It's that time again

Yes, it's that time again. Time for my annual back to school tattoo. What started as a sort of rebellion at the idea of teaching at yet another Catholic school when I was beginning to really settle into who I am as a person (and who I am is not really the stereotypical "good Catholic girl") has now become a tradition. Sure, there's still a little sense of that "fuck you" each time I get a new one, but I also just like getting tattoos. I like all of mine and have put a lot of thought into each one. So, as I typically do, roughly six months or so ago I started thinking about what my next one would be. I toyed with the idea of Tudor roses since I'm a huge nerd about the Tudors (and this nerdery happened LONG before the Showtime show came on, though I do like the show). Unfortunately, the place where I wanted to put the tattoo wasn't really ideal for that sort of design. I knew I wanted it to go on my left ribs and I knew I wanted the design to have a little of the same feel (though not necessarily to match) what I got on my right ribs last year. So, what to do?

I still liked the whole historical tie in and then I had a brainstorm. Besides being weirdly obsessed with Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Mary I and so forth, I am a pretty big Shakespeare nerd. When I went to school for my PhD, the plan was to do my dissertation on Shakespeare. I adore going up to Stratford, Ontario to the Shakespeare Festival. I've taken classes on teaching Shakespeare as literature by using acting and drama in the classroom. I have taught Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet and Much Ado About Nothing numerous times to high school students. I find the notion that Shakespeare didn't exist preposterous. I desperately wish I could teach Shakespeare again where I'm working now but, sadly, another teacher has a death-grip on Shakespeare and, until she leaves, Shakespeare is her baby (it doesn't help that I teach American Lit for two of my classes, that i get, but still.) Yeah...I'm a nerd and proud of it.

So, with more thinking, I came up with a great idea. I've always loved Paul Steck's painting of Ophelia (from Hamlet, in case you didn't know) and it had that great literary tie-in. On top of that, it was the right shape and had the right feel to kind of complement but not match my other rib tattoo. Well, yesterday was the bit day. It's still red and sore (and a bit gunky) but you get the idea. I think Mike (the guy I always go to) did a fantastic job. I'm very excited about it :) It took three hours to do which didn't include the time he took to create the stencil and get set up. Three straight hours of tattooing. Just as I was getting to the point of wussing out and saying I couldn't stand it any more, he was done :) As if the tattooing didn't hurt enough, laying on one side for three hours without moving makes your hips feel like shit and having to keep both arms over your head makes them feel like they weigh 10 tons and become kinda numb. Now, if the feeling of being punched in the side would go away, I'll be fine :) So, another school year begins (actually, it already began, we started on Wednesday, though the kids come back this Wednesday) and I start it the same way I have for the last four years. With a brand new, back to school tattoo :)

Number 4

So, here it is, tattoo number 4. I have to say, I think this one hurt the most of all, going over the ribs is killer. The other tough part is that I had to lay in this somewhat awkward position on my side (but rolled just a bit towards my back) and keep both my arms over my head. Needless to say, my arms started to fall asleep and I was tensing up so much that I couldn't keep my legs from shaking. Nonetheless, it came out really well and I think it looks great with the others. Not a terribly high quality photo here and I'm still a bit puffy since it was only three hours old or so, but you get the idea :)

Another cover...

I believe this is the third time Sherri has featured one of my photos on the Revolt "cover." It's still a bit of a thrill! Read the story and see more photos here. It was a tough show to shoot since the people at St. Andy's had the barrier shoved almost all the way up to the stage, effectively eliminating the photo pit entirely. I had to do all my shooting from the right side of the stage, which made things a bit tough.

In other fun, writing/photography related news, I'm also going to be covering the Kings of Leon/We Are Scientists show in November as well as the Hawthorne Heights show. What makes the HH show especially cool is that I also get to do an in-person interview with the band before the show! It's funny, it feels a little like coming full-circle or something since it was at a Hawthorne Heights show two years ago that I managed to get into the photo pit for the first time. I had never touched a digital SLR, much less owned one, and now I've photographed lots and lots of shows, not only held but purchased a lovely digital SLR and had some experiences I never thought I would in a million years. Wow :)

Tomorrow is the big day, tattoo number four. I'm at the nervous but excited stage. Tomorrow I'll probably be mostly nervous until it actually starts, then I'll be wincing but excited and then sore but happy. It's all part of the process I guess. How much things have changed in some ways since moving back to MI in 2005.

