Colored Guy

This was done last night at Studio 69 Tattoo in Ronkonkoma NY by Gina... on my foot. 2 hours and it really didn't hurt.

I had all 4 taken out in 1988 in the same appointment. I was knocked out and 3 of them were impacted. One was painful and infected. This was on a Thursday, by Saturday I was working on my house, drilling through the foundation with a jack hammer so I could run electric to my garage. Eating Percodans like penny candy. I had dry socket on the bottom two. The oral surgeon gave me a syringe so I could flush it out with salt water. One of the lowers was slow to heal and finally a twisted remnant of a tooth worked itself up and out. Wisdom teeth sure do suck. I've had a gum cut back for an inlay.. that was painful as heck. I had an extraction of a back tooth done 2 years ago and had to wait until the gum thickened up at the end of my jaw bone. It was like a searing bolt of pain for 3 weeks and nothing could be done about it. I had prescription pain pills that wouldn't even scratch the paint on the pain.

Long hours and low pay are the best to get you a job in any tattoo shop. Some shops don't use an assistant at all, just another expense that makes up the overhead every month.

I can see a 2-hour sitting for a back piece. I have one smaller tattoo on my upper back that took an hour and wasn't bad at all. I can see it may be worse around the sides getting into the white meat. Fortunately with a big piece you can skip around a bit and work on different areas easily.

I believe my stepmother had a 666 tattoo on her head somewhere, I had the funeral director take a quick peek behind her ears... nothin'.

There are a few local artists that have a waiting list that is 3 months or longer. These are the best of the best, at least what I like in a tattoo. Some shops have the front desk person, which you have to get past to even talk with the artist you like. Show that you're serious and willing to be flexible. Every shop is run differently. Most require a deposit on artwork which is a commitment. Once you do book, find out if you can move up your date if someone cancels. Shops don't like down time.

I have an open spot on the outside of my right forearm, a snake tattoo may just be the ticket. One of my son's friends has been dealing with one artist that did a large snake on him. I have to go and pay him a visit.

I was in the gym 3 days a week until my 10/1 heart surgery (yeah, still milking that...). The days leading up to my heart attack, I skipped the gym twice. I wasn't feeling right. 4 days in an induced coma and a total of 10 in the hospital takes a negative toll on the body. My skin on my arms and legs was slack from not eating well. Now I'm doing a lot better and headed for cardiac rehab in January. Funny how you miss something once you can't do it. I considered going back to the gym, my cardiac doctor wants me to walk a mile a day only. I eat well today. Lots of fish, no sugar, no salt added, no bad carbs. High protein, good carbs, salads, whole grain pasta is in. I've lost a total of 30 pounds and my clothes fit me. I take medicine for high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rhythm and of course aspirin. Recent blood work showed me to be still slightly anemic, which is slowly improving since my discharge. I take a men's multi vitamin, fish oil, a test booster and glucosamine for joint relief. I feel good but tire quickly if I do too much. I'm looking to be back lifting weights, which may be delayed until April. I'm going to buy a bicycle for myself, single speed, no frills. There are plenty of good places to ride around me. The doctors all say that my good recovery comes from being in relatively good shape prior to my heart attack. Where they took the vein from my leg, that was almost healed when I came out of my coma. My 10" chest incision healed fast too.

This is our other cat, Chloe. She's 8 and she was a rescue 4 years ago, best cat ever.

This is our newest cat, Ivan. My son rescued him out of an abandoned car where he works at 5 weeks old. He's into everything but a good kitten. Pics are from 3 to 5 months and I need to take fresh ones. He's 7 months old now.

All good ideas here. One main thing I try to do is have a day that is pretty stress-less and get to the appointment on time. I have had monkey wrenches tossed in along the way, like possible food poisoning, which was a bad reaction to coffee truck food. Shower and eat something is a must. I get to the shop and ask everyone what they want to eat or drink, hit the deli next door. I bring a neck pillow for comfort, they have pillows at the shop. After the tattoo is done, I'm fried. If the shop is closing I see who wants to hit the diner. If not I'll grab a beer or 3 and head for home.

