PopsBdog

I've only had my tattoo for three days...
Last night was the first time I went anywhere with it showing. Stopped into McD's on my way to a friend's house.
Younger kid, maybe 15-16 with his dad was in line behind me. I heard him comment that "it says 'Join, or Die'..." as he stood peaking out from behind his dad. LOL
I'm sure it didn't help my appearance that I was also openly carrying my pistol (as usual) and wearing a shirt that said "Keep Calm and Return Fire".
:rolleyes:

I'll take one.
Also- my wife's mom, upon hearing we planned to get some new tattoos, commented that she would regret it when she was 80. Hell, if I make it to 80 I will be pretty damn happy. People need some new material.

I fucking wish all I ever tattooed were dragons...

I think every tattoo collector needs to ask themselves this after every new tattoo.

Heh, I love the "take off your shirt" requests. Not gonna happen. In a restaurant, on the street, at a reception - what is going through their heads? It's like they can't see the absurdity (or the rudeness) of their demands. If I were alone (or with my wife) and a friend asked to see, I might comply, but probably not. However, if a tattooed friend asked I'd probably whip the shirt off in a second and start talking tattoos. I guess I've got my own double standard about it.

When I was a "plainskin" (no offence) people seemed to be generally surprised that I had no body art. I Guess my personality screamed tattoo. Now that I have them those same people are the ones asking "why did you get that?" "You know you're stuck with that for ever!?" Dammed if you do dammed if you don't....haha

Okay, I have had my first comment about my visible tattoo and I laughed at her. I had a mother at school pick-up say to me "you know that's permanent, right?" to which she got me saying sarcastically "No? Really? Oh shit!" and rolled eyes. That was closely followed by her muttering "I think tattoos are disgusting".

You're going to Hell for that, you know that don't you?:cool:

pretty much... gross.
Like unless that opening is followed by "I buy a lot of paint"

Please dare me. Please.
I dare you to dare me.

Can't make this shit up. Two recent conversations from the bar.
Number One!
Me: What're you up to tonight?
Girl: Well I supposed to get tattooed but my tattoo artists rejected me!
Me: What?! What happened?
Girl: (Pulls out a piece of paper with a crazy long math/physics equation and begins to unfold to show me.) Well, I was supposed to get this on my finger, but--
Me: (Bursts out laughing) Yeah, that ain't going on your finger...
Girl: He laughed at me, too!
Me: Yeah. Sorry to laugh, it's just so long you won't be able to get it that small and still see what it is. What about on your arm, or wrapping around your wrist?
Girl: Yeah, that's what he suggested, too. Especially because it's my only tattoo or whatever. But I'm a programmer and I want to look at it while I'm working at the keyboard. He also suggested that I shouldn't get it in white.
Me: White.. ink?
Girl: Yeah. Because it's for me. And I don't want anyone else to just be able to see it like that.
Me: Sounds like maybe you should think about it some more..
After that initial talk we had a pretty cool conversation about the equation and the dual reality somethingorother it pertains to. She was a super smart person in that realm for sure. I left her with the suggestion of getting a cat in a box as a much cooler design (part of this theory about a cat being in a box with the lid closed and there being two realities..) but she was pretty set on the equation.
Number Two!
The set up here.. it was late, this chick was at the bar for a while so obviously a little drunk.
Girl: Hey, you get your tattoos here?
Me: Yeah, mostly, at this point kind of all over.
Girl: Where should I go?
Me: Hard to go wrong in this neighborhood, Three kings, Eight of Swords, Adorned, Saved...
Girl: Are they open?
Me: When...?
Girl: Now.
Me: It's almost two in the morning -- no shops are open right now.
Girl: Really? None??
Me: You could go into the city and check out West 4th St. but I really encourage you to not do that.
Girl: So.. there are no tattoo shops open in Brooklyn right now is what you're telling me.
Me: That's what I'm telling you.
Girl: (Takes her drinks that I made her and begins to walk away.) Fuck this borough.
And I thought that would be the end of it! She came back and wanted to talk some more.
Girl: So, it says XXSHOPXX is right off of XXSTREETXX -- is that close by?
Me: It's not far but I'm telling you it's not open. Why don't you just wait?
Girl: YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND. My friend over there is only in town tonight and we won't be in the same city again for like maybe a couple years.
Me: Well that might work better, you can both get great tattoos in your respective cities and they'll probably be way better than trying to get it in at like 2 AM. You could get something awesome!
Girl: Nope, you don't get what I'm saying.
Me: (Past the point of patience and I can't walk away because I'm making them another round of drinks.) It sounds like you probably shouldn't get tattooed. It sounds like a bad idea is what I think you're saying.
Girl: Well aren't they all?
Me: I'm sorry..?
Girl: All of this (pointing to my arms) -- you can't tell me any of this is actually a good idea.
Me: Did you really just say that?
Girl: Well, I mean, come on.. when you're 90. They're going to look like shit.
Me: No, they're going to look awesome and I'm going to be an awesome 90 yr old with tattoos that I didn't get at fucking two in the morning. This is going to be your last round, I'll have the server bring your check over and you can still make it over to West 4th, the cab ride shouldn't be much more than $20!
Girl: Whatever.
Me: Have a good night! Good luck!
Hope I'm not sounding like too much of an asshole.. My bar persona is always ten thousand times nicer than my real life demeanor but this second girl really pushed it. I'll put up with a lot of idiots and I know how to handle plenty of bullshit but when you outright insult me in my own bar..? You're done. I hope she went and got tattooed.. everyone gets the tattoo they deserve!

