Tattoo is finito!

Well... It's done. I had my tattoo done yesterday. The process took about 4 hours. ...4 relatively painful hours, I might add. But, I love the result. I was told that I did quite well - no crying or even eyes watering. I think I surprised even myself with that. But, for me, it just wasn't that type of pain. It was different than anything in my memory. I can't compare it. Don't ever let anyone say that it ISN'T painful - it IS.

One of the issues I'm dealing with afterward is the fact that, after sitting backwards in a chair with nowhere to rest my feet for 4 hours, my spine is out of alignment; making my right foot all pins and needles. It's extremely annoying. On top of that, it's been very difficult today dealing with an oozing tattoo all day. I have NO idea how tomorrow is going to go at work. What seems to work best is having the tattoo exposed to the air. When it's not, it seems to ooze more. Plus, it's extremely tender to the touch. So, whatever clothing I wear has to either sit below it or above it enough that it doesn't irritate it. Even with things sitting higher - above it - it seems to keep too much moisture in, making it ooze more. ugh. This part is frustrating. I simply cannot WAIT until the entire thing is healed. :~/

Here's a hint: Click on this post title for a slideshow of the entire process from beginning to end.

UPDATE: Ramapo Reformed Church

Due to the inability to be present at the Ramapo Reformed Church weekly between now and the end of June, we're postponing dancing there until the Fall of 2007. There are 3 weeks within an 8-week period when we will not be able to use the room there. So, at this point in time, it doesn't make sense to confuse people as to when we'll be there and when we won't.

Alan and I sincerely apologize to those who had anticipated the use of such a great room with a nice, wood dance floor. Hopefully, if things work out, we'll be back there in the Fall on a weekly basis. Whether or not that will happen on Sunday evenings remains to be seen. But, for the moment, just know that they're on the back burner for the summer.

Thank you to everyone who attended. Hang in there! We'll get something going soon! :) Thanks for your support!

TGIF!

I need a weekend. LOL! My life is just crazy these days, I guess. Last night, Donnie took me to Screamin' Ink for a consult about getting my long-awaited tattoo. We talked with Billy, the owner. Nice guy. Extremely nice place - the ultimate in clean, let me tell 'ya! The place is in the style of a 50's diner. Pretty cool! ...Anywho... I gave him my "sample" tat and they're going to work up a custom version that'll "fit" me (the one I had was only 5" across - they'll fit it to ME). I can tell you right now, Billy is a good businessman who cares about his clientele and their wishes as well as their health. I'm telling you, the place is SPOTLESS. Every artist is Red Cross Certified and the shop is approved by O.S.H.A.. So, I know I'm going to a reputable shop and not some crazy, fly-by-night guy who just decided one day to pick up a gun and needles and call himself an artist. That's a huge relief to someone like me who has never been tattooed before. And I'm no dummy. I didn't just pick Billy's place out of the phone book. I did my homework. I know his rep - and it's impeccable. I've seen his work - and it's exceptional. What more can I ask for? ;)

So, my appointment is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend. I'm psyched. And I'm not nervous at all. (Who'd have thunk it - me, CHOOSING to get a tat?? LOL!... In reality, I've always kind of wanted one. But, (1) I wasn't ready and (2) I could never really decide on anything that I REALLY wanted until now. Here's what I'm getting (or a close replica of):

Now, I need to work on Donnie. He has always wanted one, too. But, he's not sure WHERE to put it (OH. Mine is going on my lower back). And he wasn't sure what he wanted it to be. I drew him up something the other day and he seemed to really like it. So, who knows? Maybe he'll have that done sometime in the near future.

...What is this saying to our kids, anyway? I don't think it's a bad thing. But, if they ever decide to go for one, I'd at least like for them to invest some time in checking out the different shops around and making an educated decision.

Mt. Kisco American Legion & Ramapo Reformed Church

Hey, everyone!! Happy Saturday to you! I hope you have big plans for your weekend dancing pleasure. ;) Last night I taught in Mount Kisco, NY at the American Legion Hall. It was an adventure finding the place, as I took all the wrong turns to get there. LOL! But, I DID arrive and in plenty of time to enjoy the wonderful crowd there. I was happy to see line dance friends from 10.. maybe 15 years ago as well as new friends I've met since my return to the line dance community. But, aside from the fact that I knew many of the people in attendance, this was one of the friendliest, most FUN groups of people I've had the pleasure of teaching in a LOOOOONG time! Everyone danced. Everyone, obviously, had a good time. I think this is a reflection on Sue Gordon to a certain degree. She has a terrific group of people there and it was my pleasure to have the opportunity to spend some time with them. I'd like to go back and visit again when I get the chance! I recommend the same for any of you who are looking for a fun night with a crowd of happy, energetic people to dance with. The floor is a nice sized, all-hardwood dance floor. I think the ONLY drawback was that the floor is slippery - the wood is so smooth it was difficult for me to do the Fallsview Rock without falling on my @$$. LOL! Regardless of that, it was a great night and I appreciate the opportunity I had to be there. I hope Sue recovers from her surgery quickly and completely and is able to return to her class. They obviously love having her there.

Tomorrow (SUN 5/6), is the opening night of line dancing at the Ramapo Reformed Church in Mahwah, NJ. I'll be teaching there weekly with Alan Kohn DJ'ing. The room, like the Mt. Kisco American Legion, boasts an all-hardwood floor. And I'm hoping the low-key atmosphere will attract some newbies to the line dance scene as well as some old friends I've known over the years. Over the course of the next few weeks, we may play with the floor plan to see what works best with the table set-ups. If you attend and have ideas for improvement, please, feel free to share them with me! The cost of the evening will be $10 per person and includes snacks, soft drinks, and water. There is no alcohol allowed on church property, so I thank you for respecting that rule. I will also be implementing an instruction request list at the church. After talking with many dancers who consider themselves to be newcomers, I've found that many of them are interested in learning dances that are already existing on the dance floors of the area and don't necessarily feel the need to learn "new" dances all the time. Their wants are real and make sense. After all, who wants to pay $10 to get into a dance and then only get to dance two or three times all night long? Having an instruction request list might alleviate that problem. I'll check out the list and teach those dances that have already been taught along with some good new dances that may pop up along the way.

To get to the Ramapo Reformed Church, click HERE .

HERE is an alternate map to the church.

Hope to see you there!!

Happy Thursday, Folks!

I'm glad it's Thursday. I need the weekend to unwind from my whirlwind trip to Indy last weekend. LOL! However, that being said, I also have a lot going on this weekend. Starting with tonight. Thursday is Tappan Pub night, so I HAVE to go there because it has become somewhat of my line dance home since I returned to the scene. So, I'll be there tonight. Friday, May 4th, I'll be in Mt. Kisco, NY teaching. Saturday night I was supposed to go to that awesome Tallman Fire Department Dance. But, my babysitter bailed on me this morning, so I'm stuck home on Saturday night. And then on Sunday, my new classes start up in Mahwah, NJ at the Ramapo Reformed Church. For the first time in NINE years, I have my own class again. (YAY!) I'm looking forward to that. The entire room is hardwood floor and it isn't a small room AT ALL. It's actually quite a large room. The dance area should be bigger than the Tappan Pub, easily. But, it's going to take some finagling of tables before I'm happy with it, I'm sure. ;) I hope to see LOTS of people there. It's a $10 cover which includes 2 lessons, snacks, and soda/water. So, it's a good deal.

So, maybe I'll see some of you tonight at the Pub. Or maybe tomorrow in Mt. Kisco. And if not, then please join me on Sunday in Mahwah!