Jul 062013
 

*(I know. I’m getting cornier and cornier. Might as well just succumb to mommyblogdom!)

So, it’s furry time again in Pittsburgh! People either love or hate the arrival of Anthrocon to our sports-lovin’ city. I for one LOVE it, and I know that most of the department at work echo my sentiments. Sandy even postponed her birthday happy hour so that it would coincide with Anthrocon because drinking + furry-spotting = best birthday!

Henry and Chooch took the trolley downtown last night to meet me after work (I even got to leave an hour early!) because Chooch wanted to go “furry hunting.” The thing with Chooch is that he LOVES FURRIES and we’re pretty sure this might be his future. The amount of times he murmured, “I want a tail,” last night was staggering, and really — isn’t that how it starts? No, really, isn’t it? If my plans go through, I’m supposed to be meeting with a walrus furry tomorrow, so maybe he’ll provide some answers.

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Chooch casually walked down Liberty Avenue, casually eating an apple, like it was no big thang to be high-fiving purple bears and seeing regularly-dressed people turn around to reveal bushy racoon tails. This is his glory. Life-sized, walking stuffed animals outside of an amusement park or Chuck E. Cheese? Fuck yes.

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When Chooch is waiting for his turn with a furry, he acts like I act when I’m waiting to meet a band. It’s hilarious.

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I just asked Chooch, “If you were a furry, what kind would you be?”

“A kitty,” he answered quickly. “Of course.” Like I’m so stupid for having to ask. Further inquiring has learned me that he will be a purple kitty.

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This guy spoke and it kind of threw us both off guard.

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She was my favorite!! We saw her approaching and waited patiently for her to cross the street so we could ask for a picture, but then of course a mob of dickhead downtown “professionals” swarmed over and totally acted like we didn’t exist so that they could have their smug yuppie faces photographed with the bunny. And then of course the bunny didn’t see Chooch waiting (bad peripheral-vision and all), so she started walking away and then while we were chasing her, more dickheads approached. It was the hardest I’ve ever worked to get a picture of a basic mascot.

(Chooch wants everyone to know that he’s mad she gave him bunny ears.)

“She’s so awesome,” I murmured, watching her pose with people.

“Pretty sure it’s a guy,” Henry said.

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Chooch caught up to the bunny a few minutes later and called out, “Excuse me, Miss Bunny? Will you take a picture with  my DAD?!” Totally caught Henry off guard and he begrudgingly scrunched up next to her.

“Yep. Definitely a guy,” he sighed afterward.

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Inside the lobby of the official furry hotel, Chooch was desperate to get his picture taken with a panda, and the same shit happened here too with people looking right through Chooch like he didn’t exist and shoving their way in for a photo op so they can show all their lame friends how “cool” and “edgy” they are for getting their photo taken with a furry. Chooch kept turning around and giving me this scary firestarter look and I was half-tempted to let him go off, but instead I gave him a gentle (GENTLE!!) shove toward the panda and loudly said, “YOU’RE NEXT.” You gotta be aggressive if you want a picture with a fucking panda, apparently.

I’m not scared of furries like some people are, but the panda admittedly skeeved me out. He reminded me of a panda version of Killer Klowns from Outer Space and I felt fearful in his presence.

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After the panda incident, I had my fill and wanted to go home, but Chooch spotted a small horde of furries approaching from another street. So we had to stand around and wait for them to arrive. “This little guy is a big fan!” a plain-clothed furry* laughed to the group of animals, watching Chooch jump excitedly in anticipation.

*(I don’t know what else to call him! He wasn’t in his furry-regalia but had the Anthrocon badge around his neck.)

“You and your foxes,” I sighed afterward.

“Only one was a fox!” Chooch corrected me. And now that I look back at the picture, they don’t look like anything I recognize, really.

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I mean, what is this supposed to be? A badger?! Who knows!

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Get it? Happy FURth of July?? I love how welcoming most downtown establishments are to the furries.

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People are in such a good, festive mood during this time, that some dude from Pizza Parma even bought Chooch ice cream for no reason other than OMG FURRIES ARE HERE! GIDDY-TIME!!

Chooch and I were still so strung-out by the time we got off the trolley, that Henry wouldn’t even walk home with us. Especially after Chooch and I started mocking the laughter of some guy that walked past us:

I hope Anthrocon keeps Pittsburgh as their official headquarters!

  3 Responses to “Furry Flurry*”

  1. I think this is one of the coolest damn things about our city. Last year, I was … how shall we say? Not amused. (It was my first time experiencing the furries.) Then again, I had just lost my job and while job hunting, I wasn’t thrilled to be bumping into furries all over town. This year? More power to ’em. I think they rock.

  2. I’d be like a kid in a candy store. I don’t get the sexual aspect of the furry world but seriously, grown people getting to dress up as animals and being totally accepted for it?! Yes, please. I wish we had something this cool in Utah. Like that will ever happen.

    That video made me laugh out loud.

  3. Need to identify furs? With great power comes great responsibility!
    http://db.fursuit.me/?c=main

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