it off to her with a cream, two sugars, and a stir rod as she requested, and I told her to have a good night.

Well, not even a minute later she came back in. I could tell she was a little embarrassed to tell me that she'd accidentally spilled it as she was climbing into her car. We kinda laughed about it as I took the dripping cup from her with a smile. I poured her a new cup as she started explaining to me she'd been traveling. Being right off the highway, we get a lot of travelers, so I asked where she was coming from. "North Carolina," she said quietly with a long pause, "I'm coming back from a funeral." So, that explained her black clothes. It was then that the real world kinda came back into the situation, "Awww... Yeah.... I'll be attending one soon, myself," I explained, "I have to make a trip up to Chicago next week." I gave her the creams and sugars and told her to have a good night one last time before she said her goodbyes and walked out.

It's always funny how life comes in and interrupts things. Work, more or less, is my escape from my troubles...just a place to have something to do and to just get away. I try to have a good time, try to make others around me smile and have a good time as well. Looking back, I'm happy I was able to help that lady. She winked, she smiled...it's even possible I brought her the only smile and laughs she'd had all day. ...at least I'd like to believe I made a difference in her day.

But...at the same time...it brought me back from my bliss at work. I remembered my own problems...that I too have a funeral to go to next week. All this week I'd been hiding from the fact that my grandmother passed away. It's been hard. I know what it's like...me and her are going through the same thing...like we were in it together trying to make the best of a silly, late-night visit to McDonalds. I almost teared up.

If you've read this far, I thank you.

Take care, everyone.

BUT FIRST...
"What's up with life, Zip?"
Well, for starters, I have a summer job. I'm working for the big fast-food giant: The McDonald's Empire. So far, eh...it's been okay. I love my managers, really fun people. But y'know...dealing with people who like to fuss atcha for something isn't always as fun as it can be. For every fusser, there's at least ten gems, though. And I live off those people that come in all bubbly and smiley and like to acknowledge that I'm a person.


ARTSY FUN
In other news, I've made some efforts and sacrifices to help advance my art. Some of you know how I've not drawn Zip in a while, and that's because I really felt my vision of the human form has been lacking. I've drawn from nude models in drawing class a number of times, and that's been really helpful. So, I enlisted the help of my bestest friend in school, my lovely photography-major friend, and she took hundreds of photos of me posing, wielding things, and more. Because what better body to draw Zip from than my own, right? Since she was just snapping away, a lot of poses are candid and natural, and really capture a lot of my personality. Overall, the photoshoot was very productive, and I got dozens of photos I'd like to use as references to translate into drawings. We'll see how that goes. Yay for somewhat-embarrassing pursuits to better my art! But I just wanted to let you guys know that Zip should be back very soon. ^^



~~NOW FOR THE QUESTION!~~
So, about my art in general. I've been wondering...

How should I approach the finishing touches in my art?
I mean, I've done cell-shading up until now, and I really think that's where I need to stay. I aim for a graphic look, and too much blending (as in the Flygon picture) is entering the realm of more traditional-looking art. I'm kinda wondering what some of you guys would like to see. Should I stay graphic but really push it further than I have been? I guess I'm just stuck and really need to ask what you'd like to see from me.

So, what would you guys like to see?

Thanks for listening! ^^

Gosh...what a morning I had...
Okay, so earlier today I had a stereotypical, Hollywood-movie/cartoonish, moment at school. So here's the story...

Finals week, right? I've had finals lately and as result, I've been losing a little sleep here and there balancing studying and work. So, last night, I took a little nap. I was tired and just got home from work and wanted to catch up on some sleep before studying for my art history final at 12 noon the next day. I set my alarm to get me up at 10 PM. So, I woke up, got some studying done (slide identifications, artists, dates) and saved the conceptual notes for the following morning before the test.

WELL...when I reset my alarm clock after my nap, I changed it to 9...and forgot it was still on the PM setting. Big mistake!

So, yeah. I slept, and slept, and slept...until I woke up to my phone vibrating with a call. I looked at the clock...11:51am...and my exam was at 12. "CRAP!" So, I got up, threw some clothes on, and darted to class with some very irresponsible bike riding. I made it, fortunately...but...since I slept through the time I wanted to finish studying, I had to rely on the things I remembered from lectures.


