OutOfIdeas

Fermented apples, I think.

No worries, I didn't find it patronizing at all. I just have a habit of overlooking the really simple solutions to things for some reason. Thanks for the help haha

I have no idea why I didn't just call and ask in the first place... hard work being dumb, sometimes.

I have such a hard dilemma going on right now. My clutch blew up in my car on Friday, so I dropped it off at the mechanic before I got back on the road. Just talked to mechanic and the bill is a bit more than I expected, so now I have two options. A few hours ago I realized I was going to be laid over for most of the day tomorrow in Ann Arbor Michigan, fairly close to Name Brand Tattoo. I've been strongly considering trying to get a small walk in tattoo tomorrow with anyone there. If I get the tattoo, it would mean I would have to put off picking up my car for an extra week to come up with the extra money. The only problem I have with this, is that the shop owner is doing me a favor by keeping my car on his lot, kind of in the way, because he knows I'm a truck driver and might not be back on the west coast for a couple weeks. Kind of feels like it would be taking advantage to intentionally put it off for an extra week, but the Name Brand opportunity is just so convenient...

I don't mind a bit of unreliability, I like to tinker and work on things. Also, I have a few good contacts who are very knowledgeable, specifically with Triumphs. A quick search showed nowhere close to my company facility to park a bike indoors, but I discovered this Rugged Saddle commercial - CycleShell #1: Of which I could find nothing but fantastic reviews, including people in places like upstate NY that get a lot of snow. May be a good option, specially as I'm not looking to buy anything super special off the bat! Just had one other thought. Driving an 18 wheeler for 3-4 weeks straight and then climbing in my fairly small Subaru can be an interesting feeling (feels like a go-kart, I find myself doing 40 in a 25 and taking corners like an F-1 driver) I'm sure the first few miles would be absurd feeling on a bike!

@SeeSea cheeky little bastard! Good balance though...

Hmm, not sure about the storage, gonna have to look into that. The company I work for has secure parking, but its outdoor in Oregon, I hadn't thought of that. They also have a company van available for use, so if the weather is rough I could use that. And no sport bike for me, I think they're cool in that I love to go really, really fast sometimes, but i would much rather own something like a Triumph, or a Norton like my dad used to have.

I'm strongly considering selling my car and buying a motorcycle.... Because I'm on the road so much, I pretty much only use my car 1-2 times a month. Besides that, im just making a car payment (and paying for full coverage insurance) for no reason. If I sold the car and bought a bike, I would end up with a smaller loan, and could pay it off faster with the money I save on insurance. The only downside is I've never ridden anything but a dirt bike, except a sport bike once, for about 5 minutes and quite a few broken laws. I known from a very young age I wanted a bike though, so I think I'm just gonna take the leap. Just gotta sort out some details first.

There's a truck stop in Denver pretty close to the Purina plant. After staying there a few times, I now kinda hate Purina - the smell gets old fast. Also, fuuuuuck that tiny backwards little truck stop anyway.

The most post tattoo blues I get is when I hand over all my money, and then realize I can't afford to do that again for a while.

+1 to this

I'm not nearly articulate enough to express my thoughts on this as well as most of the replies in this thread, but @Graeme pretty much hit the nail on the head for me. It's all about the feeling I get from a tattoo. The picture posted the other day in latest tattoo lowdown of the ship by Xam was technically perfect, but that's not why I like it so much. It stopped me in my tracks, I was going to reply about how much I liked it in that thread but it honestly left me at a bit of a loss for words. On the flip side, I think most of us will agree that Chad K tattoos in a "looser" style. While his tattoos may not be as technically perfect, I find that more often tattoos like his stop me and make me feel something more than "wow that's nice" and I have to come back for another look more often. I really appreciate and enjoy both styles overall, but would rather wear the second. As far as tattoo "celebrity" goes, the only reason most of my favorite tattooers are big names is because I'm not in the loop enough to know of the talented artists that keep a lower profile. The name isn't what means anything to me though, it isn't shit without the talent to back it up. As an example, Kat Von D, Ami James, Tim Hendricks, and Oliver Peck are some of the most commonly known tattooers I can think of because of their TV exposure. I personally have no desire to be tattooed by the first two, I think they are both overplayed; I'm not saying they're terrible, I just think they get more credit than they are due. However, I would love to get tattooed by Tim or Oliver. Tim quite simply puts on some of the most beautiful roses I've seen, and Oliver's work just has a whole lot of that "soul" that @Pugilist mentioned. On top of that, both seem to be very stand up dudes. Hopefully some of that made sense, sorry if it's full of spelling errors I'm kind of in a hurry.

@Pugilist yes, yes we can. This may be more fun than watching new people "set in" tattoos. @SeeSea I think either will work, I just prefer the taste of the dry food. The little carrot bits are my favorite

So, uh... what's the name of this local shop and where is it??

Its like the cousin to mine...

Proper nutrition is very important for healing any wound. Add some kibbles and bits to your diet, you'll be healed up in 2 days.

New idea - panthers don't even have to be a coverup. You can just get one on virgin skin now. Groundbreaking stuff!

There's a bar literally right next door to blackheart, called zietgeist. I have a friend that works just up the street so we went there a lot, most the time I had a pretty good crowd and really good music. Did get a little hipsterish occasionally but overall I liked it.

Congrats @DevilMan ! That's a helluva back piece, the only problem now is how to wear your prize, without covering the tattoo??

I agree. And from what Miles told me while i was being tattooed there a while ago, Frith Street has had quite a few greats come and go. Obviously there's no "replacing" any of the 4 artists mentioned, but its safe to say that if anyone is brought in to fill the empty spots, they will probably be someone who puts on a pretty damn good tattoo...

I agree with that yelp review. I see nothing wrong with letting complete strangers walk out without paying, as long as they make a vague promise to pay when thet get home. Customer service, duh!

Exactly. I was just reading the tattoo book thread, and googled all the ones recommended for a good starter collection. I was strongly tempted to order a bunch of books, until I realized that money was for actual tattoos. Stick to the plan indeed.

Knew I should have gone to this...

Not gonna lie, I would be REALLY surprised if @SeeSea stopped at just a backpiece. There certainly wouldn't be anything wrong with that, but i wouldn't put money on it... :D

I feel like I should have @Joe Shit on speed dial, for artist recommendations at any town I stop at