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Here are what I did and some thoughts on Mephit Furmeet 2025. I also have random thoughts and observations at the end. Tuesday Tuesday was my travel day to Memphis. It went surprisingly easy and well. TSA was okay, and the flights were on time. This was the first time we were at the Vitality Memphis Hotel, so I did not know what to expect. For some history, apparently it started life as a Ramada, became a Crowne Plaza, and then was abandoned for about five years. A year ago, an Italian group of IT specialists started the renovations. This included a lot of repair work, e.g., fixing the lobby area and underneath where the pool had failed and dumped water into the basement and multiple roof failures. This was the first time that they were going to be full as well. The hotel staff were six-star with their help and attitudes. They are going to make this hotel work. The QR code reader locks were finicky for me . The room was good but had some plumbing issues. They could not correct the dripping tub and get it to work properly despite trying. They addressed it the next week (I hope) and did offer to move me. Elevators were a small issue. There were only three for a 13-story hotel with about 30 rooms per floor. One had been down for months, and we lost a second Monday when everyone was checking out. They opened the service elevator to get people and their junk down. They contracted out the restaurant, and it is very good both for normal ordering and the hot breakfast buffet. I ate there every morning and even their standard breakfast burrito was good. While I did not need it, I was glad to see that they were civilized and had 6:30 to 10:30 breakfast hours. I also had dinner there one night outside the con. The steak was pricey, but it was also worth the price. One thing that was immediately obvious was that the hotel was about the same temperature as the South Pole in winter. They lost a chiller for the con space, and the replacement was not delivered in time. They had two industrial coolers running full blast to supplement the hotel cooling. It worked, and I actually liked it being a little chilly. It worked well for when we had people concentrated in rooms. Opening and Closing Ceremonies were warmer but not hot. I bought a very nice hoodie at the Memphis Zoo for when I was cold. (Side note: The stitching of the zipper failed, and I had to spend $5 to get it fixed.) I also discovered that there was a fast drip in the tub. Wednesday I started the day by reporting the drip and an intermittently running toilet. They were there while I was at the zoo and appeared to fix it. I went to the Memphis Zoo for the day. As always, I had a great time. One change has been made with which I disagree but understand. The old Round Barn from near the start of the zoo, was demolished. In its place, they installed zip lines. This is increasingly common but not what I want for my zoo experience. YMMV. Highlights included the Nile crocodile swimming past and a snow leopard coming over to see me. The Komodo dragon was also friendly. I have some very nice pictures of them that will be posted to Flickr. Strangely, a significant number of animals were not out. The weather was cool, and I had expected to see most of them. I suspect that many of the birds were inside due to avian flu. I also had a sad moment. The Caspian horse stallion in Once Upon A Farm passed away at 38 years old. The mare, now 40 years old, was still there. I do not expect to see her again. I had a strange experience when leaving. First, a Bluff City Taxi showed up just before 5 P.M. This was expected. They had two police motorcycles with flashing lights behind them. I stayed on my side of the road and waited to see what was happening. The police proceeded to drive around the taxi and into the zoo on their motorcycles. There had been an unintelligible loudspeaker announcement near closing time that I took to be the zoo was closing in 15 minutes, but it might have been more serious as this occurred about 5 minutes later. And just to make things more interesting, as we were leaving the zoo, I got a phone call saying my taxi was waiting for me at the zoo. I strongly suspect that my morning taxi driver who was picking me up in the evening sniped a fare from another driver. The evening was mainly spent relaxing. Thursday The tub was fine overnight but started dripping again after my morning shower. I think that the faucet control was bad and even more extensive repairs were needed. Thursday looked like it was going to be rain, but the showers slipped to the south, and we were just heavily overcast. I should have gone to the nature center but chose to put that off again. Next year, I may make it my first priority if we have a sunny day. I really want brighter conditions if I am shooting photos in a forest, and partly cloudy skies are much more interesting than solid dark clouds when shooting lake landscapes. That did leave me available in the early afternoon to help unload the truck, aka, �The Con In A Box�. I started very slow because I was not given a cart, but I did take a large screen to the main ballroom. When we moved to unloading the truck into the Critter Caf�, I was part of the human chain moving the food onto the carts. I can honestly say I touched everything that went inside. Some of it got slightly wet as a drizzle started while we were unloading. I had a good time and felt useful. Thursday night dinner was also bittersweet. We lost attendees this year to health reasons, job loss, family matters, and more. We were down to just three of us. (It looks like five or six in 2026.) The food was from the original location Corky�s BBQ this year and was very good. There was a refrigerator but no microwave in the room. I still ordered a little extra for later. Some things like the unused cheese dip had to be tossed. I used the opportunity to alpha test the MFM Fur Can. This will be beta tested at MFM 2026. We took photos every 20 seconds during dinner and uploaded them to Google Drive so that our missing friends could see and be jealous of our dinner. More to come on the camera closer to MFM 2026. Normally, I register Thursday night, but Registration did not open because of problems. I am not sure if it was the CPU falling