There goes the A I had in that class. ^^;;

But hey...it could've been worse. I could've completely missed the exam. My GPA as of last semester is 3.85, so I can take a hit. I assume I got a low B on the exam.

Okay, so...

I need the minds of some of you guys out there!
What's the dumbest thing anyone can do and call it "art"?

I mean nonsense, conceptual crap! ...like...nothing with paint, pencils, markers, paper, or whatever!
The stupidest thing! Something that people would look at and go, "What the hell? This is art?" XD


For example: "Let's go take pictures of ice sculptures melting and call it 'The Demise of the Ice Sculpture'!"

It's April 25th!

...which means...

It's my birthday today! <3

Okay guys, I'm doing this lame-ass thing too because I got myself into it. D=<

Taken from  leorenard

YOU JUST WOKE UP NAKED IN BED NEXT TO ME..... using only 3 words, what would you say to me??
You...next to me...in bed...NAKED? O=

Note: If you comment, please copy and paste this as your journal, so I may comment on yours as well. Be a good sport.

*cough* =3

Okay, guys...as much as I am embarrassed to post something like this here, I need to do it.

So, the most wonderful guy gifted me with a beautiful set of 72 Copic markers. They arrived in the mail yesterday, and I was bouncing off the walls like a little kid on Christmas. However, me being the total noob to Copics as a whole, I was a little unaware of the different types of markers. So, yeah...not exactly the right kind.

I had violated the return policy by opening them. I talked with him about it, and he went right ahead in buying the right Sketch type markers (cause he wanted me to be happy n' stuff). So, while he didn't want me to do this, I really would like to sell the original ones he sent me and send that money back to him. I was uncomfortable with him spending that much to begin with, let alone buying me double. So, I want to send the money back to him.

So, here's the deal...



It's a 72 Pack of Copic ORIGINAL Markers
Colors: Set A

I opened them and that was it, so they're brand new.
Given that, I'd like to get $300ish out of them. Negotiations can definitely happen, but I'm a little firm at that range, especially since they're BRAND NEW!!!



Let me know if you're interested or if anyone you know may be interested. Spread the word if you can, please.
Thanks for your time.

~ Zip

It's about time I finally sat down and got to doing this. So, here it is...my FWA story.

First, I want to take it back to Thursday night. I was sitting around with Leo in my room finishing my badge. At around 2am, I got that done and was going to print and laminate a couple of badges for us. Well, when I went downstairs...BAM...no ink in the darn cartridges. After fumbling around with it for a little bit, we decided to go out to Walmart...at 3:30 in the morning! Haha! We finally got those badges laminated around 5am...and I crashed...for a couple of hours. We got up at 10ish on Friday morning and drove to Atlanta with our fellow roomy Kye and got ready for some FWA funtimes.

Before I get started, I'd like to give a big shout to all the people that helped make FWA awesome this year. It includes, but is not limited to...
and more!

FRIDAY
We got to the hotel and checked in, unfortunately having to pay for valet parking since the normal lot was full. But blah! After picking up our badges at registration, we kinda bummed around and checked out all the sights. I bumped into Pilot in artist alley and said our “hellos” for the first time in person...which was only the beginning of an awesome time we'd have together. Additionally, I was once again reunited with my old high school bud Redin and his boyfriend LaughingOtter (Otter). Of course, all the while, I was bumping into other buddies. Silly Aura had to call us all out every time we walked by him, “Eeeeew! It's Zip!” Haha! But man! The highlight of Friday was definitely when me, Leo, Kye, Pilot, Redin, and Otter all went out to the Westin hotel at night. On the 73rd floor, there's a bar that rotates so you can see aaaaall of Atlanta. It was really pretty up there that night, and we all had a great time chatting and discussing. We must've been up there for two hours, because the bar had rotated around twice by the time we made it out. Hehe...poor Leo had a little too much to drink too. But yeah, after that we all kinda chilled and did our own thing. I was really happy I met up with Rory in the lobby later that night. We did a lot of much-needed catching up and discussing...deep conversations. Oh, I miss the days I used to see him more often. After saying goodbye to him, I called it a night and turned in around 3am.

Before I discuss Saturday, I'd like to point out some odd things about the hotel. The most obvious one was the funky bathroom doors. Really? Sliding doors with no locks? If I weren't rooming with awesome people, I would've totally been creeped out by that! I mean, I could be going to the bathroom or showering and someone could just walk in. To top that, in some rooms, there were cracks between the doors and the wall...could see right in. Weird! I also think it's funny the public urinals in the men's restrooms had no privacy guards. I went into the stalls every time, I swear! In a place where people are into watersports...I don't want no creepers. Another odd thing was the overall design of the hotel. I mean...did someone spill water on the blueprints of something? XD

SATURDAY
Definitely had the best night's sleep I've ever had at a convention. Given the previous night's lack of sleep, I crashed hard and slept for a full eight hours. Basically, I spent most of my day hanging around with Redin, Otter, Leo, Kye, and Rory. A number of us went over to the mall and got a bite to eat before returning and getting slammed by the aftermath of the fursuit parade. After being Redin's good luck charm in his art show bidding, Saturday really just consisted of a bunch of hanging around and whatnot, seeing all the people I wish I could assemble under the same roof more often than we can. The more exciting part happened at night, when my friend Rizzo invited some of us to a little gathering going on in his room. So yeah...drinking...big surprise there, huh? Haha...nothing new to me, really (and now I'm even less innocent than I was before). But yeah...being tipsy for a little while, going around the convention area with Leo and Redin before we went back into the room again. Heh, just a lot of silly talk and being close n' all. But man...I really had a good time, and I found myself thanking Rizzo and Diggla so much for the awesome time that night. Me and Leo ended up turning in around 5am that morning.

SUNDAY
Another really fun day at the convention. It basically started off with us grabbing all our stuff and throwing it into Tofu-Panuki's room so we could check out n' stuff. After that, it didn't take long for us to hook up with Redin again and go around making all our final purchases and whatnot in the dealer's den and artist alley. Later that evening after the talent show, a big group of us (me, Leo, Rizzo, Toby, Misha, Steven, and more) went over to the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner. I had a great time...and it seemed the night was going by all too quickly. By the time we got back, closing ceremonies had already ended and it seemed like a good number of people had taken off. I mean, it was really chill that night...just a bunch of social circles gathering around...a really intimate setting. Furry Jesus and the Drama Llama were going around, leaving a trail of giggles wherever they went...and of course, the Last Supper was served at some point that night. But nah...the night mainly consisted of hanging around with Kye, Leo, Redin, Otter, along with Tenshi, Youkai, and a number of others. The best thing that happened, though, was all the silliness that took place with Pilot and us that night. Some crazy people were distributing papers with odd drawings on them, talking about the “ghost tits”. Haha! We took these and started tossing them at people ourselves. The best was when we followed some poor guy into the bathroom...Pilot slid the paper into his bathroom stall, saying “spread the word” as he did it. Ohmygosh! It was hilarious. Additionally, we hid one in the baby-changing station in the men's restroom. To the one, respectable man who will change his baby's diaper...he will find that... Hah! But yeah, Pilot really made Sunday night awesome...and we hung around with him until it was about time to leave, which was right at the time the convention was closed. Heading to our car with me, Leo, Kye, Redin, and Otter, we all said our goodbyes. It was really sad...and we had a rather quiet car ride back to my house.

Yeah...FWA this year was pretty awesome. I was happy to see everyone again, especially since it had been nearly a year since I was at a convention. But...really...thanks to everyone for making an awesome and memorable FWA. I had an excellent time.

Looking forward to an awesome RCFM here soon.

*sigh* I knew PCD (Post-Con Depression) would be hitting me hard today. I've had such an amazing spring break/FWA combo week ever. Right now, I'm just kinda sitting on my bed, trying to force back the emotions that are threatening to overwhelm me. I can't even begin to describe how sad it is to be all alone after such a memorable series of events.

It all started last Monday, the 14th, the day that rolled into town to visit me over my spring break. I was kinda nervous at first...as I always am with meeting people from online...but man, he really settled in quicker than any visitors I've had in the past. The very first night he was here, me and (Gerald) gave him a taste of Waffle House...which he loved to death. The very next day on Tuesday, I showed him around the place I call home. We drove around the area, showed him the mall and some awesome stores we have around here...all that business. We'd even made dinner plans with my friends Marvin and Carol. And we topped the night off with a nice ride to the top of the Westin hotel in Atlanta, having drinks and snacks at the rotating bar on the 73rd floor. The view sucked since it was hazy that night...but we'd make up for that later.

