Saturday, September 15, 2007

Inked, pricked, and marked.

(Edited, with photos from Pirate)
I did my 9-mile long slow run this morning and finally felt normal. I held about a 12:30 pace, slower on the black top but faster on the windy trail with deep sand. Still trying to figure that one out. Gosh, it was a gorgeous morning. I headed out at dawn, just me, a sticky bottle of Perpetuum, and my ipod. The perpetuum is by orders of my dentist. As I have revealed, I have very soft enamel, and the sucrose I've been sucking down for 4 months has wreaked havoc.

So, then I showered, had a small breakfast and coffee, and met Pirate at Star Tattoo.

Inked, pierced man in black
pricks me while I breathe lamaze
I'm M-dotted now.

Yes, I'm working getting pictures to post. I've clearly left the battery charger for the camera in Louisville, so I have to raid the 16-year-old's room and take his...and, find out that his windows are wide open, and so is the air conditioning vent. Time to nail some windows shut...

But back to the tattoo. Pirate took phone pictures, and afterwards, Sonny gave me a little goody bag with post care instructions, a plastic toy, a sticker, and a sucker.

Pirate squealed, "Ooo! Tattoo schwag!" and Sonny, the artist, smiled politely even as we attempted to explain what "schwag" was.

Sonny, as talented as he is, will never be accused of an over abundance of jocularity.

Perhaps tattooing someone who looks like a soccer mom is a necessary evil to be a true artiste.

("Soccer Mom' is my daughter's current declaration of my current look; I admit this was a bit disappointing since I was going for 'sleek and athletic')

What does it feel like. Hmmm. Imagine having a bad sunburn and a three-year old with sharp fingernails scratching it.

For about an hour.

I didn't cry, or anything, but I definitely felt my face get hot, which is something it does when I'm stressed.

Then it was off to Wal-Green's, where I bought Aquaphor ointment and antibacterial soap. While ringing up my purchases, the pharmacy tech glanced at me and gave a little gasp of excitement "Did you just get a new piece?"

"Pardon?"

"A new piece. A new tattoo. Did you just get a new one?" Then proceded to tell me breathlessly a very interesting story about all her tattoos and how she and her twin got matching 'peas and carrots' tattoos on their hips before her twin was deployed overseas. Then she showed it to me. I liked the story, and she was very sweet, although I'm not sure how the 14 people behind me in line liked it...but now it appears, at least, that I'm a member of a new club. PS: According to what I've read about tattoo etiquette, copying ain't cool.

For the next day or two I'm supposed to wash it with antibacterial soap, pat it dry, apply ointment, and then lay saran wrap over it. Note: After reading this article, I've decided not to do this. Instead, I'll be following the aftercare instructions here.

And NO SWIMMING until it peels, for something like 10 days.

So now there's another way to spot me, if you're ever in the southwest at a triathlon somewhere. I've got "Athena Diaries" on my bike and an M-dot with a flowing horse on my shoulder.

...

46 comments:

  1. I like the design concept. Hopefully you'll have photos soon.

    I've been daydreaming on and off about enhancing my little hummingbird tattoo with some additional art, but not sure I'll ever do it.

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  2. very freakin cool - you may just be the sweetest soccer mom ever!

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  3. Very nice graphic!! Good for you!

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  4. I love the design! I've never thought that I'd get a tat, but if I did something like Ironman, I might change my mind...

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  5. Very nice design! Creative, cool and strong!!

    Made the appt for mine, the day after my next race, but then found out I have to golf all that day....I'd rather tattoo my whole body than golf but it's part of the job.

    Mine is the simple M dot and it's going on the back of my right calf. Thought about something with a Sun and Cross but am not so gifted artistically.

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  6. Love the design, can't wait to see the real thing. I've got 7 tattoos and I've never heard of putting saran wrap over them. Hmmm... you learn something new every day. I always just kept them moistened with vasoline and they all look awesome.

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  7. Like other silly things I've done, including the Ironman, getting a tattoo is something I said I would never, ever do! I'm kinda afraid to say "I'll never do that" now...

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  8. Wow, it's a nice design! If my hip ever allows me to do Ironman, I might consider a tat, but I'd probably be boring and go with something small and basic.

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  9. Really beautiful! I love it Geek Girl.