I guess I'm just in a reflective mood right now. It's in a good way though :)

Back to school, back to school...

...to prove to dad that I'm not a fool (name the movie).

Last week was the teachers' week back. It pretty much consisted of me trying to convince my student teacher that I didn't really have anything for her to do yet (just wait...), trying to do curriculum mapping (sucks, hate it), staff picnic, getting my room set up, making copies, finishing my syllabi, going shopping with Wife, going to shows and living my usual double life. Tomorrow the kids come back. I'm sort of excited and sort of dreading it. I'm excited about seeing my AP kids since I had all of them last year. I have them first and third hour so I kind of get eased into the first day. I don't immediately have to learn a bunch of new names and faces which is kind of nice. I know it'll help alleviate some of my nerves which is a good thing.

Wife and I made our usual back-to-school shopping run which was a lot of fun. We hit H & M and hit it hard (or, hit our wallets hard) but walked away with lots of cute clothes. It's a good thing we don't teach at the same school or we'd be very matchy-matchy. I'm excited about the things I got even if most of them I can't really wear until it gets cooler (argyle, I LOVE argyle...) We also went to Express and got one or two things, but after H & M, Express seems so expensive. A little shoe shopping at Macy's (Wife got a great pair of brown heels and I got polka-dot Steve Madden pumps that I adore) and then Wife got her ears double-pierced which was fun. Enough damage was done at that point that we decided to head home, but I had a great time and new back-to-school clothes are so fun:)

We ended up then heading to Dominick's with Husband and Jon. Much (probably too much) sangria was had and hilarity ensued. The only bummer was as I, in my gracefulness, slipped in a HUGE puddle outside the Grad Library, ended up in the splits and soaked to the skin. It didn't hurt too much (though I have a beautiful bruise on my knee now) but my pride was rather injured. It was pretty funny though even if it was quite uncomfortable...A fun night all around though and an excellent way to say adieu to the summer.

So, let me backtrack for a moment to my double life. Tuesday Jon and I went to the Magic Stick in lieu of joining my co-workers at a Tiger's game so we could see Ganon play. I think they played a really good set and I was a little disappointed I didn't bring my camera since the light was a lot better than when we saw them at the Blind Pig. Friday we went to see Rufus Wainwright at the Michigan Theater which was a hoot. Total 180 from the show at the Magic Stick, but a lot of fun. I love Rufus. He's an amazing musician but totally camp at the same time. Great show.

However, my double life didn't end there. After "sneaking" out of school early on Friday I headed over to Name Brand Tattoo for my annual (so far) back to school ink. Yeah, so most people just get new books, paper, pens and clothes for back to school, but I feel this is my own little "fuck you, I might have to be professional and respectable on the outside but you don't get all of me" to the administration and whole profession. I met Jon there at 1pm, showed Mike (the same guy that did my other two tattoos) the design I wanted and he played with that for a little bit. I was SO nervous, as usual. I wasn't ever about to chicken out, but I was scared enough to feel like I had a flock of pterodactyls in my stomach. He started the outlining and it hurt like hell in spots but Jon kept telling me stories which helped a lot to take my mind somewhat off the pain. After over an hour of that Mike got to the shading which didn't hurt nearly as much (at first) and before I knew it, he was finished. I expected it to take closer to three hours but it only took around two, so that was good. I love how it came out even if it still has that scrape-y feeling (remember how it felt when you were a kid and skinned your knee or your elbow or something like that? Now imagine that feeling all up and down your back...) In fact, he had to change my design a little bit to make it "flow" better and I like it even more than the original. It might be my back, but it isn't a tramp stamp. I really love it. I can't quite believe this is my third, and I'm sure I'll get others as time goes on (I already have ideas). So weird. I have three tattoos. Crazy.

Yeah, so, that's been this week. What a time, eh? I haven't been doing a whole lot of cooking although I did make my dad the coconut chicken curry tonight and it came out really great. Jon and I go to Cincinnati next weekend which should be fun. I'm looking forward to a little last vacation before school really begins in earnest.

Geeze. The summer really went way too fast...

Listening to: Rufus Wainwright, Release the Stars