21 jumpsuit

I bought a car named Bantha.
Note that I did not say, “I bought a car and named it Bantha.” In fact I had to google the name, and when that was unsuccessful I asked the previous owner what it meant. When he told me it was the name of the mammoth in Star Wars, my response was to form the first two letters of the word, “whyyyyy…" which I retracted out of politeness.
The owner was honest about his Star Wars deal (actually now that I think about it, and examine the stencils on my bumper and gas cap, he probably downplayed it a bit) but he made a few careful edits to the vehicle’s history that I discovered when it failed inspection. For example, “Oh, that dashboard parking brake light…it’s just always on for some reason!” turned out to be “Hey hon, ya know somebody got under here and cut this brake cable, dontcha?”
The mechanic didn’t actually call me “hon” but I felt the need to quote him that way so that you’d know he was a real mechanic.

I’m going to be a real mechanic, too. I bought a jumpsuit - it’s loden green and matches my eyes. It’s made of a specially treated stain-resistant cotton/poly blend and when I wear it I feel like a happy four-year-old.
I’ve been into coveralls since 1981, when my mom hand-made a pair of dusty mauve corduroy overalls with pockets shaped like mittens. As a circus performer I always wore unitards - I had a shimmering silver, a plunging red, a sensible navy, a versatile brown. When the romper trend took off, I rejoiced and bought four at a street fair in Baltimore.
Here is a picture of me wearing one of my Baltimore rompers just outside the walls of the Vatican. That is not my real head. The flip-flops are from Barcelona and offered more cheapness than comfort.

Come at me, all-in-one life. 

Having anticipated the romper and unitard trends - and let’s not forget my mom and I are ahead of mitten-pocket-coveralls by thirty six years and counting - I look forward to the near future when I can wear my loden green mechanic’s jumpsuit to an array of social gatherings and photo opportunities. Stay tuned for pictures of me and my jumpsuit riding a monorail with a scenic vista behind us…me and my jumpsuit flashing a peace sign at the Berlin Wall…me and my jumpsuit swimming with a dolphin.