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  10. Brilliant design. I liked your explanation of the pain :)

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  11. Wow! That is insanely awesome! It's a perfect design, and Sonny did a great job. That's the standard by which all future IM tat's will be judged.

    Me: Hey, good job Ironman...

    random triathlete: Oh, my Tatoo, yea, thanks, I just got it..

    Me: Yea, it's ok...I'm guessing you didn't see the gold standard of M-Dot Tatoos - the "GG Shoulder IMKY Tat"

    random triathlete: um, no, and who's GG?

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  12. Oooooooh! It turned out nice!!!

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  13. Wow it's beautiful :)

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  14. Wow, that is super cool.

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  15. Hey, welcome to the club! (Tattoo, not Ironman--of which I am not a member...yet.) Looks great! Make sure you're careful with it once it starts to itch in about a week. It will drive you batty, but try not to touch it.

    And if it makes you feel any better, *I* don't think you look like a soccer mom. Sleek and athletic describes you much better! :)

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  16. Anonymous11:52 AM

    It looks awesome!! I'd be flaunting it all around for everyone to see!

    I got a tattoo on my hip about 5 years ago. I don't remember any special instructions, but maybe the place I went wasn't as reputable..hehe. I decided one morning to get it done without telling anyone.

    Congrats on the tat! It has to be one of the coolest I've seen.

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  17. That is absolutely awesome. Bigun is right, that is how all other IM tats will be judged.

    Awesome. Awesome. Awesome.

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  18. Flippin sweet! That turned out great!
    We use bio-occlusive dressings like OpSite all the time in wound care (which is what i think the purpose of Saran is here), but for a different purpose and they seal entirely to promote autolytic debridement, a kind of self-healing where the phagocytes consume the bacteria in the wound and clean it up. Saran sounds like a poor substitute.

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  19. The rendering you had up before looked pretty cool but the tat itself is uber-cool. Love that!

    And always remember - never is a really long time :-)

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  20. Hands down the Best one I've seen.!!
    I love it!!!

    way to go ..

    rockon`

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  21. I had to come back again and ogle your beautiful artwork.

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  22. I love the the uniqueness of it and how you've combined IM and Kentucky.

    Never heard the saran wrap rule.

    It looks fabulous!

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  23. it looks great. I'll look for it at SOMA.

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  24. Love the tattoo. They put saran wrap on mine. Very creative and one of a kind

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  25. never say never...I have about a tat....'cause tats don't look cool on old and wrinkled skin...I would look like an old sailor.
    Very nice! (Man, that's BIG...will it shrink over time? Is that why you have to put suran wrap over it?)
    I'm being stupid, so no, don't answer me!

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  26. Your tattoo is very cool.

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  27. That's a really nice one. I like when people individualize them. hey did you get your hair cut? I like it!

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  28. i love it, very nice work and something (the IM!) to be very proud of!

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  29. I always said I wouldn't want a tattoo because I wasn't sure what my grandchildren would think about me when I'm old and wrinkly and hopefully the sweetest grandma alive. I'm rethinking all that. A grandma with a Mdot... There's something really cool about that. Congrats! What a great design!

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  30. great design! I love the horse.

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  31. I have never wanted a tatoo ... but that is very cool. Congrats on the race and the ink!

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  32. The "real" tat actually looks better than the design! That's just awesome!

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  33. I think your tattoo looks cool ! Oh, and I just wanted to say that I read your first posts about why you started and your first marathon. They are great and I think I am now where you were then. You give me hope !!! You rock !!! Sarah

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  34. That is a great looking, very creative tattoo! I like it.

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  35. looks awesome, Misty ! congrats by the way ! you're an inspiration...

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  36. That is a great looking M-dot! You deserve it!

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  37. THAT!! Has got to be the coolest M-Dot integrated design I have ever seen!

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  38. Fantastic design - what a great thing to celebrate. I'm an athena runner (although we don't have that category in the UK) and find your blog really inspiring.
    As a tattoo fan (got 3) I think yours really does rock. Congrats on being an ironman and your first ink.

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  39. Hmmmm... Thats a pretty sweet tattoo! I think I am too scared to every get one...but the m-dot is the one I would get

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  40. Very nice tat! I love the design. I am still working on a design for when I finish Louisville, this year..

    Kenny

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