On Wednesday, I took Leo up to Stone Mountain, which I joke is the Rushmore of the South. We had an awesome time hiking up to the top and down again...and when we left the park, we spent even more time with Marvin and Carol. Then on Thursday, me and Gerald (Kye) took him to the World of Coke in Atlanta. We barely made it before the last tickets were sold, but hey...we had a great time. It's kinda funny how we barely made it. Through that whole day, it seemed like we had been pushing our luck against the clock.

I'll be making a separate journal about Thursday night leading up to and through FWA momentarily (as it deserves it's own journal), but I just wanted to say that my time with Leo here was, to be simply put, quite unforgettable. He's a great guy...and even though he was here with me just thirty minutes ago, I really do miss him a lot. He's off to the airport for a long and lonely flight, I'm sitting here for a long and lonely day. I was living last night with him in the aftermath of FWA, fighting off PCD...but now that he's gone, reality hits.

I don't mean to sound sad and whatnot. You guys know how happy and bouncy I normally am. It's just...a little hard right now. For anyone who wants to lighten my day, I'll gladly welcome it on Msn.

Okay, guys! You all knew this one was coming (as I only live not even an hour from the convention). But, seeing as I finally got to making my room reservation earlier today, now I can say it "officially". I am going! XD

So, here's that lovely meme:



Arrival and Departure:
I'll be arriving on Friday afternoon, leaving late late LATE on Sunday night for the 45 minute drive home to avoid spending another $130 a night just to wake up and drive home. XD

Staying at:
We're staying at the con's hotel

Mode of Transportation:
Car, of course.

Room Share:
Rooming with  leorenard and  kye-the-dragon ...and possibly an addition of a few more friends.

Major Plans at the Con:
Just hanging with friends, really. It' rare I go to any events.

Artwork / commissions:
I wont be taking any...but I might take some beforehand for delivery at the convention. Dunno, though.

Fursuit(s):
Nope! XD

Attending Parties:
Uh...I guess so. XD

How best to find me:
If you got my number, you know how. If not, then maybe you'll bump into me. Y'know what name'll be on the badge!

Stage Performance:
Not unless someone wants a mediocre bassist. XD

Drink:
I shouldn't... ^^;

Smoke:
Definitely not! XD

Hugs:
Um...sure. I'm not a hugger really, but I'm not opposed. ^^

Talk:
Oh, yes, of course! I love talking! =3

What is your gender?
Male, of course! D=

How old are you?
19, going on 20 =3

Can I touch you?
Keep it clean! D=<

Can I buy you lots of drinks?
Sure, I guess.

Can I give you lots of money?
I'm a poor college student! But don't give me handouts, gosh! D=

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Hugging, that's fine. But...the only way you could manage to snuggle with me is to get me in bed...which is a rather steep mountain to climb, mind you! HAHA! XD

How tall are you?
I'm 5'9...but the doctor said I was 5 feet 8 1/2 inches >=

You look pissed off out of suit. Can I come up to you?
Um...I find it hard to imagine I'd ever be upset at a convention...but okay. ^^;

Are you nice?
People say I am nice and positively energetic! =3

Are you cliquey?
No. I mean, I hang in a group of friends. But, y'know, everyone can be my friend if they're fun and enjoyable to hang with! =3

Can I stalk you?
BOY! Best not let me catch you creepin' hardcore! D=<

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Waving your arms and shouting at the top of your lungs, "ZIP!!!!" Then I'll be like, "I don't know that person," and swiftly disappear behind a corner. D=

Can I take a picture of ya?
As long as I know I'm in it. Don't be a creeper! D=

Can I steal ya away for *censored*?
Have fun trying! =D



And there you have it, peeps! =3

Saw this in my friend's journal, and I thought it would be entertaining to do since I love answering questions!

"Few people are man/woman enough to openly answer any and all questions thrown at them. Are you? Prove it. Copy/Paste this as a new journal entry and answer every question you get.
The rules are simple:

-You must answer every question you get no matter what it's about, and you must do so honestly.
-There are no questions that can not be asked as long as they are WITHIN REASON. They can be personal, about oc's, and every thing in between. Nothing Illegal."

Like my friend also said...it's like formspring! But...like him, no one asks me questions on formspring anymore! Haha.
So, let's go!

Well, once again, after another long and lengthy visit, you're off and away in California. Through all the times we’ve done this already, two weeks just never seems like enough time. It just always seems that as soon we start to really enjoy each other's company...as soon as I get used to a big loaf flipping around in bed next to me, you're already preparing to leave...and then there's a vacant spot in my bed.

