RoryQ

Just did two days at Yellow Blaze getting a front piece by Tomo. Day 1 we got it almost all lined, day 2 finished lining and started shading the background. Never been so pleased to move on from lining ... Particularly single needle. Tomo took a picture of what we did so far, but I think unless he puts it up I will hold off also- till we're finished. And now I am about to very tenderly soap myself.

Consultation at Yellow Blaze tomorrow. Glad I'm not under the needle till the weekend- couldn't sleep last night due to the time difference. Got out of bed and went for sushi at Tsukiji fish market at dawn.

I've been using instagram for a few months now ( RoryFromDublin ), just following tattoo artists really... But since we're heading to Tokyo tomorrow I thought might be the time to start posting photos too. I'm going to try and snap cool bits and pieces from Tokyo, Yokohama and Kyoto. Maybe some Yellow Blaze and hopefully Inkrat related goodness, but mostly I think it'll be food, 'engrish' and cute dogs (cute dogs seem to be 40% of instagram anyway so...)...

I've always liked Tim Pausinger's tattoos (I believe he's working full time at the Pearl Harbour Gift Shop in Toronto these days). I'm not sure what it is about them, but I think his work has a real style of its own - always some cool touches or a different way of looking at a traditional subject. He's got a couple of cool ROAs in his instragram feed: Traditional, but he does his own thing with them. I like the way he illustrates the women too... Here's one:- I kind of like 'em because they look like they're leg pieces also... For those of us who can't fit a ROA on a back!

Thornbridge Hall imperial Russian stout... 7.4%. Tasty for the winter evenings... I think these guys are one of the best of the 'new school' UK brewers... If they still count as new.

@Brock Varty I've done a few back-to-back days (on my back also, in fact) and managed to get through it. The second day is obviously much worse, but you should be OK for the first few hours, it's the last half of the second day that really sucks. If I'm getting tattooed all day I think it makes sense to get a few breaks in there, and keep eating through the day. It's not like it's cheating, if it ultimately allows you to keep going even longer than if you tried to just sit all the way through.

Packing to fly to Tokyo on Sunday... I think that's pretty awesome (I'm not one of those people who hates packing). The only downside is that we were due to be leaving tomorrow morning and without any warning SAS cancelled their flight and re-routed us... I thought swedes were supposed to be super efficient and whatnot? Morons. So we're down a day on our vacation, but I guess the silver lining is that I sent them an e-mail laying some EU regulation smackdown on them. Because we didn't get notice in the appropriate timeframe, and because no exceptional circumstances apply, and because we're arriving more than 2 hours later than our originally scheduled time of arrival we should be entitled to compensation. Look at the regs it will be either 250 euro each, or as much as 400 euro each (depends on what whether the whole distance travelled in the intinerary is counted or just the leg they cancelled). Bought a few bits and bobs to bring the guys in Yellow Blaze today as small gifts. I know they'll probably never do a celtic style tattoo, but maybe what I bought will find a spot in their rather large library of reference material - a few books on celtic design, knotwork, bordering etc. Going to chuck in a bottle of whiskey too.

Incidentally, although I've read the main novels, I haven't read any of the 'Dunk and Egg' novellas that George RR Martin has published seperately. Three so far, with another six planned (in theory). They're set before the events of ASOIAF, during the Targaryen reign, and follow a famous knight of the Kingsguard and his companion ... Or so I gather, anyway. I kind of like how, as the books go on, Martin is sort of changing the history we 'think' we know from the early books. The Targaryens, exactly how evil they really were as a whole, and their fate etc. being a good case in point. - - - Updated - - - Just re-read that post. So nerdy.

I read the books first, and although I watched season 1 and thought it was slickly-done, I don't know that I'll watch the rest. For me, the joy of the series is in the twists-and-turns and sudden deaths. No-one is safe, and that's an under-statement. If you know the way the plot is going already then the same buzz just isn't there. When I watched the TV adaption I found myself nodding along and thinking 'ah yes, I see how they shoe-horned that in there, nicely done', rather than (as I did when I read the book) going "shit, where the hell is this going... Is he really dead?" etc. I think it's a testament to the strength of the source material that this series has made 'fantasy' acceptable to UK and Irish TV critics (a snobby bunch when it comes to genre stuff often, even when they like it).

The concept kind of reminds me of this one by Chris Smith (Deluxe Tattoo, Chicago) - If you're not sure about the roses I guess scrollwork or something is another option. If it's not too personal, did you pick the idea of a war-club because you want a native american element, or is there an even more specific reason?

I read a story saying he was at the school for the previous two career fairs, and used the opportunity to talk about waiting until you were old enough to get work, sterility etc. Sounds laudable to me. He's blaming other parents who thought he was promoting an 'alternative lifestyle'. I mean, I guess he is, in a sense, but Jesus Christ - I would think the way a kid's mind works means this will have the opposite of the intended effect... Even if it were such an awful thing to get tattooed.

We need a dogs thread... As soon as we move into a bigger place I have a green light from the War Office. Looking at a Kerry Blue or possibly even an Irish Wolfhound. Both native Irish breeds.

@Jack Looks like you had a whale of a time.

I got upper arms done first, then chest plates, then started working on my legs. I started and finished my back, and this year I have brought one arm down and will start filling in the rest of my front. Next year I guess I'll bring the other arm down, chip away at the front piece and maybe add some filler to my legs. I don't really regret the order I did things in. Like David I would probably choose to do things in a different way if I had another shot at it, but this is a little like wishing that you could go back in time and study a different college course or take a different career path or something... The grass is always greener in some respects. When I got the chest plates I never thought that I would want to fill my whole front in within a couple of years. Funny how quickly your ideas about where you draw the line change. I guess someone raised above that the 'ideal' in one POV would be to do legs and all the very private space first, and only then move onto the arms and the public space. Reallistically, however, I think there's a minority of people who want to invest all that time, pain and money to have an almost entirely private collection of tattoos for a good number of years. I think people want to 'look tattooed' without necessaryily being an exhibitionist.

Mikkeller beer geek breakfast. 7.5% Oatmeal stout. Amazing.., real coffee hit.

@YOMONEY Personally (for what it's worth) I wouldn't cover any of that up - looks pretty cool to me...

I feel your pain.... We could have a mothers-in-law thread. But in the meantime, just focus on how happy scotch and tattoos make you and ignore her... lol

Hangover food...

Bought a bottle of Teeling Hybrid a few days ago as a Christmas present for a friend (yeah, I do my shopping super early). It's an interesting product for a few reasons. First of all, it's the first offering from Teeling whisky, which is a brand spanking new independent Irish-owned distillery. It was set up by the former owners of Cooley Distilling, which was an independent Irish-owned distillery until it sold to Beam International last year for megabucks. Teeling Hybrid is a bit of an unusual choice for their first release. The name comes from the fact that its a mixture of Irish blended whisky (Connemara from Cooley) and Bruichladdick Islay whiskey. It sounds weird but the reviews say that it actually works pretty well taste-wise. The idea of mixing Scottish and Irish whiskies is unorthodox and from what I've read the Scottish Whiskey Association more or less had a fit when they found out about it (guess they see it as some sort of bastardisation of a national treasure).

Well, while I was out drinking stout my future wife chose to stick it all in lunch boxes for some reason. So now there will be zero pics... Such is life. Yeah it was tasty.

Well, there are gluten free beers out there, but it would suck to be limited to them...

Got a lamb and cider stew on the go... Lamb, cider, mustard, rosemary, carrot, thyme, salt, pepper, celery, carrot, onion and water... Brought to a simmer, just about covered with water and put in the oven for 2 hours @ 130 degrees. Pic later maybe. If its edible.

To be honest, for me personally, if someone cares enough to pick me out a nice single malt whiskey or small batch bourbon then it's going to be exciting to try it no matter what. Any of the internationally-distributed distilleries should be a good bet if you aim to spend $40-50 plus. I don't think you'd need to go as far as spending anything like $100 to get a top-notch bottle of something. For some people, the peaty Islay whiskeys are 'too much'. And yet, Islay whiskeys are probably still the biggest phenomenon in attracting new single malt whiskey drinkers in the U.K and Ireland. I think it's precisely the strong and clear flavours associated (peatiness, iodine-like notes, oil, saltwater) that appeal. In this vein I would echo Dan's recommendation of Laphroaig (10 year old would be fine) and add to that almost anything from Lagavulin (the 16 year old is a classic choice for a prestige Islay single malt), Bowmore, Bruichladdich, Caol Ila, Ardbeg... To be honest I've never had a 'dud' from these distilleries. If you do go the route of buying an Islay, then I'd suggest that you make sure he takes a good nose at it to enjoy the peatiness before he drinks it- that's half the pleasure of an Islay, IMO. Because Islay whiskey can be very robust (particularly some of the cask strength offerings) it is an idea to cut it with a little water. And please, no ice...! Beyond that I guess something like Talisker probably bridges the gap between Islay and mainland whiskeys- some of the peatiness but a little smoother than your average Ardbeg or Laphroaig for sure. I'm not a big highlands or lowlands whiskey drinker, but I know my girlfriend, who tends to like the more easy-going whiskeys, likes stuff like Balvenie and Glenmorangie. Some of the Glenmorangies that are finished in stuff like port, sherry or sauternes casks can be a treat from time to time. As regards Bourbon: I think if you're looking to get 'something nice' then I wouldn't buy a run-of-the-mill Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve or similar. They're great, but if you want to buy something that's a bit special you should probably look for something small batch: Bookers, Van Winkle, Elijah Craig etc. ( The Kings Of Bourbon - Forbes.com ) Anyway, nice idea- I'm sure he'll be delighted whatever you choose.

Interesting, Rubendall is obviously pretty meticulous when it comes to his health and fitness. Going gluten free in terms of your diet is probably one of the best single things you can do in terms of reducing tissue inflammation (think back and neck complaints, general aches and pains) ... It's also bloody hard, think of all the things you're giving up (decent bread, for a start! Pizza!).