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NEPA: Rafting in the Lehigh Valley River Gorge

Posted on September 9th, 2010 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

In an effort to meet more locals and gt out of the house a bit, I joined my local Couch Surfing group.  Conveniently, they were just arranging a rafting trip, and I was able to join them.

[The NEPA Couch Surfing group, not entirely from NEPA, as some came from NYC, and the man in front was in the area from Ireland - go figure.]

[In calm waters…before the storm…]

The trip cost about $50 per person to go through the class 2 and class 3 rapids of the Lower Lehigh Gorge (but I think that was with a large group rate - I think normally prices run closer to $60.  A mix of class 1 and 2 rapids is much cheaper, but where’s the excitement in that?)  And don’t forget to pack lunch and water - it’s not included.

[YAY LUNCH BREAK!]

Our day trip was pursued under the supervision of Jim Thorpe River Adventures, and know that by “day trip” I mean it took the WHOLE day.  Our 11:20 group didn’t actually get going until after noon, and by the time we got upstream, in rafts, and to the lunch break spot half-way through our 5-hour trip (somewhere around 3 or 4pm) we were ravenous.  We had actually begun to wonder if we were just supposed to eat on the boat during calmer moments.

[YAY LUNCH BREAK!]

We might have had a minor disaster or two before lunch, but after lunch was when it all fell apart and we lost half of our people.  One we managed to catch, and I think another got picked up by a different boat, but one of our number floated downstream a very long way…

[Rafting in the Legigh Valley river gorge]

But when all was said and done, we emerged from the river sometime around 6:30pm most unscathed.  We rode the school buses back to the main site, where we dumped our garbage, handed in our life vests, and enjoyed hotdogs and birch beer (well, I think it’s nasty, but most people like it, so…) before stumbling into our cars and heading home.

[After the trip - a bit more haggard, but if you’ll notice, my legs are still pasty, pasty white thanks for Neutrogena SPF 100+ sunblock; it really works!!!]

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Star Wars C5: The Adventures of TK-7888

Posted on August 30th, 2010 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

One of the best things about having stormtrooper armor is going about, doing silly little things that make people smile.  So, without further ado, here’s a short photo blog of the adventures of TK-7888 at Celebration V.

[Stormtrooper on a scooter, doing Imperial-type work.]

[Stormtrooper at the ATM, getting some cash]

[Stormtrooper using a vending machine]

[Stormtrooper chasing down enemies of the empire]

[Stormtrooper getting a chair massage after a hard day’s work.]

[Stormtrooper hugging a plush baby Wampa ice creature]

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Star Wars C5: A Few Fun Things

Posted on August 30th, 2010 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

[Good Idea: Create a recreation of the Battle of Hoth]

[Great Idea: Include elements from the Robot Chicken Star Wars specials in your recreation of the Battle of Hoth.]

[A show-down between Darth Vader and Mara Jade (me): the Emperor’s top two lackeys.]

[The Emperor on the cell phone: “Get me a turkey club…ah, cole slaw, I guess, I’m not even gonna eat it…”]

[Lime green R2 unit - AWESOME!]

[Wampa ice creature bean bag toss]

[Adopt a baby Wampa - yeah, that’s me]

[A rendition of a few Dark Lords of the Sith at a level of quality far beyond what I was ever able to achieve with sidewalk chalk.]

[A recreation of the Battle of Endor in LEGO bricks.]

[A life-size Darth Vader made out of LEGO bricks.]

[And, finally…an Imperial Beachtrooper.]

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Star Wars C5: A Few Fun Costumes

Posted on August 30th, 2010 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

[I <3 Snowtroopers]

The hard thing about being in costume all day is that it’s hard to take time out to admire other costumes (especially when you have severely limited vision due to a helmet or similar…)  But here are a few things I liked that I was able to snap a picture of.

[I had never seen a Gammorean before, and the fact that it’s a female is all the more impressive.]

[This Cloud City Leia costume with the elaborate embroidery blew my mind…the costumer told me that it was “easy” and that all you have to do is download the pattern and follow the instructions…  From this I’ll conclude that she has quite a lot of talent.]

[This Bossk, too, was truly impressive…especially with the Wookie head…kinda creepy, actually.]

[This costume screams of ingenuity…I always assumed our CG friend, General Grevious, would be off limits to any serious costumer, but no…where there’s a will, there’s a way, and the folks at C5 have the will to make things happen.]

[And, just for fun, a Boba Fett with LEGO armor and accessories.]

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Star Wars C5: Our New Costumes: Mara Jade (black jumpsuit)

Posted on August 20th, 2010 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

This is one I had been planning for a long time, and FINALLY got around to doing.

[Myself as Mara Jade, and soon-to-be SL-7888 - wee!]

First off, this would have been WAY more challenging without help, so I want to give a few shout-outs.  First, to Pam at chucrew.com, many thanks for the compilation of reference photos and all your owns tips - you make this possible!  Second, to Jenn, and indirectly to Ed, for making me believe that I could do the leather-working myself, for showing me where to go and what to buy, and just being so supportive about the project in general, THANK YOU!  Finally, to the folks at Flagship Eclipse, for posting their frustrations and solutions, their ideas, links to products, and photos of costumes, a great big THANKS - you’ve made a fabulous community and helped me make this happen.

There’s not a lot I can say that Pam hasn’t already covered at chucrew.com, and since I didn’t take progress images this time around, I’m not going to go into all the details.  I do, however, plan on making another black jumpsuit, so I’ll document it next time, promise.

The costume standards for the 501st Legion are posted here: that’s what you NEED to follow for your Imperial Seal of Approval.

I will add some random thoughts on my experience…

First, the jumpsuit itself is not overly difficult (a slight modification of KwikSew 2722 to remove the “keyhole” in back), but putting the cording in was awful, especially as I didn’t have a foot for my sewing machine that could sew close to an edge, and couldn’t find one nearby (and after being sold one that didn’t fit my machine, decided in my frustration to do it by hand rather than shop online for a different solution.)

Note that, depending on the size of the cording and if you do just front, or both front and back, you will lose a good amount of fabric, so you might want to make a size larger so you can afford to lose a could inches of fabric around the waist!

I regret not buying the recommended Collins Wash Away Wonder Tape to hold the cording in place, as it was nearly IMPOSSIBLE to work with what I bought (”This seems close enough” was a poor line of thinking on my part).  It wasn’t available at my local Joann’s, but you can get it off their website.

[The thigh panels - sorry for the funky coloring…changed the lighting to highlight the details]

I liked the look of my thigh panels, which I sewed separately and then attached, but I don’t like how narrow the section turned out to be, as my stitching did not preserve the stretch of the material, and when worn, the panels appeared smaller than I expected.

Next, the leather-working.  This part was actually a lot easier than I expected - I never realized that just about anybody can do this.  I purchased strips of leather, a flat piece of leather for the holster, something called Chicago Screws to hold pieces together, a buckle, some leather cord, and some medium brown dye from the Tandy Leather Factory.  I also picked up a leather hole punch of theirs which was on sale at my local Michael’s for only $9.99 - HIGHLY recommended!

[Not the best image, but for the moment, you can see the circular detailing similar to the action figure]

The silver piece on the back provided a bit of frustration, especially since I knew nothing about casting shapes in fiberglass as recommended by Pam at chucrew.com.  I did endless searching for the shape…at hardware stores and car show flea markets, and eventually I settled on something so simple and cheap that it’s almost embarrassing: a tub ring.  Two of them, in fact, with slots for the leather harness pieces to come out of.  I took some leftover plastic from my stormtrooper armor and cut out circles with my dremmel to fit in the middle (where the tub faucet should be).  I spray painted all the pieces silver, glued the circles into the center of each side, and then assembled it around the harness, clamshelling it together.

Beyond that, we’re down to the basic accessories.  The knee pads I got from an army surplus store, and the shin guards I got from a women’s field hockey department (fearing that general knee/shin guards would be designed for men and a bit too bulky).  The leather gloves and knee-high leather boots I just happened to have, and the black cowl was a fabric tube sewn out of a yard of cheap, black fabric that I picked up at Joann’s.  The blaster is a replica of a WWII mauser that needs to have its modifications finished (read: our guys with the parts fell through on us) and the goggles (which UPS mis-routed and I didn’t receive in time for my day as Mara) I got from Dennis Kirk, a motorcycle shop. (Randomly, use FedEx or DHL wherever possible - they are SO much more reliable.)

That’s about it for my Mara - post comments with any thoughts, suggestions, or questions, and I’ll be happy to get back to you on it.

[Myself as Mara Jade, in the Emperor’s throne, dreaming big…]

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Star Wars C5: Our New Costumes: Talon Karrde

Posted on August 20th, 2010 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

I regret not documenting these as I went along, but here are the finished products of our Talon Karrde and Mara Jade costumes, which consumed my soul for the first half of the summer.

[The only photos I have from the process of creating this costume are the ones of my dear sweet cat, Tarzan, laying on the fabric, and the ones of him in the bathroom licking the water that dripped off the interfacing while it hung to dry in the bathroom (had to pre-shrink it!)]

One frustrating challenge with Expanded Universe (EU) costuming is that the image portrayed in the books is often ignored when characters are drawn into the comic books.  Lee and I have been reading the books for 15 years, but neither of us have read much of the comics.  We have a solid idea of what our characters look like; unfortunately, reference images come not from books, but from the comics.

Talon Karrde, as we know him, is a refined man who enjoys a few of the nicer things in life.  He is a businessman, if ever there was one.  Many of the comics show him as a more brutish, muscular man strutting around in sleeveless shirts and heavy leather vests and other rough clothes.  Completely wrong, in our minds.

[Talon Karrde reference image from Star Wars: Rebellion, compared to the finished version of Lee’s Talon Karrde costume (and yes, I know, he forgot to take his glasses off - what’s a girl to do?)]

Then we found an image of Talon Karrde on Wookiepedia from an old computer game: Star Wars: Rebellion.  We took that as out primary reference image.  Lee had the hairline for it, so he grew out his hair a bit and added a goatee.  I dyed everything jet black and, with the hair swept back, we had the look going.

The collared shirt with the laced neck we were able to order online from a Renaissance Festival clothing site.  The coat, however, would have to be made from scratch, as a sport coat without a collar is not easy to find.  We did, however, manage to find a pattern (V1753 from VougePatterns) that looked perfect.  After a long image analysis and a good amount of time wandering around the fabric store looking at variations of the color black, we decided that the coat was suede and picked our fabric.

[Another reference image that holds true and close to what we recognize as Talon Karrde, this one is from the Essential Guide to Characters, also pulled off Wookiepedia, compared to a picture of Lee’s finished Talon Karrde costume]

Based on all the other images, we went with a pair of knee-high black (p)leather boots (ordered from an online renaissance costuming store), a plain black leather belt with a round buckle (straight off the rack at the GAP), and a dark pair of khakis (on sale at Macy’s).

So I ask my fellow fanatics and costumers: how’d we do, folks?

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Star Wars C5: Props and Backdrops

Posted on August 18th, 2010 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

[Myself and Lee (or Mara Jade and Talon Karrde) on the Emperor’s throne in the 501st room]

Whilst meandering about Celebration V and stopping for the occasional photo, we found our own photo ops that we wanted to take advantage of.  Largely thanks to the Belgian Garrison, huge, life-size props and scenes had been replicated and put on display.  Apparently Lucasfilm shelled out to have these amazing works packed safely away in shipping containers and sent to Orlando.

[Myself as Mara Jade, perusing a weapons rack…straight outta the comics!  (also in the 501st room)]

[Full-scale replica of a TIE Interceptor, complete with a TIE pilot from Jagged Fel’s personal fighter squadron out front.  This thing is straight from Belgium.]

[Another contribution from the Belgian Garrison is this scaled-down AT-AT…life-size? No.  But awesome?  Definitely.]

[Lee had the thought to pose as Talon Karrde, having a business meeting onboard a YT-1300 Corellian freighter; and while it would have been cool to have a shot of a meeting between Talon Karrde and Mara Jade, the only thought going through my head is “OMG I’M SITTING AT THE BOOTH IN THE MILLENNIUM FALCON!!!”  Fail on my part, I guess.  But OMG, THAT’S ME SITTING AT THE CHESS BOARD IN THE MILLENNIUM FALCON!!!  Once again, thank you Belgian Garrison.]

[TK-7888, aka me, in a Death Star doorway also provided by the Belgian Garrison…I look at this photo and, for a moment, believe I had a small role in ANH.]

[Thanks to the Belgian Garrison’s creativity, Lee was living out a childhood fantasy of owning a speeder bike…I was always partial to tauntauns myself, but I grew up in a frozen wasteland, so my priorities were different.]

[The Belgian Garrison’s E-WEB was beautiful, too, and reminded me of my need for snowtrooper armor.]

[Not too sure if this came from Lucasfilm or where, it looks to be a mix of Jabba’s palace and the Mos Eisley Cantina…the Belgians seem to have such a great passion for screen accuracy that I really can’t see them mixing the two.]