It is meant very tongue-in-cheek when I say it. Dj & I referred to his parents that way and they knew we were joking around. It's funny 'coz usually the ones with the tattoos get all the flack. Hell I was born with very plain skin myself and I will always remember where I came from. :p

I don't have a problem with tattoos meaning things, I just hate the way how most people who want "meaningful" tattoos can only think of meaning in the most heavy-handed and literal way. For example, I have a swallow that I got on my birthday a couple of years ago because I was feeling pretty bummed because it was my birthday and I was feeling sorry for myself about aging or whatever. My wife got the same flash from a different artist a couple of weeks later around her birthday. When I think about that tattoo I remember having a super fun time getting it, I remember how my wife got hers done on a miserable snowy day and how we went out for poutine afterwards, etc., and the same goes for all my tattoos (albeit I don't have a lot of tattoos and I haven't been getting them for so long so maybe the details and memories of getting those tattoos is going to become less distinct over time). So those tattoos have a huge amount of meaning and significance for us, exactly none of which has to do with swallows.

I think the "meaning" issue is a real barrier for people when it comes to getting tattoos. At least it was for me. Before I had any tattoos I kind of didn't bother because I didn't know what I would get that would have enough meaning to have it written into my skin. My first tattoo was about my family a couple of years after the birth of my daughter. With my next few tattoos I was still kind of over thinking it and coming up with wild stories to tell myself about why what I wanted was a good idea. Now that I am more comfortable with tattoos in general (I've realized that nothing horrible has happened) I am more able to find enough meaning in just thinking it's cool.

Instead of plainskin, my buddy calls them Rawhides. :p

I'm sure everyone has seen this a hundred times, but this is what I hope to look like when I have grand kids sitting on my lap.

Being a tattooed old lady is one of the things that actually makes me look forward to aging.

Cool tattoo, cool story!

@PopsBdog cool, look forward to seeing the healed pics x

Here's what Freddy did to me.
I love the way he framed the XXV with flames.

Love this story, and those tattoos are so great - can't get over how good that dragon is! Thanks for sharing with us.

Here's what Freddy did to me.
I love the way he framed the XXV with flames.

@PopsBdog I fucking love yours :) very pretty x

And a bonus Seth in the background. Looks great, I am stoked it worked out so well for both of you.

Here's what Freddy did to me.
I love the way he framed the XXV with flames.