Holly Daze

As a kid I used to love this day. What kid wouldn't? It was the one day out of the year that a big jolly man named Santa Claus came down the chimney and left presents. At least that is what we were led to believe, until we got old enough to know that it was actually our parents that bought them. I think like most kids I was probably somewhere around the age of 8 when I stopped believing in Santa. Of course, that didn't mean I was going to pass on the one day out of the year I was going to get presents, and it wasn't even my birthday.

I'm not sure when I became disenchanted with the whole holiday. It's not that I'm Ebenezer Scrooge about the whole thing. Though this year I'm sure that my niece and nephew would say that I was. This is the first year that I have not bought a single present. For anyone. It was a few years ago that I only bought presents for the kids. Only now all the kids have all grown up, from my baby brother all the way down to my niece. All are now respectively 20, 17, and 13.

I just feel that this holiday is a day that has turned into such a commercialized franchise. Not to mention a very tacky holiday. Every where you drive you see all these gaudy lawn ornaments. I drove by one house that had one of those blow up plastic jobs of Santa lying in a hammock in between two palm trees. And I haven't forgotten to mention all those houses (sometimes the whole friggin' block!) that are covered in so many lights that you can see them from outer space. Com'mon now. Is all that shit really necessary?

I'm not a religious person, so I'm not even going to go there. There are just too many religions out there and I'm not even going to try and pretend that I know anything about any of their beliefs. From a religious stand point, today means many different things to them. So, I'm not even going to go there. All I know is, from the time that I can remember; I was taught that today marks the traditional birth date of Jesus (even though it is unknown exactly when or why December 25 became associated with Jesus' birth). This is what I grew up believing as a child, along with Santa.

So just what does today mean to me, the day that has been dubbed as Christmas? Well, for me, today is a day just like any other day, except I don't have to go to work. Popular Christmas themes include the promotion of goodwill, giving, compassion, and quality family time. Which if you ask me, why? Shouldn't every day be a day of goodwill, giving, compassion, and family time? Shouldn't every day be a day that we show goodwill and compassion towards everyone, regardless if they are someone who is well off or less fortunate? Giving should be from the heart and not because we feel that we have to, or that some holiday dictates us to do so.

The same thing with family, every day should be a day to spend quality time with family as well. But if you ask me, today is a day that a good majority of people are dreading having to spend time with their family or their spouses family and glad to be back home when it's all over. Just ask anyone you know. I bet you'll find at least one of them that will have a story for you about all the drama of their day spent with family.

I dunno, maybe I'm just feeling the loss of my Grammy. This is the first Christmas without her here. Not that we really celebrate Christmas in the traditional sense these days, but we always had a dinner of sort and Grammy was always with us. Our family has dwindled down to just me, my brother, my mom, and my uncle. Only my uncle is still away for a spell, so it's just the three of us.

All I do know is that I miss my Grammy.

To modify, or not to modify

For years my kid brother has been saying that he wanted to get his eyebrow pierced. Before he was 18 our mom wouldn't consent the piercing. I tried to convience him that he didn't need to have mom's consent, I could easily sign the consent form. Being the mama's boy that he is though, I couldn't get him to do it.

After he turned 18 though, I have no idea what was keeping him from doing it. Scared maybe? Afraid it was going to hurt too much? Who the hell knows! All I do know is that today he finally stepped up to the plate, and did it. Of course, when he told me that he was actually going to Zebra's to day to do it, I had to tag along with him. Not only because I was his big sis and wanted to be there when he got his first piercing, but so I can document as well. After all, what are big sisters for, if not to capture moments in time to embarrass you with later in life!

So my baby brother, his friend Jus and his girlfriend Sam, and I all piled into the car and headed into Berkeley. I with my camera loaded with black & while film in hand and Sam with my digital camera in video mode in hers. As much as my brother was nervous about getting it done, it was over in seconds. And now with the beauty of technology and the internet, that moment in time is available for replay. 'Cause I'm cool like that.

Yeah, I know. He'll thank me later for it. Like I said. What are big sisters for?!

