Halloween 2011

Another year, another trip to the garage for R2 to help hand out candy. Only this Halloween, he was joined by his identical twin for the first time.



Since droid #2 doesn't have a drivetrain and can only play sounds and turn his dome, he was dressed as a ghost droid, and played the Halloween soundtrack provided by starwars.com.



Things started off slow, but they definitely picked up around 6:30pm.




It wouldn't be Halloween without at least one Vader.



Hopefully next year droid #2 can dress up as R5-D4, and the kids will have two droids to ransack.

R2 Las Vegas

Saturday was R2-Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas goes on the blog.

R2 Builders Club founder Dave Everett and Mike Senna discuss Mike's WALL•E build. (There must be some irony there somewhere.)



Meanwhile, Max Cervantes, William Miyamoto and Michael McMaster discuss the superior R2-D2 with Mike Johnson.



We had an opportunity to see the amazing fiberglass R&J dome that Brett Landon produces.



R2 can stop traffic, even when it's toward the back of an industrial park.



In an apparent experiment in team droid building, Dan drills without looking, while William coaches on the position and depth of the cut.



The group picture. Sure enough, we had even more show up later in the day!



It was a great time, and I really appreciated meeting many builders for the first time.


On Sunday, we made he obligatory trip to the Las Vegas sign.



And then we were on our way home, avoiding exits to nowhere.



Thank you to Damien Metz for hosting R2LV,and to Mike Johnson for helping arrange the gathering. Much appreciated!

R2 Las Vegas Road Trip

R2LA is taking this year off, so it was time for a road trip to Las Vegas for R2LV!

Mike Senna and I left from Mike's house, and we rendezvoused with William Miyamoto, Max Cervantes, and Michael McMaster at the near-halfway point at the In-n-Out in Barstow, CA. Fanatics of my blogs might remember this visit from 2006.




A few Double-Doubles later, and we were back on the road, in some cases getting odd looks by passers-by.



I swear there's a fossilized Dewback in this mountain.



Thank goodness for air conditioning.



At last, we motored up to Damien Metz' shop, which is a wonderland of tools, electronics, and helium-filled, remote-controlled flying fish.



Droids were unloaded, as we prepared for the the big day, Saturday.