Kevlar!

My friend Tony was over yesterday, stopping by before he headed down south to train troops for two weeks, and I had an opportunity to try on something that I assume is relatively rare among civilians -- a Kevlar vest!

It's amazing that fabric can stop a spinning bullet, but apparently it works! And dude -- I know the vest I had on was too big for me, but it was like wearing a flexible garbage can. I'm impressed that our soldiers wear this in the desert on a regular basis. It's not all that lightweight, either.

I was actually hopping about because the deck was burning my feet (95 F or so out there!) and not trying to pose like a flamingo

Guess I could do without that extra flap...

I'm an armadillo!

I'm working on a novel and the main character served a tour in Iraq, so I knew I needed to, at the very least, try on the vest to get a fraction of the experience of what it must be like to wear it. Though I admit that I refused to stand out on the arena while Tony and my brother shot at me with a .22 to test it. I think I disappoint them during these moments when I respond differently than the tag-along little sister would have many years ago.

Check out the fat rolly polly in Tony's glasses

melissa - LMAO about your uni president! Hmm... I know that Obama plays basketball with his secret service guys... but have no idea about hockey. I'm sure the Canadian ambassador will mention something about it to him. ;)