I've been with mainly the same 3 artists since 2008. The shop owner came recommended to me but another artist did my first 2 years worth of work. The shop owner took over for the 3 years, then another artist for a full year of work. Now I'm back with the shop owner. I liked he work coming out of the shop. Everyone was talented. Then I have to be able to work with the artist. Liking them is important and so is how comfortable I am at the shop. This one feels like home to me. Money is secondary and I never ask how much up front, they treat me fairly.

Having a dragon head done on top of my foot on 12/8 at a local shop I know well. Been 1.5 years between tattoos.

Been away for a while, had issues with my account and had to open another one. We got a new kitten in May, his name is Ivan. He's a feral rescue at 5 weeks old. A bit of a handful, but everyone loves him. I got my old Ford insured and registered in July, have about 1200 miles on it. Running well and still de-bugging it.

Been there unfortunately, probably told the tale up the thread somewhere. I had to put my wife into hospice when her pancreatic cancer spread to her liver, May of 2014. She lasted 2 weeks in hospice before passing away. It was the best place for her and the employees were true angels. Best of luck to your mom and everyone else in the family as well as friends.

I'm back as Colored Guy 2, my OG profile blowed up on me. I've been busy but had a run of bad luck in October. I was working on my old Ford, doing a wheel alignment in a friend's shop, heavy hard work. After that we hit the diner... cheese burger & fries. On the way home I wasn't feeling well, I dropped my friend off and parked the car. Hanging out to see if I felt any better... or worse, I get this crushing chest pain and decide since the ER is close, so I hopped into my car and went. Got a rock-star parking spot outside the ER, made a couple of fast phone calls and went it, told them I have chest pains. I was in a wheel chair in seconds. They were asking me questions and took my BP. That's the last thing I remember until 5 days later. They did a triple bypass on me and put me out so I wouldn't move around... while the glue dried? As soon as my hands were free, I felt the scar, nice neat job. I was in the hospital for 10 days, got sent home with a zillion prescriptions and a walker... ugh. The walker lasted 3 days and I was finally stronger. To finish off a long story, I'm out of work until 1/2/2017. I feel great, lost weight and eating better than ever. I had home PT which was a big help. Now 'm back here and have a tattoo appointment for 12/8.

My old account blew up, I'm back as Colored Guy 2. I have 2 koi fish, one on my chest and one on the inner forearm. I have a dragon's head on my chest as well and am going on 12/8 for a dragon head (different style) on top of my foot.

I've felt woozy at breaks before, probably normal from sitting or laying reclined and getting up from that. Plus the stress of dealing with continuous pain for long periods. Now I'm done at 3 hours, will stretch it out if I'm okay and the artist is too. I bring a Pepsi with me and water too, keep sipping when I get a chance. On breaks, I like to get up, take a whiz and go outside for a few minutes to clear my head.

I'm on Long Island NY and I see lots of great work around. My recent work is good and I'm happy to be in with a few good shops. Styles vary from oriental, old school traditional as well as newer styles (walls of text..., etc...). What I am seeing is younger people seeking out the better shops and better artists. They're also going with bigger work that takes a few sessions, another milestone.

I have one cover up that was essentially done over old black and green. It may be in my tattoos somewhere here. It's a blue peony, some dark, some light and even white and yellow in it. So I'd say that old tattoos with black in them can be covered up.

What's going around as heroin is quite dangerous. They mix fentanyl (sp?) in with it which is quite potent. But the junkie (even casual user) mind set walks that fine line between death and getting a bag of real good shit.

Pure hot rod. 355 Chevy, 4-speed, etc.

I took a couple of days off from the gym with my inner bicep tattoos from last May. I wasn't comfy with a shirt rubbing on the area and I was worried about infection.

My last ones from may of last year scabbed heavily in the elbow crease and took a while to heal up. I was concerned I would lose some color, but it stayed. I do have a little scarring, but I know where to look and its not bad.

Tattoos are a rite of passage, every time you go for another, you are not the same person, physically and maybe mentally. The pain is a part of it and we all get through it. Most areas on at least my body (not counting towards the armpit...) are not that bad and I endure it. I don't sit as well as I used to for long sessions, 3 hours is enough now.