It’s no secret: I’ve had a lot of foreign objects in my body. When I was a kid, I was prone to swallow things better left to the piggy bank. A few years later, I discovered the delights of piercing and spent a good deal of time paying complete strangers to shove hunks of metal through my ears, my tongue, my lip, and other parts. Then as a mature adult…well, there are some things better left unsaid.
Oddly enough, though, I’d never gotten a tattoo. I think they’re nice and all–in some cases, I’d even consider them “boss,” as the kids used to say–but I’d never found a design I’d be willing to live with for the rest of my life.
You see where this is going.
Last Saturday, happy to be home and looking for something to do in our slowly reawakening city, the boyfriend and I moseyed over to Electric Ladyland for some good ol’ fashioned needle-jabbing fun. I’d decided weeks ago that it was high time to tackle my so-called virgin skin, and Jonno wanted something new–a birthday treat for himself and means of commisserating with me, I suppose. A couple of hours later, we walked out, new-ish men.
Apparently, we’re not the only ones who’ve gotten this idea. Still, I thought some photo documentation might be appropriate. I’ve pixellated the works themselves; if you wanna see ’em, just ask for a peek next time you’re in our neck o’ the swamp…
Jonno went first. He had a clear idea of what he wanted, and the artist was ready to go. Alas, though the guy assigned to me was a total sweetie, we were not, as they say, on the same page. It took some haggling to get it right.
While Jonno was in the chair, he decided to have the work on his arms touched up–something he’d been meaning to do for a couple of years. Later, waiting for dinner at our beloved and very reopened Angeli, I thought he looked like a punkster with some DIY tefillin on his way to the Wailing Wall.
There are probably less painful places to get a tattoo than the upper back–but of course, I didn’t know this ’till after the process had begun. This is me cringing as the needle bumped against my spine.
The obligatory work-in-progress shot. If you look closely at the top of the photo, you can see Jonno peeking through the noren to get the pic.
Nearly done. Can you tell my endorphins have kicked in?
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