Fursuit Pursuit

My attempt at a tuxie honeyness fursuit

 Furries are a misunderstood community, and I have been spending the past couple months learning about them. For me, it's more about finding a place to belong, only to find like anything, there's baggage there too. I also want to pack mine and go to a convention in the tri-state over the extended Halloween weekend (which is why I put the zip code for the location). I don't necessarily believe in labels, but I learned that only a portion of furries actually own a fursuit. With the economy these days, it's no wonder, and in my case, that goes double. However, I always have had that FOMO bit, and I tried finding places to buy something. Experienced furries say to buy from actual makers or DIY (not in the Home Depot sense). Many original designs have been nicked and sold on amazon, eBay (which also has a couple real things I want), and sites with ties to mainland China like AliExpress or (fill in the blank) Mascot. Etsy has both real and fake. Facebook Marketplace has most of their offerings out of state and pickup only. I wonder if the bin store would even have anything since they get amazon returns. If Switz's still existed, they would probably have some version of these or at least the materials for one to make them from scratch. These pseudo-suits and sites get slated and it's oftentimes fur-gins and younger ones that may make this rookie mistake. In fairness, they're lucky to afford even that. It's not an Armani from Harrods, mind. At least I'd have something for the holiday. Had less trouble finding a place to go on the night back in town this year if going two hundred miles away after fifteen years' time is a long shot. If comic-con events are in town, that would be the closest thing I would be able to do this, while a group are in the area. Even the co-op had a small drawing. I could go to cons in the boys' area, Albany and Allegheny (PA) Counties in future. I just want to have an original cat fursuit so I don't let the side down. If a miracle happens in time, I could just send the other things I ordered back and go all in for the do as well as a show or two. One seller on the app wound up having a dolly (kitty) in my price range that wasn't too effeminate, twee, cheap or exotic looking (a black cat, while my real one's a girl), since I settled on a husky dog character (safer than last years cliché with his "cousin"!). If you're also exploring, do your homework before getting carried away. I wound up with a doggo knockoff one of a fur who shall remain nameless (we even share a birthday), but I will dress him up SU style with a wig to boot since I would rather layer up a cheap fursuit with charity shop finds than tear into one since I'm not at that level at this stage and I wouldn't ruin anything like that. Say hello to Novek, which is an anagram of who this is a clone of and a Serbian word after coding the name in Cyrillic letters. Other people bought similar copies and made them their own, so this is my sona now.

Dedicated to the memory of Dragoneer, founder of FurAffinity. With apologies to Kevon.

Doggy incognito at the Dome!

What the knockoff doggy looks like

"Novek" has the hoodie sorted.so far.

Such a happy good boy who needs hugs!

Still getting used to this. Give us a kiss!

Byrne Dairy Bottlenecked

The last one with milk for a while.

 In a rare move, Byrne Dairy became the latest retailer to be short of something. This time, it's their glass bottles, but rather being able to get milk into them. I went to my two usual locations on Thompson Road (NY 635) and in East Syracuse (NY 290) and they were all out. Even if I went all the way to Gates, Endicott, Central Square or North Utica, it'd be no different. Corporate said the equipment had to undergo maintenance and would not have everything back to normal until the end of the month at best. I enquired as a customer rather than a journalist going into a right panic. We've all learnt the hard way the past five years that things just don't replenish overnight. Pittsford Farms in Monroe County, Stew Leonards (which we just covered), and several others around the country still offer glass. In other areas, people may assume it went away generations ago. Milkmen were even in business in the UK as recently as thirty years ago with the smaller glass bottles that the over-60s grew up with. Also, glass is naturally BPA-free, reusable, washable (dishwasher safe in the bottom rack), and keeps plastic and waxed paper out of the ecosystem, which is Gretas way. I'll have to settle for plastic until it comes back, and maybe even get it at other stores. No one else is reporting this nor are the company themselves. It's up to me.

Stew Leonard's

Newington, CT store (former Caldor); courtesy Mike Mozart (he's a hard act to follow!)

 I heard of Stew Leonards from Inside Edition. It is exclusively in the tri-state. They make it seem like a destination, giving Wegmans, which have few stores in the region compared to back Upstate, a run for their money. Even in the NYC area, there are some spots for Leonards to open. It would mean having to do up or even replace a competitors store into or with respectively into a barn like the one shown here, yet the Paramus, NJ one is in a plaza, so it doesn't have to look so rural. Clifton, NJ is the newest one so far. I can copy some of the Pathmark/Stop & Shop list and leave out towns with existing stores, Upstate, and the city proper (it won't really work there, of course, and too much competition to boot). If it's not a closing Stop & Shop, then I'll put that down. I just wish I could get to Stamford in October and a Leonards could open there by the time I'd be in town since I would only have so long to get around a big area with two or more events and being dependent on mass transit at home and in the metro like most of the locals. I might not have enough suggestions on New York soil, which is letting the side down. It's just easier to retrofit than to scramble in a region you rarely visit or have never even been. Turns out that Stew Leonard Jnr went to Ithaca College of all places (small town). Despite his alma maters location, he might not open past the Palisades, but he may have connections at Cornells east campus across town from IC (an alum once explained). Let's just see what he could do up near home.

Ansonia, CT - Division St

Milford, CT - US 1 & CT 162

Stamford, CT - US 1

Torrington, CT - High St near JCPenney

Carlstadt, NJ - Paterson Ave

Ansonia, CT - Division St

Edison, NJ - Inman Grove Shopping Ctr

Piscataway, NJ - Stelton Rd

Greenvale - NY 25A; Wheatley Plaza

West Haverstraw - US 202; Samsondale Plaza

Coram - NY 25 & 112

Mt Vernon - E Sandford Blvd

Hempstead - NY 102

Wayne, NJ - former ShopRite

West Nyack - former Grand Union/Stop & Shop/MetFresh or ShopRite, NY 59

West Babylon - former ShopRite; NY 109

Montague, NJ - former ShopRite; NJ 23

Cortlandt Manor - former ShopRite; US 9

Ringwood, NJ - CR 692