Packing just got ten thousand percent easier. Turns out a discussion about luggage got me crosswired into thinking I could only take a carry-on-sized suitcase for all of my convention needs.
Now that I'm packing a proper-sized suitcase, all is well and I am much more relaxed about getting things together than I was, yesterday.
I'm up to the Unneccessary props, now. Things like "Maman's" photograph and the hip crank. I don't really need them for Bitzer's little routines because I've figured out alternative things to say/do in character.
The hip crank is going to require some Kinex kits and a little dob of araldite here and there. Those rattle-gun clickers are amazingly easy to sabotage. I was able to get rid of the sparker and flywheel with little difficulty.
The sparker literally flicked out thanks to my fingernail, and the act of getting the side-snips around the flywheel shaft was enough to jolt it loose from its settings.
If you're going to bugger with toys, bugger with the toys from a dollar shop. They're cheap and they're cheaply made. Nobody bothers with screws or anything of the ilk.
As for the trigger, I filed the business end off of that in about two minutes or less.
I'm using an old alarm clock casing to house my Takataka rig and transform it into the crank of my dreams.
As it turns out, the giant wooden beads were not giant enough for my imagined handle. I might have to do something with just some old spring-type egg cups. And I have some cheapish wire coathangers to spare for the build. I shouldn't need more than one to build the suspension rig so my heart hangs off the corset.
Yeah I know I just said a whole bunch of gibberish. It makes sense to me, okay?
I also have an Emergency Con Kit that is going to come with me. It contains, sewing needles, black thread, safety pins, needle threader, scissors, paper clips, half a dozen hair ties, and, outside of its little box, a roll of black duct tape. Alongside my medication and moneys, I'm coming prepared.
I still need to rig my wig so that my ears show up under that mass of ginger curls. That shouldn't take too terribly long, even after I figure out how to keep the hat on as well.
13 more days until I give up on the mail order dress and go find an acceptable substitute...
Fun times ahead. Fun fun fun times.