Tag: friends

Tattoo Tuesday – My Friend Convinced me to Get a Tattoo

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle10 Comments
Marvin by Tom Armstrong – How cute does Marvin look with that bone on his back? haha

No one had to convince me to get a tattoo because, well, I have wanted one for as long as I can remember. But, over the years, I have convinced two friends to get tattoos.  So, I asked them recently, how did you let me talk you into getting a tattoo?

Friend #1 – The week I returned home after law school, I wanted to get a tattoo to commemorate the occasion. This was tattoo #2 and I had such a great experience with tattoo #1, I wanted to share this one with someone.  Cue my work friend that had turned into one of my closest friends.  It really didn’t take much convincing, but I recall before this occasion we had never had one conversation about tattoos prior to this day.  So, how did I convince her?  She said I was so excited about sharing the experience with her she didn’t have the heart to say no she didn’t want one.  Now, how is that for friendship. She ended up getting a connected female/male symbol on her lower stomach.  She didn’t regret it and we have this great memory to share.

Friend #2 – Tattoo #3 is my favorite and I got it from Gabe Shum at Ace Dragon Tattoo in Hong Kong. Brilliant tattoo artist by the way. If you want a dragon, he is the go to guy. My friend’s boyfriend and I were going to get tattoos.  He had one already and wanted to get a dragon on her upper arm. Now, my friend is the type of person I though would never get a tattoo. I realize now that you can’t assume that about anyone.  She sat and watch her boyfriend and I talk about and plan and schedule our tattoos for months.  (Gabe usually has a waiting list). She went with us to the tattoo shop.  Her boyfriend gets his tattoo and then I get mine.  The entire time, I am telling her to go ahead get one.  And telling her what a bad ass she would be if she had a tattoo. As we were wrapping my tattoo up, she decides to get one. A small dragon on her lower stomach.  Seems to be the place for spur of the moment tattoos. She said, she saw how excited we were about our tattoos, she wanted to experience it herself. Now, she wants to get an entire back piece.  We created a monster.

One of my favorite episodes of Friends is when Phoebe convinces Rachel to get a tattoo with her.  Phoebe decided to get a Lily, “For my mom because her name is Lily.” Later at the shop, Rachel get her heart shape tattoo on her hip.  Then, when Rachel asked to see Phoebe’s tattoo, she didn’t get it.  “The guy came in with needles and did you know they do this with needles.” and  then Rachel replies, “Really, you don’t say because mine was licked on by kittens.”

After getting her back in the chair, the artist touched Phoebe once and she jump out of the chair and left.  In sharing the story with the “friends” later, she says “For your information, this is exactly what I wanted. This is a tattoo of the earth as seen from a great great distance.  It’s the way my mother sees me from heaven.” Cue the aahh track.

Needless to say, you should get a tattoo for yourself, but getting a tattoo with friends can be a great  bonding experience.  But, please make sure you want one the tattoo in the first place. As you know, they are permanent.

I am still taking submissions for tattoo stories.  If you would like to be a part of Tattoo Tuesday, let me know in the comments. 

B – Best Birthday Present Ever

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah MichelleLeave a comment

How did this Australian trip come about?  Well, let me tell you. To a certain extent, it was a gift given out of spite.

You see.  I work for a woman who over the years and because of circumstance has become one of my closest friends.

That happens when two people are thrust into a world where the only people they can actually speak to let alone, relate to are each other.  I affectionately call her boss/friend.

Think about your best work friend.    We all have them.  That person you are closest to at work.  You eat lunch together and share company gossip together.  They are that person that just makes being at the office a little more bearable.

But, there is a reason why we call them our work friends.  Besides the occasional happy hour, you don’t really spend a lot of time outside of work with this person.    I mean, let’s be honest.  The only thing the two of you have in common is this mind numbing, creativity sapping, energy-draining job.  Or is that just me.

Now, imagine living next door to that person.  Riding to work with that person every day.  Having dinner every night, too.  I am talking about every night.  A bit scary, right.

But, over the years, we have certainly learned to appreciate each other and all of our weaknesses.

One of those weaknesses is that boss/friend is a shopaholic.  But, on top of that, she feels likes everyone around her takes advantage of her and exploits this.  Do you know those people who ask you to go to the most expensive restaurant in town?  Then, when the check comes, you offer to pay your share and they say no, I got it.  Then later, they complain about the fact that they always have to pay for things?

She will buy stuff for herself, and then buy us the same thing to justify in her mind that she is doing it for us.  It isn’t necessary a bad thing.  She can afford it.  But, seriously, who buys the 1st, 2nd and 3rd version of the Ipad.  1- 4 of the iPhone, too.  For all of us.  That’s is a bit excessive, right?

So, to surprise boss/friend, her boyfriend and I buy her a trip to Australia for her birthday.

We wrapped up the tickets and the itineary and gave it to her at her birthday dinner.  That was in December,  we leave in 14 days and she still doesn’t believe we are really going.    In fact, every week she asks me if I have done this or that for the trip.  It started out as funny, now it is just annoying.

This trip was put together as a much-needed vacation for the three of us.  But also, this trip is a way for us to prove to boss/friend that we are not ungrateful free loaders and we can purchase the big-ticket gifts as well.  Bitch!