And So It Is

So yesterday was the day. I got there 15 minutes late and Mark wasn't there yet (big shocker). It gave me time to eat since I hadn't eaten anything yet. I had several fonts picked out and I decided on the one that was still pretty, but would be legible for the future.

We got the placement on the first try and it doesn't look stupid when I have my arms down by my sides. It really wasn't that painful, but at this point, it takes a good bit to get my attention. Plus, we were done in all of about 35 minutes. Yet another reason to feel the love for text tattoos. I was wrapped up and out of the chair less than an hour after I got there. It was good to see Mark again. I forget how much I miss the cranky bugger's commentary. Hilarious.

I don't feel too bad about breaking my "promise". Most people haven't even noticed them yet. The ones who've asked are the ones who knew I was getting them in the first place. I feel like it was the right time to do it. I'm happy with them and they mean a lot to me and will very likely take on a deeper meaning in the next few months. If I'm gonna eventually have a full sleeve, everyone's going to have to get used to it.

The One Worth Sleeving

So much for being over the cold by Tuesday evening. It's Thursday night and I'm still hacking, have lost my voice, and spent most of today asleep. I've still got time until Saturday, but I'm not going to reschedule for a second time. I'm feeling a lot better than I was on Monday and Tuesday, but it would be nice to get rid of this cough. I have tattoos to get, dammit.

I'm gonna have to work out a design for my sleeve pretty soon. I have to figure out a way to work the text into the overall look I want for the sleeve. I have a general theme, but no real specific ideas. I like the look of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, but I don't want anything taken from it. Lucy was inspired by a Tim Burton character, so it follows. I know I want it more loose and open than fully colored in. I never thought that the fully colored in look would work well on me, or most women for that matter. I think it looks great on guys. Plus, with all my moles and skin imperfections that need to monitored, having everything colored wouldn't work anyway. I think a mixture of iron work inspired filigree and more roses would be a good jumping off point. I want Lucy to stay the focal point and I don't want make the text unreadable. A lot of it depends on who ends up doing the sleeve or if it becomes some kind of collaboration. I guess it's already a collaboration in the sense that the current 3 pieces were all done by different people, but still look somewhat cohesive. All if this is probably in the distant future anyway, but I'd rather get it worked out now so I can make sure it's the best looking sleeve it can possibly be.

Plans Foiled

I woke up this morning with a nasty cough which went away and was replaced by my sinuses filling up with fluid. The first rule of being tattooed is don't do it if you don't feel 100%. I'm gonna call Mark when they open, apologize profusely, and reschedule for next weekend. It probably works out for the best because I'm on my own next weekend and then can save the epic battle when my parents get home Tuesday or Wednesday.

edit: I'm set for 2pm next Saturday. I'm actually feeling better already thanks to 4 extra hours of sleep, Sudafed, and some tea. I'll probably be over this completely by Tuesday morning. I guess it was just a sign that today wasn't the day. Who am I to argue with the universe?

It doesn't make me any less pissed about it, though.

Highlights From Man Day

Man Day

I took pictures, but yet again can't find the cord for my camera, so they're forthcoming. I swear.

We got there around 3 and it was pretty busy. The list for tattoos was already three pages long, but I went ahead and added myself just in case they could fit me in before I needed to leave. I meant to get a shirt, but never got around to it. I also got my picture taken inside the cutout of the artwork for man day. Mama always said I'd make someone a good husband. ;) Jenn and Lauryn participated in the smoking contest which entailed seeing who could get it down to the butt while inhaling the fastest. Ah, hilarious. They were having trouble getting participants for the wing eating contest and I didn't hear how that panned out. Jenn also spun the wheel of destiny and got a Harley Davidson shot glass. Apparently she also stood on the Captain's back while he laid on a bed of nails.

The reason I missed some of this was because I ended up being in charge of the list. Not-Jason (I can never remember this guy's name and I keep trying to call him Jason and he's not, so thus the Not-Jason) needed a break so I took over. It was actually pretty fun. It was very similar to working as a hostess in a restaurant, minus the vibrating coasters. Russ got his hands on a bullhorn, which sped up the process of finding people so they could get their manly tattoo. I got to live my little dream of being a shop girl even if it was only for an hour or so.

Just Dive In

I've decided to go ahead and get the new tattoos. I'm set for Sunday at 2 with Mark. I love what he did on my back, so I'm sure this will look just as good if not better. It's also even a similar meaning to what's on my back. There's only so much you can do before life takes over.

It's also fun to talk with someone who is as heavily tattooed as I am. It's comforting to hear someone get asked the same stupid questions and compare notes. It can wear a person down to go a long time feeling like you're the only one who has to deal with the endless parade of idiots. It's the simple connections in life that can make shit generally easier to deal with. Plus, there's someone to have a good laugh with when you get asked "Is that real?" or "Did that hurt?" for the third time in one day.

I still need to set up time with Sylvia for my photoshoot. I got sidetracked after the 4th and totally forgot to email her back. I think it might be time to drop her a line.

Whatever Will Be, Shall Be

I'm getting really bad at updating this thing. I need to try to get better about it.

I've been in New York for the past 4 days and I've gotten quite a few compliments, comments, and strange looks over my tattoos. People certainly aren't shy about commenting, good or bad. A definite change from the Southern ways I'm used to.

That said, my tattoo itch is still pretty bad. I don't know if I've mentioned it here, but there's one I really want that has been kind of my mantra lately. Made famous by Doris Day, the original "Che sera sera/Whatever will be, shall be" comes from Dr.Faustus. I want "che sera sera" on the outside of my right forearm and "whatever will be, shall be" on the outside of my left. When I stack my arms on top of each other, it would read like two lines of a play or song. I saw the placement a while ago and loved it. I think it would look great with a really pretty font.

I've been dealing with a lot of change in my life lately, with still more to come. Some of it has been good and some of it has been bad, but in the end whatever will be, shall be. I do all I can to influence things, but eventually it's out of my hands. I think this is something I really need to get and soon. It's been 2 months since I was last tattooed and that's pretty much an eternity in my world. I know I unofficially agreed to 6 months, but in the end there's nothing anyone can do about it. It's not like my parents would kick me out on the street for getting some new work. My job situation will be determined either tomorrow or Monday, so then I'll know for sure about that. There are other changes in the works, but nothing I'm ready to share with the entire internet yet. Those who know me can probably guess, though.

I'll see if I can hold out until the end of August. I do have some big bills coming up and tattoos ain't cheap, after all. So indeed, che sera sera.