And as I sit here and look at my room, seeing all the little hints of your visit…how your boarding pass was left on the floor, how your smell still lingers on my pillows, how your suitcase left an indent on my floor I can’t bring myself to remove…I can’t help but become overwhelmed with sadness. I cry over the fact that you’re now thousands of miles away…yet, I can rejoice at the fact that we just seem to grow even closer and closer as the days go by…whether you’re here or not. I’m not good at writing deep stuff by any means, but I really do believe now that opposites attract. You’re my opposite…we learn so much from each other. I mean, there are sometimes you annoy me to no ends, there are sometimes I am a little embarrassed by you…but then again…

I can never forget the times we just sit there and be ourselves: the times we lay there in bed, giggling and tickling each other until we have no more energy to stay awake…the times we simply spoon and snuggle in each other’s company…the are times when we just simply loaf around with each other and let the day go by. Simple as they are, but silly moments like that is where we’re able to show each other just how much we love one another. It’s moments like that, when I feel truly loved, that I can wait forever for.

We stayed up so late last night, and got up so early this morning…I can barely form complete thoughts right now ‘cause I’m so tired. But to you, Joey, I love you so much. No one completes me as you do.

You really are my other half.

Hey all! How’s it going?
Sorry, I’ve not been working on much stuff here, but my art classes have been kicking me around with a lot of big projects here recently, and it’s been consuming a bunch of my time. The past two weeks alone, I’ve been working on a wood sculpture for my 3D class…and even before that, I had to do a 3ft by 4ft drawing for my other art class. It’s been sucking all my motivation away. I might consider posting pictures of that wood sculpture sometime, but for the most part, it’s stuff that wouldn’t interest anyone here. Haha!

So, after work tomorrow, winter break will officially be in session for me. I’ll be enjoying a long break until the 10th of January. Whooo! Many people have been shouting at me to start taking commissions for the season, but quite frankly, I don’t know if I’ll be up for it. In addition to moving into a new house, I’ll also have  coyotl and  stevo both visiting me for over a week a piece. They’re even going to be helping me and my family move! It’s that crazy. I need the money, yes, but I’ll really have to think about it. …just letting you know.

And that’s that, everyone! Just checking in as always.
Hope you guys are enjoying your winters! ^^

~ Zip

Hey, everyone! How’re you all doing? ^^

I’m a little late to the party here, but I decided to get a Formspring account thingy.
Go ahead and ask me some stuff. ^^
http://www.formspring.me/ZipTheFox

Just here to let you know how life’s going over here.
School’s going great. I’ve finally given in and am going for a major in graphic design here at UGA. It’s apparently the hardest major to get in at the art school, but I think I’ve got enough to give some people a run for their money. So, with that major in the works, I’m taking quite a few art classes this semester…and let me tell you, it burns me out sometimes. Haha! But hey, it’ll be worth it.

Oh! And no dorms for me this school year. I have an apartment with my sister and a common friend. I’m downstairs, the two of them are upstairs. It works out awesomely! Sure, my room’s a little small (I have the smallest of the three bedrooms), but it’s nice and cozy. I’ve settled in quite well. Things are great!

In other non-related news, I went to the Nascar Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend. I took  kye-the-dragon with me this year. Heh, it’s funny how he’s been my best friend since I moved here seven years ago…and through all that time, he’s not gone to a single race with me. ANYWAYS, the race was unbelievable! We went to the track bright and early in the morning and stood in line at the merchandise trailers for autograph tickets. We ended up getting autographs from six drivers: David Reutimann, David Ragan, Kurt Busch, Sam Hornish Jr, Robby Gordon, and Joey Logano (Yay! ). Heck, after that, it felt like the day couldn’t get any better… but I was wrong. The race started and quite amazingly, Kye’s favorite driver, Jamie McMurry, had a really strong car! He ended up winning the whole deal! IT WAS AMAZING! Just like the first race I went to where my favorite won, Kye’s favorite driver won the first race he went to. Jamie’s such a sweet guy, a really nice driver…he deserved to win. No doubt, in all the races I’ve been to, that was the best race I’ve ever watched.

Enough of that though…I babble. I don’t have too many watchers who’re Nascar fans! ^^;

See you all around,
- Zip