Bear With Me

I am modified.

That wight, wabbit, today, I got my first tattoo. Oh lord. I can’t believe I actually did it. The story:

I’m still here in Ohio. I was gonna get the tat the day before we went to Cedar Point, but both DiAnne and I figured that I would be in too much pain to go on any of the rides. (BY the way, Cedar Point was a blast … again. Unfortunatley, it rained off and on, but fortunately, DiAnne’s Mom’s company, Longerberger, set us up there for the whole day. So, although it was raining and the rides were intermittantly closed down, we had more than enough chances to get on the rides we wanted. I braved The Mantis, which I don’t believe I did before. You stand up on it and it twists and dips and is generally a mind scrambler. Somehow we got DiAnne on the Raptor, which is the same type of coaster as the Mantis, except that, instead of standing, you sit and dangle. All through the line, DiAnne was all like, no way, I’m just gonna go through the line with everyone, then cut through and wait for you guys.” Throughout the line, she convinced herself it might be okay to try. The second she got off , she told us all, “I loved it! Every second of it!” So, CP was again a success. Jim should have been there, though. Hmmm.)

Anyway, getting back to9 my tat. We made the appointment on Friday at Cyn on Skin (I’m guessing the woman’s name is Cyndi or Cynthia). Today, we went in with my GenX Bears shirt and I pointed at the logo, which is a small, black, bear claw. Cyn (I’m guessing) took a photocopy of the image and placed it on the back of my right calf. I thought that the original pic was a little big (and the $80 price tag a little steep), so we shrunk it a little and I got the smaller, $50 model.

DiAnne came into the tattoo room with me and promised to hold my hand (which she did, very admirably.) Cyn put a temporary inked tat on the area where the real one would go, and then put on gloves and started up the needle.

“The outline hurts the most,” she told me. “After that, it’s easier.” I was less convinced of the cake-ness of the whole endeavor.

She put the needle to my skin and: YIKES! There’s some serious pain! I will admit it: the whole thing really did hurt like a mother. But DiAnne was great. She kept telling me that big, fat, hairy guys were probably in the chair right before me. Then, she got me thinking about Piven. That always helps.

I also have to admit, Cyn was right: the coloring hurt, but much less than the outline. And I am truly proud of myself. I didn’t scream, yelp, or jerk once. A true veteran of Cyn on Skin, am I. Decorated and everything.

The thing still hurts a little, but not horrendously. I have to apply ointment for a couple weeks (here is where Shawn comes in really handy.) Then, I have the bear paw. On my leg. Forever.

Does this make me a punk? Do I have to go out and buy Sandinista! Now? My life’s getting weirder by the second.

Kev