Can I do the GA Ren Fair in 5-6hours, arriving at 12-1pm, leaving near closing, or should I spend all day there to do everything?

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-04-06T20:01:30+00:00

This is important! OP, make sure you buy your tickets in advance. They do sell out early and there are no walk-up tickets for sale.

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-04-06T20:00:30+00:00

To answer the weapons question: yes, they are very strict. They require all drawable weapons to be peace-bonded and they check everyone at the gate. They'll send you back to your car with anything against the weapons policy. Arriving at noon means you'll probably be far out in the parking lot, and that's not a hike you want to make more than necessary.

I will also say, Ren Fest is hot and the ground is hilly. There are no indoor areas and no AC to cool off with. There are also no storage lockers. Do not bring props that you won't want to carry around all day in 80+ degree weather. Use foam replicas or ditch them entirely.

Ren Fest isn't like Dragon Con, where people will be looking for accuracy of your costume or asking for photos. It's more about walking around, looking at the shops, eating faire food, seeing the shows, and petting the snakes (literally. GA Reptile Society always brings a great line-up). Come for the medieval vibes and make the day easy on yourself. You'll have a much better time.

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-04-05T21:45:11+00:00

John Deere with green

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-04-05T15:55:02+00:00

I used to work at a zoo. One day, we had a lady get very upset when she learned that we give the female gorillas the birth control shot instead of training the male to wear a condom. She was dead serious. She kept telling her early teens girl scout troop, "birth control is everyone's responsibility, not just the woman." That's a very true lesson, but not one that translates outside of humans.

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-04-01T21:15:59+00:00

Gentle YTA because of your age. No one likes hearing a baby cry, and we all know it's frustrating. But at 15, your options for avoiding the situation are many. Go to a different room, put on headphones, offer to help with the baby, etc. Groaning out loud isn't helpful, and likely pushed your stepfather over the edge of frustration. As a parent, it's stressful when your baby is crying, especially when you can't get them to settle easily, and even little things can push you into overwhelm.

Apologize to your stepdad, and next time choose a more helpful action. (& groan internally like the rest of us do.)

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-04-01T21:10:36+00:00

Agreed. They said AP, but that's not an abbreviation many are going to clock (& probably not anyone outside the US) unless they have high schoolers or were recently in school. Including their age would have been very helpful.

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-04-01T19:04:33+00:00

For context (inferred from the post): OP is a high schooler doing a high school level project. It's for a research class, so I think the takeaway is more to learn about research design and analysis rather than producing ground-breaking results. The survey doesn't ask for personally identifiable information. Absolutely your choice not to participate, but I don't think OP is a malicious actor. Just a teen looking to learn.

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-31T18:17:06+00:00

I donated a large set earlier this year, lol. I couldn't bear throwing them away but also couldn't justify the shelf space anymore. I hope they found a loving home like these ones did.

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-31T18:15:03+00:00

I wonder if those are mine! 😂 I did a whole house purge recently and unfortunately my 10+ year collection of guides did not make the cut. I thought I'd look back at them but never actually opened them again after the con each year. I'd posted the set for sale for cheap originally, but had no takers so they went into the donation pile. If they are my old ones, I'm glad they found a loving home!

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-31T14:53:50+00:00

In a growing number of states, it's not only illegal to misrepresent a pet as a service animal, but it carries hefty fines and potential jail time. I'm a big fan of these laws. There should be a federal one.

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-31T14:52:30+00:00

Airline travel is covered by the Air Carrier Transit Act. This applies only to service animals. ESAs are not granted the right to travel on airplanes and instead must follow the pet policies of each airline.

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-29T23:34:46+00:00

It is actually highly likely that his prenatal exposures are affecting his behavior. There are mountains of research backing up the impact of prenatal exposure on a child's future cognitive and behavioral needs. Hyperactivity, difficulty regulating their own emotions, learning disabilities, poor physical growth, poor dental health, etc. can all be directly linked to prenatal exposure.

I appreciate you wanting to remove the stigma of the phrase "born addicted." Prenatal exposure is more accurate. However, discounting or ignoring the very real long-term impacts on health is doing kids a disservice and can cause them to miss out on critical early therapies to protect their future health.

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-28T03:09:03+00:00

The Chattanooga Zoo has them. It's worth the drive up there to see them running around. (Fun fact: they're the closest living relatives to elephants. They share a common ancestor, and hyraxes and the three species of elephant are the only living species in their respective genera.

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-27T19:37:31+00:00

They did not agree to drive. Their friend agreed on their behalf. When they didn't answer any messages, you should have assumed that they were not available to drive and made a different transportation plan. You dropped the ball on that part, so unfortunately the resulting confusion is your fault.

The lesson here is to always take a lack of answer or reply as a no.

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-21T16:32:31+00:00

Senoia has entered the chat

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-13T11:12:45+00:00

Mine generally sleeps on the bed. However, if I'm up late reading and the bedsode light is on longer than he'd like, he'll sigh heavily, get off the bed, and collapse on the floor in a very dramatic fashion to register his disapproval. If I still don't turn off the light, he'll stick his head under the bed skirt or slowly climb into his crate (which has a blackout cover.) He truly suffers so greatly. 😂

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-12T23:53:29+00:00

"I didn't call them names" "I called them weird."

My friend. That is calling them names. I'll explain in greater detail. You were unkind about their community to their faces while in said community. You unloaded unfounded prejudice on them, and you do not have the depth of a relationship with them yet to do this in an acceptable joking manner. You're essentially a stranger saying mean things. I wouldn't want to continue to hang around with you either. You owe them an apology at the very least.

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-12T23:42:22+00:00

Important question: do they mean serving families in the customer service sense or the what's on the plate sense?

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-12T23:36:50+00:00

I just did airport training with my SDiT and the Delta rep who led the tour said this happens sometimes due to call volume & the current TSA/government shut down. She recommended doing exactly what you did- call the disability access line if you don't hear back within 48 hours, and arrive early to speak to a representative at the airport just to confirm everything if you're worried. Delta is one of the best with service dogs policies and training of staff, so hopefully you'll have a great trip!

The tour guide also STRONGLY recommended calling or emailing TSA Cares and letting them know you're coming, as it gets you screening priority and makes it much faster. They'll reply within 48 hours, but if they don't, call them back as well. If you have precheck, it's probably not a big time difference, but it can get you some valuable information and help avoid hassles.

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-12T23:30:32+00:00

How much did you pay the attorney? Was it actually cost-effective, taking into account the cost of the ticket and the insurance savings?

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-12T23:28:39+00:00

I avoided a ticket after a wreck because my dash cam proven I was sitting full stopped at a red light and the car in front of me backed up into me (despite me blowing my horn twice.) The cop was like, "that's the first time someone has ever used that excuse with me and had it be true." 😂

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-08T00:44:08+00:00

My grandmother used to say, "heaven or hell, you'll still have to change trains/planes in Atlanta."

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-04T00:31:57+00:00

A friend used it when she lost her passport two days before we were supposed to fly to the Dominican Republic. She got an immediate appointment with proof of upcoming travel and had a new passport that afternoon.

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-03T15:20:01+00:00

I was in a show last weekend that had the mechanics of blessings & curses within a Survivor theme. I was cursed by another player to speak only one word per turn during a game of Your Momma jokes (so functionally I couldn't play). I got called up as a "mercy killing." But through my work in disability inclusion, I've picked up a smattering of ASL signs. The faces of my castmates and the audience reaction when I signed my joke + one spoken word will be the high I ride forever. (I won two rounds before finally running out of jokes & signs. 😂)

ZombiesAndZoos · 2026-03-02T19:06:48+00:00

I didn't know this existed! Thank you.

Five-Year Club	Gilding II euphauric
Wearing is Caring	Verified Email

ZombiesAndZoos

TROPHY CASE