Wednesday, November 21, 2012

tattooed love boys

I'm not a tattoo fan.  I'm fairly apathetic about them.  If that's what you want to do to yourself, fine, but I have no desire to permanently mark myself with anything.  Whether it's 'art' or not is debatable, but really, 'art' is in the eye of the beholder.  Whether it's attractive or not, again, in the eye of the beholder.  I guess I just prefer flesh tones.

Nobody in my immediate family has ever had a tattoo, at least that I know of.  None of my siblings have any. None of the wife's siblings have any.  Two of our nieces do - my brother in law's daughter has a small one, and my brother's long lost and now found daughter is at least twenty percent covered in them.

Today, the youngster is getting one (a cross, on his upper arm) and I'm not happy about it.  I know some of that is my personal bias.  I grew up in a world where tattoos were something drunk sailors surprised themselves with the next morning after an episode in the dirty back rooms of bars in Toulon, France.  I know it's way different now.  I still don't like the idea of permanently marking yourself up.  I never cared if other people choose to do that, but I don't want it for me, and I'd prefer my son feel the same way, but he doesn't.  I know how the professional world looks at people with tattoos.  I know they are way more acceptable with younger people now, but still, if you want to be a barista at Starbucks, fine.  If you have dreams of 6 figure salaries in the professional world, at least in the one I live in, don't go there.  Sure, you can put it where it won't be seen, but then, what's the point?  It's an instant check in the minus column.  Fair or not, that's how it is.  I don't like the idea of him saddling himself with an instant handicap in his looming career hunt.

Yes, he's doing it over my very vocal objections.  Yes, I'll get over it.  Yes, I did what I now consider very stupid things when I was young, sometimes over the very vocal objections of my parents as well, although none of them were quite this permanent (and therein lies my biggest objection...the permanence.  If you could do tattoos on an annual subscription basis, where once you tire of them you just stop paying and it disappears, I'd be much better with it).  No, it won't make me love him any less.  I just wish he wouldn't...

Labels:

Thursday, November 15, 2012

The fall bike season slowly comes to a close

Some posts come out of a need to say something.  In fact most do.  This one though, is more of a..."I'm still alive and kicking" thing.  Nothing's really new except the Presidential election results and I'd rather not go there..  I'd kind-of like the President to define the word "Forward" for me, because it was his election slogan and nothing in his performance to this point looked anything like how I define the word.  I'm thinking he's not going to comply with my request, so I'm letting all that go.  When life hands you lemons, grab the tequila and salt...and just deal.

The last official fairly large local charity ride for this year came and went last weekend - Bike 26.2 with Donna. Donna Deegan was a local newscaster (she 'retired' to focus on her charity - the Donna Foundation) who is a 3 time breast cancer survivor. I did the ride as part of the North Florida Bike Club team, a group I started riding with in April. the ladies of the club made pink tutus for everyone to wear for the ride and while I'm not really the tutu type, it just sort of fit the day. When I rode up to the bunch of them, a woman declared "You need a tutu!" and it was all over.
 
 


That came after the 6th annual Bike MS weekend.  It's not their 6th annual, but it is mine.  I've found that over the years, while my enthusiasm hasn't waned all that much, that of my contributing sponsors has, which is understandable.  The first year there was a huge curiosity factor.  Most of my relatives questioned my ability to finish 150 miles on a bike over a weekend.  Now, having successfully done it a few times, they've come to view it as routine...easy for them to say.

 
So given all this, you could assume I've been spending a lot of time on the bike and you'd be right - so much so that I've started saddle shopping.  I boght my current (and probably last) road bike in April of 2010, and it now has a bit over 8,000 miles on it.  After the Donna ride, as I was wiping the road grime off it, I realized my current saddle is getting awfully worn.  The leather is starting to peel and pull away from the metal, so it's looking like time for a replacement, which is new for me.  I've never worn out a bike seat before, but hey, there's a first time for everything.
 
I might also have to actually buy some cold weather bike riding clothing.  In the past I just refused to get out there if the temp was under 50°, mostly because it doesn't get that cold here too often, but now I'm getting less willing to buy that excuse.  Maybe I'll have to ask Santa for some gear.
 
More TV season than bike season:
Best show currently on TV: Big Bang Theory
Second best show currently on TV: Duck Dynasty

Labels: