I got a little bit done with my armor this weekend. Ironically, though, almost none of it was what I had originally planned on doing. I did, indeed, get some painting done, but it was all very spontaneous. For example, I decided my shoulder plates looked a little boring with just the hammered silver, so I added some green. That was a lot of fun because I got to play with the chipped paint effect, which is one of my favorite things to do with painting. Also, I decided quite suddenly to add a Jaing Skull to one of my shoulder plates. My decision to do it was pretty random and I didn’t even really think about it until after I had sprayed it on. But any concerns I might have had disappeared when I removed the pattern and revealed the design. It really fits in nicely. It bled just a little bit (due, I believe, to the uneven texture of the hammered paint), but that only makes it look even cooler, IMO. Finally, the only thing that I had planned on working on and actually did was finishing up the details for the Rancor Clan design on my bicep shield. I did not, however, go shopping for kneepads because I was under the impression that I had less money in the bank then I apparently do. I also still need to come up with a few patterns for my dad to cut out some PVC for me, but that that wont take long at all, so it’s no huge deal.
One bit of bad news, though: My jump suit arrived in the mail today and it’s not even in the ballpark of fitting my fat ass. I really don’t get it. It’s technically two inches wider then a pair of loose fitting pants that I own. (And they were loose fitting even before I broke them in, so that’s not the problem.) Also, the web site said that it should be long enough for anyone up to 6 feet tall. Well, I’m 5′10″ and after trying it on, I’m now doubting my ability to father children. Seriously, when I was finally able to get it over both shoulders, I really wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to get it back off on my own. I literally started to have a minor claustrophobic attack. I was finally able to get it off after about five minutes of writhing and wiggling around that reminded me of a documentary I watched the other day about Houdini, specifically the part when he was developing his straitjacket routine. Anyway, I thought about exchanging it for a larger size, but I checked the web site and saw that it only goes up one more and I don’t think that one will be much better. (Because there’s only, like, a one inch difference, which is bullshit I might add.) So, I shall return it and get my money back – minus the shipping and a 15% restocking fee, of course. Bastards. Oh, well. I guess it’s back to my original plan of trying to find a pair of pants and a long sleeve shirt that’s the same shade of green.
You know, I still plan on wearing armor to AdCon, but the more I think about it, the more I think it might not be 100% Merc’s approved. And I think I can live with that. Because it’s not like I’m going in there with cardboard armor and sweat pants. I still have a personal standard of quality and I wouldn’t wear it if I wasn’t satisfied with it. Like my Jedi costume. It’s not even close to 100% accurate, but it still gets a positive reaction every time i wear it. And Mandos are even less uniform then Jedi. And, of course, I highly doubt the average person’s going to give me a hard time for not having an actual jumpsuit, especially when you consider the fact that my vest/kama and crotch guard will hide the seam anyway. And if I have to wait a little while before becoming a full member of the Mando Mercs… so what? It’s not like you get any special benefits or privileges by becoming a full member. It’s just a cool thing to do; something I want to do, but don’t mind waiting on.
I’m doing my best to keep the faith. I’m getting there, I think I’ll do it. But, in the meantime, cross your fingers and stay tuned.
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