Tick-tock, tick-tock / Christ, I hate that fucking clock
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Date: March 20, 2012
Time: 2 hours
Breaks: 1 (5 minutes)
Total Tattooing Time: 28.5 hours
Date: March 23, 2012
Time: 4 hours
Breaks: 2 (10 minutes)
Total Tattooing Time: 32.5 hours
Last week is what I will call a "triple," what with a single session on Tuesday in the Bowery and a double-session in Massapequa on Friday - barely any time to heal between sessions but, fortunately, we're covering a lot of acreage so it's not quite like we're running the machine over tender areas.
The color has begun, about which I am thrilled - the blues that Rube has chosen are utterly electric, as are my nerve-endings every time he runs the 5-mag over my spinal column.
The "Fruity Pebbles" phase has begun (in which I leave stains and multi-colored scabs all over our sheets each morning - "part of this nutritious breakfast"), about which I am ready to cash in several Bed, Bath & Beyond gift-cards for new linens.
Tuesday hit everything below the dragon's face, which rattled my kidneys something fierce. On an ideal day, I would have milled about the apartment in my kimono while casually partaking in coffee, cigarettes, bacon and eggs before heading over to Bowery. This day, however, called for two auditions before my sitting (and one afterwards) which, when combined with my mild hangover and scarfing down two hot dogs on an NYC street-corner just before my sitting...
Yeah... you do the math. I wasn't feeling awesome, but I didn't expel anything offensive.
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Friday brought me back to the Massapequa location and we started with me - upright in a chair - facing the rear wall of Rube's booth.
Tick-tock, tick-tock / Christ, I hate that fucking clock
It's one thing when I'm lying face-down on the table, but when I'm straddling that chair, I'm staring right at the clock on Rube's wall.
Tick. Tock.
It's like staring at the clock during history class in high school on the day before summer vacation. First, the clock gets loud. Then, it slows down. Finally, it starts moving backwards.
Eventually, I was face-down on the table again for a few hours but, after a few hours, things started getting rough.
Rube, I think I'm hitting the wall, man.
"Don't worry, we only got another 15 minutes."
If you're a heterosexual male, this is the equivalent of a woman telling you "don't come yet, I'm almost there."
I'm now thinking about time...
How much more can I handle?
How many drags can I take on this eCigarette?
How many songs have rolled by on the iPod? After all, your average song is four minutes, which puts me at 3.75 songs before I can call it quits....
Frankly, I'd rather NOT know. Let me keep fighting the good fight and hit me with the green soap when we're done.
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A bunch of you readers have been asking me about healing & care (which I've addressed briefly in the past), but I promise that I'll get around to it before my next sitting.
Thanks to all of you for following me on this journey, feel free to send money for Aquaphor and don't forget to follow me on twitter.
I'm admiring how much you're getting done. I only go in about every 8-10 weeks and I have what'll hopefully be a four hour session today to finish most of my right half sleeve.
ReplyDeleteChanged the bed to the "tattoo sheets" already. :)
Bill - having to wait 2 months between sittings would drive me nuts, but I understand that sometimes that's just the way it goes. that said, I hope ya got that sleeve finished up! since the lady and i upgraded the size of our mattress, we had only invested in two pairs of sheets. now, by default after the color sessions, the white linens have now become... well, slightly blue on one side.
ReplyDeleteYet another insightful write-up Brian. Can't tell you how much I personally appreciate the first-hand account you are sharing. Makes me all the more nervous and excited at the same time with my upcoming back piece from Mike and Henning. Speaking of which, I had a conversation with Henning and he wanted to know if I wanted something more subdued or really way out there. I told Henning I wanted him and Mike to go crazy on the details and that he has a good sense of what I like and I trust his judgment and to basically have fun with it. Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteAlso, are you sharing your experience on Instagram or Facebook?
Thanks, Ricky! You should be *psyched* about a collaboration between those two, but I understand your jitters.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, your attitude (and response to Henning) are spot-on. These are two brilliant artists who know exactly what they're doing. I would recommend that you feel free to point at a direction to align the compass, but let those two pilot the ship, if you know what I mean.
Oh, and let me know when you're in the shop, Ricky. Would love to swing by and say hello.
ReplyDeleteNext time I'm going to be at Kings Avenue will probably be when Henning returns sometime in October/November. Unclear if it'll be at the Manhattan or Long Island shop, but I always push Henning for the Manhattan location, haha.
ReplyDeleteIf you let me know when your next session will be in Manhattan, I can always swing by and intro myself. Literally live about 15-20 minute walk from the shop. Would be awesome to check out the back piece in person too.
You got it, Ricky!
ReplyDelete