Bag Balm

Disgusting name, I know. This is what I was given by a friend to help heal my tattoo. Well, it contains petroleum products (gross), which clogged the pores on my arm. I, of course, cannot let things heal on their own, so I decided to mess with my lovely new sebum-filled friends. Long story short, I got a not-so-good infection up around my bra line and I am currently on Levaquin to try to get rid of it. I will spare the details/pictures. This has been the focus of my attention the past few days, because my left arm is very angry with me. My tattoo is still beautiful though, and will be finished as soon as I am better, and I will no longer be using any petroleum-based products.

If the ring fits...

...I think I need this :]

J.D. Salinger

Passed away Wednesday. The book Catcher in the Rye is one of my favorite books of all time. This is a huge loss for the literary world. An article I just read puts it best:

"But for all the myth that surrounds Salinger, his work manages to stand on its own as art, and more important, as art that lasts. Reading 'The Catcher in the Rye' has itself become as emblematic of the American teenage experience as French kissing or learning to drive. Holden Caulfield, the novel's disillusioned narrator, is often considered the narrative voice of a generation. The fact that the book is still so widely read proves Holden to be more than that. He isn't simply the voice of a generation; he's the voice of youth, of insecurity, of anger and alienation."

Work In Progress

The outline & some shading of my tattoo...

...this is the best angle I could get.

Let me just say..

One person's struggle is NOT to be used in order to gain pity and sympathy for yourself. I am just as upset as everyone who knows Nick about everything going on, but I am not going around telling everyone and their mother how sad it is so that people will say, "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry for your situation." Hey, news flash, it ISN'T YOUR SITUATION. Pray for Nick, pray for everyone to have strength throughout the process, but for heaven's sake stop seeking sympathy. You're not lying in a hospital bed getting test after test and going through tons of treatments. You're sitting on your comfortable couch enjoying your health and tending to your daily responsibilities. I love Nick to death, and I'm beyond frustrated with people trying to manipulate his situation in order to get attention for themselves. I'm sorry, I just needed to get this out before I ripped someone's head off. Good day.