2 posts tagged “darth vader”
It's here, it's here, it's finally here!
I've been working on my Darth Vader costume since January of this year. I have an insane amount of labour invested in this and I'm excited to show it off. There are a bunch of things that I want to change and make better for next year, but I have 12 months to work on that - tonight I'm just going to bask in the glory that is Star Wars.
Ahhh.
Mmmm.
*Contented Sigh*
I hope the kids come. I'm on a busy street with no sidewalk - there's a sidewalk on the other side and I'll have the theme music playing and the pumpkins out - hopefully they'll brave the street and get a chocolate bar from me.
Michelle has decided that she wants to go to college again. We quickly booked her a tour of the campus in London (ON) and I'm hoping that she'll get excited about the cool courses and the freedom and independence that will be hers there. We also have a lunch booked with a good friend of mine that day - it should be a good time.
Things have been relatively peaceful here since Michelle decided that she wants to ace her courses this year. The only thing that's a little niggly is the Kitchen Chore. She's completely responsible for keeping the kitchen tidy (and, of course, a messy kitchen really stresses Sherry and me out!) We'll get it worked out before she leaves. It's a skill that will serve her very well in college.
Michelle isn't excited about staying in residence. Everything that she's heard is about drunken parties and freshly minted alcoholics. Hmm. I guess I stayed in the wrong dorm (or the right dorm...)
I'm thankful that I'm in a job that challenges me intellectually. I'm working on a project now that will pull together a bunch of my skills and should last 4 to 6 weeks of straight cool stuff. Yaaa.
I'm thankful that I'm able to feel pain. A buddy of mine is going through a thing where his nerves aren't doing everything that they're supposed to and he's being pretty rough on his hands. I'm very glad that I know when I'm doing damage to my fingers.
I'm thankful for enough disposable income to work on hobbies. It's really nice not having to worry about making rent or where my next meal is coming from. It's really nice being able to spend good money on a project as completely frivolous as Darth Vader.
A dozen years ago or so I wanted to go out with Michelle on Halloween (I may comment on my thoughts about Halloween in a later post) so I bought a pattern for a Star Trek TNG Season 1 Riker outfit. I bought the spandex and the little pips and a Communicator pin (it didn't actually work, but it looks realistic!) and spent a couple of weeks sewing the whole thing together.
It was a lot of fun - everyone recognized me and I had a great time.
Fast forward a decade of fast food, sedintary lifestyle, desk job and weight gain - there's no way that outfit is going to go back on - it doesn't even cross my mind.
Now fast forward two or three years of eating healthy, running and gym work (and a 30 pound weight loss) and I start feeling good about how I look again. Halloween last year I tried on the outfit again and it's good enough to wear out in the dark. Everyone loves it, they recognize who I'm supposed to be and it's fun.
But it's still spandex and I'm a lot older than I was when I made it.
Time for a new costume!
But who?
A Dalek! Nope - too hard, too bulky. Frankenstein's monster? Nope. A Harlem Globetrotter - nope, they travel in packs.
Darth Vader! Oh, yes. That's exactly it.
Google searching... costing... whoa! $1800 for the costume???!!! I don't think so. Vader Maker Australia... oh, he *made* his own suit from scratch. I can do that.
I started the project about 9 months ago and I'm about 75% done. I suspect that I'll wear it about 85% done and then finish it in the off-season.
So far I've:
o Modified the helmet to insert my prescription lenses in the eye sockets
o Sewn the Cape, Cloak and Jacket
o Created the gloves
o Created the chest armour
o Started the chest computer and belt computer
o Started the boots
That leaves:
o Sewing the Pants
o Creating the codpiece
o Create the shin guards
o Finish the computers
I suspect that finishing the computers may be all that I get done before the end of next month.
If we hadn't moved this past summer and hadn't hosted our house warming party I'd be a lot further along than I am, but I'll be able to wear the costume with a simple pair of black dress pants - no one will notice outside in the dark - it's a pretty black costume...
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In other news: I've FINALLY broken the 190 barrier! I was 189.5 yesterday! Yaaaa! My three mile runs are getting easier again. I can run about a mile (in 7:30) without my breathing going too ragged and finishing the run is no longer an issue.
Michelle and I are simply avoiding each other until we figure out how to call a truce. It's been nice not having to deal with the stress on a daily basis.
I had lunch with an old friend on Tuesday. We laughed and told stories. It was wonderful.