The Piercing

Mi familia extendida

It was way over due to go and visit with my extended familia. So over the weekend I finally went and seen my extended family from childhood and my Goddaughter. I've been such a bad Niña. It had been way too long since I had last seen her. Sometimes life just gets too crazy and before you know it, over a year has passed.

As always, it was great seeing them and catching up. It was even better seeing the kids. They grow up so damn fast! Caleb, Conor, and Keira have all grown so much since I last saw them.

Of course I had to bring my camera along and take pictures of them all. I'm still in the process of determining whether anymore of the shots came out good enough to make decent prints. Tonight while I'm in the lab I'll test a few of them and see.

Here are a couple that I did make prints of on Monday.



My Goddaughter Keria - she's sticking her tongue out trying to catch al the mocos running from her nose. Mmmmm....


This is cousin Anjelica (not Keira's mother). I've known Anjelica since the she was born (as I have Keira's mom). Even without make up she's beautiful. She looks good for having 3 kids herself. Her last one born just this year. She makes me sick! I just wish the shot would have came out better, more crisp. I'm really not liking this film!

Ink Me, Please!

This is going to be my next tattoo. It is my favorite picture of my grammy, it has been ever since I was a little girl. From the 40s to the 50s, just the way women dressed and wore their hair, I can't explain it... It's just one of the eras that I love. I especailly love the 40s platform shoes from this time period! I think it's from the whole pin-up thing, I love pin-ups too.

Before my grammy passed away earlier this year, one of the things that she and my mother talked about was of one of the tattoos that I have on my lower back. My mom hates it, she hates all my tattoos, but my grammy loved it. She even told my mother that she thought it was beautiful and for my mother to just get over it. That's my grammy! She was pretty open minded about a lot things, yet so set her her own ways. I miss her everyday. What a better way to honor my grammy than to get a tattoo in memory of her!

Now the only thing that I haven't been able to decide on is where I want to put it. I've got so many ideas of all the other tattoos that I want to get, it's just so hard to decide on where I want to have my grammy's portrait put. I was thinking on one of my arms, high up. But I just don't know, yet that is the only place I can think of since I've got pretty much the rest of my body already taken for other tatts that I want to eventually get. Augh! Decisions, decisions...

Now for who I want to have do it is a whole 'nother dilemma. After watching a Miami Ink marathon a few weeks ago, there is no question in my mind that Kat Von D is fucking bad ass when it comes to doing portraits. Her black and gray, single needle work is just fucking awesome. For me there is no one else I'd want to have do it. Being able to get her I'm sure is hard as hell though. She's going to be at the San Jose Tattoo Convention October 20-22, but you know she is already all booked up. Shit, this chick is not hurting for work!

I guess all I can do right now is start saving up the green and try contacting her through her website and try and catch her when she is down in LA, or hopefully another tattoo convention near here. Although, it would be kick ass to make it onto Miami Ink. I seen that Miami Ink is hostingan open casting call at Red Sky Bar in NYC on June 24th from 12pm - 4pm. You can fill out an application here. That would be bad ass, and if I was just so happening to be taking my vacation in a few days in NYC I'd give it a shot, even though I know I'd have no chance in hell getting picked. Hell, even if I got picked I wouldn't have the money to pay for the airfare to Miami and a hotel room. All expenses, from the tattoo to your travel and accommodations, are all on you.

But let's just dream awhile and say that said opportunity knocked on my door. How fucking bad ass would that be?! Ami is pretty fucking hot, as is Kat herself.

Okay, back to the real world.

Just to keep my options open though, if anyone out there knows of a kick as tattoo artist that also does very good single needle, black and gray portraits that is anywhere in the San Francisco Bay Area (or San Jose area), let me know! I would love to go check them out, see their work, talk to 'em, and get a feel for 'em. I just might change my mind and go for a local artist. And if you know anyone who's specialty is dragons (also single needle, back and gray) definately let me know. I've also been on the hunt for a kick ass dragon for a couple of years now.