Fala

Often it happens. This is especially disappointing when the position for tattooing seems comfortable, and then the body becomes numb and sore in nontattooed body's places.

@hogg I think in these circumstances I am allowed to show off.
@SStu Who are we kidding, by the time this kid is old enough to get tattoos they're going to be horribly out of fashion and he's going to be embarrassed by his dad who was tacky enough to get a large portion of his body covered in them. Until that point, however, I hope he views me as some kind of walking and talking story book.

@Graeme = now there's a baby picture the young fella won't be too embarrassed to show to some young girl a couple of decades from now . . .

My lady and I just got a pet bird, he's a fancy green cheeked conure and he's just about 12 weeks old. Since we're both tattoo nerds and because puns are irresistible, his name is Oliver Peck. Haha.
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@Graeme: Now you're just showing off. ;)
@Hands On: If you're asking if I bought anything, I did not. But the temptation was great.

@hogg That sounds okay, but I think I have you beat because I made this guy:

I'm getting married May 21st next year (and you bet my dress will be showing off my back piece!). I'm also moving into an amazing apartment in The Beach area of Toronto come September 1st.
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Hubbs and I took a long weekend, went to the State Fair, a concert, had room service breakfast, ate all the things!, and snuck in some shopping. This was our first "after the kid graduates from High School" adult trip. The kid stayed home and took care of the dogs :cool:

^ I just had my two year anniversary with my job a couple months ago and I got a water bottle with the company's name on it lol.
Me and my boyfriend are getting our own apartment, we previously had a roommate. It's so much better than our current place. We have a little patio, space to plant a garden, so much more storage space, it's a single story building so only one neighbor and no stairs, and in a much nicer location that's conveniently located near Lancaster and Harrisburg (aka: two of the only civilized places in central Pennsylvania). So we're very excited...and very exhausted from slowly moving (again, see "shitty things" thread for more details). :)

I met a @beez today. We ate tacos after my hair appt., and noises were made about a possible pilgrimage to the Bay Area convention...

today is my 20 year anniversary with the company I work for.

I went camping here (Alberta Rocky Mountains) with 10 of my kung fu bros:

I took 2 hits of LSD and dove off a 75' cliff into glacier water.
It was awesome!

It was a blast, but we didn't get all the shots I wanted because there was a double booking. I will go back to get the traditional 3-panel back piece shot for my tattoo artist in a couple weeks when these pics are ready to view. Also got a very nice head shot out of the deal.
I probably won't post much here, but I'll DM folks when I get some shots back to share.

Well, I finally quit my job of 9 1/2 years. Some may say that is stupid but the stress level was taking a toll on me. The last year was hell and not getting a raise in 4 years was eating away at me. Still living with my grandparents who have raised me, I have to take care of them. But when i'd get home, I wouldn't "de-stress" and would still be in a shitty mood, which isn't fair or nice to them.
I made plans to quit and had tons of back-up plans set up. Two of my back up plans actually worked. I got a full scholarship to grad school which I applied for back in March. So Now I work on campus 18 hours a week and get a small hourly wage but my tuition is 100% paid.
Also, my friend purchased a business and immediately had me work with her. We deliver drinks like soda or snapple in NYC twice a week. Starting out, I told her to pay me very very little just to get the ball moving in her court. After about 8 months, is when I'm going to start making some decent money.
all in all, I am working less hours. Making more money (in 8 months). Tuition is getting paid. Thursdays and weekends off. stress level is at zero. Started going to the gym more. I am emotionally on cloud 9.

Been getting my shit back together :)
Back training just about everyday, eating clean. Fuck all drinking whiskey etc.
Dropped close to 15kg.
Oh, and motorcycles. Riding motorcycles of course :)

Last night, I got to tour Ed Hardy's art studio. I saw countless pieces spanning five decades--everything from porcelain to flash to massive painted scrolls and more. I'm still trying to process everything; it was a truly incredible experience.
So yeah. That's an awesome thing I did recently.

Weird. Was it specifically latex foam, or was it memory foam? I can't stand memory foam, but latex foam works really well for me since it's bouncy.
You're definitely not the only one. :) The more comfortable you can be, the more still you can stay, and the happier everyone will be! You can't help it if a position causes you pain. Totally not your fault!

I used to have the worst time sleeping in a tent, I think I understand your pain. I do better when I can keep my spine kind of aligned, so a little padding under the ribs and between the knees can be helpful. Tattoo time is really hard when your body hurts :(
Hey @SeeSea, I remember you asked on another thread about flying post thigh tattoo... I did this 2 weeks ago, and I totally recommend bringing a giant ziplock and asking kind baristas to fill it with ice for you post security. Also, I sprung for an economy plus seat, with my fresh thigh getting the window seat. Money well spent.
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I'm totally with you!
When I had the side of my thigh tattooed it took only three hours but I had to ask for breaks a couple of times because my lower back was killing me. I've had lower back problems in the past, so I just did a some quick stretching/mobility exercises that I'd learnt and it got better for a short while. The tattooer did organise some paper towel piles to put under the leg as a cushion but it wasn't enough really. I took a mental note at the time to bring a decent cushion next time.
As it happens, I will actually get the other thigh done next weekend, so thanks for reminding me ;-)
I guess I'm going to feel somewhat awkward to run around at a convention with a massive pillow under my arm but I'm glad to hear that there are others with similar problems...

You are certainly not a wus! I would bring 2 bags of things when I was getting my back done. I felt a little funny, but after I'd gotten a rhythm, I could really sit good. But I know what you mean - I am nervous my back and hip with bother me during my tattoo tomorrow and I am bringing a number of cushy things just in case.

Every time I see certain family members and friends, I ALWAYS get asked about how much money I've spent on my tattoos. What I find ironic with this particular question, is not the question itself but the questioner who 9/10 times has some outrageous (in my mind) hobby, collection, or pet project they are dumping heaps of money into - yet, they don't give that a second thought and see it is as something they must do.
Luxury (opulent) items/experiences are individual. For one person it might be over the top to spend good money on a good tattoo, for another it might be over the top to spend good money on clothes that they'll wear infrequently (ie that $10k wedding dress) or to buy only local and organic groceries. It's about the energy involved - we get our kicks from tattoos, others from buying shoes or clothes, or dinners out, or jewelry, or property (house, car, etc.), etc, etc.
It seems to me that tattoos are still in the place where they are not considered "acceptable" in terms of money spent if one is in the middle class where wealth is seen as something to strive and save for. Thus, spending available funds on a non-necessity item/experience would prevent wealth from accruing and keep said person in the middle class indefinitely.
I do agree with @Graeme that they are akin to education (or even exercise or otherwise taking care of your body/soul) where no one but the wearer/student will glean benefit from said tattoo or education. I don't get tattooed nearly as much as I'd like, but when I do get tattooed I'm able to get the exact tattoo I want because it is something that I prioritize with my funds. I've also been one of those people whose life was transformed by getting tattooed. I know several people with tattoos who have not been impacted in the way I imagine many people here have been, and I suppose that's where the luxury/necessity line gets blurred a bit by emotion. Which, let's face it, luxury/opulence/etc is an emotionally charged area. Who needs to eat a burger or ice cream with gold leaf on it? No one.

i swear by this method !Tattooing is very demanding on the body. Not just the needle-to-skin pain but the process is very hard on the muscles and tendons, counteracting whatever contorted position and force your tattooer puts you in. ALWAYS stretch before a tattoo. This is so important. Not just a quickie stretch a minute before you jump on the table but stretch the week leading up to the tattoo, the night before, the morning of...hell, just stretch all the time! It's good for your health :)

Session 1 of 2 with Brian Kaneko completed last night, leaving in a half hour for session 2! I'm nervous, have never done 2 back-to-back sessions before - and I am SUPER exhausted from sleeping like crap last night. That said, the lining and first bits of shading look phenomenal, and I can't wait to share photos!!!

The pain did take my mind off the tattoo pain, that's for sure! But it made me want to squirm because I hurt so much. When I had a few minutes reprieve (post-stretch/break), the tattooing felt blissful/fine then the non-tattoo related pain would creep in. Yes, it was a distraction but an unwelcome one! We tried a roll of paper towels under my butt, so I could sort of lean back onto it and it didn't make a difference. This is the first time I've had this happen, and I've had some sessions where I've been in super odd positions for the same length of time. It was a strange experience this weekend.

Wow, What an interesting thread!
I guess for me, I would say tattoos are luxury items because I really could live without them. Sometimes I think that I couldn’t live without them, and they do have psychological benefits to me, and have helped me with self confidence and self-perception, but really, if my kids were starving, I would not have got them.
Also there seems to be a lot of “black and white” in the definitions of luxury.
Economist and dictionary definitions seem to tie consumption of luxury items to wealth or high income. But “average folks” - even people in lower income brackets - may have some luxury items. Is a cell phone a luxury? Is a flat screen TV a luxury? Maybe, maybe not. My view is that as long as you are feeding and educating your kids and family, and contributing to society in some way, and balancing your spending, it doesn’t matter.
Say you have aways wanted an antique breakfront because you think they are beautiful. You say “someday I’m going to have one of those,” and you save for it, and watch for one of the right style and price and then one day one shows up in a antiques shop and you buy it. You love the way it looks in your dining room. Maybe it is the one piece of really nice furniture that you own, a focal piece. Is that a luxury?
And while it is quite delightful to go into a house that is loaded with beautiful things everywhere you look, in some ways it is more meaningful and touching to go into the house where they have the one antique breakfront that they scrimped and saved to get.
I’m sure some here on LST are have high wealth, and have tattoos. But I sense that a lot are not wealthy, so they scrimp and save, and cut expenses in other areas to get good tattoos that look exactly like the ones that the wealthy folks have. Are both luxury items?
So maybe the key difference is “living a life of luxury” vs. having luxury items. Few of us live a life of luxury, but many of us can have some luxury items.