out of the motherboard or something else, but I was told that someone heard it was something that could only be fixed off-site later. They managed to get something running overnight. I went to the first of my four dances that night. Photos are posted on SoFurry and even more Flickr. Attendance was sparse but enthusiastic. On the positive side, the lighting was better than Whispering Woods because they left the house lights on low. On the negative side, the spotlights were at the back of the room illuminating the backs of the dancers. I was shooting into them all con. I left around midnight and headed upstairs to bed. Friday I worked Charity Auction intake all day. We went from about 10-4 and 7-9. We had a break for Opening Ceremonies. I was illegal for a couple of hours because I did not have a badge. No one questioned the minion in the corner, though. Once the line shrank, I picked up my badge. We had, I believe, 127 items donated. This was way down from the over 200 last year, but that was both by design and desire. Having over 200 items just took too long to auction and process. I learned at Opening Ceremonies that there was still insufficient seating. I spent the event standing at the back. With my 75-300 mm lens, I was still able to get good shots and arguably did better than sitting anywhere but the front row. I feel like some subtle changes in tone have been made with regards to explaining code of conduct and expectations for conduct. It was less an aggressive statement and more a gentle reminder. There were still clear expectations that the rules would be followed, but not what I considered excessive emphasis on �Do it or else!� as I felt it had become. Because of my diabetes and very sore feet and legs, I did not go to the Pizza Feed this year. Regular pizza hits my carbohydrate limit for a meal in one or two slices. I could have gotten salad, but I was not up to standing in line. Friday Night Dance had more people attending. We had several Tweens that were having an absolute blast. Some had fursuits, and others had dino masks. I have to say that I never had their level of energy! Saturday Saturday morning, we had some additional items donated, but mostly we were waiting to move things into the ballroom. Since the fursuit parade marshalled there, I was able to help with the moving and organizing. The Fursuit Parade was chaotic. This being the first time, we had no clue where they were going. There were 147 fursuiters this year, and I think that is a new record. The ballroom was packed by the time I left. I positioned myself at the exit to the ballroom, and they decided to come out the other door. I was surprised that I got any good shots because I was shooting either into low light or strong light coming from the side. If they do it the same next year, I will look for someplace else or use a low power fill flash. This was a recurring problem throughout the hotel public spaces and a reason I am glad I bought lights for the MFM Fur Cam. Charity Auction went well. I bought the original canvas artwork of the bard skunk used as the Web site background. It is now in an ornate gilded frame in my upstairs hallway. A friend was kind enough to send it to me. There was no way it was going into my luggage or on the plane with me. We developed hot sauce fatigue because I had gotten some here and there over the year and ended up with many more than planned. They still mostly did well. Next year I plan to bring five or so. We finished in time for the next event. That was important because of the lack of con space. For the Founders (highest support level) Dinner, I sat with three other furs. The company was good. One of us sent off a picture of the salad with its many olives to his olive-hating partner. Said partner replied that he should �Eat them all!�. We got a flagon and some forged cutlery for our Founders� gifts. I was glad they were small since I was one of the 10% of attendees flying. I went to the dance again and had another good time. I took some video as well as photos. I am a weak videographer. The music was mainly techno that night if I am getting my dances correct. It was not my favorite genre, but the dancers seemed to like it. Sunday Sunday morning was time to relax some. I spent the afternoon in the ballroom. Rhubarb did a comedy/music show mostly in fursuit. His toy piano rendition of Kiss� Rock and Roll All Night was the highlight in my opinion. Kosmik could not make it this year because they were closing the theater at which he works that weekend, and he was needed for that. I hope to see him again next year. Masquerade had more acts this year than normal with, I think, five first time actors. I do not think that anyone got the Minotaur�s act. Other than that, and I think it was more a misunderstanding of what to expect than a bad act, the acts were quite good. Between Masquerade and Closing Ceremonies, I wandered some and met a male possum from the Mississippi Wildlife Rescue Center. His human was chasing him under and around furniture as he decided to explore the hotel. I got a couple of fair at best photos and some very nice memories. Sometimes, you have to put down the camera and live in the moment. Closing Ceremonies saw me standing at the back again. I got there 10 minutes earlier than Opening Ceremonies and 20 minutes before the start, and there were only a few seats in the middle left. I opted for what I knew would work even with a panful left foot. Charity Auction raised almost $8,000 with an average winning bid of about $60. With other events like the poker tournament, we reached about $9,000 for our three charities. MWRC had some additional contributions at the table, but the director, who was counting them, had to leave early with a fever. Thankfully, I did not get sick because he was also the person with the opossum. I skipped the ice cream social because of my diabetes. I ordered from Popeye�s. Blackened chicken tenders only have 1 gram of carbs per tender. They messed up my order badly, but the food that I got was good. I swear that the best dance is the Dead Dog Dance. The dance floor was packed, and everyone was having a great time. Growltiger, who started MFM, was there as DJ. He also had his wife and two daughters. I really was glad to see his daughters because Growltiger