NYC - 10/31/07 and 11/1/07, the Tattoo, the Halloween Parade and the Met...
Man oh man, what a way to end a vacation.
Let's start with the tattoo, shall we? Yes, why not? Okay, it's like this: I've had this little two-oakleaves-and-an-acorn tattoo on my left hand for about 6 or 7 years now, maybe a bit longer. I got it back when I needed to tell myself that I was strong, that I *could* be strong; oaks traditionally stand for strength, but to me they've always been sort of something more-- they provide shelter, they're the best-loved by the lightning, they give food to animals (acorns) and, well... anyway. They're my tree. And oaks, despite what people say, are surprisingly flexible; you can weave oak-twigs into some beautiful baskets. And I can't count how many times I made wreaths of the leaves for kids when I was living overseas, particularly while sitting around at SCA events. So, I like oaks. And I've been thinking about enlarging the tattoo... in a way I needed to; I wanted it to be something new that wasn't part of my old life, the one I had with Chuck. Soooooooo... I drew up a quick sketch, made up my mind, and tromped down to Greenwich Village on Halloween morning to do the deed.
While I had been on the food tour, our guide had pointed out a tattoo place and mentioned that it was an old, well-known one-- Joker Tattoos. It looked interesting and had a lot of very well-shaded art, tons of originals; so I stepped inside and chatted with the people there, Jay, Tony and Jay's wife, Beth. We agreed on a reasonable price (less than I figured) and down I went into the basement studio, more than a little nervous. But it was very clean; I watched Jay pull out his supplies (including an array of new encapsulated needles and a LOT of swabs and alcohol) and proceeded to have my hand worked on while Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars played on the CD player nearby. I reread the first Dresden Files novel and drank coffee; do you know, pain can be nearly ignorable if you have a taste or sensation to focus on, like hot coffee with a lot of sugar? Yep. Hurt like a SONofabitch, though, I can tell you, and it took about an hour. Here are the pics!
Eventually it was done, and off I went, stinging, to eat Ethiopean food a ways down the street in celebration of another goal accomplished.
Wow. Can't even begin to imagine describing the parade, I really can't, except to say that it was the most pagan large-scale activity I've ever been involved in without it being religious. Just. Freaking. Amazing. Tons of people, tons of costumes, everything devoted to the whole Come As You Are/Come As You REALLY Are/Come As You're Not idea... So much going on; like dancing inside a kaleidescope. I'm so glad I was here for it, and so glad I got to be a part of it. The pics are currently loading (I'll have to post them tomorrow); there are comments below a lot of 'em, so I'll let them speak for themselves.
And today, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art... and spent the Whole Damn Time in the Egyptian Wing. **wince** I missed all the rest of the place and skulked among the mummies. Sad, really. BUT! I had a blast-- even got pics of the statue of Hapshepsut! Very, very neat. Will post those pics tomorrow as well, since the cafe I'm in is about to close.
**hugs to all** And tomorrow I fly back. Linda, will you be able to pick me up, please? The time's in the itenerary I sent you-- bless you, I really appreciate it! I've had a wonderful, wonderful time, but I'm ready to come home now. **clicks ruby slippers together**
Let's start with the tattoo, shall we? Yes, why not? Okay, it's like this: I've had this little two-oakleaves-and-an-acorn tattoo on my left hand for about 6 or 7 years now, maybe a bit longer. I got it back when I needed to tell myself that I was strong, that I *could* be strong; oaks traditionally stand for strength, but to me they've always been sort of something more-- they provide shelter, they're the best-loved by the lightning, they give food to animals (acorns) and, well... anyway. They're my tree. And oaks, despite what people say, are surprisingly flexible; you can weave oak-twigs into some beautiful baskets. And I can't count how many times I made wreaths of the leaves for kids when I was living overseas, particularly while sitting around at SCA events. So, I like oaks. And I've been thinking about enlarging the tattoo... in a way I needed to; I wanted it to be something new that wasn't part of my old life, the one I had with Chuck. Soooooooo... I drew up a quick sketch, made up my mind, and tromped down to Greenwich Village on Halloween morning to do the deed.
While I had been on the food tour, our guide had pointed out a tattoo place and mentioned that it was an old, well-known one-- Joker Tattoos. It looked interesting and had a lot of very well-shaded art, tons of originals; so I stepped inside and chatted with the people there, Jay, Tony and Jay's wife, Beth. We agreed on a reasonable price (less than I figured) and down I went into the basement studio, more than a little nervous. But it was very clean; I watched Jay pull out his supplies (including an array of new encapsulated needles and a LOT of swabs and alcohol) and proceeded to have my hand worked on while Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars played on the CD player nearby. I reread the first Dresden Files novel and drank coffee; do you know, pain can be nearly ignorable if you have a taste or sensation to focus on, like hot coffee with a lot of sugar? Yep. Hurt like a SONofabitch, though, I can tell you, and it took about an hour. Here are the pics!
Eventually it was done, and off I went, stinging, to eat Ethiopean food a ways down the street in celebration of another goal accomplished.
Wow. Can't even begin to imagine describing the parade, I really can't, except to say that it was the most pagan large-scale activity I've ever been involved in without it being religious. Just. Freaking. Amazing. Tons of people, tons of costumes, everything devoted to the whole Come As You Are/Come As You REALLY Are/Come As You're Not idea... So much going on; like dancing inside a kaleidescope. I'm so glad I was here for it, and so glad I got to be a part of it. The pics are currently loading (I'll have to post them tomorrow); there are comments below a lot of 'em, so I'll let them speak for themselves.
And today, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art... and spent the Whole Damn Time in the Egyptian Wing. **wince** I missed all the rest of the place and skulked among the mummies. Sad, really. BUT! I had a blast-- even got pics of the statue of Hapshepsut! Very, very neat. Will post those pics tomorrow as well, since the cafe I'm in is about to close.
**hugs to all** And tomorrow I fly back. Linda, will you be able to pick me up, please? The time's in the itenerary I sent you-- bless you, I really appreciate it! I've had a wonderful, wonderful time, but I'm ready to come home now. **clicks ruby slippers together**