And what did we come away with from all this?  The idea that we need to start building props…and the idea that it would be cool to model one’s garage after a Death Star hanger bay…not to mention a good reminder that we could really stand to win a large lottery jackpot.

Star Wars Obsession: you are our doom.

1 comment.

Star Wars C5: Stormtrooper in the Hilton Orlando’s Pool and Lazy River

Posted on August 16th, 2010 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

Whenever one puts on stormtrooper armor, I feel it is important to do something silly: it makes people smile, and it makes for great photos to share.  While I was afraid it might get me in trouble, it turns out that one of my best ideas ever was to hit up the pool area at the Hilton Orlando during the Star Wars Celebration V convention down in Florida this past weekend.

I went down and wrapped a towel around my waist in beach style, then slowly progressed over towards the Lazy River with a couple guys from the French Garrison who happened to have the same idea, stopping every two steps to take pictures with a mixture of children and adults.

One of the French guys got in a tube and I have no idea what happened to them thereafter.  As I was getting ready to find a way to ease/collapse into an inner-tube, I was approached by a member of the hotel staff: “Are you planning to ride the Lazy River in that?” Uhhh…. Mostly I was hoping to do this under their noses, soas not to get kicked out of our hotel. “Because if you are, I’m going to have to ask you,” crap….fun SPOILED!! “to let me take pictures of you for the bulletin board we keep in the employee cafeteria.”

And so, delighted to now have a staff photographer, I waded out, crashed into my tube as best I could, and pulled my helmet on.

Little did I know, having a narrow view of blue sky and not much else, that the entire crowd that had apparently gathered around and followed me to this point, then clamored into every available tube and followed me down the river.  Cause what could be better than tubing through a tropical paradise with a stormtrooper?

So away we went, under palm trees and jets of water, past waterfalls and giggling onlookers, poor Lee spending the whole time trying to help me avoid injuring/drowning myself or others (and trying to keep my camera dry while photographing the whole adventure.)

Having completed that harrowing feet, I made my way to the pool, determined to attempt a swim (not strongly recommended: high risk of drowning).

While the Lazy River had resulted in a good knock to the helmet and the loss of one shoulder bell, the pool resulted in the loss of the other shoulder bell and both hand pieces.  Only one piece wasn’t easily found, but when I shouted “A challenge to find the missing hand armor!” one excellent young swimmer managed to find and swiftly return the piece - I wish I had a prize, but the best I could offer was my gratitude.  But once more, I’d like to say thanks to that wonderful helper out there.

And after a few more pictures with the young and the old, the sober and the drunk, I swam my last bit, stood up and pulled my helmet off: “It’s a woman!!!” and the whole pool area cheered.  Yay me!

I’d like to thank the security officers who endured me, and the Hilton staff for their great sense of humor.  I’d also like to thank the other Hilton guests for being cool (and that one awesome kid for saving my armor).

2 comments.

USA: PA: B&B: Twin Turrets Inn

Posted on May 13th, 2010 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

[First view entering the room - with the reflection of two geeks, proving that neither of us are vampires.]

Instead of staying at the local Econolodge while at a wedding outside of Philly, I decided to try my luck with a bed and breakfast.  Conveniently, I found the Twin Turrets Inn just down the road from the bride’s home in Boyertown, PA, and for a little extra money, we got to rest in the ten-room mansion built by the town’s founder in the 1860’s - yay me!

[It’s the little things that make me happy - like this rubber ducky in the bathtub]

I could find almost NO information about the Twin Turrets Inn online, which made me rather skeptical.  No rates, no reviews; just a bare bones website and a link on Google Maps.  Fortunately for us, however, I decided to be brave and send an e-mail off to the innkeeper, and in the end, we were so pleased with our stay that I was determined to blog it so that at least there would be SOMETHING out there on the Internet for my fellow skeptics.

[Private terrace]

We arrived late Friday night and we welcomed into a warm environment full of friendly, relaxed faces and beautiful antique decorations.  Our $125/night room included access to the beer, wine, and juice in the kitchen, we were informed as we were led down the hall to our room (and while we never took advantage of that, I was pleased just to know that I had free access to refreshments).

