Ink Master

I know a lot of people eschew television.  I am sure the reasons are varied.  For us, it is the combination of a lack of time to watch it, a lack of interest in watching very many shows, and the prohibitive cost considering the other 2 factors.  If it were, say, $20/month, I am sure we would still have cable and not just use an antenna.  Honestly, I bought the Roku thinking we would use that, and I rarely do.  Thankfully, the cost of the Roku and the cost of the antenna were negated by just one month of not having cable. 

My point, and I do have one, is that in spite of the fact that we watch little TV (wasting our down time on the internet instead), I see some positive effects of it.  Now, I want to be clear, there is a lot of crap on TV that I cannot imagine has any positive effects.  If you glean any life lessons from Keeping up with the Kardashians or The Real Housewives of (insert city here) or find anything redeeming in the Bad Girls Club or Toddlers in Tiaras you let me know.   But, sometimes we just want to be entertained (hello football).  Sometimes, however, it can change how you view things.  

Case in point: food.  I have learned more about food from TV than almost anything else save eating.  I know far more about preparing, cooking, and presentation (not that I have mastered any of the 3) from shows like Top Chef and No Reservations.  From the latter and from Andrew Zimmern, I have learned to try (and I succeed far more often than not) foods outside of my comfort zone.  From this, I have learned to like a much broader variety and am always clamoring for something new and different.  This palate expansion has also expanded (to a lesser degree, but still significantly) Tia’s palate.  I may not like all the things I have tried, but I have tried them because they have been demystified on TV. 

So, in a roundabout way, I can credit (blame?), TV for my new tattoo.  I have long found them interesting, but the idea of walking into a shop and trying to pick an artist or a design was frankly intimidating.  Plus, the actual tattoo itself seemed like it would be painful and bloody.  Ultimately, it was neither (well, barely both actually).  The show, Ink Masters, led me from conceptualization to realization.  It demystified the process in the same way as the cooking shows did.  It gave me some ideas on what to look for in an artist, how to pick a shop, and what the process would be like.  It alleviated my fears.  

So, this past Sunday (nigh 2 days ago) I found myself in a chair with someone jabbing an ungodly amount of small needles into my arm.  It felt less like needles going into your arm and more like they were scraping across it.  The tattoo gun is so rapid that, after the first few seconds, you don’t notice it much more than a tingling sensation with rare blips of minor pain.  Following the tattoo, it feels raw…..almost sunburned (and still feels that way, though less, today).  Evidently over the coming weeks it will dry and peel and then, it will just be there.  For now, it is just a strange site.  It’s as though I expect it to wash off one day in the shower.   But, I am very pleased with the result. Now the next question is, will I want another?

Pic to come once it heals up.    

Random thing to remember on a shitty day: A patient of mine’s sister called yesterday to ‘see I was working today, because they were going to cancel otherwise’ as they ‘had a tough experience the last time in.’ This same patient had already transferred clinics due to difficulty accessing her veins.  I had the good fortune of being successful on my first try.  I am evidently the only one who has had this success.  So, with much trepidation, she came in for her medication and I was able to get her again on my first attempt.  After which she said, ‘I hope they are paying you what you are worth’ and wanted to be certain I would be there on her next apt.  Her sister hugged me and thanked me.  It feels good to have that positive feedback.  God knows if I will make it 3 for 3 the next time though!