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sassy_fae (aka Jenn) came by bright and early last Thursday morning. It was grey and cloudy, but the weather was warm and traffic was clear. We made good time to the border, pausing in Strathroy, Ontario to empty bladders and stretch.

November 2008!

November 2009!

We reflected on the difference a year had made in the local weather - those pics are of the same house and section of parking lot.

The border crossing was smooth until Jenn noted that she had some clementines in the trunk. This led to a delay as two border agents rummaged through our suitcases and bags. We could see them rifling through my DVD collection and making comments to each other.

Michigan still has the worst roads in America. Entropy runs the state, explained resident

kianir on our return trip. We counted 11 dead deer by the side of the highway in Michigan, and zero in Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Ontario. Picking up roadkill costs money, you see.

We stopped in East Lansing for strange American hamburgers, and to visit the campus of Michigan State University for a Very Special Video Project of mine.

I should have that up by the end of the month! Ooh, such mystery!

Jenn drove and drove and drove and drove and showed no signs of fatigue or wilting.

We were stopped only by biology and the need for gasoline, just outside Battle Creek. I did NOT visit the Slan Shack this year!

We reached Illinois as the sun set and the clouds finally began to break up.

And then.... rising out of the darkness.... CAMELOT!

We checked in, dropped off our luggage, and joined the registration line.

Which went relatively quickly.

While in line we bumped into

norman_rafferty,

jdarkwulf,

rikoshi,

zorinlynx, and many other familiar faces.

The fursuits were out in force, though the con had not yet formally begun.

Having pre-registered, I was able to escape the rapidly growing line, and made a beeline for the con suite...

Which wasn't open yet. But let me tell you - it was running out of a recently closed Italian restaurant, so it had a full kitchen and a bar, tables, and booths. Best con suite I've ever been in, and it was all free. You did not need to pay for food while at this con.

I also bumped into

redstorm! Hello, Lex!

I returned to the registration line to see how Jenn was doing. She was near the front finally, so I wandered about and took some photos.

And realized I'd totally missed the free cake!

Jenn and

zorinlynx finally emerged from the line, wolfed down their cake, and we headed out to dinner. Not before running into a fursuiter.

And

wyldekyttin!

We (Jenn and Zorin and I) decided to head out to Giordano's Pizza, which we'd liked last year. At this point it was freakishly late and I was very hungry. I wolfed down a bunch of fried mushrooms and almost fell asleep before the pizza arrived.