Good evening from Scotland...

Firstly, thank you for granting me permission to join this forum.
Let me tell you a bit about myself and ultimately why I am here.

Early evening on February 27th 2011, I was out for a drive when I suddenly became unwell at the wheel. Fearing I may cause harm to other motorists I immediately parked my car in the hardshoulder of the M8 motorway. Upon exiting my vehicle I was struck by an articulated lorry that sent me hurtling across the lanes of the M8. Unfortunately for me, I remember ever second of the incident as I was not knocked unconscious even though I took a blow to the head.
Now this is February... In Scotland... On a dark and cold Sunday night. I lay there in disbelief at what had happened. Just the dark empty road and for a moment I thought I was dead and this is what now happens.

I then saw headlights of cars coming towards me and I had to move as I was lying in the middle of a lane. I manged to sit up, but instantly knew that my right arm was broken. I knew I had to get off the road. I did see cars drive by in front of me (They did stop, but time goes by very slowly and it seemed like an age before I saw the first attendee to assist me.) and I thought I would crawl off the road. My arm was like jelly and that is when I noticed my leg wasn't there. I did find both my training shoes, and I did look for my leg but I couldn't see it. I felt around the area of my knee and it was wet, so I thought I would just roll over and crawl on the stump to the safety of the hardshoulder. My left arm and right leg were fine. So, as I flipped myself around I found my leg. It was hanging on by torn denim, skin and a bit of flesh. Well, I flipped the thing out into a normal position and as I rolled over I was dragged off the road.
I spent 6 or 7 weeks in hospital. My leg was put back together with a now very limited blood supply. I got a new knee, I still wear a fixator on my Tibia, which has a compound fracture of 2mm that just won't heal due to the damage sustained. I have multiple grafts. So my single artery will need a lot longer to heal my bones and massive flesh wounds than the average injuy victim. I may yet lose the leg, but as it stands, its resembles a leg somewhat and it is attached to me. In years to come, my children will only know it was a Great White, and I won. I still have a broken shoulder and I have a metal plate that holds my forearm together.
Now understand this. My leg and my arm were the only things that were damaged. I did not have a single scratch anywhere else. When the truck hit my head and shoulder, I cartwheeled down the motorway doing more damage to each of those limbs with each impact. In hospital I was met with the obvious statement of "You should be dead", and the declaration that the Police and Medical staff have never met a survivor of a flesh on metal impact with a truck travelling at 60MPH. I am not the person I was before. I saw humour in natural disasters. People loved me for it, people hated me for it. I just did not give a flying... Now I am filled with dread and hopelessness. I see my mortality and how easily I could and no doubt will be snuffed out in the future. I see it in everyone now. I honestly didnt worry about that before I survived. Now I am awash in a permanent chill and tortured mind. Either that or I am immortal...
So was born my addiction to Lego Star Wars. It didnt require me to paint or hold tools. I have always loved Star Wars and the Clone Wars, I was just never a fan of the Lego Sets. I am a model builder and painter as my primary hobby. Games Workshop and their Blood Angels dominate my workroom. But now, in the 3 months I have been home from hospital I have amassed a very large collection of Lego Star Wars.
From the Clone Wars collection I have:
2 7675 AT-TE's
The New Turbo Tank
The Bounty Hunter Gunship
T-6 Jedi Shuttle
Plo Koon's Star Fighter
Mace Windu's Star Fighter (With the very disappointing tactical droid)
I have bought scores of Clones from ebay from the Walker set and the recent poorly mixed and thoughtout clone battle pack.
The V-9 Torrent
Republic Attack shuttle
To counter that somewhat dominant Clone force, I have :
3 AAT sets
3 Battle for Geonosis Sets
3 Hyena Bombers
2 Separatist shuttles
1 droid gunship
6 sets of the Battle of Naboo.
I just received General Grievous and his Starship from amazon this morning.
I want to buy the 7676 gunship, but at £225 new and thoughts I have of perhaps a 2012 re-release (in new colours perhaps?) for season 4 of the Clones Wars I have resisted the urge and await the new sets bound for the UK in August that have Cody and Co within.
From the original trilogy and expanded universe, I have:
2 AT-ATs
Scores of snowtroopers and hoth rebels. Bought in Box Sets and on Ebay Lots.
I have bought all the old variants of the x-wing pilots to use the helmets on the new zev figure.
2 Wampa sets
2 Echo Base Sets
Slave 1
2 TIE Defenders
And my Endor set, that has an extra AT-ST from another endor set, 14 Stromtroopers, 3 Death Star Troopers, and 3 Imperial Officers and 6 Biker Scouts and Speeder Bikes to defend against the band of Rebels that I have sourced faces from other sets to give them a bit of character. I also merged the Endor Luke Skywalker with a Hoth Luke Skywalker to have a fleshy Luke for my Endor set. My Endor set will get the UCS Shuttle at Xmas.
On the Lego building program I am in the process of developing a definitive Echo Base Playset that will incorporate parts of the forthcoming Echo Base release, It has x 48x48 plates to form the base and entrance and a trench network that will provide endless entertainment. It is my baby and I will share once I have it completed the layout and bought the parts. I am at £183 so far...
Now this collection is definitely born of some kind of mental illness sustained by my accident and every penny of my 2 months pocket money and a bit of trading on ebay to fund this. So at present I would consider myself a very serious collector. (I will always love my Blood Angels though!)
I have however come to you like-minded people to learn from you as my vanilla clones and stormtroopers could do with a bit of customization. I have seen Stormtroopers with legs decals similar to the Imperial Inspection Stormtrooper.
I have seen bundles of plain white Lego Torso and Leg components that are used to produce very individualised figures.
I simply just do not know where to begin. I checked lego Pick a Brick, but they do not do plain torso's or legs.
I would ask if you could grant me your assistance to enable me to realise my vision of my collection by sharing with me your knowledge base. Where can I get plain components. Who can offer to share with me their designs in which they worked so hard to produce.
What can I offer in return. Well obviously any costs, but most importantly is to become a contributing member of this community in the future.
I have already re-worked my Attack Shuttle. the front ramp does not lower, but it looks more like it should and using bricks available from Pick-a-Brick.

So in closing. I am magicmoonmonkey. I broke an articulated lorry. I love Star Wars Lego, and I look forward to learning from you.
Thank you for your time.
MMM

Whoa, that was quite a story, and I believe it was worth the time it took to read through it. Welcome to the Clone Army Builders Guild! I hope you enjoy the LEGO hobby as much as we do!

Wow.. I can't believe you took the time to type that. It was good info about you though and I am glad I read it. Welcome to CABG.

Wow. Quite a story you have there. Good to see your interested in contributing in the future . And I can't believe you wrote such a long post xD. But it was worth the read.

1) Wow. That was quite a story. I hope you will continue to recover.

2) You got all that LEGO in 3 months!!! I've been into LEGO Star Wars for years and don't have half that much.

3) Yeah, Pick a Brick sucks . Bricklink is the way to go. They have every piece you could want and plenty you don't want .

Good Luck!