Capital Spirit

Updated November 2009

I’m always being asked, “Where did you get…?” about pretty much every part of my game-night outfit. None of what I wear is custom: it’s all available for purchase, so if you really want to wear what I do, here are all the websites I am aware of for the various parts of my outfit.

CLOAK: Travel Clothing by Half Moon. Mine is a full-length light-weight cloak, in red, with Crowns around the button. It’s all-wool, all-weather, and ridiculously warm–I think it weighs about 5 and half pounds or something. When the Caps make the Cup Finals in some not-too-distant June, this is going to be REALLY fun to wear…

RAVE LIGHTS: Raveworx.com. Early 2008 set: Super Light Fingers on both hands, with these light wands dummy-corded to them on both hands. 2007-08, and later 2008-2009 set: Patriotic Spinner Balls. The Spinner balls are much easier to use, brighter, and a lot less bulky. So why did I change rigs? Well, they tend to go through batteries very, very quickly: not only is there light, but there’s also a motor that the batteries have to feed. The individual bulbs tended to be a little on the touchy side, and tended to give out in a hurry. They’re also very cheaply made for an $8 piece: I’d literally have to order replacements three at a time to make sure I got at least one that worked. I must have gone through a dozen of them in-service in one year, plus another dozen or so that didn’t work when I ordered them. That added up in a hurry. So, this past offseason, I opted to spend the money on lights that were made of sterner stuff. But the REAL killer on the spinner balls was changing the batteries. You need a size 0 Philips, and the screw is not attached to the cover plate. If you lose it, the spinner might stop working due to poor contact with the batteries. All that having been said, the spinner balls are very easy to use, they’re very bright, and they’re great when they work, but when they don’t, you tend to have to shell out another $24 for another one in three that works. On the new rig, I’m told the Light Wands aren’t quite as bright, but they’re very easy to use (as in, one button does it all.) The Light Fingers are a VERY fun piece, and about as bright, but they do tend to pinch when worn for long stretches. (Catch me at an intermission sometime and ask to see the indentations.) UPDATE: One of the hand-mounts decided it was going to quit on me mid-game, and I could not get it working again once I got home. Back to the spinner balls, I guess. More to come this summer, maybe. UPDATE 11/09: Well, like the Jim Beam ads used to say, you always come back to the basics. Back on the Patriotic Spinners until further notice.

JERSEY: Nothing fancy here, just a middle-of-the-road jersey from The NHL Online Store. For spiritual reasons, I wear number 94.

BELT: Actually, it’s not a belt: it’s a CD player carrying case from Coby USA. I can’t find it listed on their website, unfortunately.

CARDS: Tarot of the Angels Deluxe, by Llewellyn. The deck you see on the belt is the same one I use to do some of the readings on this site. Another deck I use is Quest Tarot, also by Llewellyn. That one’s a little more user-friendly, and has a couple of neat features the angel deck doesn’t. I don’t bring it to games, but I’ll use it for readings if I want a more earth-bound reading. The angel deck is a little more loving, but the results can be a little esoteric. Quest is more neutral and more practical. (It comes with a very thorough manual, too.)

DJ HEADPHONES by Koss. For those who don’t remember, I was guest DJ a couple of seasons back, and retain the headphones as a memento of service to the team. UPDATE 11/09: The headphones I had been using have since broken, no ETA on replacement.

POCKET LABYRINTH: That little maroon pouch that I try to keep on my left–but which has a way of migrating–was something I got at Blue Lotus Treasures in Takoma Park. I’m not sure who makes the actual piece. The design is a medieval labyrinth. And if I ever need a bigger version of this to walk in real life, I’ll go–in civvies, thank you–to St. Luke’s Episcopal over in Bethesda.

MIRACLE PEACE BRACELET by Pyramid Collection. New for 2009. It was designed as a bracelet, but it won’t fit over my knuckles. I keep it where my headphones used to be, and may one day be again. The inscription–which, as part of my pregame, I read aloud before leaving for the game–is taken from the Prayer of St. Francis. It reads: “LORD, make me an instrument of they PEACE. Where there is Hatred, let me sow LOVE. Where there is Injury, PARDON. Where there is Error, TRUTH. Where there is Discord, HARMONY. Where there is Doubt, FAITH. Where there is Despair, HOPE. Where there is Darkness, LIGHT. And where there is sorrow, JOY.”

Those are all the websites I am aware of. Happy shopping, and perhaps I’ll see you at a Caps game in some of this.

CAPITAL SPIRIT
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