What do you want to be when you grow up?

I really hate that question.

First of all, how many of you knew the answer to that question when you were a kid?

Now how many of you actually do for a living what you wanted to do as a kid?

Not me.

There was no college course on how to be Han Solo or Bruce Lee.

After all I don't know of anyone that has said "I knew I wanted to be in porn since my first sexual encounter" or "I think I'd like to manually masturbate horses for an artificial insemination breeding program".

*side note: I have thought of using my overly active and pervy imagination to write some erotica, cuz lets just face it, you really don't want to see me IN a film.*

Yes dear readers, just 2 examples of real jobs out there.

I had a friend that wanted to be a gynecologist simply because he thought it was a glorified pussy inspector. I can see it then and I can see it now: "Yep looks good *sniff sniff* "smells right" "NEXT!!"

That didn't pan out for him so well. He was a bum for the better part of 6-7 years and then worked fast food quickly becoming a manager and then turned to bouncing at a bar while working as a temp contractor for a large computer software company in Washington state.

I actually had a 6th grade teacher tell me that I would never be anything more than a ditch digger. He thought I was stupid because math was my kryptonite. He didn't think ADD and OCD were real mental issues and made sure I was made an example of on a daily basis.

Well I showed him and researched exactly what a ditch digger makes and rubbed his face in like a like it was a pair of oil covered stripper tits. I showed him!! After all, you need a CDL to drive the big rig that hauls the backhoe that digs the ditch. Top notch CDL drivers can make some decent money.

He wasn't going to take that sitting down. He then told me that I wouldn't do anything more than pump gas for the rest of my life. Shot down. I really hated that fucker. Now I can look upon my life and give him the finger wherever he is and tell him "FUCK YOU" you loser. I don't have it bad, but I don't have it good either. I can also say that I didn't have to marry wealthy and ask my rich wife to buy my Porsche. Douche. *no bitterness here*

Those of you who read me (I think I have 5 followers) have read my rants and know that while I believe in what I do, I really don't want to be doing it for who I do it for.

Flash back 4 years now to a time where I volunteered on a small independent film called The Book of Zombie and it was at that time I finally knew what I wanted to do!!! It was in front of me the whole time!!! I want to make films!! I really don't care if it's for a big budget studio or not. I just want to make films.

You have to understand that I'm a movie whore/nerd first and foremost. This makes sense and in the next 2 years I will be going back to school again for a communications degree with a media focus. That is part 2 however.

Part 1 is as follows: Apprentice in a tat shop for the next 2 years and ink people while going to school. Seems easy enough, yeah.

Now more recently I have been investing in tattoo guns and power sources, inks, needles and any other supply that will get me inking some people. That is just the tip though. Since my initial investment I have successfully tattooed or done tattoo touch up work on about 5 people.

I took a huge leap this past weekend and made an appointment at a local tattoo shop to talk to an artist about an internship.

I know yeah!! How fucking exciting is that?! I'm super excited since I have always liked tattoos and I like getting them. I look beyond and see the history and the ceremonial reasons for body art. Most of all I finally for the first time in my life see that I can take something I love and make it a career without worrying about financial aid or grades. I can do this anywhere in the world. I can do it from home or a shop. I can travel to exotic locales and learn from a traditional tattooist. I can do exactly what I'm going to do and learn from a well known artist from an established shop. I can even purchase a how to DVD from an on line supplier and learn at home.

It's not an Ivy League school or some prestigious specialised school like Julliard or Cornish, but it's not for everyone. You have what it takes or you don't.

My first one ever. We were both virgins: he'd never had one and I'd never inked anyone. I had my gear about a week.
(it looks like shit, but don't judge)



Inking myself. After all, every good inker has practised on him/herself.



My 2nd victi......er I mean client.



Some touch-up work on another friend. This is on his calve. I've also done some touch-up on his neck.



 So now when someone asks me what I want to do when I grow up at least  I now have an answer: to ink the planet.

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Foto Friday: Saturday Edition

Pioneer Square


St Patrick's Day 2011

10 pm

A shift in life

I was a little MIA last week for the few that read me.

I've had some recent revelations in my life and one was that I really no longer enjoy my current job.

That's really all it is right now. A job.

I really do like what I do. I just no longer enjoy the company.

I handle communication to 15 vessels (currently) regarding guests with ADA/disability needs.

In case you haven't been to the Department of Justice sight for ADA, it's not an easy thing. There's a lot to know. It's more than just coding and manifesting intake forms into a spreadsheet and manifesting the ships. There is a lot (no exaggeration) to know when it comes to the ADA and what will make you look like the law abiding company and what will have your ass in a lawsuit faster than Lindsey Lohan can check into rehab to avoid jail again.

Beyond the DOJ website, there is also the Department of Transportation which has their own set of rules as to how the ADA applies to cruise passenger vessels.

With that in mind, I've been feeling underpaid and under appreciated after 9 years. After all, the other part of my job is to put out the fires when another department makes promises regarding said ADA applicability to my vessels when that information is wrong.

Another part of my job is even more unpleasant and I had to do that part of my job today.

I made someone scream and cry and feel helpless. I had to tell someone that their comfort therapy dog was not allowed on board the cruise they were scheduled to take in 15 days because it no longer meets the definition of a service animal according to the newly enhanced definition of a service animal recently released by the DOJ.

It's work not personal, yeah? Then why did I feel like a steamy pile? I didn't make these rules, but I have to enforce them on my vessels.

With that sitting on my conscious, I started reviewing my life and my job last year and the decision is to go back to school again and do what makes me happy.

So what is that? I've narrowed it down to just two things: tattoos and movies.

I've just recently invested in some equipment and and have started tattooing. I've done 3 in the last week and a half. It will be awhile before I'm making any money doing this, but I figure that with my determination I should be starting to make some fair income from this in about 6-8 months.

Now for the movie portion. As many of my readers know, the Paisley and I worked on a local indie film almost 4 years ago. It was a great experience and a natural thing for us as movie geeks. So with that we have been paying off our debts and will continue to do so and in approximately two years or less we'll have everything paid off, except the house and be enrolled in school.

Of course a communication degree doesn't mean a job in the media industry, but I'm not looking (or expecting) to be working on big budget films right away. I would actually be just as happy on an  indie film or something equivalent.

So if my posts seem far and few, just know that I"m not purposely ignoring it, I'm just burning the candle at both ends.