[I could sleep in the red chair - I swear it’s stuffed with down]

Our room had a private bathroom and it’s own little private terrace (which we sadly never used) as well as a (locked) secret door that led through the closet and into the next room (that’s just fun).  The room was lit with a chandelier and a scattering of antique lamps, and furnished with a variety of matching antique tables, chairs, and a sofa.  The bed was a bit too firm, but the red chair was incredibly comfortable, and the striped sofa was pretty nice, too.

[Tapestry!  And all our stuff.]

The walls were decorated elaborately, and our room even included a tapestry, which I found quite impressive.  The sailor rubber ducky in the bath also made me rather happy, and whoever decided to put Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups (Lee’s favorite) and a Kit-Kat bar (one of my favorites) in a little dish on the bedside table was just a genius.

[Om nom nom nom!]

The innkeeper herself was delightful; busy, yet calm, friendly and knowledgeable, she turned out to also be the mayor of Boyertown (and in retrospect, it’s a bit odd to think that the town mayor served me breakfast, but it certainly does put a personal touch on the local tourism industry)!  When we inquired, she enlightened us with some history of both the mansion and the town.

[The french toast topped with banana’s foster was delicious.]

Breakfast, we were only able to catch on Sunday, as Saturday was a go, go, go! kind of day.  When we woke up late Sunday, we assumed we had missed breakfast and hurried to scrounge something up in the kitchen, but we were quickly found and seated in the dining room, where we were served fresh fruit cups, banana’s foster french toast with bacon, and coffee and tea.  It was a delicious meal that felt both light and filling, and I took my time to relax for the first time that weekend.

[I love da kitties]

Had there been more time, we might have relaxed on the mansions wrap-around porch, listening to the calming trickle of scattered fountains, or lounged around in one of the mansion’s beautiful rooms, but there just wasn’t time.  The next time I’m in the area, however, I know where I’m staying.

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USA: PA: B&B: Glasbern

Posted on May 12th, 2010 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog.

[No real reason - I just liked the little wooden ducks they had there]

Life being ever so stressful, as it tends to be, we decided to get away for our anniversary.  Limited in the distance we could travel, we decided to stay at the Glasbern, a bed and breakfast I had found while searching for hotels once in the Allentown area.

[Jacuzzi on the second level of the Stables suites]

And I think we’re very much the type of people who feel that, if you’re going to splurge, you might as well go all out.  The old stables at the farm-turned-B&B were converted into four bi-level suites, which range in price between $300 and $475 a night.  The lower level offers large bathroom and a bed, a wood burning stove (with chopped wood and starter logs included) and a comfy leather sofa set before an entertainment system.

[A view of the bi-level stables suite]

Follow the spiral staircase up to the loft and you find the suite’s jacuzzi, which, in my opinion, every home in America should come included with.  We had a room with a lofted ceiling, but I think I did still manage to hit my head on the ceiling…I’m just that talented.

[Man: smart.  Use staircase.]

Mostly I like the bi-level suites because it gives me something to do…I have space to move around in and explore.  This is why I moved out into central Brooklyn, where I can afford a large apartment.  I like having vertical space, too.  The sunken living room is what really sold me on my current place, and that only allows me to go up or down two steps.  In our suite, I could climb up and down both the spiral staircase and the old wooden ladder (though the latter was probably a poor choice serving primarily as decoration…but it seemed relatively sturdy…)

[Girl: silly.  Use ladder.]

Were it not winter, the grounds would have been worth exploring.  Glasbern is situated on a farm, and uses all of the old farm buildings to create its 38 guest rooms, plus the main dining room - and I have words about that experience, too.

[Butternut Squash Soup]

We spent $150 between the two of us for the set dinner, and know that I’m a horribly cheap woman when I say that it was worth every penny.  What they couldn’t grow on Glasbern’s 100-acre farm, they largely bought locally.  You could taste the difference.  The salads were crisp and fresh; the soups (butternut squash and jambalaya) were unforgettable - to this day I cherish the smooth texture and rich flavor of the squash soup, and yet somehow regret not getting the jambalaya for myself…

[I can never resist lamb when it’s on the menu…]

The steak and the lamb were excellent, and I can still feel the tingle of the dessert in my mouth, served with the BEST blueberries I have ever tasted.  We sat down and enjoyed our meal for more than three hours - tea and coffee were served afterward.  Then we finally paid a visit to the in-house DVD library before stumbling blissfully back to our room.

[Creme brule, with fresh fruit on top…in the winter…how happy that made me.]

And while breakfast was good and the room was delightful, we both agree - we need to go back sometime, if just for dinner.

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