had to step down as con chair to take care of them during severe illnesses that involved extended stays at St. Jude�s Hospital. I liked that he picked songs I knew for his set. I left around 12:30 AM when things were dying down and I was done physically. Monday I flew out in the afternoon, so I slept in some. After breakfast, I finished packing and checked out around 11 AM. The taxi arrived at 11:30. I saw several furs knew on their way out while I waited in the lobby. Checking in at the airport was fine, but TSA was not. My continuous glucose monitor never got an examination, but I somehow triggered an alarm for my buttocks and groin. I had to give up my shoes and had a pat down search. Given that I was wearing an undershirt, shirt, jeans, and suspenders, I do not know what was suspicious. Cleveland Hopkins TSA had no warning when I wore the same minus the undershirt the prior flight. Memphis to Washington was on time and an uneventful flight. We flew up the Potomac River from the south. I was on the wrong side to see the National Mall. Washington to Cleveland was more eventful. To start, the gate changed from C33 to E52 after I landed and was on my way to the C concourse. I, of course, had landed at E54. I got in a nice walk through about three fifths of the main concourse. We left slightly behind time but managed to get to Cleveland 30 minutes early. That meant we did not have a ground crew for about five minutes. I grabbed my (very heavy) bag and a taxi home to complete my trip. Some Random General Thoughts The theme for 2027 should be Antarctica Base Mephit, and they should bring back the industrial coolers. I actually hope that they keep it that cool again. With a hoodie, it was nice. The suggestion was made to split the room shared by Registration and Charity Auction after the Charity Auction moved out and most people had registered to create a new room for panels Saturday afternoon and Sunday. It would require some work to move things around, but it should work well. I hope that they do it in 2026. We need more con space. Lighting was an issue for photography throughout the con. I wish that they would turn up the house lights for events like Opening and Closing Ceremonies. I felt like I was in twilight in the events. My stamina was not as good as I wanted. Some of it was because of illness earlier that simmer, but I think it is time to acknowledge that I am getting older. I have increased my regular exercise and dropper some more weight to see if it will help. I was happy to see so many young furs and first timers at the con. I missed quite a few past regulars that I hope were just taking a year off because things were so bad in general. I am not sure where things well stand in 2026, but I hope we have more people returning. Some of the hotel staff have already said that they plan to attend in 2026. Every staff member I asked said that they had a good time. They seem to genuinely like us. They had an idea of what it was going to be like going in as they did research on us. We seem to have exceeded their expectations. I am not sure of that was a hard thing to do or not. MFM signed a three year contract with the hotel. I think that this will work out, but I am also reminded of the problems with the Holiday Inn Airport where we were trapped in a long term contract. I am not the con chair, but I think we should have done a one year contract for 2026 before making a long term commitment even if it costs us some money. The hotel is still undergoing a lot of renovation and the con space is tight. I think it would have been prudent to see where things stood after next year. Once bitten; twice shy. There may be escape clauses for all I know. As for Whispering Woods, they still have 75 rooms and the first floor con space that they rent out. The mezzanine and 45 rooms are blocked off with walls for a corporate HQ of a battery company that is building in Olive Branch. They did not tell cons that this was going to happen. Their solution to the lost space was to open up decidedly moldy rooms on the first floor and have events outside. Imagine wearing a park over a thermal vest over a long sleeve shirt over thermal underwear in August in Memphis to get an idea of what the fursuiters would experience. I am very glad that Tyger got us out of the contract and told other cons about Vitality. I believe it was MidSouthCon that alerted everyone to what was happening initially with pictures of the changed hotel. Whispering Woods never told anyone what was happening. The Vitality Hotel is still working on renovating three (?) floors and will have suites available next year. I know some people who will try to get one. There are several rooms with a door joining them as well. Registration went up a whopping $5 for 2026. This was after a very long period of being constant. Even the lowest level attendees get free food, so this is still a great value. I do not expect any resistance to the price increase. Would I go back? I registered on Sunday after Closing Ceremonies. I am badge 145. I went for Founder Level again. What good is money if you are dead? I would rather spend some now to help others plus have a great time. The panels were sparse this year. I had a couple that I might have attended if I was not working or feeling too tired. I am still toying with a photo editing basics panel. The problem is me trying to read what is on the screen. I would say that I was much lighter on what I was doing. I missed hanging out with people during the downtime that I had. I know that I insist on being part of the con as well, but I missed visiting with friends. Next year�s theme will be Space Station Mephit. I plan to get rid of some NASA items like six posters by contributing them to the Charity Auction. I think I have most of what I am going to contribute selected. The MFM Fur Cam is evolving from a photo every twenty seconds to push a button for a series of five shots. The sheer number of photos killed the time lapse option (for now). I will beta test in 2026. I have inflatable toys I used for NASA Speakers Bureau talks in schools that I will bring. If we auction off the balloons at the end of the con, they will be available. That was pretty much it. After a serious cancer scare over the summer, I was glad to get away and have fun.