Me: Ommigod, that really hurts. I always forget how bad it hurts!
Patrick: How in the world could you forget how bad it hurts to get a needle gouged into your skin a million times?
Me: Shrugs shoulders. I dunno. I guess time really does heal all wounds.
I started the day with an ankle and ended it with a cankle, but it was all worth it.
For 7 months I starred at flat black outlines and imagined what they would transform to when it was done. No one else could ever make any sense of the swirlies, but I knew it was going to be a masterpiece.
There's another old saying that rings true. "You can't rush art."
I said that about 3 times to the young miliatry fellow who twiddled his thumbs in the room for the last 1.5 hours, watching and waiting, and waiting some more. He came to get a sleeve started, but Germ opened the shop early, just for yours truly, and no one was pushing me off that pleather table until my sock was finished. 
Most of the time I was smiling, but after 3.5 hours of the self-induced torture, my nervous system was rebelling.
It's the stages that cause the most brutality: all over black, then all over black-gray, then all over gray, etc. After each traumatic experience the tissues start to swell and bruise, becoming more sensitive and tender, making it more difficult for the ink to take.
By the time he got to the finishing touches of the white outline, I was making up excuses of needing to pee......but Germ caught onto my childish scheme and denied me bathroom privileges.
After a long debate on the best way to cover my caduceus, I'm pleased with the results.
The darker pedal next to the heart of the flower is in remembrance of the loss of our first baby, one of the most difficult grievances I've ever suffered through. Although it seemed appropriate for a part of the lotus to be a few shades darker, it still thrives on and remains vibrant. Because life goes on, and time really does start to heal wounds.
After some really serious swelling, the itching process has now set in. If my foot feels anything like a snake's entire body does before his shedding process, than I have a new found sympathy for those creepy serpent creatures.
28 years of life experiences + 4 hours of drawing + 1 hour of outlining + 3.5 hours of shading = one magnificent piece of body art.
As we lay in bed together, a couple of nights later..........
Patrick: So, what tattoo are you getting next and where will it be?
Me: Hmmmmmm......
Word for the wise: Don't wear skinny pants to get a massive tattoo on your foot. It's less than fun taking them off later.
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