Tattoo(s)!

I did it. I made an appt at Mom's tattoos which is where R got her dragon done. I went with most of the core group of my wonderful friends - I am very blessed to have them in my life. I went with the intention of getting the design Claire had drawn so long ago put on my left hip in the front. I went there with the intention to get it all in black, but R, Missy and Mom were convinced I should do red for the lips and the moon (which Mom thought was a sun. Later when I told her it was a moon, she said if she'd have known, she would have gone with blue). R pointed out that I can always go back and have the red done over in black, but you can't have black made into red, so I tried it. Claire said she didn't have an opinion, so I went for it. I am not crazy about the red. But Mom suggested shading it in, which I think I will do, now that I've had time to think about it, and when I do that, I'll have the red "moon" made into something more moonlike.

This pic is of me a bit swollen from the whole thing, I'll take another when the swelling and then scabbing go away.


Mom's Tattoos - South Lamar


Missy and R looking around at the various designs on the walls.


R held my hand so I wouldn't be as scared. I did nearly pass out during part of it from the whole forgetting to breathe thing. I guess that is important.


It didn't hurt at all.


This is "Mom". She is the one who did our tattoos. She was incredibly funny and smart and that made it better.


I said "our" (above) because we got there and R, Missy and I decided we all wanted a cherry blossom like the ones on R's arm near her dragon tattoo. So instead of getting one, I got two! We all got a cherry blossom on our inner left thigh.


This is my beautiful friend Missy getting her cherry blossom. She had said she'd spoken earlier with her mom, G, and G said "so what are you going to come back with?" She told her mom that she didn't know what she was implying and G said that she knew her daughter well enough to know she'd come back with something, and G was right :D


My three beautiful friends. I hope I am worthy of them.


R, who was nurturing for me and Missy, holding our hand, smiling, speaking to us close to our face while we got ours done, when it was her turn and we asked each other which of us would get to hold her hand, R said she didn't need it. She likes to watch. She sets the bar for huevos.


She's beautiful in her instigating.


And finally the artist Claire. For some reason I have NO pictures of Claire smiling and I wondered about the reason and I think its because when Claire smiles at you, you dont have enough active brain cells to lift a camera, you just want to stand and stare.


This is what I look like when I'm really close to almost passing out :p But I didn't! And that's what matters. Please note the greenish tint to my normally reddish skin. The white lips. The recessed eye sockets. But I didn't pass out, so there. :D

I'd been arched up on the bench for so long and it was SO hot in that place and I'd stopped breathing, I had to stop and walk outside in to the cold air and then lie on the floor for a bit. While I was on the floor, Claire asked me what exercises I do for my flat stomach. That "flat stomach" thing alone should have been a sign that she wasn't really speaking what she meant, but being not aware enough, I described some of the situps we do in kickboxing, and everyone decided I must be ok, and it was at that point, my brain realized I'd been duped. Those devious ladies were trying to get me to think about anything other than my breathing. It worked though and I got up and finished and was a lot better the second try because I concentrated on not holding my breath.

It was one of the most fun evenings I've had in a long time. I am very blessed to be surrounded by the people I have in my life.