It was after midnight on the last day of construction, when the final polishing and cleanup takes place. I had my eye on a giant roll of soft foam rubber, and my boss Richard Bay generously let me take it home.

As Halloween approached, I decided to make myself a California costume. I'd had a great time as Africa back in 1990, so I knew the joys of giant geographic costumes.

I brought an image from the public service message prank into Photoshop. I resized and repositioned the outline of California until it was as large as I dared make a costume. 

Summer helped me draw a one-square foot grid on a 5'x9' sheet of foam taped onto the wall. She's using that herbalife sign as a straightedge.

I superimposed a similar grid over my California design, then transferred the pattern of the California coastline to the foam sheet. 

When I wore the Africa costume back in 1990, I had been sandwiched between two sheets of cardboard with an open edge. I wanted California to have a more finished appearance, so I cut three long strips to seal the sides of the costume.

I was trying to save money by using latex paint instead of spray-paint. This turned out to be a silly mistake because the open-celled foam could absorb an amazing amount of liquid paint.

They make paintbrushes out of the stuff for heaven's sake.

I trashed that one, cut out another silhouette and bought 5 cans of black spray paint.

I was done in no time. If you've never spray-painted with both hands, you don't know what you are missing.

In case you are interested, that big green area in the center of California is the Central valley. Lots of water flows to this fertile area and our state is able to produce an obscene amount of food.

from U.S. Conference of Mayors report on California's Great Central Valley: It is 450 miles long and only 50 miles wide. It produces 250 different crops worth more than $14 billion annually. It is America's most important agricultural resource.

California was ready to be glued together.

I have a feeling I'm going to be making something like this every year from now on. I'm certain a backpack frame is at the heart of many award-winning costumes.

I didn't know what kind of lethal, odorless gas would be released by doing this, but a little research revealed:

It only takes five ounces of burning PVC to give off enough hydrogen chloride gas to kill the occupants in an average size bedroom in ten minutes. Not Man Apart, Nov. 1982, report of results, Univ. Pittsburgh via Maine Department of Environmental Protection.

I wasn't burning it, but nonetheless I'll be more careful in the future.

Miraculously the box sat solidly on top of the poles, and the angle seemed about right for my tilted state.

I placed the front panel of California face down on the floor and used Dap Weldwood contact cement to glue side-pieces along the edges. The cardboard box slipped right into the top.

I glued the cardboard box into place and soon it was surrounded by foam.

With Rosemary's help I hoisted the whole mess upright and cut a hole for my face.

It was getting late. The glue and paint fumes were pretty intense.

Mike poked his head into my room, "you aren't planning on sleeping with that thing in your room, are you?"

I tested one set of lights with some new batteries. The last thing this costume needed was rolling blackout jokes.

Saturday, Oct. 26, 2002 was an amazing night for parties. I was invited to more parties on this night than ever before in my life. A massive Halloween party was being promoted by a local radio station, and I planned on being there.

It was 100.5 The Zone's Exotic Halloween Ball, and tickets were $24. None of my friends were going, but they were promoting big prizes: a $1,500 first, $1,000 second, and $500 third prize. California wasn't the most original costume, but it was big, so I figured it might be good enough to win.

please continue to part 2 of California Costume.