cheer

How do you cheer yourself up?


this is only one way. 
but it's one of my absolute favourites.

I was in the shop for 5.5 hours yesterday, though we didn't spend that whole time tattooing.  we talk, we tattoo, we take washroom breaks, we tattoo some more.  we eat some, drink some, laugh some and tattoo until we are satisfied.  it's bittersweet to arrive at the 'end '.  my tattoo, obviously, still has to heal so the true, intended colours show themselves. 

the shop has a bunch of framed pictures on its walls, and having spent quite a lot of hours in the shop from january to now, I have picked a personal favourite; let me paraphrase:

you will marry and make a woman happy for a while, son, but then she will discover men who are ten times better than you will ever be.  these men are called tattoo artists.

it's ok
neal took a picture of it.