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My first tattoo

// June 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // Life

Yesterday I got inked.

I have been thinking about getting a tattoo for a while and have gone through a few possible designs with the help of a crazy designer I know as I can’t really design for toffee.

One of the themes I was looking at was a totem pole design so I was researching what each head meant, what the creature stood for and how that would relate to me. While doing the research I started to see a style of artwork that caught my eye and I thought would make a good tattoo. This style was called Haida. It’s a very aboriginal or tribal style and was the style of North West American Native Indians.

There were various haida designs I could have chosen. I saw designs for various animals such as wolf, firebird, goose (was tempted with the goose as that’s my nickname at work) but the one that caught my eye was the Orca, or Killer Whale as most people know it.

Ever since my trip to Vancouver last year and going out to see Orca breeching, I have been in awe of these creatures and native indians also heald them in high regard as wise creatures. So, that sold me on the Orca design but which one.

There are several different styles of Haida Orca, some more realistic in shape than others, but the one that caught my eye was this one:

I liked the black and red colouring, and the shape and style would make a good tattoo design I thought.

So after making a few enquiries at a tattoo studio in Northwich, I got booked in and headed along yesterday. I will be honest to say that I was a bit nervous. Wondering if I was doing the right thing, would it look good, would everyone else like it etc etc, the usual doubts I assume. While waiting I suddenly thought to myself, “shut up, you like it, it will look good, stuff everyone else”. So my nerves went. Ace.

I had been told various things about the pain of getting a tattoo, and to be honest, it wasn’t half as bad as I thought it would be. The line work was just like something scratching the skin and wasn’t painful at all. The colour fill was a little more uncomfortable as it was covering a larger area, but as soon as the needles moved away what pain there was went. Now, I know it does depend on what part of the body is being tattooed, and I think the upper arm is one of the least painful, but it wasn’t bad. Certainly hasn’t put me off more, in fact I’ve got an idea for one already.

So, the tattoo was done, the cling film was put on it and I headed off to buy some nappy rash cream. Yep, nappy rash cream. Good for tattoos apparently and helps reduce scabbing.

I’m well happy with the result, and it looks like it’s healing well so in a few days time it will be sorted.

My thanks go to Lisa at Indigo Tattoo in Northwich for doing the tattoo. I will be back for more!

Don’t worry, it’s just a post

// April 2nd, 2009 // 1 Comment » // Life

I’ve just noticed how little I update this site, which is quite frankly, embarrassing.

So why the lack of updates? Well, laziness has to be up there as one of the reasons, but I do have some other reasons which I’ll try and make you believe.

In August last year I joined the design team at TheHut.com who along with running their own online store, also run sites for companies such as Tesco, WHSmith, ASDA, Lovefilm, Argos and Sendit. We also bought the zavvi brand a little while ago too and have relaunched the zavvi site too. So that keeps me busy and although I gave up the freelance life to get my evenings and weekends back, I seem to be working a lot of hours. Saying that though, I am enjoying it, and the hours don’t seem to be as bad as similar hours of freelance.

So what else is going on? Well I am currently working on rebranding, redesigning and moving my photography forum to a new domain which is a much better one in my opinion. The forum itself is growing at a steady pace now with nearly 1700 members and fortunately I have a great team of moderators and admins who keep it going when I’m not about. I’m not sure of the launch date yet, there is a still a fair bit to do yet.

I bought an iPhone too! The beginning of my assimilation into the fruit collective has started. I have to say though that it puts any previous phone I’ve had to shame. It’s corny but true, it just works! Everything is nice and simple and so far there is nothing to complain about. I tried to get the wordpress app for the iPhone but it didn’t want to play ball, but if I get it working (ok, some things don’t “just work”) then I shall be able to update this site a bit more frequently.

I’ve been twittering a lot too. You can follow me at http://twitter.com/gazraa if you want to hear my random mutterings. Twitter, when used well, is a great marketing and social tool. 140 characters at a time may not seem enough but celebrities like Stephen Fry seem to do ok with it, and considering his vast volcabulary of long words, that can’t be bad.

I’ve been trying to do a bit more photography too. I run one or two photography basics courses a month which seem to be going down well. No complaints so far anyway! I enjoy doing the courses but I just wish I was luckier with the weather. I have only run one course so far where it hasn’t rained! Hopefully that will improve as we head into spring and summer.

So there you go, a brief update on my life and why I haven’t updated this site in a while. 4 updates in 2008! Shocking. I’ll try and do better this year.

The ignorance of people

// September 29th, 2008 // No Comments » // Life

OK, before I get into this, this is going to be a bit of a rant so I apologise in advance.

So here goes.

I was sitting in my car outside tescos in Oldham today and saw that there was a shopping trolley in the middle of the road and cars were having to drive around it. It was about 5ft from the edge of the road.

Now, I only sat in my car for 5 minutes, but in that time at least 6 people, of all ages, walked right past that trolley, within 6 inchs of it, and not one of them thought to move it out of the road. That pissed me off. Why are people so friggin up their own behinds (I’m trying not to be too rude hear) that they can’t just do something that will make someone elses life easier (the car drivers)? It wouldn’t even have taken any effort to move the bloody trolley!

So I got out my car to go into tescos and moved the trolley on the way in.

Then, on the way out, I noticed someone had just dumped a different trolley in the middle of the exit when the trolley park thingy was only 5ft away. Just bloody ignorant!

It’s just that mentality that really, really annoys me.

That is all.

Being a live kidney donor

// March 9th, 2007 // 66 Comments » // Life

On 21st February I donated one of my kidneys to my sister. Just over 2 weeks on and everything is going well for both of us.

It has been almost a year since we found out my sister would need a kidney donation and when we found out I knew I wanted to get checked to see if I was compatible. There was no hesitation, it’s what big brothers are there to do at the end of the day.

Fortunately all the tests proved I was a suitable match. I had numerous blood tests, a CT scan, pee tests, X-Rays, an ECG, a nuclear dye injection and scan (can’t remember the name of that one) and various examinations. I should probably be glowing due to the amount of radiation I’ve had directed at me.

So all tests proved positive and my kidney was an excellent match. Finally the day of going into hospital arrived after one previous delay and we ‘checked in’ to St Georges hospital in Wimbledon, London. I have to admit to not liking hospitals, but the staff on Bucklands Ward were excellent. Not an unhappy face in sight and all very bubbly and just a bit crazy. An X-Ray and ECG out the way and it was time to put the sexy stockings on that are meant to reduce the chance of DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis) and try and settle in.

The operation was due at 8.30am on Wednesday morning so we had a night in hospital before the op. All the way through the tests I had not felt nervous, scared or any anxiety towards the op. I don’t know why, maybe because I knew I was helping my sister. I referred to the op as being sliced and diced to anyone that it came up in conversation with and I was always optimistic about it.

After a restless nights sleep, because the hospital ward was too warm and the bed wasn’t long enough for my lanky 6′4″ frame, it was time to be sliced and diced. I was wheeled off to the operating room and into the room where they knock you out (not with a hammer). I don’t remember having to count down once I had the inital injection, I just remember the room going a bit blurry. Now some people say you have the best dreams while under a general anaesthetic, but I don’t remember a thing. I rarely remember my dreams anyway. I woke up after the op in the recovery room and spotted my sister asleep, the surgeons wandered round and said everything had gone really well. So I went back to sleep. (more…)