Is a pink corvette in my future?

To steal a quote from a famous chip company but adding a twist: Tattoo’s are like chips, you can’t stop at one.
I think I started getting tattooed as a way to snub my nose at my health/body/being. My first tattoo was of an Egyptian cartouche with the word LEO (Trevor @ Big Daddies Tatties Ltd in Edmonton) inscribed inside. I got it on the back of my neck a mere 7 months after my strokes (blood clots travelled the brain stem) and the location was definitely a F U to the fact that I was not only surviving but living. My second was a full sleeve (Andi Bolz @ Atomic Zombie Tattoo in Edmonton), all Egyptian, with little bits of who I am. I have always had a fascination of Egypt and figured I would never be able to go, the fact being that all those pyramids probably don’t have washrooms. My third is of a pink flamingo (Dano Stephens @ Vince Neil Ink in Las Vegas) done to commemorate the hubby and me getting married at the Flamingo in Las Vegas. The hubby got the same tattoo!
As I sit here writing the newest blog, I am sitting more on my left check then right, you see, I have recently gotten yet another tattoo (Andi Bolz @ Atomic Zombie Tattoo in Edmonton). I swore up and down I was done getting tattoos. The pain, the expense, the expense of PAYING someone to inflict pain, all seemed a bit silly. There is no longer anything in my life that I can snub my nose at! I am healed now, the Crohn’s is gone, my body is feeling fantastic and I am married to a wonderful man and we have a successful business. The need to get tattooed should be over with right? Wrong.
The dark, pain ridden old being is behind me and now I am getting tattoos that celebrate ME, I am in a new phase of life and I LOVE it, and I have Oscar to thank. I now have a bunch of new tattoo ideas relating to my ostomy, because let’s face it; Oscar and my non-existent bum are a part of me.
Yesterday was my first time back in a tattooist’s chair in over 3 years. I was a little bit frightened but more concerned as to how Oscar was going to handle being laid on for a few hours. I shouldn’t have worried, whatever I throw at him he handles with ease. I also had my bum hanging out for all to see over the pony wall at the studio, at least I had picked up a new lacy thong at Victoria’s Secret! I was embarrassed at first, I could just imagine what people must be thinking “who does that woman think she IS getting a Barbie tattoo on her ass?? And talking about ass, hers is AWFUL!” About half way through a strange calm came over me and I embraced the fact that my ass is not perfect, I am not perfect, but I DO have a Barbie butt, all show and no go! It was with that new found resolve that I gritted my teeth and mentally said “eh, so what? Now they have a story to tell their friends.”
The actual tattoo took a little more than an hour to complete start to finish. I am eternally grateful that I have such a talented friend and artist in Andi and that she is able to see the humour in what I wanted done. On the way to post-tattoo chicken wings with her, she looked over at me and said “I admire you, you go after what you want and you don’t let things stand in your way.” I said thank you, but am now figuring out how I can wear lacy thongs again. It’s what I want, and Oscar is certainly not going to stand in my way