In the ditch . . .

Finally, after so very, very much ado, my tattoo is finished.  I went through total hell yesterday to get it done, but the much anticipated tattoo is done.  Pictures you say?  Well of course, I have those.

Since I've not really mentioned my tattoos before, I'll explain quickly.  I'm working on a sleeve (which will eventually be two sleeves, a back piece and chest piece.  What is that, a "cloak"?) that honors where I "came from".  I was born a nerd, I'll live a nerd, and die a nerd.  I started programming in Basic when I was a little kid.  I used to draw in AutoCAD for fun.  I grew up around computers and spent a good deal of my free time playing video games, on computer and game console.  My sleeves will be comprised of the games that have really touched me in my life in some way or another.

Yes, this tattoo encompasses the crook of my arm, which I learned yesterday is called "The Ditch".  I was saying "the inside of my elbow", but I prefer The Ditch.  I like it.

This particular game was the first graphic RPG I ever played (because games used to be text based!) when I was about six called "Kings Quest 4: The Perils of Rosella".  I used to watch my dad play it, which of course made me want to play it, but he thought it might be a little to difficult of a concept to grasp.  I was his first kid, so I'll cut him some slack for underestimating me.  I beat the game well before he did, and was forever hooked on the adventures an RPG offered.  They are still my favorite type of game.  This particular concept of choosing tattoos that represent times in your life is actually a Samoan tradition; even though these aren't Traditional Samoan (for it is it's own style all together), I like the concept.  So many people get a tattoo just to get one; all of mine have special meaning for me and that's why I have them.  Plus, I enjoy being a living, breathing, walking canvass for my artist; he's created a special bit of work just for me that nobody else in the world has and I'm proud that someone gave me the honor (sure, I paid for it, but I still consider it an honor) of being a small representation of the artist.

This piece is a "bridge" between the "new gen" games on the top of my arm (mostly World of Warcraft related, as that game has been a big part of my life for several years now, and was the type of game I dreamed of as a child: The Game that Never Ends.) and the 8-bit games of my youth (I have Galaga on my forearm and plan on getting Ms. PacMan on the other side of my forearm, as the Galaga/Ms. PacMan was my arcade cabinet of choice at Frodo's Pizza when I was a very little kid.  I wanted a more realistic image on my upper arm that pixelated as it reached my forearm.  My artist perfectly captured exactly what I want, and I can't wait to get more work done by him.

So, yeah.  New tattoo!  Wewt!