Seattle Rock & Roll - Tattoo Time

Pam & I took off early Friday to avoid any traffic to Seattle, 

so we could get our 

packets for the 

Seattle Rock & Roll 1/2 marathon.
You see how that worked out for us. 

The sign lied, we weren't even going 5 mph.

After paying the entry fee to even run in the race.
 (which we didn't' have any problem with) 

But when we had  to pay $15 just to park to get our packets  we
had a little problem with that.

It was a great event they planned and great vendors to see and talk to. 

There was going to be over 20,000 runners. 

We had already paid $20.00 for a parking pass for the next morning. 

You have to be in your parking spot no later then 6am. 

The run starts at 7am. 

Pam and I started thinking we didn't want to fight that traffic in the morning, so
we sat on the floor at check in and called local hotel's
to see if we could find a room.
We found a couple but they were over $300.00 a night.
So we decided to NOT stay in a hotel, and we headed to
my daughter Sami's place in Tacoma. 

 Then got stuck in traffic again and it was still raining tons.
We didn't want to fight the traffic at 4:30 am and didn't want to
run in 70% chance of rain.

So I looked at Pam and said
"I'm good with not coming back up in the morning"
She totally agreed.
Then we stopped for dinner and a glass of wine, to relax.
Sami didn't get off work until 7 pm so we had time to kill. 

What a fun time with my daughter and aunt.
Tino (Sami's boy friend came home for a bit, but had a graduation party to go to)
So us girls played phase 10 and drank wine or beer and listened to music.
Pam and I said we had to at least get pictures with us in the outfits I got us.
Yes we are that crazy LOL

 

 Had to get a little hula hooping in.

 
This is a picture of my rock star daughter studying to become a nurse.
I can't believe the rotation she likes best is surgery.
She sure didn't get that from mom. I hate anything gross.
It takes a very special person to care for others, and
I'm so proud to be able to say my daughter is one of those special people.
Love you Sami.

So the next morning, Sami & Tino got up and went to 

Portland for a day of shopping. 

Pam & I got up and went to her daughter Meghan's house. 

Her husband Wes is not only in the Army but is also a tattoo artist. 

He has been working on the tattoo that I wanted. 

Both of my kids have a tattoo for our family. 

Each has their own design but both include 

DTCS 4 life. 

Each of our first initials. 

Here is Chris's

Here is Sami's  

Here is the only tattoo I have right now. 

It is on my hip. 

This small tattoo hurt so bad I had to go back twice to get it done. 

I got this one about 15 years ago.

I remember my mom having to hold my leg still. 

I was freaking out about getting it all morning,

 because I'm the biggest wimp you have ever met.

Wes still needed to work on the design when we got there so 

I had some time before he started.

When he got it done, Meghan made 5 different sizes for me to pick from.

 I picked the second to the smallest. 

By this time I was really to puke.

Meghan put a couple of lidocaine packets to kind of numb the skin a little. 

I also took some drugs to relax me. 

Holy SHIT here we go. 

He got to a point where he needed me to sit up on a chair, so I got up and walked over to the the kitchen table chair and sat down. I turned around and he is laughing and said "I need to tattoo you over here" LOL 

I think the drugs were kicked in. 

I had my iPod blasting in my ears so I couldn't hear the needle, and when it was hurting really bad I would turn it way up. I think it helped to take my mind off of it. 

I can't believe I was doing as well as I was, in NO way was I going to let Wes do all that work designing it and then not going through with it. Plus I have wanted this for a long time. I just kept thinking that I can make it through each line, he would only do it for a couple of seconds then take the needle up to change places. 

That would help me thinking of that. 

Now to the color ink. 

Wes asked me what color's I wanted to roses?

I wanted one yellow for my grandma, I knew I wanted a red one, then 

I thought a black one was prefect for me. 

I just kept telling him "I have 100% faith in him to make it beautiful" 

I did have to get up and take more drugs 2 different times. 

After awhile my body started really hurting and so I started 

shaking and my leg going up and down. 

I think the last hour Wes kept telling me to sit still. 

I'm like "I'm trying" LOL 

Denny finally got there. 

He really wasn't hip on me getting another tattoo, but he did say he really liked it. 

I couldn't believe how painful it was and long it took. 

I was really getting to the end of my rope.

Wes got done and wiped it off and put some Aquaphor healing ointment

on it and said we are done for today.

I looked at him and the tears started rolling down my face. 

I was so tired, I can't believe how much this takes out of you. 

Well here is what it looked like after 7 hours of hellish pain. 

He put the black rose and the yellow rose on the top,
perfect for me and my grandma to be on top. 

  We still need to add more color to them,to brighten them, and also
 fix the "D" so it is looks more like a "D" also add the "4 life"
and maybe some vines.
It is really cool because if you turn it (me) upside down it looks the same.
 This is already way bigger then I wanted but now I want more added to it.
This is it the next morning, the colors are really starting to show,
 without all the redness.

I'm totally in love with this tattoo and the meaning behind this. 

With the letters of my husband, mine, and both our kids. 

The rose's - I never thought before about why I love roses so much until while I was writing this I remembered that when I was about 10 my dad bought me a wooden candle holder with a glass blown chimney with 3 roses on it. 

(the chimney part broke on long time ago, 

but I do still have the wooden part that is in my living room.) 

Also my grandma's favorite flower was a yellow rose, 

and my favorite color is black. 

And really special because of who gave it to me. 

Thank you so much for putting so much effort and time into this for me. 

Love you Wes.

After the tattooing session was over Meghan had cooked a great dinner. 

I ate and had 2 beers, and was falling asleep on their couch.

So Denny said "OK babe, let's go home" and I slept all the way home. 

I can't wait to see how if turn's out in a couple of weeks after this one heals. 

Again this was another eventful weekend in my life. 

Thanks to everyone who was with me. Love you all.

I'm Loving life.....