2 - The Big Day
Fast forwarding to February.
One morning I woke up and it was D-5! Meaning Feb 4th, 5 days before my tattoo! And with each passing day, my excitement just grew bigger and bigger. And one fine morning I woke up and instead of D- it was H-! H Minus 5 hours, H-4, H-1, H-40 minutes, H-10 minutes. And the big fat moment when my iPod showed me 12:13 and I decided to walk back to the shop (from a little park I found near to kill some minutes).
The shop itself is super cute! Very zen, relaxed, casual, welcoming! Warm ambiance with two big brown leather couches, the counter in back on the left, the tattoo rooms up front and on the right hand side, a small corridor in between the two sections filled by a glass and steal show case with piercing jewelry.
There was an older man standing in the right area, in front of the couch, a younger blond man sitting on the left side couch's far left side and the counter where Jeff and another man were in their sort of employees only area. I think I surprised the two men and possibly one of the tattoo artists too, as I walked in to the counter, shy and yet unable to hide my excitement, and said that I had an appointment with Jeff at 12:30. The blond viking man stepped out and went to the first room to prepare a chair for his own client, a young Black man and I was left there with Jeff himself!
I dropped my back pack on the couch and got my usb stick out, handed it over and told him everything was there. He first printed out the visual guide of how and what I wanted, but since the image on that file as rather small, I told him that everything else was on the usb for an easier usage for him; the tattoo on it's own, colored and simply the lines with the name.
So I went back to the couch while Jeff worked with my raw materials, after we had a small chat about what I really wanted and where; the flower, the name, red, black, yellow center.
After some work, Jeff headed off to the tattooing room - third section, came back and invited me to come in. I have to admit, in that single moment, I felt the most of the "stress" or overbearing anticipation and excitement, yet, still not a drop of doubt brushed me. I was more concerned if they had a bathroom where I could have a quickie before I would lay on the "table" and get it done! Jeff must have found that amusing because he smiled, surprised, and I put my black berry on the seat, leaving my last open status there for him to see (I was asking my heart to chill down) went to relief myself and came back. My tattoo artist was then preparing the Tattoo Client Chair by strapping with scotch-tape two bands long strips of wide paper bits to cover the length of it.Watching him attending his work routine both reassured me and excited me as we were approaching the Big Moment.
He stepped out and came back with the outline print that he would moments later apply against my skin - which gave a gently warm sensation - and he then stripped it off like I used to do with those old chroma film strips way back in graphic school; except, where we were asked to do it quick and hard, he was doing it slow and gentle. I really enjoyed that warm fuzzy sensation!
He then asked me to hop on top of the chair and I laid down, steadied my shirt a little above the middle of my breasts and put my hands behind my neck to be comfortable and leave him my side clear or any disturbing element. By this precise moment, I was zen as a monk! In the blink of an instant, my heart had calmed down as if I was just living the most peaceful Saturday afternoon of my life.
Jeff finished off his preparations; Vaseline to stick in place on a piece of paper towel the little capsules in which he poured the colored inks, he put some more in a small container from which he regularly smeared some on my skin before he would start inking the outline, then filled the plastic container with some product and a bit of water (which he later used to clean the excess ink as he was tattooing me), he also pulled a plastic Ziploc sort of bag over, pierced the upside down end - to be sure to sterilize fully the bottle itself. before that he had also wrapped the needle's cord in a huge blue plastic wrap or open ends bag or what ever that is called. Seriously - it was just hard core serious, clean and respectable in all the little bits of what happened. I loved to look at him work, it filled me with confidence how he was attention-ate to details in everything, not rushing, being casual but focused. He then tested the needle and the machine to which it was attached, controlling the speed I guess or something. Hearing the first buzzing noises made me smile and giggle with pure happiness.
And at 1:02 (could have been 1:01 for all that I know) Touchdown - accordingly to my Facebook status: First time I was touched by the needle! It felt Absolutely Awesome!
I was expecting excruciating pain, unbearable torture seance, I was ready to cry tears of pain and squirm and all that and I was there, laying on the chair, being inked, and smiling and giggling of joy! I actually had to concentrate and focus on Not Laughing and giggling, not to move my body and ruin the the lining! And yes, at some spots it ticked! Seriously, I am not kidding you, it